February 8 Homily Prep

-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org/readings
-Check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30 Sat, 9:30 and 11:00 on Sunday

Healed or Cured?

A scholars has expressed a distinction regarding Jesus' miracles and mission in Mark's Gospel that he describes as "curing" and "healing".  Basically, what Jesus does in the synagogue last week and in Peter's house this week is miraculous cures.  Physical, psychological, spiritual cures are astounding people and revealing Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God (story 1).   The symptom of these cures is pretty obvious - the removal of that thing that is afflicting the body from full function in the world.

But Jesus reveals that his mission and purpose is not to cure but to heal (the root word of which is "salus" from which we get the words "salve" and of course "salvation").

This healing that Jesus has come to accomplish is that of liberating humanity from the self-imposed prison of alienation, self-centeredness, autonomy, isolation, antagonism, from and with God and neighbor.  Jesus has come to heal us by restoring our relationships, humanity with God and brothers and sisters with one another. The symptom of this healing is self-sacrificing service (I have come not to be served but to serve).

Peter's mother-in-law is a perfect example of one who is cured AND healed, liberated and saved, because she gets up immediately when Jesus takes her by the hand and she serves.  Sel-sacrificing love is the symptom of salvation in God's reign.  Service is the coin of the realm.

This is world marriage day.  I think we have all kinds of marriages: broken marriages, sick marriages, cured marriages and healed marriages. In what category does yours fall?  How can you tell?

Have your ever experienced a cure?  Was it also a healing?  How can we tell?  Did it result in more loving service of God and neighbor?  There's your answer.

February 1 Homily Prep

 -This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at Www.usccb.com/readings
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
 -I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 8:00, 11:00 and 6:00pm

Do We Recognize Him?

The demons recognize Jesus as the holy one of God. They fear him because they recognize his "authority" - Jesus is the human face of God.  The disciples and enemies of Jesus do not recognize him as the incarnation of God, the son of God, Abba Father.  This lack of recognition limits Jesus' authority or power to heal them.

It challenges me to wonder whether I have recognized Jesus as the very Son of God. What really makes me wonder is the fact that God has not healed me from my isolation, sin, selfishness, sadness.  Maybe I have never really recognized Jesus' power as God.

The call to submit my life to Jesus' mission. - reconciling all people IN God - is offered over and over in and through the Church. Again this week I have the chance to see Jesus as he is - Lord and Savior. Will I take the chance?

Jan 11 Homily Prep -Bapt of the Lord

-Last Sunday's homily is available By email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at Sunday readings
-check out this weeks LinC letter at LinC Letter
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00 Sat, 9:30am and 6:00pm Sunday

Bluetooth Discoverability to Network Connectivity

Our God, through the Incarnation, has become discoverable to the Bluetooth ( longing for love and happiness) of all human beings - all nations.  That was last week's Christmas message.  This fifth and final feast of this great season of Incarnation, the Baptism of the Lord, is aptly described as the introduction to the network of Salvation - connectivity in the cyber world, incorporation into Christ in the Christian gospel.

Rather than God being made visible to human hearts, we see now that human hearts make God visible. Every human heart is called to be incorporated through Baptism into the mission of God-made-flesh, Emmanuel!  This is the flip side of sacramental thinking.

In sacramental thinking grace and faith make "the invisible visible". So that our God can be touched, seen, held, heard.  The grace of Baptism and the mystical Body of Christ is that we are transformed from the "material appearance of our lives into the divine face of God".  Each individual, isolated, separated human life is incorporated as one into the divine presence of the whole Body of Christ.

Incorporation into Christ through baptism helps us to know our identity (as members united in the network) and our mission (as access points/doorways of salvation in the world).

These words were spoken by Card. Greh before conclave that elected Pope Frnacis. "Let us listen to Augustine: "The apostles saw Christ and believed in the Church that they did not see; we see the Church and must believe in Christ whom we do not see. Adhering firmly to what we see, we will come to see him whom we do not now see. "

In Christ Alone, as members of one Body, as agents and instruments of the Kingdom, as human faces of divine Communion - we are the Church.

Woohoo!  Are you in?

Dec 28 homily prep

-Last Sunday's homily is available
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at Sunday readings
-check out this weeks LinC letter at LinC Letter
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00, 8:00 and 6:00pm

Dec 21 Homily Prep

-Last Sunday's homily is available At email request
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at LinC Letter
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30 on Sat and 11:00 and 12:30 on Sunday

More God

I'm thinking that David's temptation and Mary's distraction in relationship to Gods Presence is the same thing that afflicts us: we don't want God where God is available.  Both Mary and David get sidetracked by details, protocol and procedures. In both instances God (through the prophet or the angel) is all about being present and received not about being "processed".

Are we not more interested in changing the procedures, details, and processes of a life with God then we are living with God as life is in God?  We usually want changed circumstances  and arrangements from God rather than more God in the circumstances that are.  Isn't it hard for us to find God in the messy details of a suffering life?

When life challenges us do we pray for more God and more life as it is? Or do we pray for changed circumstances and details in life? Could we pray for more God instead of more health. Could we pray for more God than more safety?  Could we pray for more God than less pain?

I think this turnaround might be at the bottom of our unsuccessful prayer life or spiritual life.

If we would begin praying and pleading for more God in every circumstance of our life then our prayers would be more miraculously answered. It seems God is always ready to give more of himself to us in our present circumstance. In fact, I believe that is God's identity and God's job description and God's mission. God is not able to overcome The painful circumstances of our own creation. God gave up that power when he created us in his image and likeness.

Then again, maybe it is precisely in having and knowing "more God" in a particular circumstance that is the path way through and out of difficulty.  in fact, that may be the purpose and the mystery and the meaning of life with God. Remember, with God all things are possible.

Dec 14 Homily Prep

-Last Sunday's homily is available by email request
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at Sunday readings
-check out this weeks LinC letter at LinC Letter
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 9:30 and 12:30

"What are you so happy about"

I am thrilled (read rejoicing) over our return to a renovated church. It is right that we would make this move on Gaudete Sunday (rejoice).  What is the move in your life that has brought you such joy? Yes, true joy comes from the recognition of something ever-new in our lives. Your move!

Dec 7 Homily Prep

-Last Sunday's homily is available by email request
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at Sunday readings
-check out this weeks LinC letter at LinC Letter
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at Sat 4:00, 8:00am and 6:00pm on Sunday

Comfort

Do you find any comfort in life?  From where, from whom?  Not at all?  What is the effect of repreatedly experiencing the hardness of life?  Can we lose hope in the God of compassion?

I believe the call to offer tender mercy in our world is the fundamental characteristic of the disciples of Jesus. After considering your personal encounters of the last 24hrs. what number of them would qualify as tender, merciful, kind?  How many wer missed opportunities?

November 30 homily prep

-Last Sunday's homily is availableby email request
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at Sunday readings
-check out this weeks LinC letter at LinC Letter
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 12:30 Sunday

Advent I -"watch me, watch me, watch me"

Like a three-year-old at the swimming pool jumping off the edge demanding that the parent, or in my case uncle, watch his every move. That is what our Advent  God reminds me of with these scriptures and the call to attention.

This is the most "childlike" that our God appears. Desiring and calling for our constant attention. Maybe this advent we might open our eyes and respond to our God calling us "watch me, Watch me, watch me, are you watching me?"

Why do we tire of "watching God"? Why is it easier to watch other things, realities, thoughts, games, problems?  Why do our artificial hearts easily distract from the real God?  Why do our broken human hearts drift off to the Foolsgold of entertainment, judgment, "reality TV"?

Nov 23 Homily Prep

-Last Sunday's homily is available By email request
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at Sunday readings
-Check out this weeks LinC letter at LinC Letter
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30, 9:30am and 12:30pm

Can You See Me?

This weekend's feast of Christ the King and the great gospel text of Matthew 25 provides the opportunity for continuation of my reflection Vision 2016 "every one add one: renew, reflect, reach out!" The opportunity to renew our faith lived in communion with God in the parish is most accessible by serving a compassionate ministry here with others.

If we can "read" or "see" the world and daily life through the lens of the gospel then we can recognize and encounter the Lord Jesus in the simplest acts of compassion which becomes a new path for "remaining in the Lord".

Our plan or vision is that others find us credible witnesses to the life of Jesus Christ risen from the dead. Others are most likely to see and "encounter" the communion of God Father, Son, and Holy Spirit by experiencing our sincere and compassionate service. Recall, that Jesus said "this is how they will know you are my disciples, by the love you have for one another."

Those words of Jesus indicate to us how we would make one small step more deeply into the communion of the love of God and that is by turning to our brothers and sisters in community with compassion. This is maybe less heroic service then turning to the stranger, however, it demands that we take a new look and see the littleness, neediness, Christlikeness in our brothers and sisters (our spouses, our children, our parents) and see it as openings for compassion and service right where we live.

This is what the vision "every one and one" means by renew. If each of us could renew the way that we are relating to our neighbor in communion we could deepen our faith in communion. This deepening or renewing of our faith is a necessary step to our reaching out to our neighbor in the form of invitation to return to church.

So, let's turn our vision to the people closest to us and see them as the needy Christ in our midst. Renewing or deepening our love for them through new compassionate service is the first step to inviting them to encounter the love of God that we have found in our parish "communion of the faithful here".

Homily Prep November 16 Feast of St. Albert the Great, Patron

-Last Sunday's homily is available by email request
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at Sunday readings 
-check out this weeks LinC letter at LinC Letter 
-I will be preaching at all the weekend masses

Can You See It?  Every One Add One!

I will be presenting our Vision 2016; Every One Add One!  This is the feast of our patron, St. Albert and we will be introduced to our parish prayer, our parish hymn, our vision, its logo, and the six pastoral strategic goals that have been established to help us achieve this vision Every One Add One!

Pray for Us!

Homily Prep Nov 9th - Church Building

-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at Sunday readings
-check out this weeks LinC letter at LinC Letter 
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30 Sat and 11:00 Sunday

Our Church Building

I would understand that those of us at St. Albert parish this year would read the title of this post and think "church building renovation".  But that's not what I mean by using it here.  On the feast of the Dedication of John Lateran Basilica we are given scriptures about "our church building" with and among the living stones.  You and me.....communion.

Last month I reflected upon the preciousness of each person's life - so much so- that each human life is an expression of God's life and presence.  A young woman told me that she had never really thought about "her" life as the presence of God.  I am thinking that this "blindness" to the quality and nature of our lives might be affecting our thinking about church.  Most of the baptized do not consider themselves to "be the church".

I think most of the baptized think that guys like me, we are the church.  Most people think the Pope and the priests - THEY are the church.  Well, the Vatican Council II reasserted firmly that it is the baptized, the faithful that are the living stones of the church  - the pope and the pastor are just two of those members.

I'm thinking that this blindness to your preciousness as a living member of the church might be getting in the way of our parish community "acting" like the church - building church or church building.  If one does not consider oneself a dignified member of the church then the mission of the church doesn't really involve you.

Let's open our eyes to see ourselves as living stones built into the Church, the Body of Christ and let's imagine how that identity and dignity might change the way we act. 

Nov 2 homily Prep - Do you believe?

-Last Sunday's homily is available By email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at Sunday readings
-Check out this weeks LinC letter at LinC Letter 
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 8:00am, 12:30pm, and 6:00pm

It's not about believing in God!

What makes us Christian is not our belief in God - but our belief that God raised Jesus from the dead. If we don't believe in the resurrection, then our "faith" in God is "in vain".

All Souls Day is a poignant occasion for us to "check our faith". With Martha we really need to ask ourselves about the effect that the death of our loved ones has had upon our lives. Do we grieve like the pagans do (as St Paul warns us against)?

If we believe in resurrection our sadness is the invitation to believe. If we don't believe in the resurrection our sadness replaces our life.

So, what is it with you?  Do you believe in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, eternal life, reunion in heaven forever?  Or are you disappointed with the ultimate loss of life?

Oct 26 Homily Prep

-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at Sunday readings
-check out this weeks LinC letter at LinC Letter
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00, 8:00am and 12:30pm

Constellations

It is a fact of reality that we cannot claim a relationship with God that does not place us in relationship with our neighbor. Many of us claim to desire and depend upon a friendship with God but cannot make room in our "territory" for a relationship in love with our neighbors. Won't work.

If we desire to enter into God's orbit (which is love) we cannot reject or avoid relationship with others. Both persons occupy that "orbit" we call loving. In fact this is so true that to the extent that we have a "problem" with one of the neighbors we are not living in God's neighborhood.

Hmmmm

Oct 19 Homily Prep - Do You See It?

-Last Sunday's Homily available at: Oct 12 Homily
-This Sunday's Readings are available at Sunday Scriptures
-Check out this week's edition of the LinC Letter
-I will be celebrating Mass at 9:30 and 12:30 on Sunday

Do You See God's Image on Your Life

Our respect life month of October continues and we have yet another teaching of Jesus that challenges our society'spervading opinion about the value of life.  On respect life Sunday (October 5) I had proposed that the mystery that God has entrusted to each of us was our very lives. We are stewards commissioned to tend to this gift of life on behalf of God.

Can we see the image of God upon the human person - everywhere?  Recognizing the dignity of every human life because it is the very possession of God, the very presence of God would determine the way we "use" such a gift, such a possession. Jesus says that which belongs to God should be given to God. What would it mean if your life was given to God?

Some of our Protestant brothers and sisters have a ceremony for infants called dedication. This is in place of infant baptism. While they use a different name to describe the two ceremonies (dedication versus baptism) I would see the same intention of Christian parents in both cases - bringing the new life in our midst to God and giving it, returning it to God.

Have you understood your baptismal life as the returning of your life to God (whose image is bourne upon your life)?  What might it mean to the way you live your life, understand your life, share your life, in the world if you were intending to "give your life to God"?

Let me know

October 12th Homily Prep - Are You In?

-Last Sunday's homily is available Click Here: October 5th Homily
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at Sunday readings
-check out this weeks LinC letter at LinC Letter
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30pm Saturday, 8:00am and 6:00pm Sunday

Are You In?

The parable of the King and his Son's Wedding Feast is a great opportunity for us to reflect again upon the single most important aspect of the Kingdom of God - participation.  The choice to live life according to God's gift of the Kingdom is at the heart of this parable and the others we've heard in the last few weeks from St. Matthew.

Remember the workers in the vineyard.  The Master wasn't worried about over-paying people for too little work.  He was only concerned that everyone worked - felt welcomed to participate in his mission - his vineyard.

The King's Son's Wedding adds something to this Lord's insistence that we participate in order to have life.  It is not good enough for us to show up at the wedding - we have to indicate our sincerity by dressing (externally manifesting our faith) the part.  The wedding garment seems to symbolize ones willingness to get "cleaned up"  - "dress the part" - "conform our behavior" to that which is appropriate for the Kingdom life.

This goes back to the parable of the two sons.....talk about being "in the Kingdom" or "with the Lord' is cheap.  Our life in the Kingdom must be accompanied by a converted life.  Remember, the prostitutes and tax collectors "changed their minds" and "cleaned up their lives" at the teaching of John.  We cannot accept the invitation to the wedding feast of heaven and stay in our "work clothes" or "play clothes" or "self-centered outfit".

The master wants nothing more than our participation in the communion of life and love which is salvation.  But we have to be willing to conform to the life of heaven by the grace of Jesus' invitation.

Are you in?  Just in words?  Or by the sign of your converted life?

October 5 Audio Homily

Last Sunday's homily is available Click Here: October 5 Homily

October 5 Homily Prep

-Last Sunday's homily is available Click Here: September 28 Homily audio
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at Sunday readings
-check out this weeks LinC letter at LinC Letter
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00 on Sat and 9:30 and 11:00am on Sunday.

Whose Life is it Anyway?

This is respect life Sunday in respect life month. It proposes that every human life deserves respect and defense due to the fact that life is from God, life belongs to God, God is life.  This fact is diametrically opposed to what the secular world's proposes:  that life is one's personal possession and success in life is pain-avoiding survival.

This Sunday's gospel parable teaches the virtue or vocation of stewardship, the life of a tenant or caretaker.  How would you be different in life if you believed that your life isn't yours, that your life is on loan to you by God?

Have you ever taken responsibility for something that wasn't yours?  What motivated your good care of someone else's stuff?

How would you explain this vocation of stewardship to an elderly relative who says that she "no longer wants to live her suffering life"?  How is it that so many pregnant women in our society today believe that the child in the womb is "theirs" to dispose of?

We as a Christian community have not evangelized our own membership to the Gospel way of stewardship (tending to God's gifts for God's sake). we need to reflect on the fact that "my marriage" as we often say, is God's, not ours.  My children, as we claim on our tax returns, are not ours. My body, as we mark it up with "a lot of ink" is not ours to do with as we like.

All these gifts belong to God and ought to be "handled with care" as if they we not ours.

What do you think?

September 28 Homily Prep

-Last Sunday's homily is available Click Here: Sept 21 Homily
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found here : Sunday Scriptures
-Check out the Parish LinC Letter here: LinC
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00 on Saturday and 8:00 and 12:30 on Sunday

Walk the Walk

Today's challenge of Jesus to the Pharisees, his favorite interlocutors, brings down the distinction between the religion of the Pharisees and the authentic spirituality of the gospel of Jesus. Jesus's explanation of the two sons exposes the lack of sincerity and authenticity in the pharisaical observance of the law-lipservice and no life commitment. All talk -no walk!

As the followers of Jesus we can be easily challenged to do a better job and "walk we talk" but I don't think Jesus is recommending that we disregard the "talk". We can't  "trash talk" God, religion, obedience and faithfulness simply because it's not important as if the only thing that matters is loving God and religion and being obedient and faithful "livers" of the gospel . No, walking the walk is of the essence of religion and being faithful to God and neighbor in self-sacrificing love is the walk of faith. We have to always grow in our authentic "walking the talk".

What the current moment in history is calling for is to us who are faithful he walking the talk that we would start eloquently "talking the walk". I think God through the church today is more interested than ever that we would also "talk the walk"-sincerely and lovingly expressing our faith that we are living.

The new evangelization is the ability to eloquently express our sincere Christian faith and it is challenging for Catholics. We don't talk about our religion. Even those who are living it authentically. We even pride ourselves on not "talking the walk".  I believe that this generation in the world and this time in history is calling for a new "expressive religion" from sincere believers like Catholics. We call it witnessing.

Insincere radical nonsensical violent hateful religious talk or rhetoric has taken over the religious mind of the peoples of the world. No wonder 38% of people under the age of 30 do not claim any religious affiliation. Religion has a bad name.

I believe the single greatest thing that we could do as Catholics who are sincerely walking the faith (worshiping God and loving our neighbor here at St. Albert the great parish and in many places) is that we could begin to "talk the walk" - reasonably humbly intelligently lovingly and invitingly talk to the world about the faith that we walk.

Can you sincerely speak to those you love about the importance that your faith in God and your life in the church plays in your daily life? Can you talk the walk? I think the world desperately wantsto hear you "talk the walk"

September 21st Homily available

Click Here: Sept 21 Homily

September 21st Homily Prep

-Last Sunday's homily is available by email Sept 14 Homily
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at Sunday's Scriptures
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30 Saturday, 12:30 at OurLady Lourdes

It's not about the pay, it's about the work!

This Sunday's gospel parable of the overpaid workers in the vineyard is the scriptural background for our parish ministry fair. As the title of this homily prep says, if we are distracted by the unfair wages being handed out than we have really missed the call of the Gospel in the text. The kingdom of God revealed through Jesus Christ is all about participation and not about compensation.

In our consumer society and materialistic world and mindset, this redirection of our focus onto participation and away from compensation really doesn't make sense. That's okay, it didn't make sense to Jesus' first audience because they, as the children of Adam and Eve, experienced life in the world and even in relationship to God from a broken perspective.

This principle of "participation instead of compensation" brings to mind the worldly approach to marriage. So often and too often people in the world today consider marriage to be a "50/50 proposition".  In other words, the spouses are overly conscious about who's doing more work in the relationship.  Of course, the contemplative approach to the sacrament of matrimony sees it as a "100/100 proposition".  Marriage can only be what God intends it to be when both spouses are in it for the "participation" (sharing of life and love without reservation) and realizing that it is the ability to "participate" that is the "compensation".

St. Albert the great parish, on this ministry fair weekend, is proposing this "participation model" in relationship to our life in the church. There is no compensation for the ministry and service that we each offer through the ministries of St. Albert. That is, of course, unless our "giving ourselves away" is the compensation that we've been looking for.  I asked our PSR students last week what is a "sacrifice". They answered readily "giving up your time and effort for the church and the good of others". I know St. Francis said it better however, "charity is it's own reward".

Anyone who is approaching the church or the kingdom of God from the perspective of "what's in it for me?" is in fact not entering the kingdom of God nor the church. The Lord calls us to the church and to the kingdom so that we can participate and sees that participation as the sharing in the life of heaven. There is no better compensation then  eternal life.