-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-Christmas homily was lost in space
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30 on Sat and 9:30 on Sunday
Perfect Family - Got One?
I'm thinking about the universal "neurosis" that I am thinking is the enemy to our good functioning and peace.....imperfect family/dysfunctional family grief. The holy family is not a perfect family - in fact their family origins, relations, and agreed upon arrangement don't really fit into what I hear people longing for or the church recommending.
But the holy family has something better than family-systems psychology going for them. They have their divine vocation dominant in their lives, consciousness, and daily living. To love god above all things and your neighbor as yourself is the divine vocation that drives them together and drives them through life unto death. No death bed regrets in the holy family. Why not? Because they all did what God was calling them to do before responding to what they might have preferred.
Think about the biggest sadness in your life. I'm thinking it is going to be the result of you or someone you loved or someone who was suppose to love you NOT doing what God was asking. That never happened in the holy family. Thus, no regrets.
The five regrets of the dying....all have to do with failing to do what God asks of us.
So, we can stop grieving over our imperfect families and stop insisting on perfect relationships in the family. Like the holy family we could start realizing that our joy will come in looking for God's will in our daily lives and striving to live it perfectly. The family relationships will fall into place. And then no regrets when it's over.
Friday, December 27, 2013
Friday, December 20, 2013
A new Spirituality. Want one?
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00pm Sat and Sun 8:00am and 12:30pm
New Vision, a new morality, a new Feeling, and now a new Spirituality
Can this new vision that god has of your future be translated into a new habit of holiness? Let's see!
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00pm Sat and Sun 8:00am and 12:30pm
New Vision, a new morality, a new Feeling, and now a new Spirituality
Can this new vision that god has of your future be translated into a new habit of holiness? Let's see!
Thursday, December 12, 2013
December 15 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass and preaching this weekend on Sunday at 11:00 AM and at 6:00 PM
Can you feel what's new in God's vision for you?
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass and preaching this weekend on Sunday at 11:00 AM and at 6:00 PM
Can you feel what's new in God's vision for you?
Thursday, December 5, 2013
December 8 homily prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30 Sat eve and 9:30am Sunday
"What ought we to DO?"
"
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30 Sat eve and 9:30am Sunday
"What ought we to DO?"
"
Friday, November 29, 2013
Homily prep for Advent I, December 1, 2013
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00pm on Sat and 11:00 on Sunday
What's New?
New York? New Jersey? New Vision of your life with God!
Click HERE to view homily prep Vlog
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00pm on Sat and 11:00 on Sunday
What's New?
New York? New Jersey? New Vision of your life with God!
Friday, November 22, 2013
Video Homily Prep for Nov 24 - Christ the King
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Nov 17th Homily prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30 Sat, 11:00 am and 6:00pm Sunday
What is your suffering saying?
It is the manner of our suffering, the way we endure or persevere the tough stuff, that speaks most loudly of our relationship to Jesus Christ. "No whining on the yacht" is the classic line one of our parishioners has coined meaning that our complaining about discomfort is "oxymoronic" - doesn't make sense. What our complaining does reveal is our level of or lack of connection to Jesus Christ and His Kingdom.
So, how's your suffering? What is it revealing about your friendship with Jesus? Or lack thereof?
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30 Sat, 11:00 am and 6:00pm Sunday
What is your suffering saying?
It is the manner of our suffering, the way we endure or persevere the tough stuff, that speaks most loudly of our relationship to Jesus Christ. "No whining on the yacht" is the classic line one of our parishioners has coined meaning that our complaining about discomfort is "oxymoronic" - doesn't make sense. What our complaining does reveal is our level of or lack of connection to Jesus Christ and His Kingdom.
So, how's your suffering? What is it revealing about your friendship with Jesus? Or lack thereof?
Friday, November 8, 2013
November 10 video Homily prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 8:00 and 12:30
Do you have any resurrection in your Christianity?Click here
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 8:00 and 12:30
Do you have any resurrection in your Christianity?Click here
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Nov 3 homily prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 9:30 and 12:30
Where are you looking for the encounter with Jesus?
Click HERE to view video prep
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 9:30 and 12:30
Where are you looking for the encounter with Jesus?
Click HERE to view video prep
Friday, October 25, 2013
October 27 video Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00 Sat, 11:00am and 6:00pm Sunday
Where are you on the map? On which map?
Click HERE to see October 27 video prep
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00 Sat, 11:00am and 6:00pm Sunday
Where are you on the map? On which map?
Click HERE to see October 27 video prep
Friday, October 18, 2013
Oct 20 homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30 Sat and 8:00, 9:30, and 12:30 Sunday(yes, it's a lot😃)
Hold Hands
I heard a doctor of sorts or some expert give a talk on marriage many years ago and his recommendation to married people was the they "argue or fight holding hands". I realized then that the doctor was capitalizing upon the fundamental gesture of the Rite of Marriage which is "join your right hands and repeat after me". The joined hands of husband and wife are a beautiful image of the "two becoming one flesh" and the mutual exchange of consent.
When I think about the recommendation to "fight holding hands" I think I get the point-that while we might be disagreeing about many things we are still united in love for one another. It's the "holding hands" portion of the argument that really matters. Two spouses might be very far apart in their thoughts, words, and problems however if they are still holding hands they are communicating the security of their bond as one.
I must say that I have often seen couples doing various things while holding hands. Often a couple will be eating dinner in a restaurant and holding one hand across the table as they talk and eat. Obviously, people who are in love will hold hands while they're walking down the street, sitting in church, waiting in the doctors office, sitting in the hospital, attending the wake of a loved one, many different activities all carried out from the context of "the two becoming one flesh".
The Gospel parable of the dishonest judge and the persistent widow is set in the context of the "need to pray always without growing weary". The parable ends with Jesus asking the question "will the Son of Man find any faith on earth when he returns?" It seems to me that "praying" is to the life of faith lived in communion with God as "join your right hands" is to the marriage relationship.
Holding hands is not the solution to the problems of marriage, holding hands is the sign of the fundamental commitment of marriage in spite of the problems.
If you are a person of faith you must be praying. Too often we are concerned about the answer to our prayers. I seem to think that praying is the answer to faith's problems. We pray not to get something from God, but because we have something with God-a relationship of love and trust.
Could you use this image and understanding of faith and prayer in your explanation of why you are a believer to someone who has no understanding of our Christian faith? Let me know
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30 Sat and 8:00, 9:30, and 12:30 Sunday(yes, it's a lot😃)
Hold Hands
I heard a doctor of sorts or some expert give a talk on marriage many years ago and his recommendation to married people was the they "argue or fight holding hands". I realized then that the doctor was capitalizing upon the fundamental gesture of the Rite of Marriage which is "join your right hands and repeat after me". The joined hands of husband and wife are a beautiful image of the "two becoming one flesh" and the mutual exchange of consent.
When I think about the recommendation to "fight holding hands" I think I get the point-that while we might be disagreeing about many things we are still united in love for one another. It's the "holding hands" portion of the argument that really matters. Two spouses might be very far apart in their thoughts, words, and problems however if they are still holding hands they are communicating the security of their bond as one.
I must say that I have often seen couples doing various things while holding hands. Often a couple will be eating dinner in a restaurant and holding one hand across the table as they talk and eat. Obviously, people who are in love will hold hands while they're walking down the street, sitting in church, waiting in the doctors office, sitting in the hospital, attending the wake of a loved one, many different activities all carried out from the context of "the two becoming one flesh".
The Gospel parable of the dishonest judge and the persistent widow is set in the context of the "need to pray always without growing weary". The parable ends with Jesus asking the question "will the Son of Man find any faith on earth when he returns?" It seems to me that "praying" is to the life of faith lived in communion with God as "join your right hands" is to the marriage relationship.
Holding hands is not the solution to the problems of marriage, holding hands is the sign of the fundamental commitment of marriage in spite of the problems.
If you are a person of faith you must be praying. Too often we are concerned about the answer to our prayers. I seem to think that praying is the answer to faith's problems. We pray not to get something from God, but because we have something with God-a relationship of love and trust.
Could you use this image and understanding of faith and prayer in your explanation of why you are a believer to someone who has no understanding of our Christian faith? Let me know
Friday, October 11, 2013
Blessings and Blessor
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 8:00am and 11:00am
Are We Making a Costly Mistake?
No video prep this week. I just could not get it together.
Nonetheless, I am concerned with the temptation in our current secular culture to focus on blessing, blessedness, presence of Angels, spiritual wholeness, tranquility, compassion. All the wonderful stuff that I hear out of public officials, young people, and utopian-thinking "hippies".
Everyone, from our doctors, psychologists, television hosts, healthy living experts, is telling us that we simply need to focus on the blessing of life, multiply the blessing, promote the blessing, and celebrate the blessing. As if there is such a thing as "free-floating blessing" out there (that's a thinly veiled reference to "free-floating anxiety" of the 1970s).
What the Scriptures make clear to me today and this weekend is that there is (like "free-floating anxiety") no such thing as "free-floating blessing". Every blessing, goodness, miracle, Angel, has a "Blessor" = God. Our secularized world refuses to acknowledge God. And even our religious world can become fixated upon the Blessing, getting the fix, being pleased in this life apart from the source of blessing, goodness, beauty, life = God.
The gift of the Samaritan in today's Gospel story is not that he realized he was healed, "all 10 realized they were healed". The blessing of the one, the unexpected one, the Samaritan, was that he recognized the God of his blessing.
Is it possible that we, in our pragmatism, have separated the purpose of our lives from the God of our purpose? Isn't it possible that we have become fixated on living the blessing (even in this present moment) while we fail to recognize the God of who blesses? As if the blessing is about us rather than about God and God's kingdom, God's purpose, God's will.
What are you thinking? Does this connect with your faith life in anyway?
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 8:00am and 11:00am
Are We Making a Costly Mistake?
No video prep this week. I just could not get it together.
Nonetheless, I am concerned with the temptation in our current secular culture to focus on blessing, blessedness, presence of Angels, spiritual wholeness, tranquility, compassion. All the wonderful stuff that I hear out of public officials, young people, and utopian-thinking "hippies".
Everyone, from our doctors, psychologists, television hosts, healthy living experts, is telling us that we simply need to focus on the blessing of life, multiply the blessing, promote the blessing, and celebrate the blessing. As if there is such a thing as "free-floating blessing" out there (that's a thinly veiled reference to "free-floating anxiety" of the 1970s).
What the Scriptures make clear to me today and this weekend is that there is (like "free-floating anxiety") no such thing as "free-floating blessing". Every blessing, goodness, miracle, Angel, has a "Blessor" = God. Our secularized world refuses to acknowledge God. And even our religious world can become fixated upon the Blessing, getting the fix, being pleased in this life apart from the source of blessing, goodness, beauty, life = God.
The gift of the Samaritan in today's Gospel story is not that he realized he was healed, "all 10 realized they were healed". The blessing of the one, the unexpected one, the Samaritan, was that he recognized the God of his blessing.
Is it possible that we, in our pragmatism, have separated the purpose of our lives from the God of our purpose? Isn't it possible that we have become fixated on living the blessing (even in this present moment) while we fail to recognize the God of who blesses? As if the blessing is about us rather than about God and God's kingdom, God's purpose, God's will.
What are you thinking? Does this connect with your faith life in anyway?
Thursday, October 3, 2013
October 6 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30pm on Sat and 9:30am on Sunday
Is faith the Opposite of Complaining?
Click HERE to view Video Homily Prep
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30pm on Sat and 9:30am on Sunday
Is faith the Opposite of Complaining?
Click HERE to view Video Homily Prep
Thursday, September 26, 2013
September 29 Homily Video Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30pm Sat and 12:30pm Sun
What's the opposite of love? Clue: not hate
CLICK here to view video prep
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30pm Sat and 12:30pm Sun
What's the opposite of love? Clue: not hate
CLICK here to view video prep
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Homily Prep September 22
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00 Sat, 8:00 and 12:30 on Sunday
Handle with Care!
Do you have the experience of tending or caring for something, a gift, that is or was obviously God's? This is stewardship. How did your recognition of that gift as belonging to God affect the way you "tended" to it?
What if you recognized more and more of your life and experience as gift of God? You might more and more handle all of life as a good steward....with tender care.
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00 Sat, 8:00 and 12:30 on Sunday
Handle with Care!
Do you have the experience of tending or caring for something, a gift, that is or was obviously God's? This is stewardship. How did your recognition of that gift as belonging to God affect the way you "tended" to it?
What if you recognized more and more of your life and experience as gift of God? You might more and more handle all of life as a good steward....with tender care.
Friday, September 13, 2013
September 15 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30 Sat, 9:30am and 6:00pm Sunday
Lost and Found - both at the same time
Click here to see Video Prep
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30 Sat, 9:30am and 6:00pm Sunday
Lost and Found - both at the same time
Click here to see Video Prep
Friday, September 6, 2013
Homily prep September 8
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4pm and 11am.
Sept 8 homily prep
Are you possessed?
Click HERE to view Video Prep
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4pm and 11am.
Sept 8 homily prep
Are you possessed?
Click HERE to view Video Prep
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Homily Prep September 1st
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 12:30pm Sunday
Humility - the Hard Way
A wise man recently was quoted to have said that "your pain is the breaking open of the shell that covers your understanding".
There only one way to true humility and that's the hard way we can elect it or endure it painfully. Neither is painless.
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 12:30pm Sunday
Humility - the Hard Way
A wise man recently was quoted to have said that "your pain is the breaking open of the shell that covers your understanding".
There only one way to true humility and that's the hard way we can elect it or endure it painfully. Neither is painless.
Friday, August 23, 2013
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30, 8:00, 12:30pm
Adult Disciples of Jesus OR Disciplined Children of Church
Click here to see Video Prep
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30, 8:00, 12:30pm
Adult Disciples of Jesus OR Disciplined Children of Church
Click here to see Video Prep
Friday, August 16, 2013
Homily Prep August 18th
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email (Just request it in the comments)
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30 Sat & 11:00 Sunday
What has your discipleship or faith cost you?
Click here to see Video Prep
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30 Sat & 11:00 Sunday
What has your discipleship or faith cost you?
Click here to see Video Prep
Friday, August 9, 2013
August 11th Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00, 12:30 and 6:00pm
Like a New Mother's Sleep!
Click here to see "Video Prep"
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00, 12:30 and 6:00pm
Like a New Mother's Sleep!
Click here to see "Video Prep"
Saturday, August 3, 2013
August 3 Homily Prep
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-A missionary will be preaching at all the masses this weekend.
-A missionary will be preaching at all the masses this weekend.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Homily Video Prep for July 28
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 12:30 and 6:00pm
Demanding Little Things!
Click here to view Video Prep July 28
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 12:30 and 6:00pm
Demanding Little Things!
Click here to view Video Prep July 28
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Homily Video Prep for July 21
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 9:30am Mass
What's Your Complaint?
And what is the price you're paying for it. Is it worth it?
Click HERE to view Video Prep for 7/21
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 9:30am Mass
What's Your Complaint?
And what is the price you're paying for it. Is it worth it?
Click HERE to view Video Prep for 7/21
Friday, July 12, 2013
July 14 Homily Video Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30 Sat, 8:00am and 12:30pm on Sunday
How Free are You to Love?
I'm thinking most of us are under lock and key in the self referential dungeon! How about you?
Click Here for July 14 Video prep
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30 Sat, 8:00am and 12:30pm on Sunday
How Free are You to Love?
I'm thinking most of us are under lock and key in the self referential dungeon! How about you?
Click Here for July 14 Video prep
Friday, July 5, 2013
July 7 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is NOT available
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00, 11:00, 6:00pm
Shake the "stumbling blocks" off your feet
Jesus warns his disciple-missionaries that if they are not successful they are to "shake the dust of that town" from their shoes and move on. What I hear in that encouragement is that the dust of "failure" cannot be allowed to stick with us without it becoming "stumbling stones" in our path.
Remarkably, Jesus says the same thing about "success" in mission. He admonishes his disciples to forget their successes on mission "rather, rejoice because you are sharing in the communion of the redemption(saving work of God)." Allowing the glow of success to stick to your cheeks can also result in stumbling stones in a disciple's path.
All of this tells me that a faithful disciple is one who practices the art and spirituality of detachment. This attitude of detachment is not the stoicism of people who "just don't care". This is also not the emotional habit of "not sweating the small stuff". Disciples must be enthusiastic and passionate about their mission.
This detachment is not a separation from the feelings but from the Self. Our being distressed about our failures and impressed about our successes tells us how NOT detached we are.
Jesus wants us to see ourselves as gifted and called to build up the kingdom of heaven here on earth. Jesus has invited us to be a part of His team, the Kingdom team. That's our mission. According to our vocation (calling) and our occupation (the work we do in the world) our daily life is an opportunity to advance the Kingdom/build or to destroy the kingdom/crumble. The pain of "personal failure" and the rejoicing in "one's successes" are the sure sign of a wrong-headed disciple. Its not about you. Suffering and rejoicing over "how one is doing" is all about YOU and not about Jesus' mission team. As the saying goes, there's no U in team.
This is true enough that we can assess the quality of our participation in the discipleship mission/team based upon "what we are suffering over and what we are delighted about". The suffering one is easiest. What are we so upset about? As a spouse, a parent, a church member, a student, a friend....what are we so upset about? Our lack of success? What are we so happy about? All of our success?
Would that we might all be at peace for having contributed the very best of our gifts to the work of the kingdom today...and allow the whining and weeping and bragging and high-fiving to others.
Be detached. Our lives are not about us. Our Christian faith calls us to make our living about His Kingdom:love!
Make any sense to you?
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00, 11:00, 6:00pm
Shake the "stumbling blocks" off your feet
Jesus warns his disciple-missionaries that if they are not successful they are to "shake the dust of that town" from their shoes and move on. What I hear in that encouragement is that the dust of "failure" cannot be allowed to stick with us without it becoming "stumbling stones" in our path.
Remarkably, Jesus says the same thing about "success" in mission. He admonishes his disciples to forget their successes on mission "rather, rejoice because you are sharing in the communion of the redemption(saving work of God)." Allowing the glow of success to stick to your cheeks can also result in stumbling stones in a disciple's path.
All of this tells me that a faithful disciple is one who practices the art and spirituality of detachment. This attitude of detachment is not the stoicism of people who "just don't care". This is also not the emotional habit of "not sweating the small stuff". Disciples must be enthusiastic and passionate about their mission.
This detachment is not a separation from the feelings but from the Self. Our being distressed about our failures and impressed about our successes tells us how NOT detached we are.
Jesus wants us to see ourselves as gifted and called to build up the kingdom of heaven here on earth. Jesus has invited us to be a part of His team, the Kingdom team. That's our mission. According to our vocation (calling) and our occupation (the work we do in the world) our daily life is an opportunity to advance the Kingdom/build or to destroy the kingdom/crumble. The pain of "personal failure" and the rejoicing in "one's successes" are the sure sign of a wrong-headed disciple. Its not about you. Suffering and rejoicing over "how one is doing" is all about YOU and not about Jesus' mission team. As the saying goes, there's no U in team.
This is true enough that we can assess the quality of our participation in the discipleship mission/team based upon "what we are suffering over and what we are delighted about". The suffering one is easiest. What are we so upset about? As a spouse, a parent, a church member, a student, a friend....what are we so upset about? Our lack of success? What are we so happy about? All of our success?
Would that we might all be at peace for having contributed the very best of our gifts to the work of the kingdom today...and allow the whining and weeping and bragging and high-fiving to others.
Be detached. Our lives are not about us. Our Christian faith calls us to make our living about His Kingdom:love!
Make any sense to you?
Friday, June 21, 2013
June 23 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 8:00am and 12:30
Click here for Video homily Prep
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 8:00am and 12:30
Click here for Video homily Prep
Friday, June 14, 2013
Homily Prep for June 16th
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00pm, 9:30, and 11:00
Whose Living in You?
Click here for Video Prep
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00pm, 9:30, and 11:00
Whose Living in You?
Click here for Video Prep
Friday, June 7, 2013
Homily Prep June 9
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30, 9:30, and 12:30
What's the Truth? vs. What's the Teaching?
Click Here for June 9 Prep
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30, 9:30, and 12:30
What's the Truth? vs. What's the Teaching?
Click Here for June 9 Prep
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Homily Prep June 2 - Corpus Christi
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 11:00am and 6:00pm
Break It Down
Click here - June 2 homily prep - Corpus Christi
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 11:00am and 6:00pm
Break It Down
Click here - June 2 homily prep - Corpus Christi
Friday, May 24, 2013
Homily Prep May 26 - Trinity
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00 on Saturday, 9:30 and 6:00pm on Sunday
Our DNA is Divine
Click this link to a view video prep
homily Prep May 26 - Trinity Sunday
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00 on Saturday, 9:30 and 6:00pm on Sunday
Our DNA is Divine
Click this link to a view video prep
homily Prep May 26 - Trinity Sunday
Friday, May 17, 2013
Pentecost Homily Prep May 19
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 8:00 and 12:30 on SundayDo We Believe? It Ain't Easy!
Click here to see video prep
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Homily Prep for Ascension May 12
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30 on Saturday and 12:30 on Sunday
Click here for Video Prep:
Homily Prep for Ascension May 12
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30 on Saturday and 12:30 on Sunday
Click here for Video Prep:
Homily Prep for Ascension May 12
Thursday, May 2, 2013
May 5 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 11:00 Mass Sunday
"God's in the House"
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 11:00 Mass Sunday
"God's in the House"
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Homily Prep April 28
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00 on Sat., 9:30am and 6:00pm Sunday
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00 on Sat., 9:30am and 6:00pm Sunday
Thursday, April 18, 2013
He's Got the Whole World......
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 8:00am and 12:30pm on Sunday
Carved on the Palm of His Hand
I hear the words of Jesus referring to the sheep of the flock as those who can not be "snatched from the Father's hand". It reminds me immediately of that Glory and Praise song, Isaiah 42 "I have carved you on the palm of my hand." I used to love that song on weekend renewals when people would experience the tender care and closeness of God in their lives. Tears always accompanied that song.
If there is a tragic feature to people's spiritual lives today that I notice it is the lack of being held in the palm of God's hand. Everyone seems so vunlerable and frightened, abandoned and on their own, forced to defend and protect themselves, against everyone else, fighting for a limited amount of God's blessings for themeselves.
That is a spiritual sickness in our generation. Very few people seem blessed by the Providence of Almighty God.
On this Good Shepherd Sunday I am praying that all of us might experience the conversion of heart that would reassure us that God has us carved on the palm of His hand, there is no snatching us away from Him. No matter what life brings us, we and God can manage it together.
As a pastor of souls, I would expect that believers would experience this providential, tender care in and through the Church. That was Jesus' idea and intention in establishing the Church. Communion (yes in the Sacrament and in the Church) is "to be safe in the embrace of our loving God".
Are you open to that embrace? Is that security expressed in your life by calm and peace? Can you trust the Church to imperfectly provide that embrace in daily life?
I'd be interested to know why or why not.
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 8:00am and 12:30pm on Sunday
Carved on the Palm of His Hand
I hear the words of Jesus referring to the sheep of the flock as those who can not be "snatched from the Father's hand". It reminds me immediately of that Glory and Praise song, Isaiah 42 "I have carved you on the palm of my hand." I used to love that song on weekend renewals when people would experience the tender care and closeness of God in their lives. Tears always accompanied that song.
If there is a tragic feature to people's spiritual lives today that I notice it is the lack of being held in the palm of God's hand. Everyone seems so vunlerable and frightened, abandoned and on their own, forced to defend and protect themselves, against everyone else, fighting for a limited amount of God's blessings for themeselves.
That is a spiritual sickness in our generation. Very few people seem blessed by the Providence of Almighty God.
On this Good Shepherd Sunday I am praying that all of us might experience the conversion of heart that would reassure us that God has us carved on the palm of His hand, there is no snatching us away from Him. No matter what life brings us, we and God can manage it together.
As a pastor of souls, I would expect that believers would experience this providential, tender care in and through the Church. That was Jesus' idea and intention in establishing the Church. Communion (yes in the Sacrament and in the Church) is "to be safe in the embrace of our loving God".
Are you open to that embrace? Is that security expressed in your life by calm and peace? Can you trust the Church to imperfectly provide that embrace in daily life?
I'd be interested to know why or why not.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Feed My Sheep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00 Saturday and 8:00 AM and 12:30 PM Sunday
The lost sheep
In the context of this year of faith and the call to the new evangelization my thoughts have turned to feeding and tending the sheep, as Jesus commanded Peter, in regards to those who are currently"Lost".
Pope Francis has recalled for all of us the need to offer tender care, like St. Peter, for the sake of the love of Christ. I am thinking about all the Catholics who are baptized and registered in our parish alone who do not join us for Sunday Eucharist. I recently asked a group of parishioners as to why those 75% do not participate. The answers were varied.
We concluded that all of those who do not participate have received a message from the church that there is something "wrong" with them. Lapsed, fallen away, bad marriages, same-sex orientation, Contracepting, divorced, addicted, Or just for having a "mortal sin" for having missed mass.
Our message to them is that there is something wrong or irregular about them and that they ought to get their life right with Jesus and come back to church. I am not convinced that such a message is "tending or feeding the lambs". We need another message that precedes the current message. The message that they need to hear is Peter's answer to Jesus in today's Gospel, "Lord you know everything, you know that I love you."
How might the ministry of our parish church and our individual lives of faith express to our neighbors and the world that "Jesus knows everything and that we love Jesus?" Let's work on that and I believe we will begin to tend to the lambs and feed all the sheep So much more effectively
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00 Saturday and 8:00 AM and 12:30 PM Sunday
The lost sheep
In the context of this year of faith and the call to the new evangelization my thoughts have turned to feeding and tending the sheep, as Jesus commanded Peter, in regards to those who are currently"Lost".
Pope Francis has recalled for all of us the need to offer tender care, like St. Peter, for the sake of the love of Christ. I am thinking about all the Catholics who are baptized and registered in our parish alone who do not join us for Sunday Eucharist. I recently asked a group of parishioners as to why those 75% do not participate. The answers were varied.
We concluded that all of those who do not participate have received a message from the church that there is something "wrong" with them. Lapsed, fallen away, bad marriages, same-sex orientation, Contracepting, divorced, addicted, Or just for having a "mortal sin" for having missed mass.
Our message to them is that there is something wrong or irregular about them and that they ought to get their life right with Jesus and come back to church. I am not convinced that such a message is "tending or feeding the lambs". We need another message that precedes the current message. The message that they need to hear is Peter's answer to Jesus in today's Gospel, "Lord you know everything, you know that I love you."
How might the ministry of our parish church and our individual lives of faith express to our neighbors and the world that "Jesus knows everything and that we love Jesus?" Let's work on that and I believe we will begin to tend to the lambs and feed all the sheep So much more effectively
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Mercy is "Believing" at Work
-Last Sunday's homily is NOT available
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30 Sat and 9:30 and 11:00 on Sunday
Believe By Becoming God's Mercy
Theologian Ronald Rolheiser has described for me the legend of St. Christopher. I knew St. Christopher only as a "debunked" patron saint of safe travel. I was unfamiliar with the story of his conversion.
As a youth, Christopher was gifted in every way, except faith. He was a big man physically, powerful, strong, goodhearted, mellow, and well liked by all. He was also generous, using his physical strength to help others. His one fault was that he found it hard to believe in God. For him, the physical was what was real and everything else seemed unreal. However, he yearned to believe in God and deeply respected those who did believe. And so he lived his life in a certain honest agnosticism, unable to really believe in anything beyond what he could physically see, feel, and touch.
This, however, did not prevent him from using his gifts, especially his physical strength, to serve others. This became his refuge, generosity and service. He became a ferryboat operator, spending his life helping to carry people across a dangerous river. One night, so the legend goes, during a storm, the ferryboat capsized and Christopher dove into the dark waters to rescue a young child. Carrying that child to the shore, he looked into its face and saw there the face of Christ. After that he believed, for he had seen the face of Christ. The very name, Christopher, contains the legend. Christopher means Christ-bearer.
Are we not all at times like Christopher and like St. Thomas, weak in faith? We don't even feel like we believe. There are, for everyone of us, dark nights of the soul, silences of God, cold lonely seasons, bitter times when God's appearances to us cannot be truly grasped or recognized. The history of faith, as witnessed by the life of Jesus and the lives of the saints, shows us that God often seems dead and, at those times, the reality of the empirical world can so overpower us that nothing seems real except what we can see and feel right now, namely our own pain.
Whenever this happens, we need to become Christ-bearers, Christophers, honest agnostics who use their goodness and God-given strengths to help carry others across the burdensome rivers of life. God does not ask us to have a faith that is certain, but a service that is sure. We have the assurance that, should we faithfully help carry others without first thinking of ourselves, we will one day find ourselves before the person of Christ who will gently say to us: "See for yourself, that I am real, and not a ghost".
By living mercy we can become believers in the flesh! Help, Lord, our unbelief!
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30 Sat and 9:30 and 11:00 on Sunday
Believe By Becoming God's Mercy
Theologian Ronald Rolheiser has described for me the legend of St. Christopher. I knew St. Christopher only as a "debunked" patron saint of safe travel. I was unfamiliar with the story of his conversion.
As a youth, Christopher was gifted in every way, except faith. He was a big man physically, powerful, strong, goodhearted, mellow, and well liked by all. He was also generous, using his physical strength to help others. His one fault was that he found it hard to believe in God. For him, the physical was what was real and everything else seemed unreal. However, he yearned to believe in God and deeply respected those who did believe. And so he lived his life in a certain honest agnosticism, unable to really believe in anything beyond what he could physically see, feel, and touch.
This, however, did not prevent him from using his gifts, especially his physical strength, to serve others. This became his refuge, generosity and service. He became a ferryboat operator, spending his life helping to carry people across a dangerous river. One night, so the legend goes, during a storm, the ferryboat capsized and Christopher dove into the dark waters to rescue a young child. Carrying that child to the shore, he looked into its face and saw there the face of Christ. After that he believed, for he had seen the face of Christ. The very name, Christopher, contains the legend. Christopher means Christ-bearer.
Are we not all at times like Christopher and like St. Thomas, weak in faith? We don't even feel like we believe. There are, for everyone of us, dark nights of the soul, silences of God, cold lonely seasons, bitter times when God's appearances to us cannot be truly grasped or recognized. The history of faith, as witnessed by the life of Jesus and the lives of the saints, shows us that God often seems dead and, at those times, the reality of the empirical world can so overpower us that nothing seems real except what we can see and feel right now, namely our own pain.
Whenever this happens, we need to become Christ-bearers, Christophers, honest agnostics who use their goodness and God-given strengths to help carry others across the burdensome rivers of life. God does not ask us to have a faith that is certain, but a service that is sure. We have the assurance that, should we faithfully help carry others without first thinking of ourselves, we will one day find ourselves before the person of Christ who will gently say to us: "See for yourself, that I am real, and not a ghost".
By living mercy we can become believers in the flesh! Help, Lord, our unbelief!
Friday, March 15, 2013
Non-condemnation - a spirituality
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00pm Saturday and 11:00am on Sunday
Non-condemnation as a way of life!
Last week in my reflection on faith as a condition of the heart and unforgiveness as the hardening of the heart I think we may have been misled. What I mean by that is that the life of forgiveness or non-condemnation that Jesus displays today in the Gospel of the woman caught adultery, we see that, for those of us called to be the disciples of Jesus, non-condemnation is a way of life.
The call to be forgiving can be misunderstood, in my opinion, as the goal of forgiving particular persons for particular offenses. What I hear in the Gospel today is that Jesus is inviting us to a new way of being, "metanoia" which literally means "a change in knowing or mind. That we might on a daily basis adopt a new approach to loving and it excludes condemnation.
Think of all the people that in one day can disappoint us, frustrate us, offend us, insult us, disrespect us, look down on us, et cetera. We can come to the conclusion that all of them are condemnable. We can begin to live a life of self protective, condemnation- "all THOSE people". This attitude of condemnation colors our loving. In fact, our loving can disappear because we are dominated by self protective condemnation. Wow..
I recall a parent of a child with ADD, who said that every night she had to forgive her child and forgive herself, get a good night's sleep, wake up the next day and begin again - free. That is the formula that all of us can adopt if we are to live the life of Jesus-"neither do I condemn you".
Does this make sense to your life?
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00pm Saturday and 11:00am on Sunday
Non-condemnation as a way of life!
Last week in my reflection on faith as a condition of the heart and unforgiveness as the hardening of the heart I think we may have been misled. What I mean by that is that the life of forgiveness or non-condemnation that Jesus displays today in the Gospel of the woman caught adultery, we see that, for those of us called to be the disciples of Jesus, non-condemnation is a way of life.
The call to be forgiving can be misunderstood, in my opinion, as the goal of forgiving particular persons for particular offenses. What I hear in the Gospel today is that Jesus is inviting us to a new way of being, "metanoia" which literally means "a change in knowing or mind. That we might on a daily basis adopt a new approach to loving and it excludes condemnation.
Think of all the people that in one day can disappoint us, frustrate us, offend us, insult us, disrespect us, look down on us, et cetera. We can come to the conclusion that all of them are condemnable. We can begin to live a life of self protective, condemnation- "all THOSE people". This attitude of condemnation colors our loving. In fact, our loving can disappear because we are dominated by self protective condemnation. Wow..
I recall a parent of a child with ADD, who said that every night she had to forgive her child and forgive herself, get a good night's sleep, wake up the next day and begin again - free. That is the formula that all of us can adopt if we are to live the life of Jesus-"neither do I condemn you".
Does this make sense to your life?
Friday, March 8, 2013
Homily Prep March 10
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 9:30am at church and 11:00 at youth retreat
Atrophy of the Heart: Unforgiveness
You may have called it "holding a grudge" or simply complained about it "I just can't forgive". In whatever way you speak about the unforgiveness of the Christian heart it is atrophy of the Christian life.
I know I have spoken about the relatively young father of my college friend who had a serious stroke at age 54. His experience of immobility of his right hand and his therapy in recovering from the stroke is for me an image of the unforgiving Christian heart.
There is a condition called "rigor" that a muscle freezes in a position as it has lacked stimulation of the nervous system or the blood stream. The Christian heart is such a muscle. When we refuse to forgive or find it difficult to forgive, our hearts experience rigor, or hardness, and they are frozen in the defensive position.
The Prodigal Father shows us how fluid and functional is the heart of one who forgives, over and over again. Unforgiveness, or rigor of the Christian heart, may be the most significant and impactful condition afflicting the Christian community in the world.
How proficient are you in forgiving? That would probably be a great scale by which to measure your discipleship? Harden not your hearts!
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 9:30am at church and 11:00 at youth retreat
Atrophy of the Heart: Unforgiveness
You may have called it "holding a grudge" or simply complained about it "I just can't forgive". In whatever way you speak about the unforgiveness of the Christian heart it is atrophy of the Christian life.
I know I have spoken about the relatively young father of my college friend who had a serious stroke at age 54. His experience of immobility of his right hand and his therapy in recovering from the stroke is for me an image of the unforgiving Christian heart.
There is a condition called "rigor" that a muscle freezes in a position as it has lacked stimulation of the nervous system or the blood stream. The Christian heart is such a muscle. When we refuse to forgive or find it difficult to forgive, our hearts experience rigor, or hardness, and they are frozen in the defensive position.
The Prodigal Father shows us how fluid and functional is the heart of one who forgives, over and over again. Unforgiveness, or rigor of the Christian heart, may be the most significant and impactful condition afflicting the Christian community in the world.
How proficient are you in forgiving? That would probably be a great scale by which to measure your discipleship? Harden not your hearts!
Saturday, March 2, 2013
March 3 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30, 8:00am and 9:30am
Wearing Your Heart (Faith) on your Sleeve
This week's parable of the unfruitful figtree, our Lenten psalm "harden not your hearts", our parish Lenten ministries of Souls on Fire/faith sharing and Parish Day of Service/Faith at Work all go together to prompt me to ask how do we reveal the faith that dwells in our hearts?
I believe the farewell speech of Pope Benedict gives us some insight into what is faith and how does it work:
Dear friends! God guides His Church, always sustaining her even and especially in difficult times. Let us never lose this vision of faith, which is the only true vision of the path of the Church and of the world. In our hearts, in the heart of each one of you, may there always be the joyous certainty that the Lord is beside us, that He does not abandon us, that He is near and embraces us with His love. Thank you.”
Do you possess this vision of faith?
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30, 8:00am and 9:30am
Wearing Your Heart (Faith) on your Sleeve
This week's parable of the unfruitful figtree, our Lenten psalm "harden not your hearts", our parish Lenten ministries of Souls on Fire/faith sharing and Parish Day of Service/Faith at Work all go together to prompt me to ask how do we reveal the faith that dwells in our hearts?
I believe the farewell speech of Pope Benedict gives us some insight into what is faith and how does it work:
Dear friends! God guides His Church, always sustaining her even and especially in difficult times. Let us never lose this vision of faith, which is the only true vision of the path of the Church and of the world. In our hearts, in the heart of each one of you, may there always be the joyous certainty that the Lord is beside us, that He does not abandon us, that He is near and embraces us with His love. Thank you.”
Do you possess this vision of faith?
Friday, February 22, 2013
Feb 24 Homily Prep
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 8:00am and 12:30pm
Enemies of the Cross of Christ!
Your witness and mine is the manner of our appearance in the world. Would that my life would radiate the cross of Christ! Instead, I fear that it may appear as an enemy of the cross. Hmmm.
His face became dazzling.....he appeared with Moses and Elijah.
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 8:00am and 12:30pm
Enemies of the Cross of Christ!
Your witness and mine is the manner of our appearance in the world. Would that my life would radiate the cross of Christ! Instead, I fear that it may appear as an enemy of the cross. Hmmm.
His face became dazzling.....he appeared with Moses and Elijah.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Feb 10th Prep - what is your fishing boat?
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 11:00am and 6:00pm
The Need to Give!
This Sunday during the homily time we will have the annual Catholic charities appeal
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 11:00am and 6:00pm
The Need to Give!
This Sunday during the homily time we will have the annual Catholic charities appeal
Friday, February 1, 2013
February 3 Homily Prep
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00 Sat, 8am and 12:30pm on Sunday
What Causes the Change?
What is it that turns the love we feel from and for someone into infuriating anger, or annoyance at least? Same person, same truth, one minute we're loving it and the next ....well we want to discard them from our midst?
In the case of Jesus and his "countrymen" in Nazareth it seems to be hard-heartedness. Jesus can hardly be accused of loving the the folks in one minute and then sinning against them in the next. No, he was telling them the truth in the first moment (which they found mystifying) and then telling them the truth in the next and they want to kill him. Hmmm.
I guess it's all about conversion, or the lack thereof. All of us are converted to a certain level of comfort with reality and the truth. When reality starts speaking a truth to us above or beyond our level of conversion - it no longer feels sweet, it hurts.
I saw this on the beach on my vacation. A father and child were interacting joyfully at the water's edge until the child attempted to walk farther away from the father than the father was comfortable. The father called out to the child to save or secure him and the child responded in tears and rage. Same two people, same loving activity, a smart expression of love and concern from the father,a perceived limit upon freedom, and the whole thing turns into an emotional meltdown. Loving turns into hurting very quickly.
This is the experience of the Garden of Eden written small. How do you see it operating in your daily life, spiritual life, family life, church and world?
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00 Sat, 8am and 12:30pm on Sunday
What Causes the Change?
What is it that turns the love we feel from and for someone into infuriating anger, or annoyance at least? Same person, same truth, one minute we're loving it and the next ....well we want to discard them from our midst?
In the case of Jesus and his "countrymen" in Nazareth it seems to be hard-heartedness. Jesus can hardly be accused of loving the the folks in one minute and then sinning against them in the next. No, he was telling them the truth in the first moment (which they found mystifying) and then telling them the truth in the next and they want to kill him. Hmmm.
I guess it's all about conversion, or the lack thereof. All of us are converted to a certain level of comfort with reality and the truth. When reality starts speaking a truth to us above or beyond our level of conversion - it no longer feels sweet, it hurts.
I saw this on the beach on my vacation. A father and child were interacting joyfully at the water's edge until the child attempted to walk farther away from the father than the father was comfortable. The father called out to the child to save or secure him and the child responded in tears and rage. Same two people, same loving activity, a smart expression of love and concern from the father,a perceived limit upon freedom, and the whole thing turns into an emotional meltdown. Loving turns into hurting very quickly.
This is the experience of the Garden of Eden written small. How do you see it operating in your daily life, spiritual life, family life, church and world?
Friday, January 11, 2013
January 13 Homily Prep
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30 Sat, 11am and 6pm Sunday
Take my hand
My mom and I went to see the movie Les Miserables a couple of weeks ago. It was a great film presentation of the often told story made famous by Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical. My favorite song that is reprised several times is the death scene in which the actors sing "take my hand...."
This gesture of taking one's hand is a familiar human concept that is referenced in the first reading from the prophet Isaiah on this feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Here the expression or a gesture is described of having "grasped you by the hand". It speaks of the mystery of this Christmas season which we call Incarnation.
When we take someone by the hand, request their hand in marriage, offer our handshake in commitment, or hold hands as we are walking down the street - in all these ways we are committed to one another, we enter communion with the other.
In the incarnation of God, Emmanuel, the birth of Jesus we are grasped by the hand of God. God has thrown his lot in with our human condition. God has picked us up, taken us by the hand. As adults we often times accompany children in public and as we approach the intersection of a busy street to cross we naturally reach for each other's hands for security, for protection, for solidarity confronting something intimidating.
This is a concept of faith. When we conceive of our God taking us by the hand in life we know that we are not alone, we have no need to be afraid, we can walk securely in the face of intimidation, danger, strife. God has grasped us by the hand in the incarnation, Emmanuel, God with us. He is our redeemer, our vindicator, our protector, our guide, our friend, our father. Sweet.
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30 Sat, 11am and 6pm Sunday
Take my hand
My mom and I went to see the movie Les Miserables a couple of weeks ago. It was a great film presentation of the often told story made famous by Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical. My favorite song that is reprised several times is the death scene in which the actors sing "take my hand...."
This gesture of taking one's hand is a familiar human concept that is referenced in the first reading from the prophet Isaiah on this feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Here the expression or a gesture is described of having "grasped you by the hand". It speaks of the mystery of this Christmas season which we call Incarnation.
When we take someone by the hand, request their hand in marriage, offer our handshake in commitment, or hold hands as we are walking down the street - in all these ways we are committed to one another, we enter communion with the other.
In the incarnation of God, Emmanuel, the birth of Jesus we are grasped by the hand of God. God has thrown his lot in with our human condition. God has picked us up, taken us by the hand. As adults we often times accompany children in public and as we approach the intersection of a busy street to cross we naturally reach for each other's hands for security, for protection, for solidarity confronting something intimidating.
This is a concept of faith. When we conceive of our God taking us by the hand in life we know that we are not alone, we have no need to be afraid, we can walk securely in the face of intimidation, danger, strife. God has grasped us by the hand in the incarnation, Emmanuel, God with us. He is our redeemer, our vindicator, our protector, our guide, our friend, our father. Sweet.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Homily prep for Epiphany - January 6
-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30 on Saturday and 9:30 and 12:30 on Sunday
Star Quality!
We use the word "star" to indicate somebody in our culture who is very bright and attractive. So we have rock stars, Olympic stars, movie stars, rising stars in politics, etc. Like the star of Bethlehem, these cultural stars are bright and attractive-they draw our attention and we are drawn to them with affection and affirmation.
Unlike the star of Bethlehem, the cultural stars are drawing us and pointing our attention and affection to themselves. The light and attraction of the Star of Bethlehem was appreciated, not for its own sake, but for that to which it was pointing. The star of Bethlehem was drawing the Magi to something greater than its own brightness -to God himself, The light of the world.
The first reading today speaks of the city of Jerusalem as beholding the light and becoming transformed by the light into the light itself: you shall become radiant at what you see. The birth of Jesus Christ as a little child is the revelation of the light of God's love. In faith we become radiant at what we see.
By faith and baptism we are enlightened by Christ and we become the very light of Christ, as St. Paul tells us we are "light in the Lord". But, like the star of Bethlehem, we are called to shed our light in the world and by attraction draw others, not to ourselves, but to Jesus Christ-the true light of the world.
So, we are to become stars: bright lights in the Lord drawing others from afar to closeness with Christ our Savior. Is there any radiance of the light of Christ in our lives as individuals and as a community? Can we, in this year of faith, grow the light of Christ enkindled in our hearts by baptism? Can our faith community become a draw for the nations to come close to Jesus Christ?
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 5:30 on Saturday and 9:30 and 12:30 on Sunday
Star Quality!
We use the word "star" to indicate somebody in our culture who is very bright and attractive. So we have rock stars, Olympic stars, movie stars, rising stars in politics, etc. Like the star of Bethlehem, these cultural stars are bright and attractive-they draw our attention and we are drawn to them with affection and affirmation.
Unlike the star of Bethlehem, the cultural stars are drawing us and pointing our attention and affection to themselves. The light and attraction of the Star of Bethlehem was appreciated, not for its own sake, but for that to which it was pointing. The star of Bethlehem was drawing the Magi to something greater than its own brightness -to God himself, The light of the world.
The first reading today speaks of the city of Jerusalem as beholding the light and becoming transformed by the light into the light itself: you shall become radiant at what you see. The birth of Jesus Christ as a little child is the revelation of the light of God's love. In faith we become radiant at what we see.
By faith and baptism we are enlightened by Christ and we become the very light of Christ, as St. Paul tells us we are "light in the Lord". But, like the star of Bethlehem, we are called to shed our light in the world and by attraction draw others, not to ourselves, but to Jesus Christ-the true light of the world.
So, we are to become stars: bright lights in the Lord drawing others from afar to closeness with Christ our Savior. Is there any radiance of the light of Christ in our lives as individuals and as a community? Can we, in this year of faith, grow the light of Christ enkindled in our hearts by baptism? Can our faith community become a draw for the nations to come close to Jesus Christ?
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