Parochial Vicar Homilies

21st Sunday of Ordinary Time

Today’s readings from scripture revolve around discipline. Every athlete for example, knows discipline very well. Through discipline, we choose what we need vs what we want. Our Lord uses discipline to help teach us important lessons. Not all forms of discipline are pleasant and enjoyable. Some are quite trying and very challenging. As a parent, discipling my children was challenging, but necessary. Yet, it is through the opportunities offered to us by our trials and our faithful response to them, that we truly grow. When we think about discipline, we can begin to understand the true relationship that our Lord seeks with us. Our Lord came to show us and to provide us with the perfect discipline for salvation. An example of that is, for us to put into practice our love for God and for our neighbor. The church offers us its teachings, knowledge, and instructions on how to live a life devoted to God. Our Lord is trying to teach us that without focus and discipline, we are not able to achieve our true destiny. For it is not enough for us to merely proclaim ourselves as Christians, as Catholics, as followers of Christ. For it is not enough for us to merely come to Mass out of obligation. Our Lord tells the people of Israel and us here today the hard truth about our salvation. We can probably hear and feel the anxiety in the voices of his disciples, as they hear the hard truth. For he says to them and us also, “for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.” I don’t know about you, but that is a shocking and scary statement. This goes against the grain of what we may have been exposed to. For the gospel can be presented sometimes in ways that makes it seem very easy to be a Christian. Yet our Lord’s image of the narrow gate, challenges that assumption. For it takes strength and discipline to pass through that gate, that narrow gate. Not physical strength, but spiritual strength directed toward salvation. Like with anything else, that kind of strength is not developed by wishing, but through hard work and discipline. Like all athletes know, it takes preparation, study, practice, to make discipline a way of life. Failure to follow that discipline has its consequences. Our Lord also uses the image of a camel as a reflection of our lives. For camels can be carriers of many things. We need to reflect on our lives to see how much we are carrying that can prevent us from making it through the narrow gate. Our Lord is reminding us of how few worldly things we really need. St Ignatius in his writings lists three things that can block us from God and from truly living life. They are, an obsession with wealthy, honor and pride. Wealth – that desire for limitless money, we really don’t need. Honor – demanding that others look up to us. Always feeling we have to be first and best, even in how we dress and look. Pride – that we are in charge of our lives, that we know best. I believe we all struggle with each of these three areas at different points and times in our lives. This may sound strange to our America culture, but the narrow gate can be the happy gate. Our Lord invites us to meet him at the narrow gate where our lives can be less cluttered by worldly things, where our lives can be more focused on spiritual things, where our lives can be more focused on our relationship with our Lord. He tells us that accomplishing all this is not impossible, when we turn to him and seek his help. Being a Christian is hard work. Our faith journeys are filled with imperfections and stumbling. We are all imperfect and fall short in doing what is right and just. Yet our Lord is waiting at the gate to help us. All he asks is that we repent of our failures and turn back to him and seek his strength to help us to do his will. Pray and seek to be reconciled with him, while we still have time. Seek him in the sacraments, especially in reconciliation. Repent of our sinfulness, especially before we receive him, and he receives us in the Eucharist. Pray and ask him to help us to follow him each and every day. Pray that our lives may reflect his love and compassion to all those we meet each day. Go to him at the gate, be not afraid to approach him. For his heart longs and aches for us to come to him. Allow him to help unburden us and to guide us in what is truly right and just. Allow him to love us with a love so great that our minds can not even comprehend it. Seek him, follow him, allow him to make us truly worth of heaven.

20th Sunday of Ordinary Time

While I was in MI this past week at a family reunion, I read a story of a young mother who had an eight year old son Jordy. She was trying her best to help him grow deeper in his faith. The son came to her one day and asked, “Do you love God, more than me?” Her son looked at her intently, waiting for an answer.  She finally answered, “Yes Jordy, I do” As we reflect on this dialog, we hear our Lord’s words from today’s gospel. For he said, “Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” With Jordy’s question and his mother’s response, there is now division between mother and son. I suspect Jordy experienced this division as a slight rejection. The mother however, I think understood it quite differently. She probably knew that the fullness of her life and who she was, including her motherhood, had its primary identity and meaning in God, and not in her son. Only with this understanding would she be able to fully love her son and be the mother he needed, and the mother she wanted to be. Our unique identity as a person, is given by our various relationships. Ultimately however, only one of our many relationships can be the most significant and decisive for us. Our relationship with God makes us uniquely who we are and not someone else. Our Lord’s relationship with the Father is what ultimately determines his identity and being. He freely chose that one relationship above all others. That does not mean he rejects all others. Rather all his other relationships are mediated through his relationship with the Father. Our Lord’s choice brought about division with the religious leaders, and the world. This is the choice our Lord sets before us today. Who or what is the determining relationship that gives us our identity, our being? What relationship matters so much to us that we allow it to shape our life and give us our identity? It is a choice that we make, which always brings division. This is probably not the image of Jesus we are used to and probably not the Jesus we want. We probably want the water-walking, miracle-working, and the sweet baby Jesus asleep on the hay image. The division Jesus offers us, is about growth. He is teaching us, he is stretching us into the fullness of life and holiness. Growing up is difficult and often painful work. Division is part of our way of life and growth.  We see this division our Lord was speaking about and its critical purpose lived out especially in families.  As parents, we are called to firstly love God above all else. Even above our spouses and our children. We are to continuously build a strong and very personal relationship with God, each and every day. It is through this strong relationship, that we are then able to be the good and loving spouses our husbands and wives truly deserve.  We are then called to love our spouses more than ourselves, and to build daily a strong relationship with each other.  We are then called to thirdly love our children through the empowering relationship with God and with our spouse. It is in this modeling that our children see and come to know what a loving relationship is really and truly like.  The division our Lord offers is about growth, both physical and spiritual. He desires us to grow up, into the fullness of life and holiness. Regardless of our age, we are always in the process of growing up. Let us take to heart again the words of wisdom the great Greek philosopher Socrates gave us. For he said, “an unexamined life is not worth living”. For our part, we should periodically reexamine our relationships and the priorities we have given them. We should repent before God and our families, when we have fallen short, in doing what is right and just. Pray for the strength to choose our relationship with God, above all other people, places, or things. For it is through this one relationship that we are given our truest and most authentic identity. This is the division that loses nothing and gains everything. This division does not diminish or reject others, but loves and respects all, which brings us wholeness and perfection. Pray for the strength to allow our Lord to transform our lives. Invite him into our hearts, give him permission to work on what needs to be healed deep within our hearts. Allow him to make us truly sacred, truly worthy of him, and thus truly worthy of heaven.

19th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Sometimes it seems like life is nothing more than waiting. We wait for someone to show up, for something to happen, for thing to change. We look for the shortest line at the grocery store. We become impatient and frustrated when people do not text us back fast enough. We wait for just the right job, or that someone special we hope to find, to share our lives with. We even wait for the day, the pain will stop, the grief will end, and our prayers will be answered. The reality is, we are all somewhat impatient and do not like waiting. At some level, waiting takes place every day in our lives. Often times, we don’t wait in the present, but in the past or future.  The great tragedy in doing that, is we lose the present moment. I think that is part of what makes waiting so painful and difficult. Waiting in the future often brings fear and anxiety about what will happen. Often, we are troubled by the unknown and our lack of control. On the other hand, waiting in the past can bring sadness, anger, or guilt about things that have happened. Words spoken, or words that should have been spoken but never were. What ever our circumstances may be, the present is the only place, where we can ever truly be fully alive. The present is the only place where we can truly experience God. When we move out of the present into the past or the future, we end up denying life. We end up missing the present moment. We end up refusing to live in the real presence of God. Everyone, everywhere, in every age waits. It is part of our human experience. Our Lord does not eliminate waiting. For he tells his disciples and the crowd, “Be like those waiting for their master to return.” Today’s gospel is not, however, simply about passing time. It is about presence and being present. Our Lord sees waiting as an act of faithfulness, the assurance of things hoped for. So, we are mistaken if we think today’s gospel describes an absent God, a God who left some time ago, for whom we now wait. We are equally mistaken, if we think we are waiting for a God who lives out in the future. Our Lord is trying to teach us how and where to wait. He is inviting us to be present to the One who is always, already present. He is inviting us to listen for his knock, to watch, and to be alert. Our Lord invites us to be present to him, in each other, in the world, and in ourselves. It is so easy for us to ask, “So where is God, in all of our waiting?” But maybe the better question is, “Where are we?” For he tells us to keep our lamps lit, for there is something to see. He calls us out of the darkness and to come into the light. To look at what is right in front of us, what is all around us, and what is in within us. For he wants us to partake in the Father’s Kingdom.  As I reflect on waiting, on patients, it brings back memories of my grandfather’s brother Fr. Walter Coveyou. He lived patiently and waited in the present moment.   He was a member of this parish and grew up out on the Coveyou farm, which is just a little south of Petoskey.  His name is inscribed on the white marble plaque in the middle entrance door area. He was a priest in the Passionist religious community that worked at bringing the Catholic faith to China. Fr. Walter, and his companions Fr. Holbein and Fr. Seybold ministered patiently, in helping a different culture come to know the faith. They prayed, encouraged, and patiently waited for the seeds of faith, they planted to grow. Fr. Walter, Fr. Holbein and Fr. Seybold were all martyred by the communists in China. They were all killed for preaching the Gospel to the Chinese people. They all lived and preached in the present moment. They are in the group of numerous uncanonized martyrs that laid down their lives for the faith. They trusted, in a faith, in a love that is greater than themselves. We too are called to trust God more deeply each day. For our Lord wants us to grow deeper in love, deeper in trust of him. I encourage each of us, to embrace our Lord’s spirit and allow him to breathe life into us, and into the world through us. Pray and invite our Lord to come so close to us that we can feel his breath of life. Pray and give him permission to fill our hearts and lives with his great love, with his great spirit. So, we can truly proclaim, Come Holy Spirit, touch our ears, to truly hear you, touch our eyes, to see you in our neighbor,  touch our mouths, to speak words of love to all, touch our hearts, to show mercy and forgiveness to all, touch our hands, to reach out and comfort the world with your love. So, when people see and encounter us, they will see and encounter you oh, Lord.

16th Sunday of Ordinary Time

The story of the Good Samaritan is probably one of the best known and most beloved of our Lord’s teachings.  As well-known as it is, it needs constant repeating, because its message is so necessary in understanding what Christianity is all about. Even though we have heard it many times, we still love to hear this story. For it warms our hearts and gives us hope within a cold world.  Have you ever noticed in our cold world, how we generally avoid making eye contact with people? We do it all the time, on the sidewalk, in a bus or plane, in a grocery store, and even in church. Yet today, we just heard a story of one man who made eye contact with a stranger. He stopped what he was doing and looked at him as his brother. He did not care about his nationality, how he dressed, what language he spoke, what color skin he had, or even what faith he believed in. He loved his neighbor as himself. The good Samaritan teaches us that our neighbors are those who need us. The good Samaritan saw a need and then filled that need. Our Lord calls us to do likewise.  Yet, in a little while we will all be leaving Mass. As we leave Mass, we will encounter different people. Some may insult us. Some may inspire us. Some may irritate us. Some may love and comfort us. Yet, will we be bold enough to make eye contact, even though some of the people we will encounter may irk us, far past what is holy. Yet, each one, each person we encounter is the image of Jesus. For our Lord walks the earth disguised as kind and troublesome people. I believe he does this to help teach us how to love. For love isn’t a feeling; it is a decision, and only this decision to love, will bring us true joy and happiness. Love is not automatic. We may know the whole Bible, and we may know all the liturgical rubrics.  and we may know all there is to know about theology, yet from all this knowledge, love is not automatic. For the priests and the Levites of Jesus’s time, who were well educated, could see, yet they refuse to love. They look, but they do not offer to help, to truly love. Like the Good Samaritan, our Lord calls each of us to make the effort to love the people we don’t know and maybe don’t want to love. Like the Good Samaritan, he calls each of us to practice charity again and again until we get it right. For example, he calls us to take a deep breath and to exercise patience with one another. To bite our tongues, when we want to lash out with our tongues.  To force ourselves to think of others, even when our own head is hurting. To anticipate the other person’s needs and serve them, even when they don’t seem to deserve it. Forgiving those who have hurt or disrespected us.  Just remember how patient our Lord is with each of us with all of our faults and missed opportunities to love.  As our Lord shows us, love takes risks, love costs us, love hurts. Mercy also takes risks, it costs us, sometimes a great deal.  Our Lord’s invitation which he has given us is not mysterious or remote. It is already in our hearts; all we have to do is carry it out. His invitation is so simple, for he only asks us to love God, and to love our neighbors. Let us strive this week to love as he loves, and yes, is will be challenging. Let our Lord who sees everything clearly, through his divine light be the just judge to sort everything else out. Let us not turn away from opportunities to love and let us not turn away from helping each other to love.  Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to help us to recognize the areas where we fail to make eye contact. The areas where we choose to walk past others and refuse to see them and refuse to love them. When we come to see how we fall short at being a good Samaritan, we just need to turn to our Lord and repent of those times we failed to truly love. Just turn to him and ask him to help us to love as he loves. To be the good Samaritans that this world so desperately needs.

15th Sunday of Ordinary Time

The story of the Good Samaritan is probably one of the best known and most beloved of our Lord’s teachings.  As well-known as it is, it needs constant repeating, because its message is so necessary in understanding what Christianity is all about. Even though we have heard it many times, we still love to hear this story. For it warms our hearts and gives us hope within a cold world.  Have you ever noticed in our cold world, how we generally avoid making eye contact with people? We do it all the time, on the sidewalk, in a bus or plane, in a grocery store, and even in church. Yet today, we just heard a story of one man who made eye contact with a stranger. He stopped what he was doing and looked at him as his brother. He did not care about his nationality, how he dressed, what language he spoke, what color skin he had, or even what faith he believed in. He loved his neighbor as himself. The good Samaritan teaches us that our neighbors are those who need us. The good Samaritan saw a need and then filled that need. Our Lord calls us to do likewise.  Yet, in a little while we will all be leaving Mass. As we leave Mass, we will encounter different people. Some may insult us. Some may inspire us. Some may irritate us. Some may love and comfort us. Yet, will we be bold enough to make eye contact, even though some of the people we will encounter may irk us, far past what is holy. Yet, each one, each person we encounter is the image of Jesus. For our Lord walks the earth disguised as kind and troublesome people. I believe he does this to help teach us how to love. For love isn’t a feeling; it is a decision, and only this decision to love, will bring us true joy and happiness. Love is not automatic. We may know the whole Bible, and we may know all the liturgical rubrics.  and we may know all there is to know about theology, yet from all this knowledge, love is not automatic. For the priests and the Levites of Jesus’s time, who were well educated, could see, yet they refuse to love. They look, but they do not offer to help, to truly love. Like the Good Samaritan, our Lord calls each of us to make the effort to love the people we don’t know and maybe don’t want to love. Like the Good Samaritan, he calls each of us to practice charity again and again until we get it right. For example, he calls us to take a deep breath and to exercise patience with one another. To bite our tongues, when we want to lash out with our tongues.  To force ourselves to think of others, even when our own head is hurting. To anticipate the other person’s needs and serve them, even when they don’t seem to deserve it. Forgiving those who have hurt or disrespected us.  Just remember how patient our Lord is with each of us with all of our faults and missed opportunities to love.  As our Lord shows us, love takes risks, love costs us, love hurts. Mercy also takes risks, it costs us, sometimes a great deal.  Our Lord’s invitation which he has given us is not mysterious or remote. It is already in our hearts; all we have to do is carry it out. His invitation is so simple, for he only asks us to love God, and to love our neighbors. Let us strive this week to love as he loves, and yes, is will be challenging. Let our Lord who sees everything clearly, through his divine light be the just judge to sort everything else out. Let us not turn away from opportunities to love and let us not turn away from helping each other to love.  Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to help us to recognize the areas where we fail to make eye contact. The areas where we choose to walk past others and refuse to see them and refuse to love them. When we come to see how we fall short at being a good Samaritan, we just need to turn to our Lord and repent of those times we failed to truly love. Just turn to him and ask him to help us to love as he loves. To be the good Samaritans that this world so desperately needs.

14th Sunday of Ordinary Time

The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few”.  Have you ever pondered the meaning of this short little passage?  In the past, I have thought this might be a reflection  on the low number of vocations.  Yet over the years, I have come to see it a little differently.  What if, bishops, priests and religious truly lived  what it means to labor for the kingdom.  What if every Christian truly lived  what it means to labor for the kingdom.  Giving of ourselves to others and not counting the cost.  To be sent out like lambs among wolves.  Our Lord gives us clear instructions that we are to remain lambs.  We are not to become wise as serpents, or strong as ox’s,  or cleaver like foxes.  We are to remain like lambs, not sheep or goats, but lambs.  To be kindgentle, and trusting, filled with compassion,  mercy and peace.    From the very beginning of Christianity,  peace has been at the very core of our faith.  We are all called to be evangelists and to spread the peace of Christ.  We receive this commission through our baptism.  Yet, we may ask ourselves what is this peace,  and what are we to do to spread it?  I believe most of us have a grasp of what peace means.  In a more general sense basically a time without conflict.  Yet that however, is a rather limited version of peace.  Nations not at war, can hardly be described as at peace.  For example, the absence of armed conflict in eastern Europe  during the cold war years, could hardly have qualified  as being at peace to the people who lived there.    Wshould not always think of peace as an issue  between nations, or even communities.  Peace filled people are what creates  peaceful communities and nations.   Yet how many of us are truly at peace within our own families?  So many conflicts arise in our families that often get started  unintentional and they can go on for years.  Like arguments about how and where to celebrate holidays  like Christmas, can cause much distress in families and marriages.  Even without open conflicts in our families, the resentments  and grudges in our families and among our neighbors  and friends, can bring us feelings of anxiety, distrust, anger,  and the absence of true love.  Our Lord warns us about rejoicing in power,  but instead we are to find comfort in his peace.  The power to bring peace to others comes from the Lord,  and not from the Apostles and not from us.  We need our Lord’s help to overcome our pride and self  centeredness, so we can truly live lives of humility and peace.   Peace is not imposed, but chosen.  Our Lord teaches us about the ways to bring his peace to others.  For example, rather than fight and argue with people  to accept Christian values, we are called to show them  by our love and peace what it means to be a Christian.  We are called to be at peace as we labor  to help bring Christian values into our society.   We are not to act like the apostles James and John  in last Sunday’s gospel.  When things do not go our way, we are not to try to,  call down fire from heaven to consume  those who do not believe and accept our Lord.  For even our Lord’s most beloved disciple John,  gave in to the lusts for power, pride and envy.  Peace truly is that love expressed by the Lord for all of us,  and to which we are each called to have for one another.  Peace means putting anxiety and conflict aside  and trusting in the Lord for justice and mercy.  We need to ask the Holy Spirit to help us to look deep  into our hearts to find the areas we have fallen short.  We then need to turn to our Lord and repent of those failings.  It is when we examine our lives, we are more able  to know if we are truly on a good path.  Also, repent by forgiving those who have wronged us  and seek forgiveness for the times we have wronged other.  Let our Lord who sees everything clearly, through divine light  be the just judge to sort all things out.  By trusting in the Lord, we can then focus on sharing  our love and peace with everyone we meet.  By trusting in the Lord, we can then labor in the  abundant harvest, to help bring his peace to this world.  For if we truly desire to be at peace in heaven,  then we must labor at the harvest with hearts  that are filled with love and compassion  thus, being truly worthy of heaven. 

13th Sunday of Ordinary Time

In today’s gospel, we hear of our Lord being  very determined to go to Jerusalem.   A place that has meaning and purpose for him.  A place that would require sacrifice and giving of self.   So, in what direction are we going?  Are we going towards our Jerusalem, our destiny?  Or are we possibly running away from it.  Jerusalem is not so much a place, but more a symbol  for the Christian values that guide and describe our lives,  values by which we live, and for which we are willing to die.  We all have a Jerusalem that we are called  and invited to head towards.  Like our Lord’s, maybe our Jerusalem is about  walking a path of honesty and integrity.  Maybe it’s about becoming our best and truest selves.  Maybe it’s about living a life, which is truly worth living.  Maybe it’s about sharing compassion, mercy,  and forgiveness with those we may not like.  As our Lord shows us, Jerusalem is where we give   of ourselves, and not so much where we receive.  For manin our world think it is about getting what we want  out of life, having it all our way, promoting our personal opinions,  or maybe even accomplishing our individual agenda.  Our Jerusalem should be less about what we do  and accomplish, and more about becoming who  we were created to be.  It should be about God’s dreafor our lives,  now unfolding and coming true in our daily lives.  Yet, before we can truly seek our destiny,  we must first take a good look at ourselves.    What is the current condition of our lives,  and the direction we are heading.  Are we at this moment heading to our destiny  or are we going somewhere else.  That means, taking an honest look at what’s going on in our lives.  What are our priorities and how do they impact us and our families.  That means taking ownership of those actions or our lack of action.  That means taking a look at our relationship with God.  How is it, is it growing, or has it become lukewarm and stagnant.  Take time and ask the Holy Spirit to help us  to truly see ourselves, and how our actions and priorities  are shaping our lives and others.  How often we just go through our daily lives,   without giving much thought to who we are becoming.   Let us take to heart the words of wisdom  the great Greek philosopher Socrates gave us.  For he said, an unexamined life is not worth living”.  When we examine our lives, we are more able  to know if we are on a good path. path that is guided by love, mercy and forgiveness.  Our Lord is trying to teach us to see dignity in all humanity.  He calls us to not remain on the sidelines, silent, or indifferent  in the face of injustice, discrimination, or prejudice.  He teaches us to not have violence in our thoughts,  words, and actions.  He calls us to help bring peace to the human heart.  Take time every day to pray, so to strengthen  our personal relationship with our Lord.  We will need to seek our Lord’s help, to truly live our destiny.  For to change things in our lives, is always hard for us to do.  Yet, be not afraid to follow our Lord.    For he loves us immensely, even though we make excuses,  try to justify ourselves, and attempt to hide from him.  Our lives are too important, too precious to allow this to happen.  We will struggle, and we will have to sacrifice  in seeking our true destiny.  Let us not turn away from our true destiny  and let us not turn away from helping each other along the way  Let ujourney together as we strive towards our true destiny.  To rest in the loveand mercy of our savior.  To love as he loves, for all eternity.

Solemnity of Corpus Christi

It hard to believe that this weekend is the anniversary of my ordination. Time sure flies by quickly. Thank you all, for being so welcoming and for allowing me to walk with you on your faith journeys. Through the joys and sorrows that are part of our daily lives. On another note, some of you will be happy, while other may not be so, but it looks like I am not being transferred by the diocese. It looks like you may have to suffer and put up with me, for a while longer. Today we also celebrate Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Christ. This celebration is at the very center and heart of our faith. In today’s gospel, we hear of this vast crowd that has come to see and hear our Lord. It seems to have been spontaneous, spur of the moment. For the crowd has not given much thought to bring food or the distance they have traveled. Their only thought seems to be to hear Jesus and maybe see him heal someone. Yet, they now find themselves miles from home, their stomachs beginning to grumble, and the sun is heading to its rest spot. The disciples must surely be thinking that it is time to close down this gathering. Yet our Lord’s reply and actions are quite startling. As weary and tired as he and his disciples are, our Lord does not turn them away. He doesn’t complain or become testy, but he helps them in their need. He challenges his disciples by asking them to give the people something to eat. So, why does Jesus respond this way? Why does he say this, when over 5000 people are in need? He knows his disciples have no possible way of feeding the vast crowd. Yet, our Lord acts this way, for his disciples had a very important lesson to learn. Yet before they could learn it, they had to be challenged to the point that they realize the utter inadequacy of their own resources. Yet our Lord does not stop there, he challenges them even farther. They need to realize, that they are unable to do anything themselves. Yet he does not leave them there, in their inadequacy, but he asks them to take stock of what they do have. He helps them to realize that they are not without resources, they are not without any gifts. Our Lord asks the disciples to commit and to give what they do have. Their contributions and commitments are part of the solution, even though they may be tiny and inadequate. Like the disciples and the great crowd, we too have come to hear, to see, and to receive our Lord. For our Lord asks us, in the mists of our inadequacies to humbly bring what we have to him. To see in him, our life, our meaning, our purpose, our destiny. Like his disciples, we too must come to grips with our inadequacies, and our weaknesses. Take time each and every day to pray. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to open our hearts, to help us to see where we are weak and need to change. Be not afraid to turn to our Lord in humility. Turn to him daily and offer him our repentant hearts. Repent for all the times we try to do everything our own way. For all the times we ignore our Lord, as we seek worldly things and worldly solutions. For all the times we offer him our lukewarm hearts. For all the times we fail to see our own sinfulness. If we feel that we have nothing to repent for, then we are deceiving ourselves, for we have not looked deep enough into our hearts. Today we honor our Lord’s precious Body and Blood. The Body and Blood we receive in communion and we adore in adoration. Our Lord challenges us and invites us to become the body of Christ for others. To be his real presence to our families, friends, and community. To be his sign to the world, that God can change our littleness, our humbleness, into great miraculously things. As our Lord nourishes us by his real presence, we are called to nourish other by our presence. Pray and ask our Lord to make our hearts devoted to the Blessed Eucharist. So that our relationship with him, will brings forth joy and a desire for peace and justice in our world.

Pentecost Sunday

I would like you to think back for a moment.To a time when we held another person, so close, that we could hear them breathing, we could hear the sound of life.Maybe it was our husband or wife, a parent, our child, a grandchild, or a friend.We could feel their breath brush across our cheek and they felt ours.For me, it was when my sons were itty bitty and they would fall asleep on my shoulder. A moment of great joy for parents.It is in that moment, where we share and breathe the same air.For in that moment, we are one and there is only one breath, one life, one love.That is how profound, close, and intimately our Lord wishes to embrace each of us.To breathe life into us, each and every moment.Yet, that is not a common reality in our world today.Too often the air we breathe is polluted with many things.The air is often filled with sorrow, fear, anger, revenge, addictions, brokenness, and even death.Our Lord knows we are people, in need of fresh air.For he weeps seeing us always short of breath, struggling to breathe, due to the toxic air.Pentecost shows us that it does not have to be this way.Our Lord’s breath brings about the winds of change, fresh air, that brings fullness of life.The Feast of Pentecost is the celebration of God giving humanity his life, his breath, his Holy Spirit.Pentecost is the fulfillment of God’s desire to be so close to us, that we are able feel his breath, his love on our cheeks.Pentecost brings forth a new day, a new beginning of closeness, a new life.The breath of God is not simply a thing or an event.It is the abiding and transforming presence of God’s life with us and in us.Wherever life is being created, renewed, put back together, or inspired, we know God’s Spirit is present.Pentecost does not celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit as if it had previously been absent.Rather, pentecost celebrates another coming of the Holy Spirit.It is available to all people, men and women, young and old.The only ones that miss out, are those who fail to turn to our Lord and to seek his spirit.I encourage each of us to embrace Pentecost, to embrace his spirit and allow him to breathe live into us, and into the world through us.Seek his spirit in sacred scripture, in the lives of the saints and martyrs, and especially in his real presence in the Holy Eucharist.Pray and invite our Lord to come so close to us that we can feel his breath of life.Pray and give him permission to fill our hearts and lives with his great love.So, we can truly proclaim,”Come Holy Spirit, touch our ears, to truly hear you, touch our eyes to see you in our neighbor, touch our mouths to speak words of love to all, touch our hearts to show mercy and forgiveness to all, touch our hands to reach out and comfort the world with your love.”Holy Spirit, help us to be worthy of heaven.

Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

I think we all have noticed that we live in a world in which up is better than down.Everyone would rather have an up day, than a down day.The reality is that deep within each of us, we desire to live ascended lives.We want to break free from the things that hold us down, and we want to rise above it all.Singers want to be at the top of the charts.Athletes want to be on top of their game.Students want to be at the top of their class.I bet deep within each of us, we know that we are more than just earthbound creatures.Our hearts long for more than just this earthly life.The challenge is, that our culture has distorted what an ascended life means.So often, we spend our time climbing up, thinking if we jump hard enough, high enough, and fast enough we can achieve success.We see this happening all around us.It almost always involves comparison, competition, and judgment of some kind.We compare ourselves and our lives with other people and their lives.We compete with each other, believing that for us to ascend, others have to descend or at least not climb as high as us.We are forever judging ourselves and one another.This life of self-ascending, always keeps us searching for the next climb, the next high, which fragments our world and our lives.It separates the creature from the creator and it also destroys relationships and intimacy.We forget perhaps, that our Lord’s ascension seats humanity next to God.His ascension reshapes our disfigured understanding of an ascended life.His ascension is not about his absence from our world but is about his constant presence among us.The ascension of our Lord completes his resurrection.His ascension, lifts humanity up to heaven.His ascension seats humanity, our lowly humanity, at the right hand of God, the Father.His ascension message is more about letting go than it is about climbing and grasping for higher goals.The question for us is not, “how do we ascend?”For that has already been accomplished for us.The question we should ask ourselves is, “what holds us down?”In other words, what do we need to let go of?Fear, anger, and resentment often weigh us down.The need to be right, the need to be in control are heavy burdens.For some of us self-righteousness, jealously, or even pride weighs us down.Some of us are caught in the chains of perfectionism and the need to prove we are good enough.For some of us, it may be indifference or apathy towards others.For some of us our lives are tethered to this world, by addictions.For what weighs us down takes many forms, which can separate us from our Lord’s ascension.What keeps us down is not creation or the circumstances of our lives.What weighs us down is not around us, but within us.Pray and ask our Lord to help us to begin to look inside.To look at our lives and to identify what weighs us down.Always remembering that the things that weigh us down also point the way to an ascended life.Our Lord asks us to dive deep into our self, not the self of our ego but the self that was created in the image and likeness of God.This going deep is nothing less than letting go of all the things that we think give us identity and success.Ascending is more about trusting God’s work than it is about our own work.Thus, he encourages us to allow him to work in us and thru us.To allow him to change our self-love into self-giving love.As our Lord ascends to heaven, out of our view, he challenges our eyes to shift from him, to our neighbor.Which in the end, allows us to see and to serve him in our neighbor, so that his words can be fulfilled by each of us.

“For I was hungry, and you gave me food,I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink,I was a stranger, and you welcomed me,I was naked, and you gave me clothing,I was sick, and you took care of me,I was in prison, and you visited me.”

For if we truly desire heaven, then we must let goof worldly things that weigh us down, and learn to love as he loves.By doing this, we show by our actions that we are truly worthy of heaven.


 

Divine Mercy Sunday

We have all probably heard the phrase “seeing is believing.” In order to fully accept something to be true, we often need to see it with their own eyes. One interesting thing I noticed about our culture is that we live in a culture of skepticism. Our society tends to doubt before believing, and we also want proof. When we talk about proof, we generally desire scientific proof. Many want genuine, physical evidence before we will believe. That is one of the reasons why so many people say they don’t believe in God. I have heard people say, “You can’t give me physical proof that God exists, therefore, I can’t believe in him.” I think we all when really pressed, will admit that we too have had our doubts at some point. I bet each of us can see some of ourselves in Thomas. Yet Thomas isn’t the only one who didn’t believe. There were many doubts on the part of other disciples. We see that Thomas is willing to ask questions. To risk the potential embarrassment of admitting that he doesn’t understand. He cares more about understanding, more about making real sense of things in his own heart and mind than about what others may think. Thomas is willing to admit that he doesn’t get it so that he can better follow the path that Jesus is describing. Yet our Lord does not chastise or leave Thomas in his doubts. He clarifies his doubts, and removes them, by appearing to him. To have doubts is human, just as blind faith, is also human. Yet having doubts should not be an end in itself. In our doubt, is an opportunity for us to ask questions. To be open to admitting the possibility that there is more to learn. To have doubts is to be honest about the state of our heart. Be not afraid to ask questions, to grow deeper in our faith. Do you remember that passage from the gospel of Mark that says, “I believe, help me with my unbelief.” When we do not understand something, don’t just accept that lack of understanding. Ask our Lord to help us to understand. We should consider doubt as the opposite of certainty. For if we are so certain that we have nothing else to learn in our faith, certain that we know everything there is to know, then we have made a God of ourselves. To doubt is to leave ourselves open to seeking, to finding, to coming to know our Lord in an even deeper way. Our Lord helps us to see that faith is something we need to put into practice. It is not just some words we throw around to prove how righteous and virtuous we are. Faith is allowing the Holy Spirit to engage in the lives Faith is a way of living and a way of knowing. Let any doubts we may have, move us to open-heartedness of heart. We will then be positioned to grow forward and deeper in our faith. Growing in faith is an active process of each of us continually turning ourselves toward God’s love, God’s Joy, God’s forgiveness, and God’s mercy. When you get knocked off this path, we should just dust ourselves off and keep trying. Our Journey of faith is easier, when it is not done alone. It helps to have a community of faith accompany us on our journey. Always remember that as we travel this journey of faith. Doubt always travels along with us. Divine Mercy, trust Thomas thank you for showing us the inner part of your heart.


Easter Sunday

Mary of Magdala had risen very early that day. While it was still night, she’d walked out into the streets of Jerusalem, in the darkness, to make her way to the love of her life. It was dangerous for a woman to walk alone, in the dark but she couldn’t wait any longer. To be with the one who had freed her from her oppression. To be with the one that has given new meaning to her life. To be with the one who showed her what true love is. After all the horror and cruelty, she experienced and witnessed that week, she was still in shock. What had happened to a gentle, kind and loving man was impossible to comprehend. Everything they had worked and hoped for, everything that they came to believe in, abruptly came crashing down around them. Like the aftermath of a horrific earthquake. The very foundations of their lives were shaken. Maybe we can relate to the feelings that motivated Mary that day. The things we are driven to, when a loved one is gone, and we do not quite comprehend it yet. For she remembers the gentle healing touch of our Lord’s hands. The joy of being freed from sin and oppression by a merciful and compassionate heart. To now know those same gentle and loving hands, now become lifeless, after our Lord says it is finished. It is not hard to imagine what drove Mary of Magdala to wake up so early and go to Jesus’ tomb. To try to comfort him and herself, the only way she knows how. Can you imagine her horror when the body of Jesus is missing? Wondering if the Jewish authorities have take his body to further desecrate and mock it. Perhaps to be publicly displayed as a lesson to the rest of his disciples. Like the cruel Romans often did, by having crucifixions performed along the main public travel routes. A gruesome billboard, whose message no traveler could avoid. Yet, Mary finds the tomb empty, she flees to get Peter and John. She knows exactly where to find them. For the disciples had gathered to face one another with guilt and confusion. Since so few of them stayed loyal to Jesus. They were probably slowly talking it through, trying to understand what had just happened. Peter and John come to the garden, they investigate and then leave. Yet Mary doesn’t leave, because she has still not received an answer that satisfies her. Her loving passion for our Lord inflames her heart. Mary’s original encounter with our Lord, motivates her to keep asking her question, where is Jesus, while searching for him, until she finds him. Her heart is filled with love and passion for her savior. She seeks that love that brought her freedom, that brought her life. She knows without a doubt the upmost importance of having our Lord at the center of her life. She continuously seeks him, and models for us that we too should seek him with love and passion. If Mary of Magdala were here today, what might she say to us? Maybe, do you hear what I hear, do you see what I see, do you feel what I feel? A love so great that it can heal our brokenness. A love so great that it constantly seeks and calls us by name. A love so great that it gives purpose and meaning to the struggles and challenges in our lives. During this Easter season, let us seek our Lord with a renewed passion, modeled for us by Mary of Magdala. Don’t let the world and all its attractions distract or discourage us from our main goal. That is, to learn how to love, as God Loves. Reflect on our sins and failings for we all have them and tell our Lord each day that we are sorry. Pray and then listen patiently for him and then follow his guidance. Pray and seek his help, so we can love as he calls us to love. Pray and ask him to strengthen us, so we can become who he wants us to be. As Mary of Magdala shows us, there is no greater passion in life, then to desire to be who God wants us to be. Seek him with passion, like Mary did.


Palm Sunday

 “Hosanna in the Highest!!” … “Crucify Him!!! Oh, why does the human heart change so easily, from love to hate. The people joyfully and lovingly welcomed Jesus, then in the span of a few days, they turned on him, hating and despising him, calling for his crucifixion. Their faith was like the seeds that fell on rocky ground, it sprouted quickly, but when challenged, it withered and died. Their faith, like ours, can grow weak, and stagnate, if it is not continuously nourished. It was easy to be part of the crowd that welcomed Jesus. It was also easy to be part of the crowd that condemned him to death. Crowds of people can do great wonderful things, but can also do absolutely terrible things. The crowd mentality allows us to hide from individual accountability. Just look at the large amount of bulling, taking place on social media these days. We do not have to look far, to find individuals, who suffer much from persecution and abuse. Our Lord tries to drill into our hearts and minds that we are to love God, and our neighbor, with all our strength. He asks each of us to help those on the fringes of society. Like the good Samaritan, who cared for the injured man. Like Jesus, who showed mercy to the woman, caught in adultery, who was about to be stoned. Like Simon, who helped to carry our Lord’s cross. Like the boy who shared his loaves and fishes to feed the 5000. Our Lord’s love for each of us, brought him to Jerusalem, brought him to the cross. We are all called too love, as he loves. To love without limits, as we are carrying our crosses. Do you remember that colt, which carried our Lord into Jerusalem? We should ponder its actions more deeply. We can see aspects of a good Christian life in the colt’s actions. Like the colt, we too are all called to bring our Lord, to those who do not know him. To carry God’s love, his word, mercy, forgiveness, compassion, and peace to all those we meet each day. To bring and share the “Good News” with others. To accomplish this, we must first pray and ask our Lord to help us, to understand what we are already carrying. Our human nature tends to like to carry grudges, past hurts, pride, inflated egos, bigotry, racism, hatred, and many other things. When we hold on to these burdensome things, there is no room for us to carry our Lord. We must first through prayer free ourselves from these things, so, our Lord can have his proper place. Some of our sins and burdens can be so attached to us, that we are not able to remove them on our own. For those, we need our Lord’s help. It is through prayer, fasting, and the great gift, of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, that our sins and burdens are removed. Our Lord desires to heal and strengthen us, during this upcoming Holy Week. Turn to Him, who strengthens our faith, so that when challenges come in life, we may remain faithful to him. That we may be filled with renewed joy, this Easter season, as we bring and share our faith in the Lord, with others. That we may always say “Hosanna in the Highest” and the words “Crucify Him” may never pass our lips.


Fifth Sunday in Lent

Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. What a great family for us to ponder. Mary was the sister who loved to listen to Jesus. Martha was the sister who loved to serve others. Lazarus was the brother who was ill. For no family is consistently perfect. All families have struggles and challenges. Each of our families, from the smallest to the largest are similar to Lazarus’s family. They all have people who like to listen, people who like to serve, and people who are sick. In the midst of our family struggles, prayer can be of great comfort. We can offer up those who are in need, through our prayers. Yet, how often we tell our Lord what he already knows. He knows who among us is sick. He knows our illnesses in deeper ways than we know them. Yet, our Lord loves us in the midst of those illnesses. That poses an interesting question for us to ponder. Do we believe that all illnesses have an ultimate purpose? That is, it is to be used for the glory of God, like our Lord said Lazarus’s illness was. Some of our illnesses do lead to death and they are certainly sad. Yet all illnesses can also be vessels of the glory of God. For everything, even illness, can be a means for God to mediate his graces. For seeing someone with an illness, can cause our hearts to soften, our compassion to be stirred, and forgiveness to be exercised. Yet in Lazarus’s illness our Lord delays. Which sounds very similar to many of the stories of our lives. So, why doesn’t our Lord drop everything he is doing and rush over to Lazarus’s aid? Did he not realize how in need he was? For if he loves us, why doesn’t he respond immediately? Those can be the questions we demand of God and of each other. Have you noticed that it seems, it is not the people who respond most urgently and most anxiously who love us the most. Often, I wonder if the people who are willing to drop everything and help us are the ones least equipped to help. Sometimes I wonder if the friends who help us the most are those not driven by the urgency, the biggest hurry, those who are not the most anxious, those who do not panic. Sometimes I think the ones who love us the most sometime are the ones who take longer to arrive than others. So, it was with our Lord, for he heard the news, and he waited a couple days to respond. I read an article the other day that discussed our Lord’s delay. The article said, it was not because he did not love Lazarus that he delayed. It was because our Lord’s strength did not need to respond according to our urgent schedules and anxiety. Our Lord took action when it was best. We also see when the time to move and take action has arrived. For our Lord does move and take action to help Lazarus. Yet when he decides to return to Judea, to help Lazarus, he encounter resistance. His disciples try to prevent him from taking action. As many of us have already probably experienced, there will always be people around us who give us reasons against taking action, against fulfilling our vision. Some are, our closest family and friends. So, when we take action, are we always supposed to take the path of least resistance? Our Lord shows us the answer is no. For he walks straight back through the areas of Judea where they once tried to stone him. Yet, he does not let that fear take control of his actions. Yet, our fears and insecurities can cause us to freeze and not take action and to seek the path of least resistance. For often we think that if only God were involved, if only we were closer to him, then things would have gone our way. I think Martha and Mary also thought this way about their brother’s death. Thinking that we wouldn’t be in this hardship if Jesus had responded more quickly. They love Jesus, but I think they believe that our Lord really came to fulfill their own personal, and immediate desires. How often, that is what we can also feel, which is not correct. Our Lord did not come to take away our pain. He came to go through pain himself. He came so that all of us could live through pain to new life. Yet through all of Mary’s, Martha’s, and Lazarus’s pain and struggles, our Lord also wept, like we often do. This tells us something very powerful about him. For our Lord, the Son of God, knows pain and sorrow, and is moved, and greatly disturbed by it. For to truly love, means to be able to be moved by the needs, pains and sorrows of others. Love causes our heart to move to express compassion for those in need. Our Lord loved his friend Lazarus. Yet some bible scholars question if he wept because Lazarus died or was there a deeper reason. Some believe our Lord did not weep because Lazarus died. He wept because even raising someone from the dead after four days of decay, would not convince them. He wept because so many would choose not to believe, and would not accept his great gift of salvation. Their hearts were so hardened, that even witnessing this great miracle would not soften their harden hearts. The raising of Lazarus is not just bringing a dead man back to life, but is a powerful symbol of the new life that all of us can have. We each have the opportunity to grow in this new life when we submit our hearts and wills to our Lord. Yes, it’s hard to do, but take some time each day to reflect on our Lord’s great gift of his love and mercy. Don’t reject it like many of the Jewish leadership did. This lent, let our Lord call us to come forth from our tombs, of ego, pride, self-centeredness, so we can be truly awakened. Share this priceless gift our Lord has given each of us by helping others to grow deeper in this precious relationship with our Lord. Help them to come forth from their tombs through prayer, forgiveness, kindness, and loving compassion. Then together, we can turn and leave behind all those things, which hinder and bind us from being truly who God wants us to be.


Fourth Sunday in Lent

Have you ever wonder if the younger son was surprised when his father gave him his inheritance. To ask for it, is not like asking for an advance on your allowance. The son is basically saying to his father, I don’t need you, but I just want your stuff. The son, by asking for his inheritance has separated himself from his father and family. It would have been different if the young man had asked for money, to travel and to see the world. Or even to seek to study abroad like many students do now a days. Yet, he did not ask for those, so what he asked for is very significant. Their relationship has now changed. The younger son has rejected and dishonored not only his father and family, but the entire community where he grew up. He has hurt, shamed, and rejected them. The son has in a way, has burned his bridges which makes it hard to return. If he did return, he would most likely be met with rejection. I wonder if his older brother, the slaves and hired-hands, and most of the community probably thought the son was making a permanent one-way trip. They probably thought they would never see him again. Everyone, that is, except his father. Throughout all this, his father does not say anything. He does not question why his son is leaving. He does not even ask where he is going. He does not even argue with him or get angry. He does not even try to prevent him from leaving. He does not even tell him how much he loves him. He simply divided his property between his two sons. We might often think of this story as one about sin. The younger son, the bad son, runs away and does many not so good things. The older son, the good son, was always at home, and he never disobeyed. So is the moral of this story, that we are to be like the older obedient slave-like son to his father? The one who blindly obeys and never questions. I wonder at times if this story is really even about the sons. I wonder if this story is more about the father than it is about the sons. Could this story be more about love, kindness, and patience than it is about sin. After listening to this story, I wonder if either son truly loved their father. For the younger one shows he does not love his father very much by his outward actions. While the older one is silent, yet he dislikes his father and hold internal resentment towards him. So, that raises an interesting question. Based on our own personalities and behaviors, which one are we like in this story. Are we like the sons who have resentment towards others, whether expressed outwardly or just held inside where it festers. Or are we like the father who does not express his emotions and does not tell others how much they mean to him, or how much he loves them, but just remains silent. Have you noticed that it is usually not until loss and heartache hits us that we can come to realize our mistakes and then we seek to try to amend them. I think the father however, over time, realizes that love is the only real way home. I think that is why the father runs to meet his son. He runs to him to protect him from some of the ridicule and taunting of the community, when they see the wayward son returning. He goes to him to support him by helping to see him safely home. His father shields his son from some of the embarrassment of his return. The father places a fine robe on him, and also sandals and a ring. He over and over recommits himself to his wayward son. Helping his son to know that through all this, he is still loved and cherished. Even though the father may struggle in finding the words to express his love for his son, he still tries. Our heavenly father, like the father in this story also patiently waits for all of us, his wayward children to turn back to him. So, what kind of feelings did we have in our hearts when we heard the father forgive and accept the returning son? Were we happy or did we have mixed feelings? We can often yearn for forgiveness for ourselves from our Lord because we believe we deserve it. Yet we may want a more specific form of justice against those who fall short in our own estimations. Do we at times act like the elder brother as we view others who have sinned, as unworthy and they are clearly less worthy than ourselves. For when we think this way we demonstrate our lack of faith in our Lord’s ability to judge for himself who is worthy and who isn’t. Do we at times act like the younger brother who celebrates in his return, is so self-focused that he does not even go and seek out his brother to repair their broken relationship. Or do we at times act like the father who so focuses on his younger son that he never even notifies his older son that his brother has returned and to come see him. These ways of thinking are wrong. Our Lord calls us to focus on the needs of others, more than our own needs. This is what our Lord modeled for us by his life. We should never look into the hearts of others and judge them worthy or unworthy of our love or compassion. Let us strive a little more each day to love and forgive. For true love seeks the best for those that we love. Pray and ask our Lord to help us to forgive. To forgive our parents, our spouses, our children, our friends, and even ourselves. Don’t let the weight of unforgiveness keep us from loving as God calls us to love. To truly love without limits. So, we to can thus celebrates with our heavenly father the return of every one of his precious children.


Third Sunday in Lent

Have you noticed that it doesn’t take much effort these days to bump into tragedy. We don’t have to look very far to see bad news. In our day and age, we are so much more aware of the bad stuff in our world than ever before. We can see the old journalism saying is true: if it bleeds, it leads. We see numerous public tragedies in our world. Yet this speaks nothing of the personal tragedies we all experience. We are often weighed down by these, and they can even penetrate our dreams and keep us awake at night. In today’s readings we encounter people asking Jesus whether God sends tragedy to us, as a means of his judgement. He responds to their questions, by telling them a story about who God really is. His story involves a vineyard owner, a fig tree, and a gardener. The fig tree, isn’t doing what it was supposed to do. For fig trees are supposed to produce figs, yet this tree wasn’t. It was not following the rules of a fig tree. So, the vineyard owner comes in, angry at the tree for its lack of production, and calls for it to be completely uprooted, chopped up and used for firewood. For it does nothing, but take up space, wastes the soil’s nutrients and the owners time. It wasn’t doing what it was supposed to do, and the vineyard owner was tired of all the taking. The owner wants a fig tree that is a maker, a producer, and not just a taker. Yet, through all that the fig tree is saved by an unconventional gardener. How often we think that God is the vineyard owner, the one who is angry at our sin, our lack of production, our lack of fruit. How often we can think of Jesus as the gardener, standing between us and an abusive father’s rage, saying, give them one more chance, one more year to get their act together. I pose a slightly different interpretation for you to ponder. So, how would your view of this story be, if God is not the vineyard owner? I pose that the vineyard owner is the wisdom of the world. For the world measures our value in how we are following all the rules, if we are doing what we are supposed to. It is the wisdom of the world that says that our value is in how much we can produce for the vineyard owner. How much profit we can make for the person in charge, how much we can put out, for our families, churches, and communities. The wisdom of the world doesn’t value lament, and it considers tears and weeping a weakness. It is the wisdom of the world that says if you are not a maker, then you are a taker and are good for nothing. This is the kind of mentality that promotes mercy killing, honor killing, and even euthanasia as a just solution. It sees no value in suffering, pain or even failure. Yet how often we can learn a lot from our mistakes and failures. I bet we all know someone in our family or friends who seems to learn more through struggles than accomplishments. It is the wisdom of the world that sees such a vulnerable fig tree and demands that it be uprooted and throw into the fire. We should be thankful that God is not the vineyard owner. Rather, God is the gardener. He is the gardener who says no to the wisdom of the world. He is the gardener whose love rejects the wisdom of the world. He is the gardener who is not going to uproot us when life seems to have sapped the life from us. God is the gardener who is also going to get down there with us, in the dirt, in the places where it smells and stinks and gets overwhelming. Our Lord, the gardener says, I care enough to get dirty. For I am with you through the tragedies and violence of the world. Our Lord is also saying, in the midst of life’s tragedies, don’t look to place blame on the victims of violence, the victims of hunger, the victims of poverty and suffering. When we see suffering and tragedy, don’t seek a convenient place to put the blame for it, and don’t put it on God. If we want to find God, in the midst of violence and tragedy, just look where the suffering is. For he is there suffering with us. Our Lord in his Incarnation has come to be with us, to walk with us. So, don’t shake our fists at the heavens when we are mad and frustrated. Just look at the earth, at the dirt, and feel it with our hands. For that is what the gardener is doing. For it is there where God is, with us in the midst of it all. In this parable of the fig tree, our Lord is telling us, that when we feel the most hopeless, worthless, and lifeless and unable to produce fruit, is when God is the closest to us. He isn’t going to leave or forsake us or even cast us into the fire. Our Lord calls us to abandon our image of God that sees him as an angry vineyard owner, who sows and reaps tragedy. This Lent let us repent by saying we are sorry, but also let us repent by standing with those who are suffering. Our Lord wants us to do exactly what he does with us. That is to enter into the suffering of others and suffer their suffering, by helping them to carry their cross.


Second Sunday in Lent

It’s so tempting, when we think about the transfiguration to think of it as a ‘mountain top’ experiences with God. The kind of experience we can get after going to a retreat or even to a concert. We often hope that we will all have these experiences of God, in a dramatic and powerful kind of way. Some people spend their whole life wishing for an experience like this with God. Yet when it does not happen, we wonder why and often we can get disappointed, disheartened, or even depressed. These awesome encounters of God are rare even for saints such as St. Peter. I don’t think this story of the transfiguration is there to tell us we can all have a “mountain top” experience with God. I think it’s there to help us to see who Jesus really is. This lent we are all called to be transfigured from our sinful behaviors into a deeper image and reflection of Christ. When we profess our faith in our Lord, we hope to be transfigured into someone worthy of eternal life. Yet as this gospel reading shows us, our human nature is so unprepared for this outcome. We see in our beloved Peter, many of our own behaviors and actions. He who would one day have the keys to the Kingdom placed in his hands by Jesus himself, was totally unprepared. He was not ready for the truth of our Lord’s divine life revealed in the transfiguration. Yet even with the disciple’s limitations, it seems like our Lord lets them peer behind the curtain, to see who he really is. To be mesmerized seeing him talking with Moses and Elijah, who are both dead, yet vividly alive in a way that is hard to comprehend. Yet, we can see in Peter’s response, a reflection of our own response. For his way of responding is so much like us. In midst of all this, Peter decides he needs to do something. I wonder, if Peter were here today, if he would have tried to take a picture or maybe even a selfie. I bet many of us would have tried something similar. A way to remember, to capture a unique transforming moment in life. Peter’s response here is so classically human. Rather than fully participating in the moment, and reflecting on what is happening. He looks for some service to perform. At that moment Peter chose doing, instead of being. Just like Martha chose doing and Mary chose being. Yet he probably did not realize that his service project would have taken him away from the moment. He would have to leave the transforming moment and travel to find the materials to build the tents. If only he had just sat there in the presence of God. To spend some time in adoration of the God he has been journeying with each day. So, that raises an interesting question. How are we open to a transfiguration? Lent calls us to prepare, yet as lent goes forth, we still may not have prepared ourselves very well. In fact, we may still only have a dim sense of what it means to be transformed this lent. One of the significant details I noticed of the transfiguration is that it occurs in the context of prayer. Prayer is not merely speaking words to God, but is a truly spiritual experience with God. Prayer should be seeking the powerful presence of God in our lives. Our transfiguration should challenge us to seek something higher in prayer, than speaking mere words hoping that God might listen to us. Another significant detail in this dramatic experience of Christ’s glory, is that it calls us to listen and follow obediently. In our faith journey, we may experience “mountain top” moments, spots when we find ourselves on holy ground, where God may reveal himself. Yet we are also called to listen to our Lord, which means paying attention to his teachings with openness, being receptive and having a desire to respond. It means being attentive to the message of the Gospel and seeking ways to apply it to our daily lives. It means that when we have other influences attempting to tell us what to do, we instead listen to the gentle voice of our Lord. It also means that when we make decisions, we choose to follow the guidance of our Lord and not the other forces at work in our lives. Take some time this lent to prepare ourselves to experience our Lord in a new and extraordinary way. Don’t settle for the normal and mundane, but seek a powerful personal encounter with our Lord. Remember he is as present to us here in the blessed sacrament as he was walking and talking with his disciples. Be bold, pray, ask that our hearts may be transformed so to love as our Lord loves. O Lord, who have commanded us to listen to you, be pleased, we pray, to nourish us inwardly by your word, that, our eyes and ears may be made pure, so that we may rejoice to behold your glory present in our lives.


First Sunday in Lent

I was reading an article the other day, about our Lord’s temptation in the desert. The author raised an interesting perspective, which made me think, when he said: What if Jesus had said, “Ok. Yes, I’ll do it?” What if he had turned just one small stone into a small loaf of bread? He’s hungry, famished. Why not fill the emptiness? Not a feast or even a big loaf. No butter. Just a little something to get him by. What if he had accepted the glory and authority of all the kingdoms of the world? They are rightfully his anyway. Don’t the ends justify the means? Why not free fall into the arms of the angels? After all he is the beloved son. What if Jesus had said, “Ok. Yes, I’ll do it?” Would Jesus have been less beloved? Would he have no longer been God’s Son? Would Jesus have been a failure? These challenging questions raised by the author of this article sure can sound like idle speculations, but they’re not. Our Lord may not have said, “Ok. Yes, I’ll do it,” but I bet all of us here have said “yes, I’ll do it”. Oh, how often we hunger for triple A Not the insurance, not the baseball league, but we all hunger for attention, acceptance, and approval. We all I suspect, have found the emptiness, restlessness, boredom, and that sense that our life may seem to have no meaning and may not be going where we want it to. We may not have turned a stone into a piece of bread but we’ve likely filled our emptiness and hunger with something not very nutritious and life-giving. Most of the time we fill this hunger with something other than what we know God would want for us. When we look deep inside ourselves, we discover that we often only want a little something to get us by. A little something to fill the loneliness, and to satisfy the hunger. But over time we come to realize that it doesn’t satisfy. It never does. It only gets us to the next fix. Our Lord’s temptations in the wilderness are not all that different than our temptations. The wilderness is not so much a place, as it is a situation. Many times, like our Lord we are sometimes left alone with our thoughts, concerns and worries. Like, who am I? What is my life about? How will I get through this? Like in Jesus’s time, in the wilderness, there is usually a voice that is quick to offer an answer, an idea, a way. Jesus was tempted just like we are. The difference is that he said no, while we often say yes. In that moment of decision, where we give into temptation are we less beloved of God? Are we somehow less God’s sons and daughters? Are we a failure? What if we ask these questions differently. If we had said, no to temptations, would we be more beloved by God? Would we be more a child of God? Would we have passed the test and we would be a spiritual success? Whether Jesus said yes or no, I feel did not determine his sonship, or how beloved he was. Our temptations, our struggles in the desert, do not determine how well God know us, but it helps us to come to know ourselves. For in struggling with our temptations, we begin to know ourselves. That as Christians, we are filled with and are to be led by the Spirit. Temptations are not a pass-fail exam, but they help us understand ourselves. For example, if we strive for the virtue of patience, God allow us to come to know how we are doing, by allowing challenges in the area of patience for us to overcome. It is in these challenges, these temptations that we have the opportunity to rise above the challenges and live the virtue. Every temptation we encounter is an opportunity for us to rediscover, affirm, and claim our identity as a beloved child of God. How we respond to temptations, whether with a yes or no, tell us something about ourselves. They offer information about who we believe ourselves to be, and whose we believe we belonging to. Temptations reveal where we place our trust, how we see the world, and even our way of being towards others. In facing our temptations, we can discover our true hunger and emptiness. We can come to know where our hurts are and see how we act out in our woundedness. We can also discover more about our weaknesses and we can also become more self-aware. With each temptation we are offered the opportunity for a new life and a new way of being as beloved children of God. So, can there is salvation without temptation? Can we obtain a virtue, without a struggle? Can we experience true love, without true freedom? It is in our temptations, where we can sometimes come to know our gifts better. Oh Lord, help us to discover where our hurts and woundedness lie. For it is in our weaknesses, that we come to know our need for you. Oh Lord, come and awaken the hearts of your children. Draw us on to you oh Lord, and cleans us of all that blinds or spirit. Oh Lord, remove the burden of pride from our hearts. Kindle in our hearts, a desire for you alone. That someday we may hear you say to us, you are my beloved child, in whom I am well pleased.


Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time 

Can a blind person, guide a blind person? Yes, they can, and we see it all the time. This helps to explain why our society is so messed up. We see so many spiritually blind people leading others to build a world where the achievements of mankind are at its center. This is an incorrect and backwards approach, for we should have God the creator of all life at its center. When we place mankind before God, we are just like the rebellious people of Moses’s time who made mankind and earthly things as their idols. Have you noticed in our world today, everyone seems to be following someone, or something. Yes, even Catholics who go to daily mass each day, can be following blindly different things in their lives. We have to be careful and wise in what we follow. For human pride can be one of the things that can cause the most blindness. For when we follow the blindness of pride, it is so easy for us to judge our neighbors, while not recognizing our own faults and weaknesses. We need to reflect on our own lives, so we can understand where we stand in God’s eyes. We should try to strive each day to look upon others, as kindly and compassionately as our Heavenly Father does with us. It is very common in our families, communities, and churches, how we all like to guide and correct one another. I think it gives us a bit of a power trip. For power trips can even cause us to defer from looking closer and deeper into ourselves. By not looking deeper, we are more likely to be quick to see and to point out the flaws in others. I believe we all know people who seem to always look for faults in people, instead of looking for the good. This can be a major tension point in a marriage. Our Lord knows that we have weaknesses, yet knowing all this, he loves us even more. In this love, he invites us to look deeper inside ourselves to become more aware of these areas, which can cause us blindness. Areas where we can easily view ourselves, as better than others. If we struggle looking out at the world and finding what is to be praised and blessed, maybe we need to look inside ourselves. For by doing this we can see more clearly what is hampering us, from recognizing how we may be blinded to the work of God in others.

We should also take courage in how our Lord said that even, just and righteous people fall many times. Even though our perspective may not always be the best one.  Even though our view of ourselves and of the world, may need correction. Our Lord still loves us and wants to help us. He seeks us to let go of our pride and to allow him to guide us. Take comfort also in knowing that our Lord fell while he carried his cross. He showed us by his example that we to should not reject the help of others as we carry our crosses. Pray and bring ourselves before our Lord. Allow him to love us and to heal us from all our blindness. Ask him to remove any speck or plank that may be in our eyes. Pray for the clarity of vision that our Lord had. For it is in humility, that we come to realize that our perspectives may not be the best one; our view of ourselves and of the world may need correction. When our Lord tells us to hold off criticizing others, until we have fixed ourselves, he is really trying to tell us not to criticize at all, because we are never fixed and always prone to error. Oh Lord, help us to be more aware of our inadequacies, so that we may become gentle in dealing with others. Oh Lord, grant us the ability to recognize our own shortcomings which can be turned into graces, through prayer. Oh Lord, it is in who we are, not what we say and do, that counts. For when we are in love with you oh Lord, with our whole being, then our words, actions, and deeds will reflect your love. So, when people see and encounter us, they will see and encounter you oh Lord.


Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

The gospel reading today is one of the most extraordinary writings.  It seems to totally reverse our human thinking about enemies and forgiveness. It describes for us the way God goes about things, holding nothing against us despite all our failings. This is how our Lord lived, thus showing us by example the right path.

Our Lord shows us the language we need to use to live and reflect the importance of our relationships to one another. We are to interact with our neighbors, mindful of how we ourselves have received the good gifts of mercy and forgiveness from God. When we find ourselves having difficulties with others, it is good for us to pray that we come to know our own faults. We should also pray for others, that they may receive the graces needed to reflect our Lord’s love within their lives.

Our Lord challenges us again by turning our thinking upside down. We are called to Love our enemies, which is so contrary to human nature, but that is what He asks of us. For He asks us now to bring our enemies into our hearts and show mercy to them. When we do this, they no longer are strangers to us. Our Lord also invites us to interact and respond to our world as He did. He calls us to practice living our lives filled with love, kindness, prayer and forgiveness. We are all called to do this, not only where there is something which we approve, but in all circumstances.

Take some time this week and ask our Lord to remove all ways in which we view others, which causes us to distrust, to judge, to condemn or to hold back. Pray for patience to endure any difficult circumstances and pray for courage to be able to confront them the best we can. Our world can be transformed if we take our Lord’s message seriously. Our task is to work with Him and to live each day with a greater love than we had imagined possible.

Let us each spend some time reflecting on how merciful God is to us, even though we are sinful and often ungrateful. Oh Lord, give us a compassionate heart that we may pause before judging and condemning our enemies, so then we can respond with love.

Séptimo Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario

La lectura del evangelio de hoy es uno de los escritos más extraordinarios. Parece revertir totalmente nuestro pensamiento humano sobre los enemigos y el perdón. Nos describe la manera en que Dios hace las cosas, sin tener nada en contra de nosotros a pesar de todos nuestros defectos. Así vivió nuestro Señor, mostrándonos, por ejemplo, el camino correcto.

Nuestro Señor nos muestra el lenguaje que necesitamos usar para vivir y reflejar la importancia de nuestras relaciones entre nosotros. Debemos interactuar con nuestros vecinos, conscientes de cómo nosotros mismos hemos recibido los buenos regalos de misericordia y perdón de Dios. Cuando nos encontramos con dificultades con los demás, es bueno para nosotros orar para que lleguemos a conocer nuestras faltas. También debemos orar por los demás, para que puedan recibir las gracias necesarias para reflejar el amor de nuestro Señor en sus vidas.

Nuestro Señor nos desafía de nuevo dando la vuelta a nuestro pensamiento. Estamos llamados a amar a nuestros enemigos, lo cual es muy contrario a la naturaleza humana, pero eso es lo que Él nos pide. Porque Él nos pide ahora que llevemos a nuestros enemigos a nuestros corazones y les mostremos misericordia. Cuando hacemos esto ya no son extraños para nosotros. Nuestro Señor también nos invita a interactuar y responder a nuestro mundo como lo hizo. Él nos llama a practicar vivir nuestras vidas llenas de amor, amabilidad, oración y perdón. Todos estamos llamados a hacer esto, no sólo cuando hay algo que aprobamos, sino en todas las circunstancias.

Tómese un tiempo esta semana y pídale a nuestro Señor que elimine todas las formas en que vemos a los demás, lo que nos hace desconfiar, juzgar, condenar o frenar. Ore por paciencia para soportar cualquier circunstancia difícil y ore por valentía para poder enfrentarlos lo mejor que podamos. Nuestro mundo puede ser transformado si tomamos en serio el mensaje de nuestro Señor. Nuestra tarea es trabajar con Él y vivir cada día con un amor más grande del que habíamos imaginado.

Cada uno de nosotros dedique un tiempo a reflexionar sobre cuán misericordioso es Dios con nosotros, aunque seamos pecaminosos y, a menudo, ingratos. Oh Señor, danos un corazón compasivo para que podamos hacer una pausa antes de juzgar y condenar a nuestros enemigos, para que podamos responder con amor.


Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

It seems like whenever we are going to buy something, we always check its price to establish its worth. I believe it is important for us to recognize our own true worth. To recognize how valuable, how pecious we are to the LORD. It is important for us to know our worth, our value in God’s eyes. For far too many people base their self-worth on earthly things. For example, we can base our worth on how other people treat us, what they say about us, what accomplishments or achievements we have attained, what type of house we live in, what type of car we drive, or even how much money we have in our bank accounts.

It is so easy to get caught up into thinking that we are only worth what others say we are worth. It is important for us to remember that our value is not based on what we do, what we have or even who we know. We tend to overlook things especially when it comes to what we are worth in the heart of our Heavenly Father.

Our Lord had to face the same challenges we do about our self-worth. Scripture tells us that there were times that even His own family doubted His worth. Members of His own family thought He was crazy. Our Lord had to deal with all those things. Yet, He understood that in His Father’s Eyes He was valuable. He did not need the approval of other people.

Our Lord reached out to those no one else wanted to be around and those that people looked down upon. He reached out to those who were hurting and suffering emotionally, socially, financially and spiritually. He reached out to those who were being marginalized and those who were being shoved to the side. By reaching out, He was showing them that their Heavenly Father believes that they had value, that they were priceless. He shows us that we are worthy of His time, His attention and His healing.

Life will do its best to cast us down and cause us to doubt ourselves. Life will try to convince us that we are for the most part worthless and insignificant. Let us today share the understanding of our worth. Let us come daily in prayer to receive our Lord’s strength and encouragement. For we are all called to share the Good News with all those we meet. For the whole world needs to hear that God loves them, He values them, and so do we as well.

Sexto Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario

Parece que cada vez que vamos a comprar algo, siempre verificamos su precio para establecer su valor. Creo que es importante para nosotros reconocer nuestro verdadero valor. Reconocer cuán valiosos, cuán pecaminosos somos para el SEÑOR. Es importante, para nosotros saber nuestro valor a los ojos de Dios. Porque demasiadas personas basan su autoestima en cosas terrenales. Por ejemplo, podemos basar nuestra valía en cómo nos tratan otras personas, lo que dicen de nosotros, la realización o logros que hemos alcanzado, en qué tipo de casa vivimos, qué tipo de automóvil manejamos o incluso cuánto dinero tener en nuestras cuentas bancarias.

Es tan fácil quedar atrapado en el pensamiento que sólo valemos lo que otros dicen que valemos. Es importante para nosotros recordar que nuestro valor no se basa en lo que hacemos, lo que tenemos o incluso a quién conocemos. Solemos pasar por alto las cosas, especialmente cuando se trata de lo que valemos en el corazón de nuestro Padre Celestial.

Nuestro Señor tuvo que enfrentar los mismos desafíos que nosotros hacemos sobre nuestra autoestima. Las Escrituras nos dicen que hubo momentos en que incluso su propia familia dudó de su valor. Los miembros de su propia familia pensaron que estaba loco. Nuestro Señor tuvo que lidiar con todas esas cosas. Sin embargo, entendió que en los ojos de su padre era valioso. No necesitaba la aprobación de otras personas.

Nuestro Señor se acercó a aquellos que nadie más quería estar cerca y aquellos a quienes la gente menospreciaba. Se acercó a aquellos que sufrían y sufrían emocional, social, financiera y espiritualmente. Se acercó a aquellos que estaban siendo marginados y aquellos que estaban siendo empujados a un lado. Al llegar, Él les estaba mostrando que su Padre Celestial cree que tenían valor, que no tenían precio. Él nos muestra que somos dignos de su tiempo, su atención y su sanación. La vida hará todo lo posible para derribarnos y hacer que dudemos de nosotros mismos.

La vida hará todo lo posible para derribarnos y hacer que dudemos de nosotros mismos. La vida tratará de convencernos de que somos, en su mayor parte, inútiles e insignificantes. Compartamos hoy la comprensión de nuestro valor. Venimos diariamente en oración para recibir la fortaleza y el ánimo de nuestro Señor. Porque todos estamos llamados a compartir la Buena Nueva con todos los que conocemos. Porque todo el mundo necesita escuchar que Dios los ama, Él los valora, y nosotros también.


Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

I know many of us have probably been in situations where things did not go the way we desired. This can be frustrating and can easily cause us to question our efforts and can even cause us to want to give up, to throw in the towel. We see this type of situation also play out with Peter. He fished all night and caught nothing and was tired and probably disheartened. He may have been worried about where his next meal might be coming from, what he did wrong, maybe even doubted his ability as a fisherman. We see in Peter, our own human weaknesses played out. How often we strive to do things totally on our own. We strive to do it the American way, with our own true grit. 

 

Our Lord calls each of us to let go and to leave behind our doubts and fears. He calls us, like Peter, to trust in Him even in situations that seem hopeless. He calls us to let go of human reason, and to allow our Lord to do the impossible. When we turn to our Lord and trust in Him, He will challenge us, so we can grow in love and trust of Him.

He will take us into the deep waters, where we may fear to go, but much good can take place there. We saw Peter go with our Lord into the deep waters and they found a rich harvest. This rich harvest is also among the rocks and thorns, which can be intimidating and not easy for us to get to.

 

With that said, be not afraid to allow the Lord to lead you. Open your heart to Him, and trust in Him. Allow Him to stretch you out of your self-made comfort zones. We may not always understand everything, but that is ok, for that is where faith and trust intersect.  When we allow our Lord to take us out into the deep waters, our faith can be strengthened, for we need to rely even more on Him. When fear creeps in, just reflect on Peter, for he was not in the deep waters alone, for our Lord accompanied him along the whole journey.

 

Quinto Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario

Sé que muchos de nosotros probablemente hemos estado en situaciones en las que las cosas no fueron como las deseábamos. Esto puede ser frustrante y puede hacernos cuestionar fácilmente nuestros esfuerzos e incluso puede hacer que deseamos rendirnos, tirar la toalla. Vemos que este tipo de situación también le sucede a Pedro. El pescó toda la noche y no atrapó nada, estaba cansado y probablemente desanimado. Puede haber estado preocupado por saber de dónde vendría su próxima comida, qué hizo mal, tal vez incluso dudó de su habilidad como pescador. Vemos en Pedro, que se cumplieron nuestras propias debilidades humanas. Con qué frecuencia nos esforzamos por hacer las cosas totalmente por nuestra cuenta. Nos esforzamos por hacerlo a la manera nuestra.

Nuestro Señor nos llama a cada uno a dejarnos ir y dejar atrás nuestras dudas y temores. Él nos llama, como Pedro, a confiar en Él incluso en situaciones que parecen desesperadas. Él nos llama a dejar de lado la razón humana y a permitir que nuestro Señor haga lo imposible. Cuando nos dirigimos a nuestro Señor y confiamos en Él, Él nos desafiará, para que podamos crecer en amor y confianza en Él. Él nos llevará a las aguas profundas, donde podemos tener miedo de ir, pero mucho bien puede ocurrir allí. Observamos a Pedro ir con nuestro Señor a las profundas aguas y encontraron una rica cosecha. Esta rica cosecha también se encuentra entre las rocas y las espinas, lo que puede ser intimidante y no ser fácil para nosotros.

Dicho esto, no tengas miedo de permitir que el Señor te guíe. Abre tu corazón a Él, y confía en Él. Permítale que lo extienda fuera de sus zonas de comodidad creadas por ti. Puede que no siempre entendamos todo, pero eso está bien, porque ahí es donde se cruzan la fe y la confianza. Cuando permitimos que nuestro Señor nos lleve a las aguas profundas, nuestra fe puede fortalecerse, ya que necesitamos confiar aún más en Él. Cuando el miedo nos invade, sólo reflexiona en Pedro, porque no estaba sólo en las profundas aguas, porque nuestro Señor lo acompañó a lo largo de todo el viaje. 


Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Parochial Vicar Reflections

The people of Nazareth had an agenda. Their agenda influenced how they interacted with people, and how they viewed a situation. We too have different agendas within our lives. Some of them are spoken, while others are unspoken. For example, “What are your plans for today?” We can ask because we truly care and want to know. There are other times we ask, because we already have our own plans, our own agenda, and we are just trying to figure out when and how we can accomplish our own agenda.

When our agendas have a common theme, amazing things can happen. Our relationships can deepen, our love can flourish, our faith can grow deeper, and many other good and productive things can happen. Yet, how often we tend to think first of our own needs, before others. There are times that we view ourselves above others before God. We do this anytime we see our group as more deserving than another of God’s goodness and grace. We do this anytime we feel entitled, to the exclusion of others, of God’s life and love.

When we live this way, we are living like the people of Nazareth. The ones who sought their own way of doing things. They did not want to see things from a possibly different perspective. Our Lord challenges the people of Nazareth and us here today, to not be confined by our own views. To allow Him to guide our lives, so we will be able to do His will. We will then be empowered to say daily, “Here I am Lord, I come to do your will”.

Cuarto Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario

Reflexiones del Vicario Parroquial

La gente de Nazaret tenía una agenda. Su agenda influyó en cómo interactuaban con las personas y cómo veían una situación. Nosotros también tenemos diferentes agendas dentro de nuestras vidas. Algunos de ellos se hablan, mientras que otros no se hablan. Por ejemplo, “¿Cuáles son sus planes para hoy?” Podemos preguntar porque realmente nos importa y queremos saber. Otras veces preguntamos, porque ya tenemos nuestros propios planes, nuestra propia agenda y sólo estamos tratando de averiguar cuándo y cómo podemos lograr nuestra propia agenda.

Cuando nuestras agendas tienen un tema común, pueden suceder cosas asombrosas. Nuestras relaciones pueden profundizarse, nuestro amor puede florecer, nuestra fe puede profundizarse y muchas otras cosas buenas y productivas pueden suceder. Sin embargo, con qué frecuencia tendemos a pensar primero en nuestras propias necesidades, antes que en otras. Hay veces en que nos vemos por encima de los demás ante Dios. Hacemos esto cada vez que vemos a nuestro grupo como más merecedor que otro de la bondad y la gracia de Dios. Hacemos esto cada vez que nos sentimos con derecho, a la exclusión de otros, de la vida y el amor de Dios.

Cuando vivimos de esta manera, estamos viviendo como la gente de Nazaret. Lo que buscaban su propia manera de hacer las cosas. No querían ver las cosas desde una perspectiva posiblemente diferente. Nuestro Señor desafía a la gente de Nazaret y a nosotros aquí hoy, a no ser confinados por nuestros propios puntos de vista. Permitir que Él guíe nuestras vidas, para que podamos hacer su voluntad. Entonces tendremos la facultad de decir diariamente: “Aquí estoy Señor, para hacer tu voluntad”.


Baptism of the Lord

January 13, 2019

I am sure that almost everyone here, has seen photo albums before. Most parents have photo albums, which are filled with pictures taken of their family, as they grow up. I have several of my own, of my boys as they were growing up. I bet many of us here took many pictures during this past Christmas season and New Year’s.

Photo albums are filled with pictures, that help us to remember events from the past. They also help us to reflect on how proud we are of those we have taken pictures of. For example, we are proud of our children as they grow up. Be not afraid to tell our children that we are proud of them. They may make numerous mistakes in their lives, but sometimes that is how we learn.

The gospel today, tells us that God the father is also proud of his son Jesus. When Jesus was baptized, the gospel tells us that there was a voice from heaven. This voice told the people, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” God was pleased with His son, because he was obedient, to what he asked of him. Thus, he grew in wisdom, stature, and in favor with God. So, that raises an interesting question.

What would God say of us here today, about how we are following his will for us. Do we always do what we are asked to do? I doubt if many of us could answer “yes” to that question. I know that I cannot answer “yes”. For I make many mistakes and do not do all that I can to follow God’s will for me. But Jesus could answer “yes” to that question. For he said “I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” Being obedient and accepting God’s will, “isn’t easy”. Just look at Adam and Eve, who chose to follow their own will. Our Lord also battled with this, for he was tempted in the desert to follow his own will. We are also tempted to follow our own will, instead of our Heavenly Father’s will. Our Lord is trying to show us that obedience to the will of God, is the path to holiness. This path to Holiness, is what our Lord desires for each of us to follow. Even though we struggle trying to control our will, let us not give up, but keep trying.

As we go through life, we come to know that we cannot do this all on our own, but we need his help.

Ask our Lord to help us to believe, live, and say daily “Here I am Lord; I come to do your will.” When we believe and live these words deep in our heart, then the path of holiness starts to unfold before us. For that is the plan of God, that his will be done in each of us, so that God’s plan of salvation, may be accomplished.” It is important that we strive to try to do his will each day. Even though we may fail, we must not give up, but keep trying. It makes a father proud to watch his children grow in maturity, wisdom, and holiness. For any of us to have any chance of accomplishing this, we need to seek our Lord’s help.

First, by praying to know God’s will.

Secondly, by praying for the desire to do His will.

And thirdly, once we know his will, to pray for the strength to do his will.

For what joy there will be in heaven, when we stand before God someday, and we hear him say to us. You are my beloved Son, my beloved daughter, in whom I am well pleased.


Feast of the Epiphany

January 6, 2019

Did you notice that there seems to be three different groups of people found in today’s Gospel reading.

Each group seems to have a unique attitude or behavior. These same three groups of behaviors are also very much present in our own world today.

The first group, are like the wise men.They are the seekers of God’s truth, and they continuously look for it. They are focused on putting a lot of their efforts into their spiritual journey. They look forward to walking with our Lord each and every day. They want to discover our Lord, more and more each day. They encounter him at Mass, in the sacraments, in personal prayer, and in the people, they encounter. They are deeply involved in sharing their faith with others. Especially within families, workplaces, and everywhere else they encounter the people God sends into their lives.

The second group are like the Herods of the world. They claim to have noble intentions, but deep down inside, they are motivated by self-interest and self-gain. They tend to be two-faced. They will say kind things to you when they are with you, but then they will go behind your back, and trash your reputation and encourage division. They often say they are religious, but don’t want to participate in religious activities. They let their feelings and emotions decide what is morally right.

The third group are like the citizens of Bethlehem.  They tend to be very self-focused. For the Messiah was growing up right in their midst, and they failed to even notice or appreciate it. Many of them are like modern-day Christians, who profess a belief in our Lord, yet they tend to act apathetic toward him. They may show up to church one hour each Sunday. Yet for them, Mass is looked upon as something to “check off the list” each week, like getting groceries or paying bills. The other days of the week, they live their lives as if God is not an important priority. They typically know about Jesus, but they do not really know Jesus. For them, sports, money, business, pleasure, or other worldly pursuits are more important, than an encounter with our Lord. They do not listen for the knock of our Lord on the door of their hearts each day. Worldly pursuits are preferred over walking with our Lord through prayer, each and every day.

So, that raises an interesting question. Which of these three groups, do we find ourselves in?

Our grouping is defined by our actions, and not by our desires. Just because we warm a seat in a pew, or a presiders chair on the altar, does not mean we are like the wise men.

Take some time, and ask the Holy Spirit to help us to know which group we are in.

The story we heard in today’s Gospel, is calling all of us, to notice and follow our Lord’s star. His star is like the Holy Spirit leading us to Christ. Our hearts are being drawn to seek our Lord each day. The star is leading us to an encounter with our Lord. Through this encounter, we will find purpose and fulfillment.

For our Lord tells us, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly”.

There are many stars in this world beckoning for our attention, and are seeking us to follow them. Some lead us to a life of loving service to others.  While others lead us to a life of loving service to ourselves.The journey of the wise men, like our own journeys, involve highs and lows, filled with times of insights and doubts.

Through all of our challenges, always remember to keep our eyes on his star. When we encounter our Lord, approach him with humble hearts and with open hands filled with the gifts that we each have. Do not hold too tightly to the gifts we carry, but loosely, so we can share them generously, in the service of our Lord.

Pray for inspiration, and ask our Lord, to send us out each day to be bearers of his love, to all whom we encounter. To help others to come to encounter the merciful love and compassion of our Lord.

Seek him, then follow him.


Feast of the Holy Family

December 30, 2018

Just a few days ago we celebrated the birth of Christ. As we have celebrated our redeemer’s birth, we now celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. A family filled with much joy, but also carrying their share of distress and sorrow.

Most every parent knows the panic that shoots through us, when we notice one of our children are not where they are supposed to be.Perhaps we are at the airport, mall, or in a sports arena and we let go of our little one’s hand just for a second, and we reach for it again, and it’s not there.

I’ve experienced that panic feeling before and I’m sure many of you have as well.If we’re a parent and haven’t experienced that feeling yet don’t worry, we probably will someday. I would not wish those feelings upon anyone.

Can you try to imagine the emptiness in the pit of their stomach has Mary and Joseph first discover that their precious son is missing. Asking everyone if they’ve seen a young boy about so tall, with this color of hair and wearing these kinds of clothes. I can’t imagine the three days of frantic searching.

An interesting side note, to this gospel reading is that this is the only account I found, where Jesus is a boy. He is referenced in other places as a baby and then as a man. We know so little about his years as a youth.

Up till now, Jesus did everything good Jewish boys did. When they find him in the temple, they are very relieved.Yet he responds by saying, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?

This incident was not disobedience on Jesus’ part. It was not to show that Joseph and Mary were irresponsible parents.  This situation seems to show a shift from Jesus obeying his earthly father, to obeying his Heavenly Father.

Our Lord feels the call to do his father’s will, to be near him, and to teach and guide other, as a good shepherd does. He starts on a little different journey at this point.

We should take some time and reflect on our journey with our Lord. Have we left Jesus behind, because of our ambitions and priorities in life? We need to take the time to ensure that our priorities align and match with God’s priorities.

Our world teaches us that we should find our own way. That we don’t need someone telling us what to do. Yet, our Lord tells us that he is the way, and the truth, and the life.

Take some time to ponder, if we are making the correct journey by reflecting on our daily actions. For example, when was the last time we came into church early, to prepare our hearts and minds to meet him. When was the last time we set aside time on our weekends to pray or to spend a little time reading some scripture. What is so important, in our lives that we leave Mass early and don’t want to pray together as a community of faith.

I have a question for the children and young people here.What would you have been doing if you were left alone for three days, like Jesus was?

This is an important thing for us to reflect on. We see that at age 12, Jesus was very responsible. He could have been doing anything he wanted. Yet what did he choose, but to be obedient to his heavenly Father. He chose to pray and to share his understand of God with others.I believe the age of maturity is increasing, instead of decreasing. I think our culture is less mature now at age 12 for example, than it was in the past.

I remember soon as our feet could reach the clutch peddle on the tractor, my brother and I were helping in the fields on the farm. As I was pondering this age of maturity, I came across some great words of wisdom from the previous generations.

It is something we should reflect on as we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. We don’t hear people speaking of these things much now a days. If you’re old enough to do wrong, you’re old enough to do right. If you’re old enough to talk, you’re old enough to pray. If you’re old enough to read, you’re old enough to read the Bible. If you’re old enough to play video games, you’re old enough to keep your room clean and to help around the house

That last one, is one that I thought should be added to the list.

During this Christmas season, let us reflect on our journey of faith. Let us pray that there will be an awakening in our hearts, minds, and lives.

Our Lord invites us to have a personal encounter with him. If we are serious about encountering our Lord, we need to seek him through prayer and daily devotions.

One of the best ways I know of doing this is to join a small prayer group. If there is not one in your neighborhood, then start one.

Our Lord gave us the key, as to how we are to encounter him.He said,“Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Seek him…


Fourth Week of Advent

December 23, 2018

Mary and Elizabeth, the two pregnant women in today’s Advent gospel, recognized in each other, signs from God.  Mary sees the hand of God at work in Elizabeth’s conception in her old age. Elizabeth in her turn, senses in the movement of the child in her womb, on Mary’s arrival, that something extraordinary was happening.

Each of the women, experienced in themselves the possibility of the impossible.

The visitation of Mary to Elizabeth turned out to be a divine visitation. Elizabeth in her old age, gives thanks to God and trusts in his providence. Unlike Sarah, in her old age, who had laughed at the notion that she could conceive and bear a child for Abraham. Mary, for her part, deserved to be acclaimed by Elizabeth for she is praised for being the mother of our Lord and savior.

Mary’s Magnificat celebrates the wonders of God’s graciousness in her life.

As we ponder her Magnificat, we should also reflect on the wonders the Mighty One has done in our lives. Both women had good reason to be very preoccupied with their pregnancies and all that new life brings. But what does Mary do, soon as she becomes aware of Elizabeth’s pregnancy Mary’s quick response and movement, shows clearly that her heart is filled with love and compassion for others.

Already filled with the Holy Spirit, she did not allow anyone or anything to stop her. She reaches out immediately to Elizabeth, to offer her help and also, to be helped by her. They console each another, by sharing their stories, and by giving each other, the gift of themselves. They do this in the midst of the new life that they are both experiencing. Mary’s actions reflect a decision, made deep within her heart, followed by immediate action.

How many things exist in our lives, that we dreamed of doing, that should have been done, but never were. Phone calls and letters that should have been made, dreams that should have been realized, gratitude that was not expressed, love and affection never shown, and words that should have been spoken, but never were.

When we postpone things, they can weigh heavily upon us, wearing us down and discouraging us. Today’s gospel, teaches us a very important lesson. Never delay in showing love and compassion for God and neighbor. It is when our Lord’s spirit is growing inside of us, that we will be led to encounter people, places and situations that we never dreamed of.

When our faith is growing, we will be lead and called to action. We will be bearers of words of consolation and hope, that are not our own. In the very act of consoling others, we will also be consoled and we will be more at peace. If we find that we are not lead and inspired into action, our faith may have become weak, self-center, and stagnant.

The women of today’s Gospel, show us that it is possible to move beyond our own limitations and weaknesses. For many of our limitations and weaknesses are self-imposed. 

In this short time before Christmas, let us reflect on Mary and Elizabeth’s lives.  How they trusted in situations that were beyond their control. Situations that took them far outside of their comfort zones. To truly live what they believed, in times where all they could do was to trust.

Be not afraid, to open our hearts and to trust him who created us from love, for love. To take that love we have received, and share it with those in need. To encourage those that have become discouraged by life with our compassion and kindness. To forgive those who we feel have wronged us, and trust God to be the just judge in all situations. To allow our Lord to fill the loneliness that is in each of our lives with his great love.

Remember also that love takes us places that we are not always use to being. Love works in ways that are sometimes beyond our understanding. Pray and ask for his help and guidance. Allow him to draw us closer to his heart, which beats tirelessly for each one of us.


Third Week of Advent

December 16, 2018

 

. . . Have you ever seen the movie, Miracle on 34th Street? It starts out with little 10-year-old Susie, sitting in a window. She is watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade taking place in the street below her window. To her, it’s just another parade, just like any other day. She does not seem to take seriously that Christmas is coming. She has lost her ability to wonder, and to dream. She has become distracted by this world.

Have our hearts become like little Susie’s?
Are we distracted, have we lost our wonder and anticipation of Christmas?
Do we see this advent season of Christmas, as just another day?. . .

. . . John the Baptist, in his preaching, reminds the Jewish people, and us here today also, that we should continuously be preparing ourselves for the coming of our Lord.
John is showing us that this is what true repentance looks like.
When we repent, we want to start again, we want to change and live our lives differently.
John calls us to share our gifts as a sign of our repentance. . .

. . .I challenge us this advent season, to not be like little Susie, who just sits in her window, watching life pass her by. Step out in faith and trust from our windows, and go out and encounter our Lord, this Advent, among his people.

Share with Him our hearts, and some of the gifts He has given us.

Seek his face in those that are struggling, and who need a friend, and a shoulder to lean on.

Ask Him to fill our hearts with joy and wonder, so we too may prepare our hearts, our families, and our Country, for the coming of the Lord.


Second Week of Advent

December 9, 2018

 

. . . John the Baptist’s message comes to us today as a visual image of human weakness, yet also shows us an image of virtue. He pleads with us to, “prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low.

What grudges and unforgiveness has our self-righteousness and self-centeredness turned into mountains. What sinful habits have we made into deep valleys and festering swamps? How has our pride, greed, and self-centeredness taken us onto crocked, winding, and dangerous paths?   

John is calling us:

To forgive and to not make mountains out of little molehills.

To seek the sacrament of reconciliation to help fill the valleys and drain the swamps of our sinful.

To seek the straight path of love of God and neighbor, so we are less likely to get lost on life’s crocked paths.

Some of us can probably add something for advent. Like more prayer time each day, or maybe trying to be more caring to those that are different. Some of us can also probably remove something for advent. Maybe turning off that TV and other devices, and spending more time with our families and friends.

. . . Take some time this advent season, to absorb into our hearts the words of John. For we are all called to prepare the way, for our Lord to come into our hearts.

Oh Lord, help us, to follow John the Baptist’s example, by helping others who are in need, out of our love for them.  Help us, to count it an honor to love and serve our neighbors.  Help us, to make room joyfully in our hearts for the coming of our savior.


First Week of Advent

December 2, 2018

 

. . . We are to stay awake, to be prepared, to be ready.

We are to prepare anew our hearts to receive our Lord.  We are to be vigilant in not allowing consumerism and materialism to distract us from our journey.  We are also to quiet our hearts and minds so, we can hear the gentle voice of our Lord.  To allow his birth to inspire us to share our love for him with others. . .

. . . our hearts can be like a manger. A place where our Lord can nourish us, and others. But before this can take place, our hearts must first be prepared to receive him. He cannot come into the manger of our hearts, if there is no room. Often our hearts are filled with anger, anxiety, selfishness, prejudice, and un-repented sins. When our hearts are filled with these things, then there is no room for the one we should most desire to be with us.

During this Advent season, our Lord wants us to seek an encounter with him. To prepare our hearts for his coming. To be vigilant, and to not get distracted in our preparation for him. To clean and prepare for him, the manger of our hearts. It will not be easy to accomplish this preparation, for we all get easily distracted. So pray, and seek out our Blessed Mother’s help, for she too prepared a manger for our savior. When our manger is ready, then invite baby Jesus to come and stay within our hearts. For he will fill our hearts with great joy. Then take that joy, and share it with others.


First Sunday of Lent 

I was reading an article the other day, about our Lord’s temptation in the desert.The author raised an interesting perspective, which made me think, when he said:What if Jesus had said, “Ok. Yes, I’ll do it?”What if he had turned just one small stone into a small loaf of bread? He’s hungry, famished. Why not fill the emptiness? Not a feast or even a big loaf. No butter.Just a little something to get him by.What if he had accepted the glory and authority of all the kingdoms of the world? They are rightfully his anyway. Don’t the ends justify the means?Why not free fall into the arms of the angels? After all he is the beloved son.What if Jesus had said, “Ok. Yes, I’ll do it?”Would Jesus have been less beloved?Would he have no longer been God’s Son?Would Jesus have been a failure?

These challenging questions raised by the author of this article sure can sound like idle speculations, but they’re not. Our Lord may not have said, “Ok. Yes, I’ll do it,” but I bet all of us here have said “yes, I’ll do it”.Oh, how often we hunger for triple A .Not the insurance, not the baseball league, but we all hunger for attention, acceptance, and approval.We all I suspect, have found the emptiness, restlessness, boredom, and that sense that our life may seem to have no meaning and may not be going where we want it to.We may not have turned a stone into a piece of bread but we’ve likely filled our emptiness and hunger with something not very nutritious and life-giving. Most of the time we fill this hunger with something other than what we know God would want for us.When we look deep inside ourselves, we discover that we often only want a little something to get us by.A little something to fill the loneliness, and to satisfy the hunger.But over time we come to realize that it doesn’t satisfy.It never does. It only gets us to the next fix.Our Lord’s temptations in the wilderness are not all that different than our temptations.The wilderness is not so much a place, as it is a situation. Many times, like our Lord we are sometimes left alone with our thoughts, concerns and worries.Like, who am I? What is my life about? How will I get through this?Like in Jesus’s time, in the wilderness, there is usually a voice that is quick to offer an answer, an idea, a way.Jesus was tempted just like we are.The difference is that he said no, while we often say yes.In that moment of decision, where we give into temptation are we less beloved of God?Are we somehow less God’s sons and daughters? Are we a failure? What if we ask these questions differently.If we had said, no to temptations, would we be more beloved by God? Would we be more a child of God?Would we have passed the test and we would be a spiritual success? Whether Jesus said yes or no, I feel did not determine his sonship, or how beloved he was.Our temptations, our struggles in the desert, do not determine how well God know us, but it helps us to come to know ourselves. For in struggling with our temptations, we begin to know ourselves. That as Christians, we are filled with and are to be led by the Spirit.

Temptations are not a pass-fail exam, but they help us understand ourselves.For example, if we strive for the virtue of patience,God allow us to come to know how we are doing, by allowing challenges in the area of patience for us to overcome.It is in these challenges, these temptations that we have the opportunity to rise above the challenges and live the virtue.Every temptation we encounter is an opportunity for us to rediscover, affirm, and claim our identity as a beloved child of God.How we respond to temptations, whether with a yes or no, tell us something about ourselves.They offer information about who we believe ourselves to be, and whose we believe we belonging to.Temptations reveal where we place our trust, how we seethe world, and even our way of being towards others.In facing our temptations, we can discover our true hunger and emptiness.We can come to know where our hurts areand see how we act out in our woundedness. We can also discover more about our weaknesses and we can also become more self-aware.With each temptation we are offered the opportunity for a new life and a new way of being as beloved children of God. So, can there is salvation without temptation?Can we obtain a virtue, without a struggle?Can we experience true love, without true freedom?It is in our temptations, where we can sometimes come to know our gifts better.

Oh Lord, help us to discover where our hurts and woundedness lie.For it is in our weaknesses, that we come to know our need for you.Oh Lord, come and awaken the hearts of your children.Draw us on to you oh Lord, and cleans us of all that blinds or spirit.Oh Lord, remove the burden of pride from our hearts.Kindle in our hearts, a desire for you alone.That someday we may hear you say to us, you are my beloved child, in whom I am well pleased.


Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

The gospel reading today is one of the most extraordinary writings.  It seems to totally reverse our human thinking about enemies and forgiveness. It describes for us the way God goes about things, holding nothing against us despite all our failings. This is how our Lord lived, thus showing us by example the right path.

Our Lord shows us the language we need to use to live and reflect the importance of our relationships to one another. We are to interact with our neighbors, mindful of how we ourselves have received the good gifts of mercy and forgiveness from God. When we find ourselves having difficulties with others, it is good for us to pray that we come to know our own faults. We should also pray for others, that they may receive the graces needed to reflect our Lord’s love within their lives.

Our Lord challenges us again by turning our thinking upside down. We are called to Love our enemies, which is so contrary to human nature, but that is what He asks of us. For He asks us now to bring our enemies into our hearts and show mercy to them. When we do this, they no longer are strangers to us. Our Lord also invites us to interact and respond to our world as He did. He calls us to practice living our lives filled with love, kindness, prayer and forgiveness. We are all called to do this, not only where there is something which we approve, but in all circumstances.

Take some time this week and ask our Lord to remove all ways in which we view others, which causes us to distrust, to judge, to condemn or to hold back. Pray for patience to endure any difficult circumstances and pray for courage to be able to confront them the best we can. Our world can be transformed if we take our Lord’s message seriously. Our task is to work with Him and to live each day with a greater love than we had imagined possible.

Let us each spend some time reflecting on how merciful God is to us, even though we are sinful and often ungrateful. Oh Lord, give us a compassionate heart that we may pause before judging and condemning our enemies, so then we can respond with love.

Séptimo Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario

La lectura del evangelio de hoy es uno de los escritos más extraordinarios. Parece revertir totalmente nuestro pensamiento humano sobre los enemigos y el perdón. Nos describe la manera en que Dios hace las cosas, sin tener nada en contra de nosotros a pesar de todos nuestros defectos. Así vivió nuestro Señor, mostrándonos, por ejemplo, el camino correcto.

Nuestro Señor nos muestra el lenguaje que necesitamos usar para vivir y reflejar la importancia de nuestras relaciones entre nosotros. Debemos interactuar con nuestros vecinos, conscientes de cómo nosotros mismos hemos recibido los buenos regalos de misericordia y perdón de Dios. Cuando nos encontramos con dificultades con los demás, es bueno para nosotros orar para que lleguemos a conocer nuestras faltas. También debemos orar por los demás, para que puedan recibir las gracias necesarias para reflejar el amor de nuestro Señor en sus vidas.

Nuestro Señor nos desafía de nuevo dando la vuelta a nuestro pensamiento. Estamos llamados a amar a nuestros enemigos, lo cual es muy contrario a la naturaleza humana, pero eso es lo que Él nos pide. Porque Él nos pide ahora que llevemos a nuestros enemigos a nuestros corazones y les mostremos misericordia. Cuando hacemos esto ya no son extraños para nosotros. Nuestro Señor también nos invita a interactuar y responder a nuestro mundo como lo hizo. Él nos llama a practicar vivir nuestras vidas llenas de amor, amabilidad, oración y perdón. Todos estamos llamados a hacer esto, no sólo cuando hay algo que aprobamos, sino en todas las circunstancias.

Tómese un tiempo esta semana y pídale a nuestro Señor que elimine todas las formas en que vemos a los demás, lo que nos hace desconfiar, juzgar, condenar o frenar. Ore por paciencia para soportar cualquier circunstancia difícil y ore por valentía para poder enfrentarlos lo mejor que podamos. Nuestro mundo puede ser transformado si tomamos en serio el mensaje de nuestro Señor. Nuestra tarea es trabajar con Él y vivir cada día con un amor más grande del que habíamos imaginado.

Cada uno de nosotros dedique un tiempo a reflexionar sobre cuán misericordioso es Dios con nosotros, aunque seamos pecaminosos y, a menudo, ingratos. Oh Señor, danos un corazón compasivo para que podamos hacer una pausa antes de juzgar y condenar a nuestros enemigos, para que podamos responder con amor.


Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

It seems like whenever we are going to buy something, we always check its price to establish its worth. I believe it is important for us to recognize our own true worth. To recognize how valuable, how pecious we are to the LORD. It is important for us to know our worth, our value in God’s eyes. For far too many people base their self-worth on earthly things. For example, we can base our worth on how other people treat us, what they say about us, what accomplishments or achievements we have attained, what type of house we live in, what type of car we drive, or even how much money we have in our bank accounts.

It is so easy to get caught up into thinking that we are only worth what others say we are worth. It is important for us to remember that our value is not based on what we do, what we have or even who we know. We tend to overlook things especially when it comes to what we are worth in the heart of our Heavenly Father.

Our Lord had to face the same challenges we do about our self-worth. Scripture tells us that there were times that even His own family doubted His worth. Members of His own family thought He was crazy. Our Lord had to deal with all those things. Yet, He understood that in His Father’s Eyes He was valuable. He did not need the approval of other people.

Our Lord reached out to those no one else wanted to be around and those that people looked down upon. He reached out to those who were hurting and suffering emotionally, socially, financially and spiritually. He reached out to those who were being marginalized and those who were being shoved to the side. By reaching out, He was showing them that their Heavenly Father believes that they had value, that they were priceless. He shows us that we are worthy of His time, His attention and His healing.

Life will do its best to cast us down and cause us to doubt ourselves. Life will try to convince us that we are for the most part worthless and insignificant. Let us today share the understanding of our worth. Let us come daily in prayer to receive our Lord’s strength and encouragement. For we are all called to share the Good News with all those we meet. For the whole world needs to hear that God loves them, He values them, and so do we as well.

Sexto Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario

Parece que cada vez que vamos a comprar algo, siempre verificamos su precio para establecer su valor. Creo que es importante para nosotros reconocer nuestro verdadero valor. Reconocer cuán valiosos, cuán pecaminosos somos para el SEÑOR. Es importante, para nosotros saber nuestro valor a los ojos de Dios. Porque demasiadas personas basan su autoestima en cosas terrenales. Por ejemplo, podemos basar nuestra valía en cómo nos tratan otras personas, lo que dicen de nosotros, la realización o logros que hemos alcanzado, en qué tipo de casa vivimos, qué tipo de automóvil manejamos o incluso cuánto dinero tener en nuestras cuentas bancarias.

Es tan fácil quedar atrapado en el pensamiento que sólo valemos lo que otros dicen que valemos. Es importante para nosotros recordar que nuestro valor no se basa en lo que hacemos, lo que tenemos o incluso a quién conocemos. Solemos pasar por alto las cosas, especialmente cuando se trata de lo que valemos en el corazón de nuestro Padre Celestial.

Nuestro Señor tuvo que enfrentar los mismos desafíos que nosotros hacemos sobre nuestra autoestima. Las Escrituras nos dicen que hubo momentos en que incluso su propia familia dudó de su valor. Los miembros de su propia familia pensaron que estaba loco. Nuestro Señor tuvo que lidiar con todas esas cosas. Sin embargo, entendió que en los ojos de su padre era valioso. No necesitaba la aprobación de otras personas.

Nuestro Señor se acercó a aquellos que nadie más quería estar cerca y aquellos a quienes la gente menospreciaba. Se acercó a aquellos que sufrían y sufrían emocional, social, financiera y espiritualmente. Se acercó a aquellos que estaban siendo marginados y aquellos que estaban siendo empujados a un lado. Al llegar, Él les estaba mostrando que su Padre Celestial cree que tenían valor, que no tenían precio. Él nos muestra que somos dignos de su tiempo, su atención y su sanación. La vida hará todo lo posible para derribarnos y hacer que dudemos de nosotros mismos.

La vida hará todo lo posible para derribarnos y hacer que dudemos de nosotros mismos. La vida tratará de convencernos de que somos, en su mayor parte, inútiles e insignificantes. Compartamos hoy la comprensión de nuestro valor. Venimos diariamente en oración para recibir la fortaleza y el ánimo de nuestro Señor. Porque todos estamos llamados a compartir la Buena Nueva con todos los que conocemos. Porque todo el mundo necesita escuchar que Dios los ama, Él los valora, y nosotros también.


Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

I know many of us have probably been in situations where things did not go the way we desired. This can be frustrating and can easily cause us to question our efforts and can even cause us to want to give up, to throw in the towel. We see this type of situation also play out with Peter. He fished all night and caught nothing and was tired and probably disheartened. He may have been worried about where his next meal might be coming from, what he did wrong, maybe even doubted his ability as a fisherman. We see in Peter, our own human weaknesses played out. How often we strive to do things totally on our own. We strive to do it the American way, with our own true grit. 

 

Our Lord calls each of us to let go and to leave behind our doubts and fears. He calls us, like Peter, to trust in Him even in situations that seem hopeless. He calls us to let go of human reason, and to allow our Lord to do the impossible. When we turn to our Lord and trust in Him, He will challenge us, so we can grow in love and trust of Him.

He will take us into the deep waters, where we may fear to go, but much good can take place there. We saw Peter go with our Lord into the deep waters and they found a rich harvest. This rich harvest is also among the rocks and thorns, which can be intimidating and not easy for us to get to.

 

With that said, be not afraid to allow the Lord to lead you. Open your heart to Him, and trust in Him. Allow Him to stretch you out of your self-made comfort zones. We may not always understand everything, but that is ok, for that is where faith and trust intersect.  When we allow our Lord to take us out into the deep waters, our faith can be strengthened, for we need to rely even more on Him. When fear creeps in, just reflect on Peter, for he was not in the deep waters alone, for our Lord accompanied him along the whole journey.

 

Quinto Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario

Sé que muchos de nosotros probablemente hemos estado en situaciones en las que las cosas no fueron como las deseábamos. Esto puede ser frustrante y puede hacernos cuestionar fácilmente nuestros esfuerzos e incluso puede hacer que deseamos rendirnos, tirar la toalla. Vemos que este tipo de situación también le sucede a Pedro. El pescó toda la noche y no atrapó nada, estaba cansado y probablemente desanimado. Puede haber estado preocupado por saber de dónde vendría su próxima comida, qué hizo mal, tal vez incluso dudó de su habilidad como pescador. Vemos en Pedro, que se cumplieron nuestras propias debilidades humanas. Con qué frecuencia nos esforzamos por hacer las cosas totalmente por nuestra cuenta. Nos esforzamos por hacerlo a la manera nuestra.

Nuestro Señor nos llama a cada uno a dejarnos ir y dejar atrás nuestras dudas y temores. Él nos llama, como Pedro, a confiar en Él incluso en situaciones que parecen desesperadas. Él nos llama a dejar de lado la razón humana y a permitir que nuestro Señor haga lo imposible. Cuando nos dirigimos a nuestro Señor y confiamos en Él, Él nos desafiará, para que podamos crecer en amor y confianza en Él. Él nos llevará a las aguas profundas, donde podemos tener miedo de ir, pero mucho bien puede ocurrir allí. Observamos a Pedro ir con nuestro Señor a las profundas aguas y encontraron una rica cosecha. Esta rica cosecha también se encuentra entre las rocas y las espinas, lo que puede ser intimidante y no ser fácil para nosotros.

Dicho esto, no tengas miedo de permitir que el Señor te guíe. Abre tu corazón a Él, y confía en Él. Permítale que lo extienda fuera de sus zonas de comodidad creadas por ti. Puede que no siempre entendamos todo, pero eso está bien, porque ahí es donde se cruzan la fe y la confianza. Cuando permitimos que nuestro Señor nos lleve a las aguas profundas, nuestra fe puede fortalecerse, ya que necesitamos confiar aún más en Él. Cuando el miedo nos invade, sólo reflexiona en Pedro, porque no estaba sólo en las profundas aguas, porque nuestro Señor lo acompañó a lo largo de todo el viaje. 


Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Parochial Vicar Reflections

The people of Nazareth had an agenda. Their agenda influenced how they interacted with people, and how they viewed a situation. We too have different agendas within our lives. Some of them are spoken, while others are unspoken. For example, “What are your plans for today?” We can ask because we truly care and want to know. There are other times we ask, because we already have our own plans, our own agenda, and we are just trying to figure out when and how we can accomplish our own agenda.

When our agendas have a common theme, amazing things can happen. Our relationships can deepen, our love can flourish, our faith can grow deeper, and many other good and productive things can happen. Yet, how often we tend to think first of our own needs, before others. There are times that we view ourselves above others before God. We do this anytime we see our group as more deserving than another of God’s goodness and grace. We do this anytime we feel entitled, to the exclusion of others, of God’s life and love.

When we live this way, we are living like the people of Nazareth. The ones who sought their own way of doing things. They did not want to see things from a possibly different perspective. Our Lord challenges the people of Nazareth and us here today, to not be confined by our own views. To allow Him to guide our lives, so we will be able to do His will. We will then be empowered to say daily, “Here I am Lord, I come to do your will”.

Cuarto Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario

Reflexiones del Vicario Parroquial

La gente de Nazaret tenía una agenda. Su agenda influyó en cómo interactuaban con las personas y cómo veían una situación. Nosotros también tenemos diferentes agendas dentro de nuestras vidas. Algunos de ellos se hablan, mientras que otros no se hablan. Por ejemplo, “¿Cuáles son sus planes para hoy?” Podemos preguntar porque realmente nos importa y queremos saber. Otras veces preguntamos, porque ya tenemos nuestros propios planes, nuestra propia agenda y sólo estamos tratando de averiguar cuándo y cómo podemos lograr nuestra propia agenda.

Cuando nuestras agendas tienen un tema común, pueden suceder cosas asombrosas. Nuestras relaciones pueden profundizarse, nuestro amor puede florecer, nuestra fe puede profundizarse y muchas otras cosas buenas y productivas pueden suceder. Sin embargo, con qué frecuencia tendemos a pensar primero en nuestras propias necesidades, antes que en otras. Hay veces en que nos vemos por encima de los demás ante Dios. Hacemos esto cada vez que vemos a nuestro grupo como más merecedor que otro de la bondad y la gracia de Dios. Hacemos esto cada vez que nos sentimos con derecho, a la exclusión de otros, de la vida y el amor de Dios.

Cuando vivimos de esta manera, estamos viviendo como la gente de Nazaret. Lo que buscaban su propia manera de hacer las cosas. No querían ver las cosas desde una perspectiva posiblemente diferente. Nuestro Señor desafía a la gente de Nazaret y a nosotros aquí hoy, a no ser confinados por nuestros propios puntos de vista. Permitir que Él guíe nuestras vidas, para que podamos hacer su voluntad. Entonces tendremos la facultad de decir diariamente: “Aquí estoy Señor, para hacer tu voluntad”.


Baptism of the Lord

January 13, 2019

I am sure that almost everyone here, has seen photo albums before. Most parents have photo albums, which are filled with pictures taken of their family, as they grow up. I have several of my own, of my boys as they were growing up. I bet many of us here took many pictures during this past Christmas season and New Year’s.

Photo albums are filled with pictures, that help us to remember events from the past. They also help us to reflect on how proud we are of those we have taken pictures of. For example, we are proud of our children as they grow up. Be not afraid to tell our children that we are proud of them. They may make numerous mistakes in their lives, but sometimes that is how we learn.

The gospel today, tells us that God the father is also proud of his son Jesus. When Jesus was baptized, the gospel tells us that there was a voice from heaven. This voice told the people, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” God was pleased with His son, because he was obedient, to what he asked of him. Thus, he grew in wisdom, stature, and in favor with God. So, that raises an interesting question.

What would God say of us here today, about how we are following his will for us. Do we always do what we are asked to do? I doubt if many of us could answer “yes” to that question. I know that I cannot answer “yes”. For I make many mistakes and do not do all that I can to follow God’s will for me. But Jesus could answer “yes” to that question. For he said “I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” Being obedient and accepting God’s will, “isn’t easy”. Just look at Adam and Eve, who chose to follow their own will. Our Lord also battled with this, for he was tempted in the desert to follow his own will. We are also tempted to follow our own will, instead of our Heavenly Father’s will. Our Lord is trying to show us that obedience to the will of God, is the path to holiness. This path to Holiness, is what our Lord desires for each of us to follow. Even though we struggle trying to control our will, let us not give up, but keep trying.

As we go through life, we come to know that we cannot do this all on our own, but we need his help.

Ask our Lord to help us to believe, live, and say daily “Here I am Lord; I come to do your will.” When we believe and live these words deep in our heart, then the path of holiness starts to unfold before us. For that is the plan of God, that his will be done in each of us, so that God’s plan of salvation, may be accomplished.” It is important that we strive to try to do his will each day. Even though we may fail, we must not give up, but keep trying. It makes a father proud to watch his children grow in maturity, wisdom, and holiness. For any of us to have any chance of accomplishing this, we need to seek our Lord’s help.

First, by praying to know God’s will.

Secondly, by praying for the desire to do His will.

And thirdly, once we know his will, to pray for the strength to do his will.

For what joy there will be in heaven, when we stand before God someday, and we hear him say to us. You are my beloved Son, my beloved daughter, in whom I am well pleased.


Feast of the Epiphany

January 6, 2019

Did you notice that there seems to be three different groups of people found in today’s Gospel reading.

Each group seems to have a unique attitude or behavior. These same three groups of behaviors are also very much present in our own world today.

The first group, are like the wise men.They are the seekers of God’s truth, and they continuously look for it. They are focused on putting a lot of their efforts into their spiritual journey. They look forward to walking with our Lord each and every day. They want to discover our Lord, more and more each day. They encounter him at Mass, in the sacraments, in personal prayer, and in the people, they encounter. They are deeply involved in sharing their faith with others. Especially within families, workplaces, and everywhere else they encounter the people God sends into their lives.

The second group are like the Herods of the world. They claim to have noble intentions, but deep down inside, they are motivated by self-interest and self-gain. They tend to be two-faced. They will say kind things to you when they are with you, but then they will go behind your back, and trash your reputation and encourage division. They often say they are religious, but don’t want to participate in religious activities. They let their feelings and emotions decide what is morally right.

The third group are like the citizens of Bethlehem.  They tend to be very self-focused. For the Messiah was growing up right in their midst, and they failed to even notice or appreciate it. Many of them are like modern-day Christians, who profess a belief in our Lord, yet they tend to act apathetic toward him. They may show up to church one hour each Sunday. Yet for them, Mass is looked upon as something to “check off the list” each week, like getting groceries or paying bills. The other days of the week, they live their lives as if God is not an important priority. They typically know about Jesus, but they do not really know Jesus. For them, sports, money, business, pleasure, or other worldly pursuits are more important, than an encounter with our Lord. They do not listen for the knock of our Lord on the door of their hearts each day. Worldly pursuits are preferred over walking with our Lord through prayer, each and every day.

So, that raises an interesting question. Which of these three groups, do we find ourselves in?

Our grouping is defined by our actions, and not by our desires. Just because we warm a seat in a pew, or a presiders chair on the altar, does not mean we are like the wise men.

Take some time, and ask the Holy Spirit to help us to know which group we are in.

The story we heard in today’s Gospel, is calling all of us, to notice and follow our Lord’s star. His star is like the Holy Spirit leading us to Christ. Our hearts are being drawn to seek our Lord each day. The star is leading us to an encounter with our Lord. Through this encounter, we will find purpose and fulfillment.

For our Lord tells us, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly”.

There are many stars in this world beckoning for our attention, and are seeking us to follow them. Some lead us to a life of loving service to others.  While others lead us to a life of loving service to ourselves.The journey of the wise men, like our own journeys, involve highs and lows, filled with times of insights and doubts.

Through all of our challenges, always remember to keep our eyes on his star. When we encounter our Lord, approach him with humble hearts and with open hands filled with the gifts that we each have. Do not hold too tightly to the gifts we carry, but loosely, so we can share them generously, in the service of our Lord.

Pray for inspiration, and ask our Lord, to send us out each day to be bearers of his love, to all whom we encounter. To help others to come to encounter the merciful love and compassion of our Lord.

Seek him, then follow him.


Feast of the Holy Family

December 30, 2018

Just a few days ago we celebrated the birth of Christ. As we have celebrated our redeemer’s birth, we now celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. A family filled with much joy, but also carrying their share of distress and sorrow.

Most every parent knows the panic that shoots through us, when we notice one of our children are not where they are supposed to be.Perhaps we are at the airport, mall, or in a sports arena and we let go of our little one’s hand just for a second, and we reach for it again, and it’s not there.

I’ve experienced that panic feeling before and I’m sure many of you have as well.If we’re a parent and haven’t experienced that feeling yet don’t worry, we probably will someday. I would not wish those feelings upon anyone.

Can you try to imagine the emptiness in the pit of their stomach has Mary and Joseph first discover that their precious son is missing. Asking everyone if they’ve seen a young boy about so tall, with this color of hair and wearing these kinds of clothes. I can’t imagine the three days of frantic searching.

An interesting side note, to this gospel reading is that this is the only account I found, where Jesus is a boy. He is referenced in other places as a baby and then as a man. We know so little about his years as a youth.

Up till now, Jesus did everything good Jewish boys did. When they find him in the temple, they are very relieved.Yet he responds by saying, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?

This incident was not disobedience on Jesus’ part. It was not to show that Joseph and Mary were irresponsible parents.  This situation seems to show a shift from Jesus obeying his earthly father, to obeying his Heavenly Father.

Our Lord feels the call to do his father’s will, to be near him, and to teach and guide other, as a good shepherd does. He starts on a little different journey at this point.

We should take some time and reflect on our journey with our Lord. Have we left Jesus behind, because of our ambitions and priorities in life? We need to take the time to ensure that our priorities align and match with God’s priorities.

Our world teaches us that we should find our own way. That we don’t need someone telling us what to do. Yet, our Lord tells us that he is the way, and the truth, and the life.

Take some time to ponder, if we are making the correct journey by reflecting on our daily actions. For example, when was the last time we came into church early, to prepare our hearts and minds to meet him. When was the last time we set aside time on our weekends to pray or to spend a little time reading some scripture. What is so important, in our lives that we leave Mass early and don’t want to pray together as a community of faith.

I have a question for the children and young people here.What would you have been doing if you were left alone for three days, like Jesus was?

This is an important thing for us to reflect on. We see that at age 12, Jesus was very responsible. He could have been doing anything he wanted. Yet what did he choose, but to be obedient to his heavenly Father. He chose to pray and to share his understand of God with others.I believe the age of maturity is increasing, instead of decreasing. I think our culture is less mature now at age 12 for example, than it was in the past.

I remember soon as our feet could reach the clutch peddle on the tractor, my brother and I were helping in the fields on the farm. As I was pondering this age of maturity, I came across some great words of wisdom from the previous generations.

It is something we should reflect on as we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. We don’t hear people speaking of these things much now a days. If you’re old enough to do wrong, you’re old enough to do right. If you’re old enough to talk, you’re old enough to pray. If you’re old enough to read, you’re old enough to read the Bible. If you’re old enough to play video games, you’re old enough to keep your room clean and to help around the house

That last one, is one that I thought should be added to the list.

During this Christmas season, let us reflect on our journey of faith. Let us pray that there will be an awakening in our hearts, minds, and lives.

Our Lord invites us to have a personal encounter with him. If we are serious about encountering our Lord, we need to seek him through prayer and daily devotions.

One of the best ways I know of doing this is to join a small prayer group. If there is not one in your neighborhood, then start one.

Our Lord gave us the key, as to how we are to encounter him.He said,“Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Seek him…


Fourth Week of Advent

December 23, 2018

Mary and Elizabeth, the two pregnant women in today’s Advent gospel, recognized in each other, signs from God.  Mary sees the hand of God at work in Elizabeth’s conception in her old age. Elizabeth in her turn, senses in the movement of the child in her womb, on Mary’s arrival, that something extraordinary was happening.

Each of the women, experienced in themselves the possibility of the impossible.

The visitation of Mary to Elizabeth turned out to be a divine visitation. Elizabeth in her old age, gives thanks to God and trusts in his providence. Unlike Sarah, in her old age, who had laughed at the notion that she could conceive and bear a child for Abraham. Mary, for her part, deserved to be acclaimed by Elizabeth for she is praised for being the mother of our Lord and savior.

Mary’s Magnificat celebrates the wonders of God’s graciousness in her life.

As we ponder her Magnificat, we should also reflect on the wonders the Mighty One has done in our lives. Both women had good reason to be very preoccupied with their pregnancies and all that new life brings. But what does Mary do, soon as she becomes aware of Elizabeth’s pregnancy Mary’s quick response and movement, shows clearly that her heart is filled with love and compassion for others.

Already filled with the Holy Spirit, she did not allow anyone or anything to stop her. She reaches out immediately to Elizabeth, to offer her help and also, to be helped by her. They console each another, by sharing their stories, and by giving each other, the gift of themselves. They do this in the midst of the new life that they are both experiencing. Mary’s actions reflect a decision, made deep within her heart, followed by immediate action.

How many things exist in our lives, that we dreamed of doing, that should have been done, but never were. Phone calls and letters that should have been made, dreams that should have been realized, gratitude that was not expressed, love and affection never shown, and words that should have been spoken, but never were.

When we postpone things, they can weigh heavily upon us, wearing us down and discouraging us. Today’s gospel, teaches us a very important lesson. Never delay in showing love and compassion for God and neighbor. It is when our Lord’s spirit is growing inside of us, that we will be led to encounter people, places and situations that we never dreamed of.

When our faith is growing, we will be lead and called to action. We will be bearers of words of consolation and hope, that are not our own. In the very act of consoling others, we will also be consoled and we will be more at peace. If we find that we are not lead and inspired into action, our faith may have become weak, self-center, and stagnant.

The women of today’s Gospel, show us that it is possible to move beyond our own limitations and weaknesses. For many of our limitations and weaknesses are self-imposed. 

In this short time before Christmas, let us reflect on Mary and Elizabeth’s lives.  How they trusted in situations that were beyond their control. Situations that took them far outside of their comfort zones. To truly live what they believed, in times where all they could do was to trust.

Be not afraid, to open our hearts and to trust him who created us from love, for love. To take that love we have received, and share it with those in need. To encourage those that have become discouraged by life with our compassion and kindness. To forgive those who we feel have wronged us, and trust God to be the just judge in all situations. To allow our Lord to fill the loneliness that is in each of our lives with his great love.

Remember also that love takes us places that we are not always use to being. Love works in ways that are sometimes beyond our understanding. Pray and ask for his help and guidance. Allow him to draw us closer to his heart, which beats tirelessly for each one of us.


Third Week of Advent

December 16, 2018

 

. . . Have you ever seen the movie, Miracle on 34th Street? It starts out with little 10-year-old Susie, sitting in a window. She is watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade taking place in the street below her window. To her, it’s just another parade, just like any other day. She does not seem to take seriously that Christmas is coming. She has lost her ability to wonder, and to dream. She has become distracted by this world.

Have our hearts become like little Susie’s?
Are we distracted, have we lost our wonder and anticipation of Christmas?
Do we see this advent season of Christmas, as just another day?. . .

. . . John the Baptist, in his preaching, reminds the Jewish people, and us here today also, that we should continuously be preparing ourselves for the coming of our Lord.
John is showing us that this is what true repentance looks like.
When we repent, we want to start again, we want to change and live our lives differently.
John calls us to share our gifts as a sign of our repentance. . .

. . .I challenge us this advent season, to not be like little Susie, who just sits in her window, watching life pass her by. Step out in faith and trust from our windows, and go out and encounter our Lord, this Advent, among his people.

Share with Him our hearts, and some of the gifts He has given us.

Seek his face in those that are struggling, and who need a friend, and a shoulder to lean on.

Ask Him to fill our hearts with joy and wonder, so we too may prepare our hearts, our families, and our Country, for the coming of the Lord.


Second Week of Advent

December 9, 2018

 

. . . John the Baptist’s message comes to us today as a visual image of human weakness, yet also shows us an image of virtue. He pleads with us to, “prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low.

What grudges and unforgiveness has our self-righteousness and self-centeredness turned into mountains. What sinful habits have we made into deep valleys and festering swamps? How has our pride, greed, and self-centeredness taken us onto crocked, winding, and dangerous paths?   

John is calling us:

To forgive and to not make mountains out of little molehills.

To seek the sacrament of reconciliation to help fill the valleys and drain the swamps of our sinful.

To seek the straight path of love of God and neighbor, so we are less likely to get lost on life’s crocked paths.

Some of us can probably add something for advent. Like more prayer time each day, or maybe trying to be more caring to those that are different. Some of us can also probably remove something for advent. Maybe turning off that TV and other devices, and spending more time with our families and friends.

. . . Take some time this advent season, to absorb into our hearts the words of John. For we are all called to prepare the way, for our Lord to come into our hearts.

Oh Lord, help us, to follow John the Baptist’s example, by helping others who are in need, out of our love for them.  Help us, to count it an honor to love and serve our neighbors.  Help us, to make room joyfully in our hearts for the coming of our savior.


First Week of Advent

December 2, 2018

 

. . . We are to stay awake, to be prepared, to be ready.

We are to prepare anew our hearts to receive our Lord.  We are to be vigilant in not allowing consumerism and materialism to distract us from our journey.  We are also to quiet our hearts and minds so, we can hear the gentle voice of our Lord.  To allow his birth to inspire us to share our love for him with others. . .

. . . our hearts can be like a manger. A place where our Lord can nourish us, and others. But before this can take place, our hearts must first be prepared to receive him. He cannot come into the manger of our hearts, if there is no room. Often our hearts are filled with anger, anxiety, selfishness, prejudice, and un-repented sins. When our hearts are filled with these things, then there is no room for the one we should most desire to be with us.

During this Advent season, our Lord wants us to seek an encounter with him. To prepare our hearts for his coming. To be vigilant, and to not get distracted in our preparation for him. To clean and prepare for him, the manger of our hearts. It will not be easy to accomplish this preparation, for we all get easily distracted. So pray, and seek out our Blessed Mother’s help, for she too prepared a manger for our savior. When our manger is ready, then invite baby Jesus to come and stay within our hearts. For he will fill our hearts with great joy. Then take that joy, and share it with others.