tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52108660140583682072024-03-17T17:16:11.790-04:00A Franciscan Journey<a href="https://tinyurl.com/frkevinsbooks">You may order Fr. Kevin's books here.</a>Fr. Kevin Mackinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01901589247720693398noreply@blogger.comBlogger486125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210866014058368207.post-11394787866836687412024-03-17T17:01:00.004-04:002024-03-17T17:15:40.412-04:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmKvlD_AzVdlRgV0GW3dmzmlw0kqp-vqM7j5wRcUINf8Fw4eK8u-vkboIyQhxE1cxCq6D0MCPi9WglRPa14lklNE9OlzDcNxRzQky3RM92U0YDpNRxOm5oiJa2NImK2spSxoGyf9Yp6JMHI2mF_oOlDf7vOUHZO-2kFvcta-mS8Hd_6ySocEfIOq6pXp_/s1000/Dali.jpeg" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmKvlD_AzVdlRgV0GW3dmzmlw0kqp-vqM7j5wRcUINf8Fw4eK8u-vkboIyQhxE1cxCq6D0MCPi9WglRPa14lklNE9OlzDcNxRzQky3RM92U0YDpNRxOm5oiJa2NImK2spSxoGyf9Yp6JMHI2mF_oOlDf7vOUHZO-2kFvcta-mS8Hd_6ySocEfIOq6pXp_/s320/Dali.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> Happy St. Patrick’s Day. <p></p><p>You may have heard the story of the Irish pastor by the name of Fr. Murphy. Everyone loved Fr. Murphy: he baptized all the children, officiated at their marriages, visited them in the hospitals, and buried their loved ones. He was a wonderful human being. But he was a terrible preacher. Forgetful. Rambling. And repetitive. Finally some parishioners went to the bishop. Bishop invited Murph to the chancery to give him a few pointers on “what makes a good homily.” You have to grab the congregation’s attention. For example, let me tell you what I did last weekend at a parish: I announced: I’m in love with a woman. Hush in congregation. In fact, I’ve been in love with her for 40 years. Another hush. That woman is the Blessed Virgin Mary.</p><p>And on the following Sunday, Murphy went into the pulpit and announced: the bishop is in love with a woman. Shock waves. For 40 years. More shock waves. But for the life of me, I can’t remember her name. So much for Irish humor.</p><p>This Fifth Sunday of Lent, the word of God takes us back in our imaginations to the 6th century before Jesus. </p><p>The 6th century was a catastrophe for the Hebrews. Yet, Jeremiah dreams of a new covenant with God, a new friendship summed up in that magnificent phrase, “You are my people and I am your God.”</p><p>This covenant will be written in people's hearts. Yes, God will grace them to keep their promises. Jeremiah challenges us to be faithful to our calling in life, to ask each day for the grace to live well as sons and daughters of God.</p><p>The letter to the Hebrews describes the saving work of Jesus Christ, who through his dying and rising has rescued us from death, from nothingness, and opened up to us new life beyond this earthly life. </p><p>Yes: Jesus, already transfigured into a new heavenly reality, anticipates our own future when God will transfigure us as well.</p><p>The author challenges us to remember our ultimate purpose: salvation -- eternal life with God.</p><p>In the Gospel, Jesus is in Jerusalem for the Passover meal which celebrates the exodus: the deliverance of the ancient Hebrews from their oppressors. Now Gentiles, non-Jews, were seeking Jesus. </p><p>For the author, to see Jesus is to believe in him. Yes, the hour has come. Only by his dying and rising will we have eternal life.</p><p>That is the point of the parable about the grain of wheat. Only if Jesus is lifted up on a cross, buried in a tomb, to burst forth gloriously on Easter in a new spiritual embodiment, will the risen Christ draw all men and women into a new heavenly reality.</p><p>Yes, Jesus is indeed our salvation. Whether powerful or powerless, rich or poor, brilliant or simple, born here or elsewhere, the purpose of life for all of us is to be in relationship with God: to seek and find friendship with God forever.</p><p>The Catholic answer to the question, why are we here? acknowledges the brevity and fragility of human life. </p><p>Playwright Tennessee Williams, known for “A Streetcar Named Desire” observed: "Life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quick you hardly catch it going...." Think about it.</p><p>The Catholic answer urges us to seek the grace to become the best version of ourselves. It acknowledges our freedom to choose good over evil, right over wrong, and vice versa, sadly! Each of us is responsible for the way we choose to live.</p><p>There is a tendency within ourselves to sometimes choose wrong. The Catholic tradition calls this “original sin.” </p><p>Yet human beings cry out for healing, redemption, salvation. Some look for answers in things, in other persons, in the many “isms.”</p><p>But the Catholic tradition looks to a power beyond ourselves, to a God who is not indifferent to our brokenness. An all-good God who created us and loves us.</p><p>Yes, God became flesh in Jesus and is alive by the power of the Spirit and is in our midst today—alive within us by virtue of baptism; alive in the Scriptures and alive in the signs of bread and wine upon the altar. We possess in our fragile selves the gift of God’s triune life, God’s grace.</p><p>Yes, we are born to be in that awesome relationship with God. Yet, we must struggle against dark forces within ourselves that threaten to derail us on our journey toward our heavenly dwelling place.</p><p>Salvation ultimately means God abiding in us and we in God.</p><p>Our faith proclaims that God’s life leaps out of death; beyond the agony of our Good Friday is the ecstasy of Easter.</p><p>And so I pray that hearing the word of God today, we will recharge ourselves to seek God first, to live a God-centered, other-centered, life. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>afranciscanjourney.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01732130412891070866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210866014058368207.post-85008083166161232902024-03-10T16:10:00.005-04:002024-03-10T16:24:05.143-04:00Fourth Sunday of Lent<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ilyO1RhyCKAuaVQcOW7ro0RRJEk0jHMN_IRsPi3rKiQffcAec8yTg92IlbMnyuIZt5E9nyxMA2z-5B3FJJ4oyekHzgf6IRapzKA6qc6UZAAiEigoXDFMjMhUgNTLJC-G6sZyFpOS4RpxM_5W-aJvazjMASna0LfIu7FB9aXwIbKGMP2NT_YcUj51kQRN/s2560/The-Light-of-the-World.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1223" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ilyO1RhyCKAuaVQcOW7ro0RRJEk0jHMN_IRsPi3rKiQffcAec8yTg92IlbMnyuIZt5E9nyxMA2z-5B3FJJ4oyekHzgf6IRapzKA6qc6UZAAiEigoXDFMjMhUgNTLJC-G6sZyFpOS4RpxM_5W-aJvazjMASna0LfIu7FB9aXwIbKGMP2NT_YcUj51kQRN/s320/The-Light-of-the-World.jpg" width="153" /></a></div><br /> Welcome to Daylight Savings time<p></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;">This Sunday is known as Laetare Sunday. Laetare is a Latin word </span>meaning “rejoice.” Why rejoice? We are close to celebrating the Easter mystery. Jesus Christ is gloriously alive. And because He lives, we live.</p><p>Today's word of God challenges us to look beyond appearances, and with the gift of faith, discover three realities:</p><p>Jesus as the light who illumines the purpose of life;</p><p>ourselves as a light to others in our attitudes and behaviors; and</p><p>our fellow human beings as bearers of the light or presence of God. No matter how hidden that presence may be, "seek and you shall find."</p><p>The word of God takes us back over 3,000 years. King Saul made a mess of things. God inspired Samuel to look for another king. At first, David is overlooked. He’s the youngest in a family of eight brothers, an unlikely choice. </p><p>Think of how unlikely some leaders in our country have appeared to many people. George Washington looked downright unfriendly with his false teeth. Someone compared Lincoln's face to a trowel. FDR was wheel-chair bound. Yet, they accomplished much. </p><p>The unlikely David became king of ancient Israel. God saw in David his potential to accomplish great things. Today’s word challenges us to look beyond appearances in people and try to bring out their best qualities by affirming them.</p><p>Paul in his letter to the Christian community in Ephesus, Turkey, reflects upon light and darkness. Light can transform a cold night into a warm day. Light enables us to study, to discover, to behold the wonders of God’s universe. In short, light warms, nurtures, sustains, reveals and cheers. Paul urges us to live in light, pleasing God in our attitudes and behaviors.</p><p>Saint John Henry Newman captured Jesus as light in a wonderful poem which became a hymn:</p><p>"Lead, Kindly Light, amidst th'encircling gloom,</p><p>Lead Thou me on!</p><p>The night is dark, and I am far from home,</p><p>Lead Thou me on! ….</p><p>Often, people are in darkness about their purpose, and forget that Jesus illumines our path into eternal life. We too are called to be light, to let our life shine forth with virtues such as honesty, integrity, responsibility, courage.</p><p>In the Gospel, Jesus cures a blind man: He opens the eyes of this man so that he can see reality. But notice how blind some of the characters in this story were. Blinded by protocol – how dare Jesus heal on the Sabbath! They were blind to the power of God in Jesus. The parents too were blind in their fears. </p><p>The Gospel author challenges us to see Jesus, through the lens of faith, as the light who illumines the purpose of life. </p><p>I think of a twentieth century monk, Thomas Merton, who let the light of God illumine his life, who became a light to others in his attitudes and behaviors and who saw in his fellow human beings and all creation the light or presence of God.</p><p>Merton's chance encounter with a classic philosophical book about the Christian understanding of God changed his life. He went with a friend, Robert Lax, to St. Bonaventure University, a Franciscan sponsored school in upstate New York, where he became an instructor of English. He eventually applied to join the Franciscan friars but was rejected. A friend advised Merton about the Trappists. Off he went to the abbey in Kentucky where he was based for the rest of his life. </p><p>The abbey's mantra was ora et labora (pray and work). Merton wrote dozens of books, poems and articles, and corresponded with religious thinkers and cultural icons, political movers and shakers and people of different faiths or no faith. All of us, he argued, are children of God. Faithful to his Catholic tradition, Merton was always open to the truth in other faiths. </p><p>Merton strove to live a life of prayer, of intimacy with God: chanting the psalms, celebrating the Eucharist, and doing such practices as the stations of the cross and the rosary. Above all, he sought solitude and contemplation: that center within where he could feel God's love sustaining him. Buddhist techniques, for example, helped him find that inner stillness.</p><p>In his work Seeds of Contemplation, Merton noted that noise, more than anything else, blocks out the voice of God within us. Merton asked for the grace to clear his mind of earthly “concerns” so that in solitude he could move beyond thoughts and words into a felt awareness of the presence of God within himself. There he would sit still and listen to God's voice.</p><p>Yes, he sought to find his true self in God: God abiding in him and he abiding in God. Moreover, Merton sensed the oneness of God all about him, in all creatures and all creation: all were holy. The light of God in all creatures simply had to be made visible.</p><p>Our Lenten task, Merton might say, is to let the light of God become manifest within ourselves so that others can see beyond appearances the light of God in our attitudes and behaviors. Amen!</p><p><br /></p><div><br /></div>afranciscanjourney.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01732130412891070866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210866014058368207.post-81212594054150857852024-03-04T09:25:00.001-05:002024-03-10T16:22:39.308-04:00Third Sunday of Lent<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAPpciKk94DXN0OkzMPQ8JxUQwVJEx_OQ2II9JNLWBoiwuhmgMLHnW9_GJK97QsvZj3eINa4CckFZHuz15QBAx4tt9nfUHkg60qsVbeM2b3cMiX2ds7flqCHKuzua1RFtM56B3FBUa5MnbGc0fQG52tuXDevsYYTCvrSMBXvXyf8z6EhyNqz_CcSc2etfo/s204/Woman%20at%20well.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="204" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAPpciKk94DXN0OkzMPQ8JxUQwVJEx_OQ2II9JNLWBoiwuhmgMLHnW9_GJK97QsvZj3eINa4CckFZHuz15QBAx4tt9nfUHkg60qsVbeM2b3cMiX2ds7flqCHKuzua1RFtM56B3FBUa5MnbGc0fQG52tuXDevsYYTCvrSMBXvXyf8z6EhyNqz_CcSc2etfo/s1600/Woman%20at%20well.jpg" width="204" /></a></div><br /> You may have heard about the man who went to his doctor with concerns about his health and appearance. “I feel terrible,” the patient said. “When I look in the mirror, I see a balding head, sagging jowls, a pot belly, crooked teeth, bloodshot eyes…I'm a mess! I desperately need good news to boost my self-image.” The physician responded, “Well, the good news is you have perfect eyesight.” <p></p><p> We are in the middle of the Lenten season: a six-week journey from ashes to the bright mystery of Easter. Each Sunday in Lent the readings reflect on life, as in a prism. </p><p>The first Sunday, a hungry Jesus tells the tempter what truly nourishes life, eternal life: not bread alone but every word from God. Then last Sunday, the Transfiguration, the disciples saw the unique and awesome presence of God in the earthly Jesus. They saw the future of Jesus and their own future. Yes, God will transfigure us into the likeness of the transfigured Jesus. </p><p>Today Jesus is life-giving water for the woman at the well. Through the waters of Baptism, God is already transforming us into new creatures, God-like creatures.</p><p>The word of God first carries us back to the exodus: the deliverance and freedom of the Hebrews from their oppressors in ancient Egypt. Here they are wandering and complaining in the wilderness! Where is God, they wonder. Moses cries out to God, and God demonstrates his presence. Water flows from a rock and quenches their thirst. </p><p>The life-giving waters from the rock allude to our Baptism and the promises made to God. Now Baptism is a rite of initiation into a global faith community of disciples of Jesus. Water can be threatening (think, e.g., of a hurricane) or life-giving (imagine you’re in a desert). The waters of Baptism symbolize a dying to a self-centered life and rising to an other-centered, God-centered life.Yes, the author may be asking whether we are living a God-centered life.</p><p>Paul in his letter to the Christian community at Rome speaks about the saving work of Jesus Christ. Through his horrendous death and glorious resurrection, we have friendship with God whose love and life is poured out upon us and into us in Baptism so that we can begin to reflect the presence and glory of God in our lives. Paul may be asking whether our attitudes and behaviors do precisely that.</p><p>In the Gospel, Jesus asks for water from a person of questionable character (five husbands) and from a despised people (the Samaritans), only to engage her in a conversation about thirst. Jesus reveals who he is. He is a prophet, the messiah, the source who gifts us with eternal life, living water who can satisfy our quest for meaning. In faith, this woman discovers new purpose in life through her time with Jesus, and she heralds the good news to her townsfolk. We all thirst like Jesus and the woman at the well, don't we? </p><p>What are we thirsty for? Some for a decent livelihood. Others for health, wealth, pleasure, power, fame. Still others, like the Samaritan woman, seem to thirst for purpose. Lent is a time to ask, what on earth am I here for? What am I living for? And how integrate these into the present.</p><p>So often, people imagine, My life will begin when I get a new job, when I get my degree, when I rebuild my home, when I retire someday. Life will begin in the future? In her book Hope Will Find You, Naomi Levy wrote that while caring for her critically ill daughter, she wondered about the dreams and goals she had for herself. She wrote: “I had been promising myself there was a future waiting for me. And just then something snapped inside my soul: This is my future: the present, the here and now. I’d been walking around thinking, this isn’t my life; my life is coming; it’s just around the bend.” But all of us have to learn to live inside the imperfect lives we have here and now.”</p><p>Today Jesus urges us to repent, to live our everyday lives to the fullest, to live each day as though it’s our last. This Lenten season is a time for finding our way out of our winters of negativity, our deserts of self-absorption, our wildernesses of disappointments, images that weave in and out of scripture. </p><p>These days before Easter are a time for deciding what we believe to be truly important and meaningful, and then acting upon that now. For the only thing we can count on is today. We can’t do anything about yesterday, and we don’t know about tomorrow.Our Christian faith proclaims that life has meaning, that there is indeed an all-good, compassionate, and merciful God who seeks us out in our everyday experiences. This God became incarnate in Jesus of Nazareth. And through his death and resurrection God re-established his friendship with us and opened up to us life beyond this earthly life. This same God is alive among us today by the power of the Spirit, especially in the sacramental life of our global Catholic community. This is the mystery of the triune God, who is one yet diverse, stable yet dynamic, transcendent yet immanent!</p><p>We can participate in God’s triune life not only here and now but hereafter by living a life of regular prayer, by fasting from attitudes and behaviors that jeopardize our relationship with God and with one another, and by living a life of generous service.</p><p>That is our Lenten message. I think this quote sums it up well, and you know it:</p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I shall pass through this world but once:</span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>any good therefore that I can do</span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>or any kindness that I can show to any human being,</span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>let me do it now, let me not defer or neglect it</span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>for I shall not pass this way again.</span></p><p>Try not to live a life of regrets, a life of should haves or shouldn’t haves. Any good we can do, do it now.</p><div><br /></div>afranciscanjourney.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01732130412891070866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210866014058368207.post-47644968915532475282024-02-25T10:04:00.004-05:002024-02-25T10:10:48.541-05:00Second Sunday of Lent<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCe-MnggrgHuRivGaUvpgN8GJv6Ey37Ofo94S6FfzDYAoEdjFZeJKY5dqGpUBCF7AS9yEIbfOBaHw53_R6v3ynxRgsF2UlMXb0YiPnt6wRFcFCgSHmjSV2mnldjnVJI6rknVdLdDHVO1ZTm9kVYYPn5Ca2VOOFQ3cNChyWq4WlQkhAhczMPl3N3tpVPjb/s219/Raphael.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="167" data-original-width="219" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCe-MnggrgHuRivGaUvpgN8GJv6Ey37Ofo94S6FfzDYAoEdjFZeJKY5dqGpUBCF7AS9yEIbfOBaHw53_R6v3ynxRgsF2UlMXb0YiPnt6wRFcFCgSHmjSV2mnldjnVJI6rknVdLdDHVO1ZTm9kVYYPn5Ca2VOOFQ3cNChyWq4WlQkhAhczMPl3N3tpVPjb/s1600/Raphael.jpg" width="219" /></a></div><br /> Lent invites us to make sure we have our priorities straight. And if we’re knocked a bit off course coping with life’s challenges, get back on course. I am reminded of the story about a ship captain who saw what looked like the lights of a ship heading toward him. He signaled: “Change your course 10 degrees south.” A reply came: “Change your course 10 degrees north.” The captain answered: “I’m a captain. Change course.” To which the reply was: “I am a seaman. Change course.”<p></p><p>The infuriated captain signaled: “Change your course. I’m on a battleship!” The reply: “Change your course. I’m in a lighthouse.”</p><p>As we journey through Lent, and life, let Jesus be our lighthouse. He is our way, our truth and our life.</p><p>Jesus asks us to have our priorities straight by: recognizing our absolute dependency upon God and expressing our gratitude for His blessings, service to one another and generosity with our time, talents and treasure. </p><p>Last Sunday, we were in the wilderness where Jesus faced down the devil. </p><p>This week, we're on a mountaintop in the awesome presence of God. The earthly Jesus is transfigured into a glorious heavenly reality and a voice from heaven proclaims: “Listen to him.” </p><p>Lent is not only a time to do without so that the needy can have.</p><p>Lent is also a season to affirm our faith in the good news that the Jesus Christ is alive. And because he lives, we live, especially through the sacramental signs of our world-wide faith community: water in baptism, bread and wine in the Eucharist, oil in confirmation and the anointing of the sick.</p><p>The word of God also takes us back almost 4,000 years: to Abraham, whose call is a watershed in the history of our salvation. God puts Abraham to the test: sacrifice your only son. We may wonder: what kind of God would ask such a thing? But Abraham has committed himself completely to God. And for his trust, God spares Isaac and promises Abraham countless blessings.</p><p>Abraham's extraordinary faith in God is a model for us, especially when things are not going our way, or times seem uncertain and hazardous.</p><p>Paul in his letter to the Christian community in Rome invites us to be men and women of courage, to stand up for what is right and true. Yes, God so loved us that He sent his only Son into our midst—the Word became flesh—and through this Jesus's death and resurrection re-established our relationship as adopted sons and daughters of God our Father. Paul then urges us to persevere so God can transform us into his likeness.</p><p>In the Gospel, the disciples experienced the transfiguration of Jesus; they saw the unique and awesome presence of God in Jesus. As the scriptures describe this experience, the face of Jesus became as “dazzling as the sun,” his clothes as “white as light,” an allusion to the white cloth a child receives at baptism. The disciples saw a vision of the “glorious” Jesus Christ, beyond the Jesus of flesh and blood in their everyday life.</p><p>Yes, God's ultimate aim is to transform us into the likeness of the God. This transformation has already begun in us through baptism in which we have become “new creatures.” </p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;">And just as Jesus became a transformative person ushering in the kingdom of God, Jesus calls us to become transformative people as well.</span></p><p>We, as co-workers with God, have to do our best to seek God’s grace to transform hate into peace, indifference into compassion, unfairness and prejudice into fairness and tolerance; sorrow into joy, despair into hope. Yes, transform self-centeredness to other-centeredness, so God can transfigure us. </p><p>I close recalling a familiar figure: Notre Dame football icon Lou Holtz, who recognized attitude determines how well one performs any task. Here are a few of his principles:</p><p>Focus on your character. Be trustworthy. Behave honorably. When you make a mistake, acknowledge it.</p><p>Show people you care. Prove it consistently by praising people's efforts. Show your enthusiasm. Both a great attitude and a bad attitude are contagious.</p><p>Surround yourself with people who encourage, who have a positive attitude. <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p>Know what you want; set goals at every stage in life and work to achieve them.</p><p>Yes, these are principles that make life worth living. </p><p>May this be one of our Lenten prayers:</p><p>Let us forgive those we don’t want to forgive;</p><p><span style="white-space: normal;">be compassionate;</span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;">be peacemakers;</span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;">care for those in need, even though it’s inconvenient;</span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;">persevere when we are exhausted;</span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;">carry our crosses; and</span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;">love when the last thing we want to do is love. Amen.</span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>afranciscanjourney.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01732130412891070866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210866014058368207.post-22104878623202555652024-02-18T15:45:00.001-05:002024-02-18T16:05:48.587-05:00First Sunday of Lent<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTirEHT2Paru3p_zpMJwfiPha84S-BGuUDbYDO0SDJh5gpzn0YVPxpa11RFWeDa4EbAm1vGpEljZC2F72l58REhrbjBsIr8Fju7Hvgacl0ZEWoLRoyRjwkUqF7oeGsSJ_qJNwvnL7PU02Shz1nlgTs4VC-5hlBU1bw33qQrjVVTydTbTPfH3AJPYom152/s270/Lent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="270" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTirEHT2Paru3p_zpMJwfiPha84S-BGuUDbYDO0SDJh5gpzn0YVPxpa11RFWeDa4EbAm1vGpEljZC2F72l58REhrbjBsIr8Fju7Hvgacl0ZEWoLRoyRjwkUqF7oeGsSJ_qJNwvnL7PU02Shz1nlgTs4VC-5hlBU1bw33qQrjVVTydTbTPfH3AJPYom152/s1600/Lent.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><br /> There are signs everywhere, on the road and elsewhere. Here are three that made me stop and think: <p></p><p>In an office: </p><p><span style="white-space: normal;">After coffee break, empty the pots and </span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;">stand upside down on the drain board. </span></p><p>Outside a thrift shop: </p><p><span style="white-space: normal;">We exchange anything... </span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;">Bring your husband or wife and get a bargain! </span></p><p>And in a safari park: </p><p><span style="white-space: normal;">Elephants:</span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;">Please stay in your car <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Did I read those signs right?!</span></p><p>On Wednesday, we began our Lenten journey from Ashes to Easter.</p><p>Lent is a time to renew ourselves, time for a change of heart: to become more aware of God’s presence in our daily life.</p><p>Often people search for meaning and purpose in wealth and status and toys. In the process, they forget what truly matters in life. </p><p>In this Lenten season, beyond giving up a treat, many people pay closer attention to our relationships with God and one another. Some are using the six-weeks to commit to a lifestyle change: engaging in healthy behaviors like daily walks, eating well, etc. Within these simple activities, reflection upon our many blessings finds a fertile home. </p><p>The Book of Genesis speaks about God’s covenant with Noah and the human family, summed up in the simple but splendid phrase: You are my people; and I am your God. The sign of this covenant is a rainbow, inviting us to see the link between heaven and earth, between God and ourselves, and to rededicate ourselves to our baptismal promises.</p><p>The letter of Peter views the history of our salvation thru the lens of Jesus’s death and resurrection. Jesus re-established a right relationship between us and God. And the Spirit of God deepens that relationship. The image of Noah and the Ark alludes to the waters of our baptism and our call to holiness.</p><p>In the Gospel, Jesus is in the wilderness for 40 days where he overcomes the dark or evil forces of human existence, and then begins his public ministry of preaching that the kingdom of God is at hand: believe in the Good News.</p><p>My good friends, this Lenten season let us examine the course or direction of our own lives. Are we on the right track? Do we have our priorities straight? If we’re a bit off course, how can we get back in the groove?</p><p>The Church offers three Lenten practices to help us steer in the right direction: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. </p><p>Let's treat ourselves to these three ages-old disciplines of our Christian/Catholic community.</p><p>•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Yes, re-treat ourselves to prayer. Prayer is an awareness of our absolute dependency upon God, a grateful response to God for our fragile lives. Prayer simply brings to consciousness the presence of God that is already around us and within us.</p><p><span style="white-space: normal;">Now there are many approaches to prayer: like the Our Father, this Eucharistic liturgy, and prayers of silence or petition. All of these are windows or pathways into the presence of God. How often do we pray? Am I entering as fully as possible into this liturgy by participating wholeheartedly in song, and listening attentively to the Word of God.</span></p><p>•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Second, re-treat ourselves to fasting. For the early Christians, foregoing food “enabled the hungry to eat.” But fasting is more than foodstuff. Our Lenten fast can mean doing without anger, impatience, selfishness, negative judgments about others, excessive alcohol. Yes, doing without whatever prevents us from living a life of discipleship with Jesus.</p><p>•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Fasting and almsgiving are Gospel twins. In early Christianity there were no government agencies to provide assistance to the needy. Almsgiving was seen as an essential addition to prayer and fasting, not only in Lent, but every day. Let's re-treat ourselves to sharing what we have. Share our time – stay in touch with friends and loved ones, the sick, people all alone. Share our talents by volunteering where we can. Share our resources with needy people: how about Catholic Relief Services or St. Vincent de Paul or Catholic Charities. Share ourselves – smile more often and let others know that we want them to share our joy.</p><p>Yes, this Lenten season calls for a change of heart. It’s time to become more aware of God’s presence all around us and within us.</p><p>So I invite all of us to re-discover and re-treat ourselves to: </p><p>prayer, </p><p>fasting, and </p><p>almsgiving</p><p>Let's refocus during these forty days of Lent on what truly matters in life: our relationship with God and our fellow human beings. Have a grace-filled Lenten season.</p><p><br /></p>afranciscanjourney.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01732130412891070866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210866014058368207.post-29279649944202134442024-02-11T07:58:00.001-05:002024-02-11T14:33:48.250-05:00Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGLZ-q8hjwasHFwGFegxeNO4yoSuh4HboCloqGwJMZjFbrGOl9xrj3HhK4BpVqNaYUyUgAlExx6uI3crWm8bUF91jw-SFp6WPTIu1uEzhxtOh6_VAYS_8T_qja4sWNiQ8MxFAKS5f4i1HSSQXcVtNFlw1cUCEsrRhthgBnphKY5ThNWnCSuho-LK9eDIRr/s179/leper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="179" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGLZ-q8hjwasHFwGFegxeNO4yoSuh4HboCloqGwJMZjFbrGOl9xrj3HhK4BpVqNaYUyUgAlExx6uI3crWm8bUF91jw-SFp6WPTIu1uEzhxtOh6_VAYS_8T_qja4sWNiQ8MxFAKS5f4i1HSSQXcVtNFlw1cUCEsrRhthgBnphKY5ThNWnCSuho-LK9eDIRr/s1600/leper.jpg" width="179" /></a></div><br /> A quick question: how many will be watching the Super Bowl today. I don’t know about you but I’m rooting for the 49ers. Yesterday was the beginning of the Chinese New Year. And Wednesday is not only Valentine’s Day but Ash Wednesday.<p></p><p>The word of God takes us back to one of the early books of the bible: Leviticus, named for the tribe of Levi. It’s a rule book that describes, among numerous things, religious rituals and rubrics, festivals, health protocols, and a how-to-behave code regarding covenantal relationships.</p><p>The author here gives a guideline about so-called leprosy, which in those days referred not to what we know as Hansen’s disease, but to skin ailments of various kinds. These were thought to be contagious, person declared “unclean” was banished from the community. He or she had to live alone and isolated.</p><p>The word prompts us today to reach out compassionately to the lonely, the sick, the needy and the forgotten.</p><p>St. Paul, in his letter to the Christian community at Corinth, is adjudicating a dispute about whether Christians can eat meat or other foods associated with the temple rituals of ancient Rome. Paul says: yes, you can eat these foods but don’t do it if it scandalizes your fellow Christians. </p><p>Paul then urges us to do everything for the glory of God.</p><p>In the Gospel, a so-called leper begs Jesus to restore him to health. This man was not supposed to be around people. He’s isolated…unable to live with his family, or work, or attend religious services…rejected. Yet he chooses to face yet another rejection by approaching Jesus. And Jesus, “moved with pity,” heals him. Jesus goes on to say: “Tell no one” -- the so-called Messianic secret.</p><p>The highlight for me is this: the leper’s prayer was answered. Sometimes our prayers are answered. More often, they’re not, at least not the way we want. A Franciscan colleague wrote a book titled “When God Says No” that makes this point. We sometimes receive a no, and later realize that some good came out of that “no.” </p><p>We may pray to God for one thing or another, and we sense silence. We’re ill, or someone we love has cancer, we feel insecure about our work, anxious about our family, we ask God for peace and understanding in our families, we pray that a particular wrong will be righted, and so forth. </p><p>And God sometimes seems silent. We may even feel like giving up on God; or we may start thinking negatively about ourselves. What to do? Let us pray not to succumb to negative feelings, but to rise above those feelings by reflecting on certain faith themes. Let's:</p><p>-<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Re-examine our image of God. Some think of God only as a judge. But the bible offers a collage of God-images. God is a walking companion in Genesis, a passionate debater in the Book of Job, an anxious parent and a comforting mother in Isaiah, a prodigal father in the Gospels. What is our image of God? God is our ever-faithful companion.</p><p>-<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Remember God’s providence and care for us. Yes, count our blessings. How often the ancient Hebrews forgot the wonders God worked for them. Like a skilled pickpocket, God is present in many different ways and we don’t know except by the evidence afterward. He may seem absent, but our faith says he’s with us always.</p><p>-<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Know that you are in good company. Many others have known the silence of God. Job in his misfortunes. Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. The point is: keep praying. Because God is God. God’s ultimate purpose is for us to be like God, to see God face to face. And never forget: God is our all-mighty creator, ultimately in charge; we are simply his creatures, marvelously created out of nothingness. </p><p>So, as we think of the leper whose prayer was answered, and as we think about our own prayers and relationship with God, remember God’s blessings and God’s continuing care for us.</p><p>The great 16th century saint Teresa of Avila, declared a Doctor of the Church, gives us this perspective:</p><p>“Let nothing disturb you;</p><p>Let nothing dismay you;</p><p>all things pass;</p><p>God never changes;</p><p>Patience gains everything;</p><p>they who have God</p><p>lack nothing:</p><p>God alone suffices.”</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>afranciscanjourney.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01732130412891070866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210866014058368207.post-1758488356385960662024-02-04T15:16:00.002-05:002024-02-04T15:41:15.654-05:00Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWKkiVK7A-FD13_-3QLV-BbcPoJbSQPzERWt3mjc0MzupvLThZCsQbCtSDGE5t8ja6zxg4mSPfbakGlJrIlSz7oWNjftdMVJYAgDdyLJeGTgpRUEr7WdlsHfE4PFlZ3Z2gZKOX5wmnrXWG6ATmxPeCIGNp8vTGmXiFsDKbfxvxIeXpjIh7-pD0ZEMPAu8A/s190/Job.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="179" data-original-width="190" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWKkiVK7A-FD13_-3QLV-BbcPoJbSQPzERWt3mjc0MzupvLThZCsQbCtSDGE5t8ja6zxg4mSPfbakGlJrIlSz7oWNjftdMVJYAgDdyLJeGTgpRUEr7WdlsHfE4PFlZ3Z2gZKOX5wmnrXWG6ATmxPeCIGNp8vTGmXiFsDKbfxvxIeXpjIh7-pD0ZEMPAu8A/s1600/Job.jpg" width="190" /></a></div><br /> The Gospel story about Jesus making a house call to Peter’s mother-in-law reminded me of a story about a nun working in a rural area for a home health care agency. Her car stalled, out of gasoline. Luckily there was a gas station in walking distance. The nun looked for something to fill with gas. In her health care supplies was a bedpan. She filled it with gas, then walked back to her car. <p></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;">Two Baptists walking by saw her pour from the bedpan into the tank, and one said: "If that car starts, I'm definitely becoming a Catholic.” </span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;">Yes: it's amazing the ways we can influence people.</span></p><p>The Word of God brings us to one of the masterpieces in the wisdom literature of Ancient Israel: the Book of Job. Scholars describe this book as a poetic drama dealing with the mystery of suffering and evil and offering no easy answers. As the legend begins, Job has everything he could want. Gradually he loses everything and ends up on a dung heap, taunted by former friends.</p><p>Job asks: How could this happen to me? But the better question might be, how will I respond? Then God speaks to Job in a whirlwind. God doesn’t answer Job’s questions: Why do bad things happen to good people? He simply lets Job experience God’s awesome presence in a mystical way. </p><p>There is no satisfactory answer to the mystery of suffering.</p><p>Nonetheless, our faith in Jesus, risen, alive, among us, proclaims that suffering and death are not the final reality; new life and resurrection are. Meantime, Jesus challenges us to fight against suffering, to heal, console, forgive and create compassionate communities where people can experience responsible freedom, fairness, peace, and opportunity.</p><p>Paul in his letter to the Christian community at Corinth describes his one passion in life: proclaiming the Good News, evangelizing. That energized Paul. And the question for us is: what energizes us? Where do we find purpose? In family? Work? Service? Friends or music or reading or nature or sports? Probably in all of these and more.</p><p>In the Gospel, Jesus makes a house call to Peter’s mother-in-law. Jesus heals her. Townspeople suddenly appear at the house, with their sick ones. Jesus works signs and healings and exorcisms that signal the in-breaking of the kingdom of God.</p><p>Imagine if we were at Capernaum that day; what so called demon or addiction or character flaw (e.g., greed, lying, prejudice, alcohol or drugs) would we ask Jesus to drive out of us? </p><p>The Risen Christ, by virtue of the waters of baptism, empowers each of us to choose our better self: to give our time and talent for others. That is what our baptismal calling is all about. Every one of us has gifts or talents that can “build up” other people. </p><p>It often seems our culture is celebrity-driven, but people like Patrick Mahomes or Serena Williams are not the only ones with talents. You and I have special gifts or talents by virtue of our baptism. </p><p>Within Christian life there are many splendid vocations or callings. Father or mother, teacher or student, doctor or lawyer, business person or artist, whoever you are, you have a specific calling: to give your time and talents for others, to do the right thing, by being an example. We possess the power to believe, to hope and to love.</p><p>What makes us a missionary disciple of Jesus is the Spirit of God within us. Oh, personality can be a blessing. But more importantly the Spirit of God works through us as we are. The Spirit illumines our mind to know the way we should behave, and strengthens us to behave in that way despite obstacles. The Spirit gives us gifts: “love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and discipline.”</p><p>That Spirit empowers us to help others become more human, more godlike, in our relationships.</p><p> close with a little reflection or prayer that sums up a few of these goals:</p><p>Fortunate are the persons,</p><p>Who in this life can find,</p><p>A purpose that can fill their days</p><p>And goals to fill their mind.</p><p>For in this world there is a need,</p><p>For those who’ll lead the rest,</p><p>To rise above the “average’ life,</p><p>By giving of their best!</p><p>Will you be one, who dares to try</p><p>When challenged by the task,</p><p>To rise to heights you’ve never seen,</p><p>Or is that too much to ask?</p><p>May each of us realize that the purpose in life is to make a difference for the better by giving our best in service to one another, by always seeking the greater common good. Amen.</p><p><br /></p>afranciscanjourney.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01732130412891070866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210866014058368207.post-72029756501631301542024-01-28T16:33:00.001-05:002024-01-28T16:59:11.329-05:00Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirOCLBrJ9O5v5cnT6MqbU_B7QqGNbjp8hrNH0uLub94bbEHWSJwWMzfGPWI0IWTjYcxHwbTHvyS0aUewdlJ6AyAjNkA98rQ_nIVKevNFoRb_KO84KLQ7b2wmMsJnH2lGFfPX8jQL2paCokpysb351Jg5-sPy_bUp4cEdeFygUm_uIb3nqhiHGU8HV9NQgS/s204/Jesus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="204" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirOCLBrJ9O5v5cnT6MqbU_B7QqGNbjp8hrNH0uLub94bbEHWSJwWMzfGPWI0IWTjYcxHwbTHvyS0aUewdlJ6AyAjNkA98rQ_nIVKevNFoRb_KO84KLQ7b2wmMsJnH2lGFfPX8jQL2paCokpysb351Jg5-sPy_bUp4cEdeFygUm_uIb3nqhiHGU8HV9NQgS/s1600/Jesus.jpg" width="204" /></a></div><br />Communications is a popular major in colleges/universities. And here’s an example about how to communicate effectively. <p></p><p>A mother hollers in the morning, “You get down here this minute...you’re late for school.” Her son yells back, “I don’t want to go to school. Kids don’t like me. The teachers don’t like me. And everyone is talking behind my back.”</p><p>The mother rushes upstairs and points to her son and says, “You get up, because you are going to school for two reasons: You’re forty years old. And you’re the principal.” Now that’s communication!!!</p><p>The Word of God carries us back to the 13th century before Jesus, to Moses, a prophet or mouthpiece of God. Here we heard a different kind of communication. God spoke to the Hebrews “in peals of thunder and flashes of lightening,” writes the author of Deuteronomy. That terrified them. </p><p>So Moses promises them prophets who will be the “voice” of God throughout their triumphs and tragedies. These prophets will have the courage to speak truth and justice, freedom and peace, despite the cost to themselves. The early Christian community saw in this prophecy Jesus as the definitive voice of God, our way, our truth and our life.</p><p>St. Paul urges the Christian community at Corinth in Greece not to be anxious about their lives but to live a God-centered life every day. The end-time is near.</p><p>And in the Gospel, Jesus enters a synagogue and amazes his listeners with his compelling words and awesome power. Even the demons recognize Jesus as the holy one of God. Here Jesus exorcizes a “crazed” man.</p><p>Jesus had one passion: to proclaim that the kingdom of God, a new age, is entering into our midst with his signs and wonders. That mission fired Jesus up. </p><p>The question for us is, where do we find purpose in our lives? Some argue convincingly that we find meaning in a mix of what we do, what we experience, and our attitude toward our own inescapable suffering or illnesses and dying.</p><p>Here's a true example. A new medical doctor found purpose primarily in his work. But inoperable spinal cancer gradually paralyzed him. Soon he couldn’t work. So, he began to find meaning primarily in his everyday experiences, especially at the facility where he was cared for. He welcomed and encouraged other patients. He read good books, listened to inspirational music, stayed in touch with family. </p><p>Eventually he couldn’t even do these things. His life took another turn. This young doctor now had to find meaning primarily in his own suffering or illness and dying. He became a counselor to fellow patients and an example by bearing patiently his own illness. Finally, he had to let go of his own life, and with faith in God, he made a leap of faith into the mystery of death and into the hands of God, somewhat like a trapeze artist trusting that in that free fall, God will catch and embrace him forever. </p><p>The point is this: life is worth living each day. We can find meaning at every stage in our life. In our work. In our experiences. And eventually in our suffering or illnesses and dying.</p><p>This raises the question, what is a human being meant for? What is our life all about? Most of our finest thinkers have held that we are meant for something greater than mere existence. Yes, far beyond mere animal instincts, beyond acquiring and spending, beyond having a nice home, a fancy car, a vacation getaway, even beyond all the scientific and medical achievements, the engineering marvels, and the financial feats of this world.</p><p>But what is that “something” we are meant for? The answer points to something transcendent, beyond ourselves: the human spirit. Always open to a relationship with an awesome God and to one another. Yes, our purpose, no matter what our profession or age, is to be in relationship with God and one another forever.</p><p>There's an ancient wisdom that says God sends each person into this life with a special message, a special song, a special act of love to bestow. Perhaps this prayer can be our message and song and act of love:</p><p>In a world that's out of tune, may we be people full of harmony...</p><p>In a world marred with anger and hate and violence, may we be people of peace...</p><p>In a world suffering heartaches and frustration, may we be people of hope...</p><p>and in a world of discouraging words, may we be people of encouragement. Amen.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>afranciscanjourney.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01732130412891070866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210866014058368207.post-43931929322046325372024-01-21T15:46:00.001-05:002024-01-21T15:52:19.918-05:00Third Sunday in Ordinary Time<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxMbqcy7-l7-ptG3LhEv4GBwfs004UU2LtElHqbE3vI1DQz6-jWwzWo90AdJEm3lRTP_a_GUd4mS2LnOtE3LoyE9OupsSsS-L7drYOPMhjtfSm91aaqx-idpUldI5mEz2eqWp12f9nuhm-mU27j9X96hYqVDVqLYBOw_DI9UZHxd1echgdloh6A5tyjORd/s480/The%20Call.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="480" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxMbqcy7-l7-ptG3LhEv4GBwfs004UU2LtElHqbE3vI1DQz6-jWwzWo90AdJEm3lRTP_a_GUd4mS2LnOtE3LoyE9OupsSsS-L7drYOPMhjtfSm91aaqx-idpUldI5mEz2eqWp12f9nuhm-mU27j9X96hYqVDVqLYBOw_DI9UZHxd1echgdloh6A5tyjORd/s320/The%20Call.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />We've been having a bit of chilly weather lately. A chilly day can be a good time to stay indoors and watch a classic movie, like the Titanic.<p></p><p>Someone argued that what really sank that 45,000-ton ship was a three-ounce key. In the lookout tower was a lock box containing binoculars. Unfortunately, someone forgot to leave the key with the lookout. They couldn't use the binoculars to look for icebergs.</p><p>Now, think of the Word of God just proclaimed. Binoculars can be understood, in a sense, as the eyes of our faith through which we can see beyond appearances, i.e., the awesome reality of God in our lives.</p><p>The Word of God first carries us back to a man named Jonah. And when you hear the word “Jonah,” what do you think of? Three days in the belly of a whale; or bad luck. </p><p>But in fact, the Book of Jonah is a short story with a simple message: God embraces everyone. </p><p>God orders Jonah to go to Assyria (what we know today as Iraq) to preach to the Ninevites. Jonah is shocked. The Ninevites aren’t Jews; they’re Gentiles. Jonah flees from God. But God catches up with him, and Jonah preaches God’s repentance to the Ninevites. </p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p>Then the Ninevites shock Jonah. With new eyes of faith they recognize the awesome presence of God in their lives and they repent.</p><p>Paul, in his letter to the Christian community at Corinth in Greece challenges us to focus on the things of God. </p><p>We can focus so much on accumulating things in this world that we forget our purpose in life. But with the eyes of faith, we believe that we will pass, like Jesus before us, into a new, transformative, heavenly reality. Focus on the things of God, here and now.</p><p>In the Gospel, the disciples at the Sea of Galilee follow Jesus with the eyes of faith. They see in him more than just appearances.</p><p>Like the binoculars, our faith can help us see all of God’s beauty around us, and into the distance. And yes, our faith can help us avoid the icebergs of life.</p><p>Faith, a gift from God, empowers us to relate to God. This faith attempts to answer the fundamental questions of human life: who am I? Where is my life going? What ultimately matters? </p><p>And the content of our faith is expressed in belief statements such as the 4th century Nicene Creed we profess in this Sunday liturgy.</p><p>We say: I believe in one God, despite many folks who question the existence of God in the face of such overwhelming evils as disease, hunger, senseless violence and war.</p><p>Yes, we say, God is almighty, maker of heaven and earth. Someone completely other, completely beyond ourselves, who created everything.</p><p>And yes, we believe in one lord, Jesus Christ, who came down from heaven for us. This planet cries out for a healer, a reconciler. </p><p>And this Jesus who for our sake was crucified, and rose again is our healer, our reconciler, our pledge of a life beyond this earthly life.</p><p>And yes, we believe in the Holy Spirit, the lord, the giver of life. The power of the Spirit is within us and enables us to do good for others.</p><p>We believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic community where Jesus Christ in all his fulness dwells. And as we conclude the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Thursday, January 25, Christians everywhere acknowledge one Lord, one faith and one baptism and look toward the resurrection and the eternal life to come.</p><p>The Nicene Creed underscores the essential content of our faith; what we believe truly matters.</p><p>May our faith be the binoculars, to use an analogy, through which we see beyond immediate appearances, to the reality and beauty of God all around us. And may we always remember we are co-creators with God in building up a society of justice, truth, peace and love as well as stewards or guardians of God’s creation tending to God's beauty all around us. AMEN.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>afranciscanjourney.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01732130412891070866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210866014058368207.post-15982558076852042042024-01-14T07:30:00.003-05:002024-01-14T08:19:01.739-05:00Second Sunday in Ordinary Time<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVmEsOcNmuwRkCEH-1QPK7iD22wiFMQON7FaS96zOUNgXXni72v4KOWuHrPdQhGJ0FC1rGx7hHlXhUK0DtE0RmlcPkrKcz0PVlS78xIyo2ENdlmFFNEHVAh95LJFKzqZott4WXdqb-6akrxaoihyphenhyphen7rtTlIwayVEFBIPbmrLJyW9leNkXvZRjgUIuLeWUgS/s194/unity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="194" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVmEsOcNmuwRkCEH-1QPK7iD22wiFMQON7FaS96zOUNgXXni72v4KOWuHrPdQhGJ0FC1rGx7hHlXhUK0DtE0RmlcPkrKcz0PVlS78xIyo2ENdlmFFNEHVAh95LJFKzqZott4WXdqb-6akrxaoihyphenhyphen7rtTlIwayVEFBIPbmrLJyW9leNkXvZRjgUIuLeWUgS/s1600/unity.jpg" width="194" /></a></div><br /> Again, I wish you a grace-filled 2024 and a happy holiday weekend as we honor the memory of Martin L. King Jr. <p></p><p>This is the second Sunday in “ordinary time” which refers to the liturgical weeks after the Christmas and Lenten/Easter seasons.</p><p>Over the holidays I leafed through “Disorder in the American Courts," a book of things people have said in court. For example, an attorney asked a witness: “How was your first marriage terminated?” The witness replied, “By death.” The attorney continued, “Whose death?” The widower said, “Take a guess.” Who says you can’t have humor in court?</p><p>The Word of God today first takes us back to the 11th century before Jesus. Samuel is asleep close to the Ark of the Covenant. He hears a voice, which he eventually recognizes as God’s. And Samuel responds: Speak, my God, for I am listening. And because he listened to God, Samuel went on to become one of the great prophets: a "mouthpiece" for God and anointer of kings.</p><p>God speaks to us in many different ways. But are we listening? </p><p>Since we awoke today, God has been speaking to us: through nature's beauty, through the love of family, friends and colleagues, through hymns we sing and scripture we hear, in many different ways. God’s voice is loud and clear.</p><p>But we don’t always hear if we’re not on the right wavelength. Prayer -- tuning into the presence of God -- puts us on the right frequency, so we can listen in the right place at the right time in our everyday lives.</p><p>Paul in his letter to the Christian community at Corinth speaks about our ultimate purpose: eternal life with God. </p><p>Yes, we are living temples of God; God dwells within us, initially by virtue of baptism. We possess the “spark of the divine.” So, how do we reflect the presence of God in what we say and do?</p><p>The Gospel speaks about the beginnings of a community of disciples, the Church, the world-wide Catholic faith community.</p><p>Jesus, truly human and truly divine, who through his death/resurrection by the power of the Spirit re-established our friendship with God, is gloriously alive in all his fullness in the one Church He founded. We are called to continue his ministry by doing all the good we can until he comes again to create a “new heaven and a new earth.” </p><p>Jesus prayed that this community would always be one. </p><p>Yet over the centuries it has divided. I explore this, and efforts to bridge the gaps, in my brief book on Christian unity, available through amazon. </p><p>All Christians profess one Lord, one faith and one baptism. But they have split into three major traditions: Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant. And that’s why we have a week of prayer for Christian Unity, beginning next Thursday, January 18. </p><p>As we pray with Jesus that “we all may be one,” we might ask "why should I belong to this Catholic community of disciples of Jesus?” Here are some good reasons:</p><p>First, we are a worldwide community of believers (1.3 billion plus people, rich and poor, American, European, Asian and African, encountering the presence of the living Christ, sacramentally and mystically, especially in the liturgy.</p><p>Second, we are a community with splendid heroes and heroines praying for us: "Benedict, Francis and Clare of Assisi, Dominic, Ignatius of Loyola, Teresa of Avila, Vincent de Paul, Therese of Lisieux and Mother Teresa”—the litany goes on and on. As you walk in this courtyard, you see the archangel Raphael with his broad winged shoulders, watching over us. These are good role models in our quest for a meaningful life.</p><p>Third, we take a stand on peace and justice. The Catholic community sponsors and staffs shelters, schools and hospitals and hospice services, soup kitchens, literacy programs, day-care and treatment centers throughout the world. Catholic Relief and Refugee agencies attempt to meet the basic needs of the poor. <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p>But alas we are also a community of believers with tensions. Why is that so? Because we are human, saints as well as sinners. Some people are “messy” and make a “mess” out of things and so, like many other things in life, we have to live with some messiness and muddle through as best we can.</p><p>The point is: Jesus is the foundation of this community. We give thanks to God for this calling to a fulfilling life with God here and now, and to eternal life where we shall be like God and see God face-to-face. </p><p>Let us pray January 18-25, especially for the unity Jesus sought, that we may all be one: each and every person bringing our creative gifts from God for the good of humankind. </p><p>Amen.</p><div><br /></div>afranciscanjourney.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01732130412891070866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210866014058368207.post-54456677914001926712024-01-07T15:59:00.001-05:002024-01-07T17:11:52.438-05:00The Epiphany of the Lord<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1I50xbAeveuo4qhd2SMP7v1pLHtEeSD1R01Hbo9Kd0_WCHfp7hwbsxMkMcgsmZ8zphCFpT1tDdTHsupe4rvjYIVklTJCvZ3gvX9NGdbO03qlfZSfu3zz3mlYnDf_OslIjJti9Nhyphenhyphen0fydAWrdbbiIehUBwpr0Eo1REkF0KNk-nOwl3v7x-98zTg7cyHgv/s500/Murillo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1I50xbAeveuo4qhd2SMP7v1pLHtEeSD1R01Hbo9Kd0_WCHfp7hwbsxMkMcgsmZ8zphCFpT1tDdTHsupe4rvjYIVklTJCvZ3gvX9NGdbO03qlfZSfu3zz3mlYnDf_OslIjJti9Nhyphenhyphen0fydAWrdbbiIehUBwpr0Eo1REkF0KNk-nOwl3v7x-98zTg7cyHgv/s320/Murillo.png" width="205" /></a></div><br />Some people have made a resolution or two for 2024. I confess I haven't. I considered books I always thought I should read. I'm not going to read them this year either.<p></p><p>Perhaps it's best to focus more on the presence of God in our lives, within ourselves, and to let the glory of God shine forth in our daily routine. </p><p>Knowing human nature about resolutions, here's a good maxim from the Italian poet Dante Alighieri: "The secret of getting things done is to act!"</p><p>Today we celebrate the Epiphany: the showing of the child Jesus as the Messiah. </p><p>Over the holidays, I was with some Franciscan sisters and we spoke about the origins of the Feast of the Epiphany, “little Christmas.” One sister said that if the magi had been wise women, they would have asked for directions, arrived on time to help deliver the baby, and brought practical gifts.</p><p>The word of God from Isaiah takes us back to the sixth century before Jesus. Babylonia destroyed Jerusalem and deported many Jews. Then Persia conquered Babylonia, and the Jews were set free, to rebuild their city. Today's passage refers to a new Jerusalem. A divine light will emanate from this shining city on a hill and all people, Jews and non-Jews, will walk by this light.</p><p>Christians see Jesus as this light who illuminates darkness, the light who shows human beings the ultimate purpose of life: to be in relationship with God and thereby manifest God's glory through who we are and what we do for others.</p><p>St. Paul's letter to the Christian community at Ephesus in Turkey outlines our future: we are coheirs to the kingdom of God, co-workers of Jesus in bringing about the fullness of the kingdom. Jesus is indeed our guide in this work: a path for the lost; bread for the spiritually hungry; an arm for the weak; a companion for the lonely; a beacon of hope for all.</p><p>In the Gospel, we have all the ingredients of a great story: exotic visitors, a wicked king, court intrigue, a mysterious star, precious gifts, a new child. The magi, non-Jews, give homage to this Jewish child with highly symbolic gifts.</p><p>Gold can symbolize kingship or divinity, the things of God; and the coin of this child’s heavenly realm are the virtues of self-discipline, patience, compassion, responsibility, friendship, courage, perseverance, honesty, decency, respect and faith in God. Good virtues for our own lives.</p><p>Frankincense with its wonderful fragrance and medicinal magic can symbolize healing, and this child came to heal our wounds and bridge the chasm separating us from God and one another. We too are called to be healers.</p><p>Myrrh can symbolize a burial ointment, and this child through his dying/rising re-established our relationship with God and made us co-heirs to God’s promise of eternal life.</p><p>This newborn messiah, completely human and completely divine and soon to grow into adulthood with the help of his family, is the exemplar of an authentic human being. </p><p>With Jesus as our model God invites us, from infinite possibilities, to become the best version of ourselves.But what is that? What is our essential purpose?</p><p>We are called to be in relationship with God by living a holy life, every man and every woman, without exception, regardless of age, race, socioeconomic background, career or calling in life. </p><p>Holiness is allowing God to enter into the very fiber of our being so that we can be our best through who we are and everything we do. It's a willingness to go the extra mile to make something “just right”; it's striving to choose right in all our decisions, small and great, affecting work, career, family and social life, leisure time. </p><p>Yes, with Jesus as our model, as we begin a new year, now is a wise time to renew ourselves spiritually. A wise mystic observed this about himself:</p><p>“When I was young, my prayer to God was: ‘Lord, give me the energy to change the world.’</p><p>“As I approached middle age and realized my life was half gone without my changing a single soul, I changed my prayer to: ‘Lord, give me the grace to change those who come into contact with me. Just my family and friends.’</p><p>“Now that I am old, I have begun to see how foolish I have been. My one prayer now is: ‘Lord, give me the grace to change myself, to become the best version of myself.’ ”</p><p>Now is indeed time to begin again, to re-energize our lives, to strive to become the best version of ourselves. This day, this year. As Dante said, "The secret of getting things done is to act!" Amen. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>afranciscanjourney.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01732130412891070866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210866014058368207.post-90738096660145120172023-12-31T09:48:00.001-05:002023-12-31T09:57:04.372-05:00The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitJW7pDa2TwATq9wi_Q-25JC8wC9y7OZlSC8Va7Lc2SkA9zFmEDM3Crb8ig0AAUf-9xXVAJ3LjRs1zFltI4awTLsHciI21_LA3xSzQmphuI8jqsiot63MXzIfZdxzszX1wTxI7Cz8mlKpxwnmpPeOvxOgDPdsXseSGHIiD3gnf5pPIlPYmxsT9m5-HXDTU/s1051/Holy-Family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1051" data-original-width="823" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitJW7pDa2TwATq9wi_Q-25JC8wC9y7OZlSC8Va7Lc2SkA9zFmEDM3Crb8ig0AAUf-9xXVAJ3LjRs1zFltI4awTLsHciI21_LA3xSzQmphuI8jqsiot63MXzIfZdxzszX1wTxI7Cz8mlKpxwnmpPeOvxOgDPdsXseSGHIiD3gnf5pPIlPYmxsT9m5-HXDTU/s320/Holy-Family.jpg" width="251" /></a></div><br />Today is the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Some people never take time to notice what they have. Here's a true story to make the point. <p></p><p>Diamond fever spread across Africa in the 1800s. Some people struck it rich. One man wandered the continent, finding nothing. Meanwhile, on the farm that man had sold, the new owner found a strange-looking stone. A visitor shouted, “That’s a diamond...one of the largest I’ve ever seen!” The new owner and his family found the farm was loaded with diamonds.</p><p>Some families never notice the “gems” in their midst. So, spend quality time with family and notice the gems that they are. And as you explore anew that wonderful resource of family, contemplate the sage observation of Ben Franklin: "Wise men don't need advice. Fools won't take it."</p><p>The Word of God proclaimed is all about family. In the Book of Genesis, Abraham worries that he is childless. But he puts his trust in God, and his wife had a son in their old age.</p><p>Genesis challenges us to trust God always, even if -- especially if -- we're anxious about a particular situation. God is near us, so our faith assures us.</p><p>St. Paul’s letter to the Christian community in Colossae in Turkey begins with the familial address “Brothers and sisters.” The author then speaks about qualities we should embody as family: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and above all love.</p><p>Luke’s Gospel tells us that when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem, Simeon took Jesus into his arms and blessed God. Then Simeon praised God and said, “My eyes have seen your salvation … a light …”</p><p>Home in Nazareth, Jesus grew up strong and wise and God’s favor was upon him. His family was a vital factor. For twenty-some years, this family clung together. They fled to Egypt together. They worked together at ordinary tasks. Joseph, tradition says, kept his loved ones in daily bread with the skill of his hands. Mary baked and spun, carried water, and taught Jesus to pray. They lived an utterly simple and natural and human life. And Mary eventually waved a goodbye to Jesus as he set off for his life’s mission. Yes, Mary knew the empty nest!</p><p>Theirs was a holy family, and so too is yours—living together, working together, playing and praying together. And what sustained the holy family in Nazareth? And ours? I would like to suggest two primary virtues: faithfulness and courage.</p><p>Faithfulness: There’s probably no virtue more important for sustaining family life. Married couples are called to be open to new life and to nourish and educate the children with whom God gifts them. To do this well, parents need to be faithful. Faithfulness builds trust. Children trust that parents will always be there for them. We all need to know that someone loves us and will be there, especially when we hit a rough patch in life. Sometimes parents have to show tough love for the good of the child. The point is we need the anchor of faithfulness in our ever-changing world.</p><p>Second, families need courage. William Bennett’s Book of Virtues holds the stories of David and Goliath, Susan B. Anthony, and Rosa Parks. Courage is about moral character. It defines who we are at the core of our innermost selves. It is an attitude that challenges us, despite our fears, to stand up for what is right and true and good. </p><p>Many of us would include people such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr, and Mother Teresa in our list of courageous people. And we probably would include our parents. We see up close the sacrifices our parents have made for us. Commitment to another, in good times and bad, requires courage. It reaches a crescendo when children become teenagers. Parents can’t protect them from the many forces in society that can destroy teenagers. And children grow, and eventually parents must let them go. Parenting, sustaining life, requires courage, always trying to do the right thing even when we’re not sure it’s the right thing. To be human is to live in ambiguity.</p><p>Someone wrote: “Twenty years from now, we will be more disappointed by the things we didn’t do than by the ones we did.” Think about it. Don’t regret something good you could have done but didn’t. Everyday life is not a dress rehearsal; it’s the real thing. To the extent that our lives are in our own hands, do good now. </p><p>Jesus, Mary, and Joseph lived a life together as a holy family, a life with no regrets. </p><p>Faithfulness and courage anchored that family. May God on this Feast of The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph help us anchor our own families in faithfulness and courage.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>afranciscanjourney.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01732130412891070866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210866014058368207.post-26819925585103884632023-12-26T15:02:00.002-05:002023-12-26T15:07:28.033-05:00Christmas<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwThSVDVajN0vgdwUqALB9M_LUuQEvav32F55rTL3zMv02f6HCheCiGIww0GoJzAoA_CDaHtkrjgXMKXnr6V3OjEOQl0L_nh6b440rx15d_SgKf4Vprfm4XlbdPJgV3Mb3fZaCOw4FYSWklxBpDEbKBdkEfJjlO7Wf_2YbwTXWxEAhyphenhyphenaVOcfEd24ySSll7/s2940/Caravaggio-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2940" data-original-width="2232" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwThSVDVajN0vgdwUqALB9M_LUuQEvav32F55rTL3zMv02f6HCheCiGIww0GoJzAoA_CDaHtkrjgXMKXnr6V3OjEOQl0L_nh6b440rx15d_SgKf4Vprfm4XlbdPJgV3Mb3fZaCOw4FYSWklxBpDEbKBdkEfJjlO7Wf_2YbwTXWxEAhyphenhyphenaVOcfEd24ySSll7/s320/Caravaggio-.jpg" width="243" /></a></div><br /> Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad! Buon Natale! Joyeux Noel! Frohe Weihnachten! A blessed and happy Christmas to all.<p></p><p>Each year we relive the wonderful story of Christmas: a baby in a stable; a mother holding her child in her arms, as her husband watches nearby; angels singing, shepherds running over the hillside, and so-called astrologers traveling from afar with gifts.</p><p>The Gospel according to John sums up this magnificent story: The Word became flesh.</p><p>You see, at the beginning of Genesis, the first people walked with God, had friendship with God and one another. Somehow, they lost that friendship, they fell from grace. Genesis describes in a literary genre how they hid from God; one blamed the other; and the earthly elements worked against them.</p><p>But God did not leave us to our worse selves. Remember the words of the prophet Isaiah: Can a mother forget her child?..and even if she should, I will never forget you. And so continued the story of our salvation throughout the history of ancient Israel.</p><p>In the midst of Israel’s fidelities and infidelities, God never reneged on his promises. And so, the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. God is among us.</p><p>The word of God for the Christmas liturgies is like a prism, refracting the multiple facets of this great mystery of the Incarnation, God become one of us.</p><p>Isaiah proclaims glad tidings: the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. </p><p>Paul writes that the grace of God appeared in Jesus Christ who made us “heirs” to the promise of eternal life. </p><p>In the Gospel, the Virgin Mary gave birth to her son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger. </p><p>There’s a tradition that says the Christ Child was born in a stable. A stable is a haven for animals and a storehouse for harvests. Children find them special places of play. Stables are places where every dimension of life and death is played out: new calves are born, young chickens are nurtured, sick horses are cared for. Stables can also be untidy, even in these days of recycling and repurposing.</p><p>And yet, in the Christmas moment, God transformed a humble stable into the holiest of shrines. In many ways, our lives are like that, filled with all the joy and pain that challenge us to grow and fulfill our dreams. The Christ born in Bethlehem came to bring light and life and love to each one of us. And if God could be born in such a place, that same God can be born in us. And that’s what Christmas is all about—God within each one of us. </p><p>Now back to Christmas and the Word became flesh. That reality changed us; we are new creatures; and one day God will transform us into a new kind of spiritual embodiment. Christmas means not simply God in Bethlehem centuries ago, but God within us. We carry within ourselves Emmanuel, God with us. How? Initially by virtue of the life-giving waters of baptism. For we are by grace what Jesus Christ is by nature: sons and daughters of God our Father, heirs to the kingdom of God.</p><p>Here in every mass, we encounter the living Christ, gloriously alive, in the mystery of the word, and in the mystery of the sacrament where the bread and wine become the real presence of the living Christ. </p><p>And that great truth of our faith, God within us, ought to challenge us always to be a good finder: someone who looks for the good in themselves, in other people and in every situation. And who is the ultimate good-finder? God so loved us that he became one of us in Jesus of Nazareth. Yes, this Jesus had a unique relationship with the God of ancient Israel. He is one with God; a God-man. A healer, a teacher, a peacemaker. Think of all the people in the Gospels that Jesus met. Jesus found goodness in all of them, where many people didn’t see it. The promised Messiah has come, He is in our midst sacramentally and mystically now, and He will come again in glory at the end-time. </p><p>In the meantime, we are called to be the hands and feet and eyes and ears of Jesus. And so what better season to mend a quarrel, search out a forgotten friend, lend a helping hand to someone in need, encourage someone who has lost faith,keep a promise, forget an old grudge, renew hope in someone with a word of encouragement, fight for a principle, express our gratitude, overcome an old fear, take a few minutes to appreciate nature’s beauty, tell someone you love them, and tell them again and again. Then will we truly help usher in the kingdom of God until Jesus Christ comes with great and power to transform this universe into a “new heaven and a new earth.”. Amen!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>afranciscanjourney.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01732130412891070866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210866014058368207.post-27597630458274356582023-12-24T08:47:00.002-05:002023-12-26T15:14:38.636-05:00Fourth Sunday of Advent<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCfw-AvKFvfeM1YZlYys92_j6DHohIoL9_h_OU490xTKnEyoeO1jr39m0y7UuoIUPWdjd0qlV5Nztt-f0pHX5N855OyA3BIy7OPpgkm-KWsQi74stfo-Eq0NpMH-2ZLfH44tYGtWBohmtKbZ4TLHUCKvGnEL17SY81rVCkPJTx0ZH-Ex55hP5Lasfg6Sgb/s800/The-Annunciation.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="800" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCfw-AvKFvfeM1YZlYys92_j6DHohIoL9_h_OU490xTKnEyoeO1jr39m0y7UuoIUPWdjd0qlV5Nztt-f0pHX5N855OyA3BIy7OPpgkm-KWsQi74stfo-Eq0NpMH-2ZLfH44tYGtWBohmtKbZ4TLHUCKvGnEL17SY81rVCkPJTx0ZH-Ex55hP5Lasfg6Sgb/s320/The-Annunciation.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br />During these holidays, we hear forecasts about the challenges in 2024. Our ancestors faced similar challenges. The Roman statesman Cicero wrote in 55 BC: “The…budget must be balanced.” Cicero would be shocked at the size of our national debt. And Livy, a historian in the 1st century AD, objected to the moral rot and slipping standards of conduct in society. So the biblical maxim rings true: there seems to be not much new under the sun. <p></p><p>Yet this is a festive time of year. Children get excited about the arrival of Santa Claus. Streets burst with lights. Smiles and greetings of good will abound. Stores and online circuits are loaded with shoppers. Across this great land, families gather to celebrate this holy season in their own special ways. </p><p>Symbols of this season can invite us to carry forth the true meaning of Christmas as we prepare to welcome and worship the Christ child.</p><p>A TREE: the green symbolizes hope. Trust in God’s unconditional love for us despite challenges. The needles on the tree point heavenward; think about the presence of God as we go through our daily routine. </p><p>AN ANGEL: angels sang the glorious news of the Savior’s birth; seek and share the good in ourselves, in others, in every situation in life. </p><p>A STAR: the star symbolizes the fulfillment of God’s promise of a Messiah; keep our promises so that we can build relationships of trust.</p><p>A CANDLE: the candle symbolizes Jesus Christ, the light of the world. Jesus scatters the darkness; as we go about our daily lives and challenges, we might occasionally ask ourselves: What would Jesus do in this or that circumstance?</p><p>SANTA: the word meaning "Saint" symbolizes a good person. Be big-hearted: generous with the gifts God has given us.</p><p>These symbols and more can invite us to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas, worshipping the Christ-child, Emmanuel, God-with-us.</p><p>The Word of God carries us back three thousand years, to the days of King David in Jerusalem. His life in many ways resembled a soap opera: a man of virtue and vice. David wants to build a temple for the ark of the covenant: a symbol of God’s presence. The prophet Samuel notes that everything David has is a gift from God. After all, David once herded sheep; and now he’s a king.Then the prophet proclaims that God will build a house for David: a dynasty that will endure forever, an heir, an allusion to the Messiah. The author challenges us, as he challenged David, to thank God for all we have.</p><p>St. Paul in his letter to the Christian community in Rome sings a hymn of praise. Paul, a devout Jew, says that God’s special favor (i.e. Jesus Christ) has come thru ancient Israel to all people, Jew as well as Gentile. And to God alone we owe worship. <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Paul prompts us to recognize who we are: fragile, mortal creatures in the presence of an awesome God; accountable to God for what we do.</p><p>In the Gospel, we have the annunciation scene. Picture it. Somehow, the power of God broke into the life of Mary -- like a station break -- asking Mary to believe that she would bear within herself a special child. Mary was so tuned in to God's presence, she said simply: be it done to me as you say.</p><p>That's easy to say when things go our way; but not so easy when what is happening is the opposite of our plans. Perhaps something we wanted but won’t have. Perhaps a broken relationship, an unexpected illness. Such turns in life can test our trust in God. </p><p>Mary’s “Yes” with such deep faith gave us the Christmas story: the world’s greatest love story. That story, as it has come down to us, tells of a baby in a trough. It tells of a mother holding her child in her arms as her husband Joseph stays near. Angels singing; shepherds running over the hillside to tell the child how much they loved him. Yes, a star guiding wise magi over the wilderness and onto their knees to worship.</p><p>Centuries ago, St. John summed up this story in a single line: “the Word became flesh.” <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Yes, John wrote for us: In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. Thru him all things came to be and apart from him nothing came to be.He was the light that shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it. And the word became flesh and made its dwelling among us.</p><p>Christmas means not simply God in Bethlehem centuries ago, but God within us. We bear within ourselves Emmanuel, God with us, by virtue of baptism. Wherever we gather together in his name: before the Word of God and around the Table of the Lord, the altar, God is there with us.</p><p>St. Paul summed up magnificently who we are: we are by grace what Jesus is by nature: sons and daughters of God our Father. </p><p>That is God’s gift to us. We are like God. One day we shall see God as God is.</p><p>But until then, until Jesus comes again in great glory at the end-time, we are called to be missionary disciples of Jesus, bringing the good news to others, doing all the good we can, to all the people we can:helping those who doubt to find faith;</p><p>those who despair to find hope;</p><p>those who are sad or angry to find joy; </p><p>those who are sick to find health; and</p><p>those who are weary to courageously live the Gospel.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>afranciscanjourney.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01732130412891070866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210866014058368207.post-56866375928727954622023-12-03T08:40:00.006-05:002023-12-03T16:57:58.312-05:00First Sunday of Advent<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbAfQpO0X5vIXD7p0G_x-FrUD29Y3jqtTOj4JtDYXZchO5AuUr-YbXh7wrsyZMYzwv04VOqdp8clDk48OcZwB3gGbcspahx54gExctPNLhZbcVanf37CblK3MNGEbtR_IBkKbpuhYxQUajpZz98TVcoZuCGnrIXKyHpKl2qfx3Xjv0WWUBv_z2VAHNC56S/s1500/advent%20wreath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1395" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbAfQpO0X5vIXD7p0G_x-FrUD29Y3jqtTOj4JtDYXZchO5AuUr-YbXh7wrsyZMYzwv04VOqdp8clDk48OcZwB3gGbcspahx54gExctPNLhZbcVanf37CblK3MNGEbtR_IBkKbpuhYxQUajpZz98TVcoZuCGnrIXKyHpKl2qfx3Xjv0WWUBv_z2VAHNC56S/s320/advent%20wreath.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><br /> During the holiday season, we may get in touch with people from way back when. I recently asked an old classmate, “How are you doing?” and he replied: “Pretty well, thanks. But this old house in which I’m living is becoming almost uninhabitable and I think soon I will have to move out of it. Otherwise I'm doing well.”<p></p><p>I like the image: his body is in decline but he himself is doing well. Now I can empathize with that?</p><p>Yes, one day we will have to “move out” of our earthly bodies but happily we have another home to move into: our heavenly dwelling place.</p><p>The holiday season is here -- Advent, Hanukkah which begins Thursday, and Christmas which Christians celebrate soon after. During this blessed time, many people search anew for the secret to happiness. Someone wrote that all it takes is to do the following: forgive, apologize; listen for good advice; check your temper; share the blame; make the best of every situation (perfect endings are rare); and put the needs of others before our own.</p><p>My advice: practice as many of those “secrets” as we can, and we’ll have a more positive outlook. That’s what Advent is about: hope in the future. Science shows that hope can heal. Hope releases endorphins that can relieve pain and ease stress. Hope increases longevity...hope for a glorious future!</p><p>So, we pray during the Advent season: Come, Lord Jesus (that's the so-called “maranatha prayer” in the Book of Revelation). Transfigure us into new creatures; and re-create this universe into a “new heaven and a new earth.” </p><p>To celebrate Advent, some families create a wreath with four candles, and pray in their own words for the coming anew of the Messiah into their own lives. Others make a Jesse or genealogy tree to trace the history of our salvation in the bible. Still others set up a Nativity scene and invite family members to take turns telling the meaning of Christmas or God-with-us, Emmanuel. These are but a few traditions that can help us keep alive the meaning of Advent as the prelude to Christmas.</p><p>The word of God takes us back in our imaginations to the sixth century before Jesus to a man named Third-Isaiah. The author acknowledges how the Hebrews often broke their covenant with God through their many infidelities. He describes who they really are—mere clay in the imaginative hands of God, their maker. </p><p>The author then prays that God will reappear to the Hebrews now, as he did at Mount Sinai centuries before, and will find them doing good. That prayer might well be ours!</p><p>Saint Paul, in his letter to the Christians in Corinth in Greece, prays that God will bestow his gifts of grace and peace upon their community. And as they wait for the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ, Paul prays that God will help them stay the course. Surely Paul’s prayer is ours as well.</p><p>In the Gospel, the author challenges us to always be alert and watchful for the Lord’s coming. Yes, always live a life worthy of our calling as sons and daughters of God, our Father.</p><p>The Advent season is about waiting. We do plenty of waiting, don’t we? We wait on the phone. We wait in an office or a store. We wait in airports. In the bible, the Hebrews did a different kind of waiting. They often waited for the Messiah to rescue them from their hardships, from the follies of their kings, from their exile, from their sufferings. </p><p>We, too, often pray to God to rescue us from a crisis of one kind or another. We beg God to suddenly appear and make things right for us. Some would say that this is the story of everyone. Where was God when a loved one was in harm’s way? Or when we got worrisome news? No earthly answers can satisfy us. Yes, we pray for God to rescue us. And yet God can seem so silent, hidden. But is that so?</p><p>We profess that God is indeed in our midst. Not in a manger. That happened centuries ago in Bethlehem. But where is God today? Within us, all around us! In nature, in a sunrise and a sunset, a landscape and a waterscape, in people, and even in our beloved pets. </p><p>God is with us as we ache with growing pains and as we groan in prayer. He is especially with us at mass within the Word proclaimed and the Eucharist celebrated where we sacramentally encounter the living Christ.</p><p>Saint Paul wrote that God’s favor, God’s grace has been revealed to us in Jesus. And so, we wait and sing, “O Come, Emmanuel,” God with us. God transformed the earthly Jesus into a new heavenly reality and one day He will transform us as well, but until then we are called to continue the saving work of Jesus Christ.</p><p>Let us pray as we begin this Advent season that the Spirit of God, who overshadowed the Virgin Mary and brought forth the Word made flesh, will reenergize us to become more pleasing for God: better instruments of faith in God, of hope in eternal life, and of love for one another. Let us pray in particular for the grace to become better channels of forgiveness and compassion and service to one another until Jesus Christ comes again in glory at the end-time. Amen.\</p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><div><br /></div>afranciscanjourney.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01732130412891070866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210866014058368207.post-46969670052185867802023-11-26T16:33:00.002-05:002023-11-27T16:04:24.941-05:00Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Baie1dxU02rOyZBL9Py2CZVmibeDkS8KCTndIykL-gXq8MFupokojL8R_zAYGTBgKZSGkOGsw4ocEMuufnY741f8h_hjB2j0HuyGkzYj0_XIrBlRAd9MQxjK4Yea1Gf86YoL7lttXpriCXhM9hz5kfcTd5K-rywCixi8_8y6mlkHkKnZrpHeV9k3IV-D/s1200/Jan_Henryk_Rosen,_Christ_Pantocrator,_Washington,_DC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="1200" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Baie1dxU02rOyZBL9Py2CZVmibeDkS8KCTndIykL-gXq8MFupokojL8R_zAYGTBgKZSGkOGsw4ocEMuufnY741f8h_hjB2j0HuyGkzYj0_XIrBlRAd9MQxjK4Yea1Gf86YoL7lttXpriCXhM9hz5kfcTd5K-rywCixi8_8y6mlkHkKnZrpHeV9k3IV-D/s320/Jan_Henryk_Rosen,_Christ_Pantocrator,_Washington,_DC.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />I hope everyone had an enjoyable thanksgiving!<p></p><p> Today we celebrate the feast of Christ the King which closes the liturgical year. As we enter the final week in ordinary time, approaching the Advent and Christmas season, I feel optimistic. </p><p>There's an anecdote about parents who had twins, one always optimistic, the other pessimistic. The parents went to a psychologist to better understand these personalities. The psychologist recommended this: for their birthday, buy the pessimist the best bicycle you can find; and for the optimist, go to a horse stable and gather into a gift box “stuff” from the stable floor.</p><p>When the twins opened their gifts, the pessimist began to whine about the bicycle color and lack of gadgets. Meanwhile, the optimist ripped open his box and gleefully giggled. “There’s gotta be a pony here somewhere!” The moral of the story: be an optimist. Look for the good.</p><p>Yes, during the liturgical year, the history of our salvation begins with hope for a Messiah in Advent; then moves to the Messiah's birth at Christmas; after that, to the dying and rising of Jesus Christ at Easter; and finally, after ordinary time, the second coming of Christ in glory in today’s Gospel.</p><p>The word of God carries us back to the sixth century before Jesus. Ezekiel here criticizes the kings of Israel as wicked, false shepherds, and describes the Hebrews as lost, injured, sick. The author wonders whether there is a Power beyond us who can set things right. </p><p>Our Christian heritage says Jesus of Nazareth is that Power, once dead and now alive, who seeks the lost, cares for the injured and heals the sick. Yes, Jesus Christ is the One who re-establishes our relationship with God and our fellow human beings.</p><p>St. Paul in his letter to the Christian community at Corinth speaks about life and death, good and evil, and the triumphant return of Jesus. Then the Son will hand over the kingdom to his heavenly Father. </p><p>Meantime, we are called to be co-workers with God in ushering in that kingdom. We are called upon to build here and now a social order founded upon truth, justice, love and freedom.</p><p>The Gospel describes the final round-up in the parable about judgment. How will God judge us? By how we treat people. In people, we encounter God. Love of God is inseparable from love of our fellow human beings.</p><p>Many people still cry out for freedom from systems that dehumanize them. These crises are as painful today as in the times of the British-American activist Thomas Paine, who wrote: "...we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph." That's optimism.</p><p>Yes, people yearn for a livable, viable social order built upon truth, justice, love and freedom.</p><p>Truth is powerful in our Christian heritage. What we say ought to be in sync with what is. Yes, truth is essential in a good social order, and in all our relationships. </p><p>Justice is a second powerful element. Give everyone his or her due. To treat others unfairly, to refuse another what is his or her due, is an injustice.</p><p>A third powerful word in the Christian heritage is love. Love recognizes that every human being is made in the image of God. Love compels us to go out to others and in reaching out, we reach up to the Other, God Himself. Unfortunately, many limit their love—to their “own kind.” Yet, sharing God's unconditional love is essential to become the best version of oneself.</p><p>Freedom is also powerful if we use our freedom well. God became one of us in Jesus to free us from all that keeps us from a relationship with God, one another and the universe. To be freed from is one side of the coin. St. Paul wrote to the Galatians, “You were called to freedom...to be servants.” Yes, we are free so we can serve.</p><p>All around us are people with hungers: for bread, for peace, for justice. Only a social order based upon truth, justice, love and freedom can satisfy these hungers. Such a social order frees us to become the best version of ourselves. Often we would like to help someone, but it seems to come at a bad time for us. Yet, putting aside our inconvenience -- being free to compassionately help someone else in need -- is holiness: discipleship.</p><p>Christ, the Shepherd-King, calls us to realize that among the many blessings we have from God is the gift to share what we have with others.</p><p>And in doing so, we become co-workers with God in building up His kingdom. May we be truly thankful for that opportunity. Amen.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>afranciscanjourney.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01732130412891070866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210866014058368207.post-14192622716594218882023-11-12T11:22:00.001-05:002023-11-12T11:22:37.217-05:00Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfJkY9-7YQWFA_oM1qBg6s4jV9EG-UevcMWdvR1hT4AGz2piqINwFp2W_HMzTTZOcv76dG7Vt_uw43QkxlSY2QXORPHwjl6ZtjZqOUaZOlJTpsnBEuF_CAr05Se1Za76uEFd5lR9pPibNallvkP-H980ed1oCmEyuRkIGkruDI58sj-AO3WR6HwcO2hRT/s750/lamp.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="750" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfJkY9-7YQWFA_oM1qBg6s4jV9EG-UevcMWdvR1hT4AGz2piqINwFp2W_HMzTTZOcv76dG7Vt_uw43QkxlSY2QXORPHwjl6ZtjZqOUaZOlJTpsnBEuF_CAr05Se1Za76uEFd5lR9pPibNallvkP-H980ed1oCmEyuRkIGkruDI58sj-AO3WR6HwcO2hRT/s320/lamp.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br />At the 11th hour on the 11th day in the 11th month in 1918, WWI ended. That date each year became Veterans Day. On November 11 we honor US military veterans: more than 41 million men and women over the course of the nation's history. I invite our veterans here to stand for our applause. Thank you for your service to our country.<p></p><p>More and more people are depending on high tech hearing aids. I heard about a ninety-year old grandfather, almost deaf, who without telling his family bought these hearing aids; they worked perfectly. When he went back for a check-up, the audiologist said, “I bet your family was happy when they discovered you can hear so well.” The man replied,” I haven’t told them yet. I listen to what they’re saying about me. I’ve already changed my will three times.” Moral of the story: be careful what you say, even if you think no one hears.</p><p>So what does the word of God say to us? In today’s passage from the Book of Wisdom, the author personified wisdom as a woman; and wisdom is one with God. The author challenges us to seek true wisdom: a right relationship with God and with our fellow human beings. The living Christ, for the Christian, is the source of all wisdom.</p><p>Saint Paul in his letter to the Christian community at Thessaloniki in Greece speaks about the triumphant return of Jesus at the end-time. Paul writes that the resurrection of Jesus is the guarantee of our own resurrection. Yes, good ultimately will triumph with the transformation of our universe into a new heaven and a new earth. </p><p><span style="white-space: normal;">In the Gospel, Jesus tells a story about us preparing to meet God in the mystery of death. The “oil” is our good works; the “absence of oil,” the lack of good works. Seize every opportunity to do good now. Life is short; don’t “let time run out.” “Be prepared” is an everyday Christian motto.</span></p><p>So are we ready to meet God? If not today, when. We know that there are some things we can do to delay death. We can exercise and eat the right foods. We can stop smoking, and so on. But there’s a basic truth: there’s an appointed time for everything, a time to be born and a time to die. </p><p>As people of faith, we know that the God who gave us life will transform our earthly self in death into a new glorious heavenly self. The question is, what do we have to do today to be ready? </p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;">New medical technologies are able to lengthen our years. But the underlying question is, “Will life be worth living?” To many of us, increased lifespan is of little value unless we can live a life of quality. </span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;">A surgeon, Atul Gawande, wrote a bestseller titled Being Mortal. It's a narrative about the care and treatment of the elderly and the dying. The surgeon questions whether employing technologies at the expense of a quality life is the right thing to do. The question becomes when to “let go,” when to stop treatments that likely don’t work. Gawande asks, why submit the dying to a full panoply of procedures only to see them merely exist in institutions and lose their independence. </span></p><p>After all, birth and death are both integral to life. Gawande finds most people appreciate being involved in living and dying as well as possible.</p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;">God has created us for one purpose: to live in a relationship with the triune God forever. Saint Augustine wrote, “God, you have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” Yes, no matter who we are or what we do, that’s our purpose. That's what makes life worth living.</span></p><p>Many people try to find meaning in money, pleasure, fame. But these pursuits turn up empty handed. For Saint Paul, a life worth living is knowing Jesus Christ “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom.” Paul’s desire was for Christ to be magnified in his body, “whether by life or by death.” </p><p><span style="white-space: normal;">Though Paul longed to be with Christ, he wanted to stay alive because that meant “fruitful labor.” Paul seized every opportunity to spread the gospel, the good news. So too should we.</span></p><p>We are called to be missionary disciples of Jesus, to make our lives worth living especially by living the gospel with courage. </p><p>Yes, many times, the first question we have to ask ourselves is, “What is the right thing to do?” And just do it. </p><p>Then our “lamps” will be filled with the oil of good works so that God will welcome us in the mystery of our death into his heavenly banquet forever.</p><div><br /></div>afranciscanjourney.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01732130412891070866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210866014058368207.post-55592715496402682252023-11-05T16:57:00.001-05:002023-11-05T17:08:35.296-05:00Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCe95sHsA6OUXdyjhrNDuw518tXmnZkWpR80Tg2KtXL7AQjqGcEM4BGHgmI7vnN_lPAOMMJ0Tj9wAh4BkPGa0LACLsNgmERQ6Bm74KT4TAhT5xYjXjxKw4zkMUcUMTbLW0veu5_BMmLEgCV_i0YTRRqR0pXw93bEV6weeg4JeMZ2cfWEvPGEpgyGHsAXDJ/s216/Bible.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="144" data-original-width="216" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCe95sHsA6OUXdyjhrNDuw518tXmnZkWpR80Tg2KtXL7AQjqGcEM4BGHgmI7vnN_lPAOMMJ0Tj9wAh4BkPGa0LACLsNgmERQ6Bm74KT4TAhT5xYjXjxKw4zkMUcUMTbLW0veu5_BMmLEgCV_i0YTRRqR0pXw93bEV6weeg4JeMZ2cfWEvPGEpgyGHsAXDJ/s1600/Bible.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><br /> Jesus met all sorts of people, shared their dreams and despairs, dined and drank with them.<p></p><p>I think of a story about two teaching nuns shopping at a market on a hot day. Seeing the beer cooler, one nun said, “Wouldn’t a cool beer be refreshing?” The second replied, “Indeed, but should we be seen buying beer?” The other said, “I can handle it,” picking up a six-pack and heading to the checkout.</p><p>The nun explained to the cashier, “We use beer for washing our hair.”</p><p>Without blinking, the cashier placed a bag of pretzels with the beer, looked the nun in the eye, and said: “Pretzels to set your hair when you wash it with beer.” Now that’s a witty response.</p><p>In the book of Malachi, the author conveys his unhappiness with the religious leadership of Israel in the fifth century BC. Yes, the author acknowledges that they have rebuilt the temple, but scolds them for careless worship. </p><p>Malachi may challenge us to ask, what is true leadership? All of us are called to lead at different points in life: as professionals, business people, parents, citizens, volunteers. For me, leadership is about three Cs, character, courage to achieve something worthwhile, and a “can do” attitude.</p><p>The three Cs -- Character or integrity! Courage! “Can do” attitude -- will make the difference for the better.</p><p>St. Paul in his letter speaks about his fondness for the Christian community at Thessaloniki in Greece. Paul urges them to let the word of God be a guide to life, a message of hope.</p><p>In the Gospel, Jesus condemns the scribes and Pharisees because they say one thing and do another. They make impossible demands on ordinary people. Worse, they do everything for show, and want people to address them with titles. But Jesus says there is only one teacher: Jesus; and only one Father, God. Jesus then concludes: serve one another. Be the eyes and ears and voice and hands and feet of Jesus Christ to other people.</p><p>Paul's reminder that God speaks to us in the Bible caught my ear. Did you ever wonder if God is speaking to you? He does! The inspired word of God, the Bible, is a two-way conversation between God and us. </p><p>God authored the Bible in the sense that the Bible includes what God wants us to know about God, the universe and ourselves. But the human authors of the Bible were real authors. They employed the language, images, genres and worldviews they knew to communicate religious truths.</p><p>The Bible is not one book but a library: of prose and poetry, fiction and history, myths and legends, narratives and short stories, genealogies and sermons, parables and letters, songs and codes of law, blessings and admonitions, proverbial sayings and prophetic visions. In fact, the Bible was written over fifteen hundred years by at least forty authors. </p><p>The Bible ultimately is about Jesus. Paul informed Timothy that the sacred scriptures hold “wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” </p><p>Paul spoke to a society not unlike our own. People, Paul wrote, are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, crude, ruthless, bloated windbags and addicted to lust. But the followers of Christ are called to be different. “Remain faithful,” Paul writes, “to what you have learned and believed.” </p><p>The temptation is to place trust in money, education, job, health, family or friends. Nothing wrong with these things, but ultimately there is only one absolutely secure place to put our trust: in Jesus. He loves us unconditionally, and asks that we not only hear God's word but put God's word into practice.</p><p>Our spiritual appetite can only be satisfied in a relationship with God. And that's what Jesus made a reality through his death and resurrection.</p><p>Our global Catholic community is a biblical community of disciples in the sense that it acknowledges and proclaims the Bible as the word of God in human form. The scriptures point to Jesus as the definitive revelation of God to us. Yes, everything God wanted to do for us or say to us, God did and said in Jesus.</p><p>The Church Universal as a community of disciples is the instrument of the Spirit who guides us along the journey to eternal life: in the light of new challenges in new generations.</p><p>I conclude with a story about the great Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky. He was a wild young man, caught up in a movement for reform during the repressive reign of Tsar Nicholas I. Fyodor was condemned to be executed. As the prison guards took aim, a white flag was raised to announce that the Tsar had commuted his sentence to life imprisonment in Siberia.</p><p>In prison, Dostoyevsky read the New Testament from cover to cover and learned much of it by heart. He wrote, “I believe that there is no one...else like Jesus.” Yes, through the Bible, Dostoyevsky encountered the living Christ. </p><p>May we also encounter the living Christ through the word of God, the Bible.</p><div><br /></div>afranciscanjourney.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01732130412891070866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210866014058368207.post-68655634268852024062023-10-31T11:44:00.007-04:002023-10-31T11:50:51.511-04:00Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjPOw5JOV0GL8Ac9OeV6S4bVc3cIZv1vJsKomnSIp-vODONOHgxjuBZfjpTVWCqB-1yb9HAB-WUM9av8bApjvfkxDTAMNHy8nqlA4mIT-gGrEvn5LZCvkt88I7R6MXEmAlmdJ0E0fB-HVAMSKx7XKkvSl7CQZrsP_5_bGXS2S_Gv37QeoZYfS2tz-WFdC/s600/Good%20Samaritan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="478" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjPOw5JOV0GL8Ac9OeV6S4bVc3cIZv1vJsKomnSIp-vODONOHgxjuBZfjpTVWCqB-1yb9HAB-WUM9av8bApjvfkxDTAMNHy8nqlA4mIT-gGrEvn5LZCvkt88I7R6MXEmAlmdJ0E0fB-HVAMSKx7XKkvSl7CQZrsP_5_bGXS2S_Gv37QeoZYfS2tz-WFdC/s320/Good%20Samaritan.jpg" width="255" /></a></div><br />Halloween is upon us. If your children or grandchildren go trick or treating, be sure they have a fun and safe time. <p></p><p>The scriptures often highlight arguments between Jesus and the religious leaders of Judaism. I heard a story about a couple arguing about what kind of car they should buy. The husband wanted a flashy sports car. After much back and forth with his wife, who wanted something practical, he finally groaned, “My birthday’s coming. I want something that goes from 0 to 200 in four seconds or less!” So, the wife bought him a bathroom scale. That didn’t go over well.</p><p>The word of God brings us back to the thirteenth century before Jesus, to the covenant God renewed with the Hebrews on Mount Sinai after he freed them from their oppressors in Egypt. The author proclaims that the covenant is meaningless if the Hebrews do not treat people compassionately. This challenges us to be compassionate, especially to the vulnerable.</p><p>In the second reading, Paul praises the Christians of Thessaloniki in Greece. Despite all kinds of hardships, they continue as faithful disciples of Jesus. Paul may be asking whether we are examples of faithfulness to God and our responsibilities. </p><p>In the Gospel, Pharisees like aggressive reporters surround Jesus. A clever lawyer tries to stump Jesus: which is the great commandment in the law? A tricky question. Why? Because the law had 613 do’s and don’ts. Jesus answers simply by reciting the daily Jewish prayer, the “Shema” (“Hear!”): You shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. </p><p>Then Jesus startles the questioners by adding love of neighbor. Yes, we love God to the extent we love our fellow human beings. </p><p>We often judge people by appearances. How they dress? Look? Talk? Here's a legend: In the 1880s an ordinary-looking couple went to see the president of Harvard University. Their only son had died from typhoid fever and they wanted to memorialize him with a building. The president said dismissively, “Do you know how much a building costs? $10 million?” He wished them well and they departed. The wife assessed, “Is that all it costs to start a college: $10 million a building.” Mr. and Mrs. Stanford went back to California to found Stanford University in memory of their only child.</p><p>Yes, behind “appearances” are some surprising things. To be a disciple of Jesus is, first of all, to see the likeness of God in our fellow humans. Matthew 25 connects love of God with love of our neighbor: “when I was hungry, when I was thirsty” you did something. We can’t say we love God and yet neglect our fellow human beings.</p><p>Sometimes we get a "wake-up call." Alfred Nobel's brother Ludvig died in 1888. A newspaper published in error an obituary on Alfred, a weapons manufacturer. The headline read “The merchant of death is dead.” Alfred was devastated and determined he would not be remembered this way! He assigned the bulk of his estate to establish the Nobel prizes, for which he is known internationally today.</p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p>We are called to make a difference for the better. Remember “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” The Book of Genesis informs us that young Joseph endured betrayal by his brothers and slavery in Egypt. Yet he trusted in God's unconditional love. Soon the slave became the powerful administrator in the court of the pharaoh, who made Joseph ruler over all he possessed.</p><p>Joseph's faith and forgiveness of his brothers exemplified a life of fruitfulness and compassion.</p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;">Our life too should be immensely fruitful, because the Spirit of God lives within us. We are “temples of the living God,” writes Paul. Just as God dwelt in the Jerusalem temple, so now he dwells in us by his Spirit. The Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. </span></p><p>“Riches” for Paul were the spiritual riches of being in and with Christ. Paul's life continues to enrich many today, especially in his letters. Like Joseph, Paul’s fruitfulness came at a price. He endured “hardships...beatings, imprisonments… slandered… distrusted...having nothing.” </p><p>To act with integrity is to first know who we are, what we stand for, what we believe and what we care most about. Paul recognized that God lives and moves in us. God is our Father and we are his sons and daughters, heirs to God's kingdom. So, our challenge is to make our lives holy temples for God dwelling in us.</p><p>God wants us to be a branch in his vine, producing fruit. The Gospel according to John explains, “Jesus is the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower...Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches.” </p><p>I close with a paraphrase of one of my favorite quotes: We shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that we can do or any kindness that we can show to any human being, let us do it now, let's not defer or neglect it for we shall not pass this way again. With this advice embedded into us, our love of God will shine through our love of our fellow human beings. Amen.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>afranciscanjourney.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01732130412891070866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210866014058368207.post-16145276387147435342023-10-22T07:31:00.002-04:002023-10-22T07:37:58.156-04:00Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (aka World Mission Sunday)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY19vAaynFAEvGFwSIOfTlWAaZkW3M8mrjRoczp3bDp_XeF66F9GBRu4F5OIuVyVhAJiaYz82fCWpKr2asIpJPpaIaDQbZ2wUMCfUmvU-kABQJJ2GB9ilc2cXY0loifFwV5EYn_YXCOT1zRNwqLK1ldymvyiWM_eBLmGvk0n0_x4Ca6m3PcrXGZG7qOJHI/s251/Rodin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="251" data-original-width="201" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY19vAaynFAEvGFwSIOfTlWAaZkW3M8mrjRoczp3bDp_XeF66F9GBRu4F5OIuVyVhAJiaYz82fCWpKr2asIpJPpaIaDQbZ2wUMCfUmvU-kABQJJ2GB9ilc2cXY0loifFwV5EYn_YXCOT1zRNwqLK1ldymvyiWM_eBLmGvk0n0_x4Ca6m3PcrXGZG7qOJHI/s1600/Rodin.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><br />This World Mission Sunday, many people wonder where the world is going. A story about Supreme Court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes came to my mind. The busy judge boarded a train but couldn’t find his ticket. The conductor reassured him, saying “You can send us the ticket after you reach your destination.” Holmes replied, “The problem is not ‘where’s my ticket?’ but ‘where am I going?’” <p></p><p>With so many global conflicts and so much disarray in congress, I am calling on the serenity prayer more often: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference…trusting that God will make all things right.”</p><p>The word of God describes the sixth century before Jesus, when the King of Persia (Iran today) set the Jews free, so they could return to their homeland and rebuild. The author proclaims that there is no God comparable to the God of Israel, who works even through Cyrus of Persia. </p><p>The author here may be asking us: do we recognize the presence of God even in the least likely people and places? The Spirit of God breathes wherever it wills.</p><p>Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians in Greece prays that God will continue to grace them because of their fidelity to the gospel way of life. Christ lives and breathes in the community by the power of the Spirit and strengthens them in their faith, hope and love. </p><p>Paul's prayer is ours: that Christ grace us so that we may be ever faithful.</p><p>In the Gospel, the Jews are prisoners again. They had to pay tax to their oppressors and to use coinage bearing the image of the Roman emperor and ascribimg divine status to him—blasphemy. </p><p>The opponents of Jesus pose a tricky question: should they pay the tax or not? If Jesus says, “Yes,” he'll anger his Jewish followers; if he says, “No,” he'll be liable to death for treason. But Jesus, recognizing his opponents' hypocrisy, answers in a carefully nuanced fashion: if you benefit from Caesar, you ought to pay for the benefits; however, you should give to God what is God's by right. The religious leaders knew what Jesus meant: we are made in God's image, and we are to give ourselves completely to God. </p><p>A proverb from India says that every person is like a house with four rooms – a physical room, a mental room, an emotional room, and a spiritual room. There’s also an intriguing memoir titled A House with Four Rooms: a great kitchen; a library with the best books; a studio for crafts; and a high-tech room.</p><p>Imagine being so focused on one room that it becomes the only room we live in: so immersed in cooking that we never read; so plugged into toys that we never enjoy a dinner; or so engrossed in work that we don’t really connect with people close to us.</p><p>God asks us to allow God’s presence to permeate every dimension of life: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Masters of Christian spirituality say that practicing this is an art. Where better to develop it than in the liturgy. </p><p>Yes, the living Christ is present as we gather in his name. He dwells in each of us, through Baptism and a life of discipleship. Moreover, we are connected through the mystical body of Christ. </p><p>The living Christ invites us to worship our heavenly Father in the songs we sing, the prayers we pray and the sacrament we celebrate. We experience Christ’s presence in the word of God. Yes, listen with open ears and open hearts, because Christ has a word, perhaps a single word, that is meant for each of us, a word that hits home. </p><p>Christ reveals his presence sacramentally in his body and blood. Yes, he offers himself as nourishment: a personal and yet a communal moment in which we are united with Christ through his mystical body worldwide. </p><p>If we experience the presence of the living Christ as we gather to worship, as we listen attentively to the word of God, and as we partake in a communion uniting us to Christ, then we will be able to practice the presence of God more fruitfully in the various “rooms” of our life.</p><p>I conclude with a story about parents tucking their children in at night and asking: “Where did you meet God today?” The children reply: a teacher helped me; I held the door for someone; I saw a garden with lots of flowers. The parents say where they met God too. The stuff of the day becomes the substance of family prayer.</p><p><span style="white-space: normal;">May we be ever more open to the presence of God and may God's presence permeate every dimension of our lives.</span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p>afranciscanjourney.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01732130412891070866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210866014058368207.post-71474081382558341302023-10-15T15:01:00.003-04:002023-10-15T15:12:23.512-04:00Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtABrU3cCaXwZ5lfTeoXjbQeozt-ATlwbecg5hFv713arEi87nvPRs5eMMul452gQ4tIrowsIaFV9zHIbJk_n6Alcw9X1D0hNc1WgdyDR1QfdfH5bGu_GeSGVp16OtEguiZntfnbi3lTPbYwgaiNuyRD84TPhjqW6GN8fnMM4MtcBCb2y_7gErGjjmg8sr/s445/Last%20Supper.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="445" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtABrU3cCaXwZ5lfTeoXjbQeozt-ATlwbecg5hFv713arEi87nvPRs5eMMul452gQ4tIrowsIaFV9zHIbJk_n6Alcw9X1D0hNc1WgdyDR1QfdfH5bGu_GeSGVp16OtEguiZntfnbi3lTPbYwgaiNuyRD84TPhjqW6GN8fnMM4MtcBCb2y_7gErGjjmg8sr/s320/Last%20Supper.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /> Some people seem to be “on edge” these days. I even read about a feud between a preacher and a music director.<p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The preacher challenged his congregation to go forth in service. The music director put forth the hymn “I Shall Not Be Moved.”</p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Next, the subject was giving. The musical response: “Jesus Paid It All.” And so it went, zinger after zinger. The preacher finally said Jesus led him here but now was calling him elsewhere. The musical reply was “What A Friend We Have in Jesus!” Yes, don’t mess with the music director.</span></p><p><span> </span><span> </span>Seriously, some people wonder about global conflicts, the economy, how things will evolve. These concerns are not new, as the word of God reminds us.</p><p><span> </span><span> </span>First, we go up to a mountaintop. Mountaintops in the bible symbolize God’s presence. Think Sinai, Zion, Tabor. The centuries-ago author of this section of Isaiah writes poetically about a future in which God gathers all people together for a banquet. Choice wines, delicious foods. It's like a party with God. It's a vision of salvation: no more death, no more grief. </p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Isaiah may be asking us: what is our vision? If it's living in God's presence forever, what are we doing now to make that vision a reality? This calls for a careful look at today's realities. </p><p><span> </span><span> </span>Paul in his letter to the Christian community at Philippi in Greece describes his life: sometimes he has plenty; other times, not enough. So be it! What matters most is preaching the good news that Jesus Christ is alive, and because he lives, we live. </p><p><span> </span><span> </span>Paul writes that he can do all things through the God who lives within him, who loves him unconditionally. Paul may be asking us: do we trust in God's love for us, especially when things don’t seem to be going our way.</p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In the Gospel, Jesus tells a parable about a king who invites his so-called friends to a banquet. They decline for one reason or another. So, the king says: forget these fair-weather friends, and go out into the streets and invite whomever you find. </p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>God invites to the banquet of eternal life all people in a right relationship with God. As Pope Francis writes in his letter “Fratelli Tutti” (brothers and sisters all), Jesus asks us that we “become neighbors to all,” and not simply decide who is our neighbor.</p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p><span> </span><span> </span>“Food for thought.” It's amazing how a meal can bring people together. Think of the wonderful things that often take place at our tables: important transitions, birthdays, graduations, etc.</p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>You may have seen the classic movie “Babette's Feast.” It was an academy award winner. It's also a favorite film of Pope Francis.</p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Babette, a French chef, finds herself in a small town where people are austere, judgmental, afraid to enjoy anything or anyone. Babette unexpectedly wins a lottery and spends all her winnings to prepare a huge, delectable feast for the townspeople. As they begin to taste and enjoy the meal, they start to communicate good-naturedly. They even dance! The meal transforms them into warm-hearted human beings.</p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Babette models self-giving, and elicits joy in people, a foretaste of heaven. The toast at the end captures why, I think, Pope Francis likes the movie. Here's a paraphrase:“There comes a time when your eyes are opened. And we come to realize…that mercy is infinite. We need only await it with confidence…and receive it with gratitude.”<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p><span> </span><span> </span>As I reflected upon “Babette's Feast” I thought about relationships, especially family relationships. </p><p> <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Happy families have a good, solid sense of togetherness. They care about one another. They keep in touch; they’re hospitable, concerned about elderly relatives and youngsters. </p><p><span> </span><span> </span>Families celebrate milestones together, like baptisms, birthdays, confirmations, graduations, marriages and anniversaries. They take responsibility for chores; they spend time together and set times to eat together where they share good news as well as not so good. They keep their word, and thereby build up trust in their relationships.</p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>And they know how to distinguish behavior from judgments about a person. They avoid negative "name-calling." Finally, we may simply agree to disagree about an issue. That's okay if it keeps us together.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p><span> </span><span> </span>The following recipe will help sustain ourselves and our relationships:</p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Think…it's the source of power. </p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Read…it's the fountain of wisdom. </span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Pray…it's the greatest power on earth. </span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Love and be loved…it's a God-given privilege. </span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Laugh…it’s the muse of the soul. </span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Work...it's the price of success. </span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>And do good for others…it's the road to happiness and the </span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>key to the heavenly banquet.</span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Amen! </p><p><br /></p>afranciscanjourney.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01732130412891070866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210866014058368207.post-30846975696901038992023-10-08T08:38:00.001-04:002023-10-08T08:45:47.406-04:00Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwuIuc9rwUThfBxcqI4rfYOBLdfBNUGmqi7V89enw4vlMevfxQyFIISDQeltGXmIqVz34ksFqYO3xy4-Vq2aG1bv1T3MOCRZ86PXWU3uAZ4qwbFIFrAm0z2UmTMixmvux3qXS6Ju9thQJCYMBttBZ5zcpPEsnaAMMP95xkmzvTRQ-fSgKjXTJrGlx8-WcK/s311/Da%20vinci.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="162" data-original-width="311" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwuIuc9rwUThfBxcqI4rfYOBLdfBNUGmqi7V89enw4vlMevfxQyFIISDQeltGXmIqVz34ksFqYO3xy4-Vq2aG1bv1T3MOCRZ86PXWU3uAZ4qwbFIFrAm0z2UmTMixmvux3qXS6Ju9thQJCYMBttBZ5zcpPEsnaAMMP95xkmzvTRQ-fSgKjXTJrGlx8-WcK/s1600/Da%20vinci.jpg" width="311" /></a></div><br /> Tomorrow, we celebrate Columbus Day. Columbus with his 15th century map calculated that if the world is round, you can reach the east by sailing west. Advisors convinced Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain to finance a journey. The rest is history. <p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Columbus wrote that he and his 1492 crew were warmly welcomed and nourished by people in the Caribbean. He referred to them as "Indians" because his original destination was the Far East: India. So, it is right to acknowledge the explorer and the indigenous peoples who expanded our horizons.</p><p><span> </span><span> </span>The word of God carries us back to the eighth century before Jesus. Isaiah tells an allegory about a vineyard. It's a lover's lament. The owner is God; the vineyard is the Jewish people, the bearers of God's revelation; and the wild or bad grapes are their infidelities. Isaiah may be asking us: how faithful are we to our commitments? Are we trying to do right by God? </p><p> <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Paul in his letter to the Christian community at Philippi in Greece challenges us not to be anxious but to make our needs known to God in prayer. Paul then urges us to focus on what is honorable and true and good. Good advice! </p><p> <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In the Gospel, Jesus tells a parable reminiscent of Isaiah’s. God is still the owner of the vineyard; the Jewish people are the vineyard; and the tenants are the religious leaders. The message is simple: they who try to do the right thing, who live a God-centered life, will inherit the kingdom of God. </p><p> <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Many of us carry the burden of worry throughout our lives. We forget that Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are...burdened, and I will give you rest.” </p><p> A book titled Affluenza indicated that almost a quarter of people in Britain suffer serious emotional distress, such as depression and anxiety, and another quarter are on the verge thereof. Are we Americans also in a bad way?</p><p> Jesus invites us to commit to him the burden of our fears, worries and anxieties. Jesus bears our burdens because he cares for us.</p><p> We carry other types of burdens as well. The apostle Peter realized, as most of us do from time to time, that he had failed Jesus. A sense of failure can be a great burden. But with Jesus, failure is never final. Jesus took the burden, forgave Peter, reinstated him and used him powerfully.</p><p> <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>An injustice done to us can be a burden. One of the many things that Jesus had to bear was a rigged trial. Pontius Pilate concluded, “I find no basis for a charge.” But the crowd shouted, “No!” Jesus, the innocent, is condemned. Barabbas goes free. The symbolism is clear. Jesus, the innocent, died so that we, the sinful, could be set free and have a relationship with God forever. Again, Jesus bore the burden of our sin.</p><p><span> </span><span> </span>Guilt can be a burden. God has given us a moral sense: a conscience. However, our conscience is not perfect because we are “fallen creatures.” Sometimes we experience false guilt, about things that are not actually our fault. At other times we don’t feel guilty about things we should take responsibility for; in that case we need the Spirit of God to awaken our conscience.</p><p> <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Yes, Jesus takes on our burdens--fear, worries, injustices and guilt--and gives us rest. </p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In Jesus, we find purpose in life. Some people seem to have no purpose or goal. Others have goals, but the wrong ones. Many climb the ladder of “success” only to find that it's leaning against the wrong wall. </p><p><span> </span><span> </span>It has been said that the greatest days of our life are the day we were born and the day we find out why. God created us with a purpose: to pursue a right relationship with God and a right relationship with others. We might begin by trying to be instruments of God's peace. </p><p><span> </span><span> </span>St. Paul's main aim was: “We aspire to please God....For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.” But how please God in everything? The prophet Micah reminds us that our God is a God of unconditional love and unconditional forgiveness. And what is our response to God's amazing love? Micah wrote, “only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with our God." This gives us the threefold purpose and goal of our lives: doing the right thing; loving goodness and showing that goodness to others; and walking with God. </p><p> <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I close with an African proverb: “If you think you're too small to make a difference, you haven't spent the night with a mosquito.” The mosquito makes a difference in an annoying way, but the principle is universal. One person can stop an injustice. One person can be a voice for truth. One person's kindness can save a life. Each life matters. </p><div><br /></div>afranciscanjourney.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01732130412891070866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210866014058368207.post-85353797147350661682023-09-18T06:30:00.004-04:002023-09-18T06:36:55.675-04:00Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUEjLUHxj58MIL8LWK_7xiRXdtQGTj3VwxO8gZT0H8pfguqViSO1lV6K44iaOJ15r1g5QEiSyeHkCxk3l_NuSEo_brtrvYFba7WJb_pwpwwF0mlTvItuygRXdUU86X4XiTqIB6yGEnFQHNjFM5UhYtKqFgriM0-sVriRCScSzzPckMpA2O_FuPUnRBtsYJ/s800/The-Resurrection-of-Christ-Peter-Paul-Rubens.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="800" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUEjLUHxj58MIL8LWK_7xiRXdtQGTj3VwxO8gZT0H8pfguqViSO1lV6K44iaOJ15r1g5QEiSyeHkCxk3l_NuSEo_brtrvYFba7WJb_pwpwwF0mlTvItuygRXdUU86X4XiTqIB6yGEnFQHNjFM5UhYtKqFgriM0-sVriRCScSzzPckMpA2O_FuPUnRBtsYJ/s320/The-Resurrection-of-Christ-Peter-Paul-Rubens.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br />Two very old friends, Leo and Frank, were visiting together. Frank said, "Please do me one favor: when you get to heaven, somehow let me know if there's baseball there.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Leo replied, "If it's possible, I will." <p></p><p>Shortly after, Leo passed away. A few nights later, Frank was awakened by a blinding flash of light and a voice calling, "Frank...Frank…”</p><p>"Who is it?" asked Frank sitting up suddenly. “It's Leo.” <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>"Leo! Where are you?”"In heaven," replied Leo. "I have good news and a little bad. There's baseball here, we can play all we want, and we never get tired.” </p><p>"That's great!" said Frank. "What's the bad news?<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>"You're pitching Tuesday."</p><p>The word of God brings us the wisdom of Sirach, one of Israel's many spiritual guides on how to live well. Today the author challenges us to seek forgiveness in our relationships with God and with one another. God forgives us to the extent we forgive. </p><p>Paul in his letter to the Christian community at Rome acknowledges God's complete sovereignty over life and death. He urges us to live for others. Imitate God, live a God-like life. Paul emphasizes that we belong to Jesus Christ. Christ lives. And because he lives, we live forever. </p><p>In the Gospel, Peter asks Jesus if he has to forgive a person who has wronged him “as many as seven times.” In other words, when do we start getting even. Jesus responds with a more stunning number: “77 times.” </p><p>e makes his point with a parable. Worker #1 owes a huge amount (say a million). The king forgives his debt. Then worker #1 runs into worker #2 who owes him a small amount (say $50). #1 grabs #2 by the throat and says, “Pay now or I’ll put you in jail.” When the king hears of this, he summons worker #1 and says, “I canceled your debt. Shouldn’t you have done the same?” </p><p>The lesson is simple: God forgives so much; why can't we forgive so little. Forgiveness is a decision to will the good of the other even though we may still harbor negative feelings. It's a decision to let go of wrongs and move on with our lives.</p><p>The readings today also bring us face to face with our mortality.</p><p>Death is a fact of life. A best seller titled “Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End” questions whether extending length of life at the expense of quality of life is the right thing to do.</p><p>Dr. Atul Gawande describes three patterns. With an incurable disease, treatments may lengthen life but eventually the body wastes away rapidly. In the second pattern, a chronic disease is treatable but relapses siphon the life out of that person. And finally there’s the pattern of old age called “frailty”: the gradual decline of bodily systems.</p><p>The question becomes when to “let go,” when to stop offering treatments that likely don’t work? The author asks: why submit the dying to the full panoply of medical procedures to see them merely exist in institutions and lose their independence.</p><p>Many of us are familiar with Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’s book describing five stages through which many dying patients pass: Simply put, they are:</p><p>-Denial: “No, not me.” Typical reaction if a patient learns he/she is terminally ill.</p><p>-Anger: “Why me?” God may be a special target for anger. OK, God can take it.</p><p>-Bargaining: “Yes me, but.” The patient accepts death but bargains for more time.</p><p>-Depression: “Yes, me.” The person mourns things not done, regret things done.</p><p>And finally,</p><p>- Acceptance: “My time is running out but it’s all right.”</p><p>These stages, while not absolute, are a useful guide in understanding behaviors. They may relate to any big change, be it the death of a loved one, job loss, divorce.</p><p>Dr. Kubler-Ross wrote another book titled “Death: the Final Stage of Growth.” The title leads me to the Christian understanding of death. The foundation is Good Friday/Easter. Hidden in the death of Jesus was the glory of his resurrection.</p><p>Our faith challenges us to remember that the light of our resurrection will shatter the darkness of our death.</p><p>The story of Jesus did not end in the tragedy of the cross but in the triumph of the God-man Jesus transformed into an indescribable heavenly reality. The Risen Christ anticipates what we one day will become.</p><p>Let’s be honest. Most of us do not long with St. Paul “to be free from this earthly life so that we can be with the Risen Christ.”</p><p>Many pass through the stages Dr. Kubler-Ross describes. There is a darkness about death that even Jesus cried out against. Yet, in the Christian vision, we expect that the Spirit of God, who continually amazes us, will surprise us in the moment of our own dying with a new heavenly reality, an evolutionary leap into a new kind of spiritual embodiment.</p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><div><br /></div>afranciscanjourney.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01732130412891070866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210866014058368207.post-24552209154439224092023-09-10T09:12:00.001-04:002023-09-10T09:25:21.373-04:00Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixJbPRSEdNqKS4u691zN1e5WUARyOBFvgPQpQ6AjPQYc0-fmIhfwcwEmbJFOdyGtKQ-LH4fYonsmDbCXfYM-nFtGSE-WwSTsOZhIHhMeA0r6mgXrwiks7iEK2raK5-CqdvV9YL8qNGU71-xO8WGHSjzpCijQKSxdbV_wEz64fyE9u8L40Q_Bwyfg6oikHZ/s450/Prodigal%20Son.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="450" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixJbPRSEdNqKS4u691zN1e5WUARyOBFvgPQpQ6AjPQYc0-fmIhfwcwEmbJFOdyGtKQ-LH4fYonsmDbCXfYM-nFtGSE-WwSTsOZhIHhMeA0r6mgXrwiks7iEK2raK5-CqdvV9YL8qNGU71-xO8WGHSjzpCijQKSxdbV_wEz64fyE9u8L40Q_Bwyfg6oikHZ/s320/Prodigal%20Son.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />You may have heard the story of a police officer who stopped a motorist speeding down Central Avenue. “Officer,” the driver began. “I can explain.”“Just be quiet,” the officer snapped. “You were driving twice the speed limit.”<p></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;">“But, officer...” “I said be quiet! You’re going to jail! The chief will handle you.”</span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;">Later the officer looked in on him and said, “Lucky for you the chief’s at his daughter’s wedding. He’ll be in a good mood when he gets back.”</span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;">“Don’t count on it,” the prisoner answered. “I’m supposed to be the groom.”</span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Yes, it's important to listen so that "every fact may be established."</p><p> The Word of God takes us back to the prophet named Ezekiel. The 6th century BC was a catastrophe for the Hebrews. Babylonia conquered the southern kingdom, mowed Jerusalem down, destroyed the Temple and deported many Hebrews. </p><p>God calls Ezekiel to be a “watchman” for the spiritual well-being of the Hebrews. Ezekiel’s job is to exhort them to do what is right and true and good. And the author urges you and me to do the same. That’s what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. How relevant here are the words of the 18th century British statesman Edmund Burke: "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing."</p><p>Paul in his letter to the Christian community in Rome simply reminds us: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Yes, we love God to the extent we care for one another. And who is our neighbor? The person at home, in the workplace, in the community. </p><p>In the Gospel, Jesus challenges us to settle our differences, not by complaining to everyone else about the other people whose misbehavior annoys us -- but by going directly to them first to resolve our problem. Conflicts are inevitable in human relationships. If dealt with constructively they can create even better, life-long relationships. </p><p>I can imagine Jesus saying to us in light of this Gospel passage: focus on the behavior, not the personality; avoid negative name calling. Seek common ground. Manage your own emotions. Always stay positive; never go low. Be trustworthy, open, fair and calm. </p><p>St. Paul wrote centuries ago: “Love does not brood over injuries.” All of us must be willing to forgive so-called “injuries” done to us and work to create positive relationships. Forgiveness is a primary characteristic of discipleship with Jesus. </p><p>There’s a folk wisdom that says: “forgive and forget.” But sometimes we can’t forgive deep hurts unless we remember! Perhaps we may even have contributed to a rift. We have to forgive ourselves as well, so we can move forward with our life. </p><p>In a favorite book of mine, The Hiding Place, the Dutch author describes how her family hid some Jews from the Nazis during the 2nd WW. She tells about the sufferings of people in a particular concentration camp where her own sister perished. Corrie ten Boom later lectured throughout post-Europe about the need to forgive one another. </p><p>Following one of her talks, a man came up. She recognized him immediately—he had been a guard at the concentration camp. <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;">She wrote about this encounter in her book:</span></p><p>The SS guard said, “How grateful I am for your message. To think that, as you say, Christ has forgiven me for I am truly sorry for what I did!” </p><p>Suddenly, the memories flooded her mind: the so-called shower room, the laughing SS, the heaps of clothes on the floor, the frightened face of her sister. This former SS guard extended his hand to shake hers. And she, who had lectured about forgiveness, kept her hand at her side as she began to have angry, vengeful thoughts. </p><p>And then she remembered: Jesus Christ died for this man; and forgives him. Lord Jesus, she prayed, forgive me and help me to forgive him. She tried to smile, to raise her hand. But she couldn’t. So again she breathed a silent prayer. Jesus, I can’t forgive him for what he did. Give me your forgiveness. </p><p>Corrie Ten Boom went on to recall that as she then took the man's hand she felt an “electric current” pass from her into the hand of this SS guard and she felt a love that almost overwhelmed her.</p><p>Forgiveness depended not upon her, but upon God’s grace. When Jesus tells us to love our enemies, he gives us the grace to love, to forgive those who are truly sorry.To forgive as Christ forgives is sometimes impossible to do on our own. But Christ doesn’t ask us to forgive on our own. He simply asks that we participate in his gift. God has already forgiven those who are truly sorry. Forgiveness is possible when we trust in God’s grace to bring about healing and reconciliation. </p><p>God is never satisfied with broken relationships, and neither should we be. As God constantly searches out the lost, so should we; and as God always welcomes back the stranger, so should we.</p><p>Forgiveness frees us to move forward. Focus on our destiny.</p><p>Today the Word of God invites us to stand up for what is right; to love one another; to participate in God's gift of forgiveness. And I pray that God will give all of us the grace to participate in the forgiveness of Christ, so that we can be at peace with ourselves and one another, true disciples of Jesus.</p><div><br /></div>afranciscanjourney.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01732130412891070866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210866014058368207.post-83090687168691102162023-09-03T08:36:00.001-04:002023-09-03T08:40:21.859-04:00Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1p6pSZrPtgieElJzi_O1_DfnopLmXPDCDbvq8uZMIQfYM6cLpUItz6Irnab_OBicNhSq5U5IToHD18OYJAjUwCGO8aaO8Qxz29XhObuiPRGt-l0k-OFy1h3G0mddz3m3iAhIqcLNMxspTsH257LMS9kjAf5T7GTrtFWT-TswJRRBkdl8utyLj5alFgs9a/s892/Dali's%20cross.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="892" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1p6pSZrPtgieElJzi_O1_DfnopLmXPDCDbvq8uZMIQfYM6cLpUItz6Irnab_OBicNhSq5U5IToHD18OYJAjUwCGO8aaO8Qxz29XhObuiPRGt-l0k-OFy1h3G0mddz3m3iAhIqcLNMxspTsH257LMS9kjAf5T7GTrtFWT-TswJRRBkdl8utyLj5alFgs9a/s320/Dali's%20cross.jpg" width="179" /></a></div><br />Happy Labor Day weekend.<p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p>The Labor Day weekend, for many people in the United States, signals the end of summer and the start of school.</p><p>Which reminds me of a story about a college-bound student, a doctor, a lawyer, and a Franciscan friar, in a small private plane. Suddenly the plane's engine conked out. The pilot grabbed a parachute, told the passengers he had a family of six to support and bailed out. Unfortunately, there were only three parachutes left. The doctor grabbed one, saying, “The medical profession needs my specialty skills,” and he jumped out. The lawyer said, “I’m one of the smartest litigators in the country so I’m taking this parachute,” and he jumped out. The friar said to the student, “You’re a student and have dreams to fulfill. Take the last parachute.” The student replied, “You take it. I’ll use this one. The smartest lawyer just jumped with my backpack.”</p><p>Moral of the story: we may not be as smart as we think.</p><p>Seriously, Labor Day is an invitation to take pride in our work. Whatever our life’s work, do it well!</p><p>Isn’t that what holiness is all about: doing our life’s work as best we can. You've heard the biblical wisdom that says God sends each person into this life with a special message to deliver, a special song to sing, a special act of love to bestow. Yes, each one of us has a purpose in life. </p><p>The word of God today takes us back to the seventh century before Jesus (the 600s). Jeremiah is not happy. “God tricked me,” Jeremiah says, into prophesying doom and gloom about Jerusalem. You’ve heard the saying, “If you don’t like the message, shoot the messenger.”</p><p>That’s precisely what the Hebrews did. They beat up Jeremiah badly. From now on, Jeremiah says, he will keep his mouth shut. But he can't. The word of God is like a fire that consumes Jeremiah, burning him up if he doesn’t shout out God's word. </p><p>We might ask ourselves whether we speak up when we see wrongs done. If not, when will we? And if we don't, who will?</p><p>St. Paul in his letter to the Christian community at Rome urges us to dedicate our lives—our talents and energies—to God. In light of Paul’s letter, we might ask whether our everyday attitudes and behaviors are pleasing to God.</p><p>In the Gospel, Jesus predicts his passion, death and resurrection. Peter shouts: “God forbid. No such thing will happen to you, Lord.” But God’s ways are not ours. Out of the cross, the central symbol of Christianity, will burst forth new life. Our faith proclaims that hidden within the mystery of Jesus’s death is the glory of his resurrection. And so too hidden in our death is our resurrection, life eternal. </p><p>Jesus continues, “whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” </p><p>The 19th century Russian author Leo Tolstoy wrote a book titled “A Confession” in which he describes his own search for purpose in life. Yes, “where did I come from?” “Where am I going?” “What is my life all about?” Tolstoy discovered that many ordinary people were able to answer these questions through their faith in Jesus: their way, their truth and their life.</p><p>So, what am I living for? There are as many answers as there are people. We cannot adequately answer and yet we cannot help but answer by how we live and what we do.</p><p>On the one hand we are finite and mortal. On the other, we are free, within limits, and accountable for the way in which we live.</p><p>The Catholic answer to “why are we here?” acknowledges the brevity of human life. It also acknowledges our freedom to choose good over evil, right over wrong, the true over the false. Hence all of us are responsible for the way in which we choose to live. </p><p>Tragically, people do sometimes choose evil over good, wrong over right. Why? The Book of Genesis highlights our brokenness, our fall from grace. The Catholic tradition calls this “original sin.”</p><p>There’s plenty of evidence in this world that things are broken. The coronavirus has upended the global economy. Millions of refugees are fleeing violence. Wildfires and hurricanes have devastated communities. Yes, human beings cry out for freedom, peace, justice, salvation!</p><p>But who can save us? Some people have looked for answers in things, in other persons, in “isms” of one kind or another.</p><p>The Catholic tradition looks to a power beyond ourselves. This awesome and overwhelming power – God -- is a compassionate God who became flesh in Jesus and is alive in our midst by the power of the Spirit—alive especially in the community of disciples we call the Church; and especially alive in the sacraments. </p><p>Yes, we possess within our fragile selves the incredible treasure of God’s life. We are in relationship with God by virtue of the life-giving waters of Baptism. But we must continue to struggle, as the prophet Micah said centuries ago, to do right, to love goodness, to walk humbly with our God. </p><p>May God grace us so that we can lose our life for his sake, and in doing find eternal life and internal peace.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>afranciscanjourney.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01732130412891070866noreply@blogger.com