Saturday, December 29, 2018

Christmas 2018

Sorry I forgot to post this:

Message in a Minute for Christmas:

Glory to God in the highest, Christ Our Savior is born.

Merry Christmas!  We celebrate the birth of Christ Our Savior.  This day fills us with joy.  What a blessing it is to celebrate the birth of Christ by celebrating the Holy Mass. As for the Masses, this is an interesting day.  You may not know this, but there are 4 separate Masses listed in the lectionary and the Roman Missal.  There is the vigil Mass, the Mass during the night, the Mass at dawn, and the Mass during the day.  Each of these 4 Masses has their own set of readings and prayers.  The Church even allows a priest to offer multiple Masses that day so long as he chooses to celebrate one of the different Masses. Each Mass presents the birth of Christ is a different way.  (I should note that the priest who celebrates Mass has the option to use any of the 4 choices, so it is not always the case that you would hear the different selections if you went to all 4 Masses at the Cathedral)

Vigil Mass:The gospel for the vigil Mass is the genealogy of Jesus.  We hear name after name.  I’m sure that few of us would be able to recognize many of the names in the list. There are heroes, and there are villains.  There are great religious leaders like Abraham.  There are wise kings like Solomon.  There are terrible kings who led the people into worshiping false gods. So, Jesus is the Son of God, but he was born into a human family.  And if you study his family closely, you will notice that it’s a hot mess.  But, this should give us hope.  Christ was born for the whole human family, saints and sinners. That baby in the manger came to redeem the whole human race.

Mass at Night: The gospel for the Mass at Night is probably the most familiar to us.  We hear about Mary and Joseph going to Bethlehem.  We hear about Jesus being placed in the manger because there was no room for them in the inn.  We hear about the angels and the shepherds.  You can almost hear all of our most beloved Christmas music.  But, one thing I really appreciate about the reading is the fact that Jesus is placed in a manger.  The manger is the place where the food is placed in the stable.  Even as a baby, Jesus is being shown as the bread of life. The Eucharist imagery is very powerful, even if it is very subtle.  Think about the connection with the Eucharist next time you pray in front of the manger scene.
Over…
Mass at Dawn: The shepherds are the focus of this gospel. After the shepherds hear about Christ from the angels, they feel they have to go and investigate.  We too have heard the message about Christ. Hopefully, we can follow the example of the shepherds and go seeking to learn more about Christ, seeking to find him. Notice too what happens when they do find him: they go and make known the message about Christ.  So, we see that the shepherds hearabout Christ, seekto find him themselves, and then proclaimthat Good News to others.  This sounds like a perfect program for our own lives of faith: Hear, Seek, and Proclaim.

Mass during the Day:This gospel comes from the Gospel of St. John.  If you hear this reading you might think to yourself, what about the baby in the manger? Yet, this gospel passage also helps to shed light upon the amazing mystery of Christmas.  We know that the baby Jesus was born and placed in the manger. This gospel tells us just who that baby really is.  In the beginning was the Word.  This little baby is the Word of God, the Son of God. This little baby is the Eternal Son of God.  But, for our sake and for the sake of our salvation: The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.  The mystery of Christmas is that the Eternal Word of God entered into human history. The Word became human so that humans might be saved.  No wonder we cry out “Glory to God in the highest.” 



Please know of my prayers for all of you during this amazing season of Christmas.  I would like to thank you for your warm welcome here at the Cathedral.  It has been a joy to celebrate Advent and Christmas with all of you here.  I look forward to being with you in 2019.

In Christ,
Fr Jake


You can sign up to receive the Message in a Minute online by visiting the Cathedral website: www.cathedralfortwayne.org

Holy Family and Mater Dei

Message in a minute for Holy Family and Mother of God:
This is a two for one special this week with the Message in a Minute.  Sunday we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family and on New Year’s day we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God.  So, both feast days are centered on Christ, but also feature Mary.  Mary is our wonderful role-model in the faith. She is also our powerful intercessor and guide.  These two feast days continue to unwrap for us the powerful mystery of Christmas.
On Holy Family this year, we hear about the story of Jesus being lost in the temple.  We know very little about the life of Jesus between the time of his birth and the time of his public ministry.  In fact, this gospel passage is about all we know about the life of Jesus as a boy.  We learn a few important things about Christ in this reading.  First, he tells Mary and Joseph: “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”  Even as a young man, Jesus proclaims his identity: he is the Son of God.  His Father is God, the temple is God’s house. So, he was at home there in the temple. Jesus is not afraid to proclaim boldly his relationship to the Father.  But, the next thing we hear is that he went from there down to Nazareth and he lived in obedience to Mary and Joseph.  This tells us of the humility of Christ the Lord.  One the one hand he tells everyone: this is my Father’s house. On the other hand, he goes down to tiny Nazareth and lives in obedience to Mary and Joseph.  We talk often about Jesus being fully God and fully.  It seems to me, that this story captures both features quite well.  In the temple, Jesus shows his full divinity.  In his obedience at Nazareth, he shows his full humanity.
We always have lots to learn from Christ. But, I’m taking away from this passage his simplicity and humility.  Sure, we might feel like grabbing what we deserve from time to time.  But, here is Christ, who deserves everything.  Yet, he lives in humble obedience.  This is the pathway to peace in our lives.
On January 1st, we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God.  The reading for this celebration sort of brings closure to the birth of Christ. After 8 days, he was circumcised and given the name “Jesus.”  For 8 days now, we have been celebrating Christ’s birth.  Think about Mary, she had spent these last 8 days holding the Son of God.  She experienced many wonderful things.  We have celebrated these wonders over the last 8 days.  But, how to keep it alive in our hearts?  Our culture has moved on from Christmas.  They are ready to throw the wonders out.  Not Mary: she ponders all these things in her heart.  We should try to imitate Mary.  Keep the wonders of Christmas alive in our hearts all year long: Jesus Christ is born for us.

Saturday, December 22, 2018

Mary went in haste:

4thSunday of Advent year C 2018:
Of course, there is a lot to love about our wonderful Cathedral. There is the beautiful building. Our prayerful masses.  The good people here.  But, one thing that I really love is belonging to a parish under the patronage of Mary, the Immaculate Conception.
Anyone who thinks that Catholics do not have a huge love and respect for women does not know about our love and devotion to Mary, Jesus’ mother. Now, some people think that we worship Mary.  Of course, that is not true.  We know that Mary is completely human.  But, we also know that Mary is the Mother of our Savior.  She is our guide.  She is our model.  And, she is a powerful intercessor for us.  All of that goes for everyone in the whole Church, but even more so for us, who have a special relationship to Mary because we belong to this wonderful parish.
This special relationship has really come to my attention this year as we go through the season of Advent.  I suppose that I have always known that Mary plays a big part of the seasons of Advent and Christmas.  But, as my first year of celebrating these seasons right here at the Cathedral, her important role to play in these events has really stood out to me.  Mary’s words and actions help us tremendously in our own life of discipleship.
First, it’s good to remember that we are still in the season of Advent.  This is a time where we prepare to welcome Christ.  No one has done this better than Mary.  When the angel appeared to her, she was willing and able to say a resounding Yes to God and to doing his will.  Really, that is what Advent is all about: Spiritual preparation for us to be able to say yes to God’s will.  Hopefully we all feel more prepared after this season of Advent.  But, this job of being ready to say yes to God’s will is something that doesn’t end on Christmas.  We need it all the time.
So, with Mary as our great model and intercessor, we too can pray that we would be ready to say yes to God’s will just as she did.  Yet, today’s gospel even teaches us another level. Not only was she ready to say yes to God’s will.  But, she is also motivated by charity.  She conceives Christ in her womb.  And, then she rushes out to help Elizabeth.  Doing God’s will is not a one-time thing.  She keeps doing it every day.  Good lesson for us.  It’s an especially good lesson because it teaches us that sometimes we really need to reach out to do God’s will.
Notice the gospel says that Mary went in haste to the hill country.  Remember, there are no airplanes or freeways.  This doesn’t sound like an easy journey for anyone, much less a pregnant woman.  And yet, she is ready to reach out to help Elizabeth.  How far are we willing to go?  Are we willing to reach out?  Sometimes we will be charitable when it’s right in front of us.  But, Mary had to practically fight to get there.  Yet, she wasn’t afraid of the difficult journey.
Also, Elizabeth was Mary’s relative.  She was ready to reach out to help her.  What about us with our own relatives?  One sad thing I see sometimes as a priest is the fact that there can be tensions and struggles in people’s families.  It can bring a lot of pain and sadness.  Maybe this is the Christmas where we can put Mary’s example into practice.  Reach out to family?  Even if it means traveling the tough road in the hill country.  

Saturday, December 15, 2018

Rejoice in the Lord

3rdSunday of Advent Year C 2018:
I was really struck by the number of references to joy in the Mass this week.  It begins with the entrance antiphon for the mass, which says: Rejoice, I say it again rejoice. This is the reason why we call this Gaudete Sunday.  Gaudete is the Latin word used in this phrase.  This is a special Sunday of Joy, which is why we wear these rose-colored vestments.  
In the first reading we hear: shout for joy, sing joyfully. The psalm for this mass says: cry out with joy and gladness.  St. Paul says: rejoice in the Lord always, I say it again, rejoice.
So, Joy is the theme of this mass.  But, what exactly is Joy?  We might think of joy as an emotion.  We might think of joy as being something like bubbly enthusiasm.  Nothing seems more joyful than children at play.
Do we experience that kind of joy?  Sure, sometimes.  But, do we experience this all the time?  Probably not. So, how can we possibly fulfill what St. Paul is talking about?  He says rejoice always.
Clearly, he must be talking about something more than emotional exuberance, something more than bubbly enthusiasm.  Sure, joy might feellike this sometimes.  But, joy is more than an emotion.  Joy is a state of being.  In our context, joy is the Christian person’s response to the amazing activity of God in Christ.
Look again at the words of St. Paul.  He says, rejoice always, the Lord is near.  Have no anxiety at all.  Let the peace of God guard your hearts and minds.  This is what joy is all about.  St. Paul knew that first hand.  But, you know what I find so interesting about this reading?  St. Paul wrote this while sitting in prison waiting to be tried and eventually executed.  Isn’t that amazing?  I’m not so sure I would be filled with joy if I were in prison awaiting execution.  Yet, St. Paul was.  Why: The Lord is near.
You see, for St. Paul it was impossible for him to lose his joy. It was impossible for him to lose his trust in Christ.  He knew that the Lord was near.  The reason for his joy was not his external circumstances.  Rather, it was the internal disposition of being in union with Christ.
This is something I’ve been working on for a long time in my life.  It seems so easy to blame all my troubles on external circumstances.  Or, to credit all my happiness on external circumstances. So, if joy was completely dependent on externals then we should all quit our jobs, move to Hawaii and sit on the beach. Ok, maybe that doesn’t sound too bad. But, you know what would happen? Soon we would complain that the sun was too hot, or the cost of living was too high, or that the beach was too crowded.  
No, the source of true joy is internal.  It comes from communion with Christ.  It comes from having a higher perspective.  It comes from not being so concerned with the internal, but being focused on God.
I have a friend who I think does a good job of this.  Any time I see her I invariable ask: how are you doing?  Her response every time is: great, I’ve never had a bad day.  At first, I thought this was just some kind of Hallmark thing to say. But, she really believes it and lives it.  Now, does this mean that she has never had a problem?  Never had a tough day, a setback, tensions, or struggles.  Nope, she’s been through a lot.  But, her attitude is always good because she knows that God has blessed her so many ways.  She knows that the Lord is near in her life.
So, just like St. Paul in prison, she’s never had a bad day. That’s what rejoice always looks like.
So, where are you in all of this?  If I asked: how are you?  Could you answer: I’ve never had a bad day?  St. Paul in prison says: rejoice always.  Is your life that bad?  I doubt it.  Yet, even in prison Paul was filled with joy, because he was close to our Lord.  
So, let us celebrate this mass with joy.  This mass, and every mass, is a chance for us to be near the Lord.  He is really and truly present right here in the Holy Eucharist.  No wonder we always use music in the Catholic Mass.  Our first reading says: sing joyfully.  So, we sing here at Mass with great joy because the Lord is near.  Take some time to reflect on joy this week.  Hear again St. Paul’s words: rejoice in the Lord always, the Lord is near.

Sunday, December 9, 2018

Prepare the way of the Lord

2ndSunday of Advent year C 2018:
It was a big weekend here for us at the Cathedral. Saturday was our parish patron feast day.  It was the celebration of the Immaculate Conception.  Mary is our patron here at the Cathedral under that title.  But, the Immaculate Conception is also the patroness of our diocese and our nation.  So, it was a triple patron celebration.  Also, it was exactly 20 years ago that Bishop D’Arcy consecrated this altar and rededicated the Cathedral after the major renovations.  So, I was thinking about the history here.  The feast of the Immaculate Conception dates all the way back to the 8thcentury.  But, it was only formally proclaimed in 1854.  So, that’s a 164 years.  Well our Church was dedicated only 6 years later in 1860.  So, the feast of the Immaculate Conception has been celebrated here for 158 years.  And this altar has been host to this celebration for 20 years now.
But, that pales in comparison to the proclamation of John the Baptist.  His voice has been crying out in the desert now for 2000 years.  Make straight the way of the Lord.  2000 years is a long time.  Every year we celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Conception.  Every year in Advent we hear John’s voice.  Every year it’s the same and it’s been going on for a long time.  Yet, every year is also quite different.
One thing I always find to be a challenge about this time of year is keeping it all fresh.  It can be really easy just to think: yeah, yeah, Jesus was born, I know all about this. The story of our Christian faith is so amazing that it can change are lives.  Yet, we can take it for granted.
So, when we think about history, it gives us a connection to something bigger than ourselves, which is great.  But, if we don’t make the story new in our lives, then it remains something old and stuffy, never making a real impact on our lives.  So, let’s hear the words of the John the Baptist again.  Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.  John’s voice calls out for repentance.  Change your lives and prepare for Christ to come into your lives.  We have heard this before.  John has been saying this for 2000 years.  But, we have never lived today.  We have never lived this Advent, this Christmas.  So, this is a new day, a new year.  Let’s make it a chance to hear God’s voice.  
One great way to repent is to go to confession.  Advent is a great time to go to confession, a great way to make straight your paths for the coming of Christ.  Advent can be a season of change and repentance.  We are preparing to welcome Christ on Christmas morning, through confession we can welcome him into our lives and ask him for his gift of mercy.

Saturday, November 10, 2018

Examples of generosity

32ndSunday of OT year B 2018:
            This poor widow has given more than all the others. Today we are talking about generosity. There are two poor widows in our readings.  The first reading, there is a poor widow who takes care of the prophet.  In the gospel, the poor widow throws in a couple simple coins to the temple treasury.  Both, are tremendous examples of generosity.  Yet, both of them gave in very simple ways: a bit of bread, a couple coins.
            What does this teach us?  Generosity is about more than results.  Generosity is about the internal disposition.  It doesn’t matter how much we give, it matters what we give.
            As many of you know, I just wrapped up the St. John bible study and I’ve started this new Message in a Minute weekly email and reflection.  This has gotten my back into the habit of looking at the Greek text of the gospels.  The whole New Testament is written in Greek.  I have been fortunate enough to take a number of classes in Greek.  Now, I’m not a snob.  I really think that the translation that we use here at Mass is a good one.  But, I often find lots of little fascinating tidbits when I get the chance to read the original language.
            A great example of this took place in today’s gospel. One of these tidbits is the difference between the description of the donations by the rich people and the donation by the poor widow.  The rich people gave money, the poor person put in 2 leptas.  One was specific, one was generic.  I found this fascinating.  If you want to learn more, pick up the MIM for this week.
            But, there was another thing that stood out.  When Jesus is describing these gifts.  We hear: they gave from their surplus, she gave from her livelihood.  Now, this is exactly right and it is a great way to translate the Greek.  But, when Jesus is describing what the widow gave, he says: she gave from her bios.  Bios is a very interesting word.  It means life: biology for example is the study of living things.  Now, it is completely appropriate to translate bios in this context as livelihood, because these are the coins that she uses to sustain her life: therefore, livelihood.  But, I got thinking about this.  Jesus points to her as an example for his disciples because of her great generosity. Why does she appear generous? Because she gives her very life to God. Interesting isn’t it?  True generosity is the giving of one’s life.
            Now, it doesn’t take much to think about the greatest example of generosity in the history of the world does it?  Jesus gave his life.  And that is precisely why this woman is a great example for Christians: she is like Jesus.  Jesus gave his life completely.  This woman gave her life, her livelihood.  She is the model for Christians because she acts like Christ. She is model of Christ’s generosity because she gives of her very life. 
            This is the perfect time for us all to consider if we are being generous.  Are we following this amazing woman’s example?  Or do we just give when it’s convenient and easy.  We are all called to be generous.  Certainly, this means monetary donations sometimes.  We still need a lot of help to reach our Bishop’s Appeal goal this year.  And, we are always grateful for your donations that help us to fund our mission here at the Cathedral.  In the back of Church, there is the giving tree.  Your donations help people have a nice Christmas this year.  Plus, there are many other wonderful charities that can use your support.  So, maybe God is calling you to be generous with your finances.  Think about this poor widow next time you reevaluate you tithing.
            But, also, what about your time and your efforts? The poor widow in the first reading didn’t so much give money, as she gave time and hard work.  Believe me, I know that time is a valuable thing.  It seems like we have less and less time all the time right?  But, can we really say that we are using our time wisely?
            I own an Apple phone.  Lots of people do.  They started this new app called “Screen Time.”  It keeps track of how much you have your phone on and then gives a report at the end of every week.  I’ve been averaging 2+ hours of screen time per day.  Now, on the one hand, that might not sound terrible.  But, on the other, I can’t really say I don’t have any free time right?  Because 20 years ago there was no such thing at cell phones.  20 years ago I had almost 3 more hours per day.  And if I chucked my phone in the river, I could get them back.
            Now, I’m not saying I’m gonna chuck my phone in the river. But, this screen time app does make me stop and think: am I using my time wisely?  Could I do more to serve my Lord?  Could I do more to be like these poor widows in the readings who gave their very lives in service of God?  Of course I could.  We all could.
            So, great examples for us today.  These amazing widows gave so much, because they gave their very lives.  These are perfect examples of Christian generosity, because they are just like Christ: who gave his life for us.  And he doesn’t stop.  Right here at this altar Christ continues to give himself for us by pouring out his very life: his body and blood.  And he calls us to give of our lives in return.

Friday, October 26, 2018

Keep in touch


Hello everyone, 

Head over to the Cathedral website.  www.cathedralfortwayne.org and there you can sign up to start receiving my "Message in a Minute" every week by email or text.  

Message in a Minute is a short, one-page reflection that I will prepare every week.  It will give you something quick and easy to take with you to reflect more deeply upon the readings for the week.

God bless,
Fr Jake

We are filled with Joy

30thSunday of Ordinary Time year B 2018:
What a powerful story from the gospel today: Jesus heals the blind man.  Just think for a moment about this man’s tough situation.  He seems alone and abandoned.  Even Jesus’ disciples try to stop him from reaching out to Christ. But, he fights through.  Jesus hears him.  Jesus heals him.  And what happens?  Immediately he receives his sight and he decides to follow after Jesus.
Can you imagine just for a moment how Bartimaeus must have felt that first moment that light touched his newly-healed eyes.  Can you imagine the amazement and wonder at experiencing the healing power of Christ?  What must have been going through his mind?
Putting myself in his shoes, I thought: I would be so grateful. His heart must have been filled with joy and gratitude.  Indeed, Jesus had done an amazing miracle for him.  Filled with gratitude, he followed after Christ.
This story really got me thinking about the importance of our psalm refrain today.  We just sang these words: The Lord had done great things for us, we are filled with joy. These words were first spoken by the Israelites who had been saved from slavery by the Lord.  I’m sure these are the words that capture the emotions in the heart of Bartimaeus after he encountered Christ today.  But, I think these words should be the words of every one of us.  If we really have eyes to see, the Lord has done great things for us, we too should be filled with joy.
I’m always trying to encourage people to practice the art of gratitude.  There is really no better practice for us, because gratitude is the pathway to joy. Gratitude is the acknowledgement that God has done good things for us.  Gratitude recognizes that we have received so much.  Gratitude is a change of mindset.  It sets us on a positive road.  It helps us in turbulent times.  Like the psalm says, it fills us with joy.
So, ask yourself: are you filled with joy?  If you are, great.  If not, gratitude is the key.  I have tried to keep a daily gratitude journal for a few years now. It’s very simple.  Takes 5 minutes.  I sit down and think of 3 things for which I’m grateful.  Sometimes these things are profound: I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve God here at the Cathedral.  Sometimes, these things are simple: I’m grateful for a nice cup of hot coffee.  But, no matter what, starting the day with gratitude helps to make the day a great one. Try to incorporate gratitude into your daily routine.
But, I also need to warn about the opposite of gratitude that can really bring us down in life.  It’s the practice of griping.  Now, if you never gripe, never complain, never feel sorry for yourself, then great. You are probably filled with joy. But, for the rest of us, this can be a real issue.  I can notice all the time in my own life, times when I like to gripe.  I’ll tell you one of my favorite gripes: I really hate winter.  I hate when our weather tanks.  Right now it’s terrible.  It’s grey, cold, bleak.  From now until May, we will only get like 5 minutes of sun per week.  I can’t stand it.  But, my griping about the weather certainly doesn’t change it.  No amount of griping can make the sun come out. But, what does all that griping do? It makes me hate the winter even more. It fills me with negativity and despair. 
What are your favorite gripes?  Do they change anything?  Do they leave you feeling positive?  Of course not.  Nothing is more incompatible with being a Christian then griping.  The Lord has done good things for us, we are filled with joy. Now, what do we do about negative things in our lives?  The letter to the Hebrews says that the priests would offer gifts and sacrifices.  We should follow the example of our Great High Priest, Jesus Christ.  He offered everything he suffered as a sacrifice.  Think about Christ up there on the Cross.  If anyone had reason to gripe about the unfair situation of his life, it would be him.  What did he say?  Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.  Rather than gripe, he offered his sufferings for our salvation. 
I find that today’s readings are calling us to a life of joy. On the positive side, incorporate gratitude into your life.  You will be like Bartimaeus, filled with gratitude and motivated to follow after Christ. But, also, on the negative side, remove griping and complaining from your life.  We should offer up our difficulties out of our love for Christ.  If we can incorporate these two practices then the words of the Psalm will be ours: The Lord has done great things for us, we are filled with joy!

Sunday, September 23, 2018

Teach us humility O Lord

25thSunday of OT year B 2018:
Today in our second reading we get some more practical wisdom from St. James. You definitely get the feeling that St. James knew what he was talking about.  Today he says: Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice.  How true! You don’t have to look far in this world of ours to see just how dangerous jealousy and selfish ambition can be. These attitudes can be very destructive. I think that all of us should take a minute to think whether these attitudes are part of our own lives as well. It can be quite easy to be carried away by the waves of jealousy and ambition.  Maybe at work, we get upset because some other employee seems to get the preference.  In school, we become jealous because another kid gets all the attention.  Or in our lives, we look around and think that the grass is greener everywhere else we look.  These attitudes certainly do not bring us peace.  They cause pain and anxiety.  And we already have enough of those right?    
Also, these attitudes are quite antithetical to the message of Christ.  Jesus Christ is the son of God and he came to serve, not to be served.  He gives us the wonderful example.  If we can follow his lead, we can overcome jealousy and ambition. But, if we struggle with these attitudes, know that we are in good company.  I find this gospel passage more than just a little bit amusing.  Here is Jesus talking about how he will gladly suffer and offer his life for our salvation.  Yet, the apostles are arguing about who is the greatest.  What an amazing contrast.  Christ is the son of God, and he’s talking about being the humblest of all.  The humble fishermen are arguing about who’s the greatest of all.
So, if you think that you need to learn more about humility from Christ, the apostles did too.  We are in good company.  Now, I would be tempted to keep talking about humility and it’s importance.  But, I think all of us here know that humility is important.  We know that jealousy and ambition cause us problems.  We get all that.  How do we grow in humility?
I really liked how the gospel began today.  I think it gives us the insight into how we grow in humility. It begins by saying that Jesus and his disciples left and began a journey.  Along the way, he was teaching them.  The answer is so simple that it can be missed quite easily.  The answer is quite simply being with Jesus.
We will never learn humility on our own.  Rather, we need to learn it from Christ.  But, we can’t learn anything from Christ if we are not with him.  Jesus taught the apostles humility through his own example.  Christ can teach us humility too, but we have to spend time with him.
So, the question we can all ask ourselves today is: am I spending enough time with Christ for him to be able to teach me anything?  First, prayer.  Prayer is the privileged way for us to establish, maintain, and increase our relationship with Christ.  Daily prayer is essential for all human beings.  Is there a time in your day, every day, that you spend it with Christ? If we are going to learn from Christ, he needs a chance to speak to us.  Prayer is that opportunity.
Second, the scriptures.  Reading the bible is an important way for Christ to teach us.  The Bible literally contains the words of Christ. St. Jerome said it so well 1600 years ago: ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.  If we don’t know the bible, we won’t know Christ.  But, the bible can seem intimidating right? Well if so, come to my bible study class tomorrow night.  The first lesson is all about how to read the bible.  It will be helpful for St. John’s gospel.  But, it will also be helpful for the rest of the bible as well.  Another good way to get to know the bible better is to read the daily mass readings every day.  You can get them sent to your email account.  Just go to the USCCB website and sign up.  
I could give you a million more tips.  But, let’s just keep it simple.  If we want to learn from Christ, we need to be near him.  We need to spend time with him, if we want him to teach us.  Prayer and scripture are two amazing ways for us to spend time with Christ and for him to teach us.  St. James teaches us that jealousy and ambition can cause us lots of problems. So, let us all go to Christ and ask him to teach us his way of humility and peace.

Saturday, September 1, 2018

22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time

22ndSunday of Ordinary Time year B 2018:
I always love reading St. James’ letter.  I find that he is very down to earth and practical. I really like the line from today’s reading: “be doers of the word, and not hearers only.”  I think that St. James is describing a disconnect that many of us feel from time to time.  We want to do the right thing.  But, if we are honest, we do not do the right thing.  We hear the Word of God, but we find it tough to live it out.  Or maybe this is just me?  
It seems to me that the Pharisees are being challenged by Jesus for the same gap, the same disconnect.  They are passing along the teachings of the Bible, but he is pointing out that they are not getting to the deep truth of the law.  Concerned with actions, they are missing something.  It is good for us to pay attention, because if we stay concerned with actions alone, we will miss something too.
Whenever we read the gospels it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking about the Pharisees as being bad people.  They tend to get the brunt of Jesus’ wrath.  We can even use the word Pharisee as an insult right? Don’t be a Pharisee…  But, Pharisees were anything but bad people.  Pharisees were religious leaders.  They were teachers of the Torah.  They studied the scriptures.  They tried to live the commands.  They tried to teach others to live God’s commands too.  In fact, I often think that they had my job.  As pastor, my job is to receive God’s word. To put it into action in my own life and to teach other people how to put it into action.
So, where do they go wrong?  In today’s gospel, they are focusing on the washing of hands.  Which, I think all of us will agree is a good thing to do, right?  I mean we all agree that cleanliness is a good thing.  And I hope that none of us would say that Jesus is teaching us to break the laws or the commandments.  Actually, what Jesus is doing is showing us that we need to go deeper.  What is the cause of the gap between being hearers and doers of the word?  What is the gap between wanting to do the right thing, and not being able to do it. Simple: the gap is the human heart.
Perhaps the most radical thing that Jesus did was to extend the gospel into the hearts of the faithful.  You see, the law does a great job of telling us about our conduct: do not kill, do not commit adultery, etc.  But, Jesus wants more.  He wants his love and mercy to live in our hearts.  The grace of the New Testament is that God can change us from the inside out.
The Pharisees probably never considered that a person could have a new heart.  Perhaps they never considered that a person could get rid of anger, but they could stop from killing people.  Perhaps they never considered that a person could get rid of lust, but they could stop from committing adultery.  I think we would all agree that abstaining from murder and adultery is really great. But, if we are still holding on to anger, jealousy, lust, envy, etc.  We will never be truly free.
Focusing on the externals is much easier than the conversion of the heart.  This is why Jesus is arguing with the Pharisees today.  Of course it’s important to follow the commandments, but to live freedom to the fullest requires a new heart.  
So, how do we get this new heart?  Number 1: prayer.  God can change us from the inside out.  But, he doesn’t do it against our will.  Prayer is a time for us to call on God and to invite him in.  “Lord, change my heart.  Give me your grace.  Take away my anger, fill me with compassion.”  These prayers are really effective.  And, we only have to pray like this for the rest of our lives.  So, no better time than to start today.
A second step would be to bring some conscious awareness to your thoughts and emotions.  How many of us can even say that we recognize that we are being affected by anger, jealousy or the lot?  Yet, we might say that we are struggling with sin.  Jesus tells us that all sin starts in the heart.  So, if we take some time to bring awareness to what is going on in our internal life, we might find the roots of some of our issues.
Third, it can be really helpful to reach out to another person. If we are carrying around any number of negative feelings and emotions, it can feel overpowering at times.  It’s really hard to change our lives when we are burdened with these things.  Yet, by sharing what is going on with a trusted friend, the burden seems a little lighter.  Also, I find that journaling really helps.  To get negative stuff down on paper helps to take away its power.  
Prayer, awareness, and assistance.  These things can really help to give us a new heart, one that is full of love and goodness.  Because, the Pharisees had one thing right, we do need to follow the commandments. But, Christ has something even more amazing in mind.  He wants us to live a true life of freedom, inside and out.  And isn’t that what we all want?

Saturday, May 19, 2018

Pentecost 2018


Pentecost Homily 2018:
Tonight, we celebrate the feast of Pentecost.  In one way this is the end of something, the end of the Easter season.  But, it’s the beginning of something too: the beginning of Ordinary Time.  This is no accident.  Ordinary time is the time of the Church.  This is the time of the Holy Spirit, at work in the world.  From the day of Pentecost until this moment, the Church of Christ carries out his work.  So, as we head back into Ordinary time we think about the gift of the Spirit, and the whole Church prays for the gifts of the Spirit to be renewed in the Church.  
If you get some time this weekend, reflect a little bit on the gifts of the Spirit.  What gifts do you need to fulfill your mission, your vocation in this world?  Let the Holy Spirit work through you to build up the Church and to reach out to the world in need.  Let the Holy Spirit help you to walk in the way of Christ.
I would like to reflect a little bit on the Apostles.  I know it can be easy to think of the Apostles as Christian Super Heroes.  Like they received some super power by being bit by a spider or something.  But, this isn’t true.  They were poor, simple, uneducated, normal people.  They were certainly not perfect.  Yet, with the power of God, they did amazing things. The preached the Word.  They healed the sick.  They raised the dead.  Amazing things.  They carried out the ministry of Christ.  This was all possible by the power of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit can do amazing things through the lives of his saints. The apostles allowed the Spirit to work through them, great things resulted.  The same can be true of us.  We can do great things, the Holy Spirit can make us great saints, if we allow him to flow through us and to work through us.
But, I think the story of the apostles can highlight a tension I can see at work sometimes in people.  This is the tension between personal and public, between internal faith, and external expression of the faith.  
First, just walk through the story.  All the apostles say: even if we have to die with you, we will never deny you.  Then they all abandon him.  Jesus rises from the dead.  They meet Jesus.  They are filled with joy.  They are filled with faith, right?  Jesus is raised from the dead, they see him, they know him.  So, what is the result?  Do they go out and set the world on fire?  Actually, no… they don’t.  What do they do?  They are waiting in the upper room, almost like they don’t have a mission.  At this point they are certainly believers in Christ. They’ve seen him.  They know he’s alive.  But, they are pretty private about it.  Then, the Holy Spirit comes upon them and they are empowered to carry out their mission, they break down the doors and tell everyone about Christ. 
I think the same thing can happen to us sometimes.  We are believers.  We have connected with Christ.  Through our prayer, we have come to know that Christ is alive.  But, the faith was never meant to be a purely internal and private kind of thing.  Our relationship with Christ is not simply something that lives inside of us and makes us feel good.  Christ also wants every one of us to carry out his work in the world.  Sure, we need that deep and internal love of God that allows us to be connected to him.  But, we also need to live our faith out loud, we need to be able to share it.  This is the way, walk in it.  This means that our faith should live out in our lives.  For the apostles, this was only made possible through the Holy Spirit.  It will be the same for us.
We join in with the whole Church to pray today for the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit made the apostles great saints.  He can make us great saints too.  Let us pray for the gift of courage especially.  Life is hard.  Can we all just agree that life is hard?  That is certainly something I have learned by being at St. Jude.  People have allowed me to be a part of their lives.  I get to share the good times and the bad times. Life can be great and rewarding, but it’s tough.  It was certainly tough for the apostles too.  But, the Spirit empowered them to do great things.  Come Holy Spirit and help all of us to be great saints.  Help us to live our vocation.  Help us to bring the love of God to this world. Give us the wisdom to know the path; give us the courage to walk in it every day of our lives.

Saturday, May 5, 2018

Sacramentum Caritatis

6thSunday of Easter Year B 2018:
For me, two words really jumped out at me in the gospel today: love and joy.  Aren’t those two terrific words?  I mean, so much of our lives are lived in pursuit of these two things.  We long for love and joy.  And if these things are missing, we can be quite unhappy.  Every human being wants love and joy, unless you’re a big grump or something.
Yet, Jesus shows us that there is a deep connection between love and joy.  I have told you this so that your joy may be complete.  What did Jesus tell us?  Follow my commandments: love one another as I have loved you.  If we want joy, and who doesn’t, the pathway is the pathway of love. A life of love will be a life of joy. 
But, I guess it begs the question: what is love?  Most people think of love as an emotion, a feeling. We have these feelings for the people we love: there’s romantic love, love for family, children, love for country, love for justice, etc.  These things might inspire emotions and feelings.  But, love is not the same thing as the emotions.  In fact, love is much deeper.  Love is not an emotion, but it’s a decision.  Love is an action of the whole human person: body, soul, heart, mind, everything.  And what does love look like?  It looks like the cross.  Jesus says: love one another as I love you, no greater love than to lay down your life for your friends.  Love is not about feel-good emotions.  Love is about giving one’s self for others.  
In order for the joy of Christ to remain in us, we have to follow the pathway of love.  The pathway to self-fulfillment is the path of self-giving.  The pathway to resurrection and life is the sacrifice of the cross.  We all want that life of joy and fulfillment, so Jesus teaches us the way to that life is the way of the cross.
But, we might find this to be a bit disheartening right? Deep in our hearts we are searching for joy and happiness.  We look everywhere for this satisfaction: money, power, pleasure, prestige: none of them satisfy.  And Jesus comes along to tell us: if you want this joy, peace, and happiness, all you have to do is to love one another as I love you.
Have you ever thought about this command as being a little bit unfair?  Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  He is perfect love and goodness.  He is absolutely free of sin, selfishness, self-interest.  His whole mission on earth is to show the love and mercy of the Father for all of us in the fallen human family.  He is love.  Then, he tells us to love just as he does.  Seems to be well beyond our abilities.  
But, always remember that if Christ calls us to something difficult, he always provides us with the means to attain them.  If he calls us to love one another just as he loves us, he will give us the means.  And this is exactly where I see the importance of the Mass and the Holy Eucharist.  Very often, the Holy Eucharist is also called the sacramentum caritatis, which means: the sacrament of love.  The Eucharist is the very love of Christ.  Jesus loved us so much that he gave his life for us.  He handed over his body, soul, everything.  He continues this handing over until the end of time with the gift of the Mass, with the gift of the Eucharist.  By receiving this amazing gift, we become enabled to live Christ’s call to love.  No wonder the Mass is called the source and summit of the Catholic faith.
I would like to encourage all of us to renew our love and amazement for the mass and for the Eucharist.  This weekend we celebrated First Holy Communion for the young people of our parish.  Talk about love and amazement.  These kids were thrilled to receive Jesus in Holy Communion.  They believe and are convinced that the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, which he gives to us because of his great love for us. Now, they were also probably excited for cake and parties.  But, at the heart, they were thrilled to receive Christ.
We would all do well to regain some of that excitement. Christ calls us to a life of Joy. The pathway to this life is the pathway of love.  Christ makes it possible for us to follow this path by giving us the Holy Eucharist. What a joy it is, then, to celebrate this mass and to receive the sacrament of love.  

Saturday, April 28, 2018

5th Sunday of Easter

5thSunday of Easter Year B 2018:
Jesus says in the gospel: I am the vine, you are the branches, remain in me.  This image of the vine is an ancient one.  It even goes back to before the time of Jesus.  The prophets would call Israel the vine of God.  Grapevines were something the people knew.  It was a down-to-earth kind of image.  But, for us, maybe it seems a bit more removed. Not everyone is an expert in grapevines anymore.  But, the analogy is easy to pick up.  Christ is the vine.  He is the source.  All energy and life flow out from him.  If we want to be filled with the joy of being his disciple, it is necessary for us to be connected to him.  The word he uses over and again in this passage is “remain.”  
So, a good question to ask ourselves is: what kind of branch am I?  Do I feel like a green and tender branch that is filled with the life and spirit of God? Or, do I feel like a dried out old cracked branch that is good for nothing but burning?  Somewhere in between?  The formula is simple: remain in me.  But, the challenge is to make it happen.  The life of faith has to have concrete expression, or it won’t happen at all. 
Friday, we had a retreat for our 8thgrade students. They are all getting ready to venture out into the wild world of high school.  They will be going through big changes.  They will have many things that could cause them some stress and anxiety. And, really, our lives are much the same.  We have so much in our lives that can cause us difficulty.  So, I gave them three little steps for growing in their life of prayer.  I think these three steps are a good way to put “remain in me” into action in our daily lives.
Step one is daily prayer.  If we don’t talk to God every day, it’s really tough to be connected to him. If we don’t communicate with God, it’s really hard to be his friend, let alone his disciple.  We should never let a day go by without prayer.  But, for many people, we don’t really know how to pray. It’s not overly complicated. Prayer is different for each person, because prayer is personal.  Prayer is a conversation with God.  Prayer is living with God.  So, if you want God’s life and love to flow through you, make sure you pray every day.
Second step is worshipping God at Mass, especially on Sunday. I don’t have to convince all of you of the importance of Sunday Mass, you are here.  But, how many of us know a friend or family member that has decided they don’t need to go to Mass?  Most of us I’m sure.  The sad thing about missing out on Mass, especially Sunday Mass, is that Mass is precisely the place where we can connect with Christ in a tangible concrete way. The Holy Eucharist is Christ.  He remains in us when we come here for prayer. People might say to me: I can pray in the woods.  That’s great. But, do you?  When was the last time you prayed in the woods?  I know the last time I prayed at Mass.  Making Sunday Mass a priority is important because it gives us a concrete chance to connect with God in a public and concrete way. So, if you know of someone away from Mass, you might just share with them that Mass is a great way to connect with Christ.  He is the vine, we are the branches.
Third step is to frequent the sacrament of confession.  We get all dried out as branches because of our sinfulness.  The best way to restore the life and love of God within us is to go to confession. Confession recognizes that sometimes we wander away from Christ.  Sin is when we do not “remain” in him.  But, by going to confession, we connect ourselves with the vine once again.  Our sins are forgiven and we are filled once again with his life.
So, what kind of branch are you?  Where is your life of faith right now?  If it’s great, that’s awesome.  Keep remaining in Christ and stay connected to him.  If it’s not great, no better time than now to turn back and reconnect with Christ.  Pray every day.  Worship God at Mass.  Go to confession.  These are wonderful ways to stay connected to Christ.
But, I don’t want to end today without mentioning what Christ expects of all of us.  Remaining in him is a great outline for the spiritual life.  But, what’s the goal?  Christ wants us to bear fruit.  Sometimes we can get just a little bit self-centered and think that the spiritual life is all about our connection to Christ for our own sake. But, that forgets that Christ wants us to carry out his works in the world.  If we are not bearing fruit, then what are we doing?  At the end of our lives, each of us will be asked that question: did you bear great fruit?  If you need some ideas on how to bear fruit, just look at the banners in the back of the church.  These banners connect this image of the vine with the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. These actions produce fruit in the world because they extend God’s love and mercy to those in need.
Today as we celebrate this Holy Eucharist, we connect with Christ once again.  He remains in us and we in him.  But, then as we leave this Holy Mass, don’t forget to go and bear fruit.

Sunday, April 1, 2018

Easter

Easter 2018:
Alleluia, Christ is Risen.  Alleluia is a word that means “praise be to God.”  Indeed, we say “Alleluia” tonight (today) and every day.  Praise be to God, Christ is risen from the dead. February 14th2018 we gathered in this church.  Some of us very early in the morning.  We gathered in prayer, we received ashes on our foreheads, we celebrated the Holy Eucharist.  We ended that Mass, and every Mass during Lent, by singing Jesus remember me.  As we have been reflecting on these words of the good thief during these days of Lent and especially during this Sacred Triduum, these words always look to the future.  When the good thief uttered them, he was hanging next to Jesus on the cross.  Christ had not yet died, he had not yet risen.  So, these words looked forward to the glory of the risen Christ.  Today we celebrate that glory.  Today we celebrate the kingdom of Christ.  Today we proclaim the reality behind these words: remember me when you come into your kingdom.  Indeed, Jesus reigns in that kingdom now.
We proclaim that Christ has already conquered sin and death, but we do not yet experience that kingdom in its fullness.  We profess our faith that the Good Thief and all the saints already live in the paradise that Christ promised from the cross.  And yet, we are still on our journey of faith, we still await the kingdom, we do not experience it in its fullness right now.
Our lives are a strange tension.  We live in this present moment, but yet we long for something more. We live this human life full of pain, suffering, even death.  And yet, in the hearts of every human being we long for more.  We long for a life of peace, an eternal life of love and happiness. Every human heart longs for that. This is why we all find the message of the resurrection of Christ to be so powerful.  Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.  This is what we all long for in our hearts.  We want to be a part of that kingdom.  We profess that the kingdom already exists; but, we do not yet experience ourselves.  It’s a real tension.
I’m sure we have all experienced this tension sometimes. We believe in the resurrection. We sometimes struggle with our beliefs. We know that God is there. Sometimes God feels far away.  We know that God loves us.  We sometimes suffer and are in pain.  
So, if you have this tension in your life, welcome to the club. We all have this tension.  You know what?  That’s ok.  It’s part of life.  I see it all the time in my own life and in the lives of people I meet.  Sometimes people come to me broken down and feeling quite distant from God.  Sometimes people come to me full of joy and feeling like God is everywhere.  Some people are in between.  So, where are you?  It’s ok.  The ups and downs are part of life.
This is one of the reasons why I love Lent and Easter. These two seasons represent both sides of the tension.  During the season of Lent we focus on our own wandering in the desert.  Lent symbolizes our life here on earth.  Our time in this desert is a time of testing.  In this life we experience pain, grief, loss, mourning, death, etc.  Lent is a time that always looks forward to the celebration of Easter.  Our life is a time that always looks forward to the new life in Christ’s kingdom.
Yet, today we celebrate Easter, which proclaims the other side of the tension.  Christ has already won.  The kingdom already exists.  Christ is risen.  We might be journeying in the desert.  We might experience trials and tribulations.  But, Christ has already won.  We experience glimpses of this in our lives.  It’s true we experience difficulties in life.  But, don’t we also experience joys?  There might be pain; but, there’s also love.  There might be dark, but there’s also light.  
Lent teaches us to sing: “Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom” as a way to anticipate our full participation in the kingdom in the future.  But, Easter teaches us to sing that song as a proclamation of faith.  Jesus is already in his kingdom, even if we do not yet experience ourselves in its fullness.
Human life is a life of tension.  We live with this tension every day.  We experience the darkness of sin and suffering; but we also experience the light of love, joy, and peace.  Lent and Easter are two seasons that go together as a way to represent this fundamental human tension.  
So, my friends, do not be afraid of this tension.  It is a part of our lives.  When we experience the darkness, make it a chance to call out to Christ and ask him to be our savior.  When we experience the light, make it a chance to proclaim our faith in the resurrection.  No matter what side of the tension you find yourself on any given day, “Jesus remember me” is a wonderful prayer.
Today we proclaim an important truth: Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.  Alleluia, Praise be to God.  Alleluia in good times, and in bad times.  Alleluia in the darkness, alleluia in the light.  “Jesus remember me” during Lent and during Easter; during the good times and the bad.  We proclaim today and always: Alleluia, Christ is risen: Alleluia.

Friday, March 30, 2018

Good Friday


Good Friday 2018:
Jesus, Remember me.  For me, the words of this song open up the deep and hidden meaning of Lent.  We don’t go through our 40 days in the desert, we don’t go through this passion on Good Friday because we think the outcome is in doubt.  We proclaim the resurrection of Christ every day of our lives.  We don’t pretend that Jesus dies again today.  But, we celebrate Good Friday, we remember Jesus’ passion again this year and every year because the process of remembering allows these events to mold and shape our lives.  It’s true that Jesus does not die again each year on Good Friday.  But, it’s also true that remembering Jesus’ death every year on Good Friday gives each one of us a new chance to enter into the powerful mystery of the death of the Son of God.  The yearly remembrance of these mysteries is for our benefit, so that these mysteries can change our lives, change our hearts.
As I mentioned last night, the song Jesus remember me is great for two reasons.  First, the words themselves are the words of one of the most powerful prayers ever recorded in the bible.  The good thief says these words to Jesus and Jesus responds, “today you will be with me in paradise.”  Today we remember Christ’s passion, we remember his death.  One amazing way to enter into this mystery is by making the words of the good thief our own words: Jesus remember me.  We too are dying from our sins and from our crimes, take us with you into paradise.  There is no better day to bring our prayers before the Lord: Today Christ lifts all our prayers with him onto the cross and offers them to the Father along with his life.  So, we pray with boldness: Jesus, remember me.
Second, the song Jesus remember me does a great job of putting us into the story.  Remember, we are not on the sidelines.  The story of the bible is our story, after all.  Walk up to Christ, hanging on the cross.  See the love he has for each and every one of us.  Be there when Jesus takes his last breath and hands over the Holy Spirit to us, his people.  Don’t let the story of Christ’s passion be a history lesson.  Be there and experience it first-hand.
Jesus, remember me is a great song.  Let it live in your hearts today.  It’s a powerful prayer that brings salvation to the singer.  It’s a powerful prayer that allows us to enter the very mysteries we celebrate.  Let these words live in your hearts today as we celebrate the Lord’s Passion on this Good Friday: Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

Called to be Holy

Message in a Minute for Jan 19: I once heard a quote from Michelangelo about his famous statue,  David .  Someone asked him how he made s...