The whole gospel of Christ

Message in a Minute for Feb 3:

            First, let me begin by asking everyone for your prayers.  Today is the 6^thanniversary of Bishop D’Arcy’s death. Hard to believe, but he died in 2013. He was tremendously important for me in my spiritual life and vocational discernment.  He is greatly missed.  The crypt chapel will be open on Feb 3 if anyone would like to go down there and offer a prayer for his soul.

We see two crazy extremes in the gospel today. At first, people are saying nice things about Jesus: “All spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.”  But, this positive sentiment does not last very long: “They were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town… to hurl him down…”  All spoke highly, then all were filled with fury.

What can explain this alarming, and quick, change of opinion?  The people listened to Jesus.  At first, the message was one of hope and blessing from God.  But, then his message turned into a message of challenge, conversion. The first message was greeted with joy. The second message was greeted with fury.

Can we really claim to be all that much different? We all love the story of Christmas, where Christ was born to be our Savior.  But, what about the message of Good Friday: only the Cross can bring new life. Jesus certainly told his disciples: follow me.  But, he also told them: pick up your cross if you would be my disciple. 

For some years now there has been this “prosperity gospel” that has become pretty popular.  Basically, it goes like this: if you are good, then God will bless you and fulfill all your dreams.  This is obviously attractive.  It’s also a true message.  But, it’s only part of the message of Christ.  It’s like the beginning of the gospel: all spoke highly and were amazed.  But, what about the message of conversion?  Do we avoid that part of the gospel?  Or, worse, does it fill us with fury?

Take some time this week.  Ask Jesus for both parts of the message.  Ask him for the good news that will fill you with joy. But, also ask him for the tough message of conversion.  Hard as it might be to hear, conversion will lead us to an even deeper kind of joy and peace.

Today this passage is fulfilled

3^rdSunday of Ordinary Time year C 2019:

Today the scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing. These are powerful words from Christ. He is telling the people in the gospel that, behold, God’s promises have been fulfilled.  Indeed, this is good news.  This is at the very heart of the entire Gospel of Christ: God has sent Jesus to fulfill the promises of God that he made in the Old Testament.

What are those promises?  Glad tidings, liberty, sight, freedom, a year of Blessing from God. I’m sure that the people in the synagogue that day may have been a bit skeptical.  Who is this guy to say all this?  But, I can’t help but think that their hearts may have lifted at the same time. Maybe?  I mean, who among us wouldn’t want these amazing things promised in the scroll of Isaiah?  I want glad tidings, liberty, sight, freedom, blessing.  But, we might have the same kind of skepticism in our own hearts: can God really give me these things?  Will God give them to me?  

Today, this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing. Today.  Let this be a new day.  Listen again to the words of Christ.  Know that he is not simply a historical figure.  He is present in our world right now, today.  This reading is just as important for us today as it was 2000 years ago.  For, the gospel is not a dead letter, it’s the living voice of Christ that continues to speak to us right now. 

This makes me want to encourage everyone to spend time with the Bible.  I know that the Bible can seem intimidating sometimes.  How do we read it?  Where to start?  Which Bible should I read?  It can seem complicated and confusing even to start.  Then there’s the Bible itself.  Sometimes there are wonderful stories about God’s gifts and blessings and the miracles of Christ.  But, there are also a lots of long stories about tabernacle construction and things that might not make sense.  Reading the Bible is not easy.

But, it is so worth it.  The beginning of our Gospel passage today is actually the beginning of St. Luke’s gospel.  He tells us why he has written the gospel.  He tells Theophilus that he has written an ordered account of Jesus’ life so that “you might realize the certainty of the teachings you have received.” This is why we have the bible.  So that we might come to know the certainty about the teachings of Christ.  But, it also works the other way: if we don’t read the Bible we will have uncertainty about Christ and his teachings.  This is why it’s so important to read and study the Bible.  It gives us insight into the mind and heart of Christ.

You all know it’s winter outside right now, right?  The high temperature on Wednesday is going to be -2 degrees.  So, I happen to know that all of us will probably be stuck inside for the next several months.  Why not spend some time reading the Bible?  We have about a month until Lent begins, but why not start early with some spiritual practices, especially reading the Bible.

In the Message in a Minute this week, I give an outline on the practice of lectio divina.  This is way of prayerfully reading the bible.  Maybe pick up the MIM if you want more info.  

St. Luke addresses his gospel to someone named Theophilus. We don’t know who this is.  A couple years ago a read a fiction novel, where the author dreamed up a life story for this man.  It was an interesting book.  He is mysterious.  But, his name is not mysterious.  It means: person who loves God.  So, the Bible is written for anyone who loves God, so that we can grow in our faith. Spend time with the bible so that “today this scripture passage” may be fulfilled in your hearing.

Importance of the Scriptures

Message in a Minute for Jan 27:

            Today’s gospel is the beginning of Luke’s gospel, sort of.  If you notice, the pericope is Lk 1:1-4; 4:14-21.  So, chapters 1,2, and 3 all come between the first paragraph and the story of Jesus in the synagogue.  Now, we had been hearing those intervening chapters over the last several weeks, since they contain the stories of Jesus’ birth and childhood. Now that we are back in ordinary time, we hear about the proclamation made by Jesus in the synagogue: “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

            But, for this week’s MIM I wanted to focus on St. Luke.  He gives us his insights into what he is doing.  He tells Theophilus that he has decided to put together an ordered account of Christ’s life so that he might “realize the certainty of the teachings he received.”  In other words, St. Luke put together this gospel so that Theophilus, and all of us, can grow in our faith.

            This reminded me of the importance of reading the Scriptures.  It might sound basic, but we can’t know about Jesus’ life without reading the Bible.  The Bible is a great gift that God has given us, but it only “works” if we actually read and study it.  I would recommend trying to incorporate Lectio Divinainto your prayer life.  Lectiois a way of reading the Bible that turns it into a wonderful prayer experience.  Here are the basic 4 steps:

            Lectio: read a small passage (out loud works fine if you can). Really understand the words and their meaning.  What kind of passage is it?  (Parable, historical encounter, teaching narrative, etc).  Know what the passage says.

            Meditatio: wrestle with the text a little bit.  What are the major terms in the passage?  What do those terms mean, have we seen them before? For example, what is a shepherd? Who are the sheep?  

            Oratio: take a conscious moment to turn the passage into a prayer.  “Thank you, Lord, for being my shepherd.  Please keep leading me to green pastures, etc.”

            Contemplatio: this step is God’s chance to speak to us while reading the Bible.  We don’t even have to do anything extra.  This step takes place by God working through our prayer time.

            See if you can’t take some time this week to find a passage in the Bible and practice Lectio Divina.  It will help you “realize the certainty of the teachings you have received.” 

Wedding feast of Cana

Message in a Minute for January 20:

Today we hear about the Wedding at Cana.  St. John tells us that this was one of the first signs that Jesus performed.  People began to believe in him because of what he did there at the wedding.  And, what did Jesus do?  We know that he made the water into wine.  But, there is much more going on in the story.

First of all, this first sign takes place at a wedding.  I don’t think this is random.  The first sign of Jesus takes place at a wedding because it is the married couple that is the first building block of our human society.  At the heart of the Christian family is the committed married couple.  So many people in our society think that marriage is something that can be defined by anyone.  “Marriage is what you make of it.”  But, that’s not what we believe.  As Catholics we believe and profess that marriage is an institution written into the very fabric of the human being.  We believe that marriage is a loving commitment between persons that is open to new life.  This is not something that we invented.  Rather, God invented marriage.

But, marriage is difficult.  You might ask how I know that since I’m not married, but I talk to many married couples about their difficulties and struggles all the time. Marriage is hard because marriage entails two people giving of themselves for the good of their spouse. Marriage is about sacrifice and giving, not about taking and self-fulfillment.  But, as human beings, we have never been good at sacrifice, service, and humbly following God.  If we were good at that, we would still be in the garden.

This is why Christ came to us.  He came to be our savior.  He came to show us the way to salvation.  He showed us that the way to salvation lies in the cross.  When he gave himself up to death, he granted to the human race the power to overcome sinfulness and selfishness.  And there is no place that needs that gift more than in marriage.  We cannot overcome sinfulness and selfishness on our own.  And there is nothing more damaging to marriage than selfishness, sinfulness.  

So, of course Jesus’ first sign was at a wedding. He came to help us overcome everything that holds us back.  How amazing then that he does so in marriage.  Don’t be afraid to let Christ into your married life.  It says in the gospel that Jesus was also invited to the wedding.  Do you invite Jesus to your married life every day?  I’m sure for many of you, you invited him to your wedding by having a religious/Catholic wedding ceremony.  But, don’t let that be the last invitation.  Let’s ask Christ to bless all marriages like he did at Cana.

Baptism of the Lord

Message in a Minute for Jan 13:

Today is the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. This feast marks a transition from the Christmas season to Ordinary Time.  This is an important feature of the event of the Lord’s baptism, because the baptism is the beginning of his public ministry of teaching and healing. Ordinary time is anything but “ordinary.”  Rather, it is our chance to listen to the words of Christ.  We get to travel with him, learn from him, listen to him. Think about all the time the disciples had with Jesus.  Sure, there were big events in their lives, like the Resurrection.  But, I think it was in the quiet moments that they were able to grow in their faith.  This is why Ordinary Time is an important time in our own life of faith as well.  We know about the importance of Advent, Lent, Easter, and Christmas.  These events are wonderful times for spiritual growth.  But, so is Ordinary Time: take advantage of these next few weeks. Listen to Christ.  Spend time with him.  Grow in your faith.

When Jesus is baptized, he comes out of the water and the voice from heaven is heard saying, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”  This voice confirms Jesus’ identity.  Truly he is the Son of God.  But, Jesus’ baptism also helps us to understand our own baptism.  Jesus walks before us in all things, including his baptism. So, when Jesus is baptized, the Holy Spirit comes upon him and heaven proclaims that he is God’s son.  I like to think that every time someone is baptized, the same thing happens to that person.  Now, we don’t necessarily hear the voice from heaven, but it’s there nonetheless.  The person baptized receives the gift of the Holy Spirit.  The person baptized is adopted as a son or daughter of God.  

Yet, how often do we take some time to reflect on the wonderful mystery of our baptism?  A few years ago, at a confirmation Mass, Bishop Rhoades asked everyone in the church if they knew the date of their baptism.  Only a couple people knew.  Then he asked if anyone knew the date of their birth.  Of course, everyone knew their birthday.  So, he challenged everyone to know the date of their baptism.  Because, while it is important to know the date we were born naturally, it’s also important to know the date when we were born spiritually.  In many ways, the day of our baptism is much more important than the day of our birth.  The day we were baptized we received the Holy Spirit and God called us sons and daughters. Amazing gift.

            Do you know your baptism date?  Mine is Sept 17.  Look up your own.  Take some time this week to reflect on the amazing mystery of our own baptism as we celebrate the baptism of Christ.

RIP Fr. Larry

My uncle, Fr. Larry Tippmann, passed away last week.  Today was his funeral.  My aunts and uncles asked me to do the homily.  Below is the text.  Please say a prayer for Fr. Larry.

Fr. Larry Homily:

I would like to begin by thanking Bishop Rhoades, my brother priests, and all of you for being here today to celebrate the funeral Mass for Fr. Larry Tippmann.  It means a great deal to all of Fr. Larry’s family to have you here.

When I was ordained a priest 9 years ago, Fr. Larry said: Good, now I have my replacement.  So, it’s an honor for me to be here to give this funeral homily.

If you listen carefully to the prayers of the funeral Mass you will hear 3 layers of prayer going on at the same time.  The first layer of prayer is glorifying God.  At this Mass, and at every Mass, it is right and just to give God thanks and praise.  Fr. Larry was a priest.  He knew that the most important part of his life was celebrating Mass and worshipping God. So, the most important thing we can do today is to worship God during this Mass.

The second layer of prayer during this funeral Mass is for Fr. Larry.  Let us all implore our merciful and loving savior to be a kind and merciful judge for Fr. Larry.  Fr. Larry knew quite well that he was not a perfect person.  He had sins and failings like every one of us here.  But, he loved God and knew that God was merciful. Please, in your kindness, implore God to be merciful to Fr. Larry.  Lord, open the gates of paradise to your servant.  Grant to him eternal life.

The third layer of prayer is for all of us here, who mourn the loss of Fr. Larry.  He was an important person in the lives of so many people.  He was important in the life of our Tippmann family.  But, he was also important in the lives of his parish families over the years.  During this past week I started wondering about Fr. Larry’s lifetime statistics. Just imagine how many masses he celebrated, weddings, funerals, baptisms, confessions, anointings for the sick. How many of us were touched by Fr. Larry’s priestly ministry?  It’s true that a priest does not leave behind natural children and grandchildren.  But, he leaves behind a spiritual family of people touched by his ministry.  This includes all of us here today.  So, the prayers of the mass are for us as well. That God might give us his consolation.  But, also, that we might grow in our faith through the example of Fr. Larry’s life and by the Word of God.  I would like to offer 4 things for us to remember.  Fr. Larry’s kindness, positive attitude, love for his family, and his love for the Eucharist.

One thing I will always remember about Fr. Larry was his kind heart and his peaceful demeanor.  After I was accepted to the seminary, Fr. Larry called me up out of the blue and wanted to take me to lunch.  He told me he was praying for me and he was happy that I was going to the seminary.  He even gave me his haircutting kit that he used in the seminary 50 years ago. Apparently, he would cut the other guys’ hair to help out.  Not my gift, to cut hair.  But, I was grateful of his support.  He was always kind and gracious to me, and for that I’m grateful.

Also, his peaceful demeanor.  I haven’t known him as long as some of you here, but I never saw him upset, or discouraged.  He was always upbeat and positive.  Now, I’m sure he had his moments, we all do.  But, I especially remember being amazed at his attitude following the accident where he hurt his hand badly.  First of all, we all know he had no business operating that saw.  But, be that as it may, he was very badly injured.  He had numerous surgeries, procedures, and lots of therapy.  But, anytime I talked to him he was positive and upbeat.  I remember one time asking him: Fr. Larry how is the hand doing.  “Oh, great” he said.  “Look what I can do:” then he moved one finger about a quarter of an inch.  I remember thinking that I would have felt greatly discouraged by the lack of progress. But, for him, it was great progress. 

It was sad to see Fr. Larry struggling these last number of years.  He was always so sharp, especially his memory.  I remember talking to him at lunch about our big Tippmann family.  I’m convinced that he was the last person alive who really knew everyone in the family.  How many of us can really say that?  I don’t know every Tippmann.  But, Fr. Larry did.  He had a great devotion to our family.  I know we will miss him greatly.

Finally, I’d like to call attention to Fr. Larry’s great love for the Mass and the Eucharist.  This was such an important part of his life.  Even in retirement, he would celebrate mass in his apartment. He would spend time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.  The Eucharist was at the heart of his spiritual life.  This makes sense.  The Eucharist is at the heart of every priest’s spiritual life.  The priest is the one ordained to offer the sacrifice of Christ on behalf of the whole Church.  It is truly the Eucharist that gives the priest his identity and mission.  Without the Eucharist, the priesthood wouldn’t make sense.  Without the priesthood, there would be no Eucharist.  The Eucharist is the very sacrifice of Christ when he offered his life on the cross for the salvation of the world.  When we offer this Mass today for Fr. Larry, we are offering once again the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.  When we spend time in prayer adoring the Blessed Sacrament, we are truly in the presence of Christ.  Fr. Larry knew this.  This is why he was so devoted to the mass and to praying before the Lord especially in the adoration chapel.

I’ve been thinking about many of the funny “Fr. Larry” stories that have been passed down over the years.  I remember one from not too long ago, when he was getting easily confused. Fr. Larry had run out of hosts for mass. For him, this was a crisis.  So he called 911.  Now, everyone here knows that 911 is not for that kind of emergency. But, for Fr. Larry, it was a crisis. He knew that you called 911 when there was a crisis.  He may have been confused mentally at the time.  But, he was right: life without Mass would be a crisis.  

So, my friends, let’s make today a day of prayer.  Let us praise almighty God.  Let us give him the worship that is due.  Second, let’s pray for Fr. Larry Tippmann.  May the Lord grant him a share in eternal life.  Fr. Larry believed what Christ said today in the gospel: whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood shall live forever. Grant him that eternal life, O Lord. During the incensing of the casket we will sing the In Paradisum.  These words, in Latin, ask that Fr. Larry might be welcomed into the heavenly kingdom with all the angels and saints to welcome him to paradise.  This is our prayer.  May Fr. Larry be welcomed into paradise.  Finally, let’ make this a day of prayer and support for all of Fr. Larry’s family and friends.  His natural family and his spiritual family.  Prayer for all of his brother priests.  The Tippmann family is a big family.  But, Fr. Larry’s spiritual family is even bigger.  We can all pray for one another, especially that we might grow in our love and respect for the Mass and for the Holy Eucharist.

Rest in peace Fr. Larry.  May the words of the gospel ring true for you and for all of us as we celebrate this funeral Mass: whoever eats this bread will live forever.