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.

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 1^st, 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.

Mary went in haste:

4^thSunday 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.  

Rejoice in the Lord

3^rdSunday 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.

Prepare the way of the Lord

2^ndSunday 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 8^thcentury.  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.

Examples of generosity

32^ndSunday 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.

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

30^thSunday 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!