Mary Traveled to the Hill Country in Haste [8/15/21]

It always strike me that we are told by St. Luke on this Feast of the Assumption that when Mary set out to visit her cousin Elizabeth, that she traveled “in haste.”  It would just never occur to me that the Blessed Mother would ever do anything in a manner that could be considered “hasty” in any way.  Aren’t we taught that “Haste makes waste,” and that we should “Look before we leap,” etc. etc.?  Yet, our Blessed Mother, we are told, set out proceeding “in haste.”  There must be a lesson here for us. Could it be that sometimes it is right for us to in fact, “proceed in haste” when we know exactly what the Lord wants us to do?  Isn’t it true that while it may indeed often be difficult to clearly discern God’s will it is also true that at any given moment there are any number of things that we know that God wants us to do but for some reason or other we have not yet done them?  Are there not people that we are called to forgive right now? Are there not people from whom we should be seeking forgiveness right now?  Are there not any number of other people in our lives to whom we should be reaching out in some kind of loving way right now?  And yet we do not. We come up with some reason, some excuse as to why we cannot do this or that right now. We rationalize that we are too busy, that it is not yet the right time, or that someone else needs to take a certain step before we do anything.  But when it comes right down to it, we know that it is all nonsense, that we are so adept at coming up with one excuse after another in order to rationalize not doing the will of God in the present moment. We are called to forgive. Right now! We are called to seek forgiveness. Right now! We are called to reach out to others in charity and love. Right now!  There is never any excuse for us to put off doing these types of things.  Mary set out in haste to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Let us always set out in haste to do the will of God.

Will We Ever Stop Complaining? [8/04/21]

Jesus words to the Pharisees in today’s Gospel made me think of the following little reflection that I had come across some time ago. To the best of my knowledge the author is unknown.  “I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight. I have responsibilities to fulfill today. My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have. Today I can complain because the weather is rainy or I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free. Today I can feel sad that I don’t have more money or I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.  Today I can grumble about my health or I can rejoice that I am alive.  Today I can lament over all that my parents didn’t give me when I was growing up or I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born.  Today I can cry because roses have thorns or I can celebrate that thorns have roses.  Today I can mourn my lack of friends or I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new relationships.  Today I can whine because I have to go to work or I can shout for joy because I have a job to do.  I can complain because I have to go to school or eagerly open my mind and fill it with rich new pieces of knowledge. Today I can murmur dejectedly because I have to do housework or I can feel honored because the Lord has provided shelter for my mind, body and soul.  Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped.  And here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping.  What today will be like is up to me. I get to choose what kind of day I will have!”  As I see it the bottom line is this: we will always have the opportunity to complain but we really never have anything to complain about.  Why?  Because every day of our lives we can receive the bread that Jesus gives us, the bread that gives us eternal life.  As long as we continue to choose to complain, it has to mean that we just don’t get it.

Bread for the Soul...Want Some? [08/01/21]

Beginning last week, we have been taking a five week break from the Gospel of Mark and spending time in the Gospel of John on the teachings of Jesus which are called the Bread of Life Discourse. Last week we read about the feeding of the 5000 and reflected on what it means for us today. Today’s Gospel is a continuation of the loaves and fishes story we began last week. Jesus fed the crowd and amazed them by His miracles. After that miracle and a day of teaching, Jesus and the apostles went away across the lake to get a little rest and privacy, but the people who had witnessed the miracle went searching for Him and found Him on the other side of the lake. Instead of being angry with them, Jesus continues to teach them. He tells them first that it wasn’t the signs and miracles that attracted them, as much as the fact they were being fed.  He says that they should be less interested in filling their bellies with food that quickly disappears, and instead, look for spiritual food which will never leave them. When they ask what they must do to get this spiritual food, Jesus replies that they must believe in the person God has sent; that they must believe in Him and reveals to them that He is the Bread of Life.   God has sent Him to be for us all the spiritual food that we will ever need.  They then ask him for signs so they that they can believe in Him-even though He had just fed the 5,000! They then mention the manna that God gave the to the Israelites through Moses but Jesus explains that through Him God is not only giving them bread for their bodies but bread for their souls as well.  And this is where I think it might be good for us to pause. We might say that we, perhaps not unlike those people who chased Jesus across the lake because Jesus miraculously filled their stomachs, have followed Him to Church today.  But do we know why? Is it for something that will last or something that will fade away? Actually, Jesus will give us both, but He longs for us to long for that which is eternal. He wants us to nourish us eternally with His Bread of Life.

Are you Smarter than a Little Jewish Boy? [7-25-21]

The hero of today's Gospel is a little Jewish boy.  He proved himself not only to be smart enough to pack a lunch but also to be among the rarest of individuals. He was willing, after packing his lunch, to give it away.  However, in doing so he once again proved his intelligence because he gave it to Jesus. You might say that he made a very shrewd investment. He went home with 12 baskets of leftovers after the huge crowd had had their fill.  Because he gave the little he had, we are talking about this miracle to this day.

Let us not forget of course that it was Jesus who mentions that this exhausted mob must be hungry showing once again that He is interested not only in life after death but also life before death.  He looks towards His disciples to be problem solvers and that’s how this little fellow was found. Jesus did not embarrass the little boy and his meager offering. He accepted his gifts with ceremony and gratitude. Can you imagine the look on the boy’s face as Jesus starts to share his food with the crowd, and especially as he saw that his lunch never ran out? Maybe Jesus held him up in His arms for the crowd to see. Somehow or other, I think there are some lessons to be learned here. The next time you are asked for something you feel you cannot give, remember this Jewish boy and think again. Even if your gift is small, know that Christ will receive you and your gift with open arms and do amazing things with it. He will literally use it to feed the world.  But if we hoard the little that we have, we just might prevent Christ from performing one more amazing miracle.  If we find ourselves worrying about whether we have enough money perhaps we should remember this child, and ask ourselves if maybe our worry is a sign that we need to give more away and see what God might do with it. The psalmist says “a child will lead us,” but I leave you with this question, “Are you smarter than a little Jewish boy? 

Christian Leadership [7-18-21]

It seems to me that the readings for this weekend reflect on leadership and the fact that we human beings are very much in need of it. We may not like to admit it, but if we are without leadership we will tend to pretty much flounder around like sheep without a shepherd. We have a great need to come together and to unite around someone who can articulate a unified vision or purpose.  The trouble is that not all visions, even though they may be passionately and clearly articulated are good for us.  History is filled with examples of people flocking to leaders who led them to paths that were not good. So, the question then becomes what are the qualities that we should look for in a leader.  Of course, my answer is going to be that first and foremost we should look to Jesus and the type of leadership that He employed. We don’t have to look too closely before we easily conclude that Jesus is among the greatest leaders of all times, but was very different from Adolf Hitler, who is indeed also an example of a powerful leader.  Of course, Jesus is different than Hitler in many ways-perhaps primarily in his example of Christian Leadership.  Christian leadership is different than any other kind of leadership. It is not based on power; it is based on invitation.  It does not feed off propaganda; it thrives on truth.  It does not oppress or place burdens on people; it sets them free and calls them to rest.  Christian leadership is based on truth, love, freedom, caring and service.  The Christian leader puts people first and is willing to sacrifice himself for them. Other leaders do exactly the opposite.  And the bottom line, and for me this is what it’s all about, is that Christian leadership is the most effective kind of leadership.  Don’t you think so? Well then let me ask you two questions. Where is Adolf Hitler?  Where is Jesus?  The trouble is that Christian leadership is rarely ever practiced. And it is something to which we are all called by virtue of our Baptism and Confirmation. Yes. We are all called to be leaders. Christian leaders. So how about if we try it sometime?  Let’s live a life that is based on truth, freedom, service, love and caring, and see what happens.

Evangelism Yesterday and Today [7-11-21]

If you ask me, evangelism today should be just like the evangelism that we hear about in today’s Gospel. First, as followers of Christ, we need to understand that we are sent out. We can't simply sit comfortably in our pews; we are called to go work in the field.
Second, we need to be humble. The disciples took nothing with them: no bread, no bags and no money. We need to leave our baggage behind and simply invite people to the banquet.  Third, we need to understand that evangelism is all about invitation, and not at all about coercion. Jesus says, "If people don't accept you, shake the dust off your feet and leave." He didn't say to stand and argue with them. He didn't say to condemn them to hell.  He told them to spread the Gospel, sow the seed, and let God do the rest.  Finally, we are to evangelize with compassion. We are not to threaten people with an eternity in hell, or look for reasons why they are bad people and back it up with selected biblical verses.  It is wrong to bash people over the heads with the scriptures and hope for conversion through osmosis. Rather, we are to kindly meet people where they are. We are to use only words that heal and never words that hurt.  Still, even if we follow all these pointers, our efforts will fall short if we don’t fully understand who we are and what we are about when we set out to evangelize. Why do we come to church? Why do we call ourselves Catholic? Why do we believe that our faith is better than any other? Yes, we need to be evangelists; but we need to understand why we are here in the first place. That doesn't mean we have all the answers, but it does mean that we have better answers than, "Because I've always gone to church, etc." We need to know what draws us, what excites us, what comforts us. And when we know that, and when we truly live the faith in which we profess belief, then and only then, will we be ready to invite others to join us.

Keep the Faith [7-04-21]

There is a story told of a new preacher who came to town, who very quickly developed a reputation, for being a very inspiring, enthusiastic preacher who shared his faith joyfully each week. Soon his Church was bulging with new worshipers. Many came back after lengthy absences, many who had never worshiped before were received into the Church and some even came from other churches.  There was something so real, about his preaching. It was very lively and upbeat, and it was also very solid, authentic and never watered down. He shared with his congregation that he had a dream of converting everyone in town, and then in the county and then in the state and beyond. For a time, it all seemed so possible. People even talked about the need for a new larger church building. But then, gradually, after a while, things changed. People changed. Their practice of the faith changed their beliefs changed. Many of them stopped going to church; after a while it seemed as though everything had changed; but there was something that had not-and that was the preacher. He did not change at all. He continuously preached the same content in the same way with the same fervor and enthusiasm even though now his congregation had dwindled to just a handful of people. One of his helpers finally began to ask him, how he could keep it up, how he could still so enthusiastically preach about converting the world when there was hardly anyone left in his church.  For quite some time the preacher ignored the question, but one day he did respond.  He said that of course, he noticed that his congregation had diminished almost to the point of nonexistence and that some time ago he began to realize that maybe he wasn’t going to convert the world.  He said, “Maybe it is true I will never convert the world, but I am going to continue to preach God’s message with the same fervor and the same zeal as ever. Just because I am not converting the world does not mean that I will ever let the world convert me.” And he continued preaching in the same way until he died.  Some people who used to listen to him preach, out of respect did come to his funeral. They acknowledged, that although they eventually went a different way, they never doubted that when they were in his church that a prophet was among them. So, what about us?  We are all called to be prophets, to be witnesses to the truths that come to us from God. Ultimately, we cannot control what other people do with the message we present to them with our lives. All we can do is to make sure that we keep the faith. Therein lies the victory.

But How Does the Seed Grow/ [06-13-21]

There is a story told about an Irish pastor in a small town in Ireland who one morning was making his usual rounds through its streets. His name was Fr. Murphy. In short order, he came upon Mr. O’Reilly, who had recently purchased a home and was working in his garden, to which the previous owner had not tended for years. Fr. Murphy took a minute to admire the garden and said to Mr. O’Reilly, “Well, Mr. O’Reilly, I must say, you and God have done a marvelous job bringing this garden back to life.  Mr. O’Reilly, immediately shot back, “But Father, what do you mean, ‘me and God’ brought this garden back to life?” Father Murphy said, “I simply mean that I think it is wonderful how you and God are working together on this project.”  Mr. O’Reilly then retorted, “Well pardon, me, Father, but do you remember this garden when only God was tending to it?”

I suppose that Mr. O’Reilly’s point should be well taken. His effort certainly was integral to the success of his garden. He planted the seeds, and he tended to them by cultivating and watering them, etc. But he did not make them grow. God did that. And God did that without Mr. O’Reilly ever knowing how he did it. Mr. O’Reilly’s hard work and effort was totally based on his faith that somehow God was going to make growth happen. In our Gospel today, Jesus makes the point that we need to approach our faith and the Kingdom of God in the same way that we approach tending to our gardens and so much else that we do in our daily lives. We are to do the work, we are to plant the seeds, to water them, to cultivate them etc. and trust that God will provide the growth without us needing to know how He does it-just that He will and that he will do so according to what is best for our spiritual growth, for our salvation.

Pentecost: It's Why I Believe [5/23/21]

Pentecost: It’s Why I Believe

Well folks, I might as well come right out with and finally say it, and maybe you have already figured it out, but I tend to be a rather skeptical person. I definitely would fall into the “trust but verify” category.   It is not my normal way to just accept things, especially those things that seem to defy reason and logic without at least some kind of serious scrutinizing on my part.  In my late teens and young adulthood, which is probably at least somewhat typical, I did not know what I believed; I wasn’t even sure if I believed in God. I questioned pretty much every thing. And I truly questioned the Resurrection; I was not impressed by the fact that the stone was rolled away or even that Jesus’ body was not there.  I mean, really, if you were Mary Magdalen, would those circumstances have led you to conclude that Jesus was alive? I don’t think so.  Than we get into the eyewitness accounts, and while they do give more substance, I probably would still remain a doubting Thomas. I mean, after all, like Thomas thought, if the other apostles had seen the risen Jesus, then why did they stay locked in the Upper room?  As a matter of fact, they stayed in that room until guess when?  Pentecost would be the answer.  I have no doubt something really big and really special happened on that day. Whatever it was that did happen put their hearts on fire and allowed them to change the world and literally bring us to our pews today.  I have no other explanation for what happened after Pentecost, except that the apostles were literally transformed on that day.  It is pretty clear that they were going nowhere before Pentecost happened. But after Pentecost there was nowhere they didn’t go. Furthermore, it only makes sense that what they proclaimed was the truth and the inspired Word.  For me, Pentecost, is what makes it all make sense. Just look at what didn’t happen before and what did happen after.  I challenge any one to come up with another explanation.  The long and the short of it is that because of Pentecost I believe, and it just might be why you believe as well.

The Good Shepherd [04/25/21]

If we lived in Israel at the time of Jesus, we would instantly relate to what Jesus told us today in the Gospel.  Sheep were the people’s main source of meat, milk and cheese.  They provided wool for clothing.  And they were regularly used for sacrifice in their liturgy.

If I were to try to think of something in our culture today that would be similar to the relationship of a shepherd to his sheep, the best comparison I can come up with is a mother who needs to care for several toddlers. Just as toddlers depend on their mother’s care, the sheep depend on the care of their shepherd, and the shepherd, who usually, had dozens of sheep, is kept busy all hours of every day.

Today’s Gospel makes reference to an activity that was part of the shepherd’s daily routine.  Each night, a number of shepherds would come together with their sheep and put them in a common pen.  Then they would sleep as one shepherd would stay awake to guard against thieves or predatory animals.  In the morning, each shepherd would call out for his own sheep to follow him to pasture.  The sheep knew the voice of their own shepherd and would follow only his voice when they were called and would ignore the calls of the other shepherds.  Remember, Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them and they follow me.

Some people are offended to hear themselves compared to sheep.  Maybe that’s because they don’t realize they need God’s constant care at all times and not just when they become aware that they have problems or are in need.

We live in a society where everyone is trying to get our attention.  We constantly are bombarded with commercials, information and pseudo information on radio, TV, internet, social media, as well with all kinds of signs, posters and billboards all over highways, streets and buildings trying to catch our eye.  Sometimes, we have a tendency to simply follow the latest message we’ve heard, or sometimes, because we hear so many messages, we might be tempted to just follow the crowd.  However, if we want to follow Jesus, we have to be able to hear and to recognize His voice, from among the many that are competing for our attention.  We have to make a conscious effort to shut out all kinds of other noises so that we can listen to Him.  If we don’t do so, we can easily lose touch with Him. More than ever, we must be intentional and proactively seek out His voice. We need to take time to be quiet, to be still, to pray, so that we can stay in touch with the Good Shepherd.

Our Lord does not want to lose any of us.  He wants us to be with Him forever.  He wants to wipe away every tear from our eyes.  He leads us through this very celebration each day and each week. Sheep may not be the most intelligent creatures, but they are smart enough to know that they need their shepherd and to recognize His voice and to seek it out.  May we also be intelligent enough to know that we need Jesus and smart enough to recognize His voice so that He might lead us through the present time to the eternal pasture of Heaven.

“You are Witnesses of These Things?” (4/18/21)

And so the disciples who had just left Jerusalem, who were returning home to Emmaus, who were about to try to figure out the next direction their lives would take after the death of Jesus, suddenly found themselves back in Jerusalem speaking to the 11 Apostles about the amazing experience they had just had.  As they were walking along, they encountered someone they thought was a stranger, someone with whom they were so enamored that they begged him to stay with them for their evening meal. Finally, when He broke bread at their table, they realized that He was no stranger at all but that He was Jesus risen from the dead! But as soon as they recognized Him, He vanished from their midst.  At this point they could think of nothing else but to quickly get back to Jerusalem and tell the Apostles.  That is how it’s like when we have had a true experience of Jesus, isn’t it? All we can think of is to tell other people.  And while they were recounting their story to the 11 Jesus appeared in their midst.  He (Jesus) did His best to put everything He ever said or did in perspective for them and then left them with these beautiful words: “You are witnesses of these things.” Those are great words, wonderful words, aren’t they? But then again, on second thought are they not much more than just that? Do you think that Jesus would come back from the dead and visit His disciples simply to say nice things to them, or whisper sweet nothings in their ears? I think not!  I can almost hear my mother exclaiming, “Not for nothin’!”  Folks, the more I think about it, the more I cannot help but think that those words are not merely a nice statement of the obvious-they are a command. Jesus did not suffer and die and rise for us just so we could live “happily ever after” (besides that’s very boring anyway) or bask eternally in the knowledge that we are witnesses. He did so, so that He would have witnesses to spread His good news. Being a witness is not something that we are; it’s something that we do-it is a tremendous responsibility.  We are witnesses of Him. So just don’t sit or stand there, go out and proclaim through your words and deeds that Jesus Christ is risen.

Are Your Doors Locked? (4/11/21)

So here we are, celebrating the Second Sunday of Easter, the Sunday within the octave of Easter, the Sunday also known as “Mercy Sunday,” and, as per usual, we hear the story of “Doubting Thomas” and we know how that story goes.  The Apostles were locked in the Upper Room for fear of the Jews, the Romans and whatever else might be “out there.” But I don’t think that’s all they were afraid of. I think they were also afraid of what was inside as well. I think they were afraid of what was in their hearts, of the future, of who they were, and how they would go on, even if what was currently “out there” was no longer out there.  Remember, each one of them, with the exception of John, had betrayed Jesus, they failed to stand beside Him in His hour of need. I am pretty sure that a lot of soul searching was going on. I am pretty sure that, yes, they were scared, but I bet they also were pretty remorseful, pretty sorry, pretty regretful, pretty down on themselves. And so, the doors were locked. Do we ever do that? Do we ever lock the doors of our hearts, of our souls, perhaps because partially we are afraid of what’s “out there,” but maybe even more so because of the regret that’s already in our hearts to the point where we just can’t take any more?  I am pretty sure that we do, I am pretty sure that many of us have done this, that many of us are doing it right now, and that many of us will do it again. But that’s where the lesson of this Second, Sunday of Easter, this “Doubting Thomas” Sunday, this Mercy Sunday comes in. Although the doors were locked we are told that Jesus came and stood in their midst. That’s what He did for the disciples, and that’s what He does for us. Imagine, their amazement, but also imagine their shame and their fear because of their guilt?  But what does He bring?  “Peace be with you,” He says to them. He brings mercy and forgiveness and gives them a mission- to forgive the sins of all. That’s what He brings to us, and to our locked hearts. Peace, Mercy, Forgiveness and New Purpose. Amazingly and Unbelievably… Are your doors locked?  They might be able to keep the bad guys out there, but take heart, they won’t be able to keep Jesus out, not if you long for Him.

He is Risen....and He Reigns - Easter Sunday [04-04-21]

Good morning everyone and welcome to St. Aloysius where we are all gathered to celebrate Easter Sunday and the two tremendous and lifesaving truths of our faith:  He is risen and He reigns.

He is Risen!  What a glorious truth of our faith indeed!  But on what basis do we believe? Or do we believe?  Do we really believe?  During these next few weeks we will hear several eyewitness accounts who saw Jesus after His death but there are no such reports here on Easter Sunday.  In today’s gospel Mary Magdalen did not see Jesus and it never entered her mind that He rose from the dead. She saw an empty tomb. Peter saw exactly the same thing and a resurrection did not occur to him either. John, however, witnessed the very same scene as did Peter and Mary but he saw and “believed” that Jesus was alive.  Why?  Because he saw two neatly placed burial cloths. His faith told him that if thieves had stolen Jesus’ body they would not have gone through the trouble of tearing the cloths, which would have adhered to the body because of the burial oils, and neatly folded them.  And, undoubtedly, the cloths would have had to have been ripped into many pieces and could not have remained in two singular pieces.  We can believe in Jesus’ Resurrection today because in the midst of the “messiness” of our regular ordinary lives Jesus leaves signs, i.e. his neatly folded burial cloths, everywhere and primarily in the love and goodness that we receive from others. For us though, we need to believe so that we can see. I actually believe that is how it happened with John as well. I think that it is because he believed already that He “saw” that Jesus was alive even though he did not see Jesus in the flesh. Once we believe that Jesus is alive we can truly rejoice and strive through our joy and holiness of life to allow others to believe.  But there is more to it than that. This is not the ending, this is only the beginning. There is no ‘happily ever after” because this is not a fairy tale.  And thank God it isn’t. “Happily ever afters” are so very boring, and if there is one thing Jesus is not He is not boring.  After His resurrection, He doesn’t just live happily ever after He reigns over heaven and earth.  He judges us based on our lives on earth. So, the good news is that because Jesus conquers death we will all live eternally. But it is also true that we will face a judgment.  Truly, it might have been easier for Lazarus to have remained in the tomb. Sometimes the thought of a judgment which has eternal implications is pretty scary to me. Because I just know I wouldn’t make the grade of my own accord.  And I hate to tell you this but I don’t know if any of you would make the grade either.  But, don’t fret, there is more good news. In the First Reading, St. Peter says this: “everyone who believes in Him will receive forgiveness of sins through His name.”  This means that those who believe in Him will be judged by God the Father in Jesus Christ. So, because Jesus is alive, we have eternal life, and He becomes our judge. That’s why we’re all here today, folks. So, the question is do we believe and live as we believe or do we take a chance at being judged, not in Jesus Christ, but on our own merits?  I know where I stand on that one, I can tell you that!  Remember, He is Risen and He reigns! Alleluia!

Holy Week at Saint Aloysius- Do Not Miss It. [03/28/21]

Believe it or not, it is Palm Sunday, 2021!  We are about, once again to enter into holiest of all weeks of the year, as we begin by commemorating the Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem and His Passion. Next Sunday of course, we will celebrate His Resurrection. But what about all the days in between-remember it is “Holy Week;” it is made up of seven days, not just one or two. Our invitation and challenge is walk with Jesus from the time of His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, through His sorrowful passion to His joyful Resurrection.  I firmly believe that here at Saint Aloysius Parish you will have ample opportunity to do just that.  Of course, we will begin by participating in today’s celebration of the Mass of Palm Sunday. Note that we are invited to leave from Mass in silence as a sign of the fact that we are beginning the most solemn journey with Jesus through the holiest of weeks. Perhaps you would consider joining us for morning Mass at 8:30AM [Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday] either in Church or via Livestream. You will have the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation at 6:30 PM on Wednesday, March 31.

Please note that this is your last chance to receive the sacrament before Easter.

On Holy Thursday we will celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7:00 PM. Join us as we present the newly blessed sacramental oils, celebrate once again with Jesus the Last Supper, the First Mass, the institution of the Eucharist and of the Priesthood.  At the end of Mass the altar will be stripped and we will process the Blessed Sacrament into the Gathering Center to the Altar of Repose which will be where the Sacred Heart statue now stands.

As the Triduum continues we will commemorate Christ’s passion and death with the celebration of Morning Prayer on Good Friday. Adoration will continue throughout the day until our Celebration of the Lord’s Passion at 3:00 PM. This is an absolutely moving service which includes the most powerful ritual of the veneration of the Cross.  On Holy Saturday morning, we will pray Morning Prayer at 8:30 AM once again. Then we wait with heartfelt expectation for the blessing of the Easter Fire at 7:29 PM on the evening of Holy Saturday as we begin the Easter Vigil and celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus.  As you can see, this is indeed the holiest of weeks.  Do not miss it! 

Greek Salad, Anyone? [03/21/21]

In our Gospel passage for today, the 5th Sunday of Lent, the last Sunday before Palm Sunday (can you believe it?), we hear a story that is presented only by John.  It is the story of some Greek Jews who were in Jerusalem for the Passover who expressed their desire to see Jesus to Phillip.  Now by this point, folks, we should know that we are in for some kind of very special teaching.  We are coming up against the mystery of the Passion and Jesus now has the opportunity to speak to these, probably very well educated, visitors from Greece, who are always interested in wisdom and learning.  So, what is he going to serve them and us?  Well, here is some of what He says:  "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.  Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.  Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.  Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be.  The Father will honor whoever serves me.”  That certainly is a mouthful, is it not?  Some of the most profound teachings that Jesus ever gave us were first served up to these Greek visitors.  Jesus is saying nothing less than, that He is about to be glorified-on the cross; that if we want to live our lives to the fullest, we must first lay them down; that if we endure all kind of suffering in this life for Him, we will enjoy eternal life with Him; and that the Father will honor whoever serves Him.  I know how I feel as I try to fully comprehend all that Jesus is saying in these few lines even though I have heard them so many times before; can you imagine how His Greek guests must have reacted upon hearing it for the first time?  I wonder if Jesus advised them to allow themselves a little extra time to digest what He had just served them.  Actually, that’s still some pretty good for us today. We are, after all, only a week away from Palm Sunday.

John 3:16 [03/14/21]

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish, but might have eternal life.” These words make up perhaps one of the most famous scripture verses of all, but do we understand them in the context which Jesus spoke them?  Further, do we truly believe them and, finally, are we willing to live as if we believe them?  Jesus spoke these words to a man named Nicodemus, a Pharisee who came to see Jesus “while it was night.”  Why? Because he was afraid of the Jews, and especially the other Pharisees. The last thing he wanted to do was to let others know that he had an interest in Jesus and the things that He was saying.  And as we listen to what Jesus is saying to Him it becomes rather obvious that Jesus, who is facing death in just a few days, is rather frustrated with him. He says to Nicodemus that certainly, he who is a learned man and a teacher, can see that everything Jesus is saying is correct and true, and if that is the case, why is he slithering around in the dark?  Why isn’t he proclaiming the good news of Jesus in the daylight?  After all, God sent Jesus so that everyone who believes in Him will be saved; not condemned. What is Nicodemus afraid of?  If he believed in Jesus, he should not have been afraid of anything.  Then Jesus presents him with the ultimate challenge: “…the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil.  For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed.  But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.” And so, what is Nicodemus going to do? Is he going to boldly live and proclaim his faith in the light of day, or is he going to continue to slither around in the dark for fear of everyone else?  And, of course we are in a similar position as Nicodemus. Do we believe that Jesus came so that those who believe in Him might have eternal life? If so, are we ready to proclaim and live our belief in Jesus in the light of day, or are we, because of our fear, going to remain in the dark of night?

The Ten Commandments-God's Free Gift [03/07/21]

Well, here we are; we have already arrived at the third Sunday of Lent.  Today we will be talking about the grace of God, which He has given to us without cost. Not only is His   grace completely free, it is always more than enough for us. What the world offers us is never free but God’s grace is always free.  God’s grace leads us to victory; the more of the world always leads us away from Him.  Grace can be defined as God’s presence in the world and in our lives but it is more than that; He is not only present in our lives, as St. Paul says, He is “for us,” He favors us, at all times no matter what we do or don’t do, no matter what we say or don’t say; but His grace is more than that.  God’s grace is powerful. Not only is God always with us, not only is He for us, but He favors us. St. Paul says, “If God is for us, who can be against?”  There is no adversary that we will ever have that can ever stand against the power of God’s grace. God’s grace is victorious. Always.  And it is a totally free gift. Today we hear of another totally free gift of God; the gift of his Ten Commandments; His Ten Commandments. To truly understand the Ten Commandments, we need to look at them from the standpoint of His grace.  They are free, they are for us, they are not burdensome and they lead us to victory. They favor us. They are given to us in the same way that a Father gives parameters and guidelines to His children. They are given out of an abundant love. They are not a set of conditions. They are not a scoreboard. They are not arbitrary. They do not condemn. They are a path to life. They are keys to God’s abundant grace which is the more that we have been looking for. Everything God gives to us, He gives to us from His love, which is all He is.  He gives the commandments to the Israelites after He rescued them from slavery as a means of showing them how to live in freedom. As we make ourselves more and more receptive to the grace of God, He bestows more and more gifts upon us.  That’s how we should see the commandments. They are, like the grace of God, for us, and they are a pathway to His grace, which is always more, so much much more than enough for us.

There is Always a Ram Caught in the Thicket [02/28/21]

At one point in the story of “Testing of Abraham,” as Abraham and Isaac are on the way to carry out what Abraham believed was the Lord’s will that he sacrifice his son, Isaac presented him with the inevitable and pointed question: “Father,” he said, “Here are the fire and the wood, but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?”  Now, imagine that you are Abraham; imagine how you would feel if your son, the son of the promise that was at long last fulfilled miraculously by God, the son whom you loved above anything that you could possibly imagine, the son whom you are at that very moment taking to the place where you are about to offer him in sacrifice to the God who gave him to you, asked you that question?  How on earth would you answer him? Could you answer him? Would you tell him the truth?  Would you lie to him?  Well, this is how he did answer him: “My son,” Abraham said, “God Himself will provide the sheep for the burnt offering.” So, did Abraham lie to his beloved son?  I contend not.  I argue that he shared with his son the only truth that his faith would allow him to believe and on which he depended.  I believe that the only hope that kept him going was the hope that somehow, provided that he was totally obedient to what he truly believed was the will of God, he would come back down that mountain with his son by his side.  And that is what did happen. God did provide the sheep for the sacrifice.  There was a ram caught in the thicket. That, I believe, is the invaluable lesson of this story.  For those who are faithful and obedient to the Lord no matter what He asks, no matter what it costs, no matter how much sense it does not seem to make, there will always be, at the very last moment, a ram caught in the thicket and the promise of the Lord will always remain intact.

Fighting Temptation...Is it Even Relevant Anymore? [2/21/21]

As it is the First Sunday of Lent we hear of Jesus’ temptation in the desert. Mark does not go into as much detail as does Matthew and Luke, but we know that Jesus faced the same kinds of temptation that the Israelites experienced as they wandered in the desert for forty years. And these temptations are also very similar to the temptations we face throughout our lives. Of course, we know He know that He won a dramatic victory over Satan and that His victory is meant to inspire our own victory over temptation during this season of Lent. However, I can’t help but thinking, does anyone ever fight temptation anymore?  I mean, really, does any one see any value in such an arcane struggle in the present day?  Perhaps I am seeing the glass as half empty, but I do think I have valid reasons to be concerned. We are so affected by modern culture that I even wonder if we recognize sin any more or the value of trying to stay away from it – and that is the very reason that Jesus died on the cross! Have we actually gotten to the point where we no longer really value trying to stay away from the very reality (sin) from which Jesus came to save us?  We are so very much affected by the world that I am truly very worried. The world teaches us that any action is perfectly acceptable as long as no one gets hurt. This is the old “victimless crime” theory. The problem with this is that there is no such thing. If we commit sin, no matter how “private,” someone always gets hurt. It is not okay to hurt ourselves or anyone else or to offend God and sin always involves all three. The world teaches us it is psychologically harmful to deny ourselves of anything that we want-and really, if we want something, we need it; don’t we? Therefore, if I want something, I am harming myself if I don’t act to get it.  We are also taught human beings cannot overcome temptation so there is no reason to try to overcome it or teach our children to do so. Therefore parents should supply their teen children with means of birth control, and provide them with “safe havens” to abuse alcohol etc. because they would not be able to refrain from sex or beer etc.  This kind of thinking denies young people of the human dignity to which they, believe it or not, want to be held. Last, but certainly not least the world teaches us that since we are living in modern times we need a whole new set of moral guidelines. Because things have changed so much and because we are have learned so much and have become so “enlightened,” we simply can no longer be expected to  abide by the antiquated values of the past. Therefore, no one can be expected to refrain from sex before marriage, and certainly we now realize that same sex marriage is to be regarded in the same way as traditional marriage and we certainly should not trap people into biological genders.  What is amazing about this one is that, while we think we are so enlightened, we are not quite enlightened enough to realize that countless cultures bought this lie before us. And guess where they are now?  Well they are exactly where we will be if we also buy it-on the ash heap of history just like the Romans at the hands of the barbarians. You see, the bottom line is this:  there is good, there is evil, there is right there is wrong, and they are here to stay. And human beings are always tempted to sin. But Jesus gives us the means to victory. His lesson is that we don’t have to be slaves to sin. All that we have to do is struggle to resist temptation, and when we fall we turn to Him and keep on striving-and the victory is ours. The only question is does any of this matter to us anymore?

Jesus' Desire to Heal Us is More than Skin Deep [2/14/21]

The story of Jesus healing the leper is another one of those stories of which we are very familiar and which we have heard over and over again. And as I have said before, this can be very dangerous. Why? Because we might have a tendency to consciously or subconsciously “tune it out” as soon as recognize it because, after all, it is a “rerun.”  But in so doing we cheat ourselves of the blessings and benefits of the “always new” message of the scriptures and we eliminate another opportunity for the Lord to inspire us. So let’s go.  Imagine the leper. Imagine the courage he must have had to leave his leper colony, the suffering he must have endured on the way, both physically and from every encounter with another human being he had to endure before he got to where Jesus was. Imagine also, his sense of desperation.  Maybe we have felt something like that before; maybe we are feeling something like that right now. But desperation is not all bad. It might be sometimes just what we need to finally bring ourselves, like the leper to the feet of Christ, where he cried out, “If you wish, you can make me clean.”  St. Mark says that Jesus was ‘moved with pity.” Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t know of any other reality in the entire Gospel ever “moving” Jesus other than human suffering and His desire to heal it. Not war, not evil, not sin, or anything else causes Jesus to be moved-but human suffering does. We also need to understand that His desire to heal us goes much deeper than our own desire to be healed.  I am sure that sometimes we have been to the doctor when we were in pain and so much wanted to be relieved of it. The doctor will do what he/she can and then tell us how we need to change our behavior so that we might not experience that pain again. At times like that we might realize that we actually are much more interested in getting rid of the pain than getting rid of some of our behaviors that might have led up to the pain.  It is much the same with Jesus.  He desired to heal not just the leper’s skin, but his heart and soul as well.  Jesus does not only want to heal the pain that evil brings us, but the cause of that evil as well. But He will not take away our free will.  We have to choose to bring ourselves to Him, despite all the very real obstacles in our way and cry out just as the leper did.  And when we do, we will discover that Jesus’ desire to heal us is much more than skin deep.