Wednesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Greatness is standing at the rim of the Grand Canyon at sunset and realizing the scene comes from God’s paintbrush. Greatness comes when looking up at the thousands of stars seen on a clear night from the middle of country field. Many of us could think of times when we have experienced God’s greatness. These moments of wonder and awe can help us feel we are encountering our God.
Memorial of Saint Philip Neri, Priest
As an Engineer, it’s easy for me to look at today’s readings as a literal, numerical economy, as if my gifts to God with be given back with a 7 to 100 fold rate of return. What a deal! But there’s more to today’s readings than investment advice. God is offering us a way to peace that will free us both tomorrow and today.
Monday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s Gospel passage relates the story of the Rich Young Man. This particular story always reminds me of one of the basic challenges of being human. I suspect every one of us have something in our lives that we have long wanted to change—be it a habit, a particular behavior, or maybe the handling of our finances. We make resolutions to change ourselves and quickly find we are unable to do so. But in the Gospel, Jesus says it is not about us changing ourselves. Jesus tells us that what is not possible for us can only be accomplished by God. It is more about letting go of that ‘one thing’ than resolving to change by our own power.
Pentecost Sunday
This Saturday, May 23rd, a day before Pentecost, the Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero was beatified. Romero was the Archbishop of San Salvador at a time when there was widespread economic oppression and gross human right violations. Romero threw his weight behind those who were suffering. He was one of the foremost figures in the revolution. He wrote in his book, The Violence of Love: “For the church, the many abuses of human life, liberty, and dignity are a heartfelt suffering. As holy defender of God’s rights and of his images, the church must cry out.” And he did exactly that. As a result, Archbishop Romero was assassinated at the altar as he raised the chalice at consecration. Once, Romero was a peaceful and non-violent revolutionary. Today he is a saint!
Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter
There is a priest in Erie, Pennsylvania named Fr. Larry Richards that describes himself as “loud, aggressive, and arrogant.” It’s a flattering way to start a resume, I’m sure. I’ve heard several of his talks and he can certainly be loud, but I also think he is good. But why am I starting with this lakeside priest? Because, in a conversation with some High School retreatants he captures the same thing that John presents us today in his gospel, and that Catechism of the Catholic Church offers us in paragraph 108. They all capture this idea, Jesus Christ is both transcendent and immanent. He is so near and yet bigger than we can ever handle.
Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter
I think sometimes people treat church like it is mainly a social outlet - a place to see friends and "be seen." Church is seen as just that thing most people do for an hour on Sunday rather than as a whole way of life meant to affect everything we do. Today's scriptures remind us of the reason for church and for this Christian way of life.
Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter
Have you ever played the “guess how much I love you” game with a child? I remember the loving competition when my children were young, each of us trying to outdo the other in declaring our love. “I love you more than I can say”, “well, I love you more than the whole world,” “ I love you bigger than the sky!” As I seem to recall, they were usually stumped when I would finally say, “I loved you before you were even born.”
Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter
“The Screwtape Letters”, published in 1942, gathered together a collection of letters that were originally published in a weekly Anglican periodical. These letters were from a higher ranking demon, Screwtape, to a tempter in training, Wormwood, who happened to be this demon’s nephew. At the heart of the letters was advice as to the best methods for destroying the soul. While this book is satire, the truth with which it speaks can be convicting at times. The temptations Wormwood tries to inflict are calculating and very cunning in their approach.
Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Easter
St. Paul’s message to the Church elders that we read in the Acts of the Apostles today sounds quintessentially like Paul: it is a bit abrupt and not without dramatic flare. He is telling the community that he will travel on to Jerusalem, just as the Holy Spirit has led him to proclaim to Gospel to so many other cities. All of this travelling, he says, is dangerous and he knows he will face imprisonment and probably death.
Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter
Having a friend and being a friend is a wonderful part of living. As I read the scripture, I often wonder what it was like for the disciples to be not only followers of Jesus, but his friends and daily companions as they traveled on the way. Today’s scripture reminds me of how Jesus is the perfect friend. Despite our failings, our lack of trust, our indifference, and even sometimes our betrayals of him, Jesus loves us, forgives us, and even lets us know that when we fail, He will never turn away from us. What more could you ask for in a friend? His gift of peace and assurance of fidelity in the midst of our daily challenges is a source of hope and courage to all those who share in His friendship.
Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
There is some new data that should worrisome for many of us. The Pew Research Center finds that the percentage of adults who describe themselves as Christians has dropped from 78.4% in 2007 to 70.6% in 2014. Over the same period, the percentage of Americans who are religiously unaffiliated – describing themselves as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” – has jumped more than six points, from 16.1% to 22.8%. The drop in the Christian share of the population is seen mainly among mainline Protestants and Catholics. The evangelical Protestant share of the U.S. population also has dipped, but at a slower rate, falling by about one percentage point since 2007.
Saturday of the Sixth Week of Easter
There are some things that I don’t like. I don’t like being woken up too quickly, being tailgated, lukewarm coffee, or the feel of cotton balls (yes my wife picks on me about this one). The thing I probably hate the most, though, is being corrected. There is nothing worse than the mental gymnastics that take place as I try to dodge the bullet of being, God forbid, wrong. This is why the first reading is so important to me today.
Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter
For many people (myself often included), life happens on a very short-term time scale. My days are cluttered with brief Facebook announcements, quick news tidbits and hurried hellos to friends as I rush to the next activity. My thoughts and feelings are equally as short-term: how I feel about my life, my appearance, my job, politics, religion and so on are easily affected by a friend's Facebook post, or a sales clerk's mean words, or any number of other short, day-to-day interactions. I can feel despair if someone doesn't smile at me, wondering all day why they didn't smile, what I did wrong, how I could fix it for next time. My feelings about these short day-to-day interactions can last a long time, paradoxically.
Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle
Today’s gospel reading for the feast of St. Matthias is the same as this past Sunday (John 15: 9-11). It is rich and beautiful and, I think, worth hearing again. Jesus is speaking to his disciples about his love for them, the invitation to “remain” in that love, and the joy that comes as a result. As followers of Jesus, we are called to remain in his love as well. And to keep his commandment, which is stated twice in this reading, and is simply this: “love one another.” How are we to love one another? Jesus says, “…as I love you.” Simple, yet challenging. For we are reminded that “no one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”. And isn’t that exactly how Jesus demonstrated his love for us? We are commanded to love one another in the same way.
Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Going out to eat as a kid, often meant going to places with placemats and crayons. My favorite part was connecting the dots. It was exciting to watch the picture come to life. So much of life is about connecting the dots, yet the connections are sometimes allusive. When a good story or joke teller draws you into a story they are often giving the details that lead you unsuspectingly to the conclusion. St. Paul clearly was a master story teller and preacher. He clearly knew how to connect the dots of faith by understanding the people to whom he preached.
Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Josh Ritter recorded a sad song a few years back called “Best for the Best.” In it, the singer recounts times in his life when bad things happened, and laments “they say the best is for the best, but that’s not what I’ve found.” Today’s readings have a special meaning for us when we’re feeling like Josh Ritter.
Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Have you ever thought about how well you listen? I have always thought I was a good listener but if I really think about it, I realize there are times during conversations or meetings, or even during church services, that I find my mind has wandered—or even that I have presumed what will be said in advance. This is not a good thing! It most likely means I am no longer truly listening. Today’s Scriptures remind me how important this particular gift is on a moment by moment basis in my life overall and especially in my relationship with God. Listening is an art and needs practice. Listening—in all it’s various forms—requires work, attention, and perseverance.
Sixth Sunday of Easter
(Let me preface the homily by saying that the stories I will share are not meant to put the people in them in a negative light. I respect each person and where they find themselves at a certain point in their life. I am sharing these stories with immense respect for them).
I am going to share two stories with you. The first story is about a patient at hospice I anointed last Sunday. He must have been about eighty years old. When I introduced myself to him, he seemed relieved. One of the very first things he said to me was, “Father, I am glad you are here. I have not been to church in thirty, fourty, fifty years. I have no reason for that. Just did not do it. I wish I had.” I tried to console him and let him know that God’s love is greater than our weaknesses. He believed that. But then, it is what he said afterwards that got my attention. He said, “When I get out of here, I am going to come and see you in church. I promise I will be in church every Sunday, if I can.” Of course, in my mind I was wondering if he knew he was at hospice. I really prayed that he might recover and at least be able to go to church at least once. The larger question in my mind was, did it have to come to this to realize what he should have always done? To face death with regrets – It is really not a good place to be at!
Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter
Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel immediately brought to mind the idea of an ambassador or an emissary. Here are the verses that I want to reflect upon, “If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. … If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. And they will do all these things to you on account of my name…” I know, it is a charming little passage. To offer a juvenile side note, this passage is a perfect set up for Jesus to look at us when we complain and say, “I told you so.”
Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter
I often get asked, "Why is Christianity so legalistic? Why are there so many rules?" This seems intuitively wrong to many, especially when they read that Jesus himself broke laws. For instance, Jesus broke the Sabbath in order to heal people (see Mark 3). He favors mercy over legalisms and love over obeying a rule that doesn't lead to more love.