The Feast of the Holy Family

Scripture readings for today's reflection can be found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/122814.cfm

Rodney Dangerfield was one of my favorite comedians. His whole career was built around the phrase "I get no respect." He would state this line, then go on with a string of one-liners based on "no respect." He was great at poking fun at himself and his family.

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. The one liner that could best describe the Holy Family is, "Respect is a trademark of our family." Without respect, there is no love. A hallmark of love is respect.

Joseph respected Mary even when he thought she was carrying another man's child. Scripture says he had decided to "divorce her quietly." (Matthew 1:19) to save her from shame - until the angel spoke to him and explained things. Joseph married Mary and respected her unique calling. He protected her and loved her child as his own.

In return, Mary respected Joseph by traveling with him to Bethlehem, even though it was so close to delivery. She trusted him to keep her and her baby safe.

Finally, Jesus respected his parents by coming under their authority (though he was the 2nd person of the Trinity). You will recall that, after Mary and Joseph found him in the temple after three days of not knowing where he was, Jesus "went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them." (Luke 2:51) While on the cross, near to death, Jesus showed respect and concern for his widowed mother by giving her to the care of the beloved disciple. (John 19:26)

The Holy Family was not not what you would call your typical family, but there really is no "typical" family. There are many different combinations of folks living together who call themselves "family". Yet, all families, biological or chosen, are called to holiness.

In the first reading from Sirach, we are advised to respect the authority of parents: fathers and mothers. It doesn't depend on liking or not liking the parent. It doesn't depend on their character or their wisdom. It is their position that merits respect.

Parents are called to respect their children, too. I have heard parents in the grocery store talk to their children. Some scream and yell. Some call their children "stupid" or worse. Children deserve respect because they are children of God, made in His image and likeness (even though they don't act godly at times). There are ways to discipline that address the action, not shame the child. RESPECT.

Further, respect goes beyond family members. It encompasses all those in authority: police, firefighters, doctors, judges, teachers, and more. And in return, those in authority are to respect the people they are called to serve. Mutual respect brings about peace in society.

Finally we are to show respect for ourselves as one created in the image of God. Even if no one respects you, you are to develop that self-respect as one created by God. We can show respect for our bodies by our care for them. We show respect for our minds by what we fill them with. Finally we show respect for ourselves by developing a good relationship with God and with others.

Jesus calls us to be an intimate part of the holiest of families: Father, Son and Spirit. Let us approach Jesus in prayer and say, "Come, Lord Jesus."

Praise be Jesus Christ, now and forever!

The Nativity of the Lord

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/122514-night-mass.cfm

"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light..." (Isaiah 9:1)

What is this great light that people have seen? It is the Lord, Jesus Christ. The moment that we've been waiting for all month finally has come! We're celebrating the Birth of Our Lord, Jesus Christ! He is the reason for the season that we are celebrating!

All the beautiful decorations are up: trees, lights, tinsel, Christmas creches, presents under the Christmas trees, Christmas dinners being prepared. We all look forward to these things every year. Among all these things we can loose sight of the infant lying in the manger. He is the great light that we need to see.

With all these exterior decorations that are up, let us not forget the interior decoration that we need to prepare. During the last four weeks of Advent, we were called to prepare the way of the Lord in our Lives. It's easy to be overwhelmed by plans, guests, and the frustrations of this time of year. But we are to remember that the true meaning of Christmas is the birth of Jesus in our world.

Make full use of Mother Church's Christmas liturgies to take a step away from holiday frustrations and calm yourself. Take refuge in the birth of the Christ Child, and in the real presence of Jesus in the word you hear, in the consecrated bread you will hold in your hands. Allow the peace of Christ to enter once again into your life, calming all your anxieties, filling you with all that is good.

Further, when your guest leave and you're finally at peace at home, remember that the Christmas season continues through January 11th. Continue to celebrate the birth of Jesus beyond December 25th. If you have a Christmas creche set up at home, during this time, take moments to stand before the Christ Child & the Holy Family. Remember the true meaning of Christmas.

During this time alone with the Holy Family, pray for those who find themselves lost in broken heartedness, loneliness, or addictions. The first witnesses to the birth of Christ were the lowly and overlooked. It made the powerful uneasy.

Allow the loving hand of our creator to embrace you. As the Christ Child was wrapped in swaddling clothes, you are wrapped in God's Grace. You have seen a great light. The light is Jesus Christ!

Merry Christmas!

Mary’s Fiat

“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38
During the month of December we celebrate the birth of Our Saviour, Jesus Christ, into the world for the salvation of mankind. His birth into the world came about thanks to the “Fiat” or “Yes” of Mary. In chapter one of the gospel of St. Luke we hear of the angel Gabriel approaching Mary that she was chosen to be the mother of the Saviour, Mary’s response, at first, was that of surprise, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?”*(Luke 1: 34). After Gabriel explains how it was to come about, Mary responds most generously, “May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)
Mary was always open to the Holy Will of God, and as a result she was able to bring forth from her womb the Saviour of the World. Mary is an example of how we are to live out our lives: being always open to the Holy Will of God. She did not hesitate to say yes to God, even though she knew of the difficulties she will face. She was engaged to Joseph, but not yet married. Being pregnant before the wedding opened Mary up to misunderstanding and problems. She could have faced being stoned for committing adultery since she was not yet married to Joseph. We read in Matthew 1:19: “Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly.”
The angel intervened and told Joseph of the plan of God for Mary and Jesus. Joseph, being the righteous man that he was, and open to the Holy Will of God, married Mary and took Mary and Jesus into his care.
As we reflect on the gift of salvation that we have from Jesus Christ, let us reflect on how we live out our lives. Are we as open the Holy Will of God as Mary and Joseph was? Or do we complain when things don’t go our way?
Let us always be opened and obedient to the Will of God in our lives, even in difficult times. Merry Christmas!

Rejoice!

The scripture readings for today's reflection can be found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/121414.cfm

St. Theresa of Avila once said, "From silly devotions and sour-faced saints, good Lord, deliver us!" St. Theresa knew what she was talking about, especially on this "Gaudete Sunday", the Third Sunday of Advent. Gaudete is the Latin word for "rejoice". This Third Sunday of Advent, this Gaudete Sunday, invites us during this very busy time of year to stop or pause and to recall why we are so busy. With all this rushing around just two weeks before Christmas creates stress, and makes us "sour-faced" saints. Pope Francis encourages Catholics not to become "sourpusses!" We need to slow down and remember the reason for the season.

In our gospel for today we hear, once again, about John the Baptist, the "voice crying out in the wilderness". (John 1:23) If you look closely at the life of John the Baptist, you can say that he is the patron saint of joy. When Mary, pregnant with Jesus, visits Elizabeth, the mother of John, John leaped in Elizabeth's womb, overjoyed at the presence of Jesus so close by (Luke 1:41). We are all urged to emulate John the Baptist's joy at the presence of Christ. Further, you might say that John the Baptist was the first Christian evangelizer! All throughout John's life, from conception to death, he was always pointing towards Jesus. In today's gospel, John refers to Jesus when he says, "...but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” (John 1:26-27)

In our second reading for today, we hear from St. Paul in his first letter to the Thessalonians. We read, "Brothers and sisters:Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing.In all circumstances give thanks,for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). In all the hustle and bustle of this time of year, do we take the time to rejoice in the fact that Jesus Christ came into the world for us? Do we give thanks to God in ALL circumstances?

As we get closer to Christmas let's try to slow down a bit and remember that Jesus is the reason why we are celebrating this time of year. We are to share our faith in Christ with others and show that our faith in Christ is the center of all we do.

Pope Francis writes, "The joy of evangelizing always arises from grateful remembrance: It is a grace which we constantly need to implore." Pope Francis adds, "God asks everything of us, yet at the same time he offers everything to us!"

Be joyful that Jesus Christ came into the world! And share that good news with others throughout this Advent Season! Gaudete!

Prepare the Way of the Lord!

Scripture readings for today's reflections on the 2nd Sunday of Advent can be found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/120714.cfm

Our readings for this 2nd Sunday of Advent teaches us about our need for God and our relationship with Him. In the gospel for today, we hear of John the Baptist, probably one of the most famous prophets in scripture. His calling (or vocation) was to prepare the way of the Lord and to encourage the people of his time to repent and turn towards God in a spirit of true repentance. In the gospel, we read that John appeared in the desert, "proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." (Mark 1:4) People were flocking to him and seeking the forgiveness of God. They were thirsty for that peace that can only come from relationship with God. John, being the forerunner of the Lord, Jesus Christ, pointed out that “One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the holy Spirit.” (Mark 1:7)

John must have been a captivating figure out there in the desert, dressed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist. What was it about John that attracted so many people to him? John's strength came from the fact that he wasn't afraid to speak the truth about the fact that God needs to be first and foremost in our lives. We need to live honestly with God, to know, love and serve Him, and to love those in our lives that God has placed around us. In living this way, we can be "found without spot or blemish before him, at peace." (2 Peter 3:14)

John knew that people were troubled by what they had done or maybe what they had failed to do in their relationships with God and with others, and so he invited them to get closer to God by seeking the forgiveness of God. He knew Jesus was coming and pointed towards Jesus to receive that forgiveness and peace that can only come from God.

Because Jesus did come as a human being, God knows from the inside all the temptations we face and that they do not have to ruin our lives. Overcoming temptations sometimes means that we need to change. We know what it is to be in trouble, and we can know what it is to be safe. As Isaiah said of God, "Like a shepherd, he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom." (Isaiah 40:11) This is the good news that Jesus brings us.

Praise be Jesus Christ, now and forever!

Be Watchful, Be Alert

Reflections from the readings for the First Sunday of Advent, found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/113014.cfm

Today is the first Sunday of Advent. It is the first day of the new church year. Advent is meant to be a time of patient, reflective waiting for the coming of the Messiah. How much time, though, do we really make for reflective waiting during this busy time of the year. We worry about getting the right Christmas tree for our homes, getting the Christmas cards ready to be mailed to those on our Christmas card list. We need to go shopping for all those on our Christmas gift list! Christmas shopping, wrapping presents! There's the Christmas pageant that many attend in their local churches! There's the Christmas (or should I say "holiday") party at work and other holiday parties we're invited to. There's also getting the house ready and cleaned for the Christmas guests we're expecting! All this work & activity to be done before Christmas! Who has time to be reflective in perpetration for the coming of Messiah into our lives at Christmas?

In the gospel for today we hear Jesus tell us to "Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come." (Mark 13:33) Traditionally this was interpreted as meaning we should not let death catch us unprepared. True death is always a possibility. But the Advent terrain is broader than that.

As important as all those things that keep us busy at this time of year, we should not let Christmas catch us unprepared. During all the busyness of this time of year we need to also prepare ourselves to be spiritually ready for the coming of Jesus into our lives. Don't let Advent slip by without getting closer to Jesus and making Him the real reason why we Celebrate Christmas.

Take those opportunities during Advent that can help you get closer to Him! These opportunities may not come again. For instance, when sending Christmas Cards, write a personal note in a Christmas Card to someone who's had a rough year. If your church has a Giving Tree (or Jesse Tree), be extra generous. Be warm and kind to those sales clerks at the stores you frequent. They work hard this time of year and may need your kind words and appreciation.

If you're able to, maybe one day during the month, look for a way to volunteer to serve those in most need in your community. It could be at a food pantry or soup kitchen.

Finally, try to set aside some quiet time during each day to read the scripture readings the church has selected for daily Mass, leading up to Christmas. This allows you to grow closer to God by finding Him in Scripture.

Remember to be grateful for all the times the Lord has come to us!

If you do all this, you will find the true peace that can only come from knowing Jesus as your Saviour!

Praise be Jesus Christ: now and forever.

Thanksgiving

Today America is celebrating the great American holiday Thanksgiving. It's a time when families get together in gratitude for the many gifts we have in our life.

A little history about Thanksgiving: In response to a joint request by both Houses of Congress, on Oct. 3, 1789, President George Washington proclaimed Nov. 26, 1789, as a day of “public thanksgiving and prayer” devoted to “the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be.” If you wish to read more about this, you can go to http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/george-washington-abraham-lincoln-and-thanksgiving/


For me, I am grateful for my wife and my family and the many gifts God has given me in my life. May he bless you with His peace and love this Thanksgiving and the upcoming Christmas Season.

Of Shepherds & Kings Reflection on the Feast of Christ the King

Following is a blog written by my friend of many years, Arlene Muller. Arlene is a Secular Franciscan, and is involved in the music ministry of her parish in Queens, New York. Welcome, Arlene.

Of Shepherds & Kings
Reflection on the Feast of Christ the King

This weekend’s liturgical celebration of the feast of Christ the King focuses on two images that in the eyes of the world and human experience are usually antithetical: the shepherd and the king. In human, worldly experience the shepherd historically has usually been at the “low end of the totem pole”, living a sparse and simple existence, usually economically poor, and sometimes even an outcast. In contrast, the king is at the “top”, wearing gold, silver and precious stones and royal robes trimmed with ermine, dining sumptuously while many of his subjects go hungry, surrounded with pomp, and wielding power and authority over his people whom he could destroy at whim with a mere snap of his fingers.
Interestingly the first recorded visitors to the LORD JESUS in the infancy narratives in the Gospels of St. Luke and St. Matthew were the shepherds and the kings, and one of my favorite Christmas songs that we used to sing at the Christmas Eve Vigil Folk Mass was the song entitled SHEPHERDS AND KINGS by Gregory Norbet.
As an American I must confess that the image of a king as presented from a worldly perspective is anathema to me, since over 200 years ago in US history we declared our independence from a worldly king named King George III of England who yielded great power, who was ruthless, egotistical, greedy, demanding and liberated ourselves from the silly pomp, fancy garb, and ruthless tyranny and we declared—at least in principle, even though we have often fallen far short of that principle--that all people are created equal, are endowed by our Creator with inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and that the purpose of government was not to have a tyrant ruling over us but to ensure the protection of the God-given inalienable rights of every human being. So to associate our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST with the title of King would seem to contradict not only the ideals upon which the USA was founded but also the very Gospel we claim to espouse and proclaim.
However, as our LORD JESUS pointed out to Pontius Pilate in response to the query of whether He is a king, according to the passage in the Gospel of John that is sometimes proclaimed for the feast of Christ the King, His kingdom is not of this world. What human beings and this world have done throughout human history to the concept of reigning as king is 180 degrees from what God intended. The role of king in the Kingdom of God is akin to the role of shepherd. In fact, the king of Israel who was chosen to be the earthly ancestor of King JESUS and who was called a man after God’s own heart was, first and foremost, a shepherd who was almost overlooked because he was busy tending the sheep and even risking his life for them—David, the sweet psalmist of Israel. JESUS, our King, described Himself as “the Good Shepherd” who lays down His life for His sheep, and that is what JESUS literally did. He told His baffled followers that anyone aspiring to greatness should be the servant of all, and in the Church one of the titles of the pope as Vicar of Christ on earth is “the servant of the servants of God”.
The first reading from the book of the prophet Ezekiel describes how God, Who is King of the Universe, behaves as a good shepherd, and this prophecy is incarnated in our LORD JESUS CHRIST. JESUS, our King and Good Shepherd, focuses on seeking and saving the lost, running after those who have strayed, carrying them home, healing them and binding up their wounds. He spurns worldly power and spurns riches and the trappings of a worldly kingdom and maintains a lifestyle of simplicity, associating primarily with the poor and lowly of this world. The only crown upon His head is the crown of thorns and He is lifted up only on a cross. While earthly kings impose their authority from the outside and wield their power, lording their power over all of their subjects, Our LORD JESUS seeks first to reign in the heart of every human being, and His Kingdom is initiated from within. While earthly kings seek to dominate in an atmosphere of fear and oppression, JESUS seeks to rule through people freely responding to Him in love. While earthly kings burden their subjects with countless rules and regulations, everything that JESUS requires flows from two great commandments: to love God with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves. While earthly kings demand that their people bow down in obeisance to the rich, JESUS calls us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, welcome the stranger, visit the stranger, and show loving mercy to others as our way of expressing our love for Him. This has been very much the focus of the papacy of our beloved Pope Francis as he seeks to reach out to lost and wounded souls, reaches out to prisoners, people who are poor, people with disabilities, and to lost, alienated sinners, and encourages us to do the same.
The best thing we can do as we contemplate and celebrate this feast of JESUS CHRIST, King of the Universe and honor Him as our King, is to recognize that we are all His sheep, that sometimes we get lost and afraid when it is cloudy and dark, that without His leading we are prone to go astray, and that we need His healing of our woundedness. Because Christ our King is first and foremost our Savior and our Good Shepherd, we do not need to fear of allowing Him to reign over us, because His banner over us is love.

© Copyright 2014 by Arlene B. Muller (Arlene Clare Muller, OSF) joysong100@msn.com

Christ the King

The scripture readings for today can be found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/112314.cfm

Today is the last Sunday on the Church Calendar and is known as Christ the King Sunday. The Feast of Christ the King is a recent feast. It was instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925 because nations and rulers were abusing their power at the time.

The term "king" may sound strange to our American ears. After all, over 200 years ago we fought the Revolutionary war to break free from the tyranny and abuse of King George. We have no kings or queens ruling over us. Yet, how often does the news media pay attention to the royal family in England whenever a major event, like the birth of a new child, takes place? After all, who really cares?

Almost 200 years before our own Revolutionary war there was another example of an abusive king. St. Thomas More, the 16th century Lord Chancellor of England, was beheaded for refusing to sign a letter asking Pope Clement VII to annul King Henry VIII'S marriage to Catherine of Aragon because she had not given him a son. He further antagonized Henry VIII by refusing to take an Oath of Supremacy declaring Henry Supreme Head of the Church of England. On his way to the scaffold, Thomas sent a message to Henry saying, "I die the king's faithful servant, but God's first."

Our gospel for this feast of Christ the King shows us how we are to live our lives. Not in service of kings & queens. Not in service to our selfish desires or lusts. We are to live the values of Christ's kingdom: that of service to others and of humility. We are called to have Christ at the center of our lives by feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked. We are to welcome the stranger (the immigrant). We are to comfort the ill. And we are to visit the imprisoned. The imprisoned can be more than those who are doing time in jail. The prisoner can be the next door neighbor who is sick and lonely, and has no family or friends to visit. Being imprisoned in your own home can be just as bad (or worse) than being held behind bars.

The fulfillment of Christ's kingdom in large part relies on us. It relies on our possessing faith, hope, and love that are strong and far-reaching. Christ's kingdom relies on our willingness to - like St. Thomas More - give our best as our King's good servants. "... whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:40

Praise be Jesus Christ, now and forever!

Love God and Love Neighbor

Reflections from the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/102614.cfm

No Church practice or rule should ever be a burden, and in our Catholic Church, none is. The practices and rules are there to help us keep those two "biggies" (love of God and neighbor), and also to teach us how to avoid everything that is opposed to the "love command" - in other words, to avoid sin. We cannot love God and not love our neighbor, but there is more to it than that. The love of God has priority and is the source of love for neighbor. In our neighbor, we see something of God, his creature, his image and likeness, and if we love God, we must also love his image, the work of his hands.

This command of love can be very difficult when dealing with family, friends and co-workers. In dealing with those people in our lives, we can follow out the command to love God and neighbor by practicing faith, hope and charity. In faith we know that there is a God who loves us. Our hope is centered on living out our faith here on earth and to be with Him forever in heaven. It's in charity where we get really challenged. Being charitable to those in our lives that can annoy us is what we are called to do. Being charitable is where we can grow and cultivate our love of God and of neighbor.

To cultivate this love, or charity, you can pick out someone in your life, whether family member, neighbor, or co-worker, and surprise them with an act of kindness (without their ever finding out who did it). For a neighbor you can rake the leaves in front of his home, shovel the snow, or some sort of kindness that they would appreciate.

You can cultivate the "love habit" by sharing with each other several ways we could "love our neighbor" at the office, school, or neighborhood, and within our own family. When at work or school, you can treat kindly that person that gets "under your skin". Show them the love that God expects you to show others. After all, they are created in God's image.

When at home, during your time of prayer with God, pray a rosary for the spiritual well-being of a special neighbor who has been kind to you. You can also include those people that have treated you unfairly. Pray for them.

Further, love is more than just an emotion. Love moves us to care for those who are in most need. It calls us to be concerned with the needs of other people, and not simply our own personal needs. Love calls us to learn from others and to be transformed into the kind of person that God is calling us to be.

We are called to put love into action. We are to remember that the Christ, through His Church, calls us to have preferential love for the poor in our world.

Jesus, in today's gospel, is teaching us that love of God and love of neighbor are essential to life. As Christ teaches us, friendship with God is basic to our love of our neighbor. Let's cultivate our friendship with God. Taking time to do this does not mean taking time away from our spouses or our children or our neighbor. Rather, it ensures that the time we spend with them is quality time. Prayer changes the quality of our love, making our love grow greater towards God and our neighbor.

Praise be Jesus Christ now and forever.

Obeying God's Will

Reflections from the scripture readings for the 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time, found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/092814.cfm

This reading from the gospel of St. Matthew, chapter 21:28-32, always reminds me of the challenge of raising children. Kids say and do things that drive us crazy! We ask them to do something, then they say no. Then they do it anyway. Or they say yes, and then don't do it! As a father of two children (now grown, thank God!), I can feel the frustration of the father in this parable of Jesus. We tell our kids to do their homework, then they respond, "no", only to think it over and do it anyway! Or they say yes, and end up not doing it. It is then that they realize (after getting in trouble with the teacher) that they find out that their parents were right all along!

It's the same with us and our relationship with God. The chief priests and elders are represented in this story as the ones saying "Yes" and not doing what God is commanding them to do! Outwardly they look like they are doing the Will of God, but inwardly they are filled with hate for those people who are considered the outcasts of society. They hate the tax collectors and prostitutes! The chief priests and elders are failing to show love and compassion to their neighbors!

The tax collectors and prostitutes are the ones that originally were telling "no" to God by how they lived their lives. They rejected God in their lives, only to later find that it is with God that they can find peace and happiness! They heard the preaching of John the Baptist, and went for repentance. They further heard the preaching of the Love of God from the mouth of Jesus. They turn their "no" to "yes"!

This parable applies to us today, too. There are times when we say "yes" to God, but then we see someone who is homeless and we judge him/her! Or we see an immigrant struggling to make a better live. Then we judge them and reject them. In so doing, we say "no" to God.

Then there are times when we say "no" to God when we hear of all these "rules and regulations" in the Church that are meant to help us come closer to God. We initially say no, but after some thought, we realize it's for the best, and we say "yes" to God.

Pray that we can always be "Yes" people in both words and actions towards God and those who need us!

Praise be Jesus Christ now and forever!

Solitude with Christ

Reflections from readings from the 25th Friday in Ordinary Time, found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/092614.cfm

In today's gospel we see Christ praying alone, in solitude, with his disciples. They did this often in order to have time for each other and with God. It's what we would call today a "retreat". We all need that quality time alone with Jesus in order to have a better understanding of where God is calling us or leading us to in our lives. Further, we can have a better understanding of who Jesus is to us.

Jesus asked the apostles in today's gospel, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" (Luke 9:18) They respond with the usual answers: "John the Baptist! Elijah! One of the ancient prophets!" Peter gets it right, "The Christ of God." (Luke 9:20)

With his time alone with the Lord, Peter came to know who Christ was, and as a result was able to develop that close relationship with Christ. This allowed Peter to get closer to God. Did Peter get it right all the time? No! He even denies Jesus three times after Jesus' arrest on Holy Thursday.

But Peter, and the other apostles, developed that relationship with Christ when he was alive with them, and even after His death and resurrection. Today's gospel give example of how they were able to carry out their mission of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ: time spent alone with God to grow and nurture that relationship with Him, in order to be able to bring the Good News of God to others.

We, too, are called to spend time alone with Christ, in solitude. It could be one hour a week before the Blessed Sacrament, or a weekend retreat at a retreat house. This is time over and above the time we spend on Sundays at Mass. Time alone with God in quiet prayer is time well spent. It allows us to know who we are in God's eyes, and we get to know who God is in our minds.

When you spend this time alone with God, I suggest that you bring along the scripture readings for Sunday's mass. Spend that hour reading it quietly and meditating on what it could mean to you. God will reach out to you and help you understand what he is trying to teach you.

Praise be Jesus Christ now and forever!!

The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa

Yesterday my wife and I made a pilgrimage to The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, PA. It was a beautiful and spiritual day with Mass, the rosary, and time with God and Our Lady.

The shrine can trace it's history back to 1951 when Father Michael M. Zembrzuski, a priest in the Pauline Order from Poland, arrived on American soil. He was a missionary in America until 1953. On November 6, 1953, the Pauline Order received permission from the Holy See to establish a monastery in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.

For more information on the shrine, you can go to http://www.czestochowa.us/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/

Taking up Your Cross

Reflections on the scripture readings for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. Scripture can be found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/083114.cfm

A nun was explaining the Stations of the Cross to her class. When they got to the fourth station where Jesus, on the road to Calvary, meets his mother, the nun explained that, even though they could not talk to each other, mother and son simply used their eyes. "What do you think they said to each other?" she asked the pupils. The students gave many different answers. One child suggested that she said, "This is unfair." Another child suggested that she said, "Why me?" Finally, a sickly little girl raised her hand, got up and said, "Sister, I know what the Blessed Mother told Jesus. She said to him, "Keep on going, Jesus!" Why would a mother encourage her only son on the way to crucifixion to keep on going? Because a mother understands the Christian principle of "no cross, no crown."

The gospel of Christ is a coin with two sides: the cross and the crown. If we try to embrace the glorious side and reject the suffering side, we falsify the gospel. The same Jesus who said "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28) also said, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." (Matthew 16:24-25)

Following God and choosing to do His will is never easy. Jeremiah in our first reading found this out the hard way. He had to endure real hardship. In the verses just before the selection we read for today, a priest of Jerusalem temple had Jeremiah confined to the stocks. Those hearing the words of Jeremiah did not like much of his warnings that the kingdom will collapse. They regarded Jeremiah's words as treasonous and demoralizing. They could not see that Jeremiah was speaking for the true King of Israel; therefore his words were anything but treasonous. Though Jeremiah sounds frustrated in this reading, he comes to realize that he had to speak the word of God, even if it led to personal discomfort.

In the gospel for today, our Lord is teaching us the importance of carrying our crosses, in imitation of Him. We can't escape the crosses that God places in our lives. What we need to do is to move beyond anger with ourselves or depression, so that we can arrive at where the cross is meant to lead us all the time - grace.

Place your trust in God and ask him to carry the cross with you. The crucified, glorified Jesus comes to us in the Eucharist. It is here especially that we can receive the grace, the strength, to carry our cross. It is here that we grow in faith, hope, and love. The cross will lead us to new life in Christ.

Praise be Jesus Christ, now and forever!

St. Monica

Today the Church commemorates the mother of St. Augustine, St. Monica. In a biography of her it says, "She was born at Thagaste in Africa of a Christian family. She was married young, to Patricius, and among her children was Augustine. He had a brilliant intellect and uncertain morals and his wayward spiritual career saw him at one time a Manichee and then a Neoplatonist."

Monica is an example of what it truly means to be a Christian in the world, a follower of Christ. Her husband was an "unbeliever" and her children were not much better. Augustine, though being brought up a Christian, left his Christian faith behind to lead a life full of self absorption and selfishness. He lived with a woman without being married, had a child with her, a son, named, Adeodatus. He had a successful legal and academic career. But this was all leaving him feeling empty and unsatisfied. The prayers of Monica were starting to work.

As a result of her prayers, he returned to the Church and devoted his whole life to the knowledge and love of God. This was all thanks to the prayers of his mother, Monica. In her words to him, just before she passed from this world to the next, she said to Augustine, "For my part, my son, I no longer find pleasure in anything that this life holds. What I am doing here still, or why I am still here, I do not know, for worldly hope has withered away for me. One thing only there was for which I desired to linger in this life: to see you a Catholic Christian before I died. And my God has granted this to me more lavishly than I could have hoped, letting me see even you spurning earthly happiness to be his servant. What am I still doing here?”

As a result of her constant prayers and concern for Augustine, and his eventual conversion to the Catholic faith, she is considered to be the patron saint of mothers. Once converted, he is quoted as saying to God, "Late have I loved you, Beauty so ancient and so new, late have I loved you!" What beautiful words!

I use Monica as an example in my daily prayers to God. Not only do I pray for my own concerns and service to God as a deacon, I pray to God for my children. I pray that God guides them, as He once guided Augustine, through the prayers of Monica.

We are all called to pray as Monica did for those people in our lives that need to have God in the center of all they do. They can be our children, spouses, relatives, or friends. We are to pray for them to come to know God and to be in relationship with Jesus. Use Monica as an example to pray for those in your life that need God's love and care.

Praise be Jesus Christ now and forever!

Assumption vs: Ascension

Assumption vs: Ascension

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.” Luke 1:46-47

Every year on August 15th the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us in paragraph 966 "Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death." In the Orthodox Church it’s called The Feast of the Dormition of Our Most Holy Lady, the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary. The Feast commemorates the repose (dormition and in the Greek kimisis) or "falling-asleep" of the Mother of Jesus Christ, our Lord. The Feast also commemorates the translation or assumption into heaven of the body of the Theotokos.

Our Lady’s whole life was centered on doing the Will of God. His Will was central in all she did. Look at how she responded to God, through the Angel Gabriel, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)
As a result of whom she is and how she lived her life, God chose to take her up to heaven, body and soul. Whether she “fell asleep” and was taken up to heaven, as the Orthodox teach, or was just taken up to heaven as we so often see depicted in artwork, surrounded by angels, on a cloud, she was taken up to heaven by the power of God. Not by her own power. Further, we as Catholics are required to believe this. In 1854, with the Bull Ineffabilis, Pius IX solemnly proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. As a dogma, we, as Catholics are required to believe and accept it.

Regarding the Ascension of Our Lord, this occurred 40 days after He rose from the dead on Easter, and is the final act of our redemption that Christ began on Good Friday. On this day, the risen Christ, in the sight of His apostles, ascended bodily into Heaven (Luke 24:51; Mark 16:19; Acts 1:9-11). It was through His own power that He ascended into heaven. This is another central belief that we have as Catholics.

So, as you see, the difference between the Assumption of Our Lady and the Ascension of Our Lord is this: it was through the power of God that Mary was assumed into heaven, and it was through His own power that Jesus ascended into heaven.

Let us, like Mary, have God always in the center of all we do in our lives. Let us, like Mary, say, “Behold, I am the handmaid (servant) of the Lord.”

Love of God and Neighbor

I recently heard a Buddhist proverb. It goes like this, "When we decry the suffering and pain around us, caused by other humans, Buddhist spirituality also reminds us of the suffering and pain borne by our actions, thoughts and speech. While I can't liberate the entire world from suffering even if I wanted to, I can do my part by trying to be mindful of the suffering I am causing or might cause. If all do likewise, then Buddhist spirituality says, we address the suffering in the world borne by human greed, hate and injustice." Reflecting on this proverb I was thinking of how we, as Christians, can live out this in our daily lives.

It very much reminds me of the teachings of Christ and how we are to love God and to love our neighbor. In Matthew 22:36-40 (New International Version NIV) we read, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

We, as Christians, are called to show love and respect to all around us. We are to be sensitive to how we treat others and how our actions may adversely effect those in our lives. There are those in our lives that we naturally are attracted to and find easy to love and to treat well. Then there are those in our lives that we find it uncomfortable to be with. We may even have people in our lives that we hate for some harm done to us or arguments we may have had. We hold on to those resentments that we have towards those people and grow to hate them.

We are called to love and forgive all those people in our lives, as God loves and forgives us. By letting go of hatred and resentment towards those in our lives, we are making the world a better place. It takes one person at a time to make the world better for those around us. We may not be able to resolve the hatred that is happening in the far reaches of the world, for example, between Israel and Palestine. But we can remove the hatred we have for those in our lives that we hold a grudge.

Further, we can offer our prayers to God for peace and mutual respect among all those in the world that hate each other. They may feel that their hatred is justified. But in order to have peace in the world, we must encourage mutual love, understanding, and forgiveness. It is only then that peace can start coming into the world.

And it starts with each one of us and with those that God has placed in our live.

Sower & the Seed

Reflection on the Readings for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Scripture texts can be found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/071314.cfm

In this sower and seed parable, do we always have to be the dirt? Why do we always have to be the dirt? It's depressing. Who really thinks they've yielded a hundredfold of awesome religious results? My money is on nobody-that would look like pride. Probably the same with sixtyfold. Most of us think we'll be lucky to make thirtyfold because we figure we're still limping along at eight or ten, maybe twelve tops.

There are many ways of looking at and understanding parables.

First, let's look at the sower. It's not only bishops, priests , sisters, brothers, and missionaries that sow the seed of the word of God.

Parents, grandparents, and people in charge of a child, anytime they speak about the love of God, whether formal deliberate instruction, or just by how we love and treat them, are sowing the seeds of the kingdom of God.

For many of us, we would do well to speak of God and the events of salvation more often than we do. It can be at work, with family, with friends, or in social settings. We often hold back for fear of sounding "preachy" or of sounding like a phoney. Most people that we know, know our faults. But if you preach from the heart and show a true relationship with God, you can overcome those faults and show those in your life that relationship with God is important. You are planting the seed.

When we sow the seed of faith in God, don't worry about results. Our responsibility as Christians is to sow the seed of faith with those in our life. The results of that sowing is up to God. As Mother Theresa of Calcutta once said, "God does not call us to be successful; he calls us to be faithful." We may or may not see results. Some seeds may remain dormant for years before they reach maturity and growth. It's between those hearing the word and with God.

This parable talks about seeds, as well. We can relate to the seed, too. Like the seed, we "die" to ourselves in order to give life to others. Parents, in may ways, give up sleep, time, and personal pleasures to give their children good things and save for the future. Teachers in school in many ways, too, "die", when they give their "all" for the children they are charged with to give education.

When you respond to the word of God by being the "sower" and the "seed", you, like the "dirt" can produce "a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold." (Matthew 13:8)

Let us ask Jesus this day to enrich our understanding and increase our fervor. Let Jesus plant the seed in our hearts so we can produce manifold fruits in our live.

My Lord and my God!

Reflections on the Feast of St. Thomas. Scripture readings can be found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/070314.cfm

Thomas is the kind of guy that we today would call a "show me" type of guy. He needed to see with his own eyes that the Lord has indeed risen from the dead. He wasn't content with relying on the word of the other disciples. Then what a gift Thomas receives from our Lord. Not only does he see the Risen Lord, he gets to touch Him.

Jesus says, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” (John 20:27). What does Thomas then say? “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). Our Lord goes on to speak about you and I. Jesus then says, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” (John 20:29) What a gift the Lord has given to us. He is calling us blessed because of our faith in Him. And we have Thomas to thank for it.

After the Ascension of Jesus into heaven, Thomas goes on to become one of the great apostolic missionaries, going to India to bring the faith of Jesus to the people there. Thomas experienced Jesus first hand and was able to bring that faith to others.

You and I experience the Risen Jesus every time we go to Mass. When the priest says the words, "This is my body" and "This is my blood" the elements of bread and wine BECOME the Body & Blood of Jesus. We then are able to TOUCH Jesus by receiving Holy Communion.

We are then to go from the church to bring the Good News that Jesus has died, risen and ascended for all people. One of the choices the priest or deacon can choose from for the dismissal at mass is "Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord." We do this by being charitable and loving towards all those we meet during the course of our day or week. We are to be "Christ" to other people! The great St. Francis once said, "Go and proclaim the Gospel. When necessary, use words."

So, go and bring the good news that Jesus is alive and part of your life to other. Go and proclaim the gospel!

Corpus Christi Monastery

Since late Friday afternoon I have been on a private retreat at Corpus Christi Monastery in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx, NY. I do this private retreat every year at around the same time and look forward to being alone with God and praying with these women of prayer.

I join them in their rounds of the Liturgy of the Hours, Mass and Rosary. The rest of the time I spend by myself, reading scripture, and praying for those in my life that need prayer. I also pray for myself in order to become a better Christian and better deacon in order to serve the Lord more faithfully.

Today the church commemorates the memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Our lady's whole life was that of being totally opened to the will of God in her life and the service of others. In the Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38), we hear the angel Gabriel announce to Mary that she will be the mother of the Messiah. At first Mary was puzzled, but then, after Gabriel explains, Mary says, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." (Luke 1:38).

Then, after hearing that her elderly cousin, Elizabeth, is pregnant (with John the Baptist), Mary "set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah" (Luke 1:39) in order to be with Elizabeth in her time of need.

In the gospel for today's feast, we hear the familiar passage of the Child Jesus being missing, only to be found three days later talking to the teachers at the temple. Though Mary chastised Jesus for giving them this anxiety, she still pondered on what happened, and "kept all these things in her heart." (Luke 2:51).

The trust that Mary had in God at all times in her life, even during that anxious time of not knowing where Jesus was, is an example of how we are to live out our lives. We are to live in complete trust in God, even during those times in our lives when we are anxious or troubled about what may be happening in our lives.

Like Mary, we are to have Jesus at the center of our lives and to trust in God completely, in good times and even in those times when we are anxious about the problems we are facing. Then we will have the peace of God in us, knowing that Our Lord and His Mother are with us to help us through anything and everything.

For more information about Corpus Christi Monastery go to http://www.opbronx.org/. I'm sure also they would love to receive a financial gift from you, as well, for their ministry of prayer.

Receive the Gospel of Christ!

It was four years ago today at the 9:00 Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral that 12 of my classmates and I, were ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacon. After the ordination, Cardinal Timothy Dolan handed us the Book of the Gospels and said to each of us, "Receive the Gospel of Christ,whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe,and practice what you teach."

Over the four years since my ordination, I have performed wakes, baptisms, visited those in Morningside Nursing Home, assisted at numerous Masses. Through all the work that I have done since being ordained, I still have this joy of doing God's will as a deacon.

One of the residents at Morningside Nursing Home always reminds me of how I am to be grateful in what I do for God and where I am at in relationship with Him. Whenever I see Rosalyn and ask how she is, she responds, always with faith and with that gleam in her eyes, "As God would have me!"

So, as I carry out God's will for me, in whatever I do, I have to recall that it is where God would have me!

This Saturday, June 21st, at St. Patrick's Cathedral 11 more men will be ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacon to serve Christ in His Church. Pray for these men as they respond to Christ's Call with a YES!

Praise be Jesus Christ, now and forever!

Prayer

Last Sunday, June 1st, I had the honor of doing a Holy Hour at the Carmelite Monastery in Flemington, NJ. Their website can be found at http://www.flemingtoncarmel.org/

It was the 7th Sunday after Easter and the Gospel for that day was from John, chapter 17. Following is the Homily I gave on it for the Sisters at Carmel. Feel free to comment on it. Also, feel free to support the sisters and their community.

Homily on John 17:1-11a

“I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me.”

This portion of the gospel of St. John, chapter 17, has come to be known as the High priestly prayer. It’s all about relationship. Relationship between Jesus and His Father, and Jesus and His disciples. It sums up all that Jesus came to do and the intimate relationship between Him and the Father that allowed him to complete his work.
This gospel is ideal for this time of year when there are many men being ordained to priestly ministry. They are ordained not for themselves, but for the Church, not just to deepen their own spiritual life but to go into the world as representatives and evangelist of the Lord and His Gospel. They are ordained not for their own salvation but for the salvation of others. They are called to be in the world though not of the world. This is also true for all Christians.

In this prayer Jesus prays for the disciples and the community of faith. In this prayer he prays to the Father to give strength and protection to his faithful believers, as Jesus prepares to return to God the Father.

This prayer of Jesus is not only for those first followers of Jesus, but for us also. It teaches us the value of prayer being central in all we do.

This priestly prayer of Jesus is especially suitable for us here in Carmel. Prayer is central for the Carmelite way of life as it was to the life of Jesus. In the Carmelite rule of St. Albert, we read, “Each one of you is to stay in his own cell or nearby, pondering the Lord's law day and night and keeping watch at his prayers unless attending to some other duty.” Further, St. Theresa of Jesus tells us, “prayer in my opinion is nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us." And St. Therese of Lisieux says, “For me prayer is a surge of the heart, it is a simple look towards heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.”

Living out your vocation as Carmelites and followers of Christ, you will have both trials and joys, but God has been revealed to you through Jesus Christ. You belong to God. As Jesus tells us in today’s gospel, “Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.”

Through the intercession of his Blessed Mother, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, you have come to know the one true God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. As a result, you have eternal life. You are in relationship with God, as well as in community and relationship with each other. You are called to live out your Christian vocation here in Carmel by being Christ to one another, and to those who you pray for.

Choice:

This meditation is on the readings from the First Sunday of Lent and can be found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/030914.cfm.

We hear in our first reading from Genesis about two trees in the middle of the garden: the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Only one was forbidden. That is the one Eve, then Adam, chose. We know the rest of the story.

What is it about us humans? Is it because we don't like being told what to do? If someone says, "You can't," that is when we are tempted to say, "Oh yeah? Watch me." Whether it's a two-year old just learning to say, "No," a teenager challenging a curfew, or someone ignoring the speed limit. It doesn't matter: Rebellion, which usually translates into pride! It just seems to be who we are as humans! It was through the rebellion of our original parents that we get this rebellion from. It's part of that original sin that we are all aware of: we, like Adam and Eve, want to be like God.

It is because of this self-centeredness that the Church, during this time of Lent,spends a lot of time talking about sin, and encouraging us to turn away from it. On Ash Wednesday, when you received your ashes, you probably heard one of two choices spoken by the priest or deacon: "Repent and believe in the Gospel" or "Remember, you are dust, and to dust you will return." These two phrases remind us that we are all sinners, due to the original sin of our parents, Adam and Eve.

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen once said of sinners, "The worst sinners are nice people who, by denying sin, make the cure of sin impossible. Sin is very serious, but it is more serious to deny sin." It is during Lent that we are to find that cure for sin!

In our Gospel of Matthew we also hear of temptation but with a far better ending than that of our story in Genesis. Jesus went into the wilderness of Judea and there He was also tempted. But here, instead, we have victory over the temptations. It was three times that Satan tempted Jesus in the desert, and three times Jesus won. The temptations that Jesus faced are no different than the temptations that we all face.

In the first temptation, Satan knows Jesus is hungry, and also knows the power that Jesus has. So he tempts Jesus into turning stones to bread. Tie this in with fasting during Lent. Why should we fast and give up things during Lent? In our society, so driven by consumerism, we are all tempted to satisfy our human needs with food and drink, plus all the other luxuries that you see advertised on TV. Jesus teaches that, "We do not live by bread alone." There is more to us than what we eat, wear, or drive. There is something down deep within us that needs to be satisfied, a place only God can fill. To have God fill that center of our lives, the Church encourages us to fast and abstinence. Giving something up for Lent is not about self-punishment but about freedom that liberates the soul and makes space for God.

In the second temptation, Jesus is tempted to put God to the test by jumping from the Temple. How often do we turn to God in prayer to try to compel him to do something for us. Often we are looking for quick answers to our prayers and quick fixes to our problems. Instead, prayer is a time to be with God in repentance and conversion of life. Jesus says, "You shall not tempt the Lord your God." We are to place our cares in God's hands and trust that He will always be there for us.

The third temptation is to seek the kingdoms of the world in the belief that fulfillment comes with power and control. Jesus teaches us a different way, "to do homage to the Lord alone." Fulfillment comes from following the Lord and in giving something of ourselves to others. We are serving God when we are helping others.

During this season of Lent, take the time to be with the Lord in true repentance. Read scripture daily, and if it's been a while, make use of the Sacrament of Confession. Then we will come to know the power of Jesus Christ in our life if we are generous in our fasting, prayer and alms giving.

Be All You Can Be

Scripture Readings for Ash Wednesday can be found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/030514.cfm

A number of years ago there was an ad campaign for the US Army that went, "Be All You Can Be!" I was thinking of that today and how it can be applied to our Catholic/Christian faith and this time of prayer, fasting and penance. God, through the Church, is calling us into relationship with him during this time of Lent. We are normally self-centered, and selfish. We think only of ourselves, rather than putting God in the center of our lives, and caring for those God has placed in our lives.

St. Paul reminds us that, "... we are ambassadors for Christ..." (2 Corinthians 5:20). An ambassador represents the country or person to others. When people see an ambassador, they see the country or person they represent. Can people see Christ when they see us? We are to be like Christ in all who we are. We are to "be all we can be!" We are to be Christ-centered in our behavior towards all those we meet.

In our gospel from St. Matthew, our Lord is reminding us to make sure that we are doing righteous deeds and fasting for the right reasons! We are not doing it for recognition from other people, but rather for love of God and love of those around us. Jesus is calling us to have God in the center of all our actions. This coincides with what the prophet Joel, in our first reading, tells us, "Rend your hearts, not your garments,and return to the LORD, your God..." Joel 2:13. This means that we are to put aside our sinful ways that take us from God. We are to turn away from gossip, slandering, lustful behavior. We are to put aside all those things that take us away from God, and turn to God with repentance and love. We are to "be all we can be" for God.

Love of Enemies

Today's reflection is on the readings for the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time and can be found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/022314.cfm.

Coming as they did from a Jewish background, some early Christians, thought that, in order to truly follow the teachings of Jesus, you began by keeping every bit of Jewish law as handed down by God and interpreted by your ancestors. Other early Christians, equally serious about following Jesus had brought a new way of thinking about the Jewish law, so that keeping the more than 600 laws that had grown up around the Ten Commandments was not the only way to be a Christian. Matthew reminded the early Christians of his community, mostly former Jews, of what Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said...but I say to you."

In our readings for today, from Leviticus and from Matthew, we are being reminded of the centrality of love in God's plans for us. As believers in the one true God and as followers of His Son, Jesus Christ, we are called to love everyone, without condition. We are to love all people as God loves them. In our first reading we hear, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD." (Leviticus 19:18). In the gospel we hear Jesus tell his disciples (and us): "But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors* do the same?" (Matthew 5:44-46).

Regarding the challenge that Jesus gives us in regards to turning the other cheek, we generally understand it to mean that the first response of Christians to violence is to be humble, meek, and mild. But lets look at the context in Jesus' time. At the time and place that Jesus lived, there was no such thing as toilet paper. Instead, everyone used their left hand for certain necessities. Not a pleasant thought, is it? Because people used their left hand for these "basics", they never, ever, touched anyone else with their left hand. When you struck someone on the cheek, you did so with your right hand, with the backhand if it was someone "inferior" to you, or with and open hand or fist for people of "equal status." If you turn your cheek after someone has backhanded you, they cannot backhand you again with their right hand. To strike again, they have to use a forward motion raising your status, or use their left hand, proving that they are uncouth. Further, turning the other cheek when you have been struck subverts the established order. It's hard not to hit back, and it takes courage to turn the other cheek, but doing so seeks to end violence by asserting the dignity of every human being.

In our call to live out our Christian vocation, we are called to stop the violence in the world by "turning the other cheek" and by loving & respecting all people, no matter how unlovable you think they are. God loves all people unconditionally. He loves those people that others want to reject. Whether gay, black, white, or Asian, God loves you totally. And God is calling us, His followers, to love all, without restriction! "So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)

Love is in the Air

Every year on February 14th I think of a song from the late '70's. You may know it. The first line goes, "Love is in the air everywhere I look around." Today the world talks about love on Valentine's Day. What is Valentine's Day and what is true love? First a little history. St. Valentine was a 3rd century Roman priest. It was during this time that the faithful believers in Christ were being persecuted for their faith. On February 14th, about the year 270, St. Valentine was beheaded because he refused to denounce his faith in Christ. It was his love of Christ that led him to give his life as a martyr. This is what true love is. To be able to give your life for the one you love. In the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians, chapter 13, vs 4 to 8 he talks about what love really is. In verses 4 & 5 he says, "Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury..." Paul is teaching us to love Christ as he loved us, and to love others! Further, when you are giving flowers or chocolate to the one you love, remember you are to love them not only on Valentine's Day, but everyday! And you are to love them as Christ loves you. You are always to be patient, you are always to be kind. You are never to be jealous. All the attributes that Paul points out are to be used towards the one you love. Happy Valentine's Day!

Blessed Archangela Girlani, Virgin

I have been a Third Order Carmelite since 2000, and yesterday we celebrated the Memorial of Blessed Archangela Girlani. She was born in the town of Trino in northern Italy about the middle of the fifteenth century. She took the Carmelite habit in Parma and eventually became prioress there. She held the same office in the new monastery at Mantua, where she died in 1495. She had a special devotion to the Holy Trinity. The reading assigned for her in the Carmelite Proper of the Office of Readings was from the Exhortations on the Carmelite Rule of Blessed John Soreth. I found this reading very profound and relevant for us today. The reading starts with, "We read in the Rule, 'Each of you is to have a separate cell, situated according to the lie of the land you propose to occupy.'" He goes on to talk about the importance of the cell and how it can lead the Carmelite to "fullness of perfection and makes him worthy to speak to God." He also compared the cell (where one lives) to the cell of your body. We are to live always in the presence of God, and to be "caught up in union with God, as a bride is joined to her husband." Later in the reading, he gives advice on how to live safely in your cell. You are to have three Guardians: "God, your conscience, and your spiritual director." This reminds us that whether we are alone at home or if we are out and about living our lives, God is always present. Regarding conscience, we are to form our conscience according to the teachings of God through scripture and the teachings of the Church. Finally, we are to find someone trustworthy to be our spiritual director who we can trust to share our spiritual life with and to seek advice. Through our constant reminder that we are always in the presence of God, John Soreth invites us to "love and cultivate your inner cell, and the exterior one, too." This is a call to remind us that God is always present to us. We are to use our "interior cell" to grow in relationship with God. We are called to "be a master of yourself, to set your life in order" according to the Will of God. Through the intercession of Blessed Archangela Girlani, let us grow deeper in love with God, and realize that we are always in the presence of Him who made us. Blessed Archangela Girlani, pray for us.

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Readings for today's reflection can be found at: http://usccb.org/bible/readings/012614.cfm

He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Today’s gospel begins with a reference to the arrest of St. John the Baptist. The full story of John comes up later in chapter 14 of Matthew’s gospel. The focus here is to give attention to the fact that Jesus has gone to Capernaum. Matthew sees this as a fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah that we heard in our first reading, “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death  light has arisen”. The early Christians saw this as a reference to the messianic king, and Jesus was that King!

The mission of Jesus becomes clear as he invites all, through his preaching, to “Do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Further, the mission of Jesus included a shared ministry from the very beginning. Andrew, Simon Peter, James and John must have heard the preaching of Jesus. So, though it seems like they immediately left all behind to follow Jesus, I’m sure they must have given some thought as to who this Jesus was. Then they came to a decision, and had the strength and courage to follow through in following him.

Do we have the courage and strength to follow Jesus as Andrew, Simon Peter, James and John did? Jesus said to them, “Come after Me.” At once they left their nets and followed. One aspect of this story I want to point out is that of the nets they left behind.

The message of Jesus was that the kingdom of God is at hand and He calls us to reform our lives to enter the kingdom. The trouble is that we want the kingdom but not the reforming. We’re happy living our lives as we want, not as God wants. But yet, we want to go to heaven.

We want to know the rule of God in our life, forgiveness and growth in grace, the sense of belonging to a spiritual community, the peace of being united to God’s will – but we don’t want to give up the nets that trap us, that hold us back! As a result we get entangled in those nets. These entanglements are not the responsibilities we have in our life because those can be ways of serving the Lord. Rather, those entanglements are the people and relationships that distance us and separate us from Christ.

We don’t want to give up gossiping, cutting corners, wrong relationships, immoral behavior, and habits of arrogance, rash judgment or addictions. So, we try to find ways of having it both ways and we can’t. Those nets weigh us down and hold us tight. We need to leave behind the nets, the distorting entanglements of soul and heart and mind.

The Gospel shows us the ones who left their nets and followed as Jesus gave them a new mission, new seas to sail, deeper purpose for their lives. For us, to follow Jesus is not a matter of leaving family or job. It’s a matter of leaving behind a way of living, and that is far more difficult.

The reign of God is open to all of us. We just have to be willing to turn away from our sinful attachments and place Jesus in the center of our lives. We need to make a commitment to follow Jesus. Then we will experience the kingdom to the extent that we let those nets go. It’s hard to follow the Lord if we are dragging all kinds of tangled webs woven from bad memories, angers and sins.

They left their nets behind and followed Jesus. Are you willing to do the same and follow Jesus?

“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”