People get Ready!!!!

Howdy!

When I look at the readings for the 2nd Sunday of Advent (Baruch 5:1-9, Philippians 1:4-6,8-11, & Luke 3:1-6) two images come into my mind. Both are images of emptiness, yet hopefulness.

I remember as a kid getting ready for Halloween. First I'd get my costume on. My favorite was dressing up like a tramp. I'd put charcoal on my face to look like a beard and get a bunch of Dad's old work clothes to wear. It didn't take much work to dress like a tramp. The most important part of the preparation, no matter what the costume, was finding a bag for the treats that I was going to get. I'd get two old pillow cases and put one inside the other. I'd use double bags to prevent leaks and therefore no lost bounty. Then I'd call my friends to see where the meeting point was going to be so we could scavenge the neighborhood together, and then I'd leave the house with an empty sack (but not empty for long).

The second image I have for these Advent readings is decorating for Christmas. I usually don't decorate my house until sort of late. Two weeks before Christmas is my goal. Some folks have had their decorations up for well over a month before I start dragging mine out of the attic. I have a collection of nativity sets from all over the place. Folks have given me some of them. Others I have bought when I travelled to Israel, Mexico, Guatemala, etc. I got a lot from a store called Just Creations in Louisville. The store sells items from third world countries as sort of a co-op with the poor in those countries. I put these nativity scenes all over the house to remind me that the reason for Christmas is Christ, and that he came for everyone in the world, not just me, us, or a select group of folks. I also put up a Christmas tree. And when I put it up it is usually barren underneath. By the time Christmas Day rolls around underneath the tree fills up. I look forward, just like all kids do, when the I get to rip through the gift wrap, the bags, and the envelopes to see what is inside.

Why do these two images remind me of the Advent readings? Just like my empty trick or treat bag and my barren Christmas tree bottom, the readings have us anticipating what is going to be filled. Baruch tells us to throw off our sad rags and put on our party clothes. God is about to bring us justice, mercy, and glory. St. Paul prays to God that our capacity to love may grow more and more. He anticipates that the good work that God began in us will grow to fulfillment. In the Gospel John the Baptist comes on the scene. We'll here more from him next week, but he enters our Advent this week. His preaching and forgiving prepares for the the coming of the real Savior who has come into the World.

Advent is about emptiness; but an emptiness with a hoped for fulfillment. John the Baptist is not the Messiah, but we know that Jesus is not far down the street. St. Paul and the Prophet Baruch see the potential that we are capable of with God's involvement with us.

Advent is about prayer. May we pray these next few weeks with a purpose. As we enter our prayer time it will do us a lot of good to recognize the places in our hearts, minds and lives are empty. We may also find it helpful to pray about emptying our minds, our hearts, and our lives from some of the clutter that busies us. Next invite God into that empty place. I promise God can do a lot with a little bit of space.

peace,
Fr. Chuck

People Get Ready....!

Howdy!

I'm still having an NCYC hangover. I'm exhausted but still fired up about the National Catholic Youth Convention last weekend. There were 22,000 youth and leaders from all over the U.S. and the Spirit was definitely moving. The 12 teens from St. James didn't take long to get into the revelry and spiritual excitement. The music was heart throbbing, participatory, and inspiring. Most of the presenters were able to also get the youth involved by their speaking styles and timely topics. The prayer was moving and motivating.

The question is, "Now What?"

We've all had spiritual experiences that got us fired up. Whether it was a Mass, a retreat, an outreach event, or some other holy time, we all know what is like to be motivated in our faith. Mountain top experiences are important. But when the experience is over and we're back on our home ground,the balloon eventually deflates. How do we stay motivated yet real?

First we have to remember that the experience that we had was also a real experience. It was in an ideal situation perhaps, but it was still real. It is easy when we're living back in our ordinary existence to make light of our spiritual experience. To do so is spiritual suicide.

These spiritual events help us to see what is important in our lives, to set goals, and to dream dreams. In many ways they are God talking to us giving us our mission and our vocation. So when we throw cold water on our spiritual experiences we reduce our chance for intimacy with God.

Also, it is important to make the experiences we have part of our daily prayer. Reminding ourselves of why we were motivated and what we were motivated to do will help us to live out the experience that we had. By reminding ourselves of the experience in prayer it also makes God a continued a part of the experience. And God has a way of making dreams come true when He is part of them.

I bring all of this up because on Sunday, November 29th we begin Advent. And I plan on using this Advent season to pray on my mountain top experiences. When I think of the ways that Christ has been born in me in my life, most of the powerful ways have been in the mountain top experiences. So this Advent I plan on praying over the past and the most recent ways that Christ has come to me. I'm not doing this so I can try to go back and relive my past encounters with God. But I want to recollect God's interventions into my life so that I can follow His will for me now.

Advent is time of prayer and new spiritual awakenings. My hope is that you and I may be re-awakened to live more for God through this holy season.

paz,
Fr. Chuck

The Greatest!!!

It was a different school night for me on February 25, 1964. I had to go to bed at 9:30 or so. But this 11 year old did not want to go to sleep. That part was normal. I was always making excuses for staying up later. Sometimes it was my sister snoring (Kathy doesn't snore)who slept on the other end of our upstairs bedroom. Often I blamed it on my little brother Stephen since he slept in the twin bed next to mine. He was either making the springs squeak, or talking in his sleep, or some other bogus excuse for me being able to spend more time downstairs with Dad and Mom or watching TV. This night was different. Olympic Champion Cassius Clay from Louisville, KY was fighting the evil and violent Sonny Liston for the Heavyweight Championship of the World. And Dad was listening to it on the radio. Although rules were rules and bedtime was bedtime, I stayed awake in my bed trying to listen to to the radio through the floor and the stairwell to keep up with the fight. I couldn't make out many of the announcer's words but I could tell from his excitement that it was going longer than expected. I could also tell by the shrill pitch of his voice that Clay was doing well. As the fight went on I slunk out of bed, crawled on my belly to the top of the stairs, and tried to listen with all the strength my ears could muster to the progression of the fight. When, finally, Cassius Clay, from my home state, knocked out the much stronger and brutal Sonny Liston, I could tell by the delirious blabbering of the announcer that something big had happened. That's when I blew my cover and kind of whisper yelled downstairs to Dad, "Did he really win it?" Dad came to the door of the stairwell with a big grin on his face and said, "He's the new Champ!" Then I could hear soon to be Muhammad Ali's voice coming out of the tinny speaker yelling something. I asked Dad, "What's he saying?" Dad though he was saying, "I'm the King of the world!!!" He was actually saying, "I shook up the World!" But I like Dad's version better.

Later Ali became controversial for all sorts of reasons. He liked to brag on himself and belittle his opponents. He switched to the Islamic religion and changed his name. He was a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War and had to hang up his boxing gloves for his prime years of boxing as a punishment. He returned to the ring and won back his title. He fought way past retirement time and became kind of a sad figure. Since his retirement he has become a man who was once an icon because of his speed and ability to out think and out box every opponent and now he's an icon because of his ability to be a world peacemaker. Despite his controversial side, Ali has been a hero of mine since I was almost eight and he won the Olympic Gold Medal.

But he is not the "King of the World". Neither is Barak Obama, Osama bin Laden, Rush Limbaugh, Pope Benedict XVI, or any other human being.

I think it is okay to have role models and heroes. I have several. Some are priests. Others are faithful and courageous plain old folks. One of the reasons to have heroes is to try to be like them. Although I know that God has made me uniquely as His own and for a special purpose according to His design, I still like to look at the qualities that I admire in others, and then make them my own. I know now that I don't need to parrot everything about a person to imitate them.

November 22nd is the Feast of Christ the King. He is the only real King of the World. How do you make Him the ruler of your life? How do you try to imitate Him? Do you attempt to imitate the qualities of Him that you see in others?

peace,
Fr. Chuck

PS. I'll be tweeting from the National Catholic Youth Conference in Kansas City from Nov. 19-22. You can follow "frchuck" on Twitter if you wish. It ought to be fun and exciting to see 22,000 teen aged Catholics living and exploring their faith together!! Check it out.

It's The End!!

Howdy!

I've gotten a couple of mailings recently advertising the end of the world. I say advertising because both were trying to either get me to put notices in our bulletin to get parishioners to believe in their "prophesies". It is also hard not to flip through the TV channels without catching a program about Nostradamus' predictions, or the Mayan calendar, or a giant meteor heading right at the White House (or maybe my house, YIKES!), or some other "prophecy". 

I would like to jump on the band wagon. THE WORLD IS GOING TO END!!!!!!!! I have no idea when it is going to happen, buy this world will end. 

Jesus warns us in the Gospel of Mark today that the things that we depend on are (in)security blankets. While the people of His world depended upon the sun, moon, and stars for telling time, navigating on land and sea, celebrating feasts, and even foretelling the future, Jesus warns that they are not going to last. His point is that only God is dependable; only God's time is for sure; only God is secure; only God is worth living for!

We spend a lot of our time, energy, and even our money trying to secure our lives. It is natural for us to want things to be dependable and safe. Our will to live is our strongest natural inclination. So, if we can help make ourselves safe and secure by any of our own efforts, then why not? However, God is bigger than our plans. 

God also promises that it will be worth our sacrifice to let go of our (in)security blankets to cling to the only ONE who promises us eternal life, a banquet, and a Kingdom that will never end. Are you willing to let go of unreliable things and never be disappointed again?

Paz,
Fr. Chuck

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Go in there and give it your all!

This weekend's Gospel reading (Mark 12:38-44) is about Jesus sitting in the Temple and observing a poor widow giving her last two coins as a tithe. Jesus pointed her out as an example of selfless giving. Although her gift amounted to about ten cents, Jesus said she gave more than the wealthy folks who were coming in and dumping bags of coins into the Treasury. Jesus said that they were just skimming their contributions off of the top of what they owned, while her two nickels were all she owned.

This reading is more than about tithing money. It is about total commitment.

Jesus is in Jerusalem; and we all know what is about to happen to Him in Jerusalem. His time there will eventually lead to Him giving His all for us. Calvary and crucifixion are only days away. The widow at the Treasury is an example for the disciples just as He will be the ultimate example of God's love, trust, and discipleship in a few days.

This reading makes me want to reflect upon my commitment as a disciple. How many times do I drag my feet when I get a call to respond to someone in need? How often do I turn and head in a comfortable direction when I see the possibility of someone or some project needing a lot of my time and attention? What makes me say, "I'd rather not." to invitations to spend some time with someone new?

I'm good at skimming off of the top, of saving some for later, of holding kindness, tenderness, compassion, and especially forgiveness back.

God help us follow the example of the widow and especially of Jesus. Help us be true disciples who give our all and know that you'll never disappoint a faithful giver.

peace,
Fr. Chuck