Epiphany 2010
Happy New Year and Happy Epiphany!
On January 2nd (or 6th for you tradionalists) we celebrate the feast that recognizes that God is God of all the Earth and of all people and nations! If we take time to imagine, even partially, what that means we will find ourselves caught up in the immensity of God’s compassion and mercy for all people.
Here at St. James we honor this feast by celebrating how diverse and multi-national our parish is. At the 12:15pm Mass we’ll have readings and music in some of the various languages that represent our roots. Some will dress in clothing from their native countries. Afterward we’ll have a feast that will tickle the taste buds of every palate. We do Epiphany real well here.
My encouragement for you today (and for me as well) is to make this Godly Spirit of inclusivity and welcome last for more than just this one feast day. We can all imitate our Lord’s compassion to the alien and foreigner in better ways. It is easy for us to fall prey to the Devil’s temptation to believe that generosity of welcome, compassion, forgiveness, and kindness are limited resources. The Evil One would like for us to believe that we should use those spiritual commodities with stinginess, like they will run out if we over indulge in them.
However our God encourages us to do just the opposite. God will never be outdone in our generosity of any kind. He promises that “good measure, pressed down and flowing over will be poured” into the emptiness of our lives whenever we attempt to be as generous and forgiving as God.
On this Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord let us ask God for the courage and fortitude we need to imitate the all inclusive and welcoming heart of God. Let us hope to see all others, no matter their nationality, language, belief, or orientation, as children of God as we are.
paz,
Fr. Chuck
Monday, December 27, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
God Is With Us!
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
I can not hear or read the name Emmanuel without thinking of Albany, Ky. From 1986-1994 my first assignment as pastor was at Emmanuel Catholic Church in Albany and Holy Cross Catholic Church in Burkesville. Those were eight wonderful years in my priesthood. I was still a rookie priest and the people of those two counties helped me understand priesthood in a way that hasn't been topped since.
The parishes were small. Each place only had 20 or 30 families as parishioners. Also, Catholicism was relatively a "new" religion in those counties. I was only the third resident priest there. There were a lot of myths, misconceptions, rumors, prejudice, and ignorance regarding Emmanuel and Holy Cross. So the mission of these mission parishes was to let folks know that Catholics were Christian Churches also. We debunked the myths in a couple of ways. First, we were involved in all of the ecumenical ministries and worship services. The people in our parishes were always present and active in the ministerial association's events and organizations. We were the first ones to sign up to volunteer at the clothes closet and food drives. We were the driving force behind the Christmas Cantatas, the Lenten Bible studies, and the Easter Sunrise Service. We participated in the radio station's 5 minute scripture sharing. We figured that if other Christian folks saw us having the same passion for the scripture and worship as they did then we wouldn't have to prove to them that we didn't have horns and tails hidden under our hats and pants like some thought.
Our main way of debunking these myths was through service though. At Christmas time in Clinton and Cumberland Counties we had a "Caring and Sharing Tree" similar to here in Hardin County. And the Catholic parishes there were the biggest contributors and the ones who helped the most with coordinating, collecting, buying, and distributing the toys, clothes and food items to the very needy folks in the two counties. We were also the "go to" church whenever the police stations or Departments of Human Resources encountered people that had needs that their funds and regulations could not assist. We also had about a half dozen groups of youth volunteers come to our two counties to assist the needy folks there by doing minor home repairs, cleaning, yard work, wood splitting, house painting, or whatever else the elderly person or poor family needed. Our parishioners, though small in number, sacrificed their time to teach the visiting youth how do do the service they were being asked to do; and make sure that the young people got to visit with the people they were serving as they worked.
The result was, that for the most part, the rumors of what Catholics were all about changed. Because of the dedication to the mission of evangelization by the parishioners at Emmanuel and Holy Cross we Catholics were no longer "those weirdos" or "that new church". One of the greatest compliments I ever received was when I answered the phone one day and an elderly man asked me, "Is this the Church that helps people?" I knew then that the mission of our mission parishes was really being lived. We were living up to our names also. Holy Cross was showing that Jesus was still being sacrificed and lifted up in our sacrifices in Cumberland County. And that "God is With Us" Emmanuel was being born anew in Clinton County.
On this week before Christmas let us each look in our lives and ask what kind of gift that we have to offer to our church, to our community, and to God that will let others see that "God is With Us" still.
Peace and Blessings,
Fr. Chuck
I can not hear or read the name Emmanuel without thinking of Albany, Ky. From 1986-1994 my first assignment as pastor was at Emmanuel Catholic Church in Albany and Holy Cross Catholic Church in Burkesville. Those were eight wonderful years in my priesthood. I was still a rookie priest and the people of those two counties helped me understand priesthood in a way that hasn't been topped since.
The parishes were small. Each place only had 20 or 30 families as parishioners. Also, Catholicism was relatively a "new" religion in those counties. I was only the third resident priest there. There were a lot of myths, misconceptions, rumors, prejudice, and ignorance regarding Emmanuel and Holy Cross. So the mission of these mission parishes was to let folks know that Catholics were Christian Churches also. We debunked the myths in a couple of ways. First, we were involved in all of the ecumenical ministries and worship services. The people in our parishes were always present and active in the ministerial association's events and organizations. We were the first ones to sign up to volunteer at the clothes closet and food drives. We were the driving force behind the Christmas Cantatas, the Lenten Bible studies, and the Easter Sunrise Service. We participated in the radio station's 5 minute scripture sharing. We figured that if other Christian folks saw us having the same passion for the scripture and worship as they did then we wouldn't have to prove to them that we didn't have horns and tails hidden under our hats and pants like some thought.
Our main way of debunking these myths was through service though. At Christmas time in Clinton and Cumberland Counties we had a "Caring and Sharing Tree" similar to here in Hardin County. And the Catholic parishes there were the biggest contributors and the ones who helped the most with coordinating, collecting, buying, and distributing the toys, clothes and food items to the very needy folks in the two counties. We were also the "go to" church whenever the police stations or Departments of Human Resources encountered people that had needs that their funds and regulations could not assist. We also had about a half dozen groups of youth volunteers come to our two counties to assist the needy folks there by doing minor home repairs, cleaning, yard work, wood splitting, house painting, or whatever else the elderly person or poor family needed. Our parishioners, though small in number, sacrificed their time to teach the visiting youth how do do the service they were being asked to do; and make sure that the young people got to visit with the people they were serving as they worked.
The result was, that for the most part, the rumors of what Catholics were all about changed. Because of the dedication to the mission of evangelization by the parishioners at Emmanuel and Holy Cross we Catholics were no longer "those weirdos" or "that new church". One of the greatest compliments I ever received was when I answered the phone one day and an elderly man asked me, "Is this the Church that helps people?" I knew then that the mission of our mission parishes was really being lived. We were living up to our names also. Holy Cross was showing that Jesus was still being sacrificed and lifted up in our sacrifices in Cumberland County. And that "God is With Us" Emmanuel was being born anew in Clinton County.
On this week before Christmas let us each look in our lives and ask what kind of gift that we have to offer to our church, to our community, and to God that will let others see that "God is With Us" still.
Peace and Blessings,
Fr. Chuck
Thursday, September 23, 2010
I'm so dizzy, my head is spinning.....
Hi Folks,
Well it has been ten days here & ubtil today I was doing well. The professors are very patient & have led us slowly though the very basics of the Spanish grammar and vocabulary. Today was "information overload" day. The concept being taught was singular and plural possessive pronouns. That plus a lot of new vocabulary words (verbs,nouns, & adjectives) became too much for this gray matter. I've got a lot of studying to do overnight and this weekend to get back on track.
I do get a very joyful break in the action this weekend though. My very good friend Veronica O'Connor is marrying a very good man, Eric Kemper on Saturday. I get to fly home and witness their wedding. What a treat.!! It will be a fun weekend in all kinds of ways.
One of the components of this sabbatical that I'm finding especially exciting and stimulating is learning about the expressions of faith in the Central, Carribean, and South American people. For many of them faith is life, family, and Church. It pervades all relationships and extends beyonds all boundaries. Faith can not be something they we keep in a box just for prayer time, or when we need something from God, or when we are trying to impress God or someone else. Faith is life and to be lived everywhere.
I hope this part of my formation rubs off on me more, so that I can live my faith bettter in ten weeks from now. I also pray that I can keep this in perspective in my heart & head as I slowly progress in the Spanish language.
Paz,
Fr. Chuck
Monday, September 13, 2010
No where to go but forward!!!
Hi Folks,
I just finished my first day of classes at the Mexican American Cultural College (MACC) in San Antonio. I have a lot to learn. I am starting from barely above ground level in my Espanol, so I have a lot to learn to get me able to pray the Mass and the other Sacraments in Spanish. I feel very dumb and overwhelmed at this moment. I know those feelings will fade as the twelve weeks go by but today, and for a while, I'm floundering.
The Gospel for next weekend is the parable from Luke about the steward who was about to get sacked by his master. He decided to cover his butt by making deals with all the folks who owed his master grain, oil, money, etc. His ulterior motive was probably to get hired by one of the folks he offered a discount to after he'd been fired from his present boss. Instead the master gives him a raise and a promotion for thinking out of the box. Jesus' point seems to be that the Kingdom of God needs folks who are able to think, dream, embrace, and forgive in "out of the box" sorts of ways.
In lots of ways we like to categorize and pigeon hole others people or others' ideas. We resist change. We're uncomfortable with concepts that are foreign to our own. We find fault and figure out ways that some one's solution can't work without first giving it a decent hearing. In terms of the Church, sometimes we chase people off by not giving them a decent welcome because they have different ideas, they are of a different sex (or sexual orientation), or they look, speak, or act foreign to us. In the Gospel of Luke especially, but in all of the Gospels, Jesus was the Son of God who opened God's embrace to many, especially those who were normally left out.
Let us ask God to open us up to His big Sacred Heart. As we have been loved, let us love and welcome.
paz,
Fr. Chuck
Monday, September 6, 2010
The Lost Shall Be First
Hi Friends,
I believe it was Gandhi who wrote, “Christianity has not failed. It has never been tried.” (If it wasn’t him who said it, he said something very similar.)
This weekend we hear St. Luke’s signature parables; the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the Prodigal Son (Luke 15: 1-32.). They give us an image of God that runs throughout the whole Gospel of Luke. God is the forgiver and he seeks us out to save us no matter whom we are and where we find ourselves. St. Luke also shows Jesus as the Son of God who lives out God’s forgiveness and acceptance. Therefore Jesus’ teaching and message in this third Gospel are about this compassionate God and urging His disciples to imitate God’s acceptance and forgiveness.
The problem with these parables is that normally we would behave nothing like the shepherd with the lost sheep, or the woman with the lost coin, or the Father with the run away son. We normally follow the “bird in the hand, is worth more than two in the bush” practice of caring. If we have ninety-nine sheep still with us, we’re not going to go chasing after the idiot lost one. If we have nine shiny coins in our purses, how hard are we going to look for the one that rolled under the heavy dresser? How welcoming are we going to be to the bright lights and big city kid who has already cost you an arm, a leg, and a broken heart? (Okay, maybe we would take them in, but there would be terms and stipulations.) Besides, in every one of these circumstances that Jesus sits in front of us, it looks like the party that is thrown in celebration of the find cost more than what the sheep, the coin, and the prodigal is worth. In the original audience, there had to be a lot of people shaking there heads saying, “If this is a parable about this preacher’s God, then he is very messed up.”
The Good News is that our God is exactly like the God in those parables. He never gives up on us. He wants us, loves us, and forgives us no matter what. AND, God rejoices when we “get it”!!! The BAD news is that we are supposed to imitate our God in His generosity of compassion and forgiveness. (Uh-Oh!)
When people tick us off, we write them off. When nations don’t do what we’d prefer, we call for war or sanctions against them. When immigrants seek the bounty of our nation, we want to close the borders. Lives in the womb and on death row are not worth fighting for. We don’t even try to care for people that we can’t even see.
Thank God that God has a bigger heart than ours.
paz,
Fr. Chuck
p.s. I'm leaving for San Antonio to study Spanish on Sept. 11th and will be gone until Dec. 13th. I may post an occasional blog here, but I'm not sure how much time, freedom, or gumption I'll have to do so. We'll see. My phone has the capabilities to posts blogs via email. If I can figure all that out you might be viewing a lot of pictures of the River Walk here shortly. (I'll try not to drop my phone in the San Antonio River!)
I believe it was Gandhi who wrote, “Christianity has not failed. It has never been tried.” (If it wasn’t him who said it, he said something very similar.)
This weekend we hear St. Luke’s signature parables; the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the Prodigal Son (Luke 15: 1-32.). They give us an image of God that runs throughout the whole Gospel of Luke. God is the forgiver and he seeks us out to save us no matter whom we are and where we find ourselves. St. Luke also shows Jesus as the Son of God who lives out God’s forgiveness and acceptance. Therefore Jesus’ teaching and message in this third Gospel are about this compassionate God and urging His disciples to imitate God’s acceptance and forgiveness.
The problem with these parables is that normally we would behave nothing like the shepherd with the lost sheep, or the woman with the lost coin, or the Father with the run away son. We normally follow the “bird in the hand, is worth more than two in the bush” practice of caring. If we have ninety-nine sheep still with us, we’re not going to go chasing after the idiot lost one. If we have nine shiny coins in our purses, how hard are we going to look for the one that rolled under the heavy dresser? How welcoming are we going to be to the bright lights and big city kid who has already cost you an arm, a leg, and a broken heart? (Okay, maybe we would take them in, but there would be terms and stipulations.) Besides, in every one of these circumstances that Jesus sits in front of us, it looks like the party that is thrown in celebration of the find cost more than what the sheep, the coin, and the prodigal is worth. In the original audience, there had to be a lot of people shaking there heads saying, “If this is a parable about this preacher’s God, then he is very messed up.”
The Good News is that our God is exactly like the God in those parables. He never gives up on us. He wants us, loves us, and forgives us no matter what. AND, God rejoices when we “get it”!!! The BAD news is that we are supposed to imitate our God in His generosity of compassion and forgiveness. (Uh-Oh!)
When people tick us off, we write them off. When nations don’t do what we’d prefer, we call for war or sanctions against them. When immigrants seek the bounty of our nation, we want to close the borders. Lives in the womb and on death row are not worth fighting for. We don’t even try to care for people that we can’t even see.
Thank God that God has a bigger heart than ours.
paz,
Fr. Chuck
p.s. I'm leaving for San Antonio to study Spanish on Sept. 11th and will be gone until Dec. 13th. I may post an occasional blog here, but I'm not sure how much time, freedom, or gumption I'll have to do so. We'll see. My phone has the capabilities to posts blogs via email. If I can figure all that out you might be viewing a lot of pictures of the River Walk here shortly. (I'll try not to drop my phone in the San Antonio River!)
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Technology
Do not be alarmed. I know that I never blog two days on a row. I'm just testing my ability to blog via my phone..
Paz
The textperimenter
Paz
The textperimenter
Monday, August 30, 2010
....it's a family tradition!
Hello Darlin's!
"If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”
Every time I read this quote from today’s Gospel I get upset. I have to admit that I love my family and my life. And the words of Jesus tell me to hate them!?!?!? I can’t do that. My family, especially my Mom and Dad, were the ones who taught me my faith by their words, actions, and discipline. I get inspiration today from my sister and brother who stay faithful and strong despite the difficult circumstances that they face in their day to day lives. There’s nothing to hate about them. Not only do I love their faithfulness but they are both good people that I’m proud to know and call my brother and sister.
So what could Jesus mean by this statement? Surely Jesus wasn’t anti-family or marriage. He also repeated the Old Testament passage from Genesis affirming the permanence of marriage and how when two people marry they become an unbreakable one. He even came from THE Holy Family! I believe this was another parable from Jesus. He used parables to shock us into attention. Jesus said very bold things to turn our minds and hearts upside down, and so we could get a glimpse of the total commitment of love and forgiveness God has made to us and is asking from us.
My best example of this being lived out is actually from my Mom. Her relationship to God was always first in her life. On the day of my ordination she told me to only go to the Cathedral that morning IF I was going to be a good priest. (I’m still working on that.) But her point was that her pride to have a priest in the family was not as important to her as having a good priest to be dedicated to God and for the Church. I know my sister and brother have also been told and shown that Mom always loved them but also worried about some bad behaviors that could be leading them away from faithfulness to God. In other words, I think Jesus’ message was the same as Mom’s (who died five years ago on Labor Day, by the way). God, and living for God, comes before every possession and every other relationship that we have.
It would be hard to imagine a recovering alcoholic or addict maintaining sobriety while keeping a stash of booze or dope around their house. It is equally hard to think of someone who is truly trying to straighten up a very wayward life and maintaining the relationships he or she had with their very wayward friends. Commitment to Christ takes the same separation when necessary. God comes first always. Even when it means letting go of the ways, possessions, and folks that keep us from living God’s way.
The message is still tough to comprehend. But sometimes we need a good jolt.
paz,
Fr. Chuck
"If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”
Every time I read this quote from today’s Gospel I get upset. I have to admit that I love my family and my life. And the words of Jesus tell me to hate them!?!?!? I can’t do that. My family, especially my Mom and Dad, were the ones who taught me my faith by their words, actions, and discipline. I get inspiration today from my sister and brother who stay faithful and strong despite the difficult circumstances that they face in their day to day lives. There’s nothing to hate about them. Not only do I love their faithfulness but they are both good people that I’m proud to know and call my brother and sister.
So what could Jesus mean by this statement? Surely Jesus wasn’t anti-family or marriage. He also repeated the Old Testament passage from Genesis affirming the permanence of marriage and how when two people marry they become an unbreakable one. He even came from THE Holy Family! I believe this was another parable from Jesus. He used parables to shock us into attention. Jesus said very bold things to turn our minds and hearts upside down, and so we could get a glimpse of the total commitment of love and forgiveness God has made to us and is asking from us.
My best example of this being lived out is actually from my Mom. Her relationship to God was always first in her life. On the day of my ordination she told me to only go to the Cathedral that morning IF I was going to be a good priest. (I’m still working on that.) But her point was that her pride to have a priest in the family was not as important to her as having a good priest to be dedicated to God and for the Church. I know my sister and brother have also been told and shown that Mom always loved them but also worried about some bad behaviors that could be leading them away from faithfulness to God. In other words, I think Jesus’ message was the same as Mom’s (who died five years ago on Labor Day, by the way). God, and living for God, comes before every possession and every other relationship that we have.
It would be hard to imagine a recovering alcoholic or addict maintaining sobriety while keeping a stash of booze or dope around their house. It is equally hard to think of someone who is truly trying to straighten up a very wayward life and maintaining the relationships he or she had with their very wayward friends. Commitment to Christ takes the same separation when necessary. God comes first always. Even when it means letting go of the ways, possessions, and folks that keep us from living God’s way.
The message is still tough to comprehend. But sometimes we need a good jolt.
paz,
Fr. Chuck
Monday, August 23, 2010
I, me, my, mine
Hi folks,
Anytime that I write or talk about humility, I feel like I’m living out that old Mac Davis song that brags, “Lord, it’s hard to be humble, when you’re perfect in every way.” But the gospel today is about Gospel humility so I have to admit again that I am not a humble man, although I do strive to be.
There was a fellow I knew, from a previous parish, who used to come to Mass every time the doors were open; Sundays, Holy Days, holidays, and weekdays. He’d also come to the funeral home, or visit the hospital and nursing home every time a parishioner was in one of those places. He was retired and met with a bunch of other “old goats” at the local Dairy Queen for coffee and gossip (oops, I forgot that men don’t gossip). He would also want to bend my ear about all of the activities “for God” that he was doing. In fact, all he did with anyone at church, the funeral home, the hospital, the nursing home, and at Dairy Queen was talk about himself and all of the things he was doing. I got comments from parishioners fresh out of the hospital, or in the nursing home, or he had met him in the funeral home or in Dairy Queen. They usually complained or joked about his visits. Sometimes he would get so busy talking about himself at the funeral home, hospital, or nursing home that he wouldn’t even ask the parishioner how their loved one died, or why they were sick or in rehab. He would come in telling a big tale about himself or passing on this funny story that he had just heard, and in the mean time he would “forget” to pay any attention to the others he was with. He kept me informed about parishioners and their families that I probably needed to visit. He was sometimes entertaining to be around. He could make anyone laugh, no matter their situation. But he seemed to promote himself to everyone.
Jesus tells us today that, “the one who exalts himself will be humbled; and the one who humbles himself for the sake of the kingdom will be exalted.” Let us practice what we hear from the mouth of Christ today. Let us each and all attempt to do one unselfish act per day this week for the good of someone else. Whether it is saying a prayer for a family member, a neighbor, or someone clear across the world give it a try. Even more unselfishly try to give your time and total attention to someone who might need your time and attention this week. Imitating Christ’s unselfish humility begins by our attempting small acts. Hopefully they will lead to larger sacrifices that will bring us the grace of humility.
paz,
Fr. Chuck
Anytime that I write or talk about humility, I feel like I’m living out that old Mac Davis song that brags, “Lord, it’s hard to be humble, when you’re perfect in every way.” But the gospel today is about Gospel humility so I have to admit again that I am not a humble man, although I do strive to be.
There was a fellow I knew, from a previous parish, who used to come to Mass every time the doors were open; Sundays, Holy Days, holidays, and weekdays. He’d also come to the funeral home, or visit the hospital and nursing home every time a parishioner was in one of those places. He was retired and met with a bunch of other “old goats” at the local Dairy Queen for coffee and gossip (oops, I forgot that men don’t gossip). He would also want to bend my ear about all of the activities “for God” that he was doing. In fact, all he did with anyone at church, the funeral home, the hospital, the nursing home, and at Dairy Queen was talk about himself and all of the things he was doing. I got comments from parishioners fresh out of the hospital, or in the nursing home, or he had met him in the funeral home or in Dairy Queen. They usually complained or joked about his visits. Sometimes he would get so busy talking about himself at the funeral home, hospital, or nursing home that he wouldn’t even ask the parishioner how their loved one died, or why they were sick or in rehab. He would come in telling a big tale about himself or passing on this funny story that he had just heard, and in the mean time he would “forget” to pay any attention to the others he was with. He kept me informed about parishioners and their families that I probably needed to visit. He was sometimes entertaining to be around. He could make anyone laugh, no matter their situation. But he seemed to promote himself to everyone.
Jesus tells us today that, “the one who exalts himself will be humbled; and the one who humbles himself for the sake of the kingdom will be exalted.” Let us practice what we hear from the mouth of Christ today. Let us each and all attempt to do one unselfish act per day this week for the good of someone else. Whether it is saying a prayer for a family member, a neighbor, or someone clear across the world give it a try. Even more unselfishly try to give your time and total attention to someone who might need your time and attention this week. Imitating Christ’s unselfish humility begins by our attempting small acts. Hopefully they will lead to larger sacrifices that will bring us the grace of humility.
paz,
Fr. Chuck
Monday, August 9, 2010
It's a bird! It's a plane! Nope! It's Mary!!!!!
Hi Folks!
This past weekend I got be with my family at the lake. We had Mass on Sunday morning together and I asked them to reflect on how they had seen God in the surprises that they experienced this past year. My five nieces, my sister and brother, my sister in law and brother in law, and I had no problem at all relating to one another where we had been surprised in the last twelve months, and how God was part of the surprise. My niece Stephanie, who will be a freshman in high school soon, talked about how had found out this year that she was a better and stronger person, since she had gotten away from some “good time only” friends. For a thirteen or fourteen year old to come to that realization, and not succumb to the group mentality is huge. Only God could have called her to strike out on her own like that. She also recognized God in her self and in the relationships that matter.
On this Feast of the Assumption we hear Mary tell her cousin Elizabeth, “God has done great things in me…” In her Magnificat Mary witnesses to us that God is always with us in our changes and surprises. We can barely imagine what an ordeal Mary had to go through just to give birth to Jesus. The surprise of Gabriel’s visit was just the first of Mary’s shocks. Family, friends, neighbors, synagogue friends and foes, and even Joseph had to treat her like an outcast (at the very least). Being single, young, and pregnant in her day and culture was reason for either expulsion from the community and a life of prostitution usually, IF you weren’t stoned to death by your family when the news first broke. Yet Mary says, “God has done great things in me…”
Her life of Godly surprises culminated in being rewarded by being assumed into Heaven by God after Mary’s death. That is what we celebrate here this weekend. God surprised her again after her life on Earth with bodily assumption into Heaven.
This weekend and for the rest of this week, let’s pray about the surprise that God has given to us in our life. Can we see God in those surprises? Are we open to the changes God has yet in mind for us?
paz,
Fr. Chuck
This past weekend I got be with my family at the lake. We had Mass on Sunday morning together and I asked them to reflect on how they had seen God in the surprises that they experienced this past year. My five nieces, my sister and brother, my sister in law and brother in law, and I had no problem at all relating to one another where we had been surprised in the last twelve months, and how God was part of the surprise. My niece Stephanie, who will be a freshman in high school soon, talked about how had found out this year that she was a better and stronger person, since she had gotten away from some “good time only” friends. For a thirteen or fourteen year old to come to that realization, and not succumb to the group mentality is huge. Only God could have called her to strike out on her own like that. She also recognized God in her self and in the relationships that matter.
On this Feast of the Assumption we hear Mary tell her cousin Elizabeth, “God has done great things in me…” In her Magnificat Mary witnesses to us that God is always with us in our changes and surprises. We can barely imagine what an ordeal Mary had to go through just to give birth to Jesus. The surprise of Gabriel’s visit was just the first of Mary’s shocks. Family, friends, neighbors, synagogue friends and foes, and even Joseph had to treat her like an outcast (at the very least). Being single, young, and pregnant in her day and culture was reason for either expulsion from the community and a life of prostitution usually, IF you weren’t stoned to death by your family when the news first broke. Yet Mary says, “God has done great things in me…”
Her life of Godly surprises culminated in being rewarded by being assumed into Heaven by God after Mary’s death. That is what we celebrate here this weekend. God surprised her again after her life on Earth with bodily assumption into Heaven.
This weekend and for the rest of this week, let’s pray about the surprise that God has given to us in our life. Can we see God in those surprises? Are we open to the changes God has yet in mind for us?
paz,
Fr. Chuck
Monday, August 2, 2010
We are richly blessed
Hi Friends,
"Much will be required of the one entrusted with much..."
This is part of the last line of the Gospel we hear this weekend. I think it is aimed right at us disciples in our time and place. We are very greatly gifted. We have resources in our personal lives, our families, our Church, and our country that most people in the rest of the world can't even imagine. That point was driven home to me last weekend. It was my honor to be able to have the P.I.M.E. Missionary Fr. Vijay Marneni stay with me at St. Ambrose. In our conversations in the luxury of my car and in my rectory, Fr. Vijay told Peter Bucalo and I of his life and ministry. Besides the issues of no transportation except his own two feet, no clean water, no electricity, and other comforts that we enjoy, he has to fear for his life and for the lives of his parishioners daily. In the missionary parts of the Philippines where he ministered for three years priests were kidnapped and killed over money for guns for rebels. In the mountainous and remote areas of Mexico where he is pastoring now, the tribal feuds and drug cartels are so violent that the police where hoods over their faces so that they will not be recognized, and their families be slaughtered as the repercussion. He has murders happen as parishioners leave Sunday Mass.
We need to be thankful for our lives, what we have, and where we live. But we have a larger responsibility to be good stewards of what we've given for the the sakes of those close to us and for sisters and brothers around the world that we
never meet.
"Much will be required.." means many different things to each of us since each of us have been entrusted different gifts. It takes prayer and the discerning help of the Holy Spirit to determine where and how each of us must let go of what we have been entrusted with. But a great place to begin is working on our trust.
Trust is a gift that comes from prayer and practise. Trust is also a rare commodity in our society. We are trained to question authority, to fear the stranger, to be independent. The Gospel calls us to follow the example of Jesus Christ and trust God in all things, letting go of everything else. By prayer and practise we learn that trust is what got Jesus through his trials, persecutions, and death on the cross. He prayed for it and practised trust. He is every disciple's role model for learning and practising trust.
This week let us pray and ask the Holy Spirit for the courage to begin trusting as Jesus requires.
Paz,
Fr. Chuck
"Much will be required of the one entrusted with much..."
This is part of the last line of the Gospel we hear this weekend. I think it is aimed right at us disciples in our time and place. We are very greatly gifted. We have resources in our personal lives, our families, our Church, and our country that most people in the rest of the world can't even imagine. That point was driven home to me last weekend. It was my honor to be able to have the P.I.M.E. Missionary Fr. Vijay Marneni stay with me at St. Ambrose. In our conversations in the luxury of my car and in my rectory, Fr. Vijay told Peter Bucalo and I of his life and ministry. Besides the issues of no transportation except his own two feet, no clean water, no electricity, and other comforts that we enjoy, he has to fear for his life and for the lives of his parishioners daily. In the missionary parts of the Philippines where he ministered for three years priests were kidnapped and killed over money for guns for rebels. In the mountainous and remote areas of Mexico where he is pastoring now, the tribal feuds and drug cartels are so violent that the police where hoods over their faces so that they will not be recognized, and their families be slaughtered as the repercussion. He has murders happen as parishioners leave Sunday Mass.
We need to be thankful for our lives, what we have, and where we live. But we have a larger responsibility to be good stewards of what we've given for the the sakes of those close to us and for sisters and brothers around the world that we
never meet.
"Much will be required.." means many different things to each of us since each of us have been entrusted different gifts. It takes prayer and the discerning help of the Holy Spirit to determine where and how each of us must let go of what we have been entrusted with. But a great place to begin is working on our trust.
Trust is a gift that comes from prayer and practise. Trust is also a rare commodity in our society. We are trained to question authority, to fear the stranger, to be independent. The Gospel calls us to follow the example of Jesus Christ and trust God in all things, letting go of everything else. By prayer and practise we learn that trust is what got Jesus through his trials, persecutions, and death on the cross. He prayed for it and practised trust. He is every disciple's role model for learning and practising trust.
This week let us pray and ask the Holy Spirit for the courage to begin trusting as Jesus requires.
Paz,
Fr. Chuck
Thursday, July 29, 2010
some stuff about too much stuff
Hi friends,
Not too long ago a friend of mine and I were comparing notes about moving from one assignment to another. He stated that when he was first ordained and moved to his first parish, everything he owned fit in the back seat and hatchback of his new Dodge Horizon. I concurred that I fit all that I owned in the back of my Ford Escort. Our latest moves took a huge box truck, a couple of pick-ups, and our own cars. We both longed to get back to the more simple baggage that we once carried.
Just looking at my own stuff, I don’t even know if I could fit just the clothes that I own in my car. Now I own a boat, a car, a truck, several pieces of furniture, tons of toys (fishing, boating, hunting, golfing stuff), garbage bags full of hats, computer equipment, TVs, stereos, and other entertainment things, boxes of books, two file cabinets, and a lot of stuff that I’ve forgotten that I own.
Today’s readings hit me hard. The Gospel ends with the sentence from Jesus’ mouth, “thus it will be for those who store up treasure for themselves, but are not rich in the matters of God.” There is an old saying, “You can’t take it with you, except the things you gave away.” Today’s Gospel needs very little explanation. We all might be looking for the loopholes, but there aren’t any. What did you not understand? Perhaps the last line of the reading would be cause for wondering just what does “matter to God.” Luke’s Gospel stresses the centrality of holding on to Jesus as we saw two weeks ago with Mary’s sitting at the feet of Jesus while Martha was doing many other good things. In the Gospels discipleship is about only staying attached to God and His will, and not being attached to anything else.
We all have things of great value, emotionally, materially, historically. These and many other things are my wealth. I know I cling to them as if they were of great monetary value. We all have possessions. The thing is not what we possess, but what possesses us. We know that it is so easy to receive the gifts and not the hand Who offers them. Reception is sacramental; to cling to them for our value and identity is sacrilegious.
The question for us today (especially us who value ourselves, and us who put value on others, by what we/they possess) is, how do our possessions keep us from seeking and finding the only One worth possessing?
paz,
Fr. Chuck
Not too long ago a friend of mine and I were comparing notes about moving from one assignment to another. He stated that when he was first ordained and moved to his first parish, everything he owned fit in the back seat and hatchback of his new Dodge Horizon. I concurred that I fit all that I owned in the back of my Ford Escort. Our latest moves took a huge box truck, a couple of pick-ups, and our own cars. We both longed to get back to the more simple baggage that we once carried.
Just looking at my own stuff, I don’t even know if I could fit just the clothes that I own in my car. Now I own a boat, a car, a truck, several pieces of furniture, tons of toys (fishing, boating, hunting, golfing stuff), garbage bags full of hats, computer equipment, TVs, stereos, and other entertainment things, boxes of books, two file cabinets, and a lot of stuff that I’ve forgotten that I own.
Today’s readings hit me hard. The Gospel ends with the sentence from Jesus’ mouth, “thus it will be for those who store up treasure for themselves, but are not rich in the matters of God.” There is an old saying, “You can’t take it with you, except the things you gave away.” Today’s Gospel needs very little explanation. We all might be looking for the loopholes, but there aren’t any. What did you not understand? Perhaps the last line of the reading would be cause for wondering just what does “matter to God.” Luke’s Gospel stresses the centrality of holding on to Jesus as we saw two weeks ago with Mary’s sitting at the feet of Jesus while Martha was doing many other good things. In the Gospels discipleship is about only staying attached to God and His will, and not being attached to anything else.
We all have things of great value, emotionally, materially, historically. These and many other things are my wealth. I know I cling to them as if they were of great monetary value. We all have possessions. The thing is not what we possess, but what possesses us. We know that it is so easy to receive the gifts and not the hand Who offers them. Reception is sacramental; to cling to them for our value and identity is sacrilegious.
The question for us today (especially us who value ourselves, and us who put value on others, by what we/they possess) is, how do our possessions keep us from seeking and finding the only One worth possessing?
paz,
Fr. Chuck
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Common Sents!!!
Hello friends,
This weekend we have Fr. Meinrad Brune, O.S.B. speaking at all of the Masses about the valuable work that St. Meinrad is doing to prepare priests, deacons, and parish ministers for vocations in the Church. It is very appropriate that the Gospel today is about Jesus sending out 72 disciples to preach the Kingdom and do God’s work.
Last week during our vacation bible school the older kids did service projects all week. I thought that it was a great idea. They went to the nursing home to visit residence there. They went to Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland to help sort groceries. They cleaned our Church. They made blankets for kids and parents staying in Kosair Hospital and The Ronald McDonald House. Our kids had a very full week!!!!
The call to service is for EVERYONE. No one is exempt from God’s call to evangelize. You may be called to marriage or the single life. You may be called to pray for the needs of others. You may be called to be on a committee or council to share your perspective and guide the parish there. You may be called to sweat at Habitat for Humanity or in helping maintain the parish grounds. You may be called to one of the worship ministries. You may be called to serve the poor, sick, or needy locally or globally. Or you may be getting the call to serve the Church as a sister, brother, deacon, or priest.
Usually when we get that first call from God we react negatively. We ignore it, or think we’re not worthy or capable of it. But all calls are worthy of some prayer. If we pray on it we will probably find that God is much wiser than us, and He’s calling us for a reason. Once we accept the call from God, and trust that it is truly His calling God will never disappoint us. The resources, time, and energy that we need to work for God day by day always shows up. Discipleship is a great gig! Pray about how God is calling you.
paz,
Fr. Chuck
PS. I get to leave tomorrow to see the Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany and also visit Budapest, Prague, and Vienna. So, I'm going to leave the blogging here while I'm gone for two weeks. Please pray for a safe trip for my companions and me.
This weekend we have Fr. Meinrad Brune, O.S.B. speaking at all of the Masses about the valuable work that St. Meinrad is doing to prepare priests, deacons, and parish ministers for vocations in the Church. It is very appropriate that the Gospel today is about Jesus sending out 72 disciples to preach the Kingdom and do God’s work.
Last week during our vacation bible school the older kids did service projects all week. I thought that it was a great idea. They went to the nursing home to visit residence there. They went to Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland to help sort groceries. They cleaned our Church. They made blankets for kids and parents staying in Kosair Hospital and The Ronald McDonald House. Our kids had a very full week!!!!
The call to service is for EVERYONE. No one is exempt from God’s call to evangelize. You may be called to marriage or the single life. You may be called to pray for the needs of others. You may be called to be on a committee or council to share your perspective and guide the parish there. You may be called to sweat at Habitat for Humanity or in helping maintain the parish grounds. You may be called to one of the worship ministries. You may be called to serve the poor, sick, or needy locally or globally. Or you may be getting the call to serve the Church as a sister, brother, deacon, or priest.
Usually when we get that first call from God we react negatively. We ignore it, or think we’re not worthy or capable of it. But all calls are worthy of some prayer. If we pray on it we will probably find that God is much wiser than us, and He’s calling us for a reason. Once we accept the call from God, and trust that it is truly His calling God will never disappoint us. The resources, time, and energy that we need to work for God day by day always shows up. Discipleship is a great gig! Pray about how God is calling you.
paz,
Fr. Chuck
PS. I get to leave tomorrow to see the Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany and also visit Budapest, Prague, and Vienna. So, I'm going to leave the blogging here while I'm gone for two weeks. Please pray for a safe trip for my companions and me.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Imperfect one seeking perfection
Hi folks,
Sometimes I can’t stand myself. I have been on a diet and exercise plan for about four months now. I’ve lost nearly twenty pounds and I feel better. BUT, lately I find myself being less committed to “the plan”. I’ll go for a sweat producing walk in the morning and then “have to have” some Derby pie in the evening. Or, I’ll have a salad for lunch and then eat the biggest and greasiest pizza that you’ll ever find in E-town for supper. Or, rather than take the time to exercise, I’ll play solitaire on the computer. The result is that I’ve lost and gained the same three or four pounds weekly over the last month. I do similar sorts of waffling with my commitments to prayer and work. I know I’m not alone in my inconsistencies and unfaithfulness. I know well that you and I are all imperfect at trying to be perfect.
At the beginning of the Gospel of Luke today (Luke 9:51) it says, “(Jesus) resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem.” The literal translation of this says that He “set His face toward Jerusalem.” This is one of my favorite passages in the Gospels. When I read this passage, I get a visual image of Jesus putting His game face on. At this moment (right after the Father showed Him His future on the Mount of the Transfiguration) Jesus committed Himself totally to what He knew was going to happen to Him (and for us) in Jerusalem. He is our model for consistency and faithfulness.
“Jesus stayed faithful to His being raised on the cross. He remains faithful to our irresolute turnings toward our own personal establishing of our little kingdoms. Our fidelity is not totally to our commitments, but to His faithful commitment to being our Savior. He saves us from ourselves, our attempts at perfection. How can we live with ourselves who so constantly are not constant? To whom are we faithful? With Paul we moan that all the good we want to do, we do not and those things we would rather not do, well, we easily do them. Our baptismal promises center on Jesus’ being our personal and universal Savior. We live with ourselves, because He does.” (From Fr. Larry Gillick, S.J.)
Thank God that God is bigger than us. He calls us to commit ourselves to Him and His way of life. He also forgives us when we don’t. Discipleship is like riding a bike in some ways. Once we learn to follow Christ, we never forget. When we fall and fail, then we get back up, dust ourselves off, and start the journey again.
PAZ,
Fr. Chuck
Sometimes I can’t stand myself. I have been on a diet and exercise plan for about four months now. I’ve lost nearly twenty pounds and I feel better. BUT, lately I find myself being less committed to “the plan”. I’ll go for a sweat producing walk in the morning and then “have to have” some Derby pie in the evening. Or, I’ll have a salad for lunch and then eat the biggest and greasiest pizza that you’ll ever find in E-town for supper. Or, rather than take the time to exercise, I’ll play solitaire on the computer. The result is that I’ve lost and gained the same three or four pounds weekly over the last month. I do similar sorts of waffling with my commitments to prayer and work. I know I’m not alone in my inconsistencies and unfaithfulness. I know well that you and I are all imperfect at trying to be perfect.
At the beginning of the Gospel of Luke today (Luke 9:51) it says, “(Jesus) resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem.” The literal translation of this says that He “set His face toward Jerusalem.” This is one of my favorite passages in the Gospels. When I read this passage, I get a visual image of Jesus putting His game face on. At this moment (right after the Father showed Him His future on the Mount of the Transfiguration) Jesus committed Himself totally to what He knew was going to happen to Him (and for us) in Jerusalem. He is our model for consistency and faithfulness.
“Jesus stayed faithful to His being raised on the cross. He remains faithful to our irresolute turnings toward our own personal establishing of our little kingdoms. Our fidelity is not totally to our commitments, but to His faithful commitment to being our Savior. He saves us from ourselves, our attempts at perfection. How can we live with ourselves who so constantly are not constant? To whom are we faithful? With Paul we moan that all the good we want to do, we do not and those things we would rather not do, well, we easily do them. Our baptismal promises center on Jesus’ being our personal and universal Savior. We live with ourselves, because He does.” (From Fr. Larry Gillick, S.J.)
Thank God that God is bigger than us. He calls us to commit ourselves to Him and His way of life. He also forgives us when we don’t. Discipleship is like riding a bike in some ways. Once we learn to follow Christ, we never forget. When we fall and fail, then we get back up, dust ourselves off, and start the journey again.
PAZ,
Fr. Chuck
Monday, June 7, 2010
"Man up!!!!"
Hi Folks!
A lot of my female friends think that men are wimps. It usually comes up in the conversations that we have over child birth and what a painful ordeal it is. The conversation normally ends and the argument starts when the woman or women say(s) something like, “I have never met a man tough enough to be able to give birth to a child!” They contend that we men whine too much over pain to be able to give birth. They may be right. I definitely don’t want that job and I am very appreciative of the faithful women that I’ve known who have embraced every aspect of motherhood, even child birth.
In this weekend’s readings we have examples of people who have “toughed it out” and done the hard labor of compunction in order to do God’s will and know God’s forgiveness. In the first reading King David get’s dressed down by his friend and priest, Nathan. He tells David that the king has been given blessing after blessing in his life and now he’s at risk of loosing it all because he found another man’s wife more attractive than his own. David even went so far as to have Uriah killed so he could take his wife, Bathsheba, as his own. When Nathan points out David’s sinfulness, David does the “manly” thing and fesses up and says, “I’m sorry!” to God.
Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, tells us that he too has had to die to his former ways in order to let Christ live in his life and not himself. I could think of no better thing to be said about myself than, “yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me.” That is the bar that all of us Christians are called to walk under. More Christ living in me and less me and my selfish way of living is and can be an achievable goal for us all.
In the Gospel Jesus is served by a repentant woman in a Pharisee’s house. The Pharisee is concerned that this good Jewish Rabbi is letting himself be touched (and therefore being made sinfully dirty) by this unclean and sinful woman. Yet Jesus recognizes remorse and conversion when he sees her and forgives of her of her many sins. She, and not the Pharisee, is the one who is given the grace of forgiveness and acceptance from God because of her heart and display of penitence.
From these reading we are given a chance to look at how we “man up”. How easy is it for us to say a much needed “I’m sorry!” to someone in our life that needs to hear it? Who do we need to apologize to this week? When is the last time we came to the Sacrament of Reconciliation to say, “Bless me Father, for I have sinned…”? The owning up to our sinfulness is the tough part of forgiveness. But the grace we receive from God in Reconciliation is worth way more than our small amount of pain. Be tough this week. Tell God and someone else that you’re sorry for a hurt.
paz,
Fr. Chuck
A lot of my female friends think that men are wimps. It usually comes up in the conversations that we have over child birth and what a painful ordeal it is. The conversation normally ends and the argument starts when the woman or women say(s) something like, “I have never met a man tough enough to be able to give birth to a child!” They contend that we men whine too much over pain to be able to give birth. They may be right. I definitely don’t want that job and I am very appreciative of the faithful women that I’ve known who have embraced every aspect of motherhood, even child birth.
In this weekend’s readings we have examples of people who have “toughed it out” and done the hard labor of compunction in order to do God’s will and know God’s forgiveness. In the first reading King David get’s dressed down by his friend and priest, Nathan. He tells David that the king has been given blessing after blessing in his life and now he’s at risk of loosing it all because he found another man’s wife more attractive than his own. David even went so far as to have Uriah killed so he could take his wife, Bathsheba, as his own. When Nathan points out David’s sinfulness, David does the “manly” thing and fesses up and says, “I’m sorry!” to God.
Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, tells us that he too has had to die to his former ways in order to let Christ live in his life and not himself. I could think of no better thing to be said about myself than, “yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me.” That is the bar that all of us Christians are called to walk under. More Christ living in me and less me and my selfish way of living is and can be an achievable goal for us all.
In the Gospel Jesus is served by a repentant woman in a Pharisee’s house. The Pharisee is concerned that this good Jewish Rabbi is letting himself be touched (and therefore being made sinfully dirty) by this unclean and sinful woman. Yet Jesus recognizes remorse and conversion when he sees her and forgives of her of her many sins. She, and not the Pharisee, is the one who is given the grace of forgiveness and acceptance from God because of her heart and display of penitence.
From these reading we are given a chance to look at how we “man up”. How easy is it for us to say a much needed “I’m sorry!” to someone in our life that needs to hear it? Who do we need to apologize to this week? When is the last time we came to the Sacrament of Reconciliation to say, “Bless me Father, for I have sinned…”? The owning up to our sinfulness is the tough part of forgiveness. But the grace we receive from God in Reconciliation is worth way more than our small amount of pain. Be tough this week. Tell God and someone else that you’re sorry for a hurt.
paz,
Fr. Chuck
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Is there anybody up there??????
Hi Folks,
What a huge weekend this is. The Feast of the Ascension of Christ & the weekend of commitment for our Building a Future of Hope campaign. I promise you these two dates do not coincide on purpose, but I'm glad they have. The Feast of the ascension is all about HOPE. And we are in the process of sacrificing some of our treasure to empower future generations find hope in their faith by what we build and by the ministries of our parish and archdiocese.
It took me a while to get a bit of a grasp upon the meaning of this feast that we celebrate today. (I know I'm sort of dense, but I can understand deep theological concepts if you talk slow enough.) But I see the Feast of the Ascension as a celebration of hope. One of the prayers we pray at Mass today says "that where (Jesus) has gane, we hope to follow". So we have hope today that we too will enjoy eternal life with Jesus and God the Father and the Communion of the Saints, becasuse Jesus has blazed the path for us. I also find a lot of hope in the belief that Jesus was a full blown human being just like you and me AND now he is also GOD in HEAVEN forever. This gives me a lot of hope and comfort to realize that God has a human face & skin. It makes me pray easier knowing that the God I'm talking to was tempted like me, loved and was loved like me, suffered worse than I can ever imagine suffering, and defined what it means to sacrifice for God and others. Having a God in Heaven who was human makes a difference in the way I live and believe. God gives me HOPE.
I have been very inspired by your participation in the Building a Future of Hope campaign. YOU GIVE ME HOPE. Your generous sacrifices for the sake of our archdiocese and for our parish are simply awe inspiring. I couldn't begin to imagine the total of hours that more than 325 of you have sacrificed to make this campaign work. All of the effort that you have given to planning, meetings, setting things up, taking things down, stuffing, writing, editing, refining, mailing, phone calling, counting, scheduling and on and on. THANKS!!!!!!!! You are also very very generous with sacrificing your treasure. No other parish in the Archdiocese is responding to this campaign like you are. I am humbled and honored to be your pastor. Thanks for filling me with hope of this Feast of Hope!
paz,
Fr. Chuck
What a huge weekend this is. The Feast of the Ascension of Christ & the weekend of commitment for our Building a Future of Hope campaign. I promise you these two dates do not coincide on purpose, but I'm glad they have. The Feast of the ascension is all about HOPE. And we are in the process of sacrificing some of our treasure to empower future generations find hope in their faith by what we build and by the ministries of our parish and archdiocese.
It took me a while to get a bit of a grasp upon the meaning of this feast that we celebrate today. (I know I'm sort of dense, but I can understand deep theological concepts if you talk slow enough.) But I see the Feast of the Ascension as a celebration of hope. One of the prayers we pray at Mass today says "that where (Jesus) has gane, we hope to follow". So we have hope today that we too will enjoy eternal life with Jesus and God the Father and the Communion of the Saints, becasuse Jesus has blazed the path for us. I also find a lot of hope in the belief that Jesus was a full blown human being just like you and me AND now he is also GOD in HEAVEN forever. This gives me a lot of hope and comfort to realize that God has a human face & skin. It makes me pray easier knowing that the God I'm talking to was tempted like me, loved and was loved like me, suffered worse than I can ever imagine suffering, and defined what it means to sacrifice for God and others. Having a God in Heaven who was human makes a difference in the way I live and believe. God gives me HOPE.
I have been very inspired by your participation in the Building a Future of Hope campaign. YOU GIVE ME HOPE. Your generous sacrifices for the sake of our archdiocese and for our parish are simply awe inspiring. I couldn't begin to imagine the total of hours that more than 325 of you have sacrificed to make this campaign work. All of the effort that you have given to planning, meetings, setting things up, taking things down, stuffing, writing, editing, refining, mailing, phone calling, counting, scheduling and on and on. THANKS!!!!!!!! You are also very very generous with sacrificing your treasure. No other parish in the Archdiocese is responding to this campaign like you are. I am humbled and honored to be your pastor. Thanks for filling me with hope of this Feast of Hope!
paz,
Fr. Chuck
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Thanks Mom(s)!!!!!!!!
Hi folks,
Thank God for the wonderful celebration of Mothers Day. It is the most popular day for the restaurant industry, the flower stores and in the memory departments of most of us. Graduates refer to their schools as their “Alma Mater” which literally means “Nourishing mother”. Religious orders refer to their foundation buildings as “Mother Houses”. Miners hitting a large strike of ore would call that hitting the “Mother Load”. We refer to this planet as “Mother Earth”. We even call our Catholic faith Holy Mother Church. There is something precious, like gold, nourishing, sustaining and stable about the vocation of being a mother. I thank God for the gift of my Mom and later today I’ll go to St. Francis of Assisi cemetery and pray the rosary with her again.
In the reading from the Gospel of John today Jesus says that He wills to give us peace, but not as the world gives peace. I believe that was a gift my Mom had. She was the disciplinarian of the family. She and Dad discussed proper punishments for my misbehaviors, but she was normally the one who meted out the proper punishment. Of course, as a child I thought all punishment was harsh and unfair. But now I see how Mom and Dad made me a man of faith and strong values. They practiced, “let the punishment fit the crime.” I’m now glad they did. I remember in high school when several of my classmates all agreed that if they had the chance to switch mothers, they would all choose mine. I thought they were crazy then. But they saw the love and strength that lay very shallow beneath her disciplinarian disguise. I do too.
Thanks Moms for your vocation as our Mothers. I’ll pray part of my rosary today for you too.
paz,
Fr. Chuck Walker
Thank God for the wonderful celebration of Mothers Day. It is the most popular day for the restaurant industry, the flower stores and in the memory departments of most of us. Graduates refer to their schools as their “Alma Mater” which literally means “Nourishing mother”. Religious orders refer to their foundation buildings as “Mother Houses”. Miners hitting a large strike of ore would call that hitting the “Mother Load”. We refer to this planet as “Mother Earth”. We even call our Catholic faith Holy Mother Church. There is something precious, like gold, nourishing, sustaining and stable about the vocation of being a mother. I thank God for the gift of my Mom and later today I’ll go to St. Francis of Assisi cemetery and pray the rosary with her again.
In the reading from the Gospel of John today Jesus says that He wills to give us peace, but not as the world gives peace. I believe that was a gift my Mom had. She was the disciplinarian of the family. She and Dad discussed proper punishments for my misbehaviors, but she was normally the one who meted out the proper punishment. Of course, as a child I thought all punishment was harsh and unfair. But now I see how Mom and Dad made me a man of faith and strong values. They practiced, “let the punishment fit the crime.” I’m now glad they did. I remember in high school when several of my classmates all agreed that if they had the chance to switch mothers, they would all choose mine. I thought they were crazy then. But they saw the love and strength that lay very shallow beneath her disciplinarian disguise. I do too.
Thanks Moms for your vocation as our Mothers. I’ll pray part of my rosary today for you too.
paz,
Fr. Chuck Walker
Monday, April 19, 2010
BAAA!!!!!
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
The great Christian writer, C. S. Lewis wrote that the most emphatic noise is the one we are trying not to listen to. My grandmother and grandfather lived less than 100 yards from the railroad tracks in St. Mary’s, KY. Trains would go by at all hours of the night. Yet I slept like a lamb when I stayed the night there. That is I slept well until my grandmother started snoring. She had one of those irregular snores. The sound was rafter rattling, and it came in different tones and at different rhythms. While I could easily get used to the roar and rumble of a passing train, Ma Ma Lee’s snoring pierced doors, ceilings, pillows, blankets, and fingers. If we had known then what we know now about sleep apnea, I would have gladly spent my allowance (selfishly) on a breathing machine for her.
In John’s Gospel today, Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” Sometimes that voice of Jesus is like the lulling train noise. Amid the other voices that are going on from the media and that may seem more appealing, the truth of Jesus and the Gospel can be ignored. Our preferring to hear other voices above His call dulls the gentle and challenging voice of Christ. But there are times when God’s call comes at us like a like a piercing siren. As much as we would like to silence it the truth of the Gospel screams at us.
A lot of the times that happens when we are not living the truth and justice of the Gospel. For instance we know that we are all made in the image and likeness of God and that we are all considered children of God. Yet we allow the unborn, the poor, folks with different skin tones, different beliefs, immigrants, and many others be treated as “not valuable”.
The truth and compassion of the voice of Christ screams at us also to tell us how much we are loved and forgiven. Yet the voices of our culture tell us that we are only valuable when we look a certain way, or when we wear certain clothes, or when we comply with certain cultural standards, or when we own an adequate amount of stuff. We let the false voice of Sin be more persuasive than the truth of God.
This week let’s spend some time listening to the Good Shepherd. Just fifteen minutes a day would do us all good.
paz,
Fr. Chuck
The great Christian writer, C. S. Lewis wrote that the most emphatic noise is the one we are trying not to listen to. My grandmother and grandfather lived less than 100 yards from the railroad tracks in St. Mary’s, KY. Trains would go by at all hours of the night. Yet I slept like a lamb when I stayed the night there. That is I slept well until my grandmother started snoring. She had one of those irregular snores. The sound was rafter rattling, and it came in different tones and at different rhythms. While I could easily get used to the roar and rumble of a passing train, Ma Ma Lee’s snoring pierced doors, ceilings, pillows, blankets, and fingers. If we had known then what we know now about sleep apnea, I would have gladly spent my allowance (selfishly) on a breathing machine for her.
In John’s Gospel today, Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” Sometimes that voice of Jesus is like the lulling train noise. Amid the other voices that are going on from the media and that may seem more appealing, the truth of Jesus and the Gospel can be ignored. Our preferring to hear other voices above His call dulls the gentle and challenging voice of Christ. But there are times when God’s call comes at us like a like a piercing siren. As much as we would like to silence it the truth of the Gospel screams at us.
A lot of the times that happens when we are not living the truth and justice of the Gospel. For instance we know that we are all made in the image and likeness of God and that we are all considered children of God. Yet we allow the unborn, the poor, folks with different skin tones, different beliefs, immigrants, and many others be treated as “not valuable”.
The truth and compassion of the voice of Christ screams at us also to tell us how much we are loved and forgiven. Yet the voices of our culture tell us that we are only valuable when we look a certain way, or when we wear certain clothes, or when we comply with certain cultural standards, or when we own an adequate amount of stuff. We let the false voice of Sin be more persuasive than the truth of God.
This week let’s spend some time listening to the Good Shepherd. Just fifteen minutes a day would do us all good.
paz,
Fr. Chuck
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Happy Easter!!!!!
I read a story of a school teacher who was assigned to visit children in a large city hospital who received a routine call requesting that she visit a particular child.
The teacher took the boy's name and room number, and was told by the teacher on the other end of the line, "We're studying nouns and adverbs in this class now. I'd be grateful if you could help him with his homework, so he doesn't fall behind the others."
It wasn't until the visiting teacher got outside the boy's room that she realized that it was located in the hospital's burn unit. No one had prepared her to find a young boy horribly burned and in great pain.
The teacher felt that she couldn't just turn around and walk out. And so she stammered awkwardly, "I'm the hospital teacher, and your teacher sent me to help you with nouns and adverbs." This boy was in so much pain that he barely responded. The young teacher stumbled through his English lesson, ashamed at putting him through such a senseless exercise.
The next morning a nurse on the burn unit asked her, "What did you do to that boy?" Before the teacher could finish her outburst of apologies, the nurse interrupted her: "You don't understand. We've been very worried about him. But ever since you were here yesterday, his whole attitude has changed. He's fighting back; he's responding to treatment. It's as if he has decided to live."
The boy later explained that he had completely given up hope until he saw the teacher. It all changed when he came to a simple realization. With joyful tears, the boy said: "They wouldn't send a teacher to work on nouns and adverbs with a boy, who was dying, would they?"
This story invites us to celebrate the gift of life even when all we seem to see around us is pain and disappointment and brokenness. It shows us that on the other side of pain, there is resurrection. It reminds us of what is possible whenever there is hope. Let us be people who live as fully as God has intended us to live. Let us believe and live the Resurrection.
Happy Easter,
Fr. Chuck
The teacher took the boy's name and room number, and was told by the teacher on the other end of the line, "We're studying nouns and adverbs in this class now. I'd be grateful if you could help him with his homework, so he doesn't fall behind the others."
It wasn't until the visiting teacher got outside the boy's room that she realized that it was located in the hospital's burn unit. No one had prepared her to find a young boy horribly burned and in great pain.
The teacher felt that she couldn't just turn around and walk out. And so she stammered awkwardly, "I'm the hospital teacher, and your teacher sent me to help you with nouns and adverbs." This boy was in so much pain that he barely responded. The young teacher stumbled through his English lesson, ashamed at putting him through such a senseless exercise.
The next morning a nurse on the burn unit asked her, "What did you do to that boy?" Before the teacher could finish her outburst of apologies, the nurse interrupted her: "You don't understand. We've been very worried about him. But ever since you were here yesterday, his whole attitude has changed. He's fighting back; he's responding to treatment. It's as if he has decided to live."
The boy later explained that he had completely given up hope until he saw the teacher. It all changed when he came to a simple realization. With joyful tears, the boy said: "They wouldn't send a teacher to work on nouns and adverbs with a boy, who was dying, would they?"
This story invites us to celebrate the gift of life even when all we seem to see around us is pain and disappointment and brokenness. It shows us that on the other side of pain, there is resurrection. It reminds us of what is possible whenever there is hope. Let us be people who live as fully as God has intended us to live. Let us believe and live the Resurrection.
Happy Easter,
Fr. Chuck
Monday, March 1, 2010
Hello Friends,
After Hurricane Katrina several TV preachers got in their pulpits and said that the reason that the storm devastated New Orleans was because of the decadence that goes on there. A famous evangelist also said the same thing about the horrific destruction that we’ve recently witnessed in Port au Prince. People blame God for cancer, wars, accidents, divorces and all sorts of silly things. In this weekend’s gospel we hear Jesus’ response to some deadly occurrences of His day.
Apparently, folks in Jesus’ time liked to blame God for tragedies as well as we do. They approached Him with questions about two recent deadly incidents that they were concerned about. Pontius Pilate and the Romans had killed some Galileans and a tower had fallen in Siloam near Jerusalem and eighteen more Jews had died. The response from the faithful disciples was, “Why would God do such things to us?”
Jesus’ answer was both assuring and challenging to His listeners. First He tells them that both sinners and saints die. We all have accidents. We all can be the victims of disease, violence, accidents, and tragedies. More importantly, God doesn’t pick on sinners any more than He picks on saints. Then Jesus challenges His audience to be prepared for their own death by repenting NOW for their sins.
Since we don’t know the when the axe will fall for us, Jesus calls His listeners then and us now to take the necessary steps in our own lives to be in the right relationship with God and our neighbor. We cannot guarantee that when we wake up in the morning, we will see the sunset. Jesus calls us to continue to be prepared.
Finally, I have two requests. I will be at my favorite place in the world this week on retreat. From Sunday afternoon until Friday evening I will be making my yearly retreat at Gethsemani. Please keep me in your prayers during this time. Lastly, you may have noticed that my hair is getting very wooly these days. I will be shaving it all off on St. Patrick’s Day to benefit research into cancers that effect children. Several other parishioners will be doing the same thing at other occasions in the next couple of weeks. Whether you contribute for them or me does not really matter, but please contribute so that we can all do a little part in keeping kids from suffering. If you’d like to contribute online, my link is www.stbaldricks.org/participant/frchuck. You may also give cash or checks to any of us participants in person. Write the checks to St. Baldrick’s Foundation for “haircut”. Thanks for any help you can give.
paz,
Fr. Chuck
After Hurricane Katrina several TV preachers got in their pulpits and said that the reason that the storm devastated New Orleans was because of the decadence that goes on there. A famous evangelist also said the same thing about the horrific destruction that we’ve recently witnessed in Port au Prince. People blame God for cancer, wars, accidents, divorces and all sorts of silly things. In this weekend’s gospel we hear Jesus’ response to some deadly occurrences of His day.
Apparently, folks in Jesus’ time liked to blame God for tragedies as well as we do. They approached Him with questions about two recent deadly incidents that they were concerned about. Pontius Pilate and the Romans had killed some Galileans and a tower had fallen in Siloam near Jerusalem and eighteen more Jews had died. The response from the faithful disciples was, “Why would God do such things to us?”
Jesus’ answer was both assuring and challenging to His listeners. First He tells them that both sinners and saints die. We all have accidents. We all can be the victims of disease, violence, accidents, and tragedies. More importantly, God doesn’t pick on sinners any more than He picks on saints. Then Jesus challenges His audience to be prepared for their own death by repenting NOW for their sins.
Since we don’t know the when the axe will fall for us, Jesus calls His listeners then and us now to take the necessary steps in our own lives to be in the right relationship with God and our neighbor. We cannot guarantee that when we wake up in the morning, we will see the sunset. Jesus calls us to continue to be prepared.
Finally, I have two requests. I will be at my favorite place in the world this week on retreat. From Sunday afternoon until Friday evening I will be making my yearly retreat at Gethsemani. Please keep me in your prayers during this time. Lastly, you may have noticed that my hair is getting very wooly these days. I will be shaving it all off on St. Patrick’s Day to benefit research into cancers that effect children. Several other parishioners will be doing the same thing at other occasions in the next couple of weeks. Whether you contribute for them or me does not really matter, but please contribute so that we can all do a little part in keeping kids from suffering. If you’d like to contribute online, my link is www.stbaldricks.org/participant/frchuck. You may also give cash or checks to any of us participants in person. Write the checks to St. Baldrick’s Foundation for “haircut”. Thanks for any help you can give.
paz,
Fr. Chuck
Monday, February 22, 2010
How big is your God?
Hi folks,
I may have told you all before about one of my favorite things to do while I was assigned as pastor of Emmanuel Church in Albany and Holy Cross Church in Burkesville. I would have a group of students from Holy Cross College in Worchester, Massachusetts come and spend their spring break doing service and outreach work with the poor in Clinton and Cumberland Counties. Most of these young adults were from the cities of the Northeast. So even being in rural Kentucky was quite a big change in what they were used to. I’d make it a point to take them out on one of the nights they were there to a place out in the middle of nowhere to look at the night sky. For some it was the first time they had seen the Big Dipper. For most it was the first time they had seen the Milky Way. For all it was a religious experience as they got a glimpse of the vastness of God’s creation and their humbling privilege to be a part of it.
Again I’m reminded of those students when I read the first line from this weekend’s first reading from Genesis. God makes a promise to Abram (soon to be Abraham). He asks our first patriarch to look up at the numbers of stars in the sky and try to count them. Then He promises him that his descendants will be that numerous. Abram then makes a covenant with God showing that our God will be his only God.
In the Gospel (from Luke 9) God shows Jesus’ favorite Apostles the completion of the covenant that He started with Abraham. Jesus is transfigured before James, John, and Peter. They get a sneak preview of God’s plan for Jesus and us. God shows the disciples Jesus in a glorified state talking with Moses and Elijah about His trial, death, and resurrection in Jerusalem. Then God identifies Jesus to the three followers as His Beloved Son with the instruction to “listen to Him.”
We are part of that same legacy and promise given to Abraham, Moses, Elijah, and the Apostles. St. Paul says that “our citizenship is in Heaven.” When we truly grasp the love that God has for us; when we catch a glimpse that the design of our lives is meant for so much more than what we can fathom; when we begin to see that we too are part of the compassionate and forgiving Body of Christ; then we too begin to live our lives only for God.
Peace and Blessings,
Fr. Chuck Walker
I may have told you all before about one of my favorite things to do while I was assigned as pastor of Emmanuel Church in Albany and Holy Cross Church in Burkesville. I would have a group of students from Holy Cross College in Worchester, Massachusetts come and spend their spring break doing service and outreach work with the poor in Clinton and Cumberland Counties. Most of these young adults were from the cities of the Northeast. So even being in rural Kentucky was quite a big change in what they were used to. I’d make it a point to take them out on one of the nights they were there to a place out in the middle of nowhere to look at the night sky. For some it was the first time they had seen the Big Dipper. For most it was the first time they had seen the Milky Way. For all it was a religious experience as they got a glimpse of the vastness of God’s creation and their humbling privilege to be a part of it.
Again I’m reminded of those students when I read the first line from this weekend’s first reading from Genesis. God makes a promise to Abram (soon to be Abraham). He asks our first patriarch to look up at the numbers of stars in the sky and try to count them. Then He promises him that his descendants will be that numerous. Abram then makes a covenant with God showing that our God will be his only God.
In the Gospel (from Luke 9) God shows Jesus’ favorite Apostles the completion of the covenant that He started with Abraham. Jesus is transfigured before James, John, and Peter. They get a sneak preview of God’s plan for Jesus and us. God shows the disciples Jesus in a glorified state talking with Moses and Elijah about His trial, death, and resurrection in Jerusalem. Then God identifies Jesus to the three followers as His Beloved Son with the instruction to “listen to Him.”
We are part of that same legacy and promise given to Abraham, Moses, Elijah, and the Apostles. St. Paul says that “our citizenship is in Heaven.” When we truly grasp the love that God has for us; when we catch a glimpse that the design of our lives is meant for so much more than what we can fathom; when we begin to see that we too are part of the compassionate and forgiving Body of Christ; then we too begin to live our lives only for God.
Peace and Blessings,
Fr. Chuck Walker
Monday, February 15, 2010
Don't Tempt Me
Hi Friends,
This First Sunday of Lent shows us Jesus fighting off the temptations of the Devil by turning to the help of God. His temptations were real and strong just like ours. But He was able to overcome their lure by His trust in His Father.
Before He was tempted Jesus had just spent forty days in prayer and fasting. As we begin our Lenten journey of prayer and fasting let’s get serious about fighting the sin and temptation that we face. The best way to do that is by practicing some penance. Practicing penance not only helps us stop sinful and unhealthy behaviors, it also helps us involve God in fighting off the temptation to sin, and it helps us establish virtuous and healthy habits to replace what was sinful. The following is an article concerning penance from Creighton University’s Online Ministries Lenten Website. I hope you find it helpful.
Practicing Penance
When I sprain my ankle, part of the healing process will involve physical therapy. It's tender, and perhaps it is swollen. It may be important to put ice on it first, to reduce the inflammation. I may want to wrap it an elevate it and stay off of it. Then I will need to start moving it and then walking on it, and eventually, as the injury is healed, I'll want to start exercising it, so that it will be stronger than it was before, so that I won't as easily injure it again.
Penance is a remedy, a medicine, a spiritual therapy for the healing I desire. The Lord always forgives us. We are forgiven without condition. But complete healing takes time. With serious sin or with bad habits we've invested years in forming, we need to develop a therapeutic care plan to let the healing happen. To say "I'm sorry" or to simply make a "resolution" to change a long established pattern, will have the same bad result as wishing a sprained ankle would heal, while still walking on it.
Lent is a wonderful time to name what sinful, unhealthy, self-centered patterns need changing and to act against them by coming up with a strategy. For example, if the Lord is shining a light into the darkness of a bad pattern in my life, I can choose to "stop doing it." But, I have to work on a "change of heart" and to look concretely at what circumstances, attitudes, and other behaviors contribute to the pattern. If I'm self-indulgent with food, sex, attention-seeking behaviors and don't ask "what's missing for me, that I need to fill it with this?" then simply choosing to stop the pattern won't last long. Lasting healing needs the practice of penance.
Peace and Blessings,
Fr. Chuck
This First Sunday of Lent shows us Jesus fighting off the temptations of the Devil by turning to the help of God. His temptations were real and strong just like ours. But He was able to overcome their lure by His trust in His Father.
Before He was tempted Jesus had just spent forty days in prayer and fasting. As we begin our Lenten journey of prayer and fasting let’s get serious about fighting the sin and temptation that we face. The best way to do that is by practicing some penance. Practicing penance not only helps us stop sinful and unhealthy behaviors, it also helps us involve God in fighting off the temptation to sin, and it helps us establish virtuous and healthy habits to replace what was sinful. The following is an article concerning penance from Creighton University’s Online Ministries Lenten Website. I hope you find it helpful.
Practicing Penance
When I sprain my ankle, part of the healing process will involve physical therapy. It's tender, and perhaps it is swollen. It may be important to put ice on it first, to reduce the inflammation. I may want to wrap it an elevate it and stay off of it. Then I will need to start moving it and then walking on it, and eventually, as the injury is healed, I'll want to start exercising it, so that it will be stronger than it was before, so that I won't as easily injure it again.
Penance is a remedy, a medicine, a spiritual therapy for the healing I desire. The Lord always forgives us. We are forgiven without condition. But complete healing takes time. With serious sin or with bad habits we've invested years in forming, we need to develop a therapeutic care plan to let the healing happen. To say "I'm sorry" or to simply make a "resolution" to change a long established pattern, will have the same bad result as wishing a sprained ankle would heal, while still walking on it.
Lent is a wonderful time to name what sinful, unhealthy, self-centered patterns need changing and to act against them by coming up with a strategy. For example, if the Lord is shining a light into the darkness of a bad pattern in my life, I can choose to "stop doing it." But, I have to work on a "change of heart" and to look concretely at what circumstances, attitudes, and other behaviors contribute to the pattern. If I'm self-indulgent with food, sex, attention-seeking behaviors and don't ask "what's missing for me, that I need to fill it with this?" then simply choosing to stop the pattern won't last long. Lasting healing needs the practice of penance.
Peace and Blessings,
Fr. Chuck
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Whoa! I said WOE!!!!!
Dear Sisters & Brothers,
I'm impressed with how generous the parishioners of St. Ambrose, St. Ignatius, & St. James are. We're especially generous in times of need & to people in need.
Through your generosity our St. Vincent de Paul Society gives well over $100,000 (and closer to $125,000) to help our neighbors who can't afford their monthly staples. We're always there to pitch in when Helping Hand Ministries needs volunteers to make phone calls, deliver toys & Christmas baskets, serve meals, run & contribute unselfishly to a fund drive, or donate needed coats, food, clothing, & anything else that's needed. We completely outdid ourselves recently in our response to our sisters & brothers in Haiti. So far you have contributed probably more than $30,000 for their relief from the desperate conditions they find themselves as a result of the earthquake that hit them a month ago. We are very generous indeed.
Today I'd like to ask you to answer the question, "Why is that so important?" Do we give and volunteer just to make us feel better about us? Do we give to hear others say good things about us or to think well of us? Do we give begrudgingly or out of guilt? Why is it that we are so generous?
I'm hoping that we are so unselfish for the same reason that Jesus spoke the words of the beatitudes in the Gospel of Luke this weekend. His beatitudes are different from St. Matthews version. He has four "Blessed are you(s)", followed by four "Woe to you(s)". He says blessed are the poor, the hungry, the weeping, & the insulted and hated. Then He says woe to the rich, the well fed, the laughing, & the well thought of. The point of His sermon was to tell His disciples to put pleasing God & serving others (especially those the world thinks are insignificant or not blessed) in front of their own needs. Only by putting God & others first in our lives will we disciples ever be really happy (or blessed).
This was completely upside down thinking when Jesus spoke it in some little Galilean field 2000 years ago. It is still upside down thinking to our ears today. But it is the honest truth.
We try to make ourselves happy by filling our lives up with stuff, luxuries, entertainment, power trips, inflated egos, & sensuality. We think that we can make our ownselves blessed, holy, & happy. Jesus' "woes" are a wake up call to us disciples. Only by completely emptying ourselves for God's sake and for the sake of others (as He was going to do for us) will we ever know what happiness & holiness is.
Is this why we are so generous? Let's keep on sacrificing of ourselves until that is the reason why we give.
Peace & Blessings,
Fr. Chuck
I'm impressed with how generous the parishioners of St. Ambrose, St. Ignatius, & St. James are. We're especially generous in times of need & to people in need.
Through your generosity our St. Vincent de Paul Society gives well over $100,000 (and closer to $125,000) to help our neighbors who can't afford their monthly staples. We're always there to pitch in when Helping Hand Ministries needs volunteers to make phone calls, deliver toys & Christmas baskets, serve meals, run & contribute unselfishly to a fund drive, or donate needed coats, food, clothing, & anything else that's needed. We completely outdid ourselves recently in our response to our sisters & brothers in Haiti. So far you have contributed probably more than $30,000 for their relief from the desperate conditions they find themselves as a result of the earthquake that hit them a month ago. We are very generous indeed.
Today I'd like to ask you to answer the question, "Why is that so important?" Do we give and volunteer just to make us feel better about us? Do we give to hear others say good things about us or to think well of us? Do we give begrudgingly or out of guilt? Why is it that we are so generous?
I'm hoping that we are so unselfish for the same reason that Jesus spoke the words of the beatitudes in the Gospel of Luke this weekend. His beatitudes are different from St. Matthews version. He has four "Blessed are you(s)", followed by four "Woe to you(s)". He says blessed are the poor, the hungry, the weeping, & the insulted and hated. Then He says woe to the rich, the well fed, the laughing, & the well thought of. The point of His sermon was to tell His disciples to put pleasing God & serving others (especially those the world thinks are insignificant or not blessed) in front of their own needs. Only by putting God & others first in our lives will we disciples ever be really happy (or blessed).
This was completely upside down thinking when Jesus spoke it in some little Galilean field 2000 years ago. It is still upside down thinking to our ears today. But it is the honest truth.
We try to make ourselves happy by filling our lives up with stuff, luxuries, entertainment, power trips, inflated egos, & sensuality. We think that we can make our ownselves blessed, holy, & happy. Jesus' "woes" are a wake up call to us disciples. Only by completely emptying ourselves for God's sake and for the sake of others (as He was going to do for us) will we ever know what happiness & holiness is.
Is this why we are so generous? Let's keep on sacrificing of ourselves until that is the reason why we give.
Peace & Blessings,
Fr. Chuck
Monday, February 1, 2010
I'll Be Calling YOU- OOO- OOO
Hi folks,
When I was a fifth grader at St. Francis School in Loretto the 5th-8th graders went on a field trip to the Kentucky Fairgrounds. There in the East Wing were Catholic missionaries from all over the world and representing religious orders from all over. Their goal was to interest us in religious, and particularly in missionary, vocations. There was a priest dressed in an all white robe who was playing a game that really fascinated me. He smelled like cigars. But he had mazes on sheets of paper and we had to work them with a pencil by looking at what we were doing through a mirror. When I got my chance to do it I zipped right through it, while other kids were having a real tough time trying to do all of the lefts and rights while looking at things reversed. His point in doing this kind of puzzle was just as this exercise forced to think in a different way, so we were being asked by God to think about our lives and our future in a different way. I spent a long time at his booth eventually helping him get more kids to do the puzzle. Before I left with my school mates to return to Loretto he told me that he thought God had a special purpose for me and that he thought I could be a good priest. God had planted a new seed in me!
All three of today’s readings are about God’s callings. We hear Isaiah’s call in the first reading. St. Paul gives his account of his own call from God in his First Letter to the Corinthians. In the Gospel we see Jesus (a carpenter and travelling preacher) trying to give fishing instructions to professional fisherman. It would be similar to me going into the operating room and telling the surgeon, “Cut right there!” But Jesus was trying to get Peter, James, and John to start doing some reversed thinking themselves. Instead of fishing for smelly fish Jesus was asking them to help Him fish for needy people. Their tendency was to blow Him off and humor Him. But Jesus changed their whole lives and they received a new purpose and a new vocation in life.
We are all called to serve God. More importantly, God never quits calling us to service. Whether we are 11 or 111 God wants us and needs us to take a look at our lives and ask God, “Where do you need me now?” But we need to have ears, eyes, minds, hearts, and souls receptive to God’s call. Sometimes it takes a priest who smells like cigars to wake us up. Sometimes we have to be challenged in our normal daily routine. Sometimes we think that we’re too old, or too young, or too dumb, or too smart, or too (you fill in the blank) to be something special for God. But God is always trying to step into our “sometimes” and help us be something new for Him. Please pray that you will hear God and respond with generosity the next time He calls.
peace,
Fr. Chuck
When I was a fifth grader at St. Francis School in Loretto the 5th-8th graders went on a field trip to the Kentucky Fairgrounds. There in the East Wing were Catholic missionaries from all over the world and representing religious orders from all over. Their goal was to interest us in religious, and particularly in missionary, vocations. There was a priest dressed in an all white robe who was playing a game that really fascinated me. He smelled like cigars. But he had mazes on sheets of paper and we had to work them with a pencil by looking at what we were doing through a mirror. When I got my chance to do it I zipped right through it, while other kids were having a real tough time trying to do all of the lefts and rights while looking at things reversed. His point in doing this kind of puzzle was just as this exercise forced to think in a different way, so we were being asked by God to think about our lives and our future in a different way. I spent a long time at his booth eventually helping him get more kids to do the puzzle. Before I left with my school mates to return to Loretto he told me that he thought God had a special purpose for me and that he thought I could be a good priest. God had planted a new seed in me!
All three of today’s readings are about God’s callings. We hear Isaiah’s call in the first reading. St. Paul gives his account of his own call from God in his First Letter to the Corinthians. In the Gospel we see Jesus (a carpenter and travelling preacher) trying to give fishing instructions to professional fisherman. It would be similar to me going into the operating room and telling the surgeon, “Cut right there!” But Jesus was trying to get Peter, James, and John to start doing some reversed thinking themselves. Instead of fishing for smelly fish Jesus was asking them to help Him fish for needy people. Their tendency was to blow Him off and humor Him. But Jesus changed their whole lives and they received a new purpose and a new vocation in life.
We are all called to serve God. More importantly, God never quits calling us to service. Whether we are 11 or 111 God wants us and needs us to take a look at our lives and ask God, “Where do you need me now?” But we need to have ears, eyes, minds, hearts, and souls receptive to God’s call. Sometimes it takes a priest who smells like cigars to wake us up. Sometimes we have to be challenged in our normal daily routine. Sometimes we think that we’re too old, or too young, or too dumb, or too smart, or too (you fill in the blank) to be something special for God. But God is always trying to step into our “sometimes” and help us be something new for Him. Please pray that you will hear God and respond with generosity the next time He calls.
peace,
Fr. Chuck
Monday, January 25, 2010
I'm Only the Messenger!
HI FRIENDS!
Rene Bauer sent me some statistics that I think that we all need to see.
Even before the earthquake...
QUICK FACTS
Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere
95% of aid to Haiti has been reduced since the early 1990s
70% of Haitian people live in poverty-annual income of $400 per year
15% of all children in Haiti are orphaned or abandoned
200,000 orphaned Haitian children live in institutions (the rest are fostered, live with relatives, or are street children)
40% of the population is under the age of 15
A history of an extremely high maternal mortality rate contributes to the number of orphans
Child-headed households are becoming more common as potential guardians succumb to AIDS or other causes of death
(source UNICEF)
Your generosity to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti is astounding. From the donations that have come in through last weekend our three parishes sent in nearly $29,000 to help relieve the suffering that is going on in Port au Prince. But they are going to need our help for a long time. We have received emails from Fr. Alcide and Sr. Mary of St. Marc’s Parish there. They say that even though their city was not damaged, floods of people are coming from Port au Prince to St. Marc’s for food, shelter, water and other essentials. Fr. Alcide also says he is busy burying parishioners and relatives who were killed in the earthquake, including two of his nieces who were only 4 ½ and 5 years old. My hope is that we continue to be generous and support the folks in Haiti and St. Marc’s for decades to come. They will continue to need us.
In the Gospel today Jesus gets ran out of His hometown because he preached that the gates to God’s Kingdom were wide enough for the poor, the blind, and the rejected of the world to fit through. This angered the folks in the synagogue in Nazareth because that was not their idea of who should be included and invited to receive blessings from God.
The Gospel of Christ constantly calls us to open our eyes, our arms, our minds, our hearts, and our lives to include those we don’t want to include into the family of the Children of God. We may think it is unsafe, risky, and even illegal to live with the same limitless boundaries of God. And it is definitely not easy to do so in this militantly individualistic culture we live in. But that is the call of the Gospel and the measuring stick of our discipleship these days. Let’s continue the openness and generosity that we’ve demonstrated for more than 150 years here. Let’s also pray that God continue to open us up to be better able to serve Him and all others.
Peace and Blessings,
Fr. Chuck Walker
Rene Bauer sent me some statistics that I think that we all need to see.
Even before the earthquake...
QUICK FACTS
Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere
95% of aid to Haiti has been reduced since the early 1990s
70% of Haitian people live in poverty-annual income of $400 per year
15% of all children in Haiti are orphaned or abandoned
200,000 orphaned Haitian children live in institutions (the rest are fostered, live with relatives, or are street children)
40% of the population is under the age of 15
A history of an extremely high maternal mortality rate contributes to the number of orphans
Child-headed households are becoming more common as potential guardians succumb to AIDS or other causes of death
(source UNICEF)
Your generosity to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti is astounding. From the donations that have come in through last weekend our three parishes sent in nearly $29,000 to help relieve the suffering that is going on in Port au Prince. But they are going to need our help for a long time. We have received emails from Fr. Alcide and Sr. Mary of St. Marc’s Parish there. They say that even though their city was not damaged, floods of people are coming from Port au Prince to St. Marc’s for food, shelter, water and other essentials. Fr. Alcide also says he is busy burying parishioners and relatives who were killed in the earthquake, including two of his nieces who were only 4 ½ and 5 years old. My hope is that we continue to be generous and support the folks in Haiti and St. Marc’s for decades to come. They will continue to need us.
In the Gospel today Jesus gets ran out of His hometown because he preached that the gates to God’s Kingdom were wide enough for the poor, the blind, and the rejected of the world to fit through. This angered the folks in the synagogue in Nazareth because that was not their idea of who should be included and invited to receive blessings from God.
The Gospel of Christ constantly calls us to open our eyes, our arms, our minds, our hearts, and our lives to include those we don’t want to include into the family of the Children of God. We may think it is unsafe, risky, and even illegal to live with the same limitless boundaries of God. And it is definitely not easy to do so in this militantly individualistic culture we live in. But that is the call of the Gospel and the measuring stick of our discipleship these days. Let’s continue the openness and generosity that we’ve demonstrated for more than 150 years here. Let’s also pray that God continue to open us up to be better able to serve Him and all others.
Peace and Blessings,
Fr. Chuck Walker
Monday, January 18, 2010
Parts is Parts
Hello Folks,
Watching the news about the suffering in Haiti has been heart wrenching. I saw one report that showed that doctors were having to do amputations with rusty hack saws that they had found in the street because the hospitals and all of their surgical equipment was destroyed. In some cases they were using vodka and rum to sterilize the saws and other “medical” equipment. These amputations were taking place in less than sanitary conditions and locations too. Some of the amputations had to happen at the site of the accident in order to remove the person from the rubble. This is all very sad to think about and to know that it is really happening.
I’m sure you and the rest of our parish will be very generous to the collection we’re having for our neighbors in Haiti. We’ll do so because of our association with our friends in our sister parish of St. Marc’s, and we’ll do so because we recognize that these friends who are suffering are part of the Body of Christ.
St. Paul writes to his companions in Corinth today that, “all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ.” And, “You are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it.” This image of US as the Body of Christ sometimes goes over our heads and sometimes in one ear and out of the other. But it is a deep part of what we believe about the Eucharist and how interconnected we all are to Christ and to one another.
It also has a lot to say about how vital we are to one another as Church. Over the next couple of weeks we will have some parishioners planning to begin a program named “Re-Membering Church”. (You’ll hear more about this in the bulletin in the near future.) This team will figure out how to contact and then conduct listening sessions for folks who may be ready to come back to the Catholic Church after having been away for a while. The whole thrust of this is to let folks know that the Church as the Body of Christ hurts when another part of the Body hurts and dies if part of the Body is dismembered.
You are an integral member of this Body of Christ called St. James Parish. We need you now to come back if you’ve felt disconnected for a while. We need you all to connect with friends, family members, and others who you miss being here at St. James. Ask them to be re-membered with us.
The Body of Christ has many members. Just like the human body we all hurt when one part hurts. Help us heal here, in Haiti, and everywhere the Body of Christ is hurting.
paz,
Fr. Chuck
Watching the news about the suffering in Haiti has been heart wrenching. I saw one report that showed that doctors were having to do amputations with rusty hack saws that they had found in the street because the hospitals and all of their surgical equipment was destroyed. In some cases they were using vodka and rum to sterilize the saws and other “medical” equipment. These amputations were taking place in less than sanitary conditions and locations too. Some of the amputations had to happen at the site of the accident in order to remove the person from the rubble. This is all very sad to think about and to know that it is really happening.
I’m sure you and the rest of our parish will be very generous to the collection we’re having for our neighbors in Haiti. We’ll do so because of our association with our friends in our sister parish of St. Marc’s, and we’ll do so because we recognize that these friends who are suffering are part of the Body of Christ.
St. Paul writes to his companions in Corinth today that, “all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ.” And, “You are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it.” This image of US as the Body of Christ sometimes goes over our heads and sometimes in one ear and out of the other. But it is a deep part of what we believe about the Eucharist and how interconnected we all are to Christ and to one another.
It also has a lot to say about how vital we are to one another as Church. Over the next couple of weeks we will have some parishioners planning to begin a program named “Re-Membering Church”. (You’ll hear more about this in the bulletin in the near future.) This team will figure out how to contact and then conduct listening sessions for folks who may be ready to come back to the Catholic Church after having been away for a while. The whole thrust of this is to let folks know that the Church as the Body of Christ hurts when another part of the Body hurts and dies if part of the Body is dismembered.
You are an integral member of this Body of Christ called St. James Parish. We need you now to come back if you’ve felt disconnected for a while. We need you all to connect with friends, family members, and others who you miss being here at St. James. Ask them to be re-membered with us.
The Body of Christ has many members. Just like the human body we all hurt when one part hurts. Help us heal here, in Haiti, and everywhere the Body of Christ is hurting.
paz,
Fr. Chuck
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Love is a Radiator
Howdy!
Last weekend was Vocation Sunday but this weekend's readings seem to say more to me about being called by God for His special purpose.
The 2nd reading is St. Paul's I Corinthians 12:4-11. In it he talks to his fledgling Christians about how God gives us all gifts, and that they are all different, but that they are still God's gifts. Isaiah in the first reading (Is.62:1-5) tells the chosen people that in God's mind they are intimate lovers. God considers His people to be just as a new bride or groom is to their new spouse. He uses intimate language to talk to his ancient (and now modern) audience about how dearly God loves us and calls us. In the Gospel from the second chapter of John we see Jesus beginning His ministry at a wedding in Cana. The unsuspecting guests are going to receive a real treat. Where logically folks can be served the Old Crow after they've had plenty of Maker's Mark and they won't know the difference; Jesus turns water into Blanton's. (okay, it was really wine, but I know there are more folks around here who know about the quality of bourbon, and less who know about the quality of wine.)
Here's why I think that these readings talk to us about vocations. A vocation is a calling to use our gifts for the service of God and others. I did not choose the gifts that God gave to me and neither did you. But they all came from God. We are called in turn to return our gifts for God's good. This morning I used the image with our 1st-3rd graders that we use our gifts like radiators. We are not the source of our heat, or our power, or our gifts. God is! We are given our gifts to be radiated or spread, like a space heater or radiator is. That is what Jesus did in Cana. He used God's gift of generosity and joy to make the wedding day for the unsuspecting newly weds a party with the finest of wines. He used His gifts not to make Himself better, but to enhance the lives of His hosts and the other wedding guests. This first miracle of His was to be followed by many other miracles, works, and words. And every step of the way, in everything that he did, he used His life to radiate the gifts that His Father had given Him for the benefit of others and ultimately for the glory and honor of His Father.
We all are called by God to use the life we have for the benefit of others and to praise God. Hows' your radiator working?
peace,
Fr. Chuck
Last weekend was Vocation Sunday but this weekend's readings seem to say more to me about being called by God for His special purpose.
The 2nd reading is St. Paul's I Corinthians 12:4-11. In it he talks to his fledgling Christians about how God gives us all gifts, and that they are all different, but that they are still God's gifts. Isaiah in the first reading (Is.62:1-5) tells the chosen people that in God's mind they are intimate lovers. God considers His people to be just as a new bride or groom is to their new spouse. He uses intimate language to talk to his ancient (and now modern) audience about how dearly God loves us and calls us. In the Gospel from the second chapter of John we see Jesus beginning His ministry at a wedding in Cana. The unsuspecting guests are going to receive a real treat. Where logically folks can be served the Old Crow after they've had plenty of Maker's Mark and they won't know the difference; Jesus turns water into Blanton's. (okay, it was really wine, but I know there are more folks around here who know about the quality of bourbon, and less who know about the quality of wine.)
Here's why I think that these readings talk to us about vocations. A vocation is a calling to use our gifts for the service of God and others. I did not choose the gifts that God gave to me and neither did you. But they all came from God. We are called in turn to return our gifts for God's good. This morning I used the image with our 1st-3rd graders that we use our gifts like radiators. We are not the source of our heat, or our power, or our gifts. God is! We are given our gifts to be radiated or spread, like a space heater or radiator is. That is what Jesus did in Cana. He used God's gift of generosity and joy to make the wedding day for the unsuspecting newly weds a party with the finest of wines. He used His gifts not to make Himself better, but to enhance the lives of His hosts and the other wedding guests. This first miracle of His was to be followed by many other miracles, works, and words. And every step of the way, in everything that he did, he used His life to radiate the gifts that His Father had given Him for the benefit of others and ultimately for the glory and honor of His Father.
We all are called by God to use the life we have for the benefit of others and to praise God. Hows' your radiator working?
peace,
Fr. Chuck
Monday, January 4, 2010
Cannon Ball!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sometimes I get upset with photographers. Whether they are professionals or folks who just love to snap pix I think they get in the way sometimes. I am very sympathetic to the stars and sports celebrities who get upset with the paparazzi always sticking a camera where it need not be.
One of the places that it seems that photographers take over is at weddings. I think they think that the wedding is about the pictures. Most churches including our own have "rules" for photographers at weddings mainly to keep them and everyone else at the wedding focused on the "wedding" that is going on.
Marriage, Communion, Reconciliation, Baptism, Confirmation, Healing, priesthood, religious life are all important Sacraments and/or commitments. Sometimes though the ritual of the commitment or Sacrament becomes more important than the Sacrament or commitment.
My point here is that commitments and Sacraments are meant to be lived. I know a lot of people who come to Mass to receive the Body and Blood of Christ. But when they get in the parking lot or the grocery store the Body or Blood of Christ is not evident by their actions. I could go down the line with all of the Sacraments and our other religious commitments. We like to feel the warm waters of Baptism, and be inspired or consoled in the pew. But are we willing to live what we have just received and be who God calls us to be.
On Sunday January 10th we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord Jesus. After His Baptism Jesus began the work and preaching of His ministry. It eventually led to His total commitment to God and us on Calvary. Where He has gone we are called to follow.
paz,
Fr. Chuck
One of the places that it seems that photographers take over is at weddings. I think they think that the wedding is about the pictures. Most churches including our own have "rules" for photographers at weddings mainly to keep them and everyone else at the wedding focused on the "wedding" that is going on.
Marriage, Communion, Reconciliation, Baptism, Confirmation, Healing, priesthood, religious life are all important Sacraments and/or commitments. Sometimes though the ritual of the commitment or Sacrament becomes more important than the Sacrament or commitment.
My point here is that commitments and Sacraments are meant to be lived. I know a lot of people who come to Mass to receive the Body and Blood of Christ. But when they get in the parking lot or the grocery store the Body or Blood of Christ is not evident by their actions. I could go down the line with all of the Sacraments and our other religious commitments. We like to feel the warm waters of Baptism, and be inspired or consoled in the pew. But are we willing to live what we have just received and be who God calls us to be.
On Sunday January 10th we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord Jesus. After His Baptism Jesus began the work and preaching of His ministry. It eventually led to His total commitment to God and us on Calvary. Where He has gone we are called to follow.
paz,
Fr. Chuck
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