Hi friends,
Do you remember your writing classes in school? Our teachers always taught us that every story needed to answer the questions of “who, what, when, where, why, and how.” Sometimes we humans get so caught up in the “what, when, where, and how” that we forget about or just assume the “who and why.” The “who and why” are usually harder to figure out. But just like a good novel or movie (or NCIS episode) the story is only complete when we discover the “who and why” questions.
In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke and in the Acts of the Apostles Jesus’ Ascension is mentioned or inferred. Probably the clearest depiction of the Ascension of Jesus Christ happens in the Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11. We get the “what, where, when and how” questions answered very well there. But the more important thing about the Ascension of Jesus is WHY He ascended. And that is all about WHO He is.
We learn the WHY and the WHO from our Responsorial Psalm today. Our refrain is, “God Mounts His throne to shouts of joy….” One of the later verses says, “For King of all the Earth is God…” That is a synopsis of why we celebrate this Feast of the Ascension. Jesus is now the King of the Cosmos and the King of us. He ascended into Heaven in order to take His place on His heavenly throne. As King of the Universe and of us He is the focus of all of creation including us.
Often in the Gospels Jesus talks about the Kingdom of God. Whether it is in the parables or in the ways that He reached out to the rejected folks of the world and to sinners, while Jesus was on the Earth as a flesh and bone human being like us, He showed us why it was important to be part of His Kingdom. By His example of self sacrificing love and acceptance of the sinners and outcasts of His culture, Jesus witnesses to us how to live and serve in His Kingdom. Because of His Ascension God has a human face.
We are called to further and promote Jesus’ Kingdom of God here and now so that we can enjoy Him and His Kingdom fully when we’re done with this life. May we always serve Him in the ones who need us on the Earth, so that we may enjoy living with Him in His Kingdom for eternity.
Peace,
Fr. Chuck
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Saturday, April 13, 2013
God made me do it !
Dear friends,
The comedian, Flip Wilson, used to play a character by the name of “Ernestine” I believe. Whenever she/he would try to rationalize why she was misbehaving she would cry out, “The Devil made me do it!” In the first two reading today from the Acts of the Apostles and the book of Revelation the Apostle Peter and then the all of the creatures of the world cry out, “The Lord made me do it!”
The religious leaders are trying to put a stop to Peter and the other disciples healing and preaching in the name of Jesus Christ. In response Peter tells them that he can’t disobey God and therefore must disobey their human laws. In the Apocalypse John has a vision of the Throne of the Lamb of God. Around the Throne are all of the creatures of the earth. Even the creatures cannot contain their excitement about being in Christ’s presence so they praise and worship Him. Even the creatures cry out praise.
I think this is a good week to pray and meditate upon what compels us to act and speak as we do. The early disciples were so on fire with the love of Christ that He is what compelled ever action and every word that came from them. Besides the readings and the books that we hear from today, all of the letters from Paul, James, Peter, John, et al, are words driven by the authors passionate love of Jesus Christ. If you have ever had a hard time reading one of St. Paul’s letters it is probably because he wrote with his emotions for Jesus on his sleeve. His enthusiasm for the Christ he is trying to describe sometimes makes St. Paul’s writings hard to understand. He writes like a kid who has some exciting story to tell.
We are called to live and speak likewise. Let us spend some time this week figuring out if the love of Christ is the driving force of our words and actions. Or are we driven by concerns and pleasures that are not Christ’s?
paz,
Fr. Chuck
The comedian, Flip Wilson, used to play a character by the name of “Ernestine” I believe. Whenever she/he would try to rationalize why she was misbehaving she would cry out, “The Devil made me do it!” In the first two reading today from the Acts of the Apostles and the book of Revelation the Apostle Peter and then the all of the creatures of the world cry out, “The Lord made me do it!”
The religious leaders are trying to put a stop to Peter and the other disciples healing and preaching in the name of Jesus Christ. In response Peter tells them that he can’t disobey God and therefore must disobey their human laws. In the Apocalypse John has a vision of the Throne of the Lamb of God. Around the Throne are all of the creatures of the earth. Even the creatures cannot contain their excitement about being in Christ’s presence so they praise and worship Him. Even the creatures cry out praise.
I think this is a good week to pray and meditate upon what compels us to act and speak as we do. The early disciples were so on fire with the love of Christ that He is what compelled ever action and every word that came from them. Besides the readings and the books that we hear from today, all of the letters from Paul, James, Peter, John, et al, are words driven by the authors passionate love of Jesus Christ. If you have ever had a hard time reading one of St. Paul’s letters it is probably because he wrote with his emotions for Jesus on his sleeve. His enthusiasm for the Christ he is trying to describe sometimes makes St. Paul’s writings hard to understand. He writes like a kid who has some exciting story to tell.
We are called to live and speak likewise. Let us spend some time this week figuring out if the love of Christ is the driving force of our words and actions. Or are we driven by concerns and pleasures that are not Christ’s?
paz,
Fr. Chuck
Sunday, April 7, 2013
No Doubt!!!
Hello folks!
Did you know that there is very little known about most of the Apostles? We know about St. Peter because of the many times he is mentioned in the Gospels, in the Acts of the Apostles, his letters, from the stories passed down about his leadership of the early Church and his martyrdom and burial on the site that is now St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. We know about St. John and St. James also because of their closeness to Jesus in the Gospels and of their writings after the Resurrection. Most of what we know about the rest of the apostles is a word or two about them in scripture and the legends that grew about them as they tried to follow Jesus’ command to spread the Good News to the world.
St. Thomas is kind of in between the Apostles that we know a lot about and the ones we know little about. Thanks to Deacon Joe Chathaparampil, I know that according to tradition St. Thomas went to the lower west coast of India to begin Christianity there sometime after the Resurrection and Pentecost. What we know most about him however, is this story that we hear from the end of St. John’s Gospel. In this story he told his fellow Apostles that he would not believe in Jesus’ appearance to them unless he got to see it himself. Since he was not in the upper room on the first night after the Resurrection, he needed more proof than just his companion’s words. Because of that St. Thomas has since been known as Doubting Thomas. Jesus had to show up a second time to Thomas and the rest. He had to offer Thomas the wounds of His hands and side as proof of just how alive Jesus really is.
Yet St. Thomas is the only person in all of the Gospels to confess so boldly who Jesus really is. When he sees Jesus Thomas calls Him, “My Lord and My God!” No where else does anyone describe Jesus as truly who He is. Other references to Jesus are qualities or qualifications of Him. Jesus is called Messiah, Lord, Teacher, Rabbi, Master, Christ, and even Son of God. But only Thomas proclaims Him as boldly as “my GOD”. No qualifications just the truth.
While I enjoy the humanity and weakness of St. Thomas in being called the “Doubter” because it gives me hope that my imperfections will not keep me from intimacy with Jesus in this life and Communion with Him forever; I believe that his confession of who Jesus really is to Thomas is more inspiring. I believe that is where I’d like to have my faith grow. I want to always confess that Jesus Christ is my God. And I want that confession to be evident in how my life is lived. How about you?
peace,
Fr. Chuck
Did you know that there is very little known about most of the Apostles? We know about St. Peter because of the many times he is mentioned in the Gospels, in the Acts of the Apostles, his letters, from the stories passed down about his leadership of the early Church and his martyrdom and burial on the site that is now St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. We know about St. John and St. James also because of their closeness to Jesus in the Gospels and of their writings after the Resurrection. Most of what we know about the rest of the apostles is a word or two about them in scripture and the legends that grew about them as they tried to follow Jesus’ command to spread the Good News to the world.
St. Thomas is kind of in between the Apostles that we know a lot about and the ones we know little about. Thanks to Deacon Joe Chathaparampil, I know that according to tradition St. Thomas went to the lower west coast of India to begin Christianity there sometime after the Resurrection and Pentecost. What we know most about him however, is this story that we hear from the end of St. John’s Gospel. In this story he told his fellow Apostles that he would not believe in Jesus’ appearance to them unless he got to see it himself. Since he was not in the upper room on the first night after the Resurrection, he needed more proof than just his companion’s words. Because of that St. Thomas has since been known as Doubting Thomas. Jesus had to show up a second time to Thomas and the rest. He had to offer Thomas the wounds of His hands and side as proof of just how alive Jesus really is.
Yet St. Thomas is the only person in all of the Gospels to confess so boldly who Jesus really is. When he sees Jesus Thomas calls Him, “My Lord and My God!” No where else does anyone describe Jesus as truly who He is. Other references to Jesus are qualities or qualifications of Him. Jesus is called Messiah, Lord, Teacher, Rabbi, Master, Christ, and even Son of God. But only Thomas proclaims Him as boldly as “my GOD”. No qualifications just the truth.
While I enjoy the humanity and weakness of St. Thomas in being called the “Doubter” because it gives me hope that my imperfections will not keep me from intimacy with Jesus in this life and Communion with Him forever; I believe that his confession of who Jesus really is to Thomas is more inspiring. I believe that is where I’d like to have my faith grow. I want to always confess that Jesus Christ is my God. And I want that confession to be evident in how my life is lived. How about you?
peace,
Fr. Chuck
Friday, March 29, 2013
Easter
Happy Easter!
Do you remember in the movie, “The Wizard of Oz”, when the coroner of Munchkin Land inspects the body of the Wicked Witch the East? He pronounces her “very much dead”, as if there was another sort of “dead”. On the morning of the Resurrection of Christ, Jesus was “very much dead” in the minds and the lives of His disciples. Some of His women friends and disciples were headed to His tomb to finish the ritual embalming preparations that were prescribed by Jewish law and that were cut short on Good Friday because of the approaching Passover Feast. They still had the need of giving Him a proper burial. His Apostles and other disciples were holed away grieving the loss of their Messiah and worried that they might be next to be crucified by the evil Pontius Pilate and their angry and suspicious Jewish leaders. They also had to be very doubtful that those hopes and promises that he had always talked about were gone forever via the Cross of Calvary. They had seen His limp and bloodied body wrapped in a burial shroud and placed in a rock hewn tomb. That was it, the end of the story! Jesus was “very much dead”.
Yet Mary and the other women came to the disciples’ hiding place frantic that Jesus was not in the tomb. Peter went to the grave and saw it was empty as well. Then Mary experienced him near the grave. And disciples came back from their trip to Emaus telling the others they had met Jesus as well. He then appeared to them in their hideaway to prove to them that He was in fact very much ALIVE. There He forgives them, offers them peace, and commissions them to spread the Holy Spirit of compassion, peace, and forgiveness to the world.
HE IS STILL ALIVE!!!
It is a temptation to give up when we experience defeat. It is natural to abandon hope when our dreams are dashed. We are inclined to bury our faith when the only thing we hear from the “world” is that it is useless to believe.
What we celebrate on this Feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord is that God is never dead. And we, the people of God, can never be defeated. Christ rose from the tomb to both prove that sin, death and Satan never will have the last say in this world, no matter what the coroner says. We are called to day to look our dashed hopes, unfulfilled dreams, addictions and sinful habits, disease and the deaths of family and friends, and all of our terminal prognoses in the face and say, “My God says NO to death and YES to LIFE!”
paz,
Fr. Chuck
Do you remember in the movie, “The Wizard of Oz”, when the coroner of Munchkin Land inspects the body of the Wicked Witch the East? He pronounces her “very much dead”, as if there was another sort of “dead”. On the morning of the Resurrection of Christ, Jesus was “very much dead” in the minds and the lives of His disciples. Some of His women friends and disciples were headed to His tomb to finish the ritual embalming preparations that were prescribed by Jewish law and that were cut short on Good Friday because of the approaching Passover Feast. They still had the need of giving Him a proper burial. His Apostles and other disciples were holed away grieving the loss of their Messiah and worried that they might be next to be crucified by the evil Pontius Pilate and their angry and suspicious Jewish leaders. They also had to be very doubtful that those hopes and promises that he had always talked about were gone forever via the Cross of Calvary. They had seen His limp and bloodied body wrapped in a burial shroud and placed in a rock hewn tomb. That was it, the end of the story! Jesus was “very much dead”.
Yet Mary and the other women came to the disciples’ hiding place frantic that Jesus was not in the tomb. Peter went to the grave and saw it was empty as well. Then Mary experienced him near the grave. And disciples came back from their trip to Emaus telling the others they had met Jesus as well. He then appeared to them in their hideaway to prove to them that He was in fact very much ALIVE. There He forgives them, offers them peace, and commissions them to spread the Holy Spirit of compassion, peace, and forgiveness to the world.
HE IS STILL ALIVE!!!
It is a temptation to give up when we experience defeat. It is natural to abandon hope when our dreams are dashed. We are inclined to bury our faith when the only thing we hear from the “world” is that it is useless to believe.
What we celebrate on this Feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord is that God is never dead. And we, the people of God, can never be defeated. Christ rose from the tomb to both prove that sin, death and Satan never will have the last say in this world, no matter what the coroner says. We are called to day to look our dashed hopes, unfulfilled dreams, addictions and sinful habits, disease and the deaths of family and friends, and all of our terminal prognoses in the face and say, “My God says NO to death and YES to LIFE!”
paz,
Fr. Chuck
Thursday, March 7, 2013
"Lord, I want to see!"
Dear Friends,
This weekend we hear the story of the healing of the man born blind from the Gospel of John. The interesting thing to me in the story is that after Jesus gave the man his sight, it was his parents and the religious leaders who then became blind. They couldn’t see that God could work such a miracle through Jesus for the man that they were used to knowing as a blind man. In fact they refused to see Jesus as God’s healer and teacher.
Blindness affects all of us in this way. I saw a story on 60 Minutes about a Marine who killed himself. He became despondent when he returned from Afghanistan and saw that Americans had no appreciation of the lives that were being sacrificed to keep our nation free. Elected officials from Washington to Frankfort to locally seem blind to the needs of the citizens that they represent, and only concerned with staying in office. Church officials worry about protecting the image of the institution and not about living the mission of Christ to heal and love those in most need around us. We sometimes only want to see justice, compassion and mercy when our own toes have been stepped upon.
Jesus comes to heal blindness in all its forms. Do we have the courage to pray, “Lord, I want to see!”
paz,
Fr. Chuck
This weekend we hear the story of the healing of the man born blind from the Gospel of John. The interesting thing to me in the story is that after Jesus gave the man his sight, it was his parents and the religious leaders who then became blind. They couldn’t see that God could work such a miracle through Jesus for the man that they were used to knowing as a blind man. In fact they refused to see Jesus as God’s healer and teacher.
Blindness affects all of us in this way. I saw a story on 60 Minutes about a Marine who killed himself. He became despondent when he returned from Afghanistan and saw that Americans had no appreciation of the lives that were being sacrificed to keep our nation free. Elected officials from Washington to Frankfort to locally seem blind to the needs of the citizens that they represent, and only concerned with staying in office. Church officials worry about protecting the image of the institution and not about living the mission of Christ to heal and love those in most need around us. We sometimes only want to see justice, compassion and mercy when our own toes have been stepped upon.
Jesus comes to heal blindness in all its forms. Do we have the courage to pray, “Lord, I want to see!”
paz,
Fr. Chuck
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Warning! Long readings at Mass this weekend!!!
Dear Folks,
Every year I hear folks comment that they wished they had been warned about the long Gospel readings that they were going to “have to” hear. Well, here is your warning. This weekend most of us will hear the story from St. John’s gospel about the adulterous woman at the well whom Jesus accepts and forgives. Next week the Gospel is about the blind man, Bartimaeus, whom Jesus heals. On the fifth weekend of Lent we will hear of Jesus Raising Lazarus from the dead. And on Palm Sunday we will walk through St. Luke’s account of Jesus’ Passion. So, put your seat belts and your ears of faith on and prepare for a possibly life altering ride.
The question for me each year is how I listen better to the now familiar stories. The answer is preparation. With these stories especially it is always important to read and pray over them a few times before we encounter them at Mass on the weekend. It would be easy to take a look at what we are about to hear and then discount it by saying, “Oh! It’s the woman at the well again. I know what that one is about.” When we do that we do the scriptures and ourselves a huge disservice.
Some of the good news about any scripture passage is that it is always alive. Sometimes by praying over these holy words they do remind us of things God wants us to recall and live more fervently. But most of the time, if we give the Holy Spirit a little time and space, God makes us hear something brand new in the Word.
So, I invite you do practice praying the Word of God that you are going to hear over the next few weeks. In fact I invite you to stretch that practice out through Holy Week and Easter. I promise you that, if you give the Holy Spirit some time and space to pray the scriptures before you hear them at Mass, you will have a newer and more profound appreciation for this season of Lent.
Paz,
Fr. Chuck
Every year I hear folks comment that they wished they had been warned about the long Gospel readings that they were going to “have to” hear. Well, here is your warning. This weekend most of us will hear the story from St. John’s gospel about the adulterous woman at the well whom Jesus accepts and forgives. Next week the Gospel is about the blind man, Bartimaeus, whom Jesus heals. On the fifth weekend of Lent we will hear of Jesus Raising Lazarus from the dead. And on Palm Sunday we will walk through St. Luke’s account of Jesus’ Passion. So, put your seat belts and your ears of faith on and prepare for a possibly life altering ride.
The question for me each year is how I listen better to the now familiar stories. The answer is preparation. With these stories especially it is always important to read and pray over them a few times before we encounter them at Mass on the weekend. It would be easy to take a look at what we are about to hear and then discount it by saying, “Oh! It’s the woman at the well again. I know what that one is about.” When we do that we do the scriptures and ourselves a huge disservice.
Some of the good news about any scripture passage is that it is always alive. Sometimes by praying over these holy words they do remind us of things God wants us to recall and live more fervently. But most of the time, if we give the Holy Spirit a little time and space, God makes us hear something brand new in the Word.
So, I invite you do practice praying the Word of God that you are going to hear over the next few weeks. In fact I invite you to stretch that practice out through Holy Week and Easter. I promise you that, if you give the Holy Spirit some time and space to pray the scriptures before you hear them at Mass, you will have a newer and more profound appreciation for this season of Lent.
Paz,
Fr. Chuck
Monday, February 25, 2013
Friday, February 22, 2013
An Encounter With God Transfigures the World (starting with us)!
Hello friends!
I have been reading some articles and letters regarding this past fall’s Church synod in Rome about “the new evangelization.” The good news is that this is not a new program or process that the Universal Church wants all Catholic Churches to “do”. The better news is that our Church’s leaders recognize that we as a Church have an important role in this world at this time.
But here is the bad news that we must confront. Our Catholic Church has more people leaving out the back door than we have entering through the front door at Easter or through the Baptismal font. In this very pluralistic US and western European culture that we are immersed in there are many intelligent voices telling us why we should not believe and live faithfully. In their logical and scientific minds faith makes no since. They tell us that there is no credible proof of God being the creator of this world, no real evidence of Christ being the Son of God or Him rising from the dead, and no hope that heaven is real or that life has any purpose other than avoiding pain until we die. In their world our Sacraments are just a mirage or a placebo.
Pope Benedict XVI has called on people of faith to show otherwise. In the early days of the Church people like Sts. Peter, James, John, Paul and Luke were able to convey their experience of the Risen Son of God to a world that was even more unbelieving than ours is today. Because of their experience on the mountain of the Transfiguration, seeing His life, ministry, and miracles for others, and witnessing His Resurrection first hand we get the benefits. Their testimony and lives of conviction shaped the future of the Church for the past 2000 years. Their willingness to preach, teach and live their beliefs, even when 1st century logic, science, and critics told them to shut up has produced a Church and a New Testament that still lives, teaches and preaches God’s love and truth.
The Church is calling us Christians to do the same thing as our predecessors. We are being called to witness to the world how we are being loved, forgiven and healed by the same Jesus Christ who lives now in our encounters with Him in the Word and in Sacrament. We are to acknowledge that this may not seem logical or scientifically provable but God is still shaping and creating lives in this doubting world. We are especially being called to witness by our actions that God loves all people by our loving indiscriminately and unconditionally as He has loved us.
This will take an effort on our part to perhaps rediscover, uncover and recommit ourselves to the exciting “Good News” that we are loved, forgiven and saved by God. I urge you during this Lenten season to figure out how you can be a witness for God especially by your loving, forgiving and faithful actions. Participate in “Why Catholic?” Visit the Blessed Sacrament. Go on a retreat. Read something faithful online or in a book. Go to the Men’s Conference on March 16th at St. Raphael. Read the readings of the Mass either before you attend Mass or again after Mass.
There are all kinds of ways to be an evangelist. But we are all called to do so.
Blessings,
Fr. Chuck
I have been reading some articles and letters regarding this past fall’s Church synod in Rome about “the new evangelization.” The good news is that this is not a new program or process that the Universal Church wants all Catholic Churches to “do”. The better news is that our Church’s leaders recognize that we as a Church have an important role in this world at this time.
But here is the bad news that we must confront. Our Catholic Church has more people leaving out the back door than we have entering through the front door at Easter or through the Baptismal font. In this very pluralistic US and western European culture that we are immersed in there are many intelligent voices telling us why we should not believe and live faithfully. In their logical and scientific minds faith makes no since. They tell us that there is no credible proof of God being the creator of this world, no real evidence of Christ being the Son of God or Him rising from the dead, and no hope that heaven is real or that life has any purpose other than avoiding pain until we die. In their world our Sacraments are just a mirage or a placebo.
Pope Benedict XVI has called on people of faith to show otherwise. In the early days of the Church people like Sts. Peter, James, John, Paul and Luke were able to convey their experience of the Risen Son of God to a world that was even more unbelieving than ours is today. Because of their experience on the mountain of the Transfiguration, seeing His life, ministry, and miracles for others, and witnessing His Resurrection first hand we get the benefits. Their testimony and lives of conviction shaped the future of the Church for the past 2000 years. Their willingness to preach, teach and live their beliefs, even when 1st century logic, science, and critics told them to shut up has produced a Church and a New Testament that still lives, teaches and preaches God’s love and truth.
The Church is calling us Christians to do the same thing as our predecessors. We are being called to witness to the world how we are being loved, forgiven and healed by the same Jesus Christ who lives now in our encounters with Him in the Word and in Sacrament. We are to acknowledge that this may not seem logical or scientifically provable but God is still shaping and creating lives in this doubting world. We are especially being called to witness by our actions that God loves all people by our loving indiscriminately and unconditionally as He has loved us.
This will take an effort on our part to perhaps rediscover, uncover and recommit ourselves to the exciting “Good News” that we are loved, forgiven and saved by God. I urge you during this Lenten season to figure out how you can be a witness for God especially by your loving, forgiving and faithful actions. Participate in “Why Catholic?” Visit the Blessed Sacrament. Go on a retreat. Read something faithful online or in a book. Go to the Men’s Conference on March 16th at St. Raphael. Read the readings of the Mass either before you attend Mass or again after Mass.
There are all kinds of ways to be an evangelist. But we are all called to do so.
Blessings,
Fr. Chuck
Friday, February 15, 2013
HIM alone shall you serve.
Dear friends,
When I woke up on Monday morning I was greeted by the “breaking news” that Pope Benedict XVI was resigning from being the Vicar of Christ for our Church effective February 28th. Like most of the rest of the Church I am surprised at the news of his resignation. After all, he is the first pope to resign since Pope Gregory XII more than 500 years ago. But I am very inspired by his prayerful decision.
He and Pope John Paul II will go down in history as the two greatest minds of the 20th century. His writings before, during and after the Second Vatican Council have been the intellectual backbone of the Church’s teachings and decisions for about sixty years. Only since he has been our pope have I read any of his spiritual writings though. He inspires me as a very holy man. It is no surprise that he is calling our Church to this Year of Faith. His spiritual writings and this holy year are all about not seeing our faith as a set of creeds or moral doctrines, but developing an intimacy with the God who made us, with His Son and our Savior, and with the Spirit who guides, blesses, and comforts us.
I think his decision to resign shows his humility and his love of God and for the people of God. In the same way that Pope John Paul II was a prophetic witness and parable to us on the value and importance of life from conception to natural death; Pope Benedict XVI will be a witness for us that the ministry and mission of the Church is larger than the person who holds the title of “minister”. Our Pope is showing us all how to be humble and yet brave servants of God.
In the Temptation story from the Gospel of Luke that we hear today on this First Sunday of Lent the Devil tempts Jesus with all the kingdoms in the World. He offers Jesus to be the most powerful man on the face of the Earth. Jesus’ answers him with the First Commandment, “You shall worship the Lord, your God, and Him alone shall you serve.” I believe our Pope has shown us in word and witness how to live that command in this day and time.
Let us all pray in thanksgiving and blessing for Pope Benedict XVI. Let us also pray for our College of Cardinals to be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in their extremely difficult decision to elect our new leader. And let us pray for the grace during this Lent to put God’s will always as our guiding force.
paz,
Fr. Chuck
When I woke up on Monday morning I was greeted by the “breaking news” that Pope Benedict XVI was resigning from being the Vicar of Christ for our Church effective February 28th. Like most of the rest of the Church I am surprised at the news of his resignation. After all, he is the first pope to resign since Pope Gregory XII more than 500 years ago. But I am very inspired by his prayerful decision.
He and Pope John Paul II will go down in history as the two greatest minds of the 20th century. His writings before, during and after the Second Vatican Council have been the intellectual backbone of the Church’s teachings and decisions for about sixty years. Only since he has been our pope have I read any of his spiritual writings though. He inspires me as a very holy man. It is no surprise that he is calling our Church to this Year of Faith. His spiritual writings and this holy year are all about not seeing our faith as a set of creeds or moral doctrines, but developing an intimacy with the God who made us, with His Son and our Savior, and with the Spirit who guides, blesses, and comforts us.
I think his decision to resign shows his humility and his love of God and for the people of God. In the same way that Pope John Paul II was a prophetic witness and parable to us on the value and importance of life from conception to natural death; Pope Benedict XVI will be a witness for us that the ministry and mission of the Church is larger than the person who holds the title of “minister”. Our Pope is showing us all how to be humble and yet brave servants of God.
In the Temptation story from the Gospel of Luke that we hear today on this First Sunday of Lent the Devil tempts Jesus with all the kingdoms in the World. He offers Jesus to be the most powerful man on the face of the Earth. Jesus’ answers him with the First Commandment, “You shall worship the Lord, your God, and Him alone shall you serve.” I believe our Pope has shown us in word and witness how to live that command in this day and time.
Let us all pray in thanksgiving and blessing for Pope Benedict XVI. Let us also pray for our College of Cardinals to be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in their extremely difficult decision to elect our new leader. And let us pray for the grace during this Lent to put God’s will always as our guiding force.
paz,
Fr. Chuck
Friday, February 8, 2013
God, I Love Interuptions!
Hello Folks,
For husbands and wives it can happen in the car, on what seems like is going to be an interminable and boring road trip. Few words are needed to be exchanged. Yet somehow during that wasted time together you figure out how much you love the one you’re married to; and in fact your love grows deeper. For parents it often happens in that “up all night” illness of your child. At some time during that tiresome night, while you are nursing your aching son or daughter, you can’t imagine not being the mother or father of this precious child. For priests, deacons, sisters, lay ministers, teachers, doctors, and other caring vocations it always happens when you get that call in the middle of the time you least want it, to go out of your way for some one or some family that you didn’t want to care for. Then you realize how wonderful and important it is that God chose you for the vocation you have.
God happens in the interruptions of our life!
Jesus calls some smelly fisherman from the Sea of Galilee to be His Apostles. These few men were to become the ones responsible for the spread of the faith to every corner of the globe. The faith that we live now came to us because of the sacrifices and lives of these surprised, flawed and doubtful first disciples. Their hesitant “Yes” to Jesus has helped save lives of people for nearly 200 years.
We begin Lent on Wednesday. Let us each make it our Lenten resolution to listen for God calling us in the voices and in the times when we are inclined to say “No”.
peace,
Fr. Chuck
For husbands and wives it can happen in the car, on what seems like is going to be an interminable and boring road trip. Few words are needed to be exchanged. Yet somehow during that wasted time together you figure out how much you love the one you’re married to; and in fact your love grows deeper. For parents it often happens in that “up all night” illness of your child. At some time during that tiresome night, while you are nursing your aching son or daughter, you can’t imagine not being the mother or father of this precious child. For priests, deacons, sisters, lay ministers, teachers, doctors, and other caring vocations it always happens when you get that call in the middle of the time you least want it, to go out of your way for some one or some family that you didn’t want to care for. Then you realize how wonderful and important it is that God chose you for the vocation you have.
God happens in the interruptions of our life!
Jesus calls some smelly fisherman from the Sea of Galilee to be His Apostles. These few men were to become the ones responsible for the spread of the faith to every corner of the globe. The faith that we live now came to us because of the sacrifices and lives of these surprised, flawed and doubtful first disciples. Their hesitant “Yes” to Jesus has helped save lives of people for nearly 200 years.
We begin Lent on Wednesday. Let us each make it our Lenten resolution to listen for God calling us in the voices and in the times when we are inclined to say “No”.
peace,
Fr. Chuck
Friday, February 1, 2013
God Opens Closed Doors (and hearts)
Dear Friends,
Misunderstandings and prejudice close our minds and our hearts to some wonderful possibilities. This is particularly true in relationships. I know of family members who have disowned each other over an off of the cuff remark that was simply misunderstood by the family member that heard the remark (usually in a second, third, or fourth interpretation of that remark). CRAZY! We think that because someone talks with a drawl that they are going to be unintelligent. Or, when we hear someone with an East coast accent we assume that the person will be unfriendly. I love it when the stereotype gets shattered and the epiphany occurs. It is a soul opening experience when reconciliation within a relationship happens. When family members or former friends can embrace after they figure out that that their grudge was over nothing; or when a person becomes alive to another after they figure out that the stereotype was a lie, and then God lets us see each other with His eyes.
Misunderstanding and prejudice is what happened to Jesus on that day that He went back to Nazareth and said, “Today this prophecy is fulfilled in your hearing.” His home crowd could not stretch their minds around the possibility that the carpenter’s Son could also be the Messiah. He was just Joe’s and Mary’s kid to them. This Miracle Man was the boy who used to make mud pies with the other kids. Because they could not see the extraordinary and divine truth it was impossible for them their long awaited Savior.
We are all sometimes guilty of not letting God be completely God for us. Whether if it is because we don’t like to go out our routines and pray in deeper and more intimate ways with our God; or whether it is because we don’t like change or we don’t feel like we have time to spend more time and study of the Scripture, spiritual writings, and teachings of our Church; or whether we feel like we learned all we needed to learn when we went to religion classes, sometimes our faith and relationship with God is stunted. Prayer, scripture reading and sacred writings all lead to a relationship with the only One who can help us live this life happier, holier and more manageable. It is also the only way we will be able to live eternally.
I urge you to sign up for “Why Catholic?,” attend the parish mission with Fr. Bill Fichteman, get involved in the different book clubs or bible studies that our parishes are hosting, go to the 2nd annual Archdiocese of Louisville Men’s Conference on March 16th, receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, read the weekend readings before you attend Mass or a host of many things that you might do to deepen your relationship with the One who created you. You will be deeply blessed.
Paz,
Fr. Chuck
Misunderstandings and prejudice close our minds and our hearts to some wonderful possibilities. This is particularly true in relationships. I know of family members who have disowned each other over an off of the cuff remark that was simply misunderstood by the family member that heard the remark (usually in a second, third, or fourth interpretation of that remark). CRAZY! We think that because someone talks with a drawl that they are going to be unintelligent. Or, when we hear someone with an East coast accent we assume that the person will be unfriendly. I love it when the stereotype gets shattered and the epiphany occurs. It is a soul opening experience when reconciliation within a relationship happens. When family members or former friends can embrace after they figure out that that their grudge was over nothing; or when a person becomes alive to another after they figure out that the stereotype was a lie, and then God lets us see each other with His eyes.
Misunderstanding and prejudice is what happened to Jesus on that day that He went back to Nazareth and said, “Today this prophecy is fulfilled in your hearing.” His home crowd could not stretch their minds around the possibility that the carpenter’s Son could also be the Messiah. He was just Joe’s and Mary’s kid to them. This Miracle Man was the boy who used to make mud pies with the other kids. Because they could not see the extraordinary and divine truth it was impossible for them their long awaited Savior.
We are all sometimes guilty of not letting God be completely God for us. Whether if it is because we don’t like to go out our routines and pray in deeper and more intimate ways with our God; or whether it is because we don’t like change or we don’t feel like we have time to spend more time and study of the Scripture, spiritual writings, and teachings of our Church; or whether we feel like we learned all we needed to learn when we went to religion classes, sometimes our faith and relationship with God is stunted. Prayer, scripture reading and sacred writings all lead to a relationship with the only One who can help us live this life happier, holier and more manageable. It is also the only way we will be able to live eternally.
I urge you to sign up for “Why Catholic?,” attend the parish mission with Fr. Bill Fichteman, get involved in the different book clubs or bible studies that our parishes are hosting, go to the 2nd annual Archdiocese of Louisville Men’s Conference on March 16th, receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, read the weekend readings before you attend Mass or a host of many things that you might do to deepen your relationship with the One who created you. You will be deeply blessed.
Paz,
Fr. Chuck
Thursday, January 24, 2013
The Spirit of God is Upon Me
Dear friends,
("Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father’s passin’.” That line, delivered by the character of Reverend Sykes in To Kill a Mockingbird, is one of the most moving passages in a novel filled with affecting moments.
Atticus Finch, the father in question, is a lawyer who has just lost a case that ensures the death of his client, Tom Robinson. But despite his failure, Atticus—a white man in 1930s Alabama—is revered by the black community for agreeing to take on the defense of Robinson, a black man falsely accused of raping a white women. In unison, the men and women viewing the trial from the “colored balcony” stand up out of respect for Atticus as he exits the courtroom at the end of the trial.
In 2003 Atticus Finch was voted the greatest hero in American film—ahead of James Bond and Indiana Jones, who, unlike Atticus, never fail to accomplish their missions.
As difficult as it is to accept at times, surely each of knows, not only from characters in literature but from the life of Christ, that true heroism has nothing to do with winning and everything to do with love.)
–Patrice J. Tuohy (From the website PREPARE THE WORD)
Today’s Gospel reading shows us Jesus at the very beginning of His ministerial life. He comes home to Nazareth and reads from the scroll of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. He announces: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
Then He boldly claims that this prophecy is fulfilled by His life.
Jesus clearly understood from the beginning that the human life that He was given by God was not to be used for His own purpose. BUT, He was mandated to live to fulfill God’s purposes.
GUESS WHAT? SO ARE WE!
peace,
Fr. Chuck
("Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father’s passin’.” That line, delivered by the character of Reverend Sykes in To Kill a Mockingbird, is one of the most moving passages in a novel filled with affecting moments.
Atticus Finch, the father in question, is a lawyer who has just lost a case that ensures the death of his client, Tom Robinson. But despite his failure, Atticus—a white man in 1930s Alabama—is revered by the black community for agreeing to take on the defense of Robinson, a black man falsely accused of raping a white women. In unison, the men and women viewing the trial from the “colored balcony” stand up out of respect for Atticus as he exits the courtroom at the end of the trial.
In 2003 Atticus Finch was voted the greatest hero in American film—ahead of James Bond and Indiana Jones, who, unlike Atticus, never fail to accomplish their missions.
As difficult as it is to accept at times, surely each of knows, not only from characters in literature but from the life of Christ, that true heroism has nothing to do with winning and everything to do with love.)
–Patrice J. Tuohy (From the website PREPARE THE WORD)
Today’s Gospel reading shows us Jesus at the very beginning of His ministerial life. He comes home to Nazareth and reads from the scroll of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. He announces: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
Then He boldly claims that this prophecy is fulfilled by His life.
Jesus clearly understood from the beginning that the human life that He was given by God was not to be used for His own purpose. BUT, He was mandated to live to fulfill God’s purposes.
GUESS WHAT? SO ARE WE!
peace,
Fr. Chuck
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord
Hello Friends,
I heard many comments over the past weekend from people complaining about the noise at the Saturday night Mass celebrating the Feast of the Epiphany and our multi-cultural heritage. It seemed that a different baby was vocalizing their unhappiness throughout the whole Mass. The people that approached me seemed upset that I wasn’t upset. My attitude is always that I am happy that they are at Mass making noise than not at Mass at all. Yes, parents could be more prudent about when to walk to the rear of church with an unhappy baby. But, I’m rarely distracted by them. Actually I have not found the child that I cannot be louder than. So bring ‘em on!!!! On the Feast of Epiphany, in fact, I thought it was quite appropriate that we got to celebrate another dimension of how broadly God’s Salvation really reaches. While we were at Mass hearing the music and the Scriptures proclaimed in many languages to represent Christ coming to all the nations of the Earth, we also got to be reminded that Christ has come for all generations of people from our oldest to our youngest parishioners.
This weekend’s Feast of the Baptism of the Lord builds upon the celebrations of Christmas and Epiphany in similar multidimensional ways. Just as Jesus’ availability and offer of Salvation and Eternal Life are universal, so is His calling to responsible lives of discipleship. Discipleship begins with Baptism! When we are Baptized we become part of the Universal Church, the family of God. We are also called to live the life of Christ with the gifts that God has uniquely blessed us. The Sacrament of our Baptism does not end with water on our heads. This Sacrament continues day by day by the ways we live our calling from God. Just as the Father called Jesus to be His Beloved Son from the waters of the Jordan River, we are His Sons and Daughters. We are to be His priests sanctifying and praying for the world. We are His prophets speaking the truth and pointing God out in each person created in His image. We are His kings leading others to God with compassion, mercy and tender care.
On this Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord let us look at ways that we can better live as His disciples.
Peace and Blessings,
Fr. Chuck
I heard many comments over the past weekend from people complaining about the noise at the Saturday night Mass celebrating the Feast of the Epiphany and our multi-cultural heritage. It seemed that a different baby was vocalizing their unhappiness throughout the whole Mass. The people that approached me seemed upset that I wasn’t upset. My attitude is always that I am happy that they are at Mass making noise than not at Mass at all. Yes, parents could be more prudent about when to walk to the rear of church with an unhappy baby. But, I’m rarely distracted by them. Actually I have not found the child that I cannot be louder than. So bring ‘em on!!!! On the Feast of Epiphany, in fact, I thought it was quite appropriate that we got to celebrate another dimension of how broadly God’s Salvation really reaches. While we were at Mass hearing the music and the Scriptures proclaimed in many languages to represent Christ coming to all the nations of the Earth, we also got to be reminded that Christ has come for all generations of people from our oldest to our youngest parishioners.
This weekend’s Feast of the Baptism of the Lord builds upon the celebrations of Christmas and Epiphany in similar multidimensional ways. Just as Jesus’ availability and offer of Salvation and Eternal Life are universal, so is His calling to responsible lives of discipleship. Discipleship begins with Baptism! When we are Baptized we become part of the Universal Church, the family of God. We are also called to live the life of Christ with the gifts that God has uniquely blessed us. The Sacrament of our Baptism does not end with water on our heads. This Sacrament continues day by day by the ways we live our calling from God. Just as the Father called Jesus to be His Beloved Son from the waters of the Jordan River, we are His Sons and Daughters. We are to be His priests sanctifying and praying for the world. We are His prophets speaking the truth and pointing God out in each person created in His image. We are His kings leading others to God with compassion, mercy and tender care.
On this Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord let us look at ways that we can better live as His disciples.
Peace and Blessings,
Fr. Chuck
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Epiphany
In my thirty-one and one half years of being a priest I have never had an assignment as diverse as these three parishes of St. James, St. Ambrose, and St. Ignatius. You all are remarkable in how different you are from any other group of Catholics that I know of. We have every economic range represented in our parishes. I cannot imagine a parish or cluster of parishes with folks from all of the nationalities that you represent, from all of the professions that you hold, from your political stances that you take, and from the cultural backgrounds that you come from.
Also, you all enjoy your Catholic Christian faith with a love beyond words. You express it and take pride in it in ways that inspire and teach me. It is an exciting and humbling role that I have to be the pastor of folks who are so plain and so complicated. I enjoy witnessing how you get along with one another though you all know how very different you are. What you have taught me is that there are many ways to be CHURCH and that there are many ways to be Catholic. I am learning from you that we can be different from one another in deep and diverse ways; but at the same time we can be respectful and even loving toward each other despite (or possibly because of) our differences.
On this Feast of the Epiphany we celebrate that God is our Father and Jesus is our Savior and Brother no matter who we are, no matter where we are from, no matter what we own or fail to own, no matter that none of us are worthy of such great Love.
Peace,
Fr. Chuck
Also, you all enjoy your Catholic Christian faith with a love beyond words. You express it and take pride in it in ways that inspire and teach me. It is an exciting and humbling role that I have to be the pastor of folks who are so plain and so complicated. I enjoy witnessing how you get along with one another though you all know how very different you are. What you have taught me is that there are many ways to be CHURCH and that there are many ways to be Catholic. I am learning from you that we can be different from one another in deep and diverse ways; but at the same time we can be respectful and even loving toward each other despite (or possibly because of) our differences.
On this Feast of the Epiphany we celebrate that God is our Father and Jesus is our Savior and Brother no matter who we are, no matter where we are from, no matter what we own or fail to own, no matter that none of us are worthy of such great Love.
Peace,
Fr. Chuck
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