Hi Friends!
We begin Holy Week this Sunday. Sometimes it's easy to go through this week with a limited vision. We hear about Jesus' thanksgiving day parade into Jerusalem. We imagine Jesus and His disciples preparing for and then eating the Last Supper. We retell His arrest, trial, torture, Way of the Cross and Crucifixion. Then, next Sunday, we learn of His first Resurrection appearances to Mary, Peter, John, the Apostles, and the two on the way to Emaus.
I think that seeing and hearing of all of these events as what happened some 2000 years ago limits their impact on us now. Yes, they did happen in a historical time and place. BUT, with all things with God, the things that happened with Jesus in that Holy Week two millennia ago are way beyond any time and locale. Jesus is the Christ and God's Son and therefore is still walking the Way of the Cross. He is always living, suffering, dying and rising for all of us who still need Him to be our Messiah and the Son of God for us in our time.
Our spiritual work this Holy Week is to prayerfully discern how He is still walking the Way for you, me and the World. How have my sins and selfishness (and yours) put Him on trial and crucified Him now? How do we reject the violence, grudge holding, hatred and selfishness that keeps us from a full relationship with Him? How do we accept the forgiveness, love, and new life that only He can give us? What is holding me back from being fully alive?
The events of Jesus' life, death and resurrection are current events. The more we let Him be our only Savior and God, the more precious and fruitful this life and His life becomes.
Have a Holy Week!
paz,
me
Friday, March 27, 2015
Friday, March 13, 2015
Laetare = Rejoice!
This Fourth Sunday of Lent is also called Laetare or Rejoice Sunday.
Are we rejoicing because Lent is half way finished? Because, in a mere three weeks, I can eat chocolate again? Because, at Easter I can stop feeding my Rice Bowl for every word of foul language I use again? Because, why?
Both, today's sections of Paul's letter to the Ephesians and from the Gospel of John we have great reason to rejoice. Here is what they say:
"For by grace you have been saved through faith,
and this is not from you; it is the gift of God;
it is not from works, so no one may boast.
For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works
that God has prepared in advance,
that we should live in them." (Ephesians 2:8-10.)
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life." (John 3:16.)
On this weekend we are shown, in the words of Jesus and St. Paul, God's design for us and all of humanity. God's plan is that we all be saved from eternal death by the gift of His Son's life. The reason that Jesus was born, the reason that He lived, taught and healed, the reason that He endured death by the Cross, the reason He was resurrected was all for our benefit. He lived and He lives so that we may have abundant life now and eternally because of Him.
Lent is our time try to grasp how much God is offering us by our prayer, fasting and works of charity. In our prayerful relationship with God we become intimately aware how much God dearly loves us. By our fasting and denying ourselves stuff, we hopefully learn that only the stuff that God gives us is worth craving for (even White Castle!). It is also the only stuff that is worth living and dying for. Finally, we do deeds of generosity and service to imitate God's all-giving ways. We do none of these activities to EARN God's saving gifts. We do them to get in touch with how generous God must be to give to us so freely. By our mere knowing that we need them, God's gifts of Mercy, Love, and Abundant Eternal Life our ours. Our Lenten practices (and even our failure in our Lenten practices) help us to be aware of how much we need God for all things in life and for Life itself.
We can REJOICE (or LAETARE if you really need to be Latin) because our God loves us enough to want for us a better life now and a completely blissful life in eternity. I encourage you to meditate or contemplate about what part of that gift from God are you missing from your life. Where is it that you need God's saving graces?
peace,
Fr. Chuck
PS. I have a favor to ask. I have some friends who lost their twenty-four year old son this past week. Please lift them up to God in prayer. Embrace them, their daughter and their son's fiance in God's tender love. I ask for your prayers as well for twenty-five of us who will be leaving UofL on Sunday morning for a week of mission to the Habitat for Humanity Camp in Birmingham, Alabama. Pray for those who are making this service mission and for those whom we'll meet and serve. Thanks! cdw
Are we rejoicing because Lent is half way finished? Because, in a mere three weeks, I can eat chocolate again? Because, at Easter I can stop feeding my Rice Bowl for every word of foul language I use again? Because, why?
Both, today's sections of Paul's letter to the Ephesians and from the Gospel of John we have great reason to rejoice. Here is what they say:
"For by grace you have been saved through faith,
and this is not from you; it is the gift of God;
it is not from works, so no one may boast.
For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works
that God has prepared in advance,
that we should live in them." (Ephesians 2:8-10.)
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life." (John 3:16.)
On this weekend we are shown, in the words of Jesus and St. Paul, God's design for us and all of humanity. God's plan is that we all be saved from eternal death by the gift of His Son's life. The reason that Jesus was born, the reason that He lived, taught and healed, the reason that He endured death by the Cross, the reason He was resurrected was all for our benefit. He lived and He lives so that we may have abundant life now and eternally because of Him.
Lent is our time try to grasp how much God is offering us by our prayer, fasting and works of charity. In our prayerful relationship with God we become intimately aware how much God dearly loves us. By our fasting and denying ourselves stuff, we hopefully learn that only the stuff that God gives us is worth craving for (even White Castle!). It is also the only stuff that is worth living and dying for. Finally, we do deeds of generosity and service to imitate God's all-giving ways. We do none of these activities to EARN God's saving gifts. We do them to get in touch with how generous God must be to give to us so freely. By our mere knowing that we need them, God's gifts of Mercy, Love, and Abundant Eternal Life our ours. Our Lenten practices (and even our failure in our Lenten practices) help us to be aware of how much we need God for all things in life and for Life itself.
We can REJOICE (or LAETARE if you really need to be Latin) because our God loves us enough to want for us a better life now and a completely blissful life in eternity. I encourage you to meditate or contemplate about what part of that gift from God are you missing from your life. Where is it that you need God's saving graces?
peace,
Fr. Chuck
PS. I have a favor to ask. I have some friends who lost their twenty-four year old son this past week. Please lift them up to God in prayer. Embrace them, their daughter and their son's fiance in God's tender love. I ask for your prayers as well for twenty-five of us who will be leaving UofL on Sunday morning for a week of mission to the Habitat for Humanity Camp in Birmingham, Alabama. Pray for those who are making this service mission and for those whom we'll meet and serve. Thanks! cdw
Friday, March 6, 2015
The Buyers and the Sellers....
I read something recently from a Rabbi who was commenting on sports in our culture. He started out by writing that when historians or sociologists look back at the the buildings that may remain from our era, the most impressive structures will be our sports arenas. The ruins of ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome are either government buildings or temples to various gods or rulers whom they thought were gods. The middle ages had huge and glorious churches, basilicas, monasteries and temples like Chartres, St. Peter's and Hagia Sophia. We have Olympic stadiums, AT&T Stadium in Dallas, and our own Yum Center, Keeneland and (co)Rupp(t) Arena.
Sports have become like a religion to many in our time, both in good ways and bad. The good is that sports can teach some very important spiritual and religious values. Team work, how to win and lose gracefully and humbly, how to channel one's enthusiasm and talent toward a goal, the importance of practice and training, and how to treat with respect both those who are team mates and those who are opponents are just a few of some very good ideals that religious folks could learn from the sports world and vice versa. Where sports and athletics get a bad rap are the actions of some fanatics and some losing focus that at the end of the day "it's only a game". In both sports and religion we always are encouraged to remember why we do what we do. "What is the priority?", is the question that all players and prayers; coaches and priests; fans and faithful have to constantly answer.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus comes to the Temple this weekend to show folks that that the focus of their religion has changed in the person of HIM. He chases out money changers and turns over tables of coins and doves. Jesus gets angry (yes, it's okay to get angry, even in Church)! He yells at the folks, accusing them of turning God's house into a din of thieves. Then He tells them the new priority. "Destroy this Temple, and I will rebuild it in three days!" He claims. Few got it then. Maybe none got it then. Two thousand years of hindsight and interpretation have helped us see that Jesus was putting the Temple worshipers on notice. Jesus is the new focus for their (and our) faith and life. Doves, coins, sheep, and bulls have no comparison to the sacrifice of the Son of God of Himself. Nor do our sacrifices of time, talent and treasure. Prayers of praise, thanksgiving, supplication, and forgiveness have only one new direction because of Him. All of the Gospel writers, but especially John, show us that Jesus is the only Lord worth living for and praying to.
So, we need to ask ourselves what our priorities are. Do we give to get a tax right off? Do we use our time, talent and treasure like a vote? Am I more generous with my stuff when I like music, the homilies, the ministries, or if I'm getting some other benefit? If the answer is "Yes!" to any of these, then who are we trying to serve here? AND this goes beyond churchy stuff. Is Christ the focus of everything in our lives? Is He the reason we work, play, live and love? If the answer is "No!" then it's time to upset a few tables in our own temples.
Lent is the time to clean house and fall in love again with the HIM again.
Peace,
me
Sports have become like a religion to many in our time, both in good ways and bad. The good is that sports can teach some very important spiritual and religious values. Team work, how to win and lose gracefully and humbly, how to channel one's enthusiasm and talent toward a goal, the importance of practice and training, and how to treat with respect both those who are team mates and those who are opponents are just a few of some very good ideals that religious folks could learn from the sports world and vice versa. Where sports and athletics get a bad rap are the actions of some fanatics and some losing focus that at the end of the day "it's only a game". In both sports and religion we always are encouraged to remember why we do what we do. "What is the priority?", is the question that all players and prayers; coaches and priests; fans and faithful have to constantly answer.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus comes to the Temple this weekend to show folks that that the focus of their religion has changed in the person of HIM. He chases out money changers and turns over tables of coins and doves. Jesus gets angry (yes, it's okay to get angry, even in Church)! He yells at the folks, accusing them of turning God's house into a din of thieves. Then He tells them the new priority. "Destroy this Temple, and I will rebuild it in three days!" He claims. Few got it then. Maybe none got it then. Two thousand years of hindsight and interpretation have helped us see that Jesus was putting the Temple worshipers on notice. Jesus is the new focus for their (and our) faith and life. Doves, coins, sheep, and bulls have no comparison to the sacrifice of the Son of God of Himself. Nor do our sacrifices of time, talent and treasure. Prayers of praise, thanksgiving, supplication, and forgiveness have only one new direction because of Him. All of the Gospel writers, but especially John, show us that Jesus is the only Lord worth living for and praying to.
So, we need to ask ourselves what our priorities are. Do we give to get a tax right off? Do we use our time, talent and treasure like a vote? Am I more generous with my stuff when I like music, the homilies, the ministries, or if I'm getting some other benefit? If the answer is "Yes!" to any of these, then who are we trying to serve here? AND this goes beyond churchy stuff. Is Christ the focus of everything in our lives? Is He the reason we work, play, live and love? If the answer is "No!" then it's time to upset a few tables in our own temples.
Lent is the time to clean house and fall in love again with the HIM again.
Peace,
me
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