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
Friday, February 22, 2013
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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