Epiphany 2010
Happy New Year and Happy Epiphany!
On January 2nd (or 6th for you tradionalists) we celebrate the feast that recognizes that God is God of all the Earth and of all people and nations! If we take time to imagine, even partially, what that means we will find ourselves caught up in the immensity of God’s compassion and mercy for all people.
Here at St. James we honor this feast by celebrating how diverse and multi-national our parish is. At the 12:15pm Mass we’ll have readings and music in some of the various languages that represent our roots. Some will dress in clothing from their native countries. Afterward we’ll have a feast that will tickle the taste buds of every palate. We do Epiphany real well here.
My encouragement for you today (and for me as well) is to make this Godly Spirit of inclusivity and welcome last for more than just this one feast day. We can all imitate our Lord’s compassion to the alien and foreigner in better ways. It is easy for us to fall prey to the Devil’s temptation to believe that generosity of welcome, compassion, forgiveness, and kindness are limited resources. The Evil One would like for us to believe that we should use those spiritual commodities with stinginess, like they will run out if we over indulge in them.
However our God encourages us to do just the opposite. God will never be outdone in our generosity of any kind. He promises that “good measure, pressed down and flowing over will be poured” into the emptiness of our lives whenever we attempt to be as generous and forgiving as God.
On this Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord let us ask God for the courage and fortitude we need to imitate the all inclusive and welcoming heart of God. Let us hope to see all others, no matter their nationality, language, belief, or orientation, as children of God as we are.
paz,
Fr. Chuck
Monday, December 27, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
God Is With Us!
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
I can not hear or read the name Emmanuel without thinking of Albany, Ky. From 1986-1994 my first assignment as pastor was at Emmanuel Catholic Church in Albany and Holy Cross Catholic Church in Burkesville. Those were eight wonderful years in my priesthood. I was still a rookie priest and the people of those two counties helped me understand priesthood in a way that hasn't been topped since.
The parishes were small. Each place only had 20 or 30 families as parishioners. Also, Catholicism was relatively a "new" religion in those counties. I was only the third resident priest there. There were a lot of myths, misconceptions, rumors, prejudice, and ignorance regarding Emmanuel and Holy Cross. So the mission of these mission parishes was to let folks know that Catholics were Christian Churches also. We debunked the myths in a couple of ways. First, we were involved in all of the ecumenical ministries and worship services. The people in our parishes were always present and active in the ministerial association's events and organizations. We were the first ones to sign up to volunteer at the clothes closet and food drives. We were the driving force behind the Christmas Cantatas, the Lenten Bible studies, and the Easter Sunrise Service. We participated in the radio station's 5 minute scripture sharing. We figured that if other Christian folks saw us having the same passion for the scripture and worship as they did then we wouldn't have to prove to them that we didn't have horns and tails hidden under our hats and pants like some thought.
Our main way of debunking these myths was through service though. At Christmas time in Clinton and Cumberland Counties we had a "Caring and Sharing Tree" similar to here in Hardin County. And the Catholic parishes there were the biggest contributors and the ones who helped the most with coordinating, collecting, buying, and distributing the toys, clothes and food items to the very needy folks in the two counties. We were also the "go to" church whenever the police stations or Departments of Human Resources encountered people that had needs that their funds and regulations could not assist. We also had about a half dozen groups of youth volunteers come to our two counties to assist the needy folks there by doing minor home repairs, cleaning, yard work, wood splitting, house painting, or whatever else the elderly person or poor family needed. Our parishioners, though small in number, sacrificed their time to teach the visiting youth how do do the service they were being asked to do; and make sure that the young people got to visit with the people they were serving as they worked.
The result was, that for the most part, the rumors of what Catholics were all about changed. Because of the dedication to the mission of evangelization by the parishioners at Emmanuel and Holy Cross we Catholics were no longer "those weirdos" or "that new church". One of the greatest compliments I ever received was when I answered the phone one day and an elderly man asked me, "Is this the Church that helps people?" I knew then that the mission of our mission parishes was really being lived. We were living up to our names also. Holy Cross was showing that Jesus was still being sacrificed and lifted up in our sacrifices in Cumberland County. And that "God is With Us" Emmanuel was being born anew in Clinton County.
On this week before Christmas let us each look in our lives and ask what kind of gift that we have to offer to our church, to our community, and to God that will let others see that "God is With Us" still.
Peace and Blessings,
Fr. Chuck
I can not hear or read the name Emmanuel without thinking of Albany, Ky. From 1986-1994 my first assignment as pastor was at Emmanuel Catholic Church in Albany and Holy Cross Catholic Church in Burkesville. Those were eight wonderful years in my priesthood. I was still a rookie priest and the people of those two counties helped me understand priesthood in a way that hasn't been topped since.
The parishes were small. Each place only had 20 or 30 families as parishioners. Also, Catholicism was relatively a "new" religion in those counties. I was only the third resident priest there. There were a lot of myths, misconceptions, rumors, prejudice, and ignorance regarding Emmanuel and Holy Cross. So the mission of these mission parishes was to let folks know that Catholics were Christian Churches also. We debunked the myths in a couple of ways. First, we were involved in all of the ecumenical ministries and worship services. The people in our parishes were always present and active in the ministerial association's events and organizations. We were the first ones to sign up to volunteer at the clothes closet and food drives. We were the driving force behind the Christmas Cantatas, the Lenten Bible studies, and the Easter Sunrise Service. We participated in the radio station's 5 minute scripture sharing. We figured that if other Christian folks saw us having the same passion for the scripture and worship as they did then we wouldn't have to prove to them that we didn't have horns and tails hidden under our hats and pants like some thought.
Our main way of debunking these myths was through service though. At Christmas time in Clinton and Cumberland Counties we had a "Caring and Sharing Tree" similar to here in Hardin County. And the Catholic parishes there were the biggest contributors and the ones who helped the most with coordinating, collecting, buying, and distributing the toys, clothes and food items to the very needy folks in the two counties. We were also the "go to" church whenever the police stations or Departments of Human Resources encountered people that had needs that their funds and regulations could not assist. We also had about a half dozen groups of youth volunteers come to our two counties to assist the needy folks there by doing minor home repairs, cleaning, yard work, wood splitting, house painting, or whatever else the elderly person or poor family needed. Our parishioners, though small in number, sacrificed their time to teach the visiting youth how do do the service they were being asked to do; and make sure that the young people got to visit with the people they were serving as they worked.
The result was, that for the most part, the rumors of what Catholics were all about changed. Because of the dedication to the mission of evangelization by the parishioners at Emmanuel and Holy Cross we Catholics were no longer "those weirdos" or "that new church". One of the greatest compliments I ever received was when I answered the phone one day and an elderly man asked me, "Is this the Church that helps people?" I knew then that the mission of our mission parishes was really being lived. We were living up to our names also. Holy Cross was showing that Jesus was still being sacrificed and lifted up in our sacrifices in Cumberland County. And that "God is With Us" Emmanuel was being born anew in Clinton County.
On this week before Christmas let us each look in our lives and ask what kind of gift that we have to offer to our church, to our community, and to God that will let others see that "God is With Us" still.
Peace and Blessings,
Fr. Chuck
Thursday, September 23, 2010
I'm so dizzy, my head is spinning.....
Hi Folks,
Well it has been ten days here & ubtil today I was doing well. The professors are very patient & have led us slowly though the very basics of the Spanish grammar and vocabulary. Today was "information overload" day. The concept being taught was singular and plural possessive pronouns. That plus a lot of new vocabulary words (verbs,nouns, & adjectives) became too much for this gray matter. I've got a lot of studying to do overnight and this weekend to get back on track.
I do get a very joyful break in the action this weekend though. My very good friend Veronica O'Connor is marrying a very good man, Eric Kemper on Saturday. I get to fly home and witness their wedding. What a treat.!! It will be a fun weekend in all kinds of ways.
One of the components of this sabbatical that I'm finding especially exciting and stimulating is learning about the expressions of faith in the Central, Carribean, and South American people. For many of them faith is life, family, and Church. It pervades all relationships and extends beyonds all boundaries. Faith can not be something they we keep in a box just for prayer time, or when we need something from God, or when we are trying to impress God or someone else. Faith is life and to be lived everywhere.
I hope this part of my formation rubs off on me more, so that I can live my faith bettter in ten weeks from now. I also pray that I can keep this in perspective in my heart & head as I slowly progress in the Spanish language.
Paz,
Fr. Chuck
Monday, September 13, 2010
No where to go but forward!!!
Hi Folks,
I just finished my first day of classes at the Mexican American Cultural College (MACC) in San Antonio. I have a lot to learn. I am starting from barely above ground level in my Espanol, so I have a lot to learn to get me able to pray the Mass and the other Sacraments in Spanish. I feel very dumb and overwhelmed at this moment. I know those feelings will fade as the twelve weeks go by but today, and for a while, I'm floundering.
The Gospel for next weekend is the parable from Luke about the steward who was about to get sacked by his master. He decided to cover his butt by making deals with all the folks who owed his master grain, oil, money, etc. His ulterior motive was probably to get hired by one of the folks he offered a discount to after he'd been fired from his present boss. Instead the master gives him a raise and a promotion for thinking out of the box. Jesus' point seems to be that the Kingdom of God needs folks who are able to think, dream, embrace, and forgive in "out of the box" sorts of ways.
In lots of ways we like to categorize and pigeon hole others people or others' ideas. We resist change. We're uncomfortable with concepts that are foreign to our own. We find fault and figure out ways that some one's solution can't work without first giving it a decent hearing. In terms of the Church, sometimes we chase people off by not giving them a decent welcome because they have different ideas, they are of a different sex (or sexual orientation), or they look, speak, or act foreign to us. In the Gospel of Luke especially, but in all of the Gospels, Jesus was the Son of God who opened God's embrace to many, especially those who were normally left out.
Let us ask God to open us up to His big Sacred Heart. As we have been loved, let us love and welcome.
paz,
Fr. Chuck
Monday, September 6, 2010
The Lost Shall Be First
Hi Friends,
I believe it was Gandhi who wrote, “Christianity has not failed. It has never been tried.” (If it wasn’t him who said it, he said something very similar.)
This weekend we hear St. Luke’s signature parables; the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the Prodigal Son (Luke 15: 1-32.). They give us an image of God that runs throughout the whole Gospel of Luke. God is the forgiver and he seeks us out to save us no matter whom we are and where we find ourselves. St. Luke also shows Jesus as the Son of God who lives out God’s forgiveness and acceptance. Therefore Jesus’ teaching and message in this third Gospel are about this compassionate God and urging His disciples to imitate God’s acceptance and forgiveness.
The problem with these parables is that normally we would behave nothing like the shepherd with the lost sheep, or the woman with the lost coin, or the Father with the run away son. We normally follow the “bird in the hand, is worth more than two in the bush” practice of caring. If we have ninety-nine sheep still with us, we’re not going to go chasing after the idiot lost one. If we have nine shiny coins in our purses, how hard are we going to look for the one that rolled under the heavy dresser? How welcoming are we going to be to the bright lights and big city kid who has already cost you an arm, a leg, and a broken heart? (Okay, maybe we would take them in, but there would be terms and stipulations.) Besides, in every one of these circumstances that Jesus sits in front of us, it looks like the party that is thrown in celebration of the find cost more than what the sheep, the coin, and the prodigal is worth. In the original audience, there had to be a lot of people shaking there heads saying, “If this is a parable about this preacher’s God, then he is very messed up.”
The Good News is that our God is exactly like the God in those parables. He never gives up on us. He wants us, loves us, and forgives us no matter what. AND, God rejoices when we “get it”!!! The BAD news is that we are supposed to imitate our God in His generosity of compassion and forgiveness. (Uh-Oh!)
When people tick us off, we write them off. When nations don’t do what we’d prefer, we call for war or sanctions against them. When immigrants seek the bounty of our nation, we want to close the borders. Lives in the womb and on death row are not worth fighting for. We don’t even try to care for people that we can’t even see.
Thank God that God has a bigger heart than ours.
paz,
Fr. Chuck
p.s. I'm leaving for San Antonio to study Spanish on Sept. 11th and will be gone until Dec. 13th. I may post an occasional blog here, but I'm not sure how much time, freedom, or gumption I'll have to do so. We'll see. My phone has the capabilities to posts blogs via email. If I can figure all that out you might be viewing a lot of pictures of the River Walk here shortly. (I'll try not to drop my phone in the San Antonio River!)
I believe it was Gandhi who wrote, “Christianity has not failed. It has never been tried.” (If it wasn’t him who said it, he said something very similar.)
This weekend we hear St. Luke’s signature parables; the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the Prodigal Son (Luke 15: 1-32.). They give us an image of God that runs throughout the whole Gospel of Luke. God is the forgiver and he seeks us out to save us no matter whom we are and where we find ourselves. St. Luke also shows Jesus as the Son of God who lives out God’s forgiveness and acceptance. Therefore Jesus’ teaching and message in this third Gospel are about this compassionate God and urging His disciples to imitate God’s acceptance and forgiveness.
The problem with these parables is that normally we would behave nothing like the shepherd with the lost sheep, or the woman with the lost coin, or the Father with the run away son. We normally follow the “bird in the hand, is worth more than two in the bush” practice of caring. If we have ninety-nine sheep still with us, we’re not going to go chasing after the idiot lost one. If we have nine shiny coins in our purses, how hard are we going to look for the one that rolled under the heavy dresser? How welcoming are we going to be to the bright lights and big city kid who has already cost you an arm, a leg, and a broken heart? (Okay, maybe we would take them in, but there would be terms and stipulations.) Besides, in every one of these circumstances that Jesus sits in front of us, it looks like the party that is thrown in celebration of the find cost more than what the sheep, the coin, and the prodigal is worth. In the original audience, there had to be a lot of people shaking there heads saying, “If this is a parable about this preacher’s God, then he is very messed up.”
The Good News is that our God is exactly like the God in those parables. He never gives up on us. He wants us, loves us, and forgives us no matter what. AND, God rejoices when we “get it”!!! The BAD news is that we are supposed to imitate our God in His generosity of compassion and forgiveness. (Uh-Oh!)
When people tick us off, we write them off. When nations don’t do what we’d prefer, we call for war or sanctions against them. When immigrants seek the bounty of our nation, we want to close the borders. Lives in the womb and on death row are not worth fighting for. We don’t even try to care for people that we can’t even see.
Thank God that God has a bigger heart than ours.
paz,
Fr. Chuck
p.s. I'm leaving for San Antonio to study Spanish on Sept. 11th and will be gone until Dec. 13th. I may post an occasional blog here, but I'm not sure how much time, freedom, or gumption I'll have to do so. We'll see. My phone has the capabilities to posts blogs via email. If I can figure all that out you might be viewing a lot of pictures of the River Walk here shortly. (I'll try not to drop my phone in the San Antonio River!)
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Technology
Do not be alarmed. I know that I never blog two days on a row. I'm just testing my ability to blog via my phone..
Paz
The textperimenter
Paz
The textperimenter
Monday, August 30, 2010
....it's a family tradition!
Hello Darlin's!
"If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”
Every time I read this quote from today’s Gospel I get upset. I have to admit that I love my family and my life. And the words of Jesus tell me to hate them!?!?!? I can’t do that. My family, especially my Mom and Dad, were the ones who taught me my faith by their words, actions, and discipline. I get inspiration today from my sister and brother who stay faithful and strong despite the difficult circumstances that they face in their day to day lives. There’s nothing to hate about them. Not only do I love their faithfulness but they are both good people that I’m proud to know and call my brother and sister.
So what could Jesus mean by this statement? Surely Jesus wasn’t anti-family or marriage. He also repeated the Old Testament passage from Genesis affirming the permanence of marriage and how when two people marry they become an unbreakable one. He even came from THE Holy Family! I believe this was another parable from Jesus. He used parables to shock us into attention. Jesus said very bold things to turn our minds and hearts upside down, and so we could get a glimpse of the total commitment of love and forgiveness God has made to us and is asking from us.
My best example of this being lived out is actually from my Mom. Her relationship to God was always first in her life. On the day of my ordination she told me to only go to the Cathedral that morning IF I was going to be a good priest. (I’m still working on that.) But her point was that her pride to have a priest in the family was not as important to her as having a good priest to be dedicated to God and for the Church. I know my sister and brother have also been told and shown that Mom always loved them but also worried about some bad behaviors that could be leading them away from faithfulness to God. In other words, I think Jesus’ message was the same as Mom’s (who died five years ago on Labor Day, by the way). God, and living for God, comes before every possession and every other relationship that we have.
It would be hard to imagine a recovering alcoholic or addict maintaining sobriety while keeping a stash of booze or dope around their house. It is equally hard to think of someone who is truly trying to straighten up a very wayward life and maintaining the relationships he or she had with their very wayward friends. Commitment to Christ takes the same separation when necessary. God comes first always. Even when it means letting go of the ways, possessions, and folks that keep us from living God’s way.
The message is still tough to comprehend. But sometimes we need a good jolt.
paz,
Fr. Chuck
"If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”
Every time I read this quote from today’s Gospel I get upset. I have to admit that I love my family and my life. And the words of Jesus tell me to hate them!?!?!? I can’t do that. My family, especially my Mom and Dad, were the ones who taught me my faith by their words, actions, and discipline. I get inspiration today from my sister and brother who stay faithful and strong despite the difficult circumstances that they face in their day to day lives. There’s nothing to hate about them. Not only do I love their faithfulness but they are both good people that I’m proud to know and call my brother and sister.
So what could Jesus mean by this statement? Surely Jesus wasn’t anti-family or marriage. He also repeated the Old Testament passage from Genesis affirming the permanence of marriage and how when two people marry they become an unbreakable one. He even came from THE Holy Family! I believe this was another parable from Jesus. He used parables to shock us into attention. Jesus said very bold things to turn our minds and hearts upside down, and so we could get a glimpse of the total commitment of love and forgiveness God has made to us and is asking from us.
My best example of this being lived out is actually from my Mom. Her relationship to God was always first in her life. On the day of my ordination she told me to only go to the Cathedral that morning IF I was going to be a good priest. (I’m still working on that.) But her point was that her pride to have a priest in the family was not as important to her as having a good priest to be dedicated to God and for the Church. I know my sister and brother have also been told and shown that Mom always loved them but also worried about some bad behaviors that could be leading them away from faithfulness to God. In other words, I think Jesus’ message was the same as Mom’s (who died five years ago on Labor Day, by the way). God, and living for God, comes before every possession and every other relationship that we have.
It would be hard to imagine a recovering alcoholic or addict maintaining sobriety while keeping a stash of booze or dope around their house. It is equally hard to think of someone who is truly trying to straighten up a very wayward life and maintaining the relationships he or she had with their very wayward friends. Commitment to Christ takes the same separation when necessary. God comes first always. Even when it means letting go of the ways, possessions, and folks that keep us from living God’s way.
The message is still tough to comprehend. But sometimes we need a good jolt.
paz,
Fr. Chuck
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