20 Dec Fourth Sunday of Advent

“True, a worldwide tragedy like the Covid-19 pandemic momentarily revived the sense that we are a global community, all in the same boat, where one person’s problems are the problems of all. Once more we realized that no one is saved alone; we can only be saved together.” — Pope Francis

FROM YOUR PASTOR

The Coronavirus Pandemic has exposed the FRAILTIES in Ourselves,  our Cultures, and our World. It has proved to be the most Spiritual, Emotional, Psychological, Physical, and Financial TIME OUT of Contemporary Times. Faith, Family, and Community have taken on New Meaning and innovative Forms of Expression.

The Crisis of Isolation and Loneliness has resulted in Abuse, Neglect, Hopelessness, Depression, Suicide, and Violence. The Grace of Introspection has led to Everyday Heroes, Generosity Beyond Imagination, and Gratitude for Basic Necessities. The Freedom of Time has allowed for a Rethinking and Resetting of Priorities in a Post Pandemic World.

The False Prophets have defined the Pandemic to be the Curse of God on a godless World. People of Faith recognize that this is a time of Growing Fraternity as declared by the Holy Father to use our Time, Talent, and Treasure to bring Joy, Love, Peace, and Hope to others.

It is also a time for us to ask ourselves, ‘What does Jesus want ME to learn from this time and experience?’ The answer for each of us is different. For me, it has led to a Realignment of my Prayer Life, and Understanding of the Relationships throughout my life, and an Acceptance of God’s Forgiveness of my sins.The implications not only affect me, but those that God has placed in my care.

While the Answers may be Different For YOU, the Manifestations may be Life-Changing. Why? Because God will not only give you the Grace to endure these Realizations, but He will also place the people, events and circumstances in your life necessary to make the Outcomes part of Your Daily Life…Spiritually, Emotionally, Psychologically, Physically, and Financially.

Pope Francis tells us that Advent is, ‘the Season for Remembering the Closeness of God who came to dwell in our midst.’

We need Him to be close to us…close to us in so many ways…

Providing…Comfort in the Crosses of Corona, Fervor for Prayer and Sacramental Grace, Hope in Physical Separation, Healing to the Sick, Eternal Rest to those Called Home, Courage to the Caregivers, Wisdom to the Medical and Research Communities, Fortitude to the First Responders, Peace to Troubled Hearts,  Assistance to those who have lost their Job or Business, Activism that Restores and Heals, Politics of Hope and Healing, Spiritual Leaders who Serve with Compassion,  Rest to the Weary, Consolation to Broken Hearts, Provisions for those In Need, Hope in Moments of Abandonment or Futility, Peace to those experiencing Real or Perceived Stress and Anxiety, Cooperation among Community Service Providers, Deliverence from Evil Thoughts and Destructive Actions, Light in times of Darkness, Freedom from Addictions, Assistance to the Depressed and Suicidal, Assurance through Companionship, Solice to Parents and Guardians, Prudence in the Use of Limited Natural Resources, Equitable Distibution of Medicines and Vaccines,  Helping Hands to the Stranger and Refugee and Immigrant and Imprisoned, Patience in Uncertainty…

We ask this of the New-Born Christ Child through the Intercession of Our Blessed Mother…

+May God Bless You and Keep You+

13 Dec Third Sunday in Advent

“Joseph is a man who goes ‘unnoticed,’ who welcomes the mystery and puts himself at its service, never putting himself at the center, but who resolves things that are impossible…a true husband and father, the fiancé who ‘accepted Mary unconditionally’ and the man in whom ‘Jesus saw the tender love of God.’ -Pope Francis

FROM YOUR PASTOR

What will the YEAR OF SAINT JOSEPH be TO YOU?

Through the centuries, the Church has given  increased insight into YOUR ANSWER to that question.

Beginning in the 15th Century, Pope Sixtus V fixed March 19th as the date on which the Saint Known By His Silence is celebrated. Pope Pius IX, on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in 1870, proclaimed Saint Joseph the Patron of the Universal Church.

Pope Pius XII responded to the distress of the Italian Workers who lamented about a lack of Christian Presence in the Public Life while socialist ideologies seemed to be taking over. He established May 1st as the Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker — the ‘humble artisan of Nazareth’ who is the personification  of ‘the dignity of the worker before God’ and the ‘provident guardian’ of their families.

On November 13, 1962, Saint Pope John XXIII decreed that Saint Joseph’s name be inserted into the Roman Canon, alongside Mary’s name and before those of the Apostles.

Pope Saint Paul VI celebrated Mass on the Solemity of Saint Joseph each year invoking his complete ‘submission and dedication’ to his Mission by ‘superhuman greatness.’ In Saint Joseph,  ‘small becomes great.’

Saint John Paul II linked the ‘charism of virginity and the gift of matrimony…It is appropriate to suppose that he is not an elderly man,  but that his interior perfection, a consequence of grace, led him to live his special relationship with Mary with virginal affection.’

Pope Benedict XVI described Saint Joseph as ‘just’ even in his SILENCE to the World. ‘It is no exaggeration to think that it was precisely from his ‘father’ Joseph that Jesus learned — at the human level — that interioriority  which is a presupposition of authentic justice, the ‘superior justice’  which he was one day to teach his disciples.’

Pope Francis decreed on May 1, 2013, that the name of Saint Joseph, the Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, be added in Eucharistic Prayers II, III and IV.

On this December 8th, OUR FEAST DAY of the IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, Pope Francis proclaimed the YEAR OF SAINT JOSEPH through December 8, 2021.

WHY? In his declaration, the Holy Father cites the VIRTUES OF SAINT JOSEPH essential to this Time of COVID:

>A Beloved, Tender, and Obedient Father;

>A Spirituality that Accepts proactively the Will of God rather than seeking Explanations of a Mystery;

>A Creative Courage that guides and protects his Young Family On the Move;

>A Commitment to the Value, Dignity, and Joy of Work essential to Self-Esteem;

>A Most Chaste Father based in Self-Giving Love and Extraordinary Freedom;

>A Parental Responsibility that encourages the Freedom of His Child; and

>A Radical Trust in the Divine Unknown.

And so We Pray…

Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,

Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

To you God entrusted his only Son;

in you Mary placed her trust;

with you Christ became man.

Blessed Joseph, to us too,
show yourself a father
and guide us in the path of life.
Obtain for us grace, mercy, and courage,
and defend us from every evil.  Amen.

+May God Bless You and Keep You+

06 Dec Second Sunday of Advent

“Advent reminds us that Jesus came among us and will come again at the end of time. Yet we can ask what those two comings mean, if he does not also come into our lives today? So let us invite him, Come, Lord Jesus. Charity is the beating heart of the Christian…just as one cannot live without a heartbeat, so one cannot be a Christian without charity. It is by works of mercy that we draw close to the Lord. Jesus is coming, and the road to meet him is clearly marked: it passes through works of charity.”  — Pope Francis

FROM YOUR PASTOR

THE TWELVE DAYS OF COVID ADVENT

Day 1: Pace Yourself.

For many, this is a season of consolation rather than jubilation. The spiritual and emotional toll of isolation and physical distancing have moved the holiday needle from nostalgia to lament, anticipation to anger, and accommodation to scorn.

Pace yourself with the Serenity Prayer.

Day 2: Focus Your God Time Each Day.

Practice Ignatian Spirituality by putting yourself in your favorite Advent or Christmas Scripture passage:

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light…the Wonder Counselor, the Prince of Peace.” Is 9:2-6;

“They shall call his name Emmanuel (which means God with us).” MT 1:18 – 25;

“The shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.’ ” LK 2:8 – 20; or

“They saw the child with Mary his Mother, and they fell down and worshiped him.” MT 2: 1 – 12.

Can such passages move you from COVID Desolation to Post-COVID Consolation?

Day 3: Ramp Up Your Parish Involvement. 

Saint Paul reminds us: ‘Rejoice with those who rejoice; and weep with those who weep.’ Rom 12: 15.

With COVID limited activities, perhaps the best Parish involvement is in the area of Outreach: assist Households financially through Saint Vincent de Paul; serve the homeless through Breakfast and Lunch Lines physically or financially; help families who do not have enough food by donating to Food Pantries; volunteer at the Shelters to assist the front line workers; Financially support On-line Ministries and Faith Formation; or Run Errands for the elderly or confined  neighbor down the street.

These are simple tasks that take us out of ourselves and place us in service to others.

Day 4: Choose Your Entertainment Strategically. 

Watch Advent and Christmas themed movies that will prepare your heart for the true meaning of Christmas…replacing lament with gratitude.

Use Social Media only to provide hope and assistance, not to cause anxiety or loneliness.

Communicate with others — those isolated by need or by choice — so they know they are not forgotten.

Day 5. Act Out Of Self-Giving Love.

Share God’s Consoling Love with those who are: worried about Money, corrupted by the Culture, suffering from Depression, frustrated by Social Restrictions, Home Alone, Homeless, Unemployed  or Under – Employed, Separated from their families, Grieving for loved ones, Hungry, struggling with the Illnesses of Isolation, Worried about the future, living or traveling in Unstable Areas, or experiencing Stress and Anxiety.

Day 6. Be Aware Of Your Sinfulness. 

Always tell Jesus — Thank You, I Love You, and I Am Sorry.

Start Confessing Your Sins and shortcomings to Jesus in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

In your personal and professional relationships, always thank people for their generosity, apologize to those you have offended, and forgive those who have harmed you.

Day 7.  Cultivate A Humble Sense Of Your Unworthiness.

When your ego and your pride move you from a spirit of Charity to Self-Righteousness, remember: Jesus died for your sins — past, present, and future; Mary submitted her will to the will of Our Heavenly Father to the point of piercing her Immaculate Heart; and Joseph prioritized the care of Mary before his own reputation.

Day 8.  Move From The Depths Of Doubt In Your Faith.

Be aware of the action of the Devil in your mind. The Idleness of Isolation can lead to Sin, Addiction, and Abuse.

Satan will play tricks so that you feel that God doesn’t love you, God has abandoned you, or God does not want what is best for you. Remember: Pure Love never Forgets or Abandons.

The greatest enemy to your faith is the Enemy Within. A battle with that enemy will allow you to prevail in the battle with the Enemies of the World…the Spiritual and the Temporal.

Day 9.  Live Your Faith With Certitude. 

In this time of uncertainty, focus on Timeless Truths more than temporary viewpoints. Do not let the politics of the moment, or the demands of the popular culture, define Who You Are.

You are a beloved Child of God, chosen by Christ at your Baptism, and sent on Mission at your Confirmation to be an Intentional Disciple.

Whose You Are rather than Who You Are in the eyes of the World will determine Your Witness to Your Faith.

Day 10.  Find The Jesus Nested Deep Within Your Heart.

It has been said that when Christians lose their minds, people lose their faith.

If our Faith is centered in our Mind rather than our Heart, the natural events of the daily battle will supersede in our Mind the supernatural events of the Heart that allow us to be Christ To Others.

Jesus speaks to us Heart-to-Heart. And it is our Heart that can either be hardened by the culture or opened by love. Remember, it is Our Heart that Jesus Will Read on the Last Day.

How is Jesus moving your heart in COVID Days in service to Him and to Others?

Day 11.  Desire Intensely Your Redemption By God.

To desire Redemption means a Total Gift of Self to the One Who Is Love.

God sent his only Son to redeem us. From the Cross, when Jesus said,  ‘I thirst,’ he expressed his desire for us to give everything to Him — our hopes,  our fears, our sorrows, our joys, our successes, our failures, and our sins – – past, present, and future.

His life of Humility and Obedience to His Heavenly Father gives us the Blueprint to Eternal Life with Him. The Uncertainty of COVID Times does not remove the Certainty of Our Redemption and the Hope of Eternal Life with Our Heavenly Father.

Day 12.  Wait For Jesus In Trust And Hope.

The Gospel reminds us to Be Alert! We do not know the time of the Second Coming of Jesus.

But we do know that when He comes, we will not only See Him as He truly is, but we will See Ourselves as He sees us. We will also be given the Gift to see how Our Life affected not only those Around Us but generations that Followed Us.

Living our life in Humility and Obedience will allow us to have Trust and Hope in that final hour. We are not alone in the wait. Jesus passes through our life 24/7 through the people, events, and circumstances of our daily life…Giving us Hope Today in the Eternity of Tomorrow…

+May God Bless You And keep You+

29 Nov The First Sunday of Advent

“We have realized that we are on the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented, but at the same time important and needed, all of us now called to row together, each of us in need of comforting each other.”  — Pope Francis 

FROM YOUR PASTOR 

We begin a new Liturgical Year as Advent begins. Ironically, we began this New Year during the most Extraordinary Year of Our Contemporary Lifetimes. 

How do we Comfort Ourselves and Comfort Others? How will the Newborn Christ Child help us Celebrate in Isolation, in Fear, in Grief, or in Desolation? 

In our Solitude where is OUR HOPE?

The spiritual, emotional,  psychological, financial, and physical challenges of the Pandemic have transitioned for many into stress, anxiety, fear, domestic abuse, panic, anger, addictions, poverty, suicide, distress, depression, violence, rioting…and uncertainty. 

As INDIVIDUALS and as a SOCIETY, we are grieving the LOSS of Our World as it was only 12 months ago!

The FATIGUE of the Pandemic is the greatest threat to OUR HOPE. And OUR MIND can become its greatest Accomplice.

In our Pandemic Sheltering, even the hurts and the failures in OUR PAST can become emotionally and psychologically present to us today…paralyzing OUR ABILITY to forgive, to accept forgiveness,  to heal from traumas, and to place the past into perspective. And with time, those memories can become DISTORTED,  causing stress over exaggerated and possibly PERCEIVED rather than REAL events, relationships, and circumstances in the past. This puts OUR PAST, prior to the Pandemic, in CONFLICT with OUR FUTURE after the Pandemic.

Every Generation learns in the CHALLENGES OF THEIR TIMES the  Ability to ADAPT and COPE for their Spiritual, Emotional, Psychological, Physical, or Financial Survival.

When I was in Regis High School, we read the book, Man’s Search For Meaning, by Viktor Frankl. He was a survivor of Auschwitz. He discussed three mental stages: Shock after one’s arrival at a Camp; Apathy during life in the Camp; and Disillusionment with life after the Camp.

Today, for many, Shock, Apathy, and Disillusionment have become part of Pandemic Life.

Frankl’s Thesis is that Man’s Deepest Desire is to find MEANING IN LIFE…and in the Meaning, HE FINDS SURVIVAL. Simply put, Suffering can either DESTROY US or MOTIVATE US. How? Through Work, Through Love, and Through Suffering. 

Sound Familiar? Sounds like the LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST. His WORK is the SALVATION OF OUR SOULS. His LOVE is the ESSENCE OF HIS BEING as the Son of God who is PURE LOVE. His SUFFERING is THE CROSS.

Let me share FIVE ELEMENTS that he defines in this SEARCH FOR MEANING:

> We have the freedom to choose our personal response in any circumstance. 

>We must search not for calm, but for a life with a purposeful struggle.

> Most of our fears are not important, and you overcome your fears when you confront your fears.

> Have an attitude of gratitude for simple moments, things, and graces.

> Living with a greater cause will move us to change ourselves rather than our situation.

REMEMBER…As a Beloved Child of God, and a Sister or Brother to Jesus Christ as a result of your Baptism, you have, THROUGH HIM, the ability to change YOUR BEHAVIOR and YOUR ATTITUDE in the LIFE HE HAS ASKED YOU TO ENDURE. How? Through the GRACE OF THE SACRAMENTS. 

So, how does the Pandemic Define or Redefine YOUR MISSION…YOUR WORLD…YOUR LIFE?

JUST ASK JESUS…IN HIM YOU WILL FIND THE MEANING OF YOUR LIFE…YOUR HOPE…during the Pandemic…and Beyond…

+May God Bless You and Keep You+

22 Nov Christ the King

“Like a sudden breaking storm, the coronavirus crisis has caught us all by surprise, abruptly changing on a global level our personal, public, family and working lives. This dramatic situation highlights the vulnerable nature of our human condition, limited as it is by time and contingency. It reminds us that we have forgotten or simply delayed attending to some of the key issues in life. It is making us evaluate what is really important and necessary, and what is of secondary or only superficial importance. The crisis has shown us that, especially in times of need, we depend on our solidarity with others. In a new way, it is inviting us to place our lives at the service of others. It should make us aware of global injustice and wake us up to the cry of the poor and of our gravely diseased planet.” — Pope Francis

FROM YOUR PASTOR

For Thanksgiving Weekend 2012, my Seminary Brothers, now Father Ivan Olmo of Orlando and Father  Michael Fragoso of Metuchen, and I visited Maryknoll in New York.

Our purpose was to visit Father Larry Murphy who then was well into his nineties… and is now well over a 100…an Incredible Priest and with a Lifetime of Incredible Ministry!

The weekend was filled with great joy as we visited with a number of the retired Maryknoll Priests at the facility that was once their Seminary and is now their Retirement Center. Their stories were filled with adventure and fulfillment.

We prayed at the Tombs of the Founders, we Contemplated the Missions at the Commisioning Bell, and we looked over the Hudson River at a World in Need of  Evangelization.

One of the Memorable Moments of that weekend for me was to Pray at the Grave of Bishop James Walsh who was imprisoned in China from 1958 to 1970. As a Grade School student at  Presentation of Our Lady in Barnum, I read HIS STORY in the Catholic Comic Book, Treasure Chest. Because we were in the Cold War at the time, had Civil Defense Drills, heard the Defense Siren tests from atop our school, and received instructions on building a Civil Defense Shelter in your Basement, HIS STORY had great relevance.

That Thanksgiving Visit rekindled my interest in the great work of the Maryknoll Priests, Brothers and Sisters. I want to share with you two Pandemic Prayers by Father Joseph Venerosi, M.M. as we celebrate perhaps the most Extraordinary Thanksgiving of Our Lifetime.

We pray…

+Save us, Savior of the world!

Let your mercy cover the earth

as sunlight fills the skies.

May these days of disease,

uncertainty and fear

never overshadow Your call to be

our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers.

Keep us safe, O Lord, not only from physical illness and danger

but also from spiritual sickness

of hatred, envy, greed and apathy.

Grant that this time of testing

teaches us to appreciate our health,

our faith, our friends and family,

but most of all, our life.

Into Your most merciful hands

we commend the souls of the dead

and beg Your blessing on the sick.

Open our hearts to Your

love and forgiveness

and our eyes to Your divine image

in all peoples at all times.

May we never tire of serving You.

Amen.

Let us pray…

+We give You thanks and praise,

O God of times and seasons,

but especially during these difficult times when disease and death have

threatened the whole world with suffering.

Though separated from one another

You remain near to all.

While uncertain as to what

the future may bring

we find comfort in knowing

You hold all things in Your hand.

May this be a time of purification

and penance that we might

number our days aright and

find wisdom to walk in Your ways.

Grant that we never again take

our life, health, breath, food or freedom for granted.

Bless us through our friends and families and may this food and Your grace

give us strength and courage to follow

You more faithfully through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

+May God Bless You and Keep You+

15 Nov Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Is your Prayer Life…Second Nature…or A Struggle?

Because Jesus is One With His Heavenly Father,  He wants to be One With Us.

And perhaps we accomplish this through Our Prayer Life. 

For some, FORMAL PRAYER becomes hypnotic and is ultimately discarded.

For some, CONVERSATIONAL PRAYER makes Jesus part of every moment of every day. 

Jesus began every act of His Ministry with Prayer. Through Prayer, He proved that Nothing is Impossible With God. 

For You and Me, Prayer can move us through the Lived Experience of Daily Life…powered by Faith, driven by Trust, and encased in Gratitude. 

That PRAYER can be reduced to SEVEN important, if not challenging, WORDS…I Love You, I’m Sorry, Thank You…repeated throughout the day…

How do we do this?

>When we wake up, we THANK Jesus for the day. We offer all of our joys, works, sufferings, and hopes of that day known only to Him. 

>Then, tell him what you need to do that day…NOT THE OUTCOMES JUST THE TASKS…that’s where FAITH comes in. 

>As you go through the day, you live the list. BUT WITH EACH TASK, whether it requires your brain or your brawn, ASK JESUS HOW TO DO IT ..that’s TRUST IN HIS PREFERRED OUTCOME.. not yours. 

>With each completed job or sub task, THANK HIM…for completing the Scoping Memo, Painting the Living Room, or Finding a Parking Space. Jesus not only wants to be PART OF ALL YOU DO, He wants to THANK HIS HEAVENLY FATHER for the talents GOD HAS GIVEN YOU to do each of these activities. 

>At the end of the day, in your EXAMEN: Ask Jesus To Forgive You for the ways in which you  hurt His Heavenly Father and  Others during that day; Review with Jesus all of the major events of the day;

Thank Him For The Outcomes even if they are incomplete; Notice The People And Events And Circumstances that HE USED to bring about those outcomes; and Ask Him for the GRACE TO ENDURE HIS RESOLUTIONS of Your Issues…that’s GRATITUDE.

>Tell Jesus what you know to be left Unfinished For Tomorrow, and Ask Jesus to Guide You in FAITH and TRUST.

>Then, go to Sleep!

Over time, this becomes the most CONSUMING WAY to grow in Relationship with Jesus Christ. He becomes part of Everything You Do and Everything You Are. HE IS ANYWAY…SO, CONVERSATIONAL PRAYER WILL ALLOW YOU TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS REALITY!

THIS SPIRITUAL CONSCIOUSNESS AS PRAYER THROUGHOUT THE DAY REMINDS YOU THAT JESUS IS PASSING THROUGH YOUR LIFE 24/7…You are NEVER alone…whether you acknowledge it or not!

REMEMBER, SLEEP-WALKING through the day or BENIGN ACCEPTANCE, with No Thank You, No Apology, No Unconditional Love regardless of the outcome…IS NOT PRAYER!

The JOY AND PEACE OF CONVERSATIONAL PRAYER FULFILLS…even when the outcome is difficult. 

Through this Lived Experience of Divine Intervention in Every Day Life, Prayer does become… SECOND NATURE…

+May God Bless You and Keep You+

08 Nov Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Choose purity, meekness and mercy while entrusting ourselves to the Lord and dedicating ourselves to justice and peace….hope for God’s comfort. The meek…know how to control themselves…leave space for the other, they listen to the other, respect the other’s way of living, his or her needs and requests. They do not intend to overwhelm or diminish the other. They do not want to dominate or impose their ideas or interests to the detriment of others. Meekness is the way to go forward with humility and mercy. This means going against the current in respect to this world’s mentality, in respect to the culture of possessing, of meaningless fun, of arrogance against the weakest. The personal and universal vocation to holiness…proposes…that each person walks in a unique and unrepeatable way, according to the ‘imagination’ of the Holy Spirit.” — Pope Francis

01 Nov All Saints Day

“You will love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind, and You will love your neighbor as yourself. Using these two fundamental precepts, Jesus establishes two essential cornerstones for believers of all times. The first is that moral and religious life cannot be reduced to an anxious and forced obedience, but must have love as its principle. The second is that love must tend together and inseparably towards God and neighbor. This is one of Jesus’ primary innovations and it helps us understand that what is not expressed in love of neighbor is not true love of God; and, likewise, what is not drawn from one’s relationship with God is not true love of neighbor. Love for God is expressed above all in prayer, particularly in adoration. And love for neighbor, which is also called fraternal charity, consists in closeness, listening, sharing, caring for others. The verification of our journey of conversion and holiness is always in the love of our neighbor. As long as there is a brother or sister to whom we close our hearts, we will still be far from being disciples as Jesus asks of us.”  — Pope Francis

FROM YOUR PASTOR

How do YOU LIVE the Greatest Commandment?

The LIFE OF JESUS defines the answer to this question.

In asking Jesus to articulate the Greatest Commandment, the Pharisees are not asking Him to choose among ten… they are asking him to choose among the 613 Commandments  in the Torah and pick the most important.

Jesus does so with a simply complex answer…He exhorts them to  LOVE GOD and to LOVE THEIR NEIGHBOR.

Common to both these commandments…is LOVE.

Unlike the Pharisees who basically instructed the people to do as they say and not as they do, Jesus tells us to DO AS HE DOES…and that becomes an enormous command. Why? Because in His death on the Cross, he exhibited the greatest LOVE there is — to lay down one’s life for another…for you and for me…

Jesus knew well the words of Psalm 18, ‘I love you, O Lord’…directing our first act of LOVE to God.

Jesus knew well the words from Exodus as God spoke to the Ancient Israelites…’for I am compassionate’…directing our second act of LOVE to others.

And Paul learned from Jesus as he reminds the Thessalonians that they become Holy when they become Imitators of Jesus.

So what is LOVE? Saint Thomas Aquinas reminds us that LOVE IS TO WILL THE GOOD OF ANOTHER. But that is NOT YOUR GOOD for them, it is the GOOD THAT GOD HAS DESIGNED  for them.

Holy Scripture reminds us that LOVE is not easy… it is a CHALLENGE … it is not a sentiment or emotion… it is a DECISION. Why? Because we are called to LOVE BAD PEOPLE TOO — criminals, enemies, critics, those who drive us crazy, and those who are mean —  because we desire that they repent and follow God’s perfect plan for their life. That is TOUGH LOVE…not shown TO US…but required OF US.

And that is why the PORTRAIT  OF LOVE that Jesus PAINTS FROM THE CROSS becomes the example for us to follow…the ULTIMATE  PAIN for the ULTIMATE GOOD.

The LOVE that Jesus exudes from the Cross reminds us that WE ARE LOVABLE…that includes the stranger and the friend.

The LOVE that Jesus exudes from the Cross exhorts us TO LOVE AS HE LOVES… that includes those who harm us as well as those who revere us.

The LOVE that Jesus exudes from the Cross reminds us that LOVE INCLUDES SUFFERING…that includes a personal cost to us as we replace our pride with humility in the service of others.

So, how do WE LOVE  as JESUS LOVES in Service to God and in Service to Others?  WE LOVE BY DEED, BY WORD,  AND BY PRAYER.

>We stand up for Moral Principles in the Public Square – – at work, at school, in politics, or at home.

> We share our Religious Values with Others — not to shame them but to plant seeds of faith.

> We respond to the Moral Doubts found in the Moral and Ethical Decisions of Daily Life —  by sharing the Christian point of view as advice and counsel…not admonition.

> We minister to those who are in Sorrow or Distress – – by being with and listening to the person in need.

>  We bear Wrongs to Us and Others — by seeking basic human rights and dignity and justice while and praying for our transgressors.

>   We forgive Mental and Spiritual Offenses – – by allowing forgiveness to replace anger.

>  We pray for the Living and the Dead — by remembering them while fostering their and our healing.

>  We care for Those in Need – – by using our time, talent  and treasure as a doer of mercy.

>  We link the Material with the Spiritual – – by giving others the material goods they need for daily survival along with a prayer for their survival.

>  We assist those who must Leave Their Home or Find a Home — by providing shelter, companionship, and help.

>  We seek those who are alone or isolated or imprisoned – – by  visits, contacts, or assistance.

>  We visit those who are Confined by Choice or Necessity or Illness — by giving our most precious commodity…which is our time.

> We care for those who Mourn – – by our expression of sympathy, our presence, or the provision of necessities as they grieve.

So, what is the bottom line?…It is SIMPLY COMPLEX…

We love God by being Christ to others…through HIS LOVE…

+May God Bless You and Keep You+

25 Oct 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

“It is a duty of all citizens, to comply with the laws of the state. At the same time, it is necessary to affirm God’s primacy in human life and in history, respecting God’s right over all that belongs to Him. By virtue of Baptism, we are all called to be a living presence in society, inspiring it with the Gospel and with the lifeblood of the Holy Spirit…with humility and with courage, and make one’s own contribution to building the civilisation of love, where justice and fraternity reign. God is the centre and the meaning of life.” — Pope Francis

FROM YOUR PASTOR

The Holy Father this week is reminding us of our responsibilities as citizens in the country in which we reside… Rendering to Caesar what is Caesar’s…Rendering to God what is God’s. But Jesus reminds us also that ALL WE HAVE and ALL WE ARE are a pure gift from God…GIVEN TO EACH OF US IN LOVE.

At the Intersection of Religion and Politics…Church and State…we find the distinction between HOW WE GIVE and WHAT WE GIVE…TO GOD and TO OTHERS.

These exhortations refer to both the Natural and the Supernatural…the Civil Law and the Moral Law. As citizens of a country, we have a responsibility to pay our taxes and obey the law. But as Beloved Children of God, we also have a responsibility to Our Heavenly Father and Our Neighbor…in our Spiritual Life, our Personal Life, our Social Life, our Professional Life, and our Political Life.

It is the Power of the Holy Spirit active in our lives that moves us to live the two Great Commandments — to Love God and to Love Our Neighbor — IN THE PUBLIC SQUARE.

How do we do that?

We do it FIRST through SPIRITUAL WORKS OF MERCY — following the Example of Jesus…from Nazareth to Calvary. These Works are: to Instruct the Ignorant; to Counsel the Doubtful; to Admonish Sinners; to Bear Wrongs Patiently; to Forgive Offenses Willingly; to Comfort the Afflicted; and to Pray for the Living and the Dead.

And then we TRANSFORM OUR FAITH INTO WORKS…through CORPORAL WORKS OF MERCY: to Feed the Hungry; to Give Drink to the Thirsty; to Clothe the Naked; to Harbor the Harbourless; to Visit the Sick; to Ransom the Captive;  and to Bury the Dead.

Over the last 125 years, these Works of Mercy have become the foundation of Catholic Social  Doctrine: the Life and Dignity of the Human Person; the  Call to Family, Community, and Participation; Rights and Responsibilities; Option for the Poor and Vulnerable; the Dignity of Work and the Right of Workers; Solidarity; and Care for God’s Creation.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we Move These Truths from the Church to the Streets…

In a very comprehensive way, the Colorado Catholic Conference has done this…taking Catholic Social Doctrine, the Spiritual Works of Mercy, and the Corporal Works of Mercy into a framework that responds to the Political Arena of state and local government legislation.

They prioritize the ISSUES OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN COLORADO to be: Sanctity of Life; Marriage and Family; Religious Liberty; Economic Justice, Poverty and Welfare; Healthcare; Immigration and Promoting Foreign Peace; Education; Restorative Justice; Energy and the Environment; and Technology.

When these become part of Our Life in the Public Forum, the challenge is to balance the impacts to People, Cultures, Economies, Businesses, and  Communities with the Moral Law.

The lesson is twofold. First, we are to Render to our Governments what they are due…

But more importantly, when we are asked by Jesus to Render to God what is God’s, perhaps the answer is very simple… perhaps you give Him…YOURSELF.

+May God Bless You and Keep You+

18 Oct 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Among the vulnerable for whom the church wishes to care with particular love and concern are unborn children, the most defenseless and innocent among us. Nowadays efforts are made to deny them their human dignity and to do with them whatever one pleases, taking their lives and passing laws preventing anyone from standing in the way of this.

…Precisely because this involves the internal consistency of our message about the value of the human person, the church cannot be expected to change her position on this question… It is not ‘progressive’ to try to resolve problems by eliminating a human life…”  — Pope Francis

FROM YOUR PASTOR 

Where is YOUR HOPE?

It lies in YOUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST, GOD’S UNENDING LOVE AND MERCY FOR YOU, and THE COMMUNITY WE BUILD AS CHURCH.

As CHURCH, Colorado Catholics helped move Propsition 115 to the Ballot this Fall. It will prohibit Abortions in Colorado after 22 weeks — the age when a child is considered able to live outside the womb with medical help. Colorado is one of Seven States that has no restrictions on abortion up until birth.  In the case where the mother’s life is at risk, or she feels the need to abort when chromosomal or structural abnormalities are discovered in the child, or when the child is conceived in rape, late abortion restrictions will not affect these cases.

As CATHOLICS, our goal is to PROTECT LIFE at all stages. In Faithfulness to Jesus, we can Never Support Abortion. Proposition 115 is a STEP in that direction…NOT THE TOTALITY of what Catholics Believe.

THIS IS OUR FAITH…

The RIGHT TO LIFE is the FUNDAMENTAL  RIGHT upon which all other RIGHTS EMANATE. LIFE IS THE FRUIT OF GOD’S ACT OF CREATION…THEREFORE, IT IS THE ULTIMATE SACRED AND DIVINE GIFT.

Pope Francis regularly reminds us of the dangers of a ‘Throw Away Culture.’ That includes Human Life, Political and Social Rights and Responsibilities, and Care for the Environment. That is CATHOLIC SOCIAL DOCTRINE.

At its core is the BASIC DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON — ALL HUMAN LIFE — from CONCEPTION to NATURAL DEATH.

THIS IS OUR HOPE…

Sometimes, life begins under complicated circumstances — rape, casual sex, abuse, the absence of a committed father, family scorn, poverty, and fear.  Sometimes pregnancies are complicated affecting the health of the mother, the detection of developmental deficiencies, or the inability to cope with a larger family.

But for Catholics, a HUMAN LIFE is at the CORE of any situation and any decision.

As a COMMUNITY, we DO  NOT ABANDON that LIFE, we SUPPORT THE CHILD AND THE FAMILY. We protect the Mother’s Health, we find a Suitable Home for the child, we provide Necessary Medical  and Mental Health Services for the child and the parent or guardian, and we pursue financial options for the family and for the care of the child.

How do we do this?

As an ARCHDIOCESE, the Archbishop’s Catholic Appeal underwrites many programs that address these life circumstances. OUR PRO-LIFE MINISTRIES include Project Rachel, Gabriel Houses, Marisol Pregnancy Clinics, and housing for mothers in crisis.

As a PARISH FAMILY, we offer our INDIVIDUAL TIME, TALENT, AND TREASURE to support the child and their family by running errands, providing needed transportation, gifting a parent’s night off, and assisting in basic house and car chores and needs. Saint Vincent de Paul Societies can provide financial assistance in paying bills.

Helping the child and the mother, father,or guardian in these ways is a Corporal Work Of Mercy that becomes Life Sustaining.

THIS IS OUR LOVE…

If Proposition 115 is passed, it surely will SAVE ONE LIFE.

And that life may just be the EMT that may SAVE YOUR LIFE someday…

+May God Bless You and Keep You+