Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
As a Lay Marianist and someone who works at an institution run by the Marianist order (the University of Dayton), today’s Gospel reading from John holds a lot of significance. Vowed religious and members of the Marianist family across the world make an effort to say a prayer called the Three O’Clock prayer which recalls the imagery of Mary and John standing at the foot of the cross.
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Healing comes in many forms. The Native Americans and many around the world bring about healing through utilizing plants and animals for healing. Now days we have modern medicine, at least in many parts of the world. Medical science has helped us develop antibiotics, therapies and procedures which offer great healing. One of the hardest lessons in life is to realize there is no pill that can cure our every ill.
Memorial of Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Reflecting on today’s readings, I can’t help but hum the hymn to myself: “We are many parts, we are all one body. And the gifts we have, we are given to share…” Singing together is such a powerful way to establish group identity. When many voices join in one song, our unity as God’s people, the Body of Christ, is made clear. We make it a point in our family to sing hymns together. It’s a simple, easy way to make the ‘Church at home’ a real part of our daily experience. We’re not great singers. But we like to sing, and it becomes a beautiful prayer to God, even when my voice or my children’s voice sounds a little hard on the ears! It doesn’t have to be perfect to have a positive effect on our life of Faith.
Monday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
This weekend our new parish theme was introduced: “Discipleship: Sacraments of Peace’. As well it should, I am lead to seriously reflect on what aspects of my life need renewal. I found today's scriptures particularly meaningful in this regard; they set forth several ways to grow and change in the effort to live as a peacemaker. In my limited experience, establishing peace in my own heart, as well as my community and beyond, requires hard work. There is nothing passive when it comes to peace. Peace is definitely an ‘action word’.
Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
We are ten months into the Jubilee of Mercy. I hope that you have taken the time to reflect upon the significance of this year. It is also my hope that you have let mercy rule in your lives. May this year not pass you by without you making it to the sacrament of penance and also offering unconditional mercy, forgiveness and love to someone. Here is the deal. If “mercy” has not been a big deal for you, then, may be today’s readings will not a be a big deal either. Today’s readings celebrate mercy to the point of it being a scandal. God’s mercy is a scandal! It is a scandal but it is true.
Saturday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
I like books. For a while, books were my main friends in the faith. I would hang out with them until it was late at night. I would eat lunch with them and grab a cup of coffee with them. They were the best. I thought they were the way to learn about my faith. Then I went to Reconciliation and the priest essentially said, "That’s great that you like reading, but you need some friends". he meant friends whose spines were actually in their bodies and that I couldn’t put in a backpack with ease. So, I got some friends and thought I had found the cream of the crop for learning about my faith. Then I had kids. Now, I’m learning about God and my faith in ways that are challenging and amazing.
Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, Priest
I had the great privilege of attending Duke University for graduate school, where I did, indeed, get to see some of the basketball games. (Non-Duke fans - I hope you won't hold this against me...) I remember watching a game once where the top players started the game, but by the end Duke was so far ahead, that younger less experienced players were out there on the court. It was fascinating to compare: the star players were agile, acrobatic, and had their moves coordinated and timed; the less-experienced players had far less control of their bodies, and therefore, of the game. Despite the fact that both groups were on the same "team" the differences in training led to apparently small differences between their actions that made all the difference when it came to playing the game.
Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
In today's readings we hear about the Lord's preparations and plans to bring Jesus into this world. As Mary's lineage is recounted we see how intentional God was in fulfilling His promises, especially this one, "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel." Through the fulfillment of this promise, God became man, dwelt among us and lived with us. What a blessing that God loved us enough to do this for us.
Wednesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
The readings today are challenging on many different levels. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians on first glance seems to be calling us to a life of celibacy. Indeed, in this section of Corinthians, Paul suggests, “let even those who have wives, be as though they had none.” These words were Paul’s opinion based on the reality of the situation as he understood it.
Tuesday of the Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time
In the first reading, Paul admonishes the Corinthian Christians of his time to take more care to demonstrate their allegiance to Jesus within society. In particular, he seems to be responding to situations where one Christian would sue another Christian in the civil (Roman) courts. The point that he is making is much broader than the example of Christians taking each other to court. Paul uses this example as a teaching moment. His larger point is that when we become Christians, we supposedly have left our old ways behind and have become something new. He points out the many ways of life that people might be called “from.” But he emphasizes that is very important also to focus on what we have been called “to.” In other words, how do we live differently as a result of our baptism into Christ?
Monday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
I often wear a cross around my neck, and I also have a rosary hanging from the rearview mirror in my car. These are small but visible signs that I am a follower of Jesus. Although these are visual cues to what I believe, the way I talk, think and act should be consistent with what these outward symbols represent. Today’s readings remind us that we must be living signs of Christ in our world. We cannot let the opinions or judgments of others prevent us from all that God is calling us to do to bring His love and mercy to others.
Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
(This is the second installment of my two-part reflection on Mother Teresa as she is canonized a saint on Sept 4).
When we think of Mother Teresa, we think of her as someone who brought God’s love, care, and kindness to the most abandoned people in the world. We also think of her as someone who was guided daily by God. After all, her entire endeavor to leave the Loreto Sisters and begin a new order of sisters, was at the personal wishes of Jesus. You would expect that her spiritual journey was one long honeymoon with God. Surprisingly, that was not the case. The book, Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light — a collection of her writings to her spiritual directors and confessors—reveals an unexpected twist to to her story. These writing reveal that Mother Teresa experienced more than five decades of total abandonment at God’s hands. Let me just read one of her entries. “Lord my God, who am I that you should forsake me? The Child of your Love—and now become as the most hated one—the one—You have thrown away as unwanted—unloved. I call, I cling, I want—and there is no One to answer—no one on whom I can cling—no, Not One.—Alone… Where is my faith—even deep down right in there is nothing, but emptiness and darkness—My God—how painful is this unknown pain—I have no Faith—I dare not utter the words and thoughts that crowd in my heart—and make me suffer untold agony. So many unanswered questions live within me afraid to uncover them—because of the blasphemy—If there be God—please forgive me—When I try to raise my thoughts to Heaven—there is such convicting emptiness that those very thoughts return like sharp knives and hurt my very soul.—I am told God loves me—and yet the reality of darkness and coldness and emptiness is so great that nothing touches my soul. Did I make a mistake in surrendering blindly to the Call of the Sacred Heart?”
Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church
I’m counter intuitive all the time. I stay up later than I should and then am bummed when my kids wake up at the same time they always do. I forget to say please when telling Iggy to say please and I say things like “No, Iggy, we say ‘no thank you’.” I am counter-intuitive in a foolish and often illogical way. Paul also speaks of counter-intuitive living in the first reading, but his comes from wisdom in grace.
Friday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time
Thursday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time
I’m a skeptic at heart, so when I read today’s Gospel reading I can’t help but put myself in Simon’s shoes (or sandals, or whatever). I imagine having tried for hours to catch fish unsuccessfully and then someone telling me to go out and try again. I’m sure I would roll my eyes and think of myself as wise enough not to give it another try. However, Simon doesn’t do that in today's gospel reading. Instead he seems to foolishly trust in Jesus’ command and casts his nets for another try which results in a bounty that he can hardly handle. In the end it seems that he would have even been more foolish not to admit the limits of his own wisdom had he chosen to not trust in Jesus’ command. Its this mentality that I believe Paul is calling us to embrace in the first reading from the First Letter to the Corinthians. That perhaps there is a connection between foolishness and wisdom rooted in our own flawed human nature.
Wednesday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time
When a baby is born it has already spent nine months literally connected to their mother. Mothers of course have a special relationship and we are learning once again that breastfeeding and skin to skin contact are essential for the baby to get the best start in life physically, mentally, and emotionally. Fathers are connected in different ways but especially through speaking to the baby in the womb. Once born the child recognizes the fathers voice. I even sang to my children when they were in the womb. I sang that song to them after they were born and it was stunning to me how much it calmed them.
Tuesday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time
“The Spirit scrutinizes everything” (1 Cor 2:10B). Does that make you nervous? Or are you looking forward to a good look-over from the Spirit? Personally, I don’t enjoy it when someone is looking carefully through my personal business, because I think it’s none of theirs. But we all belong to the Lord, and we were made to serve God by working for the Kingdom. Jesus has redeemed our lives from sin and death, and so our lives and everything that pertains to us is God’s “business.”
Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist
Today is the Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist through which we honor the prophet, the ‘forerunner’ or ‘precursor’, of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. When I think about John the Baptist, images of a bold, powerful, single minded, and somewhat eccentric fellow come to mind. In reality, John may be one of the best witnesses to the power choosing to be weak—choosing faith in the power and wisdom of God.
Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
(On September 4, Mother Teresa of Calcutta will be be canonized a saint. Today and next weekend, I would like to offer a two part reflection on this newest saint. I will base it on the scripture readings for the weekends).
Let me begin with a touching story from Mother Teresa’s childhood. Agnes, as she was called before she took on the name Teresa, was born on August 26, 1910. When she was only 8 years old, her father suddenly fell ill and died. Agnes became extraordinarily close to her mother, Nikola. Agnes learnt charity from her mother. Nikola had given an open invitation to the destitute of the city to dine with her family. Her mother would say to her, ”My child, never eat a single mouthful unless you are sharing it with others.” When Agnes asked who the people eating with them were, her mother would simply say, "Some of them are our relations, but all of them are our people.” In light of this story, let me read the conclusion to today’s gospel reading. “When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you” (Luke 14:14) In these words, Christ taught his disciples about humility.”
Memorial of Saint Monica
I recently spent three days at a ‘Youth Ministry Boot Camp’ provided by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. The pace left time for processing and conversation without lulling us to sleep. The topics were familiar enough for us to approach them with confidence, but with a fresh spin from which we could grow. All-in-all it was the rejuvenating, refreshing reboot many of us needed. As I sit down to write today’s reflection I realize that a little of St. Monica was present throughout the three days.