BIBLE STUDY #10
TWENTY THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
SEPTEMBER 5, 2010
Gospel Luke 14:25-33
Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,
and he turned and addressed them,
"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.
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple.
Which of you wishing to construct a tower
does not first sit down and calculate the cost
to see if there is enough for its completion?
Otherwise, after laying the foundation
and finding himself unable to finish the work
the onlookers should laugh at him and say,
'This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.'
Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down
and decide whether with ten thousand troops
he can successfully oppose another king
advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?
But if not, while he is still far away,
he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.
In the same way,
anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be my disciple."
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
Today’s gospel is a continuation from last Sunday’s gospel, and, like last weeks gospel, is concerned with discipleship in our Christian journey towards salvation. Last week we heard about the demands of table fellowship with the Lord; this week we hear about relationships and possessions in the kingdom of God.
Jesus gives us three demands of discipleship, without which we cannot be his disciples: first, we must hate our father and mother, and even our own life; secondly, we must carry our cross everyday; and thirdly, we must renounce our possessions. Not exactly the kind of statements you would put on a recruiting poster for Christianity, but a necessity if we are to be Jesus’ disciples.
The first demand to hate your mother and your father seems ludicrous because Jesus always tells us to love one another, even our enemies. Jesus is referring to the priorities in our lives. This is a harsh way to say that God must come first in our lives, even at the expense of our families. It brings home the point that putting God first may not be easy and the cost of faith may be rejection by our families. Are we willing to attend mass on Sunday even at the ridicule of others? When there is a family wedding, would you go to Sunday mass when no one else is? If you met someone you wanted to marry and they needed a prior marriage annulled, would you wait for that annulment? What would you do if the annulment wasn’t granted? You would have to decide between your faith and your fiancée. What would you do?
Jesus tells us that putting God first extends to our own life. We think we know what is good for ourselves, that we can make our own decisions. Why, then, is there so much unhappiness in the world? At the risk of oversimplification, I’d say it is precisely because we make our own decisions. How many times have we said to ourselves, “What was I thinking when I did that?” Or “If I had to do it all over again…” Or “Next time I’ll know better?” If I had a nickel for every time I said that, I’d be rich. I’m sure it is the same for you, too. Since God knows the best way to live, the more we listen to God the better off we will be. We may say that God is first in our lives, but if so, why can’t most Catholics even devote one hour a week to mass?
The second demand of discipleship is to bear our crosses. Anything that is worthwhile has a cost. Anything worthwhile is worth the sacrifice. Getting a college degree, for example, takes a lot of time, effort, and money, yet the end result is to be educated and have better job opportunities. So the effort is worth it.
The same is true with marriage. Good marriages just don’t happen, they are the result of a lot of work. The efforts we put in, the sacrifice, the caring, the loving, the dedication, the commitment, all result in something special. Marriage isn’t easy, but it can be very rewarding.
Our faith can also be demanding. It is difficult to be kind in an unkind world, to be sacrificial in selfish world, to be forgiving in an unforgiving world, to love in an unloving world. When people hurt us, we don’t want to forgive, we want revenge. When people insult us, we want to do the same to them. We are called as disciples to live by Christian principles: to be kind, loving, forgiving etc., no matter how people treat us. It is hard to forgive someone who has hurt us, but by holding onto our hurt and anger we are destroying ourselves. When we don’t let go of these hurts, we are letting the other person control of feelings, our moods, even our actions. Letting go of these bad feelings towards another means to let go of the hold the other person has on us.
The third demand of discipleship is to renounce our possessions. Does Jesus really mean to give everything away? When the rich young man comes to Jesus asking about eternal life, Jesus at first tells him to keep the commandments, then on further inquiry tells him to sell what he has and give it to the poor. The young man just turned and walked away. I think I would have questioned Jesus on this point because there are other examples in the gospels where Jesus doesn’t demand us to give everything away. Zaccheus is a good example. He gave away half of what he had and offered to pay back four fold to those he had cheated. Jesus seemed happy with that and dined with him that evening.
In continuing the mission and ministry of Jesus, the Church never calls us to a life of poverty. The exception would be those who join religious orders and take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience (FYI, diocesan priests like myself do not take a vow of poverty). In fact, the social justice teaching of the church says we all are entitled to good jobs that pay a just wage and benefits. The goal of Catholic Charities is to assist in lifting people out of poverty into a decent way of life. Also, tithing in scripture is not giving away everything, but it is donating 10% to charity.
Things of the world are not good or bad, people are good and bad. The problems arise when people misuse the gifts of the earth. It is no sin to have things – we all want to have a decent standard of living, some savings, be able to educate our children, and be able to retire comfortably. It is sinful, however, to be greedy. It is sinful to put material possessions first in our lives, over family, friends, and God. It is sinful not to share our material possessions with those in need. It is sinful when the accumulation and retention of wealth is our only goal in life. Renouncing our possession means that we don’t let those things control our lives. It means that we don’t let the things of the earth deflect us in any way from our Christian mission to love God and to love each other.
However, we can’t renounce our possessions and then fail to give any of it away. If our possessions don’t control us, we should be able to give at least some of it away. And we should do it even if we don’t get a tax break.
Think about this: the U.S. is less than 5% of the world’s population and consumes more than 50% of the worlds good and services. Is there any wonder why so many of the people in the world live below the poverty level and go hungry every day when social scientists tells us that there is enough food in the world right now to feed everybody? I know that the U.S. is a very generous country, but are we (not the government) doing enough?
According to the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), a part of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), the poverty rate in the U.S. in 2008 was 13.2% or 39.8 million people, up from 12.5% in 2007, or 37.3 million. In 2008, there were 17 million people living in extreme poverty in the U.S., defined as earning less than half the poverty level. This is in the richest country that ever existed.
I tell you all of this not to be accusatory but to be informative and to make you think. All 3 requirements of discipleship are radical and call us to rethink how we are living our Christian lives. The demands are great, but God’s grace is there for us. Like the king going to war and the man building a tower from today’s gospel, if we are not prepared to pay the cost, our discipleship will be frustrated.
I suggest that if God seems distant, if our faith is flagging, and we are losing our resolve, it is not God turning away from us, but us not taking up the demands of discipleship.
Fr. Phil
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
BIBLE STUDY #9
TWENTY SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
AUGUST 29, 2010
Gospel Luke 14:1,7-14
On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.
He told a parable to those who had been invited,
noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table.
“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet,
do not recline at table in the place of honor.
A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him,
and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say,
‘Give your place to this man,’
and then you would proceed with embarrassment
to take the lowest place.
Rather, when you are invited,
go and take the lowest place
so that when the host comes to you he may say,
‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’
Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table.
For every one who exalts himself will be humbled,
but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Then he said to the host who invited him,
“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.
For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem and stops at the house of a Pharisee to dine. Usually, these meetings led to a confrontation. The Pharisees (or Jesus’ other opponents) would attempt to provoke Jesus so that they could find grounds to accuse him. Jesus’ has already predicted his passion and death, and his opponents are silent when Jesus asks questions, which shows their deteriorating relationship, which eventually leads to Jesus death.
Verses 1-24 of chapter 14 reflect on the demands of table fellowship with the Lord, and it is an expression of the post Easter faith of the church. This section also reflects on the churches growing movement away from Judaism and towards the gentiles.
In our parable today, Jesus speaks in the second person: “When you are invited…” which makes us place ourselves directly into the story; the story thus becomes personal, it reflects on our own actions.
The parable is about humility. Webster’s Dictionary defines being humble as “not proud or haughty: not arrogant or assertive.” Harper’s Bible Dictionary defines humility in the biblical world as, “a value that directs persons to stay within their inherited social status, specifically by not presuming on others and even avoiding even the appearance of lording over another. Humble persons do not threaten or challenge another’s rights, nor do they claim for themselves than has been duly allotted them in life.” The word humble derives from the Latin word humilis, meaning low or from the earth.
This parable, then, tells us that humility is a great Christian virtue, something we should all practice. We are not to look for honor or prestige. When Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, she asked that the$6,000.00 needed to pay for the banquet in her honor be donated to the poor in Calcutta, which would feed hundreds of people for a year. She didn’t need the prestige from humans, just from God. She is like the person who looks for the low seat at the banquet, and is honored and asked to move up by the host.
Of course, there is that false humility that looks for the lowest place for no other reason than to be picked out of the crowd and to be moved up so every one notices. That’s a form of pride we need to avoid.
Alcoholics Anonymous defines humility as “not thinking less of yourself. It is thinking of yourself less.” The proud are always thinking of themselves, of how good they are, of how may accolades they deserve, how they are better than others. The humble think of others, how they can help and serve those in need.
The proud believe in the following statement: “God made me in his image and likeness, and I have since returned the favor”. They believe that they know what God should do in every situation; they have an opinion about everything, and will argue their point. The humble person recognizes God’s greatness, that they may not understand everything, but give God the benefit of the doubt. They know how much they need God in their lives. They are willing to change their opinions, and more importantly, I believe, they do not have the need to convince everyone that they are right. They can let people have different opinions from them.
Being humble does not mean being spineless. Humility doesn’t require us to let people walk all over us.
A humble person has a good sense of themselves. They have an idea of their strengths and weaknesses. They don’t brag about their strengths, and work on correcting their weaknesses.
In today’s society, so much of people’s self image comes from what other people think of them. We want (need?) other peoples approval to feel good about ourselves. We need to have others exalt us so we are important and can feel good about ourselves. This is a false way to live. If we are good people with a healthy self-image, who rely on God, why do we care what others think? A proud person needs the approval of others. The humble person doesn’t look for it, but when and if it comes, they say a simple thank you. Some people think that a humble person denies all compliments, but that’s a false humility that draws attention to oneself in an attempt to build themselves up. They are proud of their humility!
The use of a wedding banquet reminds us of the heavenly wedding feast, the heavenly table of the Lord, and where God, the host of the banquet, seats us. God promises us in verse 11, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” When we enter the heavenly banquet, which one will we be?
Fr. Phil
TWENTY SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
AUGUST 29, 2010
Gospel Luke 14:1,7-14
On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.
He told a parable to those who had been invited,
noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table.
“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet,
do not recline at table in the place of honor.
A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him,
and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say,
‘Give your place to this man,’
and then you would proceed with embarrassment
to take the lowest place.
Rather, when you are invited,
go and take the lowest place
so that when the host comes to you he may say,
‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’
Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table.
For every one who exalts himself will be humbled,
but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Then he said to the host who invited him,
“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.
For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem and stops at the house of a Pharisee to dine. Usually, these meetings led to a confrontation. The Pharisees (or Jesus’ other opponents) would attempt to provoke Jesus so that they could find grounds to accuse him. Jesus’ has already predicted his passion and death, and his opponents are silent when Jesus asks questions, which shows their deteriorating relationship, which eventually leads to Jesus death.
Verses 1-24 of chapter 14 reflect on the demands of table fellowship with the Lord, and it is an expression of the post Easter faith of the church. This section also reflects on the churches growing movement away from Judaism and towards the gentiles.
In our parable today, Jesus speaks in the second person: “When you are invited…” which makes us place ourselves directly into the story; the story thus becomes personal, it reflects on our own actions.
The parable is about humility. Webster’s Dictionary defines being humble as “not proud or haughty: not arrogant or assertive.” Harper’s Bible Dictionary defines humility in the biblical world as, “a value that directs persons to stay within their inherited social status, specifically by not presuming on others and even avoiding even the appearance of lording over another. Humble persons do not threaten or challenge another’s rights, nor do they claim for themselves than has been duly allotted them in life.” The word humble derives from the Latin word humilis, meaning low or from the earth.
This parable, then, tells us that humility is a great Christian virtue, something we should all practice. We are not to look for honor or prestige. When Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, she asked that the$6,000.00 needed to pay for the banquet in her honor be donated to the poor in Calcutta, which would feed hundreds of people for a year. She didn’t need the prestige from humans, just from God. She is like the person who looks for the low seat at the banquet, and is honored and asked to move up by the host.
Of course, there is that false humility that looks for the lowest place for no other reason than to be picked out of the crowd and to be moved up so every one notices. That’s a form of pride we need to avoid.
Alcoholics Anonymous defines humility as “not thinking less of yourself. It is thinking of yourself less.” The proud are always thinking of themselves, of how good they are, of how may accolades they deserve, how they are better than others. The humble think of others, how they can help and serve those in need.
The proud believe in the following statement: “God made me in his image and likeness, and I have since returned the favor”. They believe that they know what God should do in every situation; they have an opinion about everything, and will argue their point. The humble person recognizes God’s greatness, that they may not understand everything, but give God the benefit of the doubt. They know how much they need God in their lives. They are willing to change their opinions, and more importantly, I believe, they do not have the need to convince everyone that they are right. They can let people have different opinions from them.
Being humble does not mean being spineless. Humility doesn’t require us to let people walk all over us.
A humble person has a good sense of themselves. They have an idea of their strengths and weaknesses. They don’t brag about their strengths, and work on correcting their weaknesses.
In today’s society, so much of people’s self image comes from what other people think of them. We want (need?) other peoples approval to feel good about ourselves. We need to have others exalt us so we are important and can feel good about ourselves. This is a false way to live. If we are good people with a healthy self-image, who rely on God, why do we care what others think? A proud person needs the approval of others. The humble person doesn’t look for it, but when and if it comes, they say a simple thank you. Some people think that a humble person denies all compliments, but that’s a false humility that draws attention to oneself in an attempt to build themselves up. They are proud of their humility!
The use of a wedding banquet reminds us of the heavenly wedding feast, the heavenly table of the Lord, and where God, the host of the banquet, seats us. God promises us in verse 11, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” When we enter the heavenly banquet, which one will we be?
Fr. Phil
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Bible Study #8
TWENTY FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
AUGUST 22, 2010
Gospel: Luke 13:23-30
Jesus passed through towns and villages,
teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.
Someone asked him,
“Lord, will only a few people be saved?”
He answered them,
“Strive to enter through the narrow gate,
for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter
but will not be strong enough.
After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door,
then will you stand outside knocking and saying,
‘Lord, open the door for us.’
He will say to you in reply,
‘I do not know where you are from.
And you will say,
‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’
Then he will say to you,
‘I do not know where you are from.
Depart from me, all you evildoers!’
And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth
when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
and all the prophets in the kingdom of God
and you yourselves cast out.
And people will come from the east and the west
and from the north and the south
and will recline at table in the kingdom of God.
For behold, some are last who will be first,
and some are first who will be last.”
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
Jesus is continuing his long journey to Jerusalem at which time he will undergo his passion, death and resurrection. On his way to his fate, Jesus takes the opportunity to instruct his disciples (and us) about living the Christian life.
One thing to note here is that there is no mention of Jesus teaching in the synagogue (i.e. see 4:15, 6:6 and 13:10). Up to this point, Jesus mission was very much connected to the synagogue. From here on out, however, Jesus never again enters the synagogue. He is beginning to separate himself from Judaism (at least Luke is suggesting this separation) because Jesus is much more than a reformer, he is the son of God, the divine second person of the blessed trinity, and by his own authority, is rewriting all the rules. Since he is God, he can do so. I know we would like to, but can’t.
In this journey theme of Luke’s, we also see Jesus teaching marked by sense of his own personal destiny: the “master of the house has arisen” (verse 25) refers to the risen Jesus and the very fact that someone asks Jesus about salvation (verse 23) alludes to Jesus mission to suffer, die and rise to open for us the gates of heaven, which is why he came to us. Not to preach, or teach, or heal, or anything else, but to suffer, die, and rise on the third day.
Someone asks Jesus in verse 23, “Lord, will only a few people be saved.” Is he asking this question because he is interested in being saved? Is he asking this question because if it is too hard, he will leave? Is he asking this question to see if he is included? It makes us think of our own motivation in asking that question.
You should notice that Jesus doesn’t answer that question directly, but instead talks about the effort necessary to be saved. He doesn’t include or exclude anyone from salvation; it seems that people include and exclude themselves.
Jesus tells us that the gate leading to salvation is narrow. It can’t be too narrow for a person because people do enter through the gate. Does it become too narrow to pass through because we may carry too much baggage? Are our sins making it impossible to enter the gate? Are we swelled by pride, are we carrying too much guilt, or does our lack of forgiveness weigh us down enough to prevent us from passing through the gate?
Jesus says many may not be strong enough. Strong enough to do what? To admit our faults? To seek forgiveness from God and others? To offer and ask for forgiveness? To try to do better? To think we have to change? Our sins are numerous, and these questions can be numerous too. We all have baggage that weighs us down and keeps us from being the kind of person God intends us to be. Jesus paid the price for our sins. When will we learn to lay our sins at his feet?
One of the most powerful experiences of forgiveness in my life came when I was in the seminary. We had a class retreat, and part of the retreat was a penance service. After we went to confession, we took a nail and laid it upon a cross that was lying in front of the altar. That was very powerful to me – a vivid reminder that God takes away our excess baggage; when it is too heavy for us to carry, he carries it for us. He’s paid the price for our sins because we can’t, and he offers it freely. No reason to carry the load ourselves when Jesus will do it for us. How much better and happier would our lives be if we depended more on Jesus and less on ourselves?
The master of the house (the risen Jesus) locks the door and leaves people standing outside. Why would Jesus do that? The door is locked to all those who reject Jesus and his teachings. It is a statement by Luke of the people of Jesus day who rejected him, and a statement about people of all ages that have rejected him. We make the mistake of thinking these people were forced out, but they were not. They left of their own accord. They left because they wanted to leave. The door is not locked permanently, however. Forgiveness is the key that opens the door for us into eternal life.
There is no guarantee that we will be saved: “We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.” The insiders, the Jewish people, thought they were saved by birthright, that they would be saved because they were Jews. Jesus rejects this. Only those who do the will of the Father will be saved. This applies to us, too. Baptism does not guarantee us salvation. We need to follow Jesus’ teachings in their entirety. We can’t pick and choose what we want to do. We can’t say, “I don’t need to give alms because I go to church and pray”, nor can we say, “I don’t need church because I help others.” We need to do both.
Whenever people discuss who can be saved, it is always them who are saved and others who are not. People are very easy on themselves; they will say, “Well, I didn’t kill anyone or steal anything, so I guess I’ll be saved.” As if not being a convicted felon is reason enough to enter eternal life. Yet these same people are hard on others and apply the rules severely: “I haven’t seen them in church in a few weeks”, not even knowing why they weren’t there, but ready to condemn anyway.
Why do we do this? Maybe it is because if we can point to others who are sinners, and we aren’t like them, then maybe we can convince ourselves that we are saved and don’t have to change. Just remember that God doesn’t judge us based on what someone else does; he judges us on our actions (or inactions). There will come a time when we will be standing in front of the throne of God when we will not be able to blame someone else but will have to answer for our own lives.
What can God ask us to do? He can’t ask us to be perfect, because we were made to be imperfect. I think that all God can ask us to do is to be the best disciples we can everyday, given our limitations and our circumstances. When we fail, which we will, we seek God’s forgiveness, and go on with our lives in peace and happiness, knowing that Jesus has paid the price for our sins. As long as we’re trying our best, we should have no fear of what happens in the next life. If not….
Just because salvation is a free gift from God, it doesn’t give us a free ride through life.
Fr. Phil
AUGUST 22, 2010
Gospel: Luke 13:23-30
Jesus passed through towns and villages,
teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.
Someone asked him,
“Lord, will only a few people be saved?”
He answered them,
“Strive to enter through the narrow gate,
for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter
but will not be strong enough.
After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door,
then will you stand outside knocking and saying,
‘Lord, open the door for us.’
He will say to you in reply,
‘I do not know where you are from.
And you will say,
‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’
Then he will say to you,
‘I do not know where you are from.
Depart from me, all you evildoers!’
And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth
when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
and all the prophets in the kingdom of God
and you yourselves cast out.
And people will come from the east and the west
and from the north and the south
and will recline at table in the kingdom of God.
For behold, some are last who will be first,
and some are first who will be last.”
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
Jesus is continuing his long journey to Jerusalem at which time he will undergo his passion, death and resurrection. On his way to his fate, Jesus takes the opportunity to instruct his disciples (and us) about living the Christian life.
One thing to note here is that there is no mention of Jesus teaching in the synagogue (i.e. see 4:15, 6:6 and 13:10). Up to this point, Jesus mission was very much connected to the synagogue. From here on out, however, Jesus never again enters the synagogue. He is beginning to separate himself from Judaism (at least Luke is suggesting this separation) because Jesus is much more than a reformer, he is the son of God, the divine second person of the blessed trinity, and by his own authority, is rewriting all the rules. Since he is God, he can do so. I know we would like to, but can’t.
In this journey theme of Luke’s, we also see Jesus teaching marked by sense of his own personal destiny: the “master of the house has arisen” (verse 25) refers to the risen Jesus and the very fact that someone asks Jesus about salvation (verse 23) alludes to Jesus mission to suffer, die and rise to open for us the gates of heaven, which is why he came to us. Not to preach, or teach, or heal, or anything else, but to suffer, die, and rise on the third day.
Someone asks Jesus in verse 23, “Lord, will only a few people be saved.” Is he asking this question because he is interested in being saved? Is he asking this question because if it is too hard, he will leave? Is he asking this question to see if he is included? It makes us think of our own motivation in asking that question.
You should notice that Jesus doesn’t answer that question directly, but instead talks about the effort necessary to be saved. He doesn’t include or exclude anyone from salvation; it seems that people include and exclude themselves.
Jesus tells us that the gate leading to salvation is narrow. It can’t be too narrow for a person because people do enter through the gate. Does it become too narrow to pass through because we may carry too much baggage? Are our sins making it impossible to enter the gate? Are we swelled by pride, are we carrying too much guilt, or does our lack of forgiveness weigh us down enough to prevent us from passing through the gate?
Jesus says many may not be strong enough. Strong enough to do what? To admit our faults? To seek forgiveness from God and others? To offer and ask for forgiveness? To try to do better? To think we have to change? Our sins are numerous, and these questions can be numerous too. We all have baggage that weighs us down and keeps us from being the kind of person God intends us to be. Jesus paid the price for our sins. When will we learn to lay our sins at his feet?
One of the most powerful experiences of forgiveness in my life came when I was in the seminary. We had a class retreat, and part of the retreat was a penance service. After we went to confession, we took a nail and laid it upon a cross that was lying in front of the altar. That was very powerful to me – a vivid reminder that God takes away our excess baggage; when it is too heavy for us to carry, he carries it for us. He’s paid the price for our sins because we can’t, and he offers it freely. No reason to carry the load ourselves when Jesus will do it for us. How much better and happier would our lives be if we depended more on Jesus and less on ourselves?
The master of the house (the risen Jesus) locks the door and leaves people standing outside. Why would Jesus do that? The door is locked to all those who reject Jesus and his teachings. It is a statement by Luke of the people of Jesus day who rejected him, and a statement about people of all ages that have rejected him. We make the mistake of thinking these people were forced out, but they were not. They left of their own accord. They left because they wanted to leave. The door is not locked permanently, however. Forgiveness is the key that opens the door for us into eternal life.
There is no guarantee that we will be saved: “We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.” The insiders, the Jewish people, thought they were saved by birthright, that they would be saved because they were Jews. Jesus rejects this. Only those who do the will of the Father will be saved. This applies to us, too. Baptism does not guarantee us salvation. We need to follow Jesus’ teachings in their entirety. We can’t pick and choose what we want to do. We can’t say, “I don’t need to give alms because I go to church and pray”, nor can we say, “I don’t need church because I help others.” We need to do both.
Whenever people discuss who can be saved, it is always them who are saved and others who are not. People are very easy on themselves; they will say, “Well, I didn’t kill anyone or steal anything, so I guess I’ll be saved.” As if not being a convicted felon is reason enough to enter eternal life. Yet these same people are hard on others and apply the rules severely: “I haven’t seen them in church in a few weeks”, not even knowing why they weren’t there, but ready to condemn anyway.
Why do we do this? Maybe it is because if we can point to others who are sinners, and we aren’t like them, then maybe we can convince ourselves that we are saved and don’t have to change. Just remember that God doesn’t judge us based on what someone else does; he judges us on our actions (or inactions). There will come a time when we will be standing in front of the throne of God when we will not be able to blame someone else but will have to answer for our own lives.
What can God ask us to do? He can’t ask us to be perfect, because we were made to be imperfect. I think that all God can ask us to do is to be the best disciples we can everyday, given our limitations and our circumstances. When we fail, which we will, we seek God’s forgiveness, and go on with our lives in peace and happiness, knowing that Jesus has paid the price for our sins. As long as we’re trying our best, we should have no fear of what happens in the next life. If not….
Just because salvation is a free gift from God, it doesn’t give us a free ride through life.
Fr. Phil
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Bible Study #7 August 10, 2010
Bible Study #7
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
August 15, 2010
Gospel: Luke 1:39-56
Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”
And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.”
Mary remained with her about three months
and then returned to her home.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Reflection
Today is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which supercedes the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, which would normally be on this date. This only happens a few times during the year, which shows the importance of this celebration. These solemnities celebrate an important event in the saving mission of Jesus or celebrate someone who was key in unfolding these events. I think both are true in this case.
This feast dates back to the 5th Century, where the Christians of the East were celebrating a feast called the “Memorial of Mary.” This feast day was taken from the martyrs anniversaries, or birthdays into heaven. It eventually became known is the ‘koimesis in Greek, and the ‘dormitio’ in Latin, henceforth the ‘Dormition of Mary’, or the falling asleep of Mary, which represented the deep faith of early Christians in the resurrection of the body after it falls asleep in death.
The emperor Mauricius Flavius (582-602) decreed that the feast of the Dormition of Mary was to be celebrated on August 15th. Pope St. Adrian I (772-795) adopted this feast for the west and the word ‘Assumption’ replaced ‘Dormition’.
The feast faded in importance for a few centuries but made a revival due to the continuing liturgical celebrations of this feast, and because of the writings of some of the great saints in the church, including Saints Albert the Great, Bonaventure and Thomas Aquinas, and has been a popular feast since that time.
Beginning in 1846, many petitions were sent to Rome by many members and groups of the Church asking for the declaration of the dogma of the Assumption of Mary. This is a wonderful example of the ‘sensus fidelium’, or the sense of the faithful. In 1946, Pope Pius XII issued an encyclical Deiparae Virginis, asking the bishops whether they thought this doctrine should be defined and whether the clergy and laity desired its’ definition. The answer was an overwhelming yes. The Pope saw this as proof that this doctrine is divinely revealed. You see, God does speak to the people, from the bottom up, as it were, and not only from the top down.
On November 11, 1950, Pope Pius XII issued the apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus (M.D.) defining Mary’s bodily Assumption into heaven to be a dogma of faith: “We pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.”
Notice that Pope Pius XII left open the question of whether Mary actually died and was assumed into heaven, or whether she was assumed into heaven without dying. Also notice the word assumed: she did not rise to heaven by her own power, but by the power of God, as opposed to Jesus, who ascended into heaven by his own power. The Pope has also included the Immaculate Conception, the Motherhood of Mary, and Mary’s perpetual virginity as part of the dogma of the Assumption.
There are two sets of readings for this solemnity: readings for the Vigil Mass, and readings for the Mass during the day. The Gospel I am writing about is the Gospel for the Mass during the Day.
There is nothing in Scripture concerning Mary’s Assumption, so the Church selected the Gospel of the Visitation and the Magnificat for this liturgy. This prayer is so important that is recited every day in evening prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours.
Mary leaves Galilee to go to Judah to visit her kinswoman Elizabeth who is in the 6th month of her pregnancy. Elizabeth had been barren for many years, which would have been quite an embarrassment at that time. A woman was supposed to bear children and take care of the home. Not having children would have been considered being punished by God. Now both women are pregnant, and they are both to have a role in salvation history.
The role of these women are not to be the main characters in a story, but supporting characters, helping to complete the story with their own contributions. Elizabeth is to be the mother of John the Baptist, the one preparing the way, and Mary is the mother of Jesus, the messiah, the savior. The main personages in this story are Jesus and John, not Mary and Elizabeth. If you think about it, this is true in any story of faith. Every one, no matter how important in the scheme of things, is a supporting character, and our story should be pointing to Jesus. Our story is only important as long as it is a part of Jesus story.
Luke is careful to separate Jesus from John. John is the lesser of the two. John ‘leaps for joy’ in his mother’s womb because Mary is pregnant with the messiah, and salvation is at hand. Later on we see that John is only the messenger preparing the way. Jesus is the message. It is Jesus that gives John his prophetic message. John said that he must decrease, and Jesus must increase.
Elizabeth is also filled with joy at this visit, and proclaims Mary to be blessed. We see the new visiting the old, and the old being subservient to the new, signifying the fulfillment of the Old Testament by the New Testament. We believe that Jesus is God’s final and definitive revelation to us concerning faith and salvation.
Mary responds with that beautiful canticle called the “Magnificat.” She begins by acknowledging God’s greatness and her joy in her God. This is a good place to start for all of us, also. Acknowledging God’s greatness means that we place ourselves at God’s beck and call, at God’s mercy. We are saying that God is greater than us, and we acknowledge our dependence on God.
As Christians, we should be joy filled people, like Mary. God’s presence in our lives should give us the joy that comes from hope: knowing that sin and death have been conquered through Jesus’ death and resurrection; knowing that God loves us and wants to be a part of our lives; knowing that following Jesus commands brings out the best in us and makes us his faith filled and joyful disciples; all these hope filled things should give us joy.
There is nothing worse than a crabby Christian. There is nothing worse than a Christian who professes faith in the risen Christ, then is complaining about everything, never seems to be happy, and brings everyone else down. I contend that a crabby Christian is no Christian at all.
Mary also reminds us that God is merciful to every generation, to those who fear him Fear doesn’t mean being afraid, but a sense of awe and reverence for God’s power, acknowledging God’s holiness and all that he has done for us.
The canticle then becomes revolutionary, in the sense that God will eventually over turn world order and put everything in order: the arrogant of mind and heart will be dispersed, rulers will be deposed, the rich are sent away empty; but the lowly are lifted up and the hungry are fed. This is how God fulfills his promise to Abraham (sending a messiah).
Mary had a very special role in the unfolding of salvation history. She gave her ‘yes ‘ to God and agreed to be the mother of Jesus, the Messiah and Savior of the world. She had no idea how that would play out in her life, and she went on faith. God asked her to do this, and she had ultimate faith and trust in God. She knew that God would be with her to guide and direct her in all parts of her life. Her life wasn’t easy, she had her own share of suffering, from going to Bethlehem for the census and giving birth to Jesus in a stable, to the flight into Egypt, to losing Jesus in the Temple, to Joseph’s death at an unknown time, to watching Jesus in his ministry, to seeing him die on the cross and then rise from the dead. As we hear in Acts, Mary was with the early church: “All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.” (Acts1: 14). When her life on earth was complete, she was assumed body and soul into heaven, the feast we celebrate today.
It seems to me that Mary didn’t do anything we normally associate with great saints: she didn’t found a religious order or any type of institution, she didn’t write anything, she wasn’t a missionary spreading the gospel, and she wasn’t a great preacher. What did she do? She placed her gifts at God’s feet and he turned them into something miraculous. What a great lesson for all of us! God might have great plans for a few of us, but mostly not. We bring our own gifts and talents and place them at God’s feet and we watch as our gifts (and ourselves) are transformed to play our own role in salvation history. No one knows what that can be; we only see a glimpse of it in hindsight. Mary didn’t see either, but she was still faithful. We, too, need to remain faithful, even if we don’t see, knowing that all is in God’s hands. And if we are, when our earthly pilgrimage is complete, we will hear Jesus tell us, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, says the Lord, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world (Matt 25:34).”
Fr. Phil
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
August 15, 2010
Gospel: Luke 1:39-56
Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”
And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.”
Mary remained with her about three months
and then returned to her home.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Reflection
Today is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which supercedes the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, which would normally be on this date. This only happens a few times during the year, which shows the importance of this celebration. These solemnities celebrate an important event in the saving mission of Jesus or celebrate someone who was key in unfolding these events. I think both are true in this case.
This feast dates back to the 5th Century, where the Christians of the East were celebrating a feast called the “Memorial of Mary.” This feast day was taken from the martyrs anniversaries, or birthdays into heaven. It eventually became known is the ‘koimesis in Greek, and the ‘dormitio’ in Latin, henceforth the ‘Dormition of Mary’, or the falling asleep of Mary, which represented the deep faith of early Christians in the resurrection of the body after it falls asleep in death.
The emperor Mauricius Flavius (582-602) decreed that the feast of the Dormition of Mary was to be celebrated on August 15th. Pope St. Adrian I (772-795) adopted this feast for the west and the word ‘Assumption’ replaced ‘Dormition’.
The feast faded in importance for a few centuries but made a revival due to the continuing liturgical celebrations of this feast, and because of the writings of some of the great saints in the church, including Saints Albert the Great, Bonaventure and Thomas Aquinas, and has been a popular feast since that time.
Beginning in 1846, many petitions were sent to Rome by many members and groups of the Church asking for the declaration of the dogma of the Assumption of Mary. This is a wonderful example of the ‘sensus fidelium’, or the sense of the faithful. In 1946, Pope Pius XII issued an encyclical Deiparae Virginis, asking the bishops whether they thought this doctrine should be defined and whether the clergy and laity desired its’ definition. The answer was an overwhelming yes. The Pope saw this as proof that this doctrine is divinely revealed. You see, God does speak to the people, from the bottom up, as it were, and not only from the top down.
On November 11, 1950, Pope Pius XII issued the apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus (M.D.) defining Mary’s bodily Assumption into heaven to be a dogma of faith: “We pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.”
Notice that Pope Pius XII left open the question of whether Mary actually died and was assumed into heaven, or whether she was assumed into heaven without dying. Also notice the word assumed: she did not rise to heaven by her own power, but by the power of God, as opposed to Jesus, who ascended into heaven by his own power. The Pope has also included the Immaculate Conception, the Motherhood of Mary, and Mary’s perpetual virginity as part of the dogma of the Assumption.
There are two sets of readings for this solemnity: readings for the Vigil Mass, and readings for the Mass during the day. The Gospel I am writing about is the Gospel for the Mass during the Day.
There is nothing in Scripture concerning Mary’s Assumption, so the Church selected the Gospel of the Visitation and the Magnificat for this liturgy. This prayer is so important that is recited every day in evening prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours.
Mary leaves Galilee to go to Judah to visit her kinswoman Elizabeth who is in the 6th month of her pregnancy. Elizabeth had been barren for many years, which would have been quite an embarrassment at that time. A woman was supposed to bear children and take care of the home. Not having children would have been considered being punished by God. Now both women are pregnant, and they are both to have a role in salvation history.
The role of these women are not to be the main characters in a story, but supporting characters, helping to complete the story with their own contributions. Elizabeth is to be the mother of John the Baptist, the one preparing the way, and Mary is the mother of Jesus, the messiah, the savior. The main personages in this story are Jesus and John, not Mary and Elizabeth. If you think about it, this is true in any story of faith. Every one, no matter how important in the scheme of things, is a supporting character, and our story should be pointing to Jesus. Our story is only important as long as it is a part of Jesus story.
Luke is careful to separate Jesus from John. John is the lesser of the two. John ‘leaps for joy’ in his mother’s womb because Mary is pregnant with the messiah, and salvation is at hand. Later on we see that John is only the messenger preparing the way. Jesus is the message. It is Jesus that gives John his prophetic message. John said that he must decrease, and Jesus must increase.
Elizabeth is also filled with joy at this visit, and proclaims Mary to be blessed. We see the new visiting the old, and the old being subservient to the new, signifying the fulfillment of the Old Testament by the New Testament. We believe that Jesus is God’s final and definitive revelation to us concerning faith and salvation.
Mary responds with that beautiful canticle called the “Magnificat.” She begins by acknowledging God’s greatness and her joy in her God. This is a good place to start for all of us, also. Acknowledging God’s greatness means that we place ourselves at God’s beck and call, at God’s mercy. We are saying that God is greater than us, and we acknowledge our dependence on God.
As Christians, we should be joy filled people, like Mary. God’s presence in our lives should give us the joy that comes from hope: knowing that sin and death have been conquered through Jesus’ death and resurrection; knowing that God loves us and wants to be a part of our lives; knowing that following Jesus commands brings out the best in us and makes us his faith filled and joyful disciples; all these hope filled things should give us joy.
There is nothing worse than a crabby Christian. There is nothing worse than a Christian who professes faith in the risen Christ, then is complaining about everything, never seems to be happy, and brings everyone else down. I contend that a crabby Christian is no Christian at all.
Mary also reminds us that God is merciful to every generation, to those who fear him Fear doesn’t mean being afraid, but a sense of awe and reverence for God’s power, acknowledging God’s holiness and all that he has done for us.
The canticle then becomes revolutionary, in the sense that God will eventually over turn world order and put everything in order: the arrogant of mind and heart will be dispersed, rulers will be deposed, the rich are sent away empty; but the lowly are lifted up and the hungry are fed. This is how God fulfills his promise to Abraham (sending a messiah).
Mary had a very special role in the unfolding of salvation history. She gave her ‘yes ‘ to God and agreed to be the mother of Jesus, the Messiah and Savior of the world. She had no idea how that would play out in her life, and she went on faith. God asked her to do this, and she had ultimate faith and trust in God. She knew that God would be with her to guide and direct her in all parts of her life. Her life wasn’t easy, she had her own share of suffering, from going to Bethlehem for the census and giving birth to Jesus in a stable, to the flight into Egypt, to losing Jesus in the Temple, to Joseph’s death at an unknown time, to watching Jesus in his ministry, to seeing him die on the cross and then rise from the dead. As we hear in Acts, Mary was with the early church: “All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.” (Acts1: 14). When her life on earth was complete, she was assumed body and soul into heaven, the feast we celebrate today.
It seems to me that Mary didn’t do anything we normally associate with great saints: she didn’t found a religious order or any type of institution, she didn’t write anything, she wasn’t a missionary spreading the gospel, and she wasn’t a great preacher. What did she do? She placed her gifts at God’s feet and he turned them into something miraculous. What a great lesson for all of us! God might have great plans for a few of us, but mostly not. We bring our own gifts and talents and place them at God’s feet and we watch as our gifts (and ourselves) are transformed to play our own role in salvation history. No one knows what that can be; we only see a glimpse of it in hindsight. Mary didn’t see either, but she was still faithful. We, too, need to remain faithful, even if we don’t see, knowing that all is in God’s hands. And if we are, when our earthly pilgrimage is complete, we will hear Jesus tell us, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, says the Lord, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world (Matt 25:34).”
Fr. Phil
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Email Newsletter August 2010
ST JOSEPH PARISH
EMAIL NEWSLETTER
AUGUST 2010
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
If I had to pick one reason why people fail to accomplish their goals, it’s because they don’t believe in themselves. I think believing in yourself is more important than talent, or opportunity, or money, or anything else. Many things in life, such as a poor educational system, poor parenting, or poor neighborhoods can be overcome, as has been shown many times. Failure to believe in oneself is one obstacle that cannot be overcome without a drastic change in attitude, not matter what advantages are handed to you.
There is a young man who plays center field for the Atlanta Braves named Rick Ankiel who began his professional baseball career pitching in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. He was an excellent pitcher, and was dubbed a ‘prospect’, which means the club had high hopes for him to make it big pitching in the major leagues.
As luck would have it, he made the major league club one spring and he was pitching great, and one day he just lost it. No one knows how or why, but all of a sudden he couldn’t get the ball anywhere near the plate. The catcher had trouble even reaching some of his pitches, and he threw several wild pitches that went all the way to the backstop. All of a sudden his pitching career was over.
What Rick did at this point is just amazing. He would not give up his baseball dream. He went back down to the lowest level of the minor leagues, and totally remade himself. Through hard work and belief in himself he made himself into an excellent hitter and fielder, and eventually made it back to the major leagues.
I believe the main reason he made it all the way back was not because of talent or opportunity, it is because he believed in himself and wanted to make it back.
What a great inspirational story for all of you struggling in life, and especially for all you kids. Don’t give up on your dreams. Work hard, have fun, be kind, forgive others, and believe in God. After all, God believes in you and loves you very much. He believes in you and loves you so much he sent his Son to suffer, die, and rise, so you might not perish but might have eternal life. If God believes in you that much, shouldn’t you believe in yourself?
HOW WEALTHY ARE WE?
From the standpoint of material wealth, we Americans have difficult
realizing how rich we are. Robert Heilbroner, who has written dozens
of books on the subject of the economy, suggest that we go through a
little mental exercise that will help us count our blessings. Imagine
doing the following, and you will see how daily life is for more than
a billion people in the world.
1. Take out all the furniture in your home except for one table and a
couple of chairs. Use blanket and pads for beds.
2. Take away all of your clothing except for your oldest dress or
suit, shirt or blouse. Leave only one pair of shoes.
3. Empty the pantry and the refrigerator except for a small bag of
flour, some sugar and salt, a few potatoes, some onions, and a dish
of dried beans.
4. Dismantle the bathroom, shut off the running water, and remove all
the electrical wiring in your house.
5. Take away the house itself and move the family into the tool shed.
6. Place your "house" in a shantytown.
7. Cancel all subscriptions to newspapers, magazines, and book clubs.
This is no great loss because now none of you can read anyway.
8. Leave only one radio for the whole shantytown.
9. Move the nearest hospital or clinic ten miles away and put a
midwife in charge instead of a doctor.
10. Throw away your bankbooks, stock certificates, pension plans, and
insurance policies. Leave the family a cash hoard of ten dollars.
11. Give the head of the family a few acres to cultivate on which he
can raise a few hundred dollars of cash crops, of which one third
will go to the landlord and one tenth to the money lenders.
12. Lop off twenty-five or more years in life expectancy.
By comparison how rich we are! And with our wealth comes
responsibility. We should use it wisely, not be wasteful, and help
others.
GENTLE THOUGHTS FOR TODAY
A penny saved is a government oversight.
The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight, because by then your body and your fat have gotten to be really good friends.
The sole purpose of a child's middle name is so he can tell when he's really in trouble.
Did you ever notice: When you put the 2 words 'The' and 'IRS' together it spells 'Theirs...'
When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to your youth, think of Algebra.
RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS
Or RCIA for short is a program for those people who would like to become full members of the Catholic Church. There are three groups of people who would be in this program; 1) baptized Catholics, who, for whatever reason, never received the sacraments of Eucharist and/or Confirmation; 2) Christians of other faith traditions who would like to convert to Catholicism; and 3) unbaptized people.
RCIA is a program of faith sharing and community building that begins in September and ends with the reception of the sacraments at the Easter Vigil, which is April 23rd of next year. They meet on Wednesday evenings to learn about the catholic faith and on Sunday during the 10 am mass for scripture sharing.
Some of you reading this newsletter may have never received confirmation as a teenager. You may be an active member, or only a part time participant. This is an opportunity for you to be updated on your faith, and a time of grace and blessing as you grow in your faith. If you have not received this sacrament, I strongly urge you to consider this program.
The other 2 categories of people in this program are not with us on Sundays, for obvious reasons. How are they to know about this program? You can tell them! How exciting? What a great way to live out the Great Commission given by Jesus just prior to his ascension to baptize, evangelize, and teach. And it is so easy. All you need do is tell someone about this program, and encourage them to attend. If they are interested, have them call Linda Boyle at (973) 696-1164.
BLOGSPOT
We now have a parish "blogspot" on the Internet. I will be using it for the bible studies and the newsletters for now, and anything else that may come up in the future. There are people who search the Internet for things like this, and it is a natural and easy way to reach out to them. It is also a way to archive these 2 writings, so they are available down the road or if you want to share them with anyone (please feel free to share this blog with anyone at any time). You can get to the blog through our website: go to www.stjosephsonline.org, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on ‘Parish Web Blog’ or go directly to the blog at www.stjoelp.blogspot.com.
IMMIGRATION
Due to the recent controversy concerning the immigration laws in Arizona, many of you may be wondering about the Church’s stance on immigration. While it is a difficult and complex issue, the following News Release dated July 29, 2010 from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops may help explain the church’s stance on this issue:
USCCB Migration Chairman Lauds Court Decision Regarding Arizona SB 1070, Urges Comprehensive Immigration Reform.
WASHINGTON— As chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Migration, Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City applauded the July 28 decision by U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton to halt some of the most controversial provisions of Arizona SB 1070 from going into effect the next day. Bishop Wester lamented the status quo on immigration as “unacceptable” and called for the Federal government to act immediately on immigration reform.
"It is the right decision,” Bishop Wester said. “Any law that provides legal cover to profiling affects all members of our communities, including legal residents and citizens. It is a very slippery slope. What is needed now is for Congress and the Administration to live up to their responsibilities and address this issue by passing immigration reform."
The U.S. Catholic bishops believe that any comprehensive immigration reform bill should contain the following elements: a legalization program that gives migrant workers and their families an opportunity to earn legal permanent residency and eventual citizenship; a new worker visa program that protects the labor rights of both U.S. and foreign workers and gives participants the option to earn permanent residency; reform of the U.S. family-based immigration system to reduce waiting times for family reunification; and restoration of due process protections for immigrants, including asylum-seekers. In the longer term, policies that address the root causes of migration, such as the lack of sustainable development in sending nations, should also be part of the equation.
The Bishops website is comprehensive and has a wealth of information on almost any topic affecting church life. Their website is: http://www.usccb.org/.
USED FURNITURE
The Father English Center will pick up used furniture, baby furniture or baby items such as strollers, cribs, etc. Call Carlos or Maritza at (973) 881-0127 between 8:30 and 9:00 am or 1:30 and 4pm to make a pick up reservation.
USED CLOTHING
You are all familiar with Straight and Narrow, the drug and alcohol rehab center in Paterson. They take donations of both men’s and women’s clothes. Many of their clients come directly from jail and have only the clothes on their back. Since they have no source of income, how are they to buy clothes? Donations of dress clothes are also important: when they are nearing the end of their stay, the clients need to dress nice for job interviews. If you would like to donate, please call Fr. Phil at the rectory, and he will bring the clothes to Paterson for you.
BLOOD DRIVE
SJP will be holding a blood drive in cooperation with Community Blood
Services on Sunday, August 15th from 10:00 am to 2:30 pm in Halloran Hall.
The facts speak for themselves:
Every 2.5 seconds someone needs blood.
Less than 5% of the population donates blood yet 70% will receive a
transfusion sometime in their lives.
Each year nearly 4 million Americans would die without life-saving
blood.
Donating blood is one of the best ways people can help. It must be
done all year, not just when tragedy strikes.
Donor Guidelines: Bring ID with signature; weight over 100 lbs; general
Good health.
There is a cholesterol screening done with every blood donation. For
more information or to schedule an appointment, please contact Lorraine
Thierry @ 973.696.4411.
WON’T YOU HELP SAVE A LIFE BY
TAKING TIME TO GIVE BLOOD?
FOR PET LOVERS
Lucky Dog....
Anyone who has pets will really like this. You'll like it even if you don't and you may even decide you need one!
Mary and her husband Jim had a dog named 'Lucky.' Lucky was a real character.
Whenever Mary and Jim had company come for a weekend visit they would warn their friends to not leave their luggage open because Lucky would help himself to whatever struck his fancy. Inevitably, someone would forget and something would come up missing.
Mary or Jim would go to Lucky's toy box in the basement and there the treasure would be, amid all of Lucky's other favorite toys. Lucky always stashed his finds in his toy box and he was very particular that his toys stay in the box.
It happened that Mary found out she had breast cancer. Something told her she was going to die of this disease......in fact; she was just sure it was fatal.
She scheduled the double mastectomy, fear riding her shoulders. The night before she was to go to the hospital she cuddled with Lucky. A thought struck her....what would happen to Lucky? Although the three-year-old dog liked Jim, he was Mary's dog through and through.
If I die, Lucky will be abandoned, Mary thought. He won't understand that I didn't want to leave him! The thought made her sadder than thinking of her own death.
The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her doctors had anticipated and Mary was hospitalized for over two weeks. Jim took Lucky for his evening walk faithfully, but the little dog just drooped, whining and miserable.
Finally the day came for Mary to leave the hospital. When she arrived home, Mary was so exhausted she couldn't even make it up the steps to her bedroom. Jim made his wife comfortable on the couch and left her to nap.
Lucky stood watching Mary but he didn't come to her when she called. It made Mary sad but sleep soon overcame her and she dozed.
When Mary woke for a second she couldn't understand what was wrong. She couldn't move her head and her body felt heavy and hot. But panic soon gave way to laughter when Mary realized the problem. She was covered, literally blanketed, with every treasure Lucky owned!
While she had slept, the sorrowing dog had made trip after trip to the basement bringing his beloved mistress all his favorite things in life.
He had covered her with his love.
Mary forgot about dying. Instead she and Lucky began living again, walking further and further together every day. It's been 12 years now and Mary is still cancer-free. Lucky. He still steals treasures and stashes them in his toy box but Mary remains his greatest treasure.
Remember....live every day to the fullest. Each minute is a blessing from God. And never forget.... the people who make a difference in our lives are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care for us.
If you see someone without a smile today give them one of yours! Live simply. Love seriously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.
A small request
All you are asked to do is keep this prayer circulating, even if it is only to one more person, in memory of anyone you know that has been struck down by cancer or is still fighting their battle.
Dear God, I pray for the cure of cancer. Amen.
May God bless all of you in abundance for all you do to build up our parish and to spread our faith.
Fr. Phil
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Bible Study #6 August 8, 2010
BIBLE STUDY #6
NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
AUGUST 8, 2010
Gospel – Luke 12:32-48
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not be afraid any longer, little flock,
for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.
Sell your belongings and give alms.
Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out,
an inexhaustible treasure in heaven
that no thief can reach nor moth destroy.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
“Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants.
Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming,
he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect,
the Son of Man will come.”
Then Peter said,
“Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?”
And the Lord replied,
“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward
whom the master will put in charge of his servants
to distribute the food allowance at the proper time?
Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so.
Truly, I say to you, the master will put the servant
in charge of all his property.
But if that servant says to himself,
‘My master is delayed in coming,’
and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants,
to eat and drink and get drunk,
then that servant’s master will come
on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour
and will punish the servant severely
and assign him a place with the unfaithful.
That servant who knew his master’s will
but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will
shall be beaten severely;
and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will
but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating
shall be beaten only lightly.
Much will be required of the person entrusted with much,
and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Reflection
There is a little book called the “ordo”, short for “The Order of Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours and Celebration of the Eucharist.” This book is published each year and tells us everything we need to know about these 2 forms of prayer. In the Eucharist, for example, we are told what mass parts we are to use, if there is a Creed and/or Gloria to be recited/sung, and it references all the readings. Every once in a while, a shorter form of a reading is acceptable, such as in today’s Gospel, where we are allowed to knock off the first and last paragraph listed above, and just read the middle paragraph. I never understood why this is an option, and I tell the lectors that we will always read the longer version, since I don’t think there is such a thing as too much scripture. If we are pressed for time, maybe we should shorten the homily (I don’t envision any problems with that!). Anyway, I believe in the three rules of public speaking: 1) stand up to be seen; 2) speak up to be heard, and 3) shut up to be appreciated.
In the first paragraph, Jesus tells his disciples, “Do not be afraid any longer” Why not? What is so different that fear would evaporate? Since this Gospel is written after the resurrection, Luke is writing to a Christian community. We need not be afraid because Jesus has died and is risen from the dead. He has paid the penalty for our sins, a price we couldn’t pay, and makes it possible for us to live in the kingdom, both now and in the next life. These facts should override every thing else. We need not be afraid because no one can take salvation away from us. We worry about so much, but I’d bet you can’t even remember half of what you were worried about one year ago today. Jesus tells us that the “Father is pleased to give you the Kingdom.” Salvation is a free gift of God. There is nothing we can do to merit it, to earn it, nor do we even deserve it. God loves us so much that he freely gives us something more valuable than anything else: eternal life.
We work so very hard at our job to make money to buy things; do we work as hard for spiritual things? Do we give as much consideration to God and eternal life as we do to our bosses and making money? Many people tell me that they skip church on Sundays because it is the only day they can sleep in. Tell this to your boss: “Sorry, boss, I didn’t come in yesterday because it was the only day I had to sleep late.” What do you think would happen? You’d have everyday to sleep in, because you’d be out of a job. Shouldn’t God get at least as much consideration as we give to our bosses?
Why are we always told to sell what we have and give to the poor? I guess if you have to ask that question, you’ve never tried it. There is something very heart warming about giving things away. It makes us realize that we have too much stuff, anyway. How many of you have clothes that you never wear? I think we could all give away about half of our closets and still have plenty to wear. Giving away things also lessens our dependence on material things so that those things don’t control us. We should be able to control the use of things. It also makes us realize how lucky we are, and our need to give thanks to God for his blessings. We can also give thanks by giving things away. It also reinforces our need to put the kingdom first, and that God will take care of us. I’ve always said that whatever comes first in our lives is our God. Another way to say that comes from the gospel: “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”
When we depend on God, we are storing up treasure in heaven. As good stewards, we respond to God’s many blessing by asking ourselves what we can do to repay God. The answer is sharing God’s love and bounty with each other. The ‘money bags that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven’ is a strong relationship with God. As we grow in our relationship with God, our bond with God becomes so strong that no one or no thing can break that relationship. In fact, when we get to that point, it is hard to even be deflected from our mission as disciples. By that point, we have felt the power of God’s grace and love in our lives and know that this is more important than anything else. We become willing to do whatever is necessary to serve God.
The second paragraph begins “Gird your loins and light your lamps”, and would remind the people of the first Passover celebration just prior to being freed from Egypt (Exodus 12:11). The exodus from Egypt was a Passover from the death of slavery to the freedom and life of the Promised Land. Jesus sacrifice on the cross and his subsequent resurrection allows us to Passover from the death of sin to new and eternal life in the kingdom.
Luke refers to the master being at a wedding and the servants awaiting his return. Jesus is the resurrected master who is at the heavenly banquet table, often referred to as a wedding feast. We are the servants who await his return, commonly called the Second Coming, also called the Apocalypse or the Parousia. This paragraph deals with our readiness for this second coming. If we are vigilant and prepared when Jesus returns, we will have nothing to fear or to worry about. At that time, the Lord will bring us to the heavenly feast, the eternal banquet. If not, well, dress lightly, if you know what I mean. We don’t know when he is coming; so all the speculation about this return is just that, speculation, or a guess. It could be today, 10 years, or 10 centuries, who knows? It doesn’t really matter: if we are prepared, we will be ready to receive the Kingdom.
I think that there are also two other events we need to be prepared for, the first one being our death. I have a habit of looking at headstones when I am in a cemetery. Some live very long lives, some live short lives, and I think to myself, where are they now? I usually read the obituaries every day, and, without fail, there is either an obituary or an ‘In Memoriam’ for someone who died under the age of 40.We just don’t know when that is going to happen. Will we be ready? Will a priest be able to get there in time to anoint us? Today we feel fine – who knows about tomorrow or next week? Now is the time to turn our lives around through confessing our sins, praying, helping those in need, and attending mass every week. God can’t ask us to be perfect, because then every one will fail. All God can ask us to do is to make an honest attempt to be the best disciple we can every day, given our limitations and our circumstances. When we fail, which we will, we seek forgiveness and keep trying our best. If we live like this, then we should not fear about what happens after we die, and we will be prepared.
The third paragraph is a little more specific and deals with the disciples’ responsibility in the missionary journey. It is a little more specific than to tell us to be ready. First of all, it tells us that we are all stewards. Everything belongs to God, and we are the caretakers of God’s creation. The good steward is the one who knows the master’s will and does things accordingly, not the least of which is distributing the food allowance at the proper time. The master’s will is explained in scripture (God’s owner’s manual) and in our Catholic Teaching. The good stewards are the ones who will inherit eternal life; the others will be punished severely. When the master returns, will he find us being good stewards, or will we be slacking off? Will we think that we have plenty of time and be caught off guard?
Being a good steward in itself is rewarding. There is an old saying that says ‘virtue is it’s own reward.’ If you don’t know what that means, try being virtuous and see what happens! As the TV ad once said, “Try it, you’ll like it.”
This weekend is the Mission Appeal weekend when a representative from a missionary group approved by the Diocese will be here to speak about the needs of his group. This year we are very happy to have Fr. Marc Real from the Archdiocese of Caceres in the Phillipines. It’s vitally important to share our good fortune with those in need and I hope you can be generous in the second collection. I hope from today’s gospel that you understand why these types of things are necessary.
I hope this helps you be prepared for mass this weekend. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Fr. Phil
NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
AUGUST 8, 2010
Gospel – Luke 12:32-48
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not be afraid any longer, little flock,
for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.
Sell your belongings and give alms.
Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out,
an inexhaustible treasure in heaven
that no thief can reach nor moth destroy.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
“Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants.
Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming,
he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect,
the Son of Man will come.”
Then Peter said,
“Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?”
And the Lord replied,
“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward
whom the master will put in charge of his servants
to distribute the food allowance at the proper time?
Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so.
Truly, I say to you, the master will put the servant
in charge of all his property.
But if that servant says to himself,
‘My master is delayed in coming,’
and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants,
to eat and drink and get drunk,
then that servant’s master will come
on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour
and will punish the servant severely
and assign him a place with the unfaithful.
That servant who knew his master’s will
but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will
shall be beaten severely;
and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will
but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating
shall be beaten only lightly.
Much will be required of the person entrusted with much,
and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Reflection
There is a little book called the “ordo”, short for “The Order of Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours and Celebration of the Eucharist.” This book is published each year and tells us everything we need to know about these 2 forms of prayer. In the Eucharist, for example, we are told what mass parts we are to use, if there is a Creed and/or Gloria to be recited/sung, and it references all the readings. Every once in a while, a shorter form of a reading is acceptable, such as in today’s Gospel, where we are allowed to knock off the first and last paragraph listed above, and just read the middle paragraph. I never understood why this is an option, and I tell the lectors that we will always read the longer version, since I don’t think there is such a thing as too much scripture. If we are pressed for time, maybe we should shorten the homily (I don’t envision any problems with that!). Anyway, I believe in the three rules of public speaking: 1) stand up to be seen; 2) speak up to be heard, and 3) shut up to be appreciated.
In the first paragraph, Jesus tells his disciples, “Do not be afraid any longer” Why not? What is so different that fear would evaporate? Since this Gospel is written after the resurrection, Luke is writing to a Christian community. We need not be afraid because Jesus has died and is risen from the dead. He has paid the penalty for our sins, a price we couldn’t pay, and makes it possible for us to live in the kingdom, both now and in the next life. These facts should override every thing else. We need not be afraid because no one can take salvation away from us. We worry about so much, but I’d bet you can’t even remember half of what you were worried about one year ago today. Jesus tells us that the “Father is pleased to give you the Kingdom.” Salvation is a free gift of God. There is nothing we can do to merit it, to earn it, nor do we even deserve it. God loves us so much that he freely gives us something more valuable than anything else: eternal life.
We work so very hard at our job to make money to buy things; do we work as hard for spiritual things? Do we give as much consideration to God and eternal life as we do to our bosses and making money? Many people tell me that they skip church on Sundays because it is the only day they can sleep in. Tell this to your boss: “Sorry, boss, I didn’t come in yesterday because it was the only day I had to sleep late.” What do you think would happen? You’d have everyday to sleep in, because you’d be out of a job. Shouldn’t God get at least as much consideration as we give to our bosses?
Why are we always told to sell what we have and give to the poor? I guess if you have to ask that question, you’ve never tried it. There is something very heart warming about giving things away. It makes us realize that we have too much stuff, anyway. How many of you have clothes that you never wear? I think we could all give away about half of our closets and still have plenty to wear. Giving away things also lessens our dependence on material things so that those things don’t control us. We should be able to control the use of things. It also makes us realize how lucky we are, and our need to give thanks to God for his blessings. We can also give thanks by giving things away. It also reinforces our need to put the kingdom first, and that God will take care of us. I’ve always said that whatever comes first in our lives is our God. Another way to say that comes from the gospel: “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”
When we depend on God, we are storing up treasure in heaven. As good stewards, we respond to God’s many blessing by asking ourselves what we can do to repay God. The answer is sharing God’s love and bounty with each other. The ‘money bags that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven’ is a strong relationship with God. As we grow in our relationship with God, our bond with God becomes so strong that no one or no thing can break that relationship. In fact, when we get to that point, it is hard to even be deflected from our mission as disciples. By that point, we have felt the power of God’s grace and love in our lives and know that this is more important than anything else. We become willing to do whatever is necessary to serve God.
The second paragraph begins “Gird your loins and light your lamps”, and would remind the people of the first Passover celebration just prior to being freed from Egypt (Exodus 12:11). The exodus from Egypt was a Passover from the death of slavery to the freedom and life of the Promised Land. Jesus sacrifice on the cross and his subsequent resurrection allows us to Passover from the death of sin to new and eternal life in the kingdom.
Luke refers to the master being at a wedding and the servants awaiting his return. Jesus is the resurrected master who is at the heavenly banquet table, often referred to as a wedding feast. We are the servants who await his return, commonly called the Second Coming, also called the Apocalypse or the Parousia. This paragraph deals with our readiness for this second coming. If we are vigilant and prepared when Jesus returns, we will have nothing to fear or to worry about. At that time, the Lord will bring us to the heavenly feast, the eternal banquet. If not, well, dress lightly, if you know what I mean. We don’t know when he is coming; so all the speculation about this return is just that, speculation, or a guess. It could be today, 10 years, or 10 centuries, who knows? It doesn’t really matter: if we are prepared, we will be ready to receive the Kingdom.
I think that there are also two other events we need to be prepared for, the first one being our death. I have a habit of looking at headstones when I am in a cemetery. Some live very long lives, some live short lives, and I think to myself, where are they now? I usually read the obituaries every day, and, without fail, there is either an obituary or an ‘In Memoriam’ for someone who died under the age of 40.We just don’t know when that is going to happen. Will we be ready? Will a priest be able to get there in time to anoint us? Today we feel fine – who knows about tomorrow or next week? Now is the time to turn our lives around through confessing our sins, praying, helping those in need, and attending mass every week. God can’t ask us to be perfect, because then every one will fail. All God can ask us to do is to make an honest attempt to be the best disciple we can every day, given our limitations and our circumstances. When we fail, which we will, we seek forgiveness and keep trying our best. If we live like this, then we should not fear about what happens after we die, and we will be prepared.
The third paragraph is a little more specific and deals with the disciples’ responsibility in the missionary journey. It is a little more specific than to tell us to be ready. First of all, it tells us that we are all stewards. Everything belongs to God, and we are the caretakers of God’s creation. The good steward is the one who knows the master’s will and does things accordingly, not the least of which is distributing the food allowance at the proper time. The master’s will is explained in scripture (God’s owner’s manual) and in our Catholic Teaching. The good stewards are the ones who will inherit eternal life; the others will be punished severely. When the master returns, will he find us being good stewards, or will we be slacking off? Will we think that we have plenty of time and be caught off guard?
Being a good steward in itself is rewarding. There is an old saying that says ‘virtue is it’s own reward.’ If you don’t know what that means, try being virtuous and see what happens! As the TV ad once said, “Try it, you’ll like it.”
This weekend is the Mission Appeal weekend when a representative from a missionary group approved by the Diocese will be here to speak about the needs of his group. This year we are very happy to have Fr. Marc Real from the Archdiocese of Caceres in the Phillipines. It’s vitally important to share our good fortune with those in need and I hope you can be generous in the second collection. I hope from today’s gospel that you understand why these types of things are necessary.
I hope this helps you be prepared for mass this weekend. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Fr. Phil
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