3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Isaiah 8: 23-9:3
2. Psalm 27: 1, 4, 13-14
3. 1 Corinthians 1: 10-13, 17
4. Matthew 4:12-23

• Darkness to light
• Do you think that there always has to be a reason for tragedy and suffering in our lives?
• Do you think that it's at all important that we know what that purpose is?
• How can we transform/resurrect tragedy and suffering into something holy?

• God is our refuge
• If God is our refuge, our protect, what is He protecting us from?
• What does that protection have to do with paying the mortgage?
• What difference does your faith make when you make decisions?

• Brands of leadership?
• What sorts of leadership positions are there in the parish?
• Is there any way in which the deacon(s) lead the parish?
• How about he hospitality ministers?
• How do you tell when a leader has lost their humility?

• At the ready
• "Leaving" and "journeying" can take many forms.  Sometimes a physical movement from one geographic location to another is not called for to make a journey.
• What are some attitudes, responses, desires, dreams that you have had to leave behind when following Jesus?
• Was it worth it?
• How can we become more able to take such losses in Jesus' service?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. What am I doing with the tragedy and pain in my life?
2. What and how much confidence do I have in God?
3. How am I leading those closest to me?
4. How indifferent am I to those things in my life at this point in time?

Repent from What, to What?

The strains of music and praise were faint,

But the message they conveyed was clear.

Jesus has a place in His heart for you,

Just open up your heart to let Him in,

And you'll never be the same.

What's so wrong with the status quo

I asked myself.

It has always worked for me up until now.

No need to disturb something 

That's been successful all these years.

And if this is evil, this success,

The respect of my peers,

The appreciation of my family,

Then what does this repentance

Turn me towards?

Is this kingdom something

That can only be entered empty-handed?

What of all of the good that I do

With all that I've been blessed with?

Is that all to cease now?

This living for Jesus sounds hard,

Does that mean that we are all alike?

Each journeying toward Eternity in lock step?

Or is the shape of holiness different

In each heart that it beats in?

Inviting others into this kingdom

When I scarcely know it myself,

Seems like a throw of the dice

Over whether anyone will find it.

And yet, the more I invite, the more I seem to understand.

Lord give me the humility

To see your way of denial

To hear the cries of your poor,

To walk in your generosity,

Toward those you would shepherd.

Shalom!

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Isaiah 49: 3, 5-6
2. Psalm 40: 2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10
3. 1 Corinthians 1: 1-3
4. John 1: 29-34

• Patron saint of lost causes
• Do you ever wonder why you were put here?
• My father-in-law is a 88 year old widower, and occasionally he wonders why he is still here.  What would you say to such a person?
• How important is that question?

• Finding God's will
• We probably all agree that part of what makes a saint great is that they followed God's will in their lives faithfully, despite pressures and obstacles.
• What differentiates any of us from a great saint?
• Do you think that we all harbor greatness but it rarely gets a chance to come out, or that we're exhibiting greatness in hard to see ways, or do you think that only some of God's children are called to greatness?

• The place of peace 
• Can you think of anyone in your life who is generally full of peace?
• What is their secret?
• What difference does that peace make in their lives?
• How can we be more people of peace?

• Getting out of the way
• John the Baptizer stands as a classic case of God's servants pointing the way to God for others, then getting out of the way.
• What makes that "getting out of the way" so difficult for us?
• How can we train ourselves to "let go" when the time comes?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Am I looking for purpose, or comfort in my life?
2. How eager am I to find holiness in my life?
3. What am I doing to reduce the "noise" in my life?
4. Am I ready to disappear for Christ?

Shalom!

The Epiphany of the Lord

Our readings for the Epiphany of the Lord Sunday are:

1. Isaiah 60: 1-6
2. Psalm 72: 1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13
3. Ephesians 3: 2-3a, 5-6
4. Matthew 2: 1-12

• Finding your inner splendor
• If someone were to come to you and tell you that they've been watching you, and they want to know what makes you the way that you are.
• What would you tell them?
• What would you show them?
• If they were to pay you the supreme compliment of telling you that they would like to become more like you, where would you start?
• Where is Christ in all of that?

• Timetable for justice
• If God is ruler over all of the universe, and He is going to restore justice to the planet in His good time, what responsibility do we have to make ready for that new advent?
• Pope John Paul II once said: "if you want peace, pray for justice."  What do you draw from that?
• How can we bring justice in the little things?
• When we see injustice, what are our obligations?

• Reveling in revelation
• Do you think that God is done revealing Himself to us?
• How do we participate in that revelation?
• What aspect of God have you been revealing lately?

• Nothing to fear but fear itself
• Poor old King Herod gets a bad rap this time of year for acting out of fear, but he deserves at least a little sympathy.
• When was the last time that you acted out of fear?
• Did that decision work out for you?
• Do you think that there's room for fear if we are relying 100% on God?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. How am I showing the glory of Jesus in my life?
2. What am I doing to bring about justice in my home?
3. Are those closest to me any better for me being in their lives?
4. Am I able to find God's beauty in unexpected places?

Finding Courage in Unexpected Places

Some fear change
Believing that the horizon is not a gateway,
But a cliff.

Some fear boredom,
Seeing premature death and ossification
In the clutches of stability.

Some fear ill health,
The steady erosion of options, a closing in of the frontier
As their body betrays them.

I fear my own weakness
That threatens to let fear get the best of me
Shutting my eyes to possibilities

Overcoming fear is not
So much convincing yourself that bad things are unlikely
As much as convincing yourself that they are not fatal.

Believing that there will be a tomorrow
If only I am willing to trust in Him who has guided me all along.
And learn to take it one step at a time.

Believing that pain and suffering
Can be transformed, resurrected if you will
If only I am open to -

Believing that I am missioned
Believing that I am never alone
Believing that I am heading home.

Shalom!

Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God

Our readings for the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God are:

1. Numbers 5: 22-27
2. Psalm 67: 2-3, 5, 6, 8
3. Galatians 4:4-7
4. Luke 2: 16-21

• Be a blessing
• One of the supreme ironies that you hear about more and more these days occurs when management hatches a scheme to save money, and it involves the present employees training their eventual replacements.  In such circumstances, it's easy, maybe even justifiable, to intentionally or unintentionally sabotage such efforts, often to the detriment of everyone involved.
• Has there ever been a situation where you were called to be a blessing in someone else's life at your expense?
• What sort of struggles did you go through in that situation?
• Did you eventually become the blessing to that other person?
• How did that change you?

• God's watching over us
• When you think of God's face as it's turned towards you, what sort of expression do you see God wearing?
• If you were to try to summarize God's feelings towards you in three words, what might those be?
• What would you rather those three words be?

• The family business
• If we are all heirs to the Kingdom, what does each of us feel the deepest need for in our lives that we may fulfill that destiny richly?
• For my part, humility and wisdom are at the top of my list.  The humility to truly see myself as God sees me, the wisdom to see the true meaning of the events and condition of the world around me.
•  In which ways are the virtues like athletic skills?
• How are the different?
• How can we make room in our lives for a greater practice of the virtues so that we steadily become better at them?

• Taking time to ponder
• Do you ever feel as though life is happening too fast, demanding too much of you?
• Do you think that we are able to live better if we ponder, mull over, our lives?
• What practices are there that can help that intentional savoring of life?
• How can we help each other get better at it?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Am I afraid to be a blessing to others in my life?
2. When was the last time that I took time to delight in the presence of God, and let Him delight in me?
3. What am I doing to become more ready for the Kingdom?
4. What can I do to slow my life down, even if it's just a little?

The Smell of the Nativity

The stable was pretty well kept, all in all.
The stalls had been mucked out recently.
The straw relatively clean.

At least that's what the innkeeper said.
To a carpenter's nose, the stench was searing.
And yet, whenever I smell that bouquet of odors

I'm carried back to that lonely inn
Where Mary & I had found shelter for the night
Against the bitter cold outside.

Just when I thought that I had coped
With all of the practical essentials there
This band of shepherds shows up, excited beyond measure.

My first thought was "Oh bother", but Mary stopped me
With a glance that I was already learning to respond to.
And we listened to their amazing story.

And I realized that this time, this place,
Was a gateway to God's heart,
And that heaven was closer than ever before.

And suddenly, the scratchy straw was nothing to worry about
I realized that the stench of the stable came from the same place
As the warmth in those cramped quarters.

I realized that we were not alone, but surrounded
By a great cloud of witnesses through all of time and space
Hanging on every move, every word.

And I knew that all of the chaos, the unpredictability
Were there to break me open
The the vastness of eternity come down to Earth.

And I knew that we were home.

Shalom!

Christmas

There are an abundance, nay a wealth of Masses that are celebrated at Christmas.  I like the Midnight Mass because it's so full of expectancy, of things just on the cusp of becoming, a hushed moment in our liturgical cycle, the journey of years, the ticks of the centuries, when anything is possible, and Love never disappoints.

That, and the Gospel from that Mass is from Luke this year, and the face of Jesus that I see in Luke always looks so very human.  So human that He reminds me that in becoming one of of, all of us have become one in Him, we just have to reach out beyond our comfort zone to accept that grace for the gift that it is.

Our readings for Christmas Mass at midnight are:

1. Isaiah 9: 1-6
2. Psalm 96: 1-2, 2-3, 11-12, 13
3. Titus 2: 11-14
4. Luke 2: 1-14

• The path to peace
• We all crave peace at this time of year, hoping to get a little breathing room in our lives.  But what does that really mean?
• How would your life be different if you were totally at peace?
• What would you miss about your present life if you were to totally embrace peace?
• What can you be doing today to be ready for real peace?

• Today is born our savior
• Are you ready for Christmas?
• What does that really mean to you?
• What about this season gives you happiness?
• How is Christ coming to, coming in, coming through you this year?

• Training camp
• Do you think that we get better as Christians by practice?
• What are you practicing these days?
• Are you getting any better at it?
• How can you tell?

• No one seems to care
• Grief, worry, dislocation, all of these and more can make us feel isolated, cut off from the rest of humanity, even when they are within arm's reach.
• When was the last time that you found yourself in a strange situation, or a strange place and felt abandoned?
• How did you work through that?
• Have you ever thought to bring those feelings to the Jesus in prayer?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Am I paying enough attention to the lights that are in my life?
2. What can I do to be more ready to receive my Savior, no matter what form He takes?
3. At this start of the new liturgical year, what practice can I take on to bring me closer to God?
4. How can I be more present to those around me in need?

Taking off the Training Wheels

Do you ever wonder what Joseph talked about with his buddies on Friday nights?

Maybe over a fresh mug of fermented pomegranate juice, or goat's milk eggnog.

Trying to explain why he took Mary as his wife even though it seemed crazy.

Or explaining he they ended up with Jesus in a feeding trough.

Joseph probably told folks about the frantic search for a clean dry place that night.

How he and his little family was just another bit of human flotsam looking for rest

Without a friend in the world, no one to speak up for them or look after them.

And explaining how he felt a peace about the whole thing, like he was right where he belonged.

I'm sure that stolid, intentional, prayerful Mary was a help, or maybe not.

How would you like to be told that everything is going to work out just fine,

When you don't even know just what "just fine" would look like?

Even less how to get from here to "just fine" and be just in time about it too.

Maybe Joseph just gave up trying to explain,

And learned from Mary to ponder things, look them over from different vantage points

Until the bigger picture started to emerge.

I wonder how he found time for that much silence to seep into his soul.

I want to learn that sort of intentional living.

That savors the moments into full flower,

Getting the real texture and sweetness of the moments

Before they fly away, never to be revisited.

Maybe that's the source and summit of peace,

Making time to hear the silence, and learn

Just what is really important in life, 

And hear what it has to say to all of us.

Shalom!

4th Sunday of Advent

Our readings for 4th Sunday of Advent are:

1. Isaiah 7: 10-14
2. Psalm 24: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6
3. Romans 1: 1-7
4. Matthew 1: 18-24

• Reading the signs of the times 
• Survivalists work to get "off the grid" and simplify their lives so that when Armageddon comes around, they will not have any reliance on flimsy technologies.  Such folks have significant stores of food, ... and ammo, laid by against the day when justice and order as we know it collapses.
• What future do you see ahead of us all?
• What are you doing to prepare for it?

• A captive audience
• If the earth is the Lord's, and he loves it, why do you think that He put it into our care?
• What of this present existence do you think will last into eternity?
• What does that say about how we care for what we have on this planet?

• Slavery making it simple
• A slave never has to stress over their position in life, who they server, what the limits are to the initiative which they can take.
• In what ways are we like slaves to God?
• In what ways are we like sons and daughters?
• Can we be both?

• A little more information please ...
• Notice that the angel just told Joseph that this whole thing was part of God's plan, but never really said why that should make Joseph feel better.
• Has God ever asked you to trust Him?
• Was there a process in growing in that trust over time?
• How can we be better able to trust God?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Am I willing and able to leave this life that I have here and now behind to serve God?
2. Am I letting God be present to those around me through His creation?
3. What of my parish, family, and my life would I want to share with someone in ndeed?
4. What am I doing to grow in trust in God?

Shalom!

3rd Sunday of Advent

Our readings for 3rd Sunday of Advent are:

1. Isaiah 35: 1-6a, 10
2. Psalm 72: 146: 6-7, 8-9, 9-10
3. James 5: 7-10
4. Matthew 11: 2-11

• Return of the exile 
• Refugees of all sorts are like invisible amputees, they have been cut off from their roots, their homes, their loved ones, their livelihoods, and yet they look totally whole and complete.
• Our church tells us that we are exiles from God's heavenly kingdom.  How does that change the way that you look at all of the daily demands on your attention?
• When have you been displaced, cut off, exiled from friends, family, job, home, even if it was to move on to something better?
• What of heaven do you think will look/feel familiar when we are home again?
• How should that change the way that we live today?

• A captive audience
• Serious ongoing debate rages over how best to manage a seemingly endless supply of criminals in our prison system, yet you hardly ever hear discussion about how to rehabilitate them.
• When a convict who has served their time comes out of prison, it's easy to realize that they need a place to stay, a job, and so on, but what of giving them a reason to want those things?
• Fr. Al used to personally work with such folks to help them experience first hand what "life on the outside" could be like.  What sort of transition work should we, as God's faithful be doing for such individuals?

• If I don't complain about him, who will?
• Whining, griping, moaning, complaining is there any difference between those activities when it comes to how we treat one another?
• When one of us fails to be fully ourselves, fully who we are called to be, what are the rest of us to do?
• How can we tell when someone is really ready/able to take correction?
• Can such correction be prophetic?

• Congratulations, God has chosen you for ...
• We all want to feel commissioned, chosen, elected, but how does that election come to us?
• Do you think that your function/gifts/role within the Body changes over time?
• How can we become more sensitive to that change in direction? 

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. How have I been hospitable to a displaced person lately?
2. How can I be more welcoming at our parish?  How can our parish be more welcoming?
3. When I speak, is truly in love?
4. What is the message of my life?

Good Intentions Can Leave You Lonely

Any paragraph that starts with "with all due respect" makes me cringe.
What follows is not outright mockery, but an object lesson in the limits of my authority.
A line drawn in the sand that says "I respect your office, your position, your role"
"But you, well, that's another story."

We cannot respect someone that we do not know,
And can hardly know someone we do not respect.
But once that deep knowledge of the other has been forged,
It becomes an occasion of mourning when they fail to be their true selves.

Sin in our lives obscures our view,
Cuts us off from the impact that we have on others,
Blinds us to the essential oneness of our existence,
To the point we feel our actions are victimless, truly secret.

Sin obscures my vision of how unlike myself I have grown
Grown into a caricature of myself,
A poor actor impersonating the real me
Upon a stage strewn with empty promises and quick fixes.

I need the occasional Nathan in my life
To remind me of who I am and what I am becoming
And help me see how much at odds that is with my thoughts, words, and deeds of late.
Any volunteers?

Shalom!