Sunday Reflection: Thirteenth Sunday - Speaking Jesus

Speaking Jesus

Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24; Psalm 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11, 12, 13; 2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15; Mark 5:21-43

I have a childhood friend whose father met his mother while stationed in South Korea. He lived in Korea until he was seven. In the Air Force, his father was sent all over the world, eventually retiring at England Air Force Base at Alexandria.

As a child all my friend knew was Korean. His family, friends, and even his father spoke Korean. His mind functioned in Korean.

Moving to the US, he was bullied, mocked, and ostracized. He looked, spoke, thought, and lived different than others. Teachers thought him slow, because it took a while to answer questions. They would ask a question: he would translate into Korean, think about it in Korean, translate his answer to English, and give it. He was seven

One day, a teacher asked him a question and he understood it, in English. The answer came to him, in English.  From that point on, his thoughts were English. He was an American. He was the same person on the outside, still the same face; but, changed on the inside, where his heart was, the way he thought. He was no longer homesick for Korea.

He said his “WHO” had changed.

Forty years later I understand that, it’s like the Gospel. Two people changed. Their “WHO” became Christian before there were Christians.  

First, what does it mean to be a Christian? Being a Christian means that you change on the inside—no longer controlled from the outside. It means your heart has been changed by the presence of God.  Christ is our Lord and Savior. We turn to him in our needs. Christ is the center of our faith.

The woman who had been bleeding for 12 years knew she had to find Jesus. She had heard the rumors. She knew the prophesy and the teachings. She had to touch his clothes. In an instant, she was changed. Changed from the inside, no longer controlled by the outside, no longer controlled by what people saw. The power that came from Jesus healed her and changed all that.

Jesus called her. She ran to him. She fell down before him and confessed. This is someone who believes Jesus Christ is their savior

Jarius, the synagogue official, left what he knew to find Jesus. He put all his faith in this rabbi that people were talking about. The one peopled whisper may be the messiah.

On the outside people saw Jarius the synagogue official who upheld the law of Moses. What they didn’t see was the change on the inside. The faith to know that Jesus was the messiah. It was all made evident in his pleading, “Please Come.”

“Please come” despite the disbelief of others. “Please come“ despite the ridicule. “Please come” even though others say there is nothing you can do. “Please come” words of faith prayed by someone who believes.

Two people came to this man Jesus, the one who overcomes suffering and death. This man is the messiah, the savior, the son of God. This man is Jesus Christ is our Lord and our God.

From the Book of Wisdom we read “God did not make death” and suffering. These came from “the envy of the devil.”  St. Paul says the relief from this envy, “...is by the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ…”

Too many of us still think in in ways that come from “… the envy of the devil.” Thoughts that can bring suffering and death. Maybe we can learn from my friend; better yet, learn from the two people in the Gospel. Stop trying to understand God in human thinking, think Jesus, speak Jesus Christ.

We need to change on the inside, where our hearts are, change so everything we think and speak is in Christ Jesus. Then we are really Christians. 

Sunday Reflection 12th Sunday Ordinary Time - Follow that Boat

Follow that Boat

Job 38:1, 8-11; Psalm 107:23-24, 25-26, 28-29, 30-31; 2 Corinthians 5:14-17; Mark 4:35-41

Such exciting readings; close your eyes you can see the storms and waves. God tells Job that it is He who controls the sea and waves. In the Psalm, sailors call on God to quiet the storm. And in Mark, the words of Jesus “Quiet, be still!” Close your eyes and see that God is in control.

But in the Gospel of Mark we hear, “Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him.”

In the storm, wind, and waves, people may forget this verse. It is not in any of the other Gospels, only in Mark. The Gospel that begins with Jesus’ baptism and immediately put Him in a storm; tempted by Satan.

In Jesus’ ministry, He was constantly under pressure. He was always surrounded by crowds; pressed by a mass of humanity seeking healing and threatened by mobs of those who feared him. He healed the sick, cast out demons, and defended himself to the Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, and even his own disciples.

At this point in the Gospel, the crowd was so thick; the only avenue to escape was a boat. He gets in the boat, just as he was, exhausted. So exhausted, he falls asleep on the floor of a fishing boat. Maybe, if he was lucky, he had a smelly fishing net for a pillow. He was so exhausted he was sleeping through the storm.

And other boats were with him. Jesus didn’t dismiss the crowds; he just left and the crowds followed him; trying to be near to him even in the boats that followed him.

Jesus knew the storm with its winds and waves would not harm him, so he slept. The storm was a place of refuge. This storm was an escape from the crowded closeness of the ever-present multitude. The storm was a time of quiet away from the excitement that followed the calm that was Jesus.

We forget this verse, but it is an important part. It’s about the humanity of Jesus.  A weary Jesus is proof of his humanity. We can know he was truly human, because he grew tired and exhausted just like us. Jesus was a man who wept and rejoiced. He felt compassion and even outrage. He did all this because of his human body. It grew tired.

It is a verse that leads us to discover His divinity. God is in control. Only God could quiet the sea with a word. Only, God brings order out of chaos. Creation obeys the creator. From Genesis, the wind of God swept over the face of the waters and then came the Word.

Just like those in that boat, we face troubling storms. So, we pressed ourselves to Christ, crying out for His protection; expecting an immediate end to our troubles. Yet at the same time, we often don’t understand or threaten disbelief like the Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, and even his own disciples.

Jesus said, “Why are you terrified?  Do you not yet have faith?” Jesus did not see chaos in the storm. God doesn’t see chaos, because God is with us.

Have faith.  Follow that boat. “Whoever is in Christ is a new creation.”

His Word to the storms and chaos in our lives, “Quiet, be still.”

Homily Reflection - 11th Sunday Ordinary Time - A People to People Thing

A People to People Thing

Ezekiel 17:22-24  Psalm 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16 2 Corinthians 5:6-10 Mark 4:26-34

It’s amazing how God works to build his kingdom. God plants things in you to share and spread, that’s the source of this reflection.

The readings are about the kingdom of God. Ezekiel speaks of God planting a shoot on a mountain. A prophesy of how God’s chosen his people will stand tall and bear fruit for the whole world.

Jesus tells two parables. One is about scattering seeds. The second is about a mustard seed. These two parables Jesus explains are about the kingdom of God. Let me tell you a story about peace and building of the kingdom of God.

First, the mustard seed:

Fr. Philip Cascia was a small town parish priest at St. Anthony’s Parish, in Prospect, CT. (pop.  8000.) He was an advocate for the homeless.

On a trip to Washington DC to lobby for a bill that addressed the issue of homelessness, he had the opportunity to lunch with several Senators. During their mealtime conversation, Fr. Philip made a joking remark about the peace process, ''We'd do better bringing my Catholic high school wrestling team to Russia than if we tried to sneak in Bibles.”

The Senators held him to it and sent his wrestling team to Russia. Wrestling the best in Russia, they were beaten badly; but they accomplished more for peace than diplomacy had. President Ronald Reagan personally asked Fr. Philip to continue the program.

The mustard seed was planted. The seed became Intersport USA; an international exchange program with high school athletes promoting world peace.

Now, the story of the shoot that God planted:

One of Fr. Philip’s first trips was to Vietnam. Before the plane landed, it was intercepted by military jets and escorted to an air base. Soldiers took Fr. Philip to an interrogation room. They insulted and accused him of being a Vatican spy. The soldiers threaten the priest with the fierceness of the soon to arrive commander. When the Vietnamese commanding general arrived, a new verbal assault began. At the most intense moment, the commander stopped and ordered the guards to leave.

Alone with Fr. Philip, the general knelt and kissed the priest’s hand saying, "My mother always prayed that God send me a priest, no matter where I was. When I saw you get off the plane, I knew you were sent by God."

Fr. Philip heard the general's confession. The soldiers returned and the interrogation continued. In the end, the general allowed Fr. Philip to continue on his journey, and even re-fueled the plane.

God can take the small shoot, like the prayers of an unknown mother of a powerful Vietnamese Commanding General and set them on a mountain.  Like a towering mountain cedar, the general’s faith provided shade and protection.  

This mustard seed and shoot were important to each other, both working for the kingdom of God. Meeting this General allowed Fr. Philip to finish his trip. Intersport, USA touched the world.

This organization allowed the young priest to scatter seeds in all the places God sent him. He made over 130 international trips. He wasn’t a politician or a diplomat; he just scattered the seeds God gave. Seeds that sprouted and grew, yielding fruit.

This peace through sports organization represented the United States and reached out to the world. It was responsible for the first raising of an American flag by the Vietnamese government since before the war. Fr. Philip was the first American to receive a Diploma of Appreciation from the Soviet Union.

It was not just an outreach between countries. Fr. Philip was Christ and the Church touching the world. His relationships helped Pope John Paul II visit Cuba. He was in the room during the meeting between Mikhail Gorbachev and Pope John Paul II.

Fr. Philip once said the realization that “People are people, and this is a people-to-people thing” is what helps bring peace.

A priest in a small parish and unknown to most people, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for planting seeds. They were seeds of peace. They were seeds of the kingdom of God. Seeds that started as a joke but seeds that God made fruitful to grow his kingdom. Fr. Philip Cascia died at the age of 56. 

St. John writes in his 1^st letter “Whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith.”

By our faith and in God’s grace, we have the seed to grow the kingdom of heaven in us. We can plant and nourish it, or scatter it about. Our prayers will nourish the shoots of faith in us and in others. My brothers and sisters, we do all of this by living our faith.  

St. Paul writes “we walk by faith;” “are courageous;” “and we aspire to please God.” In these we share the life we live and the love of Christ.  We scatter the seeds of the kingdom of God; tiny seeds like Fr. Philip’s. Our prayers will nourish shoots of faith, like the Vietnamese mother’s prayers that bore fruit through her son the General.   

Bring peace and the love of Christ to those around us - It’s a people to people thing – the building of the kingdom of God.  

Christian Fiction - "Shortwave"

“Shortwave”

 @deaconbillgoss

Inspiration: John 11:51  (NABRE) “He did not say this on his own, but since he was high priest for that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation”

  

The garbled shortwave broadcast said, “It is over. We hope for a miracle. If you believe in God, pray for us and the whole world.”

*****

The UN medical team had been fighting known pandemics threats (and ones the world never new about) for years. They always helped but not now. People were dying from an unknown.

The first victim on day one grew to victim 22 by day nine. The team came but couldn’t save anyone. Day 34, the village was dead. Day 36, the first team member died, despite protocol and protective clothing.  Day 37, the UN began extreme quarantine procedures.

No help came from governments or the UN. Medical supplies air dropped were no help. The UN Troops enforced quarantine lines by deadly force. Several team members’ lay where they were shot, their friends too sick to retrieve their bodies.

The team tried to contact loved ones; but, all communication was blocked. The outside world was ignorant of the pending world calamity. No reporters or internet or cell phones allowed. But, someone had found a shortwave radio stashed in an empty government building. Just like the one that was their father’s hobby.

A garbled message was broadcast over shortwave hoping someone would hear. Speaking for the team, the leader said weakly, “It is over. We hope for a miracle. If you believe in God, pray for us and the whole world.”

The shortwave radio message was spread by gossip and social media. Prayers were started In bedrooms and at kitchen tables, at churches, synagogues, temples, and mosques. All the dispersed children of God prayed.

*****

Calmly, He walked pass the guards and the quarantine zone. He smiled and spoke to the guards. No one challenged him or remembered what he said. All they knew was His peace. Peace was in His face, words, actions, and His entire being. No one asked any question.

He came with the rising sun at His back. Those who prayed were the first to run to Him. They fell at His feet.

“You believe. See the glory of God,” He said softly and then. “Come to me!”

They rose, alive. First the children came to Him; the innocent always die first. Then those of faith came: religious men and women in the same nursing habits in which they had been buried.  Mothers and fathers came. Those who were left, all that were alive, even those who had not believed came to Him.

His smile was love and hope. He smiled at their faith. He made a gesture, like a short wave. It was full of peace and then He was gone from among them.

Solemenity of Corpus Christi - Chew On It

Chew On It

Exodus 24:3-8; Psalm 116;  Hebrews 9:11-15;  Mark 14:12-16,22-26

I think of all my friends I see at mass, amazingly so different. All of them live in a different circumstance of their life. They come to mass because they believe in Christ.

So ask yourself, what do you believe? What gift did Jesus give to truly let us know him?  It’s something we can touch, something we can have faith in, something that will change us?

A lot of Christians and probably a lot of Catholic Christians would say the Bible. Yes, you can touch the Bible. You can have faith in the Gospel; and, it’s something that can definitely change us. The Bible is a gift from God; but, Jesus didn’t write the Bible.

The gift Jesus left us is the Eucharist; the precious gift of his Body and Blood.

The Eucharist is something you can touch, “He took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them.

It is something we can have faith in, “This is my blood of the covenant, which was shed for many,”

It is something that can change us, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven, says the Lord; whoever, eats this bread will live forever.”

Jesus gave us the Eucharist as an outward and visible sign of God’s grace. It was given to us as a celebration in thanksgiving for God grace.

A lot of Christians will say I believe in the Bible, I believe in Jesus; but, it’s hard for me to believe the Eucharist is the true body and true blood of Christ.

It’s always been something hard to accept; this concept of the Body and Blood of Christ. “My flesh is true food my blood is true drink... When many of the disciples heard this, they found this teaching difficult to accept…. Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.” (John 6:55-66) This was the only time Jesus’ followers abandoned because of dogma.

The world is the same way today. We decide if we want to believe. We make a conscious decision to believe Jesus or not. We follow him or leave him. We don’t understand so we take another path. The mysteries of God are hard to understand but we are to trust in the Lord.

It’s easier to believe what the world tells us. It’s said 71% of former Catholics left the Catholic Church for another denomination saying their spiritual needs were not being met. Others left because the Church doesn’t fit their life style. Many want to map out life from a control room in our head, picking and choosing circumstance. Changing God to a god in an image they need.

 Jesus never changed. Jesus never condemns. He just asks us to believe.

I think of all my friends I see at mass, amazingly so different. All of them live in a different circumstance of their life. They come to mass because they believe in Christ.

Read the Bible, open your eyes and open your heart.  The Gospel converted thousands. It was the Good News of God spread by the apostles, disciples, and deacons in the story of Jesus. They told others about the promise of salvation found in his Body and Blood. They did what Jesus told them to do to prove their love. “If anyone loves me he will keep my word.” (John 14:23)  

On this Solemnity of the most holy Body and Blood of Christ remember the precious gift of the Eucharist left to us by Jesus Christ. It is the Good News of Jesus Christ. We can touch and even chew on it. It becomes part of us to change us and that is something we can have faith in.  

Celebrate the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ. “We will do as the Lord told us,” because we love him and keep his word.

Homily Reflection - Solemnity of the Holy Trinity - Something So Great

Something So Great Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40; Psalm 33:4-5, 6, 9, 18-19, 20, 22; Romans 8:14-17; Matthew 28:16-20

(This reflection was inspired by some great blogs by priest and protestant ministers)

The late Monsignor Edmund Moore began his homilies highlighting different parts of the readings. For Trinity Sunday, I’ll do the same. From the first, second, and Gospel readings we hear:

“Ever since God created man upon the earth…,”   “…the Spirit itself bears witness.”   “Behold, I am with you always until the end of the earth.”

I chose these thoughts because God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) has always been and always will be.

Let us pray “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.” 

This is the prayer of the Holy Trinity and probably the first prayer we ever learned and it stands for something so great.

This  prayer is to the Holy Trinity.

Almost every one of us made the sign of the cross or thought about it. It’s an automatic thing done without thinking - the prayer and sign of the cross. Maybe we pray without thinking about all its meaning.

First always make the sign of the cross reverently and respectfully and pray the prayer properly. It’s not “Father, Son, Holy Spirit.” It’s “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

This prayer is sacramental.

It helps us in our worship. It begins Mass and ends Mass. Our salvation is represented by the sign of the cross of Christ. Then with the prayer, we open our hearts to the Holy Trinity, our God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

This prayer is about communion.

In the bible, the word “name” means “the presence” or “the heart” of a person. So praying this prayer, we pray for the presence and a communion with God.

In this prayer, the Trinity is a communion.

The Triune God is a communion of three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We were created in their image. Not just Christians but all humanity bears the image of God, an image of communion. This is from where we come and this is where we seek to return.

In this prayer, the Trinity is community.

True communion forms community. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit share mutually in the Holy Trinity as a community of equals being one God. The church must also be community that expresses to all equality, mutuality, and sharing.

In this prayer, the Trinity is inclusive.

The church must always strive to emulate the inclusiveness of the Trinity. In unconditional love everyone is welcomed: male or female, rich or poor, saint or sinner, and every ethnicity. The first thing someone visiting our community should see is a well-worn welcome mat not a grand doorway or ornate wall.

In this prayer, the Trinity is our faith.

It separates us from our Jewish ancestors. It’s a mystery that’s hard to understand; but one we accept meekly because it is given to us by Jesus Christ himself. "Go, make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” We are to bring the Gospel and community of the whole world.

We are the Church made in the image of God.

Celebrating the Holy Trinity with a short prayer and gesture is too significant to disregard. It celebrates the communion of the Trinity, a communion that is God. It celebrates our communion with God and communion of community of God.

The Gospel shows us the Trinity. God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit has always been in the world and always will be. 

I’m ending by highlighting three different thoughts to celebrate our communion with the Holy Trinity. They are from the Psalm, first, and second reading:

“Blessed the people the Lord has chosen…,”   “…to be children of God.”   “Did anything so great ever happen before?”

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Reflection - May Healing Prayer Service - Filling the Hole

Filling the Hole: Facing Suffering with Hope & Faith

Colossians 1:23

We live in a world full of suffering from injustice, illness, and the perils in the world. It seems we are given an impossible task and the presence of these in the world causes anxiety and worry.

As Christians, we are not to be anxious or worried. Instead, we are to be firmly grounded and steadfast in our faith. In weakness, we can become shaken, loose our footing and fall into a hole of anxiety and worry.

In St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians he tells how to be firmly grounded, steadfast, and unshaken; by putting your hope in the Gospel. In this we can connect to the One who is unmovable, through Jesus Christ.  It is faith and hope that must be the anchor at our center. Faith and hope must be inside us because in these the Holy Spirit resides.

It is faith and hope that are the origins of our prayer life. They are the refuge of peace from where we face the sufferings of illness, injustice, and the perils of the world.

There is a story about St. Augustine walking on the beach contemplating the mystery of God, the Trinity. He sees a boy in front of him who had dug a hole in the sand and was going out to the sea and bringing some water to pour into the hole. The boy kept doing it again and again.

St. Augustine asked, “What are you doing?” The boy answered, “I’m going to pour the entire ocean into this hole.”

“That is impossible, the whole ocean will not fit in the hole you’ve made” said St. Augustine.

The boy replied, “You cannot fit the mystery of the Trinity and God in your tiny little brain.” The boy vanished; St. Augustine had been talking to an angel.

Trying to answer why things happen is like trying to fill that hole. It seems impossible. We don't control creation. We'll never truly understand the mystery of God; but, we have been given faith and hope. In these, Christ Jesus gave us strength to face the sufferings of our world and fill the holes in our lives.

Homily Reflection - Pentecost Sunday - Is That Us?

Is That Us?

Acts 2:1-11; Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34; 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13;  John 15:26-27; 16:12-15

At 8:30 Sunday morning, I received an email, “Happy Anniversary Deacon! Can you give the Homily today?” All I could say was “Come, Holy Spirit come!”

What came to me was a story of a man who lived a meager life. Living alone and dining on oatmeal or watery soup, he wore ragged clothes and worn-out shoes. People assumed he had nothing; but, when he died, it was found he had millions of dollars hidden away.

That person had the ability to live an abundant life, but maybe he was too scared to live it. He never shared himself or what he had. That poor person lived a life with abundance but it scared him.  

Is that us?  

The Bible is full of stories about the Spirit of God. In the Old Testament, the Spirit of God was there in times of need. The spirit of God was with Abraham and Jacob. It guided Moses and led the Israelites out of Egypt. The spirit of God was with Samson and Gideon, judges and warriors. The Spirit of God called Samuel and anointed David. The Spirit of God came when it was needed the most.

Then Jesus came into the world and sent the Holy Spirit to be with us always. “I will send the advocate who will be with you. I will send my spirit upon you.”

Now, the Holy Spirit is with us always. This is proved in our faith as Christians. “No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.”

We can be scared of the Holy Spirit. We learn about the Holy Spirit in images of a dove, wind, or fire. Great images, but only representations of the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit is God and we should not be scared. It is the Holy Spirit of God through Christ in us that lets us proclaims we are Christians.

Maybe we’re scared by the Holy Spirit and being charismatic. We hear that the Holy Spirit in us makes us able to speak tongues. It says it in Acts; but, I don’t speak in tongues – maybe I’m not a good Christian. That’s not true.

We are all part of the body of Christ. Each has a different gift. That is what being charismatic is about. Each and every Christians is charismatic. It’s about God’s gift that the Holy Spirit encourages you to use.

Look at the saints. They were all charismatic; but, I do not know if they all spoke in tongues. The saints were soldiers, doctors, lawyers, kings and queens, mothers and fathers, hermits, deacons, priests and popes. They were young and they were old. They were educated and smart and some were not. Yes, some spoke in tongues, healed the sick and some were said to have even more remarkable and special gifts.  Most just led holy lives, the charism they had was love: the ability to see the face of Christ in every one.

Is that us?

Don’t be scared, as Christians we’re all charismatic, living and sharing the gifts of the Holy Spirit. In this remember:

·      The Holy Spirit is the Advocate that brings us Christ,

·      The Holy Spirit is Truth that gives understanding.

·      The Holy Spirit is Strength from God sending us to the world.

·      The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Glory that lives in us.

Today is the feast of the Holy Spirit - Pentecost. Pentecost is the birthday of the Church when we received the gift of the Holy Spirit to be with us always. Isn’t it great to get gifts on a birthday? Don’t be too afraid to share your gifts.

The gift of the Holy Spirit lets us know Jesus Christ is Lord. Look at yourself, discover your gifts, and share the Holy Spirit that lives in you.

Reflection for Ascension Sunday/7th Sunday of Easter - A Work in Progress

A Work in Progress

ACTS 1:1-11; EPH 4:1-7, 11-13; MK 16:15-20

Jesus told his disciples, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” How do we do that in a world where more and more people are saying they have no faith? By ascending to the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Two mothers are on a play date. One child was rambunctious, a little more aggressive and bossy than the other children. The mother, exasperated says, “That child’s a work in progress.”

The other mother smiled, “We are all works in progress.”

That’s something we all need to realize. In the Father's eyes, we’re all works in progress - not finished, still far from being perfected. Even the disciples were a work in progress. Jesus taught them, gave direction, change their thinking, and they still got it wrong. Jesus’ work in progress, he never quit on them (or us) sending the Holy Spirit to continue that work

St. Paul says “Live in a manner worthy of the calling.” To get to the point where we can live the way Jesus wants us is another continuous work in progress. We have to constantly strive to live the Christian virtues Paul describes: patience, kindness, love, humility, and peace. These will always be a work in progress.

It’s like tuning a guitar. You practice constantly to be able to sit down to play. You want beautiful music, but something is wrong. The music is not right, the notes and chords are out of tune. To play beautifully, you have to tune the guitar by putting the strings ia a perfect position. It must be done over and over, because playing will stretch the strings from a perfect. You have to re-tune.

That’s what living a Christian life is about. Many practice. We know what we need to do. We act a certain way; but, we get out of whack. Living a virtuous Christian life is not a habit, but something to always work at, correct, and tune. It’s always a work in progress.

Maybe this is why so many have no faith. We live more and more in a world becoming a broken place; a work in progress that's been abandoned. Brokenness is a song never to be played; it’s a life that will never know fullness.

Living life in a manner worthy of our calling is no longer important. This has broken individuals, families, and communities. This brokenness is outlined in an article about why people are leaving the Church found here. People identify themselves as "None", a person without faith. 

A “None” is a person searching for healing. They look to churches and find broken communities living a misunderstanding of Christian virtues. And, those that identify as "None” find no healing. Brokenness creates more brokenness. To often these broken communities express Christ's message and God’s love in vessels of fear and eternal threats.

This is not what God wants. It's not the Gospel of Jesus. Only God can recreate the broken. Love, acceptance, and forgiveness heals and creates something out of a “None.”

The readings are about moving closer to the perfection of Christ, bringing the Gospel to the ends of the earth. It is how to heal the broken and finish the work in progress. Taking the tools Christ gives us to live a life worthy of our calling in love, acceptance, and forgiveness.

The Lord works in us to build up the body of Christ, the Church. Until we all attain ultimate unity in our faith, each one of us is a work in progress. On the Feast of the Ascension, all of us, the unfinished works in progress should work ourselves a little closer to perfect through Christ Jesus.

Sunday Reflection 6th Sunday of Easter - The Story of You

The Story of You

Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48;  1 John 4:7-10;  John 15:9-17

Several things influenced my reflection this week, all different. First, today is Mother’s day. The second thing was a movie. Third was a friend’s death. Last was words spoken in a personal introduction. These focused my thoughts on Jesus’ words of love, “Remain in me as I remain in you.”

Mother’s day is about unconditional love. We hear unconditional love in the Acts of the Apostles. Unconditional love John says is “not that we love him, but that he loved us.” Unconditional love usually associated with a mother’s love, based on nothing but us. It’s the love God has for us. God the Father loves us like a mother. Let’s look at the two.

Mother · Always there for her children · Defends children against all, die for them · Fixes scraps, kisses hurts, mends broken heart · Loves children even if they hurt/neglect her · Loves children with unconditional love

God · Always there for us, · Jesus died for us, for our sins · Forgives us - fixes us no matter what we do · Loves us when we hurt/neglect him by sin · Loves us with unconditional love

The movie told the story of a mother. She’s talked into going on an adventure. Self-conscious of scars and stretch marks, she sees ugly and is overwhelmed when asked to go for a swim. Then, one who loves her says she’s beautiful. He sees beauty in the scars and stretch marks; they’re part of her. He says “These scars are the story of your life.”

God knows from beginning of time, the story of you; a story that carries scars of sin and mistake. God looks at these and thinks you're beautiful. He still wants to be part of the story, “Remain in me as I remain in you.”

A friend died; he was younger than me. I remember him as a teenager sleeping on the floor of my parent’s house. His was a story with let’s say – adventure; so, he picked up lots of scars. He shared these adventures and scars with my brother. Growing older, facing illness and his mortality, his story changed. A lawyer, he worked with the poor, often without charge. He taught Sunday school to kindergartners and lived a life with prayer. The story of his earthly life ended at 50.

At the funeral, my brother asked about forgiveness. God knows the things we did were bad. Will God forgive him? I told him God’s unconditional love is forgiveness no matter how bad we’ve been. This is the salvation of Jesus. I told my brother to be happy, our friend’s story ended in Christ. “Remain in me as I remain in you.”

Friday, at a meeting with our Priest, I was introduced to the new student vice-president at Catholic Campus Ministries. Father said, “She is a beautiful soul.”

It all came together. We are beautiful souls; Christ remains in us. We live an adventure picking up the scars of sin. We see ourselves as ugly, unworthy of being loved, but that’s not what God sees. God sees the beautiful soul he created living the story of you. 

God loves us like a mother, unconditionally, scars and all. God sees beautiful, forgiven by the Christ in us. God desires for us to remain in him through Jesus Christ. The truth to be found is that the story of you begins in God and through grace, ends in God. “Remain in me as I remain in you.”

On this Mother’s day, remember the beautiful story of the soul found in your mother. Mothers see a beautiful story of you; just as God does.  

Homily Reflection: 5th Sunday Easter - Hot Biscuits and Muscadine Jelly

Hot Biscuits and Muscadine Jelly

 Acts 9:26-31;  Psalm 22:26-27, 28, 30, 31-32; 1 John 3:18-24;  John 15:1-8

Years ago, across the street from my house was an old pecan grove, abandoned and wild; the trees branches were full of grape vines. I just knew that I would have a natural source of grapes in the fall. I thought of this fruit was comforting with memories of hot biscuits and muscadine jelly. But no luck, there were grapes, but, they were tiny, hard, and bitter.

Then, I learned about growing good grapes and there’s nothing natural about it. Grape vines grow in the woods. They climb trees and bushes. Left alone with plenty of water, grape vines go wild, sending fast-growing tendrils to capture everything in reach; so, it can climb.

If the vine is left alone, it makes small tart grapes. They aren’t good fruit.

The vine likes the wild. It will make beautiful leaves and long reaching branches, growing bigger. The nature of the vine says, “What a good place to be a vine.” It doesn’t put too much into making grapes.

To make good fruit, the vine must struggle.

If water’s restricted and nutrients scarce, if pruning’s hard and it’s crowed by other vines, nature says, “This is not a good place to be a vine.” So, instead growing big leaves and sprawling tendrils, it focuses on survival. Roots grow deeper. It must find a better place to be a vine. The plant makes its fruit more desirable so its seeds will be spread. To insure this, the grape vine makes bigger, better grapes. In this struggle, the branches on the vine make much good fruit. This is the way the best vine grower cares for his vines.  

God planted a vine in the human heart. It either grows in the care of the vine grower or grows in sin. Growing it sin, the vine in our heart goes wild overtaking our lives, producing little fruit. The fruit it does produce are the hard and bitter things found in the human heart: sin, shame, hate, pettiness, greed, selfishness, pride, resentment.

An unusual source for theological inspiration is Saints TE, Benjamin Watson. He wrote this about the violence in Baltimore:

"Our problems are holistic and common to the human heart. Hatred, prejudice, exploitation, pride, self-righteousness, secrecy, and rebellion, manifest itself in the explosions we've seen over the last year, the last century, and the last millennia."

Watson is telling us, the world is full of wild vines growing in sin. A world tempted by evil.  This is the same evil that tempted Jesus in the desert.

Wild vines are trying to overtake the vineyard; but that’s not what God the Father wants.

God sent the good and true vine in Jesus Christ. By God’s grace, we are part of that vine. The true vine made strong in the struggles found in those temptations, "the way of the cross," and his death on the cross.. God’s love prunes the good vine, breaking away the dead branches and bitter fruit. So in Christ, we bear the good fruit of the Holy Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Look at your life, what fruits do you bring to the world? 

Benjamin Watson, a true witness for Christ who happens to be a pro-athlete, brings abundant fruit to the world in a message shared on CNN,

"Be the example.... Show the world that hearts can be changed, not just through peace but also through the love of Christ."

These words are a testament to his confidence in God, the vine grower. I find this fruit truly comforting way better than hot biscuits and muscadine jelly.