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Friday, September 20, 2013

Who is this Pope?

I received a text message.  It was a question that asked, “Who is this Pope? Is he Peter the Roman?”  If you do not know, this is a reference to the St. Malachy prophesy.  These prophesy are of the last pope supposedly attributed to St. Malachy from the 12th century.

My answer was this: He is man who recognizes he is a man with faults and weaknesses like every man.

Peter the Roman is identified as a good Christian leader.  Many Popes could be identified as Peter the Roman. The Pope sits in the Petrine Chair, as the Bishop of Rome.  Peter the Romans is said to guide the church through many tribulations before the coming of final judgment.  Throughout history, the Popes have guided the Church through tribulation, scandals, war, and attacks by those against it.  The origin of the Pope is Christ’s words, “You are Kepha, and on this very kepha, I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.”  Kepha is rock, which translates to Greek as Peter. This was a promise of a continued line of Peter of Rome. Many Popes (Peters) would lead the church against many different tribulations - heresy, wars, plagues, schisms, injustice, and internal controversy.

I called and asked this person what his concerns were.  It was stated all that was being heard and attributed to what the Pope said.  Tribulations made by not understanding what Pope Francis says in relationship to Church teachings.  An Interpretation of Pope Francis words written without even an exploration the catechism by writers who do not know the Church.  Many journalists may be trying to spread agendas.  These are not the same as the Catholic Church’s agenda but may legitimize secular thought by linking them to the Pope’s words.

All of this comes from Pope Francis humility.  When asked in an interview, “Who is the man Jorge Bergoglio.”  The Pope thought and said, “I am a sinner.”  This is the defining statement that supports all that he has said so far.  We are not to judge others, only offer the love of Christ, who is the ultimate judge of what is in a person’s heart.  We are all sinners, how can someone imperfect judge another imperfect soul.


Christ is the perfect man, Christ is the one without sin, and Christ will be the judge of all. As sinners, we are to respect with dignity each and every person.  We are to tolerate others, tolerate them because we are all sinners and be examples of Christ love.  Show them the path of Christ, show them that they are to “Love the Lord God with all their hearts and all their souls and all their minds, and love their neighbors as themselves.” We can only do this completely, if we recognize that we are all sinners.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

A Thank-you for the Music Ministry of My Friends

Victor Hugo said, “Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.”   

Our spoken word does not always voice what we need to say, especally in our prayers.  Only in the silence of prayer can our hearts truly reveal our inner most thoughts.  After that, music comes nearest to articulating the expressions of our soul.   Sacred music is these prayers which we cannot put into words because of our earthly limitation.  Music is the  soul's projection of a vision of joy or sorrow; life or death; love or remorse.   In it, we know of prayers that we cannot speak aloud.

Martin Luther said, "...music is one of the most magnificent and delightful present God has given us."   It is a gift that is the expression of  our soul to the outward world.   Like a breath, it escapes from what is in us.  

There is an old Hebrew teaching that every breath we take is a prayer to God; with your help,  the breath of our words of prayer are magnified with your gift of music.  In our pride, we do not thank God enough and we do not thank those who work for God enough.    Thank you and thank God for the gift of music that you bring.  
  
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you...  - Philippians 1:3

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Homiletic's Class - Reflection for Holy Thursday

The following was an assignment for my Homiletic's Class 
A Reflection for Holy Thursday.


We all look up to someone -  our father, mother, or even a grandparent.  Maybe we have someone who was a mentor to us.  A lot of people followed Jesus and his disciples, listening to his teaching.  Some of the followers may have been tied to them by circumstance, maybe before Jesus, the disciples were their mentors.  Have you ever wondered about those who followed?  Maybe it was an apprentice fisherman.

My name is Moshe. Yes, I remember Jesus.  I am an old man now, but I have lived my life by the model he gave us.  What model?  Let me tell you the story.

  I was down by the sea of Galilee.  I was not much more than a boy, just old enough to become an apprentice.  I was working with my mentors Simon and his brother Andrew.  They were teaching me to fish, make nets, handle the boat, and all the things a man needs to know.   A teacher named Jesus came to the shore, preaching about the Kingdom of Heaven.  He said to Simon and Andrew, "follow me, I will make you fishers of men."  I was thinking, this sounds funny, so I asked them if they knew this man, "Where does this man come from, where does he eat?"   Jesus said to me, "Come and see."  So, I did.   

  I followed Jesus as he went from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom to come.  He spoke and taught in the synagogues.  Everyone that heard him, praised his teaching.   They were amazed that he taught with so much authority.  He did not teach like the scribes or Pharisees. There was a realness about him.  You believed what he taught.  

I remember one time, a scribe asked him, what is the greatest commandment.  Everyone knew what Moses taught, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind."  But Jesus added to this, "Love your neighbor as yourself."  It was the same law we all knew but so much more when he spoke it.

Wherever he entered some place new, people were waiting. Whether it was the countryside, a village or even a great city, people came.  The sick would be laying on the streets in the market place just asking to touch the hem of his cloak, and many touched it and were cured.  

  Jesus did the most wondrous and glorious things. He calmed the sea in a storm. He fed thousand with just a few loves and some fish.  He raised the dead.  

Yet, even with such great things, the most learned of men in the Law, still tried to trap him with questions.  He always gave answers they could not refute.  And in all of this, Jesus could have become angry against those who doubted him, but he remained so humble.   

He rejected no one and was friends with tax collectors and sinners.  All those that others looked down upon, came near Him to listen.  The Pharisees called out against him because Jesus sat and ate with sinners.  I was among the sinners who sat listening to his words.

In his words and deeds, Jesus taught us faith.  Jesus taught us to forgive ourselves and to forgive others.  Many were healed because of their faith.  Yes, and many were healed because their sins were forgiven. He taught us to pray "forgive us as we forgive others." 

Many, many people grew to believe in Jesus, people said that even some of the rulers believed in Jesus, but could not follow Him because they were afraid that they would be persecuted and loose power and their office.  I do not think these people heard his words.

Jesus was a man, I know this.  He shed tears and became hungry; but, he was more than a man because of his love.  It was a love that forgave us our sins.  A love that allowed us to believed in the power of forgiveness.  When Jesus forgave us of our sins, our sins (all our sins) were forgiven.   This was Jesus' true humility, living less in himself and doing all for the Kingdom of Heaven. 

I could go on, because there is so much more to tell. But I must tell you of the things that occurred at that  Passover meal. At the end of the meal, Jesus took the bread and blessed it.  He said "This is my body. This is a cup of the new covenant."  All those at the table shared in the bread and cup.  

Then Jesus did the most remarkable thing, he took off his robe and tied a towel around his waist and washed everyone's feet.  
Simon, who Jesus call Peter, did not want the master to wash his feet. The master washing the feet of his disciples.   Everyone was in awe.  Jesus then said, "I have given you a model to follow, as I have done for you, you should also do."  

     I can tell you the story over and over, and remember something different every time.  But every part of Jesus teachings were in the washing of the feet.  His message, his ministry, and his life was simply this expressed so simply:  
  • Jesus loved us, he washed our feet for love;
  • Jesus forgave us, he washed away what soiled us; and 
  • Jesus humbled himself in everything, putting every one before himself.  
     
     This was the model he gave us after that meal and in his life.  Not just in washing our feet with water and a towel but in all he did.  He humbled himself to wash us with forgiveness  and dried us with love.  He did this even the next day when they took him, beat him, and crucified him.  Humbled on the cross, he forgave us and still loved us even in what was done to him.

     Many took his model and began to teach and heal those in need.  They served, they loved, and they forgave sins by his authority.  My friend Peter said that "Jesus was the living son of God."  I know this is true.  Many others also believe.

     This is end of the story of a man's life; but, that is not the end of the story. The rest of the story is the one of Christ Jesus, which is greater still.  But we will save that for another time. 

     Now many years later, people go to the 5 Gospels to hear Jesus' story, to discover the model - Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.  Yes, Yes, I know that is only 4 gospels.   The fifth gospel, I hope is found in me, following Christ's model of love, forgiveness, and humility.  Please, let an old man finish by asking you this: Is the fifth gospel your life as well?


Thank you my friend, Moshe.   It is such good news to hear the gospel coming from you.   I too challenge you to follow the model Jesus gave us, be the gospel living in the world.

Prayer of the Faithful - 23 Week in Ordinary Time

1.      That the Church, the People of God, be witnesses of hope and
healing to those who bear a cross of distress in a challenging world…
We pray to the Lord – Lord Hear Our Prayer

2.      That Pope Francis, Bishop Duca, and all priests and deacons
inspire the faithful to bear their crosses each day with patience and
fidelity to the Gospel…  We pray to the Lord – Lord Hear Our Prayer

3.      That the resolve of leaders in Syria, Egypt and all of the Middle
East is strengthened by God to end the fighting and choose a future of
peace…  We pray to the Lord – Lord Hear Our Prayer

4.      That students and teachers grow in God's wisdom as well as academic
wisdom…  We pray to the Lord – Lord Hear Our Prayer

5.      That our community puts Christ first in building a foundation of
faith in our Church, in supporting the Diocesan Appeal, and to those
we minister to…  We pray to the Lord – Lord Hear Our Prayer

6.      That those who bear the heavy crosses of severe illness experience
God’s healing and presence… We pray to the Lord – Lord Hear Our Prayer

7.      That all who have died may be welcomed into the eternal life
Christ has prepared for us…  We pray to the Lord– Lord Hear Our Prayer

8.      That the Lord comes to the aid of those who have requested our
prayers, those on our prayer list, and those intentions we now voice,
(Pause)   We pray to the Lord – Lord Hear Our Prayer

9.      That we find true strength in God as we add our own intentions
and needs in the silence of our hearts… (Pause)  We pray to the Lord –
Lord Hear Our Prayer

Friday, September 6, 2013

Me Is A Complicated Thought

Recently during a family dinner, one of my dining partners was my great niece, a kindergartner.  When asked why she did something, she gave a wonderful answer. “You wouldn’t understand - it’s complicated.”  The complication's of a six year old life.

It's complicated is what people think about being a Christian.  Jesus taught in parables.  What was Jesus trying to tell us?  Those who seek his word have to think about what was said.   Its complicated.  But, Jesus' simple truth is love, forgiveness, and humility.

Sometimes, we are like that little child.  We live in a world that revolves around us.  Conversation and understanding is based on “me, me, and me some more.”  Nobody understands me, it's complicated. 

As a result of this relativism, the agendas put forth in the world are too often flawed.  If it is important to me, then it should be important priority to the world.  Ideals based on "the me" becomes the social conversation and changes perceptions in the world.  The subjects of our conversation, no matter how contradictory to reason, becomes acceptable.  A conversation without reason is complicated.
 
If however, Jesus' message is in our thoughts, our conversations become based in Christ.  We grow and become like the disciples.  In the Gospel of John, the disciples began to understand and no longer heard only parables but Jesus' message saying “Now your are talking plainly. . . .” (Jn 16:29)   They lost the relativism of their thoughts, language, and conversation.  They changed. 

This change starts within ourselves.  It is a change in "the me" but is not a change based on "the me."   The change becomes our Christ centered thoughts of love, forgiveness, and humility.  We share it and our conversation begins.   Without hate, without violence, and without prejudice, we converse with others.   Soon, it is a conversation to the world.   If everyone is no longer thinking only about themselves and their thoughts are of love,forgiveness, and humility, they will find  "me."  It's complicated, but it is easy to learn with Christ as our teacher.