Lent – preparing for communion - Reflection 1st Sunday of Lent

Praise be Jesus Christ, forever and ever. Amen.

Today is the first Sunday in Lent and I had a great ministry experience visiting with the children preparing to make their first communion.

The first day of Lent began as I prayed and contemplated Luke 4:16-30. Jesus went to the synagogue in his home town of Capernaum and was given the scroll to read. He said this has been fulfilled in your hearing. The people didn't necessary like what Jesus said.

The scripture readings at mass included the Gospel telling us of Jesus’ temptation in the desert; and, how Jesus proclaimed the gospel of God. And in the epistle, Peter wrote "Christ suffered so He might lead you to God.”

My random passage for prayer was PS 19:15 - "Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart find favor before you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer."  I thank the Holy Spirit gave me that  one in preparation for speaking to children.

It was a wonderful blessing to meet with the first communion preparation class. I had come to explain receiving communion. I let them taste the unconsecrated communion host. I explained they were eating just bread.

Then I told them how it becomes the body of Christ when consecrated on the altar. The Eucharist is when we as a Church celebrate the Lord’s Last Supper. Then I asked if anyone could tell me what that was?

My grandson raised his hand and explained it beautifully and almost perfectly. Jesus took bread and wine and gave it to his disciples and said this is my body and blood – eat it.

Trying to speak so a seven year old can understand, I explained that after it becomes the body of Christ, it was still going to look like bread and wine, taste like bread and wine, and feel like bread and wine. But, through the prayers of the priest, the power of the Holy Spirit, and grace of God, it becomes the real body and blood of Christ.

Afterwards one little girl told her mom, she had tasted communion bread. Mom ask, “Did she like it?”  She said “It was wonderful and it wasn’t even Jesus yet.”

These children are so excited about their first communion and becoming part of the celebration of the mass; But, what about the rest of us? Many have become like the people in Jesus home town. They listen to Jesus and find his words troublesome.

I think over the past year, many have found themselves in the desert with all these temptations around them. The devil is challenging so many people’s faith.  He wants us to be like those who get mad a Jesus and let Jesus slip from their midst.

Prayerfully this is not my fate. By God’s grace, it is not the fate of these children so excited to soon be receiving Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.  But, possibly it may a problem for those easily finding a reason not to come to mass.

Friends it is time to get excited about receiving Jesus. Our Lady of Fatima and St. Lawrence have three masses on the weekend. Each mass has good attendance; but, none are full. Come back to mass. Come back to Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. Christ suffered so much so that he might lead you to God.

Follow him. Call your priest. Call your deacon. Reserve a spot and prepare to make yourself ready for the Kingdom of God. Make yourself ready this Lent.

Be good, be holy and preach the gospel by the way you live your life and love one another. Praise be Jesus Christ, forever and ever. Amen.

God Just Doesn't Chose Some - Homily 6th Sunday OT

Praise be Jesus Christ, forever and ever.

Happy Sunday and Happy Valentine’s Day; on this day most of the world celebrates love, it is a great day for us to celebrate God’s love for us and our love for each other.

Sometimes, with love we have to do hard things.

My two year old grandson is a handful. In fact, we got two calls from the daycare this week asking us to come and resolve some issues. He’s not bad; but, he is a daredevil. Because of the weather, he and a roomful of two year olds have been cooped up inside for some time.

We are told he is the ringleader. He runs, He roars like a dinosaur. He climbs on tables and dances, and the rest of the children follow him. The problem is the teachers cannot catch him to stop him.

The first time, his mother went to the school and gave him a warning. That warning was the next time poppy is coming. I told him the next morning if the school called again, I would have to punish him. Two hours later….

He was good the rest of the week.

No matter how rambunctious, I love him with all my heart. Each  of my grandchildren - Liam, Carson, and Scarlett – through the grace and glory of God have different and unique. I love them with all my heart.  

Friends, look at family friends, and think about the love that you have for them. Which one could you choose not to love?

If we truly imitate Christ, then we should love our neighbors as well.

God doesn’t just choose some of us to love. God cannot - not love us.

Strong is his love for us; He is faithful forever. (Ps 117:2)  You are precious in my sight and I love you. (Is 43)

That is the story behind the Gospel today. A leper came to Jesus and begged to be healed. Jesus was moved with pity, stretched out his hand and touched him and said “be made clean.”

Jesus’ entire life here on earth was about God’s love for us.

God’s love includes everyone. God welcomes all who approach him. He reaches out to touch all of us. He touches us all made unclean by sin. He reaches out to us when no one else will come near us

He reaches out to the sick, the poor, the hungry, the homeless, the imprisoned, the naked, the elderly, the addict, the sinner, and the lost. All of us are in one of those categories.

God doesn’t care who has passed judgement on you.

He lovingly stretches out his hand ignoring the blotches, scabs, and pustules of sin that scar us. He doesn’t see race or sexuality or gender or sinfulness. He doesn’t care if clothes are rent and dirty. He doesn’t see the unclean or those gone astray. All of us are in one of those categories.

God looks at us and sees the ones He loves. The LORD knows each of us “I have called you by name and you are mine.” He tells all of us “I love you”

He tells us that in Jesus Christ, the greatest gift of love ever given to us.

The problem is humanity exists in this delicate balance of freedom which allows us to accept that God loves us or deny it. It is the balance of what we are given and the life choices we make: a choice to give glory to God or to deny Him.

By giving glory to God, we show how we love Him.

Giving glory to God is the choices we make. Giving glory to God is our relationship with others. Giving glory to God is how we help others. Giving glory to God is living our faith expressed by our love.

This is how St. Paul imitated Christ. We must do the same. We must see others as Christ does.

Sometimes for love we have to do hard things. One of the hardest things is ignoring what this world has turned into a new leprosy, the differences that make us who we are and give glory to God for each other. God loves all of us.  

On this day and every day we should celebrate love, God’s love for us and our love for each other. Be good, be holy and preach the gospel by the way you live your life and love one another. Amen

Praise be Jesus Christ, forever and ever. Amen.

Called to Pursue Jesus - Reflection 5th Sunday OTB

Praise be Jesus Christ, forever and ever. Amen

Bishop Robert Barron’s Sunday Sermon is titled “What Our Lives Must be About.” I haven’t listened yet, but God speaks to me in those words to truly discover and understand what our life here in this existence must be all about.  

God is giving us this in our Mass readings. But, if we listen closely he gives us that message in all the scriptures as we venture more deeply into a relationship with him.

Although, I’m no great theologian, God puts in my heart in prayers and understanding that moves me closer to that understanding.

It begins with this truth: God created us for good works.(Eph 2:10)  

God has a plan for creation. He knows what He wants to get done. It is his vision of glory. It includes us.

Since His plan includes us, God has put part of that plan in our hearts. It is a longing for Him. That is part of our being. It is part of us that only God can truly fill.

Everyone has that desire for God in our hearts. To fulfill that desire, human hearts will search a lifetime to find what can fill that wanting.  They call it something that will make them complete. But, some in the freedom of their creation deny God and fill that longing with things of this world. They are never truly satisfied.

God sent us the one that can help us with that emptiness inside us.

God created us in Christ Jesus; by finding Jesus, some find God. Yet, even though many know about Jesus, not everyone knows what their lives must be about.

Simon and his companions pursued Jesus. They hunted for Jesus. They said everyone was searching for him; but even then, Simon, his companions and everyone else didn’t know exactly what they were looking for from Jesus.

When Jesus walked with the multitudes, many could not accept what following Jesus is about; so many returned home. They turned to other things. Those things become the normal.

But for those who truly have found Christ and are created in Christ, then that part of God’s creation in us that is a desire to know God is fulfilled.  Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

Jesus wants everyone to know God’s message.

I have to go out to the neighboring towns to proclaim the message that is what I have come to do.  He goes out to those who have found the things of this world instead of God. He seeks the sinners, tax collectors, and yes, even Pharisees and scribes.

He is going after the lost sheep. He is looking for the lost coin. He is opening the heart of the prodigal son so that he can run back to the loving arms of the Father.

We are to do the same thing.

St. Paul writes, we are all called to bring the message of Jesus Christ to others. As Christians it is our obligation. It is because of who we are. It is because we are all sinners. It is because we have experienced suffering.

It is because of our life experiences that we may have once lived and survived by the grace of God that we bring a true witness of the Good News of Jesus Christ to the lost sheep, the prodigal sons and daughters, and to all sinners.

If we preach the gospel, we share in the gospel.

God’s merciful love created us. He made us who we are. The lives we live in this world can make us something other than God’s beautiful creation. All are sinners. But, when we open our hearts to let Christ Jesus enter the place God has created in us; what we become is truly our gift back to God.

Our lives can be lived to fulfill the vision of God’s glory. We must proclaim the Gospel. We must share Christ with as many as possible.

God tells us that is what our lives must be about.

Be good, be holy and preach the gospel by the way we live our lives and love one another. Amen

Praise be Jesus Christ, forever and ever. Amen.