Happy Thanksgiving

             Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the blogging community.

Rosaries Needed

The students at the college of St. Joseph seem to love rosaries! It has been a good way to connect with them, and I have been showing them how to pray the rosary. However, my only problem is - I have run out of rosaries to give them. Yesterday, I gave away my last one. You would think, being a priest,  I would have an endless supply of them, but I don't, and I don't have the budget to buy them.  So I am asking my brothers and sisters out there in the blogging community to help by sending any extra rosaries you might have, but don't use. I could not think of a better way of supporting the ministry here, and helping the spiritual life of the students by donating a rosary. If you like to send some rosaries here is my address:  Thank you and God bless.

St. Peters Frairy

134 Convent Avenue

Rutland, Vermont 05701-3903

 

Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus said to his disciples: In those days after that tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.  And then they will see 'the Son of man coming in the clouds' with great power and glory, and then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky."  - Mark 13:24

My brothers and sisters - what Scripture is telling us, what the word of God is speaking to us this day is this: every defense mechanism, every form of resistance, every substitution we have in avoiding God is going to fail us. Why? Because God can't be kept out of our lives; we belong to God, and God is always coming to us to claim what belongs to him!  Even if we go kicking and screaming, God is going to find a way - like a thief in the night to steal our hearts.  However, once we surrender, once we give up control (which we love so much), and allow God in, we will find all God wants to do - is love us, and live inside of us, and save us from our greatest enemy - our selves!

"The Sun will be darkened, and the Moon will give its light no more."  A child asked his mother what will happen to them when this takes place?  The mother responded, "It just means I have to make, yet, another trip to Wal-Mart to buy some blankets and flashlights."  I would like to offer another interpretation: every form of light we try to live by which is not the light of Christ will, inevitably, be extinguished.  How we love the light of the moon - it so romantic, comforting, and non-treating. You can stay out all night in the light of the moon and not suffer from a moon burn.  However, the reality is: the light of the moon makes nothing grow! No one plaints a garden thinking the light of the moon will produce some nice, ripe, tomato's. 

Although we need the light of the sun, we know the damage it can do if we don't protect ourselves from it.  Sorry sun worshipers, but there is another light waiting to dawn in our darkness.  It is the light of Christ, and in this light, we see light itself which is the love of God.

Restoring the Sacred Heart Shrine

I am not done with the shrine yet, but I wanted to post what I have done so far.   The Lord has been working with me because I was able to purchase four blue spruce trees at 80% off the regular price.  Basically, it was buy one get three free! The little shrub to the right I got for just ten dollars!  I am  now waiting for electricity to be hooked up so that I can put lights on the spruces I planted and around the base of the statue  - that should make it look real nice.  I am putting before and after photos up, so here it is...so far...

Before

After

Before

After

Some other things

Another View

 

Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

In today’s readings, both the Old and New Testament address our basic human fears; that in our giving our needs will not be met.  In the first reading, the prophet Elijah challenges a poor widow to offer hospitality.  Certain she, and her child will soon die of hunger, she obeys the request, and feeds the prophet first.  In doing so, she discovers she can not out-give God.  God never abandons her -  because of that, we can take heart, knowing God will never abandon us.

I find it fascinating that Mark's gospel is able to address two issues at once.  It addresses both the religious and laity.  Jesus in the gospel of Mark, is very stern when it comes to religious practices. The Gospel warns of three things: 1) the desire for prominence, 2) the desire for respectability, and 3) against making religion a tool for self gain.  The person who accepts an office in the church needs to remember it is not something they earn, but a responsibility they accepts.  Just like having a driver’s license is a privilege, not a right, so the person who is ordained should understand that such a position in the church is a privilege that enables them to serve the people of God.  To bring home the point about giving, Jesus uses the example of a poor widow who's two mites; also called, a Lepton which literally means, “a thin one” meant more to him then the large sums of money being given.  In today’s economics, she gave what amounted to be one cent.  Jesus turns to his disciples, and says she gave more then anyone else because she gave everything she had to God.

This is a rather extraordinary take on faith.  Jesus didn’t interpret this as the corrupt temple system robbing the widow of her last penny, (Take note all you "social justice" people) but rather, he see it as the widow casting all her resources (as little as they are) aside and trusting that even with nothing God will find a way to provide for her.

Why does the gospel seem to imply that we need to give all to God?  Because as St. Paul states in his letters, God did not withheld anything from us, but handed over his only begotten son so that anyone who believes in him might not parish, but have eternal life.

God in Christ is the gift that keeps on giving; in the Eucharist, Christ gives us his very body and blood to nourish us, and sustain us.  Christ gives us his spirit to lead and guide his church in the ways of love and holiness.  Christ has given us his own mother, Mary who loves the church and wants nothing more then to assists us in relationship with Her Son.

Pope John Paul during World Youth Day challenged the young people that they must not be so concerned about getting more, but rather, be more concerned about being more.  How many of us in our relationships and marriages are holding back because of fear that our own needs will not be met?

God has given everything to us, so that we might be what God calls us to be: fully human, and fully alive and free.   The question becomes: what is it that we are holding back,  or holding onto, which prevents God from doing more with our lives?

Restoring Devotions

It seems that I have become the person to restore things - I guess it is very Franciscan, but I hate letting things be neglected.  Recently, a brother let me have a statue of the Virgin Mary that was starting to deteriorate.  I decided to repaint it, and I am fascinated by this particular statue because I have never seen it before.  She is dressed either as a Native American or as an Egyptian.  However, it is very beautiful and rare; most Mary statues are of her depicted as the Immaculate Conception.

The infant of Prague is a very old devotion to the child Jesus.  Growing up, I remember seeing it in my house or in the church I attended.  Interestingly, I never attributed it the baby Jesus or the child Jesus.  A lot of these devotions were (at least in my case) never explained to me.  Therefore, I simple dismissed them or worse yet, was influenced by arguments that it's all idolatry.  Devotion to the Lord in any form is not idolatry.  Having a picture of my family or friends hanging on my wall is no different then wanting an image of the holy family around.  After all, pictures are graven images as well, but I don't worship them.  My theory is: people will always be jealous of something you have (like a devotional life), and if they can't understand it (or have it), they attack it.  Right now, I am having the Prague statue repaired which was going to be thrown out because one of it's arms was missing  My friend Harriet, who makes the gowns for all the liturgical seasons for the Prague, is letting me have this one until mine gets repaired.  I did some touch up on it, and I think it looks amazing.

I am also working very hard to retore the Sacred Heart shrine at the college of st. Joseph.  I am getting very close to accomplishing what I set out to do.  I should have some pictures of it very shortly.  Until then, remember what St. Augustine stated - the purpose of life is  to have a devotional life.

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

This weekend, St. Peter's has a missionary priest speaking at all the litergies, so I am not scheduled to preside at any of the masses.  I had planned on using this time to work on the shrine at the college, but since the forecast was for rain all weekend, I decided to return to Boston.  I am happy to be presiding this Sunday at my former parish, Sacred Heart.  I feel I owe it to the people since they watched me develop, and were a part of my priestly formation.  This was arranged last minute, so they are going to be surprised when they see me process out.  I am very excited, and can't believe how much I miss this worshipping community.

I like today's gospel because Jesus is on a journey too - towards Jerusalem, where he will face his death. What a paradox: Jesus' own life is headed for death, while others are receiving new life from him at the same time.  The blind man Bartimaeus calls out to the Lord, and refuses to be stopped by anyone.  Jesus asks the same question he asked James and John last Sunday, "What is it you want me to do for you?"   The disciples, James and John, got it wrong; all they wanted was status and power. A poor blind man gets it right; he wants to see.  Not only does Bartimus want to see, but he wants to see in order to follow the Lord.

Our nation is calling out for better health care.  There are those who only want to silence the voices that want better, more affordable, care.  There is nothing wrong with wanting better care, but all the health care in the world can not give us the gift of faith Bartimaeus had.

The readings today are telling us that God hears the cry of his people.  The Lord is just as concerned with the plight of his people today as he was when Bartimaeus was crying out.  Christ hasn't changed his mission or his mind; he is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  In an age when we are inundated with promises of wonder drugs, we as God's people, have another resource - it's called God's mercy.  The best part - it's very affordable, as a matter of fact, God's mercy is a free gift given to anyone who would ask.  The question is - are we ready to ask?

Recently, a friend of mine was in a very difficult, medical, situation.  It did not look good for her, and I asked her if she was asking God for help?  She, sheepishly, responded, "Not really...I don't want to brother Him...I mean...isn't God kind of busy considering the state the world is in right now?"

If we are honest, most of us have this polite-kind-of relationship with God: I don't ask too much of God, and God won't expect too much from me - that is the way we like it!  When Bartimaeus received his sight, he didn't respond by saying, "Great, now I get to catch the Patriots game!" (even thought they are playing well aren't they)  God isn't interested in healing us so that we can be complacent.  God wants to heal us so that we can see with new eyes our relationship with Him, and that means responding the way Bartimaeus did -  by getting up and following the Lord!