Simeon: Thursday, December 29th, 2016

Listen to the homily here.

Notes:

Simeon

·      righteous and devout,

·      “It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.”

Night Prayer: Canticle of Simeon

·      Nunc Dimittiss—Now go

“Lord, now let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled: my own eyes have seen the salvation which you prepared in the sight of every people, a light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel.”

Emmanuel: God is with US: Christmas

Listen to the homily here.

Notes:

Merry, merry, merry Christmas!

To all of our parishioners, families, relatives, friends, neighbors and those in our community

·      Praise God that we gather in God’s house

·      Praise God that we gather in God’s family

·      Imagine how many people around the whole world are with God

·      As this night began with a few people

o   Mary, Joseph, shepherds, 3 kings, animals

o   Later apostles, disciples, followers

·      2,000 years later, we have 2.2 billion Christian around the world (1.2 billion Catholics)

o   Biggest religion in the whole world

·      Jesus Christ is unique compared to every big members in history:

o   Greek or Roman gods or goddesses (spiritual, mythology)

o   Buddha, Mohammad as just humans (persons but not God)

·      Christmas shows Jesus Christ who was a God that was born a human

o   This is the core of our Christianity

o   He is the only leader in any religion around the planet…the only one

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”

·      Isaiah and Matthew

·      Emmanuel: “God is with us”

·      God is with us

·      God is always with us

o   Not in the sky, not far away, not playing with a lens to burn an ant hill

·      He is love, mercy and compassion

·      This is His house

·      You are always welcome in His house here

Finally, our little ones love the gifts in Christmas

·      And I have said this before and will say it again…if they make it to Mass for Christmas, I hope they will receive a great gift

·      But is there not a deeper gift?…the greatest gift…the essential gift in our lives: Jesus Christ?

How should you live your lives for Jesus Christ?

Parish Bulletin Article: "Christmas with One, Two and Three Individuals and Eight days of Festivity": 12-25-16

Praise God for the three influencers of Christmas!:
One: over 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ was born and he is the reason for this season.  God sent His son to live on earth with us; thank you God!

Two: Jesus Christ was welcomed through Mother Mary.  These two gave us the only sinless individuals in humanity; thank you God!

Three: The Holy Family—Jesus, Mother Mary and Joseph (Jesus’s adopted Dad) began their family which saved our salvation; thank you God!  

What a joyful day for us.  We gather this weekend to visit our families, relatives and friends.  We also meet each other in God’s house -- church.  I am always excited for Christmas (“Christ Mass”) and it is powerful to see God’s house to be packed.  It is this place where our families gather together to worship, pray, sing and remember the gifts that God has given us.  Let us always say, “Thank you God!”

Please remember that Christmas is not only December 25th.  As Catholics, our belief is that Christmas continues for eight days.  When stores, advertisements and societies end Christmas today, we continue the party.

Also know that God is here to welcome you to His house.  He wants you in a relationship with Himself.  He wants to show you His love, mercy and compassion.  You are always welcome to St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Columban in this area as well as around the world.

Finally, this celebration is one nugget for the whole story of our lives: John 3:16.  The first sentence shows God’s gift to us at Christmas: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…”  The second sentence reminds us the rest of our story: “…that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Have a wonderful Christmas for the one, two and three individuals and eight days of festivity.
God Bless!

Last daily Mass homily before Christmas!: Thursday, December 22nd, 2016

Listen to the homily here.

Notes:

The scriptures continues to show joyfulness for life

·      Hannah

o   She was praying before a priest: Eli and he said she was drunk

o   “‘Pardon, my lord!  As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD.  I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request.  Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD; as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD.’  She left Samuel there.”

·      Then she offered her prayer in the Responsorial Psalm

o   “My heart exults in the LORD, my horn is exalted in my God…”

·      Then Mother Mary shares her prayer

o   “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”

o   Magnificat—every evening prayer

The nature is growing with the light of the sun

The life of a child is shared with Hannah and Mother Mary

We are two days to Christmas!

The Joyful Mysteries: Wednesday, December 21st, 2016

Listen to the homily here.

Notes:

“Our soul waits for the LORD, who is our help and our shield, for in him our hearts rejoice; in his holy name we trust.”

Joyful Mystery of the Rosary

·      Annunciation: Gabriel to Mary and her conception

·      Visitation: Mary walks to Elizabeth

o   “Mary set out in those days and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.”

o   “the infant [John the Baptist] leaped in her womb…”

o   “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”

Last days of Advent: rejoice, haste, joyful, leaped, blessed

Prayers through Mother Mary: Tuesday, December 20th, 2016

Listen to the homily here.

Notes:

1.     “Hail, full of grace!  The Lord is with you.”

2.     St. Bernard: Annunciation

o   “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.  May it be done to me according to your word.”

3.     Alma Redemptoris Mater: Loving Mother of the Redeeme”

o   “Loving mother of the Redeemer, gate of heaven, star of the sea, assist your people who have fallen yet strive to rise again.  To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator, yet remained a virgin after as before.  You who received Gabriel’s joyful greeting, have pity on us poor sinners.”

Samson, John and the Holy Spirit pointing to Jesus: Monday, December 19th, 2016

Listen to the homily here.

Notes:

Child born, Samson, John the Baptist, the Holy Spirit

Judges 13

·      No name

·      Angel: “Though you are barren and have had no children, yet you will conceive and bear a son.”

·      “The woman bore a son and named him Samson.  The boy grew up and the LORD blessed him; the Spirit of the LORD stirred him.”

Luke

·      “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard.   Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John.”

·      “He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb, and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.  He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers toward children and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to prepare a people fit for the Lord.”

One of the most important miracle: 4th Sunday of Advent

Listen to the homily here.

Notes:

Imagine the most exciting end of an event

·      A big time memory:

o   Do you believe in miracles?  USA vs. USSR in the Olympics

o   Minnesota Twins in 1991

·      Or your own life?

o   A personal record

o   A hole in one

o   Doing something you did not think you could do

This last weekend, one of the most exciting, intense, miracle, salvation

·      Mother Mary

Isaiah 7:14

·      “Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.”

·      Hundreds of years before Mary

Think about this young woman

·      12-14 years old

·      Not married

·      Joseph was terrified—the woman she was going to marry was pregnant

·      Joseph: “…since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly.”

·      Joseph was told:

o   “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.  For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.  She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,  because he will save his people from their sins.”

St. Bernard of Clairvaux

·      Office on December 20^th

·      “The whole world awaits Mary’s reply…”

o   We too are waiting

o   Abraham begs it, David begs it.

o   This is what the whole earth waits for

o   Arise, hasten, open. Arise in faith, hasten in devotion, open in praise and thanksgiving. Behold the handmaid of the Lord, she says, be it done to me according to your word

As cool as “miracles” are in our team, our school, our own lives in victories, championships, amazing experiences…

·      We can remember these in pictures, videos, youtube

·      You can feel the exhilaration even if we know the result

I hope that we can sit on the end of our chairs

·      Experience energy, adrenaline, nervousness

·      Because the most important event in all of our planet is Christmas

7 days away to remind it again 

Parish Bulletin Article: "Moments": 12-18-16

This is our last week before Christmas with our family!

            I believe in essential moments within our Catholic Church.  Each of you has probably had one of these moments in your experience in Church.  It may be a baptism of a baby or you, or the first communion, or confirmation, or a wedding or even a funeral.  God may have shown you power, love, beauty or tears which led you right to Him.

            Consider next weekend—Christmas—as an essential moment in your life.  Pause to prepare yourself through the last days of Advent!  Pray!  Soak in silence!  Seek forgiveness!

            As you cross the finish line of Advent and enter the celebration for Christmas (for eight days, by the way!), please welcome our brothers and sisters for next week.

            To all of our parishioners: please work together for some major moments.  As we continue to grow in evangelization (i.e. sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ), your presence in God’s house is huge for visitors and family members from out of town.  The more we can walk people from their vehicle to the door, open the doors, welcome each person, speak to people, shake hands, set up chairs, allow your pew/“spot” to a new visitor and grow relationships in our parishes.

            As Jesus Christ is powerful on Christmas, remember that you may shine God’s love to someone else.

            Finish Advent well!

            God Bless! 

God saves us: Thursday, December 15th, 2016

Listen to the homily here.

Speaking tonight about us: Wednesday, December 14th, 2016

Listen to the homily here.

Another question from Jesus: Tuesday, December 13th, 2016

Listen to the homily here.

"Teach me your ways O Lord...": Monday, December 12th, 2016

Listen to the homily here.

Hear and See in our Spiritual Lives: 3rd Sunday of Advent Time

Listen to the homily here.

Notes:

3^rd Sunday of Advent

Remember the desert from last week?  (We should have a desert spot)

·      “The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom.  They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song.”

·      And here we are in the third Sunday of Advent: Gaudete—rejoice

Remember John the Baptist last weekend?

·      Listen to Jesus’ words for John the Baptist: “Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, ‘What did you go out to the desert to see?’”

o   A reed?  No

o   Dressed fine clothes?  No

o   A Prophet?  Yes…a prophet:

§  Isaiah: “Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you.”

John the Baptist had a question

·      “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?”

·      Jesus answer: “Go and tell John what you hear and see”

o   Jesus showed miracles for the blind, lame, lepers, deaf, dead, poor

·      Physically—yes

o   Think of the gifts from God through miracles, science or medicine

§  Seeing—glasses, contacts, surgeries

§  Deaf—hearing aids, earplugs

·      Spiritually—yes—today for hearing and seeing

o   We must listen to the one voice

§  Not in the noisy, busy, loud place

§  What can we listen in silence?

·      God

o   We must see with our spiritual eyes

§  Not in our physical world…our spiritual world

§  Seeing Jesus Body and Blood

§  Seeing the words of the Bible

Half way through Advent

·      The desert is growing

·      Jesus is showing the gifts in the physical and spiritual world

·      Christmas is closer