Is God #1?: 8th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Listen to the homily here.

Notes:

Taught high school, junior high students

·      What are your favorite things?

·      0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0

·      What is the number?

·      Zero

·      But watch this…

·      Put a 1 before all the zeros…you have a big number!

“No one can serve two masters…He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon.”

·      Where is God in your life?

·      Is God #1 in your life?

·      How much time to you offer to God?

Jesus then said, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear.”

·      God is our Creator and gives providence—everything we need

The birds, the grass, what we eat, what we drink, what we wear

·      “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  Bet seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.”

So where will you put God in your list?

Parish Bulletin Article: "Love Your Neighbor": 2-26-17

            In just a few days, we will begin Lent for 2017.  Before it begins I would like to offer some ways to walk through this season.

This year I would like to focus a theme for all of us: “Love our neighbor”.  And here are four big events.

#1:  We will continue to love our neighbor through the Operation Rice Bowl.  You have given amazing gifts to serve the hungry both in our community and around the world and we will grow even more!  Which points to…

#2:  …a cool fact that the season of Lent begins on Wednesday, March 1^st.  This is the same day that is a powerful reminder to feed the hungry in the month of March.  Please check out the information for both our parishes and in our communities to offer food to our neighbors.

#3:  Through the Diocese of Duluth, each of our parishes take turns to support a co-op missionary.  We will welcome a new priest for our parishes during March 18^th-19^th.  He will share his mission and request through his appeal for our support.

#4:  Another priest—Fr. Michael Garry (pastor in Eveleth/Gilbert)—will visit us for the beginning of our 40 hours of Eucharistic adoration (March 31^st-April 2^nd).  He will offer a talk about both the Eucharist and the poor and we will begin our weekend of praise, praying and confessing.  We will have more information for this wonderful weekend.

            As we begin Lent, let us grow to love our neighbor!

            God bless!           

Pennies for Patients: Thursday, February 23rd, 2017 (School Mass)

Listen to the homily here.

Notes:

“Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.”

The Chair of St. Peter: Wednesday, February 22nd, 2017

Listen to the homily here.

Note:

The chair of St. Peter

·      Matthew 16:13-19

o   “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

o   “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.  For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.”

o   “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church…”

·      Peter was a sinner

o   “But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me; for you are not on the side of God, but of men.”

o   Almost drowned on the lake

o   Denied Jesus

The chair of St. Peter…God does not choose the qualified…he qualifies the chosen!

·      St. Peter

·      And YOU

Read Sirach (today is from 2:1-6): Tuesday, February 21st, 2017

Listen to the homily here.

Notes:
Sirach
My favorite book in the Old Testament
 History of Jerusalem

·      Combines Jewish and Hellenism

·      Practical education

Sirach 2:1-6

·      2:1 My son, if you come forward to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for temptation.  2 Set your heart right and be steadfast, and do not be hasty in time of calamity.  3 Cleave to him and do not depart, that you may be honored at the end of your life.  4 Accept whatever is brought upon you, and in changes that humble you be patient.  5 For gold is tested in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation.  6 Trust in him, and he will help you; make your ways straight, and hope in him.

"I do believe, help my unbelief!": Monday, February 20th, 2017

Listen to the homily here.

Love your neighbor: 7th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Listen to the homily here.

Notes:

Drive thru and McDonald’s

·      Lunch

·      1^st window—waiting to pay

·      Someone passed me to the 2^nd window

·      I wasn’t ticked, but it felt like a pet peeve!

·      I watched as she was buying a happy meal

·      Then I watched as she paid two different things

·      “She bought the lunch for you to have a wonderful day…”

It made my day…

·      Good things in others

·      And we must live to serve others

Leviticus 19

·      “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

·      The Golden Law!

·      Matthew 7:12: “So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.”

We must love our neighbor…

·      We must not like everyone…but we must love them

1 Corinthians 3

·      “Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”

·      Responsorial: “The Lord is kind and merciful”

o   So do you know this?

o   The Holy Spirit dwells in you?

o   You can experience God’s love and mercy to you

·      So do you try to do the same others?

·      Do you serve your neighbor?

o   Even if they are not popular…if they do or do not like our president…if they are sinful?

Love your neighbor!

Parish Bulletin Article: "Daily Mass": 2-19-17

            I will continue to encourage our brothers and sisters to grow through daily Mass. 

            Why? 

            Here is one answer through a powerful quote: “The Eucharist is ‘the source and summit of the Christian life’”.  (This quote comes from a huge document—the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church from the Second Vatican Council.  If you would like to study this deeper, check out “Lumen gentium” paragraph #11 or through our Catechism of the Catholic Church at #1324).

            Remember St. Teresa of Calcutta—one of the most powerful woman who served the poor, the dying, the lonely and the homeless.  Her day always began with daily Mass.

            Pope Francis, the shepherd for our family, leads Mass every day.

            I believe that our parishes, our school, our diocese, the poor and the sick will grow if many more make it to both the weekend and daily Masses.

            You may ask, “How much time does the daily Mass take?”  The simple answer is 30-40 minutes.  This would be quicker than watching a television program, visit friends for breakfast, read the paper or serve our own time and talent.

            While daily Mass may be challenging for some who cannot make it, many more of our brothers and sisters could make it!  In a special way, those who are retired, parents who drop their kids to the school, those who are members through the Knights of Columbus or Catholic Daughters, volunteers in our churches (the Tabernacle, Worship Committee, Evangelization Group, Faith Formation, etc.) or community would grow through daily Mass.

            The best part of my day is both daily and weekend Masses—even on my day off.

            The Eucharist as our source and summit will only support our missions to follow Jesus Christ.

            God Bless!

Love on St. Valentines day: Tuesday, February 14th, 2017

Listen to the homily here.

What about signs?: Monday, February 13th, 2017

Listen to the homily here.

Notes:

“The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus,

seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.”

What about the “sign” we look for?

·      Vocation

Sometimes signs are simple, in front of your eyes, from brothers and sisters

Sometimes we don’t know it

Sometimes God might be challenging us to know that we don’t know everything

Sometimes we trick God…don’t do that one!

Our relationship with God should go deeper

·      In God’s grace

·      Pray

·      Doing our daily work

Four Laws: 6th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Listen to the homily here.

Notes:

“Give me discernment, that I may observe your law and keep it with all my heart.”

·      Each of our readings: Sirach 15, Psalm 119, 1 Corinthians 2:6-10 and Matthew 5:17-37

·      Speaking about “law”…

That is very small word with dozens of meanings!

·      Driving laws

·      Hunting laws

·      Criminal laws

Today I would like to speak about our deeper laws

·      St. Thomas Aquinas, one of our best teacher in history shared about four laws

·      Human law

o   Laws of governments

·      Eternal law

o   The Divine Wisdom of God that moves all things to their end

·      Divine law

o   The historical laws of Scripture given to man through God’s self-revelation

·      Natural law

o   The Eternal Law of God imprinted on all things

With a simple nugget…we should discern God’s law versus our human or government laws

Where?

·      The Bible

o   This is what we listened today

o   Jesus was fulfilling the Old Testament to his new law

§  Murder

§  Adultery

§  Divorce

§  False oath (lies)

·      Catechism of the Catholic Church

Sirach: “Before man are life and death, good and evil, whichever he chooses shall be given him.”

Parish Bulletin Article: "On the Same Team": 2-12-17

            A couple of weeks ago I spoke during my homily about how we work together.  During this article, I would like to offer another relationship in our family: our school and our parishes. Our parishes and our school are on the same team.  

I believe that our parishioners, employees and volunteers must first serve Jesus Christ.  Second, we can always use our time, talent and treasure for how God has called us to different missions.  Finally, evangelization (sharing the Good News of Christ) can meld our brothers and sisters to grow deeper in faith.  And yes, this supports both our parishes and our school.

So here are some stunning events that I have seen or heard from many families in our diocese. 

I know that many parishioners have decided to register their students into the Catholic school throughout our diocese.  (Quick tangent…it is the parents’ job to discern where their children should learn whether in a Catholic school, public school, or home school).  

On the other hand, I know many parents in our diocese seek a “different” type of education and registered their child(ren) for academics.  It is powerful to watch our Catholic/Christian schools not just to show academics but to serve, teach and show God’s love, mercy and compassion day to day.  

I have witnessed several families who began to register their child into a Catholic school, and then saw the opened door to Jesus Christ.  Over and over I have watched these child(ren) to support and encourage their parents and family to show our savior! 

As we continue to serve God, pray and discern how to support both our parishes and our school.  Doing so, we can serve many people in our community to receive God’s love and relationship.

God Bless!

Clean vs. unclean: Wednesday, February 8th, 2017

Listen to the homily here.

Notes:

Yesterday, the Pharisees and the scribes were asking Jesus tricky questions…

·      “Clean” or “unclean” their hands for food (cups and jugs and kettles and beds)

·      Jesus gave His answers to the Pharisees and the scribes through the Old Testament

Today he gave some answers to the disciples:

“Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile."

“From within the man, from his heart, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.”

The Creator: Tuesday, February 7th, 2017

Listen to the homily here.

Notes:

“God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good.  Evening came, and morning followed–the sixth day.”

·      Heaven and earth

·      Sun, moon and stars

·      Water and land

·      Plants

·      Animals

·      Humans

God said, “God saw how good it was…good…good…good…good…good…very good”

Each of you are better than everything else

Genesis 1 and John 1: Monday, February 6th, 2017

Listen to the homily here.

Notes:

Genesis 1 and the Prologue of John

Genesis 1:1-3: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters.  3 And God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.”

John 1:1-5: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  2 He was in the beginning with God;  3 all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.  4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.  5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

What amaze me is that Genesis 1:1-3 was written several hundreds before Jesus came to us…and John 1:1-5 was written several decades after Jesus was crucified