Listen to the homily here.
Monday, December 31, 2018
Christmas Octave Day #6: Holy Family for Sunday
Listen to the homily here.
Notes:
Notes:
The Holy Family of Jesus, Joseph and Mary
· The best family ever on earth:
o Jesus as the gift from THE Father
o Joseph as a believer of God, following God’s will to protect Mary and Jesus
o Mary as without sin and receiving pregnancy without another man
· The best “family” in the supernatural domain: God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Over many decades our culture has chipped away families of life—which is the base, the kernel of society
· And what have been some challenging, even sad situations within marriage
· First, I would ask you to pray, study, and communicate well with your spouse, as well as our brothers and sisters who have had personal and emotional challenges, to always know of God’s love and generous mercy
· First, we believe in marriage within love between a husband and wife, as well as the openness for children
o The bar is high!
o Which makes sense as we are called to be saints, not just your own desire
· If you received “The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity” here is one way to grow in holiness, many obstacles that have been chipping away the kernel which include:
o Contraception
o Abortion
o Divorce
o Pornography
And yes, study about these hot button issues in our country, in your marriage, in your faith, in your journey with Jesus Christ
· Here are a few thoughts from my mind:
o For instance, from 1970-2014 we have had 44.5 Billion abortions (CDC stats)
o From the American Psychological Association the percentage of Divorce is 40-50%
o I have prepared many couples for marriage, and every couple new about contraception, few were ever taught about Natural Family Planning
o Finally, the pornography business in our country is around $97 billion dollars, which is larger than every professional sport markets
We Christians and Catholics are called to walk towards the communion of God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit
· And please focus on that truth, the truth of Jesus, Joseph and Mary
· And as we are not perfect, live for excellence, freedom and holy, as we are separate!
Parish Bulletin Article: "Curiosity with the Christmas Octave": 12-30-18
Christmas continues to go forward as it is eight days long!
Within this Octave (= eight days), we have some amazing liturgies and here is the calendar we have this year for Christmas:
1. Tuesday, December 25th= Christmas= Day #1
2. Wednesday, December 26th: Feast of St. Stephen, first martyr= Day #2
3. Thursday, December 27th: Feast of St. John, Apostle and evangelist= Day #3
4. Friday, December 28th: Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs= Day #4
5. Saturday Morning, December 29th: The Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas= Day #5
6. Saturday Evening/Sunday Morning, December 29th/30th: Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph= Day #6
7. Monday Morning, December 31st: The Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas= Day #7
8. Monday Evening/Tuesday whole day: Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God= Day #8= Last day of Christmas!
Now, this “calendar list” is unique, especially compared to the rest of our liturgical year. As I write this, I would like to propose some great questions that might encourage you to reflect on these possibilities in our lives.
Here’s one off the bat. Why does the first day of this Octave begin on December 25th, while we also have Christmas Eve on December 24th or Midnight Mass?
Another curious question: the next day—26th—we celebrate a Feast for St. Stephen who was stoned to death. Whoa! And then the 28th is titled as the “Feast of the Holy Innocents,” some of the most egregious acts in the scriptures as Herod slaughtered little ones to avoid a new king (supposedly). How do these “martyrs” (= St. Stephen and the Holy Innocents which means witnesses) connect to Christmas?
Then imagine the readings and life of St. John the Evangelist on the 27th, right between the days just written above. Why?
Or, how do some days have two different types of liturgies, like the 29th with “The Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas” and in the evening for Jesus’ Holy Family?
Finally, how does the eight days of Christmas, which also begins the new year with Mary, Mother of God?
I mention these questions, not to ask for homework or tests (though I may add them when our students are back from Christmas break!), but to offer some cool thoughts, conversations and insights into our Catholic liturgical opportunities.
And yes, I always love these types of thoughts, ideas and conversations.
Merry Christmas and God Bless!
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
God can change things around!: Merry Christmas!
Listen to the homily here.
Notes:
Notes:
Merry Christmas!
It is such a blessed time to be together in God’s house and with God’s family
· With your families, our families, families in our community, families around our country, around the world, and with our families connected to our loved ones in heaven, saints and angels
This season, I’m guessing that many of you went to see a concert or a pageant
· I did as well, and I went to watch our students pageant with a quip title: “The Case of the Reluctant Innkeeper”
· They acted in the Bethlehem Court system which was quite funny, sang together and even offered a short concert
· Now as I was proud of our students, our teachers, our employees and our volunteers I remember one song: “Change things Around”
· Their voices were beautiful and the lyrics inspired me for goosebumps!
o “Are you up against a wall and feeling mighty small? There’s no one in the inn, and you need someone to call. Don’t call information, ‘cause God has got the plan. We don’t have to worry. Just pray and know He can change things around, change things around! God sent His Son, the Holy One, to change things around. Jesus is love. He’s come from heav’n above. When down is up and up is down our God can change things around.
God did change things around, quite literally
· I hope there is no spoiler alert here
· Jesus Christ was born!
· And, he eventually was killed on the cross, died and rose again to save everyone of us
One other thought for Christmas this season as Mary had a baby, and who doesn’t love to see a baby?
· Well, these newborns grow up to be infants, then toddlers, children, then the odd years of pre-adolescences, adolescences, adulthood, middle age and the senior years
· And who did Jesus speak the most about our human lives?
o Children!
· “Let the children come to me…”
· “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3)
First, I praise God for you parents
· You gave life, you protect them, feed them, teach them, and walk with them in their lives
· Thank you!
· And I bet that your mission is not easy, and your kids may seem angelic at school or church while you know who they really are!
· I mean, Santa, is making a list and checking it twice, He's gonna find out who's naughty and nice, Santa Claus is comin' to town
o (And if you are at Mass, I bet he’ll be putting on the nice side)
But why did Jesus show several examples of being like children when we are adults?
· Well, they believe in Jesus Christ
· They know that they are vulnerable
· They need everything from their parents
· But isn’t this the same for us adults? Often we think we are control of everything in our lives…we’ll in charge
· But don’t we need help? Don’t we need belief beyond ourselves? Or realize that there is someone beyond ourselves, especially being focused with a secular world without God?
God does change things around! And the more your lives change in the better life you want, I hope and pray that you connect closer to this baby, who became our savior, Jesus Christ.
Merry Christmas!
"Small things with great Love": 4th Sunday in Advent
Listen to the homily here.
Notes:
Notes:
Small things with great love: (St. Mother Teresa)
· Let’s start with a village:
o Micah: “Thus says the LORD:
You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah
too small to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel…”
You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah
too small to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel…”
o Bethlehem = house of bread
o And then holds the greatest love in the whole world
· Now two people
o “Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.”
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.”
o Actually, there are four people within this love, two of them are even smaller—in their wombs
o “When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit…”
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit…”
· Then a quick announcements:
o From Elizabeth: “Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled."
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled."
o And Mary’s earlier answer to Gabriel, and the annunciation of her son: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word…”
God showed the whole world how He used small things with the greatest love we needed: His son
Parish Bulletin Article: "Change things Around": 12-23-18
Earlier this month our students performed a yearly pageant that included a concert and a play. I was proud of them with their talents in music, acting, singing, and art, as well as gratitude with our teachers, musician and more. The music allowed them to perform with their instruments at a young age, as well as all of our students in the play called “The Case of the Reluctant Innkeeper.”
Now, why would I write this within a bulletin that creates some challenges as it will be read after the fourth (and last) Sunday in Advent, as well as Christmas?
Two thoughts.
First, two verses. One of my favorite verses in the Bible is a simple quote that I have used dozens of times at St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Columban and St. Thomas Aquinas School: “…Jesus said, ‘Let the children come to me…” (Matthew 19:14). I believe that Jesus wants his children to be with him, not only to Mass but in their lives as well as your lives.
And then, remember (or learn) what Jesus taught his disciples, and us today? “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). Was Jesus saying that kids were perfect? Are your kids just like angels? I doubt it! (and I praise you, parents, raising up your kids eventually to be adults within all the challenges, moments, hours, days, weeks and years).
But kids do have some things that we adults sometimes forget, like imagination, timelessness, believing that someone else must take care of their needs, like food, shelter, clothes, etc. Sometimes we think that we can control everything in our lives, and forget that we too, must need someone beyond ourselves—God.
My second thought was my experience with a Christmas song that I never heard before called “Change Things Around” within our schools’ play. As our students sang, I simply heard beauty with their voices, goosebumps with the lyrics and my misty eyes as connecting these simple words reminding ME of what God HAS done in our lives. I mean, read these words!: “Are you up against a wall and feeling mighty small? There’s no one in the inn, and you need someone to call. Don’t call information, ‘cause God has got the plan. We don’t have to worry. Just pray and know He can change things around, change things around! God sent His Son, the Holy One, to change things around. Jesus is love. He’s come from heav’n above. When down is up and up is down our God can change things around.”
No matter what your age is, let us allow God in our hearts to change our lives around, back to Him. That’s what we ought to do like children.
Happy Advent, merry, merry Christmas, and know that you are always welcome at God’s house, family and friendship at St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Columban and St. Thomas Aquinas School.
God Bless!
Saturday, December 22, 2018
Mercy: Ben Frost's Talk on Tuesday, December 18th at St. Thomas Aquinas beginning our Advent Mission
Ben Frost gave a great talk about mercy as we prepared our hearts to receive Jesus Christ' love, mercy and compassion with Eucharistic Adoration, praise and worship music and Confession.
Powerful evening and you can hear Ben Frost's mission here.
Powerful evening and you can hear Ben Frost's mission here.
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
Horizontally and Vertically Rejoice!: 3rd Sunday in Advent: Gaudete
Listen to the homily here.
Notes:
Notes:
Gaudete: rejoice!
· This weekend, I would like to share how this time of rejoice can show in two positions: horizontal with us and vertical with God.
· For instance, in Zephaniah:
o “The LORD has removed the judgment against youhe has turned away your enemies;the King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,you have no further misfortune to fear.”
o Were they Israelite’s praising and rejoicing for God…Yes!
o At the same time, were they praising privately in their own room, silently?
§ No! They were praising TOGETHER to God
· How about in Isaiah in the Responsorial Pslam?
o “God indeed is my savior;I am confident and unafraid.My strength and my courage is the LORD,and he has been my savior. With joy you will draw waterat the fountain of salvation.”
o That’s a praise going up to God!
o And horizontal as we are offering this at Mass, with each other to God!
· Then we have St. Paul who rejoiced God while he was in jail
o “Brothers and sisters:Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!
o Again, this rejoice goes to God
o And to Paul’s brothers and sisters…he never wrote this to one person to privately praise God, but for everyone that heard it to do so with each other!
St. John the Baptist teaches us how to rejoice what God as given us that we may give it away
· “Whoever has two cloaksshould share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.”
o Rejoice!
· “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.”
o Rejoice!
· “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.”
o Rejoice!
As we pause this weekend to rejoice to God as we know what is coming in 10/9 days in Christmas, let us continue to rejoice by offering our time, talent and treasure as God can show you how He can use it on earth, and you can rejoice back for His love!
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