Listen to the homily here.
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Fr. David Forsman's Talk--Hymns of St. Thomas Aquinas
On Monday evening, January 28th, we had a delicious dinner and an essential talk from Fr. David Forman who spoke about the hymns of St. Thomas Aquinas. Enjoy his talk here!
The Liturgy of the Word and the importance of the Scriptures in our Spiritual Lives: 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Listen to the homily here.
Notes:
Notes:
How important is the Scriptures—the Bible.
§ First, the Scriptures are called the Liturgy of the Word—the first section of Mass
o Thus, we hear the Scriptures every Mass
o Then, the second comes the Liturgy of the Eucharist, which was also peppered with the Bible itself
Personally, I absolutely love the Bible and I hope everyone of you could do so as well
§ This shows the story of love between God and us as humans, and over centuries of history, combined with over a thousand pages (in our day of books) inform us the salvation plan for us from the very beginning (Genesis) to the end (Revelation) and everything in the middle
Now, let’s quickly look at the first reading, the responsorial Psalm and the Gospel
§ Ezra
o Their temple was destroyed and their people were deposed from their land to Babylon
o 50 years later, they returned to Jerusalem
o During that time, they almost lost God’s Word, God’s law
o Enter Ezra on the stage…no pun intended
§ “Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform
that had been made for the occasion. He opened the scrollso that all the people might see it…”
that had been made for the occasion. He opened the scrollso that all the people might see it…”
§ And: “Standing at one end of the open place that was before the Water Gate,he read out of the book from daybreak till midday,
in the presence of the men, the women,and those children old enough to understand;and all the people listened attentively to the book of the law…”
in the presence of the men, the women,and those children old enough to understand;and all the people listened attentively to the book of the law…”
§ For those of you that think my homily can go over 10 minutes some times, or the Mass gets over an hour, imagine you in that crowd who stood and listen to the Scriptures for over 5-6 hours!
o Ezra, Nehemiah and others then recreated and taught God’s Word
§ Then Jesus
o He was in a synagogue about 5 centuries later in Jerusalem
o He was given another scroll
§ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
o And as the people were shocked, looking to him, Jesus said, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."
§ Finally, we prayed together a synthesis for both of these readings:
o “Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.”
And that is how important it is to read, pray, study and contemplate God’s Word in the Bible!
Parish Bulletin Article: "National Catholic School Week": 1-27-19
Welcome to 2019 National Catholic School week!
I hope you enjoy Mass at 10:30am as our school students will be serving, reading, offer the bread, wine, and water as well as donuts and coffee after Mass.
Thank you for your support for St. Thomas Aquinas School, most lately with the United Catholic Raffle Tickets. With your time, talent and treasure, and most of all your prayers, you can see the abundance and growth. Since the summer of 2014 when we had only 19 students registered, and possibly closing the doors, we now have 58 students (13 more than last year), and in the next school year, we will have even more.
I believe what Jesus said, “Let the children come to me…,” and praise God for this mission for St. Thomas Aquinas School Saints!
I also believe in the impact of having students in Catholic schools in our Diocese of Duluth, as each student is in the presence of the best teacher—Jesus Christ—with 1,200 hours a year.
As we continue to welcome more students at our school, as well as their parents, grandparents, relatives, and friends, our parishes could also grow, and vice versa.
Please continue to pray, serve and follow God’s will in your life for our school, parish, community and our Diocese of Duluth.
Finally, please come on Monday to Mass at 8:30am, a dinner with chili and cornbread at 5:30pm and Fr. Dave Forsman right after with his talk "Hymns of St. Thomas Aquinas" as January 28th is the feast of our patron, St. Thomas Aquinas.
St. Thomas Aquinas, pray for us!
God Bless!
Two levels of Marriage: 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Listen to the homily here.
Notes:
Notes:
“Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday.” (The Princess Bride)
I am proud and with gratitude for each of you who have been married, especially on our first reading in Isaiah and John 2, the Wedding feast of Cana
· Also, we have two different levels of marriage
For us as humans: a husband and a wife, or what they described as a bridegroom and bride back in the day, come together for their wedding, with vows, rings, worship, celebration and beyond
· Jesus himself went to a wedding, the wedding in Cana
· “There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee,
and the mother of Jesus was there.Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.”
and the mother of Jesus was there.Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.”
· And, you probably remember how the wine was gone during their celebration
· Yes, Jesus took water, a lot of water, into delicious wine…a lot of wine
· Continue to walk with your spouse, your kids, your family, your loved ones, your friends, your community, even to the end of your life
Then there is a deeper level: God’s “marriage” as a Bridegroom to us
· Isaiah: “you shall be called "My Delight, "
and your land "Espoused."
For the LORD delights in you
and makes your land his spouse.
As a young man marries a virgin,
your Builder shall marry you;
and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride
so shall your God rejoice in you.
and your land "Espoused."
For the LORD delights in you
and makes your land his spouse.
As a young man marries a virgin,
your Builder shall marry you;
and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride
so shall your God rejoice in you.
· And how did He do that?
o Well his son, showing the consecration of our marriage with us as he consummated us out of sin, evil and death and into his marriage
· And let’s think again with that water and wine at the Wedding in Cana
· "They have no wine...Do whatever he tells you...Fill the jars with water…Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter…And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine,without knowing where it came from— although the servers who had drawn the water knew —,the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him,
"Everyone serves good wine first,and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one;but you have kept the good wine until now."
"Everyone serves good wine first,and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one;but you have kept the good wine until now."
· Was this wine for that particular wedding? Yes.
· Was it also for the preparation with our wedding with God for eternity? Yes.
o Notice: Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee
o Jesus Christ died on the cross and when he died he was pierced with the pole, in which water and blood came out of his side
o And what do we do at every Mass? We have water and wine that is consecrated to Jesus Blood
Praise God for the sacrament of marriage here on earth!
And praise God for the metaphor of marriage with God for all eternity!
Parish Bulletin Article: "Six Months for Gratitude": 1-20-19
Every six months I enjoy sharing some thoughts, ideas or opportunities in this article. This weekend, I would like to offer gratitude to you, our family.
I continue to pray, serve and support the many talents that God has given you. It is incredible to watch the growth with stewardship: time, talent and treasure. Thank you for each of these essential gifts for our parishes, school, Diocese and our community.
Thanks to both of our parishes for finishing our goal for the UCA 2018. Praise God!
Thanks to both of our parishes for continuing to grow with new young families and new children, and welcome to new parishioners within the last few months!
Thanks to you who have supported our “wish list.” One of the powerful new reception is a new baptismal font which is on the way.
Thanks for new servers, new singers, new sacristans, new Eucharistic Ministers and new lectors at Mass.
Thanks to you who have opened your lives to offer new lives!
Thanks to continuing to gel as brothers and sisters with our different committees, organizations and service with each other.
I would also like to recognize two of our new employees, both of which work at St. Thomas Aquinas School. Thanks to Jerry Hilfer, who responded to lead our School after he had retired, and came back to lead a new principalship with a new challenge. He has solidified many veins within education and is seeing an excellent path for us to grow, especially with new curriculums and new technology.
Also, thank you to Patty Refsland. Your compassion, faith and unique tasks for our students. You also offer not only this year for fifth grade this year, but both fifth and sixth-grade students next year.
And, I have sincere gratitude as our school continues to grow from 45 students last year to 58 students this year. As I have said many times before, “If the school grows, our parishes will grow. If our parishes grow, our school will grow.” As we follow our Savior, we will continue to follow his will.
Finally, thank you within our family to witness to life—conception to death, baptisms to funerals, and everything in the middle.
Know of my prayers for each of you, and know of my thanksgiving for your relationship with God, relationships within our parishes, and evangelization within our community.
God Bless!
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
Water: Necessary for life, Enjoyment physically, Powerful in our World, and Essential for our Spiritual Lives: The Baptism of our Lord
Listen to the homily here.
Notes:
Notes:
The last weekend of the Christmas Season: The Baptism of Jesus Christ
We have quickly went through essential moments of our Salvation History
· The birth of Jesus Christ
· The presentation of Jesus in the Temple
· The finding of Jesus in the Temple
· The Holy Family
· The Epiphany
· And now, as an adult, the Baptism of Jesus Christ
· Monday begins Ordinary Time again
Today, let us think about water
· The water we need:
o If we cannot drink water, we cannot live
§ Our bodies is maintained by 60% of the liquids in our bodies
o We use it also to clean ourselves, our dishes, or homes to receive sanitary, which many brothers and sisters doesn’t even receive this!
o Also, how much water is used for agriculture for food?
· We enjoy water
o Minnesota with 11,842 lakes larger than 10 acres!
o How many of us love to live, swim, fish, boat, canoe or camp right next to these beautiful lakes?
o Or even in the winter
§ Ice fishing, skiing, snowmobiling
· We know the power of water
o Hurricanes, typhoons, thunderstorms
o Or even the ways to use this power to try to stop a fire or, like in California and around our country, how much water is needed for safety
I mention this today, because water is crucial in our human lives…then Jesus Christ changes it to our spiritual lives
· 2000 years ago, John the Baptist was seeing many, many people to baptize them to repent from their sins
· Then he saw Jesus, entering in line to be baptized and we heard a curious conversation with John
o John answered them all, saying,
"I am baptizing you with water,
but one mightier than I is coming.
I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."
After all the people had been baptized
and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying,
heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him
in bodily form like a dove.
And a voice came from heaven,
"You are my beloved Son;
with you I am well pleased."
"I am baptizing you with water,
but one mightier than I is coming.
I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."
After all the people had been baptized
and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying,
heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him
in bodily form like a dove.
And a voice came from heaven,
"You are my beloved Son;
with you I am well pleased."
Was Jesus forgiven this baptism? Well, no. He had no sins.
· He was baptized not to himself, but to humanity and to show the spiritual opportunities to create blessed, or holy water
· Meaning, he opens a new door with this water which we call the first sacrament of our Church, to be entered into God’s family
Parish Bulletin Article: "Ideas for Spiritual Goals for 2019": 1-13-19
We typically begin each new year with new goals, and usually, it hones into to diet, quitting something or exercise. Now yes, these are good goals, but have you ever thought of changing your life with your spiritual journey?
Here are two thoughts as we begin 2019.
First, as we continue to listen to the Scriptures at Mass, many people asked John the Baptist several questions to him: "Who are you?.... What are you then? Are you Elijah?... Are you the Prophet?" John denied each of these, then simply and succinctly shared who he was: “He said: ‘I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, “Make straight the way of the Lord”, 'as Isaiah the prophet said.’"
Do you know who you are? While it may seem to be a quick question, can you give a quick answer? Such a simple question can offer you incredible progress to think, discern and pray with God to figure out who YOU are!
Second, as we have given you several Dynamic Books, especially those written by Matthew Kelly, here is some great ideas that I pulled out from some of his texts which may inspire you as we grow in our spiritual progress to start a new year:
· “What is your mission?”
· “What is your holy moments?”
· “What was amazing about this year?
· “Whom are you most grateful for this year?”
· “What accomplishment are you most proud of from the past year?”
· “What was the most empowering decision you made?”
· “In what area of your life do you feel the least empowered?”
· “What emotions would you name to describe this past year?”
· “What can you do next year to become more childlike?”
· “What brings you joy?”
· “Who did you help this year?”
· “What dream have you given up on?”
· “What would you like to have more of this year?”\
· “Do you like the direction your life is heading in?”
· “Who are you?”
· “What are you here for?”
· “What matters most?”
· “What matters least?”
· (These were from “The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity” and “Perfectly Yourself” which I noted were very similar and had helped me in my spiritual process! If you would like a copy of either of these books, we still have some copies at St. Thomas Aquinas)
Once again, happy new year, 2019 and continue to walk with each other and with Jesus Christ.
God Bless!
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