"The dwelling" of God throughout history: Thursday, August 3rd, 2017

Listen to the homily here.

Notes:

Moses: 3500 years ago…

·      The Dwelling was erected…

·      Tent

·      The ark with the tablets, Aaron’s rod

Eventually

·      The Temple

·      Tabernacle with Jesus’ Eucharist

Kingdom of heaven with treasures and pearls: Wednesday, August 2nd, 2017

Listen to the homily here.

Notes:

Kingdom of heaven with treasure and pearls

Let’s think about money

·      Many people has money for: food, living situation, possessions, savings, insurance, health care, giving away

·      Different eggs in the basket—like a Roth IRA, 401K, saving, etc.

Well, Jesus is teaching us to be all in

·      “…which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.”

Meeting with an employee at St. Scholastica

·      Marriage

A crucial title: Friend: Tuesday, August 1st, 2017

Listen to the homily here.

Notes:

“The LORD used to speak to Moses face to face,
as one man speaks to another.”

“Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.”

Question for you: there are only two individuals with the title “friend” from God in the Old Testament.

·      Moses

·      ? (Abraham)

o   “But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend;”

Servants, slaves

·      Jesus Christ said, “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command you.  15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends…”

Learning against the idol calf: Monday, July 31st, 2017

Listen to the homily here.

Notes:

The idol calf

"It does not sound like cries of victory, nor does it sound like cries of defeat; the sounds that I hear are cries of revelry.”

·      “lively and noisy festivities, especially when these involve drinking a large amount of alcohol”

“So I told them, 'Let anyone who has gold jewelry take it off.'
They gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and this calf came out.”

At the same time, Moses was bringing down the two tablets for the commandments

Patience

"The new and the old...": 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Listen to the homily here.

Notes:

“The new and the old…”

·      We have each seen this in our lives

o   Parents: with your children, don’t you have “new” and “old” clothes

§  Your children grow like weeds!

§  Think of your baby’s clothes...and then you don’t have any babies…you probably have some “old” clothes

·      Baptismal dress

·      Shoes

§  But they are always getting “new” clothes

·      New or pass down clothes!

Jesus said: “Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.”

Think about the new and old things in our parishes

·      People!  Babies, little ones, elementary, high school, adults

o   Those brand new to learn and those who have wisdom

·      Our gifts

o   Our rectory!  A new and old!

o   Our decisions for our property

o   Things in the parishes

·       “Stuff”

o   Old stuff: if you haven’t used it for a year, give it away

o   New stuff: we all need some new stuff: food, water, shelter

§  But in our culture

I hope that we never have new or old…but both

Finally, we can always grow to be “scribes” following Jesus Christ

·      As Catholics we always have new opportunities, serving, reading, sacraments

·      And each of us have been given talents which can be both old and new

Parish Bulletin Article: "All Old and New Rectory!": 7-30-17

            Last weekend I said that our closing date for both houses—our old and new rectory—was on Friday, July 28th.  As I write this article, we still have five days left before the actual day, and I hope that this article truly happened.  If anything fell through, you can stop reading this article as it would be “fake news”! 

            I thank God for the ways he sends us opportunities to serve.  I am proud for our parishioners, as you ARE the owners of this new rectory and as we discerned for a different house and God opened different doors.

            As we sold and bought two buildings, it happened in only ten months. 

            I am so happy that our old rectory was bought for a non-profit—Northland Council Center—and our community will receive an awesome place.  Their new building will help our brothers and sisters who are facing addictions, mental illness, detoxification and support.  This is a chance for people to stand up again and be walked with our community.  It will also assist more employees (who will work in this building), invite this non-profit to our family, grow in relationships in our city and county, and allow other families who can quickly visit their loved ones facing tough challenges.

As I began this process, I said several times, “If Pope Francis knocked on the door of our [old] rectory, he would say, ‘Fr. Ben Hadrich, you need to live in a different house.’”  Now I imagine if Pope Francis went today to knock on the same door to see the new change for our parishes, our community and all of our good decision to help the those who need assistance.  And I bet he would smile today as we follow God’s will with the gifts He have given us.

Thank you for your prayers, your service, your conversations, your meetings, your support, your ideas, your packing and unpacking and your painting, as well as our realtors through Island View Reality and our Diocese of Duluth. 

As a Pastor, this was my first time to walk through a process to buy and sell a house and this could not have happened without our strong family and God Himself.

Praise God and God Bless!

Mountains: Thursday, July 27th, 2017

Listen to the homily here.

Notes:

“When the LORD came down to the top of Mount Sinai,
he summoned Moses to the top of the mountain.”

·      Mount Sinai: 10 Commandments

Mountains: physically and spiritually

Other mountains

·      Mount Moriah: Abraham and Isaac

o   The sheep, the ram…waiting for the Lamb

·      Mount Carmel

o   Elijah vs. the baals

o   Wind, earthquake, fire

o   Small quiet voice

·      Jesus Christ crucified on Golgatha

Mountains “going up”