Category: Deep Church Thoughts

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Being “catholic”

Having lived in a foreign country for some time, moving in their culture and speaking their language, I have a great admiration for anyone who emigrates to the United States. English is not an easy language to learn! Other languages have rules. We have rules, but break them with impunity. Here is a poem I found about that very thing. Sadly, I do not know who to credit it to. Please help me out if you can. Whoever wrote it deserves credit.

English is a Funny Language

We’ll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,

But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.

One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,

Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.

You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,

Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.

If the plural of man is always called men,

Why shouldn’t the plural of pan be called pen?

If I speak of my foot and show you my feet,

And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?

If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,

Why shouldn’t the plural of booth be called beeth?

Then one may be that, and three would be those,

Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,

And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.

We speak of a brother and also of brethren,

But though we say mother, we never say methren.

Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,

But imagine the feminine: she, shis and shim!

Yes, English is a strange language.  Once in high school in my AP English course, the teacher, a very kind man who was always looking for ways to expand our vocabularies noticed that one of our classmates was very expansive in her preferences. “Goodness, Laurie,” he said to her. “You certainly have very catholic tastes!” At this, the class broke out in laughter. “What have I said?” he asked innocently.

       She laughed and said, “Dr. Jenkins…I’m Jewish!”  He blushed a bit and explained that ‘catholic’ in the sense that he had used it simply meant “universal” or “all encompassing.” 

       As I mentioned last week, it is this sense of universality and expansiveness that led J.K. Chesterton to once describe the Church as “Here comes everybody!”

       This is a very different from the early days in salvation history. As we read in the Old Testament, when things started out, it was a very exclusive relationship between God and his Chosen People.

       However, as time passed we see the prophets proclaiming, as Isaiah does in today’s first reading, how starting with Israel, the Lord will eventually gather all the nations to himself.  Again, it’s all about relationship.

       Jesus is very clear, however, that there is no preference for seniority in the Kingdom of God. Thus, “some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” It doesn’t matter when you arrive at the reunion. Once you walk through the door, we are all family.

       That being said, it’s helpful to assess from time to time how ‘catholic’ we really are in how we live our lives.  Namely, does our Catholic Faith inform every part of our lives or just certain parts of it?

At home do we stop what we are doing everyday and gather for prayer, besides just before meals?

At work, do our coworkers know that we are Catholic by the values that we bring to the workplace.

In society, This is an election year. How much does Catholic Social Teaching inform how we vote on the candidates and the issues?        

May our faith and our lives always be truly “Catholic”, not just in name, but in fact, and in action. 

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Always Part of the Family

There are eight of us kids in the Walsh family. Two boys and six girls. We are all very different, and we all get along very well these days. But as a kid, I remember some very…uh, heated discussions. Usually, it was about trivial things that siblings fight about. Sometimes it was about important things.  I’m reminded of Katherine Hepburn’s famous line in the classic film The Lion in Winter, “But what family doesn’t have its ups and downs?”  I think this could apply to the Church as well.

One of the most apt descriptions of the Catholic Church is “the worldwide family of God.”  This makes a lot of sense. The Kingdom of God is built of relationships. The relationship that all members of the Church share is to be in communion with Christ and each other.  Even Canon Law states that the first duty of the Christian faithful is to “maintain communion with the Church.” (Can. 209 §1).  

In its most basic sense, this means that we are united in faith in Jesus Christ as Son of God, our Savior and Redeemer. In its most profound sense, it means we are united at the very level of our being. Remember, faith is first and foremost a relationship of communion with Christ and with each other. Therefore, the description of the Church as family is very apt. 

Look at any family and it becomes obvious they are a pretty diverse bunch. Each member has a variety of strengths and each has different areas where he or she needs the other members to be strong for them. It’s the same in our parish family and the same in the Church universal. The Church is marvelously diverse in its unity. So much so that G.K. Chesterton once described the Catholic Church as, “Here comes everybody!” 

We all have different likes and dislikes.  Different musical tastes and senses of humor. Different cultural backgrounds and pious practices. All of this is what helps make the Church truly “catholic.” In light of this, a problem arises when one or more members of the family begins to see themselves as the “real” members of the family and the others as less so. Granted, some members of the family may not stay in touch as well as others. Sometimes they do things that are against the way they were raised and may even do hurtful things to bring scandal to the family. That does not make them any less a member of the family. 

It’s the same in the worldwide family of God, the Church. Some members remain very close to home. Others may drift away. Others might even say and do things that are diametrically opposed to how we are called to live our faith. But we never give up on them. They are always part of the family. Our task in such circumstances to continually invite all members of the Church to continual conversion of mind and heart; to deepen that relationship of communion with Christ and each other. Reflecting the mercy of Christ, we “admonish the sinner” not to cast them out and show how good and pious we are, but rather to invite him or her in love to a renewed and deeper communion.

Each member of the family is unique and is in diverse circumstances. Therefore, the approach to each will be equally diverse. There is no one-size-fits-all remedy, whether it is a fellow parishioner or a public official. We may be sorely disappointed by another’s behavior. We may be saddened by their absence.  But we are never allowed to cease caring about them.  They are always part of the family.

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Involved or Committed?

Hey, Church fans! Had a great time last week flying a couple of kids around to see the local glaciers. This week, we hear Jesus say, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” What’s he getting at? Check it out.

Are You Involved or Committed? XIX Sunday in Ordinary Time

      

Yesterday, I had had breakfast with a friend at a local iconic establishment. 

       We both ordered bacon and eggs.

       As our food arrived, he looked at me and said, “You know, that’s the difference between being involved and being committed. 

       “How do you figure?” I asked.

       “Well,” he said, “Look at your breakfast.”

       “Yeah,” I said, “Bacon and eggs.”

       “Yep, bacon and eggs,” he said. “Think about it. The chicken is involved…the pig is committed!” 

       He’s right, you know. 

       It raises a good question for each of us in light of Jesus’ words in the gospel today.

       When it comes to being a disciple of Jesus in St. Patrick’s

       Are you involved

              Or are you committed? 

One thing I like about St. Patrick’s is that we never do anything halfway.

We go all in. We sing every verse and we don’t leave Mass early, even when the donuts are right outside the door! 

       We do this for a reason. First know hat one should never be in a hurry to leave the House of God. 

Second, we remember with sadness that Judas was the first one to leave Mass early…

We are here to praise God, to share our stories, to share communion and fellowship with God and one another, and to be sent back into the world to proclaim the Good News of the Resurrection and the forgiveness of sins.

       But at certain point each one of us has to decided, “I am merely involved, or am I committed?” 

How you answer that question will make all the difference.

This is what Jesus is getting at when he says, “Where your treasure is, there also will be your heart.”

If our “treasure”, i.e., that which is most valuable to us is our relationship with God and others, those relationships will take priority over everything else. That is when we become committed.  That’s when we organize our time and our resources to building up those relationships.

I’ve said it before, “Show me your calendar and your bank statement and I will tell you what your priorities are.”

But such a commitment isn’t easy and it doesn’t come overnight. Such stewardship of our time and resources takes time, practice, vigilance.

There are lots of things that compete for our attention. Very few of these are bad in and of themselves. Indeed, if I was the evil one, I would fill your life with so many good things that you would not have time for the essential relationships that give life joy and meaning.

It we are not careful our lives can become like our garages, filled with so much cool stuff that we can no longer use it for the reason it was built. 

We need to pay attention. We need to be vigilant. We need to be like “servants who await our master’s return.” We need to examine our priorities every day to make sure we are focused on who and what really matters.

       As individuals and as a parish family, we have all been given so much. Thus, much will be demanded of us. At the end of the age, when we stand together as a parish before the Lord, he will ask us what we did to build up the Kingdom here in 99504.

       Now is a good time to examine where our heart is. Now is a good time to look at our calendar and our bank statement. Is our relationship with Christ, with our parish family, with the Church our first priority? If not, where do we need to make adjustments? There is no guarantee of tomorrow. The Master could return at any moment. Now is the time to decide if we are involved or committed.

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Heralds of the Kingdom

[Greetings, Blog fans! Hey, FB go their software figured out and so now I can download videos again. Here’s the vid and the text. Blessed Independence Day. God bless you and God bless America.]

I’ve heard some complaints that the supply of dad jokes in the homilies has diminished somewhat.  To remedy this sad situation, here are three dad jokes to help you celebrate Independence Day…

  1. Did you hear the one about the Liberty Bell? – Yep, it cracks me up!
  2. What did one flag say to the other flag?      – Nothing.  It just waved.
  3. Why are there no “Knock Knock” jokes about American Independence?  – Because freedom rings!

     In ancient and medieval times, the king and his court were always on the move, riding from town to town and village to village. There were very practical reasons for this. First, it was important that people physically saw him so that they would remember that they had a king. Secondly, it was a practical way for the king to be available to render justice and to resolve legal disputes. But before he came to a place, he would send a herald. The herald had a twofold mission. First, to proclaim that the king is coming, and second, to instruct the people on how to properly receive their sovereign and to get the town ready for his arrival. To make sure the herald was credible, he was dressed in the finest raiment of the court. His announcement was preceded with great pomp, perhaps even the blowing of trumpets to get the people’s attention. There could be no doubt that the message was real and the king was actually coming. Once that was done, he would enlist the local authorities and townspeople to clean up the town and get it decorated. Finally, he would instruct them on the proper protocol on how to receive the king and how to address the nobles of the court that accompanied him. It was a big deal.

       In the sending of the seventy-two that we hear proclaimed in today’s gospel, we see Jesus doing essentially the same thing. He is sending his heralds to prepare the towns and villages that he intended to visit. But how very different are the heralds of the Kingdom of God! They are sent as mendicants without fancy clothes, not even any sandals or spending money. They are totally dependent on God and on those who will receive them for food and lodging. There can be no doubt that the Kingdom proclaimed by Jesus is very different from any earthly kingdom. Its worth cannot be given a monetary value.

       While the simplicity of the messengers’ life gives them a  certain credibility, how much more so does the power of their message. Their message is accompanied by powerful works. In short, they are doing the very things that Jesus is doing. they cure the sick, they expel demons, they proclaim that the Kingdom of God is at hand. Who would not believe a message accompanied by such miracles. Even the seventy-two are amazed. 

       While the times have changed, the power of the message has not.  Jesus still sends out messengers to proclaim the Kingdom in this time and in this place. The only difference is that now those messengers look a lot like me and like you. By our baptism, each one of us is called to be a herald of the Kingdom.

       The character of that witness will differ for each one of us. Why? Because just like the early disciples, each one of us has a different experience of the Risen Christ in the life of the Church.

       So here is a little tip on how to do that.  So often when asked about Christ or the Church, we don’t know where to start?  Do you start with the Nicene Creed?  The Apostles Creed, the Catechism?  The Liturgy? Dogma? 

       Well, you can, but before you do, remember these three things:

1.  The first question people ask is seldom the one they want answered.

       I’m fortunate to have learned this early on in ministry.

When I was Fr. Young Priest, people would come up to me and say something like, “Hey, Father, what does the Church teach about annulments?”

       And I always answer, “That’s a very good question. Why do you ask?”

       “Well, my sister is going through a divorce and she was wondering about her status in the Church.”

       “Ahhh…” I reply, “Let’s talk about your sister…”

2. Unless you have a particular expertise in a particular ecclesiological field, do not feel like you have to articulate every theological article or defend every aspect of the history of the Church.

       However, you are the world expert in one thing…your own faith. Tell them how you have experienced Christ in your life.  Tell them of your significant moments of conversion and how you live your faith here in the midst of  your parish family. Keep in mind that you may be the only Gospel this person will ever hear.

3. Take a genuine interest in your interlocutor’s life and desires.  Ask lots of questions.  And always…always be kind. People will seldom remember what you say. They will never forget how you made them feel. 

In the end, we are the present-day heralds of the Kingdom of God. Jesus has sent us to every place and person he intends to visit.  The credibility of our witness, and the power of our proclamation will rest on how well we have come to know Christ, so that we may make him known. 

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The Eucharist – Sacrifice and Abundance

(Howdy, Church fans! Still working on the video thing due to Facebook’s new algorithm that makes it impossible to download videos. In the meantime, go to our parish FB page by clicking here and scrolling to the homily. Sorry for the extra work. Blame Zuckerburg.)

       It’s providential that Corpus Christi falls on Father’s Day this year.  So much of this feast bespeaks of God the Father’s love for us in providing for our physical and spiritual need in abundance. 

       I’ve said this before on a few occasions, and it true. There are two ways of approaching life, the universe and everything. (Extra points for those of you who can cite that reference.) One can do so with a spirituality of scarcity or with a spirituality of abundance. Which you decide will make all the difference in your life.  It is good to reflect on today’s Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Our Lord (“Corpus Christi”) in this context. 

       First we have to acknowledge a couple of things. If one approaches life with a spirituality of scarcity, they will never have enough. No amount of wealth, fame, pleasure or power will satisfy.  However, if one chooses to approach life from a spirituality of abundance, he or she will want for nothing.  Our God is the God of abundance. This is true in the material and the spiritual. 

       The reality and the power of the Eucharist that we celebrate  today is a good example of this. In our earlier catechesis on the Eucharist, you may recall that the Eucharist is at once a true sacrifice and a shared meal. Today, in the interest of time, I’m just going to concentrate on the sacrifice part. 

In the Biblical pattern of sacrifice, you needed four things.  You needed

a priest,

an altar,

an offering and

a reason. 

Let’s look at each one of these.

The priest is the one who offers the sacrifice on your behalf.  He is the mediator. As we look to the Paschal Mystery, we see that Christ himself is the Great High Priest, who, starting with his one perfect sacrifice on the altar of the Cross, continues to offer himself, and us, to the Father in a living and eternal sacrifice. The Eucharist is the means he gave us for our true and substantial participation in passion, death, and resurrection of Christ, now offered in an unbloody way on the altar in the church. This is how the reality of the Paschal Mystery as a real for us today as it was for the first disciples.

       As I mentioned, Christ himself is the also offering, but we too bring our own offerings. Like Melchizedek of old, we bring bread and wine, but we also bring our gifts of time, talent and treasure, indeed, our very selves. Like the sacrifices of old, what is offered is immolated and transformed. The bread and wine become the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ.

Our time, talent, and treasure become the practical means for the apostolate to continue in the parish, and we ourselves are transformed more and more by grace into the image and likeness of our Creator and Redeemer.

       It’s important to remember that we ourselves cannot work this miracle of transubstantiation and transformation. It is Christ who works the miracle. Our job is simply to bring the fish. Just like the apostles in today’s gospel, Christ cannot work the miracle if we don’t offer what we have, trusting that he knows what he’s doing.

       Finally, one needs a reason. In biblical times the four main reasons for sacrifice were to establish covenants, to remember, to forgive sins and to give thanks. A quick review of the words of institution in the Eucharistic Prayer reveals what the Church has always held –that all previous sacrifices were fulfilled and brought to    perfection in the one perfect sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. 

       Finally, a word about abundance. The gospel passage for today is no mistake. It speaks of the abundance of God in providing for the needs of his people. How do we know this?  There are leftovers—lots and lots of leftovers. So to with the grace given to us in the Eucharist. Here at the Lord’s Supper, we receive more than we need. Why?  So that we may share this reality with others.         

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Pondering the Most Holy Trinity – Problem, Mystery and Relationship –

[Hey, Church fans! Deacon John was preaching this weekend. So, here is this week’s offering. I still haven’t figure out how to download videos from BookFace now that they have changed their OS. Hopefully, I’ll have one for next week.]

     It’s not easy to describe God. St. Thomas Aquinas famously quipped that it is actually easier to talk about what God is not, rather than what God is. It reminds us of the young boy who was drawing a picture in his catechism class. His   catechist asked him, “Hey, Mick, what are you drawing?”

       “I’m drawing a picture of God,” little Mick replied.

       The catechist smiled sympathetically and said, “Oh, little Mick, no one knows what God looks like.”

To which he replied, “They will when I’m done!”

We cannot know everything about God, but through his    Incarnate Word, Jesus Christ, we do know something about God.

In pondering the reality of God, especially the mystery of the Trinity, it is helpful to take an approach that looks at the Trinity not in terms of a problem to be solved, but rather as a mystery to be lived. 

“Mystery” in this sense is understood as a reality that is larger than you, of which you are a part and which is a part of you. Mystery in this sense is not understood in terms of analysis, but rather in terms of relationship. 

Take your family for example. It is a reality bigger than you, of which you are a part, and which genetically, sociologically, psychologically and spiritually is a part of you. You don’t solve your family. You are simply part of your family and your family is part of you.

Now let’s take the Church. It too is a reality bigger than you, and by baptism, confirmation, and especially the Eucharist, the Church is a part of you. No matter how far a person might wander, he or she never stops being Catholic.

Finally, let’s talk about God. If there is any reality that is bigger than us, it is God. Yet, by grace we are invited into the relationship between the Father and the Son, much like we can be invited into any relationship. For example, when one is befriended by a married couple, they invite you into the dynamic of their married relationship. In a very real sense, you become part of their marriage. Now, in terms of the Divine dynamic of love, this relationship between the Father and the Son is what has been revealed to us as the Holy Spirit. Just like with the married couple, we are invited into the very relationship and reality that is God. We are a part of that relationship and it is part of us. We can say with certainty that we are literally a part of God, and through indwelling of the Holy Spirit, God is a part of us. This is heady stuff, but it is not so daunting if we understand it in terms of relationship. You don’t solve a relationship. You are part of a relationship and it is a part of you, whether it is with family, with Church, and especially with God. 

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How Do You Want to Spend Eternity, Smoking or Non?

[The homilies this month have been about stewardship and whatnot and are pretty parish specific. As an alternative, I’ll start posting from my “Ask Fr. Leo” column in the North Star Catholic. It comes out every month.]

          This month I got several good questions about, of all things, the nature of hell. Seems like a downer of topic, but it is something we need to talk about from time to time, especially. Some Christian traditions speak of it as eternal suffering in a lake of fire, while others see the fire as simply snuffing the soul out of existence. What does the Church teach about the nature of hell?

          The concise answer is found in paragraphs 1020-1060 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (Go to: http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a12.htm).That’s the dogmatic explanation, but let’s take a look at the spiritual side of the question.

          In sum, as a human person, you will never cease to exist. You are eternal. The big question is, “How do you want spent eternity? Smoking or non?”

          As human beings, we go through various stages of development on our journey into eternity. We are conceived, body and soul. We spend about nine months developing and enjoying womb service. We are born, we grow, we mature into adulthood, and hopefully in wisdom and grace. All the while we learn about and form relationships. First with our family, then others and especially with Christ and his Church. Eventually, we pass the threshold of death. It’s all part of being human.

          The relationships we build in this life, with Christ and with others, are really the only things we take with us through death. This is our “treasure in heaven.” The quality and depth of the relationships we form in this life have a direct effect on how we enter eternity. Quite literally, we reap what we sow.

          In the Church, we understand the essential relationship as one of “communion.” Quite literally, this means a union at the level of being. Namely, who I am at the depths of my soul is united to who you are at the depths of your soul; and together we are united at the level of being to Christ who is the head of the Church. To maintain communion with Christ and His Church is the primary responsibility of every Christian. In this lies our salvation. Virtue deepens communion. Sin can injure communion (venial sin) or even sever it (mortal sin). Thankfully,  reconciliation restores communion. You can see how regular participation in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation, lead us deeper and deeper into communion with Christ and with one another.

          Now here’s the rub. We are free to choose for or against communion with Christ and each other. Sadly, some people choose against it. This seldom happens all at once. Few relationships die become of conflict. Most suffer because of neglect. Think of that friend from high school who promised to always stay in touch, but now you have no idea where they are.  It’s not rocket science. If you want your relationship with Christ or with others to grow, you need to give it two essential ingredients: time and attention. 

          When we neglect our relationships with Christ and others, we begin to turn in on ourselves. We diminish the level of communion we enjoy. If left unchecked, this process of self-imposed separation leads to fear and isolation. We get selfish, and selfishness harms relationships. This harm to relationships is called sin. We choose against communion. 

          Hell in its essence is the voluntary rejection of communion with Christ and his Church. It is first and foremost a rejection of relationship. It may start small, but left unreconciled, the consequences are eternal. Hell is the most selfish form of existence.  That is why it is a realm of profound and eternal suffering. The saddest part is that God has never condemned anyone to hell. Everyone in hell has freely chosen to be there.

          In sum, life on this earth is the phase of our existence where we form the essential relationships that lead us to communion…or where we choose against them. Once we die, the momentum of our relationships (or lack thereof) will carry us either towards God or away. You can see how there are no insignificant choices. Our journey to heaven or away from it, begins now.

          I’m reminded of the story about the staff meeting with Devil and his minions. The question on the table was how to steal more souls for damnation.

          The first demon spoke up, “I know, Boss, let’s convince people that there is no heaven. That way, they will despair, and we can get more souls.”

          The Devil liked his enthusiasm, but replied, “No, that might work in the short run, but we need long-term solutions.”

          “I know,” the second demon piped up, “Let’s convince them that there is no hell. That way, they will get lazy, and we can steal more souls.” 

          “Better,” the Devil replied, “But again, not trendy enough. I need something that will appeal to the modern mind.”         

          The third demon thought for a bit and then said, “How about this. We convince them that there is a heaven, and that there is a hell…but not yet.”

          “Ahhhhhh,” the Devil beamed, “Now we are getting somewhere!” 

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Of Kings, Wise Men and Magi

This week we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord. Most notably, we celebrate the adoration of the child Jesus by the Magi.  These magi are interesting characters? Who are they, what do they represent, and what did that mean for folks in Jesus’s day and for us? 

Check out the video here. You can watch the whole Mass on our Facebook page here.

Magi – Who are they?

       Well, they are not kings, per se. They did not become so in our culture until John Henry Hopkins Jr., Rector of Christ Episcopal, wrote the carol we all know for a Christmas pageant in New York City in 1857.  It was the first widely popular Christmas carol written in America.

(Now, here is an idea. Why don’t we write some carols for our own Christmas pageant next year?  Wouldn’t that be something!)

Hopkins based his designation on earlier Christian tradition, which I’ll speak to a bit later. 

No, they are Magi,

        The word comes to us from Latin, which borrowed it from the Greek, which got it from the Persians. 

       The term refers to the Persian priestly caste of Zoroastrianism. As part of their religion, these priests paid particular attention to the stars and gained an international reputation for astrology, which was at that time highly regarded as a science.

       Interestingly enough, there was a celestial event at that time that would have caught their attention. Apparently, about the time of the birth of Christ, Jupiter, the celestial body associated with kings, moved into the constellation Aries, which was associated with Israel. While probably unnoticed by most of the population, those who were paying attention to such things, such as the Magi, would have interpreted this phenomenon to mean that a king had been born in Israel.  Pretty cool. 

What do they represent?

       For Matthew and certainly for the early Church fathers, the magi represent to the fulfillment of the prophecies of Isaiah 60:6ff, who we heard this morning, and other prophecies. Most notably:

       Psalm 72:10: “The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall pay tribute, and the kings of Arabia and Saba offer gifts“

       Psalm 72:15: “…and may there be given to him gold from Arabia“,

       Given these references, it is not long before early Christians began to see them as kings, even giving them names:  Balthasar is often represented as a king of Arabia or sometimes Ethiopia, Melchior as a king of Persia, and Gaspar as a king of India. By the 6th century all Christian commentators, both east and west referred to them as kings. This did not change until the movement of modern biblical scholarship in the first half of the 20th century.  So, we can give Hopkins some slack.  Besides, it’s a fun song.  (Although I still don’t know where the rubber cigar came from in the version we sang in 3rd grade…)

What does it mean?

       For the magi, it meant that a new king was born in Israel. I still can’t figure out why they felt compelled to make the journey and give him the gifts.  Perhaps it was because they recognized that there was something going on in Israel that would have universal impact. Perhaps it was simply to fulfill the prophecies.

       For Herod, it was a direct threat to his reign. Herod the Great was an incredible builder and administrator, but he was also a ruthless despot. Propped up by the Roman occupiers and insecure in on his throne, he held onto power with an iron fist and a sophisticated network of spies. This is a man who, days before his own death, had his two eldest sons executed because he suspected they were trying to usurp his throne.  He was a bad dude.  On Tuesday, we celebrated the Feast of the Holy Innocents, commemorating all the boys in Bethlehem under two years of age, whom he had killed in hopes of eliminating the threat that Jesus posed to his reign.

       He need not have worried, however. Jesus came preaching a very different kingdom that the one that Herod clung to.

       For us, the Visit of the Magi is the confirmation of what St. Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians, “that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body,

and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”

       I don’t know about you, but for me, this is good news. When all these things were going on, my ancestors, the Danes and the Celts, were still painting themselves blue and worshiping thunder and trees and whatnot.  But in the providence of God and the kindness of history, the gospel reached those hallowed shores, and through the work of missionaries, especially he Jesuits, it moved from there to here.  Christianity also went out from the east with Orthodox missionaries and worked its way across Asia, and eventually across the Bering Streit. 

       We live in a very privileged place in Christian geography. It was here in Alaska, probably in the lower Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta that the gospel circled the globe.  Now the whole world is wrapped in the arms of the good news of Jesus Christ.

       It also means that we have work to do. The legacy that we have received is no small heritage.  The mission continues, not so much geographically, but certainly  demographically, and sociologically.

       First, in our families, such as they are.

       Then in our parish family of St. Patrick.

       Then beyond these walls into our neighborhoods, our schools, our workplaces, our state, our country, our world.

The Magi followed the star, carried gifts, and found Christ,

       We have found Christ, we follow Him, and carry the joy of the Gospel as our gift to the world.

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Thanksgiving Thoughts

Thanksgiving is perhaps our last national religious holiday. Its origins are heralded in the celebration of the remaining settlers of the Plymouth Colony who had survived the previous winter of 1620-21. They had good reason to do so. 0f the 102 colonists that landed at Plymouth, 45 perished that first winter from lack of shelter, scurvy, and general conditions on board the ship where most of them still lived.

The survivors paused to thank God for their mere survival.  We pause today to thank God for our abundance. How you do that is up to you, but it will say much about who you.

Christians and others who believe in a benevolent, saving God pause to offer prayers of thanks, perhaps attending Mass or some other service this morning before gathering with friends and loved ones this afternoon to share the traditional meal. 

You may be surprised to know that there will likely be more people in church this morning than will attend every NFL, MLB, and NBA game during each of their respective seasons for the entire year. 

Like love, gratitude must be have a concrete expression in one’s actions if it is to have any impact.  Appropriately, many congregations engaged in acts of charity earlier this week so that others may also join in giving thanks. I am so very proud of Dave Patterson and the folks who gathered at St. Patrick’s Parish in Muldoon on Monday to help the food bank distribute 1333 Thanksgiving meals to needy families in our area. 

To fail in gratitude is perhaps the gravest failure of any modern society. To consider oneself entitled to anything is the cancer that eats away at the heart of the nation.

Each of us must decide whether we will approach life with a spirituality of gratitude or of entitlement.   I will simply say that in my experience of 27 years of ministry, I have found that the grateful heart never experiences the lack of anything. This is especially true in regard to love and friendship.

The colonists at Plymouth paused to give thanks for their mere survival.  We pause today to give thanks for our abundance.

May the gratitude we express today find its expression in the way we treat those around us throughout the rest of the year. 

To see the video, click here.

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Trinity Sunday – the Personalist Model

Hey, Church fans! I preached without a text today, so if you want the whole homily, it’s best to watch it here on our YouTube channel. A short summary of the main points are below. If you want to see the whole Mass, check it out here on Facebook.

     This Sunday I will be preaching on a way of looking at the Most Holy Trinity called the “personalist model.” I have found it very helpful personally and hope that you do too.

     It is a bold endeavor to ponder the reality of Almighty God. He is at once completely transcendent. Yet at the same time, through the Church, he has chosen to be incredibly accessible. While we cannot comprehend every thing about God, through revelation and reason, we can understand some things about God. 

I often say that theology is not rocket science. Quite simply, it is all about relationship. The same is true about Almighty God. In short, through the Church, we are invited into a relationship we call “full communion” with the God who is perfect communion itself. We reflect that dynamic to others. But how?

Since we are made in the image and likeness of God, we start by looking at ourselves. As human persons we have:

1. Identity—By the age of two, most people have a sense of self as distinct from others.

2.  Self-Communication—Eventually we communicate to others about ourselves, share our attributes, feelings, desires, and needs.

3. The Relationship/Animating Principle—between identity and self-communication. “So, tell me about yourself!” Usually we use words, but sometimes we use music, art, poetry, etc. Words need breath to be heard.

Now, if we can be so bold as to apply these things to God, we find:

1.  Identity—God’s nature is to exist. He is identity itself. So much so that his revealed name is “I AM.” 

2.  Self-Communication—God reveals himself not only in creation but also through his Word, which “became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). God’s perfect revelation was Jesus Christ.

3.  Animating principle—it’s no coincidence that the same word for “spirit” in Hebrew is the same word for “breath.”  It is a heady thing to realize that the Spirit that animated the life of Christ is the same Holy Spirit that animates the life of every Christian.