Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time Year - C - 2103

May the peace of Christ Reign in our hearts, today’s Gospel should give us all pause.

In today’s Jesus does not send out only the Apostles, or his “professional followers” but rather he sends out the Church, His Church, in other words he sent out all those who followed Him then, and those who follow Him now.

Today’s Gospel reminds us that he sends out you into the world to preach the kingdom.

The Scripture scholars tell us that 70 is a symbolic number, a universal number, which many scholars believe was meant to include everyone.

This passage teaches us that evangelization (the sharing of the gospel the sharing of our faith) is not just the work of our priests or the religious leaders.

It is not just the work of those who wear a habit or a funny black shirt with a little white collar.

Today’s Gospel proclaims a universal call to ministry which will be repeated over and over again in the ministry of Jesus.

At the end of the Gospel of Matthew Jesus commands all of his followers  “go and make disciples of all men baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Sadly we all know that this universal call to evangelization often falls on deaf ears.

Especially when you sit in the pew of a Catholic Church.

For many of us our religious practice has become a private devotional thing rather than a radical witness to the love and truths of God.

I think this happens for a couple of reasons, here are just a few:

We all know that there have been moments in the life of the Church when the laity was encouraged to not get involved, or participate in the mission of the church.

Church leaders felt that the Gospel and the deposit of faith were safer and more secure in the hands of the priests and religious.

You guys were supposed to just come and listen  sit in the pews and do what you are told.

Hopefully this type of Clericalism is gone by the wayside... but truth be told it has not been gone for a long time.

Another reason that many just don’t get involved in the preaching of the Gospel is because for many years we just haven’t done a good job of giving the members of our Church the knowledge they need to know what to say and how to bring others to faith.

Many people just don't’ feel qualified or even more comfortable enought to share our faith, and yes it our fault, but it is also yours .

If a Catholic does not feel informed enough to share the gifts to the Gospel it is their job to get informed to read, to study to pray, to listen and to go deeper in their love and appreciation of the gift of our faith.

We’ve tried to help a little with fr. Peter’s build up faith seminars, we’ve concentrated more on giving meaningful homilies sometimes we succeed and sometimes we don’t. But it not for lack of trying I assure you.

Another reason that many do not take the step of sharing their faith is because they have filled up their lives with so many other things.

That’s what the Gospel is speaking about when Jesus tells the disciples to carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way.

Sometimes, many times we fill our lives with so many things that we have no time for God. IIt just not convenient for us to become more active in our faith.

Some people are so consumed about the things that they posses that they don’t even have time for other people, people close to them, their own family, parents  or children.

In one of the commentaries I read, a scripture scholar toured a luxurious castle, and as he walked out he said “these are things that make it difficult to die.” When we find ourselves saying the same thing about our possessions and position, we have made a great mistake.  

Everything we own, everything we posses, should bring us closer to God no farther away from Him and the practice of our faith.

Nothing on earth

Nothing we posses

Nothing we long for  should block our view of heaven our home and our final destiny.

And so good people there is much to be done, The Gospel is clear the harvest is abundant but the labors are too few.

All anyone has to do is look around our country and our world and know that we all need God and something has to change.

In the seminary I had the privilege of have a professor who had survived a concentration camp.  

That experience had change his life

Even 40 years after the concentration camp he had a keen insight into what was really important and what was not.

One day in class he stopped his explanation of this passage we heard today and paused. It was a long pause and we all wondered what was going on.

When he finally spoke we were all very attentive.

And this is what he said.

We all sin.

We all have done things that we are ashamed

We have all failed to love as God called us to do.

These failings are all part of human weakness and God will forgive them.

Then he looked us all in the eye and continued

In the end we will be judged by how many people we brought to faith. Period.

Evangelization is so important because if even one generation drops the ball the message is lost and souls are lost.

Souls are lost.

We all of us, are the 70 Jesus sent out into the world

we are  all of us sent are called to proclaim the Good news by our lives and if necessary by our word.

Let us be about our work for by our witness it we will be judged.

Amen

This week in the bulletin

Vandalism

Last week someone rang the doorbell to the friary to tell me that every toilet in the church was overflowing.  Needless to say, I called Bill, our maintenance man, and headed over to the church. What  we found was that every toilet had been stuffed with toilet paper. There was graffiti in the bathroom and both the Peck Street doors in the church and the kitchen windows had been pried open.  Maybe they were planning to come back and finish what they started.  About a month ago, I was agonizing over spending the money for the security system in our Church.  Now I’m glad that we did. In the near future, if the vandals try anything like that, they will either be caught on camera or set off the alarm.  For now, I have no intention of locking our church during the day.  I am always so edified at the number of people who stop by during the day to visit our Lord.

KGS

Some parishioners are about to start fixing up the parking lot on the KGS property. They are also going to try to put in a sidewalk from the parking lot to Alling Street.  All of this will be done at no cost to the parish.  We are so lucky to have so many good, talented and generous parishioners who care about our parish. Thank you to all who are helping us with this important project for the future.

Kindergarten Graduation

This week we had Kindergarten Graduation. The gym was packed with families watching their little ones move on to first grade. Kim Pelzar, our Kindergarten teacher and a “Rock Star” in my book, did a great job. She even smiled when I had the little ones throw up their hats like they do in college. Did you know that every single one of our Kindergarteners were reading by the end of the year?  When they came in, some of them didn’t even know their letters.  When I was in Kindergarten, we learned colors, shapes and numbers... Wow!  What will these kids be when they graduate from college? We have so much to be proud of about St. Paul School.

Vacation

I will be away this week, so please go easy on  Fr. Peter.  I guess I’m kind of boring.  All I’m doing is going to Florida (yep, in the summer) to stay in a priest’s house.  I’m looking forward to not setting the alarm, reading, relaxing and hitting the beach.

Summer Camp starts this week

We have a good number of campers registered and a great group of young adult counselors, who are all from our parish. Our summer camp is a great opportunity for families. Cost wise, it is very competitive with neighboring programs, and Mrs. Scalora has very flexible options for registration.  Grandma and Grandpa, Babci, Nonna or Nonno, Meme or Pepe, would you like to have your grandchildren over but are afraid you won’t be able to entertain them all day?  Why not have them come to stay with you, send them to camp during the day and enjoy them at night?

Thanks, Thanks, Thanks for the compliments

Many have noticed that the gardens are all planted and growing well.  It takes us about two weeks to prepare the beds and plant all of the gardens. This year I goofed up and was unable to call for help.  I won’t make that mistake again.  Please compliment Bill and the boys, Alex and Anthony, who help him. They are doing a great job.  Now all we have to do is keep them weeded and watered.  God Bless You and thanks again for noticing.

11th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C - 2013

May the peace of Christ reign in our hearts,

Today’s gospel is very moving...

A tired soul, a wounded soul, a sinful soul had finally had enough.

She realized that she needed to live a better life and she understood that the only way she could get a fresh start was by publicly atoning for her public sins.

And so in a very dramatic way she came to the house of the Pharisee to ask forgiveness of Jesus and begin a new.

No one told her what to do or how to say I’m sorry she chose the way.

You know people sometimes convince themselves that sin is glamorous, or fun, or pleasurable, and it may be for a moment,

but once sin takes hold of you heart, once sin  wraps itself around your soul,  it is often painful and humiliating and degrading and most of all lonely.

Whenever I’ve talked to a person who has danced with sin for a while I am always so saddened by how lonely they are.

It’s next to impossible to sustain relationships with a person who is dupped or taken by sin.

When you look at Jesus in the Gospel you notice that even though he didn’t tell the woman what to do he didn’t stop her either.

He knew that she wanted and desperately needed forgiveness.

He knew she had lived a sinful life and had made horrible choices

He knew that she needed to say I’m sorry in a very public way and so he let her anoint his feet.

He didn’t push her away or rebuke her even though he knew it might cause a scandal.

And when she had finished her gesture, her apology, he forgave her publicly.

This Gospel shows us that God is rich in mercy.

Finally the pharisee considered himself a righteous before God and man yet He immediately jumped to conclusions...

He was sure that Jesus was a false a prophet because he allowed the sinful woman to anoint his feet.

He was sure that the woman was a public sinner not worthy of mercy and forgiveness.

He was wrong in all his judgements.

He was wrong about Jesus because by allowing the woman to say she was sorry and by forgiving the woman Jesus proved that God was merciful and that God loved sinners.

He showed us all that forgiveness is possible no matter what the sin or transgression.

He was wrong about the woman because while she may have been a sinner at one time God’s grace and God’s mercy had inspired her to change and ask forgiveness in a very public way.

With God’s forgiveness with God’s mercy she was a new creation. What was in the past was in the past.

And finally He was wrong about himself.

He was not righteous before God or man

He judged others. He put them in a box and he knew nothing of God’s mercy and God’s love which all of us are called to imitate.

There a lot in this gospel for all of us to ponder

How often do we put people in a box and judge them even when we don’t know the whole story.

How often do we fool ourselves into thinking that we are righteous.  

How often do we say I’m sorry, or make amends for our poor choice and angry words, and selfish actions ?

Many of us fly off the handle and then cool off and act if nothing happened.

Never saying I’m sorry and never admitting that we are wrong.

I think we all know in our hearts that to be forgiven you have to ask for it.

The woman in the story was a great sinner who became a great saint.. because she asked for forgiveness

What’s holding us back?

In the Bulletin Week of June 16th

Confirmation Program Enhancements
This summer, we have begun to look at our Confirmation program.  As many of you know, we are one of the largest programs in the state. If everyone who was in 8th grade last year follows through, we will have over 120 in the class. I promise to keep you posted on our progress, but here are some of the things we are looking at: Increased preparation for our catechists, a new sylabus patterned to the needs and skill set of our students, the possibility of a service day to help our students get their service hours in, keeping the program fresh by using a variety of teaching methods, increased accountability for both catechists and staff with weekly online quizzes and a final assessment before allowing a young person to proceed to the 10th grade program.  This is all in the development stage, but it looks good and I am most grateful to the people who have stepped up and are willing to be the catechists for this most important ministry.

KGS - Committee
We continue to work toward coming up with a comprehensive campus plan for our parish, including the KGS property. As I said before, we are developing the site plan so that we can immediately make better use of the KGS property and keep our options open for the future.  At  the last meeting, the KGS Committee felt that it would be good to have some informational meetings to get input from the parish at large. Keep your eyes on the bulletin for the dates and the times of these future meetings.

Marriage Convalidations
We are happy when a couple asks to have their marriage “blessed” by the Church. When a person asks to have their marriage blessed, they are actually asking to have their marriage convalidated, or recognized by the Church. To have your marriage convalidated, the couple must have no previous marriages recognized by the church. For example: If you and your spouse are both Catholic and  were married by a Justice of the Peace, it is indeed possible for your marriage to be convalidated. If you or your spouse were married previously and divorced, and  if that previous marriage was annulled or if your previous spouse died, there is a good possibility that your current marriage could be blessed or convalidated.  A convalidation ceremony is usually private in the company of two witnesses. If you have any questions please feel free to call the Parish Office and we’d be happy to discuss the possibility of having your marriage convalidated here at St. Paul’s.

Church Security Enhancements
Maximum Security is in the final design stages of the fire/security enhancements we have planned for our Church. These projects were paid for by the End of the Year Appeal. We are making sure the design is exactly what we need and we are in discussion with the Fire Marshall to make sure he is in agreement. The whole project should start in the next month or so. The project includes,  a new fire and security alarm, access control on key doors, and CTV to catch anyone who might vandalize the Church. We are very fortunate that we can keep our church opened all day. I have discussed this project with members of the Berlin Fire and Police Departments and they feel that we are being very proactive and making a great move to keep everyone safe in our beautiful little Church.

Tenth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C - 2013

The readings today leave us three important lessons.

The first is simply that God has power over death.

Yes God is stronger than death.

Belief in the resurrection is one of  cornerstones on which everything rests.

If you don’t believe that God has power of death,

if you don’t believe that all of us will rise again,

then your time would be better spent elsewhere.

Stand up right now and head over to Josie’s for Breakfast and have some of their great homemade bread or go over to the Timberlin Golf course and play a round of golf.

The fact that God’s power over death puts our life in perspective.

In the first reading Eliajh raises a widow’s son from the dead.

In the Gospel Jesus does the same.

Most of the time our resurrection happens in the next world but these scriptures remind us that God can certainly raise a person from the dead even in this world.

I’ve been thinking a lot about death these last few months and of course there have been moments when I simply forgot that God is stronger than death,

Of course there have been moments of saddness as I mourn the my Mom’s loss.

The other day I walked into my Office saw my Mother’s purse laying there and the tears began to flow.

Yet, I know without a shadow of a doubt that Mom is in a better place. God loves her and she no longer has to struggle to breath.

She is no longer struggles to speak to us on the phone.

I understand that my tears are often more about me than about her.

And I believe that that’s ok

Time will heal.

love will endure, life will go one for me, and life has gone on for her an new and more beautiful life.

Holy Fr. Raymond drove this point home to me the day before his surgery.

I was with him in his hospital room and I was getting all emotional worried sick about him. He looked me in the eye without fear and without any trace of regret and simply said...

Robert if you gotta go you gotta go.

Yesterday he told me when he opened his eyes in the recovery room he said... "Oh I'm still here" and he started to laugh.

These scriptures and our eyes of faith teach us that Death has no real power over us.

It has no power...

Death is simply a door from one life to the next, a door through which all of us will one day pass.

The second lesson is as simple as the first.

Not only does God have power over death but He also has power over life if we let him in

St. Paul hated the followers of Jesus

He made it his mission to seek them out and prosecute them.

He did everything in his power to stomp out the little community of believers that was blossoming all over Palestine

and yet God reached down and and changed Paul’s hardened heart.

Just like God changed Pauls heart,

I have the consolation of knowing that

God can change my heart or God can change your heart.

God can free us from our prejudices.

He can help us save our marriages

He can challenge us to be better people.

He can free us from our addictions and our shame.

God can open our eyes to the needs of others.

God can forgive our sins.

He may have to knock us off our high horse like he did for Paul but He can change us for sure.

Yes, God is indeed powerful, powerful over death, and powerful over life.

Finally, the first reading and the Gospel illustrate so clearly for us the loving compassion of God.

Elijah and Jesus could just not bear to see those two widows mourn the loss of their sons.

During the time of Jesus a widow was the poorest of the poor with no rights and no way to sustain themselves.

Jesus and Elijah didn’t just say oh I’m sorry I’ll say a prayer for you.

The sprang into action and they turned to God for help.

We all need to be more compassionate people.

So often when we see a need we cop out and say oh that’s none of my business,who am I to get involved>

So often when poverty or suffering or hunger or whatever show their faces in our community we say to ourselves and our friends something like what a shame but what can I do?.

Yesterday as I was going to see Fr. Raymond during the driving rain there was a lady with a flat tire standing on the side 84 looking distraught.

By the time I could get off and get back on and get off again and get going in the right direction, there was already a man hunched over a jack changing the tire in the driving rain.

The lady told me he was just someone who stopped, she didn’t have a clue who he was, but there he was drenched to the bone changing her tire.

He was a compassionate man indeed.

With the incarnation our compassionate God jumped into all of our messes.

He didn’t just look on and say what a shame I’ll just stand by and see when they get it right.

No God pulled up His sleeves and started to help and for his efforts he was crucified.

The world would be such a different place if everyone showed  more compassion

Jesus did and so must we.

Let us begin to look at death confidently with the eyes of faith.

Let us trust that God can change our lives if we let him.

Like Jesus and Elijah let us be compassionate people willing to get involved in the lives of those who need.

Thanks you Lord for the gift and challenge of faith.

Amen

In the Bulletin - Weekend of June 9th

June 9, 2013 In the Bulleting

You Spoke, They Listened

For several weeks, we informed you that the state government was going to cut funding for Busing for our Catholic Schools.  Many people called from our parish.  We are happy to report that the Appropriations Committee  has made a decision.  Our school  kids will continue to have busing.  It just goes to show you  how important it is to advocate for just causes.  Thank you so much  for your response  in this important matter.  You spoke, they listened. Thanks be to God.

Fr. Raymond

As some of you may know,  Fr. Raymond went into the hospital unexpectedly on Monday and ended up having quadruple bypass surgery on his heart. The surgery lasted 5 hours, but we are happy to say everything went well. Fr. Raymond has a long recovery ahead of him; they tell us his recovery period may last 3-4 months. Please join us in thanking God for Fr. Raymond’s successful surgery.  I know we can count on your prayers.

The KGS Committee

The Committee met again last Monday and continued its review of possible site plans for our new property across the street. While the whole project will be very expensive, it will increase our campus by 60% and position us well for the future. Of course we all knew that the primary expense would be the abatement and demolition of the building.  Sadly,  it has simply deteriorated beyond repair.  When this project is complete, we will be leaving those who will follow us a very beautiful parish campus.

Our Eighth Grade

Our Eighth Grade graduated last week.  Some of them had attended Saint Paul School for 11 years, from Pre-K all the way through. We will miss the families as much as we will miss the kids. All of us know how successful Saint Paul School is, we have the national test results to prove it. Please say a little prayer for our eighth graders as they take the next step in their lives. I assure you they are well prepared. Also, please spread the word about the incredible success we are having at your parish school. It just goes to show you what differentiated instruction, dedicated families, great teachers and the support of a faith-based community can do for a bunch of terrific kids.

Pre-K

Word is out and there are only a few places left in our Pre-K3 and Pre-K4 programs. With the hiring of more staff and the addition of another classroom for Pre-K4,  we have significantly increased the size and scope of our very successful program. As soon as people heard that we were expanding, there was a rush to get their child’s name on the list. If you are interested in Pre-K at Saint Paul School, please make sure to call the school office ASAP. Spaces are very limited.

Summer Camp

Our parish summer camp is one of my favorite things we do here at St. Paul’s. It benefits everyone. The families who participate have the peace of mind knowing that their children are in a safe and fun place for the summer, for the week, or for the day. For stay at home Mom’s and Dad’s,  its a great place to put your kids for a week or two when you are running out of ideas on what to do for them. It gives you a breather and it gives them something different to do.  The program is staffed by young adults from our parish who have an incredible amount of energy and who seem to enjoy the campers presence as much as the campers enjoy theirs. This is the third year that the camp is under the able direction of Mrs. Scalora.  She and her return staff have really developed a great program.  Space is still available and we have a very flexible registration program to meet families’ needs. Please see the parish or school website for more information. Here’s a thought,  maybe Saint Paul Summer Camp could even be a gift that a Grandma and Grandpa could give their grandchildren over the summer. You could let them stay over at your house at night and go to camp during the day.

The Year of Faith Mass

Last week after our Masses, Sal, the Crenella’s and I took a small group of young people to the Cathedral of St. Joseph for the Year of Faith Mass. We arrived early because I was worried about parking (I’m my Mother’s son) so I had a chance to take our kids around the Cathedral and show them things particular to a Cathedral Church, like the Bishop’s chair or “cathedra” and the Oils which are blessed at the Chrism Mass.  In the early afternoon when the light pours through the windows of the Cathedral, it’s beautiful. After the Mass, I treated them to supper and a ride on some go karts. I took off my habit for the go kart ride, and I came in 4th.  Not bad for 58 years old. I even beat Sal.

The High School Youth Group

The High School Youth Group was packed last Monday night. The group had a great time doing what High School Youth groups do, and celebrating Sal’s Birthday. Sal stands out after each of the Masses and tries to greet people as they come out of Church. If you see him, please stop and thank him for the good work that he does with our youth.  I know you agree, that we have to do a better job at reaching out to the young people of our Church. The addition of our Youth Minister has been a huge step in the right direction.

It’s free and fun

The Family Life Committee is planning another Drive-in Movie Night.  Last year it was so beautiful to see families bring their kids and watch a movie together in our parking lot. The date is June 14th, and if you are looking for something fun and free to do with your kids, add the Saint Paul Movie night to your Summer bucket list. You won’t be disappointed.

The Census Update

Our census ladies are still hard at work updating our census. It is a huge task, but they are making progress. The pile of forms to be processed shrinks every week. It almost takes 20 minutes to fix a record and update everything. The volunteers promise me that they pray for every family they update. If you have not returned your census update form, please do so as soon as you can, so that we can keep this very important project moving forward.

Whew that’s enough for this week...

God bless you,

Fr. Robert

Pentecost–Year C 2013

The Disciples were filled with fear.

They were afraid of the Jewish and Roman Authorities .
They didn’t know what the future would hold for them or their families.

And some of them even feared that somehow they had been duped or tricked.

They doubted all of the incredible things that they had experiences with Jesus who they had thought was the Messiah.

And so they locked themselves in a room together and allowed their fears to paralyze  them.

Sometimes it seems that we have a lot to be afraid of too.

While the economy seems to be recovering so slowly many people have been left out and others are afraid to trust again. 

Our society seems stuck in fast forward or fast backward depending on how you look at it.

So many things are changing.

We seem almost cavalier when we throw away things we have believed for centuries, like our traditional understanding of Marriage.

Bishop Mansell warned the priests  at a recent Presbyteral Council Meeting that there are legislators who are advocating for assisted suicide in Connecticut. It was just approved in Vermont this week.

God forbid if assisted suicide is ever approved in Connecticut. Where it is the law of the land our poor and our sick and our elderly will be encouraged to end their lives because it is too expensive or burdensome to care for them. 

And even if no one encourages them to commit suicide some will feel guilty for even being sick and needing care.

Many especially in the Northeast of our Country only have the experience of what appears to be a diminishing Church. That’s easy to understand .

Since 1966 the Church going population here in the Archdiocese of Hartford has diminished by 1/2

Racked by scandals and empty churches there are those who are afraid that we really are becoming a post Christian / post religion culture.

And many of us face significant challenges in our own personal lives or in the lives of their loved ones.

I could probably keep on talking about our fears but you get the point.

What happened ?

What allowed the Disciples so consumed with fear to boldly step out into the world with the power of the Gospel?

What allowed the Church (that little community of frightened believers) to almost literally explode onto the world scene.

We find our answer...in today’s celebration of Pentecost

Somehow through God’s grace and mercy the Apostles were able to allow God’s spirit in their lives.

They opened their hearts to the Holy Spirit and they were never the same.

They realize that they were not alone.

They understood that their fears were not and could not be stronger than God’s love

With this realization they were finally able to accept the gifts of the Holy Spirit

Wisdom

Understanding

Council

Fortitude

Knowledge

Piety

and the fear of the lord

These gifts created them anew.

The feast of Pentacost  challenges us to accept the gifts of the sprit and recognize the presence of God in our live.

Yesterday 90 of our teenagers were confirmed by

When I spoke to them some of them understood what was happening and some of them didn’t

That’s OK God never takes back a gift which he has given.

I am convinced that when they seek the Holy Spirit will be there for them even if  they didn’t understand on the day of their confirmation.

So good people

What are we going to do ?

Stay locked in  the room our fears and insecurities  of our past failings and doubts,

or  are we going to let go of all of that stuff and welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives like the Apostles finally did.

As Jesus said in the Gospel Do not be afraid .

Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of your love.

Amen

Seventh Sunday of Easter Year C - 2013

“That they might be one as We are one “

These words spoken by Jesus remind us that unity is part and parcel of being a follower of Jesus.

They remind us that working towards unity is an essential responsibility of all of us.

Jesus wants the best for us so he wants us to have...
unity in our families,
unity in our society.
and unity among all those who call themselves Christian.

God wants us and calls us to be of one mind and one heart.

We live in a very divided world.

That’s no surprise to anyone in this Church.

Washington is so divided that nothing gets done, our country is poorly served, and both sides blame each other.

Our society is becoming more and more polarized on all kinds of issues, important fundamental issue,s which mold and shape our society.

Even our Church often appears divided between liberals and conservatives.

Most sadly the Body of Christ itself  is divided into countless denominations which continually give up on building communion when they cannot find common ground on an issue.

I read on the internet that during the depression a man... went to Knoxville for some business and for the first time saw a refrigerator which made ice in the summer.

He returned to his little church in the hills of Appalachia and told his friends, some believed him and some didn’t and before you knew it the church split over the issue and a new Church was founded called the  “No Ice in the Summer Baptist Church.”

In a world so divided such as ours you can understand why people ask themselves if unity is possible.

Our faith teaches us that working for unity is indeed possible and important because God himself is one.

That’s what the word unity means to make things one.

And because God is one there is only one truth.

What’s true for you is true for me and what’s true for me is true for you.

We  don’t live in our own worlds with our own truths no matter what some would say.

Truth is not ours to create rather it is ours embrace.

This error is one of the biggest obstacles to the unity that God longs for us to have.

Many believe that truth depends not on God but on each and everyone’s personal opinions.

For them truth is not based on God’s will or on natural law but on what we believe.

Pope Benedict called this belief the dictatorship of relativism.

Those who subscribe to relativism believe everything is relative to themselves.

They posit that there is no common or ultimate truth.

This error goes against everything thing revealed to us by God and causes our society great harm.

Put simply We don’t make the truth... God does.

How can we work toward the unity  in a world so divided?

How can we make our homes, our families, our society, and our Church more united as God would have us do?

The first and most important thing we need to do is humbly seek to understand God’s truth and God’s will.

All of us have an obligation to read the scriptures and to study the living tradition of the Church and once we have done so to humbly submit to it.

After having tried to discern God’s will and surrender to it when differences arise we must listen to each other and respect each other.

Especially when different people see the same reality in different ways.

Unity is not something that just happens.

Sometimes, most of the time, in fact unity doesn’t just happen, it takes effort and patience and humility.

Experience has proved to us that friendship and relationships built on trust and respect are much more fertile grounds for unity that bitterness and discord.

Let’s put down our boxing gloves and let’s listen to each other

Let us respect those who look at things differently

Let us listen to them and patiently share our understanding God’s will and God’s truth with them.

Jesus knew that unity would not be easy to create so He gave his Body the Church the Ministry of Peter or his successor the Pope.

Catholics have the consolation of knowing that when all else fails, when a common understanding of truth cannot be found we can turn to Peter or his successor the Pope and  ask for his help.

Jesus said you are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church.

The Petrine ministry guarantees the unity of the Church

Peter has the final word.

As St. Ambrose said. “Where there is Peter, there is the Church

This is an incredible gift which keeps our Church from splitting over and over the again.

Let us not give up on building a united society.

Let us discern God’s will and God’s plan for ourselves and our Church and our world.

Let us humbly submit to God’s plan

Let us patiently refrain from hitting each other over the head when we don’t agree on things.

The challenge of unity, a communion of heart and mind, to work for.

For as we heard in the Scriptures Jesus longs for us to be one as He and the Father are one.

Happy Mother’s Day

Sixth Sunday of Easter Time Year C - 2013

And Jesus said to his disciples.
“Whoever loves me will keep my word”
Our world is filled with words. Words are the primary way we communicate with each other.
We use words to express our deepest hopes and our most sincere convictions. Think back to the first time you heard someone say “I love you” besides your Mother.
Those 3 words probably changed your life.
Words have the power to build up and to inspire. Sadly, they also have the power to destroy and alienate.
Because words are so powerful, because they can do so much harm, and so much good, it is very important that we must consider not only the meaning of the words spoken to us. but also the person who speaks them.
Only when we consider the source can we really understand how important words are.
For example, the media is a very powerful force in contemporary society. We all know it tries to guide our lives and shape public opinion. The media is famous for shaping the truth rather than simply reporting it.  So often there is a hidden agenda when people communicate with us.
We have continually to ask ourselves  whose words do we want to trust?
Whose words do we want to mold and shape the lives of our children?
Whose words do we want to shape the lives of our grandchildren?
Do we trust the New Testament or the New York Times?
If we want to keep God’s Word as Jesus asks us, it is important for us to do three things:
First, we have to listen to God’s Word with a pure heart.
We should never try and use God’s word for our purposes or our agenda.
Some are of the opinion the Church has to update what we preach or get with the times. They are of the opinion that we have conform God’s Word to our modern culture.
I’ve read that and heard it over and over again.
Lots of Churches have done this and most of them are empty.
When people say something like this, it becomes crystal clear to me that they don’t understand our responsibility is to respect God’s Word.
The moment we change it for our purpose, the moment it ceases being God’s Word and becomes our word.
The Word of God is not ours to rewrite, even when the culture changes or the tide of public opinion moves in one direction or the other.
We must be faithful to God’s word and God’s will in season and out of season no matter what the rest of the world thinks.
Second, We have to listen to it and allow it to prune and shape our lives.
This requires time, it requires a significant investment in time.
If we are to use to Word of God to shape our lives we have to be familiar with it.
God’s word has to be on our fingertips ready to guide us when questions arise.
Speaking frankly there is a lot of room for growth here in our Church.
Yes, we have a Scripture study that meets periodically in peoples’ homes but we have to do more in this area.
And it can’t always be from the top down.
It can’t always be the priest feeding the parish.   Every Catholic has the responsibility to step up and feed themselves.
Finally, if we want to keep God’s words we have to be willing to give it away, or proclaim it.
Our appreciation of God’s word can’t be a just a personal thing something we keep for ourselves.
We have to be willing to share its
It is the responsibility of the Church, and each one of us to proclaim the Words given to us by God and the truths they contain without fear and without compromise not matter what the cost.
Let us keep God’s Word  by being faithful to it .

Allowing it to change our hearts and proclaiming it without fear.

For Jesus said “Whoever loves me will keep my word,and my Father will love him,

and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.”

Amen