Enjoy this small but spectacular taste of
a forthcoming IMAX movie
featuring a tour of the Holy Land.
(With thanks to Ed A. for sharing.)
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
Parish Picnic Pictures!
Thanks to all who were able to come and bake for our 2nd Annual Parish Picnic this past Sunday!
Looking forward to seeing you again next year!
Check out the pictures below...
Take what you need!
Take what you need!
Christians have been formed through the Holy Spirit into one
catholic (universal) community. St. Paul’s
Letter to the Ephesians tells us that our unity comes from our shared belief in
Jesus’ death and resurrection, and that that unity is nurtured by the gifts,
originating in Christ, that the Spirit bestows upon individuals to make
them more like Jesus.
Which of the gifts in the picture above are you most in need
of today? Take what you need: Jesus offers them for free, if only we are
open to accepting them!
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Olympic Swimmer Draws on Catholic Faith
When does she find time for her faith with a busy training schedule?
"I always pray right before a race. The prayer I say is the Hail Mary," said Ledecky, adding that her faith and the sacraments give her a welcome opportunity to pause in her busy routine. "I also love going to Mass every week. It's a great chance to reflect and connect with God. (My faith) has been a big part of my life since I was born."
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Sunday Gospel Reflection: July 29th 2012
 |
| John 6:1-15 |
Today’s Gospel begins one of my
favorite books of the Bible, the sixth book of John. The book begins with a
great crowd of 5,000 people following Jesus, taking in everything he has to
say. Jesus, caring for their needs both spiritual and physical asks his
disciples to feed them. The disciples don’t have enough food or nearly enough
money to do so, for them it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.
From the crowd a boy emerges with five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus
takes the food, gave thanks and then distributes them to the crowds. From
meager portions everyone ate until they were full and in abundance they
collected 12 baskets of leftovers.
We do not believe in a God who
says “no” but in a God of eternal “yes”. God gives us all good things in abundance
because He created us and knows us better than we know ourselves. Could we or someone
else create something to make us happier than God who made us? We should expect
great things from God for Jesus Himself told us to knock and the door will be opened to you, seek and you shall find. Sometimes
reality does not meet our prayers or expectations. When we experience this
disappointment or pain we can either choose to withdraw from God or to discern
how God is working in this experience, to, in faith be opened to new
expectations or possibilities.
The sixth book of John ends with
the same crowds who experienced the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 disappointed,
walking away, abandoning Jesus. Jesus reveals Himself to them, telling them
that He is the bread that has come down from heaven, that his body and blood
are food for the world and that if they eat his flesh and drink His blood they
will have eternal life. The crowds were not ready to have faith or remain open
to changing expectations. Jesus’ Apostles too were faced with a choice. When
Jesus asks if they too will leave St. Peter says with heroic faith and love Lord, to whom shall we go? You alone have
the words of everlasting life. We too must expect great things from God but
always be open to the abundance of God fulfilling that promise.
Questions for Reflection and Discussion
-What do we deeply desire that
we have not been asking God for?
-In what ways are we disappointed
or feeling unfulfilled? How might God be speaking to us through that
experience?
Friday, July 27, 2012
Welcome Archbishop-Elect Cordileone!
Today in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, which includes more than a half million Catholics of San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin counties, we welcome our new Archbishop-elect Salvatore Cordileone who, originally from San Diego, has served most recently as the Bishop of Oakland. The appointment of a new leader of our local church is always a time of celebration, excitement and wonder about the future direction of all of our family of faith here in the Archdiocese. Check out his statement of introduction at the press conference at St. Mary's Cathedral this morning:
The Church of San Francisco has a tremendous legacy of Catholic ministries and participation in the local community for serving the common good. While assuming the pastoral care of a local Church as its bishop is always a daunting challenge, I am encouraged by the history we have to build upon and take confidence that, with much prayer and hard work, and with the grace of God, we will, together, be able to further the New Evangelization in this corner of the world we call home.
Today, I ask that we join with the Archbishop-elect (who will be installed as Bishop on the Feast of St. Francis, October 4th!) in offering a prayer to God for our parish, Archdiocese and for our new Archbishop himself, that together we may all continue to serve the common good by loving God and one another more and more each day. If we want peace in our world it must begin in our hearts!
Thursday, July 26, 2012
You give them their food in due season...
We all know the story of the loaves and fishes; it’s the
only miracle story found in all four Gospels.
And we humans tend to cling to those stories of tangible miracles, as
the crowds of Jesus’ time did: they
follow Jesus, hoping for yet another spectacle, a miracle to witness and tell
their friends about. Plus, they all know
the story of Elisha (in the second Book of Kings), whose mini-miracle – using a
whopping twenty barley loaves to feed
only a hundred people – vigorously affirmed
the power of the God of Israel. So
they’re probably thinking, let’s see if he can beat Elisha’s numbers. And does he ever!
With Elisha in mind, Jesus takes the five barley loaves and two
fish supplied by a nameless boy, gives thanks, and distributes them to all
who are hungry, about five thousand in
number. And no one questions
him: the disciples trust that Jesus
knows what he’s doing, and they follow his every request. Indeed, the crowd follows practically with
the expectation that Jesus can do pretty much anything.
Now, Elisha had leftovers, but nothing like what Jesus
has: twelve
wicker baskets filled with leftover food.
Why this detail? Because, besides
just meeting the physical hunger of his followers, Jesus wants them to
understand that the food he offers will satisfy their spiritual needs as well –
and not just sufficiently, but in abundance.
The hand of the Lord feeds us; he
answers all our needs, the psalmist tells us. All our needs. Only from a place of faith can we move beyond
the pyrotechnics of the spectacle to the deeper meaning of the multiplication
of loaves and fishes: that if we but
trust in God, Jesus’ Truth will feed and sustain us beyond our wildest
imaginings. And this is just the
beginning of the Bread of Life discourse; there’s more to come next week!
(This reflection is based on notes from Fr. Pat's Thursday night Scripture class.)
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Sleeping with Bread
How can we learn to hear God’s voice in our lives?
Sleeping with Bread,
by Dennis Linn, Sheila Fabricant Linn, and Matthew Linn, S.J., explores the
deep value of asking two simple questions daily: “For what am I most grateful? For what am I least grateful?” This very straightforward book proposes ways
in which a simplified version of St. Ignatius of Loyola’s “examen” can help
individuals, families, and faith sharing groups to understand God’s will in
their lives and find direction for a given day or for a lifetime.
How does it work?
Well, identifying what we’re grateful for helps us to remember to give
thanks to God for the blessings in our lives.
Identifying what we are least grateful for helps us to appreciate that
we are not denying the negative aspects of life; it also allows us to feel that
God is with us even in difficult moments, and helps us to heal. Doing this exercise in a group (say, at
dinner with our family) means sharing our greatest joys and challenges, which,
in turn, can give us the strength to cope with whatever difficulties we
encounter. When we are attentive to
everyday experience, we come to understand how daily experience is in fact
divine revelation, which, in turn can help us to understand and articulate
God’s “sealed orders” for our lives. And
that’s what discernment is all about: moving
forward in our journey.
A copy of this book is available in the Religious
Education Office, if you are interested in checking it out.
BTW, why the title?
Monday, July 23, 2012
God is Enough
One of St. Teresa of Avila’s most moving prayers echoes
this past Sunday’s psalm in its recognition that trust in God can get us
through the most difficult times:
Let nothing trouble you.
Let nothing scare you.
All is fleeting.
God alone is unchanging.
Patience.
Everything obtains.
He who possesses God
Wants for nothing.
God alone suffices.
St. Teresa’s words have been put to music by the Catholic
composer David Haas. To hear this beautiful prayer song, click on the following
link, “God Alone is Enough,” scroll down to MP3, and click on the small
Microphone icon to the right of center of the page. The song is also available on David Haas’s
“God is Here” CD.
Source of St. Teresa’s prayer: From
The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila Volume Three translated by
Kieran Kavanaugh and Otilio Rodriquez (c) 1985 by Washington Province of
Discalced Carmelites ICS Publications 2131 Lincoln Road, N.E. Washington, D.C.
20002 U.S.A.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
July 22nd 2012: Sunday Gospel Reflection
In today’s Gospel Jesus meets
his apostles as they return from traveling to spread the Good News of Jesus and
teach others about him. They must have been so excited to see their friends and
Jesus again and to share all about how God had worked through them! Yet in a
silent but powerful lesson Jesus instructs them to come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.
Instead of staying together, sharing food and wine, Jesus instructs them to go
in solitude to reflect and rest in God.
Jesus, in his wisdom, knew that
his apostles needed time to pray, reflect and rest in God. We too are in desperate
need of time spent in solitude in a deserted place to pray, reflect and rest in
God. Jesus told his apostles to go to a deserted place to retreat since the
crowds following Jesus and his apostles
were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat.
Like so many of our dangerously busy lives, they had people who constantly wanted
and needed things from them. How often are our lives so busy and full with meeting
deadlines at work, rushing to numerous activities, or attending to the needs of
family and friends that we don’t even find the time to eat? When we are so busy
that we don’t even take the time to attend to our own basic physical needs of
eating, sleeping, exercising, etc. we fortunately see the physical reminders of
this: a rumbling stomach, bags under our eyes, exhaustion, crankiness, lethargy,
etc. and we are reminded that we need to stop and take care of ourselves.
Yet if we sometimes have trouble
taking care of our obvious physical needs how well are we taking care of our inner-spirit
and the needs of our inner life? The reminders that we are not taking time to
feed our spiritual life are not as immediately obvious as bags under our eyes
or a rumbling stomach, but the consequences of not feeding our spiritual life
are serious. Taking time to nourish the Spirit of God within us is essential to
being the healthy and life-giving people that God created us to be; feeding our
spiritual needs is essential to happiness.
After Jesus sent his apostles
into solitude, today’s Gospel story finishes with Jesus being moved with pity for [the crowd] for they
were like sheep without a shepherd and he began to teach them many things.
Jesus never tires of being with us and healing us, but he will not force
himself on us, we have to be relentless like the crowd to come to him; he will
never turn us away. We have to be relentless self-advocates for our hidden,
inner life where God is waiting to hold us and heal us.
Questions for Reflection and
Discussion
-Am I overcommitted or over
scheduled? If so, what limits do I need to set or what do I need to cut out?
-When during the day do I take
time to feed my inner life?
-Do I celebrate Sunday well as
the Day of Rest?
-One thing I will do differently
this week is…
Thursday, July 19, 2012
The Lord is my shepherd...
Taken together, this Sunday’s readings point to some of the
most essential characteristics of the shepherd,
first, as the word applies to God, who has, in the Judeo-Christian tradition,
been both leader and companion to His flock, as well as to Jesus, who, in his
capacity as shepherd, gives us access in one Spirit to the Father.
Psalm 23 reminds us that God is our guide and our strength,
our source of nourishment and repose, who accompanies us through life even
when we experience suffering and pain. In
the midst of great difficulty, God is present to help so long as we remain
open, so long as we trust: I fear
no evil, for you are at my side. Our journey, as we walk in the dark valley, consists of encountering the infinite love
of God over and over, and allowing God to lead us through death to life, until
we are ready for perfect union with God in heaven.
Our readings from Jeremiah, Ephesians, and Mark add to this
portrait of the shepherd as both
leader and companion. Rejecting the unfaithful
king Zedekiah, Jeremiah speaks of a future leader who will do what is just and right, earning him the title, The Lord our justice, that is, source of
all that is life-giving. Paul’s letter
to the Ephesians refers to Jesus as our
peace, he who reconcilied both Jews and Gentiles because the Love that is
God is for all.
And in the Gospel, Jesus offers his followers all of the
above: guidance and strength (he began to teach them many things), nourishment
(those who had no opportunity even to
eat, he will soon feed with loaves and fishes), and, when possible, peaceful repose (Come away…
and rest a while). Most importantly,
he offers them love: his heart was moved with pity for them.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd, a compassionate companion on our journey in
whom we can place our complete trust.
(This reflection is based on notes from Fr. Pat's Thursday night Scripture class.)
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Called to Discipleship: The Sacraments & Liturgy
Called to Discipleship: The Sacraments & Liturgy
OLMC's “Called to Discipleship” series continued this week with a focus on the
Sacraments and the Liturgy. At the
beginning of the session, we were invited to share emotions we associate with
our own experiences of the sacraments, an exercise that demonstrated to all of
us how deeply these outward and visible signs of divine grace touch us at our
core.
Together, we first explored the Sacraments of Initiation
(Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation), covering not only the physical
experience of each, but, and more importantly, the emotional, psychological,
and spiritual dimensions associated with them. Taken together, the Sacraments of Initiation
allow us to participate as full members of the Church. The Sacraments of Healing (Reconciliation
and Anointing of the Sick) offer opportunities for personal growth and
transformation, either when we have missed the mark and need to reaffirm God’s
action in our lives, or when we are ill and can benefit from knowing that we
are in God’s hands. The Sacraments of
Commitment (Holy Orders, Marriage) confirm our vocation to serve, either as
an ordained minister or as part of a married couple, revealing God’s love to one
another.
Class concluded with a brief overview of the main elements
of the Mass, from prayer (we all gather to pray the
Mass), to the proclamation of God’s word, Eucharist (our opportunity to thank God
for all God has done for us), and our dismissal, when we are sent forth to
proclaim the Word in our own lives every day.
We are fed at the Table of the Word and with Jesus’ Body and Blood; that
nourishment feeds our bodies as well as our hearts, becoming part of us, lifting
us spiritually and allowing us to be the Body of Christ.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Seeking Love
Seeking Love
There are no places inside you or in the whole of creation
where God’s love does not exist. It is
alive in prisons and hospital wards, in concentration camps and foxholes, in
earthquakes and hurricanes, in your own selfishness and addictions. It is always crying out to your heart, and
your heart is awake, responding. Seek it
and trust it.
Trust it, or risk it, as the case may be, in solitude, at
home, at work, in play, in relationships, in pain, in grief, in laughter. Just as there are no exceptions in the places
of creation, there are none in the moments and phases of your life. You never know what form love will take, but you
can trust that it is there, and you can trust your desire for it.
Creation needs you for your love; love needs you for your
creation. God needs you for
yourself. Your heart has a sense of it
already, and it is ready to join the flow of grace to guide you into
ever-expanding presence. Seek the presence
of love everywhere. Let there be no dark
corners.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Who is Our Lady of Mount Carmel?
July 16 is the Feast of the patroness of our parish, Our Lady
of Mount Carmel.
So what exactly are we
celebrating?
Tradition has it that on July 16, 1251, the Blessed Virgin
Mary appeared to St. Simon Stock, a Carmelite friar, presenting to him the
Brown Scapular. Years ago, children were
often given a small scapular on the occasion of their First Communion. A brown scapular is made of two small pieces
of cloth, usually with a prayer on one and an image of Our Lady on the other,
joined by two thin connecting strips of cloth or ribbon. The scapular is worn around one’s neck, with one
part hanging in front and the other in the back. Wearing the scapular daily is a sign of
devotion to Our Lady.
According to the Catholic
Encyclopedia, the feast celebrates Mary’s special care for those who are
devoted to her, and who demonstrate that devotion by wearing her scapular. A special grace of final perseverance is
granted to them.
Prayer to Our Lady of Mount Carmel
O
most beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of Heaven,
Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this my
necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein that you are my
Mother. O Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Queen of Heaven and earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart, to
succor me in this my necessity. There are none that can withstand your power. O
show me herein that you are my Mother. O
Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us that have recourse to thee. (3
times). Sweet Mother, I place this
cause in your hands. (3 times)
Sunday, July 15, 2012
What's a dresser of sycamores?
The sycamore tree mentioned in today’s reading from the Book of Amos is not exactly the kind we see growing on the street so named in Mill
Valley. The scientific name of Amos’s
tree is Ficus sycomorus, and in the
Middle East it’s also known as a fig-mulberry.
Its leaves are thick and leathery, and may have been the ones the writer
of Genesis had in mind for the ersatz clothing invented in the Garden of Eden. Interestingly, unlike our local sycamores,
Amos’s trees bear edible fruit! In the
first century, Pliny the Elder wrote about them in his Natural History:
Its leaves resemble those of the mulberry in size and appearance. The fig
produces its fruit not on branches but on the trunk itself, and the Egyptian
variety is exceptionally sweet and seedless. The tree's yield is extremely
prolific, but only when iron hooks are used to make incisions in the fruit, which
otherwise does not ripen. When this is
done the fruit is picked three days later, while another fig forms beneath it;
the tree thus has seven crops of very juicy figs in a single summer.
So when Amos tells the cult prophet Amaziah that he is a dresser of sycamores, he’s describing
himself as one of the guys who went around piercing the fruit of the
fig-mulberry, one by one, to induce the proper ripening. This was his paid work, not prophesying. I guess this means he was responsible for
making life sweeter – an interesting counterpoint to his message to the
Northern kingdom, which can’t have been easy to swallow at all.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
July 15th 2012: Sunday Gospel Reflection
In today’s Gospel we hear Jesus
sending out the Twelve Apostles in pairs, to spread the Good News of Jesus by
preaching to people of repentance. Why did Jesus tell the Apostles to preach
about repentance? Isn’t sin a personal matter? Isn’t sin none of their (or our
business)?
Yes and no. We should never
judge other people, that is not our calling nor can we do so effectively since
we don’t know each person’s heart. Yet, we believe, as St. Paul said, that all have fallen short of the glory of God and that each
of us is called by God to become a more perfect person, a better version of
ourselves and to help others become better too (this is the goal of friendship
and marriage). Personal growth is a lifelong process that involves humility,
regular self-reflection and prayer, connection to a community, and most
importantly, a desire to be better. Remember: God is longing to forgive us and heal us if we let Him.
Many people mistakenly
think that they are good enough or at least aren’t that bad and so they don’t feel the need to reflect on what they
have done wrong, go to church or participate in the Sacrament of
Reconciliation. Yet if we fail to be a people of conversion and reconciliation in
our own hearts we will never achieve the peace and wholeness that God created
us for, we will always be holding something back. If we never seek forgiveness
or try to be better people then we will never effectively be able to create a
more peaceful and loving family life or community or a more peaceful world.
The starting place for
prayer and right-relationship with God and others begins with saying “i’m
sorry”. Recognizing ourselves as sinners as people who sometimes miss the mark is
not a product of Catholic guilt but an unbloated and clear reflection of who we
really are. We need others to help us see more clearly and to remind us of who
God created us to be; we need a community/faith-family, a church. This is why we gather
weekly in the Eucharist and begin by praying together I confess to Almighty God and to you my brothers and sisters that I
have greatly sinned. This is our moment to really take an inventory of our
week. Only when name and let go of our brokenness and sin together can we ever
be in communion, in right-relationship, with God and one another.
Questions for Reflection and
Discussion
-How do I spread the good news
of Jesus?
-When do I reflect on my day,
set personal goals for my life and examine how I am living?
-Who are the people that God is
calling me to ask forgiveness from?
-Who are the people that God is
calling me to forgive?
-When was the last time I went
to the Sacrament of Reconciliation?
Friday, July 13, 2012
Called to Discipleship
Called to Discipleship
This summer OLMC is offering everyone an opportunity to
participate in the “Called to Discipleship” series on Tuesday mornings
(10:30-12) or evenings (7-8:30) in O'Brien Hall. This
past week, the topic under discussion was “The Church” – not as a static
institution, but as a vibrant set of models to live by.
Class began with a meditation on a song by Amy Grant,
followed by a challenge: we were all
asked to make a list of all the things we would look for in a church community
if we were to move to a new town. What
we discovered as we shared these lists was the huge diversity of elements that
make up what we call the Church, from the building to the liturgy to the
community and its activities, including everything from proclamation to
prayer. Church, we found, is something
we live, something we do, something we experience in and with one another, both at Mass and in our
everyday lives. Our discussion leader
Mike shared Fr. Avery Dulles’ six models of the church with us, and we
discovered how all of the traits we had mentioned as important to us in the
notion of “Church” could fit into one or more of these overlapping
domains: Church as Mystery, as
Community, as Sacrament, as Herald, as Servant, and as Institution.
I think it’s accurate to say that all who participated in
the conversation came away with a new appreciation for all of the ways in which
we, as the Body of Christ, are the Church: we participate in its
mystery, share in fellowship with the community, meet Jesus in the sacraments
and in each other, and are responsible for passing on the Good News and serving
those in need. One, holy, catholic and
apostolic Church – where we all have
a place at the table!
All are invited to join us next week, when the topic of
discussion will be “The Sacraments.”
Reflection from ND Vision Conference on Vocation
Visioning Vocation: The Art of Self-giving love
*Guest reflection thanks to vocation.nd.edu
Author: Mr. Tony Oleck
When it comes to discernment, I have often found myself waiting on my burning bush or pillar of fire. Part of me expected the Lord to speak to me in some defining way in an extraordinary moment of prayer. I have been waiting for the day and the hour in which I would suddenly know what I was meant to do for the rest of my life.
Working at Notre Dame Vision this summer, however, has radically transformed the way I imagine vocation and the way I see discernment. ND Vision is a program that seeks to help high school students recognize the gifts, passions and desires that God has given them, and how they can use them to discover God’s call in their lives and respond to that call with faith and courage. Students spend one week on Notre Dame’s campus listening to dynamic keynote speakers from all across the country and looking in-depth at the question of vocation in unique small group activities with mentors (like myself) from Notre Dame, St. Mary’s College and Holy Cross College.
The topics and themes explored at ND Vision have helped me to understand vocation and discernment in a whole new light. For example, what do we mean when we use the word “vocation”? One helpful definition of vocation that I have come to grasp through Vision is “the art of self-giving love.” Vocation can in part be understood as the way in which our lives become artworks of God’s love for the world. But what is self-giving love, exactly?
The self-giving love that the Christian is called to can be seen in the doctrine of the Trinity. The Holy Trinity teaches us so much about love and about vocation because it shows us that God truly is Love. The three persons of the Trinity teach us that God is relational, that His essence is complete self-giving Love. The Son perfectly loves the Father and the Father perfectly loves the Son, and from this love life is issued forth in the person of the Holy Spirit. Thus the three are one, yet distinct.
The mystery of the Trinity, though it is a mystery, teaches us a very fundamental truth about reality and the Christian's place in it. That is that God is Love, and the logic of the entire universe is Love. Thus as I discern my vocation, one of the primary questions I have learned I must ask myself is this: How is God calling me to participate in the Love of the Trinity? How can my life be a window into this self-sacrificial, life-giving Love?
While this is a question I am still asking myself as I continue formation in Holy Cross, learning how to ask the question and how to answer it has been one of the greatest gifts that the ND Vision community has given me this summer. One lesson I have quickly been learning is that God does not primarily speak in heavy storms or crushing rocks, in earthquakes or burning bushes, but rather the Lord speaks to the heart. The Lord whispers in the silence of our hearts, in our gifts, our passions, our desires. These desires must be fine-tuned, or rightly ordered, to virtue and to God’s will, but holy desires, gifts and passions can help us to discover this will and respond to it in love.
This is the beauty of the Communion of Saints! Stepping into the ND Vision community was like stepping into a giant stained-glass window. Each piece’s color is a little different. They vary in size. Some are more jagged, some more smooth. None are perfect on their own. Yet each piece is necessary and fits together with the others to offer a beautiful image for the light of Christ to shine through. This light pierces every shard of glass and creates a masterpiece of God’s love.
Discerning my vocation in the midst of these men and women has been incredible. It has been like trying to find my place in the stained-glass window. It has been such an inspiration to see the way that God is already using the gifts and personalities of the people I have been so blessed to spend my summer with. Seeing this has pushed me to look at my own gifts and personality, and to ask how I can best use them to glorify God and make His love known to the world. For me, this summer has been about learning to find my place in the Communion of Saints.
Mr. Tony Oleck is entering his third year at Old College Undergraduate Seminary on the campus of Notre Dame. He and his fellow Old Collegians write posts for the Spes Unica Blog, sharing on their life and formation in Old College. Learn more about seminary life in Holy Cross, and specifically Old College Undergraduate Seminary. And meet the current Old Collegians who are in formation for priesthood and religious life in Holy Cross.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
So that we might exist for the praise of his glory...
Who can go out and proclaim the Good News? This Sunday’s readings seem to suggest that
the answer is: anyone whose heart is
open to Christ and who knows that redemption is at work in her or him. This means you!
Neither the prophet Amos (a mere dresser of sycamores) nor the disciples
around Jesus (fishermen, after all) are professional “proclaimers of the Word”
– and neither are we. But we all possess
one thing in common: the capacity to
Love. We aren’t necessarily secure in
our inner selves, though we trust that redemption is at work in us. But this is okay, because we all –
proclaimer and audience alike – have to recognize our own need for the Good
News, that is, our need for God, and for God’s Love in our lives, even as we
proclaim it. If we ourselves are
transformed by that Love, then we can bring that Love to bear upon the
difficulties of life, upon any challenge, upon the brokenness we encounter daily.
St. Paul says, In him
we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions, in accord
with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us. Why?
So that we might exist for the
praise of his glory. At the end of
every Mass, we go forth, we are sent,
to share the word of truth even as we
grow in our own understanding of that truth
every single day. Ite, missa est!
(This reflection is based on notes from Fr. Pat's Thursday night Scripture class.)
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
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