Called to Bring God’s Light to our World

LIGHT – illuminates, it helps us to see.  Isaiah tells us “… light shall arise for you in the darkness.”  de Sales wrote, “Great occasions of serving God seldom present themselves, but little ones are frequent …. ‘Do all things in the name of God & you will do all things well.’”  {Reflections of St. Francis deSales on Living Jesus, p.109}

One Sunday as they drove home from church, a little girl said to her mother, “Mommy, there is something about today’s homily that I don’t understand.’

Mom said, “What is it?”

The little girl replied, “Well, he said that God is bigger than we are.  He said God is so big that He could hold the whole world in His hand.  Is that true?”

Mom replied, “Yes, that’s true ….”  But Mommy, he also said that God lives inside us.  Is that true, too?”  Again, Mom said that was true!  With a puzzled look the little asked, “If God is bigger than us and He lives in us, wouldn’t He show through?”   

The little girl is right about God showing through, when God shows though our actions – we are LIGHT for the world.

We are light for all to see God’s goodness!  A disciple allows God’s LIGHT to shine through her or him.  Since December 21^st we have been gaining a little more light each day. 

  

As disciples we are challenged to allow God’s light to shine through us, a little more each day.  We are called to follow God’s WORD, to make God’s WORD our center.

Spending some time today reading and praying God’s WORD; it will enable you to be “… a light in the darkness ….”  Allow God’s grace to guide you mold you as we share the Lord’s Light with the world.

May God Be Praised!

 Sandcastles and Life

Hot sun, salty air, rhythmic waves: A little boy is on his knees scooping up sand and packing it into his plastic pail. Then he upends the bucket and carefully lifts it. To the delight of the little architect, a castle tower is formed. All afternoon he will work spooning out the moat, packing the walls, creating bridges out of Popsicle sticks, setting up bottle tops as sentries.

 

Big city, busy streets, rumbling traffic: The executive is in his office, shuffling files on his desk, delegating assignments, reviewing data, juggling numbers. An IPhone seems to be permanently affixed to him. He is making his own castle: stock options are the walls, capital gains the bridges, annuities the sentries.

Two builders of two castles. They have much in common: They shape granules into grandeurs, they make something in the midst of nothing, they are determined and focused.  And for both the tide will rise and the end will come.

The difference is that the boy sees the end coming and welcomes it. At the end of the afternoon, the little boy will jump to his feet and clap as the waves break against his castle. There is no sorrow, no fear, not regret. At the end of the day, the little boy smiles, picks up his tools, takes his father’s hand, and goes home.

But the grown up is not so wise. As the waves of time break upon his castle, he is terrified. He tries to block the waves, but the breakers cannot be contained. His castle, too, will be washed away.

St. Francis de Sales teaches us, “When you encounter difficulties and contradictions, do not try to break them, but bend them with gentleness and time.”

St. Thomas Aquinas teaches us to pray, "Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you."

As we think about on the Sandcastles we build, let us remember to build them for the Lord, then God will guide our actions for The Kingdom.

May God Be Praised!

 Additional Thoughts on The Cross

St. Theodorus (the Estudite) said, “With the cross we are freed … [to] clutch on to the strength of salvation.”

St. Leo the Great put it this way, “… the sign of the cross makes Kings (& Queens) of all those reborn in Christ.”  (The Magnificat, 09-2008, pgs. 184-185)

St. Francis deSales wrote, “In life we seek God. In death we meet God.  In eternity we possess God.”

The most important thing to remember about The Cross is  “When Jesus died on the cross He was thinking of you!  When He rose from the dead He was thinking of you.  Now in the Kingdom He is thinking of you!  You are precious to Him!  So, Let us work for the happiness of others.”  [Saint Leonie Aviat]

Bishop Barron writes, “St. Paul tells us … that he boasts in the cross of Jesus. To any of his hearers in the first century this would have sounded like madness. Paul can boast in this shameful thing precisely because God has raised Jesus from death and thereby placed the world—the realm of hatred, violence, and division—under judgment. Now we must have the courage to leave the world and enter into the new creation, which is the Body of Christ.”

“The essential background to the cross, therefore, is a balanced understanding of the gravity of sin and the majesty of God. If we diminish either, we thereby diminish the cross.” (John Stott, The Cross of Christ, pg. 111)

The mystery of Jesus on the Cross, is the flip side of the mystery of Jesus’ Resurrection, both are gifts in our salvation. Let the Cross remind us that suffering is temporary, and death is not the end – let’s live knowing that Jesus will make all things holy in his heavenly kingdom.

May God Be Blessed!

The Cross?

When we think about the Cross of Jesus Christ, the Holy Cross, what do we think?  Dick Folger tells this cute story, every night of a play performance, the lead actor stood atop a small trapdoor on the stage floor and announced with flourish: “I descend into hell!”  At that moment the door would … open and he’d plunge down out of sight. But the (lead) actor became suddenly ill one night, so an overweight understudy was pressed into service.

When he said the line, the small door opened, the new actor plunged down — and got stuck halfway.  Unable to free himself, he looked helplessly out at the astonished audience and gave one of the greatest ad-libs of all time: “Hallelujah! Hell is full!” 

   

Well I hope that Heaven is not full when my journey here on earth ends.  The first Christians were embarrassed by the cross because it was a humiliating symbol of defeat.  Only after reflection did they realize that both the Cross and the Resurrection are symbols that point to God’s love for us.  Jesus died to free us from the fear of death; His Cross reminds us of His love.  Signs and symbols mark our world, our country and our homes.

Photographs of earth taken from outer space remind us that we a tiny spec in the Universe yet loved by God.  The Statue of Liberty reminds us that we are a nation of immigrants whose generous hearts bear witness to God’s love for the stranger.  What signs and symbols in your home remind you and your guests that Jesus is the center of your life?

Jesus – TRUE God and TRUE Man suffered and died for you &and me – WHY?  Why did a loving God allow His Son to suffer and die?  Maybe to help us overcome our fear of suffering and dying.  Jesus’ Suffering, Death & Resurrection. point us to the HOPE of heaven.

In our funeral rite we pray with faith and hope in the sure knowledge that, “… every tear will be wiped away…. and that all the ties of friendship and affection which knit us as one throughout our lives do not unravel with death.” Our time here on earth is preparation for eternity, let’s make our preparation the best it can be.

May God Be Praised!

Homily Cycle A - The Presentation of the Lord [2/02/2020]

As most of you know that Kobe Bryant, the great basketball player’s life was cut short along with one of his daughters and 7 other people in a helicopter crash, that was sad, very sad, especially for the teenagers who died, BUT it is a sober reminder for us that we are passing through this life, preparing for eternal life.

In today’s readings Anna and Simeon were not superstars, they were longing for the Messiah.  What do you long for?  What do you long for in the deepest part of your being?  Are you longing for the 2^nd Coming of Christ?
We should be but [truth be told - I long for a warm sunny day so I can play a round of golf].  Seriously we should long for Christ’s return, it should be the foundation of our lives.



Anna and Simeon were called, “the Quiet of the Land”, they were people who “… believed in a life of constant prayer and quiet watchfulness until God …(came).” (Barclay, The Gospel of Luke, p.26)   Their lives were like ours in many ways, happiness, joy, laughter as well as tears, disappointment and sorrow.  They did not grow haughty with their successes and joys, or bitter over their sorrows and disappointments.


St. Paul wrote that Jesus was     “… tested through what He suffered …” He can identify w/ us in our pain and sorrow.  Jesus walks with us in our joys and successes, and sorrows and pains but only if we invite Him.
Today’s feast “The Presentation of the Lord” emphasizes the fact that each life is a gift, each life is precious from conception to natural death.  It, also, reminds us that the Messiah, the Son of God became man out of love, out of love for us.

Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the Temple because they were faith-filled Jews.  They drew strength, consolation and courage from their faith.  Jesus’ Presentation in the Temple was done because of the fundamental belief that each child, each person is a gift from God.  Mary and Joseph carried the infant baby Jesus to the Temple with no fanfare, no pomp, no Super Bowl Atmosphere, not even a half-time show.  These two humble, loving parents went to the Temple to acknowledge the gift of Jesus.  Jesus, true God and true man, who came among us with humility and gentleness; reflecting perfectly the love of the Creator.

In today’s Gospel Simeon prays the Canticle of Simeon (Nunc Dimitts) “… you may let your servant go in peace … for my eyes have seen your salvation ….” It is prayed in out Liturgy of the Hours, Night Prayers.

One of my favorite night prayers is St. Francis deSales’ “Day is Ending”, it goes like this:  “Thank you for all the gifts of the day, for the place I spent it And for those with whom I spent it, for all its joys and all its sorrows, for the troubles overcome and for those that remain.

I offer you the silence of this night, its darkness and its solitude.                    Whether you chose under the cover of this night to take away the problems of this day, or leave them for tomorrow, I will bless your name.
Thy will be done. Amen.

Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the Temple for the ancient ceremony because they lived God’s Will Be Done.  Our earthly journeys, if done well, will include sacrifice, patience and commitment to doing God’s will.  May we always live in the radiance of God; sharing God’s light with the world.
For a few minutes, in silence, reflect on, what you long for in the deepest part of your being? 

May God Be Praised!
 

Do Religion and Science help or hinder each other?  I believe they support and enhance each other, maybe this story can illuminate why.

"Science?"

A young man entered the coach of a train in a small university town in France. The ink was scarcely dry on his newly acquired diploma.

As the train sped off for Paris, he took his seat in the rear of the coach near an elderly gentleman who seemed to be dozing. As the train suddenly lurched, a string of rosary beads fell from his hand. The young man picked up the rosary and handed it to the elderly gentleman with the remark, "I presume you are praying, sir?"

"You are right. I was praying."  "I am surprised," said the young fellow, "that in this day and age there is someone who is still so benighted and superstitious. Our professors at the university do not believe in such things," and he proceeded to "enlighten" his elderly fellow-passenger.  The old man expressed surprise and amazement.

"Yes," continued the young man, "today enlightened people don't believe in such nonsense."  "You don't say!" replied the old man.
"Yes, sir, and if you wish, I can send you some illuminating books."

"Very well," said the old man, preparing to leave as the train came to a stop. "You may send them to this address." He handed the young man a card, which read:

Louis Pasteur
Director of the Institute of Scientific Research

Paris

 

Science at its best shines some light on the Creator, and religion at its shines some light on the Creator, God awaits illumination from science, religion and us.

 

 

May God Be Praised!

“Life presents us with many little, ordinary, things each day, which we can use to grow closer to the Lord, or to create distance between ourselves and the source of all love – Jesus Christ.  By offering each little thing, joyous ones and difficult ones to Jesus, He can bless each one and bring good from the difficulties and take the gratitude from the joyous ones and multiply it.”  [Dcn. George Kelly]

St. Francis teaches us to “Be who you are and be that well.”  So, the question we must answer is who are we?  The Gospel tells us who we are: children of God made in God’s image and likeness.

Gospel calls us to be childlike and humble!  What does that mean, to be childlike and humble?  It means to be open, accepting, honest and kind, these are foundational blocks for a good person.

Th bottom line is Jesus calls us to be children of God, meaning to do our best to be like Him.

May God Be Praised!