Monday, August 29, 2022

Atheist

An atheist was walking through the woods, admiring all the “accidents” that evolution had created. “What majestic trees! What powerful rivers! What beautiful animals!” he said to himself.

As he was walking alongside the river, he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. Turning to look, he saw a 7-foot grizzly bear charge towards him. He ran away as fast as he could up the path.

He looked over his shoulder and saw the grizzly was closing. Somehow he ran even faster, so scared that tears came to his eyes. He looked again, and the bear was even closer. His heart was pounding, and he tried to run faster. He tripped and fell to the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up, but the bear was right over him, reaching for him with its left paw and raising its right paw to strike him.

At that instant the atheist cried, “Oh my God!”

Time stopped. The bear froze. The forest was silent. Even the river stopped moving.

As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky, “You deny my existence for all these years, teach others that I don't exist, and even credit creation to a cosmic accident. Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you as a believer?”

The atheist looked directly into the light and said, “I would feel like a hypocrite to become a Christian after all these years, but perhaps you could make the bear a Christian?”

“Very well,” said the voice.

The light went out. The river ran. The sounds of the forest resumed. Then the bear dropped his right paw, brought both paws together, bowed its head, and spoke: “Lord, for this food which I am about to receive, I am truly thankful.”

Sunday, August 28, 2022

Brownie and Scotty

Brownie and Scotty were neighbor dogs who met every day to play together. Like pairs of dogs you can find in most any neighborhood, these two loved each other and played together so often that they had worn a path through the grass of the field between their respective houses. One evening, Brownie's family noticed that Brownie hadn't returned home. They went looking for him with no success. Brownie didn’t show up the next day, and, despite their efforts to find him, by the next week he was still missing.

Curiously, Scotty showed up at Brownie's house alone, barking, whining, and generally pestering Brownie's human family. Busy with their own lives, they just ignored the nervous little neighbor dog. Finally, one morning Scotty refused to take "no" for an answer. Ted, Brownie's owner, was steadily harassed by the furious, adamant little dog. Spotty followed Ted about, barking insistently, then darting back and forth to a nearby empty lot, as if to say, "Follow me! It's urgent!" Eventually, Ted followed the frantic Scotty across the empty lot, as Scotty paused to race back and bark encouragingly. The little dog led the man under a fence, past clumps of trees, to a desolate spot a half mile from the house.

There Ted found his beloved Brownie alive -- one of his hind legs crushed in a steel leg-hold trap. Horrified, Ted wished he'd taken Scotty's earlier appeals seriously.

Then Ted noticed something quite remarkable... Scotty had done more than simply lead Brownie's human to his trapped friend. In a circle around the injured dog, Ted found an array of dog food and table scraps, which were identified as the remains of every meal Scotty had been fed that week!

Scotty had been visiting Brownie regularly, in a single minded quest to keep his friend alive by sacrificing his own comfort! Scotty had stayed with Brownie to protect him from predators, snuggling with him at night to keep him warm and nuzzling him to keep his spirits up. Brownie's leg was treated by a veterinarian and he recovered. For many years thereafter, the two families watched the faithful friends frolicking and chasing each other down that well-worn path between their houses.

Do you have a friend bringing you these stories. Giving you "scraps" of God's word? Taking you to a meeting? Now you know, the rest of the story. They’re trying to lead you home. Just like Scotty. Their wish for you and your life is for you to find God so the two of you can play together... forever in Heaven. Feel trapped?​

Friday, August 26, 2022

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

After a cursory reading of the parable in today’s gospel, Luke 14:1,7-14, we might think that Jesus is giving the Pharisees a lecture on dinning etiquette. A closer reading reveals that Jesus is not competing with Emily Post or Miss Manners on proper etiquette in today’s society. This gospel is about our behavior at the Heavenly Banquet in the Kingdom of God where different rules apply. Jesus tells us that in the Kingdom of God “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Do any of us honestly believe that we can bulldoze our way to the head of God’s banquet table? Remember the story in Mark’s Gospel about James and John asking Jesus to “sit one at your right and the other at your left" (Mark 10:37). Jesus tells them that they don’t know what they are asking. To sit next to Jesus means to accept suffering and persecution. Jesus goes on to say “to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared" (Mark 10:40).

Jesus concludes his lesson on Heavenly manners by reminding the Pharisee who invited him to dinner that he should not seek repayment for his hospitality. Rather, he should invite people who cannot repay him because he “will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” If God is the host of a Heavenly Banquet to which we are all invited, how can we repay him? The answer is we can’t. We can never repay God for all the gifts we have been given. We can, however, support our parish with our time, talent and treasure, support local, national and international causes, care for our neighbors and live good honest lives that reflect the love God has for all of us.

Prayer for Humility

Lord Jesus Christ,
I pray that you may fortify me
with the grace of your Holy Spirit,
and give your peace to my soul,
that I may be free from all needless anxiety and worry.

Help me to desire always
that which is pleasing and acceptable to you,
 so that your will may be my will.

Grant that I may be free from unholy desires,
and that, for your love,
I may remain obscure and unknown in this world,
to be known only to you.

Do not permit me to attribute to myself
the good that you perform in me and through me,
but rather, referring all honor to you,
may I admit only to my infirmities,
 so that renouncing sincerely all vainglory
which comes from the world,
I may aspire to that true and lasting glory
that comes from you.

Amen.

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini

 

Saturday, August 20, 2022

Teach me, God

Teach me, God, so that I might know
The way to change and the way to grow.
Give me the words to ask You how
To handle the here and live in the now.

Tempt me not with the valleys of death,
Give me freedom from fear in every breath.
And though mistakes I make in my daily life,
Deliver me from aiding strife.

Understand me, God, as I am now
And show me the furrows I need to plow.
To reach my goal as a ripening food,
So I might feed others all that is good.

Fill me with energy from your Mighty Power,
Until I come to rest at the midnight hour.

Friday, August 19, 2022

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

One of my favorite Flannery O'Connor short stories is Revelation. The story's main character, Ruby Turpin, is a smug, opinionated, self-righteous woman who appears to know exactly who she is and her place in the universe - above just about everyone else. After all, she owns a house and land and hogs. What more could a person want? For all that she has and for what she is, Ruby Turpin is grateful. She thanks Jesus "for making everything the way it is." She knows, with all her heart, mind and soul that she is one of the saved and her place in heaven is assured. However, after an unsettling incident in a doctor's waiting room, Ruby's confidence is broken. She goes home and has a serious conversation with God, asking, "Who do you think you are"? God answers by giving Ruby a vision of souls on their way to heaven. All the folks Ruby knew should be at the end of the line, the poor people, the sharecroppers and the household help were leaping and clapping at the front of the line while Ruby, her husband and all their "proper" friends were back in the rear with shocked looks on their faces. Poor Ruby discovered that she was no more special and no more saved than anyone else.

The person in today's gospel, Luke 13:22-30, who asked Jesus, "Lord, will only a few people be saved?" is a bit like our Ruby Turpin. The descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, believed that they were the chosen people. They had a special covenant with God, inheriting their right to stand at the head of the line into God's kingdom. So if the person asking Jesus the question was expecting a resounding yes, he or she must have been very disappointed. Jesus did not give a direct answer. Instead, he told two parables describing how difficult it is to get into the kingdom. Having the right DNA is not enough. Getting into the kingdom requires hard work. Many will not be strong enough to enter the narrow gate. Procrastination isn't a good idea either because those who malinger will be left out in the cold "wailing and grinding" their teeth. The people who "will recline at table in the kingdom of God" will be foreigners and Gentiles, the people who heard Jesus' good news message and responded.

God wants everyone to be saved. All we have to do is love God, keep the commandments and love our neighbors as ourselves. God has a place at his table for all of us, but don't be late.

God our Father,
you have given us Jesus, your Son,
as the door through which we enter
into your kingdom.
Help us to listen to his voice
and to follow him without reserve.
May our authentic Christian living
bring goodness and joy to this world
and lead us to you, our saving God,
by the power of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

Friday, August 12, 2022

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel, Luke 12:49-53, were shocking and disturbing to the people who heard them and they are shocking and disturbing to us. Why is this man we call the Prince of Peace talking about setting the earth on fire, division among families and discord? This does not sound like the Kingdom of Heaven Jesus proclaims in the rest of the Gospel.

Sadly, not everyone accepts the Gospel message. We all have free will. Some people choose to follow Jesus, others do not. For those of us who choose to follow Jesus, the path is not always easy. Standing up for our faith can lead to rejection, ridicule, persecution and sometimes death.

Throughout scripture we find that fidelity to God’s word is costly. Jeremiah suffered immense hardship for following his prophetic vocation. In our first reading today from Jeremiah 38:4-6,8-10, his enemies throw him in a cistern believing he will starve to death. During his lifetime, Jeremiah was tried for blasphemy, put in the stocks, flogged and imprisoned simply for speaking the word of God to his people. He wanted to quit but his faith in Yahweh kept him going despite the obstacles.

Writing to a group of persecuted Christians, the author of the Letter to the Hebrews tells them and us in today’s second reading (Heb 12:1-4) that although Jesus suffered the shame of the cross, he now sits “at the right of the throne of God.” As Christians we must keep “our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith.” Keeping our eyes on Jesus gives us the strength and courage we need to confront whatever adversity comes our way.

Tomorrow, August 15, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Feast of the Assumption is one of the most important Marian celebrations in the liturgical year. What we are celebrating is the death of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the assumption of her body and soul into heaven. Unlike Jesus who ascended into heaven by his own power, God took the Blessed Mother up to Heaven. It is the Blessed Mother’s Heavenly Birthday.

A Prayer for the Way to Peace

Father of love, hear my prayer.
Help me to know Your Will
and to do it with courage and faith.
Accept my offering of myself,
all my thoughts, words, deeds, and sufferings.
May my life be spent giving You glory.
Give me the strength to follow Your call,
so that Your Truth may live in my heart
and bring peace to me and to those I meet,
for I believe in Your Love.
Amen

(From Catholic Online)

Thursday, August 4, 2022

Feast of St. John Vianney

St. John Vianney pray for us!


In July 2016 in France, a priest was murdered by Islamic terrorists during Mass. Fr. Jacques Hamel was 86 years old; a thin, small man with white, wispy hair, hollow cheeks and hooded eyes. It is thought-provoking to compare this French priest’s appearance to another French priest who lived and died nearly 160 years ago; one who also had a diminutive frame, shrunken face, deep-set eyes, silvery hair—and a holy death. Four years after the passing of this parish priest as he celebrated Mass, the Church celebrates the passing of the patron saint of parish priests, Jean Baptiste Marie Vianney. St. Jean Vianney knew the storms of evil that beset man, and combatted them valiantly and victoriously despite their terrors. Considering present times and present terrors, the CurĂ© of Ars stands out as a saint whose patronage is as needed today all over the world as it was in his own day in his little village of Ars to show the way to heaven​.

Tuesday, August 2, 2022

God's Watching You

We’ve all heard the ominous warning, “God’s watching you.”

Maybe that’s true, but not in the way you were taught. God really can’t take His eyes off of you – He loves you that much. You’re that precious.

God never loves you less – no matter what.
God doesn’t love you as you should be, could be, ought to be.
God just loves you as you are.
It’s easier to focus on rules, to focus on “earning” God’s love.

Everything we do is in response to God’s love – not to earn it.
God sees in you a reflection of His own Love. A reflection that’s different than anyone else who’s ever lived.

When we look at our reflection, we see the blemishes – 
All the things we aren’t.
That’s not what God sees!
He can see the blemishes, too, But that’s not what He looks at. 
He sees his beautiful child that He loves.

We don’t want to be a lot of things we’ve become, but we are.

We need Compassion – for owning our own humanness and loving others who are human too.