5th Sunday of Easter

With all the technology we have at our fingertips today few of us have any excuse for getting lost.  However, back in the early 1990s when I first came to Atlanta from Ireland, I was perpetually lost.  Those were the days before GPS and smart phones.  Armed with maps, a dumb phone, and driving on the wrong side of the road, I struggled to get around.  The city confused me at every turn.  There were streets that had several different names and their layout seemed to defy logic.  To confound things, there was the traffic.  Never in my life had I encountered so much traffic, so I spent much of my driving time in a total panic. 

I imagine that is how the disciples felt when Jesus told them “Where I am going you know the way” that we hear in today’s gospel, John 14:1-12.  Although Jesus told the disciples countless times that he would return to the Father, they did not understand him.  Only blunt Thomas had the courage to say, "Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?"  Jesus’ answer to Thomas is one of the most reassuring statements in scripture, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 

The disciples could find comfort in Jesus’ words because since the time of Moses the children of Israel tried to follow the way of God.  In Deuteronomy 5:32-33 Moses told them “Be careful, therefore, to do as the LORD, your God, has commanded you, not turning aside to the right or to the left, but following exactly the way that the LORD, your God, commanded you that you may live and prosper, and may have long life in the land which you are to possess.”  In Psalm 32:8 we hear “I will instruct you and show you the way you should walk, give you counsel with my eye upon you.”  And in Isaiah 30:21 the prophet says, “And your ears shall hear a word behind you: ‘This is the way; walk in it,’ when you would turn to the right or the left.”  Jesus didn’t simply give the disciples (and us) directions, he led them and he leads us every day.  When we listen to him, we too can hear the word behind us, “This is the way; walk in it.”

Father, you restored your people to eternal life

by raising Christ your Son from death.

Make our faith strong and our hope sure.

May we never doubt that you will fulfill

The promises you have made.

Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

One God, forever, and ever.

Amen

Donation

Father O'Malley answers the phone.

"Hello, is this Father O'Malley?" a woman's voice says.
"It is," he replies.

"This is the IRS. Can you help us?"
"I can."

"Do you know Ted Houlihan?"
"I do."

"Is he a member of your congregation?"
"He is."

"Did he donate $10,000 to the church?" 

"He will."

I Know the Shepherd

There was once a Shakespearean actor who was known everywhere for his one-man shows of readings and recitations from the classics. He would always end his performance with a dramatic reading of Psalm 23.

Each night, without exception, as the actor began his recitation - “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want” the crowd would listen attentively. And then, at the conclusion of the Psalm, they would rise in thunderous applause in appreciation of the actor's incredible ability to bring the verse to life.

But one night, just before the actor was to offer his customary recital of Psalm 23, a young man from the audience spoke up. “Sir, do you mind if tonight I recite Psalm 23?" The actor was quite taken back by this unusual request, but he allowed the young man to come forward and stand front and center on the stage to recite the Psalm, knowing that the ability of this unskilled youth would be no match for his own talent.

With a soft voice, the young man began to recite the words of the Psalm. When he was finished, there was no applause. There was no standing ovation as on other nights. All that could be heard was the sound of weeping. The audience had been so moved by the young man's recitation that every eye was full of tears.

Amazed by what he had heard, the actor said to the youth, "I don't understand. I have been performing Psalm 23 for years. I have a lifetime of experience and training - but I have never been able to move an audience as you have tonight. Tell me, what is your secret?"

The young man quietly replied, "Well sir, you know the Psalm; I know the Shepherd."

4th Sunday of Easter

Today is the fourth Sunday of Easter usually called Good Shepherd Sunday because the gospel for this Sunday always focuses on Jesus as a shepherd.  It also is the 63rd World Day of Prayer for Vocations for which Our Holy Father, Pope Leo chose The Interior Discovery of God’s Gift as the theme. 

 Jesus established the mission of the Church when he commanded the Apostles to “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28: 19 – 20).  With St. Peter as their spokesman, the Apostles followed Jesus’ instructions as our first and second readings today emphasize.   St Peter has a clear message for us “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.”

By our baptism and confirmation each one of us, in fact every Christian, is called to witness to the truth and proclaim the good news of the Gospel.  Every Christian is called to put Jesus Christ at the center of their life.  And every Christian has a responsibility to nurture and encourage vocations in the young men and women who may wish to dedicate themselves to full-time service bringing about the Kingdom of Heaven.  We need good shepherds.    In his Message for the 63rd World Day of Prayer for Vocations, Our Holy Father Pope Leo reminds us that “The Lord of life knows us and enlightens our hearts with his loving gaze.”   Indeed, every vocation begins with the awareness and experience of a God who is love (cf. 1 Jn 4:16). He knows us profoundly; he has counted the hairs of our head (cf. Mt 10:30) and has envisaged for each person a unique path of holiness and service. Yet this awareness must always be reciprocal. We are invited to know God through prayer, listening to the Word, the Sacraments, the life of the Church and works of charity for our brothers and sisters.” 

At the end of today’s gospel from John 10:1-10, Jesus tells the disciples and us that He “came so that [we, the sheep] might have life and have it more abundantly.”  This abundance is not for a minute or a day.  It is an abundance that extends throughout our lives.  Pope Leo tells us that, “A vocation, therefore, is not an immediate possession — something “given” once and for all. Instead, it is a path that unfolds much like life itself. The gift we have received must not only be protected but also nourished by a daily relationship with God in order to grow and bear fruit. “This is helpful, since it situates our whole life in relation to the God who loves us. It makes us realize that nothing is the result of pure chance but that everything in our lives can become a way of responding to the Lord, who has a wonderful plan for us.” 

Loving God, You speak to us and nourish us
through the life of this Church community.

In the name of Jesus, we ask you to
send your Spirit to us so that men and
women among us, young and old,
will respond to your call to service and
leadership in the Church. We pray
especially, in our day, for those who
hear your invitation to be a priest, sister, or brother.

May those who are opening their
hearts and minds to your call be
encouraged and strengthened
through our enthusiasm in your
service.

Amen.

Pray at All Times

 "With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit"

The Bible tells us we are to pray without ceasing, but for many believers this is not understood in a practical sense. Prayer for each individual must become a daily, constant, and consistent way of living. In any given moment we are only a thought and breath from communicating with God. In a day and age when we pride ourselves on having high-speed internet connections, we also have a high-speed instant access connection with the Heavenly Father.

In the book of Psalms we get some insight into the approach that David took in praying at all times. In Psalm 4 we are reminded that he prayed before ending the day. In Psalm 5 we see him start his day in prayer. In Psalm 6 we see how he prayed in the aftermath of his failures. In Psalm 7 we read how David prayed when the pressure was on and he was under attack. In Psalm 8 he prayed when he thought of the creative power of God. In Psalm 9 we see that he prayed in times of joy. In Psalm 10 he prayed when he felt isolated.

It is safe to say that David as a lifestyle prayed without ceasing and stressed how important it is to keep the lines of communication open to God.

Keys to Success

Awareness - know yourself
Understand "stages of life" (expectations)
Seek support - don't journey alone
Be responsible - healthy self-care
Be human - allow for mistakes
Be honest - keep looking in the mirror and beyond
Understand needs and wants
Set long- and short-term goals
Think straight
Trust your feeling

Attitude - positive, optimistic, hopeful, grateful, committed

Self-care = self-esteem = mental, physical, emotional

Spiritual care - personal prayer, community prayer, spiritual direction, scripture, spiritual literature, awareness of and respect for all of life and Creation.

One Tick at a Time

We have both analogue and digital watches and clocks. Some prefer one to the other.

But as we look at the analogue clock or watch, there is also something worth reflecting about the ticking of the second hand.

If we do some calculations, that second hand goes 60 ticks a minute, 3600 ticks an hour, 86,400 ticks a day, 604,800 ticks a week, and 31,449,600 ticks a year.

Now that is a lot of ticking. Yet that humble second-hand shows us something.

It takes one tick at a time.

We don't have to worry about how many ticks we have to accomplish in a year, or in a week, or in a day or even in a minute.

That is all taken care of by God.

What we need to do is to let love, joy, peace, patience, compassion, kindness, generosity start ticking in our lives.

That is what is meant by setting our hearts on the Kingdom of God and on His righteousness.