The Eyes of the Good Shepherd

This weekend we will listen to Matthew's Gospel, 14:13-21, the miracle of the loaves and fishes. What catches my attention is what happens at the beginning of that gospel. Jesus had heard of the death of John the Baptist so he withdrew to a deserted place. However, the crowds knew that he had left so they followed him. As Matthew describes, "When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick." Our Lord saw the vast crowd and in another passage we hear that they were like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, he looks upon the people with great love and compassion. He does whatever he can to improve their lives and boost their spirits. In this gospel passage for the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle A readings, Jesus feeds the crowd. The disciples wanted to dismiss the crowd but Jesus had other ideas. He was going to provide the people with bodily nourishment, as well as spiritual nourishment because I am sure the miracle caused the people to take notice. Each week, we encounter Jesus in the breaking of the bread at the Eucharist. The Eucharist is our spiritual nourishment, our food for the journey. Our Lord works a miracle in our lives each time we receive this beautiful gift. When we receive the Eucharist we become what we believe, that it is truly the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ. Jesus is dwelling in us and we are to conform our lives and our hearts to his. Let us receive the Eucharist this weekend and every day with reverence and devotion. The Lord touches our mind, our heart, our soul, and even our eyes so we can see the love and compassion that comes from the Good Shepherd and share it with others. Have a blessed weekend!!!

Saint Martha!

The Church celebrates the feast of Saint Martha. There are two gospels for our consideration on this day, John 11:19-27 and Luke 10:38-42. Both show that Martha is not afraid to confront our Lord. In John's gospel, the brother of Martha and Mary, Lazarus, had died and Jesus came to be with them. Martha met our Lord and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you." Then, in Luke's gospel, Martha says, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me." These are bold statements, but there is a message to gain from them. With John's gospel, Martha confirmed her faith in Jesus who says I am the resurrection and the life. With Luke, we realize that work and prayer go hand in hand and we need to separate the two. It is easy to say that my work is my prayer but to work effectively we need to spend the time in prayer. Mary was doing that in Luke's gospel, she was sitting at the feet of our Lord listening to him. We ask Saint Martha to intercede for us today. May we grow in our call to service and hospitality, but first, let us take the time to spend at the feet of our Lord listening to him and conversing with him in prayer! Blessings to you!!!

"Partly Cloudy"

As we continue our images from the book of Exodus, the word for today is "Cloud." One commentator noted that if you are a biblical weather person the forecast would be partly cloudy because cloud is referenced a number of times thoughout the bible. In the scene for today, Moses had built a tent for the ark of the covenant to reside. He built everything as God had commanded him to. Once the ark was in the tent the cloud of God descended upon the tent. During the day it was seen as a cloud but at night fire was in the cloud. Another great image of the power of God. Like yesterday, the key word was "Radiant." Being on fire, radiating the light of Christ to others. When we see the forecast for partly cloudy we see a little sun peeking out from behind the cloud. We should not hide our lamps under a bushel basket or behind a cloud, but it should be set out for all to see. At times our light may go dim or even dark but we pray that God will give us the grace that we need to keep that light burning brightly. With baptism, our parents and godparents were entrusted with the light of Christ, to keep it burning brightly and we need to do what we can to do just that. Clouds are a beautiful image. Let us not be partly cloudy, but let the light shine bright

Let Your Light Shine!

A word that came out of the reading from Exodus today is "Radiant!" Maybe we don't hear that word too much. We talk about the radiance of the sun or the radiant glow from someone's face. The premise of one of the commentators for today is that it is our time to be radiant. We can look to the gospel where the city is set on a hill. We do not light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket. We put it on a stand for all to see. That is true with our lives! We need to live the gospel and bring the good news of Jesus Christ to our brothers and sisters. We need to let our lives be radiant. Light up the world, light up our communities with the the light of Christ, radiating from our lives and our hearts. We look around the world and we see a lot of turmoil, strife, conflict, chaos, and so many other adjectives, but one thing is certain, the light of Christ can dispel the darkness and bring radiance to a torn and troubled world! Let us reflect on the word "Radiant" in our time of prayer and see how the Lord will allow us to let our light shine

Saint Joachim and Saint Anne

Before the day gets away, I want to wish everyone a blessed memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, the parents of our Blessed Virgin Mary. This is a beautiful feast and a wonderful time to think about our families. We have two great examples to take with us in our journey: The Holy Family of Nazareth (Jesus, Mary, Joseph) and the family we remember today (Mary, Anne, Joachim). These are examples that we need in our world today. Marriage and Family Life is under attack and we need to do our part to keep these entities strong and to protect and defend them with all our power. We have the divine assistance and example. Let us pray that God will touch the hearts of all peoples and help them to see the truth. May Saints Joachim and Anne intercede for us and help us to live our vocations to the fullest. God Bless You!!!

Saint James

Today the Catholic Church celebrates one of the apostles of our Lord, Saint James. We know of James and his brother John because they were fishermen, along with their father, Zebedee. According to the gospel, we know that they followed the Lord immediately. We are told that Jesus first called Simon Peter and his brother Andrew, then he walked a little further and called James and John who were in the boat with their father. These men left everything to follow Jesus and be instrumental in the building of the early Church. We also know James and John from the gospel we hear at Mass on this day, Matthew 20:20-28. Their mother approached Jesus and asked that her sons be given a place of honor in the Kingdom. Jesus said that is not mine to give, but that they would drink that chalice that he would be drinking from. It is not about greatness or places of honor, but it is about service. Jesus emphasizes that in the gospel's conclusion, "The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." Our Lord continues to call us by name and leads us in the service we are to show our brothers and sisters. Saint James went forth to proclaim the Good News and till the soil for the seed of God's Word. May his intercession guide us in our journey so that the seeds of God's Word will produce an abundant harvest! Saint James

A Prayerful Conversation!

I keep telling myself that I need to pray more! How many of us are in the same boat? Prayer is a great gift from God. It is open communication with our Heavenly Father and we need to plug in each day to the continuous conversation that is going on between the Father and the Son. Some will say that I don't feel like God is listening to me or my prayer was not answered as I would like. That is key because those responses are about us and not what God is doing in our lives and how He is answering our prayers. We have a beautiful example this weekend in our first reading from the first Book of Kings, 3:5, 7-12. God appears to Solomon in a dream and says to him, "Ask something of me and I will give it to you." Solomon realizes his situation, since he succeeded his father David as king. So this is Solomon's response, "Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong. For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?" God was pleased with this response because Solomon was asking for something he truly wanted, not riches or a long life, but something to help him as he leads and governs God's people. God works miracles in our lives and we see what He does in our life and in the lives of others. Take the time each day, have that one-on-one with God, a prayer conversation. When it is all said and done, God truly knows what is best for all of us! Have a blessed weekend!!!

Saint Mary Magdalene

Today we celebrate the memorial of the first witness to the resurrection of our Lord. In John's Gospel, 20:1-2, 11-18, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early and saw that the stone had been removed. Mary went and told Peter and the disciple Jesus loved. Then in the next passage, Mary is still outside the tomb weeping when she looks in and sees a vision of angels. Following that encounter a man comes up and asks her why she is weeping and she presumes he is the gardener, but once he called her by name, she recognized that it was the Lord. Jesus then gives her the instruction to go tell the brothers that he is going to the Father. She went back and reported to the disciples what the Lord had said. Mary Magdalene was healed by Jesus. He made her a new creation and she became a close follower. She is given the beautiful task of announcing to the others that the Lord is risen from the dead. Her witness of the resurrection is a wonderful example for all of us. We are called to proclaim the Good News. Proclaim that Jesus has won for us our salvation and rejoice that we have the promise of eternal life through his death and resurrection. We ask for Saint Mary Magdalene to intercede for us as we use a piece of the opening prayer for Mass: "By her prayers and example may we proclaim Christ as our living Lord and one day see him in glory

Majestic Mountains!

Several years ago, I had the opportunity, along with Fr. Tom, the priest I vacation with, to bike ride down Pikes Peak in Colorado. The touring group took us to the very top, 14,110 feet. It was during the month of July so it was hot down below but at the top it was 32 degrees. We bundled up pretty good and made our descent down. By the time we got to the bottom we already shed the warm clothes and were back to t-shirt and shorts. It was an awesome ride and the view was just breathtaking. On the high plains of Kansas we don't see many mountains but when you go to a place where the mountains are located there is just a sense of awe and wonder. Today the Israelite people encounter God on Mount Sinai, Exodus 19:1-2,9-11, 16-20b. What an awesome sight to see the power of God come down on the mountain. Listen to this imagery, "Mount Sinai was all wrapped in smoke, for the Lord came down upon it in fire. The smoke rose from it as though from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently." It's interesting to see one of the commentaries that said we really don't know where Mount Sinai is. Some in those early days had ideas but nothing really concrete. Just like the Road to Emmaus, no one really knows where it is, but if we look close enough, it is any road where we encounter Christ and see him in the face of our brothers and sisters. The mountain is the same way, we encounter God in many different places and ways. May we have the grace to always find God in our normal routines each day. Pray always that our faith will be strong because like Jesus we can have the faith to move mountains! God Bless You!!!

Positive Perspective!

We can always use a positive perspective in our lives. It is a blessing when we have someone(s) in our life to help us see those positives and live them each day. The Israelite people in the first reading from Exodus, 16:1-5, 9-15, could use that positive perspective. They were content with their situation in Egypt because they had work, had food, had shelter. Now, they are being led out of Egypt and into the desert by Moses and Aaron. Of course, the Israelite people were not seeing any hope so they began to grumble and that is a key word. They wanted food and they grumbled about it, but God heard their grumbling and answered their plea, answered their prayer. Even though times and situations change, there is still grumbling that goes on about people or different issues. What we can use is a positive perspective and realize that God's ways are not our ways. We may know what we want, but God knows what is best and that is what we receive. It is easy to fall into the traps of grumbling, complaining, criticizing, even being judgmental, but there is a bigger picture to see and its one that hopefully brings a positive, confident lifestyle. God wants us to have faith and trust in Him. Above all, we can all use patience, a great virtue to pray for. Yes, we like to grumble when things don't go our way or maybe because this person did something to us, but it is from that we can develop a positive perspective. I can always do better in that and I thank the person who continues to show me how important it is to always be positive! God Bless You!!!

Powerful Image!

The Bible is filled with imagery that is very beautiful but also powerful. In the reading today from Exodus: 14:21-15:1, we see the power of God at work. Moses was leading the Israelite people out of Egypt. The Egyptians were in pursuit until they got to the Red Sea. God instructed Moses to stretch out his hand and the sea parted. There was dry land down the middle with mounds of water on each side. What a sight that would have been if we were there in person. We do get part of the effect if we watched the classic 1956 movie, "The 10 Commandments," and watched how the waters parted. Of course the Egyptians went right into the dry land after the Israelite people, but God had Moses stretch out his hand again and the water went back to its normal flow. We can see the power of God throughout history and even in our present day. It reminds us that we are not in control and we need to put our total faith and trust in God. Like the psalmist, we can even sing, "Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory" (Ex 15). May we always be open to the presence of God in our lives and to the will that He has planned for us. We may not know where God is leading us, but we do have faith and trust that He will bring all things to a successful completion and do so with the power of His hand. God Bless You!!!

Caring for the Sick!

It was a month ago this past Saturday when I had my medical emergency and accident on the bike. Even though the month has gone by fast, it has been a long month and it has taken some time to get back to where I need to be. When I went into the hospital that was probably the first time in 30 years or more that I had been a patient. I have been use to visiting people in the hospital on a regular basis but it is a different feeling when the role is reversed. It was tough being a patient but it taught me a lot and it helped me to connect with those who are sick on a different level. Today, the Church observes the memorial of Saint Camillus De Lellis, who had a great care for the sick. The short biography of his life says that he had entered the military profession but after his conversion he devoted himself to caring for the sick. Saint Camillus was ordained to the priesthood and founded a society that established hospitals and cared for the sick (Magnificat, 262). The opening prayer at Mass acknowledges that fact as well, "Father, you gave Saint Camillus a special love for the sick. Through his prayers inspire us with your grace, so that by serving you in our brothers and sisters we may come safely to you at the end of our lives" (263). That call to serve the needs of our brothers and sisters rings loud and clear, especially those who are sick. We pray for those who are sick and suffering and pray that we may do what we can to reach out to them in their need. Saint Camillus De Lellis, pray for us!

Coming of the Kingdom!

"Let us pray for the coming of the kingdom as our Lord Jesus taught us!" These words are used as an introduction to the "Lord's Prayer." In the Our Father, we are praying that the kingdom will come. We also pray that God's will is done in our lives. The mission that we have received from our Lord is to build up the Kingdom of God in our midst as we await the full reality of the kingdom to come. There are several parables that Jesus uses this weekend for us to consider, Matthew 13:24-43. He speaks about the kingdom as a man who sowed a field with good seed but his enemy came through and planted weeds among the wheat. The kingdom is also like a mustard seed. It is the smallest of seeds but when full grown is the largest of all plants. Finally, the kingdom is like yeast, used to make the batch leavened. Each of these parables are wonderful images. The Kingdom of God is about growth and being harvested. Our lives are the same way. They are about growing, bearing fruit abundantly, and then being harvested. We have trials and struggles in life, we encounter good and bad, but one this is certain, in the end, the Kingdom of God will prevail. God is the judge that we will all stand before and He will have the final say. Let us do what we can to grow in our lives and in our faith. Let the Lord do wonders in our lives and help us to always be ready for the coming of the kingdom. Have a blessed weekend!!!

Take Your Rest!

This has been an interesting summer for me with all the different medical issues that have arisen over the last month. I was out bike riding back in the middle of June when I suddenly blacked out and went down. I was unconscious for about 10 to 15 minutes but then I came to and made my way back home. Went to the hospital and that led to test after test. I ended up with a bleeder on the brain, post-concussion syndrome, a perfectly beating heart and open arteries, but I still wear a heart monitor just to make sure, and a different diagnosis on my blood pressure. Then last week, I had another episode arise, totally unrelated to everything else, but it makes me wonder, what is going on? Some people have told me that God is letting this happen now because He has bigger plans for me! I don't know about that, but I do believe that what happened to me on the road may not have been a medical event but a God-event. It happened for a reason and it may have been an answer to prayer. I had been praying for renewed faith and a strengthening of my mind and heart and I got all of that, just in a way that I had not expected, but that is how God works. Other suggestions from people is that I needed a rest. It is non-stop lots of times, especially with liturgies and activities in 3 parishes and everything associated with a school. There is a lot for one person and I needed to learn how to take care of myself, better! Jesus gives us a wonderful invitation in our gospel today, Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest." We better heed that invitation because we may not know how our rest will come. I could have thought of other ways, but God meant for it this way and I have had to adjust! God gives us the time to work and the time to rest, so let us heed the invitation! Have a blessed day!!!

Favorite Saint!

I would say that I have a few favorite saints but there is one that stands out above the others. Who is that saint? It is the person that the Church remembers on July 11, Saint Benedict. I owe a lot to the Benedictine Monks who follow the Rule that Saint Benedict left for them to live. My first encounter with the Benedictine monks was as a junior in high school. That high school, Maur Hill, was operated by the monks in Atchison, Kansas from Saint Benedict's Abbey. Then, a couple of years later, my vocation as a priest was nurtured and strengthened by the monks at Saint Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana. I love the Benedictine spirituality, so much so that I became a Benedictine Oblate associated with the Archabbey at Saint Meinrad. The Benedictine life of prayer and work, "ora et labora" is a wonderful motto to follow. Being an oblate means that I can live that charism here in the world and the very communities that I serve as a diocesan priest. A wonderful example of the Benedictine life is hospitality. Welcoming our brothers and sisters as Christ and seeing the face of Christ in them. My prayers this day and everyday are with the Benedictines who live the Rule that their founder, Benedict, left for them to follow. May their example touch our lives and may Saint Benedict intercede for us as we live faithful, prayerful, and holy lives. Have a blessed day!!!

On a personal note: I will be returning to one of the doctors on Tuesday who treated me while I was in the hospital for the blackout incident on the bike. Also, another medical episode arose over the weekend and I am being treated by the local doctor. As someone told me, "If its not one thing, its another!" Keep me in your prayers and know that you are in mine! God Bless You!!!

No Rose Garden!

That is a famous line that many of us have probably heard over the years, "No one ever promised us a rose garden." With all things in life there are some roses but there are also thorns. One commentator acknowledges that in light of our gospel for today, Matthew 10:16-23. This gospel is a continuation of what we have been listening to the last couple of days. Jesus chose his 12 apostles, then he gave them a job description, and finally he tells them, "Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves." Our Lord tells them what to be aware of and that people will hand other people over and sometimes put them to death. Jesus is preparing the disciples for what they will encounter when they go out to proclaim the Good News and live those works of mercy. However, Jesus assures them and us that he is there until the end of the age. That promise should provide us with peace and comfort, but also boost our hope and confidence. Our Lord did not promise us a rose garden. There will be trials and tribulations. One thing he did promise and he will not go back on it, he is with us always. Let us rejoice in that promise as we live our lives and our faith to the fullest. God Bless You!!!

Job Description!

How many of us have a job description to follow? Most employers and employees have a job description that they need to follow in order to do their work in a timely and orderly manner. The church is no different. Many of our workers and volunteers have a job description so they know what to do. In our gospel for today, Matthew 10:7-15, we have the first ever job description. As one commentator noted, Jesus first chose the 12 apostles and then he told them what to do: "Proclaim the Kingdom of heaven is at hand, cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons." Of course, there is no training manual, no classes to take, they just had to get out and do it. That reminds me when I was in the seminary and newly ordained priests would come back and visit and we would ask them what it was like in the parishes. They would always say that they went to the seminary administration and said to them, "You gave us the book knowledge, but how come you did not teach us this...?" The response always was, "There are some things that we can't teach you." That is true, there are things that we have to learn on our own and many times we have to learn from our mistakes. One thing is certain Jesus is always present. He may not have told us how to do things but he did promise that he would remain with us until the end of the age. That is why we put our faith and trust in God because He gives us the grace and strength that we need to accomplish the tasks before us and that includes the mission of the church. Have a blessed day!!!

We Are Called!

Each one of us is called to be a disciple of Jesus! Our Lord gives us this invitation in the gospels when he tells us that if we wish to be his disciple we must pick up our cross and follow him. Here are some other calls that come to mind and we have heard them this week. The first, Matthew 9:32-38, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so as the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest." That is a great call for vocations. We are to pray for vocations, especially to the priesthood and religious life. One commentator even spoke about lay people and their call to be involved in the church. If God is calling you to the diaconate, priesthood, religious life, or maybe a particular ministry in the church, it would be good to listen and pray about it. Let God touch your lives in a special way. The second call is, Matthew 10:1-7, Jesus calling the twelve disciples. He sent them out to find the lost sheep and to proclaim that the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. Times and situations have changed over the centuries but the call to follow the Lord is still the same. Our challenge is to listen to that call in our lives. As one priest said one time, "We do not have a shortage of vocations, we have a shortage of listeners." God is always calling us to live holy, faithful, dedicated, and prayerful lives. Let us be open to that call and follow the Lord each day of our lives! God Bless You!!!

Independence Day!

As the 4th of July is celebrated we think of all the gatherings that will be taking place, family and friends coming together. The food that will be consumed and the brightness of the fireworks that will light up the dark sky. It is a day to let our patriotism shine forth and to be thankful for all the gifts that God has given to us and our country. Looking through the Magnificat magazine, I found another great word that we can think about on this day because it goes along with independence and that is "Freedom." As we read in
I Peter 2:16- "Be free, yet without using freedom as a pretext for evil, but as slaves of God." The commentator goes on to write: "According to the Gospel, freedom is not achievement but gift. Freedom is not license but radical obedience to God's liberating law of love. Let us give thanks for the gifts of freedom we have received and, trusting in God as did our nation's founders, let us seek to share them as gifts with all who are still enslaved by political oppression, social or economic injustice, or personal sin" (Magnificat, 75). I remember a priest telling me as a young associate pastor when I felt that I needed to stay and work because of obligation and duty, "Be Free!" Yes, we must do our work, but not let it consume us. We need to take time for ourselves because that is also a gift from God. Freedom is a great gift. We have received all of our gifts from God and we need to be thankful. In the midst of all the social things going on this day, let us not forget why we are here and let us always be thankful. It is God's great love and mercy that makes all things possible! Have a blessed day!!!

Peaceful Invitation!

I have been a priest for 14 years and have administered the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick to many people. However, I had never received the sacrament before until I had my accident a couple weeks ago. It was truly a prayerful experience and gave me an idea of how people must feel when they receive the sacrament. Whenever I administer the sacrament I always refer to the gospel that we will listen to this weekend, Matthew 11:25-30. The passage that really catches my attention is this beautiful and peaceful invitation from our Lord: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." We know that we all have a share in the cross of Christ. We also know that suffering is a part of life and how we deal with it is important. I have had to learn that over the last few weeks because it has probably been 30 years or more since I have spent a considerable amount of time as a patient in the hospital. I need to grow in faith, trust, and above all, patience. As I listen to this invitation of our Lord, I pray that my patience will be strengthened and that I may always feel the loving and healing presence of God. May you find peace as you listen to this invitation! Have a blessed weekend!!!

Heart Imitation!

Today and tomorrow we celebrate two great feasts: The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. These hearts are full of love and they provide us with a beautiful and loving example. How many of us have seen statues or pictures of the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart. Their hearts are always exposed and those hearts call out to us to live our life and our faith to the fullest and to share the love of God with our brothers and sisters. As one commentary states about these two feasts being back to back, "This reflects the unity of their love for us. Devotion to Mary's Immaculate Heart helps us live more faithfully as disciples of her Son, Jesus Christ" (Commentary and General Intercessions, 264). Let us pray that our hearts will be strengthened and renewed as we put our faith and trust in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of our Blessed Mother. These are truly two great feasts to imitate! Blessings to you!!!