A very cute Christmas video from New Zealand

What should we do?!?

In the gospel reading this past Sunday the crowds asked John the Baptist, "What should we do?!?"

John had inspired them to actively prepare the way for the coming of the Lord and they wanted to do something.  

I think we are feeling the same thing... what should we do?

Our tragedy has us feeling helpless, powerless, hollow, and vulnerable.  We want to do something.  We want to respond with action.

I firmly believe that we can only make the world a better place if we change.  The difficult truth is that I can't... you can't... no one can make another person better.

We only have control over ourselves.  

Our world really is about people.  If the people are selfish, angry, or violent then our world will be.

If we change our lives then we can really make the world a better place.  The answer to our question, "What should we do?!?" is to grow in holiness, charity, compassion, kindness, patience, tolerance, and love.

I'm not John the Baptist... but this is what I'll tell you to do.

Give something significant to the poor/a charity and make that a habit.
Pray for at least a few minutes a day.
Smile.
Do something nice for the person in your daily life that annoys you the most.  Make this a habit.
Be patient in traffic.  Make this a habit.
Smile!!!
Watch at least 1/2 hour less of TV a day... make that a habit.
SMILE!!! (this is important)
Get some exercise.
Get a bit more sleep.

These are some basic things that you can do that really will help you become a holier person.  

You can only change yourself.  If you do that you will really make the world a better place.

Guadete Sunday

Newton CT shooting... a Christian reflection

It seems that something should be said.

It seems that some words ought to be offered, some reflection shared, some prayer uttered...

That maybe... somehow... something might help.

I don't have the words.  I can't manage to reflect.  I can barely pray.

I feel completely helpless.  I'm hollow inside.  I feel powerless and unsafe.

I have no words.  Nothing seems to help.

I've been thinking of Jesus' words.  What did He say?  Is there any comfort to be found in His thoughts?

At various times He said: "Go, your sins are forgiven," "your faith has saved you," "be healed..."  He said so many things...

At other times these words brought such comfort, such compassion, security, and deep peace.  But not today, not now, not for this!

The only words of Jesus that ring true today, here, and now are His last before He died, "My God my God why have you abandoned me!?!"

My God my God why have you abandoned us!!!

Why!?!

Those words ring true today... 

Those are the words that fit!!!

Yet... those final words are the words that saved us.

All the words of healing, compassion, and mercy were not the words that saved us.  Those words were not the words that brought about our salvation.

It was His last exclamation, before He died.  His last words were our salvation.  It was His suffering on the cross that saved us.  His abandonment and His pain healed us.

It was with those words of powerlessness, helplessness, and pain that He saved the world.  It was then that He defeated evil.  It was then that He ended the cycle of violence.  It was with those words that He gave us peace.

I think He is still with us and today those painful words ring ever so true. Those words still save us... those words still bring us hope.

My prayers go out to all the victims, families, friends, and everyone who has been touched by this tragedy.
My God bless you

Homily Second Sunday of Advent

The other day I was watching TV and I saw a commercial for, what seems like, the latests gizmo or gadget.  You might have seen this too.  I must admit that I was rather puzzled after I saw it.  The commercial was for a new vacuum for your ear. 

When I saw this I wondered...
It just had never crossed my mind to clean out my ears with a little vacuum.  I asked myself do I really need this?

I think that something very similar happens to us today, especially as we hear these readings from Scripture.  When we hear the word "Salvation" I wonder if we don't have the same response that I had to the ear vacuum.  We might not know what it is.  

I know that the majority of people who take their Christian faith seriously know that they need "salvation" but I'm not too sure if we really know what it is?

I know for certain that most people, in our world today, don't know what salvation really.  I also think that their reaction to the idea is the same as my reaction to the ear vacuum.

"I don't know what that is... and so I almost certain that I don't need it."

So what is it?  We hear it being promised over and over in the readings.  In the first reading from Baruch we hear that God is promising to His people salvation.

At the time that this was written to the people of Israel they were in the midst of the Babylonian Exile.  The Jewish people lived at a time where they were surrounded by their enemies.  Their families had been ripped apart and they had been conquered. 

In the ancient world the easiest way to destroy a nation that was conquered was to take their children out of their homes and raise them in the homes of the conquering nation.  When a people loose their children they loose their future.  There was no easier and quicker way to destroy a culture than to take and raise their children in a different land according to a different culture.

So when the people of Israel heard the promise of God saying, "Up, Jerusalem!... look to the east and see your children Gathered from the east and west....God will bring them back to you!" They knew what salvation meant.  They heard clearly what God was promising.

God was going to deliver them from their misery.  He had promised that he would reunite them with their children.  He would establish peace with their neighbors and He would end the wars that had ravished their land.  But not only that.  But not only that the promise of salvation was also a promise of peace with one's self and God.

God's salvation is also forgiveness of sin and a healing of your heart.

Who doesn't know the pain of a wounded or broken family?  Who doesn't know the need to forgive a family member or need the courage to ask for forgiveness?  Who's family doesn't need the grace of God to help heal and restore? 

But more than that... who doesn't need to be forgiven for their own sin?  Who among us is without the need to have our relationship with God and ourselves healed and strengthened?  Can anyone of us say that we do not know the pain of a broken heart, sorrow, suffering, sin, guild, shame, pain or any other deep wound of life?

Who doesn't need the grace of God to heal their broken heart?  You are not alone.  We all carry this pain.  We all suffering this way.  God's salvation can heal us and our family.

Consider God's eagerness to offer us this gift.  The first reading says that every mountain will be made low and every valley will be filled in.  God will not allow anything to come between us and His gift of salvation.

Consider what John the Baptist is crying out in our Gospel reading.
He said, "Prepare the way for the Lord, [for]... all flesh will see the salvation of God."  He was preaching repentance and the forgiveness of sin.

The thing that this Advent season is about is coming to understand what is really being offered to us by God.  We are preparing to celebrate Jesus' birth.  He came to us to offer us salvation.  This salvation is a message that peace is possible.  Wars can be ended, families can be healed, your heart can be made whole, and your sins can be forgiven.  God has come to put this world right!  He won't allow anything to stand in His way.  No tall mountain, no deep valley, no winding road, nor rough path will prevent God from offering us the gift of salvation.

We need salvation.  Its not like some unknown or unwanted gizmo on TV.  Salvation is something that we long for... even if we didn't know what the word meant.

Build Up Faith!

Hello all,

"Build Up Faith" has begun!!!

This past Sunday the new adult faith formation program here at St. Paul Church began.

The first topic was "Faith: what it is and how to go deeper."

Next Sunday, December 9th, I will present on "Prayer"

The final topic this December will be on "Catholic: what it means to be Catholic in the world today."  That will be on December 16th.

I am also looking for feedback from anyone who has opinions as to what topics I could address in future Build Up Faith seminars.  There will be more seminars and I really want you to tell me what you want to learn about.  

I picked the first three topics and I am hoping that I won't have to pick any more of them.  So, let me know what you want to learn about!

Thank you to all who helped out this past Sunday.  I am very grateful.  I was feeling terrible with my cold and your help made the whole evening a huge success.  Thank you!