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!

Homily: Christ the King (34th Sunday in Ordinary time cycle B)

Today (Sunday Nov. 25th) is my three month anniversary of being ordained a priest.  Having given that some thought I also thought about the types of things that I have said in my homilies.  I noticed that I have shared with you information about who I am and other person bits of information.

So today I thought I would share something else with you.  I am a fan of country music.  I'm not sure if this fact positively or negatively impacts your opinion of me but it is true.

As I was thinking and praying about these readings the lyrics to a few country music songs came to my mind.  The first is the phrase Have you ever seen a headstone with these words, "If only I had spent more time at work?" The other song is a bit more obscure and unknown but it says, "Ain't no hearse with a trailer hitch." 

 As I thought about our celebration of the Solemnity of Jesus Christ the King of the Universe the idea, the challenge, and the question of our priorities came to mind.  The truth is that our faith, these readings, and this celebration does challenge us to rethink what our priorities are.

What words would you put on your headstone?  What would you want to put in a trailer behind your hearse?

In our lives there are so many things that we consider important and valuable.  But the question for us today, as we celebration Christ the King is, "Is Jesus Christ our King?"  

We heard in our first reading that the prophet Daniel foretells of the Kingdom of Jesus when he tells us that "His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away.  His kingship shall not be destroyed."

We all know that there are also so many "authorities" in our lives.  We have mayors, governors, presidents, all manners of elected and appointed officials.  There are princes, kings, queens, royalty, emperors, dictators, potentates, czars, oligarchs, and all types of bosses that seem to rule our world.  We have states, counties, nations, countries, federations, empires, towns, dominions, and fiefdoms.  Yet all of these will ultimately come to nothing.  

The only Kingdom and authority that will last is that of Jesus Christ.

Pilate and Jesus

In the Gospel we see the conversation between Pontius Pilate and Jesus just before Jesus is crucified.  Pilate wants to know if Jesus is a king because Pilate is a powerful governor of the Roman empire and if Jesus is a king he would deal with Jesus very differently than if He were just some unimportant Jewish carpenter.

When Jesus is asked if he is a king He responds that His "kingdom does not belong to this world."  The truth is that His Kingdom is not of this world.  Jesus is not a worldly king.  His Kingdom does not belong to this world but... this world does belong to His Kingdom!

When it is all over the only authority and Kingdom that will last is that of Jesus Christ.

In our second reading Jesus clearly says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega [the beginning and the end]... the one who is, and who was, and who is to come, the almighty." 

There is another common phrase that you've probably heard, "There are no atheists in a fox hole."

I can say that this is absolutely true.  Now, I've never see war or known combat but I can say that at the moment when you face the reality of your own mortality that faith is real.

At that moment of death, when you pass from this life to the next, you know and experience the presence of Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe.  I know because I have been dead.

I was born with a very serious heart condition.  I have had five open-heart surgeries and I've been "clinically" dead twice.  I know, no faith needed and no doubts possible, that Jesus was there at my birth and He was there at my death.  He was there at your birth and he will be there at your death.  He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.  

He was there at the creation of the world and He will be there at the end of the world when God finally puts all things right.

Jesus Christ is the King of the Universe.  The only question that remains is... "Is Jesus your king?"

Bacon wrapped maple pork!!!

Not miy picture but this is what it should look like when done.

Hello all,

I promised in my homily today (I'll post that later) that I would share the receipt for my "signature dish" that I call "Bacon Wrapped Maple Pork."

There is a funny story behind this dish: 

About 6 years ago a older friar came up to me a few days before it was my turn to cook for the week and he handed me a receipt.  He had this mischievous twinkle in his eye as I took it and opened the folded piece of paper.

Inside I found a complicate receipt for pork loin wrapped in bacon and marinaded in maple syrup.  It was rather complicated... but I cooked it for him the next week and the friars loved it.  I've simplified the receipt (I don't really cook using receipts) and now I'll share it with you.

Ingredients:

Pork loin (about 1/2 lb. to 3/4 lb. per person so that there is a small chance that you will have leftovers)

Regular bacon (avoid the "maple flavored" stuff... you'll need about 1 lb. per 5 lbs. of loin)

Real maple syrup (it has to be the real stuff... about 16-24 oz. for every 5-7 lbs. of pork.  You can stretch it by adding water since the real maple syrup is expensive)

Brown sugar: I use about 2 cups.

Various seasonings: This will make up the marinade.  I like garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, dried parsley,  and salt (about half as much brown sugar).  I do not like rosemary so I won't use it.  You are free to try it but I don't know how it will taste.  Please feel free to make the marinade anyway that you want.

Directions:

Thaw the pork loin if it is frozen.

Poke a few hundred shallow holes in the loin with a small knife.

Mix the marinade: maple syrup, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and herbs to taste.  Yon can thin this with water to stretch it a bit.

Marinade the thawed pork loin in the maple syrup marinade for at least 24 hours.

A tip: I use a clean garbage bag to marinade in.  It is easy to get the loin fully covered and smothered with the marinade.  Just dump everything in there on top of the loin, squeeze all the air out and twist the top tight and closed.  Then put it in a bowl to go in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.

There is no mess.  The new garbage is clean and this allows full coverage with less marinade.  Be sure to flip the bag over in the bowl once during the marinade process to even everything out.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Put the loin fat side down on a rack over an open roasting pan.  Put some of the marinade in the bottom of the roasting pan.

Cover the top of the loin with bacon so that it drapes over the loin like a towel over a towel rack.  Completely cover the loin.

Cook the bacon wrapped loin, on the rack, over the roasting pan, with some marinade in it, for about 20 minutes per pound.  

You will need to add some water to the bottom of the pan, occasionally, to keep the marinade from evaporating and becoming impossible to clean off.

The marinade in the pan steams everything with the sweet flavors and helps the final taste.  But it does not need to be basted.

Cook the loin till the center reaches 165 degrees.

Take it out of the oven and let it rest on a cutting board with the bacon (which is probably crispy at this point) still on top.  Let it rest for about 10 minutes.

The thick marinade in the bottom of the pan can be thinned with water and drizzled over the pork if you'd like.  It might be too sweat/salty so try it to see if you like it.  It will not make a good gravy... I've tried it.

Serve nice thick slices with some bacon and I think you'll like it.

I normally steam asparagus and brown/wild/long grain rice with this dish (I avoid the processed white rice).  

Enjoy and let me know how you liked it!

Homily: 29th Sunday in ordinary time cycle B

If you were to talk with my mother she might tell you that the only time in my life were I was a trouble-maker was when I started hanging out with a classmate of mine when I was in the 7th grade. My friend, Brad, was always finding new ways to cause trouble and be disobedient.

I'll never forget when he shared with me his motto and motivation for causing trouble.  He said, "It is better to reign in hell than serve in heaven."* 

There's also another example that I think is worth considering.  Right now there is a movie in theaters called Atlas Shrugged II.  I'm not too familiar with the movie but I am familiar with the author of the book that the movie is based on.  Her name is Ayn Rand and in teaching (she was a philosopher) she claimed that one of the greatest human virtues is selfishness.  She claimed that altruism was not only wrong but evil.

In regards to Christianity she held the view that the idea of the ideal man [Jesus Christ], the perfect man, the one with perfect virtue who suffered and was killed to save those who were sinners, the weak, and the non-perfect people "is a monstrous idea."**

I share these two thoughts with you because they are not random and unrelated ideas but because these two sentiments are very common today.  Our world generally dislikes the idea of "serving others" and our world does exalt the virtue of selfishness.

For many people in our culture the notion of Christianity is completely absurd and ridiculous.  The idea of willingly humbling yourself, nor striving for authority and power, the idea of self-sacrifice, and suffering for love of others is beyond offensive to many.

Yet this is exactly what our faith is about.  It is certainly what our readings are about today.

Notice what we see in the Gospel.  Jesus has told his apostles that He is bringing about God's Kingdom on earth.  He is going to Jerusalem to complete the work of building this Kingdom on earth.  He is going to suffer and die but James and John just didn't get it. 

The first thing that they ask for is power, authority, and importance. They ask if they can be the second and third in command in the new kingdom.  They want to be great and powerful like so many in our world.


Jesus says in reply, "You don't know what you are asking for."  Then he immediately asks them if they are willing to suffer.  That is the key to greatness in God's Kingdom.  A willingness to serve the least and suffer for love of others is the real mark of greatness in the Kingdom of God.  

Jesus commands them never to use their power to "lord it over others" and never to "make their authority felt" but rather to serve because He came to serve and not to be served.

We see in the first reading that this is precisely what Jesus' entire mission here on earth was about.  He came to serve us, to suffer for us, to die for us to save us and to carry our guilt.  Ayn Rand had it right... this is exactly what Christianity is about.  God, the holy and perfect one, came to suffer and die for us sinners.


He came to embrace your suffer and pain.  The only way that God can do this is if you are willing to make yourself vulnerable to God.  

We all have pain and suffering weakness and shame.  We all carry the burden of guilt and sin... I know that I do.  We all have hidden shame and those emotional wounds that we dare not ever mention to anyone.  We all carry this burden.  Yet God knows our burden because He became human to suffer with us and thus be able to heal us.

The second reading says that we do have a High Priest [Jesus] who is able to sympathize with our sufferings and weaknesses because He has shared them with us.  He can heal you... all you need to do is face you weakness, admit guilt, and share the shame and He can and will heal you.

So many people suffer courageously in such silence and it does not need to be that way! Please know that there is healing and peace available through Jesus.  I know because I've experienced it!

Jesus came to heal us and if we want to be great in His Kingdom then we must be willing to serve others.  We cannot buy into the idea that "reigning in hell" is better than "serving in heaven."  

The invitation that Jesus offered to James and John, and to us today, is to drink from the cup that Jesus drank.  This same cup, of suffering, love, service to others, and self-sacrifice, is the cup that we offer and share on the altar.  When we receive the Eucharist we are sharing in His sacrifice, we are seeking His healing, and we are committing ourselves to serving others.




* "It is better to reign in hell than serve in heaven" is a quote from John Milton's poem Paradise Lost

** I paraphrased Ayn Rand's ideas from many places but you can see the exact quote's here.  That site is a political blog and by linking to it I am not supporting their views.  I am simply using it as a good source of Ayn Rand's ideas and quotes.  You can find out more about her and her work at The Ayn Rand institute website.

A life changing perspective

Hello all,

I was chatting with someone the other day and in our chat I suggested that this person really look into the ideas and work of Brene Brown.  

I first came across her ideas and work through watching a few of her videos on YouTube.  She gave two talks that I watched that moved me deeply.

The first talk was on her study of emotional vulnerability.  She claims that it is the source of meaningful connection and also the source of joy and happiness.


The second talk is on listening to shame and the lies that it tells and how it compels us to live with a tremendous burden.




I am thinking that the central truth that she is sharing is the secret to the challenge of the Gospel and also the readings that he will hear this weekend at mass.

I'm still wrestling with the message/homily but I really wanted to share these videos with you because I truly believe that what she is sharing is life changing, liberating, and spiritually empowering.

They are not short videos but well worth the time to watch and even take notes.  Re-watch them, pray with them, share them and I think it will help to make the lives of other much better.

Let me know what you think. God bless

No homily today

Hello all,

I did not preach at mass today because our deacon (Deacon Carmen) gave the homily. 

He did a wonderful job.

Well... since I don't have anything really worthwhile on my mind I'll post one of my favorite funny pictures.

I really like bacon ;-)

I hope you have a wonderful week.

God bless!

The afterlife

Hello all,

Often scientists are very skeptical (if not downright opposed) to the idea of life after death.

Well I just read an article about a neuroscientist who had an experience that made him change his mind about the afterlife.

Dr. Eben Alexander fell into a coma in 2008 which is when he had his experience that convinced him of the reality of the afterlife.  He is now publishing an essay and sharing his experiences for the October 15th issue of Newsweek.

Personally I believe in life after death... I think all Christians do.  I'm also a big fan of science and I'm constantly wrestling with where science and religion meet or disagree.  So, I'll be reading this article with interest.

Check it out if you are interested in this type of thing as well.