Dt 26:4-10
Rm 10:8-13
Lk 4:1-13
Jesus had been baptized, and was about to begin his public ministry. But before he set out preaching he went in to the desert,to prepare. In this period of preparation, Jesus faced temptation. He didn't eat, he was hungry. Satan hands him a stone and asks, why be hungry, just make it bread. Jesus refuses, rebuking Satan. Again Satan offers Jesus all the power and wealth and glory the world can provide. All Jesus has to do is worship him. Jesus rebukes him again, stating only God is to be worshipped. Finally Satan takes Jesus to the top of the Temple and says, jump off, nothing bad will happen to you, angels will save you, there is nothing to fear. Jesus finally chases him away saying one should not put God to the test. We, too are journeying, but our journey is the journey of our life. we face all of the same temptations that are thrown at Jesus. Now I know I can't, and I doubt if you can turn stone to bread. But that never seems to stop us from trying. We live in a culture that begs us to indulge, to over-indulge, to satisfy our every want and whim. Food, better cars, bigger houses, nicer clothes, how much do we need, and how much do we want. Want and need are not the same thing. Do we take what we need , or do we fall prey to the temptation to take what we want? Jesus was offered power and wealth, and we face that as well. We strive to get as much as we can, all the money we can get, all the power and prestige we can acquire, too often without regard for those we may hurt in our quest for more. Now I am not against making money, we need it, but how much is it worth to you? Do we seek money and power at the expense of our family, our friends, ourselves, of God? Do we fall prey to this tempatation, doe we worship the wealth of the world? Jesus was told, jump, nothing bad wioll happen to you. We insure ourselves against the chance of anything bad happening to us, physically. Auto insurance, life insurance, homeowners insurance, health insurance. We never really believe that bad things will happen to us, but we're ready just in case. But what about spiritual insurance? Are we so convinced nothing bad can happen to that we fail to insure ourselves spiritually. I doubt many of us think we're perfect, but we're not THAT bad, not really, so why should I concern myself with my relationship with God? Do we fall prey to this temptation? Do we fail to work on our relationship with God? Jesus was led into the desert by the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that leads us, if we only allow the Spirit to lead. As we begin our 40 day journey, preparing to celebrate Easter, let us take the time to look at ourselves, honestly. Let the Spirit lead us, help us, inform us, that we may face temptation and make good choices.
Deacon John
First Sunday in Lent
Feb. 25, 2007
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Ash Wednesday
Jl 2:12-18
2 Cor 5:20—6:2
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
I have noticed that when I am attempting to pour something, a liquid or something like salt or sugar, from one container into another, it always seems to go better if I take the top off of the container serving as the receptacle. As long as the receptacle remains closed, I just can’t get anything into it. Yeah, I know it seems silly and facetious, but sometimes the most obvious things are the things we need to be reminded of. You can’t put anything into something that is closed. The prophet Joel today asks the people of Israel to rend their hearts, not their garments. A traditional symbol of mourning was to rend, to literally rip open, ones clothing. Joel was calling on the people to mourn their sins by rending their hearts, by ripping them open. Only by rending their hearts, ripping them open, could the forgiveness, mercy, and love of God enter. You can’t put anything into something that is closed. Today, as we begin our journey of lent, let us hear the cry of Joel. All of us have much to mourn, all of us have sinned, failed to live the love that God so generously grants us. Rend your hearts, open them to the forgiveness that God is calling you to. In this holy season of Lent be open to the Holy Spirit that She may pour in God’s mercy, forgiveness, and love.
Deacon John
Ash Wednesday
Feb. 21, 2007
2 Cor 5:20—6:2
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
I have noticed that when I am attempting to pour something, a liquid or something like salt or sugar, from one container into another, it always seems to go better if I take the top off of the container serving as the receptacle. As long as the receptacle remains closed, I just can’t get anything into it. Yeah, I know it seems silly and facetious, but sometimes the most obvious things are the things we need to be reminded of. You can’t put anything into something that is closed. The prophet Joel today asks the people of Israel to rend their hearts, not their garments. A traditional symbol of mourning was to rend, to literally rip open, ones clothing. Joel was calling on the people to mourn their sins by rending their hearts, by ripping them open. Only by rending their hearts, ripping them open, could the forgiveness, mercy, and love of God enter. You can’t put anything into something that is closed. Today, as we begin our journey of lent, let us hear the cry of Joel. All of us have much to mourn, all of us have sinned, failed to live the love that God so generously grants us. Rend your hearts, open them to the forgiveness that God is calling you to. In this holy season of Lent be open to the Holy Spirit that She may pour in God’s mercy, forgiveness, and love.
Deacon John
Ash Wednesday
Feb. 21, 2007
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Tuesday of the 6th Week in Ordinary Time
Gn 6:5-8; 7:1-5, 10
Mk 8:14-21
So there I was one evening, preparing a nice pasta dinner for my wife and myself. Water was in the pot, just coming to a boil, almost ready for the penne pasta. Onions had been chopped and sautéed, garlic crushed and added to the onion, meat browned with the onions and garlic, tomatoes poured into the pan, all ready to make a nice meat sauce to go with the penne. I turned back to the pantry to get a can of tomato paste, looked in, looked again, looked again, then I began to curse my stupidity. No tomato paste, none, not even a little. I cannot make this sauce without tomato paste! No choice but to risk turning everything off, run to the store, get a can of tomato paste, and hope the whole meal isn’t ruined. If this happens once, it’s a nuisance. A couple of weeks later the very same thing happened again. Now you begin to question your competence, both as a cook and as a human being. How could I forget exactly the same ingredient, a key ingredient, not once but twice? Anybody else aware of this lapse on my part might start questioning my competence as well. They may even begin to “help me out,” reminding me that I forgot this before, all of this leading me nowhere but to self-doubt. If that continues I’m on the road to a self-fulfilling prophecy, I expect to fail, so I will. I’m obviously not competent, I obviously can’t do this right.
In the Gospel reading today the twelve are on a boat with Jesus. They look for food and suddenly discover, they forgot to bring bread. One loaf, all these men on this boat and all they have is one loaf of bread. I’m sure they began to question themselves, how could we have gotten on this boat with just one lousy loaf of bread? Especially considering that they had just left from Jesus feeding 4,000 people and they had picked up seven baskets full of leftovers. They must have begun to question their competence. If they were incompetent in such a small thing maybe in the bigger things, like following Jesus, well maybe they were missing the boat there as well. Jesus then warns, beware the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod. Since they forgot bread, and Jesus was talking about leavening, he must be deriding them for forgetting the bread. They, once again however, missed the point. Bread is not the point at all. Competence isn’t the issue. Trust, trust is the issue. The Pharisees and Herod sought to undermine Jesus, fearing his growing popularity. That is the leaven, the subtle spread of fear, of mistrust. The twelve were in danger of being infected by that leaven. They forgot what had just happened, they forgot who they were with, they forgot about Jesus. They forgot that as long as they were with Jesus they had nothing to fear. Even their failures were no reason to despair.
When it comes to doing the right thing, really trying to follow Jesus, we can begin to question our competence. Too often we try, and fail, and fail, and fail again. We can easily begin to despair, to become sure we can never live up to what we expect of ourselves, we’ll always forget the bread. But we forget who we are with. The issue isn’t bread or competence or fear or doing the right thing, the issue is trust. Remember who you are with, and let yourself be fed.
Deacon John
Tuesday of the 6th Week in Ordinary Time
Feb. 13, 2007
Mk 8:14-21
So there I was one evening, preparing a nice pasta dinner for my wife and myself. Water was in the pot, just coming to a boil, almost ready for the penne pasta. Onions had been chopped and sautéed, garlic crushed and added to the onion, meat browned with the onions and garlic, tomatoes poured into the pan, all ready to make a nice meat sauce to go with the penne. I turned back to the pantry to get a can of tomato paste, looked in, looked again, looked again, then I began to curse my stupidity. No tomato paste, none, not even a little. I cannot make this sauce without tomato paste! No choice but to risk turning everything off, run to the store, get a can of tomato paste, and hope the whole meal isn’t ruined. If this happens once, it’s a nuisance. A couple of weeks later the very same thing happened again. Now you begin to question your competence, both as a cook and as a human being. How could I forget exactly the same ingredient, a key ingredient, not once but twice? Anybody else aware of this lapse on my part might start questioning my competence as well. They may even begin to “help me out,” reminding me that I forgot this before, all of this leading me nowhere but to self-doubt. If that continues I’m on the road to a self-fulfilling prophecy, I expect to fail, so I will. I’m obviously not competent, I obviously can’t do this right.
In the Gospel reading today the twelve are on a boat with Jesus. They look for food and suddenly discover, they forgot to bring bread. One loaf, all these men on this boat and all they have is one loaf of bread. I’m sure they began to question themselves, how could we have gotten on this boat with just one lousy loaf of bread? Especially considering that they had just left from Jesus feeding 4,000 people and they had picked up seven baskets full of leftovers. They must have begun to question their competence. If they were incompetent in such a small thing maybe in the bigger things, like following Jesus, well maybe they were missing the boat there as well. Jesus then warns, beware the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod. Since they forgot bread, and Jesus was talking about leavening, he must be deriding them for forgetting the bread. They, once again however, missed the point. Bread is not the point at all. Competence isn’t the issue. Trust, trust is the issue. The Pharisees and Herod sought to undermine Jesus, fearing his growing popularity. That is the leaven, the subtle spread of fear, of mistrust. The twelve were in danger of being infected by that leaven. They forgot what had just happened, they forgot who they were with, they forgot about Jesus. They forgot that as long as they were with Jesus they had nothing to fear. Even their failures were no reason to despair.
When it comes to doing the right thing, really trying to follow Jesus, we can begin to question our competence. Too often we try, and fail, and fail, and fail again. We can easily begin to despair, to become sure we can never live up to what we expect of ourselves, we’ll always forget the bread. But we forget who we are with. The issue isn’t bread or competence or fear or doing the right thing, the issue is trust. Remember who you are with, and let yourself be fed.
Deacon John
Tuesday of the 6th Week in Ordinary Time
Feb. 13, 2007
Sunday, February 11, 2007
God is Love
God is Love
This past week there was a great tragedy in Bardstown, Ky. a town 40 miles south of my home, Louisville. 10 people, 4 adults and 6 children, died in a house fire. The community of Bardstown was understandably rocked by this tragedy. As though this loss was not enough, members of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas announced their plans to protest at the funeral. Fortunately the protest was averted when a local radio station made a deal with the leaders of the protest, giving them an hour of air time to express their views, if they would call off the protest. This is the same group that has been traveling around the country protesting at the funerals of soldiers who have died in Iraq. Their protest consists of proclaiming that those who have died are dying because God is punishing the United States for permitting homosexuality, that indeed, God hates homosexuals. This post in NOT about homosexuality, nor is it a debate over various views of homosexuality. What it is, is my attempt to understand what the people of the Westboro Baptist Church believe, what God they believe in, because I don’t think we believe in the same one. 1 John states “Whoever says he is in the light, yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness.” (1 John 2:9) Later the author proclaims, “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for GOD IS LOVE.” (1 John 4: 7-8) I cannot comprehend how anyone who claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ, who claims to believe in God, can espouse such hatred. How can you preach hate, and then claim to believe in Jesus, the Prince of Peace, who came to show us how to be truly human through love. “You have heard it said, ‘You shall love you neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father.” (Matt. 5: 43-45) Love is the key to Christianity, at least it should be. The people of Westboro Baptist, and those like them, paint a picture of Christianity and God that no reasonable person could, or should, accept. Unfortunately, for many, this becomes the face of Christianity, hatred is what belief in God means. We know that there is nothing remotely Christian about the actions of these people. Yet, as much as their perversion of my faith disgusts me, I cannot allow myself to fall into the very trap that these people have fallen into. I will not hate. I will not hate them, despite their views that I find so abhorrent. What I will do is pray, and ask you to do the same. I will pray that the Holy Spirit may enlighten them, and open their eyes to the wonder of God’s love. I will pray and I will love them, for GOD IS LOVE.
Deacon John
Feb. 11, 2007
This past week there was a great tragedy in Bardstown, Ky. a town 40 miles south of my home, Louisville. 10 people, 4 adults and 6 children, died in a house fire. The community of Bardstown was understandably rocked by this tragedy. As though this loss was not enough, members of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas announced their plans to protest at the funeral. Fortunately the protest was averted when a local radio station made a deal with the leaders of the protest, giving them an hour of air time to express their views, if they would call off the protest. This is the same group that has been traveling around the country protesting at the funerals of soldiers who have died in Iraq. Their protest consists of proclaiming that those who have died are dying because God is punishing the United States for permitting homosexuality, that indeed, God hates homosexuals. This post in NOT about homosexuality, nor is it a debate over various views of homosexuality. What it is, is my attempt to understand what the people of the Westboro Baptist Church believe, what God they believe in, because I don’t think we believe in the same one. 1 John states “Whoever says he is in the light, yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness.” (1 John 2:9) Later the author proclaims, “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for GOD IS LOVE.” (1 John 4: 7-8) I cannot comprehend how anyone who claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ, who claims to believe in God, can espouse such hatred. How can you preach hate, and then claim to believe in Jesus, the Prince of Peace, who came to show us how to be truly human through love. “You have heard it said, ‘You shall love you neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father.” (Matt. 5: 43-45) Love is the key to Christianity, at least it should be. The people of Westboro Baptist, and those like them, paint a picture of Christianity and God that no reasonable person could, or should, accept. Unfortunately, for many, this becomes the face of Christianity, hatred is what belief in God means. We know that there is nothing remotely Christian about the actions of these people. Yet, as much as their perversion of my faith disgusts me, I cannot allow myself to fall into the very trap that these people have fallen into. I will not hate. I will not hate them, despite their views that I find so abhorrent. What I will do is pray, and ask you to do the same. I will pray that the Holy Spirit may enlighten them, and open their eyes to the wonder of God’s love. I will pray and I will love them, for GOD IS LOVE.
Deacon John
Feb. 11, 2007
6th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jer 17:5-8
1 Cor 15:12, 16-20
Lk 6:17, 20-26
The things that matter, really matter, are all too often the things we seem to worry about the least. Look, for example, at the Superbowl last week. It was a big football game, a huge event, an excuse to party, but at the end of the day just a game. There were, I am certain, a great many people elated beyond reason that the Colts won, and just as many depressed beyond reason that the Bears lost. Far too much was invested, emotionally, in something that really doesn’t matter. Now, I am as guilty as everyone else. I spend far too much time wrapped up in the athletic exploits of the local university, their rise to football prominence and descent into basketball irrelevance, none of which really matters. That we would invest this time, energy, emotion, and treasure into things that do matter, caring for the poor, the homeless, the exploited, the vulnerable, the young, our families. We too often care about the trivial at the expense of the important. We lose sight of what, and of who matters. We put our faith and trust in the people who provide us with entertainment, instead of paying attention to those crying out for our help, and placing our trust in God. In the gospel reading Jesus challenges the people to rethink what is important. Blessed are the poor, but woe to the rich? Blessed are the hungry, but woe to those who have enough? Blessed are those who weep but woe to those who laugh? Blessed are those who are denounced for following God, but woe to those who are well liked? It all seems backwards. I suppose this means we all must give up everything, join a monastery or convent, and spend the rest of our lives beating ourselves up for our failures. Well, not exactly. What we need to do is remember what is important, and remember the One who matters. Wealth isn’t evil, what we do with it may be. Do we trust in it, use it for unimportant things, or do we use it to help those who do matter. Are we popular at the expense of what we believe in? Are we afraid to speak the truth because we fear the repercussions? Do we really trust God? In the end that is what everything comes down to, where do we place our trust, in God, or in the world? We should know by now that the world will always let us down, but we seem to need to learn and relearn that lesson over and over again. We must strive to remember, and live out, the words of Jeremiah, “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is in the Lord.”
Deacon John
6th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Feb. 11, 2007
1 Cor 15:12, 16-20
Lk 6:17, 20-26
The things that matter, really matter, are all too often the things we seem to worry about the least. Look, for example, at the Superbowl last week. It was a big football game, a huge event, an excuse to party, but at the end of the day just a game. There were, I am certain, a great many people elated beyond reason that the Colts won, and just as many depressed beyond reason that the Bears lost. Far too much was invested, emotionally, in something that really doesn’t matter. Now, I am as guilty as everyone else. I spend far too much time wrapped up in the athletic exploits of the local university, their rise to football prominence and descent into basketball irrelevance, none of which really matters. That we would invest this time, energy, emotion, and treasure into things that do matter, caring for the poor, the homeless, the exploited, the vulnerable, the young, our families. We too often care about the trivial at the expense of the important. We lose sight of what, and of who matters. We put our faith and trust in the people who provide us with entertainment, instead of paying attention to those crying out for our help, and placing our trust in God. In the gospel reading Jesus challenges the people to rethink what is important. Blessed are the poor, but woe to the rich? Blessed are the hungry, but woe to those who have enough? Blessed are those who weep but woe to those who laugh? Blessed are those who are denounced for following God, but woe to those who are well liked? It all seems backwards. I suppose this means we all must give up everything, join a monastery or convent, and spend the rest of our lives beating ourselves up for our failures. Well, not exactly. What we need to do is remember what is important, and remember the One who matters. Wealth isn’t evil, what we do with it may be. Do we trust in it, use it for unimportant things, or do we use it to help those who do matter. Are we popular at the expense of what we believe in? Are we afraid to speak the truth because we fear the repercussions? Do we really trust God? In the end that is what everything comes down to, where do we place our trust, in God, or in the world? We should know by now that the world will always let us down, but we seem to need to learn and relearn that lesson over and over again. We must strive to remember, and live out, the words of Jeremiah, “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is in the Lord.”
Deacon John
6th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Feb. 11, 2007
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Is 6:1-2a, 3-8
1 Cor 15:1-11
Lk 5:1-11
“For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
“Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man.”
I think that this can describe how most of us feel, we are sinful, unclean, unworthy of the lord, unworthy of doing the work of the lord, incapable of doing the work of the Lord. Well, guess what? You’re right! We are unclean, we are sinful, we are unworthy. But should that really prevent us from taking up the work of the Lord? If we wait for the day that we are worthy, we will be waiting a long, long, time. On our own we will never be worthy or able. That unworthiness, however, should never become an excuse, an excuse that we use to free ourselves from the call we have from God. We are called, all of us, to do God’s work. On our own, we are not worthy, but we are never on our own. God doesn’t leave us out on an island, alone, with no help. God calls us and God gives us what we need. In Isaiah, the would be prophet was cleansed. Simon implored Jesus to leave, yet Jesus called to him follow me, fish now for people. Sulking, steeping ourselves in our unworthiness can become just another excuse. When God calls to us may we reply as Isaiah did, “Here I am,” I said; “send me!”
Deacon John
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Feb. 4, 2007
1 Cor 15:1-11
Lk 5:1-11
“For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
“Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man.”
I think that this can describe how most of us feel, we are sinful, unclean, unworthy of the lord, unworthy of doing the work of the lord, incapable of doing the work of the Lord. Well, guess what? You’re right! We are unclean, we are sinful, we are unworthy. But should that really prevent us from taking up the work of the Lord? If we wait for the day that we are worthy, we will be waiting a long, long, time. On our own we will never be worthy or able. That unworthiness, however, should never become an excuse, an excuse that we use to free ourselves from the call we have from God. We are called, all of us, to do God’s work. On our own, we are not worthy, but we are never on our own. God doesn’t leave us out on an island, alone, with no help. God calls us and God gives us what we need. In Isaiah, the would be prophet was cleansed. Simon implored Jesus to leave, yet Jesus called to him follow me, fish now for people. Sulking, steeping ourselves in our unworthiness can become just another excuse. When God calls to us may we reply as Isaiah did, “Here I am,” I said; “send me!”
Deacon John
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Feb. 4, 2007
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