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Jan. 15, 2023

Is. 49: 3, 5-6; 1 Cor. 1: 1-3; Jn. 1: 29-34

The Lord speaks to Isaiah telling him “You are my servant through whom I show my glory.” We have a duty to be light to the nations—to be a light to those around us. We all share a portion in fulfilling this duty along with His family of believers. We support each other, we don’t have the whole load. But like the individual spokes of a wheel, it is vital that we carry our part of the load. If we work together to fulfill His mandate to be holy, the path is smoother. We will recognize Jesus in our fellow believers and in those we serve. There is joy in loving and serving the Jesus we see in each person.

People will recognize Jesus by the love and care they experiencefrom those who truly follow Him. John the Baptist had an expectant heart and joyfully recognized Jesus’ Spirit, testifying he is the Son of God.

By Mrs. Marilyn Pipkin, OP

January 8th, 2023

Reflection for The Epiphany of the Lord

How often do we try to have God come to our terms rather than force ourselves to come to His? How often do we derail God’s plan because we trust in ourselves more than we trust Him? And how often do our own plans end up doing us more harm than good? We are a Christian people that believe in the Lord and His promises and yet our own brokenness continues to mislead us time and time again. This week we hear the familiar story of the Magi who traveled a great distance so as to pay homage to the King of the Jews. Who were these Magi and where did they come from? They were Zoroastrians and astrologers; they had no allegiance to the Judeo-Christian God and yet allowed themselves to be led by the Holy Spirit to come and worship this unknown King. They followed the star and brought gifts to the Babe, both homages having been foretold but carrying no significance to the esteemed travelers. And they listened to an angel in a dream and slipped away silently so as to not place the Christ-Child under the sword of one of Herod’s soldiers. Imagine for a moment what could have been, should the Magi have followed their own will rather than that of a God that was not their own.

Christ calls us to the humility of a child, the pureness of a child, and the trust of a child. If we have complete abandonment of ourselves and evict our own desires, we make more room for God and His perfect desires for us. We have a lot to learn from these strangers who traveled from afar to prostrate themselves in front of a child, their minds potentially full of self-doubt, uncertainty, or repugnance. Yet, they so beautifully unified themselves to the will of the Father, not quite grasping the immense significance of their doing so. If these men from distant lands with different gods were so eager to walk by faith and not by sight, what is stopping us?

Mrs. August Walkowski

                As soon as they’re open, I’m going to join a gym.  And hey!  Once a month… no, twice a month is going to be a No-Screens-Family-Night with board games and popcorn once we’ve all helped clean up after dinner!  Ohhh!  Yeah!  2023 is going to be the best yet!  Oh – and yeah.  I, that is we are going to say the Rosary as-a-family every night before bed; well, maybe twice or, errrh, once a week.  Well, once a month for sure!

                Why all this new action, new effort, new determination?  A stupid question?  Now, my most favorite ole teacher told me that there’s no such thing as a ‘stupid question’!  Tell me why.  Please.  To get stronger – to feel better!  Yeah, I can see that.  And to get closer to the best people in the world – Family.  You bet!  That’s a good one, too!  And the Rosary?  Yeah, I kinda know, but what do you mean by it?  Hey, hey now.  Come on back!  I’m just messin’ with ya.  Come on.  Settle down. 

                Here’s what I’m getting at.  It’s good to be healthy.  Yeah, and it’s good to keep the home fires burnin’ so to speak.  But the praying stuff; you know, your last little thing on your list of Resolutions for this New Year.  The part you couldn’t quite explain.  Now-now, I know you think I should know.  And, I do, but I’d like to here it from your point of view.  Nooo.  This is not going to be like pulling teeth without an anesthetic.

                Let me get you started here… underneath Everything is Something Else, right?  Kinda holding that Something up.  Then under That is Something Else holding That Thing up.  And so on.  Until you get to the very Rock-Bottom-of-Things.  Now the Rock-Bottom-of-Things is already there when you first arrive.  It’s not something YOU make or put there.  But the Next Thing… that is the first thing you put on top of it needs to be:  Just.  Right.  It’s got to be stable and… and strong, and unmoveable so that the next levels on top of it can be that way too.

                So we’re building Our Little Houses – you know, Our Lives.  But they only last for so long, right?  Yeah, I know.  Sad-but-true.  But because of it, we want our lives to be, you know, Good.  As good as we can make them.  Are ya with me so far?  So how do we build on the Rock-Bottom?  What is the first layer of Goodness?  Yeah, good health so we can live a long time is good.  Yeah, but listen…  Yeah, close family ties so that long life can be a secure and happy one is really good, too.  Yeah.  But.  Listen…  It’s all going to tumble down one day, right?  It’ll all wear out…  one day.

                But that’s not the end-of-the-story, is it?  No.  It’s not.  There’s What-Comes-Next.  It’s the, you know, the “Why” we did everything as best we possibly could for in the first place.  But what is it?  Hey, ya got me.  But it’s there.  I can feel it – sometimes I can see the results of it right here under my own nose!  Yeah, I knew you could, too.  We all do, one way or another.  Anyway.  Here’s what I mean…  why spend all your effort, all your life on the part that goes away one day?  Yeah, sure.  It’s fun, and it does last for awhile.  But, then…  But… then…  (Come on, you know what I mean!)  But… then…  Yeah!  The What-Comes-Next. 

                Look, the Rock-Bottom is for when you’re healthy – and if-and-when you’re not.  It’s for when you’re in the middle of your close-knit family – and for if-and-when it disappoints or even falls apart.  The Rock-Bottom is for the beginning of life, the middle of life, the end of life… and for after the end of life.  It runs through Ev-ery-Thing!  And while your Ev-ery-Thing may not hold together or be what you want – The Rock-Bottom keeps you together with… well, with it’s wonderful, dependable, ole Self.

                Yeah!  Yeah!  You’ve got it!  The Rock-Bottom Bedrock we can build our Lives on is God!  He’s what puts us here, keeps us here as long as we’re meant to be here, and folds us up in his loving arms at the End-Which-Is-Not-an-End. 

                Building on the bedrock?  Well, no, you’re right, you can’t just lay things on top of it – you’ve got to connect with it.  You know.  Drive pilings right down into it so you can never come loose!  How?  Come on, you know how.  Just want to hear me say it, huh?  Okay:  prayer.  Don’t feel much like doing that?  I understand.  Then ask for his Grace.

                What’s Grace?  It’s strength when you are weak.  It’s determination when you waiver.  It’s even I-want-to when you don’t particularly want-to.  It’s the greatest Gift this side of Jesus-Son-of-God-on-earth-for-our-Redemption.  Well, it is God’s gift; yeah, Jesus’ gift, too.  Yeah, the Spirit’s Gift, too.  Well, yeah, he is… they are The Gift.  I don’t know how.  Well, of course we all want to know “How” it’s done.  No.  Nope, none of that.  The answer is there.  It’s like that joke that goes:  “Wait for it…  Wait… for it… “  Yeah, I know.  I want to know now, too.

                So.  What’s first?  Join the gym?  Set up a monthly family night?  What’s first for you this New Year?  Prayer?  Ahhh, regular prayer.  Yeah, well, asking for Grace-to-Want-to-Do-It is prayer too – I think you’re right on that one.  Yup.  Yup.  Amen, indeed.

Lectio Divina based on the Mass Readings for 1 Jan 2023

by Ms. Catherine “Cathie” Lambert, OP

Is. 52: 7-10; Heb. 1:1-6;

John 1: 1-18.

Isaiah tells us that before our eyes the Lord is restoring man and all will behold the salvation of our God. No matter how bleak the situations are in the world, we have unwavering trust in God. He is the King of all creation and fulfills His promises of love and restoration.

In Hebrews we are reminded that He sustains all things by His mighty Word. He stooped to rescue us from the yoke of sin by taking our nature and living perfectly as a human. His love for all His creation was met by hate from those who hold worldly power and influence. They wanted the power that was His, again repeating the sin of our first parents. Opposition to us as professing Christians cannot deter us from our mission to make Him known and loved.

In John’s gospel we see that all things came to be through Him, yet, most men refused to recognize Him. Persecution did not stop His love nor deflect Him from His saving mission. He broke the yoke of slavery of men to sin. We now have the choice to reject or serve God. He gave us the path to everlasting lifewith our omnipotent Creator. 

The choice is ours. The path to Him is narrow and difficult. We can’t even imagine the wonders of life with and in Him. Nor can we fully recognize the truly tragic path of rejecting Him and being forever separated from Love. Our loving Savior has restored joy, hope and salvation to His creation. Let us rejoice in this wonderful celebration of His coming.

Mrs. Marilyn Pipkin, OP

Readings: Isaiah 7:10-14, Letter, Saint Paul to the Romans 1:1-7, Gospel according to Matthew 1:18-24

Isaiah

“The Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying: Ask for a sign from the Lord, your God; let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky!” How many times do you hear people say, “Oh, that’s a sign!” and others tempt God by asking for a sign, behaving in a superstitious manner?

When we are troubled and long to see the road ahead and there is chaos and confusion all around, the “wisest” thing we can do is pray to God and ask Him for wisdom, understanding and prudence. If we humble ourselves before Him he will give us these gifts of the Spirit.

Saint Paul

Paul says he is called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God, the gospel about His Son, who descended from David according to the flesh and through the resurrection from the dead he brought about the obedience of faith for the Gentiles as well as the Jews, for all peoples.

Matthew’s Gospel

The gospel proclaims that the birth came about when Mary was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Mary was a virgin before, during, and after the birth of Jesus. She was already betrothed to Joseph when the angel Gabriel announced the birth. May said, “Let it be done unto me according to your word.” When Joseph learned of Mary’s pregnancy, he decided to divorce her quietly, but the same angel Gabriel told him in a dream “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.” Joseph took her into his home. After Mary’s exalted position, Saint Joseph is the greatest saint in heaven. By the way, Mary (or Miriam) means “exalted one” or “bitterness”. She is highly exalted but also suffered the bitterness of the crucifixion of her Son.

Isaiah said, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.”

We need to spend this last week of Advent “pondering in our hearts” like Mary over the Incarnation:  “And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us.”  God walked with the people of Israel, but we are privileged to receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, even daily if we wish.

Luke is 24 chapters in all.  If we read one chapter a day, that takes us to Christmas eve.  Why not start now and “catch up”?  Saint Jerome said, “Ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ.”

Mrs. Peggy Brechtel, OP

By: Ms. C. A. Riley, OP

12-11-2022

Faith

How joyful are you this Advent? Can you see the wonder and rejoice in the Lord? If not, what are you waiting for? In the first reading from the prophet Isaiah, we are told that even the desert and dry lands rejoiced in the Lord, for they will flower and bear fruit. How is this possible you ask? Faith! faith in the Lord our God. With him all things, even those things that seem quite impossible for us are fulfilled by merely a word from God. Even the apostle James tells us that through our faith all the sufferings of this world will be wiped away by God. 

Jesus himself tells the disciples of John to watch and then report what they have seen. So why is it we still find it hard to believe that even in suffering there is relief and even in evil there is good? Are we looking or are we blind? When will our eyes be opened to the miracles that play out even today? It takes faith and I encourage you, my brothers, and sisters in Christ to pray for those less fortunate this Advent and when Christmas Day arrives, take a moment to be grateful for what you have been given.

Have you ever thought about the hope that John the Baptist had when he was out in the wildness preaching?  He knew that someone was coming, but he didn’t know who, what, or even if it would happen in his lifetime. Yet he continued, with a hope and a knowing that the Son of God would come.

John lifted his voice for our repentance, he implores us to seek forgiveness from God the Father before it’s too late; for we never know when it will be to late.  This is the second Sunday of Advent, and it represents hope.

Hope is a promise, a gift from God, if you don’t have it, you’re in a bleak place indeed. John lets us know that God is always there, willing to meet us on whatever road we’re on, no matter what we’ve done.  We are all precious in his sight and He loves us and wants us all to join him at his banquet.  Hope is what John preached by the Jordan; hope is what he saw when The Son of God knelt before him to be baptized.

 I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with love and hope.

Mrs. Denise Fourroux-Fedie, OP

First Sunday of Advent Reflection 11/27/2022

Isaiah 2:1-5; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:37-44

Welcome to the beginning of a new year in the Church. That’s right, today, the first Sunday of Advent, is the New Year’s Day for the Catholic Church. The new year starts today, liturgical cycle year A, where the Gospel of Matthew will be read each Sunday and the daily Masses will follow year I for 2023. What does that have to do with anything, one might ask? Well, it’s human nature to be a procrastinator, and we often like to put new, virtuous habits off until the “new year.” Today is that day. Today is New Year’s Day in the Church; and we can even go one step further, this is whole week is week one, so, even if you’re getting a late start like I did this morning, you’re still at the right time to start. Start what, you might ask? Well, let’s look at today’s Mass readings for that answer.

Isaiah tells us that “in days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest mountain…All nations shall stream toward it.” Mountains are something that we can see from afar. From mountaintops we can also see really far as well, sometimes 100 miles or more on a clear day. Isaiah is letting us know that we will see the Lord coming… from afar. We are in the valley at the moment, and we shall climb the Lord’s mountain to go to the Lord’s house. Climbing a mountain takes work, commitment, determination. It takes conditioning. I know I certainly couldn’t do it in the shape I’m in at the moment. This metaphor is meant for you to reflect on the condition of your soul. If you were to start that ascent up the spiritual mountain of heaven, the House of the Lord, how far up would you get before you had an obstacle to cross? With your current conditioning, would you be able to maneuver over, around, or remove the obstacle or would it obstruct your way? You can’t get to the top of the mountain unless you can overcome that obstacle. Yes, this metaphor is still very effective.

The spiritual obstacles in the way are habitual sin. The way we remove these obstacles is to replace sin with virtue. For every sin there is corresponding virtue. So, if you find that “dealing with people and all their glory” invites you to sin, then build up the virtue of charity. Grab one or more of those angels off of the parish Christmas tree and commit to give a gift to a child who has an incarcerated parent. Most of us can’t imagine the situations that these children and families live each day. They’re daily reality is much different than ours. So, put yourself in their shoes for a moment, and be generous. The lesson that your generosity gives is much more than that toy on a list. The humility that the incarcerated parent feels when his/her child receives a gift that he/she could not provide is healing for both that parent and you. Suddenly, that individual or group of people that invited you to sin are different and your compassion for your fellow man has overcome this spat of sinful anger. Remember, God is more powerful than anything or anyone. That also translates to virtue because virtue comes from God. This is what Paul is talking about when he says to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” Don virtue instead of sin.

Jesus reminds us that we don’t know when the Son of Man will return, but we need to be prepared. So, as in the metaphor of the mountain, we need to condition ourselves for this climb. We will see Him coming, and if we start then, it will be too late. Start with virtue today. It’s the New Year, it’s time. Your parish will have some sort of charitable works going on. Be involved in that. It will change how you see your fellow man. And it will invite you to repent. This is why your parish will have an Advent Penance service. Go to that too and bring your family. It’s time to start conditioning for that climb. I’ll see you there.

Ms. Renee Valenzuela, OP

November 20, 2022

Mrs. Helen Hawkins, OP

The impossible question, “Why does God allow suffering?”

Even worse, the suffering of humankind goes beyond the natural world in which all living beings are destined to suffer and die. The suffering of mankind is so often the deliberate inflicting of horror by human beings, one on another. The crucifixion of Christ and the two men who suffered with him, exemplifies this capacity of humankind for cruelty.

Although I cannot understand the “why of suffering” I do know that suffering and death must be necessary for life.  Simplistic as it may seem, silk flowers do not wilt and die.  But silk flowers, no matter how beautiful, cannot match the exquisite loveliness of a blooming yellow rose.  There is no inanimate object in the world that can match the laughter of a small child. Painfully, we are forced to acknowledge that since we are alive, we will suffer and we will die.  

On Calvary, I see two men crucified on either side of Christ. Each man is suffering the evil horror of the crucifixion. One man is filled with the anger and bitterness in his suffering and the other recognizes Christ, and inspite of the pain and fear, he reaches out to our Lord and asks to be remembered.

As far as we can know, human beings are the only creature who asks the question why suffering exists. The question, as echoed throughout human history, and no matter how logical or wise the answers have been given as to why God allows suffering, none of these explanations touch the heart and soul of a person while he or she is in great physical or emotional pain.