Shepherds of Christ  
       Daily Writing        
 

September 24, 2010

September 25th Holy Spirit Novena
Scripture selection is Day 9 Period II.

The Novena Rosary Mysteries  
for September 25th are Sorrowful.

   

Can anyone please help us pay off

our loan on the building?

 

Please help us publish Cycle A -

Fr. Joe's Homily Book

1-888-211-3041

    
 

     


Give Christmas Presents that count.

 

Get a canvas print of Mary's image
with a sliver of glass and
a little bottle of
Jesus and Mary water.

The glass will be fixed behind the
back of the picture.

Cost   — $200.00

Call Sheila

1-513-470-3387

                           

Also available

a cup with a Mary's image on it

Cost $15

Call Sheila

1-513-470-3387

 

 

                September 24, 2010

                Jesus: I have called the retreat
                in Florida —

                    It is My intention that
                you pray from the building
                for reparation for your sins
                and the sins of the human race —

                Come to China

            The retreat in China is

                October 10th - 13th

            The 13th is the 93rd Anniversary
                of Fatima

 

Ecclesiastes 3: 1-11

There is a season for everything, a time for every occupation under heaven: 

A time for giving birth, 
a time for dying; 
a time for planting, 
a time for uprooting what has been planted. 
A time for killing, 
a time for healing; 
a time for knocking down, 
a time for building. 
A time for tears, 
a time for laughter; 
a time for mourning, 
a time for dancing. 
A time for throwing stones away, 
a time for gathering them; 
a time for embracing, 
a time to refrain from embracing. 
A time for searching, 
a time for losing; 
a time for keeping, 
a time for discarding. 
A time for tearing, 
a time for sewing; 
a time for keeping silent, 
a time for speaking. 
A time for loving, 
a time for hating; 
a time for war, 
a time for peace. 

    What do people gain from the efforts they make? I contemplate the task that God gives humanity to labour at. All that he does is apt for its time; but although he has given us an awareness of the passage of time, we can grasp neither the beginning nor the end of what God does.

      

                R. Fr. Joe said at Church —

                Our lives are regulated by time —
                    Time to get up
                    Time to go to bed

                    It seems the clock kind of runs
                        our lives —

                    The man who wrote this —
                        gathers men together

                    God has put the timeless
                        into our lives —

                    There is more to life than constant
                        repetition —

                    A man came and wanted to know
                        about the Catholic faith —

                    So he studied and
                    Became a Catholic —

                    Fr. Joe asked him
                        "Why did you become a Catholic?"

                    And he said, he wanted more than
                        just getting up and going
                        to bed —
                        he wanted the timeless
                        the Church gives us

                Who do you say
                    Christ is?

                Jesus is my friend.
                Jesus said he would die
                    and rise —
                Jesus tells us about living
                    the resurrected life —

                Where is our life taking us?

                We need to live that life of
                    resurrection in our lives —

                We ask for God's help —
                We want to share in God's
                    goodness and love each
                    other —

                We pray for all who are
                    giving us their
                    time, treasure and talents —

                Thank You Lord for giving
                    us Your life —

                Thank You Lord for this
                    time to be with You this morning —

                Sing: On Eagle's Wings

                Dear God thank You for prayer —
                Dear God thank You for the Mass —

                We want to make reparation to You
                    for our sins and the sins
                    of the world —

                Oh God — we want to praise You
                    and thank You and love
                    You —

                Oh God we worship You —
                Oh God we give ourselves to You —

  

Psalm 144: 1-4

Blessed be Yahweh, my rock,
who trains my hands for war
and my fingers for battle,
my faithful love, my bastion,
my citadel, my Saviour;
I shelter behind him, my shield,
he makes the peoples submit to me.

Yahweh, what is a human being for you to notice,
a child of Adam for you to think about?
Human life, a mere puff of wind,
days as fleeting as a shadow.

 

Luke 9: 18-22

    Now it happened that he was praying alone, and his disciples came to him and he put this question to them, 'Who do the crowds say I am?' And they answered, 'Some say John the Baptist; others Elijah; others again one of the ancient prophets come back to life.' 'But you,' he said to them, 'who do you say I am?' It was Peter who spoke up. 'The Christ of God,' he said. But He gave them strict orders and charged them not to say this to anyone.

    He said, 'The Son of man is destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to death, and to be raised up on the third day.'

   

                Oh God You are all Powerful
                Oh God You are all Mighty —
                Oh God we love You so much —
                Oh God we praise You —
                Oh God help us

                Oh God I give You myself —
                    entirely and completely —
                    I love You God —
                        so much —
                    I pray for the whole world —
                    Outpour Your grace
                    Oh God protect us with Your
                        precious blood —
                        All of us

                    Oh Jesus come to me
                    Oh Jesus I love You so much —
                    Oh Jesus help me —
                    Oh Jesus please

                    Oh Father hear our prayer —
                    Oh Father with all the angels and saints
                    We unite to the sacrifice of Jesus
                        in the Masses going on
                        around the world —

                    In the Holy Spirit
                    Oh God we love You

 

A Prayer before the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

    Let me be a holy sacrifice and unite with God in the sacrament of His greatest love.

    I want to be one in Him in this act of love, where He gives Himself to me and I give myself as a sacrifice to Him. Let me be a holy sacrifice as I become one with Him in this my act of greatest love to Him.

    Let me unite with Him more, that I may more deeply love Him. May I help make reparation to His adorable Heart and the heart of His Mother, Mary. With greatest love, I offer myself to You and pray that You will accept my sacrifice of greatest love. I give myself to You and unite in Your gift of Yourself to me. Come and possess my soul.

    Cleanse me, strengthen me, heal me. Dear Holy Spirit act in the heart of Mary to make me more and more like Jesus.

    Father, I offer this my sacrifice, myself united to Jesus in the Holy Spirit to You. Help me to love God more deeply in this act of my greatest love.

    Give me the grace to grow in my knowledge, love and service of You and for this to be my greatest participation in the Mass. Give me the greatest graces to love You so deeply in this Mass, You who are so worthy of my love.

-Mass Book, December 27, 1995

   

The Our Father

    Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

 

Lamb of God

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

 

Prayer for Union with Jesus

Come to me, Lord, and possess my soul. Come into my heart and permeate my soul. Help me to sit in silence with You and let You work in my heart.

    I am Yours to possess. I am Yours to use. I want to be selfless and only exist in You. Help me to spoon out all that is me and be an empty vessel ready to be filled by You. Help me to die to myself and live only for You. Use me as You will. Let me never draw my attention back to myself. I only want to operate as You do, dwelling within me.

    I am Yours, Lord. I want to have my life in You. I want to do the will of the Father. Give me the strength to put aside the world and let You operate my very being. Help me to act as You desire. Strengthen me against the distractions of the devil to take me from Your work.

    When I worry, I have taken my focus off of You and placed it on myself. Help me not to give in to the promptings of others to change what in my heart You are making very clear to me. I worship You, I adore You and I love You. Come and dwell in me now.

-God's Blue Book, January 17, 1994

   

A message for the Earth from Jesus

January 22, 1998

I am the Good Shepherd, these are My prayers, the prayers I give to help renew the Church and the world, all prayer chapters are asked to include these prayers (found in the Shepherds of Christ Prayer Manual). As My Apostles and Shepherds I ask you to encourage all existing Chapters to try to encourage all existing prayer groups to pray the Shepherds of Christ prayers. Encourage all Churches to pray these prayers. It is most urgent that the people of this earth concur with the Father's wishes to begin Prayer Chapters. This is an urgent request from the Good Shepherd. The flock will become one when they have given their hearts to Jesus and Mary. Encourage all priests to pray the Shepherds of Christ prayers. Your world will be lighted with great light as the people of this earth pray these prayers.

    My promise is this to you My beloved earth: When you give your heart to Me and spread the devotion to My Sacred Heart, I will write your name In My Heart. I promise to give the greatest graces when you pray these prayers for renewal of the Church and the world and take all who pray them deeply into My Heart. The prayers I give will bring about the reign of My Sacred Heart and the triumph of Mary's Immaculate Heart. I am Jesus Christ, this is My message of January 22, 1998, Please circulate this message to your world. I am the Good Shepherd, I know Mine and Mine know Me and they follow Me. Grace My Shepherds, I will give you the greatest graces for spreading these words to this earth and to your Church. I love you, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, it is the Plan of the Father that Prayer Chapters are begun immediately and the Priestly Newsletter is given to all priests. The Voice of the Good Shepherd speaks through it.

end of January 22, 1998

   

July 31, 1994

Words of Jesus to Members of
Shepherds of Christ Associates:

"My beloved priest-companion, I intend to use the priestly newsletter, Shepherds of Christ, and the movement, Shepherds of Christ Associates, in a powerful way for the renewal of My Church and the world.

"I will use the newsletter and the chapters of Shepherds of Christ Associates as a powerful instrument for spreading devotion to My Heart and My Mother's Heart.

"I am calling many to become members of Shepherds of Christ Associates. To all of them I will give great blessings. I will use them as instruments to help bring about the triumph of the Immaculate Heart and the reign of My Sacred Heart. I will give great graces to the members of Shepherds of Christ Associates. I will call them to be deeply united to My Heart and to Mary's Heart as I lead them ever closer to My Father in the Holy Spirit."

- Message from Jesus to Father Edward J. Carter, S.J., Founder, as given on July 31, 1994,
feast of Saint Ignatius Loyola, Founder of the Society of Jesus (The Jesuits)

 

 

Through Him, With Him, In Him

 

 


 

Spiritual Communion

                        Dear Jesus — we want to make a spiritual
                        communion, we cannot receive You
                        now, but we want to know Your
                        presence deep in our heart —
                        deep in our soul — Oh God fill us
                        with Your presence that we can
                        just focus on You and Your love
                        for us now — Love deep in us —
                        Oneness with You —
                        Quiet surrender to be alone in
                        this moment with You in our heart
                        in deep love —
                        We love You so much our beloved
                        God —

   

                Thank You God
                Thank You Jesus for You —
                Thank You for the Eucharist —
                Thank You for the priest
                thank You for everything, my God —
                Thank You for the Church —
                Thank You for holy people
                    who serve us —
                Thank You for loving us

 

Seventh Sunday of Easter

Cycle A

Acts 1: 12-14

So from the Mount of Olives, as it is called, they went back to Jerusalem, a short distance away, no more than a Sabbath walk; and when they reached the city they went to the upper room where they were staying; there were Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Jude son of James. With one heart all these joined constantly in prayer, together with some women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

     

1 Peter 4: 13-16

but in so far as you share in the sufferings of Christ, be glad, so that you may enjoy a much greater gladness when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for bearing Christ’s name, blessed are you, for on you rests the Spirit of God, the Spirit of glory. None of you should ever deserve to suffer for being a murderer, a thief, a criminal or an informer; but if any one of you should suffer for being a Christian, then there must be no shame but thanksgiving to God for bearing this name.

       

John 17: 1-11

After saying this, Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:

Father, the hour has come:
glorify your Son
so that your Son may glorify you;
so that, just as you have given him
   power over all humanity,
he may give eternal life
   to all those you have entrusted to him.
And eternal life is this:
to know you,
the only true God,
and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
I have glorified you on earth
by finishing the work
that you gave me to do.
Now, Father, glorify me
with that glory I had with you
before ever the world existed.
I have revealed your name
to those whom you took from the world
   to give me.
They were yours
   and you gave them to me,
and they have kept your word.
Now at last they have recognised
that all you have given me
   comes from you
for I have given them
the teaching you gave to me,
and they have indeed accepted it
and know for certain
   that I came from you,
and have believed
   that it was you who sent me.
It is for them that I pray.
I am not praying for the world
but for those you have given me,
because they belong to you.
All I have is yours
and all you have is mine,
and in them I am glorified.
I am no longer in the world,
but they are in the world,
and I am coming to you.
Holy Father,
keep those you have given me
   true to your name,
so that they may be one like us.

   

Seventh Sunday of Easter

May 16, 1999

HOMILY – (Acts 1:12-14, 1 Pet 4:13-16, John 17:1-11a) Jesus was asked one time what is the most important commandment in the law. We know how he answered. He not only gave us the most important commandment but the second most important commandment as well, two commands that perfectly compliment each other: to love God with our whole heart and soul and mind and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus gave us the answer not only by his words but also by the way he lived.

    I would like to reflect today on how Jesus showed love for his Father. His perfect obedience was one way he showed his love. Another way he showed it was by spending time with his Father in prayer. That is what is especially want to focus on today. The topic of prayer was inspired by today’s gospel which is part of Jesus prayer at the Last Supper. We have little or no information about what his life was like before he began his public ministry. The little information we do have shows us that Joseph and Mary were faithful in their Jewish observances. Thus Jesus would have been brought up in that tradition, going to synagogue on the Sabbath and going to the Temple in Jerusalem annually for Passover. St. Luke tells us that when Jesus was beginning his ministry he went to Nazareth and went to the synagogue on the Sabbath “according to his custom.” Synagogue services would have been very similar to the first part of our Mass. There would be common prayer and readings from the Law and the prophets and with a commentary after each reading. St. Luke points out in his gospel that Jesus was praying as John the Baptist baptized him. Immediately after that, recall how Jesus went into the desert for 40 days to fast and pray. His encounter with the devil there showed he knew the scriptures well and he could quote them easily. Frequently it is mentioned that during his public ministry Jesus was at the Temple participating in liturgical celebrations there. The gospels tell us about Jesus getting up early in the morning to pray or staying up all night in prayer. He would spend time in prayer before important decisions or important events. One time after seeing Jesus praying, the disciples asked him to teach them to pray and of course we are all familiar with the prayer he taught them. In addition to the Our Father, Jesus taught a lot about prayer. For example the parable of a man who had a friend visit him at night and he went to his neighbor to borrow some food, and he kept on knocking until he got what he needed. That’s the way Jesus said we should pray. Even when he wasn’t teaching about prayer, his teachings reflect the deep relationship Jesus had with his Father. There is no doubt about it, prayer played a major role in Jesus life. The Last Supper of course was more than an ordinary supper. It was the Passover which Jesus was celebrating with his disciples, which was a religious celebration.

    His prayer (in the 17th chapter of John) is divided into three parts. First Jesus prays for himself, then for his apostles, then for all who would come to believe in him. Notice how many times the word “glory” is used in today’s gospel. Jesus saw his death and resurrection as a moment of glory, a moment when God’s saving love would be revealed to the world. He prays that the Father might be glorified in all that was to take place and that in the fulfillment of his mission, he might be a source of life for all who would believe in him. It is comforting to know he prayed for all of us at the Last Supper. He continues to intercede for us each time we celebrate the Lord’s Supper.

    There is not the time to analyze this prayer thoroughly. My main point today was simply to point out the prayerfulness of Jesus. We see in the first reading how Jesus followers imitated his example as they gathered together in prayer in the upper room after the Ascension, waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

    Louis Evely in his book, Teach us to Pray, wrote: “Too many Christians regard God as pilots regard their parachute, namely, good if needed, but better if they can get along without it.” We might wonder why would Jesus need to pray? He was already as close to the Father as he possibly could be. I am sure there are many reasons why Jesus prayed, but this question might best be answered with another question: “why do we need to spend time with those who are important to us, with those whom we love?”

    A true disciple of our Lord will make prayer a priority in their lives, and by “prayer” I mean more than just a rapidly recited Our Father or Hail Mary. Prayer is spending time with our God. Do we feel like we’re too busy? I will never forget what our spiritual director in the seminary told us. The busier we are the more we need to pray.

    Today we come together for the greatest prayer there is. As we gather in prayer today, we are not alone and I don’t mean simply that there are others here in church with us. Christ is with us and it is in union with his perfect sacrifice of love and obedience on the cross that we offer our prayers and praise to God our Father.

 

                    Remember Jacob's vision — the ladder
                to heaven —

                    It gave him great comfort when
                he was confronted with struggles —

                    Our Lady's image should help
                to strengthen us and realize how
                important our mission is to souls —

                    I saw a big ladder in St. Boniface
                to change those high lights —

 

                    Well, it is like us climbing the ladder
                to heaven — we are to have a life of
                virtue — practicing loving — so its a
                habit to be loving —
                its a habit having faith —
                its a habit to have hope and joy
                because we practice it like an
                athlete —
                practice so we are virtuous —
                this leads to life


                The seven deadly sins leads to death —
                    they take life from us —

                Practicing jealousy becomes a vice —
                    closed down —
                    we see with jealous eyes —
                    we block others who want to do
                        God's will
                    because of pride
                    because of jealousy

                Seeking dominance for dominance sake —

                Not saying yes to the prayer to do
                what is needed to discern properly
                what God wants in a certain
                situation —

                Acting out of habit without seeking
                    God's will first —

                When one has been jealous of others —
                    the sound of a person's voice —
                    can get to old habits of jealousy —
                    Acting impurely and jealousy toward
                    others doing God's will is wrong —

                Then our decision for acting and affecting others
                    is the impurities within ourselves —
                    not God's will as it should be for our actions
                    we close down to God's will —
                    we can act hastily and do actions
                        that will lead to destruction
                        of good things that were leading
                        to the building of God's Kingdom —
                        That work which God has nurtured
                            and built up —

     

Matthew 13: 24-30, 36-43

He put another parable before them, ‘The kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everybody was asleep his enemy came, sowed darnel all among the wheat, and made off. When the new wheat sprouted and ripened, then the darnel appeared as well. The owner’s labourers went to him and said, "Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? If so, where does the darnel come from?" He said to them, "Some enemy has done this." And the labourers said, "Do you want us to go and weed it out?" But he said, "No, because when you weed out the darnel you might pull up the wheat with it. Let them both grow till the harvest; and at harvest time I shall say to the reapers: First collect the darnel and tie it in bundles to be burnt, then gather the wheat into my barn." ’

Then, leaving the crowds, he went to the house; and his disciples came to him and said, ‘Explain to us the parable about the darnel in the field.’ He said in reply, ‘The sower of the good seed is the Son of man. The field is the world; the good seed is the subjects of the kingdom; the darnel, the subjects of the Evil One; the enemy who sowed it, the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; the reapers are the angels. Well then, just as the darnel is gathered up and burnt in the fire, so it will be at the end of time. The Son of man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of falling and all who do evil, and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. Then the upright will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Anyone who has ears should listen!

     

                WEEDS have big roots and they can't hardly be pulled out

                We can tear down with pride and
                pushing ahead with bad habits — (vices)
                A person is ready with anger, this
                energy to tear down without thought,
                because of bad habits — where as a
                person with good habits — virtue — acts good.

                A child had a grave disease at an early
                    age, it was a wake up call for the
                    parents — their whole life was centered
                    in the sickness of the child —
                    eventually before two - the child died —
                    her little clothes were given away —
                    her play things, for they were devastated
                        financially and in their heart —

                Now why would they act in caring for their
                    child as one who is healthy —

                A man grew up in a house with much
                    anger — so he made angry situations
                    wherever he lived to work out
                    his patterned behavior learned to
                    survive in childhood —

                    Anger is one of the 7 deadly sins
                that when given into unjust anger and
                acting it out on others — we stop good
                work and that driving emotion of anger
                is like "hungry dogs in the basement"
                Emotions — feelings are stored inside a
                person from the past —

                the devil can manipulate these feelings and
                    emotions —
                    and with irrational feelings the person
                    can blame innocent others for anger
                    pent up from childhood —     

                In marriage and with the family —
                    needs arise and the person is called to
                        put first things first and not be
                        selfish — someone sick — an
                        infant with 104  temperature —
                    a child falling down the steps and hitting
                    their head on concrete —

                Lessons of looking outward —
                Loving the children and wanting them safe —

                Money issue between husbands and wives
                    settled in love according to
                    God's will —
                    running a family business —
                    reconciling checks etc. —
                    keeping order to take care of family —
                    do the tax return —
                    run a family business —
                    contribute at Church —

                Some may have no experience with
                    money —
                    a 15 year old may not understand
                        much —

                Adults who never had to worry about
                    anybody but themselves —

                When children come into families they
                    are to learn to solve problems
                    in love —

                Angry, punishing, abusive parents
                    teach children to be
                    critical,
                    punishing,
                    abusive,
                    selfish,
                    anger —

                Here we are adults in a world with
                    little children filled with
                    survival tactics from childhood —
                    rules learned from
                    loving parents — controlling parents —
                    abusive parents —
                    angry parents —

                Rules put in the child like the core
                    information in a computer —
                    parents, some forcing these
                    wrong rules on children —
                    with emotions from abuse —
                    sibling rivalry —

                How could any religious order
                    survive or be built if all these little
                    children of the past come
                    and demand
                    nobody will tell me what to do —
                    I will force my control on you —

                How about at Church —

                People come to volunteer and
                    they bring their psychological
                    needs to the parish to
                    fill it with the job —
                    Not do it purely for the service
                        of God and others and
                        to do God's will —

                People who are controlling want to stay
                    in a system they can control —

                If they know nothing about money
                    they can force their way
                    and hurt order —

                If they lived with alcoholism and
                    enabled the alcoholic and
                    never went through recovery —
                    they continue life long patterns
                    forcing their rules where ever they?
                    go — so they don't have to change —

                How a person thinks of men —
                How a person thinks of women —
                Sibling rivalry —
                Were you were, brothers, sisters,
                    first born —

                So here come Suzie —
                    she is going to control —
                    punish her brothers —
                    provoke because she is
                        addicted to excitement —

                If Suzie has 5 children — she will have
                    to change or he will leave (her husband)
                    and the children will be sick —

                The whole spiritual life is dying to
                    one's imperfections and
                    rising to be more perfect like
                    our heavenly Father —

                But if they can get away with it
                    people can grow in
                    vices rather than virtue —

                Practicing age old habits of
                    anger            envy
                    pride            addictive thinking —
                    jealousy        addicted to excitement
                                        addicted to confusion

               they may have been taught
                    love — hate relationships

                The more somebody loves you now
                    the more you can be hateful —
                    if you think in these love - hate relationships
                    surprising in return —

                Growing in greater vices —
                    more and more vices —
                    practicing them —

                Instead of loving and
                    working like an athlete
                    practicing virtue

                Like a loving couple raising
                    children with problems

                    A person living a virtuous life is
                preparing for their heavenly reward and
                is building God's Kingdom —

                    They practice good habits and
                then they act in love by habit —
                kind, hoping, having faith —
                humble, temperately, prudently,
                justly

                    Like the ladder at St. Boniface
                ascending in virtue toward
                one's heavenly reward
                leads to the light —

                    We watch the mom and dad of
                little ones —

                    Crying — needing a diaper
                change — needing food —
                running around to get away —
                maybe in the street —

                    Caring — constant caring —
                giving - taking — working on the
                marriage relationships —
                the friends at work
                the children friends
                the parish friends

                Managing money —
                changing a light bulb —
                doing the plumbing —

                Responsibility done in love —
                Games at school —
                Girl scouts —
                Kid's clothes —
                Kid's toys

                Managing the children's
                    things

                Going to work
                Juggling the work and family
                    responsibilities
                Taking care of aged parents —
                Having exercise
                    sports interest

                Parents having a loving relationship —
                    anniversary without the
                    children — still being
                    in love —
                    talking —
                    communicating about problems —
                    reporting needed information
                        to each other

                The moms or dads fix dinner —
                    you don't skip the
                    needs of these little
                    people

                Looking outward

 

                Dying to self to
                    live the resurrected life —

                Jesus died for all
                Jesus' love doesn't run out —
                Our love doesn't have limits —

                The devil says
                    stay isolated
                    be jealous
                    be envious — hurt others
                    be in charge while you are
                        not supposed to be

                Not capable of teaching what is
                    somebody else job —

                Thinking you can do everything
                    and you need not others —

                When God intends us to be as
                    a body — working in
                    community —
                    families
                    church
                    work

         cooperatively  < living together
working together

                talking about problems because
                    problems need to be
                    addressed —

                gladly reporting upward —
                not living in isolation —

                Seeing ourselves as a thread
                    in the tapestry —
                    God the father made and

                What we do affects others —
                    His Kingdom —
                    souls —

                We are here to build God's
                    Kingdom —
                    praying for the priests, the
                        Church and the world —
                    growing in the image of Jesus —
                    doing what God wants
                        in love

 

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Cycle A

2 Kings 4: 8-11, 14-16a

One day as Elisha was on his way to Shunem, a woman of rank who lived there pressed him to stay and eat there. After this he always broke his journey for a meal when he passed that way. She said to her husband, 'Look, I am sure the man who is constantly passing our way must be a holy man of God. Let us build him a small walled room, and put him a bed in it, and a table and chair and lamp; whenever he comes to us he can rest there.' One day when he came, he retired to the upper room and lay down.

'What can I do for you then?' he asked. Gehazi replied, 'Well, she has no son and her husband is old.' Elisha said, 'Call her.' The servant called her and she stood at the door.  'This time next year', he said, 'you will hold a son in your arms.' But she said, 'No, my lord, do not deceive your servant.'

 

Romans 6: 3-4, 8-11

You cannot have forgotten that all of us, when we were baptised into Christ Jesus, were baptised into his death. So by our baptism into his death we were buried with him, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father’s glorious power, we too should begin living a new life.

   But we believe that, if we died with Christ, then we shall live with him too. We know that Christ has been raised from the dead and will never die again. Death has no power over him any more. For by dying, he is dead to sin once and for all, and now the life that he lives is life with God. In the same way, you must see yourselves as being dead to sin but alive for God in Christ Jesus.

 

Matthew 10: 37-42

'No one who prefers father or mother to me is worthy of me. No one who prefers son or daughter to me is worthy of me. Anyone who does not take his cross and follow in my footsteps is not worthy of me. Anyone who finds his life will lose it; anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it.

'Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 'Anyone who welcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will have a prophet's reward; and anyone who welcomes an upright person because he is upright will have the reward of an upright person. 'If anyone gives so much as a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, then in truth I tell you, he will most certainly not go without his reward.'

     

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

June 26, 2005

INTRODUCTION – (2 Kgs 4:8-11, 14-16a, Rom 6:3-4, 8-11, Matt 10:37-42) In our gospel today Jesus tells us we must die to ourselves: “Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Today’s second reading from Paul tells us that through baptism we have died with Christ and rose with him to share in his divine life. Paul was making reference to the normal way baptism was administered in his day. A person was dunked in the water, symbolizing death and burial and then brought out of the water, symbolizing a resurrection. A person does not have to be baptized by immersion to experience the spiritual effects of the sacrament, namely dying to selfishness and sin and beginning a new life in Christ.

    There is a second theme in today’s readings: that of kindness to God’s holy ones. Jesus is about to send his apostles out as missionaries and he promises them anyone who does a simple act of kindness for them will not lose their reward. In those days there were not hotels and motels. Travelers had to depend on the kindness of others when they traveled. The prophet Elisha in our first reading lived about 800 years before Christ. He often traveled to Mt. Carmel to pray and on his journey to Mt. Carmel he regularly stopped to stay at the home of a couple who lived in a town nearby. The story emphasizes the importance to being receptive to those sent to us by God, whether they be prophets or apostles. The story also shows that if one is kind to one sent by God, God will not let us outdo him in generosity.

HOMILY – We heard Jesus tell us not to let anything or anyone (even those who are closest to us, even our own lives) be more important than he is. He does not make this request for his own glorification. He isn’t looking for worldly glory. His life was a life of poverty and simplicity. Besides he has all the glory he needs. He is, after all, Son of God. You can’t get any higher than that. He asks us to give him central place in our hearts and in our lives for our own sake and for our own happiness. We’ll never really be satisfied in life until we possess and are fully possessed by the life that Christ came to bring us. As St. Augustine said, “Thou hast made us for thyself O Lord and our hearts are restless until they rest in thee.”

    There are two themes that flow from this basic truth. I think the first message is that the gospel is not always a “feel good” message. Some people only want to hear peace, love and joy when they come to Church. They want a Church that always makes them “feel good.” Peace, love and joy are wonderful and Jesus’ promises of lasting happiness fill us with hope, and all preachers love to preach about these things, but sometimes, like today, the gospel message is not easy to hear. Being willing to give up everything for Christ, even our own lives (and many people did), is a hard message. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran minister who spent the last two years of his life in prison for resisting Hitler, wrote a lot about “cheap grace,” grace that didn’t cost us much. Cheap grace means hoping to gain eternal happiness while asking ourselves, “What is the least I can get by with.” One of Bonhoeffer’s most memorable lines is “When Christ calls a person, he bids him come and die.” Following Christ can cost us dearly. If we’re afraid of that, if we’re always looking for a Church that doesn’t really challenge us, then we are not wanting to hear Christ.

    The second theme of today’s gospel is kindness, especially to those who bring this message of life through death to us. That includes our hierarchy, the priests and religious, but it includes parents and grandparents, neighbors and friends, teachers and spouses and all who have taught us about Christ and who have been models of faith for us. Most of us didn’t get our faith out of a textbook. We got it by God’s inspiration and by seeing how others lived it. I did come to know some wonderful priests when I was growing up, but most seemed to me to be stuffy and distant. My faith came primarily from my parents and those who taught me in school. And it still is enriched by people I have known and do know now at St. Boniface. When you are here faithfully every week and you pray and sing from your hearts, my spirits are lifted in prayer. So this act of kindness to God’s messengers that Jesus promises to reward applies to anyone. A young girl told the story about needing to have her teeth repaired when she was in college. Being a struggling college student, she could hardly afford to have one tooth filled, but the pain was so bad she had to see a dentist. When she went, he wanted to fix all her teeth and she said I can’t afford it and started to leave. He understood and said “well, when you finish college you’ll get a job and make some money and you can pay me then.” He did the job, on credit, and it made a wonderful difference in the way she felt. She was able to pay him off after graduation. She called him a “woodwork angel.” She described “woodwork angels” as strangers who come out of nowhere, out of the woodwork, when a person needs help. They may help out with money, skills, protection from danger or from making a big mistake, they may offer us hospitality as the woman did for the prophet Elisha or they may simply offer us a cup of cold water. We all need them. We all need to be one to others. Herman Melville said, “We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow human beings.” And Elbert Hubbard said, “People are rich only as they give. He who gives great service gets great returns.” Jesus said, “whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because the little one is a disciple – amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”

 

 

 

     


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18"

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18"

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18"

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