Secrets of Christmas, wk 3
Secret Identity (in Christ)
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
Who is your favorite superhero? Mine is Spiderman. One Christmas, I got spiderman pajamas and that sealed the deal for me. I was jumping around, doing somersaults, zipping webs, and just generally acting like an acrobatic fool, all around the house. From that time on, Spidey has been my favorite. Not to mention the stellar advice from Uncle Ben: “With great power comes great responsibility.”
Mentioning Uncle Ben, the backstory of superheroes is such an important part of the whole picture. They are not always caped crusaders! One of the things I enjoy about superheroes is their secret identities. The idea that someone you walk by on the street could transform and rally to save someone in distress. It teaches us that greatness is hiding in plain sight; or if you like, secrets are right under our noses. People who are capable of remarkable things are present in our midst, even when we do not recognize them. Say it like that and they sound more like saints than superheroes. And in many ways, our saints are the true superheroes.
Blessed, Broken, Shared - Wk 3
Shared ...
Dear Friends in Christ,
This weekend is your last chance to take in the Eucharistic Miracles Exhibit on campus. Please set some time aside and come and explore. It is also Community Sunday - a wonderful time to share fellowship, meet someone new, grab a coffee and enjoy what it means to be part of our parish family. Please make time to head to Nolan Hall. Our Pastoral Council and our Liturgy Committee are hosting. Please feel free to introduce yourself; they are happy to share with you in our parish life.
Over the course of these three weeks, we have been spending time centered on the Eucharist and the words blessed - broken - shared. Actions we take from the Last Supper when Jesus first celebrated the Eucharistic feast with His closest friends the night before His self-oblation on the cross. Jesus blesses the bread and through the hands and words of the priest today, that same blessing is imparted. Jesus breaks the bread, a sign that what is one is divided but still mystically united in Christ. Many though we are, we are all one body, as Saint Paul explained (see 1 Cor 12:12ff). Jesus shares the bread with his friends just as he shares himself with us. And we are invited to go and do likewise.
Hopes and Dreams
Solemnity of Jesus Christ, King of the universe
Dear Friends,
This weekend we arrive at the last Sunday of the Church’s year. We honor Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe, His triumph on the cross and expected triumphant return at the end of time. It is the culmination of our liturgical calendar. Next week, Advent begins and the new church year for 2024 as we prepare Him room. We will be exploring the Secrets of Christmas - a new message series for Advent, and we hope you will set time aside during this bustling season for the spiritual preparation of worship.
This week is also a special time to give thanks. We look back over the year to give thanks for our blessings and the many ways the good God has invited us to grow in His graces. It is a treasure to spend some quality time together with family and friends, hopefully with special attention to the gift of presence, and giving your phone a break for the day.
Secrets of Christmas, wk 1
Sssshhh… It’s a secret!
Dear Friends,
In researching some recipes for Thanksgiving, I came across an article: 7 Secrets to Perfect Turkey. Now, I was not even making the turkey, but I could not resist reading that article. What is it about secrets that are so irresistible? (Brining seems key, btw ;).
If someone says, “I have something to tell you that I haven’t told anyone,” they immediately have your attention. It is tantalizing. Your curiosity goes through the roof! Just hope it is not gossip that is getting spread around.
Or if we think about all the gifts that will be wrapped under the tree come Christmas morning, they are like secrets hiding in plain sight. One year, when we were kids, our parents put some gifts out early. We eyed them up; we weighed them; even shook some - in an effort to determine what was hiding secretly in plain sight. And frankly, we spoiled some of the mystery. My parents learned their lesson.
Secrets of Christmas, wk 2
Prophets Prepare & Invite!
Dear Friends,
Over the course of Advent, we are approaching Christmas from the angle of secrets, thinking about how even God keeps and reveals secrets to his chosen ones. One group of chosen ones are the prophets. Prophets are not fortune tellers. And, since I am mentioning fortune tellers, allow me just to detour here and briefly remind everyone to steer clear of psychics, palm readers, tarot cards, ouija boards, and anyone who claims they can summon the dead. These are avenues for idolatry and demonic influence, and so should be absolutely avoided. Prophets, however, are different.
Prophets attend to and then speak God’s word. Prophecy is a gift from God. God assists prophets to tune in to what God is saying and doing. God shares his secrets with the prophets, and when the time is right, prophets reveal the will of God. Now it may not be well known or appreciated, but all the baptized are anointed priest, prophet, and king - meaning we are all called to exercise the gift of prophecy. We are all called to tune into what God is saying and when the time is right, to speak that word into the world.
YOLO! Wk 3
Death and Taxes
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
I enjoy feedback, whether a compliment or constructive criticism, and so far I have received several pieces of feedback regarding YOLO - You Only Live Once - our current message series. The idea forces us to ask some hard questions: what is the purpose of life? What is life for? How ought we spend this life?
People are taken with the title, but more so with the reality that we only get one shot. That truth can stir a certain urgency in us, at least in me. Last week, we focused on time. We can measure our bank accounts, but we have no idea how many more minutes we will be here. Someone asked me: “Father, we only live once but we live forever, right?” Yes, most definitely. But last time I checked, no one gets out of here alive! We live forever, but death is the gateway between this life and the next. No one escapes death.
YOLO! Wk 4
All Aboard!
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
Over the course of these past 4 weeks, we have been thinking about life, about the reality that we only get one bite at this apple: YOLO! Life is precious. Our time, the way we spend our lives, and our priorities, deeply affect the quality of this life and the next.
What is on your bucket list? What are your life dreams? These are great questions to ponder. It can be easy to slide into the weekly routine and not ask ourselves those bigger questions. While these are personal questions, we can also ask ourselves collectively: What are our parish dreams? What would we like to accomplish together?
This weekend is Stewardship Sunday, a time when we celebrate our wins over the past year and look forward to vision our future. We take stock and celebrate while also looking ahead in hope together.
Blessed, Broken, Shared - Wk 1
Blessed!
Dear Parish Family,
Carlo Acutis only lived to the age of fifteen years old. He passed away of leukemia in Milan, 11 October 2006. Even in his short life, he made an outsized impact on the church and the world. He burned brightly, especially with his passionate devotion to Christ Jesus and the Eucharist.
Carlo brought his parents to church. After the age of seven, Carlo never missed daily attendance at Mass. He called the Eucharist “my highway to heaven.” He understood the blessing of the Eucharist. Even as a lad, he marveled at the way he saw the culture moving. He wondered why people wait for hours to go to a rock concert but not before the Eucharistic Christ. He would say that people do not realize what they are missing, otherwise churches would be overflowing. He truly believed that Christ is present in the Eucharist, the same way He was two thousand years ago in the time of the Apostles. “Jerusalem is right on our doorstep,” he said.
Blessed, Broken, Shared - Wk 2
Broken...
Dear Friends,
By the time you read this our Eucharistic Miracles exhibit will already be underway. Present on campus in Nolan Hall (underneath the church) over the next two weeks, the exhibit is a great blessing for our community, and I hope you will make the time for a visit. I have visited several times, and it is marvelous to behold the great variety of miracles.
During this time, our message series is blessed, broken, & shared. This week we are focusing on the word - broken - which is generally not a very positive notion. Something that is broken needs to be fixed, if it can be. Often what is broken is thrown away.
YOLO! Wk 2
Time is of the Essence
Dear Friends,
There are many modern abbreviations. ICYMI is a new one for me, but it is officially a word as decided by Merriam Webster’s in 2023. In Case You Missed It… How do you pronounce that?
This is week two of our message series, YOLO - You Only Live Once. We are baptizing that phrase. For the last decade, YOLO has meant go for it; crush it; try it; send it! Never look back. We might be reminded of the dictum from Horace: carpe diem. Seize the day! Do not leave what could be done today until tomorrow. But there are many ways to understand this notion, with many implications. St. Paul would say, “run so as to win!” meaning this life is a race and the finish line is heaven.
Who Do You Think You Are? Wk 4
Called to serve
Dear Friends,
This weekend is the last Sunday for our opening Message Series: “Who Do You Think You Are?” We have been welcoming new faces in church every week, so if you have missed any of the weeks, please go to our newly revamped website to check out the messages. Typically, I try to write a letter every week that compliments the message, goes a little deeper or tells a longer story, while also sharing some parish news. The letters are found here if you ever miss them in the bulletin.
Each message series is kind of a journey for our whole parish. We consider one question or one issue over several weeks and we are able to go deeper on a topic. A wise priest once told me: “Preach to yourself, first. Your homily has to speak to your heart.” These weeks on identity have brought me to consider more deeply my own identity and the factors that drive and shape who I am.
YOLO! Wk 1
The Marrow
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
One of the influential movies from my youth was Dead Poet’s Society (1989). Robin Williams, as John Keating, inspires the boys in his class to think for themselves, to follow their passions, and “to suck the marrow from life.” Keating seeks to impart to these young men a true spirit of what it means to live. Henry David Thoreau deserves the real credit for that quote, from his book Walden. Thoreau goes off to the woods to live life stripped down to its essentials in order to recover the true essence of existence, “to suck the marrow from life.”
As we turn to the 21st century, we meet a new acronym: YOLO - you only live once! A phrase which has come to mean: go for it; crush it; try it; send it! Never look back. Be bold, be audacious. YOLO!
Who Do You Think You Are? Wk 3
Learning to Follow
Dear Friends in Christ,
We have begun our fall season this year with the big question of identity: “Who do you think you are?” Pondering over that question, we can admit that who we are, and who we think we are, are not necessarily the same thing. Indeed, our relationships, our interests and hobbies, our actions, the way we spend our time and energy - these realities and others shape who we are. And sometimes, we may not even be totally aware of how we appear different from our own mental self-image.
One of the areas of life where this misalignment may occur is in our successes, or what we perceive to be our successes. Since each of us desires to be successful and competent in our own eyes, we may not accurately represent our own wins - those life victories that contribute to our self-worth. Let me share a story with you.
Who Do You Think You Are? Wk 2
Mottos and Crests
Dear Friends,
Last week we began our fall campaign with the big question: who do you think you are? Are you excited to ponder that question together? I sure am. The many-layered answer to this question has huge implications for our lives, our well-being, our sense of satisfaction and purpose. “The unexamined life is not worth living,” as Socrates once said. It is so good to pause in order to probe the question of identity. Understanding who we are also helps us to see our dreams and God’s plan for us with new clarity.
So, who are you? It is a question worth pondering… and not just once, but periodically in life. I would encourage you to begin to roll that question around in your mind. Take some notes in a journal. Ask a friend that you trust. Self-discovery is a journey worth undertaking.
Identity is important because it drives our actions, influences the health of our relationships, and decides what we value. Actions, relationships, and values - those are some of the key elements that contribute to our well-being.
Who Do You Think You Are? Wk 1
I am Chosen
Dear Parish Family,
While the heat of summer may not yet be behind us, summer freedoms are, and the new rhythm of the school year has begun. It can be a challenge for families to find again the rhythm they left behind in June. My prayers are for families this week.
In parish life, “summer mode” is behind us as well. This weekend we begin with a new Fall campaign. We have a dynamic series of messages lined up for you and I am excited to share them with you. Each series that we preach is a bit of a journey, a path of discovery. We learn some new things, come to appreciate the Scriptures in a new light, and hopefully come to walk more faithfully as disciples of our Lord Jesus. That is what our preaching is about after all: equipping ourselves to be more open to God’s grace and so to answer the invitation of God to grow, to mature, to come to a deeper sense of self and our mission in the world.
From Father's Desk: The Official Word
The Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
From Father's Desk: Living Bread - Between Heaven & Earth
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity | MESSAGE SERIES WEEK 5
From Father's Desk: Living Bread - Stronger Together
ASCENSION OF THE LORD | MESSAGE SERIES WEEK 3
From Father's Desk: Living Bread - We Remember
PENTECOST | MESSAGE SERIES WEEK 4
From Father's Desk: Living Bread - Unity of Divine Indwelling
SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER | MESSAGE SERIES WEEK 2
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