Saturday, February 28, 2015

3/1/2015 – el segundo domingo de Cuaresma – La Transfiguración – Marcos 9,2-10

      Empezamos el tiempo de cuaresma con una mancha de cenizas en nuestra frentes.  Y en el domingo pasado, empezamos el primer domingo de cuaresma con el Evangelio de Cristo en el desierto y sus tentaciones con Satanás. Hoy, en el segundo domingo de cuaresma, tenemos el encuentro de Jesucristo y tres de sus queridos apóstoles en el Monte Tabor.  La iluminación y la iluminación de sus apóstoles es en el centro del Evangelio de hoy.  La subida de Cristo en el monte con sus discípulos Pedro, Santiago y Juan se convierte en un evento profundo en la vida de Jesús y en su ministerio.  En este monte, la divinidad de Cristo se revela a estos tres discípulos por medio de una luz sobrenatural y milagrosa, por medio de iluminación.  En esta luz brillante, Pedro, Santiago y Juan pueden ver y comprender quién es realmente Jesucristo.
     Todos nosotros probablemente necesitamos algún tipo de iluminación en algún aspecto en nuestras propias vidas para que podamos percibir la manera que Dios está verdaderamente presente con nosotros.  El monje Tomás Merton cuenta una historia en su libro Conjeturas de un Espectador Culpable,  cómo su vida se iluminaba mientras caminaba por el centro de la ciudad de Louisville, Kentucky.  Mirando a la multitud en este distrito comercial, Merton se vio con ternura a la gente en la calle, a pesar de que era desconocida para él.  Merton dijo que era como si estuviera despertando de un sueño de la separación y el autoaislamiento en el mundo, de la renuncia y la santidad falsa que tenía en su vida.  Merton se sintió mucha alegría de ser un miembro de la raza humana, de compartir su humanidad con la humanidad de nuestro Salvador, Jesucristo. Merton era monje durante 17 años cuando tuvo esta iluminación, esta revelación. Se le hizo darse cuenta de que a pesar de que era monje, que era todavía una parte del mundo, y la santidad no era una cualidad independiente que solo puede  tener en el monasterio. Merton experimentó la santidad en esta esquina de Louisville sabiendo que él se unió con la humanidad de sus hermanos en el mundo.
       A pesar de que estamos viajando con Jesús en el desierto durante estos 40 días de cuaresma, el Evangelio de la Transfiguración de Jesús hoy es un recordatorio de la luz que siempre está con nosotros en la presencia de Jesús en el mundo, como Jesús es de hecho la plena manifestación de la luz de Dios. La luz que brilla en Jesús en la transfiguración - la luz que brilla en Jesús en su resurrección en la celebración de Pascua en la culminación de nuestro camino cuaresmal - es la luz de su triunfo sobre las tinieblas del mundo.  En nuestro viaje a través de los 40 días de cuaresma, vamos a emerger de la tinieblas también. Tenemos la llamada de ser hijos de la luz.  Las disciplinas cuaresmales de la oración, el ayuno y las obras de caridad son las que pueden ayudarnos en el camino a la iluminación.
       Sin embargo, a contemplar la Transfiguración, no debemos olvidar que Jesús y sus tres discípulos no permanecieron en la cima del Monte Tabor para siempre. Bajaron y trajeron la iluminación de la Transfiguración al pueblo en la llanura. También debemos traer la iluminación que recibimos como discípulos de Cristo en el mundo a nuestro prójimo. Debemos llevar la visión y el crecimiento de los que recibimos en nuestro camino cuaresmal a nuestra vida diaria y para el resto del año.  Continuamos nuestro camino cuaresmal en este segundo domingo de Cuaresma.  Mi oración hoy es que la luz de la Transfiguración nos anima y nos da fuerza en nuestro camino cuaresmal.


Friday, February 27, 2015

Day 1 - Camino de Santiago - Monday - January 26, 2015

  Last month, on January 27,I left for the Camino de Santiago in Spain.  It was my third time going.  I went in the summer of 2003 as I discerned a call to the priesthood.  I went again 9 years later in the spring of 2012 with several parishioners and friends.  This time I went in the winter, primarily because it was the only time I could get away as a priest.  In fact, although I had taken days off during the week, I had not had a weekend off since the last time I went to Spain in 2012. I desperately needed time off. I needed to pull back and reflect. I felt the Camino calling me back.
     This time, I approached the Camino as a retreat, looking forward to the solitude and the time for prayer and reflection.  I made my reservations in the late summer of 2014.  I was so excited about going.   Yet, a couple of months later, I had a conflict come up with the diocese. I had to cancel my reservation.  I had intended to go for 4 weeks, but I was able to make a change in dates and make a new reservation, but could only go for 3 weeks since I had to be back for Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent.  Then, to top it off, I had a reservation going through Philadelphia, and the East Coast was bracing for a huge storm the day I was supposed to leave.  I tried to call the airline reservation number that Sunday night, but after being on hold for more than two hours, I gave up.  I left the US after being re-routed through Dallas, and was on my way to Spain.
       As I left, I knew that I would not have time to walk the entire route, so I started in Pamplona and would decide later if I wanted to eventually end up in the city of Santiago.  My goal was to walk the Camino, to spend time with God, and to heal and pray. It did not matter to me if I made it to the end point of the pilgrimage or not.  I was open to whatever surprises the Camino had in store for me.  Someone later asked me what I had learned on my previous Caminos.  The first thing I mentioned was this: If you have plan as to how the Camino is going to turn out, know that those plans are definitely going to change.  Never start the Camino thinking that you have all the answers, thinking that it is all going to go according to plan.  That is not the way the Camino works.  So I made my way to the Memphis airport looking forward to landing in Madrid.

     I will continue to post my entries on the Camino as they occurred last month, recounting my journey day by day.  

Thursday, February 26, 2015

3/1/2015 – 2nd Sunday of Lent – Mark 9: 2-10

       We in the modern world take books for granted.  I have so many books on my shelves that I have no idea how many I have, but they certainly number in the hundreds.  But, you know, for most of human history, books were a special, rare commodity.  In fact, in Ancient Israel, the scribes, those who were literate and who copied and interpreted Sacred Scripture, held a very special role in society. Johannes Guttenberg changed all of that in 1440 with the invention of the printing press.  Things changed dramatically, with books being massed produced for the public.  Today, with the internet, the ipad, and with e-readers like the Kindle or the Nook, things are changing once again.  The Bibles that were produced by the monks and the scribes before the invention of the printing press were very fancy indeed.   In fact, they contained very elaborate illustrations and what was called illuminated letters.  A simple letter takes on a whole new life by the way it is illustrated and illuminated.  The opening letter of a Scripture passage was embellished into a very fancy image such as this.  Back before the turn of the millennium in the year 2000, St John’s Benedictine Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota commissioned a hand-produced illuminated Bible, the first one to be commissioned by an abbey or monastery since the 15th century and the invention of the printing press.  You can see examples of this beautiful Bible on the internet if you look it up.  It took about 13 years and a cost of over $8 million dollars to hand-produce this one Bible.  The calligrapher of the Queen of England was one of the main collaborators of this project.  I cannot even imagine all of the work and imagination and courage that it took to produce this Bible.
      I bring up the Illuminated St John’s Bible because illumination is at the heart of today’s Gospel on this Second Sunday of Lent.   Jesus’ assent on Mount Tabor with his close disciples Peter, James, and John becomes a pinnacle event in Jesus' earthly life and ministry, as his divinity is revealed to these three close disciples by means of a miraculous, supernatural light, by means of an illumination. Jesus’ appearance is changed by this brilliant, white light.  It took this blinding light for Peter, James, and John to see and understand who Jesus really was.  All of us probably need some sort of illumination in some aspect in our own lives in order for us to perceive how God is truly present in our lives.  The Trappist monk Thomas Merton tells a story in his book Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander of how his life was illuminated while walking through downtown Louisville, Kentucky one day.  Looking out at the crowds in this central shopping district, Merton was overwhelmed by his love for the people around him, even though they were strangers to him.  Merton said it was like he was waking from a dream of separateness and self-isolation in world, of renunciation and false holiness. Merton felt an immense sense of joy of being a member of the human race, of sharing his humanity with the humanity of our savior, Jesus Christ. Merton had been a monk for 17 years when he had this illumination, this revelation.  It made him realize that even though he was a monk, he was still a part of the world, and holiness was not a separate quality that he could just experience in his life in the monastery.  He experienced holiness on that busy street corner in Louisville knowing that he was united with, not separate from, the humanity of his brothers and sisters.
       Even though we are journeying with Jesus in the desert wilderness during these 40 days of Lent, the Gospel reading of the Transfiguration of Jesus today is a reminder of the light that is always with us in the presence of Jesus in the world, as Jesus is indeed the full manifestation of God’s light. The light that shines from Jesus at the transfiguration – the light that shines from Jesus in his resurrection at Easter time at the culmination of our Lenten journey – that is the light of his triumph over darkness.  In our day, on our journey through the 40 days of Lent, we are to emerge out of the darkness.  We are to truly be children of the light. The Transfiguration is the perfect model for us of how Christ can illuminate us in our commitment to be his disciples.  And the Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting, and works of charity are what can help us on the road to that illumination.
       Yet, as we contemplate the Transfiguration, we must not forget that Jesus and his three beloved disciples did not remain on the mountaintop forever.  They came down and brought the illumination of the Transfiguration to the people down below.  We also must bring the illumination we receive as disciples of Christ to the world around us.  We must bring the insights and growth that we receive on our Lenten journey to our daily lives and to the rest of the year.  As we continue our Lenten journey on this Second Sunday of Lent, let us feel the light of the Transfiguration encouraging us and giving us strength.

Snow in Tupelo








Having lived in Cleveland, Chicago, Winnipeg, and Edmonton, I know what a lot of snow is.  However, we rarely get snow in Mississippi, so the 7 - 8 inches we got in Tupelo is a big deal.  The city is shut down today, and our parish unfortunately had to cancel its Lenten luncheon.  Tupelo is a beautiful city with a lot of trees and greenery.  With the snow it takes on an even different beauty.  Here are photos of our parish offices, our rectory, our church, and our parish grounds.  Trying to catch up on things in the office this morning - snow days don't happen very often in Mississippi.  

Our parish cats our trying to figure out the snow




Our two parish cats - Mary and Blessing - are two very beloved members of our parish community.  They are very beloved by our parish staff and our parishioners alike.  They were scared to death of the snow yesterday - probably had never seen it before.  Today they are bit more inquisitive, but did not last very long outside.  



Monday, February 23, 2015

2/27/2015 – Friday of First week of Lent – Ezekiel 18:21-28

       Ezekiel brings forth the message of the Lord this afternoon as we near the end of this first full week of Lent.  Ezekiel tells us that the Lord does not delight when a wicked man stays in his wickedness and earns punishment; rather, the Lord delights when the wicked man turns his back on his evil ways and has a change of heart.   The Lord delights in the conversion of the sinner. There is a prayer called the Jesus prayer that states: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner.”  It is a prayer that is very popular in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and also is widespread in Western Catholicism.  It is believed that this prayer has its origins with the Desert Fathers in the Egyptian desert in the 5th century.  It has become popular in Western Christianity and in different Protestant denominations in the 20th century.  This short little prayer so succinctly says what so many Christians feel in their humble heart, how they place their sins before Jesus's mercy. 
     We hear this message from the prophet Ezekiel during the first week of Lent because Lent is all about changing our ways and turning back to God.  It is hard to break old habits and to reform our lives.  It is hard to break out of the chains of addictions, out of our laziness and complacency.  But that is what the Lord is calling us to do – to repent from our sins.  And he will rejoice when we are able to do so. 

2/26/2015 – Thursday of the first week of Lent – Matthew 7:7-12

      "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”   We hear this famous verse as a part of the Gospel reading from St Matthew this afternoon. When we see an image of a door as a symbol of our faith, we can picture that door either open or closed.  It can a door that is inviting us in or a door that closing us off from our faith.  In 2011, Pope Benedict wrote an apostolic letter Porta Fidei - The Door of Faith – a letter that declared the year of faith for us in the Catholic Church.  Pope Benedict declared that  “door of faith” is always open for us, that it ushers us into the life of communion with God and offers us entry into His Church.  He said that it is possible for us to cross the threshold of the door of faith when the word of God is proclaimed and our heart allows itself to be shaped by God’s transforming grace.  Pope Benedict said: To enter through the door of faith is to set out on a journey that lasts a lifetime.  However, sometimes we can be afraid to open the door of faith, can’t we?  Sometimes, we fear what will happen next in our lives.  Sometimes, it is difficult taking that first step or taking a risk.  The Lord tells us to knock at the door – we have to be willing to take that chance no matter how frightening it may seem. 

2/25/2015 – Wednesday of the 1st week of Lent – Jonah 3:1-10

      The Old Testament tale of Jonah is often thought of as a children's story complete with a whale & a great adventure.   However, there is a real message found in the book of Jonah, and this message gives us an opportunity to stretch our understanding of God & his salvation.  It doesn’t matter if the story of Jonah really happened or not – the truth contained in its message is what matters to us. Today, we hear about Jonah’s second call from God.  He responds to this call, but not very enthusiastically.  Jonah is called to go to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, the nation that had destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel and held the southern kingdom of Judah as a vassal state for almost one hundred years.  Assyria was a brutal occupying force that forever changed Israel's future.  We can imagine who difficult it is for Jonah to prophesy to the capital city of Israel’s enemy.
      We could berate and criticize Jonah for his little faith.  However, it might be more helpful for us to identify with Jonah for a moment rather than to criticize him, to empathize with the seemingly impossible mission to which God has called him.  Sometimes God gives us a calling that we don’t understand or that we think is impossible.  Sometimes we respond like Jonah did, getting into a boat, trying to escape  Perhaps we find it too difficult or too lonely to walk the way of our faith, since it can be so out of step from what is mainstream in our secular world.  Like Jonah, when we run away from God, we can find ourselves trapped in the belly of the whale, or out of touch with our calling from God, or distant from a sense of meaning and purpose if our life of faith.

       Let our Lenten journey wake us up from the ways we try to flee from God in our life of faith. 

2/23/2015 - Monday of the first week of Lent - Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18, Matthew 25:31-46

      Today's readings talk about God's laws and how we are judged and governed according to his law.  As I thought about today's readings, I reflected about all the different rules and regulations that govern our lives.   As Catholics, we not only have God's laws and commandments in Sacred Scripture, but we also have Canon Law that dictates a lot that happens in the Church, and for me personally, it dictates and controls a lot of what I do as a priest.  Even on my recent pilgrimage, there were a lot of rules and regulations.  There were times when the hostels closed and opened, times when we had to go to bed, rules regarding the bathrooms and the kitchens.  But sometimes we human beings think we are beyond the rules or beyond God.
       There is a story of when Napoleon was to be crowned emperor of France.  In France, the tradition was for the emperor to be anointed and consecrated by the Archbishop in the cathedral of Notre Dame in Reims.  However, Napoleon arranged for Pope Pius VII to preside over the coronation in 1804.  However, at the moment he was to be crowned, Napoleon took the crown from the hands of the pope and put it on his own head, crowning himself.  What a strong message he was sending the world – and that he was sending God as well!
        And while Leviticus shows Moses receiving laws from God to give to the people of Israel, gives us a new standard to be judged by: how we treat the prisoner, the poor, and our brothers and sisters who are hungry and thirsty.  God expects us to follow his laws and commandments.  And Jesus expects us to treat our brothers and sisters with love and compassion.  Are we getting the message?