Doors from the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain

Photo taken in January 2017.  

1st Sunday of Advent - Mass introductions and prayers of the faithful

Penitential rite and introduction to mass: 

Today, the season of Advent begins. During the first part of the season, the Church focuses us on the end times, when Christ will come in glory, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ. Now, let us call to mind our sins: 

Lord Jesus, you give the world hope - Lord have mercy. 

Christ Jesus, you help us grow in our faith - Christ have mercy. 

Lord Jesus, you prepare us for your return - Lord have mercy. 

Profession of faith:  As we prepare for the coming of the Lord in the beginning of our holy season of Advent, let us profess our faith.  

Prayers of the faithful:

(Priest) Because we believe God that will come to our help, we present our prayers to you as we prepare for the coming of your son: 

1. For believers everywhere who wait for the Lord’s coming, that this Advent season may help them prepare.

2. For all the people who look forward to the celebration of Christmas, that Christ’s words and values may find a place in their hearts. 

3. For those places in the world that are plagued by war, poverty and human suffering. For an end to terrorism and violence.  

4. For those who suffer from anxiety and mental illness, for those who are struggling with addictions, for all who are sick in mind or body, that they may know the Lord’s healing power.

5. For people trying to rebuild their lives after the experience of abuse or violence or the betrayal of trust, that they may know the intimate love of God, on whom they can rely. 

6. For all the members of this community who have died, that God’s light may shine on them and on all we have lost.

7. For the prayers that we hold in the silence of our hearts. 

(Priest) God of mercy, as you protect your people, we ask that you listen to our prayers, through Christ, our Lord for ever and ever.  

Examen de consciencia - Iglesia de San Judas Tadeo - Pearl Mississippi - Adviento 2017

Eso es un examen de consciencia, en la luz de una charla del Papa Francisco con los empleados del Vaticano en diciembre de 2014: 

Examen de consciencia: 

1.  Cuidar su vida espiritual, su relación con Dios. 

¿Soy un Cristiano que no se nutre con la oración y los sacramentos?

¿Estudio la Palabra de Dios?

2. Cuidar su vida familiar. 

¿Doy a mi familia el tiempo, el amor y la atención que necesita?

¿Me preocupo por sus necesidades cotidianas?

3. Curar las heridas del corazón con el aceite del perdón. 

¿He perdonado a quienes me han lastimado?

¿He pedido perdón a quienes he lastimado y he hecho lo posible por hacer

reparación?

4. Cuidar su manera de hablar. 

¿Necesito dejar de decir palabras ofensivas, vulgaridades y frases mundanas?

¿Chismorreo de los demás y digo verdades falsas?

5. Cuidar su trabajo. 

¿Trabajo con entusiasmo y pasión?

¿Soy lo suficientemente humilde para darle gracias a Dios por mis triunfos?

¿ Utilizo las habilidades y talentos que Dios me ha dado al servicio de los demás?

6. Cuidarse de la envidia, de la concupiscencia, el odio y los sentimientos negativos. 

¿Mis pensamientos y acciones son destructivas en mis relaciones, especialmente con los que amo?

¿Mis pensamientos destruyen mi paz interior?

¿Insulto, cuando sería mejor callarme?

¿Me rodeo de gente enojada o destructiva?

7. Cuidar de todos los que te necesitan … De esto vas a ser juzgado”.

¿Ayudo al débil, al enfermo, al anciano?

¿Defiendo al extranjero y al oprimido?

¿Doy de comer al hambriento y albergue a los que no tienen techo?

8.  Dejemos a un lado. 

La amargura que lleva a la venganza. 

La pereza que conduce a la eutanasia existencial. 

El señalar con el dedo que lleva a la soberbia. 

El quejarse que lleva a la desesperación. 

Acto de Contrición

Jesús, mi Señor y Redentor, yo me arrepiento de todos los pecados que he cometido hasta hoy, y me pesa de todo corazón, porque con ellos ofendí a un Dios tan bueno.

Propongo firmemente no volver a pecar y confío que por tu infinita misericordia me has de conceder el perdón de mis culpas y me has de llevar a la vida eterna. Amén

Blessing of the Advent Wreath - December 3 2017 - First Sunday in Advent

We ask God to bless our Advent wreath today as we light one candle on this first Sunday of Advent:

Let us pray: 

Heavenly Father, we praise you and we thank you for the gift of your Son.

You sent Jesus as a light to the nations, to reveal your light and love to a world that was darkened by sin.

Christ is our hope and our salvation.

He is Emmanuel. 

He is the promised Messiah.

He brings wisdom and peace to our troubled world.

Lord God, as we bless this wreath on this first Sunday of Advent, we ask that you also bless those who gaze upon its light in hopeful anticipation.

Come, Lord Jesus, come!

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen. 

Christ the King - November 26 2017 - quote from St John Chrysostom - You have become king and prophet

In baptism, you have become king and priest and prophet.  A king, in that you have dashed to earth all the deeds of wickedness and slain your sins.  A priest, in that you offer yourself to God, having sacrificed your body and being yourself slain also, "for if we died with him, we shall also live with him  (2 Timothy 2:11).  Prophet, knowing what shall be, and being inspired of God, and sealed.  For as upon soldiers a seal is imprinted, so upon the faithful the seal of the Holy Spirit is also imprinted.
St John Chrysostom

Examination of Conscience - from Pope Francis' talk to behind the scenes Vatican employees - Advent Reconciliation Service

EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE:

Back in December 2014, right before Christmas, Pope Francis met with the behind-the-scenes Vatican employees.  After thanking them for their dedication, he encouraged them to examine areas of their lives. The following words are adapted from his remarks.

Do I care for my spiritual life and my relationship with God?

1. Am I a Christian who is not nourished by prayer and the sacraments?

2. Do I study the Word of God?

Do I give care for my family life?

1. Do I give my family time, attention, and love?

2. Do I care for their daily needs?

Do I heal the wounds of the heart with the oil of forgiveness?

1.  Have I forgiven others who have hurt me?

2.  Have I said “I’m sorry” to those whom I have hurt and have I tried to make amends?

Do I watch how I speak?

1. Do I need to purify my everyday language from offensive words, vulgarities, and phrases used in the worldly decadence?

2. Do I gossip about others or tell false truths?

Do I care for my work?

1. Do I work with enthusiasm and passion?

2. Am I humble enough to thank the Lord for my accomplishments?

3. Do I use my God-given skills and talents in the service of others?

Do I avoid envy, lust, hatred, and negative feelings?

1.  Are my thoughts and actions destructive toward my relationships, especially with

those whom I love?

2.  Do my thoughts destroy my inner peace?

3.  Do I say insulting things when it would be better to remain silent?

4. Do I surround myself with angry or destructive people?

Do I reach out to those who need me, for this is how I will be judged. 

1.  Do I assist the weak, the elderly, the sick?

2.  Do I stand up for foreigners or for those who are oppressed?

3.  Do I feed the hungry and shelter the homeless?

Can I let go of:

1.  “The bitterness that brings us to revenge”

2.  “The laziness that leads to existential euthanasia”

3. “The finger-pointing that leads to pride”

4.  “The complaining that leads to despair”

Act of contrition:  O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven, and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend you, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of you grace,  to sin no more and avoid the near occasions of sin. Amen.

December 4 2017 – Advent reconciliation service – 1 John 1:5-2:2, John 12:31-36, Psalm 27 -

     Light is a common theme in all of our readings today.  As we come together to celebrate our Advent reconciliation service as a part of our period of preparation, let us reflect upon how we light the candles on the Advent wreath to mark the passing of the days during this holy season of preparation.  When we finally reach Christmas, we see lights displayed everywhere – on Christmas trees, and lighting up houses and windows.  These lights represent the reality that Christ was born as a baby in a manger in Bethlehem in order to be the light of the world.

       The light of Christ enters our lives when we are baptized, and we are symbolically given a baptismal candle that is lighted from the Easter candle to represent the light of Christ that enters our lives.  At the Easter vigil mass, the entire Church is lit up with candles lit from that same pascal candle as a wonderful sign of the light of Christ we are called to be as the Church and as followers of Jesus. 

       Yet, when we sin, when darkness enters our lives, when the relationships we have with God and with others are broken or strained, the light of Christ is diminished in our lives.  The Sacrament of Reconciliation is here to help us restore that light.

       This season of preparation during Advent is very busy in many ways.  In a few weeks, our students will be winding down the semester, being involved with many different exams and activities. Adults are not only caught up in the busy nature of their daily lives, but in the busy holiday activities as well.  However, Advent is also a time of conversion and preparation, a time when we can look at our life of faith in a fresh and new way.  May we see the holy season of Advent and our Advent reconciliation service today as a holy time of renewal for us, a time where the light of Christ can be celebrated in our lives, a light that will take away the darkness, a light that will signify the strong presence that Christ and the Church have in our lives.

       In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells us to keep faith in the light while we have the light, that we may become sons and daughters of the light.  May the healing and grace that we receive from the sacrament of reconciliation reinforce our identity as sons and daughters of the light.  May we bring this light to others. 

Readings for Advent Reconciliation Service - December 4 2017 - St Jude Catholic Church - Pearl Mississippi

A reading from the first letter of John

(1John 1:5-10)

      Now this is the message that we have heard from him and proclaim to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.  If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” while we continue to walk in darkness, we lie and do not act in truth.  But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin.  If we say, “We are without sin,” we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing.   If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 

      My children, I am writing this to you so that you may not commit sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one.  He is expiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world.

The Word of the Lord

Psalm 27

Response: The Lord is my light and my salvation.

The Lord is my light and my salvation;

 whom shall I fear?

The Lord is my life’s refuge;

 of whom shall I be afraid? 

Response: The Lord is my light and my salvation.

One thing I ask of the Lord,

 this I seek:

To dwell in the house of the Lord

 all the days of my life,

That I may gaze on the loveliness of the Lord

 and contemplate his temple. 

Response: The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Hear, O Lord, the sound of my call;

 have pity on me, and answer me.

Your presence, O Lord, I seek.

 Hide not your face from me. 

Response: The Lord is my light and my salvation.

I believe that I shall see the bounty of the Lord

 in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord with courage;

 be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord. 

Response: The Lord is my light and my salvation.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John

(John 31-36)

      Jesus said to his disciples:  “Now is the time of judgment on this world; now the ruler of this world* will be driven out.  And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.”  He said this indicating the kind of death he would die.  So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever. Then how can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?”  Jesus said to them, “The light will be among you only a little while. Walk while you have the light, so that darkness may not overcome you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where he is going.  While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of the light.” 

The Gospel of the Lord 

Pope's message for peace - January 1 2018

Yesterday, Pope Francis announce his theme for the world day of prayer for peace on January 1, 2018.  I remembering hearing the message from Pope Benedict XVI when I was in Rome with a group of youth from St Richard on January 1, 2011.  

This year's message for peace is entitled:  Migrants and Refugees: Men and Women in search of Peace.   Pope Francis offers heartfelt good wishes for peace in this message, inviting people of good will to embrace those fleeing war, hunger and persecution.

The message also poses the question: Why are there so many migrants and refugees in our world today? Pope Francis answers this by considering the many conflicts that force people to leave their homelands, but he notes also the desire for a better life for them and their families.

The Holy Father notes that some people consider the growth in migration as a threat..  But, he responds: “For my part, I ask you to view it with confidence, as an opportunity to build peace.”

Pope Francis - Prayer intentions for the month of November 2017

Pope Francis' prayer intention for this month is for evangelization:  To witness to the Gospel in Asia.  Pope Francis prays that Christians in Asia, bearing witness to the Gospel in word and deed, may promote dialogue, peace, and mutual understanding, especially with those of other religions.  

Morning offering - to our Mother Mary

Our Diocese of Jackson has been consecrated to Mary.  I found this morning offering that I found to be very appropriate: 

O Jesus, 
through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, 
I offer you my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day
for the intentions of your sacred heart. 
In union with the sacrifice that we offer in the holy Mass, 
we make reparations for our sins. 
We offer intentions for our needs and the needs of the world. 
May you bless all my words and actions of this day:
the sights I see, the sounds I hear, the experiences I have.  
Amen. 

December 10 2017 – Homily for the Second Sunday of Advent - Cycle B – Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11, Mark 1:1-8

        The prophets cry out to us today on this 2nd Sunday of Advent.  Yet, we have to make space for the voices of John the Baptist and Isaiah in our lives, in the midst of our cell phone calls, text messages, and emails.  Our modern world is full of many voices, many messages, a lot of noise.  There are many so-called prophets out there, many voices calling out, but what are we to believe, and how is God going to get his message through in the midst of all of this? 

         Several years ago, I read an article in The Globe and Mail, a Canadian newspaper, bemoaning the fact that so few Canadian college students have knowledge of the Bible.  College professors in Canada used to take for granted that their students had such knowledge, that it united them together, that the Bible was a natural part of the general conversation of society.  But that's no longer true.  The professors can make a comment about the Bible, or there can be symbolism or a storyline in a work of literature that connects to a biblical reference, but nowadays, most students would not recognize that. This shows that often the message of Christianity in our world can get lost in the midst of everything else.

         We hear the voice of John the Baptist each year during Advent.  Today, his cry comes from the first verses of Mark's Gospel.  John is the messenger that foreshadows Jesus’ coming into the world.  John cries out in the desert wilderness as a strange figure wearing clothing made out of camel’s hair, eating locusts and honey.  He calls the people to repent and to be baptized in the river Jordan in acknowledgement of their sins.  If we met John the Baptist today in Pearl, we’d probably label him a crazy person.  We probably wouldn’t listen to his message.

         Advent is a very unique time of the year.  The purple color of this season tells us that it is a time of repentance and renewal.  While we hear Christmas carols on the radio already this time of the year, and while we see Christmas trees and lights all over the place, we don’t see Christmas decorations up yet in our church.  John the Baptist tells us that the journey through Advent is a stark journey through the desert that recalls the real encounter that the Israelites had with God as they journeyed through the desert to the promised land.  The desert is a difficult, forbidding place that recalls the brokenness and the lack of faith that the Israelites had on their journey.  However, John the Baptist isn’t wanting to scare us.  It’s the opposite.  We’re led into the desert as a place of renewal and hope, where cleansing, reflection and conversion can take place.  We are to be comforted by this message in the midst of our struggles and brokenness.

          As we listen to the voices of John and Isaiah this morning, we're also called to listen to the message of the modern prophets that God sends to the world today.  I recently stumbled upon an article telling the story of a nun in the country of India named Sister Valsa John.  She’d been working in a small village in India where a coal mining company forced the poor off their land, giving them little compensation in return.  The Indian government's eagerness to promote jobs and income ignored the rights of the poor. This nun in fact helped fight for compensation for the poor who were fighting for their rights, but the company failed to adhere to the agreement they reached. She removed herself from this community for several years due to death threats made against her. When she finally visited the village again, she was beaten to death by a group of men who invaded the home where she was staying.  For me, Sister Valsa John is a true prophet in our modern world. She proclaims Christ's Gospel with her life and her work, making a path for the Lord in our secular world.  We need to listen to the prophets that God sends to the world, to heed their call for justice and peace, to practice the values that they teach us in our own lives. 

         Just how are we making a path for the Lord in our own lives in this busy season of preparation?  How and we listening to the prophets?  And how are we being prophetic ourselves?

December 8 2017 - Friday - Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception – Luke 1:26-38

    The Immaculate Conception is a solemnity that perhaps is not in our spiritual conscience as much as it should be, even though it's the patronal feast of our country and a holy day of obligation on our liturgical calendar.   Many devout Catholics think that this celebration is about how Jesus was immaculately conceived in his mother’s womb, but this celebration is really about how Mary herself was immaculately conceived in the womb of her mother, St Anne.  Pope Pius IX declared the Immaculate Conception to be dogma in the year 1854, emphasizing the long-held Catholic belief that Mary herself was conceived without original sin. The origins of this feast go back to the eastern Church in the 7th century.  In many ways, the tradition of the Immaculate Conception and its theology can be traced directly to the piety of the faithful themselves and what the Catholics in the pews have believed about Mary throughout the centuries.

     The Angel Gabriel declares Mary to be “full of grace,” as Mary receives all the special divine graces she needs to fulfill her task as the Mother of our Lord.  All the words the Angel declares to Mary is in relationship to her role as the Mother of Christ.  Thus, Pope Pius IX is able to declare that the graces given to Mary were in consideration of the merits of Christ.  We can believe without any doubt that Mary, too, was saved by the sacrifice of her Son, but that this salvation was worked out retroactively to be in effect even at the moment of her conception. The Church always emphasizes that Mary never points to herself, but always brings us to her Son. The same could be said about the Immaculate conception that we celebrate today, how this special celebration points us to Christ. 

      Our society today sees so many things as disposable, even people.  In fact, I heard the United States described as a “Walmart society” – if we don’t want something we just return it or throw it away.  What a wonderful witness of faith we have in the Virgin Mary.  Perhaps this is why the example of her life and the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception are needed even more so in our modern world.   When even the greatest prophets of Ancient Israel, prophets such as Jeremiah, Moses, and Isaiah, responded to their call with trembling and fear, Mary trusted completely in God's word without knowing all of the consequences of her decision.  Mary doesn't try to work out the best and worst case scenarios of God's calling for her, she doesn't go through a decision-making analysis like a manager in the business world. She instead relates to God with her whole being, making her decision out of her relationship with God with love and integrity.  She responds to God through the Angel Gabriel: “May it be done to me according to your Word.” 

      May we rejoice in Mary as the Mother of our Savior and the Mother of the Church in her response to being open to God's will in her life.   As Mary points us to her Son, may we prepare a place in our hearts for God's revelation in Christ during these days we have left in Advent.  As Mary went beyond her personal one-on-one relationship with God in her life and in her call, may our relationship with God lead us to a more profound commitment to our world and to our brothers and sisters.   As we prepare for the birth of Christ, how will God's presence through his birth make us more profoundly present in our world?

December 7 2017 - reflection on St Ambrose - Thursday of the 1st week of Advent - Matthew 7:21, 24-27

      St Ambrose, the Bishop of Milan, was one of the most influential Church leaders in the 4th century, right after Christianity was officially recognized in the Roman empire. Ambrose battled the Arian heresy and the cruelty of the Roman emperors in order to help our faith survive and be passed down to us.  Along with St Augustine, St Gregory the Great, and St Jerome, Ambrose was named one of the original doctors of the Church in 1298, quite an honor, showing how important a leader he was in the Early Church.  Ambrose was the Bishop of Milan at the time of St Augustine’s conversion to Christianity.  They were dear friends, with Ambrose having had considerable influence on Augustine’s journey of faith.  Tradition holds that Ambrose baptized Augustine into Christianity.  Here is a wonderful quote from St Ambrose: “Let your door stand open to receive Him, unlock your soul to Him, offer Him a welcome in your mind, and then you will see the riches of simplicity, the treasures of peace, the joy of grace. Throw wide the gate of your heart, stand before the sun of the everlasting light.”

       The solid rock that Jesus talks about in the Gospel today is reflected in Ambrose and the Early Church Fathers and the Doctors of the Church who have built upon that strong foundation of Jesus’ words.  So many times we can tear down the foundation that Jesus has built.  Like Ambrose, let us try to build and reinforce, rather than tear down.  

12/6/2014 – The feast of St Nicholas – Wednesday of the first week of Advent - Isaiah 25:6-10A

     Today we celebrate the feast of St Nicholas, an important symbol for us of our Advent journey.  St Nicholas was the inspiration for the figure of Santa Claus in our modern celebrations of the Christmas season.   But who exactly was St Nicholas?   He was born in the small village of Patara on the southern coast of Turkey. He was born to a wealthy family and was raised as a Christian, but his parents died from an epidemic when he was young.   He inherited quite a large inheritance, but walking in the footsteps of those humble disciples who were sent out to be missionaries in today’s Gospel, Nicholas used his whole inheritance to help the sick and the poor.  He became well-known in his native land for his generosity, for his love for children, and his dedication to sailors and those who made their livelihood from the sea.  He became a bishop in the city of Myra when he was still a young man.  During the time he was bishop, the Roman Emperor Diocletian ushered in the era of the worst persecution of Christians in the Early Church.  Nicholas was exiled and sent to prison with many other bishops, priests, and deacons.  After his release from prison, he became an influential attendee of the Council of Nicea in the year 325. In fact, legend has it is that he was so impassioned in the discussion that took place about Jesus’ true divinity and true humanity at that council that he got into a fistfight with Arius, a priest from Alexandria Egypt, for whom the heresy Arianism is named.  Nicholas died on December 6 in 346, hence the date for his feast that we celebrate today.   

       We know that many different legends and stories have been told about St Nicholas, that he has become this iconic symbol of Christmas.  However, for us Christians, he is a great example for us during the Advent season, of how he became a protector of the poor and a helper of those in need.  As we hear Isaiah’s well-known vision of the banquet God has a prepared for us in our eternal life with him, may we prepare for this banquet with a life of service, of justice, and of mercy in the spirit of St Nicholas.  

December 5 2017 – Homily for Tuesday, 1st week Advent – Isaiah 11:1-10

    We hear from the prophet Isaiah today, as we often do during Advent. Isaiah prophecies bring a message foreshadowing and foretelling the coming of Christ into our world.  Today, Isaiah foretells of a new king who will be guided by the Spirit of the Lord, a king who will sit on the throne of David.  He won't be just any king, but a judge without peer.  This king will bring new possibilities to the governance of Ancient Israel and in the justice that is to be lived out in that nation.  Biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann describes Isaiah's vision as the birth of a new innocence in creation, in which trust, gentleness, and friendship are not only possible, but are appropriate.

      Isaiah uses imagery that appeals to our imagination.  He describes a peace so profound in all of creation that the wolf will live alongside the lamb, the leopard will exist together with the baby goat, the calf and lion will live together, and all of these animals will be led by a small child. All these things would be unthinkable in the "normal" order of things in our world. 

       If we really believe in the peace that Jesus could bring into our lives and into all of creation through his birth, think of what a different place our world would be.  While this vision appeals to our imagination, it is so different from the reality of creation today, where wolves eat lambs, leopards devour baby goats, and little children wouldn't stand a chance in the presence of wild beasts, let alone leading them anywhere.

       Isaiah's vision may seem absurd in the brokenness of the world.  There is certainly a fine line between hope and absurdity.  The reality of our world can often destroy hope.  Yet, hope is exactly what we have in Isaiah's message in this season of Advent.  Jesus, from the branch of Jesse, from the lineage of David, is the source of peace and hope.  It is a hope that is to bring us wisdom and understanding.  

       God's hope transforms the impossible into reality.  The shoot that Isaiah describes has the power to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.  New life comes into our world.  We see the promise of God's kingdom in Isaiah’s message as we long for the coming of Christ's birth into our world, as we long for the fulfillment of that kingdom. 

       May the Lord of justice and mercy bring us strength and wisdom as we await the coming of his Son.  May we find peace in the painful situations that confront us in our lives, until that time when God’s eternal peace comes here on earth. 

December 4 2017 – Monday of the first 1st week Advent - Homily – Isaiah 2:1-5

        Today, we begin our first weekday mass in the holy season of Advent.  We start our preparations for the coming of Jesus’ birth into the world at Christmas.  On this first daily mass in the season of Advent, we hear a profound message from the prophet Isaiah issuing a challenge for world peace.  This message is addressed to all of us, not just the powerful, or the rich, or the leaders.  Isaiah uses the image of swords being beaten into plowshares.  The plowshares symbolize the hard work that it takes to feed the hungry. Farmers in the modern world don’t use plowshares anymore, but they work very hard to put food on our table.  On another level, we can interpret this message that Isaiah brings as an admonition to care for the neediest amongst us in our society.  If you look at the central message of the prophets in Ancient Israel in the Old Testament, it is that God will judge his people by how they care for the neediest in society.  For Israel, this was the widow, the orphan, and the stranger in their midst. 

      Pope Paul VI put this message into other words for us to ponder: “If you want peace, work for justice.”  With a lot of people still struggling in the global economy, with the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer not only in our country but all over the world, working for justice is just as important today as it was in Isaiah’s day.  We cannot let Isaiah’s admonition fall on deaf ears.

        As we enter the season of Advent, this is the perfect time of year to try to do that.  We all can try to heal the anger and resentment that resides in our hearts, to mend the ruptures in our relationships that exist. If all of us try to change our small corners of the world even modestly, if we all try to articulate a message of peace and justice, to speak out against the culture of death in our modern world, we may have the power to realize the vision of Isaiah more than we can ever imagine.

Feast of Christ the King - Mass introductions and prayers of the faithful - November 26 2017

Introduction to penitential rite: 

Today we celebrate the feast of Christ the King. At the end of time, this king will come in glory to judge the living and the dead. He will ask how we treated the hungry and thirsty, the stranger, the naked, those sick and in prison.  As we prepare ourselves to honor Christ the King in our mass today, let us call to mind the times we failed in love. 

Lord Jesus, we will follow you, for you are our king - Lord have mercy. 

Christ Jesus, we believe in you, for you are the truth and the way - Christ have mercy. 

Lord Jesus, we receive you, for you bring us new life.  Lord have mercy. 

May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to ever lasting life.  Amen.  

Introduction to the Creed:  Honoring Christ as our Good Shepherd and our king, let us profess our faith in him: 

Prayers of the faithful:

Priest:  Let us present our prayers to God, as we celebrate Christ as our King and the shepherd who cares for all the flock:

1.  For those in leadership roles in the Church, including Pope Francis and Bishop Joseph Kopacz -  that they may show the kindness and sensitivity of the Good Shepherd. 

2. For leaders of governments and nations, that they may work for justice and truth. 

3. That we always give a warm welcome to the poor, the refugee, the immigrant, and the stranger in our midst.  

4. For our brothers and sisters in prison, for our sick and shut-ins, and for those who are struggling with addiction, depression, and mental illness: that we may not forget our duty to care for them and their families, that we may never forget to show them love and compassion. 

5. For those who have passed beyond this world. For those departed loved ones who we pray for during this month of remembrance.  

6. For the prayers we hold in the silence of our hearts.  

Priest:  Loving God, caring shepherd, as you look after us at every moment of our lives, we ask that you hear the prayers that we make, in trust and faith, through Jesus Christ, our Lord for ever and ever. Amen

Misas en Español - Masses in Spanish - St Jude Catholic Church - Pearl, Mississippi

Celebración de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe

Sábado - el 16 de diciembre - 7:00 pm

el rosario a las 7:00 - después la misa, los danzantes, y pan y chocolate 

Celebración de la Noche Buena - Navidad

Domingo - el 24 de diciembre - 8:00 pm

Celebración del Año Nuevo y María, la Madre de Dios

Domingo - el 31 de diciembre - 6:00 pm

después de la misa - fiesta para las familias

las misas dominicales van a empezar el 7 de enero de 2018

1:00 de la tarde - misa cada domingo empezando en enero 2018

Iglesia Católica de St Jude (San Judas Tadeo)

399 Barrow Street, Pearl, Mississippi 39208

Padre Lincoln Dall, Párroco

Se habla español

Teléfono - 601-939-3181 

St Martin of Tours Catholic Church - Hazelhurst, Mississippi

A couple of weeks ago, I had the honor of celebrating the Spanish mass at the Catholic Church in Hazelhurst, Mississippi, about 45 minutes from my home parish of St Jude in Pearl, Mississippi.  This Catholic community was established in 1881.  What a sweet community it is.  I look forward to going back for the celebrating of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12.  

Thank you for the shrimp and grits

Due to a funeral and graveside blessing here last Sunday at our parish, I was unable to attend the Knights of Columbus meeting.  They had some shrimp and grists waiting for me when I got back.  This is probably my favorite dish here in the South.  I calculate that I have spent more time in the state of Mississippi (14 years) than the years I spent growing up in Illinois and California and any of the other places I have lived (which included, Quito, Ecuador; Borbon, Ecuador, Thies, Senegal; Kassa Island, Guinea; Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada;  High Level, Alberta, Canada; St Albert, Alberta, Canada; Robstown, Texas; LaGrange Park, Illinois; Chicago, Illinois; Santa Ana, California; Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Willowick, Ohio; and Franklin, Wisconsin.)  That is a long list!  

St Mary Catholic Church - Yazoo City - photos

I recently celebrated a wedding at St Mary Catholic Church in Yazoo City, Mississippi on the fringes of the Mississippi Delta.  I served as pastor at St Mary from October 2010 to February 2013.  What a blessing it was to serve in that historic community in our Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi.  A part of my heart will always be in that parish.  I always love visiting that community.  The photos do not do justice to the beauty of that beautiful building.  

St John Chyrsostom - Who is rich and who is poor?

     Today, we celebrate Thanksgiving, and we have much for which we give thanks.  However, there is also a big discussion in our country about the rich and the poor.  Who has access to health care?  Who is eligible for food stamps?  Who can afford to go to college, or to pay rent for a nice apartment or afford to buy a car?  The gap between the wealthiest in the country and the rest of the population is getting bigger and bigger.  The average income of the top 1% in our country, which is more than $1.1 million in income per year, is more than 25 times what the average that rest of the 99% of the population earns - about $45,500 per year.   In some cities in California, rent for the average apartment is more than $3,500 per month.  How can a working class person afford that?  
     In the discussion of who is rich and who is poor, I came across these thoughts of St John Chrysostom, one of our important Early Church Fathers and a Doctor of the Church. He looks at who is rich and who is poor in a different way through the lens of our faith.   It gave me a lot to reflect upon.   According to a homily given by Early Church Father St John Chrystostom, the rich man is not the one who has collected many possessions, but rather the one who needs no possessions.  The poor man is not the one who has no possessions, but the one who has many desires.  If we see someone who is greedy for many things, we should consider him the poorest of all, even if he has acquired a great deal of money.  Yet, if we see someone with few needs, we should count him the richest of all, even if he has acquired no material possessions at all.  Just as we would not not call a person healthy who was always thirsty, even if he enjoyed abundance and lived by rivers and springs, the same standard should be given in the way we perceive someone as wealthy. Some is not healthy if they are always desiring someone else’s property. If one cannot control his own greed, even if he has wealth in extreme abundance, how can he ever be perceived as affluent?  According to St John Chrysostom, those who are satisfied with what they have, who are please with their own possessions, even if they are the poorest of all by the material standards of our secular world, they are really the richest of all by the lens of faith.  Don’t these views of St John Chrysostom give us a lot to ponder?  

Penitential Rite and Prayers of the faithful - Thanksgiving Day -

Penitential rite:

Lord Jesus - you call us to have grateful hearts - Lord have mercy. 

Christ Jesus - you call to open our hearts to your will - Christ have mercy. 

Lord Jesus - you give us many blessings - Lord have mercy. 

Prayers of the faithful: 

Celebrant: With grateful hearts and with confidence in God’s constant care for us, we place our needs before him:

1. In gratitude for God’s loving care, we pray that he that he will guide our Holy Father, Pope Francis, our Bishop of the Diocese of Jackson, Joseph Kopacz, and all of our Church leaders, we pray to the Lord. 

2. In gratitude for our nation, we pray God’s help for our President and all our national, state and local elected officials, we pray to the Lord. 

3. In gratitude for our family and friends, we pray God’s blessing upon them today – especially those most in need of God’s assistance at this moment, we pray to the Lord. 

4. In gratitude for the gifts of health and material blessings, we pray for those who do not have these gifts, that God may aid them, that we might mutually support one another, we pray to the Lord. 

5. In gratitude for our loved ones who have gone before us, that God might grant them eternal life in his presence, we pray to the Lord. 

6. In silence we recall our personal personal in the recesses of our hearts (pause) we pray to the Lord. 

Celebrant: Loving Father, on this Thanksgiving Day, we present our prayers through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, forever and ever. 

funeral homily - Devin Berlin - 19 November 2017 - St Jude Catholic Church - Pearl Mississippi

Readings 
Wisdom 3:1-9
Psalm 23
Romans 8:31b-35, 37-39
Matthew 11:25-30

        The Lord calls out to us today in the midst of our sadness and our grief, as our funeral liturgy commemorates Devin's entry into eternal life today.  "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want."  We hear these comforting words from the 23rd psalm today, of a Lord and a Savior who guides us through life with the loving care that a shepherd gives to his sheep.  And after our Lord leads us and guides us, accompanying us through the ups and downs of life, he leads us to refreshing waters at the end our of journey.  This is the Lord who is at Devin's side today. 
       Then, from the Book of Wisdom, we hear about the commonly held belief in the ancient world, of how many think that all life ceases to exist when our earthly life comes to an end.  The Book of Wisdom, written in the great Greek center of scholarship and learning of Alexandria, Egypt, reflected this belief expounded by Greek learning and philosophy that so many held several centuries before the birth of Christ. It is a belief that so many in our modern world hold today.  Held, the Book of Wisdom as states the belief of our faith: that the souls of the just and the righteous are in the hands of God at the end of their journey here on earth, where no torment shall touch them.   As Jesus tells us in the Gospel, as who are burdened down on our journey, as we labor through life, we can turn to him to find rest.  
      Devin who known by his family and friends for the great love he had for them.  An outgoing young man, Devin never met a stranger.  A warm person, Devin had many close friends.  He lived life passionately, to the fullest, never doing anything halfway.  His zeal for life extended into the passion he had for his newly found profession of selling real estate.  He had earned his real estate license and was eager to make a new start in his life.  
      In the prayer for the vigil service the evening before a funeral, it states that the ties of love and affection that we forge here on earth do not unravel with an earthly death - they still remain.  Devin's faith and his love of God, his love for his family and friends, are testimony to his spirit that will still live on.   
      St Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus, reminds me of Devin in a lot of ways.  He was a very passionate young man who lived life to its fullest.  He was very tenacious and loyal.  He had ups and downs in life as a young man.  But Ignatius taught that we are to see God in all things, in our joys and our sufferings, in our ups and our downs, in the lived, raw reality of our lives.  In the joys the Devin had, and in his struggles as well, God was there in that reality.  
      I think of Mary today.  Mary is the sorrowful mother, as she saw her son die on a cross.  Mary was the dutiful disciple, believing in her son as he traveled through his journey of life.  Yet, Mary, still had to ponder all these things in her heart in order to make sense of them.  We, too, are in shock and sadness and grief, trying to make sense of the life of Devin cut short.   So many of us are in shock right now.  Even in our faith, we wonder if this makes sense.  Yet, God will meet us in this reality as we ponder it in our hearts. 
       Devin, our love and prayers are lifted up for you today.  You are in our hearts.  

Mass Schedule - St Jude Catholic Church - Pearl Mississippi - Thanksgiving Week

I love this quote from Meister Eckhardt, a German Dominican priest who lived in the 13th and 14th centuries.  He was a mystic, theologian, and philosopher.  

This week we give thanks to the Lord in many different ways as we celebrate Thanksgiving. Daily Masses this week at St Jude Catholic Church in Pearl, Mississippi are as follows:

Tuesday and Wednesday (Nov 21 and 22) - 6 pm.

Thursday - Thanksgiving day - 10 am.

Friday - (Nov 24) - 10 am.

Blessings to all of you on Thanksgiving.