Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth - May 31 - my ordination to the priesthood

       Eleven years ago today, on May 31 on the feast of the Visitation of Mary to her Cousin Elizabeth, I was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Jackson.  Since then, I have served in four different assignments as associate pastor and pastor, I have served as the interim director of finance for the diocese, and am now getting ready to assume my new duties as Vicar General.  It has been an amazing journey for me.  I still remember the day I was ordained, as I kneeled before Bishop Joseph Latino and pledged my obedience to him and his successors.  
        I have a copy of this painting hanging up in my office. I saw the original in the Prado museum in Madrid, Spain.  It was drawn by the famous Spanish master painter Raphael and was painted by one of his assistants.  It is dated around the year 1517.  I have fond memories of my six pilgrimages to Spain.  I leave the United States on June 24 to travel to Spain for the spiritual exercises of Ignatius of Loyola in his hometown of Loyola.  I am very grateful for my opportunity to serve God and his people as a priest.  

16 de junio de 2019 – La Santísima Trinidad – Juan 16:12-15

    Hoy, con mucho gozo en nuestros corazones, celebramos la Solemnidad de la Santísima Trinidad. La Trinidad es un misterio de nuestra fe, es un imagen fundamental de nuestra comprensión de Dios, pero es algo muy difícil para describir y entender.  En verdad, la Trinidad de Dios vive en nosotros como una realidad concreta. San Gregorio de Nisa, escribió mucho sobre la Trinidad en el siglo cuatro; él dice que “el santo Bautismo se nos imparte la gracia de la

inmortalidad por la fe en el Padre y en el Hijo y en el Espíritu Santo.”  Conocemos mucho sobre Dios y sobre la Santísima Trinidad, pero, en su realidad, la Trinidad es un misterio de la fe.  El misterio de la Santísima Trinidad es el punto de partida de toda la verdad revelada de nuestra fe cristiana y es la base de donde procede la vida divina en nuestro mundo con nosotros. En verdad, podemos declarar sin duda que somos hijos del Padre, que somos hermanos y seguidores del Hijo – nuestro Salvador y nuestro Redentor – y que caminamos continuamente en nuestro camino de fe con el Espíritu Santo como nuestro guía espiritual, como la presencia del amor y de la misericordia de Dios en nuestro mundo. En nuestra celebración de la Trinidad este domingo después de la temporada de Pascua, podemos celebrar también la filiación divina que tenemos en la Trinidad, que esta filiación nos hacemos templos vivos de esta misma Trinidad aquí en la tierra.

      Con la gracia de la Santísima Trinidad como un don de nuestra fe,  podemos ser partícipes de la fuerza vivificante que tenemos en ella.  A partir de la muerte que tenemos al fin de nuestro camino aquí en la tierra, somos reengendrados en la vida eterna. Por la fe y la vida que tenemos en la Trinidad, somos seres dignos de esta gracia de Dios y en la salvación que tenemos en El.  Somos imperfectos en la manera que vivimos en el mundo, somos imperfectos en nuestra condición humana, pero en el bautismo de salvación en la Santísima Trinidad, somos seres nuevos y tenemos una vida nueva en ella. En el misterio de nuestro segundo nacimiento en las aguas del bautismo,  podemos obtener la plenitud en el nombre del Padre y del Hijo solo con la presencia del Espíritu Santo en nuestra vida y en nuestro mundo.  Por eso, tenemos nuestra esperanza y nuestra confianza en la salvación de nuestras almas en las tres personas de Trinidad, que conocemos en los nombres del Padre, del Hijo, y del Espíritu Santo.

      Termino mi homilía con una oración a la Santísima Trinidad por el Papa Juan Pablo Segundo – “Bendito seas, Padre, que en tu infinito amor nos has dado a tu Unigénito Hijo, hecho carne por obra del Espíritu Santo en el seno purísimo de la Virgen María, y nacido en Belén hace ahora dos mil años. Él se ha hecho nuestro compañero de viaje y ha dado nuevo significado a la historia, que es un camino hecho juntos, en el trabajo y en el sufrimiento, en la fidelidad y en el amor, hacia aquellos cielos nuevos y hacia aquella tierra nueva, en la que Tú, vencida la muerte, serás todo en todos.  AMEN.”

16 June 2019 - Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity - John 16:12-15

     Think about some experience you had that was complex and multi-faceted. It may be you a trip or adventure you took, or the years you spent in high school or college, or a long time at a job.  I think about one of my missionary experiences, either in Ecuador or in Canada or in South Texas.  Those experiences were both full of joys and heartache, full of challenges and struggles, full of growth and setbacks.  It is really difficult for me to describe one those experiences in all its complexities and nuances.  I about think this on the weekend that we celebrate the Most Holy Trinity.  A lot of Catholic priests start out a homily for today’s solemnity by stating that the Trinity is a mystery of our faith and that it is impossible to completely comprehend  in all its complexity.  How do we even begin to talk about the Trinity?  In fact, the Catechism of the Catholic Church very boldly states:  “The mystery of the Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life.”

      Imagine being an member of the Early Church.  Some people in Ancient Israel thought Jesus was a great teacher, or a great proclaimer of God’s Kingdom, and perhaps he is even the Messiah.  But Jesus as the incarnation of the eternal God?  Or as the Second person of a Trinity of God?  What does that mean?  This would all seem illogical or beside the point.  Indeed, the word Trinity does not appear in Sacred Scripture, but there does appear the mention that there are three distinct entities – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – that are equally divine, yet comprising one God.  We hear Jesus invoking the Father in the Gospel today as he talks about sending the Holy Spirit to us to help lead us to the truth after he’s gone. The term Trinity was coined in the Early Church and this theological concept of the Trinity was fleshed out and developed. 

      The Trinity does matter to us today. We participate in the life of the Trinity.  Gregory of Nyssa from the 4th century who wrote a lot about the Trinity, stated that “holy baptism imparts to us the grace of eternal life because of our faith in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”

      So, what are some things that we can take away from our celebration of the Holy Trinity?  First of all, the Trinity does matter, because Christianity is more than following God’s laws and attending church.  As disciples of Christ in a relationship with God, who God is really matters.  Our Creator, who is a Trinity of divine persons, invites us into an intimate relationship with him. 

     Second, since God is the most perfect expression of love, it make sense that God is not solitary but rather a community of 3 persons who pour out themselves in love for one another. The love of the Trinity is the model of perfect love for us.   The spiritual and corporal works of mercy are some of the ways we can live out the love of the Holy Trinity in our daily lives.

      Third, there is both unity and diversity in the Trinity.  We are called to live in that same spirit of unity and diversity of our own faith community.  The Trinity is indivisible, it cannot be divided, yet at the same time it is composed of three different persons – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  This unity in diversity of the Trinity invites each one of us with our own gifts and personalities to participate in its divine life. 

       Finally, we can say that many of our Christian concepts of morality flow directly from the Trinity. Before Christianity, the philosophies of Greece and Rome did not have the concept of the uniqueness and dignity of each individual person, for in the doctrine of the Trinity, we see three unique persons who possess the same exact divine nature, but who are irreplaceable in the uniqueness of their personhood.  It is then ironic but not surprising that as many in the West abandon their belief in the Triune God, we undermine the foundations of personal dignity and many of the freedoms that we held so dear for generations.  Yes, the Trinity does indeed matter today.

2 de junio de 2019 - La Ascensión de nuestro Señor Jesucristo - Hechos de los Apóstoles 1:1-11

      Hoy, celebramos con la Iglesia universal la Ascensión del Señor, pero, tal vez preguntamos sobre el motivo de esta fiesta.  Por supuesto, después de la resurrección de Cristo, los discípulos de nuestro Señor, quisieron tener su presencia visible siempre con nosotros.

         Pero, ¿qué significa esta palabra “Ascensión”? No utilizamos esta palabra frecuentemente en las conversaciones diarias.   La Ascensión de Jesús no es solo una ascensión física donde él pasa de un espacio a otro espacio. Podemos decir que es una intensificación de la presencia del Señor en nuestra realidad, comprendiendo que él no nos abandona después de la resurrección.

         Hoy el Evangelio nos da un resumen sencillo de los grandes misterios de nuestra fe. Dice que el Mesías tenía que morir, que resucitaría al tercer día y que en su nombre, que su mensaje vivirá cuando anunciamos su mensaje a todas las naciones. Su muerte y resurrección consiguieron el perdón de los pecados – son los misterios que celebramos en este tiempo pascual.

         Con esta celebración de la Ascensión, tal vez, preguntamos: ¿Dónde está Jesús entonces, en el cielo o en la tierra?  La respuesta es sencilla: en el cielo, por supuesto, pero también, dentro de cada uno de nosotros. Es lo mismo que ocurre en la Misa: mientras la hostia está fuera de nosotros, la vemos, la adoramos; cuando la recibimos y comulgamos no la vemos más, ha desaparecido, se ha hecho parte de nosotros para estar ahora dentro de nosotros. Dios no está en los sucesos materiales que suceden en el mundo sino en el corazón de las personas que viven como su discípulos.

      La presencia de Dios está hoy en muchos lugares: en su Palabra, en los sacramentos, en la Iglesia, en nuestra comunidad, en los más pobres y débiles del mundo, en sus discípulos, en las acciones de amor y de caridad que hacemos a nuestro prójimo. La Ascensión no es la ausencia de Dios en la tierra o en nuestra vida, sino la presencia intensificada de Dios en nuestra vida diaria.

         Todos nosotros, como discípulos de Cristo -  los sacerdotes, los miembros de las comunidades religiosas, los diáconos, y todos los laicos también -  estamos llamados a ser testigos de la resurrección y ascensión de Jesús.  Es la llamada que tenemos hoy y que tenemos cada día en nuestro camino de fe.  

9 June 2019 - Pentecost - Acts 2:1-11

     Today, with the Holy Church, we celebrate the end of the Easter season with Pentecost.  When we think about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that the Risen Christ gives to us, we might think of some of the images used to portray the Holy Spirit in Scripture: wind, a sacred breath, flames of fire, or a dove.  It might be more difficult for us to understand and conceptualize the Holy Spirit compared to the ways we comprehend Jesus the Son and God the Father. Perhaps we can reflect upon the Holy Spirit in our celebration of Pentecost in the Spirit’s connection to these three biblical themes: newness, harmony, and mission.

      According to our reading from Acts, something new and different happened to the disciples on Pentecost: They were filled with the Holy Spirit in a new way.  The Spirit inspired them to speak in tongues and enabled them to proclaim Christ’s Good News.  Echoing this theme, the psalmist asks God to send his Spirit to renew the face of earth.  Perhaps trying new things under the guidance of the Holy Spirit makes us apprehensive.  Perhaps we don’t want to give up control.  Perhaps we’re firmly entrenched in our own ideas and preferences.  Perhaps in our faith, we’re comfortable in only going so far.  We don’t want to take the leap to something new and different that the Spirit is calling us to do.  We need to trust where the Spirit is guiding us, even if it feels new and strange.  Remember: Abraham left for a new land with only a promise from God to guide him. Mother Teresa started a new religious congregation of sisters and started work with the poor of Calcutta based a call from the Spirit.  Throughout salvation history, God calls his people to new paths, leaving behind what is closed and narrow.  We cannot be closed and fearful to the newness of the Spirit.

     Indeed, the Spirit brings different chrisms and gifts.  Look at the great diversity of gifts we have right here in our parish.  Paul says that although there are different kinds of gifts, all these gifts come from the same Spirit.  God sends us the Spirit of unity and harmony.  But we must not misunderstand: unity does not mean uniformity.   The Spirit draws us to a harmony amongst believers.  Only the Spirit can bring unity and harmony to us as disciples of Christ in the midst of our diversity and differences.  Often, when humans want to create unity according to our own earthly desires, we instead create uniformity and standardization.  But, when the Spirit brings us together, we rise above conflict and division; instead, we’re called to experience the diversity and richness that we have in communion in our faith.  I think of how Pope Francis challenges all to come together to the Church in a welcoming way, but in a way that keeps us true and faithful in what we believe and what we practice.  The Pope reminds us that we’re called through the Spirit to the Church’s teaching and the Church’s sense of community, to remain in harmony with the Body of Christ.

      Let us also think of our call to mission: Who would we be as Christians if we did not have a sense of mission?   The Spirit imbues us with a sense of mission, the missionary spirit that led the first disciples to bring Christ’s message to the world, with the same missionary spirit that impelled Paul to bring the Good News to the Gentiles.  The Holy Spirit draws us ever more deeply into the mystery of God and into the joy of our faith.   At Pentecost, the disciples were able to speak the Good News of Christ in their own tongues, but the universal message they preached was understood by all through the power of the Holy Spirit, through the mission they were called to live out.  Christ’s ministry and life, his death and resurrection, his ascension and his sending of the Holy Spirit – these are not just historical events that happened many centuries ago in Ancient Israel.  The truth that Christ brought to the world lives in us – in our words and our actions.   Those events become a lived experience within us through the workings of the Holy Spirit.   The disciples received the Holy Spirit from Christ himself; we receive the Holy Spirit from him as well.  This Advocate grants us the courage and conviction to live out the Gospel message, to have a mission as a disciple of Christ.   The Spirit helps us look not only at the temporal and the earthly, but at the divine and the eternal as well. 

      As a Church, as disciples, today we celebrate the Holy Spirit, a Spirit that is alive and vibrant.  Today, we are called to renew the outpouring of the Spirit in us.   Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love! Amen.

9 de junio de 2019 – Pentecostes - 1 corintios 12,3b-7, 12-13, Juan 20,19-23

     Cada domingo en nuestra misa, invoquemos nuestro Dios como la trinidad – en el nombre del Padre, del Hijo, y del Espíritu Santo. El don del Espíritu Santo es el tema de nuestro celebración hoy.   El Espíritu Santo es la fuerza de Dios en la Iglesia y en el camino de fe.  San Agustín escribió esta oración sobre la presencia del Espíritu Santo en nuestra vida:

Espíritu Santo, inspíranos, para que pensemos santamente.

Espíritu Santo, incítanos, para que obremos santamente.

Espíritu Santo, atráenos, para que amemos las cosas santas.

Espíritu Santo, fortalécenos, para que defendamos las cosas santas.

Espíritu Santo, ayúdanos, para que no perdamos nunca las cosas santas.

      El Espíritu Santo es una realidad en en cada momento que tenemos en nuestra vida y en cada momento que tenemos en nuestra Iglesia.  Como sacerdote, tenga muchas realidades diferentes. Tengo misa aquí en St Jude.  A veces, voy a Hazelhurst para celebrar la misa en español.  Tengo misas en el hospital de Mississippi en Whitfield y en la cárcel.  Tengo otros sacramentos aquí en nuestra parroquia.  El Espíritu Santo está con nosotros para celebrar en nuestros gozos y para consolarnos en nuestros sufrimientos y nuestra tristezas.  En cualquier don que recibimos de Dios, en cualquier logro o honor que tenemos, el Espíritu Santo debe ser guía y luz en nuestra vida.

      Cada momento de estas misas eran momentos importante en nuestras vidas.  Pero, la cosa importante para recordar es que nunca terminamos con nuestro camino de fe – siempre necesitamos crecer y desarrollar en nuestra fe.  Para tener la presencia del Espíritu Santo en nuestra vida, para reconocer y escuchar a esta presencia, necesitamos tener una formación en nuestra fe y en la doctrina religiosa.  El  Espíritu Santo puede hablar en muchas experiencias que tenemos en nuestra parroquia –

(1) en el viacruces durante las semanas de cuaresma.  

(2) en el rosario

(3) en las clases de la doctrina de la fe

(4) en la presencia de la Santísima Eucaristía

(5) en la santa misa

(6) en el estudio de la Biblia

(7) en la enseñanza a los estudiantes y los jóvenes

(8) en una obra de caridad con nuestro prójimo

Pero, si no asistimos a estas experiencias de la fe, no podemos tener este contacto con el Espíritu Santo. 

      Como Pablo nos dice hoy en su primera carta a los Corintios, que es el Espíritu Santo que nos permite llamar a Jesús "Señor"; es el Espíritu Santo que nos forma en la Iglesia y forma en un solo Cuerpo de tantas partes y tantos diversos dones.  Al celebrar el Espíritu Santo y el final de la temporada de Pascua hoy, oramos para que el Espíritu Santo de Dios entra en nuestras vidas, que nos renueve y renueve nuestra Iglesia, y renueve la faz de la tierra.

Message on our celebration of Pentecost - 9 June 2019

      On some point on our Catholic journey, we have probably learned about the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety, and being in awe of the Lord.  But, beyond these seven gifts, we receive so much more from the Spirit of God.  The spirit brings us newness.  I remember when I was appointed as interim director of finance for the Diocese last fall, one of the other priests half jokingly said that I need to watch out for the Holy Spirit, because you never know where the Spirit is going to call you.  Yes, that is so very true, isn’t it?  Being called by the Spirit to new things push us out of our comfort zone.  The Spirit also calls us to harmony and unity, which is different from the diversity of different gifts that are given to different members of the Church.  We all called to be brothers and sisters in the unity of the Holy Spirit.  Division and discord are definitely not callings of the Spirit.  Finally, we have mission, to be called into the mystery of God, to bring his divine message to the world.  As we think of where the Spirit is calling us and leading us as we celebrate Pentecost here at St Jude, let us pray the prayer of the Holy Spirit written by St Augustine of Hippo:

Breathe in me O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy.

Act in me O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy.

Draw my heart O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy.

Strengthen me O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy.

Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy. Amen.

Bulletin message - The Ascension of the Lord - 2 June 2019

     As we continue our journey through the Easter season, we celebrate our Lord’s Ascension into heaven this weekend.  We ponder the call that each one of us has to discipleship, in one form or another, to continue Christ’s mission here on earth through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Each of us is called to discipleship, in one form or another. It does mean that each of us will have the same specific calling. Each of us in our own calling invites Jesus to work through our presence here on earth through our thoughts, words, and actions.  No, not all of us are called to go to a foreign land to be a missionary, but we are called to be missionary in spirit and to evangelize our little corner of the world.  We are called to the spirit of “the Little Way” of St Therese of Lisieux, doing little things for love of Jesus who gave his life for us so that we might have salvation.  I love the spirit of this prayer in honor of Christ’s Ascension:  

       Dear Lord Jesus Christ, right before your Ascension into heaven,  you asked your apostles to be your witnesses to the ends of the earth upon receiving the Holy Spirit. May I be similarly inspired to spread your Gospel message in word and deed, according to your will for me. May I do so prudently, willingly, and joyfully, with your help, your guidance, and your grace.  Remembering the glorious event of your Ascension, help me on my journey to eternal life, where you are seated at the right hand of God the Father.  AMEN. 

27 May 2019 - Wednesday of the 6th week of Easter - John 16:12-15

     We hear Jesus tell us about how he is sending us the Holy Spirit – called the Spirit of truth – the Spirit who will lead us and guide us to all truth.  We hear the word “truth” being talked about all the time, don’t we?  We hear some say: “I want the truth to come out” or “I am here to speak the truth.”  Sometimes what we think is the truth is really our own perspective of how we see things, even though we don’t want to admit it.

      In the year 1633, a century after the Protestant Reformation, the Inquisition of the Roman Catholic Church forced Galileo Galilei, one of the fathers of modern science, to recant his theory that the earth orbits the Sun. Under threat of torture from the Church, Galileo reluctantly recanted.  Galileo's theories threatened the truth that many held onto during that era, and their vision of the world and the universe, that the earth was the center of everything.  

     Fast forward to 1992, 359 years later.  The Church announced that it officially agreed with Galileo. At an audience at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Pope John Paul II declared that Galileo was right based on the findings of a committee of the Academy that the Pope set up in 1979, soon after taking office. The committee decided the Inquisition had acted in good faith, but was wrong.

     For a long time, the Church often saw science as its enemy, but thankfully, that is no longer true. Instead, quantum physics, biology, and other academic disciplines are revealing that science can be a partner with the Church.  There is not to be a dualism separating the spiritual world and the material world - the truth can be found in both.  We could all be looking at the one truth from different angles, different assumptions, using different vocabulary depending upon our discipline.  However, we should all be working together.  We can look back at the theology and spirituality of St Francis of Assisi to complement our stewardship and care of God’s creation here on earth, to complement what science is discovering about the environmental destruction and pollution that is damaging God's creation.  If we trust that we in the faith have the truth, then we have to be open to the fact that others may see the truth from different angles and different perspectives, helping us to grow in understanding and faith. All of us are called to work together towards a community of brothers and sisters, a community of good will.  

26 May 2019 - Tuesday of the 6th week of Easter - Acts 16:22-34

     Paul and his companions did not have an easy time preaching the Good News of Jesus in their travels throughout the ancient world.  We hear this time and time again in the stories from the Acts of the Apostles.  Paul and his companion Silas cured a young girl who was possessed by an unclean spirit, but since she used that spirit to tell the future and to earn money for her masters, her masters pressed charges against Paul and Silas when their money-making scheme was threatened, accusing them of disturbing the peace and breaking the Roman laws.  

      Paul and Silas were stripped, beaten with rods, and thrown into prison.  Rather than being angry and frustrated with their situation, they lifted it up to the Lord, singing hymns and praying for the other prisoners to hear.  It tickled me when I heard how Paul, Silas and the other prisoners remained in the prison after a great earthquake came and provided a means for them to escape. I thought about the prisoners whom I have ministered to in the federal and state prisons here in Mississippi throughout the years; they would have burst out of that prison with joy as fast as they could when faced with a situation like this, seeing this means of escape as a golden opportunity and as a gift given to them by God. But, rather, both the prisoners and the jailers are touched by the word of God that Paul and Silas preached, and they came to believe.  

      Sharing of our faith is an important part of who we are as disciples of Christ. All of us as disciples of Christ are to call our faith to others, to open their hearts to Christ, just as our popes have been calling us to do in the new evangelization in the Church.  We never can tell whose lives we will be able to touch in the process.  

31 May 2019 - Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth - Luke 1:39-56

    Easter is late this year, so usually, when we celebrate the feast of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth, we have already finished the Easter season.   You can imagine, that as a Catholic priest in a mostly Evangelical culture here in Mississippi, I get questions from non-Catholics about the role Mary has in our life of faith, questioning why Mary has such an important role, it is indeed Mary whom Catholics often turn to their lives when they need consolation or encouragement.  We honor both Mary and Elizabeth in this event that is recorded in Scripture, of Mary going to visit her cousin Elizabeth after Mary learns from the angel about the upcoming birth of Jesus and about her cousin being with child as well.  The “Hail Mary” that so many Catholics pray each day combines the greeting of the Angel to Mary, “Hail, favored one, the Lord is with you!”  with the greeting of her cousin Elizabeth: ““Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb”.  While these two women minister to and reach out to each other in their need, while Mary and Elizabeth are both able to understand their situations, we might wonder if Mary would have been able to pray and to proclaim the words of the Magnificat in the way that she does if Elizabeth had not recognized the way that she was blessed and if she had not proclaimed that blessedness to her.  There are times on our journey when we particularly feel that we are at the end of our rope and that we cannot it on our own.  We might need to receive some spiritual hospitality and spiritual encouragement like Mary and Elizabeth provided to each other in their encounter.  That might be what we exactly need.  However, we, likewise, need to bring that same kind of spiritual hospitality and warmth to others.   Sometimes we can so be caught up in our own world, we might not realize how we can be of spiritual service to those around us.  Even when we are struggling or overwhelmed or self-absorbed, we can ask for the gifts of humility or contrition or fortitude from the Holy Spirit.  May we thank our Blessed Mother and St Elizabeth for the examples of faith they are for us. 

26 de mayo de 2019 – sexto domingo de Pascua – Hechos de los Apóstoles 15,1-2, 22-29, Juan 14,23-29

        Nuestro Evangelio de San Juan hoy es una parte del discurso de despedida que Jesús comunicaba a sus discípulos a la Ultima Cena.  Jesús conoce que saldrá pronto.  Pero, los discípulos no quedarán solitos en su camino de fe. El Padre y Jesús mismo morarán con nosotros y el Espíritu Santo viene para ser nuestro Consolador.  Con esta presencia, la paz de Cristo será con sus discípulos. 

         Para reflexionar sobre el Evangelio de hoy, podemos mirar el comienzo del Evangelio de Juan, el Evangelio de la mañana de Navidad.  Juan empieza con el comienzo de la creación: “En el principio ya existía el Verbo, y el Verbo estaba con Dios, y el Verbo era Dios.  El existía en el principio con Dios. Todas las cosas fueron hechas por medio de El, y sin El nada de lo que ha sido hecho, fue hecho. En El existía la vida, y la vida era la Luz de los hombres.” Cada persona tiene la llamada de ser portador de la paz del Cristo al mundo, la misma paz que Jesús llevaba a sus discípulos en la Ultima Cena antes de su muerte y su resurrección. 

         Vivimos en un mundo donde muchas personas no tienen mucha paciencia.  Queremos todo muy rápido – en un instante.  No tenemos mucha paciencia con nuestros hijos, con nuestros familiares.  En las carreteras, podemos mirar mucha ira.  ¿Cómo podemos encontrar la paz en la mitad de nuestra ira y nuestra impaciencia?

         La paz de Cristo no es algo que podemos crear por nosotros mismos.  Recibimos esta paz de Cristo mismo.  Esta paz no vino al mundo en el momento de la Ultima Cena – tiene su fundación en la acción de amor y de bondad en la creación del mundo.  Recibimos esta paz como don de Dios, como don de su misericordia y compasión. Y tenemos la llamad de vivir in esta paz, para tenerla en nuestros corazones. 

         En la primera lectura de los Hechos de los Apóstoles.  Unos seguidores de Cristo de Judea vieron a la comunidad cristiana a Antioquía – ellos insistieron en unas demandas estrictas por su salvación, demandas como la circuncisión.  Sin embargo, Pablo y Bernabé apelaron a Jerusalén para resolver este desacuerdo.  Con este ejemplo, podemos reconocer que la paz a veces necesita la confrontación y la reconciliación. Ambos lados tendrían un punto muerto o irían a sus caminos separados.  La paz que Cristo nos da necesita el coraje y la persistencia.

         Podemos preguntarnos esta pregunta cuando miramos al mundo a todo que pasa: Donde está la paz de Cristo en la mitad de la violencia, la incertidumbre, y el sufrimiento del mundo.  Tal vez necesitemos preguntar otra pregunta - ¿Qué podemos hacer para llevar la paz de Cristo en mi vida propia y en el mundo?  Con la presencia del Espíritu Santo en mi vida, ¿qué podemos hacer para ser portador de esta paz? 

2 June 2019 - The Ascension of the Lord – Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:17-23

     It seems so long ago that back on April 21 we celebrated Easter Sunday and the beginning of the Easter season.  In our Catholic faith, the Easter season lasts 50 days, all the way to Pentecost, which will be next weekend.  With Pentecost Sunday, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, and the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ being celebrated on the next four Sundays, perhaps our celebration of the Ascension of the Lord today gets lost in the shuffle. 

        Our reading from the very beginning of the Acts of the Apostles shows the disciples gazing up into the heavens, shocked and amazed as they see Jesus ascending.  When two messengers appear on the scene, they ask the disciples: “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky?”  So what is the Ascension all about?  We can start be stating what it isn’t about: The Ascension isn’t defined in a literal sense of Jesus floating up into space on his way up to “heaven”.

      Perhaps we could say that the Ascension can be best understood in the way that it is a part of the Paschal Mystery, which is comprised of:

(1) Jesus’ suffering and death,

(2) his resurrection,

(3) his ascension,

(4) and his sending of the Holy Spirit.

Those 4 parts of the Paschal Mystery, as a whole, comprise one reality. In the resurrection, we understand that Jesus still lives – that he lives as our Savior and our Redeemer.  In the Ascension, we better understand Christ’s relationship with the Father – that the living Christ has entered into glory, and that he shared that glory with the Father. 

     In our 2nd reading, Paul sees the Ascension in these terms: of God the Father raising Christ from the dead, of seating him at his right hand in the heavens, far above every other principality, authority, power, and dominion, above every name that is named, in this age and in the ages to come. Pope Francis sees the Ascension creating a new reality of Christ with us.  He says: Christ is with God the Father, where he always intercedes for us. He is no longer in a definite place in the world as he was before the Ascension. He is now in the lordship of God, present in all space and time, next to each of us.  Wow – I am always impressed by the words and images that Pope Francis uses. 

      I was once in the heart of the rain forest in Ecuador as a missionary, driving along on the passenger side in a truck to pick up an order of wood for the carpentry workshop that I managed.  We came across a big pile of bamboo and small logs in the middle of the road, so the driver and I got out to move them out of the way.  When I got back into the cab of the truck, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye on my bare arm, and out of my exhaustion from the hot tropical climate, I hastily brushed it off my arm without really looking at it or paying much attention.  The driver looked at the floorboard of the truck cab, and in great haste, frantically, smashed what I had just brushed off my arm – a huge scorpion.  I was both terrified and relieved.  I said a prayer of thanks to the Holy Spirit, to all the saints in the heavens, to the Blessed Virgin Mary – to whomever was watching over me and protecting me that day.  However, we should not be aware of God’s presence in just those times when we need him most.  God is there with us always through the presence of the Holy Spirit.  That is the message we hear in the prayer of St Patrick, with which I will close my homily with today:

THE PRAYER OF ST PATRICK - 

Christ be beside me,

Christ be before me,

Christ be behind me,

King of my heart.

Christ be within me,

Christ be below me,

Christ be above me,

never to part.

Christ on my right hand,

Christ on my left hand,

Christ all around me,

shield in the strife.

Christ in my sleeping,

Christ in my sitting,

Christ in my rising,

light of my life.

Christ be in all hearts thinking about me;

Christ be on all tongues telling of me;

Christ be the vision in eyes that see me;

in ears that hear me, Christ ever be.

AMEN.  

23 May 2019 - Thursday of the 5th week of Easter - John 15:9-11

   In John’s Gospel, after Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples, he presented some discourses to them.  Yesterday we heard one of those discourses – the explanation of the vine and the branches.  Today, we hear the explanation of the story of the vines and the branches in a very short Gospel reading that is only 3 verses long, but it is a very powerful Gospel nonetheless.  Jesus summarizes God’s commandments in the concept of Agape love, of a love that is unselfish, in a love that reaches out to the other person. Jesus wants us to love our neighbor in a way that would willingly suffer inconvenience and discomfort as a part of that love.  This love is called to be rooted in our faith and in our relationship with Jesus. 

      So, how do we see the love of Christ rooted in our lives of faith, rooted in our actions.  Last week, as I finished up a very full weekend on a Sunday with a meeting with the Knights of Columbus, I thought about where I had been as a priest over the course of the several days that ended on Sunday.  In addition to my regularly scheduled masses here at St Jude, I had mass at St Joe high school, at St Mary in Yazoo City, at the prison, at Whitfield hospital, and in Hazelhurst.  I think of all the communities I visited over those days, all the masses I celebrated, I can tell you that I couldn’t be a priest and do what I do day after day after day without it being rooted in the love of Christ and love I try to have my ministry.  Let the agape love that Christ calls us to permeate our lives and our actions. 

26 May 2019 – Sixth Sunday of Easter – Acts 15:1-2, 22-29, John 14:23-29

    We usually hear from readings from the Old Testaments in our Sunday masses, but during the Easter season, we hearing the story of the Early Church in our first readings from Acts of the Apostles. We hear about the missionary journeys of Paul, Barnabas, and their companions, of the miracles they performed in the proclamation of God’s kingdom, of the way they were criticized by the Pharisees and even thrown out of certain towns, of the way they encouraged the coverts to the Way of Jesus that they brought into the faith.  Today, we hear about the Council of Jerusalem, the first council of the early Church, addressing what it meant to be a disciple of Christ, addressing whether Gentiles needed to first obey the Jewish laws and customs prior to their conversion.  Just as conflict and tension arose in the Early Church when they were confronted with a new problem or new reality, we see this mirrored in some of the new realities we face in the Catholic Church in our current day as well.  We know that being a disciple of Christ is never an easy task. 

      As you can see, I’m wearing a colorful stole today that was hand woven by the indigenous people of the rain forest where I served in Ecuador.  I wear this stole today, remembering that 20 years ago this week, I returned from my three year assignment as a Comboni lay missionary in Ecuador.  Peter, Paul, Barnabas, and those early disciples went on an external, physical journey to the far regions of the ancient world to bring them the Good News of Christ. But, besides their physical journey, they also went on a spiritual journey.  Being a missionary means stepping out into the unknown.   When I arrived in Ecuador, I did not know how to speak Spanish. I had never been to Latin America before.  Yet, I brought along a lot of hopes and dreams for my missionary work.   After studying Spanish for several months, I went to the village of Borbón in the jungle province of Esmeraldas, very close to the border of Columbia, an area where there was a lot drug trafficking and gang activity. Just as the communities that Paul visited had their own culture and traditions, where I served as a missionary had its own unique flavor and culture.  It was populated with descendants of escaped slaves from nearby Columbia who found freedom and refuge in this isolated jungle in the 18th century.  These escaped slaves and their descendants practiced their African tribal religions and traditions in virtual isolation from the rest of the country until after World War II, when the Comboni Missionaries were invited by the government of Ecuador to help integrate this area with the rest of the country.  I worked with a team of priests, nuns, a brother, and another lay missionary.  We were from different countries throughout the world – Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Uganda, Spain, and the US.  We came together as missionaries, united by the Gospel, despite our different cultures and personalities.

     I think about the diversity we have in our parish here at St Jude with our different age groups, cultures, socio-economic backgrounds, and personalities represented.  As we think about our diversity and our differences, we might think about how we could not find two people much different than Peter and Paul in the stories told in the Acts of the Apostles.  They both had very different visions for the Church.  These apostles in the Early Church had to respond to a rapidly changing reality. Through their patience and persistence, God spoke to the apostles in the midst of their challenging missionary work. Yes, the answers that God reveals to us can seem difficult to discern. We look at the discussions and arguments that came out of the Council of Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit led them in the Council of Jerusalem to a plan of action for their complex situation.  Through their discussions and disagreements, they finally found where the Spirit was leading them. The same Spirit that Jesus sent to those first disciples is present to us in the world today as well.  That Spirit helps us respond to the reality of the world.

      As the Spirit was sent to the Early Church to lead them and guide them, the same Spirit is present in our community as well.  I look back sometimes and think if I would have chosen to go out as a missionary had I known the challenges and difficulties that awaited me.  I would have to say “yes”.  The Spirit speaks to us both as individuals and as a community, through my discernment as the pastor and the community’s discernment, God’s will was for me to be a missionary.  We need to be willing to be open to the Spirit, for the different ways the Lord can come into our lives.  If we spend time with the Lord each day, if we open to his will and not only our own will and desires, then we will hear the voice of God and will be able to discern his will for us. 

24 May 2019 - Friday of the 5th week of Easter - Psalm 57

     When I read through the readings for today, what struck me were some of the phrases from the psalm today: “My heart is steadfast, O God.”  “Awake O my soul, awake.”  “I will give thanks to you among the peoples.”  Simple phrases in the psalms can sometimes strike a chord in us when we have difficulty putting our own feelings into words.  The daily book of readings I use each day is called Give Us This Day, published by the Benedictine-run Liturgical Press in Collegeville, Minnesota.   I really like the daily feature called the Blessed Among Us, because they sometimes choose a non-traditional or even non-Catholic as an example of faith that can inspire us and teach us.   While I have a strong devotion to the canonized saints of our Catholic faith, those non-canonized saints can have just as strong an influence on us.

     Earlier in the week, the person of faith was Jane Addams, a social reformer born in Illinois in the middle of the 19th century.  You probably remember learning about her back in US history in high school or college.  Jane Addams founded Hull House in Chicago, a ground-breaking settlement house that provided different services to immigrants arriving in that city, such as assistance in education, housing, and food.  Reading the Bible as a young girl, she was struck by how God was leading her to serve the poor.  She was not strongly attached to organized religion as an adult, feeling that churches needed to promote social virtues as much as they were promoting the practice of private individual virtues.  In 1931, her efforts were recognized through the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize.  She is considered one of the founders of the field of social work.  

     How do our hearts remain steadfast in the Lord?  How do we awaken our souls?  Jane Addams answered those questions in the way she devoted her life to her work at Hull House. We need to answer those questions as well in the way we respond to God’s call.

22 May 2019 - St Rita - Wednesday of the 5th week of Easter - John 15:1-8

   We are connected to Jesus in many ways in our lives of faith.  As our Lord and our Savior, we receive our salvation through him through the new life we receive in the waters of baptism.   We are connected to Jesus through the Eucharist we receive.  We are connected to him through our membership in the body of Christ, the Church.  As Jesus is the vine and we are the branches connected to him, he gives us life, nourishment, and support.  

     Another way we are connected to Jesus is through the community of saints.  Many of the faithful turn to the saints for inspiration, to saints we can identify with, to unite our prayers with their prayers.  I find it interesting that the saint we celebrate today was born way back in the 14th century, but she remains a very popular saint today. St Rita of  Cascia was born to a peasant family, its only child.  She longed to be a nun, but instead followed her parents wishes for her to marry.  She actually became a wife and mother at the age of 12.  After a violent, abusive relationship with her husband, after the murder of her husband through a feud with another family, and the death of her two sons by dysentery, she was finally accepted into the Augustinian convent as a religious sister.   Rita was well known for being obedient.  She was made a saint in the year 1900. At her canonization, Pope Leo 13th named her Patroness of Impossible Causes, while in many Catholic countries, Rita came to be known to be as the patroness of abused wives and heartbroken women.  St Rita, we united our prayers with you today, even those prayers that may seem impossible to be answered. 

21 May 2019 - Saint of the Day - St Eugene de Mazenod

     At one point, I looked into become a member of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate.  I spent a year discerning a vocation with them, but decided against it.  Today, we celebrate that founder of that order on his feast day: Eugene de Mazenod.  Born in 1782, Mazenod was a child and a youth during the French Revolution. Europe had been going through the Age of Enlightenment, in which human reason, philosophy, analysis, and the individual were emphasized over the Church. During this era, the traditional seats of power and authority in society were being challenged.  Even though many in France turned away from the Church during those years, de Mazenod chose to enter seminary.  He eventually became the Bishop of Marseille, a larger trading port and a place where there was a lot of poverty on many levels.  He eventually founded the Oblates of Mary of Immaculate.  Pope Pius XI called the OMI the missionary specialists of difficult missions. In fact, two of the most influential priests in recent years have been members of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate - Father Ron Rolheiser and Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, embodying the missionary spirit of the order that de Mazenod founded. The priests of the OMI were a major influence in Canada, helping maintain a Catholic presence in many rural areas of that country.  Mazenod died in 1861 and was canonized by Pope John Paul II.   The Oblates of Mary Immaculate are one of the largest orders of priests in the Catholic Church today, with approximately 2,900 members. 

19 May 2019 – fifth Sunday of Easter – Acts 14:21-27, John 13:31-33a, 34-35

     Jesus tells us today that he gives us a new commandment – to love one another just as he has loved us.  That seems pretty simple and direct on the surface, doesn’t it?  In fact, the young child raised in a Christian family can explain to us that first and foremost, God is love above everything else. But, as we all know very well, to implement this commandment, to love one another, is not so simple, is it?

     It is important to note that Jesus did not tell his disciples this commandment at a warm and cuddly moment on their journey. He told them this as they were gathered in the Upper Room for the Last Supper, as he was preparing them for the reality of his upcoming death on the cross. After Jesus had just washed the feet of his disciples as a symbol of servanthood, he told the disciples that one of them would betray him. In response, Judas leaves the gathering in the middle of the night. Jesus declaring this commandment in the midst of this harsh reality shows that loving one another is more than just a warm sentiment. Jesus tells us that even though he will no longer be here living on earth, people will know that we are his disciples by the way we love one another.  Jesus is calling us to action.   

       Applying this commandment to the reality of our world is easier said than done.  I remember when I worked at a soup kitchen in Winnipeg as a lay missionary, we served quite a eclectic group of individuals, many of whom were battling a lot of demons in their lives – street people, prostitutes, people confronting addictions of many kinds. Some of the addicts had hit rock bottom so hard that they were sniffing paint, glue, and cleaning solvents in order to get a fix.  I realized early on that there were some individuals that I enjoyed interacting with, and others who were so surly and belligerent and obstinate that I would just cringe the moment they entered the soup kitchen, knowing that a confrontation would soon be coming.  Those difficult cases were probably the ones who needed my love and compassion and help the most. It was often a challenge for me, handling those tough situations, especially when I was having a rough day myself. And some of those guys really knew how to get under your skin. But isn’t that what the commandment to love one another is all about?  In loving one another, we are to bring God’s justice and mercy to our world – we are to proclaim the values of his kingdom in the here and now of our present day reality.

      As we reflect upon this commandment of love, we can think about how so many in our world think that if they are enduring any turmoil or sufferings, God is punishing them somehow.  Yet, we hear Paul and Barnabas declare in the midst of their arduous missionary travels, any hardships or tribulations they endure are an integral part of their journey to the kingdom of God.  Paul and Barnabas give honor and glory to God, thanking God for allowing them to open the door of faith for those who became believers.  The power to love according to Jesus’ commandment will not seem so impossible or so overwhelming if we see God’s power and grace working within us to help us to love one another. 

      We have journeying during the Year of Faith this year, working on deepening our own faith, and then evangelizing others.  There is no magical formula to doing this – it takes a lot of hard work and dedication.  It is all part of a process – all part of our journey.  Just like Paul and Barnabas, may we see God’s grace at work in the here and now.  Let us love one another as Christ loved us.  

16 May 2019 - Thursday of the 4th week of Easter - John 13:16-20 - end of the year mass of St Joseph High School, Madison, Mississippi

    The people of Ancient Israel had a very clear expectation of what the Messiah would be like.  They he would be a powerful king or military ruler who would lead their nation back to dominance and glory.   But instead, Jesus came as a humble servant.  He reached out to the poor and the oppressed.  He even washed the feet of his disciples to show his dedication to service, a service he called his disciples to follow.  All of us are called to service in different ways.  I thought about a saint we celebrated earlier this week - his name is St Dominic de la Calzada.  I learned about him on the pilgrimage I took to the Camino of Santiago de Compostela in Spain.  He was a hermit who was born in the province of La Rioja in northeastern Spain, an important wine producing region of that country. He was born in the year 1019 - that is 1,000 years ago.  As a young man, he wanted to become a Benedictine monk, but they turned down.  He did not give up on his vocation.  Eventually, he was ordained a priest.  He spent a great deal of his time as a priest improving the conditions for the medieval pilgrims on the Camino of St James: planting trees, cultivating the earth, and building a paved road that served as an alternate route connecting two large cities on the pilgrimage route.  The town he founded in Spain on the pilgrimage route is named after him: Santo Domingo de la Calzada.  It is an important stop along the route today.  His church became a cathedral where his remains are buried in its crypt.  Because of the civil work projects he started, he is the patron saint of civil engineers in Spain.  The last time I was on the Camino of St James, I attended mass in that cathedral on a Sunday with a group of pilgrims.  In the middle of mass, a rooster which is housed in a cage in the cathedral based upon an old legend about Santo Domingo, crowed several times, which is supposed to bring the pilgrims who hear his crow good luck. St Dominic de la Calzada worked hard to serve the pilgrims traveling the Way of St James, trying to make their journey easier.  1,000 years after his birth, we still remember him today.  He did not try to bring glory to himself.  He instead wanted to humbly serve the Lord, even in the midst of the adversity and challenges he had in life.  I want to wish all of you a great end to the school year, and wish you the best effort possible on your exams.  May we all hear the call to serve the Lord, no matter where our journey takes us.