1 de marzo de 2020 - Primer domingo de Cuaresma - Ciclo A - Mateo 4: 1-11

      Jesús fue al desierto por la dirección del Espíritu Santo, donde ayunó durante 40 días. Nosotros también estamos en el desierto con Jesús durante estos 40 días en Cuaresma.    Pienso en el comienzo de la Cuaresma el miércoles de ceniza cuando recibimos la mancha de cenizas en nuestras frentes, y cuando se nos proclamó: “Conviértate y cree en el Evangelio". En el desierto donde Jesús pasó tiempo orando y ayunando, hubo mucho silencio.  El silencio es un lugar donde debemos buscar a Dios en este camino de Cuaresma. Pero, el silencio puede ser muy incómodo en nuestro mundo moderno, donde hay tanto ruido y actividad.

      Normalmente, al comienzo de la misa, tenemos un himno de entrada al entrar alegremente en nuestra celebración eucarística. Normalmente, cantamos la Gloria al comienzo de la misa, un himno de alabanza a Dios.  Sin embargo, como entramos en misa en silencio de rodillas hoy en este primer domingo de Cuaresma sin himno de entrada y sin Gloria, sabemos que estamos en una temporada muy diferente, Sabemos que la misa tiene un contexto muy diferente hoy. Piense en la frecuencia con la que nos arrodillamos en nuestro mundo moderno hoy, no muy a menudo. Un caso es cuando un hombre se arrodilla cuando le propone matrimonio a su futura novia.  Arrodillarse en ese caso es un signo de amor, respeto, reverencia y honor.  Sostenemos esos mismos atributos queridos para nosotros cuando nos arrodillamos al comienzo de la misa en nuestro viaje de cuaresma, al comenzar nuestra celebración eucarística cuaresmal y ponernos en la presencia del Señor de una manera especial.

        Al pensar en el silencio al comienzo de la misa de hoy, reconocemos que si solo nos rodeamos de ruido todo el tiempo, si hablamos todo el tiempo y nos negamos a escuchar, entonces es posible que no escuchemos a Dios en la manera que él nos habla. En la Cuaresma, debemos estar abiertos a nuevas formas de mirar las cosas, de buscar a Dios en las diferentes formas en que Él está presente en el mundo. Una cosa que podría invitarle a hacer durante la Cuaresma es venir a la adoración eucarística o venir a nuestra capilla de misa diaria que está abierta las 24 horas, los 7 días de la semana y pasar tiempo con Dios en silencio.  Trae a la experiencia lo que sea que estés experimentando en tu vida: tus alegrías y tus penas, tus luchas y frustraciones, tus logros y tus decepciones. En esa experiencia de silencio, Dios te encontrará en tu realidad.

        Estar en el desierto con Jesús durante estos 40 días nos ayuda a examinar nuestras vidas y mirar nuestra realidad. El perdón es una realidad a la que estamos llamados en nuestras vidas, algo que queremos explorar a lo largo de nuestro viaje de Cuaresma. C S Lewis escribió: "Todos dicen que el perdón es una idea maravillosa, hasta que tengan algo que perdonar".  Cuando alguien nos ha lastimado, perdonar a esa persona puede ser lo último que tenemos en la mente. En ese punto, podemos estar consumidos por la ira. Podemos pensar que el perdón no es justo. 

       Pero el perdón que Dios nos llama a tomar una decisión, es un proceso y es un regalo. Tomamos la decisión de perdonar porque elegimos dejar de lado cualquier idea de venganza o retribución. Decidimos liberarnos de la amargura y la ira que pueden endurecer nuestros corazones. Es un proceso, porque el perdón es algo que generalmente lleva tiempo. En un proceso, podemos dejar los pensamientos del resentimiento y los resentimientos.  El perdón a menudo viene en pasos y etapas, y puede tomar tiempo solo superar la decisión inicial de perdonar. Pero, sobre todo, el perdón es un regalo de amor. Estamos llamados a perdonar sin expectativas, sin límites, fuera de nuestro libre albedrío. Es un regalo para nosotros y un regalo para la persona que perdonamos.

       Buscamos a Dios de muchas maneras en nuestro viaje de Cuaresma.  Buscamos a Dios en silencio durante estos 40 días.  Buscamos a Dios en el perdón.  Pero no buscamos a Dios de la forma en que buscamos un objeto perdido, según el monje Thomas Merton.  A medida que buscamos a Dios de nuevas maneras, reconocemos las formas en que ya está presente en nuestros corazones, las formas en que ya está presente en el mundo.

First Sunday in Lent - 1 March 2020 - Prayers of the faithful

Penitential Rite: 

Lord Jesus - you call us to journey through the desert during these holy days of Lent - Lord have mercy. 

Christ Jesus - you call us to resist temptation - Christ have mercy. 

Lord Jesus - you call us to follow your Father’s will - Lord have mercy. 

Prayers of the faithful - 

PRIEST: As we celebrate this sacred season of Lent, let us confidently open our hearts to God in prayer.

1. We pray, Lord, for the strength to resist temptation and to always do what is right and to follow your commandments.   

2. For all Christians: that their prayer, reflection, fasting and almsgiving bring them renewal, reconciliation and closer unity with Christ, our Savior.  

3. We pray that the sacrifices we make during Lent may show to you our love and our gratitude for the multitude of wonderful gifts and benefits you bestow on us in our daily lives.

4. We pray for our sick and shut-ins.  We pray for all those who are suffering from the Corona Virus and we pray for the confinement of this very dangerous pandemic.

5. We pray for relief of rainfall and flooding which has endangered the lives and properties of so many here in Mississippi.  

6. We remember in silence our own personal intentions and the intentions of those who have asked for our prayers

PRIEST: Grant Lord that we may grow in understanding and in charity during this season of Lent as we make these prayers  through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

28 February 2020 – Friday after Ash Wednesday – Matthew 9:14-15

       We hear Jesus tell us today that there is a time for fasting. Fasting is one of our Lenten disciplines that the Church calls us to during this holy season. Fasting is not just refraining from eating for a time, but it is also giving up other things in our lives as a sacrifice in order to grow in our faith.  We are to seek God in fasting, in making a sacrifice, in giving things up.  That is what our Catholic faith calls us to do.  Giving up things can be a sacrifice, but it can be freeing as well.   When I was a missionary in Ecuador for 3 years, we did not have a telephone or a computer or a TV or any kind of technology like that.   In fact, the nuns I worked with asked the bishop if he could have computers for us to use to send email back home or other kinds of communication when we came into town, which was only maybe once a month.  Most of us had to rely on mail service to communicate with our families.  Since we did not even have direct mail service, it sometimes took six to eight weeks to send a letter and to get a response.   The Bishop told us that the poor we served did not have access to computers or email, so we missionaries would also not have such access.  That seemed like a harsh decision, but it made me appreciate what I have, to appreciate the technology that makes life easy for us, something we often take for granted.   I think a lot of the faithful might dismiss the thought of fasting as a practical Lenten devotion, but may today’s Gospel help us think about how we can incorporate fasting into our Lenten disciplines this year.

1 March 2020 – First Sunday in Lent – Cycle A – Matthew 4:1-11

     Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert, where he fasted for 40 days. We, too, are in the desert with Jesus during these 40 days in Lent.  I think back to the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday when we received the smudge of ashes on our foreheads, and when it was proclaimed to us: “Repent and believe in the Gospel.”   In the desert where Jesus was thrust, where he spent time praying and fasting, there was a lot of silence. The silence is one place we are to seek God on this Lenten journey.  Unfortunately, silence can be so uncomfortable in our modern world – a world where there is so much noise and activity around us.

      Normally, at the beginning of mass, we have a grand entrance hymn as we joyfully enter into our Eucharistic celebration.  We normally sing the Gloria at the beginning of mass – an exulted hymn that adds a celebratory character to our liturgy.  However, as we entered mass in silence on our knees today on this first Sunday of Lent with no entrance hymn and no Gloria, we know that we are in a very different season, we know that our mass has a very different context today.  Think about how often we kneel in our modern world today – not very often.  One instance is when a man kneels when he proposes marriage to his intended bride.  Kneeling in that instance is a sign of love, respect, reverence and honor.  We hold those same attributes dear to us as we kneel at the beginning of mass on our Lenten journey, as we begin our Lenten Eucharistic celebration and put ourselves in the presence of the Lord in a special way.

       Thinking about the silence at the beginning of mass today, we recognize that If we just surround ourselves with noise all the time, if we talk all the time and refuse to be quiet and listen, then we might not hear God in the subtle ways that he speaks to us.  In Lent, we need to be open to new ways of looking to things, to seek God in the different ways he is present to us in the world.  One thing I might invite you to do during Lent is to come to Eucharistic adoration or to come to our daily mass chapel which is open 24/7 and to spend time with God in silence.  Bring to the experience whatever you are experiencing in your life:  your joys and your sorrows, your struggles and frustrations, your accomplishments and your disappointments.  In that experience of silence, God will meet you in your reality.  

Being in the desert with Jesus during these 40 days helps us examine our lives and look at our reality.  Forgiveness is a reality that we are called to in our lives, something we want to explore throughout our Lenten journey. C S Lewis wrote: “Everyone says that forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive.”  That is so true, isn’t it?  When we have been hurt by someone, forgiving that person may be the last thing on our minds.  As that point, we may be consumed with anger.  We may think that forgiveness is not fair.  We might not think that person deserves forgiveness.  

But the forgiveness that God calls us to a decision, it is a process, and it is a gift. We make a decision to forgive because we choose to let go of any ideas of revenge or retribution.  We decide to free ourselves from the bitterness and anger that can harden our hearts.  It is a process, because forgiveness is something that usually takes time.  It takes time to let go of resentment and hard feelings.  Forgiveness often comes in steps and stages, and it may take time just to get through the initial decision to forgive.  But above all, forgiveness is a gift of love.  We are called to forgive without expectations, without limits, out of our free will.  It is a gift to us and a gift to the person we forgive.  

We seek out God in many ways on our Lenten journey.  We seek out God in silences during these 40 days. We seek out God in forgiveness.  But we do not seek out God the way we would seek out a lost object, according to Trappist monk Thomas Merton.  As we seek out God in new ways, we recognize the ways he is already present in our hearts, the ways he is already present in the world around us. 

27 February 2020 - Thursday after Ash Wednesday - Luke 9:22-25

       On the first day after Ash Wednesday we hear about the cross.  About Jesus’ journey to the cross.  But we also hear about the resurrection, as Jesus states that he will be raised on the third day.  We hear this at the start of our Lenten observances. Ash Wednesday is always an exciting day, as we here in Mississippi complete our Mardi Gras celebration and then come to church to receive ashes on our foreheads as a public recognition of our desire to repent and renew our lives of faith.  The Ash Wednesday Masses at St Jude were packed with the faithful, as the message of Ash Wednesday really speaks to us on our journey.  However, now the hard work of Lent begins for us, as Jesus does not just describe his journey to his cross and his resurrection, but he tells us that we ourselves must deny ourselves, take up our crosses and follow him.  And we all have our crosses, don’t we? I think of those who are trying to battle addictions to drugs and alcohol.  I remember that when I worked in Canada with many street people who were trying to battle a heroin addiction.  I cannot imagine a more horrible cross to carry through life. Following Christ and carrying our crosses is not just an idea or an ideal.  It is a part of our lived reality.  It is something we need to confront and focus on in our journey of faith. Today, at the beginning of Lent, we might ask ourselves what it really means to carry our crosses and to follow Christ in the midst of our lived reality.  

Ash Wednesday Masses - St Jude Catholic Church - Pearl Mississippi

Mass times in English - 6:30 am - noon - 6:00 pm

Mass in Spanish - 7:30 pm 

Bulletin Reflection - St Jude Catholic Church - First Sunday of Lent - 1 March 2020

It is the first weekend of the Lenten season, a liturgical season that I look forward to each year.  We have celebrated Ash Wednesday, receiving a smudge of ash on our foreheads, as it was proclaimed to us: “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”  We have already had our first fish fry and our first stations of the cross. 

With our theme of forgiveness this year, I read the following in a book on forgiveness and the sacrament of reconciliation for teens: “The sacrament of reconciliation is one of the most powerful gifts that we can accept in our lives.  The sacrament has the power to transform our lives and make us so full of joy.  It can also transform the Church and society.  If we really understand and accept the gift of the sacrament of reconciliation from God, we will be changed.”   We will have our Lenten reconciliation service this Monday, from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.  We will have four priests here to hear confessions.  We invite all of you to join us for this meaningful sacrament of forgiveness and healing. In thinking of the sacrament of reconciliation, I think of this quote from C S Lewis: "To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.”  I also think of how Pope Francis states that this sacrament is to enrich humanity with a liberating encounter with God, to educate us in mercy, to not exclude but rather to include the just obligations for the wrongs we have committed. 

As we begin our Lenten journey, we are called to not only forgiveness, but also to the three important Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.  We are to seek out God on our Lenten journey, but we are not to seek out God as we would seek a lost object, according to Thomas Merton.  To seek God is to recognize the ways he is already present in our hearts, the ways he is already present in the reality of the world around us.  To seek out God is to recognize him in the Lenten disciplines we promise to follow during these weeks of this holy season.  May God bless all of you on your Lenten journey.  

26 de febrero de 2020 - Miércoles de cenizas - Salmo 51, Mateo 6:1-6, 16-18

     Venimos hoy como hijos de Dios para comenzar la temporada de Cuaresma, un tiempo de conversión y preparación.  El Miércoles de Ceniza es una de las celebraciones litúrgicas más popular del año, con personas empacando las iglesias como lo hacen en la navidad y la pascua. La conmemoración de Miércoles de Ceniza tiene mucho significado por los miembros de la Iglesia.  
      Cuando Jesús nos llama a la oración, el ayuno y las obras de caridad en nuestro Evangelio hoy, los tres discípulos importantes de la Cuaresma, escuchamos a Pablo declarando en su segunda carta a los corintios que estamos llamados a ser embajadores de Cristo, llamando a nuestros hermanos para reconciliarse con Dios en el nombre de su hijo, Jesucristo.  Pero para ser verdaderamente embajadores de Cristo, esta temporada de Cuaresma nos llama a reflexionar sobre el papel de Cristo en nuestro camino de fe y la renovación y conversión en Cristo a la que estamos llamados.  Hoy, miércoles de ceniza, comenzamos esta temporada santa cuando la Iglesia nos invita a mirar más profundamente en nuestras vidas y preguntarnos si realmente estamos viviendo nuestra vocación como discípulos de Cristo a los que Dios nos llama. Estamos llamados a mirar nuestra vida de oración, para ver si nuestras experiencias de oración nos llevan a una comunión más profunda con Cristo, dejando que su presencia se manifieste en nuestras palabras y nuestras acciones. Estamos llamados a mirar el ayuno y los sacrificios que deseamos emprender en nuestra fe, cómo nuestros excesos se están convirtiendo en obstáculos para nosotros en nuestro camino de fe. También estamos llamados a mirar nuestras obras de caridad y generosidad, a quienes contactamos con nuestro prójimo con misericordia, bondad y amor, cómo estamos sirviendo a Dios y a nuestros hermanos en nuestras vidas.  También estamos llamados al perdón durante esta temporada santa de Cuaresma.  El perdón puede ser una de las cosas más difíciles que hacemos como seres humanos.  Me encanta este dicho del poeta inglés Alexander Pope del siglo XVIII: "Errar es humano; perdonar, divino".   Si podemos explorar la lección importante de esta temporada de Cuaresma que solo con la ayuda de Dios realmente podemos perdonar, será un aprendizaje importante para nosotros durante estas semanas.
      Pero, para ser realmente discípulo de Cristo y embajador de Cristo, no debemos esforzarnos hacia este ideal por nuestros propios esfuerzos y nuestros propios méritos.  El Espíritu Santo está con nosotros hoy el Miércoles de Ceniza y durante las semanas de esta temporada santa para guiarnos y transformarnos.  Estamos llamados a reconocer que las palabras del salmo de hoy realmente pueden penetrar nuestras vidas durante esta temporada santa: “Crea en mí, Señor, un corazón puro, un espíritu nuevo para cumplir tus mandamientos. No me arrojes, Señor, lejos de ti, ni retires de mí ti santo espíritu.”  Pero estas semanas de Cuaresma no serán pesimistas para nosotros.  La Cuaresma puede ser verdaderamente una temporada de gozo evangélico donde abrimos nuestros corazones, donde el Espíritu Santo puede trabajar en nuestros.  Nuevamente, prestemos atención al consejo de nuestro salmo hoy, mientras le pedimos a Dios que nos dé la alegría de la salvación y su espíritu de voluntad para sostenernos hoy el Miércoles de Ceniza y en las próximas semanas.

26 February 2020 - Ash Wednesday - Psalm 51, Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

     We come today as children of God to begin our holy season of Lent, a season of conversion and preparation.  Ash Wednesday is one of our busiest liturgical celebrations of the year, with people packing our churches just like they do on Christmas and on Easter, which tells us of how the significance of this holy day speaks to us on our journey. 

     As Jesus calls us to prayer, fasting, and works of charity in our Gospel today, the three important disciples of Lent, we hear Paul state in his second letter to the Corinthians that we are called to be ambassadors for Christ, calling our brothers and sisters to be reconciled to God in the name of his son, Jesus Christ.  But, in order to truly be ambassadors for Christ, this holy season of Lent calls us to reflect upon the role of Christ in our journey of faith and the renewal and conversion in Christ to which we're called.  Today, Ash Wednesday, begins this holy season as the Church invites us to look more deeply into our lives and to ask ourselves if we are truly living our vocation as disciples of Christ according to the call we receive from God.  We are called to look at our prayer life, to see if our prayer experiences are leading us in deeper communion with Christ, letting his presence come forth in our words and our actions.  We are called to look at the fasting and sacrifices we willingly undertake in our faith, how our excesses are becoming obstacles for us on our journey of faith. We are also called to look at our works of charity and generosity, how we reach out to others in mercy, kindness, and love, how we are serving God and serving our neighbor in our lives.  We are called to forgiveness during this holy season of Lent as well.  Forgiveness can be one of the most difficult things we do as human beings.  I love this simple quote from the English poet Alexander Pope from the 18th century: "To err is human; to forgive, divine.”  If we can explore the important lesson this Lenten season that only with God’s help we can truly forgive, that will be an important learning for us during these weeks.  

     But, to be a true disciple of Christ and a true ambassador of Christ, we are not to strive toward this ideal on our own efforts and own merits.   The Holy Spirit is with us today on Ash Wednesday and during the weeks of this holy season to lead us, guide us, and transform us.  We are called to take let the words of the psalm today truly penetrate our lives during his holy season: “A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me.”  But these weeks of Lent are not to be doom and gloom.  Lent can truly be a season of Gospel joy where we open our hearts and allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives.  Again, let us heed the advice of our psalm today, as we ask God to give us the joy of salvation and his spirit to sustain us today on Ash Wednesday and in the weeks to come.  

23 de febrero de 2020 - 7º domingo del tiempo ordinario - Mateo 5: 38-48

      Muchos países de América Latina han pasado por revoluciones o guerras civiles o dictaduras militares, con muchos asesinatos y violencia.  Nicaragua, un país de Centroamérica, es uno de esos lugares. Tomas Borge fue un líder en la lucha contra la dictadura en control de su país. Fue capturado y puesto en la cárcel.  Durante muchos meses, con tortura y violencia, fue una experiencia terrible.  Parecía que nunca terminaría.  Después de que la dictadura se cayo, Borge fue liberado y fue Ministro del Interior del nuevo gobierno.  Un día, el guardia que le infligió este castigo tan terrible a Borge fue él mismo a la cárcel como prisionero.  Borge visitó a este hombre en la cárcel.  Se acercó al hombre y dijo: “Voy a vengarme de ti.” Luego extendió la mano y dijo: "Esta es mi venganza, te perdono".

       Durante las últimas dos semanas, escuchamos las lecturas del Sermón del Monte de Cristo del Evangelio de Mateo.  Con las imágenes de la sal del mundo y la luz en las tinieblas  y una perspectiva diferente de las leyes y mandamientos de Dios, las enseñanzas de Cristo en el Sermón del Monte nos empujan a crecer en nuestra fe.  Cristo siempre conversaba con los fariseos en su ministerio.  Jesús estaba muy fuerte con ellos.  Los fariseos ciertamente deseaban vivir en la luz de la justicia de Dios, para ser justos ante Dios.  Definitivamente, los fariseos tenían buenas intenciones.  ¿Y eso es el deseo de todos nosotros como discípulos de Cristo, si? — para vivir en la luz de Dios y en su justicia.  Pero los fariseos intentaron a tener un enfoque específico: vivir la justicia de Dios con estricta observancia de las leyes de Dios.  Los fariseos pensaban que por su propio esfuerzo, podían tener éxito en su camino de fe.  Jesús entendía la mentalidad de los fariseos.  Entonces, Cristo anunció un tipo de justicia que va a superar la justicia de los fariseos.  

      Podemos pensar que “ojo por ojo” es justicia.  Podemos pensar que obtener venganza es justicia.  Pero, Jesús nos desafía a tener otra perspectiva: “Sean perfectos, como su Padre celestial es perfecto.”  La mayoría de nosotros pensamos en la justicia desde nuestro propio punto de vista; pero, necesitamos centrar la justicia en Dios y en su ley en un punto de vista muy diferente.  Sí, debemos tratar de ser perfectos, como Dios, cumplir el propósito de Dios, cooperar con la gracia de Dios en nuestras vidas. Estamos perfectos como Dios cuando tratamos de amar como Dios ama, de perdonar como Dios perdona, de mostrar la buena voluntad incondicional y la benevolencia universal como lo hace Dios.

       ¿Tenemos una sugerencia que podemos emplear en nuestro camino de fe para vivir en el espíritu del Evangelio de hoy?  Si, debemos vivir en la santidad de Dios.   La santidad es una condición de ser, no es una condición de hacer.  La santidad es mas de vivir en los mandamientos de Dios.  Debemos vivir conscientemente en un estado de oración, un estado de unión con Dios.   La santidad no significa la piedad, sino vivir el amor de Dios, no vivir por nosotros mismos.  Estamos llamados a vivir como un tipo diferente de ser humano, cuyo centro está fuera de nosotros mismos y dentro de nuestra unificación con Dios.  Sí, sólo somos verdaderamente libres para vivir como discípulos de Cristo cuando estamos libres de nosotros mismos.  La santidad no es moralidad solamente, sino es más bien la transformación de nosotros mismos y el centro de nuestras vidas.  Cuando somos capaces de hacer esto, podemos entender verdaderamente el Evangelio de hoy.

      Cuando Tomás de Aquino celebraba la misa durante la fiesta de San Nicolás en el año 1273, tuvo una revelación, una experiencia con Dios que cambió completamente su vida.  Aquino aún no tenía 50 años y era considerado uno de los teólogos mas importante en el mundo.  Escribió más de 100 obras: comentarios sobre las Sagradas Escrituras y sobre los Padres de la Iglesia, libros de filosofía, comentarios sobre Aristóteles, y la Summa Theologiae.  Sin embargo, después de la misa, reveló a su secretaria que sus escritos llegarán a su fin.  En comparación con la experiencia mística que tuvo con Dios durante la celebración de la misa, consideraba todos sus escritos nada más que la paja.  De hecho, Aquino nunca escribió de nuevo después de ese día.  El aspecto intelectual de nuestra fe, las leyes y los mandamientos de Dios - todos son importantes, pero no lo son todo.  Si no tenemos una relación auténtica con Dios, si nuestro espíritu y alma no lo experimentan y lo aman, que el resto es para nada.  Como Aquino tenía en su experiencia, las palabras a veces fallan miserablemente para describir esa experiencia mística, transcendente, y amorosa que tenemos en nuestro Señor.

25 February 2020 - Tuesday of the 7th week in Ordinary Time – James 4:1-10

       Pride and humility are addressed in our readings today.  We hear of the disciples arguing about who is the greatest.  And we hear from the letter of James: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

But what about this pride and humility?  The pride addressed in our readings today is a false pride; it perhaps can be more appropriately described as arrogance or self-centeredness or self-importance. It is not the kind of pride that represents a true love of self as a child of God. The healthy pride that God calls us to is a pride with an honest and gracious acceptance of the gifts God gives us, gifts that we should use for God’s honor and glory.  

What about the humility to which God calls us?  It is a humility that is not false and showy.  In our humility, we come to serve others, we acknowledge that God is at the center of our lives, we acknowledge that without God, we cannot do anything.  

        What a wonderful reading to have as we enter the holy season of Lent.  May the Lord bless us in our humble hearts and our simple faith as we journey through these holy weeks of preparation.  

Alexander Pope - Quote on Forgiveness

We are going to use FORGIVENESS as our theme during Lent at St Jude Catholic Church.  I found this quote on forgiveness by Alexander Pope, an English poet who was born in the 17th century.  Yes, without God's grace, I really don't believe that true forgiveness is possible.  

"To err is human; to forgive, divine."

23 February 2020 - 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle A - Matthew 5:38-48

        Many countries in Latin America have gone through revolutions or civil wars or military dictatorships, with a lot of killings and murders and violence taking place. Nicaragua, a country in Central America, is one such place. A man named Tomas Borge was a leader in the struggle against the dictatorship in control of his country. He was captured and put into prison.  He was subject to the worse type of torture for months.  It seemed like it would never end. After the dictatorship was toppled, Borge was freed and actually became the Minister of the Interior of the new government.  One day, the tables were turned.  The guard who inflicted such terrible punishment on him was now an inmate in prison himself.  Borge visited this man in prison.   He walked up to the man and said:  “I am going to get my revenge from you”. He then held out his hand and said, “This is my revenge, I forgive you.”
       For the last couple of weeks, we have heard passages from Christ’s Sermon on the Mount from the Gospel of Matthew.  With images telling us that we are to be a light in the world and the salt of the earth, and with a perspective on God’s laws and commandments beyond their literal meaning, Christ’s teachings in the Sermon on the Mount push us to grow in our faith. Let’s think about the Pharisees.  Jesus could be really tough on them, couldn’t he? The Pharisees desired to live in the light of God’s justice, to be just before God. They definitely had good intentions.  And isn’t this the desire of all of us as disciples of Christ?  But the Pharisees tried a very specific approach: to attain justice through the strict observance of God’s laws and commandments. The Pharisees thought that through their own effort they could succeed in being where God wanted them to be. Jesus understands where the Pharisees are coming from, but instead of validating them and their efforts, he announces a different kind of justice which exceeds and surpasses the justice of the Pharisees. We may think that taking an eye for an eye is justice. We may think that getting revenge is justice.  Instead, Jesus challenges us to a higher standard: “Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect.”  When most of us think of justice from our own point of view, centering justice on God and his law may be a very different point of view. Yes, we are to try to be perfect, to be like God, to fulfill God’s purpose in creating us, to cooperate with God’s grace in our lives. We become perfect when we try to love as God loves, to forgive as God forgives, to show unconditional good will and universal benevolence as God does.
     What are some suggestions we can employ on our journey of faith that can help us live in the spirit of today’s Gospel? I thought about what it means to be holy, to aspire to be like God.  We can begin by approaching holiness as as state of being, rather than just being able to follow God’s law and commandments in our lives. Yes, holiness is fundamentally not about doing, but about being.  We are to live consciously in a state of prayer, a state of union with God, to live consciously inside of God. Holiness does not signify being perfectly pious, but doing and living for God’s sake what you used to do and live for our own sake. We are called to live as a different kind of human being, one whose center is outside ourselves and inside our unification with God.  Yes, we are only truly free to live as disciples of Christ when we are free from ourselves.  Holiness is not just about morality, but more about transforming ourselves and the center of our lives.  When we are able to do this, then we can truly understand the point of today’s Gospel.  
      When Thomas Aquinas was celebrating mass during the feast of St Nicholas in the year 1273, he had a revelation, an experience with God that completely changed his life. Aquinas was not yet 50 years old and was considered one of the greatest theological minds the world had ever seen.  He had written more than 100 works:  commentaries on Scripture and on the Church Fathers, philosophical treaties, commentaries on Aristotle, explorations of disputed subjects, and his great work, the Summa Theologiae, which stood unfinished. Yet, after mass, he revealed to his secretary that his writings will now come to an end.  Compared to the mystical experience he had with God during the celebration of the mass, he considered all his writings nothing more than straw.   The intellectual aspect of our faith, God’s laws and commandments - they are all important, but they are not everything.  If we do not have an authentic relationship with God, if our spirit and soul do not experience him and love him, than the rest is for nothing.  As Aquinas experienced, words sometimes fail miserably to describe that transcendent, loving, mystical experience we have in our Lord. 

Bulletin reflection - 23 February 2020 - St Jude Catholic Church - Pearl, Mississippi

     It is hard to believe that Ash Wednesday is this upcoming week.  I always look forward to Ash Wednesday and the holy season of Lent, probably because it is a time of reflection, renewal, conversion and preparation in our lives, a time that we can use to evaluate our lives of faith and our relationship with God.  This year, Deacon John made the wonderful suggestion that we use the theme of FORGIVENESS this Lenten season.  This weekend, we are handing out wonderful Lenten reflection books entitled FINDING FORGIVENESS IN LENT.  Indeed, forgiveness is one of the hardest things we do as human beings, isn’t it?  According to Mother Teresa, "If we really want to love we must learn how to forgive.”  Hopefully, we will have a good conversation about forgiveness during Lent this year at St Jude.  

      I want to encourage all of you to come at one of our Ash Wednesday Masses, which will be at 6:30 am, noon, and 6:00 pm in English and 7:30 pm in Spanish.  In addition, we will have the Stations of the Cross each Friday at 6:00 pm during Lent, followed by our famous Knights of Columbus Fish Fry. To me, the Stations of the Cross on Friday, commemorating the day that Jesus died, is such a fitting Catholic tradition during Lent.   Our Lenten Reconciliation service this year will be on Monday, March 2 from 5:30 pm and 7;30 pm.   Our reconciliation service will be a “come and go” event this year.  We will not have a service, but will have handouts for the examination of conscience that you can use in preparation, and then you can go to one of the priests for the sacrament of reconciliation.  You may come anytime during that two hour period for the sacrament.  

      Finally, I want to mention the traditional Lenten disciplines of fasting/sacrifice, prayer, and works of charity.  Lent is only fruitful as a time of preparation and renewal based upon the effort we put into it.  I want all of us to have a fruitful Lenten season this year.  Blessings to you as we end our weeks of Ordinary Time and as we enter the holy season of Lent.  

20 February 2020 – Thursday of 6th week in Ordinary Time – James 2:1-9

        We have been hearing from the letter of James all this week.  It is interesting to note that while most of the letters of St Paul were written to specific communities in the early Church, James was a universal letter written to all believers in the faith. The letter of James addresses issues of living out of faith, especially of living the values of the Gospel through our works and actions and persevering during any trials, struggles, and temptations we may have on our journey. It is interesting to see how people in our world are treated so differently by others based on who they are and their status in society.  I remember working in Winnipeg as a missionary at the food bank and soup kitchen, usually wearing big grubby winter jackets and work clothing.  Sometimes I would be mistaken for a street person myself.  I remember once a man who was a partner in a CPA firm came to drop off a donation to the food bank.  When he asked me what type of work I was in, and I told him I had been a CPA myself in the United States, I could tell that he did not believe me, thinking I was just making up some tale.  

It is easy for us to judge people, isn’t it?  Rather than trying to just someone, we should instead be gracious and welcoming to everyone in our community of faith, no matter who they are.  Hopefully we treat everyone with the dignity and respect that God expects of us. The Lord does have a special heart for the poor, for those going through different circumstances in their lives, for those who struggle to make it in our Lord.  We are called to hear the cry of the poor as well. 

19 February 2020 - Wednesday of the 6th week in Ordinary Time - James 1:19-27

      Today, we continue to hear from the letter of James, which we having been hearing in our daily masses in the first readings all this week.  The letter of James is known for the practical, down to earth advice it gives to help us live out our lives of faith.  For example, James starts out today by advising that “everyone should be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, for anger does not accomplish the righteousness of God.” All of us probably know very well that our anger can get us into trouble.  How many terrible emails and texts do we receive that come out of anger?  So often we want to speak and lash out someone or let someone have it, but then we don’t want to listen to what they have to say.  We live in a modern world where we want to fill out lives with all kinds of noise, sometimes noise for the sake of noise, but we rarely sit and listen in silence.  Perhaps God is speaking to us in our lives in a very profound we, but we don’t want to listen to what he has to say.  

But, James goes further than this by saying that we should “be doers of the word and not hearers only.”  We need to put God’s word into practice in our lives.  For if we hear and understand what God is telling us to do and do not put it into action, what good is our faith, really?  We could respond to God’s word in an act of love or charity.  We can respond to God’s word through a random act of kindness.  

As we are getting close to the holy season of Lent, perhaps we can put some of this advice into practice during the weeks of this season of preparation.   

21 February 2020 – Friday of 6th week in Ordinary Time – James 2:14-24, 26

      Faith and works are the subject of today’s reading from the letter of James. Faith is more than an intellectual assent, it is more than just placing our trust and hope in God.  We typically think of faith as a noun, but in a spiritual sense, faith is a verb.  Faith is action and doing.  

We don’t have works come out of faith to justify our faith or to prove or earn our salvation.  Our good works flow out of our faith like fruit growing from a tree that is tended properly, that is nourished and developed.  A person who lovingly trusts God, who is obedient to God, will overflow with works of charity and mercy in his life.   God is not satisfied with just our sacrificial offerings, but rather asks of us our obedience and our trust.  

      Often times, when someone comes to me for the sacrament of reconciliation, I give that person a penance that involves a good work coming out of his faith.  Sometimes a child is asked to do a chore around the house that he doesn’t normally do if the sin was committed against a parent.  Or someone is asked to do a random act of kindness for a friend or family member or even a stranger to make amends for what he did.  Our good works are to flow out of faith, but also they reinforce and compliment and develop our faith.  Indeed, you could say that faith and works naturally go together.

18 February 2020 - Tuesday of the 6th week in Ordinary Time - James 1:12-18, Mark 8:14-21

     Today, we hear from the letter of James, which we will hear from in our daily readings up until the start of the holy season of Lent. James calls us to patience and perseverance in the midst of our struggles, our trials, and our temptations.  Throughout his letter, James encourages us to live consistently and courageously with what we have learned as followers of Christ.

       We hear in the Gospel to guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.  What could that mean?  In the context of what we hear from James in guarding against temptation perhaps the leaven of the Pharisees is found in pride and scrupulosity, in the way that we can place more importance in following a strict, rigid adherence to the letter of the law, but at the same time violating the spirit of the law. The Pharisees try to mold God and their approach to religion into what they themselves want rather than letting God be God and letting God lead them and guide them.  Perhaps we can be lured into the same temptation, taking us away from the faith God wants us to have.  Are we so busy telling God how to be God, trying to tell him what commandments we should be following, that we don't have any time to listen to his will in our lives?

      What could Jesus mean be the leaven of Herod?  Could it be the lure of materialism, wealth, pride, and selfishness that Herod embodied as he ruled as king of Israel?  Those same temptations can seduce many of us in the modern world today. 

       The leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod call out to us today as we think about not being led into temptation.   As we persevere against temptation, may our hearts and prayers be set on the Lord rather than the ways of the world, rather than our own rigid, distorted concepts. 

Quote about life by Grahame Greene - Journey without maps

"I find myself always torn between two beliefs: the belief that life should be better than it is and the belief that when it appears better tit is really worse." 

16 de febrero de 2020 – el sexto domingo del tiempo ordinario - Mateo 5:17-37

     La ley de Dios debe tener un papel en nuestra vida.  En el Evangelio de hoy, Jesús nos dice que él no ha venido a abolir la ley de Dios o el mensaje de los profetas, sino a dar la plenitud a esta ley de Dios en la vida de sus discípulos. Podemos decir con el mensaje del Evangelio de hoy que Jesús lleva la ley no solo a su cumplimiento – él da una ampliación, un significación mas profunda a la definición de la ley de Dios para nosotros como sus discípulos. Para ser fiel a Dios y a su ley, no significa que solo necesitamos cumplir los diez mandamientos, o ir a misa cada domingo, o recibir los sacramentos en nuestra vida.  De acuerdo al mensaje de Cristo en su Sermón del Monte, sus discípulos necesitan tener fidelidad a Dios en sus corazones.  Ellos necesitan preparar un lugar en sus corazones donde la ley de Dios puede vivir y crecer, donde puede desarrollar. En verdad, es importante para participar en el sacrificio de la Eucaristía en la misa, pero si guardamos rencores y envidia en nuestros corazones contra nuestro prójimo, nuestro vecino, nuestro esposo, y nuestros amigos, la Eucaristía no tendrá significado profundo en nuestra vida.  Jesús lleva a la ley más allá del mero cumplimiento.  Para tener la plenitud de la ley, Jesús nos lleva a cuestionarnos lo que hay en nuestros corazones.  Allí, podemos encontrar nuestros miedos, nuestras inseguridades, nuestra ignorancia, y nuestras intenciones.
          En el Evangelio, Cristo habla en oposición a una interpretación legalista estricta no solo de la ley, sino también de cómo entendemos a Dios operando en nuestras vidas. Los fariseos sabían acerca de las leyes de Dios contra cosas como el adulterio, el asesinato y el falso testimonio. Conocían la letra de la ley, pero crearon interpretaciones que impidieron que estas leyes penetraran en sus corazones. Jesús nos llama a una nueva vida en él cada día, no solo una vez en las aguas del bautismo, sino a una nueva vida que se renueva cada día en la que la ley de Dios continúa convirtiendo nuestros corazones. Jesús puede imaginar un mundo donde comenzamos a proclamar el reino de Dios en el presente, en el que amamos a nuestro prójimo y nos acercamos a nuestro enemigo, en el que trabajamos para lograr matrimonios fuertes y familias estables, en el que se proclame la alegría y la paz a todos. Jesús nos llama a luchar por la perfección bajo la ley de Dios mientras viajamos en fe cada día. Jesús proclama que ha venido a cumplir la ley de su Padre, sabiendo la salvación y la redención que lograremos a través de su muerte y su resurrección. Estamos llamados a crecer en nuestra comprensión de la ley de Dios, para permitir que penetre en nuestros corazones, para ser bendecidos por la ley de Dios bajo la cual vivimos nuestra fe.

      Todos nosotros -  estamos llamados a la santidad, a una vida unida con Dios, precisamente porque no somos santos, sino porque lo podemos ser, si somos siempre constantes.  Jesús nos revela la sabiduría de Dios en este mundo.  Y cuando crecemos en nuestro entendimiento de la ley de Dios, cuando penetra los espacios en nuestros corazones, podemos tener una mirada de esta sabiduría de Dios.  La ley de Dios no puede ser algo extraño e incomprensible para nosotros si somos en verdad los hijos de Dios, si somos en verdad los discípulos de Jesucristo.  Es el desafío que tenemos.