Bulletin Reflection - 5 July 2020 - 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time - St Jude Catholic Church - Pearl, Mississippi

     We hear a Gospel reading today that is one that I often proclaim as a priest, since it is the main Gospel for the sacrament of the anointing of the sick, that wonderful sacrament of healing and wholeness that we have in our faith.  Jesus proclaims to us today in the Gospel:  “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

       There are different times in our lives when we will feel burdened by what is going on in our personal life or by what is going on in the world.  Sometimes what we see going on came seem very unjust.  Sometimes the harshness of our lives and of the world around can be unbearable.  Sometimes our reality has changed so much that nothing makes sense anymore.

       Our faith is there to speak to us in our reality, in the midst of all that we are going through in our lives.  I love this following quote from St Augustine of Canterbury, who lived in the 6th century, has this beautiful quote that speaks to this very reality: “God of life, there are days when the burdens we carry chafe our shoulders and wear us down; when the road seems dreary and endless, the skies gray and threatening; when our lives have no music in them and our hearts are lonely, and our souls have lost their courage.   Flood the path with light, we beseech you; turn our eyes to where the skies are full of promise.”

         Blessings to all of you this week - Father Lincoln.

5 de julio de 2020 - XIV domingo del tiempo ordinario - homilia - Mateo 11:25-30, Romanos 8:18-23

      Soren Kierkegaard era filósofo existencialista en el siglo XIX.  Yo estudiaba sus escrituras en el seminario.  Cuando asistía a la conferencia en Chicago, un sacerdote hablaba sobre esta oración de Kierkegaard.  Kierkegaard escribió: 
      “Tu nos amaste primero, Señor, hablamos de  ti como si nos hubieras amado primero una sola vez; sin embrago, continuamente, día tras día durante toda nuestra vida tú nos amas primero.
Cuando cada mañana me despierto y levanto a ti mi alma, tú eres el primero, tú me amas primero. Si me levanto al alba e inmediatamente  levanto hacia ti mi espíritu y mi oración, tu me precedes, Tu ya me has amado primero. Y siempre así. Y somos tan desagradecidos que hablamos como si Tú nos hubieses amado primero una sola vez.” 
     No importa qué es la situación, Dios está allí con nosotros. Posiblemente, no lo veamos. Posiblemente, no lo reconozcamos. Posiblemente, lo negamos. Posiblemente, no lo entendamos. Pero él está allí. Y él estaba allí primeramente, como Kierkegaard expresa en las palabras en su oración.
     Ustedes conocen que me gusta muchísimo el equipo de beisbol - los Cachorros de Chicago. En 2016, cuando yo estaba en Chicago ateniendo una conferencia, los Cachorros estaban en la ciudad al mismo tiempo. Yo tenía muchas ganas para ir a este partido de beisbol y no podía dejar pasar esa oportunidad. Un amigo mío preguntó por última vez cuando fui a ver a los Cachorros. Fue en 1996. Y el tiempo antes de eso, yo tenía 11 años de edad! Me recuerdo que en mi niñez , mi mamá y todos mis tíos y mis tías, y mi abuelo - ellos estaban aficionados del equipo de los Cachorros.  Siempre tuvimos muchas ganas que los Cachorros ganaría, pero, al fin, para ser aficionados, no importaba si los Cachorros ganaban o perdían. Siempre quería mirar los partidos en WGN en el Tele.  Y como niño, aunque veía a los Cachorros tener una temporada perdida casi cada año, ellos estaban nuestro equipo, el equipo de mi ciudad y mi familia y mis amigos. Cuando fui al partido de los Cachorros el 4 de julio en 2016, fue el muchedumbre mas grande que tuvieron en un partido de temporada regular en más de 4 años.
      Yo se que muchos de ustedes son aficionados de los equipos de deportes - el equipo de futbol de Mexico y otros equipos aquí en los EEUU.  Pero, el amor que tenemos por nuestros equipos deportivos, la amistad que nos sentimos con los demás aficionados, eso no es nada como el amor que Dios tiene por nosotros o por la comunidad que tenemos en la comunidad de los discípulos de Cristo. 
      Yo reflexionaba sobre esta oración de Soren Kierkegaard en el contexto de la lectura de San Pablo en su carta a los Romanos. Pablo nos habla hoy de dos yugos: el yugo de la carne y el yugo del Espíritu. Antes de nuestro bautismo en la fe, somos de la carne y somos deudores a la carne. Con nuestro discipulado en Cristo, con el Espíritu Santo trabajando en nuestra vida, somos liberados del pecado, del yugo de la carne para renacer como nuevas creaciones a la luz de Cristo. Sin embargo, continuamos pecando, continuamos siendo atraídos lejos de Dios y sus leyes. Sin embargo, somos constantemente llamados de nuevo al amor de Dios, al amor de Cristo, al Espíritu que nos llevará de regreso con la gracia de Dios.
      En el evangelio de hoy, Cristo dice: "Vengan a mí, todos los que están fatigados y agobiados por la carga y yo les daré alivio. Tomen mi yugo sobre ustedes y aprendan de mí, que soy manso y humilde de corazón,  y encontrarán descanso, porque mi yugo es suave y mi carga, ligera."  Si, podemos poner nuestros problemas y nuestros desafíos en los brazos de Cristo.  El puede ayudarnos en nuestro camino.  Con él, podemos encontrar descanso.  Con él, podemos encontrar un yugo diferente del yugo del mundo.  Podemos encontrar a nuestro Señor Jesucristo hoy en la realidad de nuestro camino.  Pero, no solo hoy - también, cada momento de nuestro camino.  

5 July 2020 - 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time - Romans 8:9.11-13; Matthew 11:25-30

      Before Catholic seminarians can study theology in seminary, they take a ton of classes in philosophy.  In fact, I took more philosophy classes in seminary than a friend of mine took as an undergraduate philosophy major when we were students together at Wake Forest.  My favorite philosophy course was about the philosophers of the Enlightenment movement that included the philosophers John Locke, Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Immanuel Kant.  Another philosophy class I loved was about the Existentialist philosophers and writers, which included Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, and Martin Heidegger.  Soren Kierkegaard, a Danish philosopher and theologian from the first half of 19th century, is considered one of the Fathers of existentialism.  He wrote a poem about the love of God that a speakers quoted at the National Gathering for RCIA that I attended in Chicago a few years ago.  Kierkegaard writes: “You have loved us first, O God, alas! We speak of it in terms of history as if you loved us first but a single time, rather than that without ceasing you have loved us first many times and everyday and our whole life through. When we wake up in the morning and turn our soul toward you – you were there first – you have loved us first; if I rise at dawn and at that same second turn my soul toward you in prayer, you are there ahead of me, you have loved me first. When I withdraw from the distractions of the day and turn my soul toward you, you are there first and thus forever. And we speak ungratefully as if you have loved us first only once.”

    No matter what, God is there.  We may not see him.  We may not recognize him.  We may deny him.  We may not understand him.  But he is there.  And he was there first, as Kierkegaard expresses so eloquently in his prayer.  

        I thought of this prayer from Kierkegaard today in connection to our reading from Paul, with the spirit of God that dwells with us as a part of our identity as disciples of Christ.   Paul speaks about two yokes - the yoke of the spirit and the yoke of the flesh.  Before our baptism in the faith, we are of the flesh and we are debtors to the flesh.  With our discipleship in Christ, with the Holy Spirit working in our lives, we are set free from sin, from the yoke of the flesh to be reborn as new creations in the light of Christ.  Yet, we continue to sin, we continue to be lured away from God and his laws.  Yet, we are constantly called back to the love of God, the love of Christ, to the Spirit who will lead us back with God’s grace. 

        We have not had a lot of live sports since the COVID-19 crisis.  We have not had the baseball season this year, but let’s talk about the Cubs. I think most of the parishioners know that I am a huge Cubs fan.  I was over the moon when the Cubs won the World Series in 2016.  Actually, four years ago to this very day, on July 4, I was in Chicago that week for a conference, and of course I could not pass up going to a Cubs game.  The last time I had been to a Cubs game prior to that was in 1996 - twenty years earlier.   I remember growing up, my mom and all my aunts and uncles, and my grandfather - they all thought the Cubs were the greatest thing ever.  And you know, it did not matter whether the Cubs won or lost.  They loved the Cubs. They loved watching the games on WGN. And as a child, even though I saw the Cubs having one losing season after another, I didn’t dream about rooting for another team.  When I went to the Cubs game on 4th of July in 2017, it was the biggest home crowd they had at a regular season game in more than 4 years.  And the Cubs were not having a good year that year - at that point they had lost as many games as they won.  Not a great record.  But that crowd at Wrigley field - oh my goodness.  Everyone just so excited about the team they love.  

       I know most of you can relate, because sports are big here in Mississippi, whether we are pulling for Ole Miss or Mississippi State, or the Cowboys or the Braves or the Saints, the love we have for our sports teams, the sense of belonging we feel with the other fans, that is nothing like the love God has for us or for community we have in the in the community of Christ’s disciples.  Nothing.  

      The Gospel today is one I have proclaimed as a priest as much or more than any Gospel, since it is the Gospel proclaimed during the anointing of the sick, a sacrament of mercy and healing.  Compare today’s Gospel to the hard, challenging statement about committing ourselves to Christ without reservation that we heard last Sunday from Matthew, that “anyone who prefers father or mother… son or daughter to me is not worthy of me.  Anyone who does not take his cross and follow in my footsteps is not worthy of me.”  We can still say that today’s Gospel demands a total giving of ourselves to Christ, but also, in today's Gospel, we are reminded of God’s infinite patience, compassion, and love as we strive in our faults and imperfections in an effort to unite ourselves fully to God.  Jesus wants us to lay our burdens and troubles before him when we are labored and heavily burdened.  Through Jesus, we find our comfort and our rest.  The love and compassion of this passage is a comfort to those who are sick and who need healing, those who hear this Gospel proclaimed in the anointing of the sick. The Gospel message is not to be a burden to us, demanding though it is, but by being faithful disciples, Christ’s yoke is to bring us peace of heart and joy.  It is in that spirit that God’s love calls out to us today.  Not just today, but every day. 

30 June 2020 - The First Martyrs of the Church of Rome - Tuesday of the 13th week of Ordinary Time - Amos 3:1-8, 4:11-12

     If you recall, for the last several weeks, we had been hearing from the 1st and 2nd books of Kings in our first readings in the daily masses. Those books told us of the prophets Elijah and Elisha bringing God’s message to the people of Israel when they had strayed from God, of Israel being taken to exile in Babylon.   Today, we hear from the prophet Amos. Amos was a shepherd from the southern kingdom of Judah.  God called him to be a prophet, sending him to the northern kingdom of Israel.  Amos confronted the people for the way they were devoted to worshipping God in their liturgies and prayers and piety, but ignored the injustices around them. Indeed, Amos is now a voice of social justice in the Hebrew Scriptures whose voice still calls out to us today. Amos today tells the people that although they were favored by the Lord in all of the human family, they did not respond in love and service. 

     Today, we commemorate martyrs from the early Church in Rome in our Church’s liturgical calendar, a feast day that was established with the Second Vatican council.  In the year 64 CE, under the reign of Nero, the Roman empire was experiencing a lot of problems and a lot of social unrest.  A huge fire started, spreading throughout the city and consuming many neighborhoods.  Nero blamed the Christians for the fire, killing them in many different barbaric ways. In our society today, we tend to want to scapegoat people too, don’t we.  It is easier to blame someone and to tear people down, to hurl accusations at them and to blame a certain group for all of our problems, than it is to attempt the difficult work of healing, reconciliation, and building bridges.  It is easier to destroy than it is to build up and reach out to others in the midst of our challenges and problems.  

     As Amos confronted the reality of his day, of the way the people were not practicing the mercy and justice of God in their daily lives, we also are to read the signs of the times in our modern world. Are we practicing justice and mercy in our lives?  Are we turning away from the word of God and turning away from his laws and commandments?  How are we called to turn back to the Lord?

3 July 2020 – St Thomas the Apostle – Friday of 13th week of ordinary time – Ephesians 2:19-22, John 20:24-29

        Paul tells us today that we are no longer strangers or sojourners, but rather citizens, holy ones, and members of God’s family.  When you think about it, we all want a sense of belonging in life.  We want to feel a sense of belonging in our family, our school, our work, our community.  Hopefully we feel that sense of belonging as followers of Jesus in a very special way, a belonging that fills a lot of the gaps that exist in our lives. As a priest, I have served in a lot of different parts of Mississippi.  Each parish has its own personality and its own story, its our history, from the Delta and the historic African American parishes, to Northeast Mississippi and our parish of St Jude in Rankin County.  

         Thomas wanted proof in order to believe.  Yet, sometimes we don’t get the tangible proof we want.  We receive different signs and graces from God all the time.  Sometimes they are not the signs or the proof that we asking for, but that is what God gives us on our journey.   Tradition has it that Thomas, the one who is known as the doubter, went to India to bring the Good News of the Lord to the people there.  We have many priests from India working as missionaries here in our Diocese of Jackson, part of the tradition that Thomas brought to that country.  

           Religious Freedom Week in our country as declared by the Bishops concluded this past Monday.  This is a challenging time for us as a nation and as a Church.  Not only are we going through a pandemic, but we see a government and a society that is becoming hostile to the message of Christ and to the way we are called to live out our faith.  Just this past weekend, I saw a video posted to the internet that showed a young priest trying to defend the statue of St Louis IX in the city of St Louis. This was part of a prayer rally of Christians that was disrupted by protestors.  Louis IX lived in the 13th century.  He led a very interesting life and tried to do good for his people and live the values of the Christian faith.  He died in the midst of one of the Crusades in Tunisia.  He is the only King of France to be canonized a saint, which happened just a few decades after his death.  Louis IX and statues of him are the subject of desecration and protest right now in our country; I wonder how much those protestors know about him and the history of his era. In the context of all that is going on in our country and in our world today, we are called to witness to the world.  That is the mandate we receive from Christ: "Go out to all the world and tell the Good News" as it says in the psalm.  Proclaiming that Good News is not easy, especially in our modern world.  But that is what we are called to do. 

          “Blessed are those who have not seen and who believe.”  We hear this statement made in our Gospel today in conjunction with Thomas.  May we thank God for the grace to believe, even in the midst of the challenges and struggles that we go through in life.

1 July 2020 - Wednesday of the 13th week in Ordinary Time - St Junipero Serra - Amos 5:14-15, 21-24

      We heard the prophet Amos proclaim in the first reading today: “Seek good and not evil, that you may live.” I read those words in the context of today’s feast day, honoring Junipero Serra, a missionary to our own country in the mid-18th century and founder of the first nine missions in the vast California mission system, missions that would be located in places that are familiar to us today: San Diego, San Francisco, Carmel, and San Juan Capistrano.  Junipero Serra was canonized a saint not long ago, by Pope Francis himself in the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC in 2015 when he visited the United States.  Serra is the first Hispanic American saint. Yet, there have been protests against Father Serra becoming a saint and being honored with statues, with accusations against the way he treated the native population to whom he brought the Gospel.  In fact, the day I wrote this homily, I read an article of how a group of Catholic college students prevented an angry group of protestors from destroying a statue of the saint in front of the city hall in Ventura, California, a city where Father Serra founded a mission. Father Serra was not appointed as the head of the missionary effort in California until 1767 when he was 54 years old, in very bad health with a leg that had been infected with open sores for years and a bad case of asthma.  But, this humble Franciscan friar, who had spent most of his career as a priest as a professor of theology and philosophy, worked tirelessly in bringing the Gospel to the people of present-day California.  His motto was - Siempre adelante, nunca hacia atrás. Always forward, never back.  He never dwelt on past mistakes, but tried to learn from the past and to look forward to what he could do for the Lord.  Father Serra was a product of his time, yes.  He lived in the era of the Spanish Inquisition and was actually a judge for the Inquisition.  Yet, facts show that he had a great love for the native people to whom he ministered.  California’s bishops echoed issued a joint statement, asserting that Serra was a man “ahead of his times” who worked against an “oppression that extends far beyond the mission era… If that is not enough to legitimate a public statue in the state that he did so much to create, then virtually every historical figure from our nation’s past will have to be removed for their failings measured in the light of today’s standards.” We honor St Junipero Serra today.  May he inspire us to bring the Gospel to others.  May we unite our prayers to his prayers today.  

Statement by Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz on the Mississippi State Flag

JACKSON – In solidarity with other faith traditions and business leaders, I, as Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Jackson, call upon our State Leadership in the Legislature and the Governor’s Office to immediately remove the current State Flag of Mississippi and replace it with one that better represents the inhabitants of our State.

The people of Mississippi have elected you to make difficult decisions for the betterment of our State. Now is your time to lead us with justice and compassion.

Our Catholic Church has a long and storied tradition of speaking out against injustices in society and on a unique level in the State of Mississippi for the past 180 years. Today, we continue and honor that legacy by asking our State Leaders to remove a symbol that recalls an unjust and oppressive society and place it in a museum where it belongs.

Let our new flag reflect a new Mississippi where all our people can gaze upon it and feel pride. Let our new flag signal a Mississippi where we can learn from the past and carve a bright future for our young people. Let our new flag encompass a State where justice and peace swell in the hearts of all.

28 de junio de 2020 - el decimotercero domingo del tiempo ordinario - 2 reyes 4: 8-11. 14-16a, Mateo 10, 37-42

       Les damos la bienvenida a la misa de este decimotercero domingo del tiempo ordinario. Hoy, en nuestra primera lectura, escuchamos sobre el hombre santo Eliseo, quien asumió el manto del profeta principal de Dios del gran profeta Elías. Me encanta esta historia de hospitalidad, de una pareja que no solo le da la bienvenida a Eliseo a su hogar en medio de sus viajes, sino que le prepara una habitación en la que puede descansar.  Me recuerda la hospitalidad y la bienvenida que yo recibí de maneras diferentes cuando viajaba como misionero en Canadá y Ecuador en América del Sur. Con esta pareja sin hijos, Eliseo bendijo a esta pareja con un hijo. El resto de esta historia, que no escuchamos en la lectura de hoy, es una historia de muerte y resurrección.  Cuando el niño alcanza la edad en que puede acompañar a su padre en su trabajo en el campo, se enfermó y murió. Solo podemos imaginar que estos padres estaban devastados y afligidos por la muerte de su único hijo. Era un desafío para su fe. La madre tenía fe y confianza en Eliseo, un hombre santo de Dios. Ella viajaba para ver a Eliseo en un largo viaje para tratar de restaurar la vida de su hijo. Se aferraba a Eliseo cuando llegaba a su hogar. Ella no quería regresar a su casa sin la promesa de la recuperación de vida de su hijo. Reflexionando sobre esta lectura, yo pienso en María, la madre de nuestro Señor que veía la muerte de su hijo en la cruz.  Ella llevaba ese dolor en su corazón. Eliseo respondió con la restauración de la vida de su hijo. De la oscuridad de nuestra vide, Dios trae luz y vida. La madre en esta lectura refleja el dicho que escuchamos en el Evangelio de hoy: “Quien los recibe a ustedes me recibe a mí; y quien me recibe a mí, recibe al que me ha enviado.”
     De hecho, los mensajes que escuchamos de Jesús en el Evangelio de hoy me recuerdan la literatura de sabiduría que escuchamos en el Antiguo Testamento. Lo que dicen estas palabras en el Evangelio es que hay dolor y desafío en nuestro camino como discípulos de Cristo en la manera que tratamos de vivir según los valores de nuestra fe.  El dolor y el sufrimiento que sufrimos por nuestra fe no son buenos en sí mismos, pero son consecuencia de que tratamos de ser fieles en medio de circunstancias difíciles y ante el desánimo. Cristo nos dice en el Evangelio de hoy: "Él que no toma su cruz y me sigue, no es digno de mí.”
      Tomamos nuestras cruces de diferentes maneras en los últimos meses, incluida la realidad de una pandemia que está lejos de terminar, incluida la reflexión de los problemas sociales legítimos que tenemos como sociedad, pero que se manifestaron no solo en protestas pacíficas, sino también en actos de violencia y destrucción. Ha llegado al punto en que no podemos mirar nada en el internet sin un mensaje de odio, juicio o acusación. Necesitamos tener la sabiduría durante este momento difícil. Como la mujer valiente en el Evangelio, necesitamos mantener la fe y los valores de nuestra fe.  Que siempre podamos sentir la presencia de Dios con nosotros guiándonos en nuestro camino. 

Prayers of the faithful - St Jude Catholic Church - 12th week in Ordinary Time - 26 June 2020

Lord Jesus - you draw us to faith  - Lord have mercy. 

Christ Jesus - you bring us the Father’s love - Christ have mercy. 

Lord Jesus - you lead us to hope - Lord have mercy. 

PRIEST:  With confidence and trust in God’s mercy we turn to our loving Father with our prayers for all in need: 

1. For Francis our Pope, Joseph our Bishop and all our church leaders, that they may continue to be witnesses to the love of Christ for all people. 

2. For all who are struggling with faith, or are persecuted for their faith, that God’s grace will strengthen them and give them renewed hope. 

3.  For those who suffer bullying or intimidation, that Christ, who was belittled by his own people, may grant them resilience of mind and peace of heart. 

4. For our own parish community, that we may challenge the cynical and the skeptical and give prophetic witnesses to our world. 

5. For the neglected, the housebound, the sick and those who are terminally ill, that they will know the Lord’s comfort and support. 

6. For all who have died, that Christ may welcome them into his kingdom. 

7. For the prayers we hold in our hearts today.  

PRIEST: Gracious God, we ask you to continue to watch over the lives of your people. Hear our prayers and grant that we may draw closer to you each day. We ask this through Christ our Lord forever and ever.  

28 June 2020 - 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time - 2 Kings 4: 8-11,14-16, Matthew 10:37-42

      We welcome you to Mass of this 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time.  I am so glad to be here with you here at St Anne.  I have really enjoyed coming here and getting to know all of you. Today, in our 1st reading we hear about the holy man Elisha, who took over the mantle of being the main prophet of God from the great prophet Elijah. I love how we hear a story of hospitality, of a husband and wife who not only welcome Elisha into their home in the midst of his travels, but who prepare a room for him in which he can rest.  It reminds me of how I used to be welcomed in different ways when I would travel as a missionary in Canada and Ecuador in South America. With this couple being without children, Elisha blessed this couple with a child. The rest of this story, which we do not hear in today’s reading, is a story of death and resurrection. When the boy reaches the age of when he is able to accompany his father in his work in the fields, he takes sick and dies.  We can only imagine how devastated and grief-stricken the parents are at the death of their only child.  It is quite a challenge to their faith. The mother has faith in Elisha, a holy man of God.  She travels to see Elisha on a long journey to try to restore her son to life. She clings to Elisha once she arrives at his location, vowing not to let go until her son is restore to life.  I think of Mary, the sorrowful mother, who sees her son die on the cross, who bears that pain in her heart.  Elisha responds by restoring her son to new life. Out of darkness, God brings light and life. The mother in this story from 2nd Kings is reflective of the saying we hear in the Gospel today: “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” 

       Indeed, the messages we hear from Jesus in the Gospel today remind me of the wisdom literature we hear in the Old Testament.  What these saying in the Gospel tells us is that there is pain and challenge in being a disciples of Christ, is trying to live by the values of our faith. The pain and suffering we go through for our faith are not good in themselves, but they are a consequence of us trying to be faithful in the midst of difficult circumstance and in the face of discouragement. Christ tells us in the Gospel today: “Whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.”

       We have taken up our crosses in different ways these past few months, including the reality of a pandemic that is far from over, including looking at legitimate social issues that we have as a society, but that manifested in not only peaceful protests, but also acts of violence and destruction.  It has gotten to the point where we cannot look anything from the media or social media with a message of hatred or judgment or accusation.  May we pay for wisdom and courage during this difficult time. Like the brave courageous woman in the Gospel, may we keep the faith and the values of our faith. May we always feel God’s presence with us guiding us on our journey.  I want us to pray the words of Thea Bowman today.  Thea was a Franciscan sister who originally came from our Diocese.  After working for many years up North in the field of education, she came back to our Diocese to work in the office of intercultural diversity.  She passed away in 1990 from cancer.  She has currently been named as a Servant of God in the process of canonization.  These words reflect the spiritual wisdom of Sister Thea and the values by which she lived her faith: 

Ever loving God, in your infinite goodness, you inflamed the heart of your servant and religious, Sister Thea Bowman with an ardent love for you and all people. May her prophetic witness continue to inspire us to share the Good News with all, but especially with the poor, oppressed and marginalized. May Sister Thea’s life and legacy compel us to walk together. Gracious God imbue us with the grace and perseverance that you gave your servant, Sister Thea, for in turbulent times of racial injustice, she sought equity, peace, and reconciliation. In times of intolerance and ignorance, she brought wisdom, awareness, unity, and charity.  May her light be a beacon of goodness and holiness in our troubled times.  We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Religious freedom week - United States Catholic Church

This week we celebrated religious freedom week in the US Catholic Church, which is appropriate right before we celebrate our nation’s independence day.  Some of the topics that the USCCB brought up are perhaps topics that we do not think much about in conjunction with religious freedom:

1. Freedom to serve in health care - Catholic organizations such as the Little Sisters of the Poor have been sued by state governments to force them to perform medical procedures that they opposed on moral grounds. 

2. Respect for houses of worships - churches and other houses of worship have been targets of desecration and violence, especially in the recent protests and civil unrest.  

3. Religious minorities in China and other parts of the world have not been allowed to practice their faith. 

4. Adoption and foster care services provided by religious organization are under attack because of their religious convictions, even though there is a great need for these services.                       
5. Catholic services are sometimes criticized for what they teach about our faith. 

6. Armed rebels in places like the Central African Republic and Nigeria have targeted Christians and members of other religions because of their faith.  

7. National and local conversations about important issues in our society need to be more civilized due to the attacks and harsh language that too often drive these conversations.  

It is importance for us to be aware of all the different aspects of our religious freedom.  Blessings to all of you this week.  

25 June 2020 - Friday of the 12 week in Ordinary Time - 2 Kings 25:1-12, Matthew 8:1-4

      We hear quite a contrast in our two readings today.  We have been hearing from the books of 1st and 2nd Kings in our first readings for several weeks now.  In the reading from 2nd Kings today, we hear about the Babylonian conquest and destruction of Jerusalem.  King Zedekiah is captured.  Before he is made blind, the last thing that King Zedekiah sees is his sons being murdered.  He is then led to his imprisonment in Babylon. The consequences for the Kingdom of Judah will be brutal:  Jerusalem and all of its holy places will be destroyed, including the Temple.  This initiates the period of Babylonian captivity for those residents who survived.  Very few would remain behind. I can imagine that the people of Israel asked: Where is God in all of this?  How can he allow this to happen?  Doesn’t he care? We struggle for explanations when things go wrong, when we are in crisis or when tragedy occurs, when our enemy prospers and we suffer. In our limited human understanding and sometimes limited view of the information, we cannot adequately evaluate these questions about God and his perspective. Our reading today states that during the fourth month of the siege of the city of Jerusalem, famine plagued the city.  I would imagine that such a long siege would shake the faith the people had in God.  

      Our Gospel is a very different scenario from the Babylonian captivity.  We hear of a humble leper who does Jesus homage.  But rather than beg or plead, what we hear from the leper is a type of prayer: “Lord if you wish, you can make me clean.” Perhaps in times of difficulty, stress, and turmoil, the simple humble prayer of the leper provides a model for us.  

6/23/2012 – Tuesday of 12th week in ordinary time - Matthew 7:6, 12-14

       Jesus today tells us to enter through the narrow gate, for the wide one is the one that leads us to destruction.  As I thought about this verse, I reflected upon all that has gone on in the Church and in the world since the Fortnight for Freedom was declared by the Catholic Church this decade.  We have seen a lot of attacks on the Church and on our faith since the Fortnight for Freedom was declared.  A few years ago, the Church reframed the Fortnight for Freedom into Religious Freedom Week.  

It feels like sometimes we are always being criticized, right?  I remember being in front of the abortion clinic praying for the unborn with Christians from different denominations when the police threatened us with being arrested and having our cars towed.  As you recall, too, the city of Jackson tried to pass all these rules recently to keep us from protesting in front of the clinic.  Yet, the mayor of Jackson who opposed our right to protest is saying very different things in public today about the right to protest.  Why the disconnect?  Why the attacks on our faith?  

For standing up for the values of our faith, we are not excluding people.  Being God’s love and mercy into the world does not mean that do not proclaim the values of our faith.  Standing up for what we perceive to be the truth is not always easy and comfortable.  While we see so many in our society trying to go through the wide door, what sense does that make of the narrow door that Jesus mentions in today’s Gospel?  It means living out our faith, not just proclaiming it in words.  It has been so hard for us during the pandemic not being able to have public mass in our parishes, but also not being able to engage in a lot of our outreach ministries, which include going out to the prisons and the state mental hospital.  

When I was out in front of the abortion clinic praying, being very visible in my collar, I thought about the fear of being arrested.  I remember in Yazoo City when the chaplain at the prison was opposing me in my Catholic ministry there, I thought they were going to find a way to get me in trouble too.  I remember being so tortured and agonized in those feelings, but ultimately I found the courage to continue in that ministry.  As we celebrate Religious Freedom Week, I it as a way for us to be encouraged and supported as we proclaim and live out our faith. 

24 June 2020 - The Nativity of John the Baptist - Luke 1:57-66, 80

       John the Baptist died before Jesus’ death and resurrection, but even so, before those events, John was able to be a strong Gospel witness for Jesus, knowing that Jesus was the promised one.  Even while he was in prison, John was occupied with the question of Jesus being the promised one, sending his disciples to Jesus to ask him that very question. In fact, in the Gospel of John, Jesus asserts that John is greatest in the line of prophets in the Jewish faith, a very strong claim.  

       Today, we celebrate the birth of John, of his birth to his parents Zechariah and Elizabeth. It is interesting that the date of the birth of John the Baptist takes place around the day in our calendar of the summer solstice, the time of the greatest amount of daylight in the northern hemisphere, which took place on Saturday, June 20 this year. The summer solstice was a time of great festivals of many pagan religions, including the Romans.  With creation on earth being dependent on light for all dimensions of life, the people wanted to appease the gods who they saw as controlling the sun. It is interesting to note that the birth of Jesus comes around the time of the winter solstice, which daylight starts increasing in the northern hemisphere of our world. Jesus is our light.  In his life and ministry, John testified to the light, even when he was in the womb of his mother Elizabeth, leaping for joy when he and his mother were in the presence of Mary, with Jesus in her womb.  From the moment of he was conceived, John was brave in his testimony, confronting many of the social and political attitudes of his time.  From the moment of our own baptism, we to are called to give testimony to the faith and to be a part of the Father’s plan.  We unite our prayers with the prayers of John the Baptist today as we celebrate his birth.  

21 de junio de 2020 - el duodécimo domingo del tiempo ordinario - Jeremías 20:10-13, Mateo 10:26-33

     Escuchamos en el Evangelio el mandato que comienza el discurso de Jesús a sus apóstoles: "No teman a los hombres". 
A. Según algunos cálculos, nos dice “no teman” más de 300 veces en la Biblia. Mientras escuchamos estas palabras de Jesús, para no tener miedo, podríamos pensar en cómo cuando María fue llamada a ser la madre de Jesús, se sintió profundamente perturbada por este mensaje, insegura de su verdadero significado.  El ángel la animó con las palabras: María, no tengas miedo.  Luego, cuando José se enteró de que María estaba embarazada, había planeado divorciarse de ella, pero en un sueño le dijeron: "José, no tengas miedo".  Dios llamó a María y a José por sus nombres, pidiéndoles que emprendieran una tarea difícil.  Dios les dijo que no tuvieran miedo, que estaría con ellos y que les daría fuerza, apoyo y ánimo, que no estarían solos.
       El miedo es una gran parte de la vida.  Es una gran parte de nuestra vida diaria en este momento para muchas personas.  Tememos muchas cosas: la injusticia y la intolerancia y el racismo que vemos en la sociedad, el aumento de la violencia, el terrorismo y la persecución religiosa, los problemas económicos y la pandemia que son parte de nuestra realidad cada día.  Escuchamos muchas palabras de ataque y acusación en nuestra sociedad, palabras de separación, segregación y exclusión.  El miedo puede despertarse en nosotros de muchas maneras diferentes, pero Jesús se solidariza con nosotros, reconociendo que de hecho hay cosas en la vida que causarán temor a sus discípulos. Pero hay miedo apropiado y en miedo inapropiado, miedo falso y miedo verdadero.  En última instancia, no debemos temer a aquellos que intentan dañarnos físicamente porque nuestra existencia física está en las manos de Dios y es preciosa a su vista.  Mientras Dios valora la vida de los gorriones que se venden dos por un centavo, Dios valora a esos discípulos que depositan su confianza y fe en él. Los que nos mantenemos firmes en la fe y en los valores del Evangelio, incluso hasta el punto de la muerte, podemos estar seguros de dónde está nuestro destino final, en las manos de Dios y en nuestra vida eterna con Cristo.
      Probablemente todos nos sentimos como Jeremías a veces.  Jeremías reflexiona sobre la dificultad de su vocación de ser el profeta y mensajero de Dios. Tiene que entregar un mensaje muy difícil al pueblo de Dios. Este mensaje trae mucha hostilidad y cargas sobre Jeremías, sin embargo, él sigue confiando en el Señor, aún confiando en él. Jeremías sabe que será reivindicado al final.              En frente del miedo, la verdadera fe no nos pide huir del conflicto o desafío, huir cobardemente. Por el contrario, nuestra fe nos da el poder de vivir con valentía y generosidad, de ser resueltos y audaces. Nuestra confianza en Dios nos ayuda a superar nuestros miedos para defender con valentía lo que es correcto y justo.  Como creyentes, no estamos llamados a cerrarnos en nosotros mismos, a retirarnos a la comodidad o la pereza. Más bien estamos llamados a comprometernos.
      ¿Tenemos una llamada a la acción, tanto como individuos como comunidad. ¿Pero donde?  Tal vez, lo que más necesitamos en este momento es reflexionar y discernir esa pregunta para ver dónde nos está llamando Dios. Incluso en la pandemia, hemos continuado nuestro ministerio para ayudar a las personas sin hogar a través del programa Why Not Now en el centro de Jackson.  Dios nos llamó a ese programa y estamos respondiendo a esta llamada. Él continuará llamándonos a donde necesitamos estar.
       Las palabras de la hermana Thea me han inspirado durante estos días difíciles. Hoy, me gustaría terminar nuestra homilía como lo hicimos la semana pasada, a través de las palabras de la Hermana Thea Bowman. Esta es una oración que ella misma escribió.

O, Señor, ayúdanos a estar atentos a tus mandamientos. Ayúdanos a caminar en unidad. Ayúdanos a celebrar quiénes somos y de quién somos. Ayúdanos a superar el egoísmo, la ira y la violencia en nuestros corazones, en nuestros hogares, en nuestra Iglesia, en nuestro mundo. Ayúdanos a derribar, gritar a los muros del racismo, el sexismo, el clasismo, el materialismo y el militarismo que nos dividen y separan. Ayúdanos a vivir como tu pueblo unido, proclamando con una sola voz, nuestra fe, nuestra esperanza, nuestro amor, nuestra alegría. Amén.

20 de junio de 2020 - Memoria del Corazón Inmaculado de María - Lucas 2:41-51

    Ayer celebramos el Sagrado Corazón de Jesús, por lo que es apropiado que hoy celebremos el corazón inmaculado de su madre, María. Sí, María, era sincera en su fe, en su dedicación a Dios. María es un ejemplo y una inspiración para nosotros, ya que el pecado y la ira, la frustración y la impaciencia, nuestras ambiciones y nuestros celos pueden alejarnos de nuestro corazón sincero y nuestra devoción a la fe verdadera.  
    Gran parte de la devoción al corazón inmaculado de María que tenemos hoy tiene su origen en la época medieval de la Iglesia, con San Anselmo de Canterbury y San Bernardo de Clairvaux. En nuestro mundo moderna, Juan Pablo II dijo esto en su documento Redemptoris Mater: “Por su amoroso consentimiento, María concibió primero a Cristo en su corazón y luego en su vientre, aceptando completamente y con todo el corazón todo lo que se decreta en el plan divino "
    Al mirar el corazón inmaculado de María, podemos decir que María enfrentó muchas situaciones en su vida que no comprendió completamente: cuando el Ángel se le aparece en la Anunciación, cuando recibe la predicción de Simeón, cuando pierde seguimiento de Jesús en su visita al Templo, cuando Jesús se enfrenta a comenzar su ministerio terrenal en la boda de Caná, y cuando su hijo muere en la cruz. María reflexionaba sobre estas cosas en su corazón. Mary confía en Dios incluso cuando no lo comprende completamente. Ella avanza en su vida y en su fe en su devoción sincera.
      Podemos unir nuestras oraciones con el corazón inmaculado de nuestra Madre María hoy.  

BENDICIÓN DEL DÍA DE LOS PADRES - Catholic Father's Day Blessing in Spanish

Dios, Padre nuestro, por tu sabiduría y amor hiciste todas las cosas en nuestro mundo. 

Bendice a los padres y los abuelos que están con nosotros hoy en la iglesia y por el FACEBOOK LIVE, y ellos que no pueden estar presentes con nosotros. 

Es nuestro deseo que ellos sean fortalecidos como padres cristianos.
Deja que el ejemplo de la fe y el amor brille en ellos.
Concédenos que nosotros, sus hijos, sus familiares, y sus amigos, los honremos siempre con un espíritu de respeto profundo. 

Dios les bendiga – nuestros padres y abuelos – en el nombre del Padre, y del Hijo, y del Espíritu Santo. AMEN.

Blessing for Father's Day - 21 June 2020 - St Jude Catholic Church - Pearl Mississippi

God our Father, you govern and protect your people and you shepherd them with a father’s love.
You place a father in our families and in our communities as a sign of your love, care, and protection.
We pray for our fathers with us today that they may be faithful to the example shown to us in sacred Scripture: steadfast in love,  forgiving and merciful, sustaining their families,  and caring for the poor and the oppressed.
We pray for wisdom for our fathers. that they may encourage and guide their children and members of our community.
Guide our fathers and grandfathers with the Spirit of your love. 
May they grow in holiness and draw their family ever closer to you.
We ask this blessing for all of our fathers and grandfathers – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. AMEN.

Book Review - Susan Cain - Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Listen

When I was a child in the 1960s and 1970s, there was not a lot of talk about introverts and extroverts.  However, looking back I can see that I was an extremely introverted child born into a family of six who were all extreme extroverts.  You can imagine that this made for a lot of misunderstandings growing up.  I ended up going to a college that had the most extroverted learning style possible. That was painful also. Very painful.  When I was a graduate student in the School of Education at Ole Miss, we talked a lot about different learning styles and appealing to all kinds of learners.  That was not the case when I was growing up.  When I took the Meyers-Briggs test the first time and it showed me as an introvert that is off the charts, a lot started to make more sense.  Books like this one by Susan Cain have helped me understand my introverted nature.  When I am overloaded by stimulus, when I am drained of my energy by going to a social event or working with people all day, when I need time to process something in order to make the right decision, I realize that it is a part of my introverted nature, the way I am hard wired.  I am very appreciative of books like that.  

Prayers of the faithful - 12th week in ordinary time - 19 June 2020

Lord Jesus - you call us to justice - Lord have mercy. 

Christ Jesus - you call us to grow in our faith - Christ have mercy. 

Lord Jesus - you are our savior and our redeemer -

Priest: Let us now present our prayers to the God of love and mercy:

1. For our Church Leaders, that they lead us to be a people of justice and mercy. 

2. For our governmental leaders, that they lead us to construct a just society, free of violence and division.  

3. For all those preparing for the Easter sacraments, for children preparing for first communion, adults preparing for entry in the RCIA program, for youth preparing for confirmation.  

 4. That communities may look into their hearts and see the ways that they can help each other and live in harmony.  

5. For those who are sick, in body, mind or spirit, for God’s healing presence in their lives.  

6. For the repose of the souls of the faithful departed. 

7. For those prayers we hold in our hearts and all the prayers offered in our mass today.  

Priest: Lord our God, you have been our help, in the shadow of your wings we rejoice: hear the prayer we make, through Christ our Lord forever and ever. Amen.

21 June 2020 - 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Jeremiah 20:10-13, Matthew 10:26-33

      What struck me first when I read our Gospel today is the command that starts out Jesus’ address to his apostles: “Fear no one.”  By some counts, it tells us to not be afraid and not to fear more than 300 times in the Bible.  As we hear these words of Jesus, to not be afraid, we might think of how when Mary was called to be the mother of Jesus, she was deeply disturbed at this message, uncertain of its true meaning.  The angel encouraged her with the words: Mary, do not be afraid.  Then, when Joseph heard about Mary being with child, he had planned to quietly divorce her, but was told in a dream, “Joseph, do not be afraid.”  God called Mary and Joseph by name, asking them to take on a difficult undertaking.  God told them to not be afraid, that he would be with them and would bring them strength, support, and encouragement, that they would not be alone.  

        Fear is a big part of life.  It is a big part our daily lives right now for many people.  We’re afraid of a lot of things: of the injustice and intolerance we see in society, of the rise of violence, terrorism and religious persecution, of the economic problems and pandemic that is a part of our daily reality. We hear a lot of language of attack and accusation in our society, language of separation, segregation, and exclusion. Fear can be roused up in us in many different ways, but Jesus is in solidarity with us, recognizing that there are indeed things in life that will cause his disciples fear.  But there is appropriate fear and inappropriate fear, false fear and true fear.  We need not ultimately fear those who try to harm us physically because our physical existence is held in the hands of God and is precious in his sight.  As God values the life of sparrows that are sold two for a penny, think of how God values those disciples who place their trust and faith in him.  We who stand firm in faith and in the values of the Gospel, even to the point of death, can be be confident in where our ultimate fate lies, in the hands of God and in our eternal life with Christ.  

      We probably all feel like Jeremiah sometimes. Jeremiah reflects on the difficulty of his vocation of being God’s prophet and messenger.  He has to deliver a very difficult message to God’s people.  This brings a lot of hostility and burdens upon Jeremiah, yet, he remains confident in the Lord, still putting his trust in the Lord.  Jeremiah knows he will be vindicated in the end.  

       In the face of fear, true faith does not ask us to flee from conflict or challenge, to run away cowardly.  On the contrary, our faith gives us the power to live bravely and generously, to be resolute and daring. Our trust in God helps us to overcome our fears in order to boldly defend what is right and just. As believers, we are not called close off in ourselves, to retreat into comfort or laziness.  Rather we are called to be committed.  

        Where is God is calling us to action, both as individuals and as a community?  That is a good question.  Perhaps what we need most right now is to ponder and discern that question to see where God is calling us. Even in the pandemic, we have continued our ministry to help the homeless through the Why Not Now program in downtown Jackson.  God called us to that program and we are responding to that call.  He will continue to call us to where we need to be. 

        The words of Sister Thea have inspired me during these difficult days.  Today, I would like to end our homily like we did last week, through the words of Sister Thea Bowman.  This is a prayer she wrote herself. 

O, Lord, help us to be attentive to your commands. Help us to walk in unity. Help us to celebrate who we are and whose we are. Help us to overcome selfishness, anger, and violence in our hearts, in our homes, in our Church, in our world. Help us to knock down, pull down, shout down the walls of racism, sexism, classism, materialism, and militarism that divide and separate us. Help us to live as your united people, proclaiming with one voice, our faith, our hope, our love, our joy. Amen. +

Book Review - Raymond Brown - The Virginal Conception and Bodily Resurrection of Jesus

Raymond Brown, a Catholic priest, is considered one of the most revered American biblical scholars.  He wrote profusely.  His works were considered ground breaking and somewhat controversial when they came out, but I would say that his works are widely accepted now and considered main stream.  He has written a lot about the Gospel of John and the community that wrote that work.  His monumental work on the birth of Jesus is considered legendary.  This is a smaller work of his that I picked up, examining to see if the biblical evidence supports the virginal concept and the bodily resurrection of Jesus.  I enjoyed this book very much.  For a scholarly work and heavily foot noted book, it is still very easy to read and easy to understand.  I would say that this is a good shorter introduction to his work.  The books of his that are many hundreds of pages, some close to 1,000 pages, can be daunting for anyone.  

Prayers of the faithful - 11th week of Ordinary Time - 17 June 2020

Lord Jesus - you call us to the joy of our faith - Lord have mercy. 
Christ Jesus - you raise us to new life - Christ have mercy. 
Lord Jesus - you call us to persevere  - Lord have mercy. 

PRIEST: Let us place our needs before God our Father, rejoicing in the good news that Christ brings us in our faith. 

1. For the Holy Father, Pope Francis and all of our Church leaders, that they may continue to lead the Church in witnessing to the joy of the Gospel, let us pray to the Lord. 

2. For all who have dedicated their lives to God, that they may be Christ’s witnesses in the world, let us pray to the Lord. 

3. For the unemployed, for those struggling economically, for the hungry and the homeless, for those crying out for justice, for those battling addictions, that their needs be met, let us pray to the Lord. 

4. For the family of God, gathered here this evening at mass, that we may bear witness to our faith and reflect our faith in our daily lives, let us pray to the Lord.

5. For the sick and shut-in.  For those afflicted with COVID-19. For healing. And for those who have died, that they may rise to eternal life in Christ, let us pray to the Lord. 

6. For the prayers we hold in our hearts and for the prayers that are being offered in our mass today.  

PRIEST: Almighty Father, your beloved son is a real presence in our world and in our lives. In peace and joy we present our prayers to you, through your son, our Lord for ever and ever. Amen

Book review - Where nests the water hen - Gabrielle Roy

I lived in Canada for three years.  Thus, I have read a lot of Canadian literature.  Gabrielle Roy, who was born in the province of Manitoba and who lived for many years in Quebec, is one of the most respected writers in Canadian literature.  Her novel The Tin Flute, set in a poor neighborhood in Montreal, is considered a masterpiece of Canadian literature.  This novel is set on an island in a very remote part of Manitoba.  Though it does not give the exact dates, from points of reference, I would see it being set in the 1930s.  This novel has three parts that are not completely linear in its date trajectory.  It revolves around a French Canadian family trying to make a living and trying to educate its children in this rural area, about the priest, mailman, merchant, and other characters who make up life in this rural area.  I would not even call it a village or town - more or less a settlement of pioneer who inhabit the area.  I enjoyed this portrait of life on the Canadian prairies.  My ancestor all lived in big urban areas, mostly Chicago and southern Wisconsin, when they immigrated to the United States in the late 19th century.  This novel is compared to the writings of Willa Cather both in style and content, which I think is a worthy comparison.  I enjoyed this book very much, mostly for the portrait of the life of these pioneers.  Gabrielle Roy is certainly a very gifted write.