Monday, May 29, 2017

4 de junio de 2017 – Pentecostés - Hechos de los Apóstoles 2:1-11, Juan 20:19-23, 1 corintios 12:3B-7, 12-13

       Hoy, celebramos Pentecostés, un don para nosotros al fin de nuestra celebración de Pascua. En Pentecostés, como en todo el tiempo pascual, celebramos a Jesucristo resucitado en nuestro mundo. En los domingos de Pascua, hicimos una memoria de la pasión salvadora de Jesucristo y de su resurrección y ascensión a los cielos.  Hoy, en esta celebración gozosa, celebramos la llegada y la obra del Espíritu Santo con nosotros. En verdad, no podemos olvidar que el Espíritu Santo es el Espíritu del Padre y del Hijo.  Con la comunicación del Espíritu Santo en el mundo, podemos reconocer sin duda que la resurrección de Jesucristo es una realidad permanente en nuestra fe.  Entonces, podemos decir que cada día es siempre un día de Pascua de la resurrección de Cristo y siempre el día de Pentecostés.
      El Evangelio de hoy explica que los discípulos estaban en casa con las puertas cerradas por miedo de los judíos.  Con su miedo, la comunidad de los discípulos no ha experimentado todavía el Espíritu de Jesucristo resucitado. Todavía, los discípulos estaban con miedo en el sufrimiento de la pasión y la muerte de Cristo, la pasión y la muerte que para ellos fue también un escándalo.  Vino Jesucristo en esta casa cerrada.  Cuando recibieron la presencia de Cristo resucitado y su Espíritu Santo, se llenaron de paz y gozo – se llenaron con los dones del Espíritu Santo.  Si nosotros somos una comunidad que vivimos y creemos en el Espíritu de la resurrección, no necesitamos tener miedo de nuestro mundo tampoco.  Si – el Espíritu está siempre con nosotros – su gozo y su paz están con nosotros para siempre.
     En esta la cerrada, Cristo exhaló su aliento sobre ellos. En esta respiración de Cristo que tenemos hoy del día de Pentecostés, podemos decir que somos creaciones nuevas de Cristo en la misma manera que la primera creación del mundo recibió la vida cuando “Dios insufló en sus narices aliento de vida, y resultó el hombre un ser viviente” (Génesis 2, 7).  Por el bautismo, la confirmación y los otros sacramentos de la Iglesia, recibimos el Espíritu Santo y una vida nueva en Cristo.
      En la llegada del Espíritu Santo de Pentecostés, se llenaron todos los discípulos del Espíritu Santo.  El Espíritu Santo, el Espíritu de Jesús resucitado, viene como un viento muy fuerte, como un fuego radiante.  El Espíritu sopla donde quiere.  Para los discípulos de Cristo, cada día es Pentecostés.  Cada día, tenemos la efusión del Espíritu Santo.  No podemos olvidar que la Eucaristía que celebramos hoy es una acción del Espíritu Santo, que en la Eucaristía, el Espíritu nos alimenta con la Palabra de Dios y con el cuerpo y la sangre de nuestro Señor.  El Espíritu Santo quiere que podemos vivir en el espíritu de la Eucaristía en nuestra vida en el mundo, para hacer las obras de nuestra fe con nuestros hermanos, para ser testigos del Espíritu con el poder de transformer el mundo.  Hoy, con esta celebración de Pentecostés, podemos dar gracias a Dios en la presencia del Espíritu Santo con nosotros. 

2 June 2017 - Friday of the 7th week of Easter - John 21:15-19

        As we are coming to the end of the Easter season, as we approach Pentecost Sunday, we hear the post-resurrection Jesus ask Peter 3 times if he loves him, to which Peter answers affirmatively.  Jesus' response to Peter is to: feed my lambs, tend my sheep, feed my sheep.  Peter's 3 affirmative responses of loving Jesus reminds us of the 3 times when Peter denied Jesus during Jesus' suffering on the way to the cross.
         Two different Greeks words are used for love in this Gospel story. Agape is a love that seeks the highest good of others, not coming only out of emotions, but rather out of the person's mind, intellect, & entire being.  Agape is a caring love that is intimately involved in the needs of the other person, a love that does not depend upon being reciprocated or being earned.  Peter responds to Jesus with philia, a brotherly love that is born out of a close friendship. Thus, Peter is replying to Jesus that his loves him through the bond of brotherhood and of the special friendship they share.  Jesus calls us to a bond of love beyond the special closeness of friendship.  As Jesus asks Peter to grow in his love, perhaps we should also grow in this love: in the way we love God & love others.  Do we need to grow in the love and gratitude of Jesus before we can follow his request for us to tend & feed his sheep?

     Unfortunately, it is easy to have a relationship with Jesus when he takes us to the easy, comfortable places that bring us joy and that are the places we want to go.  However, we are followers of Jesus in the true sense when we let him take us to places that we don't particularly want to go, perhaps to places where we confront our fears and are pushed beyond our comfort zone.  We are called to surrender to Jesus' love & to the will of God, to ask for the grace to live as true disciples, to be willing to say “yes” to God in the many unexpected ways in which he asks us to serve him and to serve his people.

Lecturas para la misa de Quniceañera

Lecturas para la misa de Quniceañera  

Jeremías 1: 4-10: Jeremías llamado por Dios.
salmo 123
Gálatas 4: 4-7. Somos los hijos e hijas del mismo Padre.
Lucas 1: 46-55. El magníficat.


Lectura del profeta Jeremías 
Jeremías dijo: ”Me llegó una palabra de Yavé: «Antes de formarte en el seno de tu madre, ya te conocía; antes de que tú nacieras, yo te consagré, y te destiné a ser profeta de las naciones.» 
Yo exclamé: «Ay, Señor, Yavé, ¡cómo podría hablar yo, que soy un muchacho!» 
Y Yavé me contestó: «No me digas que eres un muchacho. Irás adondequiera que te envíe, y proclamarás todo lo que yo te mande. No les tengas miedo, porque estaré contigo para protegerte -palabra de Yavé.»
Entonces Yavé extendió su mano y me tocó la boca, diciéndome: «En este momento pongo mis palabras en tu boca. En este día te encargo los pueblos y las naciones: Arrancarás y derribarás, perderás y destruirás, edificarás y plantarás.» 
Palabra de Dios.


Salmo 123

Nuestra ayuda está en el Nombre del Señor.

Si el Señor no hubiera estado de nuestra parte
cuando los hombres se alzaron contra nosotros,
nos habrían devorado vivos,
cuando ardió su furor contra nosotros. R.

Nuestra ayuda está en el Nombre del Señor.

Las aguas nos habrían inundado,
un torrente nos habría sumergido,
nos habrían sumergido las aguas turbulentas.
¡Bendito sea el Señor, que no nos entregó
como presa de sus dientes! R.

Nuestra ayuda está en el Nombre del Señor.

Nuestra vida se salvó como un pájaro
de la trampa del cazador:
la trampa se rompió y nosotros escapamos.
Nuestra ayuda está en el Nombre del Señor,
que hizo el cielo y la tierra. R.

Nuestra ayuda está en el Nombre del Señor


Lectura de San Pablo a las Gálatas: 
Pablo dijo:  ”Cuando llegó la plenitud de los tiempos, Dios envió a su Hijo, que nació de mujer y fue sometido a la ley, con el fin de rescatar a los que estaban bajo la Ley, para que así recibiéramos nuestros derechos como hijos. Ustedes ahora son hijos, por lo cual Dios ha mandado a nuestros corazones el Espíritu de su propio Hijo que clama al Padre: ¡Abbá! o sea: ¡Papá! De modo que ya no eres esclavo, sino hijo, y siendo hijo, Dios te da la herencia." 
Palabra de Dios. 


Lectura del Santo Evangelio según San Lucas: 
María dijo:  “Proclama mi alma la grandeza del Señor, y mi espíritu se alegra en Dios mi Salvador, porque se fijó en su humilde esclava, y desde ahora todas las generaciones me dirán feliz. El Poderoso ha hecho grandes cosas por mí: ¡Santo es su Nombre!   Muestra su misericordia siglo tras siglo a todos aquellos que viven en su presencia. Dio un golpe con todo su poder: deshizo a los soberbios y sus planes.  Derribó a los poderosos de sus tronos y exaltó a los humildes. Colmó de bienes a los hambrientos, y despidió a los ricos con las manos vacías.   Socorrió a Israel, su siervo, se acordó de su misericordia, como lo había prometido a nuestros padres, a Abraham y a sus descendientes para siempre.” 

Palabra del Señor  

5/31/2010 – Visitation of the Virgin Mary – Luke 1:39-56

         I remember one Sunday afternoon, while on my way to celebrate mass in Spanish in the town of Forest, a little voice inside of me told me to stop off at St. Dominic Hospital in Jackson to visit some patients, even though I was rather pressed for time.  I discovered that there was a parishioner from the parish of Holy Family there, whom I didn’t even know was in the hospital.  He was very glad to see me.  In fact, he mentioned that he had called the pastoral care office that morning to have a priest visit him, without receiving a response, and low behold, here I come in to visit him.  I told him that sometimes the call of the Holy Spirit is stronger than any telephone call or any other modern means of technology that we have today. 
         Just as the Holy Spirit directed me to St. Dominic’s hospital, the Angel Gabriel and the Spirit of the Lord were at work in the lives of Mary and her cousin Elizabeth in the Visitation, an important event in the history of God’s salvation.  In many ways, the Angel Gabriel telling the Virgin Mary that her cousin Elizabeth was with child was a prophetic sign validating all that the Angel had communicated to Mary in the annunciation.  Mary takes off in haste to the mountainous countryside around Jerusalem to visit her cousin Elizabeth.  Biblical scholars estimate that it probably took Mary 2 or 3 days to get there. 
         As the baby John the Baptist leaps in Elizabeth’s womb in the presence of Mary, Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, announces Mary to be blessed among all women.  And how does Mary respond?  With a most radical song of joy, the Magnificat.  Mary does not speak out of pride or power, but rather out of humility and poverty, as a servant who has been looked upon favorably by God in her lowliness.  Her song of joy foreshadows the ministry of Jesus, of his love for the poor and the outcasts of society in its radical message of turning the world’s power structure upside down. 
         How do we approach our faith through the lens of the Magnificat, in its message of “scattering the proud in the thoughts of their hearts,” in “filling the hungry with good things, while the rich are sent away empty”?
         The Magnificat is a song of joy, reflecting the joy that both Mary and Elizabeth felt in their visit, that both of them felt in the approaching birth of their children.  It was a visit between two women, one young and the other old, who both received a treasure from God in a very life-altering, radical, miraculous way.  By sharing this treasured moment from God with each other, perhaps they are able to break through any feelings of fear or isolation that may having been lingering in their minds.  They share this moment together that so influences the history of salvation, and in many ways, this act of sharing, this act of community, helps God’s graces work in their lives and in the lives of so many to follow.  

St Mariana of Jesus de Paredes - 1618 - 1645 - feast day May 26th

      Mariana de Paredes, who was born into an aristocratic family in Quito, Ecuador on October 31, 1618, on the Vigil of All Saints Day.   I remember that when I was a missionary in Ecuador back in the summer of 1996, spending several months in the city of Quito to study Spanish before being sent to the jungle to serve as a lay missionary for three years, there was a trolley stop that I used to pass by named Mariana de Jesus in her honor.  I also remember that one of the first masses we attended in Ecuador in May 1996 was on the feast day of St Mariana de Jesus.   What I love about the saints is how their witness to speak so strongly to us many centuries later in our own modern era and still have so much to teach us. Mariana was not accepted as a religious sister, so she lived out her life as a Third Order Franciscan, serving the poor through a school and a clinic that she found to help the poor African Americans and the indigenous people who lived in Quito.  When a terrible plague affected the city, she nursed the sick, did penance, and offered her life up to God in hopes that the plague be lifted.  She died shortly afterwards at the age of 31.  Mariana de Jesus, who was denied entrance into a religious community as a nun, is now a beloved saint in Latin America. She was canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1950.   She is one of the patron saints of the country of Ecuador.  May we lift up our sufferings and use them for the glory of God just as Mariana de Jesus did so long ago.  

1 June 2017 - Thursday of the 7th week of Easter - Justin Martyr – Acts 22:30, 23:6-11

     We just have a few days left in our Easter season, as we will celebrate the solemnity of Pentecost this weekend and the end of the Easter season.  As we continue to hear about the missionary efforts of the Early Church in our readings from the Acts of the Apostles, we hear about Paul’s difficulties in today’s reading, as Paul is ordered to stand before the chief priests and the Sanhedrin to give testimony before them.  Rather than trying to help Paul and encourage him, the Jewish authorities are plotting to kill him and destroy him, a reminder of what Jesus went through during his journey to the cross.  Paul is cunning and intelligent as he traps the Sadducees and Pharisees, getting them in an argument that he knows that will keep them preoccupied, since these two groups do not agree in the belief in the resurrection. 
      Today’s liturgical color is red.  Red is the color of the Holy Spirit, but it is the color of martyrs as well.  In fact, the saint we commemorate today has the word “martyr” attached to his name: Justin Martyr.  In the era of great persecutions in the Early Church, to be considered to be a saint in our faith one had to be a martyr, to have died for the faith.  Justin was born into a pagan family in the year 100.   Although he was initially attracted to Plato and the other Greek philosophers, these philosophies led him to Christ and to his  conversion to the Way of Jesus.   Justin is primarily remembered for his Christian apologetics, for the way he defended the faith against other religions and philosophies and heresies.  In a letter Justin Martyr wrote in 155, we have the first description of a liturgy in the Early Church. Justin's description is very similar to the flow and elements that we have in mass today.  In particular, what strikes me about his description of mass is his description of the Eucharist:  “This food we call the Eucharist, of which no one is allowed to partake except one who believes that the things we teach are true, and has received the washing for forgiveness of sins and for rebirth, and who lives as Christ handed down to us. For we do not receive these things as common bread or common drink; but as Jesus Christ our Savior being incarnate by God’s Word took flesh and blood for our salvation.”  Justin Martyr was beheaded in Rome in 165 as a martyr for the faith. Today, we give thanks for Paul, Justin Martyr, and all those Early Church Fathers and Mothers who boldly lived out their faith and passed down their faith to us.   May we have the same courage and tenacity in the way in which we live out the faith as well.  

6/4/2017 – Pentecost - homily - connection between the Pentecost and the Jewish holiday of Shavuot - Acts 2:1-11, John 20:19-23, 1 Corinthians 12:3B-7, 12-13

        Once upon a time, there was a dark cave deep inside the recesses of the earth. The cave had never seen any light; it didn’t even know what light was. One day the sun invited the cave to come up for a visit. The cave was amazed at the light, and it invited the sun to come down into the earth for a visit, because the sun had never seen darkness. The following day, the sun came down into the cave. The sun looked around, and asked, “Where is the darkness?"
         Where the sun is present, there is no darkness, just light. Likewise, the Holy Spirit brings light and life to a world that is filled with much darkness and many shadows.  The Holy Spirit turns those who’ve been walking in darkness into new creations in Christ, into children of light.  
        The story of Pentecost is familiar to us: how with a rush of wind and flame upon each disciple, the Holy Spirit is poured out upon Christ's followers and the Church was born.  Today, we gather with other Christians around the world to celebrate Pentecost as a time to be reborn in the Spirit, as a time of renewal for our Church.  But what does Pentecost really mean for us today?  What are the implications of Pentecost in our modern lives of faith?
         Like many aspects of our faith, looking at our roots in light of  Jewish traditions brings about greater understanding and insight into our own Catholic faith.  As Pentecost takes place 50 days after we celebrate Easter, we can juxtapose Pentecost with the Jewish celebration of weeks called Shavuot, which takes place 50 days after the Jewish Passover.  Just as Pentecost joyfully celebrates the Holy Spirit’s arrival and our Church’s birth, Shavuot celebrates God giving the Ten Commandments to Moses and the Israelites on Mt. Sinai.  Shavuot marks the grain harvest in ancient Israel, giving food and new life to God's people.  For Christians, Pentecost as the formation of God's Church is the seed of a kingdom that is here and now, but also the fulfillment of the kingdom that is yet to come. Seeing Pentecost today as a force of new life and new birth in our lives can have great implications on our life of faith.
         We can better understand what Pentecost means for us by seeing how Pentecost changed the lives of the first followers of Jesus.  Today’s Gospel starts out with Jesus' followers not seeming to be very confident or very brave.  They are gathered together in the upper room, hiding in fear.  Yet, right before Jesus ascends into heaven, he told them that he would not leave them orphans, but would send an advocate and counselor to be with them once he returned to the Father.  The outpouring of the Spirit came upon them, just as Jesus promised.  The early Church, clothed in the promise that Pentecost brings, continued Jesus' mission.  The Holy Spirit continues in this same way today.  St. Augustine of Hippo tells us that what the soul is to the body of a human being, the Holy Spirit is in the Body of Jesus Christ, which is the Church.  The Holy Spirit acts in the Church as the soul acts with the members of the body. 
         As we hear this familiar story about Pentecost, we might ask ourselves if we are sure that we desire the Holy Spirit to come into our lives in the same way the Spirit came down on the disciples during this holy occasion.  In his letter to the Church at Corinth, St. Paul writes: “to each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.”  In other words, to each individual, the Spirit gives those gifts and desires to make the dream of Jesus come true.  The Spirit is sent to us in order to animate and take control of our dreams and desires. The Spirit does not empty us of our love and compassion, but rather re-directs them to the Gospel of Jesus and to the will of God.  The Holy Spirit calls us out of our fears, out of the darkness, into the light, love, & life of God.  The Spirit called a quiet school teacher to tenderly and tenaciously care for the poor in the streets of Calcutta, transforming her into Mother Teresa.  The Spirit animated members of our youth group to go to Cincinnati in July to participate in Catholic Heart Work Camp and to be of service to the poor. The Spirit has animated our Knights of Columbus council here at St James to proclaim the Gospel of Life and to contribute to pro-life causes here in Tupelo in a very profound ways.  If we are open, it is amazing to where the Spirit will take us.
         Let the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Pentecost, renew us & enlighten us every day of our lives as we journey as followers of Jesus:
1. Come, Holy Spirit, send your driving wind upon us.  Blow away the cobwebs in our hearts and minds; give us the fresh air of the breath of Jesus.
2. Come, Holy Spirit, give us new tongues to speak the good news of peace, justice, and non-violence in a world of war, injustice, and violence.
3. Come, Holy Spirit, send your blazing fire upon us, so that we may burn with love and compassion for each other and for all human beings everywhere.
4. Come, Holy Spirit, send us into the world and into the streets to bring Jesus to others, to denounce the evil spirits of violence, greed, war, empire, & death.  Let us proclaim to all God's reign of love, mercy, compassion, and reconciliation.
5. Come, Holy Spirit, fill us with the joy of Christ, so that no matter what we are going through, no matter what problems we have, we may always live in you. 
6. Come, Holy Spirit, make us instruments of your peace.  Help us to live the reality of Pentecost in our words, in our deeds, in our hearts. AMEN. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  AMEN.  


Youth prayer - Regnum Christi - Lord, give me your hands to do your work...

When I was an associate pastor at St Richard Catholic Church in Jackson, Mississippi from 2008 to 2010, a youth there who was involved in the youth program of Regnum Christi gave me this prayer.  He thought I would like it and thought I could share it with others.  I really like this prayer.  I recently found it in a file I had on my computer.  I thought I would share it today: 

Lord Jesus, I give you my hands to do your work,
I give you my feet, to follow your path,
I give you my eyes to see as you do.
I give you my tongue to speak your words,
I give you my mind so that you can think in me,
I give you my spirit so that you can pray in me.
Above all, I give you my heart, so in me you can love your father & all people.

I give you my whole self so you can grow in me, until it is you, Lord, who lives, works, & prays in me.  AMEN

Sunday, May 28, 2017

Sometimes things are not what they seem

Since Easter Sunday, we priests have had a very hectic Easter season.  Almost every week since Easter Sunday, from Friday to Sunday, I have had 8 to 10 masses, with many other things scattered in between.  Last weekend, on Saturday, when my day had started at 7:30 am in the morning, after I had gotten up at 5:30 am, I found myself in a retreat at 11:30 pm trying desperately to stay awake.  I priest who is in dire need of time off, I have not found that opportunity yet.  For four of those weekends since Easter, I have driven 100 miles round trip to celebrate mass for a priest who is on vacation.  On my way back from those trips, I even find time to visit someone who is sick.  Yet, on one Sunday, when I prayed the opening prayer of the mass in Spanish, a man very angrily walked out of the church, threw his missal on its shelf, and exited the church, angry that I was celebrating a mass bilingually rather than having two separate masses in Spanish and in English. That was the welcome I got, barely having time to go to the bathroom or to get something to drink, rushing off after my mass in Tupelo to an hour drive to help out for a priest who is on vacation.  Sometimes we need to try to understand and help out our brothers and sisters, even if everything is not to our liking.  I wonder: What would Jesus want us to do?  

29 May 2017 - A Catholic prayer for Memorial Day

     Today, we remember all the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy and take for granted each day.  We think of how these courageous men and women have followed in the footsteps of your son, our Lord Jesus Christ. We lift up the men and women who are currently serving in the military to your love and mercy.  We ask that you bestow upon them your grace and protection.  We remember the families of the members of the military. We ask for your blessings to fill their homes, that you will strengthen them and keep them safe.   May the members of our armed forces be supplied with courage to face each day.  May they place all of their trust in your divine power to accomplish their work. May our military brothers and sisters feel our love and support.  In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  AMEN.  

Friday, May 26, 2017

Parish Cat - Mary Woodward



4 summer's ago, I was given a small black kitten whom I named Mary Woodward.  She and our other parish cat Blessing are very beloved members of our parish family.  A couple of weeks ago, a black car trying to catch a bird entered a transformer that set of a change reaction that wiped out the lights in almost the entire city of Tupelo.  A few days after that, I saw Mary Woodward chasing a bird on our church grounds.  When I move to St Jude parish in August, both of the cats will come with me.  I pray that be careful, but they are certainly very happy little cats who run around our parish grounds and greet our parishioners when they come to the office.  

28 de mayo de 2017 - La Ascensión de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo - Hechos 1: 1-11, Efesios 1:17-23: Mateo 28: 16-20

      Hay 40 días entre el tiempo de la resurrección de Cristo y su ascensión al cielo. En este tiempo, nuestro Señor se apareció a los discípulos en momentos diferentes  y les habló extensamente sobre el reino de Dios.  También les dijo una cosa muy curiosa: permanezcan en Jerusalén, no partan de esa ciudad, para esperar la promesa del Padre.  Es la promesa de la venida del Espíritu Santo.  Los discípulos tenían fe y esperanza en esa promesa; pero tenían incertidumbre y trepidaciones también.  Sabían que Cristo iba a ascender al Padre, que el Espíritu Santo sería enviado a sus discípulos, pero ¿qué significaba exactamente esto?  Era una nueva realidad que desafiaba nuestra existencia humana normal aquí en la tierra. ¿Qué iba a suceder exactamente? Cuando estamos en un espacio intermedio, dejamos nuestra vieja zona de confort, extendiéndonos hacia lo desconocido, hacia nuevas posibilidades. Vivir con nuestras preguntas y nuestras ansiedades, vivir con ambigüedad, tener que confiar y esperar, es difícil estar en un estado de desconocimiento.  Como sacerdote, cuando escuchamos ell sacramento de la reconciliación, escucho mucho sobre el pecado de la impaciencia que produce sentimientos de ira y frustración en nuestra vida de fe. En nuestro mundo moderno, no queremos esperar más. No sabemos cómo ser pacientes. Vivimos en un mundo en el que estamos conectados a casi todo a través de nuestros celulares, computadoras y ipads. Queremos todo rápido. Exigimos la gratificación instantánea. Si nuestro wifi se apaga, parece que el mundo está llegando a su fin, ¿no?  En verdad, los discípulos no estaban seguros acerca de la realidad de Cristo resucitado, aunque no estaban seguros de lo que sucedería después de la ascensión de Cristo, pero los discípulos permanecieron juntos a pesar de su ansiedad e incertidumbre. Las experiencias de los discípulos de la fidelidad de Dios a su Señor Jesucristo les dieron esperanza y perseverancia. ¿Qué habría pasado si los discípulos hubieran huido con miedo, frustración e impaciencia?  ¿Y si ellos se hubieran negado a esperar en Jerusalén, esperando pacientemente la llegada del Espíritu Santo? Afortunadamente, ellos perseveraron, asegurándose de que la Iglesia Primitiva se desarrollara y creciera, dirigida por el Espíritu.
       San Pablo, en la carta a los efesios, resume el significado teológico de que la ascensión de Cristo al cielo significa para nosotros como sus discípulos modernos aquí en la tierra: "Que los ojos de tus corazones sean iluminados, para que sepas cuál es la esperanza Que pertenece a su llamado ". Nuestra esperanza es que un día ascenderemos a la gloria celestial de la vida eterna que nuestra fe nos promete, con la ayuda de la gracia de Dios. En nuestro camino aquí en la tierra, debemos seguir la gran comisión que Cristo da en las palabras finales del Evangelio de Mateo. La misión que el Cristo ascendido nos deja - para  predicar la Buena Nueva de la salvación en nuestras palabras y nuestras obras.
      Cada domingo, en el Credo, profesábamos que Cristo "ascendió al cielo". De hecho, la ascensión de Cristo fue la culminación del plan de Dios para él, al regresar a su Padre después de cumplir su misión aquí en la tierra.  Es la culminación, no la conclusión. Desde su lugar con el Padre en la gloria, Jesús siempre está con nosotros en espíritu. En la descripción de la Ascensión en Hechos, los discípulos están tan cautivados por la visión de Jesús ascendiendo en los cielos que no se dan cuenta de los dos hombres que de repente les aparecen. Estos dos hombres son ángeles que hablan algunas palabras reconfortantes pero desafiantes a los discípulos. Los ángeles les preguntan: ¿Por qué están aquí mirando al cielo? ¿No tienes cosas más urgentes para hacer? ¿No necesitas proclamar el reino de Dios? Los ángeles anuncian que los discípulos de Cristo deben tener animo que mientras están sirviendo a Dios y trabajando hacia el establecimiento del reino de Dios, que puedan tener la confianza de que Cristo de hecho regresará. ¿Cómo cumplimos esa misión en nuestro trabajo aquí en la tierra? ¿Estamos contemplando el cielo, esperando que algo suceda? ¿O vivimos con confianza el Evangelio en nuestras vidas, sirviendo a Dios y sirviendo a nuestro prójimo? Sí, todavía hay incertidumbre y aprensión y ambigüedad en nuestro mundo moderno, pero definitivamente tenemos trabajo que necesitamos hacer.

Downtown Jackson - Cathedral of St Peter and downtown landscape



Last week, I was in Jackson for a meeting at the chancery office of our Diocese.  I had to leave Tupelo at 4:30 am in order to make to Jackson for my 8:30 am meeting, and I just made it in the nick of time.  I parked at the top of the parking structure on Amite Street in downtown Jackson right across from the cathedral and from the chancery office.  I took this photo of the steeple of the cathedral and the state capitol building in the distance.  It was a beautiful day and a wondrous drive down the Natchez Trace there and back.  I have to go back to Jackson again this week for meetings.  The ride down there can be harsh, but I enjoy the beauty of it.

Introductions to the Mass - the Ascension - 28 May 2017

Penitential Rite: 
Today we hear a commandment and a reassurance from the ascending Christ: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,” and “I am with you always.” We cannot do the first without the second. In ascending to heaven, it becomes possible for Christ to be with the Church always and everywhere, rather than in just one place and time. As we begin our prayers in our community of faith, let us call to mind our sins:  

Lord Jesus, you are the eternal Son of the Father: Lord, have mercy.
Christ Jesus, your presence fills the universe: Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you guide us home with you into bright glory:
Lord, have mercy.

Introduction to the Nicene Creed: 

As we celebrate the Ascension of our Lord, this great mystery of our faith embraced by the Church, let us profess our faith: 

Prayers of the Faithful:
PRIEST:  Now let us take our prayers for the needs of the world to the God who sent us his son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

1. For God’s holy Church throughout the world, that we might give glory to God just as Jesus Christ has done, let us pray to the Lord. We pray to the Lord. 
2.  That the leaders of our country proclaim justice and peace without regards to race, nationality, and religion, let us pray to the Lord.
3. For all those who have celebrated sacraments of initiation this Easter season as they grow in their faith and understanding, let us pray to the Lord.
4. For refugees and those who are persecuted for their religion, may they life and opportunities, let us pray to the Lord.
5. For those who have graduated from high school, college, or other institutions, as they reflect on their accomplishments and take on
new challenges. We pray for our children and youth as they start their summer break, we pray to the Lord.
6. For the sick and shut-ins of our community, for those in the hospital, hospice, and nursing home, we pay to the Lord. 
7. For the repose of the souls of the faithful departed - 

PRIEST:  God of all, we believe that we shall see the good things that you have in store for us in the land of the living. Hear the sound of our call, have pity on us and answer us, through our risen Lord, Jesus Christ, your Son.




Thursday, May 25, 2017

28 May 2017 - The Ascension - Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:17-23, Matthew 28:16-20

      For the 40 days between the time of Christ’s resurrection and his ascension into heaven, our Lord appeared to the disciples at different times and spoke to them at length about God’s kingdom.  He also told them a very curious thing: to remain in Jerusalem, to not depart that city, to await the promise of the Father. This is the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit.  Even though the disciples had faith and hope in that promise, they were also feeling uncertainty and trepidations as well.  They knew that Jesus was going to ascend to the Father, that the Spirit would be sent to them, but what did this exactly mean?  This was a new reality that defied our normal human existence here on earth.  What exactly was going to happen?  When we are in an in-between space, we are leaving our old comfort zone, reaching out into the unknown, into new possibilities.  Living with our questions and our anxieties, living with ambiguity, having to trust and wait, it is difficult being in a state of unknowing. It seems like the one thing that each one of us brings to confession, to the sacrament of reconciliation, is the impatience that brings out feelings of anger and frustration in our daily lives. In our modern world, we don’t know how to wait any more.  We don’t know how to be patient.  We live in a world where we are connected to just about everything through our smart phones, laptops, and ipads.  We’re on the fast-track. We demand instant gratification.  If our wifi goes out, it feels like the world is coming to an end, doesn’t it?  Even though the disciples were not sure about the reality of the risen Christ, even though they were not sure what would happen after Christ’s ascension, the disciples remained together in spite of their anxiety and uncertainty. The disciples’ experiences of God’s faithfulness to their Lord Jesus Christ gave them hope and perseverance. What would have happened if the disciples had run away in fear, frustration, and impatience?  What if they had refused to wait in Jerusalem, waiting patiently for the arrival of the Holy Spirit.  Thankfully, they persevered, making sure the Early Church would develop and grow, led by the Spirit.  
      St. Paul, in the letter to the Ephesians, summarizes the theological meaning that Christ’ ascension into heaven means for us as his modern disciples here on earth: “May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call.”  Our hope is that one day we will ascend to the heavenly glory of eternal life that our faith promises us, by the help of God’s grace. On our journey here on earth, we’re to follow the great commission that Christ gives in the concluding words of Matthew’s Gospel.  The mission that the ascended Christ leaves us is to preach the Good News of salvation in our words and our deeds.  
      Every Sunday, in the Apostles Creed, we professed that Christ “ascended into heaven.” Indeed, Christ’s ascension was the culmination of God’s plan for him, as he returned to his Father after accomplishing his mission here on earth.  It’s the culmination, not the conclusion.  From his place with the Father in glory, Jesus is always with us in spirit.  
       In the description of the Ascension in Acts, the disciples are so captivated by the sight of Jesus ascending in the heavens that they don’t notice the two strangers that suddenly appear to them. These two men turn out to be angels who speak some comforting yet challenging words to the disciples. The angels ask them:  Why are you standing here gazing into the sky?  Don’t you have more pressing things to do?  Don’t you need to be going about the business of the Lord, in proclaiming God’s kingdom? The angels announce that Christ’s disciples should take heart that while they are serving God and working toward the establishment of God’s kingdom, that they can have confidence that Christ will indeed return. How are we fulfilling that mission in our work here on earth?  Are we gazing up at the sky, waiting for something to happen? Or are we confidently living out the Gospel in our lives, in serving God and serving our neighbor? Yes, there is still uncertainty and apprehensiveness and ambiguity in our modern world, but we definitely have work to do. 

Monday, May 22, 2017

24 May 2017 - Wednesday of the 6th week of Easter – John 16:12-15

      We hear Jesus tell us about how he is sending us the Holy Spirit – called the Spirit of truth – the Spirit who will lead us and guide us to all truth.  We hear the word “truth” being bantered about all the time all around us, don’t we?  We hear some say: “I want the truth to come out” or “I am here to speak the truth.”  Sometimes what we think is the truth is really our own perspective of how we see things, even though we don’t want to admit it.
      In the year 1633, a century after the Protestant Reformation, the Inquisition of the Roman Catholic Church forced Galileo Galilei, one of the fathers of modern science, to recant his theory that the earth orbits the Sun. Under threat of torture from the Church, Galileo reluctantly recanted.  Galileo's theories threatened the truth that many held onto, and their vision of the world and the universe. 
     Fast forward to 1992, 359 years later.  The Church finally agreed with Galileo. At an audience at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Pope John Paul II declared that Galileo was right based on the findings of a committee of the Academy that the Pope set up in 1979, soon after taking office. The committee decided the Inquisition had acted in good faith, but was wrong.
     For a long time, the Church often saw science as its enemy, but thankfully, that is no longer true. Instead, quantum physics, biology, and other academic disciplines are revealing that science can be a partner with the Church.  There is not to be a dualism separating the spiritual world and the material world - the truth can be found in both.  We could all be looking at the one truth from different angles, different assumptions, and different vocabulary depending upon our discipline, but we should all be working together.  We can look back at the theology and spirituality of St Francis of Assisi to complement our stewardship and care of all of God’s creation here on earth, to complement what science is discovering about the environmental destruction and pollution that is damaging God's creation.  If we trust that we in the faith have the truth, than we need to trust that others can see the truth from different angles and different perspectives, helping us to grow in understanding and faith. We all should be working towards a community of brothers and sisters, a community of good will.  

23 May 2017 - homily - Tuesday of the 6th week of Easter – Peter Maurin and Dorothy Day - Acts 16:22-34

     Paul and his companions did not have an easy time preaching the Good News of Jesus in their travels throughout the ancient world.  Paul and his companion Silas cured a young girl who was possessed by an unclean spirit, but since she used that spirit to tell the future and to earn money for her masters, they pressed charges against Paul and Silas, accusing them of disturbing the peace and breaking the Roman laws.  
      Paul and Silas were stripped, beaten with rods, and thrown into prison.  Rather than being angry and frustrated with their situation, they lifted it up to the Lord, singing hymns and praying for the other prisoners to hear.  It tickled me when I heard how Paul, Silas and the other prisoners remained in the prison after a great earthquake came and provided a means for them to escape. I thought about the prisoners whom I have ministered to in the federal and state prisons here in Mississippi throughout the years; they would have burst out of that prison with joy as fast as they could, seeing this means of escape as a golden opportunity and as a gift given to them by God.
       Last week, we marked the anniversary of the death of Peter Maurin, a leading Catholic advocate for social justice in the 20th century.  Maurin immigrated from southern France to the United States in 1909.  He devised his own method of Catholic social philosophy, supporting himself with menial jobs along the way.  However, he struggled to find a practical way to apply these teachings to real life situations.  His life changed in 1932, in the midst of the Great Depression, when he met a Catholic convert named Dorothy Day.  Maurin and Day founded the Catholic Worker Movement in New York City, a Catholic lay organization that combined corporal works of mercy with a warm welcome to the poor founded on the radical Gospel message that Jesus preached in his day.  Day and Maurin envisioned a new kind of society.  They worked to put many of Maurin’s ideas into action until his death from a stroke in 1949.  The Catholic Worker movement still exists today and still tries to embody the vision that Maurin and Day first had. 

        Peter Maurin and Dorothy Day, along with Paul, Silas and their companions in the Early Church are great examples of Christian charity, great examples of those who followed God’s calling out to them in the reality of their lives. In our own way, may we hear God calling out to us to bring his Good News to the world and to live out our faith. 

26 May 2017 - Philip Neri - Friday of the 6th week of Easter - Homily - Acts 18:9-18

     Our journey of faith is not always easy.  It can have a lot of ups and downs, twists and turns, struggles and challenges.  Even though we have our own struggles and challenges on our journey of faith, it's still difficult for me to imagine all the obstacles that Paul faced on his journey.  We hear a lot about Paul’s journey of faith in our readings from the Acts of the Apostles during the Easter season. Paul eventually died a martyr for the faith in Rome.  Yet, in the midst of his ups and downs and the periods of imprisonment that he endured, he also received a lot of encouragement from the Lord along the way.  Today, we hear of a vision that Paul received from the Lord one night while he was in Corinth, how the Lord encouraged him to continue in his ministry and to not remain silent.  Paul remained in Corinth for a year and a half, preaching the Good News to the community there.
      The saint we celebrate today is Philip Neri, who was born in Florence, Italy more than 500 years ago.  It amazes me to hear about the great saints who lived in the tumultuous time of the Protestant Reformation, those who were contemporaries of Philip Neri, such as John of Avila, Frances de Sales, Ignatius of Loyola, Teresa of Avila, Frances Xavier, and John of the Cross. It struck me that three of our youth being confirmed at our parish this year chose Philip Neri as their patron saint for that sacrament, primarily because they saw him as a patron saint of joy.  One priest described Philip Neri in this way: “Philip radiated joy. If we had encountered him on the street, we could see it coming a mile away. He had a ready laugh, a great sense of humor and profound holiness." Leaving Florence at 18 years old to go to Rome, on fire with the joy of the Gospel, he engaged people he met with the Word of God and the teachings of the Church.  After founding a group of lay people who welcomed pilgrims to Rome, Philip became a priest himself and then founded an order of priests called the Congregation of the Oratory.  Philip Neri’s model of engaging people in the Gospel message is something we can use in our modern era when we are called to a new evangelization.  Through the reality of our lives, through sharing our faith and witnessing to others, we are called to bring the Gospel joy to others.  

25 May 2017 - the Venerable Bede - Homily - Thursday of the 6th week of Easter - Acts 18:9-18

      First, let me say that in some Dioceses the Ascension of our Lord is celebrated today, on the Thursday of the sixth week of Easter.  However, in our Diocese of Jackson and in most Dioceses throughout the United States, the Ascension has been transferred to this upcoming Sunday, since more of the faithful come to mass on Sunday, so we can celebrate the Ascension with the faithful on that day. Today, in our Diocese of Jackson, we celebrate the Thursday of the sixth week of Easter.  Today, in our reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we hear about Paul going to the city of Corinth, about all the challenges he faced in trying to bring God’s Word to the world. Paul initially was a persecutor of the followers of Jesus before his dramatic conversion. It is amazing to see where Paul was called to go as a follower of Christ himself, to hear about the different hardships and adversity that Paul himself faced in trying to bring Good News of Jesus to others. Paul received the calling to bring the Good News to the Gentiles, to those outside of the Jewish world, to those whom many Jews would have considered unclean and beyond the realm of God’s salvation. God can call us to things that we would have considered unimaginable. 
      I thought about the Doctors of the Church that we have celebrated in the last few weeks.  One was John of Avila, a great preacher, theologian and mystic who lived in Spain in the 16th century, in the era of the Protestant Reformation and the Spanish Inquisition.  We also celebrated the feast day of Catherine of Siena several week ago.  Catherine was an Italian lay woman from the 14th century who was affiliated with the Dominicans.  Without much formal education, she was considered one of the greatest theological minds of her era.  She became an advisor to popes and kings, not being afraid to speak the direct, blunt truth to those in power. The saint we celebrate today in the Venerable Bede.  I have always loved his name, since the term “venerable” denotes the great respect that Bede was accorded due to his wisdom and knowledge.  A Benedictine monk, priest, and historian, he lived in England in the 7th and 8th centuries.  A great translator and linguist, he translated the Latin and Greek writings of the Church Fathers into the Anglo-Saxon language.  He is most remembered for being the Father of English history.  Indeed, I remember reading a book of his in my Western Civilization course in college, The Ecclesiastical History of the English People.  The term “the Venerable Bede” comes from the inscription on his tomb in Durham England in Latin:  “HIC SUNT IN FOSSA BEDAE VENERABILIS OSSA.”  In English, it says: “Here are buried the bones of the Venerable Bede.”  
       When I go on pilgrimage in Spain, I so love the history of our faith, the traditions and old buildings, and the way that we are a part of something so much bigger than our little corner of the modern world. Today, we honor Paul and his companions who brought the faith to the people of Corinth, a Greek city-state located about halfway between Athens and Sparta.  We honor the English historian the Venerable Bede who lived in the England so many centuries ago.  Our faith is so rich full of history, isn’t it? 


Sunday, May 21, 2017

22 May 2017 - St Rita

O humble and kind St. Rita, you are rightly called the  Saint of the Impossible. I come to you with confidence in my great need. You know well my trials, for you yourself were many times burdened with tribulations and sufferings in your life. I humbly ask you to come to my help, to speak for me, to pray with me, to intercede on my behalf before the Father. I know that God has a most generous heart and that he is a most loving Father. Join your prayers to mine and obtain for me the grace I desire. You who were so very pleasing to God on this earth and who are so much so now in heaven, I promise to use this favor, when granted, to better my life, to proclaim God's mercy, and to make you more widely known and loved. Amen.


Many of the faithful turn to St Rita of Cascia with their seemingly impossible causes.  Rita was born in the 14th century to a peasant family, its only child.  She longed to be a nun, but instead followed her parents wishes for her to marry.  After a violent, abusive relationship with her husband, after his murder and the death of her two children, she was finally accepted into the Augustinian convent as a religious sister.  Rita was well known for being obedient.  She was made a saint in the year 1900.  

Friday, May 19, 2017

21 de mayo de 2017 - sexto domingo de Pascua - homilia - Hechos de los Apóstoles 8:5-8; 14-17; Juan 14:15-21

       Nosotros los cristianos podemos tener muchos conceptos falsos sobre nuestra fe. Hay algunos cristianos que ven la Pascua como el Domingo de Pascua, cuando de hecho, la Pascua es una temporada. Hoy celebramos el sexto domingo de Pascua. Nuestra temporada de Pascua concluye en dos semanas, con la celebración de la Ascensión de nuestro Señor el próximo domingo, y luego Pentecostés, la venida del Espíritu Santo. En el Evangelio del domingo pasado, oímos a Felipe luchando con su fe y su creencia en Dios, cuando le pidió a Jesús que lo llevara al Padre, que esto sería suficiente para él. Esta semana, en los Hechos de los Apóstoles, volvemos al camino de Felipe acerca de su ministerio al pueblo de Samaria.  Los samaritanos eran afuera de la religión judía - los judíos miraban a los samaritanos como impuros.  En el nombre de Jesús, Felipe curaba a muchos de los enfermos, trayéndolos en el Camino de Jesús. Los apóstoles de Jerusalén se regocijaron cuando oyeron esta buena noticia, enviando a Pedro y Juan a Samaria, donde llamaron al Espíritu Santo entre los samaritanos.
     Es adecuado que, para cerrar este retiro de ACTS, las lecturas de hoy se centran en el Espíritu Santo, preparándonos para la celebración de Pentecostés que tendrá lugar en un par de semanas.  El Espíritu Santo era una presencia verdadera con nosotros en este retiro. Sin embargo, en nuestra comprensión de la Trinidad, creo que a veces sentimos que podemos envolver nuestras mentes alrededor del Padre y el Hijo, pero el Espíritu Santo puede parecer más etéreo y nebuloso. La palabra “espíritu” viene de la palabra judía "ruach", que significa "viento" o "aliento".  La palabra "ruach" aparece más de 400 veces en el Antiguo Testamento.  En el salmo 51, el salmista suplica, “"Crea en mí, oh Dios, un corazón puro, renueva en mi interior un firme espíritu. No me rechaces lejos de tu rostro ni me retires tu espíritu santo." (Salmo 51, 12-13).  La tradición judía enseñó que cuando el Mesías vino, la propia Vida de Dios, el mismo aliento y el espíritu de Dios, se derramaría sobre todos los fieles.
     En la Última Cena, Jesús prometió a sus discípulos el Espíritu Santo, su espíritu con nosotros después de que él parte de esta tierra. Jesús nos promete que no estaremos solos, que no seremos huérfanos.  Tendremos su presencia resucitada con nosotros: en nosotros mismos, en nuestros hermanos en Cristo, en la Iglesia, en la santa Palabra de Dios, en los sacramentos de la Iglesia, en la comunidad en la oración. En todas estas cosas, Dios está presente a través de la presencia iluminadora del Espíritu Santo, en las enseñanzas, la acción y la orientación del Espíritu de Dios.  Cada vez que oramos, cada vez que adoramos juntos, cada vez que evangelizamos en el santo nombre de Dios, cada vez que leemos la Palabra de Dios en la Biblia, cada vez que recibimos los Sacramentos, nos alimenta cada vez que recibimos los Sacramentos.
     Hay un cuento acerca de un muchacho volando una cometa. Fue un día muy ventoso. La cometa seguía subiendo y bajando.  La cometa fue tan alta que el niño no pudo verlo más.  Un hombre vio el pequeño niño con la cuerda en sus manos.  Cuando el muchacho le explicó que estaba volando un cometa, el hombre le preguntó: "¿Cómo sabes que aún tienes una cometa ahí arriba?" El muchacho respondió: "Porque puedo sentirlo.”  Aunque el Espíritu Santo es algo que no podemos ver tangiblemente, aunque funcione de maneras muy misteriosas la mayor parte del tiempo, todavía podemos sentir la presencia del Espíritu Santo con nosotros, el Espíritu de Dios que nos conduce y nos guía. En la fe, todos somos llamados a abrir nuestras mentes y nuestros corazones para escuchar al Espíritu Santo y obedecer las inspiraciones del Espíritu en nuestras vidas.
      Ustedes, las mujeres de este retiro de ACTS, tienen la llamada de escuchar al Espíritu Santo en su vida.  Esta experiencia no termina hoy con su retiro - continúa con el Espíritu de Dios cada día de su vida.  Tengan confianza en las experiencias que tenían este fin de semana, en las amistades que tenían con las otras mujeres del retiro, porque va a ayudarte and guiarte en su camino. 
Ven, Espíritu Santo,
Llena los corazones de tus fieles
y enciende en ellos
el fuego de tu amor.
Envía, Señor, tu Espíritu.

Que renueve la faz de la Tierra.

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Mass introductions - 6th Sunday in Easter - 21 May 2017

Introduction: Today, we continue our celebration of the Easter season, reflecting on the meaning of Christ’s resurrection, earning the promises of the Holy Spirit who will accompany us on our journey.  Let us pray for the coming of the Holy Spirit every day into our lives as we call to mind our sins: 

Penitential Rite - 
Lord Jesus, you suffer for our sins you opened the way to eternal life:  Lord, have mercy.
Christ Jesus, through your death and resurrection, you release us from the power of sin and death, Christ have mercy.  
Lord Jesus, you sent us the Holy Spirit to be our advocate and our guide: Lord, have mercy.
May Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sin, and bring us to everlasting life. 

Introduction to the Nicene Creed:  Led by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of justice and truth, let us profess our faith. 

Prayers of the Faithful
Priest: We now bring our prayers for the needs of the world before our merciful Father, led by the Holy Spirit of truth and justice: 
1. For the holy Church, that we might live in the light of the risen Christ and show the world the love and mercy of God the Father, we pray to the Lord.
2. For peace in the world; for an end to violence and destruction; for governmental leaders, that they may govern with wisdom and justice for all, we pray to the Lord.
3. For all those newly baptized this Easter season, for those who received the sacraments of confirmation and first holy communion, that they feel the presence of the Spirit of truth with them and share it with others through their words and their actions, me pray to the Lord.
4. For all of our children and youth, for a good end to the school year and for safe travel and vacations during the summer break, we pray to the Lord.  
5. For the sick and shut-ins, for good health and healing, we pray to the Lord. 
6. For the repose of the souls of the faithful departed, we pray to the Lord. 

Priest: Heavenly Father, we rejoice in the presence of your risen Son and we humbly ask you to listen our prayers today and to answer them in the name of our risen Lord for ever and ever.