8 August 2021 - 19th Sunday of ORDINARY TIME - Mission appeal at St Benedict Catholic Church - Terra Haute INDIANA - John 6:41-51

     The last couple of weeks we have been hearing from the 6th chapter of John’s Gospel.  We continue to hear from this chapter today.   In the last couple weeks, we’ve heard of Jesus feeding the hungry crowds through the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and the fish. We've heard him talk about how he is the bread of heaven that gives us eternal life.  However, in response, the crowd is murmuring with discontent about how this lowly carpenter's son thinks he can lecture them about having been sent from heaven by God, his father.  Jesus' teachings on the Eucharist in these readings from John’s Gospel give us an opportunity to reflect upon what it means for us to receive Christ as the bread of life in our day-to-day reality and how it can transform our lives.

       The Eucharist unites all of us as Catholics throughout the world, as all of us make up the Body and Blood of Christ in the Church.  In this context, I come to you today as a priest from a missionary diocese in our country, the Diocese of Jackson, located in the state of Mississippi.  When you hear a mission appeal in your parish, you probably anticipate someone talking about the missions in a far away country, but this mission appeal today comes from right here in the United States.  All of you here in the Midwest state of Indiana probably picture Mississippi as being in the heart of the Bible belt in the Deep South - this is a true image. The Diocese of Jackson is very large geographically.  It takes up most of the state of Mississippi, all except the area along the MS Gulf Coast. We are the largest Diocese geographically east of Mississippi River.  However, we have the lowest % of Catholics in any Diocese in the US: 2.3%.  There were priests in our area during the time of the Spanish conquistadors, up until the time the territory of Mississippi was formed prior to it becoming a state.  Our Diocese was established in 1837 by Pope Gregory XVI.  Currently we have around 90 parishes and missions, but most are rather small, reflecting the rural nature of our state. Most counties in our Diocese only have only one parish; some don’t have even one parish. 

       I’ve been a Diocesan priest for 13 years. My first assignment as pastor was in the communities of Yazoo City and Belzoni in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, the cotton growing region along the Mississippi River. and the region of one of the highest levels of poverty in our country.  While stationed in the Delta, I served as the priest in 3 parishes an 2 prisons. The territory I served in these two counties in the Delta encompassed about 1,400 sq miles.  However, the population was only about 37,000 people in these two counties combined. A couple of weeks ago, I did a mission appeal in southern California and stayed in the Diocese of Orange - that entire diocese was much smaller than the mission area I covered in those two counties in the Delta. I had a 30 minute drive between two of these parishes in which there was just cotton fields and swamp land, no towns or gas stations or anything like that.  While serving there, one of those counties, Humpheys county, had the highest child poverty rate and lowest median family income of any county in the US.  For the past 4 years, I have been serving as the pastor of St Jude in Pearl, a working class parish in a very rural county, although not far from the city of Jackson.  For the past two years, I have also served as the Vicar General of the Diocese.    

      From my accent, you can probably detect that I am not from Mississippi originally.  Hopefully, you can detect a little bit of a Midwest accent as well. I was born in Chicago, where I lived until I was 12 years old, at which time my family moved to southern California. I came into the Catholic Church as a young adult through the RCIA program.  Right after my conversion to Catholicism, I served as a lay missionary in Canada and Ecuador. That brought me to Diocese of Jackson and the state of Mississippi.  

     I recall how five years ago, in summer of 2016, I was staying with family friends up in Indianapolis trying to rest and recuperate from a bout of pneumonia.  I received a text from a good friend back in Mississippi, telling me that CNN had just reported that two religious sisters who worked in my Diocese had been killed.  Sister Margaret Held of the School Sisters of St Francis from Milwaukee WI & Sr Paula Merrill of Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, KY, had run a medical clinic in Holmes County in central MS, one of the poorest counties in US. Over 1/3 of the residents in rural Holmes county received medical care from their clinic.  They were very beloved members of our Diocese and of the community where they served; all of us were so shocked that they had been murdered by someone who had been suffering from mental illness.  Going to their memorial service at the Cathedral in Jackson the next week with all my fellow priests was a very emotional experience. I thought of these two wonderful religious sisters and their witness of faith to the community as I was preparing for my mission, as they represent the missionary spirit of our Diocese, of bringing the Gospel and love of Christ to the people of Mississippi. 

       I want to thank all of you for the opportunity to share with you our experiences in the Diocese of Jackson.  We are all brothers and sisters in Christ and it is important for us to be in solidarity together in proclaiming God’s kingdom here on earth. Collection. Thank you for your prayers and your support.

prayers of the faithful - 4 August 2021 - 18th week of Ordinary Time

You call us to be peace makers

You call us to respond to God’s call

You call us to be bold in living out our faith

With humble hearts, we present our prayers to our God of love and mercy: 

1. For our pope, our bishop, and all church leaders - may they lead the Church in unity and reconciliation. 

2. For peacemakers - may they heal those wounds and worn-torn places that exist in our world.

3. For a spirit of hope for those who are feeling troubled and downtrodden. 

4. For harmony and tolerance within our families and communities. 

5. For those who are sick and suffering, for those who need healing in mind, body, or spirit.

6. For the repose of the souls of the faithful departed. For their entry into eternal life.  

Heaven Father, we present these prayer to you through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever.  AMEN. 

4 August 2021 - Wednesday of the 18th week of Ordinary Time - St John Vianney - Matthew 15:21-28

     Jesus is approached by a Canaanite woman.  She is desperate to get help for her daughter who is tormented by a demon.  Yet, not being a member of the nation of Israel, Jews do not see her as being included in God’s plan of salvation.  However, ultimately, it is the faith Jesus sees in her that saves her.  

        St John Vianney is the saint we celebrate today.  He is known as the Cure of Ars from the name of the French village where he lived most of his life as a priest.  Born in 1786, John Vianney was a student during the era of the French Revolution; it was a time in which the Catholic faith was being oppressed in France.  Vianney was known as the least capable student in seminary.  He was ordained to the priesthood, even though he failed his final oral exam in seminary.  He was sent to a small French village where it was thought that he would do little harm. In many ways, we can say that John Vianney was judged just as the Canaanite woman was judged by Jewish society.  He led a very strict, devout life as a priest, with his example of faith speaking very loudly to his parishioners.  He became well-known for his preaching, for his compassion as a confessor, and for his spiritual direction.   He really touched the lives of the people.  Vianney had more then 300 people coming to visit him each day from different parts of France.   John Vianney is the patron saint of diocesan priests – he is certainly a great example for those of us who are Diocesan priests. I want to end with a quote from John Vianney himself on a homily he did on happiness.  It contains a good message for us to take away from his spirituality: “My God, I give you my heart, and since you are so good as to give me another day, give me the grace that everything I do will be for your honor and for the salvation of my soul.”  

Prayers of the faithful - Monday of the 18th week in ORDINARY TIME - 2 August 2021

Lord Jesus - you speak to us in the silence.  

Christ Jesus - you are our Good Shepherd. 

Lord Jesus - you bring us hope.  

God gives us the bread from heaven that we might believe in the one he has sent. We make our prayers asking that our faith in Christ may be strengthened. 

1. For the Church throughout the world, that it may be an effective sign of the way to everlasting happiness and eternal life. 

2.  For peace, that the world will turn away from violence as a means of settling disputes.

3. For leaders of the nations: that in their policies and actions, they may always work for the common good of all. 

4.  For all those in need, and for those who are committed to their service, that we may never cease to work for justice in our society. 

5. For all Christian: that nourished by the Bread of Life, we may share the gifts of God with others. 

6. For the sick and the housebound, the burdened and the bereaved, that Christ’s love will comfort them in their need. 

7. For the prayers we hold in our hearts.  

God our Father, you sent your Son among us, born of Mary. May our response to your Word be deep and true so that we might make him known to the world, for he is Lord forever and ever.

2 August 2021 - Monday of the 18th week in Ordinary Time - Numbers 11:4-15

    We have hearing from Exodus these last several weeks in our daily Masses.  For the next four days, we will hear from the book of Numbers, the next book after Exodus in the Pentateuch in the Old Testament.  The title “Numbers” comes form the beginning of the book where a census of the people is described.  

     The Israelites are still wandering in the wilderness.  The Israelites are angry because they don’t have the foods that they had back in Egypt.  They are reduced to eating the terrible tasting mana that the lord provides for them.  Poor Moses feels trapped in the middle.  The Israelites lash out at him, but God is also angry at what is going on as well.  

      We can grumble and complain ourselves, can’t we?  I remember that when I came back to the United States from being in Ecuador, when I worked in the jungle as a missionary for three years, I struck how much we Americans can complain about things, even though we have so many opportunities and so many material possessions compared to so many people in so many parts of the world.  I had recently heard a podcast by a man who thought of one blessing he was thankful for each day for 1,000 days.  He did this after he had gone through a very terrible time in his life.  It reminded him of the importance of counting his blessings.  Yes, indeed, in the midst of crisis and strife, it is difficult to see our blessings.  But our blessings are indeed there.  

3 August 2021 - anniversary of the death of Flannery O’Connor - Tuesday of the 18th week in Ordinary Time - Numbers 12:1-13

      When we had been hearing readings from Exodus these past few weeks, we had heard about the people of Israel complaining about Moses and his leadership, as they longed for their days back in Egypt, seemingly remembering the good but not remembering the bad.  Today, even Moses’ brother and sister complain about him.  It seems the this comes out of jealousy, as they seem to ask why God speaks only through Moses and not through them.  One other thing stood out to me in today’s first reading: the phrase that “Moses himself was by far the meekest man on the face of the earth.” I knew that Moses was not a natural public speaker and that he got nervous, but I don’t think I would have described him as “by fare the meekest man on the face of the earth,” since he also seemed very bold and courageous.   

     I think a lot of us can feel out of place or criticized at different times in our lives for different reasons.  Today is the anniversary of the death of Flannery O’Connor - she passed away on August 3, 1964 at only 39 years old.  She was afflicted with the disease lupus for many years, which I am sure made her feel out of place in society in many ways.  Having spent most of her life in Georgia, O’Connor became a significant voice in American fiction, especially the short story.  After her death, her published compiled short stories won the National Book Award for Fiction in 1972.   Her work is strongly informed by her Roman Catholic faith, with the morality and ethics often common themes, but it is often described as American Southern Gothic in style.  Although her illness confined to a sheltered existence, she had an extraordinary knowledge of human behavior.  Like us here in Mississippi, where our Catholic faith is lived in the context of the Bible belt of the Protestant South, O’Connor studied Catholic theology and lectured on faith and literature, traveling extensively despite her health problems.  Her works have a very strong voice and do not stray away from topics that a difficult to cover, which has made her a favorite target of those who are trying to silence her voice in the name of political correctness.  I for one am proud to share my faith with Flannery O’Connor and to defend her against critics who shun her.  Above all, I love writers whose works help me to critically think and to see the world in a different way; Flannery O’Connor is one of those writers.  

1 de agosto de 2021 - domingo del tiempo ordinario - Juan 6:24-35

      La multitud comió la comida que Jesús multiplicó para ellos de los panes y los dos pescados que un muchacho tenía con él.  La multitud comió la comida hasta saciarse.  A través de este milagro, la multitud vio a Jesucristo como un verdadero profeta de Dios.  Sin embargo, muchos en la multitud todavía tenían dudas y preguntas. Este es un tema común en los evangelios.  La gente ve una señal, la gente cree y crece en la fe, pero luego sus dudas vuelven. Durante cinco semanas, escucharemos del capítulo 6 del Evangelio de San Juan. El domingo pasado, al inicio de este capítulo, en su curiosidad, la multitud sigue a Jesús por el campo, preguntando: ¿Quién es este hombre Jesús y de qué se trata? ¿Satisfará sus necesidades terrenales, simbolizadas en el milagro de los panes y los pescados? ¿O habrá más que esto? ¿Puede satisfacer su búsqueda de sentido, su búsqueda de realización, su búsqueda de fe?

      El capítulo 6 del Evangelio de Juan se llama el discurso del pan de vida.  Como católicos, mucho de lo que creemos en la Eucaristía como el verdadero cuerpo y sangre de Cristo se aborda en este discurso evangélico.  Jesús nos anuncia hoy: “Yo soy el pan de la vida. El que viene a mí no tendrá hambre y el que cree en mí nunca tendrá sed.”  Al reunirnos como comunidad de fe para la Eucaristía en nuestras misas este domingo, recibimos el pan de vida que nos sostiene en el camino.  En el Evangelio, la multitud piden más signos en su deseo de ver y creer.  Nosotros también, como discípulos de Cristo, tenemos hambre y sed como la multitud en el Evangelio. A través de nuestros ojos de fe, podemos ver que no es solo pan normal y vino normal, sino más bien que la Eucaristía es el cuerpo y la sangre de Cristo.  Por los tanto, la Eucaristía es un signo importante para nosotros: un signo de la verdadera presencia de Cristo con nosotros.  Como dice Tomás de Aquino: “Es ley de la amistad que los amigos vivan juntos… Cristo no nos ha dejado sin su presencia corporal en esta nuestra peregrinación, pero nos une a Él en este sacramento en la realidad de su cuerpo y su sangre.”

       Cuando la multitud le pregunta a Jesús cómo va a realizar las obras de Dios, él les dice que debe creer en el hijo que Dios envió.  Sin embargo, no termina ahí. Debemos ver una conexión entre la Misa que celebramos juntos, la Eucaristía que recibimos y la manera en que vivimos la vida de fe.  El Papa Francisco afirma que la Eucaristía es un acto de Cristo porque es Cristo. Cristo se hace presente ante nosotros, alimentándonos con su palabra y su vida. La misión y la identidad de todos los católicos, la misión y la identidad de la Iglesia, deben fluir de la Eucaristía.  El Papa Francisco dice: nuestras celebraciones eucarísticas pueden ser impecables y hermosas en su superficie, pero siempre deben llevarnos al encuentro con Cristo.  Sin ese encuentro con Cristo en la Eucaristía, nuestro corazón y nuestra vida no serán alimentados por él.  El Papa Francisco declara: A través de la Eucaristía, Cristo desea entrar en nuestra vida e impregnarla de su gracia, para que en cada comunidad cristiana haya coherencia entre la misa y la vida.

      En mi agenda estos últimos meses. La mayoría de las semanas he celebrado de 10 a 16 misas por semana, escribiendo 6 o 7 u 8 o más homilías o reflexiones cada semana también.  Algunas semanas, eso no es fácil, con todo lo demás que hago como vicario general y como párroco de St Jude.  Pero puedo decir honestamente que celebrar la Misa no es un trabajo pesado para mí ni es solo una obligación que debo cumplir.  Celebrar la Misa incluso cuando estoy cansado o cuando no me siento bien es una alegría y un privilegio.  Sin la Eucaristía, no podría ser sacerdote. Y todos deberíamos sentirnos de la misma manera: sin la Eucaristía, ¿cómo seríamos católicos?

       Jesucristo nos dice que él es el pan de vida; entonces estamos llamados a preguntarnos cómo vemos que la Eucaristía nos mueve hacia la transformación y la renovación.  Pero estamos llamados a hacer más que reflexionar. La Eucaristía necesita transformarnos verdaderamente y convertirnos.  Como dice San Francisco de Sales:  Como dice San Francisco de Sales: “Cuando hayas recibido (a Cristo en la Eucaristía), aviva el corazón para rendirle homenaje; háblale de tu vida espiritual; míralo en tu alma donde está presente para tu felicidad; déle la bienvenida lo más cordialmente posible; y comportarse exteriormente de tal manera que sus acciones puedan dar prueba de toda su presencia.”