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Cycle B - 2011 - 2012 |
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Click here for Special Events talks |
Quotes from the homily |
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"New Creation; New Incarnation; New Exodus" |
The baptism of Jesus first of all signals a new creation. As the dove-Spirit hovered over the original chaos and drew order out of it, the dove-Spirit hovers over Jesus to indicate that, as Jesus comes up out of the water, a new creation is heralded into existence. This new creation will be victorious over the effects of sin upon the original creation, the most powerful effect being death itself. |
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"Follow That Star" |
Dear Lord three Things I Pray, to See Thee More Clearly, love Thee More Dearly, follow Thee More Nearly, day by Day |
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"Bless, Pray, Worship and Evangelize" |
NEW YEAR'S DAY The following true story, in a small way, touches on the spirit of this feast, Mary, the Mother of God. Bobby was a poor boy whose father had died and whose mother was struggling to raise the five children. He wanted to buy his mother a present for Christmas but had no money. While walking along dejected he found a dime and went to a flower shop as he knew his mother liked flowers. To his surprise and delight, the store owner told him that he just happened to have a dozen roses on sale for a dime - would he want those? |
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"Prophetic Marriage and Family Life" |
I dream of an archdiocese where every family would have a weekly family night consisting of a meal together, no TV, some prayer based on scripture, honest sharing of their lives and then some games. What a difference that would make to the quality of our families and the church in our archdiocese. |
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“Christmas, God’s Great Self-Expression”
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God’s self-expression is an eternal constant. For us it begins with creation. Some time back scientists released the ten top pictures of different parts of the universe taken by the Hubble telescope. They were amazing, mind-blowing pictures of stars and celestial phenomena – all part of God’s creative self-expression. |
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“The Light that overcomes Darkness” |
That there is darkness in our world is all too real. One example suffices to illustrate: In one northern community, a young man, high on drugs and alcohol and driving at a high speed, struck and killed a promising seventeen year old girl with such force that the coffin had to be closed. He went on to strike another five vehicles before stopping and attempting to flee on foot. |
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Cycle A - 2010 - 2011 |
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“God Hidden in the Poor – Christ the King” |
The contrast between the way Jesus seemed to view royalty, and the need that the modern world still seems to have for royalty that can impress us with its grandeur and pomp, calls us to look at this title of King more closely, using a particular lens, the lens of the poor, to assess both the notion of royalty, and the notion of authority. The readings give us some food for thought about these themes, and about the end of time, judgment and the meaning of life. Then this homily will focus on the writings of a modern day prophet who still lives among us to explore the deeper meaning of this feast. In his recent book entitled The Scandal of Service, Vanier shares very insightful thoughts on authority and Christian service. He writes “In this domain of the heart, all people are alike. There is no visible hierarchy one could signify by dress. People are all alike, and they have the same dignity. Each one’s life and history are sacred. Each person is unique and important. The only hierarchy that remains is one of love, and that remains hidden. So at the end of our lives we will be judged by how we have loved, and not by our clothes, or the masks society has imposed on us.” How strikingly similar to the gospel are his words. In the end, we will be judged only buy charity and how we have treated the poor. |
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“The Courage to Change What We Can” |
Mahatma Gandhi serves as an example for us. One day he took a walk with eight of his closest disciples that parallels that of Jesus. In defiance of government order, they set out on a 200-mile walk to the sea. Gandhi was well known as a staunch opponent of India’s stratified society, the caste system. He was also known as an advocate for the “untouchables,” those who were members of no caste at all, not even the lowest. One evening, he and his followers arrived at a prosperous village and were given a great welcome. Passing through, much to the chagrin of the village leaders, he found his way outside the village to the hovels of the untouchables, He ate with them; he played with their children; he called them the children of God. He commented that he would have liked to be an “untouchable,” so that he could liberate them, and himself, from within. In the end, like Jesus, he paid for his stance with his life. |
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“Be Ready – Live in the Kingdom” |
That need to be ready is underscored by the recent death of an Oblate priest, Fr. Alex Carriere, pastor of Enoch First Nations community and the parish of Lac. St. Anne in Alberta. People noted at a wake the previous evening that his words were a little bit confused, which was uncharacteristic of him. When he did not show up on time for the funeral he was to perform the next day, his brother Oblates went to check up on him at his residence. They found him lying dead face, down on the floor. The police were called of course. One of them happened to check his computer and found that he had been goggling “Heart Attack Symptoms” when he obviously had a heart attack, fell off his chair, and died. |
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“On Servant Leadership” |
Jean Vanier’s recent little book, The Scandal of Service, is an example of humble leadership. Hear what he writes about authority: “The word ‘authority’ comes from the Latin word ‘augere’ (to grow). All authority, whether it be civil, parental, religious or community, is intended to help people grow towards greater freedom, justice and truth. Often, however, it is used for the honor, power, privilege and positive self-image of those who exercise it. By stooping down to wash the disciples’ feet, Jesus calls us all to exercise authority humbly, as a service.” |
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“The Bible in a Sentence” |
Mary Vogrinc, a 46 year old motivational speaker, is an exceptional example of someone who is living today’s readings. She and her husband have fostered 53 children and adopted two of them, in addition to raising three of their own biological children. She shares the story of one of the most difficult children they fostered, a teenager named Charlene. She had a history of abuse; her face was covered with a rash, and had terrible teeth. She and her brother proved to be a handful from the first. One night, she lost her tooth, and was told to put it under the pillow for the tooth fairy. When she discovered a dollar’s worth of change there in the morning, she could hardly believe that she could do what she wanted with the money, even buy candy. However, that day they went to church. When the collection basket came around, Charlene asked what that was for. Her foster parents told her that it was for those who were less fortunate than they were. They noted that she carefully put most of her change in the basket, kept only a dime and said, “I think I will just keep a little for myself.” Mary was moved to tears by this parable of the widow’s mite being lived out by her most difficult foster child. |
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“Faith, Hope and Love |
It is obvious that the attitude of the Jewish religious leaders of Jesus’ day needed healing. Ironically, a worldwide survey apparently conducted by the UN, speaks of the need for healing of similar attitudes in our world today. The only question asked on this survey was: “Would you please give your honest opinion about solutions to the food shortage in the rest of the world.” The survey was a huge failure, because &ldots; in Africa they didn’t know what ‘food’ meant; in Eastern Europe they didn’t know what ‘honest’ meant; in Western Europe they didn’t know what ‘shortage’ meant; in China they didn’t know what ‘opinion’ meant; in the Middle East they didn’t know what ‘solution’ meant; in South America they didn’t know what ‘please’ meant, and in the United States they didn’t know what ‘the rest of the world’ meant. |
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“Wearing the Garment of Eternal Life” |
A woman went to the wake for a neighbor’s wife. When she commented on the beautiful dress his late wife was wearing in the coffin, the husband said sadly that he had bought that very expensive dress for her years earlier. His wife had put it away for a special occasion and in the end had never worn it. She resisted his frequent encouragement for her to do so, as he was eager to see her wear it. She kept on saying that she was saving it for a very special occasion. Her funeral was now that special occasion. |
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“Walking the Talk in the Kingdom of Jesus” |
Someone who is very much like Paul, who is walking the talk and responding to the call of Jesus to live in his kingdom, is Jean Vanier, founder of the L’Arche movement. In his latest booklet, entitled The Scandal of Service, Vanier eloquently describes how the members of the community he founded seek the lowest place, strive to live an authority from below, find Jesus hidden in the poor and the marginalized. He writes eloquently how Jesus lowered himself to wash the feet of his disciples as a sign that he wants, above all, a close, intimate relationship with them of love and compassion, not power and control. He is living out the dynamics of this revolutionary new kingdom of God among us. |
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“Faith, Repentance and God’s Will” |
At the age of twelve, Frank was sent by his hard-driving workaholic father to pick wild oats out of a quarter section of land sowed to oats. While his father probably thought it was a reasonable request to keep his son busy and help control the weeds a little, the boy felt overwhelmed as he faced the 160 acre field. Fearing to disobey his father, yet also feeling angry that he had been given an impossible and unreasonable task, he filled the bags with both wild and good oats until the time allotted was used up. His father, naturally, was upset with him at the end of the morning. |
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“Disneyland and the Reign of God” |
Here is a more modern parable. A group of Canadians on vacation decide to check out Disneyland. They know that passes are $75 a day or $50 for half a day. Some decide to go early for the full day. A few others, more attached to their money, decide to go half a day to save a few dollars. Each group arrives to find that a promotion is on and the passes are only $25 for the whole day. The first group had great fun all morning and felt sorry for the others who were coming later. They did not begrudge them coming late, but rather welcomed them when they came, and actually kept some of the best activities for the last so they could enjoy them all together. Our God of amazing generosity, and the Kingdom of Heaven, is a bit like that experience of Disneyland. |
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“Forgiving from the Heart” |
An elderly woman had just returned to her home from an evening church service when she was startled by an intruder. She caught the man in the act of robbing her home of its valuables and yelled, “Stop! Acts 2:38!” which reads, “Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven.” The burglar stopped in his tracks and the woman calmly called the police and explained what she had done. As the officer cuffed the man to take him in, he asked the burglar, “Why did you just stand there? All the old lady did was yell out a scripture passage to you.” “Scripture?” replied the burglar. “She said she had an axe and two 38’s!” |
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“Forgiveness and Love – the Heart of the Church” |
St. Paul feels free to strip that teaching down to one sentence, and omit the part about loving God, because of Jesus’ other teachings, that what we do to the least of our brothers and sisters, we are doing to him. So for St. Paul, to love our neighbor as we love our selves, is to love God in that neighbor. Therefore, the whole law is summed up in this one sentence: “Love our neighbor as we love ourselves.” |
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“The Cross is a Blessing” |
Fr. Bertrand Mathieu, a veteran Oblate missionary to the Dené people in northern Saskatchewan, who retired at age 86 and died recently at age 88, knew the answer. He used to repeat often, to himself and to others, that “The cross is a blessing. The cross is a blessing.” He understood the secret of the Paschal Mystery, the underlying secret of the message of today’s readings – that the cross is a blessing. Do we also truly believe, and live, this truth? |
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“The Church - Founded on Faith, Forgiveness and Love” |
A Russian army general once had an audience with Pope John XXIII. He boasted that given another fifty years, communism would destroy the Church. The pope responded quite lightheartedly that boast was impossible, because, as he put it, “We Catholics have been trying to do that for centuries and we still have not succeeded.” |
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“Great Faith, Joyful Salvation” |
Ron Rolheiser OMI expounded on this teaching of St. Paul in a talk to the Los Angeles Religious Educators Conference in March 2011. He used the parable of the lost sheep to explain that God does not love one person more than another. The one sheep that strayed was lost, he stated, but the other ninety-nine were also in the wilderness. They were not in a good place either. Rolheiser concluded that there are no righteous people. There are only sinners who know they are sinners, like the Canaanite woman, and self-righteous sinners who do not know that they are sinners. These last are in fact the worse off because their spiritual blindness and false-pride will keep them from reaching out for help like the Canaanite woman. |
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“The Sounds of Silence” |
A group of tourists took the tram up the mountain in Jasper in the summer time. They then climbed up and over the nearest peak, and found themselves in Marmot Basin where the ski lodge is busy all winter. There was no one else around, and above all, not a sound. There was no plane, no traffic, no birds, not even the whisper of a breeze. There was only silence, a silence so prominent that it was unnerving for this group of tourists. They had never had that experience before in their lives. It was an experience that naturally led them to think of prayer, the kind of prayer that the readings speak about today. |
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"Sharing what we have" |
When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus said to them, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.” But they said to him, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.” Then he said, “Bring them here to me,” and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over– twelve wicker baskets full. Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children. |
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“Parables that Stretch Us” |
The former governor general of Canada, Georges Vanier, had a chapel in his house where he attended daily mass and no matter how tired, always spent a half hour in meditation. In all his dealings with governments and people of all walks of life, he sought to apply the values of the kingdom for the common good. It is no surprise that there are many who think he should be canonized a saint. He truly lived in the Kingdom of God all the days of his life. |
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“Be Open and Judge Not” |
The young pastor of a small northern community was out jogging one day. He decided to stop by a house to visit the wife of an alcoholic who had earlier asked him for help to cope with her situation. Upon entering the house, he found a drinking party in full swing. Instantly angry at what was happening, he noticed a lady he did not recognize in the room and was told she was from the south. She had just arrived in the community and was already staying with someone. He got even angrier at her, thinking they had enough people living common law already. ........... |
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“The Sustaining and Healing Word of God” |
We can all identify with these types of soil. Perhaps we have been all four, or we know of someone who fits one or the other description. For the sake of illustration, we can use persons who attend a faith event such as a Cursillo. Some persons who really could benefit from the experience refuse to go at all – they are the hard soil of a path, without roots. Some go and enjoy the experience, but nothing changes in their lives when they return home – they are the rocky soil with only superficial roots. Others go, enjoy the experience, attend a few follow-up meetings after they return home, come back to church for a few Sundays, then disappear – they are the thorny soil that takes root, grows a little, but that does not last. Finally, there are those who take the Cursillo, benefit from it greatly, strive to live their commitment to the Fourth day, help organize and carry out other such events, and actively share their experience with others, They are truly rich soil – taking root, growing, and bearing fruit that others can see and use for themselves. |
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“Revealing God” |
A second reason Dr. Kassis gave for not becoming Muslim was that the faith of Islam has no room whatsoever for a God who can suffer. That is totally beyond any realm of possibility for a Muslim. Allah is Great, Almighty, Absolute Other, and cannot, to their minds, suffer in anyway. That too is blasphemy to them, so certainly Jesus on a cross has no meaning for them. They will say that Allah is compassionate, but to see that compassion lived out as Jesus lived it out, stretches them beyond their capability. Jesus revealed to us a side of God’s nature that is beyond the world of Islam, and that is a second reason why Dr. Kassis never became a Muslim. |
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“Source of God’s Love” |
After the closing prayer during the final mass at an Oblate mission in Wahti in the Northwest Territories, a band member stood up and shared how he had hurt the community by his selfish political actions, and apologized to the community. The chief responded by accepting the apology on behalf of the community, and promised that as chief and council, they would try to improve their own leadership on behalf of the community. The two men then hugged each other. Everyone present was moved by this scene, and realized that they were seeing the Eucharist that they had just celebrated being lived out as Jesus meant it to be lived out.
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“Pentecost and Tee Pee Spirituality” |
A certain person was troubled by nightmares. He went to see a psychiatrist and shared with him that sometimes he dreamed he was a tee pee and sometimes he dreamed he was a wigwam, so what was his problem? The doctor told him it was simple, he was just two tents! |
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“Liminal Space and New Life” |
This spring, John who loved to garden, was given a gift of a package of seeds. The description explained that the package contained eleven seeds from Douglas Fir, Ponderosa Pine and Blue Spruce trees. He was quite excited as this would be the first time in his gardening career that he had ever planted trees from seeds. He proceeded to buy some peat pots, soaked them in water, planted the seeds in the little holes at the top, placed the pots in clear plastic covered trays and put the trays in a sunlight spot in the house. His excitement was tempered somewhat when he read that he would have to be patient, as 4-6 weeks were needed before he would notice any growth. |
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“Living in the Spirit” |
Someone who actually lived this way and exemplified many of these qualities was the late Edward Kimbley of Beauval, Saskatchewan. A humble Cree Métis elder and father of a large family, Edward worked at the Beauval Indian Residential High School as a janitor and watchman for 48 years. His quiet fatherly presence was a support to the students who could always turn to him for a kind word of encouragement or much needed wisdom. |
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“Serving Widows and Serving the Word” |
Brother Walter Demong is a humble seventy-five year old Oblate brother living at Mazenod Residence in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. After a dedicated career managing a herd of prize-winning dairy cows at the former St. Charles Scholasticate near Battleford, he spent some years doing maintenance and providing hospitality at Queen’s House of Retreats and Renewal in Saskatoon. |
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“Caring and Contemplation” |
John, an amateur photographer, loved taking pictures of old abandoned farmhouses. He would then frame them as gifts. Traveling through the countryside one day, a majestic old house caught his attention. Its unusual style, rustic colours and many windows spoke to him of past glory and life. However, there was a four strand barb wire fence between him and the house, making it very awkward to come any closer. He noticed that a short distance away there was a gate with a metal lever mechanism that looped over the post of the gate and applied pressure to keep it taut. ... |
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“Live in Reverend Awe” |
The Eucharist that we celebrate now is liturgically an experience of this account of the disciples on the road to Emmaus. We are also in prayer, and during the penitential rite, we prayerfully share our burdens with the Lord and Jesus listens to us. Then, in the Liturgy of the Word which we are celebrating at this moment, Jesus truly speaks to us through the readings, opening our minds to understand the scriptures that are all about him. Shortly, we will gather around the table with Jesus as did those early disciples in the inn, and we will recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread. Hopefully, our hearts will be burning within us, and like those two disciples, we will rise up from this table and return to our everyday lives, forgiven, healed and transformed by our encounter with the Lord during this Eucharist, to share with others what the Lord is doing in our lives. |
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“Believe and Live Life to the Full” |
Sometimes, faith works in our lives in strange ways. A young man who had been raised as an atheist was training to be an Olympic diver. The only religious influence in his life came from his outspoken Christian friend. The young diver never really paid much attention to his friend’s sermons, but he heard them often. One night the diver went to the indoor pool at the college he attended. The lights were all off, but as the pool had big skylights and the moon was bright, there was plenty of light to practice by.... |
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“Unleavened Bread, not Old Yeast” |
Jimmy was sent by his wife to see his pastor, because his behavior was driving her crazy. He was depressed and unable to sleep. He had seen doctors and counselors and received all kinds of pills, none of which were making any difference. The pastor was able to uncover that although Jimmy had been a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, he had never done a sincere, honest Step 5 (Admit to God, himself and one other person, the exact nature of his wrongs). Instead, he was two-stepping the program, going directly from Step 1 to Step 12. ...... |
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“Come and See; Go and Tell” |
Jeremy was born with a twisted body, a slow mind, and a chronic illness that had been slowly killing him all his young life. Still, his parents had tried to give him as normal a life as possible and had sent him to a regular elementary school. Shortly before Easter, their teacher told his class about the new life of Easter and gave them each a large plastic egg with the assignment to bring them back the next day with something within them that showed new life. All nineteen students returned with symbols of new life in their eggs, except Jeremy whose egg was empty. ....... |
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“Good Friday – Call to Radical Discipleship” |
Ron shared the story of his sister who was an Ursuline religious, dean of students at their High School. She loved her work, excelled at it, and was a great organizer and caregiver. In midlife she contracted cancer, was paralyzed from the waist down, could do very little, and eventually succumbed to the disease. He remarked that the lessons her family and friends learned as they accompanied her towards her final moments, were more profound than what she gave them during her life, rich and exemplary as that was. After years of giving her life away, she learned to give her death away. |
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“Celebrating a Triple-Header” |
In April of 2011, the Catholic Foundation of Manitoba honoured the St. Amant Centre for its work with the physically and mentally challenged people in the area of Winnipeg. Started by the Grey Nuns in 1931 as the St. Boniface Sanitorium for tuberculosis patients, it became a hospital admitting children with disabilities in 1959. When the entire space became dedicated to meeting the needs of persons with developmental disabilities, it was renamed the St. Amant Centre in 1974 in honour of Beatrice St. Amant who had done pioneering work with epileptic children....... |
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“Call to Radical Discipleship of God’s Extravagant Love” |
T.S. Elliot once said that in a world of fugitives, the person taking the opposite direction will appear to be running away. Regardless of what the world may think of us, to be baptized and anointed with chrism means that we are called to take the opposite direction, to be counter-cultural, to follow Jesus as radical disciples of God’s extravagant gesture, God’s extravagant love. |
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“The Last Temptation and the Temple Veil” |
The last temptation that Jesus faced, then, was to do something spectacular to prove that he was Son of God. But Jesus, relying on his relationship of love and fidelity to the Father, resisted that last temptation. He stayed true to his mission to reveal to us the true nature of God which is a love that suffers, sacrifices and above all forgives. |
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“Believe, and Be Set Free” |
A priest noticed a sparrow flying around his parish church on Saturday evening as he was preparing for mass the next day. Realizing it would be a distraction to have a sparrow flying around the church during the celebration of the Eucharist, he wisely waited until dusk, turned on the porch light and left the door open, hoping the sparrow would fly out on its own. When it didn’t he tried to encourage it with a broom. Then the battle was on. For the next ten minutes, the sparrow tried to get out of every window, ran into statues, banged into walls and flew everywhere except out the open door. Finally, ...... |
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“The Journey Within” |
“You are who you are who you are – what are you afraid of?” Those are the words that Richard Rohr, noted Franciscan priest, writer and speaker, spoke as he started a retreat to the Oblates some years ago. That statement shocked at least one Oblate present into greater self awareness; self knowledge, and in the end, greater self love. On this fourth Sunday of Lent, those words along with the healing of the blind man, invite us to pray for the courage to make an inner journey into greater self-awareness and to live as children of the light. |
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“Thirsting for More” |
An Oblate missionary assigned to minister on a First Nations community started his ministry by visiting every home to introduce himself to the people and to practice his Cree. He was welcomed into one home by a young woman who was a single parent of five children and was expecting a sixth. When the missionary commented on her five children, she made no bones about informing him that they were all from different fathers, except the one she was expecting. That one would be the second child from her present partner who was in jail for his abusive behaviour when drinking. The missionary sympathized with her, suggesting that it was hard to find a permanent, long-lasting relationship. He tried to support her as best as he could. He affirmed her efforts to raise the children alone and also serve as the receptionist at the Band Office. He proposed starting a Bible Study in her home, hoping that through this study of the Word of God, she would find strength to cope with her challenges and become part of a community of faith. As he left he could not help but think of today’s gospel, and feel that he had just met a Samaritan woman. He was filled with hope that like the Samaritan woman, she would also meet Jesus as the one who could offer her a life filled with greater meaning, peace and even joy. |
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“Invitation to Suffer” |
Towards the end of 2010, the Canadian bishops received an invitation to travel to the Holy Land. One of the new movements in the Church, the Neocatechumenate Way, was making the offer and would even provide a ticket for those bishops from poorer dioceses. At least ten Canadian bishops took up the offer. |
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“Being Full Human” |
Raymond Dlugos, former director of Southdown, a renewal center for clergy and religious near Toronto, shares an interesting insight into the temptations that are highlighted in the gospel. He speaks of two kinds of sin only. One sin is to be more than human, to be super-human, above the pain of being human. The other sin is to be less than human, to let ones self go into dissipation and dissolute living. |
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“Be the Righteousness of God” |
A Charlie Brown cartoon can illustrate this reality. Charlie Brown is playing ball with his cap and glove and is talking to himself. In the first frame, he informs us that he really doesn’t mind that he has been placed in right field where no one ever hits a ball anyway. In the second frame, he mutters that he really doesn’t mind that the grass is so high that even if a ball did come his way, he would not be able to see it. In the third frame, he says that he doesn’t really mind that his parents came to watch him play ball and they can’t see him because of the tall grass. In the final frame, he confesses that what really bothers him is that he doesn’t even know if he is facing the right direction! |
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Doing God’s Will |
Some of the ministry that Brother Tom Novak OMI is doing within the Archdiocese of Keewatin-The Pas is to go into isolated communities that have little pastoral presence, to work with and empower the people to truly be Church. He was preparing a group of youth for the sacraments of initiation and asked them how they were following Jesus. The youth, who were not that involved in Sunday worship, responded that they were following Jesus when they managed to forgive anyone who had hurt them. Brother Tom was impressed by the maturity of their faith, even though they needed to grow in their involvement with the Church community. |
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“Priorities of Faith” |
A story recounted by Adam Exner, Archbishop emeritus Vancouver, fits in with the readings today. As a young priest, he was travelling to the East on the train and happened to be seated in the same compartment as a harried businessman who tested his patience with his complaints. This man had a beef against almost everyone in his life, and about almost everything. He filled the hours with complaints about his wife, his job, his boss, the government, his kids and more, ad nauseum. Finally Adam interjected with the concise comment, “Sir, it seems to be that you don’t know who you are, where you are from..... |
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“Be Holy as God is Holy” |
One woman who had been sexually abused by a relative at the age of fourteen, was able to go on a healing journey and learned the truths that are taught in the readings today. She was able to confront her abuser with love, to share her feelings with him about what he had done to her 35 years earlier, without revenge or even calling him names. She even apologized to him for how she had treated him for all those years, and in the end, gave him a hug. Another person who heard her share her story at a pilgrimage remarked afterwards, “That’s impossible.” That is true. For us on our own, it is impossible. But with the power of the Holy Spirit within us and the teachings of Jesus to guide us, it is possible. ..... |
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“Living Wisely” |
An apology, in fact, is complete only when we can make a declaration to the other person that we will never do that again. Mark Pizandawatc, creator of the Returning To Spirit Program for healing life’s hurts, demonstrated how this declaration works during a training session in Morley, Alberta. Two trainees were late for a session one day, creating much tension in the room, as he never started a session until everyone was present. When they finally came in blushing and apologizing profusely, he called up different trainees to handle the situation. When no one could guess just what he wanted, he took over and simply asked the two latecomers if he could have their word that they would never do that again. They of course made that promise and the session went on as if nothing happened. |
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“Called to be Just Saints” |
On Saturday, November 20th, 2010, the Olympic Stadium in Montreal was packed with around 55,000 Catholic faithful, including over 50 bishops. The occasion was the Canadian celebration of the canonization of Bro. André Bessette as the first Canadian male saint. Sickly as a youth, diminutive in stature, lacking in education and holding only the role of porter throughout his years as a Holy Cross brother, he was nevertheless a giant in faith. Known as the miracle man of Montreal for the countless miracles he performed through intercession of his favorite saint, St. Joseph, the thousands gathered to honor him in a facility more accustomed to rock stars and sports heroes. |
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“Prophetic Humility” |
These humble people are the salt of the earth, in whom the Spirit of Jesus is at work, and upon whom He can build the reign of God here on earth, even if it will only be fully realized in the next life. The late Mary Jacobson of Ile-a-la-Crosse was one such person. Almost bedridden with crippling arthritis, she was nevertheless one of the most cheerful persons on earth, always ready to welcome visitors and constantly praying for the needs of others. She was truly a beatitude person in whose presence people felt the love of God for them and for the world. |
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“Ecumenism, Kingdom and the Church” |
Pope Benedict speaks often of the importance of inter-religious dialogue. There is an ashram in India run by the Oblates that is totally dedicated to inter-religious dialogue. The Temple at the center of the ashram is decorated with religious symbols from all the major religions of the world. There are even two symbols representing First Nations spirituality. People go there to pray for people of other faiths, to study, to work towards unity. With regard to ecumenism, some dioceses such as the Diocese of Saskatoon have a Center for Ecumenism, and staff that are hired specifically for that purpose, to work for greater understanding and collaboration among the Christian Churches. |
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“A Spirituality of Forgiveness and Healing” |
Those who should understand this biblical process of spiritual growth best, who have an advantage over others, are members of the 12 Step Program of Alcoholics Anonymous. That program is identical to the sacrament of reconciliation when placed side by side, and in fact, can bring back to the church a renewed sense of forgiveness and healing. |
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Years ago the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate created a Task Force to explore new and more effective ways to minister among the First Nations peoples of Canada. One of the initiatives they were led to put on was a series of week long awareness experiences in Alberta that involved four days of preparation (sweat lodges and talking circles) and then a four day fast from food and water. About thirty-five people participated each year, opening themselves up to new awareness and insight. This was truly liminal space for these brave folks. |
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Fr. Joe Curcio, a Scarborough Foreign Missionary, shares an incident when he saw someone truly living out his baptism as a new creation. A lay missionary from Brazil was visiting Nicaragua when he was missioned there. He invited him to come to visit one of their first farm cooperatives at one of their large parishes. When driving him back to Managua on a rough section of road, just after Christmas, the lay missionary caught a glimpse of something in the distance and asked Fr. Curcio to stop the jeep. The man rustled through his backpack, took out a pair of socks, took off his rubber boots and put on a pair of running shoes. Then he jumped out of the Land Rover and ran into the woods following a footpath. About 100 meters along he reached a man crouched under a tree. Watching closely, Fr. Curcio noticed that the man wore neither hat nor shoes. The legs of his tattered pants were rolled up and soaked with dew. He looked cold. His friend embraced him and spoke out of earshot. Fr. Curcio did not know what was said but had no need of words to hear. The man pulled out a large red handkerchief, lifted the farmer’s foot, wiped it and quickly put on a sock, then a rubber boot, making sure the man’s pant leg went over the boot. Then he followed the same procedure with the other foot. The farmer slackened his jaw in surprise as his friend hurriedly embraced him again and turned to go. The he stopped, removed his denim baseball hat and placed it on the farmer’s head. This caused them both to laugh heartily. In a moment his lay missionary friend was back in the Land Rover. His only reply to Fr. Curcio’s smile was a firm thumbs-up for Jesus. He had spotted him in the cold and had clothed Him. |
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Rolheiser mentions that Jean val Jean, in the musical “Les Miserables” is a beautiful example of blessing. As an old man, Jean goes out to the front lines of the revolutionary confrontation in Paris, looking for the young man his adopted daughter plans to marry. He finds him asleep and prays to God that he might be safe. He asks God to take his own life because he is old and has lived long. He begs God to spare this young man who will take his daughter away from him, because he is young and has his life ahead of him. This is the blessing of a grandfather – to step back, let the younger one shine, be generative and empower the youth. |
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A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law and a four-year-old grandson. When he began to spill some of his food on the tablecloth and the floor, the couple became irritated with the mess. They set up a small table in the corner where the grandfather ate alone. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. When the family glanced in Grandfather’s direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food. The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. ...... |
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“You Change the World” |
John Wesley expressed that call very succinctly in the following quote: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” |
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“Called to Be Prophetic Saints” |
Archbishop Emeritus John Quinn of San Francisco gave the Western Canadian bishops’ retreat a few years ago. He shared the story of one of his priests who left the priesthood to marry. He was a good priest and had been in charge of personnel. One day he came to see Quinn, cried and revealed that he had put himself outside the discipline of the Church by getting married. Quinn tried to help him reconsider his decision and suggested that he take a retreat, pray over this and not to contact the woman in any way. The priest did take some retreat time but disobeyed, contacted the woman and of course, it was over. ....... |
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“Be Least in the Kingdom” |
Fr. Bill Stang OMI started a shrub and flower garden in the back yard of the archdiocesan residence in The Pas last year. This spring, he placed railway ties along the fence and filled the space behind them with topsoil. In the process, he noticed a plant sprouting up in the compost bin. Thinking it might be a zucchini plant, he lifted it out and planted it in the freshly laid topsoil. The growing conditions must have been ideal, because that plant grew to be at least twenty feet long and produced, not zucchini, but three huge pumpkins. That small seed, thrown into the compost, frozen all winter and rescued in the spring, was transformed into a magnificent pumpkin plant that produced beautiful fruit. This seems like such a minor everyday reality, but when we take time to ponder it, the word “awesome” comes to mind. |
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“A Truly New World Order” |
Justice is a right relationship with God, others, our selves and all of creation. The renowned psychologist Gerald May writes of Spirit and Will. We can be willing or wilful; repentant or resistant; humble or stubborn; like the people who came to John, open to the new, or like the scribes and Pharisees, closed and unreachable. There are traces of this new reality in the political slogans of our day. We have seen the Just Society of Pierre Elliot Trudeau; the Purple Revolution of the new mayor of Calgary; the Yes We Can of Barack Obama. Some politicians might even be tempted to make a New World Order their slogan. Unfortunately, we know all too well that after a year or so in office, it is usually more of the same. Our leaders are more like John the Baptist, not really capable of overcoming the straitjackets of this wounded and selfish world, not really able to bring about the new. That is the task of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, if we would only believe, repent and allow him to be that for us. |
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“Put on Christ and be Alert” |
One of the requirements that publishers of new books ask of the authors is to provide a back cover endorsement of the book. Words from the first reading today would make a great back cover endorsement for a book on wellness. It might read, “This book encourages the reader to come to the house of the Lord, that God may teach us God’s ways and that we may walk in God’s paths.” |
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Cycle C 2009 - 10 |
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Christ the King “Let Jesus be Your Lord and King” |
Mother Theresa of Calcutta remains one of the most striking examples of someone who truly understood this kind of king, and followed him closely in her life. Like Jesus, she also experienced the apparent absence of God from the moment she began her work founding the Missionaries of Charity. Moreover, like Jesus, that spiritual desolation and dryness did not dissuade her from being totally faithful to the call to serve the poorest of the poor in Calcutta. She would invite all those who were thinking of abortion to give their children to her and she would care for them, and she did. What a powerful Christ figure she was, and still is for all who knew her and have heard of her. |
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“Beginning Well Leads to Ending Well” |
The niece of one of our staff called him recently, all excited. She was quite sure that by studying the Book of Revelation, she had figured out when the end of the world was going to happen. No amount of listening, dissuading and caution on his part could dampen her fervor. She had a cause and she was going to tell the world. |
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“Living the Resurrection” |
A young Oblate seminarian was going door to door one summer promoting a Catholic family magazine when he came across a dejected looking young girl sitting on the front steps of her house. He sat down beside her and asked what was wrong. After moment of silence, the girl replied that her teacher had told her that after we die, there is nothing. “Is that true?” she asked plaintively. Suddenly inspired by the nature surrounding him, he asked the girl what happens to the leaves in the fall. “They die and fall to the ground,” was her reply. “And in the spring?” he prodded. “They come back,” she replied. “And in the fall, what happens to the birds?” he continued. “They leave,” she replied. “And in the spring?” he asked. “They come back,” she said. “So then what do you think happens to us after we die?” he gently asked. “We come back,” she almost shouted, jumped up and ran away to play. |
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“Children of Abraham” |
What would a perfect parent look like? Some of those qualities might be patient yet firm; understanding and forgiving; caring yet able to discipline; protective yet respectful of personal freedom. In Jesus, God is a perfect parent, overlooking our sins so that we may repent. |
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“The Power of Powerlessness” |
The first reading speaks of being unjustly wronged, a common occurrence in life. In the novel Alice’s Tulips, the main character, Alice Keeler Bullock, is the victim of vicious gossip from her townsfolk during the civil war. She takes in a child of a dying lady out of charity and is then accused of actually killing the mother to get the child, a child she did not even want. Worse, after an initial moment of flirting with a man that she immediately regrets and who eventually rapes her, she is accused of actually conspiring to murder him when he is found dead. Her challenge is to respond as Jesus would, with forgiveness. Innocent people are judged unfairly, labeled and gossiped about every day in our society. They are the poor whom God will hear when they cry out. |
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“Contemplation and Action” |
Recently the television news carried the story of an amazing act of faith. A woman whose son was murdered in a random act of violence finally found the courage, through prayerful grieving, to go to the jail and visit the man who had murdered her son. Somehow in the course of that visit, forgiveness happened in her heart. She realized that this man who killed her son had projected onto her son all the pain, frustration and self-hatred that was in him which he had not faced. She understood him and the negative influences and lack of love had shaped and formed him into a killer. She stopped judging him and forgave him, and took him as her own son. Now that he is out of jail, they are working together on a project called From Death To Life to help improve the lives of at-risk men so that similar tragedies will not happen again. She is a marvelous example of someone who prayed for forgiveness and became the answer to her own prayer, forgiveness, which is the purest justice of all. |
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“Gratitude and Praise” |
Here is one 75-year-old man’s way of living out a spirit of gratitude.He reasoned that the average person lives about seventy-five years. He multiplied 75 times 52 and came up with 3,900 -- which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. It took him until he was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail and by that time he had lived through over 2,800 Saturdays. He reasoned that if he lived to be 75, he only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy. So he went to a toy store ..... |
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“Faith that Hopes, Serves and Loves” |
Coming back to the question about the strength of Mother Theresa’s faith, the answer is that her faith was actually so strong that she was given the test that Jesus was given on the cross – the experience of the apparent absence of God. That is the test that we pray God will not give us, every time we pray the Our Father. “Lead us not into temptation,” is actually translated, “Lead us not into the test,” the experience of the apparent absence of God. |
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“To Love is to Care” |
Resisting this call to be more merciful, caring and understanding can put us in the situation of an unforgiving person who sent a letter to the jailer of a small county jail addressed to an inmate. The name on the envelope did not seem to be registered at his institution. While attempting to search his memory for the inmate’s name, on the chance that the addressee may have been in the jail at some previous time, he turned the envelope over. A note scribbled in pencil on the back of the envelope clarified the situation. It read: “If not in jail yet, please hold until he arrives.” |
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“Living the Gospel Shrewdly” |
A young man found out he was going to inherit a fortune when his sickly father died, and decided he needed a woman to enjoy it with. So one evening he went to a single’s bar where he spotted the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her natural beauty took his breath away. “I may look like just an ordinary man,” he said as he walked up to her, “but in just a week or two, my father will die, and I’ll inherit $20 million. Come home with me and I’ll make you a wealthy wife.” The woman went home with him that evening, and three days later, sure enough, she became his stepmother. |
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“Key to Eternal Life: Believe; Repent and Forgive” |
Another example of someone who has lived the readings of today, who was a lost sheep, who repented like the prodigal son, and learned to forgive like the loving father, is Velma. She was sexually abused by a relative at the age of fourteen. She carried resentment towards him for fourteen years, like the elder son. She acted out with alcohol and sex, like the younger son, even in her marriage, until her own daughter was molested by her abuser’s son. She and her husband moved to another community. Ten years after that, her granddaughter was abused by one of her own sons, the victim’s uncle. Then Velma fell apart....... |
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“A Spirituality of Discipleship” |
There is only one imperative in life, Rolheiser, says, and that is before we die, we must forgive. We need to forgive those who hurt us, to forgive ourselves for not being any better than those who hurt us, to forgive life itself for some of the things that it dealt us, and, not least, to forgive God for the fact that life is unfair, so as not to die with a bitter and angry heart. |
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“Strive to be Humble” |
One canoeist loves to pray in a canoe on a lake when he is at his cottage, especially on calm mornings. He paddles out to the center of a bay, and then lets the canoe drift in the light breeze. It is amazing how sensitive the canoe is to the slightest breeze, sometimes drifting steadily along; sometimes stopping completely, sometimes turning right around depending on the breeze. The sensitivity of the canoe to obeying the gentle pressure of the breeze is a prayer in itself for him, that he might be as humble and open to God’s will in his life as is the canoe in which he is praying sensitive to the breeze. |
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“Live in the Kingdom” |
Mother Theresa of Calcutta had it right in her advice to her sisters: What you would want to do for Jesus, whom you cannot see, do to your neighbour in need, whom you can see, and you will be doing it to Jesus. She truly lived that teaching herself in caring for the abandoned and the dying in the streets of Calcutta. |
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“The Assumption of Mary” |
Mother Theresa of Calcutta stands out as an example of discipleship that is modeled after Mary. She came from a faithful, prayerful family. Like Mary, hers was a humble faith that found Jesus in the ordinary events of everyday life. Her Eucharistic faith, her love of contemplative prayer, and her compassion and caring for the poorest of the poor, gives witness to the name she gave her order, the Missionaries of Charity, a title that could also be given to Mary. |
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“Faith, Freedom and Service” |
Robert Moore, in his book Facing The Dragon, describes how modern humanity has tried to do away with spirituality, with especially the teachings of the Church on poverty, chastity and obedience. What the modern world wants and is obsessed with is wealth, sex and autonomy. What it has unwittingly unleashed by ignoring the wisdom of our ancestors in faith, and the teachings of Jesus through the Church, is devastating infantile grandiosity and selfish narcissism that threatens to destroy the very creation that God has given us. |
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“Time, Talent and Treasure” |
A grandfather who had received a new hearing aid told his doctor that the hearing aid was working well. The doctor exclaimed that his family must really be happy about that. The grandfather replied that he hadn’t told them he could now hear well, and that he had changed his will three times already! |
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“Lessons on Prayer from Prayer” |
One such person was Bill Lumsden of North Battleford, an uncle of Archbishop Sylvain’s sister-in-law Judy, who died recently. He was a psychiatric nurse, a war veteran and finally a mailman. One of his many qualities was the ability to affirm almost everyone he met. At his funeral many stories extolling other virtues of this humble, righteous man emerged. One that particularly moved Judy was told to her by one of his fellow postmen. It seems that a particular supervisor who was a control freak delighted in demeaning one of the workers regularly at coffee break when all were gathered. One day this man was the chosen victim and was torn to shreds by the supervisor. Without a word, Bill got up, put his mailbag on the table and walked out. When he did not return, the supervisor and foreman went to his house to find out why. His first comment was that he had not fought in the war and watched his comrades die for a country where people were treated that way. He refused to return to work unless the supervisor apologized to the worker, not one-on-one, but during the coffee break in front of everyone, where the incident had happened. The next day, the apology took place. The worker, who that day was on the verge of quitting, told Judy that he owed his career as a postman to her uncle Bill. |
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“Ora et Labora” |
A Franciscan monk, Bob Mitchel, has an interesting insight that applies here and can be helpful. He states that most people lead very active lives, full of activity, into which they at times try to insert moments of prayer. He teaches that it should be the opposite – we are called as disciples of Jesus to be like Mary, living lives of prayer into which we choose to insert different activity. That would free the Martha part of our personality to work and minister with greater peace and serenity. |
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Good Samaritan |
There is a Chinese proverb that goes like this: If you want to be happy for an hour – take a nap. If you want to be happy for a day – go fishing. If you want to be happy for a year - inherit a fortune. If you want to be happy for life – help someone else. |
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“Sent Out to Heal and Proclaim” |
As an archdiocese we have taken seriously Jesus’ command to heal as an integral part of the coming of the reign of God. We are putting a good deal of time, energy and resources into programs like Healing Soul Pain and Returning To Spirit. These programs help participants heal past hurts, as well as be reconciled with those who have hurt them and others. |
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“Responding to God’s Call” |
There is a story of farmyard animals who loved their master so much that they met one day to see what they could do for him in appreciation. The hen suggested they could give him a breakfast in bed of bacon and eggs. The pig replied that was fine for the hen, but for him it would be total commitment! Our response to God’s call would probably line up more with the pig in this story, as Jesus demands total commitment of us also. |
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“Who Do You Say I Am?” |
The question that arises, then, is how can we come to this kind of a relationship with this mysterious God of ours who works in such humble ways? As a fellow believer in Jesus, I don’t have all the answers, and want to lean on the advice of a dear friend who is much more adept at spirituality and theology than I am and I want him to provide the main content of this homily. Allow me to introduce him to you: |
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“The Longest Journey” |
A few years ago William Paul Young wrote a very popular book entitled The Shack. In this book the father of a daughter who was brutally murdered, struggles with his anger and sadness. One day he receives a mysterious note inviting him to come alone to the shack where the murder happened. Expecting to somehow confront the murderer, he meets God as Trinity. |
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“The Eucharist as Babet’s Feast” |
Under the influence of these words, the people now forgive one another. They knew that the room was filled with heavenly light, and all were transformed. No one thought about their own merit; they just knew that grace had been given to them that night. They had seen the universe finally as it really is. They had been given one hour of the millennium. |
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“A Triune God Who Suffers”
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We have all seen persons who have shown much love through the acceptance of perhaps a handicapped child, who have given themselves selflessly to that child and grown into patient, compassionate, beautiful human beings because of the suffering that they have accepted with faith and love. That is the mystery of life that connects with our Triune God who is family and relationship, and who in Jesus was able to show us the way of redemptive suffering. |
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“Pentecost: Recovery, Unity and Service” |
Their sobriety was transcended by the happiness they found in giving themselves for others. They shared their homes, their slender resources, and gladly devoted their spare hours to their fellow sufferers. They were willing, by day or night, to place a new candidate in the hospital and visit him afterward. They grew in numbers. They experienced a few distressing failures, but in those cases they made an effort to bring the person’s family into a spiritual way of living, thus relieving much worry and suffering. |
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“Witness to a New and Living Way ” |
“Dear abuser, I need to share something with you. I am trying to forgive something you did to me. Remember last year when you were at our house, you and me were watching TV, and you did something that felt really wrong, and now seeing you today makes me feel like killing myself again. My life was really going good and the way I wanted it to be, but since that night my life totally changed. I felt dead, I felt dirty, and I felt ashamed of myself. Recently my life was going good, until you came here, and all those feelings came back to me. Tell me why did you do that to me, why did it seem like my life was wrecked when it was going so well? I don’t want to live the life that I used to live after you molested me. Thank you for reading this letter. I hope that writing this letter to you will help me to heal myself and forgive you. Once again, why did you do this to me? Is it because something like this happened to you when you were younger? Maybe you need help also. Sincerely, C. |
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“What Would Jesus Do?” |
The following possibly true short story captures the spirit of this ideal. Three men running to catch a subway train knock over the fruit stand of street vendor. Two of the men brush themselves off and keep on going. The other stops to help put up stand. It turns out that the vendor is blind boy, who finally asks the man who stopped, “Are you Jesus?” |
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“Radical Newness” |
Here is a trivia question for you: What line in today’s readings is found in one of Mel Gibson’s movies? A clue to the answer lies in the fact that radical newness almost leaps from the pages of all the readings today. New churches are being established by Paul and Barnabas in the first reading; we are given a new commandment by Jesus in the Gospel; and in the second reading St. John sees a new heaven and a new earth; a new Jerusalem descends from heaven, and the one seated on a throne declares, “See, I am making all things new.” |
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“God Is Not A Drug” |
Fr. Bob managed to get back home to visit some members of his family on Easter Monday. The conversation over supper landed on the topic of drugs. They had an open and frank discussion about which of his siblings and nephews had tried drugs. He was shocked to learn that many of their friends actually worked and lived only to support their drug habit. They are hooked on the need to induce an artificial high feeling everyday of their lives. |
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“Easter as Call and Response” |
Only after Peter faces his own weakness and limitations and experiences the love of Jesus as forgiveness and acceptance, is he ready to lead the Church. Discipleship in this new reign of God is based on a personal relationship with Jesus imbued with forgiveness and healing. |
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“Believe and have Eternal Life” |
The late Pope John Paul II, towards the end of his time here on earth, seemed to intensify his efforts to live out this Easter faith, forgiveness and healing. Despite the protests of some of the officials in the Vatican, he insisted on apologizing for the sins and failings of the institutional Church to various groups of people throughout the world. He was single minded in that effort and very focused on it. What a powerful example he was for us! Would that we would more quickly and easily follow his example, especially in this present time of crisis around the issue of sexual abuse within the Church in Ireland and Germany. |
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“Experience Easter through Forgiveness and Healing” |
The Healing Soul Pain workshop that was held in The Pas recently dealt with grief and loss. It helped the participants deal with their own issues even as they learned to help others heal through a process of grieving and dealing with loss. |
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“Easter is Not a Spectator Sport” |
Blessed André Bessette of Montreal, who will be canonized this year in October, is an example of someone who truly lived this message of Easter. A humble porter in his religious community, his tremendous love for Jesus expressed by his devotion to St. Joseph gave him a unique power to heal others. He spent his life praying for all who came to him and sharing with them the Good News of Jesus Christ risen from the dead. Such was the strength of his love that he was instrumental in building the magnificent Oratory of St. Joseph that reigns over the city of Montreal. |
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“The Cross as a Blessing” |
Tom discovered the cross as a blessing when his mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. The terrible reality of that disease came home to him when he realized that she no longer recognized him or knew who he was. One day she introduced him to someone else in the nursing home as her brother. Eventually she lost all ability except to eat and sleep. He would then visit her at meal times and feed her, as that was the only way that she would interact with him. As time went by, he realized that he was becoming more patient; more understanding and more compassionate with others, as the result of feeding his mother, who was always, true to her nature, trying to give her food away to others even as he was trying to feed her. That experience humbled him and challenged him to grow in love. The end result was that he could now see the mystery of the cross as a blessing, lived out in his own life. |
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“Remember and Live” |
A washing of the feet ceremony is part of the 12 Step Pilgrimage program that has been held at different times in our archdiocese. At one particular pilgrimage, two sisters washed each others feet and dried them with their hair. That scene was a striking and moving image for all the participants who viewed it. They were vividly reminded of the woman who washed the feet of Jesus with her tears and dried them with her hair, so grateful was she for the forgiveness he had shown her. |
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“Creating Thin Places” |
This celebration and all our celebrations of the sacraments in our pastoral ministry can be occasions of that thin place, of an encounter with God’s loving mercy. The death of my late brother Louis is an example, I believe, of that thin place. His faith in God’s love in Jesus and his love for his family remained strong throughout his four year struggle with cancer. Amazingly, he remained grateful despite the loss of his abilities one by one – first his peripheral vision, his speech, his memory, his ability to drive, then his sight, his ability to walk and in the end his ability to even move at all. Often he would murmur, “Thank you Jesus. |
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kisêwâtisiwin |
In one of his articles, Ron Rolheiser, noted theologian and spiritual writer, points out that it is compassion, not celebrity that gives meaning to life. Many of the rich and famous had lives that were far from happy, and deaths that were often tragic. People like Princess Diana, Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson come to mind immediately. It is not fame and celebrity that gives meaning to life, but compassion and forgiveness. |
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“Live in Christ Through Forgiveness” |
An aboriginal legend sets the tone for our reflection on the readings today. An old Grandfather, whose grandson came to him with anger at a schoolmate who had done him an injustice, said, “Let me tell you a story. I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do. But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times.” He continued, “It is as if there are two wolves inside me; one is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way. But the other wolf, ah! He is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit.” The boy looked intently into his Grandfather's eyes and asked, “Which one wins, Grandfather?” The Grandfather solemnly said, “The one I feed.” |
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At a Truth and Reconciliation conference in Calgary organized by past Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine, a speaker used the word forgiveness in his presentation. He was accosted after his talk by a rather hostile psychologist who was in the audience. This woman objected emphatically that the speaker should never have used the word forgiveness; that it does not belong in that process, that he was using it only because he was a Christian. ....... |
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“Called To Repent” |
Elizabeth Kubler Ross wrote a book on death and dying in which she describes five stages that people go through when they are told that they have a terminal illness. Those five stages are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and finally acceptance. Strikingly enough, anyone who genuinely repents of a defect of character they are made aware of will probably go through those same stages. |
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“Citizens of Heaven” |
For those who succeed in obtaining Canadian citizenship, it is a joyous occasion. It takes place at Rideau Hall in the presence of the governor general, Michael Jean, and usually makes the CBC National News that night. According to St. Paul, we have even more reason to rejoice, for we are citizens of heaven who must stand fast in Christ and live in hope and love. |
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“Let Go and Let God” |
A woman back from shopping was showing her husband the expensive dress she had purchased. When he asked her why she bought a dress she did not really need, she replied that she couldn’t resist the temptation. Her husband countered with the comment that she should have been like Jesus who told Satan to get behind him. She replied that she did that, and Satan whispered that it looked even better from behind, so she bought it! The readings this first Sunday of Lent invite us to Let Go and Let God. |
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“Ambassadors of Reconciliation” |
When former premier of Manitoba, Gary Doer, retired from provincial politics, he had another more prestigious role waiting for him. He accepted to become the Canadian ambassador to the United States. He moved from being a politician to being a diplomat. It was an upward career move to say the least, one many would envy. According to St. Paul, the rest of the world should envy us, because we are all diplomats, ambassadors of reconciliation. |
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“Beatitude People” |
The young boy travelled far from his home to study under a great teacher. When he met the wise old man, his first question was, “How long will it take me before I am as wise as you?” The response came swiftly, “Five years.” “This is very long time,” the boy replied. “How about if I work twice as hard?” “Then it will take ten,” said the master. “Ten! That's far too long. How about if I studied all day and well into the night, every night?” “Fifteen years,” said the sage “I don’t understand,” replied the boy. “Every time I promise to devote more energy to my goal, you tell me that it will take longer. Why?” “The answer is simple. With one eye fixed on the destination, there is only one left to guide you along the journey.” There is a saying that life is more about the journey than the destination. To become beatitude people we must make the beatitudes our way of life today. |
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“God Is Calling You” |
Scott’s experience fits in here. He was a workaholic too busy for his two sons. He always had excuses, and was hard on his sons. A tough disciplinarian, he tried to raise them the way his army father had raised him. One day he lost his job, became unemployed, and was even tougher on the kids. His wife suggested they pray, and she found a part time job. Now he was angry and confused - this wasn’t what he had prayed for..... |
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“Living Our Baptismal Prophetic Calling” |
Chittister gives an example of a time when she was class moderator at a school that was about to induct five students into the prestigious National Honor Society. The stakes were high, as the higher the students were on the list, the more opportunity they had of getting scholarships to the college of their choice. That year there were three girls and two boys in the order girl-girl-boy-girl-boy. When the names were revealed, she was startled to see that the list had been reversed to boy-girl-boy-girl-girl. .... |
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“Spiritual Nourishment or Anoxeria?” |
Some time back I had the occasion to visit a mental health center where I was introduced to a very attractive young lady who was suffering from anorexia. For some mysterious reason, she was starving herself, convinced that she was overweight, though she was not. Her obsession with not eating had brought her dangerously close to death many times. Apparently her case was so severe that even the medical people were losing patience with her. Her mother called me one day in a panic to tell me that a medical attendant had actually told her that if she did not improve they would put her in palliative care. |
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“Mary and the Thin Place” |
I believe that his faith in Jesus, his love for others and his years of suffering and pain had prepared him for death, and that the veil between this life and the next had become so thin for Louis that he simply slipped through that veil into eternal life without making a sound. This was an experience of that thin place for him and for us who journeyed with him. |
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“Beloved Sons and Daughters of God” |
At the western bishops’ retreat at Westminster Abbey in Mission, B.C. one year, homilist Bishop Gary Gordon, a graduate of that seminary, contrasted the cells of the abbey with the cells of a nearby prison. The difference is that the monks of the abbey have heard those words of being loved, allowing them to choose a life of prayer and solitude, in peace and joy, whereas the prisoners probably never did hear them, leading them to act out of anger and resulting in involuntary, painful and harsh confinement in their prison cells. What a difference faith, baptism and love makes. |
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“Responding to the Birth of Jesus”
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In the fall of 2009, a couple from the Sageeng First Nations won the largest single lottery prize ever in Canada. They went into seclusion for several days as speculation swirled about how they would spend the money. Predictions varied widely. Then slowly, as the days went by, we began to hear how they were helping out not just themselves and their family, but also the community. The husband was recovering from a stroke, so that was their first priority. But then there came reports of this couple creating community improvement work projects and bringing in new housing to their community. |
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“Journey into the Deeper Meaning of Christmas” |
This first reading ends with a very interesting and striking comment: So they shall put my name upon the Israelites and I will bless them. This comment brings to mind the naming ceremony of the First Nations in which an elder prays for 13 days to God our creator for the appropriate name to give a newborn child. This prayer connects with the 13 poles of the tepee and the teachings that go with each pole. |
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“There’s No Place Like Home” |
A proud father ran into an old buddy while he was taking a walk with his two kids. “How beautiful they are,” the friend remarked, “How old are they?” “The lawyer is 2,” the beaming father answered, “and the doctor is 4!” |
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“A New World Order” |
At least one American presidential candidate has run for office on the campaign promise that if elected he would bring about a new world order. Haughty dreams and high hopes notwithstanding, I think it goes without saying that no mere president, let alone a mere human being, is capable of that daunting challenge. Yet today’s celebration is precisely that – a celebration of one who did bring about a new world order for those who would believe in him – Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, whose birth among us two millennium ago we celebrate this day. |
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“Light For Our Darkness ” |
Fr. Rene Fumoleau in the NWT recounts a trip with an elder by car in the north when an elder compared believing in God to driving a car at night. One sets out to a destination unable to see further than the distance illuminated by the headlights of the vehicle. That inability to see far does not hamper the journey because the light of the headlamps goes ahead of the vehicle, allows one to proceed in the darkness all the way to the destination. The elder mentioned that faith in God gives us just enough light to live another day. |
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“The Joy of Doing God’s Will” |
These readings remind me of my late brother Louis who died of cancer in January of 2009 after a valiant four year battle. He was a quiet self-effacing man who lived in the farming countryside near the now extinct hamlet of Highgate Siding. His many virtues shine forth now, to those who knew him as much as when he was alive. He was honest to a fault, sometimes costing him financially. He had a keen sense of justice and fairness in his business dealings. His gentleness made him a beatitude person. He loved his wife and family passionately, and cared deeply for the less fortunate. |
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“Joyful, Transformative Love” |
I experienced a taste of this inner transformative power of the Spirit through prayer one day as a young priest in Beauval. It was Friday of a busy week, and I had just learned that a busload of grade eleven students from the Convent in North Battleford was coming up for a sports event and they wanted the local parish to help organize their stay. I felt a bit overwhelmed with everything on my plate but decided to be faithful to my hour of prayer despite all that there was to do. |
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Feast day of the
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A Jewish American man sent his son to Israel to study Judaism, but he came home a Christian. The father went to consult the local rabbi who told him that he too had sent his son to Jerusalem and he also came home a Christian. They both decided to pray to God for guidance and in the process of praying heard a voice from heaven that said, “Funny you should say that, I too sent my Son to Israel ...” |
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“Seeing Salvation” |
Someone who has caught this message and is sharing this experience is David Wells, a well known educator from England. He was keynote presenter at a Catholic Connections Conference some years ago in Saskatoon. Full of faith, joy and enthusiasm, his was a delightful power point presentation on the power of a life of faith in Jesus Christ lived to the full. At one point he shared an incident when he was watching his three kids playing in the back yard one day. His two boys were helping their little sister climb up a stump of a tree. They were wrapped up in having fun, laughing, being together, living life to the full. Then it hit him that this was a kingdom moment – as a parent this is as good as it gets. This is what it is all about – what life should be, and he was there to witness it. |
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“Celebrate a Triple-Header” |
Joe Mehan was an example of someone who lived his life fully as a triple header. A family man and dedicated teacher, he devoted himself to serving his community in a variety of ways. When he came down with Lou Gehrig’s disease, his faith kicked in and helped him and his wife Rena to journey through that time of suffering in an admirable manner. Instead of complaining, he trusted the Lord and resolved to live every day he had left to the full. When I visited him months before he died, he shocked me by asking me to preside at his funeral and assured me that everything was prepared and ready. Rena shared at his wake that as he lay dying, he would murmur, “God is good, God is good.” Joe is someone who celebrated the birth of Jesus throughout his life, looked forward with confidence to meeting Jesus after his death, and above all was open to the Spirit of Jesus coming to him each day of his life. He serves as an inspiring example for us. |
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Cycle B - 2008-09 |
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“Christ the Servant King” |
A wife heard her husband come back
into the house not too long after he had left. She said, “Hon, I
thought you were going to your lodge meeting.” “It was
postponed,” He replied, “The wife of the Grand Exalted
Invincible Supreme Potentate wouldn't let him attend tonight.” |
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“Shining Like Stars”
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Someone who had a very positive influence on my life is Archbishop Emeritus Adam Exner, former bishop of Kamloops, Winnipeg and finally Vancouver before he retired. As a spiritual director in Battleford, he had a constant stream of people coming to him for advice. As my spiritual director, he was the first one to hear my story, discern my need to work on my relationship with a member of my family, and suggested that I spend a month praying only with Isaiah 43:1-7, words that I dearly needed to hear at that stage of my life. At certain times later on in my ministry, especially in moments of personal crisis, he would listen to me and invariably come up with precisely the words that I needed to hear at that time. Would that we could all be as positive an influence on others as he was to so many. |
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“The Challenge of the Widow’s Mite” |
I saw that kind of faith-filled love in my brother Louis and his concern for his wife Judy and his kids as he lay dying of cancer. I experienced that kind of sacrificial love in the slums of Meru when I accompanied Bro. Harley Mapes OMI and the pre-novices on their regular Tuesday visit to the people who live there. Not only was I impressed by their courageous ministry to the slum people, but also by the generosity of the poorest of the poor who shared with us a meal of tea and rice for us as volunteers before we returned to the comfort of our home a four kilometre walk away. |
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“The Primacy of Love”
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Sometimes, young people can lead the way. Many years ago, a volunteer at Stanford Hospital in the States got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5 year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. The volunteer saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, “Yes, I’ll do it if it will save Liz.” As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, “Will I start to die right away?” Being so young, the boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood. |
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Seeing with the eys of faith. |
Fr. Pat Martin is a legally blind priest who gave a retreat in Pine House, Saskatchewan some years back. He thanked God for his blindness because it brought him closer to God and helped him to see who God is more clearly. |
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"Giving on your life" |
In one of our communities recently, I met a young couple named Eric and Velma. Velma had been in an accident nine years earlier and was now a paraplegic in a wheel chair, able only to move her head and to talk. Eric had brought her to church, and then to the reception after confirmation. I marveled at how attentive he was to her, and how he was quietly feeding her like a child as he ate his own meal. In my conversation with them... |
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“Be Wise; Pray the Word; Let Go “ |
One day I commented to him that this practice of calling long distance everyday must get to be expensive. He replied very simply that it was not an expense, it was an investment. I was impressed by the conviction in his voice as he said that, and marveled at the wisdom his response showed. |
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“The Foundation of Marriage and Family Life ” |
What's it like to be your own boss? A businessman was asked. “I don't know,” he replied. “The police won’t let me park in front of my office. Tax collectors tell me how to keep my books. My bank manager tells me how much of a bank balance I have to maintain. Freight agents tell me how my goods must be packed. Customers tell me how my goods must be made and what the price should be. The union tells me whom I can employ and how and when I can employ them. And now I just got married.” |
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“Holiness and Justice – Keys to the Kingdom” |
A friend of mine who runs a surveying company is a good example of someone who lives the readings of today through personal holiness and a life of justice and loving service. He is a convert to Catholicism and strives to follow the teachings of the Church as best he can, along with a strong life of personal prayer. |
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“Freedom To Serve” |
I think of a university student in Saskatoon who remained silent when a fellow student unfairly criticized the Church in a class and how angry he was at himself for his lack of courage to speak up for truth. On the other hand, I think of a friend who had the courage to tell his brother they were leaving a stag party when a stripper was brought in to entertain the gathering. That was a courageous and righteous act and I was proud my friend for his courage to speak up and act. |
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“Living the Way of the Cross” |
A woman back from shopping was showing her husband the expensive dress she had purchased. When he asked her why she bought a dress she did not really need, she replied that she couldn’t resist the temptation. Her husband countered with the comment that she should have been like Jesus who told Satan to get behind him. She replied that she did that, and he said that it looked even better from behind! |
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“Faith Expressed through Love” |
Jean Vanier, son of the former governor-general of Canada and founder of L’Arche, has written a book entitled Becoming Human. In that book he writes eloquently how he discovered new depths of meaning and purpose in his life by living with the mentally challenged. That experience challenged his faith and helped it to grow. Here is how he puts it |
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“Religion From The Heart” |
After I was ordained a priest in 1974, I did a pastoral year out of Edmonton. Towards the end of that year, while I was waiting for my obedience from Rome, I applied to go to the Holy Land with a group from Newman Theological College. I had the time; it was not that expensive and would be paid by my father, and what an opportunity to enrich my ministry as a young priest. However, the Oblates at that time had a rule that we were not to make any overseas trip until after 25 years of ordination, so I was refused. I could hardly believe that the Oblate leadership at that time would go by outdated rules rather than see the value of such a trip. That, I believe, was my first real run-in with the shadow side of life lived only by the rules. |
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“The Journey into Deeper Faith” |
The goal is a Eucharistic faith, recognizing Jesus in the breaking of the bread, receiving him by means of Word and Sacrament, and being transformed by him into the Church, his Body, sent out to spread the Good News that the Kingdom of God promised to the ancients, is now here, present in His people. |
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“Making Love Real” |
My siblings and I would return from attending the one-room Whitecap school located in the hamlet of Highgate Siding, three and a half miles away from our family farm. The smell of fresh bread permeated the air as soon as we walked into the house. Gleaming loaves of fresh bread on the cupboard would greet our eyes as the aroma assailed our senses. We would put home-made butter on a slice of that bread and enjoy a taste of heaven. |
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"Transformative Fath" |
Thomas Keating, renowned monk and spiritual writer, claims that we have it all upside down. Many people in our society have a notion of God that comes from their childhood training, leaving them with a God who is judgmental, strict, demanding, distant and aloof, and whose love must be earned. The reality is just the opposite – God is almost too present to us, in so many ordinary ways, that we miss it and seek him in the sensational or the extra-ordinary. |
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“Fully Human and Alive” |
An ancient philosopher once wrote, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Someone else once quipped, “The unlived life is not worth examining.” St. Iraneus took this further with famous quote: “The glory of God is man and woman fully alive.” |
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“Hungering for Justice; Thirsting for Love” |
In our own archdiocese, one of our priests has had to deal with an average of one suicide a month in one of the communities where he ministers. Another is very concerned about the deadly reality of gang violence in his community that led to the death of a youth just before Easter of this year. |
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“Meditation and Ministry – A Fine Balance” |
In summary, then, our ministry today must be rooted in a personal, intimate, prayerful relationship with God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The ministry that flows out of this relationship with God is all about teaching faith and love, working for justice and bringing about reconciliation |
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“Called to be an Apostle” |
Most commentaries would say that there are four common elements at play here. First, it is God’s work, not their own. They are authorized by Jesus and empowered by him. There is a danger that ministry can be exercised for selfish purposes, to gain attention to one’s self, to one’s work, to be tainted by a kind of personal pride. The harsh reality is that one can do one’s own will in God’s name. |
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“Called To Be Prophets” |
Richard Rohr, another modern day prophet, shares this insight into being prophetic: “There are two ways of being a prophet. One is to tell the enslaved that they can be free. It is the difficult path of Moses. The second is to tell those who think they are free that they are in fact enslaved. This is the even more difficult path of Jesus.” |
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“Unconditional Faith” |
How strong is your faith? Is it strong enough to cope with unanswered prayer? |
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"Jesus in our boat" |
I had never prayed with my emotions like this before in my life. The emotional storm raged within me for an hour. On the one side, waves of fear, anxiety and depression would wash over me, pressing down on my spirit and pounding away at me like the surf against the shore. Then I would read and ponder the words of that passage again and from the other side,..... |
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Corpus
Christi “The Eucharist, Eternal Covenant” |
The Eucharist is God’s effort to covenant with us, to live among us, to love us, to invite us into communion with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Sometimes it is the least and the lowly who understand this best.
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“Make Disciples of All Nations” |
Are you familiar with the words kerygma and didache? Those two ancient Greek words describe the mandate that Jesus gives each one of us in today’s gospel: to evangelize and catechize; to make disciples and to teach them to live the Commandments of Jesus. |
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Living the Spirit |
“Who are those persons in those beautiful windows?” The guide told her that they were the saints. That evening, as the little girl prepared for bed, she told her mom that she knew who the saints were. “Well, who are they?” her mother wanted to know. “Saints are persons who let the light shine through them!” was her innocent reply. |
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“Bridging Heaven and Earth” |
Today we celebrate the feast of the Ascension. What are we to make of this feast that marks the beginning of the end of the great season of Easter? |
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“The Commandments To Love” |
The Returning To Spirit program that has been spreading across western Canada is an example of a movement that is based on love. It teaches participants to deal with their past hurts rather than build up big stories around those wounds and carry anger through life. They learn ways to address their issues and then communicate their hurt to others with love as a way of letting go and moving on with their lives. |
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“Believe and Love” |
Love for others involves caring, selfless service and trust, sharing and fellowship. In the context of a family it means that parents especially must try to answer the emotional needs of the children to be loved, to belong and to be valued. They do that through expressed affection, presence, listening, spending time with, affirming and blessing the children, discipline and guidance. |
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“Shepherds of the Heart” |
I am convinced that the deepest need of our youth, indeed, of every human being, is to be loved, to belong and to be valued. If these needs are met by loving parents, supportive nuclear and extended families and welcoming churches, then our youth won’t need to resort to drugs to feel loved, to gangs to feel that they belong, or to indulge in pre-marital sex to feel valued. |
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“Living and Proclaiming Repentance” |
There is a House of Peace in Winnipeg where a number of priests go every day for a certain number of hours just to hear confessions and celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation with all kinds of penitents who come there for that purpose. It is truly a place of peaceful joy, and the priests who volunteer their time there, like Oblate Fathers Dominique Kerbrat and Albert Lafrenière, are also a special joyful group. I have seen that joy in him when he sets out for that ministry, or returns from it, when I stay at the Oblate residence on Gertrude Street. It is this peace and joy that I desire for all of us in our archdiocese. |
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“The Common Good – A New World Order” |
Last week we saw the Easter event as a new creation, flowing from the words “morning of the first day of the week.” Today, one week after Easter, we listen to a gospel account that also took place one week after Easter. Those same words are used, “It was evening on the day Jesus rose from the dead, the first day of the week.” Only now, we can see the Easter event as the beginning of a new world order, one based on a movement towards the common good. |
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“Lessons from the Linen Cloth” |
In today’s gospel, Mary Magdalene saw a stone rolled away and an empty tomb; she concluded that the body of Jesus had been stolen. She did not yet believe. At her word, however, Peter and John ran to the cemetery and went right into the tomb. We are told that John saw and believed. What did John see? |
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"Finding Jesus In Galilee" |
In The Holy Longing, Ron Rolheiser OMI wrote a moving dedication to Henri Nouwen that best captures Nouwen's 'imperfect' influence upon so many: "By sharing his own struggles, he mentored us all, helping us to pray while not knowing how to pray, to rest while feeling restless, to be at peace while tempted, to feel safe while still anxious, to be surrounded by a cloud of light while still in darkness, and to love while still in doubt. Nouwen embraced his crosses, carried them and allowed them to lead him to Jesus." His close friend Robert Jonas reminds us that "his ever-present accompanying shadow was there only because of the Light in which he walked." |
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"From Suffering Servant to Loving Servants" |
The papal preacher Fr. Cantalemessa offers an interesting observation here. He invites us to ask ourselves about this fact: Why were the women untroubled by the scandal of the cross? Why did they stay when everything seem finished, and when even his closest disciples had abandoned him and simply went back home? |
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Freedom to Serve |
John Bell of the Iona Community invited a black South African woman to share her story on television in England. She was running an orphanage for children whose parents had died of HIV/AIDS. Her love and commitment to these children was total and unconditional. Her words were simple and direct. He asked her what she would like to leave behind as her legacy. |
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"The Final Epiphany" |
We are not used to hearing the word "epiphany" used at the end of any gospel. We are more used to it being used in other gospels at the birth of Jesus. We think automatically of the visit of the Magi to Bethlehem with gifts of gold and frankincense that identify the Christ child as king and priest. But then there is the mysterious gift of myrrh. Already at his birth, at this first epiphany, there is a hint of one who would suffer and die. |
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"Dying To Live" |
Think of your dark moments in the soil of your life. Sr. Rhea shared her burnout with a group. While teaching in the schools, she needed to be needed and volunteered for everything so she would feel good about herself, until she wore herself out and fell into a deep depression. At height of her depression, she could not work and was on sleeping pills which didn't help. She just couldn't do anything - she wanted a truck to run over her and end it all. She was totally ashamed of herself when told to see a psychiatrist. A spark of hope came before flying to Winnipeg. The small plane was icing up, and she was afraid of crashing, of dying. She realized that she wanted to live after all. |
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"Genuine faith in Jesus gives eternal life" |
Lana L. Comstock wasn't abused as a child. She just felt lonely, neglected and unloved. She doesn't think it was her parents' fault necessarily. She just wasn't a happy kid. Her family did not attend church. She had never even set foot in one. One morning, playing with a new pail and shovel, she dug up a shiny cross on which were etched the words "Jesus Christ is Lord." She wasn't sure what that meant. She never showed anyone the cross, but kept it hidden as one of her prized possessions, only taking it out when no one was around. To her, it wasn't just a cross; it was a sign. |
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Spring Cleaning of the Soul |
After the long months of snow and cold, many people can't wait to clean up the residue of winter - to house clean with doors open; to rake the yard, clean out garages, start preparing the soil for the garden, and burn all that needs to be burned. One can almost smell the smells of spring. Spring is also a privileged time to do some spring cleaning of the soul. The readings for this Third Sunday of Lent call us to not just clean up around us, but also to do some cleansing, healing work within us, some soul work. |
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"Lent, A Journey of Transformation" Mar 8th |
Jordan, the grandson of Ed and Angie Mihalicz in Beauval, was always interested in science. He had a pet Tarantula spider. One day he called his grandfather to look at his pet, as it seemed to be sick. The next time they checked on it, they were surprised to see what seemed at first to be two of them. Upon closer inspection, they realized that what seemed to be a sickly version of the healthy spider was really the skin or shell that it had cast off. The spider had molted and literally stepped out of its old shell into a new one. The spider had been transformed. |
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Live in the Kingdom March 1st |
A psychiatric nurse was told the lurid history of a certain patient who had committed a terrible crime, had served his time and now was sent to the hospital to die. He did not want anyone to know what he had done and could not believe that God could forgive his crime so he resisted any attempt at reconciliation. The chaplain tried to persuade him but he consistently refused. The nurse, however, showed him every courtesy... |
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"Lent - a Time of Repentance and Healing" Feb 25 |
A dishonest painter hired to paint a church building thinned his paint with water. As long as it didn't rain he would be okay he thought. That night there was a rain storm. He ran to the Church in the morning and saw that the paint was running down the walls and forming letters. As he got closer he could make out the words that read, "Repaint, you thinner, and thin no more!" |
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"Forgiveness - Jesus' New Thing" Feb 22 |
One of the most striking scenes for me in the movie The Passion of the Christ is the moment when Jesus meets his mother on the way to Golgatha. He is tired, bloodied, bent under the weight of the cross and barely able to walk when his mother appears silently before him. Jesus looks at her and says simply, "Behold, I am making all things new." |
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"The Three Legged Healing Stool" Feb 15th |
A man took out a $5 million insurance policy, slid his car off the road into a tree and claimed he was paralysed shoulders down. Insurance agents visited him, tried to get some physical response out of him to disprove it, but couldn't get him to move a muscle. Finally one told him they were sure he was faking, but that they had to pay him out since they couldn't disprove it. But then, what would he be able to do with it anyway, since he was paralysed? The man responded that he would ask a relative to put him on a stretcher, take him to Lourdes, and then they would see the biggest miracle they had ever heard of. |
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"Learning to be a Disciple" Feb 8th |
As Jesus was walking along one day, he came across a man crying and asked him what was wrong. The man replied that he was blind. Jesus laid hands on him; said "Be healed"; his sight returned and the man went away praising God. Later Jesus came across a second man who was crying and likewise asked him what was wrong. The man replied that he was crippled. Jesus laid hands on him; said "Be healed"; his limbs were restored and the man went away praising God. Finally Jesus came across a third man sitting by the road crying. |
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"Sharing in the Power and
Authority of Jesus" |
Nelson Mandela is an example of that kind of authority and integrity. He was imprisoned unjustly in South Africa for twenty fives years because of his struggle against apartheid. Yet upon his release, he more than any other person spoke of the need for forgiveness and power sharing with the very white people who imprisoned him. When he speaks of forgiveness and reconciliation, people listen to what he has to say because he has lived it firsthand. He has that kind of moral authority that commands attention. |
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"Change Your Belief System" |
Jesus had more trouble with good people than with sinners. Why? The hardest people of all to convert are the good, because they don't see any need of conversion. It's hard enough to get those who are ill to go to the doctor, but try getting those who are convinced they are well to go! Sinners who openly admitted they were sinners didn't cause Jesus the same trouble. |
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"Encountering Jesus" |
A pastor was getting ready to go on vacation. He had a few parting words for the congregation: “Every pastor should take a month of vacation every year. If the pastor is really good at his work, then that pastor needs a vacation. If the pastor is not really good at it, then the congregation needs a break!” |
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"New Creation; New Incarnation; New Exodus" |
The baptism of Jesus first of all signals a new creation. As the dove-Spirit hovered over the original chaos and drew order out of it, the dove-Spirit hovers over Jesus to indicate that, as Jesus comes up out of the water, a new creation is heralded into existence. This new creation will be victorious over the effects of sin upon the original creation, the most powerful effect being death itself. |
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"Follow That Star" |
Dear Lord three Things I Pray, to See Thee More Clearly, love Thee More Dearly, follow Thee More Nearly, day by Day |
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"Bless, Pray, Worship and Evangelize" |
NEW YEAR'S DAY The following true story, in a small way, touches on the spirit of this feast, Mary, the Mother of God. Bobby was a poor boy whose father had died and whose mother was struggling to raise the five children. He wanted to buy his mother a present for Christmas but had no money. While walking along dejected he found a dime and went to a flower shop as he knew his mother liked flowers. To his surprise and delight, the store owner told him that he just happened to have a dozen roses on sale for a dime - would he want those? |
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"Prophetic Marriage and Family Life" |
I dream of an archdiocese where every family would have a weekly family night consisting of a meal together, no TV, some prayer based on scripture, honest sharing of their lives and then some games. What a difference that would make to the quality of our families and the church in our archdiocese. |
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Celebrate or Experience |
Are you experiencing Christmas or
just celebrating it? |
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"Christmas in the Light of Easter" |
Tonight, Christmas eve, we listen to St. Luke's wonderful account of Jesus' birth. Luke puts into his version of this time-honoured story very significant details that make it a catechesis leading us to a more mature faith. St. Luke meditates on the events of Christ's birth in the light of his whole life, death and resurrection and the sending of his Spirit at Pentecost, the birthday of the Church. St. Luke already perceives in this child whose birth he writes about, the Messiah, Son of God and Risen Lord. |
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"Be a Beacon of Hope and a Light to the World" |
There is darkness in our communities, our country and our world. Even a moment of reflection brings up things like a rate of suicide among the First Nations 5 times the national average; family break-ups; neglected kids; addictions of all kinds; marriages failing; graft, misuse of public funds, dishonesty and corruption at all levels of government. Quebec is still trying to separate and there are cutbacks of social services. |
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"Believe, Change, Rejoice" |
Bro. Loreth, OMI, was strong man and great baker as a young Oblate brother, but in old age became quite cantankerous, especially when asked to do something that he didn't want to do, or go somewhere he didn't want to go. He thought that if he could find a good woman friend to be his companion, he would be happy and actively pursued relationships along that line which tried the patience of his Oblate superiors. |
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"Repentance - Key to the Kingdom" December 7th, 2008 |
A dishonest painter thinned the paint with water and painted a church. As long as it didn't rain right away he would be okay, he thought. That night there was a big storm. He ran to the Church in the morning and saw that the paint was running down the walls and forming letters. As he got closer he could make out the words and read, "Repaint, you thinner, and thin no more!" |
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"Biblical Waiting: Faith, Hope and Love" November 30, 2008
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Someone who lived like an expert gardener, who lived an Advent spirituality all his life, was Fr. Raymond Lemay. He joined the Oblates in 1938 and was ordained a priest in 1945. After ordination, he spent 62 years ministering in the archdiocese of Keewatin-The Pas until he became seriously ill and died October 24th, 2008 at the age of 90. There was little sadness and much joy during the prayers for him and the funeral celebration itself. That was because he was such a man of God in spite of his limitations. He was not a great preacher, nor a good cook, and though gifted with his hands, might not have been that great a mechanic. |
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Cycle A |
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Sun
34 |
Sun
33 |
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Feast
of the Dedication |
Sun
32 |
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Sun 31 |
Sun
30 |
|
Sun
29 |
Sun
28 |
|
Sun
27 |
Sun
26 |
|
Sun
25 |
Sun
24 |
|
Sun
23 |
Sun
22 |
|
Sun
21 |
Sun
20 |
|
Sun
19 |
Sun
18 |
|
Sun
17 |
Sun
16 |
|
Sun
15 |
Sun
14 |
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St
Peter & St. Paul (Sun 13) |
Sunday
12 |
|
Sunday
11 |
Sunday 10 |
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Sunday 09 |
Corpus
Christi Sunday |
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Trinity Sunday |
Pentecost |
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Ascension
Sun 07 |
Easter
Sun 06 |
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Easter
Sun 05 |
Easter
Sun 04 |
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Easter
Sun 03 |
Easter
Sun 02 |
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Easter
Sunday |
Easter
Vigil |
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Good
Friday |
Holy
Thursday |
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Palm
- Passion Sunday |
Sun
Lent 05 |
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Sun
Lent 04 |
Sunday
Lent 03 |
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Sunday
Lent 02 |
Sunday
Lent 01 |
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Ash
Wednesday |
4th
Sunday |
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3rd
Sunday |
2nd
Sunday |
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Baptism
of the Lord |
Feast
of the Epiphany |
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New
Year's Day |
Holy
Family Sunday |
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CHRISTMAS
DAY 2007 |
CHRISTMAS
EVE HOMILY |
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Advent
4th Sunday |
Advent
3rd Sunday |
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Advent
2nd Sunday |
Advent
1st Sunday |
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CYCLE C |
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34th Sunday |
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33rd
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
32nd
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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31th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
30th Sunday
of Ordinary Time |
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29th Sunday
of Ordinary Time |
28th Sunday
of Ordinary Time |
|
27th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
26th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
|
25th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
24th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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23nd
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
22nd
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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21st
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
20th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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19th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
18th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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17th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
16th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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15th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
14th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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13th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
12th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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11th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
Corpus
Christi Sun |
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Trinity
Sunday |
Pentecost |
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Ascension
Sunday |
6th
Sunday of Easter |
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5th
Sunday of Easter |
4th
Sunday of Easter |
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3rd
Sunday of Easter |
2nd
Sunday of Easter |
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EASTER
SUNDAY |
EASTER
VIGIL |
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Palm
Sunday |
LENT
SUNDAY 05 |
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LENT
SUNDAY 04 |
LENT
SUNDAY 03 |
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LENT
SUNDAY 02 |
LENT
SUNDAY 1 |
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6th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
7th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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4th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
5th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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2nd
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
3rd
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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Feast
of the Epiphany |
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Feast of the Holy Family |
New
Years |
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Christmas
Eve |
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3rd
Advent Sunday |
4th
Advent Sunday |
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1st
Advent Sunday |
2nd
Advent Sunday |
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CYCLE B |
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32th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
33th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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30th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
31th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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28th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
29th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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26th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
27th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
|
24th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
25th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
|
22th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
23th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
|
20th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
21th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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18th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
19th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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16th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
17th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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14th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
15th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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12th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
13th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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TRINITY
SUNDAY HOMILY |
Body
& Blood of Christ |
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ASCENSION
SUNDAY |
PENTECOST |
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6th
Sunday of Easter |
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5th
Sunday of Easter |
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4th
Sunday of Easter |
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3rd
Sunday of Easter |
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2nd
Sunday of Easter |
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What this Ark of the New Covenant is all about? |
A youth summit was held in preparation for the Congress, and out of this summit came the idea of a symbol that would travel throughout the country, much like the World Youth Day Cross of 2003. The idea they came up with was the Ark of the New Covenant that would accomplish three objectives: catechesis about the Eucharist; fuller participation in the liturgy by the laity, and greater solidarity with the rest of humanity, especially the needy. In fact, the theme of this congress is: The Eucharist, the Gift of God for the Life of the World. |
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"Holding Fast to God's Word" |
Isn't that rather amazing, that the pre-Vatican II church that I grew up in did not encourage me to be immersed in God's word? Looking back now I realize that we were spiritually malnourished, starving ourselves spiritually, as cradle Catholics. |
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Homily
of the Ordination of |
Responding to this call from God, this man, Pawel, your relative and
friend, is now to be raised to the order of deacons. Consider
carefully the ministry to which he is to be promoted. |
|
North Battleford, July 18th, 2006
|
Joe's life has refreshed for me the three cardinal virtues: Faith, Hope and Love. ..... The fact that I am here today is also, I believe, a sign of Joe's close relationship of faith with God. After being named bishop, and as Joe's health deteriorated, I wondered if I would be able to keep my promise to preside at his funeral. |
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