I had the opportunity to serve Masses that were celebrated
by Fr. Joe and Fr. Vince on the Feast of Christ the King. Both of them focused on
thanksgiving and gratitude.
Fr. Joe shared that he was thankful for the faithfulness of his
parents. He spoke of the
non-negotiable of their commitment in love to one another even through all the
ups and downs of their marriage.
He compared this to the non-negotiable faithfulness of Jesus to the will
of the Father in the Gospel. Even
though Jesus was challenged by the leaders, guards, and the criminal hanging on
the cross next to him he was faithful in following God’s will. The good thief recognized this and
asked for Jesus mercy. As a
result Jesus told him he would be with him in Paradise. The relationship Jesus
had with the Father in following his will is one that we need to be grateful
for. What are some relationships
that we are grateful for? Family
parents, family, friends who have been faithful in there love for us and of
course our Lord.
The main topic of this blog are posting of Deacon Ron Pirau's homilies. There may also be reflections on the readings or homilies given by others when Deacon Ron does not preach and also on issues going on in the world, culture at large, or books, articles, and other media.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Gratitude and Thanksgiving for Christ our King
Friday, November 22, 2013
Sculpture of Jesus as homeless man
We have an opportunity to meet Jesus in the people that are served in the ministries that help out those who are poor and struggling. Our food pantry and Thanksgiving food distribution provides real concrete ways to do this. If you are in downtown Indianapolis or any major city you'll encounter homeless people on the streets. We need to help to see Jesus in them as well. An artist from Toronto recently presented Pope Francis with a sculpture of Jesus as a homeless man on a park bench. The only way you can tell it is Jesus is from the marks on his feet. Wouldn't it be great if we could have a similar statue in downtown Indianapolis?
11-20-2013 (Vatican Radio) A striking sculpture of Jesus, depicted as a homeless man sleeping on a park bench, was presented to Pope Francis following the general audience in St Peter’s Square on Wednesday. The unusual art work was brought over from Canada by sculptor Timothy Schmalz who has been exploring the contemporary face of Christian art for over two decades. Read and listen to more
11-20-2013 (Vatican Radio) A striking sculpture of Jesus, depicted as a homeless man sleeping on a park bench, was presented to Pope Francis following the general audience in St Peter’s Square on Wednesday. The unusual art work was brought over from Canada by sculptor Timothy Schmalz who has been exploring the contemporary face of Christian art for over two decades. Read and listen to more
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
If you persevere in your faith you too can be a Malachi!
Father Vince started out the homily calling out, “Malachi!
Malachi!, where are you?” He told us that the name Malachi means “my
messenger”. Malachi was a prophet,
a messenger for God. Father
Vince said that many in our culture have turned away from God and we need more
people like Malachi to tell the story about Jesus. Many have never heard the story of Jesus. Some have turned away from God due
wounds suffered in their lives cause by broken relationships (divorce, death of
a loved one) or hardships (illness, financial struggles). Before these people listen to story
about Jesus they need to have their wounds healed. The Church is both a mother
and a teacher. As a teacher it
helps to inform about the faith and the way to live. Some people may struggle with Church teachings and not feel
that the Church is a place to go for healing. The Church as a mother is one who accepts and loves all her
children and wants to care for them and bring them back into relationship with
her. Pope Francis has been
leading the way to emphasize the Church as mother by welcoming all. He is doing this to help heal the
wounds of those who have been away from the Church. If a person’s wounds are not healed they are not going to be
concerned about Church teachings. An analogy Pope Francis gave regarding this
was a medic in an army field hospital.
If a person’s arm is bleeding the medic is going to put a tourniquet on
it and not going to talk about cholesterol levels. The Pope has not changed Church teachings, but he is
emphasizing what’s primary: Jesus Christ as savior! Father Robert Barron has provided some insight into Pope Franicis in a recent Youtube and also wrote a commentary published by Catholic News Service.
The Gospel this week speaks of the end times and troubles
that may cause people to fear, but if they know about Christ’s mercy and his
resurrection it can give them hope.
Malachi proclaimed: “But for you who fear my name, there will arise the
sun of justice with its healing rays”.
The prophet was pointing to Christ. People need to hear this message, especially those who
are hurting. The New
Evangelization this coming year will provide opportunity to share this with
those who have been away.
Father Joe started out the homily with the last line from
the Gospel, “By your perseverance you will secure your lives.” He shared a story about traveling
back from Rome with Archbishop Buechline shortly after 9/11. The Archbishop asked if he was scared
to travel. Father Joe told him no
because if it was God’s will that he be called home, then he would accept
it. The Archbishop replied, “But
are you ready?” He told us that he
wished the Archbishop would focus on the drive rather than asking more
questions. But this made him
think.
Father Joe then shared a story
about a seminarian that helped with the thought of “perseverance that will
secure your lives”. The
seminarian had made a confession and said he was praying about a particular sin
he was struggling with. Father Joe
asked if the seminarian asked God to make the sign go away, but his answer was
no. His prayer was for God to give
him the grace to live with the sin he struggled with. Father Joe thought this was a mature answer. Many of us struggle with confessing the
same sin and may feel what’s the use in going back to confession with the same
sin. With that thought many
people quit going to confession.
That’s what the devil wants us to think. Father Joe recommended to persevere in our faith, and
come to Jesus asking for forgiveness.
We need Jesus especially in our struggles. In closing Father Joe suggested a good prayer to help with
our perseverance. A model he
offered to pray nightly was to take time to pray to God with gratitude for what
we have been given in our lives, in petition for those who need prayer, and in
contrition by examining where we have fallen and asking for God’s grace to help
with our faults. If we do
this on a regular basis it will help to “perseverance so you will secure your
lives”.
May your week be blessed!
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Reflection on homily for 32nd Sunday Cycle C: Focus on heavenly things and respond in Christian charity
Father Joe told a story about a
woman who was newly retired and ready to volunteer her time to help someone in
need. She asked her pastor if
someone could use some help and he recommended an older woman who had trouble
getting to church. She gladly
agreed to pick her up and drive her to church for Mass. After some time the pastor asked the
woman how it was going. She
answered that the older woman had sued her after falling when getting out of
her car. The pastor assumed that
the relationship had ended, but to his surprise he found out the woman was
still continuing to drive the older lady to church. She said that she wasn’t going to let the older woman’s demeanor
get in the way of her acting with Christian charity. She was focused on heavenly things and not letting the
earthly trials distracts her.

Both
situations made me think about this week on how the need to treat others with
Christian charity by being pure in my intentions when asking someone questions
and also to respond in love even when the others may not be treating me the
same way. If I think of earthly
things this will be hard, but if I think of my heavenly destination and the
resurrection of the dead it possible.
With the help of Jesus of course!
May God bless you this week!
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Do you want to be up close to a miracle? Be an altar server!
As Catholic's we can be in the presence of a miracle daily by going to Mass and receiving the Eucharist. Our children and young adults have an opportunity to participate in this miracle in a special way by being altar servers and MC (master of ceremonies). These two ministries assist the priest and deacon at Mass by carrying in cross and candles, leading the Gospel procession, bringing sacred vessels to prepare the altar, bringing gifts to the altar, bringing water and towel for hand washing, and returning items to credence table after Communion is finished. They also lead the assembly by their reverence in being prayerful and attentive during Mass. Participating in this important ministry can also be a great way for these young people to begin discerning a life of service to the church as a priest, deacon, or religious brother or sister. It also fosters their faith and love of the Church as they grow into adults. Many of these young people will be parents in the future through this service and will pass on their love for the faith to their children.
Please encourage you child to consider service in this ministry. A few videos they might enjoy watching are:
Enjoy watching these and God bless!
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Deacon Steve's homily for 31st Sunday Ordinary Time - C: Go out on a limb to see Jesus
Several years ago, my wife and I were
touring Rome and we went to St. Peter’s Square for the Wednesday Papal
audience. The crowds were large, we were
seated about half way back, and it was really difficult to see up front. We waited for quite awhile when suddenly the
Pope arrived for his audience. Everyone was standing and everyone strained to
see the Pope. There was excitement in the air knowing that
this holy man was so near. I remember looking around and seeing several people looking
out windows, standing on steps, and standing on their chairs to get a glimpse
of Pope JPII. I myself stood on chair so I could see. What a
feeling it was to see the Pope ‘live’ for the very first time.
As I reflected on today’s gospel
reading I thought about that day at St. Peter’s Square. I would imagine that the crowds were thick
waiting to get a glimpse of Jesus. The people of Jericho had heard of this man,
a man from God, who had performed healings and other miracles. I am sure that
there was excitement in the air and the people wanted to get a glimpse of him.
In last week’s Gospel, Jesus told a
parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. This was a lesson on pride and
humility. In this week’s Gospel, the parable comes to life and Jesus actually
sees a tax collector. His name was Zacchaeus, a wealthy man, who was a tax
collector by trade. He wasn’t just any
tax collector, he was the chief tax collector, the tax collector of the tax collectors.
Tax collectors were hated and despised by the people because they cheated and
over taxed them.
But Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus. Perhaps
he had heard about Jesus when Jesus sent his disciples in pairs ahead of him. He had
to see this man, Jesus. But he was too short to see over the crowds. Now I can relate to that. That’s how I felt at St. Peter’s Square when I
finally stood on a chair. So what does Zacchaeus
do? He climbs a sycamore tree, and he
goes out on a limb, so he can see Jesus.
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© Henry Martin |
My friends, let’s put this in
perspective. This man Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector. He was
probably a senior citizen, not in the best of shape, and wearing his finest
clothes. How many people do you know who are elderly
and wearing their Sunday best that could climb a tree? I
don’t know many people that could do that. But Zacchaeus was on a mission. For some reason he was being drawn to Jesus. Something
inside of him was leading him to Jesus and he would do anything to see him. Maybe
it was his conscience, maybe he was searching for peace, or maybe it was by the
grace of God that he sought Jesus. Whatever
it was, though, he went to great lengths not only to see Jesus but to also be
seen by Jesus.
When Jesus sees him in the tree he
says: "Zacchaeus,
come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house." I wonder if Zacchaeus expected that to happen? By
seeking out Jesus, Zacchaeus acknowledged his sinfulness and Jesus forgave him
by inviting himself to his home. This
little man who had made a living cheating people went out on a limb and was
transformed by Jesus. He recognized
his sins, and volunteered to repay all the people that he cheated. He says to Jesus: "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and
if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over."
On that day and
through his contact with Jesus, Zacchaeus undoubtedly grew into his name; For his name means “pure one” or “righteous
one.”
Dear friends, the church
reminds us in this gospel reading that we, too, can experience the same transformation
that Zacchaeus did. We, too, can become ‘pure’ and ‘righteous’. We
hear Jesus say in the last line of today’s gospel: “For
the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.” That is the Good News of Jesus Christ. That in him
we can once
again live in right relationship with God, And
whenever people trust him enough, as Zacchaeus did, they experience deep and lasting
peace.
There is no doubt that Zacchaeus found great satisfaction in
giving
back the money he had extorted through unfair taxes. Jesus wants to bring us back into right relationship
with God. And to give us the courage to live as we should
live, so that we can experience the satisfaction we were meant
to experience. Like Zacchaeus, all of us are
searching for joy, peace, and happiness in our lives. We, too, can find
those things by seeking out Jesus, by going out on a limb to see our Savior.
This week let’s follow our
hearts and seek out Jesus in prayer, in scripture, and in the sacraments. Let’s remember that there is no better place to do that
than right here at this mass, where Jesus is
present:
in our priest who represents Christ in persona Christi,
in the words of Scripture,
in the singing and praying of all of us, and most intimately in the Eucharist.
In just a few minutes, we’ll come forward to receive our
Lord in Holy Communion. Let’s ask God for the grace to respond as Zacchaeus did, and
to allow Jesus to transform our lives.
God bless!
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Homily for 31st Sunday, cycle C: What obstacles are keeping you from seeing Jesus?
The tree climbing in today’s
Gospel reminds me about my neighbor’s son, Brian, from about 20 years ago. Brian was born premature and was a lot
smaller than other kids his age. He
didn’t play many sports because of his size, but the one thing he liked to do
was climb the big pine tree in his front yard. He didn’t just climb up a short way, but almost 50 feet to
the top. His dad would just look
up at him and smile. He knew of
the struggles his son had early in life and letting him climb to the top tree was
an accomplishment for Brian. I was
not too thrilled about it, because my daughter, Nicole, also liked to climb
trees and would join Brian at the top. I was ok with 10 feet up the tree, but not climbing to the
top, which was due to my own fear of heights. Nicole had no
fear, so I would warn her not to go up so high. Of course kids always listen to their parents… right? I’d find Nicole, many times at
the top of the tree with Brian.
Brian’s dad told me not to worry, and eventually I got over my fears. I would just look up, smile, and pray
that God kept them safe.

They also thought
he was a sinner because Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector and wealthy. Tax
collectors worked collecting money for the Romans occupiers plus some extra for
themselves. As a chief tax
collector Zacchaeus had agents working for him, which made him wealthy without doing
much work. Wealth gained in this manner was considered being greedy. Today’s view on wealth is quite
different. If you work hard and
honestly and acquire wealth it’s ok this is the land of opportunity. But, during Jesus’ time they understood
there were only so many resources available. If you had abundance of anything
you must have taken it away from someone else. This is why people thought Zacchaeus
was a sinner.
So when
Jesus called Zacchaeus to come down from the tree to go to his house it must
have seemed scandalous. How could Jesus do this? Jesus came to cure the sick, heal the lame, and
comfort the widow, but not for a greedy sinner! But, it’s exactly what Jesus planned to do. Jesus tells us, “The Son of Man
has come to seek and save what was lost”. Jesus came to
seek out and save the lost, whether they are rich or poor.
In this
situation though, Zacchaeus took the initiative by climbing over his obstacles
to seek out Jesus. In doing so Jesus
saw him and came to his house right away. Zacchaeus is changed when he encounters
Jesus. He offers half his
possessions to the poor and will restore anyone he’s extorted four times over. Jewish
law only called to restore what taken from another plus another twenty percent.
Zacchaeus had truly repented. Jesus recognizes this change telling him, “Salvation
had indeed come to the house of Zacchaeus.”
Are we all
a little bit like Zacchaeus? Don’t
we all have obstacles in our lives that keep us from seeing Jesus? We are constantly under pressure from
all directions for demands of our time and attention that keep us away from
Jesus. Maybe it’s the
demands at work to make more money, the need to be constantly entertained,
overpowering addictions, or even our own pride thinking we can take care of
things ourselves. Are we willing
to go out of our way like Zacchaeus to seek out Jesus or do we just fit him in
when it’s convenient?
The Church
provides us with ample opportunity to seek out Jesus so he can save us. We are blessed to be able encounter him
in the Eucharist every week and even more often if we choose. Whether we receive the Eucharist at Mass
or adore His presence, his grace strengthens us to overcome the obstacles in
our lives. We also have the
healing sacraments of reconciliation and anointing of the sick that can help as
well. In prayer and reading Scripture,
we can engage with him daily.
We just need to make plans to seek him out.
I recently
had a tremendous opportunity to witness 30 lost men who were seeking out Jesus at
a Kairos retreat in the Plainfield Correctional facility. These men have many obstacles in their
lives to keep them away from Jesus: fear of violence, addictions to drugs, loss
of freedom, and loneliness. At the
start of the retreat one of the men reluctantly said that he agreed to come
since he had been to prison many times. He had tried many things in his life
but he kept having the same problems. He wanted to see if Jesus might be the
answer. Amazingly by the end of
the retreat this same man said it was hard to believe that he came all the way
from Florida to be arrested and imprisoned in Indiana, so he could have the
best experience of his life.
He sought out Jesus because he was lost and Jesus came to seek and save
him. I hope and pray he continues
seeking him.
So what are
the obstacles keeping us from seeking Jesus? Before it gets too busy with the
holidays maybe it could be a good time to pray and ask God what obstacles we
need to climb over to see Jesus.
If we take some quiet time and pray with humility like the tax
collector, “God be merciful to me, for I am a sinner” and be persistent in
prayer like the widow, then God will show us the way. May God bless
you.
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