Example of using your talents, in an unexpected time and place, an encounter at a ND football game, to spread God's Kingdom

This weekend we heard the parable about the talents given by the master and what we do with them. We can bury them and keep them to ourselves or use them and grow the Kingdom of God.  I just read a story, an unexpected visit, from John Shaughnessy, Assistant Editor of the Criterion, that is a great example of using his talents to spread the Kingdom of God through chance encounter at an ND football game.  I think you'll enjoy it. Behold your Mother and may God bless you.

Deacon Ron's Homily: Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome - A holy church – a holy people

Today we celebrate the feast of the dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome.

You may be wondering  - 'why do we celebrate this building?'

Before I answer that, let's look at the history of the feast and of the building.

This feast has been celebrated since the 12th century.

It's not often that we celebrate this feast on a Sunday because it’s always celebrated on November 9th.

When November 9th is on a Sunday, it takes precedence and is celebrated throughout the world.

Some of you may have toured this beautiful basilica while on vacation or pilgrimage to Rome.

It's a beautiful and sacred building that has a fascinating history.

Some facts:

The emperor Constantine, who legalized Christianity, gave the palace and its lands to the church in 311.

It is also known as the Basilica of St. John Lateran.

The basilica is built next to the palace of the Laterani family, which is how St.

John seemingly got a surname.

There really isn't a person named John Lateran.

The basilica celebrates both St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist.

It is also dedicated to Christ our Savior.

It's full official title is “The Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior and Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist at the Lateran.”

Did you know that the Lateran Basilica is the cathedral church of the bishop of Rome?

It's the pope's cathedral, not St. Peter's as many people assume.

A church council was first held at the Lateran in 313.

Over the years, the Lateran has been damaged by earthquakes, attacked and ransacked by Vandals, and destroyed by fire twice.

After each of these incidents, the Lateran was rebuilt and refurbished.

The Lateran basilica is considered the mother church of all Catholic churches

around the world.

So what we are really celebrating is not the building but our identity as a worldwide church and our union with the Church of Rome.

Remember, we are Roman Catholic and the word 'catholic' means universal.  

Today is a day to remind ourselves that we are part of something much bigger than our own parish.

Last weekend’s celebrations of All Saints and All Souls reminded us that our family extends through time.

Today's feast reminds us that we extend geographically around the world .

My friends, we are all connected, centered around Christ and the successor of St. Peter, the Pope.

We are truly a universal church.   

This brings to mind some masses that I attended in different countries and among different cultures.

I have been to mass in Vienna where the mass was celebrated in German.

I have been to mass in Mexico where the mass was celebrated in Spanish.

Once I attended a Vietnamese mass in Anaheim CA.  The mass was celebrated in Vietnamese and the church was filled to capacity.

At each of these masses, I couldn’t understand the other languages, but I knew the order of the mass and I didn’t feel out of place.

Although I was an outsider, I felt as though I was part of their community, and I was.

Yes, we were different and spoke different languages, but we shared our faith in Jesus Christ and the Roman Catholic Church.

Worshiping and praying together in this common brotherhood and sisterhood was awesome.

I loved the experience and I love the fact that we are a universal church.

Knowing that despite all of our differences, the universal Church brings us together as the Body of Christ here on earth.       <pause>

Like many of you, I also love visiting different church buildings, the old and the new.  

I remember the mass at St. Stephensdom in Vienna which was built in the 12^th c.

What a sight it was to behold!

The architecture, the stained glass, the statues, and the altar all give me a sense of God’s presence in a special way.  

The many churches that all of us have seen are sacred and holy places.

These beautiful buildings are gathering places for the faithful to worship God and to encounter Christ in sacrament, in prayer, and in each other.

But they are just buildings - for 'Church' is really the people.

The great spiritual writer, Fr. Henri Nouwen had this to say about Church:

"The Church is the people of God.  The Latin word for "church," ecclesia, comes from the Greek ek, which means "out," and kaleo, which means "to call."  The Church is the people of God called out of slavery to freedom, sin to salvation, despair to hope, darkness to light, an existence centered on death to an existence focused on life.  When we think of Church we have to think of a body of people, travelling together.  We have to envision women, men, and children of all ages, races, and societies supporting one another on their long and often tiresome journeys to their final home."

My friends, church is all of us here at SSFC and all of the faithful around the world.

That’s wonderful knowing that we are church and that we are all on a journey connected through Jesus Christ.

Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians reminds us that we Christians are sacred and holy.

“You are God’s building.

Do you not know that you are the temple of God,
and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
… for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.”

And it is the holiness and sacredness of the gathered faithful that makes the church ‘buildings’ holy and sacred places.

This feast day reminds us that we are called to be a holy people who gather together in community, here and around the world, to worship God and to live the gospel message.

In a few minutes, as we approach the altar to receive our Lord in Holy Communion, let's ask for God's grace to help us become a more holy people and make this space a more holy space.

May we strive for that each and every day.     God bless!

Deacon Steve's Homily: Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome - A holy church – a holy people

Deacon Steve's Homily - A holy church – a holy people

Today we celebrate the feast of the dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome.

You may be wondering  - 'why do we celebrate this building?'

Before I answer that, let's look at the history of the feast and of the building.

This feast has been celebrated since the 12th century.

It's not often that we celebrate this feast on a Sunday because it’s always celebrated on November 9th.

When November 9th is on a Sunday, it takes precedence and is celebrated throughout the world.

Some of you may have toured this beautiful basilica while on vacation or pilgrimage to Rome.

It's a beautiful and sacred building that has a fascinating history.

Some facts:

The emperor Constantine, who legalized Christianity, gave the palace and its lands to the church in 311.

It is also known as the Basilica of St. John Lateran.

The basilica is built next to the palace of the Laterani family, which is how St.

John seemingly got a surname.

There really isn't a person named John Lateran.

The basilica celebrates both St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist.

It is also dedicated to Christ our Savior.

It's full official title is “The Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior and Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist at the Lateran.”

Did you know that the Lateran Basilica is the cathedral church of the bishop of Rome?

It's the pope's cathedral, not St. Peter's as many people assume.

A church council was first held at the Lateran in 313.

Over the years, the Lateran has been damaged by earthquakes, attacked and ransacked by Vandals, and destroyed by fire twice.

After each of these incidents, the Lateran was rebuilt and refurbished.

The Lateran basilica is considered the mother church of all Catholic churches

around the world.

So what we are really celebrating is not the building but our identity as a worldwide church and our union with the Church of Rome.

Remember, we are Roman Catholic and the word 'catholic' means universal.  

Today is a day to remind ourselves that we are part of something much bigger than our own parish.

Last weekend’s celebrations of All Saints and All Souls reminded us that our family extends through time.

Today's feast reminds us that we extend geographically around the world .

My friends, we are all connected, centered around Christ and the successor of St. Peter, the Pope.

We are truly a universal church.   

This brings to mind some masses that I attended in different countries and among different cultures.

I have been to mass in Vienna where the mass was celebrated in German.

I have been to mass in Mexico where the mass was celebrated in Spanish.

Once I attended a Vietnamese mass in Anaheim CA.  The mass was celebrated in Vietnamese and the church was filled to capacity.

At each of these masses, I couldn’t understand the other languages, but I knew the order of the mass and I didn’t feel out of place.

Although I was an outsider, I felt as though I was part of their community, and I was.

Yes, we were different and spoke different languages, but we shared our faith in Jesus Christ and the Roman Catholic Church.

Worshiping and praying together in this common brotherhood and sisterhood was awesome.

I loved the experience and I love the fact that we are a universal church.

Knowing that despite all of our differences, the universal Church brings us together as the Body of Christ here on earth.       

Like many of you, I also love visiting different church buildings, the old and the new.  

I remember the mass at St. Stephensdom in Vienna which was built in the 12^th c.

What a sight it was to behold!

The architecture, the stained glass, the statues, and the altar all give me a sense of God’s presence in a special way.  

The many churches that all of us have seen are sacred and holy places.

These beautiful buildings are gathering places for the faithful to worship God and to encounter Christ in sacrament, in prayer, and in each other.

But they are just buildings - for 'Church' is really the people.

The great spiritual writer, Fr. Henri Nouwen had this to say about Church:

"The Church is the people of God.  The Latin word for "church," ecclesia, comes from the Greek ek, which means "out," and kaleo, which means "to call."  The Church is the people of God called out of slavery to freedom, sin to salvation, despair to hope, darkness to light, an existence centered on death to an existence focused on life.  When we think of Church we have to think of a body of people, travelling together.  We have to envision women, men, and children of all ages, races, and societies supporting one another on their long and often tiresome journeys to their final home."

My friends, church is all of us here at SSFC and all of the faithful around the world.

That’s wonderful knowing that we are church and that we are all on a journey connected through Jesus Christ.

Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians reminds us that we Christians are sacred and holy.

“You are God’s building.

Do you not know that you are the temple of God,
and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
… for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.”

And it is the holiness and sacredness of the gathered faithful that makes the church ‘buildings’ holy and sacred places.

This feast day reminds us that we are called to be a holy people who gather together in community, here and around the world, to worship God and to live the gospel message.

In a few minutes, as we approach the altar to receive our Lord in Holy Communion, let's ask for God's grace to help us become a more holy people and make this space a more holy space.

May we strive for that each and every day.     God bless!

Feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica - Water's flowing from temple nourishes & heals

Good morning!  This is normally the 32^nd Sunday of Ordinary Time just before the end of the Church year, but since today is November 9^th, we are celebrating the Feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome.  This is the Cathedral Church of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope.   Most people think of St. Peter’s Basilica as the seat of the Pope since it’s located in the Vatican where he lives, but it is actually St. John Lateran.  St. John Lateran is the oldest Church in Rome dating back to the early 4^th century when the Emperor Constantine issued a decree permitting the practice of the Christian faith.    Before that time there weren’t any public churches.   People came together secretly to worship God and celebrate the Eucharist by hiding in homes and the catacombs.  The church was the assembly of the Christian faithful during these times and the people who did worship together risked their life in doing so.   After Constantine legalized the practice of the Christian religion, he had St. John Lateran built.   From the time it was built through the next 1000 years this was the place where the pope resided.  Since the early 18^th Century the Church has celebrated this feast day celebrating this special church.

Why are we be celebrating a feast for a Church?    St. John Lateran being the oldest and first church building has a special place in the life of the Church. It’s the seat of bishop of Rome and it’s the mother Church of where all of our churches

throughout the world flow.   The image from the prophet Ezekiel of the water flowing from the temple emptying out into the sea and making it fresh is a good image connecting St. John Lateran with all the churches throughout the world. In Ezekiel’s prophecy the water flows upon Arabah, which is the area of the Dead Sea.  The water in the Dead Sea has seven times more salt in it than normal seawater and nothing can live in it.  But in the prophecy water from the temple makes the water of the Dead Sea fresh.   It’s so fresh that it provides trees on the banks of the river to produce fruit for food and leaves for medicine every month of the year.  This water from the temple is a life-giving source that nourishes and heals. The reading from prophet Ezekiel was written at a time when the people of Israel where in exile in Babylon and they were longing for their temple which had been destroyed.   They longed to return to their homeland and the Temple where God dwelled.  The Temple restored and refreshed their soul to be in the dwelling place of God. 

 This prophecy is fulfilled in the rebuilding of the temple, through the coming of Jesus.  Jesus told us the temple would be destroyed and raised up in the days.    Jesus changed the paradigm of the temple as a place in a single location to be in the presence of God to being in a relationship with a person anywhere in the world.   Our church here at Ss. Francis and Clare and in all the Catholic churches throughout the world, provide us with the ability to be in relationship with Christ in Word and Sacrament. 

The image of the fresh water and trees with leaves never fading and bearing fruit reminds me of places I’ve gone on vacation that refresh and restore me.    When we’re worn and weary from work, school, or the trials of life we yearn for a place to restore us from our burdens and refresh us to give a new outlook on things.  So we may seek out an escape to a beach or lake, with the warm sun, and lots of lush plants and trees to relax and refresh.   Anyone need a place like that now?  This does wonders to restore us temporarily, but does it truly restore our soul and allow us to rest in God? Whenever I go on vacation I also always make sure there is a church nearby as well, because my relationship with Jesus is what I need to nourish and heal my soul.  There’s usually a church almost anywhere you can go, made possible through the seat of Catholic Church in Rome, St. John Lateran, The mother church where all others flow from. 

Through the Church, wherever we are at, either at home or traveling, we can get that nourishment and healing every week by worshiping with the Body of Christ. Thank the Lord for the ability to do this every week, or even every day, by having sacred places set aside to worship and participates in the sacraments of the Church.   In our Catholic tradition our churches are sacred spaces set apart from the world, to provide an environment to experience the presence of God.   The nourishment comes from hearing the Word of God to feed our hearts and soul and give us a fresh perspective from the challenges in the world.  It also comes from being fed by the Eucharist, and Christ becoming part of us.  We are healed through the penitential rite in the Mass or if needed through the sacraments of reconciliation or anointing of the sick.    

So today we thank God for the gift of the Church of St. John Lateran Basilica, the seat of the bishop or Rome.  Through this mother Church we have a church that we can be nourished and healed on a weekly basis.  So please make it a priority to be in the presence of Body of Christ through or churches to be restored and refreshed.  May God bless you.

Reflection on Fr. Vince's Homily for the Wedding Feast and wearing the proper garment, Week 28 cycle, A

Father Vince preached on those invited to the wedding feast and wearing the wedding

garment.  I really liked the historical perspective that he gave us in regards to the customs at the time of Jesus and that a wedding garment was provided to the invited guests.   To arrive without the proper garment would be either an insult to host of the wedding for not wearing the garment provided.   The wedding guest who did not wear the proper garment was judged unworthy to attend and expelled. 

Father Vince showed us some choices of garments to wear, some looking good, and some not so good.  He related this to the white garment we received at baptism, which is the symbol of being incorporated into the Christian community.   Our actions in the way we live our lives in loving God and our neighbor will reflect in what type of wedding garment we show up with.   If we are loving, patient, and kind we’ll be properly clothed, but if we act contrary we’ll be unprepared with the proper attire. We may be invited to the wedding feast, but we may be asked to leave.    This is a reminder that there will be a final judgment and we need to be prepared to show that we lived as Christians in our acts of love.

This was a good analogy and food for thought to be loving and kind as we go about our week so we can show we are clothed with the garment of Christ’s love.  May your week be blessed!

Deacon Ron's Homily, Homily and video on Respect Life , Ordinary Time, Week 27 – Cycle A

In the today’s parable we hear about the vineyard owner has put great care into cultivating the land, planting the vines, and protecting the vineyard only to be disappointed when his vineyards aren’t fruitful. The owner of the vineyard in the parable represents God.   Just as the vineyard owner was disappointed in the lack of produce, God is disappointed when man’s ways are not fruitful and don’t respect human life.

This month of October is set aside by the bishops of the United States as Respect Life Month (click for video from USCCB) , a time to reflect on life issues and to pray for and promote greater respect for all human life. This year’s theme is “Each of us is a masterpiece of God’s creation,” and is adapted from Pope Francis’ Day for Life from last year.  Pope Francis, who has captivated the world with his humility and compassion, shows through his actions that “even the weakest and most vulnerable, the sick, the old, the unborn and the poor, are masterpieces of God’s creation, made in his own image, destined to live forever, and deserving of the utmost reverence and respect We want to live in society that supports the protection of human rights at all phases of life. Yet many of those who are weak and vulnerable are neglected and forgotten about. There are forces in the culture that don’t value human life and look at things only from a cost perspective and efficiency. 

An example of this are the many children pre-diagnosed as having Downs Syndrome, who are never given the chance to live outside their mother’s wombs. This week I heard a story from a mom about her thriving 9 year-old adopted son with Downs Syndrome. She considers it a miracle for him to be alive.  Her son was born at 25 weeks, just barely viable to live outside the mothers’ womb, and spent 15 weeks in the hospital before coming home.  The medical expense for the stay was a half million dollars. Just two days before he was born the birth mother sought an abortion thinking it to be her only option to the situation.  Through the grace of God she chose to give her baby up for adoption. It’s amazing that in two days the child’s life went from being of no value, to being of an immense importance. The child should have same rights before he was born as well as after.

In another story a woman from Oregon, who had been in remission from lung cancer, had a recurrence of the cancer. Her doctor prescribed a drug that would increase her chance of being alive in one year by 45%, but the state medical plan denied it as being to expensive for her prognosis.  The state was willing to offer full coverage for her assisted suicide.

Many people are faced with issues like these that cause great anxiety.  How are we to make decisions that support life? St. Paul tells us to offer prayers to make our requests known to God and we’ll receive peace to guard our hearts and minds.    We may still have our problems, but we have the peace of knowing God is there with us.  We can also turn to the Church to help us discern what to do. Our priests, deacons, and lay ministers can help us to determine what to do based on the truth of Church teachings and direct us to resources to help.

How are we to respond to a culture that promotes ways contrary to respecting the dignity of life?    We can do so by learning about church teaching and supporting ministries that promote a culture of life.  One way is to get involved in the 40 Days forLife Prayer campaign at the Planned Parenthood facility at 86^th St. and Georgetown Road with our parish on Saturdays from 11 am - 3pm through November 2.   Joining in this peaceful prayer vigil will show woman in crisis pregnancies that they are care for and loved. 

The Gabriel Project in our parish supports women throughout their pregnancy and after the child’s birth.  You can get involved today by supporting the baby shower drive after Mass in the Narthex. Saint Elizabeth Coleman pregnancy and adoption services, is an archdiocesan ministry, providing support and counseling to women before and after the child is born.  If you or someone you know has been affected by an abortion, they need our love and support, and the healing mercy of the Church.  The Project Rachel Ministry is available to help those struggling with pain and grief from the loss of their child.

The sick, the aged, and the imprisoned are often forgotten about, but we have ministries to outreach to them as well. Visiting people who are sick or homebound can help keep them connected with the parish community. Those who are imprisoned still need spiritual care. Each Friday visits are made to the Johnson County Catholic Jail by deacons a lay people.  We also have parish members who bring Christ prisons through the Kairos Prison Ministry.

How can we influence our society to support a culture of life?  By becoming engaged in our political process to influence our lawmakers.   The Indiana Catholic Conference makes it easy to stay informed on legislation that effect life issues and to contact your representative. You can sign up to stay informed by signing up on the Indiana Catholic Conference web site.

God’s desires all of us all to be fruitful and have respect for all life from conception to natural death.   Please do all you can to support and share with others our Church’s teaching that all human life is of immense value.  Get involved and support life-affirming ministries, not only this month, but also all year. Last, please pray for our culture and the respect of life, and may God’s peace be with you.

Deacon Steve's Homily - Respect Life - 27th Sunday Ordinary – A

On this first Sunday in October, we are celebrating Respect Life Sunday.

In fact, the month of October is Respect Life month. 

The 40 days for Life Campaign is underway across our country and around the world.

Our parish is active in this campaign.

Later we will hear from our parishioner (Bob Siefker or Christina Lopez) about the Gabriel Project, another Respect Life project that we participate in.

Your help and your prayers for both of these efforts are greatly appreciated.

I thought today would be a good day to talk about the Church’s understanding of ‘life’ issues and how we can live it out in our modern world.

The Gift of Life (Donum Vitae) 1987 (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith)

‘From the moment of conception, the life of every human being is to be respected in an absolute way because man is the only creature on earth that God has "wished for himself"[16] and the spiritual soul of each man is "immediately created" by God;[17] his whole being bears the image of the Creator. Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves "the creative action of God"[18] and it remains forever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end.[19] God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can, in any circumstance, claim for himself the right to destroy directly an innocent human being.[20]’

As I reflected on this statement, I thought about our current culture, specifically about  abortion and euthanasia.

Both of these are at the forefront of the ‘Right to Life’ campaign, and rightfully so.

We have an obligation to protect the most defenseless in our society – the unborn and the elderly.

Saint John Paul II called our current culture a ‘culture of death’.

But we know that our God is not a ‘God of death’ but a ‘God of life’.

One of the early church fathers, Irenaeus of Lyons had this to say: 

‘The glory of God is the human person fully alive.'

And God wants each and every human being to live and to have a ‘full life’ in right relationship with Him.

We believe that all of us are children of God, made in God’s image and likeness, and therefore all people deserve the utmost dignity and respect.

Who are all people?

People who live in our homes, our neighborhoods, our cities, our states, our country, and around the world.

People who have different color skin, who speak different languages, who profess different beliefs.

People who believe in God and people who do not.

People who are heterosexual and people who are homosexual. 

All people means every person on the face of the earth.  <pause>

So if abortion and euthanasia are the bookends that are contrary to life, what about those ‘in between’ issues? 

In 1983, the late Cardinal Bernardin, a champion for pro-life issues had this to say: 

“The case for a consistent ethic of life – one that stands for the protection of the right to life and the promotion of the rights, which enhances life from womb to tomb…is both a complex and demanding tradition.”

He goes on to say: “Therefore, not just the unborn, not just the poor, not just the hungry, not just the homeless, not just the war-torn, not just the undocumented, not just the medically uninsured, not just condemned prisoners, not just the environment, and not just future generations, but all of the above deserve our care. Everyone’s life and dignity needs to be fully protected and respected.”

Let’s think about those issues and remind ourselves that all human life is sacred.

So I invite all of us to ponder these questions: 

Do I respect all people including the unborn and the elderly?

Do I respect the poor and those living on the margins of society?

Do I respect all people of different nationalities and religions?

Do I respect all people who are living on death row?

Which begs the question – ‘how do I really feel about capital punishment?’

Do I respect and love my enemies?

And, do I respect myself?

These are tough questions to ponder especially in today’s world.

Today’s world where war and violence are everyday occurrences.

Where hatred seems to dominate, where peace is only a word.

At times it seems so hopeless, doesn't it?

But we know that nothing is impossible for God.

For our God is a God of life, a God of love, and a God of peace.

In our second reading, we just heard Paul's message to the Philippians:

Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

To us this message is timeless and is all about our Christian faith and the power of prayer.

Respecting life and loving all people is a way of life that has been written on our hearts by God our Creator. 

Jesus came to show us that way of life.

Let’s begin to transform this world, one person at a time, beginning with ourselves.

Let’s ask for the grace to show us those areas in our lives where we fall short of living the Christian way.

For those times where we fail to love our neighbor and we knowingly or unknowingly disrespect life, let’s approach our merciful God and ask his forgiveness.

May we ask our Lord ‘to increase our faith’ so that we can respect all.

God bless you all!