Deacon Steve's Homily - Being Connected to Jesus - Fifth Sunday of Easter, Cycle B

On this 5^th Sunday of Easter we come together to worship God and to thank God for the gift of his Son, Jesus.  And we are here to pray together and to feed our souls with Jesus. Our readings this weekend remind us of the importance of being connected to Jesus.  As I reflected on this theme of ‘being connected’, I thought about how we communicate today. In the past century the world has become a much smaller place, and the ability to communicate is nearly instantaneous. We have radio and television. We have cell phones and smart phones. We have computers and the internet.We have email, texting, skyping, facebook and twitter. These work because we have telephone lines, cell phone towers, satellite dishes, wi-fi, and hot spots that help us stay connected with each other wherever we are. With technology we can stay connected with people who are close by or half way around the world.

A few weeks ago, Fr. Vince led a group of parishioners on a pilgrimage to Italy. This is not the first time that he has led pilgrimages, but on this one Fr. Vince used Twitter a lot. Fr. Vince ‘tweeted’ pictures and his thoughts along the way. I followed Fr. Vince’s ‘tweets’, and, although I wasn’t on the trip, I felt, as though, I was connected with him and the others. Here they were, 6 time zones ahead of us, and they were able to stay connected with all of us through technology.  Staying connected is really important.  When we are connected, we don’t feel isolated, and we are able to be part of something much bigger than ourselves. 

Jesus had over 100 names attributed to him in the scriptures. In last week’s gospel, Jesus was called the ‘Good Shepherd.  In today’s gospel reading from John, we hear another name for Jesus. This week Jesus is called the true ‘Vine.’ Jesus says: “I am the vine, you are the branches. ”The relationship that we should have with Jesus is compared to the branch of a vine.  While the vine takes its nourishment from the ground, the branches receive their food and water from the vine.  The vine is the source from which the branches receive their living water. And that’s what gives them life and makes them bloom.  If the living water was to be cut off from the branches, they would dry up and die. My friends, Jesus is telling his disciples and us that in order to live, in order to have a fruitful abundant life, one must be connected to Jesus himself. When we are connected to Jesus, we can do things that might surprise us.

We just read Jesus words: “Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” Like the branch that produces an abundance of grapes, we can do much good for God’s kingdom here on earth.  We can praise God in our daily living, especially here at Mass. We can help others, especially the poor and the needy.  We can say “No!’ to the evils around us. We can speak up for the truths that we Catholics believe. But, when we’re not connected to Jesus and our relationship with God is strained, we are limited, and we’re not as fruitful as we can or should be.

My friends, we need to stay connected to Jesus.  How do we do that? Here are some of my thoughts: We stay connected when we take our faith and our relationship with God seriously. When we listen to and follow mother Church. When we read and reflect on God’s word in sacred scripture. We stay connected when we follow the 2 great commandments. When we love God with all our mind, with all our heart, and will our soul. And when we love our neighbor as ourself.

We stay connected when pray and when we spend time with Jesus in the adoration chapel - please consider being an adorer on Wednesdays and First Fridays. We stay

connected when we go to mass regularly and when we receive our Lord in Holy Communion. Last weekend over 100 children of our parish received their 1^st Holy Communion.   Our prayer for them is that they always hunger for Jesus and connect with Him in this holy sacrament for the rest of their lives. Just prior to 1^st Communion, 88 of our youth were confirmed by Archbishop Tobin at the Cathedral. Our prayer for them is that they will remain steadfast in their faith and realize the importance of staying connected to Jesus. What a blessing it was to witness these events. 

In just a few short minutes we will approach the altar to receive our Lord in Holy Communion. As we do so, let’s imagine that this is our 1^st Holy Communion. Let’s receive Jesus with the same reverence, the same wonder and awe that our first communicants did last week. May we remember that Jesus is the true vine that feeds us, the branches.  And being connected to Jesus gives us great joy and leads to everlasting life. God bless you all!

Staying connected to the vine during your busy week - Deacon Ron's Homily - 5th Sunday Easter, cycle B - 5-3-2015

In today’s Gospel Jesus uses the image of the vine and the branches to illustrate how we need to stay connected to him if we are to be his disciples and bear fruit with our lives.  If we stay connected to the vine we’ll bear much fruit, but if not we’ll wither and be kindling for the fire. 

We’re all off to a great start being connected to Jesus by being here at Mass.  The Mass is the greatest prayer offered to God. Through the Mass we pray, hear God’s Word, and receive the sacrament of the Eucharist. When we’re dismissed from Mass we’re sent off to put into practice what we’ve received by loving God & our neighbor.  We may leave Mass with good intentions to stay connected with Jesus, but it’s easy to get distracted with the business of our lives.    So how can we stay connected to Jesus so we can bear fruit and not get distracted?  Through prayer, God’s word, and the sacraments.

A great way to pray is what we did this morning: praying the rosary. 

Image from USCCB Website

The rosary is a prayer that keeps us connected to the life of Jesus and it only takes about 15 minutes to pray.  As we pray the rosary we focus on events in the life of Jesus based on the mysteries for the day. Today we prayed the Joyful mysteries, which are the Annunciation of the birth of Jesus, the visitation of Mary to Elizabeth, the Nativity of Jesus birth, the Presentation of Jesus in the temple, and the finding of Jesus in the temple.  You’ll find the other mysteries: the Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious mysteries listed in this bulletin and on prayer cards in the back of church.  If you have a Smartphone it’s very easy to get an app that will help you pray the rosary.  

Just search for “Mary” in the app store and it will find rosary devotion with audio you can pray along with. As we pray the rosary we can also pray for some particular need: a person who may need our prayers or something you need help with.  I try to pray the rosary myself on my daily commute.   It sure makes the drive more peaceful as it’s hard to get mad at someone while your praying.

Another good way to stay connected with Jesus is by stopping in a church to be with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.   There’s some real power by praying in the presence of

Image from USCCB website

the Blessed Sacrament.   Many churches have special times where the Blessed Sacrament is exposed for adoration. We have opportunities for adoration every Wednesday and the first Fridays of the month.  If you have availability there are times you can sign up for an hour of prayer each week, just call the parish office to sign up, or you can stop in for whatever time you have available.  There are even some parishes close by that have adoration available 24 hours a day.   Even if you only can stay five minutes it can be a powerful way to stay connected to Jesus throughout the week.

Reading God’s word can also keep that connection to Jesus strong.  A great way to do this is by reading the scripture for the upcoming Sunday. The readings are printed each week in the bulletin and can be easily found them on the web. There’s also a reflection on the readings printed in the Criterion each week. You can get daily readings sent to you by email, listen to a podcast, or even watch a video of the reading at the USCCB Website.

Attending a daily Mass can also keep you connected to Jesus.  

A Mass during the week is usually only half an hour long.   It’s a much more intimate experience and can be a very peaceful break in a busy week. We have Mass daily, and even have a 6:30 am Mass every Wednesday that may fit in before going to work. You may even have a parish close to your work that may have a daily Mass you could fit in your schedule. I know if you work downtown there are two churches that have 12:00 pm Masses that you can get spiritually fed in over lunch. 

By keeping connected Jesus throughout your week through prayer, God’s Word, and sacraments you’ll be able to bear the fruit in your life by living as his disciples showing love for God and neighbor. 

God bless you!

Fr. Vince's Homily - 4TH Sunday of Easter: Good Shepherd Sunday — 26 April 2015 (Cycle B)

Father Vince started off looking for someone filled with the Holy Spirit.    He referenced Peter from the first reading in Acts as being filled with the Holy and boldly proclaiming "There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved."  He said that we really need people today who are filled with the Holy Spirit who can proclaim Christ and keep our young people engaged in their faith and invite those not practicing to come back to the faith.  We must not be afraid to boldly proclaim Christ and his truth through the gift of the Holy Spirit.  We can do this best by following the model of the Good Shepherd.  Father Vince gave some good examples of how shepherd's care for their flock and ways we can put our faith inspired by the Holy Spirit into action:

The 4th Sunday of Easter is traditionally known as Good Shepherd Sunday. 

Middle Eastern culture understood very well what shepherding was all about.  It was about feeding the lambs and the sheep, grooming and clipping them,  bringing them to good

pasture where they would find food and water, delivering the new  born lambs, leading them and teaching them to stay together, seeking the ones who are lost, and protecting the sheep in the field and in the fold.  Today's Gospel reading is a call for all of us to apply these same characteristics when it comes to our faith in Jesus Christ.

To help us answer these questions let's take a look at a shepherd's job description and consider if this sounds like us:

Feeding:

Lambs need milk.  A shepherd is one who realizes that young Christians need the basics of the Gospel and simple Biblical precepts in order to grow. Are you making sure that young people are being taught the basics of our Christian faith?

A shepherd is also one who recognizes that, as opposed to milk, sheep need solid food in order to continue to mature.  In Hebrews 5:12-14 & 6:1-3 we are told:  "Anyone who still lives on milk, still being an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.  But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."  In other words, adults need to be continually taught the truth of the faith in order to grow and develop into the people God calls us to be.  Are you helping adult Catholics stay connected with their faith?

Watering:

Sheep need to be watered. A shepherd in one who realizes that the sheep need to be watered. In other words, a person who realizes that humans need God.  As water is essential to human life so is God.  Far too many people today believe that God is not necessary and they do not need a relationship with Him.  Do you let others know why a relationship with God is important?

Grooming:

Sheep need to be groomed. A shepherd is one who keeps others clean and free from the contamination of this world.  Do you stand up for the truth of God even when it is not popular or accepted?

Shearing:

Sheep need to be sheared.  A shepherd is one who realizes that at times the followers of Christ must be disciplined, encouraged, and rebuked in order to be kept fit for service to the Lord.  Listen to 2 Timothy 4:2-5 "Preach the Word; be prepared in and out of season, correct, rebuke, and encourage -- with great patience and careful instruction.  For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.  Instead, to suit their own desires they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth  . . . But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, discharge the duties of your ministry."  Are you willing to do what must be done or to say what must be said; doing this in a loving and compassionate manner?

Delivering Lambs:

New sheep must be delivered. A shepherd is one who helps others to accept Jesus Christ and His Lordship over their lives.  In John 3:3 we are told, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he or she is born again."  In John 11:25, Jesus says, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies." Do you help others to establish a relationship with Jesus Christ?

Leading:

Sheep must be lead. A shepherd is one who leads others to Christ. We must teach others to be wary of the pitfalls of the world and teach them by our own example what difference Jesus Christ can make in their lives.  Do you lead others to Jesus Christ by your own personal witness?

Wandering Sheep:

Sheep will wander off.  A shepherd is one who will always seek out those who have wandered from the Faith.. Luke 15:4, "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them.  Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?"  Do you reach out to those who no longer practice their faith?

Protection:

Sheep need protection.  A shepherd is one who protects others by giving them the Truth of God. During the time of Christ, a shepherd would bring the flock home to the fold at night.  He would then lay down in the gateway, literally becoming the door, to protect the sheep from wolves attempting to enter the sheepfold.  In Matthew 7;15 Jesus says, "Watch out for false prophets.  They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves." A shepherd, then, is one who will put their life on the line for others. Do you let others know that the truth of God is not confining, but that in being true to God, then we experience what it truly means to be free?

Conclusion:

Christians must take their relationship with Jesus Christ seriously by beings shepherds in the world today who imitate Him. 

Authentic followers of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, are those who feed the lambs and the sheep, bring others to good pasture lands and water them, groom and clip, deliver new lambs, lead and teach them to stay together, go off after the wandering lost ones, and protect the sheep in the fold and in the field.

Hopefully, this sounds like each and every one of us.  If not, let us commit ourselves to a deeper relationship to Him.

Peace in the Risen Lord, Homily, 3rd Sunday of Easter – Cycle B– 4/19/15

The past few years I’ve had the opportunity to see family and friends that I have not seen in years at weddings, funerals, and helping them through illness and other trials.   It was good seeing these friends and family members and catching up with them after many years.  It was like old times and we quickly picked up where we left off years ago.  This was a very joyful experience. 

Unfortunately there were a few people that I did not look forward seeing. For some reason or another there was a rift between us that had not been resolved.   I desired to reconcile, but they were not ready to do so.   I knew it would be very uncomfortable being with them and it made me very anxious. I’m sure that some of you have been in similar situations.  It can be quite stressful.

In today’s Gospel we hear about another encounter of the disciples with

the risen Jesus.  The disciples who met Jesus on the way to Emmaus had returned to Jerusalem.  They were telling the story to the other disciples how they recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread.  These other disciples were probably hidden away in fear as Jesus had just been killed and they feared for their own lives.

As the two disciples were telling their story, Jesus appears to the other disciples. They were probably a bit anxious to see Jesus, as they did not leave him on good terms. They had abandoned him in the garden of Gethsemane and left him with the guards to be captured, put on trial, tortured, and killed.  They bailed out on Jesus and left him alone.  What they did would be hard for anyone to forgive.  They knew this and may have felt troubled by Jesus appearing to them.  Also, it must have been frightening to hear that someone had risen from the dead and they may have thought he was a ghost. 

Jesus recognizes that the disciples are troubled and speaks these words of comfort to them: “Peace be with you.”  He knows they are troubled and puts them at ease by offering them his peace.   It’s probably not what the disciple’s expected to hear, but what they needed.   To show them that he had is alive and present to them in the flesh Jesus offers them to touch him.  

Jesus then shares a meal of baked fish to establish fellowship and shows that he is truly alive with a glorified immortal body and not a ghost. He reveals to the disciples the meaning of his resurrection by explaining what the Scriptures said that he would suffer, die, and rise from the dead.    Finally the disciples’ get their mission: to preach repentance for forgiveness of sins in Jesus name.  

Jesus’ encounter with the disciples in Jerusalem is a model of our encounter with him each Sunday that we come to Mass.   Each week we come with our own struggles, anxieties, and stresses just like the disciples. 

We have broken relationships that need mending and people unwilling to be mended.   We have money issues trying to make ends meet that seem impossible to overcome. We have worries about our health and our loved ones.   And to add more fuel to the fire we have sinned against God, others, and ourselves.  We, like the disciples, may be troubled, and question whether Jesus will be present to us, and forgive us.

But each week as we come to Mass we can experience the same encounter the disciples did in Jerusalem.  We start off with the priest, in persona Christi, telling us “Peace be with you”. We’re receiving the peace that only Jesus can offer.  Our minds are being opened up to the Scripture, through the readings, proclamation of the Gospel, and preaching to make sense of God’s word in the context of our lives.  We then get the beautiful gift of being communion with the Lord by sharing in the Eucharistic meal where Jesus is truly present to us in the sacrament. Through the Eucharist we are forgiven of our venial sin. When we receive Jesus in the sacrament we are given the gift of becoming what we eat: to become Jesus to others.

Through Christ’s sacrifice we also become adopted sons and daughters of the Father. We are then sent out like the disciples to “Go announce the Gospel of the Lord.”  

As we come to Mass each week we need to keep in mind that Jesus did the ultimate for us by offering his life in sacrifice to forgive each of our own sins, and those of the whole world.  We need to be willing believe he is our Savior, to ask for his forgiveness, and to accept it.  This should fill us with Joy!    If we let our minds be opened up to the true gift of all that is offered in the Mass, and that Jesus is truly present and offers us forgiveness, it should bring us peace to help us through our troubles.  Our troubles may still be there, but with Jesus’ presence through the sacraments and the Body of Christ, we can make it through any challenging time. 

May the peace that Jesus offers provide us opportunities to share this good news of mercy with others so we can carry out Christ’s mission as his disciples.  God bless you.

Homily 3rd Sunday of Lent - Cycle B - Spring-cleaning and cleansing our temples

It looks like winter is finally coming to an end and spring is just around the corner.   After being cooped up in the house for the last few weeks of cold and snow I bet you’re ready for some warmer weather and a change from the drab scenery.   Along with the warmer weather comes everyone’s favorite activity: Spring-cleaning.   It’s time to do some deep cleaning and get rid of the clutter that’s accumulated in the house and garage over the winter, and freshen things up.   It’s amazing after a thorough cleaning how you can see things in a new light.   This season of Lent helps us to clean up and get rid of the clutter in our spiritual lives, so we can get ready for the new season of Easter.

Jesus was doing some clean up today as we hear the Gospel of the cleansing of the temple. He was doing this with an attitude to make a point.  We hear he made a whip out of cords, overturned table of coins, and drove animals out of the temple area.  Why would he do this?  The moneychangers and merchants were necessary for the pilgrims’ visit to the temple.   People had traveled a long way on the pilgrimage to Jerusalem and had to make an offering to God in the temple.  They weren’t able to bring offerings with them on these long trips so they needed to purchase them when they got to Jerusalem.   They also needed to exchange the Roman coins that had pagan symbols on them, which were prohibited in the temple, for Jewish money that was acceptable for use in the temple.  These merchants & moneychangers were located in the court of the Gentiles and outside of the temple proper and weren’t interfering with worship. So both of these services seemed to be legitimate to the needs of the people, but their presence was probably distracting.

When Jesus enters the temple it makes these offerings obsolete, because the temple was no longer necessary to worship God.    Jesus is the incarnate Word of God, the person of God in human flesh and blood.  He was there to fully reveal God to humanity through His presence.  Jesus is making the point that He is the new temple, through the temple of His body.   He will reveal who he is through the miracles of healing, casting out demons, and forgiving sins. But he knew the people of Israel would be slow to accept this.  They were too caught up in their old ways of worship and could not recognize who Jesus is, the Messiah and Son of God. So he stirs things up by cleansing the temple.   When challenged by Jews in the temple of why he did this his response is: “To destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”  The Jews had no idea of what he meant by this.   It took forty-six years to build the temple, and they could not fathom what he meant by rebuilding in three day.    This would only make sense to those who heard it after his crucifixion and resurrection.

We can as well get caught up in our old routines that clutter up our ability to recognize Jesus and who he is if we don’t take time to do some spiritual cleaning of our own temples. As baptized Christians we make up the Body of Christ.  If Jesus is the new temple, we participate in it as being part of the Body of Christ.  How do we clean up our own temples individually and as a community:  Through our Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and alms giving that bring us to repentance.   During Lent we have plenty of opportunities to clean up our temples by assessing what’s cluttering up our spiritual lives and receiving the sacrament of reconciliation.  

If we are going to make a good confession, we need to take some time and do a good assessment of our relationship with God and our neighbor.  Last week Father Vince gave us some good ideas to start on this assessment by reflecting on attitudes we need to fast from and also feast on.  This week we read about the Ten Commandments to given to Moses.  By following these it helps us to live as Jesus teaches: to love God and neighbor.  These commandments help us assess what clutter to remove from our lives. Most of the commandments are written in a negative context: thou shall not.  In the Lenten spirit of the changing our hearts & repenting it may be better to think of these as actions to avoid or in some cases to do, so we can be free from sin and love God and neighbor. When we review the commandants its a good idea examine our sins of omissions as well which the actions we should be doing, but may not be doing that well, to show our love for our neighbor.  For example have I been generous with the gifts God have given me and shared them with those who are most in need?  The beatitudes are a good tool to reflect on this as they help us determine if our actions are being Christ like.

So as you do some spring-cleaning at home remember to clean out the clutter that keeps you from being in relationship with Jesus, so you can be prepared at Easter to recognize Jesus as our Savior who builds up the Body of Christ.  May God bless all of you!

Homily for 1st Sunday of Lent - Cycle B - Set your sights on the Kingdom of God

Have you ever longed to be somewhere else to take you away from your cares and troubles?  I bet today is one of those days with the cold and snowy weather we’re having. The rainbow in today’s first reading reminded me of favorite childhood movie where someone longed to be taken away from her cares at the end of the rainbow:  The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy longed to be in a perfect land beyond the horizon.  She got her wish and wound up in munchkin land and then journeyed to Oz. We may yearn to

escape from our troubles, but we don’t need to search over the rainbow to find it. In today’s first reading God makes a covenant with Noah to never again destroy all the men and creatures of the earth through a flood. God’s reminder of this covenant is the rainbow. It’s fulfilled through Jesus who brings about the Kingdom of God. 

Today’s Gospel is brief, but has a powerful message.  In the first part we hear about Jesus overcoming the temptation by Satan in the desert.  There aren’t a lot of details about this encounter, but it gives us great hope.  We’re told that, “The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert”.  Just prior to this John had just baptized Jesus, and the Holy Spirit had descended upon him.  Jesus’ immediate action after baptism is to battle Satan and the wild beasts in the desert.  Jesus resists the temptations of Satan with the help of Holy Spirit and angels.  His victory over the temptations reverses the consequences of Adam and Eve’s sin. Jesus wasn’t in need of baptism, he’s without sin, but by being baptized and tested in the desert, he unites himself with our struggles to overcome sin.   His obedience in following God’s will triumphs over Satan, and is also triumph for us.   This is Good News!

In the second part Jesus proclaims:  “Now is the time of fulfillment.  The Kingdom of God is at hand.” The Kingdom of God is a prominent theme of Jesus’ ministry.  In proclaiming the Kingdom He’s announces that God’s reign has come through himself.   The people of Israel had longed for God’s reign to come in a Messiah who would overcome the political powers to restore a rightful ruler to Israel. But Jesus was not the mighty ruler they were expecting.  He is a humble servant, who not only came for the people of Israel, but for everyone.

Jesus continues John’s ministry of calling to repentance and baptism, but adds a new dimension.  Jesus proclaims to “Repent AND believe in the Gospel.”  Another word for Gospel is good news. What is the good news: Jesus miraculous healings and forgiveness of sins to bring about the Kingdom of God. Also, the salvation made possible for us through his obedience in suffering and sacrifice. This indeed is good news!

Lent can be a challenging time.  It’s a time that we deny ourselves through daily sacrifice.  We’re giving up things that we like and committing our time in prayer or serving others. It’s a time set apart by the Church to repent through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.  While these practices are a challenge, they’re meant to lead us to where we should really want be: the Kingdom of God celebrating the Easter Joy of the Risen Lord.   If we keep this destination in mind and unite our sufferings with Jesus it can make the time of Lent a time of joyful anticipation. 

We don’t need to go it alone during Lent. Through our baptism we can rely on the Holy Spirit to bring about the virtues to help us in our journey.   We can call on our guardian angel to help fight the temptations the devil puts in our way.   We also have our families and faith community who can support us.  But even with this help we may fail in keeping our Lenten observances and yield to our temptations.   These failures may not be all that bad, as they help us to realize we need a savior.  When we struggle with our temptations please that remember Jesus faced the same challenges and is united with us in our struggles.  He understands what we’re going through and has compassion for us.  If we fail in our Lenten disciplines or fall into sin don’t give up.  Ask Jesus for help and start over.  If you need to go to confession there are plenty of times to receive Jesus’ forgiveness through the sacrament of reconciliation.

If you haven’t chosen a Lenten discipline yet or are struggling in keeping yours, I’d like to offer three for consideration.   The first is to slowly pray the Our Father daily. Meditate on how you’re living out this prayer in your daily life.   Really focus is on, “thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”.  Think about how you are bringing about the Kingdom of God to those close to you and also to those most in need.  A second suggestion is to read Mark’s Gospel from start to finish.  This is the shortest Gospel and is being read throughout the Church year. One of the best ways to come to know the good news of Jesus is to read the story about him.   If you finish before the end of Lent is over, read it again.  Finally, plan on coming to Mass twenty minutes early to participate in the Stations of the Cross devotions. These practices will help you “Repent and believe in the Gospel.”

Instead of longing to be somewhere over the rainbow during Lent set your sights on the Kingdom of God, recalling the covenant of God’s love.  Through God’s love the waters of baptism bring us new life in Christ.  Through baptism the grace of the Holy Spirit provides strength to live a virtuous life and resist temptations to sin.  It also helps to make the Kingdom of God present to those around us through our acts of service to others.   As we prepare to receive the Eucharist let us all thank God for the Holy Spirit and His angels who help us on our Lenten journey. 

Homily from 4th Sunday: Fr. Alberto, Food for the Poor: It’s not my turn to eat today – If today you hear his voice, harden not your heart?

Fr. Alberto from Food for the Poor came in this weekend to share the story about the people that Food for the Poor ministers to in order to help ease poverty in third world countries in the Caribbean and Central/South America.  He started out with “If today you hear his voice, harden not your heart”.  He reminded us that prayer is a two way street, not just asking Jesus to help.  So in the midst of one of the greatest way to prayer, attending Mass, he called us to listen.   One of stories that really caught my attention about the child who came for food in the village but it was not his turn to eat.   Wow, how sad.   He also told us another story beginning with the saying: “give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime”.    He went on to tell us about how Food for the Poor bought a fishing boat to provide food and employment to men in village in Jamaica and how profits from the venture went back to support efforts to help other.   Fr. Alberto closed with Matthew 25: 27-40: When did I see you me hungry and you gave me food, thirsty and you gave me drink, stranger and you welcomed me, naked and your clothed me, ill and your cared for me, in prison and your visited me? And the king will say to them in reply: Whenever you did so for the least of my brothers you did so for me.    Please join with Food for the Poor Helping in their efforts to help Jesus who we see in the face of the Poor, by returning the intention card or signing up online to support Food for the Poor.  God bless.