Dishonest Wealth

Dear Parishioners,

Our gospel today shows us a shocking restoration (Luke 16:1-13). The dishonest, squandering manager who garnered no sympathy, suddenly discovers anew the boss’ blessing. Here we see a glimpse of the resurrection, life from death, hope from despair, grace from judgment. We are not sure if the man got his job back, but I believe he got his life back.

The story ends with our Lord’s charge to “make friends by means of dishonest wealth.” This ending, though difficult, is perfect! The only wealth God lavishes on any of us is the currency of dishonest wealth. None of us can earn it, none of us deserve it, and no printing press in the world can issue it. Grace is the ultimate “dishonest wealth” because it has no basis in anything we consider important or lasting. The way God does business, grace is the only wealth that matters, and surely the only wealth that endures. This is indeed a tough story to hear, but aren’t you glad you heard it?

- Deacon Robert

“Christ opened the path to us. He is like a
roped guide climbing a mountain who, on
reaching the summit, pulls us up to him and
leads us to God. If we entrust our life to him,
if we let ourselves be guided by him, we are
certain to be in safe hands, in the hands of
our Savior, of our advocate.”
- Pope Francis

Patience and Mercy

Dear Parishioners,

In case you haven’t noticed (and there is no reason you should), the gutters around the church have been repaired, relined, and repainted. So we shouldn’t have the leaks into the church we have had in the past. That’s because the $20,000 rebate we received from the Embracing Our Mission capital campaign enabled us to pay for the work. Thank you for your generosity. Our next phase is retiling of the parish hall floor next year.

We also did some landscaping in front of the school to enhance the entrance around the flagpole and flower beds. Since we did some work in front of the church several years ago, it was only fair that we do the same for our school.

Two weeks ago, I talked about the virtue of humility as per the scripture readings. This week, the readings talk about two more difficult virtues: patience and mercy (Exodus 32:7-11, 13-14; 1 Timothy 1:12-17; Luke 15:1-32). We all appreciate God’s mercy and look forward to receiving it. Yet, when we are asked to show mercy after we have been wronged, it’s not so easy for us to dispense it. However, it would help if we never forget our great debt to Jesus and our hope for God’s mercy. As for patience, it only comes from prayer and the remembrance of God’s patience with Israel on Mount Sinai and in the desert, and Jesus’ example in the gospel, as well as regular reflection on the many stupid mistakes we have made in the past. Above all, be more patient with yourself; God hasn’t finished working on you.

- Fr. Carl

Lord, Take Over

Dear Parishioners,

I read this in one of my inspirational booklets and want to share it with you because like the author, one of my favorite prayers is only three words long, and I say it often: “Lord, take over.” In my sometimes longer form I find myself saying, “My plan is not working to well, and I’ve been told you have a better plan for me. Let’s see what you have for me.”

We need God’s guidance in inspiration to help us make good decisions. We need God to take over so we can give to others what they need from us. My experience has taught me that I cannot do this by myself. The insights must come from God.

The good news is that God’s guiding wisdom is within all of us. The bad news is that we’re often unaware of its presence in our minds and hearts. It seems that we can only discover this if we’re willing to spend time silently with God. In silent attentive prayer, we learn how to recognize and accept the guidance that God wants to give.
 
Lord, may I take the time to know your presence and to pay attention to the wisdom you want to share with me.

- Deacon Robert

Who Knows What Is Good Or Evil?

Dear Parishioners,

The great Anglican writer C.S. Lewis once wrote, “There are two kinds of people in the world – the proud who think they are humble and the humble who know they are proud. In other words, we all suffer from the sin of pride. After all, wasn’t that the problem of Satan who said “non servan” – I will not serve. And while Adam and Eve were not so bold as to refuse to serve, they wanted to be like God and so know what was good and bad so as to be like gods. Only God knows what is good or evil, and only by entering into a relationship with Him, can we know what is good or evil. Our modern culture wants to decide for itself what is good or evil without reference to the guidance of God. As a result, the world seems to be spinning more and more out of control. So, too, do our lives when we try to make decisions and act without God’s guidance and wisdom. It is good to be proactive in life, but it is wise to humble ourselves before Christ and the Church for guidance in our plan of life.

- Fr. Carl

“With Christ, the heart never grows old!”
- Pope Francis

Who Will Be Saved?

Dear Parishioners,

When we ask that question, we face the stark but amazing answer that all of us have an invitation (Lk 13:22-30). Engraved with our name on it, addressed to our heart of hearts, delivered by nail-scarred hands. God says the likes of you and me can be saved if we will simply stop trying to be saved. So stop trying to be saved, walk through the narrow door of simple faith and say “Yes” to God’s invitation to the Kingdom.

- Deacon Robert

“Wisdom is like a good wine that improves with age.”
  - Pope Francis

The Communion of Saints

Dear Parishioners,

Sometimes people ask about the communion of saints and where the Catholic Church got this notion. This week’s second reading from the letter to the Hebrews gives us a clue—“Since we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses…” This surrounding cloud of witnesses refers to the heroes of the Old Testament and those of the New Testament, and those holy ones living afterward, i.e. the saints. It’s so fitting that this reading from Hebrews always takes place in August. Of all the months, August celebrates the feasts of more saints than any other.

We have an apostle (Bartholomew), 3 popes (Sixtus II, Pius X, Pontian), 3 doctors of the Church (Alponsus Liguori, Bernard of Clairvaux, and Augustine), 1 king (Stephen of Hungary), 3 martyrs (Lawrence, Teresa Benedicta, and Maxmillian Kolbe), a mystic (Rose of Lima), 2 founders of religious communities (Dominic and our own Jane Frances), a long suffering mother and wife (Monica), and one parish priest (John Vianney). As if that were not enough, we celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration, the Assumption, the Queenship of Mary, and the Passion of John the Baptist. None of these people had an easy time of it, but they all followed the advice of St. Paul as he likened the road to holiness to a race where perseverance is the key to victory. As St. Paul reminds us at the end of today’s reading, “do not grow despondent or abandon the struggle.”

- Fr. Carl

Looking Ahead

Dear Parishioners,

The letter to the Hebrews described faith as the willingness to keep looking forward (Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19). That is, Abraham and Sarah did not get bogged down looking around at their circumstances or comparing their lives to others… they looked ahead. They did not get lost in nostalgia, looking backward over their shoulder at an idealized past, those “good old days” gone by, as if the path to happiness and fulfillment was behind them… they looked ahead. They did not get to see the fulfillment of all that they hoped, not during their lifetimes. But even at the end, as they drew their final breaths, they were looking forward, believing that the best was still coming, that God’s goodness was just getting started. And that, the writer of Hebrews said, is what faith is all about.

- Deacon Robert

“My child, we must not be afraid of doing good,
  even if it costs us something.”
- Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars