Freedom of Religion?

Dear Parishioners,

This weekend as we celebrate the Fourth or July, we relish the liberty for which our forefathers fought and sacrificed. We are the land of liberty, freedom, and opportunity. And while freedom is a great blessing, it is not enjoyed by all people around the world. Freedom is not an end in itself. Otherwise, it becomes a false idol; it takes the place of God, the only one we should adore. Freedom has limits and boundaries which, if not respected, lead to chaos, violence, and self destruction. St. Peter, in the New Testament, tells us, “Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cloak for vice.” (1 Pet 2:16) And Pope St. John Paul II teaches us that, “Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.” (Homily at Camden Yards Mass, Baltimore, 1995)

One of the blessings that God bestowed upon the human race was free will or freedom. We know from the story of Adam and Eve what happened when they abused that gift. Satan entered into human history, and we have had problems ever since. (Gen 3:1-24)

Today, our religious liberty and freedom is being threatened by the courts, legislature, and executive branch of the government which wants to restrict freedom of religion to the four walls of our church buildings. Some of the teachings of the Bible and our moral beliefs are being labeled as hate speech and bigotry, because they contradict the views of modern culture. The late Cardinal George of Chicago opined that while he expected to die in his home, his successor would die in prison, and his successor would die as a martyr. Perhaps that insight is a bit far-fetched. However, many years ago when Margaret Sanger was told that legal contraception would lead to abortion, she said that would never happen. Well it did. What will happen to freedom of religion if we do nothing?

- Father Carl

“The saints did not all begin well,
but they all ended well.”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars

God Never Gives Up On Us

Dear Parishioners,

Those who don’t believe in God, atheists, sometimes use death, suffering, and evil to justify their lack of belief. They say, “A good God wouldn’t allow all this suffering and pain, especially in the tragic death of a young innocent child.” However, the first reading teaches us differently (Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24). As we hear Wisdom say, “God does not make death nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living… But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world.”

Adam and Eve lived in a beautiful garden where all their needs were met, and they did not have to work, suffer, or die. Furthermore, they had a personal and intimate friendship with God who regularly moved around in the garden in the “breezy part of the day.” Since the devil no longer had this kind of relationship, he was envious. His successful temptation led to the sin of Adam and Eve which brought about the sin and evil we see all around us. Still, we know God didn’t give up on the human race. He sent Jesus. In today’s gospel (Mark 5:21-43), we see our Lord restoring health and life to those suffering physical evil in this world. He wants to do the same to us, curing the spiritual evil (sins) in our life and leading us to eternal life.

Let us pray for the grace to remain faithful to God in resisting the devil’s temptations and turn back through the sacrament of Confession when we fail. For Jesus will never fail us.

- Father Carl

“Do your work, not in order to grow rich or to
win the approval of men, but for God’s sake.”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars

In The Eye Of The Storm

Dear Parishioners,

Jesus calmed the storm, talking to the wind and sea as if they were rambunctious children playing too loudly in the living room. He simply called out to the weather and said, “Calm down.” Immediately the wind stopped, the sea returned to placid, and the clouds parted. Then Jesus turned to the disciples and seized this teachable moment to address the storm that had been raging inside each of them. “Why were you afraid? Calm your fear by your faith.”

And there it is: the reason Jesus could sleep in the middle of a storm, the reason he could keep his head even though everyone else around him was losing theirs. He lived, worked, and rested by faith. That connection with his heavenly Father kept him balanced, focused and centered… no matter the storm. Couldn’t that work for us too?

- Deacon Robert

“If we loved our Lord, we should have the Tabernacle,
that dwelling place of God, always before the eyes of our mind.”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars

The Parable of the Seeds

Dear Parishioners,

What might be the meaning of these parables about seeds? (Mark 4:26-34) In all of these agricultural parables that open this teaching sequence in Mark’s Gospel, we are struck with the hope and power of seeds. Certainly a farmer is necessary to sow the seeds, work the fields and gather the harvest, but it is the power of seeds and soil that perform the magic, transforming scarcity into abundance and turning ridiculously small beginnings into transforming and powerful ends. Jesus said the Kingdom of God is much like this. Its beginning is not impressive… just an itinerant preacher talking with peasants in a small country on the backside of the Roman Empire. This is the mustard seed phase of the Kingdom. But somehow, hidden from the sight and input of humankind, God transforms such humble beginnings into the greatest power ever unleashed upon human history. God’s small, germinating kingdom seeds have begun to sprout!

- Deacon Robert

“Virtue demands courage, constant effort, and
above all, help from on high.”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars

This Is My Body, This Is My Blood

Dear Parishioners,

Our Lord performed many miracles during his time on earth. He turned water into wine, gave sight to the blind, cured lepers, healed the lame, the deaf and the mute. He even raised Lazarus from the dead. But the greatest of all miracles took place at the Last Supper when he instituted the Eucharist. He gave his disciples his body and blood under the appearance of bread and wine. While all his other miracles took place only during Our Lord’s time on earth, this miracle continues to take place every time Mass is celebrated. What is more astonishing is the fact that this miracle can’t be seen by the human eye. The bread and wine doesn’t seem to change. It looks like, smells like, and tastes like bread and wine, but it is not. It’s Jesus. How do we know? Because Jesus tells us so in the gospels (Mark 14:12-16, 22-26). Still, people have had their doubts. So there have been a number of miracles seen throughout the ages where hosts have literally turned into bleeding flesh or hosts have not disintegrated even after several hundred years. You can read about these miracles in several books: “This Is My Body, This Is My Blood; Miracles of the Eucharist” by Bob and Penny Lord, and “The Eucharistic Miracles of the World” by Real Presence Eucharistic Education and Adoration Association.

However, the greatest miracle is what the Eucharist does for us. It unites us to Jesus every time we receive it, provided we are in the state of grace, and gives us the grace and energy to be authentic disciples of Jesus. What an amazing miracle!

- Father Carl

Charity and Sacrifice

Dear Parishioners,

This past weekend, as we remembered our service men and women who sacrificed their lives to preserve our freedoms, we gave thanks for their noble service. Of course the greatest sacrifice, by far, was that of our Lord on Mount Calvary which is why we don’t thank him just one Memorial Day a year, but every weekend when we celebrate the Eucharist (thanksgiving). Because of Jesus and Good Friday, we are able to have an intimate and personal relationship with God as well as a corporate or community connection to Him. Part of our thanksgiving is expressed through prayer; but charity is also important through service to the church, our neighbors, and the wider community.

Finally, in Tuesday’s reading from the Book of Sirach (Sir 35:1-12), we heard, “In generous spirit pay homage to the Lord. With each contribution show a cheerful countenance and pay your tithes in a spirit of joy. Give to the Most High as he has given to you, generously, according to your means. For the Lord is one who always repays, and he will give back to you sevenfold.”

- Father Carl

“With a humble person, whether he is laughed at or esteemed,
praised or blamed, honored or despised, whether people pay
attention to him or pass him by, it is all the same to him.”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars

Pentecost

Dear Parishioners,

Christian witness is not just a memorized speech, or a set of secret words and rituals to recite. When the Church is filled with the Spirit of God, the witness is persuasive without resorting to bullying or manipulation. It is inspired without having to be loud or coerced. When the Spirit comes upon the Church, our tongues are set on fire, released to tell the Good News in a way that actually sounds good and we are inspired to spread the Good News to the world. (Acts 2:1-11)

- Deacon Robert

“You can pray by putting yourself quite simply in touch
with God. When one finds nothing more to say to Him
but just knows He is there—that in itself is the best of prayers.”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars