Love Thy Neighbor

Dear Parishioners,

So very often, natural disasters bring out the very best in the human race. Time and again, Hurricane Harvey brought that out on the television, radio, and other media outlets as we see the outpouring of love and assistance from rescue efforts brought to bear in Texas.

The readings this weekend are all about this love of neighbor. In the Gospel (Matthew 18:15-20), Jesus tells us that one form of that love is privately confronting a neighbor who has wronged us. Done in a loving way, it can cause repentance and a healing of relationships. As I was taught in the Navy, “praise in public, correct in private.” Unfortunately, there is a tendency to hold the wrong in our hearts and then share that wrong with others through gossip. That helps neither party involved as more people are negatively effected.

The first reading (Ezekiel 33:7-9) is similar, as it reminds us of our responsibility of a spiritual work of mercy—“warn the sinner.” Again, it’s not easy, but if we truly love, we want all of our brothers and sisters to go to heaven. Sin leads us in the other direction. As Paul reminds us in the second reading (Romans 13:8-10) quoting Jesus, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Fr. Carl

“Love for our neighbor consists of threes things: To desire the greater good of everyone; to do what good we can when we can; to bear, excuse and hide others’ faults.”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars

You Need Not Be Alone

Dear Parishioners,

My mother-in-law is transitioning to assisted living. She fears being abandoned by her children. No one should be alone. This is the source of a great deal of anguish and pain, especially for the elderly. We humans are not made like that, we are social creatures who are made to interact and be with others. Everyone should be able to rely on friends and family for support and interaction. When I was young, I worked with a man who had not spoken to his brother in 35 years. My father had a sister who moved to California before I was born and never spoke with him or the family again. I never met or spoke to her. There is something very sad about that. I hope that she found a community of friends or a church of which to be a part.

Church has always been a place where my wife and I felt supported, we were known and knew others. When our kids were young, we had scout friends and band friends and play date friends. But these changed over time. Our church community has always been a more stable source of relationships. We have found wonderful and caring people there, people who share similar attitudes, beliefs, and practices. It is for us a rich fabric of connections. And we have grown greatly within this loving atmosphere of support and care. So much good has come from it. I cannot imagine not having people of faith as friends. As a result, we have been touched by God’s love in real and powerful ways. I pray that for those who do not have this joy of deep friendship in their lives, that God will help them to encounter it. I pray that God will provide all people with supportive relationships, so that no one will be alone. Help us Lord to touch those lonely people we encounter with your love, so that they will feel included and be connected.

Blessings,
Deacon Steve

“We must always act in the way that will give most glory to God.”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars

Peter The Rock

Dear Parishioners,

Just inside the northern boundary of Israel, King Herod built a city which was rebuilt by his son Philip who renamed it after the Roman Emperor (Caesar) and himself. Hence, the city was known as Caesarea Philippi. A sizeable river issues from a cave there and is one of the main sources of the Jordan River. It was also a pagan shrine. Hence, since pagan worship and worldly power joined forces to dominate people’s lives, Jesus’ commissioning of Peter with the key of the kingdom is a sign of a new kingdom coming into the world eclipsing that of Caesar, Herod, and pagan worship.

Furthermore, there is a huge rock there, and God was referred to as a rock in the Old Testament. In giving Simon a new name, Peter, which means “rock,” Jesus is giving God’s authority to Peter to be exercised for the good of his people, the Church (Matthew 16:13-20). Let us be forever grateful for this great blessing now under the leadership of Pope Francis, the successor of Peter, as we pray for his ministry in the world today.

Fr. Carl

“When I am about to talk to anybody,” said a young
village girl, “I picture to myself Jesus Christ and how
gracious and friendly he was to everyone.”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars

For a wonderful study on St. Peter being the rock on which Jesus would build His Church, see the Lectio series on St. Peter at Formed.org. It's FREE for St. Jane Frances parishioners!

Where Are We Going?

Dear Parishioners,

For her graduation gift, our daughter took a trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. She received a degree in marine biology from the College of Charleston. She had a great time and brought back lots of cool pictures of the wild life, the blue birds, the bright red and blue crabs, and the old tortoises. She enlarged some photos and gave them as gifts. We got a picture she took of the Amazon river. Now it is a 2' by 3' framed picture of the front bow of a boat in dense fog. It is all grey except for the red and brown bow of the boat pointing forward. There is a simple beauty to it. It is also intriguing. You cannot see where you are going. In front of you are only vague shapes and shadows. For me, this is a great metaphor of life. We don’t know where we are going. We have our ideas and our desires and needs. But do we really know where or how we will live tomorrow? Did my wife and I expect to be at St. Jane’s, living in Maryland ten years ago? Was this our master plan? Well, no. But here we are. This is where God has planted us. And it is here where we will grow. A deacon friend of mine says that the best way to get a laugh out of God is to tell him your plans! I believe that God has plans for us, plans of goodness and love and salvation. “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe! Plans to give you a future full of hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) Let us take our boat into the fogginess of life, but with the reassurance that we go, not alone, but with hope in God, directing us.

Blessings,
Deacon Steve

“Let us live as the Blessed Virgin lived: loving God only, desiring God only, trying to please God only in all that we do.”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars

Lord, Save Me!

Dear Parishioners,

Our God is one of surprises. He tells Elijah that he should stand outside a cave on Mount Horeb and that he would be passing by (1 Kings 19:9a,11-13a). After all the might and power God has displayed in liberating and leading his people, his passing-by logically would be a great and momentous event like a hurricane, earthquake, or blazing fire. But God surprises us by passing by in a tiny, whispering sound. In a way, it prefigures Jesus, the Son of God, entering Jerusalem on a colt, the foal of an ass, instead of on a beautiful, white horse. It shows, as we read in the Bible, God’s ways are not our ways—nor are God’s ways the ways of the world. In short humility is the virtue that most completely unites us to Jesus and enables us to enter into communion with the Holy Trinity.

In the gospel, God again surprises us with Jesus walking on the water to save the disciples (Matthew 14:22-33). The apostles are so surprised that they don’t even recognize Jesus and think he is a ghost. Of course, he saves them after Peter’s surprising walking on the water as well. But the most important message is that Jesus comes to save us when we need him in the storms of our voyage on the seas of life, if only we call out like Peter, “Lord, save me!”

Fr. Carl

“We can only receive God once a day; a soul enkindled with divine love makes up for this by the desire of receiving him every moment of the day.”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars

Holy Matrimony Is A Beautiful Thing!

Dear Parishioners,

The sacramental view that the Catholic Church has on marriage or Holy Matrimony is stunning. The Church sees marriage not as a secular contract but as a covenant between two people and God. As the Church is Christ’s bridegroom, so spouses are to imitate this relationship. With a life-giving attitude toward each other involving dignity and respect, seeking goodness for one’s spouse, with an openness toward life, and the hope for growth in the love of God, we who are married seek out the best for our spouse. When we turn to our spouse in this way, the union is a beautiful thing.

However, this dance is not an easy one to do. In my past professional experience, I have seen it turn sour and become a tragedy, filled with criticism, blame, and anger. Personally, my parents’ relationship was fraught at times with argument and ill will. There are no easy and simple answers to these conflicts. John Gottman, a noted marriage authority, says that how one deals with conflict is an important sign of the vitality of a marriage. He sees four characteristics that impair a positive regard for one’s spouse. Focusing on the other’s faults (criticism), quickly putting up one’s defenses (defensiveness), having a strong negative evaluation of the other (contempt) and being unwilling to talk about things (stonewalling) are like a cancer that eats away at the good fabric of a relationship. On the other hand, actively listening to the other, not allowing the negative to overcome the positive, and being willing to talk and share are things to do that facilitate health in a relationship. Making the first move to come together after an argument and asking for forgiveness are also needed correctives. Being married is a beautiful thing, but it requires practice in showing respect and appreciating the dignity of the other.

Blessings,
Deacon Steve

“A soul in which the Holy Spirit dwells is never weary
in the presence of God; it gives forth a breath of love.”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars

High Hopes

Dear Parishioners,

I am sure that you have heard about the lowly mustard seed, the smallest of seeds which when grown becomes the largest of shrubs (Matthew 13:31–32). What is going on with this seed? Doesn't it know that it is small? Where did it get that attitude that it could grow tall and big? What strikes me here is that this little seed has a great attitude of hope! It is not deterred by its size or the difficult prospects of growing tall and large. Jesus said that with faith the size of a mustard seed, you could move a mountain. Our Judeo-Christian tradition is like such a seed. The Israelites being pursued by the army of the Egyptians, leave slavery in Egypt for the land promised to Abraham, Isaac and Israel. What a divinely inspired hope! It is like the hope of the four friends who lower the crippled man through the roof to see Jesus (Luke 5:17-39). Or the Virgin Mary to tell the servants at the wedding at Cana, “Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2:1–12) Or the actions of Simon Peter and his brother Andrew when Jesus says to them to follow him, they drop their nets and follow (Matthew 4:18–22). Aren’t we all followers of Christ because of such a hopeful word or thought or action? Aren’t we all mustard seeds with an attitude of hope? Hope for joy, hope for an end to war, hope for the solution to our difficulties, hope for the best diagnosis, hope for reconciliation, hope for our loved one turning back to God. I say let us continue to hope! Let us pour our energy into hope for those good things our God promises. The Israelites found the promised land. The man walked out of the house with the hole in the roof. The wine at the wedding was the best. Let us hope in God and see what good things can come of it!

Blessings,
Deacon Steve

“People will go three or four leagues to earn thirty pence, while they will not take thirty steps to hear Mass on a week -day.”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars