First Fruits

Dear Parishioners,

Today in St. Luke’s gospel (Lk 4:1-13), Jesus reacts to one of Satan’s temptations in the desert professing: “It is written: You shall worship the Lord, your God, and Him alone shall you serve.” The evangelist, St. Paul, in his letter to the Roman community (Rom 10:8-13), urges them and us, to believe Jesus is the Lord. In the Book of Deuteronomy (Dt 26:4-10), Moses, in a spirit of gratitude, offers the first fruits of the harvest to the priest. The Lord invites Christian stewards to return to Him our “first fruits” of time in prayer, talents in service, and treasure in generosity to the poor and the Church. Contribute food to North County Emergency Outreach Network (NCEON) or to Mato Grasso or spend some time in a local food kitchen as a gift of your stewardship to those in need. It will strengthen you to resist whatever temptations Satan might send your way.

Fr. Carl

How Is Your Heart?

Brothers and Sisters,

As we prepare for the upcoming Lenten season, may we all be mindful of our heart condition. I’m not speaking of our cardio-vascular health, but our spiritual well-being and the importance of our relationship with God.

As we begin this season of repentance and reflection, let us contemplate what this time means and how the three pillars of Lent can lead us to a closer relationship with God. The three pillars being prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

Prayer is our conversation with God. It is essential for fasting and almsgiving, because prayer gives us the strength to fast. Pope Francis said, “Lent is a privileged time for prayer.” In prayer, we draw closer in relationship with God. Relationship with God makes us grateful for the blessings we have received. Prayer is the cornerstone of our Lenten journey and is vital to all of our actions in life.

Fasting and abstinence are old traditions in Christian history. Found in the Scriptures, they offer us a way of growing closer to God. In addition to the traditional forms of fasting from food, maybe try fasting from social media, technology, or excessive screen time. Fasting reminds us of our hunger for God.

Almsgiving or giving of our time and treasure is a response to God. One that we can come to through prayer and fasting. It is a way to live out our gratitude for all that God has given us, reflecting the realization that we are the Body of Christ, responsible for each other. Justice, mercy, and charity are integral elements of our baptism that call us to be disciples of Jesus.

Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving lead us to the heart of what Lent is about—a deeper conversion and love for Jesus Christ.

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

Tree-mendous Changes for Spring

Dear Parishioners,

Joyce Kilmer was considered the leading American Roman Catholic poet and lecturer of his generation. Unfortunately, Sgt. Kilmer was killed at the age of 31 during WWI in France. But not before writing the poem, Trees—“I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree…” However, these lovely creations of God can cause problems. While the oak trees alongside the church serve as a nice frame, they have required added expenses in time and money. Removing the leaves from the gutters every 4–6 weeks costs $7,000 or more a year, and it takes our sole maintenance man several hours each month to clear the window wells and keep the drains open to prevent water from coming into the lower church during heavy rains. Also, the roots have pushed up some blocks of the sidewalk causing dangerous trip hazards. Roots have also penetrated the underground plumbing, causing back-ups and the need to replace a large section of the raw sewage drain. Finally, leaves do get caught in the underground drains and require “Drain Sites” to come and snake the lines.

After discussing the situation, the Maintenance Committee recommended cutting the trees down and replacing the areas with smaller trees and bushes. The Parish Council, at its meeting on February 8th, unanimously agreed. The current plan is to take down the trees around the church in March and replace them with smaller trees, bushes and raised flower beds.

We are currently working with an experienced landscape designer who will help transform the side walkways into a more attractive and inviting setting for our church.

Fr. Carl

Whom Do You Trust?

My Sisters and Brothers,

The readings this week are guideposts for living as disciples of Jesus. How should our actions reflect our faith and trust in the Lord?

As we listen to this week’s Gospel (Lk 6:17, 20-26), Luke’s version of the Beatitudes jars our sensibilities. Those who are poor, hungry, weeping, or persecuted are called “blessed.” This is, indeed, a Gospel of reversals. Those often thought to have been forgotten by God are called blessed. In the list of “woes,” those whom we might ordinarily describe as blessed in this world are warned about their peril. Riches, possessions, laughter, reputation… these are not things that we can depend upon as sources of eternal happiness. They not only fail to deliver on their promise, but misplaced trust in them will lead to emptiness and eternal destruction. The ultimate peril is in misidentifying the source of our eternal happiness.

The Beatitudes are often described as a framework for Christian living. Jesus gives us the Beatitudes which are our prescription for Divine Happiness. The Beatitudes teach us how to enter the Kingdom of heaven and share in God’s divine life. They guide us in holiness.

Our vocation as Christians is not to be first in this world, but rather to be first in the eyes of God. We are challenged to examine our present situation in the context of our ultimate destiny and life’s purpose, the Kingdom of God. Where do we place our ultimate trust? “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.”

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

Let's Go Fishing!

Dear Parishioners,

What a nice surprise! After a very cold weekend, my heart was warmed by the generosity of a deceased parishioner. After worshipping here for many years, he remembered St. Jane’s in his will and left the parish a nice gift. Right now, I’m in the process of renewing my will and adding St. Jane’s as one of my beneficiaries. After all, the parish has been so good to me, I can’t forget her when I go to meet the Lord. After all the blessings and sacramental graces we all receive here, it is only right to remember the parish in our wills. 

Today’s gospel shows Peter and his companions surprised by Jesus and his help in catching a great number of fish (Lk 5:1-11). Before Jesus arrived, they had caught nothing. But in following Jesus’ advice, they caught so many fish that the boats almost sank. What a blessing Jesus was to Peter and his friends. But even greater still was Jesus’ invitation to join Him in his mission to catch men for God. It’s a mission to which we are all called through our different vocations in life. The extent to which we live out the gospel values of Jesus will determine the success in bringing our brothers and sisters to the Lord. May you have a successful fishing trip as you sail through life.

Fr. Carl

Love Never Fails

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Love is the common way in how we relate to God, to others, or to ourselves. As followers of Christ, love is our trademark.

Love is a tricky word. It’s most often understood as an intense feeling of deep affection. Spiritually, love has a much deeper and richer meaning; it transcends a feeling or emotion. This is what we see in our second reading from St. Paul to the Corinthians (1 Cor 12:31–13:13). Paul tells us that love isn’t merely a feeling but a way of relating to others. While most of us are fairly familiar with this reading, slowing down to read it empowers us to enjoy subtle beauties we may otherwise miss. In this timeless passage on love, Paul instructs us about what we need to hold close and what we need to let go. He empowers us with a framework to respond to any situation in love. Sometimes we will need to do things that are out of our comfort zone; sometimes we will need to not do things that feel natural to us. In both situations, love empowers us to respond beyond our feelings, so we may convey life to others.

We can begin by putting these into practice with those closest to us, our family. Although as Christians, we don’t stop there. As outlined in 1 Corinthians, we’re called to love everyone God brings into our lives. We are to imitate Christ and his love for others, even when that is difficult. Love never fails.

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

To Whom Are You Listening?

Human history reveals many periods where people lost a sense of God’s transcendence. It may even be argued that human beings have been wandering and lost more than they have been at home and focused. Human nature being what it is, we struggle with who God really is — the God of our salvation history or the “gods” of human constructs. Relying on our own designs and pursuits, we forget that we really are meant to listen to One upon whom the Spirit of the Lord rests, Jesus Christ, and not to ourselves. That same history that reveals our fickleness and infidelity also reveals God’s constancy and faithfulness. God always finds us.

As people wander and fumble to find their way, God is there bringing them back to holiness and giving them the assurance of His presence. We have to allow God’s Word, God’s life, to touch us and change us. It can make us more flexible and attentive to the sacred in all facets of life so that every day is one that is holy. Every day is a time when fulfillment is possible for one’s soul. Jesus stood before those gathered in the synagogue as the fulfillment of words of promise that were echoed long ago. God doesn’t forget. He always comes for us.

Now it is time to remember to go to God. Sometimes our lives are so confused and tangled that it is difficult to see the Word and hand of God. But when we realize, deep within, the depth of friendship God offers to us it really has the power to turn sadness to joy. The promise is fulfilled. Going frequently to God’s Word, allowing ourselves to be enriched and rejuvenated, and pondering the certainly of God’s fidelity and promise permanently transforms us. We will be more aware of the sacred and the holy and less invested in things that pull us away.