Dear Parishioners,
Our Gospel today is not a Divine command to pick up every hitchhiker or throw caution to the wind (Luke 10:25-37). But it does call us to reexamine our cowering fear that makes us miss the opportunity to make a difference in the world, and to face our fears for the sake of love. The fireman knows all too well the danger of the burning building, but rushes in while others are rushing out. A friend stays up all night providing a shoulder for the tears of her broken-hearted friend. Getting involved in that domestic problem is messy, time and energy-consuming; but she can do no other because her love for her friend draws her in.
Sometimes we just have to face our fears and walk into the path of potential danger or inconvenience for the sake of doing the right thing, for the sake of our higher calling as followers of the one who gave us this parable in the first place. Apathy, that makes us see injustice or suffering and simply shrug our shoulders as if to say, “Well, at least it is not my neighbor,” cannot define our lives.
Fear that makes us see the suffering of others and run the other way into our safe cocoon, cannot define our lives. We can be too careful. Lord have mercy. And may we find the courage and compassion to have mercy, too.
- Deacon Robert
Rev. Stephen Hook is Pastor of the Pastorate of the Visitation which includes the Catholic Churches of Pasadena, Maryland: St. Jane Frances de Chantal (Riviera Beach) and Our Lady of the Chesapeake (Lakeshore). He is assisted by Associate Pastor Rev. John Belinki, Deacon Howard Klohr, and Deacon Rick Clemens. To learn more about our pastorate, please visit www.catholicpasadena.org.
Friday, July 12, 2013
Friday, July 5, 2013
Let All The Earth Cry Out With Joy
Dear Parishioners,
The theme of today’s readings is JOY. Isaiah tells us to rejoice and exult with Jerusalem (Isaiah 66:10-14c); the psalm response tells us, “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy;” and the gospel (Luke 10:1-12, 17-20) shows the seventy-two returning to Jesus jubilant from their missionary work. It has been said that joy (not pleasure or excitement), is the unmistakable sign of God’s presence. People who have a good relationship with God so very often exude that joy in their demeanor and dealings with other people. However, lest we become too caught up in our successes in life that bring us natural joy, Jesus reminds us that the greatest joy is that our names are inscribed in heaven.
- Fr. Carl
The theme of today’s readings is JOY. Isaiah tells us to rejoice and exult with Jerusalem (Isaiah 66:10-14c); the psalm response tells us, “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy;” and the gospel (Luke 10:1-12, 17-20) shows the seventy-two returning to Jesus jubilant from their missionary work. It has been said that joy (not pleasure or excitement), is the unmistakable sign of God’s presence. People who have a good relationship with God so very often exude that joy in their demeanor and dealings with other people. However, lest we become too caught up in our successes in life that bring us natural joy, Jesus reminds us that the greatest joy is that our names are inscribed in heaven.
- Fr. Carl
Friday, June 28, 2013
Let Freedom Ring
St. Paul tells the Galatians “For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery!” (Galatians 5:1, 13-18) In just a few days, we celebrate the birthday of our nation. Let freedom ring!
Let it ring celebrating the good gift these United States are to all of us. With all of our challenges, we are still the envy of the world. For many reasons, not the least of which, is the right to elect our own government, and then when voters choose to transition to a new government, we do so without armed conflict. The freedom we know as citizens ought to cause us as Christian believers to thank God once again for the freedom first found in Jesus Christ.
Let freedom ring most of all by living out God’s generous love given to others. No one can compel another to believe. But by our lives lived in love, we show others Christ’s way and Christ’s love and the awesome freedom Christ gives to all who follow him. Reject anything in your life that would enslave your soul or another and in its place, let Christ’s freedom ring out from your life and in so doing become God’s good gift of freedom to others.
- Deacon Robert
Let it ring celebrating the good gift these United States are to all of us. With all of our challenges, we are still the envy of the world. For many reasons, not the least of which, is the right to elect our own government, and then when voters choose to transition to a new government, we do so without armed conflict. The freedom we know as citizens ought to cause us as Christian believers to thank God once again for the freedom first found in Jesus Christ.
Let freedom ring most of all by living out God’s generous love given to others. No one can compel another to believe. But by our lives lived in love, we show others Christ’s way and Christ’s love and the awesome freedom Christ gives to all who follow him. Reject anything in your life that would enslave your soul or another and in its place, let Christ’s freedom ring out from your life and in so doing become God’s good gift of freedom to others.
- Deacon Robert
Friday, June 21, 2013
God’s Beloved Family
We who are clothed with Christ are family. Saint Paul says we “are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.” God has written all of us into God’s estate plan and wants to lavish on us all the wealth of His love.
Clothed with Christ, we are heirs with Christ, God’s beloved family. Look around… see Christ in your brothers and sisters… and understand the good news, that by God’s grace, we are all clothed with Christ.
- Deacon Robert
Clothed with Christ, we are heirs with Christ, God’s beloved family. Look around… see Christ in your brothers and sisters… and understand the good news, that by God’s grace, we are all clothed with Christ.
- Deacon Robert
Friday, June 14, 2013
Humility, the Mother of All Virtues
Dear Parishioners,
The greatest king of Israel, a law abiding Pharisee, and a well-known sinful woman come together this week to teach us about sin, humility, and forgiveness (2 Samuel 12:7-10, 13; Galatians 2:16, 19-21; Luke 7:36 - 8:3). We see the great King David revealed to be a murderer and an adulterer. He who was so powerful and blessed by God succumbed to temptation, sinned, and then sinned even more severely. However, when his evil deeds came to light, he humbly repented and discovered, to his great relief, that God had forgiven him.
The Pharisee’s sin was slight in comparison to David’s. He omitted the usual hospitality of having his guest’s feed washed and judged Jesus not to be a prophet. Furthermore, in his pride, the first of the capital sins, he judged the woman. Only God judges. When we judge, we put ourselves in the place of God.
We don’t know for sure what the woman’s sin was, but we can make a good guess. She knew what she had done and humbled herself in repentance for her sins, and showed her love for God by washing, drying, and perfuming our Lord’s feet. Of the king, the Pharisee, and the woman, she outshines the other two, for humility, the mother of all virtues, is the first step to the greatest – LOVE.
- Father Carl
The greatest king of Israel, a law abiding Pharisee, and a well-known sinful woman come together this week to teach us about sin, humility, and forgiveness (2 Samuel 12:7-10, 13; Galatians 2:16, 19-21; Luke 7:36 - 8:3). We see the great King David revealed to be a murderer and an adulterer. He who was so powerful and blessed by God succumbed to temptation, sinned, and then sinned even more severely. However, when his evil deeds came to light, he humbly repented and discovered, to his great relief, that God had forgiven him.
The Pharisee’s sin was slight in comparison to David’s. He omitted the usual hospitality of having his guest’s feed washed and judged Jesus not to be a prophet. Furthermore, in his pride, the first of the capital sins, he judged the woman. Only God judges. When we judge, we put ourselves in the place of God.
We don’t know for sure what the woman’s sin was, but we can make a good guess. She knew what she had done and humbled herself in repentance for her sins, and showed her love for God by washing, drying, and perfuming our Lord’s feet. Of the king, the Pharisee, and the woman, she outshines the other two, for humility, the mother of all virtues, is the first step to the greatest – LOVE.
- Father Carl
Friday, June 7, 2013
God Does Not Abandon You
Dear Parishioners,
So many of the things that populate our daily schedules are routine. We rise in the morning, have breakfast, bathe, dress, go to our job, perhaps volunteer or meet a friend for lunch. In moments of leisure, we may read a book, watch a baseball game, play a few hands of bridge, or turn up soil in our gardens. Errands get notched here and there in the day’s schedule like going to the dry cleaners, grocery store, gas station… and attend church? You know the drill… things to do, people to see, day after day. Nothing much here that would be considered life and death issues.
But there are days that none of us welcome. Days when we learn of a friend’s sudden passing, the news of a neighbor’s loss of work, the awareness that health has suddenly taken a turn for the worse, or that a child has lost his or her way.
Our scripture stories today tell us that God does not abandon us in those moments of darkness (Luke 7:11-17). In fact, the stories tell us quite the opposite… when darkness shows up and hope seems to move out, God moves in, because God has never moved out! God is with us, reminding us, as Paul wrote the Romans long ago, “neither life nor death can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” When our resources are totally gone, God’s resources are just beginning.
- Deacon Robert
So many of the things that populate our daily schedules are routine. We rise in the morning, have breakfast, bathe, dress, go to our job, perhaps volunteer or meet a friend for lunch. In moments of leisure, we may read a book, watch a baseball game, play a few hands of bridge, or turn up soil in our gardens. Errands get notched here and there in the day’s schedule like going to the dry cleaners, grocery store, gas station… and attend church? You know the drill… things to do, people to see, day after day. Nothing much here that would be considered life and death issues.
But there are days that none of us welcome. Days when we learn of a friend’s sudden passing, the news of a neighbor’s loss of work, the awareness that health has suddenly taken a turn for the worse, or that a child has lost his or her way.
Our scripture stories today tell us that God does not abandon us in those moments of darkness (Luke 7:11-17). In fact, the stories tell us quite the opposite… when darkness shows up and hope seems to move out, God moves in, because God has never moved out! God is with us, reminding us, as Paul wrote the Romans long ago, “neither life nor death can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” When our resources are totally gone, God’s resources are just beginning.
- Deacon Robert
Friday, May 31, 2013
Solemnity of Corpus Christi (“The Body of Christ”)
Dear Parishioners,
Our current celebration of the Solemnity of Corpus Christi (the Body of Christ), was started in the 1270s. It was originally set on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. Why Thursday? Because it was on Holy Thursday that Jesus instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper. However, after the Second Vatican Council, some Bishops’ Conferences around the world transferred the feast to the following Sunday, and the United States was one of them. Still some countries maintain the feast on Thursday and have wonderful processions in honor of the Blessed Sacrament.
St. Thomas Aquinas composed many of the hymns for this feast: Adoro Te Devote, Pange Lingua, and Humbly We Adore You. While it is a wonderful tradition to adore Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, it is more important to receive Him at Mass. After all, Jesus tells us, “I am the living bread come down from heaven…, if anyone eats this bread, he will live forever.” (John 6:51-52). That’s the best reason to celebrate this feast and the Eucharist as we give thanks and praise to God.
- Fr. Carl
Our current celebration of the Solemnity of Corpus Christi (the Body of Christ), was started in the 1270s. It was originally set on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. Why Thursday? Because it was on Holy Thursday that Jesus instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper. However, after the Second Vatican Council, some Bishops’ Conferences around the world transferred the feast to the following Sunday, and the United States was one of them. Still some countries maintain the feast on Thursday and have wonderful processions in honor of the Blessed Sacrament.
St. Thomas Aquinas composed many of the hymns for this feast: Adoro Te Devote, Pange Lingua, and Humbly We Adore You. While it is a wonderful tradition to adore Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, it is more important to receive Him at Mass. After all, Jesus tells us, “I am the living bread come down from heaven…, if anyone eats this bread, he will live forever.” (John 6:51-52). That’s the best reason to celebrate this feast and the Eucharist as we give thanks and praise to God.
- Fr. Carl
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