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.

Good Wine

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Gospel reading this Sunday is not about the wine but about the people (Jn 2:1-11). It is a statement about the human condition. It is about you and me as much as it is about the people at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. It is about a spiritual condition. It is about our inner life, our way of being, more than the circumstances outside us. Regardless of how it feels or what we think about it, the day the wine runs out is the beginning of a miracle. Christ does not simply refill our glasses. He transforms our lives, turning water into wine. It is, after all, the third day, the day of resurrection and new life. On the third day, our lives are filled to the brim with the good wine when we heed Mary’s request to do whatever Jesus tells us. What is Jesus asking us to do? When we do as he asks every moment of every day, Christ pours himself into the empty jars of our life. He is the good wine; extravagant, abundant, and endless.

Every time that good wine is poured, our lives are changed and transformed. We are brought out of sin into righteousness, and out of death into life. I can’t explain how that happens. I only know that it does happen. I have tasted the good wine. I have experienced the miracle at Cana in my own life, and I have seen it in the lives of others. Has the wine in your life run out? Invite Jesus in and expect something miraculous.

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

I Hope I Am Like Him

“Who is this Christ? Is he like you?” Perhaps you’ve heard this story, often attributed to the life of St. Teresa of Calcutta. A sick man asked her this question, as he marveled at her tireless service to himself and others in the name of someone named Jesus Christ.

“He is nothing like me,” the saint is said to have answered. “But I hope I am like him.” Though the authenticity of this exchange cannot be verified, its message rings perfectly true: all the value of our stewardship lies in its relativity to the one in whose name we perform it.

Consider the figure of John the Baptist—a magnificent, towering character even purely from a literary or historical perspective. A martyr who fed on wild locusts and boldly spoke truth to power—a man so great, some mistook him for the Messiah.

But why is he great? Because he prepared the way. All his accomplishments and escapades mean nothing if they are taken out of the context of salvation history. He only makes sense relative to Christ—and this is exactly as he wanted it. “One worthier than I is coming,” he insists. And because of that humility and that total embrace of God’s will, he is given one of the greatest honors in the New Testament—he baptizes the Son of God.

Follow The Light

Dear Parishioners,

The word epiphany means “manifestation.” Luke’s gospel presents the shepherds as the first to pay homage to Jesus (Lk 2:8-20). For Matthew, the magi, Gentiles, were the first to adore Jesus (Mt 2:1-12). The Magi of this Sunday’s gospel are not the fortune teller magicians of Acts 8:9-25. Matthew portrays them as wise men from the East who probably had knowledge of Astrology and Astronomy. It was a common ancient belief that a new star appeared at the time of a ruler’s birth. The Magi saw the star and followed it, not knowing exactly where it would lead them. The fascination with the star and its origins should not take away from the true meaning of the passage: that these Gentile men saw the Jewish star and that was enough for their faith. They got up and left everything and allowed the light to guide them, and they chose the right path. On the other hand, King Herod feared the coming of a Messiah who could threaten his power, and tried to get rid of him. The Gentile magi accepted the new born king, and his poverty and lack of power did not confuse them. Instead, it filled them with joy and moved them to adoration and surrender.

While the powerful become restless and reject Jesus, the Gentiles acknowledge Him as King. We should learn from the Magi to identify the signs, set out on the journey with determination, and not allow anyone or anything to become an obstacle along the way. May we lay down our life and offer our treasure in worship to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

May everyone have a blessed and joyful year in 2022.

God Bless,
Deacon Howard