Father Glenn’s Daily
Daily Reflection – Thursday August 20, 2020
Readings: Ez. 36:23-28, Ps 51, Mt. 22:1-14
Dear Parish Family,
Our first reading and our Psalm today focus on the gift of cleansing and purification that God is offering to us. God promises to wash away our sins if we allow Him to do so. In prayer I was recalling the refusal of Peter to allow Jesus to wash his feet at the Last Supper. Jesus said to him, “Unless you allow Me to wash your feet you will have no inheritance with Me.” In other words, unless you accept my gift of love and mercy and forgiveness you will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. Of course Peter then allows Jesus to wash his feet.
In a similar manner our Gospel today is about the invitation to the Wedding Banquet. Many are invited and only a few in the end respond. Most are to preoccupied with the busyness of their lives. One refused to put on the white wedding garment that was provided free for all guests as they entered the banquet. It was a symbol of cleanliness. He too refused the gift of being washed clean and was cast out. The message for the day is to allow God to take away our sins and so prepare ourselves for the greater gift of the Kingdom of God, the Heavenly Wedding Banquet.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your
love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Tuesday August 18, 2020
Readings: Ez. 28:1-10, Dt. 32, Mt 19:23-30
Dear Parish Family,
Our Gospel today follows the story of The Rich Young Man. The rich young man was advised by Jesus to sell his possessions, give to the poor, and to come and follow Him. We don’t know what he does other than that we are told that he walks away sad. Jesus begins the Gospel today with the striking statement: “…it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter into the Kingdom of God.”
This statement has causes much speculation on the part of scholars over the years. The most plausible explanation for me is as follows: The city of Jerusalem was totally enclosed by a high stone wall. There were only a handful of gates in or out of the city. The gates were locked at dusk every day to safeguard against enemy attack. In the wall on both sides of the gate there were “eye of the needle: shaped holes that one person at a time could pass through in the case of emergency. This passage way was called “the eye of the needle.” They were big enough such that an average sized camel could actually squeeze through. In fact historians say that often camels were trained to crawl through the passageway. However, the camel would obviously have to be unloaded of all of its cargo in order to get through. Jesus is reminding us that we cannot take our possessions into the Kingdom of Heaven and that we must unload ourselves of material possessions and the baggage that we are carrying in order to pass through the Gate.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
– Monday August 17, 2020
Readings: Ez. 24:15-24, Dt. 32, Mt 19:16-22
Dear Parish Family,
Our Gospel today is the well known story of the Rich Young Man who asked Jesus the right question: “Lord what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He first gets it right when he recognizes Jesus as God when he addresses Him as Lord. Secondly, he realizes that eternal life is a gift, it is an inheritance. An inheritance is not something that you work for. It is a gift. It is a gift founded on a special familial relationship. An inheritance flows from a loving parent to a beloved child. Jesus tells the rich young man to live life in proper relationship to the Father by obeying the commandments.
He then says: “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in Heaven. Then, come and follow Me.” The etymology of the word that we translate as “perfect” means to achieve the purpose for which you were created. Jesus is reminding us that the reason we were created is for authentic self-giving love. When we follow Jesus, and as St. Paul says, “Put on the heart and mind of Jesus,” then we fulfill the purpose for which we were born. This is the only way to live the fullness of life, filled with meaning and purpose. Remember that eternal life begins in the here and now, and one day will transition into the forever. Eternal life has already begun in us, but is not yet complete or perfected. We are still a work in progress.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
r Glenn’s
Daily Reflection – Friday August 14, 2020
Feast of St Maximilian Kolbe
Readings: Ez. 16:59-63, Is. 12, Mt. 19:3-12
Dear Parish Family,
Today we celebrate the Memorial of St. Maximilian Kolbe who died on this day at Auschwitz Concentration Camp in 1941. Fr. Kolbe stepped forward and took the place of a younger man on July 31, 1941 as the Nazi’s were choosing ten people to die of starvation, thrown into an underground cell. At midnight on August 14th Fr. Kolbe was the last to die after spending 14 days without food or water. The man whose place he took went on to survive Auschwitz and was reunited with his family after the war. Speaking at the canonization Mass for Fr. Kolbe years later, he said that he thanked God and Fr. Kolbe every morning for the gift of life.
When I heard the story of Fr. Kolbe for the first time it was in Church. I remember looking up at the Crucifix and falling to my knees. Did I ever thank Jesus for taking my place? Did I ever thank Him for the gift of life? I did then, and I do every day of my life. Faith begins with Gratitude. And Gratitude begins with the Cross of Calvary. Thank you Jesus for taking my place, for dieing for my sins so that I may live!
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your
love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Thursday August 13, 2020
Readings: Ez. 12:1-12, Ps 78, Mt. 18:21-19:1
Dear Parish Family,
Peter approached Jesus in our Gospel today with a question: “Lord if my brother sins against me, how many times must I forgive him? The response of Jesus is to forgive always without limit. Then Jesus tells the parable of the unforgiving steward. The steward begs his master to forgive him a huge amount that he owes him. Out of compassion the master forgives him the huge debt. Then in turn the steward refuses to forgive a peer a much smaller amount. The amounts in question are as follows. The master forgives the steward an amount equal to 350 years worth of wages. The steward in return refuses to forgive an amount that equals 1 day’s wages. The steward had no way of repaying the debt that he owed his master and he shows no compassion to his fellow steward.
The point is that we are forgiven a debt that we could never pay. It is a debt for our sins, a debt that we owe. Only Jesus, both God and man, could pay that price. The price that was paid was the death of Jesus on the Cross of Calvary. He paid the price for all of the collective sins of humanity that ever were and ever will be. No one else could pay that price! All of our lives are called to be a response to that GRACE!
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your
love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Wednesday August 12, 2020
Readings: Ez. 9:1-7, 10:18-23, Ps 113, Mt. 18:15-20
Dear Parish Family,
We have the wonderful promise of Jesus in our Gospel today: “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.” For many years I was very private in my faith life. I came to Mass on Sunday and left and that was the extent of Church for several years during my early adult life. When I was invited into more involvement in my parish I discovered a wonderful community of faith, which was very loving and supportive. Jesus calls us to be a community of faith. From the moment that He gathered the twelve apostles around Him the Church has been a faith community. We are all companions on the same journey and we need each other.
During this time of pandemic and social distancing I long more and more for the support of this Parish Family. We are blessed to have an amazing sense of family and community here at St. Louis the King. I pray that we never take that for granted. I pray that we will come back together soon, stronger than ever. I pray that others share the pent up longing that I do to once again gather for social events and fellowship. May God keep us safe and united to Himself in this trying time.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your
love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Tuesday August 11, 2020
The Feast of St. Clare of Assisi
Readings: Ez. 2:8-3:4, Ps 119, Mt 18:1-14
Dear Parish Family,
Inspired by the life of St. Francis of Assisi, Clare renounced all worldly possessions at a young age and became a poor nun. Her life then led others to follower her simple and humble way and the first women religious order of Franciscans was born, the Poor Clares. Her simple life of devotion to Christ with a special devotion to the Holy Eucharist continues to inspire the People of God to this day.
Our Gospel today appropriately centers on the warning of Jesus, “Unless you become like little children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” We are God’s beloved children. We should act like it! Our faith as children of God calls us to be trusting, open and vulnerable in the hands of our loving Father. Real trust requires surrender to our Father. As a child we are not in control. This pandemic that we are enduring is a reminder to all of us that we are not in charge. It is a time to be more attentive, to listen and to obey the voice of God deep in our hearts. Most of all it is a time when we must simply trust God. As a child resting in the arms of a loving father, we are reminded that that is exactly where we are.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Monday August 10, 2020
The Feast of St. Lawrence
Readings: 2 Cor. 9:6-10, Ps 112, Mt 12:24-26
Dear Parish Family,
St. Lawrence was one of many martyrs of the Church in the third century. He was
serving the Church as a deacon in Rome during the persecution of the Emperor Valerian.
Before his death he was able to sell off Church property and tend to thousands of poor
and destitute people around the city of Rome. He was burned alive.
It is fitting that our readings today focus on self-giving love. Pope Francis has always
preached that we are to be a Church for the poor. Our reason for being is to be a conduit
of God’s love for the world. Dying to self is the first step in that process. When we die
to our ego we are naturally flooded with God. The Spirit of God cannot be contained but
quite naturally flows through us. This difficult time opens for us new possibilities to
make a difference in our world.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your
love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Thursday August 6, 2020
Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
Readings: Dan. 7:9-47, Ps 97, 2 Pt. 1:16-19, Mt. 17:1-9
Dear Parish Family,
A noted sociologist in an article written 25 years ago once said, speaking about our current society: “We are like a people on a journey who have forgotten where we are going.” I see that listlessness in our society today. There is a general lack of focus for life. Many are searching for meaning and purpose, seeking happiness and fulfillment in all of the wrong places. This lack of direction causes great anxiety and even a fear of what the future might bring. Fear of the unknown is one of the deepest fears we can experience as human beings.
As the Gospel scene of the Transfiguration is presented, Jesus has just told His disciples that He is about to be crucified. He is literally on His way to Calvary. He takes Peter, Jams and John up the mountain with Him. He is transfigured before them. They have a glimpse into eternity. Moses and Elijah, dead in the eyes of this world, for hundreds of years, are there and the voice of God is heard. Jesus appears in His glorified body and He is given a vision of His own resurrection. The question is, why did Jesus take selected apostles with Him? I think the answer is that the Transfiguration is for us. God wants us to know that He has prepared a place for us beyond this world of ours. He wants us to live our lives accordingly, knowing our final dwelling place is not of this world. Our final destination lies beyond the world that we can see right now.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your
love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Tuesday August 4, 2020
Readings: Jer. 30:1-22, Ps 102, Mt 15:1-24
Dear Parish Family,
Both our first reading from the Prophet Jeremiah and our Psalm were written during the time of the Exile. The people are blaming themselves and their leaders for their situation. They consider their unfaithfulness to God as the reason for their ill fate. There was also a failure on behalf of many of their shepherds, who had turned away from God toward idols and things of this world, and were not practicing what they were preaching. In the midst of all that God reaffirms His promise, “You shall be My people, and I will be your God. God always remains faithful for it is His very nature.
Much the same scenario is happening in our Gospel today. Jesus is calling out the religious leaders for not practicing what they preach. He is calling them “blind guides” as they lead the people down the wrong path. Jesus is there to fulfill the promise the God made through the Prophet Jeremiah, “I Myself will shepherd My people.” Jesus is the Good Shepherd who leads us through the narrow gate into everlasting life.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Monday August 3, 2020
Readings: Jer. 28:1-17, Ps 119, Mt 14:22-36
Dear Parish Family,
This turbulent time has caused me to focus more and more on Jesus. It began with the initial shutdown that led me to deeper and longer times of contemplative prayer. That time of prayer caused me to re-focus a bit. In the experience of one-ness with the Lord, I felt much closer to my parish family even at time of lockdown and social distancing. It also gave me an inner peace amid the stormsthat continues to rage all around us.
In our first reading today from the Prophet Jeremiah the people are in exile in Babylon. It was a turbulent time for them and like us they were longing for a time beyond the storm. Through the Prophet Hananiah God is promising them a time when they will soon be set free to return to their homeland to rebuild their lives. God is giving them hope and encouraging them to endure the difficult time.
In our Gospel today the apostles are experiencing a storm at sea, symbolic of the storms of life, and Jesus comes walking toward them on the water. Focused on Jesus, Peter steps out of the boat and walks on the water toward Jesus. The moment that he takes his eyes off of Jesus and allows fear take over he starts to sink. The moral of the story is – Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and you will get through the storm.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Thursday July 30, 2020
Readings: Jer. 18:1-6, Ps 146, Mt 13:47-53
Dear Parish Family,
In our first reading today from the Prophet Jeremiah God gives us the beautiful image of the potter and the clay. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in My hand…” When we give ourselves to God, when we surrender our egos and trust in His guidance and providence, we are able to be more fully molded into the image of God, who is Love. God created us for love and He wants to love in and through us. In this great time of unrest and uncertainty, fear and anxiety, I feel more and more desire to simply surrender myself into His hands. May God do with me as He wills.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Tuesday July 28, 2020
Readings: Jer. 14:17-22, Ps 79, Mt 13:36-43
Dear Parish Family,
In our Gospel today Jesus explains to His disciples and to us the meaning of the parable of the Sower and the Seeds. He proclaims that He is the one who sows the good seeds in the world. Jesus is the source of all goodness and love, of all mercy and compassion, of all healing and fullness of life. The devil is the one who is the source of evil and darkness, the source of the weeds that seek to choke out life itself. The field is the world that we live in. The battle is raging in every human heart, in every human soul. We have the seeds of evil deep within us due to our fallen human nature. We also have the seeds of God’s grace. Every moment of every day we make choices that nurture life or that nurture the weeds that are within us. Our freewill allows us with the Grace of God to choke out the weeds. One thing I know is that if we allow the weeds to grow unchecked they will take over a field eventually. It is also true that the stronger the plants become the less room there is for weeds. So nurture the good and pull the weeds.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Monday July 27, 2020
Readings: Jer. 13:1-11, Dt. 32, Mt 13:31-35
Dear Parish Family,
Jesus talked about the Kingdom of God often. He talked about the Kingdom of God as in a dwelling place already prepared for us. This is how we often think of God’s Kingdom, as a beautiful place that eye has not seen and ear has not heard, a place that God has prepared for us. We call that state of being Heaven.
Jesus also talked about the Kingdom of God that is here, that is at hand or among us. It is the Kingdom in the here and now. When He talked of this Kingdom He talked about a state of being that is still evolving and growing. Jesus always includes us as an integral part of this movement or evolution of being. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field.” The smallest of seed when planted becomes a large vine for the welcoming life. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of flower until the whole batch was leavened.” Again a human person is involved in this growth and transformation. A seed becomes a huge tree, a little yeast and flower becomes leaven bread. The mustard plant welcomes life and the bread feeds and nurtures life. We are called to cooperate and work with the many gifts that God gives us to welcome, nurture and transform life. We were all put on this earth to do our part to bring about God’s Kingdom. What is God calling each of us to do today?
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,Daily Reflection – Friday July 24, 2020
Readings: Jer 3:14-17, Jer 31, Mt 13:18-22
Dear Parish Family,
“Return rebellious children, says the Lord…” The first line of our first reading today from the Prophet Jeremiah sets the tone for us. Jeremiah is writing at a time when the Israelite people had strayed from God and turned toward idols. Many of their leaders had led them astray. At the time of the Prophet Jeremiah the image of the Good Shepherd enters Sacred Scripture. The people had strayed and were scattered in the great Exile and the Diaspora, (the great dispersion or scattering). The leaders were carried off to Babylon and many people fled for their lives in all directions. God promises that if the people return to Him He will give them new shepherds. In fact He said, “I Myself will shepherd my people.” That promise of God is fulfilled in Jesus, the Good Shepherd.
Our call now is to come to know the voice of the Shepherd in our lives and to listen and respond to that voice. He wants to lead us to the fullness of life now. He wants to lead us through the narrow gate into eternity with Him. This time of social distancing affords us the opportunity to listen more intently and to come to know His voice in a deeper way. And so we are called to follow more closely and faithfully.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Thursday July 23, 2020
Readings: Jer 2:1-13, Ps 36, Mt 13:10-17
Dear Parish Family,
“With You is the fountain of life, O Lord.” (Ps 36) “Two evils have My people done: they have forsaken Me, the source of living water.” (Jer 2:13) Throughout Sacred Scripture God’s love, which is the source of life, is portrayed by the symbol of life-giving water. The Prophet Ezekiel gives us the famous image of water flowing from the inner sanctuary of the temple and out the doors, a never ending flow that gives life and healing to all in its path. Moses struck the rock in the desert and life-giving water flowed upon the people. St. Paul would later write that the Rock was Christ. From the Cross as His side was pierced, life-giving water and blood flowed unto the world. Jesus said if we are open to His Holy Spirit, rivers of life-giving water will well up within us and flow from us. God is the source of living water. He is the source of all love and all life. All we have to do is come to the fountain of life and remain connected to source.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Wednesday July 22, 2020
Readings: 2 Cor 5:14-17, Ps 63, Jn 20:1-18
Dear Parish Family,
Today we celebrate the Feast of Mary Magdalene. Mary Magdalene was the first
person to proclaim the Risen Lord as she cried out to the disciples, “I have seen the
Lord!” Then she reported what He said to her. The Risen Lord called her by name and
told her to go and report what she experienced to the others. With her witness, Mary is
sometimes referred to as the first evangelist as well.
This weekend I talked about hope. In our first reading Sunday the from the Book of
Wisdom the prophet, speaking of God, says: “You have given Your children good ground
for hope, that You would permit repentance for their sins.” We know that Mary
Magdalene came to Jesus as a great sinner, professed by her own confession. She has
become a model of repentance and new life. In Christ she as become a new creation,
leaving sin behind. In her humility she died to her former way of life and allowed herself
to be transformed by Jesus. She allowed herself to be healed of her past. Her
transformation came from her personal relationship with Jesus. She has become a model
for all of us sinners. And so we have hope!
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your
love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Tuesday July 21, 2020
Readings: Micah 7:14-20, Ps 85, Mt 12:46-50
Dear Parish Family,
In today’s Gospel Jesus says, “For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my
brother, and sister, and mother.” Jesus is calling us beyond personal friendship into a
deep familial relationship with Him. When Jesus taught us to pray He said, “When you
pray say ‘Our Father who art in Heaven hallowed be Thy name, Thy Kingdom come Thy
will be done…’” So Jesus is now calling God OUR Father, and not MY Father in
Heaven. He is now assuming our relationship as one of His brother and sister, sharing
the same father in Heaven. All of this hinges on our DOING the will of the Father, “Thy
will be done.”
The first step in doing God’s will is coming to know God’s will. We can only do this
by spending time in prayer and listening to God. It is important that we come to know
the voice of God in this process, which can only come from spending quality quiet time
in prayer. There are so many conflicting voices in our world today that knowing the
voice of the Shepherd is essential. Once we know of God’s will it is imperative that we
move into action. It most often involves a movement of humility to submit ourselves to
God. If there is one thing that I a sure of, it is that God knows best. We can never fail if
we consistently do God’s will.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your
love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Father Glenn’s
Daily Reflection – Friday July 17, 2020
Readings: Isaiah 38:1-22, Ps 102, Mt 12:1-8
Dear Parish Family,
In our Gospel today Jesus is walking through a field of grain on the Sabbath. His disciples are hungry and pulling heads of grain to eat as they walk. The Scribes and Pharisees are observing this and complain that his disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath. Jesus assures them the He is the Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus is the Eternal Word made flesh, through whom everything came into being. Jesus created the entire universe which would include the ground they are walking on, the grain, the disciples, the Scribes and the Pharisees, the Sabbath itself. Of course Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. When I think of wheat and Jesus on the Sabbath I naturally think of the Eucharist.
I have always had a strong faith in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. A few years ago I started to see all of Sacred Scripture through the lens of the Eucharist. Now I am seeing all of life through the prism of the Eucharist. The Eucharist is God’s desire to share His love and His life with us. It meets our desire for love and for life. We are hard wired for God. We were created for Him, in His image and likeness. We were made for love and for life. The Eucharist is where divine and human life meet. At the Last Supper Jesus prayed, “Father may they be one as You and I are one.” It is at the Eucharistic table that we become ONE!
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your
love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Wednesday July 15, 2020
Readings: Isaiah 10:5-16, Ps 94, Mt 11:25-27
Dear Parish Family,
In our Gospel today Jesus is speaking to His Father when He says, “…for although you have hidden these things from the wise and learned you have revealed them to the childlike.” Jesus is talking about knowing God. God reveals Himself to the open and trusting heart. In many ways the faith of my grandparents was very childlike. It was so pure and simple. It did not take a lot of explanation or fancy theology. It was about a personal relationship of openness and dialogue, dialogue that we call prayer.
I shared with you many times that as I was going off to the seminary, a priest mentor of mine said to me, “Don’t let talking about God get in the way of talking to God.” I was there only about a month when I understood what he ment by that. Seminary training is filled with very intense intellectual theological dissertation. God soon seemed sort of abstract. In my confusion I would take the stuff that was poured into my head during the day and spend quiet time in prayer at night. It took some doing to move the head stuff down to the heart. I think that what Jesus means by telling us to become childlike, is to open our hearts and let Him speak directly to the core of our being. That is where God can be known; in the heart and not the head.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your
love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Tuesday July 14, 2020
Readings: Isaiah 7:1-9, Ps 48, Mt 11:20-24
Dear Parish Family,
I was taught as a child by parents and grandparents that there are both positive and negative consequences to our thoughts, words and actions. I was taught that there are also consequences for lack of action when action is called for. If my annoying little sister is drowning, for example, I am expected to pull her out of the water. The argument of one less mouth to feed does not hold water.
Our readings today are focused on the consequences of our lack of response to God’s love and mercy. The “Woe to you…” statements of Jesus seem very harsh. Our English connotation of the word “woe” is much brasher sounding than the original language understanding. In its etymology the word portrays a deep concern and empathy of the one speaking. Jesus is moved with compassion to the depth of His being, by the lack of response to His love. Out of love and a deep empathy and compassion for us and our eternal wellbeing, Jesus is suffering for us. As a parent suffers when a child suffers, Jesus is suffering for and with us. The true agony of the Passion of Jesus is the indifference to the gift of love and life. Our lack of response has consequences, and ultimately those consequences are eternal.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Monday July 13, 2020
Readings: Isaiah 1:10-17, Ps 50, Mt 10:34-11:1
Dear Parish Family,
In today’s Gospel Jesus goes right to the heart of things when He says, “Whoever finds his live will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Within the human heart is a natural tension between self-serving love and self-giving love. In a recent Gospel we heard Jesus say, “My Yoke is easy (well fitting).” We were created out of self-giving love, are made for self-giving love and therefore, only discover our true selves in self-giving love, dying to self. The polar opposite is the tug of original sin which is inward looking self-serving love. It too comes natural. It has been a part of our human nature since the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden. The final destination of that inward path is death and ultimately eternal death or separation from God.
By dying to ourselves in self-giving love we lose nothing but ultimately gain everything. When we die to ourselves we open ourselves up to life itself, being itself; God and all of created reality. When we open ourselves to the source of all that exists we become one with all that exists. Ultimately we call that Heaven or eternal life. In us it all begins with that difficult movement of the will, the heart and the soul, to die to the inner ego and open to God, and God’s will for us. Then and only then will we discover life, real life. Many people are existing today but few are really living. We have to ask ourselves, where do we stand? How can I die a little today and find a little more life? Remember that today is the first day of the rest or your life. Choose life!
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Thursday July 9, 2020
Readings: Hosea 11:1-9, Ps 80, Mt 10:7-15
Dear Parish Family,
The absolute fidelity of our God of Love has been the focus of the Word of God all week. That steadfast unchanging love of God has been contrast with the infidelity of His people. The imagery has moved from God as a loving spouse, to the people as a vine that God planted and tends, to God as loving parent and us as wayward children. The image is moving but the message is the same. Because of our free will and our fallen human nature we tend to drift from God. God, as the Father of the Prodigal Son, waits with a heavy heart for us to return to His love. Love must be free or it would not be love, it would be a form of slavery. The ultimate cost of human freedom is the Cross that Jesus suffered. This is where Love flows upon the world.
We can choose to open ourselves and remain in that love or we can cut ourselves off. Nowhere is that gift more real than on the Altar of Holy Mass. I pray that everyone makes the effort to come and receive that gift at our outdoor Mass at 11:15 on Sunday. The seating is unlimited; people are safely distanced in a beautiful open air outdoor setting. And God is there to nourish us with His love. Those with a higher risk can remain in their cars and tune in on the radio.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Father Glenn’s Daily Reflection – Wednesday July 8, 2020
Readings: Hosea 10:1-13, Ps 105, Mt 10:1-7
Dear Parish Family,
In our Gospel today Jesus is sending out the Apostles and He gave them authority to cast out demons and cure every disease and illness. The world “authority” in its etymology means “from the being.” Again, this is the same word that Moses captures when God reveals Himself to him in the burning bush as “Being.” True authority comes directly from God. It is interesting to note also that the notion of being “sent” at the time of Jesus implied the delegation of authority from the one who was sending to the one who was sent. Recall the words of the Risen Lord that first Easter Sunday evening, “As the Father has sent me so I send you.”
Not only is Jesus calling and sending His apostles, but each one of us as His Mystical Body here on earth are being called and sent by Jesus. We are being sent to be His hands and His feet here on earth. We are being sent to the Lost Sheep all around us. And if we do not go, who will? I know of no backup plan. We are it!
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Father Glenn’s Daily Reflection – Tuesday July 7, 2020
Readings: Hosea 8:4-13, Ps 115. Mt 9:32-38
Dear Parish Family,
In our Gospel today we have a very common scene: “At the sight of the crowds, His heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.” These deep emotions of Jesus are revealed to us often by the Gospel writers. The literal translation of this display of emotion by Jesus is as follows: “Jesus was moved to the depth of His being.” The word “being” goes back to the revelation of God to Moses in the burning bush. God reveals Himself as “Being.” So when Jesus is moved to the core of His Being, He is moved to His very nature, i.e. LOVE.
If you have ever seen a flock of frightened sheep (I have) this passage would have special meaning for you. The purpose of the shepherd is the wellbeing of the sheep. A flock of sheep on the open range without the care of a shepherd would have a very short life expectancy. Without a shepherd to lead them to green pasture and restful water, without a shepherd to fight off the wolves, they could not survive. When I look at the world today, frightened and scattered, I see a need for a Shepherd as never before. We need faith and guidance to navigate through this difficult and frightening time. I choose to yolk myself tighter and tighter to the Good Shepherd each day. Together we will make it through the dark valleys into greener pastures ahead. Jesus I trust in You!
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Father Glenn’s Daily Reflection – Monday July 6, 2020
Memorial of St. Maria Goretti
Readings: Hosea 2:16-22, Mt 9:18-26
Dear Parish Family,
God reveals to us very clearly in Sacred Scripture that He desires to be in a deep personal love relationship with each one of us. That message is crystal clear in our first reading today from the Prophet Hosea. God says, “I will espouse you to Me forever, I will espouse you in right and justice, in love and mercy; I will espouse you in fidelity, and you shall know the Lord.” This is God’s desire to marry each one of us. He desires a deep personal love relationship with each one of us in everlasting fidelity.
God is always faithful to us. Unfortunately we are not always faithful in this love relationship. We sometimes break our marriage bonds by attaching ourselves to the false gods that permeate our culture. This is not a new thing. It is a part of our fallen human history. Israel is often depicted as a harlot in Scripture because of its infidelity to God. The Good News is that God always remains faithful even though we stray from time to time. God always takes us back with open arms. Thank God!
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Monday June 29, 2020
Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul
Readings: Acts 13:1-11, Ps 34, 2 Tim 4:6-18, Mt 16:13-19
Dear Parish Family,
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the two great pillars of our Church, St. Peter and St. Paul. I believe in the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church established by Jesus on the Rock of St. Peter and the Zeal of St. Paul. Our Gospel today is the great profession of St. Peter when he proclaims to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My heavenly Father. And I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this Rock I will build My Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.”
Note that Jesus did NOT say, “upon this Rock I will build My 36,000 churches.” He said, “I will build MY Church.” My whole life I have believed in the Church that Jesus founded 2,000 years ago. Twenty-six years ago when I entered the seminary I gave my life to Jesus and His Church. I will willing surrender my life to defend Her. I beg the Holy Spirit to lead and guide me each day to do His will in building up the Body of Christ. I will defend Christ’s Church and all of you, His Body with my life. I will fight off the wolves in sheep’s clothing that would lead you astray.
If someone is tearing down and not building up the Body of Christ you can be sure that it is of satan and not of God. We ask St Michael to defend us as we pray….St. Michael the Archangel defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray and cast into hell satan and all the other evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Thursday June 25, 2020
Readings: 2 Kings 24:8-17, Ps 79, Mt 7:21-29
Dear Parish Family,
Our first reading today chronicles the beginning of the destruction of Jerusalem and the Holy Temple by the Assyrians. The Temple that took generations to build was the center of Jewish faith, life and culture. It was the anchor point of life for them. Everything centered on the Holy Temple. In a turbulent world the Temple was their Rock. The Assyrians began the siege by carrying off their sacred artifacts. The holiest of treasures were desecrated and stolen. Life was unraveling around them. The leaders were carried off. The town was burned. Eventually the magnificent Temple was demolished into a pile of stone rubble. Life as they knew it was over.
The unrest in our country can give us a small taste of what the people of Israel experienced 2,500 years ago. Their faith held them together. The enemy could take away their material possessions and status but could not rob them of their faith. Jesus reminds us today to build the foundation of our lives on the Rock of His love. Our faith in the eternal everlasting God must be our anchor point in this turbulent time. We were made for eternity and no one can take that away from us. As John Paul II once said: “As the world turns, the Cross remains constant.” God so loved the world that He sent His only Son. That fact will never change.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your
love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
l
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Wednesday June 24, 2020
Solemnity of the Nativity of John the Baptist
Readings: Isaiah 49:1-6, Ps 139, Acts 13:22-26, Lk 1:27-66, 80
Dear Parish Family,
Today, six months before we celebrate the birth of Jesus, (180 shopping days until Christmas) we celebrate the birthday of St. John the Baptist. I love the story of Zachariah, the father of John the Baptist. Both he and his wife Elizabeth were far beyond their childbearing years. While praying in the Holy of Holies, the inner sanctuary of the temple, an angel sent by God appeared to Zachariah and told him that his wife Elizabeth would bear a son and that he should name him John. When Zachariah questioned the angel the angel told him that he would be unable to speak until the child was born. Our Gospel today is the fulfillment of that promise. At the birth of John the Baptist Zachariah received his voice back. John the Baptist would later identify himself as the Voice of one crying in the desert, “Prepare the way of the Lord.” So the birth of John the Baptist is about the birth of a voice.
One of our roles as the Body of Christ is to be a voice for the voiceless. We are called to be the voice of the unborn child in its mother’s womb, unable to speak for itself. We are called to be the voice that speaks life in a culture of death. We must be the voice that speaks for the poor and the homeless, for the battered and abused. We must be the voice of those most in need all around us. The time for silence is over. We celebrate today the birth of a voice. The Word must become flesh, in us. Prepare the way of the Lord.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Tuesday June 23, 2020
Readings: 2 Kings 19:9-36, Ps 48, Mt 7:6-14
Dear Parish Family,
In our first reading today from Second Kings the Assyrians as closing in on the Holy
City of Jerusalem and for now they have been pushed back. It is only a matter of time
before the city will fall and be burned to the ground. The magnificent temple that took
several generations to build will be left in a pile of rubble. A remnant of the people of
Israel will stay true to their faith. They will do so after being scattered all over the
Middle East. Some of the leaders were held in captivity in Babylon by the Assyrians.
The remainder of the Jewish people scattered and became what is known as the Diaspora,
the “Great Dispersion.” They formed little pockets of Judaism all over. Over five
hundred years latter the disciples of Jesus would visit the Synagogues of these
communities, and these little communities became the “stepping stones” for the spread of
Christianity.
At the time of Great Exile no one could have possibly seen God’s plan. All they could
see was the darkness of the moment and all they could feel was terror on every side. The
present time that we are experiencing is much like that. We can’t see God’s plan right
now. But know this. God has a plan, and that plan is perfect. All we can do is the best
that we can to do His will in the time that we are in, in the circumstances that we are
given, and trust in His love and providence. And “fear not, I am with you always”
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your
love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Monday June 22, 2020
Readings: 2 Kings 17:5-18, Ps 60, Mt 7:1-5
Dear Parish Family,
In our Gospel today Jesus reminds us that it not our role to judge others. “Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?” With our God given ability to reason right from wrong, it is a very natural thing to judge the words and conduct of others. And after all, the bible reminds us that we are our brother’s keeper. However, there is an old Native American adage that goes like this: “Do not judge your brother until you have walked a mile in his moccasins.” We do not always know the history and the facts and circumstances that lead someone to say or act as they do. As I get older I find myself judging others less and reflecting on my own life more.
Jesus does remind us to look for the wooden beam in our own eye first. Often our inner vision is blinded and darkened by our own broken, fallen, sinful condition. We need the light of Christ to enlighten and inform our own consciences. In the end it is God’s job to judge. It is our job to live in His love, and mercy and grace. I made a choice several years ago to let God do His job as I have enough to do removing the wooden beams from my eyes.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Friday June 19, 202
Readings: Dt 7:6-11, Ps 103, 1 Jn 4:7-16, Mt 11:26-30
Dear Parish Family,
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Our second reading today from the First Letter of John is one of the most beautiful passages in all of Sacred Scripture. In so many ways it sums up who God is. St. John was called the beloved disciple. He was a soul mate of Jesus. He came to know the heart and the mind of Jesus and therefore the heart and mind of God. He writes, “God IS Love.” He also sums up what is referred to by theologians as the Primacy of Grace when he writes, “In this is love: not that we have loved God but that God loved us first and sent His Son as expiation for our sins.” Everything begins with God’s love. All of creation begins with God’s love. Our lives begin with God’s love. Our lives are sustained with God’s love. All of our lives must be a response to that love which precedes all things.
God so loved the world that He gives His only Son. God continues to pour out His life on the world through the Sacred Heart of His Son. God’s love is mediated to us at the point of the pierced Sacred Heart of Jesus. We must meet Jesus at the level of the heart. Words and even actions fall short in the expression of love. Love must be experienced by the mutual sharing of life. God gives His life to us. We are called to give our lives back to God, now and for all of eternity.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your
love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection
Daily Reflection – Thursday June 11, 2020
Readings: Acts 11:21-26, 13:1-3, Ps 98, Mt 10:7-13
Dear Parish Family,
Today we celebrate the Memorial of the Apostle St. Barnabas. In our first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles St. Barnabas arrives in Antioch. “When he arrived and saw the Grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged then to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart…” It is interesting that the first thing that St. Barnabas saw when he arrived at the community in Antioch was the Grace of God. So the question is: What does the Grace of God look like? St. Augustine once said, “When you see authentic love, you see the Trinity.” Authentic love looks like something. It looks like God, who is LOVE. When I first arrived at the community of St. Louis the King six years ago I too saw the Grace of God. I saw, and still see in the community people of faith, who genuinely care for each other. I pray that we as the Body of Christ continue to be the visible Grace of God, so that others may see God in us. I too rejoice and encourage all of you to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your
love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Wednesday June 10, 2020
Readings: 1 Kings 18:20-39, Ps 16, Mt 5:17-19
Dear Parish Family,
In our first reading today the Prophet Elijah is bemoaning the fact that the people have turned from God and turned toward the pagan god Baal. Baal was the pagan fertility god and their “worship” ceremonies were filled with drunkenness and free sexual promiscuity. There was no commitment involved. There were no commandments to follow and no call to a covenant relationship. It was what we would call today a secular movement. Satan appeals to our fallen human nature and our self-love or self-serving desires. On the surface there appears to be liberation from rules and restrictions. It can feel freeing at the onset. Yet, we are being lured onto a road to death. Many today start out searching for freedom and find themselves hitting a dead end. People are enslaved by addictions such as drugs and alcohol, pornography and sexual promiscuity. In the end our soul is only truly free in God. Only in God is my soul at rest. Only in God is there true freedom.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your
love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Tuesday June 9, 2020
Readings: 1 Kings 17:7-16, Ps 4, Mt 5:13-16
Dear Parish Family,
Our first reading today is one of my favorite Old Testament stories. It is the story of the Prophet Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath. God instructs Elijah to go to the widow and that she will provide for him. When Elijah, the Man of God, goes to the widow he finds her and her son in dire straights. They only have enough food for themselves for one more day and then she is fearful that she and her son will die of hunger. In spite of her predicament she sees Elijah as the man of God that he is and she gives all that she has to him. In doing so she is in fact giving her life and the life of her son to God. In giving all that she has, God provides for her for over a year. The flour and oil never run dry.
The story reminds me of a little boy one day who had five loaves of barley bread and two fish and he gave all that he and his family had to live on to Jesus. Jesus took his gifts, blessed and broke them, and gave them to the people. Twenty-five thousand people were fed that day and there were twelve bushel baskets of leftovers, the bread that we still share today. The moral of the story is that if we give everything we have to God, God will provide everything in return, the fullness of eternal life.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Monday June 8, 2020
Readings: 1 Kings 17:1-6, Ps 121, Mt 5:1-11
Dear Parish Family,
In our Gospel today Jesus goes up the mountain with His disciples and He sat down to teach them. Jesus gives us the beatitudes, the beginning of His famous Sermon on the Mount. The mountain is where God speaks to His people. From the mountain top God gave Moses the great commandments. Now through Jesus, God is calling us to a new way of living, an elevated state of being. God is calling us beyond the commandments to a life of absolute self-giving love. He is challenging us to be elevated by grace to a place beyond our fallen, self-serving, sinful human nature. It is only by the grace of God that we can live as we are being called to live. Only by putting on the heart and mind of Christ can we achieve the level of being that the beatitudes are calling us to. It is Jesus who becomes poor in spirit, meek and humble. It is Jesus who hungers and thirsts for righteousness. It is Jesus who is clean of heart, who is a peacemaker, etc. Only in solidarity with Jesus, only elevated by His Spirit can we live as we are called to live.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Dear Parish Family,
In our first reading today St. Paul assures us that “all of Sacred Scripture is inspired by God.” From the moment of creation God’s Holy Spirit has been at work in the world. Out of love God chooses to commune and communicate with his beloved children. All of Sacred Scripture reveals to us God’s presence in our world. Throughout Sacred Scripture we see just how aware people were to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Prompted by the Holy Spirit the Prophets communicated God’s voice to the people of the time, throughout history and now to us.
My experience is that as we grow in our relationship with the Lord we become more and more aware of the movement of the Holy Spirit. We become more and more “tuned in” to hear the voice of God. God has never stopped and will never stop communicating His love for us. It is up to us to open the “ears” of our hearts to hear His voice.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Thursday June 4, 2020
Readings: 2 Tm 2:8-15, Ps 25, Mk 12:28-34
Dear Parish Family,
“Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” This is the great Schema, the first and greatest commandment. Every devout Jewish person was required to recite this prayer on the hour, i.e. every three hours during the day. After years of recitation I am sure that it became sort of a rote prayer. It seems to me that the words are easy to say but living the prayer is quite something else. It requires that we give our all, all of our love and all of our lives. We as human beings learn to hold back something in reserve. As finite beings we feel that if we give our all we will have nothing left to give.
The reality that we each have to discover for ourselves is that if we give our all to God we loose nothing but gain everything. When we give our all in self-giving love, we enter into the divine life of God, who IS Love. When that occurs we connect with the source of love and life that has no bounds. The more we give the more we have. We loose nothing but gain the hold world. When we gaze upon the Crucifix we realize that there is no other way to love but the way Jesus loves us. Authentic love requires more than a half hearted response. It calls for our ALL!
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Wednesday June 3, 2020
Readings: 2 Tm 1:1-12, Ps 123, Mk 12:18-27
Dear Parish Family,
“I AM the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. He is not the God of the dead but of the living,” As I have written and preached about many times the word for life or living has its roots in the life breath of God. In the creation story God took the clay of the earth and He breathed into it His life breath and man became a living being. Out of love God chooses to share His life with us. Because the life that we experience is a sharing in the life breath of God, life is eternal. Because love has to be free we have the ability to accept or reject the gift of life.
In our first reading today St. Paul talks about stirring into flame that Spirit within us. Often the life breath becomes dormant in us as we distance ourselves from God in various ways. Often this distancing in just an over preoccupation with the things of this world. As we stand in the wake of Pentecost let’s stir into flames the gifts of the Spirit already in us.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Tuesday June 2, 2020
Readings: 2 Pt 3:12-18, Ps 90, Mk 12:13-17
Dear Parish Family,
In today’s Gospel the Pharisees and Herodians are trying to entrap Jesus. They seek to ensnare Him and get Him in trouble with the Roman forces, asking Him if it is proper to pay the tax levied on them. Taking a Denarius and calling their attention to the image of Caesar on it He says: “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” It was a trick question and the answer of Jesus has an interesting truth; that is, everything belongs to God. God created everything from nothing. Through Him, Jesus the Eternal Word, all things came into being and are sustained in being. God created the people confronting Jesus. God created Caesar. God created the metal that the Denarius was made of. We own nothing in this world. We are merely stewards of God’s creation. We are just passing through. We came into the world with nothing and will take nothing with us. Therefore repay to God what belongs to God, EVERYTING. Everything is a gift from God and all of our lives must be a gift back to God.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Monday June 1, 2020
Readings: Acts 1:12-14, Ps 87, John 19:25-34
Dear Parish Family,
Today we celebrate the Memorial of The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church. I mentioned in both of my homilies the past two weekends that Jesus, the Risen Lord, makes no distinction between Himself and His Church. When He appeared to Saul He said, “Saul. Saul, why do you persecute Me?” He did not say, “Why are you persecuting My Church?” So, if Mary is the mother of Jesus she is also our mother. She is the mother of His Mystical Body on earth and in heaven, the Church.
Our Gospel today is the scene of the Cross of Jesus. Just before He breathes His last Jesus turns to Mary and to John the beloved disciple and says to Mary: “Women behold your son,” and to John: “Behold your mother.” Our first reading today portrays the apostles gathered together as the Church with Mary in the Upper Room immediately following the Ascension. Mary is with us as our mother.
I find myself more and more turning toward Mary in prayer these days. At the beginning of the pandemic we gathered as a Church across the country to re-consecrate our Church and our country to Mary, the Mother of our Church and Mother of the Americas. Holy Mary Mother of God pray for us sinners. Bring healing and peace to our troubled country, to our Church and to our families.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Friday May 29, 2020
Readings: Acts 25:13b-21, Ps 103, John 21:15-19
Dear Parish Family,
Out Gospel scene today is one of the appearances of the Risen Lord to the apostles. It is about three weeks after the resurrection. The Risen Lord appears to the apostles along the Sea of Galilee. Once again they were fishing all night and they catch nothing. The Risen Lord appears and tells them where to drop their nets and their nets are filled. After He shares breakfast with them He takes Peter aside and asks him one question three times: “Peter do you love Me?” Most scholars agree that He asked Peter the question three times to give him an opportunity to take back the three times that he denied Jesus during the Passion. To me it is a confirmation that the only real requirement for following Jesus is love. All that Jesus asks of us is love. He gives us all of His love: “There is no greater love than to lay down ones life for a friend and you are My friends.” All He asks is our love in return and He will ask the question as many times as necessary: ”Do you love me?”
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your
love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Thursday May 28, 2020
Readings: Acts 23:6-11, Ps 16, John 17:20-26
Dear Parish Family,
Our Gospel today continues with what is called the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus as He raised His eyes and His words to the Father. Jesus prays: “Father may they be One as You and I are One… that they may be brought to perfection as one.” Recall the words of Jesus when He said, “Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect. The root of the word that we translate as “perfect,” means to achieve or fulfill the purpose for which one was created. Jesus is clearly telling us that the purpose for which we were born into this world is to one day enter into the very life of God. All of our lives must be orientated to that goal. We can only find real meaning and purpose in our lives if we strive toward this state of being. The old Baltimore Catechism poses questions, one of which is: “Why did God make me? The answer that I memorized 60 years ago is: “God made me to know Him, love Him and serve Him in this life and to be happy with Him forever in the life to come.”
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Father Glenn’s Daily Reflection – Wednesday May 27, 2020
Readings: Acts 20:28-38, Ps 68, John 17:11b-19
Dear Parish Family,
Our Gospel today continues with what is called the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus as He raised His eyes and His words to the Father. Jesus prays: “Father may they be One as You and I are One.” God is love. The Holy Spirit is the bond of love that makes the Father, Son and Holy Spirit One. Love is the giving and pouring out of oneself to the other. In this mutual gift of life, two become as one, or three become as one, and so on. Jesus is drawing us into the bond of love within the Trinity. He is calling us into union with the source of all life and love.
We as human beings with finite minds naturally think that if we give something away we no longer own it. Not so with authentic love. The more love we give the more love we have. That is how things work with God. There are no limits to love and divine life. In fact, when we totally give ourselves in love, when we enter into the source of love the inner life of God, we enter a common union with all that exists that too is connected to the source. This is the Spiritual Communion (common union) that I have been talking about for weeks now. In this time of social distancing the fact remains that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus!
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Tuesday May 26, 202
Readings: Acts 20:17-27, Ps 68, John 17:1-11
Dear Parish Family,
Our Gospel today continues with the words of Jesus captured by St. John that we call the Last Supper Discourse. Today and for the next couple of days we will be bringing the sermon to a close with what is called the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus as He raised His eyes and His words to the Father. Jesus first thanks the Father for giving Him authority. As we see often in the Gospels people were astounded as they witnessed Jesus speaking and acting with authority. We have so many human examples of people in authority misusing the power that has been given to them; such that often authority is viewed with negative emotions. Not so in its original meaning.
I have talked and written much about God revealing Himself to us as “Being” itself. God reveals Himself as the Great I AM. I Am the one who is, the one whose very nature is TO BE. The etymology of the word “authority” is closely related to this as it literally means “from the Being.” So Jesus, the eternal Word Made Flesh, connects with the source of His Being, His Father. When Jesus says, “As the Father has sent Me, so I send you,” He is telling us that He is sharing with us His divine life. He is giving us a share in Being. In the creation story God took the clay of the earth and breathed into it His life breath and man became a living Being. In the Upper Room that first Easter Sunday Jesus breathed that life breath on the apostles. Next Sunday at the feast of Pentecost God will breath that life breath on us!
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Friday May 22, 2020
Readings: Acts 18:23-28, PS 47, John 16:23-28
Dear Parish Family,
Our Gospel today from St. John is a continuation of the Last Supper Discourse of Jesus. It has always amazed me just how many times the word “Joy” appears. It was a very stressful time for Jesus who was about the face His Crucifixion. It had to be a very difficult time for the apostles as well, as Jesus is telling them what is about to happen and that He would no longer be with them in the same way. Yet, near the end of His Sermon Jesus says: “I tell you all of this so that My joy might be in you and your joy be complete.”
In my business years I had several associates who were not happy people. Have you ever noticed how often unhappy people seem to want you to be unhappy as well? The expression “miserly loves company” is a common phrase that describes a part of human nature. In his book Happiness is an Inside Job, Fr. John Powell makes a clear distinction between happiness and joy. Joy comes from within, as it is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Happiness can come and go, but if we open ourselves to the Holy Spirit, joy becomes a part of who we are and no one can take it from us. Nothing outside of us, no one can take that joy away. Furthermore, if you are filled with joy than happiness naturally flows. So the choice is ours!
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your
love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Wednesday May 20, 2020
Readings: Acts 17:15, 22-18:1, PS 148, John 16:12-15
Dear Parish Family,
In our first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles, Paul is in the Areopagus in Greece and is surrounded by statues of dozens of Greek gods. He observes in the people a great sense of reverence and devotion. He quickly points out to them the statue of the “unknown god.” Obviously the people of the time could posit the existence of God, the reality of a higher power. What they lacked was knowledge of the One True God. It is interesting to note that their great philosophers like Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, etc. taught the reality of God as the One. They knew instinctively from their own God given ability to reason, that there had to be One who created all things from nothing. They taught the reality of the superior Diving Mind of God, which they called the “Logos” or as we translate it the “Word.”
St. Paul now uses the opportunity to bring the people knowledge of the Word made flesh, the One True God who took on flesh and became one of us. He reveals to them the reality of God who can be known and wants to be known, who wants to be in a personal relationship with us. In time the wisdom of the Greek philosophers would become a foundation for further articulating the Truth of the One True God, who is the Divine Mind (Logos) who created all things from nothing. Paul brought them the missing piece of their “puzzle.”
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Tuesday May 19, 2020
Readings: Acts 16:22-34, PS 138, John 16:5-11
Dear Parish Family,
In our first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles, Paul and Silas are beaten with rods and thrown into prison. It is a fulfillment of the warning of Jesus to the apostles that they would suffer much on account of His name. That evening there was a violent earthquake that broke open the prison gates. In the wake of the earthquake the guard falls to his knees in awe. When he realizes that Paul and Silas made no attempt to escape he is moved to listen to them and he and his family come to the Lord and are baptized. It never ceases to amaze me how God brings something good out of a bad situation.
We all are affected in a negative way by the Covid-19 pandemic. And yet, we are surrounded by people doing heroic things in difficult situations. Lives are being changed by little acts of kindness. People are giving selflessly of themselves and God continues make His love known. Evil and darkness are a part of this fallen world that we live in. Maybe the Light of Christ is most vivid when it shines through the darkness.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Monday May 18, 2020
Readings: Acts 16:11-15, PS 149, John 15:26-16:4
Dear Parish Family,
Our Gospel today continues to come from the Last Supper Discourse of John’s Gospel and our first reading continues to be the story of the early Church from the Acts of the Apostles. I have always said that during this Easter Season we should read the Gospel first and then the firstreading, because chronologically the Gospel scene predates the Acts of the Apostles. (If I ever get to be pope I might make that change. lol)
The Last Supper Discourse of St. John captures the powerful words of Jesus as He was about to enter into His Passion. They are sort of final instructions to His disciples and to us. He is preparing us and challenging us to persevere in faith. He is NOT promising an easy road, in fact, just the opposite. He does not promise freedom from the storms of life, but peace amid the storms. He does not promise a life free of disappointment and loss, but joy amid the struggles, etc, etc. He promises to love us unconditionally. He promises to forgive us without limit. But most importantly of all He promises to be with us always, in good times and in bad. So, “Be not afraid, I am with you always!”
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Father Glenn’s Daily Reflection – Thursday May 14, 2020
Readings: Acts 1:15-26, Ps 113, John 15:9-17
Dear Parish Family,
Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Matthias. St. Matthias was the one who was chosen by God to replace Judas who was lost. The theme of our readings today is the reality that each of us is chosen by God. Jesus reminds us in our Gospel today: “It was not you who chose Me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain…” This particular Gospel passage had a profound life-changing influence in my own life journey. On Saturday evening as I was making my Cursillo weekend I heard the call to priesthood in a very powerful way. That entire evening I lay awake thinking of reasons why God was mistaken, or surely I was mistaken somehow. I most have heard wrong. The next morning during Morning Prayer, I heard those words from our Gospel today, “It was not you who chose Me, I who chose you to go and bear fruit that will remain.” I felt Jesus speaking again to me and those words changed my life forever.
If we think about it, none of us chose to be born into this world. It was God who, in His love, chose to share His life with us. It is God who does not want a world without each and every one of us. Life is a gift from God. What we do with our lives, how we live our lives, is our gift to God.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Wednesday May 13, 2020
Readings: Acts 15:1-6, Ps 122, John 15:1-8
Dear Parish Family,
Our Gospel today from St. John is the beautiful Vine and Branches metaphor of the Last Supper Discourse of Jesus. It is a beautiful image when we recall our middle school science. The life giving water drawn by the roots flows up the stem out into the branches feeding the leaves and the fruit of the vine. Think of God’s grace as the life giving water and Jesus as the conduit of that grace. Obviously if the branch is cut off it would dry up and wither, but connected it lives and bears fruit. Moreover, it is when the branches collectively draw the water together that the vine is most vibrant, one branch would not have the strength to sustain the vine. So together, connected to Jesus, rooted in faith, we are the most vibrant living body.
. I have mentioned several times in homilies that I looked at this metaphor most of my life in an incomplete way. I always saw Jesus as the trunk or the stem of the vine and we as branches connected to Him. The word however, that we translate as “vine,” is a word that describes the entire vine; i.e. roots, stem, branches, leaves, fruit, etc. So if Jesus is the Vine and we are the Branches then we are a part of Him.
In San Clemete Church in Rome there is a beautiful 12 Century mosaic depicting this beautiful metaphor. It fills entire high altar. At the center is a large brown cross and from the cross the Vine appears to be growing. The entire Vine is teaming with life. It appears as a living vibrant organism giving life to all around it with the Cross as the source of this life. This is my vision of the Church as the living vibrant Body of Christ here on earth.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Father Glenn’s Daily Reflection – Tuesday May 12, 2020
Readings: Acts 14:19-28, Ps 145, John 14:27-31a
Dear Parish Family,
Our Gospel today continues with the Last Supper Discourse of the Gospel of St. John. In this difficult time Jesus continues to calm and reassure His disciples as He says: “Peace I leave you, my peace I give you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” The word that Jesus used for peace is “Shalom”. The Jewish understanding of this word is that God is the source of this inner peace. It is an inner peace that is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. A couple of days later on that first Easter Sunday evening that it is the first word that the Risen Lord spoke to His apostles in that same Upper Room. He said, “Shalom, peace be with you.” He then breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
The peace that Jesus gives us is not peace as the world knows it. As the serenity prayers says, it is not freedom from the storms of life, but peace amid the storms of life. In our first reading today St. Paul is stoned and left for dead. In the next paragraph he is back up preaching, calling us to persevere in faith. As we travel through this pandemic it is good for all of us to reach down deep to anchor into the inner peace that the Risen Lord wants to share with us. “Only in God is my soul at rest.” “Be not afraid, I am with you always.”
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Fill us with Love, Joy and Peace. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Father Glenn’s Daily Reflection – Monday May 11, 2020
Readings: Acts 14:5-18, Ps 115, John 14:21-26
Dear Parish Family,
I have often been amused by people in ministry who become narcissistic. Unfortunately is seems to happen all too often. When the Holy Spirit is working in a powerful way through someone, our fallen human nature often becomes prideful. Early on in ministry I learned of this pitfall and have tried very hard to avoid going down that road. I know for certain that if something I do in ministry is of God I know who to give credit to. I know that it is not me, but God working through me, and so I always point to the Holy Spirit, the source of all. In our first reading today a man crippled from birth is healed by God though Paul and Barnabas. The people who witnessed this miracle turn their attention and want to raise Paul and Barnabas to the position of divinity. Paul and Barnabas quickly confess that it is not them, but the Risen Lord working through them.
Each one of us is being called and sent by the Risen Lord to bring His love into our environments. It is Jesus who wants to work in and through us, His Mystical Body here on earth. As He works through you remember to point to Him.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Friday May 8, 2020
Readings: Acts 26-33, Ps 2, John 14:1-6
Dear Parish Family,
For several years now I have been preaching about the fact that we are called to be Spirit filled, Spirit led, and Spirit giving people as the body of Christ. This notion seems to parallel the statement of Jesus in today’s Gospel, “I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Jesus in the I AM statement is revealing Himself as God. Within God are Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Doesn’t Genesis tell us that we were created in God’s image and likeness?
Jesus does not reveal Himself as one way among many, or as one truth among many, or as one life among many. He reveals Himself as the only Way, as Truth itself, as Life itself. Scripture reveals to us that all Life comes from God. God breathed His life breath into the clay of the earth and man became a living being. The only way to life is to remain connected to the source of life. There is no other source and therefore no other way. Jesus is the Way. Jesus is the mediator of life that flows from the Father. He is the common union (Communion) of human and divine life. He humbling Himself to share in our humanity and so we are drawn to share in His divinity. All things came into being through Him and all things are sustained in being by Him. There is no other Way, no other Truth, no other Life.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Thursday May 7, 2020
Readings: Acts 13:13-25, Ps 89, John 13:16-20
Dear Parish Family,
In our first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles St. Paul gives the people of Antioch a history lesson. St. Paul was a very learned Jew. He was very much at home in a Jewish Synagogue. Standing up in the synagogue he reminded the people of the powerful acts of God in their history and he announces the fulfillment of that history in Jesus. It was Jesus who was sent by their God, in fact was the God of their salvation, who entered into our humanity precisely to save us. In his discourse he brings all of their history to fulfillment in Jesus. In this truth the people can see that this is not some knew movement but the fulfillment of centuries of their longing and their hope.
Our Gospel scene is the Last Supper and Jesus has just finished washing the feat of His disciples. He said, “As I have done for you, you now must do for others.” He then assures them that being sent in His stead, “Whoever receives the one I send receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives the One who sent Me.” Remember that each time we reach out to someone in need, it is Jesus Himself who is reaching out through us. If God puts someone on your heart today, reach out to them. To steal the Nike slogan, Just do it!
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Father Glenn’s Daily Reflection – Wednesday May 6, 2020
Readings: Acts 12:24-13.5, Ps 67, John 12:44-50
Dear Parish Family,
“I AM the Light of the World, says the Lord, whoever believes in Me will have the light of life.” Jesus does not say that He created the light of the world. Everything came into being through Him. God said: “Let there be light and there was light.” So, Jesus could say that He created the light of the world. He could say that He came to bring light into the world, but He does not. He says, “I AM the Light of the World.” This statement, like the other I AM statements, has eternal significance. He IS the Light, He IS the Gate, He IS the Way, He IS the Truth, He IS the Life, He is the Bread of Life, He is Love, He is Being itself. He is EVERYTING! So remaining connected to Jesus is the only thing that is. Disconnecting from Him is Nothing. It is what scripture calls lack of faith, darkness, emptiness, death, and eventually eternal death or Hell. Faith, therefore, is everything, and means to remain connected, in communion with Jesus who IS.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Father Glenn’s Daily Reflection – Tuesday May 5, 2020
Readings: Acts 11:19-26, Ps 87, John 10:22-30
Dear Parish Family,
Our first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles continues a narrative of the early Church. It is the time shortly following the stoning to death of St. Stephen, the first martyr of the Church. With his death the persecution of the Church intensified. In this intense persecution the disciples were forced to dissipate. In effect it forced them to get moving and bring the Gospel to new territory. Some 500 years earlier there was similar persecution of the Jewish community at the hands of Babylonians. Jerusalem and the great temple were destroyed, the leaders were carried off to Babylon as slaves, and the rest were forced to scatter throughout the Middle East and beyond. It is often referred to as the Diaspora (great scattering). The result was that pockets of Judaism were established all over the area. Now the disciples are forced to disperse and the found these areas of Judaism in Gentile territory and this becomes the stepping stone for the spread of the Gospel. It always amazes me how God uses these times of distress to bring good.
The question for each of us as we journey through this pandemic might be: “What is God asking of me in this difficult time?” Or, “What does God want us to learn from this?” Certainly we have plenty of opportunity to bring light into this darkness, peace into turmoil, assurance into confusion, faith into doubt, etc. If we don’t listen and respond to God then we are missing this opportunity that God is giving us. As always we ask the Holy Spirit to guide us as we pray, Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Father Glenn’s Daily Reflection – Monday May 4, 2020
Readings: Acts 11:1-18, PS 42, 43 John 10:11-18
Dear Parish Family,
The Jewish people saw themselves as the chosen people, rightfully so, because they were chosen by God. “I will be your God and you will be My people.” The problem lies in that it fostered exclusionary thinking. Many thought that the only way to stay holy and pure before God was to avoid contact with the Gentile world. In reality they were chosen by God for a purpose, to be a conduit for God entering our world. God chose to reveal Himself through the Israelite community, through the Law and the Prophets. When the time was right God sent His Son into our world, born into a Jewish family, in a Jewish community. God chose the Jewish people for a reason, i.e. to reveal and mediate His love and His life to the whole world through Jesus and His Church.
Our first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles reveals a time in the early Church where the apostles are opening up to this reality, the truth of an all inclusive Church. St. Paul has been chosen to bring the Good News to the Gentiles. In our reading today the disciples see the Holy Spirit being poured upon everyone, Jews and Gentiles alike. They are starting to see the mission of the Church as a mission to the whole world.
Our Psalm today confirms the universal longing of all of humanity, a deep thirst for the living God. In our Gospel Jesus reveals that He is the Good Shepherd who will lay down His life for the sheep, and the flock that is His includes all of humankind. Jesus reminds us that “there will be one flock, one shepherd.” There is one flock and there is one Shepherd and we are all the sheep that He shepherds. Come Holy Spirit, fall afresh upon us, and make us one mind and one heart in Christ Jesus. Amen.
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Friday May 1, 2020 Readings: Acts 9:1-20, Ps 117, John 6:52-59 Dear Parish Family, Our first reading today is the story of the conversion of St. Paul. Saul, as he was called prior to his Christian awakening, was arguably the most ardent persecutor of the early Church. He was literally going door to door looking for people of The Way and dragging them out to be beaten. One has to wonder why the Risen Lord chose him of all people to be the Apostle to the Gentiles. I suppose Paul in good faith saw the people of The Way as a threat to his beloved Jewish faith. He saw this new Way, the Resurrection People, as another way instead of the fulfillment of all of his faith. I think that Jesus chose Paul for the same reason that He chose Peter. It was his burning passion and relentless energy that Jesus would harness and direct. Transformed by the experience of the Risen Lord, St. Paul went on to be the great evangelist that he was. I have to mention one of the most significant lines of all of Sacred Scripture. When the Risen Lord appeared to Saul he said to him: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting ME?” He does not ask: “Why are you persecuting My Church?” Jesus makes no distinction between His Church and Himself. It is good to remember that we are the Mystical Body of Christ here on earth. It is His indwelling presence in us that makes us the incarnate manifestation of God in our world. We are called to live our lives accordingly. Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Amen. In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Father Glenn’s Daily Reflection – Thursday April 30, 2020 Readings: Acts 8:26-40, Ps 66, 6:44-51 Dear Parish Family, Our first reading today is the story of Philip being led by the Holy Spirit to bring the Good News to a very specific person that God was leading him to. It was an Ethiopian man who was searching. An angel appeared to Philip and gave very specific instructions and then the Holy Spirit took over and guided Philip the rest of the way. In the encounter the Holy Spirit filled the heart of the Ethiopian man and he was baptized into the faith. The lesson for us is clear. God wants to work through each one of us. He puts people in our path for a reason. God wants to reach people through us. Every time God puts a nudge on your heart to call or reach out to someone, do it! If you do it, it will be God touching them through you. We experience God’s presence through each other. God loves the world in and through us. If we don’t respond to God’s prompting than a part of God’s plan goes unfulfilled, a part of His glory goes unseen. Our role as the Body of Christ is to be Spirit filled, Spirit led and Spirit giving people. So come Holy Spirit fill the Hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Amen In Christ Jesus our Lord, Father Glenn’s Daily Reflection – Wednesday April 29, 2020 Readings: Acts 8:1-8, Ps 66, 6:35-40 Dear Parish Family, As Jesus shared the depth of His heart at the Last Supper, He said: “I tell you this so that My joy might be in you, and your joy be complete.” He knew exactly what he was about to face later that evening and the next day. Yet, He is talking about joy. The same thing is happening in our first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles. They just buried St. Stephen and now this terrible persecution is happening, and we are told: “There was great joy in the city.” I have always been intrigued what is referred to as the “theology of martyrdom.” We are blessed to have a lot of reflections of various martyrs as they were willingly or otherwise going off to be killed. So often they talk about the joy of giving their life for Jesus and for their brothers and sisters in Christ. There is a joy in the surrender, the laying down of one’s life for another. Jesus said, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for a friend.” I think we all can experience a portion of that joy as we help others, especially in this difficult time. In the midst of this pandemic, in the midst of suffering, I am hearing of so much joy. “Let all the earth cry out to God with Joy.” It is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Amen. In Christ Jesus our Lord, Father Glenn’s Daily Reflection – Tuesday April 28, 2020 Readings: Acts 7:15-8:1, Ps 31, John 6:30-35 Dear Parish Family, They said that his face glowed like an angel. The Holy Spirit was very visible in him. And now St. Stephen becomes the first martyr as they stone him to death. There is a darkness in our world that opposes love and life. There is an apposing team that the Holy Spirit encounters everywhere. It is the devil and his legions. The same darkness and evil that we experienced on Good Friday is now evident in the murder of Stephen. St Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, stands in the person of Jesus now and bears his cross as he is stoned to death. Like Jesus he forgives his enemies and willingly surrenders his Spirit. At the end of the story Saul enters the scene. We are told: “Now Saul was consenting to his execution.” Apparently from this moment forward Saul went forth on a rampage of persecution of the early Church. That is, until the Risen Lord intervened and appeared to Saul. Jesus said, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Jesus makes no distinction between Himself and His Church. If anyone persecutes His Church he is persecuting Jesus Himself. Therefore, it was Jesus Himself standing there that day being stoned to death. We are the living, vibrant, Mystical Body of Jesus here on earth. It is an amazing gift and an awesome responsibility that we all have to stand in the stead of Jesus. In good times and in bad know that He is standing with us. Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Amen. In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Father Glenn’s Daily Reflection – Monday April 27, 2020 Readings: Acts 6:8-15, Ps 110, John 6:23-29 Dear Parish Family, In our first reading today St. Stephen is preaching the Risen Lord and he is filled with the Holy Spirit. People heard his powerful preaching, they saw wonders performed in the name of Jesus, but they also saw something more in him. They somehow saw that he was filled with grace and power. They said that his face glowed like an angel. The Holy Spirit was very visible in him. One of the gifts that I have experienced in recent years is to see, feel and recognize the Holy Spirit in people. For better or worse I often see and sense a dark spirit in certain people as well. Often times when the face of a horrific criminal is shown on the news I can see “darkness” in their eyes. The point is that the Spiritual realm is discernable in the here and now. The Holy Spirit is a power that we can see and experience in ourselves and in others. Opening ourselves daily to the Spirit is the Spiritual food and nourishment that Jesus is talking about in today’s Gospel. It is the food that endures for eternal life. God is both the giver and the sustainer of life, real life, the fullness of life, life eternal. We are so blessed to have so many Spirit filled, Spirit led and Spirit giving people in our parish family. For that we give thanks and we pray, come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Amen. In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Daily Reflection – Friday April 24, 2020 Readings: Acts 5:34-42 Ps 27, John 6:1-15 Dear Parish Family, Our Gospel today is the beginning of the beautiful Bread of Life Discourse. St. John captures one of the miraculous stories of Jesus feeding a multitude of people. These stories appear six different times in the Gospels and they all have a common theme. A large crowd gathers around Jesus, twenty to twenty-five thousand people. They are all hungry. Jesus takes a small gift of bread and a few fish, gives thanks, says the blessing, breaks the bread and gives it to His disciples to give to the crowd. They are all satisfied and fulfilled, and there are always either 7 or 12 baskets of leftovers. There is a detail in John’s account that is there, I believe, for a reason. We are told that there is a young lad with five barley loaves and two fish, but Peter asks: “But what good are these for so many?” That is the typical response when there is a little bread and a few fish. What good are my meager gifts when so much is needed? Barley bread was the food of the very poor. So, here is a young lad carrying perhaps all that his family has to eat, and he gives it all to Jesus. Jesus feeds twenty-five thousand people who have all that they can eat and there are twelve baskets of leftovers. Cultural norms would dictate that the leftovers first go to the person who contributed the food. Now this poor family has more than they can eat so they must give away more than they had before. I am hearing story after story of people in our parish family helping others in need and the common theme that I am hearing is that they always receive more than they can give. That is the lesson for the day, if we give all that we have to Jesus, our resources will never run dry, because there are no bounds to God’s love. Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Amen. In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Father Glenn’s Daily Reflection – Thursday April 23, 2020 Readings: Acts 5:27-33, Ps 34, John 3:31-36 Dear Parish Family, For most of my life I thought of the idea of eternal life as some future time, sometimes referred to as the afterlife. I am sure that that is how many of you think of it as well. What God reveals to us in Scripture is in fact the afterlife, but much more. The word in Greek is Zoe, pronounced zo ae. There was a different word in the ancient language to describe life as we know it, i.e. biological life. Sometimes the word Zoe is translated as fullness of life, abundant life, and sometimes eternal life. The word can be traced to the creation story when God breathed His life breath into the clay of the earth and man became a living being. God is the source of this life, so it is life everlasting because God is everlasting. In our Gospel today, John says: “Whoever believes n the Son has eternal life.” Please note the present tense. John is not talking about some future event after this life. He is talking about here and now! In a similar vain, St. Paul talks about “eternal life already begun in us but not yet complete.” Being alive in the Spirit is a present reality. Opening ourselves to the Holy Spirit is a life changing experience. We are able to experience life on an entirely different level of reality. It is about really living and not just existing. It is about being filled with the gifts and fruits of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, etc. I think we all need a little deep inner peace right now. Remember, a virus has a finite life, it dies, but God is forever and therefore life is forever. Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Amen. In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Father Glenn’s Daily Reflection – Wednesday April 22, 2020 Father Glenn’s Daily Reflection – Monday April 20, 2020 Readings: Acts 4:23-31, Ps 2, John 3:1-8 Dear Parish Family, St. John the beloved disciple was a soul mate of Jesus. St. John knew the heart and mind of Jesus and therefore the heart and mind of God as no other human person other than perhaps Mary or Joseph. It is therefore not surprising that St. John’s Gospel is the deepest and most spiritual of all of Sacred Scripture. As St. John writes in his later years, filled with the Holy Spirit, he is writing in the light of the Spirit. Through Spiritual eyes he sees the reality of the Spiritual world. From that vantage point of the Spiritual world he sees a Spiritual battle going on, a battle between good and evil, spirit and flesh, light and darkness, faith and ignorance, etc. In our Gospel passage today, Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night. He is living in darkness and searching for the light of faith. In his searching he approaches Jesus, The Light of the World. Jesus tells him that he must open himself to receive the Holy Spirit. He assures him that it is only through new Spiritual sight that he will be able to see the Kingdom of God. In that sight he will be born again. Newness of life will overtake him and change him forever. Like Nicodemus each one of us must open ourselves to the Holy Spirit. Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your Love, Amen. In Christ Jesus our Lord, Father Glenn’s Daily Reflection – Easter Friday, April 17, 2020 Readings: Acts 4:1-12, Ps 118, John 21:1-14 Dear Parish Family, Our message for the day can be found, as is so often the case, in our Responsorial Psalm: “The Lord is God, and He has given us light.” The Gospel scene is the appearance of the Risen Lord to the apostles along the Sea of Galilee. It is now two or three weeks after the resurrection and the apostles are out fishing. One could presume that it may have been their favorite fishing spot, perhaps where some of them first met Jesus three years earlier. As usual without Jesus they have fished all night and caught nothing; something I can relate to! Now with Jesus there their nets are full and overflowing, 153 large fish we are told. Did you ever try to count a pile of flopping fish? St. Jerome, one of the Church Fathers, and a renowned scripture scholar, taught that there were 153 known species of fish at the time, so the fish represent all of mankind, people of every race and nationality. Jesus promised that He would make the disciples fishers of men. The Sea of Galilee is relatively shallow and known for its turbulence. It is a dark and murky. So not only are the Apostles now catching men but they are bringing them out of darkness into the light of day. The movement of faith is to move from darkness to light, from blindness to sight. Our role as followers of Jesus is to move to the Light and bring other to the Light, Jesus, the Light of the World. In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Father Glenn’s Daily Reflection – Easter Thursday Readings: Acts 3:11-26, Ps 8, Luke 24:35-48 Dear Parish Family, Our Gospel scene today takes place on that first Easter Sunday evening. The two disciples, who were leaving Jerusalem and heading toward Emmaus, have returned and joined the community gathered in the Upper Room. It is now dinner time and the apostles had to be mindful of the Last Supper that they had shared with the Lord just 3 days earlier. Now there is an empty chair at the head of the table. It had to be a sad and confusing time for them. We are told that the doors were locked out of fear. Now two disciples tell this incredible story that they had encountered the Risen Lord on the way. The others recount their experience of an empty tomb and of angels in white robes. And now the Risen Lord Himself appears to them. As they were gathered together in His name there He was now with them again. Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit on them and said “Peace be with you.” He showed them the wounds in His hands and feet. I once asked the question at a school Mass: “If the Risen Lord now has this wonderful glorified body, why did He still have the wounds in His hands, feet, and side?” A little girl answered (without being called on) “Because He wants us to remember how much He loves us!” It was a better answer than I was looking for. In Christ Jesus our Lord, Father Glenn’s Daily Reflection – Easter Wednesday, April 15, 2020 Dear Parish Family, Our Gospel today is the famous Road to Emmaus story that is unique to Luke’s Gospel. The entire Gospel of Luke is about the Road to Jerusalem. Jesus’ face is set like flint on Jerusalem, He is resolutely determined to accomplish the mission for which He came into the world, to suffer, die, rise and ascend to the Father. All of this happens in Jerusalem. Our Gospel scene takes place on that first Easter Sunday afternoon. Two of His disciples are going the wrong way, they are leaving Jerusalem. They are on a journey to Emmaus which is seven miles west of Jerusalem. In their sorrow and confusion they are going the wrong way and the Risen Lord appears, walking with them. They invite Him to stay with them and He does. Against all cultural norms of the time the invited becomes the host. He takes the bread, blesses it, breaks it and gives it to them. They recognize Him in the Breaking of the Bread, the Eucharist. Whereas Jesus instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper, this is now the first Eucharist of the Church and the Risen Lord is the host as He is today. Moved by their participation in the Eucharist the two disciples find their hearts burning within them and they are enlightened by the encounter. Now they return to Jerusalem and join the others in the Upper Room where Jesus will appear again in the community gathered in His name. I too long for the time when we will once again gather in the name of the Lord and the Risen Lord will be the host and our hearts will burn! In Christ Jesus our Lord, Father Glenn’s Daily Reflection – Easter Monday, April 13, 2020 Readings: Acts 2:14-33, Ps 16, Jn 28:8-15 Dear Parish Family, I mentioned in my homily on Sunday that one of the real anchor points of my faith is the transformation that takes place in the apostles and others that witnessed the Risen Lord. Our first reading today from The Acts of the Apostles does sort of a fast forward to the event of Pentecost. St Peter is beginning his famous speech. As we have just witnessed Peter during the Passion denying that he even knew Jesus, we really see his human weakness. He and the other were then hiding in the Upper Room that first Easter Sunday and the Risen Lord walked into the room although the doors were locked out of fear. Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit upon them and from that moment on they were different people. They became the bold and joy filled Apostles that became the foundation of our Church. Perhaps our Psalm today sums up the main theme: “You will show us the path to life, fullness of joys in your presence.” Please notice this little nuance, i.e. You will show us the path TO life, and not the path OF life. The Light of the Holy Spirit shows us the path to the fullness of life IN the Spirit. Then in that same Spirit we become Spirit filled, Spirit led and Spirit giving people, as the Mystical Body of Christ here on earth. In Christ Jesus our Lord, Father Glenn’s Daily Reflection – Holy Thursday April 9, 2020 Dear Parish Family, In Christ Jesus our Lord, Litany of Trust Father Glenn’s Daily Reflection – Wednesday April 8, 2020 Readings: Isaiah 50:4-9, Ps 69. Mt 26;14-25 Dear Parish Family, Our readings again today focus on the inexorable determination of Jesus to accomplish the mission for which He came into the world, to come to the hour for which He was born, the Cross; and He journeys into darkness of denial and betrayal that are in the air. My prayer this morning caused me to focus on the reading for Morning Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours. The reading is Romans 5:6-10. The particular passage that I was called to is Verse 8: “God proves His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” This sort of sums up the Mass readings for the day, it seems to me. John Newton, the author of the song Amazing Grace, was a British naval officer who captained a ship in the triangular slave trade route that brought African slaves to the United States. His father was an Anglican preacher and Mr. Newton became sort of a preacher of sorts while he was the chief officer of his ship. One day as he as sitting in his father’s church he heard those words from St. Paul proclaimed from the ambo: “That while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” He was overwhelmed by a flood of grace and he sat in that church after everyone had left and penned his famous song. “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see…” John Newtown resigned his position as naval captain and began a movement that ended the slave trade. In a flash of light he saw the sins of life, heard the voice God, felt the embrace of love and was changed by Amazing Grace! In Christ Jesus our Lord, Father Glenn’s Daily Reflection – Tuesday April 7, 2020 Readings: Isaiah 49:1-6, Ps 71, Jn 13:21-38 Dear Parish Family, Our Gospel scene today is the beginning of the Last Supper and the beginning of the Last Supper Discourse in John’s Gospel. It is a story of denial and betrayal. Judas Iscariot and Peter are the betrayers and deniers. I can relate to both of these characters in that I have betrayed and denied the Lord often in my life. The only difference between Judas and Peter is that Peter did not give up on himself and Judas did. In that sense I can relate more with Peter. Judas could not live with himself and so went out and hung himself. He did not have faith in the power of Jesus to forgive and Peter did. He did not have faith in the power of love and Peter did. We often think that God’s love for us has something to do with what we say or do. It has nothing to do with that. It has to do with who God is. God IS love. God is mercy and forgiveness. Nothing we can say or do can earn God’s love. We don’t have to earn God’s love. God’s love is before us. Before the foundation of the world God loved each one of us. Nothing we can say or do can change that. A couple of weeks after His resurrection the Risen Lord took Peter aside and asked him one question, but He asked it three times: “Peter do you love Me?” That is the only question God will ever ask us. But He might ask it multiple times during our lives… like every moment of every day!
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Father Glenn’s Daily Reflection – Saturday April 4, 2020 Daily Reflection – Friday April 3, 2020 Dear Parish Family, It was a dark and stormy night… If you followed the Peanuts cartoon as I did over the years you would know that Snoopy was writing mystery novel. Over the 50 year duration of the cartoon as far as he ever got was that opening line: “It was a dark and stormy night…” As I prayed with the daily Mass readings today I had a very deep sense of the darkness and turbulence of life at times. We live in a world in need of healing, a world in need of a savior, a world in need of goodness, peace and love. Jesus entered this stormy world of ours, and now he enters into the darkest days of humanity and we can feel the tension mounting in our Gospel today. Jesus is nearing the darkness of Calvary and he is surrounded by people who are trying to stone Him to death. The storm is evident in our Psalm today as well. The psalmist cries from the storm: “The breakers of death surged round about me… My God my rock of refuge, my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” We all need a Rock of Refuge in this turbulent world of ours. We all need an anchor point. Christ is that Rock! He is the Rock of our salvation. He is the immutable anchor that we need most especially in the turbulent times like what we are experiencing now. The stark contrast between the empty streets of once bustling cities and the war like tumult of ground zero in New York City exemplify our need for a Savior, our need for healing. As we journey toward the Cross of Calvary may we always be mindful of the words of Saint John Paul II, “As the word turns the Cross remains constant.” May the Cross of Jesus, the steadfast love of God always be our Rock of refuge. In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Father Glenn’s Daily Reflection – Thursday April 2, 2020 Dear Parish Family, In our Gospel today we have perhaps one of the most profound I AM statements of Jesus: “Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.” Jesus came into our world, sent by the Father, to reveal and mediate God’s life and God’s love to us. He also came to reveal to us who God is and who we are as His beloved children. In doing so, He reveals to us a world beyond the world that we can see. “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, what God has prepared for those who love Him.” (Is 64:4, I Cor. 2:4) As I have shared in many homilies, several years ago I was inspired in prayer to a very profound experience of this reality. From that moment on I see all of Sacred Scripture as the revelation of a world beyond the world that we can see right now. Although, as we hear at the ascension of Jesus, “He was taken beyond their sight,” we still experience His presence with us. And so we experience the world beyond with Spiritual Sight. The timeless has been placed in our hearts by God. We were made for eternity and so the deepest longing of the human heart is for eternal life with God. I pray that that deep sense of immutability will get us safely through this turbulent time on earth. In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Father Glenn’s Daily Reflection – Wednesday April 1, 2020 Dear Parish Family, Our first reading today takes place at a time when it was illegal for the Israelite people to practice their faith. If anyone would not bow down to the pagan god of King Nebuchadnezzar they would be put to death. Three young men, known for their colorful names, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to abandon their faith and bow to a foreign god. They are sentenced to be burned to death. As they are seen dancing in the fire unharmed a fourth person is seen with them, one that looked like the Son of God. Those who witnessed the scene realized the power of the one true God and witnessed that the True God was with his people. Jesus reminds us in our Gospel today that He was sent by the Father. He is truly Emanuel, God with us. As I have preached many times, Emmanuel means to be in deep solidarity with us. God is with us now, in solidarity with us. He is closer to us than we are to ourselves. As we journey together through this difficult time He is walking with us. He is in the “fire” with us. And because he is with us we will not be harmed, and we should not fear. As long as we are united with Christ nothing can harm us or separate us from His love. I pray that you all feel His loving presence this day and every day! . In Christ Jesus our Lord, Daily Reflection – Tuesday,March 31, 2020 Dear Parish Family, As we turn toward Palm Sunday and Holy Week we start to focus more and more on the Cross of Jesus. Our first reading today is taken from the Book of Numbers. It is the story of the Bronze Serpent. The people are on the journey through the desert to the Promised Land. On the journey they are complaining about the hardships that come withthe desert; heat, lack of food and water, etc. To make matters worse they encounter some rather aggressive little snakes with a painful bite and lethal venom. They ask Moses to pray to God for them that He might take the serpents away. Moses prays and although God does not take the serpents away he gives them an antidote. He instructs Moses to make a replica of the serpent and mount it on a pole. God promises that if the people gaze upon the lifeless bronze serpent they will live. The literal translation of the word “gaze” means to “look upon with faith.” The snakes remained and the people were still bitten. However, to those who looked upon the bronze serpent with faith, the bite had no power over them and they lived. In our Gospel today we are reminded to gaze upon the Cross of Jesus. The Cross reminds us that the victory over sin and death has already been won. All we have to do is have faith in the Crucified and Risen Lord and death has no power over us. As St. Paul says: “O death where is your sting.” As we journey together through this pandemic, as we move toward Holy Week may our focus be on the Crossand the Glory of the Resurrection that follows. Remember that it is “Friday”, but Sunday is a-coming. In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Father Glenn’s Daily Reflection – Monday March 30, 2020 Dear Parish Family, Both of our readings today are centered on the sin of adultery. Our first reading today taken from the Book of Daniel is the long story of Suzanna who was attacked by two elders and then wrongfully accused of adultery and sentenced to death. God intervenes by inspiring a young man named Daniel to bring the accusers to trial. He catches them in their perjury and the innocent Suzanna is exonerated and set free. In our Gospel today the people bring to Jesus a woman caught in the act of adultery. She is sentenced to be stoned to death. They bring her to Jesus in an attempt to entrap him. Jesus bends down and writes in the sand and then straightens up and He tells them that the one among them without sin should cast the first stone. One by one they walk away. The only person to stay with Jesus is the woman caught in adultery. Jesus tells her to go and sin no more. There a lot of imagery in sacred scripture that speaks of our God that seeks to espouse us. We have a God who longs to be in a deep personal relationship with each one of us. Jesus prayed at the Last Supper, “Father may they be One as You and I are One.” There is also a lot of imagery and examples of us as being an adulterous people, a people who quickly turn from our loving bond with God and turn our hearts and minds to other people and things that attract us and pull us away from the bond of love with God. We are told at the start of today’s Gospel that Jesus came down from the Mount of Olives to the temple area. A day or two later He will be back on the Mount of Olives in the Garden of Gethsemani. There is a line in the Passion story that always struck me as a little odd: “He withdrew from them about a stones throw away.” The woman caught in adultery was about to be stoned. Could it be that Jesus took her place? In doing so did he not take our place as well? In Christ Jesus our Lord, | App Features |
Daily Reflection – Friday, March 27, 2020
Dear Parish Family,
Our first reading today is taken from the Book of Wisdom. Wisdom seems to reveal very clearly our fallen human nature. Our reading begins: “The wicked said among themselves, thinking not aright, ‘”Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us.”’ I have often been amazed at how often criminals seem to be very comfortable in their own skin. Somehow they seem self justified in their evil actions. They seem to have little concern or empathy for those they have hurt, even as the pain suffering of their victims is often atrocious. Our self-centered inward looking nature does not see aright. We need God’s self giving love, His Grace to enlighten us. We live in a fallen world, a world in need of a Savior.
Our Gospel today, taken from the 7th Chapter of John, exposes a growing movement to put Jesus to death. As I was praying with the scripture this morning before I celebrated Mass, the Holy Spirit led me to Third Chapter of John’s Gospel: “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” John 3:19 Wisdom highlights our fallen human nature and our need for a savior. We need Jesus, The Light of the Word, to guide our way through this ever murky road that we are traveling. Let us pray that Jesus will lead us through this difficult time to rise with Him to New Life!
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Father Glenn’s Thursday, March 26th, Reflection
Dear Parish Family,
Our first reading today is taken from the Book of Exodus. The story takes place rather early in the journey of the Israelite People set free from slavery in Egypt and being led by the light of God to the Promised Land. Just think of what the people had just experienced. They experienced the saving hand of God in all of His power and might. Think of the cataclysmic events that led Pharaoh to set the people free. Think of the power of God opening the Red Sea for the Israelites to pass through and the engulfing of their pursuing enemies. And now in a very short span of time they have turned from God and turned toward the glimmer of idols.
There is an interesting exchange between Moses and God. The Lord said to Moses, “Go down at once to yourpeople…” In response Moses turns it back to God: “Why, O Lord, should your wrath blaze up against Your own people, whom You brought out of the land of Egypt…” This reminds me of the older son in the Prodigal Son Parable when he replies to his father, “This son of yours…” He refuses to acknowledge his own brother.
We are God’s beloved children. “I will be your God and you will be My people”
It is time to cast off idols and return to Him with our whole heart, our whole mind, our whole being. It is a time for us to live as children of God!
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Wednesday, March 25th, Reflection from Father Glenn
Dear Parish Family,
Hear I am Lord, I come to do Your will! Today we celebrate the great Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. The focus is on God’s initiative in Salvation history and humanity’s response. God announces to Mary that He is going to enter into our humanity through her, and Mary responds with her famous fiat: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to Your word.”
I wonder if Mary had other plans. We know that she was already betrothed to Joseph of Nazareth. I am guessing that they had made a lot of plans for the future. Even though she was only a young girl it would seem that her future was already pretty clear to her. And now everything is changed.
Many of our plans are at best on hold for now. What is God asking of me here and now? Maybe the current pandemic that is affecting all of us would be a great opportunity for each of us to respond: “Hear I am Lord, I come to do Your will.”
Mary Queen of Peace…. Pray for us!
In Mother Mary and her beloved Son Jesus,
Father Glenn
Daily Reflection – Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Dear Parish Family,
Our first reading today is that famous passage from the 47th Chapter of the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel. It is the vision of the life-giving water that is flowing from the sanctuary of the temple. The water is giving life to all in its path. It is of course the vision or visible sign of God’s life-giving love flowing into our world. The water has a beginning, a source, but is has no end. It transforms everything in its path, life sprouts forth and salt water is made fresh. It is teaming with life. The fruit is bread for the world and the leaves are the healing salvation of God. St. Paul reminds us that the Rock that Moses struck in the desert, from which life-giving water flowed, was Christ. From the Cross, the heart of Jesus was pierced for our sins and life-giving water flowed upon the world. Each one of us is being drawn to the water of life.
In our Gospel today a man crippled for 38 years is lying near the water of the pool of Bethesda. Jesus enters his life and asked him if he wants to be healed. He tells Jesus that he has no one to bring him to the life-giving water. He does not yet know that Jesus is the source of the life-giving water, the source of life and healing and love and mercy. Jesus tells him to rise and pick up his mat and walk and he is healed. One can only imagine the joy that the man must have felt to be cured after 38 years of illness. I wonder how we will feel to be set free after 30 days of isolation?
In Christ,
Pastoral Letter to Our Parish…March 22, 2020
Dear Parish Family,
It is Sunday, March 22, 2020, but somehow it feels more like Good Friday than Sunday. A few moments ago I celebrated Mass in the solitude of my chapel at home in Flat Rock. I celebrate Mass for you my parish family, living and deceased. Holy Mass transcends time and space. Heaven and Earth unite and living and dead are present, for to God all are alive, and the heavenly liturgy and our liturgy here on earth are one. And so you are all present. You are in my mind’s eye and in my heart. Perhaps that is what it means to put on the heart and mind of Christ.
Although you are all present to me spiritually, it is just not the same. We are living through an historic time, a sad historic time in world history. I would guess that in the 65 plus years of our parish history this could be the first time that a public Mass was not celebrated on Sunday. And so there is a deep longing in our hearts for each other as a family, a family that cares for each other, in a way that I have never experienced before. I pray that we all experience and cherish that love for each other, united in Christ.
Lent calls us to journey with Jesus to Calvary. If we die with Him we will live with Him. Real death of course is separation from God, separation from love and life itself. The real passion is the pain of separation. Jesus must go there for us. He must travel to the depth of God forsakenness for us. Jesus cried out from the cross: “My God my God why have you forsaken Me.” To put on the mind and heart of Christ, to truly journey with Him, means to unite with Him and to journey with Him into His passion and death. That is the Good Friday that I am now experiencing.
The first Good Friday that I was with you, I told of an experience that I had many years ago on Good Friday. This was long before I was a priest. I was in Jacksonville Florida on business. It was Good Friday and we were trying to wrap up our meeting and head home. It was late morning and we were still in tense mediation. At noon I excused myself and headed out to find a church. I came across a large church with a full parting lot and so I went in. As I found a place in the crowed church and looked around, I soon realized that I was in a Southern Baptist Church. They had just started the reading of the passion. I had never experienced such a dramatic and intense proclamation of the passion, people were sobbing and wailing. At the end of the Passion there was silence except for the sound of sobbing. A very short black pastor made his way to the ambo. Wiping his eyes he said very quietly, “It’s Friday but Sunday is a coming.” Then more silence and he said it again. Then someone cried out “preach it brother”. This went on for 30 to 40 minutes and it is all that he said, “It’s Friday but Sunday is a coming.” It is all that he had to say. He said it all.
And so I say to you today. It is Friday but Sunday is coming. Easter Sunday always follows the Good Friday’s of our lives. The victory has been won. Jesus conquered sin and death. Two thousand years have come and gone and the tomb is still empty. There is nothing that this world can throw at us that we cannot overcome. But maybe we have to experience pain of separation and the darkness of the tomb before we can really experience the bright light of Easter dawn.
It certainly makes sense that social distancing is the only way to stop the spread of the virus that is invading our world. If we stop the spread, than we stop the virus. Like evil itself it only has the life that we give it. Let us all pray for a quick end to this pandemic. My prayer is that this will be the best Easter for all of us as a parish family.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your Love. May Your indwelling love keep us safe and protect us from all evil. St. Michael the Archangel defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray. And do thou o prince of the heavenly host by power of God thrust into hell Satan and all the other evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen. Mary Queen of Peace, pray for us!
Yours in Christ,
Father Glenn
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