“Victory” Week 3

Peter

We are in week three of our series where we’re looking at how God redeems our faults and failures; Jesus used very flawed individuals to build a movement that continues to this day and has changed the world!  Each of these individuals has a different personality.  Peter, once paralyzed by fear, eventually became a bold leader of the early Church – willing to lay down his life for Christ.  This is the same man who denied Jesus three times.  Peter’s transformation shows us how redemption frees us from fear and strengthens us with courage and conviction. 

Peter is impetuous, impulsive, rash, like a bull in a China shop, perhaps slightly crazy; but he has a big heart, and he lives his heart on his sleeve.  We can see his progression through stages of belief and growth throughout the Gospels.  At times he thought he couldn’t approach Jesus, but Jesus came to him anyway.  For example, he is filled with shame when Jesus first calls him to go out to deeper waters and become a fisher of men.  At the Transfiguration he is filled with fear.  At the Garden of Gethsemane, he cuts a guy’s ear off with a sword to defend Jesus, but then later that night would deny Jesus.  Even if you don’t identify with Peter’s personality, we can all relate with his failures, because we’ve all failed God and others in some way. 

Jesus is always determined to draw out the best from him as he gives him the title, “Rock.”  We see God’s tenderness for Peter’s heart, a reminder of how tenderly God is concerned for each of our hearts.  Read John 21:15-17.  After the Resurrection Jesus revives Peter by drawing out three times his response of love to tend his sheep.  You could say Jesus is “finding the gold” in Peter’s personality and giftedness.  Despite the fact that Peter denied Jesus, he put him in charge of his Church!  God’s vision is so much bigger than ours.  It’s a reminder to always bring God into our projects and plans.  By the time we hear about Peter’s leadership in Acts, he is bold and courageous.  Read Acts 5:27-29 as an example. 

I very much relate to Peter’s personality that seems to be self-centered at first but becomes other-centered through his growth and maturity.  We can move beyond our self-centeredness and poor decisions through the power of the Resurrection.  We need not be bound by our past, but instead our giftedness and even our woundedness can be used in the present and the future to bring blessings to others.  Like Peter, God perfectly loves us as we are!  He sees the bigger picture of our life stories that we can’t see day-to-day.  Not only can you be redeemed and forgiven, but God can use each of us, warts and all, for his glory!  Questions for Small Groups:

1. What about Peter’s story or personality resonates with you?
2. What fears or failures in your life might God want to redeem?  What do we learn from Peter’s story about how God redeems our failures?
3. Read John 21:15-17.  What does Peter’s story tell us about Jesus’ heart and response when we let him down?
4. On a scale of 1-5, how much do you struggle with fear?  Why do you answer as you do?
5. Read aloud Acts 5:27-29.  What does Peter’s response teach us about overcoming fears?

“Victory” Week 2

Doubting Thomas

In this series we are looking at the real stories of real people – the first followers of Christ – and how they were redeemed and transformed.  Today we hear the story of Thomas the Apostle, a person who is so incredibly easy to relate to.  How often do you hear something and you think, “This can’t be true?”  It cold be good news or bad news – but you won’t believe it and know it for certain until you check it out for yourself.  This past week, for example, someone emailed me at 5 am about the passing of Pope Francis and I didn’t believe it until I checked the news. 

Read John 20:19-31.  Remember Thomas was not with the other disciples on Easter Sunday.  He was dealing with profound disappointment and grief at the death of Jesus, and perhaps like many people he needed to get away and have time for himself (I certainly understand this after Easter)!  Sometimes when we grieve we react like Thomas; and it’s not so much about questioning our faith; it’s more about our hurt and sadness.  There’s a lot unsaid in John’s description of this episode; for example, what did Thomas and the other disciples do during the time between Easter Sunday and the next week?  Did he have lively discussions with the others?  Then, note that when Jesus appears to them a second time, he already knew Thomas’ doubt; he wasn’t angry with him but supported and helped him in his quest to find the truth. 

There is an older generation of people were taught that doubt is a bad thing, but that’s not Jesus’ example in this scene.  I often hear stories of people going through seasons of doubt.  Perhaps it’s when you take a science class in school, and it leads you to question the Bible or other aspects of faith.  We hear in God’s Word: When you look for me, you will find me.  Yes when you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me, says the Lord (Jeremiah 29:13-14).  I believe that if you go deeper with your questions, your faith will always be stronger.  You’ll also gain the ability to more clearly speak and articulate your faith to others as well! 

Every moment in my life that I’ve questioned my faith, God led me deeper.  Jesus says: “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed” (John 20:29).  Jesus has given us his Word and his Presence in the Sacraments, as well as the wisdom and encouragement of fellow believers, that we may grow beyond our doubts to a deeper faith.

1. Does anything about Thomas’ story or personality resonate with you?  If so, what? 
2. Why do you think Thomas doubted the other disciples? 
3. How did you come to faith in Christ?  Was there any evidence or argument made that has helped you believe? 
4. When you experience pain, do you tend to pull away from others or seek out relationships? 
5. When you have doubts about faith, how do you address them?

Palm Sunday and Holy Week

Dear brothers and sisters,

            Holy Week, the most solemn week of the year, is upon us today with Palm Sunday, as our Lord triumphantly enters Jerusalem, only to be rejected, abandoned, tortured, and crucified for you and me.  This Tuesday April 15 I will join Bishop Bambera and all priests of the Diocese of Scranton at the solemn Chrism Mass at St. Peter’s Cathedral at 4:00 PM.  All faithful are invited to this beautiful Mass where we priests will renew our promises to the Lord and to the Church, and where the Sacred Oils will be blessed and brought back to every parish in the Diocese.  Our celebration of the Triduum (“three days”) here at St. John’s begin with Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7:00 PM.  All are invited on this holy night to spend time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament until at least 10 PM.  On Good Friday the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion, with the veneration of the cross, will begin at 5:00 PM.  On Holy Saturday at 12:00 PM I will bless Easter Baskets.  Finally, our Easter celebration begins with the Solemn Vigil of the Holy Night on Saturday at 8:00 PM, and Easter Sunday Masses at 8:30 and 11:00 AM.  Come – let us together follow our crucified Savior to risen glory! 

            I want to personally congratulate our thirteen candidates and catechumen who are entering into the fullness of life of the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil.  We are extremely blessed to welcome such a wonderful group here at St. John’s.  They are the “fruit” of the life of the Risen Christ found at our parish family, centered in the celebration of the Eucharist and in all the Sacraments.  May we continue to bear fruit as a parish family through the action of God’s welcoming and healing Spirit.  A blessed Holy Week to all!

With blessings,

Fr. Reichlen

“Attitude Adjustment”

Week 5

Practice Humbling Yourself!

               In this Lenten series we’ve been talking about an attitude adjustment we all must make when it comes to humility.  We’ve said that as soon as we think we mastered humility, we’ve then lost it.  The habit of humility is incredibly powerful, because if we can be humble, we can be patient; we can be generous; we can grow in every virtue.  The basis of humility is that everything comes from God.  We grow in humility by listening, praising others instead of comparing ourselves with them, and by repenting from sin and acknowledging our faults and failures. 

There’s one more way to grow in humility that Jesus teaches us about in an episode found in Luke’s Gospel.  At a certain point, Jesus is at a leading Pharisee’s house; and he has just healed a man suffering from dropsy on the Sabbath, thus violating the Sabbath laws.  He was at this house attending a dinner where presumably other religious and community leaders were present, and he begins noticing how people are jockeying for places of honor at the dinner table.  People do that all the time, whether it’s businessmen at the airport, or kids on school buses fighting for the best seat, or a family in a queue at Disney World, or friends taking prominent seats at a restaurant.  There’s something in us that wants to be in a place of honor!  So in response to the people’s behavior Jesus teaches:  When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor.  A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, “Give your place to this man,” and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place.  Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, “My friend, move up to a higher position.”  Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table (Luke 14:8-10).   Jesus is teaching us not to take the highest place of honor, but the lowest place, so that the host will then lift you up from lowest to highest.  In this parable, the host of the dinner is God, and this is what God will do for us.  Instead of jockeying for a place, if we regularly and habitually take a back seat in life with all things large and small, God will lift us up! 

Jesus then gives the final word: For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted (Luke 14:11).  All honor comes from God, and receiving honor doesn’t come from our “jockeying,” but from God.  A Proverb says: before honor is humility (Proverbs 18:12).  The way we gain God’s honor is by humbling ourselves.  We all need to practice doing this, and what we need to practice is different for each of us.  Some people need to stop bragging about their accomplishments; others need to stop jumping into conversations about their own ideas or experiences.  For some people it’s the habit of grabbing the limelight at work or school.  When we hold our tongue or stop our behavior, nobody else may notice us doing this but God!  For some, it’s our deeds or the way one serves – to serve not to attract attention or to receive recognition, but in a way that nobody else notices.  Perhaps it’s “practicing the art of not having the last word” (Dallas Willard).  In this way it’s a kind of “fasting” when we do so, whether it’s with our words or deeds.  If we humble ourselves, God will exalt us!  Questions for Small Groups:    

1. Where have you seen or do you see people jockeying for positions of honor?
2. What would it look in your daily life for you take the lower seat or lower place as Jesus describes?
3. Is there a difference between marketing ourselves and our abilities verses seeking places of honor?  If so, what is the difference?
4. Read Proverbs 18:12.  Where have you seen that principle work in your life or the life of someone else?
5. As we wrap up this series, what key insights have you learned about humility?  How will you apply it to your life?

“Attitude Adjustment”

Week 4

The Kingdom of God

               In this Lenten series we’ve been talking about humility.  Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it’s thinking of yourself less.  This week we will talk about something that is important because as we live today in an apostolic age, when most people around us are not believers, we all should have what I call a prepared “elevator speech” about our faith to share with others.  Whenever we are interacting with friends, family, coworkers, how do you in a brief few sentences communicate faith?   In view of that, in Small Groups this week we will talk about the Kingdom of God as it relates to humility.  The Kingdom is something that seems so much bigger than us, but we can describe it in a very concrete and grounded way.  The Kingdom is not a property or piece of real estate, but God’s rule or reign over people.  We hear about it throughout Scripture; and in the Old Testament, there is a growing expectation that the Kingdom will come when the Messiah comes, ushered in through outward manifestations and signs.  John the Baptist preached that the Kingdom of God was near, and people were looking for these outward signs.

When Jesus then comes on the scene, he teaches and ushers in a much different understanding of the Kingdom.  At the beginning of Mark’s Gospel, we hear the very first words of Jesus’ preaching: “This is the time of fulfillment; the Kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent and believe in the Gospel” (Mark 1:15).  According to Jesus, the Kingdom is here and now, but not just here in time, but here in this place!  When Jess says, “Repent and believe,” he’s suggesting that he’s ushering in a Spiritual Kingdom, not an outward manifestation but something that is more on the inside, within people’s hearts. 

Here in this one verse is defined what we want people to know and to do: know that the Kingdom is here; and so repent and believe.  Repentance is changing our loyalty to Jesus and his authority.  Why do we need to repent?  Well, since the beginning of this series we’ve been saying that humility is true knowledge of oneself.  In humility, we acknowledge that we all have sinned, and we have done so time and again.  We’ve said that humility is being grounded in the reality that there  is a God who alone is  perfect, and we are not God!  He alone is the Holy One.  We were created in God’s image and likeness, but because of sin there is a gap between God and us. 

We have to repent, and how do we do so?  First, we acknowledge that this gap exists.  By our own efforts we cannot bridge the gap between God’s perfection and holiness, and our sinful state.  Thanks be to God he draws near to us in the Person of Jesus Christ.  Second, Jesus then calls us to believe in the Gospel which means literally, “Good News.”  The Good News is that Jesus came to offer grace and forgiveness to everyone.  Through his death and resurrection, he actually exchanges his life with ours.  We don’t have to live under our authority anymore, because in Christ we are a new creation and death is defeated.  Living under Christ’s authority we find meaning and purpose within this great exchange. 

In all honesty, so many Christians still live, at least partly, under the authority of themselves.  All of us at times do what we want when we want.  When we accept repentance as a gift, then through this great exchange we find our greatest calling and purpose, to share the Good News with everyone.  The bottom line is that the Kingdom of God begins within the humble heart of a fully repentant and fully obedient follower of Jesus Christ.  So we can share this Good News by our own testimony, and in our own words!  Questions for Small Groups:    

1. Before reading this message, what were your initial thoughts/visualizations of the “Kingdom of God”?  Did they change at all? 
2. How is the “Kingdom of God” seen on the inside of a person? 
3. Read aloud Mark 1:15.  Repentance is described as a “change in loyalty/authority.”  Why do we need to repent? 
4. What is the good news that God asks us to share with others?
5. On a scale of 1-5, how surrendered are you to God’s will in your life? 
6. What is one sin you need to confess to God and repent of, so the Kingdom of God can be more present in you?  (If you feel comfortable, share with your group.)  What is a tangible step you can take toward repentance?  How can your group help you with this?

“Attitude Adjustment”

Week 3

the Comparison Trap

               We continue our Lenten series on humility.  If we can be humble, we can grow in so many ways: we can admit our mistakes; we can grow in patience, generosity, and every other virtue.  Last week we talked about listening to God and others as an expression of humility.  Today we’ll talk about praising others and celebrating their giftedness and wins.  Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it’s about thinking of yourself less, including the ability to rejoice with others’ successes.  We might be good with this in one area of our lives but not another; for example, with praising your friends’ achievements; but then we get jealous with the success of the rivals of our favorite sports teams.  Sometimes, when we hear about the success of others, we honestly might feel bad about ourselves, and jealous in our hearts.  Then we so easily fall into what we can call the “comparison trap.”  

        Pastor Andy Stanley has said: “There is no win in comparison.”  Comparison is something we all do and can become stuck in, rooted in the sin of envy.  To discuss this topic in Small Groups, we’ll read a passage from the Gospel of John early on in Jesus’ ministry: Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea, where he spent some time with them baptizing.  John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was an abundance of water there, and people came to be baptized for John had not yet been imprisoned (John 3:22-24).  Jesus himself was baptized by John the Baptist who later will be arrested by Herod.  This is the only mention in the Bible about Jesus and his disciples actually baptizing people, just like John.  Note that John the Baptist had his own disciples just as Jesus did.  Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jew about ceremonial washings.  So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him” (3:25-26).  There are great crowds going to see John, but at this point Jesus is becoming popular too.  We’re not sure what the dispute mentioned here is about.  John the Baptist’s followers appear to be getting jealous of Jesus’ growing popularity.  How does John respond?  John answered and said, “No one can receive anything except what has been given him from heaven” (3:27).  John has done nothing wrong; he’s simply following God’s will.  “You yourselves can testify that I said that I am not the Messiah, but that I was sent before him” (3:28).  He has already said that he’s not the Messiah; and he has recognized in chapter 1 that Jesus is the Lamb of God.   He says: “The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man, who stands and listens to him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice.  So this joy of mine has been made complete” (3:29).  John is not the groom at the wedding; he’s the best man.  He’s not envious of Jesus’ popularity.  He’s overjoyed at the coming of Jesus. 

Then famously John says: “He must increase; I must decrease” (3:30).  This is a verse that all of us should memorize and apply to our lives as Christ followers – Jesus must increase, and I must decrease.  So, in whatever area we are jealous and comparing ourselves with others, and whenever the feeling of jealousy and thoughts of comparison come up in our minds and hearts, we can say to ourselves that it’s not about me; I’m not going to go there.  Instead, I’m going to let Jesus increase in me because of their successes and I’m going to celebrate their successes and blessings – “He or she must increase; I must decrease.”  Questions for Small Groups:

1. With whom are you tempted to compare yourself?
2. Why is the ability to praise others an important step for growing in humility? 
3. Do you find it easy or difficult to praise other people’s accomplishments and successes?
4. Read aloud John 3:30.  What does that verse mean to you?
5. Is there any person you secretly enjoy seeing fail?  What can you do to extend grace to that person?
6. Have you ever worked or lived with someone who had to be at the center of attention all the time?   What was that like?

“Attitude Adjustment”

Week 2

Humility in Prayer

               In this series we’re talking about the surprising power of humility in our lives.  It’s something that can be overlooked because it doesn’t seem natural to most people; most people tend toward pridefulness, even people who appear to be humble.  Think of a person who may be a high achiever and has received accolades in business, health care athletics, teaching, art, music, public service, volunteering, but whose identity is entirely rooted in God and in others – that’s a humble person.

               If I’m honest, sometimes I want to be accepted; I want to be praised; and I want to look good.  If we’re not giving God glory and honor in our achievements, then even our good work can become an idol.  Various sinful behaviors are often hidden pridefulness.  For example, if we lie to cover up something or if we can’t admit we’re wrong, that’s pride; if we gossip to make ourselves feel better, that’s pride; if we always have to win the argument, that’s pride; if we think we’re better about somebody else because of our house, our car, or our athletic ability, that’s pride; if we constantly brag about our kids’ achievements, that’s pride.  On the other hand, pride can also mask itself as a lack of self-esteem, constantly focusing on how miserable we are.

               Humility is practiced by consciously and intentionally putting God and other people first.  The Litany of Humility, included in this week’s bulletin, is a famous prayer attributed to Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val, who served five Popes and who is thought to have been snubbed several times by powerful popes and cardinals during his career in the Vatican in the early 20^th century.  I invite you to say this Litany in a heartfelt way in your daily prayer during Lent.  In Scripture, humility is sometimes viewed as so important, that God will not hear us unless we are humble!  2 Chronicles say: If then my people, upon whom my name has been pronounced, humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their evil ways, I will hear them from heaven and pardon their sins and heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14).  Notice the conditional statement “IF my people … humble themselves and pray.”  Pride seems to render our prayer ineffective!  In Isaiah God promises to be with the humble: For thus says the high and lofty One, the One who dwells forever, whose name is holy: I dwell in a high and holy place, but also with the contrite and lowly of spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, to revive the heart of the crushed (Isaiah 57:15).  God who dwells in heaven will be with contrite and lowly, but we have to be humble to receive and enter God’s presence! 

               Sometimes my prayer can be filled with distractions – just reading or saying prayers, going through the motions.  Authentic prayer is always humble in a desire to receive and respond to God’s offer of his grace.  Let’s practice that kind of prayer this Lent!  Questions for Small Groups:

1. Who do you know that is a humble person?  What are the qualities in him or her that you admire most?
2. Do you think that people are naturally humble or have to work at humility?  How do you “work” on humility?
3. Going through The Litany of Humility, which aspects of the prayer do you struggle with the most?  How possible do you think it is to achieve this level of humility?
4. What would it look like to go to God in humility during your prayer time?  Is there a particular space, posture or attitude that would facilitate humility for you?
5. Read 2 Chronicles 7:14 and Isaiah 57:15. What is the condition under which God graces us with his presence and forgiveness?  Tell about a time when you were able to meet this condition.  Do you think that if you met this condition more often, you would feel God’s presence in your life more?  Is that something you desire?

 “Attitude Adjustment”

Week 1: Introduction

               We all need a bit of an attitude adjustment when it comes to humility.  There are a lot of misconceptions about humility.  Humility is not thinking less of yourself – it’s about thinking of yourself less.  Humility is learning to not put yourself as the center of attention, and it affects every other Christian virtue.  If I’m humble, I can admit my mistakes, grow in patience, be generous, praise others’ successes, put aside anger, lust, envy, and other vices; and grow in Christlikeness.  It can be incredibly hard to put our feelings, our thoughts, or our will aside for a moment to do what we know is right or needed.  Pastor Tim Keller has said that it’s not our feelings that hurt; it’s our pride and ego that really hurts at times.  We all have an ego.  When we learn to leave our ego at the door, we can grow to become the people God wants us to be.

Today we’re looking at a passage that teaches us an important lesson about our gifts and talents.  In Small Groups we’ll look at Daniel chapter 4.  At the time the best and brightest in Judea had been taken into exile in Babylon in the court of the king, Nebuchadnezzar, including Daniel who has the gift of interpreting dreams.  One day the king has a dream of a tall, majestic tree that reaches the heavens, and a voice ordering to cut the tree down to a stump.  The king asks Daniel to interpret the dream, and Daniel replies that it’s about him.  Read Daniel 4:24-26 – Daniel says that the king’s reign will be cut down, and he will become like an ox grazing in the field for a time, basically losing his mind.    

Daniel says to the king that this dream will not happen to him if he humbles himself by doing good deeds and serving the poor; if he does so then God will not cut him down.  Are we going to put our agenda aside to serve others or do good, or will we wait until God humbles us?  The king forgot or ignored what Daniel told him, and as a result he lost his mind, living like a beast in a field for 7 years as was predicted in the dream.  At the end however the king is humbled and accepts that everything is a gift from God: Now, I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, all of whose works are right and ways just; and who is able to humble those who walk in pride (4:34).

We only have what we have because of God’s grace.  It doesn’t mean that we don’t work hard every day, but all is a gift in the end.  We all can be tempted to think that many different things are ours: our possessions, success, or accomplishments, to name a few.  The key to growing in humility is to regularly put our agenda aside to acknowledge that all things come from God.  Questions for Small Groups:

1. How would you define humility?
2.  When is a time when you saw the power of humility in your own life or in someone else’s?
3. What area of your life where you are tempted to be proud and forget that what you have comes from God?
4. When is a time you saw that if someone would just humble himself or herself, the situation would radically improve?
5. What good deeds can you do so that you humble yourself and put God’s agenda before your agenda?
6. Read aloud Daniel 4:25-26.  Why is it difficult at times do remember or believe that God gives power and authority?

“Deep Water”

Week 4 Results

               This is the last week of our series that’s about the disconnect between faith and life.  How do we connect what we do on Sunday with everything going on Monday through Friday?  I would like to point out the tremendous witness of love in our parish on the occasion of the loss of Kathy Goeke, a long-term parishioner who served at St. John’s as a Eucharistic Minister, former Faith Formation teacher, lector, Pastoral Council member, member of her Small Group, and most recently a hospitality minister.   Her witness of faith in service, prayer, and giving of herself is something to be celebrated and passed down.  To her husband Bill and her children and grandchildren – our deepest condolences on your loss.  Kathy will live on in you and through her amazing example of generosity, prayer, and service! 

So far, we’ve spoken of steps to bridge the gap between faith and life.  First, answer the Call, and renew that calling day by day with the One who calls.  Jesus desires that we know him as he knows us –not just as a nice idea, but as a Person.   Second, enter his Presence.  Thanks be to God he is close to us always!  We enter his Presence not just by saying prayers, but by regular commitment to prayer and worship: listening to him especially in his Word, participating in the Sacraments, and in devotions like Adoration and the Rosary.  Third, take Action.  We spoke of things like loving your enemies, turning the other cheek, giving to the poor.  Christian Love is not a feeling but is about our deeds and behaviors. 

Today we come full circle with the final step: Results.  In doing so I might sound like a demanding boss who pushes his employees so much that they’re in constant fear of being reprimanded or fired.  God is not that way and neither am I!  However, charity requires clarity.  The Word of God is clear that growth in faith demands bearing fruit.  If there is no fruit, there is something lacking, usually at the level of the mind and heart.  Today’s first reading is a kind of measuring stick when it comes to speech.  Sirach is one of the collection of books in the Old Testament often called Wisdom Literature.  Sirach offers practical wisdom, and today’s words truly put us to the test: When a sieve is shaken, the husks appear; so do one’s faults when one speaks (Sirach 27:4).  The author uses the metaphor of a harvester using a sieve to separate the husks from the grains of wheat being harvested.  Our speech is a kind of sieve that can reveal our lesser nature.  All of us have said things we regret.  However, not everyone takes the time to show remorse or apologize if needed, and most importantly to examine where that speech comes from in one’s heart or mind.  As the test of what the potter molds is in the furnace, so in tribulation is the test of the just. (27:5).  The author uses another metaphor of a clay pot put into a hot furnace to be hardened.  If it cracks or shows damage, the potter’s shoddy work will be revealed.  Even the best of us in times of stress and tribulation can reveal our lesser selves in our speech.  

The passage continues: The fruit of a tree shows the care it has had; so too does one’s speech disclose the bent of one’s mind.  Praise no one before he speaks, for it is then that people are tested (27:6-7).  I think of when I was first ordained a priest and how I constantly worried about being authentic when I was giving my homilies.  Each week I’d question whether I was just saying words or really communicating from the heart.  We can often tell what a person really means by their words, tone, and disposition: if they’re truthful or lying, sincere and genuine or not.  Sometimes a person says incorrect things because they have the wrong facts about the situation.  Other times it’s about their heart. 

Thanks be to God we can always seek the Holy Spirit to renovate and renew our minds and hearts!  You may feel guilty that you’ve spent your life with a disconnect between faith and life, and it has not borne fruit through habits like service, generosity, support of others, commitment to prayer, or sharing faith.  It may be a matter of taking time to reflect deeply, to examine ourselves, and to realize that no matter what, young or old, we can seek God’s wisdom to bear fruit, and it begins today.  Questions for Small Groups:

1. Growth in faith requires results.  Do you agree?  Does this sound harsh to you?
2. Tell about a time when you said something you regretted.  Did you take the time to examine where that speech came from?
3. How can you tell when a person is being genuine in their speech or not? 
4. Do you feel like your faith life has borne fruit?  What are those fruits?  If not, what element in your mind or heart was lacking or is lacking? 
5. Do you have regrets about your past life when it comes to faith?  Do you believe that anyone, young or old, can still bear fruit as a Christ-follower?  How can you begin bearing fruit today? 

Dear friends,

This is the last week that Heather Sparks is editing our Parish Bulletin.  For eight years, every week she has faithfully served our parish by preparing, drafting, and sending out the bulletin to be published by the Bonventure company.  She has recently moved out of the area with her family, and she has helped us with the transition by helping to train and welcome Daniella and Ronaldo onto our team.  I am so grateful for Heather’s great commitment to deadlines, her faithful reminders to me to keep me honest and accountable (!) and especially her incredible kindness and faith in action!  On behalf of the whole parish, thank you Heather from the bottom of our hearts!  Many blessings to you and your family always!

• Love, Fr. Reichlen

“Deep Water” Week 3

Faith in Action

               We are talking about the disconnect between faith and life.  Faith is meant to be deeply connected to our life Monday through Friday, but so often we experience a disconnect instead.  This series has been about how to bridge that gap.  Two weeks ago, we spoke about answering God’s calling to go out into deep waters, and day by day, week by week, year by year remember and answer that calling.  Where is God calling you right now in your life to go deeper?  Last week we spoke about God’s presence and learning to trust in him who is close to us especially through a daily habit of prayer.  Those who trust in God rather than solely in themselves or others are spiritually grounded and resilient. 

               We continue today with the next step, which is obvious but not easy, especially when there are people in our lives who have harmed us in words and deeds.  In Small Groups read 1 Samuel chapter 26.  In summary, this is a wonderful story about the relationship between David and King Saul.  At this point in David’s life, he is a fugitive on the run, pursued by the King who wants to murder him out of jealousy and rage.  Saul finds out that David is hiding out in a certain place in the countryside, so he leads a battalion of soldiers, along with his general Abner, to camp in the area David and his friends are hiding.  David sends out spies and receives news that Saul and his army are approaching, so he remains in hiding; and then he and one of his captains, Abishai, sneak into Saul’s camp at night.  They find the entire camp in a deep sleep.  As they approach the place Saul is sleeping, Abishai whispers to David that he can kill Saul, but David forbids it: “Do not harm him, for who can lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed and remain innocent?” (1 Sam 26:9).  Only God determines when the King will die.  Instead, they steal Saul’s spear and water jug, so that the camp will know they were there.

               The rest of the story unpacks the meaning.  David retreats to a distant hilltop where he cries out and wakes up the entire camp.  He taunts Abner for not doing his job of keeping watch over the king.  More importantly, David gets Saul’s attention.  Saul recognizes David’s voice, and he is remorseful for his pursuit of David.  David shows the king his spear and says: “The LORD repays everyone’s righteousness and faithfulness.  Although the LORD delivered you into my hands today, I could not lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed.  Just as I regarded your life as precious today, so may the LORD regard my life as precious and deliver me from all dangers.”  Saul then replies: “Blessed are you, my son David! You shall certainly succeed in whatever you undertake” (1 Sam 26:23-25).  David is blessed by God for showing mercy to King Saul his enemy.

               Saul is the King’s anointed one, chosen by God; and in Christ all of us have a dignity.  In the celebration of baptism, we become the anointed of the Lord, just like the kings of old.  What does this have to do with putting our faith into action?  It means being aware of our dignity and that of others.  Sometimes it means serving the poor and those in need around us.  Other times it means withholding criticism or retaliation even if we have the chance to get back at somebody.  St. Paul’s advice comes to mind: Beloved, do not look for revenge but leave room for the wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”  Rather, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.”  Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good (Romans 12:19-21).  Questions for Small Groups:

1. When you have a conflict with someone, how do you tend to react?  Do you have a habit of wanting to retaliate? 
2. Who are or who have been the “King Saul’s” in your life who have pursued you?  Is it challenging to recognize that they are the “Lord’s anointed,” that they have a dignity regardless of their behavior? 
3. Have you ever had the chance to get revenge but chose not to?  What was the result? 
4. The core of Catholic Social Teaching is respect for human dignity, whether it’s the unborn in the womb or the immigrant.  Is there a “David” that you are “pursuing” by your negative judgements just because of their race, language, lifestyle, or political preferences?  Are you challenged like King Saul to repent of this way of thinking? 
5. How can you put mercy into action this week among family and friends, or in the community?

“Deep Water” Week 2

Trust and Prayer

               In this series we are looking at the disconnect between faith and life.  So often we experience a disconnect between church on Sunday and everything in life Monday through Friday.   Even if we’re active churchgoers we experience this disconnect.  We have to be reminded that our spiritual journey is a great adventure of going deeper, something that can shape every aspect of our life, young and old!  As we spoke about last week, the first step is remembering our calling.  Yes, there is a gap between heaven and earth, but God has bridged that gap by sending his Son who desires that we get to know him not just an idea, but as a person and a friend. 

               I am naturally a very trusting person.  Inevitably, people then let me down, and my struggle is often with anger, disappointment, and holding grudges and resentments that can preoccupy my thoughts.  The only remedy is prayer, honestly!  Prayer is about entering into God’s presence, and not simply saying our prayers.  This week I have the blessing of going on retreat, which is incredibly important for me to carve out the time each year to be refreshed and renewed in the Lord.  We can’t earn God’s favor or have the need climb up any mountain to meet him.  God first comes to us; he enters our life!  We simply have to pay attention and in openness and humility surrender to him in his presence.

In Small Groups read Jeremiah 17:5-8.  Of all the prophets, Jeremiah’s words and gestures are the most direct, practical, and clear, even as we hear his words thousands of years after his time.  In this passage God is speaking about trust.  Then and now, many people tend to trust themselves or others rather than God.  We do so by prioritizing other things that get in the way of our relationship with God: money, pleasure, power, pride or ego, the attitude that we’re always right, the drive to win at all costs.  In the politics of ancient Judah, Jeremiah saw this played out as king after king failed to trust God, instead listening to the prideful advice of various influencers to their own downfall.  We hear today: Thus says the LORD: Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the LORD.  He is like a barren bush in the desert that enjoys no change of season, but stands in a lava waste, a salt and empty earth (17:5-6).  Those who trust in other human beings are cursed.  The image here is barrenness and dryness like the desert.  There’s no hope here but only death.  In contrast: Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD.  He is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream: it fears not the heat when it comes; its leaves stay green; in the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit (Jeremiah 17:7-8).  Those who trust in the Lord God are like a green tree that is resilient in good times and bad, that has deep roots and can withstand either heat or drought.  This tree will bear fruit.

In addition to holding unto grudges and disappointments, I think of how often I deceive myself into thinking I’m in charge, while failing to trust in God.  This can come out as an attitude of selfishness when in subtle ways when I put myself above or before God.  The Lord has definitively, once for all, come to us in Christ, and profoundly in his Word and in the Sacraments!  We can renew our commitment to entering his presence in our commitment to prayer and worship, in reading and meditating on the Scriptures, and in devotions like the Rosary and Eucharistic Adoration.  What richness can God pour out on us when we are rooted practically and consistently in prayer!  The next step in connecting faith and life is surrendering our sense of self-sufficiency to him who gives us life by his presence.  Questions for Small Groups:

1. Do you agree with the statement that prayer is entering into God’s presence?  Does that view challenge your understanding of prayer?
2. How have you tended to trust in human beings rather than in God?  Have you gone through a period of your life where you struggled with trust, or trusted nobody but yourself? 
3. Have you ever had a moment when you definitively surrendered to God?  What were the circumstances? 
4. Anyone in authority or leadership has important responsibilities on their shoulders.  What does it mean for you to both trust God completely and to make good decisions? 
5. If you really trust in God with all your heart, what fruit might you bear?  In other words, what would be the result of that renewed commitment? 

Week 1: The Call

               For the month of February, we will be looking at the disconnect between faith and life.  So often we experience a disconnect between church on Sunday and everything in life Monday through Friday.  We come out of church and immediately get into a fight with a family member.  We’ll think about church but feel guilty because of sin and then try to avoid the subject.  We draw away from faith because God didn’t seem to help us in a crisis or answer a prayer.  We are turned off by hypocrisy among church members.  Maybe we just fall out of the routine of prayer or going to church, and as a result faith is set aside in a “box” that we hope to get back to later. 

               Even if we’re active churchgoers we experience this disconnect.  We have to be reminded that our spiritual journey is a great adventure of going deeper, something that can shape every aspect of our life, young and old!  It begins anew by remembering our calling.  Yes, there is a gap between heaven and earth, but God has bridged that gap by sending his Son who calls us!  In Small Groups, we’ll be reading the First Reading from the week’s Sunday Mass from the Old Testament, and today we’ll look at the Prophet Isaiah.  Early on in his career as a prophet, Isaiah had a vision that would impact the rest of his life.  We hear in chapter 6: In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, with the train of his garment filling the temple.  Seraphim were stationed above.  They cried one to the other, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!  All the earth is filled with his glory!”  At the sound of that cry, the frame of the door shook and the house was filled with smoke (Isaiah 6:1-4).  Isaiah tells us that at a certain point, he had this fantastic vision of heaven.  He sees the Lord in his Temple, the seraphim which are a type of angel, and he hears their cry, “Holy, holy, holy” (words which we sing at every Mass before the Eucharistic Prayer).  When Isaiah had this vision, his house literally shook and was filled with smoke.

How would you react if you received such a vision?  We might be afraid or think that we’re delusional.  Isaiah senses the weight of disconnect between him and God.  He tells us: Then I said, "Woe is me, I am doomed!  For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"  (6:5).  He realizes this tremendous gap between heaven and earth.  There’s a great distance between God’s glory, and his sinful, fallen state.  He has this sense of dread and utter helplessness.  Then there’s an intervention: Then one of the seraphim flew to me, holding an ember that he had taken with tongs from the altar.  He touched my mouth with it, and said, “See, now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, your sin purged” (6:6-7).  It’s interesting that Isaiah is purified by a burning ember that touches his lips.  It’s a reminder that sinful behavior often comes from our mouths through gossip, complaint, hurtful words, or calumny toward others.  God has another role for Isaiah who says: Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send?  Who will go for us?"  "Here I am," I said; "send me!" (6:8).  God calls for a messenger that he can send forth as his mouthpiece, and Isaiah who has been purified is then eager answer the call.

Notice that Isaiah’s heart has moved from fear to courage, from the weight of unworthiness to a freedom to respond to God, in this one single vision.  When it comes to the gap between faith and life, the first step is God’s call.  One single encounter with God can change our life.  I’ve seen this happen many times in the Sacrament of Confession.  It can when there’s an unexpected crisis and we drew closer to God, as we talked about in the last series.  The call is the first step, but it doesn’t mean that life will then be easy or that gap between faith and life will instantly go away.  We all have further work to do.  Several years ago, in confession a priest told me, “Remember your training.”  The first step to bridge the gap is to remember the call and respond daily.  Questions for Small Groups:

1. Was there ever a time life where you felt like you were thrown in the deep end of the pool, as the expression goes, “sink or swim?”  This could be with raising kids, school, or work.  How did this affect your faith? 
2. Do you currently experience a disconnect between faith and life?  What does this look like? 
3. Have you had a specific vision or “holy moment” like that of Isaiah where you heard God’s call?  How did it affect your life?
4. Isaiah says that he is a man of unclean lips.  How have hurtful words that you received or gave to others affected your relationship to God and others? 
5. What is your calling right now, and on a scale 1 to 5, how willing are you to answer that call?  Why do you answer the way you do? 

“Unexpected” Week 4

Being present with

The suffering of others

Unexpected things occur in the course of our lives; God allows them.  It’s part of the reality that we live in a broken, fallen world.  God never said that we could possibly live a problem-free life.  1 Peter 4:12 says: Beloved, do not be surprised that a trial by fire is occurring among you, as if something strange were happening to you.  Yet as Christians we always have hope.  The purpose of life is to become more and more like Jesus: to be shaped by daily prayer and encounter with his grace in the Sacraments, in service, in generosity, in connecting with others, and in learning to share our faith.

We can learn from his Word to grow into Christlikeness by the example of his character.  In the Gospels, what did Jesus do when people suffered?  He simply showed up.  He brought words and actions of comfort.  He prayed for people.  He expressed human emotion; one time he wept for his friend Lazarus.  Sometimes he just waited for people.  Things he didn’t do were avoiding someone because he was inconvenienced, too busy, or because he didn’t know the person; or making the situation simply about himself; or denying another person’s pain. 

Scripture also gives us clarity about God’s promises when it comes to suffering: that we can have hope, even joy.  Paul gives us good news at the beginning of 2 Corinthians: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and God of all encouragement, who encourages us in our every affliction, so that we may be able to encourage those who are in any affliction with the encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God (1:3-4).  God is identified as the Father of compassion.  Notice thus far that the word “encourage” is used 5 times.  In other translations this word is rendered “comfort.”  What things give us encouragement and comfort?  We might think of such things as friends, food, entertainment, or exercise.  Our definition of comfort is about freedom from pain.  This was not what Paul is speaking about; by “encouragement” he is suggesting a Hebrew word for strength, courage, and bravery, something that comes from Christ to sustain us for the sake of others.  For as Christ’s sufferings overflow to us, so through Christ does our encouragement also overflow.  If we are afflicted, it is for your encouragement and salvation; if we are encouraged, it is for your encouragement, which enables you to endure the same sufferings that we suffer.  Our hope for you is firm, for we know that as you share in the sufferings, you also share in the encouragement (1:5-7).  Read this passage out loud and replace “encourage” with “strength.”  Paul here is telling us exactly what to do when another person is suffering.  We can be the source of their strength and encouragement. 

When somebody else is suffering, don’t say “let me know how I can help you.”  By doing that w are actually placing the burden back on the other person!  Jesus never did this.  Instead, simply show up for them.  If you can do things to help, then do so; but the primary action is our presence.  Second, in praying for the other person, enter into their pain before God.   In some way, even small, we are sharing in that person’s pain.  Third, wait for the other person.  Jesus was never in a hurry.  Being present in the midst of pain is not something passive; in fact it takes a lot of strength!  

When my mother received the unexpected diagnosis of stage 4 cancer, we didn’t know what to do at first.  In our life’s problems, God didn’t give us explicit instructions about how to deal with the circumstances.  In my mother’s suffering, there would be two outcomes – either she would be healed, or God would bring her to the fullness of his embrace in eternal life.  What we did was to support her with our presence; loaning to her our own faith and strength that came from prayer; and we waited for her.  Thanks be to God, she died in an embrace of love.  Questions for Small Groups:

1. What are some of things you do to comfort yourself after a rough week or a difficult time?  Are those comforts successful in alleviating your pain or suffering?  If so, for how long?
2. Give an example of a time where you were witness to another person’s unexpected event or circumstances.  How did you deal with your feelings of helplessness?
3. How have you attempted to comfort others in their time of crisis?  Does it match the current definition of comfort (freedom from pain or discomfort) or the Old Testament definition (strength, courage, bravery)?
4. In 2 Corinthians 1:3-7, Paul says that we are to offer comfort to others, the same comfort that has been given to us by God.  How have you been comforted by God in the past?
5. What are some ways that you can offer someone “comfort” in the form of encouragement and strength during their unexpected event?  Who do you need to reach out to this week to offer that?
6. Discuss the idea that the purpose of your life is to become like Jesus.  How are you doing that?

“Unexpected” Week 4

Being present with

The suffering of others

Unexpected things occur in the course of our lives; God allows them.  It’s part of the reality that we live in a broken, fallen world.  God never said that we could possibly live a problem-free life.  1 Peter 4:12 says: Beloved, do not be surprised that a trial by fire is occurring among you, as if something strange were happening to you.  Yet as Christians we always have hope.  The purpose of life is to become more and more like Jesus: to be shaped by daily prayer and encounter with his grace in the Sacraments, in service, in generosity, in connecting with others, and in learning to share our faith.

We can learn from his Word to grow into Christlikeness by the example of his character.  In the Gospels, what did Jesus do when people suffered?  He simply showed up.  He brought words and actions of comfort.  He prayed for people.  He expressed human emotion; one time he wept for his friend Lazarus.  Sometimes he just waited for people.  Things he didn’t do were avoiding someone because he was inconvenienced, too busy, or because he didn’t know the person; or making the situation simply about himself; or denying another person’s pain. 

Scripture also gives us clarity about God’s promises when it comes to suffering: that we can have hope, even joy.  Paul gives us good news at the beginning of 2 Corinthians: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and God of all encouragement, who encourages us in our every affliction, so that we may be able to encourage those who are in any affliction with the encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God (1:3-4).  God is identified as the Father of compassion.  Notice thus far that the word “encourage” is used 5 times.  In other translations this word is rendered “comfort.”  What things give us encouragement and comfort?  We might think of such things as friends, food, entertainment, or exercise.  Our definition of comfort is about freedom from pain.  This was not what Paul is speaking about; by “encouragement” he is suggesting a Hebrew word for strength, courage, and bravery, something that comes from Christ to sustain us for the sake of others.  For as Christ’s sufferings overflow to us, so through Christ does our encouragement also overflow.  If we are afflicted, it is for your encouragement and salvation; if we are encouraged, it is for your encouragement, which enables you to endure the same sufferings that we suffer.  Our hope for you is firm, for we know that as you share in the sufferings, you also share in the encouragement (1:5-7).  Read this passage out loud and replace “encourage” with “strength.”  Paul here is telling us exactly what to do when another person is suffering.  We can be the source of their strength and encouragement. 

When somebody else is suffering, don’t say “let me know how I can help you.”  By doing that w are actually placing the burden back on the other person!  Jesus never did this.  Instead, simply show up for them.  If you can do things to help, then do so; but the primary action is our presence.  Second, in praying for the other person, enter into their pain before God.   In some way, even small, we are sharing in that person’s pain.  Third, wait for the other person.  Jesus was never in a hurry.  Being present in the midst of pain is not something passive; in fact it takes a lot of strength!  

When my mother received the unexpected diagnosis of stage 4 cancer, we didn’t know what to do at first.  In our life’s problems, God didn’t give us explicit instructions about how to deal with the circumstances.  In my mother’s suffering, there would be two outcomes – either she would be healed, or God would bring her to the fullness of his embrace in eternal life.  What we did was to support her with our presence; loaning to her our own faith and strength that came from prayer; and we waited for her.  Thanks be to God, she died in an embrace of love.  Questions for Small Groups:

1. What are some of things you do to comfort yourself after a rough week or a difficult time?  Are those comforts successful in alleviating your pain or suffering?  If so, for how long?
2. Give an example of a time where you were witness to another person’s unexpected event or circumstances.  How did you deal with your feelings of helplessness?
3. How have you attempted to comfort others in their time of crisis?  Does it match the current definition of comfort (freedom from pain or discomfort) or the Old Testament definition (strength, courage, bravery)?
4. In 2 Corinthians 1:3-7, Paul says that we are to offer comfort to others, the same comfort that has been given to us by God.  How have you been comforted by God in the past?
5. What are some ways that you can offer someone “comfort” in the form of encouragement and strength during their unexpected event?  Who do you need to reach out to this week to offer that?
6. Discuss the idea that the purpose of your life is to become like Jesus.  How are you doing that?

“Unexpected” Week 3

Sometimes God sends difficulties our way!

This series is about problems or challenges in life that we did not expect.  God uses all the circumstances in our lives, but there are specific challenges and difficulties we face in the course of our lives that are particular opportunities for growth.  The question is not IF – but WHEN these crises inevitably occur – will be choose to become more loving, or not; will we choose to be better, or to become bitter; will we choose to be more mature, or remain immature?  In this series we’re hearing stories in Scripture and stories of people in our parish who chose to become better and fulfill the mission God had in store for them.  There are some key ingredients to growing and maturing in faith in times and circumstances of crisis: things like knowing that pain is part of the Christian life; seeking to build up our faith during the “ordinary times” of our lives; praying authentic prayers and being honest with God; finding support from others in a community; and being open to see the problems as opportunities to grow.

In Small Groups this week we’ll look at Acts chapter 9, perhaps one of the most important events in the history of the world, because it was a crucial step in announcing the news of the Resurrection beyond Jerusalem and Judea, to the ends of the earth!  Sometimes God allows unexpected events, and sometimes God himself “sends” these events!  Read this chapter which is about the calling of Saul who later is renamed Paul.  In the story of Acts, Saul has just consented to the stoning of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, in the previous chapter.  Saul was a zealous Jew and persecutor of “the Way” (how the Christian Church was originally described).  While he’s on the road to Damascus to arrest Christians and drag them back to Jerusalem in chains, a light flashes and a voice cries out, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”  Jesus then orders him to go to Damascus.  Previously, Saul thought he was aligned with God, but in truth he was opposing God’s will.  He then went through three days of painful repentance in fasting and prayer.  God called a disciple, Ananias, to seek out Saul.  Ananias has heard about him and is afraid to go because he fears being persecuted himself; but God says to him to go anyway!  Saul is part of God’s great plan.  So God has Ananias’ attention, and then we hear: So Ananias went and entered the house; laying his hands on him, he said, “Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 9:17).

Sometimes it seems God sends problems our way because we’re headed the wrong way, the opposite way we’re meant to go.  It’s like we’re going down the wrong street and a tractor-trailer is coming right at us to get our attention.  God will “send” painful experiences and people into our lives so that we will learn to seek his will and discover his greater plan.  Questions for Small Groups:

1. Why do you think God either allows or sometimes “sends” painful experiences into our lives?
2. Why do you think that some people grow from pain and others refuse or resist to grow from it? 
3.  When has pain helped you to change course and go in a better direction in your life?  Could you have changed without the pain?
4. Paul prays and fasts for three days before God sends help.  What does this tell us about how to use pain in a positive way?
5. Ananias was unexpectedly asked to help Paul (Saul).  Who is someone that you would be surprised and reluctant to help if asked to do so? Why do you think that is?

“Unexpected” Week 2

Faith in the midst of pain

Certain days and times leave an incredible imprint on our lives.  For my parents’ generation it was the death of President Kennedy.  For many people it was 9/11 – I remember being in a class at the University of Scranton watching the second tower go down on TV.   In the life of my family, I remember in detail the events of March 5, 1992 – the day of my brother Aaron’s accident and his death in the hospital at 3 am the following morning.  I can report in detail what happened and the emotions during those hours. 

How can we make sense of these unexpected events?  I heard recently of a book recommendation for women by Lysa Terkeurst, It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way.  She states in the book that we live between two “gardens” – the paradise lost of the Garden of Eden, and the hoped paradise of heaven where the promise is: He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away (Revelation 21:4).  In between those two paradises, we often experience pain, shame, death, and disappointment.  We have a longing that only God can fulfill.

We can choose today to trust in God and let God’s voice be the loudest voice, amidst the many contrary voices we hear.  Unexpected events and changes can shake us to the core.  Then over the months and years we learn to put on a mask and just pretend that life is fine, but inside we are filled with sadness and disappointment.  The devil’s number one goal is to pull us away from God, and one primary way the devil does so is through our emotional life especially when it leads us astray. 

We believe in a God who understands the battles going on in our minds and hearts.  None of us want to be led around impulsively by our feelings.  I’ve heard of the analogy of a train, and the path of the train is our life.  We are the conductors, and ideally the fuel of the locomotive is the truth and the facts of our lives.  Our feelings are in the caboose.  Our choice in faith is to not let the caboose run the engine; instead of letting our feelings run the “train” of our lives we want to put our faith and trust in what is true.   We find the truth in God’s Word.  God’s Word says that we are holy, children of our Heavenly Father, wonderfully made, lavishly loved, chosen, and part of a plan. 

Unexpected events are opportunities to grow in faith.  The goal of this series is to see the great role unexpected events play in our relationship with God.  Sometimes disappointment is God’s way of leading us home.  We can’t control or predict the result, but we can trust that we will be more than okay – we can be victorious because God is victorious!  Paul says: Where, O death, is your victory?  Where, O death, is your sting?  Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! (1 Corinthians 15:55,57).  While death hurts and breeds disappointments, we can thank and praise him anyway, because he has won the victory already!  Lies that we tell ourselves and misconceptions can make a lot of noise, so by staying close to God and his Word, let his voice be louder! 

Here's a song recommendation: “You Say” by Lauren Daigle.  Questions for Small Groups:

1. Where were you when you heard about the events that happened in New York on 9/11?
2. Have you experienced the death of someone special in your life?  If so, do you remember where you were when you heard the news?
3. How do you respond initially to an unexpected disappointment or shocking event?
4. What is your reaction to the train illustration?
5. Do you have confidence in the Word of God?  Why or why not?

How can you apply today’s teaching to your life circumstances?

Unexpected”

Week 1 Introduction

In life we hit certain turning points or crisis moments where we need to make crucial decisions. Sometimes those circumstances are of our own making but often they are not. A problem or crisis or catastrophe occurs. While we didn’t choose the circumstances, we can choose the response. In this series we will draw encouragement and inspiration from the Scriptures and from the stories of people of our parish, as they share what they have done at crucial turning points in their lives.

Pastor Andy Stanley of North Point Church in Atlanta speaks of five things God uses to grow people’s faith: practical Bible teaching (heard in the homily or in Small Groups; and we Catholics would add Sacred Tradition), providential relationships which shape our faith (thus our strategy of being a parish of Small Groups), private disciplines that we have been taught and keep so to grow in faith (we use the acronym STEPS – serving, tithing/giving, engaging in Small Groups, practicing prayer and the Sacraments, and sharing faith); personal ministry which is our particular calling in this moment as a means of spiritual growth (whether in the church or outside the church), and pivotal circumstances of life. Unlike the first four which the church can provide directly, this one cannot be orchestrated by anyone. We believe that God can use all the circumstances of our lives for us to grow in faith, including those which often are unexpected!

C. S. Lewis notes in The Problem of Pain, “Pain is God’s megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” Of course, people react in various ways to suffering, ranging from growing better to becoming bitter. Tom Corcoran argues that there are five ingredients needed for us to draw closer to God in times of difficulty. First, we can know beforehand that problems are part of the Christian life. Jesus says, “In this life, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Life’s troubles do not make God a liar! Second, we can build up faith during “ordinary time.” It’s like creating a savings account knowing you have reserves in the bank when your car breaks down. Investing in faith happens over time, for example making a resolution this New Year to go to Mass and to your Small Group. Third, pray authentic prayers! We can be honest with God with what is going on in our hearts, including our disappointments, bitterness, and anger. The Psalm says: How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? (13:1). We see this kind of honesty over and over in the Psalms. Fourth, we can find support from others, which is so important. Fifth, we can actually see our problems as a means to grow. James says, “Consider it joy whenever you face trials …” (1:2-4); he notes that trials can produce perseverance and mature our faith.

In this series we are looking for testimonies of people who have grown in faith during unexpected circumstances. Please share with us, perhaps, how your character was transformed to be more like Christ during a time of trial. We can’t plan unexpected circumstances, but we can prepare. Please join us in the next five weeks as we learn how to do that! Questions for Small Groups:

1. Which of these have been most crucial in growing your faith (practical teaching, providential relationships, private disciplines, personal ministry, pivotal circumstances)?
2. Name 1-2 circumstances in your life that have impacted your journey as a follower of Christ?
3. Why are some of us tempted to blame God when we have problems? How does it help to know that God promises troubles? “In this world you will have trouble.” John 16:33
4. On a scale of 1-5, how easy do you find it to be completely honest with God in your prayers?
5. Why do some people see their problems as a way to grow and others don’t? How can we learn to see unexpected problems in life as growth opportunities?

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Dear brothers and sisters,

On behalf of our parish staff, I wish you and your families a blessed Christmas and New Year!  I am grateful for St. John’s Leadership Team: Deacon Max, Analia, John, Lorraine, Ana, and Karen for their leadership and service to the parish.  I thank the Parish Staff, including Bettianne, Marybel, Heather, and Dwayne.  I thank Maria our bookkeeper, Judy our Youth Ministry leader, Noel our director of Worship, Nicole our Children’s Ministry director, Kathy our Small Group coordinator, and all those who decorate and keep our campus so beautiful all year long.  I thank all parish organizations and volunteers, old and new.  Our parish is a big family, and we cannot be what we’re called to be without one another.  Thank you! 

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family.  We gaze upon the manger, contemplating that the Son of God entered our story.  As difficult as our lives may be, God is with us!  In today’s Gospel reading, we get a glimpse of the life of the young Jesus.  He was obedient to Mary and Joseph (Luke 2:51).  Think about that – the Son of God was obedient to his human parents.  Even though we celebrate the Blessed Mother as great saints, they were still human beings who lived and died.  The Son of God humbled himself and showed us a path that we may follow.  The word “obey” is related to the word “listen” – they come from the same root.  To obey is to listen. 

We welcome to our parish this weekend Msgr. Bergamo and Fr. Joseph who are graciously covering for me this week so that I can spend some time with my family!  We celebrate the New Year with the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, with Masses on Tuesday December 31 at 4 pm, and Wednesday January 1 at 10 am.  Next weekend on the Feast of the Epiphany, we begin our January preaching series “Unexpected” at all weekend Masses.

With many blessings,

Fr. Reichlen

“It’s a Wonderful Life” Week 3

Unmet Expectations

We are in the third week of our Advent and Christmas series which is about cultivating gratitude.  In focusing on the blessings of life we don’t ignore our problems but become mindful of the real blessings we all have.  We do so by first focusing on the gifts, then turning our attention toward the Giver; and finally putting gratitude into daily practice.  Last week we talked about the need for stillness and to slow down so to practice gratitude, which is especially true during the busy season of the holidays. 

For many people, one major obstacle gratitude that can arise during the holidays is a sense of unmet expectations.  You think of what could have been and it saddens you – you could have married this person but didn’t; your aspirations for your career didn’t work out as you dreamed as a child; you could have travelled more or spent more time with hobbies you love.  Maybe you’re going through what you describe as a midlife crisis, a season of discontent or disappointment, a time of restlessness.

Where do our life expectations come from?  They can spring from the suggestions or pressures of others, especially family.  When I was growing up, there was some pressure on me to become a doctor, and when I changed course and entered seminary, not everyone was happy.  Thanks be to God that my parents quickly came around to support me!  If you listed people in your life who influenced your life’s expectations, who would they be?  Sometimes those expectations, if we are brutally honest, are not reasonable or fair.  You wanted to be a pro athlete or actor, but you just didn’t have talent! 

We don’t need to have unmet expectations hang over us; and that the key is practicing both gratitude and contentment which go hand in hand.  How do we connect the two?  The Old Testament is filled with songs and psalms of praise to God for everything – for deliverance, forgiveness, and for rain for the harvest.  One book that turns conventional wisdom on its head is the Book of Ecclesiastes.  The author Qoheleth claims to be a retired king in Jerusalem looking back on his life.  In chapter 1 he says that after investing everything under the sun, he has concluded that everything is vanity (1:13-14), and he detests all his past work and toil (2:17-18).  Certainly, it sounds like he’s in a season of discontent!  Wealth and chasing after money never satisfy (5:9-10).  It’s only in the end of his writing that he reminds us: Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come, and the years approach of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them” (12:1) almost as to say to us – “Don’t be like me – spending my life on vanity – instead, remember God.”   

My friends, our faith can only help us to practice gratitude twinned with contentment, instead of focusing on regret and disappointment.  Paul says to the Philippians: I know indeed how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance.  In every circumstance and in all things I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need (4:12).  Our challenge, like Qoheleth, is to remember our Creator in stillness and contemplation; and to be grateful for all things no matter what.  We can’t change the past but imagine what our future could be like if we put this into practice!  Questions for Small Groups:

1. Name some of your biggest disappointments in your life. 
2. Talk about some of your unmet expectations regarding the holidays, other circumstances or relationships.  Where did your expectations originate?  Were they realistic?  How can you begin to set new expectations for your future? 
3. The entire book of Ecclesiastes tells us that life is meaningless without God.  Do you agree or disagree?  What are some things that you assign great meaning to but leave God out of those areas of your life? 
4. Qoheleth’s solution to a meaningful life is to “remember your Creator” with praise and gratitude.  What are some ways you can practice that this Advent?  How can you include God and gratitude to him for everything in life? (whoa big question) 
5. We have so much to be grateful for in our lives.  It’s easy to be grateful for all the seemingly good things.  Talk about the challenge of having a grateful perspective in life through difficulty, as opposed to just being grateful for the good things and blessings.

“It’s a Wonderful Life” Week 2

When Trials Come Our Way, Be Still

Happy Advent, and happy December!  Christmas is both a wonderful and a crazy time of year.  Many of us have an enormous number of commitments right now: parties, family events, school activities, college exams, gift shopping, and the emotional highs and lows of the season.  Many of us are incredibly busy, and that’s true at the church too!  All the more that we take regular time during the holidays to remind ourselves of what we celebrate – the coming of Christ – and in that context to practice gratitude.  Doing so doesn’t clear our crazy schedules or take away our obligations.  Exteriorly, there’s might be little we might be able to do to find peace in busy seasons of life like right now; but the practice of gratitude gives us an internal peace to face life’s trials. 

This week we’ll look at a trial in the earthly life of Jesus: the death of his good friend Lazarus.  Read in your prayer time this week John chapter 11.  At the beginning of the story, Jesus hears about Lazarus’s sickness but does not panic; his perspective is that this trial will glorify God (vv. 3-4).  It’s a bit shocking and head-turning that Jesus doesn’t rush to go and see Lazarus and be with his two sisters Martha and Mary.  Instead, he stays exactly where he is for two days before departing to see them (v. 6).  Did you ever notice that in the Gospels, Jesus is always accomplishing things but is never in a hurry?  By the time Jesus gets there, Lazarus has already been dead in the tomb for 4 days (v. 17)!  We can only speculate why he delayed, but we can know for certain that it is intentional. 

In our lives, from work to school crises to family emergencies, it can feel like we’re just constantly reacting to things.  There is the “tyranny of the urgent” that can overwhelm us.  I’ve heard it said that life is like baseball, and we’re the hitter in the batter’s box getting one fast ball after another.  One thing we can do, like a batter who regularly steps out of the batter’s box to slow the pace of the pitches, is to practice being still.  Stillness can be an incredibly effective practice during the holidays.  I know that if I miss for any reason my daily morning routine, in stillness and quiet praying the Breviary, I can be overwhelmed with many worries and anxieties.  The practice of prayerful stillness and silence that works best for you – at morning, midday, or evening – can have a huge impact in your life. 

Notice that when Jesus arrives at the tomb of Lazarus, he weeps (v. 35).  He experiences the fullness of the situation.  We might be making a sincere effort to feel gratitude in our hearts but it’s elusive.  In life’s busyness, we have to slow down enough to actually experience gratitude in an intentional way.  In the end, Lazarus is miraculously resuscitated from the dead.  Perhaps the miracle we’ll experience during the holidays is actually becoming more grateful!  The Psalm says: Be still and know that I am God (Ps 46:11).  If only for a few moments per day to start, the habit of prayerfully slowing down in silence can help us cultivate deeper gratitude for the joy of Christ’s coming and keep us anchored to face whatever trials come our way.  Questions for Small Groups:

1. How full will your schedule get this Christmas?  What are your commitments?  Will you be busy

in December?

2. Does it ever feel like you’re constantly reacting to whatever life throws your way?  What are

those things?  Do you tend to be quick or slow to react?

3. Why do you think Jesus waited instead of going to visit Lazarus right way?
4. Do you believe the practice of stillness can help you experience more gratitude?
5. How can your Small Group help you with practicing gratitude during the trials of your life? 

“It’s a Wonderful Life” Week 1

The Power of Gratitude

There is nothing more effective at increasing your happiness and wellbeing than practicing radical gratitude.  Many studies have shown this.  This series is the perfect one for managing the stress and busyness of the holidays, because who doesn’t want to be happier?  You do, and so do I; it’s been a rough year for my family, and perhaps you’re going through many difficulties right now as well.  I often say that the best preaching is personal.  Honestly, this is one series in which I’m preaching to myself, because practicing gratitude is not something I naturally or easily do.  Growth is always outside our comfort zones, and how can those of us who hate writing thank you cards, and showing gratitude to others, put this into practice?  What does it mean to practice “radical gratitude?”

To introduce us to the series, I invite you spend some time this week in daily prayer with Luke 17:11-19, the story of Jesus healing the ten lepers.  Notice that Jesus is on a journey to his destiny, the cross.  Whether we know it or not, we are on a journey as well in our lives, and there are countless encounters big and small that can change the course of our journey.  In a certain village he is met by 10 lepers.  Lepers in that society were quarantined from others; leprosy was viewed by many as divine punishment for sin.  These ten cry out for Jesus to have mercy on them.  We are reminded that we all need God’s mercy; often the only obstacle to experiencing healing in our lives is the fact that we fail, in our pride, to recognize we need God, and then ask for help!  Jesus tells them to go and show themselves to the priests; as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy and healed.  When we follow God’s direction, we find blessings! 

Luke 17:15-16 then says: And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.  He was a Samaritan.  So often in the Scriptures, sight is associated with God’s blessing and healing.  The first step of cultivating gratitude is simply having the eyes to see, to notice, to realize the positive things we receive from God and others!  Then this one leper stopped and turned around.  Sometimes I know I fail to be thankful because I’m just too busy to pause – I just want to keep going with work and my daily tasks.  Practicing gratitude involves a daily examination so to be mindful and aware of God’s presence. 

Thus this one leper saw, turned back, and then as he praised God he fell at Jesus’ feet to thank him.  Praise and thanksgiving go together.  In fact, I always say that praise and thanksgiving is the most powerful form of prayer because it deepens our relationship with the Holy Trinity – our Heavenly Father who created us; the Son of God who came to save us; and the Holy Spirit within who enlivens, and heals, and directs us.  Think about what it feels like to receive a gift.  I’ve heard it said that gratitude is like a rope that draws together the giver and the receiver.  In our relationship with God, gratitude helps us to recognize that God is the ultimate Source of our happiness and wellbeing.  Salvation is the great gift we celebrate at Christmas!  May we find many blessings this Advent and Christmas, acknowledging, thanking, and praising the God who so loved the world that he sent his Son to save us!  Questions for Small Groups:

1. On a scale of 1-5, how often do you live with a grateful attitude?  1 means you have little gratitude and 5 means you are filled with it.  Give 1-2 examples each.
2. In the past 24 hours, what three gifts (people, places, or things) are you grateful for receiving?
3.  What prevents you from expressing gratitude?  Name ways you have seen others express it.
4. Read aloud Luke 17:15-16.  The one leper saw what God had done, turned back to Jesus, and praised God in a loud voice.  Which of these three is the easiest for you to do?  Which is the most difficult?
5. What would be a sign for you that you had grown in gratitude as a result of this series? What are practical steps you can take?