“Pilgrims of Hope” 

Week 6 

Hope in Uncertain Times

 

All around us, uncertainty seems to have become the norm, whether in our country, communities, or even our own lives.  At times, everything familiar can feel shaken.  In his Second Letter to the Thessalonians, St. Paul addresses a church worried about the future, confused about God’s timing, and distracted by rumors of coming disaster.  He urges the community to remain steadfast: “You yourselves know how you ought to imitate us … we were not idle … but worked night and day … so that we might give you an example” (2 Thessalonians 3:7-9).  His advice is simple yet radical: in times of uncertainty, keep working for the kingdom, living faithfully, and putting faith into action.  

This is not the hope of denial or waiting for better circumstances.  Rather, it is a call to perseverance.  In the Gospel, Jesus speaks candidly of the real hardships his followers will face conflict, persecution, and crisis.  Yet his words conclude with a promise: “By your perseverance you will secure your lives” (Luke 21:19).  Hope is less about avoiding difficulty and more about moving forward with conviction, trusting that God is present and at work no matter the outcome.  

Paul’s warning against idleness speaks to the temptation that comes up when the future feels unknown: to wait passively, worry, or focus on other people’s business.  True Christian hope is found not in idleness, but in doing our part to love, and serve, no matter how uncertain things seem.  When fear, anxiety, or confusion take hold, hope leads us to take the next faithful step, no matter how small, believing that God is the one who provides direction and security.  

The Eucharist, described as the “source and summit of the Christian life,” (CCC 1324) anchors our hope even when daily routines are disrupted or gatherings are difficult.  In Jesus, we see a God who is faithful; he walks with us through uncertainty – strengthening us in our trials and reminding us that our work is never wasted when it is done in love.  The Church has faced countless seasons with many challenges, yet the witness of saints, martyrs, and everyday believers confirms that hope endures when it is rooted in Christ.  

This week, our parish is called to live hope actively, reaching out to those in need while partnering with our local partners, and persevering in prayer and service.  Each act done for love of Christ becomes a testimony: the world may be uncertain, but our Lord is faithful.  Together, we are challenged to embrace the present moment with courage, to avoid the trap of idleness, and to keep our eyes fixed on the God who promises never to abandon us.

Small Group Discussion Questions:

1. How do you typically respond to uncertainty or fear?  Does it draw you closer to God or distract you from him? 

2. What is the difference between hope and wishful thinking during difficult times?

3. Why do you think Paul warns against idleness during times of uncertainty?

4. How does participating in the Mass and parish life anchor your hope, especially when things feel unstable?

5. What concrete step can you take this week to “work for the kingdom” and be a sign of hope for others?

“Pilgrims of Hope”

 Week 5

 Hope in the Resurrection

This week, the Church invites us to reflect not simply on a historic building, but on the deepest foundation of Christian hope: the Resurrection of Jesus and our share in his Risen Life.  The St. John Lateran Basilica, known as the “Mother and Head” of all churches in the West, stands as a symbol of faith’s endurance and victory over fear and death.  St. John Lateran is the Cathedral Church where the Bishop of Rome (the Pope) presides.  For early Christians, the dedication of such a church marked a new chapter – public witness, freedom to worship, and unity in Christ.

Yet Jesus, upon entering the temple in Jerusalem, directs our attention beyond any structure of stone.  When he drives out the merchants and foretells the Temple’s destruction and his own Resurrection: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up,” he reveals that our ultimate hope is not in buildings, but in the living Presence of God.  The true Temple is Christ himself; and through Baptism and the Eucharist, we too are made temples of the Holy Spirit.  This reality challenges us to focus less on externals and more on our relationship with the Risen Lord. 

Hope in the Resurrection is at the heart of our journey as Christians.  Christ’s Resurrection is not a myth; it is the cornerstone of faith.  If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, St. Paul proclaims (1 Corinthians 15:17).  Because Jesus lives, hope is not wishful thinking but an unshakable promise that death will never have the final word.  The Resurrection is God’s answer to suffering, loss, and even the end of life itself.  Those who believe in him are invited to a new way of living – a life marked by courage, freedom, and joy. 

The Lateran Basilica’s feast reminds us that the Church is built not of marble, but of living stones –  each believer who contributes to the community’s faith and witness.  Our lives, shaped by the hope of Christ’s Resurrection, become signs for those who struggle or feel lost.  When we forgive, encourage, or serve others out of faith, we make the risen Christ present in the world. In a culture often marked by cynicism or despair, the resurrection calls us to be people of unwavering hope.

This week, consider how resurrection hope can reshape fear, habits, relationships, and even our experience of suffering.   Every Mass is an encounter with the risen Christ; each Eucharist is a pledge that the living Jesus is with us and will fulfill every promise He has made.   As we celebrate the dedication of the Lateran Basilica, let us renew our own dedication: to be people who worship without fear, who share hope with others, and who carry the confidence of resurrection into all the world. We do not place our faith in buildings or people alone, but in the Lord who has risen, who is among us, and who promises that one day, we too will rise.   Small Group Discussion Questions:

1. How does the St. John Lateran Basilica remind me that the Church is both a visible structure and a living body united in Christ?

2. In what ways does my life reflect hope in the Resurrection, especially in times of loss, discouragement or suffering?

3. The St. John Lateran Basilica is a symbol of unity under the successor of Peter.  How does hope in the Resurrection call me to work for unity and peace within the church?

4. When I enter a church building, do I see it as a reminder of the heavenly home we are called to share through Christ's Resurrection? 

5. Where in your life do you most need resurrection hope right now?

“Pilgrims of Hope” 

Week 4 

Hope in the Midst of Grief

Grief is a human journey that we all must travel at certain times in life, whether through the loss of loved ones, disappointment, or unwelcome change.  Scripture speaks into our sorrow not with hollow reassurances, but with the deep promise of hope, hope that is rooted in God’s presence, faithfulness, and eternity.

The Book of Wisdom offers words of comfort that have echoed through centuries of Christian mourning: The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them … they are at peace (Wisdom 3:1-3).   Even though loss may feel devastating, the Scriptures remind us that death is not the end; in God, there is peace beyond our understanding, and those who have died in faith are secure in his loving hands. 

Paul, in his letter to the Romans, reminds believers that hope does not disappoint – because – God’s love has been poured into our hearts (Romans 5:5).  In suffering, we are invited to discover an endurance and character that produces an even greater hope.  Christian hope is not the denial of pain or loss, but the assurance that God’s love and Christ’s resurrection have conquered even death itself.  Psalm 23 echoes this reality, painting a picture of God’s gentle guidance through the valley of the shadow of death promising comfort and rest for our weary souls.  

The Gospel story of the widow of Nain is striking: as she joins a funeral procession for her only son, Jesus sees her pain, is moved with compassion, and restores her son to life (Luke 7:11-17).  Jesus draws near in our moments of greatest vulnerability.  He promises a life that is not swallowed by grief but transformed by the hope of resurrection.  His response to sorrow is not distance, but renewed presence and compassion.  

In our parish, this week is dedicated to remembering the dead, to supporting the grieving, and to prayer.  The feast of All Souls calls us to pray for our beloved departed, entrusting them into God’s mercy, and praying the St. Gertrude Prayer for the souls in purgatory.  As a faith community, reaching out to those who mourn through our Grief Support Group, a compassionate word, or our prayers, becomes both a work of mercy and a sign of our hope.  

Hope in the midst of grief does not mean forgetting those we have lost or pretending all is well.  It means daring to believe that love is stronger than death, that Christ has gone before us, and that we remain connected in the Communion of Saints.  As we bring our prayers and sorrows to God, we are invited to keep alive the flame of hope, a hope that looks for the resurrection, trusts God’s promise, and brings comfort to ourselves and one another. Small Group Discussion Questions:

1. Which Scripture from this week’s readings most speaks to your experience of grief or loss?  Why? 

2. How have you experienced God’s presence or comfort during times of mourning?

3. What does it mean to say Christian hope “does not disappoint” (Romans 5:5) in practical terms?

4. How can our parish more actively support those who are experiencing grief or who have lost loved ones?

5. Who or what are you praying for this week as a sign of hope, and how might you invite others to do the same?

“Pilgrims of Hope” 

Week 3 

Hope Is Rooted in Humility

Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector is one of the most clever in the Gospels, inviting us to look honestly at our own hearts before God.  The Pharisee stands apart, confident in his own righteousness, reciting his spiritual achievements, fasting, tithing, and avoiding the sins of others.  Meanwhile, the tax collector barely steps inside, cannot even lift his eyes, simply praying, “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13).  Jesus surprises every expectation by saying that it is the tax collector, rather than the Pharisee, who leaves the temple justified. 

At first glance, the Pharisee’s problem is pride: he trusts in his own goodness and looks down on others; but as the story goes, it becomes clear that the deeper issue is a lack of humility, a refusal to see his need for God’s mercy.  The tax collector, on the other hand, embodies true humility by admitting his faults and placing all his hope in God’s grace.  In the Kingdom of God, Jesus insists, it is not performance or status that wins God’s approval, but humble trust in his mercy.  

Humility is not about denying our gifts or pretending we have no strengths.  Rather, it is about being rooted in the truth: that everything good within us is ultimately a gift from God; and that before him, all are in equal need of forgiveness.  The Catechism in paragraph 2559 teaches that “humility is the foundation of prayer,” because only a humble person is able to recognize both God’s greatness and our own dependence on him.  Humility enables real relationship and honest prayer, since we come before God just as we are, trusting in his mercy rather than our own merits. 

Hope and humility are deeply connected.  When we are humble, we stop relying on our own efforts and become open to what God wants to do in us.  The tax collector’s hope is not in his spiritual record, but in God’s willingness to forgive.  It is this posture that opens the door to justification, new beginnings, and authentic hope.  

For our parish, this week is an invitation to embrace humility with courage.  We are called to turn away from comparison and self-justification, and to make a space for God’s transforming grace.  The Sacrament of Confession is a concrete way to live out this humility; by naming our need for God’s mercy, we receive hope that is firm and lasting.  In humble prayer, in honest relationships, and in an openness to growth, we discover that hope thrives in humble hearts. 

Let us remember: Everyone who exalts themselves will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted (Luke 18:14).  By rooting ourselves in humility, we make space for God to fill us with His merciful hope.  Small Group Discussion Questions:

1. How do you see yourself in the parable: more like the Pharisee or the tax collector? Why?

2. What makes humility difficult, especially in spiritual or religious settings?

3. How does humility shape your experience of prayer and your relationship with God?

4. Why is confession (admitting faults) essential for real hope and growth in faith?

5. What practical steps will you take this week to practice greater humility in your spiritual life?

“Pilgrims of Hope” Week 2

 Hope that God Hears Our Prayers

Jesus’ parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8) offers us a provocative image of prayer and hope.  The widow comes again and again to the judge, demanding justice.  The judge is indifferent, even unjust; yet he finally gives in, not out of compassion, but annoyance at her persistence.  Jesus uses this exaggeration to contrast God’s character with that of the judge: if even an unjust man can be moved by persistence, how much more will our loving Father respond to the prayers of his children? 

This story invites us to reflect honestly on our own experience of prayer.  Many of us have felt, at times, as if our prayers go unanswered, that God is distant, silent, or slow to act.  It’s easy to become discouraged or feel as though praying is a waste of time.  Yet Jesus insists to pray – always – and not lose heart(Luke 18:1).  This challenge asks us to view prayer not as a one-time request but as a relationship sustained over time, a trust that God is attentive even in moments of silence. 

The widow’s determination models the kind of faith Jesus wants for his followers.  Her persistence is not a sign of doubt but of hope: she keeps returning because she knows there is a possibility for justice, a chance that she will be heard.  Hope in prayer means daring to believe that God’s heart is moved not only by our words, but by our continued trust in his goodness.  Jesus assures us that God’s answer may not always be “yes;” it may be “not yet” or even a “I have something better.”  Faithful prayer means remaining open to God’s wisdom, trusting that his work is often deeper and wider than our requests.

As we pray, hope invites us to ask, seek, and knock; but also to listen, to wait, and to accept what God gives.  Prayer redirects our hearts to God, shapes us in humility, and reminds us of our dependence on Him.  Sometimes God’s answer is the transformation of our own desires or a deeper peace that allows us to keep on moving forward.  Sometimes prayer becomes the channel through which God strengthens, guides, and prepares us for the very answer He intends to give.

In our parish, we are called this week to recommit to persistent prayer, personally, in families, and together as a community.  The Family Holy Hour after the 11am Mass on Sunday and our Adoration Chapel, open daily, are visible signs of our trust that God hears.  More than just words spoken, hope in prayer is a lived expectation that God cares, listens, and responds.  Through prayer, God invites us to be honest, vulnerable, and tenacious, never afraid to “bother” him. 

Hope in prayer is not about being perfect or saying the right words but about returning again and again to the One who loves us, certain that every prayer is heard.  This week, let us lean into that hope, showing up before God, and for each other, with hearts open to his answer.  Small Group Discussion Questions:

1. When have you found it difficult to persist in prayer, and what helped you keep going? 
2. What do you think Jesus means by “pray always and do not lose heart”? 
3. Have you ever experienced an unexpected answer to prayer, something better than you asked for? 
4. How can our parish encourage each other to stay faithful in prayer, especially in discouraging times? 
5. In what specific ways will you commit to praying this week, individually or with others?“Pilgrims of Hope” Week 2: Hope that God Hears Our Prayers

6. Jesus’ parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8) offers us a provocative image of prayer and hope.  The widow comes again and again to the judge, demanding justice.  The judge is indifferent, even unjust; yet he finally gives in, not out of compassion, but annoyance at her persistence.  Jesus uses this exaggeration to contrast God’s character with that of the judge: if even an unjust man can be moved by persistence, how much more will our loving Father respond to the prayers of his children? 

7. This story invites us to reflect honestly on our own experience of prayer.  Many of us have felt, at times, as if our prayers go unanswered, that God is distant, silent, or slow to act.  It’s easy to become discouraged or feel as though praying is a waste of time.  Yet Jesus insists to pray – always – and not lose heart(Luke 18:1).  This challenge asks us to view prayer not as a one-time request but as a relationship sustained over time, a trust that God is attentive even in moments of silence. 

8. The widow’s determination models the kind of faith Jesus wants for his followers.  Her persistence is not a sign of doubt but of hope: she keeps returning because she knows there is a possibility for justice, a chance that she will be heard.  Hope in prayer means daring to believe that God’s heart is moved not only by our words, but by our continued trust in his goodness.  Jesus assures us that God’s answer may not always be “yes;” it may be “not yet” or even a “I have something better.”  Faithful prayer means remaining open to God’s wisdom, trusting that his work is often deeper and wider than our requests.

9. As we pray, hope invites us to ask, seek, and knock; but also to listen, to wait, and to accept what God gives.  Prayer redirects our hearts to God, shapes us in humility, and reminds us of our dependence on Him.  Sometimes God’s answer is the transformation of our own desires or a deeper peace that allows us to keep on moving forward.  Sometimes prayer becomes the channel through which God strengthens, guides, and prepares us for the very answer He intends to give.

10. In our parish, we are called this week to recommit to persistent prayer, personally, in families, and together as a community.  The Family Holy Hour after the 11am Mass on Sunday and our Adoration Chapel, open daily, are visible signs of our trust that God hears.  More than just words spoken, hope in prayer is a lived expectation that God cares, listens, and responds.  Through prayer, God invites us to be honest, vulnerable, and tenacious, never afraid to “bother” him. 

11. Hope in prayer is not about being perfect or saying the right words but about returning again and again to the One who loves us, certain that every prayer is heard.  This week, let us lean into that hope, showing up before God, and for each other, with hearts open to his answer.  Small Group Discussion Questions:

12. When have you found it difficult to persist in prayer, and what helped you keep going? 
13. What do you think Jesus means by “pray always and do not lose heart”? 
14. Have you ever experienced an unexpected answer to prayer, something better than you asked for? 
15. How can our parish encourage each other to stay faithful in prayer, especially in discouraging times? 
16. In what specific ways will you commit to praying this week, individually or with others?

“Pilgrims of Hope” 

Week 1 

Hope for Healing

The story of the ten lepers in Luke’s Gospel (Luke 17:11-19) is as much about community and gratitude as it is about healing.  These men were isolated not only because of their disease, but also because of the stigma that came with it.  To be a leper at that time was to be excluded from ordinary life, cut off from family, worship, and society itself.  Healing for them meant more than the restoration of health; it meant a return to relationship, a chance to belong again. 

As Jesus encounters the lepers, He does not simply speak words from a distance.  He commands them to show themselves to the priests, a step of faith that anticipated their restoration. On the way, they are cleansed.  Surprisingly, only one turns back to give thanks, and that one is a Samaritan, an outsider not just by sickness but by ethnicity and religion, an unchurched person.  In this unexpected twist, Luke’s Gospel shows us how the marginalized can often be the first to recognize God’s saving work and respond with deep gratitude. 

The Samaritan’s act of returning to Jesus is more than politeness.  It is a recognition that the healing he received was not only physical but also spiritual.  By falling at the feet of Jesus and praising God, he acknowledges that true healing means communion with the source of life itself.  The other lepers were healed, but only this Samaritan allowed that healing to transform him into a disciple, a witness of God’s mercy. 

This story is an invitation for us as disciples today.  Each of us carries wounds, whether visible or hidden.  Illness, broken relationships, fear, jealousy, envy, and shame can leave us feeling like exiles, cut off from others and even from God.  Yet Christian hope tells us that no place is too distant for God’s healing touch.  Hope is not wishful thinking about some day in the distant future when things might get better.  Hope is the confident assurance that God’s power is present here and now, working to restore and renew us, today.

At the same time, healing does not always look like a cure.  Sometimes the body continues to suffer while the heart is renewed.  Sometimes circumstances do not change, but the Spirit gives us strength to face them with courage and peace.  To hope in God’s healing means we trust Him with all areas of our lives, surrendering both our wounds and our need for control into His hands. 

This week, we are invited to receive healing, but also to be instruments of healing for others.  Just as Jesus restored the lepers to community, He sends us to restore connections, to bind up broken spirits, and to reach out to those who feel excluded. Healing often comes through presence, compassion, prayer, and acts of mercy.  As a parish, one visible way to embrace this hope is to join in the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick after every Mass this weekend and the Sacrament of Confession on Saturday morning or by appointment.  But equally important are the daily choices to bring Christ’s healing love into our homes, workplaces, and friendships. 

When gratitude fills our hearts and compassion fills our actions, we embody the Samaritan’s example and bear witness to healing that flows from God alone. Hope for healing begins in us, but it never ends with us, it overflows into the community around us.

1. What kinds of healing, physical, emotional, or spiritual, do you long for most right now?
2. Why do you think only the Samaritan returned to give thanks, and what does that say about true discipleship?
3. How have you experienced God’s healing power in your own life or in the lives of others?
4. In what ways can we as a parish community bring hope and healing to those who feel excluded or broken?
5. What is one step you can take this week to be an instrument of Jesus’ healing in someone’s life?

“Everything Must Go” 

Week 5 

Dreaming With God About Your Resources

Without vision, Proverbs says, people wander (paraphrasing Proverbs 29:18).  The same is true with money.  Without a God-shaped vision for our finances, we tend to drift, reacting to bills, following cultural pressures to “keep up,” or spending aimlessly without a sense of purpose.  As we hear in the First Reading for this weekend’s Mass, Habakkuk’s cry to God (Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4) wasn’t about money, but it was about clarity for the future; and God told him to “write the vision” so it could be held, remembered, and run with.  Our financial lives need the same intentionality.

A God-inspired vision for your resources begins not with numbers, but with prayer.  Ask: Lord, what do You want my resources to accomplish in Your Kingdom and in my life? For some, the answer may be to get debt-free so that money is no longer a limiting factor to serving or giving.  For others, it might be to build savings so generosity and security can replace stress.  Still others may be led to simplify radically, freeing time and energy from the cycle of getting and maintaining possessions.

The point isn’t for your vision to look like anyone else’s.  It’s for your vision to align with the unique mission God has for you and your household; and writing it down is key.  Vision becomes powerful when it’s specific, measurable, and visible in daily life.  This doesn’t mean every financial goal is spiritual in language, but every God-shaped goal will influence how you live for Him.  For example, “save for children’s education” becomes not just about paying tuition, but about stewarding them toward their calling.  “Be mortgage free” becomes not an end in itself, but a way to free resources for Kingdom work.

Without vision, money will always flow to the loudest voice, the next advertisement, the biggest pressure.  With vision, money becomes a servant to your calling rather than a distraction from it. This week, take time to draft your own God-honoring financial vision.  It may include goals, but it should also capture the why behind them.  Prayerfully review it each month and adjust as God continues to lead.

When we dream with God about what He could do with our finances, we step into a life of purpose and peace – where every dollar becomes a seed for something eternal.

Reflection Questions:

1. If you had no fear or limitation, what God-honoring financial vision would you pursue over the next 5–10 years?

2. Why do you think writing down a financial vision makes a difference?

3. What’s one part of your current financial picture that you’d like to see transformed by God’s wisdom?

4. How could others in your group help you stay encouraged and accountable in pursuing that vision?

5. What’s one small step you can take this month toward that bigger goal?

“Everything Must Go” 

Week 4

the Call to Intentional Generosity

The parable of the rich man and Lazarus is one of Jesus’ most sobering warnings.  The rich man didn’t abuse Lazarus – he ignored him.  Day after day, he walked past him right at his gate and never lifted a finger; and after death, the gap between them was irreversible. 

Jesus’ point was clear: as his followers, we cannot turn a blind eye to the needs around us.  Generosity is not just spontaneous, although it can be; it is also planned and intentional.  Biblical generosity means actively budgeting space in our lives and wallets to care for the poor. 

For some of us, generosity slips through the cracks because we live reactively, giving only when emotionally moved, or when “extra” money is lying around (which is rare); but the truth is that generosity requires us to arrange our lives so that giving isn’t an afterthought; it’s a priority.  That can mean setting a percentage to give each month, simplifying spending to free up resources, or identifying a ministry or need we will commit to supporting.  Generosity is at the heart of God’s nature: “For God so loved the world that he gave …” (John 3:16).  He calls us to reflect his heart by giving not just out of abundance but out of love and obedience.  This doesn’t always mean huge amounts; small, consistent giving can have a massive cumulative effect. 

TheBushkill Outreach in our community (bushkilloutreach.com) is a perfect example of where intentional giving can make a local difference; but this is bigger than one project.  It’s about cultivating a lifestyle that always has room for others’ needs. 

The beautiful paradox is that generosity doesn’t diminish us; it enriches us.  When we release resources, we loosen the hold possessions have on our hearts; and often, joy follows.  Jesus wasn’t exaggerating when he said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

This week, the challenge is to identify one tangible way you can practice intentional generosity, and to see need not as an interruption, but as an invitation.

Reflection & Discussion Questions:

1. Am I intentional about setting aside time, resources, or talents to serve those in need, or do I wait until it is convenient?
2. St. Paul wrote, "God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Cor 9:7).  Do I give with joy and trust, or with reluctance and fear of loss?
3. What does “budgeting for generosity” look like in practical terms for you?
4. What steps can I take to make generosity a spiritual discipline rather than a random act?  Is there a specific opportunity God is putting in front of you to serve or give right now?“Everything Must Go” Week 4: the Call to Intentional Generosity

5. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus is one of Jesus’ most sobering warnings.  The rich man didn’t abuse Lazarus – he ignored him.  Day after day, he walked past him right at his gate and never lifted a finger; and after death, the gap between them was irreversible. 

6. Jesus’ point was clear: as his followers, we cannot turn a blind eye to the needs around us.  Generosity is not just spontaneous, although it can be; it is also planned and intentional.  Biblical generosity means actively budgeting space in our lives and wallets to care for the poor. 

7. For some of us, generosity slips through the cracks because we live reactively, giving only when emotionally moved, or when “extra” money is lying around (which is rare); but the truth is that generosity requires us to arrange our lives so that giving isn’t an afterthought; it’s a priority.  That can mean setting a percentage to give each month, simplifying spending to free up resources, or identifying a ministry or need we will commit to supporting.  Generosity is at the heart of God’s nature: “For God so loved the world that he gave …” (John 3:16).  He calls us to reflect his heart by giving not just out of abundance but out of love and obedience.  This doesn’t always mean huge amounts; small, consistent giving can have a massive cumulative effect. 

8. TheBushkill Outreach in our community (bushkilloutreach.com) is a perfect example of where intentional giving can make a local difference; but this is bigger than one project.  It’s about cultivating a lifestyle that always has room for others’ needs. 

9. The beautiful paradox is that generosity doesn’t diminish us; it enriches us.  When we release resources, we loosen the hold possessions have on our hearts; and often, joy follows.  Jesus wasn’t exaggerating when he said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

10. This week, the challenge is to identify one tangible way you can practice intentional generosity, and to see need not as an interruption, but as an invitation.

11. Reflection & Discussion Questions:
12. Am I intentional about setting aside time, resources, or talents to serve those in need, or do I wait until it is convenient?
13. St. Paul wrote, "God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Cor 9:7).  Do I give with joy and trust, or with reluctance and fear of loss?
14. What does “budgeting for generosity” look like in practical terms for you?
15. What steps can I take to make generosity a spiritual discipline rather than a random act?  Is there a specific opportunity God is putting in front of you to serve or give right now?

“Everything Must Go” Week 3

Seeing Money as a Trust, not a Possession

Luke 16 tells the story of the shrewd manager, a servant who’s about to lose his job and quickly takes action to secure his future.  While the man’s dishonesty isn’t praised, Jesus commends his foresight.  The point is that even someone in a morally questionable position can recognize the importance of thinking ahead and using resources wisely.

Stewardship begins with the acknowledgement that nothing we have ultimately belongs to us.  From our home to our paycheck to our time, it’s all on loan from God.  We may hold it for a moment, but one day, we will return it.  That reality changes everything. 

Most of us are more likely to stress over what we don’t have, than intentionally plan for how we’ll use what we do have; but when we start thinking like stewards, questions shift.  Instead of, “How can I keep and protect all this for myself?” we ask, “How can I maximize what I’ve been given to honor God and bless others?” 

This type of mindset changes how we budget, how we shop, how we give, and even how we respond to financial setbacks.  It removes the pressure of ownership, realizing the money and possessions are God’s to begin with, while also increasing the weight of responsibility.  God trusts us to use what He’s given with wisdom and intentionality.   

Being a steward doesn’t mean living with constant austerity.  It means recognizing limits, embracing priorities, and seeking God’s direction about where resources should go.  Stewardship is also about alignment: our spending, saving, and giving should align with our values and with God’s mission in the world.

Even if your resources feel “small” right now, stewardship values faithfulness over quantity.  God delights in people who manage $20 faithfully just as He delights in those who manage $20,000 wisely.  It’s not about comparison; it’s about trustworthiness. 

This week, consider the areas where you might be thinking like an “owner” instead of a “steward.”  Are you clinging to something God might want you to release?  Are you afraid to take a step of generosity because you see money as yours rather than His?  Start by inviting Him into your budget, your bank account, and your future plans.  He already has a vision for them, and it’s one that leads to both peace and purpose. 

Reflection & Discussion Questions:

1. In what ways can I treat my income and assets as gifts entrusted to me by God?
2. What fears prevent us from trusting God with our financial decisions?
3. Do I see giving to the Church and to charity as an obligation or as a joyful act of stewardship?
4. In Mt 6:21 Jesus says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”.  What does he mean and how does that apply to my financial choices?

“Everything Must Go” 

Week 2 Reflection

Freedom from Past Mistakes

If you’ve ever been in a situation where you felt trapped by your own decisions, you know how exhausting it can be.  For many people, money has been one of those areas: maybe massive debt from years ago, unwise spending that still lingers, or missed opportunities to be generous that can’t be undone.  We might move on outwardly, but inwardly, those choices whisper lies: you can’t change.  You’ll always be behind.  You’re a failure when it comes to money. 

In Numbers 21, the Israelites, worn out from their journey, began to complain against God and Moses.  As a result, venomous snakes invaded the camp, and many people died; but God, in His mercy, provided a way of healing; those bitten could look at the bronze serpent Moses lifted up and live.  This was a foreshadowing of what Jesus would do for us on the cross.  Jesus refers back to this in John 3:14–15, saying, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”  No matter what traps we’ve stepped into, including financial ones, the cross offers a way out. 

The message here is powerful: yes, there may be consequences to past financial choices; but there is also complete freedom in Christ – freedom from shame, guilt, and hopelessness.  If “stuff” or debt has kept you from living open-handedly, Jesus offers a reset.  He frees us not only spiritually but practically.  That might look like wisdom to create a repayment plan, courage to confess our struggles, or simply the strength to take the next faithful step. 

True freedom doesn’t mean you instantly have zero financial burdens.  It means you are no longer defined or defeated by them.  You begin to make decisions from a place of hope rather than fear; and most importantly, you stop believing the lie that your past mistakes disqualify you from living faithfully today.  As you reflect this week, know that the same God who set Israel free and who redeemed your soul is well able to redeem your finances and give you freedom from debt and debt burdens that ultimately washes away fear, shame, and greed. Look to Jesus.  He is both your rescuer and your guide into a better future. 

Discussion Questions:

1. The Exaltation of the Holy Cross celebrates triumph through suffering and love.  How can you let the Cross transform your past shortcomings into a testimony of God’s mercy? 

2. Jesus told Nicodemus that “the Son of Man must be lifted up” (John 3:14–15).  How does His being lifted up free you from the burden of your past imperfections? 

3. Is there a “cross” from your past — perhaps regret, hurt, or missteps — that you are still carrying as a weight rather than as a redeemed offering?  What would it mean to surrender it at the foot of Christ’s Cross? 

4. What concrete practices (such as confession, acts of charity, or simplicity) can help you experience freedom both from clinging to things and from being trapped in the memory of sin?

“Everything Must Go” Week 1: Introduction

Counting the Cost & Putting God First

Following Jesus is life-changing but it’s also costly.  In Luke 14:25–33, Jesus paints a vivid picture for His followers: discipleship means counting the cost, making intentional decisions, and placing Him above everything, including our possessions.  For some, those words might feel extreme.  After all, aren’t money and possessions just “normal parts of life”?  Why would Jesus link them so closely to our ability to follow Him?

The truth is, Jesus understood something we often try to ignore, that our money and our heart are deeply connected (Matthew 6:21).  The way we view, handle, and prioritize our resources often reveals what we really trust in.  Many people today live with financial tension: rising costs, debt, not enough income, or regret from past money decisions.  We carry unspoken anxiety and sometimes shame that quietly shapes how we live and give. Jesus wasn’t condemning possessions, nor was He asking us to live deprived of things.  He was warning us not to let possessions take the position of “master” in our lives.  Money is a necessary tool; we need it to live, to care for our families, to enjoy life, and to help others; but tools are meant to be used.

Putting God first in the area of money means surrendering the illusion that we are the ultimate providers for ourselves.  It means recognizing that every dollar, every possession, and every opportunity ultimately belongs to Him, and we are simply stewards.  This shift in thinking changes everything, instead of asking, “How much of my money should I give to God?” we begin to ask, “How would God want me to use what He has entrusted to me today?”  For some, putting God first might mean reshaping spending habits, creating a budget that prioritizes generosity over impulse purchases.  For others, it might look like releasing the pride or fear that keeps us from trusting Him with giving; and for many, it’s a deeply personal journey of letting Jesus into a place of life that’s often guarded – our financial story.

When we put God first financially, we also replace fear with peace.  Our security is no longer defined by the balance in our bank account but by the promises of a faithful Father who provides for His children.  The more we live this out, the more our faith grows, and the more our finances become a source of blessing instead of stress. 

As you reflect on this topic this week, remember that surrender in this area of life is not about loss; it’s about freedom.  A life where Jesus is first, even with our money and possessions, is a life marked by trust, peace, and purpose.

Reflection & Discussion Questions:

1. In Luke 14:25–33, Jesus urges us to “count the cost” of following Him.  What does that look like in your life, especially related to money and possessions?

2. Why do you think money can be such a difficult area to surrender to God?

3. How have you seen God provide for you when you’ve put Him first financially?

4. What is one small, practical step you could take this week to align your finances more closely with God’s priorities?

5. How could our group better encourage and support one another in living with God first in our finances?“Everything Must Go” Week 1: Introduction

6. Counting the Cost & Putting God First

7.  

8. Following Jesus is life-changing but it’s also costly.  In Luke 14:25–33, Jesus paints a vivid picture for His followers: discipleship means counting the cost, making intentional decisions, and placing Him above everything, including our possessions.  For some, those words might feel extreme.  After all, aren’t money and possessions just “normal parts of life”?  Why would Jesus link them so closely to our ability to follow Him?

9.  

10. The truth is, Jesus understood something we often try to ignore, that our money and our heart are deeply connected (Matthew 6:21).  The way we view, handle, and prioritize our resources often reveals what we really trust in.  Many people today live with financial tension: rising costs, debt, not enough income, or regret from past money decisions.  We carry unspoken anxiety and sometimes shame that quietly shapes how we live and give. Jesus wasn’t condemning possessions, nor was He asking us to live deprived of things.  He was warning us not to let possessions take the position of “master” in our lives.  Money is a necessary tool; we need it to live, to care for our families, to enjoy life, and to help others; but tools are meant to be used.

11.  

12. Putting God first in the area of money means surrendering the illusion that we are the ultimate providers for ourselves.  It means recognizing that every dollar, every possession, and every opportunity ultimately belongs to Him, and we are simply stewards.  This shift in thinking changes everything, instead of asking, “How much of my money should I give to God?” we begin to ask, “How would God want me to use what He has entrusted to me today?”  For some, putting God first might mean reshaping spending habits, creating a budget that prioritizes generosity over impulse purchases.  For others, it might look like releasing the pride or fear that keeps us from trusting Him with giving; and for many, it’s a deeply personal journey of letting Jesus into a place of life that’s often guarded – our financial story.

13.  

14. When we put God first financially, we also replace fear with peace.  Our security is no longer defined by the balance in our bank account but by the promises of a faithful Father who provides for His children.  The more we live this out, the more our faith grows, and the more our finances become a source of blessing instead of stress. 

15.  

16. As you reflect on this topic this week, remember that surrender in this area of life is not about loss; it’s about freedom.  A life where Jesus is first, even with our money and possessions, is a life marked by trust, peace, and purpose.

17.  

18. Reflection & Discussion Questions:

19.  

20. In Luke 14:25–33, Jesus urges us to “count the cost” of following Him.  What does that look like in your life, especially related to money and possessions?

21. Why do you think money can be such a difficult area to surrender to God?

22. How have you seen God provide for you when you’ve put Him first financially?

23. What is one small, practical step you could take this week to align your finances more closely with God’s priorities?

24. How could our group better encourage and support one another in living with God first in our finances?

Mercy

The One Thing You Need to 

Receive God’s Mercy

From www.epriest.com: In the Gospels, it often seems that the Pharisees are the bad guys.  They seem to be waiting around every corner, scheming up ways to attack Jesus.  In the Christian imagination, they are often dismissed entirely – as greedy, hypocritical, and stubborn people who are far from the Kingdom of God – but there is more to their story, and we should rethink them today.  

Here are three things about the Pharisees: first, they were members of the Jewish people who could never make peace with the fact that the Gentiles, in this case, the Romans, had taken over God’s Holy Land and subjugated God’s Holy People.  As such, they teach us to never make peace with sin in our lives.  Second, they were men and women who were sincerely saddened and tired of their own people’s inability to stay in covenant with God.  They wanted to make things right with God, and they can teach us to seek God in all things and to attempt to live before him in humility and reverence.  Third, they wanted to do everything they could to regain God’s favor in order to right their wrongs.  Their main attempt at this was to try to bring the holiness of the Temple into their personal lives.  In their spiritual disciplines, the rules regarding the Temple were extended to all domestic life. As such, they teach us to aim for true holiness and to take our Christian faith seriously.

Now here’s the big “Pharisaical” problem: their intentions were noble to begin; but over time, things changed.  As the Pharisees gained respect and influence, a type of spiritual pride began to spread among them.  This spiritual pride is often the focal point of Jesus’ criticisms leveled against them.  Jesus did not have an issue per se with their religiosity and their penchant for staying “clean.”  It was rather their spiritual pride.  Perhaps it is common danger for a spiritual person to feel that they are better than others and that they have earned a right to judge others.  Jesus said to the Pharisees: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.  You blind Pharisee!  First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may become clean (Matthew 23:25-26). 

Yes, the Pharisees got many things right.  We should imitate their fervor and sincere desire to be faithful to God; but let’s not be like them in their hypocrisy and spiritual pride.  They forgot to walk humbly with their God, as the Prophet Micah tells us all: And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8).

21^st Sunday Year C.  “Mercy”

We are gather together as pilgrims of hope

From www:epriest.com: In the Gospel today, Jesus is asked a question that every human being will ask at some point in their lives.  It is a question about eternal life, salvation, and whether heaven is for real.  Jesus’ answer is perhaps not as encouraging as we would like!  He doesn’t say: “Oh yes, heaven is for everyone.  Just try to be good.”  Instead, he says: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough” (Luke 13:24). We should clarify that we do not know how many people are eternally saved and how many are eternally lost.  Jesus hasn’t revealed this to us and theologians will speculate back and forth.  What we can do is strive to enter the “narrow gate”.  The more important question to ask is: how do I enter the narrow gate?  

Today, a great Christian writer who can help us is C.S. Lewis, who wrote a theological book called Mere Christianity in which he points out the three rules for living a moral life.  If we follow these three, we can hope to be doing our part to aim for the narrow gate.  C.S. Lewis uses the image of a fleet of ships, sailing in the ocean, to explain the three rules.  The problem is that we modern people only seem to focus on the first rule and forget about the other two.   In the imagery of a fleet of ships, each one of us is a separate ship in the fleet.  

The first rule is to be civil, kind, and generous to those around us.  It means not crashing your boat into anyone else’s boat!  In morality, it means to be a decent, kind, and compassionate human being.  However, today, we often twist this first rule into something like as long as you’re not hurting anyone, do whatever makes you happy; and what people do in private is their choice, as long as it doesn’t affect me.   Lewis says, “When a man says about something he wants to do, ‘It can’t be wrong because it doesn’t do anyone else any harm,’ he is thinking it does not matter what his ship is like inside provided that he does not run into the next ship.” 

 The problem with this, Lewis says, is that we can’t steer a ship unless the ship is well taken care of.  If we all are in charge of our boats, we can’t just say “The only rule is to not bump into another’s boat.”  Not crashing into others is just step one of three.  He says: “What is the good of telling the ships how to steer so as to avoid collisions if, in fact, they are such crazy old tubs that they cannot be steered at all?”  If men and women are not virtuous people themselves, we can’t have a good society. So, the second rule to living a moral life is to care for your soul and to form yourself in virtue.  In this way, one can hope to be able to steer their ship.   

The third and last step has to do with our goal; to which point are we sailing our ship?  The fleet of ships has to sail somewhere!  This somewhere is heaven.  The third rule is to strive for God and for heaven.  Every Christian should have this goal!  Christ gave us the model to follow: to live in truth before God and man, to take up the cross of your daily life, your responsibilities, and to be willing to sacrifice yourself for the good of others.  These are all placed before us today, as Jesus invites us to strive for that narrow gate, which is certainly more than just being a “nice person”.  21^st Sunday Year C.  “Mercy”: We are gather together as pilgrims of hope

From www:epriest.com: In the Gospel today, Jesus is asked a question that every human being will ask at some point in their lives.  It is a question about eternal life, salvation, and whether heaven is for real.  Jesus’ answer is perhaps not as encouraging as we would like!  He doesn’t say: “Oh yes, heaven is for everyone.  Just try to be good.”  Instead, he says: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough” (Luke 13:24). We should clarify that we do not know how many people are eternally saved and how many are eternally lost.  Jesus hasn’t revealed this to us and theologians will speculate back and forth.  What we can do is strive to enter the “narrow gate”.  The more important question to ask is: how do I enter the narrow gate?  

Today, a great Christian writer who can help us is C.S. Lewis, who wrote a theological book called Mere Christianity in which he points out the three rules for living a moral life.  If we follow these three, we can hope to be doing our part to aim for the narrow gate.  C.S. Lewis uses the image of a fleet of ships, sailing in the ocean, to explain the three rules.  The problem is that we modern people only seem to focus on the first rule and forget about the other two.   In the imagery of a fleet of ships, each one of us is a separate ship in the fleet.  

The first rule is to be civil, kind, and generous to those around us.  It means not crashing your boat into anyone else’s boat!  In morality, it means to be a decent, kind, and compassionate human being.  However, today, we often twist this first rule into something like as long as you’re not hurting anyone, do whatever makes you happy; and what people do in private is their choice, as long as it doesn’t affect me.   Lewis says, “When a man says about something he wants to do, ‘It can’t be wrong because it doesn’t do anyone else any harm,’ he is thinking it does not matter what his ship is like inside provided that he does not run into the next ship.” 

 The problem with this, Lewis says, is that we can’t steer a ship unless the ship is well taken care of.  If we all are in charge of our boats, we can’t just say “The only rule is to not bump into another’s boat.”  Not crashing into others is just step one of three.  He says: “What is the good of telling the ships how to steer so as to avoid collisions if, in fact, they are such crazy old tubs that they cannot be steered at all?”  If men and women are not virtuous people themselves, we can’t have a good society. So, the second rule to living a moral life is to care for your soul and to form yourself in virtue.  In this way, one can hope to be able to steer their ship.   

The third and last step has to do with our goal; to which point are we sailing our ship?  The fleet of ships has to sail somewhere!  This somewhere is heaven.  The third rule is to strive for God and for heaven.  Every Christian should have this goal!  Christ gave us the model to follow: to live in truth before God and man, to take up the cross of your daily life, your responsibilities, and to be willing to sacrifice yourself for the good of others.  These are all placed before us today, as Jesus invites us to strive for that narrow gate, which is certainly more than just being a “nice person”.  

“Mercy”: When We’re Thrown into a Well

Note: in this Summer Series we continue to focus on the First Reading from the Old Testament.  Today we hear about the prophet Jeremiah and facing conflict in life.  The following reflection on today’s Gospel reading is taken from www.epriest.com:

Today’s Gospel (Luke 12:49-53) captures words from Jesus that possibly could make us a little uncomfortable.  He talks about bringing division to the world, even to families.  What are we to make of this?  Isn’t he the Prince of Peace?  Yes, Jesus is the Prince of Peace and the Good Shepherd.  These titles all sound nice, but they are not the only titles of Jesus.  He is so much more! We, as Catholics, know this, but often, we do like to think of him mostly as a loving and kind Savior.  This is why we get uncomfortable when Jesus talks about disrupting family harmony, bringing a fire to the earth instead of peace.  It just doesn’t fit our commonly held image of Jesus; but there is no need to be afraid, but rather attentive.  This is because, as usual with Jesus, there’s always more going on than meets the eye.  

Here’s why.  Let’s clarify a few of the concepts in this reading: first, the fire and the baptism.  Both have a positive and a negative element.  We will find that the Christian life has at its heart this same pattern: first the Cross, then the Resurrection.  Fire burns (negative) and purifies (positive).  Water destroys (negative) and cleanses (positive). The Letter to the Hebrews tells us that Jesus went to the cross (negative element) with joy (positive element): For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame (12:2). The fire can be understood as the love of God and the Holy Spirit.  St. Gregory the Great says, “Fire is sent upon the earth, when by the fiery breath of the Holy Spirit, the earthly mind has all its carnal desires burnt up, but inflamed with spiritual love, bewails the evil it has done; and so the earth is burnt, when the conscience accusing itself, the heart of the sinner is consumed in the sorrow of repentance.”  What is this baptism Jesus mentions?  He refers to his baptism as his Passion and Death.  The sacrifice of Jesus washes us clean.  We all have been saved by his blood poured out for our sins.  To die for us was why he came.  Archbishop Fulton Sheen said, “Christ, the Son of God, did not come into this world to live.  He came into it to die.  Death was the goal of His Life, the gold that He was seeking.” 

In this passage Jesus also refers to the earth.  We may think of the earth as the world itself, but some theologians have also interpreted the earth as mankind.  We can recall that Adam, the first man, was formed from the dust of the earth (Genesis 2:7).  St. John Chrysostom says, “By the earth He now means not that which we tread under our feet, but that which was fashioned by His hands, namely, man, upon whom the Lord pours out fire for the consuming of sins, and the renewing of souls.”

There are two takeaways from this text.  First, Catholicism is not a “feel-good religion.”  It’s going to hurt at times.  It has bite.  It means something.  For example, Our Lord Jesus was murdered on a Roman cross, in a real historical moment.  This brutal death was because of the sin of the world.  Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24).   To be a Christian is to make a life-and-death decision for God.  This is not about self-help, not about feeling good, or about comforting our guilty consciences.  It is about Salvation; and yes, salvation does bring healing, wholeness, and comfort, “but only as through fire” (1 Cor 3:15).  We should therefore be attentive to our souls.  We must allow the Sacraments and God’s grace to transform us.  This entails a negative element, the purifications and cleansings of our soul in the Sacraments; and also a positive element, the growth in grace and virtue that God works through the Sacraments.  Lastly, all the suffering caused by sin, all the consequences of evil in the world, are all taken on by Jesus himself. 

He died so we didn’t have to.  He suffered in our place.  For this reason, we need not fear; we need not worry and be afraid.  Instead, we should be eternally grateful! 

“Mercy”

Courage to be Good Stewards

We welcome Fr. Neptali Feliz Sena, a priest from the Diocese of Barahona, Dominican Republic who has served in the City of Hazleton in our Diocese for the last six years.  He will be doing a missionary appeal to support his Diocese.  It’s important to remember the blessings we have and that our generosity can change lives both here on earth and in heaven.  Please be generous to support the people of Fr. Neptali’s Diocese! 

From www.epriest.com: In today’s Gospel reading, the stewards in charge of the master’s house were called to be good to the other servants and to care for all that the master loves.  In our life, we must recognize that Jesus is that Master who has “gone away for a time.”  We are that steward who must stay behind.   When we love our neighbor and care for God’s gifts and creation, we can still be loving Jesus.  In fact, in a sense, Jesus hasn’t “gone away.”  Jesus invites us to love him by loving our neighbor.

  A recent saint who did this so well was Mother Teresa.  They say that Mother Teresa could see the face of Jesus in the poor.   For her, doing good to her neighbor was above all because she knew that Jesus has chosen to hide himself in the poor, in a mystical way.  Remember what he said in Matthew 25:40 – “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”  This meant something profound in her life!  

            Here’s a testimony about her: “A Hindu gentleman once approached Mother Teresa and pointed out that while both he and Mother Teresa were doing social work, the difference was that he and his coworkers were doing it for something while Mother Teresa was doing it for someone.  The compassionate nun didn’t help people simply because “it was the right thing to do.”  She helped them because she knew, deep in her bones, that by serving others she was serving Jesus himself” (“Jesus in His Most Distressing Disguise” by Brandon Vogt, Word on Fire, Sept 5, 2014). 

Knowing this makes every act of love, no matter how small, something significant for eternity!

“Mercy”: Life is full of vanities, so become rich in God instead!

During the next six weeks we are looking at First Reading at Sunday Mass from Old Testament and the theme of Mercy.  This week we will look in depth into the Book of Ecclesiastes and the expression, “Vanity of Vanities” (Eccl 1:2).  God’s Word states that so much of life is vanity.  This is such a merciful reminder because it reminds us of what, rather in Whom, to put our hopes, our aspirations, our trust.  The following reflection is taken from www.epriest.com: 

Jesus ends his parable of the rich fool in today’s Gospel reading with an enigmatic phrase.  It is hard to translate perfectly into English because there is more than one way the original Greek could be interpreted.  English translations attempt to draw out the meaning of the Greek text. Here are three examples:  In Luke 12:21, Jesus says the rich fool wasn’t, “rich in what mattered to God” (NAB); “rich in the sight of God” (NJB); “rich toward God” (KJV).  The Latin Vulgate translation from St. Jerome reads “et non est in Deum dives”.   Another way this could be translated would be the rich fool “was not rich in God”.  Perhaps this makes the most sense!  We should all want to be very “rich” in God, meaning, we should want as much divine life in our souls as possible!  

How do we become rich in God?  Here are two ways: the first way is a Sacramental Life.  We believe that by God’s grace at work in the Sacraments, we receive divine life into our souls.  Because of the Sacraments, we are truly “rich in God”.  For example, by Baptism, we become part of the Mystical Body of Christ.  This means we are becoming Christ-like; we are children of God.  We become more than mere material creatures.  A spark of the divine begins at Baptism.  The Sacraments usher us into the double reality that permeates all our Christian life.  This reality starts with the person of Jesus, who is fully human and fully divine.  Think of this: the Sacraments are visible signs of something invisible.  They are “human” because they have material elements to them (water, oil, bread, wine).  They are divine because they communicate God’s grace.  The divine life that the Sacraments provide for our souls fills us with grace.  In the Sacraments, therefore, a Catholic can say: I am “rich in God”.   

A second way of becoming “rich in God” springs from the first: living in faith, hope, and charity.  At Baptism, we receive in an initial form the gifts of faith, hope, and charity.  These are known as the theological virtues.  We need them!  St. Ambrose says that the rich fool “in vain amasses wealth” because we can’t take wealth with us when we die.  In fact, Ambrose says: “Virtue alone is the companion of the dead; mercy alone follows us, which gains for the dead an everlasting habitation.”  Isn’t it sad that we are tempted to amass wealth, fame, power, prestige, and all kinds of human things that are empty and that cannot help us when we stand before God?  It is so much better to become rich in virtues, specifically faith, hope, and charity.  These are gifts from God to help us.  The theological virtues are gifts that lift us up beyond this merely human life to become saints.  The theological virtues give us the necessary graces to live in this friendship.  By faith, we begin to see God in all things, to believe in God’s word even in the hard moments of life.  Faith becomes our anchor in life and enriches us with a vast spiritual treasure.  By hope, we look to the future with trust.  Hope is not an attitude of mere optimism about life nor a general confidence that the future will be good.  It is a gift and a habit by which we lift our eyes to the horizon of life and see ourselves and our future as God sees them.   We begin to want God more than anything else.  By love, we acquire the ability to live sacrificially and to love completely, as Jesus did for us on the cross.  Divine love in our soul frees us from disordered desires and selfishness. God’s love for us becomes in our souls a deep invitation to communion with God. 

In short, every Catholic has all he or she needs to become rich in God!

“Mercy”: God’s Mercy is Greater than his Justice. 

Note from Fr. Reichlen: I am away at the Steubenville Youth Conference with 23 teens plus several adult chaperones this weekend.  Please pray for us that we experience an outpouring of God’s transformative love!  I would like to thank Dan O’Brien for his tremendous service to our parish in just a short time, and we send him off with our prayers.  We hope that he will come back to us in future summers.  Thank you Dan!

Reflection from our Summer Seminarian, Dan O’Brien

My dear friends, welcome to our next series!  Our First Reading from Genesis presents us with a remarkable dialogue between Abraham and the Lord.  Abraham, in an act of bold intercession, pleads with God for the city of Sodom.  Abraham, though “but dust and ashes,” dares to negotiate with the Lord, pleading for the righteous within the city, progressively lowering the number required to spare the entire place (Gen 18:20-32).  Similarly, Paul in his 2nd Reading reminds us that were “dead in trespasses,” but God, in His great mercy, made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands.  He set this aside, nailing it to the cross (Col 2:12-14).  Here, the connection between mercy and the Cross becomes explicit.  The Cross is not merely an instrument of suffering, but the very means by which our sins are forgiven and the debt against us is canceled.  Brothers and sisters, the theme “Mercy and the Radiant Cross” is woven throughout these readings.  From Abraham's intercession for Sodom, demonstrating God's patience and willingness to forgive, to Paul's declaration of our forgiveness and new life in Christ through baptism, and finally to Jesus’ teaching on persistent prayer and the Father's readiness to give good gifts — all point to a God whose mercy is eternal, active, and always available to us.

            And now for the hard part.  Yes, as I said in last week’s article, this is my last bulletin article for you this summer.  I have more verbal thanks to give after the closing prayer this weekend, but from the bottom of my heart, I cannot express enough how much this summer meant to me.  Can You Imagine a parish that is so welcoming and vibrant, they are willing to host a seminarian for the summer?  I sure can!  Lots of things have to happen to keep this place running smoothly, and while some hiccups were inevitable, we got through them together by the grace of God.  Thank you for all your love, prayers, and support, and please know I too will keep you all in my prayers as well.  I promise I will be back to visit when time permits me to, and hope to hear of some wonderful things happening throughout the year!  I will briefly mention this in my verbal thanks, but the bulletin for August 16/17 (20th Sunday in Ordinary Time) will include my seminary address should anybody wish to get in contact with me.  Be at peace the rest of this summer and this year, and may your days be filled with blue skies and tailwinds!

Your seminarian, Daniel O’Brien

“From Ministry to Mission and Back Again”

Week 3

Service is Not Optional

Reflections from our Summer Seminarian

Dan O’Brien

               Dear friends in Christ, this weekend’s readings should make us ponder how our ministry interplays with the parish mission of loving God, loving others, and making disciples.  We are called not only to serve but also to listen, to find God in both action and contemplation.  Our first reading presents us with Abraham offering hospitality to the three men who appeared at his tent.  He welcomes them, provides water, rest, and food, demonstrating a spirit of generosity and service.  This act of ministry becomes a moment of profound mission, as these visitors reveal themselves to be messengers of God, promising Abraham and Sarah a son.  Likewise, St. Paul in his letter sees his ministry as a mission to make the word of God fully known, revealing the mystery of Christ in us, the hope of glory.  In the Gospel, Martha is busy with the work of hospitality, while Mary sits at Jesus’ feet, listening to his teaching.  Martha, distracted by her many tasks, asks Jesus to tell Mary to help her.  Jesus responds, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:38-42).

          How often do we become so caught up in our tasks and responsibilities that we forget to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen?  How often do we allow the urgent to overshadow the important?  Like Martha, we can become anxious and troubled by many things, losing sight of the one thing that is necessary.  Let us strive to integrate ministry and mission in our daily lives.  Let us serve others with love and generosity, like Abraham and Martha, but let us also take time to listen to the Lord, like Mary.  Be at peace this week!

Just as an aside, next week will be my last bulletin reflection for the summer. It will briefly touch on our next theme of “Mercy,” but it will mostly contain me thanking you all for a wonderful summer!

“From Ministry to Mission and Back Again”

Week 2. Service is Not Optional

Reflections from our Summer Seminarian

Dan O’Brien

Dear friends in Christ,

Our readings for this weekend challenge us not only to hear the Word of God but to embody it, to move from contemplation to action, and then to return to the source of our strength for renewal.  In the first reading from Deuteronomy, we are reminded that God’s commandments are not distant or unattainable but are very near to us, in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe (Deuteronomy 30:10-14).  This closeness implies a personal responsibility and an intimate relationship with God, which forms the basis of our ministry.  The responsorial Psalm echoes this sentiment, calling us to praise God and seek His help in our need: Turn to the Lord in your need and you will live.  Our Gospel presents us with the story of the Good Samaritan, a poignant lesson which could also tie into our previous theme “Together: Built to Belong.”  The Good Samaritan, moved by compassion, crosses boundaries of social and religious norms to care for the injured man.  Pope John Paul II noted that the parable of the Good Samaritan illustrates our mission of how we ought to treat every person if we wish to live by God’s commandment of love.

            How often do we, like the priest and the Levite, pass by those in need, perhaps because we are too busy, too preoccupied, or too afraid?  This parable calls us to be active in our love, to compromise ourselves, and to take the necessary steps to approach others, identifying with them in their need.  Even though there are a small handful of ministries that take the summer off, it is crucial that all of us who lead or serve in some capacity integrate the two elements of mission and ministry in our daily lives.  Let us embrace God’s closeness in our lives, striving to continually grow our Christ-centered relationships with others.  Let us be Good Samaritans while crossing the boundaries and taking the risk to church the unchurched, and let us return with a promise of renewal in our hearts so that we can better serve the needs of others through the service we do with our parish family.  Be at peace this week!

Reflections from our Summer Seminarian Dan O’Brien:

“From Ministry to Mission and Back Again”

Week 1: Serving and Sharing Faith Go Together

Dear friends in Christ, welcome to our next summer series!  This weekend there is a central theme of ministry and mission, which seems to be two sides of the same coin.  In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus appoints seventy others and sends them out in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit, instructing them to carry no purse, bag, or sandals, and to focus on proclaiming peace and healing the sick, bringing the Kingdom of God near to those they encounter.  Here is a crucial part of our mission, to announce the salvation of Christ through our words and actions.  The readings suggest that ministry and mission are not separate entities but rather two sides of the same coin.  The call to mission flows from the life of ministry, and the fruits of mission call us back to a deeper engagement in ministry.

As members of the Church of St. John, we are called to bear witness to Christ in our daily lives, contributing to the Church’s mission by aligning our actions with our faith.  Each of us, through Baptism and Confirmation, is called to share in the Church's saving mission, actively participating in its life and contributing to the spread of the Gospel.  My question to you all is this: how has your experience of our parish mission impacted the ministries you lead, or are called to serve in?  Does anything need to be changed?  Be at peace this week!

“Together: Built to Belong”

Week 3 the Witness of the Apostles

The Church is built on the faith of Peter’s confession, united with the missionary work of Paul – the two greatest Apostles who are considered “pillars.”  Peter’s confession is the rock we stand on, and Paul’s words and example instruct us how to live Christ’s mission for us.  Peter is given the keys which signify he is to become the “prime minister” of the household of the Church, with the authority given by Christ the King to bind and loose. 

Reflections from our Summer Seminarian Dan O’Brien

You are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld will not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18).  My dear friends, since the days leading up to the election of Pope Leo XIV and now, we have probably heard or seen that verse ad nauseam.  There’s good reason for it, especially if you look at the Gospel for today. Simon Peter’s answer is what Jesus wanted to hear while walking with them, and giving him the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven was no small task.  Paul, on the other hand, focused more on the power of the Word and spreading it to the ends of the earth.  Given both of their martyrdoms in Rome, it is only apropos that Rome be the heart of the Catholic Community.  While it is customary for clerics to wear red for days commemorating martyrs and the blood they shed, do not look at this martyrdom as an act of vengeance, but a powerful force that overcomes hatred with love, and establishes a new community.

               The Gospel for this weekend is a popular choice for episcopal (bishop) ordinations, especially in the case of Pope Leo XIV.  “Tu est Petrus (You are Peter).”  As soon as he said, “I accept,” he took on this monumental role as the successor to St. Peter, and the Bishop of Rome.  As we celebrate this solemnity, please continue to pray for our Holy Father as he continues to serve us as Chief Shepherd of the flock. Be at peace this week!

“Together: Built to Belong”

Week 2

God builds us up and

invites us into Communion

We live in a culture where people are lonelier and more disconnected than ever, and it’s important to be reminded regularly that we belong.  This series is about convincing everyone that they belong here!  God who is a Communion of life and love invites us into his Divine Life.  In Christ we are daughters and sons of our Heavenly Father, and we have the Spirit of Love within us.  This week we celebrate the Body and Blood of Christ.  God pours out his love in very specific and visible ways, most especially in the gift of the Eucharist.  This week we will look at the words “communion” and “body” – two concepts from Paul’s letters that describe how we are built up both individually, and with one another in the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

Reflections from Dan O’Brien, our summer seminarian

Today we celebrate the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.  This is my favorite solemnity outside Christmas and Easter because it shows us the importance of the real presence of the Body and Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist.  Some of us have probably seen the 2019 Pew Research Survey saying that only 31% of Catholics believe in the True Presence.  That has been updated, and now as of 2022, Catholic News Agency (CNA) says that 69% believe.  That is a vast improvement, but it’s nowhere near enough.  The 2019 survey was the catalyst leading to the National Eucharistic Revival, and to spread awareness and devotion to Christ in the Eucharist.  The new study mixed Pew’s original wording with updated Catholic language so that people can more accurately answer the questions.

            Another reason I love this day is I think back to the story of Pope St. John Paul II’s visit to St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore.  When the Secret Service and their K9s swept the building and the seminary chapel, they found nothing until they got close to the tabernacle.  The dogs were barking at the tabernacle because they saw something that the officers didn’t.  Jesus was there.  This weekend, especially when you come to receive communion, don’t just say “Amen” because you were taught to.  Think about why you are receiving Jesus into your body as spiritual food for the journey, and pause for a second.  Are you a part of the 69% that truly believes?  Or are you just “in it to win it?”  Think about where you stand, and as always, be at peace this week!

Week 1 We are God’s Children

through Christ and in the Holy Spirit

Happy Father’s Day to all fathers!  Today we begin “summer mode” which means a laid-back approach to the weekend so that our staff leaders and volunteer ministers can enjoy a well-deserved summer break.  Today we kick off a three-week preaching series that’s all about belonging.  In our culture today, people are looking for belonging and seeking out strong foundations to stand on.  Many of our senior citizens remember the days when everyone you knew in your neighborhood was part of your parish and Catholic School, and the life of the whole community often centered around the church.   Likewise, in past generations Catholics tended to emphasize belief over belonging, because it was just assumed that everyone belonged and was a Catholic or Christian. 

Today, things are very different.  Some people predict that organized religion is going away.  We no longer can assume that people know they belong.  In the next 3 weeks, the Church celebrates the great feast days of the Most Holy Trinity, Corpus Christi, and Saints Peter and Paul.  During this series, we will be exploring the foundations and pillars of our faith, not just abstract truths distant from our lives, but a lived reality that we participate in.  Our identity is found in God’s very nature as Father-Son-Holy Spirit; in Jesus we are beloved children of the Father.  Our union with God is a gift to us given in Holy Communion, in which we are built up as the Body of Christ.  Our purpose is found in the witness of the great apostles Peter and Paul to go out on mission.  The goal of this series is that everyone knows and feels that they are part of these sacred mysteries that are the foundations of our faith. 

Reflections from our summer seminarian Dan O’Brien!

Dear brothers and sisters, today we celebrate Trinity Sunday.  After hearing Fr. Greg’s messages on the Holy Spirit in the series, “Veni Sancte Spiritus,” the last verse of the second reading today should stand out to us: Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us (Romans 5:5).  Now, we reflect on the love of God in the three Persons, which is not merely a doctrine to be understood, but a relationship to embrace.  God the Father — Creator of heaven and earth; God the Son — Redeemer of the world; God the Holy Spirit — Sanctifier of the faithful.  I can find no better way to sum this up.  This is a God of perfect unity and loving communion and should remind us that we are created in the image of this divine relationship.

I hope that this Trinity Sunday will challenge each of you to reflect this divine relationship in your lives — living not for yourselves alone, but in loving connection with God and with one another.  In a world that often values independence over communion, the Trinity offers a radical vision of unity, love, and mutual self-giving.  My questions to you are these: how is your relationship with the Holy Trinity?  Do you feel a stronger connection with one member or all three?  Be at peace this week!

“Veni Sancte Spiritus”

Week 3

Tapping into the Power of the Holy Spirit

Congratulations to our students this weekend who are receiving the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation!  Remember that you are the Body of Christ, and you have gifts to share to build up the Body, which is the Church, as well as to witness to Christ in the world!  Many thanks to the parents and families of these students, as well as to our facilitators for Confirmation, especially Karen Malachowsky and Francis Oquendo.  Many blessings! 

In these weeks we’ve talked about Who the Holy Spirit, is and what the Holy Spirit does.  Today we will talk about tapping into the power of the Spirit.  Imagine someone who has lived her whole life in poverty and didn’t know she had a bank account that had millions of dollars.  Many of us at times try to live our faith on our own power and in spiritual poverty.  Often, we focus on things in life that pass away, like material possessions, work, or hobbies like sports.  We can have a confidence that if we ask God anything he will hear us (1 John 5:14)!  Even with that great promise, there are hinderances, as we’ve talked about.  It could be lack of knowledge about the Holy Spirit; we’ve never taken the time to get to know him.  It could be our pride, thinking that we can live our life solely by our own power.  Another hindrance is our need for control, or our desire for money or status.  Jesus reminds us that we cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).  The Holy Spirit wants us to be drawn into an intimate relationship with the Father and with Jesus.  We can expect many distractions that will come our way.  The greatest hindrance of all is our lack of faith without which it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).

The Holy Spirit will never force himself on us.  If we live a natural or secular life, Christ lives outside of us.  If we live a carnal life we may be seeking Christ, but we are still directed by many things that are not from God.  If we live a Spirit-filled life, all our interests will be ordered and purified by the Cross.  Here are some great markers of spiritual maturity: (1) we recognize that life is not about us, but about God.   (2) We live lives of sacrifice (Romans 12:1).  What things are we holding onto instead of God?  We need to be willing to confess everything that hinders us.  We do so in the Sacrament of Confession and in our daily prayer to God directly (James 5:16).  Unconfessed sin is like a wet blanket quenching the Holy Spirit; but when we confess our sin God cleanses us (1 John 1:9). 

As we live a Spirit-filled life, we continually can remind ourselves daily that we have been redeemed by the blood of the Cross and that the Spirit dwells within us!  As we wrap up this series, I invite you to take this prayer into your daily prayer:

Father, I need you.  I have sinned against you and I thank you that you have forgiven my sins through Jesus’ Death and Resurrection on the Cross.  Jesus, I need you.  Thank you for taking the cost of my sin and I invite you to take control of my life.  Holy Spirit, I need you.  In faith I ask you to fill me and equip me to live a life that would bear Your fruit.  Veni Sancte Spiritus – Come Holy Spirit!

Welcome to our summer seminarian,

Dan O’Brien!

It is great to be here at the Church of St. John in East Stroudsburg.  I was born in 2000 in the Crimean Autonomous Republic of Ukraine, and immigrated to the US in 2001 by means of adoption.  I grew up with the church as a second home, given my mother’s employment in the parish office for now just over 30 years.  I was quite involved liturgically, singing in the children’s choir; I was an altar server since 3rd grade, and eventually participated in the adult choir, occasionally playing my trombone or the organ for masses.  While at Marywood, I was one of the supply organists on campus, helping Mike Sowa with Sunday nights, and word got out to all the local organists in the area after sending my contact info to both him and the cathedral.  I have substituted for countless weekends and funerals around the Diocese, but I loved doing it because music ministry is one of my absolute favorite ways to serve others.

As a seminarian, I am learning more about the ins and outs of spirituality, prayer, and morality.  One of the things that was stressed to me in an undergraduate business course is that we live in a world of VUCA.  Those of you with a business degree know what I’m talking about, but for the rest of you, VUCA spells out that our world is Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous.  With all the drama in today’s society, there’s a reason seminaries exist: to teach young men how to navigate and find God’s love in the world and to teach his love to the ends of the earth.  On Pentecost (next weekend, heads up), the disciples were given the Great Commission, and today, that could take us to less-than-desirable areas.  At the end of each Mass, when Father Greg or Deacon Max says, “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life,” it’s not just their job to minister to the flock.  It’s yours as well.  Remember, Jesus had MANY disciples and apostles, not just one.

I am excited to be here this summer and get to know you all more.  I would love to talk with you and get to know you more.  I may remember my keypad combination to the airport perimeter fence gate, but I only know Fr. Greg and a small handful of you that I met on Memorial Day Weekend.  Please do introduce yourself or correct me if I get your names wrong.  Otherwise, I’m just going to call you Betty.  Thank you, and God Bless!

“Veni Sancte Spiritus” Week 2: How the Holy Spirit Works

Last week we talked about who the Holy Spirit is, and this week we’re thinking about what the Holy Spirit does.  We are reminded that the Risen Christ promised the Apostles that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit comes (Acts 1:8).  Think about our frustration when we’re using our computer, phone, or device, but we don’t have the right charger or connector.  How can we connect with the power of the Holy Spirit?

We learned last week that the Holy Spirit will teach us all things (John 14:26).  The Spirit will also convict us of sin (John 16:8); for example, when we want to respond to someone in anger or retaliation, the Holy Spirit guides our conscience otherwise.  The Holy Spirit often commands people to speak about Jesus (Acts 8).  The Holy Spirit intercedes for us and prays through us when we don’t know what to pray (Romans 8:26).  The Holy Spirit regenerates us (Titus 3:5).  The Holy Spirit seals us in Christ (Ephesians 1:13) and fosters unity with God and others (Eph 4:1-6).  St. Paul reminds us that our bodies are temples of the Spirit (1 Cor 6:19); and to be filled with the Spirit instead of being drunk on wine (Eph 5:18); I would add anything that “fills” us (work, hobbies, sports) instead of the Spirit.  The Holy Spirit also assures us of our calling.  Remember that if we are going to bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) we must be rooted, like a tree that bears good fruit.  We can’t bear these fruits on our own strength. 

The Holy Spirit gives us various gifts!  Read all of 1 Corinthians 12: we are given the gifts of teaching, administration, assistance, and healing to build up the Body of the Church.  Some gifts are given in service to one another within the church; and others are given in mission outside the church walls.  It’s incredible that the Holy Spirit gives us power to witness to the abundant life found in Christ.  The key is to stay plugged in and connected! 

“Veni Sancte Spiritus”

Week 1 Become a Millionaire. 

Who is the Holy Spirit?

               There’s an old story about a man named Mr. Yates who was about to lose his farm in Texas to a foreclosure.  One day an oil driller came by and asked permission to drill on his land.  Almost instantly he discovered oil gushing out, and Mr. Yates went overnight from utter poverty to becoming rich.  Think about it: did he become a millionaire when he first bought the piece of property, or when the oil was discovered?   In the same way, many well-intentioned Christians do not realize that they are spiritual millionaires!  The Holy Spirit’s mission is to give us strength and guidance to accomplish God’s purpose on earth.  The Holy Spirit eludes most of us; I’ve heard that 80% of Christ followers don’t understand who the Holy Spirit is.  We have an untapped gift and power source given to us by God! 

How about you?  Have you recently felt far from God?  Is your inner peace less than it should be?  Do you have trouble loving someone, or loving yourself?  Do you have difficulties talking to God?  Is reading God’s Word a challenge to you?  Does your happiness depend on your circumstances?  If you can answer “yes” to any of these questions like I have, then we are living in spiritual poverty.  Like many Catholics, you may know the Father and the Son well enough, but not the Spirit.  Ove the next three weeks we will look at who the Holy Spirit is, what the Holy Spirit does, and how to tap into the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit has been active and alive since before creation and continues today!  Genesis 1:1-2 mentions the Spirit of God hovering over the primordial waters.  Throughout the Old Testament the Spirit was actively working with people to accomplish God’s will.  David says: Take not your Holy Spirit from me (Psalm 51:11).  In the New Testament Jesus actually says: It is better for you that I go.  For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you (John 16:7).  The Holy Spirit is eternal with no beginning and no end; all-present (Ps 139:7); omniscient or all-knowing (1 Corinthians 2:10-11); and omnipotent or all powerful (Luke 1:35).

Most importantly the Holy Spirit is God who is a Person and not some impersonal cosmic force in the sky.  As a Person he can be obeyed (Peter’s vision in Acts 10:9-33); lied to (Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11); opposed (Acts 7:51); grieved or saddened (Ephesians 4:30); stifled or quenched like placing a wet blanket on a fire (1 Thessalonians 5:19); or insulted (Hebrews 10:29), just like you and me.  In the Scripture there are three major symbols of the Holy Spirit: a dove (like at Jesus’ baptism); a flame (like at Pentecost); and wind which conveys mystery because we don’t know where wind comes from or is going.  In the New Testament Jesus gives the Holy Spirit a nickname: the Paraclete, which is translated in various ways and understood as Comforter, or Helper, or Advocate. 

So who wants to be a (spiritual) millionaire?  You don’t need to live in spiritual poverty!  Join us for these three weeks to get to desire, to know and to love the Holy Spirit who is always seeking us!  We will be praying together a novena to the Holy Spirit as well.  Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in us the fire of your love!

“Victory” Week 5

Barnabus the Encourager

Congratulations to our children who are receiving their First Holy Communion this weekend!  Many our Lord Jesus, who gives us his Presence in his Body and Blood and nourishes all of us on our journey, continue to bless them.  May they and their parents remain faithful and practicing Catholics (defined as the habit of going to church every week) and thus enrich the lives of our parish family and our community. Most of all, may they be filled with a Spirit of encouragement to go forth, take risks, and to become the saints God calls them to be!

During the season of Easter, we’ve been talking about how God redeems our stories and wants to use us to redeem the life of others.   We’ve seen this in the stories of Thomas, Peter, and Paul.  We can all identify with different aspects of these diverse personalities we’ve talked about.  Today we’re looking at Barnabus whose birth name is Joseph but whose given name “Barnabus” means in Aramaic, “Son of Encouragement.”   Barnabus sees something in Paul, even though most other Christians didn’t want anything to do with him; he then partners with Paul to spread the Gospel.  One could argue that without Barnabus there would be no missionary journeys to the Gentiles, and we wouldn’t be here!  Barnabas also encouraged the young Mark to write the Gospel of Mark.

You may not naturally be an encourager, but no doubt there have been many encouragers who helped you along your journey – coaches, teachers, bosses, coworkers, or family members.  One encourager in my life was my mother who supported me every step of my journey.  As an adult and a pastor, I’ve realized that I’m naturally an encourager, although I don’t always exercise this gift well. 

How do we become more like Barnabus?  It could mean practicing paying attention when others are doing good, and then routinely telling them what good they’re doing.  Don’t just say “good job” but point out specifically, because that lets them know you’re truly noticing.  One thing that we do as a Parish Staff is trying to celebrate others’ wins, because we believe in the saying, “What is rewarded is repeated.”  On the other hand, you may not have been raised in a family that had a lot of encouragement.  You may need to learn to actually receive and appreciate encouragement, instead of simply moving on to the next thing or dismissing it as something not important. 

One last point: sometimes our encouragement of another person, especially if it involves commitment on our part, is taking a big risk.  Barnabus took an incredible risk with Paul.  In our Next Gen ministries at St. John’s, we often call young people to step up into various roles, and sometimes that’s risky.  I’d always argue that it’s better to take the risk than not.  This young person could be the next superstar, leader, or pope!  How might you step out to support others in a job search, career, or calling? 

I offer much encouragement and gratitude for the parents of our children, to Marybel our Director of Faith Formation as well as Connie DiGregorio and Erica Johnson our level 2 facilitators; and a special thank you to Alex Kolakowski, a graduating senior this year, who has served here several years as the “priest” when the children are practicing for First Penance and receiving Communion.  May the God of encouragement remain with you always!  Questions for Small Groups:

1. What about Barnabas and his life or personality connects with you? 
2. Who is someone who has encouraged you and recognized your gifts and abilities?  What did they do to encourage you? 
3. On a scale of 1-5, how much do you encourage others?  What can you do this week to grow as an encourager of others?
4. Who is God calling you to take a risk on?  Who does God want you to invest in, and what action step can you take this week?
5. What is your primary insight or takeaway as we wrap up the series?

“Victory” Week 4

St. Paul’s Redemption

Happy Good Shepherd Sunday and Happy Mother’s Day!  During the Easter season we’re looking at the faults and failures of some of Jesus’ earliest followers and how they were redeemed.  Today we are talking about St. Paul, a figure whom we know more about than any of the other apostles because of his 13 New Testament letters as well as his biography in the Acts of the Apostles.  He had many stops in his journey because of his missionary endeavors.  One part of his life story we don’t talk as much about are his ten years in isolation – after his conversion but before he set out as a missionary – a period when he was being prepared.  You might look back at periods in your life which were preparatory periods for what was next, and how important they were.  In my life I think of the extra years I had as a student as a slightly older seminarian (I was ordained a priest at the age of 31); and then my graduate studies in Rome after I was ordained. 

When people make big mistakes in life, at least in the moment we don’t realize God can use those mistakes.  For example, the young Paul, who is a religious hardliner and zealous Pharisee, actually took part in a murder as a young man!  Yet he arguably has had more influence than any other Christian in world history because of his great missionary efforts.  In fact, polls sometimes ask the question, “Who is the most influential person in history?” and some results say Paul is #1, even above Jesus! 

Paul himself speaks of his earlier education and how God pivoted the course of his life.  We can look back at our lives and see how God uses both the good and the bad to glorify him.  God has given us gifts and strengths, and maybe we aren’t always using our gifts in the best way.  With our gifts there can be both a negative and positive side to them.  One small example in my life is my intense focus on a given task at hand, which means I can accomplish things with great success but sometimes miss out on appreciating the moment. 

If there is something from our past that we can’t forgive ourselves about, remember Paul’s words: “Love keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Corinthians 13:5), part of his great eulogy on love.  That’s hard for us to accept.  Maybe our mistakes are part of our redemption process!  God redeems Paul from his anger, intolerance, perfectionism, self-righteousness, and exile; but he uses his ability, ambition, courage, and resolve to bring the Gospel to the whole world.  Like Paul, God can redeem us no matter what our past may hold!  Questions for Small Groups:

1. What about Paul’s story or personality resonates with you?
2. What about your childhood or early formation might God want to use for good?  Who does it position you to influence for Christ?
3. What are your top two or three gifts and strengths?  How might you use them to influence people for Christ?
4. Read Acts 13:46-49.  What do you think Paul was feeling at this moment?  How was God redeeming his past?
5. How much do you struggle with perfectionism on a scale of 1-5?  Why do you answer as you do?  How does this impact your relationship with God and others?

“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?