In the first Star Wars film Luke Skywalker, the main character learns to use "the force" by dueling with a satellite droid in one of the scenes. Obe-wan, Luke’s mentor, encourages him to "feel the force,". His good friend, Hans Solo, tells Luke he doesn't believe in this hokey religion and powers. He tells Luke that he can utilize his own wits to take care of himself. Luke knows the force is out there and looks to connect with it while Hans Solo sees no use for it. A hidden force, a force that provided insight, wisdom and strength, a force or power available to all… The movie reminded me of today’s readings where we hear of a hidden force, a force of wisdom, a power available for all of “us” who are receptive. The power of the Holy Spirit. A force that can guide us in truth… a power provided by our God. Today we celebrate this spirit as its Pentecost Sunday, where we recall the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples and Mary. In receiving the Holy Spirit, we obtain gifts. Paul told the Corinthians two things about the gifts of the Holy Spirit; one was that the manifestation of the Spirit is given to everyone for some benefit- there are various kinds of gifts of the Spirit available for us. The second point is that the gifts given are to be used by us to promote the common good. I personally look for the power of the Holy Spirit to transform me and for the power of the Holy Sprit to instill me with enthusiasm so I may be a good example for others. Let’s think about it: Is the Spirit the longed-for guest of your heart, OR are we Like Hans Solo in the Star Wars movie where we think this Spirit is a little too hokey for us? Where we say: “I don’t need it, I can use my own wits and take care of myself.” We need to look a little deeper and ask the question: Why am I a Catholic Christian? Is it something that just came to us through our family history or our last name? Is it something our spouse or parents have drugged us into? OR does our life as a Christian come from a love and passion for Jesus Christ? Are we going through the expected Christian motions OR are we LIVING in the power of the Holy Spirit allowing it to work in us to accomplish God’s will. The signs of the Holy Spirit are all around us and testify to the Spirit’s existence. Gifts are visible in our lives whenever we see traces of wisdom, understanding, counsel, charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, courage, perseverance. All give witness to the Holy Spirit at work. Maybe we’ve observed a patient parent with a child or the joy in a newlywed couple or the courage and perseverance of someone suffering or the peace and serenity in a dying person’s face or the charity and kindness of a compassionate person. They are all signs of the HOLY SPIRIT. I pray that each of us recognizes the spirit we have received and the Joy it promises. And I pray the Holy Spirit comes, and fills your hearts, enkindles the fire of God’s love in you, and it guides you in right judgment of all things. May we always be a worthy temple of the Holy Spirit!
"Engaging in prayer, we exercise our soul to be open to the Holy Spirit."
This year, as we enter our holiest week, we read the account of the passion from the Gospel of Mark. In a few days, on Good Friday, we will read the account from John. Among all the cruel and violent persons we hear about in Christ’s suffering last hours, perhaps it is easy to overlook those who were kind. At Bethany, Simon the leper offers him hospitality, and a (nameless to us) woman with an alabaster jar of perfumed oil anoints Jesus. Since Jesus will soon be executed as a criminal, with the possibility of no Jewish funeral rite or burial place, this was a tender moment of deep meaning. She put herself in danger to honor Him and His sacrifice. In Jerusalem, there was Simon of Cyrene who helped carry His cross, and Joseph of Arimathea who courageously asked Pilate for the body of Jesus and laid Him in a new tomb. All of these people, and perhaps more whom we do not know, were glimpses of light in a day of darkness. They were peace amidst the conflict; joy amidst the sorrow; celebration in the midst of tragedy. In other words, they are a sort of allegory to the hope of Easter that was present on Good Friday. So, why talk about this contrast, this dichotomy, today on Palm Sunday? Because this day itself is one of contrasts. Our liturgy, and Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, began with palm branches and songs of joy and praise for Jesus as King. He is welcomed into the city with shouts of “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” He will soon leave the city walls as the lowest of the low: a scourged, half-dead wreck of a man; a criminal set to be executed. In our Mass today, we will re-present His sacrifice, uniting our sins to those of the whole world and uniting our suffering to His. And, in the midst of all the horror, we will celebrate, for Christ will triumph over all of sin and death. There is a catchy little phrase that we might hear spoken of by Catholics – “we are not an either/or people, we are a both/and people.” It generally means that we have the critical reasoning capacity, and the faith, to hold two things in tension without being confused. So, for example, Christ is both divine and human; the kingdom of God is both present and not yet fully realized; the Eucharist is both the appearance of bread and wine and truly Christ’s body, blood, soul, and divinity. And, specific to our worship today, we are both an Easter people, and we live in a Good Friday world. That is to say, we believe that Christ’s death on the cross transformed all suffering and that by His resurrection, we have the promise of eternal life. But, we live in here and now, with all the suffering and evil still present in the world – a world in which we are called to be active witnesses to our faith. Every moment of our lives gives us a chance to be one or other of the type of persons we encountered in the passion narratives. With God’s help, may we be like Simon and the woman at Bethany, Simon of Cyrene, and Joseph of Arimathea – signs of hope in a world that cries out for it.
Too often, we define a prophet as one who sees into the future – a forecaster, or a psychic. But the biblical meaning of this role is someone who interprets the divine will. The prophet delivers God’s message to his/her contemporaries and advocates for adherence to God’s plan. In the first reading, we encounter Moses, God’s prophet who did marvelous deeds in fulfillment of God’s will – leading the Israelites out of Egypt, giving them God’s commandments, and leading them to the brink of the Promised Land. Moses relays God’s message of another, far greater prophet: I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kin, and will put my words into his mouth; he shall tell them all that I command him. Further, God would hold accountable those who will not listen to his words. And God did, indeed, send the greatest prophet of all – his Only Begotten Son. In Hebrew, the word for this anointed one is “Messiah.” In Greek, it translates as the “Christ.” The angels confirmed the arrival of this Messiah in their message to the shepherds on the night of Jesus’ birth. The Father confirmed the anointing of Jesus at his baptism in the Jordan and again at his Transfiguration. When Jesus preached, he revealed what the Father wanted him to reveal. Whenever Jesus spoke or performed healings, he did so in harmony with God’s will: “His works and words will manifest him as ‘the Holy One of God’” (CCC 438). In today’s Gospel, we read of one such instance. When Jesus was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum, the people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. And that authority was further manifested when he drove out the unclean spirit from a man. The people were even more astounded that even the unclean spirits had obeyed him. The Church, too, continues to act publicly and authoritatively in the name of Christ. She exists to proclaim the Gospel message. In the name of Jesus, she calls down God’s protection against evil in the rites of initiation. What is the lesson for us in all of this? Perhaps the clue can be found in today’s psalm response: If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts (Psalm 95:7-8). We are constantly being bombarded with messages, with voices: from marketers and politicians; from friends and foes; from those who spew hate and from those who seek peace; from voices who want us to satisfy our own interests and from those who seek the common good. Let us listen to God’s prophets. Let us focus on those who have God’s words in their mouths. This will take prayer and discernment, but it is possible with God’s grace. In the midst of all the noise, may we always be attentive to the voice of God.
“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14).
We go to sleep on Christmas night to the reality that though “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (Jn 1:5), that darkness still exists when we wake up on December 26th. Awakening to this reality requires courage, spiritual audacity, and a stable full of radical hope, to believe Love is the greatest power in the world. It requires the compassion to risk relinquishing and reaching out beyond our own private, cherished security. It means the incarnation is not merely a doctrine or a once-a-year holiday but a view of the world from a divine perspective. It means incarnation and the salvation it embodies is a vocation, a task, and a responsibility. This is the fork in the road where faith as belief and faith as a way of being and acting in the world for the sake of love part ways. The light of Christ we receive is the light we are to enact as our daily practice in season and out of season. To take the name of Christ, to consider oneself a Christ-one, is to give our assent, as did Mary, to be bearers and birthers of the light in a world that is still broken, violent, dark, and difficult for many to live in. The reign of God, the Divine dream Jesus embodies and which we are called to help make manifest “on earth as it is in heaven” is characterized by justice, righteousness, mercy, and peace. The work of Christmas, the incarnation of love, is comprised of any and every thought, word, or deed that clears a path and makes a home for these modes of action and qualities of right relationships. Let us get to work. God needs our help. Let us as St Rose, seek the counsel of Jesus, and let Jesus’ counsel guide our actions, words and attitudes to others and for others. As your Pastor, with our Clergy, religious and staff I pray that the Blessings of Jesus and the Holy Family touch your family this Christmas! \ Fr. Dave Grover I share my THANKS to…. • Buildings and grounds: to Champion Company who brightened our main church main aisle. • Pete Powell for solving the roof leaks in St Francis’s church • Our School staff for helping our student s to present a wonder-full Christmas Pageant. • Our Maintenance and church Environment workers for the Christmas Beauty of our Worship space. • Our outreach, social action, St Vincent de Paul and you for all of your donations and gifts to give our neighbors the ability to provide Christmas joy and dinner for their families! Our Shared financial Responsibilities: St. Rose families- please be involved in supporting our parish at Christmas, by GIVING to the CHRISTMAS COLLECTION. Please make a committed, and even sacrificial gift, so as to help our parish services and ministries to thrive. Also consider your END OF YEAR CHARITIABLE DONATIONS. This is a good way to also support St. Rose Parish AND EARN a TAX DEDUCTIBLE CREDIT for 2023.
John the Baptist is the last prophet before the coming of the Christ, and he is the first to recognize Jesus once He came. John fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy as that voice crying out in the desert: “prepare the way of the Lord!” His clothing of camel’s hair was traditional garb for prophets, and his diet of locusts and wild honey perhaps reflected either Jewish purity laws or a particular communal asceticism. As it was, it stood in stark contrast to the finery of the Jewish religious leaders and elders of that time, namely the Sadducees and Pharisees. Yet, John was drawing large crowds to the Jordan riverbank. Some likely came out of desire, believing he would lead them to the Messiah. Others perhaps came out of curiosity. John spoke like no one else, and called them to conversion, speaking with conviction. With such a following, it would have been easy for John to proclaim himself the Christ, and even easier for the people to believe him. Yet, his humility and holiness meant that John could not lie or mislead them. He made it clear that his message and baptism were both inferior to the one, as he said, who is mightier than I. John’s preparation of the way for Christ is a model for us, especially in this Advent season. He challenges us to consider whether we lead others to Jesus, or whether our actions are motivated by a need for attention and affirmation. Is our lived faith attractive to those who have none? This last question is especially important, for while we prepare to celebrate Christ’s birth, we also prepare for His Second Coming. And, as Saint Peter says in our second reading, “The day of the Lord will come like a thief.” Peter helps us regain the sense of urgency regarding our preparations for the return of our king, when he says, “the Lord does not delay . . . he is patient with you . . . not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” Jesus is giving the whole world time for conversion; that we might play a part in sharing the Good News of Christ with the world, for the salvation of the world, is a great and weighty gift. And, now is the time. As we await the new heavens and a new earth, Saint Peter tells us we get to choose what sort of persons we ought to be. We are given these days to grow in holiness and devotion so that we will be eager to be found without spot or blemish before Him, at peace, when He comes. During this busy time of year, a time when we are doing so much to prepare for the coming of Christmas, let us make sure to heed the voice crying out in the wilderness – to prepare for the coming of the Christ, not just as a baby in Bethlehem, but His imminent return in glory as our King. Welcome to our Visitor
The Church, throughout the year, celebrates God’s actions in human history. We see God in the very creation of the universe, the world around us, and the material gifts we enjoy. Even when human beings turned away from our relationship with God to seek our own self-interest in material things God did not abandon us. We see that in the covenants and prophets of the Old Testament and, most especially, the incarnation of Jesus Christ. The annunciation by the angel Gabriel that the Blessed Virgin Mary would be the mother of the savior initiates the Kingdom of God, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15). The last Sunday of the Church’s liturgical year, the Sunday before the beginning of Advent, we celebrate the feast of Christ, King of the Universe. This is not government as experienced in human history. The pervasive discord and conflict we experience, globally and personally, is why Christ came into the world. Christ is here as the shepherd God promised through the prophets of Israel. The prophet Ezekiel gives us a vivid image of the mission of Christ the King as shepherd, “I myself will pasture my sheep; I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD. The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back.” (34:15 – 16). Because Christ is present to us in each of the sacraments1 the prayers they contain are inspired by the Holy Spirit2 . The Eucharistic Prayer is the central part of the Mass, where Christ, breaking through time and eternity, comes among us. In the Mass for Christ the King the Eucharistic Prayer describes God’s kingdom, “an eternal and universal kingdom, a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace.” By our baptism we are made citizens of the Kingdom of God. After our baptism we were anointed by God the Father, “with the Chrism of salvation, so that you may remain as a member of Christ, Priest, Prophet and King.3 ” An important question is, “if Christ has initiated the Kingdom of God, why is there so much evil and suffering in the world?” The answer is that you and I have work to do. As Christians we have an obligation as fellow workers with Christ in building the Kingdom of God. The great challenge for humanity is division. At the Last Supper, as Christ established His enduring presence in the world, He prayed for unity, “I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, are in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” (John 17:20 – 21). Our ability to be agents of unity, and peace, to those around us flows from our unity with Christ and His Church. The teaching and prayer of the Church calls us to, “lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” (Ephesians 4:1 – 5). As we take up Christ’s prayer for unity, we need to take Christ’s motto as our own, “The son of man came not to be served but to serve.” (Mark 10:45). Whenever we help those in need we serve God, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40). This is the image of God that all human beings carry. This is the foundation of our unity with each other and with God. We may not influence world events, but our lives can make a difference. Christ is here to help us and speaks to us to guide us. Our world desperately needs the kingdom of God, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love, and peace. By our participation in the life of the Church we celebrate our citizenship in that kingdom. We must remember that we are also coworkers with Christ and have a responsibility to help build that kingdom.
