Happy Pentecost to all of you, sometimes called the birthday of the church!

Happy 75th Anniversary to Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish Community! and thanksgiving for those original 16 brave and Spirit-filled Black Catholic founders who dreamed of a parish where they could worship in truth and dignity!

And Happy Birthday to the Spiritan Community who along with those first 16 Black Catholics helped found this parish. The Spiritans were founded on Pentecost Sunday in 1703 and so it is no coincidence that Fr Joseph Hackett chose that the first Mass was held on Pentecost Sunday in 1945 at the home of Lawrence and Jessie Butler. And from that small Spirit-filled group of Black Catholics, Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Parish was born and today we celebrate our 75th anniversary!

Congratulations to all of you, our current parishioners and to all of those who came before us who have all opened themselves to be led by the Spirit and join together as a family of faith and live our discipleship of Jesus Christ by living out Jesus’ clarion call to love one another as I have loved you. And we are able to do that because we are filled with the Holy Spirit!

St. Augustine said that the Spirit blows where the Spirit wills…not exactly comforting if you are someone who likes things neat and orderly or if you prefer to have life all figured out and neatly pack-aged. Most of us would prefer to see life’s decisions as right or wrong, good or bad…as if everything in life were black and white. The problem with life is that most of the time we are living in the grey, everything is not black and white! This is where the Holy Spirit offers counsel, the challenge is to be open to The Spirit’s counsel! The Holy Spirit blows where it wills and inspires and guides whomever it chooses, whenever and wherever S/he chooses. Most of us get use to a particular routine and we find comfort in doing things in a particular way and we find discomfort when our routine gets changed by outside influences or when we are forced to do things in a different or new way. It is no different in the church, we all get comfortable in the way we worship, in the way we pray, in the way we sing, in what we sing, and then when change comes we suddenly are set off center and we feel “off balance” at the change or new ways. We are experiencing it right now, this is different, this is not the normal way we “gather” to celebrate Eucharist.

I am sure that many in the church today see the Pope’s challenge to live a radically gospel centered life as a change from what they were used to. In answering the Gospel’s call, Pope Francis has called us out of the church buildings and into the streets to be a “field hospital” where binding up the wounds of the poor and brokenhearted is a priority. The Pope is following the call of Christ, who calls us to be a welcoming presence to immigrants and refugees, to seek out the lost and forsaken and to “be” the word of peace in the presence of war, to “be” the word of love spoken to the lonely and marginalized of the world, to “be” the word of justice and equality spoken in the midst of injustice, racism and exclusion.

What word of justice and equality do we speak in the face of the horrific, brutal killing of George Floyd by a white police officer? And just weeks before, the shooting of another unarmed black man, the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery by two white vigilantes. What words do we speak and what actions do we take? President Obama wrote on Friday “This should not be normal in 2020 America. It can’t be normal. If we want our children to grow up in a nation that lives up to its highest ideals, we can and must do better”… “but it falls on all of us, regardless of our race or station – including the majority of men and women in law enforcement who take pride in doing their tough job the right way, every day – to work together to create a “new normal” in which the legacy of bigotry and unequal treatment no longer infects our institutions or our hearts”!

​As well, we are called to be part of the solution, in our local community, nationally and internationally. While all of this can all seem overwhelming, we need to remember that we are not called to do all this by ourselves but rather it is in and through the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit within us and around us that we are able to do all good things! As we celebrate the great feast of Pentecost let each of us ask ourselves to where and to what is the Holy Spirit calling me in my life?

Easter Blessings,
Fr Tim

As we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord I cannot help but reflect on the many ideas and concepts that swirl around this feast…some with unintended consequences! The word “ascension” itself conjures up images of Jesus rising up into the clouds to join the Father and the Holy Spirit somewhere “up there”…far, far away. The problem with this is it can lead us to believe that heaven is “up there” and we are “down here” and that God is far off and distant from us and from our lives. This is in stark contrast to the heart and soul of the meaning and significance of the incarnation. The truth of our God having become “incarnate” (in the flesh) in Jesus means that God is with us…not some remote deity watching us from afar. We need to recall Jesus’ promise “I am with you until the end”! These simple words are most profound…there is no need for us to stand gawking skyward with our jaws hanging open. While the physical presence of Jesus Christ as a singular human and divine presence no longer walks the earth, Christ is here…as close as our own breath, keeping us alive to be his presence in our world.

As we celebrate the Ascension of Jesus let us celebrate the presence of the Risen One in our midst! Before his ascension Jesus gave a clear command and mission to his disciples…to us. We are charged with preaching the “Good News” of Jesus Christ and to be that healing, loving and welcoming presence in a world filled with sickness, hatred and exclusion. Filled with the “real presence we are sent forth to stand up and be the voice of the voiceless, to speak out on behalf of those who are silenced or ignored, to make sure that hatred, racism and bigotry are not left unchecked. Filled with the Spirit we speak the truth of the Gospel to power, whether convenient or inconvenient, whether garnering us friends or marginalizing us, it is our call as disciples of Jesus Christ! How might I be a “healing, loving and welcoming presence”? How can I “stand up” for the Gospel, in the public arena and in my personal life? How do I experience the real presence of God in my daily life?

Easter Blessings,
Fr. Tim

Pretty much everyone has felt lonely, rejected or abandoned by friends or loved ones at some point in their lives. Most of us have felt fearful; wondering how we will make it through rough times with our children or parents, siblings or friends. We suffer personal loss or illness and wonder if we will be able to go on. And certainly as we find ourselves trying to navigate this strange new world of the coronavirus we need today’s Gospel message that tells us in the midst of our “lost-ness”…in the midst of our suffering…in the midst of fear or sense of abandon that we are never truly alone, we are not abandoned, we are not orphans….for the Risen Christ remains with us.

When I was little I used to think that Christ was with me...but only when I was doing something good or only in holy or sacred places. Oh how wrong I was! In today’s Gospel Jesus tries to help his disciples understand that no matter what they “feel”….no matter where they go, he will be with them…and even more….the Holy Spirit will be given to them and find a resting place within them. We are the inheritors of this same promise. We are never alone, never abandoned! Our God is always with us, even when we can’t feel that presence or sense it…God is with us. Even in the midst of our worst moments, our most selfish actions…even in the midst of our greatest sin…God is present and loving us through that dark moment. And of course that means that God too is present in and with “the other” in their worst moments, in the midst of their most selfish actions! God’s presence is not dependent on our actions, we do not control God’s presence! No matter how desperate our situation is, God is with us…loving us in the midst of it all.

The real question then seems to be…so what will my response to that loving presence be? How do I respond to “the other”, who also, is so deeply and passionately loved by God? How do I share God’s love with the immigrant, the refugee, the marginalized, the one who is hated and despised because of the color of their skin? How do I share God’s amazing love with the one who is “other” to me? What is the Holy Spirit calling me to…or away from?

Easter Blessings,
Fr. Tim

Happy Mother’s Day to all our mothers and to all the women who mentor and care for us and create opportunities for us to grow into the fullness of our potential, may God’s most abundant blessings be upon them today and all the days of their lives!

In today’s readings, in the First Letter of Peter we are reminded that we are chosen and precious in the sight of God and in the Gospel Jesus tells us not to let our hearts be troubled, to have faith in him and in God, that he goes to prepare a place for us and will return to take us to him so that we might be where he is! These readings today offer us a wonderful opportunity reflect on God’s love for all of us, thus a diversity of dwelling places for us, a place for each one of us, no one excluded by God, because of his great love for all of humanity. Jesus tell the disciples that he is the way, the truth and the life, and we know God and see God through him.

Pope Francis reminds us that “Jesus is the face of the Father’s mercy”, an incarnation of God’s mercy, an incarnation that we are called to become as disciples of Jesus. Jesus tells his disciples that through their belief in him they will be able to do what he has done and even greater! Perhaps that “even greater” is allowing the risen Christ, who dwells within us, to transform us into the presence of God’s mercy in the midst of a wounded and suffering world, even in the midst of the suffering and fear of this pandemic. Perhaps the call of the Gospel is to allow ourselves to become “the face of the Father’s mercy”, to take on the mantle of mercy as his disciples. To be willing to make meaningful changes to our lives in order that we might better show forth God’s mercy in word and action, to reach out to all the lonely and frightened and offer a word of hope and encouragement, a word of care. To reach out to those in need, less fortunate than ourselves, to stand together even while we isolate for the sake of others! How can I be more merciful in my words? What specifically can I do to be more merciful in my actions? Who in my life right now is most in need of being shown mercy?

Easter Blessings,
Fr. Tim

This weekend is traditionally known as “Good Shepherd Weekend”. And so we might ask ourselves how good are we at recognizing the voice of the “Good Shepherd” in our lives? Does it come through loud and clear, or is it distorted by the noise and franticness of our lives? Are there too many other competing voices…of work, anxiety and worry, or family and commitments for us to hear God’s voice speaking to us? Or are we able to hear those whispered words of God in and through our work and family and daily living?

In today’s gospel, Jesus, the Good Shepherd, says his sheep know his voice and follow him. They are not fooled by the voices of strangers, with bad intentions, calling out to his sheep…but listen only to his voice and seek to follow him. But this takes attention and listening, one thing that often seems in short supply in our modern stressed out life, especially now in the midst of this pandemic. But now even more we need to listen for that voice of the Good Shepherd. The life that Jesus calls us to is by its very nature countercultural; it runs against the grain of much of what our modern society values. While, as Americans we love to wrap ourselves in our flag and the bible…we rarely actually follow Jesus’ clarion call to create a loving, inclusive, peaceful and just society…at all costs…and to be single-mindedly focused on building up the Reign of God.

While many in our society are quick to call us to war against “the godless” are we really building a society that actually follows the call of the “Good Shepherd” to bind up the wounds of the poor and discarded, to reach out and heal those injured by injustice and indifference, to stand up against racism, bigotry, misogyny and all forms of decimation that demean the dignity of the human person? Whose voices are we listening to in our national discussions on topics like care for the earth, civil rights, education reform…and as we debate healthcare reform, whose voices are we really listening to…the Good Shepherds? Would Jesus recognize us as his disciples, from the fruit our work? How do I listen for God’s voice in my life? What do I need to do to make more time to listen to the words God speaks to me in and through the people, places and events of my daily life? When was the last time I heard God calling me to something…and to what was it? In the midst of crisis do I find myself listening for the healing voice of the Good Shepherd?

Easter Blessings,
Fr. Tim

The Gospels walk us along a journey with Jesus that ultimately leads to Jerusalem, to his torture, crucifixion and death…. but ultimately to the glory of his resurrection. Today’s Gospel begins with two disciples leaving Jerusalem, their hopes dashed and their hearts broken…they sadly say…“we had hoped”… they encounter a stranger with whom they share their story and their own doubt at the testimony of the women who had encountered an angel with glad tidings of the resurrection and all the ensuing confusion amongst their group. Their faith seems gone…their hope vanquished. But Jesus will not allow them to continue in their despair….he goes after them in an attempt to turn them around…to restore their hope and their faith…ultimately giving them a new purpose in life…the proclamation of the Good News of the resurrection!

As they walk along the road their hearts are set afire and burn within them… their hope and faith in this Jesus Christ is rekindled. Jesus reveals himself to them in the breaking of the bread…they dared not even speak the question of who this stranger might be…for they knew! And even though he vanished from their midst…he remained with them in their trembling hands that held the bread that had been broken and blessed…he remained in their burning hearts. In his absence they felt his real presence and they were forever changed.

Regardless of how many times we may turn away and walk down a different road…Jesus comes after us…he seeks us out and set our hearts afire once again. Each time we gather to bless, to break and to share the bread, “-even though we gather at home in separate places-” we are still bound together in Christ and Christ is present with each of us and nonetheless Christ still invites us to open ourselves to that presence and share of his very self, wherever we are. And in this sharing we are more and more transformed into the Risen Body of Christ…not for ourselves but for the sake of the life of the world!

We are sent, just like the original disciples, to carry forth “The Presence” into a broken world so desperately in need of healing, especially in the midst of this pandemic…we are called to be the stranger who walks with those whose hearts are breaking, whose hopes are dashed…we are called to be bread broken and shared for the sake of the world. In this moment we are called to reach out to all those living in fear and trembling, isolated and lonely, to be the presence of the Risen Christ to them. Like the breaking of the bread moment for the disciples, what moments have I had when I felt the presence of the Risen Christ in my life? How did it affect me? How can I be “the Presence” to others in my life? Who has been the least likely “Presence” to me…what did I learn from the encounter?

Easter Blessings,
Fr. Tim

The amazing stories of encounter and of resurrection continue, and more and more of his followers claim to have seen and talked to him. But it is all so strange, it is all just too much to believe so Thomas proclaims that not until he sees, not until he touches, will he believe this outrageous resurrection story! Can you blame him? Imagine being there at the very beginning, being amongst the first to whom Jesus appeared and who were told about Jesus’ appearances! It must have all been so frightening and bewildering. Thomas and others must have felt overwhelmed by it all, and so no wonder he doubted and demanded to see and touch for himself! And Jesus appears and offers Thomas his hands and his side to touch and see, that yes, indeed, it is he, he has risen and he is alive! How even more disorienting THAT must have been!

And when Jesus appears to the disciples even though most of them had deserted him and some had even disowned him, Jesus shows no anger or resentment but only offers his peace and forgiveness…his mercy! That mercy and forgiveness falls upon us gently as the rain even in the midst of this pandemic, even in the midst of our fear and anxiety, even in the midst of our sense of lostness and distress the risen Christ walks through this dark night with us, by our side, and to him we may cling just as Mary did when Jesus appeared to her.

​Let Christ be our light in the midst of this dark night. And as we celebrate the resurrection, God’s gift to us of eternal life, we celebrate God’s mercy; God’s love and forgiveness which falls upon us as gently as the rain, neither earned nor measured, freely given, for us to take and receive. For or from what in my life might I need forgiveness? Is there someone I need to offer forgiveness to? How is God’s mercy present in my life? How might I be the light of Christ to someone living in the darkness of loneliness, need, fear or other suffering?

Easter Blessings,
Fr. Tim

On that first day of the week, while it was still dark…Mary went to the tomb only to discover it empty….then she ran to Simon Peter and the other disciple. She was in a hurry to share what she had found; and by her sharing, a small community took up the search for Jesus…only to eventually discover “The Christ”…”The Risen One”.

Though we know well the Easter story, do we ever fully grasp its meaning? The stone has been rolled away…the tomb is empty for resurrected life cannot be contained! Like the first believers, we so often must continue to live even with our dashed hopes, our suffering and our misunderstanding of God’s mysterious power. Like the first believers, we come to the tomb and expect to find death, but instead we find signs of a new life that we cannot even begin to comprehend. Like the first believers, we do not realize that all of history has been broken open and is now filled with the resurrected presence of the Risen One!

And now in the midst of this pandemic we can focus on only the sickness and suffering and death, or we can also look at coming together -- the reaching out to those in need, the selflessness of first responders, nurses and doctors and hospital workers. We can look at all the people who continue to put themselves at risk so we can shop for food and gas, all the volunteers at food pantries and free food pick-up restaurants. We can see too the simple acts of kindness and care shown to neighbors and an increased attention to the homeless.

So in the midst of all the suffering and fear let us not forget that this is the day the Lord has made…let us rejoice and be glad! Like the disciples let us actively seek the risen One in our midst…in the ordinary of our daily lives…in simple acts of charity and kindness, for as surely as Christ appeared to the disciples, Christ now appears to us in our lives, even in the midst of death, sorrow and pain, Christ is present and this is what helps us carry on! Let us keep our eyes, ears and hearts open to the presence of the Risen One. Let us, like Mary, run forth to share the good news of Jesus Christ with all the world!

I pray you all, God’s most abundant Easter Blessings,
Fr. Tim

Palm Sunday begins with joyful Hosannas and then we, so quickly, move to the suffering and death of Jesus. It is all so emotionally overwhelming. But the joyfulness of the Hosannas still ring out even after we enter into the Passion. Why?...because, even as absurd as it sounds, our God loves us so much, that God was willing to pour out, to empty of self, even unto suffering and death, so that we would see once and for all that there is no length to which God will not go to prove how much we are “the beloved”! The whole of the message of the suffering and death of Christ is bound up in this reality…we are deeply and passionately loved by God…just as we are!

God continues to love us even in the midst of our brokenness and sinfulness. So much so, that God’s very self, in the flesh, was willing to suffer and die to show forth that love and to pour forth forgiveness upon the face of all the earth. And in the midst of this pandemic we need to remember just how deeply and passionately we are loved. We need to place our worries, fears and preoccupations in Jesus’ hands and remember that Christ is by our side through it all! The Passion story is ultimately a love story…there is none greater than this!

Am I able to accept God’s love and forgiveness as freely as it is offered to me? Is there someone I need to share that love and forgiveness with? As we careen toward Easter…what will my resurrection story be? What will I be “resurrected” from?

Palm Sunday Blessings,
Fr Tim

In today’s Gospel Jesus raises his good friend, Lazarus, from the dead. The retelling of this event is meant to show forth the power Jesus has, even over death. Embedded in the story is also a story of love, Jesus’ love for Martha, Mary and Lazarus. This is not an amorphous love…a wishy-washy love of all people… but a particular love of particular persons. Perhaps it is meant to try and tell us of the particular love that God has for us…each one of us…a love which is uniquely for us individually. God knows us as individuals and loves us just as we are! Even in the midst of our brokenness, even in the midst of our sinfulness…God loves us! And it is that love for us that holds the power to raise us from the death of sin to new life.

As much as Lent is a penitential time, so too it is meant to be a time of healing…a time of preparation for our own resurrection. What will my resurrection story be this Easter? From what, is the love of God trying to raise me up? In the Gospel Jesus asked the people to “roll away the stone” so Lazarus could come out from his tomb, what stone am I being called to “roll away” so others may come out from their “tombs”? In the midst of the horror of this coronavirus pandemic how can I show God’s love and care for others? How can I reach out to those who may be lonely and fearful? How might I be a loving and hopeful presence to them?

Lenten Blessings,
Fr. Tim