This Sunday we hear Luke’s account of Jesus’ famous sermon on the beatitudes ,“The Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew. But in Luke it takes place on a great stretch of level ground. We’ve heard it over and over since we were children and are hardly shocked by Jesus’ description of the reign of God. Undoubtedly some of those who gathered on that great stretch of land to listen to Jesus were shocked by the picture he painted of the Reign of God…it made no sense and ran contrary to the sociopolitical reality of their lives. What was he thinking, the meek will inherit the land? We all know that it is the powerful who control the land. And the “peace-makers”?…well they usually get run over by the armies! And what was he saying about the “poor”, theirs is the Kingdom of God? Wait a minute…I though the Kingdom belonged to the righteous and those who followed the letter of the law.

Well the truth is that Jesus had a different take on the whole matter. The beatitudes name the ways in which peoples’ lives and well-being are threatened: grinding poverty, grief, landlessness, hunger, war and persecution. Jesus does not advise that those so afflicted simply wait for a reversal of fortune in the hereafter, though the final verse does speak of great reward in heaven. Jesus calls for attitudes and actions that will more fully bring about the reign of God. The poor are the humble whose wealth is found in their relationship with God and not in gold. The meek are not to be “shrinking violets” who accept injustice, but rather, those who know their proper place as children of God, and who stand up to ensure that all people are treated with dignity and as full heirs to God’s Reign.

The beatitudes are really “Be - Attitudes”…they call us to a way of holiness through reaching out to all who suffer in this world, and promise us that to the extent that we reach out to and work on behalf of the suffering we will become more fully the “blessed of God” and in the process we help to build up the Reign of God! One of the major differences in the sermon in the Gospel of Matthew and Luke’s are the “woe unto you” verses. These verses serve as warnings so that people will take stock of their lives and reflect on how they are living and building up the Reign of God. As we take time this week to reflect on this Gospel let us focus on the beatitudes and ask ourselves: in what concrete ways will I live out the “Be – Attitudes” today?

Blessings,
Fr Tim

This weekend’s readings touch on the themes of God’s call, our unworthiness, God’s grace and ultimately our response to God’s call. In the first reading from the prophet Isaiah we find Isaiah declaring himself doomed for he, a man of unclean lips and yet with his own eyes, beholds “the Lord of Hosts”. By an angel sent by God his wickedness is removed and he offers himself to God, “here I am Lord, send me.” And thus the formerly wicked one becomes the very mouthpiece of God to a whole nation.

Then we hear Paul declare that he is not worthy to be an apostle but it is by the grace of God that he is indeed an apostle, and “God’s grace has not been ineffective.” Paul is chosen by Jesus and given a mission to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ. Paul, like Isaiah, responds in the affirmative to the call he has received even though he is keenly aware of his unworthiness. He recognizes God’s grace is greater than his sinfulness.

And in the Gospel we hear of the encounter between Jesus and Peter, who is astonished by the words and power of Jesus and who is brought to his knees as he proclaims “depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man”. To which Jesus responds “do not be afraid; you will be a fisher of people…and they left everything and followed him.” In each of these stories the chosen one is keenly aware of their own unworthiness but God’s grace is greater than their sinfulness and empowers them to be able to respond in a positive manner to the call they have received.

It is in the midst of our brokenness and sinfulness that God calls us to be disciples on mission, in the world building up the Reign of God in the here and now. Each one of us is a living manifestation of the abundance of the gifts God has placed in the world that the brokenhearted and the wounded might be healed and that we might proclaim the Good News to the world through our words and actions! And all of this happens in the midst of our own brokenness by God’s grace which is always sufficient for the day! What do I hear God calling me to do in my life? Where have I seen or felt God’s grace acting in me or in the world around me? What do I most need God’s grace for in my life right now?

Blessings,
Fr. Tim

In today’s Gospel Jesus goes home and is not well received by his neighbors and boyhood friends. Large crowds from other towns and villages followed him around causing a great commotion throughout the region…and even though ”his people” were “astonished” by his words, they did not believe in him. Perhaps their familiarity with Jesus and his family blinded them to his awesome power and their lack of faith prevented Jesus from working miracles in their presence. Aware of their lack of acceptance of him, Jesus acknowledged that a prophet is seldom if ever accepted in his/her home town!

Perhaps it was jealousy or fear that kept Jesus’ neighbors and friends from accepting and acknowledging his power and true identity. Often enough our own insecurities prevent us from rejoicing in the successes of our family and friends…how sad when we cannot rejoice in and raise up the prophets in our midst…perhaps because they challenge us to see things with new eyes…perhaps it is because they challenge us to change how we live our lives!

Being a true disciple of Jesus means that we are all called to live prophetic lives, witnessing to the Gospel through our words and actions…and we, like Jesus, will be rejected in some places by those who refuse the challenge of living a Gospel centered life. How am I being called to be a prophet? How much time do I make to listen for what God is calling me to? Am I willing to risk being rejected by neighbors and friends to speak the truth of the Gospel?

Blessings,
Fr Tim

In this Sunday’s gospel we find Jesus returning home to Nazareth just as word about him has begun to spread throughout the region. He was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and people were talking about him. He comes to his home synagogue and from the scroll handed to him he proclaims the Word of God from the prophet Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Imagine for a moment what must have been going through the minds of his neighbors and childhood friends. This was Mary and Joseph’s son…how can he claim to be “the anointed one” of God? They must have wondered “who does he think he is?”. Jesus proclaims that he is filled with the Holy Spirit and has come to do the work of God. And as members of the Body of Christ we too are filled with the Holy Spirit and are called to do the very things that Jesus proclaimed he was sent to do! We are called to “be” good news for the poor and help those held captive by war, poverty, racism, by anything that diminishes them or holds them back from being who God made them to be. We are called to bring recovery of sight to all those who are blinded by anger or hatred by loving them and walking with them in their darkness. We are called to proclaim that the mercy of God lavishly pours down upon all women and men!

​How have I felt the Spirit of God wash upon me? In the midst of all the world’s woes, what is the Spirit calling me to in my life at this time? How and to whom am I being called to proclaim the Good News?

Blessings,
Fr Tim

The scene of the Wedding Feast at Cana unfolds as Mary seemingly “pushing” Jesus out into his public ministry, ignoring his reticence to perform a miracle in the midst of the crowd of guests gathered for the wedding feast. It seems that it was a moment when Mary called on Jesus to let his true identity shine forth for people to see! Jesus may well have felt that it was not the time but he responds to her request, eventually. For the Gospel of John  "signs" like the turning of the water into wine are very important as they point to the true identity of Jesus as both human and divine.

St Paul is also interested in our identity as members of the living Body of Christ. Paul challenges each one of us to reflect on what is our “gift”, What is our charism? The gifts that each person is given is given them, not for themselves but for the sake of the whole, for the Body of Christ.

On this Martin Luther King Jr. weekend I cannot but help to think his gifts of leadership, passion, vision and ultimately martyrdom…a man who shared all he had, his very life, for the sake of the moral soul of a nation. As the struggle for racial justice, equality and recognition the human dignity of all peoples continues, we must ask ourselves: What are my gifts that God has given me for the sake of this struggle? What gifts have I been given that I need nourished that they might grow for the sake of the whole Body of Christ? How do I put my gifts at the service of the Reign of God?

Blessings,
 Fr Tim

Today as we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan by John the Baptist, we call to mind the transforming power of discipleship. As we struggle to faithfully follow Jesus in our lives, our lives are transformed by the very struggle to be the presence of Christ in the world. Think for a moment about the baptismal ritual itself: first the calling out of the name in the midst of the assembly for all to hear…the sign of the cross traced on a forehead, a profession of faith, holy water poured and the sacred words are uttered…“I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of Son and of the Holy Spirit”…then an anointing with sacred oil…the passing of the “Light of Christ” and a white garment, symbol of a new life born of this ancient ritual.

But with this new life comes great responsibility…to live a life as a Christian…as a disciple of Jesus Christ. It is no easy task; to be a follower of Jesus Christ and live our baptism in concrete ways in our everyday lives. Our baptism calls us to put Christ at the center of our lives and to try and be a healing presence in a wounded world, by doing good works, being compassionate, and actively working for justice and peace in the world around us that is at war in so many ways. We are called to be healers of the wounds of divisions that separate us and cause us to be blind to the fact that we are all sisters and brothers, all of us, the children of God.

Is it outwardly evident that I am a disciple of Jesus by the way I live my life? What could I do in my life to follow Jesus even more closely than I already do to better live my call to discipleship received in my baptism?

God's Blessing,
Fr Tim

The word epiphany comes from the Greek; meaning to “appear”…or to be “revealed”. In some cultures the feast of Epiphany is referred to as “Little Christmas” or “the Feast of the Three Kings”, and is the day of exchanging gifts with friends and loved ones. Regardless of what we call it, it is a day on which we tell the story of the arrival of the magi who have come from afar to see the newborn king and to offer gifts. Epiphany is a time of celebrating the first acknowledgement of “a new beginning”…a time to celebrate the Reign of God bursting forth in the midst of creation! For sure we dwell for a while on the visit of the magi and the wonder of their journey…led by only a star that shown brightly in the deepest of the night sky. It is a time of wonder and awe…a time to allow ourselves to enter the story and reflect on our own journey… our spiritual journey.

For the magi the signs were in the heavens…a star that led them to Bethlehem, to a shabby little stable…where our God came among us as one of us. Perhaps the Magi’s real wisdom was that they knew that they didn’t know everything… they valued learning, they looked for signs, they paid attention to dreams…they expected God to talk to them… they believed that they encountered God in their daily lives. Ultimately the story of the Magi is a story of encounter, an encounter of the greatest kind…an encounter with God.

Am I open to “following a star”…to paying attention to the signs of God’s presence in my life? Where do I encounter God in the ordinary routine of my daily life? The Magi came bearing gifts…what gift of self might I offer to God?

Christmas Blessings,
Fr Tim

This is the time of year when it seems that everyone sings of peace on earth and good will toward all! Pope Paul VI proclaimed that if we want peace we need to work for justice. In this season of dreams of peace and good will…we are called to work for justice! Advent is a strange season…a season of hopes and dreams…a season of promises fulfilled and of promises yet to be fulfilled…a season of the Reign of God, that which is bursting forth and at the same time not yet fully here. Advent is counter cultural on so many levels…in a season when it seems the whole world begins to spin ever faster we are called to slow down…to spend time in prayer and reflection…to spend time thinking about the deeper realities of our lives.

Part of this season’s story is about a young girl living in a male dominated world where women were treated as property, but she breaks free from the bonds of obscurity and insignificance and becomes the heroine. A young girl named Mary said “yes” to an impossible proposition…”yes” to what must have seemed totally absurd. Imagine yourself in Mary’s place…a heavenly visitor telling you that God her/himself, The Creator of all things…visible and invisible…was “asking” her to be the mother of the long awaited Messiah. The whole idea that God would choose to become human, one like us, and enter into our world as a vulnerable and innocent child is almost too much to comprehend. And yet she said “yes”…and her yes changed the world forever! To this very day…right now…her yes is still changing the world because the Risen Christ is in our midst! Because of her yes we can profess “we are the Body of Christ!”

What is God calling me to say yes to as a member of the Body of Christ? Am I willing to risk, like Mary, and say “yes” to God not knowing where it will lead me…just trusting that God will walk with me on the journey? As I say yes to God, who am I being called to journey with?

Advent Blessings,
Fr Tim

Rejoice! Exult! Be Glad!…for your God rejoices over you! The prophet Zephaniah extols us to “shout for joy”, to be glad and exult with all our hearts for our God has removed all our guilt and we have nothing to fear! The prophet boldly proclaims that our God is in our midst and that God rejoices over us and sings joyfully because of us!

This Sunday is known as “Gaudete Sunday” and we light the rose colored candle on the Advent wreath as a sign of our joy. And we are joyful because of the love our God has for us. In the Gospel we hear that when the people responded to John the Baptist’s call to repent, they asked “what should we do?” John’s response was “if you have two cloaks, share with the person who has none…and whoever has food should do likewise.”

So as we rejoice, repent and prepare we do so by turning our attention to the poor, the marginalized, the immigrant and refugee. In the midst of all of the vitriolic, hateful and racist language we are called to stand up and speak out and act on behalf of our sisters and brothers who are being maligned and victimized by supposed “Christians”! Our baptism, by water and the Holy Spirit, calls us to prioritize our lives around our discipleship of Jesus Christ. By keeping Christ at the center of our lives we find direction and are emboldened to become, more and more, manifestations of Christ’s presence in the midst of a wounded world to which we reach out, in love, to all those who are suffering and rejected or despised…we call them our sisters and brothers!

Let us rejoice, repent and prepare by living our discipleship by reaching out to “the lest ones”….speaking out and acting out on their behalf….and thus we will be ready for Christ’s coming. What will I do this week to rejoice, repent and prepare? With whom will is share an extra cloak, if I have one?

Advent Blessings,
Fr Tim

REPENT! Prepare the way of the Lord! These words of John the Baptist echo down through the centuries and are as pertinent to us as they were to those who first heard them. John came from the desert crying out to the people, calling them to a moment of metanoia”…literally “a turning around”. The Voice of John the Baptist cries out to us in the midst of the rush and chaos of the Advent season, calling us to a conversion of heart. He announces the breaking forth of the Reign of God in our very midst. But can we hear him amid the cacophony and the clamor of our busy and overscheduled lives? I think not…not unless we are willing to step back, to sit down and to spend a moment reflecting on our lives and our relationships. We need to ask ourselves if we are “living” our discipleship.

The Scriptures for this Sunday speak of a new time for the people of Israel, a time of great hope…a new reign that is breaking forth. In this new world, mercy and justice will flourish and the wicked and unjust ones will be banished forever. But as we look around it seems as if we are a long way off from the “peaceable kingdom”. Wars rage and political unrest swirl around us like the biting winds of a cold December night. Millions of our sisters and brothers desperately seek refuge with no home in sight. Terrorists strike the innocent and fill us with fear…it all seems so bleak.

Where is the Reign of God bursting forth? It is waiting to burst forth from within each one of us! The Reign of God bursts forth every time we respond to a person or a situation in a Christ-like manner. Are we brave enough to “turn around” to answer the call of John the Baptist…to allow the love of God to soften our hearts and enlighten our minds? As Christians are we willing to really “live” the Reign of God through our daily actions? What would that look like…what would I have to change in my life for me to be a living sign to others of the bursting forth of the Reign of God, bringing love, mercy and forgiveness into a world so full of anger, violence and fear?

Advent Blessings, 
Fr Tim