Gaudete Sunday

 

This Sunday we celebrate the Third Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday. It is a time to celebrate the hope that Christmas will bring to us in a little more than one week. Our readings today give us a sense of hope and joy.

I was reminded of a poem by Emily Dickinson about hope. It reminds me of what we are called to each day – to be people of hope and joy. May this poem rekindle the notion that joy will always win out in the end.

Hope is the thing with feathers by Emily Dickinson

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -

That perches in the soul -

And sings the tune without the words -

And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -

And sore must be the storm -

That could abash the little Bird

That kept so many warm -

 

I’ve heard it in the chillest land -

And on the strangest Sea -

Yet - never - in Extremity,

It asked a crumb - of me.

Second Sunday of Advent

Today we celebrated the Second Sunday of Advent by remembering our five Sisters and two Associates who passed away during 2024.  Each of these women faithfully served God's people. We honored educators, missionaries, advocates for justice, a nurse, and a finance person. This celebration is held annually during Advent. As each women's name was called a single rose was brought up in her honor and it was placed in a vase infront of the statue of Our Lady.

The Memorial Acclamation we used today was the refrain from Marty Haugen's, We Remember. "We remember how you loved us to your death, and still we celebrate, for you are with us here; and we believe that we will see you when you come in your glory, Lord. We remember, we cele-rate, we believe." These words spoke to me deeply today as we remembered their love, celebrated their lives, and believed that they will remain in our hearts forever.

After the Liturgy ended we continued the celebration with a festive luncheon where we shared memories and stories of our loved ones. It was a wonderful way to celebrate the Second Sunday of Advent.

First Sunday of Advent

It is so hard to believe that it is the First Sunday of Advent already! Just the other day we were celebrating Thanksgiving Day. Some of us are still dining on the left overs and relishing time with family and friends. 

As we begin this Advent season we are called to "stay awake, to be ready." I was thinking about how many times I have fallen asleep during my prayer time or a homily at Mass. Falling asleep does not make us bad as it is part of the human condition. There are times when we just are not able to keep our eyes open.

Today we light the first candle of the Advent wreath and enter the season of advent. Advent is an invitation to hope,  to wait and receive the gifts of peace and joy. May we grow during this holy season as we await the birth of our Savior. As we begin the Advent journey may we embrace the season as one of preparation and ready our hearts to receive once again the gift of Christ at Christmas.

Gratitude

It is hard to believe that we will once again celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday. As I was praying this week I was struck by Joyce Rupp’s Litany of Generosity. It spoke to me of all that Thanksgiving is all about. May we have hearts full of gratitude and love as we approach this holiday. Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Spiritual Practice by Joyce Rupp

(Response to each: Gracious God, give us generous hearts.)

— to share whatever gift it is that you have given to us. . .

— to acknowledge you as the giver of all good gifts. . .

— to give without counting the cost. . .

— to share without expecting something in return. . .

— to be wise in the way of caring for ourselves and others. . .

— to hold all of our treasures and values with open hands. . .

— to have gospel priorities and to align our life, love and time in their light. . .

— to be gracious and unbegrudging in our giving. . .

— to recognize the abundance of blessings in each passing day. . .

— to know the freedom that comes with true generosity. . .

— to experience the heart of the widow giving her mite. . .

— to accept our talents, whether many or few, and to use them in service of the Kingdom. . .

— to grow in giving thanks for everything. . .

— to be happy with having what we need and to be wise enough to know what it is that we want and do not need. . .

— to fall more deeply in love with the God of all generosity so that our hearts are strong enough to give away freely whatever is asked. . .

O gracious God, who so generously lavishes our lives with goodness, create in our hearts a deep center of gratitude, a center that grows so strong in its thanksgiving that sharing freely of our treasures becomes the norm and the pattern of our existence. Remind us often of how much you cherish us, of how abundantly you have offered gifts to us, especially in the hours of our greatest need. May we always be grateful for your reaching into our lives with surprises of joy, growth, and unearned love. Amen.

— Joyce Rupp in Fresh Bread and Other Stories of Spiritual Nourishment

The Times They Are A-Changing

 

For the past few weeks, I have been reflecting on change. It struck me that we are living in times of constant change. I often say that no two days are the same. Every day is a new experience and filled with blessings and challenges. When I was speaking to a friend the other day, she said that she was having a pity party for herself. In the midst of her pity party someone told her that she should practice having a fifteen-minute pity party followed by fifteen minutes of gratitude. What a fabulous practice. Imagine if we all tried that. I think our world would be a different place.

When I was reflecting on change Bob Dylan’s song came to mind. Perhaps it has some wisdom for us as we navigate these never-ending changing times.

The Times They Are A-Changing

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin'
And you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
The battle outside ragin'
Will soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is rapidly fadin'
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'

Songwriters: Bob Dylan

 

Veterans Day

 

Every wonder why Veterans Day is on the 11^th and does not change? World War I ended on the 11^th day of the 11^th month on the 11^th day on the 11^th hour.

Usually at this time we see veterans selling poppies. Often the veteran tells you how you should wear the poppy. It should be worn on the right side; the red represents the blood of all who gave their lives; the red represents the blood of all those who gave their lives, the black represents the mourning of those who didn’t have their loved ones return home, and the green leaf represents the grass and crops growing and future prosperity after the war destroyed so much. The leaf should be positioned at 11 o’clock to represent the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the time World War I formally ended. The explanation of the significance of the poppy is important to continue to pass on to future generations as the generation that began it will not be around much longer to teach it. We must remember those from our current wars too.

Tomorrow when you see a veteran remember to thank them for their service and to pray for those who did not come home or who are no longer with us. Let us take the time to pray for and remember those who fought that we might enjoy our freedom. May God bless all those who served and who will serve in the future.

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,

"Which is the first of all the commandments?"

Jesus replied, "The first is this:

Hear, O Israel!

The Lord our God is Lord alone!

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,

with all your soul,

with all your mind,

and with all your strength.

The second is this:

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12: 28-31)

Today’s Gospel is a reminder of the great commandment. In this Gospel Jesus recalls the Shema prayer – the prayer said daily by most Jewish people. It is a poignant reminder or what we are called to be as Christians. We are called to love God and love our neighbors.

How do we show love for our God and our neighbors in these turbulent times? We are in the midst of the Presidential election and are being bombarded by political ads that are full of unkind rhetoric, accusations, etc. Social media is full of similar platforms that seemingly seek to divide. In the midst of all of this the call is clear we need to follow the great commandment. If we treat one another with kindness, we will be a far better nation. Let us take these days to pray for peace and model peace in all we do.

To Autumn

For the past month I have been intrigued by the beauty of the changing leaves. Cooler mornings and cold evenings have been happening more frequently. There is a true beauty to fall. I came across the poem To Autumn by John Keats. As you read it take some time to enjoy the beauty of autumn today.

To Autumn

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
  Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
  With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,
  And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
    To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
  With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
    For summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells.

Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
  Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
  Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
Or on a half-reap’d furrow sound asleep,
  Drowsed with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
    Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
  Steady thy laden head across a brook;
  Or by a cider-press, with patient look,
    Thou watchest the last oozings, hours by hours.

Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
  Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,—
While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
  And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
  Among the river sallows, borne aloft
    Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
  Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
  The redbreast whistles from a garden-croft,
    And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

Written September 19, 1819; first published in 1820. This poem is in the public domain.

Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

In today’s Gospel, a young man approaches Jesus and asks what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus replies that one must follow the commandments. The man acknowledges that he has observed all of these since his childhood. Jesus then says that only one thing is lacking: he must give his possessions to the poor and follow Jesus. The man leaves in sadness, and Mark tells us that this is because he had many possessions. This is a unique passage as the young man went away sad.  Encounters with Jesus usually end with the person being happy and grateful. In this story it is not the case.

Jesus makes two requirements of the wealthy man who approaches him. First, he must give up his possessions. The second requirement Jesus makes of this man is the invitation that Jesus extends to all would-be disciples: “follow me.” Jesus very much wants this man to be his disciple.

What does this Gospel mean for us as we move forward. Perhaps it is a call to give yourself first to God. Ground yourself in God and everything else will be blessed by God and fall into place. Let us live this day in joy rather than despair. May we hear and believe the responsorial psalm “Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!” May we be filled with the love and mercy of God every day!

Pray for Peace in the Middle East

 

Monday, October 7th marks the 1 year anniversary of thekidnapping of the hostages which escalated the conflict in the Middle East. As we mark this somber anniversary let us pray for peace in our hearts, our homes, and our universe. May peace reign in the hearts of all.

Peace in the Middle East

God of mercy and compassion,
of grace and reconciliation,
pour your power upon all your children in the Middle East:
Jews, Muslims and Christians,
Palestinians and Israelis.
Let hatred be turned into love, fear to trust, despair to hope,
oppression to freedom, occupation to liberation,
that violent encounters may be replaced by loving embraces,
and peace and justice could be experienced by all.

- Reverend Said

World Day of Migrants and Refugees

 

Today, September 29, the church observes the World Day of Migrants and Refugees with the theme: "God walks with his people".

The Church has been celebrating the World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR) since 1914. It is always an occasion to express concern for different vulnerable people on the move; to pray for them as they face many challenges; and to increase awareness about the opportunities that migration offers.

Pope Francis emphasizes that God not only walks with His people but also dwells within them, especially in the poor, marginalized, and those on the peripheries. The encounter with a migrant or refugee is an opportunity to meet Christ and to grow in love, compassion, and faith. Let us pray with migrants and refugees on this 110^th anniversary of the World Day of Migrants and Refugees.

Prayer

God, Almighty Father,

we are your pilgrim Church

journeying towards the Kingdom of heaven.

We live in our homeland,

but as if we were foreigners.

Every foreign place is our home,

yet every native land is foreign to us.

Though we live on earth,

our true citizenship is in heaven.

Do not let us become possessive

of the portion of the world

you have given us as a temporary home.

Help us to keep walking,

together with our migrant brothers and sisters,

toward the eternal dwelling you have prepared for us.

Open our eyes and our hearts

so that every encounter with those in need

becomes an encounter with Jesus, your Son and our Lord. 

Amen.

Serviam

 

In today’s Gospel Mark paints, a vivid picture. Jesus and His disciples arrive in Capernaum and enter a house. Jesus asks them about the argument they had while they were journeying. The disciples are uncharacteristically silent and afraid to answer. They have been caught. Jesus then summons the twelve and teaches that those who would be first in God’s kingdom must be servants of all.

Jesus then calls forward a child and teaches the disciples that to receive a child in Jesus’ name is to receive both Jesus and the One who sent him. In this action, Jesus is teaching his disciples and us that when we serve the least ones among us, we serve Jesus himself. Who are the people without power or status in our society that Jesus is calling us to serve?

The Ursuline motto of “Serviam” – I will serve echoes this Gospel. Serviam is the motto of all the Ursuline Schools worldwide. The Latin word Serviam means “I will serve”. Service to your family, your parish, and your community are signs of Serviam. The word includes in its meaning self-sacrifice and world-embracing charity. The Serviam Shield is the emblem of loyalty known by Ursuline students throughout the world. The seven stars, representing Ursa Minor, are a reminder of St. Ursula, patroness of young women and education. The stars tell us of the heights to which our ideals must soar. The cross stands for Faith, the foundation of all Christian action.

“Take care of all…having each one engraved on your mind and hear, not only their names but also their situation” St. Angela Merici

As I was writing this reflection a song from the Dameans came to mind, We Are Made For Service is what we should do each day. Let us serve each other in joy and compassion.

We are made for service to care for each other; We are made to love each sister and brother With love that will last through sorrow and pain, A love that will never die with strain.

God sent His son to show us the way, One who shared His love every minute of the day, One who gave His life that we might live  And His spirit to help us through the years.

Life can be so lonely when nobody cares; Life can be so empty when nobody shares; But if we give ourselves both time and again The happiness of Christ will live within.

International Day of Peace

On Saturday, September 21^st we celebrate The International Day of Peace which was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly. Two decades later, in 2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted to designate the Day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire.

2024 Theme: Cultivating a Culture of Peace

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of the Declaration and Program of Action on a Culture of Peace.

In that declaration, the United Nations’ most inclusive body recognized that peace “not only is the absence of conflict, but also requires a positive, dynamic participatory process where dialogue is encouraged and conflicts are solved in a spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation.”

In a world with rising geopolitical tensions and protracted conflicts, there has never been a better time to remember how the UN General Assembly came together in 1999 to lay out the values needed for a culture of peace. These include: respect for life, human rights and fundamental freedoms; the promotion of non-violence through education, dialogue and cooperation; commitment to peaceful settlement of conflicts; and adherence to freedom, justice, democracy, tolerance, solidarity, cooperation, pluralism, cultural diversity, dialogue and understanding at all levels of society and among nations.

In follow-up resolutions, the General Assembly recognized further the importance of choosing negotiations over confrontation and of working together and not against each other.

The Constitution of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) starts with the notion that “wars begin in the minds of men so it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed”. It is this notion that framed the theme and logo of this year’s observance of the International Day of Peace. The ideas of peace, the culture of peace, need to be cultivated in the minds of children and communities through formal and informal education, across countries and generations.

The International Day of Peace has always been a time to lay down weapons and observe ceasefires. But it now must also be a time for people to see each other’s humanity. Our survival as a global community depends on that. (un.org)

Remembering 9/11

On Wednesday, September 11th we will commemorate the 23rd anniversry of the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentegon, and the plane that crashed into the field in Shanksville Pennsylvania. Let us pray for all who perisehed that day andthose who have died as a result.  May we strive to be people of peace and work for justice.

Let us pray:  O God, our hope and refuge, in distress we come quickly to you. Shock and horror of that tragic day have subsided, replaced now with an emptiness, a longing for innocence lost.

We come remembering those who lost their lives in New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania. 

We are mindful of the sacrifice of public servants who demonstrated the greatest love all by laying down their lives for friends. We commit their souls to your eternal care and celebrate gifts a fallen humanity. 

We come remembering and we in hope, not ourselves, but you. 

As foundations we once thought secure have been shaken, we are reminded of the illusion security. In commemorating this tragedy, give you thanks for your presence in our time need and we seek to worship you in Spirit truth, our guide and guardian. Amen. 

Season of Creation

 

Today begins the Season of Creation. The Season of Creation is a time to renew our relationship with our Creator and all creation through celebration, conversation, and commitment together. During the Season of Creation, we join our sisters and brothers in hte ecumenical family in prayer and action for our common home. The Season of Creation is held each year from September 1st to October 4th. Let us hold our precious earth in prayer and respect during these weeks.

Season of Creation 2024 Prayer

 Triune God, Creator of all,

We praise you for your goodness, visible in all the diversity that you have created, making us a cosmic family living in a common home. Through the Earth you created, we experience love and nourishment, home and protection.

We confess that we do not relate to the Earth as a Mothering gift from you, our Creator. Our selfishness, greed, neglect, and abuse have caused the climate crisis, loss of biodiversity, human suffering as well as the suffering of all our fellow creatures. We confess that we have failed to listen to the groans of the Earth, the groans of all creatures, and the groans of the Spirit of hope and justice that lives within us.

May your Creator Spirit help us in our weakness, so that we may know the redeeming power of Christ and the hope found in him. May the groans of the Spirit birth in us a willingness to serve you faithfully, so that we may hear and heal Creation, to hope and act together with her, so that the first fruits of hope may blossom.

Loving and Creator God, we pray that you will make us sensitive to these groans and enable us to have the same compassion as that of Jesus, the redeeming Lord. Grant us a fresh vision of our relationship with Earth, and with one another, as creatures that are made in your image.

In the name of the one who came to proclaim the good news to all Creation, Jesus Christ. Amen.

HOPE

 

HOPE – Hang on Peace Emerges is an anacronym which a good friend of mine uses when speaking about hope.  Over the years I have read many authors views of hope. 

Two that stand out for me are Emily Dickinson’s poem on Hope –

"Hope" is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without words and never stops -- at all...

And Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” In this brief passage Paul tells us that God is the God of hope.

We can abound in hope through the Holy Spirit, which is God’s gift to us. It is hope, above all, which gives us the strength to live and to continually try new things. Hope is not something we can conjure up by sheer force of will, it is truly a gift from God.  Hope is born of an encounter with Christ.

Our world is full of pain and suffering, pressures, and despair. Hope is essential for us to flourish.  By having hope, we are not denying the sorrow and pain of life but celebrating the love of Christ.  Prayer preserves and renews hope.  Let us allow the hope that has been born within us to continue to sing, dance, and foster life in ourselves and others.  May we always remember to hang on and let peace emerge.

God Changes Plans

 

Having just returned from the LCWR Leadership Conference of Women Religious this past week this sentiment is so true. The time at the LCWR was full of renewed relationships, wonderful presentations, discussions and sharing. As I reflected on this time, I was struck by the depth of the conversations that I was privileged to be a part of.

The hotel has a pool called the lazy river. This became an image of how I see religious life right now. In the lazy river you sit in a large tube and just float in the current. As I went on the river, I was struck by the fact that you ride in the current, occasionally hit a wall, get turned in different directions, get sprayed by the different sprinklers that are spread out throughout the river. Occasionally you find yourself outside of the current and you need help to get back into it. It was a most peaceful experience and it spoke to me of the experience of religious life right now. We are in the process of moving forward yet at times we get stuck and need help to get ourselves out of it. The more I prayed with this image the clearer it all became.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to visit Hollywood Studios. Having not been there in a very long time I could not believe how much it had changed.  I went with friends and really enjoyed the experience. Initially I did not know where I would wind up, but I am so happy I went. I even went on the Tower of Terror ride. It certainly lived up to its name. I alternated between feeling terror and laughter.

Today I was going to spend the day at the lazy river before I flew home but this is where God changed my plans. I received an email from the airline saying that my flight might be changed due to storms, and I could change my ticket without penalty. I never moved so fast in my life. My ticket was changed, and I was rebooked very quickly and then had to get myself out of the hotel and to the airport. I am so grateful that I am home as the storms are beginning to come. My plans changed and I truly believe that God intervened.

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

In today’s reading, we hear Jesus say again, as he did in last week's Gospel, that he is the bread of life. We also hear Jesus add that he is the living bread. Both of these statements help us understand better the gift that Jesus gives us in the Eucharist. We celebrate this gift of Jesus each time we gather for Mass. We believe that receiving Jesus in the Eucharist will lead us to eternal life.

Whenever I hear or read this Gospel I am always reminded of a song I learned as a child, Suzanne Toolan's I Am the Bread of Life.

I am the Bread of Life

You who come to Me shall not hunger;

And who believe in Me shall not thirst,

No one can come to Me

Unless the Father beckons.

And I will raise you up,

And I will raise you up,

And I will raise you up

On the last day!

The bread that I will give

Is My flesh for the life of the world,

And if you eat of this Bread,

You shall live forever,

You shall live forever!

Unless you eat

The Flesh of the Son of Man

And drink of His Blood,

And drink of His Blood,

You shall not have life within you.

I am the Resurrection,

I am the Life

If you believe in Me,

Even though you die,

You shall live forever.

These words mirror today's Gospel for me and call me to reflect on what receiving the Eucharist means to me. Take time today to reflect on what the Eucharist means to you and remember that the Bread of Life is always with us.