Recently, on Pentecost, we celebrated how God is ever present with us in the Holy Spirit Who dwells in us.
On this feast of the Visitation, we continue to celebrate and rejoice because like the prophet Zephaniah declares, "...the Holy One of Israel is in your midst". And like Isaiah says, "He has become my salvation".
Truly John the Baptist has great reason to rejoice because he recognizes the Holy Presence of God in Jesus in the womb of Mary, and so John leaps. Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit and rejoices at the presence of Mary, in whom God works because she opened herself to God. And Mary rejoices in God in the wondrous words of the Magnificat because of the marvelous wonders He does through the lowly.
Let us always be aware of God's presence among us, so that we may continue rejoicing.
It's just like I told my students on the first day of the month in my remarks sending them off. I told them their 8th grade graduation on May 31 is the Feast of the Visitation, and how I leap for joy seeing God's presence at work in them. Truly I rejoiced over them as I watched them walk across the stage at graduation. And I encouraged them to open themselves up to God's presence among them, so that no matter what, in recognizing Him, we rejoice.
Thursday, May 31, 2018
Sunday, May 27, 2018
May 27, 2018: Feast of the Most Holy Trinity
We experience the effects of the Trinity in our relationship with God and others.
He is the One Who chose a people for Himself, creating us, redeeming us in Christ, and sanctifying us continually through the Holy Spirit.
And so we call God our Father, as Christ joins us to Him, so that we become heirs of the promises, sharing in the hardships of relationship with Him and the responsibility to work out the salvation He grants us through living holy lives, as we hope to share in His Glory.
He is the One Who chose a people for Himself, creating us, redeeming us in Christ, and sanctifying us continually through the Holy Spirit.
And so we call God our Father, as Christ joins us to Him, so that we become heirs of the promises, sharing in the hardships of relationship with Him and the responsibility to work out the salvation He grants us through living holy lives, as we hope to share in His Glory.
Monday, May 21, 2018
May 21, 2018: Feast of Mary, Mother of the Church
I was part of history in the making today: I attended Mass at St. Leonard's Parish in Berwyn, IL, where this feast was celebrated for the first time since Pope Francis recently decreed it would be annually celebrated on the Monday after Pentecost.
Indeed, the celebration of the Risen Lord continues as we partake of this new way to engage with our faith through this newly-established feast.
Something Father Alex said in his homily at Mass I think speaks to the heart of this feast: Mary is the Mother of Jesus Christ. Christ is the Head of the Body, which is the Church. Mary is the Mother of the Church because she can't just be the mother of the head, but the entire Body.
Indeed, the scene at the Cross is so moving in which Christ designates Mary as John's mother, which speaks to the special role Mary has a special role for those of us Who are in Christ: She offers her intercession for us to her Son, as we strive in our journey to grow closer to God through Christ by living faithfully as members of His body, the Church, which was brought to Life through the Holy Spirit, the continued presence of the Risen and Living Christ.
Indeed, the celebration of the Risen Lord continues as we partake of this new way to engage with our faith through this newly-established feast.
Something Father Alex said in his homily at Mass I think speaks to the heart of this feast: Mary is the Mother of Jesus Christ. Christ is the Head of the Body, which is the Church. Mary is the Mother of the Church because she can't just be the mother of the head, but the entire Body.
Indeed, the scene at the Cross is so moving in which Christ designates Mary as John's mother, which speaks to the special role Mary has a special role for those of us Who are in Christ: She offers her intercession for us to her Son, as we strive in our journey to grow closer to God through Christ by living faithfully as members of His body, the Church, which was brought to Life through the Holy Spirit, the continued presence of the Risen and Living Christ.
Sunday, May 20, 2018
May 20, 2018: Pentecost Sunday
Following in the spirit of Paschal Joy we experienced on Resurrection Sunday, when we celebrated Christ Alive and Risen, we now rejoice in the Life we have been given through the power of the Holy Spirit, the promise of the Risen Christ and the evidence of His continued Presence among us.
The Life of the Risen Jesus becomes manifest in ordinary people when the Holy Spirit descends upon the disciples and births the Church. The Spirit is manifest in many different gifts in different people, but they all are empowered by the Spirit with certain gifts to proclaim the reality of God alive among us, for His Glory.
No longer are we weak, scared, and cut off. As is described in the account in John 20, God truly brings His people alive by breathing into them the breath that enables the gifts in them, and sustains them in the peace of the Risen Christ.
This weekend marks my 5-year anniversary of graduating with my Bachelor's degree. Throughout my four years of college, I grew so much in faith. It was fitting I marked my graduation on Pentecost weekend that year, just as I do this year. On that weekend in 2013, just as I did this year, I proclaimed the passage from Acts 2. I think about this even as I celebrate how the Holy Spirit has worked in my life and brought me alive.
The Life of the Risen Jesus becomes manifest in ordinary people when the Holy Spirit descends upon the disciples and births the Church. The Spirit is manifest in many different gifts in different people, but they all are empowered by the Spirit with certain gifts to proclaim the reality of God alive among us, for His Glory.
No longer are we weak, scared, and cut off. As is described in the account in John 20, God truly brings His people alive by breathing into them the breath that enables the gifts in them, and sustains them in the peace of the Risen Christ.
This weekend marks my 5-year anniversary of graduating with my Bachelor's degree. Throughout my four years of college, I grew so much in faith. It was fitting I marked my graduation on Pentecost weekend that year, just as I do this year. On that weekend in 2013, just as I did this year, I proclaimed the passage from Acts 2. I think about this even as I celebrate how the Holy Spirit has worked in my life and brought me alive.
Sunday, May 13, 2018
May 13, 2018: Ascension Sunday
We continue the spirit of Paschal Joy as we celebrate another aspect of Christ's glorification, when He ascended to Heaven to the throne at the right hand of God the Father, another sign of His triumphant Glory.
And we rejoice that we, too, will follow Him, experiencing glorification with Him, which we have even now. He is with us always, working with us to display great signs of His goodness in the world as we are empowered by the gifts He gives us, especially His living, real presence, as we proclaim the Good News to all the world.
Father Bob talked about this day's occasion so well in his homily. In fact, there was such a strong celebratory spirit pervading Mass today, reminding me of the exuberance of Resurrection Sunday. While celebrating that joyful day, I had this yearning to put forth that joy into other days, as it cannot be contained in one day. The celebration of the Ascension helped me see how the joy of the Resurrection continues on. And when I mentioned this to Father Bob after Mass, he remarked this joy and glory is the reason for our celebration throughout the whole year. Indeed, we can celebrate the glory of Christ joyfully each day, because His Glory is present with us always.
And we rejoice that we, too, will follow Him, experiencing glorification with Him, which we have even now. He is with us always, working with us to display great signs of His goodness in the world as we are empowered by the gifts He gives us, especially His living, real presence, as we proclaim the Good News to all the world.
Father Bob talked about this day's occasion so well in his homily. In fact, there was such a strong celebratory spirit pervading Mass today, reminding me of the exuberance of Resurrection Sunday. While celebrating that joyful day, I had this yearning to put forth that joy into other days, as it cannot be contained in one day. The celebration of the Ascension helped me see how the joy of the Resurrection continues on. And when I mentioned this to Father Bob after Mass, he remarked this joy and glory is the reason for our celebration throughout the whole year. Indeed, we can celebrate the glory of Christ joyfully each day, because His Glory is present with us always.
Sunday, May 6, 2018
May 6, 2018: Sixth Sunday of Easter
God shows His love for in sending His Son to cleanse us from sin and to experience Eternal Life.
He chose us to experience this Life now, appointing us to the task of bearing fruit as we live out the Love He first showed us.
It is a Love that encompasses all people as God sends His Spirit through all people, doing marvelous works to draw us to Him, as He does astoundingly by anointing Cornelius and his household with the Holy Spirit. (It was just like the scene I saw 9 years ago today when my cousin Josh was confirmed along with a large number of others at his parish, which happened after I heard this passage from Acts proclaimed by one the Confirmation students.)
Let us rejoice in these Easter days and beyond that God chose us to be part of this work of bearing fruit, and sharing this mission with those all over the world.
He chose us to experience this Life now, appointing us to the task of bearing fruit as we live out the Love He first showed us.
It is a Love that encompasses all people as God sends His Spirit through all people, doing marvelous works to draw us to Him, as He does astoundingly by anointing Cornelius and his household with the Holy Spirit. (It was just like the scene I saw 9 years ago today when my cousin Josh was confirmed along with a large number of others at his parish, which happened after I heard this passage from Acts proclaimed by one the Confirmation students.)
Let us rejoice in these Easter days and beyond that God chose us to be part of this work of bearing fruit, and sharing this mission with those all over the world.
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