St. Agnes Catholic Parish | Homilies

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Sun, 03 May 2026 12:15:33 GMT

If someone asked you where you were going for vacation, how might you answer? Obviously, there are an infinite number of possibilities. One person might answer, “To Rome.” Another might say, “To the Grand Canyon,” or “To Disney World.” Others might say something along the lines of, “To my Grandma’s house,” or “To a basketball camp,” or “To visit a friend in Colorado.” You get the idea. But it’s pretty safe to say that if someone posed that question to any one of us --- “Where are you going for vacation this year?” --- we would certainly not say, “Well, we’re going to back out of the garage, go west down our street until we come to the second intersection, turn right at the first stoplight, then make a left, get on the expressway going south, etc. . . .” That really doesn’t seem like an appropriate response to the question. The question asked was about a destination, the unusual answer given in the example above was about how we intended to get there.

There’s a little bit of that type of thing going on in today’s Gospel passage from John. The conversation between Jesus and his disciples is familiar to many of us (and quite often chosen to be read at funerals).

Jesus begins by talking about dwelling places, and how he is going to prepare a place for his disciples. And then he says something that I think is a little puzzling. He says, “Where I am going you know the way.”

Notice that Jesus doesn’t say, “Where I am going you know the place.” No, Jesus takes the conversation in a somewhat different direction, moving from talking about a destination to talking about a journey --- a “way”--- to use his language. When Thomas inquires about this “way”, Jesus utters some of the most profound words in all of Scripture. “I am the way and the truth and the life.”

And this should tell us something about a life of faith, a life of discipleship, a life in God. Living as new creations is not only about the destination --- no matter how important that destination may be (and nothing can be more important than being alive in, with, and for God for all eternity). It’s also about the journey, the path, the means through which we experience life to the fullest, the “way”. And for us as Christians, the WAY is a person, the Lord Jesus in whom we put all our trust.

However --- trusting in, believing in, and having faith in the WAY (the Lord Jesus) is not a static thing. It’s dynamic, active, and alive. As disciples of the WAY, we are called to allow the Lord to enable us to embrace a particular way of life, a way of being, a way of thinking, and a way of seeing.

It’s not just about the “what” that we believe in faith. It’s the “how”--- it’s the continual journey of taking steps in faith wherever Jesus leads.

--- knowing perfectly well that at times we will mess up and need to be forgiven, at times we will become broken and wounded and need to be healed, and at times we will be confused and uncertain and will need to be comforted, guided, and reassured. That’s the journey of faith. That’s the pattern of our lives, the Paschal Mystery. That’s what it means to travel the WAY.

One vacation that people who love the outdoors often take is to hiked a portion of the Appalachian Trail. At over two-thousand miles there are plenty of places to get on and off the trail. Many people, called “thru-hikers” walk the entire trail at once (usually taking several months). Others walk it in segments, returning each year to walk another portion. While a few --- and this sounds unbelievable --- get to the end of the trail, turn around, and start hiking the other direction. I imagine that if you asked such a person, “Why do you keep on hiking?” they’d probably say something along the lines of, “It’s who I am.”

In the spiritual life it’s who we are too, people on a journey --- men and women who don’t simply focus on the destination, but who know the importance and beauty of the journey itself. And just as there are many shelters and places to stop on the Appalachian Trail, so too is it in our own spiritual lives.

The difference being, of course, that most of these points in our lives are often completely unknown to us,

don’t show up on the map we have created for ourselves, are not in our “plans”. The truth is, most of these small destinations on our faith journeys are unexpected stops, circumstances and experiences for which we could not have planned and which we would never have chosen had we had the chance. Such is life.

Yet, where we are on the journey is not nearly as important as the journey itself. When we say that we have faith in Jesus, it is more than mere words or a concept we form in our minds. No, when we say, “Jesus, I have faith in you, “we’re really saying, “Jesus, because of my faith, hope, and trust in you I am willing and eager to change, willing to be whomever you call me to be, willing to follow wherever you lead --- even though I might not see the path ahead.” The stops, like prayer and Mass, are pauses and refueling stations, on a great adventure, moments to gather ourselves, dust ourselves off, and venture once again into the unknown --- placing our steps in the footprints of our Lord, the Way.

This life matters --- all of it --- the complexities, the messiness, the struggles, the triumphs, and the sorrows. And so let’s embrace the journey of faith knowing Jesus is our guide through prayer and our strength and nourishment in the Eucharist. Union with him is our final destination and staying close to him is the Way.

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 22:54:48 GMT

4th Sunday of Easter Good Shepherd Sunday

Fourth Sunday of Easter – April 26, 2026

Readings: Acts 2:14a, 36–41 • 1 Peter 2:20b–25 • John 10:1–10

Follow the Good Shepherd to an abundant life.

Welcome to Good Shepherd Sunday. Why do you suppose the Church inserts a Gospel reading during the Easter Season in which Jesus refers to himself as a shepherd and a gate? He is, after all, resurrected and walking, speaking, and breaking bread amongst his disciples. Was that all he wanted to accomplish? No, he still has a message to teach his disciples to help develop them into his Church prior to Pentecost.

It is important to remember that even in his resurrection and ascension Jesus is not distant and aloof to our needs as his disciples. The simple, ordinary acts of relationship are what he continues with each of us every day. As a Shepherd and a Gate to the sheepfold he is ever present with us- guiding, caring for, and loving us. This is the important message he wanted to get through to us, his disciples. Knowing his watchful, loving presence we can boldly follow him to righteous and abundant living. He is our shepherd, guiding us through a perilous world, giving us confidence to share his Gospel, united with others in the fold of his Church.

This is also the Sunday when vocations to the priesthood are emphasized and encouraged. The Latin word for shepherd is

pastor, and to some extent all priests are shepherds, even if not all of them have the title of pastor. And by extension, we too as children of God are made priest, prophet, and king by our baptism. As priest, we too must shepherd those in our domestic church, our family.

The image of a shepherd is probably a straightforward one for most of us. A shepherd is a person tending to and responsible for the safety and care of his livestock. Jesus’ message was deeper than that. As the Gate to the sheepfold or pen, Jesus the Good Shepherd accounts for and protects his sheep, letting only them pass in and out of the pen through the gate for safety or to fertile pastures and a life of abundance. As the Gate, Jesus says, “Whoever enters through me will be saved.” He also says elsewhere, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” He is both the Way and the Gate, and the Way leads to eternal life, and the Gate opens up to it. What would make our lives more abundant? How can we live our lives more fully in the Lord?

Thieves and robbers await to “steal and slaughter and destroy” any disobedient or stray sheep- perhaps a casualty of an irresponsible shepherd or a broken gate. The thieves and the robbers are images of bad people or even bad things or ideas that threaten the good people in the flock and seek to lead them astray and hurt them. We know very well who those bad people are, what those bad things and ideas are; they are a temptation to us many times over the course of the day, often –but not only – via the internet and via our wandering eyes and thoughts. We need our Good Shepherd to protect us from evil inclinations that abound and surround us. What bad influences and occasions of sin do we encounter and should avoid? How can we re-orient our life’s path to follow the Lord more closely?

The Good Shepherd intimately knows his sheep. He calls them by name. They hear, know, and trust his voice to lead them to an abundant life. The Good Shepherd walks ahead of his flock, and the sheep willingly and obediently follow him. He does not drive behind them forcing them into compliance as with whips or sheep dogs. The sheep are entirely in his hands and depend absolutely upon him. Their relationship is understood and acceptable. What is the Lord calling you to do? Where is he leading you?

Now for a reality check. Sheep are pretty “low IQ” animals. My grandparents raised a pet baby lamb they named “Angelo”. Well, as “Angelo” grew up he became “Diablo Angelo”, a fallen angel for sure. Instead of running away from us “strangers”, he would run after us kids and knock us down. He was a pretty grumpy sheep. Perhaps in retrospect we are like sheep- we too can be, at times, ignorant, misguided, and grumpy sheep. How often do we go astray in our sin and get ourselves in trouble; fall victim to the evils around us- bad people, bad choices? We need to discern and listen to the voice of God, as John tells us, “For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.”

Jesus’ message to lead and develop his disciples into his Church continues today. His holiness, Pope Leo XIV is the shepherd of the universal Church. His excellency, Bishop Boyea, is chief shepherd and administrator to his diocese. Our own Fr. Nate is pastor or shepherd to the St. Agnes fold. We are the sheep following our shepherds as they call us to be fellow disciples in Christ. Through their leadership, in Word and sacrament, they guide us through the twisting, muddy paths of life to our salvation in the eternal sheepfold of heaven.

We too are called to be shepherds in our domestic church, the family. A happy and stable family provides the kind of environment in which to cultivate virtuous living. Parents are to be the first and

foremost teachers and preachers of the faith to their children. They are ultimately called to be the spiritual shepherds of their children, leading them to salvation in Christ. Consider in what ways you can be a good shepherd to your family?

Unlike the Pharisees in our Gospel reading, we know what Jesus is trying to tell us during this Easter season. Although we are an imperfect flock of sheep, we are to trust that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, will not let us be led astray by strangers, thieves, and robbers, but will lead, protect, and guide us all the way on our earthly pilgrimage and through the Gate to eternal life. May we always listen for and heed the voice of our Good Shepherd, to follow his lead- for our salvation and for the glory of God.

Third Sunday of Easter

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 18:10:03 GMT

“With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, . . .”

If you’ve ever bumped into someone you haven’t seen in a very long time you know that it can go one of two ways. One --- it can be a fun, joyful, surprising moment --- one in which the person immediately experiences an “I can’t believe it’s you!” moment. That’s usually followed by handshakes or hugs or smiles or whatever. But that doesn’t always happen. Sometimes we get the second possible experience --- the one in which the other person knows exactly who we are, but we find ourselves thinking, “Who is this?” And if the conversation is brief, without many cues provided, we might find ourselves walking away and still not knowing who we had just bumped into. And that can be more than a little frustrating --- a kind of “missed opportunity”.

The story we just heard is a familiar one, yet also a puzzling one. It’s the kind of story that makes some of us want to ask follow-up questions so that we can fill-in the blanks, that is, get the additional details we need to understand it better. And what immediately jumps into my mind is the question, “Did the two men on the road actually know Jesus before then? Had they personally met him or seen him before? If they did, then it seems that Jesus somehow kept them from recognizing him (as is stated by the text).

But that doesn’t explain the fact that later the text doesn’t say that JESUS opened their eyes. It just says that “their eyes were opened”. So maybe they knew ABOUT Jesus, but didn’t really know him --- at least not know him by sight or by having met him. So which is it? Wouldn’t that make a difference in how we are to understand the story?

Maybe not.

At its most basic level, this story is about our ability to recognize Jesus or not, our ability to be ready to encounter Jesus or miss the God who is standing before us, the God in our midst. And the ambiguity in the story (in a sense) allows it to cover all possibilities, the entire range of human experience. That means the story has meaning for us regardless of whether we sense the divine often or hardly ever, whether we feel God is close by or far away, whether we feel we know him well or whether we wonder if we’ve ever even met him before. And that’s because no matter where we find ourselves on that range of experiences, the truth is --- Jesus will always seem to be absent from the places we don’t expect him to be, always seem to be hiding (in plain sight) if our hearts and minds are closed to the possibility of seeing him, always seem to be distant if we never expect him to be close.

In other words, God wants us to see him, experience him, and recognize him in places, experiences, and people we would never expect --- “encounter” him where we can’t imagine he would ever be.

In the boss we don’t like and in co-worker who is our best friend. In the neighbor who drives us crazy and in the one who always shovels our snow for free. In the person who “has it all together” and in the person whose life is a hot mess. In the college acceptance letter and even in the college rejection letter. In the most virtuous person we know and in the person who makes bad choice after bad choice, wrong turn after wrong turn. In church and in the supermarket. In our prayers at night and in the little league game we’re cheering at (no matter if our kid’s team eventually wins or loses). In the believer and (maybe to your surprise) in the non-believer.

Even at this sacred, holy meal we share week after week, year after year.

These God-moments are what we call “grace” --- our God pouring out his very life, his very self into our world and every person in it --- immersing himself and revealing himself in countless ways. He’s walking with us all the time, accompanying us on our journey --- wanting nothing more than for us to be aware of him, to recognize him, to listen to him, to be astounded by him. Yet too often our eyes remain closed, our hearts hardened by cynicism, our minds distracted by more things than we can count, our attention focused mostly on ourselves and earthly things.

Yet, God doesn’t abandon us in those moments, doesn’t turn around and head in a different direction, looking for someone else who will pay attention to him. He just keeps walking with us, saying to us over and over again, “I’m right here….I’m right here.”

The challenge is to not let these opportunities, these holy moments, these profound encounters pass us by. And if I make it sound easy, I don’t mean to. It’s not. It takes expecting to meet him in the unexpected. It takes pausing during these moments (especially the difficult ones) and asking ourselves . . .

Where is God in this experience? Where is God in this person? What is God trying to tell me, show me, teach me, reveal to me? And maybe most importantly --- can I see God actually gifting himself to me in this experience or this person that doesn’t really look or feel like a gift at all?

In other words, am I ready to let God come to me on his terms rather than on mine? How we answer that question might not just make a few moments more meaningful, it might just change the way we experience every single day of the rest of our lives.

Second Sunday of Easter Divine Mercy Sunday

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 13:03:08 GMT

2nd Sunday of Easter Divine Mercy Sunday

Second Sunday of Easter – Divine Mercy Sunday April 12, 2026

Readings: Acts 2:42–47 • 1 Peter 1:3–9 • John 20:19–31 Dcn. Bill Kenney

Today’s readings are filled with an array of human emotions such as peace, mercy, doubt, and fear. The Apostles were just beginning their community of faith amidst the chaos of the death of their Master. These scripture readings could as well illustrate our own present-day faith life. Droves of Gen Xers are finding the Church with great joy. Others are leaving the Church choosing “ spiritual but not religious, unattached belief”.

Thomas’ doubt and his subsequent profound belief is a type of our own journey of faith. How can we relate with Thomas? Have we allowed doubt and fear to overtake our faith? Each time we fall out of grace with God through our sin we show our doubt. We doubt his Word, his commandments, and his covenant with us, even his true presence in the Eucharist. St. John’s narrative of Thomas is a story of reconciliation and the belief and trust that Jesus does not define us by our moments of doubt. It is an account written for our benefit that we, “… may come to believe [without seeing] that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name”. Truly, as the hymn goes and Saint Paul tells us, “we walk by faith and not by sight, yet we believe Him near”.

Thomas wanted empirical evidence, to see and touch Jesus before believing in his Resurrection. He wouldn’t even take the word of others whom he loved and trusted. He had witnessed miraculous healings, feeding of thousands, raising of the dead, and even the torturous death of “…the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” How could he not believe? The fact is, as stated in 1 Corinthians, without the Resurrection, there is no salvation. Without salvation, there is no need for the Church and our faith and preaching are in vain. Thanks be to God for the truth of the glorious resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and his victory over sin and death for our salvation!

We can appreciate Thomas’ skepticism when we face condemnation and “cancel culture” biases for our faith within secular society. It’s tough to stick your neck out for your faith, yet that is exactly what we are called to do. Our Church Bulletin is filled with missions for faith, prayer, service, and charity. These are meant to send us out as the Apostles were, overcoming our fear with a strong belief, trust, and love of Christ, doing God’s will. How do our fears keep us from loving and serving our needy brothers and sisters?

Thomas’ eyes of faith were opened when his bodily eyes beheld Jesus’ crucifixion marks. Likewise, the eyes of faith were opened for our OCIA Neophytes at their reception of the sacraments at the Easter Vigil. They join us ALL now in the phase of Mystagogy: the mystery and life-long continuous conversion of our souls to greater faith and union with Christ. What conversion of mind, heart, and life is the Lord asking of you?

Our conversion is enhanced with the advantage of knowing martyrs and Saints who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith. We recount the revelations of Jesus to St. Faustina on this Divine Mercy Sunday. Jesus referred to her as the "Secretary of My most profound mystery". Our faith is strengthened by our trust in Jesus for his great mercy.

We celebrate Jesus’ Divine Mercy through the institution of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Jesus gave the Apostles the power of binding and loosening our sins; to offer reconciliation with the Father. Jesus’ mercy knows no bounds. His mercy endures forever.

We will not be condemned for even our doubts. We are forgiven when we go to confession and proclaim with a contrite heart, “Jesus, I trust in you”. - Have mercy on me a sinner. As Jesus told the Apostles, “Peace be with you”, so will we find his peace most especially in the confessional.

Like Thomas we too can see and touch Jesus- his body and blood- each time we receive Holy Communion. At the elevation of the sacred body and blood we might internally echo the words from the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, “Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, soul and divinity of your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.“ And like Thomas, before each time we receive the Eucharist, we can also pray with fervent belief, “My Lord and my God”.

In our daily prayers reflect upon:

· How we can become witnesses to Jesus’ Resurrection in our daily lives.

· How we can, through the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, share our experiences of faith in word and action.

· How his unfathomable Divine Mercy is abundantly emptied upon us if we only turn to him in trust and love.

· How we believe Christ is present in the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist, ”…and that through this belief you may have life in his name”.

Lord Jesus, strengthen us with a profound belief in your resurrection. I do believe; help my unbelief. Help us to overcome our doubts and fears. Arm us with your Spirit to proclaim the Gospel and bring others to Christ. May all our words, works, and our joyful demeanor reveal our belief and trust in you, for our salvation and for the glory of God.

Easter Sunday Resurrection of the Lord

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 17:45:05 GMT

After our repentant journey through Lent, and walking with Jesus through Holy Thursday and his Passion on Good Friday, now is the time for joy. Joy as we gather to rejoice in our incredible God --- a God who refused to turn his back on us, and refused to wash his hands of the whole affair (as Pilate did) as if to say, “It’s not my problem.”

Rather he took our problems upon himself, our mistakes, our disobedience, our self-centeredness --- that is, all of our sin upon himself --- and in the process, in that saving act, he changed absolutely everything. No longer would humanity have to embrace the attitude, “Well, it’s always been this way.” Instead, he gave us the opportunity to begin down a new path, with new priorities, new purpose and new hope.

Now, WE would no longer have to be who we had always been. He rose so that we can rise with him --- that is, so that we can experience an Easter for each Good Friday we are faced with. Even the Good Friday we will experience at the end of our lives is not the end of the story. Something more beautiful awaits. The empty tomb assures us of that.

In one sense this incredible loving act came to us completely from the outside, from the utter graciousness of God. God redeems. God saves. God destroyed death forever. And we will forever be unable to be thankful enough for it. And in no way will we ever be able to repay it. That’s simply impossible. That is the God we have!

But make no mistake about it, although salvation came from without, from “beyond” so-to-speak, it was won from within --- won by Jesus --- our God who entered our world the first Christmas in a profound and humble and concrete way. And that should tell us something. You see, God didn’t just “wave his hand” (figuratively) and make things better (although he certainly could have). No, this was an “inside” job.

And that’s partly because God had to make sure we know just how much we are loved, make sure we know how precious we are in his eyes, make sure we know that we are not forgotten, and make sure we know that we don’t have to make this journey alone. Our God will always be making this journey with us, if we let Him. Our God will always be by our side and within our hearts --- guiding us and comforting us. And our God will always give us chance after chance after chance --- forgiving us and picking us up and drying our tears and pointing us in the right direction again and again and again.

Put simply --- Jesus’ saving act might have been a once-in-history moment. That is true. He reconciled us to the Father in a way we could never do on our own. But the power of that act is not a singular kind of thing. Rather, it’s meant to be a day-after-day, year-after-year, generation-after-generation transformation of each and every human soul open to the power of it, the transformation of each and every human heart. In a very real sense, Jesus died to make each of us different --- truly different --- more alive, more loving, more connected --- that is, bring us into true “communion” with our loving God.

Are we?

That’s really the challenge of this holy day. Yes --- today is a day to rejoice. Absolutely. Yes --- today is a day to give our deepest and most sincere thanks. Yes --- today is a day to be filled with hope and optimism. Yes --- Easter is a time to gather with family and friends and eat great food and hunt for Easter eggs and eat a year’s worth of candy in one day. But it’s also a time to reflect --- reflect on the ways we will choose to respond (or not respond) to what we believe in faith, choose to respond (or not respond) in love to our God who has loved us completely.

Will we reach out to others the way God reached out to us?

Will we find ways to “lay down our lives”, as Jesus did?

Will we forgive the things that seem unforgivable?

Will we refuse to pursue revenge, refuse to answer violence with violence?

Will we be truly generous, with our time, our gifts, our resources or will we simply give from our leftovers?

Put simply --- will we faithfully love?

Jesus laid down his life, in love for us. And he did it to show us that we become truly alive, when we lay down our lives for him and others.

Challenge of Easter is to not just simply say “thanks” today and go back to doing things the way we’ve always done them thus making the death and resurrection of Jesus not mean very much.

Rather, as people redeemed, we give thanks the only way that truly matters --- by more completely dedicating our lives to Jesus, by striving to be faithful, active, committed, loving Disciples, by worshiping God with heart, mind, soul.

Jesus is risen!

How can we, by our lives, live in such a way… that we boldly show the world - that Jesus has risen in us?

Holy Thursday - Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 13:11:14 GMT

Parents teach their children. You parents out there know this is the case. And these “teachings” can be for good or for bad, helpful or hurtful. Some are taught deliberately --- through tasks, lectures and smart discipline. Other things get “taught” because, as you know, kids are sponges and mimic the behaviors of adults around them. Of course, every adult here was a child once, and almost always sees things in themselves that they first saw in their parents. Even in matters of faith the Church asserts that parents are truly the ones who bear the first responsibility to make sure what they believe gets passed on to their sons and daughters. The baptismal rite says as much. Yes, parents explicitly and implicitly and sometimes even accidentally teach their sons and daughters all sorts of things.

Now, I want all of you parents out there to consider one particular question for a second. If you could have your children remember only one thing from all the hundreds, maybe thousands of things you have taught them over their lifetimes, what would that one thing be?

That’s not an easy question, is it?

What is most important for them to remember?

I’m guessing that if I asked a hundred of you that question - I’d get at least eighty different answers. And that’s ok. We’re not all the same, nor are our children all the same.

We just heard a passage from John’s Gospel that shows Jesus in this very predicament, in this very situation. Jesus knows that his death is near. And he is in the presence of his best friends, the ones who have been by his side for several years --- listening to him, watching the things he did traveling about from town to town. And there was a lot packed into a short time. The stories. The miracles. The explanations. The scolding of the self-righteous. The demonstrations of mercy and compassion and forgiveness and kindness. The reaching out to those on the margins. He had TAUGHT them a lot (through word and deed). And now, it was sort of coming to the end. And Jesus only has time to remind them of one teaching, one lesson, one thing that he wanted to make sure they understood and that they would never forget.

And so he washes their feet.

And tells them they must do the same. His last wish.

At least this is what John chooses to include in his depiction of that fateful night. The other three Gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, don’t include this detail. Rather, they describe at length the sacred meal that took place (which John chose to omit).

And so, it might seem that Jesus was actually teaching them two things that night, two final wishes, two teachings that were meant to stand in a place of importance in the hearts and minds of those who called Jesus friend, brother, Lord.

But are they really two? Two different teachings?

For many of the faithful tonight’s Liturgy is sort of their personal “favorite” of the entire Church year. It really is quite beautiful and meaningful. So many “Catholic” things on display. So many feelings and emotions. So many profound things to contemplate and be grateful for. It really is such a special night. And the two pillars it rests on, are Eucharist (and the ordained priesthood that is intimately linked to it) and the washing of feet. And the amazing thing is, they aren’t separate at all. They are simply two essential parts of what it means to authentically embrace our faith, two parts of what it means to be a true Catholic, a true Christian, a true disciple of Jesus.

Put simply --- we share in the one so that we can do the other, RECEIVE Jesus so that we can BE Jesus, turn to God for strength and nourishment and guidance and inspiration and forgiveness --- that is, for true communion --- so we can bring those very things to others, do those very things for others, BE those very things for others.

In other words --- what we do around the Sacred Altar, who we receive in this holy meal, is not to be seen in some sort of isolation, as some kind of spiritual gift we “get” for ourselves and cling to tightly. Rather, the Eucharist is meant to transform us, help us actually become the One whom we receive. That means that if we come before the altar time and time again but never wash the feet of others --- never care for our brothers and sisters --- then God will not have achieved in us and through us what he wants to achieve. Rather, what was meant to be a channel of grace has become an obstacle, what was meant to be life-giving has been anything but, what was meant to be shared has been hidden away.

That’s the challenge of this holy night --- to take all our gratitude and pay it forward through acts of love, take this heavenly, divine, food into our bodies and hearts and minds so that we can be more beautiful than we were yesterday, more merciful than we were yesterday, more compassionate and forgiving and generous than we were yesterday.

And so, every time we share in the communion of Jesus may we not forget that that’s only part of what God the Father calls us to. The other part --- that’s up to us the moment we walk out the door into the world --- a world in desperate need of Jesus. The amazing thing is that the ones called and sent on this mission, are you and me.

And God never wants us, his children, to forget that.

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 12:21:29 GMT

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Fifth Sunday of Lent

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 10:41:14 GMT

5th Sunday of Lent, The Third Scrutiny Yr. A

Ref.: Jn. 11:1-44 Humanity in his tears Mar. 21/ 22, 2026 Dcn. Bill Kenney

One of the most revered stigmatists and mystics of the 20th century was St. Padre Pio, an Italian Capuchin priest. Last October we made a pilgrimage to San Giovani Rotondo, Italy to view his body lying there in- state. He professed that, “tears are the work of God in you," suggesting their divine origin and power to irrigate the stirrings of our hearts. Our tears can be understood as a gift from the Holy Spirit uniting our suffering with the sufferings of Christ for personal sanctification.

Babies spontaneously cry for all sorts of reasons. As we grow older, it’s not possible, nor should we try, to hold back the tears of joy at births and happiness at weddings or tears of mourning at death and distress at illness. There’s every occasion to cry at a good book, movie or song. Deep emotional tearing is uniquely human amongst God’s creation. It expresses our solidarity for God’s will to be done in and through us.

Created in the image and likeness of God, we are called to be like Jesus Christ in both his humanity and his divinity. Through his incarnation, Jesus is fully man and fully God. We often focus our thoughts and prayers of Jesus on his divinity. The awesome power and wonder of Jesus’ miracles, or signs pointing to a divine grace, certainly capture our attention. The raising of Lazarus, pointing to Jesus’ and our own resurrection, is a prime example. Arguably, one of his greatest miracles, the power of Jesus’ divinity is on full display to mournful onlookers, as Jesus, speaking to the Father says, “…I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me.” We adore and praise his divinity.

“And Jesus wept” is one of the shortest verses in the Bible, yet it is lengthy in meaning and symbolism. Jesus’ humanity is perhaps no better expressed than in this verse. It expresses the anguish Jesus felt over the pain and sorrow his friends Mary, Martha, and others, were suffering at the death of Lazarus. To "weep" often implies a prolonged and impassioned deep grief. Jesus wept for love of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary and knew what he was going to do. Have you ever felt the peace and consolation that God had heard and answered your prayers through your weeping?

Throughout his Gospel, John identifies the divinity of Jesus- his oneness with and in God; from the beginning, the Word. St. Martha proclaims Jesus as, “…the Messiah, the Son God”. Yet, John is also careful to insist that Jesus is at the same time completely human. As a human person, Jesus loves, weeps, feels fatigue and anguish, gets suspicious and perturbed; he thirsts, walks, sleeps, hungers, prays, and most notably, dies a most agonizing human death. All these references to Jesus’ humanity tell us he can relate with our daily struggles: our weaknesses and temptations and can deliver us from them as our redeemer and Savior. How does having an all-powerful divine Savior who lived as we live, except in sin, help you to realize a more personal relationship with him?

Each time we partake of the true presence of his body and blood in the holy Eucharist, we grow in the humanity and divinity of Jesus. We softly pray during the preparation of the gifts, “By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity.”

The Eucharist is a lasting remedy for our body and soul to become more like Christ.

During our earthly pilgrimage, we live in a “valley of tears” where we continue to shed tears of joy and sorrow. May we one day rise to new life in Jesus’ Kingdom following the Paschal Mystery of his divine Passion, death, and resurrection. May we one day share his heavenly banquet, where, “ He will wipe every tear from our eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away.” May we, especially our OCIA Elect, “Come out” as Lazarus did, to the calling of our Lord to new life this Easter, recognizing his divinity and humanity in our lives, for our salvation and for the glory of God.

Fourth Sunday of Lent

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 10:13:52 GMT

Lift the fog to see the Light

St. Augustine once said, "Faith is to believe what you do not see;

the reward of this faith is to see what you believe."

On our recent trip to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida one of the spectacular sights to see was the launch of a Space-X rocket. We were excited to actually see our first live launch. At the 7am launch, a dense fog rolled in off the ocean; we couldn’t see 100 feet in front of us! No matter, the rocket took off. We could hear and feel the thundering rocket engines- and that was impressive, but due to the fog we couldn’t see even a flicker of light. Unless it was an audio “deep fake”, we believe it did indeed launch.

So much of making that experience memorable depends on seeing the awesome power of the rocket flames piercing the sky. Isn’t that like our faith life? Throughout our lives we search through the fog for a burning light of faith, of hope, wonder, and awe to guide us to our true light, Jesus Christ.

In our readings today, Samuel, the disciples, the blind man’s neighbors, and the Pharisees find their vision clouded in darkness. They can’t quite see what or who is in front of them. Samuel, a great “seer” of his day, had to have his eyes and heart illumined to see that David was the one to be anointed. The disciples falsely

see the man’s blindness as caused by his or his parent’s sins. Jesus quickly enlightens them. The neighbor’s lack of sight clouds their judgement and the light of truth. The Pharisees ramble in the confusion of darkness. They can’t see the miracle and the Light before them but only stumble through false arguments in envy and rage to accuse Jesus of a crime. They prefer the darkness of their assumptions to the true Light of the World.

While the blind man in the Gospel lived in darkness all his life, it is those who have sight that fail to see God in front of them. Jesus cures his blindness, but it is only through his fiat, his “yes” to believing in the Son of Man before him, that his eyes of faith are opened and he truly sees the Light. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will have the light of life” (Jn 8:12).

We all walk in the fog of sin. This fog is lifted by the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is through this sacrament that the flame of light and love within us is enkindled to shine forth the light of Christ to others. This is also symbolically represented at the upcoming Easter Vigil Mass when the flame of the Paschal candle becomes our flame passed one to another shining its light upon us and each Candidate and Catechumen.

The light of faith is within us, switched on at our baptism. It starts as an ember and, by the grace of God, it grows into an inferno to enlighten the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all people we encounter. This flame is further stoked at each liturgy of the Eucharist.

Analogous to the blind man, the liturgy of the Eucharist takes place through seeing the bread and the wine offered as our humble gifts. Then, by the power and love of God, it becomes the transfigured, consecrated true presence of Jesus. We can then see with the eyes of faith a renewed life within us as we partake of his sacred body and blood.

We celebrate this Fourth Sunday of Lent called Laetere or Rejoice Sunday as a day of hope with Easter at last within sight. To mark this mid-point of Lent, as with the Advent wreath candle on Gaudete Sunday, the Lenten purple is lightened to the rose color. At this point in our Lenten journey, let us ask in confidence and rejoicing for the fog in our lives to be lifted, for the grace to see — to see ourselves, our shortcomings and blessings, but most of all to see and follow the Light of Christ — so that we may “live as children of light” to love and serve the Lord and each other, for our salvation and for the glory of God

Third Sunday of Lent

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 17:06:06 GMT

If you’ve ever had a really severe toothache, you know it is pretty awful. How does something so small cause so much pain? And, if it’s bad enough a person will do just about anything to make it stop.

All we want to do in that situation is get as fast as we can to the person who can make it better. And we are probably willing to pay whatever it costs to make the pain go away. If everything goes as planned, the relief we feel can be incredible. “Thank God I never have to go through that again,” we might think to ourselves. And for many of us, what happens at some point in time? We get another one. Rarely is a terrible toothache (or any other painful thing) a singular event. If we live long enough, we’re almost sure to experience multiple health aches and pains.

Many things in life are this way. And they occur in all sorts of areas of our lives. Many of these things are random in nature. And there isn’t much we can do to avoid them. But others are not as random and can come about because of something we fail to learn.

How many of us as children would get hurt doing something reckless, yet continue to do that very thing over and over again? I am reminded of a sibling who will remain nameless who loved to shout “Don’t try this at home!,” and then proceed to do something risky.

How many of us, get into romantic relationships with people for the same wrong reasons over and over and over again? “I won’t make that mistake next time.” But then we do. How many of us give in to some sort of temptation and are convinced that we won’t succumb to that temptation again?

How many of us think that if we just carefully select the right spouse, our life will be easy and perfect? Or if we achieve a certain level of financial security we’ll never have to worry again. Or the next drink will be my last. Or the next pill. Or I’ll just do this bad thing (maybe even something criminal) this one time to get myself out of a jam and that will be the end of it. You get the idea.

In other words, almost nothing in life has a guarantee of permanence, a guarantee that it will last forever (for good or for bad). Sometimes things work out that way in a particular circumstance, but most things come and go. They’re here one second and gone the next. Good one moment and not so good the next. We’ll do something to alleviate a particularly negative thing (a completely worthwhile pursuit) yet somehow it (or something similar) comes back around.

Or we do things that bring us a certain amount of joy (another completely worthwhile pursuit) --- yet that joy only lasts a very short time. Everything, it seems, is fleeting.

“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; . . .”

Now, Jesus says this statement in the middle of a strange and puzzling conversation with the woman at the well. The two of them start out talking about one thing but pretty soon are talking about something else altogether. This ordinary, daily chore had become a teaching moment, a challenging moment, a transformational moment. Jesus knows exactly what to say in every situation, always knows exactly what we need to hear.

It’s easy to go through life relying most on what we can see and touch. In many respects, these earthly physical things seem more ‘real” than spiritual things, things we are asked to believe in faith, things that can’t exactly be proved to us (in the usual way we use that word). When a person is hungry --- food sounds way more important than God. When a person is sick ---- getting well sounds way more important than God. When a person is in danger --- getting to safety sounds way more important than God. When a person has no money --- getting a job sounds way more important than God. And when a person is terribly lonely ---making a friend sounds way more important than God.

And you know what? The pursuit of those things does not necessarily have to take the place of God. They’re not in true competition with him. And so we should try to meet those needs, should try to improve those situations. In fact, in doing so we are almost certainly doing what God wants, cooperating with his grace.

Even Jesus in the story we just heard asked the woman at the well for a drink of water before saying anything else. In other words, being faithful doesn’t mean we can’t pursue trying to meet our earthly human needs and things that make us happy, and certainly doesn’t mean we can’t do things to try to alleviate our pain or our sorrow or our disappointment.

But what they aren’t supposed do is get in the way of going to the well, get in the way of our journey into holiness, get in the way of our relationship with the only ONE who can guarantee us love, compassion, understanding, mercy, forgiveness and ultimately, SALVATION. Even things such as happiness, joy, peace, meaning, hope, and every other good thing can only come about through the grace of the ONE who is all of those things.

And so, as we continue through Lent we reflect on how deeply we want or deeply we think we need certain things in our lives. And then, we can strive to make sure they are aligned with our faith and our desire for God and holiness. In fact, our hearts will always be restless until they rest in God, who is - in the end - all we need.

He’s the life-giving water for a thirst this world can’t quench.

Second Sunday of Lent

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 13:02:57 GMT

Many people enjoy playing poker or even enjoy watching other people play poker. And one of the most exciting things that can happen at one point or another is a player making a risky move --- when they dramatically push all of their chips into the pot and go “all in”.

Betting it all. Not holding anything back. And players usually don’t make this move in an impulsive way. They do so only when the situation is exactly right, when they realize that this is the smartest move, the one that could change everything --- in some sense, the ONLY move.

Going “all in” is not as easy as it sounds. It can be difficult, even frightening at times. For example, taking out a big mortgage is a kind of going all in. Heading off to a college far from home is a kind of going all in. So is accepting a job offer for a position that will demand a lot. Or going sky diving. Or agreeing to a complicated surgical procedure. Or making a marriage proposal, or saying “yes” to such a proposal. Going all in can be a challenging thing to do --- even when we know it’s the right thing to do.

“Jesus led them up a high mountain and was transfigured before them.”

It’s interesting to think about this event in the life of Jesus and wonder why he chose to do this, at this moment, in front of these three people. There might be more than one reason, more than one thing Jesus (and/or God the Father) was hoping to accomplish. But I think there is one logical possibility, one reason that makes perfect sense.

You see, up to this point Peter, James, and John (and others) had quite a few unique experiences with Jesus. He had said some pretty remarkable, insightful things. He told stories with endings that were unpredictable. He performed miracles and things that couldn’t be easily explained. And he spoke with a certain kind of authority. And that might have been enough (maybe even enough for us had we seen those things). But, in a sense, Jesus couldn’t take a chance --- couldn’t risk that Peter, James, and John might have somehow misunderstood the situation, what he had been saying and who he was.

Jesus needed to give them a powerful reason to trust him, to listen to him, to follow him, to remain “all in”. Are we still all in?

That can be a difficult question to answer. And I don’t mean just “kind of” difficult. No, this can be one of the most difficult things we will ever contemplate doing. And so, one of our “goals” during this holy season is to reflect on this critical question --- and be honest about what we discover.

How committed are we? How in love with Jesus are we? Exactly how far are we willing to go? How much of us and our calendars are we handing over to him, surrendering to him, giving to him to use as he sees fit? Or are we only “in” part-way, only a little committed? Lent can help us wrestle with these important spiritual questions.

But there is another implication we must consider. You see, Peter, James, and John probably needed another reason to believe and trust, needed to see something in Jesus they had never seen before. And things are no different today. Each of us, in a certain sense, needs our own “transfiguration moment” --- that is, needs to encounter Jesus, needs to see something that reveals more clearly who Jesus is, needs to see him transfigured --- white as light, shining a divine experience, divine revelation upon us.

And each of us not only needs to have that experience, but also needs to help others have that experience.

There are people we know, who need more reasons to remain committed, to get on board, to give their life over to Jesus, to follow him more closely, to be “all-in”. And it’s up to each of us to be that person, to be someone who gives other people reasons to believe and to trust and to hope. Are we that person?

Do people look at each of us and see someone who radiates hope… radiates kindness…radiates forgiveness, compassion and love?

In other words, do people look at us and see the face of God?

Or do we show them something else?

This Lent, may we pray for the ability to have our own transfiguration moments, to be able to see our loving God in the Eucharist before us and in the people and situations around us, leading us to be more committed than ever, more committed to going “all in”.

But at the same time let’s remember to be that person who is willing to lead others up the mountain --- that is, be a person who is willing to radiate the love of Jesus in such a way that it gives people one more reason to fall in love with the One who is love.

First Sunday of Lent

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 18:38:44 GMT

First Sunday of Lent – February 22, 2026

Obedience unto the Lord during Lent and always. Dcn. Bill Kenney

In our Gospel reading Satan tries to exploit any possible weakness in the human nature of the god-man, Jesus Christ. Afterall, he learned that Adam and Eve from our Genesis reading were weak humans, easy pickings to fall prey to his temptations. Because of their pride and disobedience, they were not, as we pray, “delivered from evil”. While Satan handed God’s “good” creation a terrible blow of original sin, God would have his total victory over sin and death through his son, our savior Jesus Christ. From Romans: “For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so, through the obedience of the one, the many will be made righteous.”

Matthew recounts to us how Jesus is confronted in the desert by the “tempter”, a title that even insinuates an evil disposition. Jesus is tempted three times- all secular desires: self-serving and presumptuous power, celebrity, and pride. As we heard, in complete obedience to the Father, Jesus responds to Satan by quoting Scripture, the Word and Law of the Lord. It was no contest. Jesus is the living Word and the devil has no power over him, not even in his upcoming death. Jesus tells him. in all authority, “Get away Satan!”

This Gospel account is written, as is all Scripture, on our behalf- that we may know and participate in God’s plan and will for our lives. - to grow in relationship through trust and obedience to his word in Scripture and his Word, Jesus Christ, for our eternal salvation.

The Last Temptation of Christ is a controversial, if not blasphemous novel written by Nikos Kazantzakis. It is a fictional depiction of a supposed conflict between the human and divine natures of Jesus. It focuses on a "last temptation" -the implanted desire to avoid the sacrifice of the crucifixion and live a mortal life, offered by Satan to Jesus while he was on the cross. This story highlights the human condition we face in our daily lives- our fallibility, our weakness to sin- in contrast to the awesome power and glory of our divine Savior overcoming darkness and evil. Out of great love for us and great obedience to the Father, we know the truth: how Jesus fulfilled the plan of the Father to redeem our souls, to reunite us with our Creator and usher in his Kingdom, of which the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

The heart of the issue is whether you, in humble obedience, serve and worship God, or not. And if you’re not serving God, you’re ultimately serving the devil. As Bob Dylan, of whom I’m a big fan, sang, “It may be the devil or it may be the Lord but you’re gonna have to serve somebody”. Who are you serving? Simply put, are you doing what God wants you to do? Do you regularly discern what God wants you to do with your time, talent, and treasure? Do you open your heart to invite him into your daily decisions so as to remain faithful to his plan for you?

Galatians 5:25 states, "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." We must imitate Jesus’ example of obedience- overcoming temptations of the flesh to follow the Father’s divine will. That’s why Lent is a penitential season- to forsake the sins of the flesh and get us back in the Spirit. That’s why we need to worship at Mass every week and receive the Holy Eucharist. That’s why we need to have a daily prayer life, to be rooted in Scripture, to pray devotionals like the Rosary; to spend time with Christ in Adoration, in order that we might be rooted in Christ. He succeeded where Adam failed. He shows us the way to all righteousness. We must walk in the Spirit. In our sorrow for our sins we pray, “Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me.” If we don’t walk in the Spirit, we give the devil a chance to work on us, to move us away from God, and, in the end, we clandestinely serve him.

We live in both a pragmatic physical world and a mysterious spiritual world. Perhaps our temptations from the devil are more subtle than they were with Jesus in the desert. The devil may not manifest himself and tell you his evil desires. In that respect, living a holy life can be especially difficult. We need to be united in the Spirit to discern our choices that they are in line with God’s providence for each of us and as a People of God. How, for example, are R-rated movies or worse subtly numbing our Christian family, morals and values? Perhaps we’re numbed by the indulgences of the clothing, or lack thereof, illicit drugs, sexual promiscuity, and profane language that litter our televisions, theaters, red-carpet award shows, Superbowls, and even commercials anymore. Not to mention the temptations we face on the Internet. There are many “low-hanging-fruit” opportunities for giving up some subtle evil in our lives. Pick one, but instead of taking a bite of it and digesting its evil, throw it out of your life.

Throughout this Lenten season, may we grow in trust to love and serve the Lord. May the Lord “create in us a clean heart and renew within us a steadfast Spirit” that through our self-sacrificial offerings of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving we may grow in obedience and grace, not as an end to themselves, but for the greater glory of God.

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 13:41:09 GMT

Sixth Sunday in O.T.

Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time – Feb. 15, 2026

Rdgs: Ps. 119:1–2, • Sir.15:15-20 • Mat. 5:17–37

The Law of the Lord in our hearts- Dcn. Bill Kenney

Many of us can recall the soon-to-be “Beatified” Bishop Fulton J. Sheen- one of our great modern-era orators. His “Life is Worth Living” television show touched the hearts of millions helping them to grow in faith and love for our Lord. According to Bishop Sheen, “…the Law of the Lord is perfect because it is the blueprint for human happiness and sanctification, guiding the soul toward its ultimate union with God.”

In previous weeks we have heard the happiness or “Beatitudes” of following a Christian way of life; our calling to be the salt and light of the world in living our Christian faith; and today, Jesus continues his Sermon on the Mount with a discourse of God’s Law as it should be understood and written in our hearts.

We hear in Matthew’s Gospel that Jesus did not come to abolish the Law of the Torah as given by God to Moses and the prophets, but to fulfill it. He fulfills it not only prophetically as the coming Messiah, but in his mission to proclaim the Kingdom of God and the love of God in our hearts. He qualifies his divine authority to magnify the Law when he says, “You have heard it said, …but I say…” . He expounds upon the legalism of the Law to drill deeper into the meaning of the Law. He attacks the root cause of the sin proclaimed in the Law: anger can lead to murder; lust can lead to adultery; greed is a kind of theft; we must swear oaths to cover unscrupulous words. Jesus is calling us to a deeper, greater holiness of the Law by eliminating circumstances in our daily living that cause us to sin and forsake our Christian moral virtues. He is calling us, “To be perfect, just as our Father in Heaven is perfect.”

And how can we reach such “perfection”. Is it even possible outside of heaven? Just because our world is imperfect God does not give us free license to also be imperfect. We try, we strive for holiness, but in the midst of our fallen human nature, we sin. To guide us on a path to holiness we must follow the Law of the Lord, written in our hearts- hearts which convey our inner thoughts and being, expressed in our words and actions.

The Catholic Church teaches us her wisdom and grace to lead a holy life as established by: Sacred Scripture, the Catechism, the Church Fathers, Popes, and Bishops, like Fulton Sheen, Saints, and religious teachers, and others.

Central to the Law of the Lord is our Christian moral living. All moral law comes from God. Apart from God, left to our mortal devises, we fall into sin- as did Adam and Eve. We need the grace of the Holy Spirit to guide our choices and decisions to consider first, what is the morally right thing to think, say, or do, or, as the saying goes, “What Would Jesus Do”?

Our hearts must have a clean tablet of conscience for the Law to be written upon. Our conscience gives witness to the Law of the Lord written in our hearts and helps us to discern right from wrong. Our conscience reveals to us the truth and freedom of making choices in the service of what is good and just. Regularly clean the tablet of your conscience in the sacrament of Reconciliation and through reception of the Holy Eucharist.

We should always pray and ask God to help us make good decisions in accordance with his Law. Not only major decisions and choices we face in our lives, but even the day to day small, but potentially impactful decisions we choose to make.

Lent is just around the corner, starting on Ash Wednesday. And so, now is the time to think of how we’ll choose the good and avoid the bad decisions in our lives. What are those spiritual practices I’m going to take on — extra prayer, such as Stations of the Cross?, daily Mass and Rosary? Moreover, how can I prepare and choose to live the Law of the Lord in my heart every day? Perhaps by:

· choosing to be patient with others,

· choosing to give a comforting word, glance, or smile to someone in need,

· choosing an hour of prayer at Adoration instead of phone, computer, or TV time.

· choosing to give your time and efforts in service to the Church and community.

The Law of the Lord is written in our hearts but is expressed in our witness and love for neighbor when we consider, “What Would Jesus Do?” May we be blessed and follow the Law of the Lord for our happiness and sanctification, guiding our soul toward eternal salvation to forever give all praise and glory to God.

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 13:46:13 GMT

As you can imagine, before being ordained as a priest or deacon a person must get a certain amount of structured education. That’s one of the main responsibilities of seminaries and diocesan diaconate programs. In other words, there is a certain amount of “stuff” that the Church feels we must know in order to fulfill our ministerial duties in the best way possible. And this “knowledge” spans many areas --- theology, philosophy, Church history, Scripture, Sacraments… Some people in formation love these sorts of things and others would like to be able to leapfrog over some of these requirements. But in either case, one kneels before the bishop “knowing” a lot more than he did before he began the whole process.

This can be both a blessing and a curse. In one sense, it’s important to have all this stuff in our heads. It helps us preach. It helps us teach. It helps us say the right things at weddings and funerals and in the confessional and at a person’s bedside. But the “curse” of having had a lot of formal education in the faith is that we can sometimes get all caught up in our heads over these sorts of matters. In other words, “faith” can start to become just an assortment of statements or explanations or arguments.

Faith, in these circumstances, becomes just “thinking the right stuff”. The challenge is to allow our intellectual knowledge to move our hearts to act in love.

“. . . so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.”

So says Paul to the people of Corinth. He starts this particular passage by telling them (essentially) that he knows that they haven’t accepted the faith because of his words, that is, because of some sort of clever or persuasive argument. Rather, he knows that the biggest difference he made in their hearts and minds was through his actions --- what he calls a “demonstration of Spirit and power”. Put simply --- words weren’t the difference. Actions were. The “power of God” was made visible through the good he was able to do (whatever those things were). In Paul, they sort of “saw” what “faith” looked like (not just “heard” what it was supposed to be).

Which are we? Are we people who mostly “talk” about our faith, or do we actually demonstrate the “power” of it? Of course, the power of a faithful life doesn’t really look like power at all. It looks like what we heard from Isaiah in today’s First Reading --- feeding the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless, and clothing the naked.

Not only is this the only sort of power God seems to care about --- the power of love --- it is also the only real evidence that we have any sort of authentic faith at all. We can say the right things, we can hold the right thoughts, but if those things don’t manifest themselves in the choices we make --- our faith is really just an illusion.

These are pretty hard things to hear. It’s easier to believe that we just need to give our assent to the things the Church teaches and we are being faithful. It’s a lot harder to accept the challenge from God (or shall I say “command”) to give of ourselves in the complete, selfless way he asks --- by being radically merciful, and wastefully generous, and relentlessly forgiving and sincerely humble, and unstoppably kind.

And these are not little, insignificant, ordinary things. They are powerful things. Life-changing things. God-things. And the difference they can make in the lives of others and in the transformation of the world should not be underestimated. In fact, this is precisely how we become . . .Salt. The kind of people who make every situation a little better, a little more hopeful, a little more beautiful, a little more uplifting. Is that really who we are? Or do we sometimes tear others down? Or make them feel less than they are? Or fill them with cynicism and hopelessness?

Living out our faith is how we become light. The kind of people who brighten the lives of others. And bring warmth to their hearts and souls. And provide light to dispel whatever darkness they might be experiencing, whatever darkness is making it difficult for them to be the person God created them to be? Is that who we are? Or do we sometimes make people stay in the shadows? Or make someone’s world a little colder? Or make others feel that they aren’t as loved by God as us?

Each of our lives says something, whether we want it to or not. And what we “say” with our lives comes out most clearly by what we actually do in our lives, how we actually treat people. And it doesn’t matter if we believe all the right things, or say all the right prayers. What please God is the person who lets God’s grace transform their actions into life-giving, powerful instruments of God --- the kinds of things that make us salt and light, the kinds of things that help make the world the beautiful, hopeful place God wants it to be.

So let’s not get all caught up in our heads. Rather, let’s use what we believe to shape what really matters --- the choices we make.

For as Paul reminds us --- that’s where our faith should truly rest.

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 14:28:31 GMT

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time- Yr. A – Feb. 1, 2026

The “A”-Attitudes for discipleship. Readings: Matthew 5:1–12 - Dcn. Bill Kenney

Sibling rivalry is something many of us have had the “joy” of living through. Growing up with five sisters, there was plenty of rivalry to go around. My sister Linda and I were fierce competitors for the praise and recognition of others for our schoolwork and grades. It was a (“mostly”) healthy contest as it propelled us both to do our best. Even at the tender age of five, Linda once told our Mom upon hearing today’s Gospel, “’B’-attitudes? I don’t want the ‘B’-attitudes, I only want ‘A’-attitudes!” …and she always did earn the “A”-attitudes! As we grew , the childish competition and pride waned from our early years. Our values and aspirations took on a bigger picture and significance as we grew to understand today’s Gospel in the light of Christ.

In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus proclaims his beatitudes, the virtues and rewards for a truly blessed life in anticipation of God's reign. It was yet another way of Jesus proclaiming, “the Kingdom of God is at hand” to all disciples who will follow his call back to the Father. As with many of Jesus’ teachings and parables, the beatitudes are counter-intuitive in nature because they declare blessings on those commonly viewed as unfortunate or weak.

These beatitudes fly in the face of worldly expectations and secular social norms. How can the meek, inherit the land? Society tells us you have to be a go-getter, aggressive in life; lie, cheat, and steal to get ahead. Peacemakers are those in power, flexing their muscle, wealth, and know-how, attaining “peace through strength”, unlike powerless children. Contrary to our temporal world, Jesus’ beatitudes describe an upside-down kingdom where humility, compassion, and righteousness are valued above worldly power. Each beatitude invites us to view our standards and our way of life from a different perspective: a perspective of God’s Kingdom.

As his disciples, we are called to learn wisdom from Jesus’ life lessons found in the beatitudes. We are to direct our faith and actions to the Kingdom of God, not to this temporal world. We must live in the world, but not be enslaved by the world. When our desire to belong to the world outweighs our desire to belong to the world that is to come, our spiritual compass is misguided, not pointing us to Jesus Christ. A true disciple must be a good student- one who can learn from the life of Jesus and his teachings throughout this period of Ordinary Time. A true disciple must be humble, open, and willing to be coached with wise guidance.

· Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. In what ways have I become too self-righteous, too self-absorbed? Do I boast in myself or “…in the Lord”? How can I better humble myself before the Lord; placing my life more fully in God’s hands such as during Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament?

· Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. How has my sinfulness blinded me from seeing God’s truth and will for my life? How long has it been since my last Confession?

· Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. What areas or habits in my life are sources of heartache to myself or others? Do I mean it when I extend my hand and say, “Peace be with you”?

Through his beatitudes, Jesus calls the meek, the lowly, the persecuted, the merciful, and all sinners to realize his merciful love and the rewards of eternal life with him. It is very difficult for the proud, the arrogant, the rich and powerful nobles of this world to open their hearts in humility and fear of the Lord. Yet they too are called, for God’s mercy is abundant and freely given.

Discipleship through these beatitudes is a transformative process. From the sacraments we are empowered as children of God to daily live our faith through proclaiming the Gospel, worshipping at Mass, and through regular reception of the Holy Eucharist. We need that power, not of strength and control, but a Spiritual power of inner attitude to become meek and child-like, trusting and relying on Almighty God’s mercy, grace, and will to be done on earth, in our hearts, and as it is in heaven. As disciples of Christ, we are to act as instruments of his love in everything we do and it is through this participation that we share in the divine life.

The true presence of Christ which you receive today in the Holy Eucharist, is pure love that dwells within you; which pours out in all your thoughts, words, and actions; which shines the light of Christ to others and reveals you to be a Christian, a disciple of Christ.

May we truly be good learning disciples of Christ as we contemplate and live his lessons of wisdom in these beatitudes. The beatitudes are meant to comfort us, not scare us, because they promise that, if we follow Christ and are shunned by the world, we need not worry because our ultimate happiness does not lie in this world, but in the kingdom to come. They are not just good “B”-attitudes, but the best “A”-attitudes transforming our lives, for our salvation and for the glory of God.

Second Sunday of Ordinary Time

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 12:19:08 GMT

Most of us like to win? In the workplace, on the field, in the classroom, in the dating scene, in our social circle, in arguments --- pretty much everywhere. Whatever the situation, most of us enjoy finishing number one, enjoy the view from our perch above those around us. In fact, many of us presume that we continually “win” at things that can’t even be measured. We often consider our opinions to be more intelligent than the opinions of others. We consider our tastes to be better. Our sense of humor is better. Our personality is better. Our way of looking at things is better. And we probably believe we have more common sense than most other people too. Yes --- not only do we always like “winning” at various activities and endeavors in life, we often presume that we’re already best when it comes to all sorts of things.

And with our desire to be great (or our belief that we are already there) can come a feeling of entitlement --- that somehow we DESERVE a little more than the next guy, deserve certain advantages and perks and breaks that not everyone gets. Many of us feel we deserve to get out of the ticket we got for speeding. And we deserve special attention and freebees and such in restaurants and stores. And we certainly deserve more friends and more attractive mates and higher-paying jobs and better medical care than the average person.

In other words, many of us (at times) don’t feel we should just get what other people get --- believe that somehow our path, our behavior, our way of living should ensure a kind of life most people would be envious of.

“A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me . . .”

So says John on the banks of the Jordan River. It must not have been easy for John to utter those words. After all, he was getting a lot of attention. People were interested in him. Interested in his way of life and what he had to say. And probably not many people in that time and place could claim that, not many people were getting that sort of acclaim and “popularity”.

But John wouldn’t buy into any of that.

Would we have? Or more importantly, do we?

You see, John was not blinded by his “fame” nor blinded by a need for attention. Rather, he knew the proper relationship between himself and his God, knew the difference between what he was about and what God was about, knew the difference between his role in the lives of the people who came to him and the role of the One they had longed for.

Put simply, John knew that whatever apparent importance he seemed to have - paled in importance to that of Jesus --- someone he probably knew well, someone he might have grown up with, someone that might have looked “ordinary” but was far from it.

And John was perfectly fine with, or should I say, actually demanded that he not remain number one in the hearts and minds of his followers. His priorities were in order --- ensuring that he would not make the mistake of confusing himself for the divine, himself for his God.

That might seem like an exaggerated way of describing this scene from long ago. Yet, one could argue that nearly every straying from the path, every moral failure --- every sin --- is essentially a confusing of the relationship between ourselves and our God, a kind of substituting one for the other, a placing of ourselves at the top of the pyramid. And God? Well, he’s there somewhere --- but not where he should be.

And so what happens is that we start pursuing our wants instead of God’s. We start valuing our opinions the most (and try getting our beliefs to “fit” into them). We start clinging to the things of this world a little too tightly, rationalizing our choices so we never have to feel bad about them. We start seeing the world as we want to see it, and start seeing others as we want to see them. And our thoughts? Well, they become heavily fixated on fleeting earthly pursuits that we believe will make us happy. In other words --- the One who clearly ranks ahead of us, the One upon whom we should consider ourselves entirely dependent, the One who should get our attention, our obedience, our love, our complete selves --- has been pushed to the back.

We’ve essentially placed ourselves at the front of the line.

I’m not saying that maintaining a proper relationship with our God is easy. It’s not. If it was, there would be no sin. Yet make no mistake about it --- there is no truly faithful way of living without self-emptying, no true discipleship without surrendering, no path to God that omits acts of sacrifice, kindness, compassion and love.

And no salvation without a man from Galilee laying down his life.

That’s the pattern. That’s the path. That’s the way. John knew it. Jesus showed it. Our Parish Patron, St. Agnes, whose feast we celebrate today, also knew this holy way, as she remained faithful to her commitment in choosing Jesus Christ as her only Spouse. St. Agnes died a virgin martyr at the young age of 12 or 13. We would be wise to turn to her often for her intercession and encouragement as we strive for holiness.

It’s up to us to continue imitating Jesus, continually putting others before ourselves --- knowing that, in doing so, we are giving our God his rightful place in our lives.

“A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me . . .”

May that not simply be something a strange man in the desert said long ago, but rather still be what we say, believe, and live out today. St. Agnes pray for us!

Baptism of Jesus

Sun, 11 Jan 2026 18:14:31 GMT

Baptism of Jesus 1-11-26

In the 1980 movie, The Blues Brothers, Jake and Elwood Blues believe and proclaim they are on a “mission from God”. Their quest is to save the Catholic orphanage where they were raised from impending bank foreclosure. Despite the oftentimes comedic challenges they face in doing this, they remain steadfast to complete their mission. Their mission defines their purpose in life, driving them to do, as they perceive, the will of God.

There’s something about realizing your purpose in life, your, “mission from God”: wondering why you were created and put here on earth. Understanding your mission can give you great enthusiasm and focus to achieve your dreams and God’s will for you. Recent high school, Trade, or college graduates know this; newly married couples and new parents know this; OCIA Catechumen and Candidates know this especially at the Easter Vigil. Even those too at the end of their earthly pilgrimage know this. They all feel the purpose and mission in their secular and spiritual lives to fulfill the will of God.

Today in the Gospel from Matthew we commemorate the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry: his baptism by John the Baptist. It was in the Jordan that the world was awakened to the mission given to Jesus from the Father- to fulfill all righteousness, that is, justice, holiness, and goodness for the redemption of all mankind. Jesus is the “anointed one”, the Christ. He did not need repentance of sin for he had no sin. Nonetheless, out of great love for us, he sanctifies the waters and institutes the sacrament of baptism for the salvation of all those who believe in him. His own mission, his passion, death, and resurrection, is foreshadowed by his rising out of a watery grave and coming to new life in the Holy Spirit, as seen in the form of a dove.

Ever since the dawn of creation, Jesus knows he is truly on a mission from God. In obedience to the Father, he is driven by the Spirit and power of God to fulfill it. Jesus is the unblemished Paschal Lamb of God bloodied and sacrificed on the cross for the forgiveness of our sin. Peter Kreeft tells us, “Christ’s work is to be the bridge between God and man, and our work is to be bridges between others and Jesus.” This bridge begins with baptism. God is well pleased in his Son; may he be as well pleased with us!

Through baptism, we are indelibly marked as adopted children of God- many parts united in the Mystical Body of Christ. Bishop Robert Barron tells us, “Every one of the baptized shares in the priesthood of Christ and is therefore obligated to be a conduit of holiness, a bearer of the divine life, a spreader of the fire that sets the world ablaze.” How has your “anointing” through baptism allowed you to share in the Spirit and life of Christ?

We are each called to a unique mission from God. How do we recognize and realize this mission? To do this we must open our hearts and souls to Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who will lead us forward to the will of the Father. Through our relationship with Christ built upon our love, trust, and faith in him, we grow in grace and confidence to understand and fulfill God’s mission.

Our mission may be as grand as a career choice, or as simple as being there in prayer and support for someone in need. Our mission may be like that of John the Baptist in guiding all righteousness to the service and salvation of others. Pray about what life mission or mission s the Lord may be asking of you.

We can seek and find our mission from God from the spiritual influence of others in our lives (and may we also be such good influences!). From the witness of others’ devotion and participation at Mass, a lonely mourner’s tears at a gravesite, and those in humble Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. By encountering witnesses in our religious education classrooms. In Eucharistic witnesses for the homebound. In our silent contemplation of Sacred Scripture and prayer, we spiritually connect with God to understand and fulfill all righteousness in God’s plan and mission for each of us.

Reborn of water and the Holy Spirit in baptism, and in sharing the Body and Blood of Christ in the Holy Eucharist today, may we, his chosen, adopted sons and daughters, be pleasing to God our Father. May we, after fulfilling our “mission from God”, be welcomed into his loving arms in the Kingdom of Heaven to forever give all praise and glory to God.

The Epiphany of the Lord

Sun, 04 Jan 2026 13:40:08 GMT

Almost all of us at one time or another have been in a job interview, either as the interviewee or the interviewer. And no matter how the interview process has evolved over the years, it remains essentially the same at its core. In the end --- it’s about the interviewer trying to find out if the applicant has what it takes --- has the right talents, the right work ethic, the right experience, the right gifts for the job. It’s all about trying to figure out what that particular individual “brings to the table”.

Today, on Epiphany, we once again hear the story of the magi, who came from the east to give homage to the newborn king. And as you know, they didn’t come empty-handed. They came bearing gifts (in this case, gifts representing certain things --- kingship, divinity, and death).

And when you think about it --- these are gifts the baby Jesus really doesn’t “need”. Not in the least. Yet, they are gifts the MAGI need to give.

It’s easy to think that our God “needs” certain things from us. Yet, when we reflect on that idea it’s easy to see how that can’t really be the case. God has no “needs” in the way we usually use that word.

God is God. God can do whatever God wants to do - in any way God chooses to do it - on a timetable of his choosing. And so God in no way can be diminished by our failure to give him anything --- no matter what that particular thing or gift is.

Yet, maybe the gifts God desires are precisely what WE need to give for our growth in holiness.

Sometimes we hear these stories from long ago and have a hard time connecting them to our individual lives, have a hard time finding their meaning for our day-to-day decisions and responsibilities and routine.

Is that the case with this story?

Is it just something interesting from long ago, or is it more than that? What do the magi have to do with us?

Like the magi, we will soon be on a journey. Ours will be much shorter than theirs. Ours will not involve danger or a star. The length of that journey will be determined by what pew you are in --- for the journey the majority of us will make is simply up the aisle --- from an ordinary place to the foot of a miracle.

And the object, the destination of our journey is the same as the magi’s. We come to gaze on our God, to draw near to him, to “commune” with him, to worship him. Do we, like the magi, come with something to give, or do we come empty-handed?

Many of us have a hard time believing that we have anything of value to give God. What could my gift possibly be? I guess I could give him the gift of my prayers --- but sometimes my mind wanders and I wind up thinking about some task I have later. I guess I could give him my generosity --- but I know that most of the time I worry about myself more than others.

I guess I could give him my kind heart --- but I’ll probably do something unkind before the day is done (maybe even before I exit the church!). I could give him the gift of extending forgiveness and mercy to others --- but there are some grudges and hurts which I’m not willing to part with. I guess what I’m saying is --- all I have to give is my flawed, imperfect, weak, sinful self.

And that’s precisely the gift God wants.

And that’s the gift we NEED to give and place in the offering basket each time it comes before us and journeys to the Altar.

We offer ourselves to imitate Jesus even though we know we can’t do it completely (or come even close). We offer ourselves to embody God-things even though we often act un-God-like more than we’d like to admit.

We offer ourselves to do extraordinary things even though we know we are ordinary.

And we offer ourselves to forgive things that seem unforgivable, and love people who seem unlovable, and show compassion and mercy and kindness in situations that make us want to show something else altogether.

In other words, the gift of our whole selves is what we need to give and what the world needs from us. The world will become a better place because we have chosen to become a better person. And the world will be a kinder place because we have chosen to be a kinder person. And the world will be more forgiving, merciful and compassionate because we have chosen to be all of those things --- things we give to God as a gift --- not simply to the God who is deserving of it, but as a gift to our flawed selves and the flawed world we call home. And we don’t have to be perfect to do remarkable, powerful, loving, transformative things. We just need to walk up the aisle with empty hands, but not empty-handed --- ready to make an offering of ourselves to God who is offering himself to us in a divine gift exchange.

So as we remember a gift-giving journey from long ago we ask ourselves … what we are bringing to Christ, the Eucharist, today?

Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 12:40:04 GMT

Welcome, everyone, to the World Day of Peace! I know that some of you are thinking, “What did he just say? World Day of Peace? Is that some new-fangled thing?” No, we’re actually celebrating the 58 ^th World Day of Peace --- so it’s been around for quite a while. Yet, you are almost certainly here to celebrate the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God. We sometimes forget that the two days coincide. And no, the World Day for Peace is not a “secular” celebration, not something we can sort of ignore or pay little attention to because we have something “more important” to celebrate this day. It’s actually a day set aside by the Catholic Church (by Pope Paul VI specifically) to invite the faithful to consider what peace is, how true peace comes about, and what role we can play in helping make it a reality (individually and collectively).

And of course, today is a day to pray for peace --- in a deep, sincere, trusting, hopeful way. Two seemingly different, unrelated things deliberately scheduled for the exact same calendar day. That certainly can’t really be an accident. So, what do the two have to do with each other?

Let’s take Mary first. After all, that’s really why all of you are here today. As you may or may not know, the title “Mother of God” was disputed in the early Church by some.

The faithful (clergy and laity alike) wondered if it was ok to talk about Mary in that way. The matter had to be settled at a Church council --- the Council of Ephesus in 431 A.D. And quite honestly --- the focus of the debate was not really Mary. It was Jesus. Who was he? What was he? Divine? Human? Sort-of divine? Sort-of human? You get the idea.

Out of that council came the approval for referring to Mary as Theotokos (Greek for God-bearer). By doing so the Church was affirming two things --- that Jesus was not simply human, but also divine, and that Mary indeed gave birth to him. In a certain sense what they were affirming was the God within --- the God Mary said yes to, the God Mary carried, and the God Mary birthed into the world.

The God within.

What a beautiful image, a beautiful thought, a beautiful reality. God came to his people not despite them, not separated at some distance from them, but actually through one of them. Mary was a channel of grace --- “full” of grace --- full of the living God who came to change absolutely everything. It’s really quite unbelievable if you think about it.

The Prince of Peace.

And this title of Jesus illuminates maybe the most obvious link between the two celebrations for this day.

You see, if we do indeed want peace, if we are willing to strive for peace and work for peace, if we want more than anything else to make it a more visible reality in our world we must be able to recognize the God within.

And I’m not talking about looking inward. (Although that is certainly a place we must be able to find our God.) I’m talking about looking outward. I’m talking about seeing God within . . . .

The person I don’t like.

The person who is nothing like me.

The person who supports things I can’t support.

The person who doesn’t live as I choose to live.

The person who doesn’t vote the same as I do.

The person who doesn’t pray the way I pray.

The person who doesn’t like me.

The person who hurt me, or betrayed me, or deserted me.

The person I would never want one of my kids to wind up with.

The person I call my enemy.

The living God has no limitations, no restrictions, no conditions. That means that not only is it possible for God to dwell in me, it’s possible for God to dwell in every single person. In fact, in faith, we believe he isn’t absent from any of us.

He dwells in the strong and the weak, the learned and the uneducated, the rich and the poor, the Republican and the Democrat, the law-abiding citizen and the criminal, the sinner and the saint.

And if we can’t see God in those places, in those people, we’ll probably never have the “peace” we desire, never experience the “peace” God desires for each of us and the world. But if we can recognize God in others --- just as we recognize God…Jesus…within Mary --- maybe, just maybe we’ll be able to bring a little peace to a world in desperate need of it.

Who is that person you can’t see God in?

Who are those people?

Let’s look a little deeper, a little more clearly through eyes of faith, and start recognizing the One we all have in common, the One whose presence within each of us makes our differences seem a little less important, our disputes a little more foolish, and true peace possible.

Mary, Mother of God (and Our Mother), pray for us.

Feast of the Holy Family

Sun, 28 Dec 2025 12:03:38 GMT

This is a subtitle for your new post

Feast of the Holy Family – December 28, 2025

Readings: Sirach 3:2–6, 12–14• Psalm 128:1-5.• Col. 3:12–21 •Mt 2:13–15.19–23
Building a Holy Family through right relationships Dcn. Bill Kenney

Pope St. John Paul II, in his 1994 Letter to Families, proclaimed, “The Holy Family is the beginning of countless other holy families.” His was an evangelization effort to highlight the reality of family beauty amongst cultural challenges, challenges we still face today. Bringing to realization a Holy Family is a matter of living in right relationship with God, self, and others.

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph- a feast instituted by Pope Leo XIII to present the Holy Family as the perfect model for all Christian families, promoting family unity, faith, and virtue. It is a Feast that reminds us that God Himself chose to enter the human condition, brought forth by common childbirth, within the embrace of a family. As our model, the Holy Family calls us to live a family life in fear of the Lord; a family that walks in his ways, sharing ordinary acts of love and fidelity within the home and beyond. The way of the Church passes through the family, the “domestic church”, when we are in right relationship with God and united in faith through reception of the Holy Eucharist.

In today’s Gospel, we hear how Joseph protects his family from Herod’s wrath, taking Mary and the child Jesus and fleeing into Egypt. It was a journey marked by fear, uncertainty, and hardship. Yet Joseph obeyed the angel’s message without hesitation. He did not know the destination, but he trusted in divine providence. Joseph pledged himself to God and his family. St. John Paul II taught us, “True love is self-gift." Love in a family is a matter of living in right relationship with self, to understand and live the promptings of the Holy Spirit within you, to make sacrifice, and share the gift of love with others. Pope Benedict XVI said, " God has done everything; …the Infinite has become a child, has entered the human family. And yet, this same God cannot enter my heart unless I open the door to him.” Joseph selflessly opened wide the door to his heart to give himself to God and his family. Are we prepared to do the same?

Today, families come in many configurations due to a variety of circumstances. Yet every family is called to be a haven of love, protection, and forgiveness. The family must be a refuge that nurtures life to grow across generations and repeat the circle of life.

Each member within the family has a role to foster mutual love and reverence. St. Paul tells us, “Wives, be subordinate to your husbands, as is proper in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and avoid any bitterness toward them.” This is not about domination or chauvinism but about imitation — imitating Christ. Husbands and wives sanctify each other through the sacrament of marriage, instituted by Christ, by giving themselves completely, by building up one another in faith, patience, tenderness, and forgiveness.

The Ten Commandments instruct us to “honor your father and mother.” This commandment extends across the whole span of life. As children, we depend upon our parents’ care, love, and guidance. As adults, we are called to care for them with that same tenderness when age or illness weakens them. The hands that once held us as infants will one day need our hands to steady them. Sirach reminds us today: “My son, take care of your father when he is old . . . even if his mind fail, be considerate of him.” Such love reflects the love of Christ, who on the Cross entrusted His Mother to the care of John, His beloved disciple. To honor our parents is not merely a duty, it is an act of gratitude that enshrines the commandment of love in a holy family.

The Holy Family of Nazareth offers us more than a Christmas card portrait—it offers us a path. To emulate their example is to live in right relationship with others, in patience, kindness, and compassion- to support, protect, and serve one another- to share love, “the bond of perfection”, without counting sacrifice.

If we let their example shape our homes — if fathers love like Joseph, if mothers nurture like Mary, if children grow in obedience and grace like Jesus, then our own families become holy. They become mini- Nazareths, “…least among the clans…”, yet radiant with divine love. That is our calling. That is our hope.

May we keep the love of God in our hearts, grow in our acts of self-gift, and be a family of refuge for all members. May Jesus, Mary, and Joseph intercede for us, that our families may reflect theirs, becoming sanctuaries of love and faith in the midst of a troubled, yet hopeful world, for the glory of God.

The Nativity of the Lord

Thu, 25 Dec 2025 16:07:34 GMT

What a joy it is to gather and celebrate such an incredible mystery. And we need mysteries. It seems that with each passing generation fewer and fewer things remain a mystery, as more and more things about our world get “figured out” or “discovered” or “explained”.

Think for a moment about your great grandparents and what the world was like when they were the age you are now. And think specifically about all the things we know today that they didn’t know, all the incredible advancements in science and technology that would seem like magic to them, all the stuff that was a mystery to them that we now have explanations for. With each passing generation many “mysteries” from the past vanish. It seems like only a few remain.

Which category does Christmas fall into?

I wonder sometimes if much of what we believe (in faith) loses a certain specialness with each passing year. Things that amazed us when we were younger start feeling common, ordinary, routine. A perfect example of this is the Creed. Most of us have said it so many times that we no longer even think about the words. It’s sort of like a kind of spiritual alphabet we just say but rarely contemplate.

And yet, every sentence of it is remarkable, every sentence of it a profound declaration, every sentence a mystery that can never be explained away, every sentence of it something that ought to astonish us.

Is Christmas still that? Or has it become a little too familiar, a little too common? Does Christmas (after having been part of our lives for so long) now make perfect sense? Or does it still have the power to make us realize just how amazing our God is? In other words, does it still make us want to shout,

I can’t believe that God . . .

. . . loves us that much --- so much so that healing our broken world was (and is) his ultimate concern.

. . . that God refuses to remain at a distance --- wanting instead to be in an intimate communion with all of creation.

. . . that God chose not to simply “appear” to his sons and daughters, but actually became one of them.

. . . that God refused to force himself into the world --- choosing instead to ask the cooperation of, the “yes”, of a humble woman from an ordinary town in a sleepy corner of nowhere.

. . . that God is able to show us not simply who HE is, but who WE are called to be.

. . . that God came to us meekly, quietly, unassumingly, in a vulnerable way --- showing us that true power is not what we think it is.

. . . that God helped us realize he acts through Creation --- through water, oil, bread and wine, giving you and me a chance cooperate with his plan and help transform the world into the beautiful, loving, peaceful place he created it to be.

The mystery of Christmas teaches us all of that --- reveals to us a God unlike any god ever thought of or imagined, reveals to us a God who human beings never believed could be possible. Our God is the opposite of ordinary. The opposite of predictable. The opposite of disinterested. The opposite of vengeful. The opposite of distant.

Rather, he’s a God who wanted (and wants) to be near us, wants to be one of us, wants to guide us, wants to save us, wants to dwell with us --- not just alongside us, but within us --- within every human heart open to his grace, open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and the nourishment of the Eucharist.

What a God we have!

And so, as you gather with family and friends and do all the things you usually do, all the usual traditions, all the usual foods and songs, all the usual exchanging of presents --- make sure that you don’t exclude the miracle and mystery of Christmas.

Think about the meaning of today’s Feast --- not just the meaning of that day long ago, but the meaning of God Dwelling among us and within us has for each of our lives in this time and place.

Once you start to really unpack this mystery, once you start to “unwrap” this divine gift --- you’ll find that there is simply more and more mystery to be in awe of, more and more miracle to be grateful for.

And don’t try to “explain” it.

Just enjoy it. Embrace it. Live it. Share it.

May Jesus, the divine eternal gift of our Christmas Eucharist dwell in our soul each and every day.

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 15:11:02 GMT

Joseph had a choice.

Well, that’s not exactly true. He had TWO choices. The first is one we would probably make without batting an eye. The scenario is relatively simple. You know it well. Joseph discovers that the woman he was going to marry is pregnant. And more importantly, he knows the child is not his. Now, Joseph, being the decent man he was, doesn’t get furious or make a scene or go around spreading gossip. Rather, he has no intention of adding to Mary’s predicament, no intention of making the situation worse for her. But he still has a choice to make. He can stay betrothed to Mary, or he can walk away --- feeling that it’s all too much to handle, much more than he can take. And he does what most of us would probably do in a similar situation. He walks away. Nothing surprising so far.

But, as you know, that’s not the end of the story. Soon he has another choice to make. And this comes about because he now has new information that changes things.

Note that I said “changes”, not “simplifies”.

You see, the information he receives does not make things easier.

As you know, this new information comes through the action of an angel in a dream --- a messenger from God who assures him that God is the one who is behind Mary’s pregnancy…that God’s Spirit is actually responsible. And consequently, the child Mary is carrying is no ordinary child. Somehow this boy would “save people from their sins”. I can imagine Joseph thinking, “Now what does THAT mean?” And once again Joseph has a choice --- the same choice. He can stay or he can go. He can accept the nearly unbelievable circumstances that brought about Mary being with child --- and stay betrothed to her --- or he can reject what was revealed to him and simply walk away as he had planned. After all, who would believe what had been revealed to him in his dream? Joseph, that’s who.

What choice would you make?

Thank goodness we don’t have to make the same sort of choice! But is that really true? Does the choice Joseph ultimately made have nothing to do with us, nothing to do with the decisions we make day after day, nothing to do with our lives?

Advent is rapidly coming to a close. It always goes so quickly. And Christmas is just a few days away. Have we prepared well? Are we ready? I guess it depends on what we believe Advent is all about, what we believe we are supposed to be preparing for, what we are expecting to happen come Christmas morning.

If the answer is just “Jesus’ birthday”, well, we don’t need to prepare for that. Or if it’s just to recall some stories from two thousand years ago, well we don’t have to prepare for that.

Or if it’s just to open a few gifts and have a few parties and bake some cookies and put up a tree, well, that might be busy work, but it certainly doesn’t amount to any sort of “spiritual” preparation. If Advent is just about those sorts of things then maybe it’s just a counting down of days rather than an important season that deserves our attention.

As disciples, all those sorts of things (worthwhile in their own way) are just add-ons, little side-roads we can travel down if we want to. But they are really not the heart of the season. You see, Advent is fundamentally about the same sort of choice that Mary made, and the choice that Joseph ultimately made. And what was that choice? Choosing to see God where you’ve never seen him before. Choosing to see God’s hand in a situation that, at some level, makes little sense. Choosing to accept and embrace something that you could never have imagined. Choosing to be ok with God doing what God wants to do, being ok with God surprising us and astonishing us and at times, bewildering us. In a sense, it’s about accepting that God isn’t always where we expect him to be. Like in a manger.

The Incarnation teaches us these profound truths. And belief in the Incarnation is our own kind of “dream” --- a kind of “new information” we have that changes everything, changes how we are supposed to see not one situation, but all, see not one person, but everyone.

By breaking into our world in the person of Jesus - God shows us that he is not separate from the world but is in communion with it, that he is not at some distance from the world but immersed in it, that the created world is not an obstacle to God but a channel of his grace.

And that means God can dwell anywhere and everywhere, in every situation and in every person --- even in a woman from long ago who was living her life nearly anonymously. Can we make the choice Joseph made? Or Mary made? Can we accept that God is present in the person we don’t like, present in the tragedy we are experiencing, present in the co-worker we don’t get along with, present in our sorrows and failures and disappointments and crosses, present even in the spouse or children we might not always see eye to eye with?

Can we see God, incarnate everywhere?

Or will we only see him in the places we expect, in the people who make us comfortable, and in the situations that bring us joy?

That’s what Advent is preparing us for and what Christmas promises. But the choice is always ours. What choice will we make?

3rd Sunday of Advent

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 19:15:15 GMT

Third Sunday of Advent – December 14, 2025

Readings: Is.35:1–6a,10; James 5:7–10, Mt.11:2–11 Dcn.Bill Kenney

Joy and patient anticipation during Advent

Can we see the light at the end of the tunnel? I’m not talking about a near death experience, or a ride through the Detroit-Windsor t unnel, but rather the joy of our Advent journey. This Third Sunday of Advent — Gaudete Sunday — marks the halfway point of our Advent journey. The Church invites us to embrace the theme of joy in patient waiting. Our remembrance of joy this week is sandwiched between weeks of penitence and preparation. And for that reason, this third week is distinguished from the others by lighting a pink or rose candle on the Advent wreath. Father Nate also dons rose-colored vestments on this occasion.

The word Gaudete comes from the Latin gaudium, meaning “gladness,” or “rejoice”. It is a deep, abiding joy rooted in God’s goodness and presence. Joy is the outward expression of the interior love of God in our soul that, in turn, touches the souls of others.

It’s the kind of joy:

· that can exist even in sorrow,

· that refugees can sing while in exile,

· that can offer hope even when the heart is heavy.

As in our reading from Isaiah, the ransomed will “… enter Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy; they will meet with joy and gladness; sorrow and mourning will flee.”

True joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. It flows from love, humility, and gratitude and is most effective and valued when shared with others. Our outward expression of joy means that deep down we know we are baptized children of God and heirs to his Kingdom, and that radiates a spirit of joy in our speech, acts of charity, and in living our faith. What a blessing it would be to have the joy of our Lord’s presence in our hearts every waking day, not just during Advent! Think of the impact that can have on your day and that of others around you. How can we project a true spirit of joy in our everyday encounters with others? We can share our faith, pray for and with others, spread hope and good cheer, give comfort and other gifts of our time, talent, and treasure- all to help bring others to salvation in Christ.

The theme of our second reading is patience. Patience is a virtue espoused by saints. St. James tells us of the farmer patiently awaiting fruitful crops and the prophets who spoke of the Lord in patient anticipation. It can be tough to be patient. My mother frequently reminds me to be more patient. We live in a world of instant gratification. To the secular world, patience is inefficient, a waste of time. “Road rage” is often due to impatience. To the Christian during Advent, patience is a form of suffering that is connected with the reward of joy found at the end of the Advent tunnel- the light who is our Savior, Jesus Christ. Joy, in the Christian sense, is not an escape from suffering — it’s the discovery of God’s presence within it- and that must be our consolation. St. Therese of Lisieux said, “My joy is the Holy Will of Jesus, my only love, so I live without any fear [of suffering]".

We are getting closer to Christmas — the Word becoming flesh, the infinite takes on the finite; the Creator becomes the creature. In our patient anticipation and joy of the coming of our Lord, let us prepare our hearts and souls by heeding the words of John the Baptist: Repent! Repent of your sins! Receive the sacrament of reconciliation opening us to God’s grace and making room for Jesus in our hearts.

Much like a soul cluttered with sin, there was no room for the Holy family at the Bethlehem Inn. In our interior stable we find beauty and disorder, love and lust, humility and pride. Through the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist, help us, Lord, to clean up the stable of our soul and sweep away our sins to welcome you that you may dwell in us. For as Isaiah tells us, “Here is your God, he comes to save you.”

May we seek the light at the end of our Advent tunnel and look forward with joy and patient anticipation to the glorious Nativity of Christ who comes to us for our salvation and for the glory of God.

Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 14:27:43 GMT

Do you ever wonder what your purpose in life is? Do you wonder about if you are where you are suppose to be? Have you followed the path God wants for you? Were you supposed to have chosen a different major in college, or live in a different town, or have a different circle of friends? These types of questions don’t have easy answers which is why we all often wonder about these sorts of things.

But maybe we are looking at it all wrong. Is the “path” God wants for us really THAT specific, THAT concrete, THAT exact? (And if it is, does that mean that making the wrong practical choices in life means that we are acting completely contrary to God’s will?) THAT would be unsettling. Part of me thinks it can’t possibly be that way, but if it is that way, then isn’t God simply setting us up for failure, and a certain degree of unhappiness? And I don’t know about you, but I can’t see God doing that. I really can’t. But what if God’s plan for us has little (or nothing) to do with the “nuts and bolts” kind of choices in life? Put another way --- maybe it doesn’t have much to do with “what” we will be in life. Maybe it’s all about “who” we will be. In other words, maybe faithfulness is all about being a certain KIND of person, and then finding the best place and circumstances to be that kind of person. Listen again to what Paul wrote to the Ephesians.

“In him we were chosen . . . so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, . . .”

Now that sounds like something else altogether. You see, maybe God’s “will” for us isn’t as different for each of us as we might think. In a certain sense it is kind of the ‘same” for each of us. Maybe the living out of God’s will is not about getting all of our life choices correct. Rather, maybe it’s about living in such a way that our lives actually give glory to God, that our very being reveals God to others, that we somehow allow ourselves to be channels of the divine --- channels of love and mercy, kindness and compassion, tenderness and generosity.

“Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.’”

We gather on this holy day to give thanks to God for Mary, and for the way God gifted her, “graced” her in a particular way (from the moment of her conception) for the role she would be asked to play in Salvation History. God gave her all that she needed. And when the time came, in saying “yes” to something incredible and almost unbelievable, she united her will with God’s. Whatever plans she had for her life, however she imagined her life would unfold, whatever she thought she was supposed to “do” no longer mattered very much, if at all.

Mary, it seems, knew that a good life, a faithful life was being a particular kind of person --- a person who didn’t try to fit God into her life, but rather fit her life into God’s. It was this sort of humility, this sort of “surrendering” that allowed her to give the “yes” that changed everything. Her life was God’s. She knew that, even if she didn’t fully understand. God was her motivation. God was her guide. God was her strength. God was the very foundation of her being. She would soon put her faith on display for her cousin Elizabeth when she told her,

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.”

Can we say the same?

Life can be a rat-race, a competitive, exhausting ordeal. It’s hard to escape. But the spiritual life can be too --- if we feel we have to pick a particular path in order to be happy, pick a particular path that only God truly knows, pick a particular path that fits some sort of mysterious narrative that God has pre-ordained for us. If we live that way, we will almost certainly be disappointed --- convinced that we might have headed down the wrong path every time something goes wrong or doesn’t feel exactly right. We’ll constantly wonder, “Is this the life I was supposed to live?”

But if we simply go through life BEING the person God wants us to be, being that loving channel of God’s grace, that loving presence, that loving expression of every God-thing we have been blessed with --- as Mary did --- then we can be confident that God’s will is being accomplished through us --- regardless of the job we have or the place we live or the things we are interested in or the school we went to or the friendships we’ve built or even the person we married. Put simply --- God’s will is accomplished through every small “yes” of ours --- that is, every time we choose to do the loving thing, the God-like thing, the humble thing (as Mary did) --- no matter where we find ourselves or what circumstances we’re immersed in or what life decisions we’ve made to this point. And our loving God will make sure we have what we need.

“In him we were chosen . . . so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, . . .”

What a beautiful understanding to go through life embracing. Mary sure seems to have gotten it right. Let’s focus much more on “who” we are supposed to be and less on the “what”. And may Mary’s example inspire us to always be open to God’s grace, God’s invitation --- trusting that in being a certain kind of person, we are also truly being the faithful people God calls us to be. Mary, the Immaculate Conception, pray for us.

Second Sunday of Advent

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 13:44:52 GMT

Christians disagree about many things. I don’t have to tell you that. It’s pretty obvious. After all, we’re not carbon copies of one another. We have different upbringings and different experiences and different life situations. We have different strengths, weaknesses, personalities and different ideas. And those sorts of things can contribute to us not all seeing eye-to-eye all of the time. It’s just not possible. And for most things, that’s completely ok. But I would argue that there is one thing we should all agree on (at least to a great degree), something we have a responsibility to get on board with, to support, to hope for. And what is that one thing?

We should all be working toward creating the same kind of world.

Now, you might say that’s not possible. Or you might object to the use of the word “should” --- feeling that working toward the same kind of world isn’t really a concrete moral obligation. Yet, are we so sure? Consider the most obvious example --- politics. There was a time (not that long ago) that it seemed like for the most part we were in agreement as to what kind of society we wanted to build. What we often disagreed about was the “means” to achieving those ends.

Yet, it seems more and more that we’re no longer really working toward the same end, that we don’t all envision the same kind of world. As a result, our differences feel almost unfixable, un-reconcilable. And that’s a problem. A big problem.

And there is plenty of blame to go around. We only have to simply look no further than in the mirror and ask these questions:

What kind of world do I want to build, want to work toward?

Am I doing anything at all to help bring it about?

Now this might sound kind of funny. Like we get to “pick” the kind of world we want to work toward, that what “matters” is what I want, what I hope for, what I “think” is best. // Sadly, I’m leaving out the only question that really matters, the one that just might start to heal some of our differences, the one that might truly heal the world. And that question is . . . .What kind of world does GOD want?

Today, we once again encounter the voice crying out in the desert, John the Baptist, the one we hear shouting,

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

and “Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.”

The time to do these things is not at some point in the future. It is now. Now is the time for change. Now is the time to be more than we were yesterday.

Now is the time to get ourselves ready to encounter the One who is coming into the world to baptize us with the Holy Spirit. And John wants to make sure that we are ready, purified, and open to whatever it is that Jesus wants to usher in.

None of this is new. We hear it every year. And to a certain extent we heed the warning, the call. Yet, often when we reflect on our own failings, disobedience, and sin --- we keep on revisiting the same things over and over again. And quite honestly, most of these things are somewhat minor interior-type things --- small “tweaks” if you will.

I could always be a little kinder. A little more patient. I could make time for more prayer. I could be more forgiving, more compassionate. However, what almost never changes, what I never really ask to be forgiven for is my worldview. And I wonder if that might be one of my greatest sins --- not really wanting the world to change in the ways God wants it to change.

“The wolf shall be the guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them.

The cow and bear shall be neighbors . . .”

Are we ready for those things?

We’ll never build a better world if we can’t agree on what that world is supposed to look like.

And I don’t mean to suggest that it’s easy --- either in the understanding of what that world looks like, or how we go about getting there. But one thing seems clear --- the one we have, and the one many of us continually work towards and contribute to, does not really resemble the world God wants for us. A world of self-sacrificing love and self-control. A world of morality, faith and virtue.

And so we continue our Advent journey --- waiting for and preparing for and anticipating someone wonderful --- our God breaking into our hearts and souls once again. Yet, God didn’t visit his people to leave us unchanged. No, he visited the world to change it forever, to transform it through the power of the Incarnation and the power of the Spirit.

So let’s make sure we sincerely want for the world what God wants --- and stop trying to simply create the little world each of us wants for ourselves. The world we tend to create often looks nothing like the kingdom --- and will never bring us the things that really matter --- the meaningful, loving world God wants us to help bring about. That’s the best gift we can give God this gift-giving season.

First Sunday of Advent

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 13:43:51 GMT

“You know the time; it is the hour for you to awake from sleep.”

Are you someone who remembers their dreams? Some people almost never remember dreams, others remember most of their dreams. When someone wakes from a dream their reaction is often similar. They often feel like their dreams seem incredibly real.

Of course, the longer someone is awake the more they realize that what they thought was “real” and “life-like” was just part of the dream. Dreams can often be strange, scary, and confusing. They can be comical or psychedelic. Now we know that dreams are not reality, they are not a clear picture and experience of the way things truly are.

“You know the time; it is the hour for you to awake from sleep.”

So says St. Paul in his Letter to the Romans. Of course, he doesn’t mean this literally. He means it metaphorically. In other words, there are times in the spiritual life in which we are kind of asleep, kind of dreaming, in a kind of darkness. And like so many of our dreams, this sleep-like state is one in which we aren’t exactly seeing clearly. Things that seem important really aren’t. And things that seem urgent really aren’t.

Things that have all our attention probably shouldn’t. And things we are so confident of maybe we shouldn’t be (and vice-versa).

Put another way --- so often we can go through life not really seeing clearly, but rather seeing things through a kind of fog, as if we were asleep and only dreaming. And the only way we can bring things into focus is to bask in a bright light, a clarifying light, a reality-revealing light. And we know WHO that is.

Today we begin another Church Year, another Advent. Where did the time go? Matthew will be our primary guide on our journey, a kind of lens through which we will encounter God in our sacred texts. And as with every Advent we will be invited to prepare, to be ready, or as Matthew puts it, “Therefore stay awake!”

The particular passage we just heard is, in one sense, focusing our attention on the end times, the coming in glory of our Lord and Savior at both the end of time, and more immediately, at the end of our earthly lives. Are we ready?

If we knew one of those things was happening tomorrow would we do anything differently today?

We know in faith that these aren’t the only times our God will come to us, the only times we will encounter our God.

Rather, God will come (and is coming) to us all the time, in all sorts of experiences, through all sorts of people, and most importantly within our hearts and minds and souls through the Sacraments.

Ongoing encounters with Jesus is what we are preparing for during this holy season --- the breaking into our world (and every open and willing heart) of our God who refuses to stay on the sidelines --- our God who wants nothing more than to commune with us, dwell within us, accompany us, transform us. But to experience this divine grace in the fullest way possible we must be able to see clearly --- in a sense, see as God sees and make room for the Light.

And we can’t do that if we’re asleep --- if we’re going through life as if we were dreaming, confusing our distorted way of experiencing the world and thinking about the world with the way things truly are, and the way things God wants them to be. In other words, what we need is light, the kind of light that helps us distinguish the things that matter from those that really don’t, the kind of light that helps us see God in places and people and circumstances we’ve never seen him before.

Jesus is that light --- the light coming into the world at the time when the nights are longest, and the darkness deeper, and the warmth of summer a distant memory. This is the light awaiting us whenever it is that we decide to awake from our slumber, whenever we decide that the path we try to illuminate for ourselves is never as good, as perfect, as the path God wants to illuminate for us.

Will we stay awake?

Will we resist the temptation to fall asleep, resist the temptation to spiritually “doze off” and enter that dreamy place in which we see things as we want to see them (instead of the way God wants us to see them)?

Let’s try to make this Advent different from so many others. Let’s spiritually stay awake for the next four weeks, and deliberately let God do what God wants to do in us.

It might be the best present we ever get.

Thanksgiving, 2025

Thu, 27 Nov 2025 15:41:17 GMT

Thanksgiving, 2025

Sir. 50:22-24; 1 Cor. 1:3-9; Lk. 17:11-19 Gratitude for God’s Grace. Dcn. Bill Kenney

On Thanksgiving Day, we recall the blessings in our lives given to us by the grace of God such as our faith, family, friends, fitness in mind and body, our future, and others. Thomas Kempis tells us that “… in your friendships, as in all other things, always place God first, as the source and font of all that is good. It is a grace and it should be nurtured with humility and love. Be thankful for it and the Holy Spirit will continue to bless you.” Gratitude is a positive response to God's grace and goodness for the blessings in our lives. Gratitude points away from self and toward the dignity and benevolence of the Giver. This theme of gratitude is consistent in all three of our Scripture passages today.

Our first reading from the Book of Sirach tells us we bless God by responding to his gifts of grace with our praise and thanksgiving. Through this expression of love and gratitude, God grants us his peace, goodness, and joy to sustain us in our days of earthly pilgrimage.

In our second reading, St. Paul tells the Corinthians of his thanks to God for his unshakable faithfulness and graces for growing their faith and fellowship in Jesus Christ.

In our Gospel reading from Luke we hear about the ten healed lepers, at least one of which was a Samaritan- a foreigner in both domicile and faith. Lepers were the untouchables of society and

were often portrayed as a symbol of our sin. The Samaritans were sometimes mentioned by Jesus in parables to explain his Way of faith, justice, and mercy to his disciples. If shunned Samaritans,

believers of misguided false doctrine, could exhibit peace, goodness, and charity for others, so must his followers. Recall the Good Samaritan demonstrating true love of neighbor and the Samaritan woman at the well drawing faith from life-giving water and her acceptance by the Lord.

and give thanks to Jesus first. His faith, coupled with his gratitude, not only healed his body but also saved his soul. Now, the Samaritan without his leprosy, by demonstrating such gratitude, has become instead a contagious lesson to Christ’s followers.

Scripture is filled with verses about gratitude and Psalms of thanksgiving th at can inspire our lives and fill us with the power of grace. I invite you to spice up your traditional Catholic Thanksgiving dinner prayer with a psalm of thanksgiving and praise to God for all his blessings in your lives. For example, Psalm 106: “Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.”

This Thanksgiving Holiday and always, let us live a Eucharistic life in joy and thanksgiving for all God’s blessings. May the gift of God’s grace unite us in profound gratitude, belief, and reverence for the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, for our salvation and for the glory of God.

Solemnity of Christ the King

Sun, 23 Nov 2025 12:10:12 GMT

Solemnity of Christ the King – November 23, 2025 Reading: Luke 23:35–43. Dcn. Bill Kenney

The kingly rule of Jesus on the cross and how we may imitate him.

Our Gospel reading from Luke illustrates the Kingship of Jesus on the cross. The rulers were sneering and the soldiers were jeering their disrespect and ignorance of the God-man they were mocking and torturing. They were the “NO KINGS” people of their day. Their hatred blinded them from the truth of their words that Jesus is indeed, “the Christ of God” and “King of the Jews”. Following their lead, one of the criminals hanging beside Jesus, named Gestas, by tradition, mocked Jesus and his power to save himself. Stirred by the Holy Spirit, Dismas (known as the “good thief” next to Jesus) admonishes him in a marvel of faith and humility replying, “Have you no fear of God?” He speaks of the justice they have received for their crimes and the injustice of Jesus’ death. Dismus saw beyond the pain and suffering of a man to see the reality of a thorn-crowned King. He prays to Jesus by speaking his holy name, “Jesus, remember me when you come in to your Kingdom.” Jesus decrees his last kingly edict from the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise”.

These words live in infamy and are cited by the Venerable Bsp. Fulton Sheen in his book, “The Seven Last Words “. He says, “It was the thief's last prayer, perhaps also his first. He knocked once, sought once, asked once, dared everything and found everything. May we not say that the thief died a thief, for he stole Paradise?” Even on the cross Christ’s kingship is affirmed and realized in his merciful power and authority to grant eternal paradise to a repentant heart. Jesus indeed remembers each one of us and longs to be with us. Consider how we can keep, in mind and heart, our relationship with Jesus as the center of our lives?

It is in Christ’s own self-offering on the cross that we come to understand the true nature of His kingly rule. To call Christ King is to learn a new way of seeing and understanding power. It begs the question: how do we use the power entrusted to us? To dominate? To enrich ourselves alone? Or to serve, to build up, to give life?

The three-fold office of Christ we know as, "Priest, prophet, and king", which we inherit in our baptism. Called as benevolent kings, we are to impart our gifts and talents to help build God's kingdom on earth in charity and love and to rule over sin in our lives. To be a king is to serve others with authority and grace, as modeled by Jesus. Christ-like kingship is evident:

· In our prayer life

· in our ministering to the homebound,

· in our sending cards or letters of blessing to others in need.

· in our faith formation and evangelization of others.

· in small, random acts of kindness that lift up and enhance the lives of others.

Small acts of humble service reflect the truism that king-like power becomes holy when it is given away in love.

Our kingship is also expressed in our public acts and voice for peace, righteousness, and social justice in our struggling world. We support pro-life prayer chains and donate to charitable organizations. We vote to protect our environment, homes, and schools and all our God-given rights and freedoms for the well-being of all. The kingship we inherit reminds us that none of us is too small or too powerless to serve others. The kingdom of Christ is not built by the powerful of this world, but by ordinary disciples who choose daily acts of love. The “…meek will inherit the land”, using strength and power in obedience to God’s will. Every time we forgive someone; when we put others’ needs ahead of our own; every time we seek the face of Christ in others; every time we receive the Eucharist, we proclaim, in word and deed, that Christ is King. As faithful and obedient subjects of our Divine King, may we live a life of grace, mercy, and self-giving for the greater good of each other and for the glory of God.

Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

Sun, 09 Nov 2025 12:35:19 GMT

Dedication of the Lateran Basilica – November 9, 2025

Rf.: Ez. 47:1–2, 8–9, 12 • Cor. 3:9c–11, 16–17 • Jn. 2:13–22 Dcn. Bill Kenney

My wife and I were recently blessed, along with a million other pilgrims from around the world, to walk through the Holy Doors of the Basilica of St. John Lateran during this Jubilee Year. Why today are we celebrating the anniversary of the dedication of a church an ocean away? And why this particular church in Rome, rather than St. Peter’s Basilica, which is far more grandiose and familiar?

The answer lies in the mystery of what it means to be members that make up the Church. The Basilica of St. John, built on the Lateran Hill, was dedicated in 324 A.D. after Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity. It is the mother church of all Roman Catholic churches and is the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. So when we celebrate the dedication of this church, we are not honoring just an ancient piece of architecture, but a living symbol of our identity and unity as Catholics.

Besides a structure for protecting us from the elements, buildings express values. They communicate who we are and how we want to be seen. Consider your own home, for example. This is also true for a church building. The Lateran Basilica reflects what we believe about ourselves as members of the Body of Christ led by the Holy Father, and how we want the world to see us: united, rooted in the Gospel, and as a pilgrim people heading to our salvation in Christ.

Spiritually, the Church is not defined by its architecture and artistic beauty. Think of the early Christians worshiping in house churches or even underground catacombs. Think of our brothers and sisters today who, because of persecution, have to celebrate Mass in secret, in barns, in refugee camps, in open space under a tree, or in prison cells. They are no less Church than those who gather under the soaring arches and artistic beauty of a cathedral. As a faithful, baptized People of God, we are the bricks and mortar of the Church anywhere we gather in the world.

And yet, having a sacred space matters. A physical church provides a place of encounter and reverence for the divine. It creates an environment that shapes us, that tells us: here is where we belong. God is present with us and God is calling us to a higher place, to His very self. Ezekiel describes in today’s first reading: a temple overflowing with living water, where people come to drink deeply of God’s grace.

That is why Jesus was so passionate about cleansing the temple. In the Gospel, he drives out the merchants and money changers because they had turned a holy place into a marketplace. For Jesus, the temple was not about profit or prestige; it was a meeting place between God and humanity. Our churches must always remain faithful to that purpose. Every parish, every chapel, every cathedral — from St. John Lateran to our own St. Agnes parish — is called to be a house of prayer, a fountain of living water, a place where there’s an unending flow of God’s mercy and grace offered and received, especially in the sacrament of the Eucharist.

But the Lateran Basilica reminds us of something more. It is a sign of Christ’s presence and the visible unity of the Catholic Church. As Roman Catholics, we are tied not only to our parish or diocese but to Rome itself, and through Rome to Catholics throughout the world. That unity extends across time and dimension. Just last week, on All Saints Day and All Souls Day, we celebrated the invisible communion that binds the Church militant on earth, the Church suffering in purgatory, and the Church triumphant in heaven. Today’s feast complements that mystery by reminding us of the visible communion that binds us together: the sacraments, the apostolic faith, the leadership of the bishop of Rome, and the real structures of church community such as charity, service, and fellowship, all of which unite us as a People of God.

St. Paul reminds us that we ourselves are “God’s building”, a holy temple. The Spirit dwells not only in cathedrals and basilicas but in the baptized. We are the living stones of God’s temple, being built together into a dwelling place for the Lord. That is why the feast of the Lateran Basilica is not just about a magnificent church. It is also about us.

So what does this mean for us, practically speaking? It means asking how we can help our parish be what it is meant to be: a house of prayer, a font of living water, a place where God dwells. For some, that means offering time or talent to support ministries. For others, it may mean maintaining the building and grounds, welcoming the stranger at the door, or teaching the faith to OCIA catechumen. For all of us, it means praying here with open hearts and intention and then carrying that spirit into the world, announcing the Gospel of the Lord, and bringing souls to Christ.

Churches and monuments are man-made temporal structures that through earthquakes, fires, and deterioration will eventually go back to the earth. I’m thinking of the Cathedral of Notre Dame and the Coliseum. They require living stones — us — to keep them alive. If the Lateran Basilica is the “mother of all churches,” then our own St. Agnes parish is a daughter in that same family. Both require care, prayer, and commitment.

Today’s feast is not really about an old Roman basilica. It is about the mystery of the Church herself. It is about unity of all the baptized — across the world, across time, across every imperfection. It is about making our parish a true fountain of living water, where Christ continues to meet and bless his people. May God give us the grace to love his Church — in all her glory and all her flaws — and to build her up by our faith, our service, and our unity in Christ, for the glory of God.

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sun, 26 Oct 2025 10:48:00 GMT

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Oct. 26, 2025 Dcn. Bill

Rf.: Sirach 35:12–14, 16–18 • 2 Tim. 4:6–8, 16–18 • Luke 18:9–14

Pride and humility are two major themes in our Scripture readings today. The evil of pride is created through an individual's choice to express it; while the virtue of humility is borne in the silence of self-reflection.

In our first reading, Sirach tells us, “The one who serves God willingly is heard; his petition reaches the heavens.” The widow, the orphan- the Lord indeed hears the cry of the poor. These are humble servants of the Lord, pure of heart; those seeking righteousness in their lives; those who recognize the one Source to fulfill their true needs. Note the order: serve God willingly, then your prayers will be heard. We are to serve not in reluctance or out of a sense of duty, but in a spirit of humility and obedience. It is only by being in right relationship with the Lord, seeking, knowing, and doing his will, that we will be close to him. We can then share our prayers in confidence and trust that they will be heard and answered.

This is precisely the image we have of St. Paul in our second reading. Paul tells Timothy he has served the Lord well, finished the race to spread the Gospel, and his days on earth were coming to an end. Paul proclaims his accomplishments, not in a spirit of pride but in humility and gratitude giving all glory and praise to the Father. Paul’s is a prayer of confidence in the benevolence of the Father to reward him with the crown of eternal life. This account is a type of the Paschal Mystery: the passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. Jesus' blood was poured out like a libation; he was deserted by his apostles at the cross, save John. He forgave those who knew not what they were doing. His Father was with him, giving him strength to endure the physical and emotional agonies of his passion. Jesus and Paul, in great humility and obedience, served the Father’s will and were rescued and exalted unto heaven.

In our Gospel reading from Luke, Jesus once again draws from the deep well of abundant Pharisee shortcomings. The Pharisee is quick to spew out his qualities of leading a faithful life. He observes Temple law, he fasts, tithes, and obeys the Commandments. So close. He’s almost there! His prayer, however, is self-righteous. He takes credit for his own virtues. He doesn’t need anything from God and receives nothing. His thanks to God is for not being a sinner like the tax collector. He lacks humility. The sin of pride fills his heart.

St. Josemaria Escriva stated that one of many ways you lack humility is when you “[Think] that what you do or say is better than what others do or say”. His complete thoughts on humility are worth a careful read.

The tax collector, in all humility, repents and acknowledges his sin to God and asks for mercy. He cries, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.”- from which is derived the contemplative “Jesus Prayer”: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Pray it often. The tax collector is an example to us all- that God heals and forgives us, especially when we take care to approach God with humility and contrition in the sacrament of reconciliation. The tax collector is justified. His prayers are answered and so will ours be answered.

Can we relate our lives and our faith to the Pharisee or the tax collector, or both? We worship at Mass every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation, we tithe, fast, donate to charity, work the Fish Fry, pray the Rosary, etc… Isn’t that enough? No, it is not.

· We are all sinners in need of God’s mercy and forgiveness. In all humility that truth must never escape our prayer. Pray the Litany of Humility reflecting upon the ego’s surrender to the humility of Christ.

· Pray to seek, know, and fulfill the Father’s will in your life utilizing the gifts he’s given you.

· Ask yourself: How can I sacrifice my will for that of the Father? This is the way to be a faithful servant whose prayers are answered without delay.

The Gospel ends with a divine reversal- a summary lesson statement for us to guide our values and standards. “…whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."- much like the reversal, “… the first shall be last and the last shall be first.” Jesus is our model of humility in his obedience to serve the Father’s will. Paul followed suit. Both were exalted to the glory of heaven. We too are called to follow their example in the practice of our faith and in our reception of the Holy Eucharist. May we always maintain a spirit of humility to love and serve the Lord and each other, for our salvation and for the glory of God.

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sun, 28 Sep 2025 14:36:02 GMT

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr. C 9- 28- 2025 Dcn. Bill Kenney Ref.-Luke 16:19–31

Reflection on Charity and Justice in our lives.

Are we persuaded to repent and become more charitable people by the model given us in the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus? Charity is love for others and acting with generosity and self-sacrifice. It is a spiritual gift and fruit of the Holy Spirit to give out of great love as Christ did for us- up to and including his death on the cross. St. Catherine of Siena said, "Consider God's charity. Where else have we ever seen someone who has been offended voluntarily paying out his life for those who have offended him?” Together with faith and hope, charity is one of the Theological virtues that grow our relationship with the Father and each other.

In our Gospel reading from Luke, we learn a lesson in charity and justice. We hear of the anonymous rich man and the poor man, Lazarus. They led vastly different earthly lives and eternal lives. They did share one thing in common and that is, death- the great equalizer. In the parable, there’s really no sign of charity on either parties’ behalf. No crumbs from the rich man’s table would feed Lazarus’ hunger; not even a drop of water was given to cool the rich man’s thirst. These are both so over-the-top and appalling that it might give us pause to think, “Do I, to some degree, resemble either of these people in my daily life?” The justice served each player is just as eye-opening and thought provoking. These are certainly outcomes deserving of our interior reflection and conversion of heart.

This is a parable Jesus addresses to the Pharisees who were well-off middle-class people. They had their every need met while imposing strict, oppressive temple laws on the common Jews. They believed in the resurrection and the afterlife but did not put two and two together to realize their shortcomings; to recognize and inherit their salvation standing before them. Jesus loved them as God’s creation and wants them, and us, to understand the errors of our ways to save our souls. We provide an identity to the anonymous rich man in our sinfulness and lack of charity for others in our lives. We can sometimes be a type of the Pharisees needing to be woken up and enlightened to our uncharitable ways.

How do we become more charitable? It starts with clarity of mind, heart, and will for the unconditional well-being of others.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, a.k.a. St. Mother Teresa, is a model of charity. Her religious order is called, The Missionaries of Charity, giving meaning and identity to their cause. She dedicated her life and devotion to the Lord to serve the poorest of the poor in India and beyond- the Lazarus’s of our time. She said, “Every work of love done with a full heart brings people closer to God.” In addition to giving money or material support, giving of ourselves with a full heart builds communion with the Father and each other, which is a far greater act of charity.

There are many other charitable organizations doing God’s work to love and care for others. In our own Parish we have access to the Knights of Columbus, Christian Service, Mary’s Refuge, Torch 180, Loaves and Fishes, Family Impact Center, and many others. I recently conferred God’s blessings upon the Pregnancy Help Clinic facility and its Staff members. The Holy Spirit is indeed moving and working through their cause. They and all these charitable organizations are gathering crumbs and

dipping their fingers to serve, refresh, and give dignity to the needy among us. As a sign of your gift of charity consider giving

your time, talent, and treasure and your full heart to help these and other organizations meet the needs of others.

Our OCIA Catechumen and Candidates [ 4:30 -will be welcomed tomorrow] [ 8:30 - will be welcomed today] [ 11am - are welcomed here today] in their journey of faith. They need your crumbs and drops of prayer to inspire them to a greater love of Christ and his Church. Prayer cards for them are out in the Gathering Space.

There’s no time like the present to express and take charitable actions for others. Give and don’t keep score. Life and God’s justice are fleeting and swift. We will be asked one day to account for the charity we provided to others, starting with our families. Unlike the rich man, may we serve our needy brothers and sisters in Christ. May charity and love prevail from the fullness of our hearts, for our salvation and for the glory of God.

Exaltation of the Cross

Sun, 14 Sep 2025 18:19:50 GMT

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross – September 14, 2025

Readings ref.: Num. 21:4b–9 • Jn 3:13–17 Dcn. Bill Kenney We exalt the cross of Christ

In our daily lives, what kinds of people, places or things do we exalt? What do we place high above other things? - put on a pedestal to stand out as prized assets or relations in our lives? Is it a famous quarterback, or a sports car, an expensive dog breed? A college diploma? A trip to Grand Camen is just heavenly. What do these things have in common? They are all of this world and are passing. To exalt something in a spiritual sense is to elevate it to the highest level of adoration, glorification, and praise for all eternity.

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is celebrated today. It is also celebrated in the liturgy of Good Friday. Such a major theme of our faith is worthy of recalling, even as we do at every Mass. Recall also, at the foot of the cross is our Blessed Mother, Mary, the prime exultant and model of humility and grace. Today we commemorate the recovery of Christ’s actual cross by St. Helen, Emperor Constantine’s mother. We exalt the everlasting, saving power it represents in our lives.

At the Presentation of Jesus in the temple, Simeon prophesizes that the infant Jesus is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel. He would be a sign that will be contradicted. Simeon’s prophesy is fulfilled in our readings.

In the Book of Numbers, the ungrateful, complaining people of God, were punished with venomous serpents. They repent and ask for mercy. From the Lord’s instruction, Moses fashions a pole with the seraph serpent figure on it, the same serpent sent to bite and kill them was now to be looked upon for healing. Certainly, a sign of contradiction. But why this sign? In this case, it served as a reminder of the punishment they paid and could perhaps pay again for their ungratefulness and disobedience to the Lord. It also reminds them and us of God’s endless mercy if we repent. Moreover, this account is a type of the redemption and salvation we receive from Jesus Christ exalted on the cross.

Our gospel reading from John is the famous 3:16 verse made popular by the saints and Christian sports fans as a definitive tenet of our faith. Jesus tells Nicodemus of his original domicile, heaven. He continues by explaining a comparison of the

Son of Man being lifted up as was the serpent pole lifted up, or exalted, by Moses. Instead of the wrath of God sent down to all mankind from heaven, God sends his only begotten Son to take the wrath for us and save us from our sin. Those who look upon the seraph are healed; those who not only look upon the cross but also BELIEVE in our Savior Jesus Christ might not perish but might have eternal life. Just as the disobedient, ungrateful People of God in Numbers, we too, because of our sin, deserve condemnation. It is only through the mercy, sacrifice, and redemptive love of our Savior that we are saved.

What do you see when you look upon the crucifix? Sadness, perplexity, love? It should be an extra-sensory experience, lifting you up with the exalted Christ to a life of awe, peace, and love for our Lord, for all he did and still does for us. As Catholics we see not only the cross but also a bloodied corpus and recall his great passion and death. Some Christian sects prefer to remember the divine power of Christ with an empty cross symbolizing his victory over death and his resurrection. The cross is a sign of contradiction. Each of us may have a unique realization of the cross in our lives. This instrument of torture and death leads to our eternal life. Think about that: death gives life. This great mystery is a matter of faith, belief, and trust- not unlike the mystery of Christ’s true presence in the Eucharist. The sacrifice of Christ on the cross is made present on the altar in the Eucharist. He gives us his body and blood to strengthen us to bear our own crosses and together become one body in him.

Jesus, the Light and Life of the World, is the true source of our eternal salvation and we can come to him by looking at him lifted up in the tragedy and triumph of the cross. Jesus conquered sin through his atoning death and resurrection. Through the Father’s infinite love for each of us, when we sin, we need only to turn back to him with contrite, humble hearts in the sacrament of reconciliation.

O God, who willed that your only begotten son should be condemned to the cross to save the human race, grant we pray that we who contemplate his mystery on earth may merit the grace of his redemption in heaven, for our salvation and the glory of God.

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 12:24:49 GMT

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time – August 24, 2025

Readings: Isaiah 66:18–21 • Hebrews 12:5–7, 11–13 • Luke 13:22–30 Dcn. Bill Kenney

We are saved by God’s grace and our striving to enter the narrow gate.

In our gospel reading from Luke, Jesus is asked, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” Instead of giving a flat-out “yes” or “no” answer to this question, it’s more of an “it depends” answer. To answer “yes” or “no” would have sent the questioner reeling in a false sense of either joy or fear. He does not understand the depth of his question; the answer is beyond him. It is a question answered only by God.

And so, Jesus tells his followers to strive to enter (the Kingdom of Heaven) through the narrow gate . It’s not a question of how many, but how we strive to enter. Entering through the narrow gate sounds to me like herding of sheep or cows into a corral. The vast population, a universal livestock roaming about is funneled by sheep dogs or rancher whips into a single-file row, disciplined and trained to enter the narrow gate for security, control, and care. So it is in the Kingdom of Heaven. While God offers salvation to everyone, some go astray. Not everyone accepts or responds to the invitation in a way that leads to true discipleship and, ultimately, being among the "saved". This verse highlights the importance of responding to God's call with faith, humility, and a commitment to follow Christ.

He tells us, we are to strive to enter. Strive means to do your best, to make a life-long effort in preparing and building your faith, love, and relationship with God. He continues, “…many will not be strong enough” to enter- strong enough to lift others from their burdens, strong enough to overcome temptations to sin, strong enough to bring others to Christ, such as through the OCIA Program. These strengths and the grace of God allow us to enter through the narrow gate.

Our reading from Isaiah tells us the faithful people of God will be gathered from the four corners of the world to universally worship their one Lord and God. In Hebrews, the people are reminded that they are all children of a loving Father. A loving father and mother provide discipline in their children’s lives, not for the purpose of pain and suffering but as training to bring about “…the peaceful fruit of righteousness in their lives.” Consider recent headlines of unruly, undisciplined teen gang members,

mostly boys, wreaking havoc in major inner cities. Where are their parents to guide, discipline, bring order, and train them to be peaceful, righteous men? Without the love and strength of a father and mother, as examples to emulate, our children, in turn, will not be strong enough to enter the Kingdom’s narrow gate.

In the end, God judges us and the size of the gate for each of us to be able to enter. Pray the narrow gate is wide enough for you and me to be saved. It depends. We may have to go on a diet- a diet from pride, self-centeredness, laziness, indifference, and other vices that make the gate too narrow. The virtues we espouse such as charity, patience, humility, and others make us stronger to enter the narrow gate. Live a virtuous life.

We are invited to choose an ever-deeper relationship with God, especially through reception of his gate-opening Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist. We must endure any trials and discipline, remaining strong in our trust, faith, and love of God so we can say “yes” to him and strive to enter the narrow gate, who is Jesus Christ- opened for our salvation and for the glory of God.

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sun, 10 Aug 2025 20:57:44 GMT

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Yr. C

Aug. 10, 2025 Ref. Lk 12:32-48 Dcn. Bill Kenney

I never knew what a “Leatherman’s tool” was. Come to find out it’s like a Swiss Army knife on steroids having multiple fold-out tools that could be called upon for nearly any reason. It’s the ultimate Boy Scout, “Be Prepared” tool. Need a can opener? Need a pair of scissors or a screwdriver? You’re all set. There’s great peace of mind knowing you’re prepared, affording confidence to respond to unexpected encounters.

The over-arching theme to our Gospel reading from Luke is to be prepared, perhaps in a more philosophical and theological manner than the Boy Scout motto. We are to be prepared in the way we lead our lives and the things we value; be prepared with the strength of heart by which we are led by faith with focus on the things of God.

Jesus tells his disciples, and us, “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” Your treasure is the real focus of your life as seen by the time and energy you devote to it. Consider the workaholic, those suffering from various addictions, those consumed by accumulating material possessions. Their hearts are filled with passing, corruptible treasures. Their time and energy are focused on ego and self. While Jesus does not denounce material possessions and making a living needed for us to lead effective, benevolent lives, a trust and faith in these treasures can stand in the way of trust and faith in God.

The treasures we hold dearly in our heart can take our time and energy in the form of other things like anger, bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness, and past hurts. These negative emotions can fester and corrupt a person's thoughts and actions, ultimately leading to destructive behavior. Such treasures we harbor manifest themselves in sinful words and acts.

Conversely, the hearts of devout disciples of Christ are filled with truly incorruptible treasures, like love, peace, purity, and mercy- values lasting for eternity. Consider your family life, your prayer life, giving back to your community. These are focused on Christian principles and practices- focused outward from self and ego. Such treasures I see regularly in the terminal cases of our Homebound brothers and sisters living their last days in nursing homes or in Hospice care. When bringing them Communion, their thoughts and prayers, time and energy are focused on the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist and the love of significant others in their lives, not on worries and struggles with their possessions or self. What do you treasure? Or, similar to the Capital One tagline, “What’s in your heart?”

Jesus says, “You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” Watchfulness is akin to preparedness. This scripture is a good reminder that we are to be watchful and vigilant all liturgical year long, not just at Advent or after the Ascension. The Master of the household will return at an unexpected hour. What will he find- especially in your heart?

Like a good Leatherman’s tool, we have the gifts of the Holy Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation in our quiver to help us in our preparation. In these, we receive Christ and his mercy to make us more like him. How we prepare, what we value as Treasures, and how we maintain a faith of watchfulness is what makes us good and prudent servants or, lacking these, unfaithful, untrustworthy servants.

St. Basil wrote that these are the marks of the Christian — to watch daily and hourly, to stand prepared in the state of responsiveness pleasing to God, knowing that he will come.

In the end, at our just judgement, we will all be held to account for our lives. “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.” With a strong belief and love of Jesus in our hearts, we must each fully utilize, in proportion, the free gifts of grace and blessings bestowed upon us. Do you use these gifts in a life of stewardship and mercy for the well-being of others in need? Can you humbly stand prepared in truth, peace, and confidence to inherit the eternal Kingdom God so lovingly offers to you? May we be so prepared and watchful with incorruptible treasures in our hearts, for our salvation and for the glory of God.

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

wkenney8@sbcglobal.net (Deacon Bill Kenney) — Sun, 27 Jul 2025 12:29:33 GMT

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – July 27, 2025

Ref.: Genesis 18:20–32; Luke 11:1–13 Dcn. Bill Kenney

All of us have prayed at pivotal, life-changing, and desperate situations in our lives. We persistently cry out for help in times of trouble, fear, and need. We ask for something to be done- something beyond ourselves, greater than what we can do. Often, we seek answers in difficult times: How could this happen? Why me, him, or her? What next? Is this God’s plan? Frightened and seemingly alone, we must instead make our prayers in confidence and trust knowing God will hear our knock and the door of opportunity and answers will be opened to us. Our moments of prayer should not, however, be limited to such desperate times, but must rather be a constant part of our daily life nurturing a loving relationship with God Our Father .

In our first reading from Genesis, it’s amusing how the writer humanizes God’s thoughts and the relationship and conversation he has with Abraham- as if God had to go down to see what the outcries against Sodom and Gomorrah were all about. And then, Abraham’s back and forth pleading and negotiating with our all-powerful God to have mercy and change his divine justice. The point here is that God is present and active in our lives. He hears and answers our prayers.

Abraham’s persistence is a key characteristic of prayer. The power of persistent prayer increases our self-confidence and strength of faith. It helps us to form real stability in sensing God’s presence and our relationship with Him. We continue to ask God for what is good and just, even when faced with negative outcomes- even when we lack the understanding of why things happen the way they do. Our prayers align our hearts to God’s unfolding plan for our lives.

All our prayers are directed to God- whether they be prayers of praise, contrition, thanksgiving, or petition. They may be enhanced and reflected by intercessors on our behalf, like the Virgin Mary, other Saints, or Guardian angels, but in the end, they are placed in the hands of our loving Father. And God receives, hears, and answers all our prayers for our good now and for our eternal salvation; answered in a far-seeing way and timing that he knows best. I think back on my own ignorance and lack of faith and thank the Lord that my prayers weren’t answered in the short-sighted, easy fix way I wanted them to be answered. Our prayers are answered; some are still pending- and that’s OK. Prayer is not about forcing God’s hand, but is about opening ourselves to his divine wisdom through persistence, patience, trust, and humility. Sometimes this takes time. Sometimes it takes the right instrument of God’s love and mercy to cross our path- a person, such as a spouse, who is an “answer to my prayers”.

The theme of prayer continues in our Gospel reading from Luke. Jesus’ disciples ask him to teach them how to pray. He leads them, and us, to the Father in the Lord’s Prayer. The Lord’s Prayer is first and foremost a prayer of praise to the Father from which all other petitions follow. In its beginning, as Fr. Charles Irvin states in his book, Entering the Heart of God, the first word, “Our” highlights the significance of the Lord’s Prayer as a communal prayer of the Christian faithful. As one Body in Christ, united and belonging, we are Christ’s Church giving all praise to Our Father. Unfortunately, the Lord’s Prayer oftentimes rolls off the tongue of some as a mechanical recitation; giving expression to a disingenuous mood of piety. Enter the heart of God with this prayer. Focus on each word in a spirit of faith and love and pray it each time from your heart to God’s heart.

The theme of persistence in prayer is also characterized in the story of the man who woke his sleeping friend. Persistence gives legitimacy and justifies our petitions. Our needs are great and are not

often fleeting. In our petitions we need to ask, seek, and knock until they are answered. C.S. Lewis said, “Shameless persistence in prayer, … is pleasing to God and more likely to result in an answer.” Our parish Prayer Chain and Prayers of the Faithful intentions are practical ways we can persistently pray for the sake and well-being of those in need of God’s help. There’s never a shortage of prayer needed for self, family, community, nation, and the world. Pray with confidence; pray well, and pray often.

Knowing that our Father will give us what we need — especially the gift of, “… the Holy Spirit to those who ask him”, we are empowered to live as faithful children of God. Let us pray to God with the persistence of Abraham, with the same trust and confidence Jesus encourages us to have in our Father’s benevolence. May we remember that, even in our most desperate moments, God is always listening, always willing to bless us with His presence and His grace. As we join in prayer and receive the greatest gift of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, let us do so with the faith that God, our loving Father, will always provide for us, and that through our prayer, we are drawn into a deeper relationship with Him for our salvation and for the glory of God.

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

wkenney8@sbcglobal.net (Deacon Bill Kenney) — Sun, 13 Jul 2025 22:26:38 GMT

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Ref.: Deut. 30:10-14 , Ps.69; Lk 10:25-37 . Be a good neighbor. Dcn. Bill K. July 12/13-2025

Driving along the expressway you may see a sign, “Speed limit 70” – pretty straightforward, easy to understand. It’s the law. You’ve been use to these your whole driving career. Your spouse, however, may think it’s your first time, or that you forgot how to read, and have no idea what it means! He or she gives you a gentle and kind reminder. We are taught to obey the law, whether it be laws to maintain order in a civilized society, or Church Canon Law, or Catechism moral law in how we treat other people. Most of these laws are understood with little confusion. It is more a matter of us and our ability and conviction to internalize and take action to carry out the law in our lives.

Moses, in our first reading from the book of Deuteronomy, tells his people, to, “…heed the voice of the Lord, your God, and keep his commandments and statutes that are written in this book of the law.” Throughout their exodus, sojourning through years in the desert, the law became he says, “…something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts. You have only to carry it out."

There’s the rub. It’s easy to understand and value a law’s truth and necessity, but it’s another thing to make the choice to take action and trust in the Lord to help us obey his law. Is that too hard to do?

In our Gospel reading from Luke, we hear the Greatest Commandment and the Parable of the Good Samaritan. This Greatest Commandment is found in Deuteronomy, with Jesus adding a second that is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”. All three of the synoptic Gospels convey this message. It is an important foundational tenet of our faith to abide with and obey as disciples of Christ.

The Parable is found only in Luke given by Jesus as further clarification to the scholar and listening bystanders. The scholar correctly answers Jesus’ question on what the law says to do to inherit eternal life. In a twist of pride, to further prove his smarts, he asks, “And who is my neighbor?” This leads to a remarkable parable helping us visualize and understand the definitive message of what Jesus says about “…who is my neighbor?”

As we hear in Luke, a priest and a Levite, scholars and men of position, notice and pass by a beaten, half-dead robbery victim on the opposite side of the road. They took the side of the road that distanced them from any perceived trouble or inconvenience. They chose by their pride, prejudice, and fear the opposite side, opposite the law of God.

The Samaritan traveler, a person from a sect of religion contrary to Jewish law and practice, had pity for the victim, and took care of his needs- going above and beyond. Like a State Farm Agent, he was the good neighbor, the one who treated the victim, his neighbor, with mercy.

It’s interesting that the victim remains anonymous throughout the parable. His identity is not important to Jesus’ message. He wasn’t a person of power and influence that commanded help. Being any man among all mankind, he is a type of us. His anonymity points to the fact that as God’s beloved children, we are all fallen neighbors. Jesus uses the Parable of the Good Samaritan as an example of loving those who may not be our friends. He taught his disciples to love your neighbor as yourself, sharing charity and mercy to everyone in need. He calls them and us today to “go and do likewise.”

And how do we do likewise? I’m a firm believer that God puts into our pathways opportunities to be good Samaritans, to live out our faith and do God’s will. We need only open our eyes and hearts to those who cross our paths. Perhaps there’s a reason for that encounter; an opportunity to make a difference for the better in someone’s life.

As witnesses of Christ, we take the same side of the road, to walk with and meet the needs of others. This most readily happens with our spouse and children and other close family members. For others, it may be as simple as linking to an intercessory prayer chain for those grieving, hurting, or making big decisions. It may take your time and effort by doing volunteer work or donating to charitable causes. As a good neighbor, you may be called to lead others to Christ through the OCIA Program.

As Danny Gokey sings, “Keep it real simple- Love God and Love People.” Keep this simple mantra close to your heart- in your thoughts and actions when you encounter others- that it may guide you to walk the same side of the road they’re traveling.

Love of neighbor is not unlike our encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist. We meet him at the altar of sacrifice. From our broken nature we offer humble gifts to our victim Savior, who, out of great love, gives us his mystical body which is lifted up to the Father to give us eternal life. He is the epitome of love of neighbor. Through the varied paths of our lives, may we obey and carry out the law of the Lord in love and mercy for our neighbor. “Do this and you will live” while giving all praise and glory to God.

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

Sun, 29 Jun 2025 00:58:35 GMT

Ref.: Acts 12:1-11, 2 Tim. 4:6-8, 17-18, Mt 16:13-19. Models of faith and mission.

Dcn. Bill K. June 29-2025

Jesus said, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” The answer to this question is given by two prominent founding apostles of the Catholic Church whom we celebrate today, Saints Peter and Paul. Their answer is proclaimed in the storied lives of these Saints with their shortcomings, miraculous conversions, repentance, and undaunting faith.- lives serving as witnesses to Jesus Christ. Their lives are not unlike the lives we hope to lead through our pilgrimage of faith. The question is therefore, turned to us, - Who do YOU say the Son of Man is?

In our first reading from Acts the faithful’s fervent prayers for Peter’s deliverance from prison are answered. God does hear and answer our prayers! We are given a vivid description of God’s holy angels rescuing a bewildered Peter from certain death at the hands of Herod. Peter’s confinement in prison, is a type of our own chains of sin that bind us to this world and constrain us from the next. - Chains that fall from our souls when we are rescued with the Sacrament of Reconciliation. To our bewilderment, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is a mystery that leads us to forgiveness, freedom, and a change of heart by the power and love of God. Receive this free and liberating gift often.

St. Peter was one of the early apostles called by Christ from his blue-collar fishing job. He was, in many ways, a type of us and is a model of faith for us. He struggled with his faith, belief, and understanding of Jesus’ message. He had his doubts and fears even after answering Jesus with the inspired words of the Holy Spirit, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”. Later, at the Passion, he denied even knowing Jesus. He sorrowfully repented and was reconciled to the good graces of Jesus to, “feed my lambs and tend my sheep” as leader of the Church.

Jesus changed Simon’s name to Cephas or Peter, meaning, the “rock”. He would be the sound foundation upon which Jesus’ Church would be built. The chair of St. Peter is a symbolic representation of the authority of the papacy and the role of St. Peter as the first Pope and leader of the Catholic Church. He is given the keys to the Kingdom of heaven with the authority to bind or loosen us from our shortcomings. As the first pope, he gave order and direction to the Church. His ministry focused on preaching the Gospel, baptizing believers, healing the sick, and organizing Christian worship. Like St. Paul, St. Peter traveled extensively, taking the Gospel to Jews and Gentiles alike.

St. Paul tells us in 2nd Timothy that he has given his all to the Lord. He is resigned to finish the race having been rescued from a self-made prison of hate and evil persecuting Christians, even witnessing the stoning of St. Stephen. He receives a miraculous conversion of faith leading him to a missionary ministry to the far-reaches of the Gentile world. St. Paul and his close companions wrote nearly half the books of the New Testament. As with St. Peter’s rescue, St. Paul says, “The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly Kingdom”. It is a promise the Lord also makes to each of us as his disciples- so long as we repent of our sinfulness and return to the open, loving arms of Christ.

Together, the lives of Sts. Peter and Paul teach and guide us to the love of God and his kingdom. They opened their hearts and surrendered to God’s will to establish and grow the Church throughout the known world. Sts. Peter and Paul are missionary

models for us to “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord”. They were great men of action for us to emulate. St. Josemaria Escriva said, “Don’t let your life be sterile. Be useful. Blaze a trail. Shine forth with the light of your faith and your love.” By our actions, by our prayers, works, joys, and sufferings we follow in the footsteps of the great Apostles Sts. Peter and Paul. We seek to answer the fundamental question we started with, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” It’s not only an identity we’re after but also what that identity means, does, and IS in our life. We answer him especially by receiving the body and blood of Jesus in the Eucharist. Through that reception, we shine forth our light of faith and give witness to the life of the “Son of Man” within us.

Through our repentance, our binding chains of sin are thrown down. We are rescued and restored by the grace and love of the Lord through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Sts. Peter and Paul teach us this through their holy lives and example. With faith and confidence and in all humility may the Lord ready our hearts and strengthen our faith to proclaim with the Saints, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”. May God bless us with the inspiration of Saints Peter and Paul to live holy lives, for our salvation and for the glory of God.

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Sun, 15 Jun 2025 22:28:38 GMT

Ref.: John 16:12-15. Baby steps to the Truth Dcn. Bill Kenney June 14/15, 2025

Most babies will take their first steps at around one year old. They do this with encouragement, direction, and example from their parents and older siblings. They stumble and fall but eventually get the hang of it. Before long, before you know it, they learn to hop, skip, jump, and run their way through life. But they start with baby steps.

Our Gospel reading from John highlights the sharing, cooperative, and collaborative relationship between the three persons of the Holy Trinity: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They are united as One to bring us to salvation in Christ. The reality of the Holy Trinity is a mystery, that is, a matter of faith. It is difficult for us to completely express our understanding. It is a truth to be reverenced with surrender. The Catechism says, the Most Holy Trinity “…is the mystery of God in himself.” It is therefore the source of all other mysteries of faith, the light that enlightens them.” The Holy Trinity is three distinct persons, distinguished in their relationship to one another, yet they are one God in divine being.

Jesus speaks to his disciples in the context of the days before his final hour. They accompanied Jesus for three years witnessing his parables, miracles, new teachings, commandments, and prophesies. Their minds and spirits are swimming with perplexities and fear, yet also with hope. Indeed, as Jesus said, he has “much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.” Were they experiencing a sort of “Jesus overload”? The Church, established by Christ, would take centuries to develop through the workings of the Holy Spirit. She grows as she continues even today with baby steps- sometimes stumbling and falling, but getting back up and, as we know, “…the gates of hell shall not prevail against it [her].”

The Holy Spirit, the promised Spirit of Truth who we’ve heard so much about in recent weeks, guides us, the Church, with encouragement, direction, and example. The Spirit hears, proclaims, and glorifies the Father and the Son in all things. The Father and his Word, the Son, together possess everything and share everything with each other “…in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit…” Together they guide the Church, teaching her to walk in the light of Christ.

Jesus says, “...the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth.” How are we guided to all truth by the Spirit of Truth? First, what is “ all truth ”? There is really only one definitive umbrella of ever-lasting truth of all : that is, the love between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. G.K. Chesterton said, “Trinitarian language is the theologically precise way of saying, ‘God is love’. The love they share is the Holy Spirit.” St. Augustine says, “… the Holy Spirit is the self-love between the Father and the Son.” As God’s children, we are blessed to take share of this love and are called to hear, proclaim, and glorify the Father and the Son in all things. We are guided to all truth by our faith and obedience to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and as witnesses to the truth of Christ to others.

We acknowledge the presence of the Holy Trinity:

When we sign ourselves in the nam e , not the name s , plural, of the Father, and of Son, and of the Holy Spirit, in all reverence and grace.
When we are validly baptized in the Trinitarian formula to become children of God.
When, as the Body of Christ, we pray in unison our Profession of Faith recognizing what we believe constitutes each person of the Most Holy Trinity.
We acknowledge the presence of the Holy Trinity at the consecration of the Eucharist. We offer to the Father the sacrifice of the Son through the love and power of the Holy Spirit. When we take in the Body of Christ, we share in the love of the Trinity; we become what we eat.

How is the presence of the Holy Trinity empowering your life, your faith?

Understanding the mystery of the Holy Trinity is a matter of faith and reverence for the truth. Perhaps we will not have a perfect understanding of it until we reach our salvation where we will then know all truth. In the meantime, like a one-year-old, we take baby steps. We try our best to learn God’s will from his Word and those significant others placed in our lives. We entrust our hearts and

prayers to the cooperative, collaborative efforts of our Triune God to fulfill our needs. As the Body of Christ, may we be united, share, and profess the Holy Trinity’s bond of love in our lives.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Sun, 25 May 2025 22:35:35 GMT

Sixth Sunday of Easter -Yr. C. May 24,25-2025 Dcn. Bill Kenney

Ref. Jn. 14:23-29 Choose love and obedience to the Word.

If you touch a hot stove, then you’ll get burned. If you have your head down looking at your phone while crossing the street, then you might get hit by a car. If you read and study well, train and practice diligently, then you’ll be on the right path to accomplish your life’s goals. If you love one another, then you will be a disciple of Christ. If you love Jesus and keep his Word, then he will come and make his dwelling within you.

From our youth we learn the “if/then” alternatives of our choices to teach and remind us of life lessons. We come to understand and develop the virtues of obedience and love through our choices. We continue throughout our lives to realize the benefits and consequences of following or not following the rules of societal living, the doctrine of the church, or the precepts of God.

Our Gospel reading from John today is a continuation of the Last Supper discourse whereby Jesus assures us, his followers, of his leaving, yet promises his ever-present dwelling in our hearts and his eventual second coming. The context is such that these are the last moments of his life with his disciples. The shepherd shall be struck down and the sheep scattered, but by the power of the Holy Spirit, those obedient to his Word will live on in his love. Nearing the end of the Easter season, why are we back-tracking and revisiting this discourse? It’s because Jesus said, the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, “…will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” Through the author’s inspired pen, we have the Gospels to remind us of Jesus’ Word. Like the early disciples, we too need these constant reminders of Christ’s presence in our lives through the gift of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. We learn from our choices; the alternatives we face to drive home these important reminders. If you love Jesus, then you will keep , and be obedient to, his Word. “ If you loved me, [ then ] you would rejoice that I am going to the Father…” Author and philosopher, Peter Kreeft, like a good disciple of the Holy Spirit, wonders, “Wouldn’t it be better if Jesus was still here on earth, if he never ascended? No. Because it is his Spirit we have, so we have Jesus more fully, more interiorly, more intimately than before the Spirit came [at Pentecost]”. His indwelling gives us new life in the Spirit, for our eternal salvation.

The Magisterium, the teaching arm of the Church, derives its authority by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are, therefore, reminded of Jesus Christ and his Word through the Church. The Holy Spirit will guide and empower our faith to love and follow Jesus' teachings. In what ways do you sense the Holy Spirit guiding your faith? By the exchange of our love and the love of the Father through the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, the Holy Spirit of God the Father and the Son dwells in us and gives us peace.

Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you.” Christ’s gift of peace is echoed in our liturgy at every Mass because it is an important reminder that we are not alone and that we are to focus on the love and peace of Jesus within us as we go about our daily lives in faith and hope.

We hear of peace negotiations throughout the world: Israel and Hamas, Ukraine and Russia, Pakistan and India, and others. This worldly peace is often conditional and fleeting, subject to the whims of sin and hatred of fallible humans. Christ’s peace is founded on love, hope, justice, and forgiveness, in opposition to any pride and selfishness within us. As much as we offer each other the sign of peace, may Christ’s peace reign in our hearts.

Lord Jesus, give us hearts full of love and obedience to your Word, that through your Holy Spirit you may dwell in us. As we surrender ourselves to your holy will, help us to grow in faith, peace, and love, for the glory of God.

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Sun, 11 May 2025 18:37:00 GMT

Fourth Sunday of Easter 5-11-25 Dcn. Bill Kenney

Ref.: Acts 13:14, 43-52 , Ps.100:3, Rev.7:9, 14b-17 , Jn. 10:27-30

Shepherds are God’s instruments of salvation

Sheep and shepherds. I’ve always appreciated the simplicity and relevance these images convey as metaphors for humanity and God's relationship with humanity. We are God’s people, the sheep of his flock , and are often portrayed as vulnerable, humble, and in need of guidance. The shepherd represents God's care, leadership, and sacrifice for his people, an instrument gathering us to salvation in Christ.

A shepherd's main duties involve caring for and managing a flock of sheep, including guiding them to fresh grazing areas, protecting them from predators, and ensuring their overall well-being. As God’s sheep , we are sometimes lost in the dark, afraid, needing our daily bread, needing protection from the errors and sin of this imperfect world. Christ the Good Shepherd comes and, in our need, finds each one of us when we stray from the fold and leads us safely home. The Lamb, as Revelation states ,“… will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

In our reading from Acts, Paul and Barnabas were early shepherds of the church, speaking out boldly as the Lord

commanded them, “ I have made you a light to the Gentiles, that you may be an instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth.” The Gentiles are delighted to be accepted and become one in the Lord’s flock, destined for salvation in Christ.

In our Gospel reading, Jesus says: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” Jesus also speaks of the security of those who are in the Shepherd’s inseparable loving care. “…they shall never perish. No one can take them out of the Father’s hand.” Then he clearly reminds us, “The Father and I are one.” – indeed, the One Shepherd for our salvation.

Parents are intimately acquainted with their children. Likewise, Jesus the Good Shepherd intimately knows each of His sheep. As his sheep, our challenge today is to hear the voice of Jesus — to recognize it and to follow it; to tune-in to the Word of God teaching us how to know, love, serve, and follow Him. We listen to the voices of so many others: entertainers, athletes, media personalities, and politicians. But do we listen to the voice

of Christ, who speaks to us through daily prayer, Scripture, the Church, the Sacraments, in Adoration, and through our brothers and sisters in Christ?

Each of us is called to be a shepherd in our own way, whether that be in our families, in our concern for both neighbors and strangers, and in our concern for the spiritual good of our children, friends, and coworkers. Are we good shepherds? Do we help to find and bring back those who have strayed from the flock: the spiritually lost, the prodigal sons or daughters so that “… not one shall be lost.” We do this out of great love, as a spiritual work of mercy, so they may be rejoined into full communion with the Church. As we celebrate Mother’s Day today, we recognize the shepherding qualities of mothers to protect, nurture, and guide their child lambs, by the grace of God, to a fruitful life, serving as God’s instrument of salvation.

Christ enlists the help of other co-shepherds in the Church to help Him tend His flock. Especially now we pray and trust God’s divine providence to Pope Leo XIV, the Vicar of Christ, a Holy Father shepherd to lead Christ’s flock on earth.

On this World Day of Prayer for Vocations , we pray that God will open our hearts to respond to his call, whether to Christian marriage and the lay apostolate, the priesthood, the diaconate, or consecrated life. These are called to shepherd and feed the flock the Gospel, the moral and spiritual virtues, and the sacraments that Christ has entrusted to them.

The Eucharist we are about to receive is our food for the journey as we move from pasture to pasture in the phases of our lives. Bishop Baron explains, “…the one who eats and drinks the Lord’s Body and Blood becomes configured to Christ.“ The Eucharist helps us become like Christ, a Good Shepherd to others.

In our common vocation as children of God, may we recognize and follow the voice of the Good Shepherd and may we in turn shepherd those people the Lord has entrusted to our care. We know the shepherd’s voice. It truly guides us, fulfills our needs, and brings us to eternal life. May the Lord especially bless all mothers on this Mother’s Day, as well as fathers for their sacrifice and love in guiding their lambs to their salvation in Christ- for the glory of God.

Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday

Sun, 27 Apr 2025 14:52:00 GMT

Ref. Jn.20:19-31 Thomas' journey to belief is ours

Poor “Doubting” Thomas. This blessed Saint has been branded this identity for millennia for doubting the Resurrection. I suppose that may have been his penance. This doubting adjective has been used so often, you may have to explain to a child that “Doubting” was not his first name! This Gospel account from St. John is about belief, mercy, faith, and life in Jesus. As with other Apostle stories, the story of Thomas is a type of us as we journey in our faith to Jesus Christ.

Faith or belief. Which comes first? Sort of like the chicken or the egg riddle. Belief is a basic building block of faith; it's a more pragmatic view of the mind to understand what is considered true. Faith goes beyond belief, from the heart, to encompass trust, obedience, and a personal relationship with God. We read in Hebrews, “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” Faith is its own evidence of what is essential to believe.

How can we relate with Thomas’ doubt regarding our belief? Each time we fall from grace through our sin we show our doubt. We doubt God’s Word, his commandments, and his covenant with us. St. John’s narrative of Thomas is a story of reconciliation and the belief and trust that Jesus does not define us by our moments of doubt. We are forgiven when we go to Confession and receive the Eucharist at Mass; when we proclaim as the other disciples did, “We have seen the Lord!”

Thomas wanted empirical, factual evidence, to see and touch Jesus before believing in the Resurrection. He wouldn’t take the word from others whom he loved and trusted. Why was he such a hard sell? He had witnessed miraculous healings, feeding of thousands, raising of the dead, and also the torturous death of his Lord and His promise of rising in three days. Still, he would not believe.

Is Thomas so different from us that we don’t believe everything we hear? In this age of mis- and dis-information in the News media and Internet, should we believe everything we hear or read? Or is it safer to act as Thomas did? Thomas understood the grave condition of his day. His Lord had been killed for his faith. Would he be next? He was afraid and uncertain of his future. We can appreciate Thomas’ skepticism when we face condemnation and “cancel culture” biases for our faith. It’s tough to stick your neck out for your faith, yet that is exactly what we are called to do. Bishop Boyea’s Be My Witnesses mission is meant to send us out as the Apostles were with a strong belief and love of Christ, recognizing him in the needy faces of others.

Noted author Peter Kreeft tells us, “If we believe, if we have faith, we will see that faith rewarded: partly in this life, and totally in the next.” Our belief is enhanced with the advantage of knowing martyrs and Saints who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith. We recount the revelations of Jesus to St. Faustina on this Divine Mercy Sunday. Our faith is strengthened by our trust in Jesus for his great mercy, as we proclaim, “Jesus, I trust in you.”

Today in our Gospel reading we celebrate Jesus’ Divine Mercy through the institution of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Jesus gave the Apostles the power of binding and loosing; of closing or opening the door to heaven, to offer reconciliation with the Father. Jesus’ mercy knows no bounds. As Jesus told the Apostles, “Peace be with you”, so will we find his peace and mercy most especially in the confessional.

Like Thomas we too can see and touch Jesus- his body and blood- each time we receive Holy Communion. And like Thomas, each time we receive the Eucharist, we can pray with fervent belief, “My Lord and my God”.

Take some time today to reflect upon :

Lord Jesus, strengthen us with an intense belief in your resurrection. I do believe; help my unbelief. May no one brand us a “Doubting Thomas”. Equip us with your Spirit to proclaim the Gospel as your witnesses. May all our prayers, works, trials, and joys reveal our belief in you, for our salvation, and for the glory of God.

Holy Thursday, Mass at Evening

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 10:38:00 GMT

Holy Thursday, Mass at Evening Yr.C

Ref. Jn. 13:1-15 Made clean for the journey Thurs 4-17-25 7pm Dcn. Bill Kenney

Today we celebrate the first of the Triduum liturgies: the Institution of the Eucharist and the Priesthood at The Mass of the Lord’s Supper . The Eucharist is the reality of God’s true, sacramental presence in our lives- the source and summit of our faith. The words of consecration we hear at every Mass since then are echoed in persona Christi from the synoptic Gospels and in our second reading from St. Paul to the Corinthians.

Our Gospel message today from St. John, however, is quite different. There are no words of consecration, no Passover meal, but rather he writes an account of Jesus washing his apostles’ feet.

What does John offer to us in this story? Today is Holy, or sometimes called, Maundy Thursday. "Maundy" comes from the Latin word "mandatum," which means "command" or "mandate". It refers to Jesus' commandments to his apostles when he said, “I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do”; and to, “Love one another as I have loved you.” The act of washing another’s feet was one that could not be required of even the lowest Jewish slave.

Peter couldn’t stand this humiliation upon Jesus. Jesus was, after all, the Master, the Teacher; now become a servant? To wash another person’s feet is an act of living the virtuous traits of service, humility, and love. It is a call to action for all of us to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Such as, knitting prayer shawls for the infirmed. Stocking shelves at a food pantry. Bringing the Eucharist to homebound parishioners. These, and many others are done in the spirit of service, humility, and love . Jesus’ extreme foot washing is matched only by his extreme sacrifice on the cross, redeeming us from our sins for our salvation. John’s account reminds us of the importance of, service, humility, and love for others .

Pope Francis tells us, “Life means getting our feet dirty from the dust-filled roads of life and history. All of us need to be cleansed, to be washed.” Jesus told Peter that he would understand later why he does this. The apostle’s feet and, in a greater sense, their minds and hearts were cleansed and consecrated, set apart and made holy in preparation to be sent by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. They and we are s ent on a new life journey to announc e the Gospel of the Lord.

Today we are made clean for the journey from the altar of the upper room to the Garden of Gethsemane. We place theEucharist in the Altar of Repose a place of temporary and sombermourning and prayer; a vigil of Christ’s agony in anticipation of what was about to happen to him on Good Friday. As we are readied to make the journey down the dark path and sinful reality of Golgotha, we are not without the light of hope, the Morning Star who goes before us.

Fifth Sunday of Lent, The Third Scrutiny

Sun, 06 Apr 2025 13:54:00 GMT

5th Sunday of Lent, The Third Scrutiny Yr. A

Ref.: Jn. 11:1-44 Humanity in his tears Sun. 4-6-25 11a Mass Dcn. Bill Kenney

Saint Pio of Pietrelcina (Pee-eh-trell-cheena) famously stated that tears are "the work of God in you," suggesting their divine origin and power to irrigate the stirrings of our hearts. Babies spontaneously cry for all sorts of reasons. As we grow older, it’s not possible, nor should we try, to hold back the tears of joy at births and happiness at weddings or tears of mourning at death and distress at illness. There’s every occasion to cry at a good book, movie or song. Our emotional tearing is uniquely human amongst all of God’s creation.

Created in the image and likeness of God, we are called to be like Jesus Christ in both his humanity and his divinity. Through his incarnation, Jesus is fully man and fully God. We often focus our thoughts and prayers of Jesus on his divinity. The awesome power and wonder of Jesus’ miracles certainly capture our attention. The raising of Lazarus, prefiguring Jesus’ and our own resurrection, is a prime example. Arguably, one of his greatest miracles, the power of Jesus’ divinity is on full display to mournful onlookers, as Jesus, speaking to the Father says, “…that they may believe that you sent me.” We adore and praise his divinity.

“And Jesus wept” is one of the shortest verses in the Bible, yet it is lengthy in meaning and symbolism. Jesus’ humanity is perhaps no better expressed than in this verse. This passage expresses the anguish Jesus felt over the pain and sorrow his friends Mary, Martha, and others, were suffering at the death of Lazarus. To "weep" is a deeper emotional response versus general crying. Jesus wept for love of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary and knew what he was going to do. Have you ever felt the peace and assurance that God had heard and answered your prayers through your weeping?

Throughout his Gospel, John identifies the divinity of Jesus: his oneness with and in God; from the beginning, the Word. Yet John is also careful to insist that Jesus is at the same time completely human. As a human person, Jesus weeps, feels fatigue and anguish, gets suspicious and perturbed; he thirsts, walks, sleeps, eats, prays, and most notably, dies a most horrid and painful human death. All these references to Jesus’ humanity tell us he can empathize with our daily struggles: our weaknesses and temptations and can deliver us from them as our redeemer and Savior. How does having an all-powerful divine Savior who lived as we live, provide for you a more personal relationship with him?

During our earthly pilgrimage, we live in a “valley of tears” where we continue to shed tears of joy and sorrow. May we one day rise to new life in Jesus’ Kingdom following the path of his divine Passion, death, and resurrection. May we one day share his heavenly banquet, where, “He will wipe every tear from our [their] eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, [for] the old order has passed away.” May we, especially our Elect, “Come out” as Lazarus did to the calling of our Lord to new life this Easter, recognizing his divinity and humanity in our lives, for the glory of God.

Fourth Sunday of Lent, The Second Scrutiny

Sun, 30 Mar 2025 16:49:00 GMT

4th Sunday of Lent, The Second Scrutiny Yr. A

Ref. John 9:1-41 Love in Action Sun. 3-30-25 8:30a Mass Dcn. Bill Kenney

Today we read in our Gospel from St. John the healing of the blind man. It is a story demonstrating Jesus’ powerful works and love in action. It is a parable of profound teaching and illumination, for Jesus tells us, “I am the light of the world”. What exactly does that mean?

On this, the second Scrutiny Sunday of our OCIA journey of faith, our Elect can readily associate themselves with the blind man. The healing is a symbol of spiritual enlightenment and the ability to see the truth, represented by Jesus as the "light of the world". It is a saving, life-giving light; a light guiding our path of faith by the Holy Spirit that we too, as our reading from 1 Samuel says, “…may see beyond appearances to what the Lord sees in our heart.”

As the “light of the world”, Jesus manifests his divine light through his actions. In the Gospel, the blind man receives a double gift of literal light and the light of faith. Jesus could have just said the word and the man would have gained his sight. What’s key here are the saving actions taken. He spat, made clay, rubbed it in his eyes, and sent him to be washed clean. These actions are a type of the Creation narrative in Genesis and the cleansing waters of baptism. These actions demonstrate a process, an intentional purpose to gain the trust and belief in the healing power and love of God. The intensity of the light of Christ in our lives helps us to discern and understand God’s will for us and leads us to take action, to do his work. This is certainly the journey of our Elect; a journey we are all called to embark upon.

We are all directed, as Jesus told and demonstrated to his disciples, “…to do the works of [God]”. As disciples of Christ, we are to discern our spiritual gifts to be used in loving service to others. - to positively affect the lives of our brothers and sisters. Fr. Mike Schmitz tells us, “Generosity is love in action.” Through our generous actions we share in and give the light of Christ.

This blessed light can, however, be dimmed by our sinfulness. At times we don’t see clearly, clouded by acts of selfishness and pride and other sins. Through the darkness of our sin, we are blinded to the light of Christ in our lives and lose the ability to do God’s work. Like the misguided Pharisees, we don’t notice the needs of others. We can’t see past the beam in our own eyes in order to help others. We bypass or make excuses to make a difference in people’s lives. Missed opportunities afforded us to help others is a blindness to God’s divine plan and his purpose for us as Christ’s disciples to do his work. We are healed of our periodic spiritual blindness through the sacrament of Reconciliation. This Lent especially, receive this sacrament. Just as the blind man, our sight can be restored to see and live God’s plan and purpose for us. We can once again see clearly the journey we are all on to grow in love and faith in our Lord and neighbor.

In the end, the blind man said, “…’I do believe, Lord,’ and he worshiped him.” His eyes were opened to his salvation in Christ and, ironically, he blindly follows Jesus in all humility, trust, and obedience as a faithful disciple. Let this Gospel message be a lesson to do the same in our lives.

Lord Jesus, as we partake of your true presence in the Eucharist; as we bask in the joy of your light like the blind man whose sight you restored, may your Elect and all your faithful prove to be steadfast and fearless witnesses to the faith and generously do the work of your holy will, for the glory of God.

Third Sunday of Lent, The First Scrutiny

Sun, 23 Mar 2025 16:47:00 GMT

3 ^rd Sunday of Lent, The First Scrutiny Yr.A

Ref. Jn. 4:5-42 An Offering of Living Water Sat. 3-22-25 Dcn. Bill Kenney

This portrait before you is called “The Head of Christ”. It was painted in the 17 ^th century by the Dutch artist, Rembrandt. Like all the great Baroque masters, Rembrandt’s image of Christ’s face, especially his eyes, can convey an interpretative meaning. In the painting, the tilt of his head is inviting. His eyes are open, focused and seeking, peering into our hearts. We see within our Lord’s eyes heartfelt pools of mercy, and love. This is the face the Samaritan woman would have seen: the face of the man offering her living water.

The drink Jesus requests of the Samaritan woman is her belief in Spirit and truth. In love, he calls her as his child to take his water and never thirst again because it will become “…a spring of water welling up to eternal life”. St. Louis De Montfort tells us, “God is a spring of living water which flows unceasingly into the hearts of those who pray."

Jesus is speaking of spiritual, “living water” for our salvation; the woman thinks he is speaking of ordinary water in the well. The Samaritan woman had long drawn from the depths of her ancestor’s well for refreshment and sustenance and now, with Christ, for spiritual purification and enlightenment from the bottomless pools of his love and mercy.

The woman half fills Jesus’ drink by confessing the truth of her public sin. Shortly afterward, she calls him a prophet and believes him when he says, “I am he”, the Christ, the Messiah. She evangelizes her belief to her townspeople and testifies of the man who has told her “…everything I have done”. By his word and her witness, the will and work of God at the well is finished. His drink is made full.

Our OCIA Elect are on a journey of faith driven by Spirit and truth to find Jesus in their lives, not unlike the woman at the well. Today’s Rite of the First Scrutiny asks the Elect to acknowledge and repent of their sins and find Jesus in the well springs of their hearts; to experience a metanoia, a conversion, and take up His cross for their salvation. How can you give to them a drink of your living water, your faith?

May they and all of us in our Lenten journey see with the eyes of the Head of Christ, who quenches our spiritual thirst with pools of living water. May we receive his body and blood in the Eucharist with equal joy and enthusiasm to announce “everything he has done” in us as his disciples. And may this rendition of your blessed face, O Lord, inspire us to live lives of mercy and love, for our salvation and for the greater glory of God.

Sixth Sun. in Ord. Time Yr. C- Dcn. Bill Kenney

Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:43:00 GMT

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Feb. 16, 2025 Yr. C Dcn. Bill Kenney

Readings: Jeremiah 17:5–8 • 1 Corinthians 15:12, 16–20 • Luke 6:17, 20–26

Great anticipation builds and crucial decision-making takes place before the Superbowl even begins; of course, I’m talking about the ceremonial coin toss. The coin, identified by various symbols, markings or words is designated heads or tails. With a fair coin, the chances of calling the toss correctly are 50/50. Statistics and strategy indicate that there’s an advantage to winning the coin toss, yet the game, with its many subsequent choices, must still play on.

Throughout our lives we have daily coin toss choices to make, some are easy, almost automatic, such as, What time will I get up? What do I need to do to get myself ready for the day? Do I go to work or school or other activities today or not? Oftentimes, many of our choices are not so clear-cut, not as simple as a “coin toss”. Our choices are influenced by a number of factors: our upbringing, our values and morals, our faith, our roles and responsibilities and obligations to others in our lives, by our vocation, and by our ever-changing life circumstances and priorities.

The coin may not always be “fair” either. For example, our coins can be weighted or biased on one side due to our needs verses wants, humility vs. pride, and charity vs. indifference. Holiness verses sin is a choice we make every day and either one can be biased by our life-style, by the thoughts, words, and actions we choose to make. We may win the toss, due to our good or bad biases, but we must still play on and accept the associated consequences or opportunity costs.

In our first Scripture reading, the prophet Jeremiah explains that we are either cursed or blessed based on our choice to follow and trust in the ways of man or in the ways of God. “Cursed” and “blessed” are strong, in-your-face words- two sides of the same coin. God gives US, his children, free-will to make our choices. The ways of the flesh are temporal and fleeting, vanishing all-for-nothing in the end. The ways of God are life-giving, fruitful, and have lasting hope. We make the call, cursed or blessed.

In our second reading from 1st Corinthians St. Paul presents another coin toss to call: our belief or unbelief in the resurrection of Jesus. Either our faith is in vain, all for nothing, if we don’t believe; or we believe and choose to follow Christ, the firstfruits of the resurrection, into eternal life. The call is ours to make.

In our Gospel reading, known as Luke’s Sermon on the Plain , Jesus echoes Jeremiah’s message but with his own blessings and woes to inherit or not inherit the Kingdom. Jesus speaks to a great crowd of his disciples, not from a hilltop or open amphitheater from a boat, but directly to their faces, “on a stretch of level ground”.

In Luke, Jesus tells us both sides of the coin: YOU the blessed who are needy now will enjoy great rewards later in heaven and YOU the woeful who enjoy worldly pleasures now will endure sufferings afterwards. A two-sided coin with a two-sided message. As opposed to Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount, which addresses the varied titles of the blessed, “…blessed are the merciful, the peacemakers, the meek…”, in Luke, Jesus speaks in-your-face, directly to his listeners, to even US- here and now: blessed are YOU! and woe to YOU! We can personalize these words as an after-effect to the choices we make. Our choice to believe, trust, and hope in the Lord determines that we not only win the “coin toss”, but, as Paul says, “… in Christ shall all be brought to life ”.

In many of the choices we face we should first consult with God to understand his will for our lives. St. Padre Pio urges us, “ In all the events of life, you must recognize the Divine will. Adore and bless it, especially in the things which are the hardest for you.” We heavily bias the coin toss call by knowing the Lord’s will, which is always given in love and benevolence. Through prayer, fasting, the Sacraments, Adoration, and careful Scripture reading, we develop a sense of God’s will for us. How do you best learn to know God’s will for your choices in life?

May all our coin toss calls be biased in favor of the Lord’s will, love, and goodness in our lives; that we may be blessed and joyful, not woeful or cursed in our choices. May our good, free-will choices help us to become faithful witnesses in our mission to lead others to the Lord. And as we partake in the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist, may we choose to build upon our relationship and belonging with him and each other, for the glory of God.

Presentation of the Lord Yr. C- Dcn. Bill

Sun, 02 Feb 2025 07:45:00 GMT

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord Yr C .

Ref.: Luke 2;22-40 “Obedience and Offering in our Lives” Dcn. B. Kenney 2-1,2-25

We present things when making transactions. We present our debit card to receive goods and services. We present our passports to travel internationally. We present ourselves in our work, classrooms, social events, and at holy Mass. To present is a convention of obedience to the law, social norms, customs, and our faith. It is an acknowledgement to self and others of our will, identity, and desires.

This Feast Day of the Presentation of the Lord celebrates Christ's entry into the Jerusalem temple with his parents, forty days after His birth. Out of obedience to the law of Moses, a mother had to present her newborn child at the temple, give thanks, and offer the appropriate sacrifice as part of her purification and the child’s acceptance in the temple. St. Luke tells us that upon the Holy Family’s arrival at the temple, they meet up with St. Simeon.

Simeon, in Hebrew, meaning, “he has heard”, was a devout worshiper, a man filled with the Holy Spirit to whom it had been revealed that he shall not die until he saw the “Christ of the Lord”. Wouldn’t that give you a holy optimism and joy in your life? He lived a blessed life of hopeful anticipation. What a great gift from God.

Simeon witnessed the truth about who the infant Jesus was, as well as the implications for Israel, for Gentile nations, for Jesus Himself, and for Mary. After holding Jesus and giving praise to God, Simeon then spoke to Mary of her role in accompanying her Son in His redemptive suffering, “…and you yourself a sword will pierce”. In a sense, this was a second Annunciation of Mary: her humble acceptance of God’s will , not her’s, was to be done. The St. Bridget Devotion to the Seven Sorrows of Mary begins with the Prophesy of Simeon in solemn remembrance of this encounter. It is a source of signal graces in our lives.

From Christmas Day to today’s celebration of the Presentation is 40 days. This is no accident. It has meaning. In Sacred Scripture, the number “40” signifies new life, new growth, transformation, and transitions from one great task to another.

For example:

It takes time, patience, and grace to make changes in our lives:

Now is the time to present ourselves to the Lord and do it with renewed enthusiasm, faith, and hope — to rededicate and offer ourselves to God.

Our offerings, these presentations of the Holy Spirit, guide and ignite within us the Flame of Love, who is Jesus Christ.

God loves obedience to his Law. In obedience to the temple law, the Holy Family offered, according to their modest means, two turtledoves for ritual sacrifice. Wealthy people may have offered sheep, goats, or oxen. At his Passion, by the grace, mercy, and love of the Father, Jesus offers himself as the pure Lamb of God. He is the supreme offering of sacrificial atonement of our sins. The ultimate expression of his Presentation, his boundless love for us, is found at the foot of the cross and at the holy sacrifice of the Mass. His blood was shed for our salvation on the cross. We receive his true presence: his body, blood, soul, and divinity in the Holy Eucharist, giving us the grace and strength to shine his light in our mission to the world around us.

Today we also observe Candlemas, whereby we bless and light candles that signify Simeon’s words that Christ is “… a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” Jesus is the light of the world. His Church is the Lumen Gentium , the Light of the Nations. As with our Baptismal candle and the perpetual candlelight from Bethlehem we shared during Christmas, He is a light born and offered for us, scattering the darkness in our hearts that we may see the goodness of Christ in each other and live as true adopted children of God. Be a light for others who are part of your world: your spouse, children, family, friends, and co-workers. Help them to see through the darkness of sin and weakened faith. Bring them into the light of Christ; help them to see the God who loves them, forgives them, regardless of their shortcomings and doubts. Do you know of such a person in your life?

Accompany and pray with them on their life’s journey that they may see and learn from your faith in action. Like Simeon, may we realize an answer to our longings, our prayers, through the light of the infant Jesus present in the temple of our hearts. And through the intercession of our blessed Mother may we be an example of obedience , a witness presenting Christ in our lives and in the lives of others, for the glory of God.

2nd Sun. Ord. time Yr C- Dcn. Bill

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 15:21:00 GMT

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Yr C .

Ref.: John 2:1-11 “A simple command to Divine Life” Dcn. B. Kenney 1-18,19-25

Introduced by Pope John Paul II in 2002, the Luminous Mysteries were added to the Holy Rosary to reveal the light of God manifested through Jesus, the Light of the World. The Wedding Feast at Cana is the second of the five Luminous Mysteries. In this account in St. John’s Gospel, we hear:

From our Gospel reading, we are the obedient servers to whom it is told by our blessed Mother, “Do whatever he tells you.”– perhaps the greatest summation of the duty of our faith- a phrase of no uncertain terms- a timeless command and invitation for all generations. Do we do whatever Jesus asks of us? Have we listened to and upheld this command- from the time in Eden, through our wanderings after being given the 10 Commandments? Have we listened to His Gospel, the patriarchs and Magisterium of His Church as a guide to our lives? Are we prepared to go forth to be Christ’s witnesses to others, as our Bishop Boyea leads us in the Be My Witnesses journey this year? What else do we need to know in life but to follow this simple command?

The hard part, of course, is following that command. Its terms are easy to understand, to preach it is easy, but to commit ourselves to do everything that our Lord tells us, that’s a challenge. To actually follow through and fulfill His divine will requires great grace, trust, and love in the Lord.

“Do whatever he tells you.” invites us to do two things:

“Do whatever he tells you” is a prayer spoken in confidence; a prayer to be answered. Reflect on this invitation-for-action by our Blessed Mother. These are the last words of Mary recorded in the Bible; words defining our faith. How ready are you to hear this invitation and do God’s will, no matter what it is? The good news is that if we are willing to do for Him everything in total obedience, we will discover that our lives are abundantly filled to the brim with the grace of Divine Life.

And what is “Divine Life”? Divine life is nothing less than the nature of Christ reigning in your thoughts, words, and actions. It is a grace: a freely given gift from God. Our blessed Mother lived this Divine Life in trust and unity with her Son. She is our great intercessor and example of holiness to emulate. Her words lead us to her Son and are therefore worthy of obedience. In what ways can you ask for Mary’s intercession in your life?

Today we recognize and celebrate the Feast Day of our Parish Patron Saint, St. Agnes. St. Agnes was a beautiful Italian girl devout in her love, faith, and obedience to our Lord Jesus, whom she called her divine bridegroom. She too lived the Divine Life. Rather than forsake her love for Christ, the twelve-year-old was beheaded (martyred) for her faith and for refusing suitors who called upon her hand in marriage. She is depicted as a young girl in robes holding a palm branch with a lamb either at her feet or in her arms, signifying her martyrdom, purity, and virginity. On her Feast Day, January 21 ^st , it is customary for two lambs to be brought to the pope to be blessed. On Holy Thursday the lambs' wool is removed and woven into a pallium, a shoulder wrap vestment the pope gives to a newly consecrated archbishop as a sign of his power and union with the pope. How does the life and martyrdom of St. Agnes empower you to grow in faith and love for our Lord Jesus?

Today at our Eucharistic feast we can relate to the events of the Wedding Feast at Cana. Instead of water changed into wine, we offer our humble gifts of bread and wine to be consecrated and transfigured into our Savior’s body and blood. In Cana, the bridegroom provided the wine that was soon depleted. Jesus abundantly replenished it with the “good” wine. In the Mass, Jesus, the bridegroom of his mystical bride, the Church, provides for us his precious blood until he comes again in glory. The Eucharist is freely given to us in super-abundant grace, brimming over in holiness and perfection, for our salvation.

Obedient to the invitation of Mary, may we turn and listen to Jesus, doing whatever he tells us. Like his disciples, may we believe and live the glory of Christ in our lives. May we offer Him, in confidence and trust, through the intercession of our Blessed Mother and St. Agnes, all our needs and joys together with the hopes and needs of the whole world, for the glory of God.

4th Wk Advent Yr C- Dcn. Bill Kenney

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 07:54:00 GMT

4th Week of Advent, 2024

Ref.: Mi 5:1-4a ; Lk 1:39-45 Proclaim a spoiler alert for Christ 12-21,22-2024 b.k.

“ Spoiler Alert!” is an expression we use to describe a warning that an important detail of a developing plot is about to be revealed, whether it be related to a movie, book, or other special news. It’s oftentimes a bummer to find out from someone else, the “Spoiler”, rather than directly from the source. Once the mystery, the “who done it”, is exposed, you might be turned off enough to not see the movie or finish reading the book or even feel the need to talk about it anymore.

This is often the case with me talking to my adult kids. I can’t tell them anything. It’s not that they shut me out and don’t listen to me, rather it’s because they tell me, “Old news Dad, already heard that.” There’s no “leaping for joy” or even a raised eyebrow. A “spoiler” had already spread the news via cell phone, social media, email, and texts leaving me in the dust. I get it. It’s desirable to be the giver of news; a trusted, valued communicator, especially when there’s good news to share.

Prophesy, by its nature, can be seen as a “spoiler alert” and in our readings today we have a few of them. In our first reading, the prophet Micah, gives a spoiler alert to the people of Bethlehem that a ruler shall be born. Although no specifics are given, he tells us Bethlehem, the “House of Bread”, is where we now know Jesus, the Bread of Life, was to be born. He shall shepherd Isreal and all the world in strength and peace. Good news, to be sure.

Today in St. Luke’s Gospel we hear the 2 ^nd Joyful Mystery of the Holy Rosary, The Visitation. Mary made haste to see her cousin Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah. I suspect that since her Annunciation and her “fiat” or “yes” to bear the Son of God, Mary was concerned for her fate and what she should do. She needed a helpful instrument of God, a trustworthy friend she could relate to, to gain wisdom, guidance, and reassurance. Spoiler alert, the Angel of God, Gabriel, tells Mary of Elizabeth’s unlikely pregnancy; so Mary heads out. They both have exciting news to share.

Upon her arrival and greeting, before Mary can even explain her wonderful news, Spoiler Alert- St. John the Baptist leaps with joy in Elizabeth’s womb prompting her, filled with the Holy Spirit, to cry out, “ Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” I guess the Holy Spirit made them even: neither had the chance to tell the other of their good news. News travels fast with the Holy Spirit. I can relate to Mary and Elizabeth.

The Holy Spirit, we pray, may also serve an important “spoiler role” in our lives every day, telling us, guiding us to the will of the Father.

In the still, small voice of our hearts we can feel the “kick” of the Holy Spirit telling us the news that Jesus is within us, giving us direction, mercy, and love in our lives. He calls us to follow him on our pilgrim journey to Salvation. Feel these promptings, witness them in the calm of your prayers, in the child-like trust and longing of our hearts, in the simple acts of mercy and charity shared amongst each other. Most of all, experience the movement of the Holy Spirit in the most Holy Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ at Mass. His true presence is our light and our Food for the Journey, to shepherd us to a faithful relationship with him.

On this, the love-themed 4 ^th week of Advent, may we, out of love for others, become “spoilers” by announcing the Good News of Jesus Christ. May we spread his Word in haste at his coming into our lives this fast-approaching Christmas Day. From a manger in the small town of Bethlehem to the manger in our hearts, may the Christ child be born to give us love, hope, joy, and peace. And may the Holy Spirit send us all kicking and leaping for joy as we give all praise and glory to God.

2nd Wk in Advent Yr C- Dcn. Bill

Sun, 08 Dec 2024 14:48:00 GMT

2 ^nd Week of Advent, 2024

Ref.: Bar 5:1–9; Lk 3:1–6 Clear a pathway to our heart. 12-7,8-2024 b.k.

The words of the prophet Isaiah are cited today in our Gospel reading from St. Luke. Living on a dirt road, I like the idea of winding roads being made straight, and the rough ways made smooth. Hills made low and valleys filled in. I should like to read that verse to the County Road Commission ( bless their hearts!). Between dodging potholes and erosion gullies; springing deer and fallen branches, the roads we traverse are far from being obstacle-free. This is analogous to the imperfect pathways of our lives.- pathways we are called to repair and make ready during Advent for the coming of the Lord into our awaiting hearts.

Our first reading comes from Baruch, the prophet Jeremiah’s scribe. Baruch speaks of the People of Israel being led back by God to Jerusalem after being released from their captivity in Babylon. They return with the splendor of God’s glory in peace, mercy, and justice, following a pathway made of reconciliation and future hope with God.

St. Luke starts out with a lengthy historical filler of who’s who in the region including a date, people, and places- all giving evidence of St. John the Baptist’s and Jesus’ real lives in this world. It’s pretty well documented. How many of us even know, without Googling it, who the president was when you were born let alone who was governor, bishop, and other leaders? Yet we know we’re really in the world. St. Luke proves St. John and Jesus were not fanciful myths or legends but real historical people by whom we are guided by faith down a pathway to our salvation.

St. John the Baptist’s mission is introduced to us in this Gospel. Born of Zechariah and Elizabeth, he grew from a house of Jewish priesthood to a solitary desert evangelist, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Isaiah prophesied, “ A voice of one crying out in the desert”; this is the one who would tell us to prepare a straight and smooth road for the Lord to enter and dwell in our hearts.
A straight and smooth road was a valued infrastructure for those traveling by foot, cart, or horse. The Romans cleared roads for ease of commerce and military deployments in governing their empire. To stray from these roads meant physical and material hardships due to the rough terrain. These off-roads could also be havens for robbers or worse violence. Likewise, off-roads to our hearts are filled with obstacles, dangers, and evil. It is best to prepare, live, and navigate a straight path through the narrow gate, who is Jesus, to reach our salvation.

St. John preaches that we must repent of the uneven, rough, winding obstacles of sin in the pathway of our lives. We must prepare the pathway through reconciliation, mercy, and forgiveness to God and each other. Ask yourselves: Where do I stand in my pathway to allow the Lord Jesus into my heart? What obstacles in my path do I repeatedly trip over distracting me, leading me away from God and his merciful love? How can I not only overcome these obstacles but also make the path smoother for those traveling alongside me? We need to cooperate with God to level the mountains of pride in our lives, to fill in the valleys of selfishness, to straighten the winding roads of deception and self-absorbed behavior so we can approach God in purity, honesty, and humility.

Advent is not only a liturgical season of preparation and hope but it is also one of penitential grace. The sacrament of Reconciliation returns us to a smooth, straight path- to a state of grace- to worthily receive Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist at Mass. The Eucharist is our sustenance, our food for the journey along the path. Through the Eucharist Jesus fills our hearts with his love and grace.

Like the returning exiled People of Israel, may we, this Advent, enjoy the splendor of God’s glory following a pathway of reconciliation, hope, and trust in the Lord; - a pathway we walk free of obstacles together with our brothers and sisters. At the end of our pathway may we find our salvation in Christ and give all praise and glory to God.

Thanksgiving 2024 Dcn. Bill Kenney

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 21:52:00 GMT

Thanksgiving, 2024

Sir. 50:22-24; 1 Cor. 1:3-9; Lk. 17:11-19 Gratitude for God’s Grace. Dcn. Bill Kenney

On Thanksgiving Day we recall the blessings in our lives given to us by the grace of God such as our faith, family, friends, fitness in mind and body, our future, and others. Thomas Kempis tells us that “… in your friendships, as in all other things, always place God first, as the source and font of all that is good. It is a grace and it should be nurtured with humility and love. Be thankful for it and the Holy Spirit will continue to bless you.” Gratitude is a positive response to God's grace and goodness for the blessings in our lives. Gratitude points away from self and toward the dignity of the Giver. This theme of gratitude is consistent in our Scripture passages today.

Our first reading from the Book of Sirach tells us we bless God by responding to his gifts of grace with our praise and thanksgiving. Through this expression of love and gratitude, God grants us his peace, goodness, and joy to sustain us in our days of earthly pilgrimage.

St. Paul tells the Corinthians of his thanks to God for his unshakable faithfulness and graces for growing their faith and fellowship in Jesus Christ.

In our Gospel reading from Luke we hear about the ten healed lepers, at least one of which was a Samaritan- a foreigner in both domicile and faith. Lepers were the untouchables of society and were often portrayed as a symbol of our sin. The Samaritans were sometimes mentioned by Jesus in parables to explain his Way of faith, justice, and mercy to his disciples. If shunned Samaritans, believers of misguided false doctrine, could exhibit peace, goodness, and charity for others, so must his followers. Recall the Good Samaritan demonstrating true love of neighbor and the Samaritan woman at the well drawing faith from life-giving water and her acceptance by the Lord.

Together, the ten lepers cry out for mercy- pleading for Jesus to heal them. Theirs’s was a sign of trust in who Jesus was and what he could do. Their conviction and obedience healed all ten of them before they showed themselves to the priests. But a single Samaritan returned. He made it a priority to praise God and give thanks to Jesus first. His faith, coupled with his gratitude, not only healed his body but also saved his soul. Now, the Samaritan without his leprosy, by demonstrating such gratitude, has become instead a contagious lesson to Christ’s followers.

Scripture is filled with verses about gratitude and Psalms of thanksgiving that can inspire our lives and fill us with the power of grace. I invite you to spice up your traditional Catholic Thanksgiving dinner prayer with a psalm of thanksgiving and praise to God for all his blessings in your lives. For example, Psalm 106: “Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.”

(4:16)

Solemnity Christ the King 2024

Sun, 24 Nov 2024 15:42:00 GMT

Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

(Ref. Jn. 18:33-37) b.k. Nov. 23/24, 2024 Viva Cristo Rei !

On the popular TV comedy show, “Whose line is it Anyway?” they perform a hilarious skit called, “ Questions Only ” whereby two comedians converse using only questions. In a household it might go something like this: What’s for dinner? Are you hungry? What time is it? Is it time to be hungry? Are we having leftovers? Why do you ask?, etcetera… The conversation goes nowhere. Each person is vying to be heard and understood. Each one’s point of view is all that matters. They’re just not on the same wavelength.

This dialogue reminds me of our Gospel reading. Pontius Pilate and Jesus ask questions trying to exchange information and explain their own point of view. As we hear, the conversation is stalled with ulterior motives each want to get across to the other. Jesus speaks on a divine wavelength while Pilate speaks on a human wavelength.

From St. John’s Gospel, Pilate asks, “Are you the King of the Jews?” - perhaps a prophetic Freudian slip. Pilate sought to incriminate Jesus with his own words, by his defying the authority of Roman rule. Pilate could not perceive Jesus’ alleged fanciful

kingdom that was not of this world, and didn’t care as long as it wasn’t a threat to Rome. Jesus is indeed the King of the Jews, and of Pilate, and of all creation in heaven and on earth for all eternity.

And what does it mean to be “king”? A king is a sovereign ruler, the head monarch of a people or nation, or in Jesus’ case, the whole Universe. A righteous king reigns with authority, but he is also God-fearing, a servant of his subjects, a shepherd to reign with mercy, compassion, justice, and love. These are the qualities of Jesus Christ, our true King, our loving and just God. It is a tenet of our faith that Jesus Christ was given to man, not only as our Redeemer, but also as our King, to whom worship and obedience is due.

A Solemnity is a feast day of highest ranking, celebrating a mystery of faith. On this Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, we call to mind the truth of God’s Kingdom. Jesus said, “… I came into the world to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” In the very next verse Pilate asks, “What is truth?” He should have properly asked, not “what”, but “who” is truth. Jesus silently stands before Pilate, manifesting before him the eternal living truth come down from his Kingdom in heaven. He willingly surrenders his life to this ruthless dictator who was put on trial himself to uphold the justice of Rome. Justice was indeed accomplished through the redemptive passion, death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God.

The Solemnity of Christ the King is not just the conclusion of the Church year, it is also a summary of our lives as Christians. We are called to a Christian life of faith, hope, and love while announcing the Kingdom through the Gospel of Christ. As a matter of daily self-reflection, how well do we make the Kingdom come alive?

As the People of God, subjects of his Kingdom, we strive for obedience to Christ’s precepts to live a life of holiness. Our Solemnity celebration serves as a reminder of the unique Kingdom our Lord has established; not a kingdom of this world, temporal and imperfect, but an everlasting dominion in royal splendor that we may, by the grace of God, one day enter into. As his Church, we are made into a kingdom when we proclaim Jesus our true Almighty God and King.

On this great Solemnity, let us resolve to give Christ a central place in our lives through reception of the Holy Eucharist here today and worship his true presence at Adoration. May we obey His commandment of love by sharing our blessings with the least of our brothers and sisters, who are indeed coheirs in the Kingdom and in whom Christ lives and reigns as King. Ask yourself, “How, from my baptism, in my role as Priest, Prophet, and King, can I make my life a gift of charity for others in need?”

Instead of ambiguous “Questions Only” conversation, may we pray for the grace of simple and humble devotion. That we may give adoration, contrition, thanksgiving, and supplication to our King as we seek to listen, understand, and fulfill his divine will and usher in his Kingdom in our lives.

Let us sing praise together to our Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God and King of the Universe:

You’re the one we call the true Almighty God. (x 4)

For the glory of God, Viva Cristo Rei ! “ Long live Christ the King ”

32nd Sun. in OT Yr. B- Dcn. Bill Kenney

Sun, 10 Nov 2024 19:10:00 GMT

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Yr.B Grow in our Christ-like benevolence

Ref. 1 Kgs 17:10-16 ; Mk 12:38-44 Nov. 9,10-2024 Dcn. Bill Kenney

“I am not a robot” is a check-box statement where we affirm on surveys and other documents that, through a computer, I’m really here, really giving the thoughts and actions of my own being, not an automated response. In this dawn of AI technology, can a robot express true emotion and empathy? Check the box. These are what make us human. In our faith, we are called to give mercy, love, trust and hope to God and others. Can a robot make such sacred sacrificial acts of giving? Check the box. This is what makes us children of God and disciples of Christ.

In today’s readings from 1 Kings and the Gospel of Mark, God speaks to us through examples of sacrificial giving. Sacrificial giving is a function of kindness and generosity- fruits of the Holy Spirit. It is giving from the heart; freely giving without attaching strings of expectations or benefits. Both poor widows give from their poverty and obedience to God leading to their sanctity. Indeed, from Scripture, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” and “The fatherless and the widow he sustains.” Theirs’s is sacrificial giving; a sacred act of benevolence. Sacrificial, because it is a call from God to freely give as we are freely given. Sacred, because when we make our giving holy out of obedience and love we direct it back to God, recognizing it as a means of doing his work. As Christians, we grow in our priestly sacrificial duty to provide for the needs of others; to ease the hardships of our brothers and sisters and provide comfort.

I recently experienced a heart-warming example of this same Gospel message from a homebound widow, who, being a person of poor health and modest means tithed a small gift of money out of faith, hope, and trust in the Lord that it will go to help others in need. Giving from his poverty, the Holy Spirit was truly moving through this person; it was awesome to behold.

Peter Kreeft tells us, “The test of love is sacrifice.” How much you love is told by the depth of your sacrifice. The two widows sacrificed with the last of what they had. Jesus Christ, out of great love for us, came down from heaven, lowering himself to become one with us; experiencing all things of life, except sin. The Paschal Mystery of Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection was the atoning sacrifice for sinful man. As the sacrificial Lamb of God, he gave all he had. The depth of his sacrifice is vast; his love for us is boundless and everlasting.

The holy sacrifice of the Mass recounts Christ’s atoning victory. When we partake of the Holy Eucharist we become a tabernacle of the Lord. We are called, by his body and blood, to a sacred sacrificial life for others in their need.

Sacrificial life indeed…

Peter Kreeft tells a true-life account of a six-year-old boy who gladly gave his three-year-old sister a life-saving blood transfusion. During the procedure he looks up at his parents and asks, “How long will it take me to die?” From the poverty of his understanding, his great love for his sister, to give her renewed life, was greater than the sacrifice of his own life. "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."

To be called “benevolent” is a profound compliment and is the highest giving. In great kindness, a benevolent person thinks and acts on others’ needs without regard to her own. It is a unique, signal grace to give unexpected acts of kindness. By sharing the blessings in your life with others in their need, you act as a holy instrument of God’s handiwork and a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

How do you give your time, talent, and treasure in a way that’s sacrificial and sacred? You do it out of humility, gratitude, and love.There are many charitable Church-affiliated and community organizations to donate your volunteer work, funds, food, clothing and other items. Most of all, offer up your prayers for God’s work to be done to provide for those in need. Check the “I am not a robot” box and give from the benevolence of your blessed human heart to do God’s work.

All-benevolent Father, the refuge and strength of your people, you protect in adversity and provide for those in need who put their trust in you. May we persevere in seeking your will and find our way to you through charitable acts and obedience. Following Christ’s example, may we freely give in a spirit of love and sacred sacrifice to fulfill the needs of others; for our salvation and for the glory of God.

30th Sun in OT- Yr B. Oct. 26/27-24- Dcn. Bill Kenney

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 20:31:00 GMT

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time Yr.B – Called and gathered in Christ

Ref. Jer. 31:7-9 ; Mk 10:46-52 Oct-26/27-24 Dcn. Bill Kenney

Our parish Homebound Eucharistic ministry is a truly a blessing. It is done in the joy of calling, gathering, and sharing the life and body of Christ with our homebound brothers and sisters. Guided by the Holy Spirit, the ministers are called to fulfill the life-actions of the Church, celebrating the Eucharist in joy and thanksgiving outside the Mass. Bless all you ministers for your commitment and service.

The Eucharist recipients call out and are themselves called by God to be united in His presence and healing mercy. Today’s readings remind us of these divine acts of calling, gathering, and healing and they invite us to recognize God’s unwavering commitment to His people and our call to embody that same commitment in our own lives.

Our first reading from Jeremiah speaks of the calling and gathering of exiled people back to Israel. The elderly men and women, the infirmed, the blind, the lame, women with children- all were delivered by the Lord, in joy, from their exile.

The imagery of the blind and the lame represents not only physical ailments but also spiritual and emotional distress. The refugees gather as an immense throng , in solidarity, and in faith. Consoled and guided by God the Father, they go their way . Historically, those who were useful to their captors remained in exile: the strong and fit men and women, were drafted into military service or kept as laborers for food and construction, or as domestic servants and concubines. From the returned remnant refugees comes the people of God, Israel, from whom is born the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

In our Gospel reading from Mark, we hear the story of Bartimaeus, a blind roadside beggar. He was like the exiled refugees of Israel, but instead he hoped to be called and gathered into the Kingdom of God. He proclaims his profound faith that Jesus is the “Son of David”, the promised descendant of King David, Jesus, the Messiah. His trust in Jesus’ ability to heal his vision was spoken in very simple and clear words: “Have pity on me.” “I want to see.” Despite being shunned by the crowd, he persevered in his cries. At Jesus’ calling, he threw aside his cloak. He courageously determined that his faith and trust in Jesus was all that was needed.

All of this results in his hope for healing not only his vision, but also for his spiritual and emotional needs. In a spiritual sense, Bartimaeus begged not for money, but for discipleship with Christ. His witness is a lesson for us all.

With the exiles returned home and Bartimaeus’s vision restored, these readings invite us to rejoice in God’s saving actions in our lives. We can be a type of Bartimaeus and ask the Lord to heal us of any blindness that keeps us from seeing the path that leads to God’s Kingdom or from accepting the crosses that come along the way. Bartimaeus’ blindness represents the soul’s longing for the light of Christ, which dispels the darkness of ignorance, doubt, and sin.

We have all experienced darkness in our personal lives, the result of individual or family troubles:

The sorrow and worry are all too real. How do we take up these crosses? Do we offer them up to the Lord? Recall the exiled ancient Israelites of Jeremiah: “… they departed in tears but I will console them and guide them; … I am a Father to Israel.” Like Bartimaeus, take courage, be not afraid. Turn in prayer to Jesus in your need. He will hear you; be open to his call. We are to recognize our Heavenly Father’s love and unwavering commitment to us and our call to gather with others in that same commitment in our own lives.

In the Mass we gather as a people of God united in faith, hope, and thanksgiving. We embody a language of communion- called and gathered in the Holy Trinity through the Sign of the Cross. We cry out in our prayer to be one with Christ in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Like Bartimeus, we are called to cry out from the darkness and be gathered into the light of Christ. We cry, “Come, Lord Jesus. Hear our prayer. Have pity on us. Pour out your healing mercy upon us according to your divine will.” Then, we are sent, we go our way which must always be the way, the truth, and the life of Christ, for our salvation and for the glory of God.

28th Sun in OT Yr. B Dcn. Bill Kenney homily 10-12/13-24

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 11:53:00 GMT

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time Yr.B - Seek wisdom from God

Ref. Ws.: 7:7-11 ; Ps. 90: 12-17; Mk 10:17-30 Oct-12/13-24 Dcn. Bill Kenney

In my business travels to Japan, I was sometimes invited to work friend’s homes for dinner and socializing. In some homes, elderly parents and grandparents lived there- perhaps out of practical necessity for care and to share limited resources. Traditionally, Japanese people value the wisdom, knowledge, and life experience of their elders. Japan has been influenced by countries like China, where respect for the elderly is also traditionally valued. Peter Kreeft explains that, “In China, to say you looked “old” is a compliment because it meant you looked wise; to say you looked young was an insult because it meant you looked foolish.” I wonder what the makers and recipients of Botox think of that!

Our first reading from the OT and the Psalm passage are both about the gift of Wisdom. Wisdom is a spiritual gift that helps us traverse our pilgrim journey with a deeper understanding of God’s will. Wisdom sharpens our perception, guiding us to make choices that align with God’s will and bringing us closer to His truth and our fulfillment in life.

To receive such a gift, we must repeatedly ask for it through prayer and grow in it throughout the course of life experiences. Wisdom is a gift preferred to all others, one that ushers in other gifts from God in order to fulfill his will in our lives. King Solomon prayed for this gift above all fleeting wealth and power, and even more than a long, healthy life. The Psalmist says, “Teach us to number our days aright that we may gain wisdom of heart”. Life is short. We have only a finite time and opportunity to ask, receive, and practice wisdom, as in passing wisdom on to household family members. “Prosper the work of our hands” O Lord, through the gift of wisdom.

Our Gospel reading introduces the rich man and us to the face of Wisdom, Jesus Christ. The rich man ran to Jesus and knelt before him. What a wonderful outward expression of faith! Jesus, however, rebukes the man for his title, “Good” , not because Jesus denies his divinity, but because the rich man uses the title without the wisdom of knowing God, who is standing before him. He asks a profound, existential question we should all ask ourselves: “What must I do to inherit eternal life”?

Jesus loved him for his devout Jewish faith in following the six Social Justice Commandments from his youth. But Jesus knew his heart, knew he was lacking one thing: “ You shall not have other gods beside me. ” His many possessions were his gods, possessing him, not allowing him to comply to Jesus’ command. To him, they were “good” as Jesus was “good”. The rich man’s sadness, his deep sense of grief, reveals the struggle between his attachment to his wealth and his desire for eternal life. This story highlights the challenge of our letting go of material possessions, that which we think brings fulfillment, in order to embrace the fullness of life that Christ offers.

Today’s readings challenge us to reflect on what we truly value and seek in our lives, comparing and contrasting it with the wisdom and love God has and gives to each of us. The encounter between the rich man and Jesus awakens us to consider how we might apply the wisdom we seek from God. Are we willing to let go of whomever or whatever stops us from following Christ more closely? How does God’s word encourage us to examine our lives and our deepest desires?

In our own lives, we are invited to seek the divine wisdom that guides us toward a deeper understanding of God’s will. Through the gift of wisdom may we allow the living Word of God to penetrate our hearts and transform us. May this gift also open our hearts to encounter the love and true presence of Jesus at our reception of the Holy Eucharist.

May we, like the rich man, confront our own obstacles with honesty and openness, trusting that God’s grace can make all things possible. Let us pray for the wisdom to discern our true priorities and the courage to follow Christ faithfully above all things;

for the wisdom of knowing that in Christ, and not from worldly pleasures or material wealth, we will realize ultimate fulfillment in our present lives and joy in our eternal salvation, giving all praise and glory to God.

25th Sun in OT Christian "Greatness"- Dcn. Bill Kenney

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 14:45:00 GMT

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time Yr.B - Christian “Greatness”.

Ref. Wis 2:12, 17-20 ; Mk 9:30-37 9-21/22-24 Dcn. Bill Kenney

A few years back we took a trip out to South Dakota’s awesome Mt. Rushmore. Among the four great presidents could be a fifth head - that of Gutzon Borglum , the great sculptor of that mountain. You might say he was a mountain G.O.A.T. as in, the “Greatest Of All Time”. We all identify GOATs among sports legends, historical world leaders, unusually gifted performers of various skills and talents. We give out awards with great fanfare for such accomplished people and in some cases erect monuments and museums to acknowledge their “greatness”.

In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus repeats his message to the Apostles of his upcoming passion, death, and resurrection. It is a message of redemption for all of mankind’s salvation, yet it was clouded and lost by their pride to determine “who was the greatest” among themselves. They couldn’t grasp the gravity and meaning of his message, even with its plain and direct words.

Can you imagine the Apostles arguing over who’s the greatest amongst themselves? After all the sermons of peace, humility, self-sacrifice, and love for others, even enemies, why would they consider such recognition? Possibly because they acquired new-found popularity throughout their travels with Jesus, the Peter-proclaimed “Christ”, the Son of God, a preacher and miracle worker. They believed, as his Apostles, they too had a claim to his fame. But who was the greatest ? They vied for position as the GOAT.

The Apostles argue. Their thoughts, words, and actions, are typical of human nature. We can always count on the Apostles to demonstrate and point out how we, in our weakness to sin, can fall into such traps. Do we downplay the success of others to promote our own “greatness”?

Jesus quickly realizes his Apostles’ shortcomings. He rebukes their pride and vain-glory. “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” In his usual parable lesson approach, Jesus embraces a child and relates the service given to receive a simple child of God: “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.” To receive such a child is to perform a charitable act, without hope of earthly reward. This is the ideal of discipleship: joyful service. St. Martin de Porres said, “If we wish to serve God and love our neighbor well, we must manifest our joy in the service we render to Him and them.”

Jesus’ second passion prediction teaches the Apostles that true greatness takes the form of the cross. Jesus accomplishes God’s victory over sin and death not by acquiring fame, prestige, wealth, or worldly power, but by handing himself over, as in our reading from Wisdom, to a “shameful death” on a cross. He is a suffering servant and a failure in the eyes of the world.

For Christians, we achieve greatness by imitating Christ crucified who willingly and wholeheartedly gave his life in loving sacrifice for us. What the world might consider failure or foolishness such as loving and forgiving one’s enemies, giving alms, receiving Holy Eucharist at Mass each week, setting aside time for daily prayer and spiritual reading, trying to live the corporal and spiritual works of mercy or simply enduring daily trials and struggles with patience and trust — all of this is, in God’s eyes, a success, a victory, because it brings us to the foot of the cross, a monument not only of suffering and death, but a museum where true life and an abundance of grace are to be found.

May God’s Word this week challenge us to reevaluate our own understanding of greatness and failure as a Christian. What are some situations in my life that bring me to the foot of Jesus’ cross? Do I regularly confess my sins? What crosses of physical pain or mental anxiety or addictions do I offer up at the foot of the cross? And how might I see these, from the perspective of the Gospel, as opportunities to participate in Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection? Strengthened by our reception of the sacraments, let us ask for the grace to embrace Jesus’ cross in our own lives. May we who share in His sufferings, likewise share in His victory, His greatness , for our salvation and for the glory of God.

22nd Sun. in OT 8.31,9.1.2024 Dcn. Bill Kenney

Mon, 02 Sep 2024 09:49:00 GMT

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time- A pure heart expresses outward grace.

Ref. James 1:17-27 ; Mk 7:1-8, 14,15, 21-23 8-31/9-1-24 Dcn. Bill Kenney

We’ve all been told to come in from the outside after hard work or play and get cleaned-up, wash your hands, and get ready for dinner. In a sense it is both a commandment and a ritual. We also eat off clean dishes and utensils. This is our “meal law”. Our concern, of course, is for personal hygiene. Germs can invade the body and cause disease. We are defiled from this outside cause. Today’s Gospel tells us the opposite is true: we are defiled from within.

In our Gospel reading from St. Mark, the Pharisees, by tradition of the elders, impose upon the people the priestly ritual of ceremonial washing: cleaning hands, pots & pans, dishes and utensils as a commandment of God. This was their “food law”. They took oral tradition and amplified and applied the biblical law, as they interpreted it, to meet their expectations- an extreme form of the adage, “Cleanliness is next to godliness”.

When they questioned Jesus, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders…?”, he was quick to point out their hypocrisy of following man-made laws verses the true law of God. He said they, “disregard God’s commandment, but cling to human tradition.” They added to and subtracted from the original teachings of the Mosaic Law. They demanded more burdensome ritual washings than those that were initially prescribed. Christ quotes the Prophet Isaiah in calling these “ human precepts”, or laws.

The outward observance of these rituals became the standard by which the Pharisees judged the validity of a person’s religious practice. They didn’t care if these traditional rituals led those who observed them to love God more or to be sorrier for their sins. Without such interior movements of the soul, the ritual washings did not serve their authentic purpose. And this is Jesus’ point: it is possible for us to have lives that are characterized by outward forms of false piety and godliness while having sin-corrupted hearts that are far from God. Their traditions were being used as an excuse to find ways around obeying God’s ‘hard sayings’ and doing what benefitted them. It was ritual without relationship. The key take-away is that God wants a personal relationship with His people. Those who have interior grace will express outwardly what is right because they love God and desire that relationship.

Rituals, Traditions, and laws are important for uniting a people of God in the practice of faith and love for God and each other. The Catholic Church is organized by divine and ecclesial laws, or canon law, as Father Nate has explained over the past several weeks. Contrast the divine law of the Church with that of our secular-civil law that sometimes contradicts divine law. Examples, such as laws governing end of human life and sexuality issues, are, unfortunately, plentiful. Properly understood and observed, our Church rituals, Traditions, and laws instruct and guide us in the life of the Church and to a deeper relationship with God, keeping us, as St. James tells us, “…unstained by the world”.

At the end of our Gospel reading, the litany of sinful practices St. Mark identifies such as theft, murder, adultery, etc… materialize in outward expressions of a sinful heart. Jesus says such evil deeds proceed from within and they defile us. Impure hearts, like germs, attack our ego, psyche, and spirit. They weaken us and cause a greater tendency to sin. Christians must pray for the gift of moral conviction and a sense of right and wrong. Through the grace of self-control, we ask God to “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us” from those interior evils so we don’t outwardly defile ourselves or others with our words or actions.

How do we correct an impure heart that defiles us, that leads our spirit astray from God? Every righteous spiritual practice in the Church flows from or returns us to the sacraments. They bring about a new spiritual reality within the souls of those who receive them. For instance, OCIA Catechumen receiving the waters of Baptism have their soul cleansed from all sin and are infused with divine adoption.

The sacraments grow interior love and grace in our hearts which allows outward expression of that same love and grace to others. This is especially true when we participate in Holy Mass and receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in Holy Communion. We must inwardly prepare our hearts through prayer, fasting, contrition for our sins, and, if necessary, through sacramental confession. We can then outwardly receive the Host with great reverence, humility, and thanksgiving with: a slight head bow, palms open and supporting, and a resolute “Amen”. Receiving the Host on the tongue is also a devotional act preferred by many people and is welcome. Afterwards, we go forth living with the grace and love of Christ within our hearts.

Heavenly Father, rest your holy inspirations within the interior of our spirit so that they may build a loving relationship with you. Strengthen within our hearts the faith you have given us; do not let temptation ever quench the fire that your love has kindled within us. May our hearts be pure and reflect outward expressions of your love and mercy for others. And may your Church be united and grateful for the good and perfect gifts of your law, given for our salvation, and for the glory of God.

20th Sun. OT- Dcn. Bill Kenney

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 07:52:00 GMT

20 ^th Sunday in Ordinary Time- The bread of life gives eternal life

Ref. Prov 9:1-6 , Jn 6:51-58 8-17/18-24 Dcn. Bill Kenney

We all know the phrase ‘practice makes perfect’ and that is, essentially, what repetition learning boils down to. Repeating the concepts you wish to convey several times allows your brain or body to retain the information or skills necessary. Students and athletes thrive on repetition. Repetition is seen as the key activity to really ensure that newly acquired knowledge sinks in and is remembered long term. Jesus is a great teacher. He knows this learning characteristic of human nature. He has an important, new, and life-giving message to get through to us. In St. John’s Gospel, Jesus repeats three times that he is the Bread of Life, giving eternal life to those who eat his flesh and drink his blood. Has it sunken in yet?

Today’s Gospel contains one of the most contested passages in Christianity. The question, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” was a stumbling block. Jesus’ teaching divided his early followers and has not ceased doing so among the generations of believers since. Many lack Wisdom’s spiritual understanding.

The flesh of Jesus we are commanded to eat is his resurrected

body, what he offered on the cross and raised from the dead.

It is his flesh but not in the earthly state it was when he spoke these words in the synagogue at Capernaum. Rather it is his flesh in the glorified state of his resurrected body, described by St. Paul as,

Because it is incorruptible and spiritual, Jesus can give his glorified flesh for us to eat without depleting or injuring himself. Jesus’ glorified flesh is “the living bread come down from heaven” not only because it gives life but because it is no longer subject to death or corruption. By eating his body and drinking his blood we have life because we share in Jesus’ very substance, so that we may live and remain in him, and he in us. That divine substance of Jesus is Life itself. He is the true food and true drink that fulfills all our needs- not for a fleeting moment of our lives but for all eternity.

As our Bread of Life discourse from St. John continues, we learn of the TRUE food and drink we receive for eternal life. Bsp. Robert Barron explains,(quote) “Ordinary bread satisfies only physical longing, and it does so in a transient way: one eats and one must eat soon again. But the heavenly bread, Jesus implies, satisfies the deepest longing of the heart, and does so by adapting the one who eats it to eternal life.” (unquote). Food we consume at daily meals nourish our bodies, satiate us, and give us the energy to do God’s holy will in our lives. The same with drinks- satisfying our thirst and giving the organs and cells of our bodies the molecules they need to function. We are most thankful for the daily bread and drink we receive, but like any material or worldly thing, it is fleeting, temporal. We need more of it. We plan and prepare for it. Food and drink requirements consume our minds and drive our life endeavors. These are physically needed foods. There are also spiritually needed foods. Wisdom, in our Proverbs reading, and in the words of Peter Kreeft, invites us to forsake foolishness and the false foods of pride, infidelity, despair, and hatred in favor of understanding the true foods of God’s Wisdom: humility, faith, hope, and love.

The Eucharist we share today at Mass is the life-giving body and blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the TRUE food that lasts forever, giving life to our bodies and nourishment to our souls. We are consumed in mind and spirit to repeatedly learn what it means to receive Jesus in the Eucharist. How do you prepare for the Bread of Life? Have you confessed grave sin to prepare and purify the palate of your soul? Do you fast one hour before receiving Jesus to give longing for his flesh within you? Do you solemnly pray in thanksgiving after receiving Jesus?

Wisdom indeed spreads out a lavish banquet for the simple, the rich and poor and believers and unbelievers alike. It is a type of the Mass- a divine banquet of true food and true drink- providing life and everlasting praise and fullness to the faithful. The Psalmist sings, “His praise shall be ever in my mouth”. May we repeatedly learn ( making it sink in ) to believe and worship the true presence and love of our Lord in the Eucharist, for the life of the world and for the glory of God.

17th Sun. OT Dcn. Bill

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 08:44:00 GMT

17 ^th Sunday in Ordinary Time- Feeding our Faith with Prayer

Ref. 2Kings 4:42-44, Ps 145:10-18 Jn 6:1-15 7-27/28-24 Dcn. Bill Kenney

As in the days of Jesus, we also pray in our need, “Give us this day our daily bread…” Bread and fish were staples of an early Middle Eastern diet. They are not uncommon commodities to feed the masses as we hear in today’s readings. St. John’s account of the feeding of the 5,000 men, plus women and children, is both a miracle and a symbolic depiction of a spiritually hungry Church.

In our prayer, we humbly ask for and give daily thanks for the blessings of faith, family, friends, health, food, clothing, etc... Do we ask for too much and too often from our heavenly Father? Never- he can handle it. To be clear, turning to God with our needs, and even our wants, is a good thing, not a bad thing. Jesus tells us God knows what we need before we ask, but he also teaches us to pray for our daily bread; to persevere in prayer and not lose heart. Every good gift comes from God. As we just prayed in the responsorial psalm, “The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.” Our need can and should incite us to prayer to ask God for his gifts — but the one gift of God we need above all is prayer itself! Even more important, our greatest need is not the gifts, but the divine Giver!

If our hearts are resolute for seeking the glory of God and His kingdom, we hear from Jeremiah, “Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you.” Prayer is God’s way for us to receive what we need from Him. By the grace of God, our lives and faith are fed and nourished to do his will through prayer and his Word.

Jesus teaches and demonstrates in today’s Gospel reading a wonderful caring for the “sheep without a shepherd”, as we heard last week. He spent hours healing them, but also teaching them. He anticipates their needs after a long journey. When they were hungry, he fulfilled their needs, as a shepherd does. Jesus super-abundantly reenacts the multiplication of the loaves from the Prophet Elisha’s account in 2 ^nd Kings, which was 800 years earlier. They even filled twelve doggie-baskets with all the leftovers!

The hungry followers who gather around Jesus in this scene are symbolic of the hungry human race, starving, needy from the time of Adam and Eve, for what will satisfy. We have tried to fill up the emptiness with wealth, pleasure, power, and pride but none of it satisfies. The love and benevolence of God is what satisfies all our needs. From Phillipians, “ My God will fully supply whatever you need, in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. ”

Are we not the same as our ancestors: a continuously hungry people of God? Do we doubt the power of God to answer our prayers and fulfill our needs? In our readings, doubt is expressed in 2 ^nd Kings, “How can I set this before a hundred people?” and in John’s Gospel, Phillip speaks in cynicism, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little.” We are called to pray, not in disbelief, but in confidence, thanksgiving, and praise. Our confident access to God, is made possible by the priestly work and prayerful example of Jesus to his Father.

We long for fulfillment and satisfaction given us through our faith and love of God. We gather as Church, a community of the faithful, to witness and receive the glory of Jesus in the Eucharist. At each Mass, John’s Gospel feeding is repeated and vastly upgraded: multiple hosts are consecrated, made holy, to feed the masses. Our prayers are answered at each Mass when we take in the true presence of Jesus into our bodies, becoming more like him in relationship and worship of the Father; uniting us as a people of God.

And how does this Eucharist affect our daily lives? Does it fill and satisfy us as disciples of Christ? As disciples we are called to

multiply this grace to fill the needs of others. Our brothers and sisters are hungry, needy for life-sustaining and spiritual nourishment. Bishop Robert Barron reminds us of a harsh reality: (quote),“Think of how many Catholics are absent from the Mass and the Eucharist and confession or even daily prayer. This spiritual mal nourishment is one of the biggest problems facing our Church” (unquote). We are called from our Confirmation to reach out and feed these hungry ones in confident prayer and by the corporal and spiritual works of mercy- for example volunteering at soup kitchens and food pantries and in celebrating together the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. For those who are Catholic but just don’t know or live the faith yet, we can introduce them to the OCIA process, welcoming them into the Church, feeding and satisfying them with our faith and love of Christ.

As our good shepherd, may the Lord guide and bless us in all our endeavors making us instruments of God’s grace. May we pray in our need with confidence, thanksgiving, and praise to our Father. Through our prayer and good works may we, through the Holy Spirit, spiritually and physically feed and satisfy those in need, for their salvation and for the glory of God.

15th Sun. O.T.- Dcn. Bill Kenney

Sun, 14 Jul 2024 14:10:00 GMT

15 ^th Sunday in Ordinary Time- Undercover apostles of Christ

Ref. Amos 7:12-15, Mk 6:7-13 7-13/14-24 Dcn. Bill Kenney

There’s a “reality” TV show called, “Undercover Boss”, whereby a wealthy business owner, stripped of his glamorous lifestyle, poses as a common worker in his business to see how he is received and how his business runs behind the scenes. The owner’s eyes are opened. He learns a lot, much is revealed- both good and bad.

Bringing this to a closer, more poignant reality, mindful of our Gospel reading from St. Mark, how do you think a homeless person would be received, to enter a home, in today’s society? It’s quite evident from the “tent cities” sprawling throughout urban areas that this is not a popular option. You’d have to be careful, proceed with caution. You don’t know who these people are- they could be shady, unscrupulous characters or perhaps they are “undercover’ from their perceived personas. From Hebrews, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”

Now, place yourself in the days of our Gospel reading. Homeless and stripped of even modest belongings, Jesus’ Apostles, meaning “sent” in Greek, are sent to gather and unite in faith the people of God. They are sent out two by two to preach a new Gospel of the Kingdom. They preach repentance and are given authority to drive out unclean

spirits and heal people of their illnesses. No change of clothes, no hair brush, no bling, no Old Spice. Imagine their undercover appearance .

If you were of modest means, seeking growth in your faith and understanding of God, and had nothing to lose, perhaps you’d be more inclined to accept these unassuming apostles into your home to hear what they have to say; perhaps hear an inspiring word and receive a divine healing. If, however, you are well-off, possess many material things, and serve many gods in your lifestyle, you would be less inclined to invite poor strangers into your home, no matter their claims and intentions. You might get harmed or ripped off! These skeptics and unbelievers reject the Apostles. The Apostles leave and shake the dust from their sandals in testimony against them, perhaps that’s where the saying was first coined, “eat my dust”.

While our Bishop Boyea is, properly, an ordained apostolic successor of the Church, we too inherit an apostolic duty. Our readings from Amos and St. Mark’s Gospel remind us of our fundamental calling as children of God to be sent out into the most needy places of our world, which might be not much further than our own kitchen table. By virtue of our Baptism and Confirmation, as modern-day apostles, we are sent:

And before you give up and shake the dust from your feet , pray. Pray for those who are withdrawn from the faith: those who would not follow Jesus, that the Holy Spirit may enter their hearts and minds to open their eyes of faith. They are in need of an apostle. Be a light of apostolic faith, persevering in bold action. In our pilgrimage we are sent to heal divisions and guide others to salvation in Christ. May the hope and love of Christ prevail as we act in haste in our apostolate, for life is fleeting and there’s no time to waste or be idle. Be at peace. And may all things we do as apostles be accomplished , for the glory of God.

13th Sun Ord Time- Dcn. Bill Kenney

Sun, 30 Jun 2024 13:45:00 GMT

13 ^th Sunday in Ordinary Time- The battle of faith over fear

Ref. Ps 30: 2-13 and Mk 5:21-43 6-29/30-24 Dcn. Bill Kenney

In today’s Gospel from St. Mark, Jairus fears and pleads in faith for his daughter’s healing. The hemorrhagic woman’s faith for healing is met with fear, then compassion. Jairus is then turned from fear to faith and joy when his daughter is risen from the dead. This reading is a classic example of a Markan intercalation — better known as a Markan “Sandwich”. Intercalation, besides being a great Jeopardy clue is a literary device that the author of Mark uses to teach a lesson. Its structure tells one story that is abruptly interrupted by another, but then returns to the original story to teach the reader a moral lesson. It may be likened to a soap opera drama going back and forth between simultaneous scenes. This “Markan Sandwich” highlights to the reader the moral lesson about the underlying battle of faith over fear .

It is a natural tendency that our fears can be greater than our faith, especially at the onset of bad news, challenges, and uncertainties. Fear is woven into the fabric of our human nature psyche. Fear can serve a valuable purpose: think of the fight or flight response, but it can quickly become unhealthy when it overwhelms

us or causes frantic behavior. The Bible commands us to not be afraid. In fact, there are over 300 variations of the command to “fear not” throughout Scripture. What fears can you identify in your life?

It is within our spiritual nature by which we can overcome fear by faith and confidence in the Lord. In order to replace fear with faith, we must hear, read and meditate on the Word of God, so that we can experience a strong, confident faith that actively rejects worry and fear. Ultimately, we must choose to trust God rather than to live in fear. In Ps. 34 : “I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” Faith over fear is a decision we make before anxiety begins. It's seeking the Lord knowing he hears, and trusting him, knowing he will deliver and help.

Through faith and prayer, we can know God hears our petitions to deal with and alleviate fear, pain, and suffering. From 1 John , “And we have this confidence in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask, we know that what we have asked him for is ours.” In peace and confidence, we pray, “… thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Jesus is well familiar with our struggles of fear and weakness of faith. In his short ministry on earth, Jesus performs two miracles in our Gospel reading to prove his mission. These miracles are signs with a purpose. Signs that point to Jesus as the Son of God full of power, love, mercy, and compassion for us. As Christians, we don’t need to fear unstable world and personal affairs, for which there are plenty of examples, because we know God is in control. God is on His throne, meaning nothing else is – not a terminal diagnosis, not unmet living expectations, not political rivalries, not war escalation. He alone has all power and all authority, and nothing can threaten that. That means when fear creeps in, we believers are called to take our fear and give it, in faith, to God, knowing his unfailing promises and unchanging character. From 1Pt : “ Take your fears, worries, and anxieties before God because he cares about them and he desires your good.”

We bring our fears and struggling faith here to the holy sacrifice of the Mass. We make our offerings of bread and wine as well as our doubts, fears, and sins to the Holy Spirit who sanctifies, transforms them and gives us back the Son’s true body, blood, soul, and divinity in the holy Eucharist, giving us new life in Christ.

The truth of God’s Word and his promises bridge the gap between the fear you feel and what you know to be true about God and His love for you. When our fears are calmed and when we realize his love we grow in a deeper relationship with God. We are called to share that relationship with others to calm their fears and bring them to the truth and light of a vibrant life with Christ. We’ve heard in Ps.30 - “You changed my mourning into dancing.. and clothed me with gladness. So that my glory may praise you and not be silent...“ It’s time for us to allow faith to flourish and to refuse to live in fear.

Throughout our pilgrimage we will continue to face various trials that would cause us fear, but God assures us that we can know a calm peace through every situation: From Phil. : “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”. May we seek the peace of the Lord in our fears and tribulations and grow in faith and trust in him, for our eternal salvation and for the glory of God.

The Most Holy Trinity- Dcn. Bill Kenney 5-26-24

Sun, 26 May 2024 13:10:00 GMT

The Most Holy Trinity

The power of a name

(ref. Matt. 28:16-20) Dcn. Bill Kenney 5-26-24

I like to think and hope that each name given a person for their entire life is divinely inspired. Each name , we pray, should be revealed through the promptings of the Holy Spirit within the parental union, such as with Mary and Joseph naming Jesus and Zechariah and Elizabeth naming John. Many parents will prayerfully discern the names to be given their children. Afterall, we are naming a child of God and God calls us each by name , right? But what’s in a name?

A name is a word or phrase that makes up the unique identification of a person or thing. There are many reasons and meanings for names. Some people are named after Saints and other religious figures, such as John, Paul, George, Ringo, well…maybe not a St. Ringo, but others!

Names can also be given in memorial of a beloved relative, such as a grandparent. Our son, Billy, yes, we still call our adult son “Billy”, is a fourth generation “William” out of tradition, respect, and honor. B.T.W, my sisters, and other family members still call me “Billy”.

Names we are given can shape and reflect our character. They can give us dignity, identity, and self-worth. In the sacrament of Confirmation, we choose and proclaim a Saint’s name that inspires us to accept and live the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit to guide and grow us as witnesses to the Gospel.

A name can be efficacious, that is, possess a special quality or virtue that gives effective power. This is no more evident than the power, grace, and love in the name of Jesus. Jesus says in John 14 (:14),

”If you ask anything of me in my name , I will do it”.

On this, the first Sunday after Pentecost, the Church calls us to celebrate a special Solemnity. The Catechism refers to it as, “the central mystery of the Christian faith and life, the mystery from which ‘all the other mysteries of the faith flow’” (CCC 234). It is the mystery of God in Himself. That is, the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity: One in essence and three in persons, named the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is the mystery who in the name of our triune God we bless ourselves with the sign of the cross. The sign of the cross is itself a short prayer- an early lesson of our faith.

When invoking the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit we must consciously and with great reverence act, understand , and believe what we are doing. We slowly and reverently make the sign across our body; a cross, not a circle. We hold onto and carry that cross in humility, respect, and love for God throughout our lives.

The great church patriarch Saint Athanasius teaches us his creed prayer focused on the Holy Trinity. He says,

So there is one Father not three Fathers, one Son not three Sons, and one Holy Spirit not three Holy Spirits. And in this Trinity, there is nothing before or after, nothing greater or less, but the whole three Persons are coeternal together and coequal . They are, “One God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity”.

Bsp Robert Barren further illumines the Holy Spirit within the Trinity: The Father and the Son are “consubstantial”, one in being, united in love, and this love is itself the divine life. The Holy Spirit is the coequal love shared between the Father and Son proceeding from them to us in a covenant bond of charity for God and for each other.

Using the Trinitarian formula at baptism, we are graced with the indwelling of the Holy Trinity . “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”. The Father creates ; the Son redeems ; and the Holy Spirit sanctifies . Efficacious names indeed.

The Holy Trinity is revealed in the Eucharistic prayers at Mass. We offer our humble gifts of bread and wine to the Father, through the Son, and by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit is made manifest the true presence, the Body and Blood of Jesus, for our sanctification.

The Holy Trinity is three named persons uncreated, infinite, eternal, and almighty. One God, not three Gods. One God,

named Abba, Father that we may have relationship with him,

named for our belief, praise, and worship of him, and

named for our uniting with him as coheirs with Christ in the joy of our eternal salvation, for the glory of God.

Ascension Yr B- Dcn. Bill

Mon, 13 May 2024 08:37:00 GMT

Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

Acts 1:1-11 ; Ps 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9; Eph 1:17-23 ; Mk 16:15-20 5-12-24 Dcn. Bill Kenney

Have you ever created a “bucket-list” of things to accomplish or experience in your life? Before his ascension, Jesus gives us the ultimate bucket-list challenges for our eternal salvation: believe and be baptized . It’s not so easy for some to understand what all that entails.

Today we celebrate the Ascension of our Lord. Having resurrected from the tomb as victor over sin and death, Jesus, after 40 days, ascends into the presence of God his Father— and is exalted and enthroned at his right hand. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us: “Christ’s Ascension into heaven… signifies Jesus Christ is Lord…he possesses ‘all power in heaven and on earth.’ for the Father ‘has put all things under his feet.’ “(CCC 668). What a glorious picture and truth to behold.

During those 40 days before Jesus’ ascension, the apostles were overjoyed and strengthened by his appearing and teaching. Now he left for good. With Jesus ascended into heaven, these next ten days, called the Ascensiontide, could be perceived as the darkest days for the apostles since his death. Those 3 days were filled with fear and uncertainty. Now what would they do? Jesus left his devout followers on their own. But did he? Before leaving, he left instructions to his apostles to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the “promise of the Father”, the Holy Spirit,- who will baptize them with fire and power, and then, (as in our dismissal option), they were to “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord”. They will be his witnesses, that is, someone who sees or tells of something important or amazing. In Greek, this person is called a martus, from which we get the word, martyr. But they were not yet ready to be witnesses without the Holy Spirit to help them.

How do we, practically, “’announce’ the Gospel of the Lord”? We announce through our actions, words, and thoughts while reading and sharing the Gospel messages and putting them into action in our lives through prayer, self-denial, the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, and the forgiveness of one’s enemies. For example:

adoring together Christ’s true presence in the tabernacle.

All these, and many others, “announce” the central themes of the Gospel: “The Kingdom of God is at hand” in Jesus Christ and “Love one another as I have loved you”.

As stated in the opening, Jesus gives us two requirements for salvation: to believe and be baptized. Sounds easy, a piece of cake! A bucket-list check-off: I believe (check); I’ve been baptized (check). I’m good to go! BUT what is entailed in true belief and in baptism? Can we believe in Jesus and his Gospel and be baptized into his Body, the Church, and yet choose to not observe all the commandments, doctrine and dogma, or fail to honor the sacramental vows and promises due his Church? My point is that “believe” is a single word with profound meaning. To be a believer, is to profess the whole Christ- his Body, the Church, in all your life’s thoughts, words, and actions.

Believing is more properly associated with a faithful life lived in accord with the Gospel, striving for holiness and spiritual growth in prayer . This focus allows us to “announce” the Gospel message to our families, neighbors, and the world so that we too have an important role in the task of evangelization by the faithful witness of our lives. As the song goes, “They will know we are Christians by our love.” We must now manifest the Kingdom and build it up by using our God-given gifts by becoming witnesses of Christ for the salvation of our brothers and sisters. Believing is a never-ending bucket-list challenge.

While God has bound salvation to the sacrament of baptism, it is not an auto-check off your bucket-list either. The effects of the sacramental rite are purification and new birth in the Holy Spirit. We are indelibly marked as daughters and sons of God, no matter our sins. However, baptismal vows are made and enhanced at Confirmation, and they must be honored and lived. We must strive to keep this purification and Spirit within us throughout our lives as expressed in our beliefs in the Creed and in the Gospel. For example, “ Do you believe in the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist when he says to his disciples, This is my Body; this is my Blood? “Baptism” and “to believe” are intimately united and both are necessary for salvation in ALL their profound and veiled meanings.

How, in the midst of your busy life, is the Holy Spirit moving your heart to give witness to the Gospel? Can you think of one important or amazing aspect of Jesus’ life and teachings to tell or, better, actualize to others?

Lord Jesus, seated at the right hand of the Father, your ascension is our glory and our hope. By your love for us you promise the Holy Spirit to empower and guide your Church to salvation. Give us courage, strength, and charity to build a world of justice and peace; to live and announce your Gospel for the salvation of souls and the glory of God.

5th Sun. of Easter

Sun, 28 Apr 2024 22:15:00 GMT

Fifth Sunday of Easter – April 28, 2024 Yr B- Dcn. Bill Kenney

Remain on the Vine to yield greater fruit

Readings: Acts 9:26–31 • Psalm 22:26–27, 28, 30, 31–32 • 1 John 3:18–24 • John 15:1–8

We all certainly appreciate the beautiful grounds of our parish. Our St. Agnes Garden Angels know very well the value of pruning, fertilizing, mulching, and watering to jump-start the growth of a plant, tree, or bush. That’s why the metaphor Jesus teaches us in our Gospel reading, “I am the vine and you are the branches”, is so relatable, especially to the Jewish grapevine growers of his day. Those branches that remain on the vine will produce abundant growth and fruit. How do we, as individuals and the greater Mystical Body of Christ, the Church, remain on the vine to yield a great harvest of fruit?

Nearing the end of his earthly ministry, we hear from St. John the “Farewell Discourses” of Jesus, after the Last Supper and before his Passion and death. Jesus wanted to get through to his disciples exactly who he was and his mission to proclaim and grow the Kingdom of God before he left them. He is saying something so very dear to His heart, hoping we will hear Him and receive and act upon those words.

His, “ I AM the vine…” is firm and vital for his disciples to understand his relationship with the Father, a relationship which we are also called into! Jesus is clear to say, “I AM” in recognition and in union with God the Father’s name as given to Moses on Mt. Horeb in the book of Exodus. Jesus is asserting that He is the vine from which all life comes , that He is indeed God as the Son.

He is the “True vine” albeit, a better vine, grafting and nurturing a personal relationship between God and his people. Jesus is the replacement of the OT reality : the vine of Israel, planted and tended by God. Jesus is the one, True Vine who gives life

to us, the branches, whom we cannot have life without. Each day the Church experiences growth and renewal on the vine while at the same time, sadly, suffers separation and apostacy: dead branches trimmed from the vine. Ask yourself, am I firmly attached to the True Vine?

As new souls are grafted onto the vine through baptism and conversion, the Church expands its reach, embodying an ever-widening circle of believers. This is exemplified in our first reading from Acts when Barnabas takes charge of Saul and brings him to the apostles to graft him onto the vine as a new branch, a new believer.

The on-going building up of the Church is not a numbers game, but is a dynamic journey of spiritual transformation. Each member contributes to the flourishing of the body of Christ as a whole. As more individuals actively seek the grace and hope offered through the sacraments, they are drawn into the loving embrace of the vine; their roots tapping into nourishment and strength in their union with Christ. How do you play a role in the life of the Vine?

Granted, we’re a long way from next year’s Easter Vigil, but that shouldn’t stop us from praying for those who will be united into Christ and his Church. For anyone interested in becoming Catholic, wishing to complete the sacraments, or wanting to learn more about what the Church teaches, the answer for decades has been, “join the RCIA”. Now it is called the OCIA: Order of Christian Initiation of Adults.

OCIA is a spiritual formation process through which non-baptized men and women, called catechumen, as well as baptized non-Catholics enter fully into the Catholic Church. These undergo a process of conversion as they:

They meet regularly with lay mentors and clergy moving in steps and stages through Lent to the Easter Vigil when baptism is celebrated. Some baptized Catholics discover they need to complete their “Sacraments of Initiation”. They are invited to join the OCIA as well.

Although we may not yet know their names, we may not yet know their life story or where they’re at in their faith journey, God already does and the Holy Spirit is at work, preparing to graft new branches onto the vine.

Keep your hearts and prayers tuned for opportunities to grow the vine through a family member, a neighbor, or a co-worker, bringing them to Christ through the OCIA process. Do you feel the Holy Spirit moving you to bring someone to the Catholic faith?

In a spiritual sense, we are all called to be “ Garden Angels”:

Through these acts we embrace our connection to the Vine. We remain on the branch and are called to bring others to abide in the True Vine. We remain on the vine by having obedience to God’s commandments and by our faith, hope, and love for God and each other. May our branches be strong, bountiful, and fruitful, for the sake of our eternal salvation… and for glory of God.

Palm Sun. 3-24-24 Mk 14:1-15:47 Dcn. Bill Kenney

Sun, 24 Mar 2024 18:11:00 GMT

Palm Sunday Homily Mar. 23/24, 2024 Dcn. Bill Kenney

Mark 14:1—15:47

The Passion narrative is God’s Word written and Will fulfilled for our salvation.

The re-telling and remembrance of the Passion of Jesus Christ should give us pause to the wonder and awe, sorrow and grief of these complex, fast-moving scenes. In our Reading, we re-live Jesus’ great sacrifice and redemptive love for us. St. Mark’s intense Gospel account is also rich in symbolism and typology. As we are taken up in the words, they lead us into a mystery while also providing greater understanding, reinforcing our faith and relationship with Jesus. The Passion narrative is God’s Word written and Will fulfilled for our salvation.

The many characters in the Passion narrative portray aspects of human nature: emotion, judgment, and sin that we might relate to as being similar or conversely, totally different from the way you and I might think and act.

I invite you to reflect on these characters with some careful reading or Lectio Divina and let the Holy Spirit move you to a greater understanding of their roles and the purpose of what’s going on. For example, I have chosen two that I was particularly moved to reflect upon.

First, the unnamed woman of Bethany with the valuable jar of perfumed oil. She broke it and poured it out on Jesus. The price of nearly a year’s wages! Her act was indeed one of great love and in anticipation of his burial and bodily anointing. She and her devotion will always be remembered and proclaimed in the Gospel. This scene is a type of anointing the true King and also a foreshadowing of Jesus’ body broken and his blood poured out for us at the Last Supper and at every Mass. He will be remembered for all-time for what He had done. Jesus said, “…do this in memory of me” as we receive the priceless gift of the Eucharist, given in great love for us.

Secondly, at the betrayal and arrest of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, two seemingly random verses are found to be so important they were added in the Gospel. I’m speaking of the lad who ran off naked after evading capture. I thought, that’s an odd factoid to throw in there. Why is this so significant? Then I thought, who else do we recall running naked through a Garden? - running away from God, to be hidden from his shame and his abandonment?

Perhaps this points to the doctrine that Jesus suffered and died on the Cross gathering and taking upon himself ALL the sins of the world even those from God’s earliest creation. [ ]

Again, I invite you to reflect upon the many other characters of this Passion story, such, as Pontius Pilate, Simon of Cyrene, St. Peter, Judas, the Roman centurion, and others. They all have either an apparent or underlying significance to the message and outcome of this story. They also have one thing in common: they are all doing God’s work to achieve, as Jesus said, “…not my will but yours be done.” Like these characters, we too are called to remember and live our Christian role - one of perseverance in faith in times of doubt and hardships; one of charity and service for needy neighbor; one of hope in the resurrection; all these for the sake of our eternal salvation, and for the glory of God.

[ Lastly, we have Pontius Pilate. He gets some justifiably bad publicity as a ruthless Roman thug. He’s probably mercilessly ordered hundreds of crucifixions. He toys with the evil and envious chief priests and the crowd to question releasing their “King” to them or not. He knew their hearts and was not keen on torturing and killing a victim of cancel culture. He was amazed at Jesus. Out of cowardice and fear, he was afraid of a riot. In a flash of cunning, he releases Barabbas upon their request and professionally, not so much personally, orders Jesus’ execution. He distances himself (washes his hands in other Gospel accounts) from their verdict and bows to the evil promptings of the crowd. To a degree, Pilate was seeking a just resolution at the trial. Afterall, Jesus was not inciting a revolution against Rome, as the Zealots and others wanted. Little did he know that he was powerless to the all-controlling wisdom and love of the Father: Jesus must die on the cross for our redemption and salvation.]

4th Sun of Lent- Dcn. Roger/Dcn. Bill

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 11:02:00 GMT

4 ^th Sun. of Lent Dcn. Roger C. Mar. 10, 2024 (Dcn. Bill K. italics)

Do you believe in Jesus?

What a ridiculous question, right? Preaching to the choir. But I’m serious.

Do you really believe in Jesus? It’s a question many of us ponder from time to time, especially in difficult moments of doubt and despair in our busy lives.

I know I “ say ” I believe in Jesus. I know I think about him a lot. I know I read stories about his life in Scripture. And I pray to him all the time --- telling him things and asking for guidance and laying out my needs before him. And I do all of this with what I believe is a sincere heart . But how do I know ? How can, I be sure? How can I tell if I’m just going through the motions , just doing these things “in case” they are true?

Nevertheless , most of us have thought or felt this way.

Many of us have believed in Jesus from our childhood. It’s what most of us have ever known. There is familiarity, comfort, and confidence that comes with hanging on to traditions that have been witnessed and passed down to us --- especially when we hear the passage from John’s Gospel:

“Whoever believes in him will not be condemned.”

I want that to be true . I want to believe that. There is a heaven ; I certainly don’t want to be anywhere else.

But how do I know? CAN I even know? Is saying the words “I believe in Jesus” the same as actually believing in him ? That seems a little too easy, doesn’t it? That can’t mean what Jesus intended, can it? Doesn’t God need some evidence that I believe in Him?

Isn’t it funny how we think our God --- our all-knowing, all-powerful God --- somehow needs some kind of proof to be convinced that we are true believers? It’s as if we don’t believe God already knows what is in every human heart . God knows our every motive and intention, our every thought and wish, our every moment of trust and doubt. He knows all those things. He knows whether we love him or not , trust him or not, hope in him or not, and believe in him or not. God certainly doesn’t NEED evidence, but He WANTS evidence. Why?

Because WE are the ones who need to see evidence of our belief in Jesus; of our faith in him in our daily lives. And others need to see that evidence in us too to win their hearts and souls for Christ.

They need to see evidence that we believe what we say we believe. That we have a kind and generous heart,

that we trust in God’s promises, and that we are open to God working through us . People need to see evidence that we are willing to change for the better .

So, do we really believe in Jesus?

The only way we’ll know is by actually doing our best to live as Jesus wants us to live . Acting with kindness, forgiving those who have hurt us, and reaching out to the lonely, the hurting, and the forgotten; Living a life of prayer, and the sacraments; being true witnesses of our belief in Jesus to guide strayed brothers and sisters back to the Church.

If I’m not doing these things , then the words “I believe in Jesus” are just that --- words .

May the Holy Spirit fill our entire being with a robust belief, faith, and trust in Jesus. May we not be condemned but be united with his Sacred Heart in the Holy Eucharist for our salvation and for the glory of God.

2nd Sun. of Lent 2024 The Transfiguration Dcn. Bill Kenney

Sat, 24 Feb 2024 23:59:00 GMT

2 ^nd Sun. of Lent- the Transfiguration Mk 9:1-15

Dcn. Bill Kenney 2-24/25-2024

The glory of God revealed in the Transfiguration

and in our lives

During school breaks in Tucson, Arizona (GO Wildcats!) we use to drive up to nearby Mt. Lemmon. At 9,000 ft, the air was fresh and cool, a welcomed refreshment from the 90 degree plus valley below. The view was spectacular, even surreal. It was “God’s country”. After taking in the beauty, we made the decent back to “reality”. The thoughts and memories stay with us.

The Transfiguration narrative almost reads like science fiction. St. Mark conveys a vivid spectacle, a supernatural wonder. It begins with Jesus and his inner circle of apostles ascending Mt. Tabor to symbolically be near God, in the peace and beauty of “God’s country”, and to provide a pulpit for an important message. Here we have the revelation of Jesus’ divine glory that shone through him as a blinding light for Peter, James, and John to behold. Jesus’ clothes appeared dazzling white, more than Tide Ultra could ever get them! Jesus Christ, fully man and fully divine, prefigured our lives in all things, except sin, including what our glorified bodies would look like, as revealed in the Transfiguration. He did this to give them and us a deeper faith and trust in his resurrection glory to overcome trials and tribulations about to come on Good Friday. What does the wonder of Jesus’ transfiguration mean to you?

Elijah and Moses, representing the Prophets and The Law, joined Jesus, the Word. The gospels tell us they were discussing Jesus’ upcoming entry into Jerusalem and his passion and death. To heap even more terror on the apostle’s emotional plate, the Holy Spirit enveloped all of them in a cloud and the voice of God spoke to them, “ This is my beloved Son, listen to him.” Only since Jesus’ baptism did all members of the Holy Trinity manifest themselves in such an amazing way. St. Peter, in his shock and confusion, and perhaps from high-altitude light-headedness, impulsively suggests marking the location with three tents in praise and remembrance of this wonder. I can see Jesus rolling his eyes. All’s he wanted is for them to listen and recount this great event after his death and resurrection. As disciples of Christ, in what ways do we recognize the transfiguration in our daily lives?

For love of his Church, Christ makes real what his transfigured body radiates in his institution of the sacraments. Baptism, Holy Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, and Holy Orders, all these sacraments have dazzling white garments signifying cleanliness, humility, and purity, uniting us to the Lord of light. In the sacrament of Penance, in our sinfulness, “we come blind to the light of eternal brightness” * May the fire of his word and glorified body consume our sins, and its brightness illumine our hearts.

The Transfiguration is a type of the Holy Eucharist. At each Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Holy Trinity, the Communion of saints, and the People of God participate to transform our humble gifts of bread and wine into the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Eucharistic communion is the light which disperses the darkness of our pilgrimage. It is an anticipation of our heavenly glory. At our Tuesday 7pm Adoration, the Host in the monstrance is illumined in dazzling light like the rays of the Transfiguration. It is the real presence of Jesus and is a wonder to behold. How has the Eucharist transfigured your life?

Through the Transfiguration narrative, we praise God who is light and love and who allowed that light to shine from the humanity of Jesus on Mount Tabor. We give thanks for the gift of light that we received at Baptism. We are called to descend from that mount of sacramental grace and joyfully bring that light to others. As we journey through periods of darkness and suffering in our lives, may we sense the light of the transfigured Christ in our hearts to give us, and others, consolation, strength, and perseverance.

May we always listen to and see Jesus in the Transfiguration as our guiding light to better understand the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, to believe in the Gospel, and to hope for the resurrection of the body; all these, for the glory of God.

4th Sunday of Advent- Dcn. Bill

Sun, 24 Dec 2023 09:50:00 GMT

Fourth Sunday of Advent Yr. B – December 24, 2023 Rf.: Lk 1:26–38

Give your fiat to Christ at Adoration

The Macy’s Parade was an annual TV tradition in our family, as I’m sure in most of yours. As kids, we’d watch with great anticipation ‘til the end when Santa would be welcomed and cheered on by adoring fans. Where is he? Is he here yet? We knew he would come because the announcers said he’d be the grand finale of the Parade. We patiently waited with understanding and acceptance of his arrival. In our Gospel reading from Luke, Gabriel, in his awesome appearing, tells Mary, “Do not be afraid, you have found favor with God.” He certainly fulfills his role as a messenger angel. What prophesy! What news! He explains God’s plan for the redemption of the world, if only Mary would willingly give her “fiat”, her surrender and obedience of faith, to accept God’s will. Of course, we know her humble answer. Like Mary, we need to trust in the Lord, listen, and remain open to His calling for what He has in store for each of us. We thank you and love you Mary for accepting your motherhood for Jesus and for all of us. Today we recount the Annunciation, the proclamation of Christ’s coming. Conceived by the Holy Spirit at the angel’s word, Christ is both God and Man in the womb of our Blessed Virgin Mother. He is hidden from our sight, but we know he is there. On Christmas, we celebrate with joy his birth, his arrival into our lives. He is the grand finale of our Advent preparations. Since his Ascension into heaven, Christ remains hidden from our sight. With our own fiat, with the eyes of faith, Christ is mystically and physically present: body, blood, soul and divinity in our reception of the Holy Eucharist at Mass. Through the eyes of faith, darkness is dispersed, we can see his true presence in the Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance at Adoration. We can approach him in awe and wonder, love, and humility. Make it a Holy Hour of your day or week. It can be an overwhelming spiritual encounter. Do not be afraid. We are like Christmas shepherds called from all walks of life to give praise, thanksgiving, and worship to our Savior at Adoration. Christ comes to us in the Blessed Sacrament, calling us to a conversion of heart and mind. During Adoration, we pray for forgiveness and peace in our lives. We offer up our petitions for the health and well-being of our family, neighbors, and ourselves. We kneel in silent, prayerful meditation seeking answers to specific questions; listening, searching for his still, small voice and the promptings he gives each of us to fulfill his will. May we give the gift of our daily fiat to our new born Savior- especially at Tuesday, 7pm Adoration , for the joy of our eternal salvation and for the glory of God.

Corpus Christi Yr A 6-11-23 Dcn. Bill Kenney

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 19:57:00 GMT

Eucharistic living with Christ’s Real Presence 6-10,11-23 Jn 6:51-58 ,66-68

What does it take for you to believe in something? I mean really believe in your heart and soul something is true even if you don’t understand everything about it. What I mean is having faith. Typically, we believe things through our physical senses- sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. Is seeing believing? I am certainly fooled by the most basic magic tricks- I know he made that elephant disappear! Do you believe everything you hear and read on the Internet or from others? Young children believe in secular holiday characters. As Scripture says, “When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things.” Yes, as we grow and mature in our faith and understanding, we grow in the grace of Eucharistic living. This grace is realized when we believe in Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist through the supernatural, spiritual senses from the Holy Spirit.

In today’s Gospel message from John, Jesus says no less than five times that we must eat his flesh and drink his blood because it is true food and true drink giving us eternal life. The Jews quarreled at hearing this. They may have said,” Who does he think we are!? We are not cannibals or vampires!”

In a later text, John explains that as a result of this attitude, many of Jesus’ disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. It was too hard a belief for them to accept. Seeing this, Jesus did not recant his words. He did not say, “Oh, just kidding, I meant it as a symbol, not literally, please come back.” No, instead, he doubles-down four times. Jesus then said to the Twelve Apostles, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Indeed, the words of the Word of God, Jesus, are true and powerful; they are creative and satisfying; they accomplish what they intend and are worthy of belief. “Cast your nets again”, he says, and they catch fish, “You give them something to eat”, and they feed 5,000, “Lazarus come out!”, and the dead man walks out of his grave. Why after these and many other signs, wonders, and miracles spoken and accomplished by Jesus would his followers lose their belief and faith in him for his words, “…eat my flesh and drink my blood…?”

In 2019 the Pew research organization conducted a survey of self-identified Catholics in regard to their belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. 69% of those polled indicated that the bread and wine offered in Mass were merely symbols of Jesus’ presence.

It was too hard a belief for them to accept Jesus’ real presence: his body, blood, soul, and divinity in the Eucharist. Sound familiar? My how history repeats itself. The spiritual sense is missing. The physical sensory qualities of the Host and wine remain and look, taste, smell, and feel like unleavened wafers of bread and wine. However, during the consecration of the bread and wine by the priest, in the person and Words of Jesus, the underlying substance of the gifts change into Jesus’ Body and Blood. This is called transubstantiation. This is where our spiritual sense, faith, and belief in Jesus’ words are realized. We, the Body of Christ, the Church, acknowledge this miracle with our Communion “amen” at each Mass. The Catechism calls the Eucharist the “Source and Summit of the Christian life”: what it means to be a Catholic. The Real Presence in the Eucharist is a doctrine of the Church passed on from the Kerygma and our earliest Church Fathers. It is a foundation of our Catholic faith.

Sister Alicia Torres had a recent podcast where she instructed catechism children to draw a picture of Jesus. A 5 yr old boy drew a circle with an “X” in the middle it, and he said to her, “This is Jesus”. “Out of the mouth of babes you have made perfect praise…”. In his own way, this child gave witness to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament- a gift of faith we can all desire.

In partial response to the shocking results of the Pew poll, the Church has called for a three-year Eucharistic Revival. This year is the Year of

the Parish whereby our Bishop Boyea will shepherd the parishes of his diocese to a greater understanding, love, and faith in Jesus in the Eucharist. Today, the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, the holy day of the Body and Blood of Christ, kicks-off focused prayer and revival within the diocese.

This booklet, This Is My Body: A Call to Eucharistic Revival is intended to accompany that revival. In this text, Bishop Robert Barron offers a threefold analysis of the Eucharist as sacred meal, sacrifice, and Real Presence. This booklet helps readers to understand the sacrament of Jesus’ Body and Blood more thoroughly so that they might fall in love with him more completely. These will be distributed in the Fall and further discipleship will begin. You will be hearing much more and asked to participate in this holy crusade in order to live a Eucharistic life.

And what is a Eucharistic life? It is: a calling to live-

in joy and thanksgiving for all God’s blessings;

in fraternal communion in order to realize the work of Christ;

a profound belief, reverence, and awe for Jesus’ Real Presence in the Eucharist.

What practical things can you do to live a Eucharistic life?

-Commit yourself to prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.

-Read and study a book on the Eucharist and feed your mind so as to better understand the Church’s teaching.

-Volunteer. Allow that call to service to be an expression of your love for the Eucharist.

The Eucharist nurtures our soul as food nourishes our body on our pilgrimage through earthly life. It is the greatest gift we are continually offered by God: the gift of his Son. The Eucharist deepens our relationship with the Holy Trinity helping us to live the Eucharistic life. We are called to be a Eucharistic people revealing Christ’s presence in our daily living through the sacrament of charity, the Holy Eucharist.

It is my sincere prayer that the Holy Spirit move within the souls of all God’s children to awaken in them a Eucharistic Revival. To put aside our unbelief and boldly evangelize the truth of Jesus’ Real Presence; for the sake of our eternal salvation and for the Glory of God.

Solemnity of Christ the King Yr A 11-26-23 Dcn. Bill Kenney

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 19:41:00 GMT

Viva Cristo Rei !

(Ref. Ez 34:11-12, 15-17 ; Ps 23:1-2, 2-3, 5-6 ; Mt 25:31-46 ) b.k. Nov. 25/6, 2023

As a child you may have scampered up a dirt mound or snow pile, staked your claim at the top, and shouted, “I’m King of the mountain!” or “I’m King of the castle and you’re a dirty rascal !” Friends would try to push you down from your perch to make themselves “king”. It was all in fun. My grandfather’s property had a large sand hill with a steep drop off on one side. The bigger family kids reigned supreme, but we all took our turns being “king” as we got older. Besides, it was a thrill to jump off the top into the soft sand below.

On this, the Solemnity of Christ the King, we call to mind our good shepherd and just judge. This Feast Day was proclaimed by Pope Pius XI in 1925 in his encyclical, Quos Primas, meaning, “In the first”. Pope Pius drew from the Nicaean Council’s Creed the angel Gabriel’s words at the Annunciation, "of whose kingdom there shall be no end," thereby establishing the title and kingly dignity of Jesus Christ.

And what does it mean to be “king”? Far removed from a childhood sand hill, a king is a sovereign ruler, the head monarch of a people or nation. The first kings in Israel had an interesting history. Samuel was a judge and prophet for the people of Israel. His sons became corrupt judges. Driven by fear, the elders of Israel demanded to be ruled by a king, like many secular nations at that time. The covenant people rejected God as their king.

God told Samuel to listen to them and allow them to appoint a king. As God foresaw, their kings became corrupt by taking men to fight battles, taking crops, taking animals and taking anything to fulfill their lust for power and wealth. After proving his point and allowing Israel to suffer through their fallible kings, God sent the King of Kings, his Son. It is a tenet of our faith that Jesus Christ was given to man, not only as our Redeemer, but also as a law-giver, our King, to whom obedience is due.

And how was Christ treated? He was mocked and falsely adored as King of the Jews with a crown of thorns and a wooden cross for a throne! A righteous king reigns with authority, this is true, but he is also a God-fearing man, a servant of his subjects, a shepherd to reign with mercy, compassion, justice, and love. These are the qualities of Jesus Christ the Son of God, our true King, our loving and just shepherd.

In our readings from Ezekiel and Psalm 23 we can certainly relate to the imagery of the sheep, goats, and shepherd. We are all like wandering sheep in our pilgrim journey through life. We choose to hear and follow the shepherd’s voice or we choose to stray from the fold in pursuit of other false shepherds. Compared to our Shepherd, Jesus Christ, we are the least in every way, yet we are loved and provided for far beyond our understanding, “… there is nothing I shall want”.

Unlike being judged by unsound human bias, prejudice, and favoritism, the judgement of the true shepherd is righteous and just. The Shepherd knows our mind, soul, heart, and will to remain obedient to his word with trust and perseverance to the end of our lives. Peter Kreeft explains: A repentant sinner, a friend of the Shepherd, who dies in a state of grace, will be judged to inherit new life in heaven; the unrepentant sinner does not know the Shepherd and the Shepherd does not know him. A wandering and lost soul, he wills to be separated from the Father for eternity by his own choosing.

We hear our shepherd’s voice through his Word, the Holy Scriptures, and through his Church via doctrines, encyclicals, the Catechism, homilies, and catechists. We are guided to our salvation by following the Good Shepherd and his Church.

The Kingship of Christ sets the crowning glory upon the mysteries of the life of Christ already celebrated throughout this past liturgical year. More than a Church doctrine, this Feast Day liturgy affects both mind and heart with its beauty and grace that we may recall and internalize, as a part of ourselves, the benevolent King of our spiritual life.

The Solemnity of Christ the King is not just the conclusion of the Church year, it is also a summary of our lives as Christians. We hear and follow our Good Shepherd through his calling in the Gospel. We strive for obedience to his precepts to live a life of holiness. Our celebration of Christ the King serves as a reminder of the different kingdom our Lord has

established; not a kingdom of this world, temporal and imperfect, but the Kingdom of God in eternal royal splendor. On this great Feast, let us resolve to give Christ the central place in our lives through reception of the Holy Eucharist at Mass and worship in Adoration. May we obey His commandment of love by sharing our blessings with the least of our brothers and sisters, who are coheirs in the Kingdom and in whom Christ lives and reigns as King. Ask yourself, “How can I make my life a gift for others in charity?”

Lastly, Fr. Mark Goring, a popular YouTube evangelist priest, ends his podcasts with the shout from Blessed Martyr Miguel Pro, “Viva Cristo Rei”, meaning, “Long live Christ the King”, as a reminder and proclamation of Christ’s Kingship in our lives. May we too keep this simple yet profound adage in our prayers and as a resounding testament of our faith to others.

For the glory of God, Viva Cristo Rei !

30th Sun. in Ord. Time Yr. A 10-29-23 Dcn. Bill Kenney

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 19:40:00 GMT

30th Sun. in Ord. T Yr A – Oct. 28, 29, ’23 Love is a response to God, neighbor, and self b.k.

Readings: Ex 22:20–26 • Ps 18:2–3, 3–4, 47, 51 • 1 Thes 1:5c–10 • Mt 22:34–40

We are taught lessons early in life to shape us into socially upright people: Play nice with others. Tell the truth. Share. As we get older our behaviors can become more grave and the laws and commands we must follow get more affirmed and with greater consequences: do not kill; do not commit adultery, do not steal. To save us from the powers of sin, we must respond to the love of God in our lives. For Love is a response given or taken to another’s gift of love. The greatest commands, for which all others follow, is to love God, love your neighbor, and love yourself.

St. John tells us God is love. We were created in God’s image and likeness and so we too are called to abide in his love. We abide in his love most directly in the Eucharistic sacrifice of the Mass when we are in communion as Church. We can chose God and love him in every way. We can love with our heart: through compassion and hospitality to God’s people. We can love with our soul: by worshiping God and praying for our neighbors and ourselves. And we can love with our minds: by studying God’s Word, letting it enlighten us, and send us out in loving response to the world. Can you think of ways you express your love for God in your daily life? Indeed, as the Psalmist sings, I love you, O LORD, my strength, my salvation, my stronghold! When we love God, we are always, and at the same time, loving God’s people.

In our first reading from Exodus, Moses proclaims God’s commands to the Hebrew people. Their treatment of alien refugees, widows and orphans, and the poor must be without doing wrong to them. The cries of those who are wronged will be heard and God’s wrath shall bring justice, so, for heaven’s sake! love your neighbor.

Neighborly love is hard to envision in times of war such as with the Israel-Hamas war. Friend or foe, we must love our neighbor as a response to God’s love in us. St. John again says, “No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us. [For] If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him?”. Another response is through prayer. St. Teresa of Calcutta says, “Prayer will give you a clean heart, and a clean heart will be able to see God. And if you see God in each other, you will love one another.” We pray for peace, reconciliation, and conversion for all our neighbors in this conflict. Consider the ways you respond to God’s love with your own love of neighbor. When we love God’s people, we are always, and at the same time, loving God.

In our Gospel reading from Matthew, Jesus commands us to not only refrain from doing wrong to our neighbor but also love our neighbor as we love ourselves. That, of course, presumes that we actually do love ourselves. If we do not love ourselves, it will be impossible to love others as they ought to be loved. By “loving ourselves,” Jesus certainly does not mean being prideful and selfish, self-centered, and narcissistic. To love ourselves, we must first recognize who we are in the sight of God. We are icons of God who created us. As baptized Catholics, we are sons and daughters of our Father in heaven and brothers and sisters of our Lord Jesus Christ! That is essentially who we are. That is our true identity and it is a precious and beautiful gift given to us.

Without a firm grasp and knowledge of who we are in relation to God, it is no wonder that so many people today experience a crisis of identity and seek to create their own identities. Thomas Kempis wrote, “…learn to see yourself as God sees you and not as you see yourself.” See on the altar how you are loved by Jesus in the Eucharistic sacrifice. Let him reveal to you who you truly are. Ask him to help you love yourself as he desires you to love yourself. Ponder this: how do you see yourself in relation to God? When we love ourselves the way we ought to, we are always, and at the same time, loving God and others.

Some people have a hard time understanding and accepting their adoption by a loving Father. They do not realize this relationship is based on love for God, others, and self. Maybe the sins of their past weigh heavily upon their soul and mind. Sometimes the wound is caused by another and sometimes it is due to our own sinfulness. These wounds, if not given the proper care and attention cause great spiritual harm.

There is, however, a cure. God sent his Son, the Divine Physician who is the cure of our spiritual wounds. If you are wounded by sin, go, receive the sacrament of Reconciliation. Be healed by the power of the Holy Spirit and enjoy the freedom and love meant for your life.

Heavenly Father, heal our spiritual wounds that keep us from loving you completely. May our response of love for you express itself in our eagerness to do good for our neighbor and ourselves. May we abide in your love and realize your presence in our daily lives. Help us to grow in compassion for each other, for peace in the world, and for the glory of God.

25th Sun. in Ord. Time Yr A 9-24-23 Dcn. Bill Kenney

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 19:39:00 GMT

25 ^th Sun. in Ord. Time Yr A Called and chosen by God’s great love

( Is 55:6-9 ; Phil 1:20c-24, 27a ; Mt 20:1-16a )

My grandfather once explained to me the long lines of able-bodied workers awaiting work assignments and food bread lines during the Great Depression of the 1930’s. You may have seen old news reels. Fast forward to today’s news broadcasts- thousands of homeless and unemployed immigrants line city streets awaiting work and provisions. Work is indeed a valued blessing offering dignity, purpose, and hope in people’s lives.

These scenes remind me of our gospel reading from Matthew: the parable of the workers in the vineyard. This is yet another illustration from Jesus teaching us the nature and inhabitants of the Kingdom of Heaven. In the parable, to be clear, we are the workers, the vineyard is our faith, and God is the Landowner. Even though workers started in the vineyard at different hours, at the end of the day they all received the same wage, or heavenly reward. Does that sound fair? Would that fly with today’s labor contracts? Where’s the justice?! They wanted equity but expressed envy. It’s like the older brother slighting his prodigal younger brother for returning to a joyful

reception after leading a life of debauchery. It’s like condemning the

good thief for stealing paradise by his one-time act of faith after living a life of sin. It’s like criticizing a philanthropist for his wealth that we wish we had. This is how mankind’s misguided envy, a sub-set of pride, divides and confounds our relationships with each other and with God.

In this parable, our sense of justice is scandalized by the Landowner’s generosity. He is too generous to the workers who worked the least! The general idea of the parable is that everyone is called to the vineyard of faith at different times in their lives. Some people are lifelong disciples of Jesus, others convert only toward the end of their lives. In the kingdom of heaven, both groups are welcomed and treated the same. The only wage that matters is eternal life with God.

In our present world affairs, we seek equality, diversity, fairness, and justice. We establish government agencies and labor unions to control work in society. But our vision is limited as we are finite creatures. We don’t know the big picture or future unintended

consequences of our actions. It is God’s infinite goodness, wisdom, and love beyond our understanding that makes the Lord just in all

his ways and holy in all his works. A repentant sinner and a lost sheep returning to the fold find great justice from God’s still greater love. God’s love is greater than his justice.

The parable also explains how the workers were chosen. Those first selected were perhaps true disciples, ready and hungry for the vineyard. The work was plentiful so the Landowner chose more workers. The last ones, perhaps a marginal group, were standing around idle because no one had hired them. They may have not known the Landowner nor worked in his vineyard before. The workers may have come from all walks of life with different skills and life circumstances. Even for the varying work hours, all were justly called, chosen, and paid to work in the vineyard.

We too are called and chosen to cultivate our faith for a fruitful harvest. Beginning with our families, we open our hearts to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to nurture our faith and love for each

other and for Christ. As a family of believers, we should:

-pray together,

-read Scripture together,

-worship at Mass and Adoration together,

-and receive the sacraments together.

This is our faith at work in the vineyard; our wage is eternal life in Christ.

Through reception of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, we grow in relationship and unity with Christ. During today’s conferring of the Anointing of the Sick, may God increase and bless these chosen workers in his vineyard. As workers, may they keep in mind God’s love, generosity, and healing providence.

O God of mercy, guide us toward spiritual growth, fill our minds with thoughts of truth, justice and love. Help us to forego envy and bitterness in our hearts. Help us to better understand your will in our lives and trust in your ways. Through the Spirit of joy and cooperation may we work together to grow a strong and vibrant vineyard, for the life of the Church and for the glory of God.

21st Sun. in Ord. Time Yr A 8-27-23 Dcn. Bill Kenney

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 19:37:00 GMT

Become a key bearer for Christ

21 ^st Sun Ord. Time Yr A Is 22:19-23 Mt 16:13-20 b.k.

When I was a kid, my best friend and I had a short chapter in our childhood whereby we collected keys. Any old key would do. We’d find them in junk around the garage and other places; of course, we would ask before adding them to our collection. We gathered quite a variety of keys: long & short ones, different shapes and colors. The coolest ones were “skeleton keys”. They were unique, but just the name “skeleton” made them special.

As special as any of the keys were in our collection, they had no value if they did not serve to lock or unlock things like doors, cabinets, pad locks, and others. Keys have great value if you misplace one or if you lock your keys in the car and have to make your own “key” out of a wire coat hanger. That should have been one of the keys in our collection. This is the material and practical case for keys. Keys can also be symbolic and representative of our faith, authority, and obedience.

Our first reading from Isaiah is a type and foreshadowing of the Gospel reading from Matthew. In Isaiah, Eliakim, a righteous servant of God, is given the symbolic keys to the Kingdom of David , much like the keys of the city are presented to a prominent member of society in recognition for their merit or good deeds. Eliakim is given the authority and responsibility to be the father of Jerusalem and the house of Judah. He is a faithful key bearer, a sure foundation, and obedient leader of God’s people.

Last week’s Gospel reading was about the Canaanite woman whose great faith and persistence was rewarded with her daughter’s exorcism. Today’s Gospel reading is also an account of great faith and reward. Jesus takes a poll and asks his disciples, "Who do people (that is, the general public) say that the Son of Man is?". He gets a variety of unacceptable answers. He asks the same of his disciples. Simon son of Jonah answers, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God”. By his proven faithfulness inspired by God the Father, Jesus says he will be given the keys to the kingdom of heaven . Jesus clearly wanted his disciples to know that he was much more than he seemed to the general population. Simon’s name is changed to Peter, the Rock, an immovable foundation upon which Christ will build his Church. He eventually becomes the first Pope of the Catholic Church.

Jesus’ words are in a future tense. Certainly Peter had a lot of formation to undergo throughout the Gospel accounts. He had misunderstandings of the redeeming suffering and passion of Jesus; doubts in re-casting nets to catch fish or when he sank while walking on water; and a three-time denial of even knowing Jesus at his Passion. Jesus saw through his weakness and foreknew the faithfulness, authority, and love Peter would eventually demonstrate and exact after Pentecost as found in the Acts of the Apostles. He becomes, you might say, the ultimate key bearer.

In keeping with Eliakim and St. Peter, we too are called to be key bearers for Christ. To strive to overcome our weaknesses and eventually grow as witnesses and leaders of our faith to family, friends, and needy others. By our persistent faith and love for Christ, we too hold the keys for our brothers’ and sisters’ salvation- to open the doors of hope and love while locking the doors of evil and darkness. We unlock and open doors of support and reassurance by repeatedly confessing our great love for our children- to their faces- giving them a zeal for life. We too are called to be Peter, a rock of our faith for which all people may find, believe, and come to the table of heaven- on- earth at the Eucharistic sacrifice of the Mass.

We are the Church that Christ built. Each of us, through our baptism are priest, prophet, and king. St. John Vianney, speaking for ordained priests, says what also applies to all clergy and laity:

“The priest holds the key to the treasures of heaven: it is he who opens the door: he is the steward of the good Lord; the administrator of His goods”.

As with Eliakim and St. Peter, we are entrusted with a key given us by the Lord. We hold the key to open the door to answer Christ’s knocking. We have a great responsibility to reliably and faithfully open our Church with the love of Christ that we unlock within each other. May we collect and hold dearly the keys to the hearts of our brothers and sisters in Christ. May we find value in our service vocations as worthy key bearers, for the greater glory of God.

17th Sun. in Ord Time Yr A 7-30-23 Dcn. Bill Kenney

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 19:33:00 GMT

17th Sunday in Ord. Time Year A (Mt 13:44-52 7-29,30-23) b.k.

It’s funny how my mind can wander when reading today’s Scripture. Key words like “treasure” and “pearl” turn into thoughts of the Black Pearl and pirate treasure from the movie: Pirates of the Caribbean -On Stranger Tides. Here they search and find treasured chalices and they struggle and fight to drink from the Fountain of Youth to give eternal life. And, not to be outdone, eternal life relates to the Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade movie with its Holy Grail giving eternal life, if you choose as wisely as Solomon. We too are on our own adventure through life to find our treasure of greatest value: Christ our salvation in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Today’s Gospel carries on from last week’s Gospel in explaining the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus gives us many Kingdom parables and analogies; it is indeed a critical concept to get through to us. In this and in many of his teachings Christ speaks to us on terms we can understand- from our walks of life: as landowners, merchants, fishermen, farmers, and others. The Kingdom he explains is “like” things we understand and value: a treasure, a pearl, a good fish. Further, Jesus proclaims throughout his ministry that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand! We can see and experience it with the eyes of faith, hope, and charity. “At hand” in our world is also imperfection- weeds growing among the wheat and bad fish caught in the net. In an apocalyptic tone, at the end of the age, the angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous, the good from bad and the bad are tossed out and meet a fiery demise.

So what is the Kingdom of Heaven “likened” to us today? I think each of us could answer that question in a different way based on our life experiences, values, and the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Scripture tells us the Kingdom exists within you and at the same time, is not of this world. I believe it can be both; for we are God’s creation made in his image and likeness, a baptized child of God and confirmed in our faith with the Holy Spirit moving within us. We can see the Kingdom in the innocent eyes of a newborn baby as well as the searching eyes of an elderly Hospice patient. The stillness, peace, and joy of the Spirit within us while shared with each other is the closest we will get on earth to God’s eternal Kingdom.

Within our beautiful world, a world created “good” by God, exists also great evils all around us. Like Solomon, we must pray for a listening and discerning heart to distinguish between good and evil. The sins of the evil one and his followers plague our news headlines: war, corruption, greed, lies, false gods, and confusion. The gates of hell and the evils of this world will not prevail over the love and joy of the Kingdom of Heaven. When we do fail and distance ourselves from God through our sin, Jesus gives us the sacrament of reconciliation to reunite us with the Father. We are cleansed from our venial sins with true contrition at the Mass and upon receiving the Holy Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

Despite the sin and chaos we are exposed to in this world, we must always remember that God WINS! In the end, after running the good race, God will judge the Kingdom within us and by his grace, we pray, will find us worthy to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. God knows us and loves us more than we can fathom. He has a life plan foreseen and destined for each of us as his redeemed children by his Son. God does not force our destiny that he knows in advance. We are endowed with the freedom to choose to believe, obey, and follow Christ as our hope for eternal salvation. Until that day, may we grow the Kingdom of Heaven within us by our love, care, and hope for each other, and for the glory of God.

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sun, 12 Nov 2023 15:26:00 GMT

As some of you may know, my wife, Melanie, and I host home game tailgate parties for our daughter’s MSU Band section. Hosting these parties places a premium on preparation. Hauling and setting up the canopies, tables, and chairs has to be done early enough and for the right amount of people; food and drinks have to be prepared and kept hot or cold. Afterwards, everything happens in reverse to put things away and get ready for the next game. All this requires good planning, timing, and preparation.

To me, today’s Gospel message is all about being prepared. Interlaced with the cardinal virtues: prudence, fortitude, temperance, and justice we see how preparation is lived-out in the Gospel, in our faith, and in our daily lives.

While all the virgins in the Gospel parable were prepared, only the wise ones prepared for the long haul. Blessed with the virtue of prudence, they anticipate the bridegroom’s possible delay and take the correct action to bring enough oil. The foolish ones half-heartedly prepared expecting the imminent return of the bridegroom. They had not considered the correct amount of oil to bring in case of a delay. As with the wise virgins, we too, should pray for and discern correct decisions and actions to be taken in our lives.

Blessed with the virtue of fortitude, the wise virgins remained steadfast and hopeful of the bridegroom’s return, no matter how long it took. Contrast this with the foolish virgins and even the early disciples of Christ soon after his ascension into heaven. Jesus, the bridegroom, was, and still is, delayed. Many disciples lost their faith as it is unfortunately true today. They grew impatient and lacked fortitude, or perseverance. St. Matthew tells them, and us today, to remain awake and vigilant at all times for our Lord’s return because we know neither the day nor the hour. The apostles understood that Jesus’ imminent return meant they must busy themselves with God’s work. They lived life to the fullest, persevering as if every day were their last. We, too, should view every day as a GIFT and use it to glorify God.

Blessed with the virtue of temperance, the wise virgins brought extra flasks of oil for themselves to rekindle their lamp flame. Rather than all of them running out of oil, and no one getting in to the wedding feast, they told the foolish virgins to go and buy more oil from the merchants. We too should find balance in our ways of consuming goods and in our conduct with others.

Blessed with the virtue of justice, the bridegroom and each group of virgins receive what they are rightly due. The bridegroom welcomes virtuous disciples, the wise virgins unite with the bridegroom, and the foolish virgins deserve their just consequences. May we seek God’s justice in all things.

The virgins’ oil is analogous to our faith. Foolish virgins are those lacking faith, lacking the light of Christ in their lives. When we are baptized, our lamps are lit. We are children of God. If we never practice our faith, it is like running out of oil. To me, the merchants are seen here as a type of the Holy Spirit, a source to replenish their faith or oil in the lamps. They can also be seen as our God-parents and Sponsors keeping and growing the light of faith within us. The wise virgins are filled with faith and are prepared to meet the bridegroom.

When we’re doing God’s work, proclaiming the Gospel, fulfilling the spiritual and corporal works of mercy to our needy neighbors, our lamp shines forth abundantly in our lives. We can better see our path to Christ. When we maintain strength in our faith and a state of grace in our lives, we become the virtuous ones humbly seeking our union with the bridegroom.

Our oil lamps and spare flasks are full of the light of faith when we regularly worship together, read Scripture, and receive the Sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist. We will never walk and be lost in the dark. How do you evaluate whether your lamp and spare flasks are full of oil so that you are prepared? Or what else is there to do?

During this time of world uncertainty and throughout the upcoming Season of Advent, may we prepare, so to speak, our tailgate faith-life events and get things in order. May we prepare in blessed anticipation, with vigilance and hope, for the second coming of Jesus Christ and for the glory of God.