SHF Pastor's Blog

This holy season is never an easy one, but is full of grace if we enter into it with a spirit of joy. While not often associated with Lent, joy is the fruit of a faith centered in God. We know that our Heavenly Father deeply desires to be close to us and us to him. Because of this closeness, we feel the presence of the Lord at all times as well as see his providence filling our lives. Lent is the perfect time to reflect on how we let our faith move us closer to God and to others. While Lent is ten days old it is not too late to let this holy season be one of blessing and grace for us. Happy Lent.

A common task to engage in at this time of year is to make resolutions for the upcoming New Year. It is safe to say that almost every person on this planet will engage in this ritual in some form or fashion. We will resolve to:
• Lose weight
• Exercise more
• Be kinder to people
• Not sweat the small stuff of life
• Become more organized
• Be a better person
• And my personal resolution-to give up Little Debbie Snack Cakes

Now, while all of these items make impressive resolutions promising to make our lives more centered and more fulfilling, let us be honest that within a week our resolutions are faint memories of dashed hopes and we continue to live life with little change. I think that that reason for this is that change is very difficult for us. It is not that we do not want to change, but maybe the reason for changing might be a bit skewed.

We are creatures of habit. This is a scientific and societal fact supported by a vast amount of research in many different areas of academia. But, the research does support the fact that if we want to change we really can do so to the point that we become different in the way in which we approach life and interact with each other. This is the basis for today’s second reading.

In writing the lines of today’s second reading, St. Paul realized that his readers were people who had recently converted to the Christian faith from both Judaism and various pagan religions. They were being tormented and persecuted in scores of ways and by a mixture of people, some being family members and friends. Yet, these people stayed the course of living the faith because they knew that faith in Christ brings abundant mercy; tremendous blessings and holy love to their lives. They fell in love with the Lord and knew that even if they had to suffer, their new found faith in the Lord continued to bring them the joy of a relationship with the Lord.

In addressing them St. Paul lists the virtues that are the hallmark of one who is in a relationship with the Lord Jesus:
• heartfelt compassion,
• kindness,
• humility,
• gentleness,
• patience,
• bearing with one another
• forgiving one another,
• love
These holy virtues were to be the resolve of each Christian. Why? It is simple, they were to live with themselves and with each other the way that God lived with them: bearing all things and forgiving all things with plentiful love and extreme joy. I truly believe that St. Paul’s ancient words are directed towards us as well.

Our lives are full of so many things aren’t they? So many people need our attention, our time, and our love. It often seems that our personal and spiritual resources are depleted before we realize it. In our seemingly constant tiredness we may wonder how we can love one more person, forgive one more infraction against us and show extra compassion. At this time of year our souls are a bit tired, our bodies ache from all of the holiday festivities and our wallets are definitely lighter. Can we make true resolutions that can change our lives. St. Paul says YES, because if Christ is the center of everything about us, then we can. Our resolutions start with gratitude.

After listing all of the virtues St. Paul instructs us to be thankful. If we stop for a moment we have much to be thankful for. We are blessed each day beyond all recollection. Our resolutions need to start from the realization that in all things we are blessed and be grateful for these blessings. Resolutions that stem from gratitude will be solidly founded and will grow into lives full of joy because the changes that are the product of these resolutions will be lasting. But, resolutions founded from wishful thinking will end with no changes because these are what we want and not what God hopes for us.

See, the virtues that St. Paul lists are our Heavenly Father’s hope for us. The Father knows that if you and I can live these virtues our lives will constantly be full of meaning because we will see His reflection in all people, in all events and in the center of our souls. We will be able to see our own goodness when others see our faults; we will be able to forgive others and ourselves no matter the infraction, and we will be able to see that the greatest gift we receive is not located under a Christmas tree, but the gift of love that will never leave us no matter what we do.

At the appointed time, God fulfilled his resolution to love us so deeply that he sent his Son, born as the Babe of Bethlehem, who grew to be the Man of Galilee who’s live, death and resurrection gives us love and life beyond all imagination. In fulfilling this resolution, our Heavenly Father simply wants what is best for us, so he is willing to love us no matter what. He invites us to do the same with ourselves and with each other. Our families, our parish community, and our world are the arenas where God’s resolution to us is fulfilled. In our families, love is freely and caringly exchanged. In our parish community gathered for worship and fellowship love is experienced as we see God’s love lived in each other. The majestic beauty of our world mirrors the grandeur of God and reminds us that we are a part of a larger family conceived in love. If you need to be reminded of the divine love, just look at a member of your family and see the love for you in their eyes. In their hearts glows the light of God’s love for you. This is the love that the Holy Family shared with each other and gave them the strength to resolve to live in the light of God’s love and to endure all things for God would accompany them through all things and in all things forever. This is to be the foundation of our resolutions also. If we let God’s love and peace be the foundation of all our resolutions then you and I will be successful in the New Year. This is God’s promise to us and He is resoled to see this fulfilled.

Sisters and Brothers in Christ, we gather today in the glow of the Christmas star that leads saint and sinner, wise men and common folk to the Babe of Bethlehem. In the glow of this heavenly light we are invited by our Heavenly Father to feast on the gift of love for this is the reason for Christmas: that God so loved us that he sent his only Son to reveal the fullness of the Father’s love to all humanity. In the Divine Babe of Bethlehem we realize that love which nourishes, redeems and enlightens those who believe in its power. In this holy season, as we join the shepherds, Magi and townspeople in kneeling at the holy crib, we feel the warmth of holy love that reminds us that we are our best when love is the foundation our lives; when love is the way that we interact with others; and when love is the reason for life itself. From this experience let us make our New Year’s resolutions so that these resolutions become a way of life that leads to the One whose life we need to experience always. In light of this I offer the following as possible resolutions:
• Each day hug a member of your family and thank them for loving you;
• Each day take a moment to laugh at yourself in order to realize that God is still working with you;
• Each day realize that you and others are not perfect and that’s okay because God loves us just that way we are;
• Each day say a prayer of thanks to God realizing that He if the true source of everything your have and are;
• And remember to smile each day for in God’s big picture your problems and mine are small and God who is in control always has your back.

This is the how the Holy Family lived and if we want to so can we.

This past week I reflected on the person and message of John the Baptist with the 8th grade students of our day school. At first glance John is a strange character. He dresses funny and eats strange foods. We all agreed that at first, John was a bit strange. Why would God use such a person to proclaim a message to change? He did so because John got people’s attention. They looked upon John’s simple nature and were able to focus their hearts on the message that he preached. They saw a man who was willing to give up the luxuries of life in order to be faithful in proclaiming the Lord’s word. Listen they did.

John came to proclaim that God was about to do something phenomenal for the world that if they hoped in God and had faith in the Lord’s promise they could be a part of this. What they needed to do was repent of their sins, turn away from their own ways to adopt God’s ways. God’s way brings peace, joy and love to all people and all of creation. Yet,
in order to participate in this we need to have hope and faith. John’s ministry was to remind people that hope and faith are the most necessary virtues of life and we need to do everything possible to let hope and faith prosper in our lives.

In the hustle and bustle of these Advent and pre-Christmas days we need to be watchful of the Lord who sprinkles hope and faith in our lives. Through John, Jesus invites us to stay awake to the events of our lives and our world and let hope fuel our lives and faith define our lives in every aspect. When we do, the dream of peace as proclaimed in today’s first reading from the prophet Isaiah will come true and we can live in the presence of the Lord always. Our 8th grade students understand this. May we do so likewise.

Yesterday I preached about the need for creating spiritual “life-lists” or goals for our lives. We make these lists and goals for all aspects of our lives. Why not for our spiritual lives? It is within our spiritual lives that God meets us and we meet God. There is no other aspect of our lives more important than that which is our meeting place with the Lord. It is from this place where we obtain our strength to live in faith and hope each day. Having good spiritual goals which open our lives and hearts to God’s grace and mercy allow us to focus our lives on what is most important to us and to our lives.

In today’s Gospel reading (Luke 18:35-43), the Lord asks a blind man who is calling out to Jesus “what do you want me to do for you?” The blind man asks for the gift of sight. What is it that you need from Jesus? Having clear spiritual goals can focus your answer to Jesus ensuring that what you ask for is what you really need.

Here are some questions to help in your task of making sound spiritual goals:

1. What is there that I must do before I die?
2. How must I grow, and who must I become before I die?
3. Where do I want to grow spiritually now?

The answers to these questions will determine the focus of our lives here and forever.