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A Heaven-Sent Hug

July 10, 2022

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Last month, a parishioner told me she looked forward to the great stories I would bring back from vacation. Today, I would like to tell you the best story from my time away. It’s actually a story of Tori, the wife of a former college roommate I visited. It is a God story which all involved are happy to share with others, and this story is entirely true.

Tori worked ten years at a Christian school in Oregon with a much-beloved Bible teacher named Dave. He was like a father figure for her. Tori did not really know his wife, Marcy, but he often spoke of her in glowing terms. When Tori had left her teaching job and moved away, Dave was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer shortly after his retirement. Dave and Marcy helped keep their friends and family in the loop through their joint Facebook account until he passed in 2017.

Amanda Robin Sandberg

Fast-forward to May of 2022. Tori and her family have lived in Northern Idaho for a little more than a year. And it so happens that Marcy, the now remarried widow, has also moved to Idaho and lives less than two miles away from Tori, though they still remain merely acquaintances. One Monday, Tori is scrolling Facebook and sees one of Marcy’s posts: it’s the picture (right) of a smiling 42-year-old woman paired with the caption “My beautiful daughter.” This seems like a rather benign item, but Tori’s thoughts keep returning back to it, over and over. So Tori revisits the post the next day and reads its many replies. From this she learns that Marcy’s daughter Amanda has died, recently and suddenly, in an unmentioned way.

Being a mother herself, Tori’s heart breaks; she weeps, moved with compassion. Seeing far away Facebook friends writing to Marcy saying “I wish we could be there for you,” Tori prays, “I’m right here, I’m close. God, what can I do?” And the idea she receives is, “Go! Go to her house!” Tori thinks, “I don’t know her very well. I should bring her cookies or flowers.” But this was answered with, “No, don’t bring anything. … Bring her a hug. That’s what you’re allowed to bring her and nothing else.”

Now Tori is very kind, but naturally an introvert. This plan to just drop-in on a mourning acquaintance was not her preference. She asked, “Is this really what you want me to do?” And the compelling idea continued urging her like a mantra: “Show up, bring her a hug. Show up, bring her a hug.” Like she had experienced in previous inspired episodes, this thought’s persistence despite Tori’s personal fears and doubts were a sign to her that it was coming from the Lord. Tori reports, “I felt stronger and stronger: ‘This hug is from her daughter. This is what she wants to give her.’”

Late Tuesday afternoon, her stomach sick with anxiety, Tori went to Marcy’s home and rang the bell. Marcy soon opened the door with a surprised but friendly expression. Tori said, “I believe I saw something on Facebook.” Marcy’s face fell and she nodded. Extending her arms, Tori said, “I’m here to give you…” and Marcy interrupted, “A Hug!” Tori is ordinarily a light hugger but she gave Marcy strong embraces. Marcy joyfully said to her husband, “She hugs just like Amanda!” The two women smiled, cried, and hugged again and again.

Amanda had died just four days before in a car accident. She was the same age as Tori. Marcy had Christian faith her daughter was in heaven but was asking God for a sign that Amanda was alright. Just hours before Tori’s visit, Marcy had told her husband one of the things she was going to miss most were Amanda’s hugs. Marcy told Tori that Amanda had once hugged her mom so tightly that she broke some of her mother’s ribs. “I never told her,” Marcy said, “but I guess she knows now!” What beautiful things would the Lord do through us if we were more open to his promptings?

This morning, Jesus shares with us one of his greatest Gospel stories. In this famous parable, after evil befalls a traveler on the road at least three people happen by. When the priest, Levite, and Samaritan began their days’ journeys none of their plans had foreseen a detour to help a stranger in need. The priest and the Levite both saw the robbers’ victim but they were too busy or too afraid to help, or they simply assumed God didn’t want them to get involved. The Samaritan, however, was open to the will of the Lord that day in a way the other two were not. The Samaritan was moved with compassion and approached the man; cared for him, lifted him up, provided help for him, and left him better than he found him. Of the three, Jesus presents the Good Samaritan as an example for us to follow, telling us to “go and do likewise.”

You can do likewise by being open and asking, by asking the Lord and being open to his promptings. First, choose to increase your openness to loving “the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Then ask the Lord in prayer to use you as his voice, hands, and feet; as his conduit, his vessel, his powerful instrument in your daily life. (“God, please show me your will.”) Finally, as you go throughout your day, be open to his invitations.

What are the Lord’s promptings like? When some innocuous thing seems highlighted in Tori’s attention or when someone comes to her mind during prayer, in a dream, or in the course of her day, she pauses to ask Jesus about it. Maybe she is supposed to reach out to someone with inspired words or some good deed. Tori notices the Lord’s ideas hit her differently than her own, they stick with her rather than fade away, returning to her in quiet moments. And if she were ever to hear an evil suggestion, she would then know it’s not from him. Provided Tori does not give in to busyness or distraction, when she is welcoming heaven’s invitations, “Every time I’m open to God doing something,” she says, “he does stuff.”

This spiritual openness, asking and listening and doing, is a skill to practice. Like when cultivating a new garden or starting to lift weights, it is better to begin small and to grow over time than to never start at all. Be prepared to take some risks for Jesus. It is better to make small mistakes than to miss amazing opportunities. Christ died for us. We must be concerned about more than merely our own comfort and plans. Like the Good Samaritan, be interested in helping to save and bless others. Be open and ask God to use you, ask our loving Lord and be open to his great ideas.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Discernment, Good Samaritan, Homily, Jesus Christ, Parables, Saintly People, Sunday Homilies, Supernatural Phenomena | 1 Comment »

Transformed with the Mission

July 3, 2022

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Chinnappan Pelavendran

“The Church, by its nature, is missionary.” Today’s Gospel tells us that Jesus summoned his seventy two committed people and sent them two by two to communicate God’s love, to bind up wounds, and to be peacemakers in a troubled world. Jesus calls each to be ready for the mission.

In today’s first reading, God in his infinite goodness offers us peace: “Now towards her I send overflowing peace like a river.” When we allow this peace to flow into our hearts and guide our lives, we become fulfilled, satisfied, and our communities and the entire world become a wonderful place. Therefore God calls us to be messengers, instruments, and agents of this peace. It must flow from and through us to others.

In the second reading, St. Paul prays, “Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, who form the Israel of God.” This means that peace comes to our hearts, homes, communities, societies, and world when we work in harmony with the will of God. It comes to all who bear the marks of Christ as St. Paul did. So, we must make room for peace so that our joy may be complete in Jesus Christ.

Today’s Gospel reading tells us of the missionary journey of the disciples. The persons who had lived with Jesus and understood his mission and his work now go out to continue his mission. Luke tells us that Jesus “appointed seventy-two disciples and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go…” It is a gift we must offer to our world. Jesus knows very well that this is what our world needs most, and he is ever ready to let us have it. With the peace that Christ offers us, we must be prepared to transform our world from a culture of war and hatred to a culture of peace. He invites us to be instruments of his peace. What we must bring to our world is the good news of the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The mission was dangerous and difficult, yet indeed challenging with joy to the disciples. The seventy-two returned with joy and their hearts filled with thanksgiving, rejoicing and excited. They discovered they could do the same things that Jesus was doing. They could heal, drive away demons and even bring the dead to life. They were the extension of Jesus in every possible way. Their life was transformed with the mission given to them.

Today we must pray with St. Francis of Assisi, “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.”

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His Power Shall be Known to his Servants

July 2, 2022

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Today’s psalm tells us: “Shout joyfully to God… proclaim his glorious praise. Say to God, ‘How tremendous are your deeds!‘” When the Berlin Wall came down in 1989 and the Soviet Union dissolved two years after, I remember my dad remarking that those were things he thought he would never live to see. It seemed like Russian power would dominate Eastern Europe forever. But then, the Soviet Union suddenly collapsed, something which no one — not even the C.I.A. — saw coming.

At Fatima in 1917, before the Russian Bolshevik Revolution, the Blessed Virgin Mary accurately warned that Russia’s errors spreading throughout the world would cause wars and persecutions of the Church. But Mary said, “In the end, my immaculate heart will triumph.” In 1984, on the Feast of the Annunciation, the day when we celebrate the conception of Jesus in his mother’s womb, Pope St. John Paul the Great consecrated Russia and the whole world to Mary’s immaculate heart. Seven years later in 1991, on Christmas day, when we celebrate Jesus’ birth, Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as leader of the USSR and the Soviet flag was removed from atop the Kremlin forever. The Evil Empire ended, not with millions of deaths from nuclear blasts, but peacefully. This was a great miracle orchestrated by heaven.

“Shout joyfully to God… proclaim his glorious praise. Say to God, ‘How tremendous are your deeds!‘” The Lord has brought about another tremendous victory in our time, and we do right to recognize and joyfully praise his glorious deed.

Once Wisconsin became a state in 1848, we quickly passed laws respecting the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death. In 1849, our state legislature outlawed abortion in all cases (except to preserve the life of the mother) and then, in 1853, our state government abolished capital punishment. Whenever possible, we do not kill people, not even people who are guilty or highly inconvenient, because killing is not the way of Christ and his Kingdom. We are instead to show merciful love for all.

In 1973, Wisconsin was one of thirty U.S. states which prohibited abortion at all stages. But that year, the Supreme Court’s ruling in Roe vs. Wade (a decision which even pro-abortion legal scholars acknowledge lacked constitutional justification) legalized the killing of unborn children everywhere in the United States. In response, for forty-nine years, pro-life people prayed and marched and voted. Through thousands of organizations across the land they provided moms better, holier, more loving options (like adoption) and practical resources (like diapers, formula, cribs, and clothes). Yet, despite their persistent efforts, many pro-lifers doubted they would ever live to see abortion end anywhere in our country. Last month, after seven sets of seven years of prayer and sacrifice, the Supreme Court returned the issue of abortion to the states. Wisconsin abortion laws were never repealed. And so, this Fourth of July weekend, Wisconsin is a pro-life state once again.

Today Isaiah says, “Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her, all you who love her; exult, exult with her, all you who were mourning over her!” Nurslings shall be carried in her arms and fondled in her lap; they shall now find comfort. “When you see this, your heart shall rejoice… the Lord’s power shall be known to his servants.”

The date on which the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade (June 24th) is usually the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. In future years we will mark the anniversary of this victory by celebrating the birth of him who leapt for joy in his mother’s womb in the presence of the newly-conceived Christ. But this year, 2022, St. John’s day was superseded by an even greater feast which is always celebrated on the third Friday after Pentecost. This year, Friday, June 24th was the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Indeed, in the end, his Sacred Heart has triumphed.

The reversal of Roe is a landmark victory, but of course there remains much work to do. “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest,” and be open to being sent yourself. Like the seventy-two in today’s Gospel, Jesus Christ sends us forth to those he seeks to save. Wishing peace on everyone, peace to each house and peace in every household, we shall defend and extend his Kingdom’s Culture of Life throughout this land and around the world. And though literal demons will rage and resist us, we shall not be afraid but prevail, for Jesus, his mother, and the angels are with us for the victory. “When you see this, your heart shall rejoice… the Lord’s power shall be known to his servants.”

Posted in Blessed Virgin Mary, Homily, Human Dignity, Politics, Providence, Sunday Homilies | 2 Comments »

Choose Wholehearted Discipleship

June 27, 2022

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Chinnappan Pelavendran

Every human person in today’s world seeks to find meaning to his or her life. Every human person has a purpose to fulfill in life. All have a specific task and are individually called by God for a task or a mission. The call that God gives is personal. There is the constant search for God in the heart of every person. There is a need for quietness and withdrawal to recognize the presence of God in our life.

In the first reading, the Prophet Elijah finds a candidate who is totally committed to God to succeed him. Elijah finds Elisha his successor not in the schools of the prophets but in the fields, not reading, nor praying, nor sacrificing, but ploughing a field. But the prophet makes it clear that the call is not human but from God himself. He receives the mantles from Elijah which represents the personality of the owner and indicates the official clothes of the Prophet with a divine call. He is chosen to care for the people of God.

In the second reading of today, Paul teaches a lesson to the Gentile converts that they must not give any attention to false teaching. Jesus Christ has come to free them from slavery to the Old Law and remove from them the burden of religious legalism. They are to practice the freedom that comes from the Spirit. This freedom will make them slaves of one another in love.

The opening passage of the Gospel of today begins with the journey of Jesus and his disciples from Galilee to Jerusalem, where his mission on earth was to end. Luke tells us that he was determined. Jesus, in walking toward Jerusalem, was committed to embracing his sufferings and cross. He was on his way to the triumph of his glory throughout all his life here on earth. He proclaimed his glorification on the cross and his triumph at the end times. His purpose of coming into this world was to proclaim the Kingdom of God.

In the second part of the Gospel, “someone said to Jesus, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’” Jesus warns this individual that his life is the life of an itinerant preacher who is always on the road. He puts it in these words: “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” Luke does not tell us if this person followed Jesus or not.

Later Jesus said to someone else: “Follow me.” However, this individual told Jesus that he had to go and bury his father. In reply, Jesus said to him: “Let the dead bury their dead. Go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.” Then a third person said to Jesus: “I will follow you. However, first I need to go and say goodbye to my family.” Jesus looked directly at this person and said: “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God.”

Jesus desires that his disciples be wholehearted in their commitment to him and his mission. Yes, we will have family, children, friends and commitments. However, our primary commitment needs to be to Jesus. This is all He asks of us. Most likely, this call is a great challenge for us. After all, our families and responsibilities are extremely important and rightly so. However, Jesus knows that if our primary commitment is to Him, most likely our day will be filled with graces. “We will find the meaning and purpose of our life. We will find our mission.” It is our choice!

Posted in Christian Perfection, Sunday Homilies | 1 Comment »

The Power of the Sacraments, the Importance of the Priesthood

June 27, 2022

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

It is possible to receive the sacraments and greatly benefit from their graces without feeling very much. Some babies, for example, sleep entirely throughout their baptisms. The power of the sacraments do not depend upon our emotions. Yet sometimes God gives us the grace of sensible consolations from them. Consider, for instance, the St. Paul’s second grader who, when asked by her mother how she felt after her 1st Confession, joyfully answered, “My soul feels so light!”

When I was in high school, as we drove to a restaurant following my Confirmation, I wondered at why I felt so very joyful. Then I remembered, “Oh yeah, the Holy Spirit.” In college, sometimes when I attended weekday Masses I felt very little but sometimes I experienced great consolations. Eventually, I realized that my most consoling Masses typically preceded hard times to come. After that, I would be at Mass and think to myself, “Wow, this feels wonderful. Oh no… Well Lord, thanks for heads up.”

Thirteen years ago this week, I was ordained a priest of Jesus Christ at our cathedral in La Crosse. I knew going in that my ordination would come through the bishop’s laying of hands and his consecratory prayer immediately thereafter. I realized I would be a priest by the time my bishop said “amen” at the end of the prayer, but I wondered if there were some precise moment before that when I would be ordained. I had not studied the words of the ceremony beforehand, so after the laying of hands I listened to the words of the bishop’s prayer closely.

For ten sentences, through more than twenty-two dozen words, the prayer recounts what God has done in the past: the Old Covenant priesthood, the high priesthood of Jesus Christ, and the priesthood of his apostles. Then comes these words:

“Grant we pray, Almighty Father, to these, your servants, the dignity of the priesthood; renew deep within them the Spirit of holiness; may they henceforth…”

At the moment I heard that word, “henceforth,” I felt a pleasant but unsettling wooziness. And the words which followed were these: “may they henceforth possess this office which comes from you, O God…” There was power in those words.

I answered God’s call to become a priest, forgoing the goods of natural marriage and children, because I believe the sacraments and teachings of Jesus Christ’s Catholic Church are that important for souls. The seven sacraments are not empty words and gestures, but important and effective instruments of God’s saving power.

My own ordination came to mind as I contemplated Fr. Matthew Bowe’s priestly ordination last Saturday. I’m reminded of my own ordination day whenever I attend an ordination. I imagine the same thing happens for those of you who are married when you attend a wedding; you’re reminded of your own wedding day and the vows that you made. Now a wonderful thing about entering into priesthood or marriage is that you now know your calling, your vocation, the state of life in which Jesus wants you to follow him. There is then no purpose to looking back, lamenting what was left behind, or looking to alternate life paths on left or right, but to simply plow ahead.

Jesus called Matthew Bowe, Fr. Matthew followed after him, and this brings all of us great joy. People tell me Matthew was so quiet and shy as a child. But if Jesus is calling you, he grows and strengthens you, so there’s no reason to be intimidated. Many feel unworthy to be a priest or a religious brother or sister. Of course! Everyone is unworthy, but Jesus still calls us like he did the apostles; asking us to follow him before long we’re perfect. The priesthood saves souls and God’s vocation for your life (whatever that is) is always the best, so if Jesus is calling you to be his priest, follow him. And if you see someone else who seems to have a calling to priesthood or religious life, do your part to encourage them to follow Jesus Christ.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Homily, Marriage and Family, Mass, Sunday Homilies, Supernatural Phenomena | 1 Comment »

What We Have to Give is Enough

June 19, 2022

Corpus Christi Sunday
By Deacon Dick Kostner

Have you ever wished that you could do more or give more during your life? Sure you have because part of being human is the desire to always try to do more than what you think you are capable of doing. This is not bad for it makes us strive to accomplish more than what is possible in our present condition. The problem is that sometimes this is not possible it might be because of a disability that we have been burdened with. It could be physical, mental, financial. It might be because we see ourselves powerless because of circumstances that appear beyond our control. That is what the disciples of Jesus faced in our “Father’s Day” Gospel Jesus shares with us today.

The disciples face a dilemma in today’s Gospel. Jesus has been teaching a crowd of thousands of people and his friends have come to realize that they have no food to provide for the crowd and no resources to take care of that many people. They search for an answer and help from the crowd but find but a couple of fish and five loaves of bread. They are overwhelmed and they do what we would do and search for a miracle from their friend Jesus. After all he can walk on water and raise people up from the dead. He certainly can take over and solve this problem right?

Is that not what we all do when we are overwhelmed with our life problems? Sure, we pray for a miracle. We look to someone else to take over. Although Jesus could do just that after all He is God, but what does he do? Jesus does not take over but rather he tells his disciples to take care of it themselves. He puts them in charge. He does not allow them to slip out the back door and find someone else to solve the problem rather he empowers them to find a solution and shows them that he believes in them to solve this problem.

The disciples search for an answer and find but two fish and five loaves of bread, which they take to Jesus confessing that this is all they could find. Jesus takes what they have found, blesses the food, and tells the disciples to distribute what they have to the people. They do as he says and guess what, it not only feeds all the people but there is also food left over. Jesus shows them that all they need to do is to do the best they can and then have faith that God will provide them with enough support to solve any problems they may run into.

Let me share with you my true story of how this plays out. The Law School I attended in Chicago required a grade average a 82% or the student would go on probation. If one at any time would go on probation a second time you were expelled. There was one exam for each course for each semester. It was a timed exam and consisted of five or six essay questions which contained multiple issues and rules of law to apply. I always was running out of time and not completing in full all the questions and yes I went on probation the first semester. Pressure was on and I knew this was my last chance. Sweating this out a couple of semesters I made it without another probation until my final year. Just before my semester exam I said a prayer to God telling him I was doing my best but wondered if He really wanted me involved with this profession. The exam day drew near and a met with Bob, a friend of mine after one class to have a beer and forget about the exam day. I confessed to him that I had been on probation before and that I always seemed to run out of time before completing the questions to my satisfaction. He looked at me and said, “Dick, are you out-lining each question before you apply the law?” I looked at him puzzled and said, “I don’t have time to do this.” He laughed and said that I needed to do that first for each of the questions and then go into application of the law for the instructor would see that I had arrived at the issues and knew the law which was 90% of the grade. Well I took his advice and was one of twelve of our class of 200 who graduated.

Today we celebrate the gift God has given us in the Eucharist. His body and blood for us to consume and give us all that we need to find success and fulfillment in this world of problems. This gift requires only that we do the best we can in handling problems of life and then if we offer this up and ask the Father to bless it, that this will be enough! Today is Father’s Day and I know that dads want the best for their children but many times feel powerless in helping their children solve life problems. Jesus gives to us dads the solution. All that we need to do is to try to do the best we can and then offer it to God as a gift and guess what? This, and faith the size of a mustard seed, will be enough! Happy Father’s Day and remember what we have to give of ourselves is enough in God’s eyes!

Posted in Fatherhood, Feast Day Homilies, Homily, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Encountering the Holy Trinity at St. John the Baptist Church

June 11, 2022

Trinity Sunday
By Fr. Victor Feltes

I am back again at St. John’s this Sunday for the final weekend of our Inspired by the Spirit capital campaign and I have good news to share. Going into this weekend, nineteen households have pledged and their pledges total almost $83,000. From the actual monies received to date, our Diocesan Annual Appeal for next year is already covered. And if all of our campaign pledges are fulfilled, about $54,000 will come back to replenish St. John’s Building Maintenance Fund over the next five years.

That’s a great thing; however, this depends upon people following through on their pledges over the coming years. And things happen, so it’s likely not everyone will fulfill them. So today during announcement time I’ll provide one more chance to fill out or grab a pledge card to make a five-year pledge for our capital campaign. If our actual campaign monies raised over these next five years happen to surpass our $80,000 goal, 80% of that overage will return to St. John’s. Or if you prefer, you can always write checks directly to St. John’s with “Building Fund” in the memo line and we will deposit your entire gift into that St. John’s Parish account.

As I mentioned last week, St. John’s Building Fund was depleted by our interior renovation project which made this church of ours one of the most beautiful in our area. And what I love about our church’s new design is that it’s not only beautiful but meaningful. This design, like everything in the universe, is connected to the Most Holy Trinity. Like Sacred Scripture, our sacred art has multiple true interpretations.

Consider, for instance, the colors of the nave where you sit. Our earth tone floor and walls recall how St. John the Baptist, with suntanned skin and camel hair clothes, dwelt among the rocky ground and sandy hillsides of the arid wilderness. Our blue ceiling down the center is like the Jordan River flowing through the desert. It was in this wilderness where John the Baptist, on more than one occasion, pointed out Jesus to declare “Behold the Lamb of God! … Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” In Latin, “Behold the Lamb of God” is “Ecce Agnus Dei,” which is the phrase upon our sanctuary’s arch. St. John the Baptist’s statue in our sanctuary points higher to Christ the Lamb of God. The Baptist said of him, “He must increase, I must decrease.” At Jesus’ baptism the Holy Trinity is revealed.

After Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan, he came up from the water and the heavens were opened. The Holy Spirit was seen descending in the likeness of a dove and came down upon him. In our sanctuary, the Holy Spirit is seen descending over Jesus; Jesus on the Cross, Jesus in the Tabernacle, and Jesus on the altar. At the Jordan, the invisible Father—still unseen, pointed out his Son from the heavens, like the hand which represents God the Father points to Jesus’ Sacred Heart Statue in our sanctuary. At Jesus’ baptism, the words of the Father were heard: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

At our baptisms in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, we became children of God, temples of the Holy Spirit, and members of the Body of Christ. St. John the Baptist leads us to this personal union with the Holy Trinity. Our blue ceiling may also be taken to represent the sky. Many churches of Europe and the Eastern Church have blue ceilings. The gold plants featured on our walls have old precedent as well. The walls inside the ancient Jewish Temple in Jerusalem were decorated like a garden, with golden depictions of “palm trees and open flowers.” This is because God’s Temple represents a new Garden of Eden, where God dwells with the human race. Our Catholic churches, like the Temple, represent the whole created universe in union with our God in heaven.

The Bible speaks of three heavens. St. Paul writes in 2nd Corinthians of a man, most likely himself, who either in his body or out of his body “was caught up to the third heaven… to paradise, and heard inexpressible things…” What are those three heavens? The first heaven is our sky, where the clouds float and the birds fly. The second heaven is the outer space beyond it, where the stars and planets shine. But the third heaven is beyond them both, a dimension you cannot climb or ride a rocket to, the very presence of the Holy Trinity.

In this church, we are taken beyond the sky above us and the shining star before us into the presence of the Holy Trinity. In our church, through the waters of baptism we come to this altar of Sacrifice, where through Jesus, in union with the Holy Spirit, we offer glory and honor to our Father. At Mass, we give gifts to God; including our wealth and thanks and praise but, most importantly, the gift of ourselves. And at this altar the graces pour down from heaven and flow forth upon us and out into the world. The mystical river flows both ways. All being and truth flows from the Trinity, and all of creation is called back to God.

St. John’s Church is a beautiful church and its purpose is salvific. I desire, that centuries from now, Cooks Valley’s church will still be here, advancing the kingdom of God. That is why I am supporting St. John’s in this Inspired by the Spirit campaign and I encourage you to do the same.

Posted in Art, Feast Day Homilies, Holy Trinity, Homily, Mass, St. John the Baptist Parish, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Patterns in Christian Dying — Funeral Homily for Ione Seibel, 84

June 6, 2022

By Fr. Victor Feltes

As a priest, I encounter many people in their dying days. And though every life is different, I have noticed often-repeated patterns. Three of these gracious elements are seen in Ione’s story.

Something I often find is the phenomenon of “a last good day.” The dying persons may or may not know they are in their final week of life, yet they are blessed to have a last good day. Sometimes they love being outside, and there’s a rare day in their final week when they feel well enough to go on a walk or do gardening. Sometimes it’s the day of a family reunion, where they delight to see their family and to say goodbye. Ione, despite her Alzheimer’s condition, had a last good day the Wednesday of her final week. Vernie, her husband of nearly 65 years, who was visiting her at her nursing home with a pair of their daughters, says Ione was “grinning, smiling, shining.” He and the staff described it as Ione’s “best day in two years.”

Jesus also had a good day before he died. When he took his place at table for the Last Supper he told his friends, the apostles, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, for, I tell you, I shall not eat it again until there is fulfillment in the Kingdom of God.” Such blessings are bestowed upon us in this life as signs to us of God’s goodness before we enter into the next life.

A second phenomenon I often see is an alertness for the anointing of the sick and last rites. Vernie let me know Ione was dying and I was soon able to visit her on Saturday. When I arrived, he and their children were gathered around her. Now the sacrament of anointing is like the sacrament of baptism in that a receptive person may receive this sacrament even in an unconscious state. Some babies, for instance, sleep through their baptism yet receive the graces of baptism nonetheless. Her family tells me Ione had been unresponsive, but when I greeted her, as I told her who I was and why I had come, she opened her eyes at me. Ione’s family was struck by this but it’s something I commonly see—a providential alertness to receive this sacrament. The Lord often wills for his beloved to consciously experience this gift.

Jesus himself was anointed upon his head with precious perfumed oil in his final days and said, “She has done a good thing for me. … She has anticipated anointing my body for burial.” He was consoled and strengthened by this gift of love, and Jesus desires to console and strengthen us as we enter into his Passion and death.

A third thing I commonly encounter in my ministry is the bittersweetness of a beautiful death. Suffering and death are painful signs of this world’s brokenness from sin. Yet the circumstances which accompany many Christians’ passings are poetic signs to us that death is not our end. As we heard in our gospel reading, on the first Good Friday, a darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. Then our Lord breathed his last, near those who loved him most. The centurion who beheld how Jesus breathed his last said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” And the curtain in the Temple, which veiled its holiest place, was torn in two from top to bottom, from heaven down to earth.

Ione died on a Sunday, Christ’s day of Resurrection. And she died during Easter, the season of Jesus’ victory over death. Like him, she breathed her last in the afternoon’s third hour. And Ione passed away from us on the Feast Day of Jesus’ Ascension, when he passed through the veil from this world into heaven.

A Christian is never truly alone because the Lord Jesus is always with us through life and death. He makes our life story a part of his story, and makes our story like his own. Today is a day of grieving and joy, because we can see this truth anew in the life and death of Jesus’ servant and sister and friend, Ione.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Funeral Homilies, Homily, Last Supper, Last Things, Passion, Redemptive Suffering, Resurrection, Typology | 1 Comment »

“Receive the Holy Spirit”

June 5, 2022

Pentecost Sunday
By Fr. Chinnappan Pelavendran

On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended with power upon the Apostles in the image of tongues of fire and thus began the mission of the Church in the world. Once they received the Spirit, they went out boldly and preached to all in Jerusalem and elsewhere. Jesus himself prepared the Eleven for this mission, appearing to them on many occasions after his Resurrection.

Jesus asked them to stay together to prepare themselves to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The disciples followed the command of Jesus. They as a community gathered together in prayer along with Mary in the Upper Room, awaiting the promised event. It is here they all received the Holy Spirit. This feast of Pentecost is the culmination of the Paschal mystery which tells us of the sending of the Spirit of the Father and the Son on the disciples.

During his apparitions Jesus gives two gifts to his followers, the gift of his abiding peace and the power to forgive sins. He commissions them to carry on his work, empowered by the gift of the Holy Spirit and peace. The Holy Spirit will continue to teach them the message of Jesus. Today is also the birthday of the Church. This Sunday is a commemoration and celebration of the receiving of the Holy Spirit by the early church.

We celebrate this day to recognize the gift of the Holy Spirit, realizing that God’s very life, breath, and energy lives in believers. The celebration reminds us of the reality that we are all having the unifying Spirit that was poured out upon the first disciples. It tells us that the same Spirit is given to each one of us, that we are all baptized by one Spirit into one body, and that the Spirit which raised Jesus from the dead will raise us too. So he said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” With the giving of the Spirit came also the authority to speak and act in the name of Jesus.

“If you forgive sins, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” Forgiving sin, reconciling people with God has been the very core of the work of Christ and the Christian mission. The Holy Spirit will teach them the divine knowledge and wisdom of the Father that belongs to Jesus, both the Father and the Son is one in the Blessed Trinity

Being filled with the Holy Spirit, they were given the power of preaching and healing and they spoke in tongues. Thus having received the Holy Spirit, the disciples went out and preached the message of Jesus. Jesus greets his disciples with the gift of peace. “Peace be with you,” he says. Jesus then commissions his disciples to continue the work that he has begun “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” He breathes the Holy Spirit upon the disciples and sends them to continue his work of reconciliation through the forgiveness of sins.

As we celebrate this great feast of the Church’s fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus, how have we been a sign of reconciliation in our families, in our world, and among people of faith everywhere? Have we been an instrument of God’s peace to everyone we meet? With the faith and trust modeled by Mary, the Mother of God, let us offer our prayers to God this day. Heavenly Father, in your wisdom, please hear and answer our prayers this day. We ask through Jesus Christ, your Son.

Posted in Feast Day Homilies, Holy Spirit, Homily, Pentecost, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Our Upper Room

June 4, 2022

Pentecost Sunday
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Before his Passion in Jerusalem, Jesus desired a gathering place for him and his disciples. He sent Peter and John into the city, telling them to find a certain house and ask the owner of the home to use its guestroom. They did as Jesus asked and found “a large upper room, furnished and ready.”

This famous room, known as “the Cenacle,” was the site of the Last Supper, the First Holy Eucharist or Mass. Here the Risen Lord appeared to his Apostles after his Resurrection. This is where Mary, the Apostles, and other disciples (“a group of about one hundred and twenty persons in the one place”) “devoted themselves with one accord to prayer.” And here on Pentecost, following the Church’s first novena, the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples in the likeness of separating flames. Then they went forth from there into the world, joyfully proclaiming Jesus to the nations with confidence and power.

Jesus desired his disciples to gather together in the Upper Room. There they meet with him, heard his teaching, and came to know that he is risen. They ate with him and worshiped him. And there his followers socialized, prayed as one, and received the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes people ask, “If God is everywhere, why do I have to go to church?” Yes, there is no place where God is not, but this excuse misses something important. Water is likewise everywhere around us—in clouds, in blades of grass, as vapor in the air—but if you do not wish to die of thirst you are well-advised to drink water from a well or a faucet. Jesus tells us, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.”

In the words of the Letter to the Hebrews, “We should not stay away from our assembly, as is the custom of some.” This church, St. John the Baptist’s, is our Upper Room. Here we gather together and encounter Jesus Christ in his sacraments, Here we listen, and worship, and receive his gifts, blessings meant for us and for others in this world. Like the Apostles in the Upper Room, we did not build this room or parish. This holy place has been lent to us by those who were before us, and the Holy Spirit inspires us to care for and sustain it.

This weekend at St. John’s is Commitment Weekend for our “Inspired by the Spirit” Capital Campaign. You have probably heard me speak about this campaign before, either at receptions or back on Announcement Weekend. 35% of our $80,000 goal funds our 2022-2023 Annual Appeal and other worthy diocesan initiatives, while 65% the goal returns to us to replenish our greatly diminished building maintenance fund.

Now the maintenance of parish facilities is not a flashy thing. Patching cracks in our parking lot or replacing our furnaces as they fail from old age are less exciting endeavors than when we renovated this church of ours into one of the most beautiful in our area. But without funding for the care and maintenance of the mundane things this parish and its mission will fail. That is why I ask you to join me in making a pledge to this five-year capital campaign.

Our pledging phase ends on June 17th, less than two weeks away. So far our recorded pledges total $60,000, so we have $20,000 in pledges to go. If we happen to raise more than our $80,000 goal, know that 80% of that surplus comes back to our parish. I’ll give you an opportunity to fill out a pledge card today during announcement time before the final blessing. I ask you to prayerfully consider pledging a $3,000 gift spread-out over five years, which (after a 10% initial down payment) works out to $45 monthly (above your usual tithing) for 60 months. If you are blessed to be able to pledge more generously than this, please do. If you can only pledge less, that’s ok too. And if you pledge a certain amount now and three of four years from now your financial circumstances change, you can just let us know and we’ll modify your pledge.

On the first Pentecost, the Holy Spirit inspired Christ’s disciples to go out into the world, sharing Jesus Christ and his salvation with all nations. But realize this mission began in their Upper Room. Please pledge generously to support our Upper Room: St. John the Baptist Parish.

Posted in Catholic Church, Feast Day Homilies, Generosity, Homily, Last Supper, Pentecost, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Why Did Jesus Go?

May 29, 2022

The Ascension
By Fr. Victor Feltes

This week, our Catholic school celebrated our eighth graders’ graduation with a Mass and an awards ceremony. Afterwards, while the graduates were having their pictures taken, a teacher and I stood off to the side, looking on. He remarked, “It’s sad to see them go.” I replied, “Yeah, but it would be even sadder if they stayed.”

Just whimsically imagine remaining an eighth grader well into your twenties. You don’t have a full-time job because you’re a full-time student without a high school degree. Of course you’re unmarried and have no kids—you’re still in middle school! And sure, after a decade of eighth grade, having had the same lessons over and over, you could ace all of your homework and tests (if you still had any motivation left to do so) but you would not be learning very much. It is bittersweet to see our graduates go forth from us, but it is better that they go. Though in one sense they are leaving us, they are not really gone. Yet this departure is necessary for them to reach their full human maturity and to fulfill God’s plans for their glory.

Today we celebrate Jesus’ bodily ascension into Heaven. The traditional day for celebrating the Ascension is forty days after Easter, which was last Thursday, or “Ascension Thursday.” Our diocese, like most dioceses in our country, transfers this celebration to this Sunday. I guess we like keeping Jesus around longer. But seriously, the ascension of Jesus into heaven raises this question: “Why did he go? Why didn’t Jesus stay?”

Now Jesus does tell us, “Wherever two or three are gathered in my name I am there in their midst.” He says, “Behold, I am with you always until the end of the age.” And he is truly present for us in the Holy Eucharist. But Jesus’ presence now remains invisible or veiled to our eyes. By bodily ascending and disappearing into the clouds Jesus is visibly departing from us until he comes again with a glory manifested to all. “But I tell you the truth,” he says, “it is better for you that I go.” Why is this better? What would it be like if Jesus dwelt among us throughout the centuries like he did with his disciples those forty days, walking with them and talking with them, following his Resurrection?

There is no physical reason why Jesus could not have done this. His risen body is a glorified body no longer subject to injury or death, so that’s not the reason he did not remain. Did he go because on earth he’s reduced to being in one particular place, or limited in how much he can see, know, or do? Remember, Jesus is not merely human but divine, all-knowing and all-powerful, and his bi-locating saints (such as Venerable Mary of Ágreda or St. Padre Pio) who have manifested the miracle of being more than one place at once surely do not possess any supernatural ability which Jesus lacks.

So God the Father could have chosen “by his own authority” for his Son to remain visibly active here with us, in one, or thousands, or millions of locations at once, throughout the centuries up to our day. Jesus could be the pastor in every parish, the teacher in every classroom, the doctor in every hospital, and the leader in every country. He is the perfect priest, the best teacher, the greatest healer, and the rightful ruler of all. Who is better-qualified than Jesus to do any of these things? Nobody. People would demand this of him and resent him for not doing it. But if Jesus were visibly present and doing everything, then we would be left doing very little.

Would it be a better world if Jesus personally did everything? In some ways, yes. Earth would be closer to paradise in many respects. But would this lead to more souls being saved? I’m not so sure. Adam and Eve lived in an earthly paradise, too, before they fell. And the glory of Christ being manifested to the world in an undeniable way might gain peoples’ submission, but not necessarily their conversion or love. The demons who fell had no doubts about God’s existence and yet they chose to disobey him as far as they were able.

If Jesus did everything of importance on earth without us, one result which seems evident to me is that we would remain in an unending adolescence, like someone attending the eighth grade well into their adulthood. This is why it was better for us that Jesus ascended. We are children of God called to what St. Paul calls “the stature of the fullness of Christ.” If everything which matters were just Jesus’ job to handle, how would we grow from our immaturity into the full maturity of Christ?

Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the (Holy Spirit) will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” By the Holy Spirit, the Church (which is Christ’s Body) is animated in this world. As members of his body we are moved by the Holy Spirit to love and to work united with Christ, growing more into his likeness and glory along the way. Would Jesus not ascending into heaven, remaining constantly here on earth and doing everything without us, have been easier than this present Christian life of ours? Perhaps, but Jesus desires that we would graduate with him to higher things and ascend to a greater glory with himself.

Posted in Ascension, Christian Perfection, Divinization, Holy Spirit, Homily, Jesus Christ, Redemptive Suffering, Saintly People, Salvation History, St. Padre Pio, Sunday Homilies | 1 Comment »

Resolving Christian Controversy

May 22, 2022

6th Sunday of Easter
By Fr. Victor Feltes

There was a serious religious controversy in the very early Church. The Acts of the Apostles records this story which contains important lessons for you and me and Christ’s one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church in every age. In the first century A.D., some Jewish Christians came down to Antioch and were telling the Christians there: “Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice, you cannot be saved.” Many of the Christians in Antioch were Gentile converts. As Gentiles they had not followed the many Jewish religious laws, including circumcision. Now they were being told they had no share in Jesus Christ’s New Covenant unless they kept the entire Mosaic Covenant.

This was a crucial matter: either these Gentiles were not yet experiencing Christ’s salvation, or else the Law of Moses was being needlessly placed as a barrier between Gentiles and Jesus Christ. St. Paul and St. Barnabas strenuously opposed this alternate interpretation of the Gospel which was disturbing and dividing their community, but how could this important issue be decisively and infallibly settled? Everyone forming their own interpretations obviously would not resolve it. How could the Christian community be sure of the truth?

The Acts of the Apostles details how “it was decided that Paul, Barnabas, and some of the others should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and presbyters about this question.” A Church council was held in Jerusalem and after they had discussed and discerned the matter, “the apostles and presbyters, in agreement with the whole church, decided to choose (a pair of) representatives and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. (They selected) Judas, who was called Barsabbas, and Silas, (two) leaders among the brethren.”

And they did not send Barsabbas and Silas empty-handed. The pair carried a letter from the council, which read in part: “It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities.” It then listed a handful of culturally offensive and/or sinful acts to abstain from before concluding, “If you keep free of these, you will be doing what is right. Farewell.” In other words, the Gentile Christians would not be required to follow the full Mosaic Law.

Notice how the Church’s leaders, the apostles and presbyters in Jerusalem, pronounce their teaching with authority: “It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us…” As Jesus had promised at the Last Supper, “The Holy Spirit…will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” The Church’s leaders teach in union with and in cooperation with the Holy Spirit.

Note as well how they do not send this letter by itself, but along with Barsabbas and Silas. This is partly to attest to the genuineness of the message—it’s not something Paul and Barnabas simply made up themselves. The accompanying witnesses are also sent to clarify any ambiguities and answer what remaining questions the Christians at Antioch might have. For instance, the Council of Jerusalem’s short letter bids the Christians to abstain from “porniea,” which various Christian Bibles translate as “sexual immorality,” or “fornication,” or “unlawful marriage.” But what was the precise meaning they intended here? One of these things or all of them together? Barsabbas and Silas could answer. We see that even a text inspired by the Holy Spirit (as this one was) can require an authoritative interpreter to be properly understood.

When the delegation from Jerusalem arrived at Antioch, the letter was read to the Christian community and the people were delighted. Barsabbas and Silas preached to them, encouraging them, and remained with them for some time. The controversy was resolved, and the community’s unity and peace of mind were restored; for the Bride of Christ, Mother Church, had spoken, removing all doubt about what Jesus wanted them to do.

This, of course, would not be the last controversy in Church history. Every century since has seen its heresies, and every error gains some followers because it is so easy to be mistaken. Clever minds and willful hearts in a fallen world can go down many false paths, and when lambs or sheep choose their own ways to go they scatter from Christ’s flock. Thankfully, God has given us his Holy Word in Sacred Scripture to help us to know him and his saving, loving will for our lives.

However, the Scriptures do not automatically interpret themselves. Even self-proclaimed “Bible Only” Christian denominations disagree with one another over important questions. The Protestant principle of Sola Scriptura (that “Scripture Alone” is the sole authority for Christian faith and life) is a self-refuting concept because the Bible does not teach it. How can someone even be sure which books are supposed to be in our Bible without there being an infallible Church to recognize them and place them into the canon of biblical books? Without a Spirit-guarded, infallibly-teaching Magisterium neither the Christians at Antioch nor Christians today could be sure about what we are to believe.

The Church of Jesus Christ is not meant to be many separate denomination, but one. Christ’s Church is not meant to bring salvation only to some, but to all. And the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church of Christ shares a continuity in her structure and in her teaching throughout the centuries from St. Peter and the apostles to Pope Francis and the bishops today.

In 1926, when G.K. Chesterton wrote his essay “Why I am a Catholic,” he presented a number of reasons, but the answer of his which has always stood out to me is this one: “(I am a Catholic because it) is the only thing that frees a man from the degrading slavery of being a child of his age.” Some secular people imagine our present generation is the first one to get everything right, but in one hundred years another secular generation will mock and cringe at this one while embracing another set of fashionable errors of their own. However, in one hundred years the Catholic Church will remain, built solidly upon rock, and united to the Person and teachings of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Here is a final reflection from the controversy at Antioch. The teaching of Paul and Barnabas was right, and Barsabbas and Silas carried authority from the apostles. They were important witnesses to the Faith. But their message would have been undermined in the minds of others if St. Paul, St. Barnabas, St. Barsabbas, or St. Silas had not lived as saints. Our fellow Christians, even popes or bishops, may disappoint or cause scandal by their poor personal example, harming souls. But let us, you and I, rededicate ourselves to Christ, loving him and serving him, remaining close to him in the Sacraments, allowing ourselves to be more fully converted to him, so that others may know, love, and faithfully follow Jesus alongside us in his Holy Catholic Church.

Posted in Catholic Church, Christian Perfection, Culture, Early Church, G.K. Chesterton, Homily, Salvation History, St. Paul, Sunday Homilies | 3 Comments »

Her Core — Funeral Homily for Rose Lankey, 97

May 12, 2022

By Fr. Victor Feltes

Rose was born August 15, 1924, on the Solemnity of Mary’s Assumption into heaven. Today we offer her funeral Mass at St. Paul’s to aid Rose’s own journey to heaven. Three days after Easter in 1947, Rose got married here at St. Paul’s to her beloved husband, “Bud.” He himself joined the Church at this parish and Rose was proud to brag “he’s better than most Catholics!” They were married for 71 years. Rose often volunteered to serve funeral luncheons at St. Paul’s. After retirement, she came here for Mass six days a week; enjoying the holy meal of her dear Lord Jesus typically followed by having coffee with his friends and hers.

Rose had a lifetime of happy memories with her family and friends. During her last ten years on earth she would remark, “I’ve had a wonderful life.” But after Rose turned ninety years old, her mind began to fail her. Throughout the past two or three years her memory had become quite poor. For instance, she knew she had three daughters, but would fail to recognize their fully-grown faces. Yet, even as her human frailty in this damaged world stripped away so much from Rose, there was a deepest core which endured in her. What was that core within her? Her Catholic faith in Jesus Christ.

Rose’s faith and devotion would manifest even in final days. About a month ago, when her daughter handed her a Rosary, Rose looked at the beads not seeming to register their purpose or use. But when she was told “these are rosary beads which were blessed by the pope,” Rose cupped them in her hands and kissed them with her lips. About two weeks before her passing, her mind and body were so weakened that Rose had stopped speaking. Chaplain Lynn from Hospice visited her bedside and suggested to the family, “Let’s pray the Lord’s Prayer.” Rose’s three daughters and son-in-law had not heard Rose verbalize for days, but when they began saying the Our Father together they were in awe when Rose audibly joined in. Later, while Fr. Tim from St. Odilia gave Rose the Last Rites, her lips attempted at times to voice the words of prayer. She looked at the priest, that icon for Christ, with a look of comfort in her eyes.

Jesus tells us it is the will of God the Father that Christ lose nothing that our Father has given him, and Christ shall raise it all up on the last day anew. The poor will have the Kingdom. The mournful will be consoled, for “the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces.” And the meek will inherit the earth. And to those like Rose who lost nearly everything but him Jesus will restore to them everything again, “to dwell in the house of the Lord” forever. On that day it will be said: “Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us! This is the Lord for whom we looked; let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!” Jesus Christ is the good Lord to whom our beloved Rose faithfully looked. Let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved her.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Faith, Funeral Homilies, Homily, Last Things | 1 Comment »

Our Mother Needs Help

May 8, 2022

4th Sunday of Easter
By Deacon Dick Kostner

Happy Mother’s Day! Jesus refers to his Church as his mother and his bride. While God does not need us he requests that we be a part of his mystical body. The vocation he gives to his Church is to preach and live the gospel message of happiness and love not only in this life but also in the next with him, in heaven. The problem that this brings to us is that this vocation can only be accomplished in this life, by and through the carrying of crosses during this life.

At the beginning of Lent we walked through a trailer movie of our life here on Earth displayed to us by reflecting upon the “Way of the Cross,” displayed here on our Church Mother’s walls. We discovered that while completing his vocation, which was opening the door to heaven for his Church, he got tired of carrying the cross and fell three times. Three times he felt he could not go on. Ordinary people like you and me, together with his heavenly Father, gave him help and the courage to go on. Jesus relied on faithful friends and the Father for help and moral support.

As you know since I was ordained a Deacon some twenty plus years ago, I have been involved with the RCIA program which invites adults to become members of our faith and the Mother Church. In the early Church it was directed to people who did not know Jesus or the Christian faith. Now, that program has also been available to Christians of other faiths, who are interested in becoming members of the Catholic Church. In the twenty some years I have been involved in the program I believe there has only been three or four individuals who joined the Catholic Church who were not previously involved in and educated in the Christian faith. Times have changed and the Mother Church is now involved in what it calls the New Evangelization. It’s our new challenge which is trying to get Christian educated individuals back into being active members of the body of Christ. People know about Jesus but are finding it difficult to witness his presence and help within their busy lives.

Our RCIA team is determined to help RCIA Candidates to recognize just how involved God is within our lives. The best way to teach this is by sharing our encounters with God in ordinary experiences of life. At every class we share what we call our “Spirit Stories” with each other to show just how important a part we play in God’s plan for us to be active participants in His plan for our happiness and salvation goal for us and our friends and neighbors, to be with him for all eternity. We are blessed in this Community with many active members of the body of Christ but the Covid has weakened our mission to be example setters for making everyone’s life happier and more faith filled by supporting our Mother Church. Attendance has not returned to pre-Covid numbers for many of our parishioners at Sunday Mass. Those who are still active in Church ministry are not only getting older but also are being overwhelmed with the responsibilities of keeping our Parish healthy in mind and spirit.

Liturgy is the generator, the battery charger for the Faithful to continue to be example setters for the faith community. The Liturgy cross our parish is carrying is getting too heavy for it to handle without the help of the Simon’s and Veronica’s. There are many members in our Parish still attending our Liturgies who used to be active Liturgy ministers of the word; greeters; and Ministers of Holy Communion, that no longer wish to be active for a variety of reasons. All of us will fall down numerous times on our trip to eternity but with a little help from the Simon and Veronica’s our St. Paul’s and St. John’s Body of Christ will continue on as Jesus did to fulfill our vocation to preach and teach by example, the gospel message of love of God and neighbor.

You will find forms and pencils in your pews to sign up and help carry our Parish crosses on our “Way of the Cross.” Not ready to sign today? When my wife asks people to help with ministries and they are reluctant, I will quote her by saying to you. “Pray over it.” and return your sign up sheet next week. I would also suggest you request St. Joseph to “sleep over” your requests for help in making a decision. I have acquired for our Parish a Sleeping Joseph Statute which is located on our Sacred Heart of Jesus Altar. Saint Joseph had many communications from God in the form of dreams and he always obeyed these communications. You may ask St. Joseph to ask God to help you make important decisions in life by placing your written requests in the box on which the Statute rests. We will have the Sleeping St. Joseph statute available for your help requests for a couple of weeks. Pope Frances does this on a regular basis and he encourages the faithful to do the same.

The Church realizes that some of you are physically or mentally unable to help carry this ministry cross. Veronica was unable to help carry the cross for Jesus but she did what she could do to help him. To people who can’t help carry this vocation anymore, you can still be a “Veronica” to those who need help, wipe their face, tell them thanks, and tell them they are needed. As Jesus told us in today’s Gospel, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand.”

I will close with a Psalm Prayer for our Parish “Mother”: “Lord, God, your only Son wept over ancient Jerusalem, soon to be destroyed for its lack of faith. He established the new Jerusalem firmly upon rock and made it the mother of the faithful. Make us rejoice in your Church and grant that all people may be reborn into the freedom of your Spirit. Amen!“ On behalf of Fr. Victor and all our Parish Ministers, Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there and to our Mother Church!

Posted in Catholic Church, Homily, Service, Sunday Homilies | 1 Comment »

Transforming Love

May 1, 2022

3rd Sunday of Easter
By Fr. Chinnappan Pelavendran

Today we have another account of Jesus appearing to his disciples on Easter Sunday wherein he prepares a meal for them and gives them support. He comes constantly to the disciples to be with them, guide them and encourage them. All the three readings of today tell us of our vocation and our mission to be at the service of the word and not to hesitate to proclaim our closeness to Jesus. We admire the courage of the Disciples of Jesus who preach with boldness and are ready to face sufferings happily for His sake.

John the Evangelist tells us that God is love. God’s love is unconditional, unmerited, and without limit. It lasts forever. It’s the beginning and end. And it’s the essence of what it means to be a Christian – one who knows God’s love and forgiveness and who loves God in return with all one’s heart, soul, mind, body, and strength. God’s love heals and transforms our lives and frees us from fear, selfishness, and greed. It draws us to the very heart of God and it compels us to give to him the best we have and all we possess – our gifts, our time, our resources, and our very lives. St. Paul the Apostle tells us that God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given us.

Why did Jesus question Peter’s love and fidelity three times in front of the other apostles? It must have caused Peter pain and sorrow since he had publicly denied Jesus three times. Now Peter, full of remorse and humility, stated that he loved his master and was willing to serve him whatever it might cost. Jesus asks him “do you love me more than these?”

Jesus may have pointed to the boats, nets, and catch of fish. Do you love me more than these things? He may have challenged Peter to abandon his work as a fisherman for the task of shepherding God’s people. Jesus also may have pointed to the other disciples and to Peter’s previous boast: “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” (Matthew 26:33) Peter now makes no boast or comparison but humbly responds: “You know I love you.”

The Lord Jesus calls each one of us, even in our weakness, sin, and failings, to love him above all else. Saint Augustine in his Confessions wrote: “Late have I loved you, O Beauty so ancient and so new. Late have I loved you! …You shone your Self upon me to drive away my blindness. You breathed your fragrance upon me… and in astonishment I drew my breath…now I pant for you! I tasted you, and now I hunger and thirst for you. You touched me! – and I burn to live within your peace.” (Confessions 10:27) Nothing but our sinful pride and willfulness can keep us from the love of God. It is a free gift, unmerited and beyond payment. We can never outmatch God in giving love. He loved us first and our love for him is a response to his exceeding graciousness and mercy towards us. Do you allow God’s love to change and transform your heart? “Lord Jesus, inflame my heart with your love and remove everything that is unloving, unkind, ungrateful, unholy, and not in accord with your will.”

Posted in Homily, Jesus Christ, Love, St. Peter, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

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