Lent I: You Must Believe!

Todays Readings

Brothers and sisters: What does Scripture say? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart —that is, the word of faith that we preach—, for, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. For the Scripture says, No one who believes in him will be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all,enriching all who call upon him.  Romans 10: 8-13

The Lord is Near You! This comforting concept is one that we hear often, "Don't worry, God is here!" But an equally popular concept is the age old reality that "seeing IS believing".  Where do we see the Lord, or from what loudspeaker, or pulpit do we hear Him?  I'd love to know the answer so as to write it here, but that would feed your need to have to see to believe.  Today, is it possible for us to let go and truly believe in our God without condition?  The answer is YES, but a few steps must be considered along the way.

Confess with Your Mouth, and Believe with Your Heart!  This is a simple truth, but a hard act to follow.  St. Paul is writing to the Roman people (but includes all, whether jew or greek), who need to change their ways.  They need to be honest with themselves, and consider that their way of living might be the reason why they feel so lost, or unfullfilled.  In my quasi-counselor chair, I would certainly agree that people who hurt should talk about it, and speak to their responsibility (for that hurt) before blaming the world around them.  Speaking about things encourages reflection, and reflection opens the heart, and strengthens one's spirit.  This opens the door to belief and salvation!

When our Lord Jesus is tempted in the desert, he reminds Satan, and the rest of us that:

• We Need the Lord, More Than Food!  So don't try to tempt me with lavish food, items or empty promises!

• When We Worship the Lord, We Are Saved!  So reclaim your purpose, and love the God who has always LOVED YOU!

• We Are Supported by the Lord, and We Do Not Walk Alone!  So let the angels come and greet you, and after a long and happy life, lead you to Paradise!

• Don't Test the Lord, Trust Him!  So relax!

St. Paul reassures the Romans, and us, that, "no one who believes in the Lord will be put to shame".  This whole Lenten concept, and the challenge for us to journey is truly worth the trouble.  May the Lord strengthen you in avoiding the temptations, and bless you in your efforts to speak and believe!

The NEW Missal Makes a Direct Hit

This past weekend, the New Roman Missal made a direct hit on english-speaking parishes around the world. A new and what is thought to be a more vibrant and formal translation of the Mass landed in a pew near you. I am sure that some of my initial observations in my own parish are very similar to what greeted the Church around the world...

A LITTLE CONFUSION, BUT CERTAINLY NOT CHAOS:  Like most parishes, ours has a new hymnal with everything you need to follow along.  We've even added the follow along,  "red letter marks the changed language" script and the Mass Music Assembly Booklet.  Its all there, and its probably a tad too much to navigate, but it seemed to have taken only a small portion of the hour for folks to figure out where to look and what to follow.  The fun part was watching the faces of many, many well intended people simply fall back into the routine... "The Lord be with you"... And also with y--, oh.. um... your... And with your spirit!" :)

EVERY BIT OF THE PREPARATION WAS WORTH EVERY SECOND:  I'm sure many parishes within the Church worked very hard for many, many months to prepare for the weekend debut of the New Missal.  Some chose to begin practicing months ago, and others have been studying the reasons behind the changes for a year.  Our parish, like many others, worked throughout the last year praying and deciding on what to do, but began the using the new translation only within the past few weeks, focusing on the Gloria, the Confiteor, and the Nicene Creed.  We made the decision not to debut any new music until this past weekend as well.  I believe that like us, the parishes who waited until the official start time of this past weekend to "do the new Mass" were treated to the value of what comes with that newness and how it compliments the season of Advent.

"WHAT ABOUT THOSE BELLS?"  There a certainly a few nay-sayers in the pews, and some people that just aren't happy with the changes in the New Roman Missal.  Our parish has maintained a relatively "middle of the road" approach when it comes to celebrating the Mass.  The ringing of the bells has not been a usual practice at my parish.  While the use of the bells is certainly NOT part of the change of the Roman Missal, in other words, it is not a required element within the liturgy; adding the ringing of the bells at the two "elevations" of the Eucharistic Prayer came as a little bit of a shock to many in our congregation.  I would say that 85%-90% were pleasantly shocked, and enjoyed or could live with their return.  But like the usual "Bell Curve" (no pun intended), 10% just couldn't believe it.  When confronted by the unhappy, I was challenged to have to defend their re-placement within the liturgy because frankly I don't lose too much sleep over such things, but this is a great example of just how much we have to respect the 10%.  No, this isn't some "Occupy Rally", it's just a simple fact.  Many of our faithful, truly thought through, and have owned their style of worship.  No amount of training or prep classes in understanding the "New Stuff" was gonna make things any easier for these folks.  Their Mass was giving way to a new Mass!  One of our staff members put it quite nicely.  "I am now feeling what some of the older folks must have felt when I was younger, and those changes in the Missal "turned everything around".

So, I'll end by saying that while change is difficult, it is a part of growth, and that is exactly what's happening here... We, the living Body of Christ continues to grow!  We seek to perfect our worship because that's what is asked of us... Not by the Vatican, but by God.  We were created to love and worship Him.  He who fashioned us from the dust, and gave us the breath of life, has given us a chance to express our faith in the best way we know how... And that is what we'll do!

50 Ways to Get Through Easter... Flesh!

Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14: 6)

Easter Day #27: Flesh!

I hope the message from above doesn’t come off as a threat, for it would seem that this is one of those “Glass half full or empty” situations. If you are feeling good about life and faith, then you feel empowered because you have Jesus, “the way, the truth and the life”! If you are feeling bad about life, or not excited about faith, then I wouldn’t blame you for feeling a little intimidated or left out at the comment that “no one comes to the Father except through me.”

Today’s “WAY to Get Through Easter” is obviously through Jesus Christ. For me and the faith I profess, I know Him through the His real presence in my life in the Eucharist (Communion). But I also know Him in the real goodness of the people and the moments He’s brought into my life.

To know someone “in the FLESH” is to truly know them inside and out. To have Christ offer His FLESH as a sacrifice for all, is to give of Himself inside and out. So it follows that if we are to give of ourselves to those who need us, we too must do so completely! To those who struggle with faith, and this “Jesus Thing”, and aren’t sure that “Jesus is the way”; I hope that the actions of those of us who do believe are subtle ways that Christ is coming to you “in the FLESH” through our works! I’ve always believed that God is very patient, and that there is NO RUSH on when the “Way” begins. After all, getting to know someone “inside and out” takes time.

The subtle presence of Christ in one’s life, through the actions of others, ultimately brings one to a true understanding of just how present Jesus has been all along! So for you believers out there, keep sharing Christ and be careful not to judge the guy who just needs more time. For you non-believers, “the way, the truth and the life” is all around you!

All is well!