Author: Fr. Peter O'Brien

May the peace of Christ reign within you!

This weekend we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King, which concludes the liturgical year.  For the past couple of weekends, the readings and Gospels have been directing us to reflect upon the ways that we have been using the gifts that God has given us and the account that we will give for how we’ve used them.  The Gospel this weekend depicts Christ as the sovereign ruler and judge of all.  The message is simple and clear: those who have listened to God, the shepherd/guide, are the ones who have worked in the world caring for others, while those who did not listen to him are those who decided to serve themselves.

Most of us who attend Mass on a regular basis hear and understand God’s call to service.  The Word of God has living power and it invigorates the community, strengthening us in faith ready for action.  The Word penetrates and divides soul and spirit, joints and marrow, it judges the reflections and thoughts of the heart.  The Spirit of the Word guides our discernment in what is true and false what is good and bad, what should be done and what should be avoided.  Our True Shepherd not only shows us the way, he also gives us strength and inspiration with heavenly food.  Jesus comes to dwell within us through the Eucharist and we actually become his own hands, his eyes, his voice, his ears in the world and our actions show his presence.  This is one of the ways we can understand part of the Angelus: “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”  Those who follow the shepherd find joy in doing the works of the shepherd.  The noble heart that loves and serves God through faith-filled, humble service experiences a levity of spirit that simply cannot be described!  It is a foretaste of what is to come!  May Jesus, our Shepherd King, fill you with lasting joy!  May we come to eternal joy with him!  God bless you all! +++ Fr. Peter

Peace and grace to you!

The first scripture reading depicts a woman of virtue who is industrious in all her affairs.  It seems like there is nothing she hasn’t thought of and that she has applied herself to become expert in every detail of running her household.  Her family must feel blessed to have such wonderful care and wise counsel!  It is obvious that she is thoughtful of others too because she makes it a point to provide something to share with those in need.  This woman mindfully serves the Lord and models good stewardship and we see how God blesses her with abundance.

The Gospel parable praises the people who are most industrious at using their goods for gain, doubling what they have for a profit.  The ones who doubled their wealth were praised while the one who, out of fear, took no risk and made no effort to gain was condemned.

As Christians, we don’t usually look at ourselves the way the parable invites us to.  We don’t think of God as a stern master who expects a lot from us.  The story effectively creates within us a sense of urgency and dread.   We are supposed to want to be the praiseworthy, industrious stewards and avoid being like the lazy one that just made excuses for why he couldn’t make a profit.  As we approach the Solemnity of Christ the King, we must consider the gifts and talents that we have received from God and how we have used them.  It is also important to reflect upon the forces of fear and self-interest and the times that they have influenced us away from living more fully the way we really could.  For his part, God doesn’t hold anything back from us; he gives his all even when we don’t deserve it.  Like you, I want to respond to God more generously with what I have received for the good of all.  The best way for that to happen is to give God his rightful place as the priority of my life.  If I truly place God first and trust that whatever I have belongs to him, I am more free to be generous in love and service to God.  There is joy and peace in that!  One secret I do know, God cannot be outdone in generosity!  If I give a little, God gives abundance in return!

God bless you always! +++ Fr. Peter

May the grace of Christ fill your hearts and minds!

This weekend the Church celebrates the Solemnity of All Saints.  I have held this feast in special regard for as long as I can remember.  I suppose that it is because this occasion brings with it a special sense of the spiritual world to which we know we are connected.  Maybe it’s just me but it seems like most of the time, our conversations and spiritual awareness reflect a two dimensional plane of the relationship between God and ourselves who are still striving to live Christian lives in the world.  But on the Solemnity of All Saints and then the Feast of All Souls we are drawn more deeply into the reality of the Church in fuller dimension which includes the Church Triumphant, the Church Suffering, and the Church Militant.

The Church Triumphant refers to those souls who have gained heaven’s glory, whether canonized Saints or not.  They are the faithful members of our family of faith that have died and gone before us.  They may be members of our own families and relatives or friends who are worthy of honor and respect as examples of Christian living to be emulated. They are also Saints who pray for us and help us on our pilgrimage from time to eternity.  There are innumerable examples and stories of the aid given through the intercession of Saints.  I am certain that you are able to share a story or two yourself!

The Church Suffering refers to those souls in purgatory who have died in the state of grace but have not yet reached perfection.  These souls make expiation for their un-forgiven venial sins or for the temporal punishment due to venial and mortal sins that have already been forgiven.  They are assisted by the prayers and sacrifices we offer on their behalf.  This is very important.  In fact, the Church includes a petition for them in every Eucharistic Prayer of the Mass.  St. Pius of Pietrelcina is an example of someone deeply devoted to offering prayers and sacrifices so that souls in purgatory would be freed from suffering purification to enter heaven.

The Church Militant refers to ourselves who are still on pilgrimage and today is a special opportunity for us to reflect on God’s plan of salvation for all.  We each have a part to play in it for ourselves and others.  God rejoices in giving us aid through the Saints we turn to for help.  Think of those who have helped you and say “thank you” to those who have been and will be there to help you on the way.  May God bless you all! +++ Fr Peter

Peace and grace to you!

In the first reading from the book of Exodus a set of do’s and don’ts is established so that the Israelites may understand that God loves all people.  And as God’s chosen people, these basic rules will guide them in manifesting God’s love in their day to day affairs with each other and with foreigners.

In the Gospel, Jesus talks about love too.  When he says love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, he is indicating that there are in fact different levels of love.  The basic rule set forth in the first reading is the minimal level but it is foundational because it assures mutuality and fidelity in fairness.  Rising from that is another level in which the lover is not satisfied with the minimum but desires to do more for the other person to show greater love and concern.  There is another level beyond the first two.  It goes beyond reason or logic.  It seeks to give itself away entirely for the good of the other.  Some people do not understand this level of love.   I am glad to say that I have experienced this kind of love between people.  I think that for many of them, they don’t realize they have this depth of love until a situation arises in which they choose to give themselves in this way.  Lastly, there are those disciples who have turned to God and given themselves completely to him in religious vocations through the priesthood or religious life.  Their life focus is an imitation of Jesus and Mother Mary who loved God above all and served God’s will perfectly, especially in teaching and humble service to those in need.  These are good examples of different levels of human love that reflect divine love but the most perfect love that we know is Jesus’ love for all of us.  He emptied himself and became a slave, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross so that we might be free from sin.  In today’s Gospel Jesus links love for God to love of neighbor because all love begins in God and finds its way of expression in loving our neighbor as much as we love ourselves.  For some of us, learning to love ourselves the way God wants us to love ourselves opens the door to loving God and our neighbor in deeper, better ways.  Ask Jesus to help you!

May God bless you all! +++ Fr. Peter

Peace and Grace to all of you!

In the first reading, King Cyrus is overtaking the Babylonian kingdom under Nebuchadnezzar who took the Israelites captive about 60 years before.  Cyrus, a pagan, is well disposed toward the Jewish people.  The prophet Isaiah points out that it is God who establishes kings and kingdoms of the earth even though the kings and armies may be unaware of it.  In the Gospel, Jesus is questioned in regard to the idea of paying taxes and citizenship under the pagan, Roman Empire.  His response is that we, as Christians, possess a dual citizenship.  We live in two worlds: we are citizens of earth and citizens of heaven.  We are obligated to lead by example in the world so the world can experience the salvation that our faith brings to all people.  Christians keep in mind that their true home is in heaven, in the meantime, we are united to Christ in this effort, it is our mission!

As Americans we support a government built upon faith in God and a democratic process.  We know that there will always be tensions between different political parties and faith communities.  We know that there will always be laws and policies that do not reflect our values as Catholic Christians.  Does that mean that we should write it all off and ignore it?  Does it mean that we should rebel?  According to the wisdom of Jesus, we should value the rule of law for the stability and peace that are necessary for society.  If we, as good stewards, are going to grow and build the kingdom of heaven on earth, we should use everything within our power as good citizens through reasonable tax support and use our voices through the polls where we vote.  As Christians, we vote Gospel values; not hatred, anger and destruction.  Remember, even one vote can make a big difference.  According to Mark Link, S.J., one vote can be monumental! Here are some examples:  Had it not been for 1 vote in 1776, the official language of the United States would be German instead of English.  Had it not been for 1 vote in 1868, the state of Texas would not have become part of the United States.  In 1645, 1 vote placed Oliver Cromwell in control over all of England.  In 1649, 1 vote sent Charles I of England to execution.  France became a republic in 1875 because of 1 vote.  By 1 vote Adolf Hitler became the leader of the Nazi party in Germany.  Just think, 1 vote could have saved millions of lives and perhaps delivered our world from the deep scar of WWII!  Jesus reminds us that while we live on earth, we should try to bring Gospel values into our sphere of influence because the Gospel does bring life, peace, liberty and justice for all.  This is our mission and we are the messengers of good news!

God bless you all! +++ Fr. Peter

Peace and grace to all!

The parable of the wedding feast reminds us that the kingdom of heaven is primarily an invitation from God and it is open to all people; not just a particular group of “chosen ones.”  This is good news!  It underlines our awareness of God’s love for all people and all creation.

The invitation extended to us from God in the context of a wedding feast suggests a special joy, an excitement, an anticipation of a future full of new hopes, enrichment and possibilities!  It reminds us of God’s protection, blessing and providence.  God is lovingly present to each of us personally every moment.  God is mindful of all that we need.  Mindfulness on our part is watching for the ways that God is actively being a part of our everyday lives.  It means noticing the hundred little things that fall into place or noticing that things could have been a lot more difficult or worse of God wasn’t there, almost imperceptibly, helping us each day.  Prayer is the conversation we have with God many times a day.  These are the moments when stewards and disciples consciously recognize God’s presence and activity and they give thanks for the help and make known desires and hopes—its a real relationship of love!

This parable also reminds us of the wedding feast of the Mass!  For Christians, Sunday Mass is a Holy Day of Obligation in which we remember how he gave of himself completely for our sakes—and he still does!  His is an undying, endless love!  The right clothing represents those disciples and stewards who come before God to give thanks and offer a return for his many gifts.  Suitable attire for this event means being clothed entirely in a way of life that honors and reverences God above all things and reflects the teaching of the Church.  The Church identifies this inner disposition as charity: love of God and of neighbor.  If we have hate, anger, harsh judgement, grudges or anything of that sort, then we are present in body only and we are unfit to receive Communion because we are not in a state of grace.  The sacrament of Penance is required in this situation for healing and restoration of the true spiritual disposition we are called to.

God bless you all! +++ Fr. Peter

Peace and grace to all!

This weekend’s readings help us to grasp a biblical view of God.  I say “biblical view” because the biblical view is sometimes a contrast to our own view of God which is what is depicted in the parable told by Jesus.  The vineyard stands for the people of Israel.  The vineyard owner stands for God.  The tenants stand for the chief priests and Pharisees that God set in place to guide his people.  The servants in the first group that were sent to receive a share of the grapes were the early prophets; the second group was the later prophets.  The owner’s son who was killed is Jesus.  The new tenants are the Apostles of Jesus and they replace the chief priests and Pharisees as the new leaders of God’s people.  From the story Jesus tells, we understand that God is patient and understanding and that God is a just and fair judge.  We are encouraged to ask ourselves a question: is the new model immune from the same type of faults depicted in the story by the first tenants?  We all know the answer to that is– NO.  As God’s people, we will always struggle with our differences of opinion and different ideas about God and the Church.  Even Jesus’ closest companions didn’t always understand him!  Even so, as disciples of Jesus we know we are called beyond our own personal views to embrace something much greater.  In his letter to the Philippians, St. Paul teaches us the way we can experience God’s kingdom of unity and peace.  It must be well understood that Paul is a former Pharisee—completely rule oriented and a hard judge of right/wrong rules of religious practice.  It is striking how much his understanding changed after he encountered Jesus. He gradually began to understand God’s plan for his people in a new and personal way.  St. Paul’s conversion serves as an example of how to be a true disciple of Jesus and turn away from pettiness, politics and distractions that lead us away from the treasure of freedom, peace and joy that right faith provides.  Jesus teaches us that God is first of all merciful, patient, kind, gentle and understanding then a fair and just judge second.  We are asked to understand then imitate this example.

God bless you all! +++ Fr Peter

Peace and grace to you all!

This weekend we are reminded that in order to experience God’s Kingdom of peace, harmony, hope, mercy, love, encouragement, and every other good thing from God, we must live in a manner in which we are always turning to God.  We know that it is not always easy to do this.  In fact, quite frequently people experience a resistance toward God’s will.  They know in their head that God is always right and true, but for various reasons the feelings they have in their heart or desires they have do not coincide with God’s plan.  Resolving a struggle like this can take just a few moments or many years!  It varies from person to person and situation to situation.

In his letter to the Church at Philippi, St. Paul addresses the factions and rivalries that are destroying the good will and peaceful relationships that God desires for his people.  St. Paul first points to harmony as a mark of God’s kingdom and what people really want: “being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing.”  He further explains what is necessary to attain a harmonious experience when he says “Do nothing out of selfishness or vain glory; rather humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but also for those of others.”  This is the attitude of Christ Jesus and we should make his attitude our own.  Remember the way Jesus emptied himself, the way he suffered and served others.

Jesus points out to the hardhearted and self-righteous Pharisees that prostitutes and criminals were experiencing the love and goodness of God when they turn away from sin and selfishness to obey God’s plan.  We might see others around us experiencing the joy and love of God while we don’t.  Our path is not against other people but against forces of darkness in order to follow the Gospel.   Hopefully today, many of us who feel a desire for greater harmony and peace can be like the son who changed his mind, who listened and followed God’s plan.  If people do this together, the harmony comes to be, but it only happens when they work together to achieve it.  It never happens if only one tries.  It is a strong reminder to us that we should really try to listen for what God wants for us and others while we pray in our hearts.

May God bless you all! +++ Fr. Peter

May the grace of Christ be your consolation and joy!

The past couple of weekends have been strong encouragements for us to continue our efforts in the work of personal conversion, transformation and renewal.  This weekend’s message comes as a consolation because we are affirmed that God is generous in love and mercy.  No one should fear to ask God for forgiveness.  Perhaps the strongest encouragement to trust God’s love comes through St. Paul who was once a persecutor of the Church, a murderer, and God changed Paul’s heart with an experience of divine love rather than with punishment.  Hopefully all of us can be completely won over by God’s love as St. Paul was for he said ”to me life is Christ, and death is gain . . . I long to depart this life and be with Christ for that is far better.”

In the Gospel, Jesus tells a parable that gives us a hint of how beautiful, generous, and loving God really is.  If you or I had a job opportunity and we were treated like the last laborers hired in the story, we would be overwhelmed with amazement.  That kind of generosity does not exist on earth!  That’s why Jesus’ parable is so powerful!  And yet, it only hints toward the truth about the greatness of God’s love and mercy.  In reality, God is too good to be true!  God’s goodness is beyond our imagination and our understanding.  Jesus tells us that none of our good deeds will ever be forgotten!  The parable encourages us to be laborers for God’s kingdom and the reward for our acts of service and efforts to make Jesus known and loved will have an incomparable reward.  The invitation is there, do you hear it?

God bless you! +++ Fr. Peter

May the peace of Christ reign in your hearts!

This weekend’s readings draw us to reflect more deeply upon the way of forgiveness, which is different than reconciliation.

The sage in the book of Sirach begins by describing negative behavior based upon sin.  He then directs the reader’s thoughts toward higher realms by posing a simple logical question: how can you expect forgiveness and peace for yourself, if you keep angry and hateful thoughts toward someone else?  It doesn’t make sense!  In the Gospel, Peter’s question seems logical because we all get exasperated at times when there are repeated behaviors that offend us and there is no sign of change (imagine what it must be like to struggle with an addiction!).  According to Peter, there has to be some limit so that you can withdraw from being hurt.  I can understand Peter’s point.  I am sure that many of you do too.  Jesus, the Fount of All Wisdom, guides us to the kingdom of heaven through Peter’s question.  Forgiveness must be given by us, so that we also may be forgiven: there is no choice.  Forgiveness means laying down the right to just retribution or recompense for an offense against you.  It is given over to God.  It can only be given by the one offended.  It cannot be bought, sold, or merited by an offender.  This is forgiveness.

Reconciliation is another matter.  To be reconciled is to have a relationship repaired and trust re-established.  The offender must make a sincere apology, then demonstrate a change in behavior to manifest the change of heart & mind.  The decision to allow the person back into a relationship of mutual trust rests with the one who was offended.  Depending upon the magnitude and frequency of the offense, reconciliation may or may not be possible.  When reconciliation is not possible, it is still possible to forgive by giving the pain and offender over to God.  In the sacrament of Penance, God reconciles us to himself.  Even though we will sin again, God will always embrace us because his love is so great!

Understanding the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation is important because not everyone who offends is going to apologize, nor are they necessarily able to change.  In such cases, we have to forgive so that we do not carry the wound in our hearts.  We can be free and well by trusting them to God who knows what is best for them and us!  Thank you Jesus for this freedom!

God bless you all! +++  Fr. Peter