Pastor's Notes

In Faith, Healing and Gratitude

Mary, Queen of the Holy Rosary

Lord, Deepen Our Faith

Come Back to Me

Christ is beckoning us, pleading for us to return to Him. The lyrics above are excerpted from the hymn Hosea by John Michael Talbot. They speak so eloquently what is expressed in today’s liturgy. Are we harboring any fears that are keeping us from having a close relationship with God?

God gives us peace. He gives us many gifts. In all these gifts, He asks only one thing: He wants us to come back to Him in gratitude saying thanks for all our blessings. Remember the ten lepers that Jesus cured? Only one came back to thank Him.

He wants us to come back to Him in adoration, meditating on the Greatness that is Almighty God.
Come back to Him in petition; ask for what we need. Recall that He will give us what we actually need – not what we think we need.

Come back to Him in gratification, seeking what is needed to make us a complete person in Christ. We must trust God with our lives knowing that He has everlasting love for us and will lead us back to the Father in Heaven.
We see an illustration of this message from God in today’s Gospel, Luke 15:1-32. Jesus tells the Parable of the Prodigal Son. There was a wealthy, well-to-do man who had two sons. One day the younger of the two sons came to his father and asked for his share of the estate. Reluctantly the father gave in to his son’s request. You recall how the scenario unfolds.

The younger son squandered all his inheritance on frivolous, self-gratifying wants. Then famine hit the area. The young man hired out to tend swine. He was so hungry that he longed for even some of the food that he fed to the pigs, but no one offered him any. After some time and in despair, he resolved to go back to his father and ask for forgiveness.

The conclusion of the parable is heart-warming and reassuring to us. The young man’s father sees him coming from afar and runs out to greet him with a warm embrace. Then the father ordered that a fine banquet be prepared in his son’s honor. When challenged by his older son, the father replies that he must celebrate because “This son of mine was dead and now he has returned.”

Our lesson today is clear. We must discard our fears. God wants us to come back – in gratitude, in petition, in adoration. We must trust completely in God that He will satisfy the needs of our bodies and souls, our minds and hearts. He is our Gratification.

“Come back to me with all your hearts.” And don’t forget to say thanks.

 Father Storey

Guardian and Protector of Treasures

“Who can know God’s counsel, or who can conceive what the Lord intends?” (Wisdom 9:13) These words from Reading I for today, the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (C), are presented as a prayer coming from the lips of King Solomon in the Book of Wisdom. If we reflect just a bit more, we can certainly hear them coming from the mouth of St. Joseph. WORK, LOVE, JUST, KIND, OBEY, LIFE! These and so many other words come tumbling out of our mouths and out of our pens as we talk and write about St. Joseph on this Labor Day weekend.

We rarely hear about St. Joseph in sacred scripture, and when we do he is always in the back ground. He was a humble servant who did not seek to be served, but to serve. Matthew’s is one of only two Gospels to mention him. He is called a “just” man (Matt 1:19). In 1995 when Pope Pius XII, gifted the Universal Church with a new feast day: May 1 -- the feast of St. Joseph the Worker, he describes a just man as one who prays, lives by faith, and seeks to do good in every circumstance of life.

St. Joseph had absolutely no idea of what the Lord intended for him when he was visited by an angel of God in a dream. Joseph had learned that his betrothed wife was pregnant. Not wanting to subject Mary to embarrassment and disgrace, Joseph in his kindness and caring determined that he would quietly have their betrothal set aside. But an angel of God appeared to him in a dream and convinced Joseph to change his mind, telling him that this Child that Mary carried in her womb was a gift from God; He was to be named Jesus. Upon learning this, Joseph obeyed the will of God and proceeded with plans to wed and took Mary into his home.  

St. Joseph sets an inspirational example for us. He was a family man, a devoted husband and a kind, caring father! St. Joseph provided well for his family, and not just the things that are needed to physically survive, but more importantly he provided for their spiritual needs. His work was truly a labor of love. It also exemplified his love for God. St. Joseph was a skilled carpenter, and mentored his young Son in this trade.
St. Bernardine of Siena wrote of St. Joseph: “He was chosen by the eternal Father as the trustworthy guardian and protector of His greatest treasures, namely, His divine Son and Mary, Joseph’s wife. He carried out this vocation with complete fidelity until at last God called him, saying: ‘Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord.’”
This year as we are celebrating Labor Day, we are drawn once again to St. Joseph. Labor Day is a time off from work – it gives us more time for our own labor of love, more time for our families. Let us remember to follow the example of St. Joseph: to serve and not be served.

Since we are all children of God, let us ask St. Joseph to intercede for us, be our protector from all harm and evil and to guard us on our journey back to the Father.

Let us also remember to pray for vocations: priests, dedicated religious, single life and married life. We are all part of the great community, the Body of Christ.

Father Storey
 

Hail Mary, Holy Mary

Today we have some awesome four letter words by which to guide our lives: HAIL MARY and HOLY MARY.

“Hail Mary, full of grace the Lord is with you.” These words beg to be shouted out in jubilation!

August 15, is the Solemn Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Just not a day of Obligation since it falls on a Monday this year. The Gospel is a continuation of St. Luke’s Gospel used for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, and is the basis for two of our beloved prayers to our Blessed Mother, the Hail Mary and the Magnificat. We say the Hail Mary 53 times every time we recite the Rosary.

This Gospel is a narrative of Mary’s visit to the home of Zechariah and Mary’s cousin Elizabeth in the town of Judah in the hill country. When Mary arrives at the home of Zechariah, she excitedly greets Elizabeth (soon to become the mother of John the Baptist). The baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaps for joy.

Elizabeth, inspired by the Holy Spirit, says to Mary the very words that are now such a central part of our beloved prayer, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” These two expectant mothers revel in the joy of being together, humble and dedicated servants of the Lord. Both of them defer to divine power, the will of God.

Mary responds to Elizabeth’s greeting with these words:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for He has looked with favor on His lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is His Name.”

In 1950, Pope Pius XII, infallibly proclaimed the dogma of the Assumption, and 14 years later the dogma was restated by Pope Paul VI in the Vatican II Documents: The Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all guilt of original sin, on the completion of her earthly sojourn, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen of the universe (n. 59).

These documents closely align the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception with that of the Assumption. Mary, always free from Original Sin, was assumed, body and soul, by God to heaven as its Queen. In the Responsorial Psalm for the Feast of the Assumption we sing the prophetic words of the Psalmist David: “The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.”

We ask the Blessed Mother to intercede on our behalf, that we may come to know and love her Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World; and that we may some day merit to be sharers of her glory in heaven.  

“Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death!” 
 

Father Storey

A Journey without Fear

In the Sundays in Ordinary Time during summer we often find a recurring theme -- do not worry, do not be afraid. Why shouldn’t we be afraid? The simple answer is because we have Jesus Christ leading us, guiding us, showing us the way. He tells us how we should act, how we should pray, what we should value.

In the well known story of Martha and Mary (16 th Sunday), when Martha complains that Mary is not doing her fair share of the work, Jesus gently chides Martha, “You are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken from her.”

The following week Jesus teaches the disciples how to pray using the magnificent words of the Lord’s Prayer. Instead of worrying about unnecessary things, Jesus tells us to implore the help of the Father: “Give us this day our daily bread.” He continues His instruction telling us to be persistent: “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

In the passage preceding today’s Gospel, Jesus assures His disciples that the Father knows and provides for all their needs. Here He tells them so clearly, “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). They are further instructed to provide money bags that do not wear out, and gather “inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach or moth destroy.” Jesus adds, “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”

Jesus then provides a contrasting view for the disciples by using a parable to tell them what they SHOULD fear. He speaks about a master who leaves to attend a wedding, and upon his return he finds his people going about doing their own thing. His business has been neglected, and affairs are in disarray. The master is not pleased with his people; this is what should be feared. Jesus praises the work of faithful servants who are vigilant and ready for their master’s return. Jesus lists the rewards awaiting the faithful servants. Jesus tells us to be constantly prepared “for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

Have you ever watched a poker game on TV where there is so much tension and anxiety? The stakes are high. A contestant will hesitate, consider, wait...then finally with a show of bravado and a shove of all the chips announce, “I am going all in.”

This is how it should be with us. We are playing in this game of life with God as our Partner. Do not be afraid. Go all in with God. Recall the words of the psalm: “You are all we have. You are all we need. Our hearts are in your hands, O Lord!”

FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION

August 15, the Solemn Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a Holy Day, but
not a Holy Day of Obligation this year because it falls on a Monday. This is based on Canon 1246 as
explained on the USCCB website. Masses on August 15 will follow the normal weekday schedule:
6:30 a.m. and 8:15 a.m.

Father Storey
 

July 31, 2022

Some Four Letter Words

PRAY! CARE! LOVE! HELP! LORD! LIFE! HOLY HOUR! JOHN! HEAR! HOPE!

Everywhere we look, no matter what the media, we seem to be inundated with more bad news and incidents of atrocities toward people, churches, schools, other buildings. Another “old friend” of mine suggested an antidote of fighting back with four letter words. Not just any four letter word, but with wisely chosen four letter words. Such as those above. Then they issued the challenge: Can you write Pastor’s Notes using nothing but four letter words? Believe me when I say it can’t be done. DON’T EVEN TRYY! (Yes, I meant TRYY.) I think Autocorrect is trying to sabotage my article.

Some of the first words that come to mind are PRAY, CARE and LOVE. Christ taught us how to PRAY: “Father, hallowed be your name.” By His example, He showed us the value of caring for each other. Can there be any more explicit words and example than “LOVE one another as I have loved you?”

Let the right four letter words guide your life. I suggest HOLY HOUR. Mark your calendars, and plan to attend our newly instituted First Saturday of the Month Holy Hour beginning on September 3. So many blessings can flow from spending an hour in the Real Presence of the Lord. Also keep in mind our First Tuesday of the month HOLY HOUR from 6–7 p.m. You can create your own personal HOLY HOUR by spending some time in our Adoration Chapel.

Another four letter word we treasure is JOHN, as in St. John Vianney, the Curé of Ars, whose feast day is this coming week, August 4. Not only is our parish named for him, he is the patron saint of priests. John Vianney was born on May 8, 1786 in Dardilly, France to a family of farmers. He overcame many obstacles in order to become a priest. Ordained in 1815, he was sent to a small town named Ars to be a parish priest. (Curé means priest.) John was firm in his devotion and love of God and our Blessed Mother. He is a great role model for us.

Over the years, St. John became well known as a confessor, and people would travel great distances just to be able to have him hear their confession. He was so devoted to the people he would spend up to 16 hours a day in the confessional. St. John Vianney died on August 4, 1859. He was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1925.

As we look for more words to guide our lives, we are drawn to the Theological Virtues. Two of the three are four letter words: FAITH, HOPE and LOVE. Looking at the Evangelists, we find, MARK, LUKE and JOHN. If we abbreviate MATTHEW as MATT, it becomes unanimous. Continuing further, we find other examples within the apostles and the disciples.

One of the best of all guides for our lives is MARY, the Mother of God.

My “old friend” was correct. The right four letter words can be a powerful antidote. God gave us two ears to HEAR His Word, two feet to WALK in His way, and a heart to share the GOOD NEWS with others. Let us use them wisely and let them bring us back to the LORD.

   Father Storey

July 24, 2022

Come Sit with Me

In last week’s Gospel, we witnessed a difference in priorities and choices of actions between Martha and her sister Mary. Martha had invited Jesus to their house when He came to their village. While Martha was busy with meal preparation and other hospitality obligations, Mary sat at the feet of Jesus listening to Him talk. From Martha’s perspective, Mary just sat there idly leaving all the work to Mary.

An overburdened Martha urged Jesus to tell Mary to help with the hosting duties, but Jesus wasn’t concerned about food, wine or hospitality.  He wanted to enlighten them in the ways of His Father. He wanted to teach them about the relationship that God wanted to have with them. Jesus mildly scolded Martha, telling her that she was anxious and worried about the wrong things. “There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

Jesus wanted Martha to forego the social expectations and hosting duties. He much preferred Martha to come sit with Him and listen. It is as though He was saying to her, “Will you come sit with me?” Now Jesus invites us to come sit (or kneel) with Him also and listen to Him in His Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist.

Eucharistic Exposition and Adoration have a rich history in the Catholic Church. In 1263, Pope Urban IV established the Feast of Corpus Christi, to be celebrated on the Thursday following the Feast of the Holy Trinity; it was to enable the faithful to see and venerate the consecrated Host. He stressed the love of Christ who wanted to remain physically with us until the end of time. Pope Urban IV commissioned Thomas Aquinas to compose the Liturgy of the Hours for the Feast of Corpus Christi. As part of this Liturgy, Thomas Aquinas wrote three memorable hymns: O Salutaris Hostia, Tantum Ergo Sacramentum and Panis Angelicus.

 The practice of perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament started in Naples in 1590 with the Order of the Clerics Regular Minor founded by St, Francis Caracciolo, Fr.

A stated mission of the Eucharistic Revival Movement is to promote awareness of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. In keeping with this mission, I am very pleased to announce that beginning September 3 and continuing monthly on the First Saturday of each subsequent month, Curé of Ars Parish will be hosting a Holy Hour honoring the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.

The Holy Hour will span the time normally reserved for confessions on Saturdays. Throughout this time frame multiple priests will be available to hear confessions. The Holy Hour begins at 2:30 pm with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and then continues with time for silent meditation. At 3:00 pm the Knights of Columbus will lead the recitation of the Rosary. Our Holy Hour will conclude with Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament. After the Holy Hour we will offer the Anointing of the Sick to those desiring it.

What can we do to draw ourselves closer to Jesus in the Real Presence of the Eucharist?

“COME! ... SIT WITH ME!”  

Father Storey

 
July 10, 2022

Please read the letter and watch the video by Archbishop Joseph Naumann at this link - 

VTB

July 3, 2022

God Bless America

As we approach July 4, Independence Day, once again, I contemplate the aura and atmosphere of our nation. Each year we seem to be facing yet another unfathomable situation. We see pockets of turmoil, civil strife, distrust, hot spots of bigotry and bias. More and more I comprehend that we must return to Almighty God in prayer and reparation.

Irving Berlin, one of America’s greatest composers and lyricists, was born in 1888 in what is now part of the Russian Federation and moved with his family to this country. He had a great love for America, and that showed often in his music. Written in the late 1930’s or early 1940’s, one of his most famous and often performed works was this prayer/song, God Bless America. This week when we celebrate the independence of our nation, let us recall with wonder and awe our dependence on Almighty God.

God Bless America
Lyrics by Irving Berlin

"While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free,
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer. "

God Bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam,
God bless America, My home sweet home.

May God bless each and every man and woman who has served, and especially those who have given their lives, to help protect this country. May those who have died truly rest in the peace of Christ, and may those still serving return home safely.

Father Storey

 

June 26, 2022

Our Journey Continues in Revival

In today’s Gospel, for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle C, Jesus teaches us a valuable lesson in evangelization. We find Jesus preparing to embark on a journey. He felt that His ministry in Galilee was complete and that He needed to make a final trip to Jerusalem. As was His custom, He sent messengers on ahead to ensure that all was in readiness. When Jesus’ messengers were rebuffed, they asked Jesus if He wanted to rain down curses on the offending Samaritan village, but Jesus rebuked them and they simply left for another village.

Luke’s Gospel illustrates the loving, benevolent way of Jesus’ evangelizing. You can’t force someone to do something they don’t want to do or to listen if they don’t want to hear. Additionally, Jesus set the bar pretty high for those who wanted to become His disciples. They had to be capable of leaving possessions, responsibilities and cherished relationships in order to be fully committed to the reign of God. Salvation is to be received only with complete devotion to God’s reign.

If we look deep within ourselves, we see an awesome truth. We belong to the Triune God: the God who created us, the God who saved us and entrusts us with the great gift of the Church, the God who sanctifies and guides us. We belong to the Body of Christ. This is the whose we are. We are called to be one in Christ, to go forward on this journey to learn who we truly are and whose we truly are. These are key words: who we are and whose we are. When we know who we are, then we can do the works of the whose we are. 

The only way we truly can know who we are, and whose we are, is to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and not be afraid to be the real me. We have been given the gift and the challenge of the Renewal: Eucharistic Amazement. The mission of the Revival is to renew the Church by enkindling a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. 

Michael Podrebarac, Archdiocesan Consultant for Liturgy and Sacramental Life, says that since Catholics celebrate the Eucharist every Sunday and virtually every weekday, the first thing we all should do is be aware of what we do when we gather at the table of the Lord. Podrebarac is well known throughout the archdiocese for his expertise in liturgy and music. Next month he is going to start rolling out informational sessions and archdiocesan workshops for musicians and liturgical ministers. These can be very beneficial to the “people in the pew” as well.

Podrebarac cites participation in one of the devotionals – such as Eucharistic Holy Hours, Eucharistic adoration, Eucharistic processions – as things the archdiocese needs to kindle and rekindle. He has a vision of making sure all parishioners are centered around the Eucharist, which Podrabarac has termed as THE SOURCE AND SUMMIT of the life and mission of the church.

As we continue on our journey, let us value the WHO we are and the WHOSE we are. We thank God for providing us with this Journey to Revival. For more details go to: www.archkck.org/revival.

Last week we introduced the Eucharistic initiative through a letter from Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann. Today we add more detail and explanation via a letter from Deacon Dana Nearmyer, Archdiocesan Coordinator for Revival: Eucharistic Amazement. Please read it on page 7 of this bulletin.

Father Storey

June 19, 2022

This Is My Body

Corpus Christi – Latin for “the Body of Christ.” How often have we heard these words? What do they mean to us? Every time we receive the Most Holy Eucharist, we hear this invitation, “The Body of Christ.” Is our response just an automatic “Amen,” or do we really mean an enthusiastic “I believe”? Today, Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as Corpus Christi, commemorates the great Gift that Christ gave us – the gift of His own Body and Blood. If we truly contemplate the meaning of this Gift, it is almost mind-boggling. We are receiving the BODY and the BLOOD of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

In today’s Gospel, the disciples urge Jesus to send the large crowd away to find food and lodging; but Jesus would not hear of that. Rather, He instructed the disciples, “Give them some food yourselves.” We know well how the story ends. From a meager five loaves and two fish, Jesus provided sufficient food for the gathering which numbered in excess of five thousand people; leftovers filled 12 baskets. St. Luke states, “They all ate and were satisfied.”

In the second reading, St. Paul relates to the Corinthians how Jesus, at the Last Supper, took bread, broke it and gave it to the disciples saying, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” Then Jesus gave them the cup of wine: “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

In the magnificence of the Eucharist, His Body and Blood, we are nourished and renewed in Christ. We eat, we drink, and we are satisfied! He has given us the greatest Gift ever, the gift of Himself in the Blessed Sacrament.

Eucharistic Initiative

Several weeks ago we wrote about taking a personal journey of 40 days. When we examined the 40-days journeys in scripture, we saw that they were periods of preparation for a major event in the life of the person undertaking the 40 days journey. People like Moses, Elijah, Noah, even Jesus. Our personal journeys are somewhat different; they are meant to be prayerful encounters with the Lord God to prepare us for our life hereafter. Now we visualize that they can become periods of preparation for a major event in our own lives: the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ recently announced a three-year nationwide movement, National Eucharistic Revival.

As announced in the June 3 edition of the Leaven, this initiative is slated to begin today, June 19, 2022, the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, and will conclude three years from now on the Solemnity of Pentecost in 2025. The purpose of the nationwide initiative is to renew the Church by enkindling a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. I urge you to read the letter from Archbishop Naumann and review the accompanying flyer, found on 6 of the June 19 bulletin, to get an overview of Revival: Eucharistic Amazement as it is known in our archdiocese.

The Revival will focus in four different areas: Diocesan, Parish, National Eucharistic Conference and Going Out on Mission. Next week we will introduce some other aspects of the Revival and present a letter from Dcn Dana Nearmyer, Archdiocesan Director of Evangelization and another flyer with more information on the Revival. As we progress on our personal 40-days journey, may we continue our mission as Evangelists in Action, looking forward to this new event in our life.

Father Storey

June 12, 2022

To Know Him is to Love Him

Today we celebrate the feast of the Most Holy Trinity, three Divine Persons in one God. Every Mass, every sacramental rite we celebrate, begins with the Sign of the Cross: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!” The concept of the Holy Trinity is a profound mystery that we will never fully understand while we are here on earth. For centuries, theologians, saints, philosophers and preachers alike have attempted to explain this mystery.

Jesus Christ has given us a variety of glimpses into the Trinitarian relationship. In John Chapter 14, we hear: “If you know me, you know my Father too. You must believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” He continues, “I shall ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever, that Spirit of truth…you know him because he is with you, he is in you.” This relationship is an exquisite interaction of love that exists within the Holy Trinity.

Perhaps the clearest expression in the New Testament of the Triune relationship can be found in the concluding verses of St. Matthew’s Gospel (28:16-20). Jesus directed the eleven disciples to convene on a mountain in Galilee, then He told them: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

St. Patrick used a shamrock, a three-leafed clover, to help shed light on the mystery; others have used an equilateral triangle or a trefoil. I like to use the outline of a heart to describe the relationship of love that exists within the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

The love emanates from the Father, arching and forming one side of a heart as He sends His Son to be our Redeemer. At the lower juncture of the sides of the heart, we think about how Jesus asks His Father to send another Advocate, the Spirit, to guide and lead us back to the Father, thus completing the image of the heart. We flourish in that love.

A few weeks ago we spoke of one of the challenges that Jesus gives to us, that of being evangelists in action. He wants us to be evangelists in our everyday lives, in all that we do. He explains to us: “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I send you.”

Is this something we can add to our personal forty (or more) day mission of preparing for our afterlife? We need to know God, and love God more thoroughly in order to fulfill our mission. One way we can do this is to try to lead to lead others to Him.

Let us intercede with our special Advocate the Holy Spirit that together with the Son and Father, the Holy Trinity will guide us along the path of evangelization. May we learn to know and love God more deeply so we can lead others by our prayers, our actions and our works.  As St. Francis succinctly put it,: “Preach always, use words if necessary!”

As I Have Loved You

              Today’s Gospel (John 13:31-33a, 34-35) is a tutorial in love. We are taken back to the Last Supper. Judas has been dismissed to pursue his heinous mission of betrayal. Jesus is instructing the rest of His disciples as to what is about to occur. He explains His upcoming Crucifixion, Death and Resurrection saying, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him ... My children I will be with you only a little while longer.” Jesus is getting us ready; He is preparing to leave us the Church.

Then Jesus commands His disciples, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.” This is the legacy of love that Jesus is giving us. He continues, “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Love has conveyed many different meanings throughout history. A significant portion of the Bible was written in Greek; the Greek language contains no less than six different words for love, each expressing a distinct type of love. Three of these words are used in the New Testament: storge, philia and agape.

Storge (pronounced: STOR-jay) describes family love, the affectionate bond that develops naturally between parents and children, and brothers and sisters. Philia (pronounced: FILL-ee-uh) is the type of intimate love in the Bible that most Christians practice toward each other. This term describes the powerful emotional bond seen in deep friendships. Philia is the most general type of love in Scripture, encompassing love for fellow humans, care, respect, and compassion for people in need. Jesus said philia would be an identifier of His followers: “By this everyone will know you are my disciples if you love one another.” 

The greatest example of love is Jesus Himself. Agape (pronounced uh-GAH-pay) defines God’s immeasurable, incomparable love for humankind. Agape love is perfect, unconditional, sacrificial and pure. It is love without reservation. Jesus demonstrated this kind of divine love to His Father and to all humanity in the way He lived and died.

To understand the teaching of Christ, we must recognize that love underlies each and every rule from God. God so loved the world that He created all things and said it was good. Then He created humans and said this is very good, because He knew that we were the only ones of His creation to whom He gave the capability of love.

Love is in the here and now; it is not something that has happened only in the past or will be only in the future. It is the present. We were created by the love of God. We were saved through the love of God. Love never dies. It will carry us back to the Father, which is our ultimate goal. This is what sustains us: the love Jesus has for us, the love we have for Jesus, and the love we have for one another.

“Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.” This will be the identifying mark of all Christians, their self-sacrificing love for each other.

Fr. Storey

May 8, 2022

Our Three Mothers

For just over a century now, we have been celebrating Mother’s Day. In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson declared that we should observe Mother’s Day on the second Sunday of May. Since then we have never failed, as a nation, to honor our mothers both living and deceased.

This is an excellent day to reflect on the three Mothers in our lives: Mary, the Mother of God; our Holy Mother Church; and, of course, the mothers with whom God has gifted our lives.

For over 700 years, the Catholic Church has had the custom of dedicating the month of May to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary is the model for all mothers; she is also the model for the Church.  At times you will hear people refer to the Church as “Holy Mother Church,” a most appropriate title because what Mary did for Jesus, the Church does for us.

Mary, like all mothers, carried her Baby in her womb, gave birth from her body, nourished Him, taught Him the customs of the Jewish faith, and taught Him about life. When Jesus began His public ministry, Mary was there as His faithful disciple. She was with Jesus and His disciples who had been invited to a wedding in Cana in Galilee. She witnessed His first miracle there in Cana.

She stood at the foot of the cross and watched her Son give over His body for our sins and for our forgiveness. She heard the words spoken by Jesus, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then He addressed His beloved disciple, “Behold, your mother” (John 19:26-27). As John states in the next verse, “From that moment the disciple made a place for her in his home.”

Not only did Jesus give Mary, His mother, to the beloved disciple, John, but He also gave her to us, His Church.
The early Church Fathers spoke of the baptismal font as the womb of the Church. In that font, the Church conceived and gave birth to us, the children of God, and brothers and sisters of one another in God’s family on this earth. The Church then nourishes us with the Word of God and the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, and teaches us how to love one another as He has loved us.

Mother’s Day dates back to the early 1900s. Our Catholic Mother’s Day dates back to the very beginning of our faith when Mary conceived Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.

May God bless our mothers, both living and deceased, this day! May He keep each of you in His care. May you cherish the great vocation to which each of you has been called, and your importance not only to yourchildren, but to the entire Church.

Father Storey

May 1, 2022

Stranger on the Shore

            Today’s Gospel, John 21:1-19, opens on a scene of fishermen who are confused and disoriented, with no discernible sense of direction. For three years, the Apostles had followed Jesus. He lived with them, taught them, prepared them for the time He would return to His Father. The Apostles knew Him, yet they didn’t. After Jesus’ death, they floundered without their Teacher and Master. Peter, feeling the need to do something useful and familiar, announced to those present that he was going fishing. The other Apostles were quick to seize this opportunity and volunteered to accompany him. They got in the boat and set off to ply their vocational skills.

            Later, as they returned empty-handed after a futile night of fishing, they saw on the shore a figure whom they did not recognize. The stranger inquired if they had anything to eat. Receiving an answer in the negative, the man told them to cast their net again – but this time on the right side of the boat. The fishermen were very dubious, but they did as they were told. They were rewarded with a catch of 153 large fish. The net became so full they could not pull it out of the water. Then the beloved disciple, John, realized that it was Jesus speaking to them.

            “It is the Lord!” he said excitedly to Peter. Hearing these words, Peter jumped into the sea and waded ashore. The rest of the Apostles followed in the boat towing their net. They were greeted by the sight of a charcoal fire with fish cooking on it and bread. The now revealed stranger, Jesus, told them to bring some of their catch to enjoy with breakfast. The Evangelist John tells us that this was the third time since His Resurrection that Jesus was revealed to His Apostles.

            After they had eaten, Jesus addressed Simon Peter. He asked, “Peter, son of John, do you love me?” Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you,” and Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” A second time, Jesus inquired of Peter, “Peter, son of John, do you love me?” Peter replied, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus responded, “Tend my sheep.” But Jesus was not finished with His interrogation of Peter.

            A third time Jesus questioned, “Peter, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was getting very disturbed with Jesus’ insistent questioning, but he also had to be hearing the voice of the girl in the courtyard and the crow of the cock, and knew that he was being given a second chance. Yet he was perturbed and blurted out, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus in His usual loving manner calmly told Peter, “Feed my sheep.”

            Peter, of course, was feeling guilt from having denied Jesus three times. Jesus does not want us to live as strangers to Him, nor with constant guilt. Instead He offers us forgiveness in return for our repentance, faith and love for Him.

            Jesus asks us a similar question, “Do you love me?” How do we respond? Jesus is calling us to exchange our guilt feelings for feelings of love and recognition for Him. Even when we mess up or don’t always show our love for Jesus the way we should, He gives us endless chances.

            Sometimes we must stop and listen to God; He just may be asking us to change ourselves. What can we do to get to know Jesus better, to be less of a stranger?  The answer to that question will be different for each one of us. Let faith, hope and love be our guidelines!   

Father Storey       

April 24, 2022

Evangelists in Action

 Today we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday, a relatively recent addition to our liturgical calendar. Just 22 years ago, April 30, 2000, on the occasion of the canonization of St. Faustina, then Pope John Paul II granted the gift of the Feast of Divine Mercy to the Universal Church, to be celebrated the first Sunday after Easter. Fourteen years later, on April 27, he was canonized and henceforth would be known as St. John Paul II, or St. Pope John Paul II.

The Entrance Antiphon sets the theme for each day’s Mass. Today’s is taken from the 1st Epistle of St. Peter “Like newborn infants, you must long for the pure, spiritual milk, that in Him you may grow to salvation, alleluia.” 

The Divine Mercy devotion is based on the diary of St. Faustina Kowalska, a young Polish nun who died in 1938. At the direction of her spiritual director, St. Faustina wrote almost 600 pages describing the messages of mercy she received from Jesus Christ, beginning on February 22, 1931, and continuing throughout the remainder of her life. The messages were a reinforcement of what Christ always taught: God loves us no matter how great our sins. He wants us to come to Him with trust, receive His mercy, and let it flow through us to others.

On the 8th Sunday of Ordinary Time, just before Lent, we heeded the words of Jesus as He was instructing His disciples, “Follow me!” Now that Lent is over, it doesn’t mean that we should quit following Him. Instead He is challenging us, along with His disciples, to a new, lofty mission. Today’s Gospel brings us an exciting message of mercy and peace.

The disciples were gathered behind locked doors in the upper room in Jerusalem because they were afraid of the Jews. On the evening of that first day of the week, Jesus appeared in the room among them. He had no need for doors being opened, he just appeared. Twice Jesus offered His greeting, “Peace be with you.” Then He commanded, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” They were to become evangelists, evangelists in action.

Then Jesus instituted the wonderful gift of the sacrament of Penance. In His words, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” Peace and mercy! Mercy and peace! What a fantastic combination!

We can see how the disciples began their work of evangelization by following in the Acts of the Apostles. Our First Readings throughout the Easter Season will be from the Acts of the Apostles. Now it is up to us to listen to the mission that Jesus has given each of us: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” Jesus is asking us to become evangelists.

What can we do to become good evangelists? Look around you. Be observant. We can find many great examples to follow, especially among the saints who have gone before us. We also have multiple candidates for sainthood whose example we can emulate. Some of interest to people in our area: Fr. Emil Kapaun, Fr. Michael J. McGivney and Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. All were wonderful evangelists, worthy of imitation. Please pray for their causes for sainthood.

Listen as He speaks to us: “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I send you.”  

Father Storey

April 14, 2022

He is Risen Alleluia! Alleluia!

I want to extend a warm welcome to all our parishioners, their families and guests, as we celebrate this most holy Feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

For a final thought from our Lenten Special Prayer Source, I want us to transport ourselves in our minds to where the events of the Triduum have been taking place: You are there!

Today’s Gospel is set in a garden near Golgotha. On Friday, we saw the body of Jesus placed in a rocky, hewn tomb here. Two days later as we cautiously approach the tomb, we see that the stone that once covered the entrance has been rolled back. Much to our surprise, the tomb is empty! Two men standing nearby tell us that He Whom we are seeking is no longer there.

A woman has been there before us. The apostles Peter and John soon arrive. They also see nothing but an empty tomb. This is Easter Sunday morning! ALLELUIA! ALLELUIA! HE IS RISEN!

The story of Jesus, like every story, has a beginning, a middle and an end. In the beginning of the Scriptures we read of the conception and birth of Jesus, and so we celebrate Christmas Day! However, right away there is already some indication of how Christ’s life will end when we read of Herod’s threats. Herod threatens the life of Jesus almost immediately after Christ’s birth. To understand fully, we must continue to listen to the story unfold.

We come to the middle of the story. Like any good mystery, suspense starts to build. We know Jesus is innocent; however, many are unwilling to believe in His word. Christ starts to teach that He was born to suffer and die for all. This is brought to light as He prophesies that He will go into Jerusalem and suffer and eventually die. This is why, when we get to the part of the passion and death, we are not surprised.

Although this seems to be the climax of the story, and is the part we focus on in sorrow, we must remember the story goes on to offer great hope: He rises from the dead. Jesus had prophesied this His whole life long. He said He came “to suffer and to die, and then to rise from the dead.” He promised that all who come to believe that He is truly the Son of God, will also rise.

Each of us has our own story, and it begins the day we were baptized.  We were presented to God and washed clean in the waters of Baptism and the Holy Spirit. We become a new creation and clothe ourselves in Christ; thus we become part of the Church, and eventually, inheritors of the kingdom of heaven. 

Our lives will be filled with great joys, many sorrows, much pain and suffering, because we are truly part of the Body of Christ. It is in and through these moments of our lives – good or bad – that we come to know Christ more fully. Christ came to live, to die and now He comes to rise for each of us – making our lives so very blessed and so very important.  We were once dead, and now we live because JESUS CHRIST IS TRULY RISEN TODAY!

May we rejoice in this glorious Easter Day!

Father Storey  

April 10, 2022

The Holiest of Weeks

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, the most important week in the Church’s Liturgical Year. This week is the one we have characterized as a symphony within a symphony when we describe our Liturgical Year. My selection from the Special Prayer Source is the Passion according to St. Luke. Today we will read it together – and then we should make this last week of Lent an intense act of prayer, almsgiving and penitence.
Today’s Gospel opens with a huge crowd lining the road that leads to Jerusalem, waving palm branches as the man known as Jesus comes near. He is riding on a colt that has never been sat on before. Loud cheers emanate from the crowd: “Hosanna in the highest!”

Holy Week is a week of contrasts from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs. It is also a time of temptation and betrayal. It culminates in the three days we call the Triduum. Triduum begins at sundown on Holy Thursday and continues until sundown on Easter Sunday. These days are truly the great, holy days of our faith.

Today’s liturgy begins to unfold a series of events that God the Father planned, and that He guided by means of the Holy Spirit in order to accomplish our salvation. In the center of this divine drama stands, not an actor, but the Eternal Son of God. He is Jesus, the Savior. He is the Christ, the One anointed by God to be the Lamb Who takes away the sins of the world.   

A few days after Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, we find Him at the upper room in Jerusalem where He has gathered His apostles to celebrate the Jewish feast of the Passover. On Thursday evening “Jesus realized that the hour had come for him to pass from this world to the Father.  He had loved his own in this world, and would show his love for them to the end” (John 13:1).  The Greek word used by St. John for “end” means not only “until the termination of his life” but also “to the fullest extent.”  Actually Jesus would show the fullest love by sacrificing His life for us.

On that awe-inspiring night of the Last Supper, Jesus was thinking of His final act of love while on this earth: His death on the cross. So that His followers might be able to share in His sacrifice throughout all ages, He instituted the Sacrament of His Paschal Mystery, His Death and Resurrection.  At His supper “under the appearances of bread and wine, Jesus offered his body and blood, gave them to his apostles to eat and drink and then commanded them to carry on this mystery” (Roman Missal, 55).

We follow Jesus to the Garden of Gethsemane where He prays through the night, asking His Father to spare Him the ordeal ahead. We see Him betrayed by His disciple, Judas, who identified Christ to His captors by a kiss. The next day, in the courtyard of Pilate’s palace, we hear Peter deny Jesus three times. We hear loud jeers of the crowd as they demand: “Give us Barabbas!”

On Friday afternoon, Jesus offered the sacrifice of Himself which He had instituted as a Sacrament on the previous night. On Saturday, the second day of the Triduum, Jesus was in the tomb. It is the day of supreme quiet, the great silence of the liturgy. The liturgy invites us to remain at the tomb of Jesus, in peaceful expectation of a brilliant future.

On Easter Sunday Jesus broke the bonds of death. By dying He destroyed our death, and by rising He restored our life. Now in the Eucharistic celebration His Resurrection cannot be separated from His death; we witness once again, “We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.”

Let us ask the Holy Spirit to safeguard us from temptation and always keep us in the grace of God. May this week be truly holy for all of us!

Father Storey

April 3, 2022

Don’t Throw Stones

Today is the Fifth Sunday of Lent. A search through my Special Prayer Source yielded many options, but limitations on space dictated that it be relatively short. For its comfort and inspiration, I chose a verse from today’s Responsorial Psalm: The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy. When our journey following the Lord becomes difficult, it is good to reflect on how much He has given us.

The Gospel for today gives us an example of Jesus being so adept at handling the complaints and challenges presented by some of the crowds that gathered in His presence. A mob of Scribes and Pharisees had forced an adulterous woman to cower in the presence of Jesus. We wonder what He is expected to do with her. The crowd challenges Jesus, trying to trap him.

A spokesperson for the crowd reminds Jesus that, according to the Law of Moses, this woman should be stoned.  If He agreed that the woman should be stoned, they could have accused Him of cruelty.  If He declared that the woman should go free, they could accuse Him of violating the Law of Moses. 

When they asked, “What do you have to say about the case?” Jesus in His usual way refused to answer the question. Instead He first dismissed their stance as completely inane, as insignificant as the scribbles He traced on the ground with His finger. When they persisted in their questioning, He looked down at the sins He had written on the ground and uttered His own challenge: “Let the man among you who has no sin be the first to cast a stone at her.”

Of course they all walked away. Because He was sinless, Jesus could have met His own challenge and cast a stone.  He preferred to offer the opportunity for conversion; He did not condone the sin the woman had committed. He granted her pardon.  A look of relief and gratitude covered her face as she responded to Jesus’ inquiry regarding the whereabouts of her condemners. 

Then He instructed her, “From now on, avoid this sin.”  Jesus did not throw a stone at the woman, and He does not throw stones at us. God does not will the death of sinners. He wants only that they be converted and live. 
We should emulate the adulterous woman and always thank God for His love and mercy. If we look at the potential stone in our own hand, we think “what shall we do?” Will we throw that stone (judge) or follow in Jesus’ footsteps, drop the stone and offer love and forgiveness?

Today we witness a great example of God’s love and forgiveness. The message we carry in our hearts is that it is far better to love and forgive than to judge and throw stones.

Jesus offers us His unconditional love and forgiveness.  All we have to do is ask for it.  Our parish’s Lenten Penance Service will be today, April 3rd at 3:00 p.m. Other Lenten Penance Services will be held throughout the Johnson County region all this week.  
   

Father Storey

March 27, 2022

This Man Welcomes Sinners
 

These past few weeks it seems like all our news media: TV, radio, newspapers, electronic devices, etc. are filled with horrible reports of atrocities against countries, men, women, children, to the point that we think we just cannot bear any more. It was against this background that I turned once again to my Special Prayer Source to find consolation, inspiration and a path as we try to maintain our footing following our Lord on this Lenten journey. One image kept returning to me: Our Lady of Fatima.

Our Lady of Fatima is one of many titles by which we know our Blessed Mother, Mary. The feast day is celebrated each year on May 13, the anniversary of the first of six appearances in 1917, of Our Blessed Mother to 3 peasant children: Lucia de Jesus dos Santos and her cousins Francisco and Jacinto Marto in the Cova da Iria in Fatima. Portugal. Over the duration of the apparitions, Mary revealed three “secrets” to the children. Among these were a vision of souls in hell; the prediction of the end of WWI, the beginning of WWII; and a request to consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. There was also a vision of the Pope along with other religious and lay people being killed by soldiers. (Fully revealed in 2000.) During the apparitions Mary told the children to pray the Rosary daily to bring peace to the world and to bring an end to the war.  

Today, the 4th Sunday in Lent, is known as Laetare Sunday. The name comes from the first word in the traditional Latin form of the Entrance Antiphon and means rejoice. Priests and deacons use rose colored vestments, just as they do on Gaudete Sunday in Advent. Rose is a softening of violet, the liturgical color normally used during Lent and Advent. It is a foretaste of good things to come, and it anticipates the pure white that will be used at Easter.

“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” (Luke 15: 3) These words, spoken in today’s Gospel by the Pharisees and scribes to condemn the actions of Christ, are truly welcome sounds to our ears, our hearts, our souls and our minds. Jesus Christ does greet us with open arms and shares a meal with us.

Christ, in response to the criticism of the Pharisees and scribes, related the parable of the Prodigal Son. The younger son asked for his share of his father’s estate. He then took the inheritance, went far away and spent it on frivolous and wasteful living. After a famine hit that country, the young man was desperate. He vowed to return to his father and beg for his forgiveness. He admitted his unworthiness, and asked to be treated as a hired hand. But his father would hear nothing of the kind; the father welcomed him back, clothed him and feted him at a sumptuous banquet.

We, too, can sometimes stray. Especially during Lent we want to have the courage to look deep within ourselves. We must say in an honest and up-front way: “Lord, a sinner am I.” More importantly, we want to proclaim: “To your name be glory!”

We should start our personal journey back to Christ via repentance and confession. He was reaching out to us before we even started to know Him. As St. Paul tells us in the Second Reading: “All this is from God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation ... For our sake He made Him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (cf 2 Cor 5)
The Father will receive us with open arms; He will welcome us back to the family and prepare a banquet for us. The love of God is everlasting. He welcomes sinners and eats with them.

Let us renew our dedication to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and pray the Rosary daily. With the guidance of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, and His Holy Mother, we can make this a fruitful Lenten Season. May God in His mercy, bless all of us.    
     

Father Storey

March 6, 2022

YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE

Once again we find ourselves at the beginning of Lent, a time of penitence, fasting and almsgiving. We are drawn to reflect deeply on forgiveness. We know that we should seek forgiveness through the Sacrament of Penance/Reconciliation, but for way too many of us, we just do not. We create our own roadblocks; we let our pride get in the way.

There are three ways to seek/receive forgiveness. The first two come to mind immediately: ask God to forgive us, and ask the forgiveness of others. The third might not be quite so obvious – we must be willing to forgive ourselves. Sometimes seeking forgiveness can be very difficult, but we must remember we are not alone. We must set aside our pride, and place our trust in God. 

Today’s Gospel (Luke 4:1-13) relates how the Spirit led Jesus into the desert to be tempted by the devil. Jesus withstood three different temptations by the devil, and then angels of God came and ministered to Him. Jesus was not alone.

At this point, I began suffering from a bad case of “writer’s block.” Then I remembered my SPS – my Special Prayer Source, my travel bag, that I told you about last week. My search therein was rewarded with a song. You may recall it from years past.

As we navigate the path of our personal Lenten journey into the desert, we can find ourselves fearful and anxious. One might ask, “How am I going to handle all these obstacles?” It’s okay to have fears, struggles and anxiety. Just remember you don’t have to face them alone. Recall the song of Rogers and Hammerstein featured in the Broadway musical “Carousel.”
 

When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don’t be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm is a golden sky...

Ask the Blessed Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, to accompany you and guide you on this journey.

Walk on through the wind,
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown

Let Them lift your burdens and ease your anxiety and fears:

Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone.

February 27, 2022

BEGINNING THE JOURNEY

On this Eighth Sunday in Ordinary time, two days before Lent begins Wednesday, March 2, we hear the end of Jesus’ Sermon on the Plains, a discourse on how to live as followers of Christ. (In Matthew’s Gospel, he calls it the Sermon on the Mount.) Today’s Gospel selection (Luke 6:39-45), features three parables that capture the attention of His audience: the disciples and a crowd that has gathered. Jesus teaches them all what it means in everyday life to be His follower, and issues an invitation, “Follow me.”  It won’t be easy, He says, but He encourages all to stay the course and not become frustrated. He promises to be with us throughout our journey.

The first parable poses an interesting situation: how can a blind person guide a blind person. Jesus’ response to this dilemma, is the disciple must become fully trained so that the disciple will be just like the teacher and continue with His instruction. The second parable is also a base for introspection: remove the plank from your own eye before trying to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. The third parable has been a source for some well know sayings: A good tree does not bear bad fruit; one does not gather figs from thorn bushes, nor grapes from brambles. Similarly, out of the heart, a good person will produce good work.

Following His Baptism in the Jordan, after hearing the words of His Father, “This is my beloved Son,” Jesus departed for a journey of 40 days in the desert. Are we ready to embark on this journey with Him? We can do it, if we think of it as just one day at a time – not all 40 at one time.

On this journey, I suggest you pack a bag – an SPS – a Special Prayer Source. I like to stock my bag with a variety of resources and meditations. Today, I will share one of them with you.

Footprints in the Sand

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.

Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only.
This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life,
When I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints,

So I said to the Lord, “You promised me Lord, that if I followed you,
You would walk with me always. .But I have noticed that during the most trying periods
Of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand.

Why when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?
The Lord replied, “The times when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child,
Is when I carried you.”

Dearest Lord, accompany me on this journey. If I falter, steady my step. If I stumble, take my hand. If I face the insurmountable, take me in your arms. With your help, I will make this Lent one day at a time.

Father Storey
 

February 20, 2022

Can We Live by These Words? 

“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” What is this radical approach that Jesus is teaching His disciples and the crowds gathered there? This is unlike anything they have been accustomed to in their past experiences.

On this Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle C, our Gospel, Luke (6:27-38), is a continuation of what we heard last week in the Sermon on the Plain. After Jesus has invoked the four blessings and the four woes, He turns His audience’s attention to instructions that just do not make sense from their way of thinking. He continues:

“To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well. From the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you… Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?” Can’t you just “hear” what the audience is thinking? What is this man talking about?

“Be merciful just as your Father is merciful. Stop judging and you will not be judged. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give, and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”

In this short period of Ordinary Time, the second movement of the symphony that we have used to explain our Church’s Liturgical Year, we have gained some valuable insights into Christ’s early public life. In the Gospel for Jan. 9, Baptism of the Lord, we heard God’s voice, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Then we saw Jesus perform His first miracle at the wedding in Cana. This was followed over the next two weekends by a compelling view of Jesus speaking in the Synagogue at Nazareth, where he reads from the prophet Isaiah, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.” Then Jesus announces, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

The second part of the Gospel in the Synagogue showed Jesus being rejected by His fellow Nazarenes. It began with the crowd hearing what Jesus was saying, but then they chased Him from the confines of the Synagogue and tried to throw Him from a cliff. But the Lord protected Him and allowed Him to escape the angry mob. We next see Christ in a completely different venue. He is along the shores of the Sea of Galilee where he orchestrates the miraculous catch of fish, and calls the fishermen to come with Him, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” After the fishermen got back to shore, they left all their belongings and followed Jesus.

Since that time, our Gospels have taken an extensive look at Jesus in the Sermon on the Plain (or Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s version) where Jesus teaches His disciples and the gathering crowd what it really means to be His follower. Now we have but a single Sunday before we embark on our Lenten journey.

We have often heard in the Scriptures where Jesus has chastised His listeners with the statement that they are thinking like humans, where they should be trying to think like God. We must ask ourselves “Can we live by these words?” It won’t be easy, but God has promised to be with us! Follow Him!

Father Storey
 

February 13, 2022

Follow Him

St. Luke’s Gospel for today, the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle C, is taken from his “Sermon on the Plain” (Luke 6:20-49). A similar account of the same event, titled “Sermon on the Mount,” can be found in Matthew 5:1-7:27). Luke lists four “Blessings” and four “woes,” while Matthew iterates eight “blessings.”

How can two narratives of the same event differ so greatly? Let me give you an example. Just two weeks ago you heard my homily for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. I challenge any four of you to choose a different audience and retell in your own words what the homily was about and why your audience should choose to believe and follow me. You can be creative. You can consult with one another about what was in my homily. You just can’t use any electronic recording devices – they haven’t been invented yet. How many different versions of my homily would come out of this exercise? I think it would be safe to say that your writings would be vastly different from one another.

The retellings of the sermon by two different evangelists are similar in some respects, but very different in others. What is important here is the message: how to live as a follower of Christ. The Bible is not a scientific or historical text; rather it is the Word of God. Luke’s opening lines say “Jesus came down with the Twelve and stood on a stretch of level ground with a great crowd of his disciples.” Matthew recalls “To avoid the crowds, Jesus went up a mountain, and his disciples followed.” Hence the difference in titles. Luke’s version gives less attention to Jewish law and practice and has a greater focus on social justice and being merciful as God is merciful. Recall that Luke’s audience was the Gentile converts. He wanted to show that God was calling all people, while Matthew was addressing his account to the Jewish people.

Jesus gave His disciples a tutorial as to what it means to be a follower, a disciple of Jesus Christ. More specifically, these statements describe the qualities of the disciple as a person. Known as the Beatitudes, Matthew’s version lists eight blessings statements, while St. Luke’s version includes four blessings and four woes.  They direct us to a way of life that promises eternity in the Kingdom of Heaven. In the Beatitudes, the word “Blessed” actually means “Happy.” Let us reflect on them with a fresh insight:

On our journey here on earth we often focus on finding happiness and peace. Placing ourselves in the hopes and promises of Jesus Christ is so very important when we are trying to seek happiness. In the Beatitudes, the word “Blessed” actually means “Happy.” Let’s reflect on the first four of them from Luke’s Gospel:

Happy are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Happy are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Happy are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Happy are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

When we find peace in this world, it is because we are at peace with God. To find peace with God, we must acknowledge who we are ... we are sinners ... we are weak. In our weakness and in our sinfulness, we still journey forward in this life knowing that Christ is with us each and every step of the way. At every turn in our lives, we can find Him there.

In just over two weeks, we will be celebrating Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. This year for Lent, let us adopt the theme “Follow Him!” Only in Christ will we find true peace and happiness. Follow Him.

Father Storey
 

February 6, 2022

Answering His Call

In the Gospel readings for the Third and Fourth Sundays in Ordinary Time (Cycle C), we saw multiple contrasts when Jesus was addressing the people in the synagogue of his hometown, Nazareth. In the Gospel for this 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C) we find even more contrasts; however, before we examine the message for today, let us take a quick look at the messenger.

Luke was a physician by profession. Luke is the author of the third Gospel and a continuation of that Gospel which is now known as the Acts of the Apostles. Luke was thought by many to be a Gentile Christian, so His Gospel is written for Gentile converts. He was a close friend of Paul’s and often accompanied him on his travels. Luke was not one of the 12 Apostles, but he in all likelihood was one of the 70 disciples.

In today’s Gospel, Luke 5:1-13, we find Jesus in a completely different venue from last week’s Gospel. He has traveled some 20 miles away from Nazareth where we last saw Jesus in the synagogue. There he was chased by the crowd, some of whom he had known from birth, and they tried to throw Him off a cliff. Here, instead of his being within the confines of a synagogue, He was along the shore of Lake Gennesaret (Sea of Galilee) with a crowd of strangers pressing in on Him, jostling for position wanting to hear every word Jesus had to say.

Jesus made a practical decision. He saw two boats moored nearby and asked the owner of one of them to row a short distance away from the shore so He could sit down and teach from there. True to his firm belief that Jesus was the Messiah, Luke writes that what Jesus was preaching was “the word of God.” After Jesus had finished speaking, He told Peter to put out into deep water and lower the nets. Peter protested that they had been fishing all night, but had caught nothing. Peter relented and did as Jesus requested. The fishermen were rewarded with a catch that was so huge, that it filled two boats and was at the point of sinking.

When Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees in front of Jesus and spoke penitently, “Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man.” Jesus replied, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”
Peter answered Jesus’ call in the affirmative and became an Apostle. How will we respond when Jesus gives us an invitation to follow Him?

Jesus, help us to follow Peter’s example to look deep within ourselves and recognize our shortcomings. May we answer your call with a resounding “HERE I AM LORD!  I COME TO DO YOUR WILL.”

                                    Feb. 3, Feast of St Blaise, Bishop and Martyr
Since the Feast of St. Blaise falls mid-week this year, we will be offering the traditional blessing of throats to everyone this weekend, Feb. 5 and 6, after all Masses. Follow the instructions of the celebrant.

January 23, 2022

 Scripture Fulfilled

The second movement, the Andante movement, of the great symphony that is our Church’s Liturgical Year – 8 weeks long in its 2022 version – presents us with a panorama of Christ’s ordinary life: His teachings, miracles, acts of mercy, themes and signs that will continue to echo as our symphony builds. This section of Ordinary Time goes from the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord to Ash Wednesday, March 2. In St. Luke’s Gospel, we find multiple references to Jesus being the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. 
  
If we look carefully, we will observe that the last verse of today’s Gospel for the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary time, (Luke 4:21) is the beginning verse in next week’s Gospel for the 4th Sunday. We hear Jesus’ words: “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” This repetition draws our attention even more so to the point that St. Luke is making.

St. Luke recounts how Jesus has returned to His home town of Nazareth and entered the synagogue there on the Sabbath. He reads a passage from the prophet Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” Then Jesus announces to those in attendance that He, Himself, is that fulfillment.

These words of Isaiah, as presented by our Lord, touch our hearts and souls. Jesus gives us joyous news. He offers us His forgiveness, frees us from the oppression of our sins, and leads us on a path that will result in our seeing the face of God. We, too, should listen well, for this Scripture passage is still being fulfilled: The Spirit of God is still here among us.

In the Second Reading, St. Paul points out some crucial themes. He describes for us what it means to be a part of the Body of Christ: “As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.” 

Each of us is a different person with different talents, each with a different role in the spiritual entity that is the Body of Christ. As a reflection of Christ’s love for us, we should show love for one another. We should utilize our time, our talents and treasure for the betterment of our community, the Body of Christ. One way we can do this is by participating in the annual Archbishop’s Call to Share (ACTS).

Many parishioners throughout the Archdiocese have received a mailing from the Archbishop outlining the purpose and encouraging participation in Call to Share. Articles have been published in the Leaven and online. ACTS supports more than 40 offices, agencies and ministries in the areas of Education, Outreach, Evangelization, Conversion and Stewardship.

The Archdiocese serves 181,000 Catholics in 107 parishes located across 21 counties in eight Pastoral Regions in Northeast Kansas. When viewed through the eyes and words of St. Paul, we are indeed many, many parts – but only one body in Christ.

I encourage all of us to embrace this opportunity to participate with an open heart in the Archbishop’s Call to Share, and to strive to develop a deeper relationship with Christ and His Church. Remember, God will never be outdone in generosity.

Father Storey 
 

January 16, 2022

God’s Covenant of Love

Over the past few weeks, we have been describing events in which God shows His face to us. Today’s Gospel relates this fourth manifestation. We hear about two young people who were joined in marriage at Cana. Though nameless, they have been immortalized in the Gospel because Jesus, along with His mother Mary and His disciples were guests at their wedding. Any couple might be envious of them. Yet the story, as told by St. John and proclaimed to us in the liturgy, has a wider meaning than just the union of that Jewish man and woman some twenty centuries ago.

The first reading from Isaiah prepares us for this wider meaning. It is based on a favorite image of God in the Old Testament as the spouse of His people. The prophet addresses Jerusalem, saying: “As a young man marries a virgin, your Builder shall marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride, so shall your God rejoice in you.” The story of Cana relies on this imagery and symbolically manifests the new, everlasting covenant between God and His people.

In secular society, marriage is considered a contract which is binding by law. In God’s view, marriage is a covenant which is binding by love. The setting of today’s Gospel should make us think of God’s covenant with us as one of faithful love – like that of dedicated spouses. The Gospel reveals that God’s love is generous and abundant.

Jesus’ mother noted that the couple was running low on wine and mentioned it to her Son. He rather harshly replied that this was not His concern. “My hour has not yet come,” He explained. However, like an obedient son, Jesus pointed to the six stone water jars nearby, each holding twenty to thirty gallons, and directed that they be filled to the brim. Then Jesus told the servers to take some to the headwaiter.  

 Cana was a small town; perhaps there were at most fifty guests, After Jesus changed the water into wine, the guests had much more than enough – some 150 gallons. God’s love is abundant like that. Theologically Cana is related to the Epiphany. The meaning of the Epiphany is that Gentiles as well as Jews are called to be disciples of Jesus. God’s love is abundant enough to include everyone in His new covenant. This miracle at Cana caused Jesus’ disciples to begin to believe in Him.

            The new wine at Cana was not only abundant, it was excellent. The waiter in charge observed to the groom, “You have kept the good wine until now.” God, too, has reserved for us in the Christian era the abundant, choice wine of His new covenant. 

We renew our relationship of love in the Eucharist celebration. At Cana Jesus transformed water into wine. In the Eucharistic celebration, He transforms bread and wine into His Body and Blood as the living memorial of His death and Resurrection. In the voice of the priest, we hear the words of Christ: “This is the chalice of my Blood, the Blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many...”

Since that beautiful day in Cana every wedding should remind us of God’s love for us. Every dedicated couple should make us think of God’s fidelity. And above all, we should remember that in the Eucharist we celebrate the new covenant, our union with God and one another in the Church.

GOD IS LOVE. 

Father Storey