The Modern Day Good Samaritan

The Parable of The Good Samaritan

   I would like to paraphrase just a few thoughts and consolidated definitions of what a parable is and is meant to do. First, the parable must be looked at in context with what came before and after it in scripture writings. Chris Dodd defines a parable as something from nature or common life that is strange and meant to tease the mind into thought.  Jesus intends for us to look at things in a different way and let ourselves be transformed.  Often there is humor or exaggeration but not an explicit demand.

     When I read this parable I ask myself, “Am I willing to have my world turned upside down? So many great minds have written commentaries and interpretations on this parable that I cannot do them justice, but will simply offer this story.

  

Sammy 

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” …… “And who is my neighbor?”  Luke 10:27,29

                                                     

       The ringing of her telephone startled her eyes to attention well before she usually woke up for the day’s first cup of coffee. The voice on the line belonged to her granddaughter, “Would you please drive us to school?.....We missed the bus and Mom has already left for work.”

      “O.K. Let me pull on some clothes and I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

  

    After returning home, Sammy quickly did her house chores so she could have lunch with her mother. She drove to her mother who was in an assisted living facility with a memory care unit. Several times a week, Sammy tried to have lunch or join in the activities with her mother there because it was becoming too confusing to her mother when they would leave the facility.

  

     After signing in, Sammy walked the corridor to her mother’s room and along the way she passed the same faces, John, Agnes, Ruby and others that she greeted each time she visited. But this was a new day so she became a new friend to John, Agnes, Ruby and others today. As usual, when she greeted Ruby, Ruby complimented the necklace that Sammy was wearing.  

      She found her mother getting ready to go to lunch. “I see you’re ready to go to lunch, Mom. I’ll walk down with you when you are ready.”

      “Oh, don’t you think we should wait for your father before we go down?” Sammy’s father had died 18 months ago.

     “We can go ahead and ask the kitchen staff  to keep his meal warm until he returns.” Sammy had learned that this rues was kinder than reminding her mother of a truth that still registered a startled grief in her mother’s frail body. Sammy sat with her Mom at a table with some of the other residents and sometimes was able to engage them in conversation, but most often was not able to converse very much. Her mother enjoyed seeing pictures that Sammy kept on her phone, often ones she had already seen, of the grandchildren and other members of the family. After lunch Sammy might take her mother upstairs for a cup of tea. When Mom became tired they would return to her room where Sammy would settle her in for an afternoon nap and promise to return the next day. As she closed the door, she offered a silent prayer of thanksgiving for the many “holy moments” she could share with her mother.

     On her drive home, Sammy passed a grocery store with a picket line in front. The sun was not quite ready to set but the north wind began to blow a chilling rain across the empty parking lot. Sammy didn’t know details about the strike but was taken in by the smiles that beckoned others to their cause. Her heart only saw the soaked and matted hair and felt the chill on their skin. So she did what she knew best to help---she fed them. Her car turned into McDonald’s where she bought twenty five burgers and cups of coffee. When she pulled into the parking lot with the burgers and coffee, her reward was many warm bear hugs from so many grateful strangers. 

  

    Before her head hit the pillow that night, she gave thanks for the many beautiful people who had entered her life that day.

  

   Sammy’s story is fiction but our lives are not. How do I live my life?

                         

Reflection by Linda Crowley

It was then that I carried you!

Over the past few months the faith formation office has run various events that were designed for students but had a parent element as part of it.  After each one of those events we have had adults share with us that they learned so much and really enjoyed the events.  That got me thinking, why?  What do these events, that are geared towards kids and teenagers have that parents and adults find so appealing?  And I have come up with 2 answers – a simple, clear message and fun.  Our faith at its core is simple, “love the Lord your God with all your heart mind, body and soul and love one another as I have loved you” Luke 10:27.  Yes there is a lot more to our faith then that, but at its core, Jesus told us that this was the greatest commandment, and sums up everything our faith should be about.  Sometimes we get so lost in the details, we forget the core meaning.  Giving a simple, clear, concise message, keeps that from happening.

The other important aspect is fun.  Too often our faith and our church seems rigid, stuffy and boring.  That is so far from the truth.  Our faith is fun and amazing; we just have to let it.  Again we can get caught up the minor details of rituals and rubrics and forget about the meaning, or person (i.e. Jesus Christ) behind it.  Last week during #Jesus (our summer faith formation program for 7^th and 8^th graders) we prayed the rosary, had adoration, prayed the examen and learned about the death and resurrection of Christ, but we did so in a lively and fun way.  The students having fun while praying the rosary and acting out each joyful mystery didn’t detract from the beauty of the rosary, it added to it.  40 teenagers on their knees in front of the Blessed Sacrament during Adoration is beautiful and powerful, even if teenage laughter and giggles sometimes break out. 

This Sunday we sign during the Responsorial Psalm “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy, shout joyfully to God, all the earth, sing praise to the glory of his name.”  That doesn’t sound like a faith that should be stuffy or boring, that sounds like a faith that should be alive and shouted joyfully from the rooftops! 

As I was walking through the parish center today, looking at all the decorations Jackie Halpin Curran has set up for our Vacation Bible School (If you don’t normally walk through the parish center, you should this week, it is awesome, Jackie did an amazing job!) it struck me that the simple fun message we will be teaching our preschoolers through fourth graders, is such an important message for the parish as a whole – When Life is ____, God is Good!  You can insert anything you want into that blank – when life is scary; when life is hard; when life is difficult; when life is exciting; when life is just ok; when life is good, GOD IS GOOD!

Sometimes we find ourselves only turning to God when life has turned hard or difficult and we think we need him, but when times are going well, we tend to forget about him.  Or we think that during the difficult times, God has somehow abandoned us.  No matter our situation- whether we just lost our job; are struggling in our marriage; just suffered a miscarriage; got promoted; got accepted into our favorite college; got dumped by the boy/girl you like; had our parents go through a painful divorce; lost a loved one; met the love of your life; been diagnosed with cancer; won the lottery – GOD IS GOOD. 

God loves you no matter what and is with you through the good times and the bad times.  Sometimes it is hard to see how He is working in your life but He is always there.  He loves you like His son or daughter and would do anything for you.  Sometimes it is just hard to see His plan, but know He is always there. 

This poem, “Footprints in the Sand” helped me through a lot of hard times in my life, someone gave me a cross with it written across it after my dad died when I was 18.  I have since passed that cross on to someone else who needed it and I hope it has been passed on again and again after that.  My prayer for you is that you always remember, that no matter what, GOD IS GOOD, and He is always with you.

Footprints in the Sand

“Last night I had a dream.  I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.  Across the sky flashed scenes from my life.  For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonged to me, the other to the Lord.

After the last scene of my life flashed before me, I looked back at the footprints in the sand.  I noticed that at many times along the path of my life, especially at the very lowest and saddest times, there was only one set of footprints.

This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.  "Lord, you said  once I decided to follow you, You'd walk with me all the way.  But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life, there was only one set of footprints.  I don't understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me."

The Lord replied, "My son, my precious child, I love you and I would never leave you.  During your times of suffering, when you could see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

Reflection by Matthew Bensman

How Do You Pray?

This week 40 of our 7th and 8th grade students gathered together for a week long faith formation program focused on knowing and loving the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

One of the main themes of the week was building a relationship with Jesus through prayer.  Each night we communicated with God in a different way - the Mass, the Rosary, Praise and Worship music, Adoration, spontaneous prayer and the Examen.  The beauty of our faith and the Church is that there are so many different ways we can pray and communicate with God, there truly is something for everyone, we only began to scratch the surface of all the different ways you can pray.  

Think of prayer as conversation with God.  Whenever we pray we speak with God.  God loves us and wants to be loved by us. Prayer always begins by God’s prompting us to make our way to Him. Because we first are loved by God we can love Him. Prayer is this exchange of love. As we grow in recognition of God’s love for us we more easily and joyfully converse with Him.

What is your "go to" prayer?  Do you pray daily? How can you deepen your relationship with God by communicating with Him? 

How do you like to pray? Feel free to share your favorite prayer experiences below.

Relection by Matthew Bensman

The Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

As a young altar boy I used to place a large red cloth on the altar when Mass was over that had written on it in large gold letters for all to see, “Without Me You Can Do Nothing”. Today, we might say instead, “With God All Things Are Possible” (MT:19:26). I never really thought much about the meaning of this phrase when I was a kid, but it has always stayed with me. Of course, I now realize that it explains how Jesus could multiply five loaves and two fish and feed 5,000 of his disciples.

All miracles are significant but I learned recently that, other than the Resurrection, the multiplication of the loaves and fish is the only miracle mentioned in all four gospels. Had Jesus not performed this miracle the people would have had to look for food, some may have gone hungry, perhaps some may have become agitated, and the sense of community among them may have become disrupted. Instead, Jesus fed them and “all ate and were satisfied”.

Today, on the Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (what used to be called the Feast of Corpus Christi) we emphasize that Jesus continues to “satisfy” us with His Body and Blood in the Eucharist. By receiving the Eucharist (which means thanksgiving) we are nourished spiritually, brought into communion with Christ and one another, recall His sacrifice on the cross, and are called to evangelize. Just as I wondered what may have happened had Jesus not fed the 5,000, I wonder what could happen to me if I were not able to receive the Body and Blood of Christ. One could imagine that my relationship with Jesus would be affected (for I definitely feel closer to Christ when I receive the Eucharist). My commitment to the Church, the Body of Christ, could weaken.  And, my struggle to avoid sin would be even more challenging. Think about times that, for whatever reason, you have not been able to receive the Eucharist. Think about how that may have affected you and your participation in your faith community. Talk to someone who does not have access to the Eucharist and explore what impact it has on them. I am fortunate to bring the Eucharist to a 92 year old man in the parish who is no longer able to attend Mass. His reception of the Eucharist in his home is so important to him.

On this Feast day I think how fortunate we are to have priests who, through the sacrament of Holy Orders, are able to provide us with the Body and Blood of Christ. We forget that there are people in this country and in the world who do not have a priest to serve them and who do not have regular access to the Eucharist. Let us thank God for all He has given us, especially the gift of Himself. Let us also continue to pray for an increase in vocations.

Reflection by Bob Fanning

Hope Does Not Disappoint!

Father's Day weekend!  For so many people this day means family barbecues, home-made gifts from school, a round of golf without feeling guilty and cards that say, "Happy Father's Day from your favorite kid!" 

It's supposed to be a day where we stop and take a moment to appreciate the men in our lives who have done so much for us and been a blessing to our families.  Yet for people who have lost fathers, had abusive fathers, absent fathers, or always wished to be a father, this day can be a time filled with loneliness, sadness or grief.   It can be hard to find gratitude when life's circumstances feel challenging.

In fact, in just a few weeks (on July 3rd)  it will be the second anniversary of the most challenging time in my life, when my father passed away.  As odd as it sounds, the only way that I COULD get through that difficult time was by focusing on the small blessings in those moments and by being grateful.  I was blessed when I talked with my parents on the phone and knew something was different and that I should schedule a flight to visit them.  I was blessed when my husband got a nudge that told him I should not put off the trip to the following week.  I was blessed that my parents picked me up from the airport, and when my father fell in the parking lot and was bleeding, some strangers helped us get him to the car.   I was blessed when my brother was able to join us for dinner the next night and we marveled that the four of us had not been alone, eating dinner together in that kitchen, in over 20 years.  I was blessed to be there with my mother when he passed out and stopped breathing.  I was blessed to be the one to take charge (so she did not have to) and perform CPR.  I was blessed to sit in the hospital room and grieve and cry but also witness the outpouring of love and support.  I was blessed with the caregivers who were sent from heaven and for my friends who drove hours to sit outside hospice "just if I wanted a break at some point."  I was blessed that my brother showed up 1 minute before my dad took his final breaths, with fireworks going off in the background, as he headed to be with our Lord.  Through this sadness and tremendous grief, those little moments, where I knew God was working through others or by giving me a nudge to guide me, gave me comfort and peace. 

As we read in the second reading this week from Romans, "knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us."  The pain and affliction that I felt during my father's passing was overwhelming at times.  Like a wave rolling over me.  However, when I breathed through the pain and remembered the many blessings that surrounded us, I felt gratitude, hope and joy through the tears.  There was overwhelming proof that we were being carried through this difficult time by the Holy Spirit.   Since then, my eyes have been opened to the many "coincidences", "God nudges", "God Moments" or "God Winks" that are surrounding us every day, encouraging us to believe, hope, support each other and get closer to God.    I've actually helped a friend find her cat who had been lost for three days because I felt the "nudge" to call her and then shared an article with her that gave her hope; the cat was found 20 min after we spoke.  I was on a call with a vendor and felt the nudge to talk about a colleague, who is a Rwandan refugee and looking for another job with a Visa.  He put her in touch with the right people, which gave her hope to keep trying.  This led to her dream job and her ability to stay in this country.  I randomly chatted up a man at a coffee shop who had lost his wife and felt the nudge to talk with him about their life together.  The list goes on.  We all have this happening daily.  The moments do not have to be big moments of tragedy for us to find them.  The weird coincidences and "random run-ins" are opportunities for us to help, love, and support each other.

When we fall on hard times, or we have friends/loved ones that fall on hard times, we should remember that "the challenges we face in life are always lessons that serve our soul's growth."   Part of the growth of the soul stems from gratitude then growths with hope. And hope?  Well, hope does not disappoint. 

Reflection by Gretchen O'Donnell

Uniquely Gifted for a Purpose

I have a fond recollection of the owner of a one-man service station near my hometown in South Quincy.  Our family would bring our car regularly to Joe Iacobucci to have it serviced as well as to get our gas.  He was a wonderful character who wore a handlebar style mustache, suspenders and sometimes a cowboy hat.  One couldn’t help but notice the fuselage of an airplane he was building in the left bay of his garage.  He was a rather quiet man, but always pleasant.  Joe was someone we could rely on to do an excellent job keeping our car safe and in good condition.  He was someone we liked, who was honest and we could depend on him.  He was our friend.  Joe has long since passed from this world.  The gifts God gave him were used very well.  He contributed to our family’s safety and trouble free journeys in the various cars we had over the years.  We depended upon Joe, his skill, his goodness, his fairness and his reliability.  He didn’t have a fancy job with a high-paying salary, but he made an important contribution to our lives.  

On this Pentecost Sunday, we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit and the outpouring of His many gifts upon the disciples.  The second reading of today’s Mass from 1 Cor. 12: 4 – 7 describes how each of us is uniquely blessed and gifted for some purpose. “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.  To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.”  It makes me think of Joe Iacobucci.  How blessed we are to have people in our lives uniquely skilled, gifted, talented and inclined in so many different ways, who, at the same time, are committed to share what God has given them for the good of others.  What would we do without them!  Think about it.  I really don’t know much about cars, except to drive them.  But, I can celebrate Mass and other Sacraments, and provide pastoral care to the people of God in our community.  That’s how God has gifted me.  How has God gifted you?  

Fr. Bob

Our Bodies are like a Ketchup Bottle

Happy Ascension Sunday! No wait, Thursday? Wait a second…which state am I in again?

I find this weekend to be one of the most fascinating weekends of the entire year, because it’s the only weekend that is different depending on which part of the country you are in.  On every other Sunday, no matter what Catholic Church you walk into, you will hear the same exact readings, except for this weekend.  Here in New England (and the diocese of Omaha, NE) we still celebrate the Ascension of our Lord on its traditional day, 40 days after Easter, on Ascension Thursday.  So this Sunday, when you walk into Holy Family in Duxbury, MA, you will hear the readings for the 7^th Sunday of Easter.  But in the rest of the United States, the bishops have moved the Ascension from Thursday to Sunday, so if you walk into a Catholic Church, say in Columbus Ohio this weekend, you would hear the readings for the Ascension and not the 7^th Sunday of Easter. 

My mother is a saintly woman, (she has to be if she has been able to put up with me for the last 31 years; she tells me often that I have given her all of her grey hairs, which is probably true!) who goes to daily Mass and hasn’t missed a Sunday or Holy Day of Obligation since All Saints Day in 2006 (the night before my dad passed away).  She is traveling this weekend from Ohio to spend the weekend with us and I was giving her a hard time on the phone today that she skipped the Ascension this year.  She was in Ohio on Thursday but will be in MA on Sunday, neither diocese celebrates the Ascension on either day.  So even though she will have gone to Mass both days, neither will have been for the Ascension.  That realization and conversation probably added a few more grey hairs to her head.  Sorry mom!

So what is this feast day about and why is it important?

On the Ascension, we celebrate that Jesus ascended (went up) to heaven, both body and soul.  His body does not remain here on earth, but was rather taken up to heaven with his soul.  This is very different then what happens when we die.  When we die, our bodies remain here on earth and it is only our souls that enter into heaven, hell or purgatory.  Christ was able to take His body with Him, because it was already perfect.  We cannot take our bodies with us, because they are imperfect.  We must wait till the end of times to be reunited with our resurrected bodies. 

At a staff meeting a few weeks ago, one of the staff members asked for help explaining a soul to a 5 year old child.  I must admit, that I am a little embarrassed, being a youth faith formation minister, that I didn’t have an answer to that question right away.  It is such a difficult concept for adults to grasp, let alone a small child.  I have been thinking about it for a few weeks now, especially yesterday as we celebrated the Ascension and the best analogy that I have been able to come up with is that of a ketchup bottle.   When someone dies and goes to heaven/hell/purgatory, it’s like when you have an empty ketchup bottle.  It is no longer ketchup because it is empty.  All that is left is the bottle.  In the same way, when a person dies, the body that remains is not the person because the soul is no longer in the body.  All that is left is the empty shell, just like the empty ketchup bottle.

Our soul is what makes us who we are, it’s our core, our being.  Our bodies keep our soul protected and safe, but are bodies aren’t who we are, it’s what’s inside our bodies that make us who we are, a son or daughter of God.  So too is the ketchup bottle.  What is inside the bottle is what matters, not the bottle.  The bottle and our bodies are the vessels used to help us achieve our true purpose in life.  In terms of ketchup, it’s to make our hamburgers and French fries taste extra yummy.  In terms of our bodies, it to help our souls to know, love and serve God in this life in order to be happy with Him forever in heaven.

I pray that no matter when you celebrate the Ascension of the Lord, whether it was on Thursday or will be on Sunday, that you are reminded of God’s great gift to us in an immortal soul that, hopefully, one day will be able to spend forever with God in Heaven. 

Reflection by Matthew Bensman

Freedom is Not Free

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Let us take a moment this weekend to remember, honor and pray for all of the brave men and women who have died defending our freedom, and our rights of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Memorial Day Prayer

God of power and mercy,

you destroy war and put down earthly pride.         

Banish violence from our midst and wipe away our tears,

that we may all deserve to be called your sons and daughters.

Keep in your mercy those men and women

who have died in the cause of freedom

and bring them safely

into your kingdom of justice and peace.

We ask this though Jesus Christ our Lord.

R/. Amen

—from Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers

This weekend is a great time to reflect on the fact that freedom is not free.  In our country brave men and women gave up their lives to provide and protect that freedom.  That fact is true in our faith and our Church as well.  Our freedom comes at the ultimate cost, Jesus’ death on the cross.  Through His death and resurrection we were given true freedom; freedom to live a life that will enable us to spend an eternity with the Father in Heaven.  

Embrace the Holy Moments

This week at Mass you will hear a message you’ve likely heard many times before.  Jesus says in the gospel, “I give you a new commandment: love one another.  As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.  This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another”.  Sounds easy enough right?  Since we are still in the Easter season, I’ll flash back to my favorite Mass of the year; Holy Thursday.  This is such a powerful Mass and message, I’ve never understood why this is not a Holy day of obligation.  This is the Mass where Jesus washes the feet of his disciples with a similar message usually sung by our choir and always makes me tear up.  The lyrics go something like this “do you know what I have done for you… if I have washed your feet, so you must do as I have done for you”.  It’s such a message of humility and love.  I’ve been fortunate to watch my children have their feet washed over the past couple years and it was one of the best teaching moments (sadly, I can’t take credit for that one).

I try to be attentive to my faith but the Advent and Lent seasons always give me an opportunity to hit the reset button and reorder my priorities.  This usually comes in the form of an email from Dynamic Catholic or a self-paced online retreat with 30 minute videos of speakers on different topics.  This year I gave up radio on my drive to work in exchange for Relevant Radio.  I learned so much and actually didn’t miss the daily bickering that went on with my usual sports talk show.  One of the takeaways for me this Lent was from Matthew Kelly.  I believe the idea comes from his book “The greatest lie in the history of Christianity”.  It’s the notion of “Holy moments” and that sainthood can be achieved by creating holy moments each day, some days maybe more than just one.  I believe creating holy moments more often than not requires us to love one another; this can come in many forms.  Praying for someone is us loving one another.  I recently had a friend and coworker pass away from cancer.  I prayed not just for her healing but also prayed for the Holy Spirit to guide and comfort her and her family.  One day near the end of her battle, I text a mutual friend and declared, “what a great day to pray for Trish!  Today is the feast day of St. Joseph, patron saint of departing souls”.  Little did I know this mutual friend has just received the call that Trish had passed.  Praying for Trish and her family is something I continue to do daily and my form of loving one another. 

Not too long ago, I was walking into South shore medical for an appointment and there was a man walking in at the same time.  We were both looking at this car that was parked so crookedly it was comical so we had a good laugh.  After my appointment, I was walking out to the parking lot and this elderly man was just starting to cross the cross walk and was clearly struggling and uneasy on his feet.  I thought “here is my holy moment”!  I walked right up next to him and looped my arm in his.  As we walked to his car, it turned out his car was the one that was parked sideways.  He was such a delight to talk to, he kept stopping in the middle of the cross walk to tell his stories, holding up traffic and not caring.  We laughed all the way to his car where I assisted him in getting in and shutting his door.   

Holy moments are sometimes a bit more subtle.  When I wake up a little irritable, it’s easy to take that out on others around me.  When I choose to love despite my grumpiness, it starts my kids and husbands day off on a better note and ultimately turns me around too.  This may not appear to be a holy moment but trust me, my husband and kids would beg to differ.  A more recent holy moment was when my Mother in law was cleaning out her fish pond.  It was the end of the day and finishing up 8 hours of weeding and mulching.  My back was aching.  I saw my Mother in law still back struggling with this project and had to go help her finish it up, despite how much I wanted to get off my feet.  Holy?  Maybe not… loving one another?  Most certainly. 

Holy moments usually take time and they sometimes take effort or sacrifice but 9/10 times I end up benefiting from the holy moments as much as the person I’m attempting to assist or pray for.  Loving one another is contagious.  Being on the lookout for holy moments will inevitably fulfill Jesus’s wish for us to love one another.  I continue to seek out holy moments and am hopeful if I can string enough of them together over my lifetime, canonization may be a long shot but I am hoping for heaven! 

Reflection by Joanna BIshop

How Can You Evangelize?

Do you ever get a post on social media that has to do with something religious or about Jesus and wonder if you pass it on will people judge you or feel it will not be well received?  Or you might think people will think you’re preachy or a holy roller whatever that is.  Then when you finally decide to post it, you get two “likes”, one from your Aunt and one from your grandmother.  Sometimes when I tell people that I work for the church, they have an awkward reaction then move on to the next subject.  The comedian Jim Gaffigan once opened one of his comedy routines by telling the audience… “I want to make you all feel as comfortable as possible so I’m going to start talking about Jesus”.   Of course this was met with much laughter but what is it about faith and talking about Jesus that makes people feel so uncomfortable?  Is it the time lapse?   People might say; this guy died over 2000 years ago and you’re still going on about him?  Well, yes quite frankly, because what we know from Jesus’ death and resurrection means everything.   It certainly meant everything to the apostles as we see in this weekends and last weekend’s readings. The apostles were going out and preaching and teaching and many times they were met with much resistance.  They weren’t just getting awkward stares or indifference.   They were sometimes under the threat of death and yet they still carried on.

“The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit” so ends the first reading from Acts where Paul and Barnabas are in Antioch in Pisidia.  Yes, nothing more than the Holy Spirit could inspire these guys to forge on with their difficult mission.  If you think about it, these men were tough.  They had to be.  They had to be confident about what they were teaching, they had to be compelling, they had to venture into territories and lands they had never been.  They had to speak in synagogues under the sometimes jealous eye of Jewish leaders who were not ready to hear or except Jesus’ words.  They were always being watched and under threat of death.  And yet each week we hear the same words about the apostles…that they had great “joy”.  They “rejoiced” the fact that they were “found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name” that being Jesus.  Wow! I’m not so sure I would have this solid conviction.  Granted they had just witnessed great things that helped bolster their resolve.  They saw the risen Lord.  They knew the truth of what was to come.  Well for that matter so do I.  So I have to ask myself, do I have their determination when it comes to spreading the good word?  Do I have the courage and conviction to admit that I am a follower of Jesus?  Do you?  

What does it mean to evangelize today?  How do we avoid that awkwardness of being open about our faith?  Father Mike Schmitz of Ascension press says that “evangelizing doesn’t mean going door to door with religious flyers. It means being aware and looking for opportunities in everyday life to be witnesses of Christ’s love: listening to people’s concerns, offering tangible help, praying for others, and being open to conversations about spiritual matters.”  That sounds doable Fr. Mike!  Another simple thing to do is daily prayer. Fr. Mike also points out that “a lot of people easily slip into self-centered individualism (“just me and Jesus”), or they mindlessly go to Mass because it’s what is expected of them”  He further points out that  as “St. Paul says you’re a member of Christ’s body—you’re a member of the Church. Which doesn’t mean that you have a card and you’re a member [to a club]. No, you’re a physical member, like an arm or a leg. So the arm has to be healthy individually but connected to the head, Jesus. But it also realizes that it’s not the only member.” It’s important to have a dialogue with Jesus and ask for His guidance.  We ask God for so much and in we return we should ask Him where we are most needed.  What can we do today for our neighbors or for others?  Where can we be of most help today?  If we keep this prayerful dialogue going maybe the awkwardness of admitting to and showing our faith will fade. Maybe the messages will become clear, and maybe with the help of the Holy Spirit we can be joyful like the apostles in sharing our faith and our love of Jesus.

Reflection by Mary Juliano Hayes

Feed my Sheep

“When a maid saw him (Peter) seated in the light, she looked intently at him and said, ‘This man too was with him.’  But he denied it saying, ‘Woman, I do not know him.’ A short while later someone else saw him and said ‘ You too are one of them.’ but Peter answered, ‘My friend, I am not.’   About an hour later, still another insisted, ‘Assuredly, this man too was with him, for he is also a Galilean.’ But Peter said, ‘My friend, I do not know what you are talking about.’” (Excerpt from Luke Chapter 22)

These are the last words we hear from Peter before Jesus’ crucifixion.  The man who was chosen by Christ to be the head of the Apostles and the first pope, in the hour Jesus needed him most, repeatedly denied knowing him.  This is the man whom Jesus said He would build His Church upon and he just lied and ran away when things got too hard.  How many times have we denied Christ when it became challenging or too inconvenient? 

But do not despair, there is hope!  This weekend we hear this exchange between Jesus and Peter:

“’Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’  He then said to Simon Peter a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’  Jesus said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’  Jesus said to him a third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was distressed that Jesus had said to him a third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything: you know that I love you.’  Jesus said to him ‘Feed my sheep.’” (John 21)

Christ, in his infinite love and mercy, gave Peter a chance at forgiveness and redemption.  Each time Peter denied Jesus before his crucifixion, and each time we deny Christ with our words and actions, we are saying, “Jesus I don’t love you.”  

Jesus, by asking Peter, “Do you love me?” three times gives Peter a 2^nd chance, a chance to change his answers from, “No Jesus I don’t love you,” to “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.”  And through that second chance, Peter’s denials were wiped away and replaced with love and forgiveness. 

God gives us that same chance everyday to undo our denials of Him.  He is the loving God that is standing there waiting for you to turn back towards him and say, “Yes Lord, I love you.”  Come meet our loving God in the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist.

Please pray in a special way for the young people of our Parish who are receiving that love of Christ in a special way this weekend (and over the next few weekends) as they make their First Communions. 

If you love me, feed my sheep. 

Reflection by Matthew Bensman