What is Faith?

My second oldest daughter loves riddles. She recently asked me this one…

“You can’t see me,

You can’t hear me,

You can’t feel me,

But you know I’m here around you.

What am I?”

The answer is air. It made me stop and think “hmmm” Yes you can’t see, hear or touch air yet we breathe without thinking about proving that it is real. We have faith that air is always there to sustain us and keep us alive. We just trust it is there, and don’t ask for the scientific explanation of how air works. You just have faith that the air will fill your lungs and continue about your day.

Faith. What is faith? The dictionary says it is the complete trust and confidence in someone or something. What does the bible say faith is? Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” So to say you have faith that air will fill your lungs is true in both the secular and biblical definitions. In this upcoming week’s gospel, Thomas does not have faith. When Jesus visits the other disciples, Thomas says he will not believe until he can touch the nail marks in Jesus’s hands. When Jesus visits the disciples a second time, he tells Thomas to touch his wounds. Jesus then says, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." Which brings me back to air. Do you not believe in air because you cannot see it? Or do you faithfully inhale and exhale all the days of your life?

Why would believing in Jesus be any different? We cannot see God, touch God, but we can feel God. I feel him all the time. During Easter Mass Father Bob spoke about God moments. I bet you have had one, they happen all the time. My most profound God moment is a true miracle. After fighting off a very rare, aggressive and fast moving cancer, I was told that I would need IVF to successfully have another child. To understand what this diagnosis meant to me is to understand that the cancer I had was formed from a miscarriage. We hoped to have our sixth child. Having four daughters, and the youngest was a son, I yearned for a brother for my son. Accepting that another child was not in the cards for us, I was so surprised when I discovered I was pregnant… and with a boy! But really should I have been surprised? I prayed devoutly for the chance to have a son. When we told our children the news, one of my daughters leaped up and announced she had been praying for a brother. I was told it wouldn’t happen and it did. And it was the son I prayed over and over for daily. But God wasn’t done yet letting me know my prayers were heard. When I went to the doctor’s office, I was told my due date was Easter. If that wasn’t a clear sign then I’m not sure what else could be.

Some God moments are not always so big as the birth of a long awaited child. Many are little moments we may not even recognize. While speaking with a group of teens on their confirmation retreat, we spoke about God moments. Something as little as the right song just happened to come on the radio exactly when you needed those lyrics to speak to you… God moment. When I told the teens that, they perked up. Sometimes you just need to have faith and believe in what you cannot see. You need to trust fall into God’s arms. And sometimes, you need to be reminded that you can feel God around you. There is scientific proof of God, just as there is for air, but we need to believe and have completely trust in God just as we do in air. Rest assured that every time you breathe that God is with you.

God Bless and Be Faithful,

Kate Federico 

Fear does not define us!

As I sit in my office on a rainy marathon Monday reflecting on the readings of Holy Week and Easter, my mind keeps wandering to the last time I was in Boston for the Marathon, April 15, 2013 and all the similarities between how many people felt that day and how the Apostles must have felt when Jesus was killed. 

I was there with a group of friends when tragedy struck.  We were overcome with emotions – fear, sadness, anger.  We ran to the closest apartment and locked ourselves inside, afraid for what might happen next.  We cried, we comforted each other, we reached out to love ones to see if they were ok or to let them know that we were ok.  We were glued to the television as reporters and authorities tried to make sense of what had happened.  We didn’t move for hours.  Time felt like it was both racing and standing still at the same time.  In some ways those hours felt like days as we waited to hear back from loved ones, but it also felt like minutes as we prayed for those who died and were fearful of what was next. 

Today I realized how similar those feelings and reactions were to how the Apostles felt.  Their Lord, the man they had been following for the last 3 years was just arrested, flogged and killed.  The Apostles were afraid and ran to the upper room and locked themselves inside, fearful of what might happen next.  Were they in danger too?  Were they about to suffer and die? I can only imagine the conversations in the room had to be similar to the conversations my friends and I had that day.  How could this happen?  Who would do such a thing?  Why would God let this happen?  Are we safe?  The time the Apostles spent in the upper room had to feel like an eternity. 

The amazing thing about both stories is that neither one ends with people being locked away in a room, paralyzed by fear, defeated by evil, conquered by death.  Both stories have a triumphant ending.  Christ conquered sin and death through his Resurrection on Easter Sunday.  Good had conquered evil.  Sin and death could not defeat God.  We are stronger because of it.  The Apostles are stronger because of it.  The Church is stronger because of it.  Through the Resurrection, the Apostles had the strength to go out and face evil and sin head on and spread the message of Jesus Christ and build His Church.

The people of Boston also grew stronger in the face of the evil and tragedy that happened 6 years ago.  Boston came together as a town and as a people and said we will not give into fear and death.  We will carry on.  We will be better.  We will be stronger.  In the face of fear and evil, the following year, the marathon grew in number of runners and fans.  Many athletes who were injured in the bombing came back and competed, some even in wheelchairs or with prosthetic limbs.  Sin and death could not defeat Christ and it could not defeat the city of Boston.

I am a Midwestern boy, through and through, but in the aftermath of that tragic day, I was proud to consider myself (even if only temporarily) a Bostonian.   Tragedy has a way of bringing people together.  It brought the Apostles and the early Church together and it brought the people of Boston together.

No matter what you are going through in life right now, no matter how dark or low it may be, take strength in knowing that through the Cross, Jesus conquered sin and death forever.  There is light at the end of the tunnel and you will be stronger in the end.

I pray that you and your families have a very Blessed Holy Week and a Happy Easter!

Christ is Risen! Christ is Truly Risen! Alleluia, Alleluia!

Reflection by Matthew Bensman

Who are you in the Passion Story?

Where do we begin to reflect on the Passion that is proclaimed this Sunday at Mass?  I love Holy week and one of the reasons is that each year I am drawn into the drama of the story of Jesus, Passion, Death and Resurrection.  When we read the Passion, I can imagine myself there and observing all that occurred.  I find that different years I identify with different people in the story!   This year Barabbas caught my imagination.  Imagine what it was like to be him.  He was set free and Jesus died instead!  What would that feel like to be Barabbas?  Did he have any idea what was going on or what was happening to him?

How did he feel when he heard the crowd shout “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us.” Luke 23:18.    We know now that Easter brings New Life to each of us.  What did Barabbas do with his New Life?  What do we do with ours?

I read several reflections throughout Lent as a way to be immerse myself in the story, and I was caught by this reflection about Barabbas by Alice Camille and thought that I would share it!

“Of all the sideline characters inhabiting the Passion story, Barabbas is among the most obscure.  History fills in details beyond the Bible accounts about powerful men like King Herod and Pontius Pilate…. Barabbas is a bit player, a common criminal in an age of oppression that fostered lots of violent men just like him.  We know his given name is a nickname: Barabbas: Bar Abbas means “son of the father.”  Like Jesus, then, Barabbas was his father’s son, possibly born to the criminal class, this death sentence no surprise to anyone who knew him.

And then, the unexpected happens: on a technicality involving another case entirely, Barabbas is released into the sunlight and goes free.

What happens to a man like that?  Sweedish Author Par Lagerkvist, a Nobel Prize winner, wrote a novel about Barabbas’ fate.  In it, the freed man faces a choice: to return to his old ways or to redeem himself.  There is of course, a third option: Barabbas might allow himself to be redeemed by the man put to death in his place.  What makes this story so gripping is that it’s not just Barabbas who must make the decision.  We are all Barabbas, purchased by an innocent man’s blood.”

This week, I am left to consider that Jesus died for me.  I am Barabbas.  What decision will I make?  How will I live for Jesus because he died for me? 

Reflection by Jeanne Cregan

The Fingers of God

Last night when my two year old granddaughter was getting ready for bed after a long day of playing and running around outside, I asked her if she had a kiss for me before going to bed.  She replied in a grouchy voice “go away Nana!  I realized that she was worn out from her busy day and that she didn’t really mean what she had said to me, but I looked back at her with an extra sad face.  Right away she looked at me and on the verge of tears she said “I’m sorry Nana” she touched my face with her delicate little finger and gave me a great big kiss, and all was forgiven.

A week or so ago I began reading through the three readings for this Sunday, 4/7 the Fifth Sunday of Lent.  Each time as I reflected on the readings certain words and phrases kept surfacing. In all three of the readings we hear of God’s power of forgiveness and reconciliation. “Thus says the LORD, remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; see, I am doing something new!” (Reading 1  IS 43:16-21), “Just one thing:  forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Jesus Christ.” (PHIL 3: 14), and from the Gospel reading (JN 8:1-11) John tells the story of the woman caught in adultery.

I’ve noticed that throughout the Bible God’s fingers are referenced many times.  It appears in Exodus 8:15 during the plaques in Egypt “this is the finger of God” and in Exodus 31:18 where the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments are “inscribed by the finger of God” and in today’s Gospel reading (JN 8:1-11) where John tells us that “Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger”.  The finger of God being used as a symbol of God’s power, his infinite power to forgive and to heal.  He extends His finger, His hand, His mercy and His forgiveness to each of us as we go to him sinful, with a sincere heart seeking to repair our damaged friendship with him through repentance and reconciliation. 

Today in Mass we recited both the Verse before the Gospel (JL 2:12-13) “Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart; for I am gracious and merciful.” Each time we pray The Lord’s Prayer we ask God to forgive us our trespasses and lead us not in to temptation but deliver us from evil.  We desire God’s mercy and he desires for us to have it despite our concupiscence.

So as we journey through the final few weeks of Lent seeking to grow in our relationship with God and striving to become a reflection of Christ in the world, we continue to try or best, forgiving others who have hurt us and creating one holy moment at a time bringing encouragement and joy to those who God places in our path each day. 

Reflection by Colleen Larose

The Prodigal Son

A friend and I sometimes talk about the Donut Maker.  I mean THE Donut Maker!  It is a conversation between us because we each tend to make all of those donuts by ourselves.  (And they often don’t come out very good!)  So when we ask for and experience the Almighty taking over the baking, it always has a more positive result. Well, you can guess that a Lenten focus for me has been to invite the Lord into my “kitchen” to help with all those decisions and responsibilities that fill my plate.

 As I enjoyed a wonderful cup of coffee at a favorite peaceful stop, I began pondering my to-do list for the day -- including writing this blog.  I love Cardinal Sean’s weekly blogs, so I started reading it with hopes that some inspiration would come.  In his words to a large group in Washington DC, he shared, “it is only holiness that is going to help the Church move forward.  If we are faithful to our formation and faithful in taking care of people, and if our words and actions are paired with the values of the gospel…..only then will we be able to bring healing to our Church and all those who have been wronged by it.”


Struck by Cardinal Sean’s message, I readily saw the connection with the message of the Prodigal Son.   “Holiness”; “faithfulness in taking care of God’s people”; “values”; “healing”.


The holiness, faith, values in the father; the healing for the prodigal son and hopefully for his brother.  These are what our Lord wants us to have in our focus.  I can personally identify with all three in this story.  The prodigal son who searched for other things for a while to satisfy his needs; the faithful brother who made judgments and had resentment in his heart; the father who forgave and accepted and shared his unending love for his children.

 This is the love and forgiveness that Jesus asks of us – for our Church and each other.

 Oh, and by the way, as I finished reading Cardinal Sean’s blog, what was the song playing in the restaurant?   “Count On Me” (Jefferson Starship,)     Thank you Almighty Donut Maker.

Reflection by Mary Keefe

I’m not giving up broccoli for Lent!

I can recall a past priest at Holy Family telling a story during one of his Lenten homilies in which he recalled asking his nephew what he was giving up for Lent. The boy replied, “I’m giving up broccoli.” The Priest reminded his young nephew that the boy didn’t like broccoli.

To be sure, fasting can remind us of Jesus Christ's journey into the desert. But it seems to me it is also important that Lent can be a time when we prepare ourselves to become more Christ like. Pope Francis recently stated: “Lent is a favorable season for opening the doors to all those in need and recognizing in them the face of Christ." Our challenge today is to renew our understanding of this important season of the Church year and to see how we can integrate our personal practices into this renewed perspective.

This Lent I’ve decided to make love an action verb. I think we all can recite Matthew 22:36-40 ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ But my journey this Lent to try to integrate this simple concept (Commandment) into my daily life. Like any profound change in human behavior, it’s easier said than done. (For me it’s exacerbated, by the “gift of free will” and a rather short memory.)

A favorite wedding passage is 1 Corinthians 13:4-5: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs."  There are many examples throughout the bible of Jesus’s acts of love. He showed mercy to someone with no regard to background or circumstances. "And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward."  Life is often a chain of events. Some events are profound others are incidental. We often rise to the occasion of a loving act when faced with profound events in our lives.  But developing a personality in which we offer love to others routinely is sometimes a challenge. A warm smile, a hug, words of encouragement, a simple “thank you” can help us to be the “face of Christ” to others.  Acts of love are easy to perform but are not always part of our personality. Not because we try to be unloving, but more often, we “forget.”

At the age of 20, Benjamin Franklin created a system to develop his character. He identified thirteen virtues that were important to him and practiced his daily use of each, until he had “habitualized” all thirteen virtues he deemed important. One of his thirteen virtues was “imitate Jesus.” Franklin used a fairly complicated charting system, but this Lent I’m trying to habitualize the simple acts of love during my daily life.

At the end of Lent I’m hopeful to have developed a more loving personality. As a result, when we arrive at Easter Sunday and we celebrate the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, I am hoping to have a few less sins to be forgiven.

“…And hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit…” ROM 5:1-2, 5-8

May the love of Christ be with us all, Bob Lyons

The Transfiguration

This weekend we hear the familiar account of Jesus’ Transfiguration.  Jesus takes his three closest apostles, Peter, James and John, up the mountain with Him.  Going up the mountain is an important action throughout the Old Testament.  People went up the mountain to experience God in a powerful way.  Moses went up Mount Sinai to receive the 10 Commandments, Abraham went up the mountain to sacrifice his son Isaac, David captures land on Mount Zion, that would later become the location for King Solomon’s Temple, Elijah calls upon God to light a sacrifice on fire on Mount Carmel, proving to the prophets of Baal that the God of Israel is the one true God.  The list could go on and on.  Throughout the Old Testament, going up the mountain symbolized getting closer to God and experiencing Him in a special way. 

Jesus, as fulfillment of the Old Testament, continues that imagery throughout His life.  His most famous sermon, The Beatitudes, was given on a mountain, which is why it is called the Sermon on the Mount.   Jesus went to the Mount of Olives to pray after the Last Supper to ask His Father if there was any way this cup (His Crucifixion) could pass by Him.  After His Resurrection, Jesus went back to the Mount of Olives where He gave His Apostles the great commissioning and ascended into Heaven. 

When Peter, James and John were at the top of the mountain praying with Jesus, He was transformed and His face changed and He was dressed in dazzling white.  Suddenly, there were 2 other people on the mountain with them and the three of them conversed while the apostles watched, unsure of what was happening. But it wasn’t just two random prophets that joined Jesus on the mountain; it was Moses and Elijah, the two pillars of the Jewish faith.  Their being present with Jesus, further symbolizes Jesus’ authority and His fulfillment of the Old Law.

What I find most interesting about this account is how it ends; the apostles “fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen.”  How different is that from our world and our culture today?  When was the last time you saw or heard something absolutely incredible and stayed silent about it?  We live in a world today where we want to “show off” the awesome thing we just saw or did and the media competes to be the first one to break the “big news” so they can get the most clicks or likes.  If you look around big events, you see thousands of cell phones out taking pictures and videos.  We don’t take time to just enjoy the beauty of special moment and be present. 

I would imagine that if this event took place today, at the end of if it, if Jesus asked the apostles not to share the event with anyone, the apostles would look at each other nervously and the conversation would go something like this:

Jesus “Please don’t tell anyone about this event until the time has come”

Peter, James and John: look at each other nervously

John: “Uh, Jesus…”

Jesus: “Yes John?”

John: “I may have already tweeted it out to all of my followers on twitter, you know #transfiguation #moses #elijah”

Peter: “Jesus, that’s not all…”

Jesus: “Peter, what did you do this time…”

Peter: “I may have broadcast everything live on my instagram account”

Jesus: “you did what?”

James: “If it makes you feel any better it already has over a million likes”

Jesus shakes his head and walks back down the mountain. 

This Lent, take some time to go “up the mountain” and enjoy some alone time with the Lord and experience Him in a new and powerful way.  How would you respond to seeing the glorified face of Christ?

Reflection By Matthew Bensman

How is it Lent Already?

First Sunday of Lent

How is it possible that the season of Lent is once again upon us?  It seems just a short while ago that I was un-trimming my tree, packing up my nativity sets, taking down my window lights – all the while reflecting on the joyful moments we had just celebrated.  And now Lent – with the somber color of purple and the reminder just a couple of days ago, with the ashes marked in the sign of the cross on our foreheads, that this current home of ours is only temporary.  We are invited to enter into a period of solemn reflection and repentance, one that hopefully will lead to reconciliation and a commitment to a new beginning at Easter. Are there sign posts along the way that will help us to reach that goal?  Possibly - some might be intentional prayer, spiritual silence, study of scripture, regular worship and giving to those in need. In past years, on this first Sunday of Lent, I have had the best of intentions…and then I lapse.

Perhaps the message in the readings of today will be a crutch for me in this Lenten season of 2019.  

The Entrance Antiphon (which typically is not read aloud) starts with the words, “When He calls on me, I will answer Him.”  Okay, let this be a reminder of my commitment to follow through on the resolutions I have made, knowing that I only have to ask for his help whenever I may falter.

The two readings from today proclaim the faith of those who have gone before us.  In Deuteronomy 26:4-10 we hear the story of God’s chosen people and their flight out of Egypt.  There were no paved highways, speeding trains or jet planes. The Israelites trudged through the sand, probably encountering all kinds of horrible weather conditions, arriving 40-years later in the Promised Land.  There were many periods of unfaithfulness, but in the end, they professed their faith in God. In Romans 10:8-13 St. Paul stresses the love that God has for each of us and that by the death of Jesus, all people who believe in him, are forgiven.  Faith is the segue to help us reach our eternal home.

I do believe this, but there are occasional days when my faith falters.  At that point I hope I will remember today’s Responsorial Psalm and pray, “Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble”.

In Luke’s Gospel 4:1-13 we hear of Jesus’ temptation in the desert.  I think for me this gospel has always been one of encouragement. Jesus was God/Man and in his humanity he was just like us.  By the help of the Holy Spirit he overcame these temptations. Like him, we face struggles in many different forms as we walk through life, but by truly believing that help is available, we can overcome these.   

As I start through this first week in Lent, I will remind myself that the dark days of purple will give way to joy, that God will draw us close to him and prepare us for the glory of Easter.

May God’s peace be with you.

Reflection by Barbara McMorrow

“Do not be afraid to go to confession!” - Pope Francis

“Do not be afraid to go to confession!”  - Pope Francis

When was the last time you went to confession?  If it’s been a while, listen to what Pope Francis said in his instruction on the sacraments on February 19, 2014, “Be courageous and go to confession… If a long time has passed, don’t miss another day, go, the priest will be good.  Jesus is there, and Jesus is much better than the priests, Jesus receives you.  He receives you with so much love.  Do not be afraid of confession!  When one is in line to confess, they feel these things, even shame, but when confession is ended, they feel free, great, beautiful, forgiveness, clean, happy.  And this is the beauty of confession!”  

Some may say, I only confess to God by myself.  I don’t need to confess to a priest.  That is true for less serious (venial) sin, but for serious (mortal) sin, it is necessary to be formally reconciled with God and the Church through the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession).  Pope Francis explains, “Yes, you can say to God “forgive me” and say your sins, but our sins are also against the brothers (and sisters), against the Church.  For this it is necessary to ask forgiveness from the Church, from the brothers (and sisters), in the person of the priest.”  Jesus said to his disciples, “Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive men’s sins, they are forgiven them; if you hold them bound they are held bound.” (John 20:23)  Implicit in this statement is the need for a person to confess his/her sins to the priest in order for the priest to either forgive or “hold bound.”  In fact, confession is a necessary first step before receiving Holy Communion when one has sinned seriously.  Think of it this way.  It’s only fitting to express sorrow to God and the Church first by going to confession if one has sinned seriously before celebrating friendship/union with Christ and His Church in the reception of Holy Communion.  As I sometimes tell children, you can’t punch your brother and then shake hands with him in friendship before you say you’re sorry.  That doesn’t make sense. 

In this season of Lent, we seek to grow in our relationship with God, with one another and with the Church.  We strive to be all that God has made us to be.  Take advantage of this important gift Jesus has provided to help in this effort.  He offers it as a source of divine healing, reconciliation, freedom and peace.  During Lent here at Holy Family we offer several opportunities for a person to receive God’s mercy in confession.  The season of Lent will begin on Ash Wednesday, March 6 with Day of Open Doors when our church will be open from 5:00 am to 9:00 pm for confession as well as the distribution of ashes throughout the day, three Masses (8:15 am, 4:15 & 7:00 pm) at which ashes will be offered, Eucharistic Adoration in our chapel all day and Stephen Ministers available to pray and offer support to individuals in need of a caring outreach.  Confessions are also available on Thursdays during Lent from 6:30 – 7:30 pm in our church Reconciliation Room as well as our regular Saturday confession times: 4:00 – 4:45 pm and First Friday, April 5 from 6:30 – 7:30 pm and First Saturday, April 6 from 7:30 – 8:00 am, and we’ll have confession available with visiting priests at the end of a Lenten Evening of Reflection with Fr. Bob Johnson, SVD on Tuesday, March 19 at 7:00 pm.  As always, one can contact Fr. Tom or me to go to confession by appointment.   

Confession is a wonderful opportunity to receive God’s grace and true peace… and it’s free!  There’s no better deal you can get out there than that.

Fr. Bob

Are we prepared for Lent?

In a few short weeks we will begin the season of Lent.  On Ash Wednesday we will have a cross of ashes put on our foreheads, and so begins our preparation for Holy Week and the Passion and Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  During this time between Ash Wednesday and Holy Thursday, we are given a great opportunity to pray, examine our own personal walk with the Lord, repent, and to begin anew.  Questions you might ask are, how am I doing in this spiritual walk?  Do I pray every day?  Have I grown closer to the Lord this year?  Have I turned from sinful habits?     

In this week’s Gospel, Jesus is pretty clear about what he expects from each and every one of us.  Love your enemies, don’t judge people, and basically “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”  Sounds good, but much easier said than done.  When someone slights us or harms us in some way, the first thought is not one with the word love in it.  So how do we love our enemies and forgive unconditionally? 

Love and forgiveness is not about feelings.  It’s about obedience to the will of God.  I know when I’ve had ill feelings towards someone who I feel has harmed me in some way, that feeling doesn’t just go away.  I have to pray and ask the Lord to show me where I may have been at fault, and even if I’m not, to show me how to forgive, to let it go, and to pray for the other person.   Ultimately, I must give it to God to deal with. I can’t do it, but He can and will!  Harboring bad feelings towards another person, for me at least, can be exhausting and it causes me to lose my peace of mind.  Every time I’ve surrendered, and trusted that God will take care of it, my peace returns.  Why do I fight it sometimes?  Because I’m human and Jesus knows all about my imperfections.  We will, and do fail on many occasions.   The good news is that we have confession.  There will be many opportunities during lent to go to confession.  Avail yourself to this beautiful sacrament and set yourself free!

“The fruit of silence is prayer, the fruit of prayer is faith, the fruit of faith is love, the fruit of love is service, and the fruit of service is peace.”

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Reflection by Cheryl Provost

“Will you be happy in the world’s way or in Christ’s way?”

Luke’s Sermon on the Plain and Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount closely correspond. Both start with a series of Beatitudes. There are differences in the two … but there is no question they both are a series of bombshells. It may well be that we have read and/or listened to them so often that we have forgotten how revolutionary they are.

And it would appear that they are even more contrary to our American lifestyle than ever before. Outside of Church or when reading Scripture, when in your lifetime have you ever heard anyone say, in effect: “Happy are the poor and woe to the rich?” It is so antithesis to our capitalistic style of government in the United States.

What Jesus basically saying is this, according to theologian William, Barclay: “If you set your heart and bend your whole energies to obtain the things which the world values, you will get them --- but that is all you will ever get.”

Since we all need to eat, feed our families, keep a roof over our heads and pay our bills, it is a balance that we need to strive for. Keeping us constantly aware of Jesus’ presence in and with us through prayer and receiving Him in the Eucharist, we perform whatever roles our lives have led us to … and go on one day at a time.

There was a time back in the ‘80s that I lost a great deal of focus in “Jesus’ Way” vs. the “Way of the World.” I morphed my site finding efforts for national retailers from the “brokerage” end into “developmental.” The latter has much higher rewards … but also huge financial risks. After co-developing Cranberry Crossing in Kingston at the intersection of Routes 53 & 3A, I bought out my partner and purchased a large home on the water in Duxbury’s Standish Shore.

Then the bottom fell out of the economy around 1990, and my many “mom and pop” tenants started vacating this 60,000 s.f. shopping center. And I could no longer pay my bills. I had over-extended myself on another center in Carver, and it was all over; my wife Mary and I had to file for bankruptcy, and endured having to practically give away our waterfront palace and find a rental home.

It was within a year of that when the Lord called me to apply to become a deacon … and the 5-year process of becoming one and upon receiving the grace of the Sacrament of Holy Orders at ordination turned out re-focusing me.

As weird as it may sound, my loving wife & I have each said more than once that going bankrupt was one of the best things that ever happened to us. The challenge of the Beatitudes is: “Will you be happy in the world’s way or in Christ’s way?”

Reflection by Deacon Art