Our Lady of Lourdes Day - Sunday (2017-02-05)

Sunday 5 February 2017, 5th Sunday  Ordinary Time

This Feast Day Celebration was incorporated into the first Sunday of February.

• Isaiah 58:7-10 • Psalm 112 • •1 Corinthians 2:1-5 • Matthew 5:13-16•

[__01__]   There is a natural connection between light and movement.  Not only GREEN traffic signals, but also other lights call forth movement, progress.

          [►]  Knowing there is daylight, we rise and move.

          [►]  Benjamin Franklin was speaking of the benefit of brightness in his famous phrase, “early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”

          [►]  The one-hundred and nineteenth psalm: “a lamp to my feet is your word, and a light to my path.” (PS.119:105)

          Light is a movement and leads to movement.   However, you and I do not control the light – whether naturally (the sun rises and sets its with its own timer) and the light of faith or of God may shine upon us even when we are turned in the opposite direction.

          We do not control the light.

[__02__]   We are called to see the light and be the light.

          First, we are called the see the light, then we can be the light.

At Christmas, in Bethlehem the shepherd and 3 kings come to see the light.

          In this case, a very bright light attracts followers, disciples. Sometimes, the light will follow us, it may find us.

          [►]  In late September 2015, the crowds of people were growing. There was a very important person in New York City. It was not my sister-in-law, but she had also landed at Kennedy Airport at was in town for the weekend to visit a friend.

          As she exited the apartment building with her friend on East 76^th Street (or this vicinity), on a Friday evening, a long and very secure motorcade had been traveling from the airport into the city with NYPD and FBI and Secret Service. This was the papal motorcade on its way to St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

          Had she intended to encounter the motorcade, she could never have come close to Pope Francis in person, in his car, with all his security.

          A bright light will find us, attract us.

          Are we open to and aware of the light of wisdom, the light of knowledge, the light of God which calls us to love God and love our neighbor?  … even to love the neighbor who may not know us or return our love immediately?

 [__03__]    This Sunday, we also celebrate solemnly (define “solemn?”) the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes which is on February 11 on our church calendar.

          The Our Lady of Lourdes feast day commemorates the apparitions, the appearances in 1858 of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Bernadette of Soubirous in  France.

          The light found Bernadette.

          [► poverty, simplicity]       Bernadette was a young peasant woman  from a family without means or wealth and very little education.

          [► firewood, grotto] One day, gathering firewood, in her daily chores, Bernadette saw a vision in a cave. This was the grotto or cave of Massabielle.

          [► image, who?, je’suis]  Who or what was the vision or image? Bernadette of Soubirous described and reported a “beautiful lady.” Everyone nodded and said OK and no one posted any photos.

          The incident would have been forgotten, except that Bernadette had been informed by the beautiful lady of her identity.        Bernadette was  told, “I am the Immaculate Conception.”

          “Je’suis l’Immaculee Concepcion.”

          This is the inscription above the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the icon above the altar.

          [► LIGHT = Immaculate Conception]  Bernadette saw a light, was attracted to the light and now was proclaiming faith in doctrine of the Immaculate Conception.

          Bernadette was Catholic, her family were believers and surely they attended the  __5:30 pm, 7:00 onpm, 7:30 am, 9:30 am, 11:30 am __ Mass every Saturday /  Sunday.

          [► what was the I.C.?] In 1858 and for centuries, Catholics associate the Blessed Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Immaculate Conception.

          In fact, in 1854, a few years earlier, the Immaculate Conception had become an official teaching of the Catholic Church.

          Would Bernadette have been aware of this? She did not have wi-fi … she did  not have an education … she did not read newspapers.  So, how did  Bernadette know about the Immaculate  Conception?

          It was Bernadette’s faith and persistence in this statement that indicated the revelation  and knowledge  had come from  God.

          This enabled Bernadette to see the light and to be the light in the darkness.

[__04__]   We believe in the Immaculate Conception because we believe  in the light, the life, and the power and energy of God in our lives.

          That is, in the Immaculate Conception, we believe that Mary was conceived free from original sin so that Jesus himself could also  be conceived and born free from original sin.

          So, in this case, Mary was not simply forgiven from sin – in a sacrament such as baptism or penance & reconciliation – but was kept free from sin.  She was conceived body and soul without sin.

          This is the analogy made by John Duns Scotus,  a scholar who wrote about the Immaculate Conception:

          [► CANYON RIM]  Suppose 2 people are walking on the edge of a cliff or the rim of a canyon.

          One, the first of the two, falls and is later  rescued.  He is rescued, healed.  This is everyone in the world, you, me. We fall into sin and need to be rescued, saved.

          The second person on the edge, however, does not fall.  The person is prevented from falling. Though subject to gravity, she does not fall. This is  our Blessed  Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

          And, we believe that God kept her free from falling and sinning to show not  her power but  his power.

          And, this is also  to remind us that when we follow God, when we see the light, he is the lamp for our feet and the light for our path to prevent  our fall.

          That is, by following the light – by seeing the light and  being the light – we are listening to the Holy Spirit in our consciences so that we are not only recovering – and we are recovering – but also avoiding  the traps, the canyons, the edge.

          And, with the intercecession of our Savior and Blessed Mother, we can stay in balance, and moving forward.

Our Lady of Lourdes Pray for  Us.

[__fin__]  

¨When I was your age¨ (4th Sunday) (2017-01-29)

4^th Sunday (Year A)  29 January 2017

• Zephaniah 2:3, 3:12-13 • Psalm 146 • 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 • Matthew 5:1-12a•

[__01__]  We read this Sunday from the Matthew, Chapter 5, the Beatitudes and the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, which begins: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”   (Matthew 5:3)

[__01.01__]  “When I was your age … ”  “When I was your age … ”

          If someone begins a sentence like this, it is probably going to be a SERMON, a sermon on the mount from someone more senior, more elder to us.

          “When I was your age … ”

          Someone is going to tell us how it was.

          And, Jesus is telling us how it was, how it is, and how it will be for a disciple, for a follower of his Gospel.

          Jesus is telling us this, to encourage us, not to frighten us, not to scare us, but to encourage us and to challenge us.

[__02_ ]   “When I was your age …”

          When I heard my grandmother and my grandfather speak of their emigration from Ireland and their immigration to the United States, I expected to hear of some challenge. And, occasionally, I was frightened to hear about what each of them endured.

           Without any money and just a few family connections, they had to work as hard as they could in Bayonne, Jersey City, and New York to support their family.

          They returned only very intermittently to see their family in Ireland. In my grandmother’s case, she departed Ireland as a teenager and returned only once at the age of 73.

          My grandfather also reported the inconvenient truth of his arrival in January of 1929 in New York, a few months before the stock market crash of October 1929.   As he said, “I arrived here just in time.”

          “When I was your age …”

[__03_ ]   When our parents or teachers give us these autobiographies, these stories of their lives, they are often trying to tell us, to challenge us. And, I did not dare to disagree with them.

          They are reminding us that we have it easier than they did.

[__04__]   And, I did not dare to disagree with them. And, while, at times, I dared – in my own mind – to think they were not as sophisticated or educated as I am, I also do not know that I could have attained their success or persevered as well.

          What if I were their age?

          In some cases, our elders, our parents, our coaches, our teachers are touching on subjects contained in the Beatitudes. They are encouraging us to do our best, to persevere, while also acknowledging that we will experience, each in our own way --

·        Poverty

·        The sorrow of mourning and grief

·        Meekness, humility

·        Persecution

          These are also the themes of the Beatitudes.

[__05_ ]   And, in the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus our Savior, was also communicating – though not complaining – about these things to us. He is saying that a life of virtue, honesty, integrity that would also bring at times…

·        Poverty

·        Sorrow of mourning and grief

·        Meekness, humility

·        Persecution

            In other words, there will not always be fairness or justice in our lives.

[__06__]    Also, Jesus is reminding us that though we may have money or wealth, status, popularity, education, none of this is as important as our loving relationship with God and loving relationship with others is more important than any of these.

          [** pause **]

          What is the greatest commandment?   “Love God with all of your heart, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.”  (Matthew 22:37)

          These are the treasures in heaven which cannot be disturbed or destroyed by the elements of the weather or a bad economy or bad luck.

[__08__]  In fact, theses treasures grow in value when we recall that for example…

[__08.01__]   MONEY AND WEALTH. These are blessings which we both own and are called to share.  We should not be too attached to them, thus all of us are called to the spirit and attitude of poverty and simplicity, of detachment regardless of our bank account, whether we have big money or a little money.

          Blessed are the poor in the spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

[__08.02__]   LIFELONG FRIENDSHIPS AND FAMILY BONDS.

          These are of great value. Of course, we cherish and treasure these relationships to our mothers and fathers, to our spouse, to our children and grandchildren, our sisters and brothers, our good friends.

          Yet, at times, we are asked to say farewell, to recognize that God has a timeline and a plan for our lives that is not in our calendar or written in our agenda or on our phones.

          At such times, our tears, our lamentations, our sorrows, prayers and our support of each other are important.  We are called to grief and to acknowledge our sorrow, and to grieve together.

          Such honesty about our sadness and pain helps us to grow and to love.         Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

[__08.03__]   STATUS AND POWER.  Certainly, our reputation has value. Your personal reputation has value. It is to be protected. Yet, at times, all of us will be humbled, we will be shaken up. Not everyone is going to admire us, appreciate us.  This does not destroy us.. as Jesus also teaches…

          Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the land.

          And, we are blessed when we are a little humble or humbled by an obstacle, a lack of success, a failure.

          Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

          We are not always in the right, we may have to hunger for it or work for this daily bread, to satisfy our hunger.

[__09__]    Today, centuries after his Passion, Death and Resurrection, Jesus is still with us.

          Yes, he is our elder brother still speaking to us, telling us , what it was like, “when he was our age.”

          When he was our age, though was anointed by God as the Messiah, he endured great pain and suffering and did this not for his own glory or to prove his own worth, but to prove our worth, our value.

          Isn’t this true of our parents, our teachers, our coaches, our grandparents, they did things for us not to prove their value but to prove our value. 

          To be Christlike is not only to recognize my value but the value in the other person.

          In a similar way, when we forgive someone, we do this not to show how magnanimous or intelligent or generous we are or great we are, but to show the greatness of the other person.

          And … blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy. 

[__10__]     [__fin__]  

¨Coger¨, ¨Atrapar¨ (3º domingo) (2017-01-22)

3º  domingo (Año A)   22 enero 2017

• Isaías 8:23-9:3 • Salmo 27 • 1 Corintios  1:10-13, 17 •  Mateo 4:12-23  •

[__01_ ]   [__02__]   / [__03_ ]  En el Evangelio de este domingo, Jesús encuentra a algunos individuos que pueden atrapar. Está caminando por el lago, el mar de Galilea y ve a los pescadores, Andrés, Pedro, Santiago y Juan.

          Y, les está invitando a abandonar un ambiente o un campo e ir a un nuevo ambiente. Sin embargo, no pasan del béisbol al fútbol.

          Ellos están, más bien, pasando de la PESCA a la EVANGELIZACIÓN , de lanzar su red al mar para traer el pez ... a hablar y contar a otros la Buena Nueva del Reino de Dios.

          Y, como dice Jesús, “Síganme y los haré pescadores de hombres.”

          Jesús quiere enseñar a sus discípulos cómo atrapar, cómo atrapar a los peces, cómo atraer a otros discípulos.

[__04__]  OMITIR

[__05_ ]  Jesús creyó que cada uno de sus discípulos podía conectarse, jalar a otros suavemente con cierta técnica.

          Y, él cree que podemos conectar y hacer lo mismo, que podemos coger.

          Es decir, Jesús necesita que tú y yo y Pedro, Andrés, Santiago y Juan traigamos a otros a sí mismo.

          Sí, hará milagros, curará a la gente, hará cosas espectaculares. Sin embargo, ¿qué pasa con aquellos que no son testigos de los milagros espectaculares?

          ¿Qué pasa con los que estaban de pie en la fila de atrás? ¿No es cierto que vamos a aceptar el testimonio de personas en las que confiamos y en quienes creemos?

          Jesús necesita a sus discípulos - y todavía necesita que tú y yo hoy - para que otros conozcan mejor a Dios.

          Lo hacemos tanto por nuestras palabras como por nuestras acciones.

[__06__]  "Atrapar" no es algo que hacemos simplemente porque somos un portero o un jugador en el fútbol, ​​el baloncesto o el fútbol.

          Salimos cada día a coger.

          En la escuela, tratamos de CAPTAR, para aprender lo que se nos enseña. En este entorno, también se nos pide que prestemos atención y utilicemos dos manos. Podemos coger.

          Y, estamos llamados a recuperar si iban a soltar la pelota.

          En la oración y la meditación ante Dios, se nos pide que prestemos atención y utilicemos las dos manos, quizás para dedicarnos a todo nuestro cuerpo y nuestra mente en la oración para que podamos CAPTAR y comprender lo que el Señor nos está diciendo.

          Algunos de nosotros, por ejemplo, usando nuestras 2 manos en oración ... escribiremos y mantendremos un diario un diario de oración para recordar lo que Dios nos está diciendo con nuestras 2 manos.

          Es posible que desee anotarlo con estas dos manos.

Es posible que no lo obtengamos - o lo entendamos - la primera vez.

Estamos aprendiendo a atrapar cada día ya recuperarnos si hubo una intercepción o una bola caída o algo se desliza a través de nuestra red o nuestras manos.

[__07__]  Necesitamos la ayuda de otros - nuestros hermanos y hermanas, otros creyentes, amigos - para ayudarnos en esta recuperación.

A veces, estas relaciones pueden recordarnos cosas que dejamos caer, lo que hemos hecho o lo que no hemos podido hacer.

Y, en tales ocasiones, tratamos de recordar que Dios es amor, Dios nos ama y nos invita después de haber pecado.  Como leemos en la primera carta de San Juan, no hay temor en el amor,

¨En el amor perfecta echa fuera el temor porque el temor supone castigo, y el que teme no es perfecto en el amor.¨  (1 Juan 4:18)

[__08__]   omitir  [__09__]  omitir

[__10__]    Nuestro Salvador nos invita a recordar que Dios es Amor y que el amor de Dios siempre invita a la comunidad, a una relación.

Estamos llamados a edificarnos unos a otros en el amor, en la caridad, en la fe por lo que damos y recibimos de ellos.

Atrapar significa que estamos abiertos al amor de Dios en estas relaciones y que estamos abiertos a ser perfeccionados, aprendiendo más cada día.

Los primeros discípulos y tú y yo también estamos siendo conducidos a un nuevo campo, un nuevo lugar, para hacer - a veces - lo que nunca hemos hecho antes.

Jesús está con nosotros. También es lo que recibimos. Él está en nuestras relaciones, nuestra red. Este es buen partido.  [__fin_ ]  

¨Catch¨ (3rd Sunday) (2017-01-22)

3^rd  Sunday (Year A)  -  22 January 2017

• Isaiah 8:23-9:3 • Psalm 27 • 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17• Matthew 4:12-23  •

[__01__]  Never having played a single down of football in his entire life, there was a young man at my very small college who was recruited to play football … because he could catch.

My friend’s father was the football coach and told me how he discovered this wide receiver.

“One day, I went to watch baseball practice. I saw this outfielder catching fly balls and I asked him if I could do that on the football field. He had never played football but said he would give it a try.   ”

But this former baseball player went on to the most successful wide receiver in the school’s history, and the conference history. And, though he was from a small college where the games were never on television and never big national news… this young man  was noticed and reported on in Sports Illustrated …. And later earned try-out with the NFL Indianapolis Colts later.

He could catch.

[__02_ ]  / [__03_ ]   In the Gospel of this Sunday, Jesus encounters some individuals who can catch. He is walking along the lake, the Sea of Galilee and he sees the fishermen, Andrew, Peter, James and John.

And, he is inviting them to leave one environment or field and go to a new environment. They are not, however, moving from baseball to football.

They are, rather, moving from FISHING to EVANGELIZING ….from casting their net into the sea to bring in the fish… to speaking and telling others the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

And, as Jesus says, “I will make you fishers of men.”  (Matthew ___)

[__04__]  omitir

[__05_ ]  Jesus believed that each of his disciples could catch.

And, he believes that we can catch.

That is, Jesus needs you and me and Peter, Andrew, James and John to draw others to himself.

Yes, he will do miracles, he will heal people, do spectacular things.  However, what about those who do not witness the spectacular miracles?

What about those who were standing in the back row ?  Isn’t it true that we will accept the testimony of people whom we trust and whom we believe?

Jesus needs his disciples – and still needs you and me today – to bring others to know God better.

We do this both by our words and actions.

He also believed that each of them could be caught, meaning they could be called and taught …and that they could be taken to new places and people.

Do you and I want to catch?

Do you and I want to be caught, to be called and to be taught?

[__06__]   “Catching” is not something that we do simply because we are a goalkeeper or a player in soccer, basketball, or football.

We go out each day to catch.

At school, we try to CATCH, to learn what is being taught to us. In this environment, we are also asked to pay attention and use two hands. We can catch.

And, we are called to recover if were to drop the ball.

In prayer and meditation before God, we are asked to pay attention and to use two hands, perhaps to engage e our whole body and mind in prayer so that we can CATCH – and comprehend – what the Lord is speaking to us.

Some of us, for example, using our 2 hands in prayer… will write and will keep a journal a prayer journal to recall what God is telling us with our 2 hands.

We may want to write it down with these 2 hands.

We may not get it – or understand it – the very first time.

We are learning to catch each day and to recover if there were an interception or dropped ball or something slips through our net or our hands.

[__07_ ]   We need the help of others – our brothers and sisters, other believers, friends  - to help us in this recovery.

At times, these relationships may remind us of things we dropped, what we have done or what we have failed to do.

And, at such times, we try to remember that God is love, God loves us and invites us after we have sinned.

As we read in the first letter of St. John, there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18).

Jesus challenges you and me, further, to tell us that we are called to catch others.

This sounds suspicious, dangerous. Do I need a license, a permit, a flashlight in order to catch others?

Jesus is asking us to announce the Good News of the kingdom to others.

We do this in every act of love, of charity, of mercy that we can.  We may also need to pay attention to others.

By the way, we can “catch” others and draw them closer to God not only by noticing what they are doing wrong, but also be encouraging them for what they do right.

As we read in Galatians:  “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”  (Galatians 3:28)

[__08__]  OMITIR

[__09__]  

[__10__]  It’s easy to play catch when I only have to worry about myself.

But our Savior is inviting us to recall that God is Love and that God’s love always invites into community, into a relationship. 

We are called to build each other up in love, in charity, in faith by what we give and receive from them.

          Catching means we are open to God’s love in these relationships and that we are open to being perfected, in learning more each day.

          The first disciples and you and I are also being led to a new field, a new place, to do – at times – what we have never done before.

          Jesus is there with us. He is also what we receive. He is in our relationships, our net.  This is the catch.

 [__fin__]