Bible Study for the 4th Week of Christmas 2024 – 2025

This week’s memory verse: A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. — John 13:34

  • 1/12 – Galatians 3:28
  • 1/13 – Romans 12:15-18
  • 1/14 – Romans 15:7
  • 1/15 – James 2:2
  • 1/16 – Philippians 2:3-4
  • 1/17 – Ephesians 4:32
  • 1/18 – Hebrews 12:14

Pray the Week: Lord Jesus, Through Your work and my baptism Your Father has adopted me in complete love. Grant that I may clearly perceive this love, be filled with it, and share it fully with all I encounter. Amen.

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Baptism of our Lord 2025

I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations… to bring out prisoners from darkness.

Welcome as we continue in the forty-day celebration of Christmas.

Today, we are called to reflect upon Jesus born into the human family through a human family and with the purpose of making us His Father’s family by adoption.

Throughout this past week and until tomorrow which is the Octave of the Epiphany, we have read from the First Letter of St. John wherein he speaks of the totality of God’s love. Our first reading today from Isaiah speaks of God’s purpose, set forth in His Son Jesus, to make Him the covenant of love.

That love’s purpose is to free us from a cheapness of life, any thought or feeling, any impression that our lives are unworthy of intimacy with God. Jesus came to connect us to the reality that His Father is our loving Father.

In His baptism Jesus confirms and gives sacramental affect to our adoption into the family of God. His Father confirms this adoption, sets forth His love for us, through the decent of the Holy Spirit and His verbal acclimation of His Son’s work for our salvation.

There is no doubt, brothers and sisters, that we easily fall into the trap of downplaying our place and role in the God’s family. We often fall into fear – wondering what will happen to us for the ways we fall short. Unfortunately, we concentrate more on that than on the power of God’s love and our adoption that is intended to drive out all fear.

St. Peter reminds those in the house of Cornelius, and us, that Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit and power to do good – good for us.

That good is not just some kind deed or a healing here and there. It is a good meant to overcome fear, imprisonment, darkness, and deafness and to replace it by making us strong. He assures us of our acceptance and adoption, our beauty and inclusion as His brothers and sisters.

At a practical level we must be very careful to remind ourselves of our position and stature in the family of God. We can accomplish this in the simplest of ways – put a note on your bathroom mirror saying ‘God adopted me in love. I am His. He is mine.’ 

We can do this by reading the story of Jesus’ baptism through which He entered His public ministry solely focused on bringing us in. We are the ultimate insiders in God’s family.

So let us take the word of our opening prayer to heart: May the brightness of His presence shine in me, and may His glory be set forth in me.

January 2025 Newsletter – Leading From Why

Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.

As the new year begins it behooves us to take account of our lives. Certainly, there is personal stuff we should address. It may be our weight, health issues, and so on. Our concerns also extend to our families – am I spending enough time and paying attention to their needs. This includes the parish family and its needs as well. All of these concerns add up, don’t they? They become a sort of whirlwind which appears impossible. How do I succeed?

Recently, I attended a class given by a former Marine pilot who had served in Iraq. His duty station was the Al-Anbar province. This was the worst place on earth. It was so bad that most, including American commanders, wrote it off as unsalvageable and unwindable; there was no way out. The overall campaign took four years. 1,335 Americans were killed, 8,205 injured. When one faces a significant challenge as the U.S. did in Al-Anbar, or even our own personal whirlwinds, we need to search deeply for keys to success. In the end Al-Anbar became a success for its people because leaders took initiative to succeed. But, who were those leaders?

It is not as many suspect, a few top people, but rather a wholesale change in dynamic – the key – everyone had to be a leader. For our Church and for our parish let us take these lessons to heart. Each of us is called to be a leader in every situation. Each of us is called to learn leadership – because it is a learned trait, not just something that happens (and we will focus on that in the year ahead). The first key is to recognize and focus on our why. If our why is focused inwardly, if all is about me, we will be unhappy and fail; we will miss on the commandment of love. If our why is focused on others, on our fellow parishioners, church members, and community we can be anywhere, in any role, and be truly happy. Let us then take on leadership from our why in this new year and so overcome the whirlwind with victory.

Welcome to a new year and happy 2025. We began our discussion in this Newsletter focusing on the subject of leadership. We pause at the start of the year and assemble for our annual parish meeting (February 2nd) where we exercise our responsibilities in our ecclesial democracy. Can you step up and serve? Truthfully, we would love to have you on the Parish Committee as we undertake the various projects ahead pf us this year. We give thanks for everyone’s generosity with clothing and food donations over the holidays. We are also grateful to all those who did so much to make Advent and the start of the Christmas Season beautiful. The SouperBowl of Caring is here once again and the soup pot is out. Let’s fill it with kindness.

It is Epiphany season, so see or call Fr. Jim if you would like your home blessed. This is also the month for supporting our church musicians on Music Scholarship Sunday. Looking further forward, you can now get your tickets for the Outrageous Valentine’s Raffle. Our Basket Social is approaching so start thinking about the basket themes for this year’s donations.

2025 also marks an important anniversary. Can you believe it’s only been 1700 years since the Council of Nicaea? Read up on this important moment in faith history and join us in professing the Creed each Sunday as the Council intended, without adulteration or theological error.

All this and more in our January 2025 Newsletter.

Bible Study for the 3rd Week of Christmas 2024 – 2025

This week’s memory verse: I can do all things through him who strengthens me. — Philippians 4:13

  • 1/5 – 1 Peter 5:10
  • 1/6 – James 1:2-4
  • 1/7 – Romans 8:28
  • 1/8 – 1 John 4:4
  • 1/9 – James 1:2
  • 1/10 – John 16:33
  • 1/11 – James 1:12

Pray the week: Lord Jesus, I know that You have faced all the things I face for the sake of my overcoming in Your name. Help me when I am troubled to see in You the solution to overcoming through perseverance, the gift of the Spirit. Amen.

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Holy Family 2025

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.

Welcome! We continue in the forty-day celebration of Christmas.

Today, we are called to reflect upon Jesus Who was born into the human family through a human family – the family of Joseph and Mary.

It might be easy to think of God being with us always, but it is much more important for us to realize the very real connection God has with us in all things.

In taking on our humanity, Jesus, the Son of God, agreed to take on ALL of our humanity with its joys and pains, celebrations and sorrows. He chose to be with us always and through the knowing experience of our struggles is, as St. Paul writes, interceding for us at the right hand of God (cf. Romans 8:34).

Consider even what Jesus faced as we observe these few short weeks between Christmas and the Presentation.

Jesus’ mother Mary is found with child, not by the man she is engaged to. She risked not only ridicule, but also being stoned to death, with her baby, for adultery. Joseph saved her from that but also chose to divorce her. Jesus, except for God’s intervention with Joseph, risked being killed or at least being born into a broken family.

The family had to take on unexpected journeys. While pregnant, Mary traveled 100 miles to take care of her cousin Elizabeth. Similarly, the pregnant Mary with Joseph traveled 90 miles over a week to Bethlehem. Those are walks of eight hours a day.

They arrived and had to stay in a barn with the animals and in those conditions, Mary gave birth. God enters through the meagerest of accommodations. The poorest of the poor come to adore Him that night.

The next threat came from Herod, and they had to flee into Egypt. They traversed the places we are familiar with today, Rafah, Gaza, the Sinai, across the Nile, to a village near Cairo. This over 600-mile journey was alone – not as typical in a caravan – and without protection or provision on a weak beast. 

Today’s gospel relates Jesus staying behind in the Temple. Imagine His parents panic when they found He was lost.

We know at some point they faced the death of Joseph and its natural sadness. The Child and His now widowed mother had to rely on family and strangers for provision.

As we face the numerous challenges in our lives let us breathe in the God Who is with us. He, Who is part of our families, feels our pain, knows our struggles, and intercedes for us constantly.

Bible Study for the 2nd Week of Christmas 2024 – 2025

This week’s memory verse: I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called — Ephesians 4:1

  • 12/29 – Romans 12:4-8
  • 12/30 – Matthew 22:14
  • 12/31 – Luke 4:18
  • 1/1 – John 15:16
  • 1/2 – Romans 11:29
  • 1/3 – Colossians 3:23
  • 1/4 – Mark 1:17

Pray the Week: Lord Jesus, I lay my prayers before You for those called to the Holy Priesthood. Guide them, guard them, and keep them in Your constant care. Grant them courage in the face of all adversity. Help me to support them fully.  Amen.

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Humble Shepherds 2024

So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.

Welcome! We are already a few days into the forty-day celebration of Christmas. As Charles Dickens wrote, and I paraphrase, I hope we are all keeping it well. Better than any man ever has.

Today we celebrate another of those special Solemnities established by the people of the Church. 

It was at the First Special Synod of the Church in 1906 that the people set aside two special days, the Solemnity of Brotherly Love, and this day, the Solemnity of the Humble Shepherds.

In 1914, at the Third General Synod, the people would set aside the other special days we honor, the Solemnity of the Institution of the Church and the Solemnity of the Christian Family.

Let’s place ourselves in the environment of those days. 

In 1906 the Church had been organized for only nine years and was facing significant resistance and persecution. In the face of those struggles what did the people of the Church focus on? What did they do? The placed their focus and emphasis on, and called each other to work at and live, love and humility.

Those people saw the story of the Good Samaritan and the action of the shepherds who were called upon to visit the infant Jesus as their model.

This was no mistake, rather it was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit which brought about this conviction to love and humility.

The 1906 Synod speaks of us as being drawn to the Church and to the Lord’s table as the true source of life. We are called to draw close just as those shepherds were called to draw close to the long-awaited Messiah in a stable. We are called to partake of the Bread of Life, and we need those who will bring it to us. They are called to act as those first shepherds – hearing, going in haste, believing and declaring. 

Throughout subsequent Synods the needs of the Church for humble shepherds, priests who take after the Lord’s love and humility was regularly discussed. How do we train and support them? There is desperate need for that. Thus, we take up a special collection today and pray for that very purpose, to train priests who are humble and loving – not lords and rulers – not princes – but servant shepherds.

If there is cause for hope it is this – many are stepping up to serve, to enter those three years of training needed. They are sacrificing much and will be called upon to sacrifice still more. They willingly are laying their lives on the line in absolute self-sacrifice and effacement to stand in the breech ushering us to meet the newborn King. Let us love and support them.

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Nativity 2024

 The people who walked in darkness
        have seen a great light;
 upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom
        a light has shone.
 You have brought them abundant joy
        and great rejoicing

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

I have been out-of-sorts. This hasn’t been a temporary thing, but has been ongoing, that feeling of unease, not knowing where one is or where one is going. I’ve missed things, feel as if I’ve been wandering without direction.

I suppose it is a lot of things. Like all of us, we have those things that press on us. They can be health worries, worries about loved ones, concerns over the everlasting bureaucracy that seems to place roadblocks in the way of getting anything accomplished.

I am usually self-assured, and even when I do not reduce my plans to writing, I am on top of it. I haven’t been. By now I should have watched every classic Christmas movie (Miracle on 34th Street, The Bishop’s Wife, White Christmas, Scrooge (with Alistair Sim), It’s A Wonderful Life, and so on). I have only seen a couple. Take for example this past Sunday – how could Father forget to light the Advent wreath candles? There was other stuff I missed too.

Feeling out of sorts brings about its own fears, trepidation, wonder about what else one may be forgetting.

Then this experience.

On Monday I did all my last-minute running around. I kind of like that hustle and bustle of the last day or two before Christmas. I felt finally a bit of peace, I had a plan, and it was getting done.

First, I had to stop back at Pathways. One resident’s family presented me with a lovely gift, which I left behind in another room (talk about being out-of-sorts) where I had given communion. The staff were kind in retrieving it for me and that was settled. Then off to Euro Deli for all the wonderful Polish goodies needed for our Vigil / Wigilia Supper and things for our parish Repast tonight and tomorrow. I had two bags filled up and other stuff.

I also forgot – Fr. Out-of-Sorts – to order white roses for the baby Jesus, so I stopped at Randolph’s and thankfully they accommodated me.

Armed with the rose arrangement and the goodies, I stopped at church. I put the bags in the foyer, checked the mail, a set the roses in place. Having done that, I reset the carillon to play Christmas hymns throughout the season. And then…

I heard the door and rustling downstairs.

Hmmm….

Guess who I encountered?

It was one of our food pantry customers. He was filling his bags with the things from my bags. The stuff for my family Vigil Dinner, the goodies for our Repast.

This man was all the things that would put us off. He is disheveled, has all sorts of health issues, due to strokes he cannot speak very clearly. He is the perfect representation of pain and want. He is what most avoid. He is what many would react negatively toward if they found him going through their stuff.

My disheveled, out-of-sorts self was facing this disheveled man, and my eyes were finally opened. There was Christ. I was encountering Jesus. I was encountering the Jesus of poverty born in a stable among the livestock, laid in a manger on a cold night. No pillow for His head. Poorer still shepherds as His attendants. Are white roses and decorations enough for Him?

My heart broke for this image of Christ before me and my eyes were opened to setting things in order – not to worry so much about putting things in order, but to allow Jesus to order and sort my life.

This is what we are all called to do, at whatever age we are, to allow this Infant in the manger to order and sort our lives. We are called to see Him in rich and poor eyes, amid plenty and want, always keeping before us the One who asks only love, and in response to give all our love.

 The people who walked in darkness
        have seen a great light

Bible Study for the Last Days of Advent and the Start of the Christmas Season 2024

This week’s memory verse: Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. — Colossians 4:5

  • 12/22 – Psalm 90:12
  • 12/23 – 2 Peter 3:8
  • 12/24 – Proverbs 16:9
  • 12/25 – Psalm 31:15
  • 12/26 – Proverbs 16:3
  • 12/27 – 2 Corinthians 6:2
  • 12/28 – Ephesians 5:16

Pray the Week: Lord Jesus, keep before me constant awareness of Your immanence. As I celebrate Your birth in time may I also recognize Your coming return. Help me to be prepared through patient preparation.  Amen.

Reflection for the 4th Sunday of Advent 2024

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”

We have arrived at the last of the four Sundays of Advent, and we continue to contemplate Advent and all its implications in these last few days.

As mentioned over the past three weeks, Advent has several shades of meaning. It can mean beginning, revelation, expectation, dawning, and a start. Throughout this season we are led through the various ways we will prepare for and encounter Jesus in this new Church year.

In the first week of Advent, we focused on our preparation for Jesus’ return. In the second week we focused on our personal preparation for needed changes in our lives. Last week we focused on proactive preparation for the Kingdom through our efforts at evangelizing the gospel message of freedom, forgiveness, and new life both verbally and by the signals we send through the way we live out our daily lives. We are to invite others by the way we live differently and are different.

Today, we hear of Mary’s journey to see her cousin Elizabeth and Elizabeth and her unborn baby’s reaction to the visit. Both are filled with the Holy Spirit and in action and by words they leap for joy.

Mary, Elizabeth, and Elizabeth’s husband Zachariah were well aware of the long-awaited promise of the Messiah and now – here He is.

This awareness and its meaning are expressed by both Mary and Zachariah in the Canticles they proclaim, the Magnificat and Benedictus.

If you are unfamiliar with these, take a chance in these last few days of Advent to look them up. We clergy know them quite well since they are prayed daily in the Liturgy of the Hours.

This daily recitation keeps the immanence of Jesus’ return before us. This is our last of the four ways to prepare for Jesus’ return, keeping His immanence ever before us.

Take the prayer “Patient Trust” by the great philosopher and theologian Teilhard de Chardin to heart: Above all, trust in the slow work of God. We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay. We should like to skip the intermediate stages. We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new… Give our Lord the benefit of believing that His hand is leading you, and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete while we await Him.