The Father Almighty

God as Father. How do we fit this image into our lives today? Some people have valid concerns that fathers today do not live up to what a father truly is to be, as defined by God. Since some men have misunderstood, misinterpreted and misused the role as father, sons and daughters have grown up with a skewed concept as to what a father should be, and how he was supposed to influence their lives.

I will not venture to delve into the psychological and sociological aspects of this deficiency in our culture. I will, however, attempt to bring to light the nature of God the Father Almighty as it is understood by the Church.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:

240      Jesus revealed that God is Father in an unheard-of sense: he is Father not only in being Creator; he is eternally Father in relation to his only Son, who is eternally Son only in relation to his Father: “No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” (Matthew 11:27)

While the Israelites wandered in the desert with Moses and listened to the prophets, they had know the name of God as 'I Am Who Am' - YHWH. They knew He was their Father and that He provided for them, but still they strayed. The prophets pleaded, chastised, demanded and cried for their people to know this love and return it to God, but hearts became hard still. And as a Good Father, God loved them always.

That is precisely what Jesus came to do, to reveal God the Father as no prophet ever could.  Not only does He know the Father in ways which sometimes are distant to us, but He can bring us closer to the Father by our relationship with Him! Jesus, as the Son, can reveal to us the immense love that the Father has for us and how we can love Him in return.

Our role as Catholics, is to fully enter into the love of God the Father and allow Him to be that great and glorious Father who is fully present, fully involved and intimately desires to be with us forever. This is why we celebrate mass on Sundays, to be present and involved with God, to remind us of that love that He has through Jesus Christ His Son and to worship and praise Him above all things. So many have said "I get nothing out of mass...", well - that's not why we go! We go to GIVE! We go to be present to Him! And in return, He showers us with gifts! The gift of His Son, the gift of His mercy, the gift of his grace, the gift of His peace - endless gifts. In receiving these gifts, we should not answer with expecting more, we should raise our hands and hearts in gratitude of our wonderful Father who has given us life.

Let us pray to the Father that He reveal Himself to us through His Son every day. Let us pray that we grow in love and charity every day, and let us pray that we may rest in His Presence on our final day and live with Him in eternity. Amen.

I hope I have enlightened you at least a little on this topic and may God bless you all in this New Year - The Year of Faith!

Deacon Jimmy 

I Believe in One God....

What do you believe in? Do you believe that the sun will rise in the morning? Do you believe that the stars will shine at night? Things that we see and can observe reacting with our lives are easy to believe, but what about God?

We start the Year of Faith today with a close look at why we have faith. What is it that turns our gaze to the visible and invisible to make our heart skip a beat and wonder how things came to be? It is that natural curiosity of mankind. That inner longing for knowledge. The desire to know something other than ourselves. That longing, that desire, inevitably leads to God.

The Catechism addresses this from the very beginning:

27 The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for:

Catholic Church. (2000). Catechism of the Catholic Church (2nd Ed.) (13). Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference.

The secular world today will tell us there is no God. The secular world wants us to embrace its idea of a humancentric existence, that we are but a blob of protoplasm and have evolved from the muck of our own accord. The atheistic movement is gaining much ground and we are buffeted by the ill winds of a rebellious world.

Some people will despair and withdraw, some will turn their eyes and pretend nothing is happening, and some will give in and lose hope. Hope........ where does that come from? Hope and faith go hand in hand.

to be continued.....

 

And So It Begins.....

The Year of Faith begins tomorrow with the 50th Anniversary of the Second Vatican Council and the 20th Anniversary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

As a Deacon in the Catholic Church, I often pray for an increase in faith, not only in myself, but for the whole world. Sometimes the question is, what is faith? Where does it come from and how do I get it? 

What is faith? Looking up faith in the dictionary gives you all sorts of definitions. From allegiance to someone or something, as in loyalty, to belief in someone or something that cannot be proved. Some of the alternate definitions will mention God, but the wording is obscure to say the least. So how can a person come to understand faith if definitions fall short.

Maybe we should re-ask the question from a Catholic standpoint? In other words, what is Catholic faith? What makes us Catholic? Is our Catholic identity based on the parish we attend or the building in which we go to mass? Is our Catholic identity tied up in forms or certificates?

To truly discover our catholic identity, we should really look to our Creed.  It seemed that centuries after Christ died and rose, the identity of Christians was being questioned. There was faith there, but some variations in what was believed began to crop up in all corners. In 325AD, the Council of Nicea put those beliefs in words and they remain steadfast til today.

I would like to examine the Creed in parts over several blogposts and welcome any comments and suggestions as we go along.

So, next post will begin as the Creed begins "I believe in One God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and Earth, of all things visible and invisible."

Until then, God bless and pray well!
Deacon Jimmy

October 2nd - Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels

We all have Guardian Angels, but how often do we think of them and pray for their intercession? Is it because we have let slip from our minds the existence of spiritual beings? Do we doubt that our infinite God can place a spiritual companion for each and every one of us?

The secular world has been doing a great job at trying to distance us from God by trivializing the spiritual. They deny His existence, demean the works of His Son Jesus Christ and work to thwart the good that is in each one us by twisting truths and inventing the 'new normal'. No wonder we forget what our Guardian Angels can do for us, because the 'world' has pressed us into forgetfulness and apathy.

The reality is - ANGELS DO EXIST!

We only have to read the bible to see the inspired Word of God comment on their existence and interaction with mankind. We see them appearing to Mary, announcing the birth of Jesus and ministering to Jesus in the desert just to name a few. Just type Angels in the bible in your favorite search engine and you will see the many scenes which show us angels in their mission.

St. Thomas Aquinas, great philosopher and also known as the Angelic Doctor, studied and wrote on the existence of angels and their nature extensively in his Summa Theologica. He begins in Prima Pars Question 50 http://www.newadvent.org/summa/1050.htm . 

Reading the Summa can be a little daunting until you understand what St. Thomas was trying to achieve. It is based in a Q&A format and he addresses objections to the faith and proceeds to answer them with great depth. I tend to treat it as I would the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Not as a book to be read from beginning to end as a novel, but rather as a reference book to look up certain topics from time to time.

Sure, you can read it in its entirety, but pondering a topic and reading then reflecting, for me, tends to help it sink in. Angels were one such subject that I couldn't grasp, but was aided by St. Thomas tremendously. I encourage you to read what St. Thomas has to say about angels today.

So, on this Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels, let us rekindle the relationship with our Guardian Angel. Allow your Angel to help you pray, ask your Angel for assistance in becoming holy knowing that the hosts of angels are always before God and see His face.

Enjoy this Memorial Day!

God Bless,
Deacon Jimmy

The Bread of Life

What an awesome month we are having in our readings for masses on Sunday! We have been following the Gospel of John, Chapter 6. The Bread of Life discourse is truly an unfolding of God's infinite love for us. Imagine, the Divine Life is being fed to us by Divinity Himself!

This was no accident. The mission and goal of Christ was to not only sacrifice Himself for us and our sins, but to continue to be present with us until the end of the ages. His presence in the Eucharist is so real, so powerful, that we continually give thanks and praise to the King of Glory.

This series of Gospel readings will conclude with some of Jesus' disciples leaving Him on this matter. Last week they said, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" (John 6:52) This week they will say, "This saying is hard; who can accept it?”(John 6:60)

Do some have trouble accepting this fact today? Do some deny the Real Presence of Christ in the Body and Blood? Absolutely, there are those who reason it away, discard it and turn from any evidence that may be shown them. But, as Catholics today we say, AMEN! We do believe!

The Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is the source and summit of our Catholic faith. It is through this Communion that we become the Body of Christ here on earth and so endeavor to continue His work here by healing the sick, caring for the poor, feeding the hungry and, through the sacrament of Reconciliation, forgiving the sins of the many who have fallen.

So, bring a friend to Church this coming Sunday and allow them to experience the True Presence first hand. Maybe just by being that close to Christ, they may be able to find what has been missing in their lives.

God bless,
Deacon Jimmy 

WHAT'S HAPPENING!

At  St. Bernadette we are beginning a new phase in the life of our parish. We have welcomed our new Pastor – Fr. Carl Collins. He has been received warmly by the people of the parish and seems eager to bring our community closer to Christ! Let us pray for our parish, our pastor, the staff and all who work for the common good.

                New Fundraiser! Excitement is gathering as we begin our Debt Reduction Fundraiser. This will be a Raffle for a Grand prize of $10,000.00 with $100.00 drawings each weekend before the main drawing on October 14^th. Tickets are $100.00 each and can be purchased after each mass on the weekends or from a parishioner. Also you can call 985-879-1506 for more information.

                Garage Sale! This weekend (July 27, 28,29) we will be holding a Garage Sale in our Fr. Pat O’Brien Center Gym.  Many, many tables of good usable items and clothing are available. Again, call 985-879-1506 for more information.

                           Many more events are coming up and I will try to keep you posted in a timely fashion. God Bless and stay cool this summer!

Spiderman Review

I like Fr. Robert Barron's take on things, and since I recently watched The Amazing Spiderman with my son, I thought I would post his viewpoint. 


Enjoy the video and let me know what you think!

Sacred Heart of Jesus

To the Sacred Heart of Jesus

O Heart of Jesus, treasure of tenderness,
You Yourself are my happiness, my only hope.
You who knew how to charm my tender youth,
Stay near me till the last night.
Lord, to you alone I’ve given my life,
And all my desires are well-known to you.
It’s in your ever-infinite goodness
That I want to lose myself, O Heart of Jesus!

Ah! I know well, all our righteousness
Is worthless in your sight.
To give value to my sacrifices,
I want to cast them into your Divine Heart.
You did not find your angels without blemish.
In the midst of lightning you gave your law! . . .
I hide myself in your Sacred Heart, Jesus.
I do not fear, my virtue is You! . . .

To be able to gaze on your glory,
I know we have to pass through fire.
So I, for my purgatory,
Choose your burning love, O heart of my God!
On leaving this life, my exiled soul
Would like to make an act of pure love,
And then, flying away to Heaven, its Homeland,
Enter straightaway into your Heart.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Poetry

Trinity Sunday

Wow. Here we are at Trinity Sunday already. Time flies!


I once gave a homily in which I likened the Trinity as to a family. The love of the husband and wife was so great that it gave birth to a third person, the baby. I know analogies are very lacking when it comes to topics such as this, but I try. Therefore, it is on a much more immeasurable scale the love of God the Father and of the Son manifested itself into the Holy Spirit and it moves infinitely among the three. So much so that it was always that way and ever will be.


The Trinity is a concept hard to understand, yet glorious to contemplate. We marvel at the Words in the Bible and somehow come to a dim realization of the mystery of three in one. It is God's revelation to us and I think His intent is for us not to understand fully, but to grow in knowledge.


Our Catholic faith teaches us that He is always present and His Son has shed His blood for us and the Holy Spirit empowers us to live our lives in His name. It is through that same power that the Church has been established by Jesus Christ to be the beacon of light in a darkened world. A darkened world growing ever darker, but never without hope as long as the Church exists!


So, my thoughts turn to my first point of the family. If the family is so close in image to the Trinity, and the secular world is trying to destroy and reinvent the family, would it  also mean that secular society is trying to destroy and reinvent the Trinity? It is not only a full frontal assault on the family, but an assault on the Church and even God Himself. I mean, the government is trying to legislate morality and tell us how to think and enforce how we are to think, so that means they are trying to replace natural law, eternal law and God.
 
We, as a Church, need to awaken to that power given to us through the Holy Spirit and be the hands and feet AND VOICE of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. This can only be done if we, as Catholics, become Catholic in every sense of the name. United and universal, thinking with one mind, beating with one heart and living as one soul, concerned only with the salvation of souls and the good of the other can this  be done. 


If the secular world sees a united Church, it will see the light of Christ and will either squint its eyes and retreat back under the dark rock where it resides in fear, or have its eyes opened fully and rejoice in the hope that comes only from the grace poured out by God to His people, ALL of his people.


May the unity of the people of God, bound together in love, be our goal. In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

"Without Me you can do nothing"

What a reading this weekend, eh?


Vines, branches, fire. All these elements lead us to our relationship with Christ. He is the vine and we are the branches. So, for us to separate ourselves from Him, means to remove ourselves from the very life-giving source! His life flows into our lives like the moisture and nutrients flow from the roots to the vine to the branches. Lacking that 'moisture' we dry up and are undernourished, destined for only the fire of eternal damnation.


Let's stay connected to the vine!

Greeting

HAPPY EASTER!

The Triduum Begins

As this Holy Week unfolds, we turn our attention to the Lord with full focus. 

His Apostles and disciples are no match for the evil brought to bear by one man - Judas. Judas' betrayal is typical of the greedy, self-centered human. All that is material and passing in this world is what sometimes holds the fascination of those who do not think of others on a regular, spiritual basis. It is that inward focus, that self-pleasuring attitude that leads to consumption by the flesh. It lead Judas to selling Christ for the price of a slave. It lead him to kiss our Lord with no compassion. It lead Judas to hanging himself on a tree. Arrogance, greed, lust - despair, fear, hopelessness. All that is wrong with humanity is now on full display.

That is why Jesus is our focus, our life. He shows us the compassion and self-giving love that is placed deep in our hearts. As my favorite Prophet Ezekiel said. "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you." God has given us His only Son to show us what being human is all about. To show us all that is good and can be done if the heart is moved to service of others, rather than service of ourselves. The heart, welling up with strong emotions to combat injustice and defeat Satan at every moment, is where we will find our Lord. 

He is deep within us. He is there! Don't suppress Him this Easter. 

Don't let secularism and materialism overcome you and bring you down the path of Judas. That path only leads to death. 

Rather, walk with Jesus. If you follow Him to the Cross. If you suffer with Him for His name. If you truly believe that He is the Son of God. You will have eternal life. And in this knowing, there will be Joy!

So this week - Walk - See - Believe - Live!

God Bless,

Deacon Jimmy

Catholic Women Speak Up!

Ashes

Ash Wednesday proves to be a struggle for some and just another day for others. This is the beginning of Lent. 40 days of fasting, praying and giving in charity to others.


Which one will you do? Pray, fast or give alms? Well, as Catholics, we can't choose between them. We have to do all of them.

We have to dive deep into prayer. Prayer is our communication with God. It is that singing of the soul which elevates our life here on earth to be able to detach ourselves from the mundane so as to touch the divine. Only in constant, prayerful attitudes will we be able to see the world for what it truly has become.


Once we see the world for what it is, we realize we need to fast from those things that make us 'of the world'. Fasting requires sacrifice and discipline. Fasting requires prayer to persevere. When we fast, we begin to lose the selfish heart.


Almsgiving is charity, plain and simple. Charity only arises when we have softened our hard hearts and think of others and not ourselves. We do that through fasting and prayer. All three link together to create a true christian with a giving heart, a joyful disposition to be able to reach out with the hand of Christ and be that light we were meant to be.


It won't happen overnight of course, but that is why we get 40 days. Our desert journey starts today. Don't miss it.

New Year - Ordinary Time

Back to blogging!


As we begin our new year of 2012 and enter into Ordinary Time  in our Liturgical calendar, we should ponder on how ordinary things have become. We will be reading and listening to stories of Jesus in the beginning of His ministry and contemplating on what that means for us in our lives.


One thing to realize is that the Ordinary Time label is a little misleading. When Jesus was born on that Christmas Day and began to cry as a baby is want to cry, that voice resounded through the ages and turned the ordinary into the Extra-Ordinary! Every moment from that day on was graced by the presence of God in our midst.


We as humans tend to forget as time passes. And so it is with our relationship with Christ. Sometimes our masses go on as if by mechanics. Yup, just an ordinary mass on an ordinary Sunday with ordinary music sung by ordinary people living in an ordinary fashion among ordinary circumstances. It makes life so.............. ordinary.


But to shake things up, mass isn't so ordinary anymore. What? Well, we now have to read our responses because some of the words have changed. The priests and deacons have to pay particular attention to the words they read and proclaim. The prayers are starting to take on a new life in that we have to really think about what we are doing at mass. So the ordinary is becoming something else. So if we transform the ordinary it becomes EXTRAordinary right?


That's what Jesus came to do - make us really think about our ordinary lives and transform them, elevate them, cleanse them and sanctify them! He came and gave all that He had so that we can become all that we were meant to be by God the Almighty Father! We are destined for eternal life and from this realization we should understand that nothing is ordinary anymore. Even though this world looks ordinary and tries to drag us down to mediocrity and despair, we have the ultimate hope in Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour!


So let's live as we should! Live extraordinary lives in and extraordinary manner!


God bless,
Deacon Jimmy