From our Pastor

For some time now we have followed Jesus in His determined journey toward Jerusalem. His friends and family urged Him to stay away from there – the threats to His life were real and becoming more and more evident. In spite of that, Jesus makes His way into Jerusalem and on this day, one recorded in history and commemorated throughout Christendom, He enters in triumph to the acclaim of the adoring palm-waving crowds. On this day, few could have imagined how the week would turn out. In five days, many of the same crowd would be shouting for his death. What happened? How could things have changed so dramatically and so swiftly?

Today begins Holy Week, the most sacred week in our religious calendar. It is the week when we embrace the deepest mystery of our faith: Christ has died, Christ is Risen, Christ will come again! It is a week when all of us are called upon to look at our relationship with God, and wonder how it is going. And relationship seems to be the right word.

Relationships at their root are matters of the heart, and it is the heart to which God speaks. Oh we can experience God in and through so many of our other senses and if our experience stays at that level, the heart remains untouched. But this is the week that is about the heart. The entry of Jesus into Jerusalem is clearly His choice in the face of grave danger. His choice in order to take upon Himself all of the forces of evil: violence, jealousy, greed, power and death and conquer them.

On Thursday Jesus gathers with His disciples and friends for an intimate Passover meal. At that table, He gives us the example of the great teacher. He washes the feet of His disciples and instructs them to follow His example in their life and ministry. After, He establishes the gift beyond measure – the Eucharist. Taking bread and wine, He changes them to His Body and Blood and gives His very self to them to eat. Following His teaching, the Church has been celebrating the Mass ever since.

On Friday, Jesus endures His suffering and death, carrying His cross to Calvary. There on that hill in the shadow of Jerusalem, He embraces His death as He
forgives His murderers. God’s punishment for those who have tortured Him is forgiveness.

The world is bathed in new light on Easter morning as we celebrate Christ’s victory over death. We proclaim with Christians throughout the world, HE IS RISEN!

Is this week one to be observed like any bystander? Or is it to be lived as a participant? You and I are called upon this year to LIVE this week. To embrace it: to pray, to celebrate, to sing, to meditate, and most of all, to love. This is the week to open our hearts and find, again, the invitation to follow Jesus into Jerusalem. There, we will find our reason to walk in hope and the fuel of our love.

This week is holy and it is about a relationship: between you and Jesus.

Fr. Ronan

Help Needed for Easter…
On Holy Saturday morning after Morning Prayer at 9, we need some help
getting the church ready for Easter. We will un-pack and organize flowers
and arrange candles. So, please plan to stop by to give us a hand. Many
hands make light work. So, come on over.

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord –
April 9/10, 2022

In the prelude to today’s great Passion Narrative, Saint Paul reminds us that we find our hope in the “emptiness” and “humility” of Christ
Jesus; a life that led to the cross, but through the cross, to glory and exaltation.
The way is not easy. Good stewards know that it requires a willingness to lay aside all rights of personal privilege; emptying ourselves in the service of others;
embracing values different from the values of the world.
It requires an understanding that to be “in Christ” means to be a servant because Christ came into the world, not as Lord but as servant.
What crosses are we willing to carry?
What worldly values we are willing to forego in order to share Christ’s glory?

It seems wrong to think about death in the springtime. And yet we all know, death is ever-present and never discriminates about whom, when, or where. Death scares us. In fact, death is the ultimate of all fears. All fears are minor expressions of death.

Almost always, death means pain, suffering, and grief, especially when death is sudden and arrives for the young and beloved. In fact, the proportion of suffering seems in direct relationship to those two realities. There is no one who is exempt from the experience of death, although some of us have more experience with death than others.

Death impels us to look and think outside of ourselves and, for many, this means to seek understanding and answers, consolation and comfort in our God. Our tradition has taught us from the earliest of times that God’s plan is that every person has a destiny in eternity, a place beyond this life that never ends. In the English language, we call that place Heaven.

In 2010 Todd Burpo published a small book called: Heaven is for Real: a Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back. The book describing the near death experience of three year old Colton was on The New York Times bestseller list for a number of years. I read the book several years ago and there is good reason it continues to be a very popular read across America. The story contains details that all of us long to know and stretch to imagine. The innocence and beauty of the child’s descriptions of angels and music, knowledge of a range of issues beyond a child’s ability to have known, and his encounter with Jesus, challenge our beliefs. Yet we all want to know more, and many of us are
so deeply attracted to angels!

I believe our Creator God has “wired” us for Heaven. The restlessness of the human heart that lures all of us into relentless seeking for satisfaction and completion is never at peace until it rests in authentic love. And Love is God. Our destiny is not in this life, rather beyond it and yet the entrance to our destiny is our death. Wow! What a peculiar set of circumstances each of us has to find a way to accept and live into. Often the elderly have taught me to clear away all the stuff that might have been important, and long for what really matters. Over and again I have heard, “I am ready – I want to go home,” from folks who have lived through illness and aging.

The optional Gospel for this fifth Sunday of Lent tells the dramatic story of the death of Lazarus and the appeal of his sisters, Martha and Mary to Jesus. It depicts the sadness and the pain of loss Jesus and the family and friends of Lazarus are experiencing. And the story conveys Jesus’ action of raising Lazarus from death to live again. To me it is almost like this story gives a glimpse of what God wants for every one of us: to move through the reality and suffering, to find a path in life of faith and love and, in this sweet experience of living, prepare to die so that we may live completely and always.

The upcoming celebration of Holy Week and Easter brings into the sharpest focus the relationship among living, suffering, and dying with a future hope of resurrection. Jesus has shown the way, and at the very center of this way is Love. For it is in love that one dies to self and through love that one arrives at fullness of life now and in eternity.

Fr. Ronan

Fifth Sunday of Lent – April 2/3, 2022

Strong words come from Saint Paul in today’s second reading. He reveals in no uncertain terms that life in Christ is our goal.
Everything else, he maintains, is “rubbish.” Junk. Trash. Garbage.
Is that true? Is everything else “rubbish” compared to deepening our relationship with the Lord?
What about putting recreational activities ahead of attending Mass?
Or preferring uninterrupted hours playing the latest video games or watching TV to spending time in a bible study group, choir practice or serving in a soup kitchen?
Or keeping late hours at work over sharing the gospel with friends and neighbors?
To what extent do we exercise stewardship over our relationship with Christ?

Scaffolding continues to be erected to repair damage to the flashing on the tower that occurred during high winds last year.
Repairs are expected to be completed by Easter.

Next Sunday, April 10th. is Palm Sunday

Masses are as follows:

Saturday 4pm – Palm Sunday Vigil

Sunday 8am, 10:30am (Livestreamed)and 6:pm

I have always been drawn to those words from the Book of Ecclesiastes. The sacred author presents time as experienced in the different seasons of our lives, as God so intends. It is fluid, continually evolving, each moment accumulating and building toward the next. Nothing stays the same.

Eighteen years ago, Cardinal Seάn visited Lawrence, where I had been serving as pastor for five years. He asked me to leave there and come to Charlestown. I was surprised by the request for there were many exciting things in development. Nonetheless, I replied, “If you ask me to go there, I will, of course”. He did and I came!

Canon law requires a pastor at the age of 75 to submit his resignation to his Bishop. On January 6, 2020, I wrote to Cardinal Seάn and submitted my resignation. I also offered to remain for a couple of more years, if he so wished. He called and asked me to remain.

On my 77^th birthday, I wrote once again and suggested June 2022 seemed a fitting time to step aside as pastor and accept a role as senior priest in the Archdiocese. And so it will be. I will celebrate my final Mass as pastor of this wonderful Parish on Sunday morning, June 5 at 10:30. Coincidently, June 5 is also the 40^th anniversary of my ordination as a priest.  

Transitions and changes are never easy for anyone. This one will certainly be a difficult one for me as I have grown so to love this community over the past 18 years – almost half of my entire priesthood. Yet, I am not retiring from priesthood! I plan to continue in active ministry although not as a pastor of a parish. I look to serve as a helper in a parish that needs a hand in sacramental ministry. Where that will be will become clear in time.

In the meantime, we have a lot to look forward to in these coming weeks of Lent, followed by Holy Week and Easter, the joyful celebrations of First Communions and Confirmations, and, of course, our beautiful Sunday Mass celebrations. I truly look forward to greeting you all in these upcoming days.

The process of selecting a new pastor has been underway for a while and at some appropriate time we will know who that will be. Most likely, that priest will be saying goodbye to his Parish as he prepares to say hello to ours! In time, I am confident your new pastor will grow to love our Parish every bit as I have.

Fr. Ronan

Fourth Sunday of Lent – March 26/27, 2022 (Laetare Sunday)

Today we hear one of the most beloved stories in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son. Reconciliation is a prominent theme. Seeing the younger son returning to him, the son who left the family and squandered his inheritance, the compassionate father runs to embrace him.
Jesus offers us a vision of a loving God who is merciful and forgiving when we, through our own sinfulness, leave his presence, and then through repentance, return to him.
The remainder of the Lenten season offers us an opportunity to reflect on God’s compassion and our need for reconciliation.
If you have not done so already, consider celebrating the sacrament of reconciliation and experience God’s loving embrace and forgiveness.

LAETARE SUNDAY

Laetare Sunday is the fourth Sunday in the season of Lent, in the Western Christian liturgical calendar. Traditionally, this Sunday has been a day of celebration, within the period of Lent. This Sunday gets its name from the first few words (incipit) of the traditional Latin entrance (Introit) for the Mass of the day.
“Laetare Jerusalem” (“Rejoice, O Jerusalem”) is Latin from the Book of Isaiah 66:10-11
On Laetare Sunday (as similarly with the Third Sunday of Advent’s Gaudete Sunday) the
Church expresses hope and joy in the midst of our Lenten fasts and penances. It is also called
Rose Sunday and pink (rose) vestments are worn. This change in color indicates a glimpse of
the joy that awaits us at Easter, just before we enter into the somber days of Passiontide.

The Power of Prayer

One of the most common requests a priest receives in the course of a day is for prayers. The request can happen anywhere: on a bus, at Market Basket or Dunkin Donuts, walking down Main St., walking Lily in the park, and in the back of the church. Sometimes the request comes with an explanation that indicates a family problem, a sickness or a personal struggle. At other times there is no explanation, merely a look of sadness or stress in the eyes of the person. In whatever circumstance, I always receive the request seriously and take it to heart.

Over the years my understanding of prayer for another has evolved. Frankly, I have probably forgotten the exact theological teaching on the matter and simply know in my heart that prayer undertaken in earnest for another is powerful. You see it is first of all an act of faith. Faith in the power of God to heal, comfort, console and accompany another in the struggle
of life.

Nothing is more powerful than belief in God. Prayer for another is an act of belief in the omnipotence of God and the capacity of God to reach into one’s life and affect the heart, the spirit. We believe that God can do all things and acting on this belief frees God to act. Over and again Jesus insisted on faith. He explained that it was the faith of a person that brought about miracles He achieved. “Your faith has saved you,” He would proclaim after some expression of His omnipotence.

Not long ago, a young woman who had asked for prayer came to me to explain that her cancer had been cured, although the prognosis several months earlier had been dim. She stated emphatically that it was prayer that had brought about this healing. I do not doubt her. At the same time, I recognize there is enormous mystery in these matters and rarely are things the black and white some might like them to be. My faith does not insist that all turns out according to my wishes or intentions. Rather my faith in prayer takes the person and presents them lovingly to God with a firm belief that God’s love for them will bring them to a good end.

In Lent, the church urges us to embark upon a routine of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. These are the cornerstones of our Lenten journey. Prayer has many expressions and a prayer of petition for another is one of them. At its root, it is an expression of one’s personal faith. So for me an excellent place to begin this prayer is in the powerful petition of the Centurion from scripture: “Lord I believe, help my unbelief”.

Fr. Ronan

A couple of years ago I went to my 50th college reunion. Gathered with classmates for different events, we began speaking about the various characters on the faculty and staff about whom we had special memories. These were fun conversations with a lot of laughter. In addition, there were some poignant recollections of persons who had an impact on our young lives.

One fellow, whom we called “Pops” was sort of a night watchman around the campus. He was of an age, had a very noticeable limp, and had a ready smile and a kind inquiring word with any student he met late at night as he moved through the dorms. A few of us enjoyed Sunday night visits to his home where we watched TV and devoured just-baked-bread his lovely wife prepared. We all learned so much about kindness, respect, caring and gracious hospitality from Pops. The night watchman, retired from factory work, was one of our best “teachers” in college!

All of us learn some of the most important life lessons from the words and actions of others. When we are young, we are always scanning for examples and roles models to emulate such as parents, coaches, relatives, celebrities, clergy, and teachers – the list is virtually endless.

In particular, role models can have a very high influence on our faith. Listening to others speak about their faith, reading about the faith journey of others, hearing another witness how faith has shaped life, any and all of these impact our own faith in profound ways.

Often I hear people observe that the practice of faith is declining. There are fewer people in church and secularism abounds. More people are lonely, searching, stressed, and unhappy. I think that is all true and I wonder what could make things better.

We need more role models, witnesses, and courageous folks who choose to speak, write, decide, and act publicly about their faith. One’s faith is not simply a “me and God” thing. Authentic faith always leads outward toward others and community. Saint Francis of Assisi said it well, “Preach the Gospel at all times, if necessary, use words”

Fr. Ronan

Prayers Before Mass

Try to get to Mass early so you can pray before Mass.
You’ve heard the conventional wisdom, “You get out of it what you put into it.” And that surely applies to the Mass.
Here’s an adapted excerpt from a prayer by St. Thomas Aquinas you may consider praying:
“May I receive the Bread of Angels, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, with the reverence
and humility, the contrition and devotion, the purity and faith, and the resolve and determination
He deserves.” Amen.
Remember: you get out of it what you put into it.

Now that we are in the second week of Lent, the readings and the liturgies will increasingly focus on the suffering and death of Jesus. Those who are seeking to understand Christianity ask the question from time to time: “How could one say that if Jesus is God, He would choose to die on the cross?” The cross is the immovable, the unavoidable center of
Christianity. That Jesus chose to go to Jerusalem and willingly submit Himself to unimaginable suffering and death is perplexing.

Saint Paul once wrote, “The cross is an absurdity for the Gentiles and a stumbling block for the Jews”. Indeed. And what is the cross for you and me? Maybe it is too simplistic, but given that Jesus is “true God and true man”, I think we can reduce it to two possibilities. Either Jesus was deranged – somehow out of His mind or it was an act of immeasurable love.
I believe it to be the latter.

For love, God the Father sent His only Son into the world and for love; this Jesus walked among us eventually to Jerusalem and suffered the death of a prophet. This love is for you and for me. It is a love that is complex, and a number of years ago, Pope Benedict XVI spoke about it in his Lenten message to the world. He said that this love is both agape and eros. God’s love for us both wishes to serve us and wishes to be in union with us.

This Lenten journey that we are on might be said to be a journey to learn more deeply about love. To wonder about God’s love for me, made manifest in countless ways and to wonder about how well I reflect this love in my daily life. For in whatever form, authentic love is always a gift. It is never anything that I can create by my own doing. It is a gift to be received and a gift to be given away. The entire dynamic is at its very core, spiritual, although love expresses itself in so many beautiful ways.

Together, as one community of faith, may these weeks leading up to the holiest of weeks, be a time to wonder, to reflect deeply on this meaning of love. Surely doing so will bring us to the Easter mystery more completely human and filled with hope.

Fr. Ronan

Second Sunday of Lent – March 12/13, 2022

In today’s second reading we learn that one of Saint Paul’s principles of Christian living is to watch and imitate other followers of Christ.
There is a pattern for Christian living that Saint Paul wants others to discover and then imitate.
This pattern includes a life of prayer, selflessness, sacrifice, and caring for others, including our family of faith.
Good stewards choose their friends wisely.
They cultivate friendships with other Christian stewards, spend time with them, observe how they live, ask questions about their faith and learn from them.
Who are your friends? Are they good stewards of their faith?
Are they those who can help you on your own journey of faith?

As I was at my desk preparing to write this article, suddenly all went dark. Lily kept on snoring over on her bed, and like everyone else around town on Sunday evening, I wondered what was happening. A glance out the window made it clear the entire neighborhood was without lights. There was nothing to do other than to sit and ponder the troubles of these days reflected in the pervasive anxiety among people.

The loss of electricity meant so much that we take for granted is gone so we might sort of begin taking stock of what is left: my flashlight, my phone (how charged is it? – could I charge it in the car?), blankets/warm clothes for a cold night, some way of cooking, etc., etc. Of course, the electricity returned and all returned to normal – but should it?

The holy season of Lent has now begun and Christians are urged to embrace these forty days, maybe as if the lights are out. For me, when everything is “turned off” and I cannot busy myself with doing stuff, I settle down and enter into some welcome quiet. It is in the quiet that I turn to God and, in that space, God can get through to me! The overarching invitation of Lent is to prepare to approach the center of our Hope in the Resurrection of Jesus at Easter. It is prayer that opens us to the power of this truth and the outflow of joy it yields.

All of us can find these times frightening as we see and hear breakdowns of order and civil discourse and our children hear horrible “breaking news” alerts. What we seek and that for which we hunger can be found within, not outside of us. It is in our humble seeking God in the quiet where we can find peace.

Lights out also lets me see how much stuff is crammed into my day, because I cannot see it, do it, eat it or turn-it-on. It’s a type of fasting, which is the second pillar of the Lenten journey. That really means cutting back and/or cutting out whatever. Introducing an element of self-denial into my Lenten days frees me to be more attentive to Grace and the gift of so much all around me, often taken for granted.

Lights-out quickly makes me think of others for whom such times might be perilous; elderly who are alone, folks who are ill, families in need, those struggling with addiction and mental illness. These moments help me recognize how blessed I am and how important it is that I share my blessings, in whatever way possible with others. So, it is that almsgiving, acts of kindness, and generosity is the third pillar of the Lenten journey.

Combined, these three pillars of the Lenten journey offer us valuable tools to seek and find a much-needed refreshment in this disturbing time. We all know it will pass, yet it is in this moment we find ourselves. The Scriptures express an urging to live into today, now. Let’s turn out the lights and get going.

Fr. Ronan

First Sunday of Lent
March 5/6, 2022

The second reading from Saint Paul to the Romans is a favorite of those involved in the ministry of evangelization.
There are no “secret” disciples of the Lord.
Those who exercise good stewardship of their faith realize that publicly identifying themselves as followers of Christ has a cleansing effect on their lives.
Openly confessing Christ makes them more conscious of how they live their daily lives.
Are we content to privatize our faith or are we good stewards of a faith that we share, make public, and regularly identify as a life in Christ?

Expect nothing back,” Jesus says. I don’t know if you have read the book, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff (and it’s all small stuff) by Richard Carlson. It offers advice and examples as to how we can live a loving and (more) peaceful life.

One chapter shows us a way to be patient rather than upset when someone else does an annoying thing. For instance, if a car swerves in front of you, instead of your asking, “why in the ‘%$#’ did he do that?” ask the question, “what is he trying to teach me?” It is like a game in which everyone is wise and you want to learn. That question changed my perspective a number of times.

When a car went through a very narrow opening behind a truck and careened into my lane with several inches to spare, I tried this method. Instead of leaning
on the horn and unpacking some road-rage, I asked what the swerver was teaching me. Honestly, it softened my aĴitude and gave me some compassion. I am
not trying to sell copies of Carlson’s books here, though I surely like this one.* I am pointing out how new attitudes can be helpful, and how the generous writing
of Dr. Carlson soothed me into trying one on.

Jesus lived before Dr. Carlson, of course, and he suggested the same big perspective-change. The Lord’s prose is a bit jagged, less consoling. In fact, he seems to be hammering at the crowd. In Sunday’s Gospel he describes us as trying to bargain for everything. If someone loves us, then we agree to love them in return.
If they run their car over our flower-bed or nearly knock us out of the crosswalk, then we are angry and substitute bad feelings for love. After all, who could be
nice to a robber in the act of robbing you?

Jesus recommends the opposite. “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Don’t ask for anything in return. Gulp, maybe we should go back to Richard Carlson! How can we love without return? “Lend money and es. If you get a reward for each thing you do, you are just like the pagans. But is it even possible to just love and love and love and never get our own empty tank filled back up? Wouldn’t that be the road to burnout?

The wonderful clue to Jesus’ answer is found toward the boĴom half of today’s reading. He says that if we can give without guile, then we will be like “children of the Most High,” who is always kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. How can God be “always kind”? Because his needs are all already filled. His tender love does not need reward, and so it overflows to us no maĴer what we do.

If we know this, if we experience it—say, in the Sacraments, or in prayer, or in another person—and if we let it in, then maybe our need-tanks will be pre-filled. Maybe our love can start to overflow to others as God’s does.

How about that as a change in perspective?

– John Foley, S.J.

Unfortunately, Dr Carlson died in 2006 from a pulmonary embolism, during a flight from San Francisco to New York while on a promotion tour for one of his books. Maybe, following his compassionate advice, he was ready to accept! In any case, we will miss him.

https://liturgy.slu.edu/7OrdC022022/reflections_foley.html

FATHER RONAN IS ON RETREAT

I am on retreat and look forward to my return to the Parish next weekend. As always, you are in my daily prayers.
— Fr. Ronan

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time –
February 19/20, 2022

In today’s Gospel reading Jesus urges his listeners to “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
He also offers several examples of puĴing mercy into action.
Listeners can then reason their way into how to put the values of the Gospel reflected in these imperatives into practice in other situations.
Good stewards look for opportunities to exercise God’s mercy toward others.
They realize that, in doing so, their own experience of God’ mercy not only becomes more profound but affirms their hope of seeing the Lord face-to-face one day. How have we experienced God’s mercy in our lives?
How might our thinking, attitudes, words and actions reflect God’s mercy on someone else today?

The other day, I was reading one of those emails that friends send because they find it inspiring. Am I the only person who is amazed at the volume of this kind of stuff that is circulating out there? Anyway, I do not always choose to read these types of emails – sometimes a time thing or a mood thing or a need to feel the tiny satisfaction of pressing the delete button. But I read this one.

It was about a man who was always positive – never did he seem to have a bad day or a lousy reaction to circumstances in his life. Now, this always “up” attitude both amazed and bothered others! And finally, one friend approached the man and asked him how he could be so un-bothered by life’s challenging
moments.

The explanation given was thoughtful and insightful. The man said he had arrived at a point in his life where he realized that everything is about choice. Though one cannot control everything that happens, one does have a choice as to how to respond. He decided that he would look for the positive in whatever happened and choose to focus on that. He explained that he knew there were a lot of problems and issues in his life and in the world, and he was not ignoring them; rather he was choosing to live through them finding the good that he is certain is within each moment.

It sounds so simple – maybe even naïve! Yet as I ponder the story, I see some similarities in myself. More often than not, I react to a moment without really, consciously, choosing how I wish to respond. My reaction can draw me in a direction that is not positive for others or me. It is that extra moment of conscious awareness to recognize what is happening and deliberately choose how I wish to respond. That, for me, is the element I often by-pass.

One evening, in a conversation with a group of young adults, a discussion arose about the intensity of their fast-paced, time pressured, scripted lives and the
tension and stress they felt because they had very limited available time. The same holds true for many parents. Often they speak of the hectic pace of daily life where children have so many activities and commitments that a typical calendar is crammed with appointments and “to-do’s”, hanging on to the refrigerator door – by a thread.

I wonder why we choose to live with such intensity? Or perhaps we forget that we can make some different choices? The truth is that there will always be more to do. So we need to carve out time for what is essential which takes priority over what is necessary.

There is a beautiful scene from the Old Testament where God tells Moses to go to the people and invite them to make a choice: “Today I set before you, life and death – to whichever you stretch out your hand – you will have”. Every new day, even before we put our feet on the floor, we have a choice of how we wish to live that day – in a life- giving way or not. No one else can make that choice for us – it is ours alone to make.

God is very clear on how we should live each day: choosing life – a life that is more in balance. Choose a life in which we can appreciate the gifts with which we have been blessed – family, creation, a deeper relationship with God; a life in which we are not so overwhelmed that we forget to treat others and ourselves with respect, patience, kindness, humor. and love. Indeed, that is precisely how God treats you and me every day – maybe we should make the same choice.

Fr. Ronan

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 12/13, 2022

The prophet Jeremiah minces no words in today’s first reading:
“Thus says the LORD: Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings … whose heart turns away from the LORD.”
And the prophet’s “beatitude” resembles that of Jesus’ teaching in today’s Gospel reading when he proclaims:
“Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD.”
Good stewards understand that what the world values is not consistent with Gospel values.
They realize that God has placed in their midst all the gifts, charisms, and resources needed
to bring Christ to a world desperately in need of his loving presence.
But to exercise good stewardship over God’s gifts takes a great deal of trust.
How does our stewardship reflect our trust in the Lord?
What did we do today to give others hope in Christ Jesus?

After over 30 years of priesthood and active ministry, I should not be surprised, yet often am, at how the prayer, The Our Father, has a way of comforting people. For example, when standing around a hospital bed when a member of the family is close to death – inviting people to join in this prayer – sort of changes everything. At one level, loved ones experience this action is DOING something in an otherwise helpless situation. On another level, there is the comfort of the
familiarity of the prayer and the very calling to mind of God as Father that touches people’s hearts. And on yet another level, turning to prayer changes our entire disposition and takes us to a different place.

At times during the Family Mass, I invite children to join me in the sanctuary as we say The Our Father. Of course, the kids love it and as they are holding hands I ask them, “If you and I have the same father what does that make you to me?” The children quickly conclude the answer is we are brother/sister to one another.
Standing in our magnificent church with these beautiful children – that is a wonderful truth to celebrate!

Yet as we know, The Our Father is prayed by millions and millions of Christians. And it is fair to say there are many who do not look like me, share the same history, language, traditions, culture, beliefs or even vote as I do or support the same baseball team that I do! And there are those who may not even know how to pray this prayer. Does that mean that they are NOT my brother or sister? These two simple opening words, Our Father, which Jesus taught us, are radical, in every possible way! They push back against age old prejudices, discriminations, and divisions and demonstrate that God sees us all as brothers and sisters. It is not a coincidence the prayer came from the lips of Jesus himself.

There are so many deep and extraordinary truths buried in this prayer. Another phrase that I find both comforting and challenging is “Thy will be done …” When I first pray these words, it is comforting in that it implies that God has a plan for me – and because I often do not seem to have a plan – I’m glad God does! And yet when I really think about this part of the prayer, it means that God’s will is dominant, rather than my will. This is a big step and it may well give one pause! I think we usually say this part of the prayer easily, sort of sliding over the words and maybe not fully realizing it means each of us is asking God to help us put our own will off to the side and make His will the action plan of our lives. That is a big and very beautiful prayer – and its fulfillment will not happen overnight.

I love the part of The Our Father when we ask for forgiveness of our sins; that is a part I need to pray often. However Jesus has a contingency clause built into
this petition – “As we forgive those who trespass against us”. This is a troubling condition! Forgiving another may be one of the most difficult tasks a person has to confront – most especially when the hurt seems to have been very serious and intentional. And yet there does not seem to be a way around this – God insists He is
ready to forgive us, whatever, but when needed we need to take a forgiving step as well.

Arguably the most exquisite prayer in the entire Bible, The Our Father is both deeply comforting and powerfully challenging to all of us. At the same time our
familiarity with the prayer may dull our appreciation for the richness and depth of Jesus’ words.

In this challenging winter season, perhaps refreshing our familiarity with The Our Father is a wonderful undertaking and certainly the perfect prayer.

Fr. Ronan

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 5/6, 2022

In the first reading from the prophet Isaiah we get a glimpse of a model for Christian stewards to follow.
Within the temple, God’s voice shakes the foundations and causes the natural world to shake and tremble.
The Lord asks: “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”

Isaiah replies to the call of God for service with immediacy and enthusiasm: “Here I am, send me!”
There is no hesitation. There are no excuses, contingencies, or “what-ifs.”
Good stewards know that responding to the Lord’s call to serve is never easy, never simple to grasp, never designed for ready comfort and success.
But the call needs a response. What about us?
What does it take to shake us into an enthusiastic response?
To say to God: “Here I am, Lord. Send me!”

Recently, I have met with a number of people who are going through some difficult times. Some of the situations are medical, even life-threatening. Others are economical. Then there are those that are relational. And as each of us knows, when one area of our lives is not going well, it negatively impacts other areas as well, and we find ourselves struggling to cope with a variety of challenges.

At times like these, it’s not uncommon for us to wonder, even aloud, “Why me?” as we strive to make meaning out of what we’re experiencing. We can have
thoughts that we’re being treated unfairly, or have the worst luck; or we struggle to figure out what we’ve “done wrong to deserve this.”

Some wonder why a good God would allow such a painful event to happen; or they try to resist the belief or even do believe that they’re being punished by none other than God. When we’re grappling with these notions about God, it can be especially tumultuous because we find it hard to turn to God for the help and
consolation we need if we believe God is the one who is causing it.

People have been grappling with the same questions from the beginning of time. Our ancestors in faith believed that if you were having a hard time it was because you had sinned or perhaps your parents had sinned. But Jesus rejected this notion ( John 9:2-3). If we ever wonder if God is causing our difficulties, look to Jesus, the human face of God. Nowhere in scripture does it say that Jesus made someone blind or lame or leprous, or that Jesus ostracized anyone or wished them harm.
His heart was opened to all, and he strived to bring healing and hope to all, especially those who were suffering.

Sometime ago there was a popular book published by a Jewish Rabbi: “Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?” Interesting reading and the question is great. In my own mind, as one who has been through difficult times and has asked the question, I have come up with several responses.

One: Bad things happen to everyone and good things happen to everyone.
Two: Goodness or badness may be determined by our expectations.
Three: What begins as bad sometimes turns out good.
Four: What begins as good sometimes turns out bad.
Five: Life is what happens in the good times and bad times.
Six: Life is messy for everyone.
Seven: God is with me in all times.
Eight: I will always have, from God, what I need to go forward.
Nine: Life IS beautiful.
Ten: “Some of God’s greatest gifts are our unanswered prayers.” (Garth Brooks)

I don’t ask myself the “Why me?” question as much these days as I once did,
even though it comes to my lips from time to time. Usually I catch myself and
chuckle as I think Why not me. And then I turn to the One who loves me unconditionally and whose promise to NEVER abandon or forsake me holds firm.

Fr. Ronan
jronan@stmarystcatherine.org

January 30
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

In speaking to the prophet Jeremiah, God reminds him “before you were born, I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations, I appointed you.”
Whether a prophet or a disciple, the message is the same – God’s love never fails and we are to mirror that love in our lives.
St. Paul describes what that love look like in our lives.
It is patient, kind, not jealous, not rude, does not hold grudges, is hopeful and truthful.
To be loving as St. Paul describes is a tall order, and yet there is no doubt that this is our task as Disciples of Christ.