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Deacon Dan 9-19-21

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Our first proclamation taken from the Book of Wisdom pits the wicked against the righteous. The wicked are those who set out against the virtuous because of the way of life of the moralchallenges the evil ways of the wicked. We see this scenario played out over and over across the millennia. Those who choose to live lives centered on morality, ethics, and the natural law are often put down, scowled at, and called names. The belief system of the righteous isoften mocked as “not being cool,” or “progressive,” or “on the “wrong side of history.” What is said by the writer of Wisdom is being today played out, regularly in our entertainment, our politics, and yes, in our families. You and I, the Church, all who portend to be followers of Christ, are defamed, criticized, and mocked on a daily, if not hourly basis. This is nothing new. The tactics have been and continues to be a persistent attempt to disprove the existence of God or to the prove the hypocrisy of his followers. Perennially we
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Deacon Greg 9-19-21

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There’s a little secret I want to share with you, and I am only speaking for myself. When I prepare a Homily I usually begin a process that starts on Monday or Tuesday. I read the readings, I pray for some inspiration, I read the readings a few more times, and I pray a little more. Every now and then, I’ll also check on one of my favorite websites out there for reflections on the Sunday Readings. It’s called the Sunday Website at St. Louis University. This allows me a chance to focus and truly reflect on the readings. This week I came across a reflection called “The Power of Powerlessness” by Fr. Ron Rolheiser. He’s a priest serving with the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. He’s an author, speaker and is recently retired from his role as President of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas, and is currently serving on the faculty there. His reflection hit the mark for me… So much so that I’d like to share a part of it with you now, as I think it focuses on a key challenge th
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Deacon Greg 8-29-21

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8-29-21 Today, we are called to be doers of God’s Word… To follow his law of love… To live in his Truth for all to see! On August 29th each year we remember the beheading of our Patron, St. John the Baptist! I can think of no better example to begin with today than he - A doer of God’s Word, and one who lived in the Truth for all to see! He has two Feast Days. One for his birth and one for his martyrdom. In his birth we celebrate that, as Jesus put it, no greater man has been born of a woman. Today, let us try to understand the courage that one needs to live out their commitment to this faith of ours! So let us look to our Patron Saint for example as Jesus calls us to authenticity. But let us all also be courageous enough to grapple with Christ’s warning to us, for no one (or nothing) from outside ourselves is to blame for our sinfulness. It’s something that possesses us from the inside, affecting us deep within, slowly taking hold, but leaving our outer shell intact so no one can see
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Deacon Dan 8-29-21

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22 OT A 2021 Two main Gospel groups draw Jesus’ attention.First, there are the disciples. Considered by others to be disrespectful or unrefined. They do not conform to the “traditions of the elders”neither in how they speak, dress or “eat with unclean hands” They are classified as ‘sinners’ not members of the “true community.” Second, there are the scribes and Pharisees, theyset the norms. They are not bad men, per se, they are men who have focused on the minuscule and lost sight of the big picture. What then is this big picture? Today s scriptures illustrate the big picture by paving a clear road to achieving holiness if that is what we desire. Now note I say a road to holiness not to perfection. Holiness is attainable if we understand what true holiness entails, perfection is not attainable because of our human frailties. Holiness simply means aligning ourselves with the will of God. The writer of Deuteronomy indicates that when he puts on the lips of Moses instructions to follow t
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Deacon Kevin 8-29-21

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Twenty Second Sunday in OT, Cycle B, 29 August 2021, “Doers of the Word” The word “hear” is in all three readings today. In the First Reading, Moses uses the word to describe how the nations will listen to the Law of the Israelites and think of them as wise and intelligent. In the Second Reading, Saint James uses the noun version in plural, ‘hearers’ as those who listen to the Word of God. And in the Gospel, Jesus, the Word of God Himself, instructs those present to ‘hear’ what He has to say. I have many questions for you today, but let us beginwith this one: How do you hear the Word? Are you predisposed to ‘hear’ when you come to Church? Do you realize that what is read from the ambo is not just text on a page. It is the inspired Word of God, written down by human hands, under the care of the Holy Spirit, passed down through oral tradition. Even before the Bible was printed, it was the Word of God proclaimed to the people of God. And at every Mass, we have the privilege of hearing t
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Deacon Kevin 8-15-21

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The three readings today offer a study of contrasts. Contrast is a literary device that helps deepen our understanding of past events and stories. Contrasts are often compelling to read because they simplify things. For example, once you know that one character is good while the other is evil, you can easily predict their actions, and this makes the story easier to read. Today’s First Reading is from the Book of Revelation, which is one of the most difficult books in the Bible to understand because it abounds in unfamiliar and extravagant symbols. Symbolic language is one of the chief characteristics of Apocalyptic literature, of which this book is an outstanding example. The Book of Revelation contains an account of visions in symbolic and allegorical language borrowed extensively from the Old Testament, especially Ezekiel, Daniel, and Zechariah. Whether or not these visions were real experiences of the author, John the Apostle, or simply literary devices employed by him is an open qu
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Deacon Greg 8-15-21

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First, I would like to thank all of you for your support and prayers over this past year. That is right. One year!  The last time I was able to preach was August 16, 2020, and in that year since I’ve been blessed by God through the hands of a great surgeon, my loving family & friends, a few wonderful physical therapists, and the prayers and support of you, my parish family. So the good news is that God indeed is good all the time, and all the time God is good! The other good news for you, is that, these days, Deacon Greg can’t stand for too long… So I’d better get right to it! Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary, arguably one of the most interesting parts of our Catholic Teaching. Why? The Catechism offers that Mary, the Blessed Mother, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more
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