Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam

The Word

2023-01-28T11:50:00.025-06:00

Today is the feast of Saint Thomas Aquinas: January 28. Also a Saturday. So, every Saturday morning, the British Jesuits offer an Ignatian Examen on their prayer app “Pray-as-you-go.” This morning they tailored the examen around the issue of theology in honor of the feast of Saint Thomas Aquinas, the most renowned theologian in Christendom. They asked in the meditation to recall a time this past week when a matter of theology or teaching stirred us.

So as I sat reflecting in this past week, I do remember a moment when I wanted a word to move me from sitting to action. I wanted a way to transition from prayer into the work that I have before me. The word that came to the mind was “serve.” This helped me to get up and get going, regardless of how I feel, regardless of what I think, regardless of what physical ailment now bothers me. Serve!

Why did I choose that word? I went back to Ignatius' First Principle and Foundation and recalled that "man was created to praise, reverence and serve God our Lord." I also thought back on the old Baltimore catechism question: “Why did God create me?” God created me to know, love, and serve him and to spend eternity with Him.

So, I was taken by that one word serve. That's a good mantra or koan to get me up and move ahead. Every morning I try to reverence God, I try to praise Him, and then I need to get out of the chair, pick up my coffee cup, and put my prayer inspiration into real action. To serve!

This word can be used to fight procrastination and these haunting feelings of lassitude or inertia. And so, on this feast of Saint Thomas, it is not a bad idea to take the theology and make it work. Serve!

PS: This little posting would not have happened unless I actually stopped the prayer and moved to the computer. Hope these words do in fact “serve” someone. Peace.

Getting Better

2022-12-18T11:03:00.010-06:00

Did your family ever have one of those Advent calendars?

During the month of December, my family kept the Advent calendar in the dining room, right on top of the buffet side board where we served dinner. I had a very large family. During Advent, each kid would take a turn opening one of the little calendar doors to see what was inside for that day. Then, as each person moved down the line to serve dinner, we would be able to look inside and see what the gift was behind the door. It was usually some kind of Christmas object or symbol of the coming feast: a candy cane, a wreath, a star, etc.

The more we opened, the better we saw. We closer we got to Christmas. To Christ.

Advent really is a season for opening doors. Each day we get a little better all the time. And we can learn from St. Joseph how to get better at it. To change the closed into the open.

Today’s Gospel shows the husband of Mary, confused and fearful about the fact that his wife is pregnant before they had even slept together. At first, Joseph considers his options and starts closing doors shut. Joseph was afraid. He wants to keep the problem quiet so no one else hears about it. He decides to divorce his wife.

Joseph opts to close the door on this relationship with Mary. Then he had a dream with a very powerful message. The dream said to welcome Mary into your house. Open the door for her. Because there’s a gift inside that you can’t see yet. It’s a gift from the Holy Spirit and he will save people from closed hearts.

And God has the same dream for us that Joseph had: Do not be afraid to take the difficult into your home.

God’s dream is that we approach our fears with trust, open our closed doors a little, and know that there is a gift inside the poor that we can’t see yet. The gift is Jesus. The one who saves us from our sins. Advent is a season for opening doors to discover hidden gifts.

The little advent calendar with opening doors says the time is right to open doors to the challenging. In your own personal way, bring the lowly into your house and into your heart trusting that they carry a gift not just for you but for the world. That gift is ultimately the Christ child.

Little Child

2022-12-16T06:50:00.004-06:00

I think this is the earliest photo of me ever taken (click to enlarge). Looks like Christmas 1954. The picture shows all my older siblings under the tree. The twin girls in the middle are not siblings: Molly and Theresa Glynn were neighbors.

Upper left is Polly (likely age 6 1/2). On the right is Marty at age 8. Seated are Jon, Bill (obviously after holding up a candy store with Jon), Dan, and Phyllis. I seem to be the little child in Dan's lap, beckoning to Phyllis for help. At age five months, all I wanted for Christmas was a couple teeth. Actually ten months later, Santa brought me the best gift ever ... a little brother ... way better than a non-fungible token.

Life is good and the rest is history.

Wait

2022-12-11T08:33:00.004-06:00

"It's been a long time" are the opening lyrics to the song "Wait" ... which is likely what most of you have been doing since my last post. But now, after almost two years of no posting, and since it's the 3rd Sunday of Advent, I decided to OPEN up shop again.

If you’re like me, your door is CLOSED right about now. Cold weather. Keep out wind. Windows are lined with plastic. Garage door is closed. Soon schools are closed. Snow is too high, business and stores close. You also close up our bodies: sweaters, coats, and head coverings. If wind is high, we close our eyes. So, winter is a time when things CLOSE. Even our emotions and our spiritual life.

That can leave us rather dark, depressed and hopeless. But good news:
Advent is a time to remain OPEN to the light that shines in our darkness.

Open your Christmas cards.
-         see who it’s from, then think of the person
-         write down the change of address
-         answer right back
-         don’t just you toss it away
-         hang them on your door
-         be sure to find the message of hope.
-         OPEN IT. Be open to the good news inside that card.
-         Just to READ the message, much less think about it, just to READ it!

I have a card with one word: “Rejoice” and that is the name of this Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday … which is Latin >“Rejoice”

On the Advent wreath, one of the candles is pink, suggesting that during this time of penance and waiting, we have reason to be hopeful, open to possibility, and joyful at the coming of Jesus.

Advent is a time to remain OPEN to the light that shines in our darkness.

Tell that to John the Baptist. In today's Gospel, we see him waiting in prison, he was closed. Not because of the snow, but because he had challenged King Herod about his wife. He’s a rebel and a strange man in Judea, and so he was closed up into prison. He found himself in exile, darkness, trapped in the dark and alone. Maybe you identify with his suffering.

So in a period of doubt, and skepticism (kinda like me in mid-December) John the Baptist opens the window of his prison cell and sends a message to Jesus by way of his disciples. “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?”

Guess what Jesus does? He sends messages back that gives John hope. It’s like he has his disciples deliver several Christmas cards back to John in prison:

- the blind regain their sight,
- the lame walk,
- lepers are cleansed,
- the deaf hear,
- the dead are raised,
and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.

In these chilly days when people are closed off from God’s love, perhaps you could be someone like Jesus who brings

- healing to a relationship|
- cleansing to a bad habit
- sight to an area in your life where you are blinded
- a listening ear where you are usually deaf
- a second chance for life to someone hard to forgive
- and a gift from the heart to someone who is poor

More powerful than Advent wreath or Christmas cards, these are the real ways to remain open to Christmas and to bring that light from the pink candle to light up your community this season. It's been a long time.

Tell Me What You See

2021-01-02T16:53:00.002-06:00

Sometimes it’s just a good idea to explain a photograph.
Try it; it's often prayer-like.

On the far left of this shot, you’ll see the calendar for 2020. The photo was taken on the very last day of the year: December 31, about 11:30 that morning. The location is a small meeting room inside the monastery of the Missionaries of Charity on Allport St. in Chicago. These are Mother Teresa’s sisters who live about a mile south of my house. They have an army of priests they invite over each day to say daily Mass for them, and Thursday was my turn. After the priest says Mass, they offer him a free brunch. I snapped this photo as I waited for the “kitchen sister” to bring in my toast and eggs. They insisted.

My coffee was brewing in the cup and the butter pats were thawing. I hadn’t noticed it when I first arrived, but the sisters had created a little chalkboard greeting for me: something to look at while I ate. I think they must have been grade school art teachers at one time. Two or three sisters normally sit at the table with me and watch as I eat (which is very disturbing) but not today. Through the window you can see another door down the hall. They are doing a special end-of-year song, which sounds beautiful. Kinda of like eating in a monastery … oh wait … I AM eating in a monastery.

I figured since the Sacred Heart of Jesus Himself was extending sacred arms over my meal, there was no need for me to recite a grace. Believe it or not, His power is what’s keeping those Christmas lights on. Obviously, the string is not plugged in to that wall socket. The sister brought in two eggs sunny side up and two pieces of toast. It was marvelous.

Finally, after I was finished with the brunch, the sisters must have heard me burp because the Mother Superior came out of the chapel to see me out for the afternoon. They invited me back for morning Mass (and breakfast) on January 12^th, so maybe I will snap another picture. It isn’t very likely, but just in case the sisters are reading this blog, I want to thank you and wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy 2021.

Open up your eyes now; tell me what you see.

And So This is Christmas

2020-12-25T11:47:00.003-06:00

And what have you done?

In times past, I would spend Christmas at the “family homestead” in Hamilton. The photo here shows me some time in the 1980s, with a shot of the front hallway and the manger scene. When I would walk into the house, I notice two important details. First the creche. Our traditional manger scene was always right above the main fireplace in the front hallway. I look inside to see if they remembered to put in the baby Jesus in the manger on Christmas morning. Next thing I notice was the dining room. How did they set up the table. Who’s coming home, how many chairs, who sat where. And most especially where will I sit this year. And what will they be serving?

What about your home? Maybe the manger scene is in the front yard, and the Christmas meal is take-out in in front of the TV. Or maybe your Christmas creche is in the living room, and the family meal is in the family room. Just take time to notice the manger scene.

Notice this creche. The manger scene. Jesus is in a manger? What is a manger? A place to be fed. The word manger comes from the Latin manger to eat. A manger is a place where food is found. Hungry animals come to the manger to be fed, and once fed, go forth as better animals. Hungry people come to Jesus to be fed, and once fed, go forth as better people.

If you go to church at Christmas, notice the altar. A kind of dinner table, it is an altar of sacrifice. A different kind of food. Not the kind where we stuff ourselves and then take a nap.

Jesus is the food that changes us inside and sends us outside to feed others. I don’t look at the altar asking, “What will they be serving?” Instead I ask, “Who will I be serving?” What must I do next?

At Christmas, we are led to this stable. Then we are led to this table. Then we are led to be better. Because you have encountered God in a baby, then God as bread, where then are you led?

See, it is very nice to go home for Christmas, but what really matters is where you go after Christmas. What’s next? What will be different? Where will you go after Christmas?

This feast is a time for transformation. The Divine transformed into the Human for us. Can your humanity help transform the world to be more divine? You may ask the question: am I any different than I was last Christmas? Has my faith changed me in any way in 2020?

Ask yourself if it had been a change for the worse, or a change for the better. One or the other. Maybe in this area I have improved. But in this area I am slipping. So come to the stable. Then come to this table. May the coming of Jesus be the start of a new life inside you?

Mary’s life was different after the stable. And it was no picnic. She and her husband went through really hard times. There was no pandemic like we have, but they became homeless and moved to Egypt. Learning to trust God, they found a new home in Nazareth. Those days changed people for the better. The lowly shepherds were changed. Their fear at night was turned into a vision of angels praising God. Glory in the highest. From low to high.

Crowds of people were transformed by Jesus. People who walked in darkness, once, powerless, now filled with possibility. I can be anything I want. As John wrote: “The word became flesh. “And to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God.” Certainly the power of a virus is not as great as the power of the Almighty.

Later at the feast of the Epiphany (January 3, 2021), we will hear how the wise men were changed by this baby. The story says the magi came to Bethlehem “but they departed for their country by another way.” You can do that too. Let 2021 be a time to take a new road. God in the Eucharist can change you from that way, to this way. From your way to His way.

What change will your direction take after Christmas? What will you let go of? Where will you go, and where will you not go? How will you act, and how will you not act?

∙ Maybe you will decide to pray more with Scripture to uncover the richness of Gospel story.
∙ You can serve the people in your own home/family by offering a simple “I’m sorry”
∙ Take time to write writing a sincere letter of thanks for a gift received
∙ Maybe you might spend more time with someone who needs you to feed them.
∙ Help someone clean the house
∙ Maybe you will quit searching and finally kneel like the wise men did.
∙ Maybe like Joseph you will finally live your dreams and accept God into your home.

You have been led to this stable, and then to this table, Now where? It is time, let the baby change you. This time, let the bread make you rise.

   At the creche, we rejoice at his birth.
   At the altar, we are saved by his death.
   And tomorrow, we are changed by his life.

And so this is Christmas, and what have you done?
Where will you go next? And whom will you serve?

Have a Merry Christmas and a transformative new year!

Help

2020-07-05T08:43:00.002-05:00

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The theme of today’s readings is very much one of peace and consolation and rest. Perfect summer reading. Perfect for the beach, or for church, wherever you go to seek rest.

The First Reading from the prophet Zechariah speaks of a king entering Jerusalem riding on a young donkey. The scene is one of a king of humility but also of peace. He rides on a placid donkey rather than on a prancing war horse: “and he shall proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion shall be from sea to sea.” Sounds like an appropriate reading for 4th of July weekend, and a hopeful message for those of us who find life a little less than peaceful or restful.

Jesus, who is identified with the king in Zechariah’s passage, also brings peace. He is the Prince of Peace. “Come to me, all you who labor and are overburdened, and I will give you rest.” Whatever demands Jesus may make on our following him as disciples, he wants to be at all times truly a source of comfort, of consolation and of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Whatever demands life may be making on us, he is there too to be called on. When we are in difficulties and pain, we can ask him to take them away. He may not always do so when we want, but we can expect him to restore our peace.

Picture in your mind the greatest burden you carry. Now imagine that burden in the form of a large cross which you carry on your shoulders. Every day it seems that cross gets heavier or becomes so attached to us it seems hard to shake. The Christian life demands that we carry that cross, but not alone. Being a Catholic means struggling, but not alone. As much as American culture says you can do it all, and all by yourself. That’s a lie.

When Jesus says “Come to me.” He says let’s do this together. He doesn’t say set your Cross aside. He doesn’t say, be a happy Christian and wish your burdens away. He says Come to me and bring along your Cross. Show it to me, describe it to me, tell me how it feels, and ask my help to carry it with you. For we need to remember that faith is not an escape from our problems. Sometimes Jesus gives us peace not from our pain but within our pain.

When I speak to young people, I am quick to assure them “Do not expect Jesus or his Mother or some other saint or the Church to be there to wave a magic wand that wipes away all our problems, all difficulties, all obstacles.” Jesus Christ is always a reminder that in order to find rest in peace in him, we must do it his way take upon ourselves his yoke.

When Jesus uses the image of a “yoke,” he is talking about a double yoke; one designed to harness together two oxen, in part to make the work easier. To lighten the burden. But also so that the larger ox could train the younger one, help him learn the pathway and grow stronger in the work. “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.”

Your job for this week is to have that conversation with Jesus where you describe the heaviest Cross you have to carry. He wants to join up with you, yoke himself to you, especially for a task into which you have been yet unwilling to move. I guarantee you – the Gospel guarantees – that when you hold that vocal conversation with Christ this week, that you will indeed find rest. Have a great summer.

All Together Now

2020-07-04T17:47:00.003-05:00

All Together Now

In times past, my family would all gather at a 4th of July picnic out in the middle of nowhere, Butler County Ohio. Today we did it on Zoom. I think we had the entire gang together, and the conversation was ... unintelligible to say the least. But we all came with one thing: love. Yes, we are proud of the red white and blue, but today we are proud to be one family loving one another ... as our parents would have us do. Happy 4th everyone.

I Will

2020-01-27T19:33:00.001-06:00

I keep telling myself that I would like to keep up with my old blog: this one. I never get around to it. Until this evening when I said to myself, "I will get to this, at least in a small way." Just as a reminder, my blog titles are Beatle song titles. When I hit 210 then I may switch to John Denver songs, but I don't think I'm close yet.

This is a photo of me and my 9 brothers taken in the summer of 2019 at our family reunion. I posted it here to give you an update, but also to let you know that we 10 brothers will try to make a "guys" reunion in may of 2020. We shall see. They all say "I Will" try to make it, but we will see who does and doesn't. It's a sabbatical summer for me, so it might turn out to be sort of a retreat ... or not.
I any case, if anyone of us has a great time this summer, I know I will.

Hail Holy Queen

2016-08-22T11:08:00.002-05:00

Feast of the Queenship of Mary
Gospel: Matthew 23:13-22
August 21^st -- the Olympics ended yesterday.
The United States won more bronze medals than anyone else.

The United States won more silver medals than anyone else.

The United States won more GOLD medals than anyone else.

The United States won more medals than anyone else: 121

That’s almost twice as many as the next runner up.

So what?

I fear the implicit message by that statistic goes something like this:

- we are the greatest, the best, and the most powerful

- we are first, we rank higher than anyone else in the world

- all other countries and their peoples are beneath us
- all others must strive to be like us

- we dominate, and we will dominate again.
Sounds like the very people Jesus was so angry about in today’s Gospel: blind guides, those who swear by the gold of the temple, hypocrites.

Let’s see ... what was the last line of yesterday’s Gospel? Oh:
behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

August 22 – thank goodness today we celebrate the Queenship of Mary.
Her image and her feast celebrate a different message. The message she delivers as queen is more appropriate for the Christian life:

- mother of mercy, life, sweetness, hope.

- virgin of virgins

- sorrowful mother who walks with the poor

- faithful mother who never abandoned the Cross

- the first disciple and follower of Christ

Mary serves as a leader and high priority not because she can outdo everyone else, but because she is a model of humility, service, and compassion.

As Jesus began his ministry and delivered the sermon on the mount, the beatitudes, blessed are the poor, the peacemakers, where do you think he learned all that?
Who do you think was his model for those who are meek, those who mourn, the pure of heart. Mary, Queen of Heaven.
In this coming Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus will announce: "For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

Blessed is the Queen of Peace, who rewards us not with gold, but with her immaculate model for leadership. Humility, fidelity, and grace.

Hail Mary, full of grace, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.

Amen!

Devil In Her Heart

2016-08-12T11:53:00.003-05:00

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C
Isaiah 66:18-21 Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13, Luke 13:22-30
For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life.”

I am not sure if I have ever preached on hell before. Fire and brimstone.

Do you believe in hell? Does our culture believe in hell? We need to keep asking that because our culture keeps denying it. Nothing is really wrong. It all depends. Relativism run rampant!

Does the Church still teach about hell? Yes indeed! Would you be able to talk about intelligently? The Catholic Catechism teaches five basics about hell:

1. We must choose God. (“We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him.”)

2. Jesus described hell as fire and eternal separation from God. Scriptural passages about hell are instructions, images, parables about separation from God. Jesus is a no-nonsense Man who tells it like it is. This Gospel reveals that His favorite sport is not softball but hard ball.

3. The Church agrees with Jesus.

4. The teachings on hell are ultimately a call to responsibility / conversion.

So what is the main purpose of our believing in hell? It’s similar to taking on the responsibilities of driving. Traffic laws are serious (and scary) reminders that you are the one driving. You were given keys / instructions / power / and a destination. Same with your spiritual journey. There is such a thing as spiritually wrecking your car (soul).

In Luke’s Gospel, this is serious matter for the disciples: Don’t forget that they are on the road to Jerusalem here. Their destination is Jerusalem. Scary but Glorious. God’s people have always been on the road: For example, look at the imagery in the 1^st reading: I come to gather nations of every language on horses and in chariots, in carts, upon mules and dromedaries to Jerusalem, my holy mountain, says the LORD,

For us, we are on the road to something better. A better life. Greater freedom. Deeper satisfaction in life. What is that for you? Which road signs have you been ignoring. If you picked up your road map, can you put your finger on where it is you want to go? If you could make a turn off the wrong road and get back on the highway, how many miles will your drive before you turn the wheel? In many ways, the lord urges us to turn now!

Why is this Gospel given to us on this day? Because today is the day for conversion. Right now. And we celebrate that wonderful choice by announcing Amen when we behold what Christ did, he broke himself, took the hard way and give it up for us. Before we receive the Eucharist, we beg God’s mercy in the words of the Eucharistic prayer. God’s desire is to save us from something that is a real threat – hell.

Oh, and for those who like to focus more on judgement than mercy, God predestines no one to go to hell. God’s desire is for repentance and a contrite heart. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life.”

We have no greater modern example than Mother Teresa, who is to be canonized a saint in about three weeks. As we know from her writings, Mother had doubts about God and His presence in her life, in this world. Despite her doubts, she still chose to work hard. One commentator put it this way. “The greatness of Mother Teresa is that even when she was deprived of the spiritual satisfactions of feeling God's presence in her life, she did not waver, she soldiered on. She was not deterred in her mission. And what she didn't have by way of feeling, she compensated for by way of will. In doing so she teaches us all something about love: it is not merely a sentiment, to be set aside when feelings come and go, but rather a decision of the will.”

Perhaps the coming weeks might be a good time to reflect in the spirit of Mother Teresa and ask the Lord to show you the right path. He has trusted you with the car keys. May we drive with the Light as our guide and Christ as our destination.

Come, and you will see!

2015-01-17T16:54:00.000-06:00

“Come, and you will see."

The Oscar nominations were revealed last Thursday. And there is a movie out that is up for best picture. It is one of the few I have already seen. Maybe you saw it too: Boyhood. This is a movie about the boyhood of a main character named Mason, who is played by a young actor named Ellar Coltrane. It shows the boy growing up in a broken family and how he comes of age in today’s changing world.

But the most impressive thing about this movie is that it was filmed over the course of twelve years -- with the same actors. So back in 2002 the director started filming when the main character was only six. The movie ends when he is actually eighteen. The director confesses that he really didn’t know how the whole thing would end up, until the whole project was finished in 2014. All kinds of unexpected things could have happened along the way, and the movie may have become a total flop. But it didn’t. It’s nominated!

Somehow, when they spliced together all the years of filming, the movie came out pretty good. It may win the Academy Award.

Sometimes when we look at our own lives, we don’t have the faith that even this director did. We might not see how the events of our life tie together. Maybe life seems rambling to you. Incongruous. Events unrelated. Some see jobs come and go, friendships start and end, with nothing to tie it all together. Others feel like they are a victim of circumstances, that there really is no plan to life. And spiritually ... you may believe God takes no notice of your life. If your life were shown on the big screen, you might imagine folks would fall asleep.

No! That’s not how a vocation works. That’s not how God calls us, directs us, and reviews our lives. Our God is more like a benevolent movie director. And your life is up for nomination. Your life has been unfolding ever since your early encounter with God as the director, and today he invites you to “Come and you will See” him at work all along the way.

For me, I remember a moment when I was walking in to church with my dad, I must have been 6. And when we entered the church, he pointed up to a large stained glass window of St Patrick up in the back of Church. He told me, “That’s your patron saint.” I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but when I review the movie picture of my life, I see that it was one encounter where God was planting seeds through my dad. It was one of my earliest encounters with God who eventually directed my life towards the priesthood.

Everyone here has a vocation story like that. It started when God found you very early, and planted seeds of future happiness. In fact that’s all we hear in today’s readings.

In our first reading, the prophet Samuel reflects back when he was about eight or ten and he heard God calling him at night. He asked Eli what it was, and Eli told him to pray: “Speak Lord Your servant is listening.” That was the start of the prophet learning to listen to God. That kid had no idea he’s become Samuel the prophet. But he tells that story so that we can see how God had been working in his life all along the way.

In our Gospel, John the Evangelist tells the story of the day that John the Baptist handed the ministry off to Jesus. Behold the Lamb of God. Go to him instead of me. He recalls that it was Andrew and a second man, unnamed who were the first ones called. Commentators say that it is likely St. John himself. And we know John brought James. So this is John’s memory of what happened years earlier when God first called him.

As he reviews the film of his life, he recalls that was how St. Peter came into the group, his brother Andrew told him to join. And when Andrew brought Simon Peter to Jesus, the Gospel writer recalls that’s the moment when Peter got his new name: Cephas. But none of them had any idea that this all made sense, until they came to see Christ. These are all recollections / flashbacks of God’s work in the lives of these men.

They recall these events in today’s readings to teach us this fundamental truth: God works all the time in all our lives loving and caring for us, even though we don’t realize it til later. So, how can you realize it today ? Jesus says, “Come to me and you will see.”

Ask the Lord in prayer to replay the moments of your life when the two of you met, when you grew in faith, when he was with you in hard times and good times, and you will see. If you have a question about a certain turn of your life, ask him to show you again and listen as Eli instructed Samuel: “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.” Our readings today are small glimpses into the vocation of ordinary people like Samuel, Eli, the Baptist, Andrew, and likely James and John. And Jesus. They all drew power and grace from prayerful remembrance. I bet there were times when the twelve apostles sat around after Jesus death and asked each other, “Do you remember when you first met him?”

Well, that invitation comes today to you as well. Do you remember when you first met him? Open up some picture albums and old journals. Come and see. He’s there. And it’s not just a thing of the past. He is still calling you and dying to meet you even today. They may seem like insignificant events now, and ordinary … but your faith says otherwise.

You are the star of this movie directed by Christ. And because he is the director, you are nominated for better than an Academy award! How will this picture unfold tomorrow? If you are here to receive Christ into your heart, I would say it will be a blockbuster. As Jesus says today: “Come to me and you will see.”

Time To Repent

2014-12-06T14:13:00.001-06:00

Second Sunday of Advent December 7, 2014

Readings: Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11 2Peter 3:8-14 Mark 1:1-8

Do you have the time?

In the steeple out front of St Xavier Church are four clock faces. The one facing west is always two minutes slow. When the bell rings for noon, for example, the west face reads 11:58.

I am always looking for the correct time. The right time. So, is it better for me to get up on the face and simply pull the hands so it looks correct on the outside? Or should I go inside the tower and repair the inner workings of the clock that governs the movement of the hands? Do I want something that just looks good, or do I want real repair? I want to be able to say: this is the right time, both inside and out.

That is why, on this 2^nd Sunday of Advent, we hear John the Baptist proclaiming repentance. This is the right time for fixing, inside and out. If you want real spiritual repair, inside and out: Repent. This is the right time.

What is repentance?

“Repent” does not mean just being sorry for the past. It is a call to do much more than that: to change our ways, to prepare new ways. To repent as a Christian involves a radical transformation in our way of living. It means a conversion, a real turning around, a redirecting of one’s whole life. That sounds like a massive undertaking, but just like falling in to sin starts with one step, repentance starts with just one step.

And be sure, repentance is an entirely interior act, and should not be confused with the changes of life that proceed from it. Repentance is inward and silent. It only takes but a second.

On the other hand, the fruits of repentance take some doing: going to the sacrament of reconciliation, making amends, repaying stolen money, a change of habit, reparation of wrongs, losing weight, tempering your compulsions, all these signal that one actually went through with repentance.

Have you ever seen someone make an altar call and proceed from their stadium seat down to the preacher? Well, that outward expression was based on a prior decision to repent. Someone who speaks out at a 12-step meeting is following through with a prior inward decision to repent. Sincere repentance, which is private, leads by God’s grace to outward goods, which are public.

Some examples.

Isaiah. He is the prophet who speaks in our first reading. In the 40^th chapter of Isaiah we hear, “Prepare the way of the Lord.” He sounds pretty sure about God’s power: “Cry out at the top of your voice, herald of good news! Fear not to cry out and say to everyone around you, Here is your God! Here comes with power, the Lord GOD” This is one of the most famous passages for the season of Advent.

Now what happened inside Isaiah for him to speak so powerfully? Probably repentance. That passage was from Chapter 40. Listen to what we find earlier in chapter 6: Isaiah says: “Woe is me, I am doomed, for I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips.” That’s Isaiah’s prior inward reflection – his personal conversion. He repents, and look what happens next: God asks, “Whom shall I send?” Isaiah replies, “Here I am Lord. Send me.” What happened in chapter 6 is manifest in chapter 40.

Inward repentance leads to outward transformation. You too can make that inward reflection and really go through with it, to outward action.

What about our second reading? Who is the author? St Peter. Do you know of a time when Peter repented? Yes, right after the Resurrection, eating breakfast by the lake, “Lord you know I love you.” The Lord then invited him “Feed my sheep. Peter was forgiven 3 times and his life was changed.” And so Peter is able to write in this letter today: “The Lord is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” Peter knows what he’s talking about because he went through with it.

So does John the Baptist. In the Gospel, we see John appearing in the desert. But what happened before he shows up? Scripture doesn’t tell us, but you can bet it was some sort of repentance. Some kind of letting go. He trimmed down his clothing and diet, and he emerges changed – strong enough to proclaim this simple message he knows from experience. Repent. He is so strong in his transformation that it eventually gets him beheaded. The Baptist really went through with it. So, if there is one message I would like to emphasize even further today, I would say, not only to repent, but to go through with it. It is time to finally, go through with it.

Finally, let me quote one of my favorite authors. C.S. Lewis in his popular work Mere Christianity, claims that repentance is no fun at all. It is something much harder than merely eating humble pie, or telling God you are sorry. It means unlearning all the self-conceit and self-will that we have been training ourselves into for thousands of years. Lewis says “real repentance means killing part of yourself, undergoing a kind of death.”

But Lewis also reminds us that God will help us with the going through with it. He writes, “Very well, then, we must go through with it. Can we do it if God helps us? Yes, but what do we mean when we talk of God helping us? We mean God putting into us a bit of Himself, so to speak. He lends us a little of His reasoning powers and that is how we think: He puts a little of His love into us and that is how we love one another.

Here today, at this altar, God puts Himself into us for just that very help. Advent is the right time for Repentance. It takes an inner silencing of the heart during this hectic time, and takes the quiet time to acknowledge sins and failings before God. Everyone here could do that tonight. It takes no more than five minutes. That’s how long it takes to come up with the greatest burdens of your soul and humbly beg God for mercy. Once you repent, then go through with it: as Isaiah did, as Peter did, as the Baptist did. Let it show in virtuous action, good deeds, changes for the better, positive resolutions, and real repair.

Do you have the time? This is the right time for repentance. This is the right time to ask God’s help with going through it: inside and out.

Baptism of the Lord

2014-01-14T10:59:00.000-06:00

Last Wednesday, Pope Francis spoke to crowds in St. Peter’s Square at his regular general audience. He announced that he would like to start a reflection series on the Sacraments. His first topic was Baptism, and remarked that the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord was soon approaching. “To know the date of our Baptism is to know a blessed day. The danger of not knowing, is that we can lose awareness of what the Lord has done in us. Thus, we end up considering it only as an event that took place in the past.”

I was 15 days old when I was baptized on Aug 1, 1954 in the Church of St Peter in Chains. I was likely baptized in private after Mass on that day. I never knew the date until I applied to enter the Jesuits, as a candidate for priesthood needed to prove baptism.

The first Sunday of Ordinary time celebrates the Baptism of the Lord. Ironically, the way we were taught about Baptism hides one of the best teachings about this sacrament: Our Baptism is more about the future than it is about the past.

We were taught Baptism was for infants, was meant to wipe away Original Sin, and was performed in private at the back of church. However today’s Gospel from Matthew challenges all three of those and gives us a powerful message for tomorrow.
   -This Gospel story is not about an infant, but an adult who makes his own personal choice for Baptism.
   -This story is not about someone with Original Sin, but the sinless Jesus.
   - This story isn’t about a private ritual; it’s out in the open, affecting all sorts of people.

And to further emphasize what Pope Francis says: your own Baptism is not just something that happened in the past; your baptism is more about what you intend to do tomorrow, in response to what God did to us long ago. It is about tomorrow’s choices, based on yesterday’s call.

   If we turn around our perspective and see Baptism as oriented to the future, these common questions find appropriate answers. First, this is a story about an adult. Baptism has more meaning for us the older we get.
    It is not just one event at the start of life, but a series of reminders that every new day is a new chance to make a new decision for Christ, regardless of any past mistakes we’ve made.   Look at the fresh start Jesus gets at age 33: “He came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened for him.” That opening is like the start of a new job: opportunities were opened for him. It is future-oriented for Jesus. That step out of the water was only the first. What is implied is that there was a second and a third, and on and on.   Same for each of us. We have all travelled to so many places since Baptism. “I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations.” However, if you have not yet brought light to other people as an adult Christian, or you feel a newer call to make further steps out of sin, today you can start afresh.
   Second: This is a story about a sinless Jesus. Why did Jesus go through with Baptism? He had no need of repentance. Jesus accepted Baptism not because he had past sins to remove, but because he was obedient to God’s plan for the future. Yes, Baptism removes Original Sin, but where we go with that freedom is more important. God is concerned not so much in our faults as in our future. Listen to what his Father says after Jesus was baptized: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” The Father doesn’t say this just because he is pleased at all the things Jesus did in the past. Jesus hadn’t started his public ministry yet. The Father is pleased with Jesus because of what he will fulfill in the future. He is happy Jesus showed up for work! At the Jordan, the Father gives Jesus that green light of approval and confirmation… and the dove is the holy power to step forward out of the water into the world. For us, Baptism was that same positive identity so that we could get started with a future. It was a GOOD thing that you were baptized. Similar to the time you learned to read and write. Learning wasn’t so much about your success in first grade, but about what you can do with that power today and tomorrow.

Third, this story has a public character, not a private one. This first Luminous Mystery is not a personal reflection by Jesus but a public declaration of the work he has before him. Once identified, what steps forward did Jesus take? Isaiah says he was meant: “to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.” St. Paul adds to that: “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” Notice this New Testament feel of Baptism is not so much about what happened to a baby long ago, but what an adult might do with every new day opening before him or her. Let me propose a similar question for your reflection: Where do you want to go?

One of the most prominent changes made in this church building following Vatican II was when the parish moved the Baptismal font front and center. We bump into it when we enter church building. It is designed to give us a reminder of the blessing we received from God: the divine approval of our lives on mission. And so let me offer a prayer suggestion as you pass that font, going in or out of church: every time you bless yourself at the font, or pass by it, and listen for these words, “This is my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” Insert your own name into the blank. “This is my beloved ___, with whom I am well pleased.” Take that blessing from the water and move ahead into the world.

Here is how Pope Francis ended his speech last Wednesday: “Let us, then, ask the Lord from our hearts that we may be able to experience ever more, in everyday life, this grace that we have received at Baptism. … And do not forget your homework today: find out, ask for the date of your Baptism. As I know my birthday, I should know my Baptism day, because it is a feast day.”

Go Forth

2014-01-05T19:04:00.000-06:00

First of all, I want to extend a great thanks to corporations like Kroger who bought the remaining Bengals tickets and gave away free seats so that we could watch the game, not blocked-out. In fact, many of the tickets went to members of the military. Nice going.

I believe that same sentiment comes from the Holy Father, Pope Francis, if you read carefully his latest apostolic exhortation “The Joy of the Gospel.” “Life grows by being given away, and it weakens in isolation and comfort.”

The Holy Father encourages us believers to make a gift of our lives. Giving away -- like the magi gave away gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But I propose that: in order to give, we first have to leave the comforts of our isolation. We need to go forth. Like the magi, we need to go forth into the world of the cold, the mysterious, into the worlds of the innocent, the suffering and the poor

Have you ever heard the phrase "comfort zone?"

Especially in cold weather, in an open football stadium, we are very aware of our comfort zone back at home. But, more than just a warm living room, our comfort zone can be a place of fear. It is often a place of security and complacency where we rest in habits tried and true. The Holy Father says that our life of generosity weakens when we are isolated, and cut off from the real world in our own comfort zones.

We don’t like venturing out of our comfort zone because it requires challenge, confronting the unknown, or giving away some of our comforts for the sake of others. Many Catholic high schools try to encourage students to do service work, go on missions trips, and the like, in order to think outside the box, move beyond their comfort zone in order to live the Gospel. In one sense, my accepting this role as pastor was a moving out of my comfort zone of the Chicago St Ignatius and coming to new place of challenge.

Again, Pope Francis: “Indeed, those who enjoy life most are those who leave security on the shore and become excited by the mission of communicating life to others.”

Today’s Gospel shows us three wise men who left security back on the shore, followed a mysterious star, and set out on mission to bring their gifts in service of God.

And so message of the Epiphany is to take courage. Move outside your comfort zone. Go forth and make your life a gift.

The first reading from Isaiah speaks of our light that has come and “the glory of Lord that shines upon us.” This light shining through the darkness and the clouds is a wonderful image reminding us that we have indeed been showered with great gifts. And as you know from the story of the kings, gifts are for giving.

The psalm response focuses on the nations coming to adore the Lord. “Lord every nation on earth will adore you” and then speaks of kings from foreign lands bringing gifts to the Lord. They had left their comfort zone.

The Gospel reading shows us the contrast between a man stuck in isolation, Herod, who is locked in his comfort zone, against the courageous magi who travel in mystery simply to pay homage (service) to someone poor and innocent. After they go forth and pay homage to the newborn king, they travel even further out of their comfort zone and return to their country by another way.

Continuing in his apostolic exhortation, Pope Francis mentions three other figures from Scriptures who went forth into the world: Abraham received the call to set out for a new land. Moses heard God’s call: “Go, I send you” out of his comfort zone. To Jeremiah, God says: “To all whom I send you, you shall go.” The same call goes out to us to take on this missionary going forth.

The Pope writes: “Each Christian and every community must discern the path that the Lord points out, but all of us are asked to obey his call to go forth from our own comfort zone in order to reach all the ‘peripheries’ in need of the light of the Gospel.”

What star do you follow? Maybe it’s Pope Francis. Maybe a saint or two? A relative? What are you reading or listening to that moves you out of your comfort zone? That star the Magi followed is a reminder that we need divine guidance to find where Christ leads us. The bright lights of the commercial Christmas we just passed through can blind and distract us from seeing the real Messiah. So as the Christmas tree comes down this week, and decorations get packed away, find that interior light. That star within which leads you outside your comfort zone so as to make a gift of yourself to those in distant lands. Now, one last way I am going to step out of my comfort zone is to read an anonymous poem in my homily. I found it but adapted it for today’s Feast of the Epiphany. Hope you like it.

I used to have a comfort zone where I knew I wouldn’t fail.
The same four walls and busywork were really more like jail.
I longed so much to do the things I’d never done before,
But stayed inside my comfort zone and paced the same old floor.

I said it didn’t matter that I wasn’t doing much.
I said I didn’t care for things like mission work and such.
I claimed to be so busy with myself inside the zone,
But deep inside I longed to journey somewhere yet unknown.

I couldn’t let my life go by just holding gifts within.
I held my breath; I stepped outside and let the change begin.
I took a step and with God’s help I’d never felt before,
I kissed my comfort zone goodbye and closed and locked the door.

If you’re in a comfort zone, afraid to venture out,
Remember that the saints above were one time filled with doubt.
A step or two and words of prayer can grant you courage too.
Begin your journey with a smile; the gift is there for you!

Guide us to Thy perfect light.

Mother of God

2013-12-31T13:47:00.002-06:00

“Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of death”

Sometimes we say the Hail Mary so fast, that we don’t take a second to examine the words and their meanings. Why do we call Mary the “Mother of God,” and why do we say “at the hour of death”?

First, Mary has lots of nicknames: Immaculate Conception, Mother of Sorrows, Queen of Peace, the Blessed Virgin, Mother of Mercy, Our Lady (or in French Notre Dame), Our Lady of Victory, Lourdes, Angels, Fatima, Guadalupe, etc. None of these titles is more important than Mother of God.

The Catholic Council of Ephesus decreed in 431 that Mary is Mother of God because her son Jesus is both God and man: one Divine Person with two natures (Divine and human). He was a little boy born in a manger, and he is also the Supreme Deity and Creator of the Universe. Therefore, Mary is both mother of a human and Mother of God. And as Mother, Mary accompanies God with reflection, love, and prayer. As an intercessor for us, her children, she prays for us now, and when we need her most (at the hour of death).

“Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of death.” The hour of death is another way of saying we need her prayers because it is highly likely that we had not used every waking moment for the praise and glory of God. So, when we die, and realize how we had wasted our days, we sinners really need her support. One of the biggest sins we commit is to let life slip away without our even knowing it.

I heard a story on NPR radio this morning about a new device that will be released this April. It is called Tikker. It is a watch device that counts down the days, minutes seconds and hours til your death. “Now and at the hour of our death.”

It was invented by a Swede, Fredrik Colting, a former gravedigger who invented the gadget not as a morbid novelty item, but in an earnest attempt to change his own thinking. He wanted some sort of reminder to not sweat the small stuff and reach for what matters. He calls Tikker, "the happiness watch." It's his belief that watching your life slip away will remind you to savor life while you have it.

As a little experiment, I went to another web site called Death Clock.com where you can enter a few biographical details and determine your day of death. My death clock profile says I need to be on the lookout for Saturday June 1, 2047, when I will be approaching my 93^rd birthday. I have over a billion seconds to live. The worst part: as I watched the screen timer count down the seconds, I felt like time was slipping away. Which it is! Another stark message: YOLO (You only live once)!

Many people fear the moment of death, but I would agree with others that nothing is more terrifying than the thought of letting your life slip away without ever being who you wanted to be, doing what you wanted to do, or going where you wanted to go.

So, I need Mary’s prayers, not to step in at the last minute, but to step in NOW and help me appreciate the blessing of being Patrick Fairbanks. I take inspiration from all three readings for the Catholic Solemnity observed on January 1: Mary, the Mother of God.

First, the reading from Numbers is a blessing, taught by Moses to Aaron and other priests.

The LORD bless you and keep you!
The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!
The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!

Ever since the days of Moses, we are to see our lives as blessed. A blessing in action. To the Mother of God we pray: blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Appreciate every moment from your birth to your death as a blessing, so as to draw fruit from every second.

In the second reading from Galatians, Paul assures us, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son.” So that means every second ticking by for us is not necessarily a threat but can be a drawing closer to God’s coming in fullness for you. Your death clock is not something to fear, but a favor. Your life is full of grace: now, and now, and also now, and again now …

Finally, in the Gospel from Luke we read, “Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” As the Mother of God, Mary continues to reflect and pray. She loves us and intercedes for us when our prayers and time seems wasted. WE could call her Mary Help of Procrastinators. That is why, when we close the Hail Mary, we use her most important title to ask her prayers for us sinners, we who waste our days and weeks with sloth or petty trivia.

We ask her prayers to help us appreciate every hour of this great life. Until the hour when we meet the Lord face to face. "And remember that I am always with you until the end of time." (Matt 28:20)

Happy Birthday Francis Xavier

2013-04-07T17:31:00.001-05:00

St. Francis Xavier, the great missionary saint of the Roman Catholic Church, was the son of Don John Giasso and Donna Maria d'Azpilqueta y Xavier; he was born at the castle Xavier, near Pamplona, Spain, on April 7, 1506, and is known to history by his mother's name.

At the age of eighteen he entered the University of Paris, where in due course he graduated, and then devoted himself to teaching. It was here that he became acquainted with Ignatius Loyola the founder of the Jesuits, who was then planning the colossal work which he afterwards accomplished. Xavier became one of the first nine of Loyola's converts, and the most enthusiastic of the little band. The date of the first vows by these early Jesuits was August 15, 1534, and the place as Montmartre near Paris. We also find Xavier at Venice with Loyola in 1537, where the visitation of a hospital for incurables was assigned to him. Here in the discharge of his duties he gave early evidence of his enthusiasm and self-devotion.

The Jesuits subsequently visited Rome, where John III of Portugal desired some of them for mission work in India. Circumstances led to the selection of Xavier for the work. He left Rome in March 1540, and set sail on his 35th birthday April 7, 1541, for Goa, India— the chief city of the Portuguese possessions, where he arrived on May 6, 1542. From that time to the day of his death at Sancian, near Canton, on Dec. 22, 1552, he devoted himself to his work in a most heroic and devoted manner, visiting Travancore, Ceylon, Malacca, Japan, and other foreign lands with Cross in hand, and a burning zeal in his heart.

Xavier's life has been written by many hands. The roll of deeds which he is said to have done, and the miracles he is said to have wrought, even to the raising of the dead, is long Many of the alleged facts are open to the gravest doubt, and others are beyond belief. The hymn associated with Xavier's name is, "O Deus ego amo Te, Nec amo Te ut salves me.” The hymn may possibly be his as it breathes his abnegation of self in every word, his spirit in every line.

O Deus, ego amo te,
Nec amo te, ut salves me,
Aut, quia non amantes te

Æterno punis igne.

Tu, tu, mi Jesu, totum me
Amplexus es in cruce;
Tuliste clavos, lanceam,
Multamque ignominiam,
Innumeros dolores,
Sudores, et angores,
Et mortem, et hæc propter me,
Ac pro me peccatore.
Cur igitur non amem te,
O Jesu amantissime,
Non, ut in cœlo salves me,
Aut ne æternum damnes me
Nec præmii ullius spe;
Sed sicut tu amasti me?
Sic amo et amabo te,
Solum quia Rex meus es,
Et solum, quia Deus es.

This hymn was translated by Fr. Gerard Manley Hopkins, S.J.

O GOD, I love thee, I love thee-
Not out of hope of heaven for me
Nor fearing not to love and be
In the everlasting burning.
Thou, thou, my Jesus, after me
Didst reach thine arms out dying,
For my sake sufferedst nails, and lance,
Mocked and marred countenance,
Sorrows passing number,
Sweat and care and cumber,
Yea and death, and this for me,
And thou couldst see me sinning:
Then I, why should not I love thee,
Jesu, so much in love with me?
Not for heaven's sake;
not to be out of hell by loving thee;
Not for any gains I see;
But just the way that thou didst me
I do love and I will love thee:
What must I love thee, Lord, for then?
For being my king and God. Amen.

Happy birthday Francis Xavier

P.S. I Love You

2012-12-27T23:14:00.000-06:00

Earlier this month, I finished a five day silent retreat at the Trappist Monastery of Gethsemani, just south of Louisville. I am still glowing in the graces. One of the little unexpected joys from this retreat came as I was trying to fall asleep one night. I was reading a few chapters out of Thomas Merton’s No Man Is An Island, when I came across a page that drew me in to a brief meditation of love and great memories.

Understand: the book I was reading was one I brought with me. It was published in the 1950s or so, and had been a lying around our family home in various bookshelves for decades as I was growing up. Someone probably gave it to my dad. Recently, our family homestead had undergone a few renovations, and in the cleaning, some of these old volumes were sitting out. I decided to snatch this Merton book and take it on retreat.

So there I am reading in bed when I turned the page and found a little surprise: a child’s name scribbled at the bottom. Not just any child, but my loving sister Jane had scribbled her name in that book when she was three. Whatever theological or metaphysical stuff I was reading at the time just drifted away. My memories took over and conjured up an image of little Janie sitting in the living room at 501 Beal, randomly pulling books off the shelf, inscribing each one with her name. She probably had just learned to print it and so wanted practice.

For my money, back then in … oh, 1962… she was directed by her Guardian Angel to plant a little surprise for her big bro Pat. The angel told Janie that the surprise wouldn’t be found for another half a century. But Janie didn’t care. She just wanted to write her name and see how cute it looked amidst all the other high-brow talk about God. Little did Janie know that her message meant more to her big brother than anything Merton could write.

I laid the book down, and for the rest of the evening last night, I enjoyed so many other memories about my little sister, her hand-made doll house, Barbara Pengy First-Step and several other Christmas scenes from the past. God knows how to get through to us, even in print. Happy New Year to all.

PS: I Love you Jane!

The Two Of Us

2012-06-16T18:46:00.001-05:00

In Catholic news reports lately, I have been reading about the Vatican's critical "doctrinal assessment" of women religious groups in the U.S. Seems like American nuns and sisters are being under-appreciated. You can get an update here.

This leads me to say a few words of appreciation about two women religious who have had a great influence on my life. These are my two aunts: Aunt Therese and Aunt Peggy.

Aunt Therese is my father's sister. She is now Sr. Mary Joseph, O.P., a Dominican cloistered nun who lives in a contemplative community in North Guilford, CT

The charism and mission of her community is to serve the Lord in perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Aunt Peggy is my mother's sister: Sr. Margaret Sehlstedt, M.M., a Maryknoll missionary sister who spent may years working and teaching in Japan. Her current mission is to care for my mother in Hamilton, OH. Her community has sent her to care for the elderly in a very specific way.

Both these women have been models of faith and religious commitment for me ever since I was a boy. I certainly owe much of my Jesuit vocation to them. I tell people I fall right in between their theological trends: Therese on the right, and Peg on the left. Can there be a Jesuit firmly planted in the middle? Hard to say.

Thank you, lord, for the example and service of these two great women. May the seeds they planted grow deep and bring to harvest the greatest of shrubs and trees for birds and other singing voices to give God praise.
_________________________

“I am not sure exactly what heaven will be like, but I know that when we die and it comes time for God to judge us, he will not ask, 'How many good things have you done in your life?' rather he will ask, 'How much love did you put into what you did?”
― Mother Teresa

Real Love

2012-06-07T20:15:00.003-05:00

June 15, 2012: The Church and loving believers recognize the upcoming Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. What does that mean? Basically, that the love you feel for those you've met thus far, is all a part of God's loving plan to take you for His own. We are here for His honor and glory, and he brings us together for His Father. Simple.

See you in Church!

In the words of Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J.:

The world-zest
The essence of all energy
The cosmic curve
The heart of God
The issue of cosmogenesis
The tide of cosmic convergence
The God of evolution
The universal Jesus. . .
Focus of ultimate and universal energy Center of the
cosmic sphere of cosmogenesis Heart of Jesus,
heart of evolution,
unite me to yourself.

In Gratitude for Priesthood and Family

2011-09-05T19:22:00.004-05:00

A Prayer for Priests

May God bless you
in your priesthood.
Thank you for your ministry;
You are in our prayers.

There were seven children
and then seven more,
and it was given to the seventh
child to hold them all in all.

Seven times a day he'd pray,
and seven times a week.

He'd care and call and play and all,
just to keep us all in all.

He is the middle child,
whose call is to keep us all
on the middle path.

To keep us moving slow or fast
towards the goal we all aim at,
his name is Pat.

Thank you for all you do,
you are a blessing.

Love, Dan

Deo Gratias

2011-07-17T19:52:00.005-05:00

Hey everybody ...
I wanted to express a note of thanks for all the great messages I have been receiving this day.

Certainly there is no way to express my true gratitude, as the messages of love have come from so many different folks from a zillion points of my life: through email, phone calls (thanks Mom), cards, and Facebook. I just want to acknowledge that these simple and faithful greetings and wishes are sources of life for me. Each one gives me pause to thank God for you and for the times when our paths have intersected.

Many of you may not know that July 17 is also the day my Dad was called to the Lord in 2008. Above is a photo of him and me, and of course my mother the living saint! I was happy to celebrate Mass in my community this morning and offer the Mass for the memory of my Dad.

So, on behalf of my father and the angels who attend to him, I send a sincere prayer of gratitude for those who contacted me today. Never underestimate the power of one message to wish someone a happy birthday. These are blessings for me, and I use them to give me strength and "Spiritus" for the work ahead this year.

I mean ... how do you think it makes a guy feel when over 80 messages come from friends and family all day long. It's like love overload. Which is kinda what heaven is like. Check out this reminder I get from Facebook, like every 10 minutes or so.

Please keep me in prayer as I do my best to serve the Church and her mission. And say a prayer that my upcoming vacation gives me the rest and recharging of batteries I need for 2011-2012.
Peace to you all.

Patrick Alexis Fairbanks

PS: Check out this past site for a little insight to St. Alexis: St Alexis, July 17

Good Friday

2011-04-22T08:34:00.006-05:00

Crux Christi salus mea

Lady Madonna

2011-03-25T17:45:00.003-05:00

2011 years ago, the scene on the left took place in Nazareth. Mary vowed her destiny with the words, "Be it done unto me according to Thy word." Two years ago the scene on the right took place in Chicago. I pronounced final vows as a Jesuit with the words, "I further promise a special obedience to the Sovereign Pontiff in regard to the mission." I am thankful for a few friends who remembered this anniversary, and perhaps a Rosary of Joyful Mysteries would be appropriate tonight.

Click here to find out: What are final vows?

Yellow Submarine

2011-03-24T14:07:00.003-05:00

Fr. Glen Chun S.J. ... our beloved Vocation Promoter, asked me to name one of my blog entries with the title of the famous animated Beatles film. Done, and done!