Word of Life

Ord32 - How to buy Heaven for Two Pennies

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Joel Sember) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:54:10 PST

Ordinary Time, 32nd Sunday. What do we do when even our best isn't good enough? Today we see two widows who do not have enough. One gives her little to Elijah and God rewards her generously. Another gives her little to the temple and wins the admiration of Jesus. What to do when, however much we have, it still isn't enough? We give it to God. And it will be more than enough. (8 Nov 2009)

Nov1 - The Joy of Innocence

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Joel Sember) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 09:07:23 PST

Solemnity of All Saints. God has adopted us as his children. "See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we might be called Children of God. Yet so we are." Children are innocent; they enjoy things simply because they are good. Children love to sing for the fun of it, while adults only sing if they think they are good at it and that people will notice. What does being a child of God look like? Here and now it looks like the Beatitudes. In the next life it looks like a multitude which no one can count, wearing white robes and praising God. (1 Nov 2009)

Ord30 - The Gift of Priesthood

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Joel Sember) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 07:19:06 PDT

Ordinary Time, 30th Sunday. Today is Priesthood Appreciation Sunday and our readings show some interesting aspects of priesthood. Hebrews reminds us that only Christ is the high priest and all other priests participate in His priesthood. Jeremiah reminds the people how much God cares for them, a care which is Sacramentally visible through the priest. The Gospel shows that the priest is a disciple too. Priesthood is given to serve God's people, and the priest not only leads, but he also follows. (25 Oct 2009)

Ord29 - Serve and be Served

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Joel Sember) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:35:46 PDT

Ordinary Time, 29th Sunday. Jesus has been giving a long list of what it takes to be his disciple. Why? Because Jesus does these things and the disciple must be like his master. Jesus has made himself the servant of all and he deeply desires to serve you. But in order to receive his gifts, have to be willing to serve like Him. (18 Oct 2009)

Ord28 - Smile, God Loves You

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Joel Sember) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:00:51 PDT

Ordinary Time, 28th Sunday. One thing has struck me since I arrived here in this city: how sad people look all the time. No one really smiles on the street or in the mall. Some can't even smile back when you smile at them. On a recent TEC retreat, I discovered people that are really, honestly happy. What would we have to give up to accept Christ wholeheartedly and be happy like them? (11 Oct 209)

Ord27 - Respect Life Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Joel Sember) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 09:22:07 PDT

Ordinary Time, 27th Sunday. What are we passing on to our children? The last three Gospel readings have all mentioned children. Are we passing on faith? Are we passing on love? Are we passing on respect for all human life? In addition to families, a very important resource for our children is our Catholic schools, as our GRACE appeal reminds us. (4 Oct 2009)

Ord26 - Cut it Out

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Joel Sember) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 09:39:41 PDT

Ordinary Time, 26th Sunday. Jesus talks about cutting off hands, feet and eyes. Is he serious? A malfunctioning gas flap on a car shows what Jesus really means: We cannot tolerate even a little sin in our lives. Even small sins begin to choke off the life of God that we desperately need. (27 Sep 2009)

Ord25 - Downward Mobility

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Joel Sember) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 14:54:27 PDT

Ordinary Time, 25th Sunday. Jesus predicts his passion a second time, and then catches his disciples trying to be the greatest. "Whoever wishes to be first must be the last of all and the servant of all." This is Downward Mobility, Jesus' invitation to seek the good of others instead of satisfying our own selfish ambitions. Which wolf do feed? (20 Sep 2009)

Ord24 - Would you Rather...?

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Joel Sember) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 10:04:40 PDT

Ordinary Time, 24th Sunday. Would you rather: A) live of comfortable but mediocre life that does very little good for anyone, or B) live an uncomfortable life with a lot of suffering, but which does great good for the world? Jesus chose the second, and history shows us what a profound effect we can have by making the same choice. Your works reveal which one you choose. (13 Sep 2009)

Ord23 - Be Opened

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Joel Sember) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 09:56:05 PDT

Ordinary Time, 23rd Sunday. Jesus touches the deaf man and says "Be Opened" -- and he can hear Jesus' voice and praise God. We too are deaf to the voice of God. We need to allow Jesus to heal us so that we can hear him clearly and bring others to him. (6 Sep 2009)

Ord22 - Better is a Clean Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Joel Sember) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 07:31:57 PDT

Ordinary Time, 22nd Sunday. We work hard to keep our bodies clean and free from germs. But Jesus reminds us that a clean heart is better than clean hands. We have to work just as hard to avoid Spiritual Contagion. Fortunately, Jesus provides us with antidotes: Prayer, Confession, and Penance. (30 Aug 2009)

Ord21 - Submit to Sacrificial Love

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Joel Sember) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 09:23:23 PDT

Ordinary Time, 21st Sunday. Ephesians 5 is a notoriously unpopular reading. However, if we read it backwards it begins to make more sense. St. Paul calls husbands to love their wives with the same love of Christ -- self-giving, sacrificial love. Wives must submit themselves to being loved. As they then submit themselves to each other, they create a community of mutual love and service. We too must submit ourselves to being sacrificially loved and served by Christ. (23 Aug 2009)

Aug15 - The Assumption and a Wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Joel Sember) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 07:43:09 PDT

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Our Wedding Mass today falls on a beautiful Feast of Mary. What can Mary teach us about married life? First, she shows us how to give ourselves completely to God and one another. Secondly, she shows us the importance of constant communication. Third, she reminds us to protect our own purity and that of our spouse. If you follow Mary's example, you too will be able to sing, "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord..." (15 Aug 2009)

Ord19 - Seminarian Appeal

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Joel Sember) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 14:57:17 PDT

Ordinary Time, 19th Sunday. The prophet Elijah is exhausted and prays for death, but God feeds and sustains him. Our Church is tired too and sometimes seems to have little hope. But we have good news -- God continues to work with, call and inspire young people. Our Diocese now has 22 seminarians and 10 of those are new this year. We are doing our yearly Seminarian Appeal and I ask you to please be generous. Pray, Encourage, and Support young men and women as they seek their vocation. I hope that they can discover the same happiness I have found. (9 Aug 2009)

Ord17 - One Boy's Generosity

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Joel Sember) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 16:25:03 PDT

Ordinary Time, 17th Sunday. The first reading shows how Elisha the prophet feeds 100 people with the generosity of one man, who gave his first-fruits to God. In the same way in the Gospel, the 5,000 are fed because one boy was willing to give all he had to Jesus. We are invited to do the same. Will you keep everything back, or give a little, or will you too give everything to Jesus? (26 Jul 2009)

Ord16 - Listen to the Shepherd

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Joel Sember) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 11:09:39 PDT

Ordinary Time, 16th Sunday. Sheep gather around the shepherd, who bunches them together to keep them safe. If we don't listen for the shepherd's voice, we'll wander off and get lost. (19 Jul 2009)

Ord15 - God with Us

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Joel Sember) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:06:39 PDT

Ordinary Time, 15th Sunday. As a new priest in an unfamiliar place I find myself welcomed by others but not able to answer any questions. In the course of my priestly studies and my time as a new priest, I discovered that God works through me anyway despite my lack of skill and knowledge. God will work through you as well. (12 Jul 2009)

Ord13 - How to Raise the Dead

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Joel Sember) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 12:01:49 PDT

Ordinary Time, 13th Sunday. Jesus heals an elderly woman because she has faith in him. He raises a young girl from the dead because of her parents' faith. We often meet people who act like they are dead -- weighted down, worn out, hopeless. We might think we can do nothing to help them, but we are wrong. As Christians we can show them love, compassion and encouragement. Jesus will work through us to raise the dead. (28 Jun 2009)

Ord12 - Fathers Day

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Joel Sember) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 17:27:10 PDT

Ordinary Time, 12th Sunday. God has put order to the universe, creating a reliable, dependable environment for his children to play in. Fathers are called to do the same. It is like building a cathedral -- the family is a lasting witness filled with mystery where God is worshiped. Many families have had the experience of setting out with good intentions but finding themselves trapped by a storm in the middle of a lake. Only God's help can gives us what we need to build good families in God's image. (21 Jun 2009)

Corpus Christi - Communion through Sacrifice

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Joel Sember) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:29:24 PDT

Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. Jesus loved to sit down to a good meal. Eating with him, sinners become friends, friends become disciples, and disciples become saints. But we cannot forget that in a world gone wrong, there is no Communion without Sacrifice. Christ sacrificed so that we could have communion with him. We too must sacrifice to make this communion a reality for us. (14 Jun 2009)

Trinity - The Community of God

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Joel Sember) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 11:03:26 PDT

Trinity Sunday. We believe in One God. We believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Which of those three is God? The ancient Athanasian Creed proclaims that the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God, yet there are not three gods, but one God. This is the mystery of the Trinity, a God who is in his nature a community of persons. We are called to be like him. (7 Jun. 2009)

Pentecost - Our Friend the Spirit

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Joel Sember) — Sun, 31 May 2009 09:44:29 PDT

Easter, the Feast of Pentecost. We have all experienced the power of good friends to help and encourage us. The Holy Spirit is like a good friend: he accompanies us, encourage us, and talks to us about the Son as we walk and sing on our pilgrimage to Heaven. (31 May 2009)

Easter7 - God has not Abandoned his People

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Joel Sember) — Sun, 24 May 2009 10:53:34 PDT

Easter, Ascension of Our Lord. Jesus appears to abandon his disciples when he leaves them to return to heaven. But God never abandons his people; Jesus continues to be present and active through the power of the Spirit. In the same way, some might say that God has abandoned his Church today. But God continues to be powerfully present in his Church to those who desire to see him. Come Holy Spirit! (24 May 2009)

Easter6 - Love is from God

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Joel Sember) — Sun, 17 May 2009 09:50:36 PDT

Easter, 6th Sunday. Jesus asks the impossible: Love your enemies... Do good to those who hate you... How could we be expected to do that? With the gift of love that comes from God. The Father loves the Son, the Son loves his Disciples, and so the disciples are called to love one another. We can love because we have been loved by God. This love has motivated missionaries to die for Jesus just as He died for them. (17 May 2009)

Easter5 - The Vine, the branches and Motherhood

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Joel Sember) — Sun, 10 May 2009 11:48:58 PDT

Easter, 5th Sunday. Some explorers searched the New World for the Tree of Life which was supposed to give immortality to those who drank its sap. We have this tree among us -- Jesus. He is the vine, we are the branches. Jesus gives his own divine life to his disciples. In the same way, mothers give of themselves to that their children might live. Thank you to all mothers. (10 May 2009)