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Lighthouse March 4, 2025
In Matt 5:22 Jesus says “Anyone who says to his brother or sister 'raca' is answerable to the court.” It seems that we human beings are good about using words to demean others. Last week St. Catherine church was privileged to have someone post a large derogatory term where every passerby could read it. While it was not referring to us it is still deeply disconcerting. Was it personal? Was it a hate-crime? I trust that it was just a stupid venting by a teenager to get attention. But, is it ever acceptable? No. every human being is made in the image and likeness of God. As such, to use any derogatory terms describing another human being is to, in some way, desecrate God's finest work, an image of Himself. Jesus carries that a little further in that He tells us that whatever we do to the least of our brothers we do to Him. So, why do we do it? Pretty well every category of human beings, collectively or individually have been called names. Remember in school how some would be made fun of because of being heavy, or thin, dressed with the brand-clothes or not, a little unkempt maybe. Anything at all. Then when we join together as a group defining the we and the them we establish enemies and if we go far enough we declare the enemy as less than human. If we can somehow see them as less than human we can become comfortable in treating the other worse than we would any animal. Derogatory names or words are used to destroy and as such are not worthy of a child of God using. To do so is to go against God's great command: 'Thou shall not kill.' I pray that the person who was proud of his use of vocabulary has had time to reconsider his choice of actions. I pray that he may find the joy of using his skills to help build others up and reaffirm that all are welcome no matter their circumstances or race, color, or religion. We have only one 'Father'. Let us all pray for this young man that he might know how he is loved by this Father in the brotherhood of man.
As an aside: these next few weeks we will again have the Shroud of Turin Display available for viewing at St. George in Van Buren from 12-7 on March 13, 20th and at St. Catherine in Piedmont from March 22-30th. Through a preponderance of evidence the Shroud proves to be the burial cloth of Christ. Come see the witness of how he suffered to make His Father, 'Our Father.'
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Lighthouse February 25, 2025
Love Your Enemy Luke 6:27
After sharing a little reflection from Jesus' sermon on the plains, or the beatitudes, I can't help but look at the next section. Does Jesus really expect the impossible or are His expectations so out of proportion to keep us humble. We tell ourselves we can't do it. Remember, last week we considered how there is a blessing in being poor, hungry, thirsty and how we are to be grateful for every circumstance knowing God is going to bring something good of it. Well in this section Jesus goes a little further. We are not just looking at a static situation to be grateful for but a living dynamic which calls for a living response. Now Jesus calls us to love our enemy, and He says it twice. Well, that is not the mushy love we think of on Valentine's day. Nor is it the family love we share. He is calling for an active love of the worst people we can imagine; a love that absolutely desires the greatest good for the other. In desiring it it means we must seek to make that happen. In a way you might think of the way we helped build up Japan and Germany after the great war. They killed many of our people but we were able to rise up above our natural inclinations to build them up and make them partners. Or, as Abraham Lincoln said at the end of the civil war when someone asked what kind of repercussions we were going to impose on the south. He said, when the war is over there are no enemies and proceeded to help the south have what it needed to rebuild. We might think of Mother Theresa who would take poor people to others seeking shelter and food. At one place she had a displaced lady with her and knocking on the door asked for some food. The man spit in sister's face and she responded 'well, that was a blessing for me; how about something for our sister now?' He gave her something to eat. To love one's neighbor like that is unquestionably a challenge. But, to do so, makes us most like God who rains on the just and the unjust. God absolutely loves everyone. He doesn't love you or I because we might be good but because He is love. 'He who abides in God abides in His love.' Do you have any enemies in your life? How can you love them? How can you work for their greater good? To love is not just a passive feeling but a verb, an action. If you can't think of anything else at the moment at least include them in your prayer asking God to bless them
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Lighthouse February 18, 2025
This past Sunday we got to hear Luke’s version of the beatitudes. In Matthew we hear a spiritual version given on top of a hill. Jesus even depicts it as exalted. Matthew Presents it in a way that makes it sound like one can or needs to grow through these different steps beginning with “Blessed are the poor in spirit..’ In other words one begins with a real spirit of humility which is always necessary in seeking God’s blessings. With Luke we have a down to earth version. It's even down at the bottom of the hill. With that Luke says ‘blessed are the poor’. There are no qualifications. You just are. You are poor; you are hungry; you thirst. As we read all these we can’t help but think of the Jews journey through the desert. They experienced all these things and yet God was saying they were blessed above all people. It didn’t look like they were being blessed. It certainly didn’t feel like they were being blessed. It’s no fun to go thirsty and hungry through the desert. Yet, they were called to. That’s the trick in being a disciple. One must give thanks in all circumstances and trust in God. Think of all these police cars with ‘In God we trust written on the back. Do they, do we really trust in God? We radically trust in God when we can do as Mother Theresa’s followers do in trusting for enough to get by each day or when we trust like Don Bosco who had a large boys school. When they got to where there were no more supplies he still asked the children to gather at their place at the table and they offered a prayer of blessing even though there was nothing there. Strangely enough, a milk truck had just overturned and asked them to take the milk before it spoiled and so also with a farmer who had just butchered but didn’t have enough space to store everything. To keep everything. Trust in god. So when Luke says ‘blessed are the poor.’ ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst.’ ‘Blessed are you who are weeping.’ ‘Blessed are you when they hate you and insult you.’ For the kingdom of God is yours. You and I are being reminded to thank God in all circumstances because He is in charge and He is with us. We know that we rise above our circumstances knowing we are blessed because God says so and we simply give Him praise and thanks no matter what. There are so many Christian songs which reflect this well; songs like ‘If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands’; ‘It is well with my soul’; ‘Give thanks to the Lord always’. What a difference your day could be if you just take one of these songs, or one similar, and sing it as a mantra throughout the day. Let us reflect our trust in the Lord by showing our joy throughout the day. Won’t you?
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Lighthouse February 11, 2025
St. Valentine II
God is love and he who abides in love abides in God. The very essence of God is simply love.That love is exemplified in a trinity of persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. From that we know all we need to know about our being truly in the image and likeness of God. Do we exemplify love in all our relationships? The most basic, of course, is our love for God who willed us into being and desires that we spend eternity with Him. He doesn’t ask much in that regard except to ask us to honor the sabbath. He is the one who brought the idea into the world that we are not to work 7 days a week. There is a need to trust Him, and of course, that is what He says in regard to the tithe when He says ‘trust me in this.’ Beyond that He measures how we are in relationship with one another beginning with our spouse. In making us in His image and likeness we witness ‘husbands, love your wives as God loves His church’ and ‘this is why a man will leave mother and father and cling to his wife as they become one flesh.’ One can never be too generous in giving themself to their spouse. St. Paul reminds spouses to treat one another as their own body. It's always legitimate to spoil one's spouse. One of the beautiful thoughts I picked up from my Marriage Encounter days is the reality that if you want to marry a winner then always, always treat your spouse as a winner. To do otherwise is to have married a loser; and who wants that? That’s a choice we make. Build your spouse up in the Lord. Adam said ‘this at last’. He recognized the great gift God had given him in Eve. Do something extra for your spouse every day. Love always seeks to grow, to produce as spouses look outward together. The fruit of that love is called a great gift as the scriptures say ‘may your quiver be filled with them.’ As you and your spouse discover this witness of your love you have dreams for your offspring and put their well being above your own wants; even your own needs, and even above the child’s wants that it might become all God created it to be. As the child grows and you no longer need to sacrifice yourselves totally for them you seek some way to share your love for the good of the greater community. ‘God calls us to be church and not just as individuals in love with Him. He calls us to love our neighbor as ourself. That becomes a necessary ingredient both as an example to the children and of making sure we are never just self-serving. Through the love, the sacrifice for, and the witness to our neighbor we witness God’s love for them and His desire that they too spend eternity with Him. Finally, the greatest witness, we must love our enemies, if we have any. Jesus died for everyone and the first one he promised heaven was a thief on the cross. Where are you in this journey of love? On what level do you sacrifice yourself for the good of the other?
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Lighthouse February 4, 2025
St. Valentine
Another celebration to serve some market. Well, we've probably polished off the Christmas candy by now. Mid winter gets dreary. There are no parades where candy gets thrown. So, yes, its time for some candy & flowers. I'm sorry, that sounds a little facetious. I like Valentine's Day, even if it is the day my niece, her husband and child were murdered. St. Valentine's day reminds me of being a child and getting little valentine cards from everybody in class, even if they didn't show any particular love otherwise. It's like being reminded to tell aunt so and so 'I love you.' It's good to be reminded that we need to love. Jesus reminds us of such when He says to love one another as He loves us. That indeed becomes the primary criteria for knowing if we really do love. Or think of when St. Paul says “husbands, love your wives as God loves His church.” So, let's go down that path. This is the kind of love He was asking Peter about after His resurrection. Twice he asked “Peter do you love me?” But finally He asks “Peter do you love me even as a friend?” There are many people we all love in this third way. We say we love them because they are a benefactor in some way. We feel comfortable enough to ask if we can borrow something or to be willing to loan them something. Some we call friends only because we met them and they hadn't done anything bad to us. But, can we really deal with the level of love Jesus is calling us to? When He says there is no greater love than to lay down one's life for another; that can simply be a willingness to be a doctor, a teacher or any other profession where one is giving themselves daily in service to others for their well being. But, am I intentionally committed to this other person's Total well-being. If so, it does mean I want them to have all they need and will work for that end. If it is love it must mean having that concern for the other person, body, soul and spirit. It's not enough to simply say 'I want them to be well fed. I want them to have the medical care they need. I want them to have the education they need for their full potential.' We must also be concerned for their spiritual well-being. Jesus says to not fear those who can destroy the body only but those who can destroy body and soul in hell. If one says 'if you love me you will do such and such'; that is not love. If we truly love the other it is not enough to simply not lead them into temptation doing anything which goes against the laws of God we must also be actively interested in helping them do all that pleases God and to all would lead them to eternal life. So yes, share your Valentine card, your candies, your flowers. That kind of love does feel good. But feelings are not love. Let that good feeling, rather, encourage you to seek the highest good for the other, body, soul, and SPIRIT.
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