Gospel, Homily and Coffee

We have been reading and hearing parables in our Gospels for the past several weeks. These are great teaching tools of Jesus for us. I think our tendency, and a good one, is to interpret the parable itself:  what is the teaching about the kingdom of God. For example this week’s short but intense parables there are four take aways (not my own, but I am using a source) First, the Value of the Kingdom is not apparent to the untrained eye. Second, the Kingdom requires searching out. Third, acquiring the Kingdom requires certain audacity Fourth, present sacrifices express hope in a future joy. These are great take aways, but there is one question that remains, and I think this is maybe the more important question.   Why? Why does Jesus teach in parables, and why does Jesus teach these particular parables? Jesus says in John’s Gospel the he came so that we may have lIfe, and have life completely. Jesus’ salvation is the freedom to choose to love and ...

Los gemidos del Espíritu Santo, ¿Los hemos oídos? Claro, hay otras formas de gemidos que oímos. En el gimnasio, hay los gemidos de la los hombres haciendo ejercicio.  Tratando a levantar los pesos, los gemidos significa que la fuerza es mucho.  A veces, parece más de una forma de llamando atención, pero.... Hay los gemidos después una chiste mala, que significa "O, no puedo a creer dijiste este" Hay los gemidos de frustración también.  Por ejemplo, en las calles con los otros choferes. ¿Cuales son los gemidos del Espíritu Santo dentro de nosotros? Todos de nosotros tenemos el Espíritu Santo dentro de nosotros.   Y el trabajo del Espíritu Santo es para movernos adelante a ser conectado con Dios y todos.   El trabajo del Espíritu Santo es para santificarnos, hacernos Santo.   Y para ser santo es para ser conectado con Dios y todos. Este es parte de la Buena Nueva! Nosotros somos creados en el imagen de Dios, la Trinidad ...

The groanings of the Holy Spirit, that is kind of visceral phrase that Paul uses.  But, its gets our attention! Have we heard any of these groanings? Clearly, many of us hear different forms of groans, for different reasons. At the gym when people work out, especially the guys, they groan as they strain to lift the weights.  Of course, at times I think it is way to get attention. Don’t we groan after we hear a bad joke too, that “I can’t believe you said that!” Or those groans of frustration, especially driving in traffic. How and why does the Spirit groan within us? We all have the Holy Spirit within us. The Holy Spirit moves us to be better connected, with God and with others. The Holy Spirit makes us more holy, and to be holy is to be well connected with God and with others. That’s part of the Good News! God created us in God’s own image, the Holy Trinity.  We are created to be in community, to have love:  To be human is to have com...

i am not preaching anywhere this weekend (so far) but here is my homily to myself. How many of are perfectionists? We walk into a room, notice a picture slightly askew, and we immediately go over and make it right?  Otherwise, we can’t focus. How many of us crave closure or completion?  We do not like open-endedness.  We want chores/tasks done and to be done! How many of are frustrated with the slow pace of change? We work out, we eat well, and still those abs do not show. How many of get angry when things don’t go to our plans? Welcome to our Humanity. We are human be-ings, meaning we are in the process of becoming human.  This also means that our humanity is not yet fully realized. Because of this we have growing pains and these growing pains cause problems for us as persons, and this, as St. Paul writes, causes problems to all the world. We are the children of God, this is the Good News! Yet, I am fairly sure that none of us read...

Each week the RGJ publishes a question and response from the various religions in the area.  The Catholic Response is facilitated by myself, and is written by Fr. Chuck Durante, Monique Jacobs, Lauri Anne Reinhart and myself on alternating weeks.  These response can be no more than 150 words.  Here is the question and response for this weekend written by me. Should the Church updates its Teachings on Sexuality? No!...only when we want to. The Catholic Church updates itself through discernment, which means we take our time.  Our updates must be based on objective truths and not solely based on societal subjective beliefs. This means we have to take in information then research, consider our core teachings, and think prudently what is the underlying message and consequences (who, what and why) and then move forward. Human Sexuality is a glorious gift of God.  It guides how we connect with the world and other people. This powerful gift must be treat...

Each week the RGJ publishes a question and response from the various religions in the area.  The Catholic Response is facilitated by myself, and is written by Fr. Chuck Durante, Monique Jacobs, Lauri Anne Reinhart and myself on alternating weeks.  These response can be no more than 150 words.  Here is the question and response for this weekend written by me. Did we exist before this life? (NOTE: Question here means—Did we exist before our conception in our respective mothers' womb?) Soul, Space and Time God created us uniquely, in this particular moment of time and space.  There is no pre-existence; no reincarnation from a previous life.  We are unique.   Therefore each life is sacred and dignified.  We are called therefore to treat each life as sacred and treat each life with dignity, from the moment of a person’s conception to the moment a person dies a natural death. It also means we have this one opportunity to live live to the ...

How many of us listened to the 2nd reading? How many of us who listened to the 2nd reading think Paul has some issues? Well, he does, but not in the way we think.   Life is about love, ergo life is about relationships and other people People, full of life, live in true love for others. This is a revelation of Jesus Christ, and the deep mystery of the Eucharist. “Life in flesh” is not only what many of us think “Life in the flesh” is about a self centered life; it is an ego based life It is a life spend reacting to needs, wants, desires; living a pure emotional life. Let’s be clear, our emotions are not bad.  Our Emotions are not sinful.   So having anger, scare or sadness are not sin. Nor is having happiness. Jesus clearly experienced all the human emotions that we experience. Emotions are reactions to events that happen to us. Here is the issue, or the sin, or what “living in the flesh” means.  It is when we base all our lives on...