Gospel, Homily and Coffee

Love Transforms The nature of all of creation is to evolve.   The universe evolved from a singularity, a point of unimaginable energy and uniformity, to a space and time of incredible diversity. Life evolved from proteins and amino acids, to single cells, to more and more complex animals, until the human animal came forth. Yet, there is more with us humans. We evolve yes, but we also are transformed: transformed to be fully who we are to be. Don’t you love it when children begin to walk?  It’s fun to watch and it marks an important phase of their lives.  What happens? They first stand, they fall, stand and fall..using furniture and others to be stable. Then taking those first steps. Again, the falling, but…. As parents, or uncles and aunts, what is our role?  We encourage them We stand away and invite them to come to us. We hold them when they cry.  They fall, we help them up. We get them going again. And we rejoice with them as that joy of walking i...

We will all fall short at one point or another.  What will we do? We humans, we have so much potential for greatness.  We have so much potential for the good.  There is so much possibility for making good things happen, for reducing the suffering in our world and in our lives. Yet, we do not always live up to this potential.  Sometimes we run short. Sometimes our own fears get in the way, our anger, our sadness...our egos.  We hold back. We fail to live out that potential. God's grace empowers us to fulfill our potential. God's grave overflows into us, so that we can be emboldened to make the best choices that reflect who we are as humans persons, as those children of God. It is not a magic act...but empowerment for us to act. And when we do, simple actions becomes great flavorful "miracles." Holding a door open, becomes a show of respect and honor to an elderly person who feels left out. A smile to a stranger becomes a show of humanity to som...

We have left the Christmas season and now embark on Ordinary Time. The liturgical time in which we, as the disciples of Christ, explore how we are called to live our faith; to live out our mission; to be human beings. It’s the liturgical time to discern how we live out the Salvation of Jesus Christ. Luke’s Gospel tells us that after Jesus was baptized and as he prayed, the heavens were opened and the Holy Spirit descended… The power of God comes through here into Creation Imagine that...Heaven opening up here on earth… In our world this day, people are acutely aware ever more of the connections we all share; how our own choices here can have an effect on those living far.  Heaven opens us. In our world his day, women and men speak out against the abuse, physical, sexual and psychological, done to them by people in positions of authority, including those in our church.  Speaking up for justice. Heaven opens up. People speaking up for the poor, thos...

A movie that I did not think I would like, but ended up doing so was “Knocked Up”.   I won’t go into the details of the movie, but there was one scene that I especially connected with.  Ben, the male lead, was a man-boy...meaning he was older, in his thirties, but still acted like a teen, emotionally and physically.  He was a slacker! Yet, due to a choice he had made, he had to grow up fast. In the scene, totally confused and emotionally upset, he was sitting talking with his Dad, confronted by his future and his choices.  He asked his Dad, “Tell me what to do! Just tell me what to do!” “What to do?”  I asked that question a lot.  All I wanted many times was for  people was just tell me what to do and I would do it.  Give me clear instructions, and I am good. Don’t make me think, just tell me.  I will do whatever it takes to please you! That did not work out so well. “What to do?”   There are so many choices i...