Continue reading »]]> Tuesday evening, Fr Kevin Peters kicked off our Lenten Speakers Series by helping us to reflect on how we keep Sabbath.  I was reminded of the old saying, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Many of us live to work, rather than work to live, because productivity and achievement are at the heart of our work ethic.

Our days and our weeks are consumed by activity as we rush from place to place, task to task, one more meeting, sports event, call to make, item to buy, thing to do.  Fr Peters reminded us that we all hunger for rest; that keeping Sabbath offers us the God-given gift of rest whereby we deepen our relationship with God, ourselves and others. During Sabbath, we switch to “God time”, the quality of our time for each other.

Finally, Fr. Peters suggested we live with the attitude of keeping Sabbath each day and see how our life changes. Adopting a Sabbath attitude keeps us balanced throughout every facet of our lives. It allows us to see the work we do as part of the big picture, to know we are more than our jobs, more than the roles we play; we are God’s blessed creation.

How do you mark the Sabbath in your home today? In what ways are your practices like those in your home while growing up?

What would you like to change in the way you celebrate Sabbath?

Continue reading »]]> Jim Merhaut began our Parish Mission talking about holiness. To be holy is simply to be like God.  And God is Love. So holiness for a family is mainly about loving.

For three evenings, Jim helped us to develop a way of thinking that connects what we celebrate as a parish with what we live as a family.

Here are some pictures of our Parish Mission 2010.

Continue reading »]]> My nephew was about to “graduate” from kindergarten. He put on his paper mortarboard and marched with his class to the stage. As he received his “diploma”, Jason shook hands with his teacher.  After the ceremony, we each said “Congratulations.”  Jason looked at us and asked, “What does that mean?” His mom and dad answered, “Good job!”

That answer worked for a five year old!

While this may be sufficient for a five year old, sometimes something deeper is intended.  If we look at the Latin – “congratulations” means “to be pleased with” or “graced with.” When we offer our congratulations, we are saying we rejoice with the other and it expresses a relationship.

The Beatitudes in our Gospel today announce God’s pleasure in and relationship to the poor, to those who are excluded and hated. With the Beatitudes, Luke highlights God’s generosity.

Luke seems to be exalting the downtrodden simply because they are downtrodden, and “cursing” the comfortable simply because they are comfortable. What really is at the heart of this Gospel is the manner of  life that makes present God’s reign of love. Jesus asks of us today to become people willing to feel our needs and to depend on God. Then we will also be open to our neighbor, to receive and to give. It is our relationship with God that motivates us to live the blessings that are given to us. And it is our relationship with God that motivates us to reach out to others. The model for this type of relationship is Jesus himself.