Welcome!
Thank you for visiting. I hope you will enjoy the variety of topics to enhance your spiritual life. You can read them below or download them and read at your leisure. I have also added my Sunday Homilies.
CURRENT TOPICS: Notes for Presentation on Mary + God Is Beautiful + Hosea, The Unwanted Prophet+
ENJOY!
Exaltation of the Holy Cross 2025
This is from Peter Kreeft, “The Bible is the most popular, most well-known, and most loved book in the world. The New Testament is the most loved part of the Bible. The Gospels are the most loved books in the New Testament. John’s Gospel is the most loved Gospel. And chapter three, verse 16 is most loved verse. So, John 3:16 is the most loved sentence in the world. You often see it scribbled on bridges and on cardboard signs held up at ball games. It says that “God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have ternal life.” That is the essence of the Good News of the Gospel, the essence of Christianity.”
Then Peter continues with his example using ants, but I’ll use my own example. I was given a dog when I was in Zambia. The pup was probably not even weaned from the mother. They probably would have drowned it as I found out later, simply because it simply had undesirable traits. It was a Cairn Terrier, white, short-haired, and curly, exactly the traits one did not want in the breed. I loved that dog, Jack, but one day it did not come home. That was the time when we sent the young brothers home for the holidays, and Jackie went looking for them. Where are they? Jack crossed the dirt road, which he was not supposed to do, and was almost instantly run over by a car that didn’t even bother to stop. Our neighbor, who rented the property next door, a Muslim, brought him to me. I was heartbroken, but deeply touched that the man, who saw it all, picked Jack up and carried him home to me. It was Sunday morning and I was ready to leave to say Mass at our boys’ high school chapel in Lusaka, Zambia.
Peter Kreeft continues but I’ll give my example instead again.
Imagine you kept dogs as a pet. They had free choice between the food you gave them, which would give them life and happiness forever, and an alternative food, which was really poison for them. They chose to mistrust you and take the poison instead. And your response to this rebellion was not to leave them alone to die, which would be what they deserved, but to save them, by becoming a dog yourself and entering their life to give them your own body and blood as the only antidote to their poison, and the only alternative good that would save them. You gave this undeserved gift to any dog that would trust you and take it. You knew the dogs would kill you if you came into their world, but you did all that anyway, just because you loved those undeserving, rebellious little dogs that much. You got nothing out of it. You didn’t need them at all. But they needed you. You did it out of pure altruistic love.
What a ridiculous story! Hard to believe, isn’t it? That is the great mystery of our religion: why should God love us that much? And the only answer is: because that ‘s what God is. God is pure love, and love gives everything.
So where is the cutoff point? Who gets saved and who doesn’t? Who gets eternal life and who doesn’t? There is no cutoff point. It’s for everyone. It’s free. Nobody can buy it, not even with the biggest pile of good works. It’s a gift, and you can’t buy a gift, because a gift is given out of love, and you can’t buy love.
This is the gift that we offer here at Saint Francis de Sales Parish, a gift of love that we have all received through our Baptism from God and we offer it to all who walk through the doors. All are welcome!
If we are truly the Body of Christ, then Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament meets Jesus in the Ecclesia or the Body of Christ. Yes, hopefully Jesus will meet himself in us through this celebration of mystery. Even though we sometimes as a Body of Christ tear each other apart through our words and actions, Jesus still comes among us each Sunday to meet Jesus again in the Word and in the Sacrament. So the Body and Blood of Christ again meets the assembled Body of Christ to become more like him, day by day, through love in action.
GOD IS BEAUTY – BEAUTY IS GOD
“Go Back To Where You Came From!”
“Go Back To Where You Came From!”
Amos, The Unwanted Prophet: Part Two
Amos alone among the prophets refers to Israel as “The House of Isaac.” He is also the only prophet who mentions the Yahweh shrine at Beersheba (to the South of Tekoa) which was founded by Isaac. Isaac was the father both of Jacob and Esau, forefather of the Edomites, and they in turn were semi-nomadic neighbors of the Tekoans to their immediate south. Amos may have had a special regard for these Edomite neighbors of his, perhaps even thinking of them as brothers. They were highly regarded in Old Testament times for their clan wisdom as were the Tekoans.
Seldom was a prophet so out of step with his times. Not since the days of King David had Israel been as powerful or prosperous as right then. King Uzziah of Judah and King Jeroboam of Israel were the rulers at this time. More precisely, it was two years before a certain earthquake, which was dated to the year 760 on the basis of archaeological evidence from the north-Galilean city of Hazor. This would locate Amos in the middle years of the long, exceptionally prosperous reigns of these kings.
Miriam and Amos are again sitting in the shade at their favorite place in the cool of morning sun as it slowly lights up the view of the world below them. This is their favorite time of the day before any work begins to spend some time together if even for a few moments.
“I am sure you were too tired last night after your journey,” Miriam was anxious to ask, “but how was your trip?”
“It went well,” Amos began. “The only problem that each time I travel to Jerusalem, even for the celebrations, I come away angry at the haughty looks I get from the arrogant people that live there.”
“I am sure it is because those people don’t know what real work is like, except for the poor laborers that slave for them,” Miriam tried to soothe him, since he seemed more irritated this time.
“I have no problem with how I look, but I am sure my mannerisms and even my attitude causes me to stand out,” Amos said a little irritated. “But what always gets to me is their attitude, like Jerusalem is God’s chosen city and King David his special chosen dynasty!”
“Well, I can sympathize with you,” she said.
“But what really irks me is all those senseless sacrifice of animals!” he almost spit it out.
Now Miriam has realized what really bothers him. “I know what you mean, Amos,” Miriam again tries to consol him. “But my worry is how will they receive you when you get to Bethel in the Northern Kingdom and give them Yahweh’s warning?”
“It will not be with open arms of love,” Amos replied a little sarcastic. “But I do have a plan how to deliver the message. And once I am done then I can wash my hands of them and their abominable temples and sacrilegious practices.”
Miriam said a little worried, “Just take care of yourself, Amos. When are you planning on leaving?”
“Shortly,” Amos replied, “after I get some rest. I am thinking of taking Joshua with me.”
“He is old enough to travel and it would be a great experience for him,” she said. “Do you think it will be safe for you both?”
“Yes. Normally I would not be certain, except…” Amos paused, “Yahweh promised my safety!”
Miriam reflected for a moment, somewhat surprised. “Amos, I have the feeling that Yahweh really needs you to deliver his message.”
Amos only answers, “God does nothing, without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets. If they do not listen, then God acts.”
Miriam can only shudder what the Lord God Yahweh will do.
Go Back To Where You Came From pt 2
Go Back To Where You Came From pt 1