Sunday March 3, 2019

Prayers of the Faithful

Let us pray to remove the beam in our own eyes, so we may perceive our path to virtue and integrity. May our eyes glimpse the beauty of faith.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray to lift people up when they are bowed down by hopelessness, when hatred fractures our society, when loneliness bends our shoulders and when discouragement shadows our days.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray to encourage faith among our children, hope among our families, and kindness among neighborhoods. We pray wisdom may bear fruit among us and shade our restlessness.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for our brothers and sisters who are ill and wrestling with horrific questions about their future. We pray we may extend our lives to all the sick in service and prayer.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray that we may know the protection of God for all human life in every generation and time. We pray love may sprout from despair and hope may bloom with honesty.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for our loved ones who have died. We pray our grief may seek forgiveness, connection to our families, and faith in Christ Jesus. In this Mass…

We pray to the Lord

Dear Followers of Jesus,

Luke 6:39-45, today’s gospel, challenges us once again. We take on a greater responsibility in our own lives of faith listening to Jesus’ words. We recognize our own blindness. We know that we are not always faithful leaders; we know firsthand that our blindness gets in the way. The wooden beams in our eyes keep us from seeing the truth of life and the dignity of our sister or brother. We must see the splinters in other people’s eyes carefully. Other people can become a threat to us when we only see the things we disagree with.

Hypocrisy is never easy to deal with. Our own blindness keeps us from living a moral life. We tend to view others lives much more easily than our own. We are faced with much hypocrisy in our day and age.

This weekend is the last in Ordinary Time before the Lenten Season. This gospel becomes a good preparation for Ash Wednesday, March 6. Here is a litany from today’s gospel, Luke 6:39-45, that will help spiritually prepare for this season of repentance and enlightenment.

Response: Open my eyes, O Lord.

Open my eyes to your presence when I am blind…

Open my eyes to your love when I am lost in selfishness…

Open my eyes to your kindness when I put others down…

Open my eyes to your guidance when I am too self-reliant….

Open my eyes to your beauty when I am stuck in gloomy self -destruction…

Remove the beam in my eye when I am arrogant and aloof…

Remove the beam in my eye when I convey only gloom…

Remove the beam in my eye when I live for only my selfish needs…

Remove the beam in my eye when I am quick to judge and slow to change…

Remove the beam in my eye when I see only negative aspects of others…

Produce good fruit in me when I am a complete hypocrite…

Produce good fruit in me when I give up on self-care…

Produce good fruit in me when discouragement wilts my attitude…

Produce good fruit in me when my tongue is forked and insincere…

Produce good fruit in me when I cannot trust myself for good…

Allow light to heal my life when I sit in my own darkness…

Allow light to heal my life when I cast shadows of disgust toward others…

Allow light to heal my life when I allow hatred to fill my day…

Allow light to heal my life when I speak only fear…

Allow light to heal my life when I am afraid to grow and change…

Blessings to you,

Fr. Ron

This is my latest article from The Priest Magazine, March 2019. This article reflects on the Lenten journey for all people and priests in particular and is published by Our Sunday Visitor, Inc. Rev. David Bonnar is editor of the magazine.

This article is written by Ronald Raab, CSC

CLICK HERE: LIGHT IN THE DESERT

Click here for today’s homily

February 24, 2019

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Let us pray to silence the clutter of division and gossip in our lives, especially the voices that ring out fear. Let us listen instead to the love God has for us, even among those with whom we disagree.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for our Universal Church in these times of distress. For our leaders, for all clergy, that they speak the truth, be accountable for their wrong actions, and seek to lead with justice.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray to be generous with our words and more kind in actions toward our enemies. Let us recognize the beauty of life even among those who challenge us. Forgive and you will be forgiven.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for people who are weary from grief and loss. We pray for members of our families who suffer from cancer, from depression and from the turmoil of stress and misfortune. We pray to measure only with love and hope.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for miracles of unity and generosity. Let us come to terms with people who dispute our faith and our perspectives on life. Let us believe in the graciousness of all life and in the Divine love for every person.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray on earth for our loved ones in heaven. We pray for all who have died in our families and communities. At this Mass…

We pray to the Lord

Dear Followers of Jesus,

Today’s gospel, Luke 6:27-38, is quite the challenge for us. We are called as those who first followed Jesus, to love our enemies. These words from Jesus are straightforward and he minces none. The mission of Jesus’ presence in the world and for our very own lives is to bring us together, to unite us in the message of peace. Where there is division, he hopes that his presence can heal and satisfy. Even in our complicated lives, harmony can happen.

Luke’s gospel always begins with what is real and honest in our lives. He says to those who have more than one coat, make sure that your extra ones will help keep another person warm. Our possessions, no matter what they may be, should be shared for the wellbeing of people. Even these items of clothing become a sign and witness to the Kingdom of God. We share our extra clothing today because these items help protect the body of another person, a sign of God’s everlasting Kingdom, a sign of unity on earth and of what is to come in heaven.

Jesus begins with the tangible, like a cloak, because that is the easier thing to share. He gets down to the nitty-gritty when he mentions “being merciful” or “stop judging” or “offer forgiveness.” These are the things that we struggle with the most in our own lives. These are the things that demand real change for us, real commitment on our part and yet have the most potential to bring us to Jesus’ side in heaven. These real and human obstacles to unity take work, energy and time.

We live today creating various enemies. We easily create tension in a black and white world. People are either on our side or they are our enemy. We immediately use violent hand gestures when someone cuts us off in traffic. We think people are our enemies when they vote differently than we do. We immediately are at odds with folks who believe the Church should go in a direction that we think is wrong. Our enemies in our nation are liberal or conservative, right or wrong, rich or poor. People with skin color different from us and languages of strangers threaten the status quo. Enemies become “we” when healing can happen. Enemies remain at odds only when we vilify people, thinking that their real identity is made from what we disagree with. People are more than the one opinion that makes us crazy.

“Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give, and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and over flowing, will be poured in to your lap. For the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.” These words of Jesus offer us his real presence both in prayer and in action, when we finally are able to believe in Him who is our real life here on earth. These words should be copied and taped to our bathroom mirror this year. These words deserve our attention today and every day of our lives.

Be at peace, with your self and your enemy.

Fr. Ron

From: Pastoral Liturgy Magazine, published from Liturgy Training Publications in Chicago.

Author: Mary Fox, editor

Read this article on our restoration of Sacred Heart Church, Colorado Springs, CO.

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February 17, 2019

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Let us pray to trust the goodness of one another. We pray to respect and to befriend our differences. We pray to live on the rich ground of integrity.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray that we may seek level ground where justice makes a home in our society, in our neighborhoods and within our own hearts. We pray for the right use of all of God’s resources.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray to seek level ground where our poor are cared for, where honesty is valued in our families, where tenderness breaks through in our fragile lives. How blessed are those who love the Lord.

We pray to the Lord

Let us pray to place our fear at the feet of Jesus, where he protects the ill and suffering, where true healing may flourish in our time and place. How blessed are those with pure hope.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for a common ground where our Church leaders may act with genuine love in days of uncertainty and neglect. May our prophetic voices be amplified and full-throated.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for God’s healing touch in our grief and loss. We pray for our loved ones who have died. In this Mass…

We pray to the Lord.

Dear Followers of Jesus,

Today’s gospel invites us on level ground to listen to Jesus speak to us. Luke 6:17, 20-26, tells of Jesus’ teaching about what the Kingdom of God is for us. We are to be poor enough to listen and rich enough to understand. We are to be hungry for something more and satisfied with God. In our weeping, we shall discover the healing of Christ Jesus.

Luke’s version of the Beatitudes is different from Matthew’s version. The obvious difference is that Luke has Jesus speaking on level ground. Matthew collects the disciples in the story on a hillside. I think this simple difference means a great deal. Jesus comes to us where we are, speaking to us face to face. This posture of Jesus and the disciples can be seen throughout the entire gospel. The level ground is the place where real life happens. This level ground means that everyone is the same, including the authority of Jesus.

The level ground is also the place where the disciples can be seen by one another by not allowing any of them to be higher or above the group. The level ground is not haughty, above the fray or otherworldly. Level ground is not about self-righteousness. This level ground is also a place where we long to be with Jesus. His authority is rooted deeply in our own lives, in our pain and fear. This grounding is significant. I believe it is also the place where we need to encounter Jesus in our own lives. It is also the place where we stand when we learn how to serve others, by not looking down on people. Our grounding in God and being with one another has much spiritual significance.

Being on level ground also has much to say about the authority of the Church. This challenge to reform our lives also starts with being on level ground with people, seeing them eye-to-eye. This challenge is particularly real in dealing with the sex abuse issues of our Church today. We have much work to do for all clerics to see their ministry not above people, not below people, but being on the same ground of faith, integrity and understanding. I am becoming weary of the effects of the abuse on our Church and I pray for a deep and profound humility from our bishops and leadership. I fear that the grounding of superiority will never change. I question on some days what it means to believe in the Beatitudes of the Church when our hierarchy remains on higher ground.

Woe to those who cling to such power. Woe to those not willing to remain on level ground of faith, hope and love. Woe to those who trust in power. Woe to those who believe they are separate from the poor and suffering. Woe to those whose lives are filled with richness now. Woe to those who cannot conceive of being wrong about any issue. Woe to us, who stand upon higher ground and look down upon others.

Blessings,

Fr. Ron