On the Margins from Mater Dei Radio, Portland, OR
The Epiphany of the Lord
We are all searching for Jesus. We follow the Light bearing gifts. On this Epiphany, may we recognize the gift through the darkness and our home in the saving presence of Christ Jesus.
Today is the memorial of Saint Andre Bessette. When Brother Andre was canonized in the Roman Catholic Church in 2010, Salt and Light Television from Toronto produced a documentary. This is a six minute clip with my reflections from the Downtown Chapel (now Saint Andre Bessette Church) in Portland, OR. I have published several articles on Andre which are also on my blog. Please pray for the healing mission of the Church and the intercession of Brother Andre. Saint Andre, pray for us.
On October 17, 2012, we will celebrate the second anniversary of the canonization of Andre Bessette. Saint Andre is now the patron of our parish community and a real source of inspiration for our ongoing mission of hospitality to people on the margins of society. In July of 2010, staff members of Salt and Light Television from Toronto, Canada came to our parish to film portions of our outreach ministry and our prayer. This video is a section of the documentary that speaks of our community in action. We have just recently been given permission by Salt and Light to use this video for our purposes here at Saint Andre Bessette Church.
Continue to pray for the mission of our parish community. We are still learning much about Andre’s ministry and work and how to translate his spirituality and dedication here in our time and place. I hope you enjoy…
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Cover for parish bulletin: Mary, Holy Mother of God: Painting, Ronald Raab, CSC
CLICK HERE to read the complete parish bulletin for this weekend.
Dear Followers of the Messiah,
Today has many meanings. We celebrate a World Day of Peace. We flip the calendar for a new year, 2017. Today, the Church celebrates a holy day, the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God still in the Christmas Season. Today might also be the day in which you make some new resolutions such a losing ten pounds or to clean out the garage. Today might also be a day of hangovers and regrets from New Year’s Eve. Today, no matter how you view the New Year, is an opportunity to also change your life with God.
Today’s gospel (Luke 2:16-21) tells the story of how the shepherds saw Mary and Joseph and the infant lying in a manger. The shepherds then went and told others what they saw. People were amazed. Here is the critical point here: the message of the Messiah’s birth came from poor people, shepherds. People that we would least expect, were telling other people about Jesus. Here are some important questions for you this year: How will you discover and see Jesus? Who will reveal God to you? Will you be open to finding Jesus in unexpected ways? Does your faith matter to you? Will you trust your search for Christ?
I suspect that for most of us, we will find Jesus when we are ready to find him. We usually find Jesus in our vulnerability such as an unexpected illness, a job loss or in an argument with your adult children. Sometimes in such vulnerable moments, we then argue with God because we assume God hates us and condemns us. We blame God for allowing such things to happen. I understand this. However, God does not condemn us in our vulnerable or even our sinful moments. Sometimes God uses our weakness, our humble hearts and even our tragedies to simply get our attention, to open our hearts for authentic trust.
We need God more than ever. Mary models faith with trust and openness. In today’s gospel, Mary carries these events in her heart. We cannot live in God without the ability to carry our daily concerns within our own hearts. This is a first step to profound prayer. We need God to transform our lives when we stumble and finally realize we need something more than ourselves in this life.
Today’s celebration of Mary challenges us to live with hope in our world. On this World Day of Peace, we need more than ever the conviction that God’s presence remains within our vulnerable and fragile lives. We are the containers for peace in our world. We hold within us the ability to work for justice and remedy the world’s ills. We hold all of these things in our hearts and ponder the love God has for the world and us on this New Year’s Day.
Thank you to all for the Christmas wishes and the cakes and candies that you have dropped off for me and the parish staff to enjoy. I am so happy that you all are apart of our Catholic family. Happy New Year.
Blessings to you,
Fr. Ron
On the Margins from Mater Dei Radio, Portland, OR
Sunday January 1, 2017
Mary, the Holy Mother of God
We celebrate Mary as the Mother of God. Mary is the mother of hope. She bares the mystery of Jesus’s love in our world. We also celebrate the World Day of Peace. Let’s us all be part of God’s plan and the dignity of all life in our world. Make plans to renew your prayer, to open up your heart to the reality of God’s love within your life. Be an instrument of justice and peace in our day and time.
“The Creative Night” Painting: Ronald Raab, CSC
Click here to also read an article from the website of the Congregation of Holy Cross, where this art appears.
Click here to read full bulletin from Sacred Heart Church.
My dear followers of Jesus, the Prince of Peace,
Welcome to Christmas! Welcome to our prayerful celebrations at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Chapel in Manitou Springs, Holy Rosary Chapel in Cascade and Sacred Heart Church in Old Town, Colorado Springs.
I am grateful for your presence and most especially your prayer as we celebrate the Incarnation, the miracle and mystery of Hope in our world. Welcome to you who join us for the first time and welcome to our long time parishioners. Welcome to those of you who are searching for a spiritual home and those of you who ache for God’s forgiveness and tenderness this silent and holy night.
Today, we gather in faith to treasure the love God initiates in our lives. The Real Presence of Jesus unites our families. Although Jesus offers us healing and peace, I am also aware that a lack of forgiveness still creates division and uncertainty within our families. Our world is still restless and violent. Even at our family tables during these beautiful days, we argue over our differences and still feel the hurt from our past relationships. In fact, today can also be the loneliest time of year for some of our elderly still grieving the loss of a spouse or for a high school student who cannot believe he or she will ever find love.
We gather as families and as believers around the manger scene to discover for our own lives that we are loved in the here and now, beyond our selfishness and even beyond our fear. The gospel (Luke 2: 1-14) for Christmas Eve and the gospel (John 1:1-18) proclaimed on Christmas Day, both invite us to open our hearts to God-made-flesh. The miracle of this day reaches far beyond the warmth of our family hearth, but extends to the areas of violence and war in our streets and throughout our world. Each one of us becomes an instrument of such love in our words, our actions and our service. God depends on us to keep the flame of hope burning in our world. However, we cannot give what we do not have. God alone provides the justice, love and peace we are all searching for in our world and so we turn to God alone this Christmas Day.
Thank you all for your love and service within our parish community this past year. I look forward to the ways in which God is calling us further into practicing our faith in our communities and beyond.
If you are searching for God or questioning your own life, please know you are welcome here. My prayer for us all is that we may open our hearts this Christmas Day to the wonder and tenderness of God’s mercy and find for ourselves that we are loved beyond measure.
With prayer and gratitude, Merry Christmas,
Fr. Ron
“O, Holy Night” Painting: Ronald Raab, CSC
Here is an article that appeared in FaithND a year ago today.
Click here to read an edited version of my article “Camouflage Christmas”. The original article was published in Ministry and Liturgy Magazine, October 2015.
FaithND published this article today in the daily reflections.
On the Margins: Christmas Day, 2016
We are all searching for Jesus. Today we celebrate the Word-Made-Flesh, the Incarnation, the manifestation of Love. Believe that God’s love is for you, within you, within your despair and uncertainty. Christmas is real.
Merry Christmas, Fr. Ron
“O my dove in the clefts of the rock,
in the secret recesses of the cliff,
Let me see you,
let me hear your voice,
For your voice is sweet,
and you are lovely.”
Here is one of my favorite Advent articles from 2008. Click on the “online version” to see the original from US Catholic Magazine.
Originally published by U.S. Catholic, December 2008
– PDF version – Online version –
God’s messengers are often just as surprising as the words they bear.
Advent always opens me up. Just when I think I am in control of my life and ministry, I am confronted by the challenges of a new liturgical year. The prophets get under my skin. The gospels splash my soul to surprise and awaken me.
Never has Advent shaken my priorities as the year Bonnie camped out in front of the red doors at our urban parish. Our small chapel in Old Town, Portland, Oregon serves our low-income neighbors, our homeless friends, and people just getting on their feet after prison. Just before Thanksgiving Bonnie wheeled a shopping cart to the front door filled with her stolen treasures: picture frames and toys, extra sweaters and fake flowers.
Bonnie signed up for our hospitality…
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