“Grief” Painting: Ronald Raab, CSC

Reading 1 Wis 3:1-9

“Zacchaeus and Jesus” Quick sketch: Ronald Raab, CSC

(Text: This weekend’s parish bulletin)

Dear Seekers of the Christ,

Luke’s Gospel (19:1-10) today tells the story of Zacchaeus, who climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus. Zacchaeus was not only short in stature, but also short in respect among the people in his community because he was a tax collector. However, God had planted within his heart this great desire to see Jesus. He wished to lay his eyes on the One who could forgive him, heal him and offer him a new place within his community.

Jesus noticed Zacchaeus and wanted to forgive him. He sought Zacchaeus out by inviting himself to Zacchaeus’ house. Of course, the people griped about this. They were taken aback that Jesus would eat with a sinner.

This text invites us to let go of our judgments and our misconceptions. So often we still think that faith and the Church are for the rich, the well mannered, the educated and the sinless. In fact, Jesus comes to us just as we are: broken, confused, anxious, ill adjusted, and worried. Even after all of these generations, we still cannot believe that Jesus seeks after us, just as we are.

Zacchaeus went to great heights to find Jesus. The question that we face is: “To what heights are we willing to go to see Jesus?” I invite you to consider this in your prayer this week. There are very few of you who will read this question in this bulletin. However, those of you who do, already have the desire to find Jesus by exploring your own mind and heart to discover how you relate to Jesus Christ. Explore, run, climb, sit in silence, read, shout, go to confession or do something to find your heart’s desire this week. Jesus is waiting for you and wants to go to your house to find you. His love is waiting for you right where you are.

This week the Church celebrates the great feast of All Saints on November 1. This is a holy day for us. It is a time to reflect on the role models of our faith and how we live the message of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection. Mass times: October 31– OLPH at 7:00 pm; November 1- Sacred Heart at 8:00 am, 12:10 pm and 7:00 pm. Holy Rosary at 6:30 pm. The following day, November 2, the Church remembers All Souls. Mass on that day will be 8:00 am at Sacred Heart.

On All Souls, Wednesday November 2, I will offer a morning of reflection from 9:00-10:30 am. I will reflect on All Souls as well as the gospels for the month of November to close out our liturgical year. Join me for this morning of prayer and reflection.

Blessings,

Fr. Ron

On the Margins from Mater Dei Radio, Portland, OR

Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 30, 2016

Luke 19: 1-10

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Power and wealth keeps Zacchaeus from seeing Jesus. He climbs the tree and image of Christ’s cross the place where we all can see Jesus. Jesus’ poverty will show him the way.

Tax Collector: “O God, be merciful to me a sinner” Pastel: Ronald Raab, CSC

(Text: My column in parish bulletin)

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

Today’s gospel (Luke18: 9-14) calls us to have a profound humility. A very smug Pharisee comes to the temple and speaks about himself rather than God. “O God, thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity, greedy, dishonest, adulterous…” Although this posture of prayer is focused on his keeping the rules, the Pharisee’s prayer backfires. His words are self-aggrandizing and there is no place for God to work since his heart is full of himself. The tax collector, in contrast, stays in the rear of the temple and keeps his eyes downcast and prays from his heart. “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.”

The tax collector is already known as an outcast. He comes to prayer realizing that his life is not right. With God, he becomes the real model of prayer. Jesus says the one who becomes humble will be exalted in the Kingdom of God.

Last week, the widow, who had no power in society, receives the attention of the judge. This week, a tax collector, gets the attention of Jesus. Humility changes everything. I have learned how to pray from people who are shunned by society. I have learned how to be honest about my own life from a man who suffered schizophrenia. I still hold him in my heart as a key to honesty.

I have learned dedication to what God can do from a woman who was beaten as a child. I still go to the temple of my own heart and pray for her. I have learned the immensity of God’s mercy from another woman who faced severe poverty, lost her husband and received a regrettable abortion. The situation terrorized her life. God’s forgiveness of her still motivates my own ministry.

I learn every week from people who humble themselves in our confessional. I cannot even imagine the density of loss and grief people face or the stone of sin that weighs down so many. I am humbled by the words of absolution when I raise my arm in prayer over the lives of so many people who struggle to find their way.

We cannot judge people who come to church to pray. We do not know the struggles of their hearts or the circumstances of their lives. We must learn from the humility of the sinner and the complex lives of how people survive in our world. Perhaps you can learn profound humility in your own prayer.

Peace be with you,

Fr. Ron

I hope you can join us this Thursday evening at UCCS campus.

On the Margins from Mater Dei Radio, Portland, OR

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 23, 2016

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How do we find ourselves identifying with both the tax collector and the Pharisee? These two people coming to the temple show us pieces of our own lives. We all need God. We are all humbled by life and the God who gives us life.

“Goodness”  Pastel: Ronald Raab, CSC

Today’s Psalm: 33

Response: The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord

Text: My column from our parish bulletin

Dear Believers in Jesus Christ,

Today’s gospel (Luke 18:1-8) is about patient persistence. A widow keeps approaching a judge for justice. She does not give up even when she is tuckered out. The judge finally gives in because the widow wears him down.

This text and the widow’s persistence can be compared to our own prayer life. We often become tired of praying for peace or coming to God about our grandchildren. We become exhausted struggling to make ends meet or praying our loved one survives a surgery or gets a new job. Prayer is exhausting. So many times our prayers are not answered the way we think they should be and we give up. Sometimes we unfold our hands and throw up our fists to God is shear frustration.

We cannot give up in our relationship with God, even though we may become tuckered out and exhausted by what life throws at us. Although our prayers may not be answered the way we want, we must remain consistent in our search and diligent in our prayers. We pray so that we can remain in the person of Jesus Christ. The more we pray without clinging to results, the closer we become to the heart of Jesus. Our persistence in prayer forms our lives. We finally, then, let go of our expectations about how we think life should be for ourselves and our fellow human beings.

Life is really tough. Life is no less tough in the Church. Yet, our individual and common prayer becomes a life formation tool. This tool carves a unique place within our hearts – a place of compassion, mercy and forgiveness. We cannot live the Christian life without praying every day. We cannot be formed by only greed, self-righteousness, anger, control or the desire to always be right. When we pray, we are then formed by the graces God provides for us, the graces that soften our hearts. These graces form our hearts into becoming a more loving and forgiving people.

One of the ways in which we can respect all life is to pray. In the gospel, the judge finally gave up his self-protecting behavior and granted the woman her justice. The widow was without power in her society. Even though we may not have the place in the Church or in our family that we think we should have, God listens to us. God listens to our pleas and creates hope within our exhaustion.

Blessings,

Fr. Ron

“The Widow” Ronald Raab, CSC