June 26, 2016

Dear Followers of Jesus,

Luke’s gospel (9:51-52) invites us to reflect on the ways in which we follow Jesus. Some of the disciples offered a variety of excuses not follow Jesus. After all, following Jesus lead them into strange lands with little resources and little food after they had already left their livelihoods and families. Following Jesus was not easy, seemingly with little reward.

One disciple used the excuse that he had to go and burry his father first. Jesus insisted that once you have your hand on the plow, sure enough, you must continue on the journey. Don’t look back. Keep focused. Never tire. Jesus demanded a lot from his early followers. The gospel of Luke wanted to make sure that people were getting the message of Jesus because the gospel writer Luke thought for sure that Jesus would come back to the earth the second time in his day and age. Luke wanted to make sure that everyone was ready.

We have lots of excuses not to follow in our day and age. “I need to spend more time with my family.” “My work schedule is crazy.” “I am divorced and the Church doesn’t want me anyway.” “I am gay and people don’t accept me and why should I bother with Jesus.” I will pray more when I retire. I will be more active when my children get in school.” Our excuses are many and varied. Our excuses tell us much about priorities, our future plans and ourselves. However, all we need is to seek God and the Holy Spirit will take of the rest.

One of the reasons why we hesitate following Jesus more is that we have been hurt in the past. Our prayers have not been answered, at least in ways that we wanted them to be. We grieve the loss of a child or a spouse and our prayers for healing never worked and the community still avoided speaking with us and supporting us. We carry within our fragile hearts the many excuses that keep us from fully entering into the mystery of our relationship with Jesus.

Jesus seem pretty demanding in this text because he is trying to get his followers to understand that nothing stands in the way of our primary relationship with him. Nothing. No parent or death. No work or position. No other identity other than being a Child of God and learning to follow the life and gift of Jesus. This message takes time for us to hear and realize. This message comes at us full force when we would rather seek other plans.

I invite you as you enter into your summer plans, to take some prayerful time this summer and to examine your priorities about following Jesus and being part of the Church. We need you in the Tri-Community. We want the best for you. We desire to support the stranger as well as the parishioner. Jesus wants you close to his heart so that you may know his mercy and kindness, that you may understand with you full heart that love is real and hope is not something abstract in your life.

Jesus want us to be fit for the Kingdom of God even in this warning in today’s gospel. He desires us to follow unreservedly, with hope to bring the world. Let go of the excuses to pray. Become hope filled in your prayer. Be patient as God’s calls you closer to himself. Jesus treasures us and loves us all.

Here are some thoughts for you to let go of your excuses:

My usual excuses about not praying, about not following Jesus seem to be______

I know if I hold on to my excuses about not drawing closer to God, then God will not ask much of me so___

I fear being close to God’s love because___

I feel more comfortable with my work, kids and life and I really do not have time for prayer because it usually gets in the way of____

I wish Christians could accept me because I struggle with___

I want to know Jesus and I am lost about how to get there so I ______

Jesus, do not abandon me today so that I ____

Blessings to all of you,

Fr. Ron

“Protect us, O Lord” Painting: Ronald Raab,CSC

Lord Christ,

We come before you amid the flooding of West Virginia and the firestorms in California. We are wounded from the violence and hatred in Orlando and the continuation of violence in our cities of Chicago, New York and Los Angeles and more.

Give us resilience and courage, give us peace within our hearts. Send us the power of your mercy that we may turn to you in our need once again. Help us live in our cities listening to your words of consolation and healing. Allow peace to echo in the canyons of our cities.

We turn to you. Keep us from hatred and harm. Protect us. Love us.

Amen

On the Margins from Mater Dei Radio, Portland, OR

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Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Luke 9:51-62

We follow Christ today, not just with our feet but from within our hearts. This is where our redemption is, this is where God’s presence heals and loves us. Let us not turn away from love. Keep your hands on the plow.

“The eyes of all” Charcoal: Ronald Raab, CSC

Communion Antiphon

The eyes of all look to you, Lord, and you give them their food in due season. Psalm 145

“Who do you say that I am?” Painting by: Ronald Raab, CSC

From this weekend’s bulletin 

June 19, 2016

Dear Followers of Jesus,

Jesus in today’s gospel (Luke 9:18-24) asks his disciples a couple of questions about the perception of his identity. He asks them how other people identify him. Jesus then asks his disciples this straightforward question, “ But who do you say that I am?”

This question does not remain in the archives of Luke’s gospel. Jesus opens us up to answering the same question for our own lives if we have the courage to listen and to pray. If fact, we really cannot be Christians without having a personal relationship with Jesus. We must listen again to the question Jesus poses us.

We need to bring Jesus’ question to the reality of our lives. This past week, our country once again has faced the brutal murders of 50 people, this time in Orlando. We have faced our own tragedies this past year in Colorado Springs. These issues around the murders still plague our nation. We need to face up to how we relate to other faiths, in particular the Muslim community. We need to face up to how we treat people who live out of different sexual identities. We need to face up to the issues of gun violence in our society.

I believe that none of these issues should outweigh the core belief of our Church that each human being matters. Each person should be treated as a child of God. Sometimes we think that our prejudice and anger are certainly larger than God’s command to love. Guns, race and sexual identity should never be more important than people and how we treat them.

These issues force us to recognize who Jesus is for us. The question Jesus poses is not answered out of forced piety or out of a memorized notion of how the Church teaches us about God. This question opens us up to the reality that our true faith needs to be lived each day in real and practical terms.

The answer to Jesus’ question can be seen by how we live our lives. If we are constantly angry and full of rage, we have not yet come to terms with the peace Jesus is offering us. If we are constantly blaming other people for our own problems, then we most likely have not yet begun to take seriously the solace and mercy Jesus is offering our human hearts. If we cannot work through our grief and feel stuck in our lives, then we most likely have yet to take to heart the dying and rising of our Savior. The real answer to Jesus question is seen in our actions about people. These answers are visible by our neighbors and communities.

I invite you this summer to pray through the real issues of your lives. If you feel stuck in your family relationships, pray with the emptiness you feel and bring that emptiness to the full love of Jesus. If you are upset with a neighbor or an employer, sit and pray with the Jesus who calls you to forgive with all your heart. If you feel you have never gotten a break in life or need a second chance, place your heart in the life of Jesus who loves you and always gives you the mercy and forgiveness you need to start again.

Jesus challenges us in our daily lives to answer his question. However, we can only answer with a true and loving relationship with him. We must pray. We are invited into a deeper, loving and sustaining relationship with the dying and rising of Christ Jesus.

Here are some prompts to pray with Jesus’ questions:

I am often disillusioned with my relationship with Jesus because…

Sometimes I do not feel I am worthy of such a relationship because…

I am not sure I see the point of prayer because…

I wish I could understand the gospels so that I …

I need help with forgiveness in my life and I know I need to turn toward…

I am so angry about how we treat people who are different from ourselves and I …

Jesus, the giver of peace, calls me to…

Jesus, the forgiver of sins, challenges me to…

Jesus, the hope of the world, calls me to…

Jesus, the lover of souls, opens me up to living…

I pray that Jesus may bring peace within our hearts and in our world,

Fr. Ron

On the Margins from Mater Dei Radio, Portland, OR

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time, June 19, 2016

Luke 9:18-24

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“Who do you say that I am?” How do you respond to this question Jesus poses his disciples? What is your answer?

WATCH VIDEO HERE

I just received a message from World Library Publications that the Diocese of Orlando prayed one of my litanies in the Interfaith Prayer Service on Monday. Please watch this service. The litany “For People Enduring Violence” begins at 32:00.

The litany comes from the book, “Save Us, Send Us” by Ronald Raab, CSC published by World Library Publications, Chicago, IL, 2013.

I am deeply humbled listening to my words in the mouths of people praying through their grief and turmoil from Sunday’s tragedy.

Pray for peace.

“One More Left Cheek” Painting by: Ronald Raab, CSC

Gospel Mt 5:38-42

Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one to him as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand him your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.”

PRAYER:

My Dear Jesus, Source of Mercy,

We are running out of cheeks to turn.

Violence runs like an overflowing river this morning.

Hatred gets under our skin again in our country.

Shooting people cannot be the answer today.

Cheeks are different colors. Eyes see unique perspectives.

Cheek turning is not acquiescing to violence and rage.

Love must be the answer in your command to walk another mile.

Love must bring  our diverse lives together.

Hope must prevail.

We cannot turn our backs on one another.

Cheeks and backs and eyes belong to people no matter what religion, color or identity.

Jesus, help us find our way to love, to peace.

Jesus, kiss us on the cheek that bears the mark of our tears.

Help us go the miles from Orlando to our own hearts.

Amen