Fragments from The Word: Matthew 24:37-44

These reflections are the leftover fragments from my homily this morning, Sunday December 1, 2013. Matthew 24:37-44. The First Sunday of Advent.  

Fragments from The Word

Fragments from The Word

I saw a man sleeping all bundled up on a bench near a parking garage. His belongings were piled up around him. He seemed so lost and alone.  Has he been left here on earth?

I sit with an elderly man who just lost his wife after a long illness. His tears flood his soul. His heart aches with loneliness. Has he been left here on earth?

Are these the people that the gospel speaks of who were left here on earth? Continue reading →

On The Margins – Matthew 24:37-44

fr_ron_and_kbvm_readingBWListen to my weekly radio show, On the Margins. (WIth this program, I begin my ninth year on the radio)  We come to begin the story of Christ again beginning in our First Sunday of Advent. We are to stay awake to the promise of Christ in our midst. We all long for the same things, to a new understanding of God’s love for us. We need to wake up to the ways in which God wants to love us and to receive those who wait in fear and loneliness . FIrst Sunday of Advent , December 1, 2013.

Listen now: [audio https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/75239779/On%20The%20Margins/On%20The%20Margins%20Dec%201%202013.mp3]

Stream live On The Margins on KBVM 88.3FM on Saturdays at 7am and Sundays at 8am.

Fragments from The Word: Luke 17:11-19

These reflections are the leftover fragments from my homily at Sacred Heart this morning, Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 2013. Luke 17:11-19.

Fragments from The Word

Fragments from The Word

Fragments for Thanksgiving Day

Gratitude shapes our identity, changing a leper into a believer.

Gratitude allows us to live in the present, not be overcome with what has been lost.

Gratitude helps create a generous spirit, not a life locked in isolation and anger.

The outcast gives us the real food for thought, gratitude at the feet of the Savior. Continue reading →

Fragments from The Word: Luke 23: 35-43

This is my homily from Sacred Heart his morning, Sunday November 24, 2013. Luke 23:33-43. The Solemnity of Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe. 

Fragments from The Word

Fragments from The Word

Sunday November 24, 2013.

The Solemnity of Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe

There is an intimacy in the gospel today that I want for myself.

I realize it is between two men who have been beaten and who have been crucified.

Time is short before they both leave this earth.

 

But I really want it today, for myself and for everyone here in this room and ever person still on this earth.

 

Is my own heart broken open wide enough, Christ my dear King?

 

Is my pride too strong and my will too hardened to invite you to be my God?

 

And what about your hearts, your pride and your will?

 

These are the questions that flow through me as I listen to this profound and holy exchange between a thief and Jesus. Continue reading →

On The Margins – Luke: 23:35-43

fr_ron_and_kbvm_readingBWListen to my weekly radio show, On the Margins. This is our last Sunday of our liturgical year. All things will be one in Christ Jesus. Everything on earth will rest in Christ. Christ will overcome every fear, every obstacle and every ill will. All will be well. Our fear will lead us home. This feast should release us from fear. We are all one in Christ Jesus, our Savior . Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, November 24, 2013.

Listen now: [audio https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/75239779/On%20The%20Margins/On%20The%20Margins%20Nov%2024%202013.mp3]

Stream live On The Margins on KBVM 88.3FM on Saturdays at 7am and Sundays at 8am.

The Year of Faith Retreat will be posted every month, from October 2012 through November 2013.

On The Margins – Luke: 21:5-13

fr_ron_and_kbvm_readingBWListen to my weekly radio show, On the Margins. We hear about mighty signs and awesome wonders. Jesus becomes the new temple, a new source of love, a gift sent from heaven. If we follow Christ until the end, we, too will be challenged and tested. If we truly believe, we too, will be a gift of healing grace here on earth. Our testimony will come from the wisdom of God . Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time , November 17, 2013.

Listen now (about 16 minutes): [audio https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/75239779/On%20The%20Margins/On%20The%20Margins%20Nov%2017%202013.mp3]

Stream live On The Margins on KBVM 88.3FM on Saturdays at 7am and Sundays at 8am.

The Year of Faith Retreat will be posted every month, from October 2012 through November 2013.

“As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him.”

francis-nf-1We all cry out to be touched and loved in our place in life.

We cannot know the inner brokenness of another human being.

We carry in our bodies the dying and rising of Christ Jesus.

We want to run from such suffering, because it does not fit into our plans and our notions of who we are.

We are repulsed by such an image because we know this man could be us.

In the eyes of God, we are all touched, healed and loved.

Let us all be grateful for God’s love for us in our pain, diversity and anguish.

We are then called to do what Jesus did, to act on love as Francis does, to reach out from our own deformity.

“Jesus Master, have pity on us.”

Ponder the gospel today from your own pain, sin and loneliness. Luke 17:11-19

Fragments from The Word: Luke 20:27-38

These reflections are the leftover fragments from my homily at Sacred Heart this morning, Sunday November 10, 2013. Luke . The Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. 

Fragments from The Word

Fragments from The Word

Hope is not Pollyanna or lackluster, but a profound expression of our Christian life.

Hope does not gloss over pain, but emerges from the depths of suffering.

Hope is not whitewash to make everything appear normal or untouched by pain.

Hope is not glossy, shiny or cheap, but comes from the light deep within our experiences. Continue reading →