Monday April 29, 2024
John 14:21-28
‘If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we shall come to him and make our home with him.
Those who do not love me do not keep my words.
This beautiful passage was written about 120AD to a very young and frightened church. Remember it is almost 90 years after the death and resurrection of Christ. Christians are being hunted down and put to death in great numbers. Yet it is also a time of great growth in the early church. This growth is happening in the Gentile world among the Hellenists. Not even Jesus could have planned this. It is a reminder to us to leave room in our lives for mystery. We never know how life will turn out or where our blessings will come from. Let us pray today for the connections that will come into our lives. We pray that we see God reaching out and directing us. That also means praying for the courage to put all in Gods hands.
Much love to you.
Thursday April 25, 2024
John 10:22-30
“The Father and I are one..” Do you know how much confidence Jesus had to have to make a statement like that? He believed it in his heart that he was the Logos who was there from the very beginning. Not because he was a miracle worker. By the way, we have no miracles in the gospel of John, only signs. He believed it because he did the hard work of finding the voice of God within. The world offered plenty of reasons for Jesus to doubt himself. Hake he was a carpenter. Remember that was a hair above the slave and woman. He had people question time and time again. His daily struggles with the disciples gave little indication that he was God.
My point to you is this. When you find your truth about you, hell breaks loose on you sometimes. Stick to your truth no matter what the world throws at you.
I am a priest. If only you had an idea how much hate mail, excommunications, loneliness I have had to endure to be able to say that. But this happens to everyone. When you say “I am a mother” the devil throws everything at you to get you off balance. Let us pray for all of us, that we find our truths and stick with them. Find the voice of God within.
Tuesday April 23, 2024
John 10:22-30
“The Father and I are one..” Do you know how much confidence Jesus had to have to make a statement like that? He believed it in his heart that he was the Logos who was there from the very beginning. Not because he was a miracle worker. By the way, we have no miracles in the gospel of John, only signs. He believed it because he did the hard work of finding the voice of God within. The world offered plenty of reasons for Jesus to doubt himself. Hake he was a carpenter. Remember that was a hair above the slave and woman. He had people question time and time again. His daily struggles with the disciples gave little indication that he was God.
My point to you is this. When you find your truth about you, hell breaks loose on you sometimes. Stick to your truth no matter what the world throws at you.
I am a priest. If only you had an idea how much hate mail, excommunications, loneliness I have had to endure to be able to say that. But this happens to everyone. When you say “I am a mother” the devil throws everything at you to get you off balance. Let us pray for all of us, that we find our truths and stick with them. Find the voice of God within.
Monday April 22, 2024
John 10:11-18
The image of the good shepherd that we have is rather problematic. It is too clean. You know, well trimmed Jesus with a sheep on his shoulder. That is cute but problematic. Remember St John is writing to a church that is facing persecution. The guys are being hunted down. To this church that is living in fear Jesus says “I am the good Shepherd.” Don’t think cute Jesus, think fierce protector. To put it in American terms Jesus says “I am mama bear.” Nobody touches my children while I sit and look holy.
Listen, you have a fierce protector with you who will go absolutely bananas on anything, any situation that attack or wants to steal your joy. I need not say more. Love you more than you will ever know.
Friday April 19, 2024
John 6:52-59
I do not know if there is anything really in our life that carries the same significance as did bread for the ancients. Yes we still hold on to its importance here and there but I do not think it is to the same degree. Well, at least here in Kentucky. Bread was the staple, the most basic but yet the most luxurious. I bet just like we have, bread came in different degrees of importance. Barley bread for the commoners and wheat bread for the sophisticated. I wonder which kind of bread Jesus meant when he referred to himself as the bread of life?
So pardon me for this analogy. Instead of bread, think fuel. I know this is terrible but I also know how Americans go absolutely crazy about gas. You can raise and lower the price of bread without an outrage or much of an outrage. Touch our fuel and we vote you out. Imagine Jesus saying, I am the fuel (gas, petrol) of the world. Fill up with my being and you will have life.
Hey I know I lost you at fuel. But, think about it. Without God, how far can you go? How far can you go without a spiritual life?
Thursday April 18, 2024
John 6:44-51
The gospel of John is an interesting read and study. It is called “High Christology” gospel because it presents Jesus as the Logos, the one who was there from the very beginning. In today’s passage we read “Jesus said to the crowd:
‘No one can come to me
unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me..”
John is writing at a time when there is great resistance to Jesus. This is a time when people lost their lives for ever professing their faith in the Nazarene. To these very afraid Christians, John writes “you were chosen, God has drawn you to Jesus.
Think about the people who the scriptures tell came to Jesus. It was those who thought they never had a chance. The Sinners and Tax Collectors, the prostitutes and fishermen. If you look close enough you will see that these early believers had something in their lives that was not good enough or perfect. That my friend is the secret, that is what draws them to Christ. Is there some part of your life that you think disqualifies you? That is actually your draw, your magnet which the Father put in you. Love it and you will have life.
Tuesday April 16, 2024
1 Peter 5:5-14
Whenever I read these early manuscripts of the church, I ask myself what the author was responding to. St Peter says “All wrap yourselves in humility to be servants of each other, because God refuses the proud and will always favour the humble.” Peter is noticing a very dangerous attitude that is growing in the early church. The tendency to want to be a lord and be served. He invites the early church to always have a servant heart. I truly did not know what it meant to be a servant until I became a parent. Isn’t it true that every parent or caretaker is the servant of servants. What I love about being a parent is we do servant things with a loving heart. We do servant things almost expecting nothing back (maybe a thank you if we raise them right). This self sacrificing love is what he implores of us to take. To anticipate each others needs.
Pope Francis has tried very much to remind the clergy that they are servants. Poor guys, they have been lords for so long and have never really been parents so it is a tall order. But this call is for all of us. Stay humble and grow the church. The question is, can you confidently say that you are a humble person?
Monday April 15, 2024
John 6:22-29
A very happy Monday to you. We have two great Signs performed by Jesus in today’s gospel passage. Remember that the gospel of John is the only gospel in which the word “MIRACLE” is not used. Yes in this gospel there are no miracles just signs. Signs point to something, we don’t arrive at the sign, we keep going. The hope is we arrive at that place in our lives where we can see that Jesus is indeed Son of God, the Logos who was there from the very beginning.
My mind though leads me somewhere else today. Did you notice how the people got in their boats and went searching for Jesus. Read the passage one more time and catch that little detail. Yes Jesus seems irritated by them but their hunger for him picks my interest and raises the question. Am I hungry for God? Does my soul yearn for Him in my life? Getting into their boats they crossed the sea searching for Him. You know my friend that the boat is our lives. As we see signs that point to Him, may we continue the journey of faith. I know you are searching
Love you more than you will ever know.
Thursday April 11, 2024
Acts 5:34-42
I absolutely love this passage. I know you will read it for yourself but listen to these words by a member of the Sanhedrin—- Gamaliel is his name “What I suggest, therefore, is that you leave these men alone and let them go. If this enterprise, this movement of theirs, is of human origin it will break up of its own accord; but if it does in fact come from God you will not only be unable to destroy them, but you might find yourselves fighting against God.’
If God has ordained, if God has built it, if God is watching over be careful. Brothers and sisters say these words over your life. May God sustain what he has ordained in me. This applies to relationships as well, if it’s from God it will stick. If it is not from God you will know in very short order. God bless and I love you.
Wednesday April 10, 2024
Acts 5:27-33
We continue to hear the stories of our beginnings as a church. Today the apostles are brought before the Sanhedrin because they were warned to stop speaking in his name but they (the apostles) filled up Jerusalem with stories of him(Jesus). So they are given another chance to cease and desist. Peter says “Obedience to God comes before obedience to men.”
Take what you can from this story, I am touched the apostles were so believed by the mass. There must have been something about their testimony that people felt called to. There must have been a real and tangible presence of Jesus that the movement caught fire. Remember these guys were preaching in hostile times and environment. All the apostles except St. John died for this.
We at Rabbouni may know something about cease and desist. But also through the mysterious hand of God our little community is vibrant and I am eternally grateful. Listen people read your passion and so find what fires you up and obey it
Tuesday April 9, 2024
John 3: 7-15
A very happy post eclipse day to you all. I certainly hope you paused enough to take in that moment in our lifetime. On days like this I always think of those who are shut in or at work and cannot afford to go outside. A special prayer went out for you.
As we continue to reflect on resurrection, I bring you this last line in our gospel passage “…the Son of Man must be lifted up
as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.’
There is a little problem though. The story goes that everyone got a bite from a snake. I don’t like that part, why could God not spare them the bite. I like comfort, I like no trouble, no pain. But these scriptures tell us about life as it is not life in the clouds. There are things that come along with being alive, being an adult. How I wish it were not so but here on earth!!!! Things will sometimes stink. So here is what I hear. Those who cannot seem to take their eyes off their troubles and look for life usually suffer unnecessarily. Look up!! Look to Christ, look for solutions. Crying all day and saying poor me may not be the answer. Listen I am not suggesting tears are a waste of time. No, they are a necessity for happy living. But find courage and time to also look, search, work for a healing. The Son of Man is our answer. Even after the darkest moments…. there was light.
Monday April 8, 2024
John 3:1-8
What is your sense when you read the Acts of the Apostles. I get this sense that everyone knows what Peter and the disciples are talking about. They drop names such as Herold or Pilate somewhat suggesting everyone knows these people. And that for me is what is fascinating. The journey from fear to fearless. Clearly the Apostles have seen something or experienced something. We know they saw the Risen Lord and experienced the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Have you ever had the experience of talking to self and saying “they can’t hurt me anymore.” There is a renewed courage that comes with that realization. Pilate and Herod can not steal the joy of the disciples. As you go about your day today, say to the killers of joy, ”wait until you hear this good news.”
The gospel passage invites us to be born again. To find courage to let go of a world that is all to common and reach out for something uncertain. It is scary and tough to start anew but really do you have a choice?
Wednesday April 3, 2024
Acts 3:1-10
Reading the beginning of our story as a Christian people is very fascinating to me. We did not have all the answers and theologies to all the world’s problems but we had this: Jesus! Today, Peter and Paul say that they have neither gold nor silver to give but what they have they give “in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!”
How much did this man want to walk? Was he done with all the excuses and blaming and was he ready to put on his big boy pants realizing his blessings and walk. Today I hear God saying to me to rise and walk away from what paralyzes me. What do I have to lose? What is the worse that can happen if you begin a new journey today. A dear friend in Lebanon had to some up the courage and walk away from an abusive man. It was scary, she limped but now she is not walking anymore but galloping into a beautiful future. You can inspire someone today if they wish for it. Walk in Jesus name!!
Tuesday April 2, 2024
John 20:11-18
In the gospel passage of today we hear the greatest proclamation of the resurrection. Mary of Magdalene says “I have seen the Lord”. It is one thing to say that Christ is risen, he is truly risen. This is a third person proclamation of faith. But may I suggest that to experience resurrection power we have to move from third person proclamation to first person encounter: I have seen the Lord.
Remember this is after she saw him die. Certainly in my priestly ministry I have seen people dead as they can be in their relationship and with a lot of hard work bring life to those relationships. I have seen alcoholics become sober, I have seen the angry become joyful. What stories of resurrection do you have?
Thursday, March 28, 2024
A very happy Holy Thursday to you on this March, 28 2024
Today we celebrate the institution of the Eucharistic and the priesthood. Traditions about this day go back to the early days of the church. Then Pope Francis came along
I don’t think I will ever forget it. That first year when the new pope broke with tradition. Instead of washing the feet of well pedicured cardinals, the Jesuit Pope, decided to go to a jail and wash the prisoners feet. Even more disturbing, he washed a woman’s feet. I believe she was an Islamic woman. Good one Pope Francis. I loved it, love it will always love it.
Wednesday March 27, 2024
Matthew 26:14-25
On this Wednesday of Holy Week my little reflection is this —- hard as it may be do not let the nastiness of others change you. Today Jesus sits down at table with Judas and the other disciples who will soon betray, deny and abandon him. I bet it took everything in him to still be nice, patient and loving to them. Have you ever found yourself working very closely with someone who is working overtime to destroy you? The work place sometimes can be like a snake pit. But we are invited to show up, be professional and deliver. This requires discipline. I love how disciplined and focused our Lord is. The mission, the planting of a kingdom of love overrides all else.
Let us pray for all those who have known the pain of betrayal at work, in love relationships and in families. Thank you for not getting drawn into the drama.
Tuesday March 26, 2024
Isaiah 49:1-6
The prophet Isaiah asks us today to revisit a beautiful truth. No matter who you are and what is going on in your life, you really need to know this almost from a cellular level. YOU WERE WILLED INTO BEING. Yes the God of glory called you by name as you were being knit together in your mothers womb.
Sometimes we go through life and wonder what our purpose is, we want to do more but are not able to find what and how to do it. It is important in these moments to remember that God wants me here now. So we can say to that one person who thinks we do not belong “sorry and not so sorry to inconvenience you pal, someone much bigger has called me into your life.
Living with purpose or knowing that we were called into existence with a mission does give all of us a sense of confidence. Now, most of us blunder into our purposes but that is ok. I have a feeling that in the long run, it will all make sense.
Monday March 25, 2024
John 12:1-11
What a gift it is to have a friend, to have somewhere you can go and just rest, talk, visit. No expectations at all in this place. Good friends are such a blessing because with them we can simply be. I have often spoke of Mary Ann and her friend Cheryl. They have known each other since second grade. Whenever we go on vacation with her, those two can sit in silence or talk all day. I just don’t get how you have something to say to anyone after three hours. So to all those who have kept friendships, to all those who have taken the journey to go raise their friend who was dead (buried in grief or pain of divorce or whatever), to all those with a childhood friend, you guys are saints.
Jesus had a friend like that. Lazarus was his name. Six days before Passover Jesus goes to visit with his buddy. I wonder what they talked about. Did Jesus say to Lazarus “these jokers don’t get it man, you would not believe the things I have to explain!” Did Lazarus say “Really you had to ride the donkey?” All I know is if you are buddies, you can relax. I have met a family like that, a place I can go and just be. I pray for your connections to be real and deep.
Thursday March 21, 2024
John 8:51-59
They picked up stones to throw at him, they had enough. What did he say to provoke them? This beautiful truth that in death life does not end, in death life is changed. For our God is God of the living. The Israelites did not all believe in a life after death. We do not see this at all in the early scriptures. It is only after the book of Daniel that we begin to talk about those taken from us by death.
Jesus asks us to look at death differently. It need not paralyze us no matter how difficult it is to accept. Death is part of life not the end of life. But Jesus suggests even more if I may dare say. That life does not start at birth. This is a tough one right? Because we firmly believe that the spark of life happens at conception. What if that soul is older than the human/flesh experience. It simply is and never gets old. Well it’s getting deep here.
Back to Abraham and Jesus and the lesson for today. Your loved ones are alive, yes alive in a different realm. This I believe. If you have time watch the clip “to heaven and back” on YouTube. Let me know what you think.
Wednesday March 20, 2024
John 8:31-42
We all know some super religious person who we just wish they would take a chill pill. They are good people who mean well but man they are wound up tight as a golf ball. Heck I was that zealous once. I remember when I was heading to Hukuntsi in the desert land of the Kalahari to convert the bushmen and my lovely Irish novice master pulled me aside. He said “Brother Robert, please remember this, before you get there, God is already there.”
My word will make you free. Jesus says to us today that when the word of God finds a home in us it will make us free. Are you free? Free to be yourself, free to relax in his word, free to make mistakes and not learn from them. The free person is content. Lots of those Pharisees were trying to fill their lives with things including religion. We need one thing-His word to find a home in us