John 15:26-16:4 A Feast of St. Athanasius

Can we testify to the Lord?  Are we willing to share our faith with others through word and deed?  In working with Confirmanti on their Confirmation retreat they were asked, "What comes next?  Are you going to keep practicing your faith, or are you going to stop attending church and do other things?"  The kids were kind of shocked by the question.  They had the choice??  Then they started wondering what the catch was.  They were in charge of their faith, not their parents.  They were beginning to understand. 

As newly confirmed people, how did they plan on nurturing their faith?  This took more discussion and self reflection.  What did they need to continue to grow spiritually?  How could they grow spiritually?  In the course of discussion forgiveness came-up.  Different types of situations needed deeper forgiveness, some situations, like murder, they were unsure that they could ever forgive.  St. Paul was mentioned and the great forgiveness that Ananias had only through the help of the Holy Spirit in order to forgive Paul and to heal him.  The Holy Spirit, our Advocate, our Helper, is needed daily in inspiring us to love and forgive and heal.  Wow, sounds like Christ.  The Spirit is here to help us carry on Christ's work. 

In their written reflections, how did they decide they could be nourished in their faith?  By continuing to receive Christ in the Eucharist and Gospels at mass; through sharing their faith with others, especially their younger siblings and to those random strangers who asked them questions about their faith, they would try their best; they would continue to honor their parents and families with love; they would try to live their lives as good people and in doing so, hopefully the Spirit would walk with them and they could be a light to others.  They are a great group of kids.  Our kids are the future of our church.  May God bless them and guide them on right paths. Amen.

John 6:22-29 St. Stephen and Witnessing the Faith

Religious faith is a confidence or trust in God.  It is part of our holy covenant with him that obliges us to obedience, loyalty and faithfulness because of his love for us.  In that covenant he makes us his holy peoples.  Our salvation through the cross and Resurrection of Christ brings us new life because of God’s enduring love and mercy for us.  We turn and can firmly say, Jesus I trust in you.

St. Stephen is a witness in our first reading to our shared faith.  He is our brother in Christ.  He bears witness to the Resurrection and faith in God.  Although the simpler path would be to deny God, to not incur the wrath of the Sanhedrin, Stephen upholds the Truth.

In the Gospel Jesus reminds us that we ought to “not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.  For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.”  In other words, be nourished with heavenly food that sustains and nourishes you, and will lead you to everlasting life.  The only things we need to do is believe in him, that is Jesus Christ, whom the Father sends.

Luke 24: 35-48 You Are Witnessess

There is a Joan Osborne song, One of Us, which asks what would it be like if God came and were one of us, who would know?  Would he have friends, or be an outcast?  In breaking open the Word with friends yesterday something was mentioned about Christ Jesus' humor.  He had a good sense of humor and almost plays with his friends in a loving manner this week as earlier in the stories of Mary Magdalene, and those on the road to Emmaus.  Today we almost get that sense again as he comes to the disciples in today's reading, in the midst of them, almost making them jump as he suddenly appears.  He loves them, and they him.  We laugh and enjoy our friends.  Laughter and teasing are a part of good relationships and helps to forge a close bond. 

Some of the disciples have seen the Risen Lord.  Some have not.  Christ Jesus stands in their midst.  They are confused, their reality is being tested.  Jesus asks, "Why are you troubled?  Why do so many questions arise in your hearts...?" 

It is almost like Jesus is telling them that he is still the same person even though he has died and resurrected, that nothing has changed.  He still loves them and is their friend.   Everything that he has ever told them in the past is true, but now he invites them to understand everything they shared together, every experience, every conversation in a new way, and to continue having those shared experiences he breaks the bread and shares the fish, eating it with them, and conversing like they always did.  He reminds them that he had a mission was to fulfill "what was written of him in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms": that "the repentance, for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all the nations...that they are witness of these things."

Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21

In today's Gospel we hear why Luke is writing and are called to bear witness that Jesus, filled with the Spirit, is the Christ, our Lord and Savior.

What is our response to that?  In my parish today the children in the youngest catechism classes decided that we are to love and adore Jesus within the Blessed Eucharist.  Together they met before the altar and tabernacle, bent down upon their knees, with the sign of the cross they said the Our Father, and ten times, "Jesus I Trust in You."  They know it is important to reciprocate God's love by visiting with him and praying while in his company.

Besides this, they realized that they needed to continue sharing God's kingdom with others.  To "let their little light shine" as the song goes, they need to help others, to listen to others, to  be there for others.  In each other we find God.  They know to respect that.  Blessed are the little ones, they shall see God. 

John 1: 19-28

In  today's Gospel John the Baptist is directly asked who he is.  He has no pretense.  He knew they were asking if he was the Christ.  He was born to be a witness to the Truth.  "I am not the Christ."  But he was the one crying out, pointing to the light who was amongst their midst, that they could not see.  He was a focal point to show them the way to the Light.  He knew that he, like us, was unfit to tie the boot strap of the Just One, Christ the Lord, who was present to take away the sins of the world through his ocean of Mercy.

We are not gods, but mere mortals.  How tempting it is with technology and power at our fingertips to think that we can do anything we want.  How tempting it is to look past those in need, those who hunger, those who thirst for justice, those who need mercy and compassion.  I am reminded of Father Kolbe.  He was a Franciscan priest in the Auschwitz concentration camp in Germany during World War II.  He followed his vocation to the priesthood.  He followed Our Lady's direction in dedicating himself to the Lord.  He taught the multitudes to love the Truth and Life and spread the Kingdom of God throughout the lands.  Then when it was his time to receive the crown of martyrdom, he gave his life for Christ to save another "for greater love has no one than this, to lay down one's life for their brother" Jn 15:13.  Carnage was a daily part of life in that evil camp and his example almost went unnoticed, and yet through God's grace it didn't.  His courage and witness for the Truth planted that rich seed of hope and faith in those who watched and kept the experience of watching the events of Father Kolbe's life play out.  Through them echo his and their witness to the Mercy of God  shown through Father Kolbe.   Although not in the same way, we are each called to be witness to Christ through our love and compassion for each other.  We are called to do this by sharing time with each other, forgiving each other, and brining peace to others.  We are not worthy to tie the boot straps of the One who was sent, but we are called to obedience.