November 8 – Thirty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

In the world of the Protestant Church, today is known as Stewardship Sunday.  Usually every year in September we conduct a Stewardship renewal campaign at Our Lady of Mercy.  This year we did not because we know that many of our members and families are struggling due to the Coronavirus pandemic.  And yet, so many of you have continued your generous support of Our Lady of Mercy parish – mailing in your weekly contributions or making them online. I cannot thank you enough!  Every week when our Business Manager Bob gives the Sunday collection report he says that we are truly blessed by our parishioners.  Again, I thank those who have been able to continue financially supporting OLM.  And if you are not able to contribute at this time, please know we are here to help.  Please let us know how we can help.

I also thank those who are able to continue the stewardship of their time and talents in ministry and volunteering.  We appreciate what you do.  Our limited activities due to COVID and for those who do not feel safe or have underlying conditions, your absence that this time is well understood.  We look forward and long for the day when everyone is able to return.

Thank all of you for being good stewards!  But I guess it wouldn’t hurt giving a little thought to our stewardship.  Many of us have put off doing something because we think we are too busy.  We’ve all said, “I’ll do it later when I have time.”  Unfortunately, at times we apply this attitude to our faith.  Jesus’ call is urgent, in the here and now, in our current circumstances.  How is God calling you to use your gifts today? Even in a pandemic!  Remember, none of us is guaranteed a tomorrow.  As Matthew reminds us in his gospel chapter 25, verse 13…..”Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

Have a blessed week!

Father Don

 

November 1 – All Saints

I know that many of you are fond devotees of watching the Academy Awards usually in March, when Hollywood celebrates the best of the best.  I have to admit I do not share your enthusiasm.  Once I reluctantly attend a party at the home of parishioners at a former parish to watch the Oscars.  After a half hour I went back to the snack table, grabbed another piece of pizza, and snuck out.  The next morning on my desk was a little plastic Oscar statue with the note: “best escape artist!”  I will have to admit that the Oscars are indeed a celebration. The red carpet is rolled out. The stars arrive in limousines. They anxiously and eagerly await, along with millions of television viewers, the announcements of who will take home the coveted Oscar awards.  All the recipients, whether they are directors or producers, actors or actresses, are greeted by thunderous applause when the winner is announced.  So goes Hollywood’s way of honoring its best.

As Catholics, we gather today to celebrate the lives of winners of another sort – all the saints in heaven. These holy people are the recipients of heaven’s reward, not Hollywood’s award.  Two things about today’s celebration.  First, the Book of Revelation states that there will be only 144,000 admitted to heaven. While a fundamentalist may believe this, do not despair that there may not be room for you.  Scripture scholars agree that the number 144,000 represents an unlimited number, a number higher than is fathomable.  God longs to give the reward of himself to any and all who will accept the gift.  The second misconception we have about the saints is that we could never be one.  The “any and all” who stand before God include people whose lives were not that different from our lives.  Many of the saints were at one time impatient or crabby, arrogant or lazy.  They knew both sins of the flesh and sins of the spirit.  It is said that “saints are sinners who kept on trying.”  They kept on trying by turning to Jesus for direction.  Jesus gave the saints, and gives all of us, a red carpet path to follow – the Beatitudes.  Over and over the Beatitudes tell us who is blessed and who is best:  the poor, the sorrowing, the meek, the persecuted, the insulted.  Was Jesus kidding?  It sounds more like the “worst who are cursed” then the “best who are blessed.”  But remember, it is not a Hollywood award ceremony Jesus is guiding us toward, but heaven’s everlasting reward ceremony.  Jesus reminds us of this at the end of today’s gospel when he says, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”

Today, we join the saints in their beautifully simple acceptance speech: Thanks and praise be to God!

Remember to vote this Tuesday, November 3^rd, and have a blessed week!

Father Don

 

October 25 – Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Every year at this time, I get asked if it is OK for Catholic children to celebrate Halloween.  I quote the following article “An Exorcists Perspective” from the website Catholic News Agency. Father Vincent Lampert is a Vatican-trained exorcist and a parish priest of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis who travels the country, speaking about his work as an exorcist and what people can do to protect themselves against the demonic. He said when deciding what to do about Halloween, it’s important for parents to remember the Christian origins of the holiday and to celebrate accordingly, rather than in a way that glorifies evil. “Ultimately I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the kids putting on a costume, dressing up as a cowboy or Cinderella, and going through the neighborhood and asking for candy; that’s all good clean fun,” Fr. Lampert said. Even a sheet with some holes cut in it as a ghost is fine, Fr. Lampert said. The danger lies in costumes that deliberately glorify evil and instill fear in people, or when people pretend to have special powers or dabble in magic and witchcraft, even if they think it’s just for entertainment.  “In the book of Deuteronomy, in chapter 18, it talks about not trying to consult the spirits of the dead, not consulting those who dabble in magic and witchcraft and the like,” he said, “because it’s a violation of a Church commandment that people are putting other things ahead of their relationship with God.” “And that would be the danger of Halloween that somehow God is lost in all of this, the religious connotation is lost and then people end up glorifying evil.” It’s also important to remember that the devil and evil spirits do not actually have any additional authority on Halloween, Fr. Lampert said, and that it only seems that way. “It’s because of what people are doing, not because of what the devil is doing. Perhaps by the way they’re celebrating that day, they’re actually inviting more evil into our lives,” he said. One of the best things parents can do is to use Halloween as a teachable moment, Fr. Lampert said. “A lot of children are out celebrating Halloween, perhaps evil is being glorified, but we’re not really sitting around and talking about why certain practices are not conducive with our Catholic faith and our Catholic identity. I think using it as a teachable moment would be a great thing to do.”

So, I invite our parish children to “trunk or treat with the saints” at Our Lady of Mercy parking lot on Friday, October 30^th from 6pm to 8pm.  Registration is required on our website. Come, learn about the hero’s of the Church – none of them are scary or evil!!

I will be away on vacation October 27 through November 5 to Sonoma County, CA to celebrate the 75^th birthday of my friend who lives in Santa Rosa.

Have a blessed week!

Father Don

 

 

October 18 – Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Could you choose a more challenging Gospel than the one we just heard?  It is foolish to think that Jesus’ statement about render to Caesar and to God is the Bible’s version of separation of Church and State.  This Gospel is not that simplistic.  It calls us to carefully examine what is really going on.  The question posed to Jesus about taxes is obviously a trick.  If Jesus agrees with taxes than he alienates himself from his poor Jewish countrymen who are suffering under the Roman Tax.  If Jesus disagrees with the tax then He will be seen as someone who fosters sedition.  No easy way out of this!  So first Jesus asks for a coin.  He is about to reveal the hypocrisy of those questioning Him.  The coin that is used for paying the taxes is a special coin that contains the image of Caesar.  So hated was this coin, that Jews refused to carry it.  When the Pharisees reached into their pocket and pulled out the coin, everyone surrounding them was shocked.  Here are people who publicly preach against the tax and yet who carry the hated coin in their pocket.  Who are they kidding?  They have fallen into the trap of their own two-faced approach to Jesus.

Jesus stares at them, looks at the coin and then comes out with his famous “render to Caesar” statement.  But the statement is more than the words.  The statement is profound.  It is saying: render to Caesar those things which are marked with Caesar’s image….and then render to God those things marked with god’s image.  The coins bearing Caesar’s image belong to Caesar – human beings, bearing God’s image belong to God.

It is the prophet Isaiah who reminds us that we are marked with God’s image.  Isaiah reminds us what God taught us in Genesis:  “See, I have inscribed you on the palm of my hand.”  And because we are inscribed on the palm of God’s hand, because we are marked by God, we are all brothers and sisters.   We are all loved by God.  We do not have the right to stand above anyone.  God calls us to respect and honor each other.  This is what we owe God.

Taxes have always be a hated thing.  We live our lives surrounded by taxes.  But Jesus’ words have nothing to do with taxes.  Instead they have everything to do with how we live our lives.  We can give Caesar his due.  We can understand the role of government in our lives.  But when government calls us to overlook what is due to God, then we have cause to pause and consider how we should act.  When government forgets that we are all children of God and asks us to push aside the sacredness of all human life then our allegiance to Caesar is in conflict to our allegiance to God.  Today’s Gospel reminds each of us that while government has a rightful and just place in our lives it can never cause us to fail to respect the profound truth that each and every one of us is marked by God and therefore belong to God and not to government.

Have a Blessed Week!

Father Don

 

October 11 – Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Have you sent in your RSVP yet?  From my experience, priests are notoriously bad about not responding to invitations.  I don’t know what it is, but most priests just are bad in responding to invitations whether it be to a dinner, a meeting, a wedding reception or some other event where the host needs to know whether you are coming or not.  Shame on us!  In today’s readings, Isaiah and Matthew remind us that above and beyond the invitations we extend to one another are the invitations of God.  In the first reading, the prophet describes a sumptuous banquet hosted by God.  Isaiah wants our mouths to water!  Picture chocolate cake, lemon meringue pie, creamy pastries, fresh fish, roasted lamb and beef on the spit, berries and cherries, milk and honey.  The wine selection is like no other – aged to perfection.  But not only will there be food and drink in abundance, but also healing, forgiveness, salvation and great rejoicing.  “Will you come?” asks God.  “Well, of course,” we answer.  “You don’t have to ask me twice!”  But our enthusiasm is put to the test by the words of today’s Gospel.  In his parable, Jesus acknowledges that some of those invite to the great banquet of God’s reign have found excuses not to come.  Family obligations, business affairs or lack of interest have taken priority, and as a result, they put God’s invitation on hold or set it aside altogether.  Although written thousands of years ago, Isaiah and Matthew are clearly speaking to us today.  They are asking whether we are alert to the invitations that God sends into our lives each day. So how do we respond to God’s many invitations in our lives?  Some of those are standing invitations.  Like coming to Mass each Sunday when the COVID pandemic is over.  Prior to the pandemic though, the weekly invitation might have become so routine that we might not be fully present at the banquet of word and bread and fellowship.  At the end of Mass, one pastor in a small rural parish in the South proclaimed to his congregation, “Go forth in peace; this has been the highlight of our day; it is all downhill from here.”  This colloquial way of affirming the Eucharistic banquet as the source and summit of our lives remained with his parishioners, who struggled to value all else in their lives as secondary to and dependent upon coming to Mass.

God’s invitations reveals themselves in other ways as well.  Through the persons who reach out to us in their need, God invites us to share.  Through those who suffer injustice, God invites our advocacy and responsible participation at the ballot box.  Through those who have no one to speak for them, no one to uphold their rights to live and work without fear, God invites our persistent involvement on their behalf.  There are so many invitations from God during our day.  Depending on how we respond (or not) will depend if we are found worthy to the feast.  Don’t miss an opportunity to RSVP to God!!

Have a blessed week!

Father Don

 

 

October 4 – Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Every year, the Bishops of the United States designate the month of October as “Respect Life Month.”  The theme this year is “Live the Gospel of Life.”

    Respect for the dignity of the human person demands a commitment to human rights across a broad spectrum:  “Both as Americans and as followers of Christ, American Catholics must be committed to the defense of life in all its stages and in every condition.” The culture of death extends beyond our shores: famine and starvation, denial of health care and development around the world, the deadly violence of armed conflict and the scandalous arms trade that spawns such conflict.  Our nation is witness to domestic violence, the spread of drugs, sexual activity that poses a threat to lives, and a reckless tampering with the world’s ecological balance.  Respect for human life calls us to defend life from these and other threats.  It calls us as well to enhance the conditions of human living by helping to provide food, shelter and meaningful employment, beginning with those who are most in need.  We live the Gospel of Life when we live in solidarity with the poor of the world, standing up for their lives and dignity.  Yet abortion and euthanasia have become preeminent threats to human dignity because they directly attack life itself, the most fundamental human good.

It need not be so.  God, the Father of all nations, has blessed the American people with a tremendous reservoir of goodness.  He has also graced our founders with the wisdom to establish political structures enabling all citizens to participate in promoting the inalienable rights of all.  As Americans, as Catholics and as pastors of our people, we write therefore today to call our fellow citizens back to our country’s founding principles, and most especially to renew our national respect for the rights of those who are unborn, weak, disabled and terminally ill.   Real freedom rests on the inviolability of every person as a child of God.  The inherent value of human life, at every stage and in every circumstance, is not a sectarian issue any more than the Declaration of Independence is a sectarian creed.  As Catholic Christians we must value and defend human life above all other values!

Have a Blessed Week!

Father Don

 

September 27 – Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

A sacred event is coming up.  Sacred in the sense of our duty as Catholic Christians and citizens of the United States.  That sacred duty is to vote in the general election on November 2, 2020.  As Election Day draws near it is important for everyone to know what is permitted and what is not permitted regarding the Church’s involvement in politics and the election.  What IS permitted: Educating Catholics and others on the teachings of the Church as they relate to social policies. Analyzing and measuring policies against the values of the Gospel.  Speaking out on issues, such as those involving the life and dignity of the human person, social justice, the promotion of the common good, and the life of the Church in society.  Encouraging voters to participate fully in the political process.  What IS NOT permitted:  Endorsing a candidate or political party.  The Church donating money or other resources to a candidate or political party.  Exclusively offering the parish or church organization’s facilities to a candidate or political party.  Campaign materials or other materials produced by candidates or political parties are not to be distributed on Church property including cars parked in the church parking lot or signs in the parkway. (Information from the Illinois Catholic Conference brochure:  “Guidelines on Political Activities for Parishes and Catholic Church Organizations” www.ilcatholic.org

In a bulletin article or homily, there is not enough time or space to go into depth about the teachings of the Church. Regarding all the issues that one must consider in forming ones conscience the basic Catholic Social teaching includes the following major themes:

Life and Dignity of the Human Person

Protection of and Participation in the Family and Community

Rights of the Human Person be Protected

Care for the Poor and Vulnerable

Dignity of work and the rights of Workers

Solidarity as One Human Family

Care for God’s Creation

To study more in depth the teachings of the Church in forming your conscience to vote this November, please go to the following links:

https://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/faithful-citizenship/forming-consciences-for-faithful-citizenship-part-two

https://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/faithful-citizenship/upload/forming-consciences-for-faithful-citizenship.pdf

Have a blessed week!

Father Don

 

 

September 20 – Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today, September 20, back in 1997 was a monumental day for Our Lady of Mercy Parish.  It was on this day that the Church building in which we presently worship was dedicated.  It was an eventful day for the pastor Fr. Tivy and those parishioners who first founded OLM in June of 1988 and those who joined during the nine years it took to fundraise and build the church.  Let us be grateful today for all those who made the financial and gifts in kind sacrifices to build the beautiful church in which we worship today.  The feast day of our parish patron, Our Lady of Mercy is on Thursday, September 24.  We have received permission from the Bishop to transfer the celebration to the weekend of September 26/27.  Let us celebrate our dedication anniversary and feast day with joy!

In parishes throughout the country this weekend, we celebrate Catechetical Sunday.  The theme being “I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you.”  COVID-19 sure affected the manner in which we are doing religious education for our youth this year.  Religious education for K – 5 is a family based program being done at home with parents as leaders, supported by our RE staff and catechists.  Prior to COVID-19 we had already planned to offer the at home family catechesis program as an option for families instead of classroom instruction in the building.  After COVID-19 hit, we decided that it was not feasible to offer classroom instruction due to the many protocols that were required to be in place.  Additionally we did not feel it safe to bring together children from different school communities, and put them through more protocols.  In addition, there likely would have been a shortage of catechists as several of our catechists fit the “at risk” category and would not be able to teach.  However, there is a “silver lining” to the situation.  The at home parent led catechesis program allows families to explore stories of our faith together at a schedule that is convenient for each family.  And, no one has to wear masks or socially distance! More importantly, this program gives back to the parents what is their original responsibility that parents agreed to when they had their child baptized, namely of raising their child in the faith.  Throughout the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it is stated: parents are the primary educators of their children in the faith, and that parents are gifted to do that.  Unfortunately over the years, the Church has been enablers of taking that responsibility away from parents.  Dropping off children for a Religious Education class with no further involvement of parents in the faith formation of their children has been a disaster in forming children as Disciples of Jesus.  The Church and religious education programs are intended to support, not substitute for the parent’s role in raising their children in the practice of the faith!  I strongly encourage our families who have not registered yet to give this program a try.  We are here to guide and provide all you parents need to implement family catechesis in your home.

Have a blessed week!

Father Don

 

September 13 – Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

If there were ever words from sacred scripture that get right to the point and strike the heart, today’s first reading and Gospel are those words!  If there was ever a clearer and direct message in the scripture readings, today is the day!  It there was ever more difficult direction to live, today’s readings give it.  What am I talking about?  FORGIVENESS!  For the 39 years that I have sat in the confessional, forgiving someone who angered or hurt you is probably the sin I hear most frequently.  Why do we find it so darn hard to forgive someone – especially when we hear the warnings in today’s scriptures? These words from our first reading provide me with a lot of motivation to forgive:  “Wrath and anger are hateful things, yet the sinner hugs them tight.  The vengeful will suffer the Lord’s vengeance, for He remembers their sins in detail.  Forgive your neighbor’s injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven.”  For many years, I withheld forgiveness from the hurt I experienced in a family relationship.  Even though I would say I do not care if I ever see that person again, that was simply a defense.  Deep down in my heart I wanted to restore that relationship, but wanted the other person to make the first move.  After many years, I realized that I was giving power to that person and hurtful memory to control my happiness now.  How stupid was I!  Unfortunately, because of my stubbornness, the reconciliation did not happen before that relative died.  Then I realized that I do not want to die with any unreconciled relationships in my life.  They say you can’t take it with you, and that is true of material things, but I think you do take with you the unreconciled sins, hurts, hardness of heart and anger that you’ve held onto in life.  That is why we Catholics believe in purgatory.  Purgatory is purification from all that kept us in this life from loving and forgiving as God is.  And, in the afterlife, you won’t get to heaven until you are willing to be seated at the heavenly banquet next to the person you hated most in this life!  So, I would rather shorten my purgatory by having less unreconciled relationships when I die.

Today’s Gospel parable should also provide the motivation to reconcile quickly.  The one servant who was treated with mercy and had his debt forgiven, which happens when we go to confession, went out and treated another servant without the mercy he received.  Because of this, he was severely punished.  Jesus concludes:  “So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”  Remember, when you pray the “Our Father” you tell God to forgive your sins just like you forgive those who sin against you!  Do you really mean that?

Have a blessed week!

Father Don

September 6 – Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Where did we go wrong?  The idea that we need to be a rugged individualist, that we are not our brother’s keeper, that other people’s lives and actions are their business, not ours is just simply not scriptural.  In other words, this is NOT what God intends.  Ezekiel in the first reading today tells us that our responsibility for one another requires us to warn each other so as to “dissuade the wicked” from their ways.  If we fail to do so, says the prophet, then we are culpable.  God made us to be responsible for one another.  In today’s second reading from Paul’s correspondence with the believers in Rome, Paul reminds us of our mutual “debt.” We are to love one another.  We “owe” this to one another, says Paul.  In loving, we fulfill the law.  Because of our love for one another, we help one another to avoid sin and do what is right.  In today’s Gospel, Matthew gives us a glimpse of the inner workings of the early church.  In order to help one another to become more authentic images of God, the community had worked out a process whereby those who sinned might be made aware of their sin, then seek forgiveness and be reconciled to God and to their brothers and sisters in Christ.  I find though too often we skip the first step in this reconciliation process.  Most of us jump to the second or third step right away.  The first step says:  “If your brother/sister sins against you, go and tell him/her their fault between you and him/her alone.”  In other words, keep it to yourself!  Try to work things out between the two of you first before going and complaining to others.  When a parishioner complains to me about something someone on staff did or said, wanting me to fix it, I always ask, did you talk to that person first?  Step two and three in the Gospel story today should be a last resort….telling first one or two, or then the whole church.

Sometimes when hearing confessions, the person confessing confesses the sins of the other person, not their own.  Yes, we get angry at other people for something they said or did, but they did not make us sin.  We choose to react/respond in a way that is sinful or not.  Reconciliation is an art that unfortunately many have not learned or experienced.   Reconciliation is a grace from God – we cannot do it by ourselves.  The expression forgive and forget is impossible for humans – only God has divine amnesia!  While we never forget, we humans CAN forgive.  God’s grace empowers us to be agents of forgiveness and reconciliation.  Give forgiveness and reconciliation a try!  It is said that practice makes perfect!  Maybe that is what Jesus means when he says for us to become perfect as our heavenly father is perfect!!

Have a blessed week!

Father Don