Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Just in time for Advent...
Ok, I found my motivation and I've overcome a slight case of writer's block. Regular postings returning soon.
In the meantime, check out this awesome website: http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/
In the meantime, check out this awesome website: http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
RCIA Week 2
Last night we talked about Faith, Reason and had a brief introduction to Grace.
Here's a link to more information on the movie trilogy, "The Matrix". Again, I highly recommend watching all three of these movies!
-Our faith is not in Creeds(strictly speaking, the actual creeds), but in God, a person, His Son, Jesus Christ. (Kreeft)
-Faith is an act of the will; it involves the whole human person: will, intellect and feelings.
-Faith and reason are not contradictory. Our intellect, our reason, when ordered properly, can take us closer to God, not further from Him.
-From the CCC, Grace is divine favor; the free and undeserved help from God. It helps us to respond to God's invitation to become his Adopted sons and daughters (CCC).
-Grace is also the participation in the Divine Life. Remember the metaphor of the field covered in fog.
Next week: God the Father, the Triune God. Man made in His image.
As a reminder: meetings with Father Craig are in his office. Father Craig's office is in the Parish Center: the brick building (the old church) between the priest's house and the convent.
Here's a link to more information on the movie trilogy, "The Matrix". Again, I highly recommend watching all three of these movies!
-Our faith is not in Creeds(strictly speaking, the actual creeds), but in God, a person, His Son, Jesus Christ. (Kreeft)
-Faith is an act of the will; it involves the whole human person: will, intellect and feelings.
-Faith and reason are not contradictory. Our intellect, our reason, when ordered properly, can take us closer to God, not further from Him.
-From the CCC, Grace is divine favor; the free and undeserved help from God. It helps us to respond to God's invitation to become his Adopted sons and daughters (CCC).
-Grace is also the participation in the Divine Life. Remember the metaphor of the field covered in fog.
Next week: God the Father, the Triune God. Man made in His image.
As a reminder: meetings with Father Craig are in his office. Father Craig's office is in the Parish Center: the brick building (the old church) between the priest's house and the convent.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
RCIA Week 1 Follow Up
A link to a biography of St. Augustine.
A link to his autobiography/spiritual journal called The Confessions.
Points from the Presentation:
-Man's desire for something or someone is hardwired into his/her very being.
-That desire is placed there by the Creator.
-Only the Creator can satisfy that Desire.
-We call the Creator God.
-We believe certain things about God, one of which is that He wants to have a relationship with us.
-This relationship with Him will satisfy that Desire.
-We are invited to reach out to Him and take the Hand He offers.
-Our acknowledgement of the Hand and our willingness to take it is called Faith.
-Mystery: God becomes human in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.
-Jesus is both human and Divine. Therefore our Faith is in the Words and Actions and Teachings of a person- Jesus, the Christ.
Next Week: The Human Person: Faith, Reason and Grace: How do I know God? How do I meet Him?
A link to his autobiography/spiritual journal called The Confessions.
Points from the Presentation:
-Man's desire for something or someone is hardwired into his/her very being.
-That desire is placed there by the Creator.
-Only the Creator can satisfy that Desire.
-We call the Creator God.
-We believe certain things about God, one of which is that He wants to have a relationship with us.
-This relationship with Him will satisfy that Desire.
-We are invited to reach out to Him and take the Hand He offers.
-Our acknowledgement of the Hand and our willingness to take it is called Faith.
-Mystery: God becomes human in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.
-Jesus is both human and Divine. Therefore our Faith is in the Words and Actions and Teachings of a person- Jesus, the Christ.
Next Week: The Human Person: Faith, Reason and Grace: How do I know God? How do I meet Him?
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Homily for 22nd Sunday of the Year
[This homily was given at the 12:15pm Mass on Sunday, September 1.]
Click here for the Scripture readings.
There's something you should know about me... I'm brilliant! Why are you laughing? Seriously! Ask anyone who knows me: I'm brilliant. Off the charts brilliant! Stop laughing!
One of the benefits of being a "late vocation", having a done a few things before becoming a priest, is that there's whole big group of people who knew me as Craig, before I became Father Craig. And boy do they have some stories: stories of me not being so brilliant. In fact, it's my friends and family that keep me ground, they keep it real, they help me laugh at myself, they, in a word, keep me humble.
We are so familiar with this Gospel passage today. We've heard Jesus teach us before about being humble. But I'd like to spend a little time wandering around this passage this morning and see if Jesus has something more to tell us.
The word humility comes from a Latin word that means "low" or "of the earth". Just think of that tasty treat we enjoy on crackers: hummus. Hummus is made from basic food stuffs of the earth: grain and such. But, another way to think of it is this way: humility can help us remember those words spoken over us at the beginning of Lent, on Ash Wednesday: "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return." That stuff is the stuff of the earthy, lowly, that from which we were created, and to which, one day, we will return.
But I'd like to give another definition today for humility. Humility is seeing and experience ourselves and others NOT as we would like to, but as God already does.
I know God sees us in two ways. First, He sees us as wounded, broken people, with a tendency to sin and fall into patterns of unhealthy behavior. And he knows that we have to saved from that, rescued from that. And so he sent his Son, Jesus Christ to do just that. And in our Redemption and Salvation, and because of our Baptism and sharing in this Eucharist, God also sees our amazing and world-changing potential. He sees our ability to Love and Serve and Pray and Forgive and Give that transcends that brokenness and woundedness that is a part of who we are. But this Good News! We are capable of great things for the Lord, all of us, and humility is seeing that in ourselves and in others. But humility is also seeing the brokenness of those around us. Humility is recognizing the person as God recognizes them: spouses, children, co workers, neighbors and friends: Humility is seeing them, and ourselves, not as we would want, but as God already does.
My friends, this week, we ask for an outpouring of Humility into our hearts. We want to be able to recognize and embrace the brokenness of others, and of ourselves, and see it not a cause of resentment or prejudice, but as an invitation to witness the great healing power of Love that comes from God alone, working through us. This week we recommit to to nourishing that awareness of that people, including ourselves, are in need of Healing and Redemption. Perhaps even those closest to you, like your spouse, are in need of radical healing. In humility, we approach the people in our life with great gentleness this week. And we move, ever so slowly and steadily, to embracing that brokenness in them and in ourselves, and ask the Lord to heal them through the way we Love and Serve and Pray and Forgive and Give.
May we stay grounded this week, may we be willing to laugh at ourselves and not take ourselves to seriously. May we love with urgency remembering that all is Gift and one day, we will return to He who loved us first.
Amen.
Click here for the Scripture readings.
There's something you should know about me... I'm brilliant! Why are you laughing? Seriously! Ask anyone who knows me: I'm brilliant. Off the charts brilliant! Stop laughing!
One of the benefits of being a "late vocation", having a done a few things before becoming a priest, is that there's whole big group of people who knew me as Craig, before I became Father Craig. And boy do they have some stories: stories of me not being so brilliant. In fact, it's my friends and family that keep me ground, they keep it real, they help me laugh at myself, they, in a word, keep me humble.
We are so familiar with this Gospel passage today. We've heard Jesus teach us before about being humble. But I'd like to spend a little time wandering around this passage this morning and see if Jesus has something more to tell us.
The word humility comes from a Latin word that means "low" or "of the earth". Just think of that tasty treat we enjoy on crackers: hummus. Hummus is made from basic food stuffs of the earth: grain and such. But, another way to think of it is this way: humility can help us remember those words spoken over us at the beginning of Lent, on Ash Wednesday: "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return." That stuff is the stuff of the earthy, lowly, that from which we were created, and to which, one day, we will return.
But I'd like to give another definition today for humility. Humility is seeing and experience ourselves and others NOT as we would like to, but as God already does.
I know God sees us in two ways. First, He sees us as wounded, broken people, with a tendency to sin and fall into patterns of unhealthy behavior. And he knows that we have to saved from that, rescued from that. And so he sent his Son, Jesus Christ to do just that. And in our Redemption and Salvation, and because of our Baptism and sharing in this Eucharist, God also sees our amazing and world-changing potential. He sees our ability to Love and Serve and Pray and Forgive and Give that transcends that brokenness and woundedness that is a part of who we are. But this Good News! We are capable of great things for the Lord, all of us, and humility is seeing that in ourselves and in others. But humility is also seeing the brokenness of those around us. Humility is recognizing the person as God recognizes them: spouses, children, co workers, neighbors and friends: Humility is seeing them, and ourselves, not as we would want, but as God already does.
My friends, this week, we ask for an outpouring of Humility into our hearts. We want to be able to recognize and embrace the brokenness of others, and of ourselves, and see it not a cause of resentment or prejudice, but as an invitation to witness the great healing power of Love that comes from God alone, working through us. This week we recommit to to nourishing that awareness of that people, including ourselves, are in need of Healing and Redemption. Perhaps even those closest to you, like your spouse, are in need of radical healing. In humility, we approach the people in our life with great gentleness this week. And we move, ever so slowly and steadily, to embracing that brokenness in them and in ourselves, and ask the Lord to heal them through the way we Love and Serve and Pray and Forgive and Give.
May we stay grounded this week, may we be willing to laugh at ourselves and not take ourselves to seriously. May we love with urgency remembering that all is Gift and one day, we will return to He who loved us first.
Amen.
Daily Point for Prayer
Click here for today's Scripture readings.
Paul encourages us today to children of the Light. In the early Church, those who had been Baptized, were called the Enlightened or the Illuminated. They became members of Christ, who is the Light of the World. Today, let us be Christ-Bearers. Let us take Him who is the Light of the World into the world today. Wherever we go, whatever we do, whoever we greet, let us share the Light that was given to us at Baptism and is renewed by this Eucharist.
Let's be one of those of whom it is said, "When they walk in, the room is lit up!"
Through Love and Service and Smiles, let us be men and women of Light today!
Amen.
Paul encourages us today to children of the Light. In the early Church, those who had been Baptized, were called the Enlightened or the Illuminated. They became members of Christ, who is the Light of the World. Today, let us be Christ-Bearers. Let us take Him who is the Light of the World into the world today. Wherever we go, whatever we do, whoever we greet, let us share the Light that was given to us at Baptism and is renewed by this Eucharist.
Let's be one of those of whom it is said, "When they walk in, the room is lit up!"
Through Love and Service and Smiles, let us be men and women of Light today!
Amen.
Monday, August 26, 2013
Daily Point for Prayer
Click here for the Scripture readings.
Jesus seems to use rather harsh words in an attempt to call the Pharisees out of their hypocrisy and be transformed by His Gospel. St. Paul tells the Thessalonians today that it the Power of the Holy Spirit that has transformed them into Christians and Disciples of Jesus Christ.
So, our point for prayer today: how will we allow the Gospel to transform us today? How will we allow this Word and Eucharist to transform us from the inside out? The Power of the Spirit is that which animates and lifts things Up to the Father. How will the Holy Spirit animate and lift us Up today?
Amen.
Jesus seems to use rather harsh words in an attempt to call the Pharisees out of their hypocrisy and be transformed by His Gospel. St. Paul tells the Thessalonians today that it the Power of the Holy Spirit that has transformed them into Christians and Disciples of Jesus Christ.
So, our point for prayer today: how will we allow the Gospel to transform us today? How will we allow this Word and Eucharist to transform us from the inside out? The Power of the Spirit is that which animates and lifts things Up to the Father. How will the Holy Spirit animate and lift us Up today?
Amen.
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