St. Mary’s Catholic Church - Pendleton, Oregon

From the Pastor:

On this Sixth Sunday in Ordinary time the Lord challenges us to live of poverty. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord rather than human beings, material possessions and earthly satisfaction. When Jesus speaks with the people from Judea and Jerusalem, He first gives a series of blessings (the Beatitudes) and then a corresponding warning (the woes). There is an order to his teaching.

The first Beatitude tells us that you will find happiness in being poor. There are two meanings of poverty. First, when a person is poor in spirit, they are poor spiritually. They realize they are a sinner and humbly approach the Lord time and time again. Second, when a person is poor materially. They have a detachment from their material possessions. For the Lord says, “woe to you who are rich, you have received your consolation. In others words those who live by money will die by money.

How often today does money become the root of evils, dissension, fights, and greed. This attitude has entered the hearts of Christians who are more concerned about what’s in the bank verses trusting in God. We have made a false God out of our bank accounts and insurance. We have great difficulty because of pride to let go and let God.

The second Beatitude speaks about those who are hungry, presently they will be satisfied in the coming kingdom. The corresponding warning warns us that if you are glutton now you will starve later. If you take only what you need now you will be blessed later. Here is another lessons in detaching from the things of the world.

The third Beatitude speaks of a contrite heart. Happy will you be now if you weep for your sins, for someday your weeping will end with the joy of Heaven. But woe to those who laugh now, they will grieve and weep later. How many people want to be entertained with good times, pleasure, and jokes. This mentality is seen today when Catholics desire the mass to be entertainment and full of laughter. This is a slippery slope. Do we want our children to think religion is one big joke? Wouldn’t it be better to have a priest call us to repentance and save our soul?

Our presence as Christians becomes more evident when we look at the fourth warning, “woe to you when they speak well of you, for the false prophets were treated the same way.” Rather happy will you be when people hate you, and insult you, denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice for your reward will be great in Heaven. We shouldn’t be concerned whether we are hated because of Christ. In fact, when you speak of the conviction and love of Christ, you can plan on it. We are not to worry, but be holy.

God is asking us to detach from the desire to seek human respect. What really matters is not the materials, not the praise, not the success of this life but our love, faithfulness and desire to repent. If we always seek an attitude of repentance, we will remain humble and willing to follow our Lord. If we never desire to change and convert our hearts we risk loosing our souls and reaping what we have sown. This week let us reflect on this Sacred Scripture which will challenge each of us in many ways.

Click on file below to download bulletin:

Sunday February 7, 2010

From the Pastor:

The reading from Isaiah once again helps us to understand angels. We remember that just over a year ago Fr Hincks came to our parish to share some wonderful insights. It is these insights which I will share with you in this weeks column.

First, from the prophet Isaiah we set the stage. He has a vision of the Lord, of the lofty throne and angels (seraphim) were stationed there. The angels prayer came forth, “holy, holy, holy is the Lord.” At this the house shook, Isaiah thought we was doomed from his unclean lips. The angel sweeps in with an burning ember to touch his lips. Now Isaiah is purged from sin and humbly says, “Here am I, send me.”

What a beautiful passage from Sacred scripture. We receive a glimpse into the life of angels. But how can we grow more in love with angels. There are so many self-help books, they are the how-to’s for everything. But rarely do they touch the understanding of growing closer to angels.

Fr Hincks gives us twelve steps in growing closer to our guardian angel. Twelve steps were used way before the AA programs. Saint Benedict proposed twelve steps to humility. Saint Alphonsus proposed twelve steps to holiness. Now, twelve steps with the help of Saint Paul to developing a deeper relationship with our angel.

1) Saint Paul exhorts us not only to believe in our angels but that they should form an important part of our faith. Angels were at the Resurrection and ministered to Christ in the desert.

2) Through the angels we do the will of God. The law was announced to Moses with angels. God gives us a guardian angel to guide and protect us.

3)There exists a heavenly hierarchy. There are in the world of angels, thrones, dominions, powers, virtues and princes. Saint Paul is caught up to the third heaven (paradise), where the choirs of angels dwell.

4) Our guardian angel will give power to our words. We get this understanding from Saint Paul who was caught in a storm. Paul tries to persuade the captain but it wasn’t until the angel appeared and assured him that his words had any effect on the captain.

5)Each city, nation, and individual has a personal angel. Saint Paul speaks of the angel of Macedonia.

6) First Corinthians says, “we will judge the angels.” This means that some men will be higher than some angels in the Heavenly kingdom. They will be closer to God.

7) Angels speak a special language. They have no need of lips or a body so it is more like mental telepathy, or mind to mind. Angels can put an idea in our minds, images into our imagination, feelings into our passions.

We must understand their role. They have limitations in that they are not God. In Colossians we hear that no one should delight in the worship of angels, worship is only for God.

9) Archangels will announce the final coming. Sacred Scripture tells of angels separating the sheep from the goats.

10) In Second Corinthians, we receive light about discerning the good spirits from the bad spirits, the good angels and bad angels. Therefore Ephesians says “put on your armor.”

11) There should be great reverence when in the presence of the angels.

12) Angels are attracted to us when we are in silence. For example, to Christ when He was in the desert and Moses when he received the law. No task is too great and the angels fly to our side to help us do the will of God. They are a means to the end and the end is GOD.

Click on file below to download bulletin:

Sunday January 31, 2010

From the Pastor: (From In Conversion with God)

Saint Paul tells us which are the qualities that adorn charity. First he tells us that Charity is patient with others. In order to do good we have to know how to bear evil, renouncing in advance any signs of annoyance, bad temper or sharpness of manner.

Patience denotes great fortitude. Charity will often demand patience if we are to bear with serenity the possible defects, the hostility, the suspicion and the bad humor of people we have to deal with. This virtue will lead us to give to such trifles the importance they really have, and not blow them up out of proportion; it will incline us to wait for the appropriate moment if we need to correct them. Charity will help us to give the answer that will often enable our words to reach the hearts of those who are difficult to get on with so that they can improve. Patience is a great virtue which helps us to live in harmony with others. Through it we imitate God, who is so long-suffering with our many errors and always slow to anger. We imitate Jesus, who, although He was well aware of the malice of the Pharisees, lowered himself to be like them in order to win them over, just like good doctors who prescribe the best remedies for those who have the more serious illnesses.

Love is kind-that is to say, it is disposed to do good to everyone. Kindness can only find room for itself in a large and generous heart. What is best in ourselves must be for others.

Love is not jealous…Whilst jealousy is saddened by another’s good, charity rejoices in that same good. Many sins against charity flow from jealousy-scandal, for example, defamation, pleasure in another’s mishaps and chagrin at his good fortune. Often it is jealousy that causes friendships to collapse and fraternal ties to be broken. It is like a cancer that gnaws away at the harmony and peace among men. St. Thomas calls it the mother of hatred..

Charity is not arrogant or rude…Many of the temptations against charity can be summarised as attitudes of pride towards our neighbor. We can only serve others and concern ourselves about them to the extent that we forget about ourselves. Without humility no other virtue can exist, and particular there can be no love. The pride that prevents us from living charity can manifest itself in many ways…The proud person’s horizon is terribly limited: it stops at himself. He can see no further that himself, his own qualities, his virtues, his talent. His is a godless horizon. Love is not ambitious; It does not insist on getting its own way. Charity does not ask anything for itself. Not only is it not ambitious with an overriding desire for gain, but it does no even insist on its own way; it seeks Christ. Love does not rejoice at wrong; it does not compile lists of personal grievances. It endures all things…Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things. All things without exception.

There is much we can give; faith, joy, a little word of praise, of affection… We should never expect anything in return. We should not be upset if people do not reciprocate. Love does not insist on having its own way, on those things that, from a human point of view, we might think are owed to us. If we do not seek any thing for ourselves we will discover that we have found Jesus.