Come Experience Christmas

The other day I made the biggest mistake - or so it seemed - of my entire life! I went to Toys R Us a few days before Christmas ! O my goodness - the chaos, the bedlam, the sheer madness. I should have known it was going to be an experience and a half  for as I was walking in, people were walking out with the dazed look that simply yelled out “run for your life while you can.”

As I made my way thru the isles of toys, bumped past shopping cards abandoned almost in a sense of hopelessness, as I paused every few minutes - well for oxygen - I finally encountered another exasperated adult who just looked at me and said “ Wow, Toys R Us must live for this day, it must be everything they prepare for all year round”.

First, let me say - I survived Toys R Us - barely - but I survived. Second, I discovered something: that even at Toys R Us there is a Christmas Lesson - and here it is: Christmas - We live for this day! It must be everything we prepare for !

Its so true ! We don’t come on Christmas to observe or even just celebrate with carols and hymns. As Disciples of Jesus we come on Christmas to Experience :

■ to experience hope in the night

■ to experience a peace which surpasses chaos

■ an overwhelming experience of God’s love

Now we have spent Advent waiting - for some that waiting may have shown itself in a little hint, an elbow or nudge here and there, hoping for a gift to be under the tree. But for others - there has been a deeper longing:

 waiting for a new job or financial security

 waiting for a new home or an acceptance letter into a college, university

 waiting for a new relationship or to repair the one that we have

 waiting for a new year - 2013 gotta be better than 2012

 waiting for suffering to end or grief to subside

 waiting for life to make sense, or our world to calm down

 waiting for hope, peace

 waiting for an answer to the ultimate question - Why?

Maybe we have come - and well - chaos has been a partner this year with us; maybe not as bad as the chaos at Toy R Us - or maybe worse. So Christmas is here !

Have you come to just observe?

Have you come to just celebrate ?

Have you come to just survive? - or maybe - just maybe - you have come to experience!

★ The hope of Christ which is ours if we seek it

★ That unspeakable joy of Christ which is ours if we claim

★ That unquenchable love of Christ which is ours if we make it our own

But we have to choose to experience it !

We come to truly experience Christmas because - well simply - because We live for this day! It must be everything we prepare for ! It is an eternal gift!

Tyler and Timmy, five year old twins, were sitting in their beds getting ready one night for their dad to come in and tuck them into sleep. Dad was a bit delayed because he was helping mom put their new born baby brother to sleep and it was taking a few minutes.

Tyler said to Timmy. "Mom and Dad seem happy with our new baby brother." "Ya," said Timmy, "but I think they were hoping for a girl." "Oh" said Tyler, "I see - well why don’t they return him and get a girl instead?" "Na" said Timmy - "we can’t return him - we have used him too much already."

God’s great gift - His only Son - Jesus Christ - is not a gift He will take back. His Light Shines...even in the sadness and madness of our world today. No Fiscal Cliff will cause the gift to be returned. No Madness in a Sandy Hook will cause Him to be extinguished and returned. His Light Shines...even in the sadness and madness of our world today. Jesus is here. We gather because His Light Shines - born in the manger - here for you and for me - - not to use, or just to observe or even celebrate with or about - but to fully experience.

Come experience Him this Christmas - don’t just use this gift - live it the gift - and do so in Hope. Hope in the experience of Christmas - it is found in hope with Christ! My prayer for you this Christmas - well its simple:

That just like on that first Christmas morning - as the angels came hovering, the star came shining over that simple manger - that God’s Holy Spirit will hover over your family this Christmas. That you will experience - truly experience Christmas - with its hope, with its light, with its joy, with its peace. 'Cause if my prayer is heard - well - this will be your best Christmas !

We Need His Light Like Never Before

On Thursday evening following our Advent Reconciliation Service, a mother and her small child remained in the Church. The mother was finishing her prayers and the child, a familiar face, was walking around as I returned chairs to their spots and extinguished candles. As I did his little voice blurted: “So what happens when the candles go out?” I paused, smiled and asked: “What do you mean ?” “On the wreath”, he quickly replied “I see you lite them, but what happens when the lights go out?” "Well”, I replied, “Advent goes on because of our prayers continue.”

This Friday, as we went about our Advent days and prayers - at 9:30am at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. The lights went out. Not blown out by someone re arranging chairs, but blown out by an act of insanity and evil. A senseless crime which extinguished innocent lives at the start of their journey bringing to a conclusion the promised light which they could have brought to our world.

The unspeakable anger and bitterness within a human heart to have done this.

The destructiveness and danger of evil which is no respecter of the innocent.

The terrifying anguish and absolute heart breaking sorrow being experienced by families.

The myriad and plethora of questions which arise for each of us

The magnitude and scope of the sorrow which surface for all touched by this unspeakable crime.

The multiple and numerous lives which are forever affected

All of this is beyond what we can see, sense or even surface for ourselves.

We sat as the news broke with the re echoing question which seems to arise at moments such as these - "How could God allow such a horrific tragedy?" We may never discover the answer this side of heaven, but we know tragedy grieves the heart of God very deeply. Yet this we also do know - our light too has been shaken. Thought not intimately affected

■ Which of us on Friday after hearing the news did not call a loved one to ensure their safety?

■ Which of us entrusted with the care of children did not in our mind reflect what we could have done or would have done had we been faced with this evil act in our midst?

■ Which of us when the details came out did not think over our experiences at the same age and wonder if our lives today would be different if we had experienced what those in Newtown have?

■ Which of us when news reports brought more detail did not pause and ask ourselves - what is happening to our world and how did it get this way ?

Our light still shines, but it has been shaken.

Here we are Third week of Advent....The Way to Bethlehem has changed.... its not here we go again anymore. Or wait - in some ways it is

- the sadness of these Holy Innocents in Newtown and their grieving families is a wale heard before

- the shock and sigh of leaders, educators, first responders has been echoed before

- the shatteredness of lives which has ricocheted has been in view before

And that is why - this is purely and truly why - We need Advent, and Christmas, like never before. We all seek the same things we did when we started this journey to Bethlehelm, yet especially in this hour, the same goodness, the same strength and blessed comfort of the same God is something we need more than ever. They are needed today, tomorrow and over the days ahead in a fashion like we have never needed them before. Even more than they were at yesterday's dawn, in the midst of grief, anxiety, longing - there is something else - a desperation for that Light which can only come from above.

We need Advent, and Christmas, like never before. So we lite our Pink Candle - its symbolic of Joy and Hope. Let’s not miss Christmas Let’s not let Advent go by. Let’s not become halted by darkness, startled by the flash that occurs when a light goes out. Let’s lite the candles on the wreath, again and again and again, because we need it. Let’s string more lights on our tree this year then ever before, because we need it. Let’s permit our spirit even in darkness and sadness to be joy and  hope bound, because we need it - more than ever!

As my young friend’s mother finished her prayers and came to collect him in the midst of his questions about the candle going out, his final query was the most challenging. “Does it not become scary in darkness when all the lights are out in the church?” Pausing for a moment determining whether I should address his misunderstanding that I do not sleep in the back pew each night, I decided instead to say.

“Not all the lights go out." Pointing toward the red tabernacle candle I said “ that one is always on, because Jesus is always here.”

Today that is what we celebrate That is why we gather. That is what (who) we hope in. That His eternal, everlasting, never extinguishable Light is Here. It has not gone out - no act of evil can ever do that. May the Eucharist, our gathering, our prayer, our common strength, resolve and purpose - not only make a difference. May it also help us not miss the true light of Advent, and Christmas, We need like never before.

Advent - it will go - F.A.S.T.

Two weeks ago some 40 people from our parish set off “On the Way to Bethlehem”. Now before you think a secret trip to bring about world peace has been going on thru the parish - it was actually to a fantastic display in Milton. It was put together by the area Churches and was not only very well done, but it was a reminder of that first journey. Though it was a frigid evening, and some struggle along the way - that too was a testament to what it must have been like.

Each year, during the season of Advent, the Church sets off on a journey. We begin to prepare our hearts and our minds for the coming of the Christ-child, so that this time He will have a proper place to be born. We think we know the way to Bethlehem; we can find it on the map, it's not that far from Jerusalem, by today's standards; shouldn't be a problem we think to ourselves.

But the problem is that so much has changed since our last visit. A whole year has passed, a year that brought many changes in our lives, some of them good, some of them not so good, some of them heartbreaking and others maybe groundbreaking. The geographic map of life has changed, and even old familiar places and faces don't seem the same any more. So maybe we could use a little help in finding our way back to Bethlehem this year. That is, if you still want to go.

See the freedom of the Season of Advent is that we can decide if we still want to go to Bethlehem. Sure we want Christmas - who wouldn’t want the modern Christmas of today - glitter, gifts, glee, but Advent reminds us that as Disciples of the Lord the Bethlehem we are travelling toward is not always all Merry and Nice. Sure there will be moments of egg nog cheer. Yes there will be occasions of wrappings and lights. Totally the times when we will share joy will be there. But let’s not forget that in our travel, well it has to be about Him too! And if its going to be about Him - let me just say to you that Advent with its four short weeks will go F.A.S.T. and sure enough that is the way to Bethlehem - FAST

It has to be about Forgiveness. Rejoicing in the pardon and peace with only God can give, putting aside the resentment we feel, the anger we have, the hatred we sense toward others and even events since we last walked this way.

It has to be about Adoration. Rejoicing in the presence of God - taking time for prayer. Taking time to pray for an understanding of all that has happened since we were on this road a year ago.

It has to be about Surrender. Giving over the map to the Lord - letting Him set the pace, allowing Him to share the burden of the journey and provide not only the rest stops but also the thru ways.

It has to be about Tenderness. Walking with a heart that is willing to see the least, the lost, the lonely and give from our abundance - knowing that there is an old saying that is ever so true - if you want to receive a blessing - than be a blessing!

So come on, grab your Red Stocking, walk side by side with me along. We are off to Bethlehem - it won’t require a plane or a visa. It won’t require a time change or even luggage. But I promise you if you are true to it - it will go FAST

Let us make this way - Advent - the way to Bethlehem - and let’s Forgive, Adore Him, Surrender often and be Tender many times. I promise you - at the end of it all - when the angels call our name - it will be the best Manger you have ever seen !

Advent - Here We Go Again!

Here we go again !

If your honest that feeling, that sentiment, that statement has popped into your head. The month of December has arrived, the signs of the Season are around us, jingles are in the air and department store flyers are in our mailboxes. Here we go again ! It’s a natural feeling. We all fall victim to it. The hectic pace of the weeks to come, and all there is to do, make us say it. But alas, this is why we have Advent!

Advent, is our spiritual “getting ready” for Christmas period. We try to put into four weeks all the hoping, longing, preparing. In Advent, wait for Jesus:

...We wait for His grace and mercy, sure to come;

...We wait for Him to answer our prayers, sure He will, but unsure when, where, or how;

...We wait for reasons to explain suffering, struggle, and worries;

...We wait for Him to call us to be with Him for all eternity.

And, lest we forget, the Lord waits for us!

...Jesus waits for us to open up to His grace and mercy;

...Jesus waits for us to admit that, as a matter of fact, we do need a Savior!

...Jesus waits for us to admit that He is the answer to the questions our lives of searching pose.

...Jesus waits for our ultimate return to Him, for He “has gone to prepare a place for us.”

But waiting is a pain - we like action ! We prefer motion, movement. We get irritable if we have to wait in line, or for an appoinment, or even in traffic. So why do we wait ?

This week I went to the bank. I am sorry to report that the Bank was not giving out any free samples! I became perplexed, however, as I walked into the bank. I couldn’t figure it out. There was a Secuirty Guard there - just sitting - seemingly waiting and watching. Why I wondered - what are they looking for ? Who are they looking for. So, being the shy bashful person that I am - I asked him “What are you waiting for?” As the guard, whose name I discovered was Alex, stood in the freezing cold of last Friday night, he replied "I don’t know Father ! But when I see it - I will know!"

We are waiting.and in the busyness, in the “here we go again” moment, we don’t sometimes know for what. Yet in the waiting is the very arrival.Waiting makes us, alert, attentive, aware. It makes us  poised, prepared, present. It makes us focussed and above all it forces us to "savour for a saviour". 

Just like someone - “on guard” even during the frigid cold - duty bound, honour committed, we too as His Disciples - are invited to be waiting for that moment - that chance, that conversation, that casual encounter - where He will make Himself known, more clearly understood, more firmly focussed in our life ! The wait might make us say - here we go again. But in the wait is once again - that encounter with the Lord - parallelled by the Magi & Shepherds - that will help us see and be - His light!  

I sincerely hope that this Advent, you won’t mind the wait, even if at times you are not sure you know what you are waiting for - See Christ does:

He will use this wait to bless you - if you simply use the wait

He will use this wait to encourage you - if you simply don’t waste the wait

He will use this wait to bring you closer to Him - if you simply don’t worry about the wait

Just be determined this Advent to know that deep down inside, cradled in the soul, where no one but the One who counts can detect, is a moment for which God is waiting to be re-born in your life. We just have to wait to see it - embrace it and maybe even accept it. Advent can do that.

So here is your homework - for the next four weeks:

- when the traffic gets packed

- when the shopping line gets long

- when the picking up of your newspaper required chiracpractor care because of its thinkness

- when the extent of your patience is frilled

- when the desire to scream is real

Don’t say - "here we go again" - or worst - but rather - "Come, Lord Jesus!” - it will make the wait truly worth it !

Make Him King !

Occasionally, I like to go out and have a plate of nachos! You know a plate of nice chips with salsa, some chicken or beef - and then to keep my doctor happy - I make sure there is lettuce & tomatoes on it so it resembles healthy salad type stuff. I enjoy trying different places - a few locals watering holes and a couple not so local - but either way you meet interesting people along the way, and see interesting spots. One watering hole - had a sign near its entrance - we are the King of Quenching Your Thirst!

It made me pause and ponder a bit in between the salsa and jalapenos - - what do people thirst for? In Haiti - where we are trying to aid the Sisters of St Joseph in building a well - people thirst for simple water - something we take for granted. But our thirst is actually even greater than their thirst; we thirst for understanding, we thirst for relationships - meaningful ones, we thirst for direction - we thirst for ways to be heard, we thirst for sympathy - we thirst for justice and fairness. So which King will Quench our Thirst and where will our watering hole be ?

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King and I would like to share with you why He should be the King of Quenching Your Thirst. Blessed John Paul II spoke early in his life as Pope of the call to “put out into the deep”. His was a convincing call to Mission and Evangelization. His was an invitation to see all within the world, our very lives - even the things we thirst for - to be found within the beauty and power of the Gospel. He told us though that this would be found, first and foremost, in one place - The Family.

The Family is the foundational place of spiritual formation. It is the place of apprenticeship - training in holiness - How ?

1. Loving God First

The family must be the place where God is honoured. Our call as we thirst is to love God - above all things - and to Honour Him and His Day. This can be difficult in today’s society because so many things pull families in various directions. But what happens when you are pulled in various directions is that eventually you are pulled apart. Something - someone - must be your unifying centre - it must be God

Do you thirst for harmony in your marriage ? Do you thirst for serenity in your family ?

Don’t put fleeting things first - Love God First - make Him King !

2. Service

The family must be the place where service is seen. One of the things in our parish family we seek to be good at - always trying for better - is to serve one another:

• Red Stocking Campaign
• Neighbourhood Ministry and Lend A Hand Appeal
• Haiti Mission Work (Coins for Change, Milk Bag Mats, Catholic Cafe)
• Service Saturdays/Green Bag Saturday
• Food Drives
• Blanket Brigade and Ready Day One Back Packs
• Roses for Life Appeal and Baby Shower for Michael House
• 40 Days for Life
• Commitment to Orphanage in Bethlehem

In our world which creates illusive images of happiness to tempt us, cars, mansions, fine clothes, latest toys - tempt us to become someone other than ourselves. Service to others makes us real, shows if we are real. The real us comes out when we give of our real ourselves to another in need.  Who we really are comes out when we lend a hand.

Do you thirst for something that will fill the emptiness you feel some days?

Do you thirst for something that will satisfy the hole you feel in your life for meaning and purpose?

Don’t Use Visa First - Serve Another and God First - make Him King !

3. Forgiveness

The family must be the place where forgiveness is taught. In our weakness we hurt one another - we fail to be there for a friend, we fail to support a sibling, we fail to sustain a spouse in their need. We let down, get down on, or rip down another, and when it is someone we love - it hurts all the more!  Yet when the hurt is there so is the temptation toward revenge, resentment, retribution, and these seek to be King in our life - but the only thing they do is make us dry. Dry and thirsty - for a peace found only in Forgiveness

Do you thirst for a restoration in a relationship?

Do you thirst for a refreshment in conversation with spouse, sibling, significant friend ?

Don’t get back first - Seek Forgiveness from Another and God First - make Him King !

Let me conclude with this. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York spoke recently about the celebration of Thanksgiving in the United States. He remarked that it, along with other major celebrations  — are in jeopardy. He writes in a recent column for his Archdiocesan Newspaper; "The stores, we hear, will open on Thanksgiving. Isn’t that a sign of progress and liberation? Sorry, but no — it’s a sign of a further descent into a highly privatized, impersonal, keep-people-at-a-distance culture, one that values having stuff and doing things over just being with people whom we love, cherish and appreciate."

As you make your priorities this week - Who is your King? Is their an idol which takes over your priorities making the watering hole from which your thirst is quenched different than the life giving water found in being an apprentice of Christ and His ways?

Will you allow a little forgivness, a slight bit of service and just a touch of loving God first into the picture of your week ? Your day? Makes these beacons for time and as a result - Make Him King.

BUSY! B-U-S-Y

There is a terrible four letter word in our society. People use it all the time and they don’t know its effects on others. People have gotten into the habit of saying it and don’t even know it sometimes. People use it with a frequency in fact that has made it almost acceptable. I am speaking about the word - BUSY! B-U-S-Y

Ever notice how much we use it:

 I am too busy, life is too busy,

 Don’t have time for that its busy season,

 Are you kidding, can’t get another thing into the schedule I am busy,

 No can’t get involved, I am busy

 Don’t have time to read that story - too busy

 Nope I can’t take that call, sorta busy

 No, No....don’t have time to chat - I am on the run - really busy!

Now when it happens at work or with our social life - that is one thing, but when it enters our family life or our spiritual life - now that is another. Busyness and hectic pace is the greatest trial to relationships, friendship, family life and even spirituality. To make time, to respond in time, to give time, to surrender time is the toughest thing these days - it’s the plaque of the 21st century!

In the Readings from God’s Word today we hear the importantce of discerning our time: giving it or surrendering it:

In the First Reading (1King 17:10-16) we are introduced to Elijah, a Prophet of the Lord who is on a journey. He is faced with hunger and approaches a poor widow seeking something to eat. Now imagine if the Widow said she was too busy and did not share the morsels of Bread she had - in that busyness she would have missed the moment when the Lord decided He could do an amazing thing and fed her and her household with that small morsel for many days. God did because she didn't claim to be busy.

In the 2nd Reading Gospel - Letter the Hebrews - (9:24-28), imagine if the receivers of the message had been too busy to receive it. They would have missed that moment to remember all of who Christ is and what Christ had done in their life and that of the community. They heard the good news, were encouraged in their path because they did not claim to be busy.

In the Gospel (Mark 12:38-44) - the poor Widow - imagine if she had not made time to come to the Temple (Church) and given what she could - surrendered her resources - she would not of become a great witness to others, and would not have met Jesus! Both became possible because she did not claim to be busy.

This does not mean they were not busy, it just means they did not allow their busyness to stop them from responding. Busyness is not only plaque - it’can be a bit of an excuse too! Yes we are all busy, no doubt, but we must discern in the busyness not only our priorities, but also God’s priorities for us. For time is like the stewardship of money - we can throw it all around and accomplish nothing with, or we can invest it wisely in the things that will bear much fruit - especially in eternal life.

Are we using our time to the Glory of God or are we just throwing it around? When being inviting by the Lord to give our time to Him through our friends, in our faith, along with our family - do we just - well - say we are busy? Busy will always be around us - It has been that way for generations!

There was once a group of people who had been friends at University who decided to get together several years after graduation:

-they were 30 years old and so they thought they would get together for dinner - they agreed to go to this restaurant “The Glowing Amber” - the waiters and waitresses were young and good looking and it had great music.

- when they turned 45 years old they decided to get together again, they agreed to go this restaurant “The Glowing Amber” - they heard it had great food and they could bring their kids.

- when they turned 60 years old they decided to get together they agreed to this restaurant “The Glowing Amber” - they could eat in peace and quiet with out any loud music

- when they turned 75 years old they decided to get together they agreed to meet at this restaurant “The Glowing Amber” - it was physically accessible and had an elevator, not to mention an early bird special.

- when they turned 90 years old they decided to get together they agreed to gather at this restaurant “ The Glowing Amber” - after all they had never eaten there before!

Time changes things, generations more on, and yet some things stay the same. Being busy will always be there - like a Glowing Amber, but the opportunity to serve, to say, to show for the glory of God may not be or might even be forgotten if we are not careful! That moment to read to your child, that occasion to have a coffee with a friend in need, that moment to turn to God and honour Him for all He does in our lives - these will pass as quickly as the years.

Are you using your time to the glory of self or the glory of God?

Are you using your time to build up ego or build up God’s Kingdom?

Are you investing in a sport more than a soul?

Are you serving Career before Child? Boss before family?

Are you putting dream ahead of God’s desire for you?

This week - try not to say I am busy - but respond to where the Lord guides, how the Lord asks, discern each request carefully - don't brush them off. That one invite from a friend, faith community or family member might well be the manner the Lord uses to give great blessing. Give all you have - even the little morsels of time to Him - and let Him establish a feast for you and your household that will last for days and maybe even invest in eternity !

In the Midst of the Storm There is Always Room

Once or twice in our experience of this life here on earth something happens which shapes the course of our lives. Many on the East Coast have experienced such an event. Consider for a moment what has been set in motion from Sandy:

● 13 foot surge of seawater. 3 feet above the 200 year old record and 90 mph winds

● The battery tunnel connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn flooded.

● 74 foot crane in the middle of Manhattan tittering over the city

● 8.2 million in 7 states from the Carolina’s to Ohio without power

● a close call at 2 nuclear plants

● 100 homes destroyed first by flood and then by fire in Queens (historic breezy Point)

● The West Virginia Blizzard as a result of the storm.

● ships and trees, and roads, and homes gone.

● dozens of people lost their lives

That's the big picture and it says nothing of the tens of thousands of people whose lives are changed in significant ways. Try to calculate the human toll emotionally and spiritually and you cannot. Only God can weigh such matters. But we try in feeble ways to understand. Events like Sandy raise fundamental questions.

 Why is there so much chaos?

 Why does nature so overwhelm us and destroy our lives.

 Why do innocent people suffer?

Questions always gets asked, don’t they: Where was God on September 11, 2001? Where was God when 280,000 perished in the Asian Tsunami? Where was God this week? I am struck by how universal these questions are. They are as old as Job and are asked by the wisest people among us. For years mankind has sought the answer to suffering. And we are still searching. These monstrous works beckon the question Who’s in control here? Nature? Man? God?

At the core of events which lead to the Gospel of today were the same queries (Mark 12:28-34). The Disciples of Jesus were seeing so much change in their time and era, so much turmoil, hurt, anger, suppression they too wanted to get down to the core of it all. There were so many questions in fact that the scribes and the pharisees were arguing with one another over the answers. So they come to Jesus - they want to get down to the core of it all - what is the greatest commandment? - what is the core, what is the essence, what is it all about - help us understand in the midst of the storm. Jesus reply - Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul, with all your strength and love your neighbour as yourself.

Here is the mastery of storms - they get us back to the core, the truth! When the storm - call it Sandy or just call it Life at times - turns everything upside down, causes hundred of mile strong drafts, and tsunami type waves - at the end - what gets us thru it - what gets us past it, what lets us keep moving on - well - is our Core Principles, our Central Character, our Concrete Reasons for Being Who we are!

Jesus reminds us, in His response to the scribes and pharisees - that we must remember what we are about - Love of God and Love of Neighbour and that the mission we are on is not only to Live the Gospel - but Give the Gospel - to proclaim and be active in sharing the Good News.

Let me finish with this:

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes." The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--your life of faith, family, your children, your health, your friends--and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else--the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Take care of the golf balls first--the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a little bit more."

Let us -even in the storms - get back to the core, the truth!- there is always room for Love of God and Neighbour.

How Can I Know If I Have Faith?

How Can I Know it’s the question we have been asking now for almost a month - and maybe for some - for a longer period of time in their life. You see life has lots of doubts and questions, and yet faith is an essential element to answering so many of them. That is why this Year of Faith announced by our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI is so very important. It is a call to a New Evangelization, it is an invitation to Re Discover the Joy of our Faith. It is a chance to remove the stumbling blocks (Mark 9:, 30-37, 38-48) that prevent us from truly becoming who God is calling us to be, and arriving where He desires us to be, with Him in Heaven. So we started by asking “How Can I know if I can start over if I Blew It?”, then we asked “How can I know if there is a God ?” and last week we asked “How Can I know If I am Thankful?” and this of course leads to where we are at now, continuing to desire to seek, find, knock and have the door of faith opened. But wait a minute, “How Can I know If I Have Faith?”

In the Gospel today (Mark 10:17-30) a young man comes to Jesus and says “what must I do to inherit eternal life”. Isn’t that what we would say too. Think of it, if we had been that young man with an opportunity to meet Jesus on the street, would that not be the eternal question we would ask? As the young man approaches Jesus you can sense in his question that seeking, knocking, searching that we have been talking about. It is around us everywhere.

People have more questions today then ever before. They wonder more, they inquiry more, they desire more. Yet we can’t presume that the content of our faith is accepted in our culture anymore, but what we can know is that people are desiring the Word of God more than ever, and its relevance is as profoundly needed as it has ever been. But in order to communicate it, we have to believe it, understand it and we have to live it authentically. Faith is not a routine.

So what is Faith - and how do I know if I have it?

Several months back I was travelling to New York when in the airport a gentleman who was sitting in the same departure lounge as I, came to me and said “Hey Father”. I looked at him, not recognizing him but believing that he was a Catholic, or at least should be one, I replied back. In a very chummy way he then asked “So where are you going?”, I replied back, “ Well to New York, are you?”. “Yep” was his replied, but somewhat subdued. Then came the moment. “I’m going for my nephew’s First Communion”. But his statement was not one of joy. I replied “Well that’s great”. His retorted “well maybe for you”. He continued, “ I am only going because it is my kid brother’s kid, and plus, my mother called me and said I should be there”. Our conversation continued briefly but what became so clear was that he not only had questions, he also had a lot of misconceptions.

So what is Faith - and how do I know if I have it? Three things if we are going to answer that.

1. We must ensure we are not “Prophets of Misfortune”: In the Gospel of today Jesus challenges the young man to go and sell all he had, and then come and follow Christ. Truly a challenge but certainly a sign of faith. What do we hold on to?

- what possession keeps us from surrendering to the Lord?

- what persons can stand in the way of us embracing Christ?

- what principle have we made for our life, not based in Christ, that is a stumbling block to embracing His will for our life?

- what prophetic wisdom of our own creation are we announcing which conflicts with the true Prophetic Word of Christ?

So often what stops us from living faith - well - is us! We want something our way, we desire to hold on to something for ourselves, we embrace a concept that we have created - about God, about our world, about a person, about the Church - and we say this is the way it is ! Never discussing or discerning with God in prayer if it is our truth or His! So our lives become, as Pope John XXII said on the opening day of the Second Vatican Council, the life of a prophet of misfortune.

So what is Faith - and how do I know if I have it?

2. We must ensure we are Established for Evangelization -"Evangelium" – "euangelisasthai" [Greek: "to preach the Gospel"] (cf. Lk 4:18). Anyone who has worked with me in the past 15 years of my priesthood knows that there are two phrases you can’t say around me “This project is impossible, or we have never done this before”.

In the Gospel of today - Peter came to Jesus somewhat frustrated and said Lord we have left everything and you want more.... well Jesus was calling the Apostles and Disciples even then to a new way - a deeper way - a way of developing an enthusiasm for our faith and inviting others to hear the message of salvation.

The New Evangelization, which actually started with Vatican II, has been a call by Blessed Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI to not only witness to those who have never heard of Jesus, but also to represent Jesus to those who are nominal in their faith. It is a call to be a speaker of God’s word, and to give a reason for the hope within you. (cf. 1 Peter 3:15) Today’s second reading from Book of Hebrew’s is powerful “ the word of God is living and active” (Hebrews 4: 12-13). We must be willing to make time to share what we have, and to re discover the joy of the faith we have. We have to ensure that no one gets lost in the crowd, everyone finds a place, and that there is not only something, but a place for everyone.

The words at the end of Mass “Go the Mass Has Ended” are not instructions giving permission to charge out to the parking lot and be the first in line at Timmy’s, or the stage direction for the choir to begin singing - they are a challenge to now go live what you have heard and been nourished in!

So what is Faith - and how do I know if I have it?

3. We must Set Ourselves Up for Success - Pope Benedict XVI at the conclusion of the First Session of the Synod of Bishops called to begin this New Evangelization and commence the Year of Faith, said to us that there are two keys which we must have to unlock the faith - “confessio” and “ caritas” or translated - Word and Action!

This is why the Catholicism Project we are offering as part of our Tuesday Night Together is so important - and one I hope you participate in. This is why our Lectio Divina as part of Sunday Night Vespers is so vital. Both of these give us a chance to unlock the treasure of our faith and put into action a deeper understanding of Him and His Word and how it applies to our daily life. If you are not participating in these then I ask you this - what are you doing then for the Year of Faith - it can’t be the same old - this year calls us to more! By saying we want more, our faith will be seen.

This year, the Holy Father is asking us to walk through the door of faith. As we deepen our understanding of the content of our faith, we will learn more fully what Jesus did for us on the cross and how he wants us to live. What’s more, as we grow in a “living recognition of the Lord Jesus, present in our lives” (Porta Fidei, 13).

This Year of Faith is about a little bit more...more of the Lord

This Year of Faith, is about answering “How Can I Know?”.

This Year of Faith is about inquiring and giving a little bit more to your life of faith - that which matters.

This Year of Faith is about growing a little bit more

If we are certain, that we are not “Prophets of Misfortune”, ensure we are Established for Evangelization, set Ourselves Up for Success, then unlike the young man in the Gospel we do not walk away sad, but do in fact, in the end, inherit eternal life.

YEAR OF FAITH – October 11, 2012-November 24, 2013

Today begins the Year of Faith, an exciting time in the life of the Church. It is a grace guided opportunity for the New Evangelization. A time in which Our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI has invited us to take seriously, to mark dramatically and to celebrate vigorously. At St Mary of the Visitation Parish we take that invitation to heart. Here is a list of some of the exciting things we are engaging in to help make this Year of Faith a deeply graced filled one:

• Friday, October 12, 2012 - Taste of St Mary’s - a parish potluck to bring together the diversity of our Family of Faith.

• Sunday, October 14, 2012 - Dedication of the Visitation Gardens with monument to the Sanctity of Life.

• Sunday, October 28, 2012 - Launch of Monthly Sunday Night Vespers/Lectio Divina - see parish website 

• Tuesday, October 30, 2012 - Launch of Monthly Tuesday Night Together featuring the Catholicism Series - see parish website - sign ups are underway

• Weekend of December 8/9, 2012 - Special Advent Weekend featuring Basilian Father Thomas Roscia of Salt and Light Television with a special conference for those involved in our Adoration Chapel Ministry which celebrates its 10th Anniversary.

• March 2-5, 2013 - Lenten Mission featuring Father Adam Voisin, Judicial Vicar of the Diocese of Hamilton.

• We will participate in three gatherings (retreats) for young adults, men and women and for married couples and focus on Small Group Ministry in the parish and ensuring no one gets lost in the crowd.

• Engage in a parish wide Pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Christ the King, Hamilton to be held in the Spring 2013 and an additional Summer Pilgrimage to a Shrine to be named.

• Special retreat and spiritual activities for the young people of our parish elementary schools from Grade 1-8 during the Year of Faith.

Certainly a pinnacle event is our Year of Faith Pilgrimage to Fatima, Lourdes, Assisi and Rome from October 14-26, 2012. Some 35 people will be participating and taking with them the prayer intentions of the entire parish family as well.

Let us all pray that the Year of Faith, will be grace filled for St Mary of the Visitation Parish.

How Can I Know If I Am Thankful?

The Year of Faith which begins on October 11th marks the 50th anniversary of the 2nd Vatican Council - a monumental event in the life of the Church. The days following the Council, like some occasions even today, caused the People of God to question events - in the world and in the Church.

This series How Can I Know is about addressing doubts and questions so that we can enter the Year of Faith focussed without stumbling blocks (Mark 9:, 30-37, 38-48). Two weeks ago we asked “How Can I know if I can start over if I Blew It?” Last week we asked “How do you know if there is a God ?”. We continue in our desire to seek, find, knock and have the door of faith opened.

As we mark Thanksgiving - and as our Gospel this weekend (Mark 10:2-16) speaks to us about the richness of life and faith found within the gift of the Sacrament of Marriage and the innocence of childhood, we invite ourselves to ask “How Can I know If I am Thankful?”

Now, Thanksgiving is often marked by family gathering and good food! The thanksgiving meal is a staple of the weekend and so off shopping I went. I have to tell you though that to get to the grocery store at times is a challenge. The entrance to parking lots at times seems to be the exit location of common sense. People drive hap hazardously and seem to enter a zone that makes them unaware of other human beings in their midst. The pursuit of the last mango, potato chip bag or yogurt container on the shelf seems to be as vital as the air we breath. The grocery list becomes marching orders from a commander with dire consequences if unfinished! Or so it seems.

Well this week had one of those occasions, for it seemed to me that I met a lot of very driven personalities that day whose manners were left at the gathering spot of the shopping carts. As I arrived at the cash register, exhausted from the experience of trying to find three things on my grocery list, I took a deep breath. As I waited, I became entertained by a conversation between a little boy and his mother who were ahead of me in the register line. Obvious visitors to the city they spoke of how this grocery store was more ample than the one in their hometown. They listed everything they had seen, and then the little boy said - DID YOU SEE ALL THE TURKEY’S? I thought to myself - you bet I saw all the turkey’s - even got almost trampled by some of them!

Turkey’s are around us in life - they are not just in grocery store freezers

• they are that person who tells lies about you and speaks ill of you.

• they are that family member or friend who needles you because they are jealous of you.

• they are that person who feels entitled and judges you and is hurtful toward you

• they are that stranger who just says the wrong thing or that person who knows the right thing to say just to get at you or that individual who is holding a grudge and has it in for you.

Sometimes those “turkey’s” even gather with us at Thanksgiving and not on the table, but around the table seated with us. We all have moments in our life when we stop and we say Did you See All the Turkey’s! So when Thanksgiving comes around we ask ourselves - How Can I Know If I am Thankful?

I am a big lists fellow. I start my day with a list of things I wish to accomplish and get pretty happy when the day moves along and I can click them off on my list. But the opposite happens too - I find myself a bit disappointed if my list has lots to do still left on it by the end of the day. If our approach to thankfulness is list orientated - well - we are sometimes going to see what’s lost and left. That is why there really is two types of thankfulness

There is Secondary Thanksgiving - or what I call - “The Grocery List” of Thanksgiving. It is when we live life by coming up with a list of what we have: my investment portfolio had done well, my job is fulfilling, my family is healthy, my school work is satisfying, my health is fabulous, my looks are movie star status, my clothes are the latest, my toys are the greatest. So we turn to God and say thanks for this, for the good things we have. But the opposite of course is true - if any of these things are not on the list - thankfulness is not!

But as people of faith we are called to Primary Thanksgiving. This is a deeply found gratitude for God Himself - or what I call “ A Habit of Thanksgiving”. It is a seeded sense that develops within us a call to be a people of gratitude. We are called to get our eyes off of the list, the lot or the little, but to consider His greatness, His Majesty, His Blessing. Its that sense which the author of our First Reading (Genesis 2.7, 15, 18-24) speaks of when reflecting upon the creation of God and its ultimate connection to us.

So, “How Can I know If I am Thankful?”, well I guess by asking yourself if you focus on a list of lot or little or if you focus on a daily attitude each day which see gratefully the very creation which God has given us - little or lot - and rejoices in its very presence, is very nature. Do you see all the Turkey’s or do you appreciate all the blessings? Will your thanksgiving be ruined if one person says the wrong thing or will your thanksgiving be blessed by the very habit of just getting together? Primary Thanksgiving is what people of faith celebrate. Here is what I mean.

If for example, I have a cheque in my hand $1,440 and I have another which I will give, and another that I will give, and choose to do so every single day for the rest of your life. - Padre’s Cash for Life! - would you take it ? There is only one thing - you have to spend it all - totally everyday. None of it can be left over - none of it can be saved for the next day. You have to use it fully, totally anyway you want - except - none can be saved for the next day. One day it will stop - but you don’t know when - but for now you get $1440 daily. Would you take it ?

Most of us would be thankful for that - we’d accept - here is the thing - we already have something of that value its minutes in a day - exactly the same number 1440 and God gave them to us with that same agreement. We have to use them everyday. How we use them demonstrates if we are thankful. Ask yourself how you use them? Is it in a spirit of loss (the turkey’s too them) or a spirit of thankfulness ( God gave them)?

How Can I know If I am Thankful?

• Do you focus too much on the turkey’s or the list?

• Do you use every minute to the best of your ability or let the Turkey’s take them from you?

So this Thanksgiving - focus not on the turkey’s but the banquet, the harvest the blessing. If you do - your whole life will be one where you will know you are thankful!

How Can I Know If There is a God?

I was baptized when I was two days old. Received First Communion when I was 7 years old and Confirmed when I was 13 years old. Ordained a priest when I was 29 years old. I made a vow to be faithful to Him at that time. I speak and write a great deal about God. I talk to God in the morning, at night, and during the day. And at times life’s events make me question Him. I am sure that if we are honest, there are times and moments when we question the existence of God.

I know there are people who say they never do, yet the depth of our doubt is often in proportion to the depth of our faith. It is ok to question at times so that our relationship with God is not just rooted in tradition and culture but rooted in a desire to walk with the one who Loves Us, Created Us and is With Us right now ! There is no doubt He is !

This series How Can I Know is about resolving our doubts. Sometimes we are embarrassed about our belief and even more so about our questions. Sometimes our embarrassment leads us to live in doubt because we are no more interested in the answer than a thief is interested in finding a policeman. But to ask is to find the answer. To seek is to succeed in a search. To knock is to have a door opened. (c.f. Matthew 7:7).

How do you know if there is a God ? What causes the Doubt? These stumbling blocks in our Gospel last weekend and this weekend (Mark 9:, 30-37, 38-48). Well there are many types of doubts but maybe we could group them a little:

1. Natural Doubts - As children we are told of the tooth fairy - parents help her out - even Santa Claus.  As we mature we grow in our understanding of them, a natural progression takes place when we think of their role. So too in faith, it must grow and progress. If it does not, then our understanding of faith remains the same, and as we grow in the challenges of years, it leads us to doubt, and so we come to a wrong conclusion, because our faith has not developed with our age - we believe like kids and yet live as adults. This is why its important to constantly grow in the faith and if we don't then we doubt.

2. Philosophical Doubts - We see events in life and we begin to wonder - Why would God let people suffer? Questions that are hard to grasp, or that we struggle with, and we don’t have the answer, and some quit believing instead of continue walking.

3. Experiential Doubt - We are prisoners of what we experience. If we are never introduced to God then we might not know Him. If we have lived through a disappointment - we think the reality of an un answered prayer means there is no God.

4. Empirical Doubt - We are looking for proof, we want substance, something like Thomas “unless I touch the mark the nails made, put my hand in His side, I will not believe”(John 20. 19-31). We want faith to fit the scientific method.

So can I prove the existence of God - well there is a difference between proof and evidence. Sometimes people don’t want to accept evidence. Let me illustrate what I mean.

Earlier this week, as I was preparing this message, I sat in my study - working - and I heard someone typing on the keyboard in the office next to me. I concluded that this was my secretary Paula. How could I prove that it was her,  if I did not see her, from where I was? Well the evidence was there. Her office is next to mine, I had just talked to her a moment before, the only time anyone else is there is if she is on vacation and I knew she was not. So the evidence says it was her - could I prove that or see her from my very seat - no - it could have been Prime Minister Harper typing, but the evidence argued strongly against it.

Sometimes people don’t want to accept evidence, and even when they get it they will not change their postion. Like the man who went to see his psychiatrist and said “ Doctor I am afraid I am dead.” The doctor replied “You are not dead”. “Yes I am” said the patient. “You can’t be dead.” the doctor replied. “I am dead and there is nothing you can do about it” the patient said. Well, the doctor said “ Do dead men bleed?” “No” replied the patient” and at this the doctor took a little pocket knife, nicked the patients finger and he began to bleed ,at which the patient replied, “ Wow, look at that, dead men do bleed”.

There is evidence for the existence of God:

1. Cosmological Evidence - Why is there something rather nothing. Changes leaves on a tree, grass, stars, plants. There are something, where did they come from? Those who say there is no God believe in a formula - that No one x nothing = evidence. But there must be a first cause. Everything has a cause - nothing can not become something on its own.

2. Existence Evidence - we want something more than ourselves. We yearn for relationships. We know there is something more than ourselves. We want friends, we want accompaniment and once a challenge comes that is beyond what we can handle it, we want something supernatural - why? Because we know there is. Our desire for God is the most compelling evidence for God! Even those who do not believe in Him work hard to disprove Him because they know He is there!

3. Historical Evidence - Jesus died over 2000 years ago - the event has been historically proven, people have accepted it and even at times people have believed when they did not have to believe - when it was not in their interests to believe - martyrs in our faith. Over time, doubts have been expressed - scientific, historical, mythological - each and every time - the doubt was answered - and people have witnessed for Him - why have so many million of people given their life for God? Its simple, He is !

How can I know if there is a God is not a cause for proof but evidence. Everyday we make decisions to remove stumbling blocks in our lives. The amount of evidence we require depends on the importance of the decision.

Last night I went out with a friend of mine. We stopped in for a drink - let’s call it Ice Tea. We got the same one and the hostess brought over the tray and both looked exactly the same. It got me thinking. Now what if with that ice tea, if one of us had asked for sweetened and the other for unsweetened tea - but she forgot which was which. Given that neither of us is diabetic, probably we would be willing to take a risk and drink either one. But if she says accidentally a poison tablet fell into one and she can’t remember which one - we would want to check the evidence carefully before drinking it - and neither of us would be willing to take a sip of either of them for proof.

More actions in our life - moral especially - flow from the affirmation of God than from denial. Before you say there is no God you’d better have a lot of proof - and there is none - because the evidence says there is. The great things about a life of faith, and our God, is He allows us to ask “How can I know?” And yet still permits us to say “ I Can Believe”.

How Can I Know If I Can Start Over When I Blew it?

We just finished a series of reflections upon the question of “Right Living”. We all want to live according to God’s plan for us - becoming who He is calling us to be. The steps of Watching, Willing & even Whistling, help us to walk with a stride permitting the Spirit of God to Speak to us. But what happens in so many of our lives in the midst of the “speaking” is that doubt and questions come in.

 The neighbour next to us comes over one night and tells us that their marriage is not working, their house is going up for sale - life changed. As they walk away you ask - how can I know that will not happen to me?

 The person we sit with at the lunchroom table at school or even the office, tells us a family member has been diagnosed with Stage 4 Cancer, we see the fear in their eyes. How can I know that will not happen to me?

 Your best friend from high school meets up with you. It has been years since you connected. Wow, they look fit, they seem happy, goals are met, success is in their corner - how come I don’t feel the same way. How can I know the reason why this did not happen to me?

How Can I Know?

If we are honest with ourselves we ask that question a lot. Of ourselves, of our family and friends and even of God. Sometimes, regretfully, the answers do not come to us as quickly, or even in the format, we want. Sometimes, actually a lot of the time, it requires us to have - well - faith! How can I know if I have faith?

This summer, I found myself asking that question in light of experiences friends were having, family was going through, people in our parish were struggling with, and it resulted in a prayer which revolved around 4 basic questions which I think will lead us well into the start of the Year of Faith

How I can I know................... if I can start over when I blew it ?

.....if there is a God?.............. if I am really thankful?.........if I have and am growing in faith?

So let’s allow God’s Word, and His Holy Eucharist, touch that doubt for us, answer those questions for us, and maybe even heal us as we ask these important questions together over the next four weeks.

Have you ever had a moment when you said to yourself - "Wow I blew it !" Maybe it was a conversation, maybe it was a choice, maybe it was a conduct. I think we can all say yes to that. If not - well - there is a small pedestal in the Visitation Gardens that does not yet have a statue I guess yours should be there cause you must be a saint. We all have moments where we blew it ! We miss the mark - the bulls eye. Maybe it was a small thing, or maybe a life altering event - a divorce, an addiction, a termination, and when we realize we blew it we stand, or so we think, in the ash heap of a ruined life and wonder - now what? Well, I got some bad news and some good news to share with you; bad news - can not erase the past - no rewind button. The good news - we are not products of our biography - failure is not the final chapter.

One of the things that happens when we realize that we blew it is that we ask ourselves one of two things : Can I fix this ? Can I hide this ? The one we choose to go with says a lot not only about our character, but also a lot about our image of God and faith.

★ You see if we believe that God can handle it, remedy it and forgive it - then faith is there.

★ If we want to say - hide it - then it is because we are ashamed, but also because we are not assured that God can tackle this one.

We call that the stumbling block that was mentioned in our Gospel (Mark 9:38-48). There are a number of stumbling blocks in our lives of faith:

Pride - that feeling that how others perceive us so much more important that who we really are.

Self Reliance - that choice that says we feel we don’t need anyone else - I got this - I can handle this.

Unresolved Relationships - hurts from our past that we didn’t get over - somebody let us down - ain’t going to happen again we say

A& W (not the burger place) - Anxiety and Worry - that dreaded question we have examined before “What if?” It takes away our peace.

Fear - we are afraid of the consequences and being discovered for our mistakes (reputations)

Bitterness - Something we are holding on to - bottling a poison conversation or conduct from yesterday and drinking it today. Recording a mental image of yesterday on our "I pod" and playing it today (Example - Gossip !)

James in our 2nd Reading (5:1-6) and even Moses in our 1st Reading (Numbers 11:25-29) speak about the way to get past these and to allow the faith we do have to move us forward:

1. Admitting our Mistakes - When we make a mistake we entering into a life altering lament - “its over”..."if only I had". Yet we fail to realize that we all possess a virus - its called Sin - it comes into our life and we need Reconciliation. When we admit that we let God’s Spirit in. “Yes Lord, I totally blew it !” “ I am doorknob, a goof, ....” because if we don’t admit our mistake we are in a prison cell. We carry a guilt, a resentment, an embarrassment that turns our character from:

- spouse to sparing partner

- friend to foe

- sibling to stranger

- loving parent to loathing person

If we let that stumbling block stop us from the Faith God calls us to our spiritual life becomes a target - and more errors come, more envy arrives, more false unreasonable expectations of self and others mountain around us, we end up drinking the "Kool Aid" of becoming a wounded person, a bitter friend, an angry spouse or child. But if we say to God - I blew it - and I want to correct it your way - then Ok - we walk not with a stumbling block of pride, self reliance.....but with a walking stick of faith that will help us climb any mountain. It takes eating crow, it requires humbling ourselves, if might mean some big changes and short term pain - but yes He will get me you thru this, and not alone - but with the support of small groups, people of faith, prayer partners, services like our neighbourhood ministry.

2. Accept an Intermission and Get Ready for Act 2

A period of time between your failure and your future. We don’t like those. We want to jump from one thing into another. Remember the story of Peter denying Jesus. At one moment Peter is in the court yard of the Jewish leaders and he denies Christ three times. Wow - Peter blew it. But he admit what he did, and accepted an intermission, seven weeks later Peter is in the centre of the city - following Pentecost - proclaiming Jesus is Risen and He is Lord. That takes surrender.

This intermission replenishes us emotionally, and physically, and is a time to reflect on our failure - not wallow in them, but to approach reconciliation with God in His Sacrament. One of the troubles is the feeling we have here in Church we feel here and leave it here. But God wants to take us from here and take that feeling to there - the world, live in that emotion, power, thought of His will and way. It must be that thing that drives us every day.

So - how can you know if you have can start over if you blew it. Ask yourself are their stumbling blocks in your way ? What are they ? Pride, self reliance, unresolved relationship, a & w, bitterness?

Are you willing to surrender?

Let me finish with this. I was at Zehrs last week - getting some groceries. I tend to go a bit later in the evening - mostly because that is when I have time - and I can go pretty quick as well. I was staring at the Dorito and Potato Chip shelves - a small glimpse of heaven on earth - when a gentleman came up and asked if I was the priest at St Mary’s. "Yes" I replied. "I have always wanted to ask you something", he said. Here I thought - deep theological question, moment to bring back a lost sheep, occasion to testify to Christ....deep breath...you got this Padre! “I am not a Catholic” he said. “But I have always wanted to know” “Yes, a new member” I thought! Then he goes on, “Why is it that in front of your church you fly a white flag, looks like you guys are surrendering.” I composed myself - didn’t want the disappointment to show. But then replied. "Well, it has our parish logo of Mary and Elizabeth, shows the Visitation, but actually, we have surrendered, to God. His will is our way and its that simple really."

So - how can you know if you have can start over if you blew it. Are you willing to surrender - not give up - but surrender your stumbling block and let God make it a building block - right living - to His truth and permitt Him a period of intermission toward the second act - to becoming who He is calling you to be !

Don't Forget to Whistle

In his wonderful book “Grip of Grace” - Max Lucado tells the story of a man who had been a closet slob. He didnt understand making up a bed that you are going to sleep in again or putting a lid on toothpaste only to remove it that night. He was compulsively messy. He married a patient woman who said she didn’t mind his habits, if he didn’t mind sleeping on the couch. He did mind sleeping on the couch, and he began to change. He entered a 12-step program for slobs. A physical therapist helped him rediscover the muscles used for hanging up shirts and placing toilet paper on the holder. His nose was reintroduced to the smell of Pine Sol. He became a new man. The moment of truth arrived when his wife left town for a week. He tried to revert to his old ways since he thought he could be a slob until the day before her return when he would clean up. However, something remarkable happened. He was not happy with dirty dishes in the sink, towels flung around the bathroom, clothes on the floor, or sheets piled up on the bed. What happened to him is really quite simple. He had been exposed to a better way of life.

For the past two weeks we have been looking at a Vision of Right Living. We want to do God’s will in our lives and we want to be exposed to the best way of life. In our first weekend we focussed on the need to “Watch” - but not just watch anything, anyone, or anywhere - but to watch Where the Lord is, how the Lord speaks, and who the Lord has placed in our lives. Last weekend we took the second step "to will it!" We discerned that the Will is powerful - there is so much we can will - but there is so much that can change it or influence our will. So we must will each day to seek to succeed as saints, live in Peace, speak in Truth, step up in virtue and walk toward our eternal heaven.

Today we discover the final step - which is found within our beautiful Gospel (Mark 8:27-35). Jesus has been in ministry and wonders if everyone is “getting it”. So He asks the Apostles - “who do people say that I am ?” Their response affirms for Jesus the concern that some are missing the bigger picture - so He reminds them that they must take up their cross, loose their life, and then follow Him.

Here is what happens : Life becomes a Whirlwind and we forget to Whistle - its true!

 Tryouts for Travel Hockey & School Soccer Team all in competition for the same time slot

 New project at work, email in box jammed with requests and correspondence, calendar filling, life resembles a treadmill
 New people to work with, disgruntled people around you, in patience people surround you

 Mistake, oversight, quick job just not done the way you want it

 Judgmental correspondence, disinterested people in something you work hard at, unappreciative individuals, people you counted on letting you down

These are the ingredient to a whirlwind - and here is what they do - they cause us to say - who do people say I am - and sometimes even - who is God - where is His love and mercy - and in the end we loose vision. Yet, this is what we know: if we are to have a Vision of Right Living - if we are to watch where God is, not only is it vital to Will what He wants, but - we have to whistle during it!

Here is what I mean - Carl Honoure is an award-winning Canadian journalist and international best-selling author of "In Praise of Slow". He is what he refers to as a recovering “Speedaholic”. He admits that you have to be fast most of the time, it’s the pace of today, but if you are fast all of the time you are heading for a fall. There is truth here - because if we are going at warp speed all the time, then we don’t switch off and we have no time to think deeply about things.

That is why James says (2:14-18) that is not all about the works - its also about the faith - both! Our Biography is not our destiny but, knowing, taking time to learn, appreciate, and be enveloped by the facts of where we have come from, how far we have travelled  is an important part of a Vision of Right Living. Our 21st century calls us to be - up to speed - and on the move - but most of the time we are totally unaware of where we are running from and to.

As a result our relationship suffer - because we are thinking about in box or next task, as a result our work has little meaning - because its just a task to get done,  as a result the things and people we want to embrace are distant - because they don’t know if they have us fully and for how long , as a result our life of faith suffers greatly - hockey is more than holiness, soccer is more than sanctity, work is more than willingness to live morally, balanced, healthy lives. Why? Well because we are running doing the works without the time to reflect in faith.

So lets leap back to the Gospel. (Mark 8:27-35). Jesus sees the Disciples and Apostles amazed at all that is being done. But are they seeing the relationship or are they getting lost in the crowd? Are they running from healing to healing to see what Jesus is doing, but failing to hear and be exposed to the better way of living found in what Jesus is saying ?

The glory of the ministry of the church is that we have a chance to expose people to this better way of living. In a world that often seems to have lost its moral compass, nothing can so help the world regain its direction than the exemplary and right living of Christian people.

So don’t whirlwind - but whistle - slow down a bit - appreciating Him - be exposed to a better way of life.

So here is what I wish us to do - write these down - I want you to MAKE THE TIME to ask and think about these three questions

1. What am I going to Focus on?

If you want right living - and you want to watch Him, you want to Will, you want to find time to not to whirlwind but whistle a bit - what will you focus on - priorities - make sure Sunday Mass is always there.

2. What does it mean?

Priorities without purpose are doomed - what does this focus mean to you - how is it going to make right living possible for you ?

3. What are you going to do?

Make it concrete - actual things - not theory but fact

- Small Groups - they keep us balanced

- Sunday Mass - its keeps us rooted

- Private prayer - it helps bring us back to our core in Christ

- Lectio Divina - which is something we will be doing this Year of Faith - is rooted in taking something invisible and making it visible - God’s Holy Word - it’s not about learning the code but appreciation of the truth found and the pattern of living within His Word.

These are not tasks - they are testimonies to how it should be done. Let me finish with this:

Richard is a great young man I knew in one of my parishes. Bright, energetic, engaging, athletic. In high school a terrible thing happened to him and he surrendered all his talents and barricaded himself in the basement of his parents home - refusing school, refusing work, alternatively eating and sinking deeper and deeper into a depression that was concerning for everyone. His days would pass by the simple task of surfing the web - he checked out websites all day - literally

One day his parents had enough and “accidentally on purpose” terminated all of the electrical contact to any of the wall sockets. Once the battery to his laptop expired, and his tablet, and his cell phone, he lost the world wide net. What would happen they thought...well days went by....and finally Richard emerged from the basement. He was clean shaven, he was well dressed, he was - get this - ready for school. In the five days - we would later learn - from when the power went out to when he came up - he had discovered a new web - his mind, his soul. He has asked himself  - what am I doing, why am I doing it, what is this about? He had taken the time to watch and will, maybe even whistle

He had been exposed to a better way of life. A right way of living.

Right Living - Step 2 - The Will

It’s time! Part of me wants to say, “Start your engines!” Summer is past, and it’s time to welcome the Fall season at St Mary of the Visitation Parish. This week we welcome back so many who have been away during the summer months, we resume many of our Children and Youth Ministries, we begin to once again ensure we are focussed being connected to our past, committed to our future and compassionately focussed on being a family of faith with something for everyone. I have looked at our plan for the Fall and all systems are “go” - but go - go where?

You see last weekend we began looking at a Vision of Right Living. We know that we want to do God's  will in our lives and last weekend we focussed on the need to “Watch” - but not just watch anything, anyone, or anywhere - but to watch Where the Lord is, How the Lord speaks, and Who the Lord has placed in our lives. But that is only the first step in a Vision of Right Living - this Lord’s Day - its Step 2  - To Will!

A beautiful Gospel this Lord’s Day weekend - (Mark 7:31-37). They brought a man to Jesus who was deaf and unable to speak- and Jesus’ will was to open the man's eyes and release the man’s tongue. He was asked to do it, but not forced to - He willed it! The Will is powerful - there is so much we can will:

 As we walk into a classroom for the first time on day one - we can will that it is going to be a great year or will that nothing good will come out of this experience

 As we walk into work, see the co worker or customer, we can will that nobody is going to make me like them, work with them, or we can help them achieve success or meet their needs

 As we come home, conflict with our spouse on the horizon, we can will that past hurts, angry feelings, deep seeded hatred will prevail or will that forgivness and a fresh start will reign.

 As we interact with the bank teller, the grocery clerk, the car mechanic, the receptionist - we can will to be express patience - or not

 As we consider the right choice to make, the selfless thing to do, the kind thought to consider, the correct moral teaching to live by, the Christ centered word to use - we can will those - or not

The Will is powerful - there is so much we can will - but there is so much that can change it or influence it - for the world and the church can be so different in what we will:

★ The world offers celebrities to idolize – the Church offers saints to follow.

★ The world offers noise – the Church offers Peace.

★ The world offers false dreams – the Church offers the Truth.

★ The world celebrates vice – the Church calls us to virtue.

★ The world offers earthly pleasures – the Church offers eternal heaven

But let’s no forget something we learned in Step One last week - we are called to watch - but if we are going to know what to watch - then we have to be where the Lord is. So too - if we are going to will - we have to will - where the Lord is!

This past week children from our parish returned to school - the majority to elementary school - but around 250 from our parish began their first day at St Benedict Secondary. So this week, I thought I would check it out and as I walked the halls in the midst of the teens I came to discover a young lad from our own Hespeler community is disarray. “I am not suppose to be here. This is not where I am suppose to be. I want to be where I am suppose to be” His frustration real and vividly apparent - I asked "where you suppose to be "  His reply " 312 - will you go with me? "

How many times do we get asked that - will you go with me ? Its not just a question or query. Its not just a plea or a platitude, its not requirement or request - it’s a choice !

✓ Jesus did not have to open the eyes and release the tongue of the man.

✓ I did not have to walk that young lad to his classroom

✓ You did not have to be gentle with your child, understanding with your spouse, compassionate to the stranger, accepting to the newcomer, patient with the elder,

You willed it ! But a Vision of Right Living is as James (2:1-5) reminds us is about being - “ heirs of the kingdom that He has promised to those who love Him”. Part of willing, part of right living, is choosing as God chooses - and part of that is requiring us to not be haute, not be stoic, not be caustic, not be judgmental - but to choose as He choose! Here is the amazing thing - the outstanding thing - the champion act - when we will it - we become like Him, and in becoming like HIm - we become heirs to all He promises - we become rich in the eyes of God. We might be poor to the world - because we are not celebrities, we are surrounded by noise, we are not living false dreams or embraced by vice or earthly pleasures, but we are rich - we have willed it - because we are seeking to succeed as saints, living in Peace, speaking in Truth, stepping up in virtue and walking toward eternal heaven

Let me conclude with this. As you know we are very committed as a parish to Outreach and our Neighbourhood Ministry, St Vincent de Paul Society and our Haiti Project are important elements. Well during the month of July one of our little ones came to me saying that for his 7th birthday he had received $25.00. He wanted to give it to a charity but it had to be the right one. He asked to meet with me to discuss it. So ahead we did and I told him about each of the three and what they were about. Well last weekend we received in an envelope the $25.00 - to Haiti it went - with a simple sheet of paper as a note “This is the Will and Testament of. "Johnny"....” I wish my $25.00 to go to Haiti.”

What’s the will - not an end of life action - but choices in life that are leading to a Vision of Right Living. May we willed it today - to succeed as saints, to live in Peace, speak in Truth, stepping up in virtue and walk toward eternal heaven - for that is right living !