Christ the King - A Call to Loyality

I got my hair cut this week - thank you to everyone who noticed - to those of you who said it makes me look younger - God Bless you - but I know your lying :).  As I was sitting waiting for the barber - I came across an interesting article in the magazine there. It really clicked with me - it shared three interesting stories about Dogs - which just lead from one thing to the other. Here are some of the facts these articles shared

✓    Don Dolan was from Long Island, NY. In October 2012 he made a routine trip the Hospital. Once he got there, he had to be admitted. He had a dog named  Zander (a Husky) who when his owner did not return from what was to be a day appointment, made his way out of the house and traveled some 4 km and arrived at the door step of the hospital and made his way into the Hospital and arrived at the doorway of his owner’s room - to the shock of all.
✓    Maria Lucci was an elderly Italian women who would come to Mass daily in Florence Italy. She had some physical challenges and so the priest allowed her to bring her Dog - Tomaso - into the Church with her. Well she died, and now the dog now arrives every day and sits at the very spot where the casket was placed some 8 months before in the Church.
✓    Miguel from Argentina - he had a dog named Captain - who for the past six years since his owner’s death stands at the grave of his owner - but here is the thing - Captain was never brought to the cemetery. He stands at the grave for hours during the day even though no one understands how he discovered where it was.

These stories connect with us I think because they speak of Loyalty, and Loyalty is a lost art in the world we live in today. People jump around from job to job, team to team, relationship to relationship - go where they want to go and do what you want to do. We have lost a sense of loyalty. Yet, when loyalty is the mantle of our life - everything and everyone takes a back to seat. Loyalty in friendship, in family, in marriages & in relationships  - is what we want and desire to see.

When it comes to our relationship with God - we can easily say - well God is first in my life - I am loyal to Him - when: we see God as a ‘Far away God in a far away sky’ we can say He owns everything - we are comfortable with that, but when God moves into the neighborhood in the person of Jesus - and says I want to be in your life and I want to guide, direct, position, determine, and set the goals and values for your life  - well that becomes a little uncomfortable for us - yet that is what it means to celebrate Christ as our King. It means that what we do we don’t do for applause, for gratitude, for appreciation, for acclamation - we do it because we are loyal. Jesus doesn’t want to be first, He wants to be all. But He can’t be all until He at least is first - and if Jesus is first and we are really loyal

A couple of the young adult from our parish who came to the Theology on Tap event for young adults our parish participated in were speaking with me about the courses they were taking. The usual business and arts courses that are part of a university program, but then came an interesting one - Eastern Asian Studies. As he was speaking of the assignments came an interesting topic - the role of the Emperor.

As he spoke of it - and as I look into it a bit more this week - came the very clear reality that the Emperor in the historic Eastern Asian culture was not just the King, the ruler, the one who guided the culture and society - well he was - a lot more than a political figure head - he was - well THE ALL IN ALL  - and the one everyone was CONNECTED TO - I thought -that‘s it!

✓    If Jesus is our King - it does not mean He is a political force or figure.
✓    If Jesus is our King - it does not mean He is a Sargent barking orders .
✓    If Jesus is our King - it does not mean He is a baton waving runway agent telling us where to land and when we can take off.

It means we are CONNECTED TO HIM AND HE IS OUR ALL AND ALL - and WE ARE LOYAL.

When we are connected to the well of love, we will love well.
When we are connected to the spring of patience, we will spring through life patiently.
When we are connected to the fountain of all answers, we will get replies to questions in a dry life.
When we are connected to the source of all light, we will have a path well lite in the darkest times.

Last weekend I invited you- as we spoke about predictions and the competition for our time - to take a minute and ask yourself - what pulls the most hours out of your day?  - is it rooted in God? Now I ask you - are you rooted in God ? Jesus doesn’t want to be first, He wants to be all. But He can’t be all until He at least is first.

    - are you connected to Him        - are you loyal to Him
    - are you making Him the King of your life - not at a distance - but right up close?

Padre Pio once said the most powerful prayer is “Thy will be done” - when you say or sing it - do you mean it ? He is the Lord of Surprises, the God of the Unexpected, He is our King - we simply need to allow Hi, become connected to Him and live Loyally with Him

Heart to Home - Small Groups are Important!

A little twist to the blog this week. Our parish really believes in Small Groups. In fact we have over 60 parishioners involved in various kinds of small groups. One such is what we call "Heart to Home". Heart to Home is a unique reflection series written by myself as a continuation of weekly homilies. It a way to help parishioners come connect with other parishioners in an informal setting to share and grow in God’s Word. It is a continuation of our focus to make Sunday Matter. 

So this week I am sharing a link to one of the Small Group sheets which all members receive. I hope you will use it individually and maybe even consider being a part of a small group. By the way; there are some great advantages to joining a small group:

1. Community: At Sunday Mass, when your double parked and the kids want to get going, it is difficult to really get to know other people. But in a group of 6-10 people meeting regularly it is only natural that close relationships and friendships develop. You will have a sense of stability and security knowing there are people who really care for you and are committed to standing with you. 

2. Ask Questions: Have you ever listened to a homily and wanted to say, “I don’t understand!” or “But what about...?” In small groups you are encouraged to ask questions, participate in discussions and listen to others as they share insights and applications from the Bible. 

3. Support ‘One Another’: God never meant for you to go at it alone in the Christian life. Over fifty times in the New Testament the phrase “one another” is used to describe our relationship to other believers. We are instructed to love one another, encourage one another, pray for one another, accept one another, bear one another’s burdens, and build up one another. The best way to obey these commands is in a small group. 

4. Personal Growth: Ever feel stuck in your Christian life or just want to find out more about Christianity? A small group provides the opportunity to observe other Christians up close, learn from their experiences, meditate on the Bible, participate in discussion and then reflect on what God would have you do in response to his leading. 

5. Meaningful Prayer: Many people are hesitant to pray in front of others. In a small group of 6 to 10, you will learn to participate in prayer by having a conversation together with God. No one is pressured to pray, but as you become comfortable, you will be able to pray sentence prayers and join in. In prayer we are drawn together and we find answers to the needs in our lives. 

6. Practical Service: When someone loses a job, or a family member is ill, or a mother needs a babysitter - these are practical needs that will be taken care of through your small group. Many people can testify that they would not have made it through a difficult time if it had not been for the support of their group. 

Pope Benedict XVI said it best on May 26, 2009,"Strive, therefore, in every parish...to restore life to the small groups...who proclaim Christ and his word, places where it is possible to experience faith, to put charity into practice and to organize hope. This structuring of the large urban parishes by the multiplication of small communities allows the mission a larger breathing space, which takes into account the density of the population and its social and cultural features which are often very different." Don’t Get Lost in the Crowd ........ Get Involved ...Get Connected! Join a Small Group! We have four active groups that meet in the Parish Centre, contact the Parish Office for details and come, be part of Heart to Home and continue to make Sunday Matter! Here is the Link

A Month of All Souls

Most recently I was in attendance at an office waiting to see an individual when I noticed that the lamp on the desk near the waiting area kept flickering. At first I thought that it was because something was wrong with the plug, maybe with the bulb, or even with the electricity itself in the room.  I continued to notice and explore this when I noticed that actually the flickering occurred as people walked by, as a door opened or closed.

It became obvious that the flickering of the light was being determined by a sensor that permitted the light to be stronger in greater darkness and less bright when it seem there was already light there.

After leaving the place of my appointment I kept thinking about this lamp - and its unique feature - but even more so - began to realize that like that lamp - we too as people of faith rely on God to be the same for us ....we rely on Him to be brighter for us when the darkness is greater; and present but not so strong in presence, when the darkness is not so great.

During this month of November, a month of All Souls - His light burns bright! His light burns bright because we pause to recall individuals who from this parish family saw His light is the brightest and greatest way

- who experienced not sadness in the darkness - but light.
- who experienced not hopelessness in the darkness - but the flickering of His light signally them forth.
- who experienced not emptiness, in the darkness - but the full capacity of His light.
- who experienced not coldness, not abandonment - but the full strength of the lamp of His Love.

And yet, there is still darkness...not for them...for us. There is darkness when we recall lovingly their gentle embrace, their inviting  smile, their encouraging voice, their engaging laughter. There is darkness when we remember the fullness of their comfort, the totality of their presence, the completeness of their memories. 

Yet - just like that lamp - it is in those moment; when the darkness comes, the brief moment or the lengthy episode - the light seeks to shine the brightest - if we will simply recognize it and not think it is a fluctuation, a short circuit or a something wrong with the bulb.

During this month of November - there may well be some sadness - emptiness - darkness - but the light is here ! He is here - flickering, adjusting.  May we ask God to offer His light in a special way, may we seek from God to see clearly their presence - in memory and thought - and may we invite God to give us peace as we remember...as we once again in light...His light...and remember in the darkness - He is there .