My classmate Fr. Luke Strand was recently rewarded with a cease and desist order from the corporate lawyers of Best Buy for trademark infringement for his use of a decal on his car which uses the term "God Squad," which happens to resemble Best Buy's well known "Geek Squad " trademark. After publication in the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel, it seemed this issue went "viral." USA Today, many west coast papers, WTMJ talk radio, and even a four minute interview with national cable Fox News network were but a few of his interview requests. What seemed to be a negative for his ministry, came a backlash of negativity to Best Buy and people actually defending God and the message of the Gospel.
I know Luke did not want to harm Best Buy, but through all the press he has been given and interviews, He was able to proclaim the good news of Christ and the love of God to a national audience. That is what He has always been about...praising God and God rewarded him with that opportunity to do it on a large scale for a brief time. It was nice to hear Catholics coming to his defense and the general public for that matter in a society that so often wants to shut down the merest mention of God. The Church looked good in this matter and even the press seemed to respond positively.
It is God who blesses the work and produces fruitful opportunities for all of us as long as we do things with the motive of glorifying God and not ourselves. As Fr. Luke would say to anyone "Praise the Lord and God Bless you."
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Lost another good one
Congratulations to the La Crosse Archdiocese for their new Archbishop that once again will take its toll on Milwaukee. Losing Archbishop Dolan was hard but he was a great hope for New York. In the same way, La Crosse is receiving a good and Holy man. I did not know the new Archbishop Callahan until he was announced as an Auxiliary Bishop for Milwaukee. He lived at the Seminary for his entire stay as a bishop of Milwaukee. Often, he looked "dog-tired" at the end of the day when he came home but if you met him in the hallway, he wanted to say high and encourage us even when we recognized every bone in his body screaming to go to bed.
I do not know how many Masses or times I heard him preach, but the totality of these and his witness to us about Jesus gave us all an opinion of great holiness. I was fortunate to be in a class that became the first he ever ordained as a new bishop. In April 2008, he ordained me and four others to the diaconate. Five minutes before ordination began, he called us into a private room for a prayer and he began weeping at the privilege God gave him to be there. He stated that he began praying for the unknown men he would ordain that very day he was asked to be a new bishop. A few weeks later, he found himself in the hospital and our entire class went to visit him. He wept as we gave him communion and blessed him together. He never took for granted the blessings of God.
Again, he ordained my class to the Presbyterate the next year. Our class had the good fortune of saying goodbye privately as we took him to dinner last week. On this feast of St. Clare, (Aug 11) we say goodbye to him and wish him good luck. He will not need good luck though as Christ is the beacon he follows in this life along with that Franciscan model of life that Francis and Clare exhibited. Luck is something for the superstitious...with Christ it is a certainty.
I do not know how many Masses or times I heard him preach, but the totality of these and his witness to us about Jesus gave us all an opinion of great holiness. I was fortunate to be in a class that became the first he ever ordained as a new bishop. In April 2008, he ordained me and four others to the diaconate. Five minutes before ordination began, he called us into a private room for a prayer and he began weeping at the privilege God gave him to be there. He stated that he began praying for the unknown men he would ordain that very day he was asked to be a new bishop. A few weeks later, he found himself in the hospital and our entire class went to visit him. He wept as we gave him communion and blessed him together. He never took for granted the blessings of God.
Again, he ordained my class to the Presbyterate the next year. Our class had the good fortune of saying goodbye privately as we took him to dinner last week. On this feast of St. Clare, (Aug 11) we say goodbye to him and wish him good luck. He will not need good luck though as Christ is the beacon he follows in this life along with that Franciscan model of life that Francis and Clare exhibited. Luck is something for the superstitious...with Christ it is a certainty.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Transfigured
Friday is the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. God the Father gave a taste to come of the glory Christ would have. Jesus' day was not here yet however so the transfiguration came and went without fanfare because Jesus swore secrecy to Peter, James, and John who had been the only earthly witnesses.
We all know that the real story of the book of Revelation is that Jesus wins. We are all waiting for that final victory and it seems like it will never come, especially with what we all witness in the world. I remember a 1993 football playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and the Houston Oilers. Houston took a 35-3 lead into halftime with them. Buffalo had lost their starting quarterback, linebacker, and the star running back was not 100%. It was not a recipe for victory. Miracle of miracles...Buffalo wins that game 41-38 in overtime.
We could go back and watch that game now...I'm sure it is some place on the Internet. We could watch it and know the final outcome just like we know our final outcome as Christians...Jesus will win. I think this game is also a metaphor for our Christian lives. We watch life and sometimes the brutality of it and the feeling in our stomachs that we can't possibly believe this will turn out right. We are down 35- 3 with little time remaining. God gave the early Christians a pep talk with the story and actuality of the Transfiguration at halftime. It is our faith that gives us hope that Jesus will win and everything will be alright. The Transfiguration and the Resurrection are our certain hope of Christ's final victory. We will get slapped around in life because we dug a deep hole for ourselves. We may be losing, but we are coming back, and it God who will provide victory and Christ who will lead the way. We are down but the outcome has no doubt. We lift ourselves up with this hope and continue to play hard.
We all know that the real story of the book of Revelation is that Jesus wins. We are all waiting for that final victory and it seems like it will never come, especially with what we all witness in the world. I remember a 1993 football playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and the Houston Oilers. Houston took a 35-3 lead into halftime with them. Buffalo had lost their starting quarterback, linebacker, and the star running back was not 100%. It was not a recipe for victory. Miracle of miracles...Buffalo wins that game 41-38 in overtime.
We could go back and watch that game now...I'm sure it is some place on the Internet. We could watch it and know the final outcome just like we know our final outcome as Christians...Jesus will win. I think this game is also a metaphor for our Christian lives. We watch life and sometimes the brutality of it and the feeling in our stomachs that we can't possibly believe this will turn out right. We are down 35- 3 with little time remaining. God gave the early Christians a pep talk with the story and actuality of the Transfiguration at halftime. It is our faith that gives us hope that Jesus will win and everything will be alright. The Transfiguration and the Resurrection are our certain hope of Christ's final victory. We will get slapped around in life because we dug a deep hole for ourselves. We may be losing, but we are coming back, and it God who will provide victory and Christ who will lead the way. We are down but the outcome has no doubt. We lift ourselves up with this hope and continue to play hard.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Pray in my name and...
Last Sunday Jesus talked about prayer and persistence. Jesus also says in the Gospels that pray for anything in my name and it will be granted to you. Obviously this is not to be taken literally.
Prayers answered need to be in the will of God. The will of God in our lives will include a relationship with God that is continually being deepened and strengthened. A request in Jesus' name for millions of dollars will not be answered because most likely, that will harm our relationship with God. Having every desire we wish will not keep us on our knees but learning dependence and trust in the great things of creation and not the creator.
Another thing in the will of God is that all people be saved. Persistence in prayer is a theme of last Sunday's Gospel. Anyone can pray for something once or twice, and then perhaps that petition fades on us. The prayer goes seemingly unanswered and we think God does not care. Thank God that Monica never ceased praying for her son Augustine or we may never have had this doctor of the Church. Since God does not infringe on free will, God's timetable is just a bit different in answering prayers for people.
I wonder why God waited more than 20+ years to bring me to the priesthood. Obviously the way I was living, my free will said no and God respected that no. Thankfully people did not cease praying for me and twenty years later, I had a disposition that when asked, I was open to the possibility and said yes...free will and all. We all know people that are not in or have left the sheepfold. It is God's will they be saved. It will take much persistence in our prayer life and it will take time for God to break the hearts of stone and prepare them for a change in life and attitude. We make our prayer today for the hearts that have hardened to God...that through grace, God find a crack in the stone to pry open and be invited in.
Prayers answered need to be in the will of God. The will of God in our lives will include a relationship with God that is continually being deepened and strengthened. A request in Jesus' name for millions of dollars will not be answered because most likely, that will harm our relationship with God. Having every desire we wish will not keep us on our knees but learning dependence and trust in the great things of creation and not the creator.
Another thing in the will of God is that all people be saved. Persistence in prayer is a theme of last Sunday's Gospel. Anyone can pray for something once or twice, and then perhaps that petition fades on us. The prayer goes seemingly unanswered and we think God does not care. Thank God that Monica never ceased praying for her son Augustine or we may never have had this doctor of the Church. Since God does not infringe on free will, God's timetable is just a bit different in answering prayers for people.
I wonder why God waited more than 20+ years to bring me to the priesthood. Obviously the way I was living, my free will said no and God respected that no. Thankfully people did not cease praying for me and twenty years later, I had a disposition that when asked, I was open to the possibility and said yes...free will and all. We all know people that are not in or have left the sheepfold. It is God's will they be saved. It will take much persistence in our prayer life and it will take time for God to break the hearts of stone and prepare them for a change in life and attitude. We make our prayer today for the hearts that have hardened to God...that through grace, God find a crack in the stone to pry open and be invited in.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
R&R
What does rest and relaxation mean. For many, the grind of work makes them feel they are being cheated out of life so R&R means go like crazy on the weekends and whenever the opportunity affords them. Often, vacation and weekends can weaken us more so that we feel exhausted. Keep Holy the Sabbath is a commandment from God. Not for God's sake but for our sake. It was such an important commandment in 1st century Judaism, (and even today for that matter) that in Mark's Gospel, healing on the Sabbath was the incident that the religious began their plot to put Jesus to death.
For years, I played softball a couple nights a week and on most weekends. The weekends could get crazy and we would play many games. We would travel back and forth from home to the park, or after the games, there would be a social aspect of weekend tournaments in these rural communities with the firefighter picnics and going to the wee hours sometimes. There was always something happening, but in retrospect, this schedule kept me drifting farther and farther from God. It may have seemed like rest but it wasn't, and it certainly was not holy. The relationship with God dwindled and this busyness of life results in many souls even unwittingly severing ties with God. Is it a wonder that there is a crisis of faith if we do not keep the Sabbath Holy or encourage some rest with younger generations.
God commanded us to take time and relax because God knows what our body and mind can handle far better than we do. We may know our limits physically, but mentally and spiritually, our limits are exceeded far to often with bad consequences. Many people work on Sunday, but you could take another Sabbath, or a time to recharge. The Sabbath was made for worship and rest. To remain spiritual people, a day set aside for resting the mind and contemplating God is crucial. I often think why it is that the last couple of generations have drifted from God when the previous generations held it together. We live in a world where there is far more free time and far more activities and gadgets that take our minds from God and we need to be consumed with all the fun. That takes us from God and the natural progression will be to take us from any faith life and keep us immersed in ourselves and our world.
For years, I played softball a couple nights a week and on most weekends. The weekends could get crazy and we would play many games. We would travel back and forth from home to the park, or after the games, there would be a social aspect of weekend tournaments in these rural communities with the firefighter picnics and going to the wee hours sometimes. There was always something happening, but in retrospect, this schedule kept me drifting farther and farther from God. It may have seemed like rest but it wasn't, and it certainly was not holy. The relationship with God dwindled and this busyness of life results in many souls even unwittingly severing ties with God. Is it a wonder that there is a crisis of faith if we do not keep the Sabbath Holy or encourage some rest with younger generations.
God commanded us to take time and relax because God knows what our body and mind can handle far better than we do. We may know our limits physically, but mentally and spiritually, our limits are exceeded far to often with bad consequences. Many people work on Sunday, but you could take another Sabbath, or a time to recharge. The Sabbath was made for worship and rest. To remain spiritual people, a day set aside for resting the mind and contemplating God is crucial. I often think why it is that the last couple of generations have drifted from God when the previous generations held it together. We live in a world where there is far more free time and far more activities and gadgets that take our minds from God and we need to be consumed with all the fun. That takes us from God and the natural progression will be to take us from any faith life and keep us immersed in ourselves and our world.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Piece of cake??
Christianity is so easy...just a plain piece of cake. That is until we get readings like the Good Samaritan on Sunday. I heard of a deacon who began his homily on Sunday announcing a second collection for the orphans and widows of Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters. He was joking, but what a question to chew on when Jesus asks us who our neighbor is in explaining the mission of the Good Samaritan. This is where the rubber meets the road in Christianity. This is where Christianity ceases being a piece of cake and actually becomes a little difficult.
To top it off, today's weekday Gospel has Jesus telling us He came not to bring peace, but the sword. Division will be rampant...why...because wherever free will is present, there will be division. It is free will though that allows genuine and authentic love of neighbor and love of God. Free will also can choose evil and we all know that happens. In the Good Samaritan and this deacons point about our enemies, lies a truth to wrestle with that makes us uncomfortable. That is really what Jesus does quite often...His teachings make us uncomfortable. It made the first century religious uncomfortable and He was put to death.
The bottom line, as followers of Jesus...if we cannot follow the hard teachings of Jesus and love enemies and minister to them, who will? Jesus tells us that anyone can love those who do good to them...that is not hard...but who can do good to those that harm them? Jesus did...He wants us to also. To follow Christ is picking up a cross in His hard teachings. If we as Christians cannot show mercy, then there is no hope for anyone...no one will learn that there is an alternative. For society and its ills, a dose of civility and mercy can stop so many examples of cyclical cycles of evil. We pray for the courage to love.
To top it off, today's weekday Gospel has Jesus telling us He came not to bring peace, but the sword. Division will be rampant...why...because wherever free will is present, there will be division. It is free will though that allows genuine and authentic love of neighbor and love of God. Free will also can choose evil and we all know that happens. In the Good Samaritan and this deacons point about our enemies, lies a truth to wrestle with that makes us uncomfortable. That is really what Jesus does quite often...His teachings make us uncomfortable. It made the first century religious uncomfortable and He was put to death.
The bottom line, as followers of Jesus...if we cannot follow the hard teachings of Jesus and love enemies and minister to them, who will? Jesus tells us that anyone can love those who do good to them...that is not hard...but who can do good to those that harm them? Jesus did...He wants us to also. To follow Christ is picking up a cross in His hard teachings. If we as Christians cannot show mercy, then there is no hope for anyone...no one will learn that there is an alternative. For society and its ills, a dose of civility and mercy can stop so many examples of cyclical cycles of evil. We pray for the courage to love.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Revelation or speculation
There are so many interpretations of world events as they pertain to the Book of Revelation and that of the prophetic writings. Some Evangelicals have made their entire ministry to the world the preaching, writing, and interpretation of the events in the world in which we live and then interpret the writings of Sacred Scripture to shed light on how the end of times will unfold. I bring this up because I heard yesterday how the gulf oil spill resembles one of the seven seals of revelation. (Truthfully, I was wondering when I would hear that this oil spill was linked to the end of the world and God's judgment.) I have heard hurricane Katrina, the Tsunami, any earthquake, and a host of any event being tied to God's judgment on humanity. I guess I find all of this kind of dangerous to be laying on God.
Are any or all of these events caused by God? Maybe, but I don't know that it's true and I certainly do not know if it's for the purpose of judging sinful humanity. It is a dangerous thing to offer God as a cause and then tell us why God had to do it. All of God's revelation is already in the Sacred Scripture and no more revelation is expected before Christ returns. Why do people insist on speculating as to the motive of God's purposes for anything that happens in the world? Certainly it is our faith that God is in control. If God does not cause, then God permits things to happen. Could God stop calamity...sure, but God set a world in motion and usually does not interfere.
Jesus clearly warns us in the Gospel that we are not to worry about the end of times. No one knows when Christ's return occurs. Jesus wants us busy with more important things like witnessing God's love to the world and to show that light to those in darkness. I don't believe we need to be judging and condemning the world when tragedy occurs and it certainly is counterproductive to engaging the world.
Are any or all of these events caused by God? Maybe, but I don't know that it's true and I certainly do not know if it's for the purpose of judging sinful humanity. It is a dangerous thing to offer God as a cause and then tell us why God had to do it. All of God's revelation is already in the Sacred Scripture and no more revelation is expected before Christ returns. Why do people insist on speculating as to the motive of God's purposes for anything that happens in the world? Certainly it is our faith that God is in control. If God does not cause, then God permits things to happen. Could God stop calamity...sure, but God set a world in motion and usually does not interfere.
Jesus clearly warns us in the Gospel that we are not to worry about the end of times. No one knows when Christ's return occurs. Jesus wants us busy with more important things like witnessing God's love to the world and to show that light to those in darkness. I don't believe we need to be judging and condemning the world when tragedy occurs and it certainly is counterproductive to engaging the world.
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