Lazarus, Come Out! Wouldn’t it have been wondrous to witness the raising of Lazarus? Just to be in the crowd and hear Jesus say those words, “Lazarus Come Out!” and see someone we knew was dead walk out of the tomb. I’ll bet you could have just felt the power of God in the air.
But you know many people ask the question, “Why did Jesus wait two days after the sisters called for Him? And Why was important for Lazarus to be in the tomb four days? Well, Jesus answered the first question for us in the gospel reading. “This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” He wanted to let all the people see the power of God so they would know the truth about Him and His mission.
Why the four days in the tomb? Well, the Jewish people believed that after 3 days the spirit leaves the body so on the 4th day for Jesus to bring him back to life was truly a miraculous thing from God. Jesus really wanted the people to have no doubt about who He was and the power of God.
Even His apostles didn’t understand what He was saying. “Master, if he is asleep, he will be saved.” And Jesus replied, “Lazarus has died. And I am glad for you that I was not there, that you may believe. Let us go to him.”
So how does this story help us? We already believe that Jesus is the second person in the Holy Trinity. We don’t need to be convinced anymore. Or do we? What is lent all about? It’s about turning back to the ways of God. It’s about turning away from our sinful ways and walking in the light. But sometimes that is easier said then done. Some of us think we are beyond the saving power of God. That it’s too late for us so why try. Sometimes to be able to accept God’s forgiveness we need to forgive ourselves first and sometimes we can’t or won’t take that step.
So we need to think about this gospel passage a little more. For if Jesus can raise a man dead 4 days back to life, what more can He do for us? We just need to listen and respond.
Lazarus, Come Out! And a dead man returned to life and walked out of the tomb. Brothers and Sisters even those of us who are spiritually dead because of sin, are called back to life by the unlimited mercy of God’s forgiveness. We just need to listen because Christ is calling out to us - Lazarus, Come Out!
He is calling us out of the dark tomb, the darkness of sin, to come out into the light, the light of forgiveness. We must not only listen for His call but we must respond to His command. Lazarus, Come Out! Jesus didn’t ask Lazarus to come out, He commanded him to come out and the dead man did.
So like Lazarus we must to respond to Jesus’ command and come out of our tomb of sin and enter into the LIGHT of Christ. Once we answer Jesus’ command to “Come OUT!” We must make the necessary changes so as not to fall back into the darkness of our sin. I think that’s the hardest part for most us because now we have to change. And Change is not always easy - especially if we are finding some sort of pleasure in our sin.
The modern World tells us that it’s always about what makes us happy or what is good for us. Doesn’t matter what happens to anyone else as long as we get what we think is due to us. The world calls us to be self-centered - but Jesus calls us to be selfless and put others needs before our own. Self - LESS. It’s a direct contradiction
The world tells us it’s ok to exploit people to get what we want. Have any of you seen the turkey sandwich commercial on TV? There is a woman model who is supposed to be Ms. Turkey, and then her dress comes off and she is in this little bikini that has tiny little turkey sandwiches all over it. They kind of look like dots and then the camera does a close up on the bikini bottoms until you see the little turkey sandwich emblem on the bikini. Really!
This ad exploits a woman’s body in order to sell turkey sandwiches. I know it’s just a commercial – but is it really necessary to use sex to sell a sandwich?
I know it’s not the worst thing out there but it is just an example of how the world wants us to think. In fact many times we see commercials like this and think nothing of it, right?
We become desensitized by the things around us. We even begin to not see what is right and wrong and it all becomes the same. This is how the evil one deceives us. In ways that are so subtle we never see it coming. Eventually we get conditioned to not recognize the sin in the world anymore. We even get to the point that we don’t recognize our own sinfulness anymore.
This is why we need the grace of Lord to help us stay centered in the light. Because Jesus tells us, “If one walks during the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks at night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”
So my friends, when you hear Jesus call out, “Lazarus, Come Out!” - respond to His command with joy, especially during this time of Lent. The Church in her wisdom has given us this time to reflect on our lives and have another chance to make things right with Our Lord.
In a few minutes we will get to be with Jesus in a very special way, the Eucharist. Jesus, our God, comes to us here in this place. Here in Garden City on Cypress Ave. to be with us physically as well as spiritually. How awesome is that! I think we receive communion so often that it becomes just one of those things we do at mass. But, think about it…
Our God loves us so much that He comes to us in the presence of bread and wine so that He can touch us, touch our hearts and souls – to physically and spiritually strengthen us to carry on His mission – to live the lives that He calls us to LIVE - to help each other get to heaven – to live as people of the Light – to see the TRUTH in Him.
So we must seek His forgiveness and strength so we can always walk in the Light of Christ.
AND…… when we stumble out of the darkness of our sin into the light of Jesus - he will say, “Untie him and let him go.”
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Monday, December 22, 2008
Booking Dates
October 2008
4th and 5th Jr. High Confirmation Retreat St. Michael Garden City, SC
18th RCIA Retreat St. Michael Garden City, SC
29th St. Michael Garden City, SC Filipino Prayer Group
November 2008
9th Precious Blood Pawleys Island,SC - Youth Group
2009 Booking Dates
January 2009
7th RCIA St. Michael - Sacraments
27th St. Andrew Catholic Church CYO Myrtle Beach,SC
February 2009
March 2009
13th - 15th DYC Diocese of Charleston, SC White Oak Conference Center - Workshop "My BFF Jesus" developing and maintaining a relationship with Jesus+
4th and 5th Jr. High Confirmation Retreat St. Michael Garden City, SC
18th RCIA Retreat St. Michael Garden City, SC
29th St. Michael Garden City, SC Filipino Prayer Group
November 2008
9th Precious Blood Pawleys Island,SC - Youth Group
2009 Booking Dates
January 2009
7th RCIA St. Michael - Sacraments
27th St. Andrew Catholic Church CYO Myrtle Beach,SC
February 2009
March 2009
13th - 15th DYC Diocese of Charleston, SC White Oak Conference Center - Workshop "My BFF Jesus" developing and maintaining a relationship with Jesus+
3rd Sunday of Advent 2008 - Rejoice like the folks in Narnia! Jesus is on the MOVE+
God is Good – All the time
God is so very Good – Always and Forever
Today is a day of rejoicing! Today we are closer to the day our Savior became one of us – took on our humanity and shared His divinity with us. Today we celebrate because we know the prophecies are about to become reality. Today we know that our God will enter our world soon and free us from the bonds of Death, the bonds of Sin, and create in us a Spirit of Life and Light.
The readings all talk about rejoicing, prophesies coming true, accepting the will of God with the innocent faith of a child, and most of all HOPE!
Let me tell you a story from long ago. Picture this, WWII London – Your family seeks the safety of a shelter to escape the bombing of London. In the following days you and your siblings are sent off on a train to an unknown place far from the city with someone you do not know. Your mother tells you it will be fine and off you go into the unknown not having any idea of what the future holds.
This is the story of four children, two sons of Adam, and two daughters of Eve. Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy Sound familiar? Lucy is the youngest, a sweet innocent little girl about 9 or 10.
Lucy found her way to the land of Narnia through a wardrobe cabinet in the upstairs spare room. The older ones don’t believe her at first until they all find themselves in this strange land. It is covered in snow, frozen, and dimly lit. They hear of an evil witch who claimed the throne of Narnia as Queen. She keeps it frozen and dead. Kind of like what was happening in the days before Christ. The sin of the world keeps it dim, cold and frozen.
The people await the true King of Narnia, a lion named Aslan, who will defeat the evil in the world and bring warmth, light, and life back to the world.
In Narnia the prophecies talk about the Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve arriving and joining with the true King of Narnia, Aslan. Aslan is a beautiful, regal, strong lion – which reminded me of the biblical passage from Revelations, “the Lion of the tribe of Judah” – a symbol of Jesus.
In this story, the prophecies say that evil will be destroyed when the sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve come together – which is what happened when Jesus came to earth – he is fully human and fully divine.
The inhabitants of Narnia have been waiting for this day for 100 years. They are joyful that the prophesy is finally coming true. As the Sons of Adam and the Daughters of Eve hear Aslan’s name for the first time , each of them feels something different. Peter feels brave; Susan, a sensation of a delicious smell or beautiful music; and Lucy has the feeling of the Holidays, like Christmas.
Santa Claus has even been absent from Narnia – but he returns in the movie and gives the children gifts. He asks them to use the gifts for the greater good of the people of the kingdom of Narnia. They accept the gifts and the challenge to use them for the greater good of the Kingdom.
Like the children in the story God gives us all gifts to use for the greater good, for the Kingdom Heaven. We are called to identify these gifts and accept the mission given to us by our Lord, to follow in His footsteps and lead each other into his divine Light. We are called to accept His will with the innocent childlike faith of our mother Mary and say “YES” Lord your will be done.
You know we all have a GPS. You know that that thing that tells us where we are and how to get where we are going. Well, God gave us all a spiritual GPS, God’s Path of Salvation. Through Christ our Savior we find the correct path home, to God’s Kingdom forever. He shows us the direct way to get to Him and all we have to do is follow His path.
In the movie, the people rejoiced when the “sons of Adam and the daughters of Eve” appeared in Narnia, because their appearance meant that the prophecy was about to come true.
We rejoice today, because in about a week we celebrate the birth of Jesus – who was ALSO the fulfillment of a prophecy to lead us from the dark cold winter of sin into the warm light of God. We celebrate his birth on Christmas and joyfully await his return. Rejoice and welcome Christ into your lives.
God is so very Good – Always and Forever
Today is a day of rejoicing! Today we are closer to the day our Savior became one of us – took on our humanity and shared His divinity with us. Today we celebrate because we know the prophecies are about to become reality. Today we know that our God will enter our world soon and free us from the bonds of Death, the bonds of Sin, and create in us a Spirit of Life and Light.
The readings all talk about rejoicing, prophesies coming true, accepting the will of God with the innocent faith of a child, and most of all HOPE!
Let me tell you a story from long ago. Picture this, WWII London – Your family seeks the safety of a shelter to escape the bombing of London. In the following days you and your siblings are sent off on a train to an unknown place far from the city with someone you do not know. Your mother tells you it will be fine and off you go into the unknown not having any idea of what the future holds.
This is the story of four children, two sons of Adam, and two daughters of Eve. Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy Sound familiar? Lucy is the youngest, a sweet innocent little girl about 9 or 10.
Lucy found her way to the land of Narnia through a wardrobe cabinet in the upstairs spare room. The older ones don’t believe her at first until they all find themselves in this strange land. It is covered in snow, frozen, and dimly lit. They hear of an evil witch who claimed the throne of Narnia as Queen. She keeps it frozen and dead. Kind of like what was happening in the days before Christ. The sin of the world keeps it dim, cold and frozen.
The people await the true King of Narnia, a lion named Aslan, who will defeat the evil in the world and bring warmth, light, and life back to the world.
In Narnia the prophecies talk about the Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve arriving and joining with the true King of Narnia, Aslan. Aslan is a beautiful, regal, strong lion – which reminded me of the biblical passage from Revelations, “the Lion of the tribe of Judah” – a symbol of Jesus.
In this story, the prophecies say that evil will be destroyed when the sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve come together – which is what happened when Jesus came to earth – he is fully human and fully divine.
The inhabitants of Narnia have been waiting for this day for 100 years. They are joyful that the prophesy is finally coming true. As the Sons of Adam and the Daughters of Eve hear Aslan’s name for the first time , each of them feels something different. Peter feels brave; Susan, a sensation of a delicious smell or beautiful music; and Lucy has the feeling of the Holidays, like Christmas.
Santa Claus has even been absent from Narnia – but he returns in the movie and gives the children gifts. He asks them to use the gifts for the greater good of the people of the kingdom of Narnia. They accept the gifts and the challenge to use them for the greater good of the Kingdom.
Like the children in the story God gives us all gifts to use for the greater good, for the Kingdom Heaven. We are called to identify these gifts and accept the mission given to us by our Lord, to follow in His footsteps and lead each other into his divine Light. We are called to accept His will with the innocent childlike faith of our mother Mary and say “YES” Lord your will be done.
You know we all have a GPS. You know that that thing that tells us where we are and how to get where we are going. Well, God gave us all a spiritual GPS, God’s Path of Salvation. Through Christ our Savior we find the correct path home, to God’s Kingdom forever. He shows us the direct way to get to Him and all we have to do is follow His path.
In the movie, the people rejoiced when the “sons of Adam and the daughters of Eve” appeared in Narnia, because their appearance meant that the prophecy was about to come true.
We rejoice today, because in about a week we celebrate the birth of Jesus – who was ALSO the fulfillment of a prophecy to lead us from the dark cold winter of sin into the warm light of God. We celebrate his birth on Christmas and joyfully await his return. Rejoice and welcome Christ into your lives.
Friday, November 21, 2008
TD for Christ (Transcendent Dignity) Homily 33rd Sunday Ordinary Time cycle A 2008
GOD IS GOOD – all the time
All the time – GOD IS GOOD
We have a very loving and merciful God who wants us all to be with Him in heaven for eternity. He loves us so much that He SACRIFICED His Son for our salvation… for the redemption of all mankind. Why are we so worthy??
We are so special to God that he came to earth and became one of us to bring us closer to Him and share in His divinity. Because He is our Father, our Creator, and He wants us to return home someday – we have TD, and I don’t mean TOUCH DOWN but Transcendent Dignity. That means, that our humanity has a kind of higher stature because God extended His dignity and divinity to us through Jesus.
Our friend Webster says,” Transcendent” means – “exceeding usual limits; being beyond the limits of ordinary experience.”
And “Dignity” is – “the quality or state of being worthy, honored, or esteemed.”
When Jesus was born into this world, He was completely human and completely divine. By taking on our human form Jesus humbled Himself and gave our humanity His divine dignity, so that we can be more like Him. He gave us the gift of Himself, His dignity, and a share in His divinity.
So, like the parable in the Gospel, what are we going to do with this gift, this treasure? Will you take a chance with your gift by putting it to use in the world and let it grow and multiply? OR…. will you bury and hide it so you don’t lose it? And have it when God decides to take it back. What does God want us to do?
Basically, we have all been given this gift of TRANSCENDENT DIGNITY, through Jesus, and He wants us to take this gift and multiply it for the glory of God. He wants us to spread it around to all we come in contact with like a virus. So that it will grow and transform - not just us individually, but our family, the community, the county we live in, the state, the country, other countries, and eventually the world.
Because you see we all received this gift of TRANSCENDENT DIGNITY - Catholics, other Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, male, female, unborn babies, children, adults, the elderly, black, white, Asian, straight, homosexual, law abiding citizens, criminals, etc… This means we all deserve to be treated as “a child of God”, because we ALL share in His dignity and His divinity…..even when we do something that makes people think we don’t deserve to be treated this way. The thing is, NONE of us is WORTHY of this dignity………We will NEVER DESERVE it or EARN it. It is a free gift from God, by virtue of Jesus’ act of salvation for us. In turn we are called to treat others, no matter who they are, as “a child of God”. Sometimes this is not an easy task. It’s much easier to hide our gift then it is to use it.
How many of us have mistreated others or said bad things about people who are not like us? Or been mistreated by others? It’s easy to stand up against abortion, the killing of unborn babies, but can we do the same for those on death row? Because you know that person on death row has the same Transcendent Dignity as the unborn baby – they are both God’s children. It’s easy to rationalize our feelings.
I remember after September 11, 2001, many people discriminated against anybody who looked like they were of Middle Eastern descent and if they were Muslim, to some, they were definitely terrorists.
It reminded me of World War II after the attack of Pearl Harbor. The government of the United States rounded up all the Japanese Americans and placed them in camps around the country because they might have been spies or loyal to the Japanese Empire. In both cases we as a country had the right to protect ourselves but not at the expense of others, especially the innocent. Both cases were tragic on many levels including the tragic loss of God’s gift of TRANSCENDENT DIGNITY.
You can believe me when I say it is very hard at times not get drawn down by the evil things of this world and become cynical. Remember, I was a police officer for 25yrs. I have seen my share and your share of evil in this world. But we are not called to do evil against evil.
Remember in the Gospel when they came for Jesus in the garden. Peter drew his sword and struck one of the guards cutting off his ear. Jesus told Peter to put the sword away because those who live by the sword die by the sword.
The last time I had the honor of speaking to you about God’s word during the homily, Jesus said in that Gospel reading – “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
So we have to love ourselves, because we – YOU and I, have the gift of TRANSCENDENT DIGNITY… We are also called to love others – because they too have the same gift.
Lao Tzu, a Chinese philosopher, had this to say about creating peace in the world:
If there is to be peace in the world, There must be peace in the nations.
If there is to be peace in the nations, There must be peace in the cities.
If there is to be peace in the cities, There must be peace between neighbors.
If there is to be peace between neighbors, There must be peace in the home.
If there is to be peace in the home, There must be peace in the heart. -- Lao Tzu (570-490 B.C.)
Lao Tzu recognized that peace is a by product when each person recognizes the transcendent dignity of all people – even though he didn’t say it that way, and even though he lived 500 years before Jesus was born.
Being able to see that each person has TD, transcendent dignity, frees us from prejudices and preconceived ideas, and allows us to have true peace in our hearts, and love as Jesus did. I pray that each of you will recognize your TD this week. Allow it to transform your human relationships and draw you closer to Jesus.
If you always remember this most precious gift, TD, and let work in our lives and the lives of others – it will multiply and grow and we will have scored the ULTIMATE TD, touch down, for CHRIST!
All the time – GOD IS GOOD
We have a very loving and merciful God who wants us all to be with Him in heaven for eternity. He loves us so much that He SACRIFICED His Son for our salvation… for the redemption of all mankind. Why are we so worthy??
We are so special to God that he came to earth and became one of us to bring us closer to Him and share in His divinity. Because He is our Father, our Creator, and He wants us to return home someday – we have TD, and I don’t mean TOUCH DOWN but Transcendent Dignity. That means, that our humanity has a kind of higher stature because God extended His dignity and divinity to us through Jesus.
Our friend Webster says,” Transcendent” means – “exceeding usual limits; being beyond the limits of ordinary experience.”
And “Dignity” is – “the quality or state of being worthy, honored, or esteemed.”
When Jesus was born into this world, He was completely human and completely divine. By taking on our human form Jesus humbled Himself and gave our humanity His divine dignity, so that we can be more like Him. He gave us the gift of Himself, His dignity, and a share in His divinity.
So, like the parable in the Gospel, what are we going to do with this gift, this treasure? Will you take a chance with your gift by putting it to use in the world and let it grow and multiply? OR…. will you bury and hide it so you don’t lose it? And have it when God decides to take it back. What does God want us to do?
Basically, we have all been given this gift of TRANSCENDENT DIGNITY, through Jesus, and He wants us to take this gift and multiply it for the glory of God. He wants us to spread it around to all we come in contact with like a virus. So that it will grow and transform - not just us individually, but our family, the community, the county we live in, the state, the country, other countries, and eventually the world.
Because you see we all received this gift of TRANSCENDENT DIGNITY - Catholics, other Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, male, female, unborn babies, children, adults, the elderly, black, white, Asian, straight, homosexual, law abiding citizens, criminals, etc… This means we all deserve to be treated as “a child of God”, because we ALL share in His dignity and His divinity…..even when we do something that makes people think we don’t deserve to be treated this way. The thing is, NONE of us is WORTHY of this dignity………We will NEVER DESERVE it or EARN it. It is a free gift from God, by virtue of Jesus’ act of salvation for us. In turn we are called to treat others, no matter who they are, as “a child of God”. Sometimes this is not an easy task. It’s much easier to hide our gift then it is to use it.
How many of us have mistreated others or said bad things about people who are not like us? Or been mistreated by others? It’s easy to stand up against abortion, the killing of unborn babies, but can we do the same for those on death row? Because you know that person on death row has the same Transcendent Dignity as the unborn baby – they are both God’s children. It’s easy to rationalize our feelings.
I remember after September 11, 2001, many people discriminated against anybody who looked like they were of Middle Eastern descent and if they were Muslim, to some, they were definitely terrorists.
It reminded me of World War II after the attack of Pearl Harbor. The government of the United States rounded up all the Japanese Americans and placed them in camps around the country because they might have been spies or loyal to the Japanese Empire. In both cases we as a country had the right to protect ourselves but not at the expense of others, especially the innocent. Both cases were tragic on many levels including the tragic loss of God’s gift of TRANSCENDENT DIGNITY.
You can believe me when I say it is very hard at times not get drawn down by the evil things of this world and become cynical. Remember, I was a police officer for 25yrs. I have seen my share and your share of evil in this world. But we are not called to do evil against evil.
Remember in the Gospel when they came for Jesus in the garden. Peter drew his sword and struck one of the guards cutting off his ear. Jesus told Peter to put the sword away because those who live by the sword die by the sword.
The last time I had the honor of speaking to you about God’s word during the homily, Jesus said in that Gospel reading – “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
So we have to love ourselves, because we – YOU and I, have the gift of TRANSCENDENT DIGNITY… We are also called to love others – because they too have the same gift.
Lao Tzu, a Chinese philosopher, had this to say about creating peace in the world:
If there is to be peace in the world, There must be peace in the nations.
If there is to be peace in the nations, There must be peace in the cities.
If there is to be peace in the cities, There must be peace between neighbors.
If there is to be peace between neighbors, There must be peace in the home.
If there is to be peace in the home, There must be peace in the heart. -- Lao Tzu (570-490 B.C.)
Lao Tzu recognized that peace is a by product when each person recognizes the transcendent dignity of all people – even though he didn’t say it that way, and even though he lived 500 years before Jesus was born.
Being able to see that each person has TD, transcendent dignity, frees us from prejudices and preconceived ideas, and allows us to have true peace in our hearts, and love as Jesus did. I pray that each of you will recognize your TD this week. Allow it to transform your human relationships and draw you closer to Jesus.
If you always remember this most precious gift, TD, and let work in our lives and the lives of others – it will multiply and grow and we will have scored the ULTIMATE TD, touch down, for CHRIST!
Monday, October 27, 2008
All you need is LUV - Homily 30th Sunday Ordinary Time 10/26/08
You know the Beatles said it best, “All you need is LOVE”. The readings today are all about LOVE. The LOVE of God for us, the LOVE that God wants from us, and the LOVE He wants us to show others. Not just those who LOVE us but everybody, even those who don’t want our LOVE. Not an easy task, is it? In fact it’s pretty hard.
But like anything else in LIFE it gets easier and easier the more you do it. Just like athletes or in my case martial artists - the more you train – the skill becomes second nature. You can do it with out thinking – it becomes part of you. That’s what we are being called to do by our Lord, train, train, train…
My wife compared it to getting a new cell phone. Just recently we both got new cell phones. Mine can do anything a lap top computer can do and hers has more functions than I can remember. The funny thing is that when you get a new phone it comes with this instruction manual thing that most of us don’t even read. My wife just wants her phone to make calls and I want mine to sit up and bark on command.
I can spend days learning how to use my phone so that it can enhance my life and make things easier for me and she just gets frustrated. When it comes to cell phones she would be happy with the JITTER BUG phone. Have you seen those commercials? It’s just a basic phone. I on the other hand am the techno nut. I want to be able to utilize every feature.
Basically living the LIFE of LOVE that we are called to by our LORD takes more effort than just turning the phone on and punching the number you want to call. You have to spend time reading the instruction manual. In our case that would be the BIBLE. We even have a manual to help us interpret the BIBLE it’s the Catechism of the Catholic Church. How much better can it get?
Do want to be a JITTER BUG Catholic or the Techno nut Catholic who wants to know everything so it can make our lives better and easier to walk the path of Christ.
A priest friend of mine, Fr. Stan Fortuna, wrote this song, “F.A.M.I.L.Y”. Forget About Me I Love You. That’s it in a nutshell.
The first part, Forget About Me, assumes that you know you are loved by God and others. So before you can Forget About Me you have to love and respect yourself. You may be thinking,” Isn’t that a little selfish”? No, it’s not a selfish thought. Think about the Gospel reading,” You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment.
The Second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as YOURSELF. Let me repeat that: You shall love your neighbor as YOURSELF.
So we base our LOVE on GOD first, who allows us to love ourselves – not in a selfish self-centered way but by way of the Gospel. In 1John4:19 we are told, “We love because He loved us first.” It’s all about our Almighty God.
But some of us here today may be thinking, “Why would God love me because I’ve done this or that?” Remember that God’s love is bigger and deeper than anything we can imagine. Jesus, God’s Son, suffered and died on the cross out of love for us – even those who tortured and crucified Him. That’s some powerful love.
To truly live the life of LOVE – you have to LOVE everybody. So often I’ve heard, “I LOVE God but I don’t LOVE so and so… Those people just don’t get it. Check it out – St. Augustine said, “LOVE of God is first to be commanded, but LOVE of neighbor is the first to be put into practice.”
So how do we live this Life of LOVE – the LOVE of the gospel? Remember F.A.M.I.L.Y
A few things to help us with this great task of LOVE:
1) Don’t judge others
2) Practice the Golden Rule: Treat others the way you want to be treated.
3) Love your enemies, forgive everyone who wrongs you.
We are all broken and this can seem hard - and it is. But with the help of God all things are possible! He can provide the strength we need to help us love HIM, each other, and ourselves. YOU JUST HAVE TO HAVE FAITH AND PUT YOUR COMPLETE TRUST IN HIM WHO SAVED US+
I know it is sometimes hard to forgive but that’s what we pray every time we pray the LORD’S PRAYER. “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
Be careful what you pray for – we are asking GOD to forgive us the same as we forgive those who have sinned against us. Basically if you want forgiveness you have to forgive…
The Church teaches us in the Catechism: It is not in our power not to feel or to forget an offense, but the heart that offers itself to the HOLY SPIRIT who turns injury into compassion and purifies the memory in transforming the hurt into intercession.” (CCC 2843)
The Holy Spirit turns hurt into compassion. We no longer have to waste the pain, but can pray for those who cause us problems and hurt us. WE CAN FIND MEANING IN OUR SUFFERING. This, my brothers and sisters in Christ is the GOOD NEWS.
I want to leave you with part of the song written by friend Fr. Stan –
F.A.M.I.L.Y:
Forget About Me I Love You
The world is ready for somethin brand new
People been wearin the question what would Jesus do
I know you seen it - WWJD
Are you ready for the answer?
Yo it’s f.a.m.i.l.y.*
We need a new humanity
We’re way too selfish, it’s devilish
How do you deal with the craziness?
Worldliness is deadliness
With all the excess still got no happiness*
Don’t you know how to spell family?
We got to be selfless don’t you agree?
F.A.M. FORGET ABOUT ME
I.L.Y. I LOVE YOU +
Be God's forever+
But like anything else in LIFE it gets easier and easier the more you do it. Just like athletes or in my case martial artists - the more you train – the skill becomes second nature. You can do it with out thinking – it becomes part of you. That’s what we are being called to do by our Lord, train, train, train…
My wife compared it to getting a new cell phone. Just recently we both got new cell phones. Mine can do anything a lap top computer can do and hers has more functions than I can remember. The funny thing is that when you get a new phone it comes with this instruction manual thing that most of us don’t even read. My wife just wants her phone to make calls and I want mine to sit up and bark on command.
I can spend days learning how to use my phone so that it can enhance my life and make things easier for me and she just gets frustrated. When it comes to cell phones she would be happy with the JITTER BUG phone. Have you seen those commercials? It’s just a basic phone. I on the other hand am the techno nut. I want to be able to utilize every feature.
Basically living the LIFE of LOVE that we are called to by our LORD takes more effort than just turning the phone on and punching the number you want to call. You have to spend time reading the instruction manual. In our case that would be the BIBLE. We even have a manual to help us interpret the BIBLE it’s the Catechism of the Catholic Church. How much better can it get?
Do want to be a JITTER BUG Catholic or the Techno nut Catholic who wants to know everything so it can make our lives better and easier to walk the path of Christ.
A priest friend of mine, Fr. Stan Fortuna, wrote this song, “F.A.M.I.L.Y”. Forget About Me I Love You. That’s it in a nutshell.
The first part, Forget About Me, assumes that you know you are loved by God and others. So before you can Forget About Me you have to love and respect yourself. You may be thinking,” Isn’t that a little selfish”? No, it’s not a selfish thought. Think about the Gospel reading,” You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment.
The Second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as YOURSELF. Let me repeat that: You shall love your neighbor as YOURSELF.
So we base our LOVE on GOD first, who allows us to love ourselves – not in a selfish self-centered way but by way of the Gospel. In 1John4:19 we are told, “We love because He loved us first.” It’s all about our Almighty God.
But some of us here today may be thinking, “Why would God love me because I’ve done this or that?” Remember that God’s love is bigger and deeper than anything we can imagine. Jesus, God’s Son, suffered and died on the cross out of love for us – even those who tortured and crucified Him. That’s some powerful love.
To truly live the life of LOVE – you have to LOVE everybody. So often I’ve heard, “I LOVE God but I don’t LOVE so and so… Those people just don’t get it. Check it out – St. Augustine said, “LOVE of God is first to be commanded, but LOVE of neighbor is the first to be put into practice.”
So how do we live this Life of LOVE – the LOVE of the gospel? Remember F.A.M.I.L.Y
A few things to help us with this great task of LOVE:
1) Don’t judge others
2) Practice the Golden Rule: Treat others the way you want to be treated.
3) Love your enemies, forgive everyone who wrongs you.
We are all broken and this can seem hard - and it is. But with the help of God all things are possible! He can provide the strength we need to help us love HIM, each other, and ourselves. YOU JUST HAVE TO HAVE FAITH AND PUT YOUR COMPLETE TRUST IN HIM WHO SAVED US+
I know it is sometimes hard to forgive but that’s what we pray every time we pray the LORD’S PRAYER. “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
Be careful what you pray for – we are asking GOD to forgive us the same as we forgive those who have sinned against us. Basically if you want forgiveness you have to forgive…
The Church teaches us in the Catechism: It is not in our power not to feel or to forget an offense, but the heart that offers itself to the HOLY SPIRIT who turns injury into compassion and purifies the memory in transforming the hurt into intercession.” (CCC 2843)
The Holy Spirit turns hurt into compassion. We no longer have to waste the pain, but can pray for those who cause us problems and hurt us. WE CAN FIND MEANING IN OUR SUFFERING. This, my brothers and sisters in Christ is the GOOD NEWS.
I want to leave you with part of the song written by friend Fr. Stan –
F.A.M.I.L.Y:
Forget About Me I Love You
The world is ready for somethin brand new
People been wearin the question what would Jesus do
I know you seen it - WWJD
Are you ready for the answer?
Yo it’s f.a.m.i.l.y.*
We need a new humanity
We’re way too selfish, it’s devilish
How do you deal with the craziness?
Worldliness is deadliness
With all the excess still got no happiness*
Don’t you know how to spell family?
We got to be selfless don’t you agree?
F.A.M. FORGET ABOUT ME
I.L.Y. I LOVE YOU +
Be God's forever+
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
The Joker = Satan
The character of the Joker is evil personified, the devil incarnate. His motivation is that of causing pain, suffering, terror, and chaos. Like Satan, he merely enjoys manipulating people to carry out his will. Sound familiar, temptation. The Joker is convinced that the people of Gotham are inclined to do evil; they just need a little encouragement.
If we compare this to the world we live in the parallels become clear. Satan is manifested in our world a little more subtly than the Joker’s maniacal rampage, but it is just as real. Think about it… The message in the media is one of self-centeredness.
With a little encouragement from the media we fall prey to what the world teaches, “It’s all about me.” We tend to forget about the people around us unless it benefits us or our cause. So, like the Joker, the devil attempts to manipulate us to do his will instead of that of the Father.
Batman represents the human element. He has a set of morals and ethics that he lives by and sometimes struggles with them in order to make a choice. He knows that if he starts to compromise his ideals he will continue to spiral downward - out of the light and into the darkness.
Basically the more we sin, the easier it becomes, and we are more inclined to do it. St. Paul states in Romans, “For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want.” Sin becomes a habit. As we all know, habits are difficult to stop. So, like Batman, we are called to live by God’s will and strive to do right all of the time and to follow the way of Christ.
The Joker is the joke of the world. So be the Bat, live by righteousness, the way of our Lord, and do not compromise with evil.
Be God’s Forever+
If we compare this to the world we live in the parallels become clear. Satan is manifested in our world a little more subtly than the Joker’s maniacal rampage, but it is just as real. Think about it… The message in the media is one of self-centeredness.
With a little encouragement from the media we fall prey to what the world teaches, “It’s all about me.” We tend to forget about the people around us unless it benefits us or our cause. So, like the Joker, the devil attempts to manipulate us to do his will instead of that of the Father.
Batman represents the human element. He has a set of morals and ethics that he lives by and sometimes struggles with them in order to make a choice. He knows that if he starts to compromise his ideals he will continue to spiral downward - out of the light and into the darkness.
Basically the more we sin, the easier it becomes, and we are more inclined to do it. St. Paul states in Romans, “For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want.” Sin becomes a habit. As we all know, habits are difficult to stop. So, like Batman, we are called to live by God’s will and strive to do right all of the time and to follow the way of Christ.
The Joker is the joke of the world. So be the Bat, live by righteousness, the way of our Lord, and do not compromise with evil.
Be God’s Forever+
Monday, August 4, 2008
Forgiven +
Forgiveness is a wonderful, mysterious gift from our God. It was so important to Him, to have a relationship with us, that He sent His only Son to save us from our own sin. Jesus was not only fully divine but He was also fully human. So, the suffering He endured was excruciating and His death horrifying. But, He chose yes, to do this for us – for our salvation. FORGIVENESS.
Even though it is a free gift from God, we have to sincerely want this gift, forgiveness. Not a half hearted, “Sorry God, I messed up but You knew I would anyway. I’ll try to do better if I can.” Words alone are not enough to be forgiven. One must have a sincere and contrite heart in order for the words to mean anything and for us to receive the gift of forgiveness. To quote Yoda from Star Wars, “Do or do not. There is no try”. Does this mean we will not commit this sin again? Maybe and maybe not. The important thing is the desire not to commit the sin and not to just try!
But being Catholic is great. It’s like experiencing Christmas morning every time we go to confession with our parish priest. We receive the gift of forgiveness. As long as we have a sorrowful and contrite heart, all is forgiven by our Father in Heaven through Jesus Christ who is represented by the priest in sacrament of reconciliation.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation not only brings us forgiveness but it covers us, like a warm blanket, with powerful grace from our God. By receiving grace in the sacraments we strengthen our faith, our bond with God. It is one of the spiritual exercises we must do in order to prepare us for the greatest challenge of all, life beyond this material world.
So - my brothers and sisters, and my spiritual children build those spiritual muscles. Receive the sacraments often, including confession, and strengthen your relationship with God. Remember, pray, pray, pray…
LET GO, LET GOD
Be God’s forever+
Deacon Rob Starr
Even though it is a free gift from God, we have to sincerely want this gift, forgiveness. Not a half hearted, “Sorry God, I messed up but You knew I would anyway. I’ll try to do better if I can.” Words alone are not enough to be forgiven. One must have a sincere and contrite heart in order for the words to mean anything and for us to receive the gift of forgiveness. To quote Yoda from Star Wars, “Do or do not. There is no try”. Does this mean we will not commit this sin again? Maybe and maybe not. The important thing is the desire not to commit the sin and not to just try!
But being Catholic is great. It’s like experiencing Christmas morning every time we go to confession with our parish priest. We receive the gift of forgiveness. As long as we have a sorrowful and contrite heart, all is forgiven by our Father in Heaven through Jesus Christ who is represented by the priest in sacrament of reconciliation.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation not only brings us forgiveness but it covers us, like a warm blanket, with powerful grace from our God. By receiving grace in the sacraments we strengthen our faith, our bond with God. It is one of the spiritual exercises we must do in order to prepare us for the greatest challenge of all, life beyond this material world.
So - my brothers and sisters, and my spiritual children build those spiritual muscles. Receive the sacraments often, including confession, and strengthen your relationship with God. Remember, pray, pray, pray…
LET GO, LET GOD
Be God’s forever+
Deacon Rob Starr
Change
The theme at the Jr. High Rally was about “CHANGE”. I was quite inspired by the conference. Fr. Andrew Trapp use Spiderman in his homily and it was impressive. He explained how change starts little but can grow into something great. The following is some of his homily:
Peter Parker was a shy science geek not respected by his classmates. But once the SMALL radioactive spider bit him it caused a CHANGE in his life. HE went from being nobody, to a super hero. The CHANGE was caused by a SMALL spider that launched him into his role of helping mankind in its struggles against evil. SMALL CHANGE can grow into great things for good. He now had a responsibility to the world to good. Yes I know this is a fictional story but it explains what can happen to all of us. (Fr. Andrew’s Homily)
We are not all called to save the world but we are called to help each other, even strangers, and do good in the world. Well Deacon Rob how can we young people do such things, we are only teenagers??? The answer in is simple. Let the change grow inside of you. It is like an ember glowing in your heart and soul. When you go to Mass and welcome Jesus into you via the Holy Eucharist, a small physical host with a BIG Holy punch, the true presence of Jesus – the Holy Spirit blows through your heart and soul igniting that ember into a small flame. So each time you receive the sacraments the Holy Spirit moves more and the flame grows and grows and grows. All you have to do is recognize the CHANGE and ACT on it.
Be leaders and SUPER HEROS my spiritual children. Stand out in the crowd, set the example, be the CHANGE. As my Super Hero, the Great JPII always quoted,” Do not be afraid!” You will find this phrase all through the bible about 300 times.
Mathew 14:27 - But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid."
Changes start small but become great as long as they are for GOOD. Be holy and follow the example of Jesus in the Gospels.
John 13:2-15
So, during supper, fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God, he rose from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist.
Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and dry them with the towel around his waist. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Master, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later." Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me." Simon Peter said to him, "Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well." Jesus said to him, "Whoever has bathed 6 has no need except to have his feet washed, for he is clean all over; so you are clean, but not all." For he knew who would betray him; for this reason, he said, "Not all of you are clean." So when he had washed their feet (and) put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, "Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me 'teacher' and 'master,' and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.
May the Lord bless you all in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit +
Be God’s forever+
Deacon Rob
Peter Parker was a shy science geek not respected by his classmates. But once the SMALL radioactive spider bit him it caused a CHANGE in his life. HE went from being nobody, to a super hero. The CHANGE was caused by a SMALL spider that launched him into his role of helping mankind in its struggles against evil. SMALL CHANGE can grow into great things for good. He now had a responsibility to the world to good. Yes I know this is a fictional story but it explains what can happen to all of us. (Fr. Andrew’s Homily)
We are not all called to save the world but we are called to help each other, even strangers, and do good in the world. Well Deacon Rob how can we young people do such things, we are only teenagers??? The answer in is simple. Let the change grow inside of you. It is like an ember glowing in your heart and soul. When you go to Mass and welcome Jesus into you via the Holy Eucharist, a small physical host with a BIG Holy punch, the true presence of Jesus – the Holy Spirit blows through your heart and soul igniting that ember into a small flame. So each time you receive the sacraments the Holy Spirit moves more and the flame grows and grows and grows. All you have to do is recognize the CHANGE and ACT on it.
Be leaders and SUPER HEROS my spiritual children. Stand out in the crowd, set the example, be the CHANGE. As my Super Hero, the Great JPII always quoted,” Do not be afraid!” You will find this phrase all through the bible about 300 times.
Mathew 14:27 - But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid."
Changes start small but become great as long as they are for GOOD. Be holy and follow the example of Jesus in the Gospels.
John 13:2-15
So, during supper, fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God, he rose from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist.
Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and dry them with the towel around his waist. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Master, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later." Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me." Simon Peter said to him, "Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well." Jesus said to him, "Whoever has bathed 6 has no need except to have his feet washed, for he is clean all over; so you are clean, but not all." For he knew who would betray him; for this reason, he said, "Not all of you are clean." So when he had washed their feet (and) put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, "Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me 'teacher' and 'master,' and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.
May the Lord bless you all in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit +
Be God’s forever+
Deacon Rob
"Who Loves You Baby?" Homily - 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2008
+ “Who loves you, baby?” trivia question for the day. What character from a seventy’s TV series used this catch phrase? Kojak.
+ Kojak was this great police detective in NY City who could solve any problem and every crime. So let’s put on our Kojak hats and ask this question again – “Who Loves You, Baby?”
+ First we have to evaluate the facts and the evidence.
+ We will start with today’s Gospel, our witness testimony. What is Jesus telling us?
+ Jesus tells us that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure buried in a field and out of JOY sells everything he has to purchase the field.
+ He then uses the parable of a great pearl and a person sells everything just purchase it.
+ He uses another story of the net thrown into the sea which collects fish of all kinds. The fisherman pulls the full net ashore, both good and bad, and then sorts them out - tossing out the bad.
+ Lastly, Jesus says, “Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven - is like the head of the household - who brings both the new and the old from the store room.”
+ So, what does all this mean? Put on your detective hats now… and check it out!
+ The answer is obvious – God Loves Us! HE loves us so much that Jesus gives a preview of what’s to come.
+ Stay with me here – Jesus loves us so much that He gives everything up, His own life, to purchase us for God. The price is paid with His horrific suffering, His blood, and His death.
+ WE are the treasure, the pearl, the fish… That he tells us about in the parables.
+ And like good detectives we have the hard evidence of His suffering, death, and resurrection to back our conclusion.
+ HE LOVES US THIS MUCH +. Msgr. Duffy used this symbol many times in his homilies - and I always looked at it as a loving hug from God. Wow, the symbol of torture and death, the cross, has become the symbol of love and forgiveness – only our God could make such a miraculous transformation.
+ “For God so loved the world that he gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16
+ Now let’s take this a few steps further and apply this to our own lives.
+ Is God asking us to sell everything we own? House, car, clothes… I think it’s a bit deeper than that.
+ God wants us to shed what the world tells us and live by His ways, love Him, and to love each other.
+ The world teaches us that WE are all that matters – that getting the STUFF we want is all that matters – which WE are the center of the universe. As long as I get mine - life is good. It doesn’t matter who gets hurt along the way – as long as my goal is achieved its goooood. I have even witnessed this idea in situations where people think if it is for the greater good then the lesser can suffer. Not the message of Christ!
+ We are called to let go of the ways of the world, - “selling” our worldliness and selfishness - and follow God’s way, buying the treasure. We need to turn away from the ways of the world but not withdraw from it.
+ Some of us think that if we shelter ourselves from the world and what it teaches - we will be better off. Kind of a selfish idea. We are called to live by the way of God IN the world so that we may help CHANGE the world and turn it back to God. This is being truly Catholic!
+ We are not isolationists, we are a communal people. St. Francis said,”The WORLD is my cloister!” Do you know what a cloister is? (Explain!)
+ We are called to live IN the world seeing through the eyes of our Lord and present Him by being an example to all we meet. St. Francis said it best, “Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary use words.”
+ Let us pray: Jesus, in the midst of an intense increase of wickedness in the cultures of the world causing the real meaning and practice of love to be confused and grow cold, make us burn with a raging blaze of love in who I am and through what I do, that I might be pleasing to You and a blessing to all. Thank you Jesus and bless us all. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit + Amen.
(Prayer is from Fr. Stan Fortuna’s book “U Got 2 Pray”)
+ Kojak was this great police detective in NY City who could solve any problem and every crime. So let’s put on our Kojak hats and ask this question again – “Who Loves You, Baby?”
+ First we have to evaluate the facts and the evidence.
+ We will start with today’s Gospel, our witness testimony. What is Jesus telling us?
+ Jesus tells us that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure buried in a field and out of JOY sells everything he has to purchase the field.
+ He then uses the parable of a great pearl and a person sells everything just purchase it.
+ He uses another story of the net thrown into the sea which collects fish of all kinds. The fisherman pulls the full net ashore, both good and bad, and then sorts them out - tossing out the bad.
+ Lastly, Jesus says, “Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven - is like the head of the household - who brings both the new and the old from the store room.”
+ So, what does all this mean? Put on your detective hats now… and check it out!
+ The answer is obvious – God Loves Us! HE loves us so much that Jesus gives a preview of what’s to come.
+ Stay with me here – Jesus loves us so much that He gives everything up, His own life, to purchase us for God. The price is paid with His horrific suffering, His blood, and His death.
+ WE are the treasure, the pearl, the fish… That he tells us about in the parables.
+ And like good detectives we have the hard evidence of His suffering, death, and resurrection to back our conclusion.
+ HE LOVES US THIS MUCH +. Msgr. Duffy used this symbol many times in his homilies - and I always looked at it as a loving hug from God. Wow, the symbol of torture and death, the cross, has become the symbol of love and forgiveness – only our God could make such a miraculous transformation.
+ “For God so loved the world that he gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16
+ Now let’s take this a few steps further and apply this to our own lives.
+ Is God asking us to sell everything we own? House, car, clothes… I think it’s a bit deeper than that.
+ God wants us to shed what the world tells us and live by His ways, love Him, and to love each other.
+ The world teaches us that WE are all that matters – that getting the STUFF we want is all that matters – which WE are the center of the universe. As long as I get mine - life is good. It doesn’t matter who gets hurt along the way – as long as my goal is achieved its goooood. I have even witnessed this idea in situations where people think if it is for the greater good then the lesser can suffer. Not the message of Christ!
+ We are called to let go of the ways of the world, - “selling” our worldliness and selfishness - and follow God’s way, buying the treasure. We need to turn away from the ways of the world but not withdraw from it.
+ Some of us think that if we shelter ourselves from the world and what it teaches - we will be better off. Kind of a selfish idea. We are called to live by the way of God IN the world so that we may help CHANGE the world and turn it back to God. This is being truly Catholic!
+ We are not isolationists, we are a communal people. St. Francis said,”The WORLD is my cloister!” Do you know what a cloister is? (Explain!)
+ We are called to live IN the world seeing through the eyes of our Lord and present Him by being an example to all we meet. St. Francis said it best, “Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary use words.”
+ Let us pray: Jesus, in the midst of an intense increase of wickedness in the cultures of the world causing the real meaning and practice of love to be confused and grow cold, make us burn with a raging blaze of love in who I am and through what I do, that I might be pleasing to You and a blessing to all. Thank you Jesus and bless us all. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit + Amen.
(Prayer is from Fr. Stan Fortuna’s book “U Got 2 Pray”)
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