"Faith"fully Yours

In Henri Nowen’s book Lifesigns he reminds us that the opposite of fear is love.   One scripture scholar notes that the exhortation “Be not afraid” is repeated 365 times in the Bible – once for every day of the year!   The Gospel for this past weekend [Matthew 10: 26 – 33 (in the Catholic tradition)] also encourages us to not be afraid.   As a person of faith, I believe that we do not need to be afraid and that there is a force of good in the universe far greater than anything I can imagine. Living by faith anchors us in love, which banishes fear.   The more we live in love, the less space there is for fear. And yet, so many live fearfully.   This is not the same as those people in our world who truly live in a place and/or situation where their life and loved ones are threatened regularly.   I am talking about so many who see the world through fear colored glasses, expecting that anything or anyone they do not understand is a threat.   ...

Today's post is a little long - I had the privilege of sharing the homily at Church and wanted to share my text in it's entirety: Last weekend I attended an Easter sunrise service with my family.  The preacher told some great stories and had good energy about spreading the Gospel.  However, he preached about the events of Jesus’ last days, beginning with the triumphal entry into Jerusalem right up to Jesus’ death at the hands of others.  He stopped at Holy Saturday – that empty space in time between death and resurrection.  He told us that of course we live most of our lives in Good Fridays and Holy Saturdays and didn’t move us to those Easter morning experiences we have all had. I left feeling somewhat empty or unfulfilled. As Christians we know we are living in the reign of God and we also know we are not.  Theologians refer to this as being about the reign of God already and not yet.  For me, this mystery is most evident in readings of th...

Have you gotten caught up in the “April the Giraffe” event?   It seems that this giraffe is pregnant and they have set up a “giraffe cam” for all to be able to tune in to the last weeks of her pregnancy through the birth and early days of the young giraffe (yet to be names!).   Some are avidly watching this in their every available moment, commenting freely about her movements, etc.   As an aside, I believe this is a great distraction from the many frightening cares of our world. I looked in on April last evening and she is very close to giving birth.   All her baby weight is now centered between her hips, making her very ungainly and awkward as she paces the birthing stall.   She looks as though she could split in two!   She is undergoing a seizmic shift and being rent for the sake of new life. This week, as we listen to the scriptures of Jesus arrest, death and ultimately his resurrection, we hear that at the time of Jesus’ death, the c...

I have been thinking a lot about the season of Lent as a time of conversion; a time to turn from sin and toward wholeness and new life.   My experience is that people tend to be grouped into one of two camps.   Either we are so aware of ourselves as sinful beings that we are forever seeking reconciliation and doing penance.   The awareness of the flawed human person is so prevalent that for those in this camp, it almost impossible to be aware of our innate goodness.   On the flip side, there are those of us in the camp of unfailing forgiveness and love.   For some in this camp, to see oneself as a sinner or to simply name those ways we separate ourselves from God’s love in small and big ways is hard. In which camp do you find yourself?   In recent years, I have been so focused on God’s love and care for me that I seem to have stumbled into the second camp.   When I come face to face with 40 days of being called to turn from my sins and follo...

Last week a friend and mentor went home to God.   Somehow, Fr. Jerry Appelby’s sickness and death has truly been an integral part of my journey of faith these last few weeks.   I know that I am a better minister of God’s Word because I knew Jerry. I know that some of my leadership skills are more finely tuned because I worked side by side with him.  Fr. Jerry served as Sacramental Minister in the parish where I served as the Pastoral Administrator.   He was devoted to his ministry of presiding, preaching and sharing the sacraments of healing; reconciliation and anointing.   He faithfully celebrated funerals, baptisms and weddings whenever we needed him.   This ministry was one he took up in his retirement and he wanted to be grounded in one community where he could be a part of the life of that community as much as he was able.   I had never been a Pastoral Administrator before and I wanted this relationship between us to work out.   ...