A Busy Week

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I find myself having gone a week without posting an article here (except for the normal reflection on the Sunday readings). I haven’t written for two reasons. First, I find myself without definitive thoughts to write about. Sometimes an idea comes into my head but doesn’t coalesce into something I can write an article on for a while.

The second reason is that I have been busy with other things. I’m not making excuses, just expressing the reality. Of course, being busy affects how much time I have to write but, more importantly, it affects how occupied my mind is, thus the ideas not coalescing. What makes me busy? On Thursday (November 18th), I will be offering Part II in my series, Giving Our Hearts to God: What It Means to Pray. (You can sign up for the webinar at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_C3Zh_90VRfW1qZWFTciO0g). I also have three funerals.

So, since I don’t have a new idea to write about, I thought I would share two experiences I had in the past week. The first came on Veteran’s Day. I was asked to offer an opening and closing prayer at the local Veteran’s Day ceremony. I pray that military action is not needed. I pray that no one use force to take power or new lands. Yet, I understand at times military action may be taken to stop someone who has initiated war or terrorism. (For more on just war, see my article “Just War Theory.” This material is also covered in the last presentation in my pro-life series, Treating Life with Dignity and Love.)

I wish wars would never happen. Yet, the reality is there have been a number of wars. I think it is important to honor our veterans and to take care of them. War is a terrible thing. It can be especially tough for the veterans who come home with physical and psychological injuries. The speakers at the local ceremony spoke of this. My heart, remembering my grandfathers who served as well as one of my brothers and a cousin, was touched with compassion at what the speakers said.

The second experience I will mention came on Saturday. I was in my office early working when the phone rang. Now, on the weekends I don’t always answer the phone as it is often either a telemarketer or someone looking for a staff member other than me. (Before anyone thinks that I should always answer the phone, please note we have a voice mail system that tells people how to get hold of me if it is an emergency.) In this case, something told me to answer it. It was an emergency for a parishioner in the hospital who needed to be anointed. I was supposed to have a meeting that morning that got cancelled on Friday. With the meeting cancelled, I was able to go to the hospital right away without hesitation. The person died three hours later. I was unhappy when the meeting was cancelled. However, God’s timing is perfect.

I’ll end by returning to where I began, that I don’t have ideas (maybe one, we will see) of what to right about. I also don’t have definitive ideas of a topic for presentations after I finish the current series on prayer). I welcome suggestions. Sometimes people will say to me that God will give me the ideas to write and/or speak out. I know and believe that. Sometimes He gives me the ideas through people like you.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

The Hour Draws Closer

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Our liturgical year in the church is drawing to a close. In two weeks we will begin a new year with the First Sunday of Advent. As we draw this year to a close, our readings turn to the end times when Jesus will come for the second time.

Jesus describes the end by saying, “In those days after that tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light.” I see darkness coming. People are losing faith and morality is declining. There is much hatred and violence in the world. It is “a time unsurpassed in distress.”

What does the decline in faith and morality mean? How are we to read the signs of the times?

People have asked me if I think we are in the end times. Mindful of Jesus words, “But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father,” I do not know the answer to their question.

While I do not know if the Second Coming is about to happen, I do believe we are living at a critical time. I wonder if a turning point is coming. It could be a good turning point, leading us back to faith and morality. It might be a breaking point where everything is turned upside down and society breaks down. I pray for the former.

What I do know is that God has something wonderful planned for us (“For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—oracle of the Lord—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope” Jeremiah 29:11). While people may turn away from the Lord, the Lord never abandons us. God is ready to rescue us if we let him. Jesus offers the one perfect sacrifice for our sins.

Who will get into Heaven? Some people say everyone does because God always forgive. God is eager to forgive us but we have to ask. We have to accept the gift of his forgiveness. Unfortunately, not everyone does. In our first reading today (33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B) we hear, “some shall live forever, others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.”

We face a great challenge. Temptation is real. We must ask God to give us our daily bread to have the strength we need to perceive against evil. Remember, Satan was defeated (Revelation 12). God was the victor. God did this through St. Michael the Archangel who is the guardian of God’s people. We can ask St. Michael to help us.

St. Michael the Archangel, 
defend us in battle. 
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. 
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, 
and do thou, 
O Prince of the heavenly hosts, 
by the power of God, 
thrust into hell Satan, 
and all the evil spirits, 
who prowl about the world 
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

You can read more about this Prayer to St. Michael in my blog article about it at https://blog.renewaloffaith.org/blog/?p=5350.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Can the Holy Souls in Purgatory Pray for Us?

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In my homily this weekend, I spoke about Purgatory and praying for the dead. Purgatory is an important part of our Catholic faith and understanding of what happens to us after earthly death. Unfortunately, it is not talked about much. If you know me, you know the fact that people don’t know much about Purgatory or that people think the Church no longer believes in it motivates me to speak and/or write about it. There are several articles on my blog and website about Purgatory, funerals, and grieving. You can find them at http://www.renewaloffaith.org/funerals–mass-intentions–and-purgatory.html.

My most comprehensive explanation of Purgatory is found in my article, “Purgatory as a Gift That Gets Us in Shape for Heaven.” While that article flowed from various reading I had done, after Mass this weekend I was asked a question that I had not come across before, “Can the Holy Souls of Purgatory pray for us?”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church talks about the Communion of Saints (see paragraphs 954ff). There are three “states” within the Communion of States. The saints already in Heaven, those awaiting final purification in Heaven, and us on Earth who continue to strive to live good Christians lives. The saints in Heaven offer intercession for us. We pray for those in Purgatory. Who do the souls in Purgatory pray for? Can they pray for anyone. It now seems like an obvious question but I had not thought of it before.

So, I took the question and did some looking. Based on some articles I found online (see list below), this is an open theological question. In Purgatory, they are not yet saints who regularly intercede for us before God. However, they are part of the Communion of Saints and they are God’s children. God always listens to his children’s prayers.

Of course, one could ask if the Catechism has anything to say about the souls in Purgatory praying for us. Paragraph 958 ends by saying about those in Purgatory, “Our prayer for them is capable not only of helping them, but also of making their intercession for us effective.” “Their intercession for us”? If they are interceding for us, they are praying for us.

When we suffer, we can offer our suffering for the needs of others. Is it not possible that the souls in Purgatory can offer up their “pain” for us? We leave their prayers in the hands of God. What is certain is that we are called to pray for them.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Fr. Charles Grondin, “Can Souls in Purgatory Intercede for Us?”, Catholic Answers website, https://www.catholic.com/qa/can-souls-in-purgatory-intercede-for-us.

Emily Stimpson Chapman, “9 Truths About Purgatory”, on Our Sunday Visitors website, https://osvnews.com/2013/09/18/9-truths-about-purgatory/.

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily

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32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
1 Kings 17:10-16
Psalm 146:7, 8-9, 9-10 (1b)
Hebrews 9:24-28
Mark 12:38-44
November 7, 2021

Today we hear of people who contributed to the temple treasury.  There are the rich people who put in large sums from their surplus wealth.  There is also the poor widow that contributed from all that she had.

From this passage it would be easy to preach about your financial contribution.  I do hope that you are generous in your giving in accord with your means.

I’ve spoken in recent weeks about the importance of our diocesan CMA appeal.  This week we sent out a letter for a new cemetery collection to help with our financial struggles for the cemeteries.  We also mailed our annual report in a new format.  So, you have heard plenty about our finances.  The only thing I will add today about our finances is that we recently discovered a drop in our regular collections.  Please be praying about how much you are able to give.

This being said, I would like to talk about another type of giving, spiritual giving. 

How do we give spiritually?  We give our hearts in prayer.  We are called not to pray just for ourselves but for the needs of others.  Our readings today speak of widows.  We can pray for those who have lost loved ones recently.

Last Tuesday we prayed for those who have died in the last year at our annual Mass of Remembrance on All Souls’ Day.

Why do we offer that Mass at this time of year?

Look at what is going on outside.  The gardens are bare. As the leaves fall from the trees, the trees also become bare.  The barrenness can remind us of death.

However, we know that after winter, spring will come.  The leaves will come out and the gardens will grow.

As we see the barrenness outside reminding us of death, we are reminded of our loved ones who have died.  However, as we remember them, we know in faith that earthly death is not a final end.  We know that just as the leaves will come out again, our loved ones can rise in the Resurrection.  This is our hope.  This is our faith.

Still, why do we pray for them?  Why do we offer Mass intentions for our loved ones?  We might offer Masses for them on birthdays and anniversaries but offering a Mass for them is not simply a way of celebrating their birthday or anniversary.

We know that through the sacrifice of Jesus giving his life on the Cross their sins are forgiven.  However, our sins have their effect on us.

If we have sought forgiveness, we will one day be in Heaven.  However, we need to be cleansed of the effect of our sins.  God has a way to do that.

It’s called Purgatory. 

Yes, the Church still believes in Purgatory.  We should be thankful for Purgatory so that we can get into Heaven.  Once we are in Heaven, then we can pray for our loved ones still on Earth.  However, for now, those of on Earth pray for the souls in Purgatory (St. Gertrude gives us a prayer to offer for the souls in Purgatory).

Jesus offers a sacrifice on our behalf in the Eucharist.  It is the sacrifice that takes away our sins.  There is no more powerful sacrifice out there.  It is offered “once for all.”  The sacrifice we offer in the Eucharist is not a new sacrifice.  It is God making present for us today what Jesus did for us on the Cross 2,000 years.

Knowing the awesome nature of this sacrifice, we offer Masses for our loved ones.  Now, Mass intentions can be offered for the living (most often offered for healing or wedding anniversaries) but Mass intentions are most commonly offered for the deceased.  We do this to easy their time in Purgatory.

Again, Purgatory is a good thing.  (If you would like to know more, on my website, I have an eight page article I wrote called, “Purgatory as a Gift That Gets Us in Shape for Heaven”.)

For now, let it suffice to offer one image of Purgatory, that of fire.  However, it is not the destructive fire of Hell.  It is a cleansing fire, burning away the bad and leaving the good to flourish.  With the bad burned away, we can enter Heaven.

That’s Purgatory.  This is why we offer Masses for the dead.

Now, I would like to shift to another way we honor our deceased loved ones, with burial. 

We are used to burying the full body in a casket.  In fact, for a long-time cremation was forbidden in the Catholic Church.  It was forbidden because there are cultures where cremation was the norm based on beliefs that denied the Resurrection. 

The Church allows cremation now as long as it is not based on a belief that would deny the resurrection of the body.  However, the Catholic Church still says calls us to show proper respect for the cremains by burying them as we would a full body.  We don’t just set the ashes of our loved ones aside in an urn to be forgotten and the Church says not to scatter them. 

Our loved ones may be dead in this world but they are alive to God.  We offer our prayers for them and treat their remains with profound respect.  Even after burial, we strive to take good care of our cemeteries out of respect for those buried there.

Homily for Mass of Remembrance

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Mass of Remembrance for Those Who Died in the Last Year
Wisdom 3:1-9
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Luke 23:44-46, 50, 52-53; 24:1-6a
November 2, 2021

Each person that we pray for by name tonight died in the last year.  It may have been a year ago or a month ago.  Each person who is here tonight, even two people who come tonight to pray for the same person, may be at a different point in grieving.

Sometimes we may only grieve a short period.  Sometimes we grieve for a long time.  While there are commonalities in grieving, there is no set order.  We may face denial or anger at the death.  Even if we quickly accept the death, we can experience sadness and even depression. 

When a loved one dies, it might feel like “darkness came over the whole land.” Like the veil that was torn in the temple our hearts have been torn in sadness.

When a loved one dies, we have our traditional customs.  We have calling hours, a funeral, burial, and often a reception.  Or at least normally we do.  COVID has limited even these.

From the gospels we know that Joseph of Arimathea saw to the burial of Jesus.  We have done the same for our loved ones.  However, our grieving does not end with the burial.

In celebrating a funeral for a loved one, we are placing “the souls of the just” into “the hand of God.”  Their death may have seemed like “utter destruction” in this world but in faith, we believe they live on.

We do “not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.”  Without faith, earthly death is a final end.  With faith, we have hope in the Resurrection. 

Jesus did not remain in the tomb.  On the third day He rose and appeared to his disciples so that we may know what it means to rise. 

Still, even with faith, grieving can be hard.  We continue to pray for our deceased loved ones. We miss our loved ones but we do not forget them.  We offer Mass intentions for them.  We offer this Mass tonight for them.

Here I think of the final words in our second reading tonight.  I use them at a funeral Mass just before the incensing.  “Therefore, console one another with these words.”

The words…they are words of faith in Jesus Christ.  Faith that Jesus died so that our sins might be forgiven.  Faith that Jesus goes to prepare a place in his Father’s house for those who believe in him as the way and the truth and the life. 

So, why do we offer Masses for them?

2 Maccabees 12 speaks of praying for the dead.  Our reading tonight from the Book of Wisdom says, “As gold in the furnace, he proved them.”  When a person dies in faith, we pray they are welcomed into the heavenly kingdom.  Their sins are already forgiven.  However, to enter into Heaven, they need to be cleansed of the remnant of their sins.  This happens in Purgatory.  One of the images of Purgatory is that of fire.  It is not the destructive and painful fire of Hell.  No, the fire of Purgatory is a cleansing fire that refines us just as gold is refined in the furnace.

We need Purgatory to make us ready for Heaven.

So, tonight we offer our prayers for our loved ones.  We offer the Sacrifice of the Mass to ease their time in Purgatory.

However, it is not just them that we pray for tonight.  We pray for you.  As I already said, we each grieve differently.  Maybe your grieving is over.  Maybe it has just begun.  Know that you do not grieve alone.  As you grieve, ask God to help you.  As you ask for help for yourself, pray that God helps others that are grieving.

Let us console one another in faith, faith that our loved ones have been forgiven and are cleansed of the effects of their sins to enter Heaven.  Pray the one day we all share with them in the Resurrection.

(For more on grieving, our funeral customs, and Purgatory see articles I have written on my website at http://www.renewaloffaith.org/funerals–mass-intentions–and-purgatory.html.)

Why the Commandments Are Good

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Our gospel reading and the first reading for this 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) speak of God’s commandments. We think in terms of 10 commandments. The Jews list 613 commandments with the 10 being the most important and applying to everyone. With so many commandments, where does one begin?

I think this is the frame of mind that leads “one of the scribes” to ask Jesus, “Which is the first of the commandments?” We should desire and strive to follow all of them but where do we begin?

Jesus replies by quoting from Deuteronomy 6:5 (part of our first reading today), “The LORD our God is Lord alone! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (“love thy neighbor” is found in Leviticus 19:18).

Jesus’ answer might seem surprising. While love is mentioned in the First Commandment, it is not prescribed as one of the the Ten Commandments (see Exodos 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21).. Well, let’s think about that.

What is our attitude towards the commandments? Do we see them as rules to follow because we fear God? (see also my video presentation, Are They Rules or a Way of Life?)

In our first reading today, “Moses spoke to the people, saying: “Fear the LORD.” Are you afraid of God?

I am not afraid of God. I fear disappointing God. I fear punishment of my signs. However, I am not afraid of God.

Why?

Because I know God loves me. “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).

Then why does Moses tell us to “Fear the LORD“? Generally when we use the word “fear” it refers to being scared of something. In this sense, I do not fear God because I know He loves me. However, if you look up the word “fear” in the dictionary, there is another meaning. “Fear” can mean “reverence” and “awe.” God is all-knowing and all-powerful. God is infinite. God transcends the things of this world. God is greater than anything we can imagine. Thus, we stand in “awe” of God. Thus, we “Fear the LORD.”

God is beyond us yet He chooses to love us. He gives us commandments that are for our good not his. Thus, we should be motivated to keep “all his statues and commandments” not because we are afraid of God but because we stand in awe of God and his love for us. God gives us commandments that lead us to “grow and prosper” and that lead us to “long life.” (For more on how God’s commandments are good for us, see my article “God’s Commandments.”

Returning to Jesus telling us that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love our neighbor, ask yourself how well do you love? The first three of the Ten Commandments speak of how we show our love for God. The remaining seven commandments speak of how we show our love for our neighbor.

Do you love God? Do you love God will ALL your soul, mind, and strength? Do you love God in everything you say and do or is there something you are holding back on?

It is not always easy to love our neighbor. Sometimes they do something that hurts us. We must keep loving them. I know it is not easy to love someone who has hurt you. Have you ever done anything to hurt them? Still we may find it hard to forgive them. Then, we do well to remember the words we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” If we want God to forgive us, we must be willing to forgive others.

What about loving God? That’s easy, right? The problem is sometimes the temptations of this world can give us an immediate pleasure that is hard to know with God. While the physical pleasures of this world are immediate, what God offers is eternal.

Remember, God loves you.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Repost with Corrected Link – First Video in New Series on Prayer

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I just uploaded the recording of the first webinar in my new series on prayer, Giving Our Hearts to God: What It Means to Pray. You can view the view and see the slides at www.renewaloffaith.org/prayer2021partI.

Here’s a description for this webinar – “How do you pray? Do you pray the rosary? What about the Divine Mercy Chaplet? What do you ask God for in prayer? How much time do you spend in prayer? Do you feel your prayers go unanswered? In this series, Fr. Jeff discusses these and other questions of prayer like “what are we trying to accomplish in prayer.”

For a few days you can complete an evaluation of the webinar online at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScofCA_VHc6Oq_pS4REoNuncpNADPq3YwwdCznUh6-5hvD38w/viewform?usp=sf_link.

The live webinar of Part II will be on November 18th at 6:30 pm. You can register now at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_C3Zh_90VRfW1qZWFTciO0g .

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

What Does Your Faith Mean to You?

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If you are reading this blog article, it would seem likely that your faith means something to you. It likely means faith is more for you than just going to church on Sunday for one hour. The time spent at Mass is essential. It leads us to live out our faith beyond the hour.

You might ask yourself, “what does your faith mean to you?” Maybe you already know the answer or maybe it is rooted in family tradition for you. Someone people go to church their whole lives because it is what they were raised to do. This doesn’t mean that your faith isn’t more than just going to church on Sunday. It simply means it is the experience you grew up. Our experiences are an important part of shaping who we are.

To change the question a little, let’s move from asking, “what does your faith mean to you” to “why does it mean something to you.” The answer may be rooted in our experience(s) of God.

As I already mentioned, it might be rooted in family experience of faith. However, not everyone who grew up going to church with their family still goes. Maybe you are someone who stopped going to church at some point in your life. Why did you stop going? Perhaps it is because of a bad experience with the church. If you have been a victim of wrongdoing, I am sorry. Perhaps more likely is that your experience of church as a child was not one of depth. We went because that is what we were told to do. A seed had been planted but it had not yet sprouted.

So, then what brought you back? Or, if you have always gone to church, what experience of faith have you had to has led you to a deeper faith?

Was there a particularly joyous moment in your life that spoke to you?

Or perhaps it was a very difficult moment. The loss of a loved one can have a profound effect on us. I have seen people return to practicing their faith after the death of a loved one.

The same can be true with a severe illness. We receive a serious diagnosis that we cannot face on our own. We turn to God. God is right there waiting for us with open arms.

Perhaps you returned to practicing your faith because of seeing a miracle. It might be a big and obvious miracle. It might also be so small a miracle that many might take for granted but it means something much deeper to you.

It might be a profound moment in prayer which made you aware of God’s presence. This might involve moving to a deeper understanding of prayer (This Thursday I start a series of three presentations on prayer. You can find out more at https://blog.renewaloffaith.org/blog/?p=6933 ). For instance, we know when to stand, kneel, and sit at Mass. We know what to say and when to say it at Mass. However, do we understand why we do these things? Do we appreciate what these customs mean? (For more on the Mass, see my video series, Uncovering the Treasures of the Mass.)

Our personal experiences of faith are a very important part of what our faith means to us. Our collective experiences of our faith are also important.

I was not at the Crucifixion 2,000 years ago. None of us were. However, that does not mean we have not experienced the Crucifixion in a meaningful way. We recall the Passion that Jesus endured for us during Holy Week in the reading of the Passion on Palm Sunday and Good Friday. We feel the effect of the Crucifixion when we repent of our sins and receive God’s forgiveness. We celebrate the Sacrifice that Jesus makes for us every time we celebrate Mass.

Likewise, no one us alive today was at Jesus’ Resurrection. However, we understand that the empty tomb as a good thing because it means Jesus is risen. Death is not victorious! This is at the heart of our hope when a loved one dies. We know Jesus to be the Resurrection and the life (see John 11:25). After his Resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples so that we might know what it means to rise.

What experiences of faith have you had? Is there a way that God is calling you to share your experience(s) with others that will help them know God’s love for them?

Remember, as we hear Paul say in today’s first reading, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us” (Romans 8:18).

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily

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30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Jeremiah 31:7-9
Psalm 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6 (3)
Hebrews 5:1-6
Mark 10:46-52
October 24, 2021

As Jesus leaves Jericho, “Bartimaeus, a blind man,” is sitting by the roadside begging.  When he hears that Jesus of Nazareth is there, he begins to “cry out.”

He may be physically blind but the words he cries out show spiritual sight.  He calls Jesus, “son of David.”  The title, “Son of David,” is not simply an acknowledgement that Jesus is a descendant of David.  It is a messianic title.  While the man cannot see with human eyes, he sees Jesus for who He really is.

Thus, Bartimaeus calls out, “have pity of me.”  This is not a cry for sympathy.  Acknowledging Jesus as “Son of David,” Bartimaeus knows that Jesus can help him.

When others began to rebuke him, Bartimaeus was not deterred.  He continued to call out to Jesus.  Jesus then summoned him and asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”

Bartimaeus offers the obvious answer, “Master, I want to see.”

Jesus tells Bartimaeus to go his way for his faith has saved him.  Bartimaeus is healed and free to go his own way.  What does he do?  What way does he go?  He follows Jesus “on the way.” 

Seeing Jesus for who He is, Bartimaeus follows him.  There is real eyesight.

Physical eyesight is good.  Spiritual eyesight is better.

How do you see the world?  Do you look at it only in human terms? Or do you ask to see the world as God sees it?

In the first reading, speaking through the prophet Jeremiah, the LORD says, “I will gather them from the ends of the world with the blind and the lame.”  God is going to bring the Babylonian Exile to an end.  He will gather everyone back to him.

This includes those who are blind and lame.  I think here of those who are spiritually blind.  I think of those who might be spiritually lame, meaning those who do not fully live the faith (or at all).

The Lord brought back the captives from Babylon.  Jesus sets us free from our captivity to sin.  He “restores our fortunes.”  This fortune lies not in material wealth.  Our true fortune is eternal life with God.

In setting us free from our sins, “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.”

From this joy, we should exult and praise God for what He has done for us.  We should share the good news of how “the LORD has delivered his people.”

It is something we are all called to do.  It is our mission.

Today our Catholic Church celebrates “World Mission Sunday.”  We are called to think of the mission to take the gospel to new people.  As part of this, we have a second collection today.  Your contributions support missionary efforts to bring the good news of salvation and mercy to Africa, Asia, the Pacific Islands, Latin America, and parts of Europe.

However, we should not look at missions only as something done someplace else by somebody else.  We are to share in the mission.  The collection is one way of doing this but we are called to something more than just giving money.

We are called to live here in our own community with a missionary spirit.  I spoke before about those who are spiritually blind and lame.  This includes people in our own community.

It can be people who have never heard of what Jesus has done for us.  It can be people who have heard but have forgotten or never fully grasped the meaning of it. 

Maybe we haven’t fully grasped it ourselves.  After all, we sin.  We are not perfect.  Sometimes people think that means they can’t speak to others.  Who are we to judge?  We should not seek to judge. 

However, that the fact that we are sinners should not stop us from sharing what we know about Jesus.  In fact, it can add to our creditability.  How?  Because we can speak of our need for Jesus and how He has helped us, how He has forgiven our sins.  We stand as witnesses to God’s mercy.

Share the mercy.

Using the News to Pray

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In previous articles like, “What’s in the News,” I have written about why I think it is important to follow the news. Watching the news we typically hear more discouraging news than uplifting news. Recently, I have begun trying to use news headlines as the source of material for prayer. I still advocate to follow the news more in-depth than just looking at headlines but this might be a good approach for part of our prayer life.

I would like to provide some examples. I will begin with the national news using the CBS News app on my phone. I offer no endorsement of any particular news source. This just happens to be one I have. You should be apply to do the same with any news app or website. (These headlines are as of 1:25 pm, October 18, 2021).

Headline #1 – “Colin Powell dies at 84 from COVID-19 amid cancer battle” – Colin Powell was vaccinated but still contracted COVID. Here is the prayer – “Lord, we thought we made things much better when the vaccines came out. The number of new cases was way down. Then came the Delta variant. Lord, we need your help. We ask you to help those who become ill with COVID. Please help those who care for them in their work and in their own health. Lord, we ask you to help people, whether they are vaccinated or not, know that they still need to make wise decisions like wearing face masks when appropriate. Help us to persevere in making wise choices.”

Headline #2 – “17 missionaries kidnapped by gang in Haiti, police say” – I offer this prayer – “Lord, being a good Christian is not easy. All but one of Jesus’ Apostles were martyred. It seems like it should be easy to be your disciple but it is not. We must be willing to take up our cross and follow you. When we want to hide our Christianity, may we always remember that your Son, our Savior, Jesus opened preached the gospel for us, till the point of his death on the Cross. Help to persevere in being Christian.”

Headline #3 – “Yard sale funds random acts of kindness” – “Lord, we are thankful to hear that there are good people who want to help make things better. We can’t eliminate all suffering in this world but we can help one another through our sufferings. Lord, I don’t always know what I can do to help but let me be inspired when I see others helping. I offer these words in prayer from the beginning of the Serenity Prayer, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”?

Now, I change to a headline from www.catholicnewsagency.com.

Headline #4 – “Pope Francis names USCCB evangelization chair as new bishop of Crookston diocese” – “Lord, I know nothing of this bishop except to note that the headline says he chairs the USCCB evangelization committee. I pray that he will be a good shepherd of the diocese and care for the people. I pray that he seeks to do your will in all things. As I see great importance in the work of evangelization, I pray in thanksgiving that he is involved in evangelization.”

Now, I offer two headlines from a local news source – https://www.mytwintiers.com/

Headline #5 – “Gas leak reported in Elmira Heights, road reopens after temporary closure” – “Lord, we pray in thanksgiving that there was no explosion and no one was hurt from this gas leak.”

Headline #6 – “Chemung County woman indicted for welfare fraud, grand larceny” – Lord, it would be easy to say we are happy that this woman got caught. We certainly want justice. After all, the Seventh Commandment says “You Shall not Steal.” However, there is something bigger to think of here, the people who really do need help. Lord, we pray for those in need, that they have what they need through your grace and the work of our hands.”

I hope this inspires you to think about how you might pray about what you hear in the news.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff