Information
Men's December Mass
Saturday, December 2, 2017
7:30am

Women's December Mass
Saturday, December 9, 2017
8:00am

Bishop's House
107 Albany Dr.
Houma, La, 70360

Bring a friend.
Fellowship afterwards.

But even though God revealed once more his power over their enemies, the Israelites soon forgot these signs and continued to complain and grumble, to long for their past way of life, to test the Lord, to be disobedient, to give in to fear. Basically, their hearts were hardened.
 
This basic mind set was captured in Psalm 95 as the psalmist centuries later addressed the people of his day, speaking in the name of God. He could as well be speaking to us in our desert experience: "Harden not your hearts as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the desert, where your fathers tempted me; they tested me though they had seen my works. Forty years I loathed that generation, and I said: They are a people of erring heart, and they know not my ways. Therefore I swore in my anger: They shall not enter into my rest"(Ps 95: 8-11).

What is the purpose of the spiritual desert? To get in touch with sin within us. Sin is what hardens our heart against God. Not just any sin, but the root or dominant sin of our life, the habitual sin which controls our life, the sin which is our god, the skeletin-sin in the closet of our heart which we are afraid to confront, the security blanket sin which we have clung to.for years, the sin we fall back into when we no longer can trust that God can provide for our needs, the convenient sin which is ready to satisfy us, even for a fleeting moment.

Like the Israelites, we have experienced personally some salvific moments in which God revealed his power, his mercy, his love, his freedom, his life to us. Whether the signs and wonders were as dramatic in our lives as they were in the Israelites in Egypt is not important. What is important is that God saved us from a life of tragic consequences. If God had not intervened either dramatically or quietly, we would have continued on a path leading to nowhere and nothingness, a life of eternal separation from God, and a future full of woe.


Like the Israelites the spiritual honeymoon didn't last long, the reality that our past will not leave us so easily became clear very soon after we began our new journey. Our task masters of the past--the sinful desires and pleasures, the negative attitudinal bondage, the fears, the seemingly inescapable needs, our former way of life with its so-called friends--all seem to converge on us once again. If we give in or give up at this point, we fail the first test of the journey. Is God capable of deleivering us or not? Can God make a way when our enemies are on one side and our backs are up against a vast sea?

What did Moses tell the Israelites and what does God say to us? "Fear not! Stand your ground, and you will see the victory the Lord will win for you today....The Lord himself will fight for you; you have only to keep still" (Ex. 14:13-14). To believe that this journey has a purpose, to trust that the Lord's plan will be revealed, to be still and wait upon the Lord is to discover the first of many springs in the spiritual desert.

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT: GOSPEL YEAR B


Jesus said to his disciples "Be watchful! Be alert!
  During Jesus’ time a Roman soldier could face execution if he fell asleep during guard duty and allowed the enemy to penetrate the camp.
How watchful are we against the spiritual enemy who wants to draw us away from God?
You do not know when the time will come.
There are two words in Greek for time: "Kairos" and "Chronos." The first conveys that that moment is a crucial, decisive moment in a person’s life. The second is the ordinary way we understand time, as another moment in life.
That "Kairos" moment is the time of our death and judgment before God.

It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning.
  These are the four Roman watches of the night: Evening watch (6:00 - 9:00 p.m.); midnight watch (9:00 - midnight); cockcrow watch (midnight - 3:00 a.m.); and dawn watch (3:00 - 6:00 a.m.). Note that they are all nighttime watches.

May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: 'Watch!'"
  What does it mean to you to be watchful, stay awake?
Jesus reminds us that he will come again. What effect does this realization have on the way you live?
What changes should be made in your life in order to respond attentively to the message of Jesus in today’s Gospel?
It may be good to develop the habit of praying daily "Come, Lord Jesus, Come!" as a way of reminding yourself of the Gospel message:
As we begin this Advent season, what are we watching for? Is it not the coming of Jesus in the present moment of our lives? How attentive are we to the comings of Jesus throughout our day, week, month? If we are watchful in the present moment, what will be different when he comes in that final kairos moment of our life on earth?

While the feeling of aloneness and abandonment seem to grow stronger, faith continues to reassure us that God never abandons us. Faith tells us that somehow all of this is part of God's mysterious plan for us. But how long and to what purpose? At times it is hard to focus on faith and not feelings for the latter seem to be backed up by clear, experienced facts. I have no consolations in prayer only desolations. There is no visible light, only darkness. Even going through the motions of prayer seem pointless and wasted. Nothing seems to matter.

Welcome to the Exodus journey of every person from the Egypt of sin to the Promised Land of life eternal! What the Israelites experienced physically and what they learned spiritually in their forty year-desert sojourn, we will have to experience in our spiritual journey to greater intimacy with the Lord.

For the spiritual desert is not a hell-hole on earth, but a grace-event on the way to heaven. (To be continued)

Life is a journey. At times our journey seem to go through arid periods. We feel alone and abandoned, even by God. We don't understand what is going on or what has brought us to this point. Is God displeased with us? Is God punishing us? Is this part of our purification? Day in and day out we seem to be trudging alone with a sense of aimlessness and hopelessness. We have no direction. At times it feels that we are going in circles; things look de-ja-vu-familiar, as if we have been at this point before.


Like the Israelites, we remember the times in our own Egypt of bondage, when we had it better, even if we were slaves to sin. At least then we knew what to expect. But here in the desert we are totally dependent and vulnerable. There is no one but ourselves alone. Yes, there are people all around us; there is activity going on; we are going through the motions of daily life, but the spiritual emptiness will not go away. The holy things which use to mean something, use to satisfy us, no longer do.

We cry out and our words seem to drift into space. "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me, far from my prayer, from the words of my cry? O my God, I cry out by day, and you answer not; by night, and there is no relief for me" (Ps 22:2-3). There is no response. Our fear is that no one is listening and no one cares. Not even God. We cry even louder and with more fervor and desperation: "But you, O Lord, be not far from me; O my help, hasten to aid me. Rescue my soul from the sword, my loneliness from the grip of the dog. Save me from the lion's mouth; from the horns of the wild bulls, my wretched life" (Ps 22:20-22). There is only silence after the echo of my plea fades into the desert night.  (To be continued)

Yes, we are called to express our gratitude directly through prayer, through sacrifice and worship; through praise and exultation. George Hebert once pinned these words: "Thou that hast given so much to me, Give one thing more--a grateful heart; Not thankful when it pleaseth me, As if thy blessings had spare days; But such a heart, whose pulse may be Thy praise."

We are called to express our gratitude indirectly through the way we live and how we treat others and by being witnesses reflecting the goodness of God to others. Dietrick Bonhoeffer once said: "Only he who gives thanks for little things receives the big things."

There is a legend about two angels who were sent to earth to gather up the prayers of men and women. One was to fill his basket with the petitions of humanity. The other was to gather their prayers of thanksgiving. Some time later they went back to their Father's house. One had a basket heaped high and running over with the innumerable petitions of men and women. The other returned with a sad and heavy heart, for his basket was almost empty.

As we gather together as a men and women of religious faith and understanding, may we make our own the prayer of a holy woman of God, Catherine of Siena: "O tender Father, you gave me more, much more than I ever thought to ask for. I realize that our human desires can never really match what you long to give us. Thanks, and again thanks, O Father, for having granted my petitions, and that which I never realized I needed or petitioned."

We are grateful to God for a mystery we do not comprehend.
For his great love: which we see and which we do not see; he accepts us as we are and who we are and asks us to do the same towards others; he doesn't withhold his personal love because of our race, creed, color of our skin, nationality, language, culture, education, economic status, strengths or weaknesses or whether we love him or not; he loves us because he loves unconditionally.
Jesus is the greatest sign of this divine love.

Paddy Chayefsky, in his play Gideon, has a truly remarkable passage containing his imagined dialogue between Yahweh and the OT judge Gideon:
GIDEON; I thought of nothing but you the whole night. I am possessed by all the lunacy of love. If I could, I would cover you with veils, God, and keep you hidden behind the curtains in my tent. Oh! Just say again you love me, God.
GOD: I do, Gideon.
GIDEON: I do not know why. I must say, I do not know why.
GOD: I hardly knew why myself, but then passion is an unreasonable thing.

God loves because God is love! 

Feast of Christ the King: Gospel Reflections A

Jesus said: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him.
When the Son of God came the first time, He humbled himself for our sake. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. When He comes again, He will come in all his glory and power as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
The phrase, Son of Man, is Jesus' favorite way to refer to himself. Cf Daniel 7:13-14
Besides the title, Son of Man, what three other titles are used of Jesus here in this parable?

And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

Besides the sheep and the goats and the wheat and the weed, what other examples in the teachings of Jesus do you recall the theme of separation?

Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.' An inheritance is a totally unearned gift or bequest left by another in a last will and testament.
The criterion of judgment will be the deeds of mercy that were done out of love for the least among us. These six deeds of mercy or of loving kindness are found throughout the Old Testament, as ways people are to respond because of their relationship to God.
Are these extraordinary acts or ordinary ones?

Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'

What does their response say about why they did what they did?

And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.' Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.' Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?' He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.'

The bottom line for God is living out the Commandment of Love in our life.
In the first instance, the judgment is based on commissions—things done with the right attitude; in the second instance, the judgment is based on omissions—things not done and not basing one’s life on love.

And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Looking at my life within the above parameters, how will God judge me?
What attitudes need changing in my life so that I can reflect what God is asking of me through these words?
As I reflect on this passage, where do I feel challenged? How will I apply this message in my life this week?

God has blessed in many ways that we take for granted.
For his providence and care: what we see and what we do not even know--"You have visited the land and watered it; greatly have you enriched it. God's watercourses are filled; you have prepared the grain. Thus, have you prepared the land; drenching its furrows, breaking up its clods, Softening it with showers, blessing its yield. You have crowned the year with your bounty, and your paths overflow with a rich harvest" Ps 65 10-12

Thank you, Lord, for the good harvest we have had over the years. Though we faced the possibility of an extended war around the world and the lost of many lives, thank you, Lord, for the safe return of our men and women; Though we are experiencing in some places a period of recession causing economic hardships for many in our nation and in the world, can we thank God now for the ways he will provide for us before he does, because of his proven faithfulness?

Can we in good times and bad have the attitude of the prophet Habakkuk? "For though the fig tree blossom not nor fruit be on the vines, Though the yield of the olive fail and the terraces produce no nourishment, Though the flocks disappear from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls. Yet will I rejoice in the Lord and exult in my saving God. God, my Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet swift as those of hinds and enables me to upon the heights." Hab 3:17-19

We continue to reflect on the need of gratitude for what God has bestowed on us.
For the gift of forgiveness: "Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; Though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool." (Is 1:18) Who else but God could act as He does: "So I will allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak to her heart...I will make a covenant for them on that day....I will espouse you to me forever; I will espouse you in right and in justice, in love and in mercy; I will espouse you in fidelity and you shall know the Lord." (Ho. 2:16, 20, 21-22) His mercy endures forever--for the sins we are aware of and the sins that we are not aware--our personal sins and the sins of corporate humanity; thank you, Lord, for sparing us from the dire consequences of racial bigotry and division spawned by political expediences; thank you, Lord, for forgiving us even before we ask forgiveness.

Story: There were two women on the shore of the sacred Ganges River in India. The older woman notices a spider impaled on a thorn bush floating on the river. The older woman reaches for the spider, rescues it, and in the process, is bitten by the spider. Immediately, she sucks out the poison from her finger and releases the spider. Somehow, the spider gets caught again on the thorn branch, and the older woman again plucks it out. The spider repeats his action of biting the woman. The younger woman marvels at this sequence. She remarks, "Old woman, what foolishness is this? Leave the spider to its fate. Every time you try to help it, it repays you with a bite." The old woman replies: "The spider's nature is to bite. Mine is to save."

One way we can express our gratitude is to forgive others.

What else should we give thanks to God for?
For the gift of Jesus and the gift of salvation: the gift of human life is gift enough, but to be given a share in the life of God is beyond understanding. But what is more beyond our grasp of understanding is to be given the gift of salvation after we had turned away through sin. Not only seven times but seventy times seven, in other words without limitation God has gifted us with the grace of salvation.

"You were dead because of your sins and offenses, as you gave allegiance to the present age and to the prince of the air, that spirit who is even now at work among the rebellious. All of us were once of their company; we lived at the level of the flesh, following every whim and fancy, and so by nature every whim and fancy, and so by nature deserved God's wrath like the rest. But God is rich in mercy; because of his great love for us he brought us to life with Christ when we were dead in sin. By this favor your were saved....It is owing to his favor that salvation is yours through faith. This is not your own doing, it is God's gift." Eph 2:1-9

For you, Jesus, and your gift of unconditional love through your death and resurrection, granting us life with you now and forever, thanks.

Information
Women's Mass for November
Saturday, November 18, 2017
8:00am
Bishop Jacob's house
107 Albany Dr.
Houma, La   70360
Bring a friend.
Fellowship afterwards.

We continue our reflection on thanksgiving.
We are grateful for the gift of life in particular: that which we experience consciously and that which we experience unconsciously. Again quoting Thomas Merton: "Unless we are grateful for our own existence, we do not know who we are, and we have not yet discovered what it really means to be and to live....The only value of our life is that it is a gift of God. Gratitude shows reverence to God in the way we make use of his gifts." 

Life if so precious and fragile. It is a gift we can take for granted rather than be in awe every morning we wake up alive. But besides our natural, human life, we are also blessed with the gift of sharing in the divine life of God, by God's grace and mercy. How conscious are we of this unseen reality of faith?

With the psalmist we proclaim: "Who are we that you should be mindful of us, or that you should care for us? You have made us little less than the angels, and crowned us with glory and honor. You have given us rule over the works of your hands, putting all things under our feet."

We have much to be grateful for:
For all the gifts we receive: those we are aware of and those we are not, especially those we take for granted.

(1)We have been given natural gifts: sight and all our senses; intellect, the ability to know and understand; and will, the freedom to choose, to say "yes" or "no" even to God; the gift of memory, forever stored on the microchips of the mind as blessed or scared remembrances; the gift of emotions, which when used properly brings balance into our life and when abused leaves us impaired; the gift of time, to use effectively or to waste uselessly, all of which we will be accountable for. Recall the parable of the talents in the scriptures.

(2) We have been given spiritual gifts at Baptism and Confirmation: "To each person the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good....It is one and the same Spirit who produces all these gifts, distributing them to each as he wills." 1 Cor. 12:7,11

"Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has bestowed on us in Christ every spiritual blessing in the heavens." Eph 1:3

"Each of us has received God's favor in the measure in which Christ bestows it....It is he who gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers in roles of service for the faithful to build up the body of Christ, till we become one in faith and in the knowledge of God's Son, and form that perfect man who is Christ come to full stature." Eph 4:7,11-13

Our proper use of the natural gifts and spiritual gifts is a way of giving thanks to God for these blessings. They have been given for our sake and for the sake of others.

Thirty-Third Sunday Gospel Reflections A


Jesus said: "It will be as when a man who was going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one--to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Note that the Master did not dictate what they are to do. He trusts their good judgment.
Note also that the Master deals with each according to his/her abilities. Not giving more than the individual could handle.
A talent was a measure of weight by which other things like gold and silver were weighed. Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two.

Do we show the same initiative and enthusiasm in the work of God? But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master's money.
Where in our past have we acted as the third servant? After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, 'Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.' (Then) the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, 'Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.'
How do you feel about the Master’s response, namely, treating them equally? Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, 'Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.'
Do you hear the self-condemnation of the third servant? How different will this scene be from the day of judgment before God? 

His master said to him in reply, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?

The servant knew what he should have done but chose not to do it. Does that reflect anything in our present or past life? Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth."
How faithful are we to both large and little things?
How conscious are we to the call to be a witness for Jesus in all things?
What is the lesson we can take from this and apply it to our own lives?

There is much for us to be grateful to God:

a) For the gift of the Father and all of creation: that which we see and that which we do not see. Thomas Merton once wrote: "If we are grateful to God, we cannot but taste the joy of finding Him in his creation. To be ungrateful is to admit that we do not know Him, and that we love his creatures not for his sake but for our own."  How often do we take time to allow creation to reveal God to us?

" It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praise to your name, Most High. To proclaim your kindness at dawn and your faithfulness throughout the night, with ten-stringed instrument and lyre, with melody upon the harp. For you make me glad, O Lord, by your deeds; at the works of your hands I rejoice. How great are your works, O Lord! How very deep are your thoughts!" Ps 92: 1-6 How often do we express gratitude and praise to Good for his gift of creation?

There is a poetic passage in St. Augustine's Confessions wherein the great thinker and searcher challenges the creatures around him--the hills, the sky, the air, the deeps and all that is in them--to tell him about God. What is he? where is he to be found? In your power and immensity? In your space or your nothingness, in your harmony and beauty, in your being? Finally he asks the sun, the moor, and the stars, and they answer, "We are not the God you seek." The saint concludes the dialogue: "And I replied to all these things which stand above the door of my flesh, 'you have told me concerning my God that you are not he: tell me something about him.' And with a loud voice they exclaimed, 'He made us!'"  Yes, he made you and me. Let's not take that for granted. Rather, each day let us give thanks for this marvelous gift which is myself.

One day a father and his son were walking on a rocky road. The father was a doctor. The son stumbled on a large rock and hurt his leg. The doctor/father quickly knew what to do and reset the leg, so that he would not be permanently crippled. The son was forever grateful to the father. A holy woman of God, Theresa, reflecting on this story, wondered what if the father saw the rock ahead and knew his son would stumble over it and then went ahead of him to remove the rock. The son seeing that action would be forever grateful. Then she wondered how many times God removes stumbling blocks from our paths which we are never aware of. Can we be grateful to God for things unseen and unknown he does to ensure our safe journey in life? That's real gratitude. Indeed, we have much to be grateful. Why not express this in prayer several times today?

The desire for praise and recognition as an affirmation of self leaves the self empty and incomplete. But the decision to bring even the need for these signs to the cross with Jesus, who received no praise or affirmation in his self-sacrifice, is to become like Jesus victorious and glorious. The desire for praise makes the self the center of attention and not God.

Some people are deeply hurt because their good deeds go unrecognized. No one expresses public gratitude for their services or labors. It is hard to die to this desire especially when we strongly believe we deserve recognition and are owed it. And yet what did Jesus said about doing things so that people could see and applaud us? "Be on your guard against performing religious acts for people to see. Otherwise expect no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, for example, do not blow a horn before you in synagogues and streets like hypocrites looking for applause. You can be sure of this much, they are already repaid. In giving alms you are not to let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Keep your deeds of mercy secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you" (Mt 6:1-4).

On the contrary, the attitude which the Lord desires us to have is expressed by Jesus in Lk: "When you have done all you have been commanded to do, say, 'We are useless servants. We have done no more than our duty'"(Lk 17:10). If praise comes unsolicited, then we are to receive it humbly, recognizing that it is God who is the source of all the good we accomplish. Like Mary, when Elizabeth sang her praises for acting on the Word of the Lord, we are to magnify the Lord, recognizing that he has done great things for us.

Information;
Men's Monthly Mass
November 11, 2017
7:30am

Women's Monthly Mass
November 18, 2017
8:00am

Bishop's House
107 Albany Dr.
Houma, La

Bring a friend.
Fellowship afterwards.

The desire for position is one of the areas in which the self, following the model of the world, becomes entrapped. Jockeying for positions of recognition and importance in the eyes of others as a reflection of one's self worth and identity leads to selling oneself on the slave market of the world. The disciples struggled with the question of who was the most important among them. Again and again Jesus would find them arguing over their own importance or striving to gain a position of importance in the worldly kingdom they thought Jesus came to establish. James and John had their mother intercede on their behalf. Jesus' response was the same. His response was clear and to the point: "Anyone among you who aspires to greatness must serve the rest, and whoever wants to rank first among you must serve the needs of all. Such is the case of the Son of Man who has come, not to be served by others, but to serve, to give his own life as a ransom for the many" (Mt 20:26-28). When the self takes on the role of a servant on the cross for the sake of others, there is no room for rank or position.

The call to grow in the full life as a disciple requires the self not to be before God:

Lk 14:26. One of the hardest things to bring to the cross is myself and all I inaccurately consider to be essential for me to be me. What is it in my life that Jesus is calling me to die to? Anything and everything which does not allow him to be the center of my life; anything and everything in which I cannot fully trust God to provide; anything and everything which I must grab for myself.

These can be listed as desire for possessions, desire for position and privilege, desire for praise and recognition.

We are called to realize that our self identity is not depended on others but on the Other, not on things but on God alone, not on power or prestige but on relationship with God, not on who we know but who we are in the eyes of God. We are called to find our self-sufficiency not in possessions nor in other human beings nor in ourselves alone, but in God who can and will provide all that is necessary for us. Paul shared his own understanding of this in his Letter to the Philippians: "For whatever situation I find myself in I have learned to be self-sufficient. I am experienced in being brought low, yet I know what it is to have an abundance. I have learned how to cope with every circumstance--how to eat well or go hungry, to be well provided for or do without. In him who is the source of my strength I have strength for everything" (Phil 4:11-13).

When material possessions are desired as ends for our happiness, then the Lord, in his loving mercy, may strip us of those possessions or grace us to see what these possessions are doing to us. The attitude that the Lord calls us to have is one of stewardship not ownership over possessions; one of detachment not one of attachment. "How blest are the poor in spirit: the reign of God is theirs" (Mt 5:3). Job early on in his trials expressed the attitude of heart and the surrender to the Lord when he said: "Naked I came forth from my mother's womb, and naked shall I go back again. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21).

Thirty-second Sunday Ordinary Time Gospel Year A


Jesus said: "The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

According to Jewish custom a couple would be betrothed to one another for a year, each living separately. After the period the groom would go to the bride’s house to bring her to his house as his wife. This would be the wedding night. The ten attendants were waiting for him to return with his bride.
Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
Matthew uses the contrast between two different groups throughout his gospel: the house build on rock and the house built on sand; the Pharisee and the Publican in prayer. Here it is the contrast between those who are prepared to go into the celebration and those who are not.

The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight, there was a cry, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise ones replied, 'No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.' While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked. Afterwards the other virgins came and said, 'Lord, Lord, open the door for us!' But he said in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.'

We saw in another parable where someone was not prepared to be part of the wedding feast because of the lack of the traditional wedding garment. That person was ejected.
Here, because they were not vigilant and prepared, they were caught off guard; Due to their own lack of foresight, they are refused entrance.
After all God has done for you, how will you feel if he said: "I do not know you?"
Remember it is more dependent on our state of relationship with God in the present moment than on anything in the past.

Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour. "

If the Kingdom of God is that important to us, how prepared are we to enter when the invitation is given? Since we do not know the day or the hour of God’s final call, are we vigilant or will we be caught off guard?
What changes do we need to do this week to be ready, vigilant and responsive?

The call of discipleship is rooted in love; the response requires nothing less than total love:

Lk 14:26. Jesus was in total love with the Father. The Father loved him completely. "You are my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." Jesus responded to this love with love. Nothing could come between the Father and Jesus, because of their mutual love. The same needs to be true with us. God loves us beyond measure. Paul expressed this awareness in these words: "If God is for us, who can be against us? Is it possible that he who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for the sake of us all will not grant us all things besides"(Ro 8:31-32)? Then he expresses our response: "Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Trial, or distress, or persecution, or hunger, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword?....For I am certain that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor powers, neither height nor depth nor any other creature, will be able to separate us from the love of God that comes to us in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Ro 8:35, 38-39).

Jesus uses a strong word, "hate" to emphasize the seriousness of the decision not to let anything or anyone come in between God and ourselves. When the alternative is between God and another, there is no question which the disciple will choose. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your strength." It is not a matter of not loving the other person, but not loving them more than our love for God. Otherwise we make them a god.

We are called and commanded to love others. But our love for others must always be a reflection of our love for God and in response of our love for God. This love for others never takes the place of our love for God. Love of God and love of others are not in opposition nor of equal priority. Only in loving God fully can I love others. Putting God first does not deprive others, but putting others before and above God does deprive God of that which is his due.

Information;
Men's Mass for November
November 11, 2017
7:30am

Women's Mass for November
November 18, 2017
8:00am

Bishop's House
107 Albany Dr.
Houma, La.
Fellowship afterwards
Bring a friend

The call requires that we do not second guess our response or qualify it with the proverbial "but":

Lk 9:61-62. Many times the initial fervor gives way to questions concerning whether we have what it takes to continue the journey to perfection. The two prime examples in the Old Testament are Lot's wive and the Israelites in the desert during the Exodus. We don't know why Lot's wife disobeyed the command of the angel not to look back upon Sodom as they left. But her action and the consequence of her action are interpreted that she really didn't want to leave. She preferred to have stayed in the circumstances and life-style she was accustomed to and accepted as normal. In a sense she experienced what she most desired--to share in what was happening behind her.

The people leaving Egypt at first rejoiced. But when the difficulties of the journey became evident, they yearned for the flesh-pots of their past life rather than the arduous demands of the journey to some unknown, future land flowing with milk and honey. Because their hearts were not centered in the will of God for them, but with grumbling and complaining, looking back with yearning to a past way of life, many of them died in the desert.

In each instance the words of Jesus ring true: "Where your treasure is, there your heart is also" (Mt 6:21). While both Lot's wife and the Israelites were no longer physically in Sodom or Egypt, their hearts were still there. They had not fully chosen the path of the Lord, even though they were physically moving on that path. Our hearts cannot be divided. "No man can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other or be attentive to one and despise the other. You cannot give yourself to God and money" (Mt 6:24). We can't have the best of both worlds. Rather we must choose which world we really want above all else.

The potential disciple indicated his desire then qualified it. I will follow you, but....For Jesus there is no qualification acceptable. The prize is too great for any qualifications. Once we begin we must not look back nor hedge on our decision. God requires nothing less than total yes--the response of Joshua: "As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15).

The call to discipleship requires a total response on our part to the most essential choice:

Lk 9: 59-60. What Jesus is saying is that we are to keep our priorities straight and do that which is of greater importance. To bury one's parent is a natural family duty and expectation. But compared to proclaiming the Kingdom, Jesus says all other duties are secondary. What Jesus is seeking is an attitude of the heart, a pre-conditioned will choice which seeks God's will above all in spite of how others may view our choice. The radical aspect of discipleship is that doing the will of God in all circumstances is to be desired above anything else.

The potential disciple in the Gospel account was making a decision independently of seeking what was God's will in the present situation. He was doing what was expected of him, presuming that this was what God would want him to do. He never even thought that God may have other plans for him. Jesus attempted to open him up to that possibility. Jesus was inviting him to proclaim the Gospel and circumstances were calling him to do the necessary responsibility of a son--burying his dead father. When choices are clear, what do we do? Hope that God will understand why we choose to bury the dead rather than proclaim the Kingdom?

The principle laid out by Paul must always be applied. "Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may judge what is God's will, what is good, pleasing and perfect" (Ro 12:2).

Called to let go all things totally in order to follow Christ freely and unreservedly:

Lk 9: 57-58. The disciple is called to cling to nothing except Jesus, trusting that he will provide for all our needs. Nothing is to possess us and we are to possess nothing which would prevent us from following the Lord. The rich young man in the Gospel of Matthew wanted to obtain everlasting life. So Jesus told him that minimally he must keep the commandments. But the young man said he had been doing this. He asked if there was something further to do. In response to that grace moment, Jesus told him: "If you seek perfection, go, sell your possessions, and give to the poor. You will then have treasure in heaven. Afterward, come back and follow me." The scriptures say he went away sad "for his possessions were many" (Mt 19:16-22)

The key phrase is "seek perfection" which is what growing in the fuller life of the Spirit is all about. We could choose to live the Christian life at the lowest level or we could seek the grace to live the full Christian life at the highest level. But to do so we must be willing to free our hearts from that which would weigh us down. It is like a hot air balloon. To rise higher and higher the weights which are attached to the side of the condola need to be jettisoned. For us to grow in perfection we must be willing to sacrifice anything and everything which distracts us from the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is not that we are not to have any material possessions or human relations. But that neither material possessions nor human relations are to come before the Lordship of Jesus in our life. Recall the dilemma of Abraham when Yahweh told him to take his Son Isaac and go up to the mountain and sacrifice him. Isaac was for Abraham the fulfillment of Yahweh's promises to him. In Isaac Abraham would be insured a future. Isaac was the promised-seed of many future blessings. And yet God was asking Abraham to dispossess himself of his future hope for descendants as numerous as the sands on the shore and the stars in the heavens--to dispossess and totally depend on Yahweh to still fulfill his promises.

When Abraham made the choice with heavy heart to follow Yahweh's command and offer Isaac in sacrifice, he showed that he was totally committed to Yahweh. He would not allow anything to possess him, even the son he loved so dearly. In return he received Isaac back and the fulfillment of all the promises.

"I give you my word," Jesus said, "there is no one who has given up home, brothers or sisters, mother or father, children or property, for me and for the gospel who will not receive in this present age a hundred times as many homes, brothers and sisters, mothers, children and property....and in the age to come, everlasting life" (Mk 10:29-30).

So what possesses us that if Jesus asked us to sacrifice it at the cross, we would not be able to do so? It doesn't have to be a material possession, it could be a relationship or a perceived need without which we would not survive, such as affirmation and acceptance, emotional highs, spiritual joys. It may be something that we at first feel that God is asking too much of us, that it would be impossible humanly to let go this particular thing or person. To this Jesus says: "For man it is impossible; but for God all things are possible" (Mt 10:26). Only by the grace of God can we make the decision to let go anything because the desire to be possessed by God becomes greater.