Teaching is a Calling

 

Pray for the teacher that feels in over her head. Who walked in her loud classroom to someone rolling on the floor and another writing on the desk who is wondering if she picked the right profession today.

 

Give that teacher assurance that she/he is called.

Pray for the teacher who has the hurting child today. The child that left home from a hostile environment that is doing their best to hide their pain but needs someone to notice and advocate for them.

 

Give that teacher insight.

Pray for the teacher that has the child with the undiagnosed behavior problem. Where the parents are in denial and the teacher is trying to teach a classroom and manage a child that is demanding all their time and they feel drained.

 

Give that teacher grace and extra love.

Pray for the teacher who is a new mother that is trying to pump and nurse and manage it all with a classroom of kids that feel like babies themselves.

 

Give that teacher energy.

Pray for the teacher who feels her entire class is not respecting her. And the passion she once had for teaching has now turned into lessons on respect and she’s worn down.

 

Give that teacher the gentle authority she needs.

Pray for the teacher who has a hurting heart today, and a classroom of kids that need her. For the one that woke up today needing encouragement and an extra dose of love.

 

Give that teacher peace today and let her kids love on her.

 

Teaching is a calling.

A ministry.

A place where many go to teach science, math and English, and for this senior priest “deacon formation”  but where they often find themselves teaching about emotions and self-control more than anything academic.

 

Your teachers need your prayers today just as much as your children do. So let’s cover them in prayer. So they can change the world one child at a time

 

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who are teachers in their homes, the classroom, the church school of religion and those who serve as mentors to students of all ages.

May our prayers for them on this Valentine’s Day express our sincere appreciation for all their compassion and love to their students.

 

 

 

Cutting a Path to Compassion

 

Last Monday, the weather lady in Buffalo was already predicting a winter storm warning to slam into Buffalo and all of Western New York. Predictions were estimating ten to a foot of snow beginning Wednesday night and then another eight inches of snow lasting into Friday afternoon. 

 

Already my anxiety chemicals were rising thinking would the tractor start in sub-zero weather, would it get up the hills with the ice that already covered the surface, or worse would it get stuck in a ditch spinning its wheels unable and we would be snowed in for the season.

 

Sometimes our minds get stuck on a negative thought and instead of letting go we dwell on the worse that can happen. It seemed there was a moment when the disciples were stuck in their boats all night long without any anything to show for their efforts. Along comes Jesus and His response is simply, get back into your boats and try again. It would appear Our Lord’s friends are burnt out from their labors and just want to go home to bed. Instead, Jesus rallies their spirits and they head out from shore most likely grumbling under their breath, what does this carpenter know about fishing. 

 

Well, the carpenter must have “heavenly radar” because next thing we hear the boats are swamped with fish that they fearful they will capsize. The lesson here is when we find ourselves exhausted from the struggles of life, Jesus comes to save us. Maybe, we don’t need a boatload of fish, but a little positive attitude not to be afraid of another winter storm.

 

At 6am, on Thursday morning, I plowed 4 inches, then at 10am, another 4 inches, next at 6pm, another 4, then at 10pm we were up to 16 inches and still snowing. Friday, we had 3 inches overnight and it kept snowing till 5pm when the air cleared and our snow totaled a record 25 inches.

 

The driveway was clear for Sue to make it to her doctor’s appointment in Rochester on Friday morning. But there was another path that needed to be cleared. You see my spouse takes care of all creatures great and small,  Her kitties are the small ones. Mittens is an outdoor kitty that we have fed for several years, Sue had built insulated huts to keep him warm during the cold winter. However, he had disappeared during the storm. Sue searched for him and found him hiding in the next door neighbor’s shed. Smart kitty but how will he get his food in four feet of snow. 

 

Sue starts shoveling a path from the side of our house where the kitty huts are located to Maggie’s backyard barns. We had cut a path through 700 feet of snow though the woods and grape vines until we had shoveled a path to the neighbor’s shed window where Mittens had survived the storm. 

 

 

 

Why would anyone bother doing such a heroic act of kindness to keep a stray kitty fed and watered. Simple, it’s love. Inspired by my spouse desire to keep this kitty safe, I finished the path, and in the end we were both exhausted. I was grateful that I had married such a compassionate partner. 

 

 

 

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends that we are grateful for those people who inspire us to be compassionate. We had cut a path to help Mittens find his way to his food bowl and water. Perhaps, you have someone who is feeling empty, desperate and in need of a helping hand. Lord, as You filled the boats with food for your exhausted disciples, come fill our dropping spirits with Your compassionate heart and love.

 

 

 

 

 

Mr Roger's Story

 

Let me share a story about Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. He captivated people from every walk of life. It didn't matter, your race, your creed, your income, where you lived, what your occupation was, nothing. There was something about him, a presence, a kindness, an unexplainable depth to him that just seemingly brought out the best in everyone around him. 

I have a favorite Mr. Rogers story. And it features a little boy with cerebral palsy, and he was paralyzed from the waist down. One day this little boy heard a preacher say that God created all things. And since this little boy considered himself a burden who really couldn't do anything for himself, the little boy concluded that God must hate him for creating him so useless. So the boy started self-harming, hitting himself whenever he recognized the burden that he placed on others. The only thing that would calm him down when he started self-harming was watching Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. 

 

So one day, the little boy's mother arranged for him to meet Fred Rogers on the set of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Moments before he was to meet his hero, Mr. Rogers, the little boy, he had a thought. He thought, "Mr. Rogers is such a good man. He must be so close to God. And if he is so close to God, then I am completely unworthy to be in his presence." So the boy started hitting himself. Then out walks Fred Rogers. He had no idea what he was walking into. Mr. Rogers walks up to the little boy, and he bends down to be eye level with him. And he says, "Little boy, will you do me a favor?" "Yes, Mr. Rogers, anything for you." "Little boy, will you pray for me?" Later that day, the little boy had this thought. Mr. Rogers was such a good man and so close to God, and he thought the boy was worth something. But maybe God did, too. And the little boy stopped self-harming.

 

Years later, when the story reached a reporter, he asked Mr. Rogers how he knew that this was the perfect thing to say to that little boy. Fred Rogers simply responded by saying, "I didn't. I just know that someone so young, asked to suffer so much, must be so close to God. And I could use his prayers." 

 

The Sunday gospel is an amazing one, and it gives a wonderful formula for deep living. Step one, get into the classroom of silence every day and talk with your God. Talk with your God, in whom you live and breathe and have life in. Two, listen to the word of God. Get passionately curious about the life and teaching of Jesus. Three, be like Peter. Have the courage of Peter. Share your doubts, your misgivings about being worthy of living a deep life, about following Jesus, about living up to the unique call he has for you. Lay it all out there and give Jesus the space to respond. And finally, four, have the courage to put your misgivings aside. Take Jesus at his word and accept his invitation to adventure by following him as closely as you possibly can into the deep waters of your life.

 

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends that they put aside those things in which they feel a burden or a failure. Help us to press close to You because you see only the good and give us the courage to trust and accept Your love.

 

 

Prayer for the Impossible

 

“We've got a problem Houston,”. Remember that famous line in the movie “Apollo13.” There's another famous line in scripture when Mary says: “Do whatever He tells you.”

 

Mary discovers that they’re out of wine. What kind of wedding is this? That means the party's over, but isn't it interesting that Mary doesn't hesitate? Not for a moment. She goes directly to Jesus and says they have no wine. She has no doubt. She's certain that He will do something. 

 

And it makes sense because this mom knows that nothing is impossible with God. That's what the Angel Gabriel told her at the Annunciation. There is no such thing as an unsolvable human problem. Nothing is impossible with God, and she must have known it at the moment of Jesus' birth and in raising Him. She knew Jesus. He's not ordinary in any way. So she says to the servants, "Do whatever He tells you."

The Gospel doesn't tell us very much about how Jesus did it, He simply instructs them to fill the water jars. There are 6 of them with water, 150 gallons. We don't know where the water comes from. We don't know how long it takes, but we do know that once it's accomplished, the water has miraculously become wine.

 

Jesus does the miraculous. He takes what, by all appearances, looks like a shortage, a disaster, the end of the party, he saves the day and turns it into abundance. 

 

Now Susan, my devoted to kitties spouse, spent weeks building an outdoor shed for feral cats. She insulated the wood frame with styrofoam and laid a bed of straw to keep the outdoor critters toasty and safe. She gave this hut away to one of her foster moms. Sue asked for my help in 3 degree weather to deliver the hut where she discovered the front porch entrance looked too narrow. At that moment, a neighbor stopped his truck who was collecting scrap metal. He asked the foster mom if she had any scrap metal but she replied not at the moment. He saw the hut on the back of the truck and asked if he could help. A miracle. No way could Sue or this foster mom lift this mini-house.  Thankfully we got it through the front door of the porch. 

 

If you did not know this fact, Jesus is in the business of converting our shortages into abundances.

So I have a question for you. What's your shortage? What appears hopeless? Maybe it seems Covid will never go away. Or, something small like a habit that's become an addiction. What appears impossible. What in your life appears unsolvable, something missing that no one or nothing could possibly replace?

Now, it may seem like a small thing to you and me to bother the Son of God. We're embarrassed to say, "Jesus, we got a little wine problem over here. We got a delivery to make but need a little help. But when Mary sees a shortage, she doesn't hesitate. She goes directly to Jesus because she knows that Jesus cares about the details of her life. And with him, nothing is impossible. 

 

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who are facing something small or something big that won’t go away. Like digging out of two feet of snow after a winter storm. Where there had been 150 gallons of water, now, there's 150 gallons of beautiful wine. Mary points the way to her son and we learn why he does the things he does. Jesus does this not to impress people, not to prove anything, but simply to reveal his glory. Where we see hopelessness, Jesus envisions abundance. 

Living in the Spirit

 

Have you ever been annoyed when someone asked you this personal question: “do you live in the Spirit?”

 

Too often, this phrase is used in a way that is too pious, too over-charged with charismatic fervor, or too theologically abstract to have much meaning for ordinary people. It may well summarize Christian life, but it can also be little more than a very vague platitude. What does it mean “to live in the Spirit?”

 

The Holy Spirit, as classically defined in theology, is “the love between the God and Christ, the Father and the Son.”

 

St. Paul speaks candidly telling us that, if in our lives there is “lewd conduct, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, bickering, jealousy, outbursts of rage, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factionalism, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like,” then we are not living in the spirit, pure and simple. However, we are living in the spirit when, in our lives, there is “charity, joy, peace, patience, endurance, kindness, generosity, faith, mildness, and chastity.” (Galatians 5:19-22)

 

This is a valuable insight because, if we take Paul’s words seriously, we can never delude ourselves into identifying true life in the Spirit with what it is so often confused with, namely, false piety and (in pious circles) over-privatized sentiment and confrontation out of hurt, paranoia, and narrow loyalties (in both liberal and conservative circles). When the fruits of the Spirit are absent, regardless of how spiritually confident and self-righteous we might feel or how right our cause might seem, then the Spirit too is absent.

 

Let me help you understand and be clear about “living in the spirit.” with a real true story of parental love during our pandemic.  

 

A dad works as an aide for a special school that cares for physically challenged children. The kids cannot wear masks because of their disabilities. He is in a room with his coworkers who are mandated to wear masks but he has no idea if they have been vaccinated and boosted. He shared that both he and his wife are vaccinated and boosted because they have a six-year old daughter at home and she is not yet eligible to receive the vaccine. He worse fear is that he could give his daughter Covid and she dies from the virus

 

His coworkers have not shared if they have been vaccinated and he worries if he could get the virus from them. The relationship of this school staff is that teachers, therapists, aides and staff take pride in caring for these fragile and vulnerable children. Their dedication and vocation to service makes this community more joyful, peaceful, patient and willing to do anything to make their children feel accepted and safe.

 

The atmosphere of this workplace creates a climate of charity, joy, peace and patience.

 

The invitation to get vaccinated and boosted has nothing to do with individual conscious,  personal freedom, or mandates, but to “live in the spirit” where people focus their energy on bringing charity, peace and patience. This father is grateful to work in this environment and hopes that his coworkers have made the decision to get vaccinated to keep all the children at their school safe and keep his daughter out of harms way.

 

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends and especially, all the children of the world, that we choose to “live in the spirit” that keeps them safe from any virus and harm. Give us the Spirit to make the decision to get vaccinated and boosted out of charity and gratitude that will lead us all out of this pandemic and into a world of joy, peace, patience and goodness.

 

Suggestions for the New Year

 

The journey of the magi is long and risky but ends with joy. Our journey is this new year may also seem long and risky but our focus looks to a hopeful future filled with healing and peace.

 

Let me offer seven suggestions to help you get beyond feeling overwhelmed.

 

1.On New Year’s Day after we watched the Rose Bowl parade on RDF, the agriculture channel, and Dr. Who, I took a walk in my park. Yes, I am blessed to manage a forest we call Reviresco, the Latin word that means “to be green again.” But the weather was soggy and foggy, yet this walk helps to clear our minds. It literally helps to rearrange our thoughts and ideas in our minds and best of all relieves stress, and releases happy hormones in our bodies.

 

2. Talk to someone. During the Rose Bowl Parade, I phoned not texted Stan to ask his willingness to help someone struggling with irritable bowel disease. Just telling someone what we are experiencing can change everything. Even leaving a voicemail saying. Hey, just wanted to chat, feeling so overwhelmed today can be liberating. Stan was wonderful when he said, “Yes, I’d be glad to help this hurting soul.” The disease is about how the head and gut and body are connected. Interesting, he immediately knew how to find relief, you have to disconnect the head and the gut. He knew from experience when our thoughts are out of control, we feel miserable and depressed and our bodies start to leak.

 

3. Do. Delete, Delegate. Divide your to-do list into these three categories. Divide and conquer. This will help you focus on what’s important. Last Thursday, I mapped a strategy for a priest friend and encouraged him to start delegating to others so that his energy is focused on important matters that bring him joy.

 

4. Tidy your space. Organize your work or living space has a way of reorganizing our thoughts and feelings. I have no problem with this task, but the secret if you are stuck is number five.

 

5 Ask for help. It’s a sign of strength and genius and not a sign of weakness.

 

6 Cancel everything that is not essential on your schedule for a day or two, or a week if that is what is required. You might call it a mental health day, and the way to recharge your battery is to stop and smell the roses or for me to pick up my camera and start shooting. 

 

 

7. Finally, do something. Start doing something and don’t allow yourself to feel overwhelmed that it paralyzes you. Inaction will only take you deeper into the overwhelmed state. Pick one thing on your to-do list and do it. I will review my baking recipes and start to learn how to cook a new casserole or better yet, bread recipe.

 

We all get overwhelmed from time to time. This isn’t the last time we are going to feel like this, but in this new year, it might be a time to develop a strategy to deal with it.

 

Like the Magi, we need to be willing to follow the star, not knowing precisely where it would lead them, we need to be open and attentive to aspects in life that can lead us to a divine encounter.

 

What is your star today? What holds your gaze and leads you closer to Christ? The traditions of the Epiphany invite us to think about how we can find our way to Christ throughout the year. We should look for events, people and actions that can help us to encounter Christ. The magi were on a journey together, and we should remember that we are not on a solo trip. In addition to relying on our community, we should also seek ways to help others to draw nearer to Christ.

 

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends that we start calling one another when we are stuck in a rut and offer the encouragement of one another. Perhaps, this is where we encounter the Christ when we hear the voice on the other line say: “Thinking about you today, what’s up?”

 

 

 

 

Drop the Blanket

 

 

Linus loves his blanket, carries it everywhere, and is not embarrassed by it. He cannot survive without it and really suffers when it is being washed. However, in strips from the later years, Linus seems to want to get rid of it, even though he knows he is a mess without it.

 

In A Charlie Brown Christmas, there is one moment in this show that went seemingly unnoticed for 51 years.

 

When Linus is asked the meaning of Christmas, he memorized and recited Luke 2: 8-14.

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid.' I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

But while Linus is reciting these verses, there is one important thing we might not have notice then. Right in the middle of speaking, Linus drops the blanket.

I believe that this is intentional and more profound, the specific moment he drops it is when he utters the words, “fear not.”

 

Looking at that scene, it is pretty clear what Charles Schultz was saying, and it’s so simple it’s brilliant.

 

The birth of Jesus separates us from our fears.

The birth of Jesus frees us from the habits we are unable (or unwilling) to break ourselves.

The birth of Jesus allows us to simply drop the false security we have been grasping so tightly, and learn to trust and cling to Jesus instead.

 

The world of 2021 can be a scary place. And most of us find ourselves grasping to something temporal for security, whatever that thing may be. Essentially, 2021 is a world in which it is very difficult for us to “fear not.”

 

But in the midst of our fear and insecurity, this simple “drop the blanket” moment can be an inspiration for us to seek true peace and true security in the one place it has always been and can always still be found, into the hands of Jesus.

 

However, after this blanket-dropping recitation of Scripture given by Linus in response to Charlie Brown’s quest for meaning, he picks the blanket back up.

 

Why would Linus pick that old security blanket up after so boldly proclaiming an end to fear? Why does he leave the stage with that security blanket still in his hand?

 

We first must admit that we all carry that same blanket.

Just like Linus, we may stand tall in a moment of faith, but out of habit, we reach down and pick that thing right back up. Faith, while powerful, is also delicate.

 

Linus clearly knows the truth, and clearly proclaims the truth. The knowledge is there and the wisdom is there and the passion is there. So why does he pick it back up?

 

It is because we all do the same thing. We gaze into our mirror in the morning to find that tattered old blanket draped over our shoulder yet again. And we realize that we have become so used to it being there that we hardly even noticed it.

 

But that is not where this blanket story ends.

 

The show ends with the Peanuts gang not just singing, but clearly and unquestionably singing in worship. The obvious song choice here could have been “O Christmas Tree,” the notes of which have already been playing gently in the background. But the focus is no longer the tree. The focus has become bigger than the tree. The focus is Jesus.

 

With this new focus, the kids sing “Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Glory to the Newborn King,” and what we are now witnessing is essentially an impromptu worship service.

 

But before any of this happens, Linus parts with that blanket yet again, and lays it down for good at the base of that beautiful Christmas tree, just as we should strive to not just lay our blanket down just anywhere, but leave it forever behind us at the foot of that cross, for our own good and the good of others.

 

It is here at the end of the show that Linus lays that blanket down yet again, and this time? He doesn’t look back.

 

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who carry our blankets of fear and insecurity, draped in pride and selfishness. Give us Your gift of humility to drop the negative attitudes and never look back.

 

 

Fourth Sunday Advent Reflection by Fr. Nadeem

 

Good Day! Let us behold Jesus, the Word incarnate revealing himself to us in the Sunday readings. Today is the Forth Sunday of advent, only few days away from Christmas. Hopefully we can pause and reflect amidst the holidays rush.

 

How is your spiritual preparation for Jesus’ coming? We can learn from the Gospel, Mary Visits her kinswoman Elizabeth so that she could assist her in the demands of child birth at her advanced age. This event follows the evangelical nuncio that Mary would bear God’s Son. Bearing Jesus and serving others, especially the needy, is a powerful spiritual preparation for Christmas.

 

Dear brothers and sisters,

 

Christmas a season of goings and comings. This is what we want to reflect on. Very often we look at the Christmas decorations or even contemplate on the nativity scene, we are transfixed on the beauty of the depiction, of the birth of Christ, but very often it lacks movement. They are permanently in place but the original Christmas or preparation for the Christmas is a very dynamic event.

 

A small town of Bethlehem which could not boost any greatness was chosen by God to be the birth place of someone from the line of David. From that small town according to Micah, will come forth, will go forth, a ruler for whole Israel. A ruler coming from small town but will not stray in the small town, from that small town He and his reign will go forth to the whole Israel. The whole of Israel will experience righteousness, justice, and peace. The greatness of this ruler shall reach to the ends of the earth. You cannot control and keep the dynamism of Incarnation and salvation. It must come forth, go forth until the ends of the earth. This ruler, whose greatness reaches to the ends of the earth, who comes from above, is Jesus Christ. Jesus Comes from God the Father. Jesus comes to world with the body, so that in his body he could do the Will of the God. It is come from the God, coming to the world as a human being for a specific purpose: to do the Will of the God. By this Will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. in

 

Today’s gospel we continue the same theme Christmas a season of goings and comings. Yes, it is going forth, actually coming to come someone. Here we have Mary who was visited by the angel and through her fiat, the Word of God, the Son of God came in the flesh and took flesh in her womb.

 

The second reading happen actually in Mary’s body. Mary welcomes the Son of God and go forth. Mary could have used an excuse to say I am pregnant and I am the mother of the Son of God and I will stay home in Nazareth, but no, the very dynamism of the coming forth of the Son of God and coming to her impelled her to go. She goes forth to a town in Juda and meets there her kinswoman Elizabeth who was also with child, her six months even. Mary goes out, she goes out not alone but with the Son of God who came to her. She does not go out aimlessly but she goes out so that her Son comes out to another family. through her, Jesus, her Son could start his mission: to bring good news and joy. Vow, and that happened, Elizabeth filled with Holy Spirit and said, who am I to be visited by the mother of my Lord. So Mary’s going out is coming to someone. Going and coming but for a purpose: solidarity, service, communion, bringing joy, bringing salvation.

 

My dear brothers are sisters, where are you going on this Christmas? Where are you impelled to go? Will you be coming to families, persons so that people may say who am I to be visited by the Lord? Christmas is not to move aimlessly. Christmas should impel us to go so that many more people would experience the joy that was promised from of old. May God bless you all!

 

 

Make a Little Joy This Week

 

Wouldn't it be great if the first thing that popped into people's minds about Catholics they thought was joy. "Those are some seriously joyful people. I don't know if I like them or agree with them, but you can't deny those people got some joy." 

 

Have you ever noticed that Christmas is bubbling over with joy? Well, evidently a lot of us have missed that news because Catholics are not always associated with joy. More often than not, people think of us with long faces, furrowed brows, somber looks. But everywhere you turn in scripture, Christmas is bubbling over with joy. Zechariah, fulfilling his task as a priest in in the temple, an angel appears, says, "You and Elizabeth are going to have a son, and you're going to name him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth." Elizabeth receives a visit from her cousin Mary, who has conceived Jesus. And when Mary arrives, the baby leaps in Elizabeth's womb for joy.

 

Angels have the wonderful task of sharing the good news of Jesus' birth. God arrives with the shepherds and says, "I bring you good news of a great joy for all people." And then best of all, with the Wise Men, they arrive on the scene, they discover Jesus, and when they see the star, they rejoice with exceeding great joy. That's a lot of joy. Joy is everywhere. Christmas is dripping with it. 

 

Today’s Sonshine is a simple reminder that Christmas - Jesus Christ - is all about joy. Despite the latest news that we all have to start wearing masks again. No big deal. Jesus brings great joy. “Joy to the world, the Lord is come. Let earth receive her king. Let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing.” Shout it from the rooftop. Whisper it to a friend. Joy sustains you in the highest moments, perhaps at the birth of a new child or in your darkest moments of despair. We know the Lord, and nothing can change that or remove that. We have a joy that is contagious in a good way. Joy is at the center of God's heart. Joy makes us different because we have a joy that the world really doesn't understand.

 

A week ago I was asked to volunteer at the cathedral to help make pastries for a Christmas fund raiser. Imagine this, the bishop was mixing the dough, weighing it on a scale, proofing and I would take the round loaf and roll it into a 12 by 12 square, fill the pastry with cups of apple, apricote, or prune and carefully roll the pastry into a log, press the seams with a fork and hand it off to our bakers into the oven. 

 

Lots of fun and laughter as our the church ladies would asked me, where did you learn to roll out the dough so perfectly Fr. Matt? I shared with a grin that it is a dream of mind to open a pastry shoppe. By the way, I told them, don’t you remember every time I come to celebrate Mass and preach at your cathedral I always have some cookies to give away at the end of Mass. "Who made the snickerdoodles and peanut butter and chocolate chips cookies?" “Oh, yea,” they remembered. “But why did you do that?" My response, “to bring you joy.”

 

Christmas isn't so much about changing the world, changing other people. Christmas is really about God changing you. It's about Jesus. There is no greater joy than Jesus. If you want to raise your joy a little, here's two simple ways to grow in joy this week as you prepare for Christmas.

 

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends that they take the time to spread a little joy,

 

First, either you are cooking or attending a Christmas meal with family and friends, maybe you could offer the Christmas blessing and say thank you to your host for their generous hospitality, and you could bring a little bouquet of flowers for their table (that’s my gift to make a floral piece for the sideboard). 

 

Second, this retired old priest has been invited to return to his former parish and cathedral to concelebrate their Childrens Christmas Mass. While we have been collecting names of your pets, please forward names of family and friends and I will gladly offer my Christmas Masses for your intention.

Forward your intentions to: drmattkawiak@gmail.com

Joy to you! fr. matt

 

Miss My Joe

 

Joe is dead. This weekend, turned out to be tough. On Friday, helped roll out 500 nut rolls for the cathedral to raise funds for ministry. On Saturday, while working on farm chores dumping kitty litter, Susan found Joe, our outdoor kitty, lying in the grass next to the sheds. Poor Mittens, his furry friend who would walk side by side for years in the meadow and come and eat and sleep together in their insulated kitty huts would now be alone.

 

 

 

We have a kitty cemetery and I got to work digging the grave while Susan gently brought Joe up from the sheds to his final resting place. Joe was abandoned by his previous owner and found his way to our farm where he met Mittens. Over time, the two fur balls became best of friends as you would always seem them walk side by side together on the farm. They would groom one another and at a recent pet photo contest I entered today’s photo thinking it would win which it did not. Some dog image won and Joe and Mittens should have won.

 

 

 

I was never a cat person, to be honest. However, Susan grew up with kitties and serves as the local Volunteer for Animals coordinator taking hundreds of requests for kitties, matching them with folks who want to offer their hearts and homes to these abandoned creatures.

 

All creatures great and small can cure our fears, with their purring, or desire to be scratched under their chin, or cuddled next to your pillow, or combed.  I now have one special kitty, Arthur who jumps up on my chest at 6am in the morning and wants his chin to be scratched. And his purr machine turns on. This is how these little critters nudge their way into your heart.

 

It’s really not the size of the pet, or the type of animal that defines the degree of our loss. It’s the impact that the pet has made on your life, the space you’ve given over to it within your heart. Joe’s death has reminded me that all our pets are a gift and that over time they each make a deep impression on our life. We become less selfish, more generous and more compassionate.

 

When the pet of your life dies, you just miss them. We loved Joe, and now he’s gone. And getting over that is going to take some time. When you’ve invested time and energy into an animal, been their primary caregiver and the recipient of its affection for any length of time, it doesn’t matter how great or small that pet was, the loss is still profound.

 

Despite the grief we may feel, I know Joe was worth it.  Every second of it. And I know that I will always remember and forever miss this beautiful furry creature who humbled me at 5am in the morning when I would bring him warm water, kibble and his food next to his hut in the middle of winter.

 

When the death of our pet saddens us, it’s a good time to turn to God. Offering our sadness to God can in itself be a sincere prayer that reaches heaven.

 

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends whose pets have died. With St. Francis, I pray:
Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures. Every creature is the object of your tenderness, Father, and you give each being its place in the world. Even the fleeting life of the least of your beings is the object of your love, and in its brief time of existence, you enfold it with affection. Our affection for (pet’s name) reminds us of You.  Thank you for the time that we have had with them. Thank you for making us the steward of their existence. Thank you for the joy that they have brought us. May all of creation always lead us to peace.

 

 

To Miss the Mark

 

The spirit had come to John and said, "All right, John. You've being prepared. You've done your apprenticeship. We'll send you out." And he goes out. And he speaks to the people. And he baptized the people. He talks to them about repentance, which is what? 

 

To turn back to God. In what area of your life do you need to turn back to God? We all do. Maybe we just sort of turned our back a little bit on him. Maybe we walked away completely in some area of our lives. We have not been to Mass in awhile. Or, we continue to complain that the church is not perfect with all its imperfections. 

 

But this is an invitation for you to turn back to God. And then, John has another very unpopular phrase and idea in that relativistic culture. And that is, the forgiveness of sins. 

 

What is sin? The actual definition is to miss the mark. It's like the archer that misses the mark. We miss the mark all the time, right? We miss the mark every day in dozens of ways. What is it? It’s not having the patience to put up with a little annoyance of life. Holding a fussy kitty while my partner inserts pills to help them cope with their irritable bowel disease. Or, you may have to take your pre-school child to get tested for Covid for the fifth time this month because they were sent home from school with a cough. it's to be less than who you are. In one way, it's to abandon your deepest, truest best version of yourself.

 

That is to miss the mark. And we all do it every day, and you don't need me to give you a list of things. You could ask your partner for this list, but I assume you have a good idea what you need to work on. These are all the ways you can miss the mark, because you know them. You know them when you see them, you know them when you're participating in them, you don't need me to tell you, and I don't need you to tell me because I know them. 

 

What we do need is what John had. And it's that humility and submissiveness to the spirit of God. It's to allow the spirit of God to lead us. But in order to do that, we have to be aware of God's presence. We have to be aware of the spirit moving in our lives. We have to learn to listen to the spirit in our lives, which takes time. And like anything else, we get best at it, if we do it, if we practice it every single day with unerring and relentless consistency so that the spirit can lead us wherever the spirit wants to lead us. 

 

Because, what you really want deep down inside will only come from following the path, the call, the spirit, the destiny that God has created you for.

 

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends that we take a moment to humbly listen to your spirit that simply wants us to be the best version of ourself.