Fr. John’s Corner
JMJ CHS
January 26, 2025
There are a lot of “quirky” priests out there! (And I consider myself one of them.) Take, for instance, this one dear brother I know who greets people by saying, “Hey, what’s goin’ on?” His quirky hello kind of encapsulates everything said in more traditional greetings like “Hello. Hi. Nice to see you. How have you been?” But this ‘hello’ can be more than just a simple greeting. It can be a legitimate question. Take for instance the time someone asked me that question at the beginning of the Covid crisis. “Hey, Father, what’s going on? No, really! What’s going on?” My answer to that person was the same one I gave to all of you from the pulpit. The answer was quite serious. And while it might have been a bit shocking to hear, I implied that God was very, very close to the situation. In fact, maybe even orchestrating it on some level as yet another means of getting our attention…perhaps even bringing us to our knees because it is God the Father’s desire that none should be lost. But I pointed out that there were many other events that we’ve been witnessing in the past 50 years or so that fit into the same category. We’ve been watching history unfold. Not our story, but – HIS Story.
A while ago we watched yet another hurricane devastate the poor people of North Carolina and then more recently, the “apocalyptic” fires which have devastated the rich people of southern California. Nobody can escape, it seems. No one is immune from the misfortunes of life, and so a lot of people do ask the question, as a prayer: “Hey, Lord, what’s going on?
But, you know that the question doesn’t always imply bad times. How about good times? Yes, why not? I think a good example might be as close as to what happened last Monday. I’m talking about Inauguration Day. I watched the whole thing, and I had to ask myself that very same question. What was going on seemed to me more positive, like a church service. Hmmm.
PART B:
Typically, I don’t enjoy all this political hoopla, but this time was different. I have felt for a while now that God had something special up His sleeve, and I wanted to see it firsthand. I wasn’t disappointed. The day began at Historic St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington DC not too far from the White House. All of the principal players gathered there for a worship service. And the day got better as it went along, even into the evening at the inaugural ball. All of this took place inside as the weather outside was not conducive to the comfort of so many people who wanted to watch and participate on some level.
As I mentioned in my Christmas newsletter a while back, I have never heard the word God, or even the name Jesus, mentioned so much as currently, and unapologetically -- first, in the campaign, and now at the inauguration. There were prayers prayed by ministers of three different faith traditions during the ceremonies -- first a Jewish rabbi, secondly a black evangelical preacher and finally a Catholic priest. I was particularly impressed by the black preacher, Lorenzo Sewell from Michigan, who incorporated lines from perhaps the most famous sermon of our time, Martin Luther King‘s I Have a Dream speech there on the mall in Washington so many years ago. And you know, of course, that Monday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day and so the preacher’s “Spirit-filled” words really struck a chord.
Then there was the appearance of the military choir that sang the song that we’re all familiar with, The Battle Hymn of the Republic.
And then there was Rev. Franklin Graham and Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York who offered prayers and a blessing. They, and it seems all the speakers, spoke candidly and eloquently about a new day coming for America.
Well, in this Jubilee Year that our Holy Father Pope Francis has designated as a Year of Hope, let us, indeed, hope that God will continue the good work that He has begun in our country and continue to bless us abundantly.
Addenda:
Fr. Chad Ripperger, a well-known priest/exorcist here in our country, says that we need to redouble our prayers for our president and our country, because the battle is not over. As a matter of fact, we can expect it to escalate. His prayer is kind of long and wordy, but I think we can give our own, from-the-heart prayer of thanksgiving and supplication. As you leave the church you will see these sentiments expressed on the sign above your heads. Pray that prayer as you pass underneath, and on your knees at home. God bless America.
Fr. J+
January 19, 2025
At last week’s 9 am Mass, I requested a few moments at the end to give one of my classic “mini-homilies”. It was about a consolation that I received when I went to the Mayo Clinic. If you’d like to hear it, go to the Parish Website, under the MEDIA tab, and scroll down to Fr. John‘s Corner. There you can listen to the homily as well as check out my annual Christmas Newsletter.
In case you hadn’t heard, in the Universal Church this is called a Jubilee Year, and Pope Francis has officially designated it as The Year of Hope. I think this is great news. Hope is one of the three Theological Virtues—Faith, Hope and Love. And even though St. Paul said the greatest of these is Love, this year we’re going to focus on Hope. Well, this is a big one for me and maybe it is for you as well. I certainly have hopes for a healing. You might know that at the beginning of this ordeal, I chose as my motto the words of the Blessed Mother to the angel Gabriel, “Be it done unto me according to your word.” Well, personally, I tweaked that a little bit and chose instead the words of Jesus, Himself, as He spoke them in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before He died, “Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. But, not My Will, but Yours be done.” I did that because His words expressed the virtue of hope. His prayer was answered but in an unusual way—He did not avoid the crucifixion, but the Father raised Him from the dead on the third day. And so, I think that Christ’s prayer becomes the universal prayer for those of us who hope for whatever…a physical healing, for yourself, or a loved one, or the resolution of some particular problem. It’s a prayer of surrender asking God to answer the prayer in His good time and in His best way. And part of this prayer would imply a request for the gift of peace during any particular storm in life. And so, my brothers and sisters, please enter into this Year of Hope with me, asking the Father, through the intercession of His Son, Jesus, and His Blessed Mother, for the gift of peace as we await the answer to our prayers, with hope.
OK, I’m ready with my press release regarding my visit to the Mayo Clinic. But please go to Fr. John’s Corner on our website for part B of my comments…
PART B:
OK, I hope this isn’t a bit premature. But the two doctors, my local doctor and my doctor at the Mayo Clinic, were supposed to consult with regards to my future treatment. I haven’t heard that that conversation has taken place, but I will tell you this much. At this time, I do not qualify for the surgery. The reason for this is that I have lost too much weight and certain antigen numbers are very high. That’s not a good sign. The scans did not necessarily show a spread, but the high numbers are a cause for concern and an indication that the chemo and radiation were not successful. Another number is that my glucose is far too high. I do have diabetes and so I have to start watching my diet much more closely. And I mention this to you because many of you have sent me candy and cookies for Christmas, and still deliver things to my door that might not necessarily be helpful for my condition. I’ve heard it said that cancer loves sugar so I will be addressing this question much more closely in the days to come.
Sister Bernadette was our hostess at the Mayo Clinic. she’s 86 years old has worked there since 1958.
Still, I can’t help but feel that the Lord has “hemmed me in” from every side so as to further instruct me and purify me in my need for surrendering to His will and trusting in His love and care for me. More to come. But needless to say, please continue to pray for me so that if it is the Father’s will, this cup will pass from me, and I will be healed.
+Fr. J
Read Fr. John’s Christmas Newsletter HERE
December 8, 2024
JMJ CHS
Radiation/chemo ended on Friday. Yay. After a few weeks of recuperation, I should be able to participate to some degree in the Christmas celebrations.
The nine month novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe ends on her feast day, next Thursday. Yay. Whew, that was a long one. I think I did quite well but I’m curious to see if the Blessed Mother will offer any type of healing for me. hmmm.
In January I’m scheduled to go to Mayo Clinic for a few more tests and an all-important visit with the doctor. An interesting coincidence is that that day, the 10th, is the birthday of St. Philomena, my special friend who introduced herself to me many years ago on that particular day. I plan to say the Mass of a virgin-martyr that morning at the hospital. We’ll see if she will offer any type of healing for me. hmmm.
That’s two big friends-in- high-places interceding for me. As a matter of fact, a good novena prayer leading up to her first day goes like this: “Hail O St. Philomena, whom we recognize, after Mary, as our main advocate with the Divine Spouse, intercede for us now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.” It’s typically said as a chaplet on 13 beads representing the years of her short life. It will begin on January 2 (which represents the one-year anniversary of the beginnings of my health issue) so as to end on her feast day. Will you join me in praying it? All you will need is 13 fingers
I’m beginning to think about a Fr. John Garage Sale. I have accumulated a lot of stuff during my time here and, before too long, I anticipate having to move. A garage sale would certainly make the move a lot easier. One big thing I would like to get rid of is a grandfather clock that I inherited from mom and dad. It’s nice but it doesn’t work. Any experts here, or do you know somebody?
More ruminations on suffering…
I know that most of you are familiar with the story of Job. I consider him the “poster child“ for suffering souls. But a lot of people have issues with that particular story. I may be one of them. God turned over His righteous one to the devil so as to prove that Job was indeed a good guy. This is a classic piece of literature that addresses the mystery of suffering in our lives and how we should address it when it comes. Do you want to give it a shot? Yes, read the opening, but then you can jump to chapter 33 and continue to the end. This is the part that you might be able to relate to during your time of suffering. It certainly is a different type of consolation!
(Do you want to see a shocking picture of Job? Go to Wikipedia and look him up. Maybe there have been days when you felt like that!
~Fr. John
December 1, 2024
JMJ CHS
First off, Welcome back Carl. (maintenance department) You’re looking slim, and trim, and very healthy after your heart surgery.
I had a pleasant experience last week and some of you were able to share it with me. I joined the choir, at least tentatively, and participated for the first time at last weeks 11 o’clock Mass. It was very interesting. I like to sing, and I think I have a good voice, but I’m pretty rusty with my reading sheet music with the four parts. I was fortunate to be able to sit next to Jason and get a sense of what my part really sounded like.
But my special memory had more to do with enjoying the Mass from a different perspective. And I mean physically. I looked out from the choir loft on a very beautiful sanctuary. Filled with beautiful people. Many of whom have been here for many years who have helped make this place look the way it is. I want to commend you all for your consistent contribution to the building up and maintaining of Holy Spirit church and School. And I look forward to seeing what is yet to come!
OK, I have begun to share with you a series of Psalms and prayers that fall within the category of Consolations.*
These are meant to be of help to you during your storms in life. I’m currently in a storm and these have been of help to me and so I thought they might be of help to you as well. I might even be inclined to publish them at a later date. We’ll see. I’ll give you one right here.
“I will say to God, my rock:
“Why have you forgotten me?”
Why do I go mourning,
oppressed by the foe?”
Yes, even negative sentiments like that can be a consolation if understood within a larger context.
*Did you know that there is a church called Our Lady of Consolation down in Carey, Ohio? So, we recognize that Mary, too, is a source of our consolations whenever we are down and out. One of her favorite prayers is an invitation to call out to her in times of need. “Oh Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.”, from The Miraculous Medal.
Today’s Office of Readings is a great example of what I’m talking about. I got some comfort from these passages, especially in light of the fact that I am feeling kind of crummy right now and maybe a little bit abandoned (it’s that chemo/radiation thing). But here are some consolations that you might find helpful as well.
“We groan in pain as we await the redemption of our bodies.” (Yes, I have done my fair share of groaning lately!)
“O Lord, you have shown me my end,
how short is the length of my days. *
my life is as nothing in your sight.
A mere breath, the man who stood so firm, a mere shadow, the man passing by,
a mere breath the riches he hoards, Now I know how fleeting is my life.”
“Hear and answer my prayer, O Lord; let me not weep in vain.” (and, yes, I have been very close to tears on a few occasions. It happened just yesterday while I was shopping in Krogers. I had just come back from a treatment and was feeling kind of sorry for myself. )
“And now, Lord, what is there to wait for?
In you rests all my hope.
Set me free from all my sins, I was silent, because this was all your doing.
Take away your scourge from me.
I am crushed by the blows of your hand.
You punish man’s sins and correct him;
Mortal man is no more than a breath;
O Lord, hear my prayer.
O Lord, turn your ear to my cry.
Do not be deaf to my tears.
In your house I am a passing guest,
a pilgrim, like all my fathers.
Look away that I may breathe again
before I depart to be no more.”
“Do not withhold your Spirit from us but help us find a life of peace after these days of trouble.”
“I have put all my trust in God’s never-failing mercy.”
Well, there you have it. I couldn’t have said it better myself. Remember, these words are between three and 4000 years old. In many cases they can be attributed it to David. But I think the important point is that “the dark night of the soul” that we talk about from time to time could also be understood as a dark night of the body.
These are afflictions of body, mind, and spirit that come from God himself who disciplines those He loves (see Hebrews, last chapter for a description of what I’m talking about). And discipline, of course, is not meant to be enjoyable.
~Fr. John
November 18, 2024
JMJ CHS
First a little health update. I am midway through my radiation/chemo treatments. Side effects are beginning to catch up with me. But the treatments will be finished around December 6 and after that, I have a few tests scheduled for Mayo Clinic in early January. At that time they will determine if I am eligible for a surgery. The doctor seems to think that it is very important to have this done. It’s called “The Whipple” and it’s a complicated procedure. I’d like to avoid it if possible. Thanks to all of you who regularly pray for me. But, please keep it up.
You know, I love conversion stories. It can be very interesting and informative to hear how people have come to see things differently. It’s often a painful process as old ideas are challenged and new ones come forward. Probably the all-time great conversion story is that of Saint Paul. Remember when the scales fell from his eyes on the road to Damascus? He had been a hater of Jesus and his new movement but now he was enlightened.
Now the way I see it, there are basically two types of conversions in the spiritual realm. One is from a position of non-belief, when an atheist or agnostic becomes a believer. The second conversion, however, is the daily ongoing conversion that can last a lifetime. All of the old negative habits and behaviors are chipped at by the Holy Spirit as we are continually purified to ever-greater holiness. Each of us is called to daily conversion.
OK, I have more to say about conversions but I have to direct you to our website now. https://holyspiritparishbrighton.org/fr-johns-corner
———-
Fr. Richard and I get together late every Thursday night to pray. About eight years ago we began to pray for the conversion of Donald Trump. He was newly elected. Married to Melania, a Catholic lady, and there were indications that he was a man of faith already. We just didn’t know exactly where he fit on the Christian spectrum. It was presumed that he was baptized. In any case, it seemed appropriate that we should pray for him in this way as he began his new role. Interestingly, there are some Catholic voices out there that believe that it’s inappropriate to evangelize. But this is contrary to the teachings of Jesus and His Church. We actually have his words posted on the wall up in the baptistery. “Therefore, go, baptize all nations, teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you.” That mandate is pretty clear, and so, again, it seems quite acceptable that we should pray for him and his conversion to Christ ‘s one, true Church.
And, if he should ultimately do that, then it would be our duty to continue to pray for him, certainly for his protection, but also his ongoing, daily conversion.
This past week I learned that Cardinal Vigano has proposed a nine day novena to pray for the president’s conversion to Catholicism. How about that? He’s on the same wavelength as me and Fr. Richard. Here is a link to that novena with the prayer. You might get this a little bit late, but I’m sure you can start anytime. Lifesitenews.com “Bishop Strickland to join our novena for President Trump starting November 21”
Oh, by the way, recognizing the need to always be inclusive, we also prayed for the conversion of President Biden over the past four years. But seeing that he is already a Catholic, we would have to pray for that second type of conversion.
~Fr. John+
November 12, 2024
JMJ CHS
You know, I really don’t like politics. I think my negative attitude began to be formed as a little boy. I remember having to watch political conventions back in the early 50s. I couldn’t have been five years old and I can still remember. I think it must have been the campaign of (General) Dwight Eisenhower as he ran for the presidency. I would have preferred watching Howdy Doody. So anyway, I’m glad that it’s finished. All that mean-spirited campaigning with the lies and accusations and name-calling, along with those text messages, phone calls and junk mail, finally at an end. I don’t remember it being this bad when I was five years old...
In any case, based on the outcome we wonder what the next few years will be like. The country is divided. No question about that. But it was predicted 2000 years ago by Jesus Himself, “Father against son, son against father, mother against daughter,” etc., etc.
But, I will say this. The word GOD, and the name JESUS have never been used in the history of American politics as they were in this campaign. That should be a sign of hope. But there are also indications that the need for prayer is greater than ever. So, don’t let up. Don’t allow yourself to get lazy. Remember, we are in a spiritual battle. More about that, next week. Right here.
I had a gift card for Barnes & Noble that I got from a parishioner last Christmas that I finally got around to putting to use. I picked up two books from best-selling author, Jonathan Cahn, a Messianic Jew (convert to Christianity) and a rabbi. One book was called ‘The Return of the Gods’, and the second one which just came out, ‘The Dragon’s Prophecy’. The dragon in this case is from Revelation, Chapter 12, at the very end of the Bible which speaks of it also as the ancient serpent, namely Satan, the devil who tempted Adam and Eve at the beginning of the Bible. They are both proving to be very interesting reads which draw striking connections between ancient and modern events. I hope to be able to share some thoughts with you here in weeks to come. In the meantime, you can learn more about these books, along with more thoughts from Rabbi Jonathan, on YouTube. Just type in his name.
In one of those books I’ve been reading, as the author was reflecting on her illness and the dilemma of how to treat it, she said to her husband, “If we survive this, we should write a book”. Well, she did survive it, and they did write a book. *I’ve been thinking along the same lines. I’m not exactly planning to write a book, but I would like to share with you some passages from the ‘Liturgy of the Hours’, the Universal prayer of the Church, which I am called upon to pray every day. I get a lot of consolation from these prayers. And I’m sure that that was the Holy Spirit‘s intent when He authored them so many years ago. Maybe some of these short passages will help you when you suffer through your ordeals.
*The name of the book is ‘Life, Cancer, and God’, by Paula Black, along with her husband Dale. A very interesting read for people who contend with cancer. She overcame a terminal prognosis by abandoning the traditional medicine’s regimens of chemo, radiation and surgery.
And a reminder! Don’t forget to look up when you are leaving the Narthex as you head for the exit -- there is a message for you. It gets changed every month. There are 12 bible passages that give us clues on how we are to conduct our lives as we go out into the world. I think this month’s message is particularly relevant? What do you think?
Health update: I’m now in my third week of radiation/chemo. Side effects are not too bad yet.
~Fr. John
October 15, 2024
JMJ CHS
Do you recall a few weeks ago when I spoke about RFK Jr. and his conversion experience? One interesting detail of his story involved a number of different examples about what a conversion experience just might practically look like in the life of any person. I’d like to share some of his examples because they apply to all of us. He said that each of us faces quite a number of moral decisions that we have to make every day where we are often called to suppress our pride and increase our humility. Some of his examples include getting out of bed in the morning without hitting the snooze alarm. This is self-discipline and it’s an important virtue for all of us to practice. The anti-virtue here is laziness. Next is making one’s bed every morning (and maybe even starting the day with a prayer.)
How about returning the shopping cart to its station there in the parking lot at Kroger’s? How about putting the pants back on the hanger after you try them on in the fitting room at Kohl’s? How about picking up that piece of garbage off the floor even though you didn’t put it there? Along with this example he provided a story that I think is hilarious. He was running through an airport to catch a flight. He was chewing gum as he ran and took it out of his mouth and wrapped it in foil and threw it into the garbage can as he ran by. ( he’s doing pretty good so far) It was an accurate shot but it bounced out onto the floor. His conscience began to bother him as he continued to run and he argued with God, “Hey, I made the shot. But some “unseen” force threw it back out on the floor.” The argument didn’t work. His conscience overruled him and he stopped after about 50 feet and came back and threw the gum in the garbage can. And he didn’t miss his flight.
At the end of our lives, we will hold our life in our hands as we stand before the throne of God. No words will need to be spoken but we will know how we did because our conscience will remind us. Let’s get in the habit of responding to that inner voice that tells us what we should do (or say) in any given moment, with any moral decision (big or small) we are called upon to make during our day.
(So then, if you see your mom carrying groceries into the house, offer to help her.)
~Fr. John
December 5, 2023
Advent Greetings, Holy Spirit School families,
We have begun the season of preparation leading up to Christmas, and I wanted to extend an invitation to you to join me and our parishioners this Saturday evening after Mass for a showing of a Jesus movie from an earlier generation. It’s called Jesus of Nazareth and was a TV mini-series from the late 1970s. It was shown at Easter of the year on two separate weekends, Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. It was a ratings hit then and has remained so all these years by way of DVD and special presentations on TV during the holy seasons.
You know that I’m a big fan of The Chosen. It’s a wonderful presentation of Jesus in his humanity. Jesus was, after all, fully God and fully man. But, that earlier movie emphasized His godliness. It was very well done and artistic in nature. The music was very inspiring, and the man who played Jesus looked more like Jesus and Jesus did. Just kidding of course but I’ve heard that they chose the British actor Robert Powell because he looked very Christ-like. As a matter of fact, his image is a standard image found on the walls of houses all around the world.
We do many types of things to celebrate at Christmas, but certainly one of the better things you could do would be to take at least your older children to see this movie. I would hope that it would have the same effect on them that it had on me back 40 years ago. And that was a very positive effect that helped me grow in my understanding of Jesus and the sacred scriptures. It is a visual Bible study on DVD.
The movie will be shown in two parts with the second part next Easter. Each segment is a little over three hours long. We will feed you with pizza and pop and popcorn.
If you come, why don’t you bring some Christmas cookies?
~Fr. John
October 4, 2022
JMJ CHS.
We have a number of unusual things associated with our Catholic Christian faith. Tops on the list is the crucifix itself. Catholics, for the most part, insist on having the corpus, or the body of Christ, on the crucifix. Some places have removed it and some have replaced it with the resurrected Jesus. One thing we can say for sure is that whenever we see a crucifix, it is quite ‘antiseptic.’ It doesn’t show what Jesus truly looked like on the cross.
What else? How about The Incorruptibles? “Remember that you are dust and the dust you shall return.” We will all die and return to ashes. But many of the Saints did not waste away in their graves. They remain intact. Incorrupt. This is not a special form embalming but a special grace from God possibly related to Psalm 16/10 which says : “For thou wilt not leave my soul to Sheol; Neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to undergo corruption.”
One Saint whose incorrupt body is on display over at San Giovanni Rotondo in Italy, is Padre Pio. And he had some other unusual qualities as well. He bore the stigmata, namely the wounds of Christ on his body. Again, not auto-suggestion or self-inflicted wounds, but a “gift” from God. He was also able to read minds and to bi-locate, namely to be in two places at the same time. He was a very unusual guy.
And many of the other Saints were unusual in their own respect. We called them mystics, and they would seem to have a closer relationship with God than the rest of us. Some of them received messages from heaven or were intermediaries of those messages. Saint Bernadette of Lourdes was one. The three shepherd children of Fatima were another. Saint Margaret Mary and Saint Faustina received messages about God‘s love for us, and his mercy for us.
What they gave us are called private revelations, as opposed to the public revelations of the gospels and other biblical writings. Many people throughout the ages claim to have spoken on behalf of God. Many of them were genuine, but some of them or not.
The Church tries to study them to determine their veracity but there have been so many in recent times that they can’t possibly examine all of them. But, as the Catholic Catechism suggests, these are messages that can be very helpful and encouraging during particular times in history.
On Monday, October 24th, we will have a visit here at Holy Spirit Catholic Church and school from a lady named Carolyn. She was once a school mom here at Holy Spirit but eventually had to move with her family to the Grand Rapids diocese. But she’s been coming here now for many years on this particular date to share a message from heaven. On this day she’s going to do it not in the evening, as she usually has done, but during the day. This opens up the opportunity for our school children to hear this special message. And so in the late afternoon on that day, our kids, and hopefully many moms and dad’s, will come in to enjoy this special gift from heaven. This will lead up to dismissal at 3 o’clock.
If you wanted to listen to some of Carolyn‘s messages, go to heavenlygrace.org
I should also mention that many of our school families were deeply influenced by Carolyn‘s early messages. They would refer to them as ‘life-changing’.
November 6, 2023
JMJ CHS
Dear Holy Spirit school families.
Greetings. Looking forward to The Chili Cookoff. I will be manning the Alka-Seltzer booth. It’s been my tradition to make something in my rectory woodshop to put in the raffle, and I’m working hard this week to finish up a project. it will be different.
Maybe you heard about the new St. Philomena book that has arrived in our bookstore gift shop. It was written and illustrated by Father Peregrine Fletcher (O Praem) from his Norbertine Monastery in California. It’s quite nice. May I suggest that you give one (or more) as a Christmas gift, first to your children, and then to others. And be prepared to share with those others our story here at Holy Spirit. It’s available online on our website.
The International St. Philomena Shrine of our patron saint is in the little town of Mugnano, Italy near Naples. I recently had occasion to contact the rector there and ask him for special prayers for our school in front of the relics of our dear Saint. For many years, we have hoped to grow our school and even make a gymnasium for the activities of our young people, particularly during the winter months. While fresh air is good, there is a lot of time wasted dressing up, heading up the hill to the playground, and then coming down and undressing and getting back into the groove of classroom work. And then there are of course, growing security concerns. So, most certainly, the gymnasium would be a welcome addition. But the Covid thing certainly slowed down our plans and at least in my mind, forced me to think a little bit outside the box. The world is now a different place and I have concerns that things are not going to get better. (At least until The Second Coming.) I look at the situation in the Middle East and wonder if it might expand. If that’s the case, should we even be thinking about a gymnasium, or should we be thinking about it even more, but, with some changes? I’m of the opinion that it would also have to be a refuge, of sorts, to assist not only ourselves, but also our neighbors. A food bank, a shelter, a warming station, a place to take a hot shower? We’ve had a few substantial power outages recently and we’ve seen that something as simple and as localized as that can certainly produce a great deal of inconvenience. So, maybe we should prepare to be of help to those who live nearby.
In any case, please join me in praying to St. Joseph for his guidance and wisdom, as we continue to ponder our future as a church and school community
This is National Week of Prayer for Vocations and I will be talking to the children about that subject at this week’s Masses. Maybe you’ve heard about The Vocation Chalice. It had disappeared but it’s back! Some years ago, it was purchased as a sacramental that individuals and families could take into their homes for a week to pray for vocations to the priesthood. I would encourage you to visit our Book & Gift Shop and sign it out for a week of prayer in your family.
As you know, I’ve been a big promoter of watching that Jesus TV show called The Chosen. Season four will be coming out in February and at least the first two episodes will again be in the theaters. I’m looking forward to it. But we’re going to do something a little bit different here in the parish this Christmas. We plan to show a Jesus movie from an earlier generation. It came out when I was about 30 years old and was very helpful to me in my spiritual growth. It was very well done with a cast that included many of the great actors of that time. I consider it a classic and I would like to invite all of you to come. It begins quite early in the Life of Christ, with the Annunciation of the angel Gabriel to Mary, announcing the birth of her son. It will be on December 9 after Mass and pizza, popcorn and Christmas cookies will be served. I sure hope you can make it. I’m sure it will do much to enhance your Christmas spirit!
~Fr. John
Dear School families,
You know, we are so blessed to have a bookstore here at Holy Spirit, along with Shawnie and a very able and dedicated staff which always goes the extra mile to provide this service to our community and beyond. I like to peruse what’s on the shelves and very often I find books that end up being part of my homilies. I’d like to tell you about two of them. The first one is by a Frenchman named Alexandre Harvard. He claims to have had a vision of St. Joan of Arc which inspired him to leave his profession as a lawyer and start a new organization called The Virtuous Leadership Institute. The book it’s called Coached by Joan of Arc and is based on quotes from Joan that came from her two trials. The one that condemned her to death, and the one that exonerated her 20 years later and paved the way for her sainthood.
For those of us who are leaders or who anticipate being leaders someday, I think this small book provides some very interesting encouragement. Joan heard spiritual voices that began in her childhood which guided her toward her mission of liberating France from the English. In her experiences, she got much resistance from just about everybody, including those who should have been her biggest supporters. Nobody believed her competence. How could a young illiterate farm girl with no military training or experience be trusted to make big decisions on the battlefield? She prevailed over them and in the end she was victorious, France was liberated, and she was rewarded by being burned at the stake. (As they say, No good deed goes unpunished. If you want to be a leader, be prepared for martyrdom.)
There were some interesting chapters that caught my eye. Among them being chapter 1 which was titled: Finding victory in defeat.
Or 7: Put your intelligence into everything you do.
Or 14: Do not fear public opinion.
Or 15: Reject perfectionism.
I personally think this is a good book to give away as a gift to young people as they begin a life which might someday call them to center stage and the role of leadership.
I told you there would be two books but I’m going to hold off on the next one until next week. I will, however, tell you what it’s about. It’s about humility. Humility Rules. Saint Benedict’s 12- Step Guide to Genuine Self-Esteem. It’s written by a Benedictine monk from St. Louis. But, I’ll give you a teaser here. Its about step 4, which is titled, interestingly, “Suffer Fools Gladly”. PERSEVERANCE, with a quote from Saint Matthew: “Be patient in suffering, even when you encounter difficulties and injustice, for as the scripture says; he who endures to the end will be saved. (Mt. 10:22)
~Fr. John
10-16-2022
A monk was being interviewed by a reporter who was writing an article on what life was like in the monastery. The reporter asked the monk, “What’s the hardest thing about being a monk?” Without hesitation the monk said, “Other monks”
I recently referred to a book called Humility Rules, Saint Benedict’s 12-Step Guide to Genuine Self Esteem. based on The Rule of Saint Benedict for his monks in the monastery. This small book is written by Father J. Augustine Wetta ,OSB, who is a monk in St. Louis. (And a funny guy. The picture on the cover of his book shows St. Benedict carrying a skateboard) But these are considered universal rules that have been used by monastics of many different religious orders down through the years. Now, even though we are not monks and do not live in monasteries, these rules are wise and it would behoove us to consider them for our own lives to the degree that we are able.
Again it’s under the heading of PERSEVERANCE and it began with this quote from “Benedict’s Rules”: “Above all, there should be no grumbling, not in word, not by gesture, not for any reason whatsoever. If anyone is caught grumbling, he should be severely disciplined.”
Well, that sounds like kind of a tough one. What does he expect of us? Does he want to take away all our fun?
Fr. Wetta, reflecting the thought of the saint, says that “nothing will take the wind out of your sails like grumbling…..This is Benedict’s pet peeve, and he mentions it eight times in The Rule.”
He goes on, relying on scripture, “If you think about it, an outright fight is easier on a community than that ceaseless, cowardly, whining gossip that comes from a grumbler who spreads strife and separates close friends”. (Proverbs 16/28). “Unlike direct disobedience, grumbling makes everyone restless and angry – including the grumbler himself. They learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not.” (1 Timothy5-13).
A little addenda from myself. Another word for grumbling is murmuring. This term was used in The Book of Exodus when God was very angry at His Chosen People for murmuring in light of the many blessings they enjoyed as He brought them out of Egypt into the Promised Land. If you ever saw the movie The 10 Commandments from the early 50s, you might remember a character named Dathan. (He was a real person and had an unfortunate ending.) But he was the ultimate ‘murmurur’. Maybe a better term would be ‘gadfly’, or even ‘naysayer’.
Every chapter in Fr. Wetta’s book has some little homework assignment attached. My favorite is the one at the end of the first chapter which says, “Spare the life of a bug today. Bonus points if its a mosquito.”
The assignment for this chapter on PERSEVERANCE is, “Keep your next opinion to yourself”.
I just finished the book. His last homework assignment was ….Give this book away.
We’ll, I’ve just given a part of it to you.
But, again, this is all about living virtuously, and I think that this book, like that Joan of Arc book I mentioned earlier, would be a good gift to our young people, particularly our middle schoolers, here at Holy Spirit who, throughout the year, are all being trained in virtues which should give them a better sense of what self-esteem is really all about, and thus help them to better prepare a firm foundation for a happy and peaceful adulthood.
Frj +