This good Day - Fernando Ortega

This good Day - Fernando Ortega

Share your Bread

SHARE YOUR BREAD WITH THE HUNGRY

DEACON KEVIN REID

FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION                             

                                                                                      

I am sure that by now that almost all of us here, have either heard of, or have likely used Facebook.

You know it's kind of funny, it is at times one of the best, and at the same time one of the worst examples of the power of SOCIAL MEDIA. Which is truly  an unforeseen force of modern society.

Sometimes people will say and show great sense of apathy, patriotism, love, concern, or fun.

Sadly at other times, hate, prejudices of all sorts, bullying, alienation and fear mongering can often seem to fill the site.

We are now in uncharted waters, we are sailing with out a compass, with out charts. We have entered a new era in communications or lack there of.

Think about it, e-mails have replaced mail. E-Cards have replaced greeting cards. we find our perfect mate on line. We read books by sliding our finger across our screens. And hardly any kids first job is being a paper boy or girl now.

Think back and try to remember TV, before Reality TV we had lived sometimes vicariously through the stars and the shows.

The mystery of who it was that shot JR was on everyone's mind. Now days we live in an age of instant gratification, anyone and everyone that wants to, can Tweet out photos in REAL time, reporters have been replaced by bloggers, and we cant pull ourselves away from it all, like a car wreck on the highway we just cant seem to help ourselves.

We just keep staring at these little boxes, {pause} and pull out your phone.

This scenario that I just described and reenacted happens every where you look these days, my wife who is a high school teacher tells me it is an everyday experience with her students, AS SOON AS THEY LEAVE CLASS. 

A priest friend of mine once joked with on Facebook of all places; WITH A PHOTO OF A CROWD OF PEOPLE ALL STARING T THEIR PHONES LIKE THEY WERE IN A TRANCE that it might just be the beginning of the Zombie Apocalypse. This constant staring at these boxes, and he is right in a sense.

Are we ourselves possibly, living in Darkness by spending so much time with our faces turned to the small screen, that we perhaps are missing the big picture.

In the first reading today the Lord God speaking through his prophet Isaiah tells us that we cant turn our backs on our own.

Well we sure can if we don't ever look up from our phones. Good friends none of us consciously turn our backs on the hungry, but many never SEE THE HUNGRY, they become invisible, we become used to their ever present images.

We tune them out, because we do not see in them the pain that they are living in, so we don't SEE or feel what is all around us. We live in a world where we have been  somehow de-conditioned to touch what Christ teaches us to reach for.

Just about 6.2 miles away from this church there are people who wander the streets of Baltimore their belongings often being carried or pushed along with them.

You might ask your self; what are they  looking for ? Or perhaps, you wonder why do they wander ?

But most likely we don't usually even notice them. Isaiah says we need to remove from our midst oppression, false accusation, and malicious speech.

Friends this past week on Facebook, there was a post in the Catholic Review showing a photo of Bishop Madden, testifying in Annapolis he said and I quote "We speak on behalf of those who have come to us for food,

clothing and shelter"

The comments that followed this post and photo of our Vicar Bishop included, 

"That is  why people lean away from religion. they keep backing the wrong horse".

And another said that all priests and bishops etc. should be required to read 'Basic Economics' by Thomas Sowell before deciding to comment on economic issues.

Last week we learned that Jesus came to bring light to those who were living in Darkness, I guess he never read 'Basic Economics' either, maybe if he had read it as the commenter had suggested he would not of come.

Friends in today's reading this week we are being challenged to bring our LIGHT to THOSE WHO ARE LIVING IN DARKNESS.

We are challenged on all fronts, to be there for our families, our jobs, for our church, for each other. To be the SALT of life to a world that seems like it has at times lost it's taste of what it means to be human.

Being fully Human, fully present to God and to our community is the essence of our living out our Catholic Identity. 

So now we are back to our Gospel Reading,

Matthew tells us that Jesus said do not to hide hide our lights from shining forth, so as we approach the Lenten Season and we think about what we will possibly do, or not do.

Think of this challenge, OUR TO DO ITEM :To let our light shine, to others especially to those who that we SEE are in Need.

ON OUR NOT TO DO LIST: TO RESIST THE URGE TO STARE AT THESE LITTLE SCREENS {PAUSE AND LOOK AT PHONE} SO THAT WE CAN SEE OUR TO DO LIST.

Jesus said a city set upon a mountain can not be hidden, this Chuch is set upon a mountain of sorts here in Towson.

So therefore today after we have received the Word of God in our Hearts, and our bodies have been strengthened by his  SACRED body and blood LET US GO FORTH PROCLAIMING AND LIVING THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD.

 

My Homily for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time "B"

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Deacon Kevin F. Reid
November 18th 2012
Church of the Immaculate Conception









God's Promises are For Ever and Ever

I am sure that by now you have been noticing the CHANGE that is in the air, by now most of the leaves have changed color and the yards are filling with those big black bags of leaves ready to be picked up and to be taken away.

This is actually one of the prettiest times of the year to see the wonder of nature. The last leaves to fall are the Japanese Maple those are the ones that in the past week turned an almost iridescent reddish burgundy.
I was driving along Joppa Road the other day from the Parish to an appointment for a procedure at Johns Hopkins, at Greenspring Station, and the leaves were magnificent as the sun shone through the new spaces that the other fallen leaves had created in the trees  by already falling. It was almost like they were illuminated with the Glory of Creation, but yet they were dying.

Perhaps the greatest paradox in life is how the end can take us back to the beginning......... And that the beginning is the start of the end.

I would like to share a story with you that might help to understand today's readings. About a month ago, on a Tuesday morning, I was making my rounds at GBMC visiting the Catholic Patients who are there.

A patient's wife that I had come to know over the past four years, Mary met me in the hallway, and she was obviously upset so we sat down to talk for a few minutes.

Her husband Joe had been told that he was losing his fight, he had been battling Leukemia for the past four years. And the disease was winning and the options had run out.

I first met Joseph and Mary four years ago as they came for all of the various interventional treatments at the Hospital that they were hoping would stop the dreadful CANCER from spreading and from winning the battle.

The thing that struck me about this particular Joseph and Mary  besides their unique name as a COUPLE was their enduring hope, they never ever doubted in the Mercy and the Glory of God in the midst of their suffering. Each day left to them was a GIFT.

No matter who I had previously visited, no matter how LOW I MIGHT HAVE FELT when entering that room after spending a few minutes with them I always felt better.

Truly Joseph ministered to me more then I ever ministered to him. As I went in to visit Joseph that day, I was able to share with him how he had helped me so many times by the way he endured his suffering, by the way he and Mary cared for each other and for me.

I shared that I hoped to see him again but in my Heart I knew that would be unlikely. His body had been worn down and he was week from the fight. But he still had his dignity and his smile told me that it was alright that he was ready.

 God in his Mercy and Love had blessed Joseph with an unflappable HOPE that no matter what the outcome, no matter how hard the treatments were that he would be with him FOR EVER AND EVER.

Very early this past Monday morning, Jesus came for  Joseph. Just as one day he will come for each of us, I pray for all of us that we too will have the GRACE of a happy death in the end like Joseph did.

Joseph went to sleep that Sunday night in the arms of his Mary but woke up that morning in the arms of Jesus.

Perhaps the greatest paradox in life is how the end can take us back to the beginning......... And that the beginning is the start of the end.


The challenge that each of us will face in the end is only known to God, he alone knows what is in store for each of us, we need only remind ourselves of how he never ever leaves us alone. That he will be with us always for ever and ever.

Jesus in today's Gospel reminds us that we no not the time or the hour. That the "things" of this world will all fade and crumble and fall just like the great Temple in Jerusalem would one day do.

Our readings today all have a common theme of redemption in the midst of pain and persecution.

Jesus was speaking to the disciples, just as he tells us here today that Good will triumph in the end and that the Righteous the "ELECT" will inherit the Kingdom of God.

In our letter to the Hebrews the writer shared with us that Christ did sacrifice himself for our Redemption, and suffer at the hands of evil men.

But that after that he would take his place at the right hand of God the Father. And that he waits there for till the end of time to come back for each of us.

The common thread that they will share is that Christ will come once again to judge the Living and the Dead, and that his Kingdom will last forever.

We believe that this time that we spend in this life, will not end in death. That in Baptism we are "REBORN" into eternal life.

Perhaps the greatest paradox in life is how the end can take us back to the beginning......... And that the beginning is the start of the end.


We believe that when he comes again on the last day that we will all rise again.  And that the righteous will inherit the kingdom of God and eternal life.

So as we prepare ourselves now to receive the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist I would like to leave you with the prayer that is read at all times of the day around the world in every hour by Priests, Deacons and Bishops. It is called the
CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH and it speaks of the promise of FOR EVER AND EVER.

 They will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great glory and majesty.

Blessed + be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old †
  that he would save us from our enemies, *
  from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear, *
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High; *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever and ever.

THESE WORDS SHOULD GIVE US ALL THE HOPE THAT DURING ANY TIME OF TRIAL that the "NOW" that we are experiencing is temporary, but THAT "ETERNITY" is FOREVER.

My Homily "The Good Shepherd "16th Sunday Ordinary Time

The Good Shepherd 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time "B" Deacon Kevin Reid Church of the Immaculate Conception July 22, 2012 In today's readings there is a common theme that the Lord in all of his wisdom and mercy is trying to communicate to us here today. The promise that he is OUR GOOD SHEPHERD,and today he is really making sure that we get it because he is telling us in three different ways, at three different times. Talk about having to repeat yourself to your CHILDREN, we parents all know what that's like don't we? Sometimes miraculously our children they hear us every now and then on the first time, but I'm afraid to say most times its not even till after the third time. So just as we have to repeat ourselves to our Kids, God sometimes has to do the same thing to us. And so it is with us Brothers and Sisters; sometimes we need to hear things over and over before we finally "get it". Perhaps its because we have conditioned ourselves to only hear what we want to HEAR, we can selectively listen for and tone out the other stuff. Jesus like a good parent, loves us unconditionally in spite of our short comings, in spite of our "Selective Hearing" he is the epitome of what we all wish to be in our Hope to be good parents. As a good shepherd he KNOWS his sheep, and he calls each of us by name. He leads us with his word, and with his Spirit to a place of rest. To a place to RETREAT from the Hustle and the Bustle of our Daily Routines. The Shepherd had the task of finding a "Safe" place for the Sheep to rest on their journey. Certainly that's what he was trying to do for the Apostles in today's Gospel from Mark. They had been sent forth as you might remember two by two last week, and they were reporting back to the "Boss" just how well it went. It was his idea to lead them away to a QUIET place to rest, I dare say perhaps he led them away to show them just how great was the need for them to continue the good work that he had begun in them last Sunday. In other words their work had just begun and he was teaching THEM as well as the Crowds. He never fails to use a teaching moment when it's there, next week he will show the Apostles how to feed the multitude with a few fish and a hand full of loaves. These 3 weeks we are in the middle of have a common theme: being with Jesus,doing works that reflect his goodness and power, proclaiming his Word. He is the TEACHER in each of these three weeks who is teaching them and us what we can do for others and for ourselves. This Good Shepherd sees things in the Apostles and in also in us that we don't always see in each other or possibly even in our selves. I guess with all of this talk about Shepherds, the hardest part for us to understand is just what a Shepherd did, ???? or even in some remote parts of the world still DOES. He guides his flock he leads them in the direction of cool refreshing water, he keeps the predators at bay. His staff and rod is always at the ready to bring his sheep back in or to knock the wolf away if he needs it. Most importantly, perhaps is that he puts Himself between us (the sheep) because like sheep we can also stray, and we too can get lost easily. My Brothers and Sisters, when we do get lost or lose our WAY, we might very quickly find ourselves in trouble. The wolf as we know from the story of little Red Riding Hood is a cunning creature who comes for us in many disguises. He comes between us and our Good Shepherd with his lies and with his ability to 'SNIFF OUT OUR FEAR' he is always there ready to pounce. He prefers to come for us when we are afraid, when we think and convince our selves that we are all alone, when we have separated ourselves from God and the rest of of our Community the 'Flock' by sin. And it is precisely at those times when we are like those LOST sheep, that the Good Shepherd, comes searching looking for his lost sheep. He comes to us in those times when we are feeling the most vulnerable, when perhaps that the storms of life have left us feeling empty or even adrift. Like the Father in the Story of the Prodigal Son that goes running out to meet his long lost given up for DEAD son, his joy in finding us is complete. He lifts up and restores our weary bodies that are burdened from the challenges of life. He gives us the promise of the gift of eternal life. Not unlike the people who Jesus saw and taught from the boat in today's Gospel, he looks to us in our suffering and he seeks to make it better. He does not ever promise us that there will be a bed of Roses, rather he tells us that he walks with us in the very "Valley of Death" and that he will not leave us alone, that he will be there to SHEPHERD us in those dark moments. I can share a story with you that I know many of you will find some thing in common with. When our first Son was born, to my wife Lisa and I, our OB a man who had been taught by the Jesuits in Jamaica, that had been fortunate to attend Medical School at Johns Hopkins and work there for over forty years helping women deliver babies. This man named Eli shepherded us through the entire birth process. Well giving credit where it is due, Lisa did all the physical work of pushing and struggling just like we all do in life. But Eli he was there, right along side of us Shepherding us keeping things under control, making us feel safe. I think it was that day that I finally figured out just exactly what a modern day Shepherd did, certainly during the birthing process. Folks on your first time being present as a Mother or as a Father it is easy for the fear and the pain to get the upper hand on you to make you feel alone. That is where our Shepherd Eli stepped in. He knew just what to do, he had been there before, and he knew just what to do when that time came. He guided us in such a way and we never felt that he wasn't 100% in control. We were never left to feel alone. Jesus knows first hand what it feels like to be alone, remember he didn't have to become one of us to be like one of us. He became one of us so that we could become like him. And he never wants to be away from us when we need him. It says in today's Gospel that he stayed there with them because he had compassion for them and that he taught them many things. He is always willing to teach us to guide us and Shepherd us through both the good and bad times. He teaches them and us that his WAY is "THE WAY" to eternal life. He leads us to greener pastures and sets a wedding banquet table for us to join him at. From the Words of today's Psalm which probably next to the Our Father, is the second most popular prayer in all of Christianity. Nothing shall I want. He leads me. He goes before me with rod and staff. He feeds me. He anoints my head. Friends what more could we ask of our Shepherd, let us pray that today after we come to the Altar to receive the life giving body and blood of the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for us, that we WILL from this day forward listen for his shepherds voice in his call to each of us. His call for us to hear his voice in the cries of his people who are hungry for us to share with them the Good News of his life giving Gospel.

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Homily

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Church of the Immaculate Conception

September 4th 2011

Deacon Kevin F. Reid.

"For where two or three are gathered together in my name,there I AM IN THE MIDST OF THEM. What do these words mean to us here today, as we gather together as a faith Community?

Do we acknowledge that Christ will soon be physically present here in the Eucharistic Celebration?

And that when we lift up our prayers that he will be present listening and guiding us as he once guided his early followers.

Christ spoke these words to us in today's Gospel but he also just said previously "If two of you AGREE on Earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my Heavenly Father.

After we stand together and profess our faith in the Creed, we will also stand and profess the concerns of this Community, and make our communal response "Lord HEAR our Prayer".

In the prayer of the faithful we are asking the Lord to LISTEN to what we have to say about what we want, to listen for what we as a Community are concerned about, what we as a Community hope and pray for.

Basically we are saying that as a Community we AGREE on these needs and concerns and that we are lifting our hearts up to the Lord, our petition is for the Lord to listen to what we as Community all believe that we need this from him and that is why we petition him with our prayer.

To take this a step further, what it means is that we can't be praying for pro- life PRO LIFE issues and also at the same time be for the Death Penalty, we can't be PRO LIFE and decide who should die whether its a baby or a convicted killer, only God can give or take away life.

We can't pray for vocations if our prayer is that those vocations to the Priesthood or the Consecrated Life are only for other people's children, but not our family.

My friends we can't pray for an end to violence if we think that perhaps "THOSE PEOPLE over there DESERVE WHAT THEY ARE GETTING", violence has no place in any our lives.

Next weekend on Saturday we will have the Annual Jessica Meredith Jacobson Memorial 5K race, a race that says that we as a Community Abhor domestic Violence,of any kind.

We do this when we come together and run or walk, we continue her legacy and we support her family each year as we celebrate her life by remembering her and honoring her memory.

We can't pray for peace if there is nothing that we are doing to promote true justice in our world, in our country or in our communities.

There will only be lasting peace when there is lasting justice in the world. We can use the teachings of the Prince of Peace to work for equitable working conditions for all Laborers around the world. For safety in the home from domestic abuse for all women.

It was Pope Paul the VI who once said "if you want Peace you must work for Justice"

Christ is saying to his disciples and to us that we have to HEAR the evidence and that we must then come together and ACT upon it. We gather together as a faith Community as a Church, and we condemn all those behaviors that take away another human beings dignity or life.

He is asking us not to be JUDGES BUT TO BE WITNESSES, what a powerful message there is to each of us in that suggestion, he is saying as is Saint Paul and Ezekiel that we OWE this to each other, that this Sacred responsibility comes with the territory for the chosen people, those Christians who have been baptized to be Priest, Prophet and King.

My sisters and brothers we do all of this through the guidance of our Good Shepherd our Bishops and by our Church's Teachings, which are based on the teachings of Christ, and also all that what was revealed to us through him and by the Apostles.

We have taken those teachings from Christ and the Apostles and have used them as foundation for the rules and guidelines of living a Holy Life within our present day world , “The Catechism of the Catholic Church”.

If you think back for any of us people here in the Congregation who are older then forty, that “BACK IN THE DAY” it used to be called the old "Baltimore Catechism" for the Catholic Church started here in America in Baltimore.

If you were fortunate enough you went to a Catholic School you were quite used to the term, because SISTER made sure of that each and everyone of us knew it understood and breathed it, that old Baltimore Catechism, that I can assure you .

Well how then can we teach this new generation how to follow the Catechism, all though some of us remember the days when the Sisters ruled by ruler, actually they were the living witnesses to us of the teachings of Jesus, they in their vocations gave it all back to those in whose care was placed upon them.

I’m sure they through their vocations and the grace of God helped lead many of those school children to the path of Salvation, for me they were the ones who helped plant the seed for me follow my Vocation to be me a Deacon.

It's amazing to me that we all go through such extraordinary steps these days to insure that our children will MAKE IT to a good University, a secure job we do whatever we have to, achieve that GOAL.

But how about the goal of teaching them how to find Salvation in our Church, by loving their neighbors as themselves.

Just how often do we take the time to teach them how to LOVE, others as Christ loves us, to see the good in each other rather then the faults.

To teach our children to learn what the Sisters taught us, to be living Witnesses to the TRUTH. We often in life have to make difficult choices, when we HAVE to tell someone that what ever it is that they are doing goes against what we believe to be sacred or hold true.

Perhaps it could be a coworker that tells jokes that offend your morality, it could be with a friend who brags about cheating on his wife and getting away with it. A boss who purposely overstates Business expenses and wants you to sign off on them.

For our younger children it can be watching some of their friends cheating in school or perhaps Bullying another child.

For our teenagers it can be letting a friend get drunk at a party and watching them try to drive, or perhaps being promiscuous and lying to their parents about where they are spending the night.

Our children need us to be the witnesses of the behavior that will teach them how to confront wrongs in a way like Jesus suggests in Matthews Gospel this morning, to take them aside and to speak privately to them without fear of embarrassment .

And if that does not work to get a small group together to confront the behavior and not condemn the individual.

The old saying that a lot of 12 step groups is for us to hate the SIN and to love the sinner.

Let us pray that as we approach the Altar to receive the real physical presence of Christ that we will have the Grace and Courage to confront the Evil in our Broken World.

KOC September Reflection

Chaplain’s Summation for September

We are starting to finally feel the effect of some cooler temperatures, Children and Grandchildren will soon be going back to school. And before long the wind will start to pick up and our weekend afternoons will be divided between football and raking leaves.

For us Knights in the Father O’Neil Council it also means the annual Jessica Meredith Jacobsen 5K Memorial Run, the Crab Feast and the continued breaking in of our new officers.

But life is more then buying back to school clothes and raking leaves, there are in fact somethings that are more important then picking your fantasy football team now that the strike has settled.

In the midst of our busy lives we MUST make time for our Families, we MUST make time for private and family Prayer, and we also must continue to look after those who have no one but us Knights to depend on.

When Fr. Michael McGiviney founded the Knights I am sure that in his wildest dreams he would have never been able to SEE what Good works would come from the seed that he has planted.

God himself was able to SEE and he has made possible through the men who call themselves the Knights of Columbus, a whole community of Love, Compassion, and sincere Spirituality. Brothers to the man, loyal to God, Church and Country.

Fall for me has always involved planting bulbs, tulips, and other beautiful fall flowers.

The funny things about bulbs is that you sometimes forget what or where you planted them and you have a surprise in the Spring.

As Knights let us plant the seeds of our good work, our faith sharing and our Charities for in our efforts we will be Blessed with unexpected Graces and joy in continuing with the good work that Father McGiviney has started.

Let us pray that the good work that has begun will begin to Blossom and will Multiply through the Graces of the one who has promised to us that he would prepare a room for each of us, and that he himself would welcome us to his Father’s House if we Live his Gospel as our own.

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Homily

22nd Sunday in Ordinary time "A"

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time August 28th 2011
Deacon Kevin F. Reid
Church of the Immaculate Conception

Whoever wishes
to come after me
must deny
himself,and take up his Cross, and Follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will FIND IT.

We gather today and

come together as a faith

Deacon Kevin Reid

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22nd Sunday in Ordinary time "A"

community, we come to be fed with the Sacred Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, we come together to listen to the Word of God Proclaimed and Broken open.

My good friends the truth
is that the Cross that you
see up here on this Altar is not the only one here in this church. Each of us here has a special Cross to carry, each one of them different but

Deacon Kevin Reid

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22nd Sunday in Ordinary time "A"

none the less each is a Cross.

It could be the cross of recently losing a job, of a broken partnership, perhaps Children who have rebelled against their parents, an elderly relative struggling to maintain her independence .

Paul in our second reading this morning is urging the new Converts in Rome
by the mercies of God

to offer up their bodies

Deacon Kevin Reid

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22nd Sunday in Ordinary time "A"

as a living sacrifice, not to be conformed to the present but rather to be TRANSFORMED by the renewal of their minds so that they could DISCERN what is the Will of GOD.

To choose to do what is good, pleasing and perfect to God. This is a type of ongoing conversion that is taking place in the early converts and within our community

Deacon Kevin Reid

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22nd Sunday in Ordinary time "A"

our Church here today just as it happened back in the early church in the time of Paul.

But is it truly God's will that we must suffer, to know him? Suffering is part of the human condition, and we all go through it in one form or another.

Sometimes we in the midst of our suffering do meet God, in those different times when we might feel we are most

Deacon Kevin Reid

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22nd Sunday in Ordinary time "A"

alone, we sometimes meet him in those people that God has sent to be with us.

Sometimes it in our failings, in our betrayals
The prophet Jeremiah suffered for telling the truth, he was mocked and made a fool.

Deacon Kevin Reid

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22nd Sunday in Ordinary time "A"

None of the people wanted to HEAR what he was saying. I'm sure you have heard
the saying "Sometimes the Truth HURTS".

Often as part of our Human Condition we do not want to hear the truth, we WISH to save what we think is important, and ignore what is precious.

Deacon Kevin Reid

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22nd Sunday in Ordinary time "A"

Certainly in today's Gospel Jesus is speaking the TRUTH to his disciples, at this time as they get closer to his destiny, to Jerusalem he
has started to REVEAL to them the TRUTH about his upcoming death and his suffering.

Imagine how hard it was for Jesus to be obedient
to the point of Death, to suffer by friends who would

Deacon Kevin Reid

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22nd Sunday in Ordinary time "A"

betray and abandon him, for a people who would in the same week greet him with palms as their King
by shouting out "Hosanna Blessed is he who comes in the NAME OF THE LORD".

A week later this same crowd would shout out to the Roman Governor "Crucify HIM".

They would choose to crucify him over a convicted

Deacon Kevin Reid

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22nd Sunday in Ordinary time "A"

murderer.

Jesus has told them all of this so that they might come to UNDERSTAND who he was and why he came down from Heaven to be one of us.

Peter big bag of wind that he was at the time says "God forbid Lord" Nothing like this should ever happen to YOU. Like he himself could prevent or dissuade Jesus from letting this happen.

Deacon Kevin Reid

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22nd Sunday in Ordinary time "A"

Jesus sees Peter as a STUMBLING BLOCK, and he shouts "GET BEHIND ME SATAN",he has come to terms with what he MUST DO, and nothing or any one can stop him.

Peter in his usual voice proclaims that THIS should never happen, certainly not if this was HIS Way.

Deacon Kevin Reid

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22nd Sunday in Ordinary time "A"

Sometimes we can stumble over ourselves, Peter back in the time before Christ was crucified, certainly if we think back and remember did this more then once .

My Sisters and Brothers what kind of Stumbling blocks, what fears do we have in our lives, what

Deacon Kevin Reid

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22nd Sunday in Ordinary time "A"

are the things are holding us back or causing us to stumble.

Maybe possibly to even give up, on our wishes, hopes dreams and commitments.

Christ mentions to Peter that HE is not thinking like God does, sadly my friends often we don't think like God does either, we let our fears run wild and forget how to trust

Deacon Kevin Reid

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22nd Sunday in Ordinary time "A"

each other and even to trust God.

I think that it's safe for us to say that God sees the " Big Picture" he is able to see down the road.

He knows the difficult road that we are on, knows what is BEST for us because he knows and understands
our fears, our hangups, he himself has traveled as we do with friends and family.

Deacon Kevin Reid

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When we fail he forgives us, he loves us and supports us through all of our darkest times, and rejoices when we come BACK.

He comes to greet us today with his Holy Spirit,with his body and blood here at the Altar.

After he rose into heaven, he sent his Holy Spirit to Peter and the others hiding

Deacon Kevin Reid

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alone in the upper room
in Jerusalem, it was Peter the former bag of wind who led the others and went out into the streets where they proclaimed the miracle of the Resurrection.

My Brothers and Sisters we know that Simon was probably a pretty good fisherman before he met Jesus. He would not have

Deacon Kevin Reid

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22nd Sunday in Ordinary time "A"

survived in his occupation if he wasn't one.

But after he met Jesus and became one of his followers he was able to find his true calling as a FISHER of MEN.

He gave up his old life of dragging nets through the Sea of Galilee and now with his new one he found himself as the leader of the Apostles.

Deacon Kevin Reid

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22nd Sunday in Ordinary time "A"

He was renamed PETER by Jesus. He is the first of our Popes, the beginning of the Apostolic Succession, he is the foundation named the Rock of our Church.

There were probably times when he wished for the relative safety of his former occupation, he stumbled more then once, but he persevered.

We know that he had

Deacon Kevin Reid

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his heart changed by his encounter with Jesus, after the Resurrection and after that, he just like Jeremiah could no longer hold himself BACK.

Many famous people have overcome adversity and found their calling after they

"Came to Jesus", many of the Saints were outcasts, considered flakes they went against the grain of contemporary society.

Deacon Kevin Reid

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An example of that in
our recent time was
Saint Maximilian Kolbe,
a Franciscan priest in
Poland who was sent to a Concentration Camp for opposing the Nazis, after an attempt by eight prisoners to escape, eight prisoners were lined up to be shot, one was a Father of small children.

Just as they were about to be shot Maximilian volunteered

Deacon Kevin Reid

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22nd Sunday in Ordinary time "A"

to take his place he gave up his life so that this father who was going to lose his would be spared.

What better example of living out the teachings of Jesus can we find?
He gave his life to gain eternal life.

There are many more examples of this type of selfless giving. Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta

Deacon Kevin Reid

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22nd Sunday in Ordinary time "A"

who gave her everything to those who had nothing.

Another contemporary example would be with Dietrich Bonhoeffer who also gave up his life.He did it by resisting the tyranny of Hitler. The Nazis had Nationalized the Lutheran Church and Bonhoeffer led others away to a new break away church.

He wrote not long before

Deacon Kevin Reid

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he was executed that “The Christian also has to undergo temptations, he too has
to bear the sins of others;

he too must bear their shame and be driven like a scapegoat from the gate of the city.

He goes on to say that “He would certainly break down under this burden, but for the support of HIM who bore the sins of ALL.

Deacon Kevin Reid

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He finishes by saying that “ My Brothers burden which I MUST bear is not only his outward life, his natural characteristics and gifts, but quite literally his sin. and that the only way to bear that sin is to forgiving it in the POWER of the Cross of Christ in which I now share.

In the end perhaps one of the most difficult Crosses for any of us to carry is the Cross of Forgiveness, those wounds

Deacon Kevin Reid

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are often the deepest ones that we choose to carry.

Dear Friends if we look to the example of the dying Jesus when He said “Forgive them Father for they know not what they have done’. We soon remember that he is still with us, always there with us carrying his cross along side of ours.

Deacon Kevin Reid

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