ST. BLASE PARISH
  • Home
    • New Members >
      • Parish Registration Form
    • History
    • Staff Profiles
    • Parish Pastoral Council
    • Calendar
    • Evangelization
    • Photo Gallery >
      • St. Blase Feast Day 2018
    • Catholic Links
    • FAQ
    • Contact Us
    • Site Map
  • Liturgy
    • Mass/Ministry Schedule
    • Readings of the Week
    • Homily Podcasts
    • Music Ministry >
      • Music Schedules
    • Lectors
    • Mass Coordinator
    • Liturgical Ministries
    • Art & Environment Committee
    • Why we go to Mass-Video
  • Sacraments
    • Adult Baptism/Confirmation (RCIA)
    • Baptism for Infants
    • Confirmation >
      • Confirmation 2020-2021
    • Eucharist
    • Funerals
    • Marriage
    • Reconciliation
    • Returning Catholics
    • Sacrament of the Sick
  • Education
    • Adult Faith Formation
    • REGISTER FOR FAITH FORMATION >
      • Catholic Schools
      • Early Childhood PK-K5
      • Grades 1-6
      • Grades 7-8
    • Saints Craft
    • CatechistCorner >
      • Becoming a Certified Catechist
    • Vocations
  • Christian Service
    • Haiti Outreach Mission
    • MCREST
    • Warming Center
    • Community Service
    • Blood Drive
  • Parish Life
    • Traveling Blasers
    • Annual Rummage Sale
    • Circle of Families
    • Circle of Women
    • Single Women's Fellowship
    • Friendly Blasers
    • Fellowship Committee
    • Bagels & Donuts
    • Fish Fry
    • Garden Club
    • Knights of Columbus
    • Volunteer Opportunities >
      • Time & Talent Online Form
  • Pastoral Services
    • Adoptions & Pregnancy Counseling
    • Alcoholics Anonymous
    • Annulments
    • Counseling
    • Marriage Counseling
    • Safe Environments
  • Stewardship
    • Electronic Giving
    • Tithing Committee
    • Technology Committee

What Will You Leave Behind?

1/26/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture

What Will You Leave Behind?

As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him. Matthew 4: 18-22
In many traditional cultures the role of the older brother is very important. Even if the older brother is not the first born, in the family the older brother is important. And even in our culture to a certain extent, you can sometimes look at family of adult children you can go, “oh well that must be the older brother.” Perhaps he's a little more loyal to the family, perhaps he's a little less fun-loving, or whatever it may be. I know when I was in Japan, the older brother is very important. In fact, when the older brother got engaged, it wasn't he and his fiance that went out to find the apartment, or buy the furniture, or whatever. It was he and his mother. Because she was going to take care of him, take care of the older brother.

 In today's Gospel we hear a story of Two Brothers, Peter and Andrew.  And James and John. And traditionally, it seems that Andrew was the older brother to Peter. Today we read from the gospel of Matthew, when Jesus goes along the Sea of Galilee to find his disciples. In the Gospel of John, Peter is not there. It's only Andrew. And Jesus sees Andrew, who was a disciple of John, and Andrew follows Jesus. Andrew goes home and tells Peter, he tells his brother. Andrew is probably the older brother, and yet in the gospels, you don't hear much about Andrew. He kind of gave up his position to Peter.  When on the mount for the Transfiguration, it was Peter, James and John. In the Mount of Olives, after the Last Supper, all the apostles went. And then three went closer to Jesus. Peter, James and John. What happened to Andrew? 

I was listening to a podcast the other day. The question was, do you think Andrew was mad? Do you think he was bitter because he was the older one? In one gospel he was the first one to find Jesus and yet Peter takes Authority. Certainly even among Jesus's apostles there was a pecking War. Or there were some who were maybe a little closer to Jesus, and some were kind of in the middle, and somewhere kind of maybe a little less than close Jesus. Even among the apostles, even though we don't really know exactly how that existed. But it certainly was there. Peter obviously is the one that Jesus chose to be the one in charge of his Apostles but he was the younger brother.

 When he calls his disciples today in today's Gospel. He called Andrew Peter James and John. He called them to leave something. They're called to be apostles oh, but they're not only called to follow something. First we’re called to leave something behind. Not all of us, obviously. Not all of you can leave your families, jobs, and everything. But you are called to leave behind something. And perhaps you never thought about that. When you're called to be a disciple, it's not just called to do something. Not just called to follow. But first we’re called to leave behind.

 In today's second reading St. Paul is writing to the Corinthians. He's talking about the divisions that exist among their community there. There should be no divisions. There should be no divisions in our Christian Community. There should be no divisions in our church. And we may look at our modern day society, certainly there are divisions politically just within the United States. But, we can't allow the political divisions to creep into our religious Faith. It's different. It's okay to be different. It's okay to have diversity. We don't all have to follow the same political view or whatever. But we all have to be united as Paul was telling the people of Corinth. We have to be one. 

Today we ended the week of prayer of Christian Unity. We don't even talk about that hardly at all anymore. I remember when I was a younger priest that was a big thing. We had prayer services, and prayers and whatever and so many other things going on. And it seems like we don't even care about the unity of Christians. We all believe in the same Jesus, the Same Lord, we have the same baptism. And it doesn't matter if we follow this person or that person in our political life, but as I said we can't let that affect who we are as Christians. It's okay to have diversity. It's not okay to have divisiveness, to be divided. And that's very important to us to understand the difference.

 I don't think Saint Andrew was bitter or upset because Peter that all the glory in the long run and we hear very little about seeing through after a while. She certainly is there because we are all following Jesus. We are all following the same Lord the same one who calls us. Calls us to give up that divisiveness. Calls us to give up that attitude, that mindset. If we still have that, that's something that we’re called to leave. And we're called to something else as well. The disciples to give up their nets, but we're also called to follow. To follow in a special way. To be servants. Servants of Jesus and servants of one another. And that's what it means to be a disciple. 

So remember as we continue to live our life of faith as imperfect as it might be sometimes. Sometimes I look at myself in the morning and wonder, am I doing everything I should be doing? Am I doing it the way the Lord wants me to be doing it? You know? I have these questions. I'm sure all of you do as well. And that's okay to have those questions. But it's also important to check into our lives, and check into ourselves. Have we given up something? Have we left something to follow Jesus? You don't need to be leaving your family or your jobs and everything else. Maybe some of you will but that's another story. But we have to leave something to follow the Lord even stronger. 

0 Comments

Who Among Us Is Holy?

1/19/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture

Who Among Us Is Holy?

He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’
I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.”  John 1: 30-31
Whether you enjoy magic tricks or not, most of us at one point or another have  been entertained by a magician and found ourselves wondering,“how does he or she do that?” Today some magicians remind us that, technically speaking, they should be called Illusionist. They give the illusion of magic that isn't really there. Rather, what they do is sleight of hand by redirecting our attention, or some other illusion that can make us suspend our disbelief as if magic was real. Today's Gospel might feel like deja vu all over again. We did celebrate the baptism of the Lord last week. So we might find ourselves asking okay, why do we have the same gospel? Except that we don't. It's something of an illusion.
 If you listen to John's gospel or tonight or tomorrow at some point if you go home and read the first chapter of John's gospel you will notice John never mentions Jesus being baptized. It's kind of a sleight-of-hand by the author of the fourth gospel. He has John the Baptist talk all around Jesus's baptism I'm all but he never actually has John baptizing Jesus. It's not there. What's that all about? We tend to follow the path of Mark and Matthew and Luke. And so, we think of John as the Baptist. But in the Gospel of John, he is probably more accurately called John the witness, or Jonathan testifier. John is more interested not in the baptism of John the Baptist or John the Baptist baptizing he is interested in John the Baptist as the one who's giving testimony. And what is John's testimony have to do with us?
 Well there's an old preachers story, and I'm sure a lot of you have heard it, at least some version of it. I'll tell this one. There is a religious community that is filled with dissension. All kinds of backbiting, conflict, you walk down the corridors and you can feel the tension in the air. And one afternoon a man who is making a pilgrimage from monastery to monastery  and knocks on the door.  He asked if he can spend the night with his this community and of course they allowed to do so and during the evening meal he stands up and makes a rather remarkable declaration. He announces at the evening meal that in this community is someone who's  very holy, someone who one day will be regarded as a saint.

And, of course, the members of the community are stunned as they spend the next several days thinking, each one to themselves, "Who? Who in our community might this be? Who would be so holy? Is it Brother Bob, who I find is irritating as a mosquito bite; or perhaps it's Brother James who I'm constantly arguing with because I disagree with everything he says; or is it Father Gary, who's never on time for anything?" And soon the entire Community is transformed not knowing who among them is this holy person, they begin to treat each other with the utmost kindness and respect, overlooking faults and mistakes ,discounting disagreements. And overtime this community becomes very well-known for its talents, its charity its holiness.

In our second meeting we heard Saint Paul say to us, "to you who have been Sanctified in Christ called to be holy with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." We have been sanctified in our baptism and we are called to be holy, to claim our own intrinsic holiness, to see ourselves as holy, and to recognize the profound holiness of one another. And whenever we do that, we like John the Baptist, are giving our testimony to Christ Jesus.


0 Comments

Why Was Jesus Baptized

1/12/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture

Why Was Jesus Baptized?

Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan  to be baptized by him. John tried to prevent him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?” Jesus said to him in reply, “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him. Matthew 3:13-15
This might be a vain attempt to have us think spring but Jimmy Dykes was an All-Star infielder in Major League Baseball. And after his playing days were done, he went on to manage several teams including a two-year stint here in Detroit. And when his entire baseball career was finally completed, he wrote a book, a memoir of sorts, which he entitled, You Can't Steal First Base. 
The gospel of Matthew is the only gospel in which we have this very outward and curious discussion between Jesus and John the Baptist prior to Jesus being baptized. John is clearly very reluctant to baptize Jesus. But Jesus insists, telling him, “just allow it for now.” 
New Testament Scholars contend that Matthew is using this dialogue to address what had become a theological embarrassment, a theological difficulty for the early church; namely, why would Jesus, our sinless Messiah, submit to the baptism of John, which was a baptism for the repentance from sins? And one answer to that question comes from this time of Christmas itself. Jesus as God incarnate, as fully human completely identifies with Humanity, and so submits to being baptized. Others see this baptism as a reflection of the church's first understanding of baptism, that baptism is our sharing in Christ's death and Resurrection. And, so, in a way, Jesus being baptized by John is a foreshadowing in anticipation of Jesus's own death and Resurrection. Still others point out Jesus's solidarity with sinners in those who are ostracized and read his baptism in that light.
This is an easy multiple choice question, because all of the above are fine answers. We don't have to choose one or the other. But in addition to all of those responses, I would suggest another: just as you can't steal first base, you also cannot baptize yourself. You can't baptize yourself. Even if you are the Son of God, the savior of humanity, and the second person of the Blessed Trinity, you don't get to baptize yourself. And I think this is something that our loved ones who are spiritual but not religious and those who see no need for community to worship God fail to work fail to appreciate. By submitting to be being baptized by John, Jesus is reminding us of a fundamental truth about our spiritual journey, and the spiritual journey of every human being. Jesus recognizes that he is part of a history his own family history, the story of his own Jewish people. He is part of that history he is giving us a reminder that we all came from someone and that we are carry forward by the dreams and longings of others. 
Our relationship to God is never separate from the Community of Christ. And, yet, being part of the community, being identified with the community, does bring about its own crosses, its struggles, it's embarrassments, and its challenges. On the other hand it also provides support and encouragement and inspiration, and an awareness of being a part of something larger than ourselves and much greater than just the present moment. Baptism ties us to the Eternal communion of saints, something we get a taste of each and every Sunday as we gather around this table. The baptism of Jesus reminds us in a very clear way that we were fashioned for this life together. ​
0 Comments

Herod vs. The Magi: What does the Gospel ask of us?

1/5/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture

Herod vs. The Magi

Then Herod called the magi secretly  and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.”  Matthew 2:7-8
It is not difficult at all to contrast King Herod and the Magi. Herod is fundamentally closed,  protective, seeking to hold on and preserve what has been. When he hears that there is a newborn ‘king of the Jews’ he is, frankly, disturbed. Because that is who he is. That's his title. He is the king of the Jews. Herod’s behavior follows a very familiar script: that of the frightened tyrant. He seeks advice from the priest and the scribes, but does so without telling them why he's asking for the information he needs. Next, he meets with the Magi but does so in secret. And he asked them to do his work for him, “You go in search and find the newborn king.” Harod pretends that he wants to also go and do him homage. 
But Herod's plans are thwarted when the Magi don't listen to him. Herod, the master deceiver, has, himself, been deceived. And, so predictably, consulting no one, he gives into his anger and his insecurities and orders that every child 2 years old and younger in Bethlehem should be put to death. 
The Magi on the other hand prove themselves to be fundamentally open; willing to adjust, change, and to grow. The mere fact that they are willing to leave their own country and go on a difficult journey to recognize and give homage to the newborn king, a foreign king to them, is itself rather remarkable. Following proper protocol, they present themselves to King Herod despite his reputation for duplicity and a reputation that has already reached Rome. So we can assume that the Magi must have been aware of it. They proceeded to Bethlehem and they literally open their coffers and present Mary and the Child Jesus with their gifts. And then, again, they are willing to adjust and change by returning to their country by a different way.
No wonder the story of the Epiphany is so enduring! In this brief story Matthew presents this question; it’s a question that sits before his own community and that really will sit before the church for it's next two thousand years; and it’s a question that each disciple has to face: does the Gospel of Jesus Christ call us to hold on, to protect, to control? Or does the Gospel of Jesus Christ challenge us to be open, to trust, be vulnerable? We hear the story and we see this contrast and we raise these questions in this time of Christmas, a time of God becoming human.  we see and celebrate the very example God has placed before us in God's very self. And it is not difficult at all to grasp the direction to which the Gospel summons us. 

​
0 Comments

    Archives

    January 2021
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

St.  Blase  Parish  |  12151  Fifteen  Mile  Road  |  Sterling  Heights,  MI  48312  |  586. 268. 2244