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Coronavirus Updates & FAQs! May 19th Update

1/11/2021

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Mass at St Blase in Time of Pandemic-   Frequently Asked Questions
 
When will St Blase begin to have weekend masses?
In keeping with the governor’s order, we will begin Saturday, May 30th, 2020 at 4pm. The Sunday mass schedule remains 9am and 11am.
 
Who should come?
            DO NOT return to mass at this time:
If you have health concerns,
OR have concerns about returning,
OR cannot walk up the aisle to receive communion without assistance
OR do not want to wear a face mask while you are in the building
OR have even a slight fever or other symptoms of illness,
OR have been with someone with symptoms in the past 2 weeks,
OR are a caregiver or plan on visiting someone who is ill, or homebound
 
Archbishop Vigneron has dispensed everyone from their obligation until
February 17th
 
What do I have to do in order to come to mass?
            You MUST wear a face covering/ mask at all times. .
[If you find this uncomfortable, then do not return to mass at this time.]
 
            Sit in the designated rows. (every other)
Leave 4 chairs in between family units.
 
            Do not congregate. We know that we have missed each other but it is
difficult to maintain social distancing in our gathering space and church. So,
once you enter the building, you need to go directly to your seat.
 
            Always maintain social distancing. (6 feet)
 
Will there be communion?
            Yes. You will be given instructions on the process to receive communion in
            your hand. 
 
The Body of Christ will NOT be placed in a person’s mouth/ on their
tongue. If this is a problem for you, do not come to St Blase for mass.
There are no exceptions.
 
Regrettably, we cannot offer the Precious Blood at this time.
 
What about the Sacrament of Penance? (Confession/ Reconciliation)
            Confessions are at 3:00 pm on Saturdays in the Social Center.
 
Other things you may be thinking about.
The collection basket will not be passed. Instead, there are collection boxes as you enter the doors of the church.
 
The hymnals have been removed and we will be using worship aides, found within our church bulletin. PLEASE take the aides home with you. New ones will be available for each mass.
 
Daily masses are on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays at 9:30 am.
 
YES, we will stream mass on our YouTube channel on Saturdays at 4:00 pm. You can also find mass on our website's homepage and a link to mass posted on our Facebook page. Mass will be available to view after mass has ended.
 
YES, the church will be cleaned between masses.
 
If you have any questions, please email Mary at marydumm@aol.com.
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Letter from Father Randy: A Call to Spiritual Communion

3/27/2020

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​Letter from Father Randy: A Call to Spiritual Communion


​Dear People of St. Blase, All Sisters and Brothers in Christ Jesus,
 
For the Third and Fourth Sundays of Lent, we provided a prayer service via social media.  Adhering to the stay-at-home order means being unable to do the same for the Fifth Sunday of Lent.  It is imperative, for everyone’s health and safety, that we comply with that order.  So, we will be attempting something a little different. We are preparing a “Facebook live” prayer on Sunday morning at 11:00. (So watch our Facebook page!) From three different locations we will bring together a prayerful reflection for this coming Sunday.  This allows everyone to remain safely in their homes, while providing us with an opportunity to pray together in spirit as a community.  Hopefully, technology will cooperate.  I encourage to join us in song, prayer and reflection and invite others to do the same.
 
We are all, by no choice of our own, fasting from the Eucharist at this time.  I join you in the heartfelt and disturbing absence of receiving the Body and Blood of Christ.  Archbishop Vigneron has reminded us of our Catholic practice of making a “spiritual reception” of Holy Communion.  In his own words, “It has long been a Catholic understanding that when circumstances prevent one from receiving Holy Communion, it is possible to make an Act of Spiritual Communion which is a source of grace.  Spiritual Communion means uniting one’s self in prayer with Christ’s sacrifice and worshipping him in his Body and Blood. The most common reason for making an Act of Spiritual Communion is when a person cannot attend Mass. Acts of Spiritual Communion increase our desire to receive sacramental Communion and help us avoid the sins that would make us unable to receive Holy Communion worthily.” So, to make a spiritual communion we enter into prayer mindful of meal, memorial and sacrifice of the mass, and open ourselves to receiving Christ in spirit.
 
A prayer for Spiritual Communion
 
My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love you above all things and I desire to receive you in my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally, Come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace you as if you were already there and unite myself wholly to you. Never permit me to be separated from you. Amen.
 
In addition, I encourage you to embrace the presence of Christ who comes to us in the Sacred Scriptures, the Word of God. The same Holy Spirit, who transforms bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, also transforms us so that, as we pray and ponder the Word of God we encounter the risen Lord who is present to us.  We ourselves are the Body of Christ.  I urge you to continue being that body through reaching out to one another, by remembering the sick, first responders and those who are facing this pandemic with far less resources and far more vulnerabilities than are we.  Lastly, as signs of spring are emerging, welcome the Lord of creation whose temple is the earth itself.  In the midst of uncertainty and fear, observe and honor the presence of holiness which envelopes us and upholds us.  Ours is truly a world of grace.
​
Fr. Randy Phillips
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Salt, Light, Dung, and Fire

2/9/2020

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Salt, Light, Dung, and Fire

Jesus said to his disciples:
“You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;
it is set on a lampstand,
where it gives light to all in the house.
Just so, your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your heavenly Father.” 
MT 5:13-16
You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. 

 I find this passage in Matthew's gospel rather challenging preach. In the Gospels of Mark and Luke, Jesus speaks the same words but he uses them in a very particular context, which readily allows us to comprehend how he is using them. Matthew gives us no such context. Jesus is preaching The Sermon on the Mount and simply seems to throw out this expression that we are salt for the Earth, Light of the World. is it just kind of sits there. And yet, it is a phrase and image which has attached itself into our Collective memory. You know these words. We know this expression. And I cannot help but wonder as I think of Matthew and his own context, knowing that Matthew is the only one of the four gospels really rooted in Judaism, if perhaps Matthew is being very stylistically Jewish in this case. That is, using two different images to re-enforce one meaning. We find that all over the pages in the Old Testament. It is simply a traditional way of Jewish expression. For example, the psalmist sings, “If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand wither and my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth.” Now, the psalmist is not literally hoping for two physical handicaps. The point the song is making is that if I forget Jerusalem, I forget who I am. I lose my identity. Two images, one point. And it occurred to me that perhaps Matthew is doing the same here.

 In Jesus's day, as in our own, salt has a variety of uses. Including being used as fuel. Even today, if you travel to the Holy Land, and take the road north from Jerusalem, you'll notice that many of the homes on the side of the road have these brick ovens outside next to them. Those brick ovens are part of a custom that is ancient. In fact, in Jesus' day, each village had their own common oven. And the fuel for that oven was something more plentiful and easy to obtain rather than would, because wood is not plentiful in the Middle East. So what was used is camel or donkey dung. And, yes, one of the duties of every young girl as she grew up was to learn to go out and collect the camel or donkey dung, mix it with salt, and form patties that would dry out in the sun. 

That still takes place in many developing countries today. Dung mixed with salt is their fuel. A slab of salt is placed at the base of these clay ovens, The patty was laid on it. And the salt block would act as a catalyst, helping the dung patties to burn. Eventually, over time, the block of salt would lose its catalytic effect. And, as Jesus said, “it's good for nothing but to be tossed out and trampled under foot.” So to be salt for the Earth, is to start fires. To be a catalyst for fire. To make things burn. And if Jesus' disciples do this, igniting a flame, then we are also the light of the world. The two images come together. With one meaning. 

Last Sunday, as you left church, you were given a blessed candle. On that candle was the inscription, “go forth and set the world on fire.” Those candles call us to prayer. They also remind us that Jesus calls us to be salt for the Earth, light for the world. And Isaiah tells us what it means to be that Salt and Light, what it means to set the world on fire in our first reading as he speaks about removing oppression from our midst, ending malicious speech, stopping false accusations, sharing our bread with the hungry, welcoming the homeless (which includes the immigrants, the stranger, and the refugee), and clothing the naked. And we do these things not to earn grace, because you can't earn grace. And we do these things not to win people's esteem. And we do these things not to feel good about ourselves. We do them, Saint Paul says, “to Proclaim Christ crucified,” and, as Jesus says, “to give Glory to our Heavenly Father.”  

​
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The Historical Link Between Groundhog's Day & Candlemas

2/2/2020

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The Historical Link Between Groundhog's Day & Candlemas

Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
“Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
--and you yourself a sword will pierce--
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”  Luke 2: 27-32
Today we are right between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Apart from some football games being played later today, what does the date February 2nd bring to mind? Groundhog's Day, or the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord? (No guilting yourself if you took the non-church answer.) Actually, Groundhog Day and The Presentation of the Lord are related, we'll get to that in a second. But today the church celebrates the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, a feast that quite honestly usually goes right by us unless it lands on a Sunday as it does this year. The presentation is 40 days after Christmas. It is also known as Candlemas Day because of the tradition of blessing candles, which we did at the start of our liturgy. Traditionally candles were blessed on this day. 

In the old calendar, prior to Vatican II, The Presentation of the Lord was also the end of the Christmas season. That was changed over 50 years ago when the end of Christmas became The Baptism of the Lord, usually some time in January. But there remains an old superstition that tells us that our Christmas decor must all be put away by the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord otherwise we will be haunted. Now it doesn't tell us who or what will be doing the haunting, but I'm thinking, given the time of year in which we find ourselves, at the very least it will be American Express and it's a very worst it would be the IRS. 

Today's feast actually began in the Eastern Church in the sixth century and it was known as the Feast of the Encounter; The Encounter of Simeon and Anna with the Messiah, with Christ. To be very honest, Luke's story of the presentation of Jesus in the temple is really the parallel story to Matthew's account of the Epiphany. They're really parallel celebrations, both are there to remind us, to teach us that Christ is the light of all people, of all Nations. We are told that in accord with the law of Moses, Joseph and Mary bring Jesus to the temple to present him to the Lord. And already, simply with those words, without the rest of the story, we have foreshadowing that points us toward Holy Week. For Jesus is the first born, the firstborn of the dead, the firstborn of the Resurrection. And Jesus is presented in the temple because by the end of Luke's gospel, we will recognize that Jesus is the Temple in his own person. The Temple is not made of stone and mortar, but God's Temple is flesh and blood. 

But enough theology, where's the groundhog.? Remembering that today is also Candlemas Day, for centuries Europeans developed all kinds of customs associated with this day, simply because of the significance of being halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. In an ancient English poem is going to sound familiar to us that we'd like this:

 candlemas day hair and bright
 winter will have another flight
 but if it be dark with clouds and rain
 winter in is gone and won't come again

Throughout Europe this idea was connected to animals such as bears, badgers, hedgehogs and other such critters that are beginning to stir from their winter hibernation. The German immigrants coming to the United States who had looked to the hedgehog in their native country found the groundhog of Pennsylvania and simply transferred their allegiance. And as time went by, the connection with Candlemas and its customs began to fall by the wayside, and we were simply left just with Puxatony Phil. But for those of us who remember the words of Simeon and the presence of Anna in the temple, we will know that Groundhog Day is truly the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, and the same light that shines on that beloved rodent is the same light that shines on all of us: Jesus Christ, The True Light of the World.

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What Will You Leave Behind?

1/26/2020

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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. 

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Who Among Us Is Holy?

1/19/2020

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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.


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Why Was Jesus Baptized

1/12/2020

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

1/5/2020

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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. 

​
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Who is My Family?

12/29/2019

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Who is My Family?

When the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him." Matthew 2:13-15
Family. 
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For some of us the word family brings to mind happiness, support, love, connection, and a community. For others, it can mean pain, rejection, and despair. Yet, we are often obsessed with that word, family, this unit, this group of people. And so, what is family? 

The word family has a powerful meaning in our faith tradition. It reminds us who and what we are not. Or that we might not be as safe and welcome as we thought we were. Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family in the midst of Christmas season. Families are meant to be places of Refuge, of goodness, a place of love, and happiness. But family life can also be challenging. Family is an invitation from God that can bring us to many places that we would rather not go. 
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In Matthew's gospel, we hear Joseph has a dream. And in that dream, he hears what he must do to take care of his family. He is asked to flee to a distant country. For a moment can you imagine acting on that dream, if God had appeared to you? Picking up and leaving with your family to a distant country? Like any good father, though, Joseph wanted to provide safety and security for Mary and Jesus. He did what he had to do in order to provide for the safety of his family. But what if the dream asks us not to go into the world? What if the dream asks us to go more deeply within ourselves, to accept God's invitation to find out where God lives within each and every one of us? Hold on to that thought for just a moment.
I want to travel a little more deeply into the letter of Paul to the Colossians there was a piece of that reading that was not read and it came just before the passage that was read for us today I would ask you to consider these words: 

“you must put aside, now, all anger, quick temper, malice, insults, foul language. Stop lying to one another. What you have done is put aside the old self with its past deeds, and have put on a new self which grows in knowledge as he is formed in the image of our Creator. There is no Greek nor Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, foreigner, slave, or free. Rather Christ is in everything and in all of us.”

Did you hear those last few lines: Christ is everything and all of you. With Christ, everything changes. We are called to live mutually as a family. The old model no longer functions. God sends us dreams that challenge us to surrender. We are to surrender to God who asks us to go into the new and the unknown places that may be difficult. Kind of like family life. This is the dream that asked us to drop everything and go to a place of love. 
What kind of family does God ask us to dream into reality today?  Let us look at our own families. Every family is burdened with some kind of division. What can we do to heal those wounds? Do we go inward and allow God to lead us to new places? Can we surrender to one another in the love of Christ? Can we dream and find the courage to Journey with him and our families? What about our faith community that we belong to? Every worshiping Community has some divisions. Whether it is over the music, the pastor, Deacon, or some gossip that is rampant in the parish. Divisions exist. In Catholic parishes around the world, there is the ever-popular pre and post Vatican II split. If we are the mystical Body of Christ, are we willing to be that body? Are we called to journey to places that God invites us to become more of his family? What about our world? Big or small government? Open or closed borders? Love the stranger or fear them? War. Peace. Weapons. Hunger. Climate change. Justice. What if God's dreams say that we need to reposition our hearts? Can we see all as one in Christ?  Can we call the Outsider our Christian family? 
If God created everyone, we are all family. If we begin with a dream to take the journey, the journey inward, we begin with ourselves and then with our families and then with our world and our Parish communities. God molds each of us into a family. We say yes to that family God is with us. May we find the courage in Christ to hear our God. Maybe you listen to the ceiling to where we are called to go and be forever changed by love. The journey inward is a risk that we take. What will you dream? Tonight? And what will you do when you awaken tomorrow morning?

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The Mystery of The Incarnation

12/25/2019

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The Mystery of the Incarnation

Thus the total number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen generations; from David to the Babylonian exile,
fourteen generations; from the Babylonian exile to the Christ, fourteen generations. Matthew 1:17
I want to welcome guests and visitors who have joined us; those who have joined their families, who have traveled a bit to be here this evening. It is good that we are together to celebrate the Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord. I'm going to take for granted that this is not the gospel you expected to hear tonight. And on Christmas it's probably not the gospel you want to hear. Nor do I suppose that if I cite the greatest scripture scholar our nation has produced, Father Raymond Braun, who said that Matthew's genealogy contains within it all the essential Theology of both the Old and the New Testament, and should be proclaimed at least once a year in the Church. That probably won't do a whole lot to convince you or change your disappointment. 

At what point in the proclamation of the Gospel, as strong as it was, at what point did you begin to feel frustrated? At what point did you begin to daydream and your mind went someplace completely elsewhere? Is Matthew's genealogy of Jesus just a boring list of unfamiliar and hard to pronounce names? Were at least a few names familiar? I'm thinking Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You're probably familiar with them. We call them the Patriarchs.  Ruth has a book named for her in the Old Testament the third chapter of which is definitely not rated PG-13.  David the King is considered the greatest king in the history of Israel. It is rather ironic, Divine irony, that it is in fact, of all of his children, his illegitimate son, the result of his assault upon Bathsheba, who ultimately becomes the successor to his father's throne: Solomon.  And Solomon is known for his wisdom. For those of you who have participated in our Bible study or perhaps Mary's Old Testament Class, A few of the other may name might be Vaguely Familiar even though you might not be able to pin them down exactly. names like Tamar, Rahab, Boaz, and Obed, Hezekiah, Josiah. And of course we all know Joseph and Mary.

To be honest though, if a lot of the names are not familiar, don’t feel bad. Scripture scholars who devote their entire life to helping us understand The Bible, acknowledged that some of these people in Matthew's genealogy are known only to God we have no clue who these people are they are as anonymous to us as someone we might pass by on the side of the road, or walk by in the grocery store. They are as unknown to us as perhaps the people who are sitting three rows behind us, or two miles over from us. And yet we know them better than we think we do. 

In fact, we know that person we drive by on the side of the road, and that person we walk by in the grocery store better than we think we do. We know the people sitting in a few rows behind us or a few rows over from us better than we think we do. Because we know that they, like us, have hopes and dreams. We know that there have been times in their life that they have laughed, and laughed uncontrollably. And there are times where they have cried, and likewise cried uncontrollably. We know that they have experienced fear. And have known moments of profound peace and wonder. We know that, just like ourselves, they require food and shelter, warmth, friendship, and respect. They really are not just names and faces. They are a part of us; they are one with us. In fact, they are not even they. They are us. 

To play upon the words of Scrooge's nephew, Fred, “we are all of us fellow passengers on the way to the grave.” And if we paused and recognized one another's mortality, that in itself could make us kinder, more patient,  less judgmental, and more willing to forgive each other. At one point in the mass the instructions call for the priest, tonight that would be me, to extend my hand over the Bread and Wine, and to ask God to send forth the Holy Spirit to sanctify these offerings (sometimes it's phrased, sanctify these gifts). And that phrase, these offerings, these gifts refer not only to Bread and Wine. They refer to us. And not only to us gathered here, but they refer to the entire body of Christ, the entire church and even beyond the church to all the people of God. They are essentially the prayer of Tiny Tim that we invoke God to make us holy, everyone.  The Word became flesh. God becomes human. God enters our humanity so that we are able to enter the humanity of one another. And every time we step outside of ourselves and enter into the world of another person, our very self, our being is joined to the mystery of the Incarnation. 

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