Redwood Journal is a collection of writings authored by Harry Martin, including book and article publications and blog postings collected from earlier websites. It is, in a very real sense, a journal of the author reflecting his life and work, much among the Coast Redwood country of Northern California. But it is, even more, a journal of his tasks as a servant of the Cross, a douloscross. It is a journal of one who follows He who died upon the Cross, made red by His blood and arose from the tomb through His holy love.
Over the years these tasks have included firefighting, restaurant and camp cook, disaster medical planner, Protestant pastor, Permanent Deacon in the Roman Catholic Church, fire services chaplain, mental health advocate, Beeswax candle maker, writer and husband and father. All of these tasks, privileged assignments, for this simple servant of Christ have been sought to be done gloria Dei, for the glory of God.
NOTE: Every effort is made to identify and credit any image or media sources. If an image or any information is needing credit or approval please advise and it will be corrected.
Vineyards of St. Peter’s Catholic Church ~ Cloverdale
5th Sunday of Easter ~ 28 April 2024 ~ Scripture ReThis Fifth Sunday of Easteradings for Mass: I: Acts 9: 25 – 31; Responsorial: Psalm 22; II: I John 3: 18 – 24; Gospel: John 15: 1 – 8
The vineyard behind St. Peter Catholic Church here in Cloverdale is, like the parish, not large. Yet among the excellent vines, there is a portion of old Zinfindel vines that have provided some of the most treasured vines, grapes, and wine in Sonoma County. From those vines, newer and the treasured old ones we can see and learn the message of God’s Word this 5th Sunday of Easter.
The holy joy of the Easter season continues. The inseparable Passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus our Savior is meant to be blossoming anew in our lives. The story, promise, and power of Jesus conquering sin and death is ancient yet as fresh and needed today as ever. It is for us to determine for our lives, if the Truth of Jesus, risen from the dead is just a springtime religious event or the reality of the good news of the Gospel. This choice of leaving our tombs of doubt, fear, or the limitations of human reason are decisions the followers of Christ have had to make from the beginning. And, as always Jesus gives us in His Word and the beauty of creation the path on which to follow for us to live His truth. It is as we walk among God’s vineyard we learn the simplicity of the Gospel to abide in Christ, to believe and to love, and to grow fruitful in Him.
The first reading from the Book of Acts gives us an early history of the church that shows us a church dynamically alive. It was a community of people facing opposition from their world. They were dealing with differences, uncertainty, and the temptation the church has long known. But they were also sharing a pathway that was leading them to be immersed, to be baptized in the promise of the Holy Spirit of God. Empowered by God’s Spirit and Word they grew in and to be the Body and Presence of Christ.
The Responsorial Psalm tells us how we are created to praise and worship the Lord. It even speaks of those who “sleep in the earth” as kneeling before the Lord who raises them from the dead. The Psalm expresses that “the coming generations be told of the Lord.” It is from God’s vineyard that these sacred truths are found and seen. The young vines may take at least seven years to be truly fruitful. The gnarled old vines, generations old, when well tended still bear abundant fruit.
The Apostle John must have had a great love for a good glass of wine. The lessons of his beloved Jesus from the vineyards of the lands they walked took deep root in the heart of John as we read his first epistle and especially in the Gospel. It is in both our second reading from that letter and the Gospel message from John 15 we see how much God revealed the Gospel in his creation.
Both the epistle and the Gospel speak to the necessity of abiding, of dwelling in Jesus. It speaks of the deadly peril that occurs when we are cut off from Christ. They both speak of our Lord’s deep longing that we share lives, together as fruitful vines for God’s Kingdom. It is worthwhile to note how the fruit of the old, and the new is desired by God. As we explore the many vineyards, we see that different vines flourish in diverse places. Some prefer drier, hot slopes while other varietals grow best in the cooler valleys and hills touched by the coastal fog. So it is with all Christians. Jesus alone knows best where we will flourish. God alone can help us grow through drought, disease, fire, and flood. Our Lord knows how to best tend and prune the damaged vine so that it may grow back to an abundant life. For God’s vines, there is always hope and grace.
Jesus provides in sacred simplicity the way of his boundless hope and grace. This is found as we abide, live in Him, and abide in His Word. To live in the Word of God is not about an intellectual, or academic accomplishment. It is to live so closely in and with Jesus, The Living Word, that we are listening, in faith to His Word. It is listening in anticipation and in a holy dependent trust in Christ. As the grapevines need the flow of the rising sap from their deep roots to grow and blossom, we also need Jesus flowing in and through us. Rooted in His holy, His Body we receive the life-flow of His Blood through our lives. It is no accident that Christ chose to turn the water into wine and to later turn the wine into His true, real, and Holy Blood to sustain us in the resurrection life.
We abide in Christ, as branches on the vine as we abide, in trust in the Living Word, the Living Christ. But this is only the beginning. We abide in Jesus that we may grow, fruitful in his holy love. It is of such profound and amazing poignancy that in the Gospel from John 15, moments before Jesus leaves the Upper Room to go to the Garden of Gethsemane to be betrayed and ultimately crucified Christ speaks so powerfully of…Love. It is in the image of the vines through which he will be passing for the last time Jesus calls us to trust Him, to abide in Him. For Love.
This love is our love for God, for Jesus, and for each other. The standard the Messiah sets is His own. We are called to love each other as He loves us. An holy love rich in boundless mercy, faith, and hope. We are called to share the same love Jesus had for His followers even as they gave way to fear and doubts. He was able to see past those failures to the women and men of God they would become. Jesus was calling and bringing them to abide in His resurrection power, that in the Holy Spirit they would proclaim God’s victory as they left behind their tombs and lived lives of abiding trust and fruitful love that would journey beyond whatever trials they would encounter.
As they and we choose to abide in living trust and fearless holy love we learn to pray and see powerful answers from God of eternal power. And, by this God the Father is glorified, “that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.” Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
4th Sunday of Easter ~ 21 April 2024 ~ Scripture Readings for Mass: I: Acts 4: 8 – 12; Responsorial: Psalm 118; II: I John 3: 1-2; Gospel: John 10: 11 – 18
Our Easter journey continues. From the dark sorrows of our Lord’s Passion to the fathomless joy and hope of his resurrection, we seek and follow our risen Savior, Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Scripture shares many essential lessons about Christ, the Shepherd of our souls. Both the Old and New Testaments provide essential light and power to this blessed reality of God. But it is in the light of the resurrection we are brought to learn of a distinctively redemptive perspective of Jesus.
There seems to be an odd contrast from our Scriptures this Sunday. There is a clear message of the peril and failure of the Jews in Jerusalem in their rejection of Christ as the Messiah. This “stone the builders rejected” has dark roots and a legacy of doubt and rebellion. While Peter, in his message shared from the Book of Acts, is speaking to and of the Jews it is much deeper and broader. Peter, and later Paul, devout Jews themselves, will continue to confront the sin and failures of the Hebrews AND the Gentiles, of us all. No part of humanity is free from sin, rebellion, and failure of God. This is evident in any objective history. It is very evident in the news of the world today. Violence, pride, greed, and the lack of justice and mercy infect us all. As it was horrendously revealed in our Lord’s Passion so it is found today. Nations, families, places, and people of worship all have the dark ability to reject the priceless stone, the cornerstone of God.
But then, in our readings for the Liturgy of the Word, we hear God speak of Jesus the Good Shepherd. And we might wonder, what is the connection? This connection is found as we look at sheep and look to Jesus our Shepherd.
Lone sheep waits patiently and needlessly for gate to be opened
Sheep, as cute and cuddly as they may seem, especially lambs, do not have reputations for intelligence, faithfulness, or courage. They often fail to understand or learn the way they should go. They need constant guidance. Sheep may foolishly follow God knows what, astray to danger and harm. Sheep are very Biblical examples of… us, of people. Sheep, people often reject the very blessing and good they need. They often reject the cornerstones of faith and life, of Jesus.
Yet, sheep bring us to the Good Shepherd. [A sorrowful reality is that there are indeed, false shepherds who serve only their pride and personal agendas. But that is another study]. It is good to wade our way through the flock. The stubborn ones, those especially dirty and smelly, those sheep that would as soon buck you as follow you, or those simply so unobservant as to miss life. As we wade our way through the flock we come to Jesus. And we realize what makes, and who it is that is the Good Shepherd. And this Easter season we meet the Shepherd from the Tomb.
The preeminent sign of the Good Shepherd is that he gives his life for the sheep. Jesus died for us. Ornery, stubborn, often grubby, and rebellious, but he died for us. And in his sacred holiness, he conquered our darkest enemies, sin and death. And he came from the tomb to guide us on to His Father.
The Good Shepherd knows his sheep and that they are priceless. He knows our worth. Yes, he is totally aware of the waste and devaluing that comes with sin and rejecting him. But God knows what lies hidden beneath the tangled dirty fleece of our lives. Some shepherds may seek and care only for those sheep who follow, placidly. Who aren’t wandering or wondering. They take pleasure in their flock that only feeds in approved pastures. To deal with the wandering, lost, soiled or injured lamb is often more trouble than the worth they see in such souls. But the Good Shepherd, Jesus came and comes to seek that which is lost. And something profoundly amazing is discovered as we follow Emmanuel, Jesus. He knows each sheep’s name. Including mine.
To have such a connection with the flock is hard. It takes effort, time and sacrifice to live and learn, listen, and… love those in his care. But Christ does. He knows your name, your immense value, and each sin or failure that may be experienced. And, yet, Jesus still seeks us. He went so far as the tomb and Hades and he isn’t going to stop now.
And then, as we continue to follow him we discover something else. At first, it is hard. It seems it ought not to be. But God has flocks beside the one in which I am a part! There are sheep, flocks, and pastures of which I was totally unaware. And they are beautiful with God. Indeed Jesus the Christ is the only true Shepherd. But I continue to learn I am his sheep. It is not for me to tell him how, where, or why to lead others as he does. There is only one Shepherd. But there are many ways God may lead.
Finally, we are led to realize Jesus, knowing who we are, the children of God, is leading us to be, to become who we are, with and in him. It is from the tomb the Good Shepherd brings us on this El Camino de Emmanuel, to follow him. He rescues and heals us from our follies and failures. He brings us to grow in mercy and forgiveness. We, as sheep have no real clue what lies ahead, in our lives, our families, and our church. Except! That with the Good Shepherd we will be with our God, with Jesus, and that He is leading us home to the fullness of His Kingdom.
3rd Sunday of Easter ~ 14 April 2024 ~ Scripture Readings for Mass: I: Acts 3: 13 -15, 17-19; Responsorial: Psalm 4; II: I John 2: 1-5; Gospel: Luke 24: 35-48
Our Gospel reminds us, once again, Jesus seeks us, where we are. The disciples were locked away in the room of their fears. But they were listening to the experiences, the witness of the two men who had encountered the risen Christ on the road to Emmaus. They listened and struggled to make sense of all that was happening. They had sincerely sought to be followers of Jesus. They had trusted and believed. They worked to understand and fit all Jesus had said into their experiences, their worship experience, and their world. The message of trusting, following, and walking with Jesus had been taught and preached, and they were sure he was the Messiah. But their expectations and understanding of God were all inadequate. Their God boxes were too small and Jesus wasn’t fitting into their ideas and faith. So they were struggling with fear and uncertainty. But Jesus came to them, where they were.
Their fears were only intensified as Jesus suddenly appeared despite the doors being locked. Why didn’t God at least knock? The Lord confronts and quells their fears with four familiar words. “Peace be with you!” The peace of God that contradicts and conquers worldly fears stilled their hearts and focused their hearts on their Savior. Although the peace of God was working they still did not know what, who, was happening. They didn’t know if who they were looking at was a ghost or what. But God knowing their fear and confusion spoke again. Jesus had some serious questions for them. “Why are you troubled?” “Why do questions arise in your hearts?”We often question God. Perhaps we may better find our answers when we better listen and answer God’s questions. Jesus calls them to an holiest of places, to his wounds.
As Jesus met the disciples, where they were, he then called them, closer, to him. From their wounded souls, their doubts and confusion he called them to his sacred wounds. He called them to see, to touch…He who had died and risen from the dead. The Word of God leads us to the Wounds of God wherein we find our healing and wholeness. The Word of God leads us to the most holy Body and Blood of Christ.
We are often tempted to distance ourselves from Christ, from the ways of God by our thinking and limiting God. We reason we can confine Christ to that time, with those disciples. Jesus certainly wouldn’t appear to us like he did then! No, of course not. As Scripture reminds us, the mercies of God and the ways of God are new every day. So while Jesus may choose not to appear to us as he did that day in Jerusalem he still seeks to meet us where we are, today. And our Lord, now as then, wants to enter and confront our fears and uncertainties. Christ seeks to speak his peace into our lives and to challenge us with his questions: “Why are you troubled?” “Why do questions arise in your hearts?” God calls us out and beyond ourselves into His Presence and to His wounds.
The Word of God, today, is as holy, powerful, and redemptive as when it was first shared over the ages. But it is not a matter of just studying and working Scripture to meet our understanding. We cannot take the LOGOS, the Living Word of God into our tiny little agendas and perceptions and organize Jesus into our plans. We are called to listen, in faith, with the mercy and grace of the Holy Spirit. We are called to listen to God’s Word in communion with the Body of Christ, the dwelling place of God’s Spirit. Yes! Jesus meets us and speaks with us in our own hearts. But together with the rest of his body.
And as Jesus seeks us, questions us we are brought to Him, to His holy wounds. We see and touch them in prayer. In Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, we can see the invisible wounds of our Savior with eyes of faith. And by listening, by seeing, with Christ, we can see God’s wounds in those who are hurting among us. Those who are pierced by nails of loneliness and rejection, those who are bound in poverty of body, soul, or spirit can show us Jesus and his most sacred wounds. And even in ourselves, Jesus can bring us to his wounds. The afflictions, the weakness of our body or soul are holy wounds where we can enter into those of our Savior and he can enter into us.
We are called, in every season, and every moment of our lives to walk with Jesus. This El Camino de Emmanuel is where we listen, together with God and where we together share in his holy wounds of healing, forgiveness, and love.
2nd Sunday of Easter & Divine Mercy Sunday; Scripture Readings for Mass: I: Acts 4: 32-35; Responsorial: Psalm 118; II: I John 5: 1-6; Gospel: John 20: 19-31
Our Easter journey continues. With the early disciples, we must face our fears with courage, our doubts with faith, and our sins, our failures, in the Divine Mercy of Christ. What we begin at the tombs of our life we now in daily steps are called by Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us, to grow and share in the profound and simple Truth of Jesus. We are called to live and share the reality that “Ubi caritas et amor, Ubi caritas Deus est; Where charity and love are, God is there.” Charity and love encompass, in so many ways: mercy. Where mercy is, where God’s mercy is there is that eternal place and life of charity and love.
This 2nd Sunday of Easter we are also brought to celebrate an infinite aspect of God, that of the Divine Mercy of Christ. Shared in the events and visions of Sister Faustina at a time when the world was plunging into an age of immense war and sorrow we are called to be an Easter people. We are called to live, regardless of circumstances, in an ecology [living things, their relationship, and their environment] of Divine Mercy. As followers of the risen Christ, we are called to live as disciples and servants of that mercy of God upon which we are all in need. Just as we need to have clean fresh water to drink and wash so we are in even greater need of the flow of mercy from the saving wounds of Jesus. And as we must care for that gift of fresh water we must cherish, care, and live the ecology of God’s mercy. And it is especially in a world of poverty, pollution, and sin that the ecology of God’s Kingdom is especially needed.
Waste Land? Or Ubi Caritas et amor, Ubi caritas Deus est!
It is perhaps our human nature that we tend to focus primarily on God’s mercy for ourselves or maybe someone with whom we are close. But if we truly seek to receive the Presence and Truth of Easter, Jesus, we discover that he came, conquering the wasteland of human sin in the whole world. Yes, it was for the individual soul Jesus came. But it was for all of us, for all of creation His Divine mercy was shared.
It is in our Scriptures for this exciting Sunday we see the holy ecology of God’s mercy shared. In our first reading from the Book of Acts we have a profound lesson from the early church. The Apostles and the growing community of disciples were living and sharing a seemingly incredible ecology or community of Divine Mercy. The once weak and floundering Peter and the growing multitudes that were immersed in the environment of mercy were growing lives of…charity, mercy, of God’s love. Jews and Gentiles, socially prominent to outcasts were living..together. Lives, faith, and sustenance were shared in real charity and love for God and each other. The early Eucharist was preceded by an Agape, a love feast of shared food and faith as the Apostles shared the Gospel.
It is in the Gospel of John for today that we are given a lesson of intense clarity of the ecology of Divine Mercy. The disciples are locked in a room for fear of persecution. Jesus appears, despite the locked doors. And he invites his trembling followers to see, touch, and share in his sacred, holy wounds.He invites us to enter the place, the ecology of Divine Mercy.
Jesus was killed in and because of the wasteland of human sin. Calvary was a tragic peak of ego, politics, greed, and ambition. The Way of the Cross seemed to be a path of horrid consequences flowing from the deadly waters of hate, ignorance, and doubt. As the holy body of Jesus was placed in the tomb it was a manifestation of all the power of evil. And evil flourishes to this day. No place, no people are exempt from the powers of darkness that seek to bring death and destruction. Industrial pollution that poisons land and people, fires, droughts, and floods show us an environment struggling for survival. And wars proliferate as merchants of weapons and worldly power prosper. There are places where people are crying for mercy. Instead death and destruction attack even those seeking to bring mercy and aid. Each of these realities would be used by God to call us all to live, to share, and to be a people and place where the eternal ecology of Divine Mercy flourishes.
Jesus could well have said as he lived his final hours in his Passion, “Enough! They aren’t listening!” or after his resurrection, he could have stayed away from that locked room where his followers hid. He could have said, “They don’t get it. they will be squabbling fighting and killing in a matter of time! Why should I go?”
But the Divine Mercy flowing from His heart, from his sacred wounds would not be stopped. The holiest rivers of grace and mercy had to flow, cleanse, and carve through the hardest stone hearts to bring the eternal environment of Divine Mercy. And as God flowed into hearts and lives it could not be contained. It must flow, in, through, and on to those in the lowest places and on to fill to the highest.
The ecology of Divine Mercy is, in so many waysthe road map ofEl Camino de Emmanuel. We are called to walk, together, with Jesus, crucified and risen from the dead. We are called to be a people living as witnesses and stewards of the Divine Mercies. St. Pope John Paul II taught that we are all called to be faithful stewards of the creation, of the environment.In a much broader sense are we not all called to be stewards, witnesses of God’s Kingdom, of the eternal, holy beauty and power of this ecology of Divine Mercy, this holy Presence of Jesus in which we share?
The Triduum ends on Saturday evening with the Easter Vigil. It is traditionally the longest liturgy in the Roman Catholic Church. For that reason, many may attend Easter Mass on Sunday morning. But the Easter Vigil gives us a rich and powerful pathway on which we can learn and experience lessons, and graces of our risen Lord. Walking El Camino from the tomb to our risen Lord is a truly sacred journey and opportunity. Here is the first parts of our Easter Vigil in little steps:
The Lucernarium – The Liturgy of Light: The Easter Fire is lit, and the Paschal Candle is blessed and lit with prayer. With candles lit the faithful enter the dark church where the Paschal Candle is placed next to the Ambo. The profound and powerful Exultet https://www.usccb.org/prayer-worship/liturgical-year/easter/easter-proclamation-exsultet is proclaimed by the deacon or priest. Take the time to prayerfully read this ancient Easter proclamation. You will be truly blessed.
Liturgy of the Word: The Easter Vigil has an immense amount of Scripture. There are seven readings from the Old Testament, each with a Responsorial Psalm and prayer. Following the Gloria, there is the New Testament Epistle followed by the final Responsorial Psalm. We then share the Gospel reading. While there is pastoral latitude of sharing the minimum (three) Old Testament readings many wonder: why is there so much Scripture? The answers are ancient and relevant. The church from the beginning has always been deeply in Scripture. For the early centuries, this was the Old Testament as the New Testament Canon was being formed. And for Christians the light of God’s Word has been essential in learning, seeing, and knowing the Gospel. The full seven Old Testament readings give us a clear Biblical pathway leading to Jesus, The Savior of the world. Again, please prayerfully read and enter the light of God’s Word with these readings:
I. Genesis 1:1-22 ~ The story of Creation, the Garden, and the fall into sin of humanity.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 104: Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
II. Genesis 22: 1-18: Abraham and Isaac on the Mount of Sacrifice, Abraham the Father of the Faithful
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 16: You are my inheritance, O Lord.
III. Exodus 14: 15 – 15:1. The Exodus and parting of the Red Sea.
Responsorial: Exodus 15: 1 – 6 & 17, 18: Let us sing to the Lord: he has covered himself in glory.
IV. Isaiah 54: 5 – 14: The promise of the Restoration of fallen Israel
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 30: I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
V: Isaiah 55: 1 -11: Come seek the Lord and receive His Word.
Responsorial Psalm: Isaiah 12: 2 – 6: You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
VI. Baruch 3: 9 -15, 32- 4:4: To walk with God is enduring peace.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 19: Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
VII: Ezekiel 36: 16-17, 18 -28: The scattered faithful gathered and restored with God.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 42: Like a deer that longs for running streams, my soul longs for you, my God.
The epistle: Romans 6: 3 -11: Baptized in Christ, into His death and resurrection
Gospel: Mark 16:1 – 7: The discovery by the women that Jesus was risen from the dead.
Following this rich feast of God’s Word, there is given an homily. This is then followed, if Catechumens are entering the Church, the sacraments, as needed, of Baptism and Confirmation. Then the faithful are called to renew their Baptismal promises with the asperges, or sprinkling with Holy Water. The Easter Vigil is then concluded with the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
The Easter Vigil is a truly sacred few moments, out of eternity, in which we can awaken our faith and walk with the crucified and risen Jesus. To prayerfully listen to the Holy Spirit, always Present in God’s Word, we can learn and deepen our faith-knowledge of the salvation journey God has brought all people through. While we may read of ancient Israelites struggling in their walk with God we also can see ourselves as we seek to enter the Holy Land of God’s Word.
It is Easter! The Lord is Risen! And wherever God leads us in the times ahead we can know that as we follow Christ His Kingdom will come.
Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion ~ 24 March 2024 ~ Scripture Readings for Mass: Gospel before Procession: Mark 11: 1-10; I: Isaiah 50: 4-7; Responsorial: Psalm 22; II: Philippians 2: 6-11; Gospel: Mark 14: 1-15:47
Our Lenten journey will conclude at sunset on Holy Thursday. We enter into the most holy and sacred week of our faith. With the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, we begin the shortest of the Liturgical seasons, the Triduum. From Mass on Holy Thursday to the Easter Vigil, we are called to share the Passion of Christ in preparation for the joy and power of his resurrection.
But today is Palm Sunday of our Lord’s Passion. The palms and olive branchlets have been blessed and carried in our hands to welcome Christ the Lord. We will then share the Gospel of the Lord’s Passion. The sacred gate into this week is opened. We will be given many holy moments to remember and participate with Jesus, in His Passion.We know what will happen to Christ. But what will happen to us? The sacred gate is open. How far will we go with Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us?
This day gives us two very simple options with Jesus. Will we, with the crowds, worship and joyfully celebrate Jesus the King? And then, in just a few short days, call for him to be crucified? How can such an intense and deadly change occur? We sometimes may even feel the hints of that change during Mass. The Gospel before the procession is concise and joyous. Then, after the opening readings we come to the reading of the Passion. It is that long Gospel. We are expected to stand, as able, and share in the readings. We are asked to read along, pay attention, and respond. Many may even sneak a peek to see how long it is. In the simplicity of the Liturgy, the lessons from God begin. The sacred gate is open. Will we enter and participate? How much will we share, or how far will we go?
St. Stephen’s Gate ~ Jerusalem[Photo by Robert Harding]
As we walk with Christ on El Camino we are living the quest and the question. Will we enter the sacred gate with Christ our King? What are the obstacles we may face? How far will we go?
Where are our sacred, holy gates? They are found in the course of our life. We come to them whenever we come to worship God. At Mass, we are called to leave the world behind and enter into the holy ground for our soul and spirit. Especially at the major celebrations such as Christmas, Epiphany, and Holy Week, we enter into a very holy place. But we also enter these sacred and holy gates as we walk this holy way with Jesus in our daily lives and with each other. With our families and loved ones, our home presents a holy gate of life, celebration, forgiveness, and love. These holy portals are entered whenever we serve and help the poor, the outcasts, and those in need. St. Francis of Assisi and St. Damien of Molokai discovered these holy places when they left fear behind and served the lepers.
Enter His Gates! The Psalmist proclaimed that we are to enter God’s gates with thanksgiving, [Psalm 100:4] The Holy Spirit is always, as promised by Christ [John 16], working to guide us through the sacred gates and grow in the Truth who is Jesus. We may stand and stare in peaceful inertia at the holy gate God is giving us. But gates are to be entered. We leave behind from whence we have come. We enter into a new place of holiness and faith. To enter the gates of God is a deliberate choice. We may follow the crowd for a short while. But with Emmanuel, we soon learn He is seeking us, personally to enter into His Presence and walk in the holiest of ways. We soon learn that with Christ we will be called to grow and share beyond where and who we were! It is then we face obstacles.
Obstacles in Following the King: Palm Sunday of our Lord’s Passion is a powerful lesson about our God boxes. The people of Jerusalem, the scribes and Pharisees, the Romans and even the disciples who knew Jesus entered that Sunday a week before Christ’s resurrection with a vast array of their God boxes. The Romans and Gentiles likely considered this Jew as yet another rabble-rouser. The religious leaders of the Jews saw him from their strict, legalistic mindset and knowledge of who, how or what the Messiah would be like. The Jews who acclaimed him were a mix of devout Hebrews, nominal attenders of the Temple or synagogues but all with a longing for a champion, a king who would defeat the Romans. And the disciples of Jesus who had known and followed Jesus, some for at least three years each had their sacred God box. Most saw him as the true Messiah. But some fervently saw him as primarily a political savior who would route their enemies and make Jerusalem, and the Jews great again. Many are the challenges and obstacles we will face. But fear, doubt, and pride all rooted deep in the hard rocky soil of followers of the ways of this world will sadly yield the bitter crops of ignorance, denial, unbelief, and finite human expectations. But as we choose, often daily, to allow God’s angels and saints, following the Paraclete, to dismantle our silly boxes and lead us through God’s sacred gates we are offered to travel far with God.
How far, with Christ the King, will we go? That Holy Week, over two thousand years ago, there was a group of followers of Emmanuel facing the very questions we each face, today. The obstacles of fear, doubts, and comforts of lives previously lived all brought hard choices. As they saw their precious perceptions and understandings about Jesus, and themselves crumble they had to decide. Was Jesus worth following? As they realized what was going to happen to their friend, their Messiah they had to decide, would they walk with Him in His Passion and death? Unable to see and understand the promise of the resurrection that battled the dark forces of doubt and hate. One would fully betray and reject Jesus. All those called to be Apostles, except one, hid in fear and denial. Yet they did not give up. Faltering, falling, failing they chose to allow the King of the Cross to reach out to them. From the tomb he rose and called them to arise with Him.
So it is this Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, this Holy Week. God is calling us to enter His sacred gates.He seeks us to face our obstacles and battles of soul, with Him.We are called this week and every day, this side of eternity, to walk with Emmanuel in the Way of the Cross. It is as do we will enter a most sacred of gates, the tomb, and from there to walk with Christ in the boundless joys of Heaven.
From slave of mento love slave of Christ and Bishop
5th Sunday of Lent ~ 17 March 2024 ~ St. Patricks Day ~ Scripture Readings for Mass: I: Jeremiah 31: 31-34; Responsorial: Psalm 51; II: Hebrews 5: 7-9; Gospel: John 12: 20-33
Our Lenten journey continues this 5th Sunday of Lent. With the memory of Ash Wednesday fading we are anticipating the Passion of our Lord during Holy Week and the holy joys of Easter. This year the calendar also brings us, this Sunday, The Feast of St. Patrick in the Catholic Church, an holy feast that the world has claimed as a day of parties and celebration of some things supposedly Irish. When a saint’s feast day falls on the Lord’s Day, Sunday it is not the focus of the liturgy as our focus is the holy sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus.
But this Lenten Sunday, as we explore the readings from Scripture in the Liturgy of the Word, we are given an extraordinary lesson in the life of the man considered the patron saint of Ireland.
Our first reading, from Jeremiah’s book, proclaims what is a holy gem in this rich prophetic message. The truth of God’s great love is shared while confronting the rebellion and sin of the people. But God’s love provides promise and provision of the graces of heaven. The mercy of God will bring God’s Word to dwell in the hearts of the people and the holy relationship, longed for by God will be enabled.
This holy gift of conversion is prayerfully opened in the Responsorial Psalm. The simple prayer is given to us in the refrain from Psalm 51. The Confiteor, what are eight of the most powerful words we can utter. “Create a clean heart in me. O God”. This Psalm or repentance and conversion paves our path of walking with Jesus.
And it brings us to our second reading from the Book of Hebrews. We are taught in these three verses holy insight into the life of our Lord and direction for our own way of life, our way of the cross. Obedience for Christ, and for His followers is taught through suffering. In the trials of our life we are taught the sacred graces and gifts of love, life, and letting go of self and embracing Christ.
With the light of God’s Word already shining we now focus upon the Gospel from John. Jesus is speaking of his coming Passion and death. He shares the metaphor of a grain of wheat falling into the ground and dying, that it may live and grow. Our text closes with the sacred prophecy that he must be lifted up, so that he may draw all people to His Kingdom. And in the path of Scripture, we come to St. Patrick and a powerful lesson of following Christ.
The life of St. Patrick is cloaked in legend and uncertainty. He probably lived from approximately 390 to 461 A.D. It is quite certain that he was not a native Irishman but born in England or Wales on the west coast of the British Isle. He probably came from a prosperous and prominent family. When he was a teenager Patrick was kidnapped by some Irish slave traders and taken to Ireland. From his Confessio it is understood he was a slave for at least six years working as a shepherd. With the help of God, he escaped and returned to England. It is here we start to see Patrick as a disciple of Christ. He studied, went to Rome, and grew in his relationship with God. There was evident in Patrick’s life a desire to serve Christ. He likely aspired to join an established monastery in England. But God had other soil in which he wanted this young man’s soul to be sown. God, through dreams and other graces, called Patrick back to the land of his bondage, Ireland, to proclaim the Gospel.
It is again from his autobiography, his Confessio, and a letter that has survived we have insights we can study with the stories and legends that have grown over time. Ireland had heard, to some degree, the Gospel. St. Palladius is credited with first sowing the seeds of the Gospel early in the fifth century. But churches were small and the ancient druid religion prevailed.
It was to a land of Irish clans, kings, and druids that Patrick returned. This would bring to Patrick a great love for the Irish people. He would work diligently to teach, preach, and talk with the people. Whether they were commoners, slaves such as he had been, nobles, or pagan leaders Patrick would listen and share Christ in a fearless love that converted a people, with the graces of Christ, known for their sharp minds and stubborn wills. The conversion of Ireland is unique in that it was a national conversion with very little violence. It also would grow to be known for establishing a strong, and faithful church yet a faith that could respect and learn from the beliefs that preceded it. To this day Celtic Catholic Spirituality is known for an holy faith rich in the Gospel and the ancient Celtic love for creation.
St. Patrick would spend his remaining years serving his beloved Irish as the Bishop of Ireland. Legends abound about Patrick. One, his use of the shamrock to teach about the Holy Trinity may well have truth to share. Celtic Catholicism is very strong in its love for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Regardless of the specific stories it is very clear Patrick faithfully lived the Gospel and the message shared in our readings this special Sunday of Lent. In a life of word and action, he proclaimed the message of mercy and forgiveness, of ongrowing conversion, and a fervent love for Jesus. His efforts to ever lift high the Son of God would establish the foundation upon which a vibrant church, great monastic orders, and communities as well as many saints would teach a lasting witness to a man walking with and serving Emmanuel.
St. Patrick did not leave any great written record. But there is a prayer that is attributed to him that eloquently shares the rich Gospel he lived and shared. Rah De’ ort. ~ The grace of God on you.
The 4th Sunday of Lent, 10 March 2024; Scripture Readings for Mass: I: II Chronicles 36: 14-16, 19-23; Responsorial: Psalm 137; II: Ephesians 2: 4-10; Gospel: John 3: 14-21
We humans tend to want to organize. Some are very faithful to the adage: “a place for everything and everything in its place.” This applies, in various ways and places to our homes, our relationships, our places, and ways of work. But it also applies to our faith, our religion, and our church. And it specifically applies to our understanding and expectations of God. As a parish, we are sharing our journey with God, with Emmanuel. And in our personal faith and our shared seeking of God our understandings and expectations powerfully influence what God would be able to do in our hearts and our midst.This Sunday in the midst of Lent we need to let the Holy Spirit awaken in our hearts the presents of God and how these gifts will bring us more deeply into God’s Real Presence.
Some of these great and holy gifts of God are revealed in the Bible readings given to us today.
First, in the reading from the book of II Chronicles, we read of the immense power and grace of God among the nations of the world. The Hebrew people, called by God to His Law and faithful obedience, have struggled and fallen astray into the idolatrous ways of their neighbors. The Lord in patient mercy sought them yet they persisted in sin. So God allows them the consequences of their choices. They are conquered. Jerusalem is ravaged and desecrated. The Jews are forcibly conquered and scattered among the Gentile world. All would seem lost. But, for the presents of God. God gives His chosen people the great gift of restoration and the merciful rebuilding of the Temple. This gift, to everyone’s surprise, is provided through a great, powerful pagan leader, Cyrus, King of Persia. Such are the gifts of God. They may be found in places deemed impossible or at least very unlikely. But, Jesus seems to love surprises.
It is in our second reading from the letter to the Ephesians we uncover more profound gifts of God for all who seek the Kingdom of God. Saint Paul, writing in the Holy Spirit, shares promises and presents that are awesome in their power. First Paul does something very significant. He makes these statements about what our normal understanding would think as being in heaven as being now, in the present tense. We are (present tense), seated, together, in heavenly places with Christ! we are called, and placed to reign with God and all the saints. Now. We also learn we are given the immeasurable riches of heaven, of God’s graces. Now. And then we are told of a most basic and powerful gift, the gift of God’s grace.
It is in our Gospel for today from probably the most well-known Scripture we learn more of this holy and glorious gift, the gift of grace given us in God’s Son, Jesus Christ. This also would show us a very profound purpose and place of God’s presents. They bring us to discover and grow in God’s Presence.
As a community of Christians and as individual believers we may face and share times in our journey that the designs and gifts of God would seem distant or unreachable. Yet it is in those times, especially when we experience something Jesus spoke of in our Gospel. As we grow in seeking to live The Truth, who is Christ, we grow from darkness to the light.
This holy pilgrimage is a path of discovery. We come to the sacred presents of God and as we seek to open and cherish these gifts we grow in the Real Presence of God. It is an holy quest of learning God’s Promises, Provisions, and Places to which He brings us, with Him.
Seek God’s Word: In our readings for this day and anytime we seek to study God’s Word we are receiving His great and sacred promises, commands, and lessons. It is in these holy words the many gifts of God are revealed, when, where, and as we have need. The Word of God is a priceless gift. But it is a gift that is so often ignored, neglected, or doubted. Let us each, and together Listen for God’s Word. And then help open and live these sacred treasures of the Scriptures.
Open and Share God’s Gifts: In the light of the living Word we come on our faith walk to the holy presents God would give us. They may often be overlooked or passed by. They may be a talent or even a trial. Very often God’s presents are wrapped in the simple beauty of humility. But with the help of God, His angels, and saints, and…. each other we learn to open, discover, and share these gifts, for the good of the Kingdom of Jesus, and each other. And, always, for the glory of God.
From Presents to God’s Presence.We read in our Gospel the priceless word describing the greatest gift of all, God’s only begotten Son, Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us. This gift opens for us the Kingdom of God, even now, here in this wounded world. We are shown the path from darkness to His Light we are called to share. It is this life, this practice of His true Presence we are journeying in, with and for our Lord, our Friend, Jesus. We especially cherish, reverence and celebrate God’s true and Real Presence in the Body and Blood of Jesus, The Blessed Sacrament.
This greatest of Gifts, Jesus is beyond our human abilities to see, to hear, to know. Yet it is in His very Presence that He gently but powerfully reveals Himself to us, wherever we are in our journey if we but humbly seek Him and His will. At Mass, with the eternal Light of God’s Word let us, together learn to see Who is truly Present as the Sacred Host is raised.Let us, in the Spirit see whose holy Blood is truly in the holy Chalice. This Lent as we share the Way of the Cross let’s remember with whom we are walking. Not for those few moments, but forever. And as we would help take His broken Body down from the Cross let us with love and reverence that actions and words cannot express remember it is this same Body and Blood, it is Jesus we receive in our shared Holy Communion.
Together, in and with Jesus our Lord, with Emmanuel, we find our place.We find where we belong. With Christ. We are learning what it means to be seated, in heavenly places with God. We are learning the passionate love of walking with the Shepherd of our souls, Jesus. We are learning the great holy places of Jesus, His holy ground. At His altar, at the place of reconciliation, in the joyful steps of our pilgrim’s penance, we walk with Christ. So, let us grow from His presents into His Presence.
~ St. Francis of Assisi & Jesus ~ Painting by Bartolome Esteban Murillo
Third Sunday of Lent ~ 3 March 2024 ~ Scripture Readings for Mass: I: Exodus 20: 1-17; Responsorial: Psalm 19; II: I Corinthians 1: 22-25; Gospel: John 2: 13 -25
This Third Sunday of Lent we share a Gospel account of profound distinction. We read from the Gospel of John when Jesus was perhaps most angry, in his life with the disciples. This story of the cleansing of the Temple is shared in all four Gospels, [Matthew 21: 12-13; Mark 11: 15-19; Luke 19: 45 -46 and John 2: 13 -25]. This experience had a powerful impact on the disciples. A careful reader will note that the account shared in John’s Gospel comes much earlier than the three synoptic Gospels. It is helpful to remember that this fourth Gospel presents the life of Jesus not in a strict human chronological order but in a perspective that emphasizes God’s view of these holy events. The cleansing of the Temple were very powerful moments for the disciples to witness. Why? Jesus was no stranger to the Temple. When Christ came, as a boy, to discuss the teachings of faith with the priests and scribes he would have walked through the temple market area. What made Jesus so angry? After many visits, he would now express such holy anger at those involved in a significant part of the Jewish worship of that time.
Our other readings from Scripture may appear irrelevant to this question. The first reading from the book of Exodus gives us a brief account of the giving to Moses and the Israelites, the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments. This reading is, in many ways the root of the intense disappointment and anger of the Messiah. In taking these foundational commands we realize they give, for all time, the standards of faith, worship, and life, not just for the Jews but for all who seek to live for and follow the ways of God.
The Psalm affirms in eloquent power, that the Word of God brings us eternal life. As the verse states: “They [God’s precepts] are more precious than gold than a heap of purest gold.”
Then in the epistle, we hear the Holy Spirit remind us that the wisdom (the values) of the world are foolishness. We are taught it is in the power of the cross we are called to live, not in our own wealth of ability or accumulations.
Photo location and source not given
Like holy steps in our journey with Emmanuel, we are brought to the Temple where we too must encounter the anger of Jesus, of God with us. Being around anyone who is angry is something most people try to avoid. This is usually especially true in our relationship with God. To think about, or relate to an angry God is fearful. If some may seek this facet of our Lord they usually make others the presumed target of that holy anger. But we must be honest and recognize this lesson is powerful and relevant for all who truly seek to know and follow the Christ.
The background of this purging provides important insight. These money-changers and merchants of sacrificial commodities prescribed by the Law were, according to historical resources, either priests or family members of priests serving in the Temple. This market had become a lucrative part of the liturgy and faith of those called by God to serve. To have approved and blessed sacrifices and offerings this supposed holy commerce had to be done within those temple precepts and precincts. The hustle and bustle of a large market deeply offended and angered Jesus. In Mark’s Gospel account, he even forbade those who were carrying products. Jesus was angry!
But we may be tempted to point out these were the Jews. In the Temple. The relevance for us living the new covenant is uncertain. Isn’t it? Sadly the relevance is deep and powerful. The angry disappointment of the Christ we see in the Temple is rooted, deeply, in the decalogue. There is a very strong emphasis in the first part of these commandments on the worship of God and the forbidding of idolatry. These principles are further engraved in those commandments speaking of our relationships, in marriage and community. The principle of holy love and faith in God was taught as a part of the worship and liturgy God sought. But that fidelity to God was also expected in the rejection of idolatry of others or things. Greed, and lust are shown as being dark manifestations of a deeper idolatrous life.
Jesus was furious at the illicit commerce occurring in the Temple. Holy ground dedicated to God for prayer is not to be used for personal greed and gain. It is not a place for pride and strife, egos or agendas. As we seek to walk with Jesus let us seek His mercy and allow the Holy Spirit to cleanse our temples.May the fire of the Spirit purge our bodies and souls of anything that would take the rightful place of God in our lives. And may the same holy fire cleanse our church, the people of God. May the idols of strife, politics, and ego be cast out. May the bitter wounds of scandal, and unforgiveness be purged by humble and genuine penance by all.May the fire of the Holy Spirit bring within us a new and dynamic realization of Jesus truly Present in His Body and Blood. May His Eucharistic Presence bring us to grow in true, deep humility and faith. May our reverence and devotion for God in the Eucharist so grow that it then flows to our reverence for God Present in each other?
May Jesus abide in the temple of His people and rejoice as He finds prayer, forgiveness, and mercy flourishing. Instead of anger may Jesus smile.
May humility, mercy, and love prevail.[Image source not known.]
Redwood Journal 