Who am I Lord? A Reflection for 10/28/19:

            In the Gospel of Luke today, we hear about Jesus naming the apostles.  He chose twelve from the disciples, Simon (Peter), Andrew, James & John, Philip & Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James, Simon (Zealot), Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who later betrayed Christ before the crucifixion.  In reading this short Gospel, I began to contemplate as many have I’m sure, why Jesus chose these “blue- collar” carpenters, fisherman, tent makers, etc., and not a more educated, highly respected few. 

            Clearly Christ was putting together a team to go on before Him to spread the Gospel to the multitudes.  One may argue that He should have picked individuals who held a higher position within the public; perhaps a great speaker or legal counsel.   Still better, a land owner or lord within the areas where He intended the Gospel to be spoke.  Regardless of the reasoning, Christ didn’t do this and furthermore, we are all of the understanding that He knew full well the hearts and minds of the individuals which He did pick.  Peter would deny him, Judas would betray him and all of them were born into sin.  Yet, Jesus still chose them.  So, how does this relate to us?

            On more than one occasion, I have felt as though there must be a better person to do what it is that I do.  I have done this with every professional position I have ever held.  I have done this in athletics all the way through college, and I did it in my academic side of life as well.  At times, I struggle with how a broken individual such as I can serve God’s will while being successful in the tasks that He places in my life.  Perhaps, if I can be so brave as to assume, you have done this as well.  If you have not however, then may God continue to bless you with that confidence.  It was in this seemingly constant question, this personal struggle, where reading today’s Gospel that something jumped out that may help to address those concerns.  Just as Jesus chose the twelve from the group of disciples, He chose us from a group of many. 

            Regardless of whatever reason we can come up with as to why we are not worthy of God’s Grace, His mission in our life, the position that He has placed us in, we are exactly where He intended for us to be.  Our job is to continue to serve Him through whatever that platform may be and, as most of us do not have a manual for each curve life will throw at us, we can trust that God’s plan is greater than our anxiety to it.  We must stop asking “Who am I Lord” and begin proclaiming “Here I am Lord.” 

           

Mr. Swann/Principal

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

It’s Time for Harvest! A Reflection for 10/18/19:

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus appointed seventy other disciples and sent them ahead of him in pairs.  These new disciples traveled to every town and place to inform people that Jesus was coming.  He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few, therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.  Go on your way!” 

Jesus didn’t paint a pretty picture saying “See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves.  Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road.”  However, in addition to these instructions Jesus made one thing clear, not going wasn’t an option. 

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”  This is so true.  The work we all have been asked to do, spreading the Gospel, has the unending potential to reach so many; in our cities, our schools, our parishes and so on.  This work brings God’s message to those who struggle with employment, hunger, sickness, abandonment yet, more often than not, it is the same small number of people who are trying to accomplish all these things for so many.  Look around at our schools and parishes where volunteers are often asked for to service a multitude of projects yet the same faces are the ones that appear. 

Everything we do is about bringing the Kingdom of goodness to those who have the least and who deserve much better.  It is about being the reflection of Christ through us to others.  Think of the overall number of members within our parish alone and what if, just what if each person did one thing for the Harvest?  Even Jesus Himself only appointed seventy and just look at the multitude that was able to reach.  This life is not meant for us alone, this Christianity…this incredible and everlasting gift from God is not meant for us to hold all to ourselves.  Today’s Gospel reading implores us to get out into the community, to break bread with our neighbors, to bring healing to the sick, and to work for peace, love and compassion for all. 

Do not be foolish as to wait for someone else to work the Lord’s harvest for you. 

Mr. Swann/Principal

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Reflection for 10/9/19:

            As the first three days of this week have come and gone, I cannot help but be reminded of the different ways God speaks to us.  These first few days this week, although productive, have been quite challenging for many members of the OLMC parish and school.  Challenge because of the different areas of our lives which are, and will always remain out of our control; but also because of those areas in our lives that we have control yet fail to do so.  The Gospels so far this week addresses many of our most damaging challenges that can be controlled by our attitudes towards our situation, as well as our attitudes towards others. 

            Yesterday, Saint Paul reminded us that we should never let differences between one another become obstacles to friendship and love.  “If your brother or sister is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love.  Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died….For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”  Likewise, in the First Letter of Peter today, “Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.  Be hospitable to one another without complaining.  Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.” 

            These Gospels remind us two things, that if we are to truly become more Christ-like, we must above all love each other first.  Secondly, that we are not in control.  This second point seems to be what causes us the most difficulty for, although we are fully aware of this fact, we fight against it vigorously as if through our arrogance we will eventually be in control of the world around us.  It is that arrogance, that foolish quest to be in control which damages not only the relationships around us, but our own well-being.  Even in prayer we have expectations that often are not met and only when we realize how foolish we have been in those expectations do we fully turn our journey over to God.  Why is this; why are we so…so stubborn with our brothers and sisters, with our God? 

            I am reminded by a quote from Mark Twain, “Man is the only animal capable of blushing and, perhaps, the only one that needs to.”  If I take anything from this week it will be to slow down, listen to God speak to me in the man different ways He may do so, and to be reminded that each of us has been made unique with gifts to share and that if I pause for just a second, perhaps God is speaking to us…to me through them. 

Mr. Swann/Principal

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Hearing God’s Word:  A Gospel Reflection:

Before I begin my reflection on today’s Gospel, I would like to take the time to review the Word of God itself from Luke. 

The mother and brothers of Jesus came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd.  And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”  But he said to them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”  Luke 18:19-21

Short and to the point huh?  Basically, Jesus is reminding people two things: it is our responsibility as Disciples to spread the Gospel of the Lord to those who need to hear it, and, secondly, it is our responsibility as followers of Christ to LISTEN and ADHERE to God’s word in our life. 

Often in my profession, I will be giving instruction or discussing/listening to a situation only to be interrupted with another issue that pertains to another separate person or group of people.  Many of you have this very thing happen to you as well and many times it is frustrating.  Jesus addresses the interruption by reminding the people (who were attempting to do a good thing in their minds) that He is currently doing God’s work.  Likewise, Jesus points out the obedience of His mother and brothers when it comes to that work - God’s work. 

Translate:  I have a family member who is notorious for thinking they know more than anyone else.  Not necessarily in their actions but their words.  For example, a few months ago, a doctor suggested that such and such was wrong with their child and that “this” was the way to alleviate the issue to which this family member’s response was “I don’t think that doctor knows what he’s talking about.”   Obviously, because let’s face it, all those years of medical school and residency and training are a waste right!  Now, when you are finished laughing because odds are you’ve seen this very thing, ask yourself how often you have done in a similar situation with your doctor/lawyer/child’s teacher/boss/etc…..wait, more importantly, ask yourself how often you’ve done it with God. 

Often we pray and ask for something to happen in our lives and then ignore God’s answer because it isn’t the one we wished to hear!?  How often have we pulled away from other people/family/friends because we think that we know better than they do, or we’ve asked them for their opinion and they gave it to us and now we are offended?  Perhaps this is because we didn’t truly accept what the answer meant to our life.  When Jesus says, “my mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it” He is not dismissing the people who told him, nor is he dismissing the importance of family, he is suggesting that the strongest relationships are those founded in the word of God. 

If we are ever to truly grow in our faith, we must accept the fact that we do not know everything, that we are not the center of the universe, and that our opinions/processes/viewpoints are not the only ones which matter.  We must have a glass that needs to be filled, we must LISTEN and ADHERE to God’s word in our life, like Jesus’s mother and brothers, we need to “hear the word of God and do it.”

Mr. Swann/Principal

OLMC

Finding Coins and My Neighbor:

What a week so far (and it’s only Wednesday) that we have had here at OLMC.  I once had very close friend tell me that being a school administrator is about appearing to be a duck….”on the surface everything looks smooth, progressing and together…under the water however, you are padding like hell to keep going.”   Not only was this gentleman correct, I have found that it is surface appearance which keeps everyone calm, and the paddling that pays off the most. 

Last Sunday in the Gospel, Jesus talks about the shepherd who would leave the other 99 to find the lost 1.  And the lady, who loses one of her 10 silver coins, will search carefully until she finds it, and how both will call for a celebration for the one that was found.  “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”  Today’s Gospel, although a completely separate story, aligns itself with the message from last Sunday.  Today, Jesus answers the lawyer when he asks “And who is my neighbor?”  Jesus of course replies with the parable of the man going to Jericho who was beaten, robbed and left for dead.  As both the priest and Levite saw him, they passed on the other side as to not be disturbed by the opportunity to do the right thing.  Both of these Gospels brought me to the question, how often, as Christians in our own lives, do we act….live like all the characters in both stories? 

I’ll make it a little simpler….Do we celebrate the one sinner who finds Christ in our parish, families, places of work and neighborhood, or, do we stand together with our group of “Christians” and judge that single person for taking so long to turn their life over to God?  Do we love our neighbor as ourselves, more than ourselves……or, do we, like the priest in the Gospel walk on the other side of the street, stand with our blessings, our faith, our money, our homes, and our food and avoid the “inconvenience” of our neighbors suffering? 

As our days get busier and more full with the everyday issues we face or chores to complete, deadlines to meet, and social media threads to check (uh huh…), there seems to be less time for the single Christ-like acts that we need to be doing.  With all the rules and laws that we are supposed to adhere to in our lives, it can be difficult to keep everything in order.  Jesus knows/knew this so, He made it very simple for us: “Love your Lord God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind AND love your neighbor as yourself.”  Even with this one simplifying commandment, we as humans still manage to mess it up. 

So, the next time we are in a rush or decide to take part in that negative conversation, be judgmental or indifferent toward another, let us remember the Gospels we have heard this week and more importantly, apply them into our growth process as Disciples of Christ. 

Mr. Swann/Principal

OLMC  

Reflection for 9/10/19: Level Ground

The Gospel of Luke discusses Jesus going to the mountain to pray.  As the Lord came down from a night in prayer with God, He stood with the disciples and the crowd on level ground.  Think about that; level ground.  Jesus, despite being the son of a carpenter in most people’s eyes, was still followed by multitudes and was a great orator everywhere He went.  For those of us who have been public speakers or simply have given a speech or two, we know how difficult it can be both for visual and oratory purposes, to be on the “ground level” with the audience.  Yet, here is Christ who, not only in today’s Gospel but often traveled, preached and associated with the very audience He is addressing.  So again, the question is why?  Why would Jesus, knowing the level of difficulty in addressing the people choose to be on level ground with them and, an equally important a question, what does that “level ground” mean to us? 

The great thing about studying leadership is that you begin to recognize a leader’s style, ideology, and intentions.  Much like understanding music or writing styles from one’s favorite musician and author, leaders have specific processes as well.  Great leaders have a purpose for each decision they make, each process they employ.  Jesus, argumentatively the greatest leader ever, is clearly no exception to this.  Everything Jesus did was intentional.  Being on level ground, Jesus shows the apostles what is like to be among those in need, those who need healing, the sick and dying, the unclean and lost, us.  Likewise, Jesus shows us that He is among us always.  The Lord’s instructions were very clear; “Go, and teach the Gospel!”  He didn’t say sit there with the Gospel and expect the people will come to you.  If we keep ourselves upon a “mountain top”, how long do you think it will be before people no longer listen to us?  Being on level ground with those we teach, those we work with or lecture to, those in our families and relationships, all those around us creates an environment where nobody is excluded.  In turn, this allows the mystery of God’s work in our life to happen as well. 

Once again, Jesus shows His disciples (us included) that to truly build relationships, to truly share the Gospel, we must meet people where they are, we must be on “level ground”.  As disciples, we must bring the Lord to others, not the other way around. 

Mr. Swann/Principal

OLMC

Weekly Reflection 9/4/19: Personal Demons;

Yesterday’s Gospel reading has been rolling around in my head for over 24 hours.  I wanted to write about it yesterday morning however, there was too much to filter through at the time and I needed to think more as to not only what Jesus was showing the people of Capernaum at Galilee, but what it means in our daily lives as well.  For those of you who aren’t familiar, the Gospel yesterday came from Luke 4: 31-37 and spoke about a man at the synagogue who had the spirit of an unclean demon within him.  When the possessed man began to cry out at Jesus, the Lord rebuked him commanding the demon to come out of the man at once.  The people began to ask among themselves in amazement, who this Jesus was that he commands the unclean spirits and they listen. 

Many of us are familiar with the passage as we have read/heard it several times, and many other Jesus miracles alike.  However, I personally have never witnessed an exorcism nor have I seen Jesus in the flesh, so, how do I make this Gospel relevant to my life?  I would like to suggest that this process begins with the idea of the man who had the demon within him.  In the scripture, the demon was described as the “spirit of an unclean demon”.  Now, whether we like to admit it or not, we have all had uncleanliness within us at one point or another.  For relevant reasons, let’s suggest that these “unclean demons” are in our mind manifesting themselves as unclean thoughts.  Perhaps it’s pride or anger.  Maybe the demon is spitefulness or lust.  The demon of our thoughts could be impatience or laziness or gossip all the same.  I believe you are getting the picture.  

Regardless of the many blessings God has given us, sometimes our hearts and minds are gripped by the “demons” that plague humanity.  These demons don’t necessarily reflect who we are as a person however; they play on issues that happen in our lives on a daily basis.  They can occupy our minds with negative thoughts and impulses and it can be difficult to get past them.  The commonality between the demon that Jesus expelled and the demons that enter our minds is that neither can withstand the Truth of God. 

Temptation presents opportunity manifested in free choice; the choice to reject sin.  Each time negative or unclean thoughts enter our minds, we can consciously choose Jesus, first in our hearts, and then in our words and actions which will break us free from that demon.  Don’t believe me?  The next time you want to participate in a conversation of gossip, the next time you want to feed the anger you feel in a certain situation or at a particular person, say a Hail Mary or a Glory Be.  Not only will this exercise give you pause before speaking or acting, it will invoke our Lord to expel the negative aspect from us.  Likewise, this simple choice will leave us with peace, freedom, and the strength to serve God rather than our own interests. 

Mr. Swann/Principal

Our Lady of Mount Carmel