Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Who’s In?
Giving captions to images is a real art, an act of creativity and imagination. When you look at this image, what messages do you hear?
Here are a few of mine. All hands on deck! Many hands make light labor! I’m in! Don’t be afraid, we’ll catch you and hold you! Coming from a large family, living
What do we need most to be able to do this kind of unified work or ministry? Our readings for this weekend again speak of gifts that are given. Many of our gifts are given to be shared with others—generously, mercifully, compassionately! Take time today to reflect on your gifts. Which ones do you use most often? Which ones rarely are used? How will you continue to build on those gifts?
Then reflect on Luke’s gospel and Jesus’ teaching about freeing the oppressed, giving liberty to captives,
I found the following reflection most challenging. The author challenges us to answer the question: “How will this scripture be fulfilled in you?”
To Celebrate a Life of Love: Jose (Joe) Patricio Ramirez
March 19, 1942-January 8, 2019
Jose (Joe) Patricio Ramirez was born on March 19,
Joe was born with multiple health issues and required special care all of his life. Joe taught us that people with disabilities are like regular people with hopes and dreams who want love and affection. Joe’s dream was to come back with a healthy body. He would get married and have children. For the last three years, Joe was a resident at Mesa Vista. We visited daily. He enjoyed participating in activities and watching cowboy shows. He will be greatly missed. We love you, Joe. Rest in peace.
A Mass to celebrate Joe’s life will be held at St. Francis of Assisi at 11 am on Wednesday, January 23.
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
A Shortage Problem
What do we do when we become short of wine? Short of food? Short of energy? Short of money?
In John’s retelling of the Wedding Feast at Cana, Mary is the one who notices and becomes concerned that there is a shortage of wine. Was it her family wedding? Was she the caterer? Why does she care? Even Jesus seems to imply that it is none of her business.
Nevertheless, Mary (the woman, the mother, the perceptive one) instructs the servants to bring jars of water. She trusts that what she has paid attention to, combined with her awareness and her request will lead to Jesus’ doing something about it. In fact, she impels him to the first miracle of his ministry. Her deep concern for others pushes Jesus! Her bold faith and hope are evident in the directions she gives to the servants. And then she lets it go!
Mary teaches us that what we notice, what concerns us, also matters to Jesus. It also matters to God. Mary is filled with confidence and
This miracle, the first of many that Jesus performs, gives us insight into Mary’s role in our journey of faith. As we notice and are drawn to care with compassion, we too have the opportunity to use our voices for change. We can have a role in miracles too. What would we be doing today if we did “whatever He tells you?” How will our shortage be changed into abundance?
The Baptism of the Lord
Come, Holy Spirit
Celebrating the Baptism of Jesus hopefully reminds us of our own Baptism. Even if we were baptized as a child, our consistent attendance at Mass, especially when we witness the Baptism of children, gives us copious reminders of what Baptism means. We often refer to the work of the Holy Spirit and ask the Spirit to renew our lives and everything in creation. We remember!
We use the sign of the cross multiple times during Sunday liturgy. Each signing is similar to the signing of our Baptism. We are initiated into the Body of Christ. By that signing, we are indelibly connected to each other, related in mind, body, and spirit. We join the Holy Spirit in active renewal of the earth and all that populates the earth. We re-member! We restore and mend relationships.
In what ways do we experience the Spirit coming to us, to our families, to our parish community, and to the Church at large? How are we asking the Spirit to be ever more present to us? How do we recognize that the Spirit is the active, transforming agent in our prayer, our rituals, and our lives?
Our fervent prayer for this week: “Come, Holy Spirit! Dwell among us! Fill us with your joy and your peace! Renew the face of the earth! Renew the face of our Church! Renew us and our parish community! Help us to live our Baptismal call.”
Streamed Masses from St. Francis
Please click the button below to be taken to a page containing all of our streamed Masses.
Raising Pure Teens Book Study
This January on the 27th we are offering a book study called Raising Pure Teens by Jason Evert and Chris Stefanik published by Catholic Answers. Who is this book study for? Anyone who will one day be raising or guiding a teen. This ongoing process of teaching our children about chastity begins in early childhood and continues with age-appropriate steps through their adolescent and teenage years. This support group can give parents the tools and encouragement they need for this ongoing journey. This is an 8-week book study which will take place on Sunday evenings from 7-8:30 pm in the Emmaus Room. Meetings will include short video clips from the authors and discussion questions for each chapter. Books can be purchased online at www.chastityproject.com. Please contact English Miller at 210-313-0356 or swingeng@gmail.com if you have any questions.
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The Epiphany of the Lord
May Christ Bless This House
The Magi trekked a long, long way riding camels, following only a star, one that shone brightly and was the guide to finding Jesus. What love and adoration we find in their presence to Jesus, his family, and all the creatures that surrounded them.
In our daily lives, we too search for Jesus. Like the magi, we can find him in the humblest of settings, our homes. One of my greatest memories of the Feast of the Three Kings was an activity that we religiously did after attending Mass. Some of you may recognize it as the “chalking of the door.”
This ritual of prayer and action asks for God’s blessing on the dwelling, including barns and “man caves,” and on all who live, work in them and visit them. Inviting Jesus to be present as a guest in our home kept us vigilant about monitoring our behavior in the house, or the dairy barn, or the garage.
We prayed that our dwellings would be filled with listening in our conversations, compassion and mercy in the midst of troubled times, and generous hospitality to all who came to visit us. We marked the doorpost, the entry to the house, with 20 C+M+B 19 remembering that 2019 years ago LOVE came to earth as a child, one of us. That love is present in each of us, in the ways that we choose to be love in the lives of others.
The use of chalk reminds us of teaching and learning, (Today it would have to be Dry Erase or Washable Markers or Smart Boards.) We remember that today we learn from others, our companions in the home. We remember that love is made present in humility and kindness, in mercy and compassion, in listening and instructing.
May Jesus find the warmth of a home in our hearts and in our habits. May we be blessed with health, kindness of heart, gentleness and the keeping of the commandments to love. Fill us with the light of Christ!
For more information, http://lituryg.co.nz/epiphany-cahalk-house-blessing-3.
To Celebrate a Life of Love: Nola Ann Crow Dum
Nola Ann Crow Dum, age 78, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on December 5, 2018, in San Antonio, Texas. Born on April 4, 1940, in Waco, Texas, to father, Carl Jesse Crow, and mother, Mattie Mae Brown Crow. Nola graduated from Richardson High School in 1958 and married Bill Dum on May 5, 1967. She worked for GMAC until 1968, at which point she took on the role of a full-time mother. Nola was a long-time member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, where she was a volunteer with the Mobile Loaves & Fishes. Nola was dedicated to her family, community, and church. She was also a devoted caregiver to her husband. Nola was preceded in death by her loving parents and many cherished aunts and uncles. Nola is survived by Bill Dum, her beloved husband of 51 years; son, Jeffery Dum; daughter, Amy Dum Scott and her husband, Daryl; her most treasured gifts her grandchildren, Davis and Kendall Scott; brothers, Joe Crow and his wife Pat, Carl Crow and wife Judy, and Marvin Crow; brother-in-law, Mike Dum; sister-in-law, Elizabeth Kennington and husband Ned; many loved nieces and nephews; and cherished cousins and friends.
A memorial service will be held at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church on January 18 at 10 am with a reception to follow in Henke Hall.
The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
A Family Trip Gone Wrong
What adjective most readily comes to mind when I say the word “family?” Unless you looked at the image or have read this Sunday’s readings, I dare say, the first word would not be holy.
Let’s try to name some adjectives. Some might be biological, blended, growing, young, distant, adopted, loving, interracial, bi-cultural, broken, international, separated, dysfunctional. Did you discover others? As I did this exercise, I had to think intentionally of descriptive words that had a positive connotation. I wonder why that is? Was it the same for you?
The story of Jesus being “lost” to Mary and Joseph might have some differing meanings. There is always the physical reality of being lost, or not able to be located. The other is the idea of not sharing the same concept of what it means to be family. Jesus explains to his mother that he has a Sonship with the Father, as well as his sonship with her and Joseph.
In our own families, many of us suffer from anxiety about our children who in our minds are “lost” to the faith, or “lost” to drugs, or “lost” to unhealthy relationships. It’s hard to be family in these situations. Most of the time we cannot understand why this is happening or how it came to be.
Perhaps the lesson from the Gospel this weekend is this. Our responsibility is to focus less on ourselves and our anxiety, to love intensely and continuously, to teach our children to listen and obey, and then to let them go, and ultimately to believe that we like Jesus, will all be reunited in our Father’s house.
Part of this reflection was inspired by the reflection from Catholic Women Preach. You can find it at http://catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/12302018.
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Who Will I Visit?
If you could visit with anyone in the world, during any time period of life, who would it be? Why would you want to visit with them? What would it take to get there? And what would it be like to be in their presence after all? (Try these questions for a very interesting dinner conversation sometime soon. It’ll get you through the holidays!)
This Sunday’s Gospel of Mary going in haste to visit her cousin Elizabeth is filled with emotion. It is an example of what happens when we can’t wait to share something with someone else. It’s about incredible JOY at the surprises, the new births in life. When we think something is impossible, we are reminded that with God all things are possible.
Imagine all of the conversations between Mary and Elizabeth. What all did they talk about? When do you have spiritual conversations like theirs? With whom do you have them?
As we travel to visit in the next week or so, with whom will we seek to have conversations? Who will we invite? Will we intentionally spend some time with someone elderly? Will we recognize the miraculous life, the vibrant and joyous spirit within each individual we encounter in the next few days?