Becoming a Missionary Disciple Week 3: Why Jesus' Authority is Different(January 28, 2018)Bottom line: Today we see Jesus' authority. He is the author, the originator. He calls us to become missionary disciples.


This is the third of five homilies on missionary discipleship. We began with the example of Andrew. Jesus calls him: Come and you will see. Andrew then goes to his brother Simon Peter with this news: We have found the Messiah - the one who fulfills our longing.
Jesus, we saw, is the Lamb of God. He takes our sin and guilt upon himself, gives us a new beginning: repent and believe in the Gospel. We'll have those very words in two and half weeks when we receive ashes on our foreheads. Repent and believe in the Gospel.
This Sunday we ask the question: Why should we repent? Why should we believe? Why should we follow Jesus? To many people Jesus is a moral teacher along with Socrates, Confucius and the Buddha. So what? There are thousands of them, throughout history and even in our modern world. What makes Jesus different?
We have the answer today. Jesus has authority. We follow Jesus because he has authority. About twelve centuries before Jesus, God promised he would raise up a prophet like Moses. You remember Moses - he gave the covenant, the law and the commandments. Jesus is the New Moses. He gives a new covenant, a new law, a new commandment. Jesus has authority.
Some of you might wonder what exactly does authority mean. It comes from the Latin "auctor" - author, originator. Jesus has authority because he is the originator. On Christmas day we heard: In the beginning was the Word and Word was with God and the Word was God...the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus is the Word made flesh. As we say, true God and true man.
That's why Jesus can command the demons. They are creatures made by God. For sure they have gone awry and do much harm. They use their freedom to oppose God. But ultimately they are creatures of God. So Jesus can say to them, "Quiet. Come out of him." Jesus has the full authority of God. He is God.
Jesus stands in a category apart from Socrates, Confucius, the Buddha or any great moral teacher. We can learn from them and admire them. I esteem Socrates but I do not have a living personal relationship with him - unless someday we meet in the Communion of Saints. So it is with all great teachers.
Jesus on the other hand invites us this very day to an encounter - to enter a relationship with him, the most important relationship you will have with any person.
Today we see Jesus' authority. He is the author, the originator. He calls us to become missionary disciples. Before him we face a choice. In the words of our Psalm, "If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts." Amen.

Esta es la tercera de cinco homilías sobre el discipulado misionero. Comenzamos con el ejemplo de Andres. Jesús lo llama: ven y verás. Andres luego va a su hermano Simón Pedro con esta noticia: Hemos encontrado al Mesías, el que cumple nuestro anhelo.
Jesús, como vimos, es el Cordero de Dios. Él toma nuestro pecado y culpa sobre sí mismo, nos da un nuevo comienzo: arrepentirse y creer en el Evangelio. Tendremos esas mismas palabras en dos semanas y media cuando recibamos cenizas en nuestras frentes. Arrepiéntete y cree en el Evangelio.
Este domingo hacemos la pregunta: ¿Por qué debemos arrepentirnos? ¿Por qué debemos creer? ¿Por qué seguir a Jesús? Para muchas personas, Jesús es maestro moral junto con Sócrates, Confucio y el Buda. ¿Y qué? Hay miles de ellos, a lo largo de la historia e incluso en nuestro mundo moderno. ¿En que sentido es Jesús diferente?
Tenemos la respuesta hoy. Jesús tiene autoridad. Seguimos a Jesús porque él tiene autoridad. Unos doce siglos antes de Jesús, Dios prometió que levantaría un profeta como Moisés. Te acuerdas de Moisés: dio la alianza, la ley y los mandamientos. Jesús es el nuevo Moisés. Él da una nueva alianza, una nueva ley, un nuevo mandamiento. Jesús tiene autoridad.
Quizas te preguntas qué cosa es la autoridad. La palabra viene del latín "auctor" - autor, originador. Jesús tiene autoridad porque es el origen. El día de Navidad escuchamos: En el principio era la Palabra y la Palabra estaba con Dios y la Palabra era Dios ... la Palabra se hizo carne y habitó entre nosotros. Jesús es el Verbo hecho carne. Como decimos, verdadero Dios y verdadero hombre.
Es por eso que Jesús puede mandar a los demonios. Son criaturas hechas por Dios. Seguro que se han vuelto mal y han hecho mucho daño. Usan su libertad para oponerse a Dios. Pero finalmente son criaturas de Dios. Entonces Jesús puede decirles: "Callate y sal de él." Jesús tiene la plena autoridad de Dios. El es Dios.
Jesús se encuentra en una categoría aparte de Sócrates, Confucio, Buda o cualquier gran maestro moral. Podemos aprender de ellos y admirarlos. Estimo a Sócrates, pero no tengo una relación personal viva con él, a menos que algún día nos encontremos en la Comunión de los Santos. Lo mismo ocurre con todos los grandes maestros.
Jesús, por otro lado, nos invita este mismo día a un encuentro: para establecer una relación con él, la relación más importante que tendrás con cualquier persona.
Hoy vemos la autoridad de Jesús. Él es el autor, el creador. Él nos llama a ser discípulos misioneros. Delante de él enfrentamos una elección. En las palabras de nuestro Salmo, "Si hoy escuchas su voz, no endurezcas tu corazon". Amén.

Praying for Our Children:  Even though they more abundance than previous generations they experience greater sadness and depression – a greater loss of faith

Books for reference:

• iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood--and What That Means for the Rest of Us
• The Vanishing American Adult: Our Coming-of-Age Crisis - and How to Rebuild a Culture of Self-Reliance

Cell Phones:  Blessing or Curse?

• Why give a child a cell phone?
• What type?
• Who owns cell phone?
• Does child or teen take phone to bed?
• Dangers:  Predators, bullying, porn
• What example do parents set?

Pope Francis: 
"Many try to escape from others and take refuge in the comfort of their privacy or in a small circle of close friends, renouncing the realism of the social aspect of the Gospel. For just as some people want a purely spiritual Christ, without flesh and without the cross, they also want their interpersonal relationships provided by sophisticated equipment, by screens and systems which can be turned on and off on command. Meanwhile, the Gospel tells us constantly to run the risk of a face-to-face encounter with others, with their physical presence which challenges us, with their pain and their pleas, with their joy which infects us in our close and continuous interaction. True faith in the incarnate Son of God is inseparable from self-giving, from membership in the community, from service, from reconciliation with others. The Son of God, by becoming flesh, summoned us to the revolution of tenderness."

Loss of Faith (cf. iGen – not only practice, but belief itself):  They are giving up faith in higher numbers and at a younger age. Interviews reveal that the typical age is 13 while 23% say they left the faith before age 10.  When researchers interviewed young people they said things like:
"As I learn more about the world around me and understand new things, I find the thought of an all-powerful being to be less and less believable."
"I realized that religion is in complete contradiction with the rational and scientific world."
"[Faith] no longer fits into what I understand of the universe."
We have a big challenge - our children perceive a conflict between faith and reason. It's a *perceived* conflict because when you think about it, it doesn't make sense. After all, we have plenty of scientists who are also people of faith: biologists, medical professionals and astronomers who attend Mass and pray daily. The new Archbishop of Paris is a physician who practiced medicine for 11 years prior to studying for the priesthood. Our own Bishop Daniel Mueggenborg received a degree in geology before entering the seminary.  In a recent issue of Northwest Catholic he addressed the question: Can a Catholic believe in evolution? Read the article if you haven't. The bottom line is that the conflict between science and faith is more perception than reality.

Problems with Evolution:

1. Denies the dignity and equality of human beings:

Although best known for On the Origin of Species, Darwin does not address human evolution and race until his 1871 book, The Descent of Man, in which Darwin applies his theories of natural selection to humans.  From Chapter III of Descent of Man:
On difference in moral disposition and in intellect: "Differences of this kind between the highest men of the highest races and the lowest savages, are connected by the finest gradations.”
“My object in this chapter is to shew that there is no fundamental difference between man and the higher mammals in their mental faculties.”
Chesterton expresses opposite view:  "It is the simple truth that man does differ from the brutes in kind and not in degree; and the proof of it is here; that it sounds like a truism to say that the most primitive man drew a picture of a monkey and that it sounds like a joke to say that the most intelligent monkey drew a picture of a man. Something of division and disproportion has appeared; and it is unique. Art is the signature of man."

2.Proposes a naturalism that excludes supernaturalism

Chesterton:  “The essence of all pantheism, evolutionism and modern cosmic religion is really in this proposition: that Nature is our mother. Unfortunately, if you regard Nature as a mother, you discover that she is a stepmother. The main point of Christianity was this: that Nature is not our mother: Nature is our sister. We can be proud of her beauty, since we have the same father; but she has no authority over us; we have to admire, but not to imitate...”
As an explanation of the world, materialism has a sort of insane simplicity. It has just the quality of the madman's argument; we have at once the sense of it covering everything and the sense of it leaving everything out.

Naturalism or materialism ultimately leaves out:

• Good and bad
• True and False
• Right and Wrong

Naturalism promises freedom from guilt but does not deliver on the promise

Life is not governed by chance; it is not random. Your very existence has been willed by God, blessed and given a purpose! Life is not just a succession of events or experiences. It is a search for the true, the good and the beautiful. It is to this end that we make our choices; it is for this that we exercise our freedom; it is in this - in truth, in goodness, and in beauty - that we find happiness and joy.  --Pope Benedict

Creational Monotheism vs. Epicureanism
The world, the flesh and the devil always have had great power, but today we find ourselves surrounded by a culture that does little to support faith - and a lot to undermine the faith of our young people. The default position in our media and educational system is that either God does not exist or if he does, he has nothing to do with our world and our lives.
The Bible invites young people to a different world view. A biblical scholar named N.T. Wright calls this world view "creational monotheism." It means that God not only exists but he created the world and sustains it every moment. Moreover God enters into a covenant relationship, first to the Jews, then to us all in Jesus.
To many people this worldview - creational monotheism - seems ancient. They contrast it with a "modern" view that leaves God out of the picture. This (quote) "modern" view, however, has been around at least as long as Christianity. There was an ancient school of thought called Epicureanism. The Roman poet Lucretius (who lived about a century before Jesus) proposed that "the world was not created by a god or gods...our world and our own lives are simply part of an ongoing self-developing cosmos."
From the beginning Christians battled Epicureanism. St. Paul sums the philosophy up with these words, "Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die." (I Cor 15:32) It's a deadly philosophy, leading to sadness and despair, but it didn't die with the coming of Christianity. A London chronicler around 1200 century wrote, "There are many people who claim that God does not exists. They consider that the universe is ruled by chance rather than Providence...nor do they think the human soul lives on after death."*
So the idea we are simply matter in motion has been around a long time. The difference today is that for the last three centuries Epicureans have been busy taking the mantle of science. They've succeeded in painting Christianity as anti-science even though believing, practicing Christians have been responsible for the greatest scientific achievements.
​
Prayer and Fasting for Our Children – the Daniel Fast: (Dan 10:3)
The Daniel Fast Food List
•           All fruit – fresh, frozen, dried, juiced, or canned.
•           All vegetables – fresh, frozen, dried, juiced, or canned.
•           All whole grains – amaranth, barley, brown rice, oats, quinoa, millet, and whole wheat.
•           All nuts & seeds – almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds; unsweetened almond milk. Nut butters are also included.
•           All legumes – canned or dried; black beans, black eyed peas, cannellini beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), great northern beans, kidney beans, lentils, pinto beans, and split peas.
•           All quality oils – avocado, coconut, grapeseed, olive, peanut, sesame, and walnut.
•           Beverages– distilled water, filtered water, and spring water.
•           Other – unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk, rice milk, or soy milk; herbs, spices, salt, pepper, unsweetened coconut flakes, seasonings, soy products, and tofu.
 
Foods to Avoid on the Daniel Fast
•           All meat & animal products – bacon, beef, buffalo, eggs, fish, lamb, poultry, and pork.
•           All dairy products – butter, cheese, cream, milk, and yogurt.
•           All sweeteners – agave nectar, artificial sweeteners, brown rice syrup, cane juice, honey, molasses, raw sugar, syrups, stevia, and sugar.
•           All leavened bread & yeast – baked goods and Ezekiel bread (if it contains yeast and honey).
•           All refined & processed food products – artificial flavorings, chemicals, food additives, preservatives, white flour, and white rice.
•           All deep-fried foods – corn chips, French fries, and potato chips.
•           All solid fats – lard, margarine, and shortening.
•           Beverages – alcohol, carbonated drinks, coffee, energy drinks and tea.
 
Prayer:  Rosary, Divine Mercy, Eucharistic Adoration, above all, the Mass

​Generations of Faith – January 24, 2018
 

A difficult topic: sin and guilt: I know some of you will shut me out, "I don't want to hear about guilt. Guilt causes so much harm." I agree. I don't like guilt either. The last thing I desire is a guilt trip. I want to free people from guilt...

• 
  These past few days I have been signing "year-end letters" - for those who in 2017 made identified donations to St. Mary of the Valley. I take it as an opportunity to pray for parish members. I am humbled by the generosity of our parishioners. If you made an identified donation - by envelope, check or electronic fund transfer - and don't receive a letter this week, let us know. Those who donate make possible our parish mission. It means you are taking a step of discipleship.
  That's what we are talking about on these Sundays before Lent: Jesus' call to become missionary disciples. As Archbishop Sartain has pointed out, unless we hear that call, the Church (at least here) has no future. We may do all kinds of good things but if we don't form missionary disciples we have no future. Last week we saw the first missionary disciple - Andrew. He meets Jesus who invites him to "come and see." Andrew then goes to his brother Simon Peter, "We have found the Messiah," he says.
  We also saw last week that Jesus comes as The Lamb. Like a sacrificial lamb he offers himself to take away our sins. This bring us to a difficult topic: sin and guilt. I know at this point some of you will shut me out. "I don't want to hear about guilt. Guilt causes so much harm. I agree. I don't like guilt either. The last thing I desire is a guilt trip. I want to free people from guilt - and myself too.
  But how? Consider three instances of guilt: 1) Someone feels guilty throwing out food while people in the world are starving. 2) A person feels guilt for spending 3 hours a day on social media. 3) A guys feels guilty for indulging certain thoughts about his neighbor's wife.
  In each of those cases you could say a lot of things - ranging from "don't sweat the small stuff" to "be careful." And we recognize that guilt is often misplaced because we are subject to forces beyond our control. Christians refer to these forces as the world, the flesh and the devil. The world is the culture we swim in. The flesh - those impulses that drive us. The devil - spiritual entities, demons who assail us. Those forces can overwhelm us. Yet we know they don't have total control. How do we know? Because Jesus tells us, "repent."
  Repent means to make a new beginning, to refocus one's mind. As we heard in the first reading, refocusing happened in Nineveh when Jonah preached: they proclaimed a fast and repented. We've been doing some fasting and refocusing in our parish. I've heard encouraging testimonies. As Jesus says, "repent." Put on a new mind.
  But Jesus doesn't simply say "repent." He says, "Repent and believe in the Gospel." To believe in the Gospel means to accept Jesus as the Lamb of God - the one who takes away the sins of the word. As Evangelicals say, accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior.
  You know, it really is good news that Jesus takes away our sins. It means I don't have go around projecting an image that "I'm OK." Or at least I'm not as messed up as that other guy. Or that I need to keep making excuses for what I did. No, forgiveness of sins means I can make a fresh start. I can ask Jesus to take charge of my life.
  Martin Luther expressed this in a dramatic way. Now I don't like the fact that Martin Luther broke the Church into a thousand pieces, but he did have a striking way of expressing the Gospel. He pictures the human person like a horse. Where we go depends on who is in the saddle. If the devil is in the saddle, we go in one direction - to isolation, impotency and bitterness. If Jesus is in the saddle, he will lead in a different direction - to power, purpose and communion. You and I may be subject to a lot of forces that determine us: environment, heredity, inner impulses. Still we can choose who sits in the saddle.
  The invitation this Sunday is to repent and believe in the Gospel - to accept Jesus and become a disciple, even a missionary disciple. Let Jesus lift your guilt.
  To return to the three examples of guilt: Wasting food, well, allow Jesus to direct your Stewardship. Three hours a day on social media - pray and Jesus will teach you moderation. And those troubling, tormenting thoughts: Open your heart to Jesus. He has his way of untangling our lives. Be patient. Rome wasn't built in a day. Neither was Jerusalem. As our Psalm says, "Teach me your ways, O Lord."
  Accept Jesus. Let him lift your guilt. Become a missionary disciple. Repent and believe in the Gospel. Amen.
  
  

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A difficult topic: sin and guilt: I know some of you will shut me out, "I don't want to hear about guilt. Guilt causes so much harm." I agree. I don't like guilt either. The last thing I desire is a guilt trip. I want to free people from guilt...

These past few days I have been signing "year-end letters" - for those who in 2017 made identified donations to St. Mary of the Valley. I take it as an opportunity to pray for parish members. I am humbled by the generosity of our parishioners. If you made an identified donation - by envelope, check or electronic fund transfer - and don't receive a letter this week, let us know. Those who donate make possible our parish mission. It means you are taking a step of discipleship.
That's what we are talking about on these Sundays before Lent: Jesus' call to become missionary disciples. As Archbishop Sartain has pointed out, unless we hear that call, the Church (at least here) has no future. We may do all kinds of good things but if we don't form missionary disciples we have no future. Last week we saw the first missionary disciple - Andrew. He meets Jesus who invites him to "come and see." Andrew then goes to his brother Simon Peter, "We have found the Messiah," he says.
We also saw last week that Jesus comes as The Lamb. Like a sacrificial lamb he offers himself to take away our sins. This bring us to a difficult topic: sin and guilt. I know at this point some of you will shut me out. "I don't want to hear about guilt. Guilt causes so much harm. I agree. I don't like guilt either. The last thing I desire is a guilt trip. I want to free people from guilt - and myself too.
But how? Consider three instances of guilt: 1) Someone feels guilty throwing out food while people in the world are starving. 2) A person feels guilt for spending 3 hours a day on social media. 3) A guys feels guilty for indulging certain thoughts about his neighbor's wife.
In each of those cases you could say a lot of things - ranging from "don't sweat the small stuff" to "be careful." And we recognize that guilt is often misplaced because we are subject to forces beyond our control. Christians refer to these forces as the world, the flesh and the devil. The world is the culture we swim in. The flesh - those impulses that drive us. The devil - spiritual entities, demons who assail us. Those forces can overwhelm us. Yet we know they don't have total control. How do we know? Because Jesus tells us, "repent."
Repent means to make a new beginning, to refocus one's mind. As we heard in the first reading, refocusing happened in Nineveh when Jonah preached: they proclaimed a fast and repented. We've been doing some fasting and refocusing in our parish. I've heard encouraging testimonies. As Jesus says, "repent." Put on a new mind.
But Jesus doesn't simply say "repent." He says, "Repent and believe in the Gospel." To believe in the Gospel means to accept Jesus as the Lamb of God - the one who takes away the sins of the word. As Evangelicals say, accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior.
You know, it really is good news that Jesus takes away our sins. It means I don't have go around projecting an image that "I'm OK." Or at least I'm not as messed up as that other guy. Or that I need to keep making excuses for what I did. No, forgiveness of sins means I can make a fresh start. I can ask Jesus to take charge of my life.
Martin Luther expressed this in a dramatic way. Now I don't like the fact that Martin Luther broke the Church into a thousand pieces, but he did have a striking way of expressing the Gospel. He pictures the human person like a horse. Where we go depends on who is in the saddle. If the devil is in the saddle, we go in one direction - to isolation, impotency and bitterness. If Jesus is in the saddle, he will lead in a different direction - to power, purpose and communion. You and I may be subject to a lot of forces that determine us: environment, heredity, inner impulses. Still we can choose who sits in the saddle.
The invitation this Sunday is to repent and believe in the Gospel - to accept Jesus and become a disciple, even a missionary disciple. Let Jesus lift your guilt.
To return to the three examples of guilt: Wasting food, well, allow Jesus to direct your Stewardship. Three hours a day on social media - pray and Jesus will teach you moderation. And those troubling, tormenting thoughts: Open your heart to Jesus. He has his way of untangling our lives. Be patient. Rome wasn't built in a day. Neither was Jerusalem. As our Psalm says, "Teach me your ways, O Lord."
Accept Jesus. Let him lift your guilt. Become a missionary disciple. Repent and believe in the Gospel. Amen.

En los ultimos dias he estado firmando las "cartas fin del año" - para los que en 2017 hicieron donaciones a Santa Maria del Valle. Es una oportunidad de rezar para miembros de la parroquia. Estoy agradecido por la generosidad de nuestros feligreses. Si hiciste una donacion identificada - por sobre, cheque o transferencia electronica - y no recibes una carta esta semana, dejanos saber. Los que donan hacen posible nuestra mision. Significa que estas tomando un paso de discipulado.
Eso es lo que estamos hablando en estos domingos antes de cuaresma: el llamado de Jesus ser discipulos misioneros. Como ha señalado el arzobispo Sartain, si no escuchamos ese llamado, la Iglesia (al menos aquí) no tiene futuro. La semana pasada vimos al primer discípulo misionero: Andres. Él se encuentra con Jesús, quien lo invita a "ven y veras". Andrew luego va con su hermano Simon Pedro, "Hemos encontrado al Mesías", dice.
También vimos la semana pasada que Jesús viene como el Cordero. Como cordero sacrificial, él se ofrece para quitar nuestros pecados. Esto nos lleva a un tema difícil: el pecado y la culpa. Sé que en este momento algunos estan tapando los oidos. "No quiero oír hablar de la culpa. La culpa causa tanto daño." Estoy de acuerdo. Tampoco no me gusta la culpa. Lo último que deseo es imponer culpabilidad. Quiero liberar a la gente de la culpa.
¿Pero cómo? Considerar tres ejemplos de culpabilidad: 1) Alguien se siente culpable de tirar comida mientras la gente en el mundo se muere de hambre. 2) Una persona se siente culpable por pasar 3 horas al día en las redes sociales. 3) Un hombre se siente culpable por tener ciertos pensamientos sobre la esposa de su vecino.
En cada uno de esos casos podría decir muchas cosas, desde "no sudar las cosas pequeñas" hasta "tener cuidado". Y reconocemos que la culpa a menudo puede ser equivocada porque estamos sujetos a fuerzas que escapan a nuestro control. Los cristianos se refieren a estas fuerzas como el mundo, la carne y el diablo. El mundo es la cultura en la que nadamos. La carne: esos impulsos que nos empujan. El diablo: entidades espirituales, demonios que nos agreden. Esas fuerzas pueden abrumarnos. Sin embargo, sabemos que no tienen control total. ¿Como sabemos? Porque Jesús nos dice: "arrepiéntanse".
Arrepentirse significa hacer un nuevo comienzo, reenfocar la mente. Sucedió en Nínive cuando predicó Jonás. Puede suceder en este Valle. Puede suceder en tu vida, tu familia. Arrepientete.
Pero Jesús no dice simplemente "arrepiéntete". Él dice: "Arrepentirse y creer en el Evangelio". Creer en el Evangelio significa aceptar a Jesús como el Cordero de Dios, el que quita los pecados de la palabra. Como dicen los evangélicos, aceptar a Jesús como su Señor y Salvador personal.
Ya sabes, realmente es una buena noticia que Jesús quite nuestros pecados. Significa que no tengo que ir proyectando una imagen que "Estoy bien". O al menos no estoy tan mal como ese otro tipo. O que necesito seguir poniendo excusas por lo que hice. No, el perdón de los pecados significa que puedo comenzar de nuevo. Puedo pedirle a Jesús que se tome posesion de mi vida.
Martin Lutero expresó esto de una manera dramática. Ahora no me gusta el hecho de que Martín Lutero rompió la Iglesia en mil pedazos, pero sí tenía una manera sorprendente de expresar el Evangelio. Él representa a la persona humana como un caballo. Donde vamos depende de quién está en la silla de montar. Si el diablo está en control, vamos a un lugar: aislamiento, impotencia y la amargura. Si Jesús está en control, conduce al poder, proposito y comunion. Usted y yo podemos estar sujetos a muchas fuerzas que nos determinan: ambiente, herencia, impulsos internos. Sin embargo podemos elegir quién se sienta en la silla de montar.
La invitación de este domingo es arrepentirse y creer en el Evangelio: aceptar a Jesús y llegar a ser un discípulo, incluso un discípulo misionero. Deje que Jesús levante su culpa.
Para volver a los tres ejemplos de culpabilidad: desperdiciar comida, bueno, permite que Jesús dirija tu Co-Responsabilidad. Tres horas al día en las redes sociales: ore y Jesús te ensenara moderacion. Y esos pensamientos perturbadores y atormentadores: abre tu corazón a Jesús. Él tiene su forma de desenredar nuestras vidas. Ser paciente. Roma no fue construida en un día. Tampoco Jerusalén. Como dice nuestro Salmo, "Enséñame tus caminos, oh Señor".
Acepta a Jesús. Deja que él levante tu culpa. Conviértete en un discípulo misionero. Arrepiéntete y cree en el Evangelio. Amén.

Becoming a Missionary Disciple Week 1: Meeting Jesus and Inviting Others
(January 14, 2018)Bottom line: It doesn't require perfection to encounter Jesus. And we don't need to be perfect to invite others.
When Archbishop Sartain recently met with priests he shared a dream: That we would transform our world, our country, our families by inviting people to an encounter with Jesus - that our top priority will be to help people meet Jesus. When that happens you can expect surprises. Jesus may say, "come and see." Come and spend time with me. But that's not all. Jesus may send you as a missionary disciple.
A missionary disciple is someone who has met the Lord and who then invites others. In the coming weeks we will see aspects of missionary discipleship. That theme is perfect for our readings. Today we hear God calling Samuel in the middle of the night. And the boy Samuel answers, "Speak, for your servant is listening."
Jesus in broad daylight calls a man named Andrew. He becomes the first missionary disciple. We should pay attention to Andrew. He shows what missionary discipleship means. He goes to his brother and shares something important. I don't know about you, but I don't find it easy to share something personal with a brother. What if he laughs? Or worse, what if he says nothing? Or changes the subject? But Andrew forges ahead. "We have found the Messiah," he says, "the Christ, the Anointed One." He takes his brother to Jesus and Jesus does the rest.
Simon, son of Jonah, says Jesus to him, I give you a new name - Cephas, in Greek Petros. It's the root of words like petroglyph and petrify. It mean rock. Jesus calls Peter the Rock not because of what he is, but because of what he will become. Or to be more exact, what Jesus would accomplish through him - make him the Rock where he would build his Church.
But what about Andrew? Andrew is the first called. Did he resent Jesus elevating his brother? If so, he never lets on. Andrew shows an essential quality of a missionary disciple. He knows, "It's not about me, it's about Jesus."
We need missionary disciples like Andrew. When Archbishop Sartain shared his dream, he also confronted some hard realities: Since 2011 Mass attendance in the Archdiocese has declined 7% and the number priests assigned to parishes has dropped from 124 to 103. Church weddings have reached a low of 1,161. That may seem like quite a few, but when you consider we have 145 parish, it means an average of only eight weddings per year per parish. A pastor of a large parish told me he had only one wedding last year.
I'm glad to say we are doing a little better here. At St. Mary of the Valley we have done things to promote the sacrament of matrimony. I inherited the custom of each month blessing those with an anniversary of matrimony. Also I love to bless engaged couples. We want to help them have a beautiful marriage. On that line you will notice the bulletin has a brochure letting people know what we offer as far as wedding receptions.
Getting married and founding a family is still a significant place to hear Jesus' voice. Families flourish when they center on Jesus. He bring the forgiveness and healing we need to held together. John the Baptist calls Jesus the Lamb of God. For sure, like a lamb, Jesus is gentle, but more to point: Like a sacrificial lamb, Jesus offers himself for forgiveness of sins.
A person might feel fearful about meeting Jesus. We all struggle with sin and guilt. Guilt doesn't belong just to Catholics. It belongs to humans who reach the age of reason. The person who feels no guilt can become sociopath. Next week we'll talk about guilt - the good, the bad and the ugly - and what Jesus wants us to do about it. Do not be afraid.
For today I underscore that it doesn't require perfection to encounter Jesus. And we don't need to be perfect to invite others. Like Andrew we want to reach our own relatives, especially our children. Many parishioners began the New Year with a three day fast for them. Some of you told me that even though it was difficult, it was also an exhilarating experience - and you saw blessings from the combined fast and prayer. Consider making a weekly day of fast and prayer. Ultimately we want to trust Jesus, not ourselves. And we want to invite others. Make the invitation as best you can. Then remember what the Eli said to the young Samuel, "If you are called, reply, Speak Lord, for your servant is listening." Amen.

Ser Discipulo Misionero Semana 1: Encontrar a Jesus e Invitar a Otros​
(14 de enero de 2018)Mensaje: No requiere perfección encontrar a Jesús. Y no necesitamos ser perfectos para invitar a otros.
Cuando el Arzobispo Sartain se reunió con sacerdotes el junio pasado, compartió un sueño: que transformaríamos nuestro mundo, nuestro país, nuestras familias invitando a otros a un encuentro con Jesús: que nuestra prioridad principal será ayudar a conocer a Jesús. Cuando eso sucede, puede haber sorpresas. Jesús dice: "ven y verás". Ven y pasa tiempo conmigo. Pero eso no es todo. Jesús puede enviarlo como un discípulo misionero.
Usted podría estar pensando: ¿Qué es un discípulo misionero? Un discípulo misionero es alguien que se ha encontrado con el Señor y que luego invita a otros. En las próximas semanas veremos aspectos del discipulado misionero. Ese tema es perfecto para nuestras lecturas. Hoy oímos a Dios llamando a Samuel en la noche. Y el niño Samuel responde: "Habla, porque tu siervo está escuchando".
Jesús a plena luz del día llama a Andrés. Se convierte en el primer discípulo misionero. Tenemos que prestarle atención a Andres. Él muestra lo que significa el discipulado misionero. Él va a su hermano y comparte algo importante. No sé de ustedes, pero no me resulta fácil compartir algo personal con un hermano. ¿Qué pasa si él se ríe? O peor, ¿y si él no dice nada? O cambia el tema? Pero Andres sigue adelante. "Hemos encontrado al Mesías", dice, "el Cristo, el Ungido". Él lleva a su hermano a Jesús y Jesús hace el resto.
Simón, hijo de Jonás, dice Jesús, te doy un nuevo nombre: Cefas: en griego Petros. La misma raíz que petroglifo o petrificar. Significa Roca. Jesús lo llama Roca no por lo que es, sino por lo que será. O para ser más exactos, lo que Jesús lograría a través de él: la Roca sobre la cual construiría su Iglesia.
Andres es el primero llamado. ¿Le molestaba que Jesús elevara a su hermano? Si es así, nunca lo dice. Andres muestra una cualidad esencial de un discípulo misionero. Él sabe: "No se trata de mí, se trata de Jesús".
Necesitamos discípulos misioneros como Andrés. Cuando el Arzobispo Sartain compartió su sueño, también enfrentó algunas realidades difíciles: desde 2011, la asistencia a la misa en la Arquidiócesis ha disminuido un 7% y el número de sacerdotes asignados a la parroquia ha disminuido de 124 a 103. Las bodas de la iglesia han bajado a 1.161. Eso puede parecer todavia muchas, pero cuando se considera que tenemos 145 parroquias, significa un promedio de solo ocho bodas por año por parroquia.
Me alegra decir que estamos mejor aquí. En Santa Maria del Valle, hemos hecho cosas para promover el sacramento del matrimonio. Heredé la costumbre de cada mes bendecir a aquellos con un aniversario de matrimonio. También me encanta bendecir a las parejas comprometidas. Queremos ayudarlos a tener un matrimonio hermoso. En esa línea, notará que el boletín tiene un folleto que le informa a la gente lo que ofrecemos en cuanto a recepciones de bodas.
Casarse y fundar una familia sigue siendo un lugar importante para escuchar la voz de Jesús. Juan el Bautista lo llama el Cordero de Dios. Ciertamente, como un cordero, Jesús es amable, pero más a señalar: como un cordero sacrificado en la Biblia, Jesús se ofrece a sí mismo para el perdón de los pecados.
Una persona puede tener miedo de conocer a Jesús. Todos luchamos con el pecado y la culpa. La culpa pertenece a la humanidad, no solo a los católicos. Una persona que no siente culpa es un sociópata, un monstruo moral. Escucharemos más sobre eso la próxima semana.
Por hoy quiero subrayar que no requiere perfección encontrar a Jesús. Y no necesitamos ser perfectos para invitar a otros. Al igual que Andres, queremos llegar a nuestros propios parientes, especialmente a nuestros hijos. Muchos feligreses comenzaron el Año Nuevo con un ayuno de tres días para ellos. Algunos de ustedes me dijeron que a pesar de que fue difícil, resultó ser una experiencia estimulante, y vieron las bendiciones del ayuno y la oración combinados. Considerar hacer un día semanal de ayuno y oración. En última instancia, queremos confiar en Jesús, no en nosotros mismos. Y queremos invitar a otros. Haga la invitación lo mejor que pueda. Acordarse lo que Eli dijo al joven Samuel: "Si te llama, responde: Habla Señor, porque tu siervo está escuchando". Amén.

Presentación de León Garcia, 11 de enero de 2018

Facing the Perceived Conflict of Science and Religion
(January 7, 2018)
Bottom line: Like great thinkers after them the Magi did not separate faith and reason, science and religion.
Today we celebrate the Magi - also known as the Three Kings or Wise Men. They were early scientists, studying the configuration of stars and the movement of planets. This is a good moment to talk about something affecting young people: the perceived conflict between science and religion.
This ties in with the parish prayer for youth. Some of you began the New Year with a three fast for our children. We are concerned that even though they have unparalleled abundance, studies show they are more depressed and sad than young people even 20 years ago. Along with that they are giving up faith in higher numbers and at a younger age. Interviews reveal that the typical age is 13 while 23% say they left the faith before age 10.
When researchers interviewed young people they said things like:

• "As I learn more about the world around me and understand new things, I find the thought of an all-powerful being to be less and less believable."
• "I realized that religion is in complete contradiction with the rational and scientific world."
• "[Faith] no longer fits into what I understand of the universe."

We have a big challenge - our children perceive a conflict between faith and reason. It's a *perceived* conflict because when you think about it, it doesn't make sense. After all, we have plenty of scientists who are also people of faith: biologists, medical professionals and astronomers who attend Mass and pray daily. The new Archbishop of Paris is a physician who practiced medicine for 11 years prior to studying for the priesthood. Our own Bishop Daniel Mueggenborg received a degree in geology before entering the seminary. In a recent issue of Northwest Catholic he addressed the question: Can a Catholic believe in evolution? Read the article if you haven't. The bottom line is that the conflict between science and faith is more perception than reality.
Even though people keep bringing up Galileo, real conflict is rare. But perceived conflict persists. People who study popular culture note a trend to (quote) "see atheism as 'smart' and faith as a 'fairy tale.'" When a child concludes he is an atheist he becomes one of the 'smart people'. It's like getting a college degree without having to open a book.
We are up against a culture that looks down on faith - even considers it dangerous or narrow-minded. But before someone dismisses the faith, he should consider what Louis Pasteur said. You remember him, the man who discovered the principle of vaccination, microbial fermentation and pasteurization. Pasteur said, "the idea of the Infinite (God) imposes itself on the mind and baffles the mind's effort to comprehend it." It's too simple to divide people into atheists and believers. Atheists sense something uncanny, beyond science, beyond imagining. On the other side believers struggle with doubts and God sometimes seems distant. As Ecclesiastes says, "God has planted eternity into the human heart but even so no one can see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end." On some level every person senses God's reality, but - apart from revelation - who can know his plan or imagine what he is? We need both faith and reason.
This brings us back to the Magi - those early scientist astronomers. Like great thinkers after them the Magi did not separate faith and reason, science and religion.
In memory of the Magi today I will bless and distribute chalk. When you get home write 20CMB18 on the frame above your door. A handout explains how the numbers refer to the current year and the letters to the names of the Magi.
The Magi searched the heavens and discovered some new configuration of stars, comets, planets. Their curiosity brought them to Bethlehem. Others stayed smugly in the big city but they went to Bethlehem. "They saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage." Amen.