Like Archbishop Hunthausen, Sister Barbara was part of a remarkable generation: men and women who made commitments at an early age and kept them their entire life.  How did they do it?  To understand we need to take a step back.

​Last week some parishioners and I made a pilgrimage to Sister Barbara's grave. It involved a five-day road trip: two days travelling to San Francisco, one day at Holy Cross Cemetery where she is buried and two days returning to Monroe. It was an enjoyable, refreshing time and it gave opportunity to reflect on her life, to pray for her eternal rest and to ask her to pray for us.

In our reading from Ephesians St Paul tells us to live in a manner worthy of the call we have received. Sister Barbara did that. She was part of a remarkable generation - like Archbishop Hunthausen who died last Sunday - men and women who made a commitment at an early age and carried through their entire life. At Holy Cross Cemetery we celebrated Mass on July 25 - the 66th anniversary of Sister's vows: vows she made at age 18 and carried through in good times and in bad, in storms and on sunny days.  How did she do it?  To understand we have to take a step back.

At Sister's grave we placed a bouquet of sunflowers - her favorite. She liked them for their sturdy beauty but there's more. If you look up sunflower in a botany book it says: "Sunflowers turn their faces toward the sun as they track it across the sky -- an activity known as heliotropism, or solar tracking." On her memorial bench - which we will dedicate in three weeks - you will see this quote from Psalm 27: "Of you my heart has spoken 'seek his face'".

Like a sunflower with its solar tracking Sister Barbara turned her face to God. She always said, "God is good; he is so very good." By turning to God a person can live a life worthy of the calling he has received. St. Paul says God wants us to live with patience, bearing with one another. Sister Barbara learned to put up with a lot so she could serve the people God entrusted to her. She did not live for honors or ego gratification but when she did receive an honor it delighted her. She sensed the honor gives glory to the Father. As St. Paul says we have one hope because of our call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all who is over all and through all and in all.

We're going to honor Sister Barbara on August 19. That Sunday we will have one bilingual Mass at 10 am followed by the parish picnic and the dedication ceremony at 1. Please use this event to evangelize - take an invitation for family members and friends. Say, "We're having a dedication in honor of Sister Barbara; please join us." The dedication will be short and sweet. Then you will have time for a hamburger or hot dog.

At the dedication we will focus on two symbols: the sunflower and the turtle. Turn toward God and keep moving forward - steady and firmly but you gotta stick your neck out. It's easy today to withdraw into a cell phone or some drug. God wants something different. Next week we'll hear about that "something different" as Paul tells to put away the old self and put on the new self. Or as we used to say, "put on the new man". That's for next week.

For today take home this: Live a life worthy of the call you have received: with patience bearing with one another. After all, like Sister Barbara shows us: we have one hope because of our call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all who is over all and through all and in all. Amen

Last week - in our first homily on the letter to Ephesians - we heard about God's eternal purpose: to bring everything together in Christ. Today Paul expands on that purpose, "You who were once far off have become near by the blood of Christ." Jesus is our peace: he "broke down the dividing wall of enmity." Paul is speaking about competition and reconciliation.

I'd like to lead into this topic with some humor. I once got into an unusual competition. My friend, Fr. Jim Coyne and I started competing about who could do the most funerals. A parishioner would call about someone who died. I would listen and express my condolences, but when the call finished I'd think, "One more for me!" This whole competition, of course, was silly and juvenile. (Pause) But I did win! :) Coyne got back: "With your monotone, Bloom, they were probably dying of boredom!" :)

We humans naturally compete - and sometimes it can be beneficial. For example, it can lead to seek excellence or simply to provide better service. Still it has a dark side. In ancient times Jews and Greeks competed. It sometimes led to name-calling and violence. Jesus brought Greeks and Jews together in a remarkable way. Our faith combines Hebrew revelation and Greek rational philosophy. When people focus of Jesus we can listen to each other and take the best from each person.

The problem is that instead of focusing on Jesus we easily fall into ego gratification. Fr. Robert Spitzer shared a painful personal experience. You may have heard of him - a brilliant priest who served as president of Gonzaga University. Fr. Spitzer has done outstanding work on the relationship of faith and science. He spent weeks putting together a lecture on what modern physics indicates about God's existence. Afterward he received much praise but one guy approached him maybe he a little self-satisfied. He announced to Fr. Spitzer that he had mispronounced a certain scientific word. Fr. Spitzer tells how he fell into a depression that lasted several days. In spite of all his achievement he felt like a failure.

Like a good Jesuit, however, he analyzed the movements in his soul. He recognized that his sadness stemmed from striving for ego-gratification. We can start thinking our happiness depends on achieving some sort of superiority. I gave the humorous example of my competition with Fr. Coyne. It can extend to other things. For example if I see another parish achieving their Annual Appeal goal and we haven't, I feel bad. Or maybe some other parish is 20% over their goal. I think, Bloom, you're a failure.

OK, some good news: Last week I received the latest Appeal report. We are now over our goal - by almost $3000! (you can applaud) I printed out the report and put in my office bulletin board.

Now, like I said, competition is not bad in itself. If it gives me motivation to do funerals or raise funds for a common need, that's a good thing. I'm glad we have Jack in the Box to compete with McDonald's. I'm glad our young people compete as athletes and scholars. But as Father Spitzer points out it's not good to base one's happiness on ego gratification. It's a step above the pursuit of sensual pleasure but it's always precarious. Mispronouncing a word, falling short on a goal, some blow to self-esteem - and the whole world crashes down.

Fortunately pleasure and ego-gratification are only the first two levels of happiness. There's a third level - service: the sense of purpose a person experiences when caring for others. And beyond service is the fourth and highest level: seeking ultimate truth, beauty and goodness.
That's what Jesus invites today: "Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." They had spent exhausting and exhilarating days serving others, but now it is time for what ultimately counts: being with Jesus. As St. Paul tells us: Jesus brings us together by his blood. He is our peace. He breaks down the dividing wall that separate us from those we compete with. Through him we have access in the one Spirit to the Father.

This week I will be making a pilgrimage to Sister Barbara's grave. It's a five-day road trip to San Francisco and back - time to thank God for Sister Barbara and reflect on what she means for us. I'll say something about it next week when we hear Paul explain how Jesus wants us to live. For today we look to Jesus to overcome the negative side of competition and ego gratification. In him we who were once far off have become near by the blood of Christ. He is our peace; he breaks down the dividing wall of enmity. Amen.

La semana pasada, en la primera homilía sobre la carta a Efesios, escuchamos acerca del propósito eterno de Dios: unir todo en Cristo. Hoy, Pablo se amplifica este propósito: "Ustedes, que una vez estuvieron lejos, se han acercado por la sangre de Cristo". Jesús es nuestra paz: él "derribó el muro divisorio de la enemistad". Pablo está hablando de competencia y reconciliación.

Me gustaría entrar en este tema con un poco de humor. Una vez entré en una competencia inusual. Mi amigo, Padre Jim Coyne y yo comenzamos a competir sobre quién podría hacer mas funerales. Un feligrés me llamaría que alguien murió. Escucharia y expresar mis condolencias, pero cuando termine la llamada, pensaría: "¡Una más para mí!" Esta competencia, por supuesto, era tonta y juvenil. (Pausa) ¡Pero gané! :) Coyne respondio: "¡Con tu monotonía, Bloom, probablemente estaban muriendo de aburrimiento!" :)

Nosotros, los humanos competimos naturalmente, y algunas veces puede ser beneficioso. Por ejemplo, puede llevar a buscar la excelencia o simplemente a proporcionar un mejor servicio. No obstante tiene un lado oscuro. En la antigüedad, los judíos y los griegos competían. A veces llevó a insultos y violencia. Jesús trajo a griegos y judíos juntos de una manera notable. Nuestra fe combina la revelación hebrea y la filosofía racional griega. Cuando las personas se enfocan en Jesús, podemos escucharnos unos a otros y tomar lo mejor de cada persona.

El problema es que, en lugar de centrarnos en Jesús, caemos fácilmente en la satisfacción del ego. P. Robert Spitzer compartió una dolorosa experiencia personal. Es posible que haya oído hablar de él, un sacerdote brillante que se desempeñó como presidente de la Universidad de Gonzaga. P. Spitzer ha realizado un trabajo sobresaliente en la relación de fe y ciencia. Pasó semanas preparando una conferencia sobre lo que la física moderna indica sobre la existencia de Dios. Después recibió muchos elogios, pero un tipo se le acercó tal vez un poco satisfecho de sí mismo. Él anunció al Padre. Spitzer que había pronunciado mal una cierta palabra científica. P. Spitzer cuenta cómo cayó en una depresión que duró varios días. A pesar de todos sus logros, se sintió fracasado.

Como un buen jesuita, sin embargo, analizó los movimientos en su alma. Reconoció que su tristeza provenía de esforzarse por la satisfacción del ego. Podemos cpensar que nuestra felicidad depende de lograr algún tipo de superioridad. Di el ejemplo humorístico de mi competencia con el Padre Coyne. Puede extenderse a otras cosas. Por ejemplo, si veo que otra parroquia logra su objetivo de la Campaña Anual y no la tenemos, me siento mal. O tal vez alguna otra parroquia está un 20% por encima de su objetivo. Pienso, Bloom, eres un fracaso.

Ahora, como dije, la competencia no es mala en sí misma. Si me motiva a hacer funerales o recaudar fondos para una necesidad común, eso es algo bueno. Me alegra que tengamos Jack in the Box para competir con McDonald's. Me alegra que nuestros jóvenes compitan como atletas y eruditos. Pero como señala el padre Spitzer, no es bueno basar la felicidad en la satisfacción del ego. Está un paso por encima de la búsqueda del placer sensual, pero siempre es precario. Pronunciar una palabra en forma incorrecta, quedarse corto en una meta, algún golpe a la autoestima, y ​​el mundo entero se desploma.

Afortunadamente, el placer y la gratificación del ego son solo los dos primeros niveles de felicidad. Hay un tercer nivel: servicio - el sentido de propósito que una persona experimenta cuando cuida a los demás. Y más allá del servicio es el cuarto y más alto nivel: buscar la verdad, la belleza y la bondad.

Eso es lo que Jesús invita hoy: "Vengan ustedes solos a un lugar desierto y descanse un rato". Habían pasado días agotadores sirviendo a otros, pero ahora es el momento de lo que mas cuenta: estar con Jesús. Como San Pablo nos dice: Jesús nos une por su sangre. Él es nuestra paz. Él rompe la pared divisoria que nos separa de aquellos con quienes competimos. A través de él tenemos acceso en el único Espíritu al Padre.

Esta semana haré una peregrinación a la tumba de la Hermana Bárbara. Es un viaje de cinco días por carretera a San Francisco y de regreso para agradecer a Dios por la Hermana Bárbara y reflexionar sobre lo que ella significa para nosotros. Diré algo al respecto la próxima semana cuando escuchemos a Paul explicar cómo Jesús quiere que vivamos. Hoy buscamos a Jesús para superar el lado negativo de la competencia y la gratificación del ego. En él, nosotros que una vez estuvimos lejos, nos hemos acercado por la sangre de Cristo. Él es nuestra paz; Él destruye la pared divisoria de la enemistad. Amén.

Last week we concluded the homilies on St. Paul's second letter to the Corinthians. Today we begin a series of 7 homilies on the letter to the Ephesians. Both communities Paul knows well - yet the letters differ greatly. To the Corinthians Paul pours out his soul. He shares his intense suffering - for example, that God sent him a thorn in the flesh, an angel of Satan to beat him so he doesn't get puffed up. As we begin Ephesians it seems Paul moves from the personal to the cosmic. He speaks today about God's purpose before the universe began - to bring everything together in Christ.

Paul says God chooses and destines us according to that purpose. Sometimes it surprises people to hear that Catholics believe in predestination. But we do. Everything that happens pertains to God's eternal plan. "He chose us in Christ before the world began," says Paul, "In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus."

Now, we need to understand that predestination somehow includes human freedom. We cannot blame God for our sins - the long history of human cruelty and betrayal belongs to us. Predestination means that God takes into account even our sins in order to achieve his eternal purpose.

President Abraham Lincoln made a powerful statement about God's purpose, his judgments. After four years of civil war, people were asking: If God is so wise, so benevolent, how could he allow this to happen? When war's end seemed near, Lincoln spoke these words: "Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away." Then he adds, "Yet if God wills that it continues... until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said 'the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether'".

I remember listening to a man whose relatives died in the Holocaust. The interviewer asked how he could avoid bitterness. He drew a deep breath and replied softly, "as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said 'the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether'".

Now, I admit it's easier to imagine we are part of a random, meaningless universe. And certainly more comfortable to think there is no right or wrong, no true or false, no good or evil - and therefore, no judgment. While that view seems attractive, those who hold it are quite ready to judge. Think about how much of our ordinary conversations involve criticizing, blaming and judging others! As Christians we should avoid judging because we know we will be judged by the same measure we judge others. On the final day we will stand before God and we will realize "the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether".

We see it in today's Gospel as Jesus sends out disciples with authority over unclean spirits. Evil doesn't have the last word. St. Paul tells us that in spite of the tragedies of life, we have hope because of Christ. We are part of the plan God mapped out from the beginning.

This understanding brings peace. Last year my friend Fr. Jim Lee was diagnosed with ALS - Lou Gehrig's disease. Fr. Jim had a habit of responding "I am blessed," when people ask, "how are you?" Telling his parishioners about the diagnosis, he spoke about living one day at time, his desire to continue serving and to die surrounded by parishioners, Fr. Jim concluded, "I am blessed."

You and I can have peace, even gratitude, when we recognize that although our lives seem chaotic, what appears random really is part of bigger plan. The parts fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.
Scientist tells us that in order to make life possible certain variables had to be set in the first micro second of time. I'll leave that discussion to physicists. From the Bible we know that God is equally present to each moment of time. God sees the end of the world in the same glance he sees the beginning as well as this present moment. Living in an eternal now, God can take into account our prayers - including the ones we offer during this Mass.
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God chooses and predestines us. He does not take away our freedom and responsibility, but can even use our mistakes and sins to bring about his purpose. We'll see more as we continue with Paul's brilliant letter to the Ephesians. This is only the first of seven selections. Today let's take home this, "He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus." Amen.

La semana pasada concluimos las homilías sobre la segunda carta de San Pablo a los Corintios. Hoy comenzamos una serie de 7 homilías sobre la carta a los Efesios. Pablo pasó 18 meses en Corinto y 3 años en Éfeso. Entonces, ambas comunidades conoce bien.

Sin embargo, las cartas son muy diferentes. En 2 Corintios, Pablo expone su alma. Él comparte su intenso sufrimiento, por ejemplo, que Dios le envió un espina en la carne, un ángel de Satanás para golpearlo para que no se hinche. Cuando comenzamos a Efesios, parece que Pablo se mueve de lo personal a lo cósmico. Él habla sobre el propósito de Dios antes de que el universo comenzara - para unir todo en Cristo. Su sangre proporciona el remedio para nuestras transgresiones, es decir, todas nuestras maldades.

Pablo dice que Dios nos escogió y nos destinó de acuerdo con ese propósito. A veces sorprende escuchar que los católicos creemos en la predestinación. Pero es cierto. Todo lo que sucede pertenece al plan eterno de Dios. "Él nos eligió en Cristo antes de crear el mundo", dice Pablo, "Determino que por medio de Jesucristo que fueramos sus hijos".

Hay que entender que la predestinación incluye la libertad humana. No podemos culpar a Dios por nuestros pecados; la larga historia de crueldad humana y traición nos pertenece a nosotros. La predestinación significa que Dios toma en cuenta incluso nuestros pecados para alcanzar su propósito eterno.

El presidente Abraham Lincoln hizo una poderosa declaración sobre el propósito de Dios, sus juicios. Después de cuatro años de guerra civil, la gente preguntaba: si Dios es tan sabio, tan benevolente, ¿cómo podría permitir que esto suceda? Cuando el final de la guerra parecía cerca, Lincoln pronunció estas palabras: "Esperamos afectuosamente, oremos fervientemente para que este azote de la guerra desaparezca rápidamente". Y agrega: "Sin embargo, si Dios quiere que continúe ... hasta que cada gota de sangre arrastrada con el látigo sea pagada por otro sacado por la espada, como se dijo hace tres mil años, aún así debe decirse 'los juicios del Señor son verdaderos y justos enteramente".

Recuerdo haber escuchado a un hombre cuyos parientes murieron en el Holocausto. El entrevistador preguntó cómo podía evitar la amargura. Respiró y respondió en voz baja, "como se dijo hace tres mil años, todavía debe decirse 'los juicios del Señor son verdaderos y justos enteramente'".

Pues, admito que es más fácil imaginar que somos parte de un universo al azar y sin sentido. Es más cómodo pensar que no existe el bien o el mal, ni es verdadero ni falso, ni es bueno ni malo - ningun juicio valido. Si bien ese punto de vista parece atractivo, quienes lo poseen están listos para juzgar a veces a grupos enteros. Todos juzgan porque en el fondo sabemos que hay lo correcto y lo incorrecto. La verdadera pregunta es: ¿solo tenemos juicio humano, un juicio que depende de quién tiene más poder o la voz más alta? ¿O hay también un juicio eterno y trascendente? Estoy del lado de Lincoln, "los juicios del Señor son verdaderos y justos enteramente".

Lo vemos en el Evangelio de hoy en que Jesús envía discípulos con autoridad sobre los espíritus inmundos. El mal no tiene la última palabra. Y San Pablo nos dice que a pesar de las tragedias de la vida, tenemos esperanza por causa de Cristo. Somos parte del plan que Dios trazó desde el principio.
Este punto de vista puede traer paz. El año pasado, mi amigo Padre Jim Lee fue diagnosticado con ALS - enfermedad de Lou Gehrig. Padre Jim tenía la costumbre de responder "estoy bendecido" cuando la gente preguntaba "¿cómo estás?" Contandoles a sus feligreses sobre el diagnóstico, habló sobre vivir un día a la vez, su deseo de continuar sirviendo y morir rodeado de feligreses, el Padre Jim concluyó: "Estoy bendecido".
Tú y yo podemos tener esa paz, incluso gratitud, cuando reconocemos que, aunque nuestras vidas parecen caóticas, lo que parece aleatorio en realidad es parte de un plan mayor.

Los cientificos nos dicen que para hacer posible la vida, ciertas variables tenían que establecerse en el primer micro segundo de tiempo. Dejaré esa discusión a los físicos, pero lo que sabemos de la Biblia es que Dios está igualmente presente en cada momento. Dios ve el fin del mundo con la misma mirada que ve el principio y este momento presente. Viviendo en un eterno ahora, Dios puede tomar en cuenta nuestras oraciones, incluso las que ofrecemos durante esta Misa.
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Dios nos elige y predestina. Él no quita nuestra libertad y responsabilidad, pero incluso puede usar nuestros errores y pecados para lograr su propósito. Veremos más mientras continuamos con la brillante carta de Pablo a los Efesios. Esta es solo la primera de siete selecciones. Hoy vamos a llevar a casa esto: "Él nos escogió en Cristo antes de crear mundo. En amor, él nos destinó a la adopción a través de Jesús". Amén.

For homilies this summer I am focusing on two of St. Paul's letters. This Sunday we conclude readings from the Second Letter to the Corinthians and next weekend we begin Ephesians.

The New Testament contains 21 letters, most of them written by St. Paul. It's interesting that today's Gospel mentions two other letter writers: James and Jude who are part of Jesus' extended families - "brothers" which in this context refers to male cousins: what Hispanics call "primos hermanos" - brother cousins.

The letters of James and Jude are well worth reading but today we have Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians. Of all the New Testament letters it is the most personal. Paul spent 18 months in Corinth where he formed deep attachments - and also fought some fierce battles. In this letter he bears his soul.
To defend himself against false prophets who were claiming special revelations Paul mentions his own intimate experiences of the Lord. But then he immediately adds that God sent him a "thorn in the flesh" - an angel to Satan to beat him so that he wouldn't get elated or puffed up.

We don't know the exact nature of the thorn in the flesh: Maybe a bodily affliction, some constant jabbing pain, an ailment of the eyes or some other bodily organ. Others think the thorn may have been a recurring temptation like anger, lust or gluttony. Perhaps he experienced bouts of depression; we know he carried a burden of shame. In his letters he refers to his guilt for having hunted down men, women and children who belonged to the Christian way. The movie Paul Apostle of Christ powerfully depicts the elderly man coming to grips with his past misdeeds.

OK, the thorn could have been some bodily ailment, a persistent temptation, depression brought on by a burden of shame - or something else. Whatever it was, God does not remove it but says, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore Paul is at peace with insults, hardships and daily frustrations.

In the spiritual battle St Paul provides a great model - especially for us men. It's easy to avoid present duties by fantasizing about a time when we can kick back and relax. I a little bit thought that when the archbishop assigned me to St. Mary of the Valley. My former parish - Holy Family in Seattle - had a Mass count of 2,800 for our 7 weekend services. Besides Hispanics and Anglos we had significant Vietnamese and Filipino groups, each with particular needs - and gifts. Holy Family has a parish school which is a huge responsibility. And we had a debt.

In comparison St. Mary of the Valley seemed like dying and going to heaven. I'm grateful for the assignment here and I have found parishioners extremely supportive. Still, it hasn't been like an unending Caribbean cruise. We've had our challenges and we have been through lots together. Each day God sends some stress, some heartbreak and some satisfaction. He does not, however, call me - or you - to simply take it easy. I am grateful to men and women my age and older who say, "God isn't finished with me yet."

I saw that in Sister Barbara. For me she was a beautiful companion and prayer partner. As I've told people she was my sister, my mother, my daughter. Since her death I know how widowers feel - only when she died did I start to realize just how much she did and how our lives were interwoven. I'm going to take 5 days at the end of the month to make a pilgrimage to Sister Barbara's grave. We have two cars and I hope others will join us - at least for the first leg which will be the Portland Grotto for noon Mass.

Sister Barbara's symbol is the turtle. As she would say, "You can't move forward unless you stick your neck out." This theme of moving forward is something we will see next week as we begin Paul's letter to the Ephesians. In that letter he shows how God calls and predestines us. Whatever we suffer is part of God's mysterious design. We'll go behind the scenes to see what's really happening in our world. That begins next week. Don't miss it.
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For today, like St. Paul - and like Sister Barbara - we want to keep pressing forward. "My grace is sufficient for you," says Jesus, "for power is made perfect in weakness." Amen

Para las homilías de este verano me estoy enfocando en dos de las cartas de San Pablo. Este domingo concluimos las lecturas de la Segunda Carta a los Corintios y el próximo fin de semana comenzamos a Efesios.

El Nuevo Testamento contiene 21 cartas, la mayoría escritas por San Pablo. Es interesante que el Evangelio de hoy menciona a otros dos escritores de cartas: Santiago y Judas, que forman parte de las familias extendidas de Jesús, "hermanos", que en este contexto se refiere a primos hermanos.

Vale la pena leer las cartas de Santiago y Judas, pero hoy tenemos la segunda carta de Pablo a los corintios. De todas las cartas del Nuevo Testamento, es la más personal. Pablo pasó 18 meses en Corinto, donde formó vínculos profundos, y también luchó batallas feroces. En esta carta él abre su corazon.

Para defenderse de los falsos profetas que reclamaban revelaciones especiales, Pablo menciona sus propias experiencias íntimas del Señor. Pero luego agrega de inmediato que Dios le envió un "espina clavada en mi carne", un ángel para que Satanás lo golpee para que no se hinche.

No conocemos la naturaleza exacta de la espina en la carne: tal vez una aflicción corporal, algún dolor punzante constante, una dolencia en los ojos u otro órgano corporal. Otros piensan que la espina puede haber sido una tentación recurrente como la ira, la lujuria o la gula. Tal vez experimentó episodios de depresión; sabemos que llevó una carga de vergüenza. La película Paul Apóstol de Cristo representa poderosamente al discipulo anciano que se enfrenta a sus maldades pasadas, especialmente por haber perseguido a mujeres y niños que pertenecían al estilo cristiano.

Entonces, la espina podría haber sido alguna dolencia corporal, tentaciones persistentes, depresión causada por una carga de vergüenza, o alguna otra cosa. Sea lo que sea, Dios no lo quita, sino que dice: "Te basta mi gracia porque mi poder se manifiesta en la debilidad". Por lo tanto, Pablo está en paz con los insultos, las dificultades y las frustraciones diarias.

En la batalla espiritual, San Pablo ofrece un gran modelo, especialmente para nosotros los hombres. Es fácil evitar los deberes actuales con fantasias de un momento en el que podemos relajarnos. Pensé asi cuando el arzobispo me asignó a Santa María del Valle. Mi parroquia anterior, Sagrada Familia en Seattle, tuvo 7 misas cada fin de semana con aproximadamente 2.800 asistentes. Además de los grandes grupos hispanos y anglosajones, teníamos vietnamitas y filipinos, cada uno con necesidades particulares y regalos. Holy Family tiene una escuela parroquial que es una gran responsabilidad. Y tenemos una deuda.

En comparación, Santa María del Valle parecía morir e ir al cielo. Estoy agradecido por estar aquí y he encontrado a los feligreses extremadamente comprensivos. Aún así, no ha sido como un interminable crucero por el Caribe. Hemos tenido nuestros desafíos y hemos pasado por muchos juntos. Cada día Dios envía algo de estrés, algo de desamor y algo de satisfacción. Sin embargo, no me llama a mí, ni a usted, para que se lo tome con calma. Estoy agradecido con hombres y mujeres de mi edad y mayores que dicen: "Dios todavía no ha terminado conmigo".

Lo vi en la hermana Barbara. Para mí, ella era una hermosa compañera y compañera de oración. Como le dije a la gente, ella era mi hermana, mi madre, mi hija. Desde su muerte, sé cómo se sienten los viudos; solo cuando ella murió, comencé a darme cuenta de lo mucho que ella hizo y de cómo nuestras vidas se entrelazaron. Voy a tomar 5 días a fin de mes para hacer una peregrinación a la tumba de la Hermana Bárbara. Tenemos dos autos y espero que otros se unan a nosotros, al menos para el partido de ida que será la Gruta de Portland para la misa del mediodía.

El símbolo de la hermana Bárbara es la tortuga. Como ella diría: "No puedes seguir adelante a menos que te saques el cuello". Este tema de avanzar es algo que veremos la próxima semana cuando comencemos la carta de Pablo a los Efesios. Esa carta muestra cómo Dios nos llama y nos predestina. Todo lo que sufrimos es parte del diseño misterioso de Dios. Iremos detrás de escena para ver qué está pasando realmente en nuestro mundo. Eso comienza la próxima semana. No te lo pierdas
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Por hoy, como San Pablo, y como la Hermana Barbara, queremos seguir adelante. "Te basta mi gracia", dice Jesús, "porque mi poder se manifiesta en la debilidad". Amén

As Americans we are bound not by blood but by our creed.  Equality is self-evident only if you believe in God.  A foreigner becomes naturalized by embracing Declaration of Independence and Constitution.  Founders envisioned Republic of Virtue - "let justice surge like water and goodness like an unfailing stream".  Only God is righteous altogether.  Accepting trials & suffering as God's will.  Example of Fr. Jim Lee.  Prayer for the intercession of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati.

Volunteer work, ACA, Novena for "B" held at Northwest Detention Center

Last week we celebrated the Birth of John the Baptist and we heard his call to repentance. We saw that far from involving negative thinking repentance is one of the most positive things a person can do: humbly acknowledge mistakes, seek forgiveness and help to get back on right course.

The power of repentance applies to us as individuals and as a society. Back in the 19th century a Frenchman named De Toqueville observed, "The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults."

As a nation we can learn from past mistakes - and we made a lot of them. At the same time we can recognize the good inheritance we have received. This 4th of July we remember the declaration that all men - all humans - are created equal and that our creator has endowed us with inalienable rights - life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

When our founders spoke about pursuit of happiness they weren't referring to delicious meals or luxury vacations. Nothing wrong with those pleasures, but the founders meant something deeper: What St. Paul says today, "you excel in every respect..." Pursuit of happiness means to strive for excellence, to realize one's full potential. This idea of happiness goes back to the ancient Greeks as well as Christian writers like St. Paul or St. Augustine.

Pursuing excellence is not about outshining others. It does not mean getting people to see how smart I am, how much money I make or what a great car I have. No, St. Paul makes it clear that we pursue excellence so we can do what he calls the "gracious act" - like Jesus who made himself poor to help us. We follow Jesus' example; we pursue excellence in order to care for others.

Paul tells us to bear one another's burdens. (Gal 6:2) As we saw a couple weeks ago, people are living in a world of hurt. We have the opioid epidemic and other crippling addictions. In our abundant society we have people - including members of our families - living under bridges. We see the increase of suicide and the devastation it brings to families. And of course the plague of porn that engulfs children, the young and the not-so-young.

There's no easy solution. The response to this suffering involves what St. Paul talks about today: faith, discourse, knowledge and earnestness. Faith - we walk by faith therefore we have hope. Discourse and knowledge - we want the right words when we encounter a hurting person. Earnestness means diligence - not giving in to discouragement.

So says Paul, excel in every respect: faith, words and diligence. How am I going to remember this? Faith, words, diligence - f,w,d: That stands for front wheel drive, also the abbreviation for forward. So, pray: dear God, help me move forward, to excel in faith, words and diligence.

I hope we can move forward together. Today I begin my 10th year as your pastor. (wait for applause) These have been good years for me and we have been through a lot together. I can honestly say these have been the happiest years of my life. And we were blessed by Sister Barbara and Fr. Valencia. Even in their deaths we can take something to help us move forward.

On August 19 we dedicate a memorial to Sister Barbara. Regarding Fr. Valencia our Knights of Columbus purchased a lovely Dogwood tree that we dedicated on the anniversary of his death. We chose the Dogwood tree for its beautiful blossoms, but then discovered the legend that connects the Dogwood tree to Jesus' passion. I won't give the whole story but recently we saw it flower in the form of a cross with a tiny crown of thorns in the center. The flower begins perfectly white then red spots appear that resemble drops of blood. I took pictures of it that you can see in the bulletin.

The cross is most appropriate for Father Valencia. For him and for the Aymara people, their devotion is the cross: they embrace the cross, they carry the cross and they dance before the cross. Fr. Valencia took his own suffering to the cross. Because of that he could radiate wonderful joy. May his example help us move forward.
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To excel in all things means to embrace the cross. Our Founders envisioned a Republic of Virtue where people would use their freedom not for self-indulgence but for excellence. Remember, pursuit of happiness means pursuit of excellence - not to take care of number one, but to care for others. So excel in all things: in faith, in word and in diligence to care for that hurting person. St. Paul underscores this by taking up a collection for the poor in Jerusalem. It's a matter of equality, he says. We'll hear more about equality in coming weeks. Today we ask God to help us excel in every respect faith, words and diligence - to move forward with gratitude for Jesus. Amen.