Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Readings: Zechariah Chapter 2 verses 14-17 / Psalm: Judith Chapter 13:18BCDE, 19 / Luke Chapter 1 verses 26-47.
Truth be told. This feast was a story that was imbedded within the people of the land already that was part of their makeup. Mary in her apparition appearing to Juan Diego showed the indigenous people that they were not alone. God was with them and the people saw that they were not forgotten. Mary is our mother and protector for all the Americas. She is the patroness of most countries. During the Eucharistic prayer the words said are ‘Mary, the virgin mother of God…’ or alternate words said are ‘Mary, the mother of Jesus…’. Or we can say, ‘Mary the mother of Jesus and our spiritual mother…’ Blessings.
+Michael Theogene
Saturday of the First Week of Advent
Saturday of the First Week of Advent
Readings: Isaiah Chapter 30 verses 19-21, 23-26 / Psalm 147: verses 1-6 / Matthew Chapter 9 verses 35- Chapter 10 verse 1, 5A, 6-8
Friends, I am reminded of the words spoken by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “All I want is to leave a committed life behind.” Friends we are all asked to come out of ourselves where we feel comfortable to embrace the uncomfortable. We are all asked to take up the mantle where we are invited to share the loving embrace that we have received, and not limit only to ourselves the grace bestowed upon us. We have been gifted by God to empower others as Jesus inspires us to bring God’s good news to those who need to hear it. Are we willing to be the Face of God to those who have never encountered the presence of God in their midst? Are we up for the challenge?
+Michael Theogene
Friday of the First Week of Advent
Friday of the First Week of Advent
Readings: Isaiah Chapter 29 verses 17-24 / Psalm 27 verses 1, 4, 13-14 / Matthew Chapter 9 verses 27-31
Why do we stop ourselves from God’s blessings? Sisters and Brothers, the God of creation wants to shower us with abundant blessings, why do we doubt? It’s as if we say to ourselves that we are not worthy to receive God’s miracles. Jesus challenges us when he said, “Do you believe that I can do this?” If our answer is ‘yes’ then we are co healers by our faith.
+ Michael Theogene
Thursday of the First Week of Advent
Wednesday of the First Week of Advent
Readings: Isaiah Chapter 25 verses 6-10A / Psalm 23 verses 1-3B, & 4-6 / Matthew Chapter 15 verses 29-37
Thursday of the First Week of Advent
Readings: Isaiah Chapter 26 verses 1-6 / Psalm 118 verses 1 & 8-9, 19-21, 25-27A / Matthew Chapter 7 verses 21, 24-27
Sisters and brothers! Are we centered and cemented in God? What is our sure foundation when we are stumbling and find it difficult to have our footing? We must remind ourselves when we are shaken and find ourselves out of place that we need to stop and re-center ourselves.
No matter how hard or difficult the journey becomes, we must trust that God will always have our back whether or not we feel it or see it. It’s all about trust and faith. Faith is believing without seeing. No matter what storms may come, the sun will shine again. It’s all about trust in God.
rev. Michael Theogene
Tuesday of the First Week of Advent
Tuesday of the First Week of Advent
Readings: Isaiah Chapter 11 verses 1-10 / Psalm 72 verses 1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17 / Luke Chapter 10 verses 21-24
Sisters and Brothers I think we need to remember that when we approach God that it may be a good idea that we have to become childlike leaving ourselves open, vulnerable to allow God’s Spirit to enter so we may be able to at least begin to hear God speaking to us. We need not waste so much time trying to approach God with our adult selves with our preconceived notions. When we do that, we stifle our own selves as we hang on to our own agendas. Preventing the Spirit to be able to work through us.
I think if we can tap into our inner child and approach God with childlike qualities holding on to that inner child, we can embrace God with simplicity, faith, and the opportunity to open our true selves to receive God’s blessing wanting to receive God and to know more of God. If we believe in the example of Jesus, God’s servant, and if we believe in how Jesus came to God and the way Jesus did it, then we will believe in Jesus and in the One who sent him. We too can and will know that this is far beyond us. A child has no care than other to be loved. We want to learn and come to that which will complete us. In the same manner we approach a parent(s) or someone we admire. We will live learning more about the world and in the process learn more about ourselves as we come to God with open arms.
rev. Michael
Monday of the First Week of Advent
Monday of the First Week of Advent
Readings: Isaiah Chapter 4 verses 2-6 / Psalm 122 verses 1-3, 4BCD, & 5-9 / Matthew Chapter 8 verses 5-11
‘Lord I was not worthy to receive you but only say the word and I shall be healed’. Or ‘Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed’.
Sound familiar? Whichever words you use, no matter how you say these words, they are the words that are uttered prior to receiving communion. Sisters and brothers in our parish in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the Parish of Saints Francis & Clare at this time we say, ‘Lord I was not worthy to receive you but you have said the word and I have been healed’.
Friends we come broken and we come full and complete. We come to the table to find ourselves looking to be made totally whole even when we find ourselves incomplete at times. We come to the table for understanding yearning to experience our life in the gift of the Creator in creation of all that is around us, through us and in us through Jesus of Nazareth.
We are worthy! We have been called! Even when we are out of it and not ourselves, Jesus calls us. The table is ready. Come!
+Michael
THE FEAST of the HOLY FAMILY (FIRST SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS)
The Feast of the Holy Family (First Sunday after Christmas)
Jesus parents were upset when he was missing and when they found him were astonished but it didn’t diminish their anxiety. It was interesting that in the Mediterranean culture the father would have been the one to speak. Yet it was Mary who spoke, and Jesus answer was not what was expected of a child at that time. They didn’t understand his answer and yet treasured in their heart his answer until they would understand that doing what God was asking is always to be first not what we want.
The radical commitment that Jesus teaching will later demand of his hearers he as the child Jesus enacts. He lets us know at this young age that listening to God is the priority. Despite this event Jesus had love and respect for his parents and is an example for all of us when we think we might “know it all”, but he was always open to Gods leading.
God didn’t create our differences by accident, it is to learn how to listen to those differences and be able to compromise, tolerate, honor God and each other and unite us all in this love.
We have to get our ego’s out of the way and truly humbly do what God is asking. This is hard because we always think we are doing the “right thing”.
God created us to be a community, we are all equal. Yes, we may have “titles” such as president, spouse, lay leader, priest, bishop, child, and the titles go on.
But the most important is that we are all different but that does not make us better than the other or higher than the other, we are all equal. We all have gifts that are needed for true community. Truly listening with the ear of our hearts to one another, no matter who is speaking is what God is calling us to do.
God has infused all of us with divine love, it is within all of us. We have the power to live in family and community in spite of our differences. We have been infused with the wisdom to overcome our pride and ego’s. We have that divine power within not to turn our backs on those who do not think as we do.
We can welcome them with patience and love.
God is for everyone and wants us to be one.
Mary and Joseph whose lives in the beginning was very normal but soon was changed. We too have to realize that life is constantly changing, and nothing stays exactly the same. Learning to adapt and think outside the box is a gift. That is the only way we can grow as a family, a community.
We are so blessed with this loving giving community and that is our treasure and we have demonstrated that we receive new ideas with that same love and giving.
God is radically inclusive not looking at our actions but our commitment to God’s will. It is not always perfect, it is about our love and concern for one another. When in conflict we listen to one another with honest input love and understanding and are able to come to a consensus. Fear of something different is a danger in our growth as community. Out of love we learn how to make the best of all situations, and this will unite us. This will bring us closer.
Like the Holy Family we too will continue to grow in wisdom age and favor .
We are blessed. AMEN!
+Michael Theogene
CACINA 
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