Pentecost
There was an elderly lady who had three sons and they had all done very well in life. Mother's Day was coming and the oldest son decided to build his mother a new house. It was spectacular. It was big and ornate with lots of bedrooms and bathrooms and the finest furniture and appliances.
The second son decided to buy Mom a new car, a brand new Mercedes Benz. Of course she didn't see that well anymore, so he hired her a full-time driver who would be on call 24 hours a day to take her anywhere she wanted to go.
The third, and youngest son knew that his mother didn't see very well but that she loved the scriptures. So he went out and found a parrot that had been trained to memorize the entire bible. If you said to the parrot, John 3:16 the parrot would answer "For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believed in him might have eternal life." It was the only parrot of its kind in the whole world.
After Mother's day, each son received a note from his mother. To the first son she wrote, "Jimmy. Thank you so much for the beautiful home. Of course, I can't really see it well enough to appreciate all of it so I pretty much stay in just one room, but it's the thought that counts. I love you. (signed) Mom"
The second son's note said "Tommy. Thank you so much for the beautiful car. Of course, since I can’t see very well, I don't go out much, but it's a comfort to know that the car and the driver are there if I need them. Love, Mom"
Finally, she wrote to the third son, "Billy. Thank you so much for the thoughtful gift. You always know exactly what to give me. The chicken was delicious. Love, Mom.
______________________________________________________________
You’re probably wondering what this has to do with Pentecost. You’ll see in a minute.
Timothy Barnes
Rodger Fleming
John O'Brien
Joseph Post
Four men from very different backgrounds. Tim Barnes is 43 years old. Rodger Fleming is 40. Joseph Post is 30 and John O'Brien is 26. Barnes is from Kirkwood, Fleming is from Overland. O'Brien is from Josephville and Post is from St. Ann. What do they have in common? Today [Yesterday] at the Cathedral Basilica they were ordained to the Sacred Priesthood.
It's fitting that the ordinations would take place on the weekend of Pentecost, the anniversary of the Church. John's Gospel tells us that on this day Jesus breathed on the Apostles and said to them "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." They received the first sacrament of Holy Orders. They were the first priests and the first bishops.
Last Sunday, in Luke's Gospel we read the story of the Ascension. When Jesus had ascended into heaven, " They did him homage and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
and they were continually in the temple praising God."
It's not in this year's cycle of readings, but if we were to read from the sixth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, we'd see that they were very busy, these first twelve priests. If they were continually in the temple, they didn't have much time to do anything else. They decided that they needed help.
"Brothers," they said, " select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task." The Apostles prayed over them and laid hands on them. They were the first deacons.
Today, our priests are no less busy. Most have more than one job. You may notice that they all work weekends. Like the first twelve, they also need some help.
Next weekend twelve men will be ordained to the Permanent Diaconate. They'll also receive the sacrament of Holy Orders, but they'll be ordained for service. It's basically the same sacrament, the same Holy Spirit, but the result will be different. Priests are ordained for the Eucharist. Deacons are ordained for service.
Like the twelve Apostles, like the men being ordained this week and next week in St. Louis, each of us has different gifts and talents and we're all called to serve God in our own way; not just priests and deacons, but every one of us. We each receive the Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation and each of us is called to spread the Gospel. Some of us are called to proclaim it from the pulpit. Some of us are called to proclaim it in song. But, most of us are called to proclaim it by our day-to-day words and especially our actions.
Jesus never said that one calling was better than another. Each has it's own perks and its own responsibilities. We're all part of the body of Christ. Father Gary and I never have to worry about getting a seat in Church on Christmas or Easter. Neither do the members of the choir. On the other hand, we can't come in late or leave early. And if our shoe is untied, or we're having a bad hair day, everybody notices it.
The bottom line is this: There are a lot more of you than there are of us. While all of you are watching us, somebody is watching you. Your life is an example for someone and you're always on. Trust me, it's true.
You may be thinking that you don't have the right stuff to be somebody's Catholic hero, but you do. Throughout history, God has never picked the best, the brightest or the strongest to do his work. Remember 12-year-old David who took on Goliath after all the professional soldiers had refused? Later in life he committed murder and adultery but was promised that the Messiah would come from his line.
We know that Peter was the crudest, the most impulsive of all the Apostles, and none of them were rocket scientists. He was the one who denied Jesus three times. Yet he was chosen to be the first among equals, the leader of Christ's new Church, Pope Peter I. More recently, Mother Theresa, one of the most famous and influential Catholics of the twentieth century was a little bitty woman, probably shorter than any adult in this church, and many of the children. It's also reported that she was pretty hard to get along with. But, she changed the world.
Every one of us has a place at the table and a responsibility to lead others to it. You don't need Holy Orders to speak for Jesus. All you need is the will to do it. As St. Francis said, you don't even have to use words.
For example, BJC Hospitals are in need of Eucharistic Ministers. That's something any Catholic can do and it's a tremendous way to testify to your faith. It doesn't take much time and I doubt that there's anyone here at St. Bernadette who hasn't either been a patient at Barnes or Children's Hospitals or doesn't have a family member who has been. If you're interested, there a flyer with information on the bulletin board in back of church. If that's not convenient, there are other hospitals that are closer who I'm sure could also use the help. That's one way we can all serve the Lord. There are many others.
There are people here in the parish whose work is very obvious, but who you may never see doing it. Cleaning the church, keeping up the flowers both inside and out, changing the banners in church when the seasons change, changing the light bulbs; all God's work.
Of course, another type of service is service to the secular community, which can also be a testimony to our Christian faith.
This weekend we remember the brave men and women who have served our country in the military and who have gone on to their reward. We're very fortunate here at St. Bernadette to be reminded every day of the great sacrifice that so many men and women have made to keep our country free. Thousands of them are buried right next to our parish grounds. Many more are being deployed, even today, from the Guard base next door. Many of our parishioners are veterans.
It's easy to forget them. It's easy to take them for granted, both the dead and the living. But, especially this weekend, we should all take time to offer a prayer that our men and women serving in harm's way will return home safely, and that those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom may rest in God's eternal peace.
The point, on this Pentacost Sunday, is this. Don't be like the lady with the parrot. Recognize your gifts. Appreciate them for what they are. Never underestimate your ability to serve the Lord in your own special way. Jesus doesn't expect any less.
The second son decided to buy Mom a new car, a brand new Mercedes Benz. Of course she didn't see that well anymore, so he hired her a full-time driver who would be on call 24 hours a day to take her anywhere she wanted to go.
The third, and youngest son knew that his mother didn't see very well but that she loved the scriptures. So he went out and found a parrot that had been trained to memorize the entire bible. If you said to the parrot, John 3:16 the parrot would answer "For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believed in him might have eternal life." It was the only parrot of its kind in the whole world.
After Mother's day, each son received a note from his mother. To the first son she wrote, "Jimmy. Thank you so much for the beautiful home. Of course, I can't really see it well enough to appreciate all of it so I pretty much stay in just one room, but it's the thought that counts. I love you. (signed) Mom"
The second son's note said "Tommy. Thank you so much for the beautiful car. Of course, since I can’t see very well, I don't go out much, but it's a comfort to know that the car and the driver are there if I need them. Love, Mom"
Finally, she wrote to the third son, "Billy. Thank you so much for the thoughtful gift. You always know exactly what to give me. The chicken was delicious. Love, Mom.
______________________________________________________________
You’re probably wondering what this has to do with Pentecost. You’ll see in a minute.
Timothy Barnes
Rodger Fleming
John O'Brien
Joseph Post
Four men from very different backgrounds. Tim Barnes is 43 years old. Rodger Fleming is 40. Joseph Post is 30 and John O'Brien is 26. Barnes is from Kirkwood, Fleming is from Overland. O'Brien is from Josephville and Post is from St. Ann. What do they have in common? Today [Yesterday] at the Cathedral Basilica they were ordained to the Sacred Priesthood.
It's fitting that the ordinations would take place on the weekend of Pentecost, the anniversary of the Church. John's Gospel tells us that on this day Jesus breathed on the Apostles and said to them "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." They received the first sacrament of Holy Orders. They were the first priests and the first bishops.
Last Sunday, in Luke's Gospel we read the story of the Ascension. When Jesus had ascended into heaven, " They did him homage and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
and they were continually in the temple praising God."
It's not in this year's cycle of readings, but if we were to read from the sixth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, we'd see that they were very busy, these first twelve priests. If they were continually in the temple, they didn't have much time to do anything else. They decided that they needed help.
"Brothers," they said, " select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task." The Apostles prayed over them and laid hands on them. They were the first deacons.
Today, our priests are no less busy. Most have more than one job. You may notice that they all work weekends. Like the first twelve, they also need some help.
Next weekend twelve men will be ordained to the Permanent Diaconate. They'll also receive the sacrament of Holy Orders, but they'll be ordained for service. It's basically the same sacrament, the same Holy Spirit, but the result will be different. Priests are ordained for the Eucharist. Deacons are ordained for service.
Like the twelve Apostles, like the men being ordained this week and next week in St. Louis, each of us has different gifts and talents and we're all called to serve God in our own way; not just priests and deacons, but every one of us. We each receive the Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation and each of us is called to spread the Gospel. Some of us are called to proclaim it from the pulpit. Some of us are called to proclaim it in song. But, most of us are called to proclaim it by our day-to-day words and especially our actions.
Jesus never said that one calling was better than another. Each has it's own perks and its own responsibilities. We're all part of the body of Christ. Father Gary and I never have to worry about getting a seat in Church on Christmas or Easter. Neither do the members of the choir. On the other hand, we can't come in late or leave early. And if our shoe is untied, or we're having a bad hair day, everybody notices it.
The bottom line is this: There are a lot more of you than there are of us. While all of you are watching us, somebody is watching you. Your life is an example for someone and you're always on. Trust me, it's true.
You may be thinking that you don't have the right stuff to be somebody's Catholic hero, but you do. Throughout history, God has never picked the best, the brightest or the strongest to do his work. Remember 12-year-old David who took on Goliath after all the professional soldiers had refused? Later in life he committed murder and adultery but was promised that the Messiah would come from his line.
We know that Peter was the crudest, the most impulsive of all the Apostles, and none of them were rocket scientists. He was the one who denied Jesus three times. Yet he was chosen to be the first among equals, the leader of Christ's new Church, Pope Peter I. More recently, Mother Theresa, one of the most famous and influential Catholics of the twentieth century was a little bitty woman, probably shorter than any adult in this church, and many of the children. It's also reported that she was pretty hard to get along with. But, she changed the world.
Every one of us has a place at the table and a responsibility to lead others to it. You don't need Holy Orders to speak for Jesus. All you need is the will to do it. As St. Francis said, you don't even have to use words.
For example, BJC Hospitals are in need of Eucharistic Ministers. That's something any Catholic can do and it's a tremendous way to testify to your faith. It doesn't take much time and I doubt that there's anyone here at St. Bernadette who hasn't either been a patient at Barnes or Children's Hospitals or doesn't have a family member who has been. If you're interested, there a flyer with information on the bulletin board in back of church. If that's not convenient, there are other hospitals that are closer who I'm sure could also use the help. That's one way we can all serve the Lord. There are many others.
There are people here in the parish whose work is very obvious, but who you may never see doing it. Cleaning the church, keeping up the flowers both inside and out, changing the banners in church when the seasons change, changing the light bulbs; all God's work.
Of course, another type of service is service to the secular community, which can also be a testimony to our Christian faith.
This weekend we remember the brave men and women who have served our country in the military and who have gone on to their reward. We're very fortunate here at St. Bernadette to be reminded every day of the great sacrifice that so many men and women have made to keep our country free. Thousands of them are buried right next to our parish grounds. Many more are being deployed, even today, from the Guard base next door. Many of our parishioners are veterans.
It's easy to forget them. It's easy to take them for granted, both the dead and the living. But, especially this weekend, we should all take time to offer a prayer that our men and women serving in harm's way will return home safely, and that those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom may rest in God's eternal peace.
The point, on this Pentacost Sunday, is this. Don't be like the lady with the parrot. Recognize your gifts. Appreciate them for what they are. Never underestimate your ability to serve the Lord in your own special way. Jesus doesn't expect any less.
posted by Mike at 2:02 PM
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