Thursday night I returned from a vacation in Italy. I prayed for you, my parish, at the tomb of St. Peter, and at the tombs of St. Francis and St. Clare in Assisi.
Two years ago, when I first arrived here at St. John’s, I told you that I was in love. Today, as I look forward to a new parish assignment from the Bishop, I want to reflect with you what it has meant to me to be your priest in this parish.
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St. John Catholic Church, San Marcos, TX.
Re-assignment to Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Austin. Re-thinking the vow of obedience. What does the Church mean by “obedience”. It is much more about authenticity, authentic tradition. I am a slave to Tradition. I promise to pass on what is authentic.
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In St. Mark’s account of Jesus’ Ascension into heaven, we hear his directive to his followers,
“Go into the whole world
and proclaim the gospel to every creature.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved;
whoever does not believe will be condemned.”
Philippi Christianity in Europe
St. Paul goes to Europe. First Apostle in Europe. Paul baptizes his jailer.
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Wednesday, 5th Week of Easter, and “I am the vine, you are the branches” John 15:1-8
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Many people are religious and want to believe in God, but don’t know him. We have all been in conversations where someone says something like, “I believe in God.” This is a very common sentiment, even among Christians when speaking to one another. It appears that many people today are religious, but don’t believe in Jesus Christ. One problem is that we Christians become sloppy in our language. The statement, “I believe in God”, doesn’t really say much, and doesn’t really clarify your faith as a believer.
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Evangelization and Vocation — No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, John 6:44-51. Vocational call: Protestant terminology from 1600’s. Vocational call is not a Catholic concept. We are drawn; we fall in love. Telling people the truth vs. recruiting. Catholics don’t evangelize? We’re too big a Church to say we don’t evangelize.
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3rd Week of Easter, John 6:30-32
Religious options? Protestant influences, misconceptions.
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Easter changes things. Once you experience Easter things can never be the same.
Once you accept the reality of Easter, you realize that those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God and follow his commandments, cannot die. Our earthly machines wear out. Our flesh dies, but like Jesus, our brother, death cannot hold us.
Once you come to accept the reality of Easter, human history can never conform to secular history. History is not repeating itself. There is a beginning, a middle and an end of history. The center of history is the earthly life of Jesus, including his passion, death, burial and Resurrection.
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2nd Tuesday of Easter. The workings of the Holy Spirit. Jesus and Nicodemus.
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Secular universities would not allow me to preach this homily. Yet, they represent that the Truth will set you free.
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