Your Grandchildren Carry the Weight of your Life Experiences

NOTE: Being an engineer and a deacon, I'm always attuned to the intersection of science, theology and spirituality. Usually when I encounter these I reflect on the event and move on, but since I have resolved to leave more permanent traces of myself for 2021, this year when ever I encounter these intersections I will write a post about them. So here is the first of what I hope will become a more regular event.

  Does God punish children for the sins of their parents (or Grandparents)? There are more than one bible passage that seems to say this. Here are a few examples:

Deuteronomy 5:9 - You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me

Exodus 34:7 -  Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.

Isaiah 14:31 - Prepare a place to slaughter his children for the sins of their ancestors; they are not to rise to inherit the land and cover the earth with their cities.

  How can a just and loving God behave like this? This is a very important theological question specially for people seeking to deepen their relationship with this divine being. There is a good answer to the justice behind this idea of children caring the guilt of their progenitors, which I intend to answer in an upcoming episode of my podcast.  However as I was researching this question I was shocked to find that the Journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, also known by the non-scientific folk by the name Science, has published an article explaining the "how" of this process. You can read part of the article here. 

  The article I linked to (The epigenome—a family affair by John R. McCarrey, Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio) is 5 years old and presents a state of the science up to that point. What is surprising to me, is that this branch of genetic science (epigenetics) presents a mechanism by which this biblical tenant is made true in the lives of human beings.  Since this article was published more research has being made offering  more proof  that the events in the life of parents and grand parents can have a direct effect on the genetic code of their off spring. 

  Once again science and theology are more interrelated than what many people would like to admit.

"Viva Cristo Rey!!" 

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What if Aliens Landed Today and Other Questions

  I just had a very interesting interaction with a young lady on Facebook and thought that this would make a good blog post. Here is the original post:

To which I answered:

Which elicited this answer from her.

Because religion teaches that man is special, that the earth is the center of creation. Life on other planets would disprove this. What if aliens on another planet say Jesus is not god? What if they say God doesn't exist and that they have proof of how the universe was created and can present it? The bible says God created man and angels, and animals/plants of course. Catholics say Christ is lord of the universe. HOw is this possible? Was he born elsewhere and died elsewhere on the cross? Did he pick disciples there? So far, I think only the Mormons believe Christ traveled to other planets to preach.

What follows was my answer to her questions and the main body of this blog post.
Enjoy!

----------------------
   Hi Yesi, First let me commend you on taking time to think about these things. It is my experience that the majority of people never give a second thought to these things. It is refreshing to see someone so young wrestling with these sort of questions.

You said: "Because religion teaches that man is special, that the earth is the center of creation."

First, your use of the term "religion" is too general. There might be some religions who teach what you say but there are others that most certainly don't (Like the Catholic Church, the "CC" from now on). So, for the sake of argument, I will assume you refer to "Christianity" when you use that term. In addition, since I'm a Catholic I will give you the CC version. I make no claims about other "flavors" of Christianity.
  Having said this, lets break this first statement down into parts: "Because religion teaches that man is special" The CC teaches that man has "a special dignity" (See the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 1700). The issue of "Is man the ONLY creature in the whole of Creation with this dignity?" is still an open question.
  "The earth is the center of creation" The most I can say here without a long discussion is this: when Catholics say this they mean "center" as a "central event". Think about it this way: about 10.4 billion years ago all the energy concentrated in the Big Bang singularity was directed towards resulting on our planet being born and the development of intelligent life. Again, the issue of other planets being born and other intelligent life being developed is still an open question. The CC makes no claims about this. So as you can see, the Catholic position in its essence is the same as the science position: "Wait and see".

You said:  "Life on other planets would disprove this."

By my answers above it is easy to see that the discovery of life, even if it is intelligent does not disprove the Catholic point. The most it would do is force us to reinterpret the central event in the history of our planet (i.e. the birth life, death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ) and what does this mean to all these new "islands" of intelligent life scattered around the universe. (More on this later in my answers)

You said:  "What if aliens on another planet say Jesus is not god?".

OK so... what if? Your question seems to imply that because these "aliens" are more advanced than us technologically, WE have nothing to teach THEM. Just look at human history. How many times have we as a civilization lamented the loss of some special knowledge from this or that tribe, or group of people that we have conquered or absorbed? This is an indication that less technological advanced groups can still teach something to more advanced beings. One would hope that the "aliens" have grown enough in their philosophical development to be open to what we have to teach them.

You said:  "What if they say God doesn't exist and that they have proof of how the universe was created and can present it?"

Your questions ring more as speculations than as questions. What if it is the other way around? What if they come and say "We have been looking all over the universe for the planet in which the Creator of the universe entered history...and you guys are it". As I see it, the most we can say is that there is a 50-50 chance for either of these two to happen. So again... what if?  What if they have been looking for us because of the Christ event?  Would this change your mind?  That is the problem with speculative questions.
    Now lets apply the same answer to my previous question to this one. On the event that your speculation is true... Just because they are more technologically advanced doesn't mean they have everything figured out! I would think that we would take their evidence and place it under the light of our divine revelation and see what it all really means. However we would do this without fear because Catholics believe that truth is universal and that truth is not a concept but a person: Jesus. I am certain (In fact I'm excited about this possibility!)  that any "alien's" proof would end up shedding light on His person and it would help us understand Him and ourselves better.

You said: "The bible says God created man and angels, and animals/plants of course. Catholics say Christ is lord of the universe. How is this possible?".

Christ is the Lord of the universe; we can only speak for what we know in our little corner of this universe and what God has revealed in our own history. Why does it seem so far fetched to think that, outside of planet Earth, God has revealed himself to other creatures? Look at the Christmas story (as it is presented in the first few chapters of the Gospel of Mathew), God revealed to "Magi from the East" that he was going to enter history in the womb of a young Jewish girl and then he led them to a back-water town of northern Judea. Why is it so far fetched to think that he has not revealed himself to other intelligent beings? And that he is leading them to a back-water planet in an unremarkable galaxy to meet Him personally?

You said: "Was he born elsewhere and died elsewhere on the cross? Did he pick disciples there?".

This, we can answer with certainty. No. If we look at human history it seems the Christ event was unique to us.  Why? Because way before the birth of the Christ, civilizations without any knowledge of Judaism prefigured this coming of a "savior". We we just have to extend this fact to the rest of the universe and I feel we have a better that 50-50 chance to say that this was a one time vent within the history of creation. Now this is a big topic. I would recommend the Roy Abraham Varghese excellent book, "The Christ Connection: How the World Religions Prepared the Way for the Phenomenon of Jesus". If you ever get to read it, we can talk about this in more detail.

I hope my answers give you a different perspective. I would also like to recommend two other books: Jesuit brother Guy Consolmagno's "Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial?" So you can get a more extensive exposition of what the Catholic Church teaches about these issues. I would also like to recommend the C.S. Louis "Perelandra" trilogy in which he explores what I have been saying in my post, but as a work of Science Fiction. Lastly, I hope you don't mind but since this answer was so long, I posted it as an article in my blog (at www.DeaconHarbey.com) If you would like to continue our discussion I would ask you do it there since the interface of a blog comment box is more suited to deal with long posts than the Facebook interface.

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Top Religion Related Science News For 2016

  Another year comes to an end which means it is time for Top of 2016 lists. Since religion and science are two of my favorite topics, this year I give you my Top Religion-Science Related news. I selected these from science aggregators throughout the year as a way to disprove the tired "Religion vs Science" canard. I would say that 2016  was quite a year for the intersection of science and religion, with many scientists taking a look at the benefits that religion has on "homo-sapiens", as well as important contributions religion has given to astronomy and ecology. But don't believe me, just peruse the list and tell me if I missed anything! 

By far, the most important Science news of the year was the discovery of Gravitational Waves, an event which has the potential to change our understanding of reality. What does this have to do with religion? I'm not too sure but there is a reason why the Vatican Observatory is organizing an international workshop to map the way ahead. Lets see what develops from this gathering of top notch scientists and theologians. Other significant discoveries were:

Astronomers  discover  RR Lyrae type stars in the center of the Milky Way - An international team of astronomers has discovered for the first time a type of ancient star in the center of our Galaxy. What does this have to do with religion? Well, part of the team were scientists that are employed at the Vatican observatory. Just another nail in the coffin of the old "Catholic Church vs Science" fable.

Science Daily publishes article on Echotheology - The online news aggregator Science Daily published a report about a recent paper proposing that the efforts of Christian theology in understanding the role of Man in the environment are not limited to the last few years. In fact, Christian theology has a long and distinguished history of wanting to understand. The most surprising statement in the paper is this:

"The vast majority of us subscribe to the idea that human activity dramatically changes the natural environment, altering many biological processes. But addressing the global nature of human impact may require help from belief systems large enough to conceptualize on a cosmic scale"

Is science starting to realize that, when it comes to humans, without the cosmological view that religion provides to define our common destiny as created creatures, they will never be able to gain main-stream acceptance? Only time will tell! 

Religious service attendance associated with lower suicide risk among women -  A study in June revealed that attending religious ceremonies not only does marvels for your spiritual life, but it also lowers your chances of suicide.

Worldwide study reverses notion most scientists are atheists - "The study's results challenge longstanding assumptions about the science-faith interface. While it is commonly assumed that most scientists are atheists, the global perspective resulting from the study shows that this is simply not the case." In other words, the majority of the world's scientists are religious and they do not try to keep science and religion exclusive.

Brain scans reveal prayer helps addicts deal with cravings -  According to a new study, members of  Alcoholics Anonymous reported less craving for alcohol after reciting AA prayers and viewing drinking-related images. I guess it pays to trust in your "Higher Power".

Apparently is not only believers who think Richard Dawkins is a troll - A survey of British scientists revealed that most of them think Richard Dawkins(The darling of Scientific Materialists everywhere) gives science a bad rap.

Religion is, once again, found beneficial to adolescent development - A new study authored by University of Calgary researchers were able to show that religion has a "barrier" effect in young adolescents when it comes to viewing pornography at an early age.

Faith-based health promotion program successful with older Latinas - Another study revealed that your health could actually improve more if you follow a health program centered in faith and not just exercising. Nothing like sacramentalizing your day to stay healthy!

Winner of distinguished astronomy award speculates about the star of Bethlehem - "Florida International University astronomer, Professor Caroline Simpson, provides scientific insight into what may explain the Christmas Star phenomenon. Simpson studies how galaxies and the universe evolve over time. She is the recipient of the 2016 Richard H. Emmons Award for excellence in college astronomy teaching and one of the first physics professors at FIU to transform a basic introductory astronomy course for non-science majors into an active learning class." The funny thing about this one is that she reached the same conclusion I reached after my own research on this topic. You can hear my thoughts on this topic at my now semi-retired podcast "The Hidden Bible"

Here are some honorable mentions:

Avoiding spiritual matters could be detrimental to your health  
Thinking about spiritual matter activates brain reward areas
Oxytocin found to enhance spiritual well being
Religious actions convey pro-social intent 
Study shows that those who believe in God are considered more trustworthy

Well that is our list for this year. Let's see what the new year has to offer to us,

Many blessings and Happy New 2017 everyone!!

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"Lord Teach us How to Pray": 17 Sunday of Ordinary Time (Cycle C)

     Earlier this week, as I was watching the news about the two attacks in Germany, I kept remembering the times in which our country has endured similar moments. I remembered the shooting at Sandy Hook in Connecticut. I remembered the day of the September 11 attacks. I remembered the shootings at Columbine. These were events that occurred in our country where we were scared, angry and confused.
   The one thing I remember about those days and the days that followed was the desire that I had to do something, anything in order to help, and the feeling that in reality there was very little I could do. I’m sure that right here, today there are many people who can relate to these same feelings every time we witness unspeakable acts of evil.
   I wish I could tell you this will not happen again, but day after day we hear of wars in the Middle East, Christian persecution, Islamic terrorism, police shootings, and racial tensions; day after day this feeling that things are out of control and that there is nothing we can do gets stronger. If there is one thing that events like these teach us is this: The world is broken, and there is very little we can do to fix it.
   However there is one thing we CAN do: Pray, because it is us, the disciples of the Lord who hold the balance between a broken world of darkness and a world of hope, redemption, peace and love. We are like Abraham praying to God for the last 10 people in Sodom.
   Every time I start feeling like this I recall the story of the 7 Trappist Martyrs of Algeria. I would like to tell you about them. "On Christmas Eve 1996 the Trappist monastery of  Tibhirine in Algeria was preparing to celebrate Christmas mass when Islamic terrorists, who would later kidnap and kill them, invaded their church. After some initial threats, they informed the monks that if they did not leave the area they would return and kill them. The monks were badly shaken. They huddled together as a group for a time to digest what had just happened. Then, not knowing what else to do in the face of this threat and their fear, they celebrated the Christmas mass". In the words of their Abbott, Father Christian de Cherge: 'It’s what we had to do. It’s all we could do! It was the right thing to do' .

    After this event happened the monks took a vote to decide if they should leave or stay and continue ministering to the poor in Algeria. They all voted to stay. Months later the same men returned, kidnapped, and brutally murdered them.
   In today’s Gospel the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. This is quite a strange question because the Jews of this time knew the psalms almost by heart and prayed every morning and evening... and yet the disciples realized they did not know how to pray. Perhaps our feelings of not knowing what to do when we are confronted with evil are due to the fact that we, like the disciples, do not know how to pray.
    Jesus answers his disciples with a new prayer, new in the sense that none of them had ever talked to God in the way that it did. Up until this moment in Jewish prayer, God was distant, a remote and divine king. Jesus makes His prayer personal by calling God “Abba”, or Daddy, and asking for simple things. He talks to God like a man talks to another man or a child speaks to a parent. This is the type of prayer we need in order to counter the darkness of the world. I’m not saying that rosaries and novenas do not have their place, but when we really need to connect with the Father, like Jesus connected, we have to let our hearts speak through our mouths.
   Before Islamic terrorists returned to kidnap the 7 Trappist martyrs of Algiers, they had a few weeks to prepare and write their testaments. I would like to finish my homily, by reading you some passages from Father de Cherge's last testament, which he wrote in the form of a prayer.
   "If it should happen one day that I become a victim of the terrorism which now seems ready to encompass all the foreigners living in Algeria, I would like my community, my Church, my family, to remember that my life was given to God and to this country. I ask them to accept that the One Master of all life was not a stranger to this brutal departure."
   "To you, the friend of my final moment, who would not be aware of what you were doing. Yes, for you I also wish  to commend you to the God whose face I see in yours. And may we find each other, happy 'good thieves,' in Paradise, if it pleases God, the Father of us both."  Amen

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Jesus and the Sinful Woman. 11th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Cycle C)

    This last Wednesday we had the first meeting of our Healing Hearts ministry for those recovering from or experiencing divorce, and we used this reading to open our meeting. As we were discussing it I noticed something peculiar. When we read the gospels, usually we see Jesus as the center of all the action, healing, teaching or making this or that miracle; But in this reading the Lord takes a secondary role.  Today the center of attention is someone else: a nameless woman.
   She is only described as a great sinner; as if this is the only important thing we need to know about her. We are never told her name or her sin, as if this information didn’t really matter. The only thing that matters is what the people of this town saw when they looked at her.
   

However, Jesus sees something completely different; the fact that she was able to show great love, because much had been forgiven to her.
And here lies the great difference between the Lord and the rest of us: We usually focus on the external, the actions, the sins others commit.  The Lord Jesus on the other hand only focus on the internal, on what is really hidden in our hearts, our motives, our guilt, our sorrows.
   For us, it is easy to dwell on the externals, because they don’t demand that  much from us. But to be able to look at someone as Jesus did requires great effort. It requires that we place ourselves in their place; and sometimes it even requires for us to open our own hearts to them.
   One of the main complaints I hear about religious people is that we are judgemental. And I have to admit that sometimes we tend to be like Simon, the Pharisee in this story, who not only judged this poor woman, but judged Jesus himself, for allowing her to touch His divine body.
  Simon focused on the actions and not on the person. Whatever motivated Jesus or this woman to act the way they did got lost in the scandal of seeing how they reacted to each other, she washing and anointing the feet of the Lord and Jesus letting himself be touched in such a familiar and intimate way.   I will venture to say that it is not just Christians who are judgemental, but we humans, every man, woman and child, have this default mode in which we operate, an attitude which makes us judge everything by our own internal standards. Luckily, in today’s gospel Jesus gives us the key for confronting this judgemental nature: by confronting the reality of our own sins.
  This nameless woman knew very well she was a sinner.  She approached the Lord weeping because of these sins, and Jesus' acceptance made her capable of a great act of love. Simon on the other hand, approached Jesus as an equal, trying to gain his favor by honoring him, by inviting him to have dinner. Jesus could see very clearly that Simon did not think of himself as someone who needed forgiveness for much. This is why he says “those who little is forgiven, show little love”.
  Like I have mentioned many times, because of my ministries here at St Michael, I get to talk with a lot of people. You would not believe how many times I have someone tell me “Deacon, I don’t go to confession because I do not know what to confess!” to which I always answer “That is precisely what you need to confess!” If we can not recognize the reality of our own sins, how can we know the struggles others have with theirs?
   As Christians we are called to love others, but we can not accomplish this by thinking that somehow we are not like them. To be a Christian demands we take a very critical look at our own sinful nature, and seek the forgiveness we so badly need. Anything else is just falling into Simon the Pharisee's mistake. We cannot accomplish great acts of love if we ourselves are not forgiven for our lack of love for others.
   Although the forgiveness God gives to us is free, we need to seek it and accept it. Once we have taken this first step, it is just a matter of looking at others in the same way the Lord saw this sinful woman, in the same way he sees each one of us. God bless you my brothers and sisters.

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That Voice Crying out int the Desert: 2nd Sunday of Advent, Cycle C

  6 Months ago I started a new job. On my way to work I stop at the corner of route 29 and route 198 in Laurel. In this particular spot there is a man who stands with a sign which states he is unemployed and that we will accept any help we can provide.

  As I was reflecting on the person of John the Baptist, I found myself going back to this man and to the different feelings he has caused on me throughout the last 6 months. I remember the very first time I saw him, I felt like just getting out of my car and offering him my help. Of course I could not just abandon my car in the middle of the road, so I had to sit there and stare at him feeling helpless, trying to figure what could I do. As the weeks passed I started looking at him with suspicion -  especially when I noticed someone else with a similar sign on the other corner of this intersection.

   Pretty soon I started to feel a bit angry at him, since people who stopped to give him some money were causing me to miss my turn adding time to my commune (I remember I told myself, here I am the one with a regular job been made late to work by the unemployed!) Well after six months of this, I’m ashamed to admit, I just feel indifference towards him. In fact, I have noticed that other drivers (I assume they are regulars like me, on this busy intersection) have trained themselves to not even make eye contact and just ignore him.  Helplessness, suspicion, anger and indifference; all these feelings just from a man standing in a corner, holding a sign.

  I think it is very proper that in a time of the year in which we are busy and stressed with the million little tasks we need to complete before the “Big Day”, in today’s Gospel, John the Baptist appears standing against the traffic of our busy lives as a voice, “Crying out in the desert”,  reminding us what this season is all about: “A time to change the direction of your lives, to straighten our paths, to smooth our rough ways, because the Lord is near”

  In this Second Sunday of advent, John the Baptist is our man on a corner, holding a sign, asking us how are we doing with our preparations for the coming of our Lord.

   The questions we should be asking ourselves today are not if our houses are ready, or are all the presents wrapped. But, how does John makes me feel, when I hear his call from the desert. Do we feel helpless because although we would want this season to be different, we see ourselves time and time again buying more, wanting more, wasting more?    Are we suspicious of his words, thinking that although it might be nice to refocus our attention in the coming of the Lord, that is the sort of thing which only religious nut jobs and old ladies do? The sort of things me and my family do not appreciate? Do we feel anger at the implication that our way of celebrating Christmas is not the right way? Anger at the implication that our way of life is not the right way of life? Or are we just indifferent, even perhaps numb, at his message to refocus our attention to what is important this season? Refocus our attention into Christ and his coming, and not into having the taller three, the most Xmas lights, the biggest presents.  

   The good news is that helplessness, suspicion, anger and indifference are just feelings, and as feelings they could be overcome by our will, with the help of God’s grace in our lives, which we receive through the sacraments..

   So as we enter this second week of advent, it is up to us to look into ourselves and decide that instead of helplessness this year we will be hopeful that the Lord will truly be born in our hearts, instead of suspicion we will be confident of the promises of our Lord, instead of anger we will love those we encounter, and instead of indifference we will make an effort to appreciate this time we have been given to prepare and receive the Lord like he deserves, with  a humble spirit and a joyous heart.God bless you all.

NOTE: Many people have asked me what happened to my daily compute friend. After I preached this homily I make the point of stopping and talking to him. I gave him my card and told him that if he needs any help he could call me and I can make him contact the proper Catholic charities which will be able to help him. I ask you to say a prayer for this man so that he takes advantage of the help he so much needs.

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On the Humanity of Pope Francis

   Pope Francis has done it again!!

   He has open his heart (His very human heart) to the world only to show us that he has the same struggles we have.

   Of course I'm speaking about his remarks to an Italian Lutheran woman married to a Catholic, during Francis' visit to a Roman Lutheran Church. Ms. Anke de Bernardinis asked Francis a very charged question:

Question: My name is Anke de Bernardinis and, like many people in our community, I'm married to an Italian, who is a Roman Catholic Christian. We’ve lived happily together for many years, sharing joys and sorrows. And so we greatly regret being divided in faith and not being able to participate in the Lord's Supper together. What can we do to achieve, finally, communion on this point?

  As a deacon and a family man I have been asked this same questions many times, even by people very close to my heart, and every time I felt torn.  I hear myself giving fine theological points that for someone looking to get closer to the Lord sound more like hollow excuses than two thousand years of  theological Eucharistic reflection.  So it pleased me greatly that in his answer, the Pope,  reflected my own conflicts and struggles while wrestling with this issue. Here is Francis' answer.

Pope Francis: The question on sharing the Lord’s Supper isn’t easy for me to respond to, above all in front of a theologian like Cardinal Kasper! I’m scared!
I think of how the Lord told us when he gave us this command to “do this in memory of me,” and when we share the Lord’s Supper, we recall and we imitate the same as the Lord. And there will be the Lord’s Supper, there will be the eternal banquet in the new Jerusalem, but that will be the last one. In the meantime, I ask myself — and don’t know how to respond — what you’re asking me, I ask myself the question. To share the Lord’s banquet: is it the goal of the path or is it the viaticum [provisions] for walking together? I leave that question to the theologians and those who understand.

It’s true that in a certain sense, to share means there aren’t differences between us, that we have the same doctrine – underscoring that word, a difficult word to understand — but I ask myself: but don’t we have the same Baptism? If we have the same Baptism, shouldn’t we be walking together? You’re a witness also of a profound journey, a journey of marriage: a journey really of the family and human love and of a shared faith, no? We have the same Baptism.

When you feel yourself to be a sinner – and I feel more of a sinner – when your husband feels a sinner, you go to the Lord and ask forgiveness; your husband does the same and also goes to the priest and asks absolution. I’m healed to keep alive the Baptism. When you pray together, that Baptism grows, becomes stronger. When you teach your kids who Jesus is, why Jesus came, what Jesus did for us, you’re doing the same thing, whether in the Lutheran language or the Catholic one, but it’s the same. The question: and the [Lord’s] Supper? There are questions that, only if one is sincere with oneself and with the little theological light one has, must be responded to on one’s own. See for yourself. This is my body. This is my blood. Do it in remembrance of me – this is a viaticum that helps us to journey on.

I once had a great friendship with an Episcopalian bishop who went a little wrong – he was 48 years old, married, two children. This was a discomfort to him – a Catholic wife, Catholic children, him a bishop. He accompanied his wife and children to Mass on Sunday, and then went to worship with his community. It was a step of participation in the Lord’s Supper. Then he went forward, the Lord called him, a just man. To your question, I can only respond with a question: what can I do with my husband, because the Lord’s Supper accompanies me on my path?
It’s a problem each must answer, but a pastor-friend once told me: “We believe that the Lord is present there, he is present. You all believe that the Lord is present. And so what's the difference?” — “Eh, there are explanations, interpretations.” Life is bigger than explanations and interpretations. Always refer back to your baptism. “One faith, one baptism, one Lord.” This is what Paul tells us, and then take the consequences from there. I wouldn’t ever dare to allow this, because it’s not my competence. One baptism, one Lord, one faith. Talk to the Lord and then go forward. I don’t dare to say anything more.

  I have placed the parts which impacted me in BOLD. They impacted me because at one time or another I myself have reflected upon these ideas. But unlike Francis I have never been able to articulate these feelings.

 Why I'm writing this?

  This past Sunday as we were getting ready for mass, a lady approached me and said "Excuse me I am Lutheran may I  commune today?". Once again I was faced with this difficult questions and once again I have to say "I'm sorry but I can not give you communion, but you can come to my line and I will give you a blessing". Which in fact she did, but then something extraordinary happened: this lady (Which latter I learned is the Pastor of a local Lutheran Church), placed her hands upon my shoulders and gave me her blessing. A moment of true Christian union around the Table of the Lord.

  I think that from now, whenever I'm asked this question, instead of jumping into my standard answer heavy on Catholic theology I will just echo Francis words and say:

   The question on sharing the Lord’s Supper isn’t easy for me to respond to. I ask myself — and don’t know how to respond — what you’re asking me, I ask myself this question. But I also ask...  "Don’t we have the same Baptism? If we have the same Baptism, shouldn’t we be walking together?"
   There are questions that, only if one is sincere with oneself and with the little theological light one has, must be responded to on one’s own. To your question, I can only respond with a question: what can I do for you, because the Lord’s Supper accompanies me on my path? It’s a problem each must answer, yes there are explanations, interpretations, but Life is bigger than explanations and interpretations.
   Should I answer your question with a "yes" or a "no"? I wouldn’t ever dare to allow this, because it’s not my competence. One baptism, one Lord, one faith. Talk to the Lord and ask Him to tell you what is the right thing to do and then go forward. I don’t dare to say anything more.

"Viva Cristo Rey!!"

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Why is There Religion? 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle B)

   A couple of weekends ago one of our very inquisitive teens stopped me after mass to ask a question. Normally when this happens with an adult I get one of the easy ones, you know like “Why do the church hates Gay people?” or “Why are women second class citizens in the Church?”. But, the hard questions, the ones that require careful consideration, always come from our youth, so with a little bit of fear I answered “Sure… what’s in your mind?” to which he simply said “why is there religion in the world?”
   Now you might think that this is a pretty simple question but if you think about it, this is in fact one of the great questions of our times! Let me show you, if we were to look at the most popular beliefs systems in our culture today, we would find two extreme views, in one end stand those who do not believe in God and at the other those who claim they believe in “something”, and like to call themselves“spiritual but not religious”.
   How many times have we heard the first group say “If religion is the cause of so much pain, destruction and death?...Why is there religion?”. On the other hand how many times have we hear believers say “If all there is, is just Jesus and me, if we are OK with just been spiritual...Why is there religion?”
   Now in case you are wondering what my answer was, after frantically searching my memory banks, this is what I said: “The reason why religion exists is because some people are given faith by God, you see religion is just an expression, our reaction to this faith. At its core religion is how we respond to God’s desire to have a relationship with us”.
    For Catholic’s everything we do and how we do it, from the sign of the cross to the way we receive communion is an external sign of our faith. The more faith we have the more significant these simple actions become because by doing them we come closer to God. The collection of all these little acts, the prayers, the liturgies, the songs, the crucifixes around our necks, the statues of Mary and the saints in our Sanctuaries are expressions of our faith. The more we embrace these the deeper we enter into our faith.
     In today’s reading Jesus asks two questions to His disciples, do you remember what these were? “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?”.  It struck me that these two questions could be asked from each one of us, every time we shy away from showing our Catholic identity, or fail to embrace our faith publicly. Sometimes we do not like to speak about religion in fact  if you are like me who works for the U.S. Government speaking about religion or even showing your Catholic identity could be a cause for derision and even persecution. Many times like the apostles in today’s reading we let fear of retribution or loss of status in the eyes of those around us control our actions.  But these are the moments in which we should remember these two questions “Why are we afraid? Haven’t we received faith from God?”
   Why is there religion? Because as long as there are  believers in the world,men and women, who are opened to the gift of faith that comes from God, and they allow this gift to inform the way in which they think, feel and act, there will be a Catholic religion, a Christian Church, a church of Jesus Christ to serve as a witness to the truth of the Gospel.  Amen?
Now faith is a funny thing, it is not something we generate, but a gift from God. God gives us faith so that we can develop a desire to know Him. Of course we have the choice of embracing this faith or just ignoring this call. When we say that someone is “Very religious” or that someone is a “Holy Person” what we are saying is that someone has reacted in a positive way to this mysterious gift of faith we receive from God. I guess what I’m trying to say is that Religion is what others see when we engage our faith; the more we embrace this gift from God the more religious we become and the more others experience our religion.

At the end of my homily I added these words:

My intention was to finish today right here, but then I caught myself watching the court proceeding of the poor soul who murdered the 9 people in a Charleston, South Carolina church. I was very moved as one by one the relatives of each of the murdered people forgave the assailant. Why is there religion? Because religion helps us reach down into the better corners of our souls, and gives us strengthen to live the way Jesus lived. God bless you all.

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Lent Fasting: Good for Your Soul and Your Health

   Lent starts tomorrow, after New Year's I think this is the most common time in which people take upon resolutions. Many of us decide to cut on sweets, chocolate, coffee, red meat and many other foods in addition to our every Friday abstinence.  If you have not decided to give up food this lent this might give you some motivation.   A new report from the Yale School of Medicine recently stated that:

"a compound produced by the body when dieting or fasting can block a part of the immune system involved in several inflammatory disorders such as type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, and Alzheimer's disease."

   Lenten practices are all about discipline, but there is a deeper component to these. To put it simply: How do we prove to ourselves that we truly believe what we believe? By voluntarily following  the lenten disciplines. So if you find yourselves floundering in mid March remember that you are also doing something for your health by depriving yourself of that bar of chocolate or that extra snack at 3:00pm.

You can read the rest of the report here.

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3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time (Cycle B)

  Today’s two first readings  communicate a feeling of urgency, of transition, of terrible things to come. The Gospel however gives a more hopeful outlook, it resonates with a feeling of  ending of one thing and the beginning of something completely new.    First we have the prophet Jonah walking across Nineveh announcing that in forty days this great city would be destroyed if they did not mend their ways; then we hear Paul telling the Corinthians not to get too comfortable in their lives because the Lord’s return was at hand.  In the gospel however, although we see Jesus, like Jonah proclaiming the message of God and calling the ancient world to repentance there is a bit more to the story. Here we also see how the Lord calls his first apostles and how these men abandon everything they had not because Jesus performed some great miracle, or because they had a tremendous spiritual experience. These men... these hard working men accustomed to back breaking work abandoned everything they have known in their lives to respond to Jesus’ simple promise “If you follow me I will make you fishers of men”.
     All the anticipation, all the fears in the two previous readings are dissipated by this simple statement from Jesus. Here Jesus is revealed  as something completely new in the history of the Jewish people, and we see the transformation of Jesus from just another prophet, into something the people of Israel have never seen, into something completely different.
       Up until this moment prophets communicated the directives they received from God, and nothing else. They were the voice of God in a sinful and broken world, and were condemned to witness its corruption and slow death; but in today’s Gospel Jesus changes this, not only he preaches about the Kingdom of God, but unlike the prophets of old.  He takes what he finds in this kingdom and transforms it into something new, something the whole world has never seen before, something life giving.
   “ I will make you fishers of men”...Think about it for a second, when  we go fishing we take fish out of their natural environment, but when we fish a man from the water we are rescuing them, we are taking them from a potentially deadly environment into the safety of our boats.  Jesus did not, take something from the kingdom of God and destroy it to form something new, Jesus took what the apostles had in over abundance, the work they knew so well and offered to show them how to use this in a completely new way. To rescue men from their sinful environment and bring them life for Glory to God.
   There is a part in the mass, which always reminds us of this moment in the history of salvation, of how God can take anything we humans have to offer and transforms it into something that is life giving. Right after the offertory, when the priests lifts the chalice and says: “Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received this bread and wine we offer you: fruit of the earth and the work of human hands”  This wine and the bread which was produced by the work and the suet of humans becomes the body and blood of Christ, something divine, which gives life to the world.  In this moment of the mass we connect with that crucial moment in the history of salvation, and at every mass Jesus once again tells us “If you follow me, I will make you dot.dot.dot”.
   The challenge for us today and at every mass is to ask ourselves how are we going to respond to that invitation from the Lord, how are we going to fill that “ dot,dot,dot”. How are we going to allow him to use the work of our hands, to rescue the world from its sinful and corrupted state.
   2000 years ago Jesus took on changing the world with just a few fisherman. Now imagine what he can do with the work of our hands here in Saint Michael. If I were to do an employment survey here today I bet that I would get a fair number of retired people, a lot of students, and a great diversity of professions.  Again Imagine what can the Lord do with all the work our human hands. All we have to do is answer to His call and allow ourselves to be challenged like the apostles, following him and letting him bless and consecrate the world by the work of our own hands.

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More Religion Related Science News

   WOW... A few days back I did a Top 5 post for (What I thought were) the most significant religious related Science news of the Year 2014. Who would have known that it would increase the traffic in my blog by 10 fold! It was even selected by BigPulpit.com one of the top Catholic news aggregators on line right now. The fact is, this sort of news happens all the time but the Main Stream Media just ignores them. So I decided to continue posting these as I encounter them.

Here are the ones which have been reported since the beginning of the year:

More evidence for the Anthropic Nature of creation. The Anthropic Principle is an idea belonging to Astrophysics and Cosmology. Simply stated, it makes the claim that because some physical properties and constants which make intelligent life possible seem to be "fine tuned", it appears that the physical universe is "compatible" with the necessary constants to accommodate conscious life. The article reports a new study from the University of Bonn which provides new evidence in favor of this principle of Nature. Can someone say "Designer's Universe"?

New study Shows strong correlation exists between religiosity and personal happiness. New study from Austin Institute for the Study of Family and Culture has shown that higher levels of church attendance “predict higher life satisfaction,” even after accounting for how important religious faith is in people’s lives. There is one more reason to attend Mass every Sunday!

Scientists Seek Religious Experience -- in the Brain.
Neuroscientists at the University of Utah are seeking to examine how the human brain behaves during a religious experience. Personally I feel this sort of research is well overdue. I would love to see in an MRI which parts in the cerebral cortex light up when some one is experiencing a vision of the St. Bernadette at Lourdes type.

Well folks there you have it more news from the intersection of science and religion. Hopefully the new year will bring more of this.

NOTE: Following the suggestion from one of my commenters I decided to add a page to the web site in which I will continue reporting these sort of news throughout the year. You can link to it here. 

"Viva Cristo Rey!!"

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A Conversation between Francis and a Hufftington Post Blogger

   I came across a post this morning which got my attention. I usually get all sorts of articles about religion in my news feed. Some are pro and some are against, every-once in a while I get one which makes me think, and every-once in a blue moon I get one which makes me sit and write a blog post. Today is that blue moon I guess.

   The article in question was published (of all places) in the religion feed of the Huffington Post.(If you do not know about the Huff-post I should tell you that it is one of the major hubs of all things Liberal in cyber-world, they usually give what I would call a less than balanced view of religion, and specifically the Catholic Church). The article, by Kerry Huston Reightley.  a mother from Washington state,  has a very catchy title for someone like me, involved in ministering to people interested in the Catholic Church; "Are You Catholic Curious? If so, What One Question Would You Ask the Pope?".

So with much curiosity I clicked in the link to see what was it all about. I have to admit, the first paragraph didn't look too promising:

I confess: I'm Catholic curious. Sort of. I've always been fascinated--and, admittedly, frightened--by this notion that Catholics can slip behind a closet door, confess any kind of sin, from the monumental to the mundane; and, theoretically, emerge with a clean slate. A true tabula rasa. Where do I sign up? Simply admit my sins, and I'm back to zero? Is there a credit card with these kinds of benefits?

  ...but, like I said, since this is the sort of statement I'm used to hearing from non-Catholics (And some Catholics too!) I kept reading. Following this "first salvo", Kerry tells the story of her husband, a pilot, meeting a group of ladies which while meeting Pope Francis were speechless until Francis broke the ice with some good old "papal humor" (Based on the effect this event had on Kerry it seems that she doesn't  realize that some recent popes have been quite hilarious). This encounter inspired her to ask random friends simply: "What would you ask the Pope?", an action which generated quite a list of questions:

Since like I said, I'm in the business of answering questions about the Church, and since these questions are answered with just a few words. I decided to compose this post with what I think Francis would say. (I do not know of any Canon Law which specifically prohibits clergy from speaking for the Pope without his permission so I figure I'm in the clear (and I can always follow Kerry's advice and go to confession... right ???))

Here we go, Francis musings will be in "quotes".

• If God sends people to Heaven, and the Devil punishes bad people by sending them to Hell, then isn't the Devil good?

"Actually God doesn't send anyone to Heaven, and the Devil has no power to send anyone to Hell. We send ourselves by our actions. God just provides the standard by which we are judged and the Devil derives pleasure by punishing those who decide to "do their own thing" instead of listening to God. So no, the Devil is not good."

• Why is the Christian faith more real to him than any other faith?

"Because the founder of the Christian Church is the only one who said: "I will be killed and in three days I will return from the death" and actually did it." 

• I don't know who he is, but I would rather ask questions to my parents than ask someone who is Catholic.

"This is a strange statement (I suspect it comes from a child). I guess the only thing I could say is if you are buying a car and want to buy a Corvette would you ask questions about the Corvette to the Honda sales person? I'm reminded of what Bishop Sheen once said "In the US there are less than 100 who hate the Church, the rest just hate their own idea of what they think the Church is."

• How do you hope to address the issue of poverty?

"By telling the rich nations they have to do something about poverty, and by encouraging the many Catholic Charities in the world to continue serving the poor. There is a reason we are the largest charitable organization in the world, but we can always do more (Not just the Church but all of us)"

• I'd applaud him for truly embracing what a Man of God should be in today's society. And I'm not Catholic.

"Thanks! please pray for me as I will pray for you. "

• What are your thoughts on the afterlife?

"There is an after life, Jesus proved this fact. To quote St. Paul, "Human eyes have not seen nor human mind conceived what awaits for us in the after life."

• Do you believe that our loved ones come to us in our dreams, and give us messages?

"Yes, God can use anything to reveal himself to us."

• Will we see our loved ones in heaven?

"Yes, without a doubt."

• Do we stay the same age in heaven, as we did when we died?

"St. Thomas Aquinas (A doctor of the Church) believed that heaven will bring the best of each one of us. He mused that 18-24 years are the years in which we are "at the top of our game" so this will be the age our "heavenly bodies" will show. Now imagine a whole heaven filled with people 18 to 24 year old...quite a picture if you ask me!"

• How will he utilize the digital-age computer to teach the younger members about the Catholic Church?

"Here the Church is making strides but it still has a long way to go. We could learn much about how our Protestant brothers are using "new media". I would be remiss if I do not mention that I know of this deacon in Maryland who has a great blog, I'll tweet you the link later."

• "Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent? Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent? Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?" - Epicurus

"I think God would like us to prevent evil first, before we sit down and wait for him to "take care of business", this is why he gave us Free Will so that we make use of it for good. Evil "cometh" from our violations of this free will, specially when we do not use it to love others.  About omnipotence I would say that many people have an erroneous idea of this concept. Just because God is omnipotent doesn't mean he can act in any way he wants.There are things God can not do, for example he can not act illogically and he can not contradict himself, but most importantly He will not violate our free will. This freedom, which is a gift from God is too precious for Him to break and for us to squander away."

• What's his favorite work of fiction?

"I'm partial to South American authors, Gabriel Garcia Marques is always a good bet. "

• How can anyone--from any religion--think they're the only ones who will be saved?

"The desire for salvation is universal although different traditions do not express this desire in the Christian way. There are longings in the human heart which transcend time and nationality. We all want to be loved, and we all want to love. We all gravitate towards what is safe and beautiful. Because of our human frailties we tend to become insular and think that "only my group" is worthy of this love and beauty. The reality is God is the only one who will allow us entrance into His kingdom. I suspect that many of us will be very surprised when we meet some of the people who made it through."

• What is your vision of God?

"Loving father. "

• I'd have him pray for "Unc."

"I will pray for him...her...it??? "

• How can Christians, or any faith, justify killing in the name of religion?

"I suspect that there is not much difference between people regardless of what religion they are. People kill because they have closed themselves to God's love, to a point that they have stopped using their God given capacity to reason, and allow others to use them for their own selfish interests. I think we should not hate these people, we should pity them and pray for the light of God to illumine their hearts so that they realize the evil they are causing.  "

• Who would he like to go to lunch with?

 "St Ignatius of Loyola."

So there you have it; solid Catholic teaching in just a few lines. There is one more question Kerry would like to ask Pope Francis, here it is with what I think Francis would answer:

• Why does the church continue to shield criminals, who have [sexually] abused generations of devoted, innocent followers?

"I believe that every time this question is asked the first words coming out of any minister of the Church should be "On behalf of every, bishop, priest, deacon, nun, and religious brother who have ever even thought about hurting anyone, I ask for your forgiveness". The next words should be "if you think you have credible information to arrest and throw these criminals and the people who are shielding them in jail, I implore you, drop what you are doing and contact the pertinent civil authorities",  The last thing we should say is "If you do not have any information about these people, and this statement is just based on your opinion, let me ask you two questions 1) Do you think it is fair to throw a shadow over the work of hundreds of thousands of good and holy people based on just "your perceptions"? 2) What would it take for you to change your opinion of 'The Church" in this regard, since the only thing you have is your perceptions and nothing else?"

And I think Francis would  end with

"Please pray for me, as I assure you of my prayers for you."


"Viva Cristo Rey!!" (Ok that was not Francis but me :-) )

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Epiphany of the Lord

   If we were to list all the characters in the Christmas story, I think the list would go something like this: First You got Baby Jesus at the center, then Mary and Joseph, then the angles, then the shepherds, then King Herod, then The Magi and lastly the Star of Bethlehem. However there is one character which is hardly ever noticed, although it is a fundamental part of the action in this story. And not I’m not talking about sheep or the cow or the donkey. The character I think I have in mind was there when Jesus was born, stood next to the Magi while they tried to figure the meaning of the strange signs they were witnessing in the heavens. This character stood with the shepherds as they tended their flocks at night and accompanied them to visit the new born King. It stood next to the choirs of angels as they praised God while wishing peace to all people of good will and was responsible for the brightness of the guiding star. We can even see the influence it had in King Herod’s heart as he plotted the murder of innocent children; And. If by now you have not guessed whom this crucial member of the cast is let me tell you it’s name… Its name is Darkness.
   If we were to re-read all the stories which compose the story of Christmas, from the annunciation to the visit of the Magi, you will notice that the closer we get to the point in which we are today the more darkness plays an ever increasing role in the plot. From the night dreams St Joseph had as he struggled to decide if he should expose the pregnancy of Mary, to the Holy couple seeking for a place to spend the night and deliver their baby, to the dark corners of a cold a dirty stable, to the shepherds herding their sheep in the night, to the choirs of angels singing in the night, to the magi following a star; without the shadows of the night, the Christmas story would be incomplete.
    I do not think this happened by accident, in fact this is one of the main points of the incarnation, God in the flesh illuminating a world in darkness with his divine presence.
    The interesting thing is that although human beings and animals have a natural fear of darkness, in this story darkness although a constant companion in itself it is not scary. It is only when we are confronted with the darkness residing in the heart of King Herod that we are repulsed by it. What can be in the heart of a human being who chooses to murder innocent children than the plain unadulterated darkness of evil? It would be nice if we could say “thanks be to God we do not live in a world with that kind of darkness in the hearts of men!” But sadly we do, we see examples of this every day! From the children murdered in Sandy Hook just a few days before Christmas, last year. To the stories of the Islamist terrorists in, butchering children just because they would not deny their faith in Christ, to the sad reality that since abortion has been legal in our country 52 million babies, have been aborted by an industry which exploits the fears and confusion of poor women. The darkness of evil is a clear presence in the hearts of many men today.
   This is why we needed a savior, someone like us but not one of us. Someone who can show us the way in the same way the start guided the Magi, not destroying the darkness but illuminating it with its brightness, and marking a path for us to follow; because darkness cannot be destroyed or eradicated but it could be made disappear by the light of something as simple as a baby wrapped on swaddling clothes resting peacefully in a manger.

   The three wise men visited the baby Jesus because he was light in the darkness; they followed a star because it guided them to the source of all light. They set an example for us, who exist in the darkness of our modern world.
   The other day Nancy and I were walking from the parking lot and met a gentleman, one of our parishioners. We started talking and in his words we could hear how much he had been affected by the things that are currently happening on the world. He asked me “Why are all these horrible things happening?” I gave him The best answer I could, I said “Evil exists because of sin, as long as we live in this side of heaven we will have evil. But we will also have the light of the spirit which guides us, protects us and consoles us”.
    This is the light which today shines from the manger, the light the magi followed and the Shepherds marveled about in wonder. The light which shines into the darkness of world, Jesus Christ the Son of God, who became flesh dwell among us and is still gently guiding us into heaven.  
    In this Epiphany Sunday, as we finish the Christmas season, my prayer is for the light which guided the Magi, to brings you peace and joy today. Amen

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Top Religion Related Science News for 2014

        One of the major arguments secularists and atheists love to throw around is the perceived mutual exclusiveness between science and religion.  This canard is constantly exploited by the mainstream media as a way of pushing their anti religious agenda. The fact is religion and science mutually contribute to, and coexist with each other quite nicely. So in the spirit of this mutually beneficial  relationship between these two human endeavors here are my 5 Top Religion Related Science News for 2014.

No 5:Scientist honored by the Vatican on verge of stem-cell breakthrough

In August the Vatican honored professor Silviu Itescu for pioneering a therapy for congestive heart failure based on Adult Stem Cells. Prof Itescu, who is NOT Catholic, is the chief executive of Mesoblast, an Australia-based regenerative medicine company.  Mesoblast is pioneering a therapy that requires a single injection of 150 million adult stem cells into the heart – and no conventional surgery.

No 4: New Study Examines the Effects of Prayer on Mental Health

In September, researchers from Baylor university published the study "Prayer, Attachment to God, and Symptoms of Anxiety-Related Disorders among U.S. Adults." Their research found that people who pray to a loving and protective God are less likely to experience anxiety-related disorders — worry, fear, self-consciousness, social anxiety and obsessive compulsive behavior — compared to people who pray but don’t really expect to receive any comfort or protection from God. Apparently, the study seems to point to the fact that the more faith you have, the better mental health you experience.

Prayer, Attachment to God, and Symptoms of Anxiety-Related Disorders among U.S. Adults - See more at: http://spiritualityhealth.com/blog/traci-pedersen/praying-loving-god-guards-against-anxiety#sthash.upiqvXse.dpuf

Prayer, Attachment to God, and Symptoms of Anxiety-Related Disorders among U.S. Adults - See more at: http://spiritualityhealth.com/blog/traci-pedersen/praying-loving-god-guards-against-anxiety#sthash.upiqvXse.dpuf

No 3: Prayer Can Aid Organizational Bonding

In June, the American Sociological Review Journal published a paper stating that "The prayer practices observed appear to play a crucial role in binding participants together across significant racial and socioeconomic differences" when people from different backgrounds attend prayer services together.

No 2: Vatican scientists co-host conference in Arizona seeking alien life in universe.

In March, the University of Arizona and the Vatican Observatory co-hosted a gathering of about 200 scientists interested in planetary biology. The topic of this conference was:"The Search for Life Beyond the Solar System: Exoplanets, Biosignature and Instruments"

No 1: Brother Guy Consolmagno, S.J., wins the American Astronomical Society's Carl Sagan Medal. 

The Carl Sagan medal is awarded  for outstanding communication by an active planetary scientist to the general public. In the announcement, the AAS states: "As a Jesuit Brother, Guy has become the voice of the juxtaposition of planetary science and astronomy with Christian belief, a rational spokesperson who can convey exceptionally well how religion and science can co-exist for believers."

As you can see it was a good year for the intersession between religion and science, hopefully 2015 will bring more of this and less of the nonsense we constantly get feed by the enemies of religion.

NOTE: Following the suggestion from one of my commenters I decided to add a page to the web site in which I will continue reporting these sort of news throughout the year. You can link to it here. 

"Viva Cristo Rey!!"

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Closing the 2014 Year!

Well, another year is in the books! I have to say that this has been quite a year for me. Among the highlights of the year I embarked in a new form of ministry with my podcast (The Hidden Bible). I began a new ministry helping Spanish speaking  divorced Catholics seeking a Marriage annulment. I spend a fantastic vacation time with the family back in the "mother ship" (AKA the beaches of Puerto Rico). I met some fantastic friends, (I'm talking about you Rose Sweet!). I fulfilled one of my childhood dreams by honoring the Camino the Santiago and earning the Compostela (A certificate which declares I was a real "peregrino" in the Camino). And I dropped 20 pounds! Quite a year!

Now last Year I posted my resolutions for everyone to see, as a way of holding myself accountable. I think it is only fair to see how I did... so here they are with an honest assessment for each one.

• Eat better - I have to say that (with the help of my bride) I was able to cut on my caloric intake, although I still have a weakness for sweets.
• Walk more - Boy did I met this one! I trained heavenly for my trip to northern Spain, and there I walked 200 miles in 2 weeks, and after this I continued taking regular walks.
• Spend more time reading -My goal was 24 books, and I have to say I fell short. I only ended reading 18. But I read quite a bit of articles and technical papers so those should count for something right?
• Spend less time on line - This one failed miserably mostly because I do heavy use of Google productivity tools such as gmail, drive and calender. However I also did a fair amount of wilffing.
• Increase my guitar repertoire - Here I have to say that I was doing quite well until I got a nasty bout of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, which forced me to stop my guitar playing for a couple of months. I did however come up with a pretty good guitar practice program, which I will pick in the new year and see how my wrists hold.
• Record more of my music - Big goose egg  here, mostly because of time and the bout of CTS.

All and all a pretty good year!

Ok, with that out of the way, here are my resolutions for next year!

• Continue eating healthy AND control my sweet tooth.
• Continue exercising (Walking)  and do a multiday hike either in the AT or the C&O Canal.
• Read at least 2 books a month.
• Write at least one blog article a moths (In addition to my homilies).
• Produce at least 10 episodes of my podcast.
• Increase my Guitar repertoire (And record at least some!)

So there you have it, the year in review and a plan for the next year.
May the new year be filled with many blessings and see you next December to see how I did!

"Viva Cristo Rey!!"

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22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time (Cycle A)

  Today I will break the number one rule, all homilists are instructed never to break. I will speak about what is going on in my personal life, (but don’t worry, It is for a good cause). As many of you know by now, in less than a week, Deacon Cliff and I will be leaving on a pilgrimage to the tomb of the Apostle St James in the city of Santiago de Compostela, in Northern Spain. As pilgrimages go this is NOT your average trip. The day after we arrive in Spain we will take a 5 hour bus trip to the Shrine of “La Virgen del Camino”, Our lady of “The Way” there we will pray and ask for her protection as we start our 300 Km (186 mile) walk culminating in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, God willing, 17 days later. We will carry our “Pilgrims Passport” which will allow us to stay in pilgrims “alberges” (low budget Hostels ran by Churches or volunteers), it will also allow us to eat from the “Pilgrims menu” in the alberges, which are the Camino version of soup kitchens. We will share living quarters with dozens of other pilgrims every night and we will sleep in our sleeping bags, wherever they can find space for us. We will carry all of our belongings in our backs, and hopefully we will be able to take a shower every day (Although this is not a 100 assurance). Our lives will be reduced to its bare minimum since the more we pack the more we have to carry in our backs. Every day we plan to pray the liturgy of the hours in community with each other, the angelus, and will try to attend mass in the churches and shrines we will encounter in our way. All this time we will be praying for our families and for you our, St Michael family, and if you have a specific intention you would like us to take to the tomb of the Apostle just drop Cliff or me an email and we will take it with us.
  Now, you might be wandering why would a couple of middle aged guys like Deacon Cliff and I, will put ourselves through the rigors of a trip which seems to be designed for men half our age. Well, I would not like to speak for Cliff but on my part I find that the words of today’s first reading explain my desire to engage in this trip quite well: “It becomes like fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones, I grow weary holding it in, and I cannot endure it”. In my mind these words of the prophet Jeremiah describes not only my own desire, but the yearnings of all those who have decided to abandon comfort and convenience leaving behind family and friends and follow the Lord.
  In today’s Gospel Jesus states it very plainly: “Whoever wishes to come after me, must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me”
  Now, when we hear talk about our own personal crosses we tend to think of people who are struggling in life, who are sick in hospitals, who are persecuted for their faith or who are suffering with the loss of a loved one.   We do not associate those words with the high middle class life we live here in the “4 county” area. But if we read Jesus’ words very carefully, the cross is not reserved to those who suffer. The only requirement needed to embrace our crosses is the desire to follow him.
   If you are like me you are accustomed to have everything at the tip of our hands, our lives are full of resources, convenience and comfort. Now I’m not saying that these things are bad; in fact I view them as a great gift and blessing from God, but unlike those who are forced to embrace their cross through suffering, we have to make a conscientious effort, and act of the will if you may, to take our crosses. And what would the cross be for us? The volunteer abandonment of conveniences and comfort; This is not easy! This is a struggle; the temptation to get back to our easy lives is great! Just try to spend a day of “the grid” without any social media, or communications or computers and you will know what I’m talking about!

   In the Catholic Church we have a long history of spiritual discipline, of denying ourselves with prayer, fasting, and giving alms, even works of mercy like visiting the sick and consoling the suffering, could become part of embracing our crosses, if they get us out of our comfort zone and cost us an extra effort. It is easy to say that we want to follow the Lord, but when “push comes to shove”, are we ready to do what the Lord expects us to do? Are we up to the challenge? Think and pray about it, and also pray for Cliff and I so that we have a safe and spiritually rewarding trip. God bless you all.
  By abandoning the same conveniences and comforts we have received as a gift from God we are following St Peter's advice in the second reading of “offering our bodies as a living sacrifice holy end pleasing to God”, we are offering “our spiritual worship”

"Viva Cristo Rey!!"

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Vietnamese Coffee Anyone?

   Coffee has always been (And always will be) one of my guilty pleasures. When I was growing up in Puerto Rico, "cafe" was as prevalent as soda is today in modern day America. In fact, one of my earliest memories as a child is of me holding and drinking from a bottle filled  not with formula or juice but with what people call today a "Latte", and this was when I was a toddler!

    A few weeks back I went to one of St Michael's small  groups meetings and the topic of coffee came up. I mentioned that the most extreme form of coffee making I have ever experienced comes from the Vietnamese culture. Our host encouraged me to prepare some for them and using the tools at hand I made what I thought was a pretty acceptable cup. However I have to admit I did not made justice to what people in Vietnam drink. So I decided to place this video in the blog to give honor where honor is due.

    Here it is for your pleasure, the perfect cup of Vietnamese coffee

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