Fr. Jeff's Blog

Away

2011-07-30T15:15:00.001-07:00

Please pray for me. I'll be at camp with teens all week, then WYD in
Madrid.

Setting Things New

2011-03-22T08:59:00.001-07:00

Lord you tell us through Isaiah to set things right. Help us to ask for your forgiveness as we come to confess our sins during the Lenten Season, that things may be set right.

More of God's Forgiveness

2011-03-18T08:57:00.001-07:00

The Lord tells us through the prophet Ezekiel that if we turn to him we shall live no matter what we’ve done in the past. Lord help all of us turn to you in the sacrament of confession to receive your pardon and healing that we may live this life as you intend and live with you forever in the next.

We offering up our fast

2011-03-11T07:57:00.001-08:00

Jesus assures the Pharisees that his disciples will fast. Today I offer up this fast for the victims of the tragedy around the Pacific.

Choose Life

2011-03-10T08:41:00.001-08:00

Moses tells us in Deuteronomy to choose life by obeying God’s commandments. Jesus teaches us to choose life by taking up his cross and following him. Lord help me today to choose life by obeying your ultimate command to take up your cross to follow you into everlasting life.

Good Friend

2011-02-25T09:41:00.001-08:00

Today the Book of Sirach teaches us the value of having a good friend. Lord, thank you for my friends, and help me to be a better friend to you through my actions and words today.

Our Hearts

2011-01-13T08:44:00.001-08:00

Psalm 95 tells us not to harden our hearts to your voice Lord. Soften our hearts with your Spirit that we may be encouraged today to remain faithful to our life with you.

The Day Before Christmas

2010-12-24T07:58:00.001-08:00

We pray today: “O radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death.” Lord bring your saving light of love to our hearts.

Our Eyes Opened

2010-12-15T08:40:00.001-08:00

Lord your prophet Isaiah shows us your love through creation. Help us to keep our eyes of faith open that we may see the wonders of your love and be prepared to celebrate Christmas with joy.

God's work in Creation

2010-12-09T09:03:00.001-08:00

Today Lord you show us through your prophet Isaiah that you sustain us with your creation. It is from your creation that we can see how you are gracious and merciful. Help us to continue to be good stewards of your handiwork. Let that which sustains us in this life prepare us for the life to come.

We can see in the light.

2010-12-03T16:52:00.001-08:00

Lord you promise through your prophet Isaiah that the eyes of the blind shall see. Lord, have pity on us. We believe in you and know you can cure our spiritual blindness that we may see the world as you see the world.

End of the Year

2010-11-27T14:46:00.001-08:00

Lord, during this past liturgical year you have blessed us with an abundance of your gifts. Thank you. Help us to continue to sing your praises and make progress in the life you have prepared for us.

God is Great!

2010-11-24T09:01:00.001-08:00

John tells us in Revelation today that those who won victory over the beast sing the song of Moses and the Lamb: “Great and wonderful are your works, Lord God almighty.” Certainly this is true, but your greatest work is our redemption. Thank you for your great and wonderful works Lord. Open our hearts to sing the song of Moses and the Lamb as we journey toward our eternal union with you.

How sweet is God's Word?

2010-11-19T09:10:00.001-08:00

In revelation, John recounts the sweetness of the scroll of God’s Word in his mouth. “In my mouth it was like sweet honey, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.” Lord, help us to consume your word and digest it to make us strong in faith, hope, and love, especially when your Word seems to turn sour in our soul.

We are bought?

2010-11-18T08:43:00.001-08:00

The elders in Revelation sing that the Lamb of God purchased the people of the human race with his blood. We are His. Lord you paid a heavy price for me. Help me to live like I belong to you.

work with Joy

2010-11-03T09:01:00.001-07:00

St. Paul tells the Philippians to do everything without grumbling. Lord help us to open our hearts to see you even in our work that we may work with joy in our hearts.

Love Letter #1

2010-10-29T08:39:00.001-07:00

Paul writes his love letter to the Philippians in which he shares his prayer that they discern what is of value for the Christian life. Being the word of God this is His love letter to us too. Lord help me to respond to your love, discern what is of value, and come to bear the fruit of righteousness in my life for the glory of your name.

Apostles

2010-10-28T08:53:00.001-07:00

Jesus called his disciples Simon and Jude to be part of his inner group whom he also called apostles. Once the Holy Spirit came to the apostles, they were sent by God to proclaim the message of Jesus to the world so that others would come to believe in Jesus and share their lives with him. Lord help us to continue this mission and send us to tell of others of your love that the world may be renewed in a new relationship with you.

God's Children

2010-10-27T09:03:00.001-07:00

St. Paul tells the children of Ephesus today to obey their parents. Regardless of whether or not our parents are still with us in this life, God is our Father and we are his children. Father, help us to be humble and obey you as we ought, that we may have a long life with you in your eternal home.

To Kneel

2010-10-21T08:47:00.001-07:00

St. Paul gives us an example of prayer as he kneels before the Father to intercede for us in being rooted and grounded in love. Lord may we have the strength to kneel and comprehend the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge and live this love in the world.

Fruits of the Spirit

2010-10-13T15:36:00.001-07:00

St. Paul tells us, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). Lord, may your Spirit be made present in me through the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

A New Hope

2010-09-17T08:57:00.001-07:00

St. Paul writes, “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep” (I Corinthians 15:20). Lord Jesus because you rose from the dead we have a new hope in everlasting life. Help us to know, love, and serve you in this life to be with you in the next.

Our Sorrowful Mother

2010-09-15T09:02:00.001-07:00

And Simeon said, “You yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed” (Luke 2:35). Mary you are our mother. Pray for us that we may know the Love of God in our hearts as you felt all your life with Him especially at his passion and death.

The Race

2010-09-10T09:12:00.001-07:00

Lord you tell us through St. Paul, “Run so as to win.” Holy Spirit, fill us with your strength and train us through prayer and good works to be strong enough to cross the finish line from this life to life with you forever.

Hard Teaching

2010-09-09T09:36:00.001-07:00

Jesus tells us today, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Lord help me to put my anger aside at those who offend me that I may show the fullness of your love to the world following your will, even when it is difficult.

Happy Birthday Mary!

2010-09-08T08:47:00.001-07:00

Saint Matthew shows us in his genealogy that God reveals himself in human history. Because Mary is born Christ is born. Jesus the great Emmanuel fulfills the promise made to Abraham. In this promise we can come to understand that God is with us. Thank you Lord! Through the gift of our mother Mary you chose to continue your saving work.

The Call

2010-09-07T08:57:00.001-07:00

“I chose you from the world, that you may go and bear fruit that will last” (John 15:16). Jesus calls the Apostles to ministry. Like the Apostles the Lord calls us in our baptism to be fruitful ministers in our actions of charity and prayer.

Covenant

2010-08-13T08:54:00.001-07:00

Jesus replies, “What God has joined, man must not separate” (Matthew 19:6). Lord, do not let our hearts be hardened to our covenant with you. Help marriages to be strong and true to your teaching and help those who choose celibacy for the sake of your kingdom remain faithful to their promises. Help us all to imitate your faithful and fruitful chaste love. Keep us faithful to your teaching and never let us be separated from you.

We asked for it.

2010-08-12T08:57:00.000-07:00

The master says, “Should you not have pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you.” (Matthew 18:33). The truth is we ask for this treatment daily, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” Lord shape our hearts to be merciful like yours.

Our Prayers to God

2010-07-30T08:53:00.000-07:00

“But I pray to you, O Lord, for the time of your favor, O God! In your great kindness answer me with your constant help” (Psalm 69:14). Everything we have comes from God. He never stops helping us even when we do not feel His Presence.

Proclaimation of Faith

2010-07-29T09:48:00.001-07:00

Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Lord, help me to proclaim my faith in you as St. Martha does, “I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God….”

Gathered Up

2010-07-24T12:21:00.001-07:00

“Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save you souls” (James 1:21). Lord let the seed of your word be planted in me that my life may bear the fruit of your Holy Spirit.

Rich Soil

2010-07-23T09:16:00.001-07:00

“But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold” (Matthew 13:23). Lord, open our hearts to receive the seed of your Word that our lives bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit through our actions of charity and prayer.

We long for God

2010-07-22T19:47:00.001-07:00

“O God, you are my God whom I seek; for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts” (Psalm 63:2). Lord may our desire to be with you help us to persevere in prayer and charity.

God knows us.

2010-07-21T10:30:00.001-07:00

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…” (Jeremiah 1:4). Lord you tell us through the prophet Jeremiah that you know us better than we know ourselves. Thank you for forming us in the womb of our mothers born to enjoy and care for your creation and in the womb of the Mother Church to be born into everlasting life.

Our Hunger

2010-07-16T14:39:00.001-07:00

“I say to you something greater than the temple is here” (Matthew 12:6). Jesus you are greater than the temple. Continue to feed our spiritual hunger through your Church.

The Yoke

2010-07-15T16:53:00.001-07:00

“My yoke is easy and my burden light” (Matthew 11:30). Lord let the yoke of your love come upon us that we may find eternal rest in your light.

God's Revelation

2010-07-14T09:14:00.001-07:00

“Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom” (Matthew 11:25). Thank you Father for making us who believe your little ones.

The Good Samaritan

2010-07-11T11:43:00.001-07:00

”Who is my neighbor? The one who treated him with mercy” (Luke 10:25-37). We are taught to love God and our neighbor. Through the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus shows us that our neighbor is both the victim and the one who treated the victim with mercy. God gives us the tools to treat others with mercy through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. When we use these gifts we let the fruits of the Spirit grow in our lives. You have the tools. Help a neighbor today with an act of kindness that the fruit of God’s mercy grow more abundant in our lives.

Fruit of Forgivness

2010-07-09T08:46:00.001-07:00

“They shall blossom like the vine, and his fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon” (Hosea 14:9). The Lord is speaking about forgiving Israel. Once they receive the Spirit of Forgiveness they will grow into something new and experience the fruit of joy.

Our Father's Love

2010-07-08T08:56:00.001-07:00

“When Israel was a Child I loved him, out of Egypt I called my son” (Hosea 11:1). God shows us that he loves us like a father who picks up his child to hold the child close to his face. God does this with us. Lord let us feel your loving embrace.

Justice and Piety

2010-07-07T09:50:00.001-07:00

“Sow for yourselves justice, reap the fruit of piety…” (Hosea 10:12). The Spirit calls us to act with the Spirit of Justice: feed to poor, visit the sick, and more. Piety is the fruit of the Holy Spirit that gives us the desire to be closer to God. What God says through the prophet today means that doing acts of justice makes us want to be closer to Him. Be just today and draw closer to God.

The Thomas Creed

2010-07-03T15:05:00.000-07:00

Thomas proclaims his faith in Jesus, “My Lord and my God.” May we be able to proclaim the truth that Jesus is Lord and God with our words and actions that more people who have never seen Him will come to believe in Him.

Jesus' Medicine

2010-07-02T14:33:00.001-07:00

Today’s Quote: “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.” Sin is the disease that is common to all of us. Jesus the physician gives us himself as our medicine with scripture, the sacraments, and acts of charity.

God's Love

2010-07-01T09:14:00.001-07:00

Happy July! Today begins my second year as pastor of St. Anthony’s in Forest Grove. This year I would like to build off of the “Year of the Priest” in having a minute Lectio Divina with the daily scripture readings. (We’ll see if I can follow through). In the Catholic Church our daily readings have a two year cycle. This year we walk with the second cycle of readings. The words of Christ, “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven” stand out to me. When we fall to temptation and sin we begin to fear God. Our sins/fear can keep us from walking the Christian life. Jesus makes His love clear by inviting us to have courage when we are afraid to walk in his love. He frees us to walk by telling us we are forgiven. I thank you Father for your Spirit of love revealed by your Son.

End of the Year of the Priest

2010-06-13T17:06:00.001-07:00

Last Friday, June 11^th, on the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the “Year of the Priest” came to a conclusion. My fellow priests and I spend the end of the year on a retreat at Mt. Angel Seminary in the Willamette Valley. Our retreat master walked us through the process of Lectio Divina (aka: Divine Reading), a form of Christian prayer centuries old. Part of the life of a priest is to pray with the scriptures every day. Lectio Divina keeps us grounded in God’s living Word working in our daily lives. The retreat master extended this form of prayer to what he called a minute Lectio. Often a priest operates with many surprises throughout the day. It can become difficult to find time to reflect on how God speaks to us through the various people and circumstances of the day. Minute Lectio gives us that time to be with Christ in a word of thanks, a question to God, or a quiet moment of contemplation in seeing the Divine Grace of the moment. Retreats are part of the life of a priest because it gives us a chance to slow down and regroup with the Lord. I thank God for the gift of last week and for the reflective ending to the “Year of the Priest.”

Happy Easter!

2010-04-07T09:55:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter! We’ve all made it through Lent with prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Now we can celebrate and come to the joy of Easter. I love the season of Easter in the church. In it we reflect on the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and what that means for us. Because our Lord rose from the dead on the third day we hope that if we believe in him and follow his commandments we too will rise again on the last day. Our bodies will be made perfect in Christ and we will walk with the Lord for eternity. We also reflect on how we live the resurrection right now in our Christian lives. We get to see how we are connected to Christ in the Eucharist and enjoy the glory of this life in the resurrection. We enter the Easter life when we are baptized. In our baptism we receive the white cloth of our Christian dignity and the light of faith to be kept burning brightly in our lives. These signify the glorious resurrection we will one day experience. Paul tells us today that “When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.” This is our hope! Praise God our Father who raised Jesus his Son from the dead to give us the gift of his Holy Spirit to believe in him, to die with him, to rise with him, to live with him forever. Amen. Alleluia!

Stations of the Cross

2010-03-13T15:01:00.001-08:00

Lent reminds us of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is customary in the Catholic Church to journey with Christ on the way to his death to remind us that God understands suffering too. In his suffering and death God truly embraces everything that makes us human. This ancient form of prayer started in Jerusalem very early in the history of Christianity. It later arrived in Europe in the form of 14 stations. I’ve been a participant in the Stations of the Cross since I was a little boy. My first experience of it frightened me. How could we do this to Jesus? Later as an Altar Server I carried a candle for my parish priest who led the devotion. My arms would get tired. I imagined that in my weakness Simon of Cyrene helped me to carry the candle. In high school and college I experienced the devotion in a new and creative way that was more interactive. I placed myself in the lives of the people that met our Lord on the way to his death. As a seminarian we walked the hill of Mt. Angel Abbey which seemed very comparable to Calvary. At that time I visualized Jesus walking up Calvary.

This lent we will remember the way of the cross on Friday’s at 7p.m. This is a bilingual service. We follow a traditional format based on the scriptures. The priest introduces the station, a lector reads a passage of the passion, and the people respond with another passage from scripture. Then the priest offers a prayer on behalf of the people, stands and proceeds to the next station singing part of the Stabat Mater in English. In my life as a priest I have found the Stations of the Cross to be a source of spiritual strength. With this devotion I have also found that God understands me better that I could ever know and guides me to take up the cross with Him: to die with Him in order to rise with Him on the last day.

Reconciliation

2010-03-07T17:11:00.001-08:00

During Lent we repent. Why? We repent to get ready to meet our Maker. Without the act of God’s forgiveness we would not be ready for that day when we will see God as He is in glory. In this life it is something that we ask for all the time. We ask others to forgive us for our trespasses, so naturally we would ask God to forgive us when we sin against him as well. The first place we reconcile our lives to the Father is in Baptism. After that we can receive the greatness of God’s love by receiving the Eucharist. Despite God’s love for me I have learned that after baptism I am still prone to sin. I imagine that it is the same for most of us. As Catholics we go to confession to receive God’s mercy in a special way. In this sacrament we come to the priest, tell him how long it has been since our last confession and then tell him our sins. Sometimes he will give us some advice on how we can be more faithful to God and also give us an act of penance. Penance is not painful. Usually it is a prayer or kind act. We do this to thank God for His merciful love. Next we say an Act of Contrition, we receive absolution from the priest, and then go on our merry way ready to receive communion with our mind and heart renewed. As a priest I strive to go to confession once a month.

Most people may ask why go to a priest for forgiveness, why not just talk to God directly and receive forgiveness. It’s between me and God anyway. That is probably true, but the sacrament is not just for forgiveness, it is about communion too. If we commit a very serious sin like murder or adultery then we cannot receive communion until we’ve gone to confession and said we are sorry for our sins. Let’s try an analogy. Let’s say that the pitcher on the baseball team did something so bad against the team that he is kicked off the team. A week later he feels guilty about what he has done and wants back on the team. So he asks God to forgive him, but he is still not on the team. How does he get back on the team? He must speak with the coach, apologize, maybe even be given a task to complete for the team by the end of the season, and then he can play again. But he must go through the coach. The coach is the door to the team just as Christ in the person of the priest is the door to communion with the Church. Jesus left the Apostles in charge of the Church, the Apostles appointed bishops over large areas, and the bishops ordained priests to minister the sacraments in local parishes. This basic structure has not changed in nearly 2000 years.

This Thursday evening we will have a communal reconciliation service. My brother priests and I will be available to hear confessions in English and Spanish that night for all who want to purify their minds and hearts before God and His Church. In Lent we repent. This is a great way to prepare to meet our Maker before we celebrate the Resurrection.

Italian Dinner

2010-03-03T18:49:00.001-08:00

Bene, bene, mucha bene! What a great weekend! Thank you all for your participation in the Italian Dinner. The pasta filled the belly, the wine lightened the heart, and the conversation enlightened the spirit. Many of you put a lot of time and talent into making this dinner special for those who attended and for me in my first year as you pastor. I would like to especially thank Ed and Sharon VanDyke for pulling us all together. You guys worked so hard and your effort has not been unnoticed. Thank you for your dedication to the parish family of St. Anthony’s.

Sincerely,

Fr. Jeff

Youth Group

2010-02-10T15:42:00.001-08:00

Two Sundays ago I had the opportunity to stay the whole night with the youth group and it was a blast. I have to admit that I do not spend as much time with the youth as I would like and want to make a better effort in supporting the youth group. The evening I went we have snack and a party. We told stories, played games, and had fun. I know that they also do educational activities and look forward to leading some of those this coming weekend. The youth group is designed to help form teens into strong adults of faith. Parents are the first to educate children in the faith. The Church serves the parents in the more formal education process. As a pastor it is a privilege and a joy to serve our youth. Look forward to seeing you all Sunday!

The Pastoral Council

2010-01-24T15:04:00.001-08:00

This weekend I called forth the members of the Pastoral Council during Mass to receive a special blessing. The pastoral council is an advisory council to the pastor. The members advise the pastor in regards pastoral planning. For example, last summer I was approached by a member of the council who wanted to move forward with a program called Family Bridge. The parish would host and provide shelter for families throughout the week. The goal was to host Family Bridge the week of Christmas. The Pastoral Council help me to discern that there is a need in Forest Grove to provide shelter to the homeless and that the Spirit is calling this local church to provide this service to the local community. How could I refuse the work of the Spirit! With planning we were able to follow through with God’s work.

Typically I meet with the Pastoral Council once a month. We begin with scripture based prayer to connect us directly to God’s living word among us. We come with a formal agenda, review the minutes of the previous meeting, listen to an Admin Council representative, move forward with old business and sometimes pick up new business. All is done with reflection on the scripture of the evening. Toward the end we bring forth issues for the good of the order which mostly means I make some announcements about activities in the parish. Finally we end with prayer and go home.

I need the Pastoral Council. Through it I hear the needs of the parish and see the faith of the community in a corporate way. People can bring their pastoral concerns to me via the members of the council. Through a combined effort as one body of Christ we move forward in His saving mission. I am truly blessed to have the council to guide me here at St. Anthony’s. Let us all pray for our councils that they may be moved by the Spirit and continue the mission of Jesus Christ to love and serve the Lord.

The Business Life

2010-01-14T13:30:00.001-08:00

A priest’s life can get busy with regular business parish life. I cannot say all that goes on during a specific week, but generally every week there are things that need addressed. Most weeks I sign checks to pay the bills. Just like a regular residence we must maintain heat, lighting, and water in all the parish facilities. It takes time to go over business statements to make sure they seem accurate and then pay the appropriate company. This may sound very simple but there are so many statements to read that it can take an hour or more to go through them all. If we add any projects to the mix it can quickly become a full time job! Ultimately it is the job of the pastor to make sure that the buildings have standard utilities, that the buildings are cleaned, that cosmetic damage is repaired, that the lawn is mowed and that the roof, walls, and floor of each building can house small group meetings with parishioners looking to further their spiritual growth. I am fortunate enough to have an employee handle most of these things, but nevertheless, I am involved with this type of ministry two to eight hours a week depending on the need. It can be busy, but the Church needs places for people to enhance their relationship with God. It would have been handy to have a business degree, but I must let the Spirit and other competent people guide my actions here at the parish. All this and more is part of the life of a parish priest.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-31T11:47:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New year! I have forgotten how busy the life of a priest can get before Christmas. I had to look back on the calendar to see what I’ve been doing for the last two weeks. Here at the parish we ended the season of Advent Christmas eve morning with the Mass of the day. We had Mass nearly every day during Advent. My hope is that this helped to foster the spiritual preparation of the parish for the celebration of the Birth of Our Lord.

Since Christmas landed on a Friday this year I spent the week preparing my homilies for both Christmas and Holy Family which landed the following Sunday. We began to celebrate Christ’s birthday Christmas Eve with carols at 4:30pm. We followed with Mass in English at 5pm Mass and Spanish at 7pm. The late night crowd started arriving at the church at 10:30 to save seats for the Midnight Mass (at midnight) and we ended about 2pm. Later Christmas morning we celebrated the “Mass of the Day” at 9:30 in English. The songs, the scriptures, and the community seemed filled with joy and awe at the mystery of our Lord’s birth.

We did have some trials through it all, but I kept laughing. After all, why should everything go perfectly my first year as a pastor? At the 5pm vigil we had no baby Jesus! At the 7pm vigil we had three! At midnight Mass, my homily seemed to have disappeared! So, by 9:30am morning Mass, nothing was forgotten. All I could do was laugh and enjoy the time spent with the people of God.

In the secular world Christmas is over, but for the Catholic Church we celebrate Christmas until the mass of the Baptism of our Lord. This gives us a fuller spiritual sense of the mystery of God present among us. So the following Friday I began again at 5pm Saturday night to prepare for the weekend vigil Mass of the Holy Family followed Sunday by our regular Mass schedule. At the weekend Masses I reminded everyone that January 1^st the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God. I told them that this day is a holy day of obligation. We the church are a family, and just as we have family obligations at Christmas time, we have family obligations as a Church to celebrate certain feasts, particularly one celebrating the Mother of our Lord. So tomorrow we will have Mass at the Church here during the Christmas Season at noon in honor of our Lady.

I love being a priest this time of year!

Our Lady of Guadalupe

2009-12-13T16:58:00.000-08:00

The Catholic Church celebrates special feast days in honor of Mary the Mother of Jesus. We call her our “Blessed Mother” for on the cross Jesus gave her to all of us when he says to the Beloved Disciple, “Behold your Mother” (John 19:27). One such feast day is December 12^th. On this day we recall her appearance to a native Mexican peasant Juan Diego. The Mexican people hold this day close to their hearts. Before the sun rises they sing to her to show their love for her. Then with devotion they pray the rosary reflecting on the glorious mysteries of Jesus Christ through the eyes of Mary. Finally they end with a Mass dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe and continue to celebrate after Mass with food, drinks, song, and dance. As a priest I celebrate this time with the people because it holds a special place in my heart. While studying Spanish in Puebla, I had the opportunity to visit the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico. Looking back, I believe that I first fully answered my vocational call in the same general location Our Lady first appeared to Juan Diego less than 500 years ago. Because of the mystical experience I had there, I joyfully celebrate with the Mexican people the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The Weeken Marathon

2009-12-08T15:57:00.000-08:00

Weekends seem to be full of events here at the parish. It’s almost a marathon. Saturday began with morning Mass at 8am. I continued getting the office ready until about 10am then came back at 2pm to put the finishing touches on the Sunday homily. We had confessions from 3:30pm to 5pm as we do most every week and then the Sunday Vigil Mass at 5:30pm. Normally that would be all that I would do on a Saturday evening, but a priest needed some help so I went to another parish right after the vigil mass here to celebrate the vigil mass for another Catholic church down the road. I got back a little after 9 in the evening, woke up early the next morning, said my prayers and came to the parish to offer the Sunday liturgy. Normally we have 3 masses on Sunday. 9:30am Mass in English, Noon Mass in Spanish, and 5:30pm Mass in English (this is our Life Teen Mass.) Most of the time this is all I would do, but this Sunday had a packed schedule. After the morning Mass I heard confessions for the kids in the religious education program which took all the time I had before the next mass. During the noon mass we celebrated a baptism and a convalidation. After the noon mass I had the honor of eating with and giving a spiritual talk to the Christian Family Movement about Advent and Christmas. I also spent some time giving them a reflection on scripture. After that, I prayed vespers in the church privately to prepare for the last Mass. After Mass the teens and I celebrated a holy hour together in the church with songs of praise, some time for silence, a scripture reading, and benediction. I went home after that to pray night prayer and plop into bed. Running from one event to the next made me feel like I was in a marathon, thus we had another fruitful time during the marathon weekend here at St. Anthonys.

Meetings

2009-12-04T16:21:00.001-08:00

Meetings take up much of a priest’s time. There are different kinds of meetings: committee meetings, council meetings, family meetings, liturgy meetings, staff meetings, and individual meetings. Yesterday for example, started normal with prayers and Mass. Then right after Mass I attended the Presbyteral Council in Portland of which I am a member. This lasted most from 10 in the morning until 3 in the afternoon. I takes about an hour to get to the east side of Portland and another hour to get back especially with congested traffic. When I got back to the parish I met with an individual and closed the office. Today also I started the day with prayer and Mass and then jumped into meetings. Meetings generally take about an hour. For the better part of an hour a family came to prepare a funeral for next week. For another hour a representative of a charity group met with me to inform me of their ministry. And I met with some individuals about different things. A priest cannot reveal the content of most meetings because they tend to be very personal and emotional. Alongside of meetings we assemble for prayer in liturgy. The Mass is an example of such a gathering that a priest attends. Later tonight we have planned a gathering in the Church for a reconciliation service. There are some of the things we do as priest, most of which need meetings. Please pray for us that the Holy Spirit may guide our minds and hearts to discern the will of God and carry it out as we meet.

A day under construction

2009-12-02T10:33:00.001-08:00

The longer I’m a priest the more I realize the need for order among the chaos. For me that begins with the office. Yesterday after the 8am Mass I spent about two hours going through mail, e-mail, and telephone messages. This is typical for Tuesdays. I met with a few people as well for a couple of hours and felt bad about my office because I had cardboard and parts for the office bookshelves scattered all around. I spent about three hours in the afternoon assembling both. Its good stress relief to do some construction, but it takes time. Now that the office is more organized it will be more comfortable meeting people who need to talk and heal. Along with the office under construction our souls are being built up in the image of God. Last night the parish hosted the 2^nd of 3 evening mission talks. Fr. Peter from Hillsboro has graciously accepted the challenge of bringing me and the members of the parish to a holier life with God. Last night he gave a reflection on Psalm 55. This psalm describes the feelings of a man who has been betrayed by a good friend. As a Christian it is easy to see Christ speaking about Judas in this passage. But for us, sometimes we imitate Christ and sometimes we imitate Judas in our relationships with others. Sin divides us. God’s love unites us. So we build up the office and the soul. All in a day’s work in the life of a parish priest.

Holiday Weekend

2009-12-01T10:20:00.001-08:00

Holiday weekends can fill up with family and Church events in the life of a priest. I began Thanksgiving Day as normal by praying the liturgy of the hours. Then we celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving here at the church giving the collection and large donations of food to St. Vincent De Paul society that works out of the Anthony house here on our campus. Of course being close to home I was able to have a big dinner with my family and friends at my parent’s house. Friday began as usual with the Liturgy of the Hours and continued with friends and family. We closed the parish office that day to give the staff and myself a longer break. After my time with friends I when home to put up my parents Christmas lights with my family. It’s a family tradition. In the evening I said my prayers and went to bed.

This weekend was different than most. Fr. Peter from St. Matthew’s in Hillsboro and I switch parishes this weekend. So Saturday I went there and baptized lots of children in the morning and heard confessions that afternoon. On the Lord’s Day I celebrated Mass there as well at 8:30 and 11:30 in the morning in English and 5:30 in the evening in Spanish. All in all a good weekend filled with God’s blessing and a thankful heart.

A Day of Sacraments

2009-11-25T16:50:00.001-08:00

Last summer Pope Benedict declared that this year would be the year of the priest. It’s my hope that this blog will help people come to understand what we priests do in any given day. The life of the priest consists of patterns and random acts. Today seemed like a day of the sacraments. I started off the day with my normal prayer routine at home. Came to celebrate the 8am Mass here at the Church, then visited with folks after Mass. Next I went to visit people who cannot come to Mass and bring them the sacrament of anointing along with a lay minister who brought the Eucharist to give to those same people. After that I celebrated Mass at Jennings and about twenty people came. During the Mass I anointed them also. I proceeded toward Hillsboro where I spoke with Fr. Peter about our parish swap weekend and got things cleared up with him. Next I went to lunch with a friend, then headed off to the SSMO to plan the alumni Mass (Dec. 11^th @ 6pm in the Chapel) with the sisters. I came back to the parish to meet with a people and set up for the Thanksgiving Day Mass. Once I finished getting ready for tomorrows Mass I made some phone calls and did some office business. All this in the life of a priest: 2 masses, 17 people received the anointing of the sick, 3 meetings, and some time for phone calls and office work. Mostly today was a day of sacraments in the life of the priest.

It's Time

2009-11-24T17:09:00.001-08:00

So I got on line today to have a blog.

We're On!

2009-11-24T16:48:00.000-08:00

I''ve finally got a blog. Thanks to all of you hounding me. :-)