Sunday Inbox Inspiration: December 25, 2022: Christmas - The Nativity of the Lord, December 25, Cycle A

 Sunday Inbox Inspirations

Christmas – The Nativity of the Lord 

December 25, 2022

 

Memories of a Child’s Christmas 

 

My earliest memory of Christmas goes back to when I was a very little boy. 

 

I’m thinking this is when I was three years old, and my brother Charlie was four. I remember my mother and father getting us to bed at the usual time on Christmas Eve. 

 

We were very excited because we knew that Santa Claus was going to come. In fact, the last thing we did with mom and dad before going up to bed was to leave a glass of milk and a couple of mom’s homemade chocolate cookies on the kitchen table.

 

Of course, that was for Santa. We knew he had a lot of work to do that night, and he would need a snack. 

 

Well, in some way, Charlie and I got to sleep even though we were so excited. I remember waking up early – I think about 7 o’clock on Christmas morning. 

 

We immediately went downstairs in our pajamas and wow! There it was! 

 

A Christmas tree fully decorated – there had been no tree when we went to bed. And there were presents underneath the tree. 

 

We quickly ran up the steps and ran into mom and dad’s bedroom and woke them up. They still seemed very sleepy, and I couldn’t understand why, but they got up and came downstairs, and we opened the presents. 

 

By the way, Santa had drunk the milk and eaten the cookies. That made us especially happy.

 

Some of the presents I remember from those early years were a three-wheel bike, toy cars and trucks, plastic building blocks (Legos were not out yet), and a game called Pick-up-Sticks.

 

And this Thanksgiving, I discovered that this game is still popular because my great-niece Megan has it. She and I played a game of it, and she won!

 

I remember that later on Christmas day, we visited my grandparents – both sets of grandparents- and had lots to eat! I still couldn’t figure out why mom and dad seemed so tired and were happy to get home and get to bed that night!

 

So, tonight I think back and reminisce. That was just my family’s, one family’s Christmas and it was over seventy years ago. 

 

Every family’s situation and every family’s Christmas customs are different and that’s fine. But, from my memories I see some good lessons for myself – and maybe you will find them good too.

 

Lesson 1: Support Those Who Do Good

 

For example, I feel called to do what I can to support those who are trying to do good for others. 

 

The milk and cookies we left for Santa Claus taught me that. So, schoolteachers and EMS staff, doctors and nurses, police officers and fire fighters, farmers and social workers – and on it goes. 

 

I want to let them know that I appreciate what they are doing. I want to give them some milk and cookies too. 

 

Lesson 2: Respect Parents

 

Another lesson that I learned from my early Christmas is that I respect parents. 

 

I learned this from what my own parents did for us, especially at Christmas when we were very young. You who are parents have a beautiful calling. 

 

And you also have a lot of responsibility. In my years as a priest, I have come to respect parents because of all you do for your families day in and day out. 

 

Lesson 3: Include Everyone 

 

And a third lesson that I have learned from that early experience of Christmas is to include everyone. 

 

Santa Claus went or goes to every home. Everyone counts and now we need to make sure that everyone gets taken care of.

 

I need to exclude no one from the circle of love and giving and caring. I need to include everyone.

 

Conclusion

 

Okay! The last thing I want to say may be obvious. 

 

Santa is doing the work of Jesus. In fact, Santa shows us what Christmas is all about. 

 

God loves us – God loves all of us, every person on this earth. And God loves us so much that he sent his Son here to make that very clear. 

 

That Son, Jesus, was born two thousand years ago in Bethlehem. Santa points us to Jesus, and the lessons that come from Santa are the lessons of Jesus.

 

That’s what my first Christmases remind me of this year. I hope this reminiscing has been as good for you as it has been for me. Merry Christmas!    

 

Fr. Michael Schleupner 

 

Inbox Inspiration: December 21, 2022: November - "And the Word became flesh"

 

INBOX INSPIRATIONS

December 21, 2022

 

“And the Word became flesh”

            

Dear Friends,

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him…And the Word became flesh.” (John 1:1-3, 14).

John’s was the last of the four gospels to be written. He does not begin with the Bethlehem story but assumes that everyone knows that. Instead, he begins with his reflection or theology of what really happened in the birth of Jesus.  

 

The sacred books that preceded the birth of Jesus, what we call the Old Testament, are filled with references to the word of God. In Genesis, God creates the world simply through his word, by speaking. The prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah often assert that they are speaking the word of God. The word also came to be seen as the wisdom of God. And then came the insight or revelation that the Word, spelled with a capital W, was distinct from but still one with God, the creator. The Word was neither a creature nor a separate deity. The Word was always there. “The Word was with God, and the Word was God.” So, the beginning of John’s gospel expresses both continuity with and development from what went before it. John plunges us into the mystery of our God who is transcendent but now also incarnate. All of John’s statements here reach their absolute climax when he says that “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”

 

I am somewhat speechless in the face of this revelation. Just think: God had spoken many words throughout all of human history. God had spoken directly to a few people, through others to many people, and even through his creation by its seer being. But now, the person named Jesus is the Christ, the Anointed One of God. And he is the Word of God – the Word. He in himself contains and expresses is all the words ever uttered by and about God. So, it is to him that we turn and listen. It is from him, the One who is himself the Word, that we learn who God is, what God is like, and what we are to be like.  Our attention needs to begin and stay centered in Jesus the Christ. He is God’s Word, the Word of God to us. With and through him we will find our way in this world and our way to God in the world beyond, in heaven. This is the astonishing, amazing fact or person whom we celebrate on Christmas day.  

 

Merry Christmas!

Father Michael Schleupner

 

 

 

Sunday Inbox Inspiration: December 11, 2022: Christmas - 3rd Sunday of Advent, December 11, Cycle A

 Sunday Inbox Inspirations

3^rd Sunday of Advent – A  

December 11, 2022

 

 John the Baptist 

 

Back in the first century in Palestine, there was a man named John the Baptist.

 

John was a strong, fiery preacher. He expected the Messiah to come very soon.

 

That word meant the Anointed One of God. This Messiah was to be a savior.

 

It is unclear how John the Baptist thought the Messiah would save us. Like a lot of people of his day, he might have been expecting a Messiah with military skill – that he would lead the people of Israel in overthrowing the Roman rule of Palestine.

 

Or maybe John the Baptist was expecting the Messiah to be a person of quick judgment. Maybe he thought the Messiah would judge and punish those who were not following the way of God.

 

John’s understanding of the Messiah is unclear. But at least at first, he was clear that Jesus was the Messiah.

 

Jesus

 

Well, Jesus listens to John and is even baptized by him.

 

But then, Jesus goes in his own direction. He introduces a whole new language and idea about the Messiah or savior and even about God.

 

For example, Jesus does not talk so much about judging and punishing. Instead, he shows compassion and forgiveness. 

 

Jesus emphasizes union with God and with one another and not division. He stresses God coming to save us from what oppresses the human spirit and maybe not from the oppression of a foreign ruler. 

 

Jesus replaces John’s austere life in the desert with a lifestyle centered on meals. In fact, he even eats dinner with those labeled as sinners and he talks with them about God.

 

And beyond all this, Jesus does something that John the Baptist never does.  He heals people and his physical healings also seem to point to something deeper – to the healing of the deepest hungers and hurts of the human spirit.

 

“Are you the one who is to come? 

 

Eventually, John the Baptist is in prison. 

 

He has been arrested for calling into question the lifestyle of the Roman governor. He is confronting the possibility of his own death and is asking deeper, life-and-death questions.

 

So, John sends some of his followers to ask Jesus: “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” In other words, “Are you the Messiah or not, because you look pretty different from what we expected.”

 

Jesus responds by going back to Isaiah, to what we heard in our first reading. He knows that Isaiah gives the accurate idea this Savior will do, and he knows that this is different.

 

So, Jesus says: “Tell John what’s happening. The blind now see a vision and purpose for their lives.

 

“The deaf now hear a message of unconditional acceptance and self-worth. The lame are now able to walk through the challenging bumps of life.

 

“Those as good as dead are now alive and have something to live for. And the poor are now cared for.”

 

So, he’s telling John that Isaiah’s description of what the Messiah was to be like is fulfilled in him. Jesus knows that John will understand this. 

 

“The blind now see…”

 

Apparently, John does, and he places his trust and faith in Jesus. 

 

Today’s passages invite us to do the same. So, with and in Jesus:

v We can now see his vision and purpose for our lives.

v We can hear his reassuring words of God’s love for me and for everyone.

v We can now walk with him or allow him to walk with us through the sufferings of life. 

v We now have hope for life and a fullness of life in him.

v And those who are poor and in need can now experience the good news through the compassion of Jesus flowing through us.

 

With and in Jesus, the Messiah, this is what it means to be saved. This is what Advent prepares us to celebrate on Christmas Day. 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Fr. Michael Schleupner

Inbox Inspiration: December 7, 2022: Advent - 1-2

 

INBOX INSPIRATIONS

December 7, 2022

 

Advent – 1 

A A A

 

Dear Friends,

During this Advent season, the Old Testament readings call us to place ourselves in the skin of people hundreds of years before the birth of Christ. The prophet Isaiah especially beckons us to prepare for the coming of the One promised by God. Then, John the Baptist in the Advent gospels calls us to get ready for the Messiah. He himself asks Jesus if he is this person. 

So, while the Advent Scriptures call us to imagine ourselves in the place of people thousands of years ago, they are really inviting us to do something else. We believe that God’s promise has been fulfilled in Jesus. Now, he, Jesus, the Christ or Anointed One of God, wants to come to us and enter our lives more fully. We can be open to this, to Him, by being Awake, Aware, and Alert.

 

Awake – God wants us to live life actively, not passively. We are to wake up to each day with thankfulness in our hearts for another day of life. We are to approach each day intentionally, intending to use our time well and to do something that will open us to God and whatever it is that God may be calling us to do.

Aware – God wants us to be aware of the present moment. We are to realize that God may be coming to us in the advice or thoughtfulness, or in the need and suffering of another – a family member, a friend, a person at work. We are to try not to get bogged down by something in the past or anxious about something that may happen tomorrow. Rather, be very aware of the present.

Alert – Some of the people in Jesus’ day rejected him because he was not like what they expected. The example of John the Baptists calls us to be alert to the unexpected. So, we are open to seeing some quality in another that we have never noticed before, or open to a different mindset or way of looking at something. We don’t shut down automatically to the new just because we have never done it that way here before. Rather, we are alert to looking at its value and merits.   

 

I find the alliteration of all of this an easy and helpful way to approach Advent: be Awake,Aware, and Alert.

 

Father Michael Schleupner

 

Advent – 2 

Waiting            

 

Dear Friends,

Advent is about waiting. In these weeks, we hear Scripture passages about centuries of people waiting for the Messiah. That word, Messiah, means the Anointed One of God, a savior. They had various ideas about what this Messiah would do, but they were all waiting. From our vantage point, we believe that their waiting was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus, the Christ, which also means the Anointed One of God.   

Today, as we listen to these Advent Scripture passages, we are also called to wait – to wait not just for Christmas, but to wait for a fuller coming of Christ into our lives. Our waiting is a good thing. But the question pops up: is God also waiting for us?

 

“Advent is a time to wait for your coming, Lord, 

but I wonder – 

is it you who’s waiting for me? 

Is there something you’re waiting for me to do?”  

 

Is there someone in my family who is estranged and is God waiting for me to reach out and try to reconnect? Is my son or daughter struggling to find their way and is God waiting for me just to listen and understand?    

Are my aging parents increasingly alone and is God waiting for me to make some commitment to touch base with them regularly? Is a neighbor a few houses away grieving the loss of her husband and is God waiting for me to invite her to dinner?

Is God waiting for me to slow down a bit and to make at least a little time for Him? On the other hand, is God waiting for me to stop saying so many prayers and be still enough to listen to him speaking to me? 

 

So, yes, Advent is a time of waiting. We wait for Christmas and the celebration of the birth of Jesus. We wait for God’s fuller coming to us. But God is also waiting for us, maybe in ways we have never imagined.   

     

Father Michael Schleupner

 

Quotation and inspiration for some of the above from A  Concord Pastor Comments.

 

Inbox Inspiration: November 23, 2022: A Happy Death - 1-2

INBOX INSPIRATIONS

November 23, 2022

 

A Happy Death - 1          

 

Dear Friends,

When I was a child, I remember being taught to pray to Saint Joseph for a happy death. Joseph is seen as the patron saint of a happy death in our Catholic tradition. The reason is probably obvious. Joseph died with the warmth, closeness, and love of Mary and Jesus at his bedside. What a wonderful way to pass over from life on this earth to life with our heavenly Father! So, we pray to Saint Joseph for a similar happy death for ourselves and our loved ones – a death where we are at peace with God and with our family and friends and where we have had the opportunity to express our final words of love and to hear the same. 

 

Unfortunately, we know that this does not always happen. Sometimes the complexity of human relationships, accidents, and the suddenness of death prevent what I have described above. Sometimes we die with anger in our hearts. Sometimes we die unforgiven and unresolved about something. Sometimes the very cause of death may speak of our lack of peace – like dying from an overdose of drugs or from recklessness or from suicide. So, death can come before we have had time to say or do what we really wanted to say or do. This can be so for both the one who dies and those in that person’s life. Death can come with unfinished business for all those involved. 

 

I think we all know of examples of what I am saying. Maybe we ourselves have experienced this directly with a person in our lives who has died. Sometimes we carry around this unfinished business for years, for decades, for the rest of our lives. We feel incomplete because some hurt was not reconciled, bitterness was not addressed, a misunderstanding was never clarified. And now the death of that person has separated us, and the unfinished business remains unfinished. We think: If only I had made time to do this or if only I had said that.  

 

We, in our Catholic tradition believe in the Communion of Saints. We say this in our Profession of Faith at Mass. Part of what this belief means is that “we can still tend to unfinished business in our relationships, even after death.” I will pick up on this next week.           

Father Michael Schleupner

Quotation above and inspiration for some of the above from In Exile: Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe by Father Ronald Rolheiser.

A Happy Death - 2          

 

Dear Friends,

Many of us have experienced regret at the death of a person in our lives, especially a loved one. Their death may have come with unfinished business for us. We feel incomplete because some hurt was not reconciled, bitterness was not addressed, a misunderstanding was never clarified. And now the death of that person has separated us, and the unfinished business remains unfinished. We think: If only I had made time to do this or if only I had said that.  Sometimes we carry around this unfinished business for years, maybe for the rest of our lives.

 

As I said in last week’s Inbox, we, in our Catholic tradition, believe in the Communion of Saints. We believe that we have the opportunity to communicate with those who have died. This means that we can tend to unfinished business in our relationships, even after death. 

How can we do this? I see two ways.

 

First, in the privacy of your home or bedroom or while taking a walk by yourself, talk to the person who has died. Ask for forgiveness for something that you have said. Grant forgiveness for something he or she has done. Tell her how much you loved her in words that you may never have said. Tell him how grateful you are for his being such a central part of your life. Express your regret for not being there in the way you wished you had been. 

Second, write a letter to the person who has died and express in that the kind of things I said above. Work on this letter until it is complete and you are comfortable with it – assured that it says all you want and need to say. And then, if possible, go to the cemetery where the person’s remains are buried and privately read the letter to them there. If it is not possible to go to the cemetery, then maybe go to a church or chapel or to a place that really meant something to the deceased and read the letter to them there. 

 

“This can be an immense consolation to us. What we can’t bring to wholeness in this life can, if we are attentive to the communion of saints, be completed afterwards. We still have communication, privileged communication, with our loved ones after death. Among the marvels of that lies the fact that we still have a chance after death to fix the things we were powerless to mend before death took a loved one away.”  

 

Father Michael Schleupner

Quotation above and inspiration for some of the above from In Exile: Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe by Father Ronald Rolheiser. 

Inbox Inspiration: November 16, 2022: November - All Souls

 

INBOX INSPIRATIONS

November 16, 2022

 

November – All Souls          

 

Dear Friends,

In our Catholic tradition during the month of November, we pray for all those who have passed on from this earth. In many parishes, all are invited to submit the names of loved ones who are deceased, and the entire community prays for them throughout this month.

The earliest evidence of this practice dates to the year 636 in Spain. Saint Isidore of Seville specified one day each year for a liturgy for all the dead. A monastery in France in the year 998 set November 2 of each year as a day of prayer for All Souls. This custom spread throughout Europe and eventually became the universal practice of the Church – All Souls Day on November 2. This practice led to devoting the entire month of November to prayer for all of our deceased loved ones. 

 

The above prompts me to make one recommendation. Develop a list of all persons who have been in your life and have passed on from this earth. List especially those who have given much to you or have had a significant impact on your life. But also list anyone who has been there for you or with you in any way, even if only for a brief time. Look back over your life and slowly but surely develop this list. Besides family and friends, include classmates, teachers, co-workers, and others. Add names to this list as persons pass on to the Lord. And then, once a week, slowly read all of these names. Bring each person back into your awareness. Pray for them. Pray to them. Give thanks to God for them. This is a rich spiritual practice. It keeps us connected with our beloved dead and allows them to remain alive within us. This is part of what our belief in the Communion of Saints is all about.

 

We pray: 

Gracious God, 

I pray for my loved ones and for all who have been in my life who have died.

May they feel the warmth of your love and see the light of your face. 

May they be at peace in the resurrected life of your Son, Jesus Christ.  Amen        

 

Father Michael Schleupner

Sunday Inbox Inspiration: November 13, 2022: 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, November 13, Cycle C

 Sunday Inbox Inspirations

33^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time – C  

November 13, 2022

 

Someday Is Now

 

Some years ago, I read a story from a magazine called Spirituality and Health. 

 

It is about a man whose wife, Jan, had just died. He and his sister-in-law, his wife’s sister, were selecting clothes for his wife’s funeral.  

 

He opened the bottom drawer of his wife’s bureau and pulled out a tissue-wrapped package. He unfolded it and showed his sister-in-law a beautiful silk and lace slip.

 

He said, “Jan bought this the first time we went to New York, about eight years ago. She never wore it.

 

“She was saving it for a special occasion. I guess this is the occasion.”

 

He then placed the slip on the bed with the other clothes that they would bring to the funeral home. Then he said to his sister-in-law, “Don’t ever save anything for a special occasion; every day is a special occasion.” 

 

Jan’s sister remembered these words. She kept thinking about all the things she herself had done without realizing they were special.  

 

The words of her brother-in-law began to have a real impact on her. She writes this: “I’m reading more and dusting less.  

 

“I’m sitting on the deck and admiring the view without fussing about the weeds in the garden. I’m spending more time with my family and friends and less time in committee meetings.  

 

“We use our good dishes for every event, like after getting the sink unstopped. I’m trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter or luster to our lives.

 

“And every moment I open my eyes, I tell myself that it is special. Every day, every minute, every breath…is a gift of God.”      

 

The Gospel and Now

 

This widowed man and his sister-in-law express the same point Jesus is making in today’s gospel.  

 

Jesus talks about a time when all kinds of threatening things will happen. But he is not trying to get us to focus on that future end-time and to live with anxiety and fear and gloom.  

 

Instead, he is trying to get us to focus on the present. And he wants us to be aware of the present moment, to make the present special, to appreciate the here and now. 

 

In other words, yes, someday there will be an end-time. Someday we will pass on from this earth.

 

But Jesus wants us to be ready for that by being aware that today is special. He wants us to make the present moment special, to live today well, and that is the way to be ready for the future.

 

Making Now Special 

 

I want to propose two ways to help us make the present moment, the now special. 

 

First, each day do something good for one person important in our life. Maybe it will be asking your husband or wife or close friend what their day was like and really meaning it. 

 

Maybe it will be a text message or phone call to our parents or children, just to let them know you are thinking about them. Maybe it will be sending a note to a family member or friend with whom we have lost contact. 

 

And second, each day spend some time with God. Reserve a few minutes just to be quiet and aware of God’s presence.

 

Pray some prayer that we know by heart or speak to God in our own words. Allow this quiet time to put us in touch with our need to slow down and be aware and alert and awake to the present moment.   

 

Conclusion

 

So, the takeaway this morning: two ways to help us make today, the now special:

1.    Each day do something good for one person important in our life.

2.    And each day spend some time with God.

 

That’s the way God wants us to live in the present. And that will also be the best way to prepare for the future.

 

 

Fr. Michael Schleupner

 

Sunday Inbox Inspiration: October 9, 2022: 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 9, Cycle C

 Sunday Inbox Inspirations

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time – C  

October 9, 2022

 

Giving Thanks 

 

This morning, I want to reflect with you on two questions.

 

First, why are we sometimes not thankful? And second, why is it important to be thankful?

 

1.    Why Are We Not Thankful? 

 

So first, why are we sometimes not thankful?

 

To answer this, let’s look at today’s gospel. Jesus heals ten lepers and only one comes back to thank him.

 

Following the guidance of some of our Catholic spiritual guides, let’s put our imagination to work here. The Scriptures may speak to us more fully if we do that. 

 

So, let’s imagine: Maybe several of the other nine lepers immediately get busy building a new life for themselves. They busy themselves finding a job and a place to live and just forget the blessing they have received.

 

Maybe several of them decide to get back at anyone who made fun of them or ignored them. They are obsessed with vengeance and experience no joy in their cure.

 

And maybe several of them just run away as far as they can. They want to forget their old life even to the point of blocking out the cries of other lepers and people who are suffering.

 

Okay, all of this is imagination but may well be real-life. I believe it comes down to two reasons why you and I are sometimes not thankful to God in the way we should be.

 

First, we simply don’t notice the good things we have. We take for granted our life, our food, our clean water, our home, and on it goes.

 

We don’t even notice these ordinary things. And so, we don’t thank God for them.

 

And second, we get hung up on the negative. We get stuck on thinking about what we don’t have.

 

We keep saying “if only” this or “if only” that, things would be better. And this negative focus blocks us from thanking God.        

 

2.    Why Is This Important? 

 

That takes me to the second question: why is it important to be thankful?

 

I see two reasons. 

 

First, our thanking God gives us a certain humility. By humility, I don’t mean denying our talents or pretending that we are less than we are. 

 

Instead, by humility I mean that we stand in a correct relationship with God. We remember that God is the giver and sustainer of our life. 

 

We see God as loving and generous and remember God’s love for us in so many ways. Our thanking God leads us to a correct image of God and puts us in a correct relationship with God.

 

And second, it gives us compassion. It leads us to be empathetic with all other persons because all have been given life and love from God.

 

This compassion that comes from thankfulness begins with those at the very beginning of life. It begins with the unborn. 

 

We have sensitivity for their life because we have first appreciated our own life as a gift from God. We do whatever we can to protect and care for the life of the unborn and also of the newly born and all children.

 

In a way, I think this might be a comfortable thing for most of us to do – I hope it is. But the compassion that comes from thankfulness may also lead us beyond our comfort zone.

 

Recently, I have thought of those with same-sex-attraction. In every parish where I have ministered, including right here at Our Lady of Grace, especially young people with same-sex-attraction or their parents have spoken with me.

 

And the theme has been consistent: they feel unwanted, unwelcome, excluded by our Church. This is so counter to the way of Jesus. 

 

We need to be compassionate and respectful of life in all persons. Our thankfulness to God for our own life needs to lead us to welcome and care for all. 

 

Conclusion

 

So, the take-away today is that our thankfulness is important. 

 

Among other things, it gives us humility and compassion. Let’s make sure that we offer a prayer of thanks to God for something every day.

 

 

Fr. Michael Schleupner