Sunday Inbox Inspiration: November 14, 2021: 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, November 14, Cycle B

 Sunday Inbox Inspirations

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time 

Cycle B

November 14, 2021

 

Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge 

 

There is a rather famous American short story written over a hundred years ago.

 

The story is titled Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. Maybe you have heard of it or even read it.

 

The setting is the Civil War, and it is about a Confederate sympathizer who is about to be hanged by some Union soldiers. The soldiers march this man out to the bridge over Owl Creek.  

 

The man’s wrists and ankles are tied, and a noose is put around his neck. The commanding officer barks the order, and the condemned man falls.  

 

But then, the rope breaks, and the man goes into the river below. He sinks down into the water and miraculously frees his hands and feet.  

 

He realizes that he now has a second chance at life. As he swims or floats down the river, he is struck by the beauty of the leaves on the trees.  

 

He notices the blueness of the sky. Never has the world looked so beautiful, and he senses how great it is to be alive.  

 

Finally, he swims ashore and starts to walk. Soon he comes to a house, and he can’t believe his eyes because he is back home.  

 

His wife comes running out to greet him. But then, just as they are embracing, the story flips back to Owl Creek Bridge.  

 

Shockingly, the body of this same man is hanging there. The man had only imagined in the split second that he fell to his death that he had gotten a second chance at life.  

 

In that split second, he had seen life for what it is – as a precious gift to be appreciated. He had realized how differently he would have lived if only he had been given a second chance. 

 

A Second Chance 

 

That is the story of Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.

 

It seems to me that the author has the same lesson in mind that the Scriptures are conveying today. He is saying that the condemned man did not get a second chance at life but we, the readers of the short story, we are given a second chance.

 

In the same way, the Prophet Daniel in the first reading and Jesus in the gospel focus our attention on the end of our life on earth. Jesus wants us to live with an awareness of this.

 

And with this awareness, he wants us to appreciate life right now for the precious gift that it is. In effect, he gives us a second chance.

 

Our Second Chance 

 

When I think about this, these are some of the things that come up for me.

 

We have a second chance to make God the center of our lives…

to live everyday with an awareness that we come from God and someday will return to God.   

 

A second chance to develop an inner, personal relationship with Jesus…

to read, really read the gospels, and realize that we are loved by God and close to God.

 

We have a second chance to use the gifts and potentials God has given us…

to become the full person God has made us to be.

 

 

A second chance to smell the roses…

just to appreciate this day of life or the beauty of this season of the year.

 

We have a second chance to appreciate family and friends…

to express our love for them and to give time and a listening ear to them.

 

A second chance to appreciate the story of those we don’t understand or don’t like…

to take in their experience and see them as persons much like ourselves.

 

We have  a second chance to look at the light that is around us…

to see light and point it out.

 

And a second chance to be positive…

to think and speak and do good, constructive, life-enhancing things.

 

Conclusion

 

So, unlike the man in the short story, but like the readers of the short story and of today’s gospel, we have a second chance to prepare for that hour which Jesus talks about. 

 

Let’s make sure we use it well. 

 

 

Fr. Michael Schleupner

Inbox Inspiration: November 10, 2021: November - All Saints

 

INBOX INSPIRATIONS

November 10, 2021

 

 November – All Saints  

 

Dear Friends, 

I cannot be exactly like Saint Francis of Assisi. 

But he does inspire me to live more simply and to be at peace with others and with all of God’s creation.

I cannot be exactly like Saint Teresa of Calcutta.  

But she does move me to care for those who are hurting and look out for the little person who has less than I have. 

I cannot be exactly like Saint Maximilian Kolbe. 

But he does inspire me sometimes to sacrifice my own comforts or preferences for the good of others, maybe for the common good of all. 

And I cannot be exactly like Saint Catherine of Siena.

But she does move me to speak out for what I believe is the right or wiser thing to do.  

I think you can see what I am getting at.

Pope, Saint John XXIII put it this way. 

He said: “From the saints I must take the substance, not the accidents, of their virtues.”  

He was using the Thomistic philosophical concepts of substance and accidents. 

To put it very simply, the substance is what something or someone essentially is, and the accidents are features that are not necessarily part of the substance.

It’s like saying that the substance of a wine bottle is glass shaped in such a way that it will hold liquid. 

The accidents are its height and color and features like that.

So, Saint John XXIII was telling us to take the substance of the virtues of the saints – like the simple peacefulness of Francis of Assisi. 

Take that and not so much the literal way the saints lived out the virtues.

Take their core virtues and embrace them with our own personality and according to our own vocation and in our own life circumstances. 

If we do that, the saints will inspire us in an authentic way and help to mold us in the way of Jesus.  

 

Father Michael Schleupner 

 

 

Sunday Inbox Inspiration: November 7, 2021: 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, November 7, Cycle B

 Sunday Inbox Inspirations

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time 

Cycle B

November 7, 2021

 

Introduction

 

This morning, I want to speak with you on two matters. 

 

First, I want to reflect on today’s gospel and our financial support of the parish. And second, I want to talk about something that Pope Francis is spearheading and how this involves us right now.

 

Parish Finances

 

So, first, our financial support.

 

Since becoming Administrator on September 20, it has taken me a while to wrap my head around the parish financial position. The Finance Committee, the corporators, the President of the Pastoral Council, the parish Business Manager, and others have all been a big help to me.

 

I think I now have a pretty good understanding of where we are. The bottom line is that we are operating this year on a budget that is not balanced.

 

We are projecting a deficit at the end of the fiscal year of $137,000 – a deficit of $137,000. We need to address this for the present and the future well-being of the parish.

 

So, we will continue to review our expenses to see if any reductions can be made. If we can reduce expenses, we will.

 

At this point, I am also asking each parish family to look at your financial giving. We do many wonderful things as a parish, and there is more to do.

 

We as Christians and as Catholics have a rich spiritual tradition. We want to offer this in ways that touch the lives of each person here at Our Lady of Grace. 

 

As I said several weeks ago, our parish has a plan for doing this. Father Jim and the Pastoral Council developed this for the parish and our ministry is based on this. 

 

Your support is needed for this. Today I am talking about financial support.

 

Before long, we will also talk about support for this through your time and talent. But for today, I am asking us to review our financial giving. 

 

I am addressing this to all families or persons who are here this weekend and to those watching our Masses being live-streamed. I will also be sending a letter to all registered families about this, including those of you who are already giving generously. 

 

I thank you for your present giving to Our Lady of Grace. I have gotten to meet many of you and I find your faith inspiring. 

 

Our financial giving is one very concrete expression of our faith. So, I ask you to take a look at this and, if possible, consider an increase of 5% or even more. 

 

The truth is that our offertory giving is under budget by 15%. I know that you will do what you can.

 

The letter that will come within ten days, will repeat this request and also show you the ways you can give. Now, I say all of this mindful of today’s gospel. 

 

Jesus praises the poor, widowed woman who drops two small coins into the temple treasury. His wonderful point is that each of us is to give to God’s work according to our means. 

 

So, I want you to know that this is also my mindset. We, and that includes me, we are to give in proportion to our personal resources. 

 

So, please take a look at this in the context of your faith and your relationship with God. 

 

Synod and Conversation

 

Now, a few words about Pope Francis.

 

The Pope is preparing the entire Church for a Synod in 2023. The word Synod comes from a Greek word that literally means journeying together.

 

The Synod in 2023 will be in Rome and will have bishops and others from around the world participating in it. To prepare for that, Pope Francis wants some input from the entire church. 

 

The document for the Synod, approved by Pope Francis, says: “The Spirit is moving in new ways. The synod is intended to inspire people to dream about the church we are called to be, to bind up wounds, to build bridges, to enlighten minds, and restore strength for our common mission.”

 

Each parish in every diocese is being asked to hold a listening session and offer input. We have been given several simple questions to guide us on this. 

 

These questions deal with what has encouraged and helped us and with what has discouraged and hurt us as persons of faith. Our responses to the questions can be based on our experience with the total or universal Church, and also on our experience with our own parish, Our Lady of Grace.

 

To respond to the Pope’s request, I am inviting all parishioners to a conversation and listening session. I will hold two of these, one next Sunday November 14 beginning by 9:45, after the 8:30 Mass, and the other on Monday evening November 15 at 7pm. 

 

These will be in the parish hall and there will be some refreshments. Obviously, you can pick the time that works better for you. 

 

I think that these sessions can be a valuable opportunity for us to express both hurts and hopes, to bind up any wounds that may be there and to build vision for a good future. I hope you will consider coming to one of them.

 

Let me conclude by thanking you for all of your time and attention this morning and for all that you are as persons of faith. It is a blessing for me to be here with you. 

 

 

Fr. Michael Schleupner

Sunday Inbox Inspiration: October 31, 2021: 31th Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 31, Cycle B

 Sunday Inbox Inspirations

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time 

Cycle B

October 31, 2021

 

Doing What God Demanded 

 

In the 1820s, a woman named Harriet Tubman was born here in Maryland.

 

She was born into an enslaved family, and she herself was a slave. But, she became a hero.

 

Harriet Tubman escaped from slavery and then helped many others to do the same. She continued to work after the Civil War to improve the lives especially of the elderly and of women.  

 

Once, as she was growing older – she died in 1913 – she was asked about what she did. Her response was simple.

 

She said: “It was nothing special. It was just doing what God demanded.”

 

What Faith Demands 

 

Harriet Turman’s comment about what she did leads me to the question: what does faith in God demand? What does your or my faith demand of us? 

 

I think we all know that everything in life makes demands. If we want to graduate from high school or college, we’ve got to study and get passing grades.

 

If we want to succeed in a business or at our job, we’ve got to work hard. I think our Scripture readings today say that faith demands a lifestyle of love.

 

Jesus’ Demands 

 

The context of today’s gospel is that many religious leaders of Jesus’ day tried to legally define God’s demands.

 

They counted up the religious laws and clung to all 613 of them in the Old Testament. Unfortunately, while they did this, many of them were missing the demands of true faith or a real relationship with God.

 

So, in that context, one of the religious leaders asks Jesus: “What is the first of all the commandments?” And Jesus’ response is pivotal.

 

It is a pivotal moment in Jesus’ mission and for the entire Christian tradition. He quotes a commandment that is in one of the books of the Old Testament – we heard this in our first reading – and then he adds a second commandment from another book. 

 

In effect, Jesus makes the two commandments into one. He binds together love of God, love of others, and love of self. 

 

“Love the Lord your God” 

 

Jesus begins: “The first commandment is this: you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.”

 

Jesus knows that this commandment is sacred to his fellow Jews. They may wear what we might call a medal or scapular with these words inscribed on it.

 

So, the first demand of faith is a lifestyle ordered around God. It is making a commitment to God with our whole being.

 

Faith demands that we make God a priority in all that we do. Jesus wants us to be passionate and personal about our faith. 

 

“Love your neighbor” 

 

Then Jesus adds: “You shall love your neighbor.”

 

Faith demands that we are not just self-focused. It is not just a God-and-me or a Jesus-and-me thing. 

 

I think we can look at it this way. If “God is love,” as the New Testament says, then we need to allow God or love flow through us. 

 

We need to be thinking: what is the loving thing I can do in responding to my spouse or in correcting my child or in dealing with my anger toward someone? How can what I do be constructive and not destructive, be life-promoting and not life-diminishing?

 

“As yourself”

 

Finally, Jesus teaches: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

 

So, faith even demands that we realize our own dignity as God’s sons and daughters. It demands that we rest in the awareness that we are special and valuable in God’s eyes.

 

And with that, faith demands that we take care of ourselves. We don’t have to feel guilty about taking some time to read or pray or workout or watch a game. 

 

We don’t have to feel guilty about going out for an evening together without the kids. We are loved by God and we need to have appropriate love and care for ourselves also.

 

Conclusion 

 

So, Harriet Tubman saw it clearly and simply.

 

As she says, she only did what God demanded. Today the Scripture is equally clear about what faith demands, and now it is up to each one of us to apply this in our own lives.   

 

Fr. Michael Schleupner

Sunday Inbox Inspiration: October 24, 2021: Tuesday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time, October 24, Cycle B

 Sunday Inbox Inspirations 

October 24, 2021

 

(This weekend, the deacon gave the homily. Therefore, today I am posting one of my recent weekday homilies.)

 

Tuesday of the 26^th Week in Ordinary Time 

September 28, 2021

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton 8:30am

Readings:     Zechariah 8:20-23

                        Luke 9:51-56

 

You probably know that St. Luke wrote both a gospel and the book that is called the Acts of the Apostles.

The two books are actually a unit.

The Acts of the Apostles picks up where the gospel leaves off.

And if we look at the overall movement of the two books, we might summarize it as inward and outward.

Here is what I mean.

 

In today’s gospel passage, Luke says, “When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem.”

That one sentence captures how Luke sees Jesus’ mission on this earth and it summarizes the theme of his gospel.

It is an inward movement.

Jesus journeys inward to the center of Israel, the political and religious center.

Then, in the Acts of the Apostles, the movement is outward.

The apostles journey outward from Jerusalem and bring the good news of Jesus to the ends of the earth.

 

My idea is that this geographical movement in St. Luke’s writings mirrors the spiritual movement that is to happen in our lives.

We need to journey inward.

We do this through the sacraments, especially through the reception of the Eucharist.

We also journey inward through private prayer, perhaps here in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, or maybe at home reflecting on the Scripture.

And then we journey outward.

We live everyday life.

We make many decisions, say many words, and relate to many people.

We may even teach religion or work in one of the other ministries here at the parish.

That journey outward will bring Christ’s presence to this earth if we have first journeyed inward.

If we are grounded in the Lord through the inward journey, then our journey outward will be according to the Lord’s will and way.

 

 

Father Michael Schleupner

 

 

 

Sunday Inbox Inspiration: October 17, 2021: 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 17, Cycle B

 Sunday Inbox Inspirations

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time 

Cycle B

October 17, 2021

 

Taxi Driver and Preacher 

 

Have you ever heard the story about the taxi driver and the preacher?

 

The story goes that a preacher dies and goes to the pearly gates of heaven. Ahead of him in line is a guy dressed in a red print shirt, a leather jacket, blue jeans, and sunglasses.

 

Saint Peter asks the man, “What is your name, so I can see if you’re on the list to be admitted to heaven.” The guy says, “I’m Tony Stromboli and I was a taxi driver in New York.”

 

Saint Peter checks the list and says, “Oh yes! Here, take this fancy embroidered robe and gold staff and enter.”

 

With that, the preacher steps forward for his turn. “I’m Father Michael Schleupner and I was a preacher for forty-nine years.”

 

Saint Peter again checks the list and says, “Oh yes! Here, take this simple tan robe and wooden staff and enter.”

 

But the preacher interrupts, “Wait a minute! How come the taxi driver got an embroidered robe and a gold staff? Why does he get better stuff that I get?”

 

Saint Peter quickly answers, “Well, you see, up here, we go by results. When you preached, people slept. When he drove, people prayed.”    

 

Preaching This Weekend 

 

Well, this weekend, I am preaching at all three of our Masses, and I hope I will not put you to sleep.

 

I want to say a few things about our parish – about our mission and about our support for our mission. Most of what I want to say can be wrapped up in two very brief sentences.

 

1.We need to give. And: 2. We give to need.

 

We Need to Give

 

First, we need to give.

 

Giving something of ourselves fulfills who we are as persons. It brings us a sense of wholeness and satisfaction. 

 

I can still remember buying a little fifty-cent gift for my mother and father when I was five-years-old. The giving of the gift made me very happy. 

 

Just think of it this way. Genesis tells us that we are made in God’s image and likeness. 

 

Well, it is of the very nature of God to give of himself in the act of creation and in Jesus Christ. The result is that we who are made in God’s image and likeness have a built-in need to give something of ourselves. 

 

This expresses and fulfills who we are as persons. So, we need to give. 

 

We Give to Need

 

And second, we also give to need.

 

We as a parish have a need, and this need is based on the mission that Christ has entrusted us to do. Over the past year, the Parish Pastoral Council and Father Jim worked very hard to develop a mission statement and a plan for the parish.

 

It is very well done. It is a path forward for the parish for this year and the years to come.

 

This year especially, the plan focuses on our being a welcoming community of faith. We want to include everyone in the mission of Our Lady of Grace.

 

So, we want to reach out and be welcoming to all in the community – those currently participating, part-time members, past members, and potential new members. There are specifics for doing this in the plan.

 

The plan for this year also emphasizes music. We can be grateful for the good musicians that we have, and we want to continue and grow our program to reach all persons, especially our youth and young adults.

 

The parish plan recognizes the need for good communications. We want to make sure that we communicate to all in a way that is clear, consistent, and accessible.

 

Of course, when we talk about giving to need, we have to remember that we as a parish also want to give to those in need. The plan specifically says this: “We believe we are called to serve those in need.”

 

Summary

 

I am asking each of you or each family to reflect on this in a prayerful way during the coming week. 

 

Consider your financial commitment to Our Lady of Grace Parish and also consider your personal commitment of time and talent. Try to decide on your commitment during this coming week. 

 

Next weekend, after each of the Masses, some members of the Pastoral Council and I will be in the gathering space. Commitment cards will be offered to you there, but, more important, we will have a chance to meet and talk with one another.

 

We are a community of faith. As our Mission Statement says: “Rooted, Living, Serving – in Love, Through Christ, by Grace.” 

 

Together we can do some great things and fulfill the mission Christ has given us. I thank you for all that you are and all that you do.

 

It is a pleasure for me to be here with you. And let’s remember: We Need to Give, and We Give to Need.   

 

 

 

 

Fr. Michael Schleupner

Inbox Inspiration: October 13, 2021: I'll Do Whatever I Want 1-4

                                                         I’ll Do Whatever I Want - 1  

 

Dear Friends, 

Am I always free to do as I want?

I don’t think so.

My actions and choices cannot always be what I want or prefer.

Why?

My parents raised me and my religious education formed me to realize that there are other people whom I have to consider.

For example, I couldn’t have the TV on as loud as I wanted it because my parents and brother were also in the house, maybe doing other things.

When I got my driver’s license, I learned that I couldn’t drive as fast as I wanted because of speed limit laws that were designed to protect people in general.

More recently, we have all had to accept non-smoking regulations out of consideration for those who do not smoke.

I think that from a rather young age, I was taught to balance my own individual freedom with respect for the common good of all.

It is that concept of the “common good” that strikes me as important for us to recall right now.

This concept seems to have originated with the ancient Greek philosophers Aristotle and Plato and with the Roman philosopher Cicero.

It was embraced, “baptized” by the early Church as expressing some of the core moral teaching of Jesus.

It also found its place in the framers of our American constitution.

Our Church says this: “The common good comprises the sum total of social conditions which allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully and more easily.”    

In my own words, I think that the common good is the overall good of everyone. 

We need to think in terms of the common good of all in many dimensions of life, such as health care, environment, education, poverty, and on it goes.

In other words, it is not just what I want or prefer.

I have got to balance my own individual desires and freedom with a care for all.

More on this next week in the Inbox Inspirations of October 20. 

 

Father Michael Schleupner 

 

Quotation above from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. 

 I’ll Do Whatever I Want - 2  

 

Dear Friends, 

I believe that the expression “It’s my personal choice” has got to be challenged a bit.

Yes, ultimately, all that I do is my choice.

But no, it is not just my thinking about what I want to do and then making a choice to do it or not based on just what I want.

It cannot always be that simple.  

I also need to consider the well-being of others in many choices that I make in my life.

It may be my family, my spouse or best friend, my community or neighborhood, my parish, my workplace, other diners in a restaurant, and for that matter, all the people in my country or all the people in the world.

If the issue is what color shirt to wear to a football game, that is my personal choice.

If the issue is whether to drink a dark roast or medium roast coffee, that is my personal choice. 

But, if the issue is whether to go to the bother of recycling paper, plastic, glass, and cardboard, then that is not just my personal choice.

It is not just what I want or what I prefer to do or what is easy for me to do.

Here, I have to think bigger, beyond myself, about the overall good of our world.

I believe that I need to consider the good of others or the common good of all in lots of my choices.

For me, this is a moral issue.

It expresses my following or failure to follow the way of Christ. 

I believe that this has become a critical issue for us at the present time and is something to which we as Christians and Catholics can make a real contribution.

"We face a choice between a society where people accept modest sacrifices for a common good or a more contentious society where groups selfishly protect their own benefits." 

More on this next week in the Inbox Inspirations of October 27. 

 

Father Michael Schleupner 

 

Quotation above from The Common Good by Claire Andre and Manuel Velasquez.

 I’ll Do Whatever I Want - 3  

 

Dear Friends, 

When I think of my individual freedom in relation to the common good of all, the word sacrifice comes to mind.

We can define sacrifice, in the context of everyday life, as giving up something good for the sake of something better or for the well-being of someone else. 

Parents make lots of sacrifices for their children.

We are all called to make sacrifices for one another.

Isn’t the paying of taxes a sacrifice for the common good of all?

We may dislike having to pay taxes or disagree with the tax rates.

But, at root, paying taxes is a sacrifice of some of my money for something greater.

We are in a moment in American society when we have to remember this.

I do not believe that my individualism and my individual freedom is unlimited.

There are appropriate limits that I need to accept and even embrace as a member of a society and community.

“Our historical traditions place a high value on individual freedom, on personal rights, and on allowing each person to ‘do her own thing.’ 

Our culture views society as comprised of separate independent individuals who are free to pursue their own individual goals and interests without interference from others. 

In this individualistic culture it is difficult, perhaps impossible, to convince people that they should sacrifice some of their freedom, some of their personal goals, and some of their self-interest, for the sake of the ‘common good.’ 

Our cultural traditions, in fact, reinforce the individual who thinks that she should not have to contribute to the community's common good, but should be left free to pursue her own personal ends.”

I believe that God created us to be a people, a community, sons and daughters of God, sisters and brothers to one another.

Existentially and morally, we are called to live with this awareness.

I will continue and conclude this series next week in the Inbox Inspirations of November 3.  

 

Father Michael Schleupner 

 

Quotation above from The Common Good by Claire Andre and Manuel Velasquez.

 I’ll Do Whatever I Want - 4  

 

Dear Friends, 

Today I am concluding a series of reflections (see the Inbox Inspirations of October 13, 20, and 27) on our individual freedom and its limitation for the sake of the common good.

As I said last week, my individual freedom is not unlimited.

Sometimes we are not even aware of how we let go of what we really want to do for the sake of the well-being of others.

Parents do this a lot.

Let’s think about our traffic laws. 

We allow our government to regulate traffic.

So, we have traffic signals.

If 99% of us obey them, things go very well.

If a lot  of people ignore traffic lights, chaos results.

We will have many accidents and injuries.

Red lights can be an irritant.

Do they limit our individual freedom each time we have to stop at a red light?

Yes!

But at the same time, do they really increase our overall freedom?

Yes again!

They free us from anxiety, from injury, from hospitalization, and maybe even from death.

They free us to cross intersections while driving or walking with confidence in our safety.

They free society, all of us to function together more harmoniously.

The traffic signal system is not flawless; sometimes accidents happen.

But generally, our accepting this limitation on our freedom is a positive thing.

“The same is true of vaccines; they aren’t perfect, but they do increase freedom overall by preventing death and serious disease. Yet they only do this if everyone, or nearly everyone, gets vaccinated. Imagine a city where more than a third of the population feel free to run red lights; that is where we are now with the pandemic.”

  

Father Michael Schleupner 

 

Analogy of traffic signals and quotation above from Persuading Anti-vaxxers in Commonweal, October 2021 edition, by Michael Peppard.