Throwing some lumber around!

8th Sunday in Ordinary Time-Year C 

It is easier to criticize others and look at their faults and sins than mine. Instead, I would rather point the finger at you than take a cold hard look at myself and see where I need to change. If I can tear you down, I can feel better about myself... thank God I am not like You!

It is a lot of work to examine ourselves, and when we do, it is excruciating; we don't like what we see IF we actually see it. We can become quite blind when examining ourselves. 

I am essentially lazy. I don't want to put in the time to go through some spiritual exercises to improve myself. This Wednesday begins the Holy Season of Lent, and it is that time of year we love to "Give something up," but usually, it is trivial and meaningless for most people. Are we really better Christians at the end of Lent? For most, we are no better after than we were before. What did we really accomplish if we picked up where we left off before Lent began?

So, as I approach this season, maybe I can think about what I want to really change about myself; which sin is the most pressing? We all have our own bag of tricks, but what is mine? Is it Lust, or Anger, or Greed, or Laziness, or Gluttony, or Pride, or Envy?

These are just categories. I need to be watchful of all their minions, like sarcasm, flirting, wanting more of anything even though I am satisfied, being able to admit I am wrong. I could go on and on. I quickly realize that I don't just have a plank in my eye, but a whole darn forest.

So, as Lent approaches, maybe I will put down the spiritual tweezers to take out the splinter in your eye and fire up the chainsaw and work on my own lumber yard. God Help Me!

Better get a bigger boat!

 So many people tell me, “I am not worthy!” …to be a lector, an extraordinary minister of the eucharist…to be on pastoral council …or finance council or to get involved at all. The fact is, NO ONE is worthy. I am certainly not worthy of being a priest…in fact, my mother said on the day of my ordination, “my son had a better chance of winning the new york state lottery than becoming a priest."She knew my sinfulness, she knew my mistakes and wrong choices in my life. So did God and Jesus.

When we feel less than, when we have low self-esteem, when we feel that we aren’t enough, we somehow think that others feel the same way about us as if we had a sign saying stay away…unclean! But they don’t, especially God, and Jesus.

So we can identify with the characters of the readings who acknowledge that their sinfulness should disqualify them from working for and with the plan of salvation. Isaiah identifies his unclean lips, Paul identifies his persecution of the church, and Peter identifies his general sinfulness as why God and Jesus should stay away.

God and Jesus do the exact opposite; they move closer. Despite their sins, they are called to do specific jobs for the Kingdom: prophecy, build, and lead.

We are all sinners; we all have our bag of tricks that seem to disqualify us from working for the Kingdom, but that is simply untrue; it could even be seen as a cop-out to not do anything. We can try to push God and Jesus away, but that just seems to make them move closer because they know our heart, they know what our gifts and talents are even if we don’t, they call us to something more, something beyond what we think our limitations are, beyond our fears.

So, when we think God and Jesus are calling us beyond ourselves to something more remarkable for the Kingdom, it may be for our parish, it may be for the poor, it may be for anyone in need. Let us recognize that God and Jesus know us better than we do, and when they say "whom shall we send? " Let’s not say "get away, for I am a sinner"…let us say "here I am, send me!

- God bless!

Introducing The Fourth Magi Blog

Who is the Fourth Magi?

According to legend, he was part of the original group of three wise men but gets delayed because he stops to help a dying man and never catches up with the caravan. He actually never makes it to Bethlehem in time to see the baby Jesus and spends the next 33 years searching and finally arrives in Jerusalem as Jesus is being crucified. Because he had spent those 33 years helping others, he actually had met Jesus many times...for as Jesus says, "...what you have done unto the least brothers and sisters of mine, you have done unto me."

That is the purpose of this blog, to help the parishioners of Epiphany of Our Lord parish in South Philly encounter Jesus in the scriptures on their day-to-day journey, as I too search for Jesus in my life.

 I will undoubtedly challenge, motivate, persuade, or just give a word to ponder in the depths of our hearts.

This will be a learning experience for me. I am new to the blogging world, but not to the world of scripture, and I hope you will grow in your relationship with Jesus as you journey with me. Peace!

-Fr. Casey