Saint Therese of the Child Jesus - February 20, 2011 - Eric

What's Happening:
Sunday was my first Mass in Spanish since high school. Then Spanish was a very mysterious language, and I would not have recognized any words. Now it is just maddening, I knew what the readings were, and I knew what the homily was about, but my brain won't work fast enough to translate it in real time. I don't speak or understand it word for word, but I get the gist of what is being said.

It makes me think of the Bible. I don't always understand what it is being said, it is written in the language of love. This is the language of God; love. I don't speak it very well, and many times I don't understand when it is spoken to me, but I get the gist of what is being said. The Bible, the story of God's love for us, is not written in our native tongue, but His. It tells the story of love, commitment, and forgiveness that we, as flawed humans, don't speak on our own, but we can learn the same way we learned English, Spanish, or any other language, by listening, by reading, and most importantly through imitation. We can learn to speak the language of love by imitating the actions of Christ and caring for those people right around us in the way that Jesus cared for us.

Lord, teach me how to speak with your love. Amen

Me, Jenna, Joe, Terry, Frank, and Marilou. A big Mass Chaos welcome to Jenna!

Location and Architecture:
Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus is tucked away in a corner of Omaha that I have never been to before, and that is a not an easy statement to make, although I will be making it again next week. Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus is on the middle floor of a three story building. The statuary and decorations are colorful, and the old altar against the back wall has amazing detail. Although there is no stained glass windows, the worship area is surround by natural light, bringing everything to life.

If you'd like to see the rest of my photos of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, you can see them here.

Gospel:
"So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:48

Ugh! This was really the sound I made when I started to think about something to write about this. 'Be perfect'. How can I be perfect when A) I'm not. B) I don't wanna be. C) I'm still not? Jesus must have known that this is beyond my ability to accomplish on my own, right?

Of course Jesus understood this. The main problem is B) I don't wanna be. As long as I keep working on B), God certainly can and will work on A) and C). Effort is a large part of the grade, so get cracking and try. If you know something is wrong, talk about it, or do anything different to get yourself out of your bad habits. You can be who you and God want you to be, desire and prayer will get you there.

Prayers:
Please pray for:
The people and countries of the Middle East that are in turmoil, that they can experience freedom, social justice, and peace.
Amy and Shannon for protection on their missions.
Kevin as he prepares for his final year of seminary and the priesthood.
Marcus as he has been accepted into seminary and will be discerning the priesthood.
My friend M., who is pregnant, please pray for her and her baby.

Next:
February 27th @ 12:00 (noon) Saint Francis of Assisi, 4521 South 32nd Street, Omaha.

Saint Adalbert's - February 13, 2011 - Eric

What's Happening:
I had to laugh as I walked up to the front of Saint Adalbert and saw the sign on the door. I immediately thought "skateboarding is not a crime", something that I thought of frequently as a younger man. Not that I am coordinated enough to actually skateboard myself, but I hung out with plenty of kids who could and did. We'd get chased off from wherever we were standing around, all the police in my little town knew us by name. I knew that my little group of friends didn't mean any trouble, even if we did manage to find it on occasion, but it was usually when we 'thumbed our nose' at the authorities chasing us off for not following the laws and rules.

Still, society benefits when the great majority of it's members follow the same set of rules. We as Catholics also benefit, greatly, from all being on the same page. We trust each other, and we trust the roles each of us has in the body of Christ. I take a good deal of comfort knowing that some of the smartest, holiest people are here to guide me, not just those that we count amongst the living, but also those who have gone before us to heaven, who left the example of their lives and writings to help us along.

I'm not a conflict person, but age has taught me that conflict is not necessarily a bad thing. As Christians and Catholics existing in the world, we know that our faith is not always appreciated in society at large, and we may find ourselves in conflict with others and authorities, not of our own choosing. When these situations occur, we should meet the issue head on with patience and love, but not backing down from what we believe. Wisdom is choosing when to engage in conflict, and when to take your skateboard and go somewhere else.

Me, Beth, Marilou, Brianne, Teri, Joe, and Tom.
In the next picture taken (almost) everyone was doing the thinker.

Location and Architecture:
Althought the outside of Saint Adalbert is unremarkable, The inside of the church is very attractive. It is extremely well lit, with beautiful, colorful stained glass, we have seen some amazing stained glass two of the last three weeks. I know I mentioned this about Saint Mary's, but I loved the fact that the glass is at eye level, and the detail can be easily seen. I have a friend who very much likes 'harmony' and 'balance' in most design, I think she would have enjoyed Saint Adalbert's, no one feature of the church dominated any other, and it was very peaceful.

If you'd like to see the rest of my photos of Saint Adalbert, you can see them here.

Gospel:
Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.' Anything more is from the evil one. Matthew 5:37

This Gospel reading (Mt 5:17-37) provides lots of opportunity to squirm in your seat, and I do every time I read it or hear it. I am hopeful that God will provide mercy on me, because I know if I wasn't guilty, I wouldn't squirm. It certainly is not a bad thing for us as human beings to squirm, we need to be reminded of our frailties, or if not we, I sure do.

This particular verse that I've put above is one that I've very much taken to heart and made a part of my life. The note on this verse says:

Let your `Yes' mean `Yes,' and your `No' mean `No': literally, "let your speech be 'Yes, yes,' 'No, no.' " Some have understood this as a milder form of oath, permitted by Jesus. In view of Matthew 5:34, "Do not swear at all," that is unlikely. From the evil one: i.e., from the devil. Oath-taking presupposes a sinful weakness of the human race, namely, the tendency to lie. Jesus demands of his disciples a truthfulness that makes oaths unnecessary. copied from usccb.org website

I really have tried to make my yes be a yes, and my no be a no, to be honest in all my words. This doesn't just make my life easier by not having to remember my stories I told to who. Hopefully it takes the burden off of the people I deal with because they don't have to worry about what I am saying either. Look, I know I am not perfect with this, let alone anything, but I know this is something that just by trying to do, it has changed my life for the better.

Listening to what Jesus has to say has changed my life, it will change yours too.

Prayers:
Please pray for:
The people of Egypt, and other countries in turmoil, that they can experience freedom, social justice, and peace.
Amy and Shannon for protection on their missions.
Kevin as he prepares for his final year of seminary and the priesthood.
Marcus as he has been accepted into seminary and will be discerning the priesthood.
My friend M., who is pregnant, please pray for her and her baby.

Next:
February 20th @ 11:00 Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, 1423 Ogden Street, Omaha.

Peace, Eric

Saint Matthew the Evangelist, Bellevue - February 6, 2011 - Eric

What's Happening:
Mass Chaos is now 3/4 of the way finished, and I've found myself caught up in "what's next" scenarios. I've received questions from friends, and I've caught myself thinking about it myself. I guess it's in human nature to consider the future, and the past for that matter. When I took my first psychology class, I remember being taught that a child only is concerned only with the present, an adult is concerned with the future, and the elderly are concerned with the past. I think it's fairly accurate about the smallest children, but adults are more complicated than that.

Thinking too much about the future is not super productive, there are so many factors that are completely outside of our control. Certainly, as adults, we have to plan for what we're going to do, and prepare for many contingencies. Not just for ourselves, but for others, such as family or coworkers. However, our thinking about the future should not take us out of the present. Likewise, the past is outside of our control too, even more so than the future. Considering the past and what could be different is probably as ineffective of a behavior as we engage in. While it's important to learn the lessons that our experiences teach us, but dwelling on the past is as ineffective behavior as we engage in.

I think that I've learned to try keep myself in the present, but not like a small child would. A small child is in the present, but it's all about me and mine (yes, I know adults like this). I try to keep it in the present, but without a focus on myself, the focus is on God, the of His wonder of creation and how to serve other people, not in a global manner, but instead what is right in front of me. I get to enjoy the moment and worries disappear ... and hopefully I hear the voice of God in the stillness of the here and now.

Teri, Ben, Marilou, me, Beth, Frank, Brianne, Frank, Jen, Lindsay, Patrick, Joe, and Vesper. Now imagine people packed this close together in Culver's when we went for lunch.

Location and Architecture:
Saint Matthew the Evangelist, 3605 Looking Glass Drive, Bellevue. I learn something new every week, Saint Matthew's meets in the gym at the school, so the pictures were taken don't have any stained glass, or permanent fixtures. Does the building make it a church, or do the parishioners? Saint Matthew's calls itself a Catholic community, not a Catholic church, and the Diocesan website says Parish. Obviously as Catholics we are concerned about authority and legality, but at some point, the building is not as important as the love as the parish community. Even without a permanent building, Christian love was tangible in the gathering of His people. On a personal side note, the church history tab on the parish website says the parish became official on May 6, 1996, which is the day after I came back to church.

You can see all of my pictures of our visit to Saint Matthew the Evangelist in Belleuve here.

Gospel:
"Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father." Matthew 5:16

I have a difficult time with this because I understand my own position as a sinner. I know that there are people who are wonderfully supportive of me who might argue with me about this, but I know my desires, I know my thoughts, and I know my history. Although I understand that I have good facets to my personality, I have plenty of space for improvement. Additionally, I don't always do the best job of tooting my own horn.

So how do I, as a sinner, let my light shine before others? Considering that the word here that Jesus uses is "must", it's not optional. So somehow I have to overcome my sinfulness and let my light shine. There is one easy way to do that, it's just to simply talk about what God has done for you.

I'm now approaching my 15th year since I walked back into church. My friends, I was so clueless that I went back to church because I thought my ex-wife needed to go, not because there was anything wrong with me. I lived everyday in fear, self centeredness, and drama. God has brought me so far, out of my fear, out of my self destructive behavior, and replaced the drama with serenity.

In retrospect, I can see how badly I lived my life then, and how much better it is now. There is only one reason I've come this far, and that is having a God who is personally interested in me and my life. If it were my will alone, I'm not certain I would have changed at first. With God guiding me, not only have I changed, but now, I look forward to what He wants me to be. God is really good.

Lord help me to be your light in the world.

Prayers:
Please pray for:
The people of Egypt, and other countries in turmoil, that they can experience freedom, social justice, and peace.
Tom who is deployed to Afghanistan, and his wife and two daughters.
Amy and Shannon for protection on their missions.
Kevin as he prepares for his final year of seminary and the priesthood.
Marcus as he has been accepted into seminary and will be discerning the priesthood.
My friend M., who is pregnant, please pray for her and her baby.
Me to be free of this back pain.

Next:
February 13th @ 9:30 Saint Adalbert, 2110 South 32nd Avenue, Omaha.

Peace, Eric

Saint Mary's Omaha - January 30, 2011 - Eric

What's Happening:
I had a pretty amazing weekend, and I'm quite worn out. I feel so blessed to know so many amazing people and have the opportunity to do so many things. About 12 or 13 years back I went through a phase where I wouldn't leave my house. I sat in the house, doing nothing, and liked to complain to anyone who would listen, and God, how dull my life was and how I didn't have any friends.

I particularly liked to be bitter about being romantically lonely, and yet I didn't dare leave my own house nor meet anyone new. Don't get me wrong, I prayed about it plenty, but the longer it went, the more entrenched I became. I basically ended up telling God that I would believe that He had someone for me when He put someone at my door, and I refused to do anything else about it.

I went to the July 4 fireworks show at Roseblatt, and as it was back in the day, I had a pager. However I lost it somewhere on the ground in between the stadium and parking lot. I spent a couple stressful days paging myself, and wondering if I would ever see the thing again. Three or four days later, at 12:30am, I got a call from a young woman who found it. She said she would deliver it, and that her and her friend would bring it right over. Now it can be easily debated whether this was a good idea or not, but it is what happened. They returned the pager, and I thanked them very much.

It was several hours later (yeah, I worked nights at the time) that I realized what had happened. After telling God what to do, and how to do it ... He did. I could practically hear God and all the saints and angels giggling at the joy of the conversion of my bitterness to joy. As I meditated on this, I realized that I didn't have to make it so difficult for God to bring joy in to my life (meaning I'm the difficult one, not God), I could take joy in what was right in front of me.

My friends, difficult times will come to all of us. This being said, opportunities for joy will come to us all too. In fact, more joyful and amazing things will come in to your life than bad ones. You have to be brave enough to go where led, do the best with you have in front of you, have a great attitude, and above all trust God.

Beth, me, Marilou, Frank, Lindsay, Brianne, Kat, Joe, and Frank. It was nice to be back with my friends at Mass after a week off.

Location and Architecture:
Saint Mary's, 3529 Q Street, Omaha. Okay, I admit it, I've driven by Saint Mary's in Omaha, oh about a thousand times, and never gave it much thought. The cross on the front of the church that incorporates a stained glass window is cool, but I actually thought the church itself was closed. Happily I was wrong, the inside of this church is gorgeous. It's got those nooks I love so much, plus paintings, statuary, and the stained glass may be the most interesting I've seen yet, and assuredly the most accessible, since it's at eye level.

You can see all of my pictures of our visit to Saint Mary's in Omaha here.

Gospel:
"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." Matthew 5:7

A few years back, I contemplated on each of the beatitudes for a while. I admit that some seemed difficult as to how to incorporate some of them into my daily life. This one, however seems to me to be incredibly easy to understand.

"I desire mercy, not sacrifice". The sacrifice here is meant to be an altar sacrifice, but I think of it in another way. What or who are you willing to sacrifice to get what you want? It's really easy when things are going well to turn a blind eye to those in need, I mean things are going well for me, right? Or how about when we point the finger at the other guy in order to preserve what we have? We are all too ready to sacrifice another to keep what we have, but Jesus calls us to sacrifice what we have, even our lives, for the good of another.

It's easy to close down our hearts and concentrate on the faults and circumstances of others and not see that they too are just as loved by God as we are. Being merciful is to acknowledge that everyone needs help, mercy is giving the other guy all the breaks you would like to have yourself. Mercy is praying that God brings every one of us to heaven, as we wish to be brought there ourselves.

Prayers:
Please pray for:
The people of Egypt, and other countries in turmoil, that they can experience freedom, social justice, and peace.
Tom who is deployed to Afghanistan, and his wife and two daughters.
Amy and Shannon for protection on their missions.
Kevin as he prepares for his final year of seminary and the priesthood.
Marcus as he has been accepted into seminary and will be discerning the priesthood.
My friend M., who is pregnant, please pray for her and her baby.

Next:
February 6th @ 11:30 St. Matthew the Evangelist, Bellevue, 3605 Looking Glass Drive, Bellevue.

Peace, Eric

St. Mary - Brianne

"Ponder anew, what the Almighty can do."

Have you ever heard a line in a poem or read a passage in the Bible and found yourself stuck on one line, reading it over and over and over again? For me, I tend to find that liturgical music speaks to me in the same way. I hear a song, and for some reason, find its lyrics running through my head.

This Sunday, at St. Mary, we sang a song I had never heard before. The song, while unremarkable (I cannot even remember the name of the song, or the tune) sang "Ponder anew, what the Almighty can do." That line spoke to me - I even took the time during mass to jot that line into my smart phone.

Then, in typical space-out Brianne fashion, I spent most of the rest of mass thinking, "have I ever really taken time to ponder what my God has done in the first place?" and "How do I ponder anew?" and "WOW... he's done a LOT!"

If I were to take the time to list each of my blessings, one by one, that alone would be enough for me to be in awe of what the Almighty has done. But then to read Genesis - and think about the story of creation - it is pondering the Lord in an even bigger fashion. I could go on and on about all that He has done... and maybe I need to. Do you? Have you taken the time to think about what He has done in your life? Or for others around you? This week, I invite you to "ponder anew, what the Almighty can do." It is sure to make you feel peace and awe.

Saint Wenceslaus - January 16, 2011 - Eric

What's Happening:
Nothing! Nothing is happening. My life has gone from the frenzied time crunch that is my late summer and fall to a nice relaxing slow pace. So you'd think that I'd have plenty on my mind to talk about, having all this time to reflect, but I don't. I'm not thinking about a lot. I am just really appreciative ... of having a loving God, having great friends, and the opportunity to serve.

Thankful isn't such a bad place to hang out in.

Joe, Brianne, Frank, Teri, Beth, Jen, Patrick, Marilou, and me. Thank you to the nice woman who snapped our photos, she really got into expressing her inner artist.

Location and Architecture:
Saint Wenceslaus, 15353 Pacific Street, Millard. What a pretty, well thought out design for a church. As I've mentioned before, I like the nooks and crannies, and there seemed to be plenty to explore everywhere you turned in this church, and I didn't get the number of pictures I wanted to get, or explore the number of corners either. Another Mass Chaos member came over and gave me the 'you're being too artistic' look, and then suddenly we are taking our group picture. The lighting in the church was wonderful, as was the mixture of old items and new.

You can see all of my pictures of our visit to Saint Wenceslaus here.

Gospel:
"The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." John 1:29

I have no great insight into the Gospel this week, I do want to share this; I cannot read this passage without starting to sing "Behold the Lamb" by Martin Willett. It begins

Those who were, in the dark, are thankful for the sunlight
we who live, we who die, are grateful for His word.

As one who has lived too much of my life in the darkness of fear and self-loathing, I am so grateful for the gift of the light. Very few things can remain scary when they are brought out and examined in the light of the sun. When things are brought into the light of Christ, all fear and misunderstanding melt away to be replaced with love and truth.

Jesus takes away the sin of the world. Not the sins of the good, not the sins of the faithful, not the sins of the other guy ... the sin of the world. This frees us from the burden of having to worry about our sins. It frees us from having to worry about what the other guy is doing wrong. Once we are free of these worries, we can examine ourselves, change our lives, and draw ourselves closer to our God of love.

Prayers:
Please pray for:
Tom who is deployed to Afghanistan, and his wife and two daughters.
Amy and Shannon for protection on their missions.
Kevin as he prepares for his final year of seminary and the priesthood.
Marcus as he has been accepted into seminary and will be discerning the priesthood.
My friend M., who is pregnant, please pray for her and her baby.

Next:
January 23rd @ 10:00 Saint John the Evangelist, 307 East Meigs, Valley.

Peace, Eric

Saint Rose of Lima - January 9, 2011 - Eric

What's Happening:
Marilou gave me the clue last week. I had a multiday migraine, and she mentioned to me that Saint Teresa of Avila was the patron saint of headaches. It turns out there are several, and as I looked at each one I pulled up a website for Saint Gemma Galgani, this website had a picture on the front page, and rarely in my life have I been so taken aback by anything I have seen.

Saint Gemma Galgani

The first picture on the page shows Saint Gemma Galgani, and her face has a very interesting feature, a half closed eye. This is exactly what happens to me when I get a migraine. The pain is almost always behind my left eye, and it makes it droopy. I felt an instant connection with Saint Gemma, a connection of peace. I read her story (from several sources) and I feel quite inspired, and stronger. My boss remarked that apparently I had a new patron.

I love the saints, the heroes of the church. We are taught so much by the example of their lives. Even though they are in heaven, they take an interest in our lives. They pray with us when we are strong, and for us when we are not.

Thank you Lord for the example of people who love you first.

Frank, Marilou, Me, Lindsay, Jen, Frank, Teri, Joe, and Patrick. We braved a little bit of snow, and a little bit of sleep deprivation to be there at 9:00am.

Location and Architecture:
Saint Rose of Lima, 4102 South 13th Street. Here is why I shouldn't write about architecture. The first thing I notice about Saint Rose is that it doesn't have a sprinkler system, and then I notice the beautiful ceiling. The stained glass behind the loft was an amazing blue color, even with a dull, snowy sky. I want to thank the parishioners for their kind offer of taking a poinsettia with us, but I had to decline, I have a cat.

You can see all of my pictures of our visit to Saint Rose of Lima here.

Gospel:
"John tried to prevent him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?'" Matthew 3:14

Jesus, fully divine has no needs of baptism. Jesus, fully human, does not either because He is without sin. So, what's the big deal? Why did He do it?

I have always felt that one of the most important things that Jesus did for us is remove our ability to credibly say "God doesn't know what we are going through." While this statement is wrong anyway, it could be easy for someone to imply that God is separate from us, and therefore has no first hand knowledge of what it is like to be human.

Not so fast my friend, Jesus may be fully divine, but He is also fully human, and experienced life in the same way that we do. Jesus was hungry, Jesus was thirsty, and like us, Jesus was in need of a connection with our Father. The Gospels are full of Jesus leading by example of the way to do this. Jesus allowing John to baptize Him is just another example His leadership in getting us to God.

Jesus, lead us to the Father.

Prayers:
Please pray for:
Tom who is deployed to Afghanistan, and his wife and two daughters.
Amy and Shannon for protection on their missions.
Kevin as he prepares for his final year of seminary and the priesthood.
Marcus as he has been accepted into seminary and will be discerning the priesthood.
My friend M., who is pregnant, please pray for her and her baby.

Next:
January 16th @ 10:30 Saint Wenceslaus, 15353 Pacific Street, Millard.

Peace, Eric

2011: The New Year...

2011: The New Year...

...a time to say goodbye to 2010... a time to make resolutions... a time for a fresh start... It seems to mean a lot of different things to each individual.

I've begun reflecting on what the end of 2010 and the start of a new year means for me as we enter the first days of 2011. The end of 2010 saw us at St. James, the parish I grew up in, but no longer my home. I've not been back there in at least six months, and being there for Midnight mass as I've done for as long as I can remember was a powerful experience. It was bittersweet for me - the combination of being back in my "old" parish with my "new" group of friends and family around me. It also gave me some clarity, as I thought I would miss the comfort being in a familiar setting, with the people, the space, and the music I know. I really didn't. I've found that I find the promise of finding a new parish home in 2011 to be exciting!

It is easy to think of the new year as a time for new opportunities and a chance to start over. However, as I enter 2010, I think it is important for me not to forget where I've come from. The past year has been a trying time for me, but I believe some of the changes of 2010 have forced me to grow as an individual. I feel stronger, and optimistic about what the future holds for me. I'm blessed with a supportive family and friends surrounding me... a roof over my head and food in my stomach... a secure job... and most importantly, renewed faith in my Lord. We should all be so lucky!

My prayer for each of you is that you do not forget the trials, troubles, blessings, and gifts you received in 2010 - but instead use those to move forward optimistically into a prosperous 2011.


Prayers, please, for my dog, Pablo - he's had many, many health problems as of late.

Holy Cross - January 2, 2011 - Eric

What's Happening:
New year, new opportunities. I don't often do new years resolutions, because I think that every day is brand new, however, this year seems to be different. I was so hurried through the holidays that I really let some discipline go. The first Monday of the new year sounds like a great place to start over. Much of changing your life is positive habit building. I want to do three things physically, one thing emotionally/mentally, and one thing spiritually:

P1. Drink more water (not soda). My doctor wants me to drink 60-80 ounces of water per day. My plan is to drink 20 ounces each when I get up, before lunch, and in the afternoon.
P2. Exercise. This will actually be easier than it sounds, I have good habits already built up, I just fell a little off the wagon because of the holidays and a broken USB drive ... really.
P3. Eating better. This is also not quite as hard as it sounds, from the time I got back from Chicago late September through mid-December I did really well. Cooking at home and eating veggies with every meal.
EM1. I want to maintain a more positive outward attitude. My hope is by being more positive outwardly, it will seep inward and help to change my overall attitude.
S1. I like the way I have set up my prayer life, however I want to bolster it by adding prayers to get me by in the moment. This is kind of a new idea for me that I already started doing late last year on a specific subject, but it worked so well to alleviate worry, I am expanding the program.

These are my new habits this year. Lord please help me to keep the focus on you and doing the best I can with your help.

Frank, Brianne, Amy, Joe, Shannon, Lindsay, Frank, Me, Patrick, Jen, Rich, Marilou, Vesper, Tom, Debbie, and Beth. Easily our best crowd ever! Thank you to our FOCUS missionaries, Amy and Shannon, for spending time with us during the holidays. Thanks to Father Salanitro for taking the picture.

Location and Architecture:
Holy Cross, 4803 William Street, Omaha. Holy Cross church is a box church, but a beautifully executed one. The ceiling is broken up with colors and decorations. The speaker system is kind of sneaky, although it is right there in plain sight, it doesn't detract from the rest of the church. The altar and area behind it is really magnificent with the wood and lighting. There seemed to be spots to explore regardless of the direction you chose, and the artwork was great. It was also good to see Father Carl Salanitro, who was my pastor at Mary Our Queen.

You can see all of my pictures of our visit to Holy Cross here.

Gospel:
"The were overjoyed at seeing the star..." Matthew 2:10

We are told that the Magi were overjoyed at seeing the star? How would we have felt at seeing the star that heralded the birth of our Savior? Would we have been troubled? Would we have rejoiced? What would we have wondered?

Although we cannot see the star itself, we can see and experience the everlasting effects of the arrival of God in the form of a helpless child. The star didn't just herald an extraordinary birth, it heralded the most extraordinary birth ever. No wonder stars followed, angels sang, and all of creation rejoices still.

Glory to God in the Highest...

Prayers:
Please pray for:
Tom who is deployed to Afghanistan, and his wife and two daughters.
Amy and Shannon for protection on their missions.
Kevin as he prepares for his final year of seminary and the priesthood.
Marcus as he has been accepted into seminary and will be discerning the priesthood.
My friend M., who is pregnant, please pray for her and her baby.

Next:
January 9th @ 0900 Saint Rose of Lima, 4102 South 13th Street, Omaha.

Peace, Eric

Saint James - Christmas 2010 - Eric

What's Happening:
Two weeks in a row we've had homilies about the same subject: time. Last week at Saint Frances Cabrini, Father Clifton gave a technical discussion about time, and how God exists apart from it. This week Father Reiser talked about time also. So I thought maybe it's time to talk about time.

Time is a funny thing, you don't have enough of it, you can't get more of it, and you can't really change the flow of it. Or can you? You can certainly do two things; you can give yourself the best opportunity to enjoy the time you have, and you can work to remove the anxiety that goes with worrying about the past and the future and enjoy what it is you have right in front of you.

Giving yourself the best opportunity to enjoy the time you have can be boiled down to one word; quality. I'm a point in my life now where getting myself into quality time involves getting enough sleep, staying active, dedicated prayer time, and eating right. I also try to keep the drama in my life to a minimum and (try to) keep my own focus off of me. All this works together to lower my momentary stress level, and helps to keep me positive and in the moment.

Living in the moment also reduces stress, because it helps you to eliminate worry. This moment is a divorce from the past, and freedom from the future. When you take one moment at a time, you don't have to relive the mistakes of the past nor be burdened by the future. In the entire existence of the universe, the most important time is now.

Ben, Kat, Frank, Lindsay, me, and Brianne. I know you've heard this before, but this is the serious picture.

Location and Architecture:
Saint James, 9025 Larimore Avenue, Omaha. I drove by Saint James for years going up and down 90th Street in Northwest Omaha, and I didn't notice it much from the street. However, once you get in the parking lot, it becomes more impressive, and once inside the real beauty of the building can be seen. Once inside the high ceiling and wide expanse of the church provides the feeling of being outside. The church was beautifully decorated in celebration of Christmas.

You can see all of my pictures of our visit to Saint James here.

Gospel:
"And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rest" Luke 2:13-14

I am fairly certain more has been written on the subjects of the birth and death of Jesus, than any other subject in the history of mankind. I am also fairly certain I cannot add any insight that has not been added already ... but, this is okay. There is a reason it is one of the most written about events. The birth of Jesus changed the world.

The birth of a child is never an ordinary thing. Jesus however was exceptionally exceptional for so many reasons, and if you somehow missed all the other signs, here comes a multitude of angels to announce the birth ... and we praise you for it.

Prayers:
Please pray for:
Tom who is being deployed to Afghanistan, and his wife and two daughters.
Amy and Shannon for protection on their missions.
Kevin as he prepares for his final year of seminary and the priesthood.
Marcus as he has been accepted into seminary and will be discerning the priesthood.
My friend M., who is pregnant, please pray for her and her baby.
My mother Judy to have her back healed.

Next:
January 2nd @ 1100 Holy Cross Parish, 4803 William Street, Omaha.

Peace, Eric

Brianne's Blog - My Experiences as of Late...

When I began this Mass Chaos journey, I was very much looking forward to taking a year long sabbatical from St. James, and exploring what other churches the Archdiocese had to offer. I've always felt that the journey was my favorite part of life - the twists and turns, the changes.



Here we are, with 36 churches down, and 21 more to go, and I've started to get a little antsy. This year has been full of big transitions for me; 2010 saw me through a divorce, 2 moves, 2 new jobs, and a complete lack of continuity in any part of my life. I've found myself yearning lately for a home. I miss going to church and feeling like part of a community. I miss the involvement in a parish - music ministry, lectoring, etc. But even bigger than that, I miss stability. Not just in my faith life, but in every aspect of my life.



I have every intention of finishing my Mass Chaos commitment - it is important to me to finish what we've started - but I cannot wait to reach the "finish line" and start making a home. I've found so many parishes I'm fond of, but what they've all had in common was a great sense of community. I imagine that after Easter, 2011 will be full of me re-visiting some of those parishes to discover where I fit best, and what parish I can best serve in, and where I feel "at home". The anticipation excites me, and I pray God will guide me in the direction I'm meant to go.



What I'm focusing on now is my relationship with my Mass Chaos friends - I know that one of the hardest transitions is going to be when we reach church number 57, and we all (potentially) return to our home parishes or find parishes of our own. It has been such a good (and God) experience to share this adventure with such an amazing group of people. They've helped me grow my faith in God, and my faith in people. To imagine an end to these relationships is impossible; I know they will be in in my life indefinitely. However, these relationships will be another change...



This holiday season, I thank God for the gift of friendship, and I pray for the blessing of stability.



Happy Holidays to all my Mass Chaos friends and blessings to you during this Christmas season.

Saint Frances Cabrini - December 19, 2010 - Eric

What's Happening:
I think there might be something wrong with me. I just don't care for gifts. I am certain that I liked them as a small child, but probably since I was ten it hasn't been my favorite thing. As far as items go, I admit I have a few items that hold sentimental value, but with the possible exception of a chair that came from my grandmother's estate, I have nothing that holds real worldly value.

I'm not going to get up on any high horses about how this season is overly commercialized nowadays. Why? Because I've heard those words my entire life. I imagine that my great grandparents heard the same thing, and their great grandparents before them. My point is that this time of year can be kind of awkward for me.

I don't want anything for Christmas, and I have a lot of reciprocal "no gifts" agreements with friends. Typical conversational questions like "Did you get all your shopping done?" or an after Christmas "What did you get?" kind of are lost on me. I just don't participate.

I do, however, like to anticipate. The coming of our Lord is amazing to me. Since Jesus has been here, done that, we certainly can't complain to God that He doesn't know. He does, He understands all of our temptations, but Jesus set the example for us on how to put our fellow human beings in front of our own concerns and temptations. Whenever you are weak, you can consider the coming of our Lord, and how He came into the world as a helpless child.

Thank you Lord.

Frank, Lindsay, Me, Joe, Teri, Patrick, Frank, Brianne, Jen, and Vesper. Thank you to the parishioners who took our pictures and told us about the history of the parish.

Location and Architecture:
Saint Frances Cabrini, 1334 South 9th Street, Omaha. This parish probably goes against all of my usual style preferences, yet I loved it. The building is long and narrow with dark wood pews and ceilings. It was brightly lit despite not having large stained glass windows. Being an older church, it has statuary everywhere, which suits me just fine. I loved the artwork of the church. I also appreciated the passion of the choir.

You can see all of my pictures of our visit to Saint Frances Cabrini here.

Gospel:
"When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home." Matthew 1:24

First Mary said yes to God. Now Joseph does. We see a glimpse of Joseph's character right away in today's reading, verse 19 "Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly."

I can imagine that Joseph feels injured when Mary is found to be pregnant. Yet, Joseph does not wish to see Mary harmed, regardless of the situation. Before he can end the relationship, he is visited by an angel and told the situation.

I marveled a few weeks ago about how Mary just says yes to God regardless of the worldly impact. Joseph also says yes. While it may be true Joseph doesn't have as much to lose as Mary did, he still agrees. I find it tough enough to get God's ten commandments close to right, yet Mary and Joseph say yes willingly. God certainly chose correctly in the earthly family He chose to raise his only Son, our savior.

Lord, help me to be more like the example of Joseph, let me say yes when you ask.

Prayers:
Please pray for:
Tom who is being deployed to Afghanistan, and his wife and two daughters.
Amy and Shannon for protection on their missions.
Kevin as he prepares for his final year of seminary and the priesthood.
Marcus as he has been accepted into seminary and will be discerning the priesthood.
My friend M., who is pregnant, please pray for her and her baby.
My mother Judy to have her back healed.

Next:
Midnight Mass: Friday, December 24, 2010 @ 11:40PM, Saint James Parish, 9025 Larimore Avenue, Omaha.

Peace, Eric