A Shepherd In The Field

50 people killed and more than 50 wounded.  This story transcends tragedy.  Our minds cannot seem to rationalize or make sense of the horrific violence.  It prompts outrage, shock, and despair.  It's hard to find the Kingdom of God today.  Do we live in a world filled with such hate?   To paraphrase the words:  “If hate such as this is accepted, then love has no place in the world. It may be so; it may be so. But I don't have the strength to live in a world like that.” It may be so; it may be so. I do not want it to be so. I pray that it is not so.  Beautiful lives ripped from our arms in Orlando Florida.   We cannot keep silent.  We cannot accept this as normal. We must not give life to the darkness of hate, marginalization, violence, political rhetoric and discrimination.  We cannot be enraged for the moment, today, or the next week.  We cannot sit silently until the next mass murder.   We discussed the...

I was blessed to be the homilist at the diaconal ordinations this past Saturday. A friend who is on Facebook asked that I post the portion of the homily that spoke to his journey. Steven, this is for you: Eventually the power seeking apostles moved beyond prominence, status, titles and power. They finally understood the only thing that could change the world was Christ. I am going say something disturbing in this day and age. Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. Jesus is not a concept, theory, great teacher, guidepost or spiritual guru. Jesus Christ is Lord, King, Savior and Son of God. Thus, You will not be the savior of the world. Only Jesus is the savior and you are called to serve. Preach Jesus, Baptize in his name, live with him on your lips and in your hearts. Let the love of God live and grow inside you. lf a person doubts, encourage their questions and seeking. You may be the only face of Christ they meet. Be an exploring companion. Today is a great gift, ...