Subordination & Love

On By Fr. David NeuschwanderIn Feasts

Feast of the Holy Family

Jesus not only came as a baby at Christmas, He also entered into a human family – with all the joys and frustrations that go with it.  We are challenged in all relationships, but especially in the family, to put the wants and needs of others before our own, to stretch our hearts, to learn how to love more, to sacrifice for each other.  Our readings today all challenge us to put others first, “Children, obey your parents in everything…Wives, be subordinate to your husbands…Husbands, love your wives.”  Jesus loved us, and so He subordinated Himself to our needs, even to the point of death.  We can practice this kind of love every day, especially in the family!

Raw Prayer

On By Fr. David NeuschwanderIn Uncategorized

3rd Sunday of Advent

This weekend we encounter a powerful New Testament figure, John the Baptist, in a difficult and dark time – literally and figuratively.  John has been imprisoned, he probably knows he is not getting out anytime soon, and he (who proclaimed Jesus as the Lamb of God and prepared for Jesus’ coming by his preaching and teaching) is now questioning whether or not Jesus is the promised one of God.  We can all take two important lessons away from John’s experience, lessons useful for our everyday life of prayer, but especially in our own times of darkness: 1) John is honest with his doubts 2) John lays his doubts at the feet of Jesus.  When we are raw with our thoughts and emotions, when we lay them at the feet of our Lord without any filter, then we finally give God permission to enter into the most important areas of our life.  Try it (I dare you) and God will bring great things out of it!

High School Discipleship Retreat

On By Fr. David NeuschwanderIn Advent

2nd Sunday of Advent

I had the privilege of spending this weekend with 50 inspiring high-school-aged young men and women from throughout our diocese!  This fulfilled no Confirmation requirements for them, neither were any of them forced to come to this retreat – they generously set aside this time to step away from their busy lives and focus on growing closer to Jesus Christ through prayer, learning, sacraments, and community.  They are making God a priority in their lives, and they inspire me to want to make God more of a priority in mine as well.  Please continue to pray for the incredible youth of our diocese and the good work that God is doing in their lives!

Investing in the Mass

On By Fr. David NeuschwanderIn Advent

1st Sunday of Advent

We invest in the things that are important to us – we invest time, energy, emotions, intellect, mental space, money, resources.  The more we invest in something, the more important it is to us, and the more returns it will yield; the less we invest in something, the less important it is to us and the less returns it will yield.  As we begin this Advent season, we are preparing ourselves for the coming of Christ at Christmas, and the more we invest in that preparation the more of a return this experience will yield for us.  While we prepare in a general sense for Christ’s coming, I’d like us to focus this Advent specifically on the Mass: how invested are we in the Mass?  How much more could we bring to the table?  What are the ways that others invest themselves in the experience of the Mass?  What can I learn from them and how can I come back next week ready to invest a little more in the weekend Mass experience?  God comes to us at every Mass, He has a word to speak to each one of us that pertains to this exact moment in our life, and the the more I’m investing, the more I’ll experience God at work in my life at every weekend Mass!

Thy Kingdom Come

On By Fr. David NeuschwanderIn Feasts, Ordinary Time

Solemnity of Christ the King

As Americans we are naturally weary of anything having to do with a “king”, we also don’t like the word “authority” all that much – it was the abuse of power by some oppressive authority, even some kings, that brought many of our ancestors to America in the first place.  Scripture, however, has no problem with the idea of a king or authority; in fact, Scripture makes it very clear that all authority has been given to Jesus Christ, that Jesus came to this earth to bring a kingdom, and that He is the King of that kingdom!  As Christians we proclaim that we are followers first and foremost of Christ, our true King, and that we are committed to bringing His kingdom more fully onto this earth.  His kingdom started in us at our baptism and is meant to grow in us throughout our lives.  Can you invite Jesus to reign in your heart for a little bit longer each day this week?  Think, if we each did that for a few more minutes every day, how much more of a reality the words we pray in the Our Father would become – thy kingdom come!

Hellfire and Brimstone

On By Fr. David NeuschwanderIn Ordinary Time

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Hellfire, brimstone, damnation – words we don’t hear very often anymore, but words that our first reading calls to mind (and themes that arise out of our Scriptures).  And lest we think that Jesus ushered in an age full of only mercy, pardon and mushy-gushy “love”, Jesus Himself, multiple times in the Gospels, speaks strongly about judgment, hellfire, the separation of the righteous and the wicked, warning us of the wide and easy road that leads to destruction and encouraging us to follow the narrow and difficult road that leads to life.  This week I challenge you: have conversations about some of these difficult topics with friends and other believers, Catholic or otherwise.  These ideas aren’t culturally acceptable, many discount them these days, but if we call ourselves Christian, if we believe what Jesus (the Son of God, the Author of all truth) says, then we have to start taking these ideas seriously!

God’s Transforming Power

On By Fr. David NeuschwanderIn Ordinary Time

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Why is it that we as Catholics are the only Christians that pray for our beloved dead?  Why is it that we are the only Christians who believe in Purgatory?  In this homily I will explore how other Christians believe Jesus saves us versus how we as Catholics believe Jesus saves us, and what that difference means in praying for the dead, purgatory, and how we live our lives here and now!

Non-incredible Ways

On By Fr. David NeuschwanderIn Ordinary Time

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sometimes God works incredible miracles that are visually and experientially miraculous.   In our first reading and Gospel today we have 11 lepers who are all miraculously cured by God…but they’re healed in very non-incredible ways: taking a bath and out for a walk.  More often than not, God’s ways are subtle, quiet and seemingly indirect. God’s hand is moving and blessing and answering prayers, but often in unexpected ways, which means that it’s easy to miss God’s blessings in our lives and the lives of others.  Of the 11 lepers cleansed, only 2 come back to thank God for answered prayers.  As we approach God in prayer, as we attend Mass, let’s join with the 2 lepers who came back, and let’s give thanks to God for His many blessings and answered prayers in our lives!

As Clever as a Crook

On By Fr. David NeuschwanderIn Ordinary Time

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today Jesus tells us one of His most confusing parables: “Look at this shady, crooked, underhanded businessman… You should learn a lesson from him!”  Many people are clever in the ways of this world – they are smart and resourceful in using the people and situations around them to further their own gain (even if it is selfish and underhanded, as the steward/manager/businessman is today).  Jesus challenges the “children of light” to be as smart and resourceful in obtaining benefits for heavenly life, as clever in living out our faith in the midst of this busy world and culture, as this shady businessman was in obtaining benefits for his earthly life.