Making Triangles

On By Fr. David NeuschwanderIn Feasts

Holy Trinity

Each time we make the sign of the cross we are proclaiming that our God is a Trinity – God IS a relationship, so united that the Three are actually One, and yet the One remains Three.  And we, caught up in this relationship of God through baptism, are called by Jesus today to, “Go and make disciples.”

Luckily, it’s not as complicated or scary as it might sound – it’s all about relationship!  God is a relationship.  We are connected to God through our relationship with Him.  We are connected with others through our relationships with them, and the goal is that through us they would also come to experience God and a life of faith and hope and fulfillment and that they would be inspired to enter into relationship with God themselves!

So making disciples is like MAKING TRIANGLES!

The Holy Spirit Prayer

On By Fr. David NeuschwanderIn Feasts

Pentecost

The Holy Spirit comes on this Pentecost day to strengthen us in 3 ways:

  1. In our relationship with Jesus Christ
  2. In defending the faith
  3. In spreading the faith

Every day this week, pray, “Come, Holy Spirit.  Come, Holy Spirit.  Come, Holy Spirit.”  When you feel your relationship with the Lord is not what it could be, when the Church is being looked down on, when someone needs to hear the encouragement of a life lived in faith, it is the Holy Spirit who will give you His strength and His words to speak into that situation!  Come, Holy Spirit!

Black and White

On By Fr. David NeuschwanderIn Lent

4th Sunday of Lent

We were created in love by God (white), then we fell into and were captured by sin (black), but “even when we were dead in our transgressions” “God, who is rich in mercy…brought us to life with Christ…raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus” (white).   And now, all throughout each day, in so many ways, we are making choices — about what we say, what we do, what we think about, what we listen to, what we watch, what we read.  We are either choosing black or choosing white; choosing to let a little more darkness into our life and world, or choosing to let a little more light into our life and world.

Black and white.  Black and white.  There will be a final day, when we stand before the Lord, and for the final verdict “gray” is not an option, it will be black or white.

The Heavenly Birkie

On By Fr. David NeuschwanderIn Lent

2nd Sunday of Lent

The Birkie is an incredible yearly event!  So many people, come from all over the country (and the world) to make this experience possible — whether it’s the skiers, the many volunteers, the family members, the friends, the staff, all our business owners — everyone comes together, preps, and plays their part to make this week happen.  Could the Birkie be a lens, a window, an analogy, into how God wants us to live the entirety of our lives?!

Wholeness/Holiness Heals

On By Fr. David NeuschwanderIn Ordinary Time

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

In our Gospel today we see Jesus healing those who are sick or possessed by demons, restoring some people physically and some people spiritually.  Jesus’ wholeness heals others.  While His apostles aren’t yet healing others at this point in their lives, we know that one day they will.  While the saints aren’t yet healing others when this Gospel passage happened, we know that one day they will.  And all of it comes from closeness with the Father, often exemplified through prayer-Jesus in our Gospel goes off early in the morning to pray to His Father.  Their wholeness/holiness came from deep union with God, often in prayer, and it spilled over into those around them, bringing restoration and healing…and God will do the same through us when we spend time growing in deep union with the Father, too!

God Has Already Spoken To You

On By Fr. David NeuschwanderIn Ordinary Time

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

The spiritual life, I believe, is actually very simple; it’s not easy, but it’s simple.  It’s following the impulses that come from deep within, the calls that arise from the depths of our soul and heart, from the place within us where God already dwells.  God is so much closer to us than we realize.  God molded our inmost being, He created us, He placed a spark of eternity in each of us, He gave each of us the breath of His Spirit to give us life; God already dwells deep, deep within each of us.  “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”