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Fr. Jeff's Blog

Have you checked out Fr. Jeff's new blog at www.renewaloffaith.org/blog?

Check there for all new articles from Fr. Jeff. He does not post articles here now.

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Posted by Fr. Jeff at Thursday, February 25, 2010 4:01 PM | Add Comment

Get Into the Acts! - February 14, 2010

Get into the Acts!

Week of February 14, 2010

Read: Acts 15: 1 - 35

Reflect:  This section of Acts describes the Council of Jerusalem, the first of many councils of the church. Here the early church struggled with the major question of how the Jewish and Gentile Christians could all follow Christ together in practice. Although the council offered its teaching it took time in the early communities to integrate that teaching. More recently, ...

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Posted by Fr. Jeff at Friday, February 12, 2010 1:30 PM | Add Comment

Get Into the Acts! - February 7, 2010

Get into the Acts!

Week of February 7, 2010

Read: Acts 13: 44 – 14: 28

Reflect:  Paul and Barnabas encounter some problems in Lystra when the people misunderstand the healing of a crippled man as meaning that Paul and Barnabas are the Greek gods Hermes and Zeus. The cultural expectations of the community made it difficult for them to understand Paul and Barnabas’ message, even after they tried to make it clear that they ...

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Posted by Fr. Jeff at Friday, February 05, 2010 9:40 AM | Add Comment

The New Blog is Ready

My new blog is ready at www.renewaloffaith.org/blog. Right now there is just an introduction article but be sure and check there for new posts.

From now on I will continue to post the Get Into the Acts series from the diocese here on the parish blog. At some point in the future Fr. John or another staff member may take over the parish blog so don't forget to check here for new posts.
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Posted by Fr. Jeff at Saturday, January 30, 2010 8:20 PM | View Comments (1) | Add Comment

A Reminder to Rest in a Busy World

We live in a very busy world. We are busy with work. We are busy with children (It amazes me how many activities children are involved in today). Hopefully we are busy with putting our faith into practice. Yet, it seems for many people church is the first thing to drop off the schedule with things are too busy. I could get on "my high-horse" about coming to church but for today let me just offer ... << MORE >>
Posted by Fr. Jeff at Friday, January 29, 2010 9:53 AM | Add Comment

Get Into the Acts! - January 31, 2010

Get into the Acts!

Week of January 31, 2010
Read: Acts 12: 25 – 13: 43

Reflect:  As Peter did earlier in Acts, Paul again connects the understanding of Jesus in the early church with its Jewish roots and history. Paul raises up key moments in the life of the Jewish people and connects them with Good News and God’s saving action. How has God’s saving action been present in my own history? Where on my path have I seen or experienced God at work in my life? How have those experiences changed my life as a disciple and how I share the Good News with others? Where am I being called to grow in my discipleship at this point in my journey?

Did anything else stand out for me in this section of Acts?

Act it Out! How do my reflections today inform how I will live out my discipleship in the world this week?

Could I…
…write out important parts of my faith journey in a letter to my children?
…visit a member of my community in the hospital?
…use a moment of transformation in my life to connect with someone going through a similar struggle at school?
How else could I act it out?

Posted by Fr. Jeff at Friday, January 29, 2010 9:49 AM | Add Comment

Go Forth and Blog

Some of you may have seen the news headline this weekend that the Pope said "Go forth and blog". Those were not the words Pope Benedict XVI used but it speaks to his point.

If you would like to read the text of the Pope's address as he wrote it check it out at http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/communications/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20100124_44th-world-communications-day_en.html.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff ... << MORE >>
Posted by Fr. Jeff at Tuesday, January 26, 2010 5:20 PM | Add Comment

January 22nd

Today is January 22nd.  That means the March for Life happened today in Washington, DC.  The March for Life focuses on the decision by the Supreme Court to legalize abortion on January 22, 1973.

What I would like to reflect on here is not just abortion but the issue of respect for all life, "from womb to tomb".

Life is a gift.  Yet sometimes it doesn't seem like a gift on both ends of life.  When a woman is pregnant with an unwanted child or a child who is known to have medical problems that life may not seem like much of a gift.  The parents might think of all the challenges and difficulties the child will bring to their lives.

At the other end of life is death.  When a person is lying in major illness, perhaps the final stages of cancer, dementia, or their body has simply grown old and become weak and tired, life at that point may not seem like much of a gift.

Yet, it is a gift.  I don't know how to explain it.  Really, I don't.  But I do believe it.  No matter the temptation, we must never hasten death.  That doesn't mean we have to do everything medically possible to prolong life.  The Church seeks to make a distinction for end of life decisions by using the terms "ordinary means" and "extraordinary means." 

Ordinary Means are things like basic food and water that must be provided for the person but only as long as their bodies are able to digest the food and absorb it into their bodies to give them nourishment.

Extraordinary Means go beyond the basics.  They include things like ventilators and cancer treatments when the treatment does not help.  We do not have to use all extraordinary means but only what is reasonable.  I am thinking about examples but I think the best thing to say is the truth - every case is different and if you are faced with end of life decisions speak to a hospital chaplain or priest about the particular situation.

Returning to the beginning of life, I do not know what it is like to be an expectant mother of an unwanted  child.  There is always the possibility of putting the child up for adoption to a family unable to give birth to their own children.  I can only imagine what it might be like for a woman to give up a newborn child for adoption.  Yet there is the gift of life.

I also can't imagine being the parents of a child in the womb with known medical problems.  First of all, I am not talking about parents aborted anything but the "perfect child."  I hope and pray no one is that selective.  I'm talking about the infants in the womb who might not even survive till birth or will live with lifelong disabilities and not just blindness or hearing loss (those can be adapted too).  It can be hard to see a gift in that child but God loves that child. 

I don't pretend to know all the answers.  I know that when the egg cell from the mother and the sperm from the father come together in the womb a new child is born and that child has a unique genetic makeup all its own.  And it is given the gift of life from God.

I would like to have something new and profound to say but all I have is what I believe.

Let us pray for everyone facing such situations, that the Lord give them strength, comfort, peace, and love.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Posted by Fr. Jeff at Friday, January 22, 2010 7:47 PM | View Comments (1) | Add Comment

A New Blog is Coming

As many of you know this blog was started to be the parish blog of St. Mary's.  When I first started writing here, it was meant to be a way to talk about parish activities.  It has developed into more of a commentary by me with examples from the parish.  Some of the articles I write have nothing to do with St. Mary's and some are very much influenced by parish life at St. Mary's.

As many of you also know I am scheduled to change assignments in June.  So the question becomes what to do with the blog.  From my standpoint, I have decided I like writing for the blog.  Realizing this blog belongs to the parish I have decided that I will be starting my own personal blog on my website (www.renewaloffaith.org).  I have also decided not to wait till June to start the new blog.  I have already begun to set it up.  It will be anywhere from a few days to a few weeks when my new blog is ready.  I will post a link to it here when it is ready and a link with also appear on the St. Mary's Website at that time.

That leaves the question of what will happen to this blog.  Until my new blog is ready I will continue to write here as usual.  Beyond that, in the short-term I will continue to post the "Get Into the Acts" weekly reflection and questions here as that is written by the diocese and not me.  If the inspiration comes I might write something on parish activity here.  In the long-term Fr. John and I am discussing what to do with this blog.

As I said my new blog is not ready yet.  What I would like to hear from you is what you would like to see on my new blog (you might also comment on the future of this blog for the parish).  My new blog will have many of the same type of articles as here, simply without a specific parish focus.  Of course, parish life is a vital part of my life and will always influence what I write.  The new blog will not be about me but about what it means to be Catholic and to live the Catholic faith.  It will also present Church teaching as it relates to the events of our lives.

That all being said what would you like to see different on my new blog?  A new topic or more of the same?  Should the blog be short articles or more in-depth.  (I tend to put the more in-depth stuff on my website).  I look forward to hearing what you have to say.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Posted by Fr. Jeff at Friday, January 22, 2010 7:19 PM | View Comments (4) | Add Comment

Get Into the Acts! - January 24, 2010

Get into the Acts!

Week of January 24, 2010

Read: Acts 11: 1 – 12: 24
Reflect: This week’s section of Acts begins with Peter being challenged by the “circumcised” believers – those Christians who came from Jewish communities – for his outreach to the Gentiles. Peter stands by the call of God to all people, and continues to preach the Good News even upon his arrest by Herod. Who are the ones whom I feel “belong” in ...

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Posted by Fr. Jeff at Friday, January 22, 2010 7:16 PM | Add Comment
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