Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ also known as Corpus Christi
A few years ago, Teague and I were touring Germany about this time of year One Thursday, our tour guide told us that it was a national holiday in Germany, and that many of the stores would be closed The holiday was Corpus Christi
The feast of Corpus Christi is normally celebrated on Thursday following Trinity Sunday I found it interesting that Corpus Christi was still being celebrated as a national holiday in Germany The nation of Germany has become secular The majority of the nation doesn’t practice any type of religion So, I found it interesting that Germany still observed a Catholic solemnity as a holiday
It shows how strong and lasting culture can be At one time Germany was a very Catholic nation Catholic feast days were observed by the entire nation In fact, the feast days were observed all over Europe Today, many Europeans are Catholic in name only And do not practice their faith.
The United States is not a Catholic nation The Feast of Corpus Christi is transferred to Sunday in the United States so more people can participate The American culture is not Catholic Christmas is the only Catholic feast I can think of that the American culture recognizes
It is hard to be Catholic in the American culture The American culture conflicts with Catholic culture often
Here are some examples: Catholics are expected to work on Holy Days School lunchrooms only have a meat option on Fridays during Lent Track meets are run on Good Friday To be Catholic in the United States is to be counter cultural
We can’t change the culture of America overnight But we can influence our own culture We have our own culture here at Sacred Heart and Cristo Redentor
We have fish frys during Lent We sing traditional hymns in our masses We pray the rosary before funerals We celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe We have the the Mexican dance groups, Guadalupanas, Men’s group, Charismatic group, and have had other organizations throughout the years We have the Jamaica fundraiser This church building and the art and decorations are part of our culture
These help us remember Remember where we came from It’s important for us to remember our ancestors Those who came before us Those who built this church
The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is coming in one week This is the feast day of our church We should come together and celebrate this day
For over twenty years, I have seen priests try to bring the parish together and celebrate this day But not many people come I want to encourage you all to come to the feast Come to the mass Come to the dinner after, and celebrate the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ Celebrate the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Spearman
Cristo Redentor is a part of Sacred Heart of Jesus in Spearman Cristo Redentor is a fruit of the Sacred Heart of Jesus I encourage Cristo Redentor to come and celebrate the Sacred Heart of Jesus
As we celebrate today the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ We remember Jesus We remember that Jesus is always present We can see His presence in the Eucharist We remember that Jesus is present in the most Holy Body and Blood “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life,” (Jn 6)
To believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is to be counter cultural To believe that Jesus is present Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Eucharist is Catholic
Carl is an old friend from college. I still remember him telling me my favorite joke about the three legged dog that walked into the bar. The dog looked at the bartender and said, “Barkeep, all I want to know is who shot my Pa?
Carl called me last fall. He had been going to the Catholic Church. Carl was Catholic, but hadn’t really been to church in quite some time. Anyway, he and his wife had been attending his local church, and his wife was going to OCIA, which stands for the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. His wife was Confirmed and came into the Church this past Easter Vigil.
During these past few months, Carl has called or texted a few times to tell me about their journey and all the things he has learned. It is always a blessing to hear from him, and how God is working in his life.
Towards the end of Easter, Carl called me and said, “Winger, I’ve got a story.” It began with him riding around in his pickup listening to Catholic radio. I asked him to write it down, so I’ll let him tell it….
As I recall, I was in the ranch truck heading to Fredericksburg to get feed, most likely coming from our ranch in Harper. I always listen to EWTN, the Catholic station, during the 12:00–2:00 p.m. hour. It has filled the void left by Rush Limbaugh.
A children’s story came over the airwaves — a story about Saint Bega. It ran for several minutes and told of her devotion to God and her interaction with angels. In the background, there was a melody playing softly, almost indistinctly: a violin and harp playing a haunting tune.
It struck me as beautiful.
Several times, I tried to identify the instrumental using the Shazam app on my iPhone, which can recognize songs by listening to them. At least five times it came back as “undiscernible,” perhaps because the music was so faint. Finally, it caught the tune: “Be Thou My Vision.”
I was delighted. I had never heard that hymn before.
I looked it up on my Amazon Music subscription and listened to various artists until I found the version I recognized — the instrumental by the Webb Family.
At the end of the day, back home, I told my wife, Rhesa, about the song. She, a former Baptist, had never heard it either. I told her how beautiful and haunting it sounded to me and said, “I would like that played at my funeral.”
Of course, she looked at me a little sideways.
I then asked her, “Do you think Amy Vorhees, the music director at Saint Mary’s, would know and play this song at a Mass if requested?”
She replied, “You can only ask.”
The week went by. One day I even tried to play it on our piano. I have no musical training, but I managed to bang out a few notes from the opening riff.
Sunday came, and we were headed to the 9:00 a.m. Mass — running a little behind, but still manageable.
We arrived at our front gate, where we can either go left or right toward Fredericksburg. Going left is a bit longer but fully paved. Going right is paved for a while and then turns into a dirt county road. Rhesa had just gotten a new car, and it was spotless.
We sat at the gate briefly discussing which way to go. Finally, I said, “We’re running a little late. Let’s go right. It’s a little dusty, but not bad since we recently had rain.”
So we headed right.
About a mile up the road, we saw a large whitetail buck tangled in our fence, completely suspended off the ground by his antlers, which were caught through the wire. We stopped, and I tried briefly to help him. He was very much alive — struggling and kicking.
Our ranch hand lives nearby, so I contacted him, explained the situation, and asked him to bring a rope.
At first, we decided to continue on to Fredericksburg. But another half mile down the road, I had the feeling he would need help getting the buck free. I told Rhesa, “I need to go back and help.”
We turned around. Rhesa dropped me off and headed back to the house to get another rope.
Shortly thereafter, help arrived. After a brief struggle, we managed to free the buck. He was fine — his antlers a little messed up — but he ran off.
A few minutes later, Rhesa returned, and I got back in the car. By then, though, it was too late to make Mass in Fredericksburg.
We discussed what to do. Rhesa suggested, “Let’s just go to the 11:00 Mass.”
I replied, “That’ll take up most of the day.”
Then she said, “Why don’t we just go to Saint Anthony’s in Harper? It’s closer, and we can still make the 9:00.”
Agreed.
We headed to Harper.
When we arrived, a friendly parishioner greeted us and mentioned that, because it was Mother’s Day, they were having a fish supper and Mass had been moved to 9:30.
We took our seats in the pews and waited. The Rosary was prayed, and then Mass began at 9:30.
The entrance procession began with a hymn. But the very next hymn played in that little church in Harper, Texas, was “Be Thou My Vision.”
I sat there in total amazement, looking over at Rhesa and thinking about how the Holy Spirit works.
When I heard Carl’s story, I just laughed. I told him a similar story that Teague had with a song that she had been thinking about. Carl wondered what the odds were of all these things happening like they did. I told him that I had heard once that there were no coincidences, only God-incidences, and this wasn’t a coincidence. He asked me if he should tell his priest, and I told him for sure he should tell him.
Carl called a few days ago, and I asked him if he had told his priest the story yet. He said, “No, he hadn’t been to see him,” “but he said, “I know what he’s going to say.”
I asked, “What?”
Carl replied that his priest would say, “The Holy Spirit was with you that day!”
Gruver Community Good Friday Service April 3, 2026 The Last Words of Christ - The Seventh Word
“It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun’s light failed, and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Having said this, he breathed his last.” (LK 23:44-46 NRSVUE)
The last and perfect prayer from the pulpit of the cross (Fulton Sheen) Man had tried to kill Jesus But he couldn’t be killed
He is the God-Man He has given His all “[Jesus], fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God,” (Jn 13) Is allowing Himself to die -- “He is giving the last drop of His precious blood for the redemption of the world.” (Sheen) Jesus is bringing about “the death of Death” (Sheen)
Jesus is gives Himself to the Father
“Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Lk 23:46)
“Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus,
Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found in human appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2:5-11)
I used to referee basketball. I loved reffing. I loved the game, being around the students, the coaches and the fans. Officiating basketball is one of the most competitive things that I have ever done. Referees are a competitive bunch. They want to be in the best games, and want to be the best ref on the court, and I was no different. I worked hard at refereeing. I studied the rulebook, went to officiating camps, and attended referee meetings.
It was at least 20 years ago. I had a “big game”. It was the last district game of the year for the Hereford and Palo Duro girls. They were both still in the running for the playoffs. The winner of the game made the playoffs and the loser went home.
The game was good. It was a tight and back and forth the entire game. In the final seconds, the game was tied, and I found myself in the “C” position on the court as the official. I would be responsible for counting or not counting any last second shot. I was standing at about the half court line when there was a loose ball near me. A Palo Duro girl was going for the ball, and a Hereford girl also was going for it and ran into the Palo Duro girl. I blew my whistle and called a foul on the Hereford girl just as the end of the game buzzer was sounding. I pointed for the Palo Duro girl to go to the free throw line.
Immediately, my co-official came to me and asked if the foul happened before the buzzer. I said yes, and he asked if I was sure because if it hadn’t we could just go into overtime. I held my ground, and said yes, I was sure. The Palo Duro girl went to the free throw line and made the free throw to win the game. Me and my co-officials ran off the floor to the dressing room.
While we were in the dressing room, my co-official said, “You realize you will never referee for Hereford ever again. I just sat there, and we discussed the play again.
When we went back on the floor for the boys game, the Hereford coach was waiting in the hallway. He hollered at me. I just kept walking.
On by drive home, I couldn’t get the last play out of my mind. I called the secretary for the Referee Association and told him what happened. I told him he might get a call from the Hereford coach to complain about me. He told me not to worry about it.
I didn’t sleep very well that night, and I couldn’t quit thinking about that last play and whether I had made the right call or not. The next morning I got up, and went to my computer and wrote a letter to the Hereford coach. I told him how I saw the play, and that “technically” the call was correct. But in basketball officiating there is the rule of Advantage/Disadvantage. When using advantage/disadvantage to call a game an official would let a bump go and not call a foul if neither player gained an advantage or disadvantage. I explained in my letter that where the play happened on the floor and as the buzzer was sounding there was no advantage or disadvantage, and I should have made a “no call” and let the game go into overtime.
And then I wrote him, “I was wrong, I’m sorry, Please forgive me.” And I mailed the letter and never heard anything.
The next season when I got my refereeing schedule, I couldn’t believe it when I saw the last regular season game on my schedule was Hereford versus Palo Duro. I couldn’t believe the coach hadn’t scratched me from the game. In fact, all season long I was expecting to get taken out of the game. But when the game came around, I was still in it. There was only one thing different. I was the “R”. I was the head referee. As the “R”, I was responsible for checking the official books before the game to make sure everything was good to go. I walked across the court to get the book, and took it over to the Hereford coach. I handed him the book and said, “Thanks for having us coach.”
The coach was looking at his book checking his line up. He never looked up. But he said, “I’ve never received a letter like that before. I didn’t know how to respond. I told him that me just being in this game was response enough.
The scenario was the exact same as the year before. The winner would make the playoffs and the loser went home. It was a close back and forth game all night long. In the final seconds of the game, Palo Duro was leading, and Hereford had the ball to shoot the last shot to win. And yes, I was in the “C” position again, and I would be responsible for deciding if the shot would count or not. A Hereford player dribbled down the court, and she shot just as the buzzer was sounding… but she missed the shot. The game was over and Palo Duro won.
I used to always tell this story to my college classes when they pointed out a mistake that I made in class. It’s always good to admit when you are wrong, be sorry, and ask forgiveness.
One of the blessings of retirement is that I have the opportunity to substitute at the school. I grew up in that school, and I have fond memories of my teachers, classmates, and all the adventures I had.
I was subbing in the Jr. High one day, and I was telling the principal that my mom told me that when they built the Jr. High the pinnacle on one of the columns was purposely left unfinished. It symbolized that one’s education is never finished. The prinicipal said that she had heard that too, but had also heard that there was another reason for it being unfinished, but couldn’t remember the exact details. I told her that I would ask my Mom again to see if I could find out more about the story.
Last week, I was driving home from Mass. It was about 7:00 a.m., and the rosy fingers of dawn were embracing our little town. As I drove east down Broadway, I could see a silhouette of the Jr. High with the sunrise behind it. I noticed the unfinished pinnacle on the column at the entrance, and I thought about my Mom’s story. That it was left that way on purpose because “Our education is never finished…”
I remembered my conversation with the principal, and I thought that I had never remembered to ask Mom. I turned down the street to my house, and I thought to myself. “Well… I can’t ask her now.”
A tinge of sadness struck at my heart, and I drove home on a cold January morning.
Anonymous artists from New York hired by Pacific Press Publishing Company expressly to illustrate this book (page 8), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
29th Sunday in Ordinary Time October 19, 2025 Ex 17:8-13; Ps 121; 2 Tim 3:14-4:2; Lk 18:1-8
The past few weeks the second reading has been from St. Paul’s letters to Timothy Timothy was a companion of Paul on his missionary journeys He was a young man that Paul converted His parents were Jew and Gentile In Paul’s letters to Timothy, we see him encouraging Timothy as he is overseeing the church at Ephesus
A few weeks ago we heard Paul give Timothy instruction about prayer
“It is my wish, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or argument.” (1 Tim 2:8)
In the first reading today, we see Moses holding up his hands as Joshua and the Israelites battle Amalek The battle goes well for the Israelites as long as Moses keeps his hands raised But when he lowers his hands the battle goes poorly
Moses gets tired and they have to get a rock for him to sit on He then gets so tired that Aaron and Hur have to help him keep his hands raised But Moses is persistent and the battle is won
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples a parable on the persistence of prayer The widow in the story is persistent in her petition to the judge Even though the judge is unjust, he gives in to the widow’s persistence
“Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night?” (Lk 18)
We must be persistent in our prayer “Prayer presupposes an effort, a fight against ourselves… we pray as we live, because we live as we pray.” (CCC 2752)
“[Each mass] …when the reading of the Gospel begins, we place the sign of the Cross on our foreheads, lips, and hearts and pray, “May the Lord be in our minds, on our lips, and in our hearts,’ Lips, minds, and hearts-- these symbolize three kinds of prayer: vocal, meditative, and contemplative.” (U.S. Catechism for Adults, 473)
We begin each liturgy in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The mass is a combination of vocal, meditative, and contemplative prayer. When we pray the Our Father together, this is an example of vocal prayer. When we sit and listen to the Scriptures together, this is an example of meditative prayer When we sit in silence together after the homily and receiving the Eucharist, this is an example of contemplative prayer
We pray to change ourselves To become closer to God
When we are persistent in prayer We pray vocally as Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane When we read Sacred Scripture, writings of the Church Fathers, and other spiritual books, we are in meditative prayer Contemplative prayer “is a time of silent listening and love.”
Once I was talking to a truck driver I asked him if he ever prayed He thought for a while and then he said no not really
I asked him if he ever thought about the questions of life like… Why am I here? I asked him if he ever thought about God He said yes he did… This is prayer…
“Parents are the first teachers of prayer” (U.S. Catechism for Adults, 472) Parents, you are responsible for teaching your children how to pray Parents, you should pray with your children every day When children see their parents praying, they are witnessing an example of faith and they learn from it
St. John Chrysostom tells us:
“It is possible to offer fervent prayer even while walking in public or strolling alone, or seated in your shop… while buying or selling… or even while cooking.”
“He ‘prays without ceasing’ who unites prayer to works and good works to prayer.” (Origen)
Brothers and sisters I encourage you to be persistent in prayer Pray with your families Pray when you wake up Read the Scriptures daily Sit and listen to God Let prayer form you Let prayer guide you Let prayer strengthen you Let prayer make you into the person God made you to be…
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time September 28, 2026 Priesthood Sunday Amos 6:1a, 4-7; Ps 146; 1 Tim 6:11-16; Lk 16:19-31
When I listen to today’s Gospel, I get uncomfortable I find myself identifying with the rich man rather than Lazarus I’ve never been poor or starving I’ve never begged for food But I’ve walked and drove by many people that were asking for a handout
I notice when Jesus teaches He tends to make the religious and the rich uncomfortable And Jesus tends to comfort the poor, the sick, the hungry If we are not poor, sick, or hungry, and we are not uncomfortable with the words of Jesus Maybe we need to open our ears to the Word of God
Hear again the Words of St. Paul to Timothy “But you, man of God, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith.” (1 Tim 6)
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It was the year 1571, Europe was divided, the Church was divided The Protestant Reformation had divided the Church And Europe was constantly under attack from the Muslims and the Ottoman Empire from the East
A small Catholic Christian navy was formed which became known as the Holy League The Turks had a great navy and the battle with the Holy League navy was imminent The situation was dire The fate of a Christian Europe was at stake
The Turks and the Holy League were on a collision course in the Mediterranean Sea But the Holy League had something the Ottomans did not The Archbishop of Mexico had sent a replica of Our Lady of Guadalupe to the Holy League to be placed on the mast of a ship Our Lady had appeared to Juan Diego just forty years previous The Archbishop had touched this replica to the original image of Our Lady
Pope Pius V also asked all of Europe to pray the rosary for victory The soldiers of the Holy League also prayed the rosary And each soldier was given a rosary to be taken into battle
The Holy League defeated the Muslims soundly And there was no longer a Muslim threat from the sea The battle took place on October 7, 1571 It is known as The Battle of Lepanto
The Church remembers the Battle of Lepanto each year on October 7 With the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary
“This commemorative feast was established by St. Pius V on the anniversary of the naval victory won by the Christian fleet at Lepanto. The victory was attributed to the help of the holy Mother of God whose aid was invoked through the praying of the rosary. The celebration of this day invites all to meditate upon the mysteries of Christ, following the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary who was so singularly associated with the incarnation, passion and glorious resurrection of the Son of God.” (Christian Prayer, 1284-1285)
Listen to what Pope Leo posted on social media this past week:
“The Church dedicates the coming month of October to the Holy Rosary. I invite everyone to pray the Rosary for Peace each day of the month—individually, in the family, in community. On Saturday, October 11, at 6:00 PM, we will pray the Rosary together in St. Peter’s Square, during the vigil of the Jubilee of Marian Spirituality, also recalling the anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council.”
Will you join Pope Leo in praying the rosary for peace in the month of October?
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His name was Anthony, and he was quiet among his fellow monks He had vowed not to request anything, or deny any request of him He stayed to himself and his daily chores
One day he was asked to preach His brother monks were surprised by his powerful preaching They were astounded at his theological insights He went on to become a most powerful preacher And earned the nickname the Hammer of the Heretics Today, we know him as St. Anthony of Padua
Fr. Anthony reminds me of St. Anthony of Padua He is quiet, and he doesn’t ask for much I am thankful for his service here at Sacred Heart and Cristo Redentor
Today is Priesthood Sunday Priests give themselves to God They give themselves to the Church Their life is not their own
Join me in praying for Fr. Anthony and all priests Join me in praying for Fr. Hrudaya as he prepares to come here
Being a priest is kind of like living like St. Anthony of Padua You don’t deny a request When the Bishop assigns you to another parish, you obey
Getting a new priest is an adjustment It will be uncomfortable for a while It will be uncomfortable for me And I think it will be uncomfortable for us all Maybe even Fr. Hrudaya
But following Jesus is not always about being comfortable Following Jesus is about love Loving the poor and the vulnerable Loving our enemies Praying for Peace Giving Jesus our whole self
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time September 21, 2025 Amos 8:4-7; Ps 113; 1 Tim 2:1-8; Lk 16:10-13
“You cannot serve both God and mammon." (Lk 16:10-13)
What is the most important thing in your life? What do you put first? How do you spend your time? What do you think about the most?
When we ask ourselves these kind of questions We begin to see what the priorities are in our lives
Here is how I try to prioritize my life. God is first I try to make God my number one priority
The rest of my priorities fall like this Family Job Church
So, God is first Family is second Job is third And Church is fourth
I remember when I first heard this list of priorities, I thought it was unusual that church was fourth There was a time in my life that I considered church and God one in the same, but they are different
I try to live out my priority of putting God first by giving Him the first of my day When I wake up, the first thing I try to do is pray. My routine is to pray the Holy Spirit prayer and sit in silence Followed by Morning Prayer Read the church readings for the day Pray The Office And write in my journal This is one way, I try and put God first in my life
The next priority is family Now when it comes to family My first priority is my spouse So, I try and put Teague first The children come next And then the rest of my extended family
My Mom and Dad are both bearing the cross of old age So, they have become a higher priority at times
It is a mistake to put our children as a higher priority than our spouse Your spouse should always be your number one priority in the family Parents the best thing you can do for your children is to love your spouse Parents, you are also responsible for teaching your children about God You are responsible for teaching your children your faith When you are teaching your children about God, You are honoring God and your family
The third priority is work Don’t forget, God and family are both more important than your job But your job is a priority over church
I remembered when I farmed There were many times that I thought I needed to stay on the tractor instead of coming in for dinner Many times I would wrestle with the idea of staying on the tractor Or getting off the tractor to go eat with my family
You know one of the things my adult children tell me they remember most? The family dinners that we had together
The fourth in this list of priorities is the Church If I’m not careful, I can put the church ahead of my family, job, and God I am naturally a person that says “yes” So, if someone asks me to teach a class, I say, “yes” If someone asks me to help with a retreat, I say, “yes”
If I’m not careful, I can let church activities come before family or my job One way to help me keep my priorities in line is to ask Teague I try and ask Teague before I say “yes” to anything She helps me keep my priorities straight
What is the most important thing in your life? What do you put first? How do you spend your time? What do you think about the most?
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time September 7, 2025 Wis 9:13-18b; Ps 90; Phileman 9-10, 12-17; Lk 14: 25-33
This past week we celebrated the Memorial of St. Gregory the Great St. Gregory was Pope from 540-604 AD He is known as the patron saint of teachers and students It seems his feast day is placed in perfect conjunction with the beginning of our school year
When I think of St. Gregory the Great, I can’t help but think of the Adult Faith group we had at Sacred Heart It began in the year 2000 and the priest led it I wasn’t Catholic, but I asked to attend the group We learned about our faith It was a blessing
I’m not really sure when I realized that I had the gift of teaching But I can remember when I was a boy I helped my mom and dad teach people how to water ski My job was to get in the water with them and help them get started I would tell them “Keep your arms straight, and your knees bent” We taught a lot of people how to water ski
I remember coaching Little Dribbler basketball And teaching boys the fundamentals of the game I taught high school, Jr. High and Adult Bible classes I remember teaching Vacation Bible School That was an experience
I helped with all sorts of youth groups Spoke at retreats Helped at retreats Organized retreats
When I decided that I was quitting farming I didn’t know what I was going to do It was going to take at least a year to get the crop in So, I gave myself some time to find a job We were open to anything and anywhere God would lead us
An opportunity to teach Finance at Oklahoma Panhandle State University came open The University approached Teague about teaching Teague knew some of the professors She had her Masters in Business And she had experience in Finance She thought about accepting the position But decided not to take it because I was getting out of farming She wanted to keep her job at the bank because it paid better
One night we were laying in bed trying to think who we could recommend for the teaching position As we were laying there, Teague gasped! She said, “I know who can do it!” “You, you can do it, and you would do it better than me.”
I was shocked when she said it My first response was no because I didn’t have a Masters in Business Teague replied, “You can get it.” I thought, “yea, I could”
The next day, Teague recommended me to be the Finance teacher I went and interviewed with the dean And I told her that even though I hadn’t been a professional teacher I knew how to teach And that I was a natural teacher
I am thankful to God for giving me the gift of teaching And through the years, I have worked to improve the gift After I retired, I started substitute teaching at the school I learned even more about teaching watching the teachers when I substituted
When the priest that began the St. Gregory’s group was transferred I wanted to keep the group going So, I volunteered to lead the group I remember the first meeting we had I was going through the material and asking questions One of the members of the group who was a teacher exclaimed, “He is a natural teacher!” It was confirmation to the group and to me
The greatest teacher is Jesus One of the ways Jesus teaches is through parables or stories Jesus teaching is straightforward He does not mince words Jesus challenges his disciples
When I began teaching college, I had the mistaken idea that I only needed to say something once I reasoned that the students were adults, and they would listen to every word I said I was wrong I learned that a teacher can’t repeat things enough “Repetion is the soul to understanding” Let me say that again “Repetion is the soul to understanding”
Repetition is how we learn The mass is a great example We come to mass each Sunday Each Sunday is basically the same
Through the repetition of the prayers of the mass Our soul begins to understand
Today, Jesus’ teaching seems harsh The English translation says, “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother” Hate our families Hate even our own life Renounce all our possessions Or we cannot be a disciple
Hate is a hard word for me The Spanish translation uses “prefiere” “Si alguno quiere seguirme y no me prefiere a su padre y a su madre” Which Google translates as “If anyone wants to follow me and does not prefer me to his father and mother,”
What Jesus repeats throughout his ministry Is that we should die to ourselves Die to our old way of life To be his disciple We must pick up our cross and follow him
On today’s gospel, St. Gregory the Great teaches “‘You should be the owner of worldly things, not possessed by them… Worldly goods are for our use; the things of heaven are the objects of our true desires…. Let us make use, then, of earthly things, while desiring all the time to take possession of the heavenly.” (St. Gregory the Great from The Navarre Bible Commentary, 314)
My Brothers and Sisters We must die to our old life We must pick up our cross And follow the path of humility Follow the path of love It can’t be repeated enough…Jesus loves you…Amen
Mary Mail 