Thursday May 23, 2024
Mark 9:41-50
If your hand should cause you to sin, cut it off
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘If anyone gives you a cup of water to drink just because you belong to Christ, then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward.
This may seem like it does not connect with the gospel but hear me out. I have never seen a group of people get so excited and freaked out like Africans when someone screams SNAKE. We don’t like them at all. With us all snakes are king cobras. Imagine my shock when at a pet zoo, my Grayson put a python around his neck/shoulders. Am out!!!! Nope nope, that is clearly from his mama’s side of genes.
The Irish priests on the other hand in my African experience did not mind the snakes. They freaked out with SPEED. We loved driving fast and Fr Patrick would yell, watch your speed!
What freaked out Jesus? Anything that endangers your soul. Anything that seeks to crowd out the fire of God in you. Jesus was dramatic about it. If your hand causes you to sin, get rid of it! Seriously! Yes it is that important. If you have a friend who brings out the worst in you, end it.
Only do things, be around people, invite in your life what is of God. Your soul will guide you to those things.
Fr. Chibundi
Wednesday May 22, 2024
Mark 9:38-40
John said to Jesus, ‘Master, we saw a man who is not one of us casting out devils in your name; and because he was not one of us we tried to stop him.’ But Jesus said, ‘You must not stop him: no one who works a miracle in my name is likely to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us.’
For those who do not know, today is my anniversary for the priesthood. Archbishop Kelly ordained me on this day 20 years ago. Little did I know I would be doing this today. You just never know how life develops. One thing I have known over the past 20 years is God is always there. God is there with me during the great moments and through difficult transitions. But God is not only there in a passive way, no. For me God has worked overtime to protect the gift he has given me. Miraculously, out of nothing he has given me Rabbouni so I can continue to be a priest. Thank you Lord.
I sure hope you find your vocation and see for yourself how God protects that calling. So for my anniversary, think of Rabbouni in your monthly budget. A happy anniversary ride Dan Whelan and Fr Tuang Do my brother priests.
Monday May 20, 2024
John 19:25-35
Feast of Mary Mother of the church
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son.’ Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’ And from that moment the disciple made a place for her in his home.
I remember it like yesterday. We were standing before the pieta in Rome when it suddenly hit me. No mother should have to bury their son. There was the lifeless body of Jesus in the lap of his mother. It is a powerful piece of art and does not even come close to the actual incident.
In reflecting on Mary, I am fascinated how our Blessed Mother let it all happen. I doubt she understood it all and at one time came to take him home but by and large, she let it happen. I struggle with that one. Let it happen!
She let the Holy Spirit overshadow her, she let Jesus find his own way, she let herself be taken into another disciple’s house. Maybe this is my prayer today. Lord may I be caught up in the movement of your spirit today.
Love you
Wednesday May 17, 2024
John 17:11-19
Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:
‘Holy Father,
keep those you have given me true to your name,
so that they may be one like us.
While I was with them,
I kept those you had given me true to your name.
I have watched over them
How do you really know that you have adequately prepared your children for this big world. I thought mama worried about unnecessary things when I left home for boarding school. I could not wait to go but on her face was every worry known to any mother. I will not be there as I always have … she worried. And for good reasons too. Boarding school is tough, you get more freedom than you have ever had in your little life but it can be brutal. No one goes into boarding school and comes out the same after several years. You sink or you swim….quickly. Quiet boys find their voices in that place. Anyway back to the scriptures.
Jesus prays for his disciples because he knows the struggle ahead. Maybe he doubts a little that he has adequately prepared them. Did you ever feel completely prepared to be a parent? A teacher? Most of us are prepared as much as we can until life punches us in the face. Know this though, you are being prayed over. So get up, readjust and re engage.
Love you
Thursday May 16, 2024
John 17:20-26
Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:
‘Holy Father,
I pray not only for these,
but for those also
who through their words will believe in me.
May they all be one.
For some reason I thought that Our Lord always got what he prayed for . But with this prayer I realize that some of his prayers are still in the making. There is nothing more hurtful to a parent than when siblings stop talking to each other for whatever reason. We may not do this on a world scale but what can we do on a small scale. What needs to happen to bury the hatchet in your own circle. We can do this you know!
As a world we have come a long way to peace and freedom. But our work presses on. In my own circle what seems to get in the way is money. There is some strife between those who have and not have. Here is how you bury that one. Work hard for your own and send good wishes to those who have. Just change that attitude.
Come to think of it, Bob Marley tried to tell us “ONE LOVE”
Monday May 13, 2024
John 16:29-33
Do you believe at last?
Listen; the time will come – in fact it has come already –
when you will be scattered,
each going his own way
Reading this passage now as a grey haired man brings back so many memories of people I have been on a journey with. There have been priests, brothers and sisters I thought I could not live without. But life happened and here we are surrounded by new souls. Yes in twenty years a lot has happened and part of me dreads the unknown next twenty.
There is one place I have gone back over and over again though. I can always go back to my prayer position and everything there is like it used to be, even better I should say. If you have not developed a daily practice of prayer and movement, I highly encourage it.
Yesterday on video call mama said “shave your face, you look old.” And I said “yup that’s my mom :)”.
Ascension Thursday May 9, 2024
Matthew 28:16-20
Did I ever tell you the story about the calendar in the closet at St Martin De Porres? It was my first year in the US as a young seminarian. I was going through a lot of cultural shock having left the beloved passionists priests in Africa whose identity I truly had become. Crushed by a indescribable loneliness I went out for dinner at Raffities in the east end. But I hated sitting alone, dinners used to be fun with the brothers but here I am in a strange country dining alone. There was a lump in my throat that was crushing me. I left the restaurant went back to the abandoned rectory and threw myself on the bed. The only prayer I remember saying was “Lord, what have I done leaving Africa.” God spoke to me that day and said open the closet. I dried up my tears and went to put some handme down T Shirts into this closet. Someone had left an old calendar from 1989 on the back wall of the closet. On it where these words “And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.” In that moment, I felt an overwhelming presence of God. I still feel it to this day.
Jesus never left!!! He was always with the disciples. Sometimes they felt his presence and other times it felt like they were abandoned. As we celebrate Ascension, please know that the heavens are all around us and so is our Lord.
Tuesday May 7, 2024
John 16:5-11
Still, I must tell you the truth:
it is for your own good that I am going
because unless I go,
the Advocate will not come to you;
We have mentioned in our blog on the scriptures that the Gospel of John is a very high christology narrative and can be difficult to read and understand. Remember it is the last of the gospels to be written and it is written to an early church that never knew Jesus personally like the recipients of the gospel of Mark. This church is trying to make sense of why Jesus had not come yet. They are trying to find meaning, trying to find themselves. So to them, the author says, Jesus had to go so we can receive the Holy Spirit.
Do you find it difficult to let go of beautiful things so you can receive even better things? We are invited today to open ourselves to receiving. These disciples will not receive the Holy Spirit if they keep the nostalgia of the good old days when he walked with their grandparents. Learn to see the gift of today!!!
Come Holy Spirit.
Friday May 3, 2024
John 14:6-14
Philip said, ‘Lord, let us see the Father and then we shall be satisfied.’
‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip,’ said Jesus to him ‘and you still do not know me?
There are some people who just get you. They know your humor, your worried face, your scared laugh. These are the people in your life when it is all said and done will come up to you and say “you wanna talk about it?” Thank you if you are this person to someone.
Phillip and the disciples were sometimes that kind of a friend. They knew Jesus but sometimes they totally did not get him. “ I have been with you all this time…” The early church sometimes also felt abandoned. They somehow lost touch with the Lord but he assures them of his abiding presence.
Tell me this, what are your little reminders that he is with you? Tell me about your last God wink.
Thursday May 3, 2024
Matthew 10:22-25
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You will be hated by all men on account of my name; but the man who stands firm to the end will be saved. If they persecute you in one town, take refuge in the next; and if they persecute you in that, take refuge in another. I tell you solemnly, you will not have gone the round of the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
On this Thurby as we ready ourselves for this beautiful day I hear the word spoken to my heart “Don’t get stuck in an unhappy place.” What I hear the Lord say to his disciples is have the freedom and courage to change your environment. He does not want them stuck in a place they are not welcome, because that feeling sometimes sips into your soul and you start not liking yourself. He asked them to find a way, to create space.
My friend, be like water and find a way. That’s the only way to stay fresh.
Love you
Wednesday May 1, 2024
John 15:1-8
A very happy Wednesday to you. I hope your eyes also fall on this beautiful scripture from St John and then pinch yourself. Is he talking about someone else, or me? Yes it is you “you have been pruned already.” You are ready to take on the mystery of life and it is an interesting one.
I am currently studying for a promotional test and I sometimes feel like I am not ready at all. The mere thought of the 100 questions is enough to paralyze me. Hey, you are ready!
We all have to hear this at some point in our lives and for some of us, hear it many times in our lives. You have been pruned already, that is you are ready! All the lessons of joy and sorrow that your little, precious life has been through is to prepare you for the phase you are in. So trust and step out, it will be well. It may be different but you got this.
Remember the disciples did not have to be perfect before they proclaimed that they had seen the Lord. They just went out in faith and blundered their way into making a beautiful church. Someone once told me concerning marriage that nothing prepares you for it but being married. No joke!!
Tuesday April 30 2024
John 10:22-30
“The Father and I are one..” Do you know how much confidence Jesus had to have to make a statement like that? He believed it in his heart that he was the Logos who was there from the very beginning. Not because he was a miracle worker. By the way, we have no miracles in the gospel of John, only signs. He believed it because he did the hard work of finding the voice of God within. The world offered plenty of reasons for Jesus to doubt himself. Hake he was a carpenter. Remember that was a hair above the slave and woman. He had people question time and time again. His daily struggles with the disciples gave little indication that he was God.
My point to you is this. When you find your truth about you, hell breaks loose on you sometimes. Stick to your truth no matter what the world throws at you.
I am a priest. If only you had an idea how much hate mail, excommunications, loneliness I have had to endure to be able to say that. But this happens to everyone. When you say “I am a mother” the devil throws everything at you to get you off balance. Let us pray for all of us, that we find our truths and stick with them. Find the voice of God within.
Monday April 29, 2024
John 14:21-28
‘If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we shall come to him and make our home with him.
Those who do not love me do not keep my words.
This beautiful passage was written about 120AD to a very young and frightened church. Remember it is almost 90 years after the death and resurrection of Christ. Christians are being hunted down and put to death in great numbers. Yet it is also a time of great growth in the early church. This growth is happening in the Gentile world among the Hellenists. Not even Jesus could have planned this. It is a reminder to us to leave room in our lives for mystery. We never know how life will turn out or where our blessings will come from. Let us pray today for the connections that will come into our lives. We pray that we see God reaching out and directing us. That also means praying for the courage to put all in Gods hands.
Much love to you.
Thursday April 25, 2024
John 10:22-30
“The Father and I are one..” Do you know how much confidence Jesus had to have to make a statement like that? He believed it in his heart that he was the Logos who was there from the very beginning. Not because he was a miracle worker. By the way, we have no miracles in the gospel of John, only signs. He believed it because he did the hard work of finding the voice of God within. The world offered plenty of reasons for Jesus to doubt himself. Hake he was a carpenter. Remember that was a hair above the slave and woman. He had people question time and time again. His daily struggles with the disciples gave little indication that he was God.
My point to you is this. When you find your truth about you, hell breaks loose on you sometimes. Stick to your truth no matter what the world throws at you.
I am a priest. If only you had an idea how much hate mail, excommunications, loneliness I have had to endure to be able to say that. But this happens to everyone. When you say “I am a mother” the devil throws everything at you to get you off balance. Let us pray for all of us, that we find our truths and stick with them. Find the voice of God within.
Tuesday April 23, 2024
John 10:22-30
“The Father and I are one..” Do you know how much confidence Jesus had to have to make a statement like that? He believed it in his heart that he was the Logos who was there from the very beginning. Not because he was a miracle worker. By the way, we have no miracles in the gospel of John, only signs. He believed it because he did the hard work of finding the voice of God within. The world offered plenty of reasons for Jesus to doubt himself. Hake he was a carpenter. Remember that was a hair above the slave and woman. He had people question time and time again. His daily struggles with the disciples gave little indication that he was God.
My point to you is this. When you find your truth about you, hell breaks loose on you sometimes. Stick to your truth no matter what the world throws at you.
I am a priest. If only you had an idea how much hate mail, excommunications, loneliness I have had to endure to be able to say that. But this happens to everyone. When you say “I am a mother” the devil throws everything at you to get you off balance. Let us pray for all of us, that we find our truths and stick with them. Find the voice of God within.
Monday April 22, 2024
John 10:11-18
The image of the good shepherd that we have is rather problematic. It is too clean. You know, well trimmed Jesus with a sheep on his shoulder. That is cute but problematic. Remember St John is writing to a church that is facing persecution. The guys are being hunted down. To this church that is living in fear Jesus says “I am the good Shepherd.” Don’t think cute Jesus, think fierce protector. To put it in American terms Jesus says “I am mama bear.” Nobody touches my children while I sit and look holy.
Listen, you have a fierce protector with you who will go absolutely bananas on anything, any situation that attack or wants to steal your joy. I need not say more. Love you more than you will ever know.
Friday April 19, 2024
John 6:52-59
I do not know if there is anything really in our life that carries the same significance as did bread for the ancients. Yes we still hold on to its importance here and there but I do not think it is to the same degree. Well, at least here in Kentucky. Bread was the staple, the most basic but yet the most luxurious. I bet just like we have, bread came in different degrees of importance. Barley bread for the commoners and wheat bread for the sophisticated. I wonder which kind of bread Jesus meant when he referred to himself as the bread of life?
So pardon me for this analogy. Instead of bread, think fuel. I know this is terrible but I also know how Americans go absolutely crazy about gas. You can raise and lower the price of bread without an outrage or much of an outrage. Touch our fuel and we vote you out. Imagine Jesus saying, I am the fuel (gas, petrol) of the world. Fill up with my being and you will have life.
Hey I know I lost you at fuel. But, think about it. Without God, how far can you go? How far can you go without a spiritual life?
Thursday April 18, 2024
John 6:44-51
The gospel of John is an interesting read and study. It is called “High Christology” gospel because it presents Jesus as the Logos, the one who was there from the very beginning. In today’s passage we read “Jesus said to the crowd:
‘No one can come to me
unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me..”
John is writing at a time when there is great resistance to Jesus. This is a time when people lost their lives for ever professing their faith in the Nazarene. To these very afraid Christians, John writes “you were chosen, God has drawn you to Jesus.
Think about the people who the scriptures tell came to Jesus. It was those who thought they never had a chance. The Sinners and Tax Collectors, the prostitutes and fishermen. If you look close enough you will see that these early believers had something in their lives that was not good enough or perfect. That my friend is the secret, that is what draws them to Christ. Is there some part of your life that you think disqualifies you? That is actually your draw, your magnet which the Father put in you. Love it and you will have life.
Tuesday April 16, 2024
1 Peter 5:5-14
Whenever I read these early manuscripts of the church, I ask myself what the author was responding to. St Peter says “All wrap yourselves in humility to be servants of each other, because God refuses the proud and will always favour the humble.” Peter is noticing a very dangerous attitude that is growing in the early church. The tendency to want to be a lord and be served. He invites the early church to always have a servant heart. I truly did not know what it meant to be a servant until I became a parent. Isn’t it true that every parent or caretaker is the servant of servants. What I love about being a parent is we do servant things with a loving heart. We do servant things almost expecting nothing back (maybe a thank you if we raise them right). This self sacrificing love is what he implores of us to take. To anticipate each others needs.
Pope Francis has tried very much to remind the clergy that they are servants. Poor guys, they have been lords for so long and have never really been parents so it is a tall order. But this call is for all of us. Stay humble and grow the church. The question is, can you confidently say that you are a humble person?
Monday April 15, 2024
John 6:22-29
A very happy Monday to you. We have two great Signs performed by Jesus in today’s gospel passage. Remember that the gospel of John is the only gospel in which the word “MIRACLE” is not used. Yes in this gospel there are no miracles just signs. Signs point to something, we don’t arrive at the sign, we keep going. The hope is we arrive at that place in our lives where we can see that Jesus is indeed Son of God, the Logos who was there from the very beginning.
My mind though leads me somewhere else today. Did you notice how the people got in their boats and went searching for Jesus. Read the passage one more time and catch that little detail. Yes Jesus seems irritated by them but their hunger for him picks my interest and raises the question. Am I hungry for God? Does my soul yearn for Him in my life? Getting into their boats they crossed the sea searching for Him. You know my friend that the boat is our lives. As we see signs that point to Him, may we continue the journey of faith. I know you are searching
Love you more than you will ever know.