The below quote from the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia is a wonderful way to shine light on the sacramental gift that God chooses to share with us in growing our understanding of how the family works and how through our Lord Jesus we are called to move in relationship through a life of sharing the goodness of God with each other.

“The Gospel of the family also nourishes seeds that are still waiting to grow, and serves as the basis for caring for those plants that are wilting and must not be neglected.” Thus, building on the gift of Christ in the sacrament, married couples “may be led patiently further on in order to achieve a deeper grasp and a fuller integration of this mystery in their lives.”(#76)

We are reminded again and again that attentiveness in relationship is the needed light that helps the depth of understanding to grow between one another. While the Holy Father is speaking directly to the love between a man and a woman in the Sacrament of Marriage this advice flows down into the greater family and into all relationships in one manner or another. We understand this as Pope Francis writes, …(O)nly in contemplating Christ does a person come to know the deepest truth about human relationships…It is particularly helpful to understand in a Christocentric key… the good of the spouses (bonum coniugum)”, which includes unity, openness to life, fidelity, indissolubility and, within Christian marriage, mutual support on the path towards complete friendship with the Lord. (#77) It is this friendship with Jesus that is we are called to enter into on an ongoing basis. We are reminded that it is in the small things that the greater things grow further in life. The challenge that we all face is how in integrate a deepening faith in Jesus through our daily acts of love towards one another. This can be difficult to discover when we choose to isolate ourselves from one another. The ideal is found only when in friendship and conversation with our Lord we discover the dialogue is one of mercy and forgiveness.

We are able to build upon the foundation of love as we seek the better of ourselves through God’s blessings and where we see the other, which in marriage is our spouse, as the gift from God that offers us to contemplate in wonder how we are able to be the blessing of mercy, forgiveness and love in the world to our beloved. Living the Gospel message invites us to nourish one another is joy we find in the sacrifice of a committed choice to serve. It is choosing to in the reciprocal act of love, the give and take of relationship that invites, receives and grows each blessing in the wonder of God’s generosity.

This is where, for Christians, the life of prayer is so important and for the husband and wife become integral in their daily interaction. In prayer for each other and with each other the couple grow in the contemplation of the blessing of the other in their lives. It follows that this continues with the gift of children in calling and leading them into a deepening relationship with Jesus. It is a life of prayer that takes action in recognizing and serving the beloved where the physical, emotional, sexual and spiritual needs of the beloved are honored and cherished in trusting love.

In the vows of marriage, as the husband and wife speak the prayer, the words “I take you” are only possible because the other has given his or her self in surrender to the invitation of lasting and holy love. It is a reminder that man and woman in becoming husband and wife join with Jesus Christ in a grace filled relationship where in desiring the good of the other they show forth the love of God to the world.

God bless

Fr. Mark

What is your intention? This is a question that we often ask others but it should also be a question that we place in front of our self during our daily acts of service, sacrifice and love. As Christians our intentions should always be directed towards growth in holiness and unity with God and the people of God (the Church). I know this in my heart but it is very often hard to put into practice. Do I have to sit down before each decision and “really” think about my intentions? The simple answer is YES. Don’t panic because it really isn’t that hard. Jesus gives us this guidance, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.“(Lk 16:10a) in other words, if we form our conscience well in doing the small things then the intentions we have as we choose right from wrong becomes clearer and we then act upon these intentions with confidence and joy in doing the right thing.

This is especially true in our relationships, between husband and wife in a unique way, but also with each and every relationship that we share in our lives. Husbands and wives are entrusted with much in their choosing the sacramental call to be united as one in Jesus Christ and because of this they must be attentive to their intentions in the small acts of sacrificial love. The below quote from Pope Francis’ recent Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia gives us a glimpse into the teaching of the Church.

The Second Vatican Council, in its Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, was concerned “to promote the dignity of marriage and the family”(47-52). The Constitution “defined marriage as a community of life and love (cf. 48), placing love at the centre of the family… ‘True love between husband and wife’ (49) involves mutual self-giving, includes and integrates the sexual and affective dimensions, in accordance with God’s plan (cf. 48-49)”. The conciliar document also emphasizes “the grounding of the spouses in Christ. Christ the Lord ‘makes himself present to the Christian spouses in the sacrament of marriage’ (48) and remains with them. In the incarnation, he assumes human love, purifies it and brings it to fulfillment. By his Spirit, he gives spouses the capacity to live that love, permeating every part of their lives of faith, hope and charity. In this way, the spouses are consecrated and by means of a special grace build up the Body of Christ and form a domestic church, so that the Church, in order fully to understand her mystery, looks to the Christian family, which manifests her in a real way”. (#67) [all numbers inside the quote refer to Gaudium et Spes]

A few phrases and words struck me as very blessed, (1) mutual self-giving: It is not a one-way street in the blessing of love. Giving and receiving are not a tit-for-tat negotiation but rather a choosing to give in trust knowing the intention of the other is for your good and growth in holiness. (2) grounded in Christ: When we choose to be united with Christ then our intention will always be in seeking the good in the other. Choosing to act in ways to bless and lift up our spouse in true love that draws forth his/her holiness. (3) the spouses are consecrated: God blesses each of us but in the unique grace of the Sacrament of Marriage, the man and woman are consecrated to each other. They are in marriage made for each other in service where their intention, through God, is to be united as one in holiness and grace.

Once more, this is not an impossible task rather it is the fruit of the intention of holiness in acting towards the other in life. It is doing the work daily in the small acts of love that flow forth into the greater acts of love. It is growing in virtue of love as we encounter the other in our life with patience, gentleness and understanding. The humility to grow in love requires we work in the field of love. “Indeed, it is the daily practice of these virtues that draws couples into deeper connection with God. As theologian Richard R. Gaillardetz describes, “The spiritual challenge of our lives lies not in desperately setting aside moments for God alongside the other activities and commitments of our lives, but rather that of discovering within our basic human activities and commitments the possibility for communion with God.” We are invited daily to open our eyes to the presence of God, not despite the complex and often busy lives we have as couples and families, but through the relationships and commitments that mark our days.” (p. 47-48 from Project Holiness)

God Bless

Fr. Mark

All of us who have attended a Catholic wedding often hear St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 13:4-7 proclaimed as the ideal of love that God shows towards his people. This passage is presented to the soon to be married couple and congregation as the goal and hope of married love. Pope Francis in this Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia does every priest and deacon throughout the whole world a wonderful favor…he gives us enough homily material to last several life times of celebrating weddings through sharing the truth of God’s love and how we are to live that love in relationship to Him and for the man and woman joined in marriage, how they are called to live that love in a very special and blessed way.

I am jumping ahead a in my reflections over Amoris Laetitia for the simple reason: the Spiritual Work of Mercy: Counsel the Doubtful. This month we are focusing during the Year of Mercy on this wonderful work. Counseling the doubtful fits well with the text of the Exhortation because I believe Pope Francis is reaching out to those who are doubtful of the reality of love: a lasting and permanent love, a love that exceeds expectations and a love that grows ever richer and deeper as time passes, a love that many believe is not possible in this time and place. To Counsel the Doubtful is to encourage with words and works of blessing and hope the shared experience of the struggle to love deeply and live the sacrificial gift of giving one’s self to another with trust in the holiness and goodness of the other.

In chapter 4 of the Exhortation Pope Francis share the following words of wisdom; “Patience takes root when I recognize that other people also have a right to live in this world, just as they are. It does not matter if they hold me back, if they unsettle my plans, or annoy me by the way they act or think, or if they are not everything I want them to be. Love always has an aspect of deep compassion that leads to accepting the other person as part of this world, even when he or she acts differently than I would like.” (92)

When we counsel the doubtful it becomes the ultimate act of patience. Many times in counseling, and especially during the Sacrament of Reconciliation, I listen to the word of doubt, the words that often speak of the uncertainty of love, forgiveness and hope. The words of doubt which become the stumbling block for the acceptance of our Lord’s grace and blessing in our lives. The words of compassion and truth, that each and every one of us is the unique and holy gift from God and He sees us in the wonder of love, looking through our blemishes and hurts to witness His glory that rests in each one of us when we choose to give ourselves over to the healing mercy of our Divine Love.

We act through God’s healing mercy when we choose to be attentive to the other in love. In this counsel, we begin to show and see the blessings of life that surround us as our patient response to love allows the interplay of life to unfold and grow through the cracks and crevices of sin and hurt into the wondrous garden of love. The gift of attentiveness in the relationship helps us to understand our unique value in the truth of how God calls us to be blessings of love and truth. Relationship, especially between husband and wife, is always sacrificial in its nature as it forms the lasting bond of being cherished in how God created us to be: holy and blessed in love.

God bless

Fr. Mark

“At the risk of oversimplifying, we might say that we live in a culture which pressures young people not to start a family, because they lack possibilities for the future. Yet this same culture presents others with so many options that they too are dissuaded from starting a family”. In some countries, many young persons “postpone a wedding for economic reasons, work or study. Some do so for other reasons, such as the influence of ideologies which devalue marriage and family, the desire to avoid the failures of other couples, the fear of something they consider too important and sacred, the social opportunities and economic benefits associated with simply living together, a purely emotional and romantic conception of love, the fear of losing their freedom and independence, and the rejection of something conceived as purely institutional and bureaucratic”. We need to find the right language, arguments and forms of witness that can help us reach the hearts of young people, appealing to their capacity for generosity, commitment, love and even heroism, and in this way inviting them to take up the challenge of marriage with enthusiasm and courage. (#40)

The above quote comes from the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia. Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, drawing on the tradition of the Church and the work of the Synod on the Family has shared with us a deep and powerful message about God’s plan for marriage and the wonderful teachings of love between man and woman and the blessing of new life.

As a priest working within Worldwide Marriage Encounter (WWME) many of the themes, especially when he is speaking of the difficulty and struggles that occur in married life, are not new and much of what Pope Francis is asking of us, the faithful of the Church, is not groundbreaking. What is important in this Exhortation is the depth and breadth of the teaching in one place at one time about the sacramental life of husband and wife. The recognition of the deep struggle, some would call it a crisis, concerning marriage in our current time and how we are invited to witness to marriage has in recent years received much more attention as we seek to understand how to nurture, support and form young men and women into virtuous husbands and wives.

I think one of the themes pointed out in the above quote is the overborn cautionary fear many people, young and old, have concerning the commitment of marriage. It is something that I often hear from parents warning their children not to get married “to early” and from young couples, often living together, who repeat the well worn phrase, they are waiting until they are “settled” or are “in the right place in their career” before they get married. This fear and caution stems from the reality that many married couples struggle and break-up in divorce. I have sat and counseled many men and women, many couples seeking to find hope and blessing in the midst of their suffering and pain.

The only antidote to this fear is the hope and witness of happy and holy married couples seeking to serve God and each other in the truth of holy love. It is pointing out the fears are real but hearing the voice of the Lord Jesus calling out to us to not be afraid but to jump in, prepared to swim against the tide of fear and sin towards the joy of sacramental love joined to the eternal love of heaven.

It is the blessings echoed in the words of the Bishops of the United States, “Real marital unity also relies on mercy, a quality we learn from Jesus and see throughout God’s covenant. In the Liturgy we pray “Lord have Mercy.” Jesus gives us his mercy so we can be merciful.” (#63 Love Is Our Mission) Marriage is the home of mercy and love where the fruitfulness of life flows from God’s grace to the unity of love given and shared.

God bless

Fr. Mark

ps..a article that is a clear and concise concerning Amoris Laetitia

Amoris Laetitia – Chapter 8 and That Footnote…

As our Catholic Church begins the long process of digesting Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia I have found it helpful to reflect and remind myself of some of the broader biblical themes that our Holy Father continues to remind us seek and follow with joy. First, the gospel message is good news that frees us from slavery to sin. Second, the Church is always looking outward and inward at the same time: we are called to go to the peripheries of society and seek God in sacramental graces. Third, we are to be a field hospital for the world: we accept the broken, wounded and with love and compassion offer God’s healing grace. Fourth, we are to act in God’s mercy and forgiveness: the Jubilee Year of Mercy focuses us on the blessing in our midst. I am sure there are many others “themes” that could and should be pointed out but these four have been on my heart as I have begun to read the Exhortation this week. (just a side note: I am only on #22 of 325 sections in the document)

One of the reasons that the reading has been going so slowly is the great number of citations from Sacred Scripture that Pope Francis uses in the opening chapter of the Exhortation. I have been reading with the document in one hand and the bible in the other looking deeply at the foundational call to love that God places in the center of his relationship with the people of Israel and the Church. We are reminded again and again how God extends himself towards humanity in seeking a relationship of love and how he uses the family, and the love between husband and wife as the icon for his love that flows through in abundance, generosity and fruitfulness.

We also see in the opening chapter of the Exhortation that these relationships are often broken in sin and I believe, returning to the four themes noted above, Pope Francis is seeking to remind us that the healing mercy of God is present even when we break relationships and turn away from his divine love.   Our Holy Father expresses it forcefully when he writes “The idyllic picture presented in Psalm 128is not at odds with a bitter truth found throughout sacred Scripture, that is, the presence of pain, evil and violence that break up families and their communion of life and love. For good reason Christ’s teaching on marriage (cf. Mt 19:3-9) is inserted within a dispute about divorce. The word of God constantly testifies to that sombre dimension already present at the beginning, when, through sin, the relationship of love and purity between man and woman turns into domination: “Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you” (Gen 3:16).” (#19)

The foundation of God’s love pours forth from Sacred Scripture focusing again and again on the extended hand of forgiveness and the unity that God calls each of us to freely choose. It is the continued voice of invitation to come and embrace the peace that only Jesus can share with us when we take up our cross to follow him. If we place the foundation of all relationships upon the rock of God’s truth then love with flourish in abundance. Pope Francis continues later, “In this brief review, we can see that the word of God is not a series of abstract ideas but rather a source of comfort and companionship for every family that experiences difficulties or suffering. For it shows them the goal of their journey, when God “will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more” (Rev 21:4). The work of your hands.” (22)

This great letter of love from our Catholic tradition invites us to offer our hearts into the tender hands of our loving Father.

God Bless

Fr. Mark

Yesterday I shared lunch with my sister Mauna, my brother-in-law Nick, my godson/nephew George and my niece Claire who brought the star of the show, her and Cody’s new daughter Frances. It was truly a blessing. As we sat down for a wonderful German lunch in San Francisco our waiter on seeing Frances began to share that his sister just gave birth to twins and that with a health complication that one of the twins was having they needed to separate them soon after birth. He commented on how he thought it would have been better to keep them together since they had been so intimately tied to each other in the womb for those nine months of growth and blessing.

Of course, medically speaking, we can all understand the need to separate the two new born babies and the special care that the one will receive to, we pray, live a happy, healthy and holy life. What I did find interesting was his, our waiters, innate and instinctive understanding about life within the womb and the connectedness of human beings from the very beginning of life. It is a sense that seems almost naturally to flow from our experience of life when we see the wonder of God’s gifts, especially the gift of new life given and shared.

I believe, just as important was his comment on the connectedness of human beings, how the intimacy of touch, development and love grows and grows as we spend time with one another. In natural way being connected to another is good for us. It is the spontaneous and surprising gift of self that happens when we grow in the recognition of the dignity, the sameness and the difference in blessing of being created in the image of our God.

This is the wonder of our relationship with God and each other: when we spend time together, we grow together through the shared experience, in the joys and sorrows, of life. So how do we practically see this in our lives?

In my personal experience, as a priest, I am called to share my time, talent and treasure with God’s holy people…but just as importantly with my brother priests. Like any relationship I can and do get very busy in my daily life and this can and does affect my relationships with my brother priests as it does with God’s holy people. When I choose not to extend myself towards a relationship with others then my ability to love, forgive and act in compassion towards them diminishes and my health, spiritually, mentally and physically begins to suffer. (I read somewhere that doctors say this is true) And when I do extend myself, just the opposite happens and I find myself a happier, holier and healthier priest. I believe this is what our waiter was intuiting, when he despaired that the twins were being separated, happy, healthy and holy comes from being together.

We know this is true. Husbands and wives have happier, healthier and holier relationships when they choose to be in unity sharing themselves and taking time to just be man and woman with each other. Families grow in bonds of love when they choose to play, pray and be together in conversations of blessing, both joy and sorrow, talking and sharing life in all its aspects. And our faith is vibrant and alive when we seek to recognize God in all that surrounds us in gratitude in the creation he brings to life.

Let us pray today that we my reach out and touch the other in our life so we may all grow in

happiness, healthfulness and holiness in the image of our God.

God Bless

Fr. Mark

“The enfleshment and suffering of Jesus tell us that God is not apart from the trials of humanity. God is not aloof. God is not a mere spectator. God is participating with us. God is not merely tolerating human suffering or healing suffering. God is participating with us in it. That is what gives believers both meaning and hope.” (p 63, What the Mystics Know by Fr. Richard Rohr OFM)

This Sunday, the 2^nd Sunday of Easter the Catholic Church celebrates Divine Mercy. It is a celebration of God’s coming to us in the repeated prayer, “For the sake of His sorrowful passion.” Richard Rohr, in the above cited text, reminds us how incarnational this prayer is and how we, by participating with God in Divine Mercy, grow in the hope of blessing and grace in our lives.

The joy of this blessing is that Jesus asks nothing of us and he asks everything of us in the same moment. Jesus through his death and resurrection on the cross has won the victory over sin and death. We believe this. The Divine Mercy he extends can be seen in his interactions with the disciples after the resurrection. He offers them peace, the Holy Spirit and the Word of God with the freedom of seeing anew as he walks with them. He asks for nothing: no act of penance, no groveling for forgiveness and no sacrifice. Jesus is simply there with them and invites them to remain with him.

Jesus also asks for everything. He asks them to be with and follow him, to preach him for the forgiveness of sin, to baptize in his name, to go out to all the nations, in other words, to participate with him in doing the work of mercy in the world. To live the Divine Mercy in the fullness of our lives at the cost of our own life daily as we take up our cross and follow him.

It is this gift of love we then begin to experience and practice when we are with him. We come to know deeply the person of Jesus and the wonder of his love for us, his sisters and brothers, as the generous gift that is freely and completely given over and over again. It is in this we practice the free will of love as we respond in the same generous gift of our self in love, service and sacrifice to him and our brothers and sisters who cry out in need. When we are able to enter into generosity of God’s creative goodness then we understand more fully the cost of love and mercy is freely given, simply offered and shared in the joy of intimate relation to our God.

Finally, I leave you with this short article from the Catholic News Agency (CNA) that can be found at http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/survivor-of-brussels-terror-attack-writes-letter-of-hope-to-unborn-baby-54543/ Hope is participating, living and sharing life in and through our Lord Jesus Christ.

For the sake of His sorrowful passion…have mercy on us and on the whole world.

God Bless

Fr. Mark

As we journey together during this Holy Week we remember the fullness of mercy that is professed from the table of blessing on Holy Thursday to the cross of Good Friday and the silence filling the world until Easter morning when all creation breaks forth in the great Hallelujah of salvation.

We also acknowledge as we enter into these holy days the sadness and tragedy that surrounds us with the terrorist attacks in Belgium and Turkey, the murder of the four Sisters of Charity and their companions in Yemen as well as the many other acts of violence that intrude upon the world. But we also recognize through these terrible and horrible actions against civilization the true need of faith and most importantly for we who believe in the truth and belief of the Incarnation in the wonder of God becoming man to suffer and die for our sins so that we may discover the peace of reconciliation over and against the violence of vengeance.

It is here that we look to the cross and the promise of resurrection. Jesus, who confronted the violence and hatred of sin, invites us to follow him through the Paschal Mystery of his life, death and resurrection. During the past 40 days of our Lenten journey we have been challenged to transform and renew our faith in God as we prayed, fasted and sought to give in generosity the of love in the alms of our time, talent and treasure.

Pope St. John Paul II wrote, “We are witnesses. Witnesses of a shining faith; of an active, patient and kindly charity; of a service for the many forms of poverty experienced by contemporary humanity. Witnesses of the hope that does not disappoint and of the deep communion that reflects the life of God, of the Trinity, of obedience, and of the Cross. In short, witnesses of holiness, people of Beatitudes, called to be perfect as the Heavenly Father is perfect.” (#11, Lessons for Living)

John Paul II describes perfectly our Easter faith where we are called to be living witnesses of Jesus Christ. The invitation to be active and patient in reaching out and sharing the joy of the Gospel as we enter into the many forms of poverty but especially the poverty of hatred and violence that consumes so many of our brothers and sisters. The Cross of Jesus Christ calls us reach out in hope and to trust in the justice and mercy of God’s love.

To be a witness of holiness, we choose to live the Works of Mercy and the Beatitudes of love that heal and join us once more in the great communion of love. As servants of grace and mercy we choose to live and work within the generous will of God. God, who in the gift of his son Jesus Christ, chooses to place himself into our hands, not that we might manipulate him, rather that we choose to hold him as a light, the beacon that leads us into a deeper and fuller union of love. The light we hold forth is the Cross of Salvation. In the coming days let us all embrace this cross: the tree of life, the cross of truth where proclaim, “Hallelujah He is Risen! Truly He is Risen! Hallelujah!”

God Bless

Fr. Mark.

This 6^th Sunday of Lent, Palm Sunday, we hear the Gospel of Jesus triumphant entrance into Jerusalem proclaimed followed quickly by the Passion. It is the quick succession of the joy of hope followed by seeming defeat and despair, which catches us off guard in our lives. This month we have been looking more deeply into the Spiritual Work of Mercy, Admonish the Sinner, and how we are called to do so in mercy and love. For we who believe that the suffering and death of our Lord Jesus Christ has destroyed the power of sin and death through the triumph of the Cross-, it is only natural that we see the Passion, the life, death and resurrection of our Lord as the ultimate and perfect act of admonishing the sinner in mercy, justice and love.

Throughout our Lenten journey we have been walking the way of the cross with Jesus. He has been calling out to us to participate with him in his works of mercy as he carries his cross for the forgiveness of our sins. He asks us to walk with him, to look upon him and to be with him in his gift of mercy and forgiveness so that we may share this gift with others.

How does this work in our lives? When we come to realize that the work of mercy is not an act of violence, retribution or revenge but rather the healing and invitation back into the community we are able to begin to recognize moments in our lives where we have participated in “admonishing the sinner” on both sides of the work of mercy. Jesus’ carrying of the cross is an act of healing and mercy as he accepts the harshness of those around him as he continually reaches out in love and forgiveness to each of us.

We are all called to carry our cross. Jesus commands us to follow his example, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.“ (Lk 9:23) At times these are crosses we gladly accept and at others they are not.

When I was a sixth grade teacher, most days, I gladly accepted the cross of the 30+ boys and girls given to my care. It was a time of give and take and great learning of humility and accepting my failures that were often (too) gladly pointed out by the children charged to me.

If you have ever visited my office the words “Mark Arnzen and neat organization” have never been used in the same sentence. My principal at St. Lawrence Middle School commented often on my need to move from “messy organization” into the world “organization”…not even “neat organization” just not the sense of chaos on my desk. The students would often point this shortcoming out to me as I talked with them about keeping their desks, binders, backpacks etc.…in some semblance of order. And they were correct. Their challenge became a moment of grace and healing where I began to not settle for the “normal” and began to stretch myself to find the “organization” that relieved stress and helped me be a better teacher and showed the students the value of kindly correction.

Matthew Kelly, in his book Rediscover Jesus, sets forth this challenge as he asks us to consider, “What are your three most frequent sins?” (p 156) They do not need to be large or grave, just those things that keep us away from God and being the best person we can be this day. When we recognize the “sin” we are invited to look out and see how others are calling you to change, “admonishing the sinner,” to return in mercy and love, in doing so we take up our cross and follow him into his kingdom of blessing and peace unified in mercy and love.

God Bless

Fr. Mark

This past week was a banner week for me for many reasons. One of the biggest reasons was the amount of good soccer on display. The San Jose Earthquakes began the season with a win and between the wonderful match between Dortmund and Bayern Munich in Germany and the slate of English games on Saturday and Sunday my cup was overflowing. Add to that the smell of spring training in the air and I can honestly say…God is very good.

One of the most interesting parts of the games this weekend were the four players, in four important games, that were sent off with two yellow cards. Three of them were early in the first half of play and the fourth very early in the second half. For the non-soccer people…two yellows equal a red and when a player is sent off they are not replaced so effectively one team plays with one less player for the amount of time remaining in the game. You may at this point ask…where are we going with this? Good question…Admonish the Sinner. In particular Kevin Mirallas from Everton who was sent off with a second yellow after only 34 minutes. Everton did a heroic job with 10 against 11 until the death when West Ham scored the winner in the 90^th minute.

How do you admonish such a sinner? Well, first there is the anger stage: how stupid do you have to be to make such a silly second yellow card offense. There is disbelief and frustration that the game is over, done and doom and gloom descends. But then you see the team pulling together and increasing their lead to 2-0 and there is hope as you begin to forgive him and are proud of the effort on display that slips into “Ohhhhh noooooo!!! Here we go again!!!” as the goals begin to leak in and you loose 2-3. And yes there is the frustration and disappointment that comes with losing. What do you do then? You notice that it’s Everton v. Chelsea in the FA Cup quarterfinal this weekend and begin focusing on the next game.

I know this has been a long winding introduction to the Spiritual Work of Mercy: Admonish the Sinner and I hope it is worth it. Often times when we are immediately confronted with the effects of sin we can feel the anger and disappointment and ask how such a thing could happen. We see the wreckage left by sin and all the work that we must do to try and hold on to the healing holiness of God that we often fall into the trap of getting stuck in the moment and trapped by not choosing to look forward and towards life and God.

God’s desire for us is that we heal and move forward. Yes, I will remember the foolishness of Mirallas’ fouls and that this yellow card may have cost Everton a win, but if I hold on to this for too long I will loose sight of the next blessing to come and fail to enjoy the gift of grace given by God. Maybe the soccer analogy is a little strained, but admonishing the sinner calls for us to recognize and correct the sin in the moment and then move forward in the joyful hope that through forgiveness and reconciliation the sinner may once more choose to enter into the community of grace and participate fully in the life of God’s holy people. It is choosing to recognize that even with the effects of sin surrounding us, if we have eyes to see and ears to hear, we will continue to experience God’s blessing as abundant and generous. We admonish with love because, as disciples of the one, true and living God, we know the fullness of life in and through the reconciliation given freely through the cross of Jesus Christ. In other words…I forgive you Kevin, please don’t do something so stupid again…let’s play the next game. Go Everton

God bless

Fr. Mark