Jesus is clear, direct and to the point: if you want to follow him, deny yourself and pick up your cross. What an invitation that has little comfort or appeal to our modern tendency to want religion to be positive and comforting. The invitation of jesus is to change the direction we are taking in life, to reorient our lives to letting go and accepting the many crosses that are given to us.
Just what are these crosses? They are simple, pervasive and real: the small disappointments and disillusionments; family difficulties; facing illness; loneliness; disliking one’s job or career; not belonging or fitting in; worrying about children; guilt over a past sin; not knowing one’s purpose; boredom; fear of risk taking; the lust goes on.
We all have crosses and the first step as we begin Lent is the awareness of our personal crosses and accepting them. How freeing it is to accept which doesn’t mean they disappear but are lightened…when we let Jesus help us carry these crosses. Something beautiful , mysterious and life changing occurs in letting jesus in on our crosses: our crosses and the one Cross are united in the salvation of the world. Yes, your accepting of your crosses will help jesus in his Redemption of the entire world, humanity and the cosmos. To borrow a strange and off putting phrase of St. Paul’s, we “fill in what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ.” Obviously, Christ’s suffering in the one Cross is what saves us and redeems us. Uniting our crosses to the one Cross simply completes he Redemption by making ALL of us contributors. Yes, our crosses and the suffering emanating from them help other people!!!! How powerful, beautiful and radical!
You have the ability to reach out to other people in their own suffering by embracing your own crosses. In doing so, your humanity is saturated in compassion…and purpose.
Peace and Joy. Fr. Frank

A number of the parishioners from St. Teresa of Avila were sent out into the bitter cold morning to distribute ashes to people on the El, as well as, on the Armitage ave. What an inspiration to begin the holy season of Lent. We enter this season primarily as a “we” and not an “I,” which certainly changes how we live out the days of lent. As followers of Jesus, we want our lives and the way we live them to draw others to Christ. We want to live life in such a way that those who encounter us, encounter the Living God.

Our Church is to be a living, breathing witness of a Christ who loves everyone to the point of giving away His life. Christ did this for you and every human being, no matter where they live, how they believe, or even IF they believe. The Church much pulse with Christ’s love AND His Presence. Each of us who is baptized has been “set on fire” with the power of Divine Love so that we may be instruments of transformation. The Spirit of baptism is waiting to get reignited in our hearts so that our lives become like the “burning bush” that Moses encountered on Mt. Sinai. Do people experience the fire of God’s love in the way I am living life? A question each one of us must honestly ask and answer. The way we answer will determine how we are to live out our Lent.

Lent, the season of springtime, is to reawaken the spirit of baptism. It is also the season to bring people to the waters of baptism and journey with them as they are immersed…submersed…into those waters , sharing in Christ’s death and Rising Out of those waters of death into Resurrection. We are stamped, sealed, confirmed by the fire of the Spirit. Baptism….Baptism….Baptism!!!! Lent is the season to renew and celebrate Baptism, the Sacrament that empowers us to be priests in the world.
Lent gradually thaws our cold and brittle spirits through prayers, fasting and acts of compassion and Justice.
We live Lent as a people and we celebrate this season TOGETHER, as a community with open doors and open hearts. We are to be a Church that is a hospital of mercy…a mercy that begins in our own hearts.
Whatever you do for Lent, whatever you give up, may God be your only audience. And God will lead you to the Joy of Easter.
Peace. Fr. Frank

Last night a group of parishioners burned all the dried palms from last year to create this year’s ashes. What a sight, to see the flames bursting high into the dark skies. Within minutes, hundreds of palm branches were reduced to ashes.
This ancient ritual speaks to the soul on a number of levels. The sheer spectacle of the flames overwhelms the senses. What happens to the palms so quickly is something that begs for reflection and silence. Life is beautiful but fleeting , and the older one gets, the faster time seems to go. Within this somber realization comes the season of Lent, a season that is on the threshold of Spring, even with snow and bitter temperatures.
But in a few days, the lifeless, gritty palms will be transformed into crosses marked in one’s forehead. The cross transforms death and the quickness of time into Resurrection and endless Joy. Time ceases to exist, and with time’s demise, is the end of death.
Lent leads us gradually into warmth, light, emerging beauty….Easter!!!!
Standing near that blazing fire of lifeless palms, the warmth of the Spirit’s breath gave a hint of the Easter about to unfold.
Peace and Joy. Fr. Frank

I am so fortunate writing this in gratitude for the people and parishes that have shaped my priesthood and my life. On this, the 32st anniversary, I thank God for the people and students of St. Frances if Rome, Cicero; St Mary of the Woods, Chicago; Archbishop Quigley Seminary High School; Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Chicago; St John Fisher, Chicago; St. Eulalia, Maywood; St. Teresa of Avila.

The people of these communities and schools have given me a wealth of memories that I carry with me in
my heart. The gift of the ordained priesthood that was given to me 31 years ago, is rooted in baptism, which roots ALL followers of Jesus in His priesthood. We all share in this one priesthood of Christ. I hope I never forget that my identity is forged first and foremost in Baptism, which roots me in God’s People. When those of us who are ordained as priest or bishop lose our rootedness in baptism , we are bound to succumb to arrogance and clericalism. Ordination does not separate us from the people, nor does it place us above them.

Horrible things happen when we priests and bishops forget that our ordination is a lifetime call to serve the People of God. The icon of Christ washing the feet of the apostles must be the guided image of our ministry.
The gospel on this day happens to be a difficult one that isn’t very comforting. How appropriate. Jesus goes to his home village, preaches and heals, only to be misunderstood by his own people…even the members of his own family. Jesus utters the famous words, “a prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house. ” jesus leaves, “amazed at their lack of faith. ” Stinging words.

Our family and friends are the most treasured people in our lives but sometimes familiarity does breed contempt. Each one of us is perceived in a certain way by those who love us and when we speak or act in ways that shatter this image, the reaction can be very negative and harsh. His own
People apparently didn’t see jesus as one whose words had authority and whose actions brought healing. Maybe jealousy raged it’s ugly head; or the people didn’t want to be challenged by one of their own…too close for comfort.

Being misunderstood and rejected is an unpleasant experience but one in which we all must face. We all want to be liked and appreciated by everyone , something impossible if you are going to stand up for something. However, I hope and pray that if I have caused anyone discomfort, it was always for the right reasons: to gently challenge a person to take a higher road or to rise to a higher occasion. The gospel is all about transformation….change…of mind and heart. May this change begin with one’s self.

But I haven’t always spoken and acted in the best interests of the people I have encountered over the years . I am truly sorry for speaking and acting in ways overly confrontational and strident. I have betrayed a lack of humility in these occasions causing hurt feelings. I can’t be a good priest or pastor without humility, the mother of all virtue. I am sorry for my lack of humility. It is so easy for me to return sarcasm for sarcasm, bitter spirit for bitter spirit. In other words, “an eye for an eye…” On o you know the rest. I believe Jesus overturned that way of responding in the Sermon on the Mount. As Gandhi prophetically said , “an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. ”

As I remember and celebrate on this day, I pray my own heart be open and “rent” allowing Grace to invade and conquer spirits and attitudes contrary to my mission as priest. I am sorry for my own lack of faith, or for a weak faith , when life gets messy and confusing. It saddens me to think that the Lord may be disappointed ,or even amazed, at my own lack of faith.

For me, the remedy is always to come out of myself and into the lives of the people I serve. I walk as priest in the midst of the people, shoulder to shoulder in the mission of the gospel. I hope and pray that when I am misunderstood or rejected, it is for the right reasons. This is the fate of all of us who follow jesus. It is my mission as priest to imitate christ in the washing of the feet ….and in laying down my life in service. Those who have showed me the way to bring a great priest have largely not been other priests but the people of the various parishes I have served. May I follow their example.
On the night of my ordination, the earth was blanketed with several inches of light, puffy snow. As in walked out of the reception and saw this quiet beauty I felt a deep peace. Never could I have imagined then, on that snowy night of ordination, where I am sitting now, on third floor of St. Teresa of Avila rectory writing these words of gratitude. That Blanket of snow has been a beautiful image of the blanket of God’s Grace that covers you, me and every human being.

Ad Multos Anos

Fr. Frank

I woke up this morning to a new coat of snow, transforming nature with its white blanket. The snow that clings to barren tree branches gives these their barrenness beauty and life. But this beauty is fleeting since the snow either falls away of melts.

We can’t hold on to beauty nor can we possess it…beauty is to be relished in the moment and then let go of. Life is forever moving forward and time reminds us that, while life is short , we are given moments of beauty to lift us into Hope. Even though we must not cling to the beauty, we keep it secure in memory. In remembering the beauty of the crisp, brilliantly white snow it is made present to us; beauty lives in the memory.

At the foundation of our faith…our religion….our Church…are the words, “Do this in memory of me.” In the Word and in the Eucharist, Christ comes alive in the memory and in the remembering. In remembering a scene of natural beauty that is so fleeting as melting snow, we are blanketed with the beauty of Grace.
And Christ is Present in the falling of the snow.
You gotta love winter …

Peace and Joy. Fr. Frank

Discouragement is the great antithesis of HOPE, for when we become discouraged , Hope is deprived of its power to shape our decisions and attitudes. In the Letter to the Hebrews, found in the first reading of today’s Liturgy, the author says that we must “encourage each other daily while it is still today.” None of us wants to be the source of another’s discouragement, which drains the spirit of motivation.
As jesus frees the man of his leprosy, the man runs away in joy rooted in Hope. The healing filled him with “encouragement” to live life in a new way. The very word “encouragement” means to be filled with “courage,” a gift of the Holy Spirit. This gift of courage empowers us to face the many trials of life with resolve and hope.
As I sit praying, I can see the sky beginning to fill with light and color. God, the Artist , is at clearly at work painting the sky in shades of orange and red and pink. These streaks of color fill me with encouragement and hope. My task and yours: be a source of encouragement to those around us , bringing God’s color and beauty into their lives. Be a source of healing to one with “spiritual leprosy “and watch them dance away in joy.

Peace and Joy. Fr. Frank

First post of the New Year. I wrote an entry on January 1st, but it got lost somewhere in cyber space. Epiphany celebrates a journey that leads to an experience which lifts us into a new awareness of ourselves and of life in general. We put on new spiritual glasses that allow us to see the bigger picture. People love to buy different glasses to change their outer “look,” and we now have two new eye glass stores on two short blocks on Armitage, on the street where I live. There’s a song in there somewhere…

It is much more interesting and freeing to put on a different pair of, not frames ,but lenses. Perhaps these new “spiritual lenses “need no frame or border whatsoever. Without the frame containing the lens, our ability to keep refining and enlarging our field of vision will be made easier. The Magi entered the stable and surrendered to discovering God in a baby. Their whole lives changed as they journeyed to find this new born King and the journey was just beginning when they found Christ. After all, they had to change course…routes…to bypass the malevolent forces of Herod.
The Magi had an experience of “epiphany,” that changed the way they saw everything. The star that guided them in the sky gave way to the inner “star” or Light that would guide them for the rest of their lives. But they were totally open to this epiphany. Think of all the opposition and questions that would hound them by friends and family back home. Changing religion and faith can be monumental and earth shattering. Epiphanies may be moments of enlightenment, but they frequently come with rejection and even loss. Let’s face it: if you have had a life changing experience that is not shared by your spouse or friends or co-workers, they can either react favorably, reflecting on the change , or they can turn away because they can’t engage in a new way of seeing life.

But to grow is to change, to be gently moved, in seeing the world with a broader vision. And once this journey has begun, there is no turning back, despite the cost. If God wants us to share in restoring the world around the gospel and the Beatitudes, He will “manifest” and make known to us how we are to concretely make this happen. God wants you to be a living, human “epiphany” in which others can enlarge their field of vision, seeing through new “lenses.” People can be changed and brought face to face with the God of love …..through you.
May the God of all Epiphanies bless you throughout 2015.

Peace and Joy. Fr. Frank

The day after Christmas, the presents just unwrapped, the glow of the lights fills rooms and hearts. And what do we celebrate on this day after Christmas ? The feast of St. Stephen who is the first martyr of the church. The account of his being stoned to death is found in the Acts of the Apostles. The joy of Christ’s birth is immediately followed by a remembrance of Stephen who gave his life for believing in Jesus. The gospel proclaimed this morning at Mass had jesus warning the disciples that they will experience resistance and persecution for their faith , even within families: “brother will hand over brother to death, a father his child, and children will rise up against their parents and have them put to death .”

So much for a Merry Christmas!!! But the Christmas mystery isn’t about an idyllic world devoid of suffering and challenge. It is the Word made Flesh entering our history giving us the power to transform and recreate the world in which we live. As we give birth to Christ in our hearts, our lives will change. And some of our closest loved ones and friends may not understand or appreciate the changes that may take place when Christ becomes more central to our lives. Deepening our love of Christ will not necessarily bring us peace and tranquility. Whatever the price, and there will be a price, there is no turning back, once we are committed to following Christ.
Peace and Joy. Fr. Frank

What title of Jesus has the most meaning for you ? The most common titles are: Christ, Messiah, Lord, Savior, Good Shepherd , King, Lamb of God, just to name a few. At this time of the year , the title, Emmanuel, speaks so eloquently of the Word made Flesh…the Incarnation. In the first reading of Saturday ‘s Liturgy, the sign is prophesied of the virgin giving birth to a son named Emmanuel: God Is with us.
Jesus, Emmanuel, walks with you on your journey through this life , leading you deeper into the Kingdom. What an intimate God it is who took on our flesh and blood and entered into our history…all of history. God walks with each and every human being and through each and every human being we can encounter this God of Love.

God’s Presence within fills your emptiness, dispels all fear, soothes doubts and robs discouragement of its power to deflate hope.

Emmanuel, God is with us…God is with our church as we come together to pray and worship…

God is with us in our Christmas plans and gatherings.

God is with us when we reach out to the poor with a coat or a sleeping bag.
God is with us as we do whatever we can to make the world a better place.

God is with us as we struggle with personal problems and addictions.

God is with us at every step of the way being our constant companions.

We need never fear for the God who is with us will displace that fear with JOY.

Peace and Joy. Fr. Frank

At 7:00am this morning, I walked a pilgrimage with people who are striving to bring justice to the undocumented. It was a traditional “Posada,” a word which means, “shelter,” and has roots in Mexican catholic culture. Every year before Christmas, a Mary pregnant with jesus walks with Joseph from house to house only to be rejected with the statement , “There is no room
In the Inn.” The couple finally finds a welcome home that “shelters ” them, allowing their Child to born.

A young woman and man dressed as Mary and Joseph led the pilgrimage to various locations that impact the undocumented, which included , the Federal Building, the Metropolitan Correction center, DePaul university and St. Peter’s in the Loop. We stopped at each site and heard the familiar , “There’s no room at Inn,” to shed light on the ways the undocumented have “no room” in our legal system with much red tape and confusing legislation. This early morning procession in the Loop was very cold and uncomfortable, conditions certainly felt by the Holy Family and this Posada lasted only two hours! For many, it is a way of life.

I met some wonderful people committed to bringing justice to the undocumented. “There is no room for you,” can poignantly be answered with, “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” The Christmas mystery must transcend cultural expressions that at times can be superficial and empty. The Word made Flesh, Jesus Christ, was born to transform our world and the darkness of injustice. Justice and peace go hand in hand. Christmas is meaningful and joyful to the extent that it enters into our darkness, as individuals and as a society. The Holy Family did not have an easy go of it from the start. The mystery that unfolded on the road to Bethlehem and beyond was filled with trials , rejection , fleeing to Egypt from Herod’s jealous wrath , the slaughter of the innocents, not to forget, giving birth to the Savior of the world in a cave surrounded by animals. Not a pretty picture of twinkling lights and a village scene filled with beautiful snow covered hills and sleigh bells ringing.

The true meaning of Christmas is rooted in God entering our humanity-from within- by being born as a baby. In taking on our flesh and blood , all of creation was blessed and made holy. The first message of the Angels was “Peace on earth,” and the parting gift from jesus on the first Easter was “Peace.”
The Posada this morning was rooted in prayer and a gentle peace. The injustices encountered by the undocumented , the poor, the imprisoned, women and children “trafficked,” need to be brought into the Light. In becoming human and sharing in our human nature, Christ wants to share his divinity with us. Rooted in God’s Presence that dwells within our hearts , we can transform the darknesses of our lives and the world into the Light of hope and promise.
May each one of us…may YOU be s human “posada” or shelter, so that those who encounter you will find room in the Inn of you heart. The transformation of the world begins in your heart.

Peace and Joy. Fr. Frank