In each Sunday bulletin, our pastor, Fr. John, shares with the parish community enriching insight on the many facets of our faith, life, and society. We invite you to read and take in the inspiring and motivating message imparted to us through the wisdom of Fr. John.
En cada boletín dominical, nuestro párroco, el P. John, comparte con la comunidad parroquial información enriquecedora sobre las muchas facetas de nuestra fe, vida y sociedad. Lo invitamos a leer y asimilar el mensaje inspirador y motivador que nos imparte a través de la sabiduría del P. John.
Pastor's Corner (48)
Rincon del PÁRROCO (48)
EnglishLORD, TEACH US TO PRAY (48) Since my ordination in1980, I have been inspired to organize close to 25 pilgrimages “from glory to glory.” Most of these have been pilgrimages by canoe down the Russian River. Others have been week-long camping trip pilgrimages to places like Big Sur, the High Sierras, Lassen Volcanic Nat’l Park, and Monument Valley. The purpose of these pilgrimages is to help every pilgrim to make progress in their transformation from glory to glory. The theme of the second Mass on these pilgrimages always focuses on 2 Corinthians 3:17-18, “The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. All of us, gazing on the Lord’s glory with unveiled faces, are being transformed from glory to glory into his very image by the Lord who is the Spirit.” These verses put a spotlight on the Truth of our Destiny in God’s Plan for the human race and for every human being. They help answer some most important questions, “Why did God create humanity?” “Why did God create me?” “Where am I going?” “How am I going to get there?” Fr. John Riccardo helps us sharpen our focus on the ANSWER to these questions, “(The) answer is most clearly expressed in the New Testament, in the Second Letter of St. Peter: the creatures who are made in the “image” and “likeness” of God are to be even more than that. We are to “become partakers of the divine nature” (2Peter 1:4). The Eastern Church uses a special term for this: divinization. You were made for one purpose really, to be divinized. Try your best to grasp as fully as you can the amazing fact that you and I and every single person in our troubled world was really made not simply to be a friend of God but to share in God’s own life, his own happiness, his own joy, his own love, his own freedom, his own perfection for all eternity. That’s the reason God made you. It’s the reason each and every one of us exists” (Rerouting … Finding Our Way Back to God and His Church, p.38). Thus, “to be transformed from glory to glory into his image by the Lord who is the Spirit” means to be “divinized.” It is a pilgrim journey and we need “to keep (our) entire attention on the finish line as (we) run toward the prize to which God calls (us) – life on high in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). (More to come.)
Blessings, Fr. John |
EspaNolSEÑOR, ENSÉÑANOS A ORAR (48). Desde mi ordenación en 1980, me ha inspirado a organizar cerca de 25 peregrinaciones “De Gloria a Gloria”. La mayoría de ellos han sido peregrinaciones en canoa por el Russian River. Otros han sido peregrinaciones de viajes de campamento de una semana a lugares como Big Sur, High Sierras, Lassen Volcanic Nat’I Park, y Monument Valley. El propósito de estas peregrinaciones es ayudar a cada peregrino a progresar en su transformación de gloria a gloria. El tema de la segunda Misa de estas peregrinaciones siempre se centra en 2 corintios 3:17-18, “Porque el Señor es el Espíritu, y donde está el Espíritu del Señor, allí está la libertad. Mas todos nosotros, que con el rostro descubierto reflejamos como en un espejo la gloria del Señor, nos vamos transformando en esa misma imagen cada vez más gloriosos: así es como actúa el Señor, que es Espíritu.” Estos versículos ponen de relieve la verdad de nuestro destino en el plan de Dios para la raza humana y para cada ser humano. Ayudan a responder algunas de las preguntas más importantes, “¿por qué creo Dios a la humanidad?” “Por que Dios me creo?” “A dónde voy?” “Como voy a llegar?” Padre John Riccardo nos ayuda a agudizar nuestro enfoque en la RESPUESTA a estas preguntas, “(La) respuesta se expresa más claramente en el Nuevo Testamento, en la Segunda Carta de San Pedro: las criaturas que están hechas a” imagen “y” semejanza “De Dios son incluso más que eso. Debemos “llegar a ser participantes de la naturaleza divina” (2 Pedro 1:4) La Iglesia Oriental usa un término especial para esto: divinización En realidad, fuiste creado con un propósito; ser divinizado. Trate de comprender la mejor que pueda el hecho asombroso de que usted, yo y cada persona en nuestro atribulado mundo fuimos creados no simplemente para ser amigos de Dios, sino para compartir la propia vida de Dios, su propia felicidad, la suya propia. Alegría, su propio amor, su propia vida de Dios su propia felicidad, la suya propia alegría, su propio amor, su propia libertad, su propia perfección por toda la eternidad. Esa es la razón por la que Dios te creo. Es la razón por lo que todos y cada uno de nosotros existimo “Rerouting… Finding Our Way Back to God and His Church, p.38). Por lo tanto, “ser transformado de Gloria en Gloria a su imagen por el Señor que es el Espíritu” significa ser “divinizado”. Es un viaje de peregrino y necesitamos “mantener (toda nuestra) atención en la línea de meta mientras (corremos) hacia la meta, para alcanzar el premio a Dios (nos) llama desde lo alto en Cristo Jesús” (Filipenses 3:14). (Más por Venir)
Bendiciones, Padre John |
Archive | Archivo
Message from your pastor - Mensaje de su PÁRROCO
Our Pastor, Fr. John Warburton O.S.J.
During my last year of high school I fell in love with a beautiful sophomore named Mary Jo. Part of the attractiveness of Mary Jo was that she was so good and so caring. She was a convinced Catholic who was putting obedience to God’s will at the center of her life. She spoke openly about the possibility that God may be calling her to be a nun. When it became apparent that Mary Jo was in love with me too, I was walking on air. It was at that point that I fell in love with God. I became convinced that God exists, God is Love, God is Good, and that God created me to know, love and serve Him. Suddenly the seminary became an attractive option to me. I saw it as a place where I could learn how to listen to God, discover his will for my life and then put my whole heart into his call for me. Mary Jo exhibited the virtue and the selfless love to encourage me in this pursuit. What a blessing!
I investigated two local religious communities. I chose to start my quest to know my vocation with the Oblates of St. Joseph. I felt “at home” when I visited them for a week. I was attracted by their family spirit and by the friendliness of the priests and brothers. Their simple ideal of serving the interests of Jesus in imitation of St. Joseph appealed to me. Within four months I became so impressed by the priest in charge of the seminary, that I wrote in my journal, “Lord, if you would give me the grace to be a good priest, I would say, ‘Yes!” Seven years of prayer and quandary followed.
I suffered from feelings of insecurity. I was not at all sure whether I was talented enough to be a good priest- preacher- teacher- counselor- pastor. My aunt, a Sister of St. Joseph in Kansas, sent me a transcribed homily by a Jesuit priest, Fr. Michael Buckley. He put the question: “Are you weak enough to be a priest of Jesus Christ?” He then reflected on the mystery described by St. Paul wherein, through weakness, God’s power is perfected. This encouraged me. I began to discern the difference between faith dependence on God and self centered self reliance. Gradually, my life with the Oblate brothers, priests and seminarians led to more trust in God in imitation of St. Joseph. My involvement with a charismatic prayer community was also a big help to me.
I began to ask the question, “What is the deepest desire that God has placed in my heart?” I found myself with two deep desires: celibacy for the sake of the kingdom and marriage for the sake of the kingdom. I was afraid to choose; afraid of making a mistake. I wanted God to just tell me what to do like I imagined he did for Saul of Tarsus. By that time my friend, Mary Jo, had discerned that her vocation was to marriage. At first I thought, “Well that’s it! That’s the sign I have been waiting for!” But Mary Jo was mature enough and selfless enough to challenge me toward a more authentic discernment. One night, in the course of writing a fourteen page letter to try and sort things out, it was as if God put this thought immediately and directly into my mind: “You decide what you really want to do and I will back you up with all the graces you need to do it.” With that assurance, it was as if I was back to the question I had written in my journal seven years earlier. And so I said, “Yes!” And here I am, doing what I really want to do as an Oblate of St. Joseph priest with all the graces I need to do it. What else can go right!
The Lord has blessed Mary Jo with a good marriage and family. She continues to be an inspiration to me and I try to be the same for her and for all.
--from osjusa.org
I investigated two local religious communities. I chose to start my quest to know my vocation with the Oblates of St. Joseph. I felt “at home” when I visited them for a week. I was attracted by their family spirit and by the friendliness of the priests and brothers. Their simple ideal of serving the interests of Jesus in imitation of St. Joseph appealed to me. Within four months I became so impressed by the priest in charge of the seminary, that I wrote in my journal, “Lord, if you would give me the grace to be a good priest, I would say, ‘Yes!” Seven years of prayer and quandary followed.
I suffered from feelings of insecurity. I was not at all sure whether I was talented enough to be a good priest- preacher- teacher- counselor- pastor. My aunt, a Sister of St. Joseph in Kansas, sent me a transcribed homily by a Jesuit priest, Fr. Michael Buckley. He put the question: “Are you weak enough to be a priest of Jesus Christ?” He then reflected on the mystery described by St. Paul wherein, through weakness, God’s power is perfected. This encouraged me. I began to discern the difference between faith dependence on God and self centered self reliance. Gradually, my life with the Oblate brothers, priests and seminarians led to more trust in God in imitation of St. Joseph. My involvement with a charismatic prayer community was also a big help to me.
I began to ask the question, “What is the deepest desire that God has placed in my heart?” I found myself with two deep desires: celibacy for the sake of the kingdom and marriage for the sake of the kingdom. I was afraid to choose; afraid of making a mistake. I wanted God to just tell me what to do like I imagined he did for Saul of Tarsus. By that time my friend, Mary Jo, had discerned that her vocation was to marriage. At first I thought, “Well that’s it! That’s the sign I have been waiting for!” But Mary Jo was mature enough and selfless enough to challenge me toward a more authentic discernment. One night, in the course of writing a fourteen page letter to try and sort things out, it was as if God put this thought immediately and directly into my mind: “You decide what you really want to do and I will back you up with all the graces you need to do it.” With that assurance, it was as if I was back to the question I had written in my journal seven years earlier. And so I said, “Yes!” And here I am, doing what I really want to do as an Oblate of St. Joseph priest with all the graces I need to do it. What else can go right!
The Lord has blessed Mary Jo with a good marriage and family. She continues to be an inspiration to me and I try to be the same for her and for all.
--from osjusa.org
