Haiti 2016: My first trip (Cheryl)

Arriving in Haiti … the view of the mountains were beautiful, then a large flat area was Port of Prince, it was 2:30 PM. After landing in Port of Prince, we had a driver transport us from one side of the airport to the other in order to get on a 6 passenger airplane to fly to Jeremie. Haitian people were everywhere trying to help with our packages to make a dollar. Once we got to the “airport” in Jeremie, the long strip of concrete surrounded by cows, chickens and people standing all around was shock! The journey still wasn’t over, we transported our luggage to the back of a pickup truck where a driver drove us through the outskirts of Jeremie to the house we were going to stay.  During the drive, I noticed the nice clothes most of them were wearing. There were motorcycles weaving in and out of the other vehicles as well as many walking donkeys carrying supplies. The view of the homes, people, animals etc. was beyond my expectations.  We ARRIVED!!! The house was amazing! There was a very friendly, English speaking Haitian who helped us with all the luggage. The dining room table is large enough to hold at least 12 people.  There is a fabulous cook who made an amazing meal for us. Once our stomachs were filled after the long day of travel, it was time to sit around the table and tell stories.   The work will begin tomorrow after the Sunday mass.

Haiti 2016: Alison's first day

Kirby, Mike, Gary and I all arrived at the Louisville Airport early Friday morning, around 4 a.m. That was my first airplane ride ever and I couldn't stop looking out the window, the houses were so small and then we were literally flying over a cloud. I was so excited for this trip and couldn't wait to get to Haiti. I had never really traveled before, especially not out of the United States, but I knew God wanted me to do this. We arrived in Miami and met up with Lisa and got on the next plane to Port-Au-Prince. Haiti is so beautiful even though there is a lot of poverty. We got on a charter plane and that was a really cool experience too. I have to say the driving in Haiti is my kind of driving:) There isn't really any rules, no staying on the right side, people are constantly honking, and they'll do whatever, including driving on sidewalks, to get where they need to. The people in Haiti don't really get road rage, they just get around them. We arrived at the house and met some of the workers for Tek4Kids. They are all native Haitians and are really nice and easy to talk to. Today, we worked at the school and worked on tables, chalkboards, and boards. It was a lot of hard work, but I knew we were helping the school and the people that go there. The other half of our group arrived around 4:30 today and now we will really be starting the missionary work together. One thing I have to say about Haiti, it is truly an amazing thing that you really need to see. It is hard to explain all the things I have seen so far in a few words and it's only been about 2 days into the trip. I can't wait to see what else this trip teaches me.

Haiti 2016: Lisa's first day

I arrived in Jeremie on Friday with the first group.  Gary, Deacon Mike, Allison, Kirby and I had our 1st work session today (Saturday).  We went to the school to work on desks for one of the classrooms.  Sandpaper, varnish and drills were everywhere!  As we worked some of the staff from school stopped to visit.  Everyone I’ve met has been so friendly.  One teacher in particular stood out. After asking me about my family and my life in the United States,  he thanked me not once but twice for coming to Haiti to help!  He said he knows that people are scared to come here because of things they hear.  I was so touched by his sincerity! Tomorrow we are going to mass at 7:00am.  Then back to the school!!!     

Haiti 2016: A Day of Firsts (Deacon Mike)

NOTE - technical issues solved... Hopefully all posts will now be on this blog site

All 9 of our team members are now on-site in Jeremie, Haiti.  God greased the skids and the travel went smoothly.  This was a first in many ways... For some it was their first jet ride, first time out of the country, first single-prop plane...plus some firsts we can't mention until we get home (don't worry mom's it's not that bad ;)
Assuming our (slow) Internet connection stays up, watch for further blogs from other team members

2016/02/28 - Turn around before you Fall

February 28, 2016

3rd Sunday of Lent; St. Romanus and St. Lupicinus

Before Mass:

Why do bad things happen?  Is it punishment from God?  Jesus sort-of jumps into that question in today’s Gospel – but in my opinion – he seems to be talking out of both sides of His mouth.  See if you can decipher what He’s trying to tell us. 

Homily:

When the tsunami killed a quarter million people in the area of Indonesia, some preachers claimed it was God’s wrath against the false religion of Islam.  I don’t choose to believe that.

When the hurricane hit New Orleans back in 06, I heard some preachers declaring that God sent His wrath onto that city because of all of the sin in it.  I don’t choose to believe that.

When the twin towers fell, some preachers pointed out that our country was getting its just payment for all of the babies that are killed in abortion.  I don’t choose to believe that.

When the earthquake hit Haiti, supposedly it was God’s wrath for all of the voodoo superstitions in their culture.  Need I go on? 

This kind of thinking goes back to Old Testament beliefs that good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people.  It might be easy as a preacher to get up here and peddle my own beliefs since I’m speaking for God – and I can denounce WHOEVER I want – and point out that I must be right, because look at what God did to THEM!!  (pound fist)   

Why don’t I choose to believe that?  Well, first because if you follow that logic, you’d have to say – look at what happened to those people in Dubois County recently!  God sent his wrath in the form of the bird flu because of some sort of sin or other.  You’d also have to say look at the tornadoes that God sent to punish us a few years ago.  God’s obviously not happy with us.

If you believe the tsunami was God’s wrath – then it would clearly follow that the bird flu was God’s wrath.  You can believe that if you WANT TO – BUT I don’t choose to believe that. 

The main reason is because Jesus just told us ... “do you think the people who were killed in that accident when the tower of Siloam fell were more guilty than others – BY NO MEANS”

Jesus is making it clear that the fate that befell them was not because of their sin.  Seems to me that this would apply to our avian flu and tornadoes… we may be guilty, but we are no more guilty than anybody else. 

Now if he stopped there, I’d be fine – that’s actually a comforting thought which makes sense… but then he adds – “but if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!”  OK, Jesus – which is it… do our sins decide our fate or not? 

Well – actually – I’ve always interpreted that wrong.  Pay attention to the words He uses:  ‘if you do not repent you will perish’.  It’s not our sin, specifically, that condemns us… it is our state of mind.  Stick with me now…That word REPENT is the key.  Remember a couple months ago I talked about how REPENT really means METANOIA – which is a complete change of mind.  REPENT has to do with our state of mind…It means we have to start thinking 180 degrees from the way we think.   Everything we THINK is true based on our earthly lives must be turned upside down in order to understand and LIVE the example that Jesus gave us.

Repent DOESN’T mean to stop sinning… it means to turn around…

So – with that in mind, let’s reword what Jesus said to see if it makes more sense:

“Did those people die because they were worse sinners than you?  No Way.  But you are headed in the wrong direction, and if you don’t turn around, you are not going to be happy when you reach your destination.” 

The actual definition of Sin is to “miss the mark” – think of it like aiming an arrow.  If acting like Jesus is the bulls-eye, then sin is to hit anything other than the bulls-eye.  Nobody accidentally lands in heaven – we have to be aiming for it.

That’s why we have to REPENT (Metanoia).  Ever since the beginning, when Adam and Eve ate that first apple, we have all wanted to be like God – deciding right and wrong for ourselves.  So every decision you and I make every day is based on what WE want.  But in order to enter the Kingdom of God, we have to completely change our minds… to put God at the center of our lives… to make decisions based on how we can best fit into HIS will. 

What’s that look like?  To model our lives to be like Jesus and to imitate His example…To pick up our cross and follow, To put the needs of others ahead of our own.  While the world would say we are foolish… Jesus would recognize in our hearts that we truly DO love Him and He will draw us close. 

Bad things will happen to every person here – regardless of how much we sin.  Of course, some people’s behavior is self-destructive and they bring the tower down upon themselves through their bad choices.  But the true punishment of God for sin is to allow us to have what we love the most.  Think hard about that… the true punishment of God is to allow us to have what we love the most.

If we love liquor the most, he’ll allow us to consume it until we ruin our own life.

If we love sex the most, he’ll allow us to follow that desire until it destroys the relationships of those we truly love.

If we love money the most, he’ll give us enough to keep us always wanting more and the greed will consume us.  We bring the tower down upon ourselves. 

But – if we repent – metanoia – completely change our minds – we can love God and he’ll give us all of himself.  We can love serving God’s people, and he’ll feed us with endless blessings of serving others.  We can put God’s will first in every situation, and thereby bring God into our everyday lives – into every decision.   

Let’s try one more analogy to help understand what Jesus said…. And this gets deep… so you might have to pay attention. 

Did you ever have a dream where you just kept falling and falling and falling until you woke up?  Did it ever hurt us?  They say… whoever they are… they say that if you hit bottom while in that dream, you would die.  Now – there’s no way we can know that, because if anybody ever DID hit bottom and die, they wouldn’t be around to tell us! 

But the truth remains that if you are falling, the fall itself doesn’t hurt you… it’s that sudden stop at the bottom.  That’s the best analogy I’ve been able to come up with to explain what Jesus is saying.  Stick with me and hopefully this will be helpful.  Sin is like falling off a cliff.  If we allow the culture and our human nature to guide us, we’ll all aim in the wrong direction and step off the cliff and head straight to the bottom.

Sin, like falling, won’t kill us.  But Sin points us in the wrong direction…straight down… And GOD will allow us to keep falling in that same direction for eternity… and we’ll only hit bottom when what we love most has destroyed us….but… if we REPENT…if we love Jesus most, He will be there to catch us.

2016/02/07 Where is your net?

Before Mass:

The readings fit together so well, I almost don’t even need to explain.  In each case, somebody is called by God to bring the Good News to His people.  All three readings – watch for that common thread.  The other undeniable thread is the fact that in all three cases, the person jumps in with both feet.  God asks for help – and they devoted their lives to it.

Pay particular attention to that Gospel…. We all fit into that story in at least two ways… pay close attention to see if you can identify where YOU are.  Remember – we are all at least two different characters. 

Homily:

Jerry went with his kids on a field trip at their school one beautiful spring day.  The kids we all excited – mainly because they got to get OUT of school for a whole afternoon – and they were going to get to eat at McDonalds – but also because their science teacher was taking them an hour from home to see and catch fish.  Every year on that day, the Salmon would make a run through the area toward their spawning grounds almost a thousand miles up-river.

The problem was – there had been a drought that year and between them and their spawning grounds, the river had gone dry in a couple of places.  There was NO water running down the stream for almost 100 miles.  The fear was that if the fish could not make it to their spawning grounds, they wouldn’t be able to spawn, and the entire population of these salmon would be lost.

So the plan was to catch as many salmon as they could and load them into a huge tanker truck to transport across the next state where the water was still flowing.  It was important they catch every salmon they possible could – because any that get by will likely die. 

The kids were split into groups of about a dozen and given a net about 20 feet long.  They were instructed to hold the nets in the water to catch the fish as they came upstream – then they would pick up the fish and drop them into a bucket – then other kids would carry the full buckets to the truck to dump in.  There must have been 1000 kids convening on this section of river that day.

Jerry didn’t have a job other than to be chaperone and run errands if anybody needed anything.  So, he had time to just watch the process:  The air was filled excitement as kids would squeal when a feisty fish would try to jump out of their hands as they scooped them into the bucket.  He noticed the cooperation and teamwork the kids were learning by working together for a common goal.  He noticed how some of the kids were just born leaders – seeming to fill the role as Head fisherman where adults normally would have filled that role.  Jerry couldn’t help but smile watching them all working so intently on this one goal – to save the salmon.

Once in a while, a fish would get by the nets, and the back-up team would swoop in with their dip nets to bag the lone fish.  This was important – remember- any fish that gets by is likely going to die.  It was for their own good that the kids were catching them.  But the fish didn’t understand… they just knew that somebody was trying to take them out of their element.  They were quite comfortable in the water – oblivious to the impending doom that lay ahead – and they struggled with all their might to escape the hands of the captors.  Some of the kids even got cut by the fins of the fish as they flopped around.

Some of the kids got frustrated by that… why didn’t the fish understand that we were there to HELP?!  So for a while, they let their nets loose – or lying on the shore – and hundreds of fish swam by without being caught.   On the edge of tears, the kids would sit on a rock – not sure what to do.   Should they continue to enforce THEIR will on these fish for their own good – or leave them to their fate?

Where are you and I in this story?

Are we the fish?  Sitting in our comfort zone of the lives we’ve built around ourselves – oblivious to the doom that is coming upon us?  Do we readily accept help when it is given, or struggle to avoid any helping hand?  Many have attempted to preach the Gospel to us to help us understand what lies ahead, but we’d rather just stay here in the warm water where we’re comfortable.  Yeah – I’d say every one of us is the fish at some point in our lives.  Somebody mentions a book or a retreat or a parish Mission – and well – that’s good for some people – but I really don’t have time for that.  Besides, I’m quite comfortable here in the water.

Where ELSE are you and I in the story?  Are we the fishermen?  Have we taken seriously Christ’s call to be fishers of Men?  In the Gospel he was talking to Cephas, but he really was talking to you and me.  Have we ANSWERED that call to put out our nets for a catch?  Do we work tirelessly with others in our community to reach out to all of the fish who come our way – or do we leave that work for others?  Do we get discouraged when our efforts fail and they flop back into the water?  Do we let them slip by us, or do we go to where they are in order to bring them to Christ?

Look around - Where are your nets?  Are they dry – on the shore… think about that:  When WAS the last time we actually cast into the deep to TRY to bring someone to know Jesus?

Two challenges for today – depending on where you found yourself in this story:

First – allow yourself to be caught – if Jesus has sent someone to pursue you – jump INTO the net.

Second – pick up your net and get back in the water….. go where the fish are – and save them.

 

 

2016/01/24 Little Toe

Did you understand that second reading about the body has many parts?  Paul can be wordy….I have an example which might help us understand it differently.

I remember as a kid I’d have some sort of pain to complain about and I’d go to my Dad and whine about ‘my finger huuurrrts’ and put on the most pathetic face I could.  I don’t know if I actually expected him to fix it or if I just wanted attention, but I’d usually get one of two answers:  either “come here and I’ll cut it off” – or – “come here and let me stop on your toe – then you won’t feel your finger anymore.” 

Anybody else ever experienced that?  Watch what would happen if you stomped on my toe… (call altar server to ‘pretend’ to stomp on my toe…then jump around on one foot howling and writhing in pain).  Did you notice what happened?  Let me re-enact that for you again in slow motion:  the mouth immediately opens, the lungs immediately gasp inward, the voicebox immediately lets out a scream, the leg immediately jerks the toe out of harms way – then lifts the injured toe into the air where the arms and hands immediately move into position to hold it up.  The face contorts, the neck stretches back, the eyes close tightly and water a little bit(no I wasn’t crying!), the other foot and leg jump up and down as if THAT would help to alleviate the pain or something. 

In short – when one part of the body hurts – every other part of the body rushes to do whatever it can to alleviate that pain.  The hands don’t say – well WE are more important than a stupid toe, so WE are not going to lift a finger to help.  The lungs don’t say – well you know – a body can live without a toe… but a body CAN’T live without lungs… we’re not going to waste our breath on such an inferior body part. 

No – EVERY body part rushes to do WHATEVER it can to remove the pain. 

That is what we witnessed in our community over and over again – and once again in the last two weeks… Some members of our body were struck a horrible blow at their farms – and when it happened –it was like somebody stomped on our toe.  The whole community immediately jumped up and down willing – wanting – needing to do anything we could to alleviate the pain of those farmers.  Immediately prayers were going out on Facebook and emails.  Prayer services were organized.  Adoration for 6 six days in a row was organize almost overnight.  I gotta be honest, I didn’t think THAT would happen – but it goes to show that THIS body of Christ SINCERELY wants to do WHATEVER we can to alleviate your pain – because your pain – is OUR pain. 

That’s the way it is with the Body of Christ…and that’s what Paul is talking about in that second reading.  Let me give just a little background - Paul wrote this letter about 20 years after Jesus’ Resurrection when he was in prison in Rome.  It’s written to the church in Corinth – one of the churches he started in his missionary journeys.  This church was vibrant and growing, in many ways, it was the model for how churches were to be formed…but he caught wind of some rivalries taking place in the parish and he felt the need to step-in to keep things from getting out of hand.  Apparently some of the parishioners were able to speak in tongues – others had a gift of healing – there were several various ministries and each person had their part in the church.  But apparently some of them thought – well, I have the gift of tongues, so I’m more important than the Altar Servers – so I don’t have to do my fair share around here.  The Lectors thought – I have the gift of proclaiming the Word – surely that’s more important than these other people, so I shouldn’t have to help wash dishes. 

Paul is quick to point out that nobody is more important than anybody else.   Just like a human body has many parts and each is necessary….likewise  EVERY person is given a gift or a ministry to build up the Body of Christ.  In other words, every person has a Charism, given by God, which is specifically to help the people of God – the Church.

I like the way Fr. Eugene defines a charism… a charism is the God-given ability (or talent) to do something that OTHER people consider to be WORK, but YOU actually get ENERGIZED doing it. 

What is YOUR charism?  Everybody has at least one… Examples – some people are really good at taking notes at meetings and actually ENJOY it!  For me, that would be almost as bad as going to the dentist.  On the other hand, a lot of people would cringe in fear at standing up here and preaching a homily – but for me – THIS is what ENERGIZES me. (you probably noticed that;)  Some people think cutting firewood is a drudgery, but many men would rather do that than just about anything else… it’s fun..it’s in nature… and it’s providing heat for the winter.  Some of us think cooking is akin to torture, but others have a god-given talent and there’s no place they’d rather be than in the kitchen.  If you can think of a job that fires you up… perhaps THAT is your Charism. 

Every Charism… yes… every Charism… has a place in the Church.  Why?  Go back to the definition… it is a God-given talent.  God gave you that Charism for the benefit of HIS church…His people. 

We have MANY different ministries in this parish – and that’s what this Ministry Fair coming up is all about.  I suspect that everybody – myself included – will find SOMEthing at the ministry fair that we can say – wow – I didn’t know we did that here!  That is exactly what I’ve been wanting to do!  And if you DON’T see it there, and you have a passion for it, by all means, put your God-given talent to use.  For example, let’s say you LOVE camping… there’s no place you’d rather be than sitting around a campfire.  Maybe you could use your Camping Charism to organize family outings or youth camp trips?  Not only would you get to do your camping, but you would be putting your experience at the service of God’s people.  Be creative – just like God was creative when he made each one of us – down to the last little toe.