Holy Rosary Announcements

Announcements: 18th Sunday Ordinary Year A

2011-07-26T07:28:00.000-07:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners: Here are a few announcements.

Fantastic Send Off: Thank you all for raising money for an airplane ticket for me to fly back to Holy Rosary in the future. I was so happy to see everyone at Mass and to partake in the wonderful potluck afterward. Jacob Belleque knew I was leaving and asked his grandmother if I was going to Heaven! I hope so Jacob, I am definitely leaving Heaven on Earth.

Finances: Angie Venua will be taking care of the finances, i.e. paying bills and keeping an electronic check book in Quicken. Diana Swaim will continue to count the Sunday collection and make the deposit. Fr. Nelson (with help from parishioners) will count, collect, and deposit the water money.

Telephone: The parish phone number is forwarded to our parish cell phone. Angela Clark has volunteered to answer the phone while Fr. Nelson and I are in transition. She will be answering calls and returning messages from July 26 to August 16, 2011.

My Schedule: I hope you visit me in Wasilla at Sacred Heart. There will be a few weeks when I will be traveling and will be having Fr. Stan fill in for me. Fr. Stan is retired and an IFR and commercial rated pilot and lives in the Sacred Heart Rectory.

July 26: Leave for Anchorage
July 27-29: Work on Canon Law cases for Fairbanks, Juneau, and Anchorage dioceses.
August 1: First Day at Sacred Heart in Wasilla
Sep 5-15: Wilmington, North Carolina vacation
Nov 7-17: Oregon, my cousin's wedding and visit family

When you come to Anchorage please come and visit me!!!

Gospel: The readings point to the importance of charity. Please see homily and readings below.

Have a fantastic week and thank you for letting me serve you for the past six years (August 5, 2005 to July 31, 2011).

Homily and Readings:

18th Ord A DLG 2011 Charity, Isaiah 55::1-3; Romans 8:35&37-39; Matthew 14:13-21

When I go into a village, someone always meets me and picks me up on a 4-wheeler. During the summer, Karen brings fresh flowers and puts them below the Mary statue. When my mechanic changes the oil on my airplane, he usually donates it. Pat goes out and mows the cemetery.

These are all acts of charity. Saint Paul tells us that when it comes to faith, hope, and charity, the greatest is charity.

Charity resonates through the readings. Isaiah says, “All you who are thirsty, come to the water. You who have no money, come receive grain and eat.” The second reading from Romans tells us that we can never be separated from God’s charity.
All through history god has been charitable.

To help the Israelites reach the Promised Land, God showered them with, mana, which was bread from heaven.

Through God’s help, the prophet Elijah multiplied flour and oil to save a widow and her son from starvation.

Elisha did a bit better than his master, multiplying 20 barley loaves so as to feed 100, with some even left over.

According to our Catechism, “The fruits of charity are joy, peace, and mercy” (Catechism 1829).

“Charity is the theological virtue by which we love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God (Catechism 1822).

The Apostle Paul also wrote that beautiful quote from Corinthians, "Charity is patient and kind, charity is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude.

Charity does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right.

Charity bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (Catechism 1825).

Today’s gospel gives us several examples of charity. After hearing about the death of John the Baptist’s death, Jesus wants to be alone. He wants to get away and just make sense of it all. Have you ever felt like that...get away, leave me alone! But that does not stop him from being charitable.

In a state of grieving, Jesus performed three acts of charity. While still grieving, Jesus (1) healed the sick, (2) preached all day, and (3) fed 5000. The Little boy (4) gave up loaves and fish.

Today God is charitable. He will continue to be charitable in the future. He does that through the Eucharist.

Here are a few quotes about charity. I ask that you all try to perform one act this week.

Pope Saint Clement I: “Charity unites us to God. There is nothing mean in charity, nothing arrogant. Charity knows no schism, does not rebel, and does all things in harmony. In charity all the elect of God have been made perfect.”

Bob Hope: “If you have not got any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.”

Mother Theresa: “In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love” (Words 507).

Isaiah 55::1-3
All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat; Come, without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk! Why spend your money for what is not bread; your wages for what fails to satisfy? Heed me, and you shall eat well, you shall delight in rich fare. Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life. I will renew with you the everlasting covenant, the benefits assured to David.

Romans 8:35&37-39
What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Matthew 14:13-21
When Jesus heard of it, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, "This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves." (Jesus) said to them, "There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves." But they said to him, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have here." Then he said, "Bring them here to me," and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking 5 the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over twelve wicker baskets full. Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.

Announcements: 17 Sunday Ordinary Time Year A

2011-07-17T08:08:00.001-07:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Last Trip to Clarks Point: Since the Cherokee is parked in Wasilla, I hopped on VanAir, Friday, July 15, for my last Mass in Clarks Point, Alaska. I baptized one year old Jack Thomas Slattengren in the Saint Peter the Fisherman Church.

Here is a picture after my last Mass at Saint Peter the Fisherman in Clarks Point.

37 Baptisms: During my six year term (August 2005 to August 2011) at Holy Rosary Mission I have baptized 37 infants, children, and adults. The late Father Kelly baptized 85 infants, children, and adults during his eleven year term.

Gospel: If you have not found the Pearl of Great Price, I pray you all will. All though you cannot fully possess it here on earth, I pray that you will continue to strive for it throughout your lives. Please see homily and readings below.

Potluck: Sunday after Mass will be a potluck. Please bring your favorite dish.

Thank you: Thank you to Pat Durbin and Bernie Venua for working on fixing the leak in our Church basement. Pat rounded up a load of dirt and Bernie taped a seam on the rubber mat outside.

Sunday Collection: Our collection was $175.00 last Sunday. That does not count several people who donated by direct deposit into the Holy Rosary Checking account or people who send in automatic donations through Bill Pay, i.e. Wells Fargo.

Have a wonderful week and see you Sunday...Fr. Scott.

Homily and Readings:

17 Ord A 109 DLG 2011, Treasure, 1 Kings 3: 5&7-12; Romans 8:28-30; Mat 13:44-52

Finding Treasure is exciting. I love reading novels about treasure hunts and sunken ships. I heard of one person who found a three million dollar stash with a metal detector. He was very very happy. In ancient times, people use to bury their money and valuable possessions in case an army killed them. This way, hidden treasure lay underground for future generations.

Once, while out jogging, I found a $100 bill lying in the street. What a boon. When my great grandfather, Grandpa Dale, built his house, Grandma Tony grabbed a couple of handfuls of silver dollars and dropped them down one of the walls before they sealed it up. Whenever we visited she showed me the wall and told me the story. When they died, I crawled down under the house and tried to find the treasure. No luck. Someone beat me to it.

In the Gospel, the Kingdom of Heaven is like buried treasure. A worker in the field finds this treasure. It is the key to happiness, peace, eternal life, and joy. Unfortunately this treasure is not his. The worker does not own the field, the man he works for does. So the worker re-buries this great treasure. He needs time to think and plan how he can own this great treasure for himself.

The man rounds up all of his worldly possessions, sells them, and takes the money to the owner of that field. He buys that field with every cent he had. He now possesses the knowledge of how to be happy and obtain eternal life.

The pearl of great price is the same type of story. A person finds a treasure, he sells everything, and then he possesses the treasure, the pearl of great price, this knowledge of the Kingdom of Heaven.

The people who find the pearl of great price risk everything to own it. Zacchaeus climbed down from the tree and was invited to the Kingdom. Peter gave up his fishing income for the treasure.

Today, in our money driven secular society, the treasure of the Gospel can lie deep beneath the hard earth.

Here is the message for all of us: we receive the sacraments, we pray, we struggle with our faith, and we go through the motions of going to church. Then suddenly, through God’s grace, the treasure may be discovered.

We come to the realization that there is only one real thing in life worth possessing: The Gospel of Jesus.

The gospel is the love of Jesus, his forgiveness, his divine presence, his promise of eternal life. This is the treasure. This is the one real thing in life worth owning. This is the Pearl of Great Price.

We cannot fully possess this treasure here on earth. We have to strive for it throughout our lives. As we strive for this treasure our lives are transformed. As our lives are transformed we become magnets. We become infectious. Others want what we have. We draw others into the Kingdom. As our faith grows and we become closer to the treasure, we realize there is nothing better to be had.

My prayer for all of you is that you never give up striving for that Pearl of Great price and that someday you will possess it (545 Words).

1 Kings 3: 5&7-12
In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, "Ask something of me and I will give it to you." O LORD, my God, you have made me, your servant, king to succeed my father David; but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act.
I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong. For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?" The LORD was pleased that Solomon made this request. So God said to him: "Because you have asked for this--not for a long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies, but for understanding so that you may know what is right--I do as you requested. I give you a heart so wise and understanding that there has never been anyone like you up to now, and after you there will come no one to equal you.

Romans 8:28-30
We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.

Mat 13:44-52
"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away. Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. "Do you understand all these things?" They answered, "Yes." And he replied, "Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old."

Announcements: 16th Sunday Ordinary Year A

2011-07-10T07:40:00.000-07:00

Dear Holy Rosary Parishioners, here are a few announcements (for Sunday July 17):

Mission Complete: Here is a picture of the West entrance to Lake Clark Pass as our Cherokee Warrior II was completing its Mission in Bristol Bay. The plane is now parked in Space A5 at the Wasilla airport.

Thank you: Thanx to Brian Venua and Spruce Lynch for sharing their musical talent at the funeral of Olga Marie Ayuluk. The music was wonderful!

Thank you: Thank you to Pat Walsh for welding a part for Pat Durbin and thank you to Pat D. for mowing the cemetery. The grounds were perfect for the funeral of Olga Ayuluk.

My Last Sunday: My last Sunday at Holy Rosary will be the 24th of July. I plan to leave Monday or Tuesday the 25th or 26th to Anchorage to start preparing for my new assignment at Sacred Heart in Wasilla.

Around the Mission: I actually flew our Cherokee through the Lake Clark Pass to Wasilla last week. It was not a great flight. The clouds were low and there was fog and mist. Fortunately the Pass was open but leading up to the pass and leaving the pass, I was Scud running, i.e. around 500 to 600 feet. It started clearing up a few miles west of Wasilla. I did my first daily Mass (pinch hit for Fr. Stan Alley), unloaded some of my belongings in the Wasilla office garage, and flew back on Penair.

Gospel: The Kingdom of Heaven is like a slow growing mustard tree. Please see Homily and Readings below.

Have a wonderful week and see you Sunday!

Homily and Readings:

16 Ord A DLG 2008 Seed, Wisdom 12:13&16-19; Romans 8:26-27; Matthew 13:24-43

The desire to root out evil is a universal temptation for humanity. Look at Hitler’s concentration camps, Stalin’s purges, China’s cultural Revolution, the Spanish Inquisition, and the witch-hunts of medieval Europe. Our human history is littered with the bloody attempts to create by force a pure and uncontaminated society.

Even religion has a desire to create a perfect community of the saved. After all, isn’t the point of faith to strive for perfection and to root out sin?

The gospel tells us that it is not up to us to be the judge of who is evil and who is not. Only God can judge the human heart. Thus, Jesus rejects the witch-hunts, the inquisitions, and the purified races. He says, “Let both weed and wheat grow together, side by side, until the harvest.”

God’s plan is that the Kingdom of God is not to be imposed by force and violence. The parable of the mustard seed helps to explain an important message. Let’s take a look.

Mustard is actually an herb. There seems to be some confusion as to the interpretation of the mustard tree, which came from the mustard seed. There are several different kinds of mustard bushes. The best picture I say was called the Original Mustard tree.

The Kingdom of God grows gradually from small beginnings like a mustard seed.

Such growth needs time and has a rhythm of its own: God’s rhythm!

The effect of the kingdom gradually transforms people from within. In the Gospel of John Jesus says, “I am the vine, you are the branches, if you remain in me, and I in you, you will bear much fruit.”

The seed of the Kingdom of God grows when people respond to it freely, like the leaves soak in the sunlight and the roots take up the water. When there is good soil. When there is a receptive heart. It is then that a person can bring forth a rich harvest of good works.

The seed of the Kingdom of God has great power. It has power to transform both individuals and the world. But never by force and never in a big hurry.

The mustard seed grows slowly. It represents patience. The lord is patient in order to allow us to respond to his love. The seed of God inside of us needs time to ripen and to grow. God has patience in us because he believes in us. He give us time so that our true selves may flourish.

God’s patience allows us to fail a few times. Like the parable of the sower last week, there were three failures, the seed on the path, seed on rocks, and seeds in thorns. Finally, the seed fell on rich soil. God has patience so that we will eventually choose the life-giving wheat, rather than the life-choking weeds.

The way of Jesus and all of us, is not to do violence to ourselves or to others. Our way is to allow God’s gentle and persistent love to bring forth a harvest of good works within us. To grow from a little tiny mustard seed, to a beautiful tree: focus on good. Allow God’s Kingdom to grow within you. Let God transform you.

So, let us rejoice this day because our lord is patient, mild of judgment, and gives us time to grow into beautiful people (561 Words).

Wisdom 12:13&16-19
For neither is there any god besides you who have the care of all, that you need show you have not unjustly condemned; For your might is the source of justice; your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all. For you show your might when the perfection of your power is disbelieved; and in those who know you, you rebuke temerity. But though you are master of might, you judge with clemency, and with much lenience you govern us; for power, whenever you will, attends you. And you taught your people, by these deeds, that those who are just must be kind; And you gave your sons good ground for hope that you would permit repentance for their sins.

Romans 8:26-27
In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.
And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because it intercedes for the holy ones according to God's will.

Matthew 13:24-43
He proposed another parable to them. "The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well. The slaves of the householder came to him and said, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?'
He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' His slaves said to him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' He replied, 'No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, "First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn."'" He proposed another parable to them. "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the 'birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.'" He spoke to them another parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened." All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. He spoke to them only in parables, to fulfill what had been said through the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation (of the world)." Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field." He said in reply, "He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. Just as weeds are collected and burned (up) with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear.

Announcements: 15th Sunday Ordinary Time Yr A

2011-07-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Gospel: The Parable of the Sower is easily applied to our daily lives. Please see the homily and readings below.

Altar Serving: Three girls were fast tracked to Altar Serving. All three celebrated First Communion on the 29th of May. Lotus altar served for the first time two weeks later on Sunday, June 12 and Katelynn and Alethia five weeks later on Sunday July 3rd. Each girl received about an hour of training and was helped during the Mass by experienced Altar Servers Anthony Reynolds and Brian Venua.

Below Katelynn (left) and Alethia (right) pose for a picture.

Katelynn on her first day altar serving:

Alethia on her first day Altar Serving.

Final Week: My last Sunday Mass will be July 24th. I will be actually leaving for Sacred Heart in Wasilla sometime between Tuesday the 26 of July and Friday the 27th.

Thank you: Thank you to Bernie Venua for helping take down the unleaded fuel tank on the property. The tank was becoming a safety hazard due to its concrete base becoming eroded after 30 some years.

Around the Mission: It was a slow week for flying. The fog was unpredictable and moved in and out throughout each day. I flew to King Salmon on Penair and cancelled Clarks Point. I hope to fly to Kokiganek, Clarks Point, and Ekuk before I have to fly the Cherokee to Wasilla.

Have a wonderful week and see you Sunday…Fr. Scott

Homily and Announcements:

15th Ord A DLG 2011, Environment, Isaiah 55:10-11; Romans 8:18-23; Matthew 13:1-23
When I was growing up, my mother was continually telling me to turn off the lights in the house. She reminded me not to waste food because there were children starving in other countries. Born during the depression era, my mother learned to save and conserve.

The readings today point to the environment. They talk about Rain, snow, seeds, sowers, fertile soil, and rich ground. We hear a lot about environmental issues these days.

The bottom line is that God asks us to be good stewards of the earth. That means that we must wisely use the resources that are given to us.

Genesis reminds us that all humanity is to care for the earth, not wreck it. Both the New and Old Testaments are filled with the importance of our relationships to the earth.

To explain the parable of the sower, I want to use our environment as an example.

First, facts, figures and recent debates about our planet’s environment fall on the path. We acknowledge there presents, we take them to heart, but in a couple of days we forget about them and take no action.

Second, environment concerns fall on rocky ground. In other words, we are not receptive to hearing anything that might demand a change in our lifestyle. Something that lessens our comfort is out of the question.

Third, environmental issues fall among thorns. This one probably describes me the best. I have other priorities…other issues that must be dealt with. It is not that important right now and it can wait for another generation.

Fourth, what experts say about the environment falls on fertile soil. We want to do whatever we can to see that the earth continues to bear fruit for as many generations as God intends. We do our small part to help that to happen.

Here is another take on the parable of the sower. The sower failed three times out of four. He succeeded on the fourth try.

Look at Jesus. Jesus’ crucifixion failed for three days. Finally, he was raised. Jesus failed to win over the Pharisees and tax collectors. He failed to defend himself in front of Pilate and Herod. It was only after the Resurrection and the ultimate sign of salvation that he succeeded. Once the fourth try was complete, it brought about great results

The first three steps of the parable fail, the last one succeeds. There is a 25 percent success rate.

Here are the four spiritual steps: We fail, we listen, we learn, and we grow. There are four seeds and one out of every seed grows.

What this means is that it is Ok to fail three times. It is OK to fail, as long as we TRY and do our best to de better the next time. Never give up! The Key word is TRY…keep trying.

The Lord asks us to try, not necessarily succeed. Mother Theresa said, “Jesus does not ask us to be successful, but to be faithful.

The message today is clear: Be good stewards of the earth. Appreciate what God has given us. Take care of our resources. Cut down on waste. If we have failed at doing our part, don’t give up. Keep trying (537 Words).

Isaiah 55:10-11
For just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, Giving seed to him who sows and bread to him who eats. So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; It shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.

Romans 8:18-23
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us. For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God; for creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it, in hope that creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

Matthew 13:1-23
On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore. And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirty-fold. Whoever has ears ought to hear." The disciples approached him and said, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" He said to them in reply, "Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted. To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because 'they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.' Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: 'You shall indeed hear but not understand you shall indeed look but never see. Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and be converted, and I heal them.' "But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. "Hear then the parable of the sower. The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirty-fold."

Announcements: 14th Sunday Ordinary Time Yr A

2011-06-27T08:03:00.000-07:00

Dear Holy Rosary Parishioners, here are some announcements:

Holy Rosary Collection: The collection for Sunday, June 26, 2011 was $153.00.

New Altar Servers: Three new altar servers are preparing, Katelyn, Alethia, and Lotus. Hopefully they will be up and running in the next couple of weeks.

Prayers: Please keep my friends Eric and Dawn in your prayers. Dawn's mother passed away Sunday, June 26. Also, pray for Pat Durbin as he is having a check up done in Anchorage. Pat should be back June 29.

Fr. Nelson's Adventures: While visiting in Bristol Bay, Fr. Nelson was able to fly to King Salmon twice, Naknek, Clarks point twice, and Ekuk. We managed to get locked INSIDE our Cherokee Warrior II and could not get out. We blessed a fishing camp, moved a wood stove into Saint Peter the Fisherman in Clarks Point, and caught a net full of Red Salmon. Please see our website for more: holyrosaryalaska.org.

Mission Definition: Financially, Holy Rosary has three budgets, one for Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Dillingham, one for Saint Theresa (a mission of Holy Rosary), and one for Saint Paul Mission (includes all the other villages in the area).

Have a fantastic week and see you Sunday...Fr. Scott

Homily and Readings:

14th Ord A 2011, Debt, Zechariah 9:9-10; Romans 8:9, 11-13; Matthew 11:25-30
(Show Credit Card) Isn’t it easy to get into financial debt these days? Being a priest, I am not immune from debt. Diocesan priests do not have to take a vow of poverty. However, we must strive for simplicity of life. As a diocesan priest, the parish pays for my car expenses, housing, and food. I am only responsible for my personal expenses, such as entertainment, running shoes, cloths, books, and toothpaste. So I don’t have a lot of large expenses except for my I Alaska student loan.

Currently I receive a stipend of about 1,400 per month after taxes. Two years ago it was 700 per month. I get more, but I have to pay small business tax, which comes out to about 450 per month. I try to save half of my stipend for my retirement. I have five IRA Roth mutual funds. I also own five acres of land in central Oregon, which overlooks the Cascade Mountains.

Before becoming a priest, I was always in debt. Financial debt dictated my life. Financial debt stresses me out. When I am in debt, I panic, and worry…it is like a huge weight on my shoulders.

We deal with debt everyday. Believe it or not, our spiritual lives are based on debt. We are all in debt to God. God chose us to belong to him. We are dependent on God for everything we need.

Being in debt financially means the deeper in dept the worse off we are. Spiritual debt is different. The deeper in debt we are, the better off we are. Here is why.

By definition, debtors are the poor of spirit, the humble, and the meek. The poor cannot own, rule, or conquer. God prefers the childlike and the powerless. The poor are truly deep in dept to God for everything.

In the reading from Romans, Paul tells us “because we have the Spirit of Christ we are debtors of God.” We are under obligation to God alone…we belong to God…Everyone is in God’s debt!

There is immense hope when we are in debt to God. Spiritual debt is fantastic because it has huge payoffs. God will NEVER abandon us. Our sins will always be forgiven if we are sorry for them and we ask. The deeper in spiritual debt we get, the more we rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance…the more we pray…the more truly we believe…the more strongly we hope…the more generously we will receive.

Being in debt to God is the only true freedom in life. Debt actually frees us.

Here is a thought…the more spiritual debt we get into, the less financial debt we have…well, its just a thought. It definitely held true for me.

In the gospel Jesus is talking to those of us who have very little spiritual debt. He tells us, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened and you will find rest.

One thing is for sure: it is easy to get into financial debt. It is a bit tougher to get into spiritual debt. But here is how we do it! We do it by sticking up for our Catholic Faith…By being generous with our time and our God given gifts. We get deeper into spiritual debt by loving our enemies.

Here is how to max out our spiritual visa cards: The greatest offering we can make to God is to strive for peace and harmony among fellow Christians. Work toward being united with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

This week, get deeper into debt with God and get a huge refund. For my yolk is easy…says our lord…and my burden is light (611 Words).

Zechariah 9:9-10
Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion, shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! See, your king shall come to you; a just savior is he, Meek, and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass. He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; The warrior's bow shall be banished, and he shall proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Romans 8:9, 11-13
But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you. Consequently, brothers, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Matthew 11:25-30
At that time Jesus said in reply, "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him. "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

Announcements: Body and Blood of Christ

2011-06-20T08:44:00.000-07:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Gospel: The Bread and Wine is the best offering we as humans have to offer God. Please see the Homily and Readings below.

Fr. Nelson's Visit: Father Nelson visited Bristol Bay for the first time this last week. He will be leaving June 27 to go on vacation back to the Philippines and will return to Bristol Bay in August to start ministry here.

The picture below was taken Friday June 17 at Clarks Point. In the picture are Julian (far left), Shay (far right), Mariano (bottom), and Fr. Nelson (top).

Around the Bush: Fr. Nelson and I flew our Cherokee Warrior II to Clarks Point and King Salmon for Mass. Also, I flew to Ekwok to help a person prepare for Baptism on June 15. This week Fr. Nelson and I plan to fly to Ekuk to bless a fishing camp.

Father's Day Blessing: All the Fathers received a special Father's day blessing during the Mass last Sunday. Thank you to all our Fathers!

Thank you: Thank you to Lotus who altar served for the first time at Mass Sunday June 19th. You did an excellent job Lotus!

Snow Plow: Fr. Nelson had a crash course in snowplowing this week. Although there was no snow, we back-plowed the parking lot gravel and got rid of some chuck holes.

Thank you: Thank you all who prepared food for our potluck last Sunday. It was a great success. Our parishioners were able to welcome Father Nelson and get to talk with him about his time in Alaska.

Sunday Collection of June 19th: Holy Rosary Catholic Church was $170.00.

Have a fantastic week and see you Sunday...Fr. Scott

Homily and Readings:

Body and Blood of Christ A DLG 2011, Deuteronomy 8:2-3&14-16; 1Corinthians 10:16-17; John 6: 51-58

Today we celebrate Corpus Christi, the Body of Christ. What we receive during the Eucharist is about sacramental nourishment, spiritual strength, and eternal life. To understand this, let us take a closer look at the bread and wine.

Dieing and Rising: Wheat and grapes grow and “die” only to “rise” again as flour and grape juice. They die and rise again as bread and wine. Bread and wine die as food and rise as nutrition for us giving us life. Jesus died and rose to give us eternal life.

The Best We Have to Offer: When we offer up the gifts at mass, we bring the best that we as human beings have to offer to God. We give bread and wine, which represents communal human effort at it best.

For example, bread is harvested by workers in the field, transported to market by drivers, made into dough by bakers, delivered to stores, marketed, and sold. Bread represents people working together as one to nourish our society.

God and Us: Our gift of bread and wine also represents God’s help. We provide the labor. God provides the atmosphere, the rain, and the miracle of growth. Without God’s touch, there would be no wheat or grapes, no bread, no wine.

During the Consecration, we offer up the bread and wine to God. What does God do? Because God loves us so much, he gives it right back to us…as the body and blood of His only Son, Jesus Christ. Catholicism is the only Christian religion that believes the bread and wine is transformed. It is not a representation. The priest acts as the person of Jesus, transforming the bread and wine into the ACTUAL body and blood of Christ.

Show and Tell
Before – Loaf of Bread and host
After – Body of Christ – Ciborium – Tabernacle – Pix – Monstrance

When we ingest the actual body and blood of Christ we become Christ-like. This is how we nourish the spirit within us. Spiritual strength comes from having faith that we become Christ-like. Henry Nouwen says, “The Eucharist can be seen only by those who already love the Lord and believe in his active, loving presence to us.”

When we believe, trust, and have faith that we consume the actual body of Christ, it will nourish and strengthen our spirits. The Eucharist becomes armor for going into battle against corruption, injustice, and temptation. We stand together as one baptized community, strengthened by the Eucharist, prepared to go out into the field and fight for our Christian beliefs (421 Words).

Eat This Bread, Breaking Bread

Eat this bread, drink this cup, come to me and never be hungry. Eat this bread, drink this cup, trust in me and you will not thirst.

I am the bread of life, the true bread sent from the father
Your ancestors ate manna in the desert, but this is the bread come down from heaven.
Eat my flesh and drink my blood, and I will raise you upon the last day.
Anyone who eats this bread, will live for ever.
If you believe and eat this bread, you will have eternal life.

Deuteronomy 8:2-3&14-16
Remember how for forty years now the LORD, your God, has directed all your journeying in the desert, so as to test you by affliction and find out whether or not it was your intention to keep his commandments. He therefore let you be afflicted with hunger, and then fed you with manna, a food unknown to you and your fathers, in order to show you that not by bread alone does man live, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the LORD. you then become haughty of heart and unmindful of the LORD, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery; who guided you through the vast and terrible desert with its saraph serpents and scorpions, its parched and waterless ground; who brought forth water for you from the flinty rock and fed you in the desert with manna, a food unknown to your fathers, that he might afflict you and test you, but also make you prosperous in the end.

1 Corinthians 10:16-17
The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.

John 6: 51-58
51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." 52 The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat?" 53 Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever" (John 6:51-58).

Announcements: Holy Trinity For June 19, 2011

2011-06-12T08:05:00.001-07:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Fr. Nelson: Fr. Nelson will be visiting Bristol Bay from June 15 until June 27. He will then vacation in the Philippines for a month or so and return to start ministering to our Bristol Bay Communities. He will spend the first two weeks of each month at Saint Theresa in King Salmon/Naknek and the last two weeks of each month at Holy Rosary in Dillingham.

Potluck: Let us have a potluck for Father Nelson after Mass on Sunday the 19th, this Sunday. Please bring your favorite dish.

Gospel: The Holy Trinity is difficult to understand. Please see Homily and readings below.

Thank you: We developed a few more leaks in the sink in the bathroom and also the drain was pugged up. Pat Durbin spent a few days figuring it out and fixed the problem. The problem came about after fixing one leak, then others started. The joys of a 65 year old rectory. Thank you again Pat for donating your time and talent!

Around the Mission: I flew to Clarks Point and King Salmon in our Cherokee this week. Next week I plan to fly to Ekwok to make preparations for a baptism and to Ekuk on the 21st of June to bless the Ingram fishing camp. I also will fly to Clarks Point and since the weather has warmed up I will have Mass in the small Saint Peter the Fisherman church for the first time this year (it has no heat so I must have mass in people's homes during the winter/Spring).

Have a wonderful week...Fr. Scott

Homily and Readings:

Trinity Sun A 2011, DLG Sand, Ex 34:4-6&8-9; 2 Cor 13:11-13; John 3:16-18

There is a well-known legend that St. Augustine of Hippo, while he was planning his great work on the Holy Trinity, was once walking on the seashore when he saw one boy carrying water from the sea and pouring it into a hole which he had dug in the sand. "What are you doing?" said the bishop. "Emptying the sea into this hole." "But how can you empty the sea into that little hole?" "And how can you", said the boy "understand the doctrine of the Holy Trinity with your finite human mind?"

Today is Trinity Sunday. Trinity is about unity. Explaining the trinity is not easy. It is the greatest mystery of our faith. It is tough to explain and understand. It is not mathematics. The Holy Trinity is a divine mystery.

Mathematics are finite. They can be figured out. Humans make mathematics. Math is something that is completely within our knowledge. We can use logic to figure it out.

A divine mystery is infinite. We can only partly understand them. Human arguments must be expressed in symbolic language. Our arguments are finite. Humans cannot fully understand Infinite…the unlimited…the endless.

In whatever way we use to portray God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, it will always be inadequate and incomplete. How can God have three faces and yet exist as one being…one nature and three persons?

Our Catechism states, “The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of the Christian faith and life. It is the mystery of God in himself.” This is tough stuff!

The trinity is three persons but one nature. Here are a couple of inadequate and incomplete ways to think about the relationship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

One – The love of the Father and the Son was so great that it brought forth the Holy Spirit.

Two – The Father and the Son exist in a relationship of love. That bond of love that binds them together is the Holy Spirit.

Three – Similarly, the love between a wife and a husband is so great that it brings forth a child.

Saint Patrick famously used the three-leaf shamrock to explain the unity of God in three persons.

Intellectually, we can never solve the problem of one nature and three persons…the Holy Trinity. But, the mystery of the Holy Trinity does not have to be solved. The Holy Trinity is an experience of faith that we are called to encounter throughout our lives.

What most of our founding church fathers settled on when trying to explain the Holy Trinity is this: God is not an idea or a principle. God is a loving relationship. We are invited into that relationship. The idea is to open our hearts to the love of the Holy Spirit. By doing this we are drawn into the loving relationship that exists between the Father and the Son…the very Holy Trinity itself.

The degree to which we understand the feast of the Trinity will be shown in the care we take in our many and varied relationships, be they social, intimate, professional, civic, or international.

Every time we do anything to form new and good relationships, mend those that are broken, help other relationships to be deeper and richer, or just enjoy the ones we have, we get drawn deeper and deeper into the mystery of the Holy Trinity (562 Words).

Exodus 34:4-6&8-9
Moses then cut two stone tablets like the former, and early the next morning he went up Mount Sinai as the LORD had commanded him, taking along the two stone tablets.
Having come down in a cloud, the LORD stood with him there and proclaimed his name, "LORD." Thus the LORD passed before him and cried out, "The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity, Moses at once bowed down to the ground in worship. Then he said, "If I find favor with you, O Lord, do come along in our company. This is indeed a stiff-necked people; yet pardons our wickedness and sins, and receive us as your own."

2 Cor 13:11-13
Finally, brothers, rejoice. Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the holy ones greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the holy Spirit be with all of you.

John 3:16-18
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Announcements: Pentecost For June 12, 2011

2011-06-06T08:10:00.001-07:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Baptism: Justine Wassily holds Trista Jean Nicole Wassily, the newest member of our Catholic Church. Esther Floresta (left) is the Godmother. The baptism took place at Holy Rosary in Dillingham, June 5, 2011.

One Bread One Body: Thank you for all of your generous support. We have almost reached our goal of $2,000!

Fr. Nelson: Fr. Nelson will be coming for a two week visit starting June 15. He will than leave to go on vacation to the Philippines and return August 14 to begin his assignment here.

Gospel: Pentecost is about receiving the Holy Spirit. God took stock in us to protect His investment. He did that by sending us the Holy Spirit. Please see the homily and readings below.

Fleet Blessing: Thank you Angela and Robert Clark for organizing the 24th annual Dillingham Blessing of the Fleet. It was a wonderful occasion for all. I was very pleased with the turn out of the community, especially for the support of all the pastors.

Have a wonderful week...Fr. Scott

Homily and Readings:

Pentecost, DLG. 2007, God Stock; Acts 2: 1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:3-7&12-13; John 20:19-23

Today is Pentecost. It’s the day when God sent his spirit among the people. Why did he send his spirit? I would like to explore this question by using an analogy of the Stock Market. Imagine for a minute that we are Stocks that God owns

If we were God’s Stock in OT times, we might have been called preferred stock. After all, there were only a few chosen people that God bought stock in, for example, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and King David to name a few.

Being God’s stock in the OT meant that if we did not follow God’s rules, God would give us another chance, buy us back, or redeem us. The Israelites, on the way to the promise Land, lost faith in God and turned to sin many times. But the merciful God was always there to buy back his shares and give his chosen another chance.

During Jesus’ life, God’s Stock portfolio expanded. Jesus message was that God wanted to buy stock in every human individual, not just a few chosen people. In the financial industry, the term “diversified portfolio” is used when a smart investor buys several different types of investments, such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.

God’s new portfolio was well diversified because it included people from all over the world. It included people of every age and race. And God paid a high price for us. His only son, Jesus, died for our sins on the cross and redeemed us.

This brings us to Pentecost. In the finance industry, I might say that God sent the HS to protect his stock, that is, each of us. In a sense, he did. God has to protect each of us so we don’t go astray, so we don’t become lost.

In the spiritual world, I think God sent the HS at Pentecost because he loved us so much. The HS is a gift to help us gain eternal life. The HS gives us the strength to stave off anything life has to throw at us. It helps us to sift through the garbage in our daily lives and choose what is right, and true, and good. The HS nudges and badgers us to do the honorable thing.

Have you ever been in a situation when you knew you had to do something but you really didn’t want to? Have you ever had to confront a person at work who has been bothering you? Have you ever needed a change in your life but you couldn’t quite put your finger on what it was you needed to do? Well I have. Should I quit my job and go to college? Should I go to the seminary? Should I say something about the unethical acts going on in the work place?

If we are in touch with the HS and if we allow this free gift from God to work through us, to guide, strengthen, and teach us, then we will have the answers and the motivation to take the right action.

To conclude, ask yourself, how am I performing in God’s portfolio? Am I increasing in value, decreasing, or staying the same? Do I call on the HS in times of confusion and actively seek the good? Or do I just do what everybody else is doing? Heavenly Father may the HS you sent us at Pentecost inspire our actions and lead us to everlasting life (575 Words).

Acts 2: 1-11
When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, "Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his own native language?
We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God."

1 Corinthians 12:3-7&12-13
Therefore, I tell you that nobody speaking by the spirit of God says, "Jesus be accursed." And no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the holy Spirit. There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.

John 20:19-23
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. (Jesus) said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

New Catholic Priest Coming to Bristol Bay

2011-06-03T08:10:00.000-07:00

Fr. Nelson Marilag from the Philippines, who is assigned to the Archdiocese of Anchorage for one more year, will be assigned to Bristol Bay.

Fr. Nelson will be visiting Holy Rosary Mission the last two weeks of June. I will be introducing him to the communities of Saint Theresa, Saint Peter the Fisherman, and Holy Rosary. He will then fly to the Philippines for a little over a month for a vacation. He will return to Holy Rosary Mission the second week in August.

The plan is to have Fr. Nelson stay at Saint Theresa in Naknek the first two weeks of every month and then stay at Holy Rosary in Dillingham for the second two weeks of every month.

Have a wonderful week...Fr. Scott

Announcements: Ascension of the Lord

2011-05-31T11:04:00.000-07:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Blessing of the Fleet: This coming Sunday, June 5, will be the blessing of the fleet. Please contact Angela Clark if you would like to donate some of your time and talent. The Blessing will be after Mass at 2:00 PM.

Confirmation and First Communion Pics: Please see our website for the pictures or CLICK HERE.

Thank you: Thank you to Archbishop Schwietz and Deacon Harry Moore for a wonder celebration of First Communion and Confirmation. Please hurry back!

Thank you: Thank you Nora Johnson for putting out the flowers on the church steps again this year.

Gospel: The Ascension will be celebrated in place of the 7th Sunday of Easter. Please see the homily and readings below.

Around the Mission: I flew to Clarks Point on Friday and the archbishop, Deacon and Harry, and I flew to Saint Theresa on Saturday. I flew to Anchorage on Monday, round trip, six and one half hours. I was going to spend the night in Anchorage but a storm was coming in so I got back the same day. I had time to pick up my new Tacoma and park it in our hanger at Merrill Field.

Thank you: Pat Durbin and Deacon Harry fixed a drain in our Rectory. I had tried several times but the pipe was clogged somewhere beyond my ability to fix it.

Have a fantastic week...Fr. Scott

Homily and Readings:

Ascension, Year A, DLG 2011, Hearts Ascend, Acts 1: 1-11; Eph 1: 17 23; Mat 28: 16-20

Ask children to come up front and hold each card. Ask for volunteers to put these cards in order:

1. Walk on Water
2. Assumption
3. Crucifixion
4. Resurrection
5. Last Supper
6. Presentation
7. Incarnation
8. Annunciation
9. 10 Commandments
10. Ascension

The Ascension reminds us that Jesus is divine. Jesus is glorified. Although his physical body is not present with us, he is still present in us. We experience that presence in our daily lives.

Saint Augustine helped me to understand the Ascension. He said that Christ ascended into heaven. As humans living on earth our bodies do not ascend, but our hearts ascend to Jesus. We naturally seek Jesus above. Saint Augustine says we can be with Jesus right now through love.

Saint Augustine said that since Jesus is God, it is easy for him to be with us right now. Since Christ Ascended, he said, and he is the head of us and we are the body, we can NEVER be separated.

Acts tells us, “Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.” Jesus sent us his Holy Spirit. Although his physical body is not visibly present…Jesus is certainly present in each one of us right now. Our role in the Ascension is to make that presence visible to everyone that we meet (223 Words).

Acts 1: 1-11
In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days 2 and speaking about the kingdom of God. While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for "the promise of the Father 3 about which you have heard me speak; for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the holy Spirit." When they had gathered together they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going 4 to restore the kingdom to Israel?" He answered them, "It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, "Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven."

Ephesians 1: 17-23
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. May the eyes of (your) hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe, in accord with the exercise of his great might, which he worked in Christ, raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens, far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things beneath his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, 11 the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.

Mat 28: 16-20
The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."

Announcements: 6th Sunday of Easter Year A

2011-05-22T08:44:00.000-07:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Gospel: The two L's and the two S's are important to our spiritual development. Please see homily and readings below.

Town Hall Meeting: Thank you for the great turn-out for our meeting and for making Fr. Scott the greater fee. welcome. After the meeting, and after talking with Fr. Scott the greater further, I walked away with a very good feeling about the care and love the Archdiocese has for Bristol Bay. We came up with some great ideas to propose to the Archbishop and I am confident that all of you were listened to and understood.

Potluck and Reception: After Mass this week there will be a potluck for those to be confirmed and those receiving First Communion. Please bring your favorite dish.

Archbishop and Deacon to visit: Our Archbishop and Deacon Harry Moore from Saint Michael in Palmer, will be celebrating with us this week-end. They will be arriving on Penair on the first morning flight, Friday, May 27. If you can, let's welcome them at the airport, especially those being confirmed.

Around the Mission: Lance, a Catholic who works for the FAA in our Dillingham Flight Service Station, flew with me to Saint Theresa in King Salmon on Saturday. We all had Mass together (Saturday May 21). I shared with the King Salmon/Naknek parishioners some of the things we talked about at our town hall meeting the evening of May 26th.

Have a wonderful week and please pray for those being confirmed Johanna, Brian, Josh, Anthony, Walter, Daniel, and those receiving First Communion (Katelynn, Alethia, Lotus, Aurora). Also check out my beach landing video by CLICKING HERE. Fr. Scott

Fr. Scott

Homily and Readings:

6th Easter Sun A 2011, Law of Love; Acts 8: 5-8 & 14-17; 1 Peter 3: 15-18; John 14: 15-21

Today I am going to talk about the two L’s and the two S’s: The Law of Love and Sacrificed and Self-Control.

First of all, law is not the enemy of love. Freedom and Joy do not always equal love. Believe it or not, obedience to Jesus’ commands equates to love.

Obedience comes from the Latin Word oboedire, meaning to “listen carefully.” In other words, obedience means to listen to the Holy Spirit’s call in our lives.

The law that we have to listen to is this: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind…you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” That is the law. We are obedient when we follow this law.

Saint Paul says this about the Law of Love, “The law of love is not primarily revealed in what we say, or how we feel, but in what we do.”

This is how we are obedient to the law of love: When we are patient, kind, and gentle with each other. When we forgive each other, tell the truth, and remain faithful.

Saint Paul also tells us what the fruits of the law of love is: The two S’s, sacrifice and Self control. Believe it or not, if it feels good do it, or it healthy to always express your feelings, is not always the ideal thing to do.

For example, if we are angry with our friends or family, abusing them verbally or physically won’t help. If we are sexually attracted to our best friend’s spouse, having an affair will end in tears.

Sacrifice is a way to be obedient to the Law of Love. For example, be alert to the poverty and make a sacrifice some of your time and wealth to help. That is sacrificing for the Law of Love. Ask a married couple what sacrifice is…it is not that easy. A husband and wife sacrifice for the good of the family. That is the Law of Love.

Self-control is an ally of love. It helps us sort out the appropriate time to undertake the appropriate action. The path to happiness is not being free, doing what we want, and always having money to buy things. The path to happiness is being self-controlled.

Self-control is not easy. Ask any professional athlete what it is like to practice everyday. Self-control is restraint exercised over one's own impulses, emotions, or desires.

The main benefit of self-control is being able to be in charge of one’s emotional life rather that it being in charge of us.

Here is an example of self-control: Judy set five easily obtained goals for herself. She promised to say one Hail Mary and one Our Father daily. She vowed, no matter what, to exercise four times a week for one hour. She made certain she ate fruit and vegetables everyday. She made Sunday Mass a priority, not a choice. She decided to start each morning by reading a passage from one of the gospels.

After accomplishing these goals week after week, she felt fantastic. She took control of her emotions. She was content with herself and felt very good about herself. Her self-esteem soared. She was being obedient to the law of love.

This week, may all of us embrace sacrifice and self-control as the doors to an even greater practical experience of the Risen Christ’s Law of Love (570 Words).

Acts 8: 5-8 & 14-17
Thus Philip went down to (the) city of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them. With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing. For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice, came out of many possessed people, and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured. There was great joy in that city. Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the holy Spirit, for it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them and they received the holy Spirit.

1 Peter 3: 15-18
But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the spirit.

John 14: 15-21
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him."

Announcements: 5th Sunday of Easter Year A

2011-05-15T08:24:00.003-07:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are some important announcements:

Town Hall Meeting: Fr. Scot Medlock, Vicar of Clergy, will be visiting us from Anchorage, Thursday, May 19, 2011. He wants to assess our needs as a parish mission in order to better evaluate who will be replacing me as pastor. The plan is to gather at Holy Rosary Parish at 5:30 PM (unless otherwise announced). Please bring you favorite dish for a potluck afterward. All are invited to this important informative meeting!

Confirmation: Confirmation will be May 28 at noon at Saint Theresa and May 29 at 12:30 at Holy Rosary. Please bring your favorite dish for a Potluck afterward.

First Communion: Our first communion celebration will be May 28 at Saint Theresa and May 29 at Holy Rosary. Our Archbishop and Deacon Harry Moore will be present to celebrate with us.

My Mistake Gospel: I published the readings and homily for week 5 of Easter last week for week 4. I have made the correction. So you may see the same homily and readings this week as you saw last week.

Around the Mission: I made my first Beach Landing at Protection Point this last week. It took me two flights out there. I finally got a low tide and was able to watch John Bouker land first. I then did a touch and go on the beach. I also flew to Clarks Point and King Salmon as well as Levelock and Koligonek for some practice GPS approaches.

Have a wonderful week...Fr. Scott

Homily and Readings

5th Easter Sun A DLG 2011, Spiritual House, Acts 6:1-7; 1 Peter 2:4-9; John 14:1-12

There have been many times in my life where I felt out of place. While employed for one airline I felt that my moral standards and ethics where being eroded. I found myself falling into the things that those around me were doing, such as stretching the truth a bit, swearing, thinking bad things about others, running out of patience, laughing at dirty jokes…those kinds of things. I would struggle with the fact that I was a Christian. But in fact, I was a Christian being formed by non-Christians.

Being formed was something that I thought much about. Believe it…society forms us. We may think being formed is like brain washing, well, in a way it is. We grow up with outside influences that help make us the people we are.

When I went into the seminary, they said they were going to reform me. I basically said, “What are you talking about? You are going to brain wash me?” It was then I realized that they were talking about something very different. The seminary told me that everyone is formed by society. Not everybody is formed by Jesus.

We go to church; we believe in God, but sometimes the society around us tends to form us more than our spiritual family. The readings are about being formed by Jesus.

At first, those first Christians in 1 Peter were displaced socially as well as spiritually. But they found a spiritual home. The author of the second reading tries to give them a sense of belonging. They are not lost or wondering or misplaced…they belong to a single spiritual house with Jesus at the center, as the cornerstone.

A spiritual house helped to form those early Christians. They learned to act and live like Jesus. Like those early Christians, we too have a spiritual house where we belong and where Jesus forms us.

Our Church is spiritual household? The reading from Acts tells us what can happen in a spiritual household. For awhile, the widows in the village started getting less food than everyone else.

The spiritual household remedied this situation. They put their heads together. They came up with a just plan. They let the Holy Spirit Guide them. They fixed the situation.

In the gospel, Jesus tells that if we take our formation seriously, if we take our spiritual house sincerely, it will last forever.

How do we, as Christians, fit in when people in our work environments lead us astray by swearing, talking about others negatively, stealing, lying, and cheating? The same with school; How do you who are students integrate your faith, handle being around those who don’t act and think like Jesus.

The readings are about some leaders in our world who are for abortion, who are promiscuous, and who set poor examples for our children. These readings are about our lives. They tell us that if we want to be Christian, we may feel out of place in everyday life.

But we can always feel at home in our spiritual house…where we belong…where Jesus is our teacher and leader.

These reading tell us that there is something better out there. They tell us there is something much stronger. They tell us that you and I belong to a Spiritual house that is greater than anything on this earth. It is a house where Jesus leads us, forms us, and provides for our needs (560 Words).

Acts 6:1-7
At that time, as the number of disciples continued to grow, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said, "It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." The proposal was acceptable to the whole community, so they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the holy Spirit, also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles who prayed and laid hands on them. The word of God continued to spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly; even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

1 Peter 2:4-9
Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God, and, like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it says in scripture: "Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a cornerstone, chosen and precious, and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame." Therefore, its value is for you who have faith, but for those without faith: "The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," and "A stone that will make people stumble, and a rock that will make them fall." They stumble by disobeying the word, as is their destiny. But you are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises" of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

John 14:1-12
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.
Where (I) am going you know the way." Thomas said to him, "Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him." Philip said to him, "Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.

Announcements: 4th Sunday of Easter Year A

2011-05-08T08:28:00.000-07:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Gospel: The readings for the 4th Sunday of Easter are about belonging to a spiritual house that forms us. Please see the homily and readings below.

Archbishop May 28 and 29: The Archbishop of Anchorage will be celebrating Mass Saturday the 28th of May at noon at Saint Theresa and Sunday the 29th of May at Holy Rosary. He will be confirming one young adult at Saint Theresa and four young adults and one adult at Holy Rosary. Additionally, several children will be receiving First Communion. Please bring your favorite dish for the potluck/reception afterward.

Thank you: Thanx to Diana Swaim for preparing the children for First Communion. Looks like we will have four, Aurora at Saint Theresa and Alethia, Katelyn, and Lotus at Holy Rosary. First Communion will take place during the confirmation Mass when the Archbishop is here.

Blessing of the Fleet: Once again Angela Clark has graciously offered to organize the blessing of the Dillingham fishing fleet. The blessing is set for Sunday, June 5, at 2:00 PM. Please contact her if you would like to help out: 842-5331.

Around the Mission: After returning from Great Falls, Montana I finally picked up our Cherokee in King Salmon. Unfortunately the battery was dead and I had to call Clarks Point and cancel my service there. I rounded up a couple people on the East Ramp in King Salmon to re-charge my Battery, and was in the air by 2:00 PM of Friday, May 6. Saturday I flew back to King Salmon for Mass at Noon (Saint Theresa).

Catholic Presence in Bristol Bay: Rest assured that when I leave that the Catholic Church will have a presence in Bristol Bay. The Archdiocese has three plans to replace me. Plan A is to have a full time priest stay in the rectory in Dillingham. Plan B is to have Bristol Bay on the circuit of priests. A priest would fly out every other week for Mass. Plan C would be to have an Anchorage based parish sponsor a priest or deacon to fly out every other week.

Have a wonderful week…Fr. Scott

4th Easter A DLG 2011, Good Shepherd, Acts 2:14, 36-41; 1 Peter 2:20-25; John 10 1-10.

Like sheep, we follow a shepherd. Jesus is our shepherd. Likewise, Archbishop Roger Schwietz is a shepherd to the archdiocese of Anchorage. Shepherds are responsible for showing us and nudging us through the narrow gate.

In Iceland all the sheep freely roam the island. There are no fences. At the end of the year, all the shepherds get together on their horses and round up the sheep. They then drive the sheep through this narrow gate to shave them of their wool. Many of them don’t want to go through it.

That is why we need a shepherd, to get us to take a better look at that narrow Gate.

A shepherd is not out in front of the flock, but in the back nudging and prodding, the crook is like a bishops crosier? The sheep have some freedom to browse for green grass. If one strays to far, it is nudged back so the rest don’t follow and stray with it. Icelandic sheep ran free for nearly a year. Not a lot of predators to kill them.

Sometime we stray from the flock. Sometime we get weak and the wolf sinks its teeth in us. The wolf can get us to do things like buy a new car when we can’t afford it or charge money on credit cards when we can not pay it back. Wolves can convince teenagers to take drugs and smoke.

Jesus is our Shepherd. When we stray from the flock, call on Jesus, our shepherd. Jesus points us back to the narrow gate. He does not say it is easy to go through the gate. He says it takes sacrifice, prayer, and some suffering. But the rewards are incredible. The wise sheep always hear and follow the voice of the shepherd.

Sheep dogs are like our Deacons. They help to heard the sheep toward that narrow gate. In fact, in one famous painting of the crucifix, there was a dog at the foot of the cross. The deacons took that as there mascot. Dogs for Christ became the slogan for the Dominican order.

When sheep wander off from the flock, they become easy food for a wolf. Sheep dogs will attack a wolf. They are willing to die fighting a wolf to protect a sheep. They keep the flock together in one strong group. Wolves are less likely to attack a strong group.

Let us give thanks for the Deacons who chase away the wolves; Also, lets not forget the Bishops who shepherd us and keep us together as a strong and healthy community; The priests who teach us and lead us in prayer; The sisters and brothers of the religious orders who give their lives to building up our Catholic Church. And all of us who generously support our church with time, talent, and money (472 Words).

Acts 2:14, 36-41

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them, "You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem. Let this be known to you, and listen to my words. Therefore let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified." Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, "What are we to do, my brothers?" Peter (said) to them, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit. For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call." He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.

1 Peter 2:20-25
But what credit is there if you are patient when beaten for doing wrong? But if you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this is a grace before God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps. "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." When he was insulted, he returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten; instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

John 10 1-10.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers." Although Jesus used this figure of speech, they did not realize what he was trying to tell them. So Jesus said again, "Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came [before me] are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.

Announcements: 3rd Sunday Easter Year A 2011

2011-05-02T05:47:00.000-07:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Gospel: On the road to Emmaus Jesus listens first. Please see the Homily and readings below.

Thank you: Thank you Aileen for the Communion Service on the 2nd Sunday of Easter. I am currently in Great Falls Montana for a Canon Law convention.

Confirmation and First Communion: The Archbishop will be here in three weeks, May 28 (Saint Theresa) and May 29 (Holy Rosary). All those to be confirmed will meet this Sunday after Mass and those to receive First Communion will meet after mass on the 4th Sunday of Easter. Five will be confirmed in Dillingham and one in King Salmon/Naknek.

Potluck: Our next potluck will be when the Archbishop is here May 29th. Please plan to bring your favorite dish. All are welcome to join us. Don’t feel it is mandatory to bring food in order to join us and eat. There is always enough food to go around.

Around the Mission: Our Cherokee has finally been repaired. I just need to pick it up in King Salmon. A part behind the propeller was cracked and the part took over a month to get here.

Sacred Heart Wasilla Visit: While in Anchorage I drove to Wasilla and met with Father Bill Fournier, Deacon Dave Schutt, Secretary Sheila English, and the person in charge of Faith Formation Julie Dekreon. I toured the Church, Office, out buildings, and school. I got a chance to talk with a few teachers including Kathy Bishop (acting Principal), at the school. I walked away with a good idea of what I am getting into. It is a very organized and thriving parish and the staff is very friendly and welcoming. They have about 800 families.

Have a wonder day and see you Sunday…Fr. Scott

Homily and Readings for 3rd Sunday of Easter

3rd Easter Sun A 2011 Listen First, Acts 2:14, 22-33; 1 Peter 1: 17-21; Luke 24:13-35, Listen First.

What happened on the Road to Emmaus is similar to what happens when we celebrate the Eucharist. Even though we are prevented from seeing Jesus, we can still have a life-changing experience.

When people come to me and want to enter the church, have their children baptized, or be married, I try to meet them where they are. I try not to expect them to be perfect Catholics like you and me (yes, that's a joke!). I know we all start our faith journeys at different places. I know that none of us are at the same level of faith.

The road to Emmaus is about faith journeys. The disciples are on a journey of faith. Jesus meets them where they are…as they are. Jesus listens to the disciples’ expectations. Jesus listens to their hopes and disappointments. After listening, Jesus teaches them by reading scripture. This leads to hope.

When we come to mass we are on a road to Emmaus. God sees our heart and mind while we are here in Mass. There is no reason to pretend how we feel. God wants to meet us in the midst of our lives, wherever that may be. Wherever you are on your faith journey, Jesus first wants to listen to you, then he wants you to listen to Him.

Although cultures are different all around the world, several elements of the Mass always stay the same. The risen Christ accompanies us on our faith journey. Jesus always listens to us, opens our minds to the scriptures, and hosts us at His table. Finally, and most important of all, Jesus sends us out to tell the world that he has been raised from the dead.

We share with thousands of generations the same fire of God’s faithful love burning in our hearts as we are welcomed here each week, are listened to, taught, nourished, and sent out to do our bit for the coming of Christ’s kingdom (317 Words).

Acts 2:14, 22-33
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them, "You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem. Let this be known to you, and listen to my words. You who are Israelites, hear these words. Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know. This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed, using lawless men to crucify him. But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it. For David says of him: 'I saw the Lord ever before me, with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted; my flesh because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld, nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.' My brothers, one can confidently say to you about the patriarch David that he died and was buried, and his tomb is in our midst to this day. But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne, he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld nor did his flesh see corruption. God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses. Exalted at the right hand of God, he received the promise of the holy Spirit from the Father and poured it forth, as you (both) see and hear.

1 Peter 1: 17-21
Now if you invoke as Father him who judges impartially according to each one's works, conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning, realizing that you were ransomed from your futile conduct, handed on by your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a spotless unblemished lamb. He was known before the foundation of the world but revealed in the final time for you, who through him believe in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Luke 24:13-35
Now that very day two of them were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. He asked them, "What are you discussing as you walk along?" One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?" And he replied to them, "What sort of things?" They said to him, "The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place. Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive. Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see." And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures. As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther. But they urged him, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them. And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning (within us) while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?" So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them who were saying, "The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!" Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Announcements: 2nd Sunday of Easter, Year A

2011-04-25T08:15:00.000-07:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements.

Thank you: Thank you to Rick Tennyson who framed and hung our stained glass windows. Matteo Guarino created these windows during the last several years.

Thank you: Thank you to Spruce Lynch and Brain Venua for the music during Easter Sunday.

Thank you: Thank you to Bernina Venua for organizing the Easter Egg hunt for the children. There were many happy campers after the Easter Mass!!

Gospel: Have you ever had a sign from God? Please see homily and readings below.

Potluck: Next Potluck will be May 29th after the Confirmation and First Communion celebration.

Confirmation: All those to be confirmed will need to meet after mass, Sunday, May 8th. The Archbishop will be here for confirmation, Sunday, May 29th, at 12:30 PM.

First Communion: Those to receive First Communion will meet with me Sunday, May 15th, after Mass. First Communion will be May 29th.

Canon Law Convention: I will be in Great Falls Montana for a canon law convention next week.

Have a wonderful Easter Season…Fr. Scott

Homily and Readings

2nd Easter Sun A STAER Sings
Have you ever asked for a sign from God? I have. When I became distressed about being in the seminary I prayed for a sign. “God, are you positive this is what you want me to do. If so, give me a sign. One time I said, “God, just show me one negative thing about this seminary and I am out of here.” Well, as you can see, that is one sign I never received.

I think we have all needed a sign from God at one time or another? Some of us probably have strong enough faith that we don’t need to pray for signs. I need them once in awhile…and so did Thomas. Thomas needed something more convincing than just words. He needed a concrete experience with the risen Lord to give his faith a little boost.

Thomas doubted his faith. He struggled with believing that Christ had risen and had come back to life. That struggle led him to a profound experience with the risen Lord.

I think it is OK to ask for signs. It is also OK to doubt our faith. I believe the two go hand in hand. When we doubt our faith, we sometimes need a sign of God’s presence to get us back on track.

Doubting our faith can lead us to struggle with our faith like Thomas did. As we struggle with our faith we ask questions. We try to understand. Our hearts are more open to the Holy Spirit.

That is when the signs we have prayed for may become clear…and those signs enable us to have a personal encounter with the risen Lord.

Experiencing the risen Lord is a sign of God’s presence and love for us. For example, Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers are known to feel a profound joy and love when serving at mass. When we help others, we feel wonderful inside, we experience the risen Lord. When we refuse to gossip and when we are honest, we experience the risen Christ. Ever walked out of Confession and felt like you were totally at peace with God?

All of us here today are benefactors of Thomas experience with the risen Lord. As Thomas believed because he saw the risen Jesus, “So too,” Acts tells us, “were many brought to faith through the various signs and wonders wrought by the apostles.”

Those signs and wonders are all around us. To see them, doubting Thomas reminds us to struggle with our faith…open our hearts to the spirit. It is then that we will see those signs and experience the risen Lord.

When we experience the risen Lord, we grow in faith. Growing in faith should set us on fire with the love of God.

Thomas’ experience with the risen Lord set him on fire. “My Lord and My God,” he exclaimed when he saw the nail marks in Jesus’ arms.

Whether we pray for a sign or not, we can all experience the risen Lord. Be open to the Holy Spirit…Struggle with your faith if you have questions and problems. Get involved with ministry. And when you experience the risen Lord again, let that flame within you spread like wildfire. Pass that torch of love on to everyone you meet (540 Words).

Acts 2: 42-47
They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one's need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

1 Pt 1: 3-9
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith, to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time. In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, as you attain the goal of (your) faith, the salvation of your souls.

Jn 20: 19-31
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. (Jesus) said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe." Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of (his) disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may (come to) believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name

Announcements: Holy Week Year A 2011

2011-04-18T07:43:00.000-07:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Holy Week Celebrations at Holy Rosary in Dillingham:
Holy Thursday, 5:30 PM
Good Friday, 5:30 PM
Easter Sunday, 10:00 AM
Easter Egg Hunt to Follow the Easter Sunday Mass

Easter at Saint Theresa in King Salmon/Naknek will be celebrated at 4:00 PM Saturday, April 23rd.

Easter at Saint Peter the Fisherman will be celebrated on Good Friday at 11:30 AM.

Rectory Committee: I have selected a committee to decide what will happen to our rectory once I leave July 31, 2011. There will not be a priest living in the rectory. A priest or deacon will come out every other weekend and return the same week-end back to Anchorage. The members of the committee have until May 29, 2011, to make a decision. The committee members are: Aileen Walsh, Angie Venua, Angela Clark, Bernie Venua, Kyle Belleque, Pat Durbin, and Joanne Armstrong.

Potluck: The next potluck will be after Mass May 29th. The Archbishop will be here to celebrate confirmation and first communion. Please bring your favorite dish.

My Next Assignment: The Archbishop is sending me to Sacred Heart in Wasilla, Alaska. I start the first weekend in August.

Gospel: Homilies and Readings for the Holy Week are below.

Have a wonderful Holy Week. Fr. Scott

Holy Thursday Homily and Readings:

April 21, 2011 Ex 12: 1-8, 11-14; 1 Cor 11: 23-26; John 13: 1-15

Today is the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. We will formally receive the oils from the Chrism Mass, which was celebrated on Tuesday at the Cathedral. We will participate in a foot washing ceremony.

Getting our feet washed is about contact with Jesus. It is to remind us that Jesus is constantly making attempts to contact us.

Allowing Jesus to contact us means knowing we will never be abandoned.

Faith enables us to let Jesus contact us. We let Jesus contact us if we are open to the Holy Spirit.

We let Jesus contact us in Baptism, Marriage, Reconciliation, confirmation, anointing of the sick, Holy Orders, and at the Eucharist.

The woman at the well let Jesus contact her. That contact transformed her life.

Jesus contacted Peter. Peter became our first Pope.

Remember the story of the Man born blind. By letting Jesus contact him, he was both spiritually and physically cured. It can cure us too!

When we let Jesus contact us this is what happens:
We can pass from unrest to a profound feeling of peace. We can shift from despair to hope. We can pass from darkness into light. We can move from death to life.

This foot washing is about contact with Jesus…letting Jesus contact us. He is helping us to understand the Eucharist. He is saying this: We do not really understand what it means to celebrate the Eucharist unless we are prepared…unless we are prepared to perform the lowliest and least exciting of tasks for one another.

During the rest of Holy Week, I challenge all of you to be aware of contact with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus said in the Gospel, “Wash each other’s feet.” Not literally, but let Jesus love you and in turn, pass that love on to others.

When the prayer after communion is complete, I will process with the blessed sacrament around the congregation and then place it in the confessional. When this is complete, I will genuflect and all leave in silence. That blessed sacrament will be used tomorrow during the Good Friday celebration.

Now I need some volunteers for the foot washing (358 Words).

Holy Thursday: Reception of the Holy Oils:

Oils are brought up with the gifts. The presenter holds the oil and says, oil of the sick, and then brings it forward. The priest describes the oil.

Presenter 1: The Oil of the Sick.

Priest: May the sick who are anointed with this oil experience the compassion of Christ and his saving love, in body and soul.
R: Blessed be God forever.

Presenter 2: The Oil of Catechumens.

Priest: Through anointing with this oil may our catechumens who are preparing to receive the savings waters of baptism be strengthened by Christ to resist the power of Satan and reject evil in all its forms.
R: Blessed be God forever.

Presenter 3: The Holy Chrism.

Priest: Through anointing with this perfumed Chrism may children and adults, who are baptized and confirmed, and presbyters, who are ordained, experience the gracious gift of the Holy Spirit.
R: Blessed be God forever.

Exo 12:1] The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, [Exo 12:2] "This month shall stand at the head of your calendar; you shall reckon it the first month of the year. [Exo 12:3] Tell the whole community of Israel: On the tenth of this month every one of your families must procure for itself a lamb, one apiece for each household.
[Exo 12:4] If a family is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join the nearest household in procuring one and shall share in the lamb in proportion to the number of persons who partake of it. [Exo 12:5] The lamb must be a year-old male and without blemish. You may take it from either the sheep or the goats. [Exo 12:6] You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, and then, with the whole assembly of Israel present, it shall be slaughtered during the evening twilight. [Exo 12:7] They shall take some of its blood and apply it to the two doorposts and the lintel of every house in which they partake of the lamb. [Exo 12:8] That same night they shall eat its roasted flesh with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. [Exo 12:11] "This is how you are to eat it: with your loins girt, sandals on your feet and your staff in hand, you shall eat like those who are in flight. It is the Passover of the LORD. [Exo 12:12] For on this same night I will go through Egypt, striking down every first--born of the land, both man and beast, and executing judgment on all the gods of Egypt-I, the LORD! [Exo 12:13] But the blood will mark the houses where you are. Seeing the blood, I will pass over you; thus, when I strike the land of Egypt, no destructive blow will come upon you. [Exo 12:14] "This day shall be a memorial feast for you, which all your generations shall celebrate with pilgrimage to the LORD, as a perpetual institution.

[1 Cor 11:23] For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, [1 Cor 11:24] and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." [1 Cor 11:25] In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." [1 Cor 11:26] For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

[John 13:1] Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end. [John 13:2] The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over. So, during supper, [John 13:3] fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God, [John 13:4] he rose from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist. [John 13:5] Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and dry them with the towel around his waist. [John 13:6] He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Master, are you going to wash my feet?" [John 13:7] Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later." [John 13:8] Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me." [John 13:9] Simon Peter said to him, "Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well." [John 13:10] Jesus said to him, "Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed, for he is clean all over; so you are clean, but not all." [John 13:11] For he knew who would betray him; for this reason, he said, "Not all of you are clean." [John 13:12] So when he had washed their feet (and) put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, "Do you realize what I have done for you? [John 13:13] You call me 'teacher' and 'master,' and rightly so, for indeed I am. [John 13:14] If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet. [John 13:15] I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.

Good Friday Homily and Readings:

April 22, 2011, Herby, Is52:13—53:12;Heb4:14-16&5:7-9;Jn18:1—19:42

A group of production managers calculated the time it would take experienced hikers to trek 50 miles. Next they chose 9 accomplished hikers, and Herby. If the hikers made it back TOGETHER in the allotted time, each would receive $10,000.

Herby, sweating and tired after the first few miles, fell behind. Time was wasted waiting for him. The hikers tried moving Herby to the middle of the line and divided up his backpack among them. They made better time, but it was not enough. Finally, they put Herby right up front and took turns encouraging him. They showed him compassion when his feet were hurting. They were patient with him when he needed to rest. Not surprisingly, they collected the money.

The story about Herby is similar to the story in the Gospel. Both are about sacrificing, dying and rising, and living out God’s Will.

The story of Herby is about sacrificing. The hikers start out with their own agendas. They are self sufficient and not willing to reach out to others. In the infant stages of the hike, I can envision physically elite hikers waiting for Herby to catch up, pacing, yelling at him, and swearing under their breath. Halfway through the adventure, they realize they need to make some sacrifices.

The story of Herby is also about dying and rising, but not in the LITERAL sense. One hiker, comparable to taking a knife and stabbing himself in the heart, grudgingly walks over to Herby, takes off his pack, and divides up his belongings. Herby makes better time for a few hours. One hiker bandages Herby’s blistered feet (compassion) Spirits are lifted and they are back on schedule.

Finally, the Herby story is about living out God’s will. By loving Herby, instead of chastising him, the hikers made more progress as a unit. Doing God’s will means loving one another. It means reaching out to the outcasts in our society and actually feeling and experiencing their pain.

The Good Friday Gospel is about sacrifice. It’s about Jesus making the ultimate sacrifice by dying on the Cross for us. It’s about dying and rising.

It’s about Jesus, stumbling, falling with the weight of his Cross…being helped up by others, then stumbling, and falling, again and again. And all along he knew he was trudging toward his death.

Good Friday is about doing God’s will by loving others. Jesus embraced God’s will and died on the cross because he loved us so much. We to will be saved if we embrace God’s will.

The message of the Good Friday Gospel is this: Jesus not only shows us how to die, but he shows us how to live as well (448 Words).

Isaiah 52:13—53
See, my servant shall prosper, he shall be raised high and greatly exalted. Even as many were amazed at him-- so marred was his look beyond that of man, and his appearance beyond that of mortals--So shall he startle many nations, because of him kings shall stand speechless; For those who have not been told shall see, those who have not heard shall ponder it. Who would believe what we have heard? To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up like a sapling before him, like a shoot from the parched earth; There was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him, nor appearance that would attract us to him. He was spurned and avoided by men, a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity, One of those from whom men hide their faces, spurned, and we held him in no esteem. Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured, While we thought of him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted. But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins, Upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed. We had all gone astray like sheep, each following his own way; But the LORD laid upon him the guilt of us all. Though he was harshly treated, he submitted and opened not his mouth; Like a lamb led to the slaughter or a sheep before the shearers, he was silent and opened not his mouth. Oppressed and condemned, he was taken away, and who would have thought any more of his destiny? When he was cut off from the land of the living, and smitten for the sin of his people, A grave was assigned him among the wicked and a burial place with evildoers, Though he had done no wrong nor spoken any falsehood. (But the LORD was pleased to crush him in infirmity.) If he gives his life as an offering for sin, he shall see his descendants in a long life, and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him. Because of his affliction he shall see the light in fullness of days; Through his suffering, my servant shall justify many, and their guilt he shall bear. Therefore I will give him his portion among the great, and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty, Because he surrendered himself to death and was counted among the wicked; And he shall take away the sins of many, and win pardon for their offenses.

Heb4:14-16&5:7-9
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help. In the days when he was in the flesh, he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him,

John 18:1—19:42 (Passion)

Easter Sunday Homily

DLG 2011, Let Go.

Indiana Jones, played by Harrison Ford, is a swashbuckling archeologist. His missions involve finding valuable religious articles and getting chased by tribes of Indians. Here is a riddle:

Indiana Jones was running from a tribe of hostile natives. He had just found and taken three diamonds. Each diamond weighed one pound. He weighed 200 pounds. Indiana Jones approached an old rope bridge. The sign on the bridge said, “Max Weight 202 pounds. His total weight with the diamonds was 203 pounds. How did he cross the bridge? He juggled the diamonds. He let go of one diamond. By letting go, it made him lighter. It lessoned his burden. It saved his life.

Here is the message of Easter…We cannot have new life without letting go…without dieing first. LEARN TO JUGGLE. In the spiritual life, juggling represents letting go or dieing and then rising to new life.

While juggling I hold onto one ball while the other two are in the air. When I finally toss the one ball back into the air:

It frees me
It makes me lighter
It lessons my burden

Juggling teaches us to let go. As humans, we like to hold on to things that may not be so good for us. We grow attached to things. When we give them up, it makes us free…it makes our loads manageable. It gives us a new lease on life.

I “let go” of chewing tobacco eight years ago. I was at risk for mouth and stomach cancer. I had high blood pressure. I was suffering. I let it go. My blood pressure went down. It struggled for a couple of years but I feel so much better.

Drinking is another one of those bad habits I let go. When I drank I suffered, and so did the people around me. This is no exaggeration. After being sober my relationships were strengthened, my health improved, I was never depressed, and my life has never been better.

Letting go of material possessions frees us to do more of God’s work. When we simplify our lives we are more open to God’s call.

During college I stored my belongings in a storage unit. Storage spaces cost lots of money. I soon realized I did not need the stuff and got rid of all of it. I juggled…I let it go. It was like a weight lifted off my shoulders…it was New life.

Let go of those intangible things that hurt us, hurt others, and lead us farther from God.

Gossiping, impatience, self-centeredness, lying, cheating, stress, and worrying are things we can let go of.

Catholic Christians let go of these things by calling on the Holy Spirit and praying Jesus. Jesus tells us this, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” That is an invitation to you to “let go” and share that burden with God.

It is when we let go that we experience new life. Letting go reduces suffering. Clinging to bad habits and practices creates suffering.

Now just what does it mean to die to self? Learn to do things YOU dislike to do but BENEFIT another person. No-one likes standing in a long line (dieing). Let a person go in front of you at the check-out stand (new life).

There is a belief that nothing that comes to us is negative. All things that come to us give us a chance to grow in holiness and grow closer to God. Everything that is given to us is a gift to help us grow…even suffering and illness.

Things in life that are good for us always come through dieing…through letting go. Take it from Jesus, have faith, trust in God, let go and die, experience new life…in short…learn to juggle with it

Announcements: Palm Sunday, Year A, 2011

2011-04-11T08:40:00.001-07:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Palm Sunday Celebration: Palm Sunday will begin outside as usual. Come inside first to get your Palm branches. The Passion will be read by myself, Michael Swaim, and Angela Clark.

Holy Thursday and Good Friday: These celebrations will begin at 5:30 PM.

Easter: Easter will be Easter Sunday at 10:00 AM. Following will be an Easter Egg hunt. All the Dillingham children are invited to participate at noon.

Potluck and Archbishop Visit: Sunday, May 29, the Archbishop will be here for confirmation and first communion during our 12:30 Mass. There will be a potluck to follow. Please bring your favorite dish.

Chrism Mass: I will be attending the Archdiocesan Chrism Mass Wednesday at 7:00 PM at the Anchorage Cathedral. The oils that the Archbishop blesses and consecrates will be received at our Holy Thursday Mass in Dillingham.

Confirmation: Our candidates for confirmation have continued to prepare for their special day. Their next assignment is to prepare a couple paragraphs on the fruits or gifts of the Holy Spirit and read it during Mass.

Going to Mass: Going to Mass is not a decision we should have to make from scratch every weekend. It is something we simply make part of our lives every week. Why is it a sin not to go to mass? Because each week Jesus invites us to partake in His precious Body and Blood. Not to accept that invitation means we are rejecting it.

Have a wonderful day and see you Sunday…Fr. Scott

Announcements: 5th Sunday of Lent Year A

2011-04-04T07:33:00.000-07:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements.

Trip to Mount Angel, Oregon: Here are from left to right me, Fr. Tom Lilly, Dr. Owen Cummings, Mnsgr Joseph, and Father Robert Fath. For more pictures of my time at Mount Angel Seminary, please see our Blog, www.holyrosaryalaska.org.

Trip to Bend, Oregon: While visiting Bend my mom, sister and nephew took a road trip 25 miles East of Bend. We went out to look at the place where my mom wants to be buried when she dies. It is called Pine Mountain. It over-looks the Central Oregon High desert and has a beautiful view of the mountains. My mom used to love to look for arrow heads in that area.

Here is a view from the top of Pine Mountain to the southeast.

On the way up to the top of Pine Mountain, my nephew Trevin stands by some freshly cut ponderosa pine.

Here is a view from Pine Mountain. Faith, Hope, and Charity (The Three Sisters) loom beautifully in the background.

Although it was closed, we drove the six miles to the top of Pine Mountain up the snowy road in my sister's Subaru.

What does Easter Mean to Me? – Spruce Lynch will receive the hand carved wooden statue from Italy for her beautiful reflection on Easter.

What Easter Means to Me
By Spruce Margaret Lynch

“New beginnings, new life, hope, new vistas,” - these are just a few things that come to my mind when I think about what Easter means to me. On that early Sunday morning, so long ago, when Christ rose from the dead, he not only conquered physical death, he conquered despair, and the effects of my sin.

Easter is something I see daily. Easter is an event that is on all my daily planners. Although I do not always write in the word, “Easter,” the message is there because I write down what I have to do in a positive way; even the things I would rather not do. For example, I really do not like doing paperwork. It is a necessary part of my job, so I do it. The Easter message tells me to do it well, because ultimately, the efforts do help our clients. The message is also that I can do the work in a way that brings glory to God.

Easter is my beacon in my struggles and my shining star during the good times. Easter moments happen throughout the day, even if I am not fully conscious of what is occurring around me. At the end of the day, while doing my evening reflections, I say, “Ah, there you were, Lord. At the time I was so preoccupied, I didn’t notice you. However, you were there, shining your Easter light to inspire me for the next challenge.

As an artist, I see Easter when I sit very still and silent before my easel. When I am inspired to draw, a smile curves my lips and makes me think, “Aha, Lord. You are here.”
As a musician, I feel Easter whenever I sing or play an instrument. As a drug and alcohol counselor, I see Easter in the lives of my clients when they live another day of sobriety. I “Easter” to them every time I am able to model hope.

Every time a broken friendship is mended, I feel the Resurrection. Thankfully, I don’t have many broken friendships, but I have had a few. When those healing moments occur, I see another “Easter moment.” Whenever I approach a difficult situation, I think of the Easter message and that carries me through.

Easter to me, is the most important verb in my vocabulary. I tell myself, “I am Eastering,” when going through a difficult time. I “Easter” when enjoying life. This helps me to remember whom I serve. It is an action word that carries me from sadness to happiness; from my moments of despair to my moments of hope. Easter reminds me that there is always hope. Easter reminds me to live in hope. If Christ is for me, who can be against me?

Gospel: The raising of Lazarus relates to events in our lives. Have you ever been raised up? Please see the homily and readings below.

Confirmation: All the candidates for confirmation have written a letter to the Archbishop. Next we will be discussing the structure of the Mass.

Easter Sunday: Mass on Easter will be at 10:00 AM. Following the Mass Bernina Venua will host an Easter Egg hunt outside around Holy Rosary. All children are welcome to participate.

Have a fantastic week and see you Sunday! Fr. Scott

Homily and Readings

5th Lent Sun A DLG 2011, Lifted Up, Ezekiel 37:12-14; Romans 8:8-11; John 11: 1-45 (READ LONG FORM)

Have you ever been lifted up? Has your dad ever lifted you up and sat you on his shoulders? Did your husband lift you up and carry you over the threshold? Have you ever jumped on a trampoline? Once, when I hadn’t seen my niece Jennifer for a long time, I hugged her and lifted her off her feet. Being lifted up can be thrilling, invigorating and enlivening.

The readings today are about being “raised up.” In the reading Ezekiel lifts up, or raises the people from their graves. In Romans, Paul speaks of the spirit raising Jesus from the dead. Similarly in the Gospel, Lazarus is raised-up from the dead.

Jesus lifts us up. Because Jesus died and was raised up, we too die with Jesus and are raised up.

One thing about life is that things do not always go perfect and according to plan. I have come to believe that living a full and happy life consists of many things. It consists of the ups and downs, good times and bad, the easy and difficult, and the predictable and unpredictable.

I have to admit though; the most fulfilling times in my life come when Jesus lifts me up. For example:

When I broke my ankle a couple years ago, people sent me cards and visited me. When I was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Anchorage. When I passed my canon law exam.

Other fulfilling times in my life are when, through God’s help, I lift up someone else. When I pray for a person’s health and they get better. When I am able to absolve someone of their sins. When I invite someone to church.

Being raised up is an important part of our Catholic Tradition. Just as Jesus was raised up to heaven, so to will we be raised up.

During the Eucharist today, I want you to pay close attention to the signs of being lifted up. Pay attention to the image of suffering, death, and resurrection. The sacred host of the Body of Christ is lifted up. The chalice of the precious blood is lifted up. My arms are lifted up in prayer.

Those signs apply to all of us. It is called hope. The hope that Christ will lift us up on the last day. It is that hope of everlasting life.

(Point to the Crucifix) That, my brothers and sisters, is what our crucifix is all about.

This week, make it a conscious effort to go out and lift someone up (421 Words).

Ezekiel 37:12-14
Therefore, prophesy and say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD: O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise from them, and bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and have you rise from them, O my people! I will put my spirit in you that you may live, and I will settle you upon your land; thus you shall know that I am the LORD. I have promised, and I will do it, says the LORD.

Romans 8:8-11

Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness. If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you.

John 11: 1-45
Now a man was ill, Lazarus from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who had anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and dried his feet with her hair; it was her brother Lazarus who was ill. So the sisters sent word to him, saying, "Master, the one you love is ill." When Jesus heard this he said, "This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was ill, he remained for two days in the place where he was. Then after this he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea." The disciples said to him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you, and you want to go back there?" Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in a day? If one walks during the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks at night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." He said this, and then told them, "Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him." So the disciples said to him, "Master, if he is asleep, he will be saved." But Jesus was talking about his death, while they thought that he meant ordinary sleep. So then Jesus said to them clearly, "Lazarus has died. And I am glad for you that I was not there, that you may believe. Let us go to him." So Thomas, called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go to die with him." When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, only about two miles away. And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. (But) even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you."
Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise." Martha said to him, "I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world." When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary secretly, saying, "The teacher is here and is asking for you." As soon as she heard this, she rose quickly and went to him. For Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still where Martha had met him. So when the Jews who were with her in the house comforting her saw Mary get up quickly and go out, they followed her, presuming that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Sir, come and see." And Jesus wept. So the Jews said, "See how he loved him." But some of them said, "Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man have done something so that this man would not have died?" So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay across it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the dead man's sister, said to him, "Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised his eyes and said, "Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me." And when he had said this, he cried out in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, "Untie him and let him go." Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what he had done began to believe in him.

Announcements: 4th Sunday of Lent Year A

2011-03-29T14:25:00.000-07:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few Announcements:

Potluck: Next Potluck will be May 29, 2011, when the Archbishop visits.

Confirmation: We have five candidates for confirmation for Holy Rosary (one adult and four below the age of 16) and one for Saint Theresa (age 11). They have all written letters to the Archbishop telling why they want to be confirmed. Further requirements are five hours of community service, 3-5 hours of catechism (review of the Mass, our Creed, and Catholic terminology/posture), and two paragraphs on one of the fruits or gifts of the Holy Spirit. Please keep Johanna, Anthony, Brian, Walter, Joshua, and Daniel in your prayers.

Gospel: Jesus heals the man born blind (Please see Homily and readings below).

Mount Angel Seminary: I will be traveling this week to Oregon. Mount Angel is having it’s yearly alumni gathering for continuing education.

Around the Mission: Our Cherokee is still awaiting parts in King Salmon. It should be back in the air next week. Mass was celebrated in Clarks Point, King Salmon/Naknek, and Dillingham last week.

Have a wonderful week…Fr. Scott

Homily and Readings 4th Lent Sun Year A DLG 2011 Dark-Light1Sam16:1- 13;Eph5:8-14; Jn 9:1-41

The Man Born Blind went from physical darkness to being able to see. He had never seen light, the beauty of nature, or human faces. He was ignored. In those days people believed that deformities and sickness were a direct result of sin. Jesus noticed the blind man and paid attention to him. Jesus brought him from darkness into the light.

The Gospel of the man born blind is a step-by-step example of how to grow in faith. Through meeting with his neighbors, friends, relatives, and Jesus, he grew in faith. He was finally able to say that yes, Jesus is Lord. He went from dark into light.

Saint Paul says, “You were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.” Similar to my story, the blind man’s eyes opened because he slowly grew in faith through contact with people, confusion, and struggle. He went from darkness into the light spiritually. Many of us have probably experienced something similar.

Dark and light is a constant theme in our daily lives. Dark and light are like: sin and forgiveness; suffering and being healed; Cross-and-Resurrection.

At birth, we physically come from darkness into light. We go from darkness to light during Conversion. Going from Darkness into light may be as simple as having a change of heart. Here in Alaska we go from dark winters to light summers. Each transition gives us opportunities to grow in faith and holiness. Each is about salvation.

In Acts, St. Paul says to the jailer, “believe in the Lord Jesus and your household will be saved.” Then the jailer’s family was baptized.”

Baptism is coming from darkness into the light. We are all born into darkness; what gives us life is Baptism.

We were once blind. The Lord gave us light when we were baptized. About Baptism, Saint Augustine says, “The light shines on us now, for we have had our eyes anointed with the eye-salve of faith.”

Being confirmed into the Catholic Church is another faith step. It is another transitional step that brings us closer to the light. It makes us shine brighter. It enables us to use the Holy Spirit to help evangelize others…to help bring peace to our lives…to help us to see clearly God’s plans for us.

Today after Eucharist, as we go forth to our families, neighborhoods, and places of work, let’s seek out Jesus. Let’s notice people in need and help bring them from darkness into light.

The fasting, prayer, and almsgiving during Lent are designed to help us uncover the darkness that we hadn’t noticed creeping into our lives. Let Easter be a time when you take another faith step and shine just a little brighter (450 Words).

1 Samuel 16:1-13 The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons." Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me." And the LORD said, "Take a heifer with you, and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.' Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you." Samuel did what the LORD commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, "Do you come peaceably?" He said, "Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed is now before the LORD." But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart." Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, "Neither has the LORD chosen this one." Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, "Neither has the LORD chosen this one." Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen any of these." Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your sons here?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here." He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; for this is the one." Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.

Ephesians 5:8-14 For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light- or the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, "Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."

John 9:1-41 As he passed by he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him. We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him, "Go wash in the Pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). So he went and washed, and came back able to see. His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said, "Isn't this the one who used to sit and beg?" Some said, "It is," but others said, "No, he just looks like him." He said, "I am." So they said to him, "(So) how were your eyes opened?" He replied, "The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and told me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.' So I went there and washed and was able to see." And they said to him, "Where is he?" He said, "I don't know." They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees. Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath. So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see. He said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see." So some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, because he does not keep the sabbath." (But) others said, "How can a sinful man do such signs?" And there was a division among them. So they said to the blind man again, "What do you have to say about him, since he opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet." Now the Jews did not believe that he had been blind and gained his sight until they summoned the parents of the one who had gained his sight. They asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How does he now see?" His parents answered and said, "We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. We do not know how he sees now, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him, he is of age; he can speak for him self." His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone acknowledged him as the Messiah, he would be expelled from the synagogue. For this reason his parents said, "He is of age; question him." So a second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, "Give God the praise! We know that this man is a sinner." He replied, "If he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see." So they said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" He answered them, "I told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?" They ridiculed him and said, "You are that man's disciple; we are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this one is from." The man answered and said to them, "This is what is so amazing, that you do not know where he is from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if one is devout and does his will, he listens to him. It is unheard of that anyone ever opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he would not be able to do anything." They answered and said to him, "You were born totally in sin, and are you trying to teach us?" Then they threw him out. When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, he found him and said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" He answered and said, "Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?" Jesus said to him, "You have seen him and the one speaking with you is he." He said, "I do believe, Lord," and he worshiped him. Then Jesus said, "I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind." Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and said to him, "Surely we are not also blind, are we?" Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, 'We see,' so your sin remains.

Announcements: 3rd Sunday of Lent Year A

2011-03-20T09:26:00.000-07:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Gospel: Jesus, in the Gospel about "The Woman at the Well" asks her to choose the living water. Please see homily and readings below.

Confirmation and First Communion: The Archbishop will be here the 29th of May to celebrate the Sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation. Those to be confirmed will be Johanna Belleque, Joshua Ingram, Brian Venua, Walter Reynolds, and Anthony Reynolds. To all Sponsors, please be present next week for the first Scrutiny.

Around the Mission: Our Cherokee Warrior is still waiting parts in King Salmon. It will hopefully be flyable sometime this week.

Easter Sunday: Bernina Venua is preparing for a children's Easter egg hunt after Mass on Easter Sunday. Easter Mass this year will not be on Saturday eve, but on Easter Sunday at 10:00 AM.

Have a wonderful week and see you Sunday! Fr. Scott

Homily and Readings:

3rd Lent Sun A DLG 2011, Ex 17:3-7; Rom 5:1-2&5-8; John 4: 5-42

Have you ever been dying of thirst? I have. I can remember one time when my dad and I were out hunting and we got lost in the woods. Every one of us has probably been dying of thirst at least once in our lives?

Even the Israelites in the reading for Exodus, God’s chosen people, thirsted for water in the desert. No one is exempt form becoming thirsty.

The word thirst can be used when we have a craving for anything. We thirst for the newest and fastest car, computer, or snow machine. We thirst for approval, prestige, and status. We thirst for comfort, pleasure, and gratification.

The woman at the well thirsted. She thirsted for water. But she also thirsted for something else. She thirsted for understanding. She thirsted for insight. She thirsted of knowledge. She thirsted for truth…and Jesus quenched that thirst.

Jesus offered the Samaritan women a different way to quench her thirst. He offered her living water.

About Living Water, the theologian Hans von Balthasar says this, “Earthly water again makes thirsty, but to those who believe, Jesus' water quenches thirst forever.”

Saint Ignatius of Antioch says, “There is no thirsting in me for any earthly thing. Rather within me is the living water, which says deep inside me: "Come to the Father. I want only God's bread, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, and for drink, I crave his blood, which is love that cannot perish.”

The Samaritan Woman at the Well knew the quality of water at Jacobs well. Her thirst will be quenched, but only for a short period of time. Sound familiar? Earthly possessions, shopping sprees, Drugs, and alcohol will only quench our thirst for a brief time.

But Jesus is making her choose between the well water and another kind of water and living water. She is very curious about the living water. Jesus makes her choose between the two.

The water Jesus offers is a long-term plan for the salvation of her the woman’s soul. The water from Jesus will quench her spiritual thirst forever. It will give her eternal life. The Woman made a choice. She chose Christ, the living water.

Those being confirmed this May have a similar choice. They can choose the well water or the water Jesus has to offer.

We have all chosen the water Jesus offers or we wouldn’t be here right now. But have we chosen Christ everyday or just on Sundays? How do you handle temptation and peer pressure. Are you able to acknowledge your sins? Are you able to recognize the grace being offered you? Are you able to choose correctly between the well water and the living water? My advice, choose the living water everyday. It will quench your thirst forever (477 Words)?

Ex 17:3-7 - Here, then, in their thirst for water, the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "Why did you ever make us leave Egypt? Was it just to have us die here of thirst with our children and our livestock?" So Moses cried out to the LORD, "What shall I do with this people? A little more and they will stone me!" The LORD answered Moses, "Go over there in front of the people, along with some of the elders of Israel, holding in your hand, as you go, the staff with which you struck the river. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock in Horeb. Strike the rock, and the water will flow from it for the people to drink." This Moses did, in the presence of the elders of Israel. The place was called Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled there and tested the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD in our midst or not?"

Rom 5:1-2&5-8 - Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access (by faith) to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God. and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us. For Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly. Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

John 4: 5-42 - So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there. Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well. It was about noon. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." His disciples had gone into the town to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, "How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?" (For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." (The woman) said to him, "Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the cistern is deep; where then can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this cistern and drank from it himself with his children and his flocks?" Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water." Jesus said to her, "Go call your husband and come back." The woman answered and said to him, "I do not have a husband." Jesus answered her, "You are right in saying, 'I do not have a husband.' For you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true." The woman said to him, "Sir, I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain; but you people say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem." Jesus said to her, "Believe me, woman, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You people worship what you do not understand; we worship what we understand, because salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him. God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth." The woman said to him, "I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Anointed; when he comes, he will tell us everything." Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who is speaking with you." At that moment his disciples returned, and were amazed that he was talking with a woman, but still no one said, "What are you looking for?" or "Why are you talking with her?" The woman left her water jar and went into the town and said to the people, "Come see a man who told me everything I have done. Could he possibly be the Messiah?" They went out of the town and came to him. Meanwhile, the disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat." But he said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." So the disciples said to one another, "Could someone have brought him something to eat?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to finish his work. Do you not say, 'In four months the harvest will be here'? I tell you, look up and see the fields ripe for the harvest. The reaper is already receiving his payment and gathering crops for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together. For here the saying is verified that 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap what you have not worked for; others have done the work, and you are sharing the fruits of their work." Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me everything I have done." When the Samaritans came to him, they invited him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. Many more began to believe in him because of his word, and they said to the woman, "We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the savior of the world."

Announcements: 2nd Sunday of Lent Year A

2011-03-13T10:04:00.000-07:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Congrats: Grace Amelia Swift was baptized March 13, 2011. Below, Laticia holds Grace over the baptismal font to be baptized while Brian Venua and Walter Reynolds altar serve. For more about the baptism CLICK HERE.

Thanx Anthony and Walter: Anthony and Walter Reynolds have been donating their time and talent to help around the Church. This past week they took home a chalice and the metal tops placed on the altar candles. The brought them back this week all shined up. They also took home last year’s palms to burn and crush for Ash Wednesday next year. Thank you two for your generous donation of time and talent. Both Anthony and Walter plan to be confirmed May 29, 2011.

Transfiguration: The second Sunday of Lent highlights the Transfiguration. During the Transfiguration Jesus became bright as light. At some point in our lives we have experienced a transfiguration. It is when something so spiritually profound happened in your life that made you know, without a doubt, that there was a God. Please see the Homily about Penance below.

Confirmation: The Archbishop’s office emailed me this week and told me the Archbishop will be here in Bristol Bay Memorial Weekend. We have several people to be confirmed. I ask that those to be confirmed at Holy Rosary be sure they will be in town Sunday, May 29, at 12:30 PM for the confirmation service. The confirmation for Saint Theresa in King Salmon will be Saturday, May 28 at noon.

IMPORTANT: Those to be confirmed, by March 20, must have a letter written to the Archbishop and a sponsor. Let me know is I can help with this. Fr. Scott.

First Communion: First Communion will be with the Archbishop at 12:30 PM, May 29, 2011 at Holy Rosary and Noon, May 28, 2011 at Saint Theresa in King Salmon.

Around the Mission: Please CLICK HERE for a summary of my travels this past week.

Scrutiny: The first scrutiny will be during mass on the 3rd Sunday in Lent. All those to be confirmed, with their sponsors, should attend. They will be called forward for the Scrutiny. There are three scrutinies, which are bestowed the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Sundays of Lent.

Terminology for Adults in RCIA:

Catechumen: Refers to the un-baptized. These people are seeking full communion into the church, i.e. baptism, confirmation, first communion

Candidate: Refers to a baptized Christian, not necessarily baptized Catholic. These people are seeking Confirmation and First Communion.

The Elect: Refers to both the Catechumens and the Candidates for RCIA.

Terminology for Catholic Teens:

Not Really Named: Because it is the normal route to confirmation, a teenager, baptized Catholic, and who has celebrated First Communion, does not really have a special name except maybe, “those to be confirmed.”

Have a fantastic week and see you Sunday...Fr. Scott

Homily and Readings

2nd Lent Sun A DLG 2011, Mtn Gen 12:1-4; 2 Tim 1:8-10; Mat 17:1-9

When I was in middle school my friend Tedd invited me to climb the South Sister in Oregon. It is part of the Cascade range. We got up early, drove for about 40 minutes, and started out in the dark. Tedd’s dad brought a packsack. We traded off carrying it. By the time we got close to the top of the mountain, the pack was getting heavy. We wondered, What was in this thing?

We all finally reach the top and the pack was opened up. Tedd’s dad had included a bottle of Champaign, for himself and his lawyer friend. Tedd and I were too young to even drink it. The two men celebrated the beauty of the view and the exhilaration they experienced during the climb.

Climbing a mountain is transforming. It brings one closer to God, literally. It is spiritual to be up on top a huge mountain. All of God’s creation is out before you. It is awe-inspiring.

In the bible, great things happen on mountains. In fact, Jesus and Moses have life changing experiences on mountaintops. Although life changing, there experiences are a bit different.

Moses goes up Mount Sinai alone. Jesus climbs Mount Tabor and takes companions with him who share in the experience. The face of God is hidden from Moses. Jesus is given to us as the face of God for the world.

On My. Sinai, Moses receives a code of law and is told to make sure the people obey it. On Mt. Tabor, Jesus receives a proclamation of God’s love and we are told to listen to him. While Moses’ face shines, Jesus’ whole body is transfigured with light. Moses descends the mountain to enforce the law; Jesus comes down to die that we might live.

The God who came to Moses on Mount Sinai wanted us to fulfill the letter of the law. The God who came to us on Mount Tabor wants us to have hearts that listen to the gospel of love.

By listening to the gospel of love and by opening our hearts to the Holy Spirit, we gain the power to transform the world. That is what sacrifice is about during lent. It is not suppose to be a grim season of self-denial. It is about sacrificing for forty days so we can grow more deeply in love with the God who loves us.

The penance we receive during confession is meant to help us sort out what really matters. Does everyone remember what penance is? Penance repairs certain damages that our sins have caused, such as restoring the reputation of someone we have injured, returning money that we have stolen, or rectifying an injustice. During Lent, Penance is intended to cast some light in the darkness of our lives. It is meant to focus on the relationship that gives meaning and purpose for this world and the next.

Sunday Mass is meant to be a weekly mountaintop experience for us. On this weekly mountain, we hear God call us by name and confess his love for us. It is a place to be re-energized. That energy transfigures us…it makes us brighter. During Mass, we not only climb up the Mountain, we receive the tools and faith to actually move mountains (545 Words).

Genesis 12:1-4
The LORD said to Abram: "Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father's house to a land that I will show you. "I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you. Abram went as the LORD directed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.

2 Timothy 1:8-10
So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God. He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began, but now made manifest through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

Matthew 17:1-9
After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, "Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and do not be afraid." And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone. As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, "Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

Announcements: 1st Sunday of Lent Year A

2011-03-06T08:13:00.000-08:00

Dear Holy Rosary Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Ash Wednesday Mass: Please invite your friends, co-workers, etc. to our Ash Wednesday celebration. You do not have to be Catholic to receive ashes. The Mass will start at 12:15 PM, March 9, 2011.

First Communion and Confirmation: We are trying to schedule the Archbishop to be here Saturday and Sunday of May 28 and May 29. Let us know if this time will not work for you.

Around the Mission: Our Cherokee Warrior II is getting an annual inspection for Tibbett’s Airmotive in King Salmon. It should be done in a couple weeks. I was in Anchorage all week attending training for the New Roman Missal. I returned on Thursday. On Friday I flew with Grant Aviation to Clarks Point where I prayed a rosary with Louise and Betty Gardener and ate lunch at the school with the children. John Bouker picked me up at Clarks and donated the air fare back to Dillingham. John has a crucifix (we at Holy Rosary gave him) hanging on his compass. I then flew to King Salmon and back on Saturday, March 5, with Penair for Mass at Saint Theresa at noon.

After stoping in Manokotak and picking up a family, Bush Pilot John Paul Bouker dropped by Clarks Point and flew me back to Dillingham. John donated the Air Fare to Holy Rosary Catholic Church. Thank you so much John Paul!

The crucifix Holy Rosary gave John Paul Bouker always hangs from his compass.

Gospel: The readings talk about sin and temptation. Please see homily and readings below.

Have a wonderful week and see you Ash Wednesday! Fr. Scott

ASH WEDNESDAY HOMILY AND READINGS

Ash Wed 2011 DLG, Joel 2:12-18;2Cor5:20—6:2;Mt 6:1-6&16-18
During Lent, the Penitential rite and creed are not said on Ash Wed. Throughout Lent, the Gloria is not recited and the Alleluia is not said or sung. The Altar should not be decorated with flowers

Ashes remind us of mortality, repentance, and reform. In other words the ashes remind us that we are fragile, that we die, to be sorry for our sins, and the necessity to change our lives.

Ash Wednesday begins Lent. The season of Lent is to help prepare new members entering the church. We also celebrate it to prepare ourselves for Easter. We do this through Confession, Penance and the renewal of our baptismal vows. I encourage all of you to call me and make an appointment to go to confession.

Ash Wednesday and Fridays of Lent are days of universal abstinence and fasting in the church.

Abstinence means that we do not eat (we abstain) from meat on Ash Wednesday and Fridays of Lent. It was a part of the Christian practice for about 40 years. All ages must abstain from meet on Ash Wednesday and Fridays of Lent

Fasting is a bit different. Only those who are 18 years of age through 59 should fast. There are two main reasons to fast and two different types of fasting.

Main reasons. (1) to prepare for a great event, i.e. Easter and (2) and to prepare for penance.

Actually, fasting can be given as a penance. Fasting takes discipline. Only if we are disciplined will God’s grace work within us. Fasting is an offering made for a favor. For example, one might beg for healing then fast for a day.

There is the complete and partial fast.

Complete Fast: Fast for all of Lent or fast every Friday. For example, one might completely cut out coffee, deserts, or fats for all of lent or every Friday.

Partial Fast: We do not have to just stop eating. For example, If you love coffee everyday, drink one less cup per day.

We are asked to do a partial fast. On Friday’s of Lent, eat only one full meal. Smaller quantities of food may be taken at two other meals. We are also asked not to snack.

For Lent, I encourage all of you to give up something destructive in you life or add something good. In the past I have given up (Complete Fast) chewing tobacco, coffee, and cable TV. One lent I added on to my daily prayer reading the gospel in Spanish. This year I plan to pray the rosary all every day for the 40 days of Lent.

In a few minutes you will receive ashes. Ashes remind us just how fragile we are. We can die at any time. God created us and can take us at any time.

Now, I will Bless the ashes. Then you will all come forward to receive the ashes on your forehead (485 Words).

REMEMBER YOU ARE DUST
AND TO DUST YOU WILL RETURN

Joel 2: 12-18;
Yet even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the LORD, your God. For gracious and merciful is he, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and relenting in punishment. Perhaps he will again relent and leave behind him a blessing, Offerings and libations for the LORD, your God. Blow the trumpet in Zion! proclaim a fast, call an assembly; Gather the people, notify the congregation; Assemble the elders, gather the children and the infants at the breast; Let the bridegroom quit his room, and the bride her chamber. Between the porch and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep, And say, "Spare, O LORD, your people, and make not your heritage a reproach, with the nations ruling over them! Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'" Then the LORD was stirred to concern for his land and took pity on his people.

2 Corinthians 5: 20—6:2;
So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Working together, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says: "In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you." Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Mt 6:1-6&16-18
"(But) take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. "When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.

FIRST SUNDAY LENT HOMILY AND READINGS

1st Lent Sun A DLG 2011, Genesis 2:7-9&3:1-7; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11

Many of you probably do not know that sins can be forgiven right here during Mass. They are forgiven during the Penitential rite. At the beginning of Mass I have three introductions to the Penitential rite, Form A, B, and C. Form A is, “As we Prepare to Celebrate the Mystery of Christ’s of Christ’s Love, let us call to mind our Sins.” Form B is, “Coming together as God’s Family with confidence let us ask the Father’s forgiveness, for he is full of gentleness and compassion.” Form C is, “My brothers and sisters, to prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries, let us call to mind our sins.”

So, after we here this introduction to the penitential rite, or similar words, there should be a silence. During that silence, we call to mind our venial sins. Then the remainder of the penitential rite absolves us of those venial sins.

So, how do we distinguish between a venial sin that can be forgiven during the penitential rite, and mortal sins that we have to confess? Well believe it our not our Catechism is not clear-cut. The Church is concerned with how GRAVE a sin is? For example, if I got up in the morning and told my self I was going to lie to my boss at lunchtime, then that would be a premeditated lie…I planned to lie to my boss. That is not a venial sin.

On the other hand, if you happened to be talking to your boss, and accidentally told a lie, that could be a venial sin.

So, as you can see, any sin could be a mortal sin that needs to be confesses. However, things like accidentally telling white lies, catching yourself gossiping and stopping, and swearing without meaning to are probably considered venial sins. Also, ask yourself, and be honest, is this a grave problem? Is the sin really bothering me?

Our catechism says, “Venial sin allows charity and love to subsist, even though it offends and wounds it. Mortal sin destroys charity and love in the heart of people by a grave violation of God’s law. It turns Man away from God by preferring an inferior good to him” (CCC 1855).

For a sin to be mortal:
1. It must be of a grave matter, i.e. and offense against the 10 commandments
2. It is committed with full knowledge, i.e. one understands how grave it is
3. It is done with deliberate consent, i.e., you know it’s wrong but still do it.

Every sin can be traced back to a focus on ourselves…what satisfies me, my needs, my wants, what makes me feel good. Sin is not always something major like killing, stealing, or adultery.

Sin can be when you think only of yourself and your needs. Sin is when you hardly ever think about what God wants or other people want.

The Gospel gives us a great lesson about sin. When we start focusing on ourselves, then the devil starts to win. Focusing on ourselves seems natural. The devil knows this. The devil temps Jesus several times. Every temptation tries to get Jesus to think only of himself. “Turn stones to bread so YOU won’t starve.” All of these Kingdoms can be YOURS.” Jesus refused to put himself first and thus he was able to hear his calling from God and fulfill it.

Here is our slogan for Lent: Say no to self and yes to God (575 Words).

Genesis 2:7-9&3:1-7
The LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being. Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and he placed there the man whom he had formed. Out of the ground the LORD God made various trees grow that were delightful to look at and good for food, with the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and bad. Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals that the LORD God had made. The serpent asked the woman, "Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?" The woman answered the serpent: "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, 'You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.'" But the serpent said to the woman: "You certainly will not die! No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is bad." The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.

Romans 5:12-19
Therefore, just as through one person sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all, inasmuch as all sinned -- for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world, though sin is not accounted when there is no law. But death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin after the pattern of the trespass of Adam, who is the type of the one who was to come. But the gift is not like the transgression. For if by that one person's transgression the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one person Jesus Christ overflow for the many. And the gift is not like the result of the one person's sinning. For after one sin there was the judgment that brought condemnation; but the gift, after many transgressions, brought acquittal. For if, by the transgression of one person, death came to reign through that one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of justification come to reign in life through the one person Jesus Christ.
In conclusion, just as through one transgression condemnation came upon all, so through one righteous act acquittal and life came to all. For just as through the disobedience of one person the many were made sinners, so through the obedience of one the many will be made righteous.

Matthew 4:1-11
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. The tempter approached and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread." He said in reply, "It is written: 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.'" Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: 'He will command his angels concerning you and 'with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.'" Jesus answered him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.'" Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, "All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me." At this, Jesus said to him, "Get away, Satan! It is written: 'The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.'" Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.

Announcements" 9th Sunday Ordinary Time Year A

2011-02-28T07:44:00.000-08:00

Dear Holy Rosary Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Mass Times:
Ash Wednesday: Mass at 12:15 PM
Holy Week: Holy Thursday and Good Friday 5:30 PM
Easter: Easter Sunday at 10:00 AM

Around the Mission: This week our Cherokee Warrior II is in the hanger at King Salmon. Larry Tibbetts is checking out the Alternator problem and doing an annual inspection. I am in Anchorage to attend the archdiocesan priest convocation. We will be reviewing the changes to the Roman Missal.

Possible New Parishes: Since the Archbishop is moving me in July, 2011, there are three possible parishes I may be assigned two, Sacred Heart in Wasilla, Saint Michael in Palmer, or Holy Cross in Anchorage. I visited Sacred Heart on Sunday and Con-celebrate both Sunday masses.

Gospel: The readings explain how we can build our lives on solid foundations and why it is important to do so. Please see readings and homily below.

Thank you: Thanx to Aileen Walsh for providing a communion service on Sunday. Because of Aileen’s enthusiasm and love for our church we are able to consistently offer the Eucharist every week at Holy Rosary in Dillingham, whether or not I am stuck in bad weather of attending conferences in Anchorage.

Have a fantastic week and see you Sunday!

Homily and Readings:

9th Ord A DLG 2011, Huff and Puff, Deuteronomy 11:18,26-28,32; Romans 3:21-25&28; Matthew 7:21-27

When I was in grade school I told a few lies. It seemed to me that it was easier to lie than to tell the truth. Sometime I would start a fight with my brother and I would tell my mom that I didn’t do it. But the problem was, we would usually both end up getting into trouble. It was like my mom knew I was lying, but she would never actually say that I was lying.

I think parents have a seventh sense, they know when we are lying. The problem is, when they finally say, your lying, it is the one time you are telling the truth.

As I grew up it seemed like the more I would lie, the more trouble I would get into. And to top that off, usually after I told a lie, I would feel really bad inside.

One day, I was about 12 years old, I overheard my dad and mom talking about my grandfather. They said that he was the most honest man they knew. They said he always told the truth no matter what. From that day on I tried extra hard to be honest. I wanted to be just like my grandpa.

Being honest is one way to start a brick foundation. The readings tell us other ways to build a strong spiritual foundation and why its important.

I am sure we are all familiar with the story of the three little pigs. The first pig built his house out of straw, the second sticks, and the third stone. The wolf came to eat the pigs. The pigs ran into their houses. The wolf huffed and puffed and blew the houses down and ate the pigs. Well, not all the pigs. The stone house could not be blown down.

Similarly, Christians continually build a brick foundation by choosing to live a life for God. Bricks get replaced with straw and sticks when we choose to live lives for ourselves. Why is this important?

Straw House no Wolf: Jack is going along fine in life. His faith seems good. He lies, cheats, and takes things from work…after all he is entitled to them…he works there. He swears around his friends but never around church. He Believes in God. He attends church every Sunday.

Brick House no Wolf: Susie used to lie but she stopped. She gossips, but she is trying to stop…really struggling. She goes to church regularly. One of here good qualities is that she always tries to do what she says she is going to do.

All of a sudden a wolf appears. Wolves in our lives are always unexpected. They come in the form of financial difficulties, death, sickness, marital problems, sexual misconduct, prison, and loss of job.

When a wolf appears, all our faith, hope, and love go on trial. There is no way to fool a wolf. How well we hold up when a wolf appears is the true test of faith. Our foundations are tested. Weak foundations mean wolves will penetrate deeply. Strong foundations mean wolves will not penetrate quite as deeply and maybe not at all.

Building our house out of brick means that we have a genuine reverence for the Lord. A strong foundation proves that we are doing the will of the Father. A strong foundation shows that we are people of integrity who mean what we say. It means that we practice what we preach, not only at church, but at home, at work, at school, and on vacation (590 Words).

Deuteronomy 11:18,26-28,32
"Therefore, take these words of mine into your heart and soul. Bind them at your wrist as a sign, and let them be a pendant on your forehead. "I set before you here, this day, a blessing and a curse: a blessing for obeying the commandments of the LORD, your God, which I enjoin on you today; a curse if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD, your God, but turn aside from the way I ordain for you today, to follow other gods, whom you have not known. Be careful to observe all the statutes and decrees that I set before you today.

Romans 3:21-25&28
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, though testified to by the law and the prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction; all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God. They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as an expiation, through faith, by his blood, to prove his righteousness because of the forgiveness of sins previously committed. For we consider that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

Matthew 7:21-27
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?' Then I will declare to them solemnly, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.' "Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined."

Announcements: 8th Sunday Ordinary Time Year A

2011-02-21T10:35:00.000-08:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Ash Wednesday: The ashes will be dispersed during Mass at 12:15, April 9th, at Holy Rosary Catholic Church.

Holy Week: Holy Thursday and Good Friday celebrations will be at 5:30 PM at Holy Rosary Catholic Church. Easter at Saint Theresa in King Salmon/Naknek will be at 4:00 PM, Saturday, April 23, and at Holy Rosary in Dillingham at 10:00 AM, Easter Sunday, April 24.

Gospel: The readings for the eighth Sunday talk to us about the value of worrying. Please see the homily and readings below.

Liturgical Cycle: We are currently in Year A out of three liturgical years, A, B, and C. For the daily readings we are currently in Year 1 of two years, 1, and 2. The way to remember what year we are in for the daily readings is to think this: 2011 is an odd number and 1 is an odd number so we are in Year 1.

Confirmation: We have three candidates for confirmation this year. We will be introducing them at Mass during Lent.

Anchorage: I will be in Anchorage the next couple of weeks fixing our Cherokee (alternator, altimeter) and meeting with the priests in the Archdiocese to go over the changes in the New Roman Missal. I can be reached at the Holy Rosary number because it is forwarded to my cell phone.

Prayers: Please keep all those who are sick in your prayers, especially Pat Durbin and Paul in Aleknagik.

Have a fantastic week and see you Sunday…Fr. Scott

Homily:

8th Ord A DLG 2011, Best Day, Isaiah 49:14-15; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5; Matthew 6: 24-34

I tend to be a worrier. In the story about Martha and Mary I am like Martha, running around worrying about everything, the dishes, how clean the house is, etc. I worry about friends. I worry about traveling. I worry about my retirement. I worry about my health. To combat worry I have done a number of things in my life.

I read one book that said to think of your thoughts inside of a box. Don’t let your thoughts go out of the box to the past or to the future. Inside the box is the present.

I also read that 99 percent of the things we worry about never happen.

Another angle I have taken is to think of this slogan: Today is the best day of my life, because it is the only day. Yesterday is gone and we really don’t know what will happen tomorrow, so today is the best.

The most helpful remedy for worry, I have found, lives in our Catholic Christian Faith. The things that come from God are the greatest of remedies. I am talking about calling on the Holy Spirit to guide my thoughts and the outcome situations. I am referring to prayer. I am talking about the gospel stories in the bible.

In the first reading, if you are worried about something Corinthians tells us that God will never forget us, similar to a mother never being able to forget her infant. This says to me, the worrier, that (1) since God made me and I have value to God, he wants the best for me. (2) God wants me to be at peace because he loves me and since he has not or never will forget me, God is with me in my worry and will help me.

The second reading from Corinthians also helps the person who tends to worry. It tells us that in the END, what will count is what is in our hearts. So, what that says to me, a person who tends to worry too much, is this: why worry if it doesn’t count. What counts is how we view others. What counts is our relationships. What counts is how we have loved others. What counts is how we use our gifts to help others. What does not count is whether we worry.

The Gospel gives me the most help about worry. “Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life span?

The image of the birds is wonderful. No matter how busy a bird is gathering twigs or wool for their nests or feeding their young; no matter what their struggles are with the wind, rain, snow, or ice, Jesus tells us that our Heavenly Father cares for them and feeds them.

Jesus then says, “ARE YOUR NOT MORE IMPORTANT THAN THEY!” Saint Matthew tills us that even the very hairs on your head are numbered.

Most of our worry comes from managing our material possessions. Will be have enough money for food? Will we be able to retire with enough money to live? Will we have enough money to pay our bills?

If we let material things of the earth consume us we will only know disappointment. Jesus says, “Think of the flowers growing in the field. The flowers do not work and look how beautiful they are. Not even Solemn, in all his splendor, was clothed like them.” If God provides for the flowers, won’t he provide for you as well?

So, after the readings this week, what conclusions can people who worry make?: Don’t worry (599 Words)!

Isaiah 49:14-15
But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me." Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.

1 Corinthians 4:1-5
Thus should one regard us: as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Now it is of course required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. It does not concern me in the least that I be judged by you or any human tribunal; I do not even pass judgment on myself; I am not conscious of anything against me, but I do not thereby stand acquitted; the one who judges me is the Lord. Therefore, do not make any judgment before the appointed time, until the Lord comes, for he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will manifest the motives of our hearts, and then everyone will receive praise from God.

Matthew 6: 24-34
"No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat (or drink), or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?' or 'What are we to drink?' or 'What are we to wear?' All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.

Announcements: 7th Sunday Ordinary Time Year A

2011-02-13T07:30:00.000-08:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements, Homily, and readings:

Red Fox: I actually hand fed a wild Red Fox this week. For the VIDEO CLICK HERE. Also see www.holyrosaryalaska.org.

Holy Week and Easter:

Ash Wednesday: 12:15 PM, March 9, 2011
Holy Thursday: 5:30 PM, April 21, 2011
Good Friday: 5:30 PM, April 22, 2011
Saint Theresa: 4:00 PM Saturday, April 23, 2011
Easter Sunday: 10:00 AM, Sunday, April 24, 2011

Gospel: When someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other cheek. This Gospel is about dignity. Please see Homily and readings below.

Basement Leak Repair: We are in need of some suggestions to repair the leak in the basement. Also, the water has caused considerable damage to the 30 year old tile floor. We need to take up the tile squares, scrape off the black glue, and figure out how to re-do the floor. Please call me with your suggestions, donations. Thank you.

Thank you: Thank you to Bernie Venua for repairing the water spigot. Many Dillingham residence depend on our pure water for drinking. Bernie was able to find the problem, replace a valve, and get the water back on. Also, thank you Pat D. for working on the basement water leak. We are still trying to figure out how to fix it. Thankfully it is a slow leak now but has the potential to become a gusher.

Around the Mission: I was able to fly to Koliganek, Clarks Point, and King Salmon this week. The weather was below zero. While in King Salmon the wind picked up and the chill factor was at least -35 F. My alternator went out while flying back from King Salmon but fortunately, I reset the alternator switch and the radio main switch and the alternator came back on-line. The wind was very unstable and unpredictable most of the week.

Have a great week and see you Sunday…Fr. Scott

Homily

07 Ord A Dlg 2011, Leviticus 19:1-2&17-18; 1 Corinthians 3:16-23; Matthew 5:38-48

At first glance, the gospel seems to tell us to let people walk all over us. Just lie down and take it like a good follower of Jesus Christ. I don’t think this is the message here. Surprisingly, turning the other cheek says something about dignity.

“When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well.” If I were to be slapped on the right cheek, a person would have to use the left hand.

In many cultures today, the left hand is considered dirty, because of how it was used to clean the body. It was a sign of disrespect to be slapped with the left hand.

If I then turned the other cheek, the person would be forced to use the “non-dirty” right hand. It is an act of defiance. I refuse to let you rob me of my God-given dignity.

All of us have experienced low points in our lives. Have you ever felt that you were refused a job because of gender or race? Have you ever felt you had been evaluated or treated unfairly?

One time I overheard someone saying negative things about me behind my back. I wanted to hide. I felt terrible…but then I remembered dignity.

Turning the other cheek says this to us: you can never take away my dignity because I am worth something. I am one of God’s children. Dignity enables us to hold our heads high even when people try to humiliate us.

No one has the right to dehumanize us. If someone tries to cut down our Christian values or treat us unjustly, we can fight back. We have the right to defend ourselves. When we stick up for our rights and beliefs, we become martyrs. Turning the other cheek says I dare you to try and take away my God-given dignity.

We are all created in the image and likeness of God. We are all children of God. God has given us all an equal share in dignity. We all deserve to be treated like God’s children and we need to treat others like God’s children as well (357 Words).

Leviticus 19:1-2&17-18
The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them: Be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy. "You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. Though you may have to reprove your fellow man, do not incur sin because of him. Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

1 Corinthians 3:16-23
Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy. Let no one deceive himself. If any one among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool so as to become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God, for it is written: "He catches the wise in their own ruses," and again: "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain." So let no one boast about human beings, for everything belongs to you, Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or the present or the future: all belong to you, and you to Christ, and Christ to God.

Matthew 5:38-48
You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on (your) right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow. "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Announcements: 6th Sunday Ordinary Time Year A

2011-02-07T12:31:00.000-08:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Around the Mission: This week I flew to Twin Hills, Alaska, located West of Dillingham about 50 miles. I hired Vanair to take me to Clarks point on Friday where I gave communion to the elders and had lunch with the Clarks Point students and staff. Penair flew me to King Salmon and back on Saturday. The wind was blowing over 30 knots most of the weekend, which deterred my own flying. Also, after two feet of snow our Cherokee Warrior II was not dug out enough to taxi to the runway. Here are the Twin Hills the village is named after.

Gospel: There are several sayings all clumped together in the Gospel for this coming Sunday. (Please see the Homily below)

Ash Wednesday Celebration: Ashes well be dispersed during a ceremony at Holy Rosary at 12:15 PM.

Holy Week: Holy Thursday and Good Friday will begin at 5:30 PM.

Easter: This year Easter will be Easter Sunday at 10:00 AM for Holy Rosary Parish. Bernina Venua has volunteered her time to organize an Easter Egg hunt for all the children in the Dillingham Community. More to come. At Saint Theresa Easter Vigil will be Saturday at 4:00 PM. Clarks Point will have Easter Mass on Good Friday.

Little Black Book: For Lent again this year we have the “Little Black Books.” Please pick one up in the back of the Church. These books are daily 6 minute prayers and reflections to help prepare us for the most Holy Day of the year, Easter.

Have a fantastic week and see you Sunday...Fr. Scott

Homily and Readings

06 Ord A DLG 2011, Sirach 15:15-20; 1 Corinthians 2:6-10; Matthew 5:17-37

Our society has thousands of sayings. Sayings are easy to remember. They are not necessarily to be taken literally. They normally make us think and have a lesson attached to them. Here is a list of sayings most of us are familiar with:

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
A penny saved is a penny earned
A Fool and his money is quickly parted
Better to be safe than sorry
Beggars can’t be choosers
Can’t see the forest through the trees
The grass is always greener on the other side
You can’t judge a book by its cover
Don’t put the horse before the cart
Every cloud has a silver lining
Good things come is small packages
Great minds think alike
Grin and bear it
Hay is for horses
Honesty is the best policy
Keep your chin up
Laughter is the best medicine
A rolling stone gathers no moss
Man cannot live on bread alone
Monkey see Monkey do
Never change horses in mid stream
No news is good news
Out of sight out of mind
Practice makes perfect
Quit while you’re ahead
Silence is golden
The eyes are the window of the soul
United we stand, divided we fall
Where there is smoke there is fire
You are what you eat

Early Christians heard a number of sayings from Jesus. In the Gospel today these sayings are clumped together. Some of these sayings in Matthew are direct and clear. For example, “If you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother.”

Other sayings are highly inflated language, i.e. cutting off our hands and gouging out our eyes if they cause us to sin. These sayings are not meant to taken literally. A custom of those times was to OVERSTATE a case to help drive a point home. Overstating would also help the student commit the lesson to memory.

In the gospel Jesus outlines seven characteristics of the way Christians deal with one another and the world.

We seek opportunities to forgive those who have hurt us.
We consider reconciliation with those we can see something we must do first before we worship the God we cannot see.
We are slow to sue anyone, preferring personal negotiation to legal action.
We keep our desires in check and do not see other humans as objects.
We look at the causes of our sins and change the circumstances that give rise to our destructive behavior.
We remain faithful to those we love.
We mean what we say when we make serious, mature, and adult promises.

These seven characteristics enable us to fulfill the greatest law of all: The law of love, from which all other laws are judged.

So here is the challenge from the gospel this week: With your eyes fixed on Christ, go from this place today remembering to forgive, reconcile, be faithful, discern you call, be true to your word, shun the court system, and give respect to everyone you meet (527 Words).

Sirach 15:15-20: If you choose you can keep the commandments; it is loyalty to do his will. There are set before you fire and water; to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand. Before man are life and death, whichever he chooses shall be given him. Immense is the wisdom of the LORD; he is mighty in power, and all-seeing. The eyes of God see all he has made; he understands man's every deed. No man does he command to sin, to none does he give strength for lies.

1 Corinthians 2:6-10: Yet we do speak a wisdom to those who are mature, but not a wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age who are passing away. Rather, we speak God's wisdom, mysterious, hidden, which God predetermined before the ages for our glory, and which none of the rulers of this age knew; for if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: "What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him," this God has revealed to us through the Spirit.For the Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God.

Matthew 5:17-37: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven. I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven. "You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, 'You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.' But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, 'Raqa,' will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny. "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna. "It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.' But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. "Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors, 'Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow.' But I say to you, do not swear at all; not by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.' Anything more is from the evil one.

Announcements: 5th Week in Ord Time Year A

2011-01-31T11:01:00.001-08:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Gospel: This week you are encouraged to uncover your lights (please see homily below). This picture was taken Saturday evening, January 29, 2011, St. Theresa Parish Naknek.

Prayers: Please keep Pat Durbin in your prayers as he will be in Anchorage a couple weeks after recovering from a doctor’s appointment.

Around the Mission: For the first time in six years we had a missed approach into Dillingham due to strong winds. Since the wind was blowing over 30 knots to begin with, I decided not to fly our Cherokee Warrior II to King Salmon and Back. Instead I flew in a single engine Penair Saratoga (a bit larger than our Warrior II). On the way from King Salmon to Dillingham the wind was reported at 23 knots (a direct crosswind over runway 01). It would be a treacherous but doable landing for the skilled Penair pilot Jason. When we arrived at Dillingham the wind had cranked up to 38-40 knots. We were literally sideways on final approach. The severe wind made it impossible to straighten out the small Saratoga and Jason had to abort the landing. We flew all the way back to King Salmon with a 60 Knott headwind and lots of bumps (I even started to feel sick). I also had to cancel going to Clarks Point due to the wind. The weather did improve enough to do a quick practice flight to Igiugig on Wednesday.

Canon Law: I am continuing to do Canon Law Marriage Tribunal work for all three Alaskan Dioceses, Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau.

Sunset Picture: Here is another picture I took from the basement of Saint Theresa in Naknek, Alaska, after our aborted landing in Dillingham.

Have a fantastic week…Fr. Scott

Homily and Readings:

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A Bushel Basket, Isaiah 58:7-10; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; Matthew 5:13-16

Have you ever tried to hide your light under a bushel basket?

Here is a candle and here is a glass jar. The candle represents the light of Christ in each one of us. The jar represents a bushel basket.

When a lit candle is covered up by this pint Mason jar the fire eats up the air. The candle’s light slowly starts to dim and go out.

This candle covered up and going out is an analogy for our spiritual lives. If the light of Christ within us is covered up, the light slowly dims. Eventually spiritual death occurs.

The gospel says that if our lights are hidden, then that light must be uncovered.

There are several ways to uncover a hidden light. My Spiritual Director at Mt. Angel told me that if we don’t bring our secret sins to light, then it is really tough to get rid of them.

“Talking about our secret sins,” he says, “breaks the power that satin has over them.” In this case, the jar represents sins we do in secret. Removing the jar is the sacrament of reconciliation.

Here is a great way to give your light some oxygen: Get involved with this Church. Be a lector, be a Eucharistic minister, learn to play the piano, clean, help with our accounting, count the Sunday collection, fix things, and give money.

Partaking in the body of Christ uncovers our light. Not going to Mass every Sunday is the cover (the Jar). Taking off the cover is receiving Holy Communion.

I urge you this week to remember this demonstration. If our lights are covered they you will slowly suffocate. Figure out new ways to brighten that light that is within you. This week make an attempt to uncover your light in a big way (300 Words).

Isaiah 58:7-10
Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own. Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed; Your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer, you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am! If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech; If you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; Then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday;

1 Corinthians 2:1-5
When I came to you, brothers, proclaiming the mystery of God, I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling, and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive (words of) wisdom, but with a demonstration of spirit and power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.

Matthew 5:13-16
"You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.

Announcements: 4th Sunday in Ord Time Year A

2011-01-23T08:03:00.000-08:00

Dear Holy Rosary Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Gospel: The Beatitudes tell us how to be happy in this world. (Please read the Homily below).

Confirmation: There will be a meeting after Mass for those wanting to be confirmed (Sunday, 30 Jan, 2011).

New Roman Missal: I will be going to Anchorage the End of February to receive training on the implementation of the New Roman Missal.

Diocesan Pastoral Council: Thank you Angela Clark who attended the Pastoral Council meeting in Anchorage last week. This Archdiocesan council is composed of representatives from every parish in the Archdiocese.

Prayers: Please keep Pat Durbin in your prayers as he will be in Anchorage the next couple of weeks. Pat is getting medical attention and will be in the hospital for a few days then he will be staying with some friends in Wasilla.

New Pastor: I met with the Archbishop and the Vicar for Priests last week. In July, 2011, I will be leaving and getting a new parish. My new parish has not yet been decided. Additionally, the Archbishop is deciding on who will be the new pastor of the Holy Rosary Mission. Updates to follow.

Carolina Beach Today: An internet newspaper wrote a great article about my new "lighted cap." To read the article CLICK HERE.

Have a fantastic week and see you Sunday.

Homily

04th Ord A DLG 2011 Beatific, Zephaniah 2: 3; 3:12-13; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Matthew 5:1-12

Caliph of Cordoba, a 10th century ruler, declared he had riches, honors, power, and pleasure at his command. After 50 years of absolute rule, he counted up the days of genuine happiness he had enjoyed…fourteen days.

All happiness comes from God. It doesn’t come from money, power, or pleasure. Happiness is a gift that God gives us. It is when we are closest to God that we are the most happy.

Perfect happiness can only be experienced after death when we see God face to face. Catholics call this the beatific vision. The vision of God is perfect happiness; heaven is eternal bliss.

The beatitudes in the gospel are about people who are as about as close as one can get to being perfectly happy on earth.

How blessed (happy, lucky) are those who are poor: In other words, how lucky you are if you are not attached to material things.

Everyone of us is wired to God…we are hotwired to God. We desire God inherently. When we short circuit that connection to God with other desires, we set ourselves up for frustration. I hunger for that bank account. I hunger for that new car.

For a while things we buy are fulfilling. They satisfy. Like a drug that newly purchased car, or bike, are that top of the line computer gives me a high, but the drug wears off, and I need more.

I get a buzz when I get more. I panic, the buzz wears off, I want more. I am addicted. Jesus says, how lucky you are if you are not attached to material thing. When our hunger for God is hooked to some earthly pleasure or desire, we feel miserable…we are not as happy.

How blessed you are when people hate you…rejoice and leap for joy. Translation: How lucky you are if you are not addicted to the approval of others. Ever fished for a compliment? Like if someone said, Fr. Scott that was a great homily. Then next week I ask people, how did you like that homily? Fishing for approval.

Like anything else, the approval of others becomes an addictive drug…I need more and more and more. How fortunate you are if you are not addicted to the approval of others. You are focused on Christ. Christ is your center.

Remember this, all you need to do is please God…do the best you can, love your neighbor, be kind to others, and struggle with your sins.

Saint Thomas Aquinas said, “You want to know what the happy life is: Love what Jesus loved on the Cross and despise what Jesus despised on the cross. How lucky you are who are poor. Jesus cannot grasp at any material things on the cross.

How lucky you are if you are not attached to good feelings. Think of Jesus is on the cross. If Jesus had made good feelings the center of his life, he would have NEVER come to the cross. Jesus did not love approval from others. His was detached from material things…this allowed him to be attached to God’s will.

My brothers and sisters, Jesus on the cross is a sign for us. He is a sign of happiness. Jesus on the cross becomes the center of the spiritual life. Jesus on the cross reminds us how to be happy. I ask all of you to take a good look at a crucifix. See if you can see these beatitudes. Jesus on the cross says pure of heart, simple, a peacemaker, poor, and most importantly, happy (592 Words).

First Reading: Zephaniah 2: 3; 3:12-13
Seek the Lord all you, the humble of the earth, who obey his commands. Seek integrity, seek humility: you may perhaps find shelter on the day of the anger of the Lord. In your midst I will leave a humble and lowly people, and those who are left in Israel will seek refuge in the name of the Lord. They will do no wrong, will tell no lies; and the perjured tongue will no longer be found in their mouths. But they will be able to graze and rest with no one to disturb them.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31
Consider your own calling, brothers. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no human being might boast before God. It is due to him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord."

Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12
When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Announcements: 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Year A

2011-01-16T08:27:00.000-08:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Congratulations: Congrats to Liam and Layla. They were baptized last week. Here is a picture of Pat Durbin welcoming Layla into the Catholic Community with a sign of the cross on her forehead.

Gospel: Praying and worshiping in harmony is paramount to Catholicism. We gather together every Sunday because we believe it is more pleasing to Jesus to pray and worship together as one family of God. That is the main argument for attending Mass as opposed to “me, and nature, and God.” Yes, everyone should have a personal relationship with God outside of the gathering at Mass every Sunday, but that should never take the place of gathering together, as one family of God, to pray and worship. (Please read the Homily below).

Confirmation: Please let me know if anyone would like to be confirmed around Easter Time. I have one person so far and three or four in mind that I need to ask.

Around the Mission: I flew to Goodnews Bay for the first time on Wednesday, January 12, 2011. It was a beautiful clear day. I climbed up to 6,000 feet and about 20 miles out started my descent. It took my awhile to find Goodnews because the runway was hard to see in the snow. But, good news, I found Goodnews. I was also able to fly to King Salmon/Naknek on Saturday. It was about a negative 15 degrees Fahrenheit with the chill factor. I fly to Anchorage on Penair Monday, January 17, and will return on Thursday.

Here is a picture of Goodnews Bay I took after I found it.

Prayers: Please keep Pat Durbin in your prayers as he will be going to Anchorage this week for a Doctor’s appointment. Also, please keep the family of Emily Ruby Olson in your prayers. Emily two weeks ago and the family will be gathering in Dillingham and Clarks Point on Monday, January 17.

Have a wonderful week and see you Sunday...Fr. Scott

Homily: 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, January 23, 2011, Isaiah 8:23--9:3; 1 Corinthians 1: 10-13 & 17; Matthew 4:12-23

In the reading from Corinthians, Saint Paul is giving us telling us about one of the first Christian communities ever established, Corinth. The community of Corinth was having trouble united…living in harmony together. Some wanted to follow Paul, some Apollos, and some Kephas. Paul basically says that for the good of all people, Jesus Christ us our leader. Jesus unites us. Jesus helps us to live in Harmony. The gospel tells us that to live in harmony is to live in light.

Corinth was having trouble uniting and living in harmony. You might say they were living in disharmony. Today, many of us live in disharmony. To live in disharmony is to live in darkness.

Here are several examples of living in disharmony or darkness today: warfare, violence in our homes, religious, sexual, or racial prejudice, extreme poverty and injustice, loneliness, life without love, the sense that God is distant or that life in meaningless, being guilt ridden, the inability to forgive, addiction. These are all forms of disharmony or living in darkness.

The readings challenge us to live in harmony. We live in harmony by seeking out the light. How powerful are we when we work in harmony together.

Saint Athanasius says, “Consider the example of our soul. It moves our senses according to their several functions so that in the presence of a single object they all act simultaneously: the eye sees, the ear hears, the had touches, the nose smells, the tongue tastes, and often the other parts of the body act as well, for example, the feet may walk.

Think of a musician tuning his lyre. By his skill he adjusts high notes to low and intermediate notes to the rest, and produces a series of harmonies. So too the wisdom of God holds the world like a lyre and joins things in the air to those on earth, and things in heaven to those in the air, and brings each part into harmony with the whole.

What does it look like to be united and to work in harmony? Think of Hurricane Katrina. That was God’s people working in harmony together. Since there are different times zones around the world, when religious and laity pray the Liturgy of the Hours, it is like a constant river of prayer going to our Heavenly Father.” Praying in harmony gets God’s attention.

Are there advantages to living in perfect harmony? Saint Ignatius said, “If you live in harmony God will listen to you and see from your good works that you are members of his Son. “It is an advantage to you to live in perfect unity, so that at all times you may share in God.”

God has adopted us. He unites all people; He made each of us special. We each have something that nobody else has to contribute. Janitors, fishermen, politicians, mill workers, police, accountants…it takes all of our gifts to build up God’s Kingdom. Each on of us, working together with God, allows love to flourish, brings us peace, and gives us hope for eternal life. When we work in harmony together, we can move mountains (522 Words)!

First Reading: Isaiah 8:23--9:3

First he degraded the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the end he has glorified the seaward road, the land West of the Jordan, the District of the Gentiles. Anguish has taken wing, dispelled is darkness; for there is no gloom where but now there was distress. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone. You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing, As they rejoice before you as at the harvest, as men make merry when dividing spoils. For the yoke that burdened them, the pole on their shoulder, And the rod of their taskmaster you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1: 10-13 & 17

I urge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose. For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers, by Chloe's people, that there are rivalries among you. I mean that each of you is saying, "I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apollos," or "I belong to Kephas," or "I belong to Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with the wisdom of human eloquence, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning.

Gospel: Matthew 4:12-17 short form or Matthew 4:12-23 for long form.

When he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen." From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Announcements: 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Year A

2011-01-09T09:35:00.000-08:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Gospel: At Baptism we receive a spiritual thumbprint right in the center of our foreheads. (Please see Homily and readings below)

Ordinary Time: The Baptism of the Lord last Sunday kicked off Ordinary Time. There are nine Sundays of Ordinary Time from now until Ash Wednesday.

Around the Mission: After having Tucker Aviation (Dave) repair a leak in my fuel system, I was able to fly our Cherokee Warrior II about six hours this last week. For practice and to check out the maintenance on the fuel system, I flew from Dillingham, to Kokiganek, New Stuyahok, Manokotak, and back. I flew to Clarks Point and King Salmon/Naknek for Mass. To King Salmon and back, a total of 128 air miles, I burned 13.5 gallons of 100LL. At 6 dollars per gallon, that comes to $81. The going seat fair Round Trip to King salmon is about $250.

Here is a picture I took on my way to Clarks Point, via Portage Creek, Friday, Jan 7, 2011. It was a very beautiful morning.

New Years: During New Years Day I was supposed to be at Saint Theresa in King Salmon for Mass but the weather was too bad for me to fly myself and Penair was shut down for the holiday. Parishioners at King Salmon/Naknek put a sign on the front door of Saint Theresa:

Have a fantastic week and see you Sunday...Fr. Scott

Homily:

2nd Ord DLG 2011, Is 49:3&5-6; 1 Cor 1:1-3; John 1:29-34

There are four important elements in our world. They are water, air, fire, and earth. God takes these four elements and makes them full of saving power. For example, water used in baptism represents life. Water nourishes crops, supplies us with seafood, refreshes us, and gives us recreation.

From the earth come animals. Saint John refers to earthly images, birds and animals, to refer to the saving power God has sent us. For example a dove is used for the Holy Spirit and Jesus for the Lamb of God.

Out of all these elements, water is the most important. It is used for the sacrament of Baptism.

If you were baptized as an infant, like I was, you don’t remember what happened. What happened to Jesus more or less happened to us. John, in today’s gospel accounts that, "I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him.”

Marks gospel says, “A voice came from the heavens, you are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." After Jesus was baptized, he baptized us with the Holy Spirit. It was then that God identified us as his adopted Children.

When God adopts us, it is like he puts his thumbprint right in the middle of our foreheads. He marks us his own.

At Baptism we receive the of the Holy Spirit. God marks us for life. That mark means help, protection, and guidance to all of us who believe.

Unlike Jesus, who is human and divine, we are mere humans. Through our words and deeds, we can smudge our spiritual thumbprint or blur our special relationship with God.

Blurring our adopted relationship happens through things like indifference, swearing, jealousy, impatience, and selfishness…we all sin.

But when our thumbprints get smudged, God helps us to clean them. We are not thrown to the wolves. Our Lord will never abandon us. He gives us the Holy Spirit to guide us.

The Holy Spirit helps us to grow in goodness through the moral virtues. Prudence helps us to choose the true good. Justice challenges us to be fair to our neighbors. Fortitude strengthens us so we can overcome our fears. Temperance assists us in finding balance and helps us to moderate when using earthly goods.

Isaiah tells us, “I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”

As God’s adopted children, we are not just God’s servants…that is too little says Isaiah. We are that light, which can reach out to all people to the ends of the earth.

Each time we seize an opportunity to reach out to people, our spiritual thumbprint gets a cleaner. It gets cleaner when we apologize to someone we have hurt. It gets cleaner when we help our next-door neighbor with a problem. It gets cleaner when we visit a sick person in the hospital.

When you get home, take a look in the mirror. Think about that special covenant God made with you at the time of your baptism…that unique thumbprint stamped right in the middle of your forehead. How clean is that thumbprint stamped on your forehead? If it is smudged, what can you do to clean it (541 Words)?

Isaiah 49:3&5-6
You are my servant, he said to me, Israel, through whom I show my glory. For now the LORD has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb, That Jacob may be brought back to him and Israel gathered to him; And I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD, and my God is now my strength! It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

1 Corinthians 1:1-3
Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, to the church of God that is in Corinth, to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy, with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

John 1:29-34
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, 'A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.' I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel." John testified further, saying, "I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the holy Spirit.' Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God."

Announcements: Baptism of the Lord Year A

2011-01-03T09:57:00.000-08:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Baptism: During Mass on Sunday two children will be baptized, Liam and Layla. What a perfect time for a baptism on the Sunday of the “Baptism of the Lord.”

Reception after Baptism: Please bring something to eat for the reception after the Baptism.

Around the Mission: It was a slow week for flying. I was able to check out the electrical system in the Cherokee Warrior II on December 28. I flew two and one-half hours to New Stuyahok, Levelock, Manokotak, and back to Dillingham. Ops check good. There was wind gusting to 40 miles per hour most of the week, dense fog and icing, and the Dillingham runway was actually closed all day on January 1, 2011 due to “Nil Breaking Action.” The ice was terrible.

Gospel: Why did Jesus have to be baptized? Please see the homily below.

Have a fantastic week and see you Sunday, Fr. Scott

Homily:

Jan 11 Baptism of Lord DLG Baptize, Isaiah 42:1-4 & 6-7; Act 10: 34-38; Mat 3:13-17

When we baptize a new member into the community, we wash that person clean of original sin. All humans are born with original sin, except for Mary. We believe in infant baptism because we believe that it is the best option. The faster we can wash away the original sin, the better.

We also believe that Jesus is sinless. So why would John need to baptize him? Traditionally, there are two answers to this.

First, Jesus became a human (the incarnation). By letting John baptize him Jesus wanted to show that he was fully human and was united with us.

Second, by going down into the waters of the Jordan, he purifies, makes holy, or sanctifies the waters of the Jordan. He in fact sanctifies the waters of the whole world, to make them fitting for his own life-giving sacrament of baptism.

There is rich symbolism in our baptism. Through baptism, we share the faith of those ancient figures in the Old Testament. Picture Moses leading the tired, hot, and hungry Israelites across the desert for 40 years. They finally came to the Holy Land. The trouble was, they had to cross a river before they got there. Right! The Jordan River.

Those Israelites splashed threw that cold water to begin their new lives in the “Land of Milk and Honey.”

As our ancient ancestors did, we too have to cross the desert. Symbolically, this world we live in is like the desert. Our baptism is our first step to reaching the Promised Land. We come out of the desert with Christ to the Jordan River, the river of baptism. We immerse ourselves in the waters of baptism so one-day we will enter the promised land of Heaven.

If you noticed, John immersed Jesus fully in the waters of the Jordan. The word baptism is derived from the Greek word baptizo, “to wash” or “to immerse.” Although most of us are baptized with the sprinkling of water, our Catholic Church encourages full immersion baptism when possible.

The amount of water used at baptism does not make stronger or weaker the baptism. All it takes is blessed water. It does not matter how much.

What full immersion does is link the ritual of baptism more directly to the experience of Jesus. Full immersion means this symbolically: We do not have a detached God who only presides over us; We do not have a coaching God who sits on the sidelines barking orders at us on the field of life; We do not have a policemen God who wants to catch us breaking the rules.

We have a God who in Jesus the Lord immersed himself in our world, heart and mind, soul and divinity, boots and all.

Finally, Jesus spent three days in the tomb at his crucifixion. We plunge our children and adults into the watery tomb of the baptismal font three times. As we do this, we call on the trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to enable them to die to sin and rise to the freedom of Christ’s life.

In the baptism of Jesus, all the history of salvation is summed up and Jesus begins his mission of preaching the Kingdom. He passed that mission on to the apostles, the popes, and the whole church. We are, and will continue to, carry on that mission today 559 Words).

Isaiah 42:1-4 & 6-7
Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, Upon whom I have put my spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations, Not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street. A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, Until he establishes justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait for his teaching. I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, To open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.

Act 10: 34-38
Then Peter proceeded to speak and said, "In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him. You know the word (that) he sent to the Israelites as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all, what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

Matthew 3:13-17
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. John tried to prevent him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?" Jesus said to him in reply, "Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed him. After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened (for him), and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove (and) coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."

Announcements: Epiphany (Jan 2, 2011) Year A

2010-12-26T08:43:00.000-08:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Nativity Narrative: Thank you to Bernina and all involved in the Christmas Eve nativity play. It was the first time we have ever tried it and it was excellent. Holy Rosary was packed to e overflowing. Here is a picture of the rehearsal the day before. The play starred twelve children from ages 4-10.

Thank you: Thank you to the Clark family who came by on Christmas eve before mass and decorated the outside Christmas tree with lights and star. The tree was donated by Cindy, who won it from Ducks Unlimited.

Thank you: Our music during Christmas eve was beautiful. Bernina Venua played her flute for the presentation and communion hymns, while Brian Venua played music on the piano for the entrance and recessional. The was the fourteen year old Brian’s fist time taking responsibility to be the musician at Mass. Thank you for helping to make our liturgy prayerful and spiritual.

Note from the Pastor: For a priest like me, where this is my first assignment as a priest, it is such a blessing to see so many Catholics come to the Christmas Eve mass. My heart was warmed! I did not count the people but there was standing room only. I am thinking between 125 and 150 people attended Holy Rosary in Dillingham. At Saint Theresa’s Christmas Eve mass there was also a good turnout of around 40 to 50 people. Thank you! Have a very Merry Christmas Season.

Gospel: Epiphany: (Please see Homily and readings below) Just what is an Epiphany? It is a Christian feast celebrating the manifestation of the divine nature of Jesus to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi. Epiphany is a revelatory manifestation of a divine being. It is a sudden manifestation of the essence or meaning of something. Epiphany can be a comprehension or perception of reality by means of a sudden intuitive realization: “I experienced an epiphany, a spiritual flash that would change the way I viewed myself” (Frank Maier).

Have a great week and see you Sunday, Fr. Scott

Homily:

Epiphany Jan 2, 2011, Yr A, Isa 60: 1-6 , Eph 3: 2-3a, 5-6 Mat 2: 1-12

Story: When I first came to Alaska I had a job as a construction worker. It fizzled out six days after I started. I started painting houses. A person’s house I was painting worked at Arco Alaska. She told me I should apply for a job. I got a job as computer graphics specialist in the exploration drafting department. After awhile, I felt I was in a dead end job.

I came to a new understanding. I started thinking about college. I prayed about it. I decided to attend UAF. It meant quitting my high paying job. It meant suffering because of the income loss, the transition, and moving away from friends. Finally, I received a business degree and became a Confirmed Catholic. I thanked God for turning my life around.

What made me quit my job at Arco and go to College? I call it an Epiphany. An Epiphany is spark of spiritual inspiration. It is an intuitive grasp of reality through a simple and striking event. It is a divine sign spurring us into action. In the gospel the very idea of Gentiles coming to celebrate the birth of a Jewish Messiah is an Epiphany.

We can all have Epiphanies. They appear when we recognize the light of Christ in our lives? Epiphanies enlighten us to a new understanding causing us to change to a holier way of life.

For example: You dropped out of college years ago, but you recently made plans to return. I had friend in college. He kept looking at x rated websites. He took out the modem card, broke it, and chucked it out the window.

Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh clues us in on the events that take place during an epiphany.

Gold is symbolizes a new understanding. It represents new wisdom.

Frankincense represents divinity and prayer. It points to a holy way of living that has come into the world in Jesus Christ.

Myrrh tells of the suffering involved in changing our way of life. It foretells the cross. It reminds us always of the price we must pay for anything worthwhile.

How does an epiphany work?

GOLD is a reminder to call on the Holy Spirit for openness to a new understanding or Epiphany. Ever had a real tough decision to make? Struggling with that decision may be an Epiphany in the making. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you in that decision.

Frankincense reminds us we have to pray. Pray everyday about that new understanding…that inspiration…that epiphany you have received. Is that new understanding something that will make our life better and holier?

Myrrh reminds us that an Epiphany requires us to do something…make a change. That usually involves suffering. Call on Jesus to help you through that suffering.

Finally, thank God for that better and holier lifestyle (468 Words with story).

Isaiah 60: 1-6
Rise up in splendor! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; But upon you the LORD shines, and over you appears his glory. Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance. Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you: Your sons come from afar, and your daughters in the arms of their nurses. Then you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow, For the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you, the wealth of nations shall be brought to you. Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; All from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.

Ephesians 3: 2-3a & 5-6
Brothers and sisters, you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for your benefit, (namely, that) the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly earlier, which was not made known to human beings in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Mat 2: 1-12 – “When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem saying, Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage. When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel. Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word that I too may go and do him homage. After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.”

Research for homily:
Caspar, Balthasar, and Melchior were three astrologers…men who studied the stars and discovered the meaning of human life on earth. They believed that solar marvels accompanied the birth of great kings. Modern astrologers tell us that there was an unusual solar phenomenon around the time of Jesus’ birth. This unusually bright star led the three wise astrologers to where this great king was. They read the signs in the stars and recognized the true identity of God’s light to us…the Christ Child.

Frankincense is a fragrant, aromatic resin, or gum resin, burned as an incense in religious rites or for medicinal fumigation. It comes from East Indian trees, of the genus Boswellia; and from the Norway spruce (Abies excelsa). The frankincense of the ancient Jews is still unidentified.

Myrrh is a gum resin, usually of a yellowish brown or amber color, of an aromatic odor, and a bitter, slightly pungent taste. It is valued for its odor and for its medicinal properties. It exudes from the bark of a shrub of Abyssinia and Arabia. The myrrh of the Bible is supposed to have been partly the gum above named, and partly the exudation of species of Cistus, or rockrose.

Announcements: Christmas & Holy Family Year A

2010-12-20T08:39:00.000-08:00

Dear Holy Rosary Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

CLARKS POINT CHRISTMAS: On Friday, December 17th, I was able to fly to Clarks Point for a Christmas Mass. It was an ecumenical celebration. The children put together a nativity scene puzzle and the adults who were not Catholic came forward for a blessing. Below, in the Gym at Clarks Point, children wait for the Mass to begin.

Clarks Point community members sing the opening Christmas song, "O Come all Ye Faithful." (December 17, 2010). We were fortunate to have the village elder Mun (bottom row third from the right), a 90 year old Yupik, attend the Mass.

CHRISTMAS MASS SCHEDULE: During Christmas there will be a Christmas Eve Mass beginning at 7:30 PM, Friday, December 24th. There will be no Mass Saturday, Christmas Day. We will celebrate Mass on Sunday, December 26 at 12:30 PM (the Holy Family).

NATIVITY PLAY PRACTICE: Please come to the rehearsal for our Christmas Play. The rehearsal is for all children between the ages of three and eight. It will be at Holy Rosary Parish, Thursday, December 23rd, at 2:00 PM. Please call Bernina Venua for more info, 842-1275.

THANK YOU: Thanx to all who helped decorate the Church on Sunday. It looks wonderful.

AROUND THE MISSION: While in Clarks Point on Friday I lost all of my avionics. My engine was still running fine so I took off and flew the 12 miles to Dillingham. I am in the process of pinpointing the short. I also lost my GPS in Clarks Point. It fell out of my Pack. I had the whole town of Clarks looking for it. I finally found it under the pilots seat in the airplane.

HOLY ROSARY MISSION HATS: I ordered 30 more Holy Rosary hats today. Let me know if you are interested.

INTERNET DONATIONS: On our website we have a donation button. This last month I received two donations totaling $200. The Archdiocese of Anchorage is also developing some forms we can use so parishioners can donate on-line or directly to the bank, if they so choose to do so. There are people now who have never signed a check and will probably never have a checkbook.

GOSPEL: Our nativity scene and Christmas card portray the birth of Christ as very neat, clean, and tidy. Most of my Christmas celebrations have never been that orderly. Please see Homily below.

Merry Christmas!! Have a fantastic week and see you Friday! Fr. Scott

HOMILY:

Christmas, 2010: God Meets us in our Humanity:

Today Christmas looks very neat and clean. The Christmas carols we sing and the cards we send make the Nativity look beautiful, and refreshing.

Christmas’s I have experienced in my life have been a little messy. How about yours?

One year I was trying to figure out the present my Grandfather got me. I accidentally ripped it open. It was a holster and two toy six shooters in all of their glory. My Dad was not a happy camper.

Another time my brother and sister and I, I was about 12 years old, decided to get my mom a blender. We saved all our money and got the lady at Brandis Drug Store to give us a huge discount. While at the dinner one evening before Christmas I blurted out, Mom, I can’t wait until you open your blender!

My mom had a new camera. She set the timer, ran over to sit with us in front of the Christmas tree, and fell backward right on top of the tree. Ornaments shattered, lights shorted out, tinsel floated to the ground. My mom was floundering around trying to crawl out from the tree. My eyes were like saucers as I couldn’t believe what happened. Then everyone started laughing.

The birth of Jesus was a little messy as well. Mary and Joseph traveled several days across bandit infested wastelands. Nineteen year old Joseph had to help his fifteen year old wife have a baby. They had the child in a dark and cold manger. The smell of animals must have been nauseating.

The Birth of Jesus is about our God meeting us in our humanity. Jesus meets us as we are. Then, he takes us by the hand and helps us find the way to a life that has meaning and purpose. He takes us as we are and prepares us for eternal life.

This Christmas in the midst of the over-spending, of over-eating and excessive drinking: in the midst of being human, don’t forget what is important:

Bring God’s life to bear on the world every day. Don’t be afraid to bring up God at school, in the work place, at home with the family, in ordinary places you go every day, or in midst of utter chaos.

Christmas is the feast day when we are given the grace to search for an even deeper faith. It is the time of year to respond to everyone we meet with compassion because that is precisely what God did for us in Jesus.

This Christmas no matter how you feel, how stressed out you are, whether you are alone or with friends at Christmas, re-introduce yourself to our Lord and Savior. Let Jesus meet the real you. And then let him lead you down a path of peace, joy, and everlasting life. Merry Christmas everyone (472 Words).

Announcements: 4th Week of Advent Year A

2010-12-13T08:38:00.000-08:00

Dear Holy Rosary Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

CONGRATS: Congratulations to George and Ruth Barnard who celebrated a con-validation of their marriage Sunday December 12, 2010. There civil marriage was on December 9th sixteen years ago.

CHRISTMAS EVE MASS: Mass will be at 7:30 Christmas eve, December 24th. There will be no Mass on Christmas day.

CHRISTMAS DECORATING: If possible, please stay after Mass this Sunday and help us decorate for Christmas. Your donations of time will be greatly appreciated.

CHRISTMAS TREE: Our Christmas tree is being donated by Cindy, who won it in a raffle from Ducks Unlimited. Thank you so much Cindy!

CHRISTMAS PLAY Rehearsal This Sunday: Here are the parts for the Christmas Narrative that will be during Mass on Christmas Eve.

Mary: Annalee C.
Joseph: Jacob B.
Wiseman: Alethia B., Madeson S., Satie T.
Angels: Katelyn S., Skylar T
King Herod: Logan Ho
Shepherds: Kenzie J., Karis W.
Inn Keepers: Whitney W., Reyna T.

Please contact Bernina Venua for more information (907-843-12750. The first rehearsal will be after Mass, December 19 (this Sunday). There is room for two more children if they would like to volunteer to help out. No memorization of parts is needed. (SEE THE NATIVITY NARRATIVE BELOW)

GOSPEL: The Gospel is the beautiful story about the Annunciation and the plight that Joseph was faced with. Below is the gospel in my own words.

LECTOR BOOKS: New lector books for 2011 have been ordered and should be here this week.

KENMORE RANGE: The new Kenmore self-cleaning electric cooking range should be shipped this week on Evert’s Air Cargo. The cost was $404 for the 30” range and about $150 to $200 for shipping.

Have a fantastic week of Advent and see you Sunday…Fr. Scott

HOMILY: 4th Week of Advent, Year A, 2010, Gospel in my words

In our Catholic Christian tradition, we have a story. We have a true story about how our lord and savior came into the world.

Marriage was a bit different 2000 years ago. People back then took engagement very seriously. Engagement was like being married. Mary and Joseph were betrothed to each other.

Betrothed means that a formal contract of marriage had been made between two people and then blessed by the church. To be betrothed is similar to what we think marriage is except for one thing: Mary and Joseph had a waiting period before they could actually live together and start having children.

So, although betrothed, or married, they could not live together. During this waiting period something happened…of all the bad luck.

God decided to stir up their lives. God sent down the Holy Spirit to impregnate Mary, which is know as the annunciation. The lives of Mary and Joseph would never be the same.

It was not a pretty sight. Joseph’s true colors showed when he heard of Mary’s pregnancy. He did not believe Mary at first. Joseph thought that she had another boy friend.

But, being the solid, caring, religious man that he was, he did not want to shame Mary. Even though he thought Mary was not telling the truth about how she became pregnant, he kept things very quiet. He did not want to humiliate her. He loved her that much.

But the real problems came about after people found out. The members of the community began to shun Mary.

In the mean time, an angel appeared to Joseph. The angel basically told Joseph that, “I know it’s a little hard to believe, and it has never happened in the history of the planet, but your wife Mary has conceived threw the Holy Spirit. In her womb is the Savior of our world.”

He told Joseph to go ahead and take Mary as his wife. He also said to name the baby Jesus. “Jesus,” the angel said, “Will save us from our sins.”

Keep in mind that in the days before Jesus, most everyone knew the Old Testament inside and out. Before the angel of God left, he told Joseph something very interesting. The angel asked Joseph to recall an Old Testament scripture from Isaiah. Isaiah said, "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means "God is with us."

It finally downed on Joseph the huge responsibility before him. He had encountered God. He trusted God so much that all other considerations were put aside. He listened to God and made the right decision, even though it was a difficult one.

For Joseph, his faith finally came through very strongly. He was compassionate and he did not condemn harshly. He followed the law of God. He had the moral courage to seek to do the right thing, even though it is not necessarily the Law of Man. He was able to discern the right path forward by listening to what God wanted. The End…which is really the Beginning (515 Words).

Isaiah 7:10-14
Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God; let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky! But Ahaz answered, "I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!" Then he said: Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary men, must you also weary my God? Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.

Romans 1:1-7
Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh, but established as Son of God in power according to the spirit of holiness through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we have received the grace of apostleship, to bring about the obedience of faith, for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles, among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ; to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 1:18-24
Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means "God is with us." When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.

Nativity Story

About two thousand years ago, in the town of Nazareth, there lived a young woman named Mary. She was engaged to be married to Joseph, a carpenter. One day an angel appeared before her and told her she had been chosen to nave a special baby. The baby would be God's son and she must call him Jesus.

Soon after the angel's visit, Mary and Joseph were married. Mary was due to have her baby when they were told they had to go on a long journey to Bethlehem, which was where Joseph came from. his was because they had to pay a special tax. Mary had to ride on a donkey for a few days over the hills of Gallilee.

At last Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem. It was crowded with other people who needed to pay their taxes. Mary was very tired and needed a place to stay. At each inn, the story was the same. There was no room for them. Eventually, one kind innkeeper said he had a stable where he kept his animals. They were welcome to stay there.
And so it was that a few hours later, Mary gave birth to her son in that stable. She wrapped Jesus in strips of cloth and laid Him in a manger full of hay.

At the same time, on a hillside overlooking Bethlehem, some shepherds were watching over their sheep. A bright light appeared in the sky. They were very afraid. It was an angel sent by God. The angel told them not to be afraid, because he had some good news. He said the Son of God had been born and they would find Him in Bethlehem.

The shepherds wanted to go and see the baby. When they arrived at the stable, they were filled with joy at seeing Jesus lying in the manger. They knelt down and worshipped Him. They told Mary and Joseph how the angel had appeared in the sky and told them that Jesus was to be the Savior of the world.

Far away in the East, Wise Men saw a new star shining high in the sky. These men studied the stars and they knew this was a very special star. They studied their scrolls where it said that whenever a bright new star appeared it meant that a great ruler had been born.

The Wise Men decided to find this new ruler. They went to Jerusalem to see King Herod, as they thought the baby would be in the palace. They asked to see the child that would be King of the Jews. The king was troubled. He thought this new king may take away his throne. He told them to return when they had found the baby so that he could worship the child himself.

The Wise Men set off to find the baby. They were guided by the star to the stable in Bethlehem. Here they knelt down and worshipped Jesus. They gave him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. That night, the men had the same dream where an angel warned them that King Herod wanted to kill Jesus and told them not to go back to his palace.

The Wise Men went back to their own country without calling to see Herod. Soon after Joseph had a dream where an angel told him to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt as King Herod had ordered that Jesus be killed. They left Bethlehem right away so they did not find Jesus as he was safe.

Announcements: 3rd Sunday of Advent Year A

2010-12-08T10:15:00.000-08:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Stained Glass: Thank you Mateo for the beautiful stained glass window of St. Francis and the Alaskan animals.

Marriage: George and Ruth Barnard will be celebrate the sacrament of Marriage during Mass this Sunday. During this marriage con-validation there will be prayers for the couple at the beginning of Mass, they will say their vows after the homily, and then at the end of Mass there will be a final nuptial blessing.

Potluck: After the Mass and Marriage on Sunday there will be a potluck. Please bring your favorite dish (not a requirement to attend, there will be plenty of food whether you bring something or not).

Rejoice: The rose candle will be lit for the third week of advent. The third candle, usually for the Third Sunday of Advent, is traditionally Pink or Rose, and symbolizes Joy at the soon Advent of the Christ. It marks a shift from the more solemn tone of the first two Sundays of Advent that focus on Preparation and Hope, to a more joyous atmosphere of anticipation and expectancy. Sometimes the colors of the sanctuary and vestments are also changed to Rose for this Sunday. As noted above, in some churches the pink Advent candle is used on the fourth Sunday to mark the joy at the impending Nativity of Jesus.

Around the Mission: Last week I celebrated Mass in King Salmon/Naknek and Dillingham. I flew to Clarks Point to give communion to one of the elders. Currently I am in Anchorage attending finance and canon law meetings.

New Range Purchase: While in Anchorage I purchase a Kenmore 30” self-cleaning electric range for $404. Pat Durban donated half of the cost for the range. Thank you so much Pat! I also picked up a cord to plug it in. The current range is about 30 to 40 years old and 24 inches.

Have a great week and see you Sunday…Fr. Scott

Announcements: 2nd Sunday of Advent Year A

2010-12-02T12:58:00.000-08:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Christmas Schedule:

Holy Rosary: 7:30 PM Christmas Eve, Dillingham, AK

Saint Theresa: 4:00 PM Christmas Eve, King Salmon/Naknek

Saint Peter: 11:00, Friday, Dec. 17, School, Clarks Point

No Mass at the above villages on Christmas Day

Prayers: Liz Gardener died Tuesday, November 30, 2010 in King Salmon, AK. Please keep Ed Fundeen, the Gardener family, and all Liz’s friends and family in your prayers.

Marriage/Convalidation: George and Ruth will be married in the church during the Mass on Sunday, December 12. There will be a potluck to follow. Congrats George and Ruth!

Nativity Narrative for Children: During Mass on Christmas Eve Bernina and gang will introduce a children’s narrative. If you have children between the ages of 3 and 8 years of age, please contact Bernina Venua.

Christmas Mass at Clarks Point: There will be a Christmas Mass Friday, the 17th of December at 11:00 AM at the school gym in Clarks Point.

Gospel: Please see the Homily below, which describes the Advent Wreath.

Hope you all had a pleasant and wonderful Thanksgiving. See you Sunday…Fr. Scott

HOMILY
2 Week Advent A Sun DLG 2010, Is11:1-10; Rom15:4-9; Mat 3:1-12

The first part of Advent (December 1 – 16) highlights his Second Coming at the end of time, and the second part (December 17 - 24) emphasizes his coming into human history at the time of his birth in Bethlehem. This liturgical season features joy, hope, repentance, expectation and preparation for the coming of Christ.

The coming of God's Son to earth is an event of such immensity that we need time to prepare for it…hence, we have the four weeks of Advent. During Advent season, our Catechism states, “God awakens in the hearts of those who don’t attend church and gives them an idea of how great the birth of Jesus is (Christmas).” It goes on to say that St. John the Baptist is the Lord's immediate forerunner, sent to prepare his way.

Our advent wreath is meant to remind us of the coming of Jesus. As a review I thought I would go over it again.

Purple/Violate: Purple signifies expectation, purification, and penance. A purple or violet color is to remind us that Advent is a season of preparation. We should be spiritually preparing our souls to receive Christ on Christmas.

Rose: Rose, only used the third Sunday of Advent, is symbolic of the Christmas joy. It means rejoice. Mixing violet with white makes the rose color.

Candles: The purple candles symbolize the prayer, penance, sacrifices, and goods works. The rose candle symbolizes an element of rejoicing in the midst of our penitential preparation.

Light: As candles are lit, the light increases. The birth of the Light of the World is coming closer. So may our souls grow brighter in their love for, and anticipation of, the Christ Child.

Circle: The wreath is always in the form of a circle. Circles have no beginning and no end. The circle of the wreath, symbolizes the eternity of God, the immortality of the soul, and the everlasting life found in Christ…not a dead end.

Evergreens: Evergreens are “ever green” or “ever alive.” They symbolize Christ, who died, but is now alive, and who will never die again. Evergreens point to never ending life, strength, and healing. The Evergreens depicts the immortality of our soul and everlasting life promised to us through Christ.

Pinecones: Pinecones or nuts used to decorate the wreath symbolize life and resurrection.

Holly and Red Berries: The prickly leaves of Holly remind us of the crown of thorns. Red berries, entwined in the Holly symbolize the blood shed by Christ for all mankind.

Blue Bowls: The blue bowls to hold the candles are to remind us of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, who bore Jesus in her womb and brought Him forth into our world on Christmas.

Advent is about preparation…about reforming our lives so that we can live in God’s peace. By reforming our lives, we can let justice flourish.

Advent is about anticipation…about waiting for God to come into the world because he offers us peace, forgiveness, and healing.

Advent is about God comforting us and seeking out those who are lost or who have gone astray.

Advent is about patiently yet joyfully waiting of Jesus to save us (567 Words).

Why four weeks? Here’s a Question.

What do the for weeks of Advent Represent? Each week represents one thousand years: the 4,000 years from Adam and Eve until the Birth Jesus.

Isaiah 11: 1-10 - But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, A spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD. Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, But he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land's afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. Justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips. Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; The calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them. The cow and the bear shall be neighbors, together their young shall rest; the lion shall eat hay like the ox. The baby shall play by the cobra's den, and the child lay his hand on the adder's lair. There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD, as water covers the sea. On that day, The root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the nations, The Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling shall be glorious.

Romans 15: 4-9 - For whatever was written previously was written for our instruction, that by endurance and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to think in harmony with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus, that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I say that Christ became a minister of the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, to confirm the promises to the patriarchs, but so that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written: "Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles and sing praises to your name."

Mat 3: 1-12 - In those days John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: "A voice of one crying out in the desert, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.'" John wore clothing made of camel's hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones. Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

Announcements: 1st Sunday of Advent Year A

2010-11-22T15:52:00.001-08:00

Dear Holy Rosary Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Christmas Eve Mass: Time for the Christmas eve Mass will be 7:30 PM, Friday, 24 December.

Thank you: Once again severe conditions kept me from Mass in Dillingham this Sunday. Freezing rain closed down the runway in Dillingham and also the flying. Thank you Aileen for your second week in a row of offering a communion service. By the way, I changed the Mass time in King Salmon to Saturday at noon, which will hopefully allow me to have a better batting average in Dillingham.

Nativity Narrative: Bernina is working on a narrative for the children. Please contact her if your child would like to be involved in the play during Mass Christmas Eve.

Around the Mission: I was able to fly to Togiak, New Stuyahok, and Clarks Point this week. I took Penair to King Salmon because the weather was IFR when I left.

Happy Thanksgiving: I pray all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I will be in Bend, Oregon eating turkey with my family this week. Currently I am stuck in Seattle in, GET THIS, a snow storm!!!

Have a great week and don’t forget to check our our website, www.holyrosaryalaska.org...Fr. Scott

Announcements: Christ the King

2010-11-15T09:49:00.000-08:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are the announcemtents for the week of Christ the King.

Gospel: Christ the King will one day be asking for our Passports. Please see Homily below.

Around the Mission: Due to fog last week I had to cancel going to Clarks Point on Friday and I missed Mass in Dillingham at Holy Rosary on Sunday because after mass in King Salmon I was fogged in. I did manage to fly to Togiak and back on Wednesday.

Thank you: Thanx to Aileen who celebrated a communion service Sunday. I called her from King Salmon 30 minutes before mass began in Dillingham. She did a great job with only 30 minutes notice.

Bend, Oregon: I will be traveling to Bend for Thanksgiving with my family and will be gone from Nov 22 to Dec 2.

Nativity Narrative: Bernina is choosing narratives for the children's nativity play during Mass on Christmas Eve. Please contact her if you have a child between the ages of four and nine, give a take a year or two.

Have a great week and see you Sunday...Fr. Scott

HOMILY
Christ the King C DLG 2010, 2 Kings, 2 Samuel 5:1-3; Colossians 1:12-20; Luke 23:35-43

Whenever I travel out of the United States I need a Passport. To travel around the world, everyone needs a passport. A passport is an official document that says I belong to the United States. I am subject to the laws of the United States. The USA will protect me when I am outside the country. It says that our laws may be a little different than another countries law. That means that if I do something against the law in one country, I have to be judged according to the laws in the United States.

The gospel tells us the kind of passport the King will ask us for. The details are a little different from this passport. Our passport to enter the Kingdom of heaven may not necessarily have our race, age, nationality, or culture.

Our passport to heaven will not have stamped on it “I was a member of Holy Rosary Catholic Church.” It won’t say I was married for 50 years and raised ten children. It won’t go into detail about how many Hail Mary’s I said each day.

The way we pray, worship, and what we believe are all important in our lives here on earth. These are all stepping-stones and landmarks that lead us to do what is really important.

The King of Heaven will ultimately judge us on what is REALLY important…that is, our behavior in relation to our neighbor who is in need. How do we relate to our neighbors?

Christ the King is our example: During his life on earth, he took pity on the poor, helped the defenseless, and was kind to outcasts.

One of the most difficult things for me before I became a priest was changing my Business oriented thinking. I set goals for myself. I used physical, financial, and social objectives to meet those goals. Setting goals is a great way to get along at work, at home, and at school. Goal setting works!

Goal setting does not work in the spiritual world. We cannot say that if we go to church every Sunday, if we pray everyday, then we will go to heaven. It does not work that way. We cannot have our visas stamped when we go to church, donate money, or join a prayer group.

When I decided to become a priest I had to get it through my head that goal setting does not work. I could not do something good and expect to get an immediate result. Treasure in heaven means just that: we may not experience the fruits of our labor until after we die. I had to learn that spirituality is something we grow stronger in everyday.

Spirituality has no immediate end. Our spirituality is eternal. It goes on forever, even after we die.

Probably the toughest thing for me to learn about spirituality was to let things go. It is easy for me to want to blame myself for all my faults and for the good things I do. In reality, it should be that God and I work together…share, in building up this Kingdom.

As we grow in our spiritual lives we learn a language. Our heavenly visas will be stamped with that language.

I hope the language stamped on my visa says this: I allowed Christ the King to be my shepherd. I learned to trust and follow God. I walk where the Lord leads. I lead others to the restful waters, to healing, and to love.

The idea is this: If we allow Christ to be our King, he will guide us along the right path. He will protect us outside of this world. He will admit us to the kingdom where he reigns, to the glory of god the Father (625 Words).

2 Samuel 5:1-3 – All the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron and said: "Here we are, your bone and your flesh. In days past, when Saul was our king, it was you who led the Israelites out and brought them back. And the LORD said to you, 'You shall shepherd my people Israel and shall be commander of Israel.'" When all the elders of Israel came to David in Hebron, King David made an agreement with them there before the LORD, and they anointed him king of Israel.

Colossians 1:12-20 – Giving thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light. He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross (through him), whether those on earth or those in heaven.

Luke 23:35-43 – The people stood by and watched; the rulers, meanwhile, sneered at him and said, "He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Messiah of God." Even the soldiers jeered at him. As they approached to offer him wine they called out, "If you are King of the Jews, save yourself." Above him there was an inscription that read, "This is the King of the Jews." Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us." The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, "Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied to him, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

Announcements: 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

2010-11-08T07:19:00.001-08:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Gospel: The gospel is about the end-time. Please read the Homily below.

Nativity Narrative Play: Please contact Bernina Venua to get your 4 to 8 year old signed up for the nativity narrative that will be held on Christmas Eve at Holy Rosary Parish during Mass.

Thanksgiving Prayer: Thanksgiving is drawing near. Here are a couple of prayers that one can use for the Thanksgiving dinner blessing:

Prayer 1
Our Father in Heaven,
We give thanks for the pleasure
Of gathering together for this occasion.
We give thanks for this food
Prepared by loving hands.
We give thanks for life,
The freedom to enjoy it all
And all other blessings.
As we partake of this food,
We pray for health and strength
To carry on and try to live as You would have us.
This we ask in the name of Christ, Amen

Prayer 2
Thank you God for all the wonderful blessings,
For our daily meals and for clean drinking water.
Thank you for family, friends, and good health.
Thank for our lives.
Thank you for giving us your only Son Jesus.
On this Thanksgiving, we also give thanks for countless other
things you provide us with on a daily basis.
We pray for those less fortunate than ourselves who may have nothing to eat this day.
Amen.

Prayer 3
Father in Heaven, Creator of all and source of all goodness and love, please look kindly upon us and receive our heartfelt gratitude in this time of giving thanks. Thank you for all the graces and blessings. You have bestowed upon us. Thank you for our food and shelter, our health, the love we have for one another, our family and friends. Dear Lord, in Your infinite generosity, please grant us continued graces and blessing throughout the coming year.
This we ask in the Name of Jesus, Amen

Around the Mission: On Thursday this week I was able to do some practice GPS approaches into New Stuyahok, Koliganek, and Levelock. After flying to Clarks Point on Friday I prayed the Rosary with Louise Gardner then had lunch with the children at the Clarks Point School. Saturday, because of fog, I waited and had Penair fly me to King Salmon and Naknek where I scheduled a house blessing with a parishioner from King Salmon and Had Mass Sunday at 9:00 AM. I then flew back to Dillingham for Mass at 12:30 on Sunday.

It was such a nice day Friday that I walked up to the village of Clarks Point after I landed on the dirt strip. Here are couple pictures I took:

Have a fantastic week and see you Sunday…Fr. Scott

HOMILY

33rd Ord C DLG 2010 End Time, Malachi 3:19-20;2 Thessalonians 3:7-12;Luke 21:5-19

Within 100 years after Jesus’ death, the earliest Christians thought the end of the world was near. We call that the end time or doomsday.

The end time is the final Judgment. The first judgment will be when we die and go to purgatory. The second judgment will be the final judgment or end-time. The final judgment is a general judgment when all are assembled before God and their relationship to God is made public.

A doomsday prophet is a person who predicts this final judgment. For example, because of the higher number of hurricanes, cyclones, and earthquakes this year, the end is near.

During the cold war in the 1960’s, people made bomb shelters in case the Russians nuked us. People were afraid. They were really scared that a nuclear attack would end the world.

Remember President Clinton and Y2K in 1999. Imagine, the entire world shutting down, planes crashing, warheads going off all around the country, and no electricity, water, or food…the end time. One guy I knew bought 30 bags of wheat to store in his basement in preparation for Y2K. The turn of the century is always a great time for doomsday prophets to emerge.

Regardless of whether or not the end time comes in our lifetime there are three realities we live with: (1) the end time will come, we just don’t know when and (2) we will always have war, famine, natural disasters and followers of Jesus will always be persecuted (3) Jesus tells us that we will know, without a doubt, when the end-time is near.

The readings give us advice on how to live our lives knowing that the end time is inevitable.

About doomsday, Jesus tells us not to follow the doomsday prophets. He says, “Awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.” When the end-time is near, we will know it.

Paul, in Thessalonians, gives us advice. Paul believes in teaching by example. By living a good Christian life, Paul felt that others would see his example and follow it. You have heard the saying “like father like son.” Paul believed that his good actions would rub off on others.

Here is the advice he gives us about living with the end time looming over us: Work and earn the food you eat. Do not be lazy. Live in a spirit of harmony and unity with people. Do not let peer pressure sway you from your Christian beliefs. Hostility from others is not an excuse for us to be hostile ourselves. We are to persevere in holiness of life. Leave judgment to the Lord.

The message of the day is not a timetable for disaster. Our message is about happiness while we are living our lives on earth. We do that by putting our faith and hope in Jesus. By anchoring ourselves to Christ in these end times, we can turn a crisis into opportunity.

As we come forward to receive communion, let us take into our hands the anchor of our faith…the body of Christ. It will enable us to endure in hope until the end of time…whenever that may be (524 Words).

Malachi 3:19-20
For lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble, And the day that is coming will set them on fire, leaving them neither root nor branch, says the LORD of hosts. But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays; And you will gambol like calves out of the stall

2 Thessalonians 3:7-12
For you know how one must imitate us. For we did not act in a disorderly way among you, nor did we eat food received free from anyone. On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked, so as not to burden any of you. Not that we do not have the right. Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you, so that you might imitate us. In fact, when we were with you, we instructed you that if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat. We hear that some are conducting themselves among you in a disorderly way, by not keeping busy but minding the business of others. Such people we instruct and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and to eat their own food.

Luke 21:5-19
While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, he said, "All that you see here--the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down." Then they asked him, "Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?" He answered, "See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and 'The time has come.' Do not follow them! When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end." Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky. "Before all this happens, however, they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.

Announcements: 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

2010-11-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Gospel: Resurrection gives us hope for life after death. Please see the Homily and readings below.

Gray Water System: The gray water system has been repaired. Check out the story and pictures on www.holyrosaryalaska.org. Thank you JD Bennis for donating your time and talent. While the heavy equipment was being unloaded, Jerry, a neighbor, come by with his dog to apply for some work. We hired him on the spot.

Children’s nativity Narrative: During the homily this Christmas, children will be acting out the nativity. If your children would like to have a part, i.e. shepherd, angel, wise man, Mary, or Joseph, please contact Bernina, Angie, or Diana.

First Communion: May 22nd, 2011, will be a First Communion Mass. If you have a child six years or older please let me know so I can start training. We already have three children signed up.

Have a great week and see you Sunday…Fr. Scott

HOMILY
32nd Ord C DLG 2010 Heaven 2 Mac 7: 1-2, 9-14; 2 Thes 2:16 – 3:5; Luke 20:27-38

What happens when we die?
The Sadducees believed that when you died, that was it…blackness….A kind of hell. We believe that Hell awaits those who do not have a friendship with God, do not believe in God, and condemn the Holy Spirit.

In the Gospel, Jesus makes it clear that there is life after death. Jesus believes in the resurrection. In the gospel Jesus says, “Resurrection is not the continuation of this life, but its complete transformation by the living God.

When we die, Catholics believe that living a Christian life insures that our soul will go to purgatory. Purgatory, according to the Catechism says, “Those who die in the state of friendship with God but are not fully purified, are assured of their eternal salvation. However, they must undergo a final purification to obtain the perfection of love and holiness needed to enter heaven.” In other words, everyone will spend time in purgatory, some longer than others.

When Jesus comes to earth for the second time, our Creed tells us, He will come again to judge the living and the dead.” The last line says, “We look for the resurrection of the dead.”

All the dead will rise when Jesus comes again to judge the living and the dead. In the final resurrection, our bodies will be transformed, though we do not know precisely how. The manner of our resurrection exceeds our understanding and imagination and is accessible only to our faith.

What is Heaven like?
The Church teaches that, “Heaven is the ultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest human longings, the stat of supreme, definitive happiness. There will be perfect communion with the Holy Trinity, the Blessed Mother, the angels, and saints.”

We do not really know what heaven will be like…it is beyond our human imagination. Many scholars have tried to describe it;

1. The physical body will be replaced by one that cannot decay…it will last forever. So, a main reason to marry is to raise children…to keep the Christians from dying off. In heaven, no one dies…so getting married and having children is not necessary.

2. Relationships will exist. We will probably be reunited with people who we knew on earth. However, there are new relationships in heaven. We will be united with countless brothers and sisters in Christ. Something we can never achieve on earth.

3. We will be like angels, says Jesus. That means that we will probably have a different kind of body, real, and recognizable, yet not restricted as it is now. Paul says it best in the second reading today, “the future is bright, real, and fulfilling, however tough life is now.”

So when we think about your own death or grieve over those loved ones who have died, let these readings today give you hope.

The resurrection of Jesus assures us that death is not the end of existence…a dark nothing. Have hope that when our loved ones die, or when we die, our resurrected life will be qualitatively better than life on earth; our bodies will never die, and our relationships will be transformed.

Let this hope of resurrection provide comfort and strength to face the difficulties of life and the loss of people we love (539 Words).

2 Maccabees 7: 1-2, 9-14
It also happened that seven brothers with their mother were arrested and tortured with whips and scourges by the king, to force them to eat pork in violation of God's law. One of the brothers, speaking for the others, said: "What do you expect to achieve by questioning us? We are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors." At the point of death he said: "You accursed fiend, you are depriving us of this present life, but the King of the world will raise us up to live again forever. It is for his laws that we are dying." After him the third suffered their cruel sport. He put out his tongue at once when told to do so, and bravely held out his hands, as he spoke these noble words: "It was from Heaven that I received these; for the sake of his laws I disdain them; from him I hope to receive them again." Even the king and his attendants marveled at the young man's courage, because he regarded his sufferings as nothing. After he had died, they tortured and maltreated the fourth brother in the same way. When he was near death, he said, "It is my choice to die at the hands of men with the God-given hope of being restored to life by him; but for you, there will be no resurrection to life."

2 Thessalonians 2:16 – 3:5;
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement and good hope through his grace, encourage your hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word. Finally, brothers, pray for us, so that the word of the Lord may speed forward and be glorified, as it did among you, and that we may be delivered from perverse and wicked people, for not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. We are confident of you in the Lord that what we instruct you, you (both) are doing and will continue to do. May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the endurance of Christ.

Luke 20:27-38
“Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, came forward and put this question to him, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us, 'If someone's brother dies leaving a wife but no child, his brother must take the wife and raise up descendants for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married a woman but died childless. Then the second and the third married her, and likewise all the seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be? For all seven had been married to her. Jesus said to them, "The children of this age marry and remarry; but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise. That the dead will rise even Moses made known in the passage about the bush, when he called 'Lord' the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive."

Announcements: 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

2010-10-25T08:31:00.000-07:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Gospel: Zacchaeus, a man short in stature, climbed a tree to see Jesus. Please see the homily and readings below.

Nativity Play: This year during Mass at Christmas, Holy Rosary will have a Children’s Nativity play. Three people at Holy Rosary have volunteered to organize it. If you would like to be a part of this, please talk with Angie Venua, Bernina Venua, or Diana Swaim.

Calendars: The Catholic Extension 2011 Stewardship calendars this year have a picture of the mountains behind Dillingham, Alaska. I have ordered about 50 of these calendars and will offer them to the people in our mission. The front of these calendars list the Mass times and villages served in our mission. They will be available in a few weeks.

Villages served this Week: Tuesday of this week I was trying to fly to Ugashik and Pilot Point but had to turn around in Egegik because the fog closed in on me. I flew to Clarks Point on Friday, King Salmon/Naknek on Saturday, and back to Dillingham on Sunday.

Have a great week and see you Sunday…Fr. Scott

HOMILY
31 Ord C DLG 2007 Rich Official vs. Zacc, Wis 11:22—12:2; 2 Thess 1:11—2:2; Luke 19:1-10

The tax collector in the gospel, is short in stature. He reminds me a little of our own Pat Durbin.

I would like to compare and contrast two gospel stories. They are stories about rich people. They are stories about people like you and I.

One story is about a rich official (Luke 18: 18-23). He asked Jesus, “What shall I do to inherit eternal. Life?” “Keep the commandments,” said Jesus. “I have,” said the Rich Official. Then Jesus had said, “Sell what you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven.” The rich official balked…he could not do it. He went away sad.

One chapter later, is today’s gospel, Luke 19:1-10…The story of Zacchaeus climbing up the tree.

Similarities:
Rich Young Man and Zacchaeus
Both are very wealthy…have lots of money
Both looking for more in life
Money has not brought them happiness/Peace

Differences (Rich Official)
Kept commandments from his youth
Considered a Son of Abraham
Responds with Sadness to sell and give to poor
Wealth more important than following Jesus
Did not answer the call from Jesus
Result: Chose wealth over God
Result: Cannot find happiness and peace
Result: Did not realize faith in God was better
Result: Cannot experience fullness of God’s love
Result: Chose not to change while visiting Jesus

Differences (Zacchaeus: The Tax collector)
Extorted taxes, outcast, hated by many
Not considered a son of Abraham
Was not a very religious person
Responds with joy to give to the poor
Following Jesus more important than wealth
Answered the call from Jesus
Result: Choose God over money
Result: Found happiness and peace
Result: Realized faith in God was better
Result: Can experience the fullness of God’s love
Result: Chose to change while visiting Jesus

Here are a few of my conclusions:

No matter what you have done in the past or who you are today, you can change for the better.

Jesus welcomes everyone, not just those who have been raised in the Church.

Every single person on earth has a chance at eternal life, happiness, and peace.

Choosing Christ is an everyday decision.

We all have something we need to change in our lives that will make us better Christians.

This week, like little Zacchaeus, I want all of you to make a change for the better. If Jesus were to come to your house today, what would you change (410 Words)?

Wisdom 11:22—12:2
Indeed, before you the whole universe is as a grain from a balance, or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth. But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things; and you overlook the sins of men that they may repent. For you love all things that are and loathe nothing that you have made; for what you hated, you would not have fashioned. And how could a thing remain, unless you willed it; or be preserved, had it not been called forth by you? But you spare all things, because they are yours, O LORD and lover of souls, for your imperishable spirit is in all things! Therefore you rebuke offenders little by little, warn them, and remind them of the sins they are committing, that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O LORD!

2 Thessalonians 1:11—2:2
To this end, we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith, that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ. We ask you, brothers, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling with him, not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly, or to be alarmed either by a "spirit," or by an oral statement, or by a letter allegedly from us to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand.

Luke 19:1-10
He came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house." And he came down quickly and received him with joy. When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner." But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost."

Announcements:L 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

2010-10-18T07:50:00.000-07:00

Dear Holy Rosary Alaska Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Congratulations: Congrats to Pat Shryock from Naknek, Alaska. The 16 year old flew solo in their Cessna 172, Thursday, October 14, 2010, at South Naknek. Pat actually flew solo in the airplane before receiving his drivers license. After Mass Sunday I asked the young aviator about his first solo flight. The young Pat said, “I was REALLY excited.”

Gospel: The Gospel this week asks us to ground ourselves. Grounding makes us humble. The arrogant Pharisees need to be grounded. (Please see homily and readings below).

Potluck: The potluck will be Sunday, October 31, not Sunday October 24. Please bring your favorite dish and join in a good time after Mass, downstairs, at Holy Rosary Parish.

Confirmation: If you know of anyone between the ages of 10 and 100, who are baptized Catholic yet have not been confirmed, please let me know.

First Communion: A first communion celebration will be Sunday, May 22, 2010. If you know any children who are six or seven years old and have not had First Communion, please let me know.

Have a fantastic week and see you Sunday, Fr. Scott

HOMILY: 30Ord C DLG, 2010, Grounded, Sir35:12-14,16-18;2Tim4:6-8,16-18;Lk18:9-14

Have you ever been grounded as a child? It’s not fun…no phone, no internet, can’t drive the car, can’t go out with your friends…etc. A teenager is basically shut down from the most important thing in their life at the time…friends and socializing.

We are grounded for a reason. The reason is, we start to act like the Pharisee does in the gospel. Being grounded equates to doing something that is a bit out of the ordinary. Doing something that is not good, such as being reckless, immature, or immoral. In the Pharisees case, he was arrogant. The Pharisee needed to be grounded.

The Pharisee was a successful person but he let it go to his head. He made himself feel important by putting others down. In prayer, he reminded God just how great he was compared to others. He trusts too much in himself and very little in God.

In football, intentional grounding is when the quarterback goes back to through a pass, can’t find a receiver, and throws the ball into the ground. A well grounded person is someone who has a firm foundation. A pilot who has poor vision can be grounded, meaning they cannot fly anymore.

Believe it our not, grounding means to be humble. From Humility comes the Latin word humas, meaning “close to the earth.”

For example, the tax collector in the gospel lived close to the earth. As a result, he was open to conversion and being lifted up by God. The Pharisee was far from the ground. He was so far from the earth that he was closed of from conversion. He had an attitude sickness from taking the high moral ground.

Most of us find ourselves somewhere between the grounded tax collector and the highflying Pharisee. Being humble is the best way to be. Here is what being humble means:

A humble person does not think he or she is better than someone else. A humble person does not try to look better than someone by putting others down. A humble person honors others by sharing their gifts. This enables others people to benefit from the goodness of God.

The best way to ensure that we remain humble is to be grounded in reality like the tax collector. Here is how to do that.

Be open to people in your life who make demands on you. They might be economically disadvantaged, disabled, elderly, or sick. It is not necessarily easy to be with them, but that is the point.

Our response to these friends makes us grounded, draws out gifts we sometimes did not even know we had. At the very least, our response to these friends reminds us how grateful we should be for the gifts we have received. Others can tell a lot about us by the company we keep, and the people we shun.

I went to fill up our Cherokee Warrior II with 100LL at ACS in Dillingham this week. I started to fill the tank and stopped. I forgot to ground the plane first.

Don’t forget to ground yourselves before every week. The Body and Blood of Christ does just that. As you come forward for communion today think of how the Eucharist will help humble us so we can use our gifts and talents to help others.

By remaining humble, we can expect to be filled with life and life abundantly. So, here is a direct order…you are all grounded for life (577 Words).

Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18;
For he is a God of justice, who knows no favorites. Though not unduly partial toward the weak, yet he hears the cry of the oppressed. He is not deaf to the wail of the orphan, nor to the widow when she pours out her complaint; He who serves God willingly is heard; his petition reaches the heavens. The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it reaches its goal, Nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds, judges justly and affirms the right.

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18;
For I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance. At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was rescued from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Luke 18:9-14
He then addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. "Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, 'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity--greedy, dishonest, adulterous--or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.' But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.' I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

Annoucements: 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

2010-10-11T09:26:00.000-07:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Gospel: The readings this Sunday are about being persistent. Be persistent not only in bettering yourself, but also in prayer. Please see the homily and readings below.

Potluck: The next potluck after Mass will be October 31, the last Sunday of the month. All are invited and welcome to stay after Mass for fellowship and food. Bring your favorite dish if you can.

Flying: Last week I was able to fly to Clarks Point, Igiugig, and King Salmon. I was also in Anchorage for three days.

Here are a couple pictures from may flight to Clarks Point this week. Fall is certainly here.

New Missal: I have some great information about the new missal.

Here is the first of several lesions about the new Roman Missal, which will be used next year for Advent, i.e. 2011

New Roman Missal Information:

Lesson 1 – The new Roman Missal will have biblical roots

 The texts will express more clearly why we pray, why we hope, and how we present ourselves to God
 This will create a greater connection of the Missal to the Lectionary
 The prayers will express more nuances of meaning, reflecting a more extensive meaning and depth of the original Latin texts
 The style will be more formal than ordinary conversation
 The new translation will add a freshness to the sound of the Missal while avoiding needless repetition of well-worn words
 This translation brings us into closer alignment with other languages translation (French, German, Spanish, etc.) throughout the world.

Have a fantastic week and see you Sunday, Fr. Scott

Homily, 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
Persistence, Exodus 17:8-13; 2 Timothy 3:14—4:2; Luke 18:1-8

When I was looking for part time work during High School, I took some advice from my next-door neighbor, Buck Dyer. He said, “Scott, if you want to get a job, you have to be persistent.” So, I set my sights high…a box boy at Wagner’s Grocery Store. Then I made a plan. First, I learned that the manager’s name was Ron Lakey. Next, I visited Wagner’s everyday. I would walk right up to Mr. Laky’s office, knock on the door, and ask for a job. The fifth time Mr. Laky said, “Well Scott, I can see that I am not going to get rid of you, so…I might as well hire you.” I was overwhelmed with joy. I never gave Mr. Laky a reason to regret his decision to hire me. Persistence pays.

In the Gospel, the old widow was persistent, and it paid. She believed strongly about getting a just decision. After a while, the widow’s determination moved the corrupt judge to say, “Lady, I shall deliver a just decision for you, lest you finally come and strike me.”

In the first reading, when Moses raised his hands in the air, the Israelites fought better. When he lowered them, Amalek got the better of the fight.

So Moses had to be persistent in keeping his hands up. Ever held your hands up for any length of time…they get really tired. So, what happened? Moses’ arms began to get tired. Some of his warriors kept propping them back up again. The warriors saw Moses’ risen hands as a sign of never ending prayer to God. That motivated them to win the battle. Once again, persistence pays.

Jesus wants us to be persistent in prayer. What counts is not the length or quality of our prayer. What counts is that we are persistent. Start out small with maybe one Hail Mary or one our Father…but say it everyday. Then let God help you expand at your own pace. The result: Prayer keeps us centered on Christ and brings peace to our chaotic lives.

Mr. Laky put his trust in me and hired me at the grocery store because I was persistent. When we are unrelenting and determined like that old widow, even a corrupt judge may learn to trust us and take our good advice.

Normally, being persistent applies when we want to excel in school sports, get good grades, or land that perfect Job.

But it also applies to our spiritual lives. Jesus begs us to be persistent in our spiritual lives. For example, persistence in pursuing fairness will bring about justice. In struggling with our sins, persistence enables us to become holier people.

Persistence in praying to God does not necessarily change God. It changes us! Some think that prayer changes God’s mind; he then intervenes, and makes something good happen. That might be true, but here is a spiritually healthier way to think.

Persistence in prayer changes us. Prayer such as Fasting, abstinence, pilgrimages, and retreats change us. They make us more open to what God is really trying to tell us. We can then work with God to make good things happen.

So, keep those arms elevated in prayer. Then, take it from the Old Widow…be persistence, it pays (543 Words)!

Exodus 17:8-13 - At Rephidim, Amalek came and waged war against Israel. Moses, therefore, said to Joshua, "Pick out certain men, and tomorrow go out and engage Amalek in battle. I will be standing on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand." So Joshua did as Moses told him: he engaged Amalek in battle after Moses had climbed to the top of the hill with Aaron and Hur. As long as Moses kept his hands raised up, Israel had the better of the fight, but when he let his hands rest, Amalek had the better of the fight. Moses' hands, however, grew tired; so they put a rock in place for him to sit on. Meanwhile Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other, so that his hands remained steady till sunset. And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

2 Timothy 3:14—4:2 - But you, remain faithful to what you have learned and believed, because you know from whom you learned it, and that from infancy you have known (the) sacred scriptures, which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work. I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power: proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.

Luke 18:1-8 - Then he told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, "There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, 'Render a just decision for me against my adversary.' For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, 'While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.'" The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

Announcements: 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

2010-10-04T08:54:00.000-07:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Prayers: Please keep the Belleque family in your prayers. Johanna’s mom died Friday, October 1st in Koliganek, Alaska.

Gospel: The gospel is about getting second chances in our lives. Please see readings and homily below.

Anchorage Visit: I will be going to Anchorage this Tuesday through Thursday to participate in the pastoral day (learn about the New Missal) and to train in the canon law tribunal.

Thank you: Thank you to Katelyn Swaim (daughter of Michael and Diana) for making and coloring the North Star for the Christmas Eve Homily. At that time the children will be helping put together a Nativity puzzle.

Gray Water Problem: We are still waiting for the metal to arrive on the barge so Osborn tanks can make the 1000 gallon tank for our Gray water drainage. We plan to make the tank with holes in it and Jackson McCormick is going to make a drain system for the tank.

Have a blessed week and see you Sunday...Fr. Scott

HOMILY
28 Ord C DLG 2010, Metanoia, 2 Kings 5:14-17; 2 Timothy 2:8-13; Luke 17:11-19

In the gospel, the story of the one leper who returned is about second chances. If it is God’s will that you be cured you get a second chance.

Second chances in life are numerous. We are always getting second chances. I have had so many second chances I have lost track of them all.

The second chances that counted most to me were the second chances at life. I could have died several times in my life but was given a second chance.

When I was about seven years old, I almost drowned in a swimming pool. I got in over my head and couldn’t swim. An old lady about 79 years old, saw me struggling for air, waded over to me, and pulled me out.

A couple years later, after I learned how swim, I was swimming in the river…my dad’s Labrador Spike wanted to play. He swam out to me and started jumping on top of me.

Driving from Anchorage to Fairbanks I rolled my friends Jeep near Nenana. We hit a snowdrift. We rolled four times and landed upside down. It was 40 below zero outside. I got a second chance.

We have all dealt with life and death. The lepers were in that same situation…they were all cured…they all had a second chance at life.

What become important to them after they were cured? Starting a new life believing in Christ or The lepers could have started a whole new life believing in Christ, or getting back to the life the way it was.

Ultimately, the story of the leper is about seizing or not seizing second chances. How do you react when you have a scare in life? How do you react when it turns out OK? Getting a second chance to nine of the lepers meant going back to the same old way of life. Sure, they were happy at first. Sure they were grateful for a little while…but how soon they forgot.

Only one came back to show his gratitude. Only the Samaritan came back. Only the Samaritan wanted to start a new and better life following Jesus. Only the one Samaritan leper seized the second chance.

The second chance for the Leper launched a new insight…a deep praise for God…a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus will sustain this grateful man for the rest of his life.

In the first reading from Kings, God gave Naaman a second chance. It changed his life.

After being cleaned of leprosy, Naaman said to the prophet Elisha, “I will no longer offer holocaust or sacrifice to any other god except to the Lord.”

For you and I, second chances don’t have to come from life and death situations.

We may get a second chance to repair a hurt relationship. We might get a second chance to give back something we took that was not ours. We may get a second chance to tell the truth to someone we lied to. Take that that second chance.

Like the one leper, when we take that second chance we experience Metanoia. Metanoia is a Greek word meaning: conversion and the continual life of inner change and growth. The next time you get a second chance…seize it. Experience Metanoia. Grow closer to Jesus because of it, be grateful to God for it, and enliven the Holy Spirit to help you (561 Words).

2 Kings 5:14-17 - So Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times at the word of the man of God. His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. He returned with his whole retinue to the man of God. On his arrival he stood before him and said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel. Please accept a gift from your servant." "As the LORD lives whom I serve, I will not take it," Elisha replied; and despite Naaman's urging, he still refused. Naaman said: "If you will not accept, please let me, your servant, have two mule-loads of earth, for I will no longer offer holocaust or sacrifice to any other god except to the LORD.

2 Timothy 2:8-13 - Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David: such is my gospel, for which I am suffering, even to the point of chains, like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. Therefore, I bear with everything for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, together with eternal glory. This saying is trustworthy: If we have died with him we shall also live with him; if we persevere we shall also reign with him. But if we deny him he will deny us. If we are unfaithful he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself.

Luke 17:11-19 - As he continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met (him). They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying, "Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!" And when he saw them, he said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, "Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?" Then he said to him, "Stand up and go; your faith has saved you."

Announcements: 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

2010-09-27T07:12:00.000-07:00

Dear Holy Rosary Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Revised Missal: Starting in Advent 2011, the New Roman Missal will be used. That will give us a year to get use to the idea and to learn about the changes. The changes are a better English interpretation of the original scriptures. Here are a few of the changes:

Greeting, Sign of Peace
Present wording: The Lord be with you. And also with you

New wording: The Lord be with you. And with your spirit.

Creed
Present wording: We believe in one God…

New wording: I believe in one God…

Gloria
Present wording: Glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth.

New Wording: Glory to God in the highest4, and on earth peace to people of good will.

Sanctus
Present wording: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might…

New wording: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts…

Mystery of Faith form A
Present wording: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

New wording: We proclaim you death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.

Anchorage Trip: Speaking of the New Missal, I will be in Anchorage Tuesday – Thursday to learn about the new Roman Missal and to start learning how to be a judge in the Marriage Tribunal.

Gospel: One of the messages that comes from the readings this week is Faith. Please see the homily and readings below.

Baptism: Here are a couple pictures of our newest member to the Catholic Church, Blake Ashton Turnbull. He was baptized Sep 26, 2010.

Prayers: Please keep Archbishop Hurley and Father Dick Tero in your prayers. Archbishop Hurly will be having heart surgery today, Sep 27, 2010 and Father Tero had heart surgery two days ago.

Wild flowers: The Tennyson’s planted wild flowers on the grave of William Tennyson. This picture was taken last week.

Have a great week and see you Sunday, weather permitting! Fr. Scott

HOMILY and READINGS
27 Ord C DLG 2007, Habakkuk 1:2-3&2:2-4; 2 Timothy 1:6-8&13-14; Luke 17:5-10

Habakkuk tells us the just man, because of his faith, shall live. Timothy asks to take listen to his words and have faith they are true. In the gospel Jesus says, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to (this) mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.”

A mustard seed is very small. Take a look at this seed. You can’t even see it. Faith this size can change our lives.

Faith is something totally spiritual, it’s not physical or social, or psychological. We cannot see or feel it. Faith breaches the separation between the earth and heaven. It is a way humans comprehend those things which we cannot explain.

Take the Eucharist for example. We believe that a priest, with the help of the Holy Spirit can change the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. We believe in this, have faith in this, and therefore it is a spiritual truth.

When so many of God’s children have faith in something for two thousand years and believe it to be true, then the only explanation is that it is the truth. Our faith caused it to be true.

Abraham, in Hebrews defines faith like this, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Catechism 146).

Our Catechism states that, Faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in God and all that God has said and revealed to us, because God is truth itself (Catechism 1814).

Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to people. Can we lose our faith? St. Paul indicated to Timothy that we can. Paul says, "Wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting conscience, certain persons have made a shipwreck of their faith” (Catechism 162).

How do we live, grow and persevere in the faith until the end: nourish your faith with the word of God; in prayer, ask the Lord to increase your faith; True faith must be working through charity, abounding in hope, and rooted in the Church (Catechism 162).

Personally, I have faith that there is life after death. I have faith that God is a loving God. I have faith that the Eucharist is truly changed into the body and blood of Christ and strengthens us to be loving Christians. I have faith that the Holy Spirit lives within us. I have faith that the Catholic Church, through the seven sacraments, offers the best way to prepare us to meet God. I have faith that strong faith can quiet a storm (440 Words).

Habakkuk 1:2-3&2:2-4
How long, O LORD? I cry for help but you do not listen! I cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not intervene. Why do you let me see ruin; why must I look at misery? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and clamorous discord. Then the LORD answered me and said: Write down the vision Clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily. For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; If it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late. The rash man has no integrity; but the just man, because of his faith, shall live. Wealth, too, is treacherous: the proud, unstable man--

2 Timothy 1:6-8&13-14
For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God. Take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard this rich trust with the help of the holy Spirit that dwells within us.

Luke 17:5-10
And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to (this) mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. "Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here immediately and take your place at table'? Would he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished'? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'"

Announcements: 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

2010-09-20T08:40:00.000-07:00

Dear Holy Rosary Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Bible Study: This Sunday before Mass, starting at 11:30 AM, Spruce Lynch will lead a bible study on the Sunday readings. All are welcome to participate in this spiritually rewarding and enlightening event.

Gospel: The rich man and Lazarus are in the spot light this Sunday. The message is about living our lives on earth. Do we live our lives as if there were no life after death? Or do we live our lives like there is an after-life? Please see homily below.

Thank you: Thanx to Pat Durbin for mowing the cemetery and for lining up people to fix our septic system. We are going to have a steal 1000 gallon tank made here in Dillingham by Osborne Tank with holes in it and have it buried by Jackson McCormick on the East side of the rectory. The rectory basement washer and utility sink and the upstairs kitchen sink will drain into this gray water/leach field system.

Rosary: Letters recently went out to those Archdiocesan Anchorage parishes who donate to our fuel fund. Please join us after Mass the first Sunday of every month to pray for these generous parishes.

Potluck: Our next potluck will be the last Sunday in October.

Have a fantastic week and see you Sunday…Fr. Scott

HOMILY

26 Ord C DLG 2007, After-life, Amos 6: 1 & 4-7; 1 Timothy 6:11-16; Luke16: 19-31

Back in the days of Christ, many people believed things like (1) there is no way that the way I live my life today will affect what will happen after I die; (2) There is neither reward or punishment in the after-life; (3) At death, everyone, good or bad, went to Sheol or Hades, the shadowy underworld of the dead.

In AD 507, Pope Gregory the Great sent missionaries to England to convert the Angles and Saxons there. The missionaries taught about the hope of an after-life…a better life after death.

After hearing this gospel message from the missionaries, King Edwin of Northumbria got together all his noblemen and discussed after-life.

One noblemen said this: “It seems to me your majesty,” he said, “that our human life is like a banquet hall. You are sitting at table feasting, with the warm fire blazing in the hearth, while outside the wintry storm rages. A sparrow enters through a window, flies the length of the hall, enjoying the light and the warmth, and then flies out back into the cold wintry darkness from which it came.” The noblemen continues, “So with us, at birth we emerge from who knows where, and for a short time we live here on earth, with its light and comfort, but then we fly out back into the darkness. We know nothing of what went before and what comes after.”

He concluded his remarks with this, “If this new teaching about having a better life after death can lighten the darkness for us, let us follow it.”

The rich man in gospel this Sunday had no interest in the after-life. He lived for the moment. His motto was “eat, drink, and be merry…all the time.” He had an attitude like this, “I want to get the most out of life for myself because when I am dead, I am dead.”

The rich man in the gospel would fit right in our 21st century culture…a culture of materialism…a culture that defines people by how much they earn, or consume, or spend.

The rich man Knew who Lazarus was. We know this because he recognizes Lazarus when he was standing at the gates of hell. He even calls him by name. But on earth, he simply does not care about him. He is totally caught up in his own pleasures. He does not harm Lazarus and is not violent or abusive to him. He simply ignores him.

Here are the messages that Jesus wants us to hear: (1) Actions in this life have meaning, significance, and lasting consequences in the after-life. (2) We now have a choice, we can either believe that there is not an after life and live like the Rich man or we can believe this new message from Moses and the prophets, there is an after-life.

To me, to reduce life to physical pleasure and consumerism is to live a life of poverty. To live only for self, and purely for this life, is to cheapen what it means to be human. That is why I became a priest…found a vocation. Because I was living a single life only for myself…I made money, I spent it on myself, I made more money. What fun!

I am here to tell you that being truly human means living with a commitment to, and concern for, one’s fellow human beings. Choose the new message! The new message reveals the true meaning of life: That is, loving thy neighbor leads to a fuller and more satisfying experience of life in the here and now, as well as in the life to come (603 Words).

Amos 6: 1 & 4-7
Woe to the complacent in Zion, to the overconfident on the mount of Samaria, Leaders of a nation favored from the first, to whom the people of Israel have recourse! Lying upon beds of ivory, stretched comfortably on their couches, They eat lambs taken from the flock, and calves from the stall! Improvising to the music of the harp, like David, they devise their own accompaniment. They drink wine from bowls and anoint themselves with the best oils; yet they are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph! Therefore, now they shall be the first to go into exile, and their wanton revelry shall be done away with.

1 Timothy 6:11-16
But you, man of God, avoid all this. Instead, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses.
I charge (you) before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate for the noble confession, to keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ that the blessed and only ruler will make manifest at the proper time, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, and whom no human being has seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal power. Amen.

Luke16: 19-31
"There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man's table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.' Abraham replied, 'My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.' He said, 'Then I beg you, father, send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.' But Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.' He said, 'Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' Then Abraham said, 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.'"

Announcements: 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

2010-09-13T07:52:00.000-07:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Gospel: In the Gospel, Luke uses and allegory. It is still a bit difficult to understand. Please see the Homily below for an explanation of the Master and the Steward.

Thank you: Thanx to all those who have helped to keep Holy Rosary looking beautiful. Especially the two Pat’s for mowing the church lawn and cemetery.

Septic Tank: We are looking for someone with some heavy equipment to dig out a leach field or a hole large enough for a 1000 gallon tank. If you can help, please let us know. 842-5581

Fr. Tom Lilly’s Visit: Fr. Tom and I have flown to Clarks Point for Mass, to the mountain where Fr. Kelly crashed, to the crash site of Senator Stevens, to New Stuyahok, and Levelock. We were going to both fly to King Salmon but fog stopped us. We decided to divide and conquer. Fr. Tom stayed in Dillingham and after the fog lifted I flew to King Salmon. Sunday morning the fog was back with a vengeance. Thanks to Father Tom, I celebrated mass at Saint Theresa in King Salmon while Fr. Tom celebrated mass at Holy Rosary in Dillingham.

We held up in Levelock waiting for the fog at King Salmon to lift. After a couple hours of waiting we decided to fly back to Dillingham.

In Clarks Point, Fr. Tom holds baby Jack, the next baby slated for baptism.

Have a fantastic week and enjoy the sun, or should I say Son. Fr. Scott

HOMILY

25th Ord C DLG 2007 Aspire, Amos 8:4-7; 1 Tim 2:1-8; Luke 16:1-13

An Allegory has a hidden spiritual meaning. It transcends the literal sense of a sacred text. It’s a story that represents something else. In the case of the Gospel, Jesus uses an allegory. He tells us a story of deceitful business practices of a dishonest steward to make a point about the reign of God.

During the time of Jesus there were rich masters and the poor stewards. Masters made daily payments to their stewards, provided them with housing, built temples for them, and fed them. In return, the stewards were indebted to them.

The steward in the gospel was lazy. He was totally dependent on his rich master. He was dishonest when reducing the loans of the master’s debtors, the merchants.

So, the master fires the steward and the steward gets worried and takes action. He secured a new role for himself. By decreasing those merchant’s loans, the steward became their new master.

Believe it or not, in those days, this was common practice. The steward was trying to survive in a world full of corruption, deceit, and dishonesty.

But Jesus meant the immoral business story to represent something else…something heavenly, something that transcends mere earthly practices.

The steward had a conversion. He becomes astute rather than becoming more fraudulent.

The steward was quick thinking. He was realistic in assessing his situation. He was resourceful in acting to secure his future. At times he needed a sharp, quick, and ingenious response to survive.
Here is the allegory. The gospel demands a similarly sharp response. We are desperate people. We are all urgently in need of God’s grace. God is calling us to be more than stewards, but masters!

A master or patron is a person chosen by God to be a special protector of God’s people, a guardian of our beliefs and faith, and a supporter of good.

To secure our future…our life living with God forever, we must be quick thinking…for example, deciding without hesitation to do the right thing, the good thing, and the just thing.

We must be creative…thinking of new ways to incorporate God into our lives…like praying every day and asking the Holy Spirit to guide our relationships.

We must be resourceful…be good stewards…good managers of our time, our resources, our food.
We must be realistic. We must realize that we are totally dependant on God for everything.

The message here is this: Put that energy, devotion, and money, those cunning actions…those things you use when dealing with business and money and material things…put that energy into securing your future with God.

Be wise and moral rather than fraudulent and deceitful. We too are often lazy servants needing to be needled into doing the right thing, converting, or taking that next leap of faith (460 Words).

Amos 8:4-7
Hear this, you who trample upon the needy and destroy the poor of the land! "When will the new moon be over," you ask, "that we may sell our grain, and the Sabbath, that we may display the wheat? We will diminish the ephah, add to the shekel, and fix our scales for cheating! We will buy the lowly man for silver, and the poor man for a pair of sandals; even the refuse of the wheat we will sell!" The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob: Never will I forget a thing they have done!

1 Timothy 2:1-8
First of all, then, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity. This is good and pleasing to God our savior, who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth. For there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself as ransom for all. This was the testimony at the proper time. For this I was appointed preacher and apostle (I am speaking the truth, I am not lying), teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. It is my wish, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or argument.

Luke 16: 1-13,
Then he also said to his disciples, "A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property. He summoned him and said, 'What is this I hear about you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward.' The steward said to himself, 'what shall I do, now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me? I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do so that, when I am removed from the stewardship, they may welcome me into their homes.' He called in his master's debtors one by one. To the first he said, 'How much do you owe my master?' He replied, 'One hundred measures of olive oil.' He said to him, 'Here is your promissory note. Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.' Then to another he said, 'And you, how much do you owe?' He replied, 'One hundred kors of wheat.' He said to him, 'Here is your promissory note; write one for eighty.' And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently. "For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones. If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours? No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."

Announcements: 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

2010-09-06T07:37:00.000-07:00

Dear Holy Rosary Mission Parishioners, here are a few announcements:

Potluck for Father Tom: There will be a potluck this Sunday after Mass. We will welcome Father Tom Lilly, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Anne Seaton in Anchorage. Fr. Tom and I went to the Seminary together and were ordained on the same day. Please bring your favorite dish

Gospel: The Prodigal Son is a favorite gospel of many people. Please see the Homily and readings below.

Priest Retreat: Tuesday through Thursday I will be on a priest retreat at the Holy Spirit Retreat House in Anchorage for our yearly priest retreat. Father Tom and I will return Thursday evening.

Repair Underway: A leak in the basement of the rectory has motivated myself and Pat Durbin to dig a hole to investigate. We are still digging and have not found the leak.

Catholic Anchor: Please read the article in the Catholic Anchor this month. After Joel Davidson spent a few days here and after he interviewed a few of our parishioners, he wrote a very good article. Also in that addition is a story about First Communion that hints that children should be entitled to the Eucharist, not necessarily at age seven, but when they are ready. A picture of the inside of Holy Rosary is also in the Article by Father Mike Shields. Thank you Joel for the great coverage!

Youth Group Lawn: The youth group from Saint Benedict and SEAS in Anchorage re-planted the lawn at our Dillingham Library. It is coming along nicely!

Have a fantastic week and see you Sunday! Fr. Scott

HOMILY
24 Ord C DLG 2010 Es 32:7-11&13-14;1 Tim 1:12-17;Luke 15:1-32

Although my biological father and I were not close, after he and my mother divorced he visited me a couple times throughout my childhood. One of the things he shared with me was his favorite gospel passage, The Prodigal Son.

The reason the prodigal son gospel is so popular is because most of us can relate to one of the characters…whether you are a male or female.

If you see the famous picture of the Prodigal son painted by Rembrandt, the two brothers, which could be two sisters, are not alike at all. There is a silent woman in the background. There is the father. There is a man standing off to the side. He could be a favorite relative. The picture shows a father forgiving his wayward son…But it shows much more than that.

The son who stayed home acted like he was better than everyone else. He did everything right, even though he was not happy. He was uptight and on edge. Bottom line, he was rich because the father was eventually going to give everything to him. But get this, he was rich, but not happy.

I think everyone here can relate to the prodigal son. You also probably know someone in your family who is lost and is a black sheep. You know, that person we keep praying for.

We reel him or her in closer to the light, but they run off again. We tighten up the drag and reel again. This time they don’t run so for. We have patience like the Father in the story. We hope, we pray like the woman in the background. We pray that the person will straighten up and return home.

I can relate to both the good son and the prodigal son. I never got in trouble much. I minded my parents, most of the time. But I did distance myself from God. I drank, partied, and was hoping to make millions of dollars. I was a lost sheep. Jesus found me and forgave me. He continues to forgive me when I am sorry and ask to be forgiven. If I stray far, I know Jesus will welcome me back.

Forgiveness goes far in God’s eyes. The father in the story of the Prodigal son is like our heavenly Father. He patiently waits for us to come home.

The father looks out the window and sees his son coming home. He was looking out there every chance he had. He leapt for joy when his sinful black sheep of a son returned home. He had a grand celebration. The same thing is true when one of ours returns home, Jesus celebrates.

The lady in the story reminds us of the importance of patience, prayer, and persistence. She is ponders everything in her heart. She is pray that her family is reconciled. She never gives up.

The story of the prodigal son is about the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Being forgiven by Jesus. Dying and rising to new life. Straying from the flock and returning, being welcomed back with open arms.

I ask you to think about this gospel. Which character can you relate to? What might you do to be embraced more fully by God’s love. What can you do to help others come home? Would you react like the father in the story (548 Words)?

Exodus 32:7-11&13-14 - With that, the LORD said to Moses, "Go down at once to your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, for they have become depraved. They have soon turned aside from the way I pointed out to them, making for themselves a molten calf and worshiping it, sacrificing to it and crying out, 'This is your God, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!' I see how stiff-necked this people is," continued the LORD to Moses. "Let me alone, then, that my wrath may blaze up against them to consume them. Then I will make of you a great nation." But Moses implored the LORD, his God, saying, "Why, O LORD, should your wrath blaze up against your own people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with such great power and with so strong a hand? Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, and how you swore to them by your own self, saying, 'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky; and all this land that I promised, I will give your descendants as their perpetual heritage.'" So the LORD relented in the punishment he had threatened to inflict on his people.

1 Timothy 1:12-17 - I am grateful to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me trustworthy in appointing me to the ministry. I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and an arrogant man, but I have been mercifully treated because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief. Indeed, the grace of our Lord has been abundant, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these I am the foremost. But for that reason I was mercifully treated, so that in me, as the foremost, Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life. To the king of ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only God, honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Luke 15:1-32 - The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to him, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." So to them he addressed this parable. "What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance. "Or what woman having ten coins and losing one would not light a lamp and sweep the house, searching carefully until she finds it? And when she does find it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.' In just the same way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Then he said, "A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.' So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, 'How many of my father's hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers."' So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.' But his father ordered his servants, 'Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.' Then the celebration began. Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, 'Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, 'Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.' He said to him, 'My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.'"