this prayer was sent to all claretians from our general goverment in rome…

O God, you are the source of all good.

We come to you to invoke your mercy.

You created the universe with harmony and beauty,

but we with our pride…

we have destroyed the course of Nature and caused an ecological crisis.

affecting our health

and the well-being of the human family.

For that, we ask your forgiveness.

O God, look mercifully on our condition

today as we are in the midst of a new viral epidemic.

Let us experience your Fatherly care again.

Restore the order and harmony of Nature

and recreate a new mind and heart in us.

so that we can take care of our earth

as faithful guardians.

O God, we entrust to you

all the sick and their families.

bring healing to their body, mind and spirit,

by letting them participate in your Son’s Paschal Mystery.

Help all members of our society

to carry out their task

and to strengthen the spirit of solidarity between them.

Support frontline doctors and health workers,

social workers and educators.

Come to the aid

of those who need resources

to safeguard their health.

We believe that it is You

who guide the course of human history

and that your love can change our fate for the better,

whatever our human condition.

Give a firm faith to all Christians,

so that even in the midst of fear and chaos

they can carry on the mission you have entrusted to them.

O God, bless our human family with abundance

and dispel all evil from us.

Deliver us from the epidemic that is striking us…

so that we may praise and thank you with a renewed heart.

Because You are the Author of Life,

and with Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in unity with the Holy Spirit,

live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

this worldwide coronavirus scare is a new lens to see the season of lent. the spiritual renewal inherent can help us to see one another, ourselves and the mystery of the cross differently. is suffering really redemptive? it is one thing to give intellectual assent to this religious construct; it is quite another thing to live through it day after day…

spring is almost here. do you like yardwork? who decides what makes a beautiful yard? can “weeds” be beautiful too?

at this weekend’s masses, the gospel reading was the transfiguration of jesus before his apostles. part of the story has a voice of the Father coming down from a cloud, “this is my beloved son… listen to him”. the first words from jesus after this are, “rise up; do not be afraid”. for christians, we share the power of jesus’ resurrection (and cross). with growing confidence in this grace, our fears diminish.

as our whole world deals with this coronavirus and responds as best we can, we need this message of courage. it is human nature to overreact and even at times panic. the spread of this virus will most likely turn into a pandemic and the experts say that a vaccine is over a year away. unfortunately, we will see more deaths

as we struggle together for the best responses to this public health threat, we need to pray the Spirit’s gifts on all those who are guiding us. everyone has a different role; we all need to be in harmony as much as possible. panic/chaos is the alternative.

“do not be afraid” is a test of our faith in God’s providential care during this trying time for the whole world

let us pray:

A Prayer Amid an Epidemic

Jesus Christ, you traveled through towns and villages “curing every disease and illness.” At your command, the sick were made well. Come to our aid now, in the midst of the global spread of the coronavirus, that we may experience your healing love. Heal those who are sick with the virus. May they regain their strength and health through quality medical care. Heal us from our fear, which prevents nations from working together and neighbors from helping one another. Heal us from our pride, which can make us claim invulnerability to a disease that knows no borders.

Jesus Christ, healer of all, stay by our side in this time of uncertainty and sorrow. Be with those who have died from the virus. May they be at rest with you in your eternal peace. Be with the families of those who are sick or have died. As they worry and grieve, defend them from illness and despair. May they know your peace.Be with the doctors, nurses, researchers and all medical professionals who seek to heal and help those affected and who put themselves at risk in the process.

May they know your protection and peace. Be with the leaders of all nations. Give them the foresight to act with charity and true concern for the well-being of the people they are meant to serve. Give them the wisdom to invest in long-term solutions that will help prepare for or prevent future outbreaks. May they know your peace, as they work together to achieve it on earth.

Whether we are home or abroad, surrounded by many people suffering from this illness or only a few, Jesus Christ, stay with us as we endure and mourn, persist and prepare. In place of our anxiety, give us your peace.

Jesus Christ, heal us.

By Kerry Weber America magazine

in 2015, I had the opportunity to see the holy land with our claretian bible pastoral ministry. during that time, i presided mass at the chapel of the transfiguration on mt. tabor. they claimed that it was the place where jesus was gracefully changed before peter james and john (mt 17: 1-9): jesus was the son of God and to listen to him. jesus’ message: rise, do not fear. this was jesus in his glory and these apostles received a glimpse of it. it gave them a taste of resurrection hope in their lives. it prepared them for their journey to follow and then be sent by jesus.

my prayer is that we all have the graces to move beyond our fears, listen to jesus’ message of selfless love and receive glimpses of resurrection hope in our life journey.

Being back in Seattle has given me a chance to play my guitar more. I have learned a number of new liturgical songs from Oregon Catholic Press. There are some wonderful new songs out there!

Also, getting into new percussion strumming beats as well as dabbling into the some slide blues acoustic…

Singing and playing the guitar are main ways that I pray these days.

As time goes on, the more important I believe the arts are to our joy and well being– in our world, faith and in my own personal life. Beauty shines through in creativity; the Spirit hovers in ways through art (pardon the pun) that are often mysterious

am i primarily a democrat, republican, green party, libertarian? or an i primarily a christian? these are questions we can ask ourselves as a gut check. how i self identify is a big part of how i guide my actions and words.

i started this blog because of my experience in 2016 on facebook. while there are many advantages to social media, there are many dark places there too. as a country, we have become more divided in great part because of the misuse of the internet/social media. critical thinking, ad hominem fallacies, self absorption, and mean-spiritedness can all flourish in social media. these all become more over-the-top in politics

we who proclaim to be christians ought to take greater pause in our judgments– especially in the political realm. how do we live out our faith and the basic tenets of who we are as followers of Jesus as we respond to the Holy Spirits promptings in the here and now?

for me, when things get murky in this complicated world of ours, i fall back on the basics: love God and neighbor. so i try to unpack the question: what is love in this particular context/situation?

our catholic teaching ought to help us love. stories of how jesus acted and what he taught help form my imagination. the good samaritan, the washing feet at the last supper and the final judgment (matthew 25: 31ff) help us see the inherent dignity in all people.

as i wrote in an earlier post, our catholic social teaching are a prime resource in how to love. ( http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catholic-social-teaching/seven-themes-of-catholic-social-teaching.cfm ). these have inspired me for many years and my appreciation for these teaching deepens as time goes on. they are especially important during election years.

i pray that we as a country can grow in our understanding and actions that lifts up the dignity of each human person. i pray that those who represent us politically will enact laws for the common good. i pray that through it all, we all become people of compassion, care and justice and show in our lives what it means to love one another

I never in my wildest dream thought that I would become a missionary priest! In fact, at my high school in 1978, Kennedy Catholic in Seattle WA, there was the last remnant of the Archdiocesan minor seminary. When I saw the boys walking over to class in the morning, I can remember thinking, “Why would anyone want to be a priest?”

But that all changed after I began working for Lanier business systems after graduating from university. It was decent money and exciting to be in a highly competitive business environment, but after countless sales calls, I would question myself: Is this why I was put on earth? At that time, I had rediscovered the practice of my faith. I was growing in my curiosity of God. The Young Adult ministry at Holy Family Cathedral in Orange, CA offered various opportunities to ask great questions, meet other young people who were on a similar journey and serve in various ministries. It was a wonder-filled time for me and the faith.

Eventually, I left that job and became a youth minister at the San Gabriel Mission parish near Los Angeles through the Claretian Lay Volunteer program. I lived, prayed and worked in community with other volunteers in Los Angeles. I continued to grow in faith, my sense of self and a life of service. In retrospect, serving within the volunteer program catapulted me forward. As I worked closely with priests at the parish, I realized how wonderfully human they were. It led me to ask myself the question: Might God want me to be a priest?

I entered into a process of discernment with a spiritual director and ultimately it led me to look into being a priest. I discerned with the Archdiocese of Seattle, the Augustinians, the Dominicans and the Claretian Missionaries. These different calls had their different advantages and disadvantages.

At the time, 1988, the Placita Church in L.A. was staffed by the Claretians and the pastor was Fr Luis Olivares. There were various protests against the US involvement in Central America and the various human rights abuses against the people. Placita was the center of these protests. Fr. Luis was an outspoken, inspiring leader for justice and peace. My discernment became clearer as I saw Fr. Luis’ example. I thought then, as I continue to think now: standing up for people who are oppressed is what priests ought to do in their ministry. My decision to join the Claretian Missionaries was set after this personal revelation.

After my novitiate, I was proud to make my vows to God as a Claretian in August 1990. I am grateful for my formation and studies at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, and my Pastoral Year with my Claretian brothers in the Philippines. These years strengthened my call and decision as a Claretian. I was ordained a priest in 1994 by Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen– another peace and justice hero of mine– in my home parish in Seattle.

I am thankful for my 30 years as a Son of the Heart of Mary. I pray that the Spirit continue to give me the needed graces to answer “yes” to my vocation as a Servant of the Word. I hope for the strength and guidance to share God’s love in the world.

I am inspired by Jesus’ teaching of love: to love God and neighbor. I truly believe that the way we love our neighbor is the way we love God (Matthew 25: 31ff). I also believe that love is not primarily about how we feel, but as will and action for the good of others.

An important way to see love in the world is through the lens of our Catholic Social Teaching. Is this perspective into love part of your understanding and lifestyle?

Here is a good summary of seven themes of what we Catholics believe:

Seven themes of

Catholic Social Teaching

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The Church’s social teaching is a rich treasure of wisdom about building a just society and living lives of holiness amidst the challenges of modern society. Modern Catholic social teaching has been articulated through a tradition of papal, conciliar, and episcopal documents. The depth and richness of this tradition can be understood best through a direct reading of these documents. In these brief reflections, we highlight several of the key themes that are at the heart of our Catholic social tradition.

Life and Dignity of the Human Person

The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. This belief is the foundation of all the principles of our social teaching. In our society, human life is under direct attack from abortion and euthanasia. The value of human life is being threatened by cloning, embryonic stem cell research, and the use of the death penalty. The intentional targeting of civilians in war or terrorist attacks is always wrong. Catholic teaching also calls on us to work to avoid war. Nations must protect the right to life by finding increasingly effective ways to prevent conflicts and resolve them by peaceful means. We believe that every person is precious, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.

Call to Family, Community, and Participation

The person is not only sacred but also social. How we organize our society — in economics and politics, in law and policy — directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community. Marriage and the family are the central social institutions that must be supported and strengthened, not undermined. We believe people have a right and a duty to participate in society, seeking together the common good and well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable.

Rights and Responsibilities

The Catholic tradition teaches that human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only if human rights are protected and responsibilities are met. Therefore, every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things required for human decency. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities–to one another, to our families, and to the larger society.

Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

A basic moral test is how our most vulnerable members are faring. In a society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor, our tradition recalls the story of the Last Judgment (Mt 25:31-46) and instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first.

The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers

The economy must serve people, not the other way around. Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in Gods creation. If the dignity of work is to be protected, then the basic rights of workers must be respected–the right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, to the organization and joining of unions, to private property, and to economic initiative.

Solidarity

We are one human family whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences. We are our brothers and sisters keepers, wherever they may be. Loving our neighbor has global dimensions in a shrinking world. At the core of the virtue of solidarity is the pursuit of justice and peace. Pope Paul VI taught that if you want peace, work for justice.1 The Gospel calls us to be peacemakers. Our love for all our sisters and brothers demands that we promote peace in a world surrounded by violence and conflict.

Care for God’s Creation

We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. Care for the earth is not just an Earth Day slogan, it is a requirement of our faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of Gods creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored.

This summary should only be a starting point for those interested in Catholic social teaching. A full understanding can only be achieved by reading the papal, conciliar, and episcopal documents that make up this rich tradition. For a copy of the complete text of Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions (No. 5-281) and other social teaching documents, call 800-235-8722.

http://usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catholic-social-teaching/seven-themes-of-catholic-social-teaching.cfm