The King's Corner

For the rest of the week we will be reading from the Book of Job for the first reading.  I'm not sure why, but they start in the middle of the book with Job cursing the day that he was born.  You have to go back earlier in the book to understand that God was boasting about how wonderful Job was and the devil says well let me have him for awhile and we will see how good he is because you've given him all these blessings.  One by one, everything is taken away from Job as he undergoes this test. One commentator wrote that the teacher is mostly silent during the test.  If you go back to your school days and see yourself sitting at the desk as the test is being taken and the teacher just sitting up at the front.  Or I had teachers who would walk around to see what you were writing.  But the teacher was often silent. Maybe that's the image that we see in the Book of Job; God is silent when Job is undergoing the test. Is the same true in our lives?

My blog of yesterday was about fire-breathing dragons and angels.   It left me wondering about fairy tales and reminded me of the article: “For receptivity to the impossible, we fervently pray” by Melissa Musick Nussbaum.  She published her article in the September 12-25 issue of the National Catholic Reporter.  What’s so attractive and useful about fairy tales?  Why do they appeal to children, as well as adults?  Melissa Nussbaum explains with examples including this one quote from G.K. Chesterton:  “Fairy tales do not tell children that the dragons exist.  Children already know that dragons exist.  Fairy tales tell children that the dragons can be killed.”  She notes that children are receptive to the impossible and that sooner or later they will come to understand – using fairy tales as their key to understanding – that good will overcome evil, that men and women can exchange forgiveness for hate, that love triumphs over death.  

Readings for todays Homily Today we pause to celebrate the Feast of Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael – three Archangels.  Angels are always seen as messengers of God, somehow God’s presence is being experienced by others. Michael, the one whose name means, “who is like God?” - reminds us of what is good and evil and expelling the bad angels from Heaven.  Gabriel, the one who is the messenger who protects; who told Mary that she would be the mother of the Savior.  Raphael, the one who heals, is the one who brings sight to Tobit. As we mark their feast day today, perhaps we can be open to how God is trying to communicate with us.  How God is trying to help us in our difficulties, in our blindness, in our inability perhaps to overcome evil in our own lives.  May the Angels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael intercede for us.

Seen any dragons lately?  If you do, call on the Dragonbusters – Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, the Archangels.  Quite a threesome!  Today is their Feast. In today’s popular culture expressed through books and movies, dragons have different personalities.  Some are mean and nasty while others are friendly and even funny.  There’s Puff the Magic Dragon who lived by the sea.  There’s the trio Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion from "Game of Thrones."  How about the Hungarian Horntail that menaced Harry Potter in "The Goblet of Fire?"  Who can forget Mushu from the Disney movie "Mulan?"   There’s Toothless in "How To Train Your Dragon."   "The Hobbit Trilogy" featured Smaug.  Even "Sleeping Beauty" had a dragon.  Remember Maleficent and her transformation to a dragon threatening to kill Prince Charming? We’ve all grown up with fire-breathing dragons in our dreams.  They seemed so real, and they are.

Last week I had a two day business meeting in Orlando and when the company's travel agent asked me for an airline preference I said Southwest, for two reasons.  One, because they fly out of Providence and two, because they usually run very efficiently with point to point route operations and not that hub and spoke model.  I haven't flown in recent years so I was delighted when TSA waved me over to a cue where I didn't have to remove my shoes and got to the gate quickly.  My flight down was direct and smooth.  In my carry-on bag I brought along plenty to keep me busy including business reading, my faith formation lesson, and a blank tablet of paper for Sunday's Homily.  You know one, the Gospel with Jesus' parable about the landowner and the laborers, and that great line; "the last will be first, and the first will be last".  I had plenty of time to reflect and write the Homily I would be delivering that next weekend.

Homily for the Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Readings for today's Homily To watch Mass n its entirety click The Mass

Readings for todays Homily Moderation in all things.  That was part of Aristotle’s work on Ethics, it’s also a keystone in the Benedictine rule, moderation in all things, and it seems to be present in the book of Proverbs – in the reading we had this morning.  It says, “Give me neither riches nor poverty.”  If I have riches, I might think that I am self sufficient, or if I have poverty, I might steal in order to survive. As we hear Proverbs this morning, maybe we can examine our own lives, and see maybe where we have gone to excess in one thing or another – and hear the admonition of Benedict, “Moderation in all things.

Readings for todays Homily You can choose your friends, but not your relatives. The gospel today reverses that and says you can choose your family. Jesus is told that his mother and his brothers are outside His response is my mother and my brothers are those who hear the Word of God and act on it. How are you and I being challenged today to hear the Word of God, not simply to hear it, but to act on it?

Not too long ago Pope Francis wrote his apostolic exhortation "Evangelii Gaudium" or " The Joy of the Gospel".  I found this document very interesting and encouraging for me and those who are of our faith.  but not only of our faith, but for all peoples of the world.  I would recommend this document as required reading for todays catholic. I will parrot the first entry to his statement to the world. "The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus, those who accept His offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness.  With Christ joy is constantly born anew.  In this exhortation I wish to encourage the christian faithful to em bark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by this joy, while pointing out new paths for the church's journey in years to come."

Readings for todays Homily “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.”  That’s a successful commercial campaign where you can see that they have immediate response once you have an accident.  One of them I recall, they’re on a road and two people are involved in an accident, and one says, “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there,” and the agent appears immediately.  Then the other party says that he wants his agent there and has a vision of his mother calling on the phone, saying, “We’re third in line, we’re on hold!” The book of Proverbs, which we’re starting to read from, has a series of different sayings. You could see the one on the tea bag, and today we hear, “Say not to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give,’ when you can give at once.” Maybe we need to be attentive to the opportunities that come before us this day. Don’t say, “Well I’ll deal with it tomorrow.”  Be a good neighbor, and be present to the one in need.

The workers in today's gospel, rather than focus on the good fortune that they had experienced by getting a day's pay, were more taken up with questioning fairness - towards themselves. Like the workers, do we look at what we have with gratitude or do we automatically compare what we have to what others have? Imagine this: a property developer comes into your neighborhood - specifically, he comes to your street. His intention is to buy up all the houses on your street and then develop the land for another use. Since you are the first house on the street he comes to you first and tells you he is going to make a very attractive offer to everyone on othe street. He offers you THREE TIMES the market value of your house!You're ecstatic. you think of all the things you can do with this money, retirement home in Florida, money to send the kids or grand-kids to college, a cruise around the world..... just imagine how excited yo would be. At the end of the week the neighbors have

Homily for the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Readings for today's Homily

RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) is about to start again.  Actually, it never stops; we just have a set schedule helping us keep on track and provide some structure for those wishing to become Catholic or for Catholics who haven’t received First Eucharist or Confirmation.   Last Monday we held a “Welcome/Information” session, and never knowing how many will arrive, we were pleased to welcome a Falmouth lady ready to learn more about Catholicism with her intention being to convert.  Her first lesson (one of 12) is scheduled for this Monday at 7 pm after which she will attend 10:30 Mass on Sundays to hear the Word and the homily, then to be dismissed accompanied by a prayer, song, and an understanding that all parishioners are welcoming, encouraging, and praying for her.   That’s the beauty of RCIA with all parishioners reflecting on their own faith when witnessing and experiencing her faith journey.

Image Source Read the article at Amen For Technology By: GEOFF SPILLANE, September 19, 2014 of the Mashpee Enterprise

Click to share in the Memorial Mass for Sr. Dympna Smith  Celebrated Wednesday, September 17, 2014 11:00 AM ~ Christ the King Parish Mashpee, Cape Cod MA *to watch in full-screen click the toggle in the bottom right of the media player.

About a month from now, on October 10th, we will celebrate our third "We Remember" prayer service in Saint Jude's Chapel at Christ The King. The service is a special time where parishioners and others take the time to remember and pray for a loved one who has died. The prayer service was born from an assignment given to the Permanent Diaconate class of Fall River some five years ago. Each member of the class was told to prepare a prayer service of their choice for an event of their choice.  I was a member of that class and having been involved in the Ministry of Hope at Christ The King I choose "We Remember."Before submitting my project I had two dear friends, Sister Shirley and Sister Dympna, review my effort. I received much feedback - positive and negative! I made the recommended changes, submitted my project, got my grade and figured that was it. It wasn't. A few weeks later I met Sister Dympna at Mass and and I remember her very distinct and poignant qu

It was on Good Friday 1985 that 8000 radio stations around the world played 'We Are the World' at the same time.  If you can get that tune into your head, it will be with you all day.  It was an effort to be in solidarity with the victims of the big famine in Ethiopia, but also to highlight the fact that we are all connected - we are the world. Maybe if St. Paul had that tune he would have incorporated it into Corinthians today.  He says we are the Body.  We are the Body of Christ; we may have different functions, but we are connected. The Jesuit, Walter Burghardt, used to talk about, and he was quoting somebody else who I can't remember, the world as a spider web.  If you hit one section the whole thing is set a twitter. You and I are reminded today that while we could be political isolationists, we can't be theological isolationists.  We are all in this together.  We need to support ourselves in prayer, sometimes in actions because we are the wo

“At the cross her station keeping, stood the mournful Mother weeping, faithful to her son to the end.” That hymn, known in Latin as the Stabat Mater, is often sung at the Stations of the Cross – between each station.  It calls attention to the Memorial that we have today, Our Lady of Sorrows.  I was always glad that I was never stationed in a church called Our Lady of Sorrows!  Can you imagine answering the phone, “Sorrows?” On a serious note, you may have watched an interview with the mother of the journalist, James Foley, who was slain.  I don’t know if it was intentional or not, but on the shelf behind her was a small statue of Pietà – Mary holding her slain Son.  I thought it is an image that we can use; that Mary is one who can identify with us in our time of sorrow, in our time of pain, as the seven swords pierced her heart over her lifetime. May we listen to Jesus saying to the disciple whom Jesus loves, that represents us, “Behold, your mother.  Mother, behold your son.

This past Thursday (September 11th) marked the thirteenth anniversary of the vicious attack levied on our country. On that day, many fire fighters were killed in the line of duty as they tried to save the lives of others. The first official recorded death in New York City, known as fatality 0001, was that of a fire fighter who went to assist  another fire fighter in front of Tower Two just before it collapsed. Mychal Judge, besides being fire chaplain for New York Fire Department was also a Catholic priest. Born in Brooklyn, the son of Irish immigrants, Mychal Judge watched his father suffer and eventually die from a long sustained illness. As a result of his father's prolonged incapacitation, the challenge of supporting the family rested on young Mychal's shoulders. To help his mother and two sisters make ends meet he shined shoes at Penn Station, ran errands and did odd jobs before being eventually called to his Franciscan vocation. Father Judge was ordained a priest in 1

Image Source Over the past two weeks, three of our parishioners have had life threatening cerebral incidents. Two of them took  place in Church which in one way was a blessing since both individuals live alone. In one case we are celebrating a "miraculous" recovery.  But in the other two cases, they have taken the final journey home to the Lord.  While I am a canon lawyer and not a civil one, I am taking this opportunity to remind all of us that we should have three documents among our personal papers:  (1) A Last Will and Testament (2) A Power of Attorney and (3) A Health Care Proxy.    It is important to have a conversation (or two!) with your health care proxy and alternate so they know what you want to do should an emergency arise or if you become unable to make your own decisions concerning "end of life issues".  Be prepared.  As we have seen, something can happen in an instant. Monsignor Hoye

Enjoy day 3 of our Parish Mission ~ Eucharist Fr. Kevin MacDonald C.Ss.R. We were unable to post the Mass in it's entirety below is the witness talks, Homily and prayers of the faithful.

Enjoy day 2 of our Parish Mission ~ Eucharist Fr. Kevin MacDonald C.Ss.R.

Enjoy day 1 of our Parish Mission ~ Eucharist Fr. Kevin MacDonald C.Ss.R

This week Christ the King is having a parish mission led by Father Kevin MacDonald, a Redemptorist priest.  Fr Kevin was here a couple of years ago and was warmly received.  He preached at all the weekend masses.  You can hear him by clicking Fr. Kevin .  He will also celebrate and preach at the the 8:30 AM daily mass.  To watch in "real time" click "live stream" .  He will also speak at 7 pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  Mass will only be celebrated on Wednesday evening.  This is a little different type of mission insofar as there will be several periods of silence so that we can let the Lord speak to us in our hearts.  There will be an opportunity to celebrate Reconciliation (Confession) on Tuesday evening.  If you cannot be with us in person, I hope the internet will be a passage way so you can  be with us in spirit. Monsignor Hoye

Sister Dympna Smith, RSM, has gone home to the Lord.   She died rather suddenly on Monday evening.  Until a few years ago, Sister was on staff here at Christ the King.  She visited the sick, coordinated the Ministry of Hope which helped families prepare for a funeral mass, ran Bereavement sessions, coordinated our Prayer Shawl Ministry etc. etc.  Prior to coming to CTK, she was a chaplain at Cape Cod Hospital, and by all accounts she was a superb one.  Many years ago she taught first grade in several schools.  Please say a prayer for the repose of her soul and one in thanksgiving for the service she gave to the Church Monsignor Hoye

Homily for the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time Readings for today's Homily <

It's unlikely in this day and age that anyone would be found picking kernels of grain in a field on Cape Cod on the Sabbath or on any other day for that matter. Two thousand years ago the disciples were rebuked for picking the kernels of grain on the Sabbath, even though they were hungry, because the Sabbath was to be given up to contemplation and adoration of the Lord and nothing else. We live in a busy world now, even Sundays are busy. Besides attending Sunday Mass, what would be another way of becoming connected with Our Lord on the Sabbath? Some years ago a young man worked for me. He was a very good worker and a person of sound character. unfortunately, his life was taken over by a horrible drug addiction. He stopped working for me and eventually, through the grace of God, he sought medical help for his addiction. In keeping with the requirements of the recovery process of N.A. he made contact with me some years later with the intention of mending any damage that he may have

God causes the growth.  That’s the point that Paul wants to make in that first reading.  Apparently there were factions who were attributing the success of Christianity to Paul, or to Apollos, and maybe others.  Paul makes the point that he planted, Apollos watered, but God causes the growth.  We might call that the grace of God. One author talks about this notion of growth by using different images from nature.  He says that sometimes our growth is like a snake that is shedding its skin, leaving the old behind—the old habits, the old practices behind.  Other times growth might be likened to a caterpillar that is transformed into a butterfly—a more dramatic growth.  But for most of us, the author says, growth is more like a big tree—that you don’t notice the growth, but it’s there.  We just need to step back occasionally and to see how God’s grace has been working with us and in us. God causes the growth.

Just a few random thoughts about water.  My wife, Joanne, and I like to go to the beach in the afternoon sometime just to unwind and take in some rays.  During some evenings we like to go over to Old Silver beach to watch the sunset.  Generally the environment is active with seagulls, and people taking their last dip in the water before going home for the night. To me, well, I like to look at the water and watch the waves.  I see boats, I sometime see fish jumping and begin to wonder how come the water will wrap around a person and be displaced by his or her body and not fill it up.  Why is it I can take a bucket and go down to the edge of the beach and fill it with water, it takes the shape of the container I look at it carefully and determine I have about a quart of the liquid, I smell it, nothing is outstanding about that, it smells like the sea.  You might say it has it's own distinctive odor.  I throw the water back into the sea and wonder if I can retrieve the

Several years ago, someone told me that we should start each day with three statements:  One, that I am loved unconditionally by God.  Two, whatever happened yesterday can be forgiven. And three I will do my best to live today in a compassionate manner. It's the third statement that I would lift up for us today - to live each day in a compassionate manner. In the Psalm today we praised God who is compassionate towards all His works.  Compassion literally means to feel with, to identify with.  God is a God of mercy, yes, and of forgiveness but also a God of compassion. As you and I try to be a disciple of the Lord, we should do our best  to live today in a compassionate manner; not judging the other but being with the other, feeling the others pain or joy or sorrow. We should do our best to live today in a compassionate manner.