Fr. Jim's Blog

I am incredibly grateful for the teaching and instruction I received through our college prayer group while attending the University of Idaho. Shortly after my first year, the prayer group sponsored a Life in the Spirit Seminar. Our small group leader was a senior who took the time to meet with each person in our group before the 5th session when we were prayed over for a release of the Holy Spirit. I remember having a bit of apprehension about one particular gift: the gift of tongues. He told me to be open to whatever the Lord wanted to give me.  Sometime after the prayer for  Baptism in the Holy Spirit, I was kneeling by my bed in my dorm room and something came out of my mouth that I didn't understand. That was the beginning of receiving and using the gift of tongues. While St. Paul says it is the "least of the gifts", it has been incredibly helpful to me. It wasn't long before I realized that I could sing in tongues and that is always a powerful experience.  I...

The homily from this past weekend's Mass has been posted. I am back on track and will podcast a homily each week. You can access the homily by clicking here. 

The Chancery from the Archdiocese sent out an update you might find helpful on the Affordable Care Act. You can view it by clicking here.

The reflection in today's Magnificat was from the Jesuit priest, Fr. Alfred Delp. I have used some of his writings for retreats and he is a powerful witness for Christ who was exterminated by the Nazis. Like Pope Benedict XVI his style is very "German". For the most part, I have found the Germans to be painfully blunt which is very refreshing. I believe what he shares in the reflection below is EXACTLY what is happening in our country and world today. False systems of power and security based on human doing and understanding are being crafted with the DELIBERATE attempt to shut God out. Our world is on the sifting sand Fr. Delp so powerfully describes. The collapse is IMMINENT and as predicted by the Lord it will catch the vast majority of people off guard. Life without God is HELL. Here is the reflection: For present-day humanity is sick and incapable of handling its affairs-it can no longer cope with life. So a new approach is necessary, a more intensive method....

After a nearly two month absence I am starting to post the homilies again. I will be away this weekend but will record them from now on and post them regularly. It has been really busy so I haven't been blogging much. I am taking my computer with me on the trip and maybe will write a few theological reflections on some thing that have happened over the summer.

The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A  Kempis is timeless spiritual classic that has been a great help to many Christian men and women. I discovered this treasure when I was first ordained a priest and it has helped me through difficult times and has been a cherished source of encouragement for me. Here is one chapter that covers a topic of great importance about having a purity of mind and unity of purpose. A MAN is raised up from the earth by two wings—simplicity and purity. There must be simplicity in his intention and purity in his desires. Simplicity leads to God, purity embraces and enjoys Him. If your heart is free from ill-ordered affection, no good deed will be difficult for you. If you aim at and seek after nothing but the pleasure of God and the welfare of your neighbor, you will enjoy freedom within. If your heart were right, then every created thing would be a mirror of life for you and a book of holy teaching, for there is no creature so small and worthless t...

I will be leaving this afternoon for the SCRC Convention in Anaheim. SCRC stands for Southern California Renewal Communities. This is a huge gathering of Catholics from all over the country. I last attended this conference nearly twenty years ago while I was in the seminary. I was really impressed by it. I signed up for a workshop with a classmate who doesn't know I am coming. I thought it would be a great surprise to just show up for his workshop. I will still send out Daily Thoughts while away as I have done a little work in advance. There may also be a blog entry or two about the Convention depending on how much time I have. It might be considered a sin not to go to Disneyland since it is nearly right across the street from the Convention center. :) I wish Magic Mountain was closer as that would be my preference. They just built the world's tallest and fastest looping roller coaster in the world. I can't wait to try it out but that will have to wait for another time....