Fr. Mike's Gospel Reflection - January 19, 2025

On every sports team, the players are assigned roles based upon their individual talents as well as upon the needs of the team. For example, in football each team has eleven players on the field for each play. Each of those players has a specific job to perform during each play. If every player executes his job well, the team is likely to succeed. If not, it will likely fail. Some positions tend to garner a lot of attention; others are rarely noticed. Nonetheless, no team would prefer to play with only the five or six “stars” and leave the other players on the sidelines. Each of the eleven players is essential to the smooth operation of each play.

When Jesus formed His team, He surrounded Himself with twelve very average men. From our human perspective, we might even think that they had no obvious skills or talents that would enable them to even contribute to the formation of a church, much less to lead that effort. Yet, Jesus saw things differently. He chose each apostle carefully to fit a particular need. He used both talents and flaws to form a strong and successful team.

In his letter this week, St. Paul tries to explain this concept to the Corinthians. First, he wants the Corinthians (and us) to know that every Christian is essential to the success of Christianity as a whole. That’s why the Holy Spirit has bestowed upon each of us one or more very specific, but often very different, gifts which we need to use in the service of our Lord and His Church (our fellow teammates). Whether we are great speakers, compassionate consolers, passionate givers, or those devoted to prayer, we are essential to the success of our Church.

As we contemplate the gifts that the Spirit has bestowed upon us, we must be careful not to worry about who might have other “better” talents or whether we are recognized or rewarded for sharing our talents. We shouldn’t quit and go somewhere else or stop worshipping entirely because we are disenchanted with our talents. When we are down, the members of our team are called to use their talents to help us. Similarly, we are called to use our Spirit-given talents to the fullest extent of our abilities for the benefit of the team.

Fr. Mike's Gospel Reflection - January 12, 2025

As we begin 2025, we begin a Jubilee Year for St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church and San Felipe de Jesus Chapel. It was 75 years ago, in 1950, that the photo on the front page of this bulletin was taken. It shows the groundbreaking ceremony for the church that is now San Felipe de Jesus Chapel. At the time, it was called St. Edward Catholic Church and it established a Catholic presence in Dana Point which has continued for 75 years.

Throughout this year, we will be celebrating our 75th Anniversary with various events to show our gratitude and joy for the blessings that God has bestowed upon us since we began. We will also be celebrating the longevity of many of our parishioners, especially those who have been here for more than 40 years.

As we recognize and celebrate our anniversary, we renew our commitment to spreading the Good News throughout Dana Point and the surrounding area. This starts with sharing the Word with our children and grandchildren. That’s the only way we can truly protect them from a very confused culture. If they come to mass each week, that’s a start. If they attend Catholic school, that’s even better. If they are in our Faith Formation programs, that’s great as well. All of these things are very helpful. However, the single most important thing that we can do for our children and grandchildren is to teach them by modeling Christian behavior for them and by helping them to form a relationship with Jesus. My son is now 31. Of all the things that I love about him, I am proudest that he attends mass nearly every week. He attends because he wants to, not because of me. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, he has a relationship with Jesus Christ.

We have been baptized with fire and the Holy Spirit. May the power of our Baptism help us to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to our families and to others. May we constantly demonstrate the fiery, spirit-filled passion for the faith that we see in John the Baptist. As we begin our next 75 years as the Catholic presence in Dana Point, let us commit ourselves to teaching, inspiring, guiding and motivating God’s children in that faith.

Fr. Mike's Gospel Reflection - January 5, 2025

This weekend we celebrate the Epiphany of our Lord. An “epiphany” can be defined as an “AHA” moment. It’s when a person suddenly realizes something totally unexpected in the course of his normal life and, as a result, is transformed. To experience an epiphany, a person must be open to new and different possibilities. Each of the apostles had an epiphany when Jesus called him. In the Fall of 1983, I suddenly realized that I was going to marry Rosemary. In the Fall of 2012, I suddenly realized that God was calling me to the priesthood. Both were epiphany moments that transformed me. 

Today, the three magi or “wise men” have an epiphany when they encounter Jesus Christ and they are transformed. They came to Bethlehem searching for the newborn king. They did not know exactly where their journey would take them or what they would see when they got there. Yet they were ready and willing to follow the star. On the other hand, Herod and the Jewish leaders of the day were complacent, comfortable, and satisfied. They were afraid to search for the “newborn king” because they didn’t know who or what they would find. 

What about us? When we journey to Mass each week, what are we seeking? Are we curious? Are we searching? If so, what are we searching for? Are we afraid that finding Jesus will disrupt our comfortable lives? Are we willing to sacrifice to search for Jesus as the magi did? Are we transformed by the Mass? Do we leave here better than when we arrived? Are we more loving, more caring, more compassionate, more patient, and more like Christ or do we get frustrated or irritated before we even leave the parking lot? 

Finding Christ is easier for us than it was for the magi. Yet, finding Him is not really our goal. We must do more than simply find Him here or there. We must have an epiphany when we find Him. We must allow Him to transform us. Like the magi, we must leave Mass always ready to follow a different path and must be determined to stay on that different path. Our lives can never be the same because we have had a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ - the Light of the World.

Fr. Mike