Imago Trinitatis

Moses and the Burning Bush , Arnold Friberg Readings:  http://usccb.org/bible/readings/032419-yearc.cfm Audio for homily at bottom of post What would it be like to not exist?   How did we even begin existing on this earth?   You could have probably called me a strange child, because even when I was in grade school, I would sometimes find myself sitting in my room playing with Legos, and this question coming to mind – how am I existing right now?   How is it that I, somehow called by the name Billy Cremers (as I went by until 6 th grade – don’t call me that now!), am experiencing this, going from place to place, even going to sleep and waking up as the same person with the same memories?   I didn’t decide to be here; I didn’t choose to exist – I simply am – and it almost feels like I’m on a roller coaster that I can’t get off!   Probably most of you didn’t wonder about this question in grade school, but I think we all come to moments when some...

From the Archdiocese of Cardiff, rcadc.org Readings:  http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/031019.cfm In the midst of this shifting weather, while it may not always feel like spring yet, we’ve entered into what we can call the “springtime” of the Church.   With Ash Wednesday this past week, we’ve entered into Lent, which comes from a middle-English word meaning “spring.”   This is our time to be refreshed in our faith as we prepare for Easter, a time of grace that we can truly enter into.   In last week’s bulletin, Fr. Joe proposed that we see this time of Lent as a “road to Reconciliation,” a journey to uncover and identify areas within ourselves and our relationships that may be hindering us from living a life of joy and having a sense of purpose, an effort to detox our relationship and lives.   In this wonderful alliteration, where we see Fr. Joe’s poetic genius, we can recognize the grime, the grit, and the grace in our lives, seeing how the Lord desi...

St. Francis preaching to the Sultan Readings:  http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/021719.cfm (Audio at the bottom of this post) “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain.”   If you think about it, St. Paul is saying something very true here in the second reading.   As Catholics, we don’t simply believe that Jesus was a great moral teacher or good man to follow, but we’re saying that He is the Son of God who has resurrected from the dead.   If it turns out that Jesus really didn’t rise from the dead, then what are we doing here?   Why would we live in this way that’s so counter-cultural to what our world says is important?   Even though it’s not Easter yet, I believe it’s important for us to often be reminded of this central truth of Christianity, that because Jesus rose from the dead, we will all rise from the dead in him through our faith.   And yet I know that sometimes it’s hard to believe: we all need to be reminded at times of t...

Nazareth Night at the Seminary Nazareth Night is a monthly night of prayer for young adults that we have at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, and I preached at it for this month.  While it applies specifically to the night, I hope that it can also apply to all of us, no matter where we are.  I combined the Gospels from last Sunday and this Sunday (Luke 4:16-30). Jesus comes to Nazareth.  Nazareth – this small village where Jesus was raised by Joseph and Mary for close to 30 years.  Apparently the residents there weren’t expecting Jesus to be the Messiah.  They saw his carpentry skills, probably saw him as a good man, but in these Gospel readings from last week and this week, there’s something new, as Jesus proclaims that he has received the Holy Spirit.  In fact, it infuriates them to realize that they aren’t the center of his plans, and the crazy thing is that we never see Jesus return to Nazareth again in the Gospels.  But here we are, at Nazareth ...

From the National Parks Conservation Association Readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/012719.cfm A couple of weeks ago, I had the great blessing of accompanying our eighth grade students and parents to the March for Life in Washington D.C.   While we were there, we got to see many of the memorials set up to those who have served our country.    We marveled at the gigantic statue of Abraham Lincoln, saw the lifelike statues at the Korean memorial, took in the many paintings and statues around the Capitol building, and walked around Mount Vernon just as George Washington did many years ago.   When we go to places like this, it’s easy to become awed at the men and women who have led great lives and changed our world, but we’re also able to remember that behind these men and women, there are millions of people who, while not remembered by name or by statues, lived incredible lives for their families and communities, helping change the world in their own...

The Nativity, as depicted at Conception Abbey Readings:  http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/122518-day.cfm A couple of weeks ago in St. Louis, I had lunch with two friends, who got married last year and now were preparing to give birth to their first child!   It’s been awesome for me to see their love for each other grow, and their strong faith in God continually inspires me.   So at this lunch, I asked them, “What are you most excited about parenthood?”   They thought for a couple of seconds and responded, “Just to meet this child!”   They left it a surprise to find out if it was a boy or girl, and they were just so excited to meet this child that they’ve had for nine months, to hold the child, adore it, all of the things that new parents get to do!   It was so beautiful for me to see their joy and expectation.   And I’m sure all of you parents can relate to this, the joy of welcoming a new child into the world.   It’s not an everyday ...

Thanks to Jack Flaxbeard for sharing this with me! Readings:  http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/121618.cfm Audio of homily at the bottom of the post. What should we do?   What should we do, as parishioners here at St. Anthony’s in Columbus, NE?   This is the question we hear in the Gospel today, on this third Sunday of Advent, when Father and I wear rose vestments.   This is Gaudete Sunday, Gaudete meaning “Rejoice!”   We hear this in the second reading from St. Paul – “Rejoice in the Lord always!   Again, I say, Rejoice!”   So that’s what we should do: rejoice!   But what does it mean to rejoice in the Lord?   What does this really look like day-to-day?   I was assisting with a youth conference in Kansas City a few years ago, and the overall theme of the conference was this very verse: “Rejoice in the Lord always!”   One memorable part of this conference was our Saturday afternoon activity: door-to-door evangeliz...