Christmas Story

In the depths of the forest there were three trees growing side by side, and one day they got to talking.  One of the trees started the conversation, voicing his ambitions, saying:  "When I get cut down I want to be a cradle to hold a baby, because cradles are the center of attention and affection for everybody within a household."  With this the second tree spoke up in a loud voice:  "When I get cut down I'd like to be a sailing yacht to carry rich and famous people to all the harbors of the world."  A few moments passed and then finally the third tree spoke, saying quietly, "You know, if I am ever cut down I'd like to be a signpost to direct people along the right path.  I would like to show people the way when they are lost and have gone astray."

Time went by and before long the three trees were cut down and taken off to the mill for processing.  Soon a man came to the mill and took the first tree away.  The first tree had expressed a desire to be a cradle.  There was nothing wrong with that, but something else was planned.  The man took the tree away and turned into a dirty old stable to house sheep and cattle and donkeys.

Then another man came to the mill for the second tree.  This tree wanted to be a sailing yacht and there was nothing wrong with that, but something else was planned.  The second tree was turned into a filthy old fishing boat constantly filled with the smell of dead fish.

Before too long the third tree was also taken from the mill.  The third tree wanted to be a signpost-truly a noble plan for a humble tree, but there was another plan.  This third tree was taken away by a centurion and made into a cross for crucifying criminals.

Now it would seem that the plans and ambitions of the three trees had disappeared.  It would seem that they had failed in all they had desired to achieve.

It was not long, however, before, on a cold winter's night, a young man and his wife came along.  The wife was pregnant and they had nowhere to stay.  So they decided to make that stable their home for the night.  That mother was Mary and she gave birth to Jesus our Savior that night in the stable.

The stable, the first tree, wanted to be the center of attention and affection.  It thought that to do this it had to be a cradle.  It didn't.  It needed to be a stable, because it was by becoming a stable that it became the center of attention and affection not only for the people of those times but for the people of all times.  Even to this day that stable is still the focus of our attention and affection in our homes and churches.

The Child grew up.  He was the Christ, and He walked and talked through the streets of the world proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of Heaven.  The second tree, the fishing boat, got to carry the richest and most famous person ever to walk the face of the earth.  The second tree had believed that to carry important people it would have to be a sailing yacht.  The tree was wrong.  It needed to be a fishing boat.  As a fishing boat it became the platform from which our Savior delivered His message not only to the people of that time but to the people of all times.

But this man, Jesus, was just a young man, and He spoke His message far too clearly and uncompromisingly.  Where there was darkness He was trying to shine a light, while other people were guarding the light switch.  He challenged the people both above Him and below Him to change in a way that was far too direct for their liking.  So as people always do when they don't like the message, they killed the messenger.  They dragged him outside the gates of the city, and on that cross, the third tree, they crucified Him.

The third tree wanted to be a signpost, and indeed it became the greatest signpost of all times.  The cross is the signpost that leads us along the right path.  The cross is the signpost that leads us back to the right path when we are lost and have gone astray.

The lesson of the story is simple.  Abandon ourselves and trust in God!

Have a blessed Christmas season!  Father Peter Schuster

P.S.  The story is taken from Matthew Kelly's book entitled "A Call To Joy."  The story is found on pages  29-31.

Advent and St. Nicholas

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) wrote a book entitled Seek That Which is Above (Ignatius Press, Copyright 2007).  In the Advent season, we keep the story of Saint Nicholas.  But what is his story?  Cardinal Ratzinger writes, "Nicholas is one of the first people to be venerated as a saint without having been a martyr.  During the persecution of Christians, those who opposed the pagan state power and gave their lives for their faith had quite automatically become great examples of faith.  When peace was concluded between Church and state, people needed new models.  Nicholas impressed them as one ready to help others.  His miracle was not that of great heroism in the face of torture, imprisonment and death. It was the miracle of constant kindness  in everyday life" (page 31).

The Cardinal continues, "Another of the legends expresses it beautifully in this way:  Whereas all the other miracles could be performed by magicians and demons, and thus were ambivalent, one miracle was absolutely transparent and could not involve any deception, namely, that of living out the faith in everyday life for an entire lifetime and maintaining charity.  People in the fourth century experienced this miracle in the life of Nicholas, and all the miracle stories that accrued subsequently to the legend are only variations on this one, fundamental miracle, which Nicholas' contemporaries compared, with wonder and gratitude, to the morning star reflecting the radiance of the light of Christ.  In this man they understood what faith in God's Incarnation means" (page 32).

Thus, the Cardinal concludes, "This, at the deepest level, is the message of Saint Nicholas:  from the light of Christ we are to light the flame of a new humanity, caring for the persecuted, the poor, the little one-this is the core of the legend of St. Nicholas" (page33).

Advent readies us to the mystery of the Incarnation; namely, God has come to His people.  St. Nicholas reminds us that God's people is all people.  We pray through the intercession of St. Nicholas that this Advent we may see and be the face of Christ to all people.

Happy Advent!

"The Grandma and the Duck"

There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm.  He was given a slingshot to play with out in the woods.  He practiced in the woods, but he could never hit the target.  Getting a little discouraged, he headed back to dinner.  As he was walking back he saw grandma's pet duck.  Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in the head, and killed it.

He was shocked and grieved.  In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile only to see his sister watching.  Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.

After lunch the next day grandma said, "Sally, let us wash the dishes."  But Sally said, "Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen."  Then she whispered to him, "Remember the duck?"  So Johnny did the dishes.

Later that day, grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing and grandma said, "I'm sorry but I need Sally to help make supper."  Sally just smiled and said, "Well that's all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help."  She whispered again, "Remember the duck?"  So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed to help with supper.

After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's he finally couldn't stand it any longer.  He came to grandma and confessed he had killed the duck.  Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug, and said, "Sweetheart, I know.  You see, I was standing at the window and saw the whole thing.  But because I love you, I forgave you.  I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you?"

What thought does the story provoke?  Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done and the devil keeps throwing in your face, you need to know that God was standing at the window and saw the whole thing.  He has seen your whole life.  He wants you to know that He loves you and that you are forgiven.  He's just wondering how long you will let the devil make a slave of you.

So today, ask for God's forgiveness and let us get on with it!

Easter

What does the word "Easter" mean to me?

E = everything.  Without the power of Easter and the resurrection, we have no life.  Life as we know it would be the end.  With the resurrection, we have a reason to live in this life - in anticipation of the next life.

A = Alleluia.  The Alleluia has been absent during Lent as we anticipate its proclamation with Easter.  Alleluia means "praise" and we have much to praise.  We praise Jesus for his saving ministry.

S = Sanctity.  As mentioned above, the resurrection leaves us with a purpose in this life.  In that purpose, we are called to live and the life we are called to live is sanctity, it is holiness.

T = Time.  The Season of Easter is timed to be fifty days.  Seven signifies the fullness of life and is the perfect number.  Square the perfect number and we come up with forty-nine.  The fiftieth day marks a new beginning and it is Pentecost - the birth of the Church.

E = Everyone.  To state that Jesus died for only a certain group or nationality is foolishness.  Jesus Christ came to suffer and die for everyone, that all my have life in him.

R = Resurrection.  As I say many times, we can all suffer, which we sometimes do, and we will all die.  But the resurrection?  That belongs to Jesus Christ.

The above is what Easter means to me and now I ask, what does it mean for you?

Have a blessed Easter season!

Father Schuster

Lent

Our Lenten journey begins on March 5.  Every year, I ask the school children a series of questions on Lent.  Let us take a look at the questions. 
1.  On what day does Lent officially begin?  The answer is Ash Wednesday.  Every Ash Wednesday the words of the gospel remind us, during Lent, to pray, fast, and give alms.
2.  How many days mark the Lenten journey?  Answer:  40 days.  Jesus spent 40 days and nights in the desert.  Our Lenten journey is the found in the desert, a place that calls us away form chaos to quiet and prayer.
3.  We are asked to abstain during Lent?  From what do we abstain.  We abstain from meat as the word "abstain" means to stay away from/rid ourselves of something.
4.  At liturgies, what color does a priest wear during Lent?  Primarily, a priest wears violet.  Rose is optional on the Fourth Sunday of Lent.  Violet symbolizes preparing, for Christ's sacrifice upon the cross, and penance.
5.  On Ash Wednesday, we receive ashes on your forehead.  Where do ashes come from?  Answer:  Old palms.  The palms that the people waved on Palm Sunday hailed the new king.  The shouts of the people would differ greatly on Good Friday when they asked for Jesus' death.  How often we hail Christ as king only to discard him through our self-centeredness.  Palms are burned, as our sins are to be burned, and placed upon our foreheads to remind us of where salvation is found, in Jesus Christ.
6.  Can non-Catholics receive ashes?  Yes, provided they desire to turn from sin, believe in Jesus, and follow him.  Many non-Catholics receive ashes in Catholic Church's on Ash Wednesday throughout the world.
7.  In the Bible we read that Jesus spent 40 days and nights in the desert.  What did he do for 40 days and nights.  Answer:  Fasted and prayed.  As mentioned earlier, the gospel of Ash Wednesday calls us to pray, fast, and give alms.
8.  What is the purpose of Lent?  Lent reminds us that Jesus came to destroy sin, die on the cross for our sin, and rise to new life cleansed of our sin that we may have life with him.

May your Lenten journey be filled with grace and blessings!

Father Peter Schuster

Ordinary Time

As we begin our journey through the season of Ordinary Time, a word that is tied to the word "ordinary" is unexceptional.  This is not the Church's definition of "ordinary."  Thought of from the eyes of the Church, the word "ordinary" means the most frequent.  34 weeks of the 52 weeks of the year are tied to Ordinary Time.  There are exceptions:  The First Sunday in Ordinary Time celebrates the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord and the Thirty-Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time honors the Feast of the Christ the King.  Outside of these exceptions, week after week is Ordinary Time - the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, etc.  As we would expect, Ordinary Time begins with the beginning of Christ's earthly ministry, his baptism, and will journey through Matthew's gospel.  As we weave our way through Matthew's gospel, may we continue to be in awe of the wonder of Christ and his saving work for mankind!