How do the wars begin?

debbie linbrunner • September 17, 2021

 

 

 

 

 

From pastor’s desk on the 25 th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year B

 

How do the wars begin? The historians come up with all kinds of explanation, usually attributing it to socio-economic or political situations. Yet, the Holy Scripture gives us quite different answer. In the letter of St. James (this Sunday’s second reading) we read:

 

Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? Is it not from your passions that make war within your members?  You covet but do not possess. You kill and envy but you cannot obtain; you fight and wage war. (James 4:1)

 

Knowing the fallen nature of man, James provides very accurate description of the human condition that is prone to conflict and anger. But how do these sentiments begin in us? In psychology it is known as an inner conflict. It is something in us that makes us split. Hence, on the one hand we want to do good; on the other hand, we often engage in evil or disordered behavior. We want to be loving and kind, but we show ourselves emotionally checked out and irritable. As children we learn how to manage it or how to hide it. Many people are able to resolve the inner conflicts in positive way, but there are also many who live with it their entire life while deeply hiding their resentment. That inner division causes tension so that the person seeks a relief from it. Most of the time the one who suffers it projects his or her problems on others: “It is because of my father/mother that I’m undergoing this emotional pain.” “It is my husband’s fault that that I suffer so much.” “She (my wife) made me do it that I react in such a way…” – Unfortunately, quite frequently these phrases are like a refrain repeated in many families. Consequently, the family problems continue living in conflict without the resolve.

 

The Apostle James reminds us in his letter that all conflicts begin with the passions in human heart; that includes military and political conflicts as well. It is the heart that wages a war against other hearts, not socio-economic situation or political powers. Those disordered passions in human heart may eventually turn into external conflicts. Think for a moment of your own families. There are many conflicts, divisions, and misunderstandings. There is jealousy and often enmity over petty things. People hold on to grudges and then “wage wars” against each other. The same principle applies to a wider context of entire nations and countries. If the entire nation is fed with the same resentment it may end up in a catastrophe. That is exactly what happened in Rwanda between the Tutsies and the Hutus. It was a bloodbath, which started with the envy over petty things.

 

What is the solution then? – A life of virtue in Christ. Having realized that the passions of human heart need to be well ordered, we turn to Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. In this Sunday’s gospel too, we hear how the disciples became passionate about their future positions in the new kingdom of the Messiah. But our Blessed Lord immediately corrects them so that they may avoid jealousy and unnecessary conflicts. Jesus’ disciples must be different than the rest of the world while loving and forgiving each either all the time. Moreover, Jesus wants to break the vicious circle of envy while inviting them to be servants like the Lord himself: If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all (Mark 9:35). Our Lord invites the disciples and all of us to be humble first in order to be filled with God’s grace. We know, however, that is very difficult to overcome those inner passions and even more difficult to become a servant of all. It is humanly impossible, unless we cling to Christ, who will order our hearts towards God Himself.

 

Let us pray that the Lord Jesus may touch our hearts so that we may become more loving and kinder to each other and in this way we may be made instruments of God’s peace in the world torn by divisions.

 

I wish you all a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

 

Mensaje del pastor para la celebración de la Pascua 2025

By Anthony Aruanna • April 14, 2025
Queridos hermanos y hermanas,

Pastor’s message on Easter 2025

By Anthony Aruanna • April 14, 2025
Dear brothers and sisters,

From Pastor’s Desk on the Eight Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C

By Anthony Aruanna • March 2, 2025
“Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?” — Our Lord Jesus addresses this question to His disciples trying to tell them that they need to be healed of their spiritual blindness first. In this context blindness is not to believe in Christ and healing means to have faith in Jesus who is the Light of the world. In other words, when we gain our spiritual sight through faith, then we will be able to help others on the way to salvation. Without faith in Jesus we just remain living in the darkness of sin. Without Jesus we are all like blind men bouncing against the walls of reality and against each other. However, when we embrace faith in God in the person of Jesus and let our hearts be set on Christ, then He—the Son of God and Our Lord—becomes our guide. Because of that our every step will be illumined with the light of faith. While putting our faith into action in our daily life we also start bearing good fruits of an authentic and happy life.

Del Escritorio del Párroco en el Octavo Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario, Año C

By Anthony Aruanna • March 2, 2025
“ ¿Puede un ciego guiar a otro ciego? ¿No caerán ambos en un pozo? ” - Nuestro Señor Jesús dirige esta pregunta a sus discípulos tratando de decirles que primero necesitan ser curados de su ceguera espiritual. En este contexto, ceguera significa no creer en Cristo y curación significa tener fe en Jesús, que es la Luz del mundo. En otras palabras, cuando ganemos nuestra vista espiritual a través de la fe, entonces seremos capaces de ayudar a otros en el camino de la salvación. Sin fe en Jesús solo permanecemos viviendo en la oscuridad del pecado. Sin Jesús todos somos como ciegos que rebotan contra las paredes de la realidad y contra los demás. Sin embargo, cuando abrazamos la fe en Dios en la persona de Jesús y dejamos que nuestro corazón se fije en Cristo, entonces Él -el Hijo de Dios y Nuestro Señor- se convierte en nuestro guía. Por eso, cada uno de nuestros pasos estará iluminado por la luz de la fe. Al poner nuestra fe en acción en nuestra vida diaria, también empezamos a dar buenos frutos de una vida auténtica y feliz.

Del Escritorio del Párroco en el 5º Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario, Año C

By Anthony Aruanna • February 6, 2025
A menudo la gente nos pregunta a nosotros, los sacerdotes, qué hacer para profundizar en su vida espiritual. A todos se nos ocurren respuestas diferentes y, ciertamente, hay muchos caminos para una mayor vida espiritual. Hay, sin embargo, un método más probado que ha ayudado a muchos cristianos católicos a estar en la vía rápida de la santidad y a comprender mejor la vida espiritual. Es la consagración total al Corazón Inmaculado de María, o como propuso originalmente San Luis Grignon de Montfort allá por el siglo XVII, la Consagración Total a Jesús por María. Después de San Luis hubo muchos otros que siguieron sus pasos. Entre algunos de los santos más conocidos se encuentran el Papa Pío X, San Maximiliano Kolbe y San Juan Pablo II. Estos santos reconocieron que María desempeñó un papel vital en la vida de la Iglesia primitiva y que la Santísima Madre sigue desempeñando un papel importante en la Iglesia de nuestros tiempos.

From Pastor’s Desk on the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C

By Anthony Aruanna • February 6, 2025
Often people ask us, priests, what to do in order to deepen their spiritual life. We all can come up with different answers and there are certainly many ways to greater spiritual life. There is, however, a more proven method that has helped many Christian Catholics to be on the fast track to holiness and to better understanding of spiritual life. It is the total consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, or as originally proposed by Saint Luis Grignon de Montfort back in the XVII century, the Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary. After St. Luis there were many others that followed in his footsteps. Among some of the most known saints were Pope Pius X, St. Maximilian Kolbe, and St. John Paul II. These saints recognized that Mary played a vital role in the life of the early Church and that the Blessed Mother still plays an important role in the Church of our times.

Del Escritorio del Párroco en el 2º Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario, Año C

By Anthony Aruanna • January 26, 2025
Estoy seguro de que todos estamos atónitos y horrorizados por los incendios forestales del sur de California que afectan ya a cientos de miles de sus habitantes. La velocidad y la ferocidad del fuego sólo demuestran lo frágiles que somos como seres humanos individuales y como humanidad en general. Muchos californianos pueden estar dudando de su fe en estos momentos; muchos se plantearán preguntas: ¿Dónde está Dios? ¿Por qué permite Dios catástrofes tan terribles? Ciertamente, muchos de nosotros nos haríamos las mismas preguntas. Si Dios está detrás o no, no lo sabemos. Sin embargo, sí sabemos que vivimos en un mundo creado que tiene su propio ritmo y ciclos que se dan en la naturaleza. Las cosas suceden con y sin interrupción humana. Algunas cosas las podemos controlar (muy poco, de hecho), y muchas otras no. Lo que sí podemos reconocer es que las catástrofes naturales son una forma de llamada a la conversión y a una mayor confianza en Dios. También es una llamada a la acción para hacer la tierra más acogedora, de modo que las personas puedan prosperar en ella.

From pastor’s desk on the 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, year C

By Anthony Aruanna • January 26, 2025
I am sure that all of us are stunned and horrified by the wildfires in Southern California impacting now hundreds of thousands of its inhabitants. The speed and ferocity of fire only proves how fragile we are as individual human beings and as humanity by and large. Many Californians may be doubting his or her faith at this moment; many will pose questions: Where is God? Why does God permit such terrible disasters? Certainly, many of us would ask the same questions. Whether God is behind it or not, we do not know. However, we do know that we live in a created world that has its own rhythm and cycles that occur in nature. Things happen with and without human interruption. Some things we can control (very little, in fact), and many things we can’t. What we can recognize is that natural disasters are a form of a call to conversion and to greater trust in God. It is also a call to action to make the earth more hospitable so that people can prosper in it.

From pastor’s desk on 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year, B

By Anthony Aruanna • October 19, 2024
Last July over 50 thousand Catholics gathered in Indianapolis for the 10th National Eucharistic Congress. Obviously, the central theme of the gathering was the Eucharist. One of the key speakers at the Eucharistic Congress, Monsignor James Shea, said:

Del Escritorio del Párroco el 29 Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario

By Anthony Aruanna • October 19, 2024
El pasado mes de julio, más de 50.000 católicos se reunieron en Indianápolis con ocasión del 10º Congreso Eucarístico Nacional. Obviamente, el tema central del encuentro fue la Eucaristía. Uno de los principales oradores del Congreso Eucarístico, Monseñor James Shea, dijo: