CEO.Nguyễn Thanh Trà

Amigos, en el Evangelio de hoy Jesús nos pide no juzgar a los demás. Y pregunta, “¿Por qué te fijas en la paja que está en el ojo de tu hermano y no adviertes la viga que está en el tuyo?”. Somos excepcionalmente buenos para ver las faltas de los otros y excepcionalmente aptos para ignorar las propias.

Cuando era adolescente había salido un libro que fue muy popular en ese momento. Se llamaba “Yo Estoy Bien y Tú Estás Bien”. Simbolizaba una cultura de exculpación y de sentirse bien con uno mismo. No hace muchos años atrás Christina Aguilera cantaba, “Soy hermosa en todos los aspectos y tus palabras no pueden rebajarme”. Si observamos los muchos debates que hay hoy día veremos que la actitud prevalente es la re-afirmación y el auto-inventarse. “¿Quién eres tú para decirme cómo debo comportarme?”.

En todo esto vemos fundamentalmente un escaparse de nuestras propias culpas, nuestras fallas o defectos, nuestras sombras. Estamos efectivamente drogándonos, aligerando el dolor de una consciencia real. En este proceso nos volcamos hacia Dios pretendiendo ser algo completo, sin defectos, e inmune a las críticas. Entonces se nos dice, “Saca primero la viga de tu ojo, y entonces verás claro para sacar la paja del ojo de tu hermano”.

http://www.usccb.org/bible/lecturas/091319.cfm

Friends, in today’s Gospel Jesus commands us to stop judging others. He asks, “Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?” We are exceptionally good at seeing the fault in others, but we are exceptionally adept at ignoring it in ourselves.

There was a very popular book that came out when I was a teenager. It was called “I’m Okay and You’re Okay.” It represented the culture of exculpation and feel-good-about-yourself. Not many years ago, Christina Aguilera crooned, “I am beautiful in every single way, and words can’t bring me down.” Look at so many of the debates today; the attitude that is winning is one of self-invention and self-assertion. “Who are you to tell me how to behave?”

In all of this, we are fundamentally looking away from our guilt, our fault, our darkness. We are effectively drugging ourselves, dulling the pain of real self-consciousness. In the process, we turn ourselves into God, pretending to be absolute, flawless, and impervious to criticism. So “remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.”

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/091319.cfm

Friends, in today’s Gospel we see Jesus praying to his Father. We are being given a share in the inner life of God, the conversation between the first two Trinitarian persons.

And what are the “things” that have been concealed from the learned and revealed to the little ones? Nothing other than the mystery of the inner life of God.

Now, why precisely is this knowledge concealed from the learned and disclosed to children? The clue is in the next statement: “All things have been handed over to me by my Father.” What is the essence of the divine life? It is a play of giving and receiving.

The Father, forgetting himself, gives rise to the Son, and the Son, refusing to cling to himself, receives from the Father. The Holy Spirit is this mutual sharing of the Father and the Son. God’s own inner life is a looking toward the other in love.

From Adam and Eve to today the fundamental human problem is that we seek something other than God. We seek to fill up the ego with stuff, such as s*x, pleasure, power, honor. But this will never work, because we’ve been wired for God, and God is love.

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/071719.cfm

7 pm Volleyball and popsicles at St. Peter's Church. All High School youth welcome!!🏐🏐

Well my boys and I waited until 7:15 for volleyball or basketball players to arrive. But no one 😩 car packed with cooler of water, net and balls. But tomorrow is a big day! Confirmation!! Maybe y'all were just at home praying for the gifts of the Holy Spirit.... As it warms up we'll have to do indoor movie nights or game nights but mark your calendars 7pm on wednesdays! Anyone want to donate prizes for youth who come??

7pm volleyball and basketball tonight at St Peters. I'll bring bottled water and balls. You can bring your own too. If it's too hot we'll head inside. 🌞🌞

Starts tonight! And continues through Thursday. FREE!!! And D'Maris will be there 😉 faith development for ALL ages 💗💗

I thought y'all were still having Confirmation class on Wednesdays but since you aren't..... let's get together next Wednesday! 7 pm Volleyball, basketball, popsicles and friends! 🏐🏀🏐🏀🍦🍦

Today's youth group is at 4:30 for a hamburger meal with CCE as a fun farewell to Father John. Group photo too!