JESUS, SON OF GOD, HUMAN AND GOD IS ARISEN, ALIVE, COME BACK FROM DEATH, RESURRECTED, for Easter..

My Jehovah Witnesses neighbors  are great people… fine people… and good people. Last week Cy, the head of one of the three congregations who use the Kingdom Hall next door, stopped by my house to relay something about ” the light outside” or the resurficing of their parking lot etc…. and then invite me to their “Last Supper” service this past Sunday evening. I found this sort of strange because ours was the following Thursday, Holy Thursday. And I wondered how that Last Supper fit into their belief.  So I asked Cy what do you all believe about Jesus???    Like all good Jahoveh Witnesses he reached into his bag and pulled out two leaflettes:   “Jesus:  Takes away the sin of the World”  and another a copy of the  “Watchtower” April 1,  ” Jesus, where he came from; how he lived; and why he died”.     So I  read them.

What I learned was that Jesus was:  “As the first born of all creation”. Jesus lived alongside Jehovah in heaven longer than any other spirited CREATION. Jesus is the best, the highest, spirited creature, but not God.  Jesus is the light of the world, the best prophet, and the best teacher, but not God  If that is true, I began to wonder what they, the Jahovah’s witnesses were going to do for Easter???.  If they celebrate the Last Supper, are they going to celebrated Easter????  When Christ , the Son of God,  who is God , rose from the dead. I still am trying to find out what is going to take place next door at my place at the Kingdom Hall.   On Sundays, two of the three congregaions meet : the University of Ky and the Hispanic Congregation.  So far I have not been about to ask them.    I guess , I will just wait and see.

Easter Sunday for us Catholics is  Christ is ALIVE.  Christ has come back to life again;  Christ is the Son of God.  Christ is God.  Death can not hold him down.  Christ is not only a prophet and teacher, but he is God himself equal to the Father and the Holy Spirit.

“Christ has died;  Christ is risen;  Christ will come again.”

My neighbors are good people, dedicated people, people who believe in God (Jahweh) but our belief tells us of  1. the real pressence of Christ in the Eucharist      

                                     2. the real presence of Christ in the scriptures

                                     3. the real presence of Christ ” where two or three are gathered   together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”            

                                      4.  Christ, God, is alive, well, arisen, and real

1. Read the Easter Gospel:  John 20.1-9

2. Stop for 5 minutes and LISTEN

3.  Is Christ just a great prophet… a great teacher…. or more  for you???

4. Say something to Jesus                         

Fr, Larry

There have been over 2050 hits on the hokey homily meditations this Lent. I did these meditations for my own prayer life and a “Lenten Penance”!!  It was good for me.  I am not sure whether to continue these or not after Easter.  It does take time and effort.

If you would like me to continue, please say so..  Your comments will help me decide.

Make all comments to my email :          Lar4u@insightbb.com

Thanks.   Happy Easter

FOR ALL…… EVERYONE! for Good Friday

On Palm Sunday I tried to show that Dietrick Bonhoeffer seemed to have died “easily”, while Christ seemed to have died with great difficulty: agony in the garden (“if this cup can pass me by…) the scourging at the pillar, crowning of thorns, the carrying of the cross, the crucifixion , and finally Christ screaming out…” My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  I tried to say that Bonhoeffer died so peacefully because of his trust, belief, and confidence in Jesus– for himself.  I think that Jesus died “with great difficulty” because he did not die for himself, but for ALL: Jews and Gentiles, Hindus, Buddhasts, Christians, Catholics, agnostics, and atheists etc. etc. etc.

So today in the Church on Good Friday we celebrate Christ’s death for ALL

We read the Passion:   John 18.1—19.42

We venerate the cross…

AND we pray for ALL the redeemed.   There are ten special prayers ( see if you can get a copy of them )  Read them and then say your own prayer for that cause.

If you cannot find a copy of these ten here they are:  i.e. ” the ten intentions ” :

1. for the Church……….   make up your own prayer….

2. for the Pope…………… make up your own prayer….

3. for the clergy and the laity….. make…..

4. for those preparing for baptism……

5. for the unity of Christians…

6. for the Jewish people…..

7. for those who do not believe in Christ….

8. for those who do not believe in God….

9. for all those in public office…..  ( they need it.!!!! )

10. for those in special need……

For ALL   not just us !

1. Read the passion  John 18.1— Chapter 19.42

2. Stop for a few minutes and LISTEN

3.  Make up your 10 prayers with the intentions above.

4. Say something to Jesus 

Fr. Larry

There has been over 2050 hits  on the hokey homily meditations this Lent.  I did these meditations for my own prayer life and a “Lenten penance” !!! It was good for me.  I am not sure whether to continue these or not after Easter.  It does take time and effort.

If you would like me to continue, please let me know.  Share some of your thoughts.  Send your comments to my email address:            Lar4u@insightbb.com

Fr. Larry Hehman

The “Whole” Mass….. or the “Whole” Last Supper for Holy Thursday

“Jesus rose from  table, took off his outer garment, and tied a towel around his waist.  Then he poured some water into a washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet.”  John 13.4-5

We Catholics go to Mass on Sundays, Holydays, and weekdays so often.  We call it “Mass” which gets it’s name for the old Latin dismissal:  “Ite missa est”…..missa = Mass.  In the present Roman Missal there are three possible dismissals given by the priest.   1. The mass is ended, go in peace.    2. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.    3. Go in the peace of Christ.  In the new Roman Missal next November 2011 there are four dismissals: 1. Go forth, the Mass (missa) is ended.   2. Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.   3. Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.  4. Go in peace.

I show these dismissals to point out that we Catholics celebrate:    I.  the liturgy of the Word and     II. the liturgy of the Eucharist.   But at the original and first Mass there was another part.  Christ did the “Washing of the Feet of the Apostles” during the supper meal.  He said “do this in remembrance of me” two times: once after the bread and once after the wine.  But… at the last supper he also said after the washing of the desciples feet:  “Do you realize what I have done for you?  If I, … the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet.  I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”

STRANGE:  we attend Mass 52 Sundays a year!      We repeat the washing of the feet only one time in the whole year!  And there were three parts to the Last Supper of Our Lord.

Do I celebrate the “whole” Mass          or the “whole” Last Supper.?????         

1.  Read the whole Gospel: John 13.1-15

2.  Stop for 5 minutes and LISTEN

3.  Where am I with the last part of the Last Supper?

4.  Say something to Jesus

Fr. Larry

There have been over 2151 hits on my hokeyhomily meditations this Lent. I did these meditations for my own prayer life and a “Lenten penance” !!! It was good for me.  I am not sure whether to continue these or not after Easter.  It does take time and effort.

If you would like for me to continue these please tell me.  Say something about these hokeyhomilies.  Your comments will help me decide……

Please make all comments to my email address:                Lar4u@insightbb.com          

Thanks, and Happy Easter !

Fr. Larry

OH, MY BACK for Wednesday

” I gave my BACK to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;  My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting”   Isaiah 50.6

You know how well we  read ourselves into the scriptures.  Many of you know that I have been having severe BACK pain these last three weeks.  So, I could not help but zero in on the word “BACK”  “I gave my BACK to those who beat me”.

Those words in Isaiah 50.4-9 deal with Isaiah and all that was involved in his living out the call from God to be a prophet.   Then we, the Church, and the scholars attach this to Jesus the Messiah: His life, His Suffering, His Passion.  That is what Passion Week is all about:  Christ’s passion, Christ’s suffering, Christ’s Pain.

The French painter Henri Matisse died in 1954 at the age of 86.  In the last years of his life, arthritis crippled his hands badly, making it painful to hold a paintbrush. Yet he continued to paint, placing a cloth between his fingers to keep the brush from slipping.  One day someone asked him why he submitted his body to such pain.  Matisse replied, “My Pain passes, but  BEAUTY remains.”  In a similar way, the extreme pain that Jeus suffered in his crucifixion passed, but the BEAUTY of what he did remains forever.

“Pain passes, but beauty remains” says Matisse     

The Passion of Jesus passes, but the beauty remains:    EASTER  RESURRECTION !

1. Read  Is. 50.4-9

2. Stop for 5 Minutes and LISTEN

3. Can I recall a time when I submitted to pain to achieve something beauiful?

4. Say something to Jesus

There has been over 2000 hits on the hokeyhomily meditations this Lent.  I did these meditations for my own prayer life and a “Lenten penance”!!!  It was good for me.  I am not sure whether to continue these or not after Easter.  It does take time and effort.

If you would like for me to continue and say something about these hokeyhomilies, please do so.  Your comments will help me decide.

Please make all comments to my email address:        Lar4u@insightbb.com

Thanks… Happy Easter… Fr. Larry

TO JUDGE OR NOT TO JUDGE, THAT IS THE QUESTION??? for Tuesday

In Palm Sunday’s passion reading there is one line that always bothers me…”but woe to that man by whom the Son on Man is betrayed.  It would be better for that man if he had never been born”.   Matthew 26.24

Todays’ reading is about “that man”, Judas.  He finally goes, at the end, and hangs himself!   A Judas,  a Hitler, a Gadhafi;  where are they …. and are  they saved????

Why did Judas betray Jesus?   Some think that Judas never intended Jesus’ death. He believed that Jesus was the Messiah, but he also believed that the Messiah should rally the people and drive the Romans out of Palestine.  But Jesus was not doing this.  Judas hoped that handing Jesus over to the authorities would force him to act. This theory would explain why Judas took his life when things backfired.  If this theory is correct, Judas’ sin was “trying to play God”.  He had his own ideas about what the Messiah should do and how he should go about doing it.

Yesterday’s meditation:  “negative thinking”

Do I have any of this?

My way, or the highway!!

My way, or “not God’s way”??

How do I judge a Judas,  a Hitler,  or a……..?

1. Read the whole Gospel:  John 13.21-33 & 36-38

2. Stop for 5 Minutes and LISTEN

3. Do I play Messiah and know how all things should be……

4.  Say something to Jesus

“NEGATIVE THINKING” for Monday

Judas:  “why was this oil not sold for 300 days’ wages and given to the poor”?    John 12.5

Judas says good things, but not for the right reason.  It is a good thing to give to the poor.  But that was not really his intention or meaning.  Deep down Judas was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the contributions.  It is easy to hide some of our deepest thoughts, our negative thoughts, and our intentions.

Chief Priests, also, had negative thoughts and evil intentions.  They planned and plotted to kill not only Jesus, but also Lazarus.

Here we have one of the 12 Apostles and the Religious Leaders with evil thoughts and much negative thinking.  These two, Judas and Chief Priests, and their reactions illustrate an important point:  WE ALL tend to view situations not as they really are, but as WE ARE !! We filter them through the prism of our own perspective.

Budda once said:  “We become that which we think” !!!

1. Read the whole Gospel:   John 12.1-11

2. Stop for 5 Minutes and LISTEN

3.  Do I have any “negative thinking” when I make my many comments to others?    Where do they come from?…..

4. Say something to Jesus…..

Fr. Larry

PASSION SUNDAY.. PASSION WEEK… (also called Palm Sunday) for Sat/Sun

“But Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, and gave up his spirit”    Matt. 27.50

Jesus did not die easily !

Dietrick Bonhoeffer also died……

Dietrick Bonhoeffer was executed by the Nazis shortly before Easter. The prison doctor said of his death: “I saw Pastor Bonhoeffer… kneeling on the floor, praying feverently….  I was most deeply moved by the way this lovable man prayed, so devout and so certain that God heard his prayer.  At the place of execution, he…. climbed the steps to the gallows, brave and composed.  His death ensued after a few seconds.  In the almost fifty years… as a doctor, I have hardly ever seen a man die so entirely submissive to the will of God.” (Eberhad Bethge, Dietrick Bonhoeffer)

Jesus did not die easily…( not like Bonhoeffer ).   Jesus died for ALL.  Maybe that is why it was not so “easy”???

1. Read the Palm Sunday Gospel:   Matthew  26.14-  27.54

2. Stop for 5 minutes and LISTEN

3. Think about:    Christ’s death

                               Bonhoeffer’s death

                               Your death  

4. Say something to Jesus

Fr. Larry