Deacon Lincoln’s Log 5-26-24 Holy Trinity

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
Rm. 8:16-17

In baptism, we are given a new life. We are also given a new relationship with God.

But who is God?

We believe that God is a Trinity: three persons in one God. This is a great mystery of our faith. We cannot fully wrap our minds around it. It is a mystery because we believe each person, Father, Son, and Spirit, is fully God. But we also believe that there is only one God. Theologians, teachers, and preachers use many images, concepts, and models to understand this mystery better, but the Trinity is beyond our comprehension. It is like reconciling quantum and relativity theory in physics or understanding another human being fully. Our minds are confronted with paradoxes and a depth that cannot be fully probed.

But the mystery of the Trinity points us in the right direction. The life of the Trinity points us toward a life of loving surrender. The Father gives All to the Son. The Son, on the cross, returns All to the Father. And this All is the Holy Spirit. No person of the Trinity seeks to cling or to gain but only to give and be given. The Trinity points us toward a life of self-giving love. This is the life we are given at baptism.

This new life places us in a new relationship with the Trinity. We are not outside, watching this incredible exchange of love. In Jesus, we are called to participate. We are made “joint heirs with Christ” of all the gifts of the Father. As adopted children of God, we are invited to return everything to the Father with Jesus in the Spirit.

This is what we do every Sunday at Mass. “Through him [Jesus], and with him, and in him, O God almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, for ever and ever. Amen!”

Peace,

Lincoln A. Wood
Parish Pastoral Leader

Deacon Lincoln’s Log 5-19-24 Pentecost

Jesus and the Spirit

No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
1 Cor. 12:3b

… Jesus breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit… “
Jn. 20:23

This weekend, we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. It is a time of drama and transition. Pentecost signals a fundamental change in our relationship with God. Jesus is no longer present to the church in the same way as He was before His Ascension. Yet, He is still present, reigning as the King of the Universe.

The Holy Spirit leads us to Jesus. “No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:3b). The Holy Spirit teaches us how to surrender our lives to Jesus and fills us with a new, divine life that never dies.

We cannot live without the Holy Spirit. In the Creed, we call Him the “Lord and giver of life.” Jesus breathes this new life into us, just as the breath of life was given to Adam at the beginning of time. Allow Jesus to breathe the new life of the Holy Spirit into you as you pray:

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.

Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.

O God, who have taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that in the same Spirit we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in his consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

May the Lord bless you abundantly as we celebrate Pentecost.

Peace,

Lincoln A. Wood
Parish Pastoral Leader

Deacon Lincoln’s Log 5-12-24 Ascension

Deacons: Heralds of the Gospel

Jesus said to his disciples: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.“
Mk. 16:15

“Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you have now become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach.”
The Bishop to the deacon being ordained

At 10 am on Saturday, May 18, Greg Mohr will be ordained to the Order of Deacons by Bishop David Ricken at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Green Bay He will be joining deacons throughout the world as well as the five deacons currently serving St. Thomas More (Senior [retired] Deacon Don Wetzel, Deacon Tim Downey, Deacon Dave Hayden, Deacon Joe Lehman, and myself).

As a deacon, Greg will be configured to Christ, “who made himself the ‘deacon’ or servant of all” (CCC #1570). He will become a visible sign of Christ in our midst as he serves the people of God and the mission of Jesus.

Central to that mission is the Gospel. At Greg’s ordination, Bp. Ricken will present him with a Book of the Gospels saying, ““Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you have now become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach.” Deacons are called to be ‘heralds” of the Gospel, proclaiming the Good News of Jesus not only in words but with the way they live. Christ is to be seen in everything we do, not just serving at the altar.

We all (not just deacons) receive a mission from Jesus. In today’s Gospel reading, we see Jesus ascending. As He ascends to heaven, Jesus tells his disciples, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature” (Mk. 16:15). Each deacon at St. Thomas More strives to do that daily. Beyond that, we are called to serve you as you continue Jesus’ mission in your workplaces, homes, and wherever you find yourself.

I ask you to pray for Greg as he makes his final preparations for ordination and begins serving as a deacon. May he always witness to the Gospel in all that he does, and may we all, together, continue Jesus’ mission.

Peace,

Lincoln A. Wood
Parish Pastoral Leader

Deacon Lincoln’s Log 5-5-24 6th Sunday of Easter

Expanding Love

Peter said, “In truth I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.”
Acts 10:34-35

In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.
1 Jn. 4:7-10

Our faith is universal—that is what the word “Catholic” means. We are a universal faith because Jesus came to redeem all people and lead them to the Kingdom of God. We are a Catholic church because God’s redeeming love is for everyone.

The two books of Scripture we read throughout Easter (The Acts of the Apostles and the First Letter of John) make this universality clear.

In the Acts of the Apostles, we see the early apostles coming to a clearer understanding that the new life brought about through Jesus’ death and resurrection is not just for the Chosen People but for all nations. At the Ascension, Jesus lays out the pattern of expansion: “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Note the movement outward from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. God’s love expands. In today’s reading, we see a significant breakthrough as Peter realizes that “God shows no partiality” (Acts 10:34).

In the First Letter of John, the focus is on God as the initiator of salvation. No one deserves God’s love. It cannot be earned but is given freely because it is God’s nature to love. “God is love” (1 Jn. 4:8). God’s love expands.

Being a Catholic means that we are not sectarian. We are included in God’s expansive love and are called to allow God’s love to expand our hearts (See Psalm 119:32). Is God calling you to a more profound recognition of the universality of His love? How is God enlarging your heart?

Peace,

Lincoln A. Wood
Parish Pastoral Leader

Deacon Lincoln’s Log 4-28-24 5th Sunday of Easter

Remain and Bear Fruit

“Remain in me, as I remain in you. … By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”
Jn. 15:4a, 8

Tension is a keyword in the life of a disciple of Jesus. Some tensions are life-giving. Some are destructive. But there is no escape from the tensions of the spiritual life. The section of John’s Gospel that the church gives us to reflect on in these later weeks of Easter (Jn. 13-20, often called the “Book of Glory”) is full of these tensions. Examples include: Jesus is the servant and the Lord; Jesus is the Son of the Father and He is One with the Father; Jesus is going away and remaining with them. Jesus lays these tensions out before His disciples. He does not resolve them but highlights them the night before He dies. He knows the human heart. He knows that life is complex and there are no glib answers. But at this critical moment, Jesus clarifies that following Him means living with these tensions and allowing them to lead us deeper into love.

The Gospel for this Sunday (Jn. 15:1-8) focuses on the tension between contemplation and action. Jesus tells His disciples to “Remain in me, as I remain in you” (Jn. 15:4a), but a few verses later, He tells them to “bear much fruit and become my disciples” (15:8). Clearly it is not an example of choosing between the two. We must be people of prayer who “remain with Jesus” and we must be “people on mission” who seek to share the Gospel and live a new kind of life. Our lives need time for silence, stillness, and solitude and time for productive activity.

How do we make this tension life-giving?

Each person will answer that question differently, for the answer lies within each heart. Regularly ask yourself:

• Am I remaining with Jesus and drinking deeply from the streams of silence, stillness and solitude? Am I at peace with the Lord?
• Is my activity bearing the fruit of love in my heart and in my community?

The tension between contemplation and action shifts from moment to moment. Keeping a constant, gentle watch on your heart will help guide you on the path of discipleship. “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:26).

Peace,

Lincoln A. Wood
Parish Pastoral Leader

Deacon Lincoln’s Log 4-21-24 4th Sunday of Easter

World Day of Prayer for Vocations

“Beloved, see what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are.”
1 Jn. 3:1

Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
Jn. 10:11

This weekend’s readings remind us of the root and the fruit of vocation. The root of all vocations is knowing that we are loved by God. John reminds us, “Beloved, see what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are.” (1 Jn. 3:1). When we know that God loves us, we can take the risk of making a commitment. Living the vocation of marriage requires the risk of commitment. But today, we focus on the call to the diaconate, priesthood, and consecrated life. These vocations are also rooted in knowing that God loves us. These particular vocations lead those called to risk a commitment to the church.

The fruit of all vocations is “laying down our lives” (Jn. 10:11). Love is sacrificial. Living as a deacon, priest, or consecrated religious requires sacrifice. This is a sacrifice for the church. These three vocations serve the church’s communion and require sacrifice for the church. There is no church without deacons, priests, and people committed to the consecrated life. The life of the church depends on them in a specific way. Today, I invite you to pray for the root and fruit of these three vocations with the following prayer from the US Bishops.

God our Father,

We thank you for calling men and women to serve in your Son’s Kingdom as priests, deacons, and consecrated persons.

Send your Holy Spirit to help others to respond generously and courageously to your call.

May our community of faith support vocations of sacrificial love in our youth and young adults.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen

Peace,

Lincoln A. Wood
Parish Pastoral Leader

Deacon Lincoln’s Log 4-14-24 3rd Sunday of Easter

Reading the Bible with Open Minds

“Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures.”
Lk. 24:45

Understanding the Bible isn’t easy. The Bible teaches us that God is the only one who can guide us to a way of reading scripture with understanding. The Bible is a complex collection of books from several different eras and cultures. Yet, the more scripture we read, the more it makes sense. The qualities of diligence and persistence pay off when reading the Bible.

An open mind is also essential for understanding the scripture. Like reading poetry (April is National Poetry Month), some prior assumptions can lead us astray when reading the Bible. Here’s some cautionary advice from the American Academy of Poets that applies to reading scripture as much as to reading a poem:

Most readers make three false assumptions when addressing an unfamiliar poem. The first is assuming that they should understand what they encounter on the first reading, and if they don’t, that something is wrong with them or with the poem. The second is assuming that the poem is a kind of code, that each detail corresponds to one, and only one, thing, and unless they can crack this code, they’ve missed the point. The third is assuming that the poem can mean anything readers want it to mean.

https://poets.org/text/how-read-poem-0

The Bible is a mysterious book. It is more profound than the best poetry because it is a gift from God. But like poetry, it takes time, effort, and an open mind to understand. The church teaches us that “Sacred Scripture is the speech of God as it is put down in writing under the breath of the Holy Spirit” (CCC 81). But if we persistently approach the scriptures with an open mind, we begin to hear the voice of God whispering beneath the surface. That is, we begin to read with understanding.

Spend some time each day reading your Bible. Ask the Lord to open your mind to understand the Scriptures as He opened the mind of those early apostles.

Peace,

Lincoln A. Wood
Parish Pastoral Leader

Deacon Lincoln’s Log 4-7-24 2nd Sunday of Easter

Divine Image/Divine Mercy

“Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.’ Thomas answered and said, ‘My Lord and my God!’”
Jn. 20:26b-28

Jesus is Divine Mercy. His resurrection demonstrates the power of God over death, judgment, and hell. This power is shown through Jesus’ glorified humanity. That’s why Thomas believes when he sees Jesus. It is his risen humanity that reveals mercy.

We are also made in the image of God and can reveal Divine Mercy. In honor of April as national poetry month, here is a poem tying together Jesus’ humanity, our humanity, and mercy.

The Divine Image

To Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love,
All pray in their distress:
And to these virtues of delight
Return their thankfulness.

For Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love,
Is God, our father dear:
And Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love,
Is Man, his child and care.

For Mercy has a human heart,
Pity, a human face:
And Love, the human form divine,
And Peace, the human dress.

Then every man of every clime,
That prays in his distress,
Prays to the human form divine,
Love, Mercy, Pity, Peace.

And all must love the human form,
In heathen, Turk, or Jew.
Where Mercy, Love, & Pity dwell,
There God is dwelling too.

William Blake
1757 – 1827

Where have you encountered God’s mercy in Jesus? How is your life revealing God’s mercy? 

Peace,

Lincoln A. Wood
Parish Pastoral Leader

Deacon Lincoln’s Log 3-31-24 Easter Sunday

Entering the Tomb

“[The disciple whom Jesus loved entered the tomb.] He saw and believed.”
Jn. 20:8

In the Easter morning Gospel (Jn. 20:1-9), we encounter the empty tomb. Peter and John (the disciple Jesus loved) rush to the tomb and discover it is empty. As John enters the tomb, we are told, “he saw and believed” (Jn. 20:8). What is happening here?

“In itself, [an empty tomb] is not a direct proof of Resurrection; the absence of Christ’s body from the tomb could be explained otherwise” (Catechism of the Catholic Church #640). Yet, for John, it is enough. In that moment of seeing, John’s heart pulls together everything he knows about Jesus, about God, and about reality. It is a moment of clarity. The empty tomb tipped the balance for John and led him to believe in the resurrection.

Upon entering the empty tomb, everything Jesus said and did made sense to John. Jesus’ brutal murder at the hands of the religious and politically powerful pointed to something deeper. All the words of the prophets and teachers of old revealed something new and profound. For John, life itself took on a new meaning. “He saw and believed” (Jn. 20:8). Everything was different because he entered the tomb with an open heart.

Do we have the courage to enter the tomb with an open heart?

Like the empty tomb, the sunrise that touched your heart isn’t direct proof of God’s existence. But is it enough to move you to belief? The fact that billions of Christians claim that Jesus has touched their lives isn’t proof either, but is it enough? That little voice inside you that tells you right from wrong doesn’t force you to believe, but is it enough? What tips you into belief? What moments of clarity have you had?

This Easter, dig deep. Don’t be afraid to enter the tomb with an open heart. You might be surprised to find the foundations for your belief. God guides you to believe as He led John to the empty tomb. Enter the tomb and see what is enough.

Peace,

Lincoln A. Wood
Parish Pastoral Leader

Deacon Lincoln’s Log 3-24-24 Palm Sunday

The Practice of Reading Poetry

“Christ became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name.”

Phil. 2:8-9

In this holiest of weeks, we encounter the Mysteries at the heart of our faith. Words fail us, but we strive to find words that point us in the right direction.

Like the liturgy (see last week’s log), reading poetry can point us toward the great mysteries of our faith. Here is a poem for Palm Sunday. Read it slowly. Read it several times. You can read poetry the way we practice lectio divina to draw the most from the poet’s words.

“Palm Sunday” by Malcolm Guite

They did not spread their cloaks before him on the road, but, here, the cloths that had begun to fray become like palms, a glory in his way.

The crowd came out for him, and their applause is all, this time, for him; the loud hosannas and the rumbling drums are all for him, and all the host of heaven join the psalms.

My prayer is less than nothing in this throng, my words are lost in all the praise they shout, and I am glad to join the palms and crowd, and let them lift my voice and raise my song.

What strikes you from this beautiful poem? How does it lead you into the mystery we celebrate?

Peace,

Lincoln A. Wood
Parish Pastoral Leader

P.S. April is National Poetry Month. Spend some time allowing poems and poetry to lead you to the Mystery of God.