Deacon Larry Jesmer

In 1885, Vincent Van Gogh visited a museum in Amsterdam in order to see Rembrandt’s famous painting, “The Jewish Bride.” Having seen it he said, “I would give 10 years of my life if I could sit before this picture for a fortnight, (14 Days), with nothing but a crust of bread for food. My first hunger is not for food, though I have fasted ever so long. The desire for painting is so much stronger that when I receive some money, I start at once hunting for models until all the money is gone.”

It is not only the body that needs its hunger fed. The heart and the soul need to be fed also. The bread of material things can never satisfy the heart of a human being. You see, we have many hungers.

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18th Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »

Per ipsum et cum ipso et in ipso: “Through Jesus, with Jesus, in Jesus.”
St. Therese of Lisieux said; “Without me, you can do nothing. With you, Jesus, I can do all things. Since it is through Jesus that everything must be accomplished, the more I let Him do, the more the work of grace will be beautiful and perfect.”

This is just what we hear in our scripture passages today. Even though we heard that rejection was often found in preaching the Word of God, the ones that got it, the ones who really heard, went on to spread this Good News in obedience and humility, fully giving themselves to God.

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14th Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »

About four weeks ago I left the safety of my home, went out to my South 40, that is, 40 feet from the back of my house, battled the elements and planted my vegetable garden. With much anticipation, I was waiting for the first sign of growth; that little bit of green popping out of the earth. Every day I went down to see what was new, what was the first to grow.

I knew that the seed I had planted in the ground would have to go through a change in order start growing, a change that would eventually put fresh produce on my dinner table; as long as the slugs and the rabbits didn’t get it first! It is hard to comprehend how a seed starts to grow but it really is pretty amazing.

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11th Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »

Come!  Go! 

You have just lost a loved one; a father, a mother, a sister, a brother, a grandmother, a grandfather, a cousin, a spouse,  a close friend. We have definitely have had our share of loss in this parish in the last couple of months. Do you remember at your times of loss how you felt?

All partings, especially the loss of a loved one, is difficult. It is never easy to say goodbye! I remember back in 1997 when I told my father it was o.k. to leave and that the family would be o.k. all the time thinking in the back of my mind that he would never leave. It is really hard for us to let go, even when someone is dying.

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AscensionRead More »

“Thus, it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations beginning in Jerusalem.” Jesus was calling upon his Apostles to be true disciples spreading his Good News of love and forgiveness. He was calling them to be preachers as he is now calling all of us to preach the Good News to all.

I have heard some say, “I am not a preacher. I cannot preach to anyone.” They might think that they cannot preach so they think they are off the hook!! Are you off the hook? After all, we have our priests like Father Rick, deacons like myself and Deacon Clark.; we have nuns, monks, friars, missionaries, those in religious life, lay apostolates, ministers of all kinds to be the disciples of Christ preaching the Good News. But you see, we are missing the most important preachers of our Church and that is you! Yes, you and you and you and you.

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3rd Sunday of EasterRead More »