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Jim Mahoney

All roads lead to Rome, Jerusalem, Dublin, or Chicago

A cautious, nuanced, yet courageous disclaimer

Interests: kindly note that this blog contains solely my personal opinions. It is not meant to represent the official positions of the diocese of paterson, corpus christi parish, or the chicago cubs. all postings on this blog that you find interesting or helpful are clearly my own work. anything that weakens your faith, raises your blood pressure, or causes you to run out of the room were the work of a heinous hacker!

Recent Activity

A Homily for Grieving - Six and Seven Year Olds and those who loved them - December 16, 2012

Especially since 9-11, our parish community has come together in this place to connect with those who have died, to mourn with those who are grieving, and to draw closer to God when we truly need God most. On December 28, we observe the feast of the Holy Innocents – the children taken by King Herod who was afraid of the birth of the Messiah. We celebrated it early on Friday this week when, for reasons neither understood nor comprehensible, innocents were taken – and those who taught them as well. One of the great symbols of our faith, especially... Continue reading

Posted Dec 16, 2012 at Jim Mahoney's Blog - Sacred to Etc.

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A Prayer in time of Hurricane

Father Jim Martin, S.J., posted this wonderful prayer: A Prayer in the Storm God of the Universe, at the dawn of creation, your Spirit breathed on the waters, making them the wellspring of all holiness. You created the oceans and rivers, and all that dwell within them, and at your word the wind and the waves were born. The seasons follow your plan, and the tides rise and fall on your command. In both calm and storm, you are with us. On the Sea of Galilee, even when the disciples began to fear, Jesus showed that he was Lord over... Continue reading

Posted Oct 29, 2012 at Jim Mahoney's Blog - Sacred to Etc.

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This is just a very short entry where I share some reasonably horrifying information. Tomorrow, September 14, I am 65 years old. On May 5, 2013, I will have been a priest for 40 years. I simply do not know what to do with this information. As I look back, I think about people who had turned 65. From the vantage point of youth, I looked at these people as, shall we say , old. If I was choosing my words less carefully, I might even mutter things like “old farts.” But I will not do that since it would... Continue reading

Posted Sep 13, 2012 at Jim Mahoney's Blog - Sacred to Etc.

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Do we really believe that what's good for the goose is good for the gander?

I have never given much thought as to whether this popular saying minimizes the differences between male and female geese. I leave it to those more informed to ponder this. In essence, I think that it means that each one deserves the same things - or perhaps - things that apply to one should indeed apply to the other. This expression came to me as I was listening to one of our political figures lamenting the quality of discourse during the presidential campaign. One political figure said with a perfectly straight face that they could not remember one politician on... Continue reading

Posted Aug 19, 2012 at Jim Mahoney's Blog - Sacred to Etc.

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Civility and Dialogue - - Not Everyone Wants It

I have been intrigued and troubled by the scuffle going on about the fact of Cardinal Dolan inviting President Obama and Governor Romney to speak at the annual Al Smith Dinner to raise funds for programs that serve youth. Over the decades, major political figures have spoken at this dinner - and usually presidential candidates have spoken. Cardinal Dolan is being accused by some of weakening his views on the sacredness of life. Cardinal Dolan wrote a response to this discussion on his blog yesterday. He is filled with the kindness, mercy, and civility of Christ. Here is what he... Continue reading

Posted Aug 15, 2012 at Jim Mahoney's Blog - Sacred to Etc.

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Does Violence Ever End?

From Cain killing Abel to this morning in Wisconsin, the violence continues and the killing goes on. We pray for all those affected by another tragedy. All we can do is recognize the reality of this painting reminding us that Christ wept: May God have mercy on their souls. May God have mercy on us. May we someday be delivered from evil. Continue reading

Posted Aug 5, 2012 at Jim Mahoney's Blog - Sacred to Etc.

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Are You Frustrated with the Church?

Within the past year, I have listened to more people than ever express their frustration with the Church. It is of little comfort to remember that people were frustrated with the human dimension of the Church probably since the second that Jesus established the Church. If you're frustrated, it is usually because you care. My concern pastorally is that those who are frustrated may join that large group that has simply walked away from the practice of their faith. The 24/7 news cycle means that the warts are magnified and often the good is hidden beneath the growing venom of... Continue reading

Posted Aug 4, 2012 at Jim Mahoney's Blog - Sacred to Etc.

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Olympics Cycling and Following Jesus

I was greatly saddened by the recent death of Stephen Covey. This good and brilliant individual helped millions of people through his writings, especially his first major book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. I was fortunate to receive the Covey training in a number of areas and had the great privilege of being part of a group to whom he taught his eighth habit for the first time. His work has affected so many things that I do - and also serves as an irritating nudge of what I still need to do and how I need to do... Continue reading

Posted Jul 29, 2012 at Jim Mahoney's Blog - Sacred to Etc.

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The Olympics, The Queen, James Bond, and Me

Every time that the Olympics come around, I do not have the slightest interest in watching them. By the time that they are over, I have been totally taken up into the competition, drawn into the stories on TV whose sole purpose is to drawn you into the everyday lives of athletes who are anything but ordinary, and then I begin to cheer for certain people to win - usually those wearing the red, white, and blue. Deep down, I have often wondered if anyone could be an Olympian. Can the luge really be that difficult? How hard is it... Continue reading

Posted Jul 28, 2012 at Jim Mahoney's Blog - Sacred to Etc.

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After Colorado - We Can Only Turn to God - Once Again

Homily, July 22, 2012 In this Mass, every Mass, and at other times, we pray the Lord’s Prayer. We ask God to “deliver us from evil.” This is not an empty pious phrase. Rather it is a phrase that strikes at the reality of evil which we learned about in the first pages of the Scriptures when Cain killed his brother Abel, when people did evil things throughout history, when the Son of God was crucified on the cross, and ever since when evil deeds were done against the innocent. When we see evil, it is searing. When we hear... Continue reading

Posted Jul 23, 2012 at Jim Mahoney's Blog - Sacred to Etc.

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Happy Thanksgiving

Of all the holidays, I enjoy Thanksgiving the most. While not overlooking the spiritual significance of Christmas and Easter, I cannot really say that I enjoy them because they are so exhausting. You put everything you have into those celebrations, connect with the wonderful crowds, and, by the end of those days, you have nothing left. I'm drained. Thanksgiving is different. A lot of folks come for Mass. Things are reasonably quiet after that (note that I would not impose my very limited ability to cook on the rest of humanity). Later in the day, I eat Thanksgiving dinner with... Continue reading

Posted Nov 24, 2011 at Jim Mahoney's Blog - Sacred to Etc.

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Our Parish Pilgrimage - Last Post

Although I said that the last post was the last post from the pilgrimage, an unplanned experience today changed my mind. I want to share it with you. We had early morning Mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. From there, the group was boarding the bus to go to Qumran, Masada, and the Dead Sea. Since my hurting knees had been assaulted by hills and steps yesterday going up to the Church of the Visitation, I decided to stay behind. When we were in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre a few days ago, we had to wait... Continue reading

Posted Nov 12, 2011 at Jim Mahoney's Blog - Sacred to Etc.

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Our Parish Pilgrimage - Day Nine - The Holocaust - The Written Word - Mary

Our day began with a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial. A cantor conducted a service that helped us focus on the spiritual impact of the Holocaust and the lives that were lost. We then moved into the memorial itself. This was a morning when we were confronted by the memory of evil - evil that has been in our world since the first pages of the book of Genesis and as recently as today's newspaper. The monstrous evil of the Holocaust formed the Jewish people into a resolve that it never happen again. Our group went through this... Continue reading

Posted Nov 11, 2011 at Jim Mahoney's Blog - Sacred to Etc.

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Our Parish Pilgrimage - Day Eight - Jerusalem - Jesus in the Dungeon - A Place of Betrayal -

Our pace today was a little less intense. Frankly, I could sense a little less energy in the group, but the more precise observation might be that I sensed a little less energy in me! We first went to the Church of Saint Peter in Gallicantu. The name essentially means the Church of St. Peter of the Cock's Crow. On the top of the Church is a steeple with a rooster - a reminder of the statement of Jesus to Peter that a cock will crow before you deny me three times. While the opinions of archeologists differ as usual,... Continue reading

Posted Nov 10, 2011 at Jim Mahoney's Blog - Sacred to Etc.

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Our Parish Pilgrimage - Day Seven - Jerusalem - The Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Today was the high point for me and, I suspect, for most, if not all, of those on this pilgrimage. To have the opportunity to celebrate Mass right next to the Holy Sepulchre of Jesus, the place where Jesus was raised from the dead, is a spiritual privilege and memory to be savored and cherished. We headed over to the Old City for an early start. Our first experience was to gather for Mass. Since this is the place where Jesus rose, the Mass for Easter is celebrated every single day. Our group was given a small chapel right next... Continue reading

Posted Nov 9, 2011 at Jim Mahoney's Blog - Sacred to Etc.

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Our Parish Pilgrimage to the Holy Land - Day Six - Inside Jerusalem and Over to Bethlehem

(Sorry, my photos are not inserting themselves in the program. Hopefully, will have this figured out shortly.) The importance and meaning of each day is becoming a little more difficult to describe. Essentially, the focus now has moved from just being observers of history and some places involving Jesus to now becoming participants in the story of Jesus and everything that surrounded him. We had to deal with the clear destractions of huge crowds and some uncooperative and unhelpful people who were pilgrims from a country that I will not name. We started at the Church of Pater Noster and... Continue reading

Posted Nov 9, 2011 at Jim Mahoney's Blog - Sacred to Etc.

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Our Parish Pilgrimage to the Holy Land - Day Five - Caesarea Philippi - the Golan Heights - Emmaus - and Jerusalem

Today began with some uncertainty. The largest municipal workers' union in Israel called a general strike today beginning at 6 a.m. Fortunately, it ended at 10 a.m. Howewer, our schedule and places to experience had to change a little. Rather than just wait at the hotel until the strike was over, our guide arrange for us to head north and visit the Golan Heights. So, as intrepid pilgrims, we headed up to the Golan Heights right by the border with Syria. Fascinating, and just a little frightening inasmuch as all kinds of conflict was taking place in Syria, but it... Continue reading

Posted Nov 7, 2011 at Jim Mahoney's Blog - Sacred to Etc.

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Bill, thanks for your prayers. I really believe that prayers for the sick are important and profoundly believe in the power of intercessory prayers. I was getting my own strength from knowing at every single Mass we pray for the sick. Everyone deserves prayers. I was far more fortunate than so many other people who have to undergo far more life-threatening things. Knowing from the start that the tumor was benign helped. Had it been malignant, I doubt if I would have been so circumspect. My major prayer each day begins with gratitude - and knowing that I can count on the prayer of so many people like you - who pray without even being asked. Writing this now while on our parish pilgrimage. This is our first night in Jerusalem. Will write about the day in a little while on the blog. Again, I'm really blessed.

Commented Nov 7, 2011 on Looking Back on the Past Year at Jim Mahoney's Blog - Sacred to Etc.

Our Parish Pilgrimage to the Holy Land - Day Four - Tiberias - Mt. Carmel - Megiddo (Armageddon) - Akko

(Again, sorry for no photos - I'm doing something wrong. Will figure it out.) Today was a different kind of day. Began the day by simply looking out the window and seeing the Sea of Galilee. It does not get better than that. We had early Mass at the Church of St. Peter in Tiberias, one of the four places in Israel where the Mass being celebrated is always the Mass of Saint Peter. The bus then drove us to Megiddo. This was the site mentioned in the Book of Revelation as the place where the last battle would take... Continue reading

Posted Nov 6, 2011 at Jim Mahoney's Blog - Sacred to Etc.

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Our Parish Pilgrimage to the Holy Land - Day Three - Sea of Galilee - Sermon on the Mount

(For some reason, photographs are not being inserted. I'll try to figure this out later in the week.) Today we faced the logistical problem of dealing with highways that were closed due to a bicycle around the Sea of Galilee. I resisted the urge to join the race, but have been saving myself for the New York Marathon. (Oops, just realized that it is on Sunday. Well, perhaps next year.) The clear spiritual high point was the liturgy at the Church of the Beatitudes, near the place where Jesus is believed to have delivered the Sermon on the Mount, including... Continue reading

Posted Nov 6, 2011 at Jim Mahoney's Blog - Sacred to Etc.

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Our Parish Pilgrimage to the Holy Land - Day Two - Mount Tabor and Nazareth

The weather began to cooperate today so this made things easier. Traffic was heavy today due to a Moslem four day holyday. This caused us to make some changes in our schedule. We headed first to Mount Tabor, the scene of the transfiguration of Jesus. During this event, Moses and Elijah were talking with Jesus while Peter, James, and John were waiting for him. Here we see in practice the passage from the Easter Mass which reminds us that "earth unites with heaven." Our whole life is meant to unite us with heaven. God does intervene in our lives. We... Continue reading

Posted Nov 4, 2011 at Jim Mahoney's Blog - Sacred to Etc.

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Our Parish Pilgrimage to the Holy Land - Day One - Nazareth

Just 21 short hours after our bus pulled out of Corpus Christi, we flew from JFK to Tel Aviv and got on another bus to head for Nazareth. Israel has had very little rain. It is badly needed. Since we have been plagued by the weather gods, we were able to bring Israel a tremendous thunderstorm. Unlike certain areas we all know and love, the power stayed on! The group of 34 pilgrims seems quite congenial. No fistfights or arrests - always a good sign for the beginning of a pilgrimage. It is always surrealistic to fly in a plane... Continue reading

Posted Nov 3, 2011 at Jim Mahoney's Blog - Sacred to Etc.

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Looking Back on the Past Year

I am a rather shy and private person. I also never want to trouble anyone nor give someone reason to worry about me. This is not the attitude of a stoic or saint, but rather the reality of an uptight Irish Catholic male who considers it intrusive to ask what someone did over the summer! My concern is that this particular post on my blog will seem unabashedly narcissistic. My reason for writing is simply to share some of my journey over the past year - and perhaps it might be helpful to someone else. A year ago, I learned... Continue reading

Posted Oct 12, 2011 at Jim Mahoney's Blog - Sacred to Etc.

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9/11 - Ten Years Later

A number of people asked for the text of my homily last weekend. I hope that it is helpful to you. Homily, Tenth anniversary of 9/11 To observe an anniversary is not to relive the original time. We are here to rise – people whose belief in Jesus Christ tells us that the true believer, the true liver of the ways of Jesus, will never be kept down. We can look to 9/11 with tears and sadness, but we can also look to it now with defiant hope, and defiant faith, and a defiant belief that we are meant to... Continue reading

Posted Sep 17, 2011 at Jim Mahoney's Blog - Sacred to Etc.

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Some Wisdom for Holy Week

One of the towering spiritual giants of our Church was Sister Thea Bowman, an African American sister whose spiritual writings and life showed explicit goodness and holiness. She died at the age of 52. I just came across some words she wrote about Holy Week. It would be difficult to find better words to consider as we move through this week into the definitive victory of Easter. I hope that you will be nourished by her words: "Let us resolve to make this week holy by claiming Christ’s redemptive grace and by living holy lives. The Word became flesh and... Continue reading

Posted Apr 20, 2011 at Jim Mahoney's Blog - Sacred to Etc.

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