When the Devil Offers You the World

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The First Sunday of Lent always begins in the wilderness. That is not an accident. Before Jesus begins His public ministry, before He heals anyone or preaches a single Beatitude, He goes into the desert—alone, hungry, and vulnerable—and He faces the oldest temptation in the human story: the temptation to use power without love, to grasp what belongs to God, and to worship something other than the God who made us.

The readings this Sunday carry that thread from beginning to end. Genesis 2:7–9; 3:1–7 gives us the primal scene: a man and a woman, a garden, a serpent, and a choice. The serpent does not come with threats—it comes with a reasonable-sounding argument. “Did God really say…?” It introduces doubt, then desire, then a grasping at something that was never theirs to take. And in that grasping, something is lost—not just innocence, but relationship. The intimacy of the garden fractures. They hide.

Paul’s letter to the Romans (Romans 5:12–19) names what that fracture cost: “Through one man sin entered the world, and through sin, death.” But Paul does not stop there—and neither does the Gospel. Because what Adam lost, Christ restored. “Through the obedience of the one, the many will be made righteous.” The whole arc of Lent moves from that first disobedience toward the obedience of the Cross: the One who did not grasp at equality with God, but emptied Himself—and in emptying Himself, filled the world with grace.

And then the Gospel (Matthew 4:1–11). Jesus, driven by the Spirit into the desert, is tempted three times—and three times He refuses. Turn stones into bread (use Your power for Yourself). Throw Yourself from the temple (test God for spectacle). Accept all the kingdoms of the world (worship me and I will give you dominion). Every one of these temptations is a version of the same offer: skip the Cross, take the shortcut, grasp the power. Jesus answers every single one with Scripture, with truth, and with a refusal to worship anything other than the living God.

Why These Readings Speak Directly to This Moment

I want to be honest with you this Lent—as honest as I know how to be. We are living in a moment when the temptations Jesus faced in the desert are not abstract theology. They are being acted out, at scale, in the public life of our nation.

We are watching the temptation to turn power into bread for some and stones for everyone else—to use the levers of government not for the common good, but to reward the powerful and punish the vulnerable.

We are watching the temptation to spectacle: governance by performance, cruelty as entertainment, the degradation of persons staged for applause.

And we are watching the temptation to empire: “All these kingdoms I will give you, if you bow down and worship me.” What does it mean when a nation begins to organize itself around the logic of domination—around the humiliation of the poor, the expulsion of the stranger, the silencing of dissent, and the concentration of power in fewer and fewer hands? The Church has a word for that. History has a word for that. And that word is fascism.

I do not use that word lightly, and I do not use it as a slogan. I use it precisely because the Catholic tradition demands that we name what we see clearly—and that we resist it courageously. Roman Catholic Cardinal Joseph Tobin, Archbishop of Newark, quoted a 1936 Italian novel about resisting fascism just days ago, reminding us that the Church has been here before and that the saints who stood against authoritarian cruelty paid a real price for doing so. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago’s Archbishop recently wrote: “As pastors entrusted with the teaching of our people, we cannot stand by while dehumanizing policies are carried out in our name.”

That is the voice of the Church at its best. That is the voice of Lent.

Standing with Immigrants: This Is Not Political. It Is Baptismal.

Our Lenten theme this year is Standing with Immigrants—and I want you to understand why that theme is not a political position. It is a baptismal one.

The Roman Catholic USCCB’s pastoral statement Welcoming the Stranger Among Us is unambiguous: “Every person has basic human rights and is entitled to have basic human needs met—food, shelter, clothing, education, and health care. Before God we cannot excuse inhumane treatment of certain persons by claiming that their lack of legal status deprives them of rights given by the Creator.”

Leviticus commands Israel—from their own experience of displacement—to treat the alien “no differently than the natives born among you.” Matthew’s Gospel begins with the Holy Family as refugees fleeing a paranoid king. Jesus Himself says: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” The Apostle Paul declares that before God “there is neither Jew nor Greek… for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). This is not the progressive wing of Christianity. This is the constant, ancient, universal teaching of the Church.

When families are separated at the border, when people are ripped from their communities and placed in detention, when immigrants live in fear of being swept up in raids—that is not a policy disagreement. That is an assault on human dignity. And when the Church is silent, it becomes complicit. Saint Francis Parish and Outreach will not be silent.

What Lent Asks of Us This Year

Lent is not a spiritual retreat from the world. It is a training ground for loving the world more faithfully. The three ancient disciplines of Lent—prayer, fasting, and almsgiving—are not private exercises; they are the practices of people who are being formed to resist the temptations Jesus refused in the desert.

When we pray, we reorient our allegiance. We remember that our ultimate loyalty is not to any political party, any nation-state, or any ideology—but to the God who made every human being in His image and likeness. Prayer is an act of resistance against the idolatry of power.

When we fast, we practice the freedom that comes from not needing what the world offers. We loosen the grip of comfort, consumption, and fear. We make room in ourselves for the hunger of others—and we are less easily manipulated by those who would exploit our anxiety.

When we give, we embody the truth that the goods of the earth belong to all people, not only to those with legal status, property, or power. We stand with the poor not as a charitable gesture but as a statement of solidarity: your life matters, your dignity is non-negotiable, and we are with you.

A Word to the Parish

I love this community. I love who we are becoming together—a parish that takes worship seriously and takes the world seriously, a community that prays on Sunday and shows up on Monday. This Lent, I am asking you to do three things:

Pray. Use the prayers from this Lenten series. Bring the names of immigrants, refugees, and the downtrodden into your daily prayer. Do not let them be abstractions. They are your neighbors, your coworkers, your fellow image-bearers of God.

Learn. Read the USCCB’s teaching on immigration. Read the saints who resisted authoritarianism. Read Pope Leo XIV’s statement that peace is built on respect and that only good can combat evil. Equip yourself with the tradition so that when you speak, you speak from the deep wells of the faith rather than the shallow pools of social media.

Act. Find one way—one concrete, particular, local way—to stand with someone who is vulnerable. Volunteer with an immigrant family. Write to your elected officials. Donate to an organization that serves refugees. Show up when the Church gathers to pray in solidarity. Do not wait for a perfect opportunity. Begin now, in the desert, with Jesus.

The wilderness is not the end of the story. It is the beginning. Jesus comes out of the desert into Galilee and begins to announce: “The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the Good News.” That is our invitation too—to repent of the ways we have been silent, comfortable, or complicit, and to believe that the Kingdom Jesus proclaimed is worth standing for, even when it costs us something.

May this Lent make us people of the wilderness—hungry enough to hear God, honest enough to resist what is false, and courageous enough to stand beside those the world has pushed to the margins.

Pax et Bonum,

Bishop Greer

The Heart of the Matter: Faith That Becomes Integrity

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This Sunday’s Gospel begins with a clear statement from Jesus: He has not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfill them. And then He does something that can feel bracing: He moves the conversation from outward compliance to inward conversion—into anger, contempt, reconciliation, lust, fidelity, and honesty. The call is not merely “avoid the worst,” but “let God remake the heart so the whole life becomes truthful and loving.”

“You have heard it said… but I say to you…”

Jesus names the commandment against killing and then goes deeper: anger that hardens, words that wound, and contempt that treats someone as less than human. He speaks about fidelity and purity, and again He goes deeper than behavior alone—toward the inner life that slowly forms what we become. And when He reaches truthfulness, He gives one of the simplest, most demanding lines of all: “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’” Christ is forming disciples whose lives don’t require spin, whose speech doesn’t manipulate, and whose relationships don’t survive on avoidance.

A pastoral reality: reconciliation is worship

One of the most striking instructions Jesus gives is this: if you come to the altar and remember a rupture with your brother or sister, go first and seek reconciliation, then return. He is not lowering the value of worship—He is protecting it from becoming a substitute for love. This matters for parish life because it means our faith is meant to show up in the way we repair, the way we apologize, and the way we refuse to let resentment become our identity. Reconciliation is not always quick, and it isn’t always safe to restore closeness immediately after harm. But the Gospel still calls us to begin where we can: prayer for the one we resist, refusal to rehearse contempt, and a first step toward peace when it is possible and prudent.

A current events examination of conscience

This Gospel is painfully relevant in a moment when outrage is rewarded, contempt spreads quickly online, and people are reduced to labels. Jesus’ teaching invites a sober question: what is forming my heart each day—news cycles, arguments, sarcasm, and doom-scrolling, or prayer, Scripture, and a deliberate practice of charity? If Christ is right that anger and contempt already distort the soul, then our discipleship must include how we speak about others, how we interpret motives, and how we treat people we disagree with—especially in public spaces where cruelty is normalized.

One simple practice for this week

Choose one concrete act of conversion that matches this Gospel’s direction—not someday, but this week:

  • Reach out to one person where there is tension (even with a small message: “Can we talk?”).
  • Make one honest apology without defending yourself.
  • Fast from contempt: no insults, no “dunking,” no degrading humor.
  • Practice clean truth: say what you mean, mean what you say, and let your yes be yes.

None of this is about moral perfection. It’s about letting Jesus do what He says He came to do: fulfill the Law by filling it with love, and make our lives coherent with the Kingdom.

Pax et Bonum,

Bishop Greer

Be Salt. Be Light. Be Human First.

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Some Sundays the lectionary feels like a theme. This Sunday it feels like a map.

Isaiah doesn’t start with lofty ideas. He starts with lunch. “Share your bread with the hungry… shelter the oppressed and the homeless… then your light shall break forth like the dawn.” (Isaiah 58:7–10) Jesus doesn’t soften it either: “You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world… your light must shine before others.” (Matthew 5:13–16)

So here’s the question the readings quietly hand us:
What does “light” look like in Augusta this week?

It looks like the reality behind the headlines: neighbors navigating tightened safety nets and rising costs. Local reporting has highlighted how changes to SNAP work requirements are creating fresh obstacles for vulnerable people, including those experiencing homelessness and veterans, while community organizations face growing demand and declining donations. The story names what many families already feel: housing costs, food costs, mental health barriers, and limited access don’t arrive one at a time; they stack.

And then the weather reminds us how quickly “policy” becomes “survival.” During a recent extreme cold snap, local nonprofits and community partners worked to get people into warming centers and hotel rooms when shelters were full or unsafe. One unhoused person was found dead outdoors. That detail is a bell you can’t unhear. When Jesus says a lamp isn’t lit to be hidden, he’s talking about moments exactly like this, when being seen, being safe, and being warm are not guaranteed.

This is where Psalm 112 feels like spiritual grounding instead of a nice poem: the just person is steady, generous, and not undone by bad news, not because they’re detached, but because they’re rooted. “Salt” is rarely dramatic. It’s faithful. It’s the small things that make life more livable. “Light” is often quiet. It’s a presence that says, You matter, you’re not invisible, and you’re not alone.

And if you’re reading all of this and thinking, “I want to help, but I don’t know what to say,” St. Paul steps in with relief: “I did not come with sublimity of words… I came in weakness and fear… so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:1–5) The readings give us permission to stop waiting until we feel impressive. You can do mercy without a script. You can love people without a speech.

That’s one reason our parish’s Human First Outreach matters so much right now. This ministry focuses on providing food and toiletries to our homeless neighbors in Augusta, along with feminine hygiene supplies and pet food, and it explicitly calls volunteers into compassionate presence: engage people in a loving way, refrain from proselytizing, and listen deeply. That is “salt and light” with skin on.

And because “light” is also about clarity, especially when Christianity is used to harm, our Reclaiming the Cross Outreach exists to help “set the record straight on what the Bible says” about issues facing society today. Light isn’t weaponized. Light heals, reveals, and guides.

Even our longer recovery stories belong in these readings. Augusta continues to detail the ongoing cost and complexity of Hurricane Helene recovery, projects submitted for FEMA review, reimbursements still pending, infrastructure still being restored. This is what steady “Psalm 112” goodness looks like at a civic scale: persistence, remembrance, and rebuilding that lasts longer than the news cycle.

And at the one-year mark, the city held a remembrance of those lost while naming tangible progress and what remains under repair. Light doesn’t rush grief. Light keeps faith with it.

So the invitation this week is simple, but not small:

Let Isaiah’s “share your bread” become something you can hold in your hands.
Let Paul’s “not with persuasive words” free you from needing to be perfect.
Let Jesus’ “salt and light” become specific enough that someone’s day gets easier.

If you want a one-line practice for the week, try this:
Be the kind of light someone can feel before they can explain it.

Pax et Bonum,

Bishop Greer

Light in the Darkness, Courage in the Streets

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This Sunday’s readings move with a clear rhythm: God brings light where people are burdened, Christ calls us into a united community, and Jesus begins his public ministry by announcing a kingdom that touches real life. Isaiah declares that God breaks “the yoke… the bar… the rod of their oppressor” (Isaiah 9:1b–4). Paul pleads that the Church stop tearing itself into factions and be “knit together in the same mind and the same purpose” (1 Corinthians 1:10–13, 17). And Matthew shows Jesus stepping forward after John’s arrest, moving into Galilee, proclaiming repentance, calling disciples, teaching, and healing (Matthew 4:12–23). 

The Light that Breaks the Rod (Isaiah 9:1b–4)

Isaiah is not offering a vague spiritual comfort. He names concrete burdens and concrete powers: yokes, bars, rods. Then he announces God’s action: the oppressor’s tools are broken. This is what the “great light” looks like in Scripture. It is liberation. It is God’s refusal to accept domination as normal life. 

That promise is not just history. It is vocation. If we follow a God who breaks the rod of the oppressor, then our faith cannot stay politely silent when our neighbors’ dignity is threatened. Speaking truth to power is not about being loud. It is about being faithful. It is about telling the truth when lies are convenient for those in charge.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. put it with clarity that still convicts: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” (Letter from Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963). 

Unity is not Uniformity, it is Christ (1 Corinthians 1:10–13, 17)

Paul’s warning to the Corinthians is painfully current. When a community starts saying “I belong to Paul,” “I belong to Apollos,” “I belong to Cephas,” it has replaced the Gospel with camps and brands. Paul’s question cuts through it: “Has Christ been divided?”

A church that speaks truth to power must also practice truth and love inside its own life. Unity does not mean avoiding hard conversations. Unity means we refuse to dehumanize each other. Unity means we do not let outrage become our identity. Unity means we center Christ, especially “the cross of Christ,” which Paul insists must not be emptied of its power (1 Corinthians 1:17).

Jesus begins where power does not look (Matthew 4:12–23)

Matthew is deliberate: Jesus begins preaching after John is arrested. Truth-telling has consequences. Then Jesus moves into Galilee, fulfilling Isaiah’s promise that people in darkness will see a great light. And what does that light do? Jesus calls ordinary workers into discipleship, proclaims good news, and heals bodies and communities. The kingdom is not an idea. It is a new social reality.

When Jesus says “Follow me,” he is not inviting us into comfort. He is inviting us into courage. Into public discipleship. Into a way of living that protects the vulnerable and challenges what crushes human beings.

Our calling in Augusta: speak truth to power and stand up for others

At Saint Francis Parish & Outreach, we are Old Catholic and Franciscan. That means we love the sacraments, the liturgy, and the deep roots of the Church. It also means we take seriously the Gospel’s demand for justice, mercy, and solidarity.

Speaking truth to power can look like telling the truth about systems that harm the poor. It can look like advocating for those targeted because of race, immigration status, disability, gender, or who they love. It can look like refusing to laugh along with cruelty. It can look like showing up at public meetings, writing letters, making calls, voting, accompanying neighbors to appointments, sharing resources, and creating safe community where people can breathe.

It also means we stand up for the rights of others even when it costs us socially, financially, or politically, because the Gospel is not about protecting our comfort. It is about protecting God’s beloved.

A Franciscan way to begin

St. Francis did not change the world by winning arguments. He changed the world by living the Gospel with his whole life. The Franciscan witness is persistent, concrete, and close to the ground: feed someone, visit someone, speak up, tell the truth, refuse violence, care for creation, practice joy, keep praying, keep showing up.

If you feel overwhelmed by the world’s darkness, Isaiah offers a promise and Jesus offers a path. The light has dawned. Now we walk in it.

Pax et Bonum,

Bishop Greer

Behold the Lamb of God: Our Call to Be Light in Troubled Times

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As an Old Catholic community rooted in the apostolic tradition yet responsive to the signs of our times, we gather this Second Sunday in Ordinary Time with hearts open to the Spirit’s movement in our world. The words of our Responsorial Psalm echo through our liturgy: “Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.” These are words that honor both sacred tradition and prophetic courage.

In today’s Gospel, John the Baptist stands at the Jordan River and proclaims: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). This declaration transcends denominational boundaries and speaks to the universal human longing for redemption. In our Old Catholic tradition, we recognize that Christ’s saving work extends to all people, not limited by institutional walls or hierarchical decree.

This recognition—this beholding—calls us to engagement with the world as it is, not as we wish it were.

The World We See: January 2026

Brothers and sisters, faithful to the Old Catholic commitment to read the signs of the times with both theological depth and pastoral compassion, we observe our world with clear eyes:

Political authoritarianism and the abuse of power continue to threaten human dignity across the globe—from ongoing crises in Venezuela to questions of governance that subordinate human rights to political expediency. Our Old Catholic heritage, born from resistance to papal infallibility and centralized authority, sensitizes us to these dangers.

Violence against the marginalized persists in forms both dramatic and subtle. Recent incidents of state violence against immigrants, systemic racism, and economic exploitation remind us that institutional structures can become instruments of oppression rather than service.

Economic injustice widens the chasm between wealthy and poor, contradicting the biblical vision of jubilee and the patristic understanding of wealth as held in common stewardship.

Ecological devastation threatens the very fabric of creation, calling us back to the ancient Christian understanding of humanity’s priestly role in caring for God’s handiwork.

These realities demand more than pious platitudes. They require what the Declaration of Utrecht (1889) called for: a church that maintains “the ancient Catholic faith” while rejecting “every addition to the Creed.”

A Light to the Nations: The Old Catholic Witness

God speaks through Isaiah: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6).

This universal vision resonates deeply with Old Catholic ecclesiology. We reject any notion that salvation is mediated exclusively through one institution or that God’s grace flows only through approved channels. The light of Christ illuminates all people of goodwill.

As Saint Francis Parish—an Old Catholic community in communion with the broader Catholic tradition yet independent in governance—we embody a particular witness:

We affirm episcopal authority rooted in collegiality, not monarchy
We celebrate the priesthood of all believers alongside ordained ministry
We welcome all to Christ’s table who seek Him in good faith
We honor tradition while embracing necessary reform
We recognize that conscience, properly formed, must be respected

The Old Catholic and Franciscan Response: Justice Grounded in Tradition

Our dual identity as Old Catholic and Franciscan gives us unique resources for responding to today’s crises:

1. Radical Inclusivity: The Table is Set for All

The Old Catholic movement emerged partly as a protest against exclusionary practices and centralized control. We believe Christ’s welcome extends beyond institutional boundaries:

  • Open communion reflects our conviction that Christ, not human gatekeepers, invites guests to His table
  • Full inclusion of women in ordained ministry recognizes the Spirit’s gifts distributed without regard to gender
  • Welcoming LGBTQ+ persons as beloved children of God, made in the divine image
  • Embracing divorced and remarried Catholics who seek full participation in sacramental life
  • Building genuine ecumenical relationships that respect theological differences while celebrating shared faith

This isn’t “watering down” the faith—it’s recovering the radical hospitality of the early church and the inclusive table fellowship of Jesus himself.

2. Synodal Governance and Lay Empowerment

Old Catholic polity rejects the monarchical episcopate in favor of synodal governance, with meaningful lay participation in decision-making. This model speaks prophetically to our moment:

  • Shared governance models an alternative to authoritarian political structures
  • Transparency and accountability demonstrate that power need not corrupt
  • Women’s leadership in all levels of church life challenges patriarchal systems
  • Parish autonomy balanced with communion shows unity-in-diversity is possible
  • Consultative processes honor the sensus fidelium—the sense of the faithful

When we practice collaborative leadership in our parish, we witness to a better way of organizing human community.

3. Franciscan Simplicity and Social Justice

Francis of Assisi’s radical commitment to poverty and peace complements Old Catholic social teaching:

Solidarity with the Poor:

  • Direct service through our outreach ministries, recognizing Christ in the distressing disguise of the poor
  • Advocacy for just wages and workers’ rights, continuing the legacy of Old Catholic support for labor movements
  • Housing justice in Augusta, addressing homelessness as a moral crisis
  • Immigration solidarity, offering sanctuary and advocacy for our undocumented neighbors

Peacemaking and Reconciliation:

  • Interfaith dialogue that builds genuine friendships across religious boundaries—continuing Francis’s example with the Sultan
  • Restorative justice rather than punitive responses to harm
  • Conflict transformation training for our community members
  • Active nonviolence as a spiritual discipline and political strategy

Care for Creation:

  • Ecological consciousness rooted in sacramental theology—all creation reveals the Creator
  • Environmental justice recognizing that the poor suffer first and most from ecological damage
  • Sustainable parish practices from energy use to purchasing decisions
  • Advocacy for climate action at local and national levels

4. Theological Depth and Intellectual Honesty

Old Catholicism values serious theological engagement, refusing false choices between faith and reason:

  • Critical biblical scholarship that honors Scripture’s authority while acknowledging its human dimensions
  • Historical consciousness about how doctrine develops in dialogue with culture
  • Ethical reasoning that engages philosophy, science, and human experience
  • Honest wrestling with difficult questions rather than authoritarian pronouncements
  • Academic freedom for theologians to explore and question

We don’t fear difficult questions because we trust that truth—including theological truth—emerges through honest inquiry, not coercive uniformity.

Called to Be Saints: The Universal Vocation

Saint Paul addresses the Corinthians as “called to be saints” (1 Corinthians 1:2)—not because of their moral perfection but because of their baptismal identity. This democratization of holiness is central to both Old Catholic and Franciscan spirituality.

You don’t need a hierarchy’s permission to be holy.
You don’t need institutional validation to live the Gospel.
You don’t need to wait for official approval to work for justice.

The Holy Spirit moves where She wills, empowering laypeople, women, and those on the margins to be instruments of transformation. Our Old Catholic ecclesiology affirms what experience confirms: God’s grace flows freely, constrained neither by canon law nor clerical control.

Practical Steps: Living the Old Catholic Vision

What does our Old Catholic and Franciscan identity mean practically?

  • Pray the Liturgy of the Hours in English, recovering this ancient practice for laypeople
  • Read Scripture with critical and devotional eyes—both historical context and personal application matter
  • Practice inclusive language for God and humanity in your prayers
  • Reach out to someone excluded by mainstream religious communities
  • Examine one way you participate in unjust systems
  • Attend our Parish Council meeting—your voice matters in governance
  • Join a Scripture study that uses both traditional and contemporary scholarship
  • Participate in interfaith dialogue or service project
  • Support a justice initiative—immigration, housing, environment, or racial justice
  • Learn about Old Catholic history and our theological distinctives
  • Deepen your understanding of Catholic social teaching and Old Catholic ecclesiology
  • Develop a consistent practice of contemplative prayer and social action
  • Build relationships across denominational, racial, and political lines
  • Engage in sustained advocacy for systemic change on one issue
  • Consider a vocation to ordained or lay ministry in our community

Our Parish Commitments:

  • Open theological discussions where questions are welcomed
  • Ecumenical and interfaith partnerships for community transformation
  • Transparent financial practices with lay oversight
  • Full inclusion of all people in sacramental and ministerial life

The Declaration of Utrecht Lived Today

A defining document of Old Catholicism, the Declaration of Utrecht (1889), committed Old Catholics to maintaining ancient faith while rejecting “every addition which is not contained in the revelation made in the Scriptures and the tradition of the first centuries.” This isn’t merely historical nostalgia—it’s a living principle.

When we reject papal infallibility, we affirm that truth emerges through communal discernment, not individual decree—a vital principle for our democratic moment.

When we reject mandatory clerical celibacy, we honor the goodness of human sexuality and family life—challenging toxic purity culture.

When we embrace episcopal collegiality, we model collaborative leadership as an alternative to authoritarianism.

When we welcome all to communion, we proclaim that God’s grace cannot be controlled or rationed by human institutions.

These aren’t peripheral matters—they’re prophetic stances that speak to our world’s deepest needs.

Here Am I, Lord: The Response of a Free People

The Psalm response—“Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will”—is the prayer of free people responding to divine invitation, not coerced subjects submitting to institutional demands.

Our Old Catholic tradition affirms that conscience must be respected, that authority exists for service rather than domination, and that the Spirit speaks through the whole people of God, not just the ordained hierarchy.

This freedom is not license but liberation—freedom for loving service, for prophetic witness, for costly discipleship.

A Blessing for the Week Ahead

May you walk in the ancient paths that lead to justice.

May you question with courage and believe with humility.

May you recognize Christ’s authority while rejecting human tyranny.

May you celebrate tradition while embracing necessary reform.

May you welcome the stranger, feed the hungry, and challenge the powerful.

May you be a light to the nations, carrying the ancient Catholic faith into our complex present—

Not bound by human additions to the Gospel,
But freed by Christ’s radical love to transform the world.

Here am I, Lord. We come to do your will.

Join Our Community

Sunday Eucharist: 3:00 PM Eastern Time – All are welcome at Christ’s table

We are a community that honors ancient tradition, celebrates the sacraments, welcomes all people, empowers lay leadership, and works for justice and peace. Come and see!

Pax et Bonum,

Bishop Greer

A Servant for Justice: Baptismal Courage in a Time of State Violence

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A beloved child of God is dead.

On January 8, 2026, Reuters reported that a 37-year-old Minnesota mother and U.S. citizen, Renee Nicole Good, was fatally shot by a U.S. immigration agent in Minneapolis during a large federal operation, as protests spread in Minneapolis and other U.S. cities. The incident is now under investigation, with sharply conflicting official narratives about what happened in the moments before the shooting.

As people of faith, and as a parish committed to outreach to the least, the lost, and the forgotten, we cannot treat this as just another headline. This is a pastoral emergency. A spiritual crisis. And a moment that demands Christian clarity.

“A Bruised Reed He Will Not Break” (Isaiah 42)

Isaiah gives us the image of God’s Servant, chosen, upheld, filled with God’s Spirit, not to crush, but to heal; not to dominate, but to establish justice. The Servant is gentle and unyielding: “He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice on the earth.” (Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7)

Isaiah also says the Servant is sent “to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon.” (Isaiah 42:6-7) When a government’s power becomes masked, militarized, and unaccountable, when it targets communities through fear, raids, and spectacle, the Church must hear Isaiah plainly: God is not neutral about captivity. God is not indifferent to state violence.

“God Shows no Partiality” (Acts 10)

In Acts, Peter makes a revolutionary declaration: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality.” (Acts 10:34-38)

This is not a polite religious slogan. It is a direct assault on every hierarchy that declares some lives more disposable than others.

Peter then summarizes Jesus’ ministry: Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit and power, and he “went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed.” (Acts 10:38)

That word matters: oppressed.

Not merely unfortunate. Not merely struggling. Oppressed, harmed by systems, crushed by power, targeted by authorities, treated as threats instead of neighbors. The early Church proclaimed that Jesus stands with such people, and that the Spirit anoints the Church to do the same.

Jesus Enters the Water with the Vulnerable (Matthew 3)

Matthew tells us Jesus comes to John for baptism, a baptism meant for repentance, and John resists: “I need to be baptized by you.” But Jesus insists. He steps into the water anyway. (Matthew 3:13-17)

This is solidarity before it is spectacle.

Jesus identifies with people under suspicion, people being searched, judged, monitored, and condemned. Then the heavens open and God names him: “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)

Here is the heart of Christian resistance: before Jesus ever preaches a sermon, before he performs a miracle, before he earns anything, God calls him Beloved.

If we are baptized into Christ, then we are baptized into that same truth: people do not have to earn their dignity. They have it because God gives it.

Naming the Threat: Fascism Is a Spiritual Danger

We should be honest: fascism is not only a political problem, it is a spiritual counterfeit.

Fascism trains people to worship force, to crave domination, to treat cruelty as strength, and to accept lies if they feel emotionally satisfying. It creates scapegoats and calls them invaders. It demands loyalty and punishes compassion. Furthermore, it normalizes the unthinkable until our moral imagination shrinks.

When Christians remain silent in the face of such patterns, we are not being peaceful. We are being formed, slowly, into acceptance of violence.

Isaiah’s Servant does not accept that formation. Acts’ gospel does not accept it. Jesus’ baptism does not bless it.

A Franciscan Word: Stand with the Marginalized

At Saint Francis Parish and Outreach, our identity is not abstract. It is practical: to stand with those pushed to the edges, including immigrants, the poor, the unhoused, LGBTQ plus neighbors, people targeted for their race, religion, language, or disability, anyone the powerful find convenient to threaten.

Today, we grieve Renee Nicole Good. We grieve her family. We grieve a nation where a U.S. citizen can be killed in an enforcement operation surrounded by confusion, propaganda, and fear.

And we also grieve the deeper wound: the steady attempt to make us numb.

But we will not be numbed.

What Faithfulness Can Look like Right Now

We can respond in ways that are explicitly Christian, rooted in baptism, scripture, and solidarity:

  1. Pray with specificity, and with names.
    Not vague prayers that float above reality, but prayers that speak truth: for Renee Nicole Good, for those traumatized by raids, for those living in fear, for courage, repentance, and protection. 
  2. Reject dehumanizing language in our homes and communities.
    When people are called “illegals,” “infestation,” “animals,” or “terrorists” without evidence, Christians must intervene, calmly, firmly, consistently.
  3. Practice accompaniment.
    Show up for immigrants and marginalized neighbors in tangible ways: rides, meals, child care, court accompaniment, mutual aid, community presence.
  4. Demand accountability as a moral duty.
    Seeking investigation, transparency, and justice is not being political, it is refusing to let killing be normalized.

Baptized People Do Not Look Away

Isaiah promises a Servant who brings justice without crushing the weak. Acts proclaims a God who shows no partiality. Matthew shows Jesus entering the water, choosing solidarity, and being named Beloved.

So here is our call:
To stand against fascism.
To stand up for those who are marginalized.
To refuse the lie that some people are expendable.
To live our baptism publicly, where it costs something.

Because the Church is not most true when it is safest.
The Church is most true when it is most faithful.

Pax et Bonum,

Bishop Greer

Christmas at the Margins

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We gather in the stillness and shadow of Christmas Midnight Mass to tell a story the world keeps trying to silence.

It is not a story of comfort or control. It is not a story about power winning through force. It is the story of a child born into danger, poverty, and political violence. A story of God choosing to be with those who are pushed to the edges.

Our lectionary opens Midnight Mass with words that feel almost too familiar to a weary world: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” That light does not arrive with an army or a decree. It comes quietly, carried in the arms of a young woman who has no social standing and no protection beyond faith and courage.

Jesus is born because there is no room. No room in the inn. No room in the systems of his time. No room in an empire that thrives on fear, hierarchy, and control. The Son of God enters the world, already excluded.

This is where Christmas begins.

At Saint Francis Parish and Outreach, we insist on telling the whole Christmas story. Not the sanitized version that fits neatly into holiday decorations, but the real one. A child born under occupation. A family living under the threat of state violence. Parents who will soon have to flee as refugees to protect their child from a ruler who uses fear to maintain power.

Mary and Joseph know what it means to walk with uncertainty. They know what it means to travel while vulnerable. They know what it means to be told, directly and indirectly, that their lives matter less.

That makes the Holy Family deeply familiar to immigrants today.

Across our own community in Augusta and across this country, families are walking in fear. They are navigating detention centers, court dates, sudden policy changes, and the constant anxiety of separation. Many are doing exactly what Mary and Joseph did: protecting their children, trusting God, and moving forward even when the road is dangerous.

Christmas does not allow us to look away from that reality. Christmas demands that we see it.

The Gospel at Midnight Mass tells us that shepherds are the first to hear the good news. Shepherds. Not kings. Not officials. Not religious elites. Shepherds were among the poor, the overlooked, the ones society barely noticed. God entrusts them with the first proclamation of salvation.

That choice matters.

It tells us something about where God stands. God does not align with empire. Nor does he bless systems built on domination. God does not sanctify fear-based politics or authoritarian power dressed up as “order.”

This is why standing against fascism is not a political hobby for Christians. It is a theological necessity.

Fascism relies on fear. It requires scapegoats. It thrives by dividing people into those who belong and those who do not. The Christmas story dismantles that logic at its core. God becomes human without privilege. God chooses vulnerability over violence. The Divine enters history not to crush enemies, but to save lives.

Every time we refuse to dehumanize immigrants, we are living Christmas. Every time we resist narratives that portray vulnerable people as threats, we are proclaiming the Gospel. When we say that no human being is illegal, unwanted, or expendable, we are standing in the light that shines in the darkness.

The letter to Titus, also proclaimed at Midnight Mass, reminds us that the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all. Not some. Not the deserving. Not the powerful. All.

Grace does not come with conditions. Grace does not ask for papers. It does not demand cultural conformity. Grace appears as a gift.

That grace teaches us how to live. It calls us away from cruelty and indifference and toward justice, mercy, and solidarity. It forms us into a people who refuse to cooperate with systems that harm the vulnerable, even when those systems claim legitimacy or tradition.

At Saint Francis Parish and Outreach, walking with immigrants is not an abstract idea. It is prayer with feet. It is advocacy. It is accompaniment. It is showing up when fear is loud and hope feels fragile. It is remembering that Christ is not only born in Bethlehem but continues to be born wherever people risk love in a broken world.

Christmas is not sentimental. It is dangerous. It threatens every system that depends on fear to survive.

That is why the light of Christmas cannot be extinguished. The darkness has tried before. Empires have risen and fallen. Rulers like Herod have come and gone. Yet the child in the manger still speaks, still challenges, still gathers the poor and the forgotten into a new kind of family.

Tonight, as candles flicker in the dark, we are reminded that light does not need permission from darkness. It simply shines.

May this Christmas find us braver. May it find us more committed to the dignity of immigrants and all who are pushed aside. May it find us resisting fascism in all its forms, not with hatred, but with courage rooted in love.

And may we never forget that the God we worship chose to begin life as a child with nowhere to lay his head.

That is good news. For all of us.

Pax et Bonum,

Bishop Greer

Caminando con el Forastero: Alegría de Adviento, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe y el Llamado al Coraje

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Las lecturas de este domingo nos llevan más profundamente al corazón del Adviento, esa temporada en la que la Iglesia sostiene la tensión entre el anhelo y la esperanza, entre lo que está roto y lo que Dios está sanando. Isaías anima a un pueblo cansado: “Fortalezcan las manos débiles y afiancen las rodillas vacilantes” (Isaías 35:3). Santiago hace eco de ese llamado y exhorta a la Iglesia primitiva a “afirmar el corazón” (Santiago 5:8) mientras esperan al Señor. En el Evangelio (Mateo 11:2–11), Jesús ofrece signos del Reino que ya está irrumpiendo en el mundo. Son buenas noticias para los pobres, sanación para los heridos y libertad para quienes están aplastados por sistemas de poder.

Para nosotros en Saint Francis Parish & Outreach en Augusta, estas Escrituras no flotan en el aire como poesía espiritual. Aterrizan firmemente en medio de nuestro ministerio con inmigrantes, refugiados, las personas pobres y aquellas que han sido silenciadas o maltratadas. El Adviento dice la verdad: el mundo está herido pero Dios está obrando en esas heridas.

Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe: Madre de los Marginados

Esta semana también honramos a Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, patrona de la Old Catholic Churches International. Su presencia nos recuerda que Dios suele revelar la verdad sagrada a través de quienes el mundo considera insignificantes. María no apareció a un noble, ni a una familia adinerada, ni a un obispo. Se apareció a Juan Diego, un hombre indígena que vivía bajo el peso de la colonización, la pobreza y el borrado cultural.

Su mensaje fue más que reconfortante. Fue disruptivo. Elevó a un pueblo cuya dignidad había sido negada y desafió a la Iglesia a escuchar las voces que con frecuencia había ignorado. Su Magnificat no es una canción de cuna dulce sino una declaración de la justicia de Dios:

  • los soberbios dispersados
  • los poderosos derribados
  • los hambrientos saciados

Por eso sigue siendo un símbolo para los inmigrantes, los desplazados y todos los que anhelan un mundo moldeado por la misericordia en lugar del miedo.

Caminando con los Inmigrantes en un Clima de Hostilidad

Aquí en Georgia, los titulares nos recuerdan diariamente que nuestros vecinos inmigrantes viven bajo una presión creciente. La retórica política se vuelve más dura, las políticas más punitivas y las comunidades que ya cargan traumas son empujadas a una incertidumbre aún más profunda. Parte del lenguaje que aparece en nuestra conversación nacional refleja los mismos impulsos autoritarios que la Iglesia ha resistido en generaciones pasadas. Se vuelven a crear chivos expiatorios, se promueve la exclusión y se presentan seres humanos como amenazas en lugar de portadores de la imagen de Dios.

Como cristianos, no podemos fingir que no lo vemos. El ministerio de Jesús deja claro que quienes son empujados a los márgenes no son preocupaciones opcionales sino centrales para el Evangelio. Cuando describe los signos del Reino a los discípulos de Juan, comienza con esto: “a los pobres se les anuncia la buena noticia.”

Caminar con los inmigrantes no es una postura política.
Es una postura evangélica.

En Saint Francis, vemos la sacralidad de este llamado cada día. Conocemos familias que huyen de la violencia y la pobreza, personas trabajadoras que soportan largas horas por salarios que apenas alcanzan y niños que se adaptan con valentía a una nueva cultura mientras cargan pesares que ningún menor debería llevar. Recibimos de ellos más de lo que damos: resistencia, alegría, fe y un testimonio vivo de esperanza.

Decir No al Abuso y a la Normalización del Daño

El abuso, ya sea personal, político o estructural, prospera allí donde el silencio se vuelve norma. El Adviento desafía ese silencio. Insiste en que Dios no acepta la crueldad como algo inevitable. Las palabras de Jesús a Juan, “Bienaventurado el que no tropieza por causa de mí,” hablan del valor necesario para seguirle cuando la compasión se vuelve contracultural.

Decir no al abuso significa rechazar la normalización del lenguaje de odio hacia los inmigrantes. También significa resistir toda retórica que divide a las comunidades, que justifica el daño o que trata a las personas vulnerables como desechables. Asimismo significa apoyar a quienes sobreviven la violencia doméstica, la explotación laboral, la violencia estatal y todas las formas de maltrato. El Adviento nos llama no solo a esperar a Cristo sino a caminar en su camino ahora.

Una Palabra Final para Nuestra Comunidad

Al celebrar a Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, recordemos que ella está con los pobres, los inmigrantes, los sobrevivientes y los silenciados. Nos recuerda que Dios ve a quienes la sociedad pasa por alto y que la ternura puede ser revolucionaria.

Sus palabras a Juan Diego resuenan hoy en nuestra parroquia:
“¿No estoy yo aquí, que soy tu Madre?”

Que esa seguridad fortalezca nuestras manos, firme nuestras rodillas y profundice nuestra determinación de caminar con el forastero, enfrentar la injusticia y proclamar esperanza en un mundo que la necesita con urgencia.

Pax et Bonum,

Obispo Greer

Walking With the Stranger: Advent Joy, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and the Call to Courage

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This Sunday’s lectionary readings bring us deeper into the heart of Advent, that season when the Church holds tension between longing and hope, between what is broken and what God is healing. Isaiah encourages a weary people: “Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees” (Isaiah 35:3). James echoes that call, urging the early Church to “establish your hearts” (James 5:8) as they wait for the Lord. And in the Gospel (Matthew 11:2–11), Jesus offers signs of the Kingdom already breaking into the world—good news for the poor, healing for the hurting, freedom for those crushed by systems of power.

For us at Saint Francis Parish and Outreach in Augusta, these Scriptures do not float in the air as spiritual poetry. They land firmly in the middle of our ministry with immigrants, refugees, the poor, and those who have been silenced or mistreated. Advent tells the truth: the world is wounded, but God is at work in those wounds.

Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of the Marginalized

This week we also honor Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Old Catholic Churches International. Her presence reminds us that God often chooses to reveal holy truth through those the world considers unimportant. Mary did not appear to a nobleman, a wealthy family, or a bishop. She appeared to Juan Diego, an Indigenous man living under the weight of colonization, poverty, and cultural erasure.

Her message was more than comforting—it was disruptive. She lifted up a people whose dignity had been denied and challenged the Church to listen to voices it had often ignored. Her Magnificat is not a sweet lullaby but a declaration of God’s justice:

– the proud scattered

– the mighty cast down

– the hungry filled

Walking With Immigrants in a Climate of Rising Hostility

Here in Georgia, the headlines remind us daily that our immigrant neighbors are living under increasing pressure. Political rhetoric grows harsher, policies become more punitive, and communities already carrying trauma are forced into deeper uncertainty. Some of the language emerging in our national conversation echoes the same authoritarian impulses the Church has resisted in past generations, scapegoating, exclusion, and the portrayal of human beings as threats rather than as bearers of God’s image.

To walk with immigrants is not about partisanship. It is about discipleship.

At Saint Francis, we see the sacredness of this calling every day. We meet families fleeing violence and poverty, workers laboring long hours for low wages, and children bravely adapting to a new culture while carrying burdens far beyond their years. We receive far more from them than we give: resilience, joy, faith, and a living witness to hope.

Standing Against Abuse and the Normalization of Harm

Abuse, whether personal, political, or structural, thrives wherever silence becomes the norm. Advent challenges that silence. It insists that God does not accept cruelty as “the way things are.” Jesus’ words to John, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me,” speak to the courage required to follow him when compassion becomes countercultural.

Standing against abuse means refusing to normalize hateful speech about immigrants. It means resisting rhetoric that divides communities, justifies harm, or treats vulnerable people as disposable. It also means supporting survivors of domestic violence, workplace exploitation, state violence, and all forms of mistreatment. Advent calls us not only to wait for Christ, but to walk in his way now.

A Final Word for Our Community

As we celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe, may we remember that she stands with the poor, the immigrant, the survivor, and the silenced. She reminds us that God sees those whom society overlooks. She reminds us that tenderness can be revolutionary.

Her words to Juan Diego echo into our parish today:

“Am I not here, I who am your mother?”

May that assurance strengthen our hands, steady our knees, and deepen our resolve to walk with the stranger, confront injustice, and proclaim hope in a world that deeply needs it.

Pax et Bonum,

Bishop Greer

Walking With the Stranger

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This Sunday’s readings invite us to imagine a world made new. A world where justice sits at the center of God’s kingdom and where every person, especially the vulnerable and displaced, finds a home. At Saint Francis Parish and Outreach here in Augusta, these Scriptures speak directly into our mission as we continue walking with immigrants, neighbors experiencing homelessness, and all who come to our doors seeking hope.

“A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse” from Isaiah 11:1 to 10

Isaiah gives us a vision of surprising new life. From what looks dead, God brings renewal. From what seems impossible, God creates peace, wisdom, and justice. The prophet’s dream is not only personal. It is social and communal. It is a picture of a world where the poor are defended, where the vulnerable are safe, and where no one is harmed on God’s holy mountain.

Every time we accompany a newly arrived family, help someone navigate paperwork, or offer a warm meal without conditions, we see small signs of Isaiah’s promise. The kingdom of God grows first in the forgotten places.

“Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you” from Romans 15:4 to 9

Paul reminds the early Church that Scripture teaches endurance and gives hope. But Paul also makes something very clear. The welcome we offer others must reflect the welcome Christ offers us. This is not theoretical hospitality. It is practical hospitality that requires effort, humility, and sacrifice.

At Saint Francis, that welcome looks like:

  • walking with immigrant families as they rebuild their lives
  • helping people overcome cultural or language barriers
  • offering friendship to those who feel invisible in a new land

Paul roots this in Jesus Himself. Christ became a servant so that all nations could glorify God. Every nation, every language, and every newcomer finds a place in the heart of Christ.

“Prepare the way of the Lord” from Matthew 3:1 to 12

John the Baptist speaks with urgency. Preparing the way means turning away from what harms others and turning toward justice, mercy, and truth. Real repentance produces real fruit. Real faith produces real action.

Preparing the way today means looking honestly at the things in our society that need to be made straight. That includes the ways immigrants and refugees are treated in our own nation.

What the Government Is Doing to Immigrants and Why It Conflicts With Christian Tradition

Across the country, immigrants face policies that separate families, limit access to due process, prolong detention, and create fear rather than stability. Many asylum seekers wait months or years in unsafe conditions. Others are detained in facilities far from support systems. Still others face rapid deportation processes that make it nearly impossible to present their cases. Policies often prioritize enforcement over human dignity.

Christian tradition, beginning with Scripture itself, stands firmly against this kind of treatment. The Bible repeatedly identifies care for the stranger as a core mark of faithfulness. Israel was commanded to remember that they themselves were once foreigners. Jesus identifies Himself with the stranger who needs welcome. The early Church viewed hospitality to immigrants as a direct expression of the Gospel.

When government systems dehumanize or disregard the suffering of immigrants, those actions fall short of what Christians understand as moral treatment of human beings made in the image of God. While Christians may disagree on political solutions, the Church cannot be silent when human dignity is harmed.

Voices from the Early Church

The earliest Christian teachers did not treat immigrants as inconveniences or threats. They saw them as people bearing the presence of Christ.

St. John Chrysostom taught:

“The stranger and the foreigner belong to God. When you give to them, you honor God Himself.”

The Apostolic Constitutions instructed believers:

“Do not neglect the stranger. For this the Lord commanded, saying, You shall love the stranger.”

Hospitality was not an optional virtue. It was a defining feature of Christian identity.

Walking With Immigrants Today

Here at Saint Francis, we continue that ancient Christian practice. Whether through food distribution, advocacy, pastoral care, or simple companionship, we affirm the dignity of every person who comes to us for help.

Supporting immigrant neighbors is not a political choice. It is a deeply biblical and historical Christian commitment. It is how God shapes us into a people of hope and mercy.

As we enter more deeply into Advent, may we look for Christ in every stranger. May our parish be a place where those who have traveled far, either physically or spiritually, find rest, dignity, and a home.

Come, Lord Jesus. Make us ready.

Pax et Bonum,

Bishop Greer

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