Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”

Today, I was reminded of the power of the intercession the Blessed Virgin, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Our Lady of Walsingham, whichever. As my son would say, “Jesus’ mommy.” As an Anglo-Catholic / High Churchman, I fully believe in the power of the prayers of the BVM. It took me a long time to get to this place; especially coming from an African American Baptist upbringing.

Things were looking really bleak for me. I was stuck in a middle of a quarrel with a loved one. Those tend to be the hardest. I was having unkind thoughts. I decided to go to Confession and then prayed the Hail Mary several times. I felt the Spirit of the Lord provide me with the comfort I needed. And almost instantly, my phone rang. The loved one and I spoke and had a very pleasant conversation.

I do want to caution that it’s not magic or anything. I pray the Pater Noster (Lord’s Prayer/”Our Father”) and the Hail Mary with my kids most nights. I pray it alone every night (unless I pass out from exhaustion and wake up the next morning, in time for work). Sometimes I feel something, sometimes I don’t. Today, I wasn’t looking to feel anything. And yet, I did and know I felt something. It was authentic. As the HipHop group, Little Brother* said “He might not come when you want him, but he always on time!”

**Of course I’m fully aware that Black church mothers been saying that for eons. I’m just impressed that a progressive HipHop group would say it in 2019!**

“Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle”

-Psalm 144.1

Fresh off the heels of Armistice Day or more colloquially, Veterans Day I’m reflecting on the image of the Warrior, the military service member. The above photo depicts the stereotypical view (complete with ate up uniform, sloppy face paint, and arrogant facial expression) of the service member. This view has done more harm than good.

I must admit that the image works for recruitment. Who doesn’t want to be these guys team?!?

The issue is plain and simple, its promotes toxic masculinity. The kind that leads to toxic leadership which can result in death. The military is composed of all types of people, from all walks of life. The one uniting factor is the willingness to die for one’s country; regardless of whether or not their country would do the same for them.

– Fr. JMH

 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ’I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.

  – Matthew 9:9-13 (NRSV)

Serving as a correspondent for The Geek Down has been a great opportunity to merge theology and pop culture in its most grassroots form.  Going to PAX (Penny Arcade Exchange) was a blessing. I connected with video game developers, board game producers, and professional cosplayers. Most importantly, I connected with members of “my flock”; soldiers in my unit.

Connecting with them outside of the military context was an awesome experience. They were able to see me not only as a spiritual leader, Army officer, but as a fellow nerd. We were able to relax and build in a way that was authentic and yet complete. My hope was to show that ones identity does not change due to settings. If you are a person of faith, that is a part of you, regardless of you are cosplaying as Storm, or playing the new Call of Duty.

– Fr. JMH

Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

– Book of Common Prayer, 1979

Yesterday was the Third Sunday of Advent or Gaudete Sunday. “Gaudete” is the Latin translation for the word “rejoice” or “joy.” The color used to symbolize this theme is rose and the scriptural references pertain to the joy or rejoicing of the coming of the Lord.

This past Gaudete Sunday, I preached at a congregational church in my neighborhood. It was a surreal experience. The day before, I served on the Interim Pastor’s Ordination Council, who is a Baptist. This particular church is a beacon in my community. As a kid, I would go there and receive bread. I would from time to time shop at their thrift store. Being born into poverty, one appreciates the generosity and love of a community oriented church. If one were to ask 7 year-old JM if he would be preaching at that church, he would have been horrified at the idea.

It was difficult preaching to this congregation knowing that there are people who are not joyful because of the life circumstances they are in. It’s difficult knowing that during this Advent and Christmastide, there are people (inside and outside of this congregation) whose dinner tables and living rooms will be missing people who were there in 2015. It’s sad knowing that some people will not have a dinner table or a living room due to events in 2016.

Advent and Christmastide are to be joyous events. We are anticipating the arrival of the Christ child. However, it has been overshadowed by commercialism, selfish ambition and greed. It is my prayer that we can return to the true meaning of Advent. That we reflect on our lives, and the coming of the Lord. Perhaps if we do that, we can save ourselves from missing the true meaning of Christmas or the Mass of Christ.

– Fr. JMH

It’s been a while since I have reflected on the state of affairs in the Church, government, and American society as a whole. After Easter 2016, I will be able to dedicate more time to this blog/website. I’m looking forward to posting more. Although there are people who read my posts, I am also filled by the sheer act of writing and reflecting. It is mentally refreshing to put fingers to keyboard (as opposed to pen to pad) when it comes to the state of affairs today.  I can’t wait! Until then, may God continue to bless you throughout the Lenten Season!

 – Fr. JMH