Fr. Kenn Nelan

In our pursuit of faith, we often debate baptism, church membership, and the intricacies of doctrine. Rather than embracing the spirit of unity and love, we dissect and label the beliefs of others who don’t align with our own. We become theological surgeons, meticulously examining every aspect of doctrine that doesn’t neatly fit into our own understanding. The Allure of Certainty We crave certainty in belief. It’s human nature to seek answers, to want our understanding of the divine to be clear and unshakable. After all, in an uncertain world, the comfort of knowing that we’re on the right path …

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“It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness” is a Chinese proverb meaning it is better to do something about a problem than complain about it. Lighting a Candle in Darkness vs. Removing the Plank from Others’ Eyes On the path of life, we sometimes face situations where we can choose to light a candle in darkness or attempt to remove the metaphorical sliver from someone else’s eye. These choices reflect our approach to empathy, self-improvement, and compassion. Lighting a Candle in Darkness Imagine encountering someone who is struggling, lost, or in pain. Lighting a candle in …

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Imagine for a moment: Satan repents and begs God for forgiveness. His act of penance destroys evil in the world, and sin is eradicated. Now imagine this happens because people stop using fire to fight fire and instead begin praying for the enemy – as Jesus commanded. In Jesus’ teachings, the call to love our enemies is among the most profound and challenging. It encourages us to embrace a perspective of love and forgiveness, even for those who do their best to destroy us and make us miserable. Like most of Jesus’ teachings, there is no condition – no definition …

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I’ve been holding on to a particular quote for the past six or seven months. It’s something that touched my soul back then due to a particular event that will be held close to the heart (in pectore) to protect those involved. Now, since this last bout has begun, the words resonate deep within chambers I had long since forgotten. It is, sadly, a familiar feeling. I don’t know why I allow myself to be used by those who allegedly mean well, but that’s something I’ll have to investigate with my own team of trusted individuals. But once I know …

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[ kon-teks-tuh-mee ] noun. the practice of misquoting someone by shortening the quotation or by leaving out surrounding words or sentences that would place the quotation in context. (also known as: fallacy of quoting out of context, quoting out of context) Description: Removing a passage from its surrounding matter in such a way as to distort its intended meaning. dictionary.com Pulling quotes out of thin air may seem innocuous to justify one’s point, but doing so leaves out crucial information that may completely change the meaning of what is represented. For an example of classic contextomy, let’s look at the …

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My Sisters and Brothers; Over the next month, Jan and I will enter a period of deep prayer and discernment to discover where God is directing our hearts and souls. This will include being unavailable from about May 16 through May 24 – we are taking some much-needed “us” time to heal and work through what has happened since the end of March. For those who are not aware, near the end of March, the organization under which I was serving released a person from leadership who made claims about their credentials. After a lengthy investigation, it turns out they …

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During this season of Lent, there is something I am giving up – the past. Specifically, I will no longer hold onto the pain I’ve carried through many years of active ministry. The pain from my past does not serve my highest good. That being said, I will carry with me the lessons learned from the past, but I can no longer allow those moments – two specifically – to continue to define how I move forward. And so I share my tale with those who will listen to impart some wisdom and perhaps help others learn a lesson vicariously …

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Of Windmills Today, for some odd reason, I thought of windmills and Don Quijote, so I hopped onto Dr. Goo and typed in – “tilt at windmills.” (Google’s English dictionary is provided by Oxford Languages): tilt at windmills phrase of tilt attack imaginary enemies or evils. “the priest was too busy healing the sick to bother with tilting at ecclesiastical windmills” My only issue with the definition and example is that often the enemies or evils aren’t necessarily imaginary, though the circumstances or impetuses might be, otherwise, it’s “practically perfect in every way” (Mary Poppins). In this case, I am …

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If ever there were a character in a movie with whom I most identified, it would have to be John Coffey in the Green Mile by Frank Darabont. Melinda Moore, one of the other characters, said similar words about wandering in the darkness to John when he helped her recover her health. There are many other words of wisdom shared by John (and others), some of which reach deep into my soul. “You tell God the Father it was a kindness you done. I know you hurtin’ and worryin’, I can feel it on you, but you oughta quit on …

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Originally published by Fr. Kenneth J Nelan, MOSF on October 29th, 2010 – modified for readability and to update concepts. Discernment ~ a process where one sits in silence and examines the path laid out before them.  Literally it means to understand something not before seen or understood Webster, 2010. It was a thing usually reserved for religious or philosophically-minded individuals; however, today it is a term most appropriate for those who have chosen a path of personal or global awareness. It is a process of discovery and awakening. We are, right now, in a time of awakening, a time …

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I felt them less frequently, then, and I know exactly why. I disconnected from it years ago when the turmoil began. There were many signs through the years – I ignored every one of them having been drawn in by charismatic personalities and promises of greater things. But as my passion and inner friends made themselves known, and their fear – their lack of security took hold, and I paid a hefty price. Shortly after I graduated from a degree program, jealousy became the status quo. At first, I didn’t recognize the signs. I thought they were just engaging in …

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Originally posted by Fr. Kenneth Nelan on October 27th, 2010 Formless Being We call The Divine by so many names and give It so many attributes that we sometimes forget there is more to the whole God thing than just defining It – there is also experiencing It.  We forget we are a part of the larger consciousness that exists throughout all things known and unknown. Almighty God, in whom we live and move and have our being, you have made us for yourself, so that our hearts are restless until they rest in you; grant us purity of heart …

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There is more to prayer than recitation and rote. It is a relationship – of sorts; not just a dialog with the +Divine – it is an embracing of +That upon which we rest our minds and souls. It is a means by which we “Gather into the Center” of our beings and become one with the +Creator. Prayer, too, is an action. When we pray we move our BEing towards a now spoken goal: “Heal Me,” “Forgive Me,” “Guide Me,” “Help Me” – and others – are openings to our movement towards that for which we are asking. For …

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There is no greater love we can ever share with another BEing than sharing space and spending time within their suffering. Giving them the chance to BE authentically themselves, especially in their time of need, is very much walking the healer’s path. Since Jesus’ time, physical healing has dramatically changed due to significant scientific advances. Today, we walk into medical clinics for the relief of physical pain and suffering. When we have emotional or behavioral problems, we talk to professionals who specialize in alleviating mental health crises. We also walk into sanctuary spaces of all kinds to find comfort for …

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This will probably be the last I speak on this particular subject. I’m tired and moving on… This is not, by any means, an objective observation of my encounters but is instead a true and faith-filled accounting of my experiences within the “Independent Catholic Movement (ICM)” (also known as the “Independent Sacramental Movement (ISM)”). The Old… I started my path of service in the ministry as a small child growing up in the Roman-lead Church. I never looked at people as liberal or conservative – they were all simply people with needs. Theirs, like my own, were hearts exploding at …

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We are restless spirits until at last one day we return to the +Creator; our hearts, minds, and souls seek the wholeness of the +One from whom we were made manifest. Until recently I thought wandering was a bad thing. In the past 21 years, I have gone from place to place seeking a home from which I could expound the virtues of finding peace and comfort in our +Beloved +Creator. And so I spent great amounts of energy trying to remain fixed in one place. Of course, I failed miserably – or so I initially thought. But with time …

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Many years ago, as part of the Latino Nonprofit Leadership Program, I had the opportunity to attend a retreat where our cohort grew together through trial and tribulation. On our final morning, sitting beside the lake, I penned the following. As we enter into the season of lent next week (it officially begins March 2, 2022 – Ash Wednesday), let us allow ourselves to be moved and transformed by the +Creator’s creation! Senses, Be Stilled; Good MorningRev. Kenneth J. NelanJune 2013 Upon the blue stillness lies the immensity ofall seen and unseen,all wished and non-wished, all glorified and all condemned. …

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