BASILICA OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
  • Home / Página de inicio
    • Mass Intentions / Candles / Flowers
    • Parish Registration / Registro y Stewardship
    • Parish Property Use Request
    • Worship Aid / Bulletin / Homilies
  • Capital Campaign
    • Parish Vision 2020-2024 >
      • 2017 - 2021
      • Parish Plan
      • Phase 1: Adoration Chapel
      • Phase 2a: Organ Restoration
      • Phase 2b: Rectory / Office Reno
      • Phase 3: Church Reno / Repair
      • Cathedral District Jax
      • About the Church >
        • Church Tours >
          • Exterior Tour
          • Interior Tour
          • Window Tour
  • Sacraments / Sacramentos
    • Faith Formation & Education / Formación de fe / educación
    • Mass & Adoration / Misa y adoración
    • Baptism / Sacramento del Bautismo
    • Reconciliation / Confession
    • First Reconciliation & First Communion
    • Confirmation
    • RCIA - Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
    • Marriage: Unique for a reason >
      • So You Want to Get Married?
  • About the Parish
    • Pastoral Leadership, Staff & Ministries
    • Fellowship & Ministry >
      • Ministerio Hispano Y Grupos
    • Photo Gallery
  • Contact
  • CCM Jax
    • CCM-Jax Registration
    • Calendar
    • CCM-JAX Media Gallery
    • CCM Groups / Forms

Universal & Absolute Truths

7/10/2016

 
​‘America is United’
 
I recently read the above headline. I thought to myself… united? This must be another one of those news headlines designed to get your attention but has nothing to do with the actual story.  So, I read the story and watched a video.  After which, I happily admitted that I was not deceived by the headline and sadly found myself faced with yet more illusions about the world we live in. 
 
Are we united as a country?  I would argue that we are not.  How can we be united?  We can’t agree on what it means to be united!  Therein lies much of the problem in our country and in countries around the world.  If we are to be united, we need to understand what it means, objectively. We cannot strive toward a universal ideal when we actively deny the very existence of universal truths.  
 
This is true of Unity, and of such ideals as Love, Peace, Justice, Truth, Freedom, Wrong, Right, Good and Evil.  In order to achieve a society built upon objective universal ideals, we would need to root their existence in something other than ourselves, especially considering that we also don’t agree on what it means to be a human person.  So, we are left with a fundamental question that we will fail to be united in answering… the question of God. 
 
Although the answer to the question of God’s existence, defines everything else, there is a much deeper problem that exists and it will cause continued problems everywhere human beings live.  We are at war within ourselves.  We are tormented by the conflicting desires of our nobler and more selfish selves. So unless the ‘New Man’ dream of Eugenics comes into existence or governments manage to give ‘happy drugs’ to everyone… Unity, Peace, Love… all of it, will be as elusive for future generations as it is for us and has been since the beginning of human history.
 
There is a way forward.  It’s a path that isn’t paved with illusions.  It’s the most intense reality, requires absolute commitment and unwavering practice of living the principals. Since the dawn of humanity, there have been those among us who became free and turned from gazing into the pool of their own reflection, who were freed from the power of the lying mirror.  Maybe you’ve met some of them.  
 
These are the people who embodied the best of who we can be and keep us and have kept our world from complete destruction.  They sustain the little unity, peace, love, truth, justice that there is in the world.  They will readily admit that theirs is not an easy path.  They will also tell you that the path cannot be found without first encountering the one who blazed the trail. Just like a French woman named Margaret Mary, who was changed forever because he touched her. His heart and her heart were brought together and hers became engulfed in the burning intensity of his love.  It’s an encounter that no one can have and remain unchanged.  It’s the answer to every question.  
 
So, we will not end war, poverty, or any of the other inhumanities that human beings insist on inflicting upon each other… But we can experience an end to the war within ourselves. One person at a time we are freed to live in a county that knows perfect unity where life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is the universal norm.
 

    Audio

    Homilies

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    May 2017
    July 2016
    June 2016

    Categories

    All
    Advent
    Christmas
    Church
    Eucharist
    Eucharistic Celebrations
    Faith
    Holy Spirit
    Holy Week
    Hope & Love
    Human Formation
    Identity
    Lent
    Live In Christ
    Living Word Of God
    Men
    Mission
    Moral Theology
    Odds And Ends
    Prayer
    Rooted In Truth
    Sacraments
    Saints
    Sin And Redemption
    Spiritual Life
    Trinity

    About...

    Fr. Blair Gaynes has been in the Diocese since 2008.

    In 2011 I began work with Campus Ministry in the Jacksonville area and after being Ordained in 2012 I was appointed as chaplain/director of Campus Ministries in the Duval County and surrounding area.  

    During this time I was also serving as parochial vicar at Resurrection and Blessed Trinity Catholic Churches.

    In 2017 I was appointed Pastor of the Basilica Parish in Jacksonville, while continuing Campus Ministry. 

    I have 
    over 35 years experience in youth and young adult work in social services, education, parish and campus ministry fields.  As well as experience as a spiritual director, retreat master and keynote speaker.

    RSS Feed

OFFICE HOURS
9 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday - Thursday
​Office is closed on Fridays.


OFFICE:

Phone: (904) 359-0331
Fax: (904) 356-8133
Email: office@icjax.org


OFFICE ADDRESS
121 East Duval Street
Jacksonville, FL 32202
NEW TO PARISH?

Become a member of our faith community,
Register Online 

Got Questions, no time to call, drop us a note by using this form...
​Click Here

GETTING MARRIED AT THE BASILICA
For general information, please contact our Parish Wedding Coordinator, Cathryn Morency, 
​at 904-359-0331 or fill out our online form.
  • Home / Página de inicio
    • Mass Intentions / Candles / Flowers
    • Parish Registration / Registro y Stewardship
    • Parish Property Use Request
    • Worship Aid / Bulletin / Homilies
  • Capital Campaign
    • Parish Vision 2020-2024 >
      • 2017 - 2021
      • Parish Plan
      • Phase 1: Adoration Chapel
      • Phase 2a: Organ Restoration
      • Phase 2b: Rectory / Office Reno
      • Phase 3: Church Reno / Repair
      • Cathedral District Jax
      • About the Church >
        • Church Tours >
          • Exterior Tour
          • Interior Tour
          • Window Tour
  • Sacraments / Sacramentos
    • Faith Formation & Education / Formación de fe / educación
    • Mass & Adoration / Misa y adoración
    • Baptism / Sacramento del Bautismo
    • Reconciliation / Confession
    • First Reconciliation & First Communion
    • Confirmation
    • RCIA - Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
    • Marriage: Unique for a reason >
      • So You Want to Get Married?
  • About the Parish
    • Pastoral Leadership, Staff & Ministries
    • Fellowship & Ministry >
      • Ministerio Hispano Y Grupos
    • Photo Gallery
  • Contact
  • CCM Jax
    • CCM-Jax Registration
    • Calendar
    • CCM-JAX Media Gallery
    • CCM Groups / Forms