2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time 2025 - Cana Epiphanies

 Two weeks ago, on the Feast of the Epiphany, the babe at Bethlehem was revealed to be the Son of God and savior of the world. What an epiphany: Jesus is revealed as God in the flesh come to earth to save and redeem all people of all nations of all time.

Last Week, we celebrated the Baptism of the Lord.  The voice of the Father proclaimed Jesus to be his beloved Son, with whom He is well pleased and the Holy Spirit in the bodily form of the dove was seen, revealing Jesus as Christ.  What an epiphany—Jesus is revealed as what…as the second person of the holy Trinity, beloved by the Father, anointed by the Spirit for the work of salvation.

Today, we heard in our Gospel another epiphany, a set of epiphanies, really! The Gospel of the wedding feast of Cana contains epiphanies about Jesus, epiphanies about his Blessed Mother, and it even reveals something about us and the response God wants from us all, of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

Firstly, what does the Gospel reveal about Jesus? At the Wedding at Cana, Jesus is revealed to be the divine bridegroom. And you might say, Jesus wasn’t getting married, how is he the Bridegroom. Well, at a Jewish wedding, it was the responsibility of the bridegroom to provide the wine. We can see this to be true, even in the text, for when the headwaiter tastes the wine, he immediately calls the bridegroom, assuming that he was the one who procured the vintage.

But, in this story, it was Jesus who provided the wine. By taking on the bridegroom’s responsibility to provide the wine, and doing so in a spectacular style, miraculously changing 120-180 gallons of water into the finest vintage, Jesus reveals himself as the Divine Bridegroom, who provides the wine of salvation for his bride, the Church.  

This epiphany was hinted at in our first reading. Isiah prophesied about how God himself would take us as his spouse: “As a young man marries a virgin, your Builder shall marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride so shall your God rejoice in you.” 

In joining the Church to himself, through his Passion, Death, and Resurrection, Jesus Christ has united himself to humanity as Bridegroom to his Bride in a union of love.

And that Jesus revealed himself as a Bridegroom through a miracle of changing water into wine, is also significant. Wine, drunk at a wedding brings joy to the hearts of those who imbibe in it. So too, those who join the church, are able to rejoice at being united to God through Baptism, and most especially, receiving Holy Communion with God through the Sacrament of the Lord’s Body and Blood, the Eucharist.

What an epiphany! Jesus is the Bridegroom who unites himself to us, through Sacramental bonds, that we may live in joy. 

The second epiphany at the wedding at Cana is regarding Jesus’ mother, something that also gladdens our hearts. 

You can imagine how embarrassing it would be today if, at a wedding reception, the banquet hall ran out of food or beverage.  Even though most people would sympathize with the couple and blame the banquet facility, it would still be embarrassing. Well, in the ancient world, it would be incalculably more so, because the family threw the wedding party. If they ran out of supplies, especially with days to go for the duration of the wedding celebration, it would be an embarrassment that likely would never be forgotten.

Well, who noticed first that the family had run out of wine? Jesus’ mother. Mary noticed the impending catastrophe before anyone else, even the mother of the bride and even the wine steward.  Mary’s love made her notice details that others were missing.  To remedy the problem, she went to her son.  She didn’t twist his arm.  She simply said, “they have no wine!” confident that her Son would miraculously intervene even though his “hour” had not yet come.

What’s the epiphany? Mary is involved in the gritty details of our lives, and she is at work before we even know we have a problem. Our Lady is looking down on all of us right now with maternal love, bringing our needs to Christ, even the ones we are not aware of, the needs we might even be ashamed to acknowledge—praying that we may have the strength and patience and humility, to bear our crosses in union with Christ.  Mary brings our trials, our heartaches, our challenges, our vices and sins to God, so that we may obtain the wine of grace we need to endure and overcome them.

Mary’s role in the Church reveals something about God too. God has placed Mary in this role of heavenly helper and intercessor. God has chosen her and thereby God wants us to have a relationship with her, trusting Mary, entrusting ourselves to her, bringing our needs to her. God formed the Church as a family with the greatest mother in all existence. 

And there is the epiphany about us as well: God has formed us into a family, united us through Jesus in Word and Sacrament, having Mary as mother. And  we are joined with each other for a purpose.

In the second reading today, St. Paul reflects on the variety of spiritual gifts…gifts of healing, mighty deeds, prophecy, discernment, varieties of tongues. Gifts given to glorify God and spread the Gospel. All these gifts are given to help us serve God. But notice, St. Paul says that none of us have received all of these gifts. Meaning, we are to work together, using our unique gifts, to serve God. We aren’t meant to do it on our own. Perhaps, this season, you’d do well to consider how God is calling you to work together with a brother or sister in Christ, in service to God—that all people of all places may come to drink the wine of salvation.

While the extraordinary seasons of Advent and Christmas have come to an end, our Ordinary Time scripture readings help us to realize the extraordinary nature of being members of the church, being loved by God, joyfully gifted with a variety of blessings, and spiritual helpers, the blessed Mother, our patron saints, our guardian angels  for the work of the Gospel. 

When we are faithful to our mission— Epiphanies of Christ’s goodness and power and love are made known in us and through us, in how we treat people, in the people we serve, and forgive, and witness to, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

4th Sunday of Advent 2024 - Two Visitation Surprises

 The past two weeks, our Gospel readings have focused on John the Baptist helping Israel repent and prepare for the coming of the Savior. Hopefully, we’ve been meant to take his words to heart to make straight the paths of our lives, to turn away from all the sinful and selfish attitudes and behaviors that deprive us of Christian joy, and to consider how each of us is called to engage in works of charity that brings joy to others. His message is of vital importance for our spiritual preparation for Christmas. 

This week, our focus shifts from the John the Baptist’s message of repentance to the meeting of John the Baptist’s mother, Elizabeth, and the mother of our Savior, the Blessed Virgin of Nazareth. And this encounter has deep spiritual significance for us as well in our Christmas preparations.

Remember last week, I talked about a book by C.S. Lewis called “Surprised by Joy”. Well, our Gospel today certainly contains a few surprises.

The first is what we might consider to be a social surprise—a surprise from a social perspective. Between these two women, it was Elizabeth who had a much higher standing than her lowly cousin Mary. Recall that Elizabeth was the wife of a high-ranking priest in the Jerusalem Temple, Zechariah, who had the privilege of entering the sanctuary of the Temple to offer incense. Elizabeth too had the social honor of old age. She was Mary’s elder, and that meant something in Jewish society. You show deference to your elders.

And Mary was young and betrothed to an otherwise unknown craftsmen from a poor and distant region of Israel, Nazareth. According to social convention, all honor and deference should have flowed from Mary to Elizabeth.

But the Gospel account describes the reversal of these social conventions. The high-ranking Elizabeth falls all over herself to express honor to Mary, her unwed, pregnant teenage cousin. Mary had been venerated already once in the Gospel now, first by the angel, who calls Mary God’s favored one, full of grace. And now Elizabeth calls Mary, “most blessed of all women”—most blessed of all women of all places of all time. There could be no higher honorific.

Why does Elizabeth make this claim? Because she recognizes that Mary’s child is her king. “What have I done to earn such a great honor that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” She asks. Elizabeth refers to Mary as “the mother of my Lord”, and that is the title of a queen of Israel. For remember, in ancient Israel, it was not the king’s wife who reigned as queen, but his mother. The queen-mother’s honor and influence were second only to the king himself. 

Through the holy Spirit, Elizabeth recognizes Mary as the Queen Mother, the “First Lady” of the kingdom of Israel, and so she treats her as such, showing her all deference and veneration. 

So, the first Gospel surprise, we could say, teaches us that the tradition of venerating Mary is deeply scriptural. The custom of showing honor to the Mother of Jesus began in her lifetime by both angels and humans. 

This is an important Advent lesson. Honoring Mary prepares us for Christmas. After all, in preparation for that first Christmas, she was honored by both angels and humans. Honoring mary leads us to ponder the meaning of Christmas. Honoring Mary honors God who made her, and brings us more deeply in union with God and the way God has chosen to act in salvation history. 

Mary was a woman of incredible faith who believed the prophets and trusted the angelic messengers, even when the message seemed beyond human credibility. She is an example to all of us on how to respond to God with faith.

St. Josemaria Escriva has a beautiful prayer asking God to help make Mary’s faith our own. He liked to pray, “O Lord, I wish to receive you with the same purity, humility, and devotion, that your Blessed Mother received you”.

We are able to receive the Lord more deeply when we emulate her purity, humility, devotion, faith, hope, and love. So, don’t let a day go by without showing honor to Mary. A hail mary or the angelus upon waking, at noon, and in the evening. A daily rosary. The wearing of her miraculous medal. The devout keeping of a statue of Mary. Meditation on her virtues. The singing of a marian hymn before bed. These devotions help us to be ever-mindful of our Lady’s never-failing intercession and to emulate her holy example.

The second Gospel surprise is the magnificent detail of John the Baptist leaping for joy in his mother’s womb. What a joyfully surprising detail! Who would have thought that an infant in the womb of one woman, could be attuned to the presence of Christ in the womb of another. And recall it was just mere days after Christ’s conception through the power of the Holy Spirit.

How does this joyful surprise speak to our own preparation for Christmas? John the Baptist, even before he was born, showed us the proper response to encountering the presence of Christ: a leap of joy. We are reminded that Advent isn’t about frantic busyness or mere surface-level festivities. It is about allowing our hearts to recognize and rejoice in the Lord’s nearness. 

As we enter into these final days of Advent, may we imitate John’s interior response to Christ’s presence. Let us discard any and all forms of self-absorption and sinful distractions, so that our souls can “leap” with pure, unrestrained joy at our celebration of the Lord’s birth. In this way, our hearts will be truly ready to celebrate the marvel of Christmas, the greatest surprise of all, that the God of all creation, the ancient of days, takes on the flesh to save us from our sins, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

December 20 2024 - The choice for God (school mass)

 This morning’s Gospel should sound familiar to all of us. We heard it just last week, when we were all gathered together for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 

In the Gospel, Mary of Nazareth is visited by the archangel Gabriel. She is called “full of grace”. Hail Mary full of grace, we pray, echoing the words of the angel. These words signify how God had prepared Mary by his grace from the moment of her conception. 

And now she is presented with a choice: will she consent to God’s will and become the mother of Jesus or not? Of course, Mary chooses God’s will because she has always chosen God’s will in her life. “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord”—she has served God in every way she could from the moment of her existence, and now she will continue to serve God. Thanks be to God that Mary made the best choice she could possibly make in that pivotal moment.

Like Mary, each one of us is given a choice, every day. Will I choose to follow God’s will or not?

Will I treat others in a Godly way, or not. Will I pray today as I should, or not. Will I respect my parents, or not. Will I refrain from what is harmful to my mind and my body, or not. Will I use the time I’ve been given to cultivate my intellect, or not. Will I help others who are in need, or not. Will I do what I can to make the world a better place, or not.

Choice. Each of us, every day, are given choice. Our students might not feel like they have a lot of choices about a lot of things. But you do. Will you be kind, or not. Will you be patient, or not. Will you use your gifts and talents in a constructive way, or not. 

Mary trusted God, that choosing God’s will is always what is best. And so, we have this example of the blessed Virgin choosing God’s will just days before Christmas now to remind us of the importance of making good choices, godly choices, with the time we have before Christmas, and the time we are given every day.

We might not be able to control a lot of things about our world and our families or our places of work, but, we always have a choice to grow in holiness or not, to seek God’s will or not, to go through our day prayerfully or not.

May your Christmas break be filled with holy choices—choices to seek and surrender to the Holy Will of God in the circumstances of your life for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

November 21 2023 (school mass) - Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary - I am totally yours

 Imagine, you are three years old. And one day, you ask your parents to bring you to Church because you want to speak to God. And so they do. They bring you to Church. But you ask them to wait in the back of the Church as you go to speak to God. So they do. You then walk up the long aisle. You kneel at the steps of the sanctuary here, and you tell God, “God, I know that you made me for a special purpose. Do with me whatever you want. I give my whole life to you. If you want me to be a leader, I will be a leader. If you want me to be a teacher, I will be a teacher. If you want me to go live in a cave where I will pray all day to you, I will.”

That’s a pretty amazing thing for anyone to do, wouldn’t you say? It’s even more amazing, for a three year old, to love God that much, to trust God that much, to offer themselves to God for whatever God wanted.

Well, that is precisely what we celebrate today. When she was 3 years old, the little Blessed Virgin Mary asked her parents to bring her to the Jerusalem Temple. And there, she prayerfully spoke to God, and consecrated herself to God, offering herself to God for whatever God wanted of her.

Do you trust God that much? Do you love God that much? If not, why not?

God made us in a way that we are happiest when we do what He wants. God designed us that way. He made us that way. We are hard-wired for God. Our minds work as they are supposed to. Our bodies work as they are supposed to. Our hearts work as they are supposed to, when we, like Mary consecrate ourselves to God. When we say, God, I’m yours. I am totally yours, do with me as you will. Whatever it is, I know, that is what will make me happiest. 

“Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, All I have and call my own. You have given all to me. To you, Lord, I return it. Everything is yours; do with it what you will. Give me only your love and your grace, that is enough for me.”

If you don’t trust God enough to say that, ask God to help you trust Him more. Because until you do. You are missing out. 

What a beautiful story for us to consider as we go off on Thanksgiving Break. The best way we can show our thanksgiving to God for all of the good things in our life, all of your natural abilities, all of your possessions is to offer them back to God, and to say, all that I have Lord, I offer back to you, everything is yours, do with it what you will. For the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

September 12 2023 - The Most Holy Name of Mary - Invoke her fair name

 For many years, about 200 years actually in our own country, Mary was the most, or nearly the most popular name for baby girls. Around 1970 the name slipped out of the top 10, and starting in about 2009, Mary is no longer even in the top 100. No doubt this trend corresponds to a decline in the practice of the Catholic faith—which upholds such reverence for Mary, and loves and invokes her fair name. 

The Church celebrates the memorial of the Holy Name of Mary shortly after her birthday on September 8, just like we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus shortly after Christmas.

Richard of St. Laurence, a 13th century French theologian states "there is no such powerful help in any name, nor is there any other name given to men, after that of Jesus, from which so much salvation is poured forth upon men as from the name of Mary… the devout invocation of this sweet and holy name leads to the acquisition of superabundant graces.”  

"Thy name, O Mother of God, is filled with divine graces and blessings," says St. Methodius, so much so, that St. Bonaventure declares, "that thy name, O Mary, cannot be pronounced without bringing some grace to him who does so devoutly."

Additionally, Thomas of Kempis affirms "that the devils fear the Queen of heaven to such a degree, that on hearing her great name pronounced, they fly from him who does so as from a burning fire." 

The Blessed Virgin herself revealed to St. Bridget "that there is not on earth a sinner, however devoid he may be of the love of God, from whom the devil is not obliged immediately to fly, if he invokes my holy name with a determination to repent."

The directives for the liturgy instruct us to bow our heads in reverence at the name of Jesus, at the name of Mary, and at the name of the Saint of the Day when they are mentioned in the prayers of the liturgy.  

When we pronounce her name, we affirm her power, we implore her aid, and place ourselves under her protection.  As she said “Yes” to God in full freedom and love, she helps us to do the same.

It is a privilege to know and to be able to call upon with Love the name of Mary.  At her name demons flee and angels rejoice.

May all come to have confidence in calling upon the holy name of Mary, to seek her protection and receive comfort and strength in the Christian life for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That Pope Francis and all members of the Church, like the Virgin Mary, may magnify the goodness of God through word and deed.

That those in need of repentance will call upon the holy names of Jesus and Mary for help. 

That all Christians may find in Mary the example and strength to carry out our individual vocation, for the sanctification of all families, and the protection of all young people from the evils of error and sin.

For those who suffer any sort of trial, illness, addiction or trial: that the help of Our Lady, queen of heaven and earth, may fill them with the grace needed to carry their crosses with faith and hope 

For the deceased members of our family and friends, for all of the poor souls in purgatory…

We pray, O Lord our God, that the Virgin Mary, who merited to bear God and man in her chaste womb, may commend the prayers of your faithful in your sight. Through Christ our Lord.

August 15 2021 - Assumption of Mary - Spes Nostra, Our Hope

“Salve, Regina, Mater misericordiae: Vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve.” These are the opening words to the great Salve Regina, the Hail, Holy Queen prayed at the recitation of the rosary and as part of the Church’s night prayer. We’ll sing an English version of the prayer for our offertory on this great feast of the Assumption. Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, Our Life, Our Sweetness, and our Hope. Our hope. Spes nostra.

Why do we refer to Our Lady, as Spes Nostra, Our Hope? Well, our hope of what? Of heaven, of course. I’ve not been to heaven, have you? None of us have. When we set off on a journey, we hope to reach our destination. If our destination is right down the road, we don’t need much hope. If it’s a far off land, we need a little bit more hope, for the journey will be difficult. If it’s a place that no one has ever been to, we need a lot more hope, don’t we?

Heaven, is that place, that no one has reached on their own. Paul writes to Timothy, God lives in unapproachable light. The mountain to heaven is untraversable to man by his own power. Additionally, the very gates of heaven were closed to humanity due to sin. What hope do we have of heaven? Well, our faith tells us that Jesus died for sins. 

He promised eternal life to those who believe in him, and follow him, and are reborn in the waters of baptism. Those who eat his flesh and drink his blood shall have eternal life, and shall be raised on the last day. But, where is the proof his promises are true?

Well, we need look no farther than Our Lady. Her assumption is proof that there is a place in heaven for redeemed humanity. There is a place in heaven for the human body and the human soul. How do we know? She’s there. God has given us the great gift of taking our Lady at the end of her earthly life, body and soul, into heaven. And so she our Hope fulfilled. God keeps his promises. It’s possible to live body and soul forever in heaven because she’s already there. 

What Jesus promised is fulfilled in her and so we can truly hope in his promises. A human creature of body and soul can come to heaven through Christ—through God’s grace.

Now, living outside of that grace, ignoring his commandments, failing to repent, disbelieving His word, that’s a whole other story. We have no hope in that. We have no promise that those things lead to heaven. 

But when the Lord says “blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it” we have good reason to believe that observance of the word of God does lead to beatitude because of today’s feast, Our Lady’s assumption. Our Lady, who heard the word of God and observed it, has entered body and soul into heaven. 

This feast is the fulfillment of the great Magnificat which Mary proclaimed upon visiting her cousin Elizabeth. Mary said, “all ages will call me blessed”? Why would we do that? Because she has been assumed into heaven, she is in the blessed presence of God, forever. 

The Assumption shows us that God truly has cast down the mighty from their thrones: the mighty powers of sin and death which kept humanity from living in the heavenly presence of God have been defeated. God has lifted up lowly handmaid into heavenly glory. 

Mary truly magnifies the Lord. Like a magnifying glass helps us to see clearly something which is difficult to see. Mary helps us to see what God was up to in his plan of salvation. She has been filled with all the good things of God. And what was true for her, shall be true for us, if we take her as our model.

Because Mary magnifies the Lord, it is always helpful to look at her and to turn to her. As Catholics, we need to keep our eyes fixed on Our Lady, daily. A day shouldn’t go by without thinking of her, considering her example, talking to her, praying with her. Every Catholic house should have a crucifix and a statue or image of the Blessed Virgin so that we don’t forget who we are and what we are called to be, and the reason for our hope.

Friday night, I offered an adult faith formation session on some spiritual lessons from the life of St. John Vianney. I shared how during his seminary years, the saint dedicated himself to Our Lady through the consecration of St. Louis Marie de Montford. Many of you may have come across this devotion, it’s been popular for a few hundred years. In fact, Pope St. John Paul II took as his papal motto words from de Montford’s book. “Totus Tuus” I Am all yours, and all that I have belongs to you, oh blessed virgin mary. God entrusted himself to our Lady’s maternal care. For 9 months in the womb he was totally dependent on her. Our Lord was the first to utter “totus tuus” to Mary. And so, Totus tuus should be the motto of every Christian. For she is our mother, the mother of the church, the mother of Christians, Jesus himself said so from the cross.

John Vianney encouraged his flock to deepen their devotion to the Blessed Virgin, for vibrant Marian Devotion is a characteristic of every vibrant saint. You will not find a saint who does not love and honor from the depths of their being, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

I also shared another story from John Vianney. After ordination, in his first parish assignment, Father Vianney started a lifelong practice of praying to Our Lady to give him strength to overcome his sensual temptations. Just because one is a priest or religious, doesn’t mean we are free from all temptations. So John Vianney made a vow to God to pray daily to Our Lady the Regina Coeli for this purpose.

Even the saints go to special lengths in order to remain faithful against sensual temptations. That’s how they become saints: they go to special lengths to grow in holiness and combat temptation.

As a priest, I hear a lot about sensual temptations in the confessional, and I’m convinced that we all need a special devotion, or prayer, on a daily basis, to remain strong against those particular temptations. If it’s good enough for John Vianney, it’s good enough for us. So whether it’s lust, or gluttony, or overindulgence of drink, or laziness, say a special prayer every day to Our Lady, to help you to overcome those temptations. The Salve Regina, the Regina Coeli, the rosary, some marian prayer, every day, to overcome the sins of the flesh—that your flesh, like hers, may be one day with God.

As we stumble through life’s hardships and pitfalls, may we place our hope in her. She prays for us now, praying to obtain from God the grace to persevere our trials, to overcome our sins, to be faithful when our flesh and the world and the devil conspire against us. May we keep our eyes daily fixed on her, who is our life, our sweetness, and our hope, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Monday after Pentecost 2021 - Mary, Mother of the Church

 The title “Mother of the Church” is not new. St. Ambrose, great Bishop of Milan who was instrumental in the conversion of St. Augustine called Mary, Mater Ecclesiae, “Mother of the Church.” 

Fifteen centuries later, the title was still in use when Pope Leo XIII wrote a beautiful document on Our Lady, titled Adjiutricem Populi, Helper of the people in which he invokes our Lady under this title.

 “The mightiest helper of the Christian people,” Pope Leo writes, “and the most merciful, is the Virgin Mother of God. How fitting it is to accord her honors ever increasing in splendor, and call upon her aid with a confidence daily growing more ardent. The abundant blessings, infinitely varied and constantly multiplying, which flow from her all over the whole world for the common benefit of mankind, add fresh motives for invoking and honoring her…She is invoked as Mother of the Church and the teacher and Queen of the Apostles".

So too, As the third session of the Second Vatican Council closed on November 21st, 1964, Pope Paul VI declared: "We declare Mary Most Holy Mother of the Church, that is, of all the Christian people"  writing elsewhere, “We believe that the Holy Mother of God, the new Eve, Mother of the Church, continues in heaven to exercise her maternal role on behalf of the members of Christ.”

Just in 2018, Holy Father Pope Francis instituted a new liturgical feast to be celebrated universally the Monday after Pentecost, in honor of the Blessed Virgin, Mother of the Church. 

The day after we celebrate, the birthday of the Church, so to speak on Pentecost, we celebrate our Mother, who was present, praying for the apostles, as the Holy Spirit descended upon them.

As our Lady was instrumental in the Apostles receiving the new life of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, she is instrumental in all of our lives, praying that we may open our hearts, minds, souls, and lives to the life-giving Spirit of God. She prays that the Spirit of wisdom, and understanding, and good counsel, and fear of the Lord will flourish in us. She prays that we may bear the Spiritual Fruits of patience, courage, and joy.

Mary, Mother of the Church, Our Mother, prays constantly for us. As the Apostles devoted themselves to praying with Our Lady, their Mother, Our Mother, in the upper room, may we too, be devoted to prayer with her—prayer for openness to the full life of God’s Spirit—for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

To the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, we recommend ourselves and the entire Body of Christ.

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Mary, Mother of the Church: Guide and assist our Holy Father and our Bishops in their apostolic mission, and aid all who help them in their work.

Mary, Mother of the Church: Enlighten the People of God along the paths of faith, hope and love! You were given to us as a mother by your Divine Son at the moment of his redeeming death.

Mary, Mother of the Church: Remember us your children, support our prayers to God. Preserve our Faith, strengthen our Hope, increase our Charity.

Mary, Mother of the Church and Immaculate Heart: Help us to conquer the menace of evil, which so easily takes root in the hearts of the people of today.

Mary, Mother of the Church: From nuclear war, from incalculable self-destruction, and from every kind of war, deliver us. From sins against human life from its very beginning, deliver us. From every kind of injustice in the life of society, deliver us.

Mary, Mother of the Church: From readiness to trample on the commandments of God, deliver us. From attempts to stifle the very truth of God, deliver us. From the loss of awareness of good and evil deliver us. From sins against the Holy Spirit, deliver us.

Mary, Mother of the Church: That those who have died may share in the joy of life-everlasting; for our deceased family members, friends, and fellow parishioners, for all the poor souls in purgatory and for N.

We pray, O Lord our God, that the Virgin Mary, who merited to bear God and man in her chaste womb, may commend the prayers of your faithful in your sight. Through Christ our Lord.

5th Sunday of Easter 2021 - Vine and Branches

 A few months ago, back in Advent, I reflected upon the magnificent depiction of the Jesse Tree on our parish ceiling. Beginning above the sanctuary, we see Jesse the father of King David, with the shoot coming forth from his side. Between each of the rafters are the generations of Jesse, through David and Solomon, all the way to the one about whom the prophets foretold, the one who would be king of kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus the Savior, who is depicted blessing us as we come into Church and as we go out of Church.

If we look above the altar, we see, sort of connected to the Jesse Tree, vine branches, swirling and twirling amidst the domed apse of the sanctuary. Branches, vine branches. When I was made pastor here, those vine branches looked so familiar to me, like I’d seen them before. And when I realized what they reminded me of, it all made sense. The vines and branches of our sanctuary apse are modeled after a very famous church in Rome, one of the most ancient churches in the world, the minor basilica of San Clemente, named after the first century Pope, Pope St. Clement I who was martyred around the year 99 during the persecution of the Emperor Trajan. St. Clement is mentioned in the first Eucharistic prayer, which we’ll use today.

Fr. Hanharan, 2nd pastor of St. Ignatius, charged with building this magnificent church. And my guess is that when he made pilgrimage to Rome back in the 1920s, he visited the major basilicas: St. Peter’s, St. Paul’s, St. John Lateran, which are certainly the inspiration for the architecture of our beautiful Church, but also he must have made a pious visit to Basilica San Clemente. Why San Clemente? Because it is there that lay the relics of our parish patron, St. Ignatius of Antioch. And there in the apse of San Clemente, is one of the most beautiful mosaics in the world of the vine and the branches described by the Lord in the Gospel today.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.” The Psalms and the prophets depict God as a vine grower. Psalm 80 says, “O God, You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out nations and planted it. You cleared out what was before it; it took deep root and filled the land.” Israel is the vine planted by God the vine grower. And the Psalm speaks of how God delivered this Israelites from Egyptian slavery, and how he continues to tend his vine, giving his people what they need to be holy. The is certainly a prefigurement of what God has done for the Church: delivering us from the slavery of sin through Christ, giving us the Gospel and the sacraments for us to be holy and bear fruit for the kingdom.

“I am the vine, you are the branches,” the Lord says to his disciples. The life and power and grace of Jesus Christ flows into the members of the Church. Jesus is the indispensable source of life for the Church, the one upon whom we constantly and radically depend. “Without me you can do nothing” he says. Nothing good comes from being separated from Jesus Christ. Nothing good comes from acting on motivations divorced from Jesus’ teachings. 

Communion with Jesus is so vital, that those who are severed from him are spiritually dead branches that will be cast into the fire. The fire Jesus mentions here is of course the fires which await those who remain severed from him in this life through sin, unbelief, and failure to repent.

Rather than spiritual death, the Lord, of course, desires for us vibrant and abundant spiritual life. But just as plants need constant exposure to sunlight for energy, we need constant expose to the light and life of Jesus through the Sacraments and through prayer. 

This new month of May we have a great model of one connected to the abundant life of God in Our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

The first time we meet Mary in the Scriptures, is in the house of Nazareth. Sacred Art often depicts Mary, seat in Nazareth with the Scriptures in her lap. Mary, no doubt was a woman of prayer, and a lover of God’s Holy Word. Mary, disposed her mind and soul to the light and life and love of God through her whole life through prayer and scripture study, and the total availability and total trust she exhibited when asked to be the Mother of the Son of God, no doubt flowed from a life of prayer and a desire to follow the example of the holy men and women of the Hebrew Scriptures. We too need to expose ourselves to the light and life of God through prayer and regular reading of scripture. You might consider joining our parish bible study, which meets Monday evenings in the school, to ponder, like Mary God’s Holy Word.

Consider too how Our Lady, didn’t just pray on her own. No doubt, she prayed with her righteous husband, Joseph. Their spousal prayer was no doubt a constant source of strength and comfort in their many challenges. Our Lady also engaged in communal prayer with the apostles. As they awaited the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, they gathered with Mary for prayer. Yes, we need private prayer throughout the week, but like Mary with the apostles, we also need time praying with others. Spouses, please pray with each other. Parents and Grandparents, please pray with your children and grandchildren. 

Speaking of communal prayer, I’d like to share with you one of the amazing new apostolates being undertaken by our legion of Mary. Prior to easter, our parish legion discerned a new ministry of gathering at the graves of our parishioners who have died in the past year or two for the praying of the rosary. Additionally, members of our parish legion invite family members of the deceased to gather for the prayer. What a holy ministry!  If you’d like to learn more about this powerful apostolate, give me a call or send me an email, and I can put you in touch with Legion Members, or you can speak with them after our May Crowning after the 11am mass. 

Yearly, Pope Francis, urges Catholics to pray the rosary during the month of May. If you haven’t prayed the rosary in few months or a few years, don’t let the month of May go by without picking up the beads.  For Our Lady wants to see that abundant life and grace obtained through her son’s death and resurrection flourish in us. She wants to see the gifts of the Holy Spirit grow in us. And the rosary is a powerful means of seeking her assistance and disposing our souls to the help Jesus wishes to give us through his mother. 

May Mother Mary help us to remain united to Jesus in mind, body, and spirit, to pray as we ought, to bear fruit as we ought, that we may become worthy of the promises of Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

December 8 2020 - Immaculate Conception - God could do it, He saw its fittingness, He did do it

About seven hundred years ago, there was a little Franciscan Friar by the name of John Duns Scotus, teaching Theology at the University of Paris, probably the most important school in the world in the 1300s.  One day, one of his students asked him to explain the Doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, and he said simply, in Latin of course,” potuit, decuit, ergo fecit”.Four simple words.  God could do it, it was fitting and decent that he would do it; therefore, he did it.

Could God preserve Mary from all stain of original sin from the moment of her conception?  Absolutely.  The Archangel Gabriel in the Gospel today said it perfectly: “nothing is impossible for God”.  

Was it fitting? When we consider the fittingness of something we do not deny that God could have done things otherwise. It is fitting that “he who was like us in all things but sin” would draw his humanity from one who is sinless. 

Did he do it?  Yes!  Not only is it the consistent teaching of the Church for nearly two thousand years, but we have biblical evidence for the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. When Gabriel met Mary, he greets her with a very specific word, a very unique word. “Hail, full of grace!” is a somewhat inadequate translation of the Greek word kecharitomene, a word not found anywhere else in scripture. The Greek word is literally translated “she who has been made and continues to be full of grace”. 

It would have been strange for Gabriel to greet a woman who had Original Sin that she was made and continues to be full of grace.  Rather, Gabriel rightly describes Our Lady’s spiritual ontology here. She was made full of God’s grace at the moment of her conception, and she has not lost grace, as did Adam and Eve through sin, but has continued to remain full of grace throughout her life. 

St. Ambrose, whose feast we celebrated yesterday, said beautifully, “Mary, a Virgin not only undefiled but a Virgin whom grace has made inviolate, free of every stain of sin.”

Why is this an important feast for the Church to celebrate? Well, it is right and just to celebrate the mighty and wonderful works of God, and Our Lady, the Immaculate Conception, is the greatest thing God has ever created. A human creature with a heart and a soul and a body so full of grace she is worthy to become the mother of God. And if that were the only reason, it would still be fitting for the Church to establish a solemnity, the highest class of liturgical feast, to celebrate the Immaculate Conception.

We honor her also because she is an image of hope, and icon of hope. Our Lady shows us what humanity looks like when it is fully conformed to God. Perfect faith, perfect hope, perfect charity, perfect surrender to the will of God, perfect selflessness. By applying the fruits of Christ’s redemption to Mary from the moment of her conception, God has made her whole life an icon of what he will one day do for all of us.

Mary thus shows us what we an be–and will become–as a result of Christ’s death on the Cross, if we only persevere in the Christian life.

May God be praised on this great feast of his greatest work. And may Our Lady help us this day and all days be conformed like her to her Son for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

That Mary’s maternal care and heavenly intercession will help us all to reach the moral greatness befitting true children of God.  

That through Immaculate Mary, Queen of Peace, hatred, violence, and cruelty will cease in the world.  

For blessings on all expectant mothers, newborn infants, and young families. 

That from the moment of conception all children will be preserved from bodily harm; for the overturning of unjust laws that permit the destruction of innocent life; and that the minds of all may be enlightened to know the dignity of every human life.  

For all those who have died, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for all who have fought and died for our country’s freedom, and for [intention below], for whom this Mass is offered.  

We pray, O Lord our God, that the Virgin Mary, who merited to bear God and man in her chaste womb, may commend the prayers of your faithful in your sight. Through Christ our Lord.

June 1 2020 - Mary, Mother of the Church

Just in 2018, Holy Father Pope Francis instituted a new liturgical feast to be celebrated universally the Monday after Pentecost, in honor of the Blessed Virgin, Mother of the Church.

The day after we celebrate, the birthday of the Church, so to speak on Pentecost, we celebrate our Mother, who was present, praying for the apostles, as the Holy Spirit descended upon them.

Theologically, this title of Mary is not difficult to grasp. The members of the body of Christ are one with her head. She is the Mother of Christ the head of the Church, and so she must be the mother of all the members who are mystically united with Him. She is mother of both head and body, as all mothers are to their children.

Mary’s spiritual relationship to the members of the Church is evidenced in Our Lord’s proclamation from the cross. He gave Mary to be the Mother of all the disciples, when he said, “woman, behold your son.” And he commanded all of his disciples to love and honor her as a mother, when he said, “Behold, your mother.”

The title “Mother of the Church” is not new, but has been ascribed to Our Lady for centuries, recognizing Our Lady’s spiritual motherhood of all Christians, of all disciples, of all believers, of clergy and religious, married, single, and all the lay faithful.

As Mother prays constantly for her children from her place in heaven, as she did on Pentecost, as she no doubt did every day of her earthly life.

She no doubt prays that we may be open to all of those spiritual gifts we need, the gifts that God wants for us, for the spread of the Gospel and the building up of the Church. And I believe this is the deep reason Pope Francis placed this feast in proximity to Pentecost.

If we wish to be open to the gifts of the spirit and utilize-well the gifts of the Spirit, we need to honor and love Our Mother, for God chose her as an instrument of our redemption and sanctification. 

Today is a fitting day to offer a Rosary in Our Lady’s honor and to commit to cultivating our relationship with Our Blessed Mother daily, praying, through her, for the sanctification of the church, for the protection of the Church, and renewal of the Church especially in areas of the church that have grown stagnant, corrupt, fearful, or lifeless.

Pray for us, O holy mother of God, Mother of the Church, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ, for the glory of God and salvation of souls. 

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To the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, we recommend ourselves and the entire Church.

Guide and assist our Holy Father and our Bishops in their apostolic mission, and aid all who help them in their work.

Mother of the Church! Enlighten the People of God along the paths of faith, hope and love! You were given to us as a mother by your Divine Son at the moment of his redeeming death.

Remember us your children, support our prayers to God. Preserve our Faith, strengthen our Hope, increase our Charity.

Immaculate Heart! Help us to conquer the menace of evil, which so easily takes root in the hearts of the people of today.

From nuclear war, from incalculable self-destruction, and from every kind of war, deliver us. From sins against human life from its very beginning, deliver us. From every kind of injustice in the life of society, deliver us.
From readiness to trample on the commandments of God, deliver us. From attempts to stifle the very truth of God, deliver us. From the loss of awareness of good and evil deliver us. From sins against the Holy Spirit, deliver us.

That those who have died may share in the joy of life-everlasting; for our deceased family members, friends, and fellow parishioners, for all the poor souls in purgatory and for…Valentine & Sophie Reindle, for whom this Mass is offered.

Feb 11 2019 - Our Lady of Lourdes - Apparitions and Miraculous Healing

The first apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the 14 year old girl named Bernadette Soubarou was on this day, February 11, in 1858.  Bernadette reported seeing a young woman dressed in white, with a rosary in her hand, and a yellow rose on each foot.

Many find the idea of a Marian Apparition strange.  But, one cannot deny the biblical evidence that Mary loved to visit people.  She lovingly visited her cousin Elizabeth to share her joy of new life. Mary attended the wedding at Cana. She went to see Jesus in Capernaum. She was there in Jerusalem during her son’s Passion, and approached him during His way of the cross. And she approached him on Calvary, and stood by him during his suffering.  She was with the apostles, in prayer, on Pentecost.

Tradition has it that Mary appeared to the Apostle St. James on his apostolic journey to Spain, even before her bodily assumption into heaven. In her many apparitions throughout the centuries her message is basically the same: be faithful to her son, pray and work for the conversion of sinners. In other words, the Blessed Mother repeats the message she first gave at the wedding at Cana, “do whatever he tells you.”

At Lourdes, the Virgin Mary told Bernadette to pray for the conversion of sinners by praying the Rosary and meditating on the salvific events in the life of Christ. And of course, to build a chapel.

Today, more than 7 million people make a pilgrimage to this place, every year.  Though Church authorities have only officially recognized about 70 miraculous cures at Lourdes, countless people have experienced healing in some way.

In 1992, Pope John Paul II, who had such a great devotion to Our Blessed Mother, designated the 11th Day of February as a World Day of Prayer for the Sick: “a special time of prayer and sharing, of offering one’s suffering for the good of the Church, and reminding us to see in our sick brother and sister the face of Christ who, by suffering, dying, and rising, achieved the salvation of mankind.”

We unite ourselves in a special way today with all those who turn to God for help in their afflictions, who seek his peace and healing.  May we be instruments of peace and healing for them, with Mary, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That Our Lady may protect the Church from all evil, and aid us in the mission of the Gospel.

That all government leaders may be awakened to the supreme dignity of each human life, and that all people of our nation may work together for an end to the culture of death.

That through Immaculate Mary, Queen of Peace, hatred, violence, and cruelty will cease in the world.

That the sick may draw strength, consolation, and healing by turning to Our Lady, who
intercedes for us from her place in heaven.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

We pray, O Lord our God, that the Virgin Mary, who merited to bear God and man in her chaste womb, may commend the prayers of your faithful in your sight. Through Christ our Lord.

4th Sunday of Advent 2018 - Mary Traveled in Haste

Two short weeks ago, on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, we heard the story of the Annunciation, when the Angel Gabriel came to the virgin of Nazareth, and announced God’s will for her to be the mother of the Savior. The angel Gabriel also announced to Mary the good news that her kinswoman, Elizabeth, had conceived a child.

Mary immediately set out to visit her kinswoman, and thus we have the beautiful, powerful story of the Visitation, the final Sunday Gospel before Our Christmas festivities. And I propose four short lessons for preparing for Christmas from the story of the Visitation.

First, upon hearing that her elderly cousin had conceived in her old age, how did Mary respond? Mary left “in haste” to help. Even though Mary just had a life changing experience, God was intervening in her life in an unprecedented way, Mary left the comfort of her home in Nazareth, in haste.  She detected a need, and she acted without fearful hesitation.

There’s lesson number one: when we detect a need, we are to act in haste.  Whether it’s a change we need to make in our own life, or if we hear how a neighbor needs our help, we are to act in haste.  We don’t put off for tomorrow, what should be done today. 

Someone once said, the devil’s favorite day is “tomorrow” because he tells us, “you can always change, tomorrow. You can always quit drinking tomorrow. You can always visit your lonely neighbor tomorrow.” And what happens? When we say we are going to change, tomorrow, the change rarely comes. The fire of inspiration starts to die away.  Procrastination rarely serves God. So Advent lesson number one: if something needs to change in our life, we need to make that change, in haste.

Secondly, think of what the journey from Nazareth to Judea meant for Mary.  Elizabeth and Zechariah weren’t just a drive across town.  They lived in the hill country of Judea—about 60 miles from Nazareth—through bandit infested hill country.  A difficult journey for anyone, especially for a teenage mother traveling by herself.

But anxiety did not hinder the blessed Mother from making the journey of love. Mary was concerned that Elizabeth’s pregnancy would be difficult for she was advanced in years.  So, prompted by love and charity, she put Elizabeth’s needs ahead of her own.

Again, Mary had her own problems: she was with child, she was betrothed to Joseph but carrying a child that was not his.  She could have stayed home and figured about how she was going to explain her pregnancy to her parents, let alone her fiancé. How was she going to provide for her child if Joseph divorced her, as was his right?  She could have stayed at home feeling sorry for herself.  At least Elizabeth had a husband, and a home. 

Here’s lesson number two: Mary teaches us to look beyond our own problems and worries to the needs of others. If I’m overly concerned about myself, I might miss out on those opportunities God gives me to help others. Mary had a number of reasons to justify staying home, but true charity pierces through the excuses.  Mary’s journey teaches us that charity isn’t always easy, nor does charity stop just because I have my own problems. So lesson number two: stop making excuses not to engage in charity.

Next, as Mary traveled those 60 miles from Nazareth to the Judean hill country, she was only newly pregnant.  Jesus would still only have been the tiniest of human embryos, well before a tiny infant would develop feet to kick within her womb. Not having the physical signs of pregnancy, Mary knew of her pregnancy only through faith. And no doubt, as she traveled, she meditated upon the words of the Archangel, and how all the prophecies of the Old Testament were converging in her. 

As we travel through Advent, we like Mary traveling to Elizabeth are meant to be meditating on the promises of Holy Scripture. Every day of Advent we should be meditating on the Scriptures, particularly the prophets.  For it was through the prophets that God communicated his promise of a savior.  So, if we can’t get to daily Mass to hear the words of the prophets, we should be doing some sort of personal daily meditation in order to deepen our understanding and appreciation of Jesus’ saving birth. St. John Chrysostom said, “the Holy Scriptures were not given to us that we should merely enclose them in books, but that we should engrave them upon our hearts.” 

So there is our third lesson: as she traveled, Mary meditated upon the Scriptures that she had engraved into her heart. And so as we travel through Advent, ensure that you are meditating on some scripture every day.

Finally, upon reaching her destination, we see how Mary brought incredible joy to her cousin. Having left in haste, having put the needs of another before her own, having meditated on the word of God, Mary must have been bursting with joy over the good news that the long awaited for Messiah, the Savior, was to be born. 

The lesson?  We are meant to follow Mary’s example of spreading Good News joyfully. We are to be excited about Jesus and excited about our faith.  The cause of our joy this Christmas are not the gifts that Santa brings, but the gift that God has already given in Jesus Christ.  He is the cause of our joy.
“Joy,” Mother Theresa said, “is the net by which you catch souls.” There are souls out there, neighbors, family members, people who have left the Church, that can only be brought to God by witnessing our joy.

“A joyful heart, Mother Theresa explained, “is the inevitable result of a heart burning with love for God and for neighbor.” So our final advent lesson today: Mary shows us that during Advent we are meant to prepare our hearts in such a way that we discover new joy through our faith.  Daily prayer, daily self-sacrificing charity, daily meditation: these things cause our hearts to catch fire with love and joy.

I think of that wonderful Christmas song, “Joy to the World, the Lord has come…Let every heart prepare him room.”  Why are we not as joyful as we should be, why are we not bursting with joy in the Lord, why are we as not as effective evangelists as we should be…we all too often have not prepared our hearts and made room in our hearts as fully as we should for the Lord. 

So, in these final Advent days, may Mary continue to teach us how to prepare our hearts for the Lord, that following her example of faith, we may share her joy this Christmas, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

October 22 2018 - St. John Paul II - Totus Tuus

In 1929, just 17 days short of his 9th birthday, the young Karol Wojtyla — the future Blessed Pope John Paul II — entered his house during the afternoon. His parents were very pious, and young Karol was accustomed to see his father — a strong soldier in the Polish army — praying on his knees on their parlor’s hardwood floor. That day, when the young Karol saw his father praying, he saw his dad’s knees bathing in a pool of tears.

“What’s wrong, Papa” the young future Pope asked his father. “Karol, your mother has died!” was his father’s answer. His mother had Emilia died in childbirth.

The eight year old ran out of his home to the local parish Church, which was actually right across the street from the Wojtyla apartment home. He entered the Church and ran up the aisle of the Church to a kneeler in front of a statue of Mary.  Tearfully, he said to her: “Blessed Lady, I don’t know why God took my mother home at the time he did. But I do know one thing: YOU are my mother now!”

Blessed Pope John Paul’s devotion to the Blessed Mother deeply impacted his life, his priesthood, and his papacy.  When he was made bishop of Krakow, he took as his episcopal motto the words: Totus Tuus ego sum, which is latin for “I am completely yours.”  The motto “Totus tuus” was taken from a prayer by Saint Louis Marie de Montfordt: "Totus tuus ego sum, et omnia mea tua sunt. Accipio te in mea omnia. Praebe mihi cor tuum, Maria." "I am completely yours, and all that I have is yours. I take you for my all. O Mary, give me your heart"

Jesus, from the cross, told us to Behold his mother. We seek to “do whatever he tells us” and so this is why we turn to Mary’s guidance and holy example, that our hearts may become more like hers in her love of Jesus and faithfulness to God’s Divine Will.

[Maggie’s Place Mass:] In this place dedicated to motherhood, all mothers and all those who assist them in the care of their children do well to place themselves under the guidance and protection of the Mother of Jesus. Mary is the mother who has endured the greatest of sufferings, and she will always help mothers who turn to Her to endure their own sufferings in union with Jesus. She will always help mothers who turn to her to raise their children to know Jesus and to follow his teachings.

[Nursing Home Mass:] Mary stood at the cross as her son suffered and died for our salvation. She was the instrument through which God brought Christ Our Salvation into the world. So any grace, any healing we need, we do well to turn to Mary. She will always help us to experience the healing of God in our illnesses, and the peace of God in our suffering.

During this month of October especially, we do well to take up her Holy Rosary, as Saint John Paul II did so many times in his life, to pray the rosary for peace, for healing, for the conversion so many souls are desperately in need of.

Through the intercession of Saint John Paul who entrusted himself, his priesthood, his papacy and the Church to Mary, may we place that same trust in her, who bore the Christ child, who nurtured Him through childhood, who at the Wedding at Cana told the servants to “do whatever he tells you.” Mary, Mother of the Church, Mother of all Christians, pray for us, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That through the teaching, preaching, and pastoral care of the Church all Christians will grow in their devotion to and imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  We pray to the Lord.

That through Immaculate Mary, Queen of Peace, hatred, violence, and cruelty will cease in the world.  We pray to the Lord.

For those trapped in the downward spiral of sin, that the hope offered through the Incarnation of Christ in the womb of the Blessed Virgin will bring them new life in the Spirit.  We pray to the Lord.

That Mary’s maternal care and heavenly intercession will raise us to the moral greatness befitting true children of God.  We pray to the Lord.

For blessings on all expectant mothers, newborn infants, and young families.  We pray to the Lord.

That from the moment of conception all children will be preserved from bodily harm; for the overturning of unjust laws that permit the destruction of innocent life; and that the minds of all may be enlightened to know the dignity of every human life.  We pray to the Lord.

For all those who have died, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for all who have fought and died for our country’s freedom, and for [intention below], for whom this Mass is offered.  We pray to the Lord.

We pray, O Lord our God, that the Virgin Mary, who merited to bear God and man in her chaste womb, may commend the prayers of your faithful in your sight. Through Christ our Lord.

Annunciation 2018 - Mary, Co-Redemptrix

The Feast of the Annunciation is one of the most ancient feasts of the Church. Earlier names for the Feast were Festum Incarnationis—The Feast of the Incarnation, and Conceptio Christi—the Conception of Christ. Though the name has varied, the date of the Feast is is placed exactly nine months before Christmas: nine months, the term of a pregnancy, except when it is displaced by Holy Week or the Octave of Easter, as it was this year.

We just celebrated Easter, and this feast gets us thinking about Christmas already. But this feast is so important, because without the Annunciation there wouldn’t have been an easter, without Mary’s yes, there would be no incarnation, and with no incarnation, there would be no saving sacrifice, no resurrection, no hope.

This is why Mary is often given the title of “Co-Redemptrix”. Mary participates in the redemption of man through her fiat. She cooperates with God’s plan for human redemption when she humbly accepts the Will of God, saying “Be it done unto me according to your word.” She accepts the labor and sufferings that the will of God entails. The devotion of the Seven Sorrows of Mary help us to contemplate all she suffered in union with Christ her Son to bring about—to deliver—our salvation.

Since Jesus Christ is the Mercy of God incarnate, Mary can rightly be called the “Mother of Mercy”, as she is in the Salve Regina. Since Jesus Christ is the salvation of the world, Mary can rightly be called the “Cause of our Salvation”, cause, in the Aristotelian sense, as she was called by St. Irenaeus in the 3rd century. Since Christ is Our Joy, Mary is rightly called the “Cause of our Joy”

Mary’s role in our salvation is not to be overvalued—as many protestants claim we do, nor is it to be undervalued, as most protestants end up doing. The Catholic position is not too hot, not too cold, but just right. To rightly love the Son, we rightly love the mother who brought him into the world through a consent of the will so humble it made the angels rejoice.

May we rightly enshrine Mary in our hearts by imitating her humility, by humbly submitting our minds, our wills, our whole lives to the Lord. May the Blessed Mother bring about in us a flowering, a new birth, of God’s grace within each of us, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That through the teaching, preaching, and pastoral care of the Church all Christians will grow in their devotion to and imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  We pray to the Lord.

That through Immaculate Mary, Queen of Peace, hatred, violence, and cruelty will cease in the world.  We pray to the Lord.

For those trapped in the downward spiral of sin, that the hope offered through the Incarnation of Christ in the womb of the Blessed Virgin will bring them new life in the Spirit.  We pray to the Lord.

That Mary’s maternal care and heavenly intercession will raise us to the moral greatness befitting true children of God.  We pray to the Lord.

For blessings on all expectant mothers, newborn infants, and young families.  We pray to the Lord.
That from the moment of conception all children will be preserved from bodily harm; for the overturning of unjust laws that permit the destruction of innocent life; and that the minds of all may be enlightened to know the dignity of every human life.  We pray to the Lord.

For all those who have died, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for all who have fought and died for our country’s freedom, and for [intention below], for whom this Mass is offered.  We pray to the Lord.

We pray, O Lord our God, that the Virgin Mary, who merited to bear God and man in her chaste womb, may commend the prayers of your faithful in your sight. Through Christ our Lord.

4th Sunday of Advent 2017 - 4 Marian Lessons

All four candles of the Advent wreath are lit, for we are on the threshold of Christmas. In just a few hours, we will begin our Christmas festivities. So, how can we use the few hours we have left to the best of our ability--to our greatest spiritual benefit?

Well, our Scripture readings focus us on the Blessed Virgin Mary, particularly the moment of her response of faith to become the Mother of the Son of God. I submit that the best way to prepare for Christmas is to do just what our Scripture readings have done: to focus on Mary: so we can emulate her attitude, her faith, her response to God. And so I propose four short Marian Lessons to keep in mind—lessons from Mary’s own Advent journey.

The first lesson is from Mary’s Annunciation. From the angel’s lips, Mary heard that she was to conceive and bear a child, who would reign on the throne of David as the Son of the Most High. Gabriel had spoken of high and glorious things, and how does Mary respond? Her attitude here is so striking: her calm reserve and her humility; without pretension, without apparent anxiety, in plain ordinary words, Mary calls herself the handmaiden of the Lord—she identifies as a humble servant who trusts God.
The key to Mary’s calmness, her peacefulness, was not doubt her humility. For humility trusts the Lord in all things and seeks to serve the Lord in all things. Instead of placing the ego, at the center, humility places God’s Will at the center. If your family is anything like mine, Christmas can be a time of high drama, even some anxiety. So before Christmas dinner, before facing the in-laws, before the kids rip open the presents, pray, that you might follow Mary’s example of surrendering every moment to God’s will.

The second lesson is from Mary’s Visitation to her cousin Elizabeth. Soon after the Annunciation, Mary “went in haste to the hill country of Judea”. Here is Mary, chosen by God for this monumental task, in a unique position in all of human history, facing many unknown realities. What is she going to tell her parents? What is she going to tell her husband Joseph? What are her neighbors going to think of her pregnancy, since she has not yet moved in with her husband? And what does the Blessed Mother do? She makes haste to take care of her cousin. If she was at all anxious, she doesn’t show it; she puts her questions aside and goes to help another.

Be like Mary: Be quick to help and serve each other this Christmas. I remember, at Christmas Eve dinner at my grandparents, nearly every year, there was all this drama about setting the dinner table, and again, when it was time to clear the table after dinner. Cousins would complain, aunts would argue. It seemed like everyone was keeping track of what everyone else was doing. Christmas isn’t about serving those who serve us, but charity without measure, making haste, like Mary, to help in any way you can. It’s not about keeping track, but simply giving what you can when you can, even seeking out opportunities to serve and to give.

The third lesson is from Mary’s Journey with Joseph to Bethlehem. The journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem was about 65 miles and took four or five days: 65 miles, probably on the back of a donkey, through rocky terrain, while nine months pregnant. Mary also had to face that her Son, the Son of God, would not be born in the comfort of her own home, surrounded by her close family. Rather, he would be born in a foreign town, hopefully in the comfort of an inn, but you never know.

The need to travel to Bethlehem for the Census was beyond her control, here we see Mary’s trust and also her willingness to suffer: her willingness to trust God amidst suffering without complaint. As you gather with family, there will likely be some things which are beyond your control—some annoyances you will likely have to suffer quietly and patiently. It may be the unnerving way your in-laws comment on your life choices; it may also be the sad revelation that family members aren’t living the Catholic faith as they should. Like Mary, bear the small annoyances quietly and patiently, and set good Christian example for those who need it.

The fourth Advent lesson is lesson from the Nativity. Having humbly surrendered to God’s will, having made haste to help others, having quietly and patiently suffered months of pregnancy and miles of difficult travel, Mary was able to behold the Christ child in her arms and behold his face in peaceful joy. We too must take time, amidst the busy-ness of the holiday, and hold the holy infant, so tender and mild, in our hearts and souls. “Cum Maria contemplemur Christi vultum”: with Mary, let us contemplate the face of Christ. Beholding the face of the infant Christ Child is a special type of prayer unique to this time of year as the image of Mother and Child is presented so vividly to us. Take time with your family to kneel in prayer before the nativity scene, to put yourself, to kneel down with shepherds and wise men, and simply behold him.

To keep Christ in Christmas, and to experience true Christmas peace and joy, requires active cooperation with the will of God. Humility isn’t easy, charity isn’t easy, bearing difficulty and suffering isn’t easy, and prayer isn’t easy. But with the help of Our Lady, Mary Most Holy, we are able to cooperate with God, like her, most generously, and experience the closeness and splendor of the Christ child, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

December 8 2017 - Immaculate Conception - Prepared by grace for service to God

In my homily for the 1st Sunday of Advent, I reflected upon how we prepare for the important events in our life. Parents prepare for the birth of their children, our second graders prepare for the sacraments of reconciliation and first eucharist, our eighth graders prepare for the sacrament of confirmation. Our teenage parishioners prepare to obtain their driver’s license, they prepare for college, for their jobs. Preparing to become a priest requires nine years of seminary preparation. The most important things in life require great preparation.

We see this truth reflected most gloriously in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. For today we celebrate the way God prepared Mary to become the mother of our savior. In preparing Mary to be the Mother of Jesus, God did not wait for her to graduate high school; he did not wait for her to learn to read and write; he didn’t wait for her to learn to speak or walk. God prepared Mary from the very moment she became a human being, the very moment of her conception, the very moment she became a baby in her mother’s womb.

From the very moment Mary existed, she was filled with a special grace from God never before given to any other member of the human race: the grace of being immaculately conceived, the grace of being clean of all sin. Could God do it? Of course! He’s God! The Archangel Gabriel in the Gospel today said it perfectly: “nothing is impossible for God”. 

Mary's greatness doesn't come from her intelligence, good looks, charm, bubbly personality - it doesn't come from her natural qualities. Her greatness, her true beauty, comes from being filled with the grace of God and surrendering to God’s plan for her life.

And that’s true for us as well. What matters most in life is allowing God to fill us with grace and cooperating with that grace. Just like Mary, God has a plan for each of us. But it is up to us, like Mary to respond generously to God’s plan, to trust in God, to learn from the events of our life, to become the people God made us to be.

What does God want from us? The same thing he wanted from Mary: Sinlessness, selflessness, and cooperation with his grace.  In the epistle, Saint Paul wrote, “God chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish”.  God chose Mary, and God choses us, but it is up to us to respond generously to God.

And so we pray today that Mary’s yes and radical surrender to God may resound in our life, may the sinless immaculate ever-virgin Mary assist us in turning away from the selfishness and self-centeredness and fear and material attachment which keep us from great holiness, may she help us discover God’s will in our life and help us respond to God with wholehearted surrender, obedience, and trust, and prepare well for all God has in store for us, for His Glory and the salvation of souls.

November 21 2017 - Presentation of Mary - Daily dedication to God

Pope St. John Paul wrote how the Church from the beginning has modeled her earthly journey on that of the Mother of God. “It is to her as Mother and Model that the Church must look in order to understand in its completeness the meaning of her own mission.”

What does the sacred event which we commemorate today teach us about the Church’s mission, our mission?

Though she belonged entirely to God from the moment of her immaculate conception, the Church Fathers speak of how Mary herself desired to be brought to the Temple, to be presented to God in a formal, solemn, and public way to demonstrate to all that she really did belong to God.

This certainly reveals an important dimension of Christianity. It is not enough for us simply to belong to the Lord privately. We show that we belong to God in formal and public ways. The Sacramental system certainly reflects this principle. Catholics show we belong to God every week, some of us, every day, by gathering at the altar for the celebration of the Eucharist. Here, we present ourselves to God, we receive the nourishment of the Eucharist. But, our dedication to God does not end here. We receive the Eucharist that we might go out into the world to build the kingdom of God.

In the Gospel for this feast, Jesus pronounces belonging to his spiritual family, the Church, requires more than a biological bond: “Whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother and sister and mother”.

Our dedication to the Lord is seen when we engage in the works that God wants of us. Without these works, faith is dead, says St. James.

It is good and important to dedicate ourselves to God through prayer and the sacraments. The morning offer is a powerful way of dedicating ourselves to God on a daily basis, particularly when we cannot come to daily mass. But even the morning offering speaks of our works: “O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world.”

Pope John Paul II once said that the practice of praying the Morning Offering is ‘of fundamental importance in the life of each and every one of the faithful.’ It is a daily reminder to make our entire day, our whole life ‘a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God’ (Romans 12: 1).”

A daily prayer of dedication can help to order our day, that we like Mary, may remain united to God in all of our thoughts, intentions, affections, desires, words, and deeds, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For deeper Marian devotion amongst all Christians, that the Church may more deeply share in Mary’s dedication to God.

For all mothers, that they may find in Mary the example and strength to carry out their vocation of love, and that all sorrowful mothers may know the consolation and peace of God.

For all consecrated religious, that their dedication may inspire all Christians to deeper faith, hope, and charity.

That through Immaculate Mary, Queen of Peace, hatred, violence, and cruelty will cease in the world. 

That from the moment of conception all children will be preserved from bodily harm; for the overturning of unjust laws permitting the destruction of innocent life; and that the minds of all may be enlightened to know the dignity of every human life.  We pray to the Lord.

That the sick may draw strength, consolation, and healing by turning to Mary, who intercedes for us from her place in heaven

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased clergy and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

We pray, O Lord our God, that the Virgin Mary, dedicated to your Holy Will,  may commend the prayers of your faithful in your sight.

September 08 2017 - Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary - A day of joy and hope

Today, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin arrives on the Liturgical Calendar exactly nine months after the Feast of her Immaculate Conception.  Nine months, the term of a pregnancy….not a coincidence.
Mary was conceived through the natural marital embrace of her parents, Saint Anne and Saint Joachim.  She was brought to term and was born like any of us, though, through that special grace from God she was preserved from any stain of original sin.

The day the daughter of Anne and Joachim was born ranks as one of the most beautiful in human history, yet, nothing explicitly is recorded or known about Mary’s birth.  In fact, according to certain traditions, no one in the small town of Nazareth where Saints Joachim and Anne lived paid heed to the new arrival. Although the blood of David flowed in her veins, although she was the virgin about whom Isaiah prophesied.  She truly had humble beginnings.  Yet, though her birth went unnoticed by her countrymen, one Church Father said that the angels could not find adequate praises to express their joy to the Blessed Trinity for having created this most beautiful of creatures.

The Immaculate Mother came into the world at a time when many of God’s people had lost hope in a Messiah, just as many have lost sight of Christ the Sun in our modern day.  Sometimes God waits until we are on the brink of the abyss before extending His hand of mercy. I know a priest who is very fond of the saying, “the night is always darkest, right before the dawn”.

Saint Thomas of Villanova explained in sermon that Mary is the heavenly dawn, not only for the world, but especially for each individual soul. The birth of Mary initiated a new era in human history. And when an individual begins to grow in their devotion to the Blessed Mother, that can signal a new beginning for them.

Mary will help any soul find her Son. Mary will help any soul develop a burning love for her Son. So just as we celebrate the birthday of our earthly mothers, with great sentiment, today is a day for all Christians to celebrate our Spiritual Mother, our mother in the Order of Grace.

The Feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin fills our hearts with hope and joy: hope and joy in her presence with the Church for all ages, hope and joy that all those who turn to her aid will find salvation through Her Son, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For deeper Marian devotion amongst all Christians, that through her our faith may be strengthened and our witness may shine more brightly.

For all mothers, that they may find in Mary the example and strength to carry out their vocation of love, and that all sorrowful mothers may know the consolation and peace of God.

That through Immaculate Mary, Queen of Peace, hatred, violence, and cruelty will cease in the world.
That through Mary, Our Lady of Grace, all those who have fallen into sin may return to God through sincere repentance.

That from the moment of conception all children will be preserved from bodily harm; for the overturning of unjust laws permitting the destruction of innocent life; and that the minds of all may be enlightened to know the dignity of every human life.  We pray to the Lord.

That the sick may draw strength, consolation, and healing by turning to Mary, who intercedes for us from her place in heaven, especially all those affected by natural disaster. We pray to the Lord.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.

We pray, O Lord our God, that the Virgin Mary, who merited to bear God and man in her chaste womb, may commend the prayers of your faithful in your sight. Through Christ our Lord.

August 15, 2017 - The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Biblical and theological proofs

The dogma of the Assumption of Mary is a point of contention between Catholics and Protestants. Non-Catholics often claim that there is no biblical evidence for Mary’s Assumption.

I’d bet that most Catholics are not very familiar with the biblical data. And that’s not necessarily terrible. We trust the Church, we love the Blessed Mother. Her Assumption seems logical. That’s enough for most us. As the saying goes: “For some, no proof is necessary. For others, no proof is ever enough.”

But just in case you are ever in the position to explain this dogma, here are some key points from the Scriptures.

First, the bible is very clear that the bodily assumption into heaven is possible, in fact, there is biblical precedent for it. Enoch and Elijah are both brought to heaven by God. Thessalonians foretells how Christians still living at the time of Christ’s return will be “caught up to the heavens”. And St. Paul in second Corinthians describes his mystical experience of being taken to heaven, whether in the body or out of the body he doesn’t know, but he doesn’t rule out the possibility of a bodily journey to heaven.

Now, the Bible doesn’t describe Mary being taken to heaven by God. But in the book of Revelation, which we read on this feast, the Mother of the Savior of the World is in heaven, bodily. And beautiful Psalm 45, speaks of the queen standing at the right hand of God, in the eternal palace of the king.
So no one can really claim that this feast is unbiblical.

Why is this dogma important? Why is this feast important? First, it is never unfitting to celebrate the work of God. God made Mary a worthy mother for his son, full of grace and virtue, a heart in full communion with His Holy Will. Who can argue with the fittingness of Mary being brought into heaven, to experience what we all hope to experience in eternity, bodily and spiritual life in the eternal presence? In celebrating this feast, we proclaim the good works of God to all generations.

Secondly, in light of attempts to recreate Christianity, severing it from its ancient roots, this beautiful feast is so important because it keeps us connected to the Apostolic faith. For this feast is the oldest feast of Our Lady. Sadly, so many modern Christians do not fittingly honor Our Lady. But the Church without Our Lady, is not the Church.

Thirdly, this feast underscores the reasonableness of our faith. The doctrines of our faith are supported by the scriptures, and attested to by the saints throughout the centuries.

Fourthly, this feast is so important because of its message of hope. Where she has gone we hope to follow. This feast is a pledge: loving God as Mary loves God leads to heaven. Mary's Assumption is God's promise to us: every Christian who follows Mary's path of humility and fidelity to God's will can look forward to following her into the glories and joys of heaven.

This promise of God, this beautiful truth, is so important for us to remember in the dark times of life, when war, violence, and persecution surround us. Our mother is the lighthouse on the stormy sea, the star who guides us home.

We are reminded to keep our hearts and minds directed toward Mary. She will never lead us astray. Through this great feast, through our daily devotions, our rosaries, may we know her constant help and protection in the Christian life, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.