Pentecost 2026 - New beginnings

We have come to the end of the Easter season. But this great Feast of the Holy Spirit, Pentecost, is not really about an ending. It is about a new beginning.

Pentecost is the beginning of the Church’s public mission. It is the beginning of the Apostles’ courageous preaching and the Gospel going out to the nations. It is the beginning of new life made possible by the Holy Spirit.

In our first reading, the Apostles are gathered in the Upper Room. They have already seen the risen Lord. They know that Jesus has conquered sin and death. But they seem stuck, like the Lord Jesus’ mission is over.

And then the promised Holy Spirit comes: a strong driving wind fills the house, tongues as of fire come to rest upon them, and the Apostles are changed. Men who had been hidden behind locked doors begin to proclaim the mighty works of God. Filled with the Spirit, they burst out of the Upper Room and begin preaching to the nations. Those once divided by language and sin begin to hear the Gospel in their own tongues.

That is Pentecost: it is the end of something. It’s the end of inactivity due to fear or confusion and the beginning of the Church living out the mission.

In the Gospel, we hear a particularly important dimension of the Church’s mission. The Lord appears to the apostles, breathes on them, and declares, “whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

This certainly makes us think of the Sacraments of Baptism and Confession Because one of the first fruits of Pentecost is not simply that the Apostles go out and speak. It is that they go out with the power of Christ to bring forgiveness, reconciliation, and new life. The mission of the Church is not merely to give good advice. It is not merely to inspire people to try harder. The mission of the Church is to communicate the grace of Christ.

And that grace always means a new beginning.

In Baptism, there is the new beginning of becoming a child of God. In Confession, there is the new beginning of forgiveness after sin. In Confirmation, there is the new beginning of being strengthened for Christian witness. In Holy Communion, there is the new beginning of being nourished more deeply by the Body and Blood of Christ. In the Anointing of the Sick, there is the new beginning of grace and strength in suffering. In Marriage and Holy Orders, there is the new beginning of a vocation lived with special grace from God.

So each of the Sacraments have a special connection with Pentecost; for it is through the Holy Spirit that our Sacraments are efficacious.

In the Sacrament of Confession, when the priest raises his hand and prays the prayer of absolution, he says:

“God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and poured out the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of sins.”

Through the Holy Spirit our sins are forgiven. That’s why when we go to Confession, we are not engaging in a therapy session, just getting something off our chest, or simply receiving encouragement to do better next time. God’s mercy is truly bestowed upon through the Holy Spirit.

And again, just like Pentecost, a valid Confession is the end of something and the beginning of something new. It is the end of separation from God and the beginning of restored communion. It is the end of being trapped by past sin and the beginning of freedom in grace. It’s the end of an unhealed festering wound, and the beginning of real spiritual recovery. It is the end of carrying the shame of our guilt, because we hear from the priest, that in the name of God we are forgiven: God loves you and is so pleased to offer you a new beginning--a new beginnings of peace with God.

This is why we should never be afraid of Confession. Now, the devil wants us to be afraid of Confession. He wants us to stay locked in the upper room of our own guilt, our own embarrassment and discouragement. He wants us to think that our sins define us, that our failures are final, that nothing can really change.

But Pentecost tells us something different. The Holy Spirit opens locked doors and carries the peace of Christ into ours souls, and sets us back on the right path.

Each of the Sacraments, in some way is a new beginning. And yet, the new beginnings God wants for us are not limited only to sacramental moments. The Christian is called to be open to the newness of the Holy Spirit every day. New beginnings every day: new beginnings of a deeper prayer life. A new willingness to serve. A new courage in witnessing to the faith. A new effort to leave behind fear or complacency. A new growth in patience, humility, chastity, generosity, or charity. A new attempt to rebuild a bridge where there has been division. A new willingness to forgive someone, or to ask forgiveness ourselves.

So the question for us today is simple: are we open to the Holy Spirit beginning something new in us?

Are we open to being moved out of fear and into courage? Out of complacency and into mission? Out of discouragement and into hope? Out of sin and into grace? Out of isolation and into communion with God?

So today, at the end of Easter, we do not simply close a season. We ask for a new beginning for ourselves, our families, our parish.

Come, Holy Spirit. Fill the hearts of your faithful. Kindle in us the fire of your love. Renew the grace of our Baptism. Lead us to the forgiveness of sins. Strengthen us for the mission of the Church. Unite us more deeply to Christ. Help us to begin again in holiness, in courage, in charity, and in faith. And lead us, through Christ, into the fullness of life with God forever for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

 

Monday after Pentecost 2025 - Mary Mother of the Church

 This morning we read again that passage from the Acts of the Apostles read yesterday on the Great Solemnity of Pentecost, how the apostles gathered in the Upper Room with a number of women and other members of the brethren and with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together Mary, the Mother of Jesus.

Tradition has found in this scene a sign of our Lady’s maternal role for the entire Church. Wishing to draw our attention to the importance of this relationship, Pope Francis, in 2018 instituted today’s memorial of Mary Mother of the Church to be celebrated the Monday after Pentecost.

A mother’s life is centered on her child right from the womb. She has the responsibility to watch over the gift God has given her. A newborn infant continues to have great need for her protection; and as the child grows up she helps him take his first steps in life. 

The Gospels show us some of the care our Lady lavished on Jesus. And in the Acts of the Apostles we see the same concern for the nascent Church, with Mary watching over the apostles and the first Christians. It was a time of “gestation,” amid persecutions and difficulties, when we especially needed her help. 

She was with the Church at the beginning, and following her Assumption, our Lady continues to be with the Church in every place and in every age until the Lord’s return. Mother Mary accompanies the pilgrim Church with a mother’s love and watches in kindness over the Church in our pilgrimage to our heavenly homeland.

Mother Mary assists us with her prayers, as she did the apostles, and she is the perfect model for us. Pope St. John Paul II, reflected on Our Lady’s Maternal Role in the Church in his Marian Encyclical Redemptoris Mater, writing, “in her new motherhood in the Spirit, Mary embraces each and every one in the Church, and embraces each and every one through the Church. In this sense Mary, Mother of the Church, is also the Church’s model.” 

Pope Francis taught “Our Lady wants to bring the great gift of Jesus to us, to us all; and with him she brings us his love, his peace, and his joy. In this, the Church is like Mary; she has to lead everyone to Christ and his Gospel.” This is the goal of the Church’s life and of that of each Christian: to bring the love of Jesus to all men and women. May Mother Mary always be with us with her aid in this great task for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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United in prayer with Mary, the Mother of the Church, let us offer our prayers to the Father with confidence:

For the holy Church of God throughout the world, that through Mary’s maternal intercession, she may grow in holiness, unity, and zeal for the mission of Christ.

For all mothers, especially those who are struggling or suffering, that they may be strengthened by the example and prayers of Mary, Mother of the Church.

For our parish community, that under Mary’s guidance and protection, we may become more devoted to prayer, more generous in charity, and more faithful in spreading the Gospel.

That the poor and afflicted may always know the prayers and heavenly aid of the Blessed Mother and concrete acts of charity of the Church.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and for all of the souls in purgatory that they may be welcomed into the eternal joy of heaven, especially…

Heavenly Father, you gave us the Blessed Virgin Mary to be our Mother in the order of grace. Through her loving intercession, strengthen your Church and guide us on our earthly pilgrimage until we reach our heavenly homeland. Through Christ our Lord.

Pentecost 2025 - 7 Gifts of the Spirit

 Last week, on the feast of the Ascension, in our scripture readings, we heard Jesus instructing his disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit, the promise of the Father. Well, the waiting is over, we celebrate now the promise fulfilled: the sending of the Holy Spirit upon the Church 50 days after the Lord’s resurrection 

The Holy Spirit, as we proclaim in our creed each week, is the Lord, the giver of life. Through the power of the Holy Spirit souls are brought to new life in the Sacrament of baptism; they are strengthened in confirmation, healed in the sacraments of reconciliation and anointing of the sick, nourished in the Sacrament of Holy Communion, and empowered with special graces for unique vocations in the sacraments of marriage and Holy Orders.

The Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, helps us to truly live by bestowing upon us special gifts, you may have memorized the list of them as you prepared for your Confirmation. The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. The Catechism says, these gifts belong in their fullness to Jesus Christ. Meaning if you wanted to see what wisdom looks like, sounds like, and acts like, look at Jesus. If you want to know the highest form of counsel, piety, and fear of the Lord, look to Jesus. 

So let’s consider each of the gifts. How was Jesus’ life filled with wisdom? Well, what is wisdom? Wisdom seeks what is of the highest importance. To be wise is to recognize that our highest priority in this life  isn’t career or wealth, pleasure or power, but getting our souls to heaven and becoming the person God made us to be: saints.

Jesus taught us not only to be wise, teaching us to “seek first the kingdom of God”,  but his wisdom was evident. He embraced the greatest suffering imaginable the weight of our sins as he hung upon the Cross, in order to achieve the highest good, our salvation. We are fully alive when we, wisely, we embrace the cross with Christ in order to obtain our highest good.

The second gift is understanding. The gift of Understanding enables us to penetrate the mysteries of God and see the deeper meaning of God’s plan. Jesus’ understanding is manifest in his ministry. He explains the deeper meaning of the Scriptures, helping others understand God’s plan of salvation. 

With Understanding comes patience and gratitude. Think of how understanding has changed your experience of Mass. As a young person you may have been restless and impatient for mass to be over, but recognizing what is really going on here, understanding that the Eucharist is truly Jesus Christ, that changes things. That understanding enables us to more fully engage in the Mass and appreciate the great gift Jesus has left us, and to encourage others to join us here.

The third gift of the Spirit is Counsel . Counsel means knowing and choosing what is right in difficult situations. Jesus always chooses the Father’s will, even when he was tempted. In the desert, He rebuffs Satan’s temptations with clarity. We are fully alive when we follow not the counsel of the world or the devil, but the counsel of God. 

Like all the gifts, counsel is for ourselves, but also for others. For example, a friend confides in you that they are considering making a terrible decision, like abortion. The Gift of Counsel enables you to speak with compassion, truth, and hope—encouraging them to choose life and offering concrete support.

The fourth gift is fortitude. Fortitude is the courage and strength to  do good and endure difficulty for the sake of what is right. Jesus endured opposition, rejection, betrayal, scourging, and crucifixion without faltering in His mission. He exhibited courage in confronting hypocrisy and injustice, even when it meant risking His life. In His Passion, He reveals fortitude in its purest form—persevering in love to the end.

Fortitude enables us to work for justice despite opposition, to witness to the faith in the face of mockery or persecution, or to persevere doing what is right despite hardship—like taking care of an elderly parent despite their complaints. To be fully alive is to be full of Courage and Strength for doing what is right when it is hard.

The fifth gift of the Holy Spirit is knowledge – Knowing the things of God and how to remain in right relationship to God. Jesus helps people to know the presence of God in their midst. 

This gift helps us to know what is good or bad for our soul and to discern God’s will. Think of a young person discerning that her social media habits are fueling vanity and envy. So, she chooses to limit her use to protect her spiritual health. Or any of us for that matter, when facing temptation, calling to mind the teaching of Jesus and the teaching of the Church. We are fully alive when we have that ability to rightly discern between good and evil.

The sixth gift is piety--filial reverence and trust in God as a loving Father. Jesus refers to God as Abba, Father, and teaches His disciples to do the same. Jesus is faithful in prayer, obedient to the Father’s will, and models loving trust even amid suffering. His entire life is an offering of reverent love for the Father. We exercise piety when we cultivate heartful devotion for God and the things of God.

For example, a family gathering together once a week to pray the Rosary, not out of obligation but from a desire to honor and love God together. Or coming to church on Saturday to spend time in adoration, simply to spend time in the presence of the Lord manifests piety. We are fully alive when we desire God and what to live lives pleasing to God.

And lastly, fear of the Lord—we are fully alive when we allow the Spirit to teach us to hate sin and to become humble in God’s presence. Jesus, taught us to hate sin, to seek conversion and drive out corruption from our lives. In the Temple, He drives out the money changers, zealous for the holiness of God’s Temple. 

The Holy Spirit helps us to hate gossip and lying, not simply because they are socially rude, but because they offend God. He teaches us to guard ourselves from perverted images on the internet, lest you fall into sin, manifests fear of the Lord. This gift makes us fully alive by hating what is evil, rightly protecting ourselves from what corrupts us and others.

Dear ones, the Holy Spirit was not poured out on the Church merely so we could decorate our altars with red once a year. The Holy Spirit was poured out so that we might become fully alive—with the very life of Christ.

As I quoted last week, St. Irenaeus wrote, "The glory of God is man fully alive." But not just biologically alive. Not just scrolling and surviving and chasing the next comfort or pleasure. Fully alive means burning with the fire of the Spirit—filled with wisdom, courage, purity, purpose, and joy. Fully alive means no longer being ruled by fear, sin, or confusion, but walking in step with the Spirit, living in truth and love.

It should be a common occurrence for us to ask the Holy Spirit: Which gift do I need to grow in most? What part of me is still half-asleep, half-committed, half-alive? And then pray: Come, Holy Spirit. Awaken me. Fill me. Make me fully alive in Christ— for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

May 13 2024 - Our Lady of Fatima - Fatima and Pentecost

 

During this final week of the Easter season, as we prepare for the Great Solemnity of Pentecost, we commemorate today “Our Lady of Fatima”. 

In 1917, in the small town of Portugal called Fatima, the Virgin Mary appeared to three young shepherd children. She delivered messages that were both a warning and an instruction: a call to prayer, especially the Rosary, and a plea for repentance and conversion. These messages were not just for those children or for that time; they are messages for all of us, across all times.

For, the messages of Our Lady at Fatima are consistent with the perpetual teaching of the Church: repent, believe in the Gospel, enter into a living relationship with God Father, Son, and Holy Spirit through the Church, through a life of prayer, the imitation of Christ, and reception of the Sacraments.

At Fatima, we see God continuing to use Mary as his instrument, to help the world know, love, and follow Jesus Christ. At Fatima, Mary echoes the same instruction she gave at the Wedding at Cana: “do whatever he tells you”.  

At Fatima, God gathered souls around Mary to be strengthened in faith and in the mission of the Church, just like at Pentecost, when the apostles were gathered around Mary. On Pentecost, the apostles, those spiritual sons of Mary, prayerfully prepared for the decent of the Holy Spirit with the assistance of her humble example and her prayers. 

As we prepare for Pentecost, the message of Fatima helps us remain intent on seeking the strengthening of our own faith, and a deeper openness to the gifts and movement of the Holy Spirit for the sake of the Church’s mission, through the aid of the Blessed Virgin.

We do well to follow Our Lady’s instruction at Fatima to pray the rosary each day this week, meditating on the mysteries of the life of Our Savior—that we may imitate what those mysteries contain and obtain what they promise. The Rosary is a powerful means to welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives, as did Our Lady. We pray for ourselves and for those who fail to pray as they should—unbelievers, hardened sinners, the prideful the lukewarm, and those souls at risk of hell. 

May our devotion to Mary and our anticipation of the Holy Spirit prepare our hearts to be renewed, that we might be effective witnesses of the Gospel in our world today for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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That the maternal care of Our Lady may bring protection to the shepherds of the Church and all who preach the Gospel.

That Our Lady’s devotion to the Divine Will of God will move government leaders to work to build a culture of life and peace to further the reign of Christ.

That through the penance and prayers of the Church, hardened sinners will return to God.

That the intercession of Our Lady will bring comfort and care to all who suffer disease, violence, and afflictions of any kind.

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.

Easter Octave Tuesday - 2024 - To share in God's life is to share in His work.

The Easter Octave, the eight-day celebration beginning on Easter Sunday is a period deeply imbued with the joy and triumph of Christ's Resurrection. We read the various Gospel accounts of Easter Sunday, and our first readings are taken from the Acts of the Apostles, particularly from Pentecost Sunday.

Why do we read about Pentecost on Easter?

Reading from the Acts of the Apostles during the Easter Octave connects the celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection with the mission of the Church.  

The Lord’s resurrection is God’s victory over sin—the mission for which Jesus was sent, the salvation of souls, succeeded. And during Easter we consider how the Lord’s mission of salvation continues through us—who share in his life through baptism. 

The new life of Easter involves a new share in the work of God. You can’t share in the life of God without sharing in his work.  Christians are called not only to a personal relationship with God, but also a sacramental relationship, a communal relationship through his Church, and also a share in the missionary life of the Body of Christ. Christ came as a missionary to the human race, and his church continues that missionary mission.

And we read from the Acts of the Apostles, to show us what that missionary life looks like. 

Yesterday, we heard Peter declare, “Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs… This man…you killed… But God raised him up.” Sharing in the life of Christ involves proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus—sharing the good news men need to hear.

And today, Peter’s speech not only proclaims Christ risen, but also invites those guilty of crucifying Him to repent and to enter into life. “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

All those guilty of crucifying Christ, that’s all of us—God wants baptized in order to bestow signs of that living relationship through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The call to repentance and baptismal faith that we hear in Peter's speech is not just a historical event 2000 years ago but an ongoing invitation to each of us. 

Baptism, which some of us received decades and decades ago, involves an openness to the unfolding and increase of God’s grace. Continuous dying to our old selves in order to rise to new life. Life can always be renewed, if we are 2 weeks old or a 102. There is always something to new, there is always new life, new gifts, God wishes to bestow for the sake of the mission. 

Like Mary in the Gospel, tears, shed over losing sight of Jesus, are meant to make way for proclamation. “Why are you weeping…Go and tell my brother…” Okay you found me, now get up and get to work. Don’t just stay here at the tomb, this is a place of death. Get up and prove that you are alive through action, through the work of the Church. 

May our easter celebrations continue to open us to the joy of the gospel, the joy that comes through active participation in the good work of the Church for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

Pentecost 2023 - Renewing the Covenant

 Happy Pentecost everyone. 

The word Pentecost comes from the Greek word “pentecostes” which means “fiftieth.” Originally, Pentecost was the Greek Name for the Jewish spring harvest festival of Shavuot in the Hebrew. On Shavuot, Jews gave thanksgiving to God for the completion of the spring harvest, at which the newly harvested barley would be baked into two loaves of bread and offered to God. Shavuot was a celebration of God causing the crops to live and grow and bear fruit, which allow God’s people to live and grow and fulfill their purpose. 

On Shavuot, the Jews also celebrate God’s covenant with Noah, which took place fifty days after the great flood, a second chance for the human race that had become deeply corrupt with vice and sin. Shavuot therefore celebrates God’s mercy and a new beginning for humanity called to goodness, faithfulness, and virtue. 

Thirdly, Shavuot celebrates the Covenant God made with Moses at Mt. Sinai occurring, you guessed it, fifty days after the Exodus from Egypt. At Sinai, the Spirit of God was given to the jewish elders, enabling them to prophesy and teach and lead God’s people. Therefore Shavuot also celebrates a new and deepened relationship with God as a chosen people. 

In these three ways, the Jewish Feast of Pentecost foreshadowed the Christian Feast we now celebrate.  For today, like the Jews thanking God for the harvest that allows them to live and grow and bear fruit, we express our gratitude for the gift of the Holy Spirit which allows the Church live and grow and bear fruit. Like the Jews thanking God for the covenant with Noah, a second chance for the human race, so too the Church thanks God for the new beginning offered to humanity through Christ and the Spirit. And like the Jews who celebrate the covenant at Sinai and the imparting of the spirit upon the elders, we Christians celebrate the giving of the Spirit upon the whole Church; for through Baptism, every Christian is given the gift of the Holy Spirit and the task to preach and prophecy and order our lives in a way that glorifies God and draws souls to Christ. 

In the Acts of the Apostles all throughout the Easter Season, we’ve heard of the early Church faithfully carrying out that mission begun on that first Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles in the upper room in presence of the Virgin Mary. The Holy Spirit filled the apostles with a fire for the mission of the Church—evangelization. And we find them bursting out of the locked doors of the upper room, speaking in all the tongues of the nations, so that all peoples could understand and believe the saving Gospel of Christ. So too, we must speak in all of the languages of the world today, to draw souls to Christ. The animating fire given to the Church 2000 years ago that first Pentecost continues to burn and spread wherever the Gospel is preached and the fruits of the Spirit are manifest and shared.

On Pentecost Sunday in 1978, Blessed Oscar Romero, Archbishop of El Salvador, said, “It will always be Pentecost in the Church provided the Church lets the beauty of the Holy Spirit shine forth from her countenance.  When the Church ceases to let her strength rest on the Power from above which Christ promised her and which he gave her on that day, and when the Church leans rather on the weak forces of the power or wealth of this earth, then the Church ceases to be newsworthy.  The Church will be fair to see, perennially young, attractive in every age, as long as she is faithful to the Spirit that floods her and she reflects that Spirit through her communities, through her pastors, through her very life" 

The blessed Archbishop reminds us that we have a duty to cooperate with the Spirit, to cultivate the life of the Spirit, and the Church, our way of life is attractive when we do so. But he also reminds us that there are a lot of forces in our world that seek to extinguish that fire—a lot of vices that vie for our attention and sap our spiritual energy—that make us boring and unattractive. Why would anyone become Christian if we just looked like the rest of the world?

The Venerable Fulton J. Sheen once said something similar. He said, "Even though we are God's chosen people, we often behave more like God's frozen people--frozen in our prayer life, frozen in the way we relate with one another, frozen in the way we celebrate our Faith." And that happens when we return to the sin and vice and fear that God desires to deliver us from. Pope Francis said something similar when he warned of how Christians due to fear of living out the Gospel can become “spiritual mummies”. Encased in tombs, inanimate, unenthusiastic.

So today is a powerful day to ask the Holy Spirit to show you how your sins or fears might be keeping you from bursting out of locked doors like St. Peter. 

The Holy Spirit descended upon the Church to embolden us for the Gospel, and also to help purify us, like a fire, from our sins, vices, and earthly attachments. 

And he does so, most radically, in the Sacrament of Confession. “Receive the Holy Spirit” t Lord commanded the apostles: “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

The prayer of absolution in Sacramental Confession echoes today’s Pentecost Gospel when the priest says, “God, the Father of mercies, through the Death and Resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and poured out the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of sins.” 

Frequent Confession is a powerful means of making our lives fertile soil for Spiritual Fruit to grow. It renews the covenant in us, it is one of the works of the Holy Spirit now, in the Church, to bring about fecundity and growth and life. Sacramental Confession is a Pentecost. Embrace Pentecost by embracing Confession. Please, don’t let fear keep you locked and frozen and mummified in your sins. But allow the Holy Spirit to revivify you and renew his Fire within you frequently, regularly. 

Pope Francis himself pleaded with the Church to make good use of the Sacrament of Confession. He said, we cannot remove our sins by ourselves. Only God takes [our sin] away, only he by his mercy can make us emerge from the depths of our misery. Like those disciples [who had run away from the cross and locked themselves in the upper room], we need to let ourselves be forgiven, to ask heartfelt pardon of the Lord. We need to open our hearts to being forgiven. Forgiveness in the Holy Spirit is the Easter gift that enables our interior resurrection. Let us ask for the grace to accept that gift, to embrace the Sacrament of forgiveness…Confession is the Sacrament of resurrection, pure mercy.” Whatever you are going through in life, there is always a desire for that "interior resurrection" that Holy Father speaks of of, to be lifted out of some misery, through the spirit. And that can happen when we make good use of Sacramental Confession.

Pentecost is the capstone of everything we've been celebrating from the beginning of Lent, through Easter: the forgiveness of sins is available to us through Christ. And Sacramental Confession renews that covenant in Christ's blood which forgives the sins we commit after baptism. It is good for us to go to Confession during Advent and Lent of course, but we have a long stretch of months before Advent, so make sure you get to confession regularly, in order for the Holy Spirit to remove some of those road blocks to God’s grace. 

We’ve got work to do as God’s people, God’s work, and the fire of Pentecost needs to be emblazoned among us. So make use of Confession, and all the ways God wishes to kindle his life within you. Veni Sancte Spiritus. For the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Pentecost 2022 - Unity

 

On Friday, the Holy Father, met with a delegation of young priests and monks from the Eastern Orthodox Churches—so the Greek Orthodox, Ukrainian Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox and so on. And that is quite the feat, as the Orthodox Churches, historically have not always had the most cordial of relationships with Rome nor with each other. So to get everyone in a room together, in Rome, is already a Pentecost miracle. But then the Holy Father took the opportunity to speak to this disparate group, about one of the important themes of Pentecost: unity. “Strive to preserve the unity of the spirit” St. Paul writes to the Ephesians. The Lord himself prayed for the church’s unity at the Last supper, “I pray Father, that they may be one, as you and I are one.”

The Holy Father offered four insights about what Pentecost teaches us about unity. 

Firstly, the Holy Father said unity is a “gift…a fire from on high”. Unity is a gift from God. With all of our divisions in the human family and even in the Church, the Holy Father says, yes, we need to take great efforts to work for unity: prayer, dialogue, disposing ourselves to what God wants for us, but unity, says Pope Francis, is primarily “not a fruit of earth, but of heaven. It is not primarily the result of our commitment, OUR efforts and OUR agreements,” he says, “but of the working of the Holy Spirit, to whom we need to open our hearts in trust, so that he can guide us along the path to full communion. Unity is a grace, a gift.”

So, yes, we need to do our part, but in the end, all human efforts fail, they are insufficient, for the unification of divided humanity is ultimately the work of God. Jesus came to reconcile us to one another and to the Father, something that we could not and cannot do on our own. No amount of secular human progress will create unity. We need God if we hope to live in unity.

A second lesson that Pentecost teaches us is that unity God wants for us is not necessarily uniformity,” he said, “much less the fruit of compromise or fragile diplomatic balances of power. Unity is harmony in the diversity of the charisms bestowed by the Spirit. For the Holy Spirit loves to awaken both multiplicity and unity, as at Pentecost, where different languages were not reduced to one alone, but were taken up in all their variety. Harmony is the way of the Spirit, for, as Saint Basil the Great says, the Spirit is harmony.”

One of the things I love about St. Ignatius is our harmonious  and diverse unity. On any given Sunday we have folks from the neighborhood, folks who’ve moved away, life-long parishioners, and neophytes, catholics from various ethnic backgrounds, economic strata, and professions. Parishioners with so many different gifts. And we offer two forms of the holy mass, the ordinary form in English, and the old rite, both in harmony, hopefully mutually enriching each other, teaching each other, both bringing about a diversity of charisms from the Holy Spirit. 

A third lesson of Pentecost, the Holy Father explains,  is that unity is a journey. “Unity is attained along the way” he says, “it grows by sharing each step of the journey, by facing its joys and struggles, and experiencing its unexpected surprises. As Saint Paul told the Galatians, we are called to walk by the Spirit. In the words of Saint Irenaeus, whom the Holy Father named as the Doctor of Unity, the Church is tõn adelphõn synodía, in the Greek, “a caravan of brothers”. In this caravan, unity grows and matures: a unity that – in God’s quiet way – does not suddenly appear as an overwhelming miracle, but quietly emerges in the patient and persevering progress of a journey made together.” What a beautiful image. A caravan wherein each of the members are seeking growth in our unique virtues, but growing in holiness, together.

Are we here at St. Ignatius, or in the Diocese of Cleveland, “perfectly one”, as the Lord, prayed for at the Last Supper? Not quite. Are we “of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing” as St. Paul taught the Philippians. Not quite. But Paul said, strive to be of the same mind, meaning, it is an effort, a journey, as the Holy Father says.. As I preached about last week, our unity comes from our personal assent to the truths, the dogmas of the faith, and our worship of the one true God. But we have some ways to go, don’t we.

Lastly, the Holy Father explains that unity “is closely tied to the fruitfulness of the Christian proclamation: unity is for mission.  Jesus prayed for his disciples that they “may all be one… so that the world may believe” (Jn 17:21). At Pentecost, the Church was born as a missionary Church. Today too, the world is waiting…to hear the Gospel message of charity, freedom and peace. It is a message that we are called to bear witness to with one another, not against one another or apart from one another.”

Unity is for mission. St. Ignatius of Antioch has a mission to the neighborhood, to the fallen away Catholics, and angry or hurt Catholics, the unchurched, the drug-addled, the freemasons, the protestants, the muslims. It’s not just my mission folks. It’s our mission. Our communal mission from God. And I pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to send us insight into how to fulfill that mission, and strength for that mission. 

Please pray for your parish throughout the week. If you cannot come to daily mass throughout the week, make sure you lift your parish up to God, and your pastor. These are complex times aren’t they? Confusing times. But God chose us to be here now, in 2022, for the work of the Gospel. May we be one in our mission.

The Holy Father concluded his thoughts, “Dear brothers, may the cross of Christ be the compass that directs us on our journey towards full unity. For on that cross Christ, our peace, reconciled us and gathered us into one people” 

May we draw close to the cross of Christ every day, to be set alight with spiritual fire, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Whit Monday 2021 (EF) - St. Peter in Chains

We celebrate the second day of the Pentecost Octave, called in some places Whit Monday—named after the white garments of the newly baptized. Like the Easter Octave, the Pentecost Octave is aimed at welcoming and praying for the newly baptized, and in earlier days, the newly initiated would wear their new white baptismal garments throughout this Octave as well.

In Rome, the newly baptized would visit a different station church each day of this Octave, and they would receive post-baptismal lessons. The Roman station Church today is the Church of St. Peter in Chains, which I remember visiting a number of years ago. 

Walking into that Church, one almost forgets you are there to pay homage to the chains that held the apostle Peter while he was imprisoned in Jerusalem, because right near the entrance is  Michelangelo’s breathtaking statue of Moses—carved from a single massive block of marble. Moses is the gargantuan figure, with rippling muscles,  grasping the tablet of the law, almost holding back from the righteous reaction of seeing the Israelites worshipping the Golden Calf. 

But then the visitor to St. Peter in Chains makes their way, finally, to the reliquary of the chains. St. Peter was imprisoned by those very chains not long after his speech in today’s epistle from the Acts of the Apostles. Imagine, being newly baptized and contemplating those chains. Peter stood in the streets of Jerusalem, and filled with the Holy Spirit, preached the Gospel, for which he was arrested and imprisoned. But those chains—the chains of man—failed at stopping the Gospel from being preached.

The newly baptized were basically being told: this is your destiny too. You now have a share in the mission of the Gospel, you too, now have the holy spirit filling your soul, you too are being charged with preaching the gospel fearlessly, and like Peter, you too may be arrested and imprisoned, but fear not, the chains of man cannot really hold you, the chains of man cannot stop the mission of the Church.

What shall we preach? The newly baptized might think to themselves. Preach the words of today’s Gospel, just like Peter, just like Christians have done for two thousand years: “God so loved the world, as to give His only-begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in Him may not perish, but may have life everlasting”

Though we are not newly baptized, we contemplate the feebleness of those earthly chains compared to the power of the Holy Spirit, which impels us into the world, to preach the saving Gospel of God’s love for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Pentecost 2021 - Wind and Flame

Today is the great Feast of Pentecost, the feast that ranks with Christmas and Easter as the greatest of the Church Year.  It is the Feast of the Holy Spirit who enlivens and animates the Church.

Listen again to the account of the first Pentecost nearly 2000 years ago from the Acts of the Apostles.

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,
they were all in one place together.
And suddenly there came from the sky
a noise like a strong driving wind,
and it filled the entire house in which they were.
Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,
which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.

Wind and fire are two symbols associated with the Holy Spirit, and they tell us a lot about how the Holy Spirit wishes acts in the Church and in our lives.

First, Wind is powerful. I’ve seen wind knock over trucks. Acts describes the Holy Spirit as a strong driving wind. Tornado winds can devastate villages and cities, and uproot trees, yet it can also turn gigantic turbines to produce power, and propel sailing ships across the sea. The Holy Spirit, propels the Church and grants her power and uproots the vices of her members.

Also, there is something unpredictable about the wind.  You don’t know quite where it comes from or when it will blow. Jesus himself in John’s Gospel says, The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.”

That says something about the Holy Spirit, there is something elusive, unpredictable, and wonderfully so, about Him. He is unpredictable, a good of surprises. He surprises us with holy joyful moments and encounters and moments of prayer.

And yet, this also makes Him a little daunting. It’s daunting to surrender to something you can’t control. God might upset our applecart, and that’s scary. But he leads us sometimes where we do not want to go, in order to bring about his kingdom. Yes, it’s scary to surrender to God.  He might ask me to confront my prejudices, kneel down to the level of a homeless beggar, he might ask me to become a priest or a religious sister, speak hard truths to obstinate sinners. He might blow us out of our comfort zones. No doubt, as we return to Church after the long pandemic, he is blowing us into the lives of family and friends, to invite them back to the Sacraments—to remind the fallen-away of goodness and love of God waiting for them here.

On Pentecost, the Church is invited to unfurl her sails once again, to allow the Holy Spirit to propel her into the world for the mission of the Gospel, to uproot our vices, to blow away the dust that has settled through inactivity. 

Wind, fresh air, is needed continually for life itself.  If your faith life or prayer life feels stifled, strangled, or stagnate, make a novena to the Holy Spirit to breathe new life, new enthusiasm, new joy into your soul. 

The other great symbol of the Holy Spirit is Fire.  Fire, can be devastating and destructive.  Yet, it can also be cleansing.  The Holy Spirit is like a cleansing Fire.  

God wants to burn away the attitudes and behaviors which are inconsistent with the life of grace.  God wants to burn away our selfishness, so that not an ounce remains, God wants to burn away our envy, our resentments, our lusts.  If you are struggling with a particular temptation or sin, pray “Come Holy Spirit” burn this temptation away, burn this addiction away.

Fire brings purity. It also brings light. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. Those purified by the fire of the Spirit will have the light they need to see God. They will understand more deeply the things of God.  Do you want to come to a deeper understand of the Scriptures, of the Faith. Ask the Holy Spirit. Do you want to understand how to love your unlovable neighbors?  Ask Him! Do you want to understand God’s Will for your life, your vocation in life?  Ask Him!  

Fire also brings warmth of course. In those moments when we are experiencing the coldness, loneliness, isolation, grief. The Holy Spirit will help us to know the closeness and love of God, and the closeness and love of his angels and saints. We also do well of course, to intercede for others experiencing life’s coldness, and to recall our vocation to bring the warmth of God’s love to them, if we can.

Finally, fire symbolizes the passion and courage God wants us to have for the spreading of the Gospel.  After Jesus’ crucifixion, the Apostles hid in the upper room behind locked doors.  Jesus had sent them outwards, out into the world, but they hid.  They were more like Apostates, than Apostles.  But when the Holy Spirit descended upon them with tongues of flame, they burst through the locked doors, into the busiest part of town and courageously proclaimed Jesus risen from the dead.  3000 people converted on the spot.

We need this sort of courage! In an era where our modern culture wants Christians to privatize their faith, to hide behind locked doors and keep our faith to ourselves—we need Christians on fire. 

That is precisely our prayer for our four dear ones who will be confirmed this weekend—that they may filled with fire and wind—filled with the Spirit. Their Confirmation is a reminder to all of us, to dispose our souls, to open our minds, our wills, our hearts to the fire and wind of the Holy Spirit. 

May the Holy Spirit—wind and flame—sanctify us, comfort us, enflame us, uproot our vices and protect us.  Veni Sancte Spiritus, Come Holy Spirit, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

14th Sunday in OT 2020 - An end and a beginning (for Sister Dianne)

When we reopened the Church for public masses on the Feast of Pentecost, 5 weeks ago already, I reflected upon how Pentecost meant a new beginning for Jesus’ disciples. The fire of the Holy Spirit descended upon this group, who had just begun to really comprehend the implications of the Lord’s resurrection—what that meant for their future. But they were timid and remained huddled behind locked doors. It was not until the Holy Spirit’s descent upon them that they burst forth from the upper room preaching and performing mighty deeds as signs of Jesus’ victory over sin and death.

Pentecost was a new beginning. And celebrating Pentecost is always meant to be a new beginning for us, of allowing God to embolden us and commission us for some new work for the building up of the kingdom.

Well, 5 weeks ago, I had no idea about the new beginning God had in store for us as a parish. As you may have seen on Facebook, on our website, the E-Newsletter I sent out to parishioners, or in the bulletin, Sr. Dianne Piunno this week retired from her position as Pastoral Associate of St. Ignatius of Antioch parish, and her last day was this last Tuesday, the 30th of June.

Sister’s retirement ends a 30 year era. An era in which this very devoted Sister of Notre Dame, poured herself out in so many ways—in pastoral care to families and distraught individuals, offering preparation for the sacraments, assisting the pastors in administration, fundraising, assisting with liturgical celebrations, welcoming alumni back to the parish of their youth, looking after the capital needs of the physical plant of the parish, and so many hidden things and acts of charity and devotion that will only be revealed in eternity. The pastors of this parish relied on Sister for keeping this place going, the parish relied on her, especially in her role in keeping the parish open when it was slated to close 11 years ago.

In the letter of resignation she wrote to me, she said It has been a blessing to minister to the people of the parish and our beloved alumni over the past 30 years. They have given me the privilege of supporting them in joyous and challenging times.” The people and alumni always the focus of her life, even of her letter of resignation.

How can it be a mere coincidence, that as we announce sister’s retirement, our weekend Gospel contains such a powerful promise to those who have labored for the Gospel. “Come to me, all you who labor, and I will give you rest.” We pray that in her retirement, Sister will receive the rest she deserves, the joy of knowing how many lives she touched, and how her service here will echo into eternity.

Sister’s retirement is an end of an era, but also, a new beginning for the parish. Sister held us by the hand as we learned to walk, and now we have to walk, we must take up the yoke. As I mentioned, the pastors relied on sister to keep this place going. Now, your current pastor and this parish need you, the  parishioners, to take up the yoke. We’ll need volunteers to assist with liturgical matters, we certainly need new lectors and extraordinary ministers of holy communion, we’ll need volunteers for fundraising efforts, for the gala committee, the golf outing, the clambash, we’ll need help with maintaining relationships with the alumni, we’ll need volunteers to assist with preparing our young people for the sacraments.

If you are willing to help in one or any of these ways, or if you have an idea for some form of ministry that you’d like to take up, please send me a message, write me an email or letter. I have a wonderful staff, but we can’t do it on our own, there is a big hole in the parish that needs to be filled, but I believe that you, the good parishioners of the parish have the time, talent, and treasure to pick up the yoke, to learn from Sister’s good example, and to learn ultimately from the Lord, who says in the Gospel, take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.

Now, my first thought upon receiving sister’s letter was, how in this pandemic are we going to be able to honor her for her service. So, I asked her personally. Could honor her at Mass, and she said, no, in fact, she wanted this announcement to be made after her retirement as she did not want to become the focus of the mass...woops. I then asked if we could do some sort of outdoor reception in the parking lot, and she said no, now is not the right time. We have the parish picnic planned in August, and she said, no, she’s not going to be available for that either. We’ve rescheduled the Gala for next March, and she said no to that too, as she’s already been honored at two Galas. So…we are currently brainstorming how and when we can honor this sweet devoted woman. Please know that it’s coming, hopefully, soon. Again, if you have any ideas let me know.

Lastly, I think we put in the bulletin a PO Box number to which you can send Sister cards if you wish. You can also place them in the parish offertory over the upcoming weeks and we’ll make sure to get them to her.

The end of an era, but the beginning of new one. May the Lord help us to utilize those spiritual gifts he has been cultivating within us. For taking up the yoke, for putting those gifts into practice, is the only way this parish will continue.

You are in our prayers sister, please pray for us, that the good work the Lord has begun in us, good work through which you have been instrumental, may be brought to completion, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

July 3 2020 - St. Thomas the Apostle - Suspension of Doubt

Poor Saint Thomas the Apostle!  Whenever his name is heard, one tends to think of a skeptic, a doubter.  We even call people “doubting Thomas’s”.  Maybe that makes him relatable. His doubt came after the experience of Good Friday, after seeing His Master crucified. It appeared that evil had been victorious. It appeared to his senses that death had won.

Many Christians throughout the centuries, looking around and seeing the powers of death, destruction, and division, have at least for brief moments, been overcome with doubt. Doubt giving rise to the question, “how could God allow this”, “where is God in all this?” “why doesn’t God put an end to all this suffering?”

Many atheists look to the Church and kind of scoff at our claim that God is real, God is love, Jesus Christ is victorious over the powers of death, much like Thomas kind of scoffed at the claim that Jesus was risen and that he appeared to them. “Show me” Thomas said.

Now after all, the witness of the apostles locked in the upper room, wasn’t quite that credible. After all, they were still locked in the upper room out of fear. They weren’t out in the streets proclaiming. They weren’t out in the world spreading the Gospel. They weren’t yet filled with that animating Spirit.

Had Thomas encountered this group after Pentecost and seen their conviction and courage and fire, perhaps he would not have doubted.

You may see where I am going with this. The Church is to be that credible witness that Thomas longed for in his moment of doubt. You and I are to be that credible witness the atheist sees in the world and perhaps begins to doubt his own doubt, question his assumptions. The Christian animated with the fire of the Spirit is to cause the doubters in the world to consider for a moment, maybe what they say is true, after all, look at their life, where in fact does that fervor come from, the fervor which I am lacking in my own life.

Sure many people are driven, there are driven by anger, impatience, and greed or even a sense to fight injustice, the desire for justice is a natural desire after all. But Christians out in the world, performing righteous deeds, preaching and standing for truth, clothing the naked and instructing the ignorant, we are to be that credible witness which gives rise to the suspension of doubt in the good God, that amidst all the evil and suffering in the world, Christ is Risen and He is victorious for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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Since we will not have Mass tomorrow, you will use today the beautiful petitions composed for the inauguration of President George Washington by Archbishop John Carroll, First Roman Catholic bishop in our country whose brother Charles Carroll was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

We pray Thee, O God of might, wisdom, and justice! Through Whom authority is rightly administered, laws are enacted, and judgment decreed, assist with Thy holy spirit of counsel and fortitude the President of the United States, that his administration may be conducted in righteousness, and be eminently useful to Thy people over whom he presides; by encouraging due respect for virtue and religion; by a faithful execution of the laws in justice and mercy; and by restraining vice and immorality. We pray to the Lord.

Let the light of Thy divine wisdom direct the deliberations of Congress, and shine forth in all the proceedings and laws framed for our rule and government, so that they may tend to the preservation of peace, the promotion of national happiness, the increase of industry, sobriety, and useful knowledge; and may perpetuate to us the blessing of equal liberty. We pray to the Lord.

We pray for all judges, magistrates, and other officers who are appointed to guard our political welfare, that they maybe enabled, by Thy powerful protection, to discharge the duties of their respective stations with honesty and ability. We pray to the Lord.

We recommend likewise, to Thy unbounded mercy, all our brethren and fellow citizens throughout the United States, that they may be blessed in the knowledge and sanctified in the observance of Thy most holy law; that they may be preserved in union, and in that peace which the world cannot give; and after enjoying the blessings of this life, be admitted to those which are eternal. We pray to the Lord.
And we pray especially for all of our countrymen who have gone before us in faith, for all those who have fought and died for our country’s freedom, for all the of the deceased members of our family and friends, and for Ruth & Charles Cramer, for whom this Mass is offered.  We pray to the 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.

Pentecost 2020 - Gathered in our spiritual home

There is a common saying, “Home is where the heart is”. Home: it’s the place where you feel the warmth and safety of a familiar surrounding, the love of family, the peace of warm memories. Home is the place where you want to be at the end of the day, kick off your shoes, and put your feet up after a hard day’s work. Home is where you can let your guard down, rest, relax, and recharge. Hopefully, it’s the place where your heart is renewed in the presence of loved ones who love you, and understand you, and are patient with you.

Yet, some claim that this little truism, “home is where the heart is” originated from an earlier saying: “home is where the hearth is.” The hearth is the fireplace, especially important in earlier eras. The stone-hearth was where family would gather, especially before electricity, to cook and take their meals, to warm up after a day out in the cold. Children would sit on their parents lap before the hearth. The family bible would be read at the hearth. Stories would be told around the family hearth. The hearth, the fire, was central and indispensable to the family life.

The new proverb, “home is where the heart is” conveys something a little different. Home is not bound to a particular place, it is not tied to a particular assemblage of bricks and mortar. Home is wherever faith, family, and warmth are enjoyed, wherever we can bask in our happy memories, share our foundational stories, and be refreshed in the presence of those who love us—that’s home.

As Catholics, we speak of our parish as our spiritual home. And aren’t we so grateful that after several months of lockdown and quarantine, we are able to gather once again around the hearth of our spiritual home, the tabernacle, the altar. In the presence of a God who loves us, no matter what we’ve been going through, in the presence of fellow Catholics who support us in our call to holiness. We hope that we will never again be kept from gathering in our spiritual home.

St. Ignatius of Antioch has been spiritual home to thousands and thousands of Catholics in her 117 year history. Souls, many who have gone into eternity before us, many who have moved beyond our parish borders, some who have joined us via livestream over the past few weeks. In this place, God has been encountered through sacramental worship, in transcendent art, architecture, music, and ritual. Common bonds have been formed, so much that we refer to members of our parish family.

In this home, souls have progressed from spiritual infancy to various degrees of spiritual maturity—receiving the spiritual new birth of baptism, the spiritual food of the Eucharist, the spiritual medicine of reconciliation—gathering for weddings, funerals, picnics, festivals, graduations, athletic competitions, primary and secondary education, for the feeding and clothing of the poor.  We’ve been inspired, consoled, corrected, emboldened and empowered for the work of the Gospel.

At my installation mass as 10th Pastor of St. Ignatius of Antioch, I quoted the words of the fifth pastor, the great Monsignor Albert Murphy. And I’d like to quote him again, as his words, are so pertinent. Monsignor Murphy wrote “Few things in life are dearer to the heart of a devout Catholic than his parish. Along with home and family, she is the focus of our finest loyalties. From birth on through to death she is our Spiritual Mother—teaching, sustaining, admonishing, safeguarding and consoling—enriching our souls from the treasure house of her changeless love and shaping our days in the pattern of God’s bounteous graces.”

Your love for your spiritual home can be seen in the ways that you’ve continued to support, so generously, its upkeep and mission, through the years and during the lockdown. For, like any physical home, our spiritual home, our parish church requires constant upkeep, maintenance, repair, especially a spiritual home such as ours, which has stood for nearly a hundred years.

This feast of Pentecost is such a fitting feast to regather after months of lockdown in our spiritual home. For Pentecost is always a feast of new beginnings, new chapters. For the apostles, that first Pentecost began something new, a new experience of God, with the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Church. That first Pentecost brought the apostles a new flowering of spiritual gifts, which they would utilize as they burst forth from that upper room into to the streets of Jerusalem, to preach that Christ is risen there and to the corners of the earth.

So, too for us. Whenever we gather in our spiritual home, yes we are gathering in a familiar place, with familiar faces, and familiar rituals—to experience warmth and to be spiritually recharged. But we also gather to be emboldened and commissioned for something new. As our economy and society begins to upon up once again, as individuals and as a parish, we need to consider well, how are we being called to engage society in new ways?  To make use of our resources more diligently. How can we cultivate new spiritual gifts here? Forge new bonds with the members of this neighborhood and welcome new parishioners who do not share our history? How can we love God and neighbor, family and enemy just a little more deeply?

There is a sort of paradox in our Catholic faith, isn’t there? God who is unchanging, calls us to one faith, one church, one Gospel truth which is essentially unchanging. But, at the same time God calls us to always change, semper reformanda, in the latin, to always seek ever-deeper conversion to Christ, to always nurture new spiritual gifts and make use of them in our ever-changing circumstances. Our rituals, our creeds, our doctrines are essentially unchanging, and yet, they prepare us to allow the wind of the Holy Spirit to blow where He pleases, to direct us, not just where I want to go, but where God wants me to go.

We flock back to the spiritual warmth and fire of our rock solid faith and spiritual home. However, that the warmth and that faith needs to be spread out there, in the coldness and chaos of the world. Or else, what are we doing here? We don’t go to church to be lulled to sleep, but to be woken up, to become animated, activated, illuminated, conformed to an itinerant preacher who claimed no place to lay his head; who saw this earth, not so much as a home, but as a temporary dwelling in which to engage in his Father’s work.

May the fire of the Holy Spirit warm us, for it has been so cold and lonely in our lock down. But, may that same fire ignite new spiritual gifts within us, and set us aflame with courage and conviction for spreading the Gospel out in the unfamiliar places of the world, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Octave of Easter 2019 - Tuesday - Easter Conviction

Throughout the Easter season we hear the unfolding saga of the Acts of the Apostles. The Acts of the Apostles is Part Two of St. Luke’s Two Volume work on the Mission of the Messiah. In Part I, his Gospel, Luke details Jesus’ mission to establish the Kingdom of God and bring salvation to the mankind. Luke’s Gospel culminates in Jesus’ Passion, Death, and Resurrection.

The Book of Acts is Part II of the mission, God works through the Apostles to spread the Gospel, to make disciples, to make salvation known.

50 Days after Easter Sunday, on Pentecost, we read how Saint Peter emerges from the upper room with the other Apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit, and begins to preach.  His sermon was the first public proclamation of Jesus’ Resurrection: his audience, the citizens of Jerusalem.

He stands up, in front of these people, some of whom, may have been the very same who called “crucify him, crucify him” at Jesus’ trial before Pilate, they very same people who watched as Jesus carried the cross through the streets of Jerusalem, some may have heard the nails being pounded into Jesus’ hands and feet.  And now Peter, stands before all of these people, and says, “This man, Jesus the Nazarean, whose mighty deeds and wonders and signs pointed to the fact that he was sent by God…you killed, you crucified him.  But God raised him up…So now, “Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.””
So powerful was this speech, that Luke tells us today “it cut the audience to the heart”, and they turned to Peter and the Apostles and asked, “what they should do”?  Peter answered, “repent and be baptized”.  And about 3000 were baptized!

This is the same Peter, who denied Jesus out of fear.  He is now filled with courage and conviction.  Peter is a model for us. For we have received that same spirit and that same mission.

On the first page of the Catechism we read: “Those who with God's help have welcomed Christ's call and freely responded to it are urged on by love of Christ to proclaim the Good News everywhere in the world. This treasure, received from the apostles, has been faithfully guarded by their successors. All Christ's faithful are called to hand it on from generation to generation, by professing the faith, by living it in fraternal sharing, and by celebrating it in liturgy and prayer.”

We do well to pay great attention to these marvelous passages from the book of Acts, that we can be filled with that same conviction and courage as the Apostles, the same love of the Lord and concern for human salvation. May the Holy Apostles help us to be faithful to the mission of Christ here in our own town, in our own day, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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Filled with Paschal joy, let us turn earnestly to God, to graciously hear our prayers and supplications.
For the shepherds of our souls, that they may have the strength to govern wisely the flock entrusted to them by the Good Shepherd.

For the whole world, that it may truly know the peace of the Risen Christ.

For our own community, that it may bear witness with great confidence to the Resurrection of Christ, and that the newly initiated hold fast to the faith they have received.

For our brothers and sisters who suffer, that their sorrow may be turned to gladness through the Christian faith.

That all of our beloved dead and all the souls in purgatory may come to the glory of the Resurrection.
O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the desires of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our lord.

6th Week of Easter 2018 - Thursday - What does it mean...

40 days ago, we celebrated the Feast of the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus on Easter Sunday.  And 40 days after his resurrection, Jesus ascended to the right hand of his Father in heaven.  Traditionally, the Feast of the Ascension, a holy day of obligation, was celebrated today, as Ascension Thursday.
In most of the dioceses of the United States, including Cleveland, the liturgical feast has been transferred to the following Sunday.

So we have a few extra days to ponder along with the Apostles in the Gospel today: “What does this mean that he is saying to us, 'A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me,' and 'Because I am going to the Father'?"

We do well to ponder these questions, to ask, what meaning does the Ascension of Jesus have to my life? How is my life to be different because of it? How can I help others come to a deeper understanding and appreciation of this event in salvation history? What impact does it have on my Christian faith? On my Christian Hope? On my Christian Love?

Jesus’ Ascension should fill us with deep joy. For it is a sign of his victory, his faithfulness to the mission given to Him by His Father. It is a sign that his earthly mission of saving souls and starting Church was complete. He did it!

This event impacts our Faith: because of his Ascension, the Lord is not bound by time and space, he is not limited by geographical distance, we do not have to travel to Galilee to know the closeness and presence of the Lord Jesus.

The Ascension fills us with Hope. That he goes to prepare a place for us, as he promised. I can really HOPE to be with God in heaven, because the faithful son, has gone there to prepare a place for us.
And the Ascension should fill us with deep love: love for God for His mighty works, for the revelation of His goodness, for the blessings that flow from it.

For as we heard earlier this week, the Lord ascends to heaven, so that the Holy Spirit might be sent upon the whole Church. So the Ascension enables us to be filled with the supernatural burning charity of the Holy Spirit.

Tomorrow is nine days until Pentecost. The Apostles gathered for nine days of prayer, after Ascension Thursday, with the blessed Mother, before they received the gift of the Spirit—this was the first novena. We do well to join with them, in the Pentecost novena (praymorenovenas.com), as a way of honoring the Ascension and disposing ourselves to the Gifts that come through God’s Almighty Plan, for the building up of the Church, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all bishops, priests, catechists, and parents may be faithful in preaching and teaching the saving Gospel of Christ.

For those who do not believe in God and for those who have fallen away from the Church.

For an increase in the gifts of the Holy Spirit among all Christians, and for all who are persecuted for the faith.

For the sick, the suffering, those in nursing homes, hospitals, and hospice care, for the underemployed and unemployed, for the imprisoned, those with addictions, for those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, that the Spirit of Consolation may comfort them.

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

O God, who know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

July 21, 2017 - St. Lawrence of Brindisi - "He is a living Pentecost"

A 17th Century contemporary of his, the Cardinal theologian Cajetan, said that St. Lawrence of Brindisi was “an incarnation of the old apostles, who, speaking to all nations, were understood by all.  He is a living Pentecost.” St. Lawrence was certainly enlivened by the Holy Spirit, he was able to preach effectively in at least 6 languages.

Saint Pope John XXIII honored this gifted son of St. Francis by proclaiming him a Doctor of the Universal Church with the title “Apostolic Doctor”.

St. Lawrence accomplished so many different kinds of service in his sixty years of life: Army chaplain, diplomat & peacemaker, miracle-worker, exorcist, theologian, biblical scholar, linguist, confessor, mystic, and leader of the Counter-Reformation, doctor of the Church.  As vicar general for the Capuchins he combined his brilliance, his great administrative skill, and his great sensitivity and human compassion.  He founded many friaries, in Prague, Vienna, Bohemia, Madrid, and Austria.

What was the source of his greatness, of his devotion, of his fortitude, and courage?  His effectiveness as a preacher derived from an intense interior life—particularly his great love for the Mass and the Blessed Virgin to whom he attributed his vocation. He would sometimes be so caught up in ecstasy during the celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice that he would be weeping with love and adoration.

If we wish to become the person God made us to become, we too must make the interior journey: we must come to have a burning love of Christ, seeking purification sins, habituating ourselves in the ways of Christ through a fervent practice of the virtue, enlightenment of mind through meditation of His Holy Word. We must seek to see as our true nourishment prayer and the Sacraments.

Fulton Sheen often said that the reason many of us are not the saints God made us to be, is because we do not wholly wish to become them. We play pretend at seeking God, instead of really making Him our life’s quest.

In the words of St. Lawrence: “Christ came into this world to do battle with Satan, to turn the world to faith and the true worship of God.”

May our faith and worship be purified and strengthened by this holy Saint, may he help us to deepen our zeal and courage for the Gospel, to develop our gifts for the building up of the Church, for the work of God, for his Glory, and the salvation of souls.
 
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For Bishop Nelson Perez, the next shepherd of our diocese; for our Apostolic Administrator, Bishop Daniel Thomas; for Bishop-emeritus Richard Lennon; that the Holy Spirit will continue to enlighten and empower them with grace, confidence and hope.  We pray.

For our Holy Father’s prayer intention for the month of July: that our brothers and sisters who have strayed from the faith, through our prayer and witness to the Gospel, may rediscover the merciful closeness of the Lord and the beauty of the Christian life. We pray.

That the Holy Spirit may enlighten all Christians, deepening in them conviction for the Gospel. We pray.

That the love of Christ, the divine physician, may bring healing to the sick and comfort to all the suffering. We pray.

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.

O God, who know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

Pentecost 2017 - The Holy Spirit fills the Church

Today we celebrate the great feast of the Holy Spirit. In the Bible, the word “Spirit” is used about a thousand times, the Holy Spirit certainly left his mark on the inspired Scriptures. The word “spirit” is a translation of the Hebrew word ru’ach and the Greek word pnue’ma. These words refer to that which gives life to a body—the breath of life.

The body needs the spirit in much the same way a radio or mobile phone needs electricity. As long as electricity runs through the device it will work, when the electricity runs out, the device is unusable, except as a paper-weight.

Having “spirit”, the “breath of life”, is something we humans share with the animals and plants, the living beings. What separates us from the animals and plants, is that part of us that is immortal, the human soul. The soul is that part of us that goes before the judgment seat of Christ when we die, and waits to be rejoined with the body in the resurrection.

We also use the word “spirit” to refer to the purpose that unites a particular group, l’esprit de corps, as the French say. We speak of the “spirit of the American people,”, “team spirit”, “the fighting spirit of the United States Marines”.

St. Paul speaks of the Spirit of the Church in our second reading, but he’s not speaking of a club or group, he’s speaking about something entirely new in the course of history. The Church is not a club, but a living organism; not a building, but a body made up of baptized souls united and filled with the Holy Spirit.

A radio’s purpose is to broadcast news, music, entertainment. The Church’s purpose is to broadcast, as St. Paul says, “Jesus is Lord”. Lebron isn’t Lord, politics isn’t Lord, pop stars aren’t Lords, not even the Pope is Lord, money isn’t Lord, sex isn’t Lord, celebrity and power aren’t Lord. The Holy Spirit enables the Church to proclaim that Jesus is Lord, amidst all the noise and distraction of the world.

The Holy Spirit also animates the Church to engage in many kinds of service: we feed the hungry, we clothe the naked, we call sinners to repentance, and instruct the ignorant, we go out to the lost and forsaken, the addict, the imprisoned, and help them to know the comfort of God. And yet the Church is more than a secular charitable organization, She’s an organism of Love, concerned not simply for earthly welfare, but the eternal soul.

She speaks the truth when no one else will, when the world is against her, in and out of season. She comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable, speaks truth to power, and suffers for the sake of righteousness.

St. Paul also says the Holy Spirit produces many different kinds of spiritual gifts, what are known as the charismata, the spiritual charisms: some members of the Church are blessed with gifts for preaching, gifts for teaching, gifts for comforting, gifts for organizing, gifts for fundraising, gifts for hard-labor, gifts for grand visions, and gifts for minute details, gifts for healing. What is your unique gift? Is it being used to build up the Church?

There are also the seven Spiritual Gifts given to every baptized soul. In each and every member of the Church, the Spirit produces wisdom which helps us desire God over the things of the earth; Understanding, which helps us to grasp the divine truths of our faith, knowledge; which helps us to see God’s plan in the events of our life and use the things of creation in a way that will lead us to heaven; counsel, which helps us to judge how best to act in the circumstances that confront us in our daily life; fortitude, which helps us to remain sturdy against the temptations and challenges in the Christian life; piety, which fills us with love affection for God and enables us to experience joy in prayer and service; and fear of the Lord which helps us to be conscious that the eye of God is watching us always, helping us to be mindful that we will all face judgment for the choice we’ve made in our life.

The seven-fold gifts are given to every Christian, but to grow in them, we must nurture them through the practices of the spiritual life. This is why there are wise octogenarians and foolish octogenarians, young people who are wise for their age, and young people who…well, don’t have a clue.
What is animating your life? The Spirit of God or the spirits of the world. When we are cooperating with the Spirit of God he produces the good spiritual fruits of gentleness, self-control, meekness, patience, and temperance. When we are indulging in the spirits of the world there is recklessness, irascibility, perversion, addiction, greed, anger, envy, jealousy, pride.

How do we become so filled with these worldly spirits? Part of it is how we spend our time: inordinate time with entertainment, social media, insufficient time studying and praying with the Word of God, undue focus on selfish pursuits, rather than service. These things have spiritual consequences.
In the Gospel reading for Pentecost, Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit through whom sins are forgiven. To be free from the spirits of the world, we must turn our souls over to God in the sacraments. In Sacramental Confession we name those spirits that we might be delivered from them.

In the solemn ritual of exorcism, in which a soul held captive by a demonic spirit is liberated through the power of Christ, before deliverance can occur, the demonic spirit must be named. The need for solemn exorcism is extraordinary and rare. But Christians must face and name the unclean spirits which seek the ruin of our souls, by naming them, by bringing them to Christ in Sacramental Confession, by turning away from the near occasions of sin, and by strengthening the weak parts of our souls through prayer and acts of charity.

On this great Feast of Pentecost, as the Easter Season comes to a close and Ordinary Time begins again, we recognize how the Holy Spirit wants to produce new a glorious effects in our lives. He wants to help us take up new modes of serving those in need, the physically poor and the spiritually poor. He wants to produce in us new charisms for the building up of the Church. He wants to deepen in us the seven-fold gifts. He wants to help us to be cleansed of the unclean spirits of the world. He wants to do all these things and more, that we may proclaim to all the world “Jesus is Lord” for the glory of God and salvation of souls.