4th Week in Ordinary Time 2025 - Friday - Kindness and Courage (school mass)

What wonderful scripture readings we read today in which we hear God calling each of us—no matter our age or situation—to be kind, to stand up for what is right, and to trust that He is always with us. 

In the first reading from the Letter to the Hebrews, we hear about “brotherly love” and “hospitality.” In other words, God calls us to care for others, to be welcoming and to treat people with respect. You never know when your acts of kindness might help someone who feels alone or afraid; an act of kindness can change someone’s day, or even change someone’s life. 

In the Gospel, we hear a sad story about King Herod and John the Baptist. John was brave and told the truth about what was right and wrong. But King Herod, wanting to look good in front of his friends, ended up making a terrible choice and had John killed. This shows how dangerous it can be when we care too much about impressing others or doing the popular thing instead of the right thing. Even though John suffered, he stayed faithful to God until the end.

Again, these stories teach us something important: no one is too young or too old, too small or too ordinary, to do what is right. Our challenges are a lot like John the Baptists: do we stand up for a classmate who’s being teased? Do we share with someone who’s lonely or help a friend in need? When we do these simple acts of love, God’s power is unleashed, his light shines in the darkness, his love and goodness is made known--the love and goodness and light of the Heart of Jesus.

But acts of goodness, kindness, and generosity require real effort and real courage. But these are the great deeds God calls us to. May God help us, and may the saints inspire us for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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Trusting in God’s constant presence and His call to do what is right, we bring our needs and the needs of the world before our loving Father:

That we may show brotherly love and hospitality, welcoming others with kindness and respect, and reflecting God’s goodness to everyone they meet.

For leaders of nations and communities: That they may make wise, courageous decisions that seek the common good, resisting any temptation to compromise what is right for the sake of popularity or power.

For all who suffer injustice or feel alone: That they may experience God’s loving care and be protected from discouragement.

For those preparing for the Easter Sacraments: may God’s Word help them experience the grace of daily conversion and the joy of the followers of Christ.  

For the sick, the suffering, and those facing difficult choices: That they may trust in God’s presence, find healing, and receive the compassionate support they need from friends and caregivers.

For our faithful departed: That they may rest in God’s eternal peace, alongside the saints who inspire us to live with courage, generosity, and love, especially N. 

Heavenly Father, You teach us through Your Word to be kind, courageous, and welcoming. Hear our prayers and strengthen us each day to do what is right, sharing Your love in all we do. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

January 5 2022 - St. John Neumann - Christian education, brotherly love, evangelization

 We celebrate another wonderful Christmastide Saint today, St. John Neumann

Although he was born in Bohemia in 1811, in what is now the Czech Republic, John Neumann is celebrated as an American saint.  After studying in Prague, John Neumann came to New York at the age of 25 and was ordained a priest just three weeks later.  After several years of working among German speaking immigrants, he joined the Redemptorist community, the missionary community founded by St. Alphonsis Ligouri.  As a gifted linguist who spoke 8 languages, he was a popular preacher among the many immigrant communities, in Maryland, Virginia, even here in Ohio.

By age 41 he had become the fourth bishop of Philadelphia where he organized the parochial schools there into a diocesan system.  

Today’s opening prayer refers to three tasks accomplished by Saint John Neumann which we hope to accomplish by the help of his prayers.  1) To foster the Christian education of youth, 2) to strengthen the witness of brotherly love, and 3) to constantly increase the family of the Church.

Like Saint John Neumann, all of us are to foster the Christian education of youth.  Almost 50,000 children in this diocese attend Catholic schools, and at least that same number are educated in parish PSR programs.  But the number of children attending weekly Mass is abysmal.  We face a very difficult battle in winning the hearts of these children away from the culture, and that is the task of every Catholic. If there is a young person in one’s family not going to Church, each of us should ask ourselves, “what can I do to get them to the altar?”

Secondly, we must give “the witness of brotherly love” (the phrase brotherly love is a reference to Philadelphia, by the way, Phila-delphia, which means brotherly love in Greek). Catholics are to witness “brotherly love”.  Non-Catholics and weak-faithed Catholics should look at us and say in the words of Tertullian, “look how they love each other”.  The brotherly love we have for each other, the charity, the kindness, the patience we have for each other is to attract others to our way of life—the way of Christ.  

And the third task exemplified by John Neumann to increase the family of the Church.  Again not just the work of priests, not just the work of bishops, but the work of the entire church, to continue to draw souls to Christ.  And that is only possible, when WE have truly been drawn to Him, when we have allowed Christ to transform us by his grace, when the fruits of the Spirit are evidenced in our lives, when we are diligent about the spiritual welfare of others. 

May Bishop Neumann, “renowned for his charity and pastoral service” spurn us on to holiness through the service of the Gospel of Christ, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

That all Christians may grow in charitable attentiveness to the needs of the poor in our midst.

For the lukewarm and for all who are searching and longing for Christ, may they find him through the holy witness of His Church.

Through the intercession of St. John Neumann, for the success of our Catholic schools, that young Catholic families may be centered on Christ, and that all Catholics may be diligent in our evangelizing mission.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, immigrants and refugees, victims of natural disaster, war, and terrorism, for all widows and widowers, and those who will die today, for their comfort, and the consolation of their families.

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

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord