7th Week of Easter 2026 - Wednesday (School Mass) - There will be wolves

 

We are arriving rapidly at the end of the school year, and it will be time for some of us to say farewell, for a time.

In our scripture readings today, both St. Paul and Jesus are saying goodbye.

In the first reading, St. Paul was saying goodbye to the Christians of Ephesus. He had come to them as a preacher of the word and stayed with them for three years, seeking to build them up to be good, strong, effective, and faithful Christians.

Before leaving them, he gave the Christians of Ephesus a warning. He says, after I leave, “savage wolves will come upon you” so be prepared. Now, he’s not actually talking about actual, physical wolves. He’s talking about a spiritual threat—those who would come and attack the flock of Christ. He’s talking about the bad influences of the world, and false teachers who would cause division in the Church, people who preach their own opinions instead of the truth of Christ handed on by the Apostles. So before his inevitable departure, Paul said, be on your guard, they’re coming.

Dear ones, as you prepare for summer vacation, of course, I hope you have a lot of fun and relaxation this summer. You’ve worked hard this school year, most of you. But, as st. paul said to the Christians of ephesus, I say to you, be on your guard. There are wolves out there.

Wolves that want to drag you away from Jesus in your thoughts, in your words, in your actions. Wolves that don’t want you to pray, wolves that don’t want you to go to church, wolves that want to cause you to forget all the good things you learned this year. Wolves that will propose corrupt images and ideas on the internet.

Be on your guard. Make sure your faith in Jesus is as strong as it possibly can be.

In the Gospel, as Jesus gives his farewell speech to his apostles, he prays to his Father, that his disciples be protected from the Evil One and that they be consecrated in the Truth. The Truth of Jesus, his teachings are protection against evil, protection against the wolves. Every time you studied your religion lessons this year, that was an opportunity to take up protection against those wolves, against the evil one. So as you face the wolves of summer, hold fast to the truth you have received. Read your bible this summer—see if you can read through the four Gospels. I would LOVE if you came back to school next fall and told me that you read the Gospels. Pray the Rosary, this summer. I would love if you came back to school next fall and told me you prayed the rosary, even just a few times.

This is the last school mass for our 8^th graders. You especially, are going to face some pretty savage wolves in high school. Our prayers go with you. You always have a spiritual home here, to recouperate from the battles. Don’t be a stranger.

And may each of us know the loving protection of Christ, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

Trusting in the Lord Jesus, who prays for his disciples and protects them in the truth, let us bring our needs before our heavenly Father.

For Holy Father Pope Leo, all bishops, priests, deacons, teachers, and all who hand on the faith: that they may preach Christ with courage and help God’s people remain strong against the spiritual dangers of the world, let us pray to the Lord.

For our parish school community: that as the school year draws to a close, students, teachers, and families may give thanks for the blessings of this year and continue to grow in wisdom, faith, and virtue, let us pray to the Lord.

For all students during the summer months: that they may be kept safe in body and soul, remain faithful in prayer and not be drawn away from Jesus by bad influences, let us pray to the Lord.

For our 8th grade students, as they prepare to move on to high school:
that the Lord may strengthen them, protect them from the evil one, and help them remain firm in the truth they have received.

For our families: that homes may be places of prayer, peace, faith, hope, and love.

For the sick, the suffering, and for all the faithful departed: that the Lord may bring healing to those in need and eternal joy to those who have died, let us pray to the Lord.

Heavenly Father, hear the prayers we offer you today, and keep us always close to you Christ your Son. This we ask through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

 

June 27 2023 - St. Cyril of Alexandria, bishop and doctor - Champion of Truth

 In the Gospels, the blessed Lord warns his disciples against false prophets and spiritual con men. And these agents of error have plagued the Church since the beginning, just as Our Lord foretold. 

The saint we honor today, Saint Cyril of Alexandria, defended and taught the Catholic Faith in the face of a heresy which was creating great division in the Church.  Division is often one of the great fruits of false prophets.

The heresy is now called Nestorianism, named after the bishop who promoted it, named Nestorius.  Nestorius was Archbishop of Constantinople in the early 5th century.  Nestorius taught the heresy that Mary could not be given the title Theotokos, that is God-bearer, and thereby Nestorius taught that Jesus really wasn’t Truly God—a truth clear from Scripture and the Church Fathers and Church Councils like the Council of Nicea.

St. Cyril, Archbishop of Alexandria wrote to Nestorius, reminding him of the duty of bishops to preserve sound doctrine, but Nestorius continued to teach error creating division in the Church. And the division became so great that a Church Council was needed to clarify the issue.

So in 431, the First Council of Ephesus was called to deal with this false teaching. Ephesus being the very place where Our Lady—the God Bearer—lived with St. John the Apostle before her Glorious Assumption.  St. Cyril was tasked by the Pope to preside over the Council as Papal representative. Now, many of the bishops gathered at Ephesus, some say the majority of bishops, sided with the heretic bishop Nestorius. But the Papal Representative Archbishop Cyril defended the Truth that Christ is truly God and Truly man and thereby Our Lady can rightly be called Theotokos—God-Bearer—Mother of God.

Listen to his words, from this morning’s Office of Readings from the writings of St. Cyril, “That anyone could doubt the right of the holy Virgin to be called the mother of God fills me with astonishment. Surely she must be the Mother of God if our Lord Jesus Christ is God, and she gave birth to him! Our Lord’s disciples may not have used those exact words, but they delivered to us the belief those words enshrine, and this has also been taught us by the holy fathers” (especially St. Athanasius) 

St. Cyril sets the standard for theological questions in the Church. We must look to Scripture and Apostolic Tradition and apply clear logic. Scripture is clear that Jesus is God—the Word Made Flesh, and that he took that flesh from the Virgin Mary. As St. Paul writes “he fashioned a body for himself from a woman and shared our flesh and blood”. Cyril also looked to the Church Fathers, like St. Athanasius, who taught nothing contrary to the Scriptures. And St. Athanasius several times calls Mary, Theotokos, in his writings.

What’s the practical lesson from this? All Christians need to be discerning, using our gifts of reason and wisdom in living out the Christian faith.  Jesus warns us that there ARE false prophets.  There ARE teachings which lead us away from the true faith, that lead us away from the union of our minds and hearts with God. False teachings, especially in recent centuries, have caused terrible division in the Church. And that division has born nothing but rotten fruit: so-called Christians who promote abortion, euthanasia, sexual perversion, and adultery. There are many sects of Christians who deny the sacraments of Holy Orders, Confession, and Eucharist, and even baptism. So-called Christians who even deny the need for baptism, so clearly taught by Our Lord.

The doctors of the Church, St. Athanasius, St. Cyril, equip us with doing our part to heal the divisions in the Church, to lead souls to the truth. At least one member of our RCIA last year was raised protestant but came to the Faith by reading the Fathers. 

And the doctors help us to be on guard against those false prophets about whom the Lord Himself warned us. 

May St. Cyril help us to revere Our Lady, to champion and live the truth, and to labor always for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - - - 

That our bishops and clergy may be zealous in preaching and teaching the truth of the Gospel.

That this fortnight of prayer for religious freedom may help people of faith remain vigilant in defending their religious liberty and united in making their voice heard on behalf of the rights of the Church.

For all those who reject the faith, for those who show contempt for the holy word of God and the Catholic Church, for their openness to the Truth, and that all Christians may be committed to spreading the faith boldly, patiently, and clearly.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, victims of natural disaster, war, and terrorism, for all those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, for their comfort, and the consolation of their families.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for the deceased priests and religious of the diocese of Cleveland, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

O God, our refuge and our strength, hear the prayers of your Church, for you yourself are the source of all devotion, and grant, we pray, that what we ask in faith we may truly obtain. Through Christ our Lord.