5th Week of Lent 2026 - Tuesday - Remedy for the serpent's poison

 

For forty years, God had provided for his people as they wandered the desert, giving them manna from heaven. God had fed them, God had sustained them. And yet, as we heard in the reading from the book of numbers today, “the people complained against God and Moses: We are disgusted with this wretched food!”

With their hearts hardened against God, the Israelites became subject to the deadly poison of serpents.

There is a bit of a parallel to Adam and Eve in the garden. God had provided food aplenty for Adam and Eve. But they were discontented with the food God provided, and looked to the fruit of the forbidden tree. They too became subject to the deadly poison of the serpent at the forbidden tree. They were poisoned by the serpent’s bite, and that poison brought death, not only for them, but for the entire human race.

The story from the Book of Numbers looks back to Adam and Eve and the consequences of sin, but it also foreshadows the victory of the New Adam in the Gospel.

The bronze serpent, mounted on a pole, becoming a source of life for the poisoned Israelites, foreshadows the saving death of Jesus Christ, mounted on the cross, which becomes a source of eternal life for all who believe in Him.

The drama of Adam and Eve, the drama of sin, the drama of the Israelites in the desert, plays over and over again in our lives.  We allow trust, love, and gratitude to God to die in our hearts whenever we turn to sin. We allow ourselves to grow discontent with the good food God has provided for us and seek to satisfy our hunger for God in so many artificial substitutes. We allow the serpent to whisper to us, that we should grasp for more than what God has provided. The story warns us of the folly of turning our hearts from God and the consequences that inevitably ensue.

For us and for all people, Jesus is the remedy for this cycle of sin and death. Lifted up on the Cross, He becomes the healing we could never provide for ourselves. To break the cycle, we must turn our ears away from the poisonous words of the serpent, but to turn our eyes to Christ with faith.

Lent teaches us to recognize the poison of sin in our lives and to turn again to the Crucified One. If we look to Him with repentance and trust, He will heal what sin has wounded and lead us from death to life for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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Trusting in the mercy of God, and turning our eyes to Christ lifted up for our salvation, let us bring before the Father our prayers and petitions.

For the Church, that she may faithfully proclaim Christ crucified as the true remedy for sin and death, and lead many souls to repentance and healing.

For the defense of our nation from all threats foreign and domestic; for a quick and peaceful resolution to all violent conflict and safety for all first responders.

For those preparing to receive the Easter Sacraments, that by God’s grace they may be protected from evil and drawn ever more deeply into the saving mystery of Christ’s Cross and Resurrection.

For those whose hearts have grown hardened through sin, complaint, or ingratitude, that the Lord may soften their hearts and restore in them trust, love, and gratitude, let us pray to the Lord. Lord hear our prayer.

For the sick, the suffering, and those burdened by illness of body, mind, or spirit, that the healing power of Christ may strengthen them and give them peace, let us pray to the Lord. Lord hear our prayer.

For the faithful departed, that having looked to Christ in faith during this life, they may now behold Him face to face in the glory of heaven, let us pray to the Lord. Lord hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, you sent your Son into the world to heal us from the poison of sin and lead us from death to life. Hear the prayers we place before you, and grant them according to your holy will. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

 

4th Week of Lent 2026 - Wednesday (school mass) - Eyes fixed on Jesus

 

We have reached the half-way point of Lent. For the first half of Lent, our Scripture readings focus on prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

Now, as we get closer and closer to Holy Week: to Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, and Good Friday, our Scripture readings shift focus. No longer are the daily scriptures reminding us of the importance of prayer and fasting. By now, prayer and fasting are our dear friends. We know them well. And we understand their value.

But now, half-way through Lent, our scriptures begin to focus more and more on Jesus, specifically the hostility and opposition he faces leading up to his arrest and crucifixion. Our readings help us to understand, “why?”. Why did they hate him so much that they lied about him, mocked him, conspired against him, arrested him, whipped him, crucified and killed him?

This morning, our Gospel reading contains a very clear answer to these questions: “For this reason they tried all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God.” They hated him, they tried all the more to kill him because he claimed to be God.

That is very important for us to understand. Jesus was not simply a nice man who told people to be kind. He was not merely a wise teacher with good advice. He was not just a miracle worker or even a prophet. Jesus claimed something much greater. He claimed equality with the Father. His work, his ministry, his preaching—was the work and words of God.

Because Jesus is God, we cannot be indifferent to Him. We cannot treat Him as unimportant. We cannot just fit Him in when it is convenient. We must listen to Him, trust Him, obey Him, and love Him.

These readings also help us to understand that all that Jesus suffers during Holy Week, especially on Good Friday, he does so because He loves us, God loves us. And he endures all of these things to save us from our sins, to save us from being people who turn their hearts away from God, like those who sought to murder him because they didn’t like his words.

So in these remaining weeks of Lent, let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Praying and fasting, yes, but also growing in faith, gratitude, and love for Him. And may our hearts not harden against His word, but open more fully to the God who suffers to save us, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

 

As we continue our Lenten journey and fix our eyes more closely on Jesus, true God and true man, let us bring our prayers before our heavenly Father.

 

For the Pope Leo, and all bishops, priests, and deacons, that they may preach Christ faithfully and lead God’s people more deeply into the mysteries of His Passion, Death, and Resurrection.  Let us pray to the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer.

For a quick and peaceful resolution to all violent conflict in the world, and that the wisdom of God may govern all of our national and international affairs. Let us pray to the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer.

For those whose hearts have grown cold, distracted, or indifferent toward the Lord, that God may soften their hearts and draw them back to faith, repentance, and love.  Let us pray to the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer.

For our parish and school community, that in these remaining weeks of Lent we may keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, listen to His word, and grow in gratitude for all He endured to save us from our sins.  Let us pray to the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer.

For the sick, the suffering, and all who carry the weight of the cross in their lives, that they may find comfort in Christ, who suffered out of love for us and who never abandons His people.  Let us pray to the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer.

For the faithful departed, that they may come to share forever in the glory of the risen Christ.  Let us pray to the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, hear the prayers we place before you. Keep our hearts fixed on your Son, that walking with Him through His Passion, we may come to share in the joy of His Resurrection. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

4th Week of Lent 2026 - Monday - Focusing on Christ

 

The fourth Sunday of Lent marks a threshold.  No longer will our weekday readings emphasize prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. The Church assumes, that at this point, we have habituated these practices. Rather, from now until Holy Week, our weekday scripture readings will focus on the identity of Jesus as the Divine Messiah, and the mounting hostility he faced leading up to his arrest and crucifixion. 

The gospel book changes as well.  Since Ash Wednesday, the weekday scripture readings have been taken from the Synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark, or Luke.  For the rest of Lent, we will read predominately from the Gospel of John.

Where the Synoptic Gospels are filled with stories of Jesus’ miracles: Matthew includes about 20, Mark, the shortest Gospel has around 18, Luke records about 24, John features only 7. 

The seven miracles of John’s Gospel serve to emphasize to the reader, Jesus’ identity—he is the Word made flesh come to accomplish what no one else can do—to save us from our sins. 

Chronologically, today’s Gospel is the second of the seven miracle stories: the healing of the nobleman’s son.  

It is good for us to remember that has we progress through Lent.  Jesus is not merely a teacher, telling us to be nice to each other.  He just doesn’t cure people’s ailments, like an itinerant medicine man.  He is God come to save us from our sins.  

If the Scripture readings for first three weeks of Lent helped us to focus on prayer, fasting and almsgiving, how should we be responding to God’s Word in this latter half of Lent?

I think the answer is this: with deeper faith and focus on Jesus himself. The first half of Lent teaches us what to do. The second half of Lent reminds us why we are doing it, and for whom. We pray, fast, and give alms not as ends in themselves, not as spiritual exercises for their own sake, but to be drawn more fully to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the one who alone can heal and save.

Look at the nobleman in today’s Gospel. He comes to Jesus with faith, though it is still imperfect. He begs for his son’s life. And Jesus calls him to an even deeper faith—not merely faith in what he can see, but faith in the power of Christ’s word. “You may go; your son will live.” And the man believed what Jesus said and left. That is the response these later Lenten readings are meant to awaken in us: to take Jesus at His word, to trust Him more completely, and to entrust our lives to Him.

So in these coming days, as the readings reveal more clearly who Jesus is and as opposition to Him increases, we should ask for the grace for our love, and grace, and sympathy for Him to be deepened. We should not give up on our Lenten practices, but our hearts are not to be fixed on them, but on Jesus—in appreciation, and wonder, and awe, for what he endures for us for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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Let us lift up our prayers to the Father. 

For the Church, that during these latter days of Lent she may proclaim with clarity that Jesus is the Divine Messiah, and lead many hearts to deeper faith in Him.  Let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, hear our prayer.

For those preparing to receive the Easter Sacraments, that the Lord may deepen their faith and draw them into a living and lasting friendship with Jesus.  Let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, hear our prayer.

For those whose faith is weak, imperfect, or burdened by doubt, that like the nobleman in the Gospel they may learn to trust in the power of Christ’s word and entrust their lives more completely to Him.  Let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who oppose the Gospel, persecute Christians, or harden their hearts against Christ, that the mercy of God may soften them and lead them to repentance and faith.  Let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who are sick, suffering, or carrying heavy burdens for loved ones, that they may turn to Jesus with confidence and find in Him healing, strength, and peace.  Let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, hear our prayer.

For the faithful departed, that they may behold forever the face of Christ, whom they trusted on earth and now see in glory.  Let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, hear these prayers we offer in faith. Deepen our trust in your Son, fix our hearts upon Him, and lead us through this holy season to the joy of Easter. Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

3rd Sunday of Lent 2026 - Scrutinies and the Samaritan Woman

We celebrated today, with our Catechumens, the first of the three Scrutinies. The three scrutinies are celebrated on the third, fourth, and fifth Sundays of Lent with those who are preparing to enter the Church at Easter.  The three scrutinies are solemn rituals in which we pray to help to purify, enlighten and strengthen the catechumens as they prepare for the Easter Sacraments.

The word "scrutinize" means to examine in minute detail, and in the scrutinies, the Church prays that every-last minute detail of the lives of the Catechumens may be converted to Christ. The ritual book for the scrutitines says that their purpose is to "heal all that is weak, defective, or sinful in the hearts of the elect" and "to give them strength in Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life".  And that’s something each of us need to seek, every day: to turn to the Lord to heal anything that is defective or sinful in our hearts.

Catechism says, “In order to reach perfection, the faithful should use the strength dealt out to them by Christ’s gift, so that . . . doing the will of the Father in everything, they may wholeheartedly devote themselves to the glory of God and to the service of their neighbor.” We are to utilize all of the strength at our disposal--the strength of our intellect and will, the gifts of the spirit—to root out sin so that we may live more fully for God.

We do this before Sacramental Confession of course. We thoroughly scrutinize our moral decisions since our last confession. But it’s a very good idea to get in the habit of doing this every day; before bed, make an examination of your day—your choices and decisions and conversations and interactions—scrutinize your day in the light of Christ. That daily scrutiny is a powerful spiritual help for growth in holiness.

“Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God” promises Jesus. We seek to purify ourselves of sin, so that we may see God in this life and in the next. Sin obscures spiritual vision—it clouds the intellect. We will hear more about the curing of spiritual blindness next week—in the gospel of the healing of the blind man at the pool of siloam. Yet, this Sunday’s Gospel also had to do with spiritual vision in a sense, as the Samaritan woman came to spiritually see Jesus for who he really is—the one who can quench our thirst for living waters.

This is really a powerful Gospel. There are a couple important details right at the beginning of the story: “Jesus came to a town of Samaria.” Jesus enters this place, where no pious Jew would go. . Samaria was filled with half-breeds—Jews who had intermarried with the Assyrians invaders of centuries past.

First, insight: Jesus doesn’t go around the unclean land or the unclean person. Jesus loves the unclean, the marginalized, the outsider. In the Second Reading, we are reminded by St. Paul that Jesus loves the sinner so much, he lays down his life for them.

Secondly: this woman, goes to the well, at the hottest part of the day, by herself. She is likely ostracized by her own people. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that she had five husbands and was living with a man to whom she was not married. She is surrounded with stigma, she’s living in sin. And it is precisely with her, that jesus converses and offers the gift of life-giving waters.

The Samaritan woman represents every one of us.  She is wounded, complicated, burdened by her past, and yet still sought out by Christ. Jesus waits for her at the well. And Jesus waits for us too. He is not afraid of the mess of her life, and He is not afraid of the mess in ours. He sees everything. He sees every sin, every compromise, every disappointment, every attempt we have made to find fulfillment apart from God—and still He speaks to us. Still He desires to give us living water.

This too makes the Samaritan woman’s faith is so striking—“Sir, give me this water”. She doesn’t quite yet understand who Jesus is completely. She doesn’t have a master’s degree in theology. But she recognizes that Jesus can do for her what no one else can. Her life may not be completely in order—but she gets this right. Recognizing Jesus as Savior, was life changing.

And then the next striking thing about this story: this encounter was so meaningful that she immediately becomes a missionary. This woman who had been avoiding others now runs to them. Once she encounters Christ, she can no longer keep Him to herself.

Here is a sign of authentic conversion. A real encounter with Jesus never remains private. It bears fruit. It changes how we speak, how we act, how we love, how we see others. When we ourselves have been healed, we are moved by love to desire that healing for others.

We know the suffering that comes from living apart from God, and so we desire to help others know Him. We know the emptiness the world has to offer, and so we desire to help others experience the fullness that comes from Him.

We do not want the people around us to remain thirsty, burdened, wounded, confused, or far from God. We want them to know the One we have come to know. We want them to encounter the mercy that has begun to heal us. That is what we see in the Samaritan woman. Once she begins to recognize who Jesus is, she leaves behind her water jar and goes her family and fellow townsfolk. She becomes, almost immediately, a witness. She does not yet understand everything about Jesus. Her faith is still new, still developing. But even so, she has found something—or rather Someone—too important to keep to herself.

And that is often how conversion works. A person who has really encountered Christ may not yet be able to explain every doctrine or answer every theological question, but we know this: I was thirsty, and He met me. I was burdened, and He spoke to me. I was wandering, and He began to lead me. I was hurting, and he comforted me. That’s evangelization.

Evangelization is not only the task of apologists, theologians, clergy, and catechists. Certainly, we have an important role in the Church. But at its heart, Christian witness is simple. I was wounded and empty, and he healed me. It is one beggar showing another where to find bread; one thirsty soul showing another where to find water.

This Lent, the Lord invites us to scrutinize our lives—to lay them bare that we may drink every-more-deeply of the life-giving waters, then sends us out to make that invitation to others—for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2025 - Increase our Faith

If you could ask Jesus for anything—if you had one request—what would you ask for? In the Gospel today, the apostles made request—simple, yet profound. Did you catch it? They didn’t ask the Lord for riches or material security; nor did they ask for health or a long life. They asked him for something they far more important than all of these things combined. They asked him, “Increase our FAITH!” They asked for faith.

The very first encyclical Pope Francis issued back in June of 2013 dealt with Faith.  It was called “Lumen Fidei” – The Light of Faith. The Holy Father wrote, “The Church never takes faith for granted, but knows that this gift of God needs to be nourished and reinforced so that it can continue to guide her pilgrim way.” Like the apostles, we members of the Church on earth are to always be about the business of growing in faith—doing our part to make sure that our faith is strong as possible. 

But what is Faith?

In one of my favorite passages from his encyclical on faith, Pope Francis wrote, “Faith is not a light which scatters all our darkness, but a lamp which guides our steps in the night and suffices for the journey. To those who suffer, God does not provide arguments which explain everything; rather, his response is that of an accompanying presence, a history of goodness which touches every story of suffering and opens up a ray of light.”

Do you get what he is saying here? What is faith? Faith isn’t some sort of magical power that removes the obstacles of religious people. Nor does faith eliminate the darkness in our life. Rather, it’s the light in the darkness that enables us to experience God’s abiding presence with us. 

So, again, to be a person of faith doesn’t mean that we expect God to remove all of our difficulties and sufferings. After all, Jesus promised us that each of us would have our own crosses to carry. Rather, to be a person of faith is to trust that God will provide enough light for us to make our way through the darkness, it’s to trust that God will provide us enough strength to bear the weight of our crosses; the fortitude to withstand the powers of evil that assail us.

What caused the apostles to make this request of the Lord to increase their faith in the Gospel today? Why did the apostles beg for an increase in faith? Well, in the preceding passage, the Lord had given his famous teaching on scandal: “It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.” And so, the apostles hear this warning, and immediately ask for faith. Why? Well, this is an instance of the apostles showing some real humility. They knew how easy it is for us to set bad example for each other, and so they pray for faith—all the faith they would need to avoid leading souls astray. 

The apostles, as the first bishops, knew that people would be looking to them—to their words and example. Anyone in a position of authority, including parents, should conduct themselves with fear and trembling, knowing that people are looking to them. “Lord please, never let my missteps and failings cause anyone to doubt your goodness or love or the need to practice right religion. “Lord increase my faith, that by my conduct, I may not lead anyone away from you, today, but toward you.”

“Lord, increase my faith” This is a petition for those who take seriously the call to build up the Church, those who understand that the duty of the Christian is to draw souls to Christ. And that is a task incumbent upon each of us. And it’s not an easy one, is it?

We have a mountainous task before us: to evangelize this confused, fallen world in 2025. It seems impossible. But, faith, the size of a mustard seed can move mountains. I hope you believe that—faith can move mountains. The apostles did more with less. We are capable of doing great things when we trust God—when our faith is strong. And the more we nurture our faith—the more faith grows in us—the more faith is stirred into flame—the more room we make for God to do truly wonderful things in us and through us.

So what do I need to do to stir faith into flame? Well it certainly requires effort. Daily effort. We must read the bible daily. Study Catholic doctrine. Engage in daily devotions which nurture faith like the rosary, the chaplet of divine mercy, the liturgy of the hours. We must confess our sins—those times when we have neglected, ignored, or violated our Catholic faith in order to pursue selfish ends. We must make time for silent listening to God, for meditation and contemplation.  If you can, participate in daily mass throughout the week. These practices will increase the light of faith which will help you to see how God wants to use you to touch souls—to gather souls to Himself.

At times in our lives, we may feel as if our faith is weak. Then more must be done to strengthen it. Do penance to increase your faith. Fast. Make a pilgrimage. Dedicate serious time to the works of charity. When faith grows weak, many people make the mistake of pulling away from prayer. They stop going to church. They fill the emptiness with earthly endeavors. But that is the exact wrong thing to do. The small weak ember of faith must be stirred back into flame through intentional and disciplined spiritual means.

In the first reading, from the prophet Habakkuk, we heard, “the just one, because of his faith, shall live.” Faith is the light we need as not to stumble, the armor we need to withstand the attacks of the enemy and the hatred of the world, the wisdom we need to avoid causing scandal and to draw souls to Christ, and the lever we need to move the mountains God wants us to move.

May the Lord increase our faith, and may the Eucharist we celebrate, nourish us, and unleash the power of faith in our lives and our families and world, for the Glory of God and salvation of souls.

5th Week of Lent 2025 - Tuesday - Believing in Christ

 

Throughout John’s Gospel, Jesus speaks about the importance of believing. 

Concluding his conversion with Nicodemus in Chapter 3 of the Gospel, the Lord sums up all he has explained, with these words, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.”

In the very last words of the 4th Gospel, St. John writes about the purpose he even wrote it: “these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

An interesting note, that in contrast to St. Paul and the other 3 Gospels, St. John never uses the noun “faith or belief”, instead, he uses the word “to believe”. Believing is always an active verb, not an object or thing that one possesses, it is an action, an ongoing relationship with the Truth revealed by God—the One who makes the truth known and the Truth himself. 

St. John even records different stages of believing in his Gospel. There are those who hear the teachings of Jesus or see his signs, yet refuse to believe. There are those who begin to believe, but don’t fully recognizing Jesus’ identity. There are those who come to believe in Jesus, but are evidently afraid to acknowledge their faith publicly. There are those who encounter Jesus and come to believe in him, and are recognized as his disciples. And there are those who will come to believe through the preaching of his disciples: “blessed are those who do not see, yet believe, the Lord announces to doubting Thomas. Do not be unbelieving, but believe.”

In today’s Gospel, the Lord teaches about what is at stake for believing in Him or not. He states to the Pharisees, “you will die in your sin. where I am going you cannot come.” Believing in the Lord or not has eternal consequences. Notice though, as he concludes his teaching today, many of those Jesus come to believe: “Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in him.”

Part of the Lent certainly doing penance for ourselves and our own sin, but we also pray, fast, and give alms for others. We lift up our catechumens who have begun to believe and will be baptized at Easter, but also we lift up those who fail or refuse to believe: that their hearts, and minds, and eyes might be opened. Every year on Good Friday, we offer up special prayers who do not believe in God and those who believe in Christ. 

And we commend ourselves to God—believing in Christ—we will continue to walk in his ways, and make him known in our words and actions—that others who have not seen may be believing, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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Trusting in the mercy and truth of God revealed in Christ, let us bring our prayers before the Father, who desires that all might come to believe and have life in Christ Jesus.

For the holy Church of God: that she may continue to proclaim Christ with clarity and conviction, inviting all people into a living and active belief in the Son of God. Let us pray to the Lord.

For all catechumens and candidates preparing for the Easter sacraments: that their journey of faith may deepen into a lasting relationship with Jesus, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Let us pray to the Lord.

For those who do not yet believe in Christ, and for those who once believed but have fallen away: that their minds and hearts may be opened by grace to the truth of the Gospel. Let us pray to the Lord.

For those who are afraid to profess their faith publicly: that the Holy Spirit may strengthen them with courage to witness to Christ in word and deed. R: Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who suffer or are persecuted because of their belief in Christ: that they may be sustained by the hope of eternal life and the prayers of the Church. Let us pray to the Lord.

For our parish: that we may not only profess belief with our lips, but live it actively in our thoughts, words, and actions each day. Let us pray to the Lord.

For the sick, the suffering, and those weighed down by sin: that they may encounter the mercy of Jesus and come to believe more fully in his healing love. Let us pray to the Lord.

For the faithful departed who believed in Christ: that they may now see him face to face and rejoice in his eternal presence. Let us pray to the Lord.

Heavenly Father, you sent your Son into the world that we might believe and have life through him. Hear the prayers we bring today, and strengthen our faith, that we may remain in your truth and lead others to believe. Through Christ our Lord.

2nd Sunday of Lent 2025 - More than a superficial faith

 There’s a story about a wealthy king who wanted to find a bride. And not just any bride, the king wished to marry a woman who would love him, not for his wealth and power, but for who he was as a man. He knew that if he rode through the streets in his royal robes, with trumpets announcing his intentions, his quest would be compromised. This would attract a superficial bride.

So, he set aside his crown and dressed as a simple peasant. He lived among his subjects, working alongside them, and shared in their struggles. And in time, he met a woman who loved him not for what he owned, but for who he was. Only then did he reveal his true identity.

In today’s Gospel, Peter, James, and John are given an extraordinary grace: they see Jesus transfigured in dazzling white, standing with Moses and Elijah. It is a revelation of His divine glory, a brief unveiling of who He truly is. And yet, Jesus does not remain in that state. He does not go back down the mountain glowing, proving to the crowds that He is the Son of God.

We might wonder: why not. If he wished to attract disciples, why didn’t Jesus appear like that all the time? Why doesn’t He display His full power to the whole world and remove all doubt?

While it seems logical that if Jesus displayed His divine glory all the time, people would believe, but the Scriptures repeatedly show that miracles and divine manifestations do not automatically lead to lasting faith, hope, or love.

The Israelites in the Wilderness saw the parting of the Red Sea, manna from heaven, and God's presence on Mount Sinai, yet they still doubted and turned to idolatry.

Many who witnessed Jesus healing the sick, feeding thousands, and even raising the dead still did not follow Him. In John chapter 11, the chief priests and Pharisees respond to the resurrection of Lazarus not with faith, but with a plot to kill both Jesus and Lazarus.

If people could witness these direct interventions of God and still reject Him, then even if Jesus appeared in transfigured glory to the whole world, many would still dismiss it as an illusion, exaggeration, or something that could be explained away.

God desires a relationship with each of us, not based on mere compulsion or overwhelming evidence, any way, but on our choice to believe, and hope, and love Him.  If God simply overpowered us with His glory, it might force knowledge of his existence, but we would lose our ability to have faith. "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe" Jesus says after his resurrection.

The Transfiguration was a moment of divine revelation, but it was not the ultimate proof of Jesus' deepest identity. For ultimately, He is the one sent by God not to overpower humanity through undeniable proof of God’s existence, but rather to show the depths of God’s love to those with eyes to see and ears to hear.

Jesus did not walk around permanently transfigured in dazzling light because that dazzling light would have veiled and obscured—his identity as incarnate love willing to undertake supreme suffering for his beloved. 

His identity is revealed most fully, not in the transfiguration, but in the crucifixion. His identity is love. God is love. And there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 

Notice that this was even the topic the Lord was discussing with Moses and Elijah while he was transfigured. He spoke of how he had to go to Jerusalem to suffer and die to deliver us from the slavery of sin and death. But he goes willingly because he loves us and wants to see us free.

If God’s goal was simply to make us believe in Him, he could have done so easily. Just like the king in the story could have easily found a bride through crown and treasury. But Jesus desired a bride who would love Him with true love. And he goes to the cross to show His love for us, his bride. 

And of course he goes to the cross to give us an example to follow—to in fact show us the road to heaven—the road we must follow. We must take up our cross and follow him in all things. 

To be Christian is not simply to walk around with the idea that God exists in our heads. Rather, to be Christian—to be heirs of the kingdom—is to conform ourselves in thought, word, deed, in obedience to God, to Jesus Christ—to love as he loves—to work for the good of others at cost to ourselves. True love is costly, as our Lord shows us. But we have been redeemed so that we may be transformed into love with Christ.

How are we to experience this transformation? Again, I stress the importance of our Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving during this season. Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving signal our openness to the transformation God wants for us.

Prayer: it’s not just about asking for things; it is about aligning our hearts with God’s will. Through prayer, we allow God to reveal Himself to us—not in overwhelming signs, but in the quiet of our hearts, where He gently calls us to trust Him.

Fasting: it’s not simply an act of self-denial or discipline; it is a concrete way of expressing our hunger for something greater than what the world offers. When we give up certain foods, comforts, or habits, we remind ourselves that our deepest satisfaction is found in God alone.

Almsgiving is not the cold fulfillment of a religious obligation, rather it shifts our focus from self to others. When we give to those in need—not just from our excess, but in a way that costs us something—we imitate Christ-like love. Our almsgiving signals that we are allowing Christ’s love to transform us into people who give of themselves as He did.

Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are not ends in themselves. They are signs of our willingness to be changed. Through them, we tell God: “I want to know You” “I want to be freed from what holds me back” “I want to love as You love”.

Again, it is not through some undeniable sight of Christ’s divinity that God transforms us. But choosing those actions to become like Jesus in his self-giving. By choosing to pray, fast, repent and engage in works of charity, our spiritual sight is made pure to know God’s presence with us in this life and to behold God’s glory in eternity for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

January 27 2025 - St. Angela Merici - Faith, Excellence, Service in Catholic Schools

 Happy Catholic Schools Week everyone! Each year, we set aside this time to celebrate the distinct mission of our Catholic schools—a mission that cannot be found just anywhere. Yes, you can learn reading, math, and science in many different places, but Catholic education offers something more: the chance to grow in Faith, strive for Excellence, and foster a spirit of Service.

In reflecting on these three pillars—Faith, Excellence, and Service—we find a perfect model in St. Angela Merici, whose feast we celebrate today. From her own life story, we see how a deep love for God overflowed into compassionate service toward others.

First, Faith. St. Angela Merici was a woman of profound faith. Even at the young age of ten, the age of our fifth graders, she consecrated herself to God, choosing to live a life rooted in prayer and dedicated to serving God. Again, at the age of 10, she was concerned with how the young children of her neighborhood were so poorly educated, they couldn’t read or write, so she took it upon herself to teach. She gave regular instruction to the young neighborhood girls. And she continued this work throughout her life.

In our Catholic schools, our starting place is the same as St. Angela’s. Faith. Our Catholic School exists because people of faith started a parish, and started a school. They wanted a place where the children of this neighborhood could come to learn about God, and learn the skills that would be needed to flourish. 

The second pillar is Excellence. 

St. Angela’s life also shows us the meaning of true excellence. She saw a pressing need—children who lacked religious training—and rather than despair, she devoted her energy, talents, and organizational skills to address it. She founded a group of women—eventually known as “The Company of St. Ursula”—who taught the faith to girls, ensuring they would receive strong moral and intellectual formation. Angela Merici did not settle for mediocrity but sought to give her best for the glory of God.

In our Catholic schools, “excellence” goes beyond academics. Yes, we strive for high standards in reading, writing, science, and math; yet we also aim for excellence in character, discipline, and love for one another. We work on our intellects and our hearts. We train our minds and our wills so that each student can become not only an intelligent person but a kind, selfless, and faith-filled disciple of Jesus.

The third pillar is Service. St.  Angela Merici reminds us of the power of service. At every stage of her life, Angela put her faith into action by serving others. She did not simply complain about the lack of religious education for children—she responded with courage, gathered like-minded friends, and transformed her small efforts into a movement. A movement that has shaped the world, for St. Angela’s “Company of St. Ursula” also known as the “Ursulines” have taught and shaped generations of Catholics around the world, and even here in Cleveland. Many schools and universities have been staffed by Ursulines and those formed by them.

Service is precisely the call of Catholic education: to form servant-leaders who bring the light of Christ to every corner of society. We want our students not only to excel but to channel their gifts into service—whether by caring for a classmate in need, volunteering in the parish, or reaching out to the marginalized. In this way, you, students of St. Ignatius of Antioch school, will have a positive impact in our world. 

As we celebrate Catholic Schools Week, let us take her life to heart. May we be: People of Faith, rooted in prayer and trust in God; People of Excellence, striving to give our very best for the glory of God; People of Service, always seeking ways to lift up those in need. St. Angela Merici, pray for us! For the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

29th Week in Ordinary Time 2024 - Friday - Signs of Divine Love

 

With the leaves changing colors, and the still mostly warm days and cooler nights, autumn is my favorite time of year. I made soup yesterday, because something about autumn just cries out for a good bowl of soup and crusty bread. 

Signs of autumn are everywhere: squirrels gathering nuts, pumpkins, light jackets, football games, conversations about where we will be celebrating thanksgiving.

In the Gospel today, Jesus is making his way toward Jerusalem when he comes across a group of non-believers. 

He points out how easily they forecast the weather by observing the signs—clouds and winds. But they were missing something more important than weather.

The signs of the kingdom of God where all around them: loaves being multiplied, the lame walking, hardened sinners repenting, and the good news spreading. Jesus is the sign that things were changing—not just meteorologically, but spiritually. With all these signs of God, Jesus performing  miracles left and right, demons being cast out, the deaf hearing, the blind seeing, the lame walking, the dead being raised, you’d think that people would be able to discern, quite easily, in fact, that they should take Jesus seriously.

But with all these signs many refused to believe, many refused to change their minds and their hearts, and open them up to the fact that Jesus was who he claimed to be: the Son of God come to save us from our sins.

Thankfully, 2000 years later, everyone follows Jesus as they should, right? Well, no, sadly. 

Even with the testimony of the Church---with Christians pouring out their lives in devotion to following Jesus’ teaching, feeding the hungry in soup kitchens, clothing the naked, even with so much evidence that Jesus Christ will change your life for the better, much of the world still does not believe. 

So the task of the Church is to continue to pray, and to continue to provide the world with signs and reasons to believe in Jesus, to be baptized, and follow him—signs of Divine Love—of God’s love for every person and His desire for their eternal salvation.

We are to take this morning’s words of Paul to heart, who writes, “I, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received”, and that call is to witness to Jesus Christ in word and deed, in how we treat people, in how we love each other, in the conviction with live out the teachings of the Gospel, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - -  

For the Church, that we may live in a manner worthy of our calling, bearing witness to Christ through works of mercy and love, showing the world clear signs of God's presence among us.

For the people of the world, so often divided by ideology, that we may be reconciled with one another, addressing conflicts with wisdom and working towards peace

For those who struggle to recognize God's presence in their lives, that they may discover the signs of divine love surrounding them.

For the sick, the suffering, and those who have died, that they may experience the healing and transformative power of Christ, who makes the lame walk and brings life to the dead.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for the repose of the souls of all those who made our reception of the faith possible. 

O God, you 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 3 2024 - St. Thomas the Apostle - Doubt and Faith

 Doubt. For his moment of incredulity, St. Thomas is associated with doubt. Is doubt good or bad? Well, that depends. 

Doubt can sometimes be a very good thing.  If we believed every advertisement, every swindler and snake oil salesman, and scam artist, we would be broke. If we believed every new age guru, self-help expert, alien abductee, we’d be drawn away from the truth of Christ. If we believed everything we heard, every exaggerating politician or family member, then our mind would be filled with so many contradictory ideas, we wouldn’t be able to function.  In an era of fake news, Artificial Intelligence created deep-fakes, and internet scams, doubt can be a very good thing.

Our justice system requires us to doubt a person’s guilt; we are to presume innocence unless it can be disproven beyond a reasonable doubt. Scripture even tells us to be on guard against false prophets, wolves in sheep’s clothing, and those who only tell us what we want to hear.

On the other hand, Scripture condemns the sort of doubt that undermines our faith in God.

The letter of James says, “the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind”. When St. Peter began to sink after walking toward Jesus on the water, the Lord says, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt” St. Paul writes to the Romans, “But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.”

Doubt which preserves us from being duped and swindled and taken advantage of—that’s the good sort of doubt; and then there is the sinful doubt which keeps us from putting our faith in God, that’s the bad kind of doubt.

But notice, in his alleged doubt, Thomas possesses an openness to the truth. “If I can see his wounds, I will believe.” 

The catechism differentiates between voluntary and involuntary doubt. One is sinful, one is not. Catechism says, Voluntary doubt about the faith disregards or refuses to hold as true what God has revealed and the Church proposes for belief. Involuntary doubt refers to hesitation in believing, difficulty in overcoming objections connected with the faith, or also anxiety aroused by its obscurity. If deliberately cultivated, doubt can lead to spiritual blindness (CCC 2088).

Voluntary doubt about matters of faith is truly dangerous. It is a violation of the first commandment which “requires us to nourish and protect our faith with prudence and vigilance, and to reject everything that is opposed to it” (CCC 2088). It is a sin against faith. In the face of involuntary doubt, we, like Apostle Thomas, need to seek the Truth, to be open to the Truth, and when Truth is made known, we are to change our life accordingly. 

And St. Thomas did that, to a heroic degree. After Pentecost, he marched across the known earth, preaching the Good News to the Persians and Medes, until he reached India, where he evangelized and was eventually martyred in 72 A.D. by those who refused to believe.

May we who have come to believe through the testimony of the apostles, through the intercession of St. Thomas, come to that blessedness promised by our Lord, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - - 

For the Church, that like St. Thomas, we may boldly proclaim our faith in the risen Christ. Let us pray to the Lord.

For those struggling with doubt, that through the example of St. Thomas, they may find renewed faith and trust in God. Let us pray to the Lord.

For missionaries around the world, inspired by St. Thomas's journey to India, that they may courageously share the Gospel. Let us pray to the Lord.

For architects and builders, under the patronage of St. Thomas, that their work may glorify God and serve humanity. Let us pray to the Lord.

For unity among Christians, that we may heal divisions and work together to build up the Body of Christ. Let us pray to the Lord.

For our community, that we may grow in faith and be willing to touch the wounds of Christ in those who suffer. Let us pray to the Lord.

For the sick, the impoverished, the lonely, those suffering from mental illness, those most in need, and those near death: may God, through the loving mercy of the Precious Blood of Jesus, be close to them in their trials.

And that all those redeemed by the Precious Blood of Jesus may come to the glory of heaven, especially X for whom this mass is offered.

Gracious Father, hear our prayers, through the intercession of St. Thomas the Apostle, grant us what we truly need to strengthen our faith, deepen our trust, and open our eyes to Your presence among us. Make us your servants to the ends of the earth, through Christ our Lord.

4th Week of Easter 2024 - Friday - Faith transforms grief into life

 Today’s Gospel is requested more than any other for Masses of Christian Burial, that is, for Catholic Funeral Masses. Why this one in particular, do you think? Why are these words of Jesus at the Last Supper so comforting and so powerful?

The Lord’s teaching certainly acknowledges the reality of sorrow and pain at the death of a loved one while pointing to the promise of eternal life and resurrection and reunion.

The passage begins with Jesus teaching, "Do not let your hearts be troubled". The death of a loved one certainly causes trouble to our hearts. It can cause intense emotional pain, sadness, and a sense of emptiness. Death can trigger feelings of anxiety, fear, and uncertainty about the future. The absence of a loved one can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation. And its not uncommon for those who are grieving to experience anger or to question God's plan.

So the Lord acknowledges the soul-sickness and then prescribes the remedy—he addresses the heartache of loss by calling his disciples to deepen their faith. Faith enables us to trust in God’s plan in times of uncertainty, to know God’s closeness in times of loneliness and isolation, to grow in acceptance of circumstances beyond our control, and find meaning in events we cannot understand.

Faith does not eliminate grief, rather, it makes grief bearable and transforms grief into an opportunity for spiritual growth—of encountering and experiencing God in a new way. 

This is why St. Paul says that Christians do not grieve like the rest of the faithless, hopeless world. Christians are able to experience grief as a way of drawing nearer to God and even to become the people God made us to be.

Yes, the Lord’s promise of eternal life is consoling, but growing in faith doesn’t just bring alleviation of grief but also transformation. Faith practiced amidst crosses like grief and loss and suffering enables us to become more like Christ—not just in his humanity, but in his divinity. Faith transforms us, so much so that St. John writes “what we shall be has not yet been revealed.” 

Faith enables the fulfillment of our destiny to become more and more like God for eternity, but that journey begins by following Christ—who is the way, the truth, and the life, now—by seeking to become more like Christ in this life. 

May the Holy Spirit assist us in conforming our lives to Christ by bringing about in us an increase in that faith which deepens our communion with Christ in all things for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

 

Filled with Paschal joy, let us turn earnestly to God, to graciously hear our prayers and supplications.

For Pope Francis and Bishop Malesic, that they may have the strength to govern wisely the flock entrusted to them by the Good Shepherd and for an increase in vocations to the ordained priesthood, and that our priests may serve the Church with the love and devotion of the Good Shepherd.

For our parish, that we may bear witness with great confidence to the Resurrection of Christ and his tender love for sinners and for the poor.

For members of Christ’s flock who have wandered far from the Church: for the desire and will to return to the Sacraments; for deliverance from all spiritual evils and an increase in virtue for the faithful. 

For those experiencing any kind of hardship or sorrow, isolation, addiction, or disease: that they may know the peace and consolation of the Good Shepherd. 

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.

3rd Week of Lent 2024 - Monday - Naaman and Nazareth

 On this Monday of the third week of lent each year I’m always struck by the contrast between Naaman, who came to believe, and the people of Nazarath, who hardened their hearts toward Jesus. 

You would expect the stories to be reversed, no? You would expect Naaman, a pagan, a gentile, a Syrian, to dismiss the strange words of Elisha. After all, he didn’t worship Elisha’s God, the God of Israel, and Naaman even visits Elisha on the word of a little jewish slave girl. It is somewhat farfetched, that a powerful general listens to such a small voice, but he does. And because of his faith, he is cleansed.

And then contrast Naaman’s faith, with the faithlessness of Nazareth. Is this an example of familiarity breeds contempt? Were the people of Nazareth so hardened toward Jesus because they had known him as a young boy? They knew his mother, and father, they didn’t appear to be special. They certainly didn’t conform to the royal family from which the Messiah would be born. But you’d at least think that someone would have been compelled by Jesus’ testimony in the synagogue. 

This contrast raises important questions about the nature of faith and the barriers that often obstruct it. Naaman's openness to the voice of God, even when it came from unexpected sources, allowed him to experience the power of God's healing. In contrast, the people of Nazareth's hardened hearts prevented them from recognizing the divine presence in their midst, despite the evidence before them.

In reflecting on these stories, we are challenged to examine our own hearts and attitudes towards God's presence in our lives. Are we open to encountering God in unexpected places and through unexpected people, like Naaman was? Or do we allow familiarity and preconceived notions to blind us to the divine presence, like the people of Nazareth? 

Sometimes, Catholics may become so accustomed to the rituals and practices of their faith that they lose sight of the deeper meaning behind them. Attending Mass, saying prayers, and participating in sacraments can become mere routines rather than opportunities for spiritual growth and connection with God.

Catholics have a rich tradition of Scripture and teachings handed down through the millennia. However, when we fail to engage personally with these sources, relying solely on what we’ve been told or what they remember from childhood, if we shy away from engaging with the intellectual aspects of our faith, we miss out on the depth and richness of our faith.

And even worse, constant Catholic Church teaching reminds us that all believers are called to holiness and to live lives of virtue and charity. However, complacency can leads us to neglect this call, settling for a comfortable, morally lax existence rather than striving for spiritual growth and transformation.

Rather, to combat complacency and foster growth in faith, we must cultivate a spirit of openness and humility: recognizing that there is always more to learn and understand about God and the faith. We are to strive to deepen in our prayer lives through meditation and contemplation. And we are to take seriously the call to holiness—to cultivate virtues in a heroic manner, and never settle for moral mediocrity. As we journey through this season of Lent, may we cultivate hearts that are open and receptive to God's word, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

 - - - - 

That the season of Lent may bring the most hardened hearts to repentance and bring to all people purification of sin and selfishness.

For those preparing for baptism and the Easter sacraments, that they may continue to conform themselves to Christ through fervent prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

That we may generously respond to all those in need: the sick, the suffering, the homeless, the imprisoned, and victims of violence. 

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

Grant, we pray, O Lord, that your people may turn to you with all their heart, so that whatever they dare to ask in fitting prayer they may receive by your mercy. Through Christ our Lord.

1st Week of Advent 2023 - Monday - Advent Journey of Faith

 On this first weekday of Advent, our scripture readings teaching us that Advent is a journey of faith to God.

In the reading from Isaiah we hear how nations will stream toward the Lord’s house established on a high mountain. During Advent, all people, of all places, of all time are invited to make their way to the one True God, shedding their false beliefs and immoral ways in order to walk in the light of God’s truth, goodness, and beauty. 

This journey of faith is a joyful journey, as our psalm proclaimed: “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord”. The journey toward the house of God is a joyful one because we are journeying to meet the One who is our hearts deepest longing. Shedding error to live in God’s truth brings joy, shedding immorality in order to live in God’s goodness brings joy. Shedding violence—allowing our swords to be turned into plowshares—in order to live in God’s peace brings joy. 

Advent can be filled with joy when we turn away from the things that deprive of us joy and fail to satisfy our longing for the infinite. For real joy is experienced when we turn away from darkness and turn more resolutely to seek the face of God. 

In the Gospel, the centurion recognizes that Jesus Christ is God—the God who can bring healing to his household—to his servant who is paralyzed and suffering dreadfully. Faith in Jesus Christ brings healing, wholeness, deliverance, freedom from all the different types of paralysis that afflict us.

Faith in Christ is both the way by which we reach the destination of the journey of faith and the destination of the journey itself. Advent helps us to deepen that conviction and also opens us to the healing and wholeness that can only come by deepening our faith in Him. 

May all people of all nations come to a deepening of faith in Christ Jesus this Advent, and come to rejoice in the peace of Our Father’s house for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. 

- - - - - 

As we await with longing the Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, we raise up our prayers of petitions.

That Christ may visit his holy Church and always find her repentant of sin and watchful in prayer.

That Christ may fill the Pope, our Bishop, and all the clergy with spiritual gifts and graces.

That Christ may guide the minds of those who govern us to promote the common good according to His Holy Will.

That Christ may banish disease, drive out hunger, and ward off every affliction.

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

Almighty ever-living God, who bring salvation to all and desire that no one should perish, hear the prayers of your people and grant that the course of our world may be directed by your peaceful rule and your Church rejoice in tranquility and devotion. Through Christ our Lord.

Trinity Sunday 2023 - Divine Truth that conquers our sinful pride

 As I’ve shared before, I had the great privilege of living in Rome for my last semester of college seminary. Rome is truly one of the great pilgrimage destinations of our faith. It is a deeply powerful and moving experience to visit the churches, and the relics of the saints, and the Vatican—not to mention to see all of the sacred art and architecture inspired by our faith. Rome is also a major global destination for tourists—those who really have no intention of a spiritual experience. But, that’s okay. For there have been many who visited Rome as a tourist, but then had a powerful conversions. 

But, one of things about Rome that always bugged me, is that you can’t go a day without hearing—on the subways, on the street corners, in some of the piazza’s—the song “My Way” made popular by Frank Sinatra. 

And to be honest, I liked that song as a teenager. And perhaps that’s not surprising. Willful teenagers are very interested in doing things “my way”. The lyrics to the song paint the picture of a person at the end of their life, not apologizing for doing things “my way”. I took control, I made the plans, I overcame doubts, I’ve pushed past tears, I’ve refused to kneel, because I did things “my way”. 

And I guess I get it, the song is played over and over and over in Rome because it was made popular by an Italian-American, although it was written by a Frenchman—and it’s appeals to the tourists. But hearing that song with its lyrics of boastfully and pridefully rejecting any way but my own, refusing to kneel to any god but my own ego, in the Holy City is deeply disturbing. Because Rome, as our Christianity’s religious capital in a sense is supposed to be about anything but, “my way”. For our faith boasts not “my way” by Thy way be done, God’s will be done, not my own. Willfulness is what got us in trouble in the first place. Willful sinful pride is the cause of our downfall. And sinful pride continues to lead us away from God.

I bring up my mostly rational disdain for that song on this Trinity Sunday because at the heart of today’s feast is faith. Faith in something that I don’t define. Faith in something I don’t control. Faith in something that is bigger than me. A mystery greater than my finite intelligence can grasp. Faith in something that my ego must surrender to. God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit whether I understand what that means or not. 

And we are not the source of this Truth. The fact that we know that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—One God, in Three Divine Persons, isn’t something that we figured out for ourselves. It’s not a matter of human ingenuity or industry. This Truth about God—God’s Triune Nature—has been revealed by God Himself as a truth for us to accept. 

And perhaps this is why Christianity is so terribly difficult for so many people in our modern day to accept. Because “My Way”, "my truth", "my opinion", "my body, my choice" is the anthem, the motto, the modus operandi, of modern man. Many may not admit it directly, but it’s certainly right under the surface of so many of our contemporaries: no one is going to tell me what to believe. No Pope. No priest. No holy book. I’ll determine what my own truth is, thank you very much. 

But that sounds a lot like Adam and Eve all over again, doesn’t it? It’s our downfall. Choosing to be closed to the truth that comes from God will always lead to our destruction—separation from God and division within the human family. 

One of my  favorite documents coming out of the Second Vatican Council was a document called Dei Verbum—latin for the Word of God...on Divine Revelation--how God communicates His Word, His truth to us. Right at the beginning of the document, Dei Verbum explains God’s desire to make Himself known, to make his truth known to us. It says, “In His goodness and wisdom God chose to reveal Himself and to make known to us the hidden purpose of His will by which through Christ, the Word made flesh, man might in the Holy Spirit have access to the Father and come to share in the divine nature. Through this revelation, therefore, the invisible God out of the abundance of His love speaks to men as friends and lives among them, so that He may invite and take them into fellowship with Himself. This plan of revelation is realized by deeds and words…the deepest truth about God and the salvation of man shines out for our sake in Christ, who is both the mediator and the fullness of all revelation.”

As a bit of a theology nerd, that paragraph makes my heart go pitter-pat. God has revealed this Truth—that He is Triune—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to draw us closer to Him in Love--that we may know Him and love Him and have friendship with Him. 

Today’s feast used to be one of my least favorite to preach on because I thought it was about coming up with some analogy to help you all better understand the relationships between the three divine persons, or the nature of God, or what the word consubstantial actually means, or explaining the heresies which misrepresent the truth about God. But really, at the heart of today’s feast is God desiring us to him—to draw us into a friendship that will change your life. 

That’s why “My way” is such a terrible idea. It’s lonely as it is closed-in on itself because it’s godless and divergent from friendship with God, if me and only me determines what is good and true. Rather, Trinity Sunday invites us to Faith that opens us to the peace, joy, life, and fulfillment that comes from knowing God. And this offers us a firm foundation for the whole of our life. 

There is a well-known prayer called the Act of Faith which expresses this: “O my God, I firmly believe that you are one God in three divine Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I believe that your divine Son became man and died for our sins and that he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the Holy Catholic Church teaches because you have revealed them who are eternal truth and wisdom, who can neither deceive nor be deceived. In this faith I intend to live and die. Amen.”

Faith. Faith in God. Faith in the teachings of the Church. This is the firm foundation which enables us to resist being swept up by the chaos of this world.

In the second reading, St. Paul says, “Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.” Agree with one another, on what? This isn't about agreeing on who makes the best pizza pie, over here, but on matters of Ultimate Truth. Possessing the unity of faith in the truth that comes from God. And when we do that, we will live in peace. So, trust the teachings of the Church—all of them—even the ones that might bring you ridicule from the worldly. 

In my experience as a priest—those who trust the Church have greater peace—just like Paul says. If this is a struggle for you, know that I pray for you, because I hope that you can discover the peace that comes from faith that is deeper than your feelings. Faith that is grounded in the Truth of God Himself. Seek deeper faith that you may have deeper peace for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time 2023 - What does faith offer you?

 Last week, for the candidates in our RCIA program, we celebrated at the 11am Mass, the Rite of Acceptance, where the candidates publicly declared their intent to prepare for the Sacraments of Initiation. In the very first words of the ritual, the priest asks the candidates: “Why are you here? What are you asking for from the Church?” And the answer they give is “faith”. I want faith. I want the Church to give me faith. 

What is faith?  We speak of the Christian faith, the light of faith, the unity of faith, the mystery of faith, a particular Catholic might have strong faith, weak faith, lukewarm faith, devout faith, improperly formed faith. What is faith?

Well, the next question in the rite of acceptance gives some insight.

“What are you asking from the Church” They answer “faith.” And then the priest asks them, “Why? Why do you want faith? What does faith offer you?” And the answer is “eternal life”. 

Throughout the RCIA program, the candidates study the catechism, and participate in the Church’s liturgy, and begin to engage in service and the life of the parish because through the Christian faith they are led to eternal life. 

That’s why the Church exists. We’re not a social club, a place to go on Sundays because you have nothing better to do. The Church exists to proclaim, to grow in faith, to spread the faith, to celebrate the faith. Because faith enables us to obtain something that nothing else in the world can provide. Eternal life. 

Written in bold letters above our sanctuary, what does it say? He who believes in the Son of God, in other words, he who has faith that Jesus is the Son of God, has, eternal life. 

Faith is part of God’s remedy for our mortality.  “Unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins,” says the Lord Himself in John’s Gospel.  Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life. 

The importance of faith is evident by the Lord’s own teaching. Because that act of the will to believe leads us to conform our lives with the author of Truth who is life itself. I am the way, the truth, and the life. So believe it, follow it, live it. 

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, shall live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

The answer to that question certainly has consequences doesn’t it? Through faith we turn toward the Lord and seek to walk in his ways. The righteous shall live by faith, and walk by faith.

Last week I shared how during Ordinary Time, we seek to grow in the ordinary dimensions of the Christian life. How might we grow in faith?

Well, the same way our catechumens in the RCIA will grow in faith as they prepare for Easter. Study, scripture, prayer, liturgical worship, service, and repentance from Sin.

How Study help you to grow in faith? Memorizing the 10 commandments, studying what the catechism says about them, can certainly help you to walk by them. How can you follow them if you don’t know them? But also, study can help you explain the faith to non-believers with greater clarity. Non-believers are often seeking understanding. Why do you Catholics believe what you believe? And study helps us explain with knowledge and understanding rooted in the Word of God.  

Scripture grows faith. We need something going in our eyes and ears and hearts besides the garbage on television and the internet. We need the light of God to illuminate our lives. Scripture is God’s Word given to us, for us. It’s meant to be read, understood, taught, and lived. How can you live it, if you don’t read it?

Prayer builds faith. Prayer is not an option if you want faith. Life without prayer is a sad, dry weary endless desert. Without prayer we grow exhausted and happy. The Lord says faith in him causes a fountain of refreshment to bubble up from within us. Prayer is to go to that well-spring and drink. 

Liturgical worship builds faith. In Lent this year, our new auxiliary Bishop Michael Woost will be offering a retreat here at St. Ignatius, on Saturday March 18.  Bishop Woost is a trained liturgist, and a liturgical and sacramental theologian. No doubt the Bishop will help us to enter more deeply into the mystery of God through the liturgy of the Church. 

Prayer is like breathing. Personal prayer is like inhaling, liturgical, corporate prayer is like exhaling. We need both if we hope to breath, and we need to breath if we want to live. But prayer also sustains us through our trials, helping us to keep our eyes focused on Christ and to know God’s presence with us. Whether you are going through an illness or a family drama or an economic crisis or a temptation that you thought you overcame many years ago, prayer is needed to keep your eyes fixed on Christ.

Service builds faith. Faith without works is dead, st. james’ letter says bluntly. To grow in faith is to grow in our willingness to engage in works, charitable works, self-less works, sacrificial works. Have you ever been disappointed when you engaged in a selfless act? No. 

And finally, repentance of sins is indispensable for faith. Over and over, the scriptures show the enemies of Jesus, the pharisees, scribes, and saducees, as faithless due to their unwillingness to acknowledge and repent of their sins.

Moment of honesty here folks. I sat in the confessional for an hour last saturday with zero confessions. I don’t know what’s going on here? I don’t know if you don’t believe in the power of the Sacrament? I don’t know if someone told you that confession is not important and a vital dimension of the Catholic faith? If we need to change the confessional schedule or hire another priest to come in for confessions, we can do that, if it will help.

But, Faith cannot grow if there are unacknowledged, unrepented sins. Unrepentance is a terrible terrible thing that can exclude us from eternal life. Have faith that Jesus is waiting for you, as Pope Francis has said, waiting for you in the confessional. Go to confession at least three or four times a year, or as soon as possible, if a mortal sin has been committed.

Faith. It is the source of our unity. It transforms us into fishers of men. It is a light that guides us in darkness. It leads us to the font of God’s everlasting mercy. It’s leads to eternal life. In the words of the Apostles in St. Luke’s Gospel, “Lord, increase our faith” for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time 2023 - Extraordinary Time

 

The Christmas season has ended, and we’ve returned to the observance of Ordinary Time. Each of the seasons of the Church year certainly has its own spirituality and themes—a rhythm that is to mark our lives.

During Advent, the church prepares for the coming of Christ and during Advent we are to become quieter, more reflective, meditative like a mother anticipating the birth of her child, like Blessed Mary anticipating the birth of her son. During Christmas of course we celebrate Christ’s birth with hymns of praise. We give gifts, we gather with family and friends in a spirit of cheer and generosity, always with an eye to the needs of the poor whose condition Christ shared—born into the straw poverty of the Bethlehem stable. 

Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday, February 22nd this year, is a season of intensified prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and concrete acts of penance; we unite ourselves to Jesus in the desert, his Passion and suffering on the cross, and we meditate on his great love for us throughout all that he suffered.

Then during Easter, of course we celebrate the Resurrection; we focus on courageously proclaiming that Christ is risen, alleluia, and breaking the bonds of all that keeps us from proclaiming and living Christ’s victory over sin and death.

But now we find ourselves once again in Ordinary Time. And during ordinary time we focus on the ordinary life of the Christian. But that’s not boring or unnoteworthy. There is holiness to be found and practiced in the ordinary dimensions of life. There is holiness to be found in cooking and cleaning and conversations and working and resting and family life and visits to the grocery and hardware stores and the doctor’s office and civic life, in aches and pains, and successes and failures. There is holiness to be found and practiced in everyday life, in ordinary day-to-day life. 

Our Christian faith makes the life of the ordinary Christian extraordinary in a number of ways.

Firstly, unlike those without faith, Christians live conscious of God of with us throughout all of life. We celebrated at Christmas—that Christ is Emmanuel—God-with-us. And He is. He is with us in our trials, in our sufferings, in our poverty, in our fears, in failures, and in the ordinary. That gives us extraordinary and supernatural consolation, comfort, strength, and guidance.

And we live not just conscious of God. But the Christian lives with God truly present in his soul. The Christian becomes a walking tabernacle, a divine temple. This is extraordinary. For the Christian is not simply flesh and blood, but the baptized Christian, with God dwelling in his soul brings God into everything he does. Our lives become extensions of the dominion of God, prisms for the light of God to shine from within, antenna to receive and transmit the Word of God in the world. God is made known, his divine life and power become detectable through us. 

Secondly, unlike the rest of the world, the Christian lives grounded in the Truth of God’s moral law. The Christian seeks to rid themselves of what humans shouldn’t be doing and to do what humans should be doing. Christians restrain ourselves from what is forbidden and do what is commanded by God himself. Christians observes all the “thou shalt nots”—observing the moral law—and also seek the perfection of virtue and the cultivation of the fruits and gifts of the holy spirit. 

And this is extraordinary. For the ordinary state is just to follow our feelings. Just do what everybody else is doing, accept the mainstream values, tolerate the breaking-down of society.  That’s normal, that’s expected, that’s how to fit in. But the Christian is called to do the opposite of the ordinary. Not to imitate the world, but to imitate Christ. Not to fall into the depravity and corruption of the mainstream, but to resist it; not to tolerate evil, but to be a force of Good, to draw souls away from evil and toward God. 

The Christian vocation is anything but ordinary. Nothing is more unexpected than the Christian authentically living the faith. When you observe a Christian making use of a spiritual gift you recognize that something extraordinary is happening. When a Christian speaks in a prophetic way, or engages in selfless works of charity, or organizes people to accomplish something for God that they could not accomplish on their own, that is extraordinary. And we’re called to do these things every day, to live extraordinarily every day. I can’t think of anything more a pastor would rather see than parishioners bringing forth their gifts in service to the mission of the parish in extraordinary ways. 

A final way Christians are extraordinary is the way by which we suffer. All people suffer. All people get sick, age, and experience the effects of mortality. Suffering is ordinary. But Christians can suffer in an extraordinary way when we unite our sufferings with Christ, in what is called redemptive suffering or reparative suffering, by what is called “offering up” our sufferings.  

When Christians consciously, intentionally unite our ordinary sufferings to Christ, accepting the share in the cross of Christ, we are able do something that is eminently extraordinary. We are able to be a conduit of healing and grace for the world. We can say, “Lord, let my suffering be for some good” and that prayer is heard by God. Through redemptive suffering we can make amends for sins against God, remitting the time we would spend in purgatory, doing penance for others, and winning grace for the conversion of hardened hearts. 

Ordinary Time: it might seem boring to some, but if you are conscious of your mission, your identity, and the opportunities for holiness, it won’t be anything less than extraordinary. For the glory of God and salvation of souls.

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2022 - "Increase our Faith"

 

If you could ask Jesus for anything—if you had one request—what would you ask for? In the Gospel today, the apostles made a simple, but profound request. Did you catch it? They didn’t ask the Lord for riches or material security; nor did they ask for health or a long life. They asked him for something they had discovered was far more important than all of these things combined. They begged him, “Increase our FAITH!” They asked for faith.

The very first encyclical Pope Francis issued back in June of 2013 dealt with Faith.  It was called “Lumen Fidei” – The Light of Faith. He wrote, “The Church never takes faith for granted, but knows that this gift of God needs to be nourished and reinforced so that it can continue to guide her pilgrim way.” Like the apostles we members of the Church on earth need to turn to the Lord and ask him to increase our faith. And we have to do our part in making sure that our faith is as strong as it should be.

But what is Faith?

In one of my favorite passages from his encyclical on faith, Pope Francis wrote, “Faith is not a light which scatters all our darkness, but a lamp which guides our steps in the night and suffices for the journey. To those who suffer, God does not provide arguments which explain everything; rather, his response is that of an accompanying presence, a history of goodness which touches every story of suffering and opens up a ray of light.”

Do you get what he is saying here? What is faith? Faith isn’t some sort of magical power that forces God to remove our obstacles. Nor does faith eliminate the darkness in our life. Rather, faith enables us to walk rightly in the midst of difficulty because it involves the experience of God’s abiding presence with us. 

So professing the Catholic faith, being a person of faith, doesn’t mean that at any point we should expect God to remove all our difficulties and sufferings. Rather, to be a person of faith is to trust that God will provide enough light for us to make way through the darkness, enough strength to bear the weight of our sufferings; the fortitude to withstand the powers of evil that assail us.

What caused the apostles to make this request of the Lord to increase their faith in the Gospel today? Well, in the preceding passage, the Lord had given his famous teaching on scandal: “It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.” And so, the apostles hear this warning, and immediately ask for faith. Why? Well, this is an instance of the apostles showing some real humility. They knew how easy it is for us to cause scandal and so they pray for all the trust and faith and guidance they need to avoid this terrible sin Jesus is warning them against. 

Think about it. Non-believers are to come to faith by the way we conduct ourselves. Young people, new Catholics are to learn what it means to be disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ by our example—by the way we speak, by the way we treat people. Jesus’ Lordship is to be seen in our self-control, our charity, our chastity, our patience. People are watching us, and so need God’s help if we are to be successful in drawing them to God and not driving them away.

The apostles, as the first bishops, knew that people would be looking to them especially. Anyone in a position of authority, including parents, should conduct themselves with fear and trembling, knowing that people are looking to them. A misstep, a public sin, a moment of weakness on their part, could lead a non-believer, or the weak of faith, to discount Jesus’ Lordship.

So yeah, the request, “increase our faith” so that we may not lead anyone astray, is a good petition. It’s a good petition for any of us, “Lord increase my faith, that by my conduct, I may not lead anyone away from you, today.”

I think of how the abuse scandals, 20 years ago already, had such devastating effects on the Church’s mission. I was in my first year of seminary when the abuse scandal hit the news. It was shocking. It was disgraceful. It was terribly heartrending, right? And yet, thanks be to God, somehow, I was blessed with a faith, that helped me to remember, that the sins of priests and bishops or any other Catholic does not prove that Christianity is flawed. The members of the Church are flawed. And their sins can cause great scandal. But Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. And the Church is Our Mother. 

And God chose us to be Christians now, in 2002, in 2022; with that terrible wound in the background—to be part of the solution. And It’s our task to be people of great faith, now; that the light of Christ may shine brighter than the darkness caused by our sins. 

But if we’re going to be people of great faith, we certainly need to stir into flame, as St. Paul says in the second reading, the gift of faith given to us. We have a mountainous task before us, to evangelize this confused, fallen world in 2022, but, faith, the size of a mustard seed can move mountains. I hope you trust in this saying to the depth of your being—faith can move mountains. We are capable of doing great things when we trust God—when our faith is strong. And the more we nurture our faith—the more faith grows in us—the more faith is stirred into flame—the more room God will have to do truly wonderful things in us and through us.

You may have heard the old aphorism: “pray as if everything depends on God, act as if everything depends on you.” So we completely surrender to God in our prayer to increase our faith, but we most also identify what effort is necessary on our part to grow in faith. 

Growing in faith requires daily effort. We must read the bible daily. Study Catholic doctrine. Engage in daily devotions which nurture our faith like the rosary, the chaplet of divine mercy, the liturgy of the hours, praying of litanies. We must confess our sins—those times when we have neglected, ignored, or violated our Catholic faith in order to pursue selfish ends. We must make time for silent listening to God, for meditation and contemplation. 

If you can, come to daily mass throughout the week. At daily Mass, I love preaching on the lives of the saints, for the saints are our heroes and great exemplars of the faith. If you can’t make it to mass, read about the life of the saint every day. 

In the first reading, from the prophet Habakkuk, we heard, “the just one, because of his faith, shall live.” Faith is the light we need as not to stumble, the armor we need to withstand the attacks of the enemy and the hatred of the world, the wisdom we need to avoid causing scandal and to draw souls to Christ, and the lever we need to move the mountains God wants us to move.

May the Lord increase our faith, and may the Eucharist we celebrate, nourish us, and unleash the power of faith in our lives and our families and world, for the Glory of God and salvation of souls.