October 18 2024 - St. Luke - Convert, Evangelist, Painter

 

Unlike the other Gospel writers, Luke was not one of the twelve apostles, or even one of the Lord’s original disciples. He was a Gentile Convert. Tradition holds Luke to have been a native of Antioch, where Ignatius, our Patron, was Bishop.

Luke's earliest mention is in the Epistle to Philemon, chapter 1. He is also mentioned, as we heard this morning, in 2 Timothy, in Colossians, where St. Paul refers to Luke as “beloved Physician”.

Before his conversion to Christ, Luke, studied medicine. We don’t know the exact circumstances of St Luke’s conversion, but in the book of Acts, Luke himself writes about joining Paul in his second missionary journey through Asia Minor, to Corinth and Macedonia.

St. Luke wrote his Gospel after the death of Paul, making it a point to interview eyewitnesses of the Lord’s ministry, death, and resurrection, from which he also gained details for his second volume, the Acts of the Apostles.

It is likely not a coincidence that Luke, the doctor, includes so many accounts of the Lord’s healing miracles not found in any other Gospel. Only in Luke do we learn of the Lord raising the son of the widow of nain, the healing of the man with dropsy, the 10 men from leprosy, a malchus’ ear during the Passion.

The relationship with Mary is the other striking characteristic of St Luke’s Gospel. If he based his Gospel on account of eyewitnesses, then his inclusion of the Annunciation, the visitation of Mary to Elizabeth and the Magnificat, the details of the Presentation in the Temple and the finding of Jesus at the Temple, could have only come from Our Lady himself.

According to ancient tradition, St. Luke was not only a physician and evangelist but also a skilled artist. He is often credited with being the first to create an icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known as the Hodigitria, which means “She who shows the way.”. The icon believed to have been painted by Luke is said to be preserved in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome.

Today, perhaps, meditate on some of those wonderful Marian passages of Luke’s Gospel, thank God for this man’s faithfulness, for the grace of conversion that worked in his life, that has brought so many to a deeper knowledge and love of Christ, including our ourselves, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - -  

That all Christians may be faithful to their vocation to spread the Gospel in word and deed.

During this month of October, dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary, Catholics may take up this devotion with renewed vigor and trust in Our Lady’s never-failing intercession.

That on this feast of St. Luke, that all doctors and painters and artists may utilize their skills and gifts to serve life and goodness, and for the conversion of all those who do not follow Christ.

For all the sick and suffering, and for all those in hospitals, nursing homes, and hospice care, for all those who will die today, for their consolation and that 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 family, friends, and parish, for the deceased clergy and religious of our diocese, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

God of mercy, hear our prayers, ease the sufferings and comfort the weakness of your servants, and bring us to eternal life, through Christ our Lord.

 

Holy Family 2023 - Icon of the Domestic Church

 Of the four Evangelists, it is Matthew and Luke who provide the most details surrounding the family of our Blessed Lord.

Matthew’s Gospel begins with Jesus’ family tree going all the way back to Abraham, through King David, and the Kings of Israel, to Joseph, husband of Mary. Matthew, then narrates how the angel appeared to Joseph, and explains God’s plan to him regarding the mysterious pregnancy of his betrothed. Matthew then relates the good news of the Lord’s birth in Bethlehem and how the Holy Family was forced to flee to Egypt to escape the murderous design of King Herod.

St. Luke’s Gospel begins not with the Lord’s family tree, but God’s intervention in the life of Jesus’ extended family. Zechariah, of the priestly class, is visited by an angel who foretells the birth of John the Baptist to Zechariah’s wife Elizabeth. 

Luke then transitions from the Lord’s extended family to the Lord’s conception in the womb of his virgin mother overshadowed by the Holy Spirit in the house Nazareth. Out of concern for her kinswoman Elizabeth, Mary goes in haste out to the hill country—the Lord’s cousin John the Baptist leaps for joy in his mother’s womb. Mary and Joseph then journey to Bethlehem—Joseph’s ancestral home, where the Christ was born. 

So in those first few chapters, Luke portrays Mary and Joseph as a couple steeped in the tradition and religiosity of their people—people of strong faith with strong ties to their extended family. 

Why do Matthew and Luke spend so much time describing Jesus’ family? Why did they consider Jesus’ family important? Why don’t these Gospels just begin with Jesus’ public ministry—with his miracles and teachings? Many non-Catholics, after all, think that we Catholics are strange, or even idolatrous, for focusing so much on the Holy Family. But they are right there in the Gospels for a reason. 

The evangelists devote precious ink to these people because God wants us to know about Jesus’ family. God wants us to consider their faith, their traditions, their virtues, their love for each other. We come to meet and know and understand Jesus by meeting, knowing, and understanding his family. 

Jesus was born to a family of real humans, with real struggles, who found strength and support in their family bonds, just like we do. 

They also grappled to understand the mysterious workings of God in their life. Both Mary and Joseph had to come to grips with God doing unprecedented things in their lives. When they began their betrothal, little did they know that life would not proceed as they had planned. But they trusted God’s plan. They were faithful. They obeyed God’s plan. They surrendered to God’s plan.

And just because they were chosen by God for this unique role in salvation history, they still had to deal with real problems. Mary had to give birth in a filthy stable. But Joseph and Mary did their best despite their circumstances. Scripture does not record them complaining, making excuses, cursing God, berating the poor innkeeper for not having a room for them. Their focus on God’s will, their trust in God providence pierces through the real mess they were in. 

Talk about unideal…next week, on the feast of the epiphany, we’ll hear how Mary and Joseph receive word from the magi that King Herod wants their newborn son dead. And would be going to great lengths to murder him. And what do Mary and Joseph do? They go to the temple and offer thanksgiving to God for the gift of Jesus’ life. They fulfill and major religious obligation before going off to Egypt to keep their son safe.

In the Gospel today we hear how in the temple Mary and Joseph receive a prophecy about even more mysterious happenings yet to come. Simeon foretells how Mary’s heart will be pierced with a sword of sorrow. This child is going to move the heavens and the earth, but there will be sorrow, tremendous sorrow. But they accept even sorrow from God, trusting God, hoping in God’s promises. 

These are people of such tremendous faith, and we really can’t reflect enough upon the example of the holy family. Listen again to the Collect prayer for this Christmas Octave Feast of the Holy Family which calls us to look to them and imitate them—we prayed : “O God, who were pleased to give us the shining example of the Holy Family, graciously grant that we may imitate them in practicing the virtues of family life and the bonds of charity, and so, in the joy of your house, delight one day in eternal rewards.”

What virtues—what virtues of the Holy Family—does your family need to practice this year. Spouses, you should discuss that. What virtue do we need to practice as a family this upcoming year? What behaviors do we need to keep an eye on? How are we being called to be more like Mary, more like Joseph. What do they teach us about growing closer in love towards one another? 

If that’s not the sort of conversation you are used to having as a family, start there. I can guarantee Mary and Joseph and Jesus discussed God’s will, and how God had worked in their family history. You can guarantee that they prayed with one another.

Dear departed Pope Benedict XVI wrote about the importance of Christians families looking to and modeling their family life after the Holy Family. He wrote, “the Holy Family is the icon of the domestic Church, called to pray together. The family is the domestic Church and must be the first school of prayer. It is in the family that children, from the tenderest age, can learn to perceive the meaning of God, also thanks to the teaching and example of their parents: to live in an atmosphere marked by God’s presence.”

What it means that every Christian family is the domestic church means that non-believers should be able to learn what it means to be Christian—what it means to be a member of the Church—by looking at your family life. Look at how they pray together, look at how they forgive one another, look at how they are patient with one another, look at how they pass on the faith to the younger generation and seek together to understand the faith. Oh, THAT’s what it means to be Christian. That’s your vocation, dear families: to be icons of the Church. 

May the Holy Family aid all of our Christian families to live up to their vocation and help us all to be faithful to God amidst all of our trials for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

22nd Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Wednesday - The Kingdom of God

Yesterday, we heard in the Gospel how the Lord made the headquarters for his public ministry in Capernaum, and there he was wildly successful: evoking astonishment, perhaps even belief, and performing many healings, miracles, and exorcisms. But after not much time there, he tells the crowds that he must move on: “To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God”

What does that mean? What is the kingdom of God?

The kingdom of God is to replace the kingdom of Satan—the kingdoms—some petty, some grand—which Satan rules over in this world.

Jesus’ miracles and exorcisms are proof that God is at work to overthrow the kingdom of Satan. The demons are powerless to stop him. Illness is banished at a word. The dead are raised, like Jairus’ daughter. Jesus’ public ministry signals the inbreaking of the kingdom of God and the end of Satan’s reign over the earth and over souls.

The first reference to the kingdom of God in the Gospel of Luke occurs at the annunciation. The Archangel Gabriel explains to Mary of Nazareth that the son that she will bear “will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

The everlasting kingdom promised to David and proclaimed by the prophets is at hand is something new, something different from the temporal earthly kingdoms. In the Gospel of Luke, especially, we see the Lord going to the marginalized, the sick, the demon possessed, the poor, and even to women and children who had lower social status. The kingdom of God belongs to such as these. It is a kingdom where the mighty are cast down from their thrones, and the lowly are lifted up, the hungry are fed, and the rich are sent away empty.

We see Jesus also dining with sinners. Sinners, who sought their happiness in sin, too are invited to membership in the kingdom through repentance, to find their joy in God, and admitted to the kingdom through the redemptive suffering and death of Christ the King on the cross.

The kingdom of God preached by Jesus is the long-awaited reign of God over all time and space—a restoration of the order and justice of God disturbed by evil and sin—an end of evil and violence and slavery and destruction, suffering and sadness, and most of all death.

Through baptism we are made members of the kingdom of God, the bonds of sin and death are broken, but that entails responsibility on our part, to use our God-given freedom to continue the mission of gathering in the poor and the sinner to God’s kingdom for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - -  

As the month of August comes to an end, we pray for the virtue of humility, for the ability to repent of our sins, pray as we should, and seek God’s will over our own; for the grace and willingness to become instruments for the building up of the kingdom of God.

For an end to indifference  to God and human dignity in our government & educational institutions, businesses, and personal attitudes and for a flourishing of the Gospel in our land.

For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster, those who suffer from war, violence, and terrorism, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, and the imprisoned, for those who struggle to practice Christian chastity, for the comfort of the dying and the consolation of their families.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom; for the repose of the soul of Fr. Russ Lowe who will be buried today.

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

 

 

22nd Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Tuesday - A tale of two Galilean towns

 For the first nine weeks of Ordinary Time, the weekday Gospel readings are taken from the Gospel of Mark. And then for about 12 more weeks, the Gospels are taken from Matthew. From now until the end of the liturgical year, we read from the Gospel of Luke. 

Notice though, that we didn’t begin with Luke Chapter 1, we’ve skipped already to chapter 4, and that’s because those first four chapters of Luke are the infancy narratives and we read through those chapters throughout advent and Christmas. 

Our Ordinary Time reading of Luke begins with the beginning of the Lord’s public ministry.

Had we not celebrated the memorial of The Passion of St. John the Baptist, yesterday, we would have heard how the Lord’s public ministry began with rejection. He comes out of the desert, having fasted for 40 days, filled with the spirit, he goes to Nazareth, opens the scroll, begins to read how the prophecies of old are now being fulfilled in their midst, and he is driven out of town by his townsfolk, and they attempt to hurl him over a cliff.

So, today, we hear that the Lord decided to take his ministry to Capernaum—a distance of about 25 miles, the distance from downtown Cleveland to Akron or Madison. . Perhaps a week had passed since Nazareth. For the rejection at Nazareth took place in a synagogue on a sabbath, and today’s passage, which immediately follows, takes place, again, in a synagogue, on a sabbath. And the reaction to his teaching couldn’t have been more drastic.

Instead of rejection, like there was in Nazareth, in Capernaum there is astonishment, miracles, healings, and exorcisms. He is not driven to the edge of town, he is welcomed into a home in the heart of town, to the home of Simon, who will be later named Peter. A tale of two cities, a tale of two responses to Jesus—to his Gospel.

The reader of the Gospel is presented with an immediate choice: do I want to be like the people of Nazareth or the people of Capernaum. Do I drive Jesus from my midst through my sins and hard-heartedness, or do I welcome him and his Truth and become open to the healings and miracles and deliverance that he brings.

The people of Nazareth claimed to know him but really did not. Their familiarity had led them to contempt. People of faith, even life long Catholics, however, know a secret, that we can constantly rediscover Jesus anew, if we are honest in our spiritual lives, and welcome him deeper into the recesses of our lives and hearts.

Throughout the remainder of Ordinary Time, reading through St. Luke’s beautiful Gospel, may we allow the Lord to challenge us, teach us, heal us, and deliver us for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - -  

For the flourishing of spiritual gifts in the universal Church and our parish, for the sanctification of our parishioners, the conversion of the faithless, and the grace to be not just hearers of the word but doers of the word. 

For an end to indifference to the Gospel, to God and human dignity in our government & educational institutions, businesses, and personal attitudes.

For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster, those who suffer from war, violence, and terrorism, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, and the imprisoned, for those who struggle to practice Christian chastity, for the comfort of the dying and the consolation of their families. 

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

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

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2022 - The journey of Dante and Jesus

 This summer I have begun a bit of a journey—a literary journey. I’m taking a journey with the Poet Dante Alighieri—through his Divina Commedia---his Divine Comedy. I took the journey once before, back in undergrad, through the three books of La Commedia—Dante’s Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso—Dante’s Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven.

My guide through Dante that first time around was John Carrol professor, Dr. Thomas Nevin, who could brilliantly lecture to the very small group of us as if he were addressing a full auditorium. Dr. Nevin was also my latin professor who taught us the ancient language with great love and excitement.

This time through Dante’s Commedia, I have a small set of companion books, titled “Spiritual Direction from Dante” written by the Oratorian Priest Father Paul Pearson. And I’m really finding his commentary quite insightful and helpful. For the journey through the Commedia is complex, and steep, and confusing, and sometimes a bit horrific…just like life.

And that’s how the poem opens: with Dante, himself the main character in his epic poem, lost in a dark, bewildering forest. Life is sometimes like a dark, bewildering forest. And, it’s not always clear how we become lost or overwhelmed by life, is it? For Dante it was unclear to him if it was because he was having a midlife crisis, or that he had strayed off the path that God had wanted for him. And that can happen to any of us, you stray a little bit off God’s path; maybe you stop saying your daily prayers, stop coming to mass every week, maybe you allow a bad habit to get out of control, and you find yourself in a place that is wholly unfamiliar and confusing. 

So there is Dante, in the middle of his life, in this dark forest, and for a moment, he thinks he can find his way back on his own, so he makes his confused way through the forest, but soon comes across a pack of wild beasts—symbolizing the sins of his life—blocking his way. His struggle with his sins and his guilt keep him from finding his way.

But right when Dante sees this wolf of lust ready to pounce upon him, he detects someone in the distance, and desperately calls out for help: “Miserere di me…Mercy upon me, mercy”. 

With him in the dark woods was one of the poets of old, the Roman poet Virgil, who he had studied in his youth. Sometimes we need to remember the lessons of our youth, don’t we? Come to discover, Virgil had been sent to help Dante by the Blessed Virgin Mary. And Virgil was tasked with leading Dante on a journey:  a journey that would take him through the bowels of hell to witness the punishment of the damned, up the steep mountain of purgatory to witness the purification of the poor souls, and through the celestial realm of heaven to witness the reward of the saints basking in the glory of God. 

For Dante had become complacent about his sins. And so he needed to make the journey into hell to finally come to the understanding of the destructive power of sin. And to witness the glory of the blessed that he would forsake, if he allowed himself to be consumed by his sins. He needed to see how sin wounds the human mind, the human heart, and the human soul. We, too, often minimize the effects of sin. We say, “Sin isn’t that bad. It doesn’t hurt anybody.” False. We need to see sin from God’s perspective. Allowing sin to take root in one’s life leads to the sort of terrifying places dante will visit in the first stage of his journey. 

I bring up Dante’s journey, again, partially to tell you a bit about my summer spiritual reading, feel free to join me by the way, but also because of the opening line of today’s Gospel, on this 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time: “When the days for Jesus’ being taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem”

This line from late in Luke chapter 9 is the spiritual midpoint of St. Luke’s Gospel. Up until this point, Luke has told us of the miraculous events leading up to our Lord’s infancy, his glorious birth, and the infancy of his public ministry, the calling of the first apostles, his early teachings about holiness and discipleship, parables about the kingdom of God, and miraculous healings, like that of the Gerasene Demoniac. 

But today’s Gospel is the turning point in which the Lord “resolutely determines to journey to Jerusalem”. And the Lord is very well aware of what that journey will entail, the hostility he will face from his enemies—and how that journey will end—with betrayal, suffering, and death.

The reason Dante resolves to make the journey through Hell and Purgatory is not unlike the reason Our Lord resolves to make his journey to the cross. It is God’s will. And it will bring about salvation. Dante makes his journey to face and overcome the sins in his own life, that he may come to the reward of the Blessed. The Lord makes his journey, not for his own sake, but for ours: Jesus journeys to the cross to die for our sins and to win for us that grace to help us overcome the attachments to sin remaining in us which seek to reclaim us.

The english translation of today’s gospel says that the Lord “resolutely determines to journey to jerusalem”, though literally St. Luke’s Greek says, “he set his face to jerusalem” recalling the verse from the servant song of Isaiah that we hear on Ash Wednesday every year, “I have set my face like flint, that I shall not be put to shame.” Jesus, God’s chosen servant, made the conscious decision to make the uncomfortable journey---a  journey that would require courage, fortitude, perseverance, and longsuffering, fruits of the spirit that are to fill our lives as well.

Are you resolutely determined to journey to God? Is your set face like flint against the many resistances Christians inevitably face in the spiritual life? Will you do what you need  to do in order to make the journey? Will you have the courage to face your own sins honestly? to overcome the sins God wants you to overcome? Will you leave what is comfortable to obtain the sanctification God wants for you?

Dante was overwhelmed by that question. He almost fled in fear back into the forest and allowed himself to be devoured by the wild beasts. So Virgil, his guide, reasons with him, helping him to trust that God wants him to make the journey, that he needs to trust God, he needs to trust the Blessed Virgin who knows the state of Dante’s soul, his doubts, his confusion, and his longings.

You see, Dante had forgotten that God and the Blessed Virgin and the saints are on our side. They desire our salvation more than we do. They are on our side before we are, like the shepherd in search of the lost sheep before the sheep either knows it is lost or wants to be found. They want to help us face our sins, and to allow God to deliver us from them. 

“Follow me” the Lord beckons to each of us, as he did in the Gospel. Make the journey. For freedom’s sake, allow Christ to set you free, as St. Paul says in our second reading, free from our secret fears and our sins which keep us from being the people God made us to be, free to be zealous in doing good works and spreading the Gospel.

Guided by the Spirit, may we live by the Spirit, confident that God desires what is best for us, and through Mother Church teaches us to live by his commands and by his grace, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

October 18 2021 - St. Luke - The Holy Evangelist

 

St. Luke, as you likely know, was not one of the twelve apostles or one of the Lord’s original disciples; Luke was a Gentile convert.  He may be the only non-Jewish writer of any of the books of the entire Bible, of which he wrote two: his Gospel and the Book of Acts. Luke spoke and wrote classical Greek, but he could also converse and write in Hebrew, Aramaic and Hellenistic Greek. He was a linguist, and a very learned man, Paul calls him “the beloved physician” as he was trained in the science and medicine of his day.

The opening lines of his Gospel show his scientific attention to detail and also his love for Christ. He says, “many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events that have been fulfilled…but I have decided to investigate everything anew.” So Luke goes to the eyewitnesses of the Lord’s works and deeds: the apostles, perhaps mary Magdalene, martha and mary, zacchias, and cleopas who appear in his Gospel, perhaps even Our Lady, for Luke includes so many details from the Lord’s infancy not found in any other Gospel. 

A few years ago, an excellent film was released about St. Paul, titled, “Paul, Apostle of Christ”. The movie shows Luke, played by Jim Cavizel, is at the side of Paul who is in prison. In second Timothy, Paul explains that Luke alone came to his side while in prison. There Luke learns the details of Paul’s life, which he details in the Acts of the Apostles.

After the death of Paul, Luke wrote his Gospel and the Book of Acts, likely from Rome, then went on to spread his Gospel in Italy, Dalmatia, Gaul, Macedonia, and Egypt. In March of 84 AD, he was crucified to an olive tree in the city of Thebes, in central Greece.

Of all the passages from his Gospel, we read on his feast the passage of the sending of the 72 disciples. Luke recognized that the announcing of the kingdom, the spread of the Gospel, belongs not just to the Apostles, but to all who call themselves Christian. 

Luke was studious and meticulous with his narrative of Christ and the apostles. We, too, are to exercise care in how we speak to and write about others. We should be careful that we always "speak the truth in love." Luke was thorough and comprehensive, unwavering in his commitment to the truth. He didn't assume things. He carefully checked things out. Certainly an important lesson in this era of fake news. Luke was a learned man, as a physician and author. Likewise, Christians should cultivate their minds, seeking to educate ourselves, never assuming we already know everything. He was faithful to Paul as a trusted and loyal friend, standing by him in good times and bad. We, too, can aspire to this kind of faithfulness and loyalty. Most important, Luke was faithful to God, to Jesus, to His teachings and to the apostles.

In seeking holiness, we do well to cultivate our entire selves, mind, body, and heart, in order to place all that we have and all that we are in the service of the Gospel, like St. Luke, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - - - - - 

That all Christians may be faithful to their vocation to spread the Gospel in word and deed.

During this month of October, dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary, Catholics may take up this devotion with renewed vigor and trust in Our Lady’s never-failing intercession.

That on this feast of St. Luke, patron of medical doctors, all doctors may have a reverence for life, and for the conversion of all who do not believe.  

For all the sick and suffering, and for all those in hospitals, nursing homes, and hospice care, for all those who will die today, for their consolation and that 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 family, friends, and parish, for the deceased clergy and religious of our diocese, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. 

God of mercy, hear our prayers, ease the sufferings and comfort the weakness of your servants, and bring us to eternal life, through Christ our Lord.

25th Week in Ordinary Time 2021 - Friday - Praying in solitude

 

Two weeks ago Sunday, we heard St. Mark’s version of today’s Gospel. The first major difference in the two versions of the story, is that in Mark, Jesus’ questioning of his disciples about his identity occurs in the context of setting out for Caesarea Philippi--they are walking--they are on the move. In Luke’s Gospel, it occurs after the Lord had been praying in solitude. This is one of the hallmarks of the Gospel of St. Luke. The Lord is constantly engaging in prayer, often in solitude.

He prays immediately prior to his baptism. He prays prior to healing the paralyzed man. He prays before teaching his disciples the Our Father. And of course he goes off to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. And in today’s passage he prays before explaining that he is the Son of Man who must suffer and die.

Prayer, prayer in solitude, proceeds these profound moments in his ministry, moments in which something is revealed about Him. It’s as if he spends time drawing near to his Father, before he reveals something to us about his relationship with His Father. Kind of a beautiful feature of the Gospel of Luke, wouldn’t you say? 

St. Luke’s inclusion of this detail about prayer reminds us of the importance of prayer, of prayer in solitude. Yes, as Catholics we are constantly gathering together for prayer. Communal prayer is an essential dimension of our faith life. Our Lord of course gathers with others for prayer, even ritual prayer, like he does at the Last Supper.

But prayer in solitude is also an essential dimension of the Christian life. Prayer is necessary so we can draw great strength from our Baptismal identity. Prayer is necessary so we can receiving healing of those areas of our life in which we are paralyzed, and also so that we can bring healing to others. Prayer is needed so that we can grow in Trust that Our Father gives us our daily bread and seeks to deliver us from the Evil One. And prayer is necessary to help us carry our crosses, when it feels like our humanity trying to escape the difficult tasks God asks of us.

Prayer in solitude, where the heart truly reaches out to God, and the heart listens to God, is necessary every day. Following our Lord’s example, may prayer mark our days, and give us strength, understanding, and a deep and abiding knowledge of God’s love for us, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - - - -  

That the members of the Church may seek every deeper union with the Lord and surrender to the Divine Will through humble prayer. Let us pray to the Lord.

For an end to indifference to God and human dignity in our government and educational institutions, businesses, and personal attitudes.

During this month of September, dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, we pray for all those who grieve, and that we may grieve sufficiently for our sins.

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

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

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

22nd Week in Ordinary Time 2021 - Tuesday - Release from demonic captivity

 “Have you come to destroy us?” the demon asked.  Had Jesus come to destroy Satan and Satan’s kingdom?  Absolutely!  So Jesus commanded the demon to come out of the man it had been possessing, and it did. 

In Yesterday’s Gospel, standing in the synagogue of Nazareth, Jesus claimed that he had come to bring release to the captives. Who are the captives? Us! Those held captive by the powers of sin and death and immorality and the devil—powers which keep us from living in the freedom God designed for his children.

The kingdom of Satan is set up to enslave and to damn. Jesus enters into history, engages in his ministry culminating in his passion, death, and resurrection, to free and to save.

So throughout the Gospel of Luke, we see Jesus freeing people—freeing people from the powers that bind humanity: from hunger, disease, blindness, deafness, muteness, paralysis, fear and cowardice, pride, moral and theological error, from literal demons, and ultimately from death. 

When we encounter Jesus and place our faith in Him and walk in the light of his truth, we gain freedom. Sadly, we see so much of humanity still captive and captivated by the powers of Satan. And we know, too, that through our own personal sins, we have fallen again and again back into captivity. 

Which is why we continue to seek freedom from our own captivities through the cultivation of virtue, the reception of the Sacraments, and works of charity, and why we generously share the Gospel of freedom with others. 

Notice too how the unclean spirit afflicted this religious gathering, in the synagogue. So, too, the devil loves to cause trouble within the Church. It is a great victory for him, when he can cause sin and division within the church, in the church hierarchy, among priests, on the diocesan level, in parishes, and small groups in parishes, and families. And so at every level of the Church, we should pray for deliverance and protection from the works of darkness, we should invoke Our Lady, St. Joseph terror of demons, St. Michael, and intentionally work to fortify ourselves against Satan’s powers, that at every level of the Church we make know that freedom the comes from heaven, that we may be faithful to the mission given to us by Christ, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - - - -  

That all members of the Church, laity and clergy will be effective instruments for driving out demons and reclaiming souls for Christ.

For an end to indifference to God and human dignity in our government and educational institutions, businesses, and personal attitudes.

For resolution to the atrocities in Afghanistan, for the safety of our military and innocent bystanders, for captive Christians, and for an end to all terrorism.

For victims of extreme and inclement weather and those experiencing any kind of hardship or sorrow, isolation, addiction, or disease: may they know God’s deliverance, strength and peace 

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

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

22nd Week of Ordinary Time 2021 - Monday - When prejudices are challenged

 During Ordinary Time, we read on weekdays from the three Synoptic Gospels: first the Gospel of Mark for the first 10 weeks of Ordinary Time, then from Matthew for a good chunk of the year, and finally from St. Luke, which we begin today, on this Monday of the 22nd week of Ordinary Time. Notice, though, we begin a few chapters into Luke’s Gospel, skipping the infancy narratives and commencing with the beginning of the Lord’s public ministry around the age of 30, after his baptism and time in the Galilean desert. Filled with the Spirit, the Lord returns to his hometown, where he is rejected.

There in the synagogue of Nazareth, the Lord explains how the time is at hand for the Messiah to begin ushering in the new ear of human history, which the poor and downtrodden of God’s people will be raised up; the new and ultimate era of human history, where God’s people will radiate God’s glory to all nations is about to begin.

Initially, the Lord’s words are met with approval, but then when does it turn from approval to rejection? The Lord begins to explain that not only the Jews will be included in God’s kingdom, but Gentiles, like Naaman the Syrian and the widow of Zarephath as well. And this inclusion of the Gentiles filled with people of Nazareth with fury.

Their fury is something of a surprise because there were plenty of Old Testament texts that promised that the Gentiles would be included in God’s plan of salvation, and even that Israel’s restoration would occur with the help of Gentiles. Why were they so furious at this? Why did approval turn to rejection, in fact, an attempt to murder the messenger? 

Perhaps, it was due to Roman’s occupation of Israel at the time. Gentiles were the oppressor. In the not too distant past, Gentiles like the Greeks imposed harsh restrictions on Jewish life. Whatever the reason, this episode is a sort of preview for the Lord’s public ministry as a whole.

Most people will approve of large portions of the Lord’s message. But the whole message, especially the parts of the message that challenge my prejudices, that’s another story. The parts of the message that challenge me to change, the parts of the message that are critical of my vices and errors and biases, the parts of the message that call me to conversion, the parts of the message that claim our enemies aren’t as bad as we make them out to be,  we must be careful not to reject because we find them difficult. For to reject the message, we reject Him, and treat him like the citizens of Nazareth, running him out of town, ready to hurl him over a cliff.

Today and always may we accept and heed the whole Gospel, the whole Christ, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - - - - - 

For the flourishing of spiritual gifts in the universal Church and our parish, for the sanctification of our parishioners, the conversion of the faithless, and the grace to be not just hearers of the word but doers of the word..  

For an end to indifference to the Gospel, to God and human dignity in our government & educational institutions, businesses, and personal attitudes.

For resolution to the atrocities in Afghanistan, for the safety of innocent bystanders, for captive Christians, and for an end to all terrorism, for those effected by hurricane Ida, and for those experiencing any kind of hardship or sorrow, isolation, addiction, or disease: may they know God’s deliverance, strength and peace 

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

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

September 9 2020 - St. Peter Claver - Meet people where they are with the truth of the Gospel

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus gives his most famous sermon—on top of a mountain. For Matthew depicts Jesus like Moses who atop Mt. Sinai received the Law of the Old Covenant from God. Matthew tells us that Jesus gave this sermon to those who already had come to believe in him, a group of Jewish disciples. This sermon would detail how Christians were to conduct themselves as members of the Church—the New Israel. So Matthew depicts Jesus as the New Moses delivering the New Law to the New Israel.

In Luke, as we heard today, Jesus gives his first major sermon, not from the top of a mountain. In fact, St. Luke tells us that Jesus came down from the mountain, after a night of prayer, already having named his 12 apostles, and begins to teach a large crowd on a stretch of level ground, what is called, his Sermon on the Plain. Here Luke emphasizes that the Lord’s teachings are meant for all—not just those on top of the mountain, but all peoples, of all times, of all places are called to learn from Him and believe in Him.

He comes down the mountain into the lives of ordinary people. What a beautiful detail. For the Lord gives us here an example to follow. Our preaching is not meant just for inside the Church at Mass. That’s important of course. Good preaching at Mass from the ordained needs to shape and form and guide the people of God. But the Word of God, the Gospel, needs to be carried out into the world, down the mountain, on the same level as the ordinary folk.

Bishop Perez used to always say, we need to meet people where they are with the truth of the Gospel to invite them into the life of Christ. We meet people where they are, like Jesus, coming down from the mountain onto the plain. We need to share with them the truth of the Gospel. That doesn’t mean watering down or changing the Gospel, but it does mean using concepts they’ll understand, with attentiveness to the concrete details of their life, their struggles, challenges, worries, and hopes. And we need to invite them into the life of Christ. Yes we meet them where they are, but we are tasked with inviting them into something new—to conversion of mind, and heart, belief in Christ, and participation in the life of the Church.

And that’s not something, of course, that only the ordained or tasked with. The ordained are tasked with preaching at Mass. But the entire Church needs to be that presence of Christ out in the world, sharing the Gospel with unbelieving friends, neighbors, and strangers.

Today’s saint, Peter Claver, was a young Jesuit, who left his native spain, to live among the slaves of the new world. He cared for them, brought them medicine, food, bread, and other items that would help them survive in this new land, and of course, the Good news of the Gospel. He became a slave among the slaves. Sharing the Gospel in the world always means humbling ourselves, coming down and meeting people where they are, with the truth of the Gospel.

May we be faithful to this task today and all days, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - - - -  

That all Christians may be diligent in bringing the truth of the Gospel into every sphere of society, and for all those who harden their hearts toward God, for those who have left the Church, for all those in serious sin, for their conversion and the conversion of all hearts.

For our young people on their first day of school today, that they may be blessed with openness to the goodness and truth of the Gospel, for harmony in their classrooms despite this year's many challenges, and for peace in their families.

For an end to slavery, human trafficking, and all forms of inhumane oppression, for the protection and respect of human life.

For those whose lives are marked by suffering, illness, or grief, that they may find hope in the promises of Christ.

For the repose of the souls of the dead, for all of the souls of purgatory, and for N. for whom this mass is offered.

Heavenly Father, hear the prayers of your pilgrimage Church, grant us what we truly need to remain faithful to your Son in all things. Through Christ Our Lord.

22nd Week in OT 2020 - Friday - Inviting Souls to the Feast

Already having gained a number of disciples early on in his public ministry, the Lord attended a dinner in the house of Levi, also known as St. Matthew, a tax collector. And while at dinner in the house of Levi, some Pharisees and scribes begin to murmur about Jesus’ unconventional behavior—of dining with tax collectors and sinners. The word St. Luke uses to describe the Pharisees’ murmuring is the same word found in the book of Numbers, when the rebellious Israelites murmur and complain about the leadership of Moses out in the desert. 

When the Scribes and Pharisees then question the Lord, Jesus compares what he is doing in the house of Levi, and in his ministry, to a wedding feast. The Scribes and Pharisees, quite versed in the traditions of Israel, would no doubt have picked up on the messianic undertones of the Lord’s comparison. The age of the Messiah, the long awaited for final stage of human history, when the Lord’s Messiah would usher in the definitive kingdom of God—is scripturally linked to the wedding feast. And this allusion would not be missed by the Scribes and Pharisees. They would not have missed, that this unconventional itinerant preacher essentially just claimed to be the Messiah.

They would also not have missed the point of his analogy of putting new wine into old wineskins. New wine was also a Messianic image. Through the work of the Messiah, the Lord God would provide for his people rich food and choice new wines—juicy rich food and pure choice wines. 

We are in this final stage of human history. We are in the end times, when the most important thing we can do, is put our faith in Jesus Christ—this is the work of the Church, the task of every Christian—to invite souls to the wedding feast—to invite souls to Faith in Christ.

Some of the scribes and Pharisees would accept this invitation—many would not. And the same will happen in our age. Some will believe, and some will not. But we must be faithful, faithful stewards of the mysteries of God, as Paul writes in our first reading today. We will be judged, St. Paul says, on how faithful we are to this task. 

So may we fulfill this task joyfully, with great conviction in the promises of Christ, looking for ways and opportunities to bring Christ to those we meet and to bring those we meet to Christ, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - - - -  

That Christians may take up the task of evangelization with renewed conviction, with generosity and creativity, to spread the saving Gospel of Christ.

For an end to indifference to God and human dignity in our government and educational institutions, businesses, and personal attitudes.

During this month of September, dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, we pray for all those who grieve, and that we may grieve sufficiently for our sins.

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

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

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

4th Week of Lent 2018 - Friday - Fortitude in facing inevitable opposition

The turning point in the Gospel of Luke is when Jesus turns toward Jerusalem. In Luke, Jesus public ministry takes place throughout Galilee: preaching, teaching, and performing miracles over a three year period.

In the Gospel of john, Jesus is constantly going back and forth from Jerusalem. John records four visits to the Holy City, each filled with dramatic action.

His first visit takes place near the feast of Passover, as does his final visit. It’s on this first visit that Jesus drives the merchants and money-changers from the temple. Already in this first visit, many came to believe in Him, but many came to reject Him.

In his second visit, again at the time of a Jewish feast, Jesus heals the crippled man at the pool of Bethesda. His actions again are controversial, for he cures the man on the Sabbath, claiming the authority of God, to do so. For this, John tells us that the Jews tried to kill him all the more.

Today’s Gospel takes place on the third visit, this time near the feast of Tabernacles, around late September, early october. Though he was facing death threats, he knew his time had not yet come, but opposition and tension continues to mount when Jesus claims he is sent by God his Father to testify to the truth, and that the world hates him because the world hates the truth; truth exposes wickedness, bringing its darkness to light.

When the first reading from the book of Wisdom says that the righteous man is obnoxious to the wicked, it is certainly speaking about Jesus. He speaks the truth, he exposes lies and hard hearts, he shows the wicked to be debased in their ways, and so they revile him, they seek to silence Him, torture Him, and kill Him.

At the last supper, Jesus is going to remind his disciples that if the world hates them, remember that it’s because they hated him first.

Part of the Lenten fasting and penance is to toughen us up a bit, like soldiers in boot camp. We willingly undergo so hardship, knowing that the hardship the righteous man faces from the world is going to be greater. And if we can’t withstand a bit of fasting, how are we going to hold fast to the faith when we face real opposition.

Paul writes to Timothy, that all those who seek to live according to the righteousness of Jesus Christ will be persecuted. We may experience that resistance externally, in the form of opposition from the world, even from family members. Or we may experience that resistance internally, in the form of temptations, doubts, and anxiety. Probably both.

So may our Lenten observances help us: to grow in fortitude and courage--to remain steadfast in the face of inevitable opposition, that we may be instruments of his truth. May we know the closeness of the Lord who draws near to the righteous who cry out to Him for deliverance from evil for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
- - - - - - -

That God may be pleased to increase faith and understanding in the catechumens and candidates who approach the sacraments of initiation in the coming Paschal Solemnity.

That those in need may find assistance in the charity of faithful Christians and that peace and security may be firmly established in all places.

For strength to resist temptation, and the humility to sincerely repent of sin.

That through fasting and self-denial, we may be ever more conformed to Christ.

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

Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.

Tuesday - 26th Week of OT 2017 - Divine love shining through perfect humanity

Luke is the favorite gospel of many people. In fact, it has been called "the most beautiful book ever written". In elegant and articulate style, Luke gives the reader a powerful and emotional picture of  Christ. St. Luke presents Jesus as the Great Physician, healer of body and souls. More than any other Gospel writer, Luke calls Jesus “the Son of Man”, and not so much deemphasizes Jesus’ divinity, rather, shows Jesus’ divine love shining through his perfect humanity. Luke repeatedly shows Jesus’ compassion for the poor, the needy, the sick, the sorrowing, the sinful women rejected by society, the despised Samaritans, tax collectors, beggars, lepers, and even the dying thief, crucified at his side.

In the early infancy narratives, Luke sets the tone for much of the Gospel: Jesus’ birth is met by thanksgiving, rejoicing, and prayer by some, yet there is also clear foreshadowing, that Jesus will be rejected and will suffer.

After the infancy narratives, after years of the hidden quiet life in Nazareth, Jesus embarks on his public ministry, announcing the coming of the kingdom of heaven, which is marked by miracles of healing and powerful preaching. Today’s short passage is the turning point in the Gospel. From his public ministry through Galilee, Jesus resolutely turns to journey to Jerusalem, he sets his face to journey to suffering and death.

For the rest of the Gospel, much of what Jesus says and does is in reference to what will happen when he gets to Jerusalem, the meaning and importance of what he does there.

And, there in Jerusalem, Jesus fulfills the prophecy we heard in the first reading from the prophet Zechariah: “Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem”. That prophecy is fulfilled in the celebration of the Mass, where men and women of every race and tongue stream to Jerusalem, to the foot of the cross, where the love of God and the goodness of God are made manifest. The divine physician brings healing at the Eucharist, “the Son of Man’s” divinity shines through his perfect humanity in his self-giving on the cross and in the Eucharist.

It is at the Eucharist that compassion is shown to the poor, those rejected by society are gathered in, the repentant sinner is shown mercy. The celebration of Holy Mass is the gathering of all nations on that Holy Mountain, at which the Lord wipes away tears from all faces, who gathers and mends all of broken humanity, and feeds the hungry with the richest of foods.

Let us turn resolutely to the Lord who goes to the cross for us, who embraces suffering and death for us, who feeds us with his body and blood, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - - - - -
 
For the holy Church of God, that the Lord may graciously watch over her and care for her.

For the peoples of all the world, that the Lord may graciously preserve harmony among them.

For all who are oppressed by any kind of need, that the Lord may graciously grant them relief, especially the victims of the mass shooting in Las Vegas and their families.

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of October: That all workers may receive respect and protection of their rights, and that the unemployed may receive the opportunity to contribute to the common good.

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

O 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.