January 26 2024 - Sts. Timothy & Titus - "God did not give us a spirit of cowardice"

Following the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul yesterday, today we commemorate two of Paul’s closest co-workers in the vineyard of the Lord: Saints Timothy and Titus.  

Sometimes, when we think of St. Paul, we think of him single-handedly converting Asia Minor and Greece, but not so. Paul had friends, coworkers, companions. 

On his second missionary journey, Paul recruited young Timothy from his native town of Lystra in Asia Minor. Timothy received training as an apostle as he accompanied Paul. 

The book of Acts, chapter 16, tells us “Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him…As they went from town to town, they delivered the decisions handed down by the apostles and presbyters in Jerusalem for the people to obey. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.” Later, Paul sends Timothy on important apostolic missions to Thessalonica, another to Corinth. And when Paul was imprisoned for his witness to Christ, Timothy stayed at Paul’s side, until he was sent to Ephesus to be Bishop of that place.

Titus was a gentile disciple and close friend of Paul, also accompanying and assisting Paul in his missionary activity.  Titus was with Paul at the Council of Jerusalem, and when Paul was having trouble with the community at Corinth because of community division, erroneous faith and rampant immorality, Paul sent Titus bearing his letter to the Corinthians, and Titus embraced them with the love of the true pastor’s heart.  This was probably one reason, why Paul felt so assured at naming Titus bishop of Crete, which was also riddled with error. He too would be martyred--beheaded by his adversaries in Crete in AD 97.

As they shared in the missionary activity of the Church, Timothy and Titus now share a feast day, reminding us all that we share our work in the vineyard of the Lord, and we are to draw courage from their examples. As we heard in Paul’s second letter to Timothy: “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God.”

What is that holy work that I would do for God if I weren’t afraid—afraid of hardship, afraid of the judgment of the worldly, afraid of suffering? What fears or worldly vices are keeping me from drawing strength from God, from being filled with his holy power and divine love? What do I need to say no to, in order to say yes to God? To draw upon the image from the Gospel, what are the mustard seeds that I am called to plant, so God can bring about flourishing in the Church?

Through the holy example and heavenly intercession of Saints Timothy and Titus and the whole communion of saints, may we know the strength that comes from God in bearing our own share of hardship for the Gospel, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That our bishops in union with the Pope, may share a profound zeal for faithful preaching and teaching, stirring up the flame of faith in the life of the Church. Let us pray to the Lord.

That our parish may build up missionary disciples equipped for working together for the spread of the Gospel. Let us pray to the Lord.

For the conversion of all hardened sinners and all persecutors of the faith and those in error, that the Lord may touch their hearts and remove the blindness from their eyes. Let us pray to the Lord.

For all who have suffered as a result of violence or abuse, all of the sick and suffering, especially victims of natural disaster, poverty, and addiction, may they be comforted and supported by God’s healing love. Let us pray to the Lord.

For our departed loved ones and all of the souls in purgatory, and for N. for whom this Mass is offered. Let us pray to the Lord.

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

Sexagesima Monday 2023 - Encouragement in times of hardship

At Mass yesterday, I reflected upon how the Sexagesima readings help us to prepare well for the season of Lent. Like the good soil that bears fruit 100 fold, we are to make our souls fertile soil for conversion—for the Word of God to take ever deeper root—through our Lenten prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. And, as Paul describes his endurance of so many hardship in the epistle, we too are to willingly embrace the burden of Lenten penance for the good of the Church.

I’d like to reflect a little more this evening on the resistance Paul faced; for Paul faced tremendous resistance from the powers of the world, and even from the devil: imprisonments, beatings, the machinations of false Christians, temptations of the flesh, and temptations to forsake his mission.

The work of the Lord will always be marked by hardship. I came across a quote today in my Legion of Mary handbook from a Mother Janet Stuart, general superior at the turn of the century of the Society of the Sacred Heart. She writes  “If you look to Sacred History, Church History, and even to your own experience, you will see that God’s work is never done in ideal conditions, never as we should have imagined or chosen.” We might fantasize about spreading the Gospel in a more ideal setting, but this is it. In the wake of Vatican II, and the crumbling of American Society, with boundless political corruption, fallen away Catholics in our own families, this is it. We don’t choose the times in which we live. 

Many Christians are paralyzed in fear of all of the hardships of our modern day. 

How did Paul avoid paralysis with all of the hardships he faced? What kept Paul from despair? No doubt, Paul’s faith, was one source. His encounter with the Lord on the road to Damascas, likely gave him near unshakeable faith, to the point where he says, woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel of Christ’s risen from the dead. When facing despair, we do well to make an act of faith in Christ, who is truly with his Church until the end of time. “Bear your share of hardship with the strength that comes from the Gospel” Paul wrote to his coworker Timothy. Taking the Gospel ever more deeply to heart will always strengthen us.

No doubt, Paul’s coworkers also encouraged him through those hardships. He saw the sufferings his fellow apostles willingly bore, and that strengthened him. The faith of the Christian communities also encouraged him. Of the Philippian Christians he wrote, “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.” As a pastor, when I think of the spiritual progress, and the growth in good works here at St. Ignatius, I am filled with similar encouragement and gratitude. I’ve said it before, when I see young Catholic families serious about living out the faith, that strengthens me too.

So we should take heart from the faith that we do see exhibited by our fellow Catholics.

Paul, finally, was a man of prayer. Pray without ceasing, Paul teaches. No doubt, from his prayer life, he developed that trust in God’s help, to the point where he can say in all honesty, Lord, your grace is sufficient, even in my weaknesses I am made powerful by your grace.

May we like Paul find great encouragement in our prayer life as well, that in the face of our many hardships we may be faithful to our share in the church’s mission for the glory of God and salvation of souls

5th Week of Easter 2022 - Tuesday - Facing fears for the kingdom

In second Corinthians, Paul says: “Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked”. The events in the acts of the apostles reading today, being stoned—almost to death-- while preaching in Lystra, is probably the stoning he was referring to. 

How easily we give up when we face resistance. We give up on a prayer commitment because we find ourselves more tired than we expected. We give in to temptation because it's just easier to give in than to fight it. Sometimes we don't get involved in a church endeavor because of the sacrifice it entails.

But, slander, rejection, physical assault, the threat of death did not stop the apostles. After being stoned almost to death, you might expect Paul to relax his mission. But Paul gets up, brushes himself off, and goes to preach in the next town. 

And then, amazingly, heroically, after preaching in Derbe, Paul returned to Lyrstra, probably still bruised and aching from the stoning—maybe with a broken rib, a split lip, not to mention the memory of the anger and hatred spewed at him. 

We avoid talking about our faith because it might create an awkward silence, Paul faced death over and over again for the Gospel.  

“It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.” Some of us won’t bear a single hardship, let alone many. Lord have mercy on us.

Sorry Lord, too much work. I gotta watch my summer baseball. Lies, we tell ourselves to avoid hardships. But our lives our sadder for those lies, less joyful, because they keep us from the meaningful work God desires for us. 

What are the hardships I avoid? What are the lies I tell myself to avoid those hardships? What are the secret fears that I have failed to bring to the Lord which leads me to justify those lies?

“Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid,” the Lord says in the Gospel. Why is the Lord so concerned about our anxiety and fear? Because they keep us from life, they keep us from carrying our crosses and facing those hardships for the work God wants for us, and thus deprive us of the sanctity and joy God has in store for us. 

“Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid,” means doing our part to face those fears, to overcome those anxieties, and allowing grace to do the rest.

We place our hands confidently in the hands of the Lord today, trusting him to help us face our fears, to shed light upon our self-deceits, to give us courage and fortitude for the work of the Gospel, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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God the Father was glorified in the death and resurrection of his Son. Let us pray to him with confidence.

God the Father bathed the world in splendor when Christ rose again in glory, may our minds be filled with the light of faith.

Through the resurrection of His Son, the Father opened for us the way to eternal life, may we be sustained today in our work with the hope of glory.

Through His risen Son, the Father sent the Holy Spirit into the world, may our hearts be set on fire with spiritual love.

May Jesus Christ, who was crucified to set us free, be the salvation of all those who suffer, particularly those who suffer from physical or mental illness, addiction, and grief.

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.

May 22 2019 - St. Rita of Cascia - Remaining faithful throughout hardship

Jesus in the Gospel says, those who remain in me will bear much fruit. St. Rita, remained in Christ throughout her difficult marriage and the austerity of religious life.

St. Rita is a truly remarkable figure in the history of the church and the history of the saints. She was born in Umbria in 1381. From an early age she wanted to become a nun, a religious dedicated entirely to God. But her parents had other plans for her. They wanted her to marry, and so she did; she obeyed her parents’ insistence and married at a young age. But her husband turned out to be cruel and harsh and the marriage was very difficult, Rita’s only consolation during these years was God; she united herself often, in prayer, to Christ’s sorrowful passion.

After 18 years of a difficult, abusive marriage, her husband, got himself killed in a brawl. When her two sons vowed to avenge their father's murder, she feared for their souls. She tried to persuade them to let go of their anger, but to no avail, they began to plot a murder.

So she prayed, and she petitioned God to prevent her sons from sinning and losing their souls, even if it meant that they lost their earthly life. And it so happened that the sons developed fatal cases of dysentery; however, before they died, they were reconciled to God, repentant of their hatred.

Free from earthly ties, St. Rita entered the Augustinian nuns in the nearby town of Cascia. She became renowned for her austerity, devotion, prayer, and charity; and for her patience in long-standing illness, she received visions from heaven and the stigmata—a wound resembling the crown of thorns on her forehead, which she bore until her death, which occurred on May 22, 1457.

“Those who remain in me will bear much fruit”. St. Rita remained faithful when the world told her to be unfaithful. And because of her faithfulness, because she remained in Christ, she won the grace of repentance for her sons, she progressed in holiness, which blossomed into deep mystical union with Christ.

Jesus too says, the prayers of those who remain in him will be heard and granted. St. Rita’s prayers were likely so effective throughout her life because of her holiness and perseverance. She has been invoked as one of the patron saints of impossible causes for many centuries because her prayerful intercession in heaven continues to be greatly effective.

May we take her example of faithful long-suffering to heart, may we persevere in our own prayers for the conversion of fallen away family, friends, and neighbors, in our own life, and benefit, too, from Rita’s heavenly intercession, especially in those most impossible of cases, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That Christians may grow in grace by uniting their sufferings to the Sufferings of Christ and know God’s presence with them in their sufferings.
For all those in difficult or abusive marriages, that the Lord will protect victims of abuse and bring healing and reconciliation where it is possible.
That all young people may come to value discipleship of Jesus Christ above all earthly pursuits, be preserved from sin, and grow in grace and holiness.
For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life, and for a strengthening of all vocations of service.
For all those impossible cases which only the grace of God can remedy.
For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for all of the pour souls in purgatory, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

January 4 2018 - St. Elizabeth Ann Seton - "Behold the Lamb of God"

We hear John the Baptist calling out in the Gospel today “Behold the Lamb of God”. This is certainly a call that echoes throughout the Christmas season. Shepherds and Wise men travel to the manger to behold him; Simeon in the Temple expressed that he might die in peace now that he has gazed upon the Messiah.

Elizabeth Seton was born, not a Catholic, but was the daughter of a very wealthy Episcopalian family from Manhattan, New York.  She married a wealthy businessman at the age of 19, and raised 5 children in wealthy New
York social circles. Stress over bankruptcy and his ongoing tuberculosis led to her husband’s early death.

Widowed and destitute, Elizabeth was taken in by an Italian family. Their deep faith and charity impressed her, and despite stern opposition from her Episcopalian acquaintances, Elizabeth was received into the Church.

Here’s a woman who became Catholic and ultimately a saint because she was treated with great kindness by Catholics at a moment of great tragedy—by ordinary Catholics who were simply living their faith with deep devotion to the Eucharist.

The Opening Collect prayer referred to Saint Elizabeth’s “burning zeal to find God”. She found him, she was able to behold him, because she was shown him by ordinary Catholics. So we must never underestimate the power of our simple witness, caring for people when they fall on down times, sharing our faith with them. The dynamic of Christianity is that others show Jesus to us, that we may show him to others.

If St. Elizabeth can come to Behold the Lamb of God in the hardships of her life—widowhood, a destitute single-mother—we can surely come to Behold Christ too, in the chaos of our own lives. St. Elizabeth said with confidence: “Into whatsoever state of blindness or obscurity I may fall, in whatever ignorance of God’s ways I may chance to be, if I seek out God in the simplicity of my heart, I will surely find Him.”

St. Elizabeth found the face of the Savior, and continued to find God anew by devoting her life to a life of charity, particularly the education of immigrants.

“Behold the Lamb of God” is an invitation to look to Jesus amidst the chaos, amidst the hardship, amidst the temptation and sins of our life, and to find in Him our salvation, our freedom, and our peace, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all Christians may grow in charitable attentiveness to the needs of the poor in our midst.
That all those searching and longing for Christ may find him through the witness of His Holy Church.
Through the intercession of Mother Seaton, that all teachers, may share their knowledge with gentleness, patience, and concern for their students. 
For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, immigrants and refugees, victims of natural disaster, war, and terrorism, for all those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, for their comfort, and the consolation of their families.
For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.
Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord