Homily: Monday - 4th Week in OT 2017 - Realization of what is hoped for

Our first reading today is the concluding 8 verses of Hebrew chapters 11. Hebrews 11 is a special chapter, it has been called “the Bible’s great chapter on faith.” For Hebrews 11 begins with that beautiful definition of faith: “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” Faith is the conviction of the truthfulness of God’s Word, it is staking our lives on his promises, and manifesting in our lives that his promises are real.

After giving this powerful definition of faith, Hebrews 11 gives a sort of roll call of characters—highlighting the great men and women of faith from Israel’s history: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham and Sarah, and Moses.  Our passage today begins saying that if he had time, the author could how faith was heroically manifested in the lives of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David and Samuel.

God did amazing things through their faith, toppling enemy kingdoms, closing the mouths of lions, turning back foreign invaders, raising the dead.

Whenever we celebrate a saint’s feast day, you know how I love to go into some detail about how faith was lived heroically in the life of the saint. That tradition of meditating on the great characters of faith is evident right here in scripture itself. We’re to be mindful of these great figures because they inspire and challenge to us; they help us to trust that when we respond generously and courageously to the invitation of faith, God does mighty things.

After listing those well-known characters and stories, our passage this morning spoke of “the others”—the nameless faithful, who are known simply for their faith.  Since Hebrews is addressed to those early Jewish converts to Christianity, the mockery and scourging endured certainly could refer to the Maccabean martyrs or the prophet Jeremiah, who was mocked, scourged, beaten, and repeatedly imprisoned. The passion of Our Savior certainly is evoked, as are the sufferings endured by St. Paul. Recall how this letter was written first to those converts who were experiencing similar trials.

Faith is not always easy. How easy it is to doubt God’s providence, particularly when we suffer. How easy it is in the moment of temptation to belittle the importance of faith. But if this chapter teaches us anything, and if the lives of the saints teach us anything is that obedient reliance on God during times of trial can accomplish mighty things.

May our faith be strong this day; may the faith of those heroic men and women from the scriptures and the saints impel us to offer our lives as living sacrifices to the glory of God and salvation of souls. 

That Christians everywhere may grow in the practice of the virtue of faith, firmly believing and living all that God has revealed.

That Christians everywhere may grow in the practice of the virtue of hope, enduring their trials and temptations trusting in the promises of God.

That Christians everywhere may grow in the practice of the virtue of charity, manifesting God’s love through concrete acts of service and compassion to those in need.

For all those who doubt the existence of God, for all those who despair of God’s love, for all those who have fallen away from the Church, for all those who have fallen into mortal sin, for the healing and conversion of all hearts in Christ.

During this Catholic Schools week, for all young people, for their teachers and catechists and parents who are the first teachers of the faith, and that the truth of the faith may be learned, cherished, and practiced in every Catholic school and Christian home.

Homily: Jan 27 2017 - St. Angela Merici - "Endurance to do the will of God"

On the east side of our church’s front entrance there is a stained glass window of today’s glorious Saint, St. Angela Merici. Her window faces the old parish convent which housed the Ursuline Sisters who were the first teachers here at our parish school.

Many of you here today, were taught by the sisters, whose order was founded by St. Angela back in 1535. Deeply concerned for the neighborhood children, especially their lack of religious training, St. Angela, took it upon herself to give regular instruction to the young neighborhood girls.  She was soon joined by another dozen women who shared her concerns and ideals. She began her holy work in her late 50s, and at the time of her death at the age of 65 there were 24 communities of Ursulines.
Here is a woman who had a deep love for Christ and a concern for souls, who saw a pressing need, and who did something about it, which has changed the world. She didn’t just wring her hands in the face of a problem

She really was a tough woman. Legend has it that, as she made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land she was suddenly struck blind. Despite this malady, she continued her pilgrimage, and was cured of her blindness while praying before the crucifix.

No doubt she exemplified the words from our reading from the letter to the Hebrews: “You need endurance to do the will of God and receive what he has promised.” Endurance is needed to persevere in the type of prayer we need to sustain us in the Christian life. Endurance is needed to persevere in the tasks God has given us. Endurance is needed to remain faithful in the face of temptations. But that endurance leads to great graces, and the inheritance of life eternal.

May we, like St. Angela, be attentive to the needs of our community, especially the younger generation who are yet to be formed fully in the faith, may we trust in the Lord amidst unforeseen maladies, and persevere with endurance in the face of temptations for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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1) That all Christians may be courageous and generous in serving the Lord according to their abilities.

2) For the members of the Order of St. Ursula, through the intercession of their patron, St. Angela, may they be sustained and sanctified in their holy service. For an increase in vocations to consecrated life.

3) For all students, that the Spirit of God may grant them the gifts of wisdom and understanding.  For all teachers, that they may share their knowledge with gentleness, patience, and concern for their students.  And For parents, the first teachers of their children, that their faith and love may be an example to us always.  We pray to the Lord.

4) For all those who lack faith, that they may learn to seek God’s wisdom in coming to know Jesus as Lord.  We pray to the Lord.

5) For the safety of those traveling to Washington for the March for Life, for the success of their holy witness, for the safety of the unborn, an end to abortion, and the conversion of hearts to the Gospel of Life.

Homily: Monday - 2nd Week of OT 2017 - Struggling vines make better wines

There is an old Italian saying, “struggling vines make better wines.”  Grape vines that struggle, that have to work hard, generally result in a better quality grape which will produce a better quality wine. 

It’s sort of counter-intuitive. You’d think that the vine that could simply relax in a restful vineyard, in well-tilled soil would grow plump-juicy berries, but no. Vines will produce grapes of greater character, and richness, when they have to struggle through slate, and sand, and rock, and tree.

Similarly, in the Christian life. Luxury, decadence, and comfort often produce rather mediocre, and likely deficient Christians. The person who has to strive and suffer and work for an object, typically tends to value that object more than the person who does little or nothing to obtain a thing. Suffering for a thing produces a deeper desire and appreciate for a thing.

The Letter to the Hebrews today speaks of the suffering of Jesus the High Priest. He suffered to obtain eternal salvation for us. Consider how much God must love us, in order to suffer unfathomable suffering for us.

We also see the suffering in the lives of the martyrs and saints. They are willing to embrace suffering, torture, imprisonment, and death, in order to obtain the eternal life the High Priest won for us.

To grow in our own desire for the Lord, the saints by word and example teach us to fast and offering up our own suffering.

Fasting. Fasting is counter-intuitive as well, isn't it? If food was made by God, and God made our bodies to desire and hunger for food, why would we ever deprive ourselves of it? For one, Fasting toughens us up like those struggling vines. Intentional fasting deepens our hunger for God.To fast from physical food is an act of faith, that spiritual food and reliance on God is more valuable. “When we fast, our body prays”

Likewise, the sufferings of every day life, can become an occasion to unite ourselves with the Lord who suffered. From papercuts and mosquito bites to the ravages of cancer and the death of a loved one, being ignored, cut-off, criticized, or demeaned; these occasions of sufferings can become occasions for grace when we become mindful in our suffering of the one who can bring good out of the greatest suffering. We do offer up our suffering with little prayers like, “Use this pain, Lord, for the salvation of my brother, my country, my soul."

Today our nation recognizes Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, as a civic hero, a man who suffered for the sake of justice and peace. On this day, let us consider how we are called to suffer and labor for righteousness for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

For Pope Francis and all Church leaders: that their example and service may lead others to Christ and bind the Church in greater unity

For our next President and his administration: that the Lord may give them the strength for effective dialogue aimed at healing the deepest roots of the evils in our world. ….Let us pray to the Lord.

For the Church, that we may be a witness to Christ's love by practicing charity and promoting justice and peace throughout the world, that the values of our faith may guide us as we exercise our civic responsibilities.

For all civic leaders that they might find ways to bring an end to war and violence, and promote peace and development for all nations.

For the seminarians preparing for priestly service in our diocese: that they may persevere in their studies and preparation for ministry.

For all the needs of the sick and suffering…

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead…

Homily: Friday - 1st Week in OT 2017 - Strive to enter into God's rest

Both yesterday and today, the author of the letter to the Hebrews quotes the beloved 95^th Psalm.  The Psalm is prayed daily at the very beginning of the Liturgy of the Hours in what is called the invitatory prayer. It is a beautiful psalm to begin the day with, for it contains so many themes and lessons important to the spiritual life: the importance of coming before God to worship, of singing his praise and giving thanks for the beauty of creation and his governance over it, as we reflected upon yesterday, the importance of not hardening our hearts against God’s commandments, and today we hear about the promise of entering into God’s rest.

The author to the Hebrews quotes Psalm 95 as a warning to the early Jewish-Christians, and to the Church of all ages to not grow weary in our witness to Jesus. 

The first reading ended with this powerful play-on-words, “strive to enter into God’s rest”, in other words, “work hard to enter into rest.”

After 40 years wandering in the desert, the promise of rest was taken very seriously by the Israelites. In the Promised Land of Canaan, the land flowing with milk and honey, the Israelites would be able to "rest" from the labors of Egyptian slavery and desert wandering.

God’s rest is spoken of at the very beginning of the Scriptures. In Genesis we read of God Himself resting from his labors on the 7^th day of creation. God’s people are called to enter into that Sabbath rest every week. Sometimes this requires real work in making sure that Sunday, the Lord’s day is a special day dedicated to God.

The Church fathers also saw this Sabbath “rest” as a foreshadowing of eternal life with Jesus Christ. We do well to work hard to enter into that rest, by striving to observe all that Our Lord commands, particularly the spiritual and corporal works of mercy and making use of the gifts of the spirit for the spread of the Gospel and building up of the Church.

When Augustine said, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in God” he recognized the importance of making God the center of our life. That when we are simply living for ourselves we will always be unhappy, unfilled, lacking real peace. To live selfishly we will never experience the rest of God.

“Let us strive to enter into that rest” for the Glory of God and salvation of souls.

That the Lord’s Day may be a day of rest and joy for the Church.
For Catholics who do not attend Sunday Mass, for those who have fallen away from the Church, for their return to the Sacraments, we pray to the Lord.
For a deeper commitment to the works of mercy and use of God’s spiritual gifts.
For all those who labor for the good of their family and country, that they may know God’s just rewards.

Homily: 1st Week in OT 2017 - Tuesday - Fix your eyes on Jesus

Until the beginning of February, the first readings on normal weekdays will be taken from the Letter to the Hebrews.  The Church does not know who wrote the letter to the Hebrews; for many years, a certain verse of chapter 13 seemed to point to Saint Paul, but the jury is still out. Nevertheless, the letter has been esteemed by the Church since the beginning; quotations from it appearing in the Church fathers as early as Pope St. Clement I, one of Peter’s earliest successors at the end of the first century.

This Letter is addressed “to the Hebrews”; that is to the converts from Judaism to Christianity. So when we read this letter, familiarity with the religious world of our Jewish-Christian ancestors is an important key to unlocking many of this letter’s theological and spiritual insight.

Very early on the Jewish Christians were persecuted for their new belief in Jesus Christ. The letter itself states: they "endured mockery, scourging, even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, sawed in two, put to death at sword's point". With any persecution, there is the temptation to abandon the faith. So the author of Hebrews writes to encourage the persecuted to persevere in their faith and even to accept martyrdom. For Jesus had already won an irreversible, total, final victory over all the persecutors of the faith

We hear today, the author encouraging the persecuted to keep their eyes fixed on Jesus. The world persecutes you and persecutes the Church, so fix your eyes on Jesus! See him, victorious over sin and death! As baptized we share in his victory! So amidst all the mockery, torture, imprisonment, and trial. Fix your eyes on Him!

When we keep our gaze fixed on the Lord, we begin to be filled with his strength, his patience, his generosity, his submission to the Father’s will.

During peaceful times, ordinary time, we do well to build up the habit of focusing on Christ, so that when the storms of life hit, instead of focusing so much on the storm, we focus on the one who gives us power to overcome the storm.

We do this by building up habits of reading, reflecting, and praying with the Scriptures, seeing the life of Jesus lived out in the lives of the saints, kneeling in prayerful adoration before the tabernacle or the monstrance, and serving Him in the poor through charitable service.

In the words of our patron Saint Clare: “Gaze upon Him, consider Him, contemplate Him, as you desire to imitate Him.” For the glory of God and salvation of souls.

For the grace to faithfully endure our earthly trials. We pray to the Lord.
For the grace to encourage those who are overwhelmed by the storms of life and to give hope to the hopeless. We pray to the Lord.
For the grace to love the poor and afflicted with the heart of Christ. We pray to the Lord.