14th Week in OT 2018 - Friday - Cunning as Serpents, Innocent as Doves

If you’ve ever done a bible study of the Gospel of Matthew, one of the first things you study about Matthew is that it has a very identifiable structure. It can be split up into five parts, likely as Matthew’s way of reminding his Jewish audience of the five books of Moses, showing them that Jesus brings to fulfillment all Moses said and did. Well, these five parts of Matthew can each be divided into two smaller parts, the first part communicating the narrative of the Gospel, the story, the action, the miracles of Jesus’ ministry throughout the Holy Land. And then, after each narrative part, Jesus gives a teaching or discourse, instructions for his followers.

For example, the first part of Matthew’s Gospel contains the narrative of Jesus’ baptism, and going out into the desert to fast and to face the devil, and coming out of the desert to perform healing miracles in Capernaum. He then gives his most famous discourse: the Lord Jesus a mountain, and gives his famous sermon, his sermon on the mount, the new Law for his followers, like Moses having ascending Mt. Sinai, to receive and then deliver the Commandments of the Law to Israel.

Today’s passage is from the second major part of Matthew’s Gospel, the second discourse. In this discourse Jesus has been giving instructions to the Apostles. He instructs them to go throughout Galilee, to heal, to cast out demons, as he has been doing. The Apostles are tasked with proclaiming the Gospel and showing it’s authenticity through signs. But then Jesus gives a warning, that warning, we hear today: he is sending them out as sheep amidst the wolves. There will be wolves who will persecute them, who will silence them, who will even seek to kill them because of the Gospel.

That’s a divine promise that we see come to pass in the Acts of the Apostles and in every age of the Church: the Church is hated, the Church is persecuted, the Church is silenced by those whose hearts are still hardened to the message of Jesus. Parma, the Diocese of Cleveland, the United States is wolf-infested territory.

So Jesus instructs the Apostles and instructs us: “be shrewd, be cunning as serpents, and simple, innocent, gentle as doves” Most of us are one or the other. We are either very cunning, or very innocent. One theologian said, “Without innocence, cunning becomes manipulative; without cunning, innocence becomes naivety…the finely balanced character…reflects that of Jesus himself”.  After all, Jesus was cunning in dealing with the Pharisees, in forming his disciples, but also innocent, of all malice, of all sin.

To become cunning as serpents, we train our minds in the Word of God, in the writings and examples of the saints, and be shrewd in dealing with those who oppose the Gospel, who don’t always work for the good of the Church.

To become innocent as doves, we train our hearts to trust God in all things, to hate sin, to love our neighbor with abundant generosity, peacemaking, and gentleness, and to not be hardened when we face difficulty or persecution. May we imitate the Lord’s own cunning and innocence for the spread of the Gospel for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all bishops and clergy will lead the Church in faithfulness to the Gospel mandate and in the practice of every Christian virtue.

For all those who have fallen away from the Church, those who have fallen into serious sin, for their conversion, and the conversion of all hearts.

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of July: That priests, who experience fatigue and loneliness in their pastoral work, may find help and comfort in their intimacy with the Lord and in their friendship with their brother priests.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, for all those recovering from or undergoing surgery today, and for the consolation of the dying.

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

July 6 2018 - St. Maria Goretti - Lover of Chastity

Maria Goretti was eleven years old, when she died in defense of her chastity on July 6 1902.  She was canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1950, and it is the first time in history that the mother of a saint was present at the canonization. 

One of the men who had worked with her father, 19 year old Alexander Serenelli, had made several attempts to seduce young Maria.  Her refusal so angered him that he threatened to kill her, which he eventually did, stabbing her 14 times.  Maria died in the hospital after forgiving her murderer. 
It is said that "Even if she had not been a martyr, she would still have been a saint, so holy was her everyday life".  God is invoked in the collect for her feast as the “author of innocence and lover of chastity.”

Chastity is a virtue to be practiced by all Christians, and St. Maria Goretti is a model of this virtue for us. Even at the age of 11 Maria knew that giving in to seductive advances outside of marriage is sinful. Maria would always rebuked the advances of the young man, telling him that God forbids the sinful actions which could lead to the damnation of their souls.

Maria had a rightly formed conscience. Her parents brought her to Church. Instructed her in the virtues. She was very pious. Her faith rightly guided her. So many of our young people have no guidance save for what they see on the internet. Sex before marriage and cohabitation are commonplace. But that doesn’t make them right.

Even when the young boy tried to wear down her conscience through multiple attempts to seduce her, she remained strong. Even when there was the threat of death, she remained courageous. Our young people, and all Christians need fortitude and courage in resist the constant and relentless bombardment of perverted sexuality in our culture. And perverted sexuality brings only inner emptiness, shame, and dysfunctional relationship. So we do well to invoke St. Maria Goretti as the patron saint of young people and a patron saint of chastity, and to share her story.

For Maria loved chastity because Christ loved chastity, and calls all Christians to practice chastity consistent with their vocation in life. And because chastity is beautiful, it attracts souls to Christ. May St. Maria Goretti’s steadfastness help us all in keeping and obeying all Christ commands of us for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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Through the intercession of St. Maria Goretti and all the holy virgin-martyrs, for an increase of reverence for and practice of the virtues of chastity, purity, and modesty and for greater respect for the dignity of the human body and all human life.

That all of our young people on summer vacation may be kept safe from the poisonous errors and vices of our time and be kept in close friendship with the Lord Jesus through the faith of their families, daily prayer, attendance at Mass, and the practice of the virtues.

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of July: That priests, who experience fatigue and loneliness in their pastoral work, may find help and comfort in their intimacy with the Lord and in their friendship with their brother priests. We pray to the Lord.

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

May 26 2017 - St. Philip Neri - Pilgrimage & the Miracle of the Heart

As the home of the Pope and his Curia, as well as the locus of many sites and relics of veneration related to the apostles, saints, and martyrs; Rome has been a destination for pilgrims for most of Christian history.

Rome was certainly the destination for today’s saint, Philip Neri. He was born in Florence. And already when he was just about five years old, he was known as “good little Philip” by his parents because of his innocence and obedience. At age 8, he almost died, a horse fell on top of him crushing him to the ground, but when he emerged unscathed he credited his preservation to God, and dedicated his life to God’s service. He went to Rome to study philosophy and theology, although the divine truths were so clear in his mind he didn’t have to study much, the only two books he owned were the bible and the Summa Theologica of Thomas Aquinas.

St. Philip seemed surrounded by celestial splendor, holiness radiated from him, the effect of his angelic purity which he never lost despite the many temptations of Rome. He always maintained sexual innocence and his virginity. He was fiercely tempted by his flesh and the devil, but he won these battles by fasting and mortification.

In 1548, together with his confessor, Neri founded the Confraternity of the Most Holy Trinity of Pilgrims and Convalescents whose primary object was to minister to the needs of the thousands of poor pilgrims who flocked to Rome, especially in jubilee years.

There is a special tradition, started by St. Philip Neri, of visiting the seven pilgrim churches of Rome, a tradition I was able to partake of when I visited Rome the first time.

Philip would often make pilgrimages to the catacombs where he would pray for the gifts of the Holy Spirit and venerate the relics of the martyrs. In the catacomb of St. Sebastian, Philip witnessed a great miracle. A few days before Pentecost in 1544, while he making a late night vigil, praying for the gifts of the Holy Spirit, when a globe of fire, entered into his mouth and lodged in his chest; he was filled with the tremendous fire of love and he almost couldn’t bear it. When the doctors examined his body after death, they discovered that the saint’s heart had been dilated so much under this powerful impulse of love, that in order that it might have sufficient room to beat, two ribs had been miraculously broken and curved in the form of an arch.

Each of us need to make a pilgrimage of love from time to time. It should be a sacrifice, it should take some time, some effort, and done for the soul purpose of honoring God. And if we make that pilgrimage, our hearts will expand.

May St. Philip Neri inspire us to make that journey for God, that our love for God might increase so to become every greater instruments in his service, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the merciful love of the Good Shepherd may fill the hearts of all of the ordained.

That the entire church might emulate the sacrifice and charity of the saints.

For all the safety of all travelers, especially those who make pilgrimages to the Holy Places.

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

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.