1st Week of Lent 2025 - Monday - Almsgiving and our Eternal Judgment

 

At the election of a new Pope, the Cardinals of the Church gather in the Sistine Chapel whose walls and ceilings are adorned with some of the most beautiful frescos in the world—painted by the Italian Renaissance master Michelangelo in the late 1530s.  After serious prayer, the Cardinals walk towards the altar to cast their vote for the new Supreme Pontiff of the Holy Church of God. Above that altar is a depiction of the Second Coming of Christ and the final and eternal judgment by God of all humanity, the scene we just heard in the Gospel, “The Last Judgment”.

The Cardinals are reminded by that great biblical scene that their vote must not be motivated by selfishness or ambition, for they will face Christ as Judge on that final day, and will have to answer for the choices they made.

Holy Mother Church presents us with this scene on this Monday of the first full week of Lent, as we just read the Lord’s own teaching on our judgment. And he does not simply announce the fact that we will be judged by God, he is clear about the criteria: when I was hungry you fed me, when I was naked you clothed me.

Lent is a time for examining our conduct, our lifestyle, and our motivations. And the criteria for that examination must include the criteria set by the Lord himself. How do you treat people? How do you treat the poor?

We prayed in our collect prayer this morning, “convert us, O God our savior.” A vital dimension of the conversion the Lord wants for us is for each of us to seek to serve God more faithfully by serving those in need.

We are to seek conversion from avarice and greed that clings to possessions and wealth in order to share our goods more freely. Sometimes we hesitate to give because we worry we won’t have enough for ourselves, but we are to seek conversion from this form of anxiety and fear. We are certainly to seek conversion from any indifference which blinds us to the real needs and sufferings of others. We are to seek conversion from our pride which views ourselves as more deserving of material goods than others.

And with the Gospel in mind, we are to seek conversion from those attitudes and vices because they are detrimental to our immortal souls. Unwillingness to give alms, to participate in the works of mercy speaks volumes about the state of one’s soul.

So may we cultivate the generosity and concern for the poor praised by Christ Our Lord and Judge for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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Confident in God’s desire to dispense mercy, let us offer our prayers and petitions for the Church and for the world.

 

That all Christians may dedicate themselves this Lent to deeper prayer and practical works of mercy, so that our witness may bring hope and compassion to those who suffer.

For Genuine Conversion of Heart for all people: That we may turn from the vices of greed, indifference, and pride, and instead cultivate generosity, trust in God’s providence, and heartfelt concern for our brothers and sisters in need.

For the Poor and Vulnerable That those who are hungry, homeless, or struggling in any way may find compassionate assistance among the faithful, and that they may experience the love of Christ through our concrete acts of mercy.

That all who have died, trusting in God’s mercy, may come to behold the face of Christ the Eternal Judge and receive the reward of eternal life, especially N…

Merciful God, You call us to ongoing conversion and to recognize Christ in the poor and needy. Hear our prayers, and grant that, guided by Your Spirit, we may grow in compassion and generosity, so that on the day of judgment, we may be found among those who have loved and served Him in our brothers and sisters.

29th Week in Ordinary Time 2024 - Wednesday - Christian Stewardship

Both our readings this morning—from Ephesians and the Gospel—speak of stewardship. 

In our first reading, St. Paul describes himself as receiving "the stewardship of God's grace" – a gift given not for himself, but "for your benefit." Paul recognizes the fundamental truth that God's gifts are always given for the good of others.

Like the servant in Jesus's parable who is entrusted with distributing food to the household, Paul understood that his role was to faithfully share what he had received with others.

This is one of the great principals of the Christian Stewardship to which we are all called: the more we receive, the more responsibility we bear to share it. “Everything is interconnected” as Pope Francis has written: our spiritual gifts, our material resources, our relationship with creation itself. We are stewards not just of material goods, but of "God's varied grace" as St. Paul puts it. And what we do with these gifts effects everything else.

Jesus's parable warns us about two dangerous attitudes toward stewardship. The first is failing to be diligent. The faithful steward is praised because the master returns and finds the steward diligently fulfilling his duties. We are to be diligent in our stewardship of our time, talent, and treasure. Now of course, that doesn’t mean we can’t rest from our labors when we need to. Rest is good stewardship when it allows us to become recharged for the work that needs to be done. But rest can easily devolve into sloth if we are not careful and prudent and disciplined.

The second and more serious danger is actively abusing our stewardship – like the servant who begins to mistreat others and squander resources when he thinks the master is delayed. This servant forgets the fundamental truth that everything we have is a gift meant for service.

God has blessed each of us, physically, financially, intellectually, and spiritually. But we have been entrusted with these gifts not simply for our own well-being or our own earthly success, but for the good of others and the building up of the Church. 

In essence, Christian Stewardship is a fundamental aspect of Christian identity, it is the way of discipleship, a way of participating in God's work, a means of personal sanctification, a form of preparation for eternal life.

But again, "At the evening of life, we shall be judged” on how we used the time, talent, treasure, and grace entrusted to us. So may we be lavish in our charity, diligent in our service, disciplined in our habits, and prudent with the time we have been given for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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For the Church, that all her members may be good stewards of the Gospel, sharing the faith with courage and jo. Let us pray to the Lord...

For our spiritual and temporal leaders, that they may exercise their authority with wisdom and justice, always remembering that their power is a sacred trust for service. 

For the grace of prudence and discipline in our lives, that we may avoid both sloth and overwork, finding the right balance between activity and rest in service to God, we pray to the Lord...

For those who are struggling with poverty or mental illness, for the sick, suffering, homebound, victims of war, and those who will die today, that they may receive the material, emotional, and spiritual assistance they need. Let us pray to the Lord.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for the deceased clergy and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom, that they may enjoy the eternal reward promised to the Lord’s faithful servants. Let us pray to the Lord.

Heavenly Father, all good gifts come from you. help us to be faithful stewards of your grace, diligent in service, prudent in judgment, and generous in charity. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

1st Week of Lent 2023 - Monday - Getting serious about charity

 At the election of a new Pope, the Cardinals of the Church gather in the Sistine Chapel whose walls and ceilings are adorned with some of the most beautiful frescos in the world—painted by the Italian Renaissance master Michelangelo in the late 1530s.  After serious prayer, the Cardinals make procession the altar to cast their vote for the new Supreme Pontiff of the Holy Church of God. Above that altar is the scene we just heard in the Gospel—a depiction of the Second Coming of Christ and the final and eternal judgment by God of all humanity, Michelangelo’s “The Last Judgment”.

That biblical image certainly adds to the solemnity and seriousness of their responsibility--and that their vote must not be motivated by selfishness or ambition, for they will face Christ as Judge on that final day, and will have to answer for the choices they made.

Holy Mother Church presents us with this scene of the Last Judgment on this Monday of the first full week of Lent.  

We, in a sense, as we are making our procession through Lent, do well to keep that image in mind. The choices in the life matter and we will be judged for them. How we use the time given to us in Lent matters and will effect the choices for which we will be judged. 

How will we make use of the time we have been given? Will we repent? Are we motivated by laziness or authentic desire for conversion? Will we seek to become a saint this Lent, or be happy with remaining a sinner?

What separates the saints from the sinners in today’s Gospel? How each treated his fellow man while on earth. Rather than just looking out for ourselves, like the goats in the Gospel, we are to look to the needs of others and help them as we can. 

Mother Theresa said it succinctly: “At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by "I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in.”

“What the Christian should be doing at all times should be done now [during the season of Lent] with greater care and devotion.” May we be generous, intentional, and serious this Lent in our works of charity, giving of our time, talent, and treasure for those in need of it for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For the needs of the poor, the hungry, the homeless, those who are sick, unemployed, or suffering from addiction, mental, or physical illness, imprisoned, and those most in need: that the Lord in his goodness will be close to them in their trials.  We pray to the Lord.

For mercy for the most vulnerable of our human family, the unborn; that their mothers may choose life and be supported by a culture of life. 

For the young people of our Church. May they be strengthened to be witnesses to the Gospel of mercy and work for a future that embodies a genuine culture of mercy.

For those preparing to enter the Church at Easter: that they will be profoundly blessed in their preparation for full initiation into the Body of Christ.  We pray to the Lord.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all the poor souls in purgatory, and N. for whom this Mass is offered.

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