September 17 2024 - St. Robert Bellarmine - Learning and Virtue

 The Opening Prayer for the Mass referred to the Bishop Robert Bellarmine’s wonderful learning and virtue.

Regarding his learning: even as a youth in Tuscany, young St. Robert was devoted to studying Church History, the Fathers of the Church, and Scripture, He was ordained as a Jesuit priest in 1570, a time when the Church needed to address her teaching in light of rapidly spreading Protestant heresies.

St. Robert became a professor at what is now the Jesuit-run Gregorian University in Rome and his lectures there became the basis of his most famous work, his three-volume Disputationes de Controversiis Christianae Fidei adversus hujus temporis Haereticos—“Disputations Concerning the Controversies of the Christian Faith Against the Heretics of This Time” containing the lucid and uncompromising explanation of Catholic doctrine in light of errors of his day. He served as a theologian to the pope and published two important catechisms

Regarding his virtue: when he was made a Cardinal by Pope Clement VIII, St. Robert insisted on living a simple life rather than embracing the privileges he could have enjoyed.  He abstained from luxurious meals, and gave away many of his possession to clothe the poor.   

Bellarmine understood that if he were to combat the overwhelming heresies during the time of the Reformation, he would need to be guided by the powers above. It was for this reason that Bellarmine had an undying devotion to the Virgin Mary.  Each Saturday the saint would fast in her honor, and devoted every morning to the recitation of the Office of the Blessed Virgin.

Pope Pius XI said that  “Saint Robert Bellarmine is to be numbered among the greatest men in the history of the Church, whom God in His providence has endowed with exceptional learning and sanctity to teach the truths of the Catholic Faith and defend its integrity against the attacks of the heretics.”

Here was a man totally dedicated to Christ and His Church.  He is an example of the wise man in the Gospel who built his life on the solid rock of the Gospel because of his desire for heaven and to help others get there, too.

St. Bellarmine wrote: “if you are wise, then know that you have been created for the glory of God and for your eternal salvation.  This is your goal; this is the center of your life; this is the treasure of your heart.  If you reach this goal, you will find happiness.  If you fail to reach it, you will find misery.”

Through his intercession and that of Our Lady to whom he was so devoted, may we develop the learning and virtue God desires for us for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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For the Church, that like St. Robert Bellarmine, we may be steadfast in defending and explaining our faith with clarity and conviction, and that theologians and teachers of the faith, may be blessed with wisdom and virtue as they guide others in understanding Catholic doctrine. Let us pray to the Lord.

For those in positions of authority, that they may follow St. Robert's example of humility and simplicity, using their roles to serve others rather than seeking privilege. Let us pray to the Lord.

For those struggling with doubts or questions about their faith, that they may find clarity and renewed commitment to Christ and His Church, and that all of us may build our lives on the solid rock of the Gospel. Let us pray to the Lord.

That the sick and the poor may know the compassion and charity of the Church and the closeness of God in their afflictions.

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

Heavenly Father, we bring these petitions before You on this memorial of St. Robert Bellarmine. Through his intercessions grant us what we truly need to keep our hearts fixed on the glory of Your kingdom. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 

22nd Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Friday (School Mass) - Do not put new wines into old wineskins

 

What a perfect Gospel for our first school Mass at the beginning of the school year:  “Do not put new wine into old wineskins”. 

In Jesus’ day, wine was a very common drink. Instead of carrying around water bottles, people would carry around wineskins—a sort of pouch—like a giant caprisun if you’ve ever had one of those. The pouch—the wineskin—was made, not out of plastic but leather. And the wineskin could be resused—it was recyclable. But over time, the leather wineskin would become dry and brittle with age. 

Now, where does wine come from? Wine is made out of grape juice a yeast. And you mix them together in the right concentration, and the yeast, which is actually alive, a living organism, eats the sugar in the grape juice, and makes two byproducts. Wine, which in those days, was much cleaner than drinking water, and also carbon dioxide gas.

So, you’ve made some wine, where do you store it? In your leather wineskin. But if the wine is still too new, it’s still fermenting a bit, it’s still producing that carbon dioxide gas. And if you put that new wine, into that old wineskin, it will burst, like a balloon that continues to expand, eventually the balloon pops. So, for new wine, you need to use a fresh, new, pliable, flexible wineskin, that will expand, as the new wine finishes its fermentation process.

I really like how Jesus gives us a little science lesson in the middle of the Gospel, and a very good lesson for the beginning of the school year.

During the course of the school year, you, students are going to be taught a lot of new material, new ideas, like new wine. But you have a choice: will you be like that old, rigid, wineskin, unwilling and unable to expand, intellectually, or will you be like that new wineskin, fresh, flexible, willing to expand. It’s a choice. Do you want to learn or not. Do you want your intellect to grow or not.

Let be honest, If you hate school, if you don’t want to learn, you will be miserable. But, if choose, and your pray for help, and ask for help when learning is difficult, then this will be a good year. 

In addition to learning about all these new ideas over in school, is my hope, and prayer, that you will also grow, not just intellectually, but spiritually. That is the purpose of a Catholic school. A Catholic school exists not just instill new ideas, but to help souls be filled with the life and love of God. 

Teachers, help these children learn, not just their academic lessons, help these students to know God. It’s not as easy as it once was, the culture does not support the knowledge of God. It has become an old, brittle wineskin, and unless there is some rehabilitation at this level, it will burst; it’s only a matter of time.

With the help of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Wonder and Awe, may each of us to be new wineskins--open to the growth, the conversion that God desires for each of us, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

2nd Week of Easter 2022 - Tuesday - Learning how to learn again

 Last week, throughout the Easter Octave, we read from each of the four Gospel writers, their accounts of Jesus' resurrection, and the Lord’s post-resurrection appearances to his disciples.

For the rest of the Easter Season, we will be reading from the Gospel of John—the discussion with Nicodemus this week from chapter 3, and onto chapter 6—the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and the great Bread of Life discourse next week.

In his first visit to Jerusalem during his public ministry, Jesus encountered the Pharisee Nicodemus. This encounter is quite different from the later encounters with the Pharisees, especially those of Holy Week. Nicodemus, though he is a “teacher of Israel” as Jesus calls him, takes the position of the student. Nicodemus seeks to understand who Jesus is and why he has come. And this sets him apart from the other Pharisees in the Gospel whose minds and hearts remain closed to Jesus.

There are many in our culture who treat Jesus and the Church with Pharisaical intellectual snobbery. “What could Jesus or the Church possibly have to teach me?” Even many “adult Catholics” refuse to crack open the Bible or the Catechism believing that they know it all or have nothing to gain from coming to deeper understanding of the faith. The Church is “Mater et Magistra”, Mother and Teacher, and too many of us refuse to sit in mother's lap and learn.

The Christian, however, is perpetually a disciple—a student. The Lord doesn’t want lip-service or flattery from us, he wants to teach us how to live.

The renewal that God may want for us this Easter may be to learn how to learn again: how to be open to being taught, how to encounter the timeless wisdom of Jesus in the Scriptures in a new way. 

I encourage you to read John chapter 3 today, to get a sense of this whole conversation. You’ll notice something right off the bat: as the conversation ensues, Nicodemus' remarks get shorter and shorter, while Jesus' answers get longer and longer. Recognizing who Jesus is, Nicodemus quiets down and allows Jesus to teach Him. In our daily meditation, we are to do the same. We are to open up the scriptures, and allow the Divine Word to speak to us, to teach us and challenged us, to guide and form us, for the glory of God and salvation of souls. 

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Filled with Paschal joy, let us turn earnestly to God, to graciously hear our prayers and supplications.

For the shepherds of our souls, the pope, bishops, and clergy, that they may govern wisely the flock entrusted to them by the Good Shepherd leading us faithfully in the Gospel mandate.

For the whole world, that it may truly know the peace of the Risen Christ.

That our parish may bear witness with great confidence to the Resurrection of Christ, and that the newly initiated hold fast to the faith they have received. 

For our brothers and sisters who suffer, that their sorrow may be turned to gladness through the Christian faith.

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.

2nd Week of Lent 2020 - Tuesday - Learn to do the good

At the beginning of the liturgical year, we read extensively from the prophet Isaiah, to prepare for our celebration of the coming of Christ during the season of Advent. Well now, during the season of Lent, it should be no surprise to hear from the great Advent prophet as well, as we prepare for the paschal festivities of Easter during this season of penance and prayer.

We heard from the beginning of the first chapter of Isaiah today, who gives a series of instruction: “Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds…cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow.” During Lent, we do well to take these instructions to heart.

Yet, Why does Isaiah instruct us that we must “learn to do good?” St. Basil comments: Since moral understanding is neither self-evident nor clear to all, we must learn to do good deeds through our study of sound doctrine.” Doing good is not always self-evident, it’s not always easy to discern, and it’s not always easy to put into practice. Generosity, forgiveness, self-control, it’s not always clear how to put these into practice, and certainly in the face of temptation we aren’t always even thinking about the need to put them into practice.

But in order to lead the sort of lives that God wants, we need to learn, we need to be properly schooled, we need to take the position of a student, of a disciple.

In the Gospel, the Lord condemns the Pharisees for setting themselves above the rest. They liked to be called father, teacher, master all the while forgetting the need to learn what is truly good in the eyes of God, becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Lent, when we our honest, should humble us and teach us how much we need to learn. Lent does humbly sets us on the path of learning right at its beginning, on Ash Wednesday we recall we are NOT master, we are NOT teacher, “we our dust”. And by our Lenten observances of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we put our lessons into practice.

They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but that must not be true for us. To be a disciple of Jesus is to be a life-long learner. Learning justice, repentance, courage, balance of priorities, calmness, and generosity. May the Lord find us at his feet, as his humble students today and all days for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the season of Lent may bring the most hardened hearts to repentance and bring to all people purification of sin and selfishness.

For those preparing for baptism and the Easter sacraments, that they may continue to conform themselves to Christ through fervent prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

For the Holy Spirit to guide the appointment of our next Bishop—that he may be a man of true faith and courage.

That we may generously respond to all those in need: the sick, the suffering, the homeless, the imprisoned, and victims of violence. And for all victims of the coronavirus and their families. And for the Church in China and all places where the Gospel is silenced.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. 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.

September 17 2019 - St. Robert Bellarmine - Adorned with learning and virtue

St. Robert Bellarmine was a brilliant man.  He was a promising scholar from his youth in Tuscany, and was devoted to studying Church History, the Fathers of the Church, and Scripture.  He was ordained as a Jesuit priest in 1570, a time when the Church was being attacked by Protestant “Reformers.”

He became a professor at what is now the Jesuit-run Gregorian University in Rome and his lectures there became the basis of his most famous work, his three-volume Disputationes de Controversiis Christianae Fidei adversus hujus temporis Haereticos—“Disputations Concerning the Controversies of the Christian Faith Against the Heretics of This Time” containing the lucid and uncompromising explanation of Catholic doctrine in light of errors of his day.

When he was made a Cardinal by Pope Clement VIII, St. Robert insisted on living a simple life rather than embracing the privileges he could have had.  He abstained from luxurious meals, and gave away many of his possession to clothe the poor.   He served as a theologian to the pope and published two important catechisms.  St. Robert Bellarmine’s long delayed canonization took place in 1930 and he was declared a doctor of the Church one year later.

Here was a man totally dedicated to Christ and His Church.  He devoted his life to the study of Scripture and Catholic doctrine.  His writings, intelligence, and character served the church at a time that was most needed.  God gave Robert Bellarmine wisdom and goodness to defend the faith of His church and to help others understand it.

We are reminded of the need to learn and understand our faith in order to defend it when it is under attack and also to spread it when the time is right.  St. Bellarmine wrote: “if you are wise, then know that you have been created for the glory of God and for your eternal salvation.  This is your goal; this is the center of your life; this is the treasure of your heart.  If you reach this goal, you will find happiness.  If you fail to reach it, you will find misery.”

In the Gospel today for the memorial of Robert Bellarmine, the Lord himself teaches the danger of giving God lip-service, rather than seeking to conform your life to the Holy Will of God. “Not everyone who calls out, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven.” This warning certainly keeps us vigilant, to consider all as loss, as St. Paul says, which keeps us from gaining Christ.

May we, like St. Robert Bellarmine, count all as loss, which does not help us to know and love Christ, to be adorned like him with learning and virtue, so to live the faith with joy for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That Robert Bellarmine, patron saint of Catechists, may assist with his prayers all those who teach the faith to be free of error and for the conversion of the heretics of our time.

That God’s wisdom may order our life, to pursue the treasures of heaven above all.

That the uninitiated who seek God may answer the call to Christian conversion and for the success of our parish RCIA programs.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, 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 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 priests, deacons and religious of the diocese of Cleveland, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.
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 30 2019 - St. Peter Chyrsologus, doctor - Lord, teach me your statutes

St. Peter Chrysologus was bishop of Ravenna Italy in the mid-5th century who was, as our opening prayer stated, “an outstanding preacher” of God’s “Incarnate Word.” This doctor of the Church was given the title “Chrysologus” which means “golden speech”, for he was known for his short and elegant homilies of which 183 survive today some 15 centuries later. (A little longer than my daily homilies by the way, but of course, much more elegant)

In his sermons, he preached against the Pagan errors that were seeking to corrupt the Christian faith; he  urged his flock to receive Holy Communion frequently, helped them to apply the moral teachings of Christ to their daily lives, and urged a special care of the poor.

Chyrsologus considered learning as an obligation for everyone, to help develop the God-given intellectual faculties and to deepen one’s understanding of the faith.  Asking questions and deepening one’s knowledge of the faith is good, for neither ignorance nor anti-intellectualism is virtuous.

In the Psalm (119) today we plead to God, “Lord, teach me your statutes”. Well, in order to be taught, we must study. The Psalm then goes on to list the effects of learning God’s statutes.

Learning enables us to follow God’s commands. We can’t obey them if we don’t know them. Learning helps us treasure God’s promises. When we learn God’s promises we come to value them beyond the empty promises and errors of the world. When we learn God’s truth we are able to declare them. We can’t give what we don’t have. How can we preach God’s word, if we haven’t learned God’s word.

Chyrsologus’ attitude toward learning is likely what gave such substance to his sermons. Scripture study and the study of doctrine will always aid us in our own evangelizing mission. Learning and study will help us explain the faith more clearly, and make us more effective witnesses to the truth in a society and culture which relativizes truth and “showing increasing reluctance to acknowledge its existence (Caritas in Veritate, 2)”.

Through the intercession of St. Peter Chyrsologus may we, as we prayed in the opening prayer, “constantly ponder in our hearts the mysteries of salvation and faithfully express them in what we do” for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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May the Church constantly be enriched through her study of God’s incarnate word and learning of God’s statutes and commands.

That all Bishops may preach and teach eloquently and faithfully the truth of Christ’s Gospel.

For the protection of young people from the corrupting influences of the world, for Christians families, and for the conversion of the faithless.

That the sick and suffering may find comfort in the promises of Christ and the consolation of the Spirit.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, the souls in purgatory, deceased bishops, priests, and religious, those who fought and died for our freedom, and for N. for whom this Mass is offered.

Hear Our Prayers, O Lord, and through the intercession of St. Peter Chrysologus, free us from all that keeps us from the truth of Christ. Through the same Christ Our Lord.

November 15 2018 - St. Albert the Great - Deeper Knowledge and Love of God

Saint Albert the Great  was considered the most learned man of his time, the 13th century, and, he was the teacher of the greatest theologian of all time, Saint Thomas Aquinas.

Recall the words of this morning’s opening prayer, “O God, who made the Bishop Saint Albert great by his joining of human wisdom to divine faith.”  God makes all the Saints great in holiness, by raising their human virtues to heroic levels. In the saint, the human intellect, human compassion, virtues like prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance which the wise of every age have sought to develop, are made raised to a whole new level through grace, through faith.

This is one reason why all the saints are our teachers. They show us by their example what is possible when a life is united to God. St. Albert, in particular, is one of only 33 people in human history known as a doctor of the Catholic Church—doctor, coming from the Latin word meaning “Learned One”.  He is “learned” not simply intellectually, but in the ways of Christ.

The proper reading from the book of Sirach spoke of how those who fear the Lord, that should be all of us, shall be nourished with the bread of understanding and given the water of learning to drink. Our minds should crave understanding and learning like our bodies crave food and water. Catholics should always be engaged in some kind of intellectual formation.  Now, you don’t have to sit by the fireside every day with Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologica, though you can get it for free on your Kindle!  Though it certainly couldn’t hurt, no one will sharpen the mind like St. Thomas. Nor is learning supposed to replace our daily prayer, but daily learning is our way of life...that's what it means to be a disciple--a learner of the way of Christ.

But understanding and learning about our faith, about the scriptures, about the lives of the saints, musn’t end when our grade school catechesis ends. Minds that don’t crave learning like the body craves bread and water, have perhaps been dulled by too much tv, video games, or nonsense.
Albert was called “the Great” even during his lifetime by his contemporaries because of his immense scholarship and knowledge of philosophy.  Yet, he could only truly be called great by history, by us, because of the greatness of his holiness and love—a holiness that put his life—his gifts, his talents, and struggles, at the service of Christ and his Holy Church.

May the prayers and example of the learned Saint Albert the Great help us to deepen our knowledge and love of God, for the building up of the Church for His Glory and the salvation of souls.

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That Pope Francis and all bishops and clergy will help defend the Church against error, and lead her members always in the pathways of truth, righteousness, and charity.

For the conversion of all those who perpetuate error or set bad Christian example for young people and those of weak faith.

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, for whom we pray in a special way during the month of November, 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