January 01 2025 - Mary, the Holy Mother of God - Blessings in the New Year

 

Yesterday, at morning Mass, I considered how December 31 is a good day for looking back on the year—a good day for considering how God has been with us throughout in the joys and challenges of the year. 

So, as a little spiritual exercise yesterday, I went through my 2024 calendar, day by day, week by week, month by month, and considered the ways I experienced God and the ways God called me to service in the last year, and recalled some of those joys and challenges. 

Throughout 2024, there were masses, holy hours, anointings of the sick, rcia sessions, meetings with the grieving, funerals and burials, weddings, meals and visits to parishioners’ homes, meetings regarding our capital campaign and church sound system and other maintenance related issues. There were staff meetings, marriage and other sacramental preparation meetings, meetings where I offered spiritual direction, and meetings where I received spiritual direction, meetings for annulments, planning meetings, and then all of those wonderful parish events like our clam bake, Lenten simple soup dinner, and parish picnic. Events with the school, family gatherings, gatherings with brother priests, diocesan meetings, events, and liturgies. I was reminded how I climbed to the top of the bell tower for the eclipse on  April 8, and attended a friend’s music recital at Cleveland Institute of Music on April 24, how I had the great honor of sitting on jury duty, and the amazing Italian dinner I had with a priest friend prior to his reception of his doctoral degree. There was my 15th anniversary of priestly ordination, and the week in Indianapolis for the National Eucharistic Congress. 2024 was certainly a year of grace and  blessing. I even improved a little on my golf game, making my first eagle on the 9th hole over at little met. 

I really do recommend a similar exercise. Go through your past year. Consider the blessings. Thank God for the blessings that were evident, and the challenges, which in retrospect, could perhaps be considered as blessings in disguise.

Our readings on this Holy Day all speak of blessing. Our first reading from the book of Numbers contains a literal prayer of blessing. Aaron the brother of Moses was instructed to pray words of blessing over the people of Israel. Our psalm, sings to God asking God to extend his blessing upon us and to the end of the earth. Just like you can go through your personal calendar, one could flip through the pages of the bible to consider how God has blessed his people in every age—forming Israel, teaching and forming his people, corrected them, and preparing them for the birth of the Messiah.

On this Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, on this octave day of Christmas, we celebrate how God has blessed us, answering that petition for worldwide blessing through Mary, the Mother of Jesus. He has made Mary a blessing to all people—for the role she has played in our salvation and the role she continues to play, both in example and also as the most powerful of heavenly intercessors. We are blessed, we are better, for knowing her faithfulness and her love in bringing about the greatest blessing possible. 

As we prayed in our Collect prayer, “Through the fruitful virginity of Blessed Mary, God has bestowed on the human race the grace of eternal salvation”. There is no greater blessing than that, no greater gift, the grace of eternal salvation. And today the Church universal thanks God for her, through whom eternal salvation Himself was born. 

And as we celebrate how God made Mary a blessing for all people, on this first day of the calendar year, we consider how we, too are to be a blessing for others, every day this year. 

Again, going through my calendar, wasn’t just an examination of the record of events of the last year. Honestly, it was very moving to consider how many times God used others, yourselves included, to bless me, to shape me, to encourage and strengthen me, to correct me, and to simply show me the depths of His love and goodness. 

The saints recommend, not simply a yearly examination, but a daily examination—to grow in awareness of God’s presence and God’s blessing. At the end of the day, before bed, sit in a nice chair with the tv and social media off, and consider the conversations, the lessons, the unexpected joys and the mistakes. Thank God for the blessings and ask God’s mercy upon your faults. And to conclude, as priests and consecrated religious do, sing or recite a song to Mary, the salve regina, regina coeli, or a simply hail mary.

Like Mary, we are meant to contemplate the mystery of God in our hearts, that we like her may serve God as blessings for others for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

Baptism of the Lord 2022 - Embraced by God

 
On the feast of the Lord’s Nativity—on Christmas—we celebrated how the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin in a stable in the midst of night in Bethlehem in the piercing cold. Part of the tenderness of Christmas, no, is to contemplate how on that cold night, Our Lady embraced the Christ child, and gazed into his eyes, and held him close, nursing him for the first time. Also St. Joseph embraced him, committing to guard him, protect him, labor for him. In addition to our Lady and St. Joseph, we consider too how the jewish shepherds left their flocks in order to come and embrace the newborn lamb of God.

Last Sunday, on the feast of the Epiphany, we celebrated the first gentiles, the first non-Jews, to embrace the Christ child. Magi from the East scoured the biblical prophecies and scoured the night sky, and sought him out, and brought him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They embraced him through faith, and they embraced him with adoration.

Today, we celebrate the feast of the Lord’s Baptism.  If he was embraced by Mary and Joseph and the shepherds on Christmas, and if he was embraced by the Magi from the east on the Epiphany, in a sense we can say, that Christ is embraced at his baptism by God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. 

Where at Christmas, the mother caressed the tender baby on her lap at Christmas; at his baptism the Father enshrines his Son with his loving testimony: “this is my beloved son”. Where the mother held loft the child for the Magi to adore on the Epiphany; at the Baptism the Father reveals that his Son is to be obeyed by all the nations—“listen to Him” says the Father. Obey him. Where the stars at Christmas, pointed to the Son’s identity, at the Baptism the Holy Spirit anoints the Son for his mission—as Christ and Lord—to save us from our sins.

He is embraced by Mary and Joseph, he is embraced by shepherds, he is embraced by Magi, he is embraced by the Father and the Holy Spirit. If the feast of Christmas, and the Christmas feasts of Holy Family and Epiphany and today’s feast of the baptism teach us anything, is that Christ is to be embraced. Embrace—embrazzio—literally means to wrap your arms around him…but not just your arms, but your mind, your heart, and your life. Have you truly embraced him this Christmas?

The Feast of the Baptism is also cause for us to consider what happens when Christians celebrate the Sacrament of baptism. God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, embrace us. We are embraced by God and brought into new relationship with God. The word baptism, literally means, to immerse. When we were immersed in the waters of baptism, we were being embraced by God in an embrace of love and spiritual adoption. 

The entire Christian life can be said to be a response of being embraced by God. Our days and our deeds, our attitudes and our decisions, are to be constantly guided by this knowledge and experience of being lovingly embraced by God in our baptism. It’s certainly something that should get us out of bed in the morning and inspire and motivate us on to remain on the straight and narrow path.

Sadly, fallen human nature often rejects that embrace, don’t we. Like an obstinate child who refuses to sit still, the lie enters our heads that we will be happier if we break free, if we make our own way, if we follow our own impulses. We can fall so deeply into sin, that we forget altogether about God’s embrace.

Now you might say, “I don’t feel embraced by God, I don’t feel like God loves me,” this is certainly a sign that you need some time in quiet prayer, a good examination of our lives, probably a good confession, perhaps even a real spiritual retreat. When we allow television and internet and worldly anxieties to take the place of faith, it’s no surprise we feel disconnected from God. 

Tomorrow/Today, at the 11 o’clock mass, we will be celebrating two rites of the RCIA process, the rite of acceptance and the rite of welcoming. In the rite of acceptance, those who have never been baptized will state their intention in front of this community their desire to officially seek baptism and full initiation in the Church. To be embraced by God and the Church through the holy sacraments. In the rite of welcoming, those who have already been baptized outside of full communion with the Church, will state their intentions to officially seek full reception into the Catholic Church.

In these rites, the Church embraces these souls, promising to pray for them, to assist them in any way we can, as they seek full participation in the sacramental, ecclesial, and charitable life of the Catholic Church. We are to set good example for them, living not simply by the values of the world, but by the wisdom of God, and show them what it means to be Catholic—to embrace our beautiful Catholic traditions, devotions, sacraments, charitable endeavors, and living in peace with one another. 

This is a new year, and we are certainly being invited to embrace Christ, God, and the things of God in a deeper way. But if we are embracing worldly things—if our arms and lives are wrapped around worldly things—how can we embrace God? So there are some things we have to let go of. We have to let go of foolishness in order to embrace wisdom. We have to let go of comfortable lies in order to embrace truth, we have to let go of selfishness in order to embrace generosity, we have to let go of worldly vices in order to embrace the pursuit of sanctity. We need give up embracing the godless ways and worldly desires, as St. Paul writes to Titus, to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, by embracing Christ.

May the Holy Spirit assist all of us to give up all that keeps us from embracing Christ with our minds, our hearts, and our lives, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

January 1, 2021 - Motherhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Madonna and Child

 

This eighth day of Christmas is celebrated with particular solemnity, as we adore Christ embraced by the arms of his Mother.

Among the most ancient and important catacombs in Rome are the catacombs of St. Priscilla on the Via Salaria, east-northeast of the Vatican.  Painted on the walls of these catacombs are numerous frescoes that throw light on the faith of the early Church.  One fresco depicts the Virgin Mary seated, with the infant Jesus at her breast.  Next to her stands the prophet Isaiah pointing to star—the star being the ancient Jewish symbol for the Messiah. 

This Fresco, dating from the early 200s is one of the oldest known representations in art of the Madonna and Child, certain evidence that, from the very beginning, the Church has given the Mother of Our Lord a place of special honor and devotion.  The Roman Christians, during a time of persecution, would gather in those catacombs for prayer and to bury their dead, and would look upon that image and contemplate its truths. 

Just as babies are embraced in love by their mother; Mary embraces every Christian—in life and in death.

Just as babies learn to smile and sing in the arms of their mothers; so every Christian learns what real joy looks like, by looking to the face of the Mother, who finds her joy in doing the will of the heavenly Father, in caring for the life of the Son.

Just as babies learn talk, walk, eat, and clothe themselves, so also Christians are taught to talk, walk, think, feel, and act like Christ by Our Mother.  Mary nurtured and taught the Christ child, and she will nurture and teach us—how to put God first in our lives, how to serve him, how to be healed by him, how to be saved by him, that his peace and joy and strength may be ours.

From the cross, Jesus gave Mary to be our Mother in the order of grace. If what St. Paul said is true, that “God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" Then we also, like the Son, turn to Mary, and cry, “Hail, Mother”

Throughout the Christmas octave, we’ve considered the example of martyrs and apostles who have followed Christ unto death. And on this octave Day, we look to the perfect disciple, the Mother Mary who gives herself without reserve to the person and work of her Son. Her self-giving and cooperation with Christ continues now, from her place in heaven. She always helps us to adore, contemplate, and follow Christ ever more faithfully, for the glory of God and salvation of souls. 

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That Mary’s maternal care and heavenly intercession will help us all to reach the moral greatness befitting true children of God.  

That through Immaculate Mary, Queen of Peace, Mother of the Lord and Mother of the Church—blessings may be upon the world and the Church in this Year of Our Lord 2021.

For blessings on all expectant mothers, newborn infants, and young families. 

That from the moment of conception all children will be preserved from bodily harm; for the overturning of unjust laws that permit the destruction of innocent life; and that the minds of all may be enlightened to know the dignity of every human life.  

For all those who have died, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for all who have fought and died for our country’s freedom, and for [intention below], for whom this Mass is offered.  

We pray, O Lord our God, that the Virgin Mary, who merited to bear God and man in her chaste womb, may commend the prayers of your faithful in your sight. Through Christ our Lord.

January 1 2019 - Mary, Mother of God - "You are my mother now!"

In 1929, just 17 days short of his 9th birthday, the young Karol Wojtyla — the future Pope Saint John Paul II — entered his family home during the afternoon. His parents were very pious, and young Karol was accustomed to see his father — a strong soldier in the Polish army — praying on his knees on their parlor’s hardwood floor. That day, when the young Karol saw his father praying, he saw his dad’s knees bathing in a pool of tears.

“What’s wrong, Papa” the young future Pope asked his father. “Karol, your mother has died!” was his father’s answer. His mother had Emilia died in childbirth.

The eight year old ran out of his home to the local parish Church, which was actually right across the street from the Wojtyla apartment home. He entered the Church and ran up the aisle of the Church to a kneeler in front of a statue of Mary.  Tearfully, he said to her: “Blessed Lady, I don’t know why God took my mother home at the time he did. But I do know one thing: YOU are my mother now!”

“You are my mother now!” Today we celebrate the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. At the beginning of the civil year, when we ponder what time will bring in the upcoming year, the Church reminds us very strongly of what happened at the fullness of time. “When the fullness of time had come,” we hear in today’s second reading, “God sent his Son, born of a woman.”

“You are my mother now!” Those words would first have been said by Jesus.  This is an incredible mystery, that the second person of the Blessed Trinity, who take human flesh, and call one of his creatures, “his mother”. Mary bore God in her womb, and is thus rightly called “Theotokos” the God-bearer.  We profess this truth every time we pray the Hail Mary:  “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners”

“You are my mother now!” Those words were spoken by Saint John the Apostle.  For from the Cross, Jesus said to his beloved disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home”. 

“You are my mother now!” These words are spoken now by every disciple. For Jesus gave Mary as mother in the order of grace to the whole Church. We know that Mary had an important role in the life of the early Church, the disciples gathered around her in prayer in the upper room at Pentecost. And Mary is the mother of the family Jesus established through his passion, death, and resurrection.  Jesus wants his disciples to have his Mother as our own so that she could raise us to be like her Son.  Through Baptism, we say along with Saint John and along with Jesus himself, “You are my mother now!”

Jesus says to each of us, “Behold your mother!” He wants and hopes that each of us will do what his first beloved disciple wisely did, and take Mary into our home, into our lives.

Pope Saint John Paul’s devotion to the Blessed Mother deeply impacted his life, his priesthood, and his papacy.  When he was made bishop of Krakow, he took as his episcopal motto the words: Totus Tuus ego sum, which is latin for “I am completely yours.”  The motto “Totus tuus” was taken from a prayer by Saint Louis Marie de Montfordt: "Totus tuus ego sum, et omnia mea tua sunt. Accipio te in mea omnia. Praebe mihi cor tuum, Maria." "I am completely yours, and all that I have is yours. I take you for my all. O Mary, give me your heart"

In giving one’s self to Mary you can trust that she will always lead you to Jesus.  In our sinfulness, Mary leads us to Christ’s mercy.  In our sorrows and sufferings, Mary leads us to the sweet comfort of her son.  In our joys, Mary leads us to magnify God.  When we turn to Mary in prayer, she leads us deeper into the mystery of God.  She helps us to overcome our vices and our selfishness.

Our mother comes in haste to our aid when we call upon her.  And she will always help us to be free from all that keeps us from loving her son as we should—to make haste in serving God’s kingdom. 
We celebrate this Feast of the Motherhood of Mary at the beginning of the Church year, not because the Church wants to make New Year’s morning more difficult for us, but because this title of Mary as Mother is of the utmost importance. The heart of Jesus was filled with love for His Mother, and our hearts must become like His. Love for Mother Mary does not detract from our Love of God, but magnifies it. Authentic love of Mother Mary deepens our gratitude for the for the role she played in Jesus’ life, for the role she continues to play in our salvation.

So deepen your love for her by Praying her Rosary. Bring flowers to her statues. Build shrines to her in your homes and workplaces. Teach your children songs in her honor. Imitate her virtue. Take as your personal motto for 2019, Totus Tuus, give yourself and all that is yours to her completely. You will not regret it. Invoke the sweet name of Mary, our mother often, fly to her protection, implore her help, and seek her intercession for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

December 31 2018 - Christ and Anti-Christs

December 31 is a retrospective day for many people.  A day to look back on the experiences of the year: to recall God’s blessings and interventions in our lives and to give thanks and to look forward that next year be better than the last. 

Pope Benedict XVI wrote: “It is our duty, as well as a need of our hearts, to praise and thank the Eternal One who accompanies us through time, never abandoning us, and who always watches over humanity with the fidelity of his merciful love.”

How has the Lord accompanied us through 2018, a difficult year for many people? Three hundred sixty-five days this year Jesus has offered himself to us—in his teaching, in his Sacraments, most especially in the Eucharist.  365 days he has offered to forgive our sins, and invited us to make a new beginning in the life of grace—turning to him for strength in times of temptation, turning to him for guidance in times of confusion. In the darkest moments of 2018, he was there. Did we turn to him? Did we turn to the Christ, or did we turn to the voices and empty promises, of those St. John calls in our first reading, the anti-christs.

“Many anti-christs have appeared” John writes. Each of us faced anti-christs in 2018, whether we know it or not. These were the voices that sought to deceive us, to follow them and depart from the way of Jesus. They tried to convince us to give up faith, give up hope, and give up charity and to despair of God's mercy for sinners. By their example, perhaps, they sought to sway us to hate our neighbor, ignore the commandments, deepen division in our family, and snub the poor. They’ve sewed seeds of error, caused scandal and weakened the communion of the church. They’ve led Christians to leave the Church and non-believers to look elsewhere for salvation. There were anti-christs in John’s day, there were anti-christs in 2018 and there will be anti-christs in 2019. God forgive us if we were anti-christs to anyone, and God preserve from being anti-Christs to anyone.

As we prepare to end one year and enter another, we look back, to reflect upon and give thanks for the blessings of the year, we gird ourselves to continue the spiritual battle ahead, and we look forward with hope and trust that the Lord Christ is stronger than all the anti-Christs, His “light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Today is not a day for disappointment over how little we have achieved, but a day for thanks over what God has achieved, and joyful anticipation of what He desires to achieve through us, with us, and in us for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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We bring forth now our prayers of petitions.

For the conversion of all those who have turned their hearts from Christ, for those who have fallen into serious sin, for a strengthening of all of the faithful in virtue. And That God may bring the faithless to believe in His Son and increase the faith of those struggling to believe.

For Christians who are persecuted throughout the world, especially those who face martyrdom, that they may have a faith that is constant and pure.

For the safety of all those celebrating the New Year this evening, safety from physical harm and preservation from sin.

For those oppressed by hunger, sickness or loneliness, that through the mystery of the Nativity of Christ, they may find relief in both mind and body.

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

Homily: Jan 1 2017 - Mary, Mother of God - A good year or bad year?

So. Was 2016 a good year or a bad year? Well, that certainly depends on who you ask, doesn’t it? It was an election year, so we all suffered through an endless barrage of political commercials. Famous and beloved celebrities like David Bowie, Gene Wilder, Muhammed Ali, Florence Henderson, Carrie Fisher, and Debbie Reynolds, passed from this life. Tragedy struck many parts of our nation and world: over 600 people were killed and 1700 people injured in Mass shootings on American soil. In fact, 90,000 Christians died for the faith in 2016.

Tragedy aside, a lot of interesting things happened too. NASA’s Juno spacecraft entered orbit around Jupiter, 483 million miles from earth. Pope Francis and the Russian Orthodox Patriarch met and signed an Ecumenical Declaration in the first such meeting since the year 1054, nearly a thousand years ago. The first proven vaccine against the Ebola virus was found effective. And I think there was some basketball thing that happened here in Cleveland.

Two poignant events much nearer and dearer to our hearts: Our beloved Father Wendelken passed this year, and as you may have heard, Bishop Lennon the 10th bishop of the diocese of Cleveland retired this week. A temporary Apostolic Administrator was named by Pope Francis, Bishop Daniel Thomas, Bishop of Toledo will administer the diocese until a new bishop is named.

Was 2016 a good year or bad year? Well, what’s the criteria for such a judgment? The number of celebrities that passed away, technological breakthroughs, sportsball trophies?

A year, a day, a lifetime, should not be judged by the loss of celebrities or who won or lost various political elections. Rather, a year is judged by how well you treated others, whether or not you are holier at the end of 2016 than you were at its beginning.

How did you do? Did you develop and maintain new habits of prayer, service, and catechetical study? Have you properly repented for sins? Are you more patient, generous, joyful than you were a year ago?

If 2016 wasn’t as spiritually fruitful as it should have been, the turning of the year provides a wonderful opportunity to examine your life and to resolve to make the changes you need, the changes God is calling you to make. There is wisdom in making a New Year resolution, and I strongly urge you to consider a spiritual resolution.

Today we celebrate the great Feast of Mary, Mother of God. What resolutions, what changes do we need to make in our life? We but only have to compare ourselves to her. She is our model for what faithfulness and authentic humanity looks like: her prayer life, her openness to the will of God, her willingness to suffer for Him and to embrace the unknown, her charity toward family and neighbor. Look at her and listen to her. Like a good Jewish mother, she will tell you about the changes you need to make in your life. So, how will your 2017 be better than your 2016: if you become more like her. That’s it. It’s that simple.

We could spend the next year exploring what it means to become more like Mary. As St. Bernard said, there’s always more to say about Mary. There’s always more about her faith, her trust, her charity, her wisdom, to explore, to understand, and to emulate.

So let’s just examine one part of her faith today. What do we see Mary doing in the Gospel today? After the unique and profound experience of giving birth to the Savior of Humanity, after shepherds come to worship, and angels come to sing, we find “her keeping these things and reflecting on them in her heart.” She sat in silence and reflected.

How thoroughly unmodern of her! I call it unmodern because what is our modern tendency? To go from one thing to another without reflection: a new iphone app, a new Netflix show to binge watch, a new sale at Kohl’s, a new video game, a new flavor of frappacinno, a new fad, a new selfie. We are obsessed with novelty. And we go from thing to thing with so little reflection upon what matters most in life.

You want a New Year’s Resolution? 10 minutes before bed: turn off the tv, turn off the iphone, turn off your anxious thoughts about what will happen tomorrow, and reflect, like Mary, upon what God is doing in your life. Where is God calling you to grow? What is God wanting you to learn? What are the virtues God wishes to strengthen in you? What are the inspirations God wants you to follow? If you have a hard time beginning your reflection, read a line from the scriptures of the day, or a paragraph from one of the great spiritual masterpieces, like Thomas Kempis’ Imitation of Christ.
To live more reflectively in 2017 will help sanctify our year, it will help us remain centered on Christ, it will help us discover the presence of God in our life, that he is with us in good times and in bad, molding us and shaping us in this crucible of time, to become the people, his sons and daughters, as he made us to be.

Pope Francis, this morning from Rome, said: “Let us pause before the manger to contemplate how God has been present throughout this year and to remind ourselves that every age, every moment is the bearer of graces and blessings.”

May the Great Mother of God, Mary Most Holy, this year, this day, to become the people God made us to be, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.