5th Week of Lent 2025 - Monday - Susanna and Jesus

Today we have one of the longest First Readings that we have in the entire lectionary.  It is the 13th Chapter, a long chapter, from the book of the Prophet Daniel.  It is almost 60 verses long.  It is the story of this beautiful, faithful woman, Susanna, who is falsely accused by two corrupt evil old men, who wanted to have their way with her.  Lying to protect themselves the two wicked elders seek to have Susanna put to death.

Then Daniel steps in, advocates for her: and the two corrupt judges were convicted and Susanna goes free.

As I mentioned last week, our scripture readings for the last part of Lent point not so much to Lenten penances that we are to undertake, but to Christ. They help us prepare to why Jesus suffered, the hostility toward him, and what he accomplished through his death and resurrection. 

How does the Susanna story point to Christ? Who is Christ in the story? In a sense he is Susanna: beautiful, faithful, innocent, arrested because of the words of corrupt elders. 

And though, like her, he suffers—in his case—humiliation, torture, revilement, mockery, suffering, and death—he is exonerated—vindicated by God, as Susanna was by Daniel.  His Father testifies on Christ’s behalf, as we heard in the Gospel, when Jesus is raised from the dead.

In our responsorial Psalm, we proclaimed the beautiful words of Psalm 23: “Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side”.  Both Susanna and Jesus exhibit trust in the Father’s will throughout their sufferings.

In the midst of her ordeal, Susanna cried aloud to God in prayer: “O eternal God, you know what is hidden and are aware of all things”. Like her, Jesus prayed to his Father throughout his ordeal, particularly in the Garden, trusting his Father, bowing to his Father’s will. 

If these final Lenten weekday readings only helped us understand and appreciate what Jesus suffered in holy week, they would be beneficial for that. But that also help us to follow his example. In the course of the Christian life we will face opposition and suffering. The carrying of our own unique personal crosses will be difficult. But in the midst of our crosses, we must turn to God and trust in God. He is at our side. 

At the end of the first reading, we heard how “the whole assembly cried aloud, blessing God who saves those who hope in him.”  Not only is Jesus foreshadowed in the Susanna reading, but his body the Church as well.  We are that assembly who now cries out, blessing God who saves those who hope in him.

May that cry of hope resound in our lives, as we unite our crosses with the cross of Christ, that we may testify in word and deed that salvation is found in him, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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Trusting in the Lord who saves those who hope in Him, let us confidently offer our prayers and petitions.

For the Church, may all her members remain steadfast in faith, courageously witnessing to the truth and justice of Christ. Let us pray to the Lord.

For leaders and judges throughout the world, that they may act with integrity, honesty, and justice, protecting the innocent and vulnerable from harm. Let us pray to the Lord.

For all who suffer unjust accusations, persecution, or false judgments, that they may find strength, consolation, and vindication in Christ, who Himself endured injustice. Let us pray to the Lord.

For those experiencing difficulties and sufferings in their lives, that they may trust deeply in God's presence and providential care, recognizing His closeness even in dark times. Let us pray to the Lord.

For our parish community, that during these final days of Lent, we may unite our own crosses to the cross of Christ, offering a powerful testimony of faith and hope to the world. Let us pray to the Lord.

For our departed loved ones, that they may experience the eternal vindication and joy of heaven, resting forever in God's merciful embrace. Let us pray to the Lord.

Heavenly Father, hear the prayers of your people gathered here in faith. Help us to remain hopeful and trusting, knowing you walk with us always. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

 

5th Week of Lent 2024 - Wednesday - God's Truth will set you free

 

When told they must worship an idol or be put to death in the fiery furnace, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, chose to remain faithful to the God.  They exhibited tremendous and courageous faith in the face of suffering and death: "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us... But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

Their acceptance of suffering in uncompromising faithfulness to the One True God of course foreshadows the passion of Our Lord—the Lord’s uncompromising faithfulness to His Father and the mission for which he was sent. 

Their story is also a powerful prefiguration of the Resurrection of Christ. Just as God delivered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the flames, He raised Jesus from the dead, breaking the chains of sin and death once and for all. Their deliverance foreshadows our own deliverance through Christ’s Resurrection, offering us freedom not just from physical peril but from spiritual bondage—from the fiery furnace of hell. 

In the Gospel today, the Lord emphasizes the freedom that comes from obedience. Jesus declares, "If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:31-32). 

Obedience, discipleship, and faith in the revealed truth of God sets us free.

This truth is not merely an abstract concept; it is a living reality that transforms our lives. When we embrace the truth of Christ, we are liberated from the deception and confusion of the world. We are no longer slaves to our passions and desires, but rather, we are transformed to live in the freedom of the children of God, guided by God’s wisdom and love.

Why does it seem like the world is simply going to hell, these days? Because it is divorced from Truth. When we only follow the disordered desires of our fallen natures, our lives spin into chaos. When I put myself, my ego, my opinions, my perversions on the throne of heaven, we begin to reign in a hell of our own making.

Rather, we are to seek the renewal and transformation God wants for us, by taking ourselves off of the throne and becoming disciples, disciples of Truth that comes outside of ourselves, of life that is not grasped, but is received in humility. Modern man is obsessed with treading his own way, creating his own truths, determining his own moral standards. And the biblical lesson is that sort of hubris leads to destruction and self-imposed slavery every time. Rather, true freedom is discovered through obedience to the highest principal, which is not of our own creation, but is the Creator of all things, the Divine Logos, the Word of Life, who seeks the redemption of man’s fallenness, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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That God may be pleased to increase faith and understanding in the catechumens and candidates who approach the sacraments of initiation in the coming Paschal Solemnity. 

For those without faith, those with hearts hardened toward God, and for those searching for Him.

For strength to resist temptation, and the humility to sincerely repent of sin.

That through fasting and self-denial, we may be ever more conformed to Christ.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.

1st Week of Advent 2022 - Monday - The New is hidden in the Old

Saint Augustine once observed that the "New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.” Yesterday, I preached on how God made promises in the Old Testament that are fulfilled by the Lord Jesus and His Church. The New lay hidden in the Old—the promise in the Old is fulfilled in the New. And so, throughout the Old testament there are glimpses of what is yet to be fulfilled, Who is yet to come. 

Again yesterday, I shared how immediately after the fall of Adam and Eve in the book of Genesis, there is this foreshadowing of Savior—the seed of the woman at enmity with the serpent. The Savior is foreshadowed in every book of the Old Testament—he is the seed of the woman in Genesis. He is the Passover Lamb in Exodus. In Leviticus He is… “The Priest, the Altar & the Sacrifice”.  In Joshua, He is…“The Captain of Our Salvation”.  In Judges He is…“Our Judge and Lawgiver”. In Ruth He is…“Our Kinsman-Redeemer“.  In I & II Samuel He is…“Our Trusted Prophet” In Kings & Chronicles He is…“Our Reigning King” In Ezra He is… “The Rebuilder of the Broken-Down Walls of Human Life”.  And so on.

Did you catch the reference to the Savior in today’s reading from Isaiah? “On that day, the branch of the LORD will be luster and glory.” The Savior is “the branch”—the branch. This passage of Isaiah describes how from this new branch coming forth from the house of Judah will bring new life to Israel. And this is certainly a foreshadowing of how the Lord who traces his lineage back to David and Judah, the Son of Jacob, will bring new life through his death and resurrection—new life, new fruit to a tree, an organism that had begun to wither. The New lies hidden in the old, and the Old is unveiled in the New.

For what do we hear in our New Testament reading today? The Lord curing—bringing new life—to a paralyzed man, but not just any man, the servant of a Roman Centurion. This servant was a real man who suffered dreadfully, to whom the Lord brought healing, and comfort, and new life. He is also a symbol of all of the Jewish people under the servitude of Rome at the time of Our Lord. The Lord offered them new life, if they would but believe. 

During Advent, we deepen seek a deepening of our own faith, a renewal of faith, so that Jesus the Branch may bear new life giving fruit in our lives—that his goodness, the goodness of the one who makes all things new, may be revealed in us, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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As we await with longing the Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, we raise up our prayers of petitions.

That Christ may visit his holy Church and always find her repentant of sin and watchful in prayer.

That Christ may fill the Pope, our Bishop, and all the clergy with spiritual gifts and graces.

That Christ may guide the minds of those who govern us to promote the common good according to His Holy Will.

That Christ may banish disease, drive out hunger, and ward off every affliction.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Almighty ever-living God, who bring salvation to all and desire that no one should perish, hear the prayers of your people and grant that the course of our world may be directed by your peaceful rule and your Church rejoice in tranquility and devotion. Through Christ our Lord.

2nd Week of Lent 2020 - Wednesday - Rejecting the Prophets

Although he had only sought their good in preaching the Word of God, the people of Jerusalem plotted to kill Jeremiah. The message of the prophets, the call to repentance is often met with hostility. The major prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel were martyred by their fellow Jews. The minor prophets Micah and Amos were also martyred.

Listen again, how dismissive and devious are the plots against Jeremiah: “Come, let us contrive a plot against Jeremiah. It will not mean the loss of instruction from the priests, nor of counsel from the wise, nor of messages from the prophets." In other words, so little did they think of Jeremiah, that by killing him, they thought they would lose nothing. "And so," they said "let us destroy him by his own tongue; let us carefully note his every word.”

The church fathers certainly see the resistance faced by the prophets as a foreshadowing of the hostility faced by Our Lord, who faced plots, mockery, and calumny, by his own people. The Lord himself speaks of how He was being treated like the prophets of old. Thrice, at least in Matthew’s Gospel, does the Lord predict how he will be handed over to the Jewish authorities to be killed for his Gospel mission.

As much as we are meant to sympathize with Jeremiah and the holy prophets, not being surprised when we face hostility for preaching the Word of God, during Lent, we are to consider the ways that we have resisted God’s Word—how we have dismissed the call to conversion, the call to holiness. We have been called to change, be less selfish, to strive for purity, to humble our pride, to bridle our tongues, and have not wanted to exert the effort.

So, during Lent we do penance through fasting, prayer, and almsgiving for the times we rejected truth, and scorned goodness, and were given to ugly words and uglier behavior, for the times when we have run away from the cross. And we plead, Lord have mercy.

This evening we will have confessions from 5 to 8 in every parish church in the diocese. Invite a fallen-away Catholic back to the Sacraments today. Pray for conversion for all, for the ability to respond humbly and generously to the Gospel, for the glory of God and salvation of souls. 

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That the Christians will experience the graces of profound renewal during this season of Lent.
That this evening’s diocesan wide celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation will bring about a return of many hearts to communion with God.

That all families will recommit themselves to fervent prayer this Lent so as to grow in greater love and holiness.
That this Lent we will be faithful to fasting and to all the ways that the Lord sanctifies us.
For generous giving for the needs of the poor, the hungry, the homeless, those who are sick, especially for victims of the coronavirus and serious seasonal illness, for the unemployed, victims of natural disaster, terrorism, war, violence, and human trafficking, and for those most in need.
For our beloved dead and all the poor souls in purgatory.
Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.

1st Week of OT 2020 - Tuesday - Pleading for New Life

For the next three and a half weeks, our first readings will be taken from the first and second books of Samuel. Of all the books in the old testament, why does Ordinary Time begin with Samuel?

Throughout the books of Moses, we read of the formation of the nation of Israel: we read of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the Exodus from Egyptian slavery, and the wandering in the desert for 40 years. After the desert, the Jews enter into the promised land, under the guidance of Joshua, who does his best to replace Moses as spiritual leader, as the twelve tribes embark on a, more or less, military conquest of the promised land. This gives way to the leadership of the judges, who are sort of these warrior chieftains who arise when Israel gets into trouble and needs to be delivered from her enemies.

First Samuel is a sort of prologue to the rise and development of kingship in Israel, a transition from the period of judges to the period of the monarchy.

And first Samuel, as we heard yesterday, begins with a barren woman, Hannah. She is a woman of virtue, loveliness, godliness, but she is barren. And today, we heard her weeping, copiously, pleading with God for a son. She refers to herself as the handmaid of the Lord, and promises to consecrate her child to God.

Hannah certainly reminds us, she foreshadows, the virgin of Nazareth, the handmaiden, full of grace, who submits her life to God, whose son shall be wholly consecrated to God. And yet, in her barrenness, she also reminds us, and foreshadows Elizabeth. Moreso, because Hannah’s son Samuel, will be a sort of precursor to the kingship, like john the Baptist, son of Elizabeth, was the precursor to the king of kings, the Christ.

Throughout Ordinary Time we read from the various books of the bible. We meet the holy men and women of the Old Testament, like Hannah and Samuel. And perhaps Ordinary Time begins with this story of God bringing life into a barren situation, because throughout Ordinary Time, as we read and study the scriptures, and practice virtue in our ordinary circumstances, God wishes to bring new life in us—in our family relationships, in our parish relationship, in our relationship with strangers and the poor.

May we, like Hannah, weep copiously, pleading with God for new life, placing our lives, entirely in His service, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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To God the Father Almighty we direct the prayers of our heart for the needs and salvation of humanity and the good of His faithful ones.

For the holy Church of God, that the Lord may graciously watch over her and care for her.

For the peoples of the world, that the Lord may graciously preserve harmony among them.

For all who are oppressed by any kind of need, that the Lord may graciously grant them relief.

For ourselves and our own community, that the Lord may graciously receive us as a sacrifice acceptable to himself.

For our beloved dead, for the poor souls in purgatory, and for X, for whom this Mass is offered.

O God, our refuge and our strength, hear the prayers of your Church, for you yourself are the source of all devotion, and grant, we pray, that what we ask in faith we may truly obtain. Through Christ our Lord.

5th Week of Lent 2019 - Friday - A pattern emerges

Just one week from Good Friday, our daily readings have grown more ominous. Particularly today, though, we detect striking similarities between Jesus and the prophet Jeremiah. Both Jeremiah and Jesus are denounced, criticized, abandoned by friends, and persecuted.

Jeremiah was sent by God to the Jews of Jerusalem who had allowed much corruption to enter into their religious life. Jesus was quoting Jeremiah when he cleansed the temple, condemning the religious leaders for making the temple into a “den of thieves”. For speaking against the corrupt religious authorities, Jeremiah was scourged. Like Jesus, Israel’s leaders similarly schemed against Jeremiah.  “Come they said, let us contrive a plot against Jeremiah…let us destroy him by his own tongue; let us carefully watch his every word.”

Like Jesus in the Gospel today, Jeremiah is often found appealing to his divine mission and to the works he is performing: that in hardening your heart against his call to conversion, you are hardening your heart toward God.

In the reading today Jeremiah said, not only his enemies, but his friends were watching him intensely just looking for an opportunity to denounce him. This reminds us of the apostle Judas, who Jesus had called “his friend”, who next week goes looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus. And also how the scribes and Pharisees, his fellow Jews plotted and conspired to bring Jesus to death. In today’s Gospel, things have reached such a fervor that they have rocks in their hands, ready to stone him to death.

These similarities between Jeremiah and Jesus show us that there is a pattern to how God works. He calls sinners to repentance. And our readings should increase our conviction that, like Jeremiah, Jesus is the one sent by God for our redemption. But today’s readings also show us that there is a pattern to how evil works as well. Evil hardens our hearts against the call to conversion, it criticizes what is good, what is from God, it leads people to conspire against God’s prophets, it ignores and even encourages corruption in God’s temple in the Church.

Let us ensure that as we enter into Holy Week, we’ve acknowledged and repented of the times when we have silenced the word of God speaking to us, calling us to conversion, perhaps even times when we have called evil “good” and good “evil”. By pondering the word of God may we grow attuned to those holy inspirations from God’s Spirit. And through our final Lenten penances, may we console Jesus as he prepares to endure tremendous suffering for our redemption, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the Church will experience the graces of profound renewal during this season of Lent.  That we may grow in our eagerness in spreading the Gospel of Christ.

That all Christian families will recommit themselves to putting Christ at the center of their family life, so as to grow in faith, hope, and love.  We pray to the Lord.

For an end to abortion and for the reverence and protection of human life.  We pray to the Lord.
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 life.

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 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 all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.