September 16 2024 - Saints Cornelius & Cyprian, Martyrs - Instruments of mercy, peace, and unity.

 During a particularly violent persecution of the Church, led by the roman emperor Decius in the year 250, many Christians, in order to save their lives, submitted to the imperial mandate for citizens of the empire to prove their loyalty to empire by offering incense to the Roman Gods.

This imperial mandate was designed to root out Christians. For by this time, the empire knew well that Christians could not commit this act of idolatry. 

Some Christians, tried to get around the mandate by bribing authorities to obtain a document which stated that they had offered such sacrifices.  But that document till said, basically, “I deny Christ”. It’s still a public act—still an act of apostasy.

As the persecutions died down, the question arose: can these apostates be readmitted to communion? After all, the denied Christ publicly, through public documentation. 

So, in the year 251, Pope Cornelius, whom we honor today, called a synod in Rome. After hearing from his bishops and theologians, he declared that, yes, the apostates could be restored to communion, as long as they underwent what he called “the usual medicines of repentance”.  He affirmed that through penance and firm purpose of amendment, a sinner could be readmitted to Communion again. 

Pope Cornelius was supported in this pronouncement by many bishops, but especially St. Cyprian, the most important bishop in North Africa, and one of the most important theologians and writers of the time.

All these centuries later, we are still in possession of a letter written by Cyprian to Pope Cornelius. Listen to these words: “My very dear brother,” he wrote, “we have heard of the glorious witness given by your courageous faith. On learning of the honor you had won by your witness, we were filled with such joy that we felt ourselves sharers and companions in your praiseworthy achievements. After all, we have the same Church, the same mind, the same unbroken harmony. God’s merciful design has warned us that the day of our own struggle, our own contest, is at hand. By that shared love which binds us close together, we are doing all we can to exhort our congregation, to give ourselves unceasingly to fastings, vigils and prayers in common. These are the heavenly weapons which give us the strength to stand firm and endure; they are the spiritual defenses, the God-given armaments that protect us. Let us then remember one another, united in mind and heart. Let us pray without ceasing, you for us, we for you; by the love we share we shall thus relieve the strain of these great trials.”

Cyprian was right, that, both he and Pope Cornelius would face their own day of struggle, as Cyprian called it. Both were martyred when the persecutions flared up again. But Cyprian gives good advice for all of us, in the time that we have, to make use of the “heavenly weapons which give us strength”—fasting, prayer vigils, and prayer in common. 

Through the intercession of Saints Cornelius and Cyprian may we encourage one another through all the trials we face, and bear witness to all whom we are called to forgive, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - -  

That the Pope and all the clergy may be effective instruments of mercy, and for the grace and strength to seek out the lost, last, and least.

That through the intercession of the martyrs Cornelius and Cyprian, lapsed Catholics will be moved to return to the Sacraments.

For an end to government corruption and politically motivated violence, and all forms of greed which breed hatred and war.

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.

February 5 2024 - St. Agatha - Courage of the Virgin Martyrs

 Saint Agatha is one of the great virgin martyrs honored by the early Roman church. She was martyred in the brief but ferocious persecution of the emperor Decius. In 250 AD, Decius issued an imperial decree requiring all citizens of the empire to offer a sacrifice to the Roman Gods. 

Saint Agatha was a beautiful Sicilian woman who had consecrated herself to Christ—to be His bride—to spend her life in his prayerful service and consecrated virginity.

When she refused the romantic advances of a pagan man, he turned her into the authorities. Since she would not offer the pagan sacrifice, she was imprisoned, tortured, and eventually killed. 

For the feast of this virgin martyr, we read from st. paul’s letter to the Corinthians in which St. Paul is explaining that God’s ways often defy human logic and expectation, that God choses the foolish, weak, lowly, and despised of the world, to shame the worldly wise, strong, and powerful. 

The virgin martyrs like Agatha, Agnes, Anastasia, Cecilia, Barbara, Ursula, Philomena, Kateri Tekakwitha, maria Goretti, were not rich and power women, in the eyes of the world. And their courage—their strength of faith, not only won for them the martyrs crown, but they continue to embolden the Church—Christians like us, hundred and hundreds of years later. 

The Lord promises that the world will hate us. We will face terrible resistance in our mission to save souls, to proclaim Christ. The worldly wise, strong, and powerful see Christians as a threat: and so they mock the Church, they weaponize government agencies against the Church, the utilize the media to undermine the Church and shift cultural attitudes toward the Church. And all of that is pretty much inevitable. It’s gonna happen. It’s happening now. It just hasn’t come to our doorstep yet, as it did for Agatha.

And so we celebrate the courageous faith, the courageous chastity, the courageous forgiveness, their courageous defiance of the unchristian cultural norms, so that we may imitate them, when our time for courage arises. 

St. Agatha, and all you holy virgin martyrs, pray for us, that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - -  

That the virgin martyrs may be a source of courage for Church leaders and the whole Church in our fidelity to our Gospel mandate.

Through the intercession of St. Agatha and the holy virgin martyrs, for an increase of reverence for the virtues of chastity, purity, and modesty and for greater respect for the dignity of the human body and all human life.

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

September 16 2019 - Sts. Cornelius and Cyprian - The medicine of repentance

In yesterday’s Sunday Gospel, we heard three parables of rejoicing when the lost are found. There was joy and a celebration when the lost sheep was found. There was joy and a celebration when the lost coin was found after a time of diligent searching. And there was joy and a celebration when the lost son, the prodigal son, came to his senses, and returned home: he was dead and has come back to life, he was lost, and now is found.

Our Lord told these parables in response to the pharisees criticism that he dined with sinners. He tells these parables to signify that he has come precisely for sinners, and that the pharisees should be rejoicing over this fact. They should be rejoicing that he has come as the instrument of God’s mercy, that sinners may repent and be reconciled to God.

The saints we honor today, a martyred Pope and a martyred bishop from the 3rd century were church leaders who were concerned with the reconciliation of sinners.

During the persecution of Decius, many Christians had offered incense to the gods to save their lives. Others had bribed the authorities and had obtained a document which stated that they had offered such sacrifices.

The question arose of whether it was possible for these apostates to be reconciled to the Church. In the year 251, Pope Cornelius called a synod in Rome, and declared Catholics could be restored to the Church with what he called, “the usual medicines of repentance”.  That through penance and firm purpose of amendment, a sinner could be readmitted to Communion again. He was supported in this by many bishops, but especially St. Cyprian, the most important bishop in North Africa, who was one of the most important theologians and writers of the time.

There is no sin so great that it cannot be absolved in the Sacrament of Confession. . God reaches out to the sinner, those who have publicly denied him, those living as if he did not exist. I think of many atheists who have publicly claimed to not believe in God, some of them were raised Catholic. For whatever reason, anger at God, pride, public pressure, they renounced their faith. God is even reaching out to them.

We pray for apostates: as long as they breath it is not too late for them to repent. The Lord might even be preparing some of us to witness to the faith to them, preparing us to be apostles of mercy, instruments for the conversion of sinners. The angels of heaven who rejoice over the conversion of sinners, are waiting for us, to do our part in the reconciliation of those who have fallen away. Unlike the joyless second son in yesterday's Gospel, we welcome sinners home with great celebration

Through the intercession of Saints Cornelius and Cyprian may we faithfully bear God’s mercy to all those in need of it, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
- - - - - - -

That the Pope and all the clergy may be courageous and kind instruments of mercy, and for the grace and strength to seek out the lost, last, and least.

That through the intercession of the martyrs Cornelius and Cyprian, lapsed Catholics will be moved to return to the Sacraments.

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.