27th Week in Ordinary Time 2023 - Friday - The day of the Lord is coming

 We read today from the very short book of the prophet Joel.  The Book of Joel is only four chapters long and can easily be read in a single sitting, yet his message is profound, and as relevant as ever.

Joel prophesied in Judah, in Jerusalem, around the year 500, after the return from the Babylonian exiles.

Though they had just returned from exile, Joel tells the people, don’t get too comfortable; getting too comfortable, too complacent, too familiar with worldly ways is how we got in trouble in the first place.  So, Joel calls for fasting and penance and all-night prayer vigils—to gather in the house of the Lord, with the elders: sound the alarm; blow the trumpets…why? Because the day of judgment is coming.

Joel goes on to described the calamities and natural disasters which are only a foreshadowing of the eternal suffering that awaits those who fail to repent—those who exclude God from their lives.

You got to love these prophets. They keep us rooted in reality—the reality that we must maintain the priority of faith. That more important than any of our earthly endeavors is the orienting ourselves to God, preparing for eternity, being vigilant against worldly distractions. Why? Because there are eternal consequences if we don’t. 

“The Lord will judge the world with justice” we sang in our Psalm. 

Again, some relevant ideas there. The nations are sinking into the pit they have made for themselves—including our own nation—sinking fast. And God sits ready to judge with justice. But amidst that, the Psalm explains how the faithful soul is still found giving thanks to God, declaring his wondrous deeds, rejoicing and exalting in God, and singing his praise.

The faithful soul is not prone to discouragement. We know the world is falling apart, and we are not discouraged, because that’s the way of things. How do you know if you’re soul is prepared? The world falling apart doesn’t bother you that much. You’ve confessed your sins, your heart is oriented toward God, and that gives the faithful soul an immense freedom from fear. As things fall apart we can still sing God’s glories, and thank God for his blessings. 

“Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste” the Lord says. Of all the kingdoms of the world, there is only one that will survive: the kingdom of God. Though the mountains may fall, and nations crumble, the Lord promises peace and eternal life to his faithful ones.  Confident and trusting in the Lord amidst all the chaos of our lives, may we be found faithful today in his service for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That hearing the call to repentance preached by the Church, all men may turn away from their sins to the mercy of Christ.

For peace in the Holy Land, an end to the violence and suffering, and healing for those whose lives have been tragically disrupted. May God’s peace the communities and families devastated by the horrors of terrorism and war.

That our young people may take seriously the missionary call of Christ, that they will turn away from the evils of our culture to spread the good news of Christ’s eternal kingdom.

For all whose lives are marked by suffering, may they come to know the healing and peace of Christ.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased clergy and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time 2022 - My soul is prepared, how's yours?

 

The conversation in today’s Gospel between Jesus and his apostles occurs during the last week of Jesus’ earthly life.  He and his followers had gone to Jerusalem to consummation of his mission—the end, for which he took our flesh. 

And that last week, Each day between Palm Sunday and Holy Thursday, the Lord Jesus went with his Twelve Apostles to the Temple, to teach and preach about God’s saving love and that the kingdom of God was at hand.  Today, we hear the Lord, standing at the temple, and the crowds are commenting on the magnificent marble Temple with its stones glittering in the afternoon sun, the Christ uttered a stark prophecy: “All that you see here—the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone.”  

Now for the Jews, remember, the Temple was the center of religious and civic life. To foretell the end of the temple to the Jews, would mean an end to life as they knew it, the end of the world. 

Why do we meditate upon this scene today? Well, we, too, have come to the end of things: the end of the liturgical year is just a week away. So, we consider the end, so that we may prepared for our earthly end, and the end of time. 

I think I’ve used this image before, but one of my favorite action movie heroes is Indiana Jones—the archaeologist college professor who dons his fedora and leather whip to track down lost artifacts in foreign lands. And of course he has to fight through waves of Nazis and cultists in order to do so. Before I ever considered a vocation to the priesthood, I thought that would be a pretty interesting job.

One of my favorite scenes is from the third installment of the movie series Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.  Indiana Jones’ father had been kidnapped, and he is pursuing who he thinks are the kidnappers on a boat chase through the water ways of Venice Italy.  Finally, Indiana and the kidnapper are in a boat being drawn towards the propeller of this huge steam ship, and the propeller starts to chop up the boat they are in.  The kidnapper says, if you don’t let me go, Doctor Jones, we’ll both die.  He reveals a cross around his neck and says, My soul is prepared Doctor Jones, how is yours?” What a powerful line. My soul is prepared, how’s yours? 

The Christian must live with his soul prepared always. The coast guard of these United States has a great motto: semper paratus. Always prepared. Well, every human being does well to consider, is your soul prepared. Prepared for what’s next. 

Holy Mother Church very wisely, reminds us of the need to be prepared, every year, at the end of the liturgical year. We know when that day will come. The last day of the liturgical year is the Saturday prior to the first day of Advent. But, we do not know the day, when the the end is coming, either for each of us, individually, or collectively, for the human race. We know neither the day nor the hour when the Lord will return, but he will, just as he said. 

Will it be soon? We don’t know. He mentions the signs that will proceed his return in the Gospel today: earthquakes, hurricanes, war, rampant immorality, famine, and plagues. These dangers to mortal life are reason enough to ensure our souls are prepared. Walking around as if we shall never face our judge is foolishness. 

Rather, we are to wisely prepare by following the Lord’s own teaching. He says, “By your perseverance you will secure your lives.” Perseverance in what?  In faith, of course. Faith, hope, and love. Perseverance in following Christ’s teachings, keeping God’s commands, repenting of sin; engaging in works of mercy, forgiving our enemies, and spreading the Gospel. Perseverance in using the time we have been given to pursue the will of the heavenly Father, like Jesus. 

I heard a story this week about a millionaire who visited a holy mystic, who told him that in 10 days he would die. So the millionaire books a flight to paris, and for the next few days, he drinks wine, and dines, spends a night on the riviera, he gambles, and seeks after thrills, but after a few days, he finds himself empty and deeply depressed. So he goes to his family, whom he had neglected in the pursuit of his wealth, and tries to rekindle things with them; he has a coffee with his brother, takes his nieces to the park, seeks and asks forgiveness from his estranged wife and children, and senses something beginning to stir in him. On the tenth day, he goes into church, kneels down and asks God what he is to do with his final hours. He gets no answer, but his gaze kept returning to the crucifix. Stepping out of church, he sees a young boy crossing the street, and sees a large truck barreling down toward the child. He runs into the street and pushes the boy out of the way, but is struck by the truck. Months later, he awakes from a coma, surprised to be alive. He undergoes therapy, is thanked profusely by the child’s mother, and is named a hero. But he is confused, he thought he was going to die in 10 days from his encounter with the mystic.  So he returns to the holy figure, and seeks an answer: “holy one, I thought you said I would die in 10 days.” To which the mystic responded: “you did die. You died to worldliness, recognizing the emptiness in wealth and worldly pleasure. You died to pride, seeking reconciliation and forgiveness with your estranged family members. And you died to fear and selfishness, putting your own life at risk to save another. The old you is dead, see to it that he stays that way.”

A nice little story illustrating the a great lesson of our faith. In baptism, we have died to the old way of life, to worldliness, pride, and selfishness, so that we may live a new life for God. And with God's help, we are to see to it that we stay dead to those things, persevering in faith, hope, and charity. In this way, our soul becomes prepared for the end, for judgment. Detachment to the old way of life, death to sinfulness, enables us to be filled with the life of God, and the fruits of the Spirit--with peace, joy, gentleness, and so on...

With the help of the Holy Spirit, may we prepare our souls by confessing our sins and persevering in Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

1st Sunday of Advent 2021 - History, Mystery, Majesty

 

It’s new year’s day on our church calendar, as we commence a new liturgical year, with this advent season of four weeks in preparation for Christmas. 

The word Advent, coming from the latin word “adventus” means an arrival. Advent celebrates the arrival of Christ—or should we say arrivals. 

The comedian George Burns used to quip, “it’s not that I don’t believe in God, I do believe in God, I just wonder when he is going to show up.” Well, Advent helps us to appreciate and celebrate  just “how” in fact God does enter our lives. Specifically, three ways.

Firstly, God has already broken into history. He did come at Christmas, that first Christmas, 2000 years ago. God took on human flesh and was born in Bethlehem. Advent, helps us to spiritually prepare for the celebration of Christmas. For Christmas is an event so important, a liturgical feast, so glorious, that we need some time to prepare for it. We decorate our homes and our churches in preparation for Christmas, and we decorate our lives with special Advent liturgies, and prayers, and by practicing the Advent virtues of faith, hope, joy, love, and patience, and by engaging in extra acts of mercy and charity.

Secondly, Advent helps us celebrate the ways that God enters into our lives, now, in the present life of the Church.

He comes to us now in the liturgical and sacramental life of the Church: In the pouring of water at baptism, at the absolution of sins in Confession, at the sacramental anointing of the sick—God enters into the lives of individual Christians through the Sacraments. He comes to us at every celebration of Mass, truly present in the Eucharist.

And he comes to us in our private prayer lives, too, doesn’t he, when we are at home contemplating his Word, bringing to him our doubts, our wounds, our anxieties, our gratitude for blessings. As we draw close to God in prayer, God draws close to us, with his gifts of peace, healing, strength, consolation, and courage.

Both in our private prayer and our public liturgical sacramental life, the Lord’s Advent is mysterious and subtle. Even for life long Catholics, his presence is sometimes difficult to detect, his presence is veiled behind the gestures and words and ritual elements. What the senses fail to grasp, can only be detected through faith. 

This is not unlike how many of Jesus’ contemporaries did not recognize him as God when he came in history 2000 years ago. In the prologue of John’s Gospel we hear the sad words that “he came into the world, but the world did not know him, and his own did not recognize or accept him.” The worldly did not recognize him then, and the worldly do not recognize him now. 

So, Advent helps to increase our spiritual sensitivity to the way that Jesus enters into our lives through the sacraments and in the silence of private prayer. We are encouraged to come to Mass as often as possible throughout Advent, and to make a good confession, and to set aside time every day to reflect on the scriptures and to engage in devotional prayer during this holy season. In this way Advent will open our minds and hearts to the myriad ways the Lord enters into our lives.So, The Lord came in history, the Lord comes in mystery, and lastly, the Lord will come in majesty at the end of time as judge of the living and the dead.

Right at the beginning of the Church year, this first day of the new Church year, we begin with the end in mind, by considering the Lord’s return at the end of time.  And His coming in majesty will not be veiled, or mysterious, as it was 2000 years ago and in the sacraments. When he comes again, every knee on earth will bend, every tongue will proclaim Jesus Christ is Lord. He will not come in a hidden way, but with a blare of trumpets.

When will this be? We know neither the day nor the hour. He could return at any moment, in 10 minutes, 10 years, 10 millennia. I’d say it’d be nice if he came at least after the collection today, but at that point, the offertory will be irrelevant, for the earthly mission of the Church in time will have come to an end. 

We do not know when the Lord will return, so, we are to live always with the Lord’s return in mind, as if his return is imminent. The motto of the U.S. Coast Guard describes the position of the Church in time, “semper paratus”—always prepared. Our souls are to be prepared for Christ’s final advent by confessing any serious sins in the Sacrament of Confession, we are to be prepared by not being too attached to material earthly things, by busying ourselves not with selfish pursuits, but living generously for God and others. 

In the verses immediately following the today’s Gospel the Lord says, “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.” The Lord gives this warning because it would be a tragedy of the highest kind if our souls were not prepared for his return because of sin and earthly anxiety. If we were too busy making provision for the flesh as Paul says in the epistle, that we were not prepared for the Lord’s return.

We also prepare well by savoring each moment the Lord has blessed us with. Each moment is a gift given to us to grow in holiness and merit grace. In a sense, we are to live each day as if it were our last. Gratitude is to be a mark of the mature Christian—gratitude for the blessings that fill our lives, recognizing that even earthly blessings are but hints of the good things to come for God’s faithful ones in eternity, they are appetizers for the feast to come. Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, the good things which God has prepared for those who love him.  

The Lord’s return in glorious majesty at the end of time should fill us with urgency to make sure that our souls are prepared, but also to use every moment wisely, with gratitude, and joyful expectation of the blessings to come.

Though George Burns wondered when indeed God will show up, we Catholics have it on good authority that He has come in history, he does come in mystery, and he will come again in majesty at the end of time. May this Advent stir up our faith to help us prepare well for Christmas, to appreciate with greater faith his coming in the mystery of the sacraments, and to live always in expectant hope in the Lord’s imminent return in majesty, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Monday of the 1st Week of Advent 2017 - Watchful in prayer, exultant in praise

Unlike the weekdays of Ordinary Time, the weekdays of Advent have their own particular collect prayer, prayer over the gifts, and prayer after communion.

During the seasons of the year, these prayers, which the priest offers to God on behalf of the Church, are not mere formalities before we get to the meat of the mass, they help us focus our attention on the aspect of the mystery of God that we are celebrating.

The prayers for Advent, for example, have a double focus. Advent prepares us to celebrate the historical birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, and also prepares us to welcome his second coming at the end of time. The collects, prayers over the gifts, and prayers after communion often contain theology and scriptural references which help us to focus on these themes.

This is one reason I like to chant these prayers; chanting draws them out a little bit, slows us down so we can reflect on the words that are being offered. So you should listen attentively to these prayers, just as you listen to the scripture readings and the prayers at the altar.

Today’s Collect prayer hearkens to the Gospel we heard yesterday on the 1st Sunday of Advent where the Lord urges us to stay awake for the return of the Master of the House. Listen again to the words of today’s collect prayer: “Keep us alert, we pray, O Lord Our God, as we await the advent of Christ your Son, so that, when he comes and knocks, he may find us watchful in prayer and exultant in his praise.”

Joined with the command to stay awake for the master’s return from yesterday’s Gospel is a reference to the well-known passage from the book of Revelations: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will enter his house and dine with him and he with me.  I will give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne, as I myself first won the victory and sit with my Father on his throne.”

Advent teaches us to be prepared, to be ready, to be alert for the many ways Christ comes to us. Advent helps us listen better, more attentively, to the many ways Christ knocks at the doors of our hearts, to perhaps even be attuned and opened to new ways.

To remain ready and alert, the Collect tells us that we must be watchful in prayer. Every day this season should be characterized by this prayerful watchfulness and listening.

Like the Blessed Virgin sitting in her house in Nazareth with the book of the prophet Isaiah open on her lap, pondering, waiting on the Lord, we need to be attentive to the scriptures of this season, the liturgical prayers of this season, the cries of the poor this season, to hear the Lord knocking on the doors of our lives. that we may welcome him more fully, and rejoice with him more completely, 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 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 commong good according to His Holy Will.

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

For Pope Francis prayer intention for the month of December, “That the elderly, sustained by families and Christian communities, may apply their wisdom and experience to spreading the faith and forming the new generations.”

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 tha the course of our world may be directed by your peaceful rule and your Church rejoice in tranquility and devotion. Through Christ our Lord.

Thursday - 21st Week of OT 2017 - Christian Vigilance

Jesus speaks with serious urgency in the Gospel about the need to remain vigilant. “Stay awake”, “keep alert”, “remain vigilant”, for the thief comes when you least expect Him. Preparedness, readiness, vigilance, these are virtues that become more and more prevalent towards the end of the liturgical year, when many of the Scripture readings speak of the second coming of Christ and the final judgment. And yet, Christian vigilance is an important virtue for the whole year, and the whole of life.

Scripture speaks often about vigilance. St. Peter tells us to be “sober and alert, for our adversary the devil, prowls like a lion, seeking souls to devour”. Proverbs tells us to watch over our hearts diligently, St. Paul writes to the Colossians to “keep alert in an attitude of thanksgiving” by devoting ourselves to prayer, and to the Corinthians he writes to “Be on alert, stand firm in the faith.”
Vigilance, preparedness, watchfulness, readiness are important: they keep us rooted in reality, they keep us humble, they keep us reliant on the grace of God.

We are to be vigilant against sin. As St. Peter says, the devil is always lurking, always prowling. He attacks us at our weakest points, and often comes as an angel of light, making sin look good, and goodness look too hard. Temptation can come in many forms, and we need to be always ready to resist, by strengthening our wills through penance and mortification. “Keep watch and pray”, the Lord says, “that you may not enter into temptation.”

We are to be vigilant in prayer. Prayer should be as second nature to Christians as breathing. Always ready to thank God, always ready to seek God’s help in times of need, always ready to praise God for his mighty works. We also need to be vigilant while we prayer. We know how easy it is to be distracted in prayer. So we ask the Holy Spirit to help us pray, for we do not know how to pray as we ought.

We need to be vigilant for the coming of the Lord and our final judgment, by confessing our sins in the Sacrament of Confession.

And we need to be vigilant for the inspirations of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. The Lord wishes to use us for his Holy Will, and we need to remain ready to be used by Him, led and guided by Him. Many Christians are not ready, they are not prepared, they are not vigilant. The Lord wishes to use us to wake them up!

May the Holy Spirit, through the grace of the Eucharist we celebrate today, help us to remain vigilant against all sin, alert in prayer, and prepared to serve the Lord through works of mercy, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For Bishop Nelson Perez, in these final days of preparation for his installation as Bishop of Cleveland. We pray to the Lord.

That our elected representatives and all civil servants may respond faithfully to the greatest needs of our nation. We pray to the Lord.

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of August: “That artists of our time, through their ingenuity, may help everyone discover the beauty of creation.” We pray to the Lord.

For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster and inclement weather, especially the people of Houston Texas, those who suffer from war, violence, and terrorism, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, and the imprisoned, for those who struggle to live the call of Christian chastity, for the comfort of the dying and the consolation of their families.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.

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.