14th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2026 - "I will give you rest"

 

The Catholic philosopher Josef Pieper wrote a little book called Leisure: The Basis of Culture. His argument is that authentic leisure and rest are vitally important for human flourishing and for our souls. Authentic leisure is not wasting time, nor is it the same as entertainment. True leisure is taking the time to delight in what is good, true, and beautiful, which involves worship and contemplation. And without that kind of rest, human culture begins to collapse, because man forgets that he is made for something more than the earth, is more than a worker or consumer.

Pieper’s insights are important as culture is quickly losing sight of the spiritual needs of our human nature—how to rest well—how to rest in God. We fill what should be restful refreshing moments with noise, scrolling, videos, emails, sports, worries, and distractions. We fail to allow ourselves the rest we need for our bodies and minds and souls.

And so the words of our Blessed Lord Jesus in today’s Gospel are inviting, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” But they are also challenging: don’t go to those million and one artificial substitutes: “come to me” that you may rest well.

This theme of rightly ordered rest runs through the Scriptures from the very beginning. In the book of Genesis, after the six days of creation, what does God do? God rested on the seventh day. Now of course, God did not rest because he was tired. God does not get exhausted. Rather, God’s rest consisted in beholding and delighting in the goodness of his creation and inviting us into that life-giving delight. God shows us how to rest well—to rest well, is to participate in the Godly.

Now, of course, we humans do need rest. As Jesus says in Mark’s Gospel, “The sabbath was made for man” We do get exhausted. We need time for what truly refreshes—worship, communion with God--for a healthy physical, emotional, and spiritual life.

That is why the Third Commandment tells us to keep holy the Sabbath day. For Christians, the Lord’s Day is Sunday, the day of the Resurrection, and Sunday rest is not merely “time off” or a day to catch up on chores. The Lord’s Day has a revitalizing purpose when it is rightly ordered, to God—a peace that the world cannot give.

At Sunday Mass, we stop producing, achieving, managing, and controlling. We come before the Lord and receive what we need. We receive his Word. We receive his mercy. We receive the Body and Blood of Christ. We receive again the truth of who we are: beloved sons and daughters of the Father, redeemed by Christ, temples of the Holy Spirit, made for eternal life.

And yes of course, you can fulfill your obligation to participate at Mass on Saturday evening, but Sunday still needs to be a day of sabbath rest. And we certainly need restful refreshing prayer on a daily basis, too, and to limit the activity, outside of work, that does not refresh us.

That hour of doom scrolling through social media leaves us more drained than before. Three, four hours on the couch in front of the television leaves us empty. All of that media aimed at creating anxiety: no wonder why we are not at peace.

This does not mean every form of recreation is bad. Recreation is good when it truly re-creates us: a walk in nature, a meal with family, wholesome conversation, music, reading, exercise, art, laughter with friend. But when entertainment becomes addiction, when technology steals silence, when the screen becomes the first thing we see in the morning and the last thing we see at night—our leisure time becomes disordered.

A very practical spiritual discipline as technology becomes more prevalent, is to spiritually fast from it, for the few hours we have before bed. Refrain from screen time an hour or two before bed. Not because technology is evil, but because the soul needs silence. The soul needs space to breathe. The soul needs moments when it is not being provoked, stimulated, or sold something. We sleep better when we take a break. And of course that frees us for the prayer we need in the evening.

In the second reading today, St. Paul says in the second reading speaks of our “mortal bodies.” We are not angels. We are embodied creatures. Our bodies get tired. Our minds grow weary. Our emotions become strained, and our limits are real.

But St. Paul also says that the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us, and that God will give life to our mortal bodies through his Spirit. But, attending to our spiritual needs, requires effort. Allowing the Spirit to fill us with life means turning away from the distractions of the world, in order to engage intentionally in the works of the spirit.

Today, the Lord invites us to examine how we use our time. Do I give my body the rest it needs, or do I treat my body like a machine? Do I give my soul silence, or do I fill every moment with noise? Do I rest in God, or do I only distract myself from my burdens with technology, excessive alcohol or other addictions. Do I make intentionally effort to align my mind, and heart, words and actions, to the life giving Spirit.

Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves”. Life-giving rest is found, not in having nothing to do, but putting on the meek and humble heart of Jesus, allowing him to reorder our lives. A yoke is an instrument of work, but Christ’s work brings us refreshment and peace.

Today, on this the Lord’s Day, our work is divine worship, offering ourselves in union with Christ as living sacrifices to the Father by the power of the Holy Spirit. May this act of divine worship refresh us in our weariness, heal us in our brokenness, lift us up in our burdens, strengthen us for the work of the upcoming week, and provide a foretaste of the joy and peace of heaven for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

 

2nd Week of Advent 2024 - Wednesday - Strength and rest for the weary

 Yesterday, we began reading from chapter 40 of Isaiah and  we heard God’s promise of comfort and renewal to a people who had endured long seasons of exile and suffering. Today, the Word of God continues that message. 

The reading even began acknowledging our doubts.  “Why, O Jacob, do you say… ‘My way is hidden from the LORD’?” 

Sometimes life is so difficult we feel like we have been overlooked or forgotten by the One who created us. Yet, in the midst of doubt, God directs His people’s eyes upward: “Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these things.” Before we allow fear or despair to have the final word, we must remember who God is: the Eternal Creator of the ends of the earth, who does not grow tired or weary. His strength is inexhaustible, and His knowledge is beyond our understanding.

Isaiah reminds the faint-hearted that if they hope in the LORD, they will “renew their strength” and “soar as with eagles’ wings.” What a powerful image! Eagles, known for soaring above storm clouds, teach us that placing our hope in God gives us the grace not merely to endure hardship but to rise above it. In a world that often leaves us depleted—emotionally, physically, and spiritually—God’s promise stands: if you trust in Him, you will find new vigor to run without growing weary, to walk without fainting.

Our Gospel continues this theme in perhaps the most comforting promises in all of the Gospels: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” Here is the ultimate fulfillment of Isaiah’s promise. The same God who promised new strength to the weary now speaks to us through His Son, Jesus Christ, saying, “Come,” and we discover that the comfort Isaiah proclaimed is no longer just a future hope. In Jesus, comfort is a present reality. He invites anyone struggling under heavy burdens—worry, grief, guilt, loneliness—to bring those burdens to Him. When we accept His invitation, the endless striving that leaves us exhausted begins to give way to rest in His loving arms.

Additionally, Jesus encourages us, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.” The “yoke” here means choosing a life aligned with Jesus, guided by His teachings, His virtues, His way of love. In ancient farming, a yoke paired a stronger, more experienced animal with a weaker one. The stronger bore the weight and guided the weaker. In the same way, Jesus is that stronger partner who carries the weight we cannot carry alone. Because He is humble and gentle, drawing near to Him does not crush us; it makes our burdens lighter. Under Christ’s guidance, what seemed impossible to bear can become manageable because we are no longer carrying it by ourselves.

During this Advent season of waiting and longing, we consider the ways that we long for the Lord’s strength to become manifest in our lives. And the scriptures resound clearly, in that waiting, seek the Lord all the more, to uplift, renew, and strengthen. 

During Advent, we are not waiting for an idea or a philosophy. We are awaiting a person—Emmanuel, “God with us.” In our weariness, may we come to discover more deeply his comfort, strength, forgiveness, and rest for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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Confident in God’s never-failing presence and strength, we bring before Him our prayers for the Church, for the world, and for all in need.

That, during this season of Advent, the Church may echoes God’s invitation to all people to “lift up their eyes” to God, especially in times of difficulty and doubt.

For world leaders and those in positions of authority: That they may govern with wisdom, compassion, and a spirit of service, working tirelessly to relieve the burdens of the poor, the oppressed, and the weary. 

For those who labor under heavy burdens—illness, grief, worry, or guilt:

That they may discover in Jesus their strong partner who carries the weight they cannot bear alone, granting them strength and peace.

For those who have died: That they may find eternal rest in God’s loving embrace, especially N.

Heavenly Father, You are the Eternal God who neither grows weary nor fails in love. Hear the prayers we bring to You today. Grant us the grace to trust in Your unfailing care, that we may find rest, strength, and hope in You. Through Christ, our Lord. 

June 16 2023 - Sacred Heart of Jesus - Reparation for blasphemy and rest for the weary

 While honoring the Sacred Heart has roots stretching back to the early Church, special devotion to Christ’s burning love for mankind is closely associated with St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, a 17th century Visitation nun at the convent of Paray-le-Monial. It was to this humble nun that our Blessed Lord revealed His desire that a special feast of reparation to His Sacred Heart be established on the Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi (or the third Friday after Pentecost). 

After Mass today, we will pray to together the Act of Reparation prescribed by Pope Pius XI along with the Litany of the Sacred Heart. A plenary indulgence is granted if it is publicly recited on the feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus as long as the ordinary requirements for the indulgence are met.

Particularly this year, we have reason to pray the Litany. A few days ago, it was announced Archbishop Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), along with his brother bishops have called on Catholics to pray the Litany of the Sacred Heart, and make this act of reparation with the intention of repairing the spiritual damage inflicted by sin.

Archbishop Broglio writes: “Catholic Christians traditionally recognize June as the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. During this time, we call to mind Christ’s love for us, which is visible in a special way in the image of His pierced heart, and we pray that our own hearts might be conformed to His, calling us to love and respect all His people. This year, on June 16—the day of the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus—a professional baseball team has shockingly chosen to honor a group whose lewdness and vulgarity in mocking our Lord, His Mother, and consecrated women cannot be overstated. This is not just offensive and painful to Christians everywhere; it is blasphemy. It has been heartening to see so many faithful Catholics and others of good will stand up to say that what this group does is wrong, and it is wrong to honor them. We call on Catholics to pray the Litany of the Sacred Heart on June 16th, offering this prayer as an act of reparation for the blasphemies against our Lord we see in our culture today.”

In the Gospel today, the Lord say "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” There are a lot of people, Christians and non-Christians alike in our world who are getting very tired of the constant bombardment of evil in the media, in politics, in the education system being forced on our young ones. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is the answer. We go with our burdens and our fatigue to the Sacred Heart, to refresh us, to strengthen us, to rekindle our fire for the good fight, and to make reparation for all of these evils. The good Lord knows our struggle, he has chosen us to be Christians now in 2023, and in His Heart are the graces and strength we need to be faithful. 

To anyone growing weary of all of the chaos and blasphemy and impurity and evil: go to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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We bring our needs to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Please respond to each of these petitions, “Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have Mercy on us”

That the Church may be continually cleansed and sanctified by the blood and water that gave us new birth.

For all who have fallen away from the Church, for those who lack faith, and in reparation to the Sacred Heart for all sin and all blasphemy.

On this World Day for the Sanctification of Priests, may the Sacred Heart of Jesus, through the intercession of St. Margaret Mary and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, imbue all priests with his grace, strengthen their hearts, and renew them in their vocation, conforming them to Christ, head and shepherd, servant and spouse.

For all those who are sick or burdened in any way, may come to know and experience the refreshment of Christ’s love. 

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 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

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2021 - Restful waters

20 years ago, in 2001, the summer after my first year of seminary, I went up to northern Ontario for a little summer vacation with a few fellow seminarians, to a quiet, remote cottage sitting on the bank of Little Hawk Lake about 4 hours north of Toronto. Since 2001, we’ve gone back up to the cottage, well over 20 times. We couldn’t go last year due to COVID, and it doesn’t sound like we’ll be able to go up this year, as the Canadian border is still closed to tourists. 

We try to take vacation right before the school year starts up again. We swim, we cook, we pray. We celebrate Mass. We catch up on reading. We’ll play board games, watch movies. Nothing too strenuous. In a sense, we try to fulfill the words of our Lord in the Gospel today today, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”

Rest is a good and holy thing. The Creator rested on the seventh day. He calls us to sabbath rest, away from the busyness and business of the rest of the week, to be refreshed in worship and family. We require rest. A third of our lives is spent resting. Healthy minds, healthy bodies, healthy souls need rest. 

In the 23rd Psalm, God is the good shepherd who leads his flock to restful waters. What a beautiful image. Not the violent stormy sea. But restful waters. One of my favorite things to do on vacation is simply to sit by the restful waters with a book or to take a flotation device and just float around the restful waters. 

That beautiful word in the Hebrew  for rest is “menuchah”. It’s found a number of times throughout the Old Testament. It’s used often to describe the promised land—the land of rest and refreshment for God’s people. Psalm 116 speaks of the soul filled with the rest of God after recognizing how blessed it has been by God’s graciousness. Psalm 132 uses the word to describe how God will rest upon his throne in the eternal Jerusalem upon completing his work of salvation. Psalm 95 speaks of how the hard-hearted, for turning their minds and hearts from God—shall not enter into the rest—the menuchah—of the promised land. We long for the rest and refreshment only God can provide. 

Hopefully, each of us experiences a foretaste of heavenly rest when we come to Mass. For, the Mass, on this side of heaven, is the place of restful water where the Shepherd leads his flock, each week. 

Many many people have shared with me, how something is amiss, something is missing, when they can’t get to Mass every week. That rest. That refreshment in God’s presence is missing, and their souls know it. It affects the rest of the week. The batteries begin to lose their charge. It becomes a greater struggle to be patient and generous and pure of heart without it.

This is why many people attend daily mass. The rest and refreshment of daily mass gets us started off on the right foot. If you are retired, consider attending weekday mass once and a while. It will do wonders for your faith life. 

Our spiritual director in seminary would often say that each of us needs an hour per day, a day per week, and a week per year of this spiritual refreshment. That’s good advice, not just for seminarians and priests, but for all Catholics. An hour a day for quiet prayer and mass and spiritual reading and meditation. A day per week for Sunday Mass of course, a day free from the stressful concerns of one’s job, and one week per year for some sort of spiritual retreat. Priests are even mandated by canon law to make a spiritual retreat.

When we fail to recharge our spiritual batteries, we risk becoming like those misguided shepherds in the first reading. Instead of living for God, we become bent on fulfilling our own will, seeking fulfillment in all the wrong places, ultimately becoming a source of division. Instead of gathering others to God, the spiritually defunct Christian is like that wicked shepherd who scatter the sheep, driving souls away from God. 

Stress, discouragement, and so many other crippling emotions can wear us out if we aren't prayerfully resting in Jesus every day. Only our union with Christ can supply us with the strength and wisdom we need to be the people God made us to be, and do the work God has for us. Without prayer, study, and time alone with God, our well will soon run dry - we will have nothing substantial to offer others.

So in order to be the shepherds we are called to be, the parents, grandparents, employers, priests, we are called to be—we need to allow God, daily, weekly, and yearly, at the restful waters of prayer. 

Why is the Lord Jesus constantly leading his disciples to the quiet places to pray and listen and teach them? It’s So that they will be equipped for his work. Rest prepares us for work. Prayer prepares us for apostleship and evangelization.

When I go up to northern Ontario, it usually takes a few days to unwind and enter into the rest,  but then something happens. As the batteries begin to recharge, I start to long to come back to work. I really do. I want to put the theological insights from my reading into practice. Having encountered God in prayer, having good heart-to-heart talks with God about the challenges facing the parish, I want to come back here to face those challenges.  

Rest and prayer for the priest is eminently important for his ministry, but that’s because rest and prayer are eminently important for all of our vocations. All of the work God has for us requires us to be rooted in Him. Not in some abstract political philosophy or utopian ideology. We need to be rooted in the living God. God wishes to be our portion and our cup. God wishes to be our peace and our strength, our light, our food, our life.

Make time to rest every day. Rest from your work. Rest from your electronic devices. Rest from your anxieties. Rest in God. God wants to meet you in your rest. He wants to refresh you there. But you’ve got to allow yourself to rest. You’ve got to say no to distraction. You’ve got to withdraw from the whirlwind of family drama, in order to hear the consoling whisper of God. Make time, every day, every week, and for a dedicated portion every year, to allow God to lead you to the restful waters for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

14th Sunday in OT 2020 - An end and a beginning (for Sister Dianne)

When we reopened the Church for public masses on the Feast of Pentecost, 5 weeks ago already, I reflected upon how Pentecost meant a new beginning for Jesus’ disciples. The fire of the Holy Spirit descended upon this group, who had just begun to really comprehend the implications of the Lord’s resurrection—what that meant for their future. But they were timid and remained huddled behind locked doors. It was not until the Holy Spirit’s descent upon them that they burst forth from the upper room preaching and performing mighty deeds as signs of Jesus’ victory over sin and death.

Pentecost was a new beginning. And celebrating Pentecost is always meant to be a new beginning for us, of allowing God to embolden us and commission us for some new work for the building up of the kingdom.

Well, 5 weeks ago, I had no idea about the new beginning God had in store for us as a parish. As you may have seen on Facebook, on our website, the E-Newsletter I sent out to parishioners, or in the bulletin, Sr. Dianne Piunno this week retired from her position as Pastoral Associate of St. Ignatius of Antioch parish, and her last day was this last Tuesday, the 30th of June.

Sister’s retirement ends a 30 year era. An era in which this very devoted Sister of Notre Dame, poured herself out in so many ways—in pastoral care to families and distraught individuals, offering preparation for the sacraments, assisting the pastors in administration, fundraising, assisting with liturgical celebrations, welcoming alumni back to the parish of their youth, looking after the capital needs of the physical plant of the parish, and so many hidden things and acts of charity and devotion that will only be revealed in eternity. The pastors of this parish relied on Sister for keeping this place going, the parish relied on her, especially in her role in keeping the parish open when it was slated to close 11 years ago.

In the letter of resignation she wrote to me, she said It has been a blessing to minister to the people of the parish and our beloved alumni over the past 30 years. They have given me the privilege of supporting them in joyous and challenging times.” The people and alumni always the focus of her life, even of her letter of resignation.

How can it be a mere coincidence, that as we announce sister’s retirement, our weekend Gospel contains such a powerful promise to those who have labored for the Gospel. “Come to me, all you who labor, and I will give you rest.” We pray that in her retirement, Sister will receive the rest she deserves, the joy of knowing how many lives she touched, and how her service here will echo into eternity.

Sister’s retirement is an end of an era, but also, a new beginning for the parish. Sister held us by the hand as we learned to walk, and now we have to walk, we must take up the yoke. As I mentioned, the pastors relied on sister to keep this place going. Now, your current pastor and this parish need you, the  parishioners, to take up the yoke. We’ll need volunteers to assist with liturgical matters, we certainly need new lectors and extraordinary ministers of holy communion, we’ll need volunteers for fundraising efforts, for the gala committee, the golf outing, the clambash, we’ll need help with maintaining relationships with the alumni, we’ll need volunteers to assist with preparing our young people for the sacraments.

If you are willing to help in one or any of these ways, or if you have an idea for some form of ministry that you’d like to take up, please send me a message, write me an email or letter. I have a wonderful staff, but we can’t do it on our own, there is a big hole in the parish that needs to be filled, but I believe that you, the good parishioners of the parish have the time, talent, and treasure to pick up the yoke, to learn from Sister’s good example, and to learn ultimately from the Lord, who says in the Gospel, take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.

Now, my first thought upon receiving sister’s letter was, how in this pandemic are we going to be able to honor her for her service. So, I asked her personally. Could honor her at Mass, and she said, no, in fact, she wanted this announcement to be made after her retirement as she did not want to become the focus of the mass...woops. I then asked if we could do some sort of outdoor reception in the parking lot, and she said no, now is not the right time. We have the parish picnic planned in August, and she said, no, she’s not going to be available for that either. We’ve rescheduled the Gala for next March, and she said no to that too, as she’s already been honored at two Galas. So…we are currently brainstorming how and when we can honor this sweet devoted woman. Please know that it’s coming, hopefully, soon. Again, if you have any ideas let me know.

Lastly, I think we put in the bulletin a PO Box number to which you can send Sister cards if you wish. You can also place them in the parish offertory over the upcoming weeks and we’ll make sure to get them to her.

The end of an era, but the beginning of new one. May the Lord help us to utilize those spiritual gifts he has been cultivating within us. For taking up the yoke, for putting those gifts into practice, is the only way this parish will continue.

You are in our prayers sister, please pray for us, that the good work the Lord has begun in us, good work through which you have been instrumental, may be brought to completion, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Thursday - 15th Week of OT 2017 - "For I am meek and humble of heart"

Over the past few days, our first reading has been taken from the book of Exodus. We’ve heard how God hears the cries of his people, burdened by the suffering of Egyptian slavery, he hears their call for deliverance. God chooses Moses to deliver God’s people from the hand of Pharaoh, to lead the enslaved to the rest of the promised land. But before Moses takes up this mission, we heard today, how God revealed his name to Moses.

Jesus reveals Himself as the great deliverer, the one who can lead all mankind to the eternal rest of the promised land of heaven, whose name itself means savior, Jesus, God who saves us from our sins.

Jesus invites all mankind to turn to him for salvation, for rest. He’s not promising a good night’s sleep or the forgetfulness of our problems that comes from the bottle or the little pill. Nor does he promise that he will magically make all of our difficulties vanish. Jesus offers a rest, a peace that nothing in the world can possibly give. “Peace, not as the world gives, do I give” says the Lord. It is rest and peace that comes from his mercy. The forgiveness of the guilt of sin, the knowledge of being reconciled, and being in communion with God, brings life and rest and peace, that no substance, no political or social reform, not amount of amount of physical or mental therapy can provide. Peace of soul. Such peace is available through the Sacraments, through prayer and devotion.

Notice, how Jesus doesn’t promise to unburden us totally. As soon as he promises rest, he commands us to take up a new burden, to take up the yoke, which is an instrument of work, of labor. But his yoke is radically different from the burdens the world places on us, the burdens of our worldly responsibilities and earthly anxieties. The Christian is to take up the yoke of the Lord’s humility and his meekness.

For many of us, learning how to imitate Jesus’ humility and his meekness is hard work. Learning how to lay aside harshness, grumpiness, pride, willfulness, smugness, superiority, this change of mind and heart is taxing, it requires real work, real effort, the mortification of our attitudes and routines.

But it’s the harshness, willfulness and the pride, the spirit of the age, the spirit of disobedience, that causes us to be so unhappy and exhausted all the time. Humility, meekness, gentleness, the heart of Jesus is easy and light compared to the burden of worldliness.

May the Holy Spirit help us to identify what attitudes and behaviors need to be set aside, that we may take up the yoke of the mind and heart of the Lord, that we may know his peace in this life and his rest in eternity for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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For Bishop Nelson Perez, the next shepherd of our diocese; for our Apostolic Administrator, Bishop Daniel Thomas; for Bishop-emeritus Richard Lennon; that the Holy Spirit will continue to enlighten and empower them with grace, confidence and hope.  We pray.
For our Holy Father’s prayer intention for the month of July: that our brothers and sisters who have strayed from the faith, through our prayer and witness to the Gospel, may rediscover the merciful closeness of the Lord and the beauty of the Christian life. We pray.
For deliverance from all disordered affections and attitudes, for detachment from earthly goods in order to value the goods of heaven. We pray.
That the love of Christ, the divine physician, may bring healing to the sick and comfort to all the suffering. We pray.
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.
O God, who 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.

14th Sunday of OT 2017 - "Come to me...and I will give you rest"

Amidst all the burdens, hardships, illnesses, setbacks, and tragedies of life: are there any words in the Scriptures more comforting than those we heard today: “come to me, all you who are weary, and I will give you rest…for I am gentle, and humble of heart.”

This Gospel passage is often chosen for the Catholic funeral rites. Family members often choose this Gospel for the funeral of a loved one who passed after a long illness: in death, earthly suffering comes to an end; and the Christian soul who dies with Christ as their Lord rests as they await the resurrection.

This Gospel is also used for the celebration of the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is surely a sacrament of comfort. In serious illness we experience powerlessness, limitation, suffering, and often fear. And through this great Sacrament Jesus, makes his comforting presence known, the divine physician comes to the bedside of his faithful ones, to bring the comforting knowledge of his presence and his grace to help us bear our serious illnesses.

Some of you may remember that before the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, this Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick was often called “last rites” or “extreme unction” as the sacrament would be celebrated as close to the time of death as possible. With Vatican II came a renewed understanding: this Sacrament is to be received, not just near death, but any time our health is seriously impaired by sickness or old age. We should really seek this Sacrament at the beginning of a serious illness.

Our Catholic hospitals have a priest chaplain who is able to celebrate this sacrament with you, and arrangements can be made with those hospitals. If you are going to be undergoing serious surgery, we can schedule to celebrate this sacrament a few days prior. If you have a family member who has fallen away from the Church who has taken seriously ill, you should pray for them and encourage them to send for a priest.

Throughout the Gospels, the sick came to Jesus for healing, he sent his apostles to heal the sick, to anoint the sick and lay hands on them. And St. James even writes, “let the sick send for the priests of the Church, and let the priests pray over them, anointing them with oil”

God has brought about miraculous healing through Holy Anointing, but particularly in cases of terminal illness, the Lord certainly brings about spiritual strengthening and comfort through this Sacrament. So, if you or a family are diagnosed with a serious illness, call the priests early on, the Sacraments can be celebrated to bring healing, comfort and peace.

Not just through Holy Anointing, but in all the Sacraments Jesus brings comfort. Through baptism we gain the peace of knowing that we belong to God. Through Eucharist, the peace of knowing that we remain in communion with God, and God loves us and feeds us with what our souls most desperately need. Through Confession we hear some of the most comforting words that can ever be spoken in this life: “Your sins are forgiven”.

We do not have a God who remains distant. The Gospel today is clear, Jesus invites us close to Himself. Every Sacrament is an encounter with Christ who lives, who has conquered sin and death, who loves us, and wants to help us become the people God made us to be.

Whether you haven’t prayed in years, have fallen away from the practice of weekly mass, if you’ve skipped out on your catechism classes, or have committed sins that are gravely embarrassing, if you are Jewish, Muslim, or struggling with Atheism, Jesus makes that invitation to each of us: “Come to me, come to me” He’s not speaking to some else, he’s speaking to you. So many of us, are so exhausted and unhappy because we fail to go to Jesus when we should. We fail to develop the sort of prayer life that truly nourishes because we think we can handle the difficulties of life on our own.

Jesus invites us to turn away from our self-importance and walk to into the embrace of his arms, to turn from our sins and walk toward his mercy, to turn away from our doubts and to walk toward the Truth, to turn away from our fears and to walk toward the source of all courage and strength.

Jesus’ words today are certainly words of comfort and invitation, but they are also words of challenge. To whom do you go for refreshment, to whom do you go peace, where do you really place your trust?

Do you go to the bottle, or do you go to Him? Do you go to your credit cards, or do you go to Him? Do you go to the gossip circle, to the perverted internet sites, or to Him? Do you seek follow to the lame examples of professional athletes and Hollywood elites, or seek to follow Him?

Not all that glitters is gold, not all that promises rest and peace, can actually provide it.

Our secular culture offers a million and one alternatives to Jesus.  But Jesus says, come to ME.  Don’t turn to overindulging in food, in drink, don’t go to sexual perversion, or take out your frustrations and anger against your family or neighbor, don’t turn to those million OTHER things, come to ME, Jesus says.

Sometimes temptation comes in the form of a little voice urging us to seek consolation in one of those million other things, THAT’S NOT THE VOICE OF GOD.  There is an enemy who speaks with a persuasive tongue, who does not want us to turn to Jesus in prayer and obey our True Lord.  It’s the voice that says, you don’t need to pray, what you really need is the pill, the drink, the website, or the entire carton of chocolate ice cream.

Every Christian is engaged in spiritual warfare, and the enemy will use all the means at his disposal, including the goods of the earth, to lead us away from Christ, who desires to keep us from entering in Christ’s eternal rest.

Today, Jesus invites us to come to Him once again, amidst all the competing voices. At this Holy Eucharist let us renew our trust and faith in him, to recommit to the healthy spiritual practices, prayer, fasting, right judgment and discernment, that we may live this week in his peace that we may live with Him in eternally for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: Friday - 1st Week in OT 2017 - Strive to enter into God's rest

Both yesterday and today, the author of the letter to the Hebrews quotes the beloved 95^th Psalm.  The Psalm is prayed daily at the very beginning of the Liturgy of the Hours in what is called the invitatory prayer. It is a beautiful psalm to begin the day with, for it contains so many themes and lessons important to the spiritual life: the importance of coming before God to worship, of singing his praise and giving thanks for the beauty of creation and his governance over it, as we reflected upon yesterday, the importance of not hardening our hearts against God’s commandments, and today we hear about the promise of entering into God’s rest.

The author to the Hebrews quotes Psalm 95 as a warning to the early Jewish-Christians, and to the Church of all ages to not grow weary in our witness to Jesus. 

The first reading ended with this powerful play-on-words, “strive to enter into God’s rest”, in other words, “work hard to enter into rest.”

After 40 years wandering in the desert, the promise of rest was taken very seriously by the Israelites. In the Promised Land of Canaan, the land flowing with milk and honey, the Israelites would be able to "rest" from the labors of Egyptian slavery and desert wandering.

God’s rest is spoken of at the very beginning of the Scriptures. In Genesis we read of God Himself resting from his labors on the 7^th day of creation. God’s people are called to enter into that Sabbath rest every week. Sometimes this requires real work in making sure that Sunday, the Lord’s day is a special day dedicated to God.

The Church fathers also saw this Sabbath “rest” as a foreshadowing of eternal life with Jesus Christ. We do well to work hard to enter into that rest, by striving to observe all that Our Lord commands, particularly the spiritual and corporal works of mercy and making use of the gifts of the spirit for the spread of the Gospel and building up of the Church.

When Augustine said, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in God” he recognized the importance of making God the center of our life. That when we are simply living for ourselves we will always be unhappy, unfilled, lacking real peace. To live selfishly we will never experience the rest of God.

“Let us strive to enter into that rest” for the Glory of God and salvation of souls.

That the Lord’s Day may be a day of rest and joy for the Church.
For Catholics who do not attend Sunday Mass, for those who have fallen away from the Church, for their return to the Sacraments, we pray to the Lord.
For a deeper commitment to the works of mercy and use of God’s spiritual gifts.
For all those who labor for the good of their family and country, that they may know God’s just rewards.