Monday - 23rd Week of OT 2017 - 9/11 and discovering meaning in suffering

In the aftermath of those killed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, congress passed a bill requesting that the President designate September 11 of each year as Patriot Day. The U.S. flag is flown at half-staff at the White House and on all U.S. government buildings and establishments throughout the world; flags are also encouraged to be displayed on individual American homes. Additionally, a moment of silence is observed to correspond with the attacks, beginning at 8:46 a.m., the time the first plane, American Airlines Flight 11, struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

Ecce Homo by St. Adam Chmielowski (1881)

This year, Patriot Day is observed as our southern-most state is being ravaged by Hurricane Irma, the people of Houston struggle to rebuild their lives after Hurricane Harvey. These events cause us to reflect upon the presence of evil in the world, the chaos of Mother Nature which displaces families and disrupts life, and the evil in men’s hearts which lead to terrorism and war.

St. Paul wrote about suffering in our reading from his letter to the Colossians today. But his response to suffering is surprising. He doesn’t curse God, as Job did. Rather, he claims to rejoice in his sufferings. Paul suffered prison, shipwreck, beatings, starvation, and exhaustion, and ultimately death for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And he saw his sufferings as gifts from God because they enabled him to understand more deeply the salvific meaning of suffering, they enabled him to understand more deeply the love of Christ.

Fulton Sheen was fond of saying that, the great tragedy in life is not suffering, but suffering that goes wasted, suffering that we do not allow to bring us closer to God.

Following the September 11 attacks the churches were packed. Our nation rightly responded to evil by falling to our knees, not simply praying to God to alleviate our suffering, but to help us to learn, so that evil may not be repeated.

And yet the lesson of suffering was only headed by some. Instead of drawing closer to God, repenting of sin, uniting to Christ through his Church, many dug in their heels to building a culture of death. Instead of stretching out the withered hand, they clutched all the tighter at perversion, greed, and power.

May God have mercy on all those who suffer, may He have mercy on our nation, which often seems hell bent on self-destruction, may faith increase and evil be renounced for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That through Our Lady, Queen of Peace, terrorism and war, and the cheapening of human life may be brought to an end.

For all those who harden their hearts toward God, for those who have left the Church, for all those in serious sin, for their conversion and the conversion of all hearts.

That our civil representatives may use their authority to lead and build our nation in godly ways.
For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of September: “That our parishes, animated by a missionary spirit, may be places where faith is communicated and charity is seen.”

For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster and inclement weather, those who suffer from war, violence, and terrorism, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, the imprisoned, the unchaste, 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.

April 25 2017 - St. Mark the Evangelist - Bishop of Alexandria and Martyr

St. Mark was a Jew converted by the Apostles after the death and resurrection of Christ. As we heard in the first reading, he was a spiritual son of St. Peter—Peter, who refers to himself as “the chosen one at Babylon”, referring to Rome.

So St. Mark was with Peter in Rome, and it is here that St. Mark is asked to put into writing what they were being taught orally by St. Peter. And that is exactly what this evangelist did.

Around the year 49 AD St. Peter sends Mark to be the Bishop of Alexandria in Egypt. Alexandria was known for its superstition, old Egyptian gods and pagan practices looming large. Mark preached the Gospel there in Alexandria and worked many miracles: faithful to what we heard in his Gospel today: that the apostles preached and signs accompanied their preaching—the Lord confirmed their words through signs.

For this reason, many people converted to the faith, but his preaching also brought about his martyrdom. But the fruits of his preaching and the testimony of his martyrdom caused Alexandria to become one of the great centers of early Christianity. It is around Alexandria that Christian monasticism begins with Anthony of the Desert and Paul the Hermit. St. Mark changed the world and changed history through his faithfulness to the preaching mission.

And, what a wonderful saint to celebrate during the Easter season, when we are being reminded of the importance of faithfully preaching the Gospel, giving witness to the truth that Jesus is risen, and by backing up our words with accompanying works.

St. Mark continues to have an effect in the life of every Christian in the world. We unite ourselves to St. Mark’s efforts, that through his prayer, the Lord may continue to bring about many conversions in this hostile land where a new paganism, an atheistic paganism is taking root. Just as the Lord transformed Alexandria, he can transform this place through our faithfulness.

We certainly remember the people of Alexandria and their families. It was here at the Coptic Cathedral of St. Mark in Alexandria that a bomb exploded on Palm Sunday just three weeks ago: 45 Christians attending Palm Sunday Mass were killed by Islamic terrorists. May the martyrdom of St. Mark, and these new martyrs bring about a flourishing of Christian faith and Christian peace in that land.

May St. Mark’s preaching and witness give us courage to be faithful to Christ in this age and in this place for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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(Petitions adapted from Evening Prayer)
Let us pray:

The Father raised Christ his Son, Our Good Shepherd from the dead, may we be his faithful witnesses to the ends of the earth.

The Father sent his Son into the world to bring good news to the poor, may we have courage to bring that good news to all peoples.

The Father sent his Son to sow the word of life, may God help us to sow his word and to reap its harvest with joy.

The Father send his Son to make the world one through his blood, may we all work together for this unity.

The Father set his Son at his right hand in the heavens, may the gates of God’s kingdom be opened to all those who have died...