18th Week in Ordinary Time 2021 - Tuesday - Walking on Water

 

St. Peter is certainly given a unique role among the apostles. As prince of the apostles, he’s given the great task of being the rock upon which the Lord builds his Church. And yet, St. Peter is also quite a relatable character in the Gospels. We can relate to his fear during the Lord’s Passion. We can relate to his confusion on the mount of transfiguration, when he even appears to stick his foot in his mouth a bit. And we can relate to Peter in the Gospel today. Having been called upon by the Lord to walk upon the waters, having been invited to trust the Lord, Peter sinks.

Each of us can imagine ourselves in the boat with the apostles in the Gospel today. Being tossed about by storms, Jesus is nowhere to be found. And then the Lord appears. Notice, how in this Gospel, Jesus does not calm the storms, like he does in other passages. Sometimes, the storms continue to rage around us when we detect the Lord calling to us. He’s able to walk on water in the midst of the storm, of course, because, he’s God. But then he calls out to us, amidst our fears and anxieties to trust him and walk out onto the water with him.

Sometimes, we hear the Lord calling, but we are too afraid to get out of the boat. Too afraid to take up a new work for the Lord, a new ministry. We make excuses. My life is too chaotic. My storms are too great. We focus on what we lack, instead of trusting in God who makes the invitation.

Perhaps, we even have moments, where we, like St. Peter, begin to walk on water for a time. We make that initial leap of faith, but then, also like Peter, we allow the fears and anxieties and opinions of our culture replace that trust, and we begin to sink.

How often have we made a commitment to pray daily, or read scripture daily. It starts up with such fervor, we know it’s the right thing to do, and then the distractions take us away from that holy conviction, and we begin to sink. 

But the Lord lovingly walks over to us, pulls us up, and invites us to try again. 

What are the stormy water across which the Lord is inviting us to walk? He has work for each of us. And that work appears as a stormy sea, to difficult for us to cross on our own. And it is. But he invites us to walk, to trust, to love him enough to trust him calling us to do what is beyond our natural abilities, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

That Church leaders and all the members of the faithful may deepen their trust in the Lord who calls them to labor for the building up of the Church.

For deliverance from corruption in government and for the protection of civil liberty and religious freedom. 

That the love of Christ, the divine physician, may bring healing to the sick and comfort to all the suffering. 

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.

Wednesday after Epiphany 2019 - Take Courage, I AM

Throughout Epiphany Week, the Gospel readings seem to emphasize the special identity of the Christ Child born at Christmas and adored by the magi at the Epiphany.  Monday we heard of him healing the sick, the paralyzed, the possessed.  Yesterday, we heard of him feeding five thousand with loaves and fishes.  Today, we hear of his mastery over the very powers of nature, the powers of creation—he walks on water.  He does what no man has ever done before.

At the sight of Jesus walking on the water, they thought it was a ghost, a phantasma, in the Greek. Why’d they think this? Living people typically don’t walk on water. St. Mark says, they were terrified at the sight, in fact, the Greek word there is anekraxan—they let out shrieks of terror.

But, their terror is transformed into complete astonishment when Jesus utters the words no good Jew would ever use to describe himself, in the Greek “Ego Eimi” I AM. Take Courage, I AM…Where in scripture do we find those holy words? At the burning Bush, when God revealed his divine name: I AM!  The Lord’s words here echo the divine words of consolation in the prophet Isaiah: “Fear not, I am with you; be not dismayed, I am your God”

The child born at Christmas is identified with the mighty God of the universe who is greater than our deepest fears. In the Gospel of Mark, it takes a while for the disciples to fully grasp who Jesus is, for them to allow Him to transform their fear into courage. Even at the end of this passage, Mark tells us, they didn’t understand his words, and even hardened their hearts.

It is not until Jesus’ great love is fully manifested upon the cross, in Mark’s Gospel, that terror, astonishment, misunderstanding, and fear, are fully transformed into courage for the spread of the Gospel. This is echoed in our first reading, when St. John tells us that “perfect love casts out fear.”
Christmas time, in which we are still engaged, urges us to reflect upon how the incarnation is part of the story of God’s great love for us, how God entered into a terrifying world, a world that hates him and is hostile toward him, in order to save us from hate, and fear, and sin, and death, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That our Holy Father and all the clergy may be filled with courage in preaching the full Gospel, especially in the face of opposition.
That Christians may know the presence and love of God when faced with fear and suffering for the sake of the Gospel.
That those who despair of God’s love for them, might discover the great love that casts out all fear.
For all who have fallen away from the Church, for those in mortal sin, for their conversion and the conversion of all hearts to Christ.
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

August 7 2018 - St. Sixtus II and St. Cajetan - Trusting God at all times

The Church honors two saints today, separated by more than a thousand years.

In the third century, the Roman Emperor Valerian ordered that Christians had to take part in the state religious ceremonies. He also forbade them from assembling for Christian worship, threatening with death anyone who was found to disobey the order.  St. Sixtus II was Pope during this terrible time.  And for nearly a year Sixtus functioned as Pope, administering the Church. He famously worked to resolve a conflict with certain Eastern churches over the rebaptism of converted heretics.

In August of 258, Emperor Valerian issued a far crueler edict.  It simply and coldly ordered that all bishops, priests, and deacons be put to death. On August 6, 258, Pope Sixtus II and four deacons, were seized while celebrating Mass in the Catacombs of Callistus in Rome.  They were beheaded that same day.

Over a thousand years later, the Lord raised up a priest, a tremendously compassionate heart. He had been consecrated to the Blessed Virgin by his parents. Caitano, or Cajetan, as we call him, lived a life of great austerity and charity toward the poor. He was a mystic. His charity and prayer seemed to impress heaven itself: Our Lady appeared to him and allowed him to hold the child Jesus. He founded a religious order known as the Theatines to care for the impoverished sick and dying.

Sixtus and Cajetan, two very different saints, and yet, both imitating Our Lord. In the Gospel, we hear of the Lord walking on water, and commanding Peter to do the same. Yes, Peter sinks into the sea, and requires rescue from the Lord, but for a moment he walked on water, just like the Lord. The Lord said that we, his followers, would perform works just like his, miraculous works, works of charity, acts of great courage, and our suffering would be like his as well.

Many Christians settle for mediocrity while the Lord is actually calling us to walk on water with Him. The Collect prayer for St. Cajetan beseeches God for the ability “to trust God at all times”, to trust Him when he calls us out of the comfort of the boat, out of the familiar, out of ingrained habits and routines, out of mediocrity, out of our vices, to love the sick and the poor more, like St. Cajetan, to witness with Courage to the truth of the Gospel even when we will be persecuted, like St. Sixtus, to walk on water like St. Peter.

The Lord longs to do great things in us, with us, and through us. Through the intercession and example of the saints, may we come to trust Him at all times in order to cooperate with His Holy Will, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That Pope Francis and all bishops and clergy may lead the Church by example in witnessing to the truth of the Gospel with courage and living the Gospel with charity and perseverance.

That politicians and government officials may protect religious freedom, promote virtue, and look to the law of Christ to guide their work for the good of nations and the human race, especially for the protection of the unborn.

For the Holy Father’s prayer intention for the month of August that any far-reaching decisions of economists and politicians may protect the family as one of the treasures of humanity.

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

19th Sunday in OT 2017 - God's Whispered Call

Last Sunday, I was away from the parish because I was attending a very special celebration. A young lady from my first parish assignment, along with another young woman, made her profession of vows as a Franciscan Sister down in the diocese of Steubenville. Her religious order’s full name is the Franciscan Sisters, Third Order Regular of Penance of the Sorrowful Mother. Now, with a name like that, you’d think, that’s a spirituality from another age, that’s a way of life that is mostly unappealing in the modern day, here in the western world, or it’s a way of life that no one in their right mind would freely embrace. And yet, dozens of happy, healthy, and holy young women over the last few years have joined this religious order.

And I have to tell you, it was a truly joyful event, when these two young women took their vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience: Sister Chiara Joan, named after our own Saint Clare and Saint Joan of Arc, two very heroic women, and Sister Mary Michelina, named after Our Blessed Mother and the Warrior Prince Archangel Michael of God’s Celestial Army.

There is a beautiful moment in the profession ceremony where the newly professed sister is given the Franciscan habit, the plain grey, somewhat uncomfortable looking garb. They then go off to dress into their new habit. And coming back into the chapel, walking down the aisle, these two religious, embracing a life of simplicity, poverty, and penance beamed with more joy than I’ve seen most brides exhibit on their wedding day, and I’ve seen a lot of brides.

There is also a point where the sisters are presented with a crucifix which they will wear over their habit. The Reverend Mother Superior holds the crucifix before the sister and says: “Behold him to whom you are espoused”. And as they each gazed upon that crucifix there was such a sweet love for the Lord, that you could tell, had been cultivated over years through prayer, penance, and charitable service to Christ’s poor. And it’s rather enviable, in a good way, a good reminder of what could be, if I took the prayer life a little bit more seriously. A reminder that the greatest joy in life comes from belonging entirely to Christ.

Friday, August 11, was the Feast Day of our Parish Patron Saint, St. Clare, who herself entered the convent in order to fall in love with Christ.

Clare was from an aristocratic family, and at 15, a common age to marry in those days, she refused a number of suitors, particularly one, very wealthy fellow.  Instead, she was drawn to the dynamic preaching of local holy man, named Francesco of Assisi. He dressed in rags, probably didn’t smell too good, but preached the Gospel of Christ, with a conviction Clare had never witnessed. Francis and Clare became lifelong friends, and like a true friend, Francis encouraged Clare to seek that which makes us truly happy: radical love of Jesus Christ.

Clare discerned to dedicate her life to God by entering the convent. On Palm Sunday in the year 1212, she traded her rich clothing for the rough brown woolen habit of the Franciscans; she exchanged her jeweled belt for a common rope with three knots to symbolize her poverty, chastity, and obedience, and caught off her long golden tresses.  Thus she became espoused to Christ.  Her sister Agnes, 14 years old, soon joined her, as did several other women, in the following weeks.
The idea of entering a monastery in order to pursue a life of prayer and joyful communion with the Lord, like St. Clare, is not even on the radar of many of our young people.  Our modern culture tells our young girls, particularly, that they cannot be happy unless they, like a Disney princess, marry prince charming and live in a castle filled with all the luxuries money can buy, or acquire the sort of job where she can buy her own castle and live life according to her own whims and fancies.
But, St. Clare, and the rest of the saints, teach us a different way.

St. Clare lived a very quiet life, and yet, she was full of joy. She learned to listen, to attune her heart to the voice of God. She like Elijah learned that God is not necessarily in the big booming spectacles of the world, but in the quiet whisper of the silent chapel.

Many of us are like the apostles in the Gospel today. We hear the Lord calling, but are too afraid to get out of the boat. Or perhaps we even have moments, where like St. Peter, we begin to walk on water towards the Lord, we trust him, but also like Peter, we let the fears and anxieties and opinions of our culture replace that trust, and we begin to sink. How often have you made a commitment to pray daily, or read the scripture daily, with such fervor, you know it’s the right thing to do…and then the distractions take us away from that holy conviction, we begin to sink.

Thanks be to God we have a loving Savior who raises us up when we begin to sink. Particularly in the Sacrament of Confession, the Lord forgives us those times when we reject Him. But the Lord also wants to teach us to walk on water, to do things with his help that we couldn’t do on our own, things we would be too afraid to do, like St. Clare: to turn away from your family’s wealth and protection, when all the other girls are getting married. To choose a different way is terrifying. But we don’t know the names of those other girls. But we know the name of Clare, of Joan, of Magdalene, of Theresa of Calcutta, because they trusted the Lord and did amazing things for Him, they walked on water, in their own way, and became the people God made them to be, Saints.

The Lord calls out to each of us: Get out of the boat, get out of the familiar routine of spiritual mediocrity. He calls us to walk on water through a faith life of radical trust, prayer and charity.
Mothers, fathers, single people, teens, widows and children can become saints, when we quiet down our lives to listen to the whisper of God, who calls ordinary people to extraordinary sanctity. What is he calling you to, what is he calling you to give, what is he calling you to give up, so that you can walk on water? If you think the answer is “nothing”, you are listening to wrong voice.

May we learn to trust the Lord enough to follow his whispered call, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.