Friday - 21st Week of OT 2017 - The Parable of the 10 Virgins

Yesterday, from chapter 24 of Matthew’s Gospel, we heard the Lord urging his followers to stay awake, to remain vigilant, to watch for his coming. In Chapter 25, the Lord continues this very serious discourse about remaining prepared for the end: the end of time, the end of our earthly lives. In chapter 25, in fact, we read of the great judgment, the eternal separation of the sheep and the goats. So this is pretty important stuff!

In today’s parable, we heard this solemn lesson of the wise and foolish virgins. All 10 virgins begin the story with lighted lamps. They are symbolic of all Christians, who have received the light of Christ through baptism. Earlier in the Gospel, the Lord taught that Christians are not to hide their lamps under bushel baskets—we should not be afraid or stingy about doing good works out in the world—the light of faith is meant to illumine the world. Pope Francis’ prayer intention this month, speaks about the need for our parishes to be places where the light of charity is clearly seen.

We know there are Christians who have received the light of faith in baptism, but who have let their lamps become extinguished, or whose flame is but a bare flicker, in danger of the next wind, the next sin, blowing it out. In this parable, Jesus explains the eternal consequences for allowing the flame of faith to go out: to those with extinguished lamps the door to the eternal wedding feast of heaven is closed and locked forever.

What we do in this life has eternal consequences. So we must be wise enough to keep the flame of faith alive through all throughout our earthly life, persevering in faith to the end, through a life of prayer, reception of the sacraments, and acts of mercy. Thanks be to God we have the Catholic Sacrament of Confession. Foolish sin causes the light of Christ to be snuffed out in our soul. And the means Our Lord has chosen to relight extinguished flames is through the Sacrament of Confession.

We do not know the day nor the hour when the Bridegroom will return or our earthly life will come to an end. May the Lord find our souls persevering in his grace, with the flame of faith alight and blazing, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For Bishop 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 September: “That our parishes, animated by a missionary spirit, may be places where faith is communicated and charity is seen.” 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.

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.

August 29 2017 - The Passion of St. John the Baptist - Marriage Matters

The veneration of John the Baptist has deep roots. Our Lord Himself extols John saying: “among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist.” So when we honor John the Baptist, we follow our Lord’s example.

Why did Our Lord honor John? The Lord extolled him for his courageous witness, his faithfulness to the mission God had given him: preaching repentance, helping souls prepare themselves to accept Christ as Lord. In his preaching mission, John was a precursor to the Lord himself, who preached repentance and faith.

The Baptist’s mission, like Our Lord’s also culminated in a violent death: for speaking the Truth of God, John was beheaded.  John was not ordered to deny Jesus, like so many of the later martyrs, rather, he was ordered to keep silent. Thomas Aquinas explained, “For this reason the Church celebrates the martyrdom of Blessed John the Baptist, who suffered death, not for refusing to deny the faith, but for reproving adultery”

The King had entered into an adulterous relationship, and John publicly condemned this. Even though such relationships are commonplace these days, they are still contrary to the laws of God, the law written into the human heart. Adultery is sinful whether in the 1st century or 21st century.

Like John and like Our Lord, the Church in our time witnesses to the Truth about Marriage. We are attacked for this witness. But we must stand true. For as marriage as an institution disintegrates, so does civilization. Marriage matters: marriages of kings and marriages of peasants, marriages of doctors and lawyers, marriages of construction workers and teachers.

Spouses are called to lifelong fidelity, not only for their own good, the good of their children, but also, the good of society.

Pope Francis recently spoke of the duty of the Church to promote and defend marriage in his recent exhortation: “The Church has always held it part of her mission to promote marriage and the family and to defend them against those who attack them”

How are we called to promote and defend marriage? To certainly pray for happy, healthy, holy marriages, to pray for troubled marriages. The Church is certainly present to spouses in troubled marriages, helping them and guiding them to resources like counseling and marriage retreats to help them work through troubled times. And we speak the truth to those in adulterous relationships and those Catholics who have entered into irregular unions, those married outside the Church. We gently encourage our family members and friends in these relationships to seek to make their lives right with God through the Church.

The Baptist, who suffered greatly, was faithful until the end. His example and his prayers help us to overcome our weaknesses and fears, including our culpable silence, to spread the Truth of the Gospel, for the Glory of God and Salvation of souls.

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For Pope Francis, and all the clergy, and all Christians, that we may witness to the truth of the Gospel faithfully, courageously, and compassionately.

For married couples: that they might give witness to the beauty of their sacrament through their love for each other and in doing so, be an instrument for the conversion of others. And For married couples experiencing difficulties in their relationship: that they may persevere in love and faithfulness to each other.

For healing for all families and children affected by divorce, and for all the divorced who have left the Church, and for those who believe that they no longer have a place in the Church, that they may return and find the compassion and fellowship that awaits them.

For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster, 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.

August 28 2017 - St. Augustine & the Quest for Truth

Pope Benedict XVI wrote about St. Augustine, “A civilization has seldom encountered such a great spirit who was able to assimilate Christianity’s values and exalt its intrinsic wealth, inventing ideas and forms that were to nourish future generations.”

And yet, when we reflect on the life and works of Augustine, it’s not the story of a sinless human being. In his great work, his autobiography, the Confessions, Augustine writes with stunning honesty about his sinful youth, his practical atheism, his lustful indulgences, his adoption of heresy.

Fulton Sheen said that there are two ways of knowing God, knowing him through innocence, and then knowing him as a reconciled sinner through His mercy. Augustine certainly came to know God through the latter path.

The Gospel for the Feast of Augustine speaks of the need to humble ourselves. Augustine’s conversion, like any conversion, certainly came through humility. He was among the intellectual elite. Like so many of today’s academicians he thought he knew better than the ancient faith. But Augustine, continued seeking the truth.

In his Confessions, Augustine details his intellectual conversion away from the Manichaeist heresy, especially due to the preaching of the holy bishop of Milan, St. Ambrose.  He had the humility to listen to wisdom of the saints. He had the humility to open the Scriptures to learn from the Word of God.

Augustine wrote: “What does the soul desire more ardently than truth?  The truth is known by love.” Augustine realized that true wisdom is not found in the philosophies of the age, and that without the love of God the intellect is darkened.  Without humility and love, the quest for Truth is in vain.
Augustine was a genius, but genius without humility, faith, hope, and love, is nothing. However, surrendering his genius to God, responding in humility to the grace of God enabled him to become as Pope Benedict called him, “the greatest Father of the Latin Church. The man of passion and faith, of the highest intelligence and tireless in his pastoral care, a great saint and Doctor of the Church.”

Augustine is a great patron Saint for our own day, for our youth, for the arrogant university intelligentsia, for those addicted to sin, for those who flee from the Church and from the Truth of the Gospels.

May we come to understand and experience that same conversion of mind and heart, so we too, like St. Augustine may say: “Late have I loved you, O beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I love you!  You were within me, but I was outside, and It was there that I searched for you.  In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things you created.  You were with me, but I was not with you.  Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would have not been at all.  You called, you shouted, you broke through my defenses.  You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness.  You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you.  I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more.  You touched me, and I burned for your peace.” For the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the preaching of holy bishops and priests may attract those seeking for Truth to Truth of the Gospels.

That our young people may be kept safe from the evils and errors of our culture, and seek to conform themselves to Christ in all things.

For those who have fallen into error or serious sin, those whose pride keeps them from knowing God’s mercy, and for those who have fallen away from the Church or do not know Christ, for their conversion and the conversion of all hearts.

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.

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.

August 15, 2017 - The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Biblical and theological proofs

The dogma of the Assumption of Mary is a point of contention between Catholics and Protestants. Non-Catholics often claim that there is no biblical evidence for Mary’s Assumption.

I’d bet that most Catholics are not very familiar with the biblical data. And that’s not necessarily terrible. We trust the Church, we love the Blessed Mother. Her Assumption seems logical. That’s enough for most us. As the saying goes: “For some, no proof is necessary. For others, no proof is ever enough.”

But just in case you are ever in the position to explain this dogma, here are some key points from the Scriptures.

First, the bible is very clear that the bodily assumption into heaven is possible, in fact, there is biblical precedent for it. Enoch and Elijah are both brought to heaven by God. Thessalonians foretells how Christians still living at the time of Christ’s return will be “caught up to the heavens”. And St. Paul in second Corinthians describes his mystical experience of being taken to heaven, whether in the body or out of the body he doesn’t know, but he doesn’t rule out the possibility of a bodily journey to heaven.

Now, the Bible doesn’t describe Mary being taken to heaven by God. But in the book of Revelation, which we read on this feast, the Mother of the Savior of the World is in heaven, bodily. And beautiful Psalm 45, speaks of the queen standing at the right hand of God, in the eternal palace of the king.
So no one can really claim that this feast is unbiblical.

Why is this dogma important? Why is this feast important? First, it is never unfitting to celebrate the work of God. God made Mary a worthy mother for his son, full of grace and virtue, a heart in full communion with His Holy Will. Who can argue with the fittingness of Mary being brought into heaven, to experience what we all hope to experience in eternity, bodily and spiritual life in the eternal presence? In celebrating this feast, we proclaim the good works of God to all generations.

Secondly, in light of attempts to recreate Christianity, severing it from its ancient roots, this beautiful feast is so important because it keeps us connected to the Apostolic faith. For this feast is the oldest feast of Our Lady. Sadly, so many modern Christians do not fittingly honor Our Lady. But the Church without Our Lady, is not the Church.

Thirdly, this feast underscores the reasonableness of our faith. The doctrines of our faith are supported by the scriptures, and attested to by the saints throughout the centuries.

Fourthly, this feast is so important because of its message of hope. Where she has gone we hope to follow. This feast is a pledge: loving God as Mary loves God leads to heaven. Mary's Assumption is God's promise to us: every Christian who follows Mary's path of humility and fidelity to God's will can look forward to following her into the glories and joys of heaven.

This promise of God, this beautiful truth, is so important for us to remember in the dark times of life, when war, violence, and persecution surround us. Our mother is the lighthouse on the stormy sea, the star who guides us home.

We are reminded to keep our hearts and minds directed toward Mary. She will never lead us astray. Through this great feast, through our daily devotions, our rosaries, may we know her constant help and protection in the Christian life, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

August 14 2017 - St Maximilian Kolbe - Zeal for souls and love of neighbor

Today’s Saint died a heroic death in a Nazi concentration camp in 1941.

Born in Poland in 1894, Maximilian Kolbe entered the Conventual Franciscans at the age of 16.  He developed a strong devotion to Mary, a devotion that would offer him great solace in his final days.
Ordained at 24, Fr. Kolbe saw religious indifference as the deadliest poison of the day. Indifference is the belief that all roads, religious or not, lead to happiness, human flourishing, and eternal life. One needs to only point to the violence, war, man-made human suffering in the world, to show this philosophy to be in error, and yet, indifference continues to flourish in our own time.

To combat the growing religious indifference in early 20th century Poland, Fr. Kolbe founded the Militia of the Immaculata, whose aim was to fight evil with the witness of the Catholic life, prayer, work, penance, devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Fr. Kolbe started a religious magazine under Mary’s patronage, Knight of the Immaculata magazine, to help spread the message of the Faith.

As hostilities grew toward Catholics and particularly the clergy during World War II, Fr. Kolbe prayed to Mary for guidance. “What will happen to me,” he prayed.  And she appeared to him, holding in her hands two crowns, one white, one red.  She asked if he would like to have them—white for purity, the other for martyrdom.  He said to her, “I choose both.”  She smiled and disappeared.  And his life would never be the same.

During the Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939, his small town was bombed and he and his fellow friars were arrested.  Arrest came again in 1941.  Without trial or sentence, Fr. Kolbe was transported to Auschwitz where he managed to hear confessions and celebrate Mass using smuggled bread and wine.  His “zeal for souls and love of neighbor” impelled him to minister to his fellow prisoners at risk to his own life.

One day, several prisoners managed to escape.  In retaliation, 10 men from his block were selected to die.  When a married Jewish man with a family was among them, Fr. Maximilian asked to take his place.  The stunned Nazi officer agreed to the exchange.  Fr. Kolbe and the other nine men were stripped, locked in a cell, and left to die without food or water.  After two weeks, some, including Maximilian were still alive.  They were injected with carbolic acid, and their remains were thrown into an oven. Such is the result of religious indifference.  The Jewish man Fr. Kolbe saved attended his canonization in 1982.

Father Kolbe’s death was not a sudden, last-minute act of heroism. His whole life had been a preparation. His holiness, his passionate desire to convert the whole world to God, was limitless.
We pray that through Fr. Kolbe’s intercession, and with the aid and protection of the Immaculate, whom he loved so dearly, that we too may give witness to importance and saving power of the Catholic faith in all we do, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That religious indifference in our country and around the world may be transformed to radical commitment to the Gospel of Christ.

For the transformation of all attitudes which lead to war, violence, racial hatred, and religious persecution.

For deeper devotion to Immaculate Mary, for the conversion of Atheists, hardened sinners, lapsed Catholics, and the conversion of all hearts.

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.

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.

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.