15th Week in Ordinary Time 2021 - Monday - Family ties

 Chapter 10 of Matthew’s Gospel is a pivotal one. It began, as we heard last week, with the Lord tasking the 12 apostles with going out into the surrounding areas with the good news of the Gospel and the Lord granting authority to them to heal the sick and cast out demons.

Up until that point in the Gospel, the Lord has been the one preaching; he has been the one healing the sick and casting out demons. And now the authority and power that he has wielded, the work of the Father that he is doing, is now to be shared with ordinary fisherman.

Before the 12 depart to fulfill their mission, the Lord began to give what is called his missionary sermon—a teaching to his new missionaries, those being sent out. And this sermon is full of warnings.  

There are some towns that are going to welcome you, some towns are going to reject you. I’m sending you out as sheep amidst the wolves—a cheery thought. Everyone is going to hate you because of my Gospel. You are going to be persecuted, and from time to time, you’ll even need to flee from your persecutors. Where do I sign up?

Today’s Gospel passage concludes his sermon, but it includes what may be the starkest of warnings. His Gospel will even cause division in those closest of human relationships—family. This is a difficult teaching for many people. Family is so very dear to us. It’s a source of stability, support, and compassion. 

And yet, the Lord is clear today, that his Gospel might upset that for some families. When some family members accept the Gospel, and so do not, this will cause division. And this, the Lord acknowledges, is a heavy cross, a heavy price to pay. But family cannot give eternal life. Only he can. Which makes Him and His Gospel the highest priority.

Catechism # 2232 explains this teaching. It says, “Family ties are important but not absolute.  Parents and children must be convinced that the first vocation of the Christian is to follow Jesus.”

How blessed the family who supports each other in the Gospel. But not every family, especially these days, believes this. This is teaching is particularly challenging in an age where many family members are choosing lifestyles which are incompatible with the Gospel. 

The Lord understands how difficult this teaching is. And promises blessing to those who adhere to it. Blessed is the one who sets good example for his family members, who witnesses to the priority of the Gospel, the priority of eternal life.

This Gospel certainly elicits a choice, doesn’t it? To have conviction, to have principles, to love Christ above all else, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That our bishops and clergy may be zealous and clear in preaching and teaching the truth of the Gospel and for the continued recovery of Holy Father Pope Francis following his recent surgery, may the Lord’s comfort, healing, and peace sustain him.

That our young people on summer vacation may be kept safe from the poisonous errors of our culture, and that their families may be places where the faith is practiced and cherished.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, 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 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, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

Grant, we pray, O Lord, that your people may turn to you with all their heart, so that whatever they dare to ask in fitting prayer they may receive by your mercy. Through Christ our Lord.

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2021 - God has chosen me

 I always feel bad for our lectors when they have to proclaim this weekend’s second reading. In the Greek, those 12 long, complicated, overflowing, and theologically dense verses from the introductory chapter of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians form one, single, sentence. And even with the periods and breaks in our English translation, his thought is still somewhat difficult to follow. 

Did he want to confuse the Ephesians? You can imagine the first recipient of the letter maybe rubbing his temples, certainly reading over those verses more than a time or two.

But what was Paul thinking? What’s he doing here? It appears his purpose for this dense chunk of text, wasn’t to provide a systematic explanation of Christian doctrine like he does later in his letter. Rather, these 12 verses appear more to be a profound expression of Paul’s wonder and awe. He’s trying to put into words, something ineffable, something beyond words.

The medium, in a sense, is the message. He’s writing his heart out. He’s composing a hymn of praise to the God of the universe who he’s come to realize has done something, Paul could not fathom prior to his conversion to Christ. The Father of Jesus has chosen Him, personally, and has chosen each member of the Church for a wonderous vocation—to the life of holiness and grace.  

“God has chosen me. God has chosen me” the little ones sing in their religion classes. And they do so with smiles on their faces. I’ve seen them. Now, Paul wrote these words from prison. And yet, this knowledge, of being chosen by God brought him a light and joy that prison could not contain. He’s compelled to compose these words to the Church, that we might share his joy. 

Here Paul gives us an insight into what it means to be a Christian. It’s to recognize this calling, our election to be holy, and to allow the knowledge of being chosen by God to reach all the way down to the depths of our being, so that not even prison could cause us to lose our faith. 

This experience of being chosen by God fueled Paul’s missionary work. It impelled him to carry the Gospel through rapid rivers, steep mountains, malaria-plagued lowlands, and bandit-ridden passages, enabled him to endure robbers, attempted assassinations, imprisonment, torture, and martyrdom all for the sake of the Gospel, all out of love for Jesus Christ. He risked his life to share the Gospel, trusting that this is the most important message ever. We’re chosen by God to be holy. 

“He chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him.”

To be holy…if you are sitting in this church and listening to these words, you have been chosen by God for this—to grow in virtue, to restrain vice, to practice deep, soul-stiring prayer, to share the Gospel, to attend to the needy. You aren’t here by accident. You are part of God’s plan. Your sanctification is part of God’s plan. Paul wants Christians to know this because God wants Christians to know this. 

The pursuit of holiness is to animate our lives not just for an hour a week, but always. Don’t run away from your election. 

Paul later writes, everything is rubbish, compared to being taken possession of by Christ Jesus. Everything is loss, that keeps me from the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus. So, if holiness isn’t your greatest pursuit. Start Now. If you aren’t examining your life daily, and working on moderating, and getting rid of anything that keeps you from living this vocation to your fullest potential. Start Now.

Last night, in our second Friday of the month faith formation, we studied the life of St. Ignatius of Loyola…the other Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuits. In his youth, he thought the most important thing in life was seeking after earthly fortune and glory, so he entered military service in the hopes of becoming this soldier of great renown. But a cannonball to the leg, changed his life. Talk about a wake up call from God. God wants us to know we are chosen, sometimes he needs to use a cannonball to the leg to help us figure that out.

Anyways, while convalescing, Ignatius had nothing to do but consider his life and read. And there was only one book he had access to, a book on the lives of the saints. And he began to read, not of glorious knights in shining armor, but of saints clothed in holiness. He read of Dominic solid in his faith preaching to and converting the Albigensian heretics. He read of Francis practicing Christ-like poverty, so closely united to Christ he bored the holy stigmata. He read of Benedict pursuing radical holiness in monastic simplicity, in simple work and prayer. In his solitude, in his reflection on the saints, Ignatius came to recognize that he too was chosen, not just to be another Francis, another Benedict, another Dominic, but called to be himself totally conformed to Christ. He had been chosen, and he changed the world forever. And we too have been chosen. 

If you are having difficulty believing this or recognizing this, ask for help today to recognize your calling. Holy Communion, especially, is an opportunity to express our great gratitude for the blessings of the Lord, but also to hear the Lord calling us by name, pouring his royal treasure of grace into our hearts, and giving us the strength we need to become saints, to be his faithful followers and instruments in the world in the coming week.

Let holy Mass be a new beginning today, of living ever more faithfully and God’s chosen sons and daughters, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

14th Week in Ordinary Time - Friday - Sheep, serpents, and Doves...Oh my!

 The Lord tells his followers today that he sends us out as sheep amidst wolves, urging us to be prepared for the hostility we will inevitably face as his disciples.

I think of those Christians of the first few centuries.  The Church underwent open and state-sanctioned persecution longer than America has been a country.  The early Christians could not build Churches and had to gather for Mass in secret.  For professing the Christian faith they were arrested, beaten, and tortured in unspeakable ways.  Sometimes they were even betrayed by close family members.  Some Christians became so frightened of the wolves, that they gave up the faith, left the flock, and began to run with the wolves. We’ve had wolves in sheep’s clothing, sometimes wolves in shepherd’s clothing!

The Lord gives such a strong warning because the threat is serious—persecution is inevitable.  “You will be hated by all because of my name” he says.  There will not be a single age, a single sector of society, where you will be completely safe.  There will always be Wolves who will want to kill us simply because we the Master’s sheep—those who seek to silence us, desire to break the power of the Church, simply because we are Christian.  They conspired to prevent him from spreading His Gospel, they do the same to us. They laughed at him, mocked him, thought he was naïve, thought he was blasphemous, and they do the same to us.

As this country, and really all of Western Civilization, falls into moral decline, it is not surprising that we are called bigots for resisting the perversions and errors of the culture.  But, we are called to be sheep—docile and obedient to God, even when the wolves start closing in.  

I Am sending you as sheep, to follow wherever he leads us, even into wolf-infested territory. We are to be docile in following the Lord, but also like Him we are to “be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.”  We are to be docile to the Lord, not to the wolves. To the wolves we are to be like serpents: cunning, wise, and crafty in handling our enemies.  Anticipate their threats. Out maneuver them in wisdom, like the Lord handling the Pharisees.  The early Christians facing persecution gathered in secret, to worship and study their faith. That’s cunning.  They evangelized the emperor, the imperial courts, the aristocracy. Cunning. They made beautiful music, beautiful art to lift the soul. 

And they were innocent as doves: they showed themselves to be better citizens, more moral citizens than the non-Christians, innovative. Innocence, cunning, docile to the will of God. It’s a winning combination! It’s converted nations and drawn souls to Christ over and over again. May we be faithful to this vocation of ours for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all bishops and clergy will lead the Church in faithfulness to the Gospel mandate and in the practice of every Christian virtue.

For all those who have fallen away from the Church, those who have fallen into serious sin, for non-believers, atheists, and those in error, for their conversion, and the conversion of all hearts.

For Christians experiencing persecution for the faith, that they may hold fast to the Lord in their sufferings.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, for victims of abuse and scandal, for the imprisoned and the addicted, for all those recovering from or undergoing surgery today, and for the consolation of the dying.

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

14th Week of Ordinary Time 2021 - Wednesday - Our apostolic mission

 I read in an article from Catholic News agency this morning that the Diocese of Burlington in Vermont has reported a record-low number of priests this year, with only 50 diocesan priests ministering to the entire state of Vermont. 50 priests for 110,000 Catholics. What’s going on up there? 

In just a few verses prior to today’s Gospel, the Lord announces that the harvest is abundant but the laborers are few. But why are there SO few? 

Before sending out the 12 in the Gospel today, the Lord first teaches them to pray, he instructs them and forms their minds by his teaching, and then he calls them by name. This is how the Church works and has worked for two thousand years.  

So what’s going on up in Vermont? Quite simply we could say there’s a priest shortage. But why? My guess is there has been a failure to form disciples who understand the importance of the mission of the Church—a failure to teach the importance of prayer, basic church doctrine, and helping young people hear the Lord calling them by name, to know that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 

While on vacation last week, I attended a church down in florida where the music was so trite, the preaching so insipid, and the celebration of mass by the priest was so irreverent, I nearly cried. What young person would be converted by this ? How could they even hear the Lord calling them amidst such dribble? It was closer to hell than heaven! And it was a beautiful church building too, but a beautiful building is not enough!

Hunger was felt throughout Egypt, in our first reading. Sometimes spiritual famine does strike the Church in certain places due to reasons beyond our control. And in those times, we certainly do well to pray, in the words of the psalm today, to preserve us in time of famine. 

But what is in our control is that every Catholic is an apostle sent out by the Lord, with the responsibility to feed the spiritually hungry and to help form the next generation of missionary disciples: by ourselves and families practicing fervent prayer, passing on the faith clearly without compromise with worldly errors, helping others to encounter the living Lord in the Church’s worship and the sacraments.

May we be faithful to the Church’s work in this place and this time in announcing the Gospel, forming disciples, and laboring without tiring for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the Bishops, the successors of the Apostles, will wield their authority wisely and courageously in standing against the unclean spirits and evils of this age.

For all those who hunger for the Word of God, that all members of the Church will be faithful in leading them to the one who satisfies every hunger.

For the protection of young people from the corrupting influences of the world, for Christians families, and for the conversion of the faithless.

For the sick, suffering, and sorrowful, for miracles for hopeless causes.

For the souls in purgatory, and for N. for whom this Mass is offered.

O God, our refuge and our strength, hear the prayers of your Church, for you yourself are the source of all devotion, and grant, we pray, that what we ask in faith we may truly obtain. Through Christ our Lord.

July 6 2021 - St. Maria Goretti, virgin martyr - Lover of Chastity

Today we celebrate the 99th anniversary of the martyrdom of St. Maria Goretti. Maria was just 11 years old when one of the men working for her father made several attempts to seduce young Maria.  Her refusal so angered him that he threatened to kill her, which he eventually did, stabbing her 14 times.  Maria died in the hospital after forgiving her murderer.  

God is invoked in the Collect for her feast as the “author of innocence and lover of chastity.” Chastity is a virtue to be practiced by all Christians, and St. Maria Goretti is a model of this virtue for us. Even at the age of 11 Maria knew that giving in to seductive advances outside of marriage is sinful, telling her seducer that God forbids such behavior as sinful and could lead to the damnation of their souls.

Maria had a rightly formed conscience. Her parents brought her to Church and instructed her in the virtues. Her faith rightly guided her. Sadly, so many of our young people have no guidance in these matters save for what they see on television and internet. Sex before marriage and cohabitation are commonplace. But that doesn’t make them right.

Even when her seducer tried to wear down her conscience through multiple attempts to seduce her, Maria remained strong. When there was the threat of death, she remained courageous. Our young people, and all Christians need fortitude and courage in resist the constant and relentless barrage of perverted sexuality in our culture. For perverted sexuality brings only inner emptiness, shame, and dysfunctional relationship. So we do well to invoke St. Maria Goretti as the patron saint of young people and a patron saint of chastity.

Maria loved chastity because Christ loved chastity, and calls all Christians to practice chastity consistent with their vocation in life. And because chastity is beautiful, it attracts souls to Christ. May St. Maria Goretti’s steadfastness help us all in keeping and obeying all Christ commands of us for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

O God, author of innocence and lover of chastity, who bestowed the grace of martyrdom on your handmaid, the Virgin Saint Maria Goretti, in her youth, grant, we pray through her intercession, that, as you gave her a crown for her steadfastness, so we, too, may be firm in obeying your commandments.

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Through the intercession of St. Maria Goretti and all the holy virgin-martyrs, for an increase in reverence for and practice of the virtues of chastity, purity, and modesty and for greater respect for the dignity of the human body and all human life. 

That all of our young people on summer vacation may be kept safe from the poisonous errors and vices of our time and be kept in close friendship with the Lord Jesus through the faith of their families, daily prayer, attendance at Mass, and the practice of the virtues.

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

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2021 - For Freedom's Sake

 

On July 4, 1776, 245 years ago, this weekend, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence to declare to the world that the thirteen American colonies regarded themselves as sovereign states independent from the rule of the British Empire.

In response to this historic event, John Adams, one of only two of the Founding Fathers to go on to become president, wrote to his wife Abigail:

“…This day ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God almighty.  It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of the continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.”

It is called Independence day because we celebrate our independence from tyrannical rule. It was the contention of our Founding Fathers that the British Rule of the American Colonies was tyrannical and unjust, and so we declared our independence from that tyranny in order to govern ourselves justly, that we may freely exercise and pursue our God given rights.

Freedom. It’s not just a civic or philosophical ideal, but a biblical one. St. Paul wrote to the Galatians “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” But, what does Paul mean by that word, Freedom? Paul was certainly echoing our Lord, who said in John chapter 8, “If the Son of God sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Through Jesus we are now free to pursue our highest good, eternal life with God in heaven. We are able to exercise our free will aided by grace to pursue truth and goodness for ourselves and our fellow man.

Back in 2009, I was able to travel to Washington D.C. when Pope Benedict visited our nation’s capital. When he came to D.C., Pope Benedict’s first stop was the White House to meet with the President.  And President Bush did something quite noble: he asked the Holy Father to offer a teaching on the Christian meaning of Freedom.  “In a world where some see freedom as simply the right to do as they wish, we need your message,” President Bush said to the Pope, “that true liberty requires us to live our freedom not just for ourselves, but in a spirit of mutual support.”

Over the course of his several day visit the Pope made Freedom one of the central themes of all of his talks, while also calling out all of those counterfeit versions of freedom that are undermining the real thing.  For true liberty gives our country life, abuse of freedom threatens our country’s future.  

This weekend as we give thanks to God for our gift of freedom, I’d like to reflect a bit on Pope Benedict’s message.

Pope Benedict began his catechesis with the founding fathers, who risked their lives to sign the declaration of independence. These men were of great intellectual, philosophical, and theological integrity.  Holy Father stated, “From the dawn of the Republic America's quest for freedom has been guided by the conviction that the principles governing political and social life are intimately linked to a moral order based on the dominion of God the Creator. 

The media often portrays many of our founding fathers as secular humanists who wanted nothing to do with religion.  However, 26 of the 58 signers of the declaration of independence had degrees in theology.  John Adams spoke for many of the signers of the declaration when he said that, “it is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand.”

Freedom, therefore, is inextricably linked to the moral order, to God’s moral law. Without right religion, right morality, freedom is threatened. This is why we need our populace and politicians, police and judges, to be moral, religious people.

In the first reading from the prophet Ezekiel, the Lord laments how Israel had hardened its heart toward the commandments of God—Israel had become a rebellious house. And so God sent Ezekiel to help Israel wake up and repent and return to the way of life that would bring them freedom from sin. 

When you and I were baptized, the priest or deacon put oil on our heads and said, I anoint you priest, prophet, and king. So, like Ezekiel those thousands of years ago, you and I, in this age of the church, have a prophetic role to this nation. We are tasked by God to prophetically preach the word of freedom to the captives. To call our fellow citizens, our politicians, to uphold the tenets of right morality, for freedom’s sake, for their souls’ sake. 

Now you might say, that it’s improper to force our religious beliefs on anyone, and you’re right. We aren’t to force anybody, but we have to make the invitation. It’s our duty, it’s our identity—to be prophets. In the words of Ezekiel, “whether they heed or resist—they shall know that a prophet has been among them.” Whether the world listens or not, we have a prophetic duty to teach the truth.

But of course, actions speak louder than words. So, more important than engaging in political debate is the need to embody that freedom in our lives. 

“Freedom is not only a gift,” Pope Benedict said but “a summons to personal responsibility…The preservation of freedom calls for the cultivation of virtue, self-discipline, sacrifice for the common good, and a sense of responsibility towards the less fortunate. It also demands the courage to engage in civic life and to bring one's deepest beliefs and values to reasoned public debate. In a word, freedom is ever new. It is a challenge held out to each generation, and it must constantly be won over for the cause of good”

That our public schools and universities are becoming devoid of a proper understanding of civic responsibility, and inundated with perverse philosophies should be deeply concerning to us, for these things do undermine and threaten liberty. But what Pope Benedict here is rightly teaching is freedom begins at home, moreso, with the personal responsibility of cultivating virtue in our own life. 

Our greatest duty in the ongoing campaign to reclaim and preserve authentic freedom, as always, as Christians, is to become a Saint.  Become as Holy as we can through the grace of God and the practice of our faith is of the greatest prophetic value. True independence is found by recognizing and living out of our total dependence on God.

Dependence on God for our daily bread. Dependence on God to order our life, to guard us from temptation, to forgive our sins through Christ his Son. Dependence on God to convert the hardened of heart, to bring unity to a divided nation, to sanctify us and enable us to live in the true freedom of the children of God.

So we pray for our nation this Independence day, that we and our fellow citizens will be committed to pursuing and protecting authentic freedom. We pray in gratitude for those who shed their blood for the freedom we enjoy today. And we pray that we, as Christians, will prophetically witness to the world that freedom, in its ultimate sense, can only be found through Jesus Christ and His Gospel for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

13th Week in Ordinary Time 2021 - Friday - God brings good out of evil

 Scripture is full of examples of God bringing Good out of Evil. In the story of the sons of Jacob, for example, Joseph is betrayed by his brothers, thrown in a well, sold into slavery, falsely accused and imprisoned, only to be put in the position where he is able to save his family from starvation. 

Over and over, we see the people of Israel falling into the evil of sin and depravity, only for God to reveal his Goodness and Mercy by delivering Israel from slavery and exile.

In today’s readings we see two such stories. God is able to bring something good out of the death of Abraham’s wife Sarah. After all those years, Abraham finally comes into possession of the land promised to Him by God which would become the seed bed of his great progeny. And we even get a glimpse of the new life for the line of Abraham, as Abraham’s son, Isaac, is blessed with a wife.

So, too, in the Gospel. The Lord brings about conversion, and a new way of living, out of the sinful life of the tax collector Matthew. Where there was sin and evil and collaboration with the enemies of Israel, God is able to bring new life and goodness and blessing.

And yet for Joseph and Israel and Abraham and Matthew, the goodness God wishes to bring about in our lives often requires giving something up. For Israel to be delivered from slavery, it had to give up its sin. For Abraham to possess the promised land, he had to give up his homeland. For Matthew to possess discipleship and apostleship, he had to give up his old sinful occupation.

The Lord is able to bring good out of the most tragic events, and in the life of the hardened sinner. But more often than not, something must be given up, left behind. Something at odds with the life of God needs to be set aside. 

What do I need to set aside, leave behind, walk away from, in order for God to manifest his goodness in me, to breathe new life into my stagnate ways, new blessing, new intimacy with Him for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the bishops of the Church will act as true prophets through their faithful teaching, their courageous witness, and their self-sacrificing love. Let us pray to the Lord.

As our nation celebrates independence and freedom this weekend, for the grace to use that freedom to pursue our highest good in every dimension of our civic and national life. Let us pray to the Lord.

For the Church’s missions amongst the poor and unevangelized throughout the world, that the work of Christ may be carried out with truth and love. Let us pray to the Lord.

For all those who share in the sufferings of Christ—the sick, the sorrowful, and those who are afflicted or burdened in any way.  Let us pray to the Lord.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for the deceased priests and religious of the diocese of Cleveland, for the poor souls in purgatory, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. Let us pray to the Lord.

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.