September 29 2023 - Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael - Protection, Strength, and Healing

 When we recite the creed at every Sunday Mass, we profess God as the Creator of “all things visible and invisible.” The “invisible” refers to the nonmaterial, the creatures of pure spirit, known as angels. The Catechism says, “The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scriptures usually calls ‘angels’ is a truth of faith.” The angels are called in the letter to the Hebrews “ministering spirits” because “With their whole being the angels are servants of God”

The number of angels is nearly countless and they are arranged in the heavenly hierarchy in different choirs. Many of Our Eucharistic prefaces attest to the angels and archangels, throne and dominions and, the hosts and powers of heaven” to whom we are joined in singing God’s glory. Angels, archangels, thrones, dominions and powers, cherubim, seraphim, principalities, and virtues. The angels sing God’s praises which is why they are arranged into choirs. 

At the time of our birth we are assigned an angel to guard over us, and the feast of the guardian angels, we celebrate on October 2. We do not know the names of our guardian angels, but we do know the names of three of the archangels from the holy scriptures.

Saint Michael is the "Prince of the Heavenly Host," the leader of all the angels. His name is Hebrew for "Who is like God?" and was the battle cry of the good angels against Lucifer and his followers when they rebelled against God. Michael is mentioned four times in the Bible, in Daniel 10 and 12, in the letter of Jude, and in Revelation. Michael, whose forces cast down Lucifer and the evil spirits into Hell, is invoked for protection against Satan and all evil. 

Saint Gabriel, whose name means "God's strength," is mentioned four times in the Bible. God sent Gabriel to announce the birth of John the Baptist to his father Zacharias, and, of course, to the Blessed Virgin to announce the Incarnation. Christian tradition suggests that it is he who appeared to St. Joseph and to the shepherds, and also that it was he who "strengthened" Jesus during his agony in the garden of Gethsemane. Gabriel is invoked when we require God’s strength, especially when we need strength to bear difficult messages, or in public speaking.

Saint Raphael is invoked for healing. Raphael means "God has healed", a fitting name for the archangel sent to heal Tobias' blindness in the Book of Tobit. It is often thought that it was Raphael who descended upon the pool of Bethesda and bestowed God’s healing powers upon it so that the first to enter it after it moved would be healed of whatever infirmity he was suffering.

Praying for protection and the defeat of evil, strength, and healing are common prayers. Daily we should be praying for these things for ourselves and others. And we do well, to recognize the instruments through whom God has chosen to bestow them in the past and continues to bestow them now. May St. Michael bear God’s likeness to us that satan may be driven away from our midst. May St. Gabriel bear God’s strength to us in our many trials and in our mission of the Gospel. And May St. Raphael bear God’s healing to those most in need of it, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. 

Through the intercession of St. Michael, may all who are persecuted for the faith be protected against the wickedness and snares of the devil.  

Through the intercession of St. Gabriel, may God’s strength be with all those who work for the Spread of the Gospel. 

Through the intercession of St. Raphael may all who suffer from loneliness or sickness know the healing graces of our loving God. 

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased clergy and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. 

Heavenly Father, may our prayers rise like a pleasant fragrance before you and be brought to your altar on high through the hands of your holy angels. Through Christ Our Lord.

September 27 2023 - St. Vincent de Paul - "His heart was moved with pity"

 “His heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned like sheep without a shepherd”. Our Gospel this morning gives us a glimpse into the very heart of Christ. 

Our Lord, Man and God, sees the crowds coming to him; lost, broken, hurting, and crying out for their shepherd, and his heart is moved to “pity” over their troubled, wretched condition. Yet, his pity was not simply because of their physical ills, but their spiritual condition. They did not know how close God was to them, they did not know that God had become one of them to shepherd them to eternal pastures. 

The vocation of the Christian, my task and yours, is to imitate the Lord in drawing close to those who suffer, and through compassion, to remind them—to reveal to them that God is close to them.

The saints, like St. Vincent de Paul, are so revered and honored by the Church, because they remind us of that great vocation. For they have so decreased their egos and their selfishness, through prayer, self-forgetfulness and charitable works, that they become great instruments of God’s compassion.

In Paris, St. Vincent de Paul ministered to the homeless, war refugees, neglected elderly men, women, and children, and those who had been spiritually abandoned. He set up many houses for the poor, crippled and sick and personally cared for the patients who had the most contagious diseases. He would dress their wounds and nurse them back to health.

St. Vincent explained, “It is not sufficient for me to love God if I do not love my neighbor…I belong to God and to the poor.”    

We pray that we may respond generously to those in need for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

That all Christians may grow in charitable attentiveness to the needs of the poor in our midst.

That all those searching and longing for Christ may find him through the witness of His Holy Church.

That the work and ministry of all Vincentian organizations and charitable institutions may bear fruit for the spread of the Gospel.

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

September 26 2023 - Sts. Cosmas and Damian - Making our day an offering to God

Cosmas and Damian were twin brothers born at the end of the third century in Syria, not far at all from Antioch, the home of our patron, Ignatius.  They were physicians known as “the moneyless ones”, because they didn’t charge their patients.  They were actually the first surgeons in history to successfully perform a limb transplant—transplanting the leg of a recently deceased Ethiopian onto one of their patients. 

Here are highly skilled, likely highly intelligent men, who could have lived a comfortable life profiting from their medical abilities. But they put their gifts at the service of the poor in the name of Christ. Because of their faith, they were rounded up in the empire-wide Christian persecution of the emperor Diocletian, and beheaded for their faith.

The saints are model Christians for us, show us that our lives are meant to be about sacrificing ourselves for others, living generously for others, pouring ourselves out in service, witnessing to the love of God, and the truth of the Holy Gospel, even with our lives.

The first reading for Cosmas and Damian is a reading we often find at Catholic funerals: “The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them.” What does it mean to be just? The just give to God what belongs to God and gives to neighbor what belongs to neighbor: worship, obedience, praise, prayer, repentance to God, and kindness, generosity, respect, charity, forgiveness, mercy to the neighbor.

None of us, of course are “just” on our own, but we are made just by Christ, and are perfected in justice as we allow the life of Christ to animate us—our decisions, attitudes, work and rest. 

Whether we are spending 8 or 10 hours in the office, or able to spend warm autumn days in the garden, or sitting in the doctor’s waiting room, Christians can make their time an offering to God by being mindful of our Christian identity, lifting up souls to God, considering how we might serve them with our own meager gifts.

When our day is continually offered to God, the events of our day, even the hardships, can become opportunities for spreading the kingdom. When we meet God in our labors, then others can meet Him, through us. 

May all of our time, talent, and treasure be given to God today and all days, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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Through the intercession of Saints Cosmas and Damien, we pray that all doctors, nurses, medical professionals and health care workers may use their training for God’s glory, always respecting the dignity of every human life.

For an end to all medical techniques which violate human dignity, for an end to abortion, euthanasia, and the destruction of human life for medical research.

That the dignity of works may be respected by their employers and by the state, and for the unemployed and underemployed.

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.

25th Week in Ordinary Time 2023 - To inspire (and convert) kings

 We read this morning from the fascinating Old Testament book of Ezra. The Old Testament Books of Ezra and Nehemiah detail the 50-year period after the Babylonian Captivity. 

For over a hundred years, the Jews were cut off from their Temple, their families, and their land in Babylon. A while in captivity, the stories could not be told, the traditions could not be practices, the faith could not be passed on. So, a generation of Jews grew up without knowing about God freeing their people from slavery in Egypt, they grew up without knowing the promises God made to Abraham, without the knowledge of the ten commandments or the promised land.  They grew up only knowing the gods and practices of Babylon-- a culture which practiced child sacrifice, polygamy, and other behaviors condemned by Jewish law.

This is not hard to imagine. So many children and grandchildren these days do not know their faith, and have been totally assimilated by the culture. 

Today’s reading from Ezra details the turning point in this sad chapter. In 539 BC,  the Persian King Cyrus defeated the Babylonians. A year later King Cyrus decreed that he will allow the captive Jews to return to their homeland. 

And we’re told “The LORD inspired King Cyrus of Persia” to free the Jews, and he even decrees that the Jews should be assisted in rebuilding the house of God—the Temple—in Jerusalem.

In our own day, God is at work to bring about the liberation of the peoples of the world from the Babylonian captivity of sin to bring them to right worship in the Temple of God the Catholic Church. And what instrument is he using to inspire and convert the Cyrus’ of the world? Us. The Church. It’s our mission to convert hearts to God—the hearts of kings and presidents and mayors and city councilmen and union leaders and heads of businesses and heads of families.

As we are faithful to our mission—there will be liberation; but in our negligence, captivity and slavery to sin and faithlessness will perdure. 

As we heard in the Gospel, we are given the light of faith, not that it may be hidden under a bushel, but that it may be shared for the good of all. May we be faithful in sharing the light of faith with those we encounter today and all days, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For the Holy Father, Francis, our Pope, that he may be aided by the Holy Spirit in leading those captive to sin home to right relationship to God through Holy Church. We pray to the Lord.

That all Christians tasked with the spread of the light of the Gospel, may be faithful to that same Gospel in every dimension of their lives. We pray to the Lord.

For all those who have fallen away from the Church, those whose lives are darkened by sin, for the conversion of all unbelievers and those who have fallen into error, and the conversion of all hearts.

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.”

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.

25th Sunday of Ordinary Time 2023 - Distribution of Holy Communion under both species

 Last week, I mentioned that we will be preaching about the distribution and reception of Holy Communion. We are in the midst of a Eucharistic Revival, and so, it is certainly fitting to reflect upon how and why we receive the eucharist. 

“On the night before he died, Christ gathered his Apostles in the upper room to celebrate the Last Supper and to give us the inestimable gift of his Body and Blood. "He did this in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the Cross throughout the centuries until He should come again, and so to entrust to His beloved spouse, the Church, a memorial of His death and resurrection. . . ." Thus, in the Eucharistic Celebration of the Mass we are joined with Christ on the altar of the cross and at the table of the upper room in "the sacrificial memorial in which the sacrifice of the cross is perpetuated and [in] the sacred banquet of communion with the Lord's body and blood."

The eyes of faith enable Christians to recognize that in the Eucharist we celebrate and receive “Christ Himself, our Passover and living bread." The Eucharist is the "Sacrament of Sacraments." Through it "the work of our redemption is accomplished." He who is the "living bread that came down from heaven" (Jn 6:51) assures us, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink" (Jn 6:54-55).

While the heart of the celebration of the Eucharist is the Eucharistic Prayer, in which bread and wine are truly transformed into the Body and Blood of our Savior who offers himself as a sacrifice for our redemption to the Father, the consummation of the Mass is found in Holy Communion, whereby the people purchased for the Father by his beloved Son, eat and drink the Body and Blood of Christ…In the great sacrament of the altar, communicants are joined to Christ Jesus and to one another.

It is God’s Holy Will that this sacrament be received as the soul's spiritual food to sustain and build up those who receive it, as he said, "He who eats of me, he also shall live because of me" (Jn 6:57). This sacrament is also to be a remedy to free us from our daily defects and to keep us from mortal sin. Moreover, the Eucharist is the promise and pledge of our future glory and our everlasting happiness—again, “he who eats my flesh will live forever.”

Church historians tell us that from the first days of the Church's celebration of the Eucharist, Holy Communion consisted of the reception of both the bread and wine that had been placed on an altar and transformed into the Lord’s Body and Blood. Both were received by members of the faithful in fulfillment of the Lord's command to "take and eat . . . take and drink." The distribution of Holy Communion to the faithful under both kinds was thus the norm for more than 1000 years. 

The practice of Holy Communion under both kinds at Mass continued until the late eleventh century, when the custom of distributing the Eucharist to the faithful under the form of bread alone began to grow. By the twelfth century theologians such as Peter Cantor speak of Communion under one kind as a "custom" of the Church. This practice spread until the Council of Constance in 1415 decreed that Holy Communion under the form of bread alone would be distributed to the faithful.

In 1963, the Pope, of course having the authority to do so, authorized the distribution of both species to the faithful at the discretion of the diocesan bishops. And some of our elders here might remember when we here in Cleveland began to distribute Holy Communion under both species. And up until the COVID lockdown in 2020 we were distributing both the consecrated host and precious blood here at St. Ignatius of Antioch. 

Now three years later, at the recommendation of several parishioners and the support of parish council, we will be returning to distributing both species at weekend masses here at St. Ignatius. 

So, as normal, we will form two lines down the aisle for the Communion Procession. And those who are disposed to receive Holy Communion may receive in the prescribed way.

To receive the host, you may receive on the tongue, as is the ancient custom, or receive in the hands. As a reminder, you must have both hands completely free, so you cannot be carrying a phone, a child, a purse, cane or handkerchief. When receiving in the hand, your dominant hand goes under your other hand, so that the host can be placed carefully in the palm—so you are not to form a cup, but a throne. Then your dominant hand places the host in your mouth carefully, taking care that no part or particle of the host is dropped or lost. 

When receiving the cup, after responding “Amen” to the minister, you are to take the cup with two hands, take a sip, and return it to the minster, who will wipe the cup with a clean portion of the purificator. 

If you are not receiving from the cup out of health concerns or for whatever reason, you should still make a small sign of reverence to acknowledge your belief, that the cup truly contains Christ. And be assured that to receive the host is still to receive both the body and blood of Christ, as has been clearly taught through the centuries.  

Recall, too, that to receive holy communion, one must be in a state of grace, having confessed one’s serious sins in the sacrament of confession. To do so otherwise is sacrilege. 

As St. Paul instructs the Christians at Corinth, “Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For all who eat and drink without discerning the body eat and drink judgment against themselves. For this reason many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.” In other words, many Christians are spiritually weak or spiritually dead because they have failed to confess mortal sins before receiving holy communion. 

I’d like to thank all of our Eucharistic Ministers stepping up to fulfill this service to the parish. We could certainly use a few more Eucharistic Ministers to ensure we have enough at each mass with a few substitutes. So please let me know if you'd be willing to serve in this liturgical ministry.

The Eucharist is strength for those who journey in hope through this life and who desire to dwell with God in the life to come. May our worship and reception of the Body and Blood of the Lord help us to experience the salvation he won for us, and the peace of God’s kingdom, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

24th Week in Ordinary Time 2023 - Friday - "the love of money is the root of all evils"

 Throughout the centuries, Christians and non-Christians alike have recognized the dangers of loving money—making an idol of wealth.  Money, in itself, is not evil; many wealthy people have given generously of their resources out of love for God and neighbor.  So what does Paul mean when he writes to Timothy that famous line, “the root of all evil is the love of money.” 

It is evil to make anything an idol. And the love of money is one of the most common idolatries in history. Money promises happiness, pleasure, and luxury, not to mention security. It can be used to attract romantic partners, and to fulfill our base desires. 

But God’s Will must be the highest priority for Christians. We are to “Seek first the kingdom of God”. But when money is made into an idol, it leads us away from what truly fulfills, the pursuit of God. 

Many Christians have lost the joy pursuing God as they pursued the riches of the world.  They have even lost their souls because riches. The rich young man left the company of Jesus because of his attachment to his riches. 

The love of money is behind so many of the evils that afflict the peoples of the globe. Turning money into an idol results in the abandonment of religious duties, and the exploitation of one’s fellow man. The lover of money begins to view all things and all people through this distorted lens.

Nearly three centuries after Paul wrote to Timothy about the love of money, the holy Archbishop of Constantinople and Doctor of the Church St. John Chrysostom warned his congregation: Evil is not caused by wealth …but by the wicked will of those who do not know how to use it… Take away the love of money, and you put an end of war, to battle, to enmity, to strife and contention…The covetous man never knows a friend…He knows not God himself, driven mad, as he is, by the passion of avarice.”

So many of “the human roots of global and ecological crisis” as Pope Francis as said, comes from this disordered love of money.

The use of money is inescapable, so St. John Chrysostom also taught his congregation about the right use of money. He writes, “our money is the Lord’s, however we may have gathered it.” God allows us wealth “not for you to waste on prostitutes, drink, fancy food, expensive clothes, and all the other kinds of indolence, but for you to distribute to those in need.” 

This does not mean that we must give away all of our wealth and possessions, leaving ourselves in abject poverty. Neither Saint John Chrysostom, nor Christ Himself, teaches us to do this. Rather it means that all that we have is meant, not our own selfish pursuits, but for the purposes of furthering the kingdom of God.

We have a duty to be honest about our motives regarding wealth. Am I accumulating wealth for a disordered purpose? Is my use of money selfish? If so, we require conversion. 

For the Lord teaches we are called to store up treasure, not on earth, but in heaven, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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In great gratitude for the benefactors of this parish, and for those who generously provide for the needs of the Church. 

For an end to indifference to God and human dignity in our government and educational institutions, businesses, and personal attitudes.

During this month of September, dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, we pray for all those who grieve, and that we may grieve sufficiently for our sins.

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.

September 20 2023 - St. Andrew Kim & Korean Martyrs - Satan's Opposition to Church Growth vs. Courageous Christian Witness

 

Today we celebrate the memorial of the Korean martyrs. The first Catholic missionary arrived in Korea at a time of great strife—during the Japanese invasion of Korea under Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1593. But missionary efforts were pretty minimal for about 200 years. And it wasn’t until the late 1700s that a native Korean named Yi Seung-hun studied Chinese translations of Catholic texts and sought out a Jesuit missionary in Beijing for baptism. He returned to Korea with a handful of fellow Catholics and really began to spread the faith. 

In 1801, 300 Catholics were martyred by the government of the Joseon Dynasty chiefly for the our faith’s opposition to ancestral "worship" which the State prescribed as a cornerstone of Korean culture. So our faith, really has it’s origins in Korea, in standing up to the idolatrous state religion. Yi Seung-hun was among those first martyrs.

St. Andrew Kim was from a Korean family who suffered under those persecutions. He became a deacon in 1844, and a year later was ordained as Korea’s first Catholic priest. He returned to Korea and traveled around Catholic communities teaching, mostly at night. He tried to get French missionaries into the country, but was arrested on June 5, 1846, and beheaded on September 16 at the age of 25.

The first Catholic priest of a people, martyred. 

Satan’s opposition to the Catholic Church’s taking root in Korea has been mighty. But the witness, and the courage of the Korean Catholics sustained by the grace of God has been mightier. The number of Catholics in the past 20 years in South Korea has increased by 48.6 percent, and today 11.1% of South Koreans are Catholic. The North Korean Government opposes the growth of Christianity with terrible ferocity. But compare the growth of the Church in South Korea to what is going on here in the United States. Sunday Mass attendance has declined that much in the last 20 years. Nuptial masses has decreased by over 40 percent in 20 years. . 

Today we celebrate not just two, but the hundreds of Korean martyrs who died witnessing to the truth of Jesus Christ. No doubt, they have something to teach us in standing up against Satan in this land, may we allow ourselves to be inspired by their courageous witness and imitate them in their fervor for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.