October 17 2024 - St. Ignatius of Antioch - Our Patron Saint (School Mass)

 Today is the Feast Day of the Patron Saint of our Parish and school, St. Ignatius of Antioch. Happy Feast Day to you all.

What does it mean that St. Ignatius of Antioch is our Patron Saint?

That St. Ignatius is our patron Saint means that St. Ignatius of Antioch, who lived almost 2000 years ago, prays for us in a special way from his place in heaven. We have a special heavenly helper—to help us become the people God made us to be—to help us overcome our trials—to help us grow in faith, hope, and love and to follow Jesus as his disciples. 

Because he is our patron, we look to his holy example and ask for his prayers and intercession 

His statue stands along Lorain Ave, at the parking lot entrance as a reminder that St. Ignatius of Antioch guards us, and prays for us, and loves us, and welcomes all those who want to grow in their faith. 

And that reminder is important, because, I bet, most of us spend very little time thinking about St. Ignatius of Antioch, the person. Even though you probably hear or say his name every day. 

The story of St. Ignatius of Antioch is a great one. He was a Catholic bishop who lived very close to the time of Jesus. After Jesus ascended into heaven, Jesus’ apostles were tasked with making disciples to continue the work of spreading the Christian faith. And St. Ignatius was one of those disciples. He was baptized and for a time learned about Jesus under St. John the Apostle, the very same apostle who laid his head on the chest of Jesus at the last supper and stood at the foot of the cross when Jesus was crucified, who ran to the tomb at the resurrection, and witnessed Jesus ascending into heaven.

So, Ignatius had one of the best teachers you could ever ask for. When he was ready, Ignatius was sent by John to continue the work of the Church in the gigantic city of Antioch, which even 2000 years ago, had a million people, meaning, it had more people than Cleveland. 

Being such an important city, the Roman Emperor came to visit Antioch, but the emperor was not a Christian, in fact, he wanted to destroy the Christian Church. So he summoned Bishop Ignatius, and demanded that he give up his faith and renounce Jesus. 

But remember, Ignatius knew that Jesus is truly the Son of God, that Jesus was crucified, died, and rose from the dead. 

So, courageously, Bishop Ignatius stood up to the Emperor, and told him that there was no way he could deny Jesus, because he knew the Gospel to be true—he knew that Jesus said and did the things the Church claimed. After all, it had only happened 60 years ago. There was no denying it. Even when the emperor threatened to kill Ignatius if he did not deny Jesus, Ignatius held fast to the truth and would gladly die to prove this point, that Jesus Christ is truly God and savior of the world.  

For courageously standing up to the emperor, Ignatius was sentenced to death—to be devoured by lions in Rome, which is why our school mascot is the lion—a reminder of the courageous death of our patron—that we might have the same courage in professing Jesus.

Friends, even if you don’t think of him every day, at least think of him well today, Ask St. Ignatius today to help you become the person God made you to be—holy and righteous in the sight of God, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

October 16 2024 - St. Margaret Mary Alacoque - Visions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

 Throughout the ages, some of the Saints have been gifted by God with visions or visitations from heaven. St. Paul is of course visited by Jesus on the road to Damascus. Legend has it that Jesus appeared to St. Peter before his own martyrdom. The book of Acts says that St. Stephen the Deacon had a vision of Jesus right before his martyrdom, and St. John the Evangelist of course, writes of his vision of heaven in the Book of Revelation. 

St. Francis famously had a vision of Jesus speaking to him from the cross in the chapel of San Damiano telling him to rebuild his Church. St. Catherine of Siena’s life was filled with visions. St. Juan Diego received a vision of Our Lady of Guadalupe. 

In 1677, St. Margaret Mary, a Visitation nun in France, received visions of Our Lord. She writes in her diary how she plainly saw His heart, pierced and bleeding, yet there were flames, too, coming from it and a crown of thorns around it. She writes, “He told me to behold His heart which so loved humanity. Then He seemed to take my very heart from me and place it there in His heart. In return He gave me back part of His flaming heart.”

St. Margaret Mary received not just a vision, but a command. Our Lord charged her with making known the powerful devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which today has spread throughout the world. 

The message of the Sacred Heart is powerful. It is the message, that Jesus’ Heart—the heart of God—burns with love for sinners, and so he calls sinners to repent—to turn away from their sin—so that their hearts might be set afire like His. 

The message of the Sacred Heart addresses two errors of the spiritual life. On one hand, there is the temptation to see oneself as a hopeless sinner unworthy of God’s love, to see God as a task master who demands the rigid observance of the law or else he will send you to the eternal hell-fires. On the other hand, there is the temptation to explain away sin, to claim that since God’s mercy is so great, we really don’t have to put in that much effort to reform our lives: that it doesn’t really matter what we believe or what we do.

Rather, the devotion to the Sacred Heart shows us that we are loved intensely by God, his love for us is a fiery furnace. But because we are so loved, we must respond to God by seeking purification of all that is unlovable in us, the selfishness, impurity, pride, error, and hardheartedness.

May the message which St. Margaret Mary faithfully made known—the message of the love of the heart of Jesus—resound in our lives—that all of our selfishness may be burned away—that we may be set aflame with love for our fellow man and concern for his eternal well-being, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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In reparation to the Sacred Heart for all sin and all blasphemy.

For an increase in faith, hope, and love for all Christians.

That our children and young people 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 those whose love for God has grown cold, who have fallen into moral laxity or despair of the mercy of God, for all souls in danger of hell, for their conversion and the conversion of all hearts.

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 of the diocese of Cleveland, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

Gracious Father, hear our prayers, and through the infinite mercy of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, grant us what we truly need, through the same Christ our Lord.

October 15 2024 - St. Teresa of Avila - Reforming the heart through prayer

 Today we celebrate the Feast of Theresa of Avila, virgin, and doctor of the Church. Together with St. John of the Cross, she labored to reform the Carmelite order which had grown worldly and lukewarm in the 16th century. And yet, before undertaking the work of reforming the Carmelite order, she first worked to reform herself.  

For many years, after her religious consecration she was herself was lukewarm about prayer. She had difficulty committing her mind and heart to prayer, especially when prayer felt so dry and arid. 

But as she learned to quiet her mind, and quiet her heart, she grew in prayer, and would become absorbed in deep contemplation. In fact, she would occasionally become so absorbed in divine contemplation, her body would spontaneously levitate. And at times, she would become so overwhelmed with divine love, it felt like the illumining grace of God would wash her soul away. 

Most of us are far from surrendering so deeply to God in prayer, but Theresa offers a wonderful starting point in the following prayer. She writes:

Let nothing disturb you, Let nothing frighten you, All things are passing away: God never changes. Patience obtains all things Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices.

So simple, yet, like so many simple things, so profound. It is a reminder that everything in this life including our own physical life will change, that ultimately, all things--our possessions, our health, will all slip away.  So nothing need disturb us as long as we are clinging to God.

We waste so much time worrying about things we cannot change, but true peace is discovered when we allow ourselves to experience the truth that God alone suffices. Unlike time devoted to worrying and fretting, time devoted to prayer in which we seek the face of God is never wasted.  In prayer, we surrender our life, and learn to love God as the path of life unfolds.  

St. Teresa teaches us that the true reformer first reforms themselves, and to seek God ardently by detaching ourselves from worldly anxieties through simplicity, penance, and prayer.  

May St. Teresa help us to be set aflame with the longing for true holiness, and to strive for the Christian perfection for which we were made, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For Pope Francis and all Church leaders, that they may lead the faithful in seeking and growing in authentic Christian holiness. Let us pray to the Lord.

For our world, often caught up in materialism and instant gratification, that it may discover the value of patience and the sufficiency of God's love. Let us pray to the Lord.

For the Carmelites and all religious orders and communities, that they may remain faithful to their charisms and be beacons of God's love in the world. Let us pray to the Lord.

For all who feel spiritually dry or distant from God, that they may persevere in prayer and experience the transforming power of divine love. Let us pray to the Lord.

For all of us gathered here, that we may learn to detach ourselves from worldly concerns and trust more fully in God's providence. Let us pray to the Lord.

For those burdened by anxiety and fear, and for all those suffering from mental illness, addiction, or any type of illness: that the grace of Christ may console and strengthen them. Let us pray to the Lord.

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.

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.

October 14 2024 - St. Callistus and Christopher Columbus - God chooses the weak and makes them strong

 Often times, the Collect Prayers for the saints reflect something of their lives.  Today’s collect contained a prayer asking God to rescue us from the “slavery of corruption.” This is a reference to the fact that Pope Callistus, honored by the Church today, was once a slave.

Pope Callistus was originally born a slave in Rome in the late 2nd century.  Seeing natural intelligence in him, his slave-master appointed him to oversee a bank, but after a while the bank failed. Callistus, fearing that he would be killed due to the bank’s failure, fled Rome.  He was caught and sentenced to hard labor in the mines of Sardinia. But, as providence would have it, Callistus wasn’t in Sardinia long, thanks to the Pope, who bargained with the emperor to free many of the prisoners.

After his release, Callistus studied theology and became a deacon.  10 years later, Pope Zephyrinus summoned Callistus, to serve as his theological advisor. Callistus proved himself to be reliable and competent, and was himself elected Pope in 217. In 223, an anti-Christian riot swept through Rome, and Pope Callistus was martyred.

From slave to Pope; God works in mysterious ways. As St. Paul says, “God chooses the weak and makes them strong in bearing witness to Christ.”

We do not get to choose the details of our birth and status, but we do get to choose what we do with the gifts God has given us—our intellectual gifts, our creativity, the spiritual gifts we receive in our baptism. 

Our nation today celebrates Columbus Day. Columbus, a Catholic, utilized his genius, his curiosity and energy, to bravely venture into the unknown to explore this world. He was not motivated by greed or violence, but the desire for knowledge and to spread the Gospel. 

Christopher Columbus was not racist or imperialist or sexist or genocidal for wishing to spread Christianity to an unknown land and foreign people. And neither are we. For Christianity professes our belief in the fundamental value of every human life and a commitment to human flourishing by utilizing our God given gifts.  

We pray that the Lord may raise up countless Pope Callistus's and Christopher Columbus's, men and women of great faith, who are committed to using their gifts for the good of others, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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That Catholics around the world will be ever more zealous in their preaching of the Gospel and manifesting the mercy of Christ for others.

For wisdom and mercy to guide the life of the Church, the decisions of government leaders, and the ordering of our personal lives.

That young people be inspired to respond generously to God’s call to sanctity, and for vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

During this month of October, dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary, may Catholics take up this devotion with renewed vigor and trust in Our Lady’s never-failing intercession.

For the Knights of Columbus and all who look to the inspiration of Christopher Columbus, may they continue in good works and be examples of virtue and faith.

For all victims of war, for hurricane victims and for all affected by flooding and severe weather conditions, and for those experiencing any kind of hardship or sorrow, isolation, addiction, or disease: that they may know God’s sustaining grace.

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.

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.

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2024 - Wisely trusting God

On October 11, the Church celebrates the feast day of Pope Saint John XXIII. Some of our elder parishioners may even remember Good Pope John, as he was Roman Pontiff from October 1958 until his death in June 1963.

He was known during his pontificate as “good Pope John” by the Italian people who adored him for his affection sense of humor, and sanctity. At his funeral, the phrase “Santo Subito” was chanted…”sainthood now”. When Pope Francis canonized John XXIII 10 years ago already, he referred to Pope John as a “model of sanctity.”  

Again, his sense of humor was renowned, and a number of Pope John’s quips and jokes are still told today.

In reply to a reporter who asked, "How many people work in the Vatican?", he reportedly said: "About half of them."

When a cardinal complained that a rise in Vatican salaries meant a particular usher earned as much as the cardinal, the pope remarked: "That usher has 10 children; I hope the cardinal doesn't."

Not long after he was elected pope, the rather portly Pope St. John was walking through the streets of Rome. A woman passed him and said to her friend, "My God, he's so fat!" Overhearing what she said, he turned around and replied, "Madame, I trust you understand that the papal conclave is not exactly a beauty contest."

The saint was also known for his practical wisdom. When asked how he slept at night, with all the problems facing the Church, and with all of his responsibilities he said that instead of worrying all night long, he simply prays, “It’s your Church, God. I’m going to bed! It’s in your hands now”

And there is an important lesson for us there. As Christians, we are called to do our part in spreading the Gospel, defending the vulnerable, righting injustice, being peacemakers, accompanying those with little faith or no faith, so that they might find their way to Jesus. But it’s okay to get a good night’s rest, to put the troubles of the world, and the troubles of our families, and all those things that are beyond our control, into God’s hands. 

While we must have deep trust in God, we must also do our part. In the Gospel, the rich young man approaches Jesus and says, what must I do? It is clear that we must follow the commandments of God. But what else? The Lord is clear that we must follow the Lord wherever he beckons us. For the rich young man, that meant leaving behind his wealth, and following the Lord in service and charity. The Lord Jesus was inviting the rich young man to trust him, leaving his earthly cares aside to cultivate greater holiness. 

And, the rich young man was unwilling to that, and St. Mark’s Gospel tells us that because he was unwilling to trust Jesus, the rich young man went away sad. Sadness comes when we fail to respond to those invitations the Lord gives us to follow Him for closely, especially in the way of generosity and self-giving.

I love the juxtaposition between Pope John’s practical wisdom of entrusting the needs and problems of the Church to God, one on hand, and the Lord’s invitation to do everything you can to grow in holiness on the other.

Do you sense the tension there? On one hand, entrust everything to God, and make sure you get the sleep and rest to remain healthy and in good spirits. And on the other hand, do everything you can to serve the Gospel. Trust and pray as if everything depended on God, and act, as if everything depended on you.

I think that’s tough for a lot of people, because it requires mature faith and personal responsibility. You and I have the responsibility of discerning, using our God given reason, to personally investigate what can I do, honestly. If I were to really move beyond my comfort zone and trust God, what could I do for the parish, for the poor, for the good of my fellow man, what could I do for the spread of the Gospel.

Why is it so hard? Well, many of us get swept up into our habits and routines, don’t we? So much so  that the thought of doing something different, doing something challenging or uncomfortable doesn’t occur to us. We push those possibilities out of our minds very quickly because we like things easy and predictable.  

But that is a real reason, that, like the rich young man in the Gospel, we are sadder than we need to be. We are sad because we do not trust the Lord as much as we could. The joy that we observe in the saints eludes us, because, of our fear to make the leap of faith to follow the Lord into the unknown, into the uncomfortable, and in the way of the Cross.

In the first reading, we hear the prayer of this devout soul who deemed riches as nothing in comparison with the Divine. Priceless gems, gold, are as sand, compared to the joy and goodness that God offers us and wants for us from following Christ more closely. 

This week, consider what would I do for the Lord if I was fearless. What would I do for the Lord if I didn’t care about my material possessions. 

The Lord is likely not calling any of us to the radical poverty of saint francis of assisi, but he is calling all of us to be a little less concerned about our worldly possessions and our comforts and more concerned about storing up treasure in heaven. 

On top of that, we should consider what, we like Pope St John, should leave to the Lord. What can I do, and what do I need to entrust more fully to the Lord. For therein lies greater peace and joy for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

27th Week in Ordinary Time 2024 - Tuesday - The turn toward Christ

 For almost the rest of the liturgical year, save for the week or so before Advent begins, the first readings for weekday Mass will be taken from the letters of Saint Paul.  We started his letter to the Galatians yesterday.  In two weeks we will read his letter to the Ephesians.  We’ll have a few days of his letter to the Philippians in November, followed by his letter to Titus and then Philemon.  

To call the letters of Saint Paul “foundational to our Christian faith” is an understatement.  They shape our understanding of who Jesus is; they shape our liturgical prayers, they give us insight into the life of the early Church before the Gospels were even written.  

In today’s reading, Saint Paul gives us a little biographical information.  He says, “You heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I persecuted the Church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it.”  We are reminded that this great missionary once put Christians to death—he considered himself an enemy of the Church. But on the road to Damascus, in the middle of his fury, all that changed.  The Risen Christ appeared to Paul, Jesus spoke a word to his heart and let a ray of his divine light into the darkness of Paul’s mind.  “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting”.  

From then on, Paul became an ambassador of God’s saving grace, a light of hope and mercy for sinners of all nations and races, a faithful messenger of God’s unconditional goodness.  He goes from being an extreme persecutor of the faith, to an extreme evangelist.  

As we read from the Pauline Epistles over the next few weeks, we do well to consider how God calls us to open our hearts more deeply to his divine Word and to his service.

In the Gospel we hear about another type of conversion—Martha is called away from something good to something better. The Lord points out that there is something more important than her domestic busyness. Martha’s focus on worldly matters have kept her from the deeper sharing in the Lord’s presence.

Both Paul and Martha challenge us to consider what we must turn away from in order to turn more deeply to the Lord. Our own preconceptions, our own habits, our prejudices can keep us from the fullness of life that God wants for each of us. 

May we allow the Word of God to shape us, form us, and lead us more deeply into the life of Christ for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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That hearing the call to conversion preached by the Church, all men may turn away from their sins to the mercy of Christ.

That world leaders may look upon the Son of God, believe in him, and seek the peace and justice that only he can bring.

That our young people may take seriously the missionary call of Christ, that they will turn away from the evils of our culture to spread the good news of Christ’s eternal kingdom.

For all whose lives are marked by suffering, may they come to know the healing and peace of Christ, especially victims of the hurricanes and flooding, and victims of war. 

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.

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.

October 2 2024 - The Holy Guardian Angels - Gratitude for Angelic Protection

 Last week Trapper Jack had a podcast titled “Three Drowning Seminarians Saved by Real Angels”. And Trapper Jack shared three stories about three seminarians, who are now priests, who claim to have been saved from drowning by their guardian angels. One of those priests is one of our own Cleveland priests.

And as I listed to the podcast, I was reminded of my own ordination reception. I was giving a little speech before dinner thanking family and friends for their support through the years of my seminary studies, and all of a sudden i got this flash of moments from my life…and realized that i needed to thank my guardian angel, too! I got flashes of from my life of moments like near car accidents, and my own memory of being in the middle of lake erie on a raft during a storm. And I got the sense that on all of those occasions, I was preserved from harm by my guardian angel. And so without my guardian angel, I would likely not have been ordained, and standing there and thanking all of my family and friends.

Thank God for our guardian angels. We will only know in heaven how many times we have been spared and saved. How many illnesses were staved off, how many accidents were averted, how many temptations were defeated, how many inspiring thoughts and ideas were evoked, how many times are hearts were moved with pity, all because of the ministrations of our Guardian Angels.

We do not think of them enough, we do not thank them enough. But today, the church thanks and honors our Guardian Angels for their faithfulness to the task given to them by God Himself—the task of doing everything in their power to help us get to heaven and becomes the servants God desires each of us to be.

Thank your angel today. And commit to calling upon your angel more frequently, and asking God to help you to be more docile to his inspirations and open to his assistance, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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In gratitude to God for our Guardian Angels, may we be attentive to their inspirations, and through them be kept safe from sin, and faithful to the works of mercy.

May we, like the angels, practice purity in both mind and body, and be guarded from every temptation to sin.

For special angelic protection for our police and fire fighters, first responders, and military who keep us safe from threats to our lives and freedoms.

May the sick know the assistance of the angels in their illness and suffering.

May the angels who stand ever before the face of God, help us increase in that never-failing hope of coming at last into God’s presence.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for those who have fought and died for our benefit, and for N. for whom this mass is offered.

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.