Homily: Monday of the 22nd Week in OT 2015 - Rejected at Nazareth

At first, his explanation of Isaiah’s prophecy delighted the ears of his townsmen, gathered in synagogue on the Sabbath.  “All spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.”  Things really started to go sour, when his townsfolk demanded healing miracles, and Jesus put himself on the level of the great prophets Elijah and Elisha and claimed that he was being rejected just like they were.

Jesus was basically calling his townsfolk a bunch of God-rejecting prophet murderers.  They wouldn’t recognize the Messiah if he stood in their midst.  And the irony was, they didn’t. 

The Nazarenes wanted miracles without discipleship, they wanted glory without the hard work, and they wanted resurrection without the cross.

Incited by this, Jesus’ townsfolk rose up, drove him to the edge of a cliff to kill him, right there and then.  Why?  Because Jesus didn’t give them what they want!

And isn’t that such a great temptation for all of us, to give up on God when he doesn’t answer our prayers the way we want Him to.   I come to Mass, I put money in the envelope, I say my daily prayers, and so, Where’s my miracle? That attitude is of course disastrous for the Christian life. 

Rather, the entire Christian life is the grateful response of already having received the miracle.  The gift of new life through baptism, a second chance at heaven.  Allowing that miracle to unfold in us, and change us, is what the Christian life is all about.

For, our question to God, dear Christians, must never be “what have you done for Me lately, Lord?”, but, “what can I do for you, Lord? how can I serve you today? Who are the poor to whom I am called to bring the glad tidings of the Gospel? Who are the captives to whom I am called to help liberate? Who are the blind to whom I am called to bring sight?”

Pope Benedict said, “the path of each single Christian, like that of the Church as a whole, leads to new life, to eternal life, through the imitation of Christ and the experience of his cross.” This day we are given the absolute privilege of being called to imitate Christ.  Perhaps we might be rejected, perhaps we might find a soul open to God’s grace.  Let us abhor doing anything for selfish reasons, but strive today to labor first and foremost for the glory of God and salvation.

Homily: 22nd Sunday in OT 2015 - "Looking Inward"

Have you ever noticed that when Jesus teaches, he loves to point to things: “look at the birds of the air and the lilies of the field,” he says, “look at the example of a child’s faith and innocence”, “look at this mustard seed”, “look at the sheep, the shepherds, the grapes on the vines”.  Sometimes he even points to things and people that we aren’t always comfortable looking at: “look at the leper, look at the poor man at your gate”

In the Gospel today, Jesus again points.  But, this time, he doesn’t point to something or someone out there.  This time, he points within, he asks us to look within our hearts.  And that’s something we might be really uncomfortable or unused to examining.

Last week, I came across a very intriguing television show on the history channel, you may have seen it, called “Alone”.  10 men are given the opportunity to win half a million dollars by trying to survive out in the wilderness for as long as they can.  They have to hunt, build shelters, fend off bears and cougars, with very few supplies.  They have no communication with the outside world except when the want to radio in the call that they are giving up.  A number of the contestants didn’t last the week, unable to cope with the physical obstacles, the weather, finding food.  The ones that last a little longer, however, had to deal with something far scarier: themselves, their own hearts, the psychological strain of loneliness.  Many described how memories and mistakes from the past bubbled up out of their unconsconcious; many of the bad habits they had back in civilization, had followed them.  Their regrets, their woundedness, painful memories from childhood.  Many of the contestants simply could not handle being Alone with themselves when they did not have Netflix and iphones to distract them from their inner struggles.

And in the Gospel today, Jesus tells all of us to look inwards.  He says, evil doesn’t come from out there, evil comes from the choices we make, the failure to turn our wounded sinful hearts over to God.

In the Church’s history, there have been men and women who have intentionally gone out into the wilderness, out into the desert in order to be alone with God.  We call them the Desert Fathers: like St. Anthony of the Desert.  Modern day Hermits like Thomas Merton follow in that tradition.  Remember, after Jesus’ Baptism, the Holy Spirit led Him out into the Desert, the place of Trial, the place of Temptation, the territory of the Devil.  So too the Desert Fathers and Mothers, go into the desert for Spiritual Combat, in order to confront their inner demons, to remove the stoniness from their hearts, to learn how to rely on the will of providence of the Father, and to allow the Word of God to truly take root.

“From within people, from their hearts,” Jesus says, “come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.”  These evils come “from within”.  Therefore, every Christian has the responsibility to look within, and to bring what we find there  to God to be converted.  Jesus condemns the Pharisees for being so focused on purifying the outside, without paying any attention to the inside.  They did not allow the word of God to be rooted, to be planted in their hearts.

Yet, St. James clarifies that Christian Faith calls us to a delicate balance.  Do not just be hearers of the Word, be doers of the word.  There was an early Church heresy called Gnosticism which said the flesh is evil, the body is bad, nothing physical matters, only the inner spirit matters.   Some Gnostic groups even condemned marriage and having children as evil. That’s not what Jesus is saying at all.  In the book of Genesis we hear God look at what he created and call it good.  Even mosquitos and spiders and slimy things are good because they act according to their nature. We are still allowed to enjoy the good things of creation: delicious meals, the beauty of the rocks and the trees and the birds in the sky, physical affection from loved ones.  Marriage isn’t just good, it’s Sacramental; child rearing is a share in the life giving power of the Creator.  God became a real human being.  We act, we love, we pray, we worship as physical beings.

What we do in the body, in the physical world matters.  Jesus calls us to practice both the bodily works of mercy and the spiritual works of mercy.  We don’t neglect one for the other.  Yet, we don’t always use our bodies to glorify God, do we?  Every one of us, has abused our human free will, and from our hearts chosen OUR way instead of God’s way.  And so we need to turn our minds and hearts over to God in order to be free from the sinful thoughts, attitudes, habits, behaviors which beset us. And that means examining the inner self on a regular basis.

The saints recommend a daily examination before retiring to bed.  Now, this is of course impossible if we pass out in front of the television or computer every night, or don’t give ourselves 10 minutes of quiet time because we’re too busy checking facebook our playing angry birds on our iphones.  But a nightly examination is so powerful for rooting out sin, and allowing the Gospel to take root.  At the end of the day before sleep, ask yourself: how did I treat people today? How did I treat my spouse, my children, my coworker.  Why was I so harsh to that waitress, that cashier, why was I in such a hurry or inconsiderate in traffic, why was I so consumed by that website, that movie? Where were the blessings today, did I give God due thanksgiving for those blessings? Did I go out of my way to help someone in need today or did I demand that everyone bow down to my way?  Did I take the time to encourage the doubtful, to visit the lonely? What were my sins today? What were my virtues?

Nightly we should make such an examination.  And every month or so, we should find ourselves in the confessional, bringing our sins to Jesus, repenting, seeking his mercy for abusing our free will, misusing God’s gifts, and failing to love.

Friday, August 28 was the feast of the great Bishop, St. Augustine.  St. Augustine is known for writing what is basically the first autobiography in Western Civilization, called the Confessions.  St. Augustine, a Bishop in his 60s, reflects on his journey toward Christ, and he confesses a childhood, misspent in very serious sin, lust, promiscuity, pride, theft, an early adulthood flirting with heresy and erroneous philosophies, and then finally turning to Christ.  Now, St. Augustine is known as a Doctor of the Church, for he teaches us like Christ to turn our hearts over to God.  Now, St. Augustine is often artistically depicted holding a flaming human heart, a heart, set on fire with the love of God, because he allowed the Word of God, the power of God, the light of God to ignite his heart.

May each of us practice those healthy habits of mind and soul, of bringing our hearts to God, to humbly welcome the word, as St. James says, to be hearers of the word, and doers of the word, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: 20th Sunday in OT - Wisdom's Banquet

There is a set of books of the Old Testament known as the Wisdom literature: the book of Psalms, the book of Wisdom, the Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, and the book of Proverbs from which our first reading this morning was taken.  These books don’t tell much of a story, they aren’t filled with dramatic action like the book of Genesis or the Gospels.  These books contain songs and sayings, they reflect on existential questions about God, our human condition, the nature of evil and suffering.  Yet, these books are inspired by God to help us to think rightly and to see the world as God sees them. 

Though there is very little story in these books, they do contain a reoccurring character.  Wisdom is personified as a woman.  I don’t know if that’s because women are wiser than men; both men and women can fall into terrible, destructive foolishness.  Likely, it is because the Old Testament authors see Wisdom as beautiful and charming—those who know her, want to spend time with her.  Even the pagan Greeks new this, which is why they coined the term Philosophia…the love of wisdom. 

In the first reading, Lady Wisdom has thrown a banquet, at which those who participate are invited to learn, to grow in wisdom: let the simple and those who lack understanding come and eat and forsake foolishness.  She throws a banquet in order to form disciples.

This passage from Proverbs is part of a longer passage in which Lady Wisdom is contrasted with Lady Folly.  Folly is characterized as a woman.  Again, I don’t think that’s because women are fuller of folly than men.  Lady Folly has no lack of disciples from either sex.

In this passage Lady Wisdom builds a house of learning, she invites the unwise to come and learn, she throws a feast where the meat and drink is wisdom.  Lady Folly on the other hand, guess what she does.  She also hosts a meal, but all she offers is stolen bread and water.  And what she entices her guests to is riches and an easy life.  Who here doesn’t know someone who simply wants to live the rich and easy life without any work, without growing in wisdom?

Wisdom promises a much more difficult path, but the path that leads to true happiness.  Wisdom helps us to order our lives according to God’s priorities.

Choosing whether you will follow Lady Wisdom or Lady Folly is one of the most important decisions in one’s life.  But be careful, for Jesus Himself explains the consequences for making the wrong choice when he says, “Broad and Easy is the way that leads to destruction; enter through the narrow Gate, which alone leads to life.”  Of course, Lady Folly’s route is the broad and easy way; Lady Wisdom’s is the narrow gate, which our Lord says few choose to enter.  One way leads to everlasting life, the other to perdition.

In antiquity, people thought that the place at which Wisdom was shared was at table, at a meal.  When I was younger, I used to love to go to dinner at my grandparents house, and simply listen to the adults speak.  Today, isn’t there a danger, with all of the electronic devices, that our children and grandchildren will not learn the wisdom of their elders?  The table was the place where people who enjoyed each other, sat and shared stories, and family wisdom.  Is it any wonder that Our Lord does so much of his work sitting at table with sinners—that they may sit and learn his wisdom.  Yet, these days, the family table has been foolishly replaced by sports practice and Netflix.  A travesty.

It was clear to the early Church that coming to the table of Eucharist meant a partaking of the Wisdom of God.  In fact, often Jesus is given that title—the Wisdom of God.  St. Paul calls Jesus the Power of God and the Wisdom of God. 

When we come to Mass we are choosing the way of Life, the way of Wisdom, and we partake of Wisdom Himself, when we eat the flesh and drink the blood of Jesus Christ.  When we receive the Eucharist, we are asking God to convert everything that is foolish in us, every foolish attitude, every foolish behavior, to orient us to Christ. 

And so each of us are challenged today, to consider, when I come to Mass, do I come in order to be changed?  Do I recognize myself as foolish needing Wisdom? Before Mass begins we do very well to reflect upon those parts of us that need conversion.  To admit, “you know, I’ve been pretty foolish lately, in my conversations with my spouse; I’ve been foolish in the television shows I’ve watched; I’ve been foolish not to reach out to my lonely neighbor; I’ve been foolish to think so highly of myself.”  And then to pray, Wisdom of God, during this Mass teach me, change me, form me, shape me. 

If you come to Mass with out changing…did you really partake?  Rather, we should come to Mass, ready to eat, hungry for Wisdom, prepared to learn, to sit at the feet of Jesus, the True teacher, as his disciples, to learn how I may better imitate Him, how I may more closely follow Him in the ways of righteousness and self-sacrifice. 

Many of our brothers and sisters are foolish for not coming to Mass every week, but we are foolish if we come here not wanting to change.  In our Second Reading, St. Paul urges us, “Watch carefully how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise, making the most of the opportunity, because the days are evil.” So we need to make the most of coming to Mass by seeking the conversion and the Wisdom the Lord wishes to impart on us in this sacred place.

The table, the banquet, is also a place of intimacy.  When our elders share their wisdom, they are sharing their hearts and minds.  So too Jesus, at this Meal, shares the inner workings of his heart, the fire of love which led him to lay down his life for us, that we may come to see God face to face in heaven.

As Jesus opens his heart to us, let us open our hearts to him, and allow him to lead us from folly to wisdom, from perdition to blessedness, from sin to life, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: August 15 - Assumption of Mary - Mary, the New Ark

In the early history of the nation of Israel, before the establishment of the Davidic Kingdom in Jerusalem, the Ark of the Covenant traveled with Israel through the desert as a sign of the presence of God with them.  Inside of the Ark were three items, the second stone copy of the 10 Commandments, the priestly rod of Aaron, and a jar of manna from Israel’s last day in the desert.
In the book of Chronicles we can read of Israel’s great rejoicing as the Ark made its ways into the Holy City of Jerusalem.

The Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders with poles,
as Moses had ordained according to the word of the LORD.
David commanded the chiefs of the Levites
to appoint their kinsmen as chanters,
to play on musical instruments, harps, lyres, and cymbals,
to make a loud sound of rejoicing.

Down in Little Italy there is a procession much like the procession described in 1st Chronicles.  And here too, this evening we gather in similar exuberance, celebrating liturgically the New Ark entering the New Eternal Jerusalem—the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Assumption into Heaven. Mary entered into the liturgy of heaven, her Assumption is like a procession, and she will be honored forever by the saints and angels as Queen of the Blessed.

Mary is the true ark, for she contained within her womb, what the objects in the old ark foreshadowed.  Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the New Lawgiver, he himself is the fulfillment of the old priesthood, for he offered himself as sacrifice for all mankind on the altar of the Cross, and he is the fulfillment of the Old Manna, as we’ve been hearing these last few Sundays: Your ancestors ate manna in the desert, but they died…I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.

The Ark was the holiest object in existence to the Jews; and now Christians honor Mary as the New Ark, and most blessed, most holy of all women. Our first reading from the book of Revelation described Mary, as the Ark of Heaven pregnant with the Son of the Most High, clothed with the brilliance of the Sun.

We celebrate her entrance into the Eternal Holy City with the hope at the end of our earthly lives we may join her, and join with the saints and angels in honoring her and worshiping God forever.
Yet, in order to join her in the Heavenly Jerusalem, we need to follow her example. Jesus states in the Gospel, “blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” Elizabeth proclaims Mary to be blessed, because she believed in the Word of God.  Mary was blessed to become the New Ark, the Mother of Christ Jesus, because she said “yes” to the Word of God.  And, so for us to be enter the company of the blessed and enter into that Heavenly reward, we must follow Our Lady’s example and say “yes” to God’s Word as well, and strive in obedience to God’s Word in its entirety.
The preface to the Eucharistic prayer today particularly expresses the rich themes of this solemnity.  Listen to this wonderful prayer, addressed to the Father, which I will offer from the altar on your behalf:

“Today the Virgin Mother of God was assumed into heaven as the beginning and image of your Church’s coming to perfection and a sign of sure hope and comfort to your pilgrim people; rightly you would not allow her to see the corruption of the tomb since from her own body she marvelously brought forth your incarnate Son, the Author of all life.”

What a wonderfully rich prayer, and I’d like to focus on three themes in particularly.
First, Mary was assumed into heaven.  Second, Her assumption brings us comfort and hope.  And third, Her perfection is a sign of our perfection to come. These three theme point to the Past, present, and future. Mary’s Assumption, an event 2000 years ago in the past, gives us, the Church in the present, comfort and hope, and gives us a glimpse into the future, of the perfection awaiting God’s faithful ones.

2000 years ago, at the end of her earthly life, Mary’s body was taken directly into heaven.   Earthly remains are normally buried—earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.  Yet Mary, unstained by sin, incorrupt in body and soul, taken into the heavenly realm by God.

There is even historical proof for this.  The early Church had a profound respect and devotion to relics—the earthly remains of the saints.  And It was the practice of the early Church to gather at the places where the relics of the saints where buried; yet, no community ever claimed to have the relics of the Mother of Our Lord.  Why?  Because there weren’t any—they were taken directly to heaven.
So, how does this give us, 2000 years later, hope and comfort?

The Assumption is like the light at the end of a dark tunnel, or a lighthouse guiding us into safe harbor.  Where she has gone, we hope to go too.

And we do say hope, we hope for heaven, because heaven is not a guarantee.  As our Lord said in the Gospel, eternal blessedness is contingent about hearing and observing the Word of God.  Mary is called Blessed and is Queen of the Blessed because of her faithfulness, her obedience, every day of her life.

Her Assumption is so comforting to us because we can have real hope, that our struggle to observe the Word of God, amidst all of the difficulties and darkness and temptations of life, we can have real hope that faithfulness leads to heaven.  In any struggle, we do well to turn to Mary’s example and seek her intercession.  As we pray in the beautiful Memorare prayer: never was it known that anyone who fled to her protection, implored her help, or sought her intercession was left unaided.  So often we fall into sin because we fail to turn to God’s help in the moment of temptation, and what a great help we have in the Blessed Virgin…the Church even gives her the title Auxilium Christianorum, the Help of Christians.

Finally, her perfection and place in heaven is a sign of our perfection to come in heaven.  Oftentimes we think of heaven as being a purely spiritual realm.  But Mary was Assumed Body and Soul into heaven—heaven will involve a Bodily experience—one that includes chanting and singing beautiful hymns, playing of musical instruments to the praise of God—the liturgy of heaven will be a bodily experience greater than anything we have ever experienced here on earth.

As we contemplate the great wonder of God in the Heavenly Assumption of his most obedient human creation, let us ask the blessed Mother to obtain for us all the grace we need to be faithful and obedient to all the Lord asks of us, that we may be exalted on high like her and share in the joy of the heavenly Jerusalem, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: August 14 - St. Maximilan Kolbe - Martyred at Auschwitz

August 9 is the feast of the martyr Saint Theresa Benedicta of the Cross, a jewish convert to Catholicism and Carmelite nun who was killed in the Nazi Concentration Camp in Aushwitz in 1942.  

In 1941, today’s Saint too died a heroic death in Auschwitz. 

Born in Poland in 1894, Maximilian Kolbe entered the Franciscan Order at the age of 16 and was ordained a priest in 1918.  As a Franciscan priest he practiced the works of charity and developed strong devotion to Mary, a devotion that would offer him great solace in his final days.

In 1939, the Nazis bombed and invaded the Polish town in which Fr. Kolbe and his brother Franciscans were living; he and his fellow friars were arrested. Without trial or sentence, Fr. Kolbe was transported to Auschwitz. Yet, the Lord had work for him, even in that desolate place; there he heard confessions and celebrated Mass using smuggled bread and wine. 

One day, several prisoners managed to escape.  As punishment, 10 men from his block were selected to die.  When a married Jewish man with a family was among them, Fr. Kolbe 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 starve to death.  After two weeks, some, including Fr. Kolbe were still alive.  They were given lethal injections of carbolic acid, and their remains were thrown into an oven.

Father Kolbe’s death was not a sudden, last-minute act of heroism. His whole life had been a preparation. His holiness was a limitless, passionate desire to convert the whole world to God.

We may not be called to make the ultimate act of charity today, but each of us are called to die to ourselves daily.

 In 2006, Benedict XVI visited Aushwitz, he said this: “I have come here today: to implore the grace of reconciliation - first of all from God, who alone can open and purify our hearts, from the men and women who suffered here, and finally the grace of reconciliation for all those who, at this hour of our history, are suffering in new ways from the power of hatred and the violence which hatred spawns…Let us cry out to God, that he may draw men and women to conversion and help them to see that violence does not bring peace. 

Saint Maxilmilian once said, "Hatred is not a creative force: love alone is."  Let’s pray today for the conversion of the world from hatred to love and through Saint Maximilian Kolbe’s prayer and example may we too be made into instruments of peace for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: August 10 - St. Lawrence of Rome, Deacon & Martyr

On Friday, (August 7), we honored the martyrdom of Pope Sixtus II, killed during the terrible reign of the emperor Valerian during the mid 3rd century.  Valerian had issued the hateful decree that all bishops, priests, and deacons, be arrested and put to death.  Pope Sixtus II was arrested and killed on August 7th 258 AD and today’s saint, Saint Lawrence of Rome was arrested and killed four days later.

Lawrence was a Spaniard, called to Rome from Toledo by the Pope.  As a deacon in Rome, Lawrence was in charge of the Roman Church’s treasury, and had the responsibility of distributing alms to the poor.  When Pope Sixtus was arrested and killed, Lawrence knew that he would be next—he sold all of his personal possessions and gave them away to the poor widows, orphans, and beggars of Rome.

When the prefect of Rome heard this, he imagined that Church must have a considerable treasure hidden somewhere in the city.  He ordered Lawrence to bring the Church’s treasure to him.  So, Deacon Lawrence gathered a great number of blind, lame, maimed, leprous, orphaned and widowed persons.. When the prefect arrived, Lawrence simply said, “These are the treasures of the Church.”
In great anger, the Prefect condemned Lawrence to a slow, cruel death. The Saint was to be slowly roasted alive upon an iron grill.  Lawrence however was burning with so much love of God that he almost did not feel the flame. He even joked.  I'm done on this side! Turn me over” Before his death he prayed that the city of Rome might be converted to Jesus and that the Catholic Faith might spread all over the world

Two lessons: first, that the poor are truly the treasure of the Church, and by caring for them we care for Jesus himself. And secondly, we too can laugh in the face of death, because we, like St. Lawrence know that we are made for a life beyond this life.

Almost nothing else is known about today’s saint—yet the greatest fact of his life is certain: he lived and died for Christ.  Through the prayers of St. Lawrence, may we be made worthy of the promises of Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: 19th Sunday of OT - Drawn by the Father to the Bread of Life

Every three years, during the summer we read the entirety of sixth chapter of John’s Gospel—Jesus’ Bread of Life discourse—over five consecutive weeks.  This is the third week of Jesus’ five-week course on the mystery of his body and blood in the Eucharist.   Two weeks ago we heard of Jesus’ miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fish.  The crowds couldn’t feed themselves—the disciples couldn’t feed the crowd—only the power of God was sufficient to meet the needs of the people. 

Last week we heard Jesus proclaim himself the bread of life; He said, whoever comes to Him will never hunger, whoever believes in Him will never thirst.”

At our deepest core is a spiritual hunger for God—a yearning that cannot be satisfied by perishable food, by entertainment, by fame, by relationships, by power.  Our hearts are restless until they rest in God.  We will always be unsatified, we will always lack peace, when continue to seek our fulfillment in earthly things, worldly pursuits.  We must go to God to be fed, and out of his goodness he feeds us with His Body and Blood.

I’d like to focus on three lessons from our Gospel passage today.

First, Jesus teaches that no one can come to him "unless he is drawn by the Father."

We Catholics, week after week, year after year, come to the altar to be fed by Jesus, not just because we think it is a really good idea, but because we have been drawn here by the Father.  We are here, now, today, because God is working in our lives to make us holy.  God has drawn us here.  We love God because God has loved us first, we have been drawn to God because God has drawn near to us. We have come to him to be fed, because he has placed in us the desire for heaven.

Second, Jesus teaches that the Eucharist leads to "eternal life." Eternal life.  That’s what this is all about.  The Church is not a social club, we aren’t here because we want to impress our neighbors, improve our social network, or make business contacts.  We aren’t here because of the promise of financial success.  You single Christians aren’t here to find a date…well, maybe you are, and honestly, this isn’t too bad a place to look.  But primarily we come here, week after week, year after year, because we believe that it is here that our fallen, sinful humanity is redeemed and sanctified and made worthy of heaven.  It is here, that we are drawn into a deep interpersonal intimacy with God, communion with Him, that we hope will last into eternity.

Eternal life cannot be purchased at Ikea, obtained at the sports arena, or discovered at a family picnic.  It can only be obtained by eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Jesus Christ as he clearly stated.

Thirdly, Jesus teaches that He himself is the "bread" of eternal life, He is its source and sustenance. Eleven times in this discourse Jesus calls himself as the bread of life; he repeats this teaching to drill this message into us. When we receive Holy Communion, it’s really Him.  This is why we genuflect towards the tabernacle when we enter a Church.  Our Lord and God is really here.  He IS the bread of life.  That makes a Catholic Church different from any other building on the planet.  His real presence cannot be found in a library, we do not genuflect when we enter a movie theater, not even upon seeing a beautiful sunset, or at the grandeur of the grand canyon.  He is really here.  If you do not recognize his presence, pray, that your eyes of faith may be opened.  For he is really here.

St. Theresa said that if we really recognized the presence of Jesus as we came forward for Holy Communion, we would fall flat on our faces, prostrate on the ground, in awe of the presence of God before us.  He whose face we long to see in heaven is here, though that face is veiled behind what looks like bread and wine.

In the old days, when each communicant came forward to receive the Eucharist, each would fall to their knees—kneeling—at the communion rail, and receive Holy Communion on the tongue.  This posture of kneeling and receiving on the tongue was meant to reinforce the reverence we are to always have for the Blessed Sacrament. 

For the Eucharist is not ordinary food, not a cookie, or a cracker, or merely a symbol—it is the living body and blood of Jesus Christ Our God.  And so we are always to show the greatest reverence towards the Eucharist.

Now we aren’t ready to reinstall the communion rail here, but I would encourage each of you to reflect upon HOW you come forward to receive Holy Communion.  Do you do so with the greatest reverence you can muster? We are now instructed that when we come forward to receive Communion, we are to make a profound bow of the head.  We are then to receive Holy Communion in one of two ways; either directly on the tongue, as has been done for centuries past.  Or to receive in the hand.  When that is done, the hand with which you will place the Eucharist in your mouth is to be placed underneath the hand upon which the Host will be placed by the minister.  The Host should not be grabbed out of the hands of the minister.  If you cannot receive the Host with both hands, because you are carrying a purse, a cane, a handkerchief, or a child, you are to receive directly on the tongue.  There is not to be any one handed receptions, especially out of danger that the Host be dropped. 

If someone took a video of us at Mass, would that video have sufficient evidence for a court of law to conclude that we truly believe that Jesus is really present in the Eucharist.  Our gestures, our singing, our responses, our active listening to the prayers of the priest, our moments of silence, all form that conscience and active participation at Mass that constitutes the act of worship that gives glory and honor to God and leads to everlasting life. 

Today, may our faith in the Eucharist—the Bread of Life—be renewed, may our reverence be deepened, may our wonder and awe that God is here present be magnified and fill our hearts with joy, may it strengthen us in our mission to work and live always for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: August 7 - Pope Saint Sixtus II, martyr - "Courageous in Confessing the Faith"

In the third century, the Roman Emperor Valerian ordered that Christians take part in the state religious ceremonies and forbade them to assemble for Christian worship, threatening with death anyone who was found to disobey the order.  Today’s saint, Sixtus, was Pope during this terrible time.  For nearly a year, Sixtus managed to perform his functions as chief Pastor of the Church without being arrested.  However, in August of 258, Valerian issued a far crueler edict.  It simply and coldly ordered bishops, priests, and deacons to be put to death. .

On August 6, 258, Pope Sixtus II and his companions, four deacons, were seized while celebrating Mass in the Catacomb of Callistus in Rome.  They were beheaded that same day.

“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me,” Our Lord says in the Gospel today.  Pope Sixtus, those four deacons, thousands of martyrs over the centuries could have saved their lives by denying Jesus.  The Christians during the Reign of Valerian could have gone along with the Emperor’s edict, offered the pagan sacrifice, gone along with the state sponsored religious persecution.  Had they done so, done only would they have saved their lives, but it may have also meant promotions in the business world, it may have meant getting ahead in the world of politics, it may have meant less religious arguments with their family.

The edict of Valerian has been issued over and over throughout the centuries: deny Jesus to save your life, deny your faith, to get ahead.  Skip Sunday Mass, so the kids can get in their sports practice in order to become world famous athletes. 

But Jesus reminds us what is at stake here: “What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?”  Christianity is not a social club, it’s about regaining our souls which were lost to sin, that we may come to eternal life.

In the Opening prayer we asked God to make us “courageous in confessing the faith, just as you granted Saint Sixtus and his companions that they might lay down their lives for the sake of your word and in witness to Jesus.”

Confession of the Christian faith in the midst of all of the worldly temptations, all of the earthly pressures, requires courage.  And we need to keep the martyrs, like Sixtus, always in mind.  For they are our true teachers: they show us what Christian courage looks like, what courageously living the faith really means—how to draw close to the Lord, to hold fast to the faith, and to witness with our lives for the Glory of God and Salvation of Souls.

Homily: Monday of the 18th Week in OT - Complaining about Manna

God had worked many miracles for the Jews, he was working a daily miracle for them, dropping manna from heaven for them to eat.  Their reaction should have been incredible gratitude for the Lord’s love and care for them.  But instead of thanking God for what they had, what God had given them, they complained about what they didn’t have, and started blaming God and driving Moses totally crazy.

“Would that we had meat for food! We remember the fish we used to eat without cost in Egypt, and the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic! we see nothing before us but this manna”

Spiritually, emotionally, it is quite a dangerous pastime when we sit around and think about all the things that we don’t have.  Or as we get older, simply to think about all that we have lost.  We can work ourselves into a pretty heavy depression when we ruminate too often on deteriorating agility, health—maybe our circle of friends is growing smaller, maybe family members who should know better are calling less—we simply cannot do the same things we used to with ease.  We can focus on things from the past so intensely that we forget about the tremendous blessings God places in our midst every single day.

Every day, God reigns down upon this altar everything we need for joy—everything—for he gives us Himself—what else do we need? There is a constant danger—a tactic that the Enemy uses to distract us—he distracts us with memories from the past so we do not appreciate the blessings of the present.  We can become sour and jaded when we fail to appreciate and gave thanks for the blessings God showers upon us now, today.  Some people seem to find their only joy in life through complaining.  But our lips are not meant for complaining, but for praising God, and for sharing the joy of the Gospel.

May the Holy Spirit help us to give up the trappings of the past and the distractions of earthly pleasures, that we may come to realize the true joy of heaven, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.