Thursday, June 30, 2016

Homily: June 30 2016 - First Martyrs of Rome - Freedom from Fear

Today we celebrate the Roman martyrs—men, women and children whose names we will only learn in heaven. Yet, what else do we know about them.  We know that they followed Christ and were faithful to the end. 

Their end happened to be particularly gruesome. When the emperor Nero blamed Christians for the great fire in Rome in 64 AD. Many Christians were tortured, some were even crucified or thrown to wild beasts or burned at the stake.  Yet, they were faithful to the end, and they faced their martyrdom with such courage that we celebrate their heroic faith 2000 years later.

Though they were arrested, imprisoned, nailed to crosses, tied to stakes, they were free because they loved Christ.  They were free because they did not let the fear of suffering and death paralyze them or cause them to turn away from Christ.

Most of us have a fear of death. It is natural to run away from suffering—to pull one’s hand away from the flame, to do everything in your power to avoid suffering. Fear of suffering, either physical or emotional suffering, can paralyze us, it can keep us from achieving a noble ideal or a higher end. 
Fear of suffering can keep us from creating beautiful art, lasting friendships, and freedom from addiction. Fear can keep us from going out of our comfort zone to enact the works of mercy.  But, “nothing great can be achieved without suffering.” So we must overcome the natural instinct to avoid suffering, through the supernatural grace of God.

The paralyzed man in this morning’s Gospel was able to break free of his paralysis because he listened to the words of Jesus and obeyed them. Jesus says to all of us, “rise pick up your mat and go” to do the will of God.  And when he speaks, we need to trust him, and obey him.


In the moment of fear, let us all remember the great courage of the martyrs, let us aspire to their greatness, and let us hear the word of Jesus speaking directly to our hearts, who commands us to be free from our paralysis and fears, to work for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Homily: June 28, 2016 - St. Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr

Without a doubt, St. Irenaeus is one of the greatest theologians of the early Church.  St Irenaeus was a disciple of St. Polycarp, who himself heard St. John the Apostle preach. 

Like St. Cyril whom we honored yesterday, Irenaeus was called to uphold the truth of Christ that comes to us from the Apostles. Ireneaus, was a bishop three centuries earlier, and he faced what is probably the first major heresy the Church had to confront: Gnosticism. 

The word ‘gnostic’ comes from the greek word for knowledge, as in the word cognizant.  Gnosis—knowledge is a good thing.  It is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Zechariah sings how God gives his people knowledge of salvation. We have a strong philosophical tradition which confirms the role of knowledge in understanding our faith.

The Gnostic Heretics however claimed to have a secret knowledge of God that was superior to the Apostles. In other words, they thought they knew better than the Church. 

Bishop Irenaeus preached and taught and wrote against the Gnostics of his day, but that old heresy has shown its face in every age of the Church.  How many times have you heard the following:  “Jesus doesn’t really care if I go to Church every week.”  “I don’t need to confess my sins to a priest.”  “Jesus doesn’t mind if I live with my girlfriend or we use contraception, we’ve prayed about it.”

Irenaeus maintained that the Christian Faith isn’t about coming to secret knowledge. It’s about obedience to what is taught by the Apostles. 

When the Church teaches on matters of faith and morals, she is teaching with the authority given to her by the Lord Jesus, she speaks and teaches in his name the truth necessary for our salvation.
Our Christian faith isn’t about these small private revelations that let us break the commandments as long as we pray about it.  And the rich apostolic tradition of the Church isn’t bizarre or arcane, or only understandable by a few, as the Gnostics taught.

Rather, as Ireneaus  affirmed, the faith is internally consistent, it is logical, it is comprehensible, and understandable by all peoples.   

St. Irenaeus urges us to uphold the true doctrine of the faith with our lives, for he is celebrated as a martyr, killed for his devotion to Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, and the life.  With the help of his prayers, may we come to be made worthy of the promises of Christ, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.


Monday, June 27, 2016

Homily: June 27 2016 - St. Cyril of Alexandria - Invincible Champion of Truth

The saint we honor today, Saint Cyril of Alexandria, defended and taught the Catholic Faith in the face of a heresy which was creating division in the Church.  Where Jesus the Great Teacher came to bring mankind into the unity of the One Faith, he warns often of false teachers and false prophets who sow division.

A false teaching which brought division in the Church in the 5th century was called Nestorianism, named after a man named Nestorius. Most heresies are named after the people who started them.  Nestorius became Patriarch of Constantinople, which was kind of like having the second highest job in the church next to the Pope of Rome.

Nestorius didn’t start off bad.  He was a firm opponent of the Arian heresy, who taught that Christ was a created being and NOT consubstantial with the Father.  To refute Arianism, however, he argued that instead of Jesus being one unified persons with two natures—human and divine, God joined himself with a human person, so Christ actually was two persons, instead of one person with two natures. So according to Nestorius, the Second Person of the Trinity did not truly become man.

Nestorius also refused to call Mary “Mother of God”—Theotokos—as we do in the Hail Mary.  Even when Nestorianism was condemned at the First Council of Ephesus in 431, Nestorius continued to preach his heresy, and seek out followers, including other bishops. Division continued to spread.
The Council of Ephesus was presided over by the Pope’s representative, the holy Archbishop of Alexandria, a man by the name of Cyril, whose feast we celebration today.

There are letters written by Cyril to Nestorius prior to the council, affirming the duty of pastors to preserve sound doctrine.  This morning’s Office of Readings contains another letter by Saint Cyril explaining how calling Mary, “Mother of God” is firmly rooted in both scripture and tradition. The opening prayer even referred to Cyril as “Invincible Champion the divine motherhood”.

Saint Cyril shows us that our minds and hearts need to be formed according to the truth of Christ, which is faithfully preserved and passed on through the Sacred Scriptures and Sacred Tradition of the holy fathers.

Jesus warns us that there ARE false prophets.  There ARE teachings which lead us away from the true faith, that lead us away from the union of our minds and hearts with Jesus Christ.
Do we see such false teaching proliferating in our own day and age?  Absolutely.  By its fruits we shall know them: broken marriages, abortion, sexual perversion, corruption in government.  I believe many religious orders are drying up and dying because they have ceased to be committed to Catholic truth. So many communities are riddled with heresy and division.

So each of us has a great responsibility to remain united to the vine through authentic Catholic worship, authentic devotion, prayer, authentic Christian education.

May we be discerning of false teaching in our midst, may we protect the younger generations from following the false shepherds of the present age, may we help them to know and follow the One Teacher, Christ, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Homily: 13th Sunday in OT 2016 - I will follow Him.

 All the way back in 1992, there was a very fun movie starring Whoopi Goldberg as Sister Mary Clarence a Catholic nun, called, Sister Act. This movie came to mind, for the last few weeks on WCLV Cleveland’s Classical Music station, there have been frequent advertisements for a theatrical production of Sister Act at the Porthouse Theater in Cuyahoga Falls.  It’s getting very good reviews and running through next weekend, by the way.

Those unfamiliar with the story, Whoopi Goldberg plays a big-haired night club singer whose boyfriend happens to be a murdering mafia boss.  When she witnesses a murder she takes refuge in a convent.  There in the convent, she helps the tone-deaf choir members find their voices, so to speak. And soon they are singing beautifully old hymns with a soulful Rhythm and Blues beat.  By the end of the story, the Pope even comes to hear them sing. 

One of the most popular tunes from the show is “I will follow Him”, a song from the 1960s about a girl who has fallen in love and will pursue her lover “wherever he may go”. Listen to the lyrics: “I will follow him, Follow him wherever he may go, There isn't an ocean too deep, Or mountain so high it can keep, Keep me away, I must follow him, Ever since he touched my hand I knew, That near him I always must be, And nothing can keep him from me, He is my destiny.” Even though the original song probably wasn’t talking about following Christ, they are nearly perfectly applicable. 

Will you follow Jesus anywhere? This willingness to follow Him wherever he may go is fundamental for authentic Christian discipleship. Trusting him, following him anywhere.

In the Gospel today, Jesus and the disciples are traveling to Jerusalem, and someone stops him and tells him, “I will follow you wherever you may go.” And Jesus warns the person, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head." In other words, Jesus is saying, I’m homeless, will you follow me, even if that means giving up your home? Will you follow me even if it means never being able to go home again?

This makes me think of the good consecrated religious, the men and women who enter convents to dedicate themselves to Jesus through a life of prayer and service.  Our own parish patron Saint Clare, gave up her family wealth, gave up living in a castle, to spend her life in consecrated service and prayer.  The saints up and down the centuries show us the great joy that can be discovered when we trust Jesus enough to follow him anywhere.

Next, in the Gospel, Jesus invited another person to follow him. But sadly, like so many of us, this person offers an excuse: “I’ll follow you, I’ll come, but first I’ve got to bury my father”.  Now, okay. If you are looking for an excuse to put off close radical discipleship, I couldn’t think of a better excuse.  Suppose you are being invited to something, and you say, “yes, I’d love to come, but I have to attend my father’s funeral. Who in their right mind would criticize you for such an important familiar duty?

But, perhaps to teach all of us an important lesson, Jesus doesn’t entertain the request.  He says, “let the dead bury the dead.”  Now we shouldn’t over-literalize Jesus’ response, as though God is opposed to us attending funerals.  But this IS Jesus’ way of grabbing us by the shoulders, it’s Jesus way of compelling us to name our priorities.  Is following Jesus the most important thing in your life, or not?
I highly doubt that any of us would be called upon to make this choice, choose between following Jesus and attending a family member’s funeral. But if we did have to make this choice, where is our first loyalty?

For our motto as disciples of Christ must be “Following Jesus. Nothing more. Nothing less. Nothing Else” Our Christian identity is deeper than our nationality, our political party, our place of employment.  If we ever have to choose between following a political candidate or following Christ, we must choose Christ. If we ever have to choose between making a million dollars or following God’s commandments. We must choose God without compromise.

I think, one of the things that keeps us from real authentic fulfillment and joy in this life, besides sin of course, is fear of following Jesus into the unknown.  We fear following Jesus to go feed the hungry because it makes us feel guilty for our luxurious living. We fear following Jesus to teach the ignorant and rebuke the sinner because we fear hurting people’s feelings. We fear asking God if we might be called to become a priest or a nun, because we are afraid that the answer might be “yes”. We fear reading the bible God’s word at night because we don’t want miss our favorite show.  We fear following the Church’s teaching forbidding contraception, even though she speaks with Jesus’ own authority on this matter. Some of us fear going to Church every Sunday no matter what. We fear giving up our addictions. All these fears keep us from life.


Ah, but when we do surrender, when we do trust, that makes all the difference.  This ability to trust God always, to follow Jesus always is precisely what the bible means by “freedom”.  Paul says, “it is for freedom Christ set us free.” The freedom to follow Him anywhere, uncompromisingly, without fear, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Friday, June 24, 2016

Homily: June 24 2016 - Nativity of St. John the Baptist - Herald of Christ

When the Church celebrates the feast day of a saint, we are usually celebrating the day of the saint’s death. For example the feast of Aloysius Ganzaga earlier this week was on June 21, because he went to his eternal reward on June 21, 1591. 

Only three times during the year does the Church celebrate a birthday: for Jesus, for His mother…and for John the Baptist. The Baptist is in illustrious company, and this serves to remind us just how important he is to our salvation history. We honor John, for the Lord Jesus himself honored John, when he said, “I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John”.

St. John the Baptist was a unique man. He is rightly called the last of the Old Testament prophets—preaching the call to repentance in preparation for the coming of the savior. And he is the first of the New Testament preachers—the first to point out Christ for the world.

Augustine says, “John appears as the boundary between the two testaments, the old and the new…he represents times past and is the herald of the new era. As a representative of the past, he is born of aged parents; as herald of the new, he is declared to be a prophet while still in his mother’s womb.” Remember how John leaps in Elizabeth’s womb when the pregnant Virgin Mary visits.

His birth came about after a time of great barrenness.  Elizabeth and Zechariah could not conceive. Yet, their barrenness is symbolic of a cosmic barrenness, it had been about 400 years since the last prophet. Creation seemed to be under the sway of the powers of sin and death, God seemed distant to many.  His birth represents an end of barrenness, a new era in which Creation is invited into a new life giving relationship with God through Christ, the Life Giver.

This feast should also remind us of our own baptism, when we received new life from God.  John was born for a purpose. To point out Christ. And so were we. As children of God through baptism, we were each born to a vocation which demands us to be heralds and prophets.

Like in the time of John, there are people in our communities and families who are barren of God, held under the sway of sin and death. We are called to point out Christ for them, they are to witness us leaping for joy in the presence of Christ. 

Christians should have special devotion to John, especially as we are urged to take part in the new evangelization. Like St. John, we are commissioned to lead an anxious and searching humanity to repentance by which it is drawn into the embrace of the Life Giver.


This day may we be infused with new life for the sake of the Gospel and renew our commitment like John to bring others to Christ, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Homily: Thursday - 12th Week of OT 2016 - Wise men and fools

Where the beatitudes begin Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Chapter 5 of Matthew’s Gospel, today we hear the end of the sermon and the end of chapter 7.  “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.”  What words?  Well, the words of Jesus’ Sermon.  Today we might want to go back and read this entire Sermon, to get the whole thing in perspective.

“Those who listen to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand.”  Both the wise man and the fool have something in common.  They both heard the sermon.  This difference between the wise man and the fool is acting on them—the wise man does, the fool does not.

The other commonality is that both of their houses are buffeted by the inevitable winds and storms and rains and floods.  But because the wise man is rooted in the Word of God, his house will survive.  Notice, what Jesus isn’t promising here. He doesn’t promise that if you follow him, your life will be easy. He doesn’t promise that you’ll never experience the metaphorical stormy weather.  He does promise, however, that IF you make His Word the rock foundation of your life, you will survive. While the fool,  who ignores the commandments, becomes enslaved to sin, pursues only power, fame, and pleasure will not survive, eternally.

As I prepare engaged couples for marriage, I’m always happy when they choose this Gospel passage for their wedding ceremony. They wisely realize that their marriage must be grounded on God.  God needs to be the rock solid foundation of a marriage.  Or else, the marriage will not be what it is meant to be, it will likely collapse. 

I often remind the bride and groom that they can only love each other as they should, when they love God as they should.  And their example will be passed on to their children.  Either of faithfulness or faithlessness, and for each there will be eternal consequences. 

But a marriage, and our lives in general, will only withstand all of the pressures and difficulties, when we have real authentic faith.  Not being Catholic-in-name-only, but acting on what we’ve been taught.

May we be found among the ranks of the wise today and always, that our houses may withstand all of the inevitable storms of life, and that in our foolishness we may have a change of heart, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Homily: June 21 - St. Aloysius Gonzaga - For the greater glory of God

 The young saint, Aloysius Gonzaga once said, “He who wishes to love God does not truly love Him if he has not an ardent and constant desire to suffer for his sake.” And in his short life of just 23 years, Aloysius suffered much, particularly in his relentless efforts of loving those in need.

As the eldest son of an aristocratic family in Florence Italy, in 1568, Aloysius would have inherited the great wealth of his family.  Growing up in 16th-century Italy was not that different from growing up in 21st century America.  It was a lax, morally careless, self-indulgent age. And at the age of seven, though he having been to exposed to society’s corruption, brutality and lust, Aloysius had a profound spiritual awakening. 

By age 11 he was teaching catechism to poor children, fasting three days a week and practicing great austerities. After reading a book about Jesuit missionaries in India, Aloysius announced his desire to be a priest in the Society of Jesus, though it took four years for him to obtain permission from his father, who had more worldly dreams for his son.

Aloysius saw the decadence around him and vowed not to be part of it.   So he joined the Jesuits. 

In 1591, a catastrophic plague struck Rome and the Jesuits opened up a hospital.  The young Jesuit novice, Aloysius, nursed patients, washed them and made their beds, carried them on his shoulders.  As a result of his tireless care of the sick, Aloysius caught the disease himself. He was overcome with a great fever, and though he could scarcely rise from bed, he maintained a great discipline in prayer.  He died at the age of 23 in 1591.

He was beatified by Pope Paul V in 1605. 

 He is the patron saint of catholic youth and teenagers, and also AIDS patients and their care-givers. Would that we all were dedicated to helping our young people form hearts like St. Aloysius! He is often shown in sacred art and statues as a young man wearing the black cassock of the Jesuits and contemplating a crucifix or praying to the Blessed Virgin. Here is a beautiful prayer he himself authored commending himself to the Blessed Mother: O Holy Mary, my Lady, into your blessed trust and safe keeping and into the depths of your mercy, I commend my soul and body this day, every day of my life, and at the hour of my death. To you I entrust all my hopes and consolations, all my trials and miseries, my life and the end of my life. By your most holy intercession and by your merits, may all my actions be directed and disposed according to your will and the Will of your divine Son.


St. Aloysius took seriously the motto of the Jesuits: Ad maiorem Dei gloriam, For the greater glory of God. Through the intercession of St. Aloysius, may each of us consider how God is calling us to grow in holiness, in our efforts to serve the needy, in our willingness to suffer for the kingdom, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Monday, June 20, 2016

Homily: Monday - 12th Week of OT 2016 - Stop Judging



I came across a quote by the Evangelical Christian preacher Rick Warren recently.  He said,  “Our culture has accepted two huge lies.  The first is that if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, you must fear or hate them. The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do. Both are nonsense.”

As Christians, particularly in the United States, but similarly around the world, we live in the midst of people with tremendously different lifestyles and beliefs than we. Not only people of different faiths or no faith, but even some whose moral choices are clearly contrary to both the moral law and also the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We live in enemy occupied territory. 

Christians are labeled as politically incorrect or intolerant for preaching the Gospel. Priests and Bishops are even sometimes condemned by their own parishioners for teaching what is in the Catechism.  I’ve been labeled as “judgmental” for teaching that Christians are supposed to follow the 10 commandments.  It’s an insane age. 

But, when Jesus teaches us “don’t judge” he doesn’t mean that we have to throw out our Christians convictions when we are dealing with people who disagree with us. 

The judging Our Lord condemns is when we treat someone as inhuman, not worth saving, not worth our charity.  When Jesus dined with prostitutes, tax collectors, and Pharisees, he neither hated them nor feared them, nor did he simply confirm them in their sin.  He called them to something higher, to repentance, to transformation, to Gospel living.  Calling them, calling us, out of sin, out of slavery, was his act of love.  The woman caught in adultery, he said, “go and sin no more”.  He didn’t tell her that adultery was okay, nor did he treat her as subhuman, beyond forgiveness. 

While it is considered a sin in our culture to preach truths contrary to the Gospel of Political Correctness, we are called by God to preach the unchanging Gospel of Christ even when we might be labeled politically incorrect or intolerant or judgmental.  At the same time, we are to reach out in love, patience, and generosity, to those who disagree with us, even to those who have hurt us in the past, to engage them in conversation and gently lead them to Christ.


May the Holy Spirit always aid us in exhibiting Christian charity toward all, our brother, our enemy, our persecutor, for we have been called to bring the Gospel to every corner of the world, and to every heart, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Friday, June 17, 2016

Homily: Friday - 11th Week of OT 2016 - Do not store up treasure on earth



When Jesus says “do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth” he is not imposing a ban on all possessions, of course; it is not a sin for us to own things. The Catechism speaks of a right to private property. Nor is Jesus forbidding us to “stock up” and save for times of famine.  The book of proverbs tells us to look to the example of the ant that stores up in the summer for what it will need in the winter and calls foolish those who make no provisions for their families or the future.
Jesus calls us to a simple, practical use of the world’s goods. For the person preoccupied with accumulating treasures on earth is not free to serve the Father’s kingdom fully because his heart is weighed down by the concerns of the world. 

Pope Francis has often spoke about the dangers of materialism. Recently he said, “Whenever material things, money, worldliness, become the center of our lives, they take hold of us, they possess us; we lose our very identity as human beings”.  Materialism, he says, makes us “self-absorbed” and “finding security in material things ultimately rob us of our face, our human face.”

The human person is “made in the image and likeness of God, not in the image and likeness of material objects, so too much concern for material things can lead us to “lose the memory of God.”
Instead of loving people and using things, Materialism leads us to use people and love things—to treat others as material goods for our own pleasure.  It is not a coincidence that as materialism spreads so will pornography, prostitution, human trafficking, and sexual violence. 

Materialism is not only deadly to the individual soul, but the Pope has cautioned that the idolatry of wealth, power and pleasure, which come at a high cost to human lives on a global level.  How much of our international conflict is fueled by greed?

We all do well to examine our lifestyles in light of Jesus’ teaching today. Do we love people and use things, or have we begun to love things and use people? Have we begun to take false security and false trust in the goods of the earth? Are we wholeheartedly devoted to storing up treasures in heaven through the Almsgiving, prayer, and fasting which Jesus spoke of earlier in the Sermon.

May the Holy Spirit help each of us to be faithful to the teaching of Jesus, to be free from all that keeps us from loving God and neighbor with undivided hearts, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.




Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Homily: Tuesday - 11th Week of OT 2016 - Love your enemy



The teaching to “love your enemies and pray for your persecutors” must have been startling to the original hearers of the Sermon on the Mount.  In first-century Palestine, “your enemies” and “those who persecute you” first and foremost brought to mind the Roman oppressors. Throughout their history, Israel contended with enemies committed to their destruction: the Egyptians, the Amelekites, the Canaanites, the Philistines, Assyrians, Babylonians, and the Greeks.  Their enemies were often more numerous than Israel, better equipped, cruel, oppressive, and cunning. Their enemies enslaved them, exiled them from their home, sought to impose foreign cultural practices upon them, and even wipe out the practice of their religion and replace their worship of Yahweh with their own pagan gods.

Throughout the Old Testament God taught Israel not to fear their enemy, to trust in God even in times of persecution and oppression, to pray for deliverance, even to show kindness to your enemy.

Yet, Jesus takes it one step further when he teaches us, love your enemy.

Teaching us fallen humans how to love is at the heart of Jesus’ mission.  He tells us today that not only are we to love our neighbor, but our enemies as well, those who persecute you, those who sin against you, those who your country is at war with, those who cut you off in traffic, those who may have bullied you a half a century ago in grade school, those who seem to be bringing ruin to our country or our church, your employer who fires you unjustly.  Love them. 

Love them, forgive them, be patient with them, feed them, clothe them, teach them, serve them, hold no grudges toward them, seek what is best for them.

For the Jews, Israel was called to imitate the holiness of God. Yet, this was often interpreted in Jesus’ time as separating from everything that was considered unholy.  This is why we see Pharisees confounded by Jesus dining with tax collectors and sinners. The word Pharisee even means “to separate”, “to detach” from sin.  Jesus teaches us, instead of separating ourselves from the world of sinners, to enter into their world to infuse it with Christian love.

When we made ourselves enemies of God through sin, God entered into our lives and worked for our conversion, and we are to do the same. He does not give up on us until our last breath, and we must do the same, even with our enemies.


May word and sacrament continue to perfect our charity toward all, and help us to embrace with truth and love, those the world deems unembracable, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Monday, June 13, 2016

Homily: June 13 2016 - St. Anthony of Padua - Man of Beatitude

For the past week, we’ve been reading from Jesus’ sermon on the mount.  It is clear from the very beginning of the Sermon, that Jesus’ disciples are to live differently from others in the world—by a different set of standards than the good pagans who love those who love them and are good to those who are good to them—with a righteousness surpassing that of the Jewish scribe and Pharisees. He calls us in short to be like him, to be like his Father, to be holy.

St. Anthony desired the radical holiness preached by Jesus.  He entered the Augustinian Order as a young man as a way of turning away from the temptations of the world in order to seek the perfection of his soul.  One could say that he followed the call to religious life as a way of pursuing that purity of heart, Jesus calls us to in the beatitudes.  The pure of heart are those who love God with undivided allegiance.  They pursue God’s Holy Will single-heartedly, without mixed motives.  This is what Anthony desired.

Though he had dedicated his life to study, prayer, learning, and immersing himself in Sacred Scripture, it was a rather strange event which caused St. Anthony to become a Franciscan.  It was when he heard news that Franciscans had been put to death for preaching the Gospel in Morocco, that he felt called to join the order.  Where most of us run away from suffering, St. Anthony ran toward the opportunity to practice the final two beatitudes: blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, and blessed are those who are persecuted for Christ’s sake. 

St. Anthony, through his practice of the beatitudes, through his desire to totally belong to Christ through the vows of his religious profession, became a radiant beacon of the light of Christ, to whom we look to imitate 800 years later.

In the face of the many problems in the world—violence, materialism, poverty, moral relativism, Jesus calls us each of us to radiate the holiness of God by putting on His mind and heart—seeking to be holy as He is holy—suffering for the Gospel, as he suffered.  Christians are called to beatitude—and the world will be impacted for better or for worse by the Christians live our lives.  Through the example and heavenly intercession of St. Anthony of Padua, may we be faithful to this call of holiness today and all days—for the glory of God and salvation of souls.



Sunday, June 12, 2016

Homily: 11th Sunday in OT 2016 - Your sins are forgiven



Some pretty heavy topics in our readings this weekend—sin and forgiveness and repentance with tears.

In our first reading, David, having sinned, is confronted by God’s Prophet. Remember, the role of the prophet, over and over in the Old Testament, is to call the unfaithful back to faithfulness. How had David been unfaithful? Do you remember the story?


It happened, late one afternoon, David was walking on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful.  Failing to control his eyes, the sin of lust struck at David’s heart.  So, he sent someone to inquire as to the identity of this woman, and he learned that the woman’s name was Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite.  Even though, he knew that she was a married woman, David sent messengers to arrange a meeting with Mrs. Uriah.  She came to him, and as a consequence of their adultery, Bathsheba became pregnant.

Already having gravely transgressed the commandments of God, David did not stop there.  Desiring Bathsheba for himself, he engineered the death of her husband Uriah.  He sends Uriah to the front lines of battle, where he would likely be killed. And when he was, David brought Bathsheba to his house, married her, and she bore him a son.

David had clearly lost the sense of right and wrong here—he had lost his sense of sin.  And it is not until Nathan, the prophet, admonishes him, and names his actions as evil—it is not until then that David confesses with contrition, “I have sinned against the Lord.”

How had David, God’s anointed, rescued from Saul, fallen so far? Why did it take being confronted by a prophet to realize the gravity of his sin? How had his conscience become so deadened?

There is another story about conscience and sin.  One of my favorite films as a kid—the story of a wooden puppet brought to life by a blue fairy.  How may know the story of Pinocchio. Pinocchio is much more than a story about a wooden boy whose nose grows when he lies.  Remember, Pinocchio’s greatest hope was to one day become a real boy of flesh and blood.  The fairy told Pinocchio that if he wants to become a real boy he must prove himself to be brave, truthful, unselfish and able to tell right from wrong by listening to his conscience. 

His conscience, “Jiminy Cricket” explains to Pinocchio that the world is full of temptations, the wrong things that seem right at the time. But it doesn’t take take long for Pinocchio to begin ignoring his conscience.  Following the bad advice of some local ne’er-do-wells, Pinocchio skips school and goes to the theater.  Not only that, but he sings boosts in front of everyone that he’s not going to follow any rules anymore, he sings, “I’ve got no strings to tie me down.” He concludes that being a rule boy means not having to follow any rules.

The next day Pinocchio ignores Jiminy Cricket again and travels to Pleasure Island where he is soon gambling, smoking, getting drunk, destroying property.  The curse of Pleasure Island is that those who misbehave—those who make “donkeys” of themselves, turn into real donkeys. 

Pinocchio cannot escape the curse, and begins to transform into a donkey.  Though his greatest dream was to become a real boy, he loses, through sin, what humanity he did possess.  JC—Jiminy Cricket, shows up just in time to rescue Pinocchio from his sin, from the sinful pleasures of Pleasure island.  A wonderful Christian allegory if there ever was one. Who else do we know with the initials JC who saves us from our sins? In fact, who else do we know who dresses in blue who says, do whatever he tells you.

Jiminy Cricket was right, the world is full of temptations, just ask King David. Even the best of us are no strangers to sin. For both David and Pinocchio, the slide into sin was gradual, it began with small glances in the wrong direction, then they begin to entertain the sin, then they walked toward it, and finally, fell into it. Both became deadened to the seriousness of their actions as they continued down that path. And the same can happen to any one of us.

Every time we sin, we ignore the teachings of Jesus and the urging of our conscience, we become less and less who we are meant to be. Like Pinocchio turning into a donkey, we lose our humanity. 

Which is why we need to keep our consciences alive and healthy by reading God’s word, studying our faith, examining our conscience on a daily basis, making regular use of the sacrament of confession. 

Parents, grandparents, and teachers, you have such an important role in forming the consciences of the next generation. You are called, like an Apostle to preach the faith to your children, and if and when they transgress the Lord’s teachings, to be like the prophet Nathan to our young people.

Next week is Father’s Day weekend, when we consider the role of fathers in forming their children in the truth, and we turn to God in gratitude for their tireless service to their families. 

There is another story from the Old Testament, from the first book of Kings, where the priest Eli hesitates to correct the blasphemous offenses of his sons, he not only brings disaster upon himself but upon his sons and whole household.  He doesn’t take his role as father seriously, and it brings ruin to his family. Being silent when it is our duty to speak out, especially when we are in positions of authority, is a sin of omission.

It is an act of mercy to instruct those ignorant of God’s law in the truth. It is an act of mercy to help a sinner acknowledge their sin and return to the Lord. It is an act of love to bring a sinner to the font of God’s mercy.

And we hear of that boundless mercy in the Gospel today.  There was a woman known to be a public sinner—probably a prostitute.  And when she approaches Jesus’ mercy, Jesus was not reviled by her, Jesus was not repulsed by her sins.  He embraces her and pronounces her sins forgiven.

In this beautiful encounter, we realize there is no sin too big to be forgiven by Christ, the Lord offers mercy to all, and invite all into intimate friendship with him.  It is only the sin that is not repented of that is not forgiven.


It is through forgiveness that Christians obtain true freedom.  As we continue our Eucharistic celebration for the self-sacrifice of his Son that brings mercy to us sinners, let us offer up supplications for all unrepentant sinners, those who think, maybe God will never forgive them, those trapped in sin, and let us pray also for ourselves, that we, like King David might acknowledge our sinfulness before God and ask of his mercy, and like the prophet Nathan, might be instruments of God’s mercy towards others, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Friday, June 10, 2016

Homily: Friday - 10th Week of OT 2016 - Surpassing holiness



Since Monday we’ve been reading from Jesus’ most famous sermon, his sermon on the mount.  In this sermon, Jesus teaches his followers how to live so that the life of God would take root in their hearts and grow in their lives. 

Jesus’ teaching transcended the letter of the law of Moses. Christians are to strive for authentic holiness which surpasses the mere external conformity.  Don’t just avoid adultery, avoid anything which might lead you to adultery, avoid lustful gazes, perverted fantasies, avoid the situations in which adulterous temptations might be more than you can handle, seek a purity of heart in which people are not seen as objects for your own sexual gratification. 

Jesus does not want us merely to avoid the physical act of adultery; he want us to eliminate the root of the sinful actions and to love another with our whole hearts.

Deep conversion—conversion of the heart is necessary for all of us. In this same section of the sermon on the mount, Jesus gives six illustrations of not merely avoiding the sin, but the root of the sin, the thoughts, attitudes, behaviors which lead to the sin. Don’t just avoid murder, but the sort of anger that leads to murder. Don’t just avoid breaking major oaths, but even white lies, ‘let your yes mean yes and your no mean no”, avoid stretching the truth to make you look better than you really are.

Don’t just avoid divorce, but the sort of behavior which slowly undermines marriage—the impatience, the cutting remarks, the resentments, the selfish indulgences, the poor communication, the failure to reach out for help when things get rocky.

Though Jesus only gives us six illustrations, we are to use this rubric for every sin: don’t just avoid the sin, but the near occasion of the sin.  Seek to be perfect he says, as our heavenly father is perfect. 


Mere outward observance of the law does not produce love, and the Lord wants to heal our hearts, from the inside-out, to make our hearts, thrones where not selfishness, but true love reigns.  Obeying the moral law is a necessary minimum, but in order to live as members of God’s kingdom, we need to do more.  True disciples need to cultivate the inner dispositions that transform the heart and build up love.  May the Holy Spirit help us to deeply examine our inner motivations, attitudes, and desires, that we may put our whole hearts under the dominion of Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Thursday, June 9, 2016

Homily: June 9 2016 - St. Ephrem - Hymn to Our Savior, God and Man

St. Ephrem was a poet, teacher, orator, and defender of the faith born early in the 4th century in Syria. 

He is also known as St. Ephrem the Deacon because he was ordained a deacon by St. Basil the Great, but never a priest.  In fact, the people wanted him to be a bishop, but he is said to have avoided episcopal consecration by pretending to be insane.

In the 4th century, the Arian heresy denying the divinity of Christ was spreading throughout the world. One of the reasons Arianism was adopted by so many, was because this really catchy hymns were composed.  The tunes were memorable and the theology was false. 

To combat this, Ephrem wrote beautiful hymns, containing faithful doctrine, in order to catechize the people in amidst all the many errors of the day.  For this he was called “the harp of the Holy Spirit.”  In icons and religious art he is often depicted holding a hymn which he composed.  This is why the opening prayer referred to St. Ephrem as “exulted in singing God’s mysteries.” 

Only in 1920 did Pope Benedict XV declare Ephrem doctor of the universal Church.
Here are some lyrics written by Ephraim:

We confess one and the same individual as perfect God and perfect man. He is God the Word Which was flesh. If He was not man, who was laid in a manger? And if He is not God, whom did the angels who came down from heaven glorify? If He was not man, whom did John baptize? And if He is not God, to whom did the Father say: This is my beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased? If He was not man, who was invited to the marriage in Cana of Galilee? And if He is not God, who turned the water into wine? If he was not man, who slept in the ship? And if He is not God, who rebuked the waves and the sea? If He was not man, who wept at Lazarus’ grave? And if He is not God, who commanded him to come forth out of the grave four days after his death? If He is not God and man then, indeed, our salvation is false, and false are the pronouncements of the prophets.

May St. Ephrem help us to sing the true praises of Christ, free from error, free from sin, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Here is the whole hymn:


We confess one and the same individual as perfect God and perfect man. He is God the Word Which was flesh. For if He was not man, why was Mary chosen? And if He is not God, whom does Gabriel call Lord? If He was not man, who was laid in a manger? And if He is not God, whom did the angels who came down from heaven glorify? If He was not man, who was wrapped in swaddling clothes? And if He is not God, in whose honor did the star appear? If He was not man, whom did Simeon hold in his arms? And if He is not God, to whom did Simeon say, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace? If He was not man, whom did Joseph take when he fled into Egypt? And if he is not God, who fulfilled the prophecy: Out of Egypt have I called my Son? If He was not man, whom did John baptize? And if He is not God, to whom did the Father say: This is my beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased? If He was not man, who hungered in the desert? And if He is not God, unto whom did the angels come and minister? If He was not man, who was invited to the marriage in Cana of Galilee? And if He is not God, who turned the water into wine? If He was not man, who took the loaves in the desert? And if He is not God, who fed the five thousand men and their women and children with five loaves and two fish? If he was not man, who slept in the ship? And if He is not God, who rebuked the waves and the sea? If He was not man, with whom did Simon the Pharisee sit at meat? And if He is not God, who forgave the sins of the harlot? If He was not man, who wore a man’s garment? And if He is not God, who healed the woman with the issue of blood when she touched His garment? If He was not man, who spat on the ground and made clay? And if He is not God, who gave sight to Our Savior, Both God and Man By Saint Ephraim the Syrian – 4 th Century the eyes of the blind man with the clay? If He was not man, who wept at Lazarus’ grave? And if He is not God, who commanded him to come forth out of the grave four days after his death? If He was not man, whom did the Jews arrest in the garden? And if He is not God, who cast them to the ground with the words: I am He? If He was not man, who was judged before Pilate? And if He is not God, who frightened Pilate’s wife in a dream? If He was not man, whose garments were stripped from Him and parted by the soldiers? And if He is not God, why was the sun darkened upon His crucifixion? If He was not man, who was crucified on the cross? And if He is not God, who shook the foundation of the earth? If He is not man, whose hands and feet were nailed to the cross? And if He is not God, how did it happen that the veil of the temple was rent in twain, the rocks were rent, and the graves were opened? If He was not man, who hung on the cross between the two thieves? And if He is not God, how could He say to the thief: Today thou shalt be with me in paradise? If He was not man, who cried out, and gave up the ghost? And if He is not God, whose cry caused many bodies of the saints which slept to arise? If He was not man, whom did the women see laid in the grave? And if He is not God, about whom did the angel say to them: He is arisen, He is not here? If He was not man, whom did Thomas touch when he put his hands into the prints of the nails? And if He is not God, who entered through the doors that were shut? If He was not man, who ate at the sea of Tiberias? And if He is not God, on whose orders were the nets filled with fish? If He was not man, whom did the apostles see carried up into heaven? And if He is not God, who ascended to the joyful cries of the angels, and to whom did the Father proclaim: sit at My right hand? If He is not God and man then, indeed, our salvation is false, and false are the pronouncements of the prophets.

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Homily: Tuesday - 10th Week of OT 2016 - Salt of the earth



I remember as a kid, my dad telling stories about working in the salt mines under Lake Erie when he was a younger man.  Morton Salt has salt mines that run around 2000 feet underneath our great lake.  This salt is an important source of revenue for the State of Ohio, and the salt is utilized in a number of ways: particular as a seasoning for our food, and on our roads during the winter.

Jesus uses the metaphor of salt to teach his followers the Gospel. He says to his followers, you are salt of the earth.  And salt, for his listeners, evokes a number of images, just like it does for us.
Of course, salt is a seasoning. It adds flavor to an otherwise bland dish.  It’s not an entrée in itself, you aren’t going to sit down to a nice bowl full of salt for breakfast.  But it adds something.
Christians are to be a sort of seasoning to an otherwise bland world.  There is nothing more interesting, no one more full of life than a true Christian saint filled with the life of Christ. Something each of us are to aspire to.

Salt is also a Preservative: In the days before refrigeration, salt made preserving food possible for times of famine. Christians need to be a preservative in our culture, to preserve what is good and holy in creation, opposing spiritual decay.

A diet containing some salt is necessary for life.  The ancients, too, understood, salt was necessary for good health, and would be used medicinally.  Similarly, Christians need to be salt in this way. The health of a society can be measured by its Christians living faithfully according to the precepts of our faith.

Salt is also a Purifier: The salt in the oceans of the world that act as a natural cleaning agent, and most water purification systems use salt as a "purifier." Christians are to be the world’s purifiers: opposing the corrupting powers of malice and perversion and greed, purifying our minds through study of God’s word and preaching that word in our culture.

Finally, just like it’s used on our roads, in ancient times salt was also used to prevent people from slipping on slippery paths.  Christians are called to help souls from slipping into damnation—promoting the teachings of Jesus on marriage, family, and morality, which give stability to civilization.


In Jesus’ instruction to be the “salt of the earth” it is clear that following him requires us to have an active role in the world and in the lives of others, to be filled with his life, and to bring His life to others, for the glory of God and salvation of souls. 

Monday, June 6, 2016

Homily: June 6 2016 - St. Norbert - From worldliness to holiness

About a thousand years ago, there lived a man by the name of Norbert who started a religious order called the Premonstratensians.  Most people know them today as the Norbertines.  

Norbert was of noble birth and brilliant mind, a member of the secular canons of St. Victor. Soon after ordination as a subdeacon he was made personal chaplain to the Holy Roman Emperor Henry V.  Though he was put in charge of dispensing alms to the poor, Norbert began to take on a lot of bad habits of the wealthy elite of the emperor’s court. As he grew in worldliness, his faith began to diminish.

One day in the spring of 1115, he was riding his horse to a nearby village, and a violent thunderstorm broke out.  He was thrown from his horse and almost died.  This close brush with death caused Norbert to rethink his life—to reexamine his faithfulness to Christ.  He decided to give up his position in the imperial court dedicate his life to the contemplation of Christ. 

He was ordained a priest later that year. He renounced all of his worldly possessions, and with great gusto he announced he wished to reform the canons of St. Victor. His enthusiasm was not well received.  So for a time he was a wandering preacher throughout France. Some admired his actions while others became perturbed and irritated. Eventually, he moved to the valley of Premontre in northern France, from which we get the name Premonstratensian.  There he was joined by men attracted to his preaching of the Gospel—and the small group of about thirty men professed solemn vows and took the white religious habit which they wear to this day.

He encouraged the members of his religious order to read the scriptures often, and to pattern their lives after the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Pope Benedict XVI wrote: Our own time must be increasingly marked by a new hearing of God’s word and a new evangelization. Recovering the centrality of the divine word in the Christian life leads us… to embark upon the new evangelization, especially in those nations where the Gospel has been forgotten or meets with indifference as a result of widespread secularism. May the Holy Spirit awaken a hunger and thirst for the word of God, and raise up zealous heralds and witnesses of the Gospel.”


Daily reading and study of scripture will help to equip us with the great challenge of spreading the Gospel in our age marked by a growing secularism, and allows the reign of Christ to be spread to all corners of our minds and hearts, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Sunday, June 5, 2016

Homily: 10th Sunday of Ordinary Time 2016 - Some stories are true...



From childhood, I have loved reading about myths: the Greek and Roman myths gods of Mount Olympus, Odysseus battling the cyclops, Jason and the Argonauts sailing for the golden fleece, Orpheus descending into the Underworld to retrieve his lost love, Eurydice.; the Nordic Myths of Odin and Thor, the Egyptian Osiris and the book of the dead.

Sometimes we use the word ‘myth’ to describe a falsehood, a story in direct opposition to the facts of history.  But in the pre-modern world, a myth was not the same thing as a lie.  Rather, it was a story used to explain abstract ideas, teach virtues, or embody deeply felt beliefs. 

Jesus himself used stories to teach the Gospel--parables.  Was there really a sower who scattered seed on rocky ground, thorny ground, and good soil? Probably not. But his story conveyed a deeper truth, that God’s word sometimes does not take root in our souls because of our hard-hearts, or our sinful attachments.

The myths we pass on, the stories we tell are powerful, they can shape a mind for the good or the bad.  I think some of the newer Disney movies, for example, have some very strange moral teachings lurking under the colorful characters.  The popular Disney movie, Frozen, for example, has the main character singing “let it go. Let go of all limits. No right, no wrong, no rules for me,” she sang.  That’s heresy. That’s dangerous to the soul. You really want your children throwing away lessons of right and wrong? Do you want your neighbor kids not believing it’s wrong to break into your house? No wonder it became the most popular song in the country for several months.

Personally, I like a lot of those old stories, which held to the belief that there is a difference between right and wrong.  Stories of Knights going off to battle dragons, undertaking dangerous arduous quests to break the curse cast on their beloved princesses. Perhaps, our culture is becoming so morally devoid because it stopped telling the right sort of stories--stories that bear authentic moral truth and virtue.

What sets the Bible, the story of our Christian faith aside from all of the other world myths, is that our story is true AND it actually happened. So, we especially teach our children the stories from Scripture. Some of these shows like Veggie Tales are really good, because they introduce children to biblical figures and the truths of the Word of God. Our summer vacation bible school does the same thing.

As St. Paul was teaching throughout Galatia, accusations were brought against him that he was making up this story that Jesus of Nazareth had risen from the dead.  “Why should we believe Paul? He’s just telling us a nice story.”

Paul says, no, this is not just another story.  He gives them several powerful reasons to believe Him. He explains to them that he was a member of the elite class of top rabbis in Jerusalem.   When Christianity came onto the scene, he was its most energetic and violent persecutor.  He had put Christians to death because he believed Christianity was a diabolical heresy. But then, as he made his way to Damascus, he had a conversion of mind and heart. Jesus Christ appeared to Him and called him to be a missionary of the Gospel. It was as if he had been blind to the truth of the faith and could now see. This Gospel is true, he told the Galatians, this Gospel is worth suffering for…and he had before coming to Galatia, he had been imprisoned, flogged, stoned. The apostles, too, in Jerusalem, had suffered for this same Gospel, for Jesus had appeared to them as well.

St. Paul wrote to the Galatians, as we heard in our Second Reading today: “I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel preached by me is not of human origin. For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.”

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not of human origin; it is not a myth. It comes from God, not simply to entertain us, not simply to form our moral compass. God’s word is life-giving. Our Christian faith is a conduit to receive the life of God. It is a channel, into our hearts, whereby sinners are restored to life and set back on the road that leads to eternity with God in heaven.

Yes, Jesus taught in parables, to convey the truths of the Gospel, but he also showed the life-giving power of God at work through miracles. He came not simply to tell stories, but to restore us and imbue us with life.

We heard one of those miracles in the Gospel reading today. A young man, had died, and was being carried off to his funeral in a coffin. And Jesus, through his divine authority, commanded life itself to re-enter this dead boy.  Many of those who witnessed this miracle recognized that “God had visited his people.” For only God has the power to Give life, only God has the power to restore sinners to grace.

Friends, I think sometimes we have to resist this tendency of treating our faith simply as a set of stories. If they are simply a set of stories, we can control them, we can pick and choose which ones we like and ignore the others. But to treat our faith simply as a nice story deprives it of its power, it keeps God at a distance. 

Those who witnessed the miracles in today's Readings reacted by expressing awe and faith in God. They glorified God and renewed their trust in him. We too can experience this awe and renewed faith when we prayerfully read God’s word, when we prayerfully receive the sacraments, and when we prayerfully engage in the works of mercy.

Last week, on the feast of Corpus Christi, and spoke on coming to a renewed faith in the real of presence of Christ in the Eucharist—coming to receive the Eucharist today as if it were your first time and your last time.

How about Scripture? How often throughout the week are you reading scripture, prayerfully? I would like to propose a 10 minute challenge. Read the Bible for 10 minutes a day. Our bulletins have the readings used at daily mass throughout the week. I suggest using those. Read through those readings and spend the rest of the 10 minutes asking God: “What are you saying to me, now, through your inspired Word? How does this affect me, in the ordinary activities of my life?” After those 10 minutes you could journal down your thoughts, or share them on Twitter or Facebook or with someone who seems to need a bit of encouragement, or simply continue to reflect on them throughout the day.
10 minutes a day of reading and reflecting will open doors to God in our life like you’ve never imagined.


The Lord wishes to imbue us with renewed life, to raise us from the dead, to deepen our conviction for the Gospel that we may become its witnesses to the ends of the earth, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Friday, June 3, 2016

Homily: Sacred Heart of Jesus 2016 - Firm foundation for the kingdom of God

Venerable Pope Pius XII said: “Devotion to the Sacred Heart is the foundation on which to build the kingdom of God in the hearts of individuals, families, and nations.”

Practically speaking, what does devotion to the Sacred Heart consist of?

Our Lord made known to St. Margaret Mary His ardent desire to reign over Christian families. So, one of the best forms of devotion to the Sacred Heart, I think, is the home enthronement. Placing a statue or image of the Sacred Heart in a prominent place in your home, having a priest come out, with your family present, for the enthronement ritual: to ask Jesus to preside over all of your family gatherings, to bless your undertakings, to banish from your family all worldly anxiety, to sanctity your joys to Him, to acknowledge that he is the source of all mercy for your sins.

Another very popular form of devotion is the first nine Fridays: receiving Holy Communion on the first Fridays of the month as an act of reparation.  Reparation is a key dimension of this devotion. We see the Sacred Heart of Jesus depicted with thorns, he is being “wounded by the ingratitude of man” as he said to St. Margaret Mary.

A third form of devotion is praying the Litany of the Sacred Heart, a beautiful litany describing the virtues and aspects of the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  I will lead all who wish to stay after Mass, in the litany of the Sacred Heart. The Heart of Jesus is full of goodness and love, it is the abode of all justice and love. By devoting ourselves to his sacred heart we seek the transformation of our own hearts, to love and he loves, to be patient as he is patient, and pure as he is pure.

For over and over in the Gospels, our Lord insists that building the kingdom of God does not consist in simply erecting physical buildings, but making our hearts places where the love of God dwells supreme.

Devotion to the Sacred Heart is a firm foundation for building the kingdom of God, a work in which we are all called by God to participate. Through this devotion, may we put our families under the Lord’s kingship, may we make reparation for the ingratitude of man for the sufferings of Christ, and seek to imitate his love and charity toward all for the glory of God and salvation of souls.



Thursday, June 2, 2016

Homily: June 2 2016 - Sts. Marcellinus and Peter - Devotion to the Roman Martyrs

The word “martyr” means witness. And from the beginning the Church has honored her martyrs. They’ve given the ultimate witnesses of the faith, willing to die for the truth.

Marcellinus and Peter are two Roman martyrs, mentioned in the Roman Canon, the first Eucharistic Prayer. Marcellinus was a priest, and Peter was an exorcist.  After they were imprisoned, they led many of their fellow prisoners to be baptized there in prison. Because the Romans had started to catch on that the witness of the martyrs was inspiring and encouraging their fellow Christians, Marcellinus and Peter were taken to a forest in the middle of the night in secret, forced to dig their own graves, and beheaded. However, one of the soldiers was so moved by their courage, that he converted to Christ, then told the Church where Marcellinus and Peter were buried, so they could be properly venerated.

The emperor Constantine, the first Holy Roman Emperor who ended the persecutions, had a church built over the spot of their martyrdom.

Over 2000 years there have been thousands and thousands of Christian martyrs. Yet, we continue to look to the example of those early Roman Martyrs: Marcellinus, Peter, Felicity, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Cecilia, Anastasia.  The Pope could very well create new feast days for more modern saints: and the Popes have done this. We recall the modern martyrdoms of people like Paul Miki, from Japan, Charles Lwanga, from Uganda, Miguel Pro, from Mexico, Lorenzo Ruiz from the Philipines, Andrew Kim from Korea.

Yet, our liturgical calendar is still very Roman, even though there were more martyrs killed in the 20th century outside of Rome than in all the previous centuries combined.

Their veneration of the Roman Martyrs is part of our liturgical heritage and our Christian heritage—their blood is the seed of our faith. They remind us how much the world hates us, and how much we are to love Christ.  We do well to continue to make pilgrimage to their shrines, if not physically, then spiritually and intellectually and return home sharing their stories. The Roman martyrs are ever-ancient, ever-new, just like the Church, just like Christ. They protect us from becoming disconnected, decapitated from our Roman faith.

And following them, they lead us to Christ "Rex et caput martyrum"—the king and head of martyrs:  whose passion they imitate, struggling, strengthened by the Eucharist, filled with the Holy Spirit, with love for Christ and for their fellow men, to testify fidelity to the revealed word, truth and justice, to God's law.

May Marcellinus and Peter and all of the martyrs of the Roman Church help us to courageously confess Christ in our own day and place, remaining true to Him in word and deed, loving Him with all of our heart, mind, and strength, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.