Homily: Tuesday - 1st Week of Advent 2016 - A shoot shall sprout from the stump

Even though we read extensively from the book of the prophet Isaiah during Advent, since it is such a long book, 66 chapters, the longest of the prophetic books, we really only get to read bits and pieces at Mass.

After several chapters prophesying the defeat and judgment of Israel’s enemies, we hear one of the most beautiful passages of the book—beautiful because of its prose, but also its subject matter, and its promises. We hear today, so early in Advent, of the promise of the Redeemer, a Messiah, where he’ll come from, and some of his characteristics.

At the time of Isaiah’s writing, the house of david was in shambles, though God had promised David that his heir would be the king of kings, the Davidic line appeared more like a rotting stump than a flourishing royal tree. But Isaiah prophesied that from this stump shall arise a shoot; the line will continue, the Messiah will come.

And this Messiah-King will be graced with the Holy Spirit of God—the Spirit that breathed on the waters of creation, the spirit that breathed life into Adam, the Spirit that was given to Moses then portioned out to the elders, the Spirit that fell upon David when anointed by Samuel.

From the earliest years of the Church, the Church Fathers have taught that Jesus is the promised Davidic Messiah Isaiah wrote about in this passage. God the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus at His baptism (Mt 3:16). The "gifts of the spirit" that are His are transferred to baptized and confirmed Christians as His heirs. St. Paul wrote: For all who are let by the Spirit of God are sons of God...if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ (Rom 8:14, 17).

And the Catechism teaches: "The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understand, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. They belong in their fullness to Christ, Son of David. They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them. They make the faithful docile in readily obeying divine inspirations" (CCC 1831).

The Catechism goes on to teach that "The fruits of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory. The tradition of the Church lists twelve of them: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity'" (CCC 1832; quoting Gal 5:22-23).

This Advent ought to be a fruitful time for each of us in which we nurture the spiritual gifts. You might consider using the list of spiritual gifts as a sort of examination of conscience; which is your weakest, which is your strongest, which do you think God is calling you to practice more devoutly? Some of these gifts might appear to be more like old stumps than flourishing trees, but new growth is possible.

We recognize that we prepare best this Advent for the coming of the Messiah by seeking to become more like Him, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: Monday - 1st Week in Advent 2016 - Renewing your hope

Yesterday at Sunday Mass I spoke of the importance during Advent of paying close attention to the readings from the prophets, particularly the Prophet Isaiah. We hear from Isaiah on all of the Advent Sundays and for the first half of the weekdays. The prophets each speak to Israel longing and waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promises. Each of us have a deep longing to know that God is with us, to know that the wickedness and darkness in the world do not get the last word.

The Isaiah reading today recalls several promises of restoration and salvation. In one sense, Isaiah was speaking to the captive exiles, deported by the enemy Babylonian army. There in captivity, they were in darkness. Isaiah spoke a word of hope to them; that their captivity would come to an end, that their destroyed nation would even surpass its former glory, and their enemy would be purged from their land forever.

In another sense, Isaiah speaks a word of hope to all of God’s people of every age: surrounded by sin on every side, hatred for the Church and for Christ all around us. He speaks to us who are often so burdened by life’s demands, this word of hope.

Or perhaps, we like the centurion in the Gospel have a friend or family member who are paralyzed—trapped in a cycle of poor choices, estranged from the church.

Advent is a time to renew our hope in a savior. The first candle of the Advent wreath is lit as a symbol of hope. Hope that God does hear our prayers; that God does hear the cries of the suffering, our pleas for the sick. Advent is a time to renew our belief in miracles: that God can bring joy to the severely depressed, that he can bring freedom and recovery to the severely addicted, that he can bring the light of faith to those who walk in the darkness of faithlessness.

Isaiah proclaims a Messiah so powerful that He can cause those who only know war and violence to cash in their weapons to buy seed and plows.

; 

Let us begin this Advent identifying those parts of our lives and our society that need a miracle, and to renew our hope in God’s powerful intercession, that he may transform us all to be his instruments of peace, mercy, and joy, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: 1st Sunday in Advent 2016 - Isaiah, the prophet of Advent

Throughout the season of Advent we will read extensively from the book of the prophet Isaiah. Not only each Sunday do we read from Isaiah, but throughout the week as well. If you aren’t in the habit of attending weekday Mass; what a wonderful way of making Advent a bit more special this year: attending weekday Mass will help you enter more deeply into the Spirit of the season.

The book of the Prophet Isaiah have been called “the fifth Gospel” by some scholars, for it contains so many of the themes of the Gospels: the call of God’s people to practice justice, the need for repentance, the reality of judgment, God’s promise of salvation, reflection on God’s mercy; the need for God’s people during times of darkness to practice faith and hope. Certainly, one of the most important themes of Isaiah is his proclamation of the coming of the Messiah; Isaiah calls Israel to remember God’s promise of a Savior in some of the most beautiful passages in the entire Old Testament of the Bible. 

Isaiah is like a tour guide through Advent pointing out the important sights. You may be thinking: I’ve been through Advent before, I know what Advent is about. But sometimes a tour guide can offer new insights to a familiar place. You often hear it said, that converts make the best Catholics. Why is that? Because they are so often able to see the beauty and value of our faith with fresh eyes. So what do you need to do to put on fresh eyes this Advent, to rediscover the beauty that God presents us with?

If you can’t make it to daily Mass, I encourage you, this Advent, to at least read through the Isaiah reading every day. The Scriptures verses are printed in the bulletin; if you visit the US Bishop’s website, you can sign up to have the daily scripture readings emailed to you.  Take a few minutes throughout the day to read through and reflect upon the Isaiah reading: ask, why has the Church picked this reading for the season of Advent? What are the symbols here; how does this passage help me to prepare for Christmas; what does this say about God, about the attitude and dispositions God’s people are meant to have?

Isaiah wrote at a time when Israel had been devastated by the Babylonian army; the Jews had been bound and chained and marched off into exile; they had seen their temple, their beautiful city, their homes and families destroyed.  Isaiah wrote, during this time of great loss, a message of hope, he wrote of a time when all of God’s promises would be fulfilled, a time when the tears from all faces would be wiped away by God himself. 

Perhaps it feels like your world has been devastated; perhaps your family is experiencing division, perhaps you feel alienated from old friends, perhaps you’re struggling with a particular temptation; perhaps you’ve experienced the loss of a loved one, or deepening financial woes. Just as God spoke to the sorrowful captive exiles in Isaiah’s time, he speaks to us, words of promise, words of hope, words of comfort.

But again, in order to hear those words of hope, you need to quiet down—go to a quiet room, the church or chapel; put aside anxious thoughts and listen to and meditate upon the word of God. If we do not pray as we ought, how can we be surprised when we do not know the peace that God wants to give us.

In the Isaiah reading for this 1^st Sunday of Advent; we heard of a mountain, a mountain upon which will stand the great Temple of God; not only will God send a Messiah; Isaiah said, “the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills.”

On this Holy Mountain, in the Lord’s House—his temple—is where he wants to give us his gifts of peace and joy. Yet, so often we fail to climb the mountain, to enter the temple. We allow other mountains to be higher, other temples to be our destination.

Is the Lord’s mountain really the highest mountain in your life? Is the praise and worship of God more important to you than anything else? Is it more important than your job? Is it more important than your social relationships? Is it more important even than your family, the people you love the most? If not, something is off-kilter in your life.

What’s the highest mountain for you? We all have one. We all have mountains and hills, things that preoccupy our time and effort. But what is your highest mountain? If it’s not the mountain of the Lord’s house, something is wrong. If you don’t have the love of God first in your life, you will not know what to do with the other goods in your life.

Isaiah says, It is on this holy mountain that the Lord instructs us in his ways, that we may walk in his paths. In a sense, this mountain is certainly a foreshadowing of the earthly Church.  As Christians, members of the Church, we are instructed in the ways of the Lord. We learn our catechism, we learn how to apply the teachings of Jesus to the concrete circumstances of our life.  We just concluded a Year-long meditation on Mercy, constantly reflecting upon how the Lord is calling us to engage in the works of mercy, and how God in His mercy is inviting each of us to experience his love and forgiveness.

The mountain is not just a foreshadowing of heaven, it’s not just a foreshadowing of the Church, it is also a symbol of our own personal spiritual journey. Are you undertaking in the inner journey? Is the pursuit of spiritual things more important than your pursuit of earthly things? Are you quieting down in prayer so that the Lord may teach you his ways? Are you allowing him to teach you how to be more gentle, more patient, more generous, more trusting?  

In the Lord’s house on his Holy Mountain we hear how “swords are turned into plowshares and their spear into pruning hooks.” Coming from an Italian family, I come from a long tradition of very sharp tongues. And from time to time that sharp tongue has gotten me into trouble. But as we undertake that spiritual journey, as we climb the Lord’s mountain and enter his temple, the sharp-cutting words are transformed into words of encourage, comfort, instruction, clear teaching, and words of praise and worship.

Allow this Advent to transform you, to turn your swords and spears into instruments of goodness, peace, and joy. Let Isaiah remind you of the beautiful, awe-inspiring, consoling promises of God. And may the Holy Spirit help us all to prepare our minds and hearts for the coming of Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: Nov 25 2016 - St. Catherine of Alexandria - Virgin & Martyr

St. Catherine was one of the most revered saints of the early Church.  She lived at the end of the third century in the city of Alexandria in Egypt.  She was so beautiful and wise that she attracted the attention of the Emperor Maximian.  She however, would not marry the emperor because she had consecrated herself to Jesus.

The Emperor sent his 50 wisest philosophers to convince Saint Catherine to change her mind, but they proved no match for Catherine’s superior intellect; they were so impressed with her, and her explanation of the Gospel, that all 50 became Christian.

The Emperor had Catherine imprisoned; yet while imprisoned she converted the empress, the leader of the armed forces, over 200 soldiers, and other members of the emperor’s family,

The Emperor, infuriated that Catherine would not give up her faith and marry Him, ordered her to be tied to wheel affixed with sharp knives and spikes and tortured. From her lacerated body prayers ascended to heaven, and the wheel however was struck by ‘fire from heaven’ and was shattered.  This angered the emperor even more, so he had her beheaded. 

Neither political pressure, imprisonment, torture, or death could cause this great saint to compromise her faith.  Through her reception of the Eucharist, through prayer and study, Catherine was filled with tremendous faith and love of God which transformed the lives of others even as she suffered.

Yesterday, families gathered for the great thanksgiving meal.  It is a good and holy thing for families to put aside the worldly occupations in order to share a good meal with each other.  Yet, God calls us to gather as a family of faith every week, for the Eucharist.  Many would never dream of skipping thanksgiving dinner, but have no problem skipping Sunday Mass. 

Saint Catherine and so many thousands of martyrs, by their witness show us that the practicing our faith is more important than anything else; they reveal the urgency to form our minds and hearts through word and sacrament, study and charity; that we may be equipped for the building up of the kingdom.

Over the centuries Saint Catherine has been invoked as patron saint of Apologists; craftsmen who work with a wheel (potters; knife sharpeners, millers); archivists; attorneys; barristers; dying people; educators; girls; jurists; lawyers; librarians; libraries; maidens; mechanics; nurses; old maids; philosophers; potters; preachers; scholars; schoolchildren; scribes; secretaries; spinners; spinsters; stenographers; students; tanners; teachers; theologians; tire-repairmen; unmarried girls; wheel-makers.

Through her intercession and holy example may Saint Catherine help us to be strengthened in faith and constancy and spend ourselves without reserve for the unity of the Church, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: Thanksgiving 2016: Abraham Lincoln's Promulgation of Thanksgiving Day

In the middle of the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be celebrated on the final Thursday in November. 

The great president of emancipation wrote:

“The gracious gifts of the Most High God…should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.  And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and Union.”

Thanksgiving Day is a civil holiday, yes.  But President Lincoln was not hesitant in urging Americans to turn to the God of Creation in thanksgiving and praise for his blessings.

In a few weeks, the busyness of the Christmas season will be upon us, and we will be reminded to keep the Christ in Christmas, to remember that his glorious and saving birth is the reason for our celebration.  Today, I think, we do well, to keep the Thanks in Thanksgiving.  To recall the blessings of our life, food, shelter, family, the beauty of nature, and of course our faith. 

In the Gospel, 10 lepers received healing, but it was the one leper, who returned to the Lord to give thanks who was saved.  True thanksgiving opens our hearts to the eternal.  True thanks is not just focused on the things of this earth, but sees in them goods that come from God, which we have a responsibility to use wisely.

President Lincoln also encouraged humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience. A scourge of atheism and indifference to God have certainly swept over our land: a selfishness, entitlement, and gluttony fill the hearts of many. But Selfishness and thanksgiving are like oil and water.

In our first reading, St. Paul prayed in thanksgiving to God for the grace bestowed upon the Corinthian community, yet we know that grace was not always used; the Corinthians were a divided community, a community which often allowed the perversity of the pagan culture to dictate their behavior instead of the charity and wisdom of God.

So we certainly pray in thanksgiving for the blessings of our lives today, but also for the wisdom to put those blessings, firstly, in service to God, for the needs of the poor, for the building up of the church, for the glory of God and salvation of souls. 

Homily: Nov 23 2016 - Pope Clement I & Miguel Pro - Hated by all because of Christ

Jesus spoke today of the trials his followers are likely to endure, as they work for the spread of the Gospel.  Like Jesus himself, his followers will be “handed over” and suffer persecution by religious authorities and civil authorities.  The early Christians certainly suffered at the hands of religious authorities: St. Stephen the Deacon was put to death by stoning at the hands of religious authorities.  For the first three hundred years, Christians suffered severe persecution at the hands of the Roman government, by Roman provincial rulers like King Herod Agrippa, and the Roman Emperors, like Nero and Diocletian.

St. Clement, one of the saints we honor today was an early successor of St. Peter as Bishop of Rome, likely the 4th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church; he was ordained a priest by St. Peter himself.
It is said that St. Clement converted many high-ranking citizens of Rome, and because Emperor Trajan saw Clement as a rival to his power, had Clement exiled to Crimea. While in exile, he performed many miracles and converted several thousands to Christianity. Learning of this, Trajan condemned Clement to death by drowning into the sea with a marble anchor.

He is often represented as having a marble anchor by his side—an anchor as a symbol of Christian hope…that amidst the persecution, sufferings, and trials of life, we hope that what we suffer will bear fruit in eternal life. He is also the patron saint of marble-workers.

Like so many powerful men who came before and would come after, the Emperor Trajan saw the Pope as a rival to his power, and so the powerful often hate the Church because they think the Church wants earthly power. But they are confused. The Church seeks the salvation of men and preaches the truth of the Gospel no matter who is in power.

Jesus says in the Gospel “you will be hated by all because of my name”.  And we know that up and down the centuries the Church has been ridiculed and misunderstood.  In our own day, with so many attacks on religious liberty, anti-Catholicism in the media, attacks on the Catholic intellectual tradition in modern universities, we don’t have to look very far for proof of Jesus’ words.

Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen said that there aren’t 10 people in the world who hate the Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they think the Church is.”

Similarly, with Blessed Miguel Augustin Pro, also honored today; the martyred Jesuit novice of Mexico; because the Church was so hated in Mexico in the 20th Century; Father Miguel would clandestinely go about celebrating Mass, hearing confession, anointing the sick, comforting the poor. For this, he was arrested and killed by firing squad.

Saint John Paul II traveled to Mexico for Pro's beatification in Mexico on September 25, 1988, and said:

“Neither suffering nor serious illness, neither the exhausting ministerial activity, frequently carried out in difficult and dangerous circumstances, could stifle the radiating and contagious joy which he brought to his life for Christ and which nothing could take away. Indeed, the deepest root of self-sacrificing surrender for the lowly was his passionate love for Jesus Christ and his ardent desire to be conformed to him, even unto death.”

What enables us to endure the suffering, the hatred of the world for the sake of the Gospel? A passionate love for Jesus Christ! May that love fill our hearts and spurn us on in service of the Gospel for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: Nov 22 2016 - St. Cecilia - Patron of Musicians

St. Cecilia is one of the most famous Roman martyrs. She is the patron saint of musicians; stained glass windows often depict her holding a harp or playing the organ or violin.

She was daughter of wealthy Roman parents, a Christian from birth. As was the custom, she was promised in marriage to a man, a pagan named Valerian. Cecilia, however, had vowed her virginity to God, and wore sackcloth, fasted and prayed in hopes of keeping this promise. Saint Cecilia disclosed her wishes to her husband on their wedding night. She told Valerian that an angel watched over her to guard her purity. Quite skeptical, Valerian asked to see the angel, so St. Cecilia sent him to the Pope. Accounts of how and when Valerian saw the angel vary, but one states that he was baptized by the Pope, and, upon his return to Saint Cecilia, they were both given heavenly crowns by an angel. Another version recounts that Valerian's brother, sees the crowns and he too is converted.

The two brothers then make it their mission to bury Christian martyrs put to death by the prefect of the city. In turn, they were brought in front of the prefect and sentenced to death by the sword. Cecilia, in the meantime, continued to make many conversions, but finally, she too was arrested and brought before the prefect. He ruled that she should die by suffocation in the baths. Saint Cecilia was locked into the bathhouse and the fires vigorously stoked. She remained there for a day and a night but was still alive when the soldiers opened the doors. She was then ordered beheaded, but the executioner, after striking three times without severing St Cecilia's head, ran away, leaving her badly wounded.

St. Cecilia hung onto life for three days after the mortal blows, preaching, and singing God’s praises. This is why she is the patron saint of music.

What a powerful image: St. Cecilia, the martyr, singing praises even as she suffered. She witnesses to God in her consecrated virginity and purity throughout life, and makes her death into a song of adoration to him.

The preface prayer for the feasts of the martyrs refers to the “new song of adoration” which all of creation will sing in praise of God in the new heaven, which the martyrs foreshadow in this life.  Yesterday, in our reading from the book of Revelations, John’s vision shows 144,000 saints in heaven, singing a hymn before the throne of God and playing their harps. 

St. Paul wrote to the Ephesians, telling them, “be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

All throughout the scriptures God’s people are known for their singing.  The people of God sing. After escaping from the Egyptians and crossing the Red Sea, the people of Israel sang a song to the Lord (Exod. 15). Singing was part of Israel's formal worship in both tabernacle and temple (1 Chron. 6:31-32, 16:42). The Psalms bear rich testimony that in joy and sorrow, in praise and lament, the faithful raise their voices in song to God. Hymn singing was practiced by Jesus and his disciples (Matt. 26:30).

Through the intercession of St. Cecilia, may all we do today be transformed into a hymn of praise to our God, that all of our thoughts, words, and deeds, might be harmonized with Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: Nov 21 2016 - The Presentation of the BVM - Mary and the 144,000

On this Monday of the final week of Ordinary time, and this, year the memorial of the presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we continue to read from the great book of Revelation.

Throughout the book, the evangelist John has symbolic visions of the Church, visions of the nations and rulers—the principalities and powers who persecute the Church, visions of the worship of God in heaven by the saints and angels.

In the passage, today, John sees 144,000, having the name of God on their forehead, who had been ransomed by the blood of the Lamb. Nearly every number in Revelation is symbolic. 144,000 is an interesting number—it is a perfect square—twelve times twelve—times a thousand. The number 144,000 is found again to describe the saints, and also much later, in the penultimate chapter of Revelation—it describes the architectural dimensions of the wall of the heavenly Jerusalem “144 cubits according to the standard unit of measurement”. Also, 12 foundations stones of the wall, each with the 12 names of the 12 apostles. That’s 144 names!

The 144,000 are us, the members of the Church, living, dead, and future members, those who stand firmly on the foundation stones of the twelve apostles—each of us who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, who mark our foreheads with the name of God “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”.

The memorial of the presentation of Mary celebrates the naming of Mary and her dedication to God. What a lovely coincidence that in our Revelation reading, it is revealed, that the name we have received, the name Christian, the name “Child of God”, the name “follower of Jesus” endures even into heaven.

Mary is surely the model for all those with the name of Christian—she is the model of faith, hope, and love, the model of all the virtues, she is the model of trusting in God, and surrendering all to God; she is the model of suffering with Christ and suffering for Christ; she is a model for all Christian mothers, and a model for all Christians called to bear fruit for the sake of the kingdom; she is the model of magnifying the goodness of God through our own good works; she is the model of the marriage of grace and free will; the model of Christian perfection to which we all are called.

Pope St. John Paul said, the Church from the beginning has modeled her earthly journey on that of the Mother of God. “It is to her as Mother and Model that the Church must look in order to understand in its completeness the meaning of her own mission.”

May each of us consider today how we are being called more deeply to follow Our Lady’s example in following the Lamb wherever he goes, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: Christ the King 2016 - "He must reign in you"

The Feast of Christ the King is a relatively new feast, only being placed on the calendar in 1925 by Pope Pius XI. There is a story of Pius XI walking with a priest-friend of his, Father Carlo Confalonieri were taking a stroll through the Vatican gardens behind St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. And Father Confalonieri could see that the Holy Father was distracted, the Pope wasn’t speaking much. The Holy Father then sat down on a bench, and said to his secretary, “Carlo, I am worried about this man, Mussolini and his fascist party here in Italy. I must admit, he seems to be organizing things well, the trains are running on time, but he preaches this poisonous doctrine, that all of us are subservient to the State. And then I hear the rantings of this man in Germany by the name of Adolf Hitler. He’s preaching about something called ‘National Socialism’; they call themselves the Nazi’s. And he too speaks about this blind militaristic unquestionable obedience to him, and to the party, and to the state; and he’s encouraging racial and religious hatred and division in society.” Pius XI went on, he said, “And what about Russia; I hear about these men named Lenin and Stalin, and this thing called communism; this too seeks to impose a totalitarian authority over our lives.” And he said, “I hear even in the United States, they are boasting of the “roaring 20s”, where there seems to be unbridled, cutthroat capitalism” (which we know would trigger the great depression). Apparently, in the United States,” the Holy Father said, “all that matters is wealth and pleasure. And then I hear of a man in Vienna named Sigmund Freud, he seeks to develop the field of mental health, and yet, at the same time he claims that our whole lives are determined by unconscious psychological drives”

Pius XI then, sort of bewildered stopped, and was silent, and he says, “Fascism, Nazism, Totalitarianism, Communism, Psychological Determinism, Consumerism, Nationalism, Racism” and he banged his fist on the bench and he said, “Basta! Enough! Christ is our King; Our true and only allegiance is to Him and Him alone. Only He is to have total mastery over our lives. Our destiny is to reign with Him in heaven, and seeking heaven is our highest earthly priority, and our other earthly duties come second to that most important priority.”

Soon after the conversation, Pius XI issued the encyclical letter, Quas Primas, in which he instituted today’s feast. Pius XI explained that the “manifold evils in the world were due to the fact that the majority of men had thrust Jesus Christ and his holy law out of their lives; that these had no place either in private affairs or in politics…that as long as individuals and states refused to submit to the rule of our Savior, there would be no really hopeful prospect of a lasting peace among nations”

If we want peace in our world, our nation, our families, and our hearts, Christ must be reign in these places. No place can have true peace without Christ as its king.

Pius XI saw the great danger of thrusting Jesus out of the different dimensions of human life and human society. The genocide and mass murder of the Nazis took 11 million lives, atheistic communism resulted in the death of 94 million people.  Pope Francis has continued to voice concern over the deChristianization of economics: how unbridled capitalism and rampant materialism lead to dehumanization—how violence and crime bubble up with the poor are extorted.  

Many critics of the Church blame Christianity for the evils of the modern world: war, racism, sexism... But the truth is just the contrary.

Only through Christianity did the human family gradually come to realize that all people share the same human dignity and have the same basic human rights. Only through Christianity, for example, was slavery recognized as an injustice and gradually eliminated - in fact, in non-Christian cultures even today slavery persists. We must not believe the lie that popular culture wants us to believe: that all religions are the same, and our faith in Christ should not overflow into the laws and customs of our communities. That is the lie that today's Feast was established to expose. If we exclude Christ and Christian values from public life, we will only give more room for anti-Christian values to flourish.

In Quas Primas, Pius XI gave us a remedy, a solution, how to truly make Christ King in our world.

“He must reign in our minds,” the Holy Father explained, “which should assent with perfect submission and firm belief to revealed truths and to the doctrines of Christ. He must reign in our wills, which should obey the laws and precepts of God. He must reign in our hearts, which should spurn natural desires and love God above all things, and cleave to him alone. He must reign in our bodies and in our members, which should serve as instruments for the interior sanctification of our souls, or to use the words of the Apostle Paul, as instruments of justice unto God.”

Pius XI used a powerful word several times throughout his encyclical. The word is Dominion. We must place our minds, hearts, will, nations, and families under the Dominion of Christ. The word ‘Dominion’ comes from the Latin word “Dominus” the word for ‘Lord’…Sunday is the Dies Domini, the Day of the Lord.

It is a good day to evaluate, who or what has Dominion over our lives. Who or what is Lord of our lives. Is it Christ? His teaching? His commandments? Virtue? Love? Goodness? Decency? Is it the most noble aspirations of the human heart that come from God through Jesus? Do those magnificent things have dominion over our hearts?

Or does anger? Lust? Money? Drugs and Alcohol? Revenge and Hate? The pursuit of prestige or power? Who or what has dominion in your life?

Does Christ truly reign supreme in you? Is his reign evidenced in the choices you make throughout the week? Through your prayer life, through your confession of sins, through the sacrifices you make in order to be more generous to the poor.

He must reign in our minds through our study of the Scriptures and the Catechism. He must reign in our wills be obeying God’s laws and going to Confession when we disobey them. He must reign in our hearts, by loving God more than we love sports, television, entertainment, gossip, material goods. He must reign in our bodies, by allow God to use us to work for justice.

To quote Pius XI once more: “Oh, what happiness would be Ours if all men, individuals, families, and nations, would but let themselves be governed by Christ! Then at length will many evils be cured; then will the law regain its former authority; peace with all its blessings be restored. Men will sheathe their swords and lay down their arms when all freely acknowledge and obey the authority of Christ.” May not just our tongues, but our whole lives confess that Jesus Christ is King, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: Nov 18 2016 - The Dedication of the Basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul

On June 29 every year we celebrate the feast of the martyrdoms of Saints Peter and Paul. Today’s feast commemorates the dedication of the Roman Basilicas built in their honor.

Peter, the unrefined fisherman whom Jesus named the rock on whom the Church is built, and the educated Paul, reformed persecutor of Christians, Roman citizen and missionary to the Gentiles.  Peter, that Pillar of Unity for the Church—the rock of the Church; and Paul, who underwent untold sufferings for the love of Jesus Christ and the spread of His Gospel. Different in many ways, and yet, united by their faith and love for Jesus Christ.

A major similarity in their faith journey was their journey’s end: both, according to tradition, died a martyr’s death in Rome—Peter on a cross and Paul beneath the sword. Their witness and their courage shaped the early Church, and believers have prayed at their tombs from the earliest days.  Today, the tomb of St. Peter lies about 100 meters directly below the main altar in St. Peter’s basilica, and the remains of Saint Paul are also underneath the main altar of the basilica of St. Paul.

Making a pilgrimage to the Holy City of Rome began at an early time in the Church.  Pilgrims came to Rome when it was still illegal to practice Christianity to adorn the tombs of the martyrs. The two great pilgrimage sites were exactly as today—the tombs of St. Peter upon the Vatican Hill and the tomb of St. Paul off the Ostian Way, at the southern extremity of the city.

The Basilica of Saint Peter stands on the hill of Rome called Mons Vaticanus in Latin, across the Tiber river from the traditional seven hills of Rome. It was at the order the Emperor Constantine that the first basilica was built around the year 350 which stood for a 1000 years before the Popes began making plans for a new basilica in the 15th century. Bernini’s colonnade stretches out like a mother’s arms to gather the 7 million people who make pilgrimage to St. Peter’s every year.  The basilica’s main altar stands directly over the tomb of St. Peter. It is the largest church in the world and probably the most easily recognized due to its magnificent dome, also directly over the Apostle’s tomb.

The Basilica of Saint Paul, also built at the order of Constantine, outside the city walls, is located where St. Paul’s body was buried after he had been beheaded by Nero.

The entire Catholic world celebrates these two buildings in Rome, to show our honor to the Apostles, but also to remember that we do belong to a Church that spans the entire globe, several millennia, which is built on the apostolic foundation.

In an age where so many are tempted to sever themselves from the past, and from authentic Church teaching, this feast is an important dimension of our Catholic faith. We unite ourselves to the great efforts of the apostles, to the millions of Catholics around the world, to the countless souls who have gone before us and to those who will come after, that we may be faithful to all the Lord commands, that we may serve him generously and courageously, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: Thursday - 33rd Week in OT 2016 - The Lamb who was slain stands victorious

Throughout the book of Revelation, Jesus is depicted in several different ways. He is described as a lion: the lion of Judah. Back in Genesis, Jacob prophecies that his son Judah, is like a lion, king of beasts. And from Judah will come a ruler, who will receive the homage of the people.

That prophecy is fulfilled partially in King David, a descendent of Judah, but is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ, whom comes from the line of David and the line of Judah.  Jesus depicted as the Lion of Judah reveals that Jesus a King, the King who brings the everlasting peace God promised.

Jesus, as we heard Monday, is depicted as a cosmic ruler, who walked among the lampstands; he is present to the Churches and among the churches.

Jesus is depicted as a warrior and judge, riding on a white horse leading the heavenly army against the defeat of the beast.

He is depicted as the bridegroom of the Church, who has prepared the Church for heavenly glory by giving her a pure white wedding garment; a symbol of the baptismal garment of his faithful followers.

Though, he is depicted as a lion, as a judge, a warrior, and a king, by far, the most frequent image for Jesus in the book of Revelation is a Lamb.

And as we heard today, he is the lamb. Revelation uses the word “Lamb” to refer to Jesus twenty-eight times. The lamb had been slain. The word “slain” refers to a person killed by violence or of an animal slaughtered for a sacrificial purpose. Jesus is both.

Lamb of God by 50LbHead

Though he is depicted as a slain, sacrificed, brutally murdered victim, we see him standing before the throne. He is standing victorious, with seven horns and seven eyes to symbolize his complete knowledge and power.

Again, Revelation was primarily written to Christians who were being persecuted for their faith, who were being tempted to abandon their faith for the ways of the world. What a powerful image if you are being persecuted! The risen lamb, in the fullness of knowledge and power, victorious over sin and death and the powers of evil in the world, is on your side.

Today at Holy Mass, the consecrated host and chalice are lifted-up, and the priest will proclaim, “behold the Lamb of God.” Jesus comes to us today to share his victory with us, that amidst our temptations, we can be strengthened in persevering and enduring faith, that we may come to share in the glory of his eternal kingdom for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: Tuesday - 33rd Week in OT 2016 - I stand at the door and knock

As we mentioned yesterday, the Book of Revelation begins with a vision of Christ walking among seven lampstands—which stand for the seven churches of Asia Minor. After that inaugural vision, each of those seven churches are addressed individually. Yesterday’s reading ended, actually, with a message to the Christians at Ephesus, the place where John to the Blessed Mother to live with her before her Assumption into heaven.

Today we heard the messages to the Church in Sardis and the Church in Laodicea, the fifth and seventh churches to be addressed. The messages share many similarities, the primary one being that Jesus Christ is aware of the situation in their communities, and that he offers them words both of comfort and challenge.

As we heard, the situation in Sardis was pitiful. The Christians were on the verge of losing their faith entirely. Jesus said, “I know your works, you have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.” There couldn’t be a stronger rebuke. Could you image? Jesus himself says to our parish of St. Clare, “You claim to be Christian, you claim to be faithful, but your faith is dead because your works are incomplete in my sight.”

Jesus speaks here to all the Catholics-in-name-only, here. He says, fan into flame what little faith you actually have, or else you will be caught unaware on the day of judgment. Each of us has a responsibility to help those Catholics-in-name-only members of our community. Jesus is saying here, you don’t want to be a Catholic-in-name-only on the day of judgment. A challenge to all of us, to ensure our actions, our choices, are fitting of the name Christian.

Jesus’ message to Laodicea is nearly just as correctional: he says, the Christians there are neither hot nor cold for the faith, simply lukewarm, and it makes him want to spit them out of his mouth. The Christians had become complacent, and had begun to place more trust in money and politics than in the teaching of the Church.

Jesus then exhorts them to repentance and greater zeal for the Gospel, and concludes his message with one of the most beautiful images in the entire book. Jesus stands at the door and knocks. Jesus stands at the door of the hearts of all people. He knocks, calling out to us to open our hearts to him.

Often the doors of our hearts are closed to Jesus out of fear and pride: fear of what Jesus might be calling us to, fear of what worldly behaviors and attitudes he is calling us to give up, and pride because we think we know better than God.

But when we open the door to him, he enters our homes and dines with us, we get to experience the joy of an intimate friendship with Him.

May we respond generously to the Lord’s correction of our faults and our lack of trust, so that we may come to experience more deeply the joy of his friendship for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: Monday - 33rd Week in OT 2016 - You are not alone

What a fitting way to end the liturgical year! For the next two weeks, our daily readings are taken from the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament. Revelation has certainly captured the imagination of our culture in books and movies—stories about the end times, the rapture, the second coming, the antichrist, the war between the angels and demons. 

One of the reasons I hosted a 10 week bible study this fall on the Book of Revelation was to set the record straight: our knowledge of God’s word shouldn’t come from Hollywood, but from the Word of God itself.

Back in 2006, Pope Benedict made some comments about this book, he said: “The apostle John’s objective in writing the book of Revelation is to unveil, from the death and resurrection of Christ, the meaning of human history”. Pope Benedict saw this book as a sort of key to understand humanity.

St. John, the author of Revelation was writing to the early church as they were experiencing great temptations to abandon the faith. They were experiencing great pressure from the surrounding pagan culture; they were being pressured by the government to practice the false religion of Rome with its emperor worship, its many immoralities, and its temptations of extravagant wealth.

Writing at the end of the 1st century, there were also already false religious teachers claiming to be teaching the Christian faith, but who the Apostle quite keenly recognizes to be twisting the truth of Christ, often for political purposes. For example, John condemns the Nikolatians, for their dangerously casual attitude toward the values of Rome.

And John relates to these persecuted Christians several visions that were given to Him by God: visions of the Dragon and the Devil’s ongoing war against God, a beast rising from the sea, the blood of the wicked being poured out like wine from a winepress.  Also visions of hope, the heavenly throne room, the eternal city, which will be the reward for all those who faithfully endure and keep the faith.

The very first vision John shares, as we heard today “‘The one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks in the midst of the seven gold lampstands.” Jesus Christ, walking among the seven lampstands, symbolizing the seven churches of Asia Minor, and all the communities of the Catholic Church. A powerful vision, reminding the persecuted, suffering Christians, that they are not alone, that God is not only aware of their suffering , but he is with them in their suffering. This is the meaning of human history, as Pope Benedict said, this is the meaning of our lives; that suffering, persecution, being hated by the world, for Christians, this is unavoidable; but as we suffer, Jesus Christ is with us.

In all of the confusion, pain, and moral choices of the Christian life: we are not alone; Jesus is with us, through the compassion of spouses, family, and friends, through the preaching and advice of Church ministers, through our person meditation of Scripture. He is with the Church, of course, Sacramentally, offering grace, strength, and forgiveness. And he is leading and guiding us through the official teaching office of the Holy Catholic Church.

In our works and labors and sufferings, may we know his close presence, may we be strengthened in faith, and comforted in our afflictions for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: Nov 10 2016 - Pope St. Leo the Great - When the facing the gates of hell...

Pope Saint Leo the great is famous for several reasons: he was certainly one of the intellectually gifted Popes we’ve ever had, he’s certainly one of the most prolific writers we’ve ever had as well, and of course he saved Rome from Attila the Hun. 

Rome had been sacked in 410, and the Roman Government was in shambles and incapable of defending the country from invaders. As Attila was making his way toward Rome, sacking city and city along the way, what was left of the Roman Senate begged Leo to dissuade the barbarian warlord from taking Rome.

Pope Leo had no army, he simply had courage and faith. So, the Holy Father rode on horseback to meet the oncoming army. Leo began to persuade Attila to turn his army away from Rome. Legend states that as Leo spoke, heaven opened and St. Peter and St. Paul with his blades appeared basically saying, “If you want to get to Rome, you are going to have to go through us.” Attila then ordered his army to turn north, away from the Holy City.

Initially, the people of Rome rejoiced and praised God. But, about six months later, the people of Rome began to come up with alternative explanations for why the barbarians had turned away. The claimed it was the old pagan gods had come to their aid, and it was the power of astrology. They were like the Israelites, who fashioned and worshiped the golden calf at Sinai.

So, Leo gathered the people of Rome together and began to preach a homily to them. He told them that the reason why you were spared the barbarian invasion is not because of horoscopes or the pagan gods, but that the One True God loves you and cares for you. Don’t look to these superstitious reasons and false gods, look to the One God.

The Gospel and the Opening prayer for this Mass both speak of how God does not allow the gates of hell to prevail against His Church. We are spared countless evils because of the love of God that protects us. Were not evil constantly being kept at bay by the hand of the Almighty, we would certainly be destroyed. From his hand, we also receive countless blessing, yet, we are still tempted at times to wonder if God is really with us.

He offers us forgiveness every day, he offers us truth every day, we have the gift of family and the brotherhood of our fellow Christians, we have clothes, food, shelter, the healing of our illnesses and the strength to endure them.  Perhaps, we sometimes struggle to see God because we do not seek Him where he is found, or adequately thanked Him the blessings which He has given us.

Like Pope Leo, filled with faith, who courageously went to face the barbarian hordes, we are to face the evils of the world firm in God’s truth. Never be ashamed of your Catholic faith, but allow it to give you strength and to help you know God’s guidance and protection for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: Tuesday - 32nd Week in OT - Lives consistent with sound doctrine

Following the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul every year is the feast of his two closest collaborators, Saints Timothy and Titus. Yesterday and today, we’ve read through most of Paul’s letter to Titus, we’d finish it tomorrow, but the normal readings are superseded by those for the feast of the dedication of St. John Lateran tomorrow.

Titus was a gentile convert who came to the faith through the preaching of St. Paul. Titus accompanied Paul to the Council of Jerusalem and Paul sent Titus on the nearly impossible task of bring the division-ridden community of the Corinthians to obedience to the faith. Titus was also to take up a special collection for the poor Christians of Jerusalem.

In the Pastoral Letter to Titus, Paul tasks Titus in making sure that the fledgling community in Crete has strong, mature Christian leaders. In this wonderful letter, we get a glimpse at Paul’s vision for the organization of a Christian community including strong leadership and great vigilance over false teachers and moral error.

Today we heard how the Christian leader is to offer sound moral guidance to the different groups of his community. The Old men, the widows and older women, the young people each are to practice self-control, sobriety. The old are given the special task of being good role models for the young in their speech and behavior.

This weekend, as many of you know, I shared a little bit of the Church’s wisdom, apply sound doctrine to the great moral choice of voting. And I got a little flack over it, which was to be expected, sadly. But the Church has the duty to guide the Christian faithful according to the moral and religious truths of the Gospel. We are to be trained, as the reading said, “to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age.”

Today, we do well to pray for our leaders, leaders of the Church, leaders of government, and that all hearts may be opened to the sound doctrine of the faith. “Love is patient, Love is kind, and love rejoices in the truth.”

The truth of the Gospel is to shape our lives, every dimension of our lives. Jesus gave himself up, as we heard today, “to deliver us from lawlessness”, the lawlessness of moral error, passing fancies, sentimental judgmentalism. May each of us be conformed in our own state of life to the truth of the faith and the heart of Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: Monday - 32nd Week in OT - Scandal, Forgiveness, and Faith

There are three distinct sections in this morning’s short Gospel. The first one is about scandal—how it would be better for us to die than to lead others away from God. Second, fraternal correction and forgiveness—we cannot place limits on the forgiveness we offer. Thirdly, the great things we can accomplish when we trust in God.

As Jesus continued his journey toward Jerusalem, he taught his disciples what it meant to follow him. And he gives these three short lessons, right after another.

He first acknowledges that temptations are all around us. Satan is prowling the world seeking to separate us from God, and we must always be vigilant against sin. And Jesus says, Woe to anyone by whom anyone else is lead away from God. By our speech, attitudes, and actions we, as Christians, are to lead others to God, not away from Him.

When I am celebrating baptisms, as I did yesterday, I always remind parents and Godparents of their great duty of raising their children in the faith, to know, love, and serve God. And the primary way this is done is by their example. Children will use the words they hear their parents using, they will adopt attitudes they see their parents adopting. I tell the parents, that their job is to instill in these children a great love for the ways of God—and that is done by living them yourselves. The children will learn the importance of going to church, praying as a family, generosity towards the poor, from their parents. It’s kind of funny how there are almost more prayers in the baptism ritual for the parents then there are for the children. For woe to those parents who do not set good example for their children. 

And as Christians we must show good example not just to children, but to everyone: to the cashier, the waitress, the mailman, to neighbors, and people of other faith.

Leading others to God, as Jesus teaches this morning, sometimes involves rebuke. Children and family who have fallen away from the faith, need to be patiently and gently reminded of the eternal importance of living the faith. This is an act of mercy, an act of love.

Reeling under the impact of these demands, the disciples asked Jesus to increase their faith. Jesus assured them that faith would prove adequate to the demands God places on us. Treating people with respect, dignity, setting good example for the young, now more than ever these demands seem impossible, but Jesus says that when we live the faith, nurture the faith through study, prayer, meditation, acts of charity, the demands of discipleship become possible.

God wishes to build up his kingdom through us. May we never be a stumbling block for others, but be on guard against temptation, forgive easily, and develop true and authentic faith for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: 32nd Sunday in OT 2016 - Principles for voting

How often at work or with friends or in family gathers, when the topics of politics or religion come up, nostrils flare, or an awkward nervousness surrounds the conversation? This happens so much that people say that the two things you aren’t supposed to talk about are politics and religion. Priests even hear this. Father, don’t talk about politics, the church as no business in politics.

How sad it is, that to remain civil with each other, we have to ignore the two things that are supposed to help keep civil. For religion helps us to be civil and respectful, gentle, patient, and kind. And, politics, at its best, is help us bring about civil order, fostering an environment of civility for discussion and working for peace and justice.

Since this Tuesday is election day, here are a few principles to keep in mind as you prepare for the moral choice of voting, and hopefully we don’t have too many flared nostrils or awkward feelings.

Number 1: The Church, herself, as an institution, is not a political organism. Meaning, it is not the job of the Church as an institution to run governments. It’s not the job of the Church to sponsor or endorse a particular candidate, but it is very much the job of the Church to guide her members to think and act in accord with the faith we profess.

So the Church, rightfully speaks about “the duty of politicians” and  “the duty of voters”  to help political leaders and voters act in accordance with the moral law.

Number 2: ‘Catholic’ is a word that has real meaning. We cannot simply pick and choose the teachings of the Church that we like and just follow those and ignore the others, especially for the purpose of political expediency. As Catholics, we are baptized into the Body of Christ, the Church; we inherit our Catholicity by receiving the entire moral and divine law of God. We cannot truthfully call ourselves Catholic, and act opposite of that, saying, “well, I’m just Catholic in some areas of life.” To be Catholic is to accept it all. Our Catholic faith is meant to shape our actions in the voting booth, in the bedroom, at the workplace, in public, and in private. If we choose to call ourselves Catholics, that word has consequences, for what we believe and how we act.

It is especially atrocious when a public leader, a politician, identifies as a Catholic but acts otherwise. Any Catholic politician who says, “I’m Catholic and personally opposed to abortion or euthanasia, but I’m going to keep voting to legalize these immoralities because some people, especially my donors, think otherwise”—that politician is either a liar or coward, but certainly morally corrupt and definitely not a faithful Catholic.

If a person knows what abortion is: the brutally violent destruction of an innocent human life, then one cannot say, “I’m personally opposed…but…” If a politician said, “we’ll, I’m personally opposed to slavery, but I’m going to vote to keep it legal and encourage slavery”, would you vote for that person? Abortion is not only slavery of the unborn, it is brutal murder. And so, a candidate’s view on this issue speaks volumes about their moral beliefs and how they will govern and their vision for the society.

Number 3: There are some moral and political issues which are negotiable, because there can be different valid approaches and even disagreements between Catholics and people of good will.  Some of these include: how to care for the poor, how to stimulate an economy, how to allow immigrants to become citizens, how to provide healthcare, how to care for the environment, national defense. These are negotiable, different approaches, with their own pro’s and con’s.

However, there are non-negotiable issues. Issues which have to do with intrinsic evils. Some of these include: abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem-cell research, so-called “gay marriage”, and the coercion of people of religious conscience. These are moral issues, Church teaching is clear, and there is no room for exceptions. The Church teaches against them, no matter what, no matter who is running for office, any office. It is not the Church’s fault if a party platform or individual politician isn’t in line with what the Church teaches. The Church doesn’t change her teaching based on who is running to appear non-partisan.

You must consider a politician’s stance on these issues: if you don’t know their stance, you shouldn’t vote.

Number 4:  Perhaps you’ve heard this line: don’t bring morality into politics, or don’t force your morality on me.

But, to say that politics and morality are mutually exclusive is a lie. Every law is a legislation of morality. Every law is based on some sort of moral premise. Laws about trespassing are legislation about the moral good of private property. Even speed limits are legislating about the moral good of not endangering people’s lives through reckless driving.

Archbishop Chaput of Philadelphia said this: “Politics is where the competing moral visions of a society meet and struggle.” And since a large majority of American citizens are religious believers, it makes sense for people and communities of faith to bring their moral truth into the public sphere, and to work to build our society according to an authentic moral vision.

The so-called separation of Church and state can never mean that religious believers should be silent about legislative issues, or public policies, or the appointment of judges, all of which are important this election cycle.

Number 5: Our Catholicism has public consequences. We cannot simply stand-by and watch when immigrants are mistreated, the poor are robbed, unborn children are killed, marriage is redefined, and religious liberty is trampled. If our faith is real, then it will bear fruit in our public decisions and behaviors.

Again, Archbishop Chaput said: as a result, if we believe that a particular issue is evil then we have a duty, not just a religious duty, but a democratic duty, to hold accountable those candidates who want to allow that evil. Failing to do so is an abuse of responsibility on our part.

Finally, Number 6: America has been referred to as “the great experiment in democracy”, but we must remember that it all experiments, all nations, all candidates, all voters are subject to God’s judgment. Are actions have purpose, meaning, and consequences. How we vote makes a difference to our country, our world, and our souls. How we vote, how we exercise our political responsibilities has a bearing on our salvation. And we’ll be held accountable by God for our misuse of that responsibility.

No matter who wins the election this Tuesday, many people will have their hopes smashed.  And so we recall that our ultimate Hope is not in ideologies or parties or politicians, but in our Blessed Lord.

And so, come and pray on election day. Perhaps visit the Eucharistic chapel on your way to vote. If you’ve already voted, wonderful, then you have more time to pray.

Pray for our country, that all may open their hearts to God’s law, that true peace and prosperity may come to this country.

The heart of a truly faithful citizenship is this: we are better citizens when we are faithful Catholics. Trust the Church, trust the Lord. Vote, not as a republican or democrat, but first as a Catholic, with a fully Catholic moral vision for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

Thanks to Fr. Matthew Pfeiffer, pastor of St. Paul, Akron for the inspiration for this homily.

Homily: Nov 04 - 2016 - St. Charles Borromeo - Humilitas

One of my favorite churches in Rome is the minor basilica of Sant’Ambrogio e Carlo – the basilica of Saint Ambrose and Charles, both natives of Milan. The semester I studied in Rome, over and over I kept returning to that basilica. There is a little hidden niche there, behind the main altar and it was nice quiet place on my way to or from classes or the homeless shelter run by the missionary sisters of charity. And there in that niche is a reliquary containing the heart of Saint Charles, today’s saint.

As a seminarian, studying for the priesthood, to pray before the heart of Saint Charles was very special, he was is the patron saint of seminarians, and the patron saint of our own diocesan seminary here in Cleveland. So praying there gave me a connection to home, while at the same time, directed me to the future. Our patron saints have a wonderful way of doing that; they help us with the duties and challenges of our life, while orienting us to the future.

A few years later, I had the opportunity of making pilgrimage to the tomb of Saint Charles in Milan, and celebrating a Mass of Thanksgiving on the altar above his tomb. Again, very special. For the work and life of Saint Charles continues to effect our lives still 450 years after his death. Our modern seminary system, the method of training priest, particularly their academic and spiritual formation, can be traced to the reforms labored for by Saint Charles at the Council of Trent. 

He worked for such reform because it was his strong belief that in order to pass on the teachings of Christ faithfully to their flocks, priests needed to be well-formed in the Gospel and in theology.

The motto of Borromeo Seminary here in Cleveland is humilitas: humility, the word also found on the coat of arms of St. Charles. The seminarian needs to be humble in preparing for the priesthood, recognizing that he is a student and Christ is the master. Intellectual humility, spiritual humility recognizes that only by the light of Christ are we truly enlightened. And so, true zeal for truth, true zeal for Christ is always marked by deep humility. If we aspire to be configured to Christ and to lead others to Christ, we must be humble. We must humble ourselves in daily prayer, daily study of the faith, and daily service. It is through humility, that we, as we prayed in the opening prayer, show the face of Christ to the world.

For as we heard in the Gospel, Christ is not simply a king who rules over his flock, he is a good shepherd who lays down his life for his flock. As pastor of many souls, reformer of the church, Saint Charles modeled himself after Christ the good Shepherd, and so must we. for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: Thursday - 31st Week in OT 2016 - "We are the circumcision"

Circumcision is mentioned briefly but prominently in Paul’s letter to the Philippians, as we heard this morning. The custom of circumcising males was an important identity marker for the ancient Hebrews—it was a sign of belonging to the God of Israel, and distinguished them from the non-circumcising nations like the Philistines and Babylonians.

The meaning of circumcision is given in Genesis chapter 17, where God instructs Abraham to circumcise himself and all his male descendants as a sign of the everlasting covenant between God and his people.

The Hebrew Scriptures would often use this idea of circumcision as a metaphor, speaking of the circumcision of the heart, the lips, and the ears. For example, before the Israelites enter the Promised Land, Moses calls them to a renewed dedication to the Lord by saying, “Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and be no longer stiff-necked”. Allowing God to “circumcise your heart”, Deuteronomy says,  will enable you to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live.

Circumcision is understood as a removal of a barrier, a renewed attentiveness and devotion to God’s Word. To circumcise the ears and lips is to remove a barrier to hearing and speaking the word of God. To circumcise the heart is to renew the barriers in your life to loving God.

So what a strange and amazing thing for Paul to say in “we, Christians, are the circumcision…we who worship through the Spirit of God…and do not trust in our flesh.” Paul is speaking of a vocation isn’t it…a vocation for Christians to help the rest of the world remove the barriers in their hearts to God…and we precisely fulfill that vocation by not putting our trust in vain, empty things.

We, who have had the barriers in our lives removed, need to help others do the same. When we are faithful to that vocation, when we help those lost in sin return to God, there is, as we heard in the Gospel, “much rejoicing in heaven.”

May the Holy Spirit continue to help us identify those parts of our minds and hearts that we do not give to God, so that we may be more effective in the work of mercy for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: All Saints 2016 - "The only real sadness in life..."

As a student at Corpus Christi Academy, or in your youth, you may have been asked, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” If I were to ask the young people in our congregation here today, I’d bet I’d come up with a whole host of answers: a professional athlete, an astronaut, a doctor, a truck driver, a professional dancer, artists, musician, a soldier; perhaps one or two might be thinking of being a priest or a nun.

 No matter the profession, I bet every single one of us could answer that question, “when I grow up, I want to be happy.” No one wants to grow up to be sad or bored.

There are a lot of things that may cause us unhappiness, sadness in life: not becoming as successful as we thought we should, not having the house or car or job that we thought we should, perhaps losing a loved one before we were ready. It was the French philosopher Leon Bloy who said, “There is really only one sadness in life, not to be a saint.” For if each of us have been made by God to become holy, to be a saint, the only real sadness, is to not become the person God made us to be, happy with him in heaven for eternity.

If you had to choose between all of the material wealth, power, and fame the world could give you and being a saint, if you choose anything but becoming a saint, you’ve chosen wrong.

The saints show us what it means to be truly alive. Life is not meant to be all about the pursuit of material things, earthly things, but spiritual things, heavenly things.

In the Gospel today, did Jesus say blessed are you when you win trophies for your athletic accomplishments? No. Did he say, blessed are you when you are well known in your professional field? No. Did he say, blessed are you if you have more friends, more money than other people? No.

What did he say? Blessed are you when you are merciful, blessed are you when you are pure of heart. The beatitudes are the key to true human flourishing and true human happiness.

And today we celebrate those individuals who got that. The saints looked around and saw that when people center their lives on things other than God, the ungodly were the truly unhappy ones.

Look at the joy of saint francis, saint mother Theresa, saint clare, saint therese, do you want that joy? If so, become like them. Most of the time, we spend our efforts pursuing trivial things, which do not bring us the happiness, the joy that God offers us in the life of holiness. It might even be something the world considers very important, like becoming the president of the United States. But if you become president, but do not become a saint, you chose wrong.

What does it mean to become a saint? To become a true friend of Christ—allowing Jesus Christ to live his life in you. St. Paul said, “it is no longer I, but Christ who lives in me.” To be a saint is to invite Jesus into every dimension of your life, and allow him to reign. To put on the mind of Christ, to put on the attitude of Christ, to put on the heart of Christ in all things. And the saints are celebrated for doing just that.

Each of the saints has an interesting story. It is interesting to hear how Saint Francis would preach to the animals, or how Saint Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland, or how the Devil would appear to St. John Vianney trying to scare him, or how St. Sebastian was shot with arrows and still survived, or how St. Theresa of Avila would levitate when she prayed. But behind every saint is that great desire to know Jesus and to love him with their whole heart. And that’s what we need to emulate.

Don’t get swept up with all of the distractions are world gives us. Being a saint means saying “no” to a lot of things—things which seek to ruin our friendship with Jesus, things that seek to corrupt our minds, sour our hearts. But we say “no” to the things of the world, because of our great desire to say “yes” to God with all of our being.

We all of us today recognize our own call to become saints, and come to thank God for this great cloud of witnesses who teach us what it really means to be Christian, what it really means to be human, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.