Homily: Tuesday - 8th Week in OT 2017 - The Joy of Sacrifice

Yesterday, we read how when challenged by Jesus to give up his possessions to come and follow Jesus, the rich young many went away sad. His heart clung to what was earthly, rather than trusting in the Lord to pursue the heavenly.

Today’s Gospel is a continuation of this scene. After the rich young man departs, the disciples were astonished when Jesus spoke of material possessions as an obstacle to the kingdom of heaven.
Peter then speaks up, “If you give up everything for the kingdom, you are left—quite literally, with nothing. You become one of the poor—an outcast. No wonder the rich man went away sad: Jesus was asking him to give up not just possessions, but his security, his position, his ego.

And Jesus responds to Peter, “that’s right…put everything at the service of God…your home, your wealth, your time, talent, and treasure, your life.” Even that most important bond of family is to be considered secondary to being a disciple of Jesus Christ.

But then Jesus added a promise. That everything you give up to follow him will come back to you in abundance. That’s a pretty big promise, but Jesus backs up the promise with his very life: emptying Himself on the cross led to resurrection and exaltation. This great promise is the glory and hope of all who embrace the Gospel.

What a wonderful Gospel to reflect upon on the threshold of the great Lenten season in which we are invited to follow Jesus into the desert to practice prayer, fasting, reliance on the providence of the heavenly Father. What you give up this Lent will echo into eternity. As Sirach said today, “The just one's sacrifice is most pleasing, nor will it ever be forgotten.”

Giving up chocolate and alcohol and snacking and little earthly pleasures will be rewarded, for sure. Giving up ego, stinginess, resentment, the unguarded tongue, will be rewarded all the more. Your “generous spirit” Sirach says, “pays homage to the LORD”.

Unlike the rich young man who did not realize the value and reward of his sacrifice, let us as Sirach says be generous in our sacrifices, be cheerful, to give with a “spirit of joy” trusting that your Lenten sacrifice will be rewarded, seven, and a hundredfold. For through our sacrifices and our Lenten practices we show the world the joy of following Jesus Christ, the joy of lives abandoned to the Divine Will of God, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the Church will experience the graces of profound renewal during this season of Lent.  We pray to the Lord.

That all families will recommit themselves to fervent prayer this Lent so as to grow in greater love and holiness.  We pray to the Lord.

That young people may have the courage to leave behind the empty promises of the world in order to pursue the things of God, and that the Lord may raise up vocations to the priesthood and religious life, and prepare engaged couples for truly Christ-centered marriages.

For those preparing to enter the Church at Easter: that they will be profoundly blessed in their preparation for full initiation into the Body of Christ.  We pray to the Lord.

Homily: Monday - 8th Week in OT 2017 - Possessed by possessions?

A few years ago, the Arts & Entertainment channel began airing a show called, “Hoarders”.  The show chronicles people whose accumulation and hoarding of material stuff has become so excessive that it is has become difficult to move through the house; whole rooms of their house have become inaccessible due to this behavior.  In many cases the houses become so unsanitary that children are forced into foster care, or the house is condemned.

There are no doubt many psychological factors involved in compulsive hoarding, but often the show challenges the viewer to examine his own life.  For we can all develop a disordered attachment to material things.

Jesus confronts such a person in the Gospel today, one who has developed a disordered attachment to this things, he has begun to be possessed by his possessions. The rich young man wasn’t an evil person, it seems he kept many of the commandments, but when Jesus invited Him to a deeper relationship with God, the rich young man rejected the invitation, he failed to see Jesus’ invitation as the pearl of great price worth selling everything you have to obtain.

Most of us are not compulsive hoarders, and most of us are following the 10 commandments pretty well. However, each of us are at risk of allowing the preoccupation with earthly concerns to lead us away from our concern for our souls.

When our lives are overly focused on the material, the earthly, we become unhappy and exhausted.  Like the rich young man in the Gospel today, we leave saddened. Likely, so much of the sadness we carry around with us, is because in fact, we have turned away from opportunities to trust in Jesus, to follow him for deeply.

With Lent beginning this week, Our Lord invites us once again to trust in him by engaging seriously in the practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. We will never walk away sad, when we are sincere in our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

We are reminded once again today that our true joy is not found in the accumulation of earthly things, earthly successes, earthly honors or distinctions, but in abandonment to Jesus, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the upcoming season of Lent may be a source of renewal and spiritual growth for the entire Christian Church.

That we may guard our hearts from all kinds of greed, be free from everything which keeps us from loving and following Christ with undivided hearts.

For deliverance from any form of avarice which has crept into the hearts of Church or government leaders.

That we may be wise stewards of earthly things in sharing the goods of the earth which come from the rich mercy of God to all those in need.

Homily: 8th Sunday in OT 2017 - Seeking God brings peace

“The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me”.  Have you ever uttered those or similar words to those found in the first reading from the prophet Isaiah today?  Have things ever gotten so bad that you’ve felt as if God weren’t listening, that God had forgotten you?

A loved one who dies without any warning, a child is afflicted with a severe illness, the loss of a job, a severe natural disaster or national tragedy. Good Christians continue to be persecuted and slaughtered in this supposedly civilized age. Such events can cause us to wonder if we’ve been forsaken or forgotten.

Isaiah wrote at a time when the entire nation of Israel was crying out to God in near despair. Israel had been conquered, captured, and forced into exile by Babylon, the world superpower six centuries before Christ.  The exiled Israelites were little better than slaves.  They were a nation on the verge of annihilation.  They had no king, no leader, no army—from a natural, human point of view, there was no hope of deliverance or redemption.

And in their hopelessness they cried out, “the Lord has forsaken us, the Lord has forgotten us.”  But God sent his prophet Isaiah to remind the exiles to look at their plight from a supernatural point of view.  God says to them through, Isaiah: “Can a mother forget her infant, can she be without tenderness for the child of her womb?”  He uses this image of the most powerful natural bond in human experience, a mother’s love for her child, and says, “my love and care for you is greater.”
This is an image that demands some reflection! Every one of us spent our first years of life defenseless and completely dependent on our mother. A child’s later development depends on the physical contact with his mother. And Isaiah is saying that God’s love goes beyond the physical, beyond the natural, God’s care for us is supernatural and abundant.

Think of the many ways a mother cares for her infant child. We have all witnessed a loving mother trying to comfort a crying baby.  A mother comforts her child who is hungry, by feeding Him.

Well, we children of God hunger and long for Him, to know his closeness, to know that there is more to life than tragedy and sadness and loss. So God feeds us with his own body and blood.  No matter the trial or the sadness or suffering in our life, we are able to come to the altar to be fed by God with “the true food” of heaven. We beings, who are both physical body and eternal soul, receive the life of God under the appearance of bread and wine. God satisfies the thirsty soul, and the hungry soul he fills with what is good, namely, Himself.

A mother comforts a child who is afraid by assuring the child of her presence. A mother’s presence is limited by physical distance, while God is “unseen yet ever near”. Through Baptism the Holy Trinity comes to dwell within the Christian soul. So the Christian is never alone. Fear so often overcomes us, not because God has forgotten us, but so often because we forget God is so close—not because God has gone silent, but because we often fail to incline our ear to His voice. We go through our daily activities never really being attentive to how close God actually is. You want to be free from fear? Often throughout the day, meditate on God’s closeness. Incline your ear to His voice in the Holy Scriptures.

A mother comforts a child who is physically sick by nursing the child to health. Our God brings us to health when we are spiritually sick, when our souls grow sick and are poisoned through sin, God, the Father of mercy, in the sacrament of confession, restores our sick souls to health. And in our severe physical illnesses, Jesus brings the light of grace through the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick.

God calls us to look beyond the material, to the more important spiritual realities. In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us to stop worrying about worldly things, what he calls "mammon." "Mammon" comes from a Greek word meaning material goods and possessions - things that money can buy. He tells us not to be overly anxious about bank accounts, mortgages, work, career, reputation, achievements, worldly successes because these things cannot satisfy our hearts, and that if we care too much about them, they will separate us from God and from the peace of mind that comes only from a strong friendship with Christ.

Rather, he says "Seek first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these other things will be given you as well." The Greek word translated "seek" (zeteo) is a rich verb. It means to want eagerly, to look for actively, to strive for, to set one's heart on.

All of us here already believe in Jesus Christ. But today Jesus is asking us how deeply do we seek Him. How actively are we seeking to know, love and follow Jesus Christ? How firmly is our heart set on his Kingdom? How eagerly and energetically are we striving to achieve righteousness, which is success in God's eyes, as opposed to success in the world's eyes?

Wednesday, begins the great season of Lent. Through our Lenten prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we get back to basics, we return to those practices which help us to focus on Christ, to seek first God’s kingdom.

In the next few days, it is important for each of us to come up with a Lenten plan. What will your Lenten prayer consist of? Will you add an extra rosary to your daily routine? Will you attend Stations of the Cross on Friday nights? Will you come to Mass a few times during the week? You might sign up to have the daily scripture readings emailed to you, so you can begin your day inclining your ear to God’s voice.

What will your Lenten fasting consist of? Of course, we are obligated to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and to abstain from eating meat on the Fridays of Lent. But that’s just the bare minimum. We do well to fast from desserts, sweets, snacks, and junk food. If you play a lot of video games or watch a lot of Netflix, perhaps give these things up for Lent, in order to focus on what really matters. Perhaps you have an unhealthy habit or addiction that you’ve been delaying giving up, Lent is the time to finally let go and let God.

And what will your Lenten almsgiving look like? A little extra in the offertory? Maybe instead of spending money on a five dollar coffee at starbucks, you forgo the luxury, and set aside the money for the homeless. Or…get to know your neighbors. Introduce yourself, invite them to the fish fry or stations of the cross, even if they aren’t Catholic. Or offer to bring back some delicious fried fish or pierogi for an elderly neighbor.

I guarantee that if you pour yourselves into the Lenten practices, the worldly anxiety will dissipate, trust in God and your experience of God’s presence will flourish.

Jesus’ teaching today is pretty clear: put God unambiguously first in your life.  That doesn’t mean that you’ll never experience feelings of anxiety, or even great suffering.  But it does mean that you’ll know what to do with them.  You’ll know how to deal with them, and you’ll see them with the divine perspective. When we seek God first, then we will be filled with the inner peace of knowing life’s true purpose.

Seek first the kingdom of God, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: Friday - 7th Week in OT 2017 - Healing hardened hearts

Israel was often chastised by God’s prophets in the Old Testament for being hard-hearted.

Hardness of heart is the stubborn refusal to yield to God, to accept his truth and follow his commandments.  The Greek word for hardness of heart in Mark’s Gospel here is sklerokardia, literally sclerosis of the heart.

The obstinate rejection of the ways of God leads to this spiritual disease, in which the human person closes itself off from the love, truth, goodness, and beauty of God.

Remember, early on in Mark’s Gospel when Jesus enters a synagogue on the Sabbath where there was a man with a withered hand.  Jesus was deeply grieved at the hard-heartedness of the Pharisees. They wrongly believed that it was not right for Jesus to heal the man.  For the Pharisees, their human interpretation of the law was more important than the truth of who Jesus was and what he came to do.

Here in today’s Gospel passage, Jesus exposes the terrible hard-heartedness which had afflicted the Pharisees’ understanding of marriage. The Pharisees had lost touch with God’s original plan, blinded to the truth, goodness, and beauty of holy matrimony. The Pharisees, like many of our contemporaries believed that marriage was a human convention that could be altered or redefined or dissolved.  But Jesus exposes their error and teaches that, marriage is not a mere human institution, but a bond made by God himself.

The study of our faith and the practice of our faith exposes us to the healing graces of Christ, which heals our hard-heartedness not only in doctrinal matters, but the hard-heartedness which keeps us from spreading the love and mercy of God.

One of the great promises of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus which has always struck me is that Jesus promise St. Margaret Mary that those who love the Sacred Heart practice devotion to the Sacred Heart will have the ability to touch the most hardened of hearts.  God can melt hardened-hearts, he can restore those blinded to the truth, he can bring unbelievers to belief, he can bring comfort to the most despairing, the effects of sin on the human mind and heart can be healed.

Through the love of Christ and the truth taught by Christ and his holy Bride, the Church, may all hardened hearts be healed and filled with his grace and mercy for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all married couples may reflect the beauty of God’s love and share it with others, and that families would always draw strength for virtuous living from the teachings of our Lord as transmitted by the Church, we pray to the Lord.

That families would become schools of love as all learn to treat each person, especially the most vulnerable, with compassion, gentleness and respect, we pray to the Lord.

That those who are experiencing brokenness in family life through divorce, separation or death would find strength in the example of Christ who overcame all the brokenness of our world through his passion, we pray to the Lord.

For all those who have rejected the Gospel, for Christians who have fallen away from the Church, for all those who have fallen into mortal sin, for their conversion and the conversion of all hearts to deeper fidelity to the Gospel, we pray to the Lord.

For the needs of the sick and suffering, for those in nursing homes, hospital, or hospice care, for victims of natural disaster, victims of war, violence, and Christian persecution, for those imprisoned and those struggling with addiction and mental illness, for those who grieve the lost of a loved one, and for those who will die today.

Homily: Feb 23 2017 - St. Polycarp & the Chalice of Christ

Fr. William Jurgens was the professor of patristics, the study of the early church fathers, at our seminary here in Cleveland from 1961 until around his death in 1982. He was a quite incredible man, and priest; an internationally renowned church historian, and quite musically gifted, he had a great love for Gregorian chant.

There is a story told among the priests of Cleveland, that that in his course on the early church fathers, Fr. Jurgens would become so passionate and so emotional during the lecture on today’s saint, the bishop and martyr Saint Polycarp, that when he got to the story of Polycarp’s martyrdom, Fr. Jurgens would begin to weep, and he would then cancel class for the rest of the day. Needless to say the seminarians were both edified and grateful for Fr. Jurgens pious devotion to Polycarp.

Polycarp was born sometime between the years 75 and 82.  Saints Peter and Paul had already been martyred in 67, but Polycarp was able to meet and become the disciple of one of the Apostles, Saint John the Evangelist.  So, you can imagine how the early church revered him, being a sort of connection to the last of the twelve apostles.

Polycarp was entrusted with the church at Smyrna and was consecrated its bishop.  He wrote many letters and formed many holy disciples. During his episcopate, at the age of 86, a violent persecution broke out in Smyrna against the Christians. A young boy betrayed the bishop’s location, and Polycarp was arrested.  He was led directly to the roman judge, who ordered him make sacrifice to a pagan God and commit blasphemy. Some of his Christian friends had urged him to make the sacrifice in order to save his life.

He responded, “for 86 years I have served Jesus Christ, and he has never abandoned me.  How could I curse my blessed king and savior.” Polycarp was sentenced to be burned alive.

While tied to the stake, he prayed, “Almighty God, I give you praise, for you have counted me worthy to be among your martyrs, who drink the chalice of Christ’s sufferings.”

The ancient opening prayer for today’s Mass uses words spoken by Polycarp as he died for his Lord, petitioning God that we too may share with St. Polycarp in the chalice of Christ.

To drink from the chalice of Christ means to share in Christ’s suffering for the sake of the salvation of souls and the Father’s glory.

"Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” our Lord asked James and John. It is the cup which fills us with the life of God, it is the cup which gives us strength to do the will of God, it is the cup which drunk from leads to eternal life, but it is the cup which entails suffering for the sake of the kingdom, which means not running away and abandoning the faith when it becomes difficult, not succumbing to the temptations of the world.

May St. Polycarp’s example and prayers help us drink deeply of the chalice of Christ—the chalice of faithfulness and everlasting salvation for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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The martyrs freely embraced death in bearing witness for the faith, give us the true freedom of the Spirit. We pray to the Lord.

The martyrs professed their faith by shedding their blood, give us a faith that is constant and pure. We pray to the Lord.

The martyrs followed in the footstep of Christ by carrying the cross, help us to endure courageously the misfortunes of life. We pray to the Lord.

The martyrs washed their garments in the blood of the Lamb, help us to avoid the weaknesses of the flesh and worldly allurements. We pray to the Lord.

May the faithful departed, all of the poor souls in purgatory, the deceased members of our family, friends, and parish, for Fr. William Jurgens and the deceased priests of the diocese of Cleveland, and all those who have fought and died for our freedom, come to share the joys of the eternal kingdom. We pray to the Lord.

Homily: Feb 21 2017 - St. Peter Damian & the Silver Coin

Today we celebrate Saint Peter Damian, Cardinal, Bishop, and Doctor of the Church.  St. Peter Damian was born in Ravenna, Italy around the year 1000.

Peter Damian lost his parents when he was only a child. He was left to the care of one of his older brothers, who was very cruel to him and neglected his needs. Peter’s clothing consisted of rags which could scarcely cover him, and his food was barely enough to sustain his life.

One day, young Peter the child found a silver coin in the road. This would have been a treasure for him, as he would now be able to buy some food or shoes for his feet. As he was thinking of what he would do with the money, he thought of his parents who were dead, of the suffering they might be experiencing in Purgatory. So he said to himself , “I shall, take this piece of silver to the priest and ask him to offer holy Mass for them."

This he did, and from that moment a great change came over his life. His eldest brother came to visit and was horrified at the brutal hardships the little fellow was subjected to; so he assumed responsibility for Peter. He clad him and fed him as his own child, and educated and cared for him most affectionately. Under his care Peter grew up to be a very pious, and learned layman, he devoted himself to much prayer, fasting, and vigilance.  But he wasn’t satisfied with this, and wanted to give himself entirely to the Lord, so he entered a Benedictine monastery, where his love for learning really began to flourish.

He was known widely for his great learning and holiness and was an adviser to seven popes.  He was a writer, thinker, poet, and a true reformer, His often used his authority to speak out against the abuses of the time, and died in the presence of his brother monks.

His life was not without suffering, however; he suffered from chronic insomnia throughout his life, which he offered in union with the sufferings of Christ; he is the patron saint of insomniacs.
The heroic charity and selflessness of a young boy flourished into a life of beauty, grace, and service. This is why the Lord so often proclaims the poor to be blessed, he extols the widow’s mite, for example; they are more generous in their poverty than the rich often are in their tremendous wealth.

How often do we clutch our silver pieces to ourselves?

May St. Peter Damian, doctor of the Church, continue to teach us the importance of selfless charity and courageous faith; may we teach our young people to follow his example, to become worthy of the kingdom of heaven, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For all those struggling with bleak economic situation, for the underemployed and unemployed, may they know the closeness of God and the charity of the Christian Church.
That the Lord may have mercy upon all orphans, for the abandoned, for children whose care is neglected, for the unborn at risk of being aborted, and that the Lord will raise up men, women to labor for the defenseless and vulnerable.
That our young people may be instilled with faith that looks to the selfless example of the saints rather than the selfish example of the world.
For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for  all of the poor souls in purgatory, for the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

Homily: Monday - 7th Week in OT 2017 - Fear of the Lord

One of the most repeated and emphasized statements in the Bible is: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Deuteronomy tells us “fear of the Lord is good always and good for our survival.”

Psalm 112 says “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commands”
Proverbs says “Fear of the Lord prolongs life” and that the “reward for humility and fear of the Lord are riches, honor and life”

The book of Sirach (from which we'll be reading until the beginning of Lent) repeats over and over the importance of holy fear, “Fear of the Lord is glory and splendor, gladness and a festive crown. Fear of the Lord warms the heart, giving gladness and joy and length of days."

Here at St. Clare, the first seven stained glass windows on the west side of the church depict the seven gifts of the spirit. Fear of the Lord is depicted as the eye of God watching over the world. What is fear of the Lord? It is the constant consciousness that the eye of God is watching us always. “l'occhio di Dio che sempre ti vede” as Padre Pio said. The eye of God that follows you always.

Coming from the eye of God in our stained glass window are lightning bolts of divine judgment, symbolizing God’s judgment. Christians are to live mindfully that the eye of God watches us always and that we will have to face judgment for our choices in life.

Speaking on this most important gift of the Spirit, Pope Francis said “The gift of fear fills us with awe and reverence for God. It makes us dread the thought of displeasing God because of our love for Him. A right-ordered and healthy fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.”

Why is the fear of the Lord the beginning of Wisdom? Because if we are to live a rightly ordered life, we must first be conscious that our actions, decisions, and attitudes must be rightly directed to God, and that we will be held accountable for those actions. Without fear of the Lord we cannot remain on the right path of wisdom, we cannot even find it.

The Spiritual masters give us three practices for increasing our fear of the Lord. First, meditating frequently on God’s infinite grandeur and sovereignty. On a beautiful day like today, we do well to behold the beauty and splendor of God’s creation, and being amazed at God’s handiwork.
Secondly we are encouraged to make a frequent examination of our lives in light of the truth of the Gospel. Frequent confession of sin helps us to remain accountable and mindful of our impending judgment.

And lastly, to spend time in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament; spending time face to face with Jesus in the Eucharist, prepares us to meet the Lord face to face at the end of our earthly life.
By the great gift of fear, we seek to live lives pleasing to the Lord, seeking never to offend our gracious God, to become worthy of eternal life with Him for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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We pray that the gift of Holy Fear may deepen in the souls of our Church leaders and in the hearts of all Christians.

That our government leaders, and particularly our president, on this president’s day, may be filled with holy fear in seeking to guide our nation according to the commands of God.

For all those who have fallen away from the Church, who have fallen into mortal sin, for their return to the sacraments.

That through the gifts of the Holy Spirit we may respond to the Spirit’s promptings in caring for those most in need.

For the sick…
For the souls in purgatory…

Homily: Feb 10 2017 - St. Scholastica - Holy Conversation and Phubbing

Though they had both consecrated themselves to God, it was common for St. Scholastica to visit her brother St. Benedict. There is the famous story the two holy siblings were visiting, engaging in the holy talk of the saints, and it was time for Benedict to return to the monastery. Maybe she knew it would be their last such visit because she was coming to the end of her life, or maybe she just desired to spend more time in holy conversation with her brother, but Scholastica closed her eyes and began to pray. A torrential down pour of rain, thunder and lightning swept through making it impossible for Benedict to go home. For this reason she is the patron saint against storms and rains.

They talked and prayed throughout the night and three days later Scholastica died, her soul appearing to Benedict back in his monastery in the form of a dove flying into the heavens.

I love the story of Scholastica and Benedict’s holy conversation. The image of two saints talking of the joys of heaven, not allowing earthly cares or earthly distractions divert them. I also can’t help but compare the story to our modern culture. Our culture continues to be marked by endless noise and banal distractions of every conceivable kind. At restaurants you see a family gathered for a meal, and each of them have a cell phone in their hands; they don’t know how to talk to each other.

I learned a new word recently. It’s called “phubbing”. Phubbing is when you use your phone to “snub” someone; instead of talking to the person next to you, you intentionally avoid the conversation by checking your email or playing angry birds or whatever.

The scary thing is married couples are doing this to each other in the home, and in the bedroom. Instead of that holy communication between husband and wife, they are using their phones as excuses not to talk with each other. When this happens, anger, resentment, stress, anxiety build up because they are not expressing these things in healthy ways.

Studies show that couples nowadays are less intimate than in previous generations: and these cell phones are certainly part of the problem.

Families would do well to institute a no cell phone rule in all family bedrooms and at all meals and when guests visit the house.

The life and example of St. Scholastica call us back to healthier practices: healthy communication, family prayer, discipline in rightly ordering worldly responsibilities with religious duties.
The saints help us recover what we have lost through sinful, worldly habits. May St. Scholastica help increase our love for God and love for our fellow man for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That members of families may practice charity toward one another, share in the joy of faith together, aid each other in the spiritual life, and help each other avoid sin and to grow in sanctity.

That the use of technology may always be rightly ordered according to the commands of God.

For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life, and for a strengthening of all Christian marriages.

Through the intercession of Saint Scholastica, for all those adversely affected by storms, severe weather, for their safety and well-being.

Homily: Thursday - 5th Week in OT 2017 - The two become one

Today’s reading is often chosen by brides and grooms for their wedding ceremony. I think it’s always pretty significant that modern couples choose to read from a book written more than 4000 years ago. What does a 4000 year old ancient text have to say to couples in the age of iphones and self-driving cars? We return over and over to this ancient story because God continues to speak to us about marriage, love, fidelity, and family.

For the reading from second genesis contains an account of the first marriage in human history. In a sense, a marriage made in heaven, for we discover that marriage was not a human creation, but designed by God. God desired man and woman to be joined as helpmate, a union he designed to bring them joy, fulfillment, help.

In the Sacrament of Marriage, Bride and Groom promise to journey through life together as companions, promising that through all the trials and difficulties of life, they will help each other become Saints; and insofar as they are faithful to God’s vision for marriage, as they love each other in good times and in bad, they will become the people God made them to be, in a sense they discover their souls.

I think a wedding is always so joyful because it is edifying to witness two people coming before God’s altar, in front of their family, and friends, to say, this is the person I choose to lay down my life for, this is the person I will sacrifice my life for like no other, who I will pray for, and serve like no other.

Marriage matters. Married love shows us a glimpse of Jesus’ love for the Church. Marriage shows the world that self-sacrificing love is possible, and that by love we are saved. In a world with so much selfishness and perversion, strong Christian marriages are so important—husbands and wives saying they will strive to make the Word of God, the Love of God, the guiding principle and the wellspring for their marriage.

St. Paul says that if we do not have this sort of love, the love of Christ, we are a resounding gong, a clashing symbol. Meaning, if we are not filled with the love of Christ, we are going through life simply making a bunch of noise—and isn’t our world noisy enough?

May the grace of God strengthen all marriages, and may Christian husbands and wives inspire each of us to Christ-like love toward all with pure and devout hearts for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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For newlyweds beginning married love together, that they may always have a true and generous love for each other; may they receive the rich blessing of children, and know the constant support of family and friends.

For all married couples, that they may be faithful to the Gospel in every dimension of their married life and give all an example of God’s ever-faithful love.

For all trouble marriages, that they may know the constant support of the Church, that they may be protected from discouragement and practice patience, mildness, reconciliation toward each other, and know the healing power of the love of Christ.

For all children who are impacted by the sad reality of divorce, that they may know the constant ever-faithful love of God and be comforted in their grief.

That the sick, lonely, elderly, homeless, and all those experiencing trials or suffering of any kind may be strengthened by God’s love and know His comfort and peace.  We pray to the Lord.

For all those who grieve the death of a spouse, and for all the dead, for all of the souls in purgatory, the deceased members of our families and friends, for all those who have fought and died for our freedom.

Homily: Tuesday - 5th Week in OT 2017 - Created in the Divine Image

Our reading from the book of genesis is one of the most significant scriptural passages for understanding who we are as human beings.

On the sixth day of creation, we read how man and woman are created in the divine image, the image of God, the imago Dei. We are created, not simply as the animals, with instinct, but with intellect and will. The divine image is present in every person, no matter their race or ethnicity or IQ, physical prowess.  Every human person is a “someone” not a “something”—and we are never to treat each other as objects, we are never to dehumanize each other because of differences in opinion or belief or practice. Every human life possesses this dignity from the moment of conception till death, and therefore every human life must be cherished.

The Catechism says, “Endowed with "a spiritual and immortal" soul, the human person is "the only creature on earth that God has willed for its own sake." From his conception, he is destined for eternal beatitude.” We are created with the capacity to reflect God, and the capacity for God.

We reflect God by using our freedom to do the will of God, using our reason to understanding the order of things established by the Creator. We find his perfection "in seeking and loving what is true and good.”

And we have the Capacity for God, as the medievals said, the Capax Dei, the Capacity for God. Built into our nature is the desire for God, the desire to be with God, the desire to participate in God’s Divine Life. And we must use our faculties to obtain that end for which we were created, eternal beatitude, by doing good and avoiding evil.

The Catechism then says, the divine image “shines forth in the communion of persons, in the likeness of the unity of the divine persons among themselves” In the divine image God created “them”—male and female. Since God is Trinity, a relationship of Three Divine Persons, to be in God’s image, is to be in relationship—in communion. We are to use our human faculties to promote and protect unity and harmony amongst persons.

Let us use our human faculties, our intellect, our reason, our will, our sense of compassion this day, and with the help of God’s grace, to reflect God and to seek God, to be the people God made us to be for the glory of God and salvation of souls.


 That the leaders and members of the Church my fulfill with joy their calling to proclaim, celebrate, and serve the Gospel of Life, we pray to the Lord…

That we may unite all our choices with the will of God, and there find our true freedom and fulfillment, we pray to the Lord.

For the healing of the wounds of sin and division in our nation.

That Court decisions and laws which permit the destruction of innocent life may be resisted and ultimately reversed, we pray to the Lord…

For the Pope’s intention for this month: That all those who are afflicted, especially the poor, refugees, and marginalized, may find welcome and comfort in our communities.

Homily: Feb 6 2017 - St. Paul Miki and companions - Martyrdom in Japan

A few weeks ago, I mentioned I had recently viewed Martin Scorsese’s new movie, called “Silence” based on the book of the same name, by Catholic Japanese author Shūsaku Endō. In the story, two Jesuit priests travel to 17th century Japan where Christian lay faithful and priests were being arrested and put to some of the most severe tortures in Church history. The story takes place, about 40 years after the martyrdom of today’s saint, St. Paul Miki and his 25 companions.

Christianity had come to Japan at the tail end of the 16th century, particularly through the efforts of the great Jesuit missionary, St. Francis Xavier. Paul Miki was a native Japanese who had entered the Jesuit Order. He studied intensively the teachings of the Buddhists so that he could debate the Buddhist priests in order to convert them.

By 1587, around 200,000 Japanese had entered the Church. Seeing Christianity as a threat to his sovereignty and to his nation, in that year, the Japanese emperor ordered the banishment of Christianity from the land and the expulsion of all missionaries.  The edict was not very well enforced, which allowed many missionaries to remain in the country preaching the Gospel, though at the risk of their lives.

In 1596, the emperor increased his persecution of the Church, he began to arrest Christians in the south-central region of Japan called the Kansai region. They were forced to march 600 miles from Kyoto to Nagasaki. There they underwent some of the most brutal tortures in Church history. Those who did not apostatize were hung upon crosses and then skewered with spears.

Paul Miki was among that first group of martyrs which also 6 Franciscans from Spain, Mexico, and India, 3 native Japanese Jesuits, and 17 lay Catholics: catechists, doctors, simple artisans and servants, old men and innocent children.

While hanging upon a cross, Paul Miki preached to the people gathered for the execution: “Having arrived at this moment of my existence, I believe that no one of you thinks I want to hide the truth. That is why I declare to you that there is no other way of salvation than the one followed by Christians. Since this way teaches me to forgive my enemies and all who have offended me, I willingly forgive the king and all those who have desired my death. And I pray that they will obtain the desire of Christian baptism.

Though Christianity was almost entirely wiped out from that land, today there are about 3 million Japanese Christians, a half a million or so of them Catholic.

The martyrs inspire us by their courage, they assist us with their prayers to remain faithful in the moments when we are attempted to abandon the faith. They urge us by their witness to continue the proclamation of the Gospel to all corners of the earth for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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Our Savior’s faithfulness is mirrored in the fidelity of his witnesses who shed their blood for the Word of God. Let us praise him in remembrance of them:

The martyrs freely embraced death in bearing witness for the faith, may we receive the true freedom of the Spirit. We pray to the Lord.

The martyrs professed their faith by shedding their blood, may we have a faith that is constant and pure.

The martyrs followed in your footsteps by carrying the cross, may we endure courageously our earthly trials and all the misfortunes of life.

The martyrs washed their garments in the blood of the Lamb, may we be helped by their prayers to avoid the weaknesses of the flesh and worldly allurements.

That all missionaries may have courage and strength in their witness to the Gospel, for an increase in vocations, and that more men and women will take up the missionary call.

Homily: 5th Sunday in OT 2017 - 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 about 3 miles of salt mines 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: particularly 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. Salt, for Jesus’ listeners, must have evoked 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 delicious salt for breakfast.  Christians are to be a sort of seasoning to an otherwise bland world.

Christians, fully alive with the life of Christ, are anything but bland. This week we celebrated Catholic Schools week, and daily over in the school, the students learned about some of the patron saints of Christian Education, saints like Thomas Aquinas, John Neuman, Angela Merici, Elizabeth Ann Seton, holy men and women who bristled with energy and joy and charity. Their saltiness has changed human history, has changed the way the faith is passed on to the young generations.
Not only do we look to them in great gratitude, but for inspiration for developing our own brand of Christian saltiness on our own lives. For each of us are called to be saints, to heroic virtue and selfless service.

How else is salt used? Salt is necessary for life. Even the most stringent nutritionists have to admit that salt is a necessary component of the human diet. The ancients, too, understood, salt was necessary for good health.  Similarly, Christians need to be salt in this way. The health of the church in a particular area can be measured by whether or not its Christians are living according to the precepts of our faith.

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 against the spiritual corruption of worldly vices. Seeing many of the strong Christian values in our country begin to fade, Christians need to take up again this call to preserve. Christians must preserve the nation, marriage, family, the young from spiritual rot.

Salt is also a Purifier: The salt in the oceans of the world 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. Each of us too need to seek the constant purifying of our minds from the world’s corrupting influence. We purify our minds through study of God’s word, interiorizing the doctrines of our faith, the example of the saints.

Salt also has a destructive power.  As a kid, I’d run to the kitchen to get a salt shaker when I found a slug in the garden…a little morbid, yes.  In the ancient world, when an army would conquer their enemy, they’d knock down the walls, raise the city to the ground, then really to rub it in sometimes they would cast salt upon the earth so that nothing would ever grow there again. Are Christians to be a destructive power in society? In a sense we are! We are to be a force against all manifestations of sin, all the ways in which human life is violated and discounted, all forms of hatred and violence, we are meant to interrupt them and get in their way.

Finally, as we know all too well, living here in Cleveland, Salt is used for the melting of ice. Salt makes things flow that are frozen.   The Church’s task is to loosen up a world frozen in its own self-regard, frozen in violent and perverted ways.  We have this melting influence, when we are faithful to Christ.  Think of the power of one saint, how he can melt hearts that have been frozen against Christ. Many souls have been converted to Christ because they saw holy people selflessly engaged in the acts of charity. 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.

We look to our culture and see a lot of problems.  But when the Church is faithful, we can have that melting influence in a neighborhood or state or country to get things flowing in the right direction again.

You and I are called to be salt. But the Lord warns that salt can lose its flavor. Perhaps maybe you have lost a bit of enthusiasm for the Christian life, or your marriage has gone a little bland. Maybe you don’t feel like you are having a positive influence on your neighbors, or the fallen away members of your family.

The solution: Pray, pray, pray.  Only when we are united to Christ in a vibrant prayer life can we hope to bring his light and goodness and beauty into the world.  You cannot be salt without constant prayer.  A priest who does not pray is worthless, a bishop who does not pray is worthless, husbands and wives who do not pray will not have the strength and power to faithfully live out the Christian responsibilities of the marriage sacrament.  Young people who do not pray will not have the strength to withstand the nearly unending torrent of evil from our culture.

Salt: an ordinary substance with tremendous potential, many uses, vital to life and civilization. We must become salt by bringing Christ into our workplaces, into our conversations, into our civic life, in our family life. Be salt, my friends, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: Feb 3 2017 - St. Blaise - Deliverance from diseases of the throat

“Through the intercession of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr, may the Lord deliver us from every disease of the throat and every other illness”. The throat is of particular importance to the Christian, isn’t it? It is by the use of our throats we lift up verbal words of praise and honor to God, we sing sweet hymns of praise, we offer cries of repentance. It is by use of the throat that we are faithful to the Lord’s command to proclaim his Gospel of salvation and teach the nations in the ways of Christian discipleship. It is by use of our throats that we utter those most important phrases in any language, “thank you”, “I’m sorry”, “I love you”.

So it is good to ask the intercession of St. Blaise for the deliverance of our throats from physical afflictions. So that we can use our throats in the ways God intends.

For we know all too well, how our throats can be misused, don’t we? We can use our throats to utter phrases like “I hate you”, “I’ll never forgive you”. We can use our words to hurt, to blame, to curse, to, to betray, to spread rumors, to humiliate, to bully.

More important than physical healing then, is the importance of turning to God’s grace, and to the intercession of God’s saints to deliver us from spiritual disease, the tendency to sin, to misuse the things God has given us.

In the Gospel we heard how John used his voice to preach the Word of God, he bore witness to the moral truth of God’s law. For this he was hated and martyred, Yet, Jesus himself pointed to the example of John, “There is no one greater than John the Baptist” he said, for John labored and died proclaiming the truth that comes from God.

May each of us aspire to such greatness, such fidelity, and such right use of our faculties, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: Feb 2 2017 - Feast of the Presentation - Songs of Light

There are three canticles from the infancy narratives of Luke Gospel which are recited every single day by the Church as part of the liturgy of the hours.  Some of you might pray the hours along with the priests and religious who are obligated to offer these prayers daily.

The first canticle was sung by Zechariah on the occasion of the birth of his Son, John the Baptist. Every morning, in the liturgy of the hours, the Church recites the Canticle of Zechariah who sang of the longing for the light of Christ to dawn upon the world. Every morning, the Church turns to the light of Christ, to guide us, to scatter the darkness in our lives, to enlighten our minds and hearts.

The second canticle from the infancy narratives is the Canticle of Mary. The Church lovingly prays Mary’s Magnificat every day during evening prayer.  Carrying the Christ child within her, the light of Christ within her, she bursts forth into this song of joyful praise of God. In reciting the Magnificat daily, the Church recognizes that each Christian, carrying the light of Christ within them through baptism, has been called to be an instrument of God’s saving grace, just like Mary, and to know the joy of the indwelling presence of God.

We heard the third canticle as part of our Gospel today, sung by Simeon, when 40 days after his birth, Joseph and Mary brought the Christ child to the Temple.  Simeon’s Canticle is prayed at the very last hour of the day in the Church’s Night Prayer.

“Now you let your servant God in peace, your word as been fulfilled.” Simeon sings this song recognizing that our lives our only complete when we have gazed upon the Son of God. Notice, too, that Simeon holds the Christ child in his arms, as he recites his canticle, as if presenting Jesus to the world.

We are to turn to the light of God at the beginning of every day, we are to carry the light of God within us in order to be the people he made us to be, and we are to present that light to the world, calling all people to recognize Christ as Savior. Only by living in his light can we achieve life’s purpose. What good is life to us without Him!

In 1997, St. John Paul II designated the feast of the presentation as world day of prayer for those in consecrated religious life. So we will offer prayers for the consecrated religious who are such a great light in the Church. May we join them in responding more devoutly today to the Lord’s invitation to turn away from all darkness toward the light, to bear that light, and to present that light to those in darkness, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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For those consecrated to God by the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience that they may seek to live their baptismal promises more intensely and have the grace to persevere in their commitment to the Lord and serve with open hearts and willing spirits. We pray to the Lord…

For those who have responded to the prompting of the Holy Spirit to be a consecrated person that they may experience the support of the Church as they continue their growth in holiness. We pray to the Lord…

In gratitude for the consecrated religious who have served this parish and our diocese, for an increase in vocations to the consecrated life. We pray to the Lord…

During this Catholic Schools week, for all young people, for their teachers and catechists and parents who are the first teachers of the faith, and that the truth of the faith may be learned, cherished, and practiced in every Catholic school and Christian home.