September 29 2017 - Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels - Protectors of the Human Race and the Church

When we started using the new translation of the missal in 2011, one of my favorite changes was the mention of the different choirs of angels in the Eucharistic prefaces: “with angels and archangels, with throne and dominions and with the hosts and powers of heaven, we sing the hymn of your glory.”  Angels, archangels, thrones, dominions and powers are among the different choirs of angels, along with the cherubim, seraphim, principalities, and virtues.

The number of angels is nearly countless. Each human being ever having lived has been given a guardian angel to watch over them. We do not know the names of even our own guardian angels who watch over our every breath, but we do know the names of three of the archangels from the holy scriptures:

Archangel Michael, who is revealed to be the special protector of the people of Israel in the book of Daniel, and who is named as a sort of general of the angelic host in its warfare against the devil in the book of Revelation.

Archangel Gabriel also appears in Daniel’s vision, announcing God’s plan to lay-low the works of the Devil. On behalf of God, Gabriel sought the consent of the Blessed Virgin of Nazareth in bearing the Messiah who would bring the definitive defeat of Enemy of God through the cross.

Archangel Raphael accompanies, in the Old Testament book of Tobit, Tobit’s son Tobias on a very hazardous journey. Along the way, Raphael cures Tobit of blindness and drives away the demon Azazel who had been tormenting Tobias’ bride-to-be, Sarah. He also helps to restore the family fortune.

In the Eucharistic Preface for today’s Mass we hear how “the honor we pay the angelic creatures in whom God delights redounds to God’s own surpassing glory.” When we honor the angels, we honor God.   And since God has placed the angels as helpers of the human race, we ought to make use of their help, by invoking them, and by imitating their virtues.

Pope Leo XIII encouraged us to invoke particularly, Archangel Michael as a protector of Holy Mother Church and whenever the action of the Devil is suspected, spiritually or physically harming someone, causing violent temptations, storms or other calamities.

Pope Leo XIII lived in a time when Masonic, godless, anti-clerical, anti-church forces were congregating in Europe which were not only spreading error, but raising arms against Catholic populations. It is well known that Pope Leo was granted a vision of the supernatural and demonic forces which spurned this hatred for Catholicism, a vision in which the devil was given great sway over the earth during the 20^th century. And so he composed the St. Michael prayer, which was to be invoked for the protection of the Church. We will pray this prayer together at the conclusion of Mass, as was done for decades following Pope Leo’s vision.

We invoke the archangels and we seek to imitate their virtues, so that we may always know their protection, that we may be found like them to be cooperators with the holy will of God, that we may be found, like them, blameless in His sight, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For Pope Francis, Bishop Perez, and all Church leaders, that they may guide the Church to be strong in faith and generous in offering works of mercy to those in need. We pray to the Lord.

Through the intercession of St. Raphael may all who suffer from loneliness or sickness know the healing graces of our loving God.  We pray to the Lord.

Through the intercession of St. Gabriel, may God’s strength be with all those who work for the Spread of the Gospel.  We pray to the Lord.

Through the intercession of St. Michael, may all who are persecuted for the faith be protected against the wickedness and snares of the devil.  We pray to the Lord.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased clergy  and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.

Heavenly Father, may our prayers rise like a pleasant fragrance before you and be brought to your altar on high through the hands of your holy angels. Through Christ Our Lord.

September 28 2017 - Saint Lorenzo Ruiz, martyr - "If I had a thousand lives to offer..."

Saint Lorenzo Ruiz is the first canonized Filipino martyr.  He was born in Manila around the year 1600 to a Chinese father and a Filipino mother, who were both Christians.  As a young boy he was educated by Dominican priests and served as an altar boy.  He became a professional calligrapher, transcribing documents in beautiful penmanship, and he was a member of the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary.  He married and was a devoted husband and father of two sons and a daughter.

His life took an abrupt turn when he was unjustly accused of murder.  The threat of arrest led Lawrence to flee his home.  He sought asylum with several Dominican priests who were going to Japan to do missionary work.

However, Catholics were being persecuted heavily in Japan.  All those who professed the Catholic faith, and especially missionaries were being jailed and even being sentenced to death by the Japanese.  Lorenzo along with the missionaries were arrested shortly after arriving in Japan and were subjected to unspeakable tortures.  He was killed by being hung upside down and exsanguinated.

As he was dying he said, “If I had a thousand lives to offer, I would offer them to God. So, do with me as you please."  Lorenzo was martyred for his faith, along with 15 Dominicans from Spain, Italy, France, Japan, and the Philippines.

In the Gospel, Herod the Tetrarch is greatly perplexed when Jesus persists in his mission even after John the Baptist had been beheaded. The powers of the world are perplexed by Christ. The Japanese torturers could not understand why Saint Lorenzo and his companion Christians willingly suffered for Christ. “The world does not know us, because it did not know him”.

The world does not understand why we remain true to the teachings of Christ amidst the changing moral values of the world.  It does not understand why Christians in the third world will often walk 3 or 4 hours to Church in Sunday day to celebrate Eucharist. It does not understand why we undergo the embarrassment of confessing our sins to a fallible priest. It does not understand why we fast and do penance and seek the mortification of the flesh. It does not understand why we sacrifice so much of our time and talent and wealth to help people we don’t even know.

And in the world’s lack of understanding, we say, along with Saint Lorenzo Ruiz, “if I had a thousand lives to offer, I would offer them to God.” In our temptations and our hardship, may we be found faithful to Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls. 

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That religious indifference in our country and around the world may be transformed to radical commitment to the Gospel of Christ.

For the transformation of all attitudes which lead to war, violence, racial hatred, and religious persecution.

For the conversion of Atheists, hardened sinners, lapsed Catholics, and the conversion of all hearts.
For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of September: “That our parishes, animated by a missionary spirit, may be places where faith is communicated and charity is seen.”

That the love of Christ, the divine physician, may bring healing to the sick and comfort to all the suffering.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased clergy and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

Sept 26 2017 - Saints Cosmas and Damian - Offering the hours of the day to God

Saints Cosmas and Damien were twin brothers, born in the middle of the 3rd century. They both studied medicine in what is now modern-day Syria. They practiced their medical profession with not only great skill but great charity, offering their services for free to those who could not pay. They are the patron saints of physicians.

Since they were so prominent in the community, when the persecution of Diocletian swept through around the year 303, they were put to death, refusing to apostatize the faith.

As holy Christians and holy doctors, they remind us how important it is to offer the whole of our lives to the service of the Church. If we are doctors, to use our medical training for Christ, if we our lawyers, do use our legal expertise for Christ, if we are retirees, to use our time for Christ.

Many make use of their professional training and their time to make a name for themselves instead of service for Christ. The time we’ve been given is meant for our sanctification: whether we are a day- laborer or an expert in our field. As St. Paul says, “In whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

How we use our time matters for eternity. Christians are to be diligent, they should seek excellence in their work and true refreshment in their leisure, they should pursue virtue and the perfection of their character, subjecting every hour of the day to the Lord’s glory.

Whether we are spending 8 or 10 hours in the office, or able to spend warm autumn days in the garden, or sitting in the doctor’s waiting room, it’s not a bad idea to call to mind every hour our Christian identity, to dedicate that hour to God’s will over our own, to ask God to bless that hour for his purposes.

When our day is continually offered to God, the events of our day, even the hardships, can become opportunities for meeting Christ. We meet him in our labors, others can meet him, through us, because we have offered our hearts and minds and our diligence to Him.

As the Jews, in our first reading, returned from exile, rebuild the Temple to be a house for God to dwell, may the saints help us to build our lives, our bodies, minds, hearts and sufferings into a Temple where God is worshipped, adored, and served, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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Through the intercession of Saints Cosmas and Damien, we pray that all doctors, nurses, medical professionals and health care workers may use their training for God’s glory, always respecting the dignity of every human life.
For an end to all medical techniques which violate human dignity, for an end to abortion, euthanasia, IVF, and the destruction of human embryos.
That the dignity of works may be respected by their employers and by the state, and for the unemployed and underemployed.
For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of September: “That our parishes, animated by a missionary spirit, may be places where faith is communicated and charity is seen.” We pray to the Lord.
For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster and inclement weather, especially the people of Houston Texas, those who suffer from war, violence, and terrorism, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, and the imprisoned, for those who struggle to live the call of Christian chastity, for the comfort of the dying and the consolation of their families.
For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.
Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.

Monday - 25th Week of OT 2017 - Returning from Exile, Rebuilding Your Life

The Old Testament Books of Ezra and Nehemiah detail the 50-year period after the Babylonian Captivity. For over a hundred years, Jews lived and worked in Babylon, cut off from their traditions, their history, their rituals, their stories, and their worship.  A generation of Jews grew up without knowing about God freeing their people from slavery in Egypt, they grew up without knowing the promises God made to Abraham, without the knowledge of the ten commandments or the promised land.  They grew up only knowing the gods and practices of Babylon-- a culture which practiced child sacrifice, polygamy, and other behaviors condemned by Jewish law.

Imagine if your children or grandchildren knew nothing about their family histories, knew nothing about their heritage, in fact, they had adopted practices which were exactly the opposite of the truths of their faith.  In a way, not knowing their history, not knowing their faith, you would say, that they did not know themselves.

The Old testament reading today details the turning point in this sad chapter. In October 539 BC, so this time of year, two thousand, five hundred, fifty-some years ago, the Persian King Cyrus defeated the Babylonians. A year later King Cyrus decrees that he will allow the captive Jews to return to their homeland. What inspired the King to make this allowance? We heard today…”The LORD inspired King Cyrus of Persia” Cyrus even decrees that the Jews should be assisted in rebuilding the house of God—the Temple—in Jerusalem.

There is certainly a powerful spiritual analogue to this story of captivity and return. In our sin and ignorance, we are held captive, separated from God and the ways of the saving faith. Some Catholics fall away from the faith, some struggle to be free from very serious sins or addictions, for what seems like a hundred years. But, like Cyrus inspired by God, we receive the grace to break free from our sin, our addiction, our captivity, the fallen away Catholic comes home, the Christian struggling with sin is liberated.

But that gift of liberation and return, is given by God for a purpose. The returning exiles were tasked with rebuilding the Temple and recommitting to the works of God’s Holy Law. So, too Christians, freed from sin are tasked with offering right and beautiful worship to God, and must commit ever more fervently to the works of Christian Law, the works of mercy. We are freed from sin, that we may engage in the life of God, the life of mercy, to build up the New Temple of God, the Church, built with living stones.

As we heard in the Gospel, we are given the light of faith, not that it may be hidden under a bushel, but that it may be shared for the good of all, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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For the Holy Father, Francis, our Pope, that he may be aided by the Holy Spirit in leading those captive to sin home to right relationship to God through Holy Church. We pray to the Lord.

That all Christians tasked with the spread of the light of the Gospel, may be faithful to that same Gospel in every dimension of their lives. We pray to the Lord.

For all those who have fallen away from the Church, those whose lives are darkened by sin, for the conversion of all unbelievers and those who have fallen into error, and the conversion of all hearts.
For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of September: “That our parishes, animated by a missionary spirit, may be places where faith is communicated and charity is seen.”

That the love of Christ, the divine physician, may bring healing to the sick and comfort to all the suffering.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

25th Sunday in OT 2017 - The Mysterious Ways of God

For several weeks, our Gospels have contained some pretty challenging lessons. Where we find forgiving people difficult, Jesus teaches us that God forgives and we ought to forgive without limit. When most people were exalting the flashy faith of the Pharisees, Jesus extols the humble hidden faith of the poor widow, the repentant prostitute, blind beggar. Where most of us run away from crosses, Jesus teaches that his disciples must each take up their own cross.

The New Testament parables challenge us to grow in the practice of our faith, they shake us out of our complacency, and they often show us that God operates in ways quite different from the ways of man. Yes, challenging lessons as of late, yet, today’s parable of the Generous Landowner, is seriously puzzling, if not unnerving and somewhat vexing.

A Landowner goes out to hire workers for his field—a common practice in Jesus’ time, as it is still today. He hires workers in the morning, he hires workers at midday, and then in the evening, he calls more and more people to work in his field. Then the work day ends and he calls the workers together to receive their wages, but strangely those who have been working the least amount of time, he pays first. And he pays these people, who only worked a half-hour, 45 minutes, a full day’s wage. The workers who were there from the beginning of the day are a little upset when they receive the same daily wage.

Most of us hearing this parable would be quite upset if the same thing happened to us. It’s unfair. It seems unjust.

How does the landowner explain this apparent injustice? He says, “Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?'
If you were one of the workers, would you be satisfied with that answer? Who in Jesus’ time or in our time would say, “Oh yeah, that makes sense.” No, there is still something unresolved. One person worked nine hours, the other worked nine minutes. Like a little kid who gets the smaller piece of dessert than his sibling: “Not Fair!” It doesn’t compute, it doesn’t make sense.

And that’s one of the points of the parables: to find that place that doesn’t quite make sense. To help us understand things not from an earthly point of view, but from a heavenly point of view. What did we hear in the first reading from the Prophet Isaiah? “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.”

Is God’s Wisdom, similar to human wisdom or different? Simply judging by the number of people who do not learn from their mistakes, God’s wisdom is far greater. Is God’s love, similar to human ways of showing affection or is it on a whole different level? The cross shows us, God’s love is greater.

The ways of God are often mysterious for the same reason the ways of parents seem so strange and unfair to their children. The parents sees so much more, they see how the piece of candy will spoil the child’s dinner, they see how a late bedtime will make the child cranky the next morning, they see how failing to discipline the toddler will lead to a spoiled teenager. The child sees from a very narrow point of view and often sees their parents actions as unjust, unfair.

 Analogously, we see from a very narrow perspective, a small point in time. So it is possible that things we see as unjust, aren’t from God’s perspective, who sees the whole of space and the whole of time, who sees all that is, and all that can possible be.

Just in the last month, we live in the wake of multiple hurricanes, earth quakes, floods, innocent people dying at the hands of terrorists. We see the wicked prospering, as the poor grow hungrier.
Today’s parable, challenges us to see even these tragedies from the divine perspective. Why does God allow these things to happen? God’s ways are not our ways. Perhaps all these events are opportunities for faith. Perhaps they are opportunities for the Church to reach out to the hungry with the food they need, to comfort the suffering with Gospel charity.

We may be quick to question the motive and wisdom of the Landowner, but likely knew some things that the indignant workers did not. What if he saw in his compassion that those who waited all day needed to feed their families; as they stood in the hot sun, anxiously, worrying about paying their bills, their debts, they began to be overwhelmed by a sense of failure. Yes they only worked for a half-hour, but doesn’t the landowner, God, see the suffering of the whole day. Who are we to be passing judgment on the mysterious ways of God.

I think that’s one of the problems of our age: it’s very judgmental toward God. Many, who claim to be unjudgmental, are actually quite judgmental toward the rules of the church, the commandments of the bible. They judge the moral teachings of the Church to be wrong, outdated, antiquated or backward. But making such judgments doesn’t make them so.

Our faith is mysterious. As Pope Benedict said, you can only see the beauty of the stained glass, from the inside.

Though his ways are difficult to understand. God promises understanding to those who seek it. He promises peace to those who pursue it, in Him.

When we come to Mass, we open our hearts to listen to God’s word speaking to us in the confusing events of our life. We hear him inviting us to trust in him, to unite our sufferings to him. Whether good or bad things happen around us, we are called to trust, whether certain commandments are easy or hard, whether we understand them or not, we are called to be faithful. Whether we are blessed with abundance, or receive much less than we think we deserve, we are called to give thanks.
Let us resound with the words of the Psalm: The LORD is just in all his ways and holy in all his works. The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth”  for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Friday - 24th Week in OT 2017 - Truth and Mercy must remain united

Since last Thursday until this Saturday the first readings have been from St. Paul’s first letter to Timothy.  Timothy was a young convert who came to the Faith via Paul’s preaching and teaching.  And he became the bishop of the important city of Ephesus when he was still pretty much a young man.  Paul wrote this letter to him personally for encouragement and advice on how to administer this great responsibility.

About 30 years later, St. John would address part of the Book of Revelation to the Church at Ephesus, and it is really interesting to compare the state of the Church in Timothy’s time and the state of the Church when John wrote to them.

Ephesus was the most prestigious cultural, commercial, and most important political center in Asia minor. It was known for having many temples, including a very prominent temple to Artemis. We know from the book of Acts that even though Christianity was opposed by the merchant class in Ephesus, the new faith spread quite rapidly.

When St. John wrote to the Ephesians in the book of Revelation, he praises the them for remaining in the truth. Particularly, for opposing the false teachings of the Nikolatians. The deacon Nicolaus, from the book of Acts, apparently hadn’t turned out to be such a good choice. Nicolaus had been falsely teaching that it was okay for Christians to try to blend in with the culture, taking part in pagan temple worship and the…temple prostitution.

So when we hear in the reading today, Paul urging Timothy to protect his flock from false teachers, it seems like Timothy had heeded, at least the first part of Paul’s instruction.

However, St. John reveals that the Ephesians were failing to live up to a very important Gospel tenet. He says that they had “abandoned their first love” and had given up on the good works, the works of mercy, which are so fundamental to the Christian life.

So the Ephesians were outstanding in holding to the truth, they knew their catechism, but they were neglecting the works of mercy. Perhaps, they had allowed that love of money, which St. Paul warned them against, to keep them from the charity we are called to be Christ.

As Catholics, we don’t choose between Catechism and Charity. We must be both wholly committed to right doctrine AND wholly committed to the works of mercy. "Gracious love must meet truth; righteousness and peace must kiss" Psalm 25 says. Pope Francis, is keenly aware of this, as is evidenced in his prayer intention for the month of September. Truth and Love are united in Christ, the Saints always hold fast to both, and so must we, if we wish to be effective in the building up of the kingdom, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all Christians may hold fast to right Christian teaching and engage in right Christian action.

For those who have fallen into error, for Catholics who have grown lukewarm in their faith, for those who have left the Church, for their conversion and the conversion of all hearts.

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of September: “That our parishes, animated by a missionary spirit, may be places where faith is communicated and charity is seen.”

That the love of Christ, the divine physician, may bring healing to the sick and comfort to all the suffering.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

September 21, 2017 - St. Matthew - Our longing for conversion

Conversion stories are powerful. To hear of a great sinner, turning his life over to God, always moves us and resonates with us. In conversion stories, we humbly acknowledge how our lives would have been different had God not been searching us out, we recognize in them the movement of grace that stirs in our own lives and changes them forever, we get a sense of that two-fold yearning: man’s yearning for God, and God’s yearning for man.

St. Matthew was trapped in a cycle of sin. The tax collector extorted his own kind, cheating the people he collected from. For this reason, tax-collectors like Matthew were despised, and grouped together by their contemporaries in the same breath as the murderers, assassins, thieves, robbers, criminals, and prostitutes. No good Jew would even marry someone who had a tax-collector in their extended family!

But while sitting at a custom’s post, Matthew saw a man who would not only change his life, but the history of the world, forever. He followed the Christ, and invited him into his home.
Matthew, of course, would be chosen by the Lord as one of the Twelve, and would carry the Gospel after the Lord’s death and resurrection throughout Persia and as far as Ethiopia, where he was martyred on order of the king.

Matthew responded, not to the orders of a military leader, but to the invitation of the Savior. The Lord desired for Matthew so-much-more-than the old sinful life, as he does for all of us. Jesus called Matthew from sins which alienated him from God and his neighbor, to the new communion of the Church, and to a life of freedom and grace.

The liberation and happiness the Lord brought to Matthew’s life is available to us if we but trust the Lord, and leave behind selfishness, fear, and ego-centrism.

Jesus dined in the homes of tax collectors and sinners in order to satisfy their deepest hungers—to reveal to them the truth for which they longed in their deepest being. As the Lord feeds us at the Eucharistic table today, may we recognize in Him our hearts deepest longings, and trust him as he sends us out on the mission of spreading the Gospel according to our own ability, for the glory of God and salvation of souls. 

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That all Christians may have the courage to confess their sins and to courageously follow the Lord’s call to spread the Gospel.

For all those trapped in cycles of sin or addiction, that they may heed the Lord’s invitation to mercy and freedom.

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of September: “That our parishes, animated by a missionary spirit, may be places where faith is communicated and charity is seen.”

That the love of Christ, the divine physician, may bring healing to the sick and comfort to all the suffering.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

September 19, 2017 - St. Januarius - Miracle of the blood

Saint Januarius or San Gennaro is the patron saint of Naples, Italy, and he died in the last great persecution by the Roman Empire, that of Emperor Diocletian. Little is known about his life other than in the year AD 305, he and his companions were beheaded for refusing to worship pagan idols. 
Connected with this feast is the miracle of the liquefaction of the martyrs’ blood, which is kept in a reliquary in Naples.  Four times a year—the first Saturday of May, today September 19 and some day during the octave of his feast, and sometimes on December 16—his blood which is kept in a large reliquary is brought out for the Church to venerate. 

This feast is celebrated with great festivity in Naples and many towns in southern Italy.  Over a million people will gather in the Little Italy section of New York today for festivities as well.  Both Pope Benedict and Pope Francis have made pilgrimage to Naples to witness this miracle.  You can even watch youtube videos of the miracle occurring.

This miracle has been going on for centuries and is one of the most scientifically studied religious phenomenon in the world.  Scientists have been unable to come up with an explanation. 
Why does God perpetuate this miracle? For one, it reminds the world that He is God of awe and wonder, and awesome works, and strange ways. The miracles of the saints show us that God is at work in human history. Just as the healing miracles of Jesus, as we heard in the Gospel, show us that God is at work, God can bring healing to desperate situations.

I think the miracle of the liquification of the blood also shows our modern world that not everything can be explained with science.  Science is not the great savior of the world. There are limits to human reason, things which we must accept by faith.

This miracle also reminds us that the blood of the martyrs continues to have power. The blood of Januarius, spilled for Christ, encourages us, and reminds us that God sees and treasures our sufferings for the Church.

Is every petition we make to God answered exactly as we wish? Is every request for a miracle granted? Perhaps not. But every drop of martyrs blood, every ounce of suffering for the sake of the kingdom has value in God’s eyes and power—our fasting, our penance, our mortification, the mockery we endure for the faith.

May the sufferings of Januarius and the martyrs continue to speak powerfully to our fallen world, and work the great miracle of the transformation of our hardened hearts for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That religious indifference in our country and around the world may be transformed to radical commitment to the Gospel of Christ.

For the transformation of all attitudes which lead to war, violence, racial hatred, and religious persecution.

For deeper devotion to Immaculate Mary, for the conversion of Atheists, hardened sinners, lapsed Catholics, and the conversion of all hearts.

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of September: “That our parishes, animated by a missionary spirit, may be places where faith is communicated and charity is seen.”

That the love of Christ, the divine physician, may bring healing to the sick and comfort to all the suffering.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

Monday - 24th Week of OT 2017 - Lord, I am not worthy

At every Mass, before receiving Jesus in Holy Communion, we echo the words of the Centurion, “Lord I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof.” Even the priest who has been consecrated by the bishop to preside over these sacred mysteries says that he is unworthy to receive.

Jesus remarks that not in all of Israel had he found such faith. And you can be sure that there were many people who considered themselves to be very faithful, particularly the Pharisees.

In claiming our unworthiness to receive Holy Communion, is not a superficial act of self-degradation. We are able to come forward to receive the Lord not because we are so great and so good, but because God is so good.

When we express our unworthiness, when we kneel throughout Mass, when we genuflect when we come into the church, when we bow before receiving holy communion, we are expressing something very important for Christians, we are expressing our Reverence for God.

Reverence is having the respect we ought to have for God.  St. Theresa said, that if we really understood the greatness of the miracle that took place at Mass, we would fall flat on our face.  Because the God of the entire universe is here.  The same sacrifice that opened for us the way to heaven, takes place here in this church, on this altar, for us.

When we realize God's majestic glory, we conclude that He doesn't owe us anything. Thus, we see life as a gift and a privilege. Realizing our unworthiness we acknowledge the reality of our humanity. We see ourselves as unconditionally loved and superabundantly showered with God’s mercy. Our every breath is a grace.

There is a joy in unworthiness. There is a joy in kneeling, in submitting to not an arbitrary authority, but a true one.

Last week, I spoke of the moral therapeutic deism which has infected many Christians, who come to Church only to get something, to have their self-esteem boosted, to have their sins explained away. But reverence purifies us of such self-centeredness. Reverence brings us to our knees in the presence of God, and brings us joy in knowing that He is God and we are not.

May this Holy Eucharist today deepen our reverence and deepen our joy, that we may be faithful proclaiming Christ’s saving Truth to the ends of the earth, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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May the Church deepen in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, particularly in the reverence which helps us adore and proclaim the ineffable love of God.

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of September: “That our parishes, animated by a missionary spirit, may be places where faith is communicated and charity is seen.”

For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster and inclement weather, those who suffer from war, violence, and terrorism, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, the imprisoned, the unchaste, for the comfort of the dying and the consolation of their families.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.

24th Sunday of OT 2017 - Highs and Lows, Chaos and Harmony, Joy and Sadness

This has certainly been a week of highs and lows. While citizens of Texas sought to rebuild their lives after the devastating Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma caused catastrophic damage to several Caribbean Islands and the Florida Keys resulting in loss of life and home. In the wake of both storms, however, there has been a tremendous outpouring of charity, of which we have an opportunity to share in this weekend, with a collection at the doors of the church after Mass.

Here in Cleveland, we’ve seen a spectacular display of talent and sportsmanship in our local Major League Baseball Team, with a new American League Record of a 22-game consecutive streak breaking a record that has stood for a hundred years. Even a non-sports fan like me can appreciate that tremendous accomplishment.

Liturgically, this week celebrated two of my favorite feast days: the feast of the exaltation of the cross on Thursday, and Friday, the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. Here are two feast days in which we reflect upon how God’s goodness brings light to times of great darkness, how the cross, and the tears of the Blessed Mother can signal the defeat of evil. I’d like to repeat an invitation I make from time to time: if you have weekday mornings free, try to come to daily mass. There you get to celebrate with the Church these amazing mysteries of our faith.

Another, high point this week was on Tuesday evening. We had wonderful attendance for the first segment of Bishop Robert Barron’s video series on the Pivotal Players of Catholicism. We watched with wonder and awe a beautiful video on the Life of St. Francis of Assisi, and had a delightful discussion of the video afterwards.

Thursday, in addition to the liturgical celebration, was also the one-year anniversary of the passing of our beloved Father Wendelken. The anniversary of the death of a loved one is always bitter sweet. Their absence is felt, life is different without them, but one also looks back upon very fond memories with gratitude for the blessing of being a part of their life.

And then, of course, beginning the week, was the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and yesterday, (Friday) another terrorist attack in London.

Highs and lows, grace and chaos, causes for happiness, causes for sadness, fear, and anger. What is the meaning of all of it? What do we do with all these experiences, feelings, and emotions? I believe our scripture readings give us some important insights.

Firstly, from our second reading. St. Paul reminds the Christian that our life is not our own. “For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.” No matter what happens in life: a job promotion or months of unemployment, a bountiful harvest or sweeping famine, the death of a loved one or a new baby brought into the world. Whether there is chaos or harmony, peace or war, we belong to Christ and in all that we do, and through everything that is happening around us, we must persevere in the Christian life, we must follow the commandments of God, we must persist in prayer, and we must reach out to those in need.
In fact, one might say, that in times of joy and prosperity it is easy to bless God and thank God, but it is in times of adversity that our faith is truly put to the test. Catastrophic storms, terrorist attacks, family deaths, these things cause our faith to be tested. And during these times, and in times of temptation, we must recommit to our faith all the more: that we belong to God and our called to be saints.

Pope St. Gregory the Great spoke of why the saints are triumphant in the spiritual life through temptation and even the threat of physical death. He said,  "The saints, therefore, do not live and do not die for themselves.  They do not live for themselves, because in all that they do they strive for spiritual gain: by praying, preaching and persevering in good works, they seek the increase of the citizens of the heavenly fatherland.  Nor do they die for themselves, because men see them glorifying God by their death, hastening to reach him through death". So in the good times and bad, we must call to mind frequently, that we belong to God and are called to be saints.

The second insight from the scriptures this week helps us to understand what we are to do with all these powerful emotions caused by life’s storms. When terrorism strikes, when innocents lose their lives, when people we love betray our trust, we experience anger. And if that anger is not dealt with properly it can fester and transform into resentment, bitterness, and hatred.

As Christians, how are we called to deal with anger? The readings repeat it over and over again, Jesus repeated it over and over again: forgiveness. For Jesus, forgiveness is one of, if not the defining characteristic of the Christian. Jesus Himself, pleads forgiveness from the cross: forgive them, for they know not what they do.  Peter in today’s Gospel asks, how many times should I forgive my brother, as many as seven times?  Jesus answers, I say to you, not seven times, but seventy times seven times.  Forgive without limits.

Forgiveness is hard. We all love to be forgiven. When we make a mistake, when we act out of anger, when we accumulate a debt, we love to be forgiven. But forgiving the mistake, forgiving another’s foolishness, forgiving a debt, is much more difficult.

But the urgency to forgive is evident in the Gospel today: he who does not forgive, shall not be forgiven by the higher authority.

In the beatitudes, Jesus proclaims Blessed are the merciful. Showing mercy, forgiving debts, letting go of anger through forgiveness, is the path to blessedness, it is the Christian way. And when we begin to practice absolute forgiveness, when we begin to take this stuff really serious, miraculous things occur: inner wounds begin to heal,  we stop becoming irritated at minor setbacks and annoyances; an unshakeable peace begins to grow inside of us; we begin to turn less to earthly things to numb our feelings, and turn more to God in thanksgiving for sharing in the cross of Christ. Who wouldn’t willingly give up their resentments for those great gifts from God!

In this celebration of Holy Eucharist, amidst the storms of this earthly life, we are reminded that we belong to God and called to a life of mercy and blessedness in this life, so that we may share in the eternal blessedness of heaven, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

September 15, 2017 - Our Lady of Sorrows - More Compassionate Hearts

The priest may choose between two different Gospel readings for this Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. The first, which we heard today, from Luke’s Gospel: the words of Simeon to Our Blessed Mother. He foretells the great destiny of her son, while speaking of a future which will be filled with suffering—not just the Son’s suffering, but the mother’s as well: and your own heart a sword shall pierce.

Those who love Christ share his sufferings, and no one loved Jesus more than his mother. In earlier centuries, this feast was called “Our Lady of Compassion”—the word “Compassion” coming from the latin “to suffer with”. Our hearts stretch, we grow in compassion when we meditate on the sorrows of Mary, on the suffering of Jesus. Growing in compassion means stretching the heart to include greater awareness of the suffering of others.

The other Gospel we could have used was from the crucifixion in John’s Gospel: Jesus speaking to Our Lady and the beloved disciple from the cross—Our Lady standing at the foot of the cross. At the cross her station keeping, Stood the mournful Mother weeping, Close to Jesus to the last.

Jesus tells the beloved disciple to take Mary as his mother, and in doing so, gives Mary as mother to all of his beloved disciples throughout the centuries. We are invited to share in our mother’s joy, in her wisdom, we are invited to know her maternal protection. But like any child who sees his mother weeping, we also share in her sorrows.

The founding pastor of our parish, Fr .Fitzgerald, had a great devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows, which is why her statue stands near the sanctuary.

It is sad to think of how many Christians do not know the motherhood of Mary, which I’m sure is one reason why our Mother weeps. When the grandkids or nieces and nephews come over to visit, pray the rosary with them, teach them of the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady, for the younger generations who do not know Mary are in danger of have stilted, colder hearts, as we all are when we fail to love Our Mother as we should.

Pope St. John Paul II wrote: “Turn your eyes incessantly to the Blessed Virgin; she, who is the Mother of Sorrows and also the Mother of Consolation, can understand you completely and help you. Looking to her, praying to her, you will obtain that your tedium will become serenity, your anguish change into hope, and your grief into love.”

During the remainder of the day, let us reflect upon the sufferings of the Mother of God. May the tears of Mary give us more compassionate hearts, and keep us faithful to her Son, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For the Church in every place; that, by calling to mind the sorrow of the Blessed Virgin Mary upon hearing the prophecy of Simeon, she may offer comfort to all who advance in this life
along a path of obscurity and suffering.

For the leaders of nations; that, by remembering the sorrow of the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt,
they may be moved to care for refugees and for all who are obliged to flee from war and persecution.

For parents anguishing over their children; that, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary
and of Saint Joseph who were anguished by the disappearance of Jesus for three days, they may put their all their confidence in the Father.

For all who bear the cross of suffering; that, like Jesus bearing His cross, they may encounter the Mother of Sorrows on the way, and be sustained by her compassion.

For widows mourning the death of a beloved spouse; that, by turning to Our Lady, the Virgin Widow of Saint Joseph, they may be comforted in their solitude and inspired to go forward with courage and trust in God.

For all priests; that in the daily offering of the Holy Sacrifice, they may discover the nearness of the Mother of Sorrows and, like Saint John, take her into their homes.

For ourselves; that, by remembering the sorrow of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the entombment of her Son, we may be strengthened in hope and learn from her to wait in silence for the light of the resurrection, and for N. for whom this mass is offered.

May we be aided at your Mercy Seat, Lord Jesus Christ, now and at the hour of our death, by the pleading of the Blessed Virgin Mary, your Mother, whose most holy soul was pierced, in the hour of your sufferings, by a sword of sorrow. Who live and reign forever and ever.

September 14, 2017 - The Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross - Lumen Crucis, Light of the Cross

The word ‘exaltation’, as in the ‘exaltation of the Cross’ literally means, to bring to light. The Christian is charged with bringing the Lumen Crucis, the light of the cross, to the world.

Even the finding of the True Cross by St. Helen underscores this mission. St. Helen, mother of the Emperor Constantine was on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. St. Helen found the True Cross buried underneath a Temple to the Pagan Goddess Venus which had been built over Mount Calvary, the place of crucifixion. The cult of Venus was a cult of sex and pleasure, seeking worldly pleasures in this life. The cult of the Cross on the other hand, seeks not the fulfillment of worldly pleasure in this life, but the life of sacrifice in order to attain eternal life.

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me,” says the Lord.

The Gospel today refers to the Old Testament story of the serpent being lifted up in the desert. The Lord commanded that this strange, poisonous death dealing snake be lifted up for the people to see and be healed. So, too, the Christian is charged to lift up the strange, death dealing cross for all the world to see to be a sign of the ultimate healing that comes through following Christ.

In light of this feast, we are reminded of the need to take up our cross every day in order to follow Christ, whom we love. We do that by detaching from the earthly objects and pursuits which demand we love Christ less, the earthly interests which keep us from prayer and Christian service.

St. Anthony of Padua in a sermon on the cross said: “You cannot better appreciate your worth than by looking into the mirror of the Cross of Christ; there you will learn how you are to deflate your pride, how you must mortify the desires of the flesh, how you are to pray to your Father for those who persecute you, and to commend your spirit into God’s hands.”

The light of the Cross shows us the love God has for us, and by taking up our own crosses, embracing self-sacrifice, service, mortification, and penance for the sake of the kingdom, we show that it is by the light of the cross, not the light of worldly values and pleasures, that we are made worthy of the kingdom of heaven.

May we exalt the cross in all way say and do, and by it be exalted, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the Church may lift high the Cross of Christ, proclaiming forgiveness and redemption in him alone, we pray to the Lord...

That world leaders may look upon the Son of God, believe in him, and take hold of the peace and justice that only he can bring, we pray to the Lord...

That all whose lives are marked by suffering may discover the saving power of the cross of Christ, and be victorious in all their trials, we pray to the Lord...

That those who embrace the cross as they work for justice for the poor, the oppressed, and the unborn, may find strength and success in their work, we pray to the Lord…

That the sick may be blessed with patience during the difficult parts of their journey in life, we pray to the Lord...

That all who have died may experience the eternal life won by the cross of Christ, especially the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for Father Robert Wendelken on the anniversary of his death, and for N. for whom this Mass is offered, we pray to the Lord...

Almighty ever-living God, comfort of mourners, strength of all who toil, may the prayers of those who cry out in any tribulation come before you, that all may rejoice, because in their hour of need your mercy was at hand. Through Christ our Lord. (From Good Friday Petitions)

Tuesday - 23rd Week of OT 2017 - Moral Therapeutic Deism

Since last Wednesday, we’ve been reading from Paul’s letter to the Colossians. It’s a short letter, only four chapters; you can read the whole thing in 10 minutes.

Like most of Paul’s letters, Colossians is divided into two parts.  The first two chapters make up the first part.  They are theological and doctrinal.  The second part, which we’ll read tomorrow, begins the practical application.  And the two parts are connected: the Christian life is comprised of both right belief and right action--orthodoxy and orthopraxy.

The main theological point of Colossians is that Christ is the center of everything: “through him and for him all things exist,” Paul writes. Because Christ is the center of reality, He must be the center of our lives, your mind and your decisions.

We heard today, “See to it that no one captivates you with an empty, seductive philosophy, according to the tradition of men, according to the elemental powers of the world and not according to Christ.”  In other words, see to it that the worldly philosophies do not seduce you away from Christ.  We know all too well how the world seduces Christians away from Christ and away from the Church.
Sociologist Christian Smith wrote recently that the predominant religion practiced by so many of our young people today is not Christianity but what he called moral therapeutic Deism—meaning young people are only interested in religion insofar as it makes them feel happy and good.

Moral therapeutic Deism reduces the faith to its feel-good elements, but there is little thought of repentance from sin and building character through self-discipline, steadfastly saying one’s prayers, engaging in mortification and sacrifice for those in need.  The Moral Therapeutic Deist, does not really even involve God in his daily life, except when he is needed to resolve a problem.

Such is truly an empty philosophy because Christ is not at the center, rather the ego.  But when the ego is the only dictator of truth, we are truly imprisoned by ourselves.  No doubt, such philosophies are one reason for declining mass attendance.

St. Paul and the saints warn us against this ego-centrist form of religion and call us to practice true religion, worshipping God in Spirit and in Truth of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Faith.
May we seek to reclaim for Christ all those who have fallen to the empty, seductive philosophies of our day through our commitment to preaching and living the saving Gospel of Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For Bishop Nelson Perez, and all the Bishops and Clergy, that they may lead the Church in Spirit and Truth and in faithfulness to all that Christ teaches.

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of September: “That our parishes, animated by a missionary spirit, may be places where faith is communicated and charity is seen.”

For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster and inclement weather, those who suffer from war, violence, and terrorism, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, the imprisoned, the unchaste, for the comfort of the dying and the consolation of their families.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.

Monday - 23rd Week of OT 2017 - 9/11 and discovering meaning in suffering

In the aftermath of those killed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, congress passed a bill requesting that the President designate September 11 of each year as Patriot Day. The U.S. flag is flown at half-staff at the White House and on all U.S. government buildings and establishments throughout the world; flags are also encouraged to be displayed on individual American homes. Additionally, a moment of silence is observed to correspond with the attacks, beginning at 8:46 a.m., the time the first plane, American Airlines Flight 11, struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

Ecce Homo by St. Adam Chmielowski (1881)

This year, Patriot Day is observed as our southern-most state is being ravaged by Hurricane Irma, the people of Houston struggle to rebuild their lives after Hurricane Harvey. These events cause us to reflect upon the presence of evil in the world, the chaos of Mother Nature which displaces families and disrupts life, and the evil in men’s hearts which lead to terrorism and war.

St. Paul wrote about suffering in our reading from his letter to the Colossians today. But his response to suffering is surprising. He doesn’t curse God, as Job did. Rather, he claims to rejoice in his sufferings. Paul suffered prison, shipwreck, beatings, starvation, and exhaustion, and ultimately death for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And he saw his sufferings as gifts from God because they enabled him to understand more deeply the salvific meaning of suffering, they enabled him to understand more deeply the love of Christ.

Fulton Sheen was fond of saying that, the great tragedy in life is not suffering, but suffering that goes wasted, suffering that we do not allow to bring us closer to God.

Following the September 11 attacks the churches were packed. Our nation rightly responded to evil by falling to our knees, not simply praying to God to alleviate our suffering, but to help us to learn, so that evil may not be repeated.

And yet the lesson of suffering was only headed by some. Instead of drawing closer to God, repenting of sin, uniting to Christ through his Church, many dug in their heels to building a culture of death. Instead of stretching out the withered hand, they clutched all the tighter at perversion, greed, and power.

May God have mercy on all those who suffer, may He have mercy on our nation, which often seems hell bent on self-destruction, may faith increase and evil be renounced for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That through Our Lady, Queen of Peace, terrorism and war, and the cheapening of human life may be brought to an end.

For all those who harden their hearts toward God, for those who have left the Church, for all those in serious sin, for their conversion and the conversion of all hearts.

That our civil representatives may use their authority to lead and build our nation in godly ways.
For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of September: “That our parishes, animated by a missionary spirit, may be places where faith is communicated and charity is seen.”

For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster and inclement weather, those who suffer from war, violence, and terrorism, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, the imprisoned, the unchaste, for the comfort of the dying and the consolation of their families.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.
Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.

23rd Sunday in OT 2017 - Intervention

A few years ago, a television show premiered on A&E called “Intervention”. The show follows one or two participants who are abusing or severely addicted to drugs or alcohol. Their relatives and friends are interviewed who detail the effects the drug or alcohol addiction has had on the family—the sadness, the grief, the lies that often accompany addiction, the concern for the harm the addict is doing to themselves. A trained intervention specialist then prepares the family for staging an intervention, in which the family and friends gently confront the addict about their addiction. At the intervention, the addict is given a choice: enter a rehabilitation program or risk losing contact and financial assistance from their relatives. From what I’ve read, the show has had tremendous success in getting help for addicts and their families.

This method of loving confrontation is biblical. As we heard today, If your brother falls into sin, try to help them, confront them, if they don’t listen to you, bring another with you. A family effort is often needed in helping someone who has fallen into addiction, sin, or unhealthy behavior. Sometimes our Lord waits until two or three are gathered in his name, to make his power known.

The passage we heard today, in fact, immediately follows the parable of the lost sheep, in which Jesus tells us about the love of the heavenly Father, how the Father sends the Son to seek out the lost sheep, he’ll even leave behind 99 other sheep for a time, in order to search out and find the one lost sheep that have gone astray.

And one of the ways God seeks out the lost sheep, is through us: through family members who lovingly and gently confront those who struggle with addiction to drugs, gambling, pornography, internet shopping, video games, parents who act as watchmen over their children, as we heard in the prophet Ezekiel today. If a family member stops going to Church, ignores Church teaching, blasphemes in public, we have a duty to gently correct them.

The point of correcting people when they fall into sin isn’t to prove that we are holier than they are, the point is concern for their souls, and helping them to be the people God made us to be.
I’ve had some personal experience with this: In seminary, I volunteered at a drug and alcohol treatment facility for teenagers, and I would participate in group family counseling sessions, in which parents and relatives would gather, in a very gentle setting, they would share with their teenager how the addiction has brought harm to the addict and the family life.

Most priests are not trained intervention specialists or drug counselors, but for families facing these issues, the Church can help connect your family with those with this expertise.
God loves the sinner, God love the addict. In fact, many people I’ve known who have struggled with addiction have great intellectual gifts, have tremendously large hearts. Sometimes they turn to addiction because they feel emotions like grief so deeply they turn to other substances to numb their pain. Though they act in unlovable ways, the addict is a child of God, loved by God.

Intervention, fraternal correction, seeks to help people who sometimes become incapable of helping themselves, who have fallen into a cycle of hurting themselves and their families, who have started making self-destructive choices. Part of being pro-life, is to help people when they are making anti-life decisions, choices that are destructive to the spiritual life, emotional life, physical life, or family life.

In the Reading from Romans today, St. Paul teaches that all the 10 commandments, don’t commit adultery, don’t break the sabbath day, don’t commit murder, don’t steal or covet, can all be summed-up by the command: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.”

Fraternal correction, confronting the sinner, the addict, is done out of love. Parents correcting their children when they act selfishly, spouses gently correcting spouses when they act selfishly, correction, also called, rebuke, is done out of love. Today’s Gospel is clear that we are to to help each other to become the people God made us to be.

In becoming the people God made us to be, it is also important to look to holy examples.  We of course first, and foremost, look to the example of the Lord. We read and reflect upon the Scripture stories of the Lord, we keep the great image of the Lord’s sacrifice before our eyes, the crucifix, so that we can know his love, and follow his example of patience, mercy, self-sacrificial love.

Second to Our Blessed Lord, we look to the example of humility and forbearance of His Blessed Mother. Her boundless charity and her lowliness are virtues to emulated by every Christian.
Thirdly we look to the example of the Saints. The Saints are our great teachers, Ordinary People, fishermen, farmers, widows, humble priests and religious, artists, ordinary people, who God calls to extraordinary holiness.

Beginning this Tuesday night, I will be showing over in the Harvest Room a video series called “Catholicism: The Pivotal Players”. This series explores the lives of some Ordinary People who answered the call to use their gifts and talents for the building up of the kingdom of God—people like Francis of Assisi, G.K Chesterton, Catherine of Siena, Thomas Aquinas, and Michaelangelo. I encourage you to attend this free adult-education opportunity.

If Jesus Christ has the power to break the bonds of death, he can lead those enslaved to addiction an sin to freedom.

May each of us be humble enough to be open to the correction we need to grow in holiness, that we may help others become the people God made them to be, that we may live in the freedom of their children of God and receive an everlasting inheritance for the Glory of God and salvation of souls.

September 08 2017 - Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary - A day of joy and hope

Today, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin arrives on the Liturgical Calendar exactly nine months after the Feast of her Immaculate Conception.  Nine months, the term of a pregnancy….not a coincidence.
Mary was conceived through the natural marital embrace of her parents, Saint Anne and Saint Joachim.  She was brought to term and was born like any of us, though, through that special grace from God she was preserved from any stain of original sin.

The day the daughter of Anne and Joachim was born ranks as one of the most beautiful in human history, yet, nothing explicitly is recorded or known about Mary’s birth.  In fact, according to certain traditions, no one in the small town of Nazareth where Saints Joachim and Anne lived paid heed to the new arrival. Although the blood of David flowed in her veins, although she was the virgin about whom Isaiah prophesied.  She truly had humble beginnings.  Yet, though her birth went unnoticed by her countrymen, one Church Father said that the angels could not find adequate praises to express their joy to the Blessed Trinity for having created this most beautiful of creatures.

The Immaculate Mother came into the world at a time when many of God’s people had lost hope in a Messiah, just as many have lost sight of Christ the Sun in our modern day.  Sometimes God waits until we are on the brink of the abyss before extending His hand of mercy. I know a priest who is very fond of the saying, “the night is always darkest, right before the dawn”.

Saint Thomas of Villanova explained in sermon that Mary is the heavenly dawn, not only for the world, but especially for each individual soul. The birth of Mary initiated a new era in human history. And when an individual begins to grow in their devotion to the Blessed Mother, that can signal a new beginning for them.

Mary will help any soul find her Son. Mary will help any soul develop a burning love for her Son. So just as we celebrate the birthday of our earthly mothers, with great sentiment, today is a day for all Christians to celebrate our Spiritual Mother, our mother in the Order of Grace.

The Feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin fills our hearts with hope and joy: hope and joy in her presence with the Church for all ages, hope and joy that all those who turn to her aid will find salvation through Her Son, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For deeper Marian devotion amongst all Christians, that through her our faith may be strengthened and our witness may shine more brightly.

For all mothers, that they may find in Mary the example and strength to carry out their vocation of love, and that all sorrowful mothers may know the consolation and peace of God.

That through Immaculate Mary, Queen of Peace, hatred, violence, and cruelty will cease in the world.
That through Mary, Our Lady of Grace, all those who have fallen into sin may return to God through sincere repentance.

That from the moment of conception all children will be preserved from bodily harm; for the overturning of unjust laws permitting the destruction of innocent life; and that the minds of all may be enlightened to know the dignity of every human life.  We pray to the Lord.

That the sick may draw strength, consolation, and healing by turning to Mary, who intercedes for us from her place in heaven, especially all those affected by natural disaster. We pray to the Lord.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.

We pray, O Lord our God, that the Virgin Mary, who merited to bear God and man in her chaste womb, may commend the prayers of your faithful in your sight. Through Christ our Lord.

Thursday - 22nd Week of OT 2017 - "Animated by a missionary spirit"

What a beautiful coincidence…if those really exist…that the Gospel reading for today is the very same as the one for Bishop Perez’ installation Mass on Wednesday: the Lord’s command to Peter and the Apostles to put out into the deep waters to bring in the abundance of fish. This miraculous catch of fish through the efforts of the apostles and the help of God would become symbolic for all those souls who would come to salvation through Christ through the missionary efforts of the Church throughout the ages.

by Michael Dudash

Bishop Perez made it very clear that he is not the only fisherman in town; he is here, sent by the Pope, to help each of us be faithful to our own God-given vocation to be fishers of men.
Today’s Gospel also coincides with Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of September, asks the Lord to help parishes, “animated by a missionary spirit, to be places where the faith is communicated and charity is seen.”

Notice several things about this prayer intention. First, it is about parishes. Parishes are places under the care of a pastor, where a diversity of God’s people come together for worship, to study the faith, to pass on the faith, to contribute to the charitable works. We aren’t in this alone. We have priests to help us, fellow Christians to encourage us. Parishes should always be discerning how God is calling them to use their many gifts to forward the mission of Christ.

Notice also how parishes are to be places where “the faith is communicated” and “charity is seen”. These are two primary ways how we are to be the fishers of men, the Lord spoke about. We communicate the faith by catechesis to our young people, forming new disciples, and studying the faith, that we can communicate it better, more clearly out in the world.

How can the faith be better communicated here at St. Clare? To whom do we need to be better communicators?

And how is our charity to be more clearly seen? What charitable works does St. Clare need to take more seriously or engage in more faithfully?

May the Lord help our parish to become more faithful, more loving, more filled with His own missionary spirit, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For our new Bishop, Nelson Perez, that he may assist all of God’s people in being faithful to all the Lord teaches and commands.

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of September: “That our parishes, animated by a missionary spirit, may be places where faith is communicated and charity is seen.”

For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster and inclement weather, those who suffer from war, violence, and terrorism, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, the imprisoned, the unchaste, for the comfort of the dying and the consolation of their families.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.
Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.

Tuesday - 22nd Week of OT 2017 - Miracles happen through encountering Christ

At last night’s Vespers Service at the Cathedral proceeding today’s installation, Bishop Perez spoke about how miracles occur when we encounter Christ—how Jesus met people where they were and confronted them with the power of His Truth. How each of us could speak of a time in our life, when Christ became real for us, and how that changed our life forever.

Jesus’ miracle working is perfectly on display in this morning’s Gospel: the man, afflicted with unclean spirits is cleansed through an encounter with Christ.

In Jesus’ culture, the unclean ones were to be avoided, shunned, lest they spread their corruption, their insanity, their demons. But Jesus goes to even to the unclean, and through His authority and power as God, cleanses them in his mercy.

Several lessons become clear from this Gospel. One: there is no soul so unclean, that it is not invited to encounter the mercy of God through Jesus Christ. This is a simple and profound truth that we reflected upon quite thoroughly during the Year of Mercy. Yet it is a truth that we need to repeat especially to troubled souls who are deeply afflicted by the severity of their sins and demons.

Two, as the demons were expelled, they came out of the man without hurting him. Turning our lives over to Jesus does not hurt as much as we think it will. Conversion involve a cross, but the end result of being cleansed of demons, brings a lightness, a wholeness, and a joy that outweighs the demonic slavery. We should not fear conversion.

Three, the Church is both sent and equipped for the ministry of casting out the unclean spirits of our world. Jesus cast out demons through his power and authority, and not only is that power and authority given to the Church, but the Lord sends us out to use it, to help souls encounter Christ by sharing with them the power of his Truth, will help set souls free. We must not fear new faces nor new places in spreading the mercy of Christ.

May the Lord open our minds and hearts to the power and authority of his mercy. May we reject those interests that lead us away from communion with Him and may he renew our minds and revive our love and commitment to His Gospel, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For Bishop Nelson Perez, on this, the day of his installation as 11th Bishop of Cleveland, may he be preserved always in His ministry and aided by the Holy Spirit in uniting and shepherding the diverse peoples of this diocese in Catholic faith, hope, and love.

For all those afflicted with demons, those who are overwhelmed with the Spirit of the World, that, through the ministry of the Church, they may know the cleansing power and mercy of Christ.

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of September: “That our parishes, animated by a missionary spirit, may be places where faith is communicated and charity is seen.” We pray to the Lord.

For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster and inclement weather, especially the people of Houston Texas, those who suffer from war, violence, and terrorism, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, and the imprisoned, for those who struggle to live the call of Christian chastity, for the comfort of the dying and the consolation of their families.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.

Labor Day 2017 - Work and Cultivation

It is quite fitting to read from the book of Genesis on Labor Day. For the first two chapters of Genesis reveal much about the labors of God, and our call to labor.

In Genesis chapter 1, God the Creator is shown to be quite different from the gods of the pagans. Unlike the greek gods who lay in luxury on Mt. Olympus, aloof from the toils of man, the One True God is shown to be a worker, more like a farmer or a gardener than an apathetic aristocrat. The Creator is intimately involved in His creation, getting his hands dirty to bring about his salvific plan. By creating man and woman in His own divine image, men and women, too are to be workers—filling the earth, subduing it.

The vocation to work is repeated and developed in Genesis chapter 2, which we heard today. The man is told not simply to care for the earth but to cultivate it and to make it fruitful.

Work is often seen as a necessary evil: we must work if we wish to eat. But there is intrinsic value to work. Pope Francis wrote recently how “Work should be the setting for rich personal growth, where many aspects of life enter into play: creativity, planning for the future, developing our talents, living out our values, relating to others, giving glory to God.”

To live a fruitful life man must work at developing himself, his mind, his virtues. Scripture is quite severe about the sluggard, the idle person who neither helps himself or his fellow man, and also quite encouraging of hard work, the skillful application of one’s strengths. The Bible is full of admiration for artistic endeavors.

In the Gospel today, those who use the talents given to them by their master are praised by the Lord, and those who squander them and hide them, are condemned.

This Labor Day is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on how you have used your talents for the glory of God and for betterment of your family and fellow man, to perhaps repent of those times when talent has gone squandered, and also to listen to the voice of inspiration. What new project might God be calling you to, in order to develop some dormant aspect of your personality. How might God be calling you to deepen your relationships with your coworkers, perhaps a bible study over lunch once a week.

As we prayed in our Psalm today, may the Lord grant success to the work of our hands, and in all things, in all pursuits, in all our labors help us to serve Him, for the cultivation of the earth, for the building up of His kingdom, for the glory of God and salvation.

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For Bishop Nelson Perez, as he begins to take up his new work as Bishop of the diocese of Cleveland, that his labors may bear fruit for the kingdom. We pray to the Lord.

That those in civil authority will dedicate themselves to justice, peace, and the generous defense of the poor, the elderly, and the unborn. We pray to the Lord.

For all those who labor and for those seeking employment, and that Christian workers may be signs of hope and give courageous testimony to the Gospel of Christ. We pray to the Lord.

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of September: “That our parishes, animated by a missionary spirit, may be places where faith is communicated and charity is seen.” We pray to the Lord.

For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster and inclement weather, especially the people of Houston Texas, those who suffer from war, violence, and terrorism, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, and the imprisoned, for those who struggle to live the call of Christian chastity, for the comfort of the dying and the consolation of their families.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.
Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.

22nd Sunday in OT 2017 - "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."

Our Gospel today is a continuation of our reading from last week--from the 16th chapter of St. Matthew’s Gospel. Last week we heard Peter’s Confession. Jesus had done a sort of public opinion survey: “Who do people say that I am?” And he received a range of opinions. Peter, however, was given a great grace from the Father, an insight into Jesus’ true identity, and responded, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus then declared Peter, “the Rock”, the foundation stone of the Church. Peter’s confession, and the ministry of the successors of St. Peter, the Popes, have been a source of stability and power for the Church throughout the ages.

Then this week, we have an interesting twist. Just a few moments later, Jesus lays out what it means to be the Son of God, what that entails. It means he has come to suffer and die. As Son of God, Jesus is the one sent into the midst of fallen humanity to suffer and die to save us from eternal damnation.
Peter goes from hero to zero pretty quickly, when he denies that Jesus should submit himself to suffering and death. No sooner does Peter finish putting his foot in his mouth than Jesus thunders back the words: “Get behind me, Satan.” One can hardly imagine a more stern and bone-chilling rebuke…not a very good first day on the job for the first Pope. Peter you have become a stumbling block, an obstacle to the will of God, to the mission of God’s son.

Why did Peter fail here? “For thinking has human beings do,” the Lord says. Now, what does that mean? Don’t we all think as human beings do? Well, not entirely. Peter’s Confession of Jesus as Son of God moments before was a result of careful and attentive listening to the Lord’s words, being open to the Wisdom of God. But Peter’s misunderstanding here, his impulsive claim that Jesus shouldn’t have to suffer, wasn’t the result of spiritual discernment. Peter’s mind and thoughts aren’t on the will of God, but on the fear of human suffering. This wasn’t the first time Peter acted on fear rather than faith, nor was it his last.

Remember, a few weeks ago, that wonderful story of Jesus walking on the water? The Lord beckons to Peter, “come to me”, and for a few steps, Peter was able to walk on the water toward the Lord. But what happened? Peter let his fear take over. He takes his mind and heart off the Lord, and begins to sink. Same thing here in this story. Peter allows the fear of suffering to replace the power of faith.
In this way, Peter is symbolic of all of us. The early Church, had such great esteem for Peter, not only because he was the first Pope and a martyr, but because he is so fallible, he reminds us of us. I encourage you to read through the Gospel stories of Peter. He’ll remind you of someone, yourself.

For all of us, so often, allow the fear of suffering to replace the power of faith. The fear of suffering keeps us from prayer. The fear of suffering keeps us from penance. The fear of suffering keeps us from the Confessional, and keeps us from charitable service.

There’s a little suffering, isn’t there, in turning off the television, or prying yourself away from the computer screen, in order to sit down with the Word of God, the rosary, to drive up to the adoration chapel? It’s not always delightful to read from the Scriptures, is it? After all, the Scriptures prick our consciences, they remind us, they show us, how far we are from the being the people God made us to be.

Going to confession involves a bit of suffering, the humbling of pride. It is uncomfortable at times to kneel before the priest and acknowledging all those embarrassing sins.. And so we begin make excuses: the priest is just a man, I can tell my sins to God directly, my sins aren’t that bad anyway, I don’t have time to go confession. But all those excuses are far from the truth. And we tell the excuses because of fear, we are afraid to admit we were wrong, we are afraid to change ingrained bad habits.
St. Therese of Lisieux said, “it is more through suffering than through eloquent preaching, that God wills to establish his kingdom in souls.” Coming to Church once a week, to hear a more-or-less thoughtful inspiring sermon, is just part of the spiritual life, an indispensable part, yes, but still, just a part of it. Turning away from earthly pursuits and earthly goods in order to pursue heavenly ones throughout the week is also a major part of the Christian life.

After rebuking Peter, the Lord explains the necessity of his suffering and explains the cost of discipleship. This led St. Paul, writing to the Romans, to exhort them, as we heard in our second reading:  I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship. Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”

You can bet St. Paul is urging the Romans not to shy away from the spiritual practices that involve some suffering. Prayer, fasting, almsgiving, are not just for Lent. For Christians, in a sense, “Semper Quadragesima” it is always Lent, because prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are sure means of growing in sanctity, and disciplining our bodies for the Lord.

St. Paul urges the Romans not to conform themselves to their age, their culture. As Christians, we don’t look to the example of Hollywood celebrities or professional athletes on how we are to live our lives. We are to be suspicious when advertisements tell us we need the next, new device to be happy. We are to be guarded against the new psychological models that come out of liberal academia, that explain away or contradict the Catholic faith.

Rather, we renew our minds by turning to the Word of God, the wisdom of the Saints, the doctors of the Church. I think every Catholic should have some sort of spiritual reading, for the renewal of our minds, at all times. That’s one nice thing about the internet, we have access to a treasure trove of theological and spiritual writing. If you aren’t currently reading anything about our faith, pick up a book by Pope Benedict, Cardinal Sarah, or Scott Hahn, or one of the great Catholic classics like The Imitation of Christ. Don’t like reading? Listen to something from the Lighthouse Media display on your way to work. This fall, starting Tuesday, September 12th, consider attending our adult-education opportunity where we will watch and discuss wonderful videos on Francis of Assisi, Thomas Aquinas, Catherine of Siena, G.K. Chesterton, and others.

Renew your minds, Paul says, “so that you may discern what is the will of God” for your lives. Jesus rebuked Peter for thinking with the mind of his fallen humanity, fearful of suffering, conformed to the Spirit of the World. Mayh the Sacraments and spiritual practices of our faith help us to offer our bodies, our minds, our very lives as sacrifices to the Father, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.