Good Friday 2018 - The Wood of the Cross on which hung the salvation of the world

In a few minutes, the cross will be processed up the aisle of the Church. It will be held aloft and the priest will chant, “Behold the Wood of the Cross, on which hung the salvation of the world.” To which each of us will respond “Come let us adore.”

There is an ancient Christian legend, concerning the wood of the cross,
dating all the way back to the 3rd century, the Legend of the Holy Rood: that when Adam fell sick, he sent his son Seth to the gates of the Garden of Eden to entreat God for an elixir from the Tree of Life to restore immortality to Adam, lost through Original Sin. Seth easily found his way to the garden, as no grass had grown over the footprints of Adam and Eve since their expulsion.

While Seth prayed at the gate, the Archangel Michael appeared to him, refusing Seth access to Eden and to the Tree of Life. However, Michael gave Seth a seed from the Tree of Knowledge from which Adam and Eve had eaten. On his return, Seth found his father dead, but placed the seed under Adam’s tongue and buried him.

From that seed sprang a tree, which had absorbed the blood of Adam. Generations later, Noah dug up this tree by the roots along with the body of Adam and took them onto the Ark to save them from the flood. And after the waters subsided, he buried the skull of Adam on what became Mount Calvary, or Golgatha, the place of the skulls. He planted the tree on the summit of Mount Lebanon. Centuries later, King Solomon cut down the tree, and cut it into a cross beam for his temple, but it wasn’t the right size. So Solomon cast aside the beam and buried it, and from the place where it was buried there bubbled forth a spring of water, which came to be known as the pool of Bethesda. To it the sick came to be healed.

Centuries later, that cross-beam floated to the surface of the pool. It was used as a bridge over which Jesus crossed into Jerusalem, and was finally used to fashion the cross upon which the Son of Man was crucified.

Is the legend of the Holy Rood true? Perhaps!

What is certainly true is that death came from a tree, and death was destroyed on a tree. From a tree, all the suffering of man can be traced. And from a tree, the suffering Son of Man, would redeem us. From a tree, division between God and man was wrought. And by a tree, God bridged the gap, he filled the chasm, he fashioned a bridge for Him and man to be reconciled.

Through God’s providence, the work of the evil one is undone by turning his own weapons against him. Suffering and death, which entered the world as a consequence of sin, were to become the very means by which sin was vanquished.

And yet, today, we are here not to worship a dead piece of wood, we worship the One who saved us through it. Though by venerating the cross, we honor the suffering of Christ. We approach the cross we such reverence, that we may revere the one who died for us. That his suffering may be imprinted upon us, that it may mark our lives, and mark us for salvation.

We bring to the cross today all the needs of the world and the church, all the needs of our families, all of our sufferings, all unbelievers, and all who suffer for the faith. That through the cross, we may experience the salvation Christ won for us, the defeat of sin and death, the healing of our deepest wounds, the fulfillment of all justice, the overflowing mercy of God

We turn our eyes to the cross, that we may one day see the one who suffered upon it face to face. We touch the cross, that we may feel his gentle caress when we are called to face our own, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Holy Week 2018 - Thursday Morning - Passover Preparations

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke each tell us how Jesus sent his disciples to make preparations for the Last Supper: they were to inspect the room in which it was to be celebrated, and to ensure that it was furnished for the ritual meal.

Just as we’ve already begun to prepare for the evening mass of the Lord’s supper, by filling the communion cups, filling the ciboria with hosts, placing the chairs for the washing of the feet, so too the disciples would ensure the cups and plates and utensils and bowls for the ritual washings were in place for the Passover meal.

Part of their inspection was to ensure that the room was swept clean of leaven. Throughout the Scriptures leaven is consistently a symbol for what is sinful, false, and evil. Jesus refers to the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees: their false teaching, their greedy attachments, their spiritual blindness.

Today is a good day to inspect the houses of our hearts, to sweep them clean of leaven: to identify anything that might distract us from truly experiencing the solemnity of the Sacred Triduum, to ensure that we’ve set aside time for plenty of prayer, reflection, gratitude, and repentance over the next three days.

The Psalms of the Church’s Morning Prayer this morning speak of God as Savior. God is invoked as the “God of Hosts”—the leader of a heavenly army who brings victory over the evil in the lives of his people. The Paschal Triduum is a celebration of God’s great victory over sin, but we know that victory comes at a price, the cross. And to share in the victory, we must renounce sin and selfishness and take up our cross as well.

We must, love one another as Christ commands his disciples to do at the Last Supper.
And all this begins by sweeping our house of leaven, sweeping it clean of the smallest little lies that we tell ourselves to justify selfishness, preparing our heart as a vessels for the Lord to fill with the wine of charity.

May we use the time we have given wisely and diligently, to prepare for the high holy days of our faith, in which the Lord will teach us, feed us, cleanse us, and raise us for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Holy Week 2018 - Tuesday - The Greed of Judas and the Love of Jesus

When Jesus announced that one of his disciples would betray Him, the 12 were befuddled. How could one of their own be responsible for betraying the master? Each of the apostles had their flaws, of course. Some were a bit hotheaded or slow to understand Jesus’ mission and identity. But, who would willingly and knowingly place their own will in competition with Christ’s? No one would be that arrogant, would they?

The Apostle Judas was likely a very capable young man. He was given a position of some importance, to carry the money purse. He was trusted by his fellow apostles. He had been sent out, by Jesus, just like the others: to heal the sick and cast out demons and preach repentance and the coming of the Kingdom of God. He was trusted, loved, he was called “friend” and “brother.”

How did Judas go from trusted apostle to committing the worst of betrayals?

Yesterday, we heard how Judas objected to the extravagant display of affection for Jesus, when Mary anointed the Lord’s feet with expensive oil and dried them with her hair. The oil, Judas explained, could have been sold for much and the money given to the poor. St. John tells us, his objection was not because Judas actually cared for the poor, but because he was a thief—he stole, he was greedy.
Judas’ selfishness and greed became the opening for Satan to enter Judas, to use Judas as his instrument. Satan, who himself betrayed God, who sought to obstruct the plans of God, attempted to use Judas for the same end.

If it can happen to an apostle, it can happen to us. The devil will always try to exploit our selfishness. He uses human selfishness to cause divisions in marriage, friendships, faith communities anywhere there is good, he will try to pervert--through even the small acts of selfishness you try to justify to ourselves.

Judas’ greed is contrasted in the Gospel with the lavish love that should flow from faith, as seen yesterday in Mary of Bethany’s generosity in anointing Jesus, which is seen ultimately, in Jesus’ self-donation on the Cross, his embrace of suffering for us poor sinners.

Judas “cared not for the poor,” only for himself.

In these final days of Holy Week, may we acknowledge our selfishness, our failure to emulate Jesus’ outpouring of love, and pray and do penance for those times, those relationships in which we’ve allowed greed to reign.

We trust the Lord does forgive us, when we repent, as Judas failed to do, because the Lord loves us, and desires not the death of the sinner, but his conversion.

May we open our hearts to growing in the selfless charity of Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For our Bishop, priests, and all of the faithful who will gather this evening for the Chrism Mass, and that the Charity of the Church of Cleveland may overflow like precious oil.

That God may be pleased to increase faith and understanding in the catechumens and candidates who approach the sacraments of initiation in the coming Paschal Solemnity.

That those in need may find assistance in the charity of faithful Christians and that peace and security may be firmly established in all places.

For strength to resist temptation, and the humility to sincerely repent of sin.

That through fasting and self-denial, we may be ever more conformed to Christ.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.

Holy Week 2018 - Monday - Charity in the house of Bethany

The Gospel presents two very different attitudes towards Jesus: symbolized by Mary, Martha and Lazarus on one hand, and Judas Isacriot on the other.

Mary, Martha, and Lazarus recline with Jesus, serve Him and anoint Him. Lazarus is gratefully aware that Jesus had raised him from the dead and wants to share that joy with others as he invites everyone to a banquet in his home to meet Jesus. Mary lavishly shows her love and affection for Jesus by anointing his holy feet with expensive perfumed oil and drying his feet with her hair.

But not Judas. Judas snickers, Judas sneers, Judas mocks. Judas wants to get rid of Jesus.

The Church is to embody the spirit of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary: serving Jesus, bringing people closer to Jesus that they may share with him in the banquet of life, lavishly pouring out our very best, our very selves to honor and love Jesus.

And very often, the world is like Judas Iscariot. Sneering and snickering at the Church, mocking the Church, trying to turn people away from the Church’s lavish worship of the Lord.

But we must not be embarrassed in our lavish worship of Him, we must not hold back from lavishly serving him, and we must not be hesitant in inviting those who hunger for his goodness, his truth, and his beauty, to the table of the Lord.

What seems like an incredible waste of time and money to the world—our service, our worship, our efforts, is an expression of our immense gratitude for what the Lord has done for us, the blessings he bestows upon us, and the immensity of what he suffers for us, which we meditate upon later this week.

Each of us does well today to reflect upon how we can show our gratitude to the Lord, how we can serve the Lord, and how we can bring others to know the Lord, even perhaps to soften the hearts of the Judases of the world, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That God may be pleased to increase faith and understanding in the catechumens and candidates who approach the sacraments of initiation in the coming Paschal Solemnity.

That those in need may find assistance in the charity of faithful Christians and that peace and security may be firmly established in all places.

For strength to resist temptation, and the humility to sincerely repent of sin.

That through fasting and self-denial, we may be ever more conformed to Christ.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.

Palm Sunday 2018 - The Mystery of God's Love

Joy and Sorrow. Excitement and Numbing Frustration. Praises and Lamentations.

Holy Week, and Palm Sunday in particular, is filled with many contrasting emotions.

As Jesus enters Jerusalem, he is met with such exuberance. Riding on a donkey like King David entering the Holy City, they thought him to be the royal Messiah who would once and for all bring victory over the enemies of Israel. The itinerant preacher, the miracle working son of the carpenter is greeted like a prize fighter, a military hero, a conquering king.

But then Hosannas are replaced with calls for his crucifixion.

Why? What happened? How were shouts of joy transformed into demands for death?

God’s love happened! But God's love was quite different from how it was expected, as it often is!

The Jews expected the Messiah to bring about their deliverance by the sword. But Jesus came not simply to bring political advancement for a particular people, but for the salvation of all people, of all nations, of all times.

Hosanna’s turned to calls for crucifixion when Jesus revealed that he was not the hero fallen humanity wanted, he was the hero fallen humanity needed. He is the bitter medicine we refuse to take, the uncomfortable truth we need to humble ourselves in order to believe.

The liturgy of Palm Sunday, “teaches us that the Lord has not saved us by his triumphal entry or by means of powerful miracles (Pope Francis).” Salvation comes at a price, and that price is the cross.

To quote William Penn: No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown.

Salvation is found not in crushing one’s enemies through military might, but by the power of forgiveness and self-emptying on a cross. Salvation comes not from one more politician promising utopia or the military conquest of a warlord; it comes from self-emptying, from humility, from the mercy of God.

A few years ago Pope Francis explains how Jesus conquers through the cross, and we too must follow him in embracing the cross. Francis says, “God’s way of acting may seem so far removed from our own, that he was annihilated for our sake, while it seems difficult for us to even forget ourselves a little. He comes to save us; we are called to choose his way: the way of service, of giving, of forgetfulness of ourselves. Let us walk this path, pausing in these days to gaze upon the Crucifix; it is the “royal seat of God”.  to learn about the humble love which saves and gives life, so that we may give up all selfishness, and the seeking of power and fame. By humbling himself, Jesus invites us to walk on his path. Let us turn our faces to him, let us ask for the grace to understand at least something of the mystery of his obliteration for our sake; and then, in silence, let us contemplate the mystery of this Week” for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

5th Week of Lent 2018 - Friday - Which side are you on?

The Jordan River runs through our Gospel today as a line of demarcation, separating belief from unbelief. On one side of the Jordan, the people accused Jesus of blaspheming and "reached for rocks to stone Him".

On the other side of the Jordan, "many people came to" Jesus and believed in Him.

What side are you on? At first, we all say we are on the side believing in Jesus. And to be on the opposite side is baffling.

To see his miracles, to witness his goodness, to hear his teachings and his parables: how could you not believe? How could you willingly choose to deny him?

And yet, the season of Lent isn’t simply to provide us the opportunity to pat ourselves on the back for being on the right side of the Jordan, but to help us acknowledge, how often I’ve been on the wrong side of the river. Haven’t I allowed opposition to Jesus to reside in my own heart? Haven’t I resisted the call to fast, the call to pray, the call to acts of mercy?

Most of the people on the right side of the river, will fail to follow Jesus all the way to the cross, including, one of his most trusted apostles, St. Peter.

The same folks who rejoice at Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday will call for his crucifixion on Good Friday.

In these final days of Lent, we do well to ask the Holy Spirit to help us identify those parts of us that run away from the cross, that denounce the truth, and that shirk away from self-sacrifice. May the Holy Spirit help us repent of such selfish and slothful attitudes, and experience true conversion, true transformation. May the Holy Spirit help us to embrace the cross fully with Christ, and allowing Him to lead us in fulfilling our own vocations for the spread of the Gospel for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That God may be pleased to increase faith and understanding in the catechumens and candidates who approach the sacraments of initiation in the coming Paschal Solemnity.

That those in need may find assistance in the charity of faithful Christians and that peace and security may be firmly established in all places.

For strength to resist temptation, and the humility to sincerely repent of sin.

That through fasting and self-denial, we may be ever more conformed to Christ.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.

5th Week of Lent 2018 - Thursday - Jesus Christ is the Great I AM

Christians believe that Jesus is “True God and True Man”, he is “fully God” and “fully human.” We also know that the instances where Jesus clearly proclaims his divinity are rather rare in the pages of the New Testament. But, on this Thursday of the 5th week of Lent, as Holy Week looms ever closer, we have one of those instances.

Jesus had come to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles—a feast celebrating the abundance of God’s mercy. Having Himself just displayed God’s abundant mercy in the story of the woman caught in adultery, Jesus stands before a group of fellow Jews. Jesus teaches that same God who abundantly forgives the sins of the contrite, those committing to “going and sinning no more”, has sent Him to be a light for the world, “those who follow Him shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

Then we hear today, the clear and undeniable teaching, “before Abraham was, I AM.” Jesus identifies himself as the very same God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the very same God who appeared to Moses at the burning bush, the God of creation, the God of Israel.

Even though many Jews had come to believe in His divine mission, they only saw him as a human being, a prophet. His claim of equality with God, to them was blasphemous. And so, following the dictates of Levitical law, they picked up stones to drive Him from their midst.

During these final days of Lent, we show our belief that not only is Jesus a man who suffers for God’s will, as all of us are called to do, he is God with the power to save us from our sins, to heal broken hearts and broken lives. We prepare, during Lent, through our penances, to stand with the newly initiated at Easter, to acknowledge that it is through God’s mercy that we have come to believe that Jesus Christ is “True God, and True Man.” May our Lenten penances help us to deepen our conviction that “those who keep His Word shall never see death” and to strengthen our conviction for solemnly declaring to all the nations that Jesus Christ is Lord and God, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That God may be pleased to increase faith and understanding in the catechumens and candidates who approach the sacraments of initiation in the coming Paschal Solemnity.

That those in need may find assistance in the charity of faithful Christians and that peace and security may be firmly established in all places.

For strength to resist temptation, and the humility to sincerely repent of sin.

That through fasting and self-denial, we may be ever more conformed to Christ.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.

5th Week of Lent 2018 - Tuesday - When the Son of Man is lifted up

“When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM.”

Like the bronze serpent which was salvation for those who looked on it in that first reading, Jesus lifted up on the cross becomes salvation for all who look on him in faith.

Jesus told people they would die in their sins unless they believed that He was God. So it is the task of the Christian to constantly lift up Jesus, that belief in Him may spread, and souls may be saved. Lifting up Jesus unleashes a life-changing, parish-changing, and world-changing power. Therefore, we must devote ourselves to ensuring that Jesus is constantly being lifted up.

How can we lift up Jesus for others to see?

Jesus is lifted up in the preaching and teaching of the Church.  Next time an adult education or scripture study opportunity is offered, invite someone who is struggling with their faith to join you.
As he is lifted up in the Eucharist at Mass, we can invite family and neighbors to attend mass with us, even daily mass. Bring a friend to Mass, then take them out for coffee.

Jesus is lifted up in the monstrance at Eucharistic Adoration.  There are many people who are hungering for a deeper, intimate prayer life who have never visited a Eucharistic Adoration. You can invite them next time you make a holy hour!

Jesus is to be lifted up in our speech.  Many Christians don't share their faith with others, but many are hungering to know Jesus, to know how he changes lives. In our efforts of spreading the Gospel, that personal testimony of how faith in Jesus Christ has changed you is so important. Speak about the peace you receive when you make a good confession, the graces you’ve received through fasting and prayer and engaging in works of charity, the healing you’ve received through forgiving an enemy.

Another way to lift him up is by displaying a crucifix. if you visit a friend or family member who doesn’t have one in their home, you can make a gift and encourage them to display the crucifix. Or give a crucifix as a gift to a poor college student in your life to display in their dorm room.

May our Lenten observances help us to lift up Jesus in our words, our choices, our manner of life, that the Lord may draw all men to himself through us, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That God may be pleased to increase faith and understanding in the catechumens and candidates who approach the sacraments of initiation in the coming Paschal Solemnity.
That those in need may find assistance in the charity of faithful Christians and that peace and security may be firmly established in all places.
For strength to resist temptation, and the humility to sincerely repent of sin.
That through fasting and self-denial, we may be ever more conformed to Christ.
For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.
Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.

March 19 2018 - St. Joseph - Pillar of Families and Universal Patron

Buona festa di San Giuseppe. Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, the husband of Mary and foster father of Jesus.

The value and importance of men looking to and following the example of St. Joseph in our modern times cannot be overestimated. As St. Joseph guarded the Holy Family from violence and evil, modern fathers must protect their spouses and children from the evils that fill our country.

The United States leads the world in the number of fatherless families. Most households below the poverty line in the U.S. are fatherless; most young men serving prison terms in our country were raised without a father in their lives. I’d venture to say most of the gun violence is perpetrated by people who did not have a healthy relationship with their father.
Many adults trace their emotional and psychological problems to a broken or unhealthy relationship with their father, a father who was missing either physically or emotionally or spiritually, as a spiritual leader in their families.

Now, there's nothing magical about having a man living with the family. Fathers can be abusive, and a bad example of fidelity to the vows of marriage. But a father who is faithful to God, faithful to his vows, and faithful to his children is a blessing beyond measure.

As our collect this morning stated, “God entrusted the beginnings of our human salvation” to the “faithful care” of St. Joseph. We certainly pray today that present fathers and future fathers may exercise that same “faithful care” in their families.

Pope Pius IX proclaimed Saint Joseph who was chosen by the Heavenly Father as protector of all that is holy and precious in the human family to be the patron of the Universal Church.

In times of temptation, in communities which seem riddled with selfishness or wickedness, we do well to invoke St. Joseph, who was not a man of lip-service, but a man of action, to guide and protect us from all evil.

Saint Joseph, “Diligent protector of Christ, Guardian of Virgins, Pillar of families, patron of the dying, terror of demons,”, pray for us, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That St. Joseph, “Patron of the Universal Church” may guide and guard our Holy Father, all bishops and clergy, religious and lay faithful from the wiles and machinations of the Enemy.
That St. Joseph, “diligent protector” of the Christ Child, will help protect all children from violence and evil, especially the unborn.
That St. Joseph, “Guardian of Virgins” will help eradicate perversion and immodesty from our culture.
That St. Joseph, “Pillar of Families”, will be an example for all Christian families.
That St. Joseph “terror of demons” will help to deliver all those in sin, and all those under demonic influence, to be open to the saving mercy of Christ.
That St. Joseph “patron of the dying” will help all the dying to know the tender peace of God.
For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.
Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.

5th Sunday of Lent 2018 - "We Want to See Jesus"

Some Greeks arrived in Jerusalem for the Passover to render worship to God. They approached Philip and asked him, “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.”

The opening lines of the Gospel this week raise some questions. Why were Greeks, who were raised to pay homage to the pantheon of Greek gods--gods like Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Athena, and Aphrodite, why were these non-Jews going to Jerusalem for Passover? Well, these Greeks were known as proselytes, non-Jews who had come to believe in God of Israel, but who had not yet undergone circumcision. Well, that answers who they were, but why were they there? Why…how…had these Greeks, these gentiles, these pagans, come to believe in the One True God of Israel?
Well, why does anyone convert?

I came across an internet video a few weeks ago. A young woman who is described as “A Major Protestant YouTube Star” announced in this internet video that she was Converting to Catholicism.” She explains, “I fought so hard to get out of this intellectually. I did not want to be Catholic. Not only did I think Catholicism was wrong, I just didn’t like the vibe of Catholicism. I wanted to be anything but Catholic.”

She had been planning on going to Thailand as a Missionary with the Protestant denomination to which she belonged, when she came across videos the started to challenge some of her preconceptions about the Catholic Church. One video she said was titled “10 Lies Protestants Believe about Catholicism.” So she started reading the Early Church Fathers, and discovered, these guys were Catholic. She discovered how the Catholic Church’s teaching about the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is clearly biblical. And through reading and study even became convinced of the truth of the papacy.

She, like countless souls before her, had searched for the Truth with an open mind and open heart, and found it, here, in the Catholic Church.

In today’s Gospel, the Greeks had come to Jerusalem searching for the Truth, and that search for the truth led them to declare to the Apostle Philip: “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.”

Their simple request reflects a universal sentiment in the heart of every human being. We want to see Jesus. We want to know God. We want to be in His presence.

Throughout my years as a priest, I have worked in the RCIA at several different parishes. We’ve had Jews, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Southern Baptists, Lutherans, Methodists, and folks raised without any religion whatsoever, even some folks who were once very vocal critics of Catholicism, who urged people to leave the Catholic Church. But their search for the Truth, their search for the face of God, had led them here, had led them home.

“Sir, we would like to see Jesus” is the reason each one of us is here today. We are here because we want to see Jesus in eternity, and in order to do that, we must be His faithful followers and active members in His Church.

The desire to see Jesus, has impelled us throughout Lent to undergo Lenten penances like abstaining from meat on Fridays, fasting from non-essentials, engaging in extra prayer-time throughout the week, and offering our meager earthly treasures to help the poor. We believe our Lenten penances will help us “see Jesus”.

This desire to see Jesus is fulfilled when we come to Mass. We enter the church, genuflecting to the tabernacle, believing that Jesus is really here, I can go to any Catholic church or chapel in the world and see Jesus and visit Jesus in any tabernacle in the world. And at Mass, we can “see Jesus” become present under the appearance of bread and wine.

We come to Mass every week, we follow the Lord’s teachings, we engage in penances and acts of mercy, not only because we want to “see Jesus” but because Jesus wants others to see Him in us, too. The way we act, the words we utter, are to help others “See Jesus”.

How had the Greeks in the Gospels come to believe? Others had shared the truth with them. How have the billions of Catholic converts throughout the millennia come to believe? The saving faith had been shared with them. They had seen Jesus speaking and acting in the lives of ordinary Catholics like us.

There have certainly been some extraordinary saints who have made it their life’s work to help others see Jesus. I think particularly of the Saint we honor this weekends: the great patron of Ireland, St. Patrick.

Many of you know some of the stories of St. Patrick: Patrick was born in Roman Britain. And when he was fourteen or so, he was captured by Irish pirates during a raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave. At the time, Ireland was a land of Druids and pagans, but Patrick, the son of a Deacon, kept his Catholic faith.

Patrick's captivity lasted until he was twenty, when he escaped slavery after having a dream from God in which he was told he could find his freedom by fleeing to the sea coast. There he found some sailors who took him back to Britain where he was reunited with his family.

Patrick wasn’t home long, when he sensed a call from God to return to Ireland to preach the Gospel. He was trained as a priest and was ordained by the bishop St. Germanus, who sent Patrick back to Ireland as a missionary bishop.

The legend of Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland is symbolic of driving paganism from the Emerald Isle, and leading its inhabitants to Christ. And Patrick was successful because he was filled with the life and love of Christ.

The famous breastplate of St. Patrick speaks of the saint’s immense trust in the strength of Christ, which we do well to emulate: "Christ be within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger."

There are people in our lives who long to see Jesus, and we like the apostles, like so many saints, are called to help them to see the Lord, by patiently and clearly and zealously sharing Jesus with them.
After the Greeks share their desire to see Jesus, Jesus gives a teaching that his followers must become like grains of wheat, that die to themselves in order to grow. No one can come to Jesus without dying to himself, dying to his selfish desires, dying to the errors of the world.

In two weeks, we will celebrate again the great Paschal Solemnity of Easter, but in those two weeks, we still have much dying to do. Pray more deeply, fast more assiduously, seek Jesus in the poor who need your assistance, and help others see Him, in your kindness. If you have any family members or neighbors who have fallen away from the Church, invite them to attend our communal penance service this Thursday or invite them to attend our Good Friday veneration of the cross, that we like the saints may come to see Jesus face to face in the glorious resurrection, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

4th Week of Lent 2018 - Friday - Fortitude in facing inevitable opposition

The turning point in the Gospel of Luke is when Jesus turns toward Jerusalem. In Luke, Jesus public ministry takes place throughout Galilee: preaching, teaching, and performing miracles over a three year period.

In the Gospel of john, Jesus is constantly going back and forth from Jerusalem. John records four visits to the Holy City, each filled with dramatic action.

His first visit takes place near the feast of Passover, as does his final visit. It’s on this first visit that Jesus drives the merchants and money-changers from the temple. Already in this first visit, many came to believe in Him, but many came to reject Him.

In his second visit, again at the time of a Jewish feast, Jesus heals the crippled man at the pool of Bethesda. His actions again are controversial, for he cures the man on the Sabbath, claiming the authority of God, to do so. For this, John tells us that the Jews tried to kill him all the more.

Today’s Gospel takes place on the third visit, this time near the feast of Tabernacles, around late September, early october. Though he was facing death threats, he knew his time had not yet come, but opposition and tension continues to mount when Jesus claims he is sent by God his Father to testify to the truth, and that the world hates him because the world hates the truth; truth exposes wickedness, bringing its darkness to light.

When the first reading from the book of Wisdom says that the righteous man is obnoxious to the wicked, it is certainly speaking about Jesus. He speaks the truth, he exposes lies and hard hearts, he shows the wicked to be debased in their ways, and so they revile him, they seek to silence Him, torture Him, and kill Him.

At the last supper, Jesus is going to remind his disciples that if the world hates them, remember that it’s because they hated him first.

Part of the Lenten fasting and penance is to toughen us up a bit, like soldiers in boot camp. We willingly undergo so hardship, knowing that the hardship the righteous man faces from the world is going to be greater. And if we can’t withstand a bit of fasting, how are we going to hold fast to the faith when we face real opposition.

Paul writes to Timothy, that all those who seek to live according to the righteousness of Jesus Christ will be persecuted. We may experience that resistance externally, in the form of opposition from the world, even from family members. Or we may experience that resistance internally, in the form of temptations, doubts, and anxiety. Probably both.

So may our Lenten observances help us: to grow in fortitude and courage--to remain steadfast in the face of inevitable opposition, that we may be instruments of his truth. May we know the closeness of the Lord who draws near to the righteous who cry out to Him for deliverance from evil for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That God may be pleased to increase faith and understanding in the catechumens and candidates who approach the sacraments of initiation in the coming Paschal Solemnity.

That those in need may find assistance in the charity of faithful Christians and that peace and security may be firmly established in all places.

For strength to resist temptation, and the humility to sincerely repent of sin.

That through fasting and self-denial, we may be ever more conformed to Christ.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.

4th Week of Lent 2018 - Thursday - It's no secret

In the Gospel of Mark, we often read of Jesus guarding his identity. For example, when he asks the disciples that famous question, “who do you say that I am?” and Peter replies, “You are the Messiah”, Jesus warns the disciples not to tell anyone about him.

Again, after healing the leper, Jesus tells the leper, “tell no one who I am, but go and show yourself to the priest.”

Scholars call Jesus’ elusiveness about his divine identity in Mark’s Gospel, the Messianic Secret. Many, in Jesus’ times, were looking for the Messiah to be a political revolutionary, who would launch a military campaign against the enemies of Israel. So, likely Jesus was mysterious at times about his identity so not to feed into this earthly notion of Messiahship. He had a job to do—the Father’s Will—and these erroneous preconceptions about the Messiah mustn’t get in the way.

And perhaps, the mysteriousness of Jesus’ identity in Mark, could have brought some comfort to the Christians of Rome, for whom the Gospel was originally written. For they had to often be a bit secretive or mysterious about their Christian identity, lest they be arrested and sent to their death. But there is a point, in Mark, where the Messianic Secret is unveiled. During His Passion, Jesus is asked by the high priest, “are you the Messiah, the son of the Blessed One?” And Jesus answers, “I Am.” His identity is further revealed, as the obedient Son of the Father, as he lays down his life on the cross.

Well, in John’s Gospel, the secret is unveiled from the beginning. As we read today, John portrays Jesus standing before large groups of Jews, saying things like, “my works testify to who I Am, why the Father sent me, His Son.” John’s Gospel is unambiguous about the identity of Jesus from the prologue: From the beginning the Word was with God, and the Word was God; Jesus is the Word made flesh, the source of life and truth for mankind; and only those who rightly believe in Him and his Truth and His Works can rightly be called “God’s children”.

And we read from John, especially in the latter part of Lent, because this is the time for unambiguous conviction, that Jesus has the power to cleanse us of our sins and transform our lives. Lent is the time that we are to show that we are God’s true children, by performing good works, fasting and prayer.
Our Lenten tests prepare us for Easter testimony. In a sense, we are to be the works of Jesus, testifying to his divine identity, to his power to transform lives, and his mission to bring forgiveness and eternal life to the repentant, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That God may be pleased to increase faith and understanding in the catechumens and candidates who approach the sacraments of initiation in the coming Paschal Solemnity.

That those in need may find assistance in the charity of faithful Christians and that peace and security may be firmly established in all places.

For strength to resist temptation, and the humility to sincerely repent of sin.

That through fasting and self-denial, we may be ever more conformed to Christ.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.

4th Week of Lent 2018 - Tuesday - Water, Water, Everywhere

Of the seven miracles in the Gospel of John, three have to do with water. Jesus changes water into wine at Cana, Jesus heals the crippled man at the water of Siloam, and Jesus walks on the water of the Sea of Galilee.

Water is a prominent motif in the Gospel of John. Just like in Genesis 1, in which we hear of the waters of creation, in John 1, we hear of the Baptist baptizing with the waters of repentance. Water, in the very first lines of this Gospel, marks a new beginning of a life sorrowful for sin.

In Chapter 2, Water is changed by Jesus, at the wedding of Cana, to become wine that gladdens the hearts of the wedding guests. And in Chapter 3, Jesus tells Nicodemus that his followers must be born again of water and the spirit.

In Chapter 4, Jesus speaks to the Samaritan woman. He says, “everyone who drinks the water of this well will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

In Chapter 5, there is the water of the pool of siloam. But this water seems to be ineffective at healing: true healing comes from Jesus. And in Chapter 6, Jesus walks on the water, showing his absolute authority over all the waters of creation.

Just as an abundance of water pours forth from the Temple, in Ezekiel’s vision today, and just as our Psalm speaks of the “stream” of water “whose runlets gladden the city of God”, John describes the  blood and water flowing from the side of Christ. This is the water of baptism, this is the water of Christ which continually gladdens the hearts of those in union with Him. Upon glimpsing the resurrected Christ on the sea shore, Peter jumps from his old fishing boat, right into the sea, to joyfully approach the Lord.

In less than three weeks, hundreds of thousands of catechumens around the world will be baptized in water at the Easter. And a billion Catholics will renew their baptismal promises and be sprinkled with fresh baptismal water.

When we encounter the Lord in the Sacraments, in prayer, and in our works of mercy, we partake of the life-giving, soul-saving, cleansing, freeing, healing water of His own divine life.

May our Lenten observances help us to truly yearn for these waters, that we may partake deeply of them, and to be nourished and transformed by them, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That God may be pleased to increase faith and understanding in the catechumens and candidates who approach the sacraments of initiation in the coming Paschal Solemnity.

That those in need may find assistance in the charity of faithful Christians and that peace and security may be firmly established in all places.

For strength to resist temptation, and the humility to sincerely repent of sin.

That through fasting and self-denial, we may be ever more conformed to Christ.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.

4th Week of Lent 2018 - Monday - Lent in Two Parts - Conversion and Encounter

Lent has been described as the Church’s annual retreat. We shut away many of the distractions of worldly living in order to get back down to basics, the practices which enable us to remain rooted in the Gospel of Christ.

In her wisdom, the Church has very carefully laid out the prayers and readings for her annual Lenten retreat. Day 1 of Lent, really set the tone for the retreat. The prayers of Ash Wednesday spoke of being armed with weapons of self-retraint in doing battle against spiritual evils. The Gospel spoke of the need to pray, fast, and give alms, not merely as a show, but to bring about interior conversion.

During the first few weeks of Lent, we read from the Synoptic Gospels and Old Testament passages echoing those Gospels’ themes. Specifically, over and over that first half of Lent, we heard of the need to embrace conversion. They Scriptures and prayers stressed the need to turn away from sin and live the Gospel, to open our hearts to be renewed by God through prayer and fasting, to live a life of unselfish love of God and others through charity and the forgiveness of our enemies.

The virtuous life is lifted up before us as a reminder by contrast that we have often fallen and have a long way to go to reach perfection. Acknowledging our sinfulness, we recognized our need for God’s mercy and grace, that without Him, we cannot be the people He made us to be.

Now in Lent: Part II, our Gospel texts up until Holy Week are taken from John’s Gospel. Though we must continually strive for conversion, our Scriptures in the second half of Lent, focus less on our living the ethical and moral life, and more on encountering Christ who embraces suffering for us. Christ is revealed as the obedient Son of the Father, who reconciles and heals the wounds of sin and death, and gives life to all who believe in him.

He is the One who raises the dead to new life, as we heard in the Gospel today; He is the One to usher in a new era for mankind, as we heard in Isaiah: a new era where mourning for sin is transformed into rejoicing on account of God’s mercy, an era of abundant grace. This is the era of the Church, which will reach its fulfillment when the victorious and glorious Christ returns in glory.

During this last half of Lent, we do well to meditate all the more on Christ, particularly in the Stations of the Cross and the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary. We do well to seek him in moments of silence, and in charity towards those who suffer.

May we encounter Christ throughout this last leg of the Lenten journey, who reveals the merciful heart of the Father; Christ, who goes to the cross for us, to heal us from sin and selfishness and to bring us eternal life, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That God may be pleased to increase faith and understanding in the catechumens and candidates who approach the sacraments of initiation in the coming Paschal Solemnity.

That those in need may find assist in the charity of faithful Christians and that peace and security may be firmly established in all places.

For strength to resist temptation, and the humility to sincerely repent of sin.

That through fasting and self-denial, we may be ever more conformed to Christ.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.

4th Sunday of Lent 2018 - Mourning Sin, Mercy, and Lenten Joy

Happiness. The Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle both taught that the motive behind all of our actions, is happiness.  We do the things we do because we want to be happy.  Even though there are so many things that divide the human family, the desire for happiness unites us. Why do we build cities, practice music, devote years of our life to athletic training? Why do we watch the Cleveland Browns week after week, hoping that maybe, just maybe, they will overcome past losses and bring home victory? Happiness.  Following Cleveland football is a perfect of example of how we even undergo great sufferings in order to achieve greater happiness.

Why do we desire happiness? Why do we desire joy? We are built for it. The Creator designed us with this deep longing. God made us to discover our soul’s deepest longing, in Him.

However, because of the Fall, because of the sin of Adam and Eve, our moral compass is defective. We look for happiness, we look for joy in all the wrong places. We do too much of what we don’t need and too little of what we do need. We eat too much, and fast too little; we gossip too much, and listen to actual wisdom too little; we train our bodies, while neglecting our souls; we are selfish too often, and selfless too seldom; these days, we spend too much time on social media, while neglecting healthy communication with the people we should love most. We settle for the superficial, and then complain when our lives seem meaningless.

Theologians call this broken happiness compass “concupiscence”—this tendency to look for joy, look for happiness in all the wrong places, even violating natural law and the commandments of God. St. Paul even writes about concupiscence to the Romans, when he says, “Sin…produced in me, every kind of covetous desire (Rom 7:8)”...every kind of concupiscence.

So what do we do about this broken happiness compass? Well, we have a choice don’t we? Either seek to fix it or let the broken compass continue to lead us away from joy, into sin, sadness, and separation from God.

During Lent, we seek the Lord’s wisdom to identify our concupiscent habits and the fortitude to overcome them. As we pray in the Eucharistic Preface: God has given us this sacred time for the renewing and purifying of our hearts, that freedom from disordered affections *concupiscence*, we may so deal with the things of this passing world, as to hold rather to the things that eternally endure.
The 4th Sunday of lent is known as Laetare Sunday, whose name is taken from the ancient latin entrance antiphon: Laetare, Ierusalem, et conventum facite, omnes qui diligitis eam…Rejoice, Jerusalem, and all who love her. Be joyful, all who were in mourning; exult and be satisfied at her consoling breast.

It seems kind of strange that the penitential season is interrupted by this command to rejoice. How do you rejoice in the desert? Well, there is something deeply joyful about doing penance, knowing that are doing something to please the Lord, to humble to one’s pride.

Laetare Sunday is also a reminder that it is through repentance, that our mourning is transformed into rejoicing. The very structure of our scripture readings takes us on this journey from mourning and sin, to joy and truth and life.

In the old testament reading from Second Chronicles we read of the deplorable state of the people of Israel. “In those days, all the princes of Judah, the priests, and the people added infidelity to infidelity, practicing all the abominations of the nations and polluting the LORD’s temple.” A people who should know better practicing infidelity after infidelity to God’s laws, abominations like child sacrifice, unnatural relations between men and women, worship of false gods, involvement in occult practices like visiting spirit mediums and fortune tellers. And when God sends his prophets to warn the people, they scoff and mocked and killed them.

It took exile, the destruction of their city, families being ripped apart by a foreign enemy, to get these people to begin to wake up to the consequences of their sins.

Sinful Israel here represents all of sinful humanity, the sad state of our exile from God, our rejection of God’s commandments, and the biblical warning that families and civilizations crumble when they become distanced from God.

Beautiful Psalm 137 is the song of the soul, lamenting his sins, weeping over paradise lost, remembering how good he had it when he lived under the grace and protection of God.

And then our second reading, Paul writes to the Ephesians of how the soul dead in his transgressions is STILL loved by God; that God is rich in mercy, and that grace CAN be restored through Jesus Christ when the soul sincerely repents of his sins.

The Gospel repeats this truth: that Jesus Christ lifted up on the cross is the source of our spiritual healing. That because of Him we can turn away from our wickedness, and we can begin to live in the truth. What a tremendous message.

That same pattern of “sin, repentance, mercy, and life” is evident in the life of every Christian. Every Christian begins life “dead in his transgressions” as St. Paul says, and through baptism comes to new life, the life of grace.

And, we are to follow this same pattern every Lent. Every Lent we are to identify those parts of our life that have yet to be converted, those parts of us in which we allow death, and wickedness, and selfishness, and lust to reign.

We are to bring our fallen affections, our disordered desires and unenlightened intellects to be restored by God primarily in the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Eucharist. Again, if you haven’t gone to Confession yet this Lent, you still have a few more opportunities. The angels rejoice when a sinner repents, and something in us changes when we go to confession as well. We experience the elation, the joy of forgiveness. Our Lenten penances too, even though they bring some suffering, bring a Lenten joy that far outweighs the suffering.

If you haven’t experienced some joy this Lent, it’s likely not because you fasted, prayed, and gave too much, but likely because you’ve done these things too little, with half-hearted devotion, and lukewarmness.

Now that we are passed the half-way mark of Lent, we recommit to the penances some of us have already given up on, and perhaps discern how we might even unite ourselves all the more to Jesus who goes to the cross for us.

May we respond generously to the call to do penance, for it is through penance and repentance, that we reject the things that deprive us of life and joy, and open ourselves all the more to the life and joy of Easter grace, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

3rd Week of Lent 2018 - Friday - Everyday Evangelization

As many of you know, I post my homilies on facebook and on an internet blog. And I do this for several reasons. One, several years ago, Pope Benedict encouraged Catholics to “take back the internet.” Where the internet is often host to a lot of filth, error, anger and gossip, it can also be used as a powerful means of evangelization and catechesis. I chose to post my homilies specifically on Facebook, because on Facebook, when you post an article or a picture, it will appear on the screens of everyone in your network.

So a homily on forgiveness, or belief in God, or the importance of confession, will appear not just on the screens of those who are looking for these topics, but on the screens of the atheists, fallen away catholics, cafeteria catholics, pious souls, seekers, and the anti-religious that make up my network.My prayer is, even if they don’t read the homily, but simply glance at it, they but for a brief moment, consider the call to believe more deeply in God and seek his truth.

Pope Francis spoke about the importance of evangelization in his encyclical Evanglii Gaudium. He writes, “there is a kind of preaching which falls to each of us as a daily responsibility. It has to do with bringing the Gospel to the people we meet, whether they be our neighbors or complete strangers. This is the informal preaching, which takes place in the middle of a conversation… Being a disciple means being constantly ready to bring the love of Jesus to others, and this can happen unexpectedly and in any place: on the street, in a city square, during work, on a journey.”

Jesus, of course, calls us to love God and love neighbor. And, I think Pope Francis, highlights the important connection between these two loves. Love of neighbor is the embodiment of our love of God. Love of God is not simply something I hold in the secret of my heart, it is to be evident and physically manifested. My thoughts, words, and actions are to flow from my love of God, and point others to the love of God.

The kindness shown to a stranger at the supermarket, or at the coffee shop, or the kind word of encouragement to a discouraged spouse or family member, these can be powerful avenues for the love of God to become manifest. And perhaps, for a moment, the former Catholic who renounced his faith, might miss God, miss the Church which fosters the love of God, might even come to a renewed faith; the seeker, raised without religion, as more and more of our fellow citizen are these days, might come to discover, the God who loves them

May our Lenten prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, open our lives to sharing the love of God in our everyday encounters, that the love of God and neighbor which is manifested most fully in the heart of Christ on the cross, may manifest in our own lives as well, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That those preparing for baptism and full Christian initiation at Easter may be strengthened in Faith, Hope, and Love through the Church’s prayer and witness.

For the whole world, that in lasting tranquility and peace our days may truly become the acceptable time of grace and salvation.

For sinners and those who neglect right religion, that in this time of reconciliation they may return wholeheartedly to Christ.

That we may generously respond to all those in need: the sick, the suffering, the homeless, the imprisoned, and victims of violence.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Grant, we pray, O Lord, that your people may turn to you with all their heart, so that whatever they dare to ask in fitting prayer they may receive by your mercy.

3rd Week of Lent 2018 - Thursday - A divided house cannot stand

There are three accounts in the Gospels in which Jesus states that a kingdom divided against itself is laid waste or a house divided cannot stand (Luke 11:17; Mark 3:25; Matthew 12:25). All three instances of this statement are spoken in response to the Pharisees’ accusation that Jesus was casting out demons by the power of Satan.

Jesus points out that their claim is ridiculous, that the Pharisees themselves were divided. They claimed to serve God, and yet, their error,
their self-serving traditions, exposed their interior division.
Scripture speaks often about the danger of division. St. James writes that the double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. The Christian who is divided in his loyalty between the Gospel and the world will experience instability, insanity, in a sense.

St. Paul writes to the Corinthians, a community riddled with division: division in belief and division in practice. Many Christians in Corinth failed to reject immoral practices like drunkenness, lust, theft and extortion, and this was bringing ruin to the community. St. Paul writes to Timothy, that servants of the Lord should not be quarrelsome. Quarrelsomeness which pits brother against brother, spouse against spouse, parent against child, destroys the peace and harmony which should mark Christian communities and Christian families.

Rather, God commands unity of believers and also single-heartedness within the individual Christian. Unity of belief is to be a mark of the Church. Cafeteria-Catholicism, where one picks and chooses which doctrines to believe, which moral teachings to follow, certainly undermines the Church’s credibility in the present age. But it also undermines the power of the Gospel to bring peace and strength and joy to our hearts.

The season of Lent impels us into the desert with Jesus, to engage in the prayer and fasting which brings about the single-mindedness which should characterize the Christian life, which characterized the faithfulness of the Son of God in the mission given to Him by his Father.

St. John Paul, in the encyclical Evangelium Vitae, the Gospel of Life, writes that "Prayer and fasting are the first and most effective weapons against the forces of evil." Prayer and fasting are life-giving practices because they expose us to the source of life, God Himself. They heal us of our interior-dividedness, and transform us into ever-more effective instruments of peace and love in the Church and in the world, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For the whole Christian people, that in this sacred Lenten season, they may be more abundantly nourished by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

For the whole world, that in lasting tranquility and peace our days may truly become the acceptable time of grace and salvation.

For sinners and those who neglect right religion, that in this time of reconciliation they may return wholeheartedly to Christ.

For ourselves, that God may at last stir up in our hearts aversion for our sins and conviction for the Gospel.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Grant, we pray, O Lord, that your people may turn to you with all their heart, so that whatever they dare to ask in fitting prayer they may receive by your mercy.

3rd Week of Lent 2018 - Tuesday - Purgatory and Lenten Suffering

Though the word ‘Purgatory’ is not found in scripture, the scriptural evidence for purgatory is manifold.

St. Paul writes in Corinthians of a fire which will purify the saved of their empty and selfish works (I Cor 3)

And of course the practice of praying for the dead is evidenced even in the Old Testament book of Maccabees.

The Lord Himself speaks about “forgiveness” which is offered in this age and in the “age to come” (Matthew 12).

And this morning’s Gospel, the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant is often cited as evidence of Purgatory. For those servants of the Master, those servants of God, who do not embody the Master’s own mercy perfectly, they will be “sent to the torturers” until their debt is payed.

Even our first reading today hints at the experience of purgation. Azariah praying in the fire for God’s mercy is a purgatorial figure. A figure of faith, a figure at prayer, a figure filled with repentance in the flames of a furnace, yet not being consumed. Notice also his absolute confidence in God. Similarly the souls in purgatory are absolutely assured their salvation, already having received their judgment by the Just Judge upon their bodily death.

Lent is a purgatorial season in which we undergo some suffering while in this earthly life to be purged of our selfishness, our lack of mercy. Suffering with Jesus brings joy, as St. Paul asserts, “Now I rejoice in my suffering for your sake, and, in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.” Our voluntary penances bring about sanctification, and can be offered up for others: souls who are far from God, souls who struggle with sin, and the souls in purgatory. And we seek to embody the Lord's mercy in our Lenten almsgiving--our acts of self-sacrificial service.

It is best to willingly undergo penances on earth than to undergo them in the afterlife. For the saints, explain that the pains of purgatory are greater than the pains of earth.

So, this Lent, let us willingly embrace many purgatorial penances, for ourselves and for others, that we may know the joy of grace, an increase in charity, and conviction for the Gospel, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For the whole Christian people, that in this sacred Lenten season, they may be more abundantly nourished by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

For the whole world, that in lasting tranquility and peace our days may truly become the acceptable time of grace and salvation.

For sinners and those who neglect right religion, that in this time of reconciliation they may return wholeheartedly to Christ.

For ourselves, that God may at last stir up in our hearts aversion for our sins and conviction for the Gospel.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Grant, we pray, O Lord, that your people may turn to you with all their heart, so that whatever they dare to ask in fitting prayer they may receive by your mercy.

3rd Week of Lent 2018 - Monday - The Cycle of Rejection

Very early on in his Public Ministry, Jesus returned to his home town of Nazareth, where word of his preaching and miracles in Capernaum proceeded him. We are familiar with the story of Jesus attending Synagogue, there in Nazareth, unrolling the scroll, and reading from the prophet Isaiah, “the spirit of the Lord is upon me, he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor, liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind, freedom for the oppressed.” His townsfolk began to speak highly of him, they no doubt were excited about the prospect of receiving these blessings, and receiving healings from Jesus.

The townspeople of Nazareth were surely happy to welcome home the local-boy-made-good, drawing praise across the synagogues of Galilee. However, when it came to actually choosing to believe that he was the Messiah, admiration quickly turned into violence.

Jesus detected their hardheartedness and began to preach about how Israel often rejects its authentic prophets who call them to conversion and faithfulness to the covenant.

These events at Nazareth foreshadow the events leading up to the Lord’s passion. Relative openness to Jesus’ healings and teachings, turn into opposition, as Jesus is rejected by many of His own people, who succeed in having Him put to death on the Hill of Calvary.

We can smugly condemn the townsfolk of Nazareth, but I think this Gospel calls us to acknowledge the times when we have become like them.

This pattern, this cycle, reveals a truth of our fallen human nature. We love blessings, we love healings, we love when God fits into our conception of Him, we love when he doesn’t demand much of us. And how we hate change, conversion, being led out of our comfort zones in order to grow in faith.

Here is certainly a reminder to persevere in our Lenten observances, that just because they grow difficult at Lent progresses, doesn’t mean we should reject them. And here is also a reminder that the Christian life is aimed at our conversion from comfortable familiarity to apostolic witness that takes us out of our comfort zone in order to bring the Gospel to others.

Our Lenten penances prepare us to perhaps be rejected like Christ, to risk embarrassment, rejection from family, even to face apparent failure in the eyes of the world, but to remain faithful to God nonetheless, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For the whole Christian people, that in this sacred Lenten season, they may be more abundantly nourished by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

For the whole world, that in lasting tranquility and peace our days may truly become the acceptable time of grace and salvation.

For sinners and those who neglect right religion, that in this time of reconciliation they may return wholeheartedly to Christ.

For ourselves, that God may at last stir up in our hearts aversion for our sins and conviction for the Gospel.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Grant, we pray, O Lord, that your people may turn to you with all their heart, so that whatever they dare to ask in fitting prayer they may receive by your mercy.

3rd Sunday of Lent 2018 - Biblical Foundations of the Sacrament of Confession

Wednesday night, in every parish church in the diocese of Cleveland, the sacrament of Confession was offered for three hours. I heard confessions for three hours straight and I know many priests who did the same. It was truly a night of grace. Many souls who had been away from the Church for, in many cases, decades, were reconciled. And therefore it was a night of great joy. For as the Lord himself teaches, “there is more joy in heaven over one repentant sinner, than over ninety-nine who do not repent.”

Major television networks advertised the evening of confession, and kudos to any of you who personally invited anyone who’d been away from the sacrament to come and confess.

The diocese also advertised the evening of confession on the diocesan website and facebook page. Strangely, the Diocesan Facebook page became a sort of forum for people to express their opinions about the Sacrament. On one hand, there were people testifying to how they came back to the Church after falling away, and how glad they were to be home. On the other hand, there was comment after comment, condemning the Catholic Church for being…well, Catholic.

Claims like, “No priest can forgive sins, only God.” Or, “I don’t need to go to a priest, I go directly to Jesus.” Or “Jesus is the one mediator between God and man.” These are common critiques, many going back to the Protestant Reformation. How do we address them?

Well, it is certainly undisputed that Jesus Christ has the power to forgive sins. In the story of the paralytic, Our Lord asks, “Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But so that you might know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sin . . . .” Then he said to the paralytic, “Get up, take your mat and go home.”

Jesus came not simply to give us an ethical system by which to guide our lives, or suggestions for happy, healthy living. Jesus Christ came to forgive sins, without which the gates of heaven would be closed to sinful man.

Jesus is able to forgive sins because he is God. But last time I checked, I’m not God. So, how can priests forgive sins? In John, chapter 20, after the resurrection, Jesus appears to his apostles, breaths on them, and says, “receive the holy spirit, those whose sins you forgive are forgiven them.” Jesus passes on the authority to forgive sins to the Apostles, and that authority is passed on to the bishops and priests after them.

St. Paul testifies to this fact when he writes to the Corinthians, “For, what I have pardoned…I have done in the person of Christ.(2 Cor 2:10)” The priest, like Paul, pardons, forgives in the person of Christ. In the Sacrament of Confession, the priest stands in the person of Christ. It is Christ who pardons through the sacrament.

This sacrament of forgiveness was evident in the early Church. The Apostles James writes in chapter 5 of his New Testament letter,  “confess your sins to one another.”

The Sacrament of Confession was instituted by Jesus so that we can know the forgiveness of sins. And there is nothing on earth that brings the joy and peace like making a good confession. I heard a Psychologist once say, that one good confession is worth more than many hours of psycho-therapy. And he was speaking simply from a psychological point of view.

From the spiritual point of view, because sin damages or even destroys the right relationship with God  and the Church begun in baptism, confession restores and strengthens those bonds.

Our Lord understood human nature well, as the Gospel stated. And His human understanding can be seen in the Sacrament of Confession. It is one things to read about the forgiveness of Christ in the Gospel, and quite another thing to hear Him speaking through the lips of the priest, “your sins are forgiven”.

When do you have to go to confession? When one has committed a serious sin: violating the Lord’s Day, failing to fulfill the Sunday obligation, blasphemy, contraception, fornication, theft. Any serious violation of the 10 commandments, like those heard in the first reading, need to be confessed to restore the grace lost through sin and before we can worthily receive the sacrament of holy communion.

Prior to the Sacrament, we are to make a good examination of conscience. We have pamphlets outside the confessionals for this purpose. I had several people use their iphones the other night, which is fine, as long as it is not set to record the confession; anything to help you make a good confession.

I’m spending so much time talking about confession this third Sunday of Lent because this is the season of mercy and grace. This is the season to examine deeply if we are allowing the Word of God, the Truth and Teachings of Christ, to permeate and change our lives.

The word Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon word Lencten, which is the lengthening of days as we approach springtime, the season of new Growth. And any good gardener knows that you need to clear away the clutter, the dead weeds before the spring planting season can begin. Or just as our houses need spring cleaning, so that we can live more peacefully, happily, and blessedly, this is the time to clean up our souls.

In the Gospel, we read of Jesus’ dramatic visit to the temple of Jerusalem during Holy Week. This event made a profound impact on the early Christians: it is reported in all four Gospels. From the Church’s first centuries, early Christian writers have made the comparison between Jesus cleansing the Temple in Jerusalem and Jesus cleansing the temple of our hearts and bodies.

Jesus cleanses the corruption from the Temple, to show that God’s Temple is to be a place wholly set aside for the worship of God. So, we examine this Lent, our souls, to identify any corrupt attitudes or behaviors that keep us from being in right relationship with God. What selfish or wordly attitudes, what vices, keep me from being the person God made me to be?

In addition to our normal weekly confessions, we still have a few more extra opportunities to make a good Lenten confession here at St. Clare and our cluster parish, St. Paschal. If it’s been more than a year since your last confession, don’t let fear, embarrassment or hardheartedness keep you from God’s grace. As Pope Francis said recently, Don’t be afraid to go to the Sacrament of Confession, where you will meet Jesus who forgives you.”

Even for those who’ve already made a good Lenten confession, continue to allow the Holy Spirit to help you identify the parts of your life that need to be cleaned up, healed, and transformed. Allow Jesus to cast out the corruption, the selfishness, the pride, lust, greed, and laziness, from the Temple of your souls, that he may dwell there with His Father and the Holy Spirit, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

2nd Week of Lent 2018 - Friday - Wimpy Lenten Penances

I heard a bishop say that at this point in this season of Lent, the season of fasting and self-sacrifice, that our fasting and self-sacrifice should begin to hurt. If it’s not beginning to hurt, then you’ve embraced too wimpy of a fast, like someone who adopts an exercise program which consists of walking up the stairs to go to bed...wow, big sacrifice there.

Seeking to be faithful to our Lenten observances is important. Though they are not meant to become a source of sinful pride… “look what I can do all by myself”. Rather, our Lenten penances are meant to create in us a humble spirit, in which we recognize our dependence upon God. Perhaps, we’ve failed to keep our Lenten commitments because we have tried to do it on our own.

The spiritual exercises, the Lenten observances, help us to grow from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity. The pain and suffering in our life, whether involuntary or voluntary, like in the case of the Lenten Penance, can both be understood as gifts from God, opportunities to trust in God, to grow in dependency upon His grace, to grow in humble obedience to the Divine Will.

In a sense, the Pharisees are condemned because of their unwillingness to suffer: their fasts were done for show, their prayer was done to garner attention, their almsgiving was done without self-sacrifice or warmth. They were unwilling to undergo the discomfort of conversion, the pain of metanoia. They demanded faith on their terms, they wanted God to fit into their mold, and therefore, were not only unable to identify God-in-the-flesh when he appeared preaching the Gospel, but they violently rejected Him, like the wicked tenants in the parable.

Joseph’s brothers too, were unwilling to be challenged by the fact that Joseph had a very special vocation, and so they violently reject him, selling him into slavery, because he made them uncomfortable.

Our Lenten fasting, our prayerful meditation on the Word of God, the passion of Christ, our encounters with the needy throughout Lent, should make us uncomfortable; they should disrupt our complacency and our sense of self-sufficiency.

And when we encounter that moment of hunger, that insight into my personal sinfulness, we should not turn away from it,  running back into our creature comforts and worldly distractions. Rather we should enter into the suffering with Jesus as our guide, praying “Jesus, I Trust in You.” When we allow Christ to lead us through suffering, to spiritual maturity, we will become, as he says in the Gospel today, people who bear fruit for the kingdom, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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For the whole Christian people, that in this sacred Lenten season, they may be more abundantly nourished by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

For the whole world, that in lasting tranquility and peace our days may truly become the acceptable time of grace and salvation.

For sinners and those who neglect right religion, that in this time of reconciliation they may return wholeheartedly to Christ.

For ourselves, that God may at last stir up in our hearts aversion for our sins and conviction for the Gospel.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Grant, we pray, O Lord, that your people may turn to you with all their heart, so that whatever they dare to ask in fitting prayer they may receive by your mercy.

2nd Week in Lent 2018 - Thursday - The Rich Man's Lack of Trust in God

In the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus, Our Lord is clearly teaching the importance of caring for those in need—materially, emotionally, spiritually. The Rich Man is condemned for ignoring the poor man—the dying man at his gate. The Rich Man couldn’t claim he didn’t know the poor man was there; for from his conversation with Abraham, the Rich Man appears to have even known the poor man’s name.

So the Lord condemns the hardheartedness for the poor, the selfishness and worldliness which leads to the neglect of the poor in our midst.

But then the Lord takes the teaching one step deeper, exposing the reason for the Rich Man’s failure: he failed to head the way of righteousness laid out by Moses and the prophets. Within the Torah and the Prophetic Writings, care for the poor, the dying, the widow, the orphaned is clear.

Jesus is certainly condemning the Pharisees of his day. They loved the spotlight. Trumpets would be blown when the condescended to give alms. They were like our modern-day career politicians who exploit the poor for their own ends. Sure, they’ll feed the poor when the cameras are filming, they’ll talk a big game in order to get elected, but their disdain for the poor can be seen in their policies which essentially abandon the poor and increase impoverishment.

The Pharisees claimed to be experts of the Law and Prophets, yet their lifestyle did not reflect those teachings. They preached but they did not practice. And Jesus teaches, for this, they would experience eternal separation from God if they did not repent.

Following the Lord requires more than simply having the head knowledge, knowing the teachings, even teaching the teachings. We must practice what we preach. St. James says, “Faith without works is dead.” And dead faith in life, will yield death in eternity.

The Lord claims that the Pharisees failed to trust Moses and the prophets. Sometimes we fail to care for the poor because we lack trust. Psalm 62 says, “Trust in Him at all times, O my people! Pour out your hearts before Him.” Our failure to pour out our hearts, pour out our lives in service, exposes a lack of trust.

How can we increase our trust? Psalm 37 says, “trust in the Lord and do good works”.  By giving—by giving of our time, talent, and treasure—our trust increases. Our Lenten almsgiving truly helps the needy and also increases our trust in God.

May the Lord increase our trust and help our unbelief. May our Lenten observances help us to truly practice God’s Word in this earthly life, that we may come to experience eternal life with Him, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That those despairing of God’s mercy and those presumptuous of God’s mercy may come to know and practice authentic Christian Hope.

That those preparing for baptism and full Christian initiation at Easter may be strengthened in Faith, Hope, and Love through the Church’s prayer and witness.

That we may generously respond to all those in need: the sick, the suffering, the homeless, the imprisoned, and victims of violence.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Grant, we pray, O Lord, that your people may turn to you with all their heart, so that whatever they dare to ask in fitting prayer they may receive by your mercy.