July 31 2018 - St. Ignatius of Loyola - Discernment of Spirits and Daily Examen

While convalescing from a military injury, the young soldier Ignatius of Loyola discerned that the pursuits of the flesh, fame, wealth, power brought him emptiness and disappointment, where the pursuits of the spirit, as lived out in the lives of the saints and the famous spiritual volume, The imitation of Christ, brought him a sense of completeness and true peace.

Ignatius discerned well the logic of our Lord in the Gospel today: the Lord Jesus works to sow good seed in our hearts, which flourish to eternal life, where the enemy, the devil, sows seeds of corruption, which poison our souls, and lead to perdition. St. Paul echoed this sentiment in his letter to the galatians, when he wrote: “the one who sows for his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows for the spirit will reap eternal life from the spirit.”

Upon recovery, Ignatius rightly discerned to give his life over to the greater glory of God. AMDG, Ad maiorem Dei gloriam “for the greater glory of God”, became the motto of the Jesuit Order which he founded, which took the traditional vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, as well as a special fourth vow of unconditional obedience to the Holy Father: to go wherever the pope should send them for the salvation of souls.

How are each of us called to serve God’s glory? We do well to follow Ignatius’ rules of discernment. We should identify the vain pursuits which bring only temporary satisfaction, and seek rather the activity that brings lasting peace and joy. Like the young knight Ignatius, sometimes we discover that we’ve been deceiving ourselves about what matters most in life, and shy away from true and humble service.

Ignatius developed what is called the daily examen, a prayer at the end of the day, to reflect on the day’s activities, to review the events of the day and consider, did I follow God’s initiative or my own, did I sew in the field of the flesh, or the field of the spirit. Then, in silence and peace, to express thankfulness for the gifts and blessings of the day, and ask repentance for our failure to live up to our Christian identity. Then finally, to ask God to help us resolve to grow and trust in the loving guidance of God tomorrow.

May we know the prayerful intercession of Saint Ignatius of Loyola in our daily efforts to work for the spread of the Gospel, for the greater glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For deliverance from all disordered affections and attitudes, for detachment from earthly goods in order to value the goods of heaven, that the Holy Spirit may guide our discernment for God’s service. We pray.

For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life, for the Society of Jesus, and that we may all be dedicated to the greater glory of God.

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of July: That priests, who experience fatigue and loneliness in their pastoral work, may find help and comfort in their intimacy with the Lord and in their friendship with their brother priests.

For freedom from inclement weather and any violent incidents or dangerous accidents during our upcoming parish festival, and that those who come to our parish grounds may know the goodness of God reflected in the charity and kindness of our parishioners.

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, religious, especially for all deceased Jesuits who have served our local Church, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.

O God, who 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.

17th Sunday in OT 2018 - The Eucharist in God's plan of salvation

Since the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council, our scripture readings for Sunday Mass are organized into a three-year cycle.  The first year we hear from Saint Matthew’s Gospel, the second year from Saint Mark, and the third from Saint Luke.  Right in the middle of the Year of Saint Mark, for six weeks beginning this sunday, the Gospel readings are taken from the sixth chapter of Saint John’s Gospel, and we won’t hear from Saint Mark again until September.

The sixth chapter of Saint John’s Gospel is a crucial chapter; it contains what biblical scholars call Jesus’ Bread of Life discourse—the Lord’s teaching about the Bread of Life—the Eucharist.
In the upcoming weeks, we will hear again the Lord teach that He is the Bread of Life, and that all those who come to Him will never hunger, that those who eat the Bread of Life will live forever, and that the bread that he gives, the Eucharist, is his flesh for the life of the world.

John chapter six begins not with direct teaching, but with the story we heard today of the miraculous multiplication of the loaves and fishes. This miracle story, sets the tone for the Lord’s teaching on the Eucharist to follow, and contains some important lessons about the Eucharist as well.

The First lesson that we do well to reflect upon is this miracle and the teaching to follow was His idea, the Eucharist is part of God’s plan for the Church, it’s not a human invention. The Lord planned this miracle, he planned this teaching. As the Gospel told us today, “he knew what he was going to do” even before he did it. And so, the Eucharist is part of God’s plan for Human Redemption.

Anyone who has ever thrown a banquet or cooked a meal knows that some planning is involved. And what’s the purpose of the meal, to nourish and to bring people, to bring a family together. The Eucharist is a meal that God has planned for the same purpose, to nourish and to bring the human family together.

Because of Original Sin, the Human Family is malnourished and divided. We keep going back to addictions and earthly, selfish pursuits which don’t feed our spirit. And our enemy, the Devil, loves to keep us spiritually malnourished and divided.

One example, I think of the enemies tactics is how he has attacked the family meal. One of the saddest sights is to see a family at a restaurant, at a meal, where parents and children, instead of talking to each other, they are using their mobile devices. Use of cell phones, books, other distractions, have no place at the Christian table. (That goes for Mass too, by the way) Why? Because they keep the family from communicating, from communion, with each other. And they keep us from prayer, from communicating, and communion, with God.

So, the Eucharist, is part of God’s plan, for reconciling fallen humanity with himself, and with each other.

Secondly, from the Gospel story, we see derive another important lesson. We see God doing somethings for us we cannot do for ourselves. The crowds who followed Jesus had no food, the disciples had no money to buy food, the five loaves and two fish were not enough to do the job, the people couldn’t feed themselves and on their own the apostles were helpless to meet the needs of the people.

Some very poor scripture scholars argue that actually the people had plenty of food, but they didn't want to share it—that the real miracle is that somehow Jesus, by sharing what he had, convinced them all to do the same thing. Such an insinuation is nonsense, it distorts the biblical data.
The fact that Jesus really did multiply the loaves and fish is emphasized by today's First Reading, where the prophet Elisha performed a similar miracle for a hundred people. Only the power of God was sufficient to meet the needs described by these passages of the Bible.

It reminds us of another Old Testament passage where only God’s power was sufficient: when he sent the Israelites manna in the desert. That too was a foreshadowing of the Eucharist, the true bread from heaven, as next week's Gospel passage will remind us. If Jesus hadn't intervened with his miracle, those people would have gone hungry; they needed bread, and only Jesus could give it to them.

The same thing goes for us today. Heaven is not reachable by human effort alone. Sinful man cannot redeem himself. Divided humanity cannot unify itself. We need God. Sinful man needs a Divine Savior, spiritually malnourished humanity needs a Divine Physician. Similarly, with the Mass, no Christian, priest or lay has the power to change bread and wine into flesh and blood by his own power. Only through the Lord’s gift of the Sacrament of Holy Orders can we have the Eucharist.
To live the lives of wisdom, courage, hope, faith, and self-giving that we are called to live, in a sin-infected culture that is like a desert, void of all those virtues, we need God's help.

This is why, from the very beginning to our present day, it is considered gravely sinful to fail to come to Mass when we aren’t hindered by illness or age. Something crucial, something absolutely vital, is missing from the Christian’s relationship with God when we fail to come to Mass as we should.

But also, for those of us who do come to Mass, we also have a responsibility to do our part to open ourselves to the spiritual nourishment, to the grace, of the Sacrament.

When little effort is made throughout the week to pray, to practice virtue, to repent of sin, to prepare our minds and souls for this great banquet, little grace is obtained. I know many Catholics who say, I don’t go to mass because I don’t get anything out of it. When little is put into mass, little is gotten out of mass.

But when you attentively listen to the sacred words of the liturgy, desiring to integrate the wisdom of God’s Word into your life, when you come to Church conscious of your blessings with gratitude to God for them, when you come here with trust that God will give you the strength you need to be holy and to remain faithful to Him throughout the week’s challenges, when you fully, consciously, actively unite yourself to the sacrifice of Christ made present on this altar, and when you come here with openness to being led by the Spirit to work for the spread of the Gospel outside these walls, you will get something out of mass, you will get the life of Jesus Himself, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

July 26 2018 - Saints Joachim and Anne - Role of Grandparents

At one time, July 26 was the feast of St. Anne only, and devotion to St. Anne goes back to the early centuries of the Church; in the year 550, a basilica in her honor was dedicated in Constantinople.  It is only recently, with the new calendar that the two feasts of the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary have been joined.

In addition to being honored as the parents of the Mother of Our Lord, Saints Joachim and Anne are the patron saints of grandparents.  It’s good today, then, to reflect on the role that grandparents play within the Church.  Some grandchildren are blessed to grow up near their grandparents, while others because of distance only get to spend time with their grandparents a few times a year.  Given the culture of the Holy Land, it’s likely that Jesus spent considerable time with His grandparents, even if they didn’t live in the same town.  They undoubtedly were a source of great human affection and examples of Jewish piety and devotion. Jesus showed honor and respect to Joachim and Anne, and today we do the same.

I think of my own grandparents, who for many years on Sunday, when my parents worked late the night before, would drive miles out of their way to pick me up for Sunday Mass. I may have mentioned before, that I don’t know if I would have discovered my priestly vocation, without my grandparents.  The role of grandparents today is paramount in an age where there is a growing laxity in the practice of the faith: great effort is made for vacation, sports & leisure, but little effort is expended to pursue holiness. Grandparents can help to ensure that the Tradition and Faith is passed on to the younger generations, and help to guide their own children in responsible Christian parenting.

Grandparents, when you know there is something lacking in your children’s and grandchildren’s religious practice, don’t be afraid to remind your families of the importance of faith and prayer by your words and example.  When the grandkids come over, pray a rosary before the television goes on in the evening, make sure that prayers are said before family meals, teach the traditions, instill the faith.

On these feast of the grandparents, we’re reminded of grandparent’s special role and responsibility in forming the generations to come.  Through the prayers of Saints Joachim and Anne may we all come to a deeper knowledge of the role we have in spreading the Faith for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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In gratitude for the example of faith and the role of grandparents in the Church, we pray to the Lord.

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

That our young people on summer vacation may be protected from all physical and spiritual harm, shielded from the errors and perversions of the world, and kept in closeness to God through prayer and virtue.

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of July: That priests, who experience fatigue and loneliness in their pastoral work, may find help and comfort in their intimacy with the Lord and in their friendship with their brother priests.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, for all those recovering from or undergoing surgery today, and for the consolation of the dying.

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

16th Week in OT 2018 - Monday - Catholic Guilt (nursing home mass)

Life-long Catholics might recognize portions of our first reading today from the liturgy of Good Friday. On Good Friday, during the Veneration of the Cross, the cantor chants what are known as the “Reproaches” which borrows passages from the prophet Micah.

O my people, what have I done to you, or how have I wearied you? Answer me!
I led you out of slavery under Pharaoh…and you handed me over to the chief priests.
I opened up the Red Sea for you, and you opened up my side with a lance.
I rained down manna for you in the desert, but on me you rained down scourges and lashes.
I raised you up from your lowliness, and you hung me on the Cross.

The Reproaches are presented as Jesus crying out to His people for the injustices they have showed God after all that God had done for them. And they cause us to reflect, don’t they, on how we have squandered our blessings, how we’ve failed to use well the time we’ve been given, how we’ve failed to pray as we ought, practice virtue as we ought.

The Good Friday liturgy doesn’t present us with the truth of our sinfulness because it wants to make us feel bad, but because acknowledging guilt for our sins is a fundamental Christian disposition.

People will often talk about “Catholic Guilt” as if it’s a bad thing. But guilt is very good when it leads us to repent, to get our souls in order; guilt is good when it gets us to stop living only for ourselves and gets us to start living for God and for others.

Jesus condemns the Pharisees in the Gospel for their failure to repent. Jesus exposes their selfishness and calls them a wicked generation, an unfaithful generation, for failing to admit their guilt for using their religious authority for their own personal gain.

On Good Friday, unlike the Pharisees who refuse to kneel to Jesus, we kneel before the cross acknowledging our guilt. Then we come forward and kiss the cross, for from it God showed and showered upon us His boundless mercy. And then we come forward to receive the Body and Blood of mercy Himself in the Eucharist.

And that ritual is repeated every time we come to Mass: we begin Mass by practicing that fundamental Christian disposition, calling to mind our sins and asking God for mercy. We then kneel before the altar, which becomes for us the cross of Calvary, and we then receive Mercy in the Eucharist, which becomes a fountain of living water springing up within us to eternal life.

May this and every Holy Mass help us to experience the salvation Christ won for us, as we acknowledge our guilt and acknowledge Christ as Savior, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That Christians may be a sign for the world of God’s boundless mercy, by striving to practice Christian virtue in every circumstance.
For all those who suffer from violence, war, famine, extreme poverty, addiction, discouragement, loneliness, and those who are alienated from their families.  May they know God’s mercy and be gathered to the eternal kingdom of peace. 
For all those who suffer illness, and those in hospitals, nursing homes and hospice care, that they may be comforted by the healing light of Christ. 
For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, the deceased members of our families friends and parishes, for those who fought and died for our freedom, and Joseph, John & Anna Perish, for whom this mass is offered

July 20 2018 - St. Apollinaris - Perseverance and the Crown of Life

Behind the altar of the great Cathedral in Ravenna Italy, there is a beautiful mosaic of that city’s first bishop, the saint who we honor today, St. Apollinaris. Apollinaris was a disciple of the apostle Peter, who accompanied Peter from to Antioch, and finally to Rome, the place of Peter’s martyrdom.

Before his death, St. Peter sent Apollinaris to Ravenna, to be that place’s first bishop. There he preached the faith with great courage and performed many healing miracles. Upon his arrival, he was welcomed into the home of a Roman Tribune who had a blind son. Apollinaris shared with the tribune the good news of Jesus Christ. Apollinaris then healed the blind boy, and the tribune and his family converted. His house became the headquarters of the Bishop. Soon, many families were coming to the bishop to be instructed in the faith. The faith began to flourish, priests and deacons were ordained.

The pagan Roman priests soon became disgruntled at the number of Christian conversions, and had the city officials arrest, imprison, and torture the bishop in order to get him to leave Ravenna. He was flogged, put on the rack, and plunged into boiling oil. When he survived these tortures, he was exiled for a time, and after preaching the Gospel and winning many conversions in exile, he returned to Italy, where he was imprisoned and tortured again, and eventually beaten to death on July 23rd in the year 79. His feast was transferred to July 20th after the revision of the Liturgical Calendar at Vatican Council II.

The Collect prayer for the mass in honor of Apollinaris speaks of perseverance; we certainly see perseverance in the life of this holy bishop, enduring torture, exile, the hatred of rival religions and secular government, not to mention the ordinary crosses that every Christian faces: the temptations to abandon the commandments, to lose our temper when things don’t go our way, to grow lax in our attentiveness to the needs of the poor, to give in to being grumpy, gloomy, irritable, impatient.

Christians need to look to the martyrs constantly to remind us that if they can endure such great suffering, we can certainly endure the ordinary difficulties of life with the help and grace of God if we really want to.

St. James writes, “Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation, for when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life.” May we open our hearts to the help of the martyrs, like St. Apollinaris, that we may so persevere in keeping the commandments as to merit being crowned with them, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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

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

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

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

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of July: That priests, who experience fatigue and loneliness in their pastoral work, may find help and comfort in their intimacy with the Lord and in their friendship with their brother priests. We pray to the Lord.

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

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

July 16 2018 - Our Lady of Mt. Carmel - Model of the Interior Life

Today we have the joy of celebrating the feast of Our Lady of Mt Carmel.

Our Lady is venerated under this title by the Carmelite Order who looks to her as their special patroness and protector.

The Scapular of the Carmelite Order, the Brown Scapular, is a devotion that reminds us of Our Lady’s protection of the Church. Today would be a wonderful day to wear your brown scapular if you’ve fallen out of the habit.

Our Lady is venerated by this title not only for her role as protector, but as a model of the interior life, which has a long history on Mt. Carmel.

It is said that after his victory over the false prophets of Baal, the prophet Elijah withdrew to Mt. Carmel to prayerfully await the fulfillment of God’s promises. In that tradition, Mt Carmel became home to hermits and contemplatives who sought to deepen their connection with God through a life of quiet prayer.

The first Carmelite monks looked to our Lady as a model for this life of quiet and prayer. For, Scripture tells us that Mary through contemplation and prayerful listening to God, kept and pondered in her heart the words of God.

In many paintings of the Annunciation, Mary is depicted with the scriptures open on her lap, to show that she had made her mind, her body, her heart a sanctuary for the Eternal Word to dwell, prior to him becoming incarnate in her womb. St. Augustine put it this way, he said, "Mary, full of grace, first conceived Jesus in her heart before she conceived him in her womb."

So too every Christian is to follow Our Lady’s example, in making our hearts a sanctuary for God. There she be a point every day, where we could be found with the scriptures upon our lap, pondering the promises of God and the mysteries of God, a point every day where we become quiet enough to hear the tiny whisper of God’s voice in the silence of our hearts.

Our Lady’s example certainly serves as a remedy to the noise and distractions of our modern era, and protects us from its errors and seductions. As we prayed in the Collect, “fortified by her protection, may we reach the mountain which is Christ” by following her example of prayer, contemplation, purity, and the perfection of charity, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all Christians may grow in prayerfulness and fidelity to the Divine Will through the intercession and example of Our Lady.

For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life, for blessings upon the Carmelite Order as it works and prays for the good of the Church.

That our young people on summer vacation may be protected from all physical and spiritual harm, shielded from the errors and perversions of the world, and kept in closeness to God through prayer and virtue.

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of July: That priests, who experience fatigue and loneliness in their pastoral work, may find help and comfort in their intimacy with the Lord and in their friendship with their brother priests.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, for all those recovering from or undergoing surgery today, and for the consolation of the dying.

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

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

15th Sunday in OT 2018 - Redeemed by His Blood

One of the most important dimensions of the seminary formation of priests is learning how to minister in a bunch of different settings.  We learn how to minister in hospitals and nursing homes in jails and at schools, and the people who hope to help in each of these settings each have their own set of challenges. 

One particularly challenging area is ministry to those who struggle with addiction. My eighth year of seminary, I was able to minister at an addiction treatment center primarily for adolescents with addiction, but I would also meet some parents who also had addiction problems. 

And I can remember an adult woman I met in recovery who had been, what she called “a hopeless alcoholic.”  She had been through a number of programs, and had attained sobriety for a while, but she would always end up getting drunk again. She told me how she reached where she really hit rock bottom. She had fallen-off-the-wagon and had gone on a drinking binge lasting several months in Chicago; she woke up one morning in an alley next to a dumpster, not remembering how she got there. And in utter desperation she had decided to take her life—she planned to jump in front of a train.

And on her way to take her own life, she passed by St. Peter’s Church, and for a reason she couldn’t quite explain she went into the Church and into the Confessional.  And she told the Confessor Priest that she was in such desperation that she was going to kill herself.  “Why do you want to end your life?” the priest asked her.  She said, “because I am a hopeless drunk, I am a bum, I am an addict. I am good for nothing.”  And she said that that priest answered with great vigor and said, “No you are not.  You are a child of God and made in God’s image and likeness, bought back from evil, from darkness and death at the cost of His only begotten Son, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  That’s who you are.  You also happen to have a severe drinking problem.  But maybe, if we begin to work on who you are as a Christian, the bad things that you do will begin to take care of themselves.” This woman, who I met, here in Cleveland, said that was the turning point in her life. 

What that priest told her, was a restatement of what we just heard in our second reading. It is in Christ, through His blood, that we have been redeemed, and our sins forgiven. You have been chosen, destined by adoption, to be holy and blameless.”

This is a message that we must all take to heart: You and I, Christians, are sacred, because you and I have been purchased by the blood of the Son of God, bought back from evil, from darkness and death.

What does it mean that you are sacred? I can think of a story to illustrate: In Virginia a few years back, there was a squabble over a parcel of land. A group of developers had purchased a parcel of land and wanted to build on it a shopping center. But there was a problem, this piece of land was venerated as a Civil War Battlefield upon which was fought the great Battle of Manassas. Well, when these developers announced their plans to build a shopping mall, and a cry went up from the people who said, “your can’t do that. This ground, this earth is sacred, because the blood of brave soldiers had been spilled here.” That which is held sacred, we make every effort to protect from profanation.

Why do Catholics work to defend innocent life in the womb with such vigor? Because innocent life, too is sacred. Why do we work to protect and defend the institution of marriage, because marriage is sacred.

What St. Paul is saying, dear Christians is that you have become sacred ground: your minds, your wills, your bodies, your souls have been sanctified by the blood of Christ through baptism, and when you really believe that, you make effort to protect it from profanation.

What had made the blood of the Manassas battlefield sacred was the blood of the soldiers who died there. But, the Christian, has been covered, has been washed, with the Blood of the Innocent Lamb, the Incarnate God.The Lord Jesus shed his precious blood and gave his life to redeem us, to save us from hell, and has made us adopted sons and daughters of God. “It through His blood that we have been redeemed and our sins forgiven.”

Pope Leo the Great encouraged the Church to remember this often. He said, “Christian, remember your dignity, and now that you share in God's own nature, do not return by sin to your former base condition. Bear in mind who is your head and of whose body you are a member. Do not forget that you have been rescued from the power of darkness and brought into the light of God's kingdom.” Whenever you are tempted, whenever you begin to believe that you are a hopeless case, call to mind that you have been washed and sanctified by the blood of Christ.

There is an old southern Baptist hymn that goes “would you be free from your burden of sin?  There’s power in the blood, would you over evil a victory win?  There’s wonderful power in the blood.  Would you be free from your passion and pride? There’s power in the blood.  Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide.  There’s power in the blood.”

The Month of July is traditionally dedicated to the Precious Blood of the Lord, and we do well to meditate frequently and thank God for the Precious Blood shed for us, the blood which has the power to redeem the gravest of sinners.

One such meditation is that beautiful litany, the Litany of the Precious Blood: listen:

Blood of Christ, poured out on the Cross, save us
Blood of Christ, price of our salvation, save us
Blood of Christ, without which there is no forgiveness, save us
Blood of Christ, Eucharistic drink and refreshment of souls, save us
Blood of Christ, stream of mercy, save us
Blood of Christ, victor over demons, save us

The blood of Christ has the power to break the most powerful addiction…if you let it. It has the power to impel the most timid soul to be a prophet in the world, like Amaziah in our first reading…if you let it. The blood of Christ has the power to transform ordinary fishermen, like the Apostles, into Princes and Heralds of the Gospel…if you let it.. The blood of Christ has the power to make you and me into great instruments of God, even in this increasingly secular age, and holy and without blemish…if we let it.

As we continue this Eucharistic Sacrifice, offering again the sacrifice of the Son’s Blood to The Father, let us be renewed and nourished, strengthened, sanctified and saved by that same Precious Blood for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

14th Week in OT 2018 - Friday - Cunning as Serpents, Innocent as Doves

If you’ve ever done a bible study of the Gospel of Matthew, one of the first things you study about Matthew is that it has a very identifiable structure. It can be split up into five parts, likely as Matthew’s way of reminding his Jewish audience of the five books of Moses, showing them that Jesus brings to fulfillment all Moses said and did. Well, these five parts of Matthew can each be divided into two smaller parts, the first part communicating the narrative of the Gospel, the story, the action, the miracles of Jesus’ ministry throughout the Holy Land. And then, after each narrative part, Jesus gives a teaching or discourse, instructions for his followers.

For example, the first part of Matthew’s Gospel contains the narrative of Jesus’ baptism, and going out into the desert to fast and to face the devil, and coming out of the desert to perform healing miracles in Capernaum. He then gives his most famous discourse: the Lord Jesus a mountain, and gives his famous sermon, his sermon on the mount, the new Law for his followers, like Moses having ascending Mt. Sinai, to receive and then deliver the Commandments of the Law to Israel.

Today’s passage is from the second major part of Matthew’s Gospel, the second discourse. In this discourse Jesus has been giving instructions to the Apostles. He instructs them to go throughout Galilee, to heal, to cast out demons, as he has been doing. The Apostles are tasked with proclaiming the Gospel and showing it’s authenticity through signs. But then Jesus gives a warning, that warning, we hear today: he is sending them out as sheep amidst the wolves. There will be wolves who will persecute them, who will silence them, who will even seek to kill them because of the Gospel.

That’s a divine promise that we see come to pass in the Acts of the Apostles and in every age of the Church: the Church is hated, the Church is persecuted, the Church is silenced by those whose hearts are still hardened to the message of Jesus. Parma, the Diocese of Cleveland, the United States is wolf-infested territory.

So Jesus instructs the Apostles and instructs us: “be shrewd, be cunning as serpents, and simple, innocent, gentle as doves” Most of us are one or the other. We are either very cunning, or very innocent. One theologian said, “Without innocence, cunning becomes manipulative; without cunning, innocence becomes naivety…the finely balanced character…reflects that of Jesus himself”.  After all, Jesus was cunning in dealing with the Pharisees, in forming his disciples, but also innocent, of all malice, of all sin.

To become cunning as serpents, we train our minds in the Word of God, in the writings and examples of the saints, and be shrewd in dealing with those who oppose the Gospel, who don’t always work for the good of the Church.

To become innocent as doves, we train our hearts to trust God in all things, to hate sin, to love our neighbor with abundant generosity, peacemaking, and gentleness, and to not be hardened when we face difficulty or persecution. May we imitate the Lord’s own cunning and innocence for the spread of the Gospel for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all bishops and clergy will lead the Church in faithfulness to the Gospel mandate and in the practice of every Christian virtue.

For all those who have fallen away from the Church, those who have fallen into serious sin, for their conversion, and the conversion of all hearts.

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of July: That priests, who experience fatigue and loneliness in their pastoral work, may find help and comfort in their intimacy with the Lord and in their friendship with their brother priests.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, for all those recovering from or undergoing surgery today, and for the consolation of the dying.

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

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

14th Week in OT 2018 - Tuesday - Those who sow the wind will reap the whirlwind

Every few years I like to reread, Dante’s Divine Comedy.  And this morning’s reading from Hosea reminds me of a scene very early on in Dante’s Inferno: Upon entering the gates of hell with his guide Virgil, Dante the pilgrim comes to the second level of hell—the level of hell set aside for the lustful and those who have subjected the use of their reason to their passions.  Now, the punishments of those in hell in Dante’s poem often in some way relate to the sins for which they are being punished.   So the eternal punishment of the lustful is to be blown this level of hell by these tremendous winds without rest, forever.

Perhaps this scene was inspired by the line from the Prophet Hosea this morning: “those who sow the wind,  shall reap the whirlwind.”

Who are those who “sow the wind?” Those who give-in to being blown about by their sensual feelings, their bodily desire and physical cravings. Ignoring the commandments and the use of right reason, they only follow their feelings, which are as fickle as the wind.

Saint Paul warns the Ephesians about “being tossed here and there, carried about by every wind”; he's not just talking about lust here, but warns against being blown about by religious error, different ideological currents, and making a political agenda or social ideology the impetus of their lives rather than the Gospel.

So, those who “sow in wind” are not just the lustful, but those who are not firmly rooted in the truth of the Gospel.

If we are not firmly rooted in prayer and knowledge of the Word of God, we’re going to be blown around by whatever catches our fancy.  Folks aren’t coming to Sunday Mass because they have some intellectual opposition to the Sunday obligation, but because they are doing whatever they want.  Young people aren’t cohabitating before marriage because they’ve studied the church’s theology on marriage and found it lacking. No, they are being blown about by the winds of the culture and their passions and choosing not to think about what they are doing.

We even talk about getting caught up in gossip, or complaining, like we are “caught up” in some windstorm.

When we surrender our intellect and our faith to the winds of human desire we are going to be blown to places we aren’t meant to go.  So, again, we must remain rooted in faith, prayer, the study of scripture, the lives of the saints, in order to be faithful to the Gospel of Christ.

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That all bishops and clergy will lead the Church well in standing strong against the winds of error and immorality in our modern culture.

For all those who have fallen away from the Church, those who have fallen into serious sin, for their conversion, and the conversion of all hearts.

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of July: That priests, who experience fatigue and loneliness in their pastoral work, may find help and comfort in their intimacy with the Lord and in their friendship with their brother priests.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, for all those recovering from or undergoing surgery today, and for the consolation of the dying.

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

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

July 9 2018 - St. Augustine Zhao and 119 Companion Martyrs

During his twenty-six-year reign as Pope from 1978–2005, Pope St. John Paul II canonized 482 saints, that’s more saints in his 26 years as pope than all popes of the previous 1,000 years combined. John Paul canonized men and women, young and old, from all walks of life, and from all around the world, to raise our consciousness, our awareness, of God working in human hearts.

He canonized hundreds of non-European saints, a great reminder that God is at work in places like Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

120 of those 482 saints are celebrated today, St. Augustine Zhao and his 119 martyred companions. These 120 Catholics weren’t aren’t at the same time, but over a period of almost 300 years, from 1648 to 1930, in China. They were lay people, clergy, and religious ranging in age from 9 to 72.  87 of them were native born chinese, and the rest were foreign born missionaries.

St. Augustine Zhao Rong was not born to Catholic parents, he was a Chinese soldier who became familiar with the Catholic faith when he was ordered to escort a bishop to his martyrdom in Beijing.  Augustine was so impressed and moved by the bishop’s faith, Augustine asked to be baptized.  He entered the seminary and was ordained a diocesan priest.  In 1815, he was arrested, tortured, and martyred.

The other martyrs we remember today include parents, catechists, laborers, and priests, people like you and me, who remained faithful to Christ during times of persecution. They would often work to spread Christianity secretly, when the faith was outlawed by the Chinese government. They were hated by not just government officials, but by just about everybody, but they were faithful.

Christianity continues to have a difficult time in China. The Communist Chinese government seeks to control the Church, seeks to control the selection of bishops and the priests who are ordained and it puts limitations on missionary activity.

So these martyrs are such important witnesses to the Chinese Catholics and to all of us. In a letter to the Chinese Christians in 2006, Pope Benedict wrote of his admiration for their great sufferings undergone for Jesus Christ. 

May the Lord increase our willingness to suffer for the spread of our saving faith. Through the prayers of St. Augustine Zhao Rong and his companions, may we witness to the salvation that comes through Jesus Christ in our speech, in our conduct, in our generosity with our time, talent, and treasure  for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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

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

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

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

That all missionaries may have courage and strength in their witness to the Gospel, for an increase in priestly and religious vocations, and for increased willingness among Christians to answer the missionary call.

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of July: That priests, who experience fatigue and loneliness in their pastoral work, may find help and comfort in their intimacy with the Lord and in their friendship with their brother priests. We pray to the Lord.

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

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

14th Sunday in OT 2018 - Thorns in the flesh

In the lives of the saints, we find records of extraordinary mystical phenomena, special visions,  and  revelations from heaven.

For example, St. Faustina, the little polish nun from the beginning of the 20th century had visions of the Lord Himself, who tasked her with making known the message of His Divine Mercy.

The holy children of Fatima, St. Bernadette and St. Juan Diego were visited by Our Lady.
St. Theresa of Avila, as well as St. Francis of Assisi, Alphonsus Ligouri, and St. Padre Pio are said to have sometimes levitated, they began to hover above the earth, as they became enraptured in mystical prayer.

St. Catherine of Siena’s life was filled with mystical phenomena: such as ecstatic raptures, and her mystical marriage to the Lord Himself.

The mystics experienced both mystical ecstasies as well as mystical sufferings: St. Francis, Padre Pio, St. Catherine, suffered the mystical stigmata, the wounds from Our Lord’s passion and crucifixion appeared in their flesh. St. John Vianney would be harassed and physically assaulted by the devil, often when a long-time sinner would be making a good confession to Fr. Vianney.

The New Testament describes several mystical experiences of the Apostle Paul: we know well that Paul had a life-changing mystical encounter with the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus. He saw the Lord, spoke with Him, and gave his life over to Him. In II Corinthians, Paul writes about being mystically brought up to the third heaven, whatever that means.

And, in the second reading today, Paul writes about an “abundance of revelations” he received from the Lord. But then, Paul writes of this very strange phenomenon,  “a thorn in the flesh was given to me,” he writes, “an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from being too elated.”

Perhaps this “thorn in the flesh” referred to the stigmata, a wound from the Lord’s Crown of Thorns? But, we honestly don’t know exactly what Paul means. Some wonder if it was embarrassing skin affliction. Or it may have referred to a reoccurring sensual temptation, an unwanted attraction to something he knew was bad for his soul that he had to remain vigilant against. Or maybe he was speaking figuratively—referring to a particularly difficult challenge in his ministry, a certain group of people that simply would not convert. We don’t know. He’s clearly not talking about some little passing problem.

We do know, that Paul prayed to be delivered of this “thorn in the flesh”.  “Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me.” In other words, over and over and over Paul begged God to be relieved of this suffering. I think we can all relate to Paul here. Who here hasn’t had some challenge, some hurdle, some temptation, some suffering, that no matter how often we prayed, we couldn’t be rid of it?

I think many people who struggle with addiction relate to Paul here. Many addicts will even use the same language, “my addiction is like an angel of satan, a demon, that I can’t be free of.”

But no doubt, every one of us, has some thorn, something physical or psychological, emotional or spiritual, some problem that won’t go away, even when we pray for deliverance, for help.

So why won’t the Lord deliver us, why won’t he free us from our thorns? Likely, to teach us the same lesson he taught Paul. “Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you.” God wants to teach us that his grace is sufficient for us.

What do we mean by grace? The unmerited love of God, the strength and help and power that God gives…is enough. No matter what our suffering consists of—an illness, a loss, a temptation, God’s grace is sufficient for us…to what?…to flourish!…to become the people God made us to be! When the Christian is connected to God’s grace, we become instruments of God’s will, even when we suffer, through what we suffer!

In other words, you can endure anything when you live by God’s grace. In fact, every illness, every loss, every temptation, can become an opportunity to grow in grace. For the Christian, Behind every curse, there is a blessing, behind every suffering, there is joy, in knowing God’s grace sustains us and accomplishes miracles through us.

St. Paul, St. Catherine, St. Padre Pio had these amazing mystical experiences, but they also had their thorns—they had great ecstasies but also great afflictions. And they teach us that the Christian life will always be filled with both: joys and sorrows. We will never be free from thorns during our earthly journey, but we are also never abandoned..

The thorns are proof that God wants something great from all of us: he wants great trust in His grace, he wants not mediocre Christian faith, but great sanctity. He wants us to be the Francis’ and Paul’s and Catherine’s of this age, by deflating our inflated egos and infusing them with grace.

The thorns are reminders, that none of us are finished products: we never reach such a point of sanctity that we become independent of God. In fact, as the saint grows in holiness they recognize their utter dependence on god

In the Gospel today, Jesus Himself is rejected by his neighbors, his townsfolk. What a thorn that must have been, to be rejected by the people you grew up with! So too the Christian, if we are living our faith authentically, it’s likely we’ll face similar rejection. You might be mocked for being a Christian, you might be mocked for going to Church every week, your children and grandchildren might laugh at your faith. But in those times, we need to trust that our task isn’t to be liked by everybody, but to share the Christian Gospel and to live the Christian Gospel faithfully. Being rejected for the Gospel isn’t proof that we are doing something wrong, but doing something right.

Similarly, remaining faithful to the Church’s moral teaching might feel like this painful thorn in the flesh. But we don’t just practice Christianity when it’s easy.

We discover, like Paul, that our weaknesses are made strong by God’s grace, and what we endure for His sake, brings about powerful conversions and transformation in our world and in our souls.
So pray for each other and pray with each other, to remain faithful when we suffer the thorns of this world.

May we all come to really trust that amidst all the thorns and challenges and rejections and illnesses and setbacks and great sufferings of our lives, that Lord’s grace is sufficient. That through them, the Lord works to transform us into saints, into the people he made us to be, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

July 6 2018 - St. Maria Goretti - Lover of Chastity

Maria Goretti was eleven years old, when she died in defense of her chastity on July 6 1902.  She was canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1950, and it is the first time in history that the mother of a saint was present at the canonization. 

One of the men who had worked with her father, 19 year old Alexander Serenelli, had made several attempts to seduce young Maria.  Her refusal so angered him that he threatened to kill her, which he eventually did, stabbing her 14 times.  Maria died in the hospital after forgiving her murderer. 
It is said that "Even if she had not been a martyr, she would still have been a saint, so holy was her everyday life".  God is invoked in the collect for her feast as the “author of innocence and lover of chastity.”

Chastity is a virtue to be practiced by all Christians, and St. Maria Goretti is a model of this virtue for us. Even at the age of 11 Maria knew that giving in to seductive advances outside of marriage is sinful. Maria would always rebuked the advances of the young man, telling him that God forbids the sinful actions which could lead to the damnation of their souls.

Maria had a rightly formed conscience. Her parents brought her to Church. Instructed her in the virtues. She was very pious. Her faith rightly guided her. So many of our young people have no guidance save for what they see on the internet. Sex before marriage and cohabitation are commonplace. But that doesn’t make them right.

Even when the young boy tried to wear down her conscience through multiple attempts to seduce her, she remained strong. Even when there was the threat of death, she remained courageous. Our young people, and all Christians need fortitude and courage in resist the constant and relentless bombardment of perverted sexuality in our culture. And perverted sexuality brings only inner emptiness, shame, and dysfunctional relationship. So we do well to invoke St. Maria Goretti as the patron saint of young people and a patron saint of chastity, and to share her story.

For Maria loved chastity because Christ loved chastity, and calls all Christians to practice chastity consistent with their vocation in life. And because chastity is beautiful, it attracts souls to Christ. May St. Maria Goretti’s steadfastness help us all in keeping and obeying all Christ commands of us for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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Through the intercession of St. Maria Goretti and all the holy virgin-martyrs, for an increase of reverence for and practice of the virtues of chastity, purity, and modesty and for greater respect for the dignity of the human body and all human life.

That all of our young people on summer vacation may be kept safe from the poisonous errors and vices of our time and be kept in close friendship with the Lord Jesus through the faith of their families, daily prayer, attendance at Mass, and the practice of the virtues.

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of July: That priests, who experience fatigue and loneliness in their pastoral work, may find help and comfort in their intimacy with the Lord and in their friendship with their brother priests. We pray to the Lord.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, immigrants and refugees, victims of natural disaster, war, and terrorism, for all those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, for their comfort, and the consolation of their families.

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

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

July 4 2018 - Independence Day - Declaration of Independence and the Sacrifice of Christ

On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence to declare to the world that the thirteen American colonies regarded themselves as sovereign states independent from the rule of the British Empire.

In response to this historic event, John Adams, one of only two of the Founding Fathers to go on to become president, wrote to his wife Abigail:

“…This day ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God almighty.  It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of the continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.”

How fitting that as Catholics we begin this day of pomp and circumstance with the greatest of all celebrations: the celebration of Holy Mass.

There is a beautiful congruence of what our nation celebrates and what our faith celebrates. Our nation celebrates today freedom from tyrannical rule. It was the contention of our Founding Fathers that the British Rule of the American Colonies was tyrannical and unjust, and so we declared our independence from that tyranny in order to govern ourselves justly, that we may freely exercise and pursue our God given rights.

The Mass is a celebration of freedom as well. It is a celebration of freedom from the tyranny that we impose upon ourselves through sin, a tyranny rooted in man’s grasping at the fruit of a forbidden tree.

To many people, the notion of “freedom” means the ability to do whatever you want, whenever you want.  You even sometimes hear children claim, “I can’t wait until I grow up, then, I can do whatever I want.”  But, freedom does not mean doing whatever we want, but doing what we ought.  Adam and Eve ought to have used their freedom to remain obedient. We all ought to use our freedom to pursue righteousness.

We know that our founding Fathers had to fight many battles to obtain the freedom which they believed was our God given right. Independence Day is always a day of gratitude for all those who battled for freedom and a reminder that the battle for freedom endures today.

The Mass is also the commemoration of a battle, a spiritual battle, and the victory of Christ at that battle, a victory not obtained through military arms, but by Christ’s arms outstretched upon the cross, a victory won by Christ’s obedience.

In a sense, the Mass is not a declaration of independence, but a declaration of dependence: the Christian declaration that we can never be truly free or truly good without God.

So we pray for our nation today, that the citizens of this country will be committed to pursuing and protecting our freedom. We pray in gratitude for those who shed their blood for the freedom we enjoy today. And we pray that we, as Christians, will witness to the world that freedom, in it’s ultimate sense, can only be found through Christ and His Gospel for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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Please stand for our petitions.  Our petitions this morning are those composed for the inauguration of President George Washington by Archbishop John Carroll, First Roman Catholic bishop in our country whose brother Charles Carroll was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

We pray Thee, O God of might, wisdom, and justice! Through Whom authority is rightly administered, laws are enacted, and judgment decreed, assist with Thy holy spirit of counsel and fortitude the President of the United States, that his administration may be conducted in righteousness, and be eminently useful to Thy people over whom he presides; by encouraging due respect for virtue and religion; by a faithful execution of the laws in justice and mercy; and by restraining vice and immorality. We pray to the Lord.

Let the light of Thy divine wisdom direct the deliberations of Congress, and shine forth in all the proceedings and laws framed for our rule and government, so that they may tend to the preservation of peace, the promotion of national happiness, the increase of industry, sobriety, and useful knowledge; and may perpetuate to us the blessing of equal liberty. We pray to the Lord.

We pray for all judges, magistrates, and other officers who are appointed to guard our political welfare, that they maybe enabled, by Thy powerful protection, to discharge the duties of their respective stations with honesty and ability. We pray to the Lord.

We recommend likewise, to Thy unbounded mercy, all our brethren and fellow citizens throughout the United States, that they may be blessed in the knowledge and sanctified in the observance of Thy most holy law; that they may be preserved in union, and in that peace which the world cannot give; and after enjoying the blessings of this life, be admitted to those which are eternal. We pray to the Lord.

And we pray especially for all of our countrymen who have gone before us in faith, for all those who have fought and died for our country’s freedom, for all the of the deceased members of our family and friends, and for N., for whom this Mass is offered.  We pray to the Lord.

13th Week in OT 2018 - Monday - Don't get too comfortable

After Jesus left his home in Nazareth, he was an itinerant preacher—he moved from place to place—never getting too comfortable.  He and the apostles, who followed him for the three years of his public ministry, weren’t staying in luxurious hotels on their travels throughout Galilee.

Before following the Lord, most of the Apostles were fishermen, who after a long night of work would clean their nets then go home to their families. But meeting and following the Lord changed everything. They, like him, had no place to lay their heads. Especially, after his resurrection and ascension: the Apostles traveled far from their homeland in israel: to india, turkey, Greece, Italy, spain.


They couldn’t get too comfortable in one place, because they were tasked to spread the Gospel.  And this is an attitude that every Christian disciple is to adopt in a way.  To not get too comfortable in the world. You’ve probably heard that as Christians we are to “be in the world, but not of the world.”

The world has a way of lulling us to sleep, intoxicating us with its riches and pleasures, encouraging us to store up treasures here, rather than in heaven. We have to be very careful with worldly pleasures, for our home is not on earth, but in heaven. Many will spend their lives seeking earthly pleasure, at the cost of their souls.

This is why you hear stories of the saints putting pebbles and rocks in their shoes. Some of the saints would wear scratchy hairshirts.  I visited the room of a Franciscan saint in Viterbo, Italy, who slept on the same wooden board for decades.

Is it extreme?  Perhaps.  But it worked for them.  Little acts of penance and mortification helped them to fan the fire of their Christian fervor.

So, perhaps we each need some little act of mortification, or fasting, or penance every day to remind us not to get too comfortable—to remind us that we are not meant for this world.  We offer up those penances especially for those who are losing or lost their desire for heaven.

For the Christian, constant pleasure seeking is so dangerous. Selfishness is truly an enemy to faithfulness. So may we busy about fanning the fire of faith, offering up the sufferings of illness and inconvenience and working constantly on earth for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.
 
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That all Christians may be deeply committed to the spread of Christ’s Gospel.

For our nation, as we celebrate our independence this week, that we may be always grateful for our freedom, but more importantly, use that freedom for God’s will, rather than our own.

For all those who suffer from violence, war, famine, extreme poverty, addiction, discouragement, loneliness, and those who are alienated from their families.  May they know God’s mercy and be gathered to the eternal kingdom of peace.

For all those who suffer illness, and those in hospitals, nursing homes and hospice care, that they may be comforted by the healing light of Christ.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, the deceased members of our families friends and parishes, for those who fought and died for our freedom, and for Jim Steeber, for whom this mass is offered