34th Week in OT 2018 - Thursday - Fallen, fallen is Babylon the Great

“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great. She has become a haunt for demons For John’s original audience there would have been no doubt that Babylon—the harlot city in his apocalyptic vision—was Rome, “the great city which has dominion over the kings of the earth.”

We have to remember that St. John is not talking about the Rome of Saint Peter’s Basilica or the Roman Catholic Church, as some Protestants claim, but the Rome where Saint Peter was put to death, the Rome which led a persecution of God’s faithful ones. Rome is also symbolic of every earthly dominion or earthly leader, value, or attitude, which puts itself in opposition to the kingdom of Christ.

Not everything about ancient Rome was bad, just like not everything in our own secular culture is bad.  You can hear John’s admiration for what could have been: Rome’s art, her rule of law, her music.  But Rome had fallen into decadence, perversion and vice, violence and error and seemed closed to the true Faith of Christ.

Rome, saw itself as the mother of a new culture, and seeing her values and mores spread throughout the known world, was called the “Eternal City”. Revelation, depicts Rome, in a much different way. Not as a mother filled with faith, hope, and love, but as a prostitute, filled with error, demons, and uncleanliness. Not as an Eternal City, but a city destined for destruction because of its hostility toward God.

Rome was called Babylon in reference to the tower of Babel from the book of Genesis, whose builders sought to build it as a tower whose top may reach unto heaven; and by doing so sought to make a name for themselves, to have their fame spread throughout the earth.  So, Babylon is a fitting nickname for any culture which set itself at odds with God’s plans for humanity! In the Gospel, Jesus even says Jerusalem will be destroyed for its opposition.

On this side of eternity, there will always be a Babylon trying to make a name for itself, setting itself at odds with God’s plan, spreading its vile morality.  As the liturgical year comes to a close, here is another reminder for Christians to be in the world, but not of the world.  The values of the modern day Babylon must not be adopted by Christians, lest they share in her destiny.

Today is the first day of the Immaculate Conception Novena. I encourage you to pray this Novena, for what better model of keeping oneself free from the stains of the world, than the Immaculate Virgin whose faith and humble submission to the Divine Will is a model for all Christians. Like her, may we be found worthy members of the heavenly city, this day, and forever, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/112918.cfm

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For Pope Francis, Bishop Perez, and all ordained ministers, that their ministry may be effective in leading the Church in Christian faith, hope, and charity.

That world leaders may look upon the Son of God, believe in him, and seek the peace and justice that only he can bring.

That our young people will turn away from the evils of our culture to spread the good news of Christ’s eternal kingdom.

For all whose lives are marked by suffering, may they come to know the healing and peace of Christ.

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

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

34th Week in OT 2018 - Monday - Follow him wherever he may go

During the final days of the liturgical year, our readings are taken from the Book of Revelation, which is surely the strangest and hardest to interpret of all the books of the Bible.  Its style is neither the simple, sober eyewitness descriptions of Jesus’ miracles and accounts of his teaching, like the story of the Widow in the Gospel this morning, nor the straightforward principles and advice we find in the Epistles.

Rather, Revelation is a highly poetical, even mystical book filled with strange and symbolic numbers and characters.  The word Revelation literally means, unveiling, and in this final book of the Bible, heaven is unveiled.

In the reading today we get a glimpse at this group of 144,000, with the name of the Lamb and His Father on their foreheads, and they are singing.  They are the ones “who follow the Lamb wherever he goes.” They are saints! Their very souls have been marked by their willingness in life to become completely obedient to the will of God.

What does this mystical vision have to do with the poor widow in the Gospel and the end of the liturgical year?  I think, that as the Church year comes to a close, we are given these two readings to remind us to have simple faith.

Who are the ones in heaven who surround the lamb?  Simply the ones that “follow Him wherever he goes”.  Why does Jesus extol the virtue of the widow?  Because she simply gives God everything.  Her whole livelihood was given over to God. 

Why is this simple message such a hard teaching? Likely because of the size of our egos and our attachment to sin. So often we fail to follow the Lamb as we should because our idea of how our life should go differs from God’s idea. We fail to follow the Lamb in times of temptation because we have not severed our attachments to sin, and conditioned our wills to turn away from sin completely.

But the 144,000 remind us that when we give everything, like the widow, and follow the Lord everywhere in his way of complete charity and generosity toward God’s will, and then you will come to that place in heaven where the new song is sung with joy.

Our modern minds say it can’t be that easy?  Give the Lord everything?  Obey the Church and all Her teachings?  Turn away from all sin? Allow the virtue of charity to direct every action, every decision, every attitude? Our hearts know it to be true:  be "pure and follow the Lamb wherever He goes.” for his glory and the salvation of souls.

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For Pope Francis, Bishop Perez, and all ordained ministers, that their ministry may be effective in leading the Church in Christian faith, hope, and charity.

That world leaders may look upon the Son of God, believe in him, and seek the peace and justice that only he can bring.

That our young people may take seriously the missionary call of Christ, that they will turn away from the evils of our culture to spread the good news of Christ’s eternal kingdom.

For all whose lives are marked by suffering, may they come to know the healing and peace of Christ.

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

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

Christ the King 2018 - Allowing Christ to reign in your life

 A few years ago, I came across a wonderful website called praymorenovenas.com. And on this website, you can sign up for a free email service that sends you novenas throughout the year, such as the Pentecost Novena, the Immaculate Conception Novena, the Corpus Christi Novena, and the St. Jude Novena.

Well, Over the past nine days, I have offered a novena, the Christ the King Novena, on behalf of the parishioners of Holy Family Parish, asking God’s blessing upon all of you and your families and upon my priesthood. And I’d like to share with you this beautiful novena prayer.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Christ, our Savior and our King, renew in me allegiance to Your Kingship. I pray for the grace to place You above the powers of this world in all things. I pray for the grace to obey You before any civic authority. I pray for the grace to fervently bring about Your Kingdom in my family and community. I pray that You will reign in my mind. I pray that You will reign in my heart. I pray that You will reign in my will. I pray that You will reign in my body. I pray that You will reign throughout all the world. I pray that You will reign in every area of my life.

O Prince of Peace, may Your reign be complete in my life and in the life of the world. Christ, my King, please answer these petitions if they be in accordance with Your Holy Will…especially for the people of Holy Family and upon my future pastorate of St. Ignatius of Antioch.

As I reflect on Your second, glorious coming and the judgment of all mankind, I beg You to show me mercy and give me the grace to become a great saint. I pray that not only will I spend eternity with You but that You may use me – a sinner – to bring others into Your Kingdom for Your glory. Christ the King, Your Kingdom come! Amen.

The liturgical year ends with this great feast of Christ the King, praying that Jesus Christ might truly be the king of our lives. Let’s think about what this means.

What does it mean to allow Jesus to reign more fully as King in your family life, in your marriage? Do you pray together as a family? Before meals? Before bed? Before road trips? Do pray together during times of challenge, family drama, or tragedy? Are their signs of Jesus’ kingship in your home: crucifixes and religious statues and well-used family bibles? To make him king of a family is to remember him in every chore, every vacation, every meal, every embrace, every family decision, particularly in the decisions of husbands and wives to be generous in bringing new life into the world and raising your children to know, love, and serve Him, as Lord and King.

What does it mean to make Jesus King of your professional life? Firstly, it means that if you are in a job that is fundamentally immoral, you need to quit. We can’t justify doing immoral things just because they bring in a lot of money.  Having Christ as King means spreading his Kingdom, but when we are involved immorality, we are spreading not Christ’s Kingdom, but the Enemy’s. So, if your company is pursuing policies or strategies which are immoral, at the very least, you have to protest and refuse to take part in them.

Secondly, having Christ as King of your professional life means bringing your Christianity into the operation of your business.  Making time for prayer at work, privately and perhaps with coworkers. Invite coworkers to come to Church on the weekends, or to go to Bible Study.  Oftentimes, if a coworker will sees you reading the Bible or the Catechism on your lunch break, they’ll ask you about it.  How many of your coworkers even know that you are a practicing Catholic? Do you share with them the joy and strength you find in receiving the Eucharist, the peace you receive when you go to confession?

To spread Christ’s reign you could say, “hey I’m inviting our priest out to the house to bless it and to have dinner, would you like to come? Or, “hey my family is going to pray the rosary together Friday night would you like to join us?” or "we are going to church for a service project, to feed the poor, would you like to come?" They might laugh at you, they might politely decline the invitation, or that might be the turning point in their life.

What does it mean to make Jesus King of your personal life? I don’t want to sound creepy, but are you comfortable inviting Christ into everything you do privately.  If you have habits that you wouldn’t do if Christ were in the room, you need to reconsider the habit.  Are there television shows you wouldn’t watch if Jesus were in the room?  Are there internet sites you wouldn’t visit if Jesus were sitting next to you? Do you play video games with content which is morally objectionable? In our permissive culture, there are temptations and evils around every corner, on every channel, every website.  And we really need to fortify ourselves against these things, by clinging to Christ Our King through prayer, study, and healthy fraternity with other Christians. 

What does it mean to make Christ the King of your mind? It means you think deeply about the faith, seek to understand not just what the Church teaches, but why the Church teaches it. Catholicism is an intellectually rich faith.  But we aren’t meant to settle with merely an 8th grade understanding of the faith.  Even after 8 years of seminary and 9 and a 1/2 years of priesthood, our last Scripture Study here at Holy Family on the Gospel of Mark was tremendously enriching for me, and I have two masters degrees in this stuff! We aren’t meant to waste our mental energies on trivial superficialities, but the study of our faith is meant to enrich our lives and make us more effective apologists and evangelists. Treasures await you, if you give your mind to Christ.

Finally, what does it mean to make Christ the King of your body? It means you don’t abuse your body, you don’t poison it with excessive alcohol or drugs or excessive snacking or unhealthy dining. Take care of your bodies so you can carry out the mission and work God has for you.

Christ is meant to reign in our hearts, in our minds, in our family life, in our professional life, in our private life, every sphere, every dimension, in every relationship of our life.  When we allow Him to be King, everything changes. 

We renew our love and loyalty for our King today, and pray for the grace to never be intimidated by any earthly power or seduced by any earthly pleasures, but to herald the victory of our King over sin and death in our minds, in our bodies, in our private and public lives for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

33rd Week in OT 2018 - Friday - Sweet and Sour Scroll

One of my favorite descriptions of a good preacher, is that in his preaching he comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable. Every good homily should bring comfort, help, and inspiration to those who are struggling to remain faithful to the Gospel, and it should also shaken, awaken, stir-up those who may have grown complacent, those who have become a little too comfortable with sin, worldliness, and pride.

In the reading from Revelation, John receives a scroll of the word of God, which was both sweet to the tongue, yet sour to the stomach. John found the scroll sweet because it contained God’s sweet promises: his promises that those who are faithful to the Gospel shall inherit eternal life and shall have a place at the banquet feast of heaven, that earthly sufferings will ultimately come to an end and every tear will be wiped away. John also found the scroll sour because it also foretold how God’s people, would have to suffer persecution and martyrdom, they would have to be faithful to carrying their cross, if they wished to inherit eternal life.

The Psalm and the Gospel illustrate both the sweetness and the sourness of the Word of God.
On one hand, the Psalmist today sings of how sweet are the promises of God—the law of God’s mouth being more precious than thousands of Gold and silver pieces. How are God’s laws more precious? For gold and silver cannot purchase eternal life, they cannot obtain the joy and peace our hearts long for. Rather, it is only by knowing and following God’s word, God’s decrees, that we can obtain our eternal inheritance.

On the other hand, we see what happens when the Word of God enters a corrupt temple. He seeks to drive out the corruption. He’ll flip over tables, he’ll fashion a whip out of cords and drive out the sinful attachments, and that’s not always pleasant. But the Christian has to ask himself, would you rather live with corruption in your soul and die, and suffer in order to be cleansed of corruption, so that you may live?

In our modern age, many want the sweet part of the Gospel, but not the sour. They want the promises without the challenge, they want the resurrection without the cross, they want peace without having to suffer for it. Even some church leaders will distort the Word of God, highlighting the sweetness and omitting the sourness. And that’s somewhat understandable, who likes to suffer? But, it is only swallowing, believing and teaching the whole Gospel, the whole word of God, that we can become the people God made us to be, to live in the true freedom of the children of God, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/112318.cfm
 
That Christians may undertake the meditation and prayer necessary to live holy and righteous lives.

For a healing of all family divisions, reunion for the estranged and welcoming of the alienated.

That those who have fallen away from the Church or fallen into serious sin may repent and return to the grace of the Sacraments.

For the poor, the hungry, the homeless, the sick, the aged, the lonely, the grieving, the unemployed, those who are facing financial difficulties, those with addictions, and the imprisoned: that God will draw close to them, and bless them with grace and peace.

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

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

Thanksgiving Day 2018 - Harvest Feasts and Eucharistic Thanksgiving

Throughout the course of mankind's history, the Earth's bountiful harvest has been celebrated with ceremonies of giving thanks. The ancient pagans celebrated the fall harvest as particularly important because it was a matter of life and death; the fall harvest was essential for the survival of the cold and fruitless winter.

Each autumn, the ancient Greeks celebrated the three-day festival of Thesmosphoria to honor Demeter,  the goddess of grain, and to plead that springtime, characterized by Demeter’s daughter Persephone, would come quickly. The Romans celebrated their autumn festival with music, parades, games and sports and a thanksgiving feast—making our modern thanksgiving festivities closer to the Romans than the Pilgrims. Israel also celebrated an autumn harvest festival—the feast of tabernacles—Sukkoth, an eight-day festival of thanksgiving following Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement. Atonement proceeded thanksgiving, just like it does in the Holy Mass which begins with the penitential rite.

John’s Gospel records Our Blessed Lord traveling to Jerusalem for the festival of thanksgiving, as he must have done many times in his life. It was on the last day of the Jewish feast of thanksgiving, that the Lord utilized some feast-language and pronounced , “If anyone thirst, let him come to me and drink.”

For Christians, every time we gather at the altar, we gather first and foremost as an act of thanksgiving. The earliest Christians used the Greek word for thanksgiving—Eucharistia—to describe their gathering on the Lord’s Day—to give thanksgiving to God for the gift of salvation, which Jesus won for us on the cross. At the Eucharistic feast, the fruits of the earthly harvest, wheat and grapes, bread and wine, are transformed into the very saving body and blood of Jesus, the one, true Lord of the Harvest. In an ancient prayer the Church acclaims the mystery of the Eucharist: "O sacred banquet in which Christ is received as food, the memory of his Passion is renewed, the soul is filled with grace and a pledge of the life to come is given to us."

Gratitude, Eucharistia, is such a fundamental Christian attitude. Without gratitude, without Eucharist, we begin to take for granted the blessings of our life, we begin to forget about the author and giver of those blessings, we begin to forget about the sacrifice without which the gates of heaven would have remained closed. Without gratitude, without Eucharist, we begin to forget that we are to use the time we’ve been given, the blessings we’ve been given, for God’s will, not our own.

Many of our contemporaries gather today with barely a hint of the ancient or Christian impulse to return thanksgiving to God. Much like in the Gospel today, only one out of ten lepers who had received healing from Jesus returned giving thanks. Jesus praises his faith. Faith that acknowledges that blessing, healing, fruitfulness, life comes from God, is praised by Jesus. In fact, it was only that one whom Jesus pronounced saved, go forth, your faithful gratitude has saved you.

So we rightly gather today, for those with faith and those without, to give thanksgiving to God for the earthly harvest which sustains our physical lives, and the more important spiritual bounty which sustains our spiritual lives, the eucharist, a foretaste of the heavenly banquet to come.

May each of your family gatherings be blessed today, with a deep sense of gratitude to God, may they be free from turmoil, division, and discord, and deepen the bonds of charity between all with whom you gather. May we use the time we’ve been given, the blessings and freedoms we enjoy, to gather souls to Christ, that they may know his mercy, peace, and joy, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the pilgrim Church on earth may shine as a light to the nations.  We pray to the Lord.

That all people of good will may work together against attacks on religious liberty and the Christian Faith.  We pray to the Lord.

For the protection of our armed forces, police, and firemen and all those who risk their lives to preserve the security of our country.  We pray to the Lord.

For the safety of travelers, the peaceful resolution of all family divisions and national hostilities, for protection from disease, and harmony amongst all those who gather together today.

For the poor, the hungry, the homeless, the sick, the aged, the lonely, the grieving, those who are out of work, those who are facing financial difficulties, those with addictions, and the imprisoned: that God will draw close to them, and bless them with grace and peace.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased clergy and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom, and for Chester Trzcinski for whom this mass is offered.

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

33rd Week in OT 2018 - Tuesday - Seven Messages for Seven Churches

For the next two weeks, until the end of the liturgical year, the daily readings will be taken from the book of Revelation. St. John, the author of Revelation, relates a series of apocalyptic visions given to him by God, in which God reveals how He is bringing earthly history to its conclusion. The sacrifice of the Lamb of God has set into motion the final age of earthly history, in which Christians will be persecuted and tempted to fall away from the True Faith.

Revelation begins with a series of seven visions and messages John is to give to seven Churches in Asia Minor. Yesterday’s reading ended, actually, with a message to the Christians at Ephesus, the place where John to the Blessed Mother to live with her before her Assumption into heaven. And today we heard the messages to the Church in Sardis and the Church in Laodicea, the fifth and seventh churches to be addressed. The messages share many similarities, the primary one being that Jesus Christ is aware of the situation in their communities, and that he offers them words both of comfort and challenge.

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

Jesus urges all the Catholics-in-name-only of the Church of Sardis, here, but it is a message to all Christians of all time. He says, fan into flame what little faith you actually have, or else you will be caught unaware on the day of judgment. In other words, you don’t want to be a Catholic-in-name-only on the day of judgment. Each of us has a responsibility to increase, strengthen, preserve our own faith.

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

Rather, we are to be like Zacchaeus in the Gospel today, who hears that Jesus is coming and takes drastic measures to see him: he climbs a tree, he recognizes his short stature and he does what he needs to do, in order to see Jesus. And when Jesus does come to him with a word of challenge, Zacchaeus flings open to the doors of his home to the Lord.

"'Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.” Often the doors of our hearts are closed to Jesus out of fear: fear of what Jesus might be calling us to, fear of what worldly behaviors and attitudes he is calling us to give up, fear of appearing as a devout follower of His before our neighbors and family.

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

May we respond generously to the Lord who calls us to fan our faith into flame, to open wide the doors of our lives, that we may come to experience more deeply the joy of his friendship for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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We bring to God our prayers of petition
That our Holy Father and all bishops and priests may lead the Church in absolute faithfulness to the Gospel.
For our families and friends and our loved ones, that we may be ever more united in the bonds of faith and charity.

That all teachers of the faith, and teachers of young people, may be servants of goodness and truth.
That our President and all civic leaders may govern in the spirit of righteousness, justice, and peace.
For the weak, the poor and afflicted, the sick and the suffering, and the dying, that they may be consoled by the healing light of Christ.
And that our beloved dead may come to enter the gates of heaven, for all of the poor souls for whom we pray in a special way this month of November, and N., for whom this mass is offered.
For the grace to trust the Lord in all things.
O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

33rd Week in OT 2018 - Monday - Jesus, Have Pity on Me (nursing home mass)

Has anyone ever tried to convince you that faith is a waste of time? Has anyone ever tried to convince you that you are wasting your time praying, wasting your time calling out to Jesus? Have you ever felt that God had more important things to do than listen to your prayers?

Well, in the Gospel today, the blind man calls out to the Lord as he makes his way towards Jerusalem. “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” And the people rebuked the blind man. “Stop wasting your time”, Jesus has more important things to do than waste his time on a blind beggar like you.
As the crowd tried to silence this man’s calls to Jesus, what does Jesus do? He stops everything and orders that the blind man be brought to him. And because of the man’s faith, his prayer for sight is granted.

Sometimes we are tempted to believe that Jesus doesn’t have time for us, or that our prayerful petitions are getting lost amidst all of the prayers being lifted up to God. But, the Gospel today reminds us that Jesus hears our prayers. In fact, seated at the right hand of the Father in eternity, he literally has all the time in the world for every one of our prayers.

Every petition made to God in faith is heard by God and answered according to what God deems is best for us.

A few years ago, Pope Francis taught a group of young people the five-finger method of prayer. Our hands have five fingers, and those five fingers remind us of what and who we should prayer for every day.

1.) The thumb is closest finger to you. So start praying for those who are closest to you. They are the persons easiest to remember. To pray for our dear ones is a "Sweet Obligation."

2.) The next finger is the index. Pray for those who teach you, instruct you and heal you. They need the support and wisdom to show direction to others. Always keep them in your prayers.

3.) The following finger is the tallest. It reminds us of our leaders, the governors and those who have authority. They need God's guidance.

4.) The fourth finger is the ring finger. Even though it may surprise you, it is our weakest finger. It should remind us to pray for the weakest, the sick or those plagued by problems. They need your prayers.

5.) And finally we have our smallest finger, the smallest of all. Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself. When you are done praying for the other four groups, you will be able to see your own needs but in the proper perspective, and also you will be able to pray for your own needs in a better way.

Each of us are to be the blind man in today’s Gospel, crying out to the Lord in faith, despite all the voices telling us we’re wasting our time, bringing to the Lord the needs of the world, the needs of the Church, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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We bring to God our prayers of petition

For our families and friends and our loved ones, that we may be ever more united in the bonds of faith and charity. We pray to the Lord.

That all teachers of the faith, and teachers of young people, may be servants of goodness and truth.

That our President and all civic leaders may govern in the spirit of righteousness, justice, and peace.

That our Holy Father and all bishops and priests may lead the Church in absolute faithfulness to the Gospel.

For the weak, the poor and afflicted, the sick and the suffering, and the dying, that they may be consoled by the healing light of Christ. And that our beloved dead may come to enter the gates of heaven, especially Sony Bobick for whom this mass is offered, we pray to the Lord.

And for ourselves, that in our weakness and blindness, the Lord may have pity on us. We pray to the Lord.

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

November 15 2018 - St. Albert the Great - Deeper Knowledge and Love of God

Saint Albert the Great  was considered the most learned man of his time, the 13th century, and, he was the teacher of the greatest theologian of all time, Saint Thomas Aquinas.

Recall the words of this morning’s opening prayer, “O God, who made the Bishop Saint Albert great by his joining of human wisdom to divine faith.”  God makes all the Saints great in holiness, by raising their human virtues to heroic levels. In the saint, the human intellect, human compassion, virtues like prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance which the wise of every age have sought to develop, are made raised to a whole new level through grace, through faith.

This is one reason why all the saints are our teachers. They show us by their example what is possible when a life is united to God. St. Albert, in particular, is one of only 33 people in human history known as a doctor of the Catholic Church—doctor, coming from the Latin word meaning “Learned One”.  He is “learned” not simply intellectually, but in the ways of Christ.

The proper reading from the book of Sirach spoke of how those who fear the Lord, that should be all of us, shall be nourished with the bread of understanding and given the water of learning to drink. Our minds should crave understanding and learning like our bodies crave food and water. Catholics should always be engaged in some kind of intellectual formation.  Now, you don’t have to sit by the fireside every day with Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologica, though you can get it for free on your Kindle!  Though it certainly couldn’t hurt, no one will sharpen the mind like St. Thomas. Nor is learning supposed to replace our daily prayer, but daily learning is our way of life...that's what it means to be a disciple--a learner of the way of Christ.

But understanding and learning about our faith, about the scriptures, about the lives of the saints, musn’t end when our grade school catechesis ends. Minds that don’t crave learning like the body craves bread and water, have perhaps been dulled by too much tv, video games, or nonsense.
Albert was called “the Great” even during his lifetime by his contemporaries because of his immense scholarship and knowledge of philosophy.  Yet, he could only truly be called great by history, by us, because of the greatness of his holiness and love—a holiness that put his life—his gifts, his talents, and struggles, at the service of Christ and his Holy Church.

May the prayers and example of the learned Saint Albert the Great help us to deepen our knowledge and love of God, for the building up of the Church for His Glory and the salvation of souls.

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That Pope Francis and all bishops and clergy will help defend the Church against error, and lead her members always in the pathways of truth, righteousness, and charity.

For the conversion of all those who perpetuate error or set bad Christian example for young people and those of weak faith.

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, for whom we pray in a special way during the month of November, 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

November 12 2018 (school mass) - St. Josaphat - Martyrdom and Eucharist

The month of November began with the great feast of All Saints. There are many types of saints canonized over the centuries. Saints who were Holy Popes, priests, and deacons, saints who were married or widowed. Saints who were religious brothers and sisters who remained unmarried and consecrated themselves to Jesus for their whole of life. Saints whose names and stories we know, and saints whose names we will only learn in heaven.

A very special category of saints are known as the martyrs. The word martyr comes from the Greek word for witness, for the martyrs witness, they testify, they tell the world about Jesus, not only through their preaching and teaching, but to the point of death. Martyrs are so dearly beloved by the Church and exalted by the Church because they follow in the footsteps of Jesus who himself was arrested, tortured, and killed for his witness to the Truth of God.

Today, the Church honors a saint who witnessed to the truth that Christians are supposed to look to and follow the spiritual leadership of the Pope. St. Josephat was a bishop who was killed by a mob of people who hated the Pope. As bishop, St. Josephat witnessed to the truth that Jesus, Our Lord, created the Church and organized it to have a spiritual leader, who governs the Church in faithfulness to Jesus. For defending this truth, Josephat was killed. Josephat was faithful to those words we heard in our first reading, St. Paul writing to Titus about bishops "holding fast to the true message."


So many of the martyrs throughout the centuries have died defending what is True, what is true about Jesus, what is true about God, what is true about the Church, and what is true about the human soul, that the human soul is need of conversion, it needs to humble itself, turn away from sin, and believe in the Gospel.

We are thankful for the witness of the martyrs. And every time we come to celebrate the Eucharist, we need to approach the altar with the desire to have the same strength of faith that the martyrs showed. That when we are called to witness to the truth, we will have the strength to endure mockery, social-pressure; that our courage and love of God will be stronger than our human fears of suffering.

There is a strong connection between martyrdom and what happens on the altar every time we celebrate mass. For on the altar, bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Jesus, who offered himself in witness to the truth of God’s love. And the martyrs offer themselves as well, that we may know and remember that same truth. As we prayed in the opening prayer, “Stir up in your Church, we pray, O Lord, the Spirit that filled Saint Josaphat as he laid down his life for the sheep, so that through his intercession, we, too, may be strengthened by the same Spirit and not be afraid to lay down our life for others”…for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

32nd Sunday in OT 2018 - The self-sacrifice of veterans and widows

On November 11, 1919, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed an Armistice Day to be observed annually, to honor the armistice ending World War I—with major hostilities formally ending at the 11th hour of the 11th day of  the 11th month of 1918.  After WWII, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed into law, that November 11 would be a day to honor all veterans, and so today our country celebrates Veterans Day, and it is observed, federally tomorrow.

We thank God today for the sacrifices of our veterans. Leaving their homes, leaving their families, leaving the comforts which we all take for granted, and putting their lives at stake for our freedom. They lived and fought for the greater good, our freedoms. And what we do with those freedoms brings either honor or shame to their sacrifices.

My father, uncles, and godfather are veterans of Vietnam. Both my grandfathers were proud veterans of World War II, and my great grandfather was honored as the oldest veteran of world war I in Lake County, when he died.  I thank God for them today, and we certainly join together thanking God for the veterans in all our families, and those veterans whose names and sacrifices we will only discover in eternity.

Providence would have it that November 11 is also the feast day of veteran, one of our Church’s well known and beloved soldier Saints, Saint Martin of Tours, who is patron Saint of soldiers along with St. Michael, St. George, St. Ignatius of Loyola, and St. Joan of Arc.

St. Martin of Tours was the son of a veteran, a soldier and officer in the Roman army. Martin was actually forced to serve in the army against his will at the age of 15. But, while serving in the army, he came to understand sacrifice, honor, loyalty and it was there that he was exposed to the Christian faith. Soon Martin began to desire baptism and was enrolled as a catechumen.

There is the famous story when on a bitterly cold day, Martin met a poor man, almost naked, trembling in the cold and begging at the city gate.  Martin had nothing but his weapons and his clothes.  So he drew his sword, cut his cloak into two pieces, and gave one piece to the beggar.  Some of the bystanders laughed at Martin’s foolish act of charity. But that night Martin had a vision of Jesus dressed in the cloak he had given to the beggar. The Lord said, “Martin, still a catechumen, has covered me with his garment.”

At the age of 23, Martin ended his service to the empire and discerned a calling to religious consecration. Martin was discharged from the army and became a hermit under the direction of another saint, St. Hilary. Years later, despite his desire for a life of solitude, Martin was elected bishop. He dedicated his efforts to evangelization and promoting monastic life, encouraging many young people to enter lives of sacrificial service to Christ through lives of prayer, penance, and charity.  He continued to live the ascetic life as a bishop, always keeping to heart, “that which you did for these least of my brethren, you did for me” as he did for that beggar.

Martin’s act of charity toward that beggar, and the poverty of spirit he cultivated EVEN as a bishop was no doubt inspired by today’s Gospel, the example of the widow, who gave, not simply a portion of her wealth, but from her livelihood.

Widows had no inheritance rights in ancient Israel. They had to rely on their children, male relatives, or charity for survival. You could definitely say they had a fixed income.
Unlike the rich man in the Gospel who goes away sad because of his unwillingness to part from his possessions in order to follow Christ, the Lord praises this widow not only for her willingness to give to charity, but for her trust in God. On a fixed income, she gave not from her surplus, but her poverty, she gave from her livelihood to honor God and to provide charity for those who may have been worse off than she. And Jesus praises this.

This destitute widow is another example in the Gospels of the divine logic overturning human logic. To most people, the scribes, the chief elders, the pharisees, and King Herod, these were the real pillars of the community. But, Jesus points out that the truly holy are those who are beautiful and wealthy not on the outside, but the inside—those whose generosity flows from their love of God, not the desire to be noticed by others. Jesus condemns, in fact, over and over the scribes and pharisees for making a show of faith on the outside, while being far from God on the inside. He condemns them for the grievous corruption of what religious faith is supposed to be—not outward show, but inner union with the heart of God.

And the widow, the saints, like St .Martin, so many of our veterans, show us what the heart of God looks like: Self-sacrifice, trust in God, boundless generosity, willingness to mocked for charity’s sake, for goodness’ sake.

While visiting Cuba a few years ago, Pope Francis spoke of how the spirit of the world differs from the Spirit of Christ. He said, “The spirit of the world does not love the way of the Son of God, who emptied himself and became poor. He became nothing — he humiliated himself in order to be one of us.” The saints, who we began the month celebrating choose the way of self-emptying, Christ’s poverty of spirit, and come to discover the riches of the kingdom of God. May we do the same.

The Eucharist, which we come to celebrate today, has the power to transform our hearts to become like Christ’s. We come to the altar praying that we may have the widow’s trust, st. martin’s willingness to sacrifice his own possessions, gratitude for the freedom for which so many veterans fought for, that we may have the heart of Christ who pours himself out, that the poor in spirit may become rich in the love and life of God…for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

31st Week in OT 2018 - Tuesday - The self-emptying of Christ

Today’s reading from Paul’s letter to the Philippians is one of the most beloved passages in the entire New Testament—Paul’s Christological hymn also known as the Philippians Hymn.  Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians in the late 50s, yet scholars believe that the Philippians hymn predated the letter, a hymn that Paul may have encountered during an earlier missionary journey. So it is perhaps one of the oldest expressions of Christian faith dating back to the 40s or even possibly the 30s just years after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Our Lord.

This hymn encapsulates the humility of Jesus, which Paul is exhorting the Philippians to practice, especially in their conduct toward one another. Harmony and unity amongst Christians is predicated on each member of the community seeking to imitate, having the same attitude of, the humble Christ.
The hymn points out the Lord’s humility in his self-emptying, leaving his exalted status in heaven at the behest of his Father, to become a slave for our redemption. Obedience to the Holy Will of the Father is one mark of humility. Willingness to embrace suffering for the good of others is another.

Pope Benedict XVI, commenting on this passage wrote: “Christ, incarnated and humiliated in the most infamous death, that of crucifixion, is proposed as a vital model for the Christian…not content with gazing on us with a benign look from his throne of glory, [God] enters personally in human history, becoming "flesh," namely, fragile reality, conditioned by time and space…To penetrate into Jesus' sentiments means not to consider power, wealth and prestige as the highest values in life, as in the end, they do not respond to the deepest thirst of our spirit, but to open our heart to the Other, to bear with the Other the burden of life and to open ourselves to the Heavenly Father with a sense of obedience and trust, knowing, precisely, that if we are obedient to the Father, we will be free”

In Holy Communion today, we approach the one who empties himself that we may be full of life. May we pour ourselves out in humble Christian service for the unity of our Church and the good of those most in need, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That bishops, priests, and all ministers of the Gospel may seek to imitate Jesus in his charity, compassion, self-sacrifice, and witness to the Truth.

On this Election Day, we pray that all those seeking political office will use their political influence selflessly to serve Christ’s kingdom of justice and peace.

That all Christians may seek to imitate the Lord Jesus ever-more deeply in his humble obedience to the Father’s Will.

For the impoverished and sick and those experiencing any sort of trial: that they may know the goodness of God and the charity of the Church.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for whom we pray especially during this month of November, for deceased clergy and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

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

31st Week of OT 2018 - Monday - Putting on the mind of Christ

Throughout the week, our first reading will be taken from St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Paul’s short four chapter letter to the Philippians, can easily be read in one sitting.

Philippi, in northeastern Greece, was a city of some importance located on a major trade route of the Roman Empire. Reading through this letter, you can tell that Paul has a special place in his heart for the Christians of Philippi.  And this makes sense, because according to the book of Acts, Philippi is the first Christian community established by Paul in Europe.

This letter is neither a treatise on systematic theology, like Paul’s epistle to the Romans, nor is it a practical, moral letter answering many specific questions and local problems, like I Corinthians.  Rather, Philippians is a pastoral, personal letter in which Paul expresses his love for the Philippians, his confidence in their progress in holiness, and his joy that the Gospel is spreading.  And he writes all this while in prison in Rome where he was awaiting death.

We will hear Philippians most famous passage tomorrow, Paul’s Christological Hymn—the song of Christ’s self-emptying---that Christ emptied himself and took the form of a slave and died on a cross.
But, today’s passage is like a mini-introduction to the hymn—Paul exhorts the Christians to, “complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing.”  The “mind” they are to adopt is the “mind” or “attitude” of Jesus who humbled himself to the point of death on the cross, which will be sung about in the following verses. The servant-attitude of Christ isn’t just for some members of the community, but all of them.

Then he writes, “Humbly regard others as more important than yourselves”. This sort of humility was certainly counter-cultural for the Philippians, as it is today. In the Roman empire, one’s place in the imperial pecking order was of great concern. One was expected to pursue higher status with great ambition, willing to prove that you are better than the people and the classes below you.

“Compassion” and “mercy” were signs of weakness. The cultural attitude was to regard yourself as better than others and treat them that way.

Rather, Paul, instructs us to adopt the attitude of Jesus Christ in all things. Look for opportunities to practice compassion and mercy. Hold banquets for the poor and the outcasts, as the Lord instructs in the Gospel.  Do not worry about where you stand in the social order, in the eyes of your neighbors and coworkers. Rather, pour yourself out like Christ in service, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That bishops, priests, and all ministers of the Gospel may seek to imitate Jesus in his charity, compassion, self-sacrifice, and witness to the Truth.

That those seeking political office tomorrow on Election Day will use their political influence selflessly to serve Christ’s kingdom of justice and peace..

That all Christians may be dedicated to the works of mercy, especially in serving the needs of the most vulnerable.

For the impoverished and sick and those experiencing any sort of trial: that Jesus the Bread of Life will be their sustenance.

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

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

All Saints Day 2018 - Children of God

As a student here at Holy Family School, or in your youth, you may have been asked, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” As a kid, I remember enjoying reading the comic strips in the newspaper, like Bill Waterson's "Calvin and Hobbes" and Gary Larson's "The Far Side". And so for a time, I wanted to be a newspaper cartoonist, that’s before I realized I can’t draw. If I were to ask the young people in our congregation here today, I’d bet I’d come up with a whole host of answers: a professional athlete, an astronaut, a doctor, a truck driver, a professional dancer, an artist, musician, a soldier; perhaps one or two might be thinking of being a priest or a nun.

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

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

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

The saints show us what it means to be truly alive—to have truly lived a good life. Life is not meant to be all about the pursuit of material things, earthly things, but spiritual things, heavenly things.
In the Gospel today, did Jesus say blessed are you when you win trophies for your athletic accomplishments? No. Did he say, blessed are you when you are well known in your professional field? No. Did he say, blessed are you if you have more friends, more money than other people? No.
What did he say? Blessed are you when you are merciful, blessed are you when you are pure of heart. The beatitudes are the key to true human flourishing and true human happiness.

And today we celebrate those individuals who made the beatitudes the most important pursuit in their lives—saints like those our second graders are dressed-up as today. Francis, Mother Theresa, Saint Clare, Saint Patrick. If you want a truly good life, become like them. Don’t just learn their names, learn the love they had for Jesus, learn the love they had for fasting, prayer, spreading the Gospel, charity toward the poor.

Why is there so much unhappiness, boredom, perversion in the world? Because instead of seeking to become saints, we turn to trivial, selfish pursuits.

Today is a celebration of those who turned away from selfishness, and immersed themselves in lives of mercy, into the life of Christ. They choose to fully embrace their identity as children of God.

Any of the saints would tell you: don’t get swept up with all of the distractions in the world. Being a saint means saying “no” to a lot of things—things which seek to ruin our friendship with Jesus, things that seek to corrupt our minds, sour our hearts, and corrupt our souls. But we say “no” to the things of the world, because of our great desire to say “yes” to God with all of our being.

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