3rd Week in OT 2019 - Wednesday - "Whoever has ears ought to hear"

One of the most distinctive and well-known characteristic of Jesus’ teaching is his use of parables.  A parable is a short, memorable story or image, usually drawn from nature or daily life, that conveys profound spiritual truths.

And though we are 20 centuries and thousands of miles removed from ancient Israel, Jesus’ parables and teachings speak right to the heart.  Jesus’ parables are simple enough for a child to understand them, yet they have a hidden depth of meaning that it is not always easy to grasp, and only comes to light upon thoughtful, reflection.

Throughout his ministry, Jesus was quite aware that some people would hear and listen to him, but not understand him.  Even the disciples are often very slow in grasping the message, very hard-headed.

So, in the parable of the sower, Jesus teaches us how to listen to parables.  It is a parable about parables.  When you are listening to the teacher you must do your best that your mind and heart are not rocky, or thorny. He urges his listeners cultivate their souls to be like good soil to receive the seed of Jesus’ Word.

The Gospel is seed that is eaten by birds when we fail to reflect upon the Gospel and seek to understand it. Without deep reflection upon God’s Word, it will be like we never heard it at all.

Our souls are rocky grown when we listen to the Gospel without the willingness to live it out through the rocky times of life. Many give up on the Gospel when it gets difficult.

Our souls are thorny when we have too many worldly attachments, too many distractions, too much regard for earthly pursuits over heavenly pursuits. The thorns of the world choke out the goodness God wants to grow in us.

Our souls however are rich soil, when we hear God’s Word, when we accept its ramifications even with the willingness to suffer for it, when we clear out the thorniness of our worldly attachments so we can be more focused on doing God’s will.

The obstinate heart, the cowardly heart, the worldly and materialistic heart, the slothful heart: these are real enemies to the spiritual growth, the growth in holiness, the growth in understanding and truth, that God wants for us.

May our hearts be cultivated into the rich soil that generously receives God’s word and bear fruit that will last into eternity for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That every member of the Church may cultivate minds, hearts, and souls to receive the Word of God more deeply and fruitfully.
That leaders of nations may find guidance in the Word of God for proper governance and the pursuit of justice for all.
That Christian families may be places where the Word of God is studied, understood, obeyed, and cherished.
That the word of God may bring consolation to all those who suffer: for the sick, those affected by inclement weather or political turmoil, the indigent, those who will die today, and those who grieve.
For the deceased members of our families and parishes, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, and for N., for whom this Mass is offered.
O God, our refuge and our strength, hear the prayers of your Church, for you yourself are the source of all goodness, and grant, we pray, that what we ask in faith we may truly obtain.

3rd Week in OT 2019 - Tuesday - The family of Jesus

At the end of chapter 3 of Mark’s Gospel, we hear of Jesus’ relatives coming to Capernaum. Have they traveled from Nazareth to become his disciples? Not exactly. Mark tells us, they came “to seize him”.

For the ancient Jews, as for many non-Western cultures today, an individual existed only as part of an extended family unit, whose authority-structure, obligations, and customs governed every aspect of life. Any action by an individual was a reflection on the whole family, and any breach of family-honor could be met with severe discipline. Since Jesus’ foster-father, Joseph, was presumably no longer alive at this point, Jesus’ uncles and senior cousins would have considered him under their charge and answerable to them for his conduct.

And so, Jesus’ relatives come to Capernaum to bring him home. From their perspective, Jesus should be back in Nazareth making tables and chairs, not associating with throngs of sick and demon-possessed people, not to mention arousing the hostility of the religious leaders. Their action was probably motivated by a desire to protect him. They probably thought he was out of his mind, maybe even possessed by some evil spirit.

Pointing out his disciples and saying, “here are my mother and my brothers” would have been shocking in the cultural context of first-century Judaism. But it is an early indication in Mark’s Gospel of a principle that becomes clearer and clearer as the Gospel progresses: all earthly ties take second place to the kingdom of God.

Jesus isn’t rejecting his biological family, here. But, if they wish to claim membership in the kingdom of God, they will have to accept His Gospel, they will have to accept Him as Lord and Savior in order to be included in the family of the Church. And many of them do. Jesus’ “adelphoi” the Greek word for cousins and relatives, are mentioned in the book of Acts, gathered in prayer with Mary at Pentecost.

We who believe in Jesus and are baptized are not merely his followers, we are his family. For he has established the new covenant family of God—whose members are united in a bond of love and faith and loyalty and grace that is stronger than any blood relationship. The bonds of this new family are not severed, but endure, even death.

“Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother” The absolute priority in the heart of Jesus is to do his Father’s will. May at be ours as well, for the Glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That Catholics may live out their baptismal call with ever greater conviction, faithfulness and joy.

That those in civic authority may submit their minds and hearts to the rule of Christ, the Prince of Peace and Hope of the nations.

 That our parish families and the families of all of our school children will be places where the Christian faith is believed, followed, taught, and cherished.

For the students, teachers, staff, and alumni of St. Ignatius School and all of our Catholic Schools.
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.

Jan 28 2019 - St. Thomas Aquinas - Catholic Schools Week (School Mass)

[School Mass]

We begin Catholic Schools Week this year celebrating the feast day of one of the great Patron Saints of Catholic Schools, St. Thomas Aquinas.

St. Thomas Aquinas is one of the greatest teachers in human history. Yet, he did not teach mathematics or geography. He did teach reading, in a sense. He taught Christians how to read the Bible, the most important book in human history, for the Bible is the book that deals with the most important subject, the salvation of our souls. Thomas taught that the purpose, end, and goal of the Bible is that “the truth necessary for salvation may be made known to us.”

And this is why Catholic Schools are so important: not just that they teach us math and geography and natural science. Catholic Schools are able and tasked with teaching the most important subject: how to get to heaven, how to live forever, how to become the people God made us to be.

The Bishops clarify the mission of the Catholic school, “The Catholic school is committed to the development of the whole person since in Christ, the Perfect Person, all human values find their fulfillment and unity.”

The mission of the Catholic school is to teach young people how to be perfect by helping them to know, follow, imitate, and open their minds and hearts to Jesus Christ, the Perfect Son of the Father. Math, science, language, art, music, physical education, all these things are brought into harmony by Our Christian Faith and put at the service of Our Christian Faith.

In other words, we learn in Catholic School that if you are going to be an athlete, make sure the Christian faith guides your career. If you are going to be a musician or a politician, or a lawyer or a construction worker or a mom or a dad, a priest or a religious sister, make sure the teachings of Jesus Christ guide you always.

On this festival of one of the greatest teachers in human history, Thomas Aquinas, our gospel passage says “call no person teacher, for there is but one teacher.” Students, this is a challenge for you, that as you sit in class, you listen in the words of your classroom teachers, for the words and lessons of One Heavenly Teacher, listen for the voice of Jesus teaching you how to become the person God made you to be.

Teachers, this is a greater challenge for you, as it’s a challenge for me: to never get in the way of what Jesus wants to teach these young people, but to conform our lives to Him through our own prayer and study, that He may teach them clearly, to know Him, to love Him, to follow Him.

Thomas Aquinas was the best of teachers because he was the best student. He listened to the Word of God, he knew intimately, through prayer and study, Christ the Teacher. May we do the same, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

[Morning Mass Homily Below]

Today begins Catholic Schools Week, and later this morning, I’ll be celebrating mass with our students and teachers. This year Catholic Schools Week begins with the feast day of one of the great Patron Saints of Catholic Schools, St. Thomas Aquinas.

St. Thomas Aquinas is one of the greatest teachers in human history. Yet, he did not teach mathematics or geography. He did teach reading, in a sense. He taught Christians how to read the Bible, the most important book in human history, for the Bible is the book that deals with the most important subject, the salvation of our souls. Thomas taught that the purpose, end, and goal of the Bible is that “the truth necessary for salvation may be made known to us.”

And this is why Catholic Schools are so important: not just that they teach us math and geography and natural science. Catholic Schools are able and tasked with teaching the most important subject: how to get to heaven, how to live forever, how to become the people God made us to be. This is something that public schools cannot do, which is why Catholics need to support their Catholic schools spiritually and financially.

On this festival of one of the greatest teachers in human history, Thomas Aquinas, our gospel passage says “call no person teacher, for there is but one teacher.”

I’ll be telling the children later this morning that these words are very important for them: that as they sit in class and listen to their classroom lessons taught by their classroom teachers, they need to listen for the words and voice of the One Heavenly Teacher, listen for the voice of Jesus teaching you how to become the person God made you to be.

And I’ll tell the teachers that there is a greater lesson for them, a challenge for them, as it’s a challenge for me: to never get in the way of what Jesus wants to teach these young people, but to conform our lives to Him through our own prayer and study, that He may teach them clearly, to know Him, to love Him, to follow Him.

Thomas Aquinas was the best of teachers because he was the best student. He listened to the Word of God, he knew intimately, through prayer and study, Christ the Teacher. May we do the same, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all Church leaders will faithfully proclaim Christ’s love and truth to the world.

That our parish families and the families of all of our school children will be places where the Christian faith is believed, followed, taught, and cherished.

For the students, teachers, staff, and alumni of St. Ignatius School and all of our Catholic Schools.

For the sick and suffering among us, for those who care for them, and for all of our beloved dead, especially X, for whom this mass is offered.

3rd Sunday in OT 2019 - Jesus brings us God

Over in the school these past two weeks, I’ve finally had the opportunity to do a little teaching. I’ve visited each of the grades now, and I taught a lesson for each of them on the liturgical year: how the seasons of the Church year celebrate the different seasons of Jesus’ life so we can follow Jesus more faithfully. So I reviewed with them how Advent and Christmas helps us to prepare our hearts to believe in Jesus and love Him, and how now in Ordinary Time we hear about many of the wonderful miracles Jesus performed and his preaching and teaching about the Kingdom of God. Again, Ordinary Time helps us to put the lessons of Jesus’ miracles and preaching into practice into the ordinary events of our life.

Last Sunday, those who braved the snow and cold, heard of Jesus’ first miracle: his miracle at the Wedding at Cana—how Jesus changed water into wine at the urging of his mother. We, like the servants at the wedding, should, as Jesus’ mother teaches us, to do whatever he tells us. And like the disciples who witnessed the miracle, we are to glorify God for the amazing things Jesus does in our lives.

And now this weekend, we hear Jesus’ very first homily recorded in Luke’s Gospel. Emerging from the desert, having fasted and prayed for 40 days and having faced the temptations of the devil, Jesus goes to the synogogue in his native place, Nazareth. There Jesus reads from the scripture and teaches people what God is doing in their midst. Jesus explained how those ancient prophecies of Isaiah were being fulfilled in their midst. God promised that He would bring glad tidings to the poor, liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind. And Jesus make the amazing claim that those promises were being fulfilled in Him.

Well, what does this event in the life of Jesus mean for our Ordinary day to day lives?

In his book Jesus of Nazareth, Pope Benedict XVI asks this question another way. He asks “What did Jesus actually bring us?” We still have wars. We still have famine. People still suffer. People still get sick and die. So what did Jesus actually bring? And Pope Benedict answers the question by saying: “Jesus brought us God. Jesus brings us God.”

Jesus is much more than a social worker. He’s not just a nice guy who came to teach us a few useful things about living together in harmony. He’s not just a philosopher who gives us a theory about life, the universe, and everything. He’s not just a politician who promises to fulfill every wish we could ever have.

Jesus brings us something that nothing else and no one else on earth can give: the gift of God Himself. Jesus is God, and Jesus is God’s gift of Himself to Us who need Him. Only God can give us the liberty we need to truly be free. Only God can forgive sins. Only God can give us the gift of eternal life. Only God can give us the good news that changes our life from the core. Jesus shows us the face of God. Jesus reveals the heart of God. Jesus brings us God. For He is Truly God who gives Himself that we may have life.

One of the errors of our modern day is that we think we can save ourselves, that we don’t need God, we can do it on our own. If we just elect the right politicians. If just enact the right law. If we just force everyone to adopt the right set of public policies, if we just get the right sized house or the right amount of cash in the savings account, if we just outlaw certain “triggering” words, then we’ll be free…then we’ll be happy.

This attempt to save ourselves—this belief that we can live rightly without God—is a symptom of the deepest soul sickness, going all the way back to the garden of eden, when adam and eve grasped at a reality divorced from God. They chose to ignore God’s command, to ignore God’s plan for humanity. And each one of us does the same when we choose sin over faithfulness.

And the wars, the violence, the hostility between men and women, the brokenness in families,  the addictions, the penchant for self-destruction is a result of this attempt to build a life and build a world without God. Who will save us from this? Who will save us from the tendency of “not doing the good we want to do, and doing the evil we don’t want to do” as St. paul says? Who will give us the strength to be able to love one another as deeply as we yearn to do? Who will teach us what humanity is meant to be? Who will reconcile us? Who will bring us peace? Jesus “Jesus brought us God. Jesus brings us God.”

In our first reading, we heard a foreshadowing of this amazing truth. From the book of Nehemiah we heard how the Jews fell face-down and wept when the priest read to them from God’s Word. 70 years they had been captive in Babylon. An entire generation did not know God, they did not know the promises of God, they did not know the commandments of God that help us to live a holy life. And they wept when they discovered what God wanted for them, they wept when they discovered that they were not created to be captives to the powers of the world, they wept when they learned they were created to be God’s chosen people, chosen by God to manifest His goodness, his truth, his beauty, his light.

And the Jewish people had this reaction simply from reading from the first five books of the Old Testament. What should our reaction be, how immense should our gratitude be, to come here, and to receive the very gift of God, the body and blood of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior in the Eucharist. I have known Catholics, similarly to break down and weep in gratitude after encountering Jesus in the confessional, they weep to discover that their sins are forgiven.

This, too, is why daily prayer and daily reading of the Word of God is so important. Because daily we, God’s chosen people are meant to encounter him, to open our hearts and minds to him. We are meant to prayerfully encounter the God who desires to free us, to illuminate us, to guide us in being his holy people, members of his mystical body tasked at manifesting his goodness, his life, his beauty, his truth in the ordinary circumstances of our lives, and bringing sight, freedom, good tiding to those in need of it, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Jan 25 2019 - Conversion of St. Paul - Famous Catholic Converts

 The Calendar of Saints is filled with saints converts: early converts from Judaism, like the apostles, st. mary magdalene or modern day st. edith stein, converts from roman paganism like st. Catherine of Alexandria and our own St. Ignatius of Antioch, converts from strange cults like St. Augustine, converts from African tribal religions like St. Charles Lwanga, converts from Protestantism like St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and soon to be canonized Blessed John Henry Newman. An internet search can yield really interesting lists of famous Catholic converts like actors John Wayne and Sir Alec Guinness, poets Oscar Wilde and Gerard Manley Hopkins, politicians, social activists, soldiers and scientists, artists and musicians, devil worshipers and Atheist Marxists.

So deeply convinced that Christianity was an unholy corruption of his Jewish faith, that in the name of God Paul was putting Christians to death. And today’s feast, the conversion of St. Paul, is so powerful. It is a reminder that God can bring about the conversion of hearts deeply hardened against Christ. If God can bring about the conversion of someone who was murdering Christians, he can bring about the conversion of the non-believers in our families, the corrupt politicians, the flakey Hollywood actors and actresses, the abortion activists, the fake news journalists, and the ordinary folk you see at the supermarket and doctor’s office.

Every convert and every great saint came to the truth through the witness of ordinary Christians like you and me--Christians faithful to the Gospel, willing to undergo persecution for the sake of the name, willing to broach the uncomfortable topic of religious with them and share the truth of the saving Word of God with them.

Pope Paul VI said that “the Church exists to evangelize”. That is our main purpose—to spread Christianity, as Our Lord commands in the Gospel for this feast, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.”  May we, like the great Convert St. Paul, be God’s instruments today and always in praying and working for conversion, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That our bishops may be graced with Saint Paul’s zeal in preaching and teaching the Word of God. We pray to the Lord.

That our parish may build up missionary disciples who will go and proclaim the Gospel. We pray to the Lord.

For the conversion of all hardened sinners and all persecutors of the faith, that the Lord may touch their hearts and remove the blindness from their eyes. We pray to the Lord.

For all who have suffered as a result of violence or abuse, all of the sick and suffering, especially victims of natural disaster, poverty, and addiction, may they be comforted and supported by God’s healing love. We pray to the Lord.

For our departed loved ones and all of the souls in purgatory, and for N. for whom this Mass is offered. We pray to the Lord.

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

2nd Week in OT 2019 - Wednesday - Melchizedek and the Priesthood of the Baptized

“You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 7:17)

Who is this Melchizedek fellow? 

Melchizedek was encountered by Abraham back in the book of Genesis.  He was a strange figure: a king and a priest. He was no idol-worshiping pagan priest, but a priest of God Most High, the one true God of Israel, the creator of heaven and earth.

Melchizedek appears kind of mysteriously after a battle in which Abraham, with a band of only 318 men, defeated a coalition of four pagan kings and rescued his nephew Lot from captivity. Melchizedek leads Abraham in offering a thanksgiving sacrifice to God—a sacrifice of bread and wine.

“You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” certainly refers to Jesus. Melchizedek is certainly a foreshadowing of our blessed Lord who is priest and king—who by his own sacrifice on the cross has defeated the powers of man’s captivity—through whom we offer God the Eucharistic sacrifice for our salvation.

“You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” certainly refers to the ordained priesthood, who share in Christ’s priesthood to offer the Eucharistic sacrifice.

“You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” also refers to all of the baptized. By our Baptism, every Christian shares in the priesthood of Christ.

These words were deeply consoling to the original audience of the letter to the Hebrews. These Christians were being persecuted and martyred by the Roman government. They "endured mockery, scourging, chains and imprisonment” and death, like Christ. And this letter encouraged them, and encourages us, that what we suffer for Christ has meaning, has power, for the salvation of souls. And so we are to offer ourselves, our sufferings, our time, talent, and treasure, our lives in union with Him.

St. Paul emphasizes this very teaching in his letter to the Romans, when he writes: “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship.  Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.

May we truly be pleasing and perfect sacrifices to the Father, not conformed to this age, but with minds and hearts renewed by Word and Sacrament, offer our lives in union with the One saving sacrifice of Christ Our Lord for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For an end to the divisions among Christians: that we may be united in proclaiming the Gospel and announcing the freedom, healing, reconciliation and peace that comes through Christ.

That those in civic authority may submit their minds and hearts to the rule of Christ, the Prince of Peace and Hope of the nations.

For the temporal and spiritual needs of our parish, for the conversion of non-believers in our neighborhood and families, for protection from all evil.

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 the grace to unite our suffering with our Savior’s cross.

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

January 22, 2019 - Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children

Several times in the Gospels Jesus asks those who had spent years studying the Scriptures if they've ever read a certain passage. He asks the Pharisees today, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry?” Jesus, of course, knew that the Pharisees had indeed read that passage before. However, He also knew they had not grasped the full meaning of the passage, they did not realize how the Scriptures were being fulfilled through Jesus.

They had read the scriptures, but had failed to allow God’s word to take root in their souls, to give them fresh eyes for seeing, fresh minds for understanding and believing. So they were unable or unwilling to believe in Jesus and hardened their hearts toward Him.

A similar hardness of heart afflicts our nation. A hardness of heart which is unwilling to respect human life.

46 Years ago today, the Supreme Court made a decision which has led to the death of ten times more babies than the deaths of U.S. soldiers in all of our nation’s wars including the Civil War, the World Wars, the Vietnam War, and the War on Terror.

Even with science increasingly clear that human life begins with conception, hearts continue to grow harder toward life. I remember as a kid, the slogan was “make abortion safe, legal, and rare”. Now the slogan is “shout your abortion”. They revel in the fact that they have murdered a life.

So throughout the United States today, U.S. Catholics engage in prayer for the restored legal protection of the unborn.  This liturgy for life and justice calls for the wearing of purple vestments: purple, the color of grief and prayerful penance.  We grieve the abundance of sin and murder occurring on a daily basis for 46 years.  And we do penance for the abortionists, for the parents, for the politicians, for all those who further the culture of death, even those who do not repent. We do penance because we love life and we hope for their salvation. And we commit ourselves to praying and working for authentic justice for the unborn.

We pray that the truth of the Gospel of Life will take root in the hearts of every member of the human family, that it will dispel all darkness, and all hardness toward innocent human life, all unwillingness to respect life.

May every life be cherished and held sacred for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the leaders and members of the Church may fulfill with joy their calling to proclaim, celebrate, and serve the Gospel of Life, we pray to the Lord…
That Court decisions which permit the destruction of innocent life may be resisted and reversed, we pray to the Lord…
That God may protect all unborn babies, and keep them safe from the scourge of abortion, we pray to the Lord...
That all women facing difficult or unplanned pregnancies may receive compassionate care and the support they need, let us pray to the Lord.
That all medical professionals involved in the practices of abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia, may experience conversion of mind and heart and cease these activities, we pray to the Lord…
For all women who have had abortions, that they may seek out and experience God’s tender mercy, we pray to the Lord.
In thanksgiving for the many children who have been saved from abortion through the efforts of the pro-life movement, we pray to the Lord…
For all the dead, for all the souls in purgatory, for the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and for X, for whom this Holy 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

2nd Sunday in OT 2019 - Buddhist Detachment & Christian Morality

I was watching a documentary last night that contained an old Buddhist story, I think you might like. There was an old farmer who had a prized horse. And one day the horse ran away. And the farmer’s neighbor comes over to commiserate—to offer his condolences. He says, “I’m so sorry. I heard about your horse.” And the old farmer says, “who knows what is good or bad?” And the neighbor is confused because this is the farmer’s prized horse, after all. So the neighbor bids his farewell. Well the next day, the horse returns and he brings with him 12 wild horses from the countryside. Now the farmer is rich in horses. And the neighbor comes over and says, “Congratulations, you have all these horses.” And the old farmer says, “Who knows what’s good or bad?” And the neighbor is confused again. And then the next day the old farmer’s son is taming one of the horses and is thrown off the horse and breaks his leg. And the neighbor comes over again to commiserate, and the farmer says, “who knows what’s good or what’s bad”. And then the next day the army comes through the countryside and they are conscripting able-bodied young men to go off and fight in the war, and the farmer’s son is spared. And this story can go on and on and on.

Though this is a Buddhist story, there is some Christian truth. The Christian is to be detached
in a sense. We don’t know what the events of our life will hold. As they say, when God closes a door he opens a window. Being fired from one’s job, for example, might open up a new opportunity that is in the end more lucrative or more meaningful and fulfilling. The Christian martyrs, like our own St. Ignatius, they saw meaning behind what most people would consider evil: their suffering. St. Ignatius even told the Christians of Antioch not to try to rescue him from being brought to Rome for his martyrdom, so confident was he, that God could bring about something good through his suffering, just as God brought about the greatest good through the greatest suffering, our human salvation through the suffering and death of Jesus.

So, like the old farmer, Christians are called to practice a certain level of detachment. We aren’t to curse God when things don’t go our way. We are to trust God’s providence. Like Old Job would say, “the Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord.”

The Buddhist story however seems to only give insight into the events that happen around us. What it doesn’t address is human choice, human free will, that choices that I make. “Who knows what’s good or bad” applies to the events that happen to us and around us. The farmer had no choice that his horse ran away—so who knows if it was good or bad. However, the choices that we make, the exercise of free-will, that’s different. The Judeo-Christian tradition, our scriptures, the teachings of our Lord and the theologians are very clear that choices are either good or bad, and we can know the difference.
Some choices are so clearly in violation of the natural moral law, they are called objectively evil, objectively sinful: it doesn’t matter who does them, or the circumstance, they are always evil. One example, is the intentional destruction of innocent human life in the womb. And thousands and thousands and thousands of Christians and people of good-will marched upon our nation’s capital on Friday to bring an end to this national tragedy—this embarrassment to history--the legal allowance to murder unborn babies because they are unwanted by their parents. Christians are called to be the moral conscience of a place.

So some choices are clearly wrong. Sometimes it’s not always easy to know what is right or wrong. So God has given us through the Scriptures and through the teaching of his own lips, clear moral teaching. The 10 commandments, the sermon on the mount help to illuminate for us the right way to live, the way that leads to the flourishing of the human soul, the way that leads to everlasting life.

Our Gospel today contains some very important moral teaching from the lips of our blessed mother. Mary doesn't speak often in the Sacred Scriptures, but every time she does speak her words overflow with wisdom: "Do whatever he tells you." That is what is good, always. The teachings and commandments of Christ are always good. They aren’t always easy, but they are always good.

In the case of the wedding at Cana, the command was to bring Jesus jars of water, a strange request. But, when happened when the stewards were faithful to the command of Christ: goodness and power and glory were manifest.

“Do whatever he tells you” means that we can have unbounded confidence in Jesus. His teachings flow from a heart full of goodness, mercy, and love that understands humanity better than we understand ourselves. He wants what is best for us——he came to reconcile sinful man with God, to save sinful man from error and death. And when you trust him he will lead you to all truth. The compelling thing about Christian truth, besides the fact it comes from God himself, is that it is logically consistent, it holds up to greatest rational scrutiny. It is truly Catholic—universally intelligible to all people of all places of all times.

So we trust in Christ and those who he has established to speak and teach in his name. We are to have unbounded confidence in Him and in the teachings of His Church. For he himself said, “he who hears you” speaking to the Apostles, “hears me”. And “he who rejects you rejects Me.” He’s given His authority to the church in matters of faith and morality. And so when the Church clearly teaches that a particular human action is a sin, we trust that teaching and adapt our lives accordingly.

The true test of our confidence in God's goodness and power is our obedience to his will. To “do whatever he tells us”. And what does he tell us? To feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to carry our crosses, to love our enemies, to forgive unreservedly, to build our lives and families on the solid foundation of his teaching, to believe in all the all the truths which the holy Catholic Church teaches, because God has revealed them, who can neither deceive nor be deceived.

Believing in good and bad is becoming increasingly unpopular. Naming actions as good or bad is labeled as intolerant or bigoted. But our Gospel today shows us, that when we say yes to Jesus, as incomprehensible as that is to the world, bringing 80 gallons of water to be changed into wine, when we say yes, to whatever he tells us, he does something amazing, something that reveals the goodness and power and glory of God that leads hearts to salvation through belief in Him.

May we be faithful to all the Lord and His Holy Church teaches and commands, may we do “whatever he tells us” for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

1st Week in OT 2019 - Friday - Spiritual Paralysis and the March for Life

The Gospel of the healing of the paralytic is one of those passages that Christians really take to heart and shapes Christian identity. We Christians are to be like the friends of the paralytic: to not only bring others to Jesus, but to go out of our ways, even in dramatic fashion to bring others to Jesus. The friends in the Gospel  climb the roof and lower the paralytic down—that’s how dedicated they were, that’s how much they cared.

Each one of us would do well to think of someone in our life who just seems paralyzed—they are paralyzed because they do not know the healing and love of Jesus Christ. And we should be bringing that person to Jesus in our prayer every day, and asking the Holy Spirit to guide us in how else we are called to bring that person to the Lord.

This morning in our nation’s capital tens of thousands of Christians and people of good-will are marching for those who cannot march for themselves. They are bringing the unborn to the popular consciousness and the consciousness of our politicians to bring about a change of heart. They are marching to bring a national tragedy to an end—an embarrassment to history--the legal allowance to murder unborn babies because they are unwanted by their parents. In a sense, they are marching to heal a national paralysis—the inability to get up and do what is right—to protect innocent life—they are bringing the paralyzed to Jesus, and may they be blessed and protected for their efforts.

Spiritual paralysis can afflict every one of us—when we allow the attitudes and errors of the world to keep us from doing what is right, when we allow spiritual sloth to keep us from prayer, fear to keep us from reaching out to those in need, preoccupation with worldly endeavors to keep us from pursuing the works of God.

May we be committed to bringing others and bringing ourselves to the healing of Jesus, that He may raise us up to walk in the ways of righteousness, justice, goodness and peace, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all members of the Church may live out their baptismal call with greater conviction and faithfulness.

That those in civic authority may submit their minds and hearts to the rule of Christ, the Prince of Peace and Hope of the nations.

That the March for Life in Washington D.C. will help to transform our culture and inspire many to adhere to the Gospel of Life.

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

1st Week of OT 2019 - Wednesday - Faith of Ordinary Folk

Yesterday, we heard of Jesus’ first miracle in Mark’s Gospel, the exorcism of a possessed man in the Capernaum synagogue. In today's gospel, still in Capernaum, Jesus heals the mother-in-law of Simon who was sick with a fever. Jesus grasped her hand, helped her up, and the fever left her instantly. Then she waited on them. The disciples must have been astonished by this miraculous healing. But, then, we heard of a series of healings that follow—the whole town gathered at the door where Jesus was staying.

This simple Gospel detail reveals much about Jesus's ministry of healing: the whole town gathered at the door not a few select people, not just the friends and relatives of the disciples, but the whole town— people with every kind of disease and burden and concern come to Jesus in faith in the hope of finding the healing they need. And Jesus is eager to heal all who are wounded and who come to him in faith.

We’ll be reading from Mark’s Gospel throughout these several weeks of Ordinary Time before Lent. You’ll notice the great attraction Jesus has to Ordinary Folk. It’s not the pretentious Pharisees, the highly-educated scribes, even the Apostles often struggle to understand who Jesus really is and to trust Him. But the Ordinary Folk in Mark’s Gospel, they get it. They go to Jesus for healing, they bring their burdens to Him, they allow themselves to be fed by Him, and led by Him.

So often, it’s our own pretension, our own egos, that keep us from the healing Jesus wants for us. How many people don’t come to Church because they don’t think they need Him. They think themselves too educated, their worldly philosophies too sophisticated. They are too important to kneel before Jesus. They have “more important” things to do than kneel before God.

Christians are certainly called to emulate the humble faith of the ordinary townsfolk in the Gospel today, and to trust that the Lord does desire to bring consolation to the real burdens of our life. He will likely not make our burdens disappear, but he will certainly give strength to bear them gracefully, and to do so knowing His presence with us for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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To God the Father Almighty we direct the prayers of our hearts for the needs and salvation of humanity and the good of His faithful ones.

For the holy Church of God, that the Lord may graciously watch over her and care for her.
For the peoples of the world, that the Lord may graciously preserve harmony among them.
For all who are oppressed by any kind of need, that the Lord may graciously grant them relief.
For ourselves and our parish, that the Lord may graciously receive us as a sacrifice acceptable to himself.
For our beloved dead, for the poor souls in purgatory, and for X, for whom this Mass is offered.
O God, our refuge and our strength, hear the prayers of your Church, for you yourself are the source of all goodness, and grant, we pray, that what we ask in faith we may truly obtain. Through Christ our Lord.

1st Week of OT 2019 - Tuesday - Binding Evil Spirits and Liberating Captives

On the first weekday of Ordinary Time yesterday, we heard the call of the disciples.  Jesus’ call of his first followers is followed by his first miraculous work in Mark’s Gospel: an exorcism—reminding us that Christ has come to do battle with Satan, to dismantle the powers of darkness, and to unbind those who are bound by evil.

This whole drama takes place while Jesus is teaching in a synagogue. And this demon begins to disrupt Jesus, the works of the devil disrupt, hinder, thwart the work of God. The demon is called an “unclean spirit”. Why are they called “unclean”? “Unclean” is an Old Testament term for a person or thing that is ritually defiled and therefore prohibited from taking part in worship. A demon is an angel that has been cast out of heaven due to its refusal to worship God. And the unclean spirits seek to separate us eternally from the worship of God as well.

“I know who you are–the Holy One of God!” The unclean spirit claims hidden knowledge of Jesus’ identity, a frequent tactic of the demons in the Gospel. But if it intends to catch Jesus off guard, or to gain some control over him, their attempt is futile. For Christ commands them ”Quiet!, phimōthēti” one of the coolest Greek words, literally, “be muzzled”. Imagine leather straps binding, muzzling, the mouth of an ox. Having been muzzled, the unclean spirit shows one last act of defiance by convulsing the man, but helpless before Jesus’ word of command, the demon departs.

Day two of Ordinary Time, and we get a glimpse of the battlefield. Jesus has come to drive out the unclean from our lives, all that defiles human dignity and to restore us to the right worship of God, that we may worship and live “in spirit and in truth”. We do well to study God’s word and study  our catechism: so much uncleanness is cast out when we are exposed to and believe God’s truth. And most likely the undisciplined parts of our egos need to be muzzled, in order to be brought under the direction of the Holy Spirit.

The Lord also desire to use us as his instruments for binding evil in the world, for setting captives free. May we be ambassadors of his truth, his goodness, his power, and his love today for all we meet, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That the preaching and teachings of the Pope, Bishops, and clergy may be a source of strength and guidance for the Holy Church.

That those in civic authority may submit their minds and hearts to the rule of Christ, the Prince of Peace and Hope of the nations.

For the liberation of those bound by evil, those committed to sin an error, those oppressed or possessed by evil spirits, and for the conversion of the hardest hearts.

That the March for Life in Washington D.C. this Friday will help to transform our culture and inspire many to adhere to the Gospel of Life.

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

1st Week in OT 2019 - Monday - The time is NOW

Once again we enter into Ordinary Time, the ordered time of the Church year in which we are called to order our lives to follow Christ more perfectly. Both of our readings speak of “time” this morning.
Hebrews spoke of “time past” in which God spoke through prophets, but then the time in which Jesus is made known to the world.

In the Gospel, Jesus speaks about “time”—“the time of fulfillment”. After 30 years of a hidden life in the home of Mary and Joseph, it was “time” for Jesus to begin his public ministry, to begin preaching the Gospel, calling humanity to conversion—to new beliefs, to a new way of living, of ordering their lives in conformity to His Truth. Similarly, this new liturgical season is a “time” for us to order our lives anew, to examine our ordinary day-to-day live and consider what better needs to be ordered to the truth of Jesus.

For Peter, James, Andrew, and John, it was “time” to leave their father’s fishing business. It was time for them to leave behind the ordinary and to seek the extraordinary. It was time for ordinary men of modest education to undergo an extraordinary journey.

It was not unusual for jewish men to follow a rabbi, a teacher, from time to time. But Jesus was calling them to something new. And there must have been something about the personality, or conviction, with which Jesus called out to them. Peter and Andrew immediately dropped their nets, they stopped in the middle of what they were doing; James and John leave their father in the boat. There is an immediateness to the call of Jesus, an urgency: time must be ordered to Him…NOW. Conversion and belief need to happen, not later, not when it’s more convenient, not when I can get all of my earthly affairs into order, but now.

Christians, we have much work to do, now, in seeking the conversion Jesus wants for us, and going out to be fishers of men. May this new liturgical season bring new conviction for the spread of the Gospel in our midst, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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To God the Father Almighty we direct the prayers of our hearts for the needs and salvation of humanity and the good of His faithful ones.

For the holy Church of God, that the Lord may graciously watch over her and care for her.

For the peoples of the world, that the Lord may graciously preserve harmony among them.

For all who are oppressed by any kind of need, that the Lord may graciously grant them relief.

For ourselves and our parish, that the Lord may graciously receive us as a sacrifice acceptable to himself.

For our beloved dead, for the poor souls in purgatory, and for X, for whom this Mass is offered.

O God, our refuge and our strength, hear the prayers of your Church, for you yourself are the source of all goodness, and grant, we pray, that what we ask in faith we may truly obtain. Through Christ our Lord.

Baptism of the Lord 2019 - Something New

Where have we been and where are we going this liturgical year? The Liturgical Year began with the season of Advent. We heard from the prophecies of Isaiah, the promises of God to send a Savior to Israel, and we heard those same prophecies echoed in the preaching of John the Baptist. And concluding Advent, we heard God’s promises beginning to be fulfilled, as the maiden of Nazareth consented to God’s Holy Will, and the word took flesh in the Virgin Mary's womb.

Advent longing made way for Christmas rejoicing at the birth of Our Savior, God made flesh. We traveled with humble shepherds to adore him who was born into the humble poverty of the Bethlehem stable. Last week, we celebrated the great feast of the Epiphany, and traveled with wise men from the east. What made them wise? They set out on the great journey—the greatest journey: to find God. They left their worldly comforts that they could behold the face of the Christ. And upon finding him, they honored him as God and King and Savior.

We celebrate now, at the end of the Christmas season, the Feast of the Lord’s Baptism. Fast forward 30 years from Bethlehem. For 30 years, the one named Jesus, lived in virtual obscurity. These are sometimes called the hidden years of Jesus’ life because Scripture does not go into detail into the intervening years between the Lord’s birth and the beginning of his public ministry. What we do know is that during the greater part of his life, Jesus shared the condition of the vast majority of the human race: a life spent without evident greatness, a life of manual labor.

Jesus lived a life of simple faith, obedient to Mary and Joseph in the house of Nazareth.  He learned the carpenter’s trade, he worked with his hands, he worshiped at synagogue, he made pilgrimages to Jerusalem and celebrated the Jewish Feasts, and he he lived a life of virtue, preparing for his great mission of preaching the Gospel and dying for the atonement of our sins.

Around the age of 30, Jesus’ cousin, John, the son of Elizabeth and Zechariah was preaching a baptism of repentance down at the Jordan River, at the very spot where Israel had come into the promised land after 40 years in the desert, the very spot where Elijah was taken up into heaven on a flaming chariot.  In fact, John was dressed quite a bit like old Elijah and proclaiming Elijah’s warning: “repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.”

At the Jordan, Jesus’ season of hiddenness came to an end and the season of his public ministry began—a time of miracles, and healings, where the power of God’s kingdom would be manifest. “It was time” to do battle with the forces of evil and the prince of darkness.  “It was time” to fulfill his Father’s will, no matter how much suffering he would have to endure.

Throughout the upcoming Liturgical Season of Ordinary Time we will hear and reflect upon the Lord’s words and works. But I think it is quite significant that the season of Christmas, in which Christ is adored and honored as God, ends with this event, his baptism, in which he associated Himself with us. John preached to sinners, that sinners should turn their lives over to God, and to mark that new beginning with a ritual, with baptism. And Jesus underwent that ritual. The sinless Son of God associated himself with sinners.

If Christmas has taught us anything, it’s that God is not interested in remaining distant from us. He is born into poverty like most people in human history. He lived a hidden life of manual labor like most people in human history. And in his baptism he identifies with all of us needing to hand over our lives to God to make a new beginning, an end of sin and a new beginning of goodness.

So that’s where we’ve been: in a season of hearing about how God wants to break into our lives. Where are we going? Ordinary Time. Monday morning, I will don the Green Vestments once again. Why Green? Because Green is the color of growth. And in Ordinary Time, we focus on the spiritual growth the Christian Disciple is to always be seeking.

What does spiritual growth consist of? Becoming more like Christ. Allowing Christ to live in us. Christ yearns to live through the members of his mystical body, and that means we must learn to place Christ at the center of everything we do and say and are: including Him in our daily schedules and activities, meals, chores, conversations, parenting, work, vacations, civic responsibilities, decisions, problems, crises, accomplishments, and losses. It means going down into the waters with him and rising out of them with less selfishness, perversion, greed, sloth, anger, and impatience. It means allowing the whole of your life to become charged and changed by God’s presence—allowing the grace of our baptism, and the grace of the sacraments to unfold in your life, to bear new spiritual fruit.

Every season ends that it may give way to something new. Christmas ends, that the one born at Christmas, may impact, infuse, change, and transform our Ordinary Lives. Today, the Christmas season ends and the season of Ordinary Time begins, a season where each of us are to focus on putting the teachings of Jesus Christ into practice in our ordinary day-to-day lives.

So we do well to consider: what from our past needs to come to end that we may begin something new? What vices need to end that we may more faithfully live out our baptismal discipleship? Where in my life does spiritual sloth need to come to an end so that new spiritual practices may begin: daily scripture reading, visits to the blessed Sacrament throughout the week, a daily rosary perhaps, time volunteering at your parish. Where does lust need to be put an end, in order to begin a new life of purity. Where does resentment and bitterness need to come to an end, in order to begin a new season of peace and gentleness and gratitude and joy?

Pope Benedict wrote: “Immersion in the water (of baptism) is about purification, about liberation from the filth of the past that burdens and distorts life—it is about beginning again, and that means it is about death and resurrection, about starting life over again anew…in a world marked by sin, it is a Yes to the entire will of God and solidarity with our estranged brother.”

May all that is sinful come to an end, that, in the words of our second reading, we may reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of our great God and savior Jesus Christ,” for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Friday after Epiphany 2019 - Jesus desires to make us clean

Situated between the last two great feasts of the Christmas season: the feast of the Epiphany, last Sunday, and the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, our Gospel reading today reveals something about the Lord, while at the same time prepares us for the feast of the baptism this Sunday.  What does the healing of the leper reveal about Jesus?

The healing of the leper reveals that God the Holy One, does not recoil from the sinner, but draws near, “he does wish to make us clean”. Jesus is the Word that brings salvation, that hand God extends even to the most grievous sinner. Lepers were treated as the most cursed of men, and Jesus embracing and healing the leper shows that the heart of God desires to free man from the curse that oppresses him. There is no sin so heinous that the Lord will not gladly forgive us, make us clean, when we come to him with a repentant heart.

People with leprosy were driven out of their community—alienated from their families—because of their contagious, disfiguring disease.  Jesus embraces the leper and enables him to be reconciled and rejoined to His family and community.

Today’s reading prepares us to celebrate the Lord’s Baptism this weekend, as the final feast of the Christmas season. The babe born in Bethlehem gives us new birth in the waters of Baptism. The cure for the leprosy of sin, the remedy for death itself, is found in those waters. In baptism, sinful man, alienated from God, is washed of sin, reconciled to God, and brought into the new communion of the Church.

As we come to the end of the Christmas season, celebrating the birth of our Savior, the Church urges us to consider our baptism, in which we received new life in Christ, that we may be ever more faithful to Him, and live out our baptismal call with renewed fervor and conviction for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For Pope Francis and all the clergy: that they will draw many to the mystery of baptism and inspire the faithful to live their baptismal promises with great devotion.

For leaders of nations: that they will govern with virtue and integrity, helping to build society in conformity with the teachings of Christ. 

For non-believers and for those preparing for baptism: that they may be open to the grace of conversion and the joy of the followers of Christ. 

For the sick, suffering, persecuted, and underemployed, and all those facing hardships. 

For all those who have died, for all the poor souls in purgatory, for those who have fought and died for our country’s freedom, 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

Wednesday after Epiphany 2019 - Take Courage, I AM

Throughout Epiphany Week, the Gospel readings seem to emphasize the special identity of the Christ Child born at Christmas and adored by the magi at the Epiphany.  Monday we heard of him healing the sick, the paralyzed, the possessed.  Yesterday, we heard of him feeding five thousand with loaves and fishes.  Today, we hear of his mastery over the very powers of nature, the powers of creation—he walks on water.  He does what no man has ever done before.

At the sight of Jesus walking on the water, they thought it was a ghost, a phantasma, in the Greek. Why’d they think this? Living people typically don’t walk on water. St. Mark says, they were terrified at the sight, in fact, the Greek word there is anekraxan—they let out shrieks of terror.

But, their terror is transformed into complete astonishment when Jesus utters the words no good Jew would ever use to describe himself, in the Greek “Ego Eimi” I AM. Take Courage, I AM…Where in scripture do we find those holy words? At the burning Bush, when God revealed his divine name: I AM!  The Lord’s words here echo the divine words of consolation in the prophet Isaiah: “Fear not, I am with you; be not dismayed, I am your God”

The child born at Christmas is identified with the mighty God of the universe who is greater than our deepest fears. In the Gospel of Mark, it takes a while for the disciples to fully grasp who Jesus is, for them to allow Him to transform their fear into courage. Even at the end of this passage, Mark tells us, they didn’t understand his words, and even hardened their hearts.

It is not until Jesus’ great love is fully manifested upon the cross, in Mark’s Gospel, that terror, astonishment, misunderstanding, and fear, are fully transformed into courage for the spread of the Gospel. This is echoed in our first reading, when St. John tells us that “perfect love casts out fear.”
Christmas time, in which we are still engaged, urges us to reflect upon how the incarnation is part of the story of God’s great love for us, how God entered into a terrifying world, a world that hates him and is hostile toward him, in order to save us from hate, and fear, and sin, and death, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That our Holy Father and all the clergy may be filled with courage in preaching the full Gospel, especially in the face of opposition.
That Christians may know the presence and love of God when faced with fear and suffering for the sake of the Gospel.
That those who despair of God’s love for them, might discover the great love that casts out all fear.
For all who have fallen away from the Church, for those in mortal sin, for their conversion and the conversion of all hearts to Christ.
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

Tuesday after Epiphany 2019 - Feeding the spiritually malnourished

This week we are between two feasts: the Epiphany of the Lord and the Baptism of the Lord.  At the Epiphany Jesus as revealed as a light to all nations.  At the Baptism of the Lord in the Jordan River, Jesus will be revealed as the Only-begotten son of the Father.  When he is baptized, the heavens open, the Holy Spirit descends upon him, and the voice of the Father says, “This is my beloved Son”.
These two feasts are linked in the mind of the Church by that theme of revelation—the revelation of Jesus’s true identity—his identity as Savior and Son and God.

This theme of revelation permeates the readings this week.  Yesterday we heard Matthew’s account of the beginning of Jesus’ preaching and teaching throughout Galilee.  The paralyzed, the possessed, the lame were brought to him for healing.  Jesus is revealed as the one who brings healing.

Today we proclaim one of Jesus’ most famous miracles: the multiplication of the loaves and fishes.  Jesus reveals God’s great love for us, that he desires to feed the hungry.  He is moved with pity by our hunger.  And he doesn’t just feed us from afar, but has entered into our world of hunger, he has become one of the hungry, but is also revealed as the one capable of feeding.  For if he can feed five thousand from five loaves and two fish, he has the power to feed all those who come to him, in abundance. 

Jesus calls us to similar concern for the hungry, both the physically and spiritually malnourished.  So many people have lost their appetite for the spiritual nourishment of God’s Word and Sacraments because they have so deeply indulged in the food of worldliness.  Our job, perhaps, is to help wean them off the world by instilling a hunger for the truth of Christ, by presenting the truth, good, and beauty that only comes from him.

Also, notice that the Lord performs this great miracle of the feeding of the multitude by taking the little that is possessed by the people and transforms it into food for the multitudes.  What is not brought to him is not transformed.  But what is brought to him is blessed and multiplied and shared.
The Lord has real concern for our hunger, real concern for those who continue to turn away from his banquet.  And he will use us, if we bring him our time, talent, and treasure, for the feeding of hungry souls, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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For a deeper devotion to the Eucharist among all Catholics, that our Eucharistic worship might inspire non-believers to seek and find the Lord.

For those spiritually malnourished souls who do not look to God to satisfy the longing in their hearts.
That our Catholic schools and PSR programs may be places where the Lord Jesus is sought out and discovered, where faith is instilled and charity is inspired.

For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life, that many young people may respond generously to the Lord’s call to ordained and consecrated service.

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

January 7 2019 - St. Raymond of Penyafort - Outstanding Mercy and Compassion

Today’s saint was a Dominican priest who lived about 800 years ago.  He was born into the Spanish nobility and had an excellent education.  By age 20 he was teaching philosophy; by the age of 30 he had doctorates in both civil and church law. In his early 40 he joined the Dominicans about a year after the death of their founder, St. Dominic.  About a decade later, he was summoned to Rome by Pope Gregory IX to serve as the Pope’s personal confessor.  While in Rome, the Pope gave him the task of bringing together for the first time, in one volume, all of the laws and decrees of the popes and church councils.  For this, St. Raymond is known as the Father and Patron saint of Canon Law.

At age 60, Raymond was appointed an Archbishop, though he became sick and resigned in hopes of getting some peace.  But, peace in retirement Raymond would not receive.  At age 62, he was elected as head of the Dominicans.  Raymond worked hard, visited on foot all the Dominican Communities, and reorganized their constitutions.

In his last 35 years, (by the way, did I mention St. Raymond lived to be 100?), he promoted the study of Hebrew and Arabic, so that the Dominicans in Spain could preach the Gospel to Jews and Muslims.  He encouraged St. Thomas Aquinas, one of his contemporaries, to write an explanation of the faith to help missionaries in their work.

The Opening Prayer mentioned St. Raymond’s mercy and compassion for sinners and for captives.  During the 13th Century, Spain was partially controlled by the Muslims who enslaved many Christians, not only in Spain but across the Mediterranean in North Africa.  He set up an organization to liberate Christian slaves. Also, in his work in moral theology, he wrote a book for confessors helping to set sinners free from the slavery of sin through the Sacrament of Penance.

St. Raymond is a wonderful saint to honor and reflect upon in the Christmas season; for he shows us that the Son of God took on flesh to save even lawyers…ha ha…no, he shows us the amazing transformation, the newness of life, the energy and vitality of the saints who have allowed the Christ Child to be the Lord of their life, when we allow Christ to free us from our sinful attachments. Instead of keeping Christ on the peripheries of one’s life, the saints teach us to make Christ their “everything”. May we do the same, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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For faithfulness to the laws of God and the precepts of Holy Church, and that through the intercession of St. Raymond, all civil lawyers and canon lawyers may practice law with integrity and for the good of souls.

For our young people returning to school after Christmas break, that their own fidelity to Jesus may be deepened through the holy example of their parents and teachers.

For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life, that many young people may respond generously to the Lord’s call to ordained and consecrated service.

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

Epiphany 2019 - See, Set Out, Bring Gifts

I’d like to share this evening some thoughts from Our Holy Father Pope Francis. Last year, on the feast of the epiphany, preaching in St. Peter’s Basilica, the Holy Father noted: “Three actions of the Magi guide our journey towards the Lord, who today is revealed as light and salvation for all peoples. The Magi see the star, they set out and they bring gifts.”

These three actions of the Magi contain three wonderful lessons for us. First, they see the star. Not everyone saw the star. St. Matthew tells us that Herod and the people in Jerusalem were troubled at the news of this star. They had missed it. There concern was not for heavenly things, but for earthly things.

“We often make do” the Holy Father notes, “with looking at the ground”…we tell ourselves, “it’s enough to have our health, a little money and a bit of entertainment.” Many of our contemporaries have settled for the earthly while ignoring the heavenly, and their lives are sadder for it. Francis asks, “ I wonder if we still know how to look up at the sky. Do we know how to dream, to long for God, to expect the newness he brings, or do we let ourselves be swept along by life, like dry branches before the wind? The Magi were not content with just getting by, with keeping afloat. They understood that to truly live, we need a lofty goal and we need to keep looking up.”

That’s our first invitation for this new year: to have our eyes raised to heaven, to look for signs that God is working in our lives. To look for God in the Sacraments, to look for God in the Scriptures, in our private prayer, to look for Him in the opportunities he gives us to serve.

The second thing the Magi do, once they see the star, St. matthew tells us they “set out.” Regardless of how difficult the journey may be, they set out to find Jesus. The Holy Father notes, “His star demands a decision to take up the journey and to advance tirelessly on our way. It demands that we free ourselves from useless burdens and unnecessary extras that only prove a hindrance, and accept unforeseen obstacles along the map of life. Jesus allows himself to be found by those who seek him, but to find him we need to get up and go, not sit around but take risks, not stand still, but set out.”

“Jesus makes demands: he tells those who seek him to leave behind the armchair of worldly comforts and the reassuring warmth of hearth and home. Following Jesus is not a polite etiquette to be observed, but a journey to be undertaken.” Here the Holy Father is talking about Christian discipleship. Being a disciple is not just about observing, as he says, “polite etiquette”. It’s about setting out on a risky journey. Finding Jesus involves taking risks: the risk of going out of the comfort zone to allow yourself to be changed by Christ.

Not everyone did set out to meet him, as we heard in Matthew’s story. Herod stayed at home. He stayed in the comfort of his palace, and sent other people to do the hard work of setting out and searching for Jesus. The people of Jerusalem too, were afraid, that God could be doing something new in their lives. They wanted everything to remain just as it was, but that is rarely the way things are with God.

So there is our second invitation for this new year: not to be afraid to set out on a new adventure, to engage in acts of charity you may never have engaged in before, to reflect on Christian truths you may have shied away from, to practice devotions that have been set aside by the worldly minded.
The third thing the Magi do is they bring Gifts, they offer to the Christ Child their costly gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The Holy Father says, “The Gospel becomes real when the journey of life ends in giving. To give freely, for the Lord’s sake, without expecting anything in return: this is the sure sign that we have found Jesus. For he says: “The gift you have received, give freely as a gift” (Mt 10:8). To do good without counting the cost, even when unasked, even when you gain nothing thereby, even if it is unpleasant. That is what God wants.”

Jesus comes to give the greatest gift of life for our salvation, and we are called to give of ourselves freely, which opens us open ever more deeply to receive the gift of His divine life.

So there is our third invitation for this new year, to give with the generosity of Jesus himself. To give of our time, talent, and treasure, as I hear you are used to hearing around these parts. To be attentive to the ways the Holy Spirit is urging us to give of ourselves for the spread of the Gospel, to set our gaze upon the things of God, to set out to obtain them no matter the difficulty, and to give of ourselves generously, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

January 4 2019 - St. Elizabeth Ann Seton - Catholicism Changes Lives

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton was from a wealthy Episcopalian family in Manhattan, New York. In 1794, Elizabeth married William Seton, with whom she had five children.  Unfortunate circumstances led to the family losing their wealth, and having to go stay with some Catholic friends in Italy.  Even more unfortunate is that her husband died of Tuberculosis after just six weeks in Italy. 

In that time of great loss, the compassion her Catholic friends showed her brought her great comfort. She began to notice a great difference in the way that the Catholic families in Italy dealt with death and the protestants back in new York—she witnessed how deeply the Catholics were nourished by the Sacraments, by their prayer, and by the company of the Saints.

Elizabeth began to feel very attracted to the Catholic faith and especially to the Eucharist. She also began to love the Blessed Mother for the first time in her life. Despite stern opposition from her Episcopalian friends, she became Catholic on March 4, 1805. 

Here’s a woman who became Catholic and ultimately a saint because she was treated with great kindness by Catholics at moments of great tragedy—Catholics who were simply living their faith with deep devotion to the Eucharist and the Blessed Virgin. 

Elizabeth went on to work for the conversion of souls as the foundress of the first religious congregation having its origin in the United States—the Sisters of Charity.   She basically founded the Catholic School System in the United States.

A wife, mother, widow, impoverished single-mother, convert, religious foundress, educator, social minister, and spiritual leader, Elizabeth Seton was the first person born in the United States to become a canonized saint. How many millions and millions of lives were changed, because ordinary Catholics took in a friend in need, and encouraged a grieving widow. And it was because those Catholics allowed the sacraments and devotions of Catholicism seep into their bones.

May this first canonized Saint native to the United States help us to come to the aid of those God brings into our lives, to witness by lives of Christian Charity to the truth of the Gospel of Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all Christians may grow in charitable attentiveness to the needs of the poor in our midst.

That all those searching and longing for Christ may find him through the witness of His Holy Church.
Through the intercession of Mother Seaton, that all teachers, may share their knowledge with gentleness, patience, and concern for their students. 

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

January 2 2019 - Sts Basil and Gregory Nazianzen - Faithful to what was from the beginning

Throughout the Christmas season we read from the first letter of St. John. Though the letter itself never mentions its author, ancient authorities like Irenaeus, Clement, Origin, and Tertullian were substantially unanimous in ascribing its authorship to the Apostle John, the Beloved Disciple. The parallel themes and linguistic style of this letter and John’s Gospel adds further weight to this claim, particularly I John’s treatment of light and darkness, life and truth. Read during the Christmas season, I John helps us to understand the identity of the One born on Christmas—the Word of Life who has taken flesh and made visible the invisible God that we may have fellowship with the Father.

John wrote this letter to that early group of Christians, probably near Ephesus wear John lived with the Blessed Mother—Christians who were already experiencing division, a worrisome loss of enthusiasm for the Gospel, disregard for the moral teachings of Jesus, and Christians who were leaving the Communion of the Church and were beginning to deny authentic apostolic teaching—sound familiar? These are problems that have afflicted every generation.

And John writes to the remnant, as we heard today: “Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you.” He’s speaking of the Gospel: that Jesus is God, that Jesus is the Christ, that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and “no one comes to the Father except through Him.” It is only through the one born on Christmas, that we receive the promise of eternal life, as is so beautifully inscripted on the archway of our sanctuary here at St. Ignatius of Antioch.

Today, we honor two saints, doctors of the Church, Bishops Basil and Gregory Nazianzen who, like John, addressed Christians who were deviating from apostolic truth: the Arians—who denied that Jesus was consubstantial with the Father. Basil and Gregory are perennially important, particularly to Christians in the 21st century, that we ensure that we remain faithful to what was preached “in the beginning”—to Apostolic Tradition, Apostolic Truth.

21st century Christianity, and Christianity of every age has to confront new issues, new questions that are not explicitly addressed in Scripture. Yet we see in Catholicism a continuity not found in other Christian denominations, a continuity with what has been received from Jesus Christ from the beginning, passed on to the apostles, expounded upon by the doctors of the Church, protected by the Popes and the Magisterium, that we may have eternal life for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That the witness of the Church may help all nations come to believe in the Lordship of Jesus, and that our Bishops and Priests might have the courage to proclaim the truth amidst the errors of the world.

That those in civic authority may submit their minds and hearts to the rule of Christ, the Prince of Peace and Hope of the nations.

For the healing of families divided by sin and selfishness, for a strengthening of all marriages, and that young people may be formed to have deep and authentic faith.

For those oppressed by hunger, sickness, addiction, or loneliness, that through the mystery of the Nativity of Christ, they may find relief in both mind and body.

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