July 31 2019 - St. Ignatius of Loyola - The pearl of great price

In today’s Gospel we encounter a powerful theme: the preciousness of the Kingdom of Heaven, which is to say, the preciousness of Jesus Christ himself. 

He is the treasure—he is the pearl of great price.  We learn that if we truly wish to possess this pearl of great price, we must sell all that we have.  That means, in order to possess this pearl, we must set aside our pride, we must set aside our attachment to our way of doing things, we must detach from our idea of the good life, and do everything in our power to strive after union with Christ. 

The source of our world’s sadness is that it does not know Christ. It assumes it knows Christ without truly knowing him.  The source of the Church’s joy, the joy of the saints, is that she does know him, she does possess him, she is united with him, in his suffering, in his dying, and in his rising. 

St. Ignatius of Loyola, whom we honor today, spoke of how this truth when he wrote, “Few souls understand what God would accomplish in them if they were to abandon themselves unreservedly to him and if they were to allow his grace to mold them accordingly." 

Ignatius, a knight for the king of Spain, was wounded in battle—a cannonball shattered his leg. And while convalescing he read the lives of the saints. He began to notice how the heroic sufferings of the saints for the Gospel brought him much joy, while thoughts of worldly pursuits which were to a large extent self-centered, left him inwardly dry and discontented.

He made a decision: to seek the pearl of great price, to abandon himself unreservedly to seek the greater glory of God—ad maiorem Dei gloriam, which became the motto of the Jesuit Order which he founded.

To strive after holiness, to focus on our personal holiness is not prideful, but necessary.  This means we seeking to overcome our vices, our self-centeredness, the effects that sin has had in our life, and strive to greater love today than we exercised yesterday.

Christ is the greatest of treasures, and to find him, we must strive daily to find Him by imitating His love, His Obedience to God, His embrace of the Cross for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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We unite our prayers today with St Ignatius of Loyola and with all the community of saints. 

For Pope Francis, himself a member of the Jesuit Order, for wisdom and courage as he leads and guides our Church, and that all members of the Society of Jesus may strive for fidelity to Christ in all of their ministerial endeavors.

That all Christians may strive daily for sanctity. For a rekindling of faith for the lukewarm, hope for the despairing, belief for the unbelieving.

For the safety and success of all missionaries.

That our young people may turn away from the empty promises of the world and from all self-centeredness, for blessings upon all Christian families, for the protection of the unborn.

That the sick and suffering may find comfort in the promises of Christ and the consolation of the Spirit.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, the souls in purgatory, deceased bishops, priests, and religious, those who fought and died for our freedom, and for N. for whom this Mass is offered.

Hear Our Prayers, O Lord, and through the intercession of St. Ignatius, help us to live for your greater glory. Through the same Christ Our Lord.

July 30 2019 - St. Peter Chyrsologus, doctor - Lord, teach me your statutes

St. Peter Chrysologus was bishop of Ravenna Italy in the mid-5th century who was, as our opening prayer stated, “an outstanding preacher” of God’s “Incarnate Word.” This doctor of the Church was given the title “Chrysologus” which means “golden speech”, for he was known for his short and elegant homilies of which 183 survive today some 15 centuries later. (A little longer than my daily homilies by the way, but of course, much more elegant)

In his sermons, he preached against the Pagan errors that were seeking to corrupt the Christian faith; he  urged his flock to receive Holy Communion frequently, helped them to apply the moral teachings of Christ to their daily lives, and urged a special care of the poor.

Chyrsologus considered learning as an obligation for everyone, to help develop the God-given intellectual faculties and to deepen one’s understanding of the faith.  Asking questions and deepening one’s knowledge of the faith is good, for neither ignorance nor anti-intellectualism is virtuous.

In the Psalm (119) today we plead to God, “Lord, teach me your statutes”. Well, in order to be taught, we must study. The Psalm then goes on to list the effects of learning God’s statutes.

Learning enables us to follow God’s commands. We can’t obey them if we don’t know them. Learning helps us treasure God’s promises. When we learn God’s promises we come to value them beyond the empty promises and errors of the world. When we learn God’s truth we are able to declare them. We can’t give what we don’t have. How can we preach God’s word, if we haven’t learned God’s word.

Chyrsologus’ attitude toward learning is likely what gave such substance to his sermons. Scripture study and the study of doctrine will always aid us in our own evangelizing mission. Learning and study will help us explain the faith more clearly, and make us more effective witnesses to the truth in a society and culture which relativizes truth and “showing increasing reluctance to acknowledge its existence (Caritas in Veritate, 2)”.

Through the intercession of St. Peter Chyrsologus may we, as we prayed in the opening prayer, “constantly ponder in our hearts the mysteries of salvation and faithfully express them in what we do” for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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May the Church constantly be enriched through her study of God’s incarnate word and learning of God’s statutes and commands.

That all Bishops may preach and teach eloquently and faithfully the truth of Christ’s Gospel.

For the protection of young people from the corrupting influences of the world, for Christians families, and for the conversion of the faithless.

That the sick and suffering may find comfort in the promises of Christ and the consolation of the Spirit.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, the souls in purgatory, deceased bishops, priests, and religious, those who fought and died for our freedom, and for N. for whom this Mass is offered.

Hear Our Prayers, O Lord, and through the intercession of St. Peter Chrysologus, free us from all that keeps us from the truth of Christ. Through the same Christ Our Lord.

July 29 2019 - St. Martha - Spiritual Growth is Possible

If we only read the Gospel story about Jesus’ first visit to the home of Martha and Mary in Bethany, we might wonder why the Church considers Martha a saint at all. After all, she comes into the room complaining and controlling. She seems to have missed the point of Jesus’ visit. Sure, she is busy with the demands of hospitality, but that doesn’t make someone a saint.

Well, today we get another part of the picture. We read today from St. John’s account of Martha’s encounter with Jesus. Mary and Martha had sent news to Jesus that Lazarus had died. Jesus announced to his disciples that he wished to return to Bethany, but his disciples object, due to the recent threats on Jesus’ life; nor do they understand why Jesus would want to go anyway.

Jesus insists on the visit, and upon meeting Martha we find her full of, not unbelief, but belief. Rather than staying at home like her sister Mary, Martha goes out to Jesus. She affirms her belief that Jesus is a messianic miracle worker, she knows that God is with him.  And when the Lord reveals that he “is the resurrection and the life” she affirms her belief in this as well.

The Gospels portray Martha open to spiritual growth, open to the revelation of Jesus’ deepest identity and mission. Unlike the Pharisees, closed, resistant, prideful, Martha is open, willing to be corrected, and she makes the leap of faith.

Here is a Saint who knows what it means to grow, to change, to deepen in faith, to serve, to welcome the unexpected guest, to make holy requests of Jesus, to trust in God at the death of a love one.
Many of us have family members and friends who are busy about worldly things, who like Martha in Luke’s Gospel, are missing out on the one necessary thing, the deep intimate communion with Jesus Christ which leads to eternal life. But, like St. Martha, spiritual growth is possible, conversion is possible, belief that Jesus is the “resurrection and the life” is possible for them as it was for her.

May St. Martha help all of us attain that spiritual growth God wants for us, may we, like her, run out to meet Jesus with our needs, may we acknowledge always and everywhere that Jesus is the resurrection and the life, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all Christians may be open to constant growth in faith, hope, and love.
For the conversion of all who resist belief in Jesus, for the conversion of hardened sinners, atheists, and agnostics.
That those who grieve may find comfort and consolation in Christ.
For the needs of all the sick and suffering, all those undergoing surgery, and those who will die today.
For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, all of the souls of purgatory, and N. 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 the faithful. Through Christ Our Lord.

17th Sunday in OT 2019 - Purification from earthly pride

The Catholic poet, Dante Alighieri, wrote a famous poem, almost 800 years ago now, called the Divine Comedy—La Comedia Divina.  In the three books of La Comedia, Dante chronicles a pilgrimage he makes through hell, purgatory, and heaven.   He describes the horrific sights and sounds of the punishment of the wicked in hell for their failure to repent from their self-centeredness. He then makes his way up the mountain of purgatory, where he meets those undergoing purification from the effects of their life’s sinfulness. Dante finally visits heaven, il paradiso, where amidst glorious celestial light he meets the blessed saints who free from all selfishness now enjoy the beauty of being in God’s presence.

Dante uses an interesting literary device to depict the suffering of the wicked in hell, a device called Contrapasso. Contrapasso means the punishment fits the sin. For example those who in hell unrepentant of the sin of lust are caught blown about the second circle of hell by this terrible hellish whirlwind. How does the punishment fit the sin? As the lustful allowed themselves to be carried by the winds of their passions on earth, in hell they are subject to these uncontrollable winds for eternity—without rest.

In purgatory, for Dante, the purification also fits the sin. At the base of the mountain of purgatory, the largest group of people Dante meets are those who need to be cleansed of the sin of pride. For Dante, every sin can be traced back to pride. Pride turns away from God, pride claims to know better than God, better than the Church. We commit pride when we act as if we were the center of the universe. Jesus condemned the Pharisees for their pride and traced their inability to recognize him as the Son of God back to pride.  Our self-centered pride keeps us from loving God and loving neighbor as we should.

So if for Dante, the purification fits the sin how did he depict the purification of the prideful? Well, what is the opposite of pride? Humility. The purification of the prideful of purgatory involved a very specific act of humility, an act of humility prescribed by the Lord Himself. Their purification, the healing of their willfulness, their self-centeredness, their sinful egotism, was to recite over and over, humbly and devoutly, the prayer we find at the beginning of the Gospel today, the Our Father.

Why does Dante see the Our Father as a fitting purification for pride? Sinful Pride claims “MY WILL BE DONE”, the Our Father prays “Thy Will be Done.” Sinful pride asserts its own self-sufficiency and control; the Our Father approaches God with open hands, seeking the daily bread that can only come from God. Sinful pride refuses to forgive, never forgiving an affront to our almighty egos, the Our Father asks God for the grace to forgive, allowing the wounded ego to heal. Where sinful pride does not acknowledge that it could ever make a mistake, could never sin, the Our Father pleads mercy for our sins, mercy that can only come from God.

A good priest once suggested to me that our holiness as a Christian can be measured by our ability to pray the Our Father from the heart. In Dante’s purgatory, the Our Father is prayed over and over as an act of purification from pride, until these souls truly learn to pray it from the heart, with a heart in union with the heart of Jesus.

The Our Father is one of the first prayers we learn as Catholics: we commit it to memory, we pray it every week at Mass. I remember committing it to memory in first grade PSR. Now, once committed to memory it becomes easy to rattle off the words, barely thinking about what they mean.  So, there is certainly a difference between praying the Our Father from memory and praying it from the heart, isn’t there? 

To pray the Our Father from the heart means to pray it from your very depths, to mean every phrase of it, to pray it with the heart and the mind of Jesus Christ.  As a spiritual exercise it is helpful from time to time to pray the Our Father, very slowly, reflecting upon every word, what those words really mean for us as Christians.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church, by the way, is a wonderful resource for this, the entire final 100 paragraphs of the Catechism deal with each line and each phrase of the Lord’s Prayer.

Let’s just like at the first word of Jesus’ prayer. Where pride focuses on me, me, me.  The Lord’s Prayer teaches us to focus on us, on we.  We are to address God as part of a community.  The first word of the Our Father is Our. 

In teaching us to pray, Jesus teaches us to focus not just on ME, my life, my needs, my desires, rattling off my wish list. For Christianity is not a mere private affair.  The Church Jesus founded is not just a gathering of isolated individuals, but persons who have been brought into a new communion with God and one another.  We go to God together. 

Look at Sunday Mass.  We cannot fulfill our Sunday obligation by sitting in a room, by ourselves, communing with God.  We are meant to come together, at least every week, in united prayer. Someone who claims that they don’t need the Church to be Christian needs to reexamine the data and the teachings of Jesus Christ.

The Christian Church is a communion, a community, a family of souls on earth united in faith and prayer to the souls in purgatory who both receive the help of the blessed souls of the saints in heaven. And the Our Father, to be prayed by every Christian every day, opens us, reminds us, recommits us, to being a faithful members of this communion. It humbles our egocentrism, opening us up to new vistas of charity and living in harmony.

Seek and Ye shall Find. And in the Our Father, the Lord teaches us a prayer of perfect and unselfish love offering ourselves entirely to God and asking from Him the best things, not only for ourselves but also for our neighbor.

May this Holy Eucharist help us to truly be purified from all earthly pride, to grow in humble surrender to the holy will of God in all things, to pray with the hearts and minds of Jesus, united with all of the holy souls and the saints, that Our Father may truly be hallowed on earth as He is in heaven, for the Glory of God and the salvation of souls.

July 26 2019 - Sts. Joachim & Anne - Feast of the Grandparents

A few years ago, on the Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus, Pope Francis said, “How important grandparents are for family life, for passing on the human and religious heritage which is so essential for each and every society!” Elsewhere he said, “Grandparents are the living memory of family. They pass on the faith, they transmit the faith, to us.”

I was blessed to grow up very close to my maternal grandparents. Maybe more than any of my cousins, I got to hear the stories of our family, and really come to discover what my grandparents valued most in life: faith, family, hard work, wine & food.

Some children are blessed to grow up near their grandparents, while others because of distance only get to spend time with their grandparents a few times a year.  Given the culture of the Holy Land, it’s likely that Jesus spent considerable time with His grandparents, even if they didn’t live in the same town.  They undoubtedly were a source of great human affection and examples of Jewish piety and devotion

For many years on Sunday, when my parents worked late the night before, my grandparents would drive miles out of their way to pick me up for Sunday Mass. I may have mentioned before, that I don’t know if I would have discovered my priestly vocation, without my grandparents.

The role of grandparents today is paramount in an age where there is a growing laxity in the practice of the faith: great effort is made for vacation, sports & leisure, but little effort is expended to pursue holiness. Grandparents can help to ensure that the Tradition and Faith is passed on to the younger generations, and help to guide their own children in responsible Christian parenting.

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

In the Gospel, Our Lord explains the parable of the Sower to his disciples. Grandparents are in a very privileged position to plant and cultivate the most important seeds in a children’s lives, which is why Pope Francis speaks of the importance of grandparents for family life.

Through the prayers of Saints Joachim and Anne may we all come to a deeper knowledge of the role we have in spreading the Faith for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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In gratitude for the example of faith and the role of grandparents in the Church, we pray to the Lord.

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

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

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

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

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

July 24 2019 - St. Charbel Mahkluf - Seeds grow in silence

One of the characteristics of the Parables of Jesus, is that they are not always immediately comprehensible. They take a little figuring out. Though Jesus uses symbolism and images that regular folks were familiar with, the meaning of the parable still needed to be pondered.

Our Lord puts the responsibility on the listener to take the time to understand, to take the lesson to heart. We do well to take the Scriptures, sit down with them, to ponder the message and applicability to our own life. Bible study, both individual and with others, should be undertaken often.

Today’s parable is one of the few that Our Lord takes the time to explain in detail, and we will hear do that in Friday’s Gospel. So, I won’t belabor that too much today, especially since I’d like to say a word about the saint we honor today.

The saints, like St. Charbel Makhluf who we honor today, are a lot like those parables. From a distance, we hear the lives of the saints, and respond, “oh that’s nice.” But they have so much to teach us, when we study their lives. Pope Benedict would say that the saints are a “school of prayer”, they instruct us how to nurture that deeper intimacy with God, to not settle for a superficial prayer life, like seed that fails to take root.

St. Charbel was a Maronite Catholic, born in a small mountain village in north Lebanon in 1828. Charbel spent his early years as a shepherd, and spent much time in quiet reflection and prayer.  At age 23, he joined the monastery of St. Maron, was ordained a priest, and lived as a hermit until his death in 1898.  His deepest desire was to live a life of prayer and solitude where he could focus his attention on Christ. 

We are not all called to be hermits, but the hermits remind us that each of us does need a great love of quiet and solitude in which we can seek the heart of Christ and the face of God.  Jesus himself would often go to quiet deserted places in order to seek His Father’s Will.

The hermits are witnesses that the kingdom of noise and distraction of our digital age is not the true kingdom.  The graces of the true kingdom—prudence, temperance, fortitude, justice, faith, hope, and love— are found when we withdraw from distraction in prayer. Seeds after all, grow in silence.

May St. Charbel and the holy consecrated hermits continue to enrich the Church by their, meditation, silence and penance, and teach us to seek first the kingdom of God, 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.

July 23 2019 - St. Bridget of Sweden - Holiness in all walks of life

The Opening Prayer mentions how God guided Saint Bridget of Sweden “along different paths of life.”  Bridget was a wife, a mother, a lady-in-waiting in the royal court, a mystic, a third Order Franciscan, and finally a foundress of a religious order.

Throughout the stages of her life, Bridget exemplified considerable holiness. At the age of ten, Bridget had a vision; she saw Our Lord as He was on the Cross. She meditated constantly on the mysteries of the Passion even in her youth. Throughout her marriage a Prince of Sweden, she was dedicated to the works of mercy. She even had a monastery built for the good sisters which she later joined after the death of her husband, when she renounced her wealth in order to live as the ascetical life as a Third Order Franciscan.

She went on to found the Religious Order of the Precious Blood, which is known familiarly as the Bridgettines, which still exist to this day. I would often see them in Rome. You can tell them by their very unique head guard to their religious habit. Her daughter joined the Bridgettines as well, and went on to become a saint. Saint Catherine of Sweden.

Pope John Paul II declared St. Bridget co-patroness of Europe. And In his declaration the Pope said, “In naming her a Co-Patroness of Europe”, she is not just a model for those in consecrated religious life, but especially for married people—that those who have “the high and demanding vocation of forming a Christian family will feel that she is close to them.”  The Pope emphasized how “she and her husband enjoyed a married life in which conjugal love was joined to intense prayer, the study of Sacred Scripture, mortification and charitable works. Together they founded a small hospital, where they often attended the sick. Bridget was in the habit of serving the poor personally. At the same time, she was appreciated for her gifts as a teacher”

“Who is my mother, who are my brothers and sisters?” Asks the Lord in the Gospel today. “Whoever does the will of my heavenly Father” St. Bridget sought to do the will of God, and is a model for us all. Like St. Bridget, we are each to seek opportunities within our individual vocations to grow in holiness, opportunities to build the kingdom.

We see in the Saints what life is supposed to look like.  The Lord guides us along many different paths and desires to teach us, like St. Bridget, the wisdom of the cross: that fulfillment in this life and happiness in the life to come is found, not in wealth and possessions and making a name for ourselves but seeking the Lord’s will in all things, particularly in accepting the cross for the sake of the kingdom, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That members of the Church, priests, religious, married, and single, may seek the kingdom of God His and righteousness and the Divine Will above all.

For an increase in vocations to the religious life, for the spiritual good of the Bridgettine Order, for third Order Franciscans, that our consecrated religious may continue to bless the Church by their faithful living of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

Through the intercession of St. Bridget, co-patroness of Europe, for the conversion of the people of Europe from all that keeps them from following Christ.

That the sick, suffering, and sorrowful may know the consolation and peace of the living God.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all of the souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for N. for whom this mass is offered.

July 22 2019 - St. Mary Magdalene - To love and be loved by Christ

Three Years Ago, during the Jubilee of Mercy, Pope Francis raised the liturgical celebration of St. Mary Magdalene from the rank of a memorial to a rank of a feast. And I think this is the first time that I personally have the honor of celebrating the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene.

The letter promulgating the feast explains the Holy Father’s decision: “The decision is situated in the current ecclesial context, which calls upon us to reflect more deeply on the dignity of women, the new evangelization and the greatness of the mystery of divine mercy. It was St. John Paul II who dedicated great attention not only to the importance of women in the very mission of Christ and the Church, but also, and with special emphasis, to the peculiar function of St. Mary Magdalene as the first witness of the Risen Christ and the first messenger who announced to the apostles the resurrection of the Lord. This importance remains in today's Church – as shown by the current commitment to a new evangelization – which seeks to welcome, without distinction, men and women of any race, people, language and nation, to proclaim to them the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to accompany them on their earthly pilgrimage and to offer them the wonders of God's salvation. St. Mary Magdalene is an example of true and authentic evangelization, that is, an evangelizer who proclaims the joyful central message of Easter. The Holy Father Francis has taken this decision precisely in the context of the Jubilee of Mercy to stress the importance of this women, who shows great love for Christ and was very dear to Christ"

Beautiful words for us to reflect upon today.

Up and down the centuries Mary Magdalene has been called the Apostle to the Apostles. She wasn’t one of the twelve apostles, of course, and she is not regarded as a bishop at any point by the Church, but she is called Apostle to the Apostles as the first witness who saw the risen Christ, and as the first messenger who announced the Lord’s resurrection to the Twelve Apostles; as the Opening Prayer stated: God’s Son “entrusted Mary Magdalene before all others with announcing the great joy of the Resurrection.”

In raising the rank of St. Mary Magdalene’s feast, the Holy Father certainly wants this feast to inspire us to consider our own role as apostles, evangelizers, joyful proclaimers of the Lord’s resurrection. And the letter of promulgation roots that identity in that two-fold realization: showing love for Christ and being dear to Christ. As the Song of Songs sings so sweetly: I belong to my beloved and my beloved belongs to me

On one hand, as we grow in love for Christ, we want to tell people about him—to tell people about our beloved, shouting it from the rooftops.. Mary Magdalane’s life was change by the Lord, she loved him deeply—not romantically, as some of the Hollywood movies would put it, but a love that changes us to our core.

On the other, we come to realize in the Christian life, that we are dearly loved by Christ. The experience of being loved is what changes us. We want to adhere to the moral life, we want to do great things for the Lord, because we are loved, and want to present our best selves, to the God who loves us.

The life that is changed by love is the most powerful instrument of evangelization, thereby making St. Mary Magdalene one of the greatest saints of the Church, a model for us all, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That women of faith may continue to bless the Church through their sharing of spiritual gifts.

For all women trapped in sin, especially, for the deliverance of all women from prostitution.

That young people may, through the intercession of St. Mary Magdalene, be preserved from evil, and discover the great joy of loving and being loved by 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 human trafficking, natural disaster, war, and terrorism, for the unborn, 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.

Hear Our Prayers, O Lord, and through the intercession of St. Mary Magdalene, free us from all that keeps us from the love of Christ. Through the same Christ Our Lord.

16th Sunday in OT 2019 - Prayerful Service or Godless Activism

Last week, from Luke’s Gospel we heard the parable of the Good Samaritan: an instruction from Our Lord to go beyond our comfort zones to help others.  Immediately following the parable of the Good Samaritan Saint Luke gives the account of our Lord’s visit to Martha and Mary which we heard today.

It’s not a coincidence that Saint Luke puts these two stories side by side.  On the one hand we are taught in the Good Samaritan Story how disciples of Jesus Christ are to go out into the highways, and go and pick up and care for the wounded and those in need.

On the other hand, what do we learn about discipleship from Mary and Martha?  Martha was busy with all the details of hospitality and Mary was sitting at the feet of Our Lord, listening to his word.  And it was Mary who was praised by the Lord,  He said, “Mary has chosen the better part”.
Saint Luke emphasizing a very important lesson in discipleship; yes, we have to care for those in need, yes we have to lift up the wounded, but we cannot lose sight of the one most necessary thing, we must remain grounded by sitting at the feet of Christ—nurturing that close, personal, intimate relationship with Him through prayer, meditation, and contemplation.

I’m reminded of a story from the Missionary Sisters of Charity, the order of sisters founded by St. Mother Theresa of Calcutta.  I got to work with the Missionary Sisters in Rome at a homeless shelter every week for about 5 months, and also at an orphanage in Madagascar.  One of the charisms of the Missionary Sisters of Charity is to take care of the poorest of the poor.  They literally lift starving people out of the gutter and give them food and shelter.  Every day, the Missionary Sisters of Charity make a holy hour, they pray for an hour every day, usually around 6am, in front of the blessed Sacrament.

One day, a young novice goes to Mother Theresa, and says how she thinks the holy hour is a waste of time; there are people starving to death on the streets while the sisters are in the chapel praying.  “Sister, you seem very troubled” Mother said.  “I am, Mother, this holy hour is a waste of time.”  “Because you are so troubled,” said mother Theresa to the young novice, “you need two hours.”
St. Francis de Sales, Doctor of the Church, would remarked similarly, “"Everyone of us needs half an hour of prayer each day, except when we are busy—then we need an hour."

Francis de Sales and Mother Theresa would likely agree that it is so easy to become burnt out and disconnected from God without the daily prayer that sustains us.

Martha was no doubt doing good work in the Gospel today. But the Lord corrects her—reorients her. Why? For one, she comes into the room complaining. Never a good way to enter a room and begin a conversation. Martha complains: Lord, don’t you care that my sister isn’t helping me? Jesus, don’t you care about the same things I care about? Already, we detect, a misalignment of Martha’s will and Jesus’ will. And this misalignment has brought her unhappiness and resentment. She then seeks to force her will upon Jesus and upon her sister: “tell her to help me.”

 Had Martha spent quality time with the Lord, would she be making this complaint and this demand? I think not. If we aren’t praying, “Thy will be done” we are likely seeking that “my will be done”. And this will always bring exhaustion and unhappiness.

Thinking that OUR earthly priorities, our earthly pursuits, are more important than spending time with Jesus is among the greatest mistakes we can make in the Christian life. It makes an idol of our work. Martha is preoccupied with the earthly and missing out on the heavenly.  Martha has her priorities backwards. As so many of us do. Rather. The Lord calls us to holy work, but holy work flows from the living relationship with Christ.

And we might want to defend Martha here, “someone had to do the work. Someone had to serve the meal.” No. That is not the point of the story. Seek first the kingdom of God. Mary has chosen the better part because she has first looked upon Jesus Christ with eyes of faith and a heart of love. She has taken the time to meditate upon the meaning of his presence and to contemplate his face.
Pope Benedict XVI took up this lesson in his first encyclical titled, Deus Caritas Est, God is love.  He teaches that no Christian can be exempt from practicing charity; care for those in need is part of our Christian identity.  But, what makes Christian service different from mere secular service agencies, is that our love of neighbor flows from our love of God.  We prioritize the nurturing of that Holy Relationship with God.

Pope Benedict writes: “It is time to reaffirm the importance of prayer in the face of the activism and the growing secularism of many Christians engaged in charitable work. Clearly, the Christian who prays does not claim to be able to change God's plans or correct what he has foreseen. Rather, he seeks an encounter with the Father of Jesus Christ, asking God to be present with the consolation of the Spirit to him and his work. A personal relationship with God and an abandonment to his will can prevent man from being demeaned and save him from falling prey to the teaching of fanaticism and terrorism.”

Ok. Activism, Fanaticism and terrorism being the result of not praying, this sounds extreme. But who of us are immune from becoming activists for non-essentials, fanatical about our own plans, and terrible in imposing those plans on others. Prayer, meditation upon the word of God, studying the example of the saints, attending the school of the saints, as we say, will help us remain rooted in what matters most.

Ah but when, we do answer the call to prayer. We become charged and changed by God’s presence. His peace calms us, his joy radiates from us, his wisdom guides us, and his love burns within us. Our work can then become transformed into an encounter with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Every day we are faced with the choice to be more like Martha or more like Mary— Busy about all of our worldly pursuits, or drawn deeper into the life and love of God.  Let us renew our commitment today to daily prayer, to seeking the one thing that really matters, Jesus Christ Our Lord, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

15th Week in OT 2019 - Friday - "I desire mercy not sacrifice"

“I desire mercy not sacrifice” This was the second time in Matthew’s Gospel that Jesus uttered those words: “I desire mercy not sacrifice”, words Our Lord quotes from chapter 6 verse 6 of Hosea the Prophet.

The Lord had spoken those words to the Pharisees a few chapters earlier when he sat at the table of St. Matthew. He told them to go and learn the meaning of those words.  ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’

Had the Pharisees gone and learned the meaning of these words, the Lord would not be repeating them now. For Our Lord clearly demonstrates, that He and his disciples, picking grain because they were hungry, were not violating the Sabbath. For their hunger, their human need trumped the Pharisees interpretation of the 3rd commandment. The Pharisees had forgotten, or missed the point, for the whole purpose of the commandments.

The Pharisees began to hunger not righteousness, just the appearance of it.  They hungered, not for God, they acted not for love, but for their own egos. Jesus teaches Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, and to be righteous, to be in right relationship with God—we seek to fulfill God’s commandments not simply out of blind legalism, but out of love, for Him and our neighbor. Our Lord isn’t saying that we should ignore the commandments of course, but to follow them for the right reasons, reasonably and with a pure heart.

Our Blessed Lord opens us to rediscover that the deepest meaning of life is found when we love God and neighbor attentive to our neighbors real human needs and the desire to obey God out of love. Love of God and neighbor is the road to our deepest human flourishing and to eternal life.

Charity is appropriate anytime, anywhere, for God is Love always and everywhere. When we engage in Charity—in the works of mercy—and follow God’s commandments out of love for Him, we enter into the life of God.

May we be attentive to the call to mercy and love in every dimension of life and become living reflections of God's love in the world for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the members of the Body of Christ may manifest God’s love for the world by engaging in the works of mercy always and everywhere.

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 be preserved from the evil and perversions of the world and seek to grow in holiness.

For all whose lives are marked by suffering, sickness, disease or debilitation, 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.

15th Week in OT 2019 - Wednesday - Who am I?

"Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?"

I think every saint in history has asked that question, in all humility, “who am I?”

I think of St. Francis Xavier: “Who am I to travel to Japan, to India, to the headhunters and cannibals, to preach the Gospel?”

Or Mother Cabrini: “Who am I to leave my native Italy to come to the New World to work with the poor immigrants?”

Or St. Catherine of Sienna: “Who am I to correct the Pope who had abandoned Rome to live in the papal palace at Avignon?”

Or St. Francis of Assisi: “Who am I to rebuild the Church through radical poverty?”

Or St. John Paul II: “Who am I to condemn the communists who bring atheism and ruin to my native land?”

Or St. Maximillian Kolbe: “Who am I to take the place of one condemned to die?”

The saints no doubt each had their own “burning bush moment” where they heard the Lord calling them to something great: to something difficult, to something scary and our of their comfort zone, something requiring the radical trust of a child, as directed by Our Lord in the Gospel.

The Lord contrasts the Wise and the Learned of the World with the Childlike. The Wise and the Learned claim to know what’s best in life, how to succeed, how to get ahead, how to become powerful. But the Lord calls his disciples to become childlike, to approach the burning bush with fascination, wonder, curiosity, openness, and radical trust.

The Lord calls each of us, too, to lives of radical holiness that requires radical trust. For most of us, our vocation in life is set, but within that vocation, within marriage or priesthood or the single life, are opportunities to serve the Lord, to allow ourselves to be sent into the unknown.

And when we do, when we trust, when we follow where the Lord leads, there may be some suffering, but we allow Christ to work within us, we become instruments of God’s providence unfolding in history, we become heirs to great treasure in heaven, we discover the great destiny for which we were created, we join the company of the saints, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all Christians may respond generously and courageously to the divine call to holiness.

That young people may be hear God’s call to priesthood and consecrated religious life, to turn away from the empty promises of the world to follow the Lord in holiness.

That those engaged in missionary work will be preserved from evil and reach the most hardened of hearts.

For the sick, suffering, and sorrowful, for miracles for hopeless causes.

For the 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 devotion, and grant, we pray, that what we ask in faith we may truly obtain. Through Christ our Lord.

July 16 2019 - Our Lady of Mt. Carmel - The Mountain of Divine Intimacy

The Carmelite order of the Roman Catholic Church dates back to 1155. The group originated in the Holy Land as a group of hermit monks who lived on Mt. Carmel, about 90 miles north of Jerusalem and 35 miles due west of the Sea of Galilee.

From their earliest days on Mt. Carmel, the Carmelites venerated Our Lady with a chapel dedicated to her honor, as members of the Order seek to imitate our Lady’s humility and her example of prayer.
The scapular of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel has been recommended by the Magisterium throughout the centuries as a devotion for all those who wish to entrust themselves to Our Lady’s protection and seek her intercession especially in remaining mindful of the importance of the interior life and prayer.

The Collect prayer for today’s feast speaks of those two themes: Our Lady’s protection and her aid in reaching the mountain which is Christ. The scapular, in fact, was given to Our Lady to the Carmelite St. Simon Stock, when the Order was facing persecution from violent Muslim attacks in the 13th century.

Mt. Carmel is a symbol for the mountain which we must all climb throughout the Christian Life. For the Christian is called to undergo the arduous task, of conforming not simply his outward appearance, but his inner self to Christ. Growth in prayer and the spiritual life is like an upward battle, like the ascent of a steep mountain. There are no plateaus in the spiritual life, we are either climbing toward Christ or descending away from Him.

From the book “Divine Intimacy”, we read, “Devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a special call to the interior life, which is preeminently a Marian life. Our Lady wants us to resemble her not only in our outward appearance but, far more, in heart and spirit. If we gaze into Mary’s soul, we shall see that grace in her has flowered into a spiritual life of incalcuable wealth: a life of recollection, prayer, uninterrupted oblation to God, continual contact, and intimate union with him. Mary’s soul is a sanctuary reserved for God alone, where no human creature has ever left its trace, where love and zeal for the glory of God and the salvation of humankind reign supreme. […] Those who want to live their devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel to the full must follow Mary into the depths of her interior life. Carmel is the symbol of the contemplative life, the life wholly dedicated to the quest for God, wholly orientated towards intimacy with God; and the one who has best realized this highest of ideals is Our Lady herself, ‘Queen and Beauty of Carmel’.” For the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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

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

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

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

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

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

July 15 2019 - St. Bonaventure - Burning Love

When I visited Assisi a few weeks ago, I was able to spend some time praying before the famous cross of San Damiano—the cross from which St. Francis of Assisi heard Our Blessed Lord commissioning him to rebuild his Church. After literally rebuilding the chapel of San Damiano that had fallen into ruins, Francis went on a crusade across Europe, rebuilding the Church spiritually through his preaching and witnessing to the Gospel through his radical poverty.

Born in 1217,  Bonaventure entered the newly formed Franciscan order, just around 20 years after the death of Francis. It became clear that his intellectual gifts would benefit the Order greatly, so he was sent to the great University of Paris, where he soon became a professor of theology.

Bonaventure is often called the “second Founder” of the Franciscans because of the great impact he had on the order, particularly in stressing the importance of study and loving Christ with a burning heart.

There is no other path (to heaven, to God, to happiness),” he writes, “but through the burning love of the Crucified.” Only a “raging fire” in our soul, a fire of “intense fervor” and “glowing love” can carry our soul to God. 

Bonaventure used his intellectual gifts to help souls discover that burning love for the Crucified. We no doubt are called to use whatever gifts we have to do the same, to bring spiritual vitality to the Church through works of charity.

As minister general of the Franciscans, when already that young Order was beginning to experience some splintering into different factions, Bonaventure stressed compassion for the poor, simplicity of life, detachment from riches, hard work, prayer, and study, to seek to love and imitate Our Blessed Lord Jesus in all things.

St. Bonaventure, Doctor of the Church, wrote, “Whoever wishes to ascend to God must first avoid sin, which deforms our nature; he must pray to receive restoring grace; he must lead a good life, to receive purifying justice; he must meditate, to receive illuminating knowledge; he must practice contemplation, to receive perfecting wisdom.” 

May we then follow the good Doctor’s advice, by avoiding sin, praying for healing grace, meditating on the truths of the Gospel, and practicing the contemplation of God, that our hearts may be set afire with divine love for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That all Christians may have a burning love for the Crucified-and-Risen Lord, and that love may be seen in the priorities of their life.

That the work and ministry of all Franciscan organizations and charitable institutions may bear fruit for the spread of the Gospel.

For the purification of our minds and hearts from the errors of the culture and from the lure of worldly attachments.

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

15th Sunday of OT 2019 - Good Samaritan Saints and Sinners

Biblical scholars and preachers usually interpret today’s Gospel passage, the parable of the Good Samaritan in one of two ways.  The first is to read it as Jesus’ answer to what Christian compassion, mercy, and neighborliness looks like.  The scholar of the law asks Jesus, “who is my neighbor”, “who should I care about” and Jesus answers: your neighbor is everyone, even the person that you would normally overlook, even the person that the rest of the world considers unclean, that’s your neighbor, and you need to pick him up when he has fallen, you need to see past your preconceived notions and stereotypes and prejudices, and you need to treat him with mercy and compassion and tenderness. So that’s the first interpretation.

The second way of interpreting the Good Samaritan parable is to see in this parable an allegory for what God has done for each one of us in Christ Jesus.  God has raised us up when we fell upon robbers and have been “half dead” because of sin.  We’ve been raised up, tended, cared for, restored to life because of Jesus’ saving death.  No human power could do what God has done for us—restoring our souls to life through baptism, healing us through grace.

Before I was ordained a priest, a group of seminarians one Sunday afternoon after attending Mass in the morning, decided to visit one of these non-denominational Mega-Churches that had become somewhat popular, you know, to see what all the fuss was about.  In fact, a lot of former Catholics end up at these Mega-Churches for various reasons. 

So that morning, there were about 800 people gathered, we sat in chairs up to a stage filled with drums and guitars.  The service opened with about 20 minutes of Christian Rock music, smoke machines, and laser lights. 

The pastor then took the stage and performed a dramatic retelling of this morning’s Gospel, the parable of the Good Samaritan. 

Afterwards, he gave a sermon, basically interpreting the parable in that second way, that we are the man fallen amongst robbers; because of our own free-will given over to sin, we were lying on the road, half-dead, where no human power could help us.  And then, out of His infinite love, God sent his son to die for us and redeem us, to raise us up to new life. 

Then the pastor asked the congregation to close their eyes, and asked, “Have you fallen amongst robbers, have you been struggling in sin, are there choices that you’ve made against God’s commandments, have you pridefully rejected God’s grace, have you been selfish with the time you’ve been given? If so, raise your hand”  And I’m thinking to myself, sure I have, I’ve struggled with sin, I’ve fallen, I’ve been prideful, I’ve been selfish towards my neighbor, and so, I raised my hand, I didn’t think twice.  All of a sudden, he says, “Oh, I see someone with their hand up”.  I open my eyes and look around and thought, “oh no, that’s me!”  My classmates said I looked like a deer in headlights.  So I quickly shoot my hand down, and try to hide in my seat.  But I start to think, how am I the only one in this room of 800 people that is guilty of sin?   

And I’m thinking, you know, this is one of the big differences between the Catholic faith and a lot of these non-denominational groups.  They believe that you only have to raise your hand once in your life. Once you raise your hand, and go up to the altar, and profess that Jesus Christ is your personal Lord and Savior, your saved, you never need to raise your hand again. Catholics, on the other hand, we raise our hands daily. At every Mass or at the end of the day in our examination of conscience, we take sin seriously, we take our hands and we beat our breasts and see even those smallest acts of selfishness, for what they are, acts of free will contrary to the Love of God and Neighbor and we repent, daily.

And when those sins are of a serious nature, they cause a serious disruption in our relationship with God, we brings those sins to the ear of a priest, and to confess them and to be absolved from them in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Scripture and the lives of the Saints show that only when we acknowledge ourselves as sinners, do we truly begin to love God and neighbor. The second way of interpreting the parable, is a sort of key, to unlocking the first. The humble acknowledgement of my own need for a savior, my need for conversion opens us to truly love as we are made to love—to love God with our whole hearts, minds, souls, and strength.

I’ve been told that I sure talk a lot about sin and confession. But that’s only because humble repentance is the most important key to loving God and neighbor authentically.  We see this so evidently in the lives of the Saints. The saints, who become charged and changed by God’s presence living within them, recognize and acknowledge themselves constantly falling short of the love of God, and so they strive to love more perfectly day after day. The Apostle St. Paul calls himself the “chief of sinners” after his initial conversion. He saw himself first and foremost as a sinner, who has unworthily received the new life of Grace. And he lived his life as a response to that grace.

St. Francis of Assisi, most beloved of saints, looked upon himself as a sinner, too.  In fact, he believed himself the greatest of all sinners. Our most beloved of saints, thought himself the greatest of sinners. “He was accustomed to say that if the mercy shown him by God had been given to any other sinner, the latter would have become ten times holier than he, and that to God alone must be attributed whatever was found in him of goodness and beauty.

Saints are not the opposite of sinners. Rather, saints ARE sinners who acknowledge the truth about themselves and about God, and live in loving and grateful response to mercy through lives of grace and service. Saints allow themselves to be saved by Jesus the Good Samaritan, and go to become Good Samaritans for others.

Francis of Assisi once told his monks that if they were in the midst of the Beatific Vision and a beggar knocked at their door asking for a cup of cold water, turning away from the heavenly vision to help the beggar would be the real heaven, and turning away from the beggar to keep the blissful vision would be turning from God's face.

Daily we do well to ask the Holy Spirit to help us acknowledge and repent rightly of our sins, and to help us identify the times that we turned away from those opportunities to be the Good Samaritan. Daily repentance leads to daily conversion and daily acts of charity for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

14th Week of OT 2019 - Friday - Shrewd as Serpents, Innocent as Doves

In addition to his public teaching about the kingdom of God and his moral instruction, the Lord gave specific training to his disciples concerning their mission to spread the Gospel, training that applies to our efforts.

In today’s Gospel, the Lord tells them about the territory into which He is sending them. "Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves.” Sheep certainly need to be careful when they are in wolf-infested territory. Persecution is inevitable. There will not be a single age, a single sector of society, where Christians will be completely safe. There will always be Wolves who will want to kill us simply because we are sheep—non-Christians who will misunderstand us, seek to silence us, desire to break us, simply because we are Christian.  The Lord’s warning here certainly reflects the experience of early Christian communities where believers were betrayed by their own family members.

The Diocese of Cleveland is wolf-infested territory. Do not be surprised when the Gospel mission is opposed, when the world tries to silence the Word—even from within one’s own family.

In an age of growing hostility we know that many people do not agree with Our Lord and his Church.  They laughed at him, mocked him, thought he was naive, thought he was blasphemous, and they do the same to us.  They worked to prevent him from spreading His Gospel, they do the same to us.  As this country, and really all of Western Civilization, falls into moral decline, it is not surprising that Christians are being fined for operating our businesses according to Christian principles, it is not surprising that we are called bigots for not tolerating all the perversions of the culture. 

We are called to be sheep—docile and obedient to God, even when the wolves start closing in.  But, that doesn’t mean we are called to be punching bags.  Christian missionary disciples need to, “be as shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.”  Our Lord Himself was cunning in dealing with the Pharisees, in forming his disciples, but also innocent as a dove, of all malice, of all sin.

To be shrewd as the serpent, means to be cunning, wise, and crafty with non-believers and those who oppose the Gospel, not out of deceit, but as part of a greater strategy to win souls. How can I help people see the goodness and truth of Jesus?  We are to train our minds in the Word of God, in the writings and examples of the saints; to use creativity in the evangelizing mission.

On the other hand, to become innocent as doves, we train our hearts to trust God in all things, to hate sin, to love our neighbor with abundant generosity, peacemaking, and gentleness, and to not be hardened when we face difficulty or persecution.

“Without innocence, cunning becomes manipulative; without cunning, innocence becomes naivety; the finely-balanced character reflects that of Jesus himself.” May we have the mind and heart of Our Lord in fulfilling the mission of the Gospel, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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

For all those who have fallen away from the Church, those who have fallen into serious sin, for non-believers, atheists, and those in error, for their conversion, and the conversion of all hearts.
For Christians experiencing persecution for the faith, that they may hold fast to the Lord in their sufferings.

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

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

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

14th Week in OT 2019 - Wednesday - Power to push back the armies of hell

“Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority”. That word—“authority”—is an important in Matthew’s Gospel.

Jesus is depicted throughout the Gospel having “authority”. His authority over the powers of nature is shown in his many miracles: calming the storm, walking on water. His authority over unclean spirits is seen in his many exorcisms: casting out demons, silencing them. His authority over life and death is seen ultimately in his resurrection.

In Matthew chapter 9, Jesus says that He has “authority on earth to forgive sins”. And in Matthew chapter 28, he says “To me has been given all authority in heaven and on earth”. He has authority because He is the Faithful Son of the Father.

When Jesus gives authority to the twelve, what is he giving them authority to do? To Drive out demons and cure every disease.  They are given the authority to do a lot of what Jesus has been doing since he came out of the Desert and began his ministry.

 The Greek word, for authority, is εξουσια. It’s a great word in Greek having several connotations. Firstly, εξουσια is the power to act, the freedom to decide, that ability of will to choose. Secondly, it’s the power or ability to complete an action.  Thirdly, εξουσια can mean delegated authority, the authorization to do some work.  And fourthly, it refers to jurisdiction or sphere of authority. 
And Jesus is giving this authority to the apostles in every sense of the word. Free will to do God’s work, the ability to do supernatural tasks, they are delegated by the one who has the divine authority, and their sphere of influence will first be to the surrounding towns and to the lost sheep of Israel, but later, it will be to all nations.

Consider what this power to drive out demons really means. Yes, it’s the power to perform exorcisms. But It’s also power to push back the armies of hell, to reclaim territory formerly claimed by the devil. Think of all the areas of society where evil seems to reign, places where murder, corruption, lust, greed, perversion, selfishness seem to hold sway. The hearts of politicians, the minds of the youth, the dark corridors of the hearts of lost souls. God made flesh has given authority to drive these dark forces back.

It’s the power to bring transformation to the corrupt, to bring healing to the most wounded, to bring about miraculous change and conversion. But, it’s up to us to use the authority given to us by the Lord, to be courageous in facing evil, going to the dark places to bring the light of Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the Bishops, the successors of the Apostles, may use their authority wisely and courageously in standing against the evils of this world.

For all those under the sway of evil, error, and corruption, for their deliverance by the power of Christ.

For the protection of young people from the corrupting influences of the world, for Christians families, and for the conversion of the faithless.

For the sick, suffering, and sorrowful, for miracles for hopeless causes.

For the 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 devotion, and grant, we pray, that what we ask in faith we may truly obtain. Through Christ our Lord.

July 9 2019 - St. Augustine Zhao Rong and Martyrs of China - The harvest is abundant

Today we celebrate the heroic St. Augustine Zhao Rong and companions, you may not be that familiar with them, as they were only canonized in the year 2000.  They are 120 Catholics who were martyred between the years 1648 and 1930.  They were lay people, and clergy, and religious ranging in age from 9 to 72.  87 of them were native born chinese, and the rest were foreign born missionaries.

The story of the Church in china is a long and often troubled one.  Christianity arrived in the 600s. Depending on China's political situation over the centuries, Christianity was free to grow or was forced to operate secretly. The 19th century was particularly brutal.

It was then that St. Augustine Zhao Rong, a Chinese soldier became familiar with the Catholic when, when he was ordered to escort a bishop to be martyred in Beijing. Augustine was so impressed and moved by the bishop’s faith, Augustine was asked to be baptized.  He entered the seminary and was ordained a diocesan priest.  In 1815, he was arrested, tortured, and martyred.

The other martyrs we remember today include parents, catechists, laborers, and priests.  33 of the martyrs were missionaries from foreign lands who had traveled to the far-east to help plant the Christian faith in China: among them were Franciscans and Dominicans and Jesuits—men and women who heard the Master’s call, like that in the Gospel today: The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few. They gave their life to bring in the master’s harvest.

Nearly every martyr in China could have escaped martyrdom by renouncing the faith. Those missionaries knew they were going to one of the most dangerous lands for Christians in history. But they went because they believed the work of spreading the Gospel was more important than anything. They certainly lend us courage in spreading the Gospel in our own neighborhood.

At the canonization of St. Augustine Zhao and his companions in October 2000, Pope John Paul II praised them for showing “unfailing fidelity to Christ and the Church” with the gift of their lives.  Among their number was an eighteen year old boy, Chi Zhuzi, who cried out to those who had just cut off his right arm and were preparing to flay him alive: "Every piece of my flesh, every drop of my blood will tell you that I am Christian."

The Church in China continues to be persecuted by the Chinese government. Perhaps God allows this suffering to continue, in order to bring about more conversions, like that of St. Augustine Zhao.
In our own sufferings and prayers may we remain in solidarity with those who suffer for the faith, that we may witness to the salvation that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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Our Savior’s faithfulness is mirrored in the fidelity of his witnesses who shed their blood for the Word of God. Let us praise him in remembrance of them:

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

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

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

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

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

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

14th Week of OT 2019 - Monday - Places of Divine Encounter

The places where we encounter God are holy to us, aren’t they? Our childhood church, a holy shrine, the parish church where we attended with our family, the tomb of a patron saint, maybe a chapel in which important spiritual growth occurred during a particularly trying time.
For Jacob, in our first reading, the place of divine encounter was a mountain-top at a place which came to be known as Bethel: Beth-el, the house of God. At Bethel, Jacob had a particularly vivid dream, where heaven opened, and he encountered the Divine, the God of Abraham and his father Isaac. The encounter with God gave his life purpose; he knew that God would be with him always, that God was directing his life, and would direct his family for generations to come.

Hopefully, we have had a similar encounter with God, which has given us that same faith and confidence that Jacob had.

The daughter of the royal official and the woman with the hemorrhage in the Gospel today, had similar encounters with God, in the person of Jesus Christ. That encounter brought life where there was once death. The encounter with Jesus brings healing, yes of our bodies and minds, but most importantly to our souls wounded by sin.

Jacob constructed a stone pillar to thank God for blessing. Christians return to the stone table—the altar—week after week in order to thank God for the blessings we’ve received through Jesus Christ. And for Christians, the altar is the very place where we encounter God, the altar is a place of continual encounter that impels us out into the world. In a very real sense, we are to be walking, talking Beth-el’s, walking talking houses of God, walking talking tabernacles out in the world.
Our hope is that as we have encountered Jesus here at the altar, others may encounter Jesus in us, and experience his healing, his forgiveness, his blessing in us, that they may be lead back here to give Eucharistic thanks at the altar alongside of us.

The Lord wants us to be walking tabernacles and fill this world with holy places where His eucharistic love transforms lives and brings life for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That the wounded and lost may discover the love and life of Jesus Christ in Catholic Church. We pray.
For spiritual healing and mercy upon those who have fallen into mortal sin and fallen away from the Church. For the conversion of atheists and non-believers. We pray.
For a healing of all the wounds of division afflicting the Church, for an end to heresy, schism and doctrinal error, for healing from scandal. We pray.
For the healing of all those afflicted with physical, mental, emotional illness, for those in hospitals, nursing homes, hospice care, those struggling with addictions, for those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today.
For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for deceased priests and religious, for those who have fought and died for our freedom, we pray to the Lord.
Heavenly Father, hear our prayers. May the grace of Christ Your Son, the Divine Physician, bring healing of our sinfulness, and make us worthy of the kingdom of heaven, through the same Christ our Lord.

14th Sunday in OT 2019 - The Church's missionary work

Our Gospel over the next three weeks is taken from the tenth Chapter of Luke’s gospel. And we hear the opening verses of Luke chapter 10 today: the sending out of the seventy-two disciples.  Jesus, of course, gave the specific apostolic mission to the 12 Apostles, of being the leaders and foundations stones of the Church. And the Bishops of the Catholic Church have continued that mission throughout the centuries.

Yet, the mission of the seventy-two is also essential. And that work is given to all Christians, to me, and to you, and to all. So what is this missionary activity that all of us are to be about? Well, let’s dive into today’s Gospel.

First we heard today how the Lord appointed these seventy-two and sends them, he gives them a mission. The word Missionary comes from the latin word “missio” – which means to send.  You and I are missionaries—we are “sent out” by Jesus. Our identity comes from him, the purpose of our life isn’t something that we just make up ourselves. Our purpose is received from God. And we are most fulfilled when we engage in that purpose, rather than our own plans.

Secondly, he sent them out ahead to all the places he intended to visit to prepare the towns to meet him. We are sent as missionaries for the same purpose: to prepare souls for meeting Christ. For most of us, the first missionaries in our own lives were our parents. The work they did brought us to Jesus. We learned to know him, love him, and serve him, we encountered him in the sacraments and in prayer through our parents missionary work in the home.

Or for some of us, we encountered Christ through the missionary activity of good Christians engaged in the works of mercy—they attracted us to Jesus through their good works; or we met Christ because of a particularly powerful sermon or someone sat down with us and explained the scriptures to us at a bible study.

Having encountered Christ, it is so important that we go out to prepare others to meet him. For how else will the Gospel continue to be transmitted? Within his first few weeks as Pope, Pope Francis said, “When the Church becomes closed up on itself it gets sick.”  If we aren’t “going out” into foreign lands, foreign places, outside the walls of our church, we will stagnate. 

So again, not only priests and bishops and religious have been sent out, but every baptized member of the Church is called to this missionary activity.  But, where are we being sent? Certainly into the lives of family members who have fallen away from the Church.  Certainly into the lives of coworkers, who perhaps practice no faith. We are sent into the public world of supermarkets and gas stations and restaurants and baseball parks.  Whenever I go to restaurants I’m always looking to see if people pray before meals.  Not only is it important for us to give thanks before meals, but it is a powerful witness when a family prayers together in public.

Our faith is not just a private matter, as Jesus teaches today: the very nature of the Church is to be sent into other people’s lives to bring them to Him.

At our parish visioning meeting last weekend, it became clear that one of our shared concerns is mass attendance. Where will the next generation of parishioners of St. Ignatius of Antioch parish if not, out there. The harvest is abundant, and we are those few laborers who the Lord has sent to gather in his harvest.

Likely, there is already a person in our life that the Lord wants us to reach out to. So, who is the person to whom the Lord is sending me? Who is the person he wants me to teach to pray, to answer their questions about the Church, a family member perhaps who has been away from the sacraments of reconciliation and eucharist for too many years?

It sounds like hard work.  And it is! But notice that Jesus sends the disciples two-by-two.  From the beginning, the work of the Church is always done in a communitarian way.  We support each other.  We pray for one another.  We encourage one another in this holy work. 

Think of how husbands and wives work together in forming their children in the faith.  Husbands and wives supporting each other in prayer, t educating their children in the faith, bouncing ideas off of each other on how to witness to other families. Husbands and wives challenging each other to be more faithful to prayer and acts of charity.

Whatever work the Lord has for us as a parish, we can be sure, that he is asking us to work together, to support each other, and pray for each other.

The Lord gives another instruction to the seventy-two.  “Do not carry  a money bag, a sack, or sandals”.  Here the Lord stresses the importance of learning to rely on God and of spiritual poverty. 
This is certainly a call to prayer, to cultivate the interior life: for where else do we really learn how to love God and to trust God? Saints up and down the centuries have given witness to the miraculous things that can occur when we trust God.

Take no money bag, sack or sandals is also a call to Gospel Poverty and austerity.  Why was st. francis such a powerful instrument of the Gospel? People saw his radical faith through his radical trust that the Lord would provide for him. Austerity and simplicity shows non-believers that the Lord Jesus is worth trusting in—that we are serious about our faith—that we believe that when we trust in the Lord Jesus and rely on the grace of God, miracles occur.

Finally, we hear how when the seventy-two enter these towns, they are to cure the sick and proclaim that the kingdom of God is at hand. 

Jesus was a healer.  The word savior, literally means, the one who brings health.  We are to bring healing to the sick.  The physically sick are to know our help, and also those who are psychologically sick, the addict, the grieving, the depressed, the lonely.  To be attentive to the lonely widow who lives next door is an act of love. 

For, Christianity in the end is a healing ministry: to bring the spiritually sick health of soul, to bring light to those in darkness, to bring the fallen sinner to the fount of the Lord’s healing mercy, to bring the comfort of God’s truth to the doubting and despairing.

Particularly in light of our parish visioning meeting, we do well to consider how we, members of St. Ignatius of Antioch parish are being sent out as healers in our community. Who are the wounded souls we’ve been sent out to bring the healing of Christ to?

Let us pray for one another, and ask the master of the harvest to give us courage, fidelity, zeal, and insight, in this most important missionary work of ours, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

July 5 2019 - St. Elizabeth of Portugal & St. Anthony Zaccaria - Pursuing holiness

The General Calendar of the Roman Catholic Church honors the memory of Saint Elizabeth of Portugal on July 4. However, because July 4 is celebrated as Independence Day in the United States, her commemoration has been transferred to July 5 in the United States.

Elizabeth was a 12th-century Spanish princess who was given in marriage to the king of Portugal. She was very beautiful and very lovable. She was also very devout, and went to Mass every day. Her faith, no doubt enabled her to patiently endure her husband’s cruelty and infidelity. She even contributed to the education of his illegitimate children.

Throughout her marriage she also engaged in charitable works: building a hospital and orphanage and a monastery for the Poor Clares. She entered the Poor Clares as a Third Order Franciscan after the death of her husband. She died at the age of 65, after a life pursuing holiness as the most important goal.

July 5 is also the feast of Saint Anthony Zaccaria, who lived about 300 years after Elizabeth. Anthony was a pious young man who supported his widowed mother as a medical doctor. While working among the poor he became attracted to the religious vocation and was ordained a priest. During the Protestant Reformation, he worked to “regenerate and revive the love of divine worship and a properly Christian way of life” through simple-solid preaching and faithful ministering of the sacraments

By the age of 36, when he died, he founded three religious communities, one for men, one for women, and an association for married couples. Their aim was to simply and devoutly amidst the austerity and decadence of their day.

Two saints from two very different walks of life, who, like Matthew in the Gospel today, heard Jesus calling them from one walk of life, to follow him in something radical and holy. The saint seeks to live not according to the precepts of the world, but to the charity found in the sacred heart of Jesus Christ. The saints put themselves at the service of others “preaching the saving Word” of Christ, “reconciling those in conflict” as peacemakers.

Pope Benedict, preaching on the feast of All Saints, said, “Holiness demands a constant effort, but it is possible for everyone because, rather than a human effort, it is first and foremost a gift of God.”
May we be about the constant effort of allowing God’s gift to grow in us, and allowing the life of Jesus to be lived in us, recognizing that each one of us are called to be saints responding generously to the divine call for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all Christians may be deeply committed to the spread of Christ’s Gospel, and respond generously to the Lord’s call to holiness amidst the distractions of the world.

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

That our young people on summer vacation, for their protection from physical and spiritual harm, that faith may be practiced in their homes, that their parents may raise them rightly in the faith, teaching them to value the things of heaven over the things of earth.

For all those who suffer from violence, war, famine, extreme poverty, addiction, discouragement, loneliness, and those who are alienated from their families.

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

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

Graciously grant our petitions, we beseech thee, O Lord; may your grace sustain us always in your service, through Christ Our Lord.