22nd Week in OT 2020 - Monday - Rejection at the beginning

During Ordinary Time, we read on weekdays from the three Synoptic Gospels: first the Gospel of Mark for the first 10 weeks of Ordinary Time, then from Matthew for a good chunk of the year, and finally from St. Luke, which we begin today, on this Monday of the 22nd week of Ordinary Time. Notice, though, we begin a few chapters into Luke’s Gospel, skipping the infancy narratives and commencing with the beginning of the Lord’s public ministry around the age of 30, after his baptism and time in the Galilean desert. Filled with the Spirit, the Lord returns to his hometown, where he is rejected.

Though St. Luke is concerned with presenting a historically accurate account of the Lord’s life and ministry, this story of rejection at the beginning of the Lord’s public life is no doubt theologically significant. The beginning begins with rejection. His family, his friends reject him. Nazareth will no longer be a safe place for him. He can never go home again. What happened at his baptism marked the beginning of the end of his earthly life. He must now be about his Heavenly Father’s business, no matter the consequences. 

For preaching for the Gospel he will be met with terrible hostility from people he once trusted. Those resistant to the Gospel will do everything they can to silence him and drive them from their presence. The Gospel has consequences for Him and for us.

For all who embark on the way of Jesus, for all who take up the mission of his Gospel, for all who are baptized, we can never go home again. We must be willing to be rejected by all because of Him. We are not at home in this earthly life. But while we are here, we must be busy about the Heavenly Father’s business. That is our mission, our first priority. To announce that the Christian Gospel is glad tidings to the poor, liberty to captives, freedom for the oppressed. 

May we be faithful to our Christian identity and mission today and all days, for we have been anointed for this most important work, for being rejected by the world, we shall be embraced by God and his Saints for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - - - -  

That all members of the Church, laity and clergy, will be make the spread of the Gospel their first priority, and that the Holy Word of God may shape our attitudes and guide our actions. We pray to the Lord.

For an end to indifference to God and human dignity in our government institutions, educational institutions, businesses, and personal attitudes.

For an increase in devotion to Our Lady, that through her the Church may obtain a renewed zeal for souls.

That the love of Christ, the divine physician, may bring healing to the sick and comfort to all the suffering.

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

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

22nd Sunday in OT 2020 - "Do not conform yourself to this age"

Well, St. Peter has gone from hero to zero pretty quickly, hasn’t he? Last week, the Lord was extolling Peter’s faith: “You are Peter, the rock, and upon this rock I build my Church.” For Peter’s faith, he is chosen as prince of apostles. He and his successors would be given the powers to loose an bind, to teach, govern, and sanctify Christ’s holy Church. The faith and leadership of the head of the Church would impact profoundly the faith of the members.

But this week, just a scant seven verses later in Matthew’s Gospel, the Lord refers to Peter as Satan: “Get thee behind me Satan. For thou art an obstacle to me.” One can hardly imagine a more stern and bone-chilling rebuke…not a very good first day on the job for the first Pope. Peter you have become a stumbling block, an obstacle to the will of God, to the mission of God’s son. You are obstructing God as Satan does. It doesn’t get much worse than that.

Why does the Lord rebuke Peter so sharply? When the Lord explains how he must go to Jerusalem to suffer and die, Peter reacts not with trust or faith, not with openness to God’s will, but out of something that is pitiful and cowardly and fallen about the human condition, “For thinking has human beings do,” the Lord says. There’s something in us, in all of us, that left to its own devices, if pressed and tried, obstructs the will of God himself. 

It’s in us. It’s in all of us. A part of us that gives-in to pressure all too easily, a part of us that caves when obedience to God requires a little bit of effort. We see this all the way back in the garden of Eden. At the foot of the tree—Eve begins to cave when faced with temptation. She struggles, recalling the warning of God—but she gives into that voice uttering empty promises that her own will, her own strength, her own plan, could bring her happiness. And she caved.

So, too with Adam. But with Adam, we see even less of a struggle. When presented with the forbidden fruit from the hands of his wife, we don’t even see an argument. We don’t see Adam calling to mind the command of God and the consequences for sin: “Do not eat of the tree,” God says, “or else you will die”. Adam caves without resistance. How pitiful! And yet, that weakness is in every single one of us.

Paul had this human weakness in mind in many of his letters, particularly in today’s reading. When St. Paul was preaching to the Romans—he knew he was bringing to the Gospel to a…strong-headed people—people who valued strength, honor, patriotism, and hard-work. But, Paul also recognized a great weakness in this people. The Romans loved conformity. They believed that the way to spread and work for the spread of the Roman Empire and the glory of Rome—was through conformity to the Roman gods and the Roman values.

Paul knew, that if the Romans were to accept the Christian Gospel—they would be faced with tremendous pressure from their fellow Romans. And, Paul knew about worldly pressure. After all, he was once a persecutor of his fellow Jews who accepted Christ. Paul knew that Romans would experience, likewise, tremendous hostility for accepting Christ.  And so Paul dares to write, as we hear in his epistle today, “Do not conform yourselves to this age”. 

While some of those Roman virtues align just fine with the Gospel, the attitudes of the prevailing culture frequently oppose the values of God. That’s true for ancient Rome, and it’s true for 21st century America. Yes, there are wonderful American values that align with the Gospel: the defense of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Respect for your fellow man. Free speech. Freedom to obtain and defend private property. A disdain for corruption on all levels. Desire for justice and care for the oppressed. An attempt to live peacefully amidst many competing and contrasting values. Wonderful.

So, when Paul warns the Romans--urges the Romans—do not conform yourselves to this age—he’s not saying that they cannot have any role in Roman society, or that they have to abandon what is good in their culture. No. But, he is saying that in his age and every age there are cultural values and practices contrary to the way of Jesus Christ. You will not find a nation, state, county, or town in perfect conformity with Christ’s teachings. And so Christians, need to be extremely careful that they do not adopt the anti-Christian ideals surrounding them like the winds of the sea of Galilee. 

What guidance does Paul offer for Christian to resist these pressures? “Renew your minds” he says.  “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.”

The Christian must seek to know, understand, and interpret the world and make moral choices with a mind renewed by the teachings and grace of Jesus Christ. The Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the writings of the saints, must be the interpretive lens, the filter, the hermeneutic, to understand all things, and to shape and guide and inform all of our decisions. This is what Paul means by “putting on the mind of Christ”—to think, to chose, to act, as Christ in the world. 

And if we arrive at some conclusion contrary to the Gospel—well we have not thought and prayed long enough.

When we allow ourselves to be guided and informed by the word of God—we become like Peter walking on water, Peter exalted by the Lord—made a prince of the Church—a stable rock for his friends, his brethren, his family. A rock of faith against the instabilities and chaos of the world. But when we turn from the truth, and allow fear, pressure, worldly error to shape our actions—we become stumbling blocks for the building-up of the Church, and the saving mission of Christ. 

The Satanic spirit which tempted Eve and overwhelmed Adam, which led Peter to think and speak with human error, which pervaded ancient Egypt, Babylon, Greece, and Rome seeks to possess us, to possess our nation, parish, and families. And it’s relentless. It is found in classrooms, workplaces, political parties, television stations, pop songs and movies, internet forums, and it has even infiltrated the Church in many places, as it has in the past. So the Christian must be on guard. Always. “Be Sober and Alert,” St. Peter says in his New Testament letter. “For the Devil is prowling like a roaring lion, looking for souls to devour. So resist him by being solid in your faith.” 

We can see Satan at work, creating division—turning man against brother—Christian against Christian—undermining right religion, frustrating domestic tranquility, spreading terrible confusion—duping even Christians to embrace attitudes and behavior which is repugnant to the word of God. 

But, as I said two weeks ago, God chose us to live in the year 2020, with all the confusion, in the midst of this nearly-all pervasive Satanic spirit—to show the world another way, the way. To show and to witness, to follow and to suffer for the one who says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father, except through me.”

The Catholic of 2020 must be a bullwork of orthodoxy—of right faith—and a fountain of right practice, who pursues the true, the good, and the beautiful in opposition to the error, corruption, and ugliness of the world. The Catholic of 2020 must take up the cross and follows Christ—no matter the hostility or pressure from the Satanic spirit. You are chosen for this. You and I were made for this. May we be faithful to this great responsibility for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

20th Sunday in OT 2020 - "Woman, Great is Your Faith"

 Last week, the Lord had some pretty strong words for Peter when he became overwhelmed with fear and began to sink while walking toward Jesus on the sea of Galilee. “Oh you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

This week, we hear Jesus, not criticizing weak faith, but praising strong faith. “O woman, great is your faith” What made this woman’s faith strong? Her faith is persistent. Her initial request is met with a strange silence from the Lord. Like many of our requests. She then meets some resistance on the part of the disciples, “send her away”, but she persists and continues to cry out, “Lord, help me”. 

Also, notice how her faith overcomes the cultural norms of her day. She was a Canaanite woman, not a Jew. Terrific social pressures, like the overwhelming wind on the sea of Galilee, where swirling around in this encounter. A Canaanite approaching a Jewish rabbi? This was not to be done. The Jews considered the Canaanites to be dogs, in a sense. The Lord even joshes her a little bit, knowing this prevailing social attitude. She had to endure the stare of the crowd, the disapproving gaze of the apostles. Yet, she approaches Christ in faith.

Her love for her daughter and faith that this rabbi had the power to help her, enables her to persist, to overcome, and to receive what the Lord wished to give her. Unlike Peter, who sinks into the sea out of fear, she persists in reaching the Lord, and receives deliverance for her daughter.

This is quite the story for Matthew to include in his Gospel. For remember, Matthew, a jew, was pretty predominately writing to his fellow Jews—he was writing for the predominately Jewish audience of the holy land. So, for Matthew to include this story in which the faith of this non-Jewish woman, this Canaanite dog, would have been shocking. But because it is so important, Matthew includes it.

Why? For one, this story would have aided the Jewish audience to accept the fact that they would be worshiping alongside people who did not share their blood. “In Christ there is no gentile or Jew” right? The invitation to Christian faith is made to all the people of the earth—as we heard in our first reading, “The foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, ministering to him, loving the name of the LORD, and becoming his servants— all who keep the sabbath free from profanation and hold to my covenant, them I will bring to my holy mountain.”

Secondly, the story is important for Matthew’s audience because the Jewish converts, Matthew’s audience, Jews who came to believe in the Lordship of Christ, would soon be experiencing social ostracization for their newfound belief. They would soon become the outsiders. Soon, they would be the Caananite dog, the Christian dog who deserve being stoned to death by fanatics like St. Paul before his conversion. For accepting Christ, the Jewish converts would be barred from worshipping in the synagogues, they would no longer be welcome in the Temple. Think about that. They could not enter the place where they had worshipped God since their youth, because they believed Jesus and His Father were one. They would be shunned, disowned, and likely harassed by friends and family because they believed that Jesus was Lord.  

Believing in Jesus has consequences. And not just for how we are called to alter our moral behavior, and give up our false gods, but socially. We’ll experience ridicule from family and neighbors who think Christianity is intellectually inferior to their modern secular philosophies. There are certain clubs and associations that Catholics are not free to join—like the Freemasons and the Communist Party due to their ideological opposition to Catholic Doctrine. Increasingly, in our increasingly secular, and even anti-Christian era, being a Christian, being known as a Christian has negative social consequences. And Gospel passages like today’s helps us to remember that, and to expect it.

On Friday, we celebrated the feast of St. Maximillian Kolbe, whom Pope John Paul called “the patron saint of our difficult century” due to his perseverant and heroic faith.

For being a Christian, for being a Franciscan priest, St. Maximilian Kolbe was arrested by the Nazi’s, and without any sort of trial or appeal, was sent to the Concentration Camp at Auschwitz. Talk about social consequences.

Yet, even in that desolate place of suffering, the holy priest was put to work by God; there he heard confessions and celebrated Mass using smuggled bread and wine. A reminder that adversity is not proof of God’s displeasure with us, rather, if we’re experiencing adversity for the Gospel, God is at work! Think of how Fr. Kolbe’s faith, brought comfort and strength to the prisoners there—helping them to know that God was present with them, even when evil was seeming to have its day.

When we remain faithful in the face of adversity, the Lord uses that witness to touch hearts. Even our persecutors will be affected in some way. 

You’ve probably heard the rest of Fr. Kolbe’s story—of his martyrdom. One day, several of the concentration camp prisoners managed to escape.  In retaliation, the Nazi commanders ordered the execution of 10 men. When a married Jewish man with a family was among those ordered to be executed, Fr. Kolbe volunteered to take his place.  The stunned Nazi officer agreed to the exchange.  Fr. Kolbe and the other nine men were stripped, locked in a cell, and left to starve to death.  After two weeks, some of them, including Fr. Kolbe were still alive.  They were given lethal injections of carbolic acid, and their remains were thrown into an oven.

Where did Fr. Kolbe’s courage come from, courage to lay down his life for someone who didn’t even share his faith, where did that come from? Certainly from profound love for God and his fellow man that Fr. Kolbe had cultivated over the course of his life. Certainly from his belief that the teachings of Christ are not just to be professed with our lips, they must be put into practice. “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friend” is not just an ideal or a pious sentiment, it is a directive, a command: this is my commandment, the Lord says, love one another as I love you.

Just like the woman in the Gospel whose love for her demon possessed daughter impelled her to seek the salvation of Christ, love and faith impelled St. Maximillian to this heroic act of self-sacrifice which continues to touch and inspire our hearts now 80 years later. How do we know of this story at all? Because it must have touched the hearts of the prisoners, it would have been retold among them, and even the Nazi’s must have told each other about this heroic priest. Christian faith lived out amidst adversity touches hearts.

Being a Catholic in 2020 is not easy. Tremendous social forces work against us. It requires great effort to pass the faith onto the next generation, it takes great effort to remain faithful to the precepts of our faith, for we are likely to receive no earthly recognition for them. And it takes great effort to cultivate faith, through prayer, study, penance, mortification, and the works of mercy. But, the Lord chose us to be alive right now, in 2020, in this increasingly secular culture, in order to bear witness, to invite the foreigner, the outsider, into the family of God, and likely even to suffer for the sake of the Gospel.

So may we make that effort daily, again in prayer, study, penance, mortification, and the works of mercy, so to cultivate that faith that will endure the social pressures and earthly temptations, that we may become true children of faith and effective instruments for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

August 14 2020 - St. Maximilian Kolbe - Instrument of the Immaculate

 

As a young boy, Maximilian had a vision of the Holy Virgin. In his own words, he described the vision: 

"That night, I asked the Mother of God what was to become of me, a Child of Faith. Then she came to me holding two crowns, one white, the other red. She asked me if I was willing to accept either of these crowns. The white one meant that I should persevere in purity, and the red that I should become a martyr. I said that I would accept them both."

That he accepted both crowns was certainly evident in his life. 

Born in Poland in 1894, Maximilian Kolbe entered the Franciscan Order at the age of 16 and was ordained in 1918.  In 1939, the Nazis bombed and invaded the Polish town in which the friars were living, Fr. Kolbe and his fellow friars were arrested. Without trial or sentence, Fr. Kolbe was transported to Auschwitz.  Yet, even in that desolate place of suffering, the pure-hearted Fr. Kolbe was put to work; there heard confessions and celebrated Mass using smuggled bread and wine.  

One day, several prisoners managed to escape.  In retaliation, 10 men from his block were selected to die.  When a married Jewish man with a family was among them, Fr. Kolbe volunteered to take his place.  The stunned Nazi officer agreed to the exchange.  Fr. Kolbe and the other nine men were stripped, locked in a cell, and left to starve to death.  After two weeks, some, including Maximilian were still alive.  They were given lethal injections of carbolic acid, and their remains were thrown into an oven.

Where did this courage, courage to lay down his life for another come from? Certainly from his deep faith and love for his fellow man. Belief that the teachings of Christ are to put into practice—“there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friend” is not just an ideal or a pious sentiment, it is a directive, a command: this is my commandment, the Lord says, love one another as I love you.

And no doubt, his faith and courage and love was bolstered by his great devotion to Our Lady, about whom he wrote the following:  “By dedicating ourselves to her we become in her hands instruments of God’s mercy even as she was such an instrument in God’s hands. We should let ourselves be guided and led by Mary and rest quiet and secure in her hands. She will watch out for us, provide for us, answer our needs of body and spirit; she will dissolve all our difficulties and worries."

By entrusting himself to her, by accepting the crowns and crosses that came to him from God through her, Fr. Kolbe became a true instrument of the Immaculate, having the strength and depth of love necessary to imitate the Lord in self-sacrifice. May we do the same, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - - - -  

That all members of the Church, laity and clergy, will be committed to self-sacrificial service in their daily lives.

For an end to indifference to God and human dignity in our government institutions, universities, businesses, and personal attitudes.

For an increase in devotion to Our Lady, that through her the Church may obtain a renewed zeal for souls.

That the love of Christ, the divine physician, may bring healing to the sick and comfort to all the suffering.

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

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

19th Week of OT 2020 - Wednesday - If a brother sins against you

One of the effects of baptism, in addition to washing us clean of original sin, is to give us rebirth as children of God, making us brothers and sisters to Christ and to one another.  

Throughout his Sermon on the Mount and his public ministry, Jesus lays down some rules for we need to treat each other—rules of the household, if you will.  As he should! Better than any of us, the Lord realizes the reality and destructiveness of sin.  Sin is like a corrosive acid that eats away at the individual soul, and certainly through the bonds of family, community, and Church. And, of course, sin keeps us from witnessing to the Gospel as we should.

So he issues, in this morning’s Gospel, a three step-procedure for rooting out sin in the community—what to do when a brother or sister in Christ, including priests, bishops, or religious, should commit some wrong--what is known as "fraternal correction".

First they should be approached one-on-one—tell him his fault between you and him alone. Without falling into gossip or fruitless complaining, we need to have the courage to approach the fellow Christian, to confront them with the facts with compassion, patience, and understanding. That’s not always easy. But if I were doing something wrong, say as your pastor, I would hope you love me enough to bring your concerns to me. If there is something which I am doing which is contrary to the Gospel or Canon Law or the liturgical law of the Church or the good of the parish, I would want to be corrected. It is an act of mercy, an act of love, to engage in fraternal correction, when it is done with pure motives—not acting out of self-interest or with bias or jealousy. God forbid we bring trumped up charges against a brother, like the Sanhedrin did to the Lord.

If that one-on-one confrontation doesn’t work, the Lord says, go back to that individual and take along one or two invested fellow Christians, as an objective party. Oftentimes an individual needs to know that it’s not just one person who has a problem with them, but their behavior is having an effect on the community as a whole.

And then, if that doesn’t work, the Lord says, “tell the Church”. What does that mean? Well, the sin should be dealt by the Church—following the principal of subsidiarity. You don’t need to write the Pope when you have a problem with a member of the parish staff. 

And only if the scandal continues should there be a public denunciation, in order to make it clear to everyone that the sinful, scandalous behavior is contrary to God's loving plan of salvation.

This is why you will see from time to time a public sinner, like a Catholic politician or a priest who persists in some action which is gravely contrary to the Gospel, they will be publicly excommunicated. In fact, it’s likely a failure of bishops, when they do not publicly correct the public sinner.

All of this can be pretty hard and pretty uncomfortable. The truth can be hard to tell and hard to receive.  It is hard to confront someone peacefully, especially since we may be persecuted for it.  It is hard to take criticism without becoming defensive and trying to justify our actions.  It is hard to change because we become set in our ways—even in the way we treat others.

Tongues of gossip, backbiting, negativity, and discouragement destroy the Church. Allowing evil to fester is not good for anyone. Rather, tongues of truth, and compassion and encouragement, prophecy, and discernment, and the humility to change when we are wrong, these things build up the Church. So we must choose, will we play right into the hands of the devil, by shredding one another with razor-blade tongues.  Or will we allow the Spirit of God to lead us in the way of humility and truth, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 - - - - - - - 

That Pope Francis and all bishops and clergy may lead the Church by example in witnessing to the truth of the Gospel with courage and living the Gospel with charity and perseverance. 

That politicians and government officials may protect religious freedom, promote virtue, and look to the law of Christ to guide their work for the good of nations and the human race, especially for the protection of the unborn.

That our young people on summer vacation may remain close to Jesus through prayer, attendance at Holy Mass with their families, repentance through Sacramental Confession, and faithfulness to all the teachings of Christ. We pray to the Lord.

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

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

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

August 11 2020 - St. Clare - Pursuing authentic fulfillment in Christ

The idea of entering a monastery in order to pursue a life of prayer and joyful communion with the Lord, like St. Clare, is quite foreign to many today.  Our modern culture tells our young girls that they cannot be happy unless they, like a Disney princess, marry prince charming and live in a castle filled with all the luxuries money can buy, or acquire the sort of job where she can buy her own castle and live life according to her own whims and fancies.

Yet, over and over again, the modern ethos produces such unhappiness and emptiness. But the lie, the illusion that material wealth can bring happiness and fulfillment is told over and over. 

St. Clare is the antithesis of the modern ethos. She shows another way. She points to THE Way.

Clare was from an aristocratic family.  She was beautiful, she lived in a castle, she had many suitors, in a sense she was the medieval equivalent of the Disney princess. And yet, she sensed the emptiness of the world of wealth and aristocracy. She became drawn to Christ particularly by the dynamic preaching of the itinerant St. Francis of Assisi who became a lifelong friend and spiritual guide.

Determined to dedicate her life to God, on Palm Sunday in the year 1212, Clare escaped one night from her Father’s home.  Several miles away, she met St. Francis and his brethren at the poor little chapel of the Portiuncula.  At the altar of Our Lady, she traded her rich clothing for the rough brown woolen habit of the Franciscans, exchanged her jeweled belt for a common rope with three knots to symbolize her poverty, chastity, and obedience, and caught off her long golden tresses.  Thus she became espoused to Christ.  Her sister Agnes, 14 years old, soon joined her, as did several other women, in the following weeks.

They lived a simple life of poverty, austerity, and seclusion from the world.  Clare and her sisters went barefoot, slept on the ground, kept a vegetarian diet, and observed almost complete silence.  This was the beginning of the cloistered order of Franciscan nuns known as the Poor Clares. Thus the Virgin Clare was made the mother of countless virgins consecrated to Christ.

You’d think because of their penances, their separation from the wealth and luxuries of the world, the Poor Clares would be joyless…but have you ever met one? Here in Cleveland, we have two cloisters of Poor Clare Nuns—the Poor Clare Colletines on Rocky River Dr, and the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration over at St. Paul’s Shrine on the east side. And they are anything but joyless, in fact, they are often bursting with joy. Their happiness far exceeds any woman who has made wealth, power, or fame the pursuit of their life. They have found Him who is the source of all joy, and spend their life in His presence.

May we, like Clare, trust God enough, love God enough, that we may have the courage enough to follow him out of the luxury of the world, away from the empty promises of our culture, to pursue the promises of Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - - - -  

For the Poor Clares and all those consecrated religious under St. Clare’s patronage, for their sanctification, and that they may be a witness to the whole Church to seek the holiness for which we were made.

That St. Clare may teach us seek the presence and protection of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, for increase in devotion to adoration of our Eucharistic Lord here and everywhere.

That the love of Christ, the divine physician, may bring healing to the sick and comfort to all the suffering. We pray.

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 the deceased priests, deacons and religious of the diocese of Cleveland, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

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.

For the deceased priests, religious, catechists, staff, and volunteers of St. Clare parish, for our deceased family members, friends, and parish, for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for all 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.

 

August 10 2020 - St. Lawrence - "There's something about Larry"

 

Over 1700 years later, we are still celebrating the feast of the Roman martyr, Lawrence the deacon. His courage in standing up to the Roman Authorities and his attitude toward death still resonates with the Church. 

As a deacon in Rome, Lawrence was in charge of the Roman Church’s treasury, and had the responsibility of distributing alms to the poor. When the prefect of Rome heard this, he imagined that Church must have a considerable treasure hidden somewhere in the city.  He ordered Lawrence to bring the Church’s treasures to him.  So, Deacon Lawrence gathered a great number of blind, lame, maimed, leprous, orphaned and widowed persons. When the prefect arrived, Lawrence simply said, “These are the treasures of the Church.”

In great anger, the Prefect condemned Lawrence to a slow, cruel death. The Saint was to be slowly roasted alive upon an iron grill.  Lawrence however was burning with so much love of God that he almost did not feel the flame. He even joked.  I'm done on this side! Turn me over” 

There’s something about St. Lawrence’s attitude and personality, a je ne sais quoi—something almost indescribable—in his dealing with the powers and threats of the world that is so marvelous—a brashness or boldness that is reminiscent of the Lord’s own attitude toward the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin and Pontius Pilate that comes from a conviction of the superiority of the kingdom of God over the values of man. Something that is obnoxious to the powers of evil!

In St. Lawrence and so many of the saints you see what happens when you truly value the things of God over the things of man—you gain a wisdom—worldly possessions and even the threat of suffering are all put into perspective—God’s perspective. 

This is why the Lord in the Gospel says, “whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.” The Christian comes to value the things of heaven over the things of earth, where even suffering and the threat of death lose their sting. Where true treasure is not what the world considers valuable but what God considers valuable. The Christian gains the ability to laugh at death because death does not get the final word, even though it claims to.

May the Spirit of St. Lawrence pervade our lives—his love for the Lord, his love for the poor, his courage in the face of death, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

That Christians persecuted for the faith may be courageous in their witness to the saving Truth of Christ. And that the witness of the martyrs may never be in vain. 

That all Christians may grow in their awareness of and charitable attentiveness to the needs of the poor in their midst.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, 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 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 the deceased priests, deacons and religious of the diocese of Cleveland, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

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.

19th Sunday in OT 2020 - Experiencing God in the heights, depths, quiet, anguish and at Mass

Thursday, the Church celebrated the Feast of the Transfiguration, a story which was very important to the early Church, for it appears in all four Gospels. And we’re pretty familiar with the story, too. We hear it proclaimed at Mass ever year during Lent, usually during Ordinary Time at some point, and then, of course on the Feast of the Transfiguration. The Lord leads a select few of his apostles, Peter, James, and John up the side of the mountain, and there they encounter Christ radiant in divine glory. We can picture this dark mountain-top, and then all of a sudden, in the pitch-black darkness, brilliant light emanates from Jesus, his clothes becomes dazzling white, brighter than anything on earth, and then the voice spoke from heaven, this is my son, listen to him. This theophany made it undeniable to the apostles that Jesus is truly the Son of God. And that’s how must of us experience Jesus, right? Well, no…not exactly. We’d like to. There’d probably be a lot fewer atheists in the world if the Lord could be glimpsed in all his divine splendor on the top of some mountain. 

Now, some of the saints did encounter visions of Jesus robed in splendor. St. Catherine conversed with Jesus as a young girl. St. Teresa and St. Bridgit, St. Margaret Mary, St. Thomas Aquinas had mystical visions of Jesus, as did St. Francis of Assisi—he had a vision of Jesus when he received his holy stigmata, the wounds of Jesus in his own flesh.

But for the holy saints, did not need proof, or necessarily want proof, of God’s existence. Their faith was already greater than we can possibly imagine.  The heavenly vision usually meant for them, that they were being asked to accept some great suffering on behalf of the Church and for souls. So most of us, do not and will not experience God in this way, in some undeniable vision, like that of the apostles and saints.

Perhaps, our experience of God is a bit more like Elijah in the first reading—in a quiet whisper. The experience of God in a quiet place, for a Elijah, it was a cave. And even in this secluded place, the experience of God, for Elijah was not immediate. And at first there is a bunch of noise and bright light: wind, earthquake, and fire. But God isn’t found in the noise. Rather, Elijah detected the presence of God only when became quiet enough to hear the whisper of God’s voice. Certainly an important lesson for us: if we are yearning for some deeper experience of God, we need to become quiet. God Can be found. But he needs to be sought after in stillness, quiet, and silence.

Again, here is an important lesson, that every day, we need to set aside some period of quiet. Maybe before the kids wake up, or one’s spouse, before the hustle and bustle of the day begins. Or maybe we need to take a break in the middle of the day, in the middle of the work day, even, to make sure we don’t get caught up merely with earthly matters and neglect heavenly matters. To sit down with the bible on our lap—to read and listen for the whisper of God.

Or, maybe, our experience of God is more like Peter in the Gospel today. We are doing great, our eyes are fixed on Jesus, it’s like we’re walking on water. and then something changes. Maybe it’s fear, maybe it’s pride, “hey, I’m walking on water all by myself”. And then we begin to sink. But this story is so important because it says that we can experience God even when we are sinking into the depths, especially when we are sinking, we can experience God as savior, and cry out “Lord save me” and experience Him reaching out to us. Maybe we are sinking because our fears for the future are so overwhelming, or maybe we’ve sunk into the shamefulness of sin.

If you feel like you are sinking right now, or, you have sunk, you have fallen into something seriously sinful, I promise you, Jesus is extending his hand to you. The Lord is there, reaching out his hand, inviting us to Confession, or inviting us to hand over our anxieties. But you have to take. You have to accept that invitation to go to confession if you’ve sinned, or to trust in him, if you are overwhelmed with fear.

And maybe we fear grasping on to Jesus’ hand, because those murky waters are familiar. We fear grasping on to his hand because he will take it and lead us to somewhere we don’t think we are ready to go. But again, I promise you, allowing Jesus to lift you up out of the chaotic waters , to save you from drowning in complacency, or spiritual mediocrity, or shameful sins and habits, will make all the difference.

So that’s another experience of God, quite unlike the mountain top of the transfiguration. But, in the second reading St. Paul was having yet another experience of God, one that, I would say, is also, quite relatable. 

Paul, charged with preaching the Gospel, was in great sorrow and anguish because his family, his fellow Jews, were proving unconvertable—their hearts, just like his had been for a time, were hardened. Paul did not doubt the Gospel, he did not doubt the Lordship and divinity of Jesus, but his experience of God coincided with great grief over the unbelief in the world. He was in anguish over the eternal consequences for their faithlessness. Sound relatable?

I think it’s realistic to say that the faithful Christian is never really at peace. Yes, the peace of God dwells in us, but at the same time, we are never at peace, knowing that there are people out there, we do not believe, whose eternal salvation appears…at risk—who are at risk of damnation. That was Paul’s concern, that is our concern. And as our culture seems to be straying further and further away from God each day, our concern is great indeed.

But, like for Paul, that concern needs to motivate us to share the Gospel, to set good example for non-believers, that they may see the difference faith, hope, and charity make our life.

So, we’ve considered the mountain top experience of God, the experience of God in quiet whispers, the experience of God in lifting us out of the waters of sin and chaos, and also the experience of God in our concern for non-believers.

And here we are at holy Mass where all those experiences are combined and intertwined—aren’t they—as we hear the scriptures proclaimed, as we consider their meaning, as we offer our prayerful petitions for the needs of the world and the needs of the Church, as we experience the saving sacrifice of Christ on the altar, by looking to the altar.

Wee are so privileged here in this place to experience God in these many ways, particularly in the most profound way imaginable—through the Sacrament of Holy Communion he is made present, body and soul. We are able to have bodily contact with God made flesh, when we receive holy communion. He is the answer to all of our prayers, he is the grace we need for spiritual growth, he is the strength we need to remain faithful to God in the face of temptation and trials. 

May we approach the sacrament of communion today with great faith in the presence of Christ here in this place and with reverence, knowing that in the smallest particle of the consecrated host, the God of the universe comes to us, to make us holy, and to make us effective instruments for the spreading of the Gospel, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

August 2020 - First Friday - Reparation for sins against the Eucharist

 

This morning at Mass I reflected upon this powerful reading from the prophet Nahum: the prophet speaks of the terrible destruction that will afflict the kingdom of Judah and the holy city of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonian invaders. The prophets repeat over and over and over again: sin makes us vulnerable to the powers of evil—sin brings division, destruction and death.

In the midst of this prognostication of corpses, and ruined walls, Nahum offers a beautiful promise: the Lord will restore the vine of Jacob. Restoration will occur, but the effects of sin cannot be avoided. Purification will be precede restoration—and that purification might be painful, like scrubbing the debris out of a wound. 

At Mass on Sunday I extended the invitation to the parish to attend this evening of adoration and reparation, and I mentioned how needed acts of reparation are needed. I mentioned how a priest friend of mine, in this diocese, was distributing holy communion and a very troubled soul approached him, snatched the consecrated host from his hands, and threw the blessed sacrament to the ground and stomped upon it.

Purification, reparation is needed for sins against the Eucharist.

I also mentioned how we have heard stories of many parishes having very strange, irreverent, and even sacrilegious practices in distributing holy communion during this time of social distancing. Purification, reparation is needed for sins against the Eucharist, especially those which occur due to pastors being neglectful of their duties.

But purification, as we see over and over in the scriptures, is rarely, ever easy. Penance and mortification are likely the instruments the Holy Spirit will use to bring about purification within the body of Christ, the Church. Reparation must be done on our knees. 

But, we undertake these penances willingly don’t we, because we love the Eucharist, we love the Church, we yearn for tepid souls and ignorant souls to fall in love with the Lord, don’t we? And we trust, that the prayers and penances and acts of reparation we offer up for the good of souls and the good of the Church are received lovingly by God—the meager loaves and fishes of our sufferings—are taken by the Lord and multiplied—because they are offered up willingly in union with Christ.

We express to the Lord our concern for unbelievers, our prayers for reparation, purification, and restoration, and our adoring love, entrusting our hearts to him and the needs of the world and the Church to Him for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

18th Week of OT 2020 - Friday - Purification, Restoration and St. Cajetan

 Two of the reoccurring themes of Scripture that sort of go hand in hand are purification and restoration—the purification of what has become corrupted by sin in order that it may be restored and begin to grow again. We are familiar with the story of the biblical flood—how the world had become so corrupted by sin, that God sends a purifying flood. Sometimes purification is difficult—like scrubbing out an infected wound is painful. But, following purification, God restores order by building humanity up again after the flood.

Immediately after the fall of Adam and Eve, God hints at the promise of a redeemer—one who will bring purification and restoration to the human race.

Nahum the prophet speaks about restoration in our first reading. Because of her sins, the southern kingdom of Judah had become vulnerable to attack and invasion. Babylon had sacked Jerusalem and carried off her citizens into exile. 

But Nahum the prophet speaks a word of promise, that after the purification, Judah and the holy city of Jerusalem, and her holy feasts will be restored. “The Lord will restore the vine of Jacob” he says. Again purification precedes restoration.

We see this divine logic in the Gospel as well. Jesus over and over heals the sick and then restores them to their families. He dies on the cross to purify humanity of its sinfulness in order that it may be restored to what God had intended it to be.

Today we honor a saint of restoration. St. Cajetan was a priest…well, he was a lawyer who then became a priest who was tasked to work in Rome—in the Roman Curia in the early 1500s.

He came to realize that the Church needed reform. He said the Church was “sick in her head and in her members.” The Church seemed to have lost her zeal, her commitment to authentic worship, her commitment to the evangelical counsels. Protestantism, which arose shortly in this time, was a sort of reaction to the Church’s sickness. But unlike his contemporary, Martin Luther, Cajetan believed that the Church could be reformed from the inside—through a return to what is truly good and holy. So Cajetan founded a religious order, the Theatines, who took the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience and working to reignite apostolic zeal amongst the clergy.

It is no secret that there are parts of the Church that are sick right now—parts of the world where faith has been decimated, watered down, corrupted by worldly values. So, we do well to invoke Saints like Cajetan, to help purify the Church from corruption—the corruption of authentic doctrine and religious practice and liturgical worship, to help us experience the restoration the Holy Spirit wishes to work in our own day.

But no doubt, purification and restoration begins in the individual human soul. Each one of us, lay, cleric, religious, priest, cardinal and Pope, has a duty to seek purification as difficult as that is from all that is prideful or selfish, that what is corrupt in us may be purified, that what is broken may be restored, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - - - - 

That Pope Francis and all bishops and clergy may lead the Church by example in witnessing to the truth of the Gospel with courage and living the Gospel with charity and perseverance. 

That politicians and government officials may protect religious freedom, promote virtue, and look to the law of Christ to guide their work for the good of nations and the human race, especially for the protection of the unborn.

That our young people on summer vacation may remain close to Jesus through prayer, attendance at Holy Mass with their families, repentance through Sacramental Confession, and faithfulness to all the teachings of Christ. We pray to the Lord.

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

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

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

August 05 2020 - St. Mary Major - Salus Populi Romani

Typically the Church’s Liturgical Calendar calls for the celebration of a holy person, but today we celebrate the dedication of a holy place: St. Mary Major, one of Rome’s four principle basilicas.  The others are St. Peter’s, St. John Lateran, and St. Paul outside the Walls. 

The basilica is the largest church in the world honoring God through Mary.  It stands atop one of Rome’s seven hills, and despite many restorations, still has the character of an early Roman basilica, containing ancient mosaics and a breathtaking shrine containing the relics of the crib of Bethlehem. 

What makes St. Mary Major a holy place? Well, it has been a place of pilgrimage for nearly 1500 years. Pilgrims have come from all around the world to honor the she in whose honor the basilica was erected: Our Lady. 

The basilica is of particular importance to the Christians of Rome, for it contains the ancient and venerated image of Mary, the Salus Populi Romani, depicting the Blessed Virgin as the help and protectress of the Roman People. She holds the Christ Child with the Greek Words “Mater Theou—Mother of God.”

According to legend, this image was painted by the Apostle Luke. The story goes that after the crucifixion, the pious women of Jerusalem (like the woman in the Goapel who cries out “Blessed is the womb who bore you”) urged St. Luke to visit Mary in the home of John the Apostle to memorialize her image. While he painted, the Mother of Jesus spoke of the life of her son. Which may explain why St Luke’s Gospel contains those wonderful infancy narratives and the stories prior to the Lord’s birth. Because Luke heard them right from the source! St. Luke brought the painting back to Jerusalem where it remained until it was discovered by Saint Helena in the 4th century

This is a wonderful legend emphasizing that even from the beginning of the Church, while it was still mostly centered in Jerusalem, there was a devotion to Our Lady, a desire to capture her image, that it may be venerated. Venerating images of the blessed mother, making statues, building churches to her honor, all goes back to the earliest generations of Christians.

Already in the year 593, Pope Gregory carried the image through Rome while praying for the end of the plague. We do well to invoke our sweet Lady and protectress, for an end to our current pandemic. Pope Francis has visited the image asking for deliverance as well.

I conclude with the words of Saint John Paul II, in his wonderful encyclical on the Mother of the Redeemer: “Let the entire body of the faithful pour forth persevering prayer to the Mother of God and Mother of mankind. Let them implore that she who aided the beginning of the Church by her prayers may now, exalted as she is in heaven above all the saints and angels, intercede with her Son in the fellowship of all the saints.” For the glory of God and salvation of souls.

That Our Lady may lead all people to the love of Christ, protect the Church from all evil, and aid us in the mission of the Gospel, and for deliverance from all plagues, diseases, especially the Coronavirus.

That all government leaders may be awakened to the supreme dignity of every human life, and that all people of our nation may work together for an end to the culture of death. 

That through Immaculate Mary, Queen of Peace, hatred, violence, and cruelty will cease in the world, especially today, we pray for the victims of violence and human trafficking.

That the sick may draw strength, consolation, and healing by turning to Our Lady, who

intercedes for us from her place in heaven. 

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

We pray, O Lord our God, that the Virgin Mary, who merited to bear God and man in her chaste womb, may commend the prayers of your faithful in your sight. Through Christ our Lord.

August 04 2020 - St. John Vianney - The holy parish priest

There is a statue outside of the town of Ars, the little town in eastern France, of the famous meeting between the newly appointed pastor of Ars trying to find his way to his parish and a young child from Ars who showed him the way. At foot of this statue is inscribed the famous words of the Cure of Ars, “Show me the way to Ars and I will show you the way to heaven.”

When Fr. John Vianney uttered those words, he wasn’t just being pious. Helping the souls under his care to find the way to heaven was his all encompassing mission. For him, being a pastor wasn’t simply a nine-to-five job—he not only gave it everything he had, but did so to heroic lengths. And for this heroic effort, cooperating with the will of God, he became a saint, and not just a saint, but the patron saint of priests.

Last year, when I made pilgrimage with Bishop Perez to Rome and Assisi, my classmates and I, continued our pilgrimage outside of Italy, to Ars, so that we could visit and pray at the parish of John Vianney. We visited the rectory containing the bedroom in which the devil started a fire to try to scare the holy pastor away from the parish. We saw the pulpit where hundreds would gather to try to hear his soft voice delivering powerful sermons from heaven. We saw the confessional, where the holy confessor would hear thousands of confessions, sometimes for 18 hours a day—the confessional in which the devil appeared to him and said, if there were but three more priests like you, I would be finished. And we celebrated Mass on the altar containing the saints incorrupt relics. 

Sometimes we think that evangelization is a matter of knowing the best arguments to convince people that Catholicism is the One True Faith.  But, what is eminently more powerful than a strong logical argument is authentic holiness.  Of course that does not relieve us from knowing our catechism—John Vianney taught the most popular catechism lessons in France.  But soley quoting the catechism will not bring people back to Church.   

It’s not the number of words or arguments that is needed, but Christ speaking through the few words we offer.  John Vianney was effective in bringing souls to Christ and leading them to heaven, because he cooperated with grace, he decreased, through fervent prayer, fasting, mortification, and heroic faithfulness to his pastoral duties, that Christ might increase, in himself, and in his parishioners, may we do the same, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

That St. John Vianney, Patron of Parish Priests, may increase the faith, hope, and charity of the priests of the Church, particularly those priests experiencing vocational crisis.

For a deeper love for and devotion to the Eucharist, for those who do not believe in the Real Presence, for the spread of the Eucharistic Reign of Christ in society.

For an increase in devotion to the Sacrament of Confession, that souls may approach the mercy seat of Christ with true repentance and confidence in the Lord’s grace.

That our young people on summer vacation may remain close to Jesus through prayer, attendance at Holy Mass with their families, repentance through Sacramental Confession, and faithfulness to all the teachings of Christ. We pray to the Lord.

For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster, war, violence, and terrorism, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, and the imprisoned, for the comfort of the dying and the consolation of their families. We pray to the Lord.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests, especially the deceased pastors and priests of our parish and our diocese, and for 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 those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.

 

18th Week in OT 2020 - Monday - The One True Faith

The first reading contains a strange scene, yet, one that is fairly relatable. Hananiah, who was known for his eloquence and prophetic gestures offered a prophecy about the Babylonian exile, while Jeremiah, also known as a prophet, gives a much different prognostication. Hananiah claimed that the Babylonian exile would last only for two years, while Jeremiah claimed that it would last much longer, which it did. Both men were known as prophets, both were considered to be holy men of God. So, who do you believe? If you were a Jew trying to figure out how your family is going to survive this terrible plight, who do you believe? Well, my bet would be on the prophet whose former prophecies had been confirmed by his works and the consistency of his message!

Well, this debate illustrates a problem that, again, is pretty relatable. Turn on the television on Sunday morning and you have Christians preachers making vastly different claims about morality, politics, ecclesiology, and Christian doctrine. A preacher on one side of town claiming that one political stance should be supported, while a preacher on another claims the opposite.

 

How do I know what denomination of Christianity to join? Who has the truth? Especially about controversial moral issues? Is abortion a sin or not? Is divorce a sin or not? Is contraception a sin or not? Is homosexual activity or sex outside of marriage a sin or not? How do we know the Catholic Church possesses the truth amidst thousands of Christian divisions? 

Well, from a historical perspective, we can see, in the Catholic a two-thousand year unbroken sacred tradition on matters of faith and morals. The Holy Spirit preserves the true Church. 

Now, over the last 50 years, since Vatican II, it seems there has been a lot of confusion, some contradictory teachings from clergy and religious. That the Catholic Church is indefectible, meaning, she is protected from error, doesn’t mean that every member of the Church, including the popes, bishops, and priests, will automatically speak the truth, all the time. Rather, in a time of confusion, the Holy Spirit can be detected, working to bring healing and clarity. The ship is being righted. The Lord Jesus, as he does in the Gospel today, is extending his hand to Peter who appears to be sinking, to lift him, to lift the Church out of confusion and error, to live in the fullness of truth.

The Holy Spirit is at work, helping us to detect who are the true prophets, who are the true shepherds, and who are the false ones. The Holy Spirit is at work, in the hearts of the faithful who call upon their bishops and priests to speak clearly, the authentic faith that comes from Christ through the apostles. 

The Holy Spirit is at work to heal division, divisions among Christians which scandal. For the Church is to united in mind and heart, in faith and morals, amongst her members, that we might work effectively and in union with Christ our Head, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - - - -  

 

For the healing of all division in the Church, for the Pope and all Bishops and Priests to be truly faithful in teaching the fullness of Faith, for the conversion of those whose hearts are hardened to the truth of the Gospel. We pray to the Lord.

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 Christian faith is studied, understood, observed, and cherished.

For all those who suffer illness, those in hospitals, nursing homes and hospice care.

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 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

 

18th Sunday in OT 2020 - "Give them some food yourselves"

Each of the four Gospels contain different stories of Jesus eating with people: he attends the wedding feast at Cana. He took meals with tax collectors, prostitutes and public sinners—inviting the most excluded into the company of believers. He ate with Pharisees and Scribes challenging their preconceptions, urging them to acknowledge and repent of their hypocrisy. And of course he ate with his disciples—taking the Passover meal with them—changing bread and wine into his Body and Blood the night before he died. After his resurrection he eats fish with the apostles on the seashore.

Today’s Gospel passage about the feeding of the large crowd is found in all four Gospel. The Lord had been teaching and healing thousands of people out in the desert, and when evening came, as we heard, the disciples wished to dismiss the crowd so they could buy food for themselves. The Lord however, does not like to send people away hungry, not if he can help it. 

So, instead of dispersing this crowd, the Lord draws them together, intending to feed this vast crowd through a miracle. But notice, he involves his disciples in this miracle:  “you give them some food yourselves.”  The disciples solution was to send the crowd away to fend for themselves, but the Lord says, no, in the communion of the kingdom of God we bear each other’s burdens.  We don’t say “it’s your problem” and your problem alone.  We are in this together.  World hunger, it’s not someone else’s problem; poor understanding of the faith, it’s not someone else’s problem.  Laws being passed which are repugnant to the dignity of human life, or which erode religious freedom. it’s not someone else’s problem.

We have a tendency to want to pass the buck on to someone else.  We see a problem and say “someone ought to do something, someone ought to take care of this.”  Standing up for life, standing up for religious freedom or the rights of the oppressed, protecting our religious statues from an angry mob, feeding the poor, spreading the Gospel, it’s not merely the pope’s job, or the bishop’s job, or the pastor’s job; every Catholic bears the responsibility for the work of the Church and spreading the Gospel.

“You give them something to eat, you do something to solve this problem.” He speaks those words to you and me.  As members of the Church, God gives us the tremendous responsibility of being his hands and his feet out in the world, feeding the large crowd of the world with physical bread and also spiritual bread—the truth of the Gospel and relief for the suffering. 

Some of you might remember, that In the 1950s and 60s, a movement called Catholic Action which aimed at rallying the Catholic layfaithful for the work of the Gospel out in the world. And Catholic Action had a motto, very simple, three words. “see, judge, act.”  See, judge, act.  First see, open your eyes, what is going on in the Church and in society.  Second, judge: make a determination of what can I do, how can I help, how can I serve.  And thirdly, act—if you can do it, do it. “You give them something to eat.”

After issuing this command the disciples respond, “all we have are these five loaves, a couple fish, and there are five thousand people here, not counting the women and children.  So we are supposed to do something?”  True, sometimes all we can do is identify, that personally, I don’t have enough to do all this work myself. We need each other and we need God.

So the Lord responds,  “Give them to me!”  And he multiplies them in such a way that every person is fed and filled, and in fact, there are twelve baskets left over.

The spiritual lesson?  You give what you have, even if it is very little, to Christ and it will be multiplied.  Give Christ your mind, your will, your energy, your compassion, your earthly treasures.  See, judge act. Give it to Christ, and you will find that it becomes multiplied for his purposes.  

Catholic parishes, like ours, are just like that small group of disciples, looking at its meager possessions, saying, what can we do with these fives loaves and two fish. But coming together, despite our differences, we offer what we have to the Lord, and the Lord multiplies.

I’ve been so impressed over the last few months during COVID of the great generosity of our parishioners and friends. Parishes, larger than ours are having greater difficulty paying the bills, many have even had to cut back on some of their charitable outreach. But not St. Ignatius. We’ve seen our SVDP flourish and working very hard to meet the needs of the hungry and those who may have lost their jobs or having difficulty paying the rent. Our Legion of Mary has needed to set up extra chairs at our weekly meetings. Daily mass and first Friday holy hour have been very well attended. And of course our Garden Club, making our grounds look so splendid and beautiful. I’m also very happy to hear that a small group of parishioners have formed a new prayer group, the Seven Sister’s Apostolate, to pray for priests. 

We’ve had some challenges though. We are certainly in need of parishioners to step-up to take leadership on some of our fundraising efforts. Our golf outing, our gala committee, the clambash, we need some leaders to step-up. And of course, inviting some of those parishioners who have sort of fallen by the wayside over the last decade, back to Church. And of course, evangelizing, inviting non-Catholics, searchers and seekers, to come and see what we are doing in here.

So, I repeat the invitation I made a month ago when we announced Sister Dianne’s resignation, if there’s any ministry that you’d like to get involved in, please let me know. I invite you again, to see, judge act. To ask yourself and ask the Lord, what can I do to help, what can I do to serve, what do I need to entrust to God, that he may multiply it for his purposes.

But what is not given cannot be multiplied, what is not offered-up will not be transformed. So let us be generous with the Lord, with offering our time, talent, and treasure, our creativity, our passions, and our sufferings for the glory of God and salvation of souls.