12th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2021 - Stormy Seas and Fathers

 In Scripture, the roaring untamed sea is often a symbol of the destructive, chaotic powers of nature beyond the control of man. 

The very first page of the Bible speaks of “Tohu wa bohu” in the Hebrew, the primal chaotic waters. Yet, those untamed waters are quickly brought under the control of the Most High God and Lord of Creation who brings light and life out of the darkness as he breaths forth his Spirit and calls creation into being.

The book of Exodus contains another frightening body of water. As Pharoah’s chariots and charioteers close in on the Israelites, God’s people are trapped by the uncrossable Red Sea. It is not until God intervenes, demonstrating again that He is the Lord and Master of Creation, that the Israelites are able to cross the untamable sea, on their road toward freedom.

In today’s Gospel, the apostles become trapped and tossed about on a stormy sea. Again, the stormy waters stand for the chaos of life beyond our control—all those difficulties both interior and exterior, physical and psychological that beset us—the dark depths always threatening to swallow us up. 

Throughout the centuries Church fathers have explained that the boat traversing through the stormy sea in the Gospel today stands for the Church through the ages—the Barque of Peter making her way through the centuries amidst persecution and warring nations, the violent winds of worldly error.  The waves crashing against the boat, the winds whipping around them are symbolic of everything that besets the Church, and besets the individual Christian. 

In the course of the Christian life, the disciples of Jesus have to face chaos, anxiety, darkness, and bafflement .

The storm in the Gospel today must have been of unique severity, after all the apostles were experienced fisherman, experienced sailors on the Sea of Galilee. It was their home turf—well, their home “surf”—so to speak. They knew these waters well, they’d fished there before, with their fathers and their fathers before them.  They knew its changes and dangers. And for these experienced boatmen to have been so terrified speaks to how terrible this storm must have been. For in the midst of their terror they cry out “Lord, save us.” 

Those were the right words. Scripture is filled with such cries the Psalms especially:  Out of the depths I call to you, LORD; Lord, hear my cry! Says Psalm 130.  Scripture even instructs us to call out to God in times of trouble: Psalm 50, says, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you.”

When we find ourselves lost and in the shadow of death—when we are facing the great struggles and storms of life—the Scriptures teach us to call out to God. When in our desperation we feel utterly incapable of helping or saving ourselves, we are meant to turn to Almighty God, and cry, “Lord, save us”  

This Gospel especially teaches us that the Lord hears our cries. The Lord of all creation is in the boat with us. We are never alone. Just as the Spirit of God brought order out of chaotic waters in the book of Genesis, Jesus, the Incarnate Power of God, can bring order, and peace, and calm, and new life—new creation, out of the stormy darkness of our life. I don’t know about you, but that gives me comfort.

This reading always reminds me of a story. When I was younger, my father and uncles together purchased a boat. A beautiful 55 foot antique wooden Chris-Craft that they had docked in Fairport Harbor, about 15 miles west of my hometown of Madison. And, when I was about 8 years old, one summer day, my father announced that he and I would be paddling our rubber raft from the shore just north of our house, and my uncle would be picking us up on the boat. It was a grey day, windy and drizzling when we set off from shore, and not 10 minutes into this little trek, huge dark clouds came out of nowhere. The rain intensified, the waves whipped up. 

But my dad was there. And I felt safe. Come to found out, you’re really not supposed to do that, paddle into an oncoming thunderstorm on lake erie, but, I felt safe. Dad was there, just like Jesus in the boat today.

On this Father’s Day, we reflect on the role that Fathers have in the life of the church, in the lives of our families. No one can replace them. A man in the life of a child cannot be replaced. Our culture might say different, but our culture is of course confused about a great many things.

During this Year of St. Joseph we consider a particular man, chosen by God to have a role in the life of Jesus. A man who was guardian, protector, provider, and leader in the practice of the Faith for his Family.

St. Joseph took great efforts that Jesus lacked nothing he needed for healthy development. Faithfully guarding the Christ-Child’s life when the family was forced to live as refugees in Egypt. Instructing Jesus in his work as a carpenter.

In an age that needs strong, virtuous, faith-filled fathers, we do well to turn to Joseph, Ite ad Ioseph, go to Joseph, as a role model and a heavenly intercessor—that Catholic men may become fathers like the Father of Jesus—strong pillars of faith for their family. 

Many forces in our culture today contribute to the breakdown of the family, minimizing the role that fathers are meant to play in the lives of their children. As the family has broken down, so has the culture. So, our culture, our parish, and our church need men to step up and be active guardians, workers, strong models of virtue and faith. Not as the culture teaches, but as our Faith teaches and St. Joseph models.

Fathers filled with strong-faith are meant to be Jesus in the boat for us who bring calm to the storms of our lives.

Grateful for our fathers, grateful for the many ways that God has comforted us in the midst of the storms of our lives, the many ways that Jesus has quieted the storms and chaos surrounding us and within us, may we continue this eucharistic celebration with all thanksgiving and confidence in God’s saving help. And may the Lord transform us, that we may bring his peace and life-giving word into the lives and storms of others for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

11th Week of Ordinary Time 2021 - Friday - Earthly or Heavenly Treasure

 When Jesus says “do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth” he is not imposing a ban on all possessions, of course; it is not a sin for us to own things. The Catechism speaks of a right to private property. Nor is Jesus forbidding us to “stock up” and save for times of famine.  The book of proverbs tells us to look to the example of the ant that stores up in the summer for what it will need in the winter and calls foolish those who make no provisions for their families or the future.

We do well to make good prudent use of the material goods of the earth, but we must not treasure them, or live for them, especially at the cost of our spiritual welfare. Holiness cannot be measured by the size one of one’s bank account. 

We are to be particularly on guard against materialism. Holy Father Pope Francis has spoken often about the dangers of materialism. Recently he said, “Whenever material things, money, worldliness, become the center of our lives, they take hold of us, they possess us; we lose our very identity as human beings”.  Materialism, he says, makes us “self-absorbed” and “finding security in material things ultimately rob us of our face, our human face.”

Instead of loving people and using things, Materialism leads us to use people and love things—to treat others as material goods for our own pleasure.  It is not a coincidence that as materialism spreads so does pornography, prostitution, human trafficking, and sexual violence.  

We all do well to examine our lifestyles in light of Jesus’ teaching today. Do we love people and use things, or have we begun to love things and use people? Have we begun to take false security and false trust in the goods of the earth? Are we guilty of excessive accumulation?

Rather than living for the earthly, the Lord calls engage in the heavenly, to store up treasure in heaven—to engage in the works that merit heavenly grace. Rather than being servants of Mammon, His disciples are to be wholeheartedly devoted to works of holiness: prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and the corporal and spiritual works of charity. 

May the Holy Spirit help each of us to be faithful to the teaching of Jesus, to be free from all that keeps us from loving God and neighbor with undivided hearts, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That our nation’s bishops, concluding their spring General Assembly, may be guided by the Holy Spirit in their deliberations and their call to work for Church unity and the clear and courageous witness of the Gospel. Let us pray to the Lord.

That government leaders around the world may carry out their duties with justice, honesty, and respect for freedom and the dignity of human life.  Let us pray to the Lord.

For the Church’s missions amongst the poor and unevangelized throughout the world, that the work of Christ may be carried out with truth and love. Let us pray to the Lord.

For the grace to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, to love our neighbors and enemies and those who persecute us, and to share the truth of the Gospel with all.  Let us pray to the Lord.

For all those who share in the sufferings of Christ—the sick, the sorrowful, and those who are afflicted or burdened in any way.  Let us pray to the Lord.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for the deceased priests and religious of the diocese of Cleveland, for the poor souls in purgatory, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. Let us pray to the Lord.

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.

11th Week of Ordinary Time 2021 - Wednesday - Year-round Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving

 Today’s Gospel Reading should be familiar to us; we hear it at least twice a year, most notably on Ash Wednesday, at the beginning of the penitential season of Lent.

In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord teaches his disciples about some important practices that are to mark their spiritual lives: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These penitential practices are to be part of the ordinary life of the Christian. We aren’t to pray, fast, and give alms just during Lent, but all year round. 

Why? Why does the Lord introduce these practices in his great Sermon? His mention of these practices immediately follows his teaching on holiness. Remember, the holiness of his disciples is to surpass that of the scribes and the pharisees. His disciples aren’t merely to avoid the sins that are prohibited by the 10 commandments: even the scribes and pharisees did that. Rather, his disciples are to seek an inner transformation of mind and heart so that the very life of God fills us and flows from us.

Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are the prescribed medicines to bring about this transformation, they are the exercise routine, they are the activities which will open up the floodgates of grace within us. 

Certainly, the Scribes and Pharisees also engaged in prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, so even the way Christians do these things are going to be different too. The Lord does simply teach THAT we are to do them, but HOW we are to do them.  Our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving is to be marked by humility, not for show, but in a hidden way—humbly trusting that they are pleasing to God. Humility, poverty of spirit, like that prescribed by the first beatitude at the beginning of his sermon, will bring about the inner transformation.

I know a lot of people who don’t like lent. They don’t like the extra effort demanded by the penitential practices. Yet, consider the call to the penitential practices in light of the words of St. Paul today: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

We are to engage in these practices cheerfully, eagerly, trusting that what we give to God change us for the better. The person who fasts sparingly will gain little. But the person who fasts cheerfully, eagerly, generously, will reap a bounty in their spiritual life and for the good of the church. There is a spiritual economy at work, to which we can only benefit when we contribute generously.

As part of your ordinary time, ordinary spiritual retinue, ensure you’ve factored in these penitential practices prescribed by the Lord for the transformation of your hearts, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the bishops of the Church will act as true prophets through their faithful teaching, their courageous witness, and their self-sacrificing love. We pray to the Lord.

That government leaders around the world may carry out their duties with justice, honesty, and respect for freedom and the dignity of human life.  We pray to the Lord.

For the Church’s missions amongst the poor and unevangelized throughout the world, that the work of Christ may be carried out with truth and love. We pray to the Lord.

For the grace to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, to love our neighbors and enemies and those who persecute us, and to share the truth of the Gospel with all.  We pray to the Lord.

For all those who share in the sufferings of Christ—the sick, the sorrowful, and those who are afflicted or burdened in any way.  We pray to the Lord.

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

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.

11th Week in Ordinary Time 2021 - Tuesday - Love your enemies

 Today we reflect upon one of the Lord’s most difficult teachings. Not only are we to love our neighbor, but our enemies as well: those who persecute you, those who sin against you, those with whom your country is at war, those who cut you off in traffic, those who may have bullied you a half a century ago in grade school, those who misuse their power and authority. Love them.  

Love them, forgive them, be patient with them, feed them, clothe them, teach them, serve them, hold no grudges toward them, visit them, pray for them, seek what is best for them. Love them even when it feels like they are scourging you at a pillar, even when they are forcing you to march to your crucifixion.

Not an easy teaching! We find it hard enough to love someone who is a stranger, who is simply different from us, let alone our enemies. We can think of a million reasons why loving our enemy is a bad idea, but Jesus is saying, “do it!”

Maximus the Confessor expounded upon the “love of one’s enemy” to include those who actively hate you. He said, “Readiness to do good to someone who hates us is a characteristic of perfect love.”  

Many people in our highly-offendable culture walk around ready to attack those who offend them, to verbally assault those who inconvenience them. They are just looking to unveil someone as their enemy so they can pummel them with their pent up frustrations, to make them into a scapegoat for all of their problems. 

Christians, rather than being ready to pounce on our enemies, must be ready to love. If we look into our heart and don’t find that readiness to love, we’re the one’s that need to change. 

May the Lord bring about that change of heart in each of us, to readily love with Christ-like love, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the bishops of the Church will act as true prophets through their faithful teaching, their courageous witness, and their self-sacrificing love. Let us pray to the Lord.

That government leaders around the world may carry out their duties with justice, honesty, and respect for freedom and the dignity of human life.  Let us pray to the Lord.

For the Church’s missions amongst the poor and unevangelized throughout the world, that the work of Christ may be carried out with truth and love. Let us pray to the Lord.

For the grace to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, to love our neighbors and enemies and those who persecute us, and to share the truth of the Gospel with all.  Let us pray to the Lord.

For all those who share in the sufferings of Christ—the sick, the sorrowful, and those who are afflicted or burdened in any way.  Let us pray to the Lord.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for the deceased priests and religious of the diocese of Cleveland, for the poor souls in purgatory, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. Let us pray to the Lord.

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.

11th Week in Ordinary Time 2021 - Monday - Above and Beyond

 Early on in his Sermon on the Mount, the Lord teaches that the righteousness of his disciples must surpass that of the Scribes and Pharisees. This teaching no doubt surprised his listeners, for the scribes and Pharisees were zealous about conformity to the law of Moses.  The very word Pharisee came from the word meaning “to separate”. The Pharisees sought to separate themselves from everything that was sinful. They would even avoid eating with sinners, hence, their consternation when Jesus would dine with tax collectors and prostitutes.  

How could our holiness possibly "surpass" that of the people of Jesus' day who obeyed every letter of the law?  It sounds as if Jesus has just set the highest standards in history.  

The Lord gives a series of examples of how Christians must practice this surpassing holiness. When someone strikes you, turn the other cheek, when someone asks for a tunic, give him your cloak as well, should someone press you into service for one mile, go with him two.

Like the Pharisees and Sadducees, Christians must certainly be zealous about obeying the moral law: avoiding killing, lying, adultery, stealing, and the like. But Christians are to go above and beyond obedience to the 10 commandments. We must surpass the 10 commandments by practicing something the Pharisees and Sadducees did not: true charity. Christians must be zealous about cultivating zealous charity in our personal interactions.

Our charity should surprise the people that ask for our help. Here’s more than what you asked for, because, I truly care. I want to see you flourish. I want you to know the goodness of God. 

When we recognize how immeasurably loved we are by God, this sort of charity becomes easy. So we cultivate this generous self-giving by prayer, reception of the sacraments, and simply, through practice. Practice generosity, over and over, and it will become second nature, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

That the bishops of the Church will act as true prophets through their faithful teaching, their courageous witness, and their self-sacrificing love. We pray to the Lord.

That government leaders around the world may carry out their duties with justice, honesty, and respect for freedom and the dignity of human life.  We pray to the Lord.

For the Church’s missions amongst the poor and unevangelized throughout the world, that the work of Christ may be carried out with truth and love. We pray to the Lord.

For the grace to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, to love our neighbors and enemies and those who persecute us, and to share the truth of the Gospel with all.  We pray to the Lord.

For all those who share in the sufferings of Christ—the sick, the sorrowful, and those who are afflicted or burdened in any way.  We pray to the Lord.

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

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.

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2021 - Parables, Choices, Mustard Seeds

 
One of the hallmarks of the Lord’s preaching and teaching is his use of parables. Through parables, the Lord drew upon images, ideas, and customs from the everyday life of 1st century Israel—like farming and seeds. Utilizing parables allowed the Lord to connect with his listeners, to challenge their preconceptions, and lead them to truth. The Lord’s parables are simple enough for children to understand them, yet profound enough to challenge the greatest of saints up and down the centuries.

And I say the parables are challenging because they demand, in a sense, some personal engagement, a decision, usually to change our thoughts or behaviors. 

In the parable of the good Samaritan, for example, the listener has a choice. Who do I want to be in this story? Who does God want me to be? The self-occupied Levitical priest who passes by on the other side of the road when he glimpses a man in need? Or the good Samaritan who comes to the aid of the stranger? Hearing this parable, you have a choice.

In the parable where Jesus likens the kingdom of God to the pearl of great price, the listener, again has a choice. Will I pursue the kingdom of God, the values of God as the most important thing in my life, or not? Will I allow God to order my priorities, or not?

In one of my favorite parables where Jesus talks about the different types of soil, where the seed of the Gospel is spread over those different types of soil, right?, the listener has a choice. Will I make my mind and heart receptive to the truth of God or not? Will I clear away the thorns of my earthly attractions and distractions or not?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says the “parables are like mirrors for man: will he be hard soil or good earth for the word [of God]? What use has he made of the talents he has received?” 

The parables cause us to look at our life, and to make some decisions, some commitments. Will I allow Jesus’ teaching to change me, or not?

If this is the purpose of the parables, what are the decisions and commitments and personal engagement demanded by the parables in the Gospel passage for this 11th Sunday of Ordinary Time

First, we hear that the kingdom of God is like a seed that seems to grow on its own, the farmer doesn’t know how it grows. And that’s true about the grace of God in our souls. God’s life in our souls, in a sense, isn’t a human achievement, but a divine work. God brings about our growth in holiness, which at times is imperceptible, like a seed growing in the depths of the earth.

On the other hand, the farmer can’t very well neglect the seed, he has to do his part. He has to water it and fertilize it. So, too, we must cooperate with that grace, by doing our part: avoiding sin, engaging in daily prayer, reception of the sacraments, engagement in good works. The first choice demanded by the parables is this: will I do the things that cause the seed to grow, or not?

And yet that part of the parable, where the seed grows on its own, myseriously, must not be discounted as well. The second choice: will we allow God to be God. Will we trust God, when we don’t really see the growth we’re expecting. Will we be patient with God?

In a sense, this parable serves as encouragement for those who think their efforts for the kingdom are fruitless. When we are tempted to think that our prayers aren’t doing any good, we need to trust, that prayer is Good. Your prayers may have helped saved the lives or saved the souls of people you’ll never meet. Don’t worry. Prayer is good. Don’t give up. 

Again the challenge, will I trust God our not. Will I persevere in prayer, and good works, and avoiding sin? Will I trust that All those rosaries. All that time spent on your knees in front of the Blessed Sacrament. All those Masses. All that effort trying to set good example for young people. Will I trust that God is bringing about growth in his kingdom. The simple challenge is: will you give up, or will you trust God?

The second parable in today’s passage is connected to this idea of trust. The kingdom of God is like this mustard seed. The seed begins the smallest of seeds, but once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants. Will I trust that in God’s hands, my small meager effort, can have a real impact in the world.

A mustard seed. This is exactly how the Church started out. A small group of uneducated Galilean fishermen. A traveling group of missionaries like Paul and Timothy. But this is how the Church has grown over the centuries. She started off small, even imperceptible in many places. Now, she has grown and reached nearly every corner of the globe.  

Pope Benedict warned Catholics to resist what he calls “the temptation of impatience”, that is the temptation to insist on “immediately finding great success” in “large numbers”.  “For the Kingdom of God and for evangelization,” he said, “the parable of the grain of mustard seed is always valid.”  This new modern phase of the Church’s evangelization mission to the secular world will not be “immediately attracting the large masses that have distanced themselves from the Church”. The right pastor, the right music ministry, the right marketing campaign, isn’t going to fill these pews.

It’s going to start small before it blossoms again. Small things with great love. Folks, to be honest, that’s why I’m open to trying new things here, like the latin mass. Because more is accomplished with a little risk and trusting in God’s grace, than doing nothing at all.

That’s why it’s so good to see parish groups like Legion of Mary, St. Vincent de Paul, the Garden Club, the Bible Study, doing something. As you might know our Legion of Mary has begun an apostolate of going out to the cemeteries to pray with people who have lost someone. It’s something. This week the Legion is also going to start setting up a table on the sidewalk on Thursday afternoons to pass out Catholic literature and rosaries and just talk with people who may have questions about the Catholic faith. Again, it’s something. It’s a mustard seed. 

So, too with our St. Vincent de Paul. They go out two by two to meet those who are asking our parish for help. Wonderful. 

“Dare, once again” says Pope Benedict, “with the humility of the mustard seed, to leave up to God the when and how it will grow.”

Folks, I am with you, I  want nothing more than to see this parish flourish. And now that COVID is lifting and we are more confident in being out in the world again, we need we need some mustard seeds. We have work to do in planting mustard seeds for the Lord. As pastor, please, if you have a mustard seed idea for the good of our parish and mission, come to me. Let's plant it. 

For in the end, a parish isn't some pious social club. It’s a farm. And farms require hard work and blisters and trust that the rains will fall and the seeds will grow…for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Sacred Heart of Jesus 2021 - The love which surpasses knowledge

 “There is in the Sacred Heart a symbol and a sensible image of the infinite love of Jesus Christ which moves us to love one another.” So wrote, Pope Leo XIII in his 1899 encyclical, Annum Sacrum, in which the Holy Father consecrated the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ. 

Pope Leo seemed to echo an important truth found in our second reading today, from the epistle to the Ephesians. St. Paul speaks of the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge. The love of Christ, in a sense, exceeds the capacity of words to explain. For his love is infinite and our words are finite. So, the image of the Sacred Heart—pierced with the crown of thorns, burning with the fire of divine love—helps us to grasp God’s love for us. The symbol helps us to contemplate a love that is too deep for words

The Greek word Paul uses for love here is “agape”---the love of God which withholds nothing and seeks our highest good. The image of the Sacred Heart is an image of the “agape-love” God has for us. The Lord gave everything, allowing himself to be treated as the lowliest slave, enduring torture and the death of a criminal, to bring about our highest good, our salvation. His love embraces unfathomable suffering and the darkness of death so that sinners may be redeemed.

Light emits from the image of the Sacred Heart because God wants us to know the love that He has for us. 

This day is certainly for reflecting upon, celebrating, and thanking God for his infinite love for us. It is also a day of reparation. A recognition that the stinging thorns embedded in his heart are because of my sins. My actions. My decisions. My failure to love God and love neighbor as a should. As the Lord Himself revealed to St. Margaret Mary, devotees of the sacred heart are to make reparation for the sins which cause His heart “to be wounded by the ingratitude of man.” 

Today is a wonderful day to pray the Litany to the Sacred Heart as we do at our first Friday holy hour every month here at St. Ignatius, for the Lord’s mercy, the mercy of his sacred heart, to cover us, and be more deeply revealed to us, and become more deeply rooted in our own hearts, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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We bring our needs to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Please respond to each of these petitions, “Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have Mercy on us”

That the Church may be continually cleansed and sanctified by the blood and water that gave us new birth.

For all who have fallen away from the Church, for those who lack faith, and in reparation for all ingratitude toward God, for all sin and all blasphemy.

For all those who are sick or burdened in any way, may they come to know and experience the refreshment of Christ’s love. 

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

Grant, Good Jesus, that we may live in you and for you. Protect us in the midst of danger. Comfort us in our afflictions. Give us health of body, assistance in our temporal needs, your blessing on all that we do, and the grace of a holy death. Through Christ Our Lord.

June 9 2021 - St. Ephrem the Syrian - "Blessed are the Pure of Heart"

 

In popular devotion, the deacon St. Ephrem is not as well-known as St. Francis or St. Anthony or St. Patrick, yet Ephrem is a wonderful saint for us.  He was so steeped in God’s word, so in love with God.  Earlier this week, we heard the beatitudes from the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount. Well, St. Ephrem embodied that beatitude “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God”. He was enraptured with God. He composed poetry and hymns to God and to the Blessed Mother. 

His poetry and hymns also served another purpose. He used them to catechize and defend the faith against the false doctrines and heresies rampant in his time, particularly the Arian heresy which denied the full divinity of Jesus.

Love of God impelled him to defend the faith, and lead others sweetly to the faith. When your love for God is great, you want others to know that love.  It is said that St. Ephrem had such an acute vision of the goodness of God and man’s need for God, that he was often “dissolved in tears.”  He is was in this constant state of weeping because of his insight into God’s love for us.  

He is known as St. Ephrem the Deacon because he was ordained a deacon by St. Basil the Great, but never a priest.  In fact, the people wanted him to be a bishop, but he is said to have avoided episcopal consecration by pretending to be insane. Smart man! He died in 373 while caring for those infected by the plague.  

There are many people today who do not know that Jesus is God. They do not know God’s love for them, nor will they acknowledge their need for God. Saints like Ephrem point us to the one true God by the goodness of their life, by their labors, by their concern for souls. They remind us to be wary of the glamours and errors of the world, and call us to that purity of heart in which we contemplate the truth, goodness, and beauty of the one, true, God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

May St. Ephrem help us in remaining free from all that keeps us from contemplating God’s goodness, truth, and beauty this day for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For the whole Christian people, that the beatitudes of Christ may animate our lives. Let us pray to the Lord. 

For our President and all elected government representatives, may the Holy Spirit grant them wisdom and guide them to promote authentic and lasting peace in the world, an end to terrorism, respect for religious freedom, and a greater reverence for the sanctity of Human Life. Let us pray to the Lord.

For our young people beginning summer vacation, that they may be kept close to the truth and heart of Jesus, that young people may live in faith-filled homes where the Gospel is cherished, studied, and lived-out. Let us pray to the lord.

For all of the sick and suffering, for the grace to unite their sufferings with Christ and to know His consolation and peace.

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

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

10th Week of Ordinary Time 2021 - Tuesday - Salt and Light

 We continue today to read sequentially through the Lord’s great sermon on the mount—today’s passage immediately following the Beatitudes. 

Practicing the beatitudes enables disciples of the Lord to be “Salt of the earth” and “light of the world”. Jesus’ disciples aren’t going to be sitting around in contended beatitude while on this earth. We are given work to do, we’re given a new purpose. 

In the ancient world, salt had a number of uses. So, too, Christians are to have a number of jobs.

First salt is used as a seasoning. So, too, Christians are to be a sort of seasoning to an otherwise bland world.  There is nothing more interesting, no one more full of life than a true Christian saint filled with the life of Christ. Something each of us are to aspire to.

Salt is also a Preservative: In the days before refrigeration, salt made preserving food possible for times of famine. Christians will have the job of preserving what is good and holy in creation, opposing spiritual decay. Salt is also needed for life. You cannot survive without some salt. Similarly, Christians need to be salt in this way. The health of a society can be measured by its Christians living faithfully according to the precepts of our faith.

Salt is also a Purifier: The salt in the oceans of the world that act as a natural cleaning agent, and most water purification systems use salt as a "purifier." Christians are to be the world’s purifiers: opposing the corrupting powers of malice and perversion and greed, purifying the mind and heart of society by preaching the word and calling to conversion.

Finally, just like it’s used on our roads, in ancient times salt was also used to prevent people from slipping on slippery paths.  Christians are called to help souls from slipping into damnation—promoting the teachings of Jesus which give stability to civilization.

Christians are also called to be the light of the world, we are to be out in the world, shining with good deeds, so that the nations might trace our good deeds back to our God who inspires them. 

What a wonderful vocation: to be salt and light. But the Lord, in this passage also gives his first warnings. Salt can lose its flavor, light can be hidden under a bushel. Christians must not allow these things to happen. You must chose to be faithful to your vocation every day. Living the beatitudes is a choice, being the salt you are called to be, and the light you are called to be requires an intentional decision: study, prayer, effort, courage, and patience.

May our Christian saltiness, our brightness, and the beatitude of the Lord increase in us today and all days, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For the whole Christian people, that the beatitudes of Christ may animate our lives. Let us pray to the Lord. 

For our President and all elected government representatives, may the Holy Spirit grant them wisdom and guide them to promote authentic and lasting peace in the world, an end to terrorism, respect for religious freedom, and a greater reverence for the sanctity of Human Life. Let us pray to the Lord.

For blessings upon the priests of the diocese who begin new assignments today: may their ministry be blessed with the goodness, truth, and beauty of the Lord. Let us pray to the Lord.

For our young people beginning summer vacation, that they may be kept close to the truth and heart of Jesus, that young people may live in faith-filled homes where the Gospel is cherished, studied, and lived-out. Let us pray to the lord.

For all of the sick and suffering, for the grace to unite their sufferings with Christ and to know His consolation and peace.

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

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

10th Week in Ordinary Time 2021 - Monday - Beatitude in every season

 Over the next three weeks we will read through Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount for our daily Gospel readings, beginning today with the opening verses of Chapter 5 of St. Matthew’s Gospel.  

The beatitudes are read at baptisms, weddings, funerals, and throughout the Church year because they are the attitudes and dispositions we are meant to cultivate throughout every season of life whether we are mourning or rejoicing, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, in youth or old age.

Families often request the beatitudes be read because even in their grief, they recognize that it is good and holy to turn to God in gratitude for the ways in which their loved ones lived out the beatitudes and to pray for the ways their loved ones well short.

Bride and groom often request the beatitudes for their wedding because the beatitudes are the key to a happy, holy marriage. I often say to bride and groom: In the beatitudes, Jesus Himself gives all Christians a blueprint for a life of holiness and faithful discipleship.  Yet, here are also keys to a happy, holy marriage.

Your marriage will be blessed when you are poor in spirit, when you rely on the grace of God and put God first in your marriage at all times.  Your marriage will be blessed when you mourn, when you say you are sorry for moments of selfishness to God and to each other. Your marriage will be blessed when you are meek, when you are gentle instead of being domineering or self-centered. Your marriage will be blessed when you are merciful, when you are quick to grant forgiveness to each other. Your marriage will be blessed when you are clean of heart, when you guard your hearts, minds and marriage from the poisonous attitudes of our selfish culture. Keep your hearts and marriage clean from materialism, envy, entitlement, spiritual laziness. Your marriage will be blessed even when, and maybe especially when, you are persecuted for being a follower of Jesus, when you are faithful to Jesus even when there are consequences—socially, perhaps even financially. 

The beatitudes, however, are not just a list of commandments. They are about transformation. The blessedness of Christ is to transform our minds and hearts and personalities. We are to be meek, as he was meek; we are to be pure, as he was pure; we are to be devoted to doing the will of God as he was devoted.  

It is good to come across the beatitudes in Ordinary Time because they remind us that we must always be about the business of cultivating the blessedness of Christ in the ordinary circumstances of our lives—His blessedness is to transform us and animate us every day, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For the whole Christian people, that the beatitudes of Christ may animate our lives. Let us pray to the Lord. 

For our President and all elected government representatives, may the Holy Spirit grant them wisdom and guide them to promote authentic and lasting peace in the world, an end to terrorism, respect for religious freedom, and a greater reverence for the sanctity of Human Life. Let us pray to the Lord.

For our young people beginning summer vacation, that they may be kept close to the truth and heart of Jesus, that young people may live in faith-filled homes where the Gospel is cherished, studied, and lived-out. Let us pray to the lord.

For all of the sick and suffering, for the grace to unite their sufferings with Christ and to know His consolation and peace.

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

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

The Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus (Corpus Christi) 2021 - Become what you receive, Imitate what you celebrate

 On the Feast of Corpus Christi I always like to reflect upon the great extraordinary miracles which remind us that the Eucharist is more than ordinary bread and wine, it is the real presence of the Body and Blood of Jesus—true God and true man.

There is the famous Eucharistic Miracle which became the impetus for this Feast. The story of the doubting priest, Father Peter of Prague. As he celebrated the Mass, and held aloft the consecrated host, the host began to bleed. After the Pope himself investigated the bleeding host, he inaugurated this feast of Corpus Christi, so that the entire church universal might celebrate with great solemnity, our belief that at holy mass, ordinary bread and ordinary wine is transformed by the power of the holy spirit, into the very body and blood of the Lord Jesus.

I came across another story, which I’d never heard before—a dramatic Eucharistic miracle in the French town of Faverney [fah-vuhr-NAY], in 1608, in the local Benedictine monastery. 

This monastery had a tradition of inviting the townspeople to solemn adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on Pentecost Sunday and the following Monday. That year the Pentecost services were well attended. At nightfall, when the doors to the church were shut, two oil lamps were left burning before the Blessed Sacrament, which was left exposed on the altar in a simple monstrance.

When the sacristan reopened the doors on Monday morning, he found the church filled with smoke, and flames billowing on all sides of the altar. He ran to warn the monks, who rushed to the church to put out the blaze.

While the flames were being extinguished, one of the monks noticed that the monstrance with the Eucharist was hovering in mid-air. The fire had devoured the altar, turning it into a heap of ashes, but the monstrance remained suspended in mid-air. Of course the monks fell to their knees in adoration.

Word quickly spread, and throughout the day villagers, priests, monks from other abbeys, and plenty of skeptics were constantly flowing in and out of the church, gazing at the miracle, which continued throughout the day and Monday night. 

Tuesday morning, Mass was celebrated on a nearby altar, and during the consecration, the congregation saw the monstrance slowly descend to the makeshift altar that had been brought in to replace the one destroyed in the fire.

The suspension of the monstrance had lasted at 33 hours and was confirmed by dozens of witnesses, who later gave official depositions to the bishop.

These dramatic Eucharistic miracles remind us that at every Mass, God causes a miracle to occur— during the words of consecration, the humble, normal substances of bread and wine are changed into Christ's living body and blood. Of course, the physical accidents of bread and wine remain. It looks like bread, smells like bread, tastes like bread. But on the supernatural, substantial level, the Eucharist is Jesus. Which is why following the words of consecration, we all express our wonder, awe, and belief in this miracles when we give our response to the priest's invitation: "The mystery of faith." Our faith is able to fathom a deeper reality than ever our senses can detect. 

The Eucharistic is not just a symbol. We don’t love symbols, we don’t kneel down and adore symbols, we don’t strive to better ourselves for a symbol. But we do kneel down and adore the Eucharist, we treat it with the highest level of reverence we can muster, because the Eucharist is really and truly Jesus Christ, present. He is truly present in the tabernacle. He is made present on the altar through the prayers of the priest. He is truly present as you receive him in Holy Communion. And he makes Himself present that you may love Him, and adore Him, and know Communion with God through Him, and receive the transforming grace you need to be faithful to Him in the concrete circumstances of your life. Helping you, like Him, to become a pleasing sacrifice to God, to be broken and shared for others.

St. Augustine said that when you receive the Eucharist with faith, faith in his real presence, faith with his ability to transform you and sanctify you, you become what you receive. Pope Francis echoed St. Augustine recently when he said the Eucharist allows us to imitate what we celebrate. 

The Eucharist is Jesus. And receiving the Eucharist worthily, with faith, enables us to imitate Jesus in His love—His love of the Father and the Holy Spirit—and His love for humanity. The Eucharist enables us to comfort the afflicted like Jesus, to counsel the doubtful like Jesus, to feed the hungry like Jesus, to teach the ignorant like Jesus, it humbles us to wash the feet of our brethren like Jesus, it gives us strength to bear our crosses like Jesus and rise to eternal life like Jesus. 

Following the 11am Mass we will make procession with the Blessed Sacrament around our property. A Eucharistic procession is an act of imitation. As we make the simple walk, we imitate our Lord who walked from town to town preaching the Gospel throughout Judaea and Galilee, walking the streets of Jerusalem, carrying his cross in the hot sun, parched and bleeding, on his way to offer the ultimate sacrifice on Calvary. 

Our procession is also an act of evangelization—a way of inviting others to Faith. How strange we will likely appear to those who see us processing—carrying enshrined in gold, what looks to the world as a piece of bread. Why do they do this strange thing, they might ask. And that can be the beginning of God’s truth breaking into their lives.

The procession is also a reminder to us. That’s what we’re supposed to do every day. Being visible signs of the goodness of our Eucharistic Lord—spreading his love and the faith He taught for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

June 2021 - First Friday Holy Hour - Proof of God's Mercy

The scripture reading (Heb 9:11-15) I’ve chosen for this evening’s Holy Hour is the passage from the letter to the Hebrews which we will hear on the upcoming Feast of Corpus Christi. 

The reading evokes images of the old covenant rituals: the Levitical priests entering the sanctuary in the Jerusalem temple, sacrificing goats and calves and bulls, pleading to God to forgive the sins of his people.

The passage from Hebrews helps us to realize, that while those old covenant rites foreshadowed the sacrifice of the Christ, the one true lamb, Christ’s sacrifice is a far great reality than those old animal sacrifices. 

In the sacrifice of Christ, it is not the blood of irrational animals offered to God, but the blood of Christ freely poured out in love.  And the effect of the sacrifice of Christ is not mere outward, legal purity, but a cleansing that reaches down to the very depths of our soul.

How do we know that we are truly forgiven of our sins, we need to look no further than the blessed sacrament present on this altar tonight. We kneel tonight before the very body and blood of Christ offered for the forgiveness of our sins. The Eucharist is proof of God’s mercy. How do I know God loves me and forgives me, even of the sins that I’m too blind to realize that I’ve committed, look no farther than here!

We kneel before him tonight, pleading for all those who are still unwashed, those who have not come to believe, those who go through life ignorant of his love, those guilty of sacrilege. We plead that his blood may continue to cover us and our families and our parish. That his blood will banish temptation, and fear and insecurity, anger, moodiness, confusion, depression, tension, disunity, and despair. For the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews (Heb 9:11-15)

Brothers and sisters:

When Christ came as high priest

of the good things that have come to be,

passing through the greater and more perfect tabernacle

not made by hands, that is, not belonging to this creation,

he entered once for all into the sanctuary,

not with the blood of goats and calves

but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.

For if the blood of goats and bulls

and the sprinkling of a heifer's ashes

can sanctify those who are defiled

so that their flesh is cleansed,

how much more will the blood of Christ,

who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God,

cleanse our consciences from dead works

to worship the living God.

For this reason he is mediator of a new covenant:

since a death has taken place for deliverance

from transgressions under the first covenant,

those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.

The word of the Lord

9th Week in Ordinary Time 2021 - Friday - The healing of Tobit's Blindness

 Last week our first readings came from the Book of Sirach; this week they’ve been from the Book of Tobit. But because of all the wonderful feast days of the saints, we haven’t really been reading from Tobit. 

So firstly, who is Tobit anyway? Tobit describes himself in the first chapter of his book as a Jew from northern Israel taken to Nineveh in slavery by the Assyrians. He was a very successful businessman, he was faithful to all his religious duties and generous to the poor, married to a beautiful and pious wife.

One day, through a strange act of providence, he went blind—bird droppings fell into his eyes and blinded him and he developed cataracts. For 4 years, he goes to doctors, and his blindness only gets worse. His life becomes unraveled. His marriage becomes rocky. Tobit becomes so despondent that he wants to die. He reminds us a lot of Job. He seems cursed. His faith was certainly being tested.

And yet, through their sufferings, both Tobit and Job come to a deeper understanding of God. In many of the speeches of Tobit and Job, why find them crying out to God, “Why me?” What did I do wrong to deserve this suffering? I diligently obeyed God’s rules, why is this happening to me? Both Tobit and Job seemed to be operating under this very prevalent idea, that If I obey all God’s rules, He will bless me with earthly prosperity. 

But, both Job and Tobit come to discover that God is worthy of worship and adoration and love not just when things are going well in our lives, but also when things aren’t going well. 

This realization, this deepening of faith in Tobit and Job, is a foreshadowing of the Lord’s teaching in the Gospels on the cross. Jesus promises his disciples a share in the cross. Each of us will bear a cross, many crosses in life—temptations and sufferings and setbacks and losses and bodily ills. 

The Christian disciples is called to a much more radical faith, than of those who only praise God when things go well, or who only worship God in hopes of earthly prosperity. We are to be bearers of the cross, who trust in God’s providence, who worship God even when we are sharing deeply in the sufferings of Christ. 

When he finally comes to trust in God’s providence, Tobit receives a healing from God. His son returns with medicine—his cataracts are able to be removed—reminding us of the scales that fall from the eyes of St. Paul—when he comes to faith in Christ Jesus. 

Deeper faith, deeper trust brought spiritual healing for Tobit, the healing of spiritual blindness. This story helps us to yearn for a healing of all of our spiritual blindnesses which keep us from trusting in God and embracing God’s will for our lives. May we come to see God’s goodness and God’s majesty in the crosses of our lives, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

That all members of the Church will discover and offer their gifts wholeheartedly in service of the Gospel. 

For our young people beginning summer vacation, that they may be kept close to the truth and heart of Jesus, that young people may live in faith-filled homes where the Gospel is cherished, studied, and lived-out.

For all of the sick and suffering, for the grace to unite their sufferings with Christ and to know His consolation and peace.

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

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

June 02 2021 - Sts. Marcellinus and Peter - The powerful witness of the Roman Martyrs

 When I celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation last week, I was so impressed that all four of our confirmandi chose martyrs as their patron saints: Dymphna, Sebastian, Cecilia, and joan of arc are all martyrs. 3 of them are early roman martyrs like the saints we honor today, Saints Marcellinus and Peter.

Marcellinus was a priest, and Peter was an exorcist. For the faith, they were arrested and imprisoned. They were so successful in converting their fellow prisoners, that the Roman authorities didn’t want to risk a public execution, lest their deaths inspire even more conversions. So Marcellinus and Peter were taken to a forest in the middle of the night, forced to dig their own graves, and beheaded. However, one of the soldiers was so moved by their courage, that he converted to Christ, and told the Church where Marcellinus and Peter were buried, so they could be properly venerated.

The emperor Constantine, the first Holy Roman Emperor who ended the persecutions, had a church built over the spot of their martyrdom.  

2000 years later, young people, like our newly confirmed, still look to the martyrs of the early Roman church as inspiration for living out the Christian faith. 

Why? No doubt, their courage in the face of hostility is perennially inspiring. All of us face some sort of adversity, and the martyrs show us what courage looks like, they show us that courage is possible, withstanding adversity, persevering throughout an earthly trial is possible. 

Their love for Jesus Christ and the Church is also contagious. When I think of the martyrs, I think, I want to love Jesus, I want to love the Church, that much. I want to be equipped with those same “weapons of righteousness” as St. Paul calls them. To be able to stand up to kings and judges, and to set good example for those of weaker faith. I want concern for souls and conviction for the truth of the Gospel to be my highest priority. 

I encouraged our young people to learn the stories of their confirmation saints well, to be able to share their stories with others. Because the stories of their witness are so powerful, they are contagious. The martyrs aren’t relics of the past that we’ve failed to discard, the Roman martyrs are ever-ancient, ever-new, just like the Church, just like Christ.  

And following them, they lead us to Christ who is "Rex et caput martyrorum"—the king and head of martyrs. For the martyrs ultimately lead us to love and imitate Him—who testified to the love of the Father, by the embrace of his bloody Passion and death.

May Marcellinus and Peter and all of the martyrs of the Roman Church help us to courageously confess Christ in our own day and place, remaining true to Him in word and deed, loving Him with all of our heart, mind, and strength, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For openness to the Holy Spirits gifts, that we may be always bold and clear in spreading and defending the Gospel.

That the faith of the martyrs may give us courage in times of persecution.

For our young people beginning summer vacation, that they may be kept close to the truth and heart of Jesus.

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, for the deceased priests and religious of the diocese of Cleveland, for the poor souls in purgatory, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

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.

June 01 2021 - St. Justin Martyr - The only true and worthwhile philosophy

 A few decades after the death of the Apostle John, a young philosopher named Justin embarked on a spiritual journey to find truth. One day, he noticed an old man walking at a distance behind him. Wanting to be left alone, he turned and stared with annoyance at the elderly man. However, the old man, who turned out to be a Christian, struck up a conversation and learned that Justin was a philosopher. The old man then began to ask Justin some soul-searching questions, helping Justin to discover the truth of the Christian faith.

As Justin later reminisced, “When the old man had spoken these and many other things, he left, encouraging me to think about what he had said. I’ve never seen him since, but immediately a flame was kindled in my soul. I was overwhelmed by a love for the prophets and the friends of Christ. After pondering over the things the old man had said, I realized that Christianity was the only true and worthwhile philosophy.” Consider that! How an old nameless Christian changed the life of this young philosopher!

St. Justin went on to use his tremendous gifts of intellect and reason to win converts to Christ. He went from town to town giving lectures about the faith to those hungry for the truth of Jesus Christ and debating pagan philosophers.

While in Rome, a pagan philosopher named Crescens became enraged when he could not defeat Justin in debate. So Crescens had Justin arrested for the faith, and when Justin refused to offer pagan sacrifice, he was beheaded.

Several of Justin’s writings survive, including a letter written to the emperor Antoninus, in which Justin seeks to explain Christianity to the emperor. The letter contains some of the earliest descriptions of baptism and the weekly celebration of the eucharist.

Listen to Justin’s teaching on the Eucharist from around the year 150.

“And this food is called among us Eukaristia [the Eucharist], of which no one is allowed to partake but the man who believes that the things which we teach are true, and who has been washed with the washing that is for the remission of sins, and unto regeneration, and who is so living as Christ has enjoined. For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Saviour, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and flesh by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh.”

Through the example and heavenly intercession of Justin Martyr may we be bearers and defenders of the Christian faith to all we meet, witnessing to the saving power of Christ in our words and deeds for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For openness to the Holy Spirits gifts, that we may be always bold and clear in spreading and defending the Gospel.

That the faith of the martyrs may give us courage in times of persecution.

For our young people beginning summer vacation, that they may be kept close to the truth and heart of Jesus.

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, for the deceased priests and religious of the diocese of Cleveland, for the poor souls in purgatory, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

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.