September 29 2021 - Feast of the Archangels - For the defeat of idolatry and plague

 For many centuries, September 29 was exclusively the feast of St. Michael, and so those who the old calendar, call today’s feast “Michaelmas”. Since the reform, today celebrates not just Archangel Michael, but the Archangels Gabriel and Raphael as well. 

Scripture and Tradition are clear about the existence of the angels.  And even Though Scripture mentions the angels over 200 times, only these three are mentioned by name.  

In the book of Daniel, Michael stands guard over the nation of Israel. Michael is also a great defender of God’s Holy Church.

There’s a story that in 590 the Roman populace had begun revering pagan idol in the Church of Santa Agatha and this displeased God that a plague began to run through the city. Hearing of this idolatry the pope lead a procession to the Church and upon arriving, the idol miraculously fell apart with a clap of thunder. Returning to St. Peter’s, the Pope had a vision of an archangel atop the ancient tomb of the Emperor Hadrian, wiping blood from his sword, as if it was through the angel’s intervention that the idol had been destroyed and the plague was at its end.

This story inspired Pope Leo X to commission the large statue of St. Michael which stands atop Hadrian’s Tomb in Rome today, which is also known as Castel San Angelo. 

Idolatry and Plague. I can’t help but think of how just a few months before the COVID outbreak, there were these strange stories of the Pachamama idols being revered in Rome. St. Michael should certainly be invoked in defeating the evil of the COVID pandemic, and also whatever human evils may have contributed to its spread.

Gabriel too, whose name means “God is mighty” and Raphael, whose name means “God’s healing”, should be invoked often. For God allowed us to know the name of these three angels because he wants us to call upon them for help. Each of these three archangels have been given special roles in salvation history and those roles continue. 

The archangels have a special role in the spiritual warfare of the Church, a warfare against the powers and principalities which have made themselves enemies of God and the Church. May the holy archangels watch over and guide us, and help us to be faithful in the great task of laboring for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

That through the intercession of the archangels, God’s holy ministers and God’s holy Church may be protected from the all of the deceptions of the enemy. Let us pray to the Lord. 

That through the intercession of the Archangels, all modern forms of idolatry may be struck down. Let us pray to the Lord. 

That through the intercession of the Archangels, plague and pandemic may be defeated. Let us pray to the Lord.

That through the intercession of the Archangels, may God’s healing remedies be dispensed to all who suffer from loneliness or sickness.  Let us pray to the Lord.

That through the intercession of the Archangels, may God’s strength be with all those who work for the Spread of the Gospel.  Let us pray to the Lord.

That through the intercession of the Archangels, may all Christians may seek that conversion of heart in conforming themselves to the life of Christ. Let us pray to the Lord.

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

Heavenly Father, may our prayers rise like a pleasant fragrance before you and be brought to your altar on high through the hands of your holy angels. Through Christ Our Lord.

26th Week in Ordinary Time 2021 - Tuesday - The turning point

Today’s short Gospel passage is the turning point in the Gospel of Luke, literally. In the first half of Luke's Gospel, the Lord engages in his public ministry throughout Galilee. In today’s passage, Luke tells us that Jesus “resolutely determined” to go to Jerusalem. That’s kind of a watered down translation of the original Greek, which says, Jesus steadfastly fixed his face to Jerusalem. He sets his face, he directs his face, to journey to his suffering and death in Jerusalem.

So for the rest of the Gospel, much of what Jesus says will in be reference the meaning and importance of his Passion and Death.

The next part of the passage is a bit confusing, which says the Samaritans did not welcome him because his face was set to Jerusalem. Remember, Samaritans held that the proper place to worship God was on Mount Gerizim, whereas Jews insisted that it was in the Jerusalem Temple. Thus, for Samaritans, Galilean Jews on the way to Jerusalem, were Israelite heretics. 

James and John wanted to call down fire to punish these Samaritans, but the Lord stops them. The days are coming when God won’t be worshipped only on Mount Zion in the Jerusalem Temple, after all. After the Lord’s Passion and Death and Resurrection, worship of the One True God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, will not be limited to one geographical location. 

In fulfillment of the prophecy in our first reading: men of every nationality, speaking different tongues, will be able to gather in the New Jerusalem, the New Zion, the Church, which will spread to every corner of the world to worship God in spirit and in truth.

We don’t have to go to Jerusalem to meet God. Catholics know that we are able to fix our faces resolutely toward God whenever and wherever we celebrate the Eucharist, when the Eucharist is lifted up, when it is exposed in the monstrance, in the moment we receive the Eucharist in Holy Communion.

Every Catholic is to steadfastly fix their faith in the direction of the Eucharist, at least every Sunday. For the Eucharist is meant to be the turning point in our lives, each week: turning to the Lord for strength and peace and mercy. For the Lord gives us the Eucharist as the memorial of his suffering and death, that we may be faithful in carrying our crosses, pouring out our lives in service to God with that same love and self-donation as He, that the same determined resolution to do the will of the Father will fill our hearts for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the members of the Church may seek every deeper union with the Lord and surrender to the Divine Will through humble prayer and works of charity. Let us pray to the Lord.

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

During this month of September, dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, we pray for all those who grieve, and that we may grieve sufficiently for our sins.

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, and for deceased Bishop Anthony Michael Pilla, who will be buried today. 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.

September 27 2021 - St. Vincent de Paul - Care for the Physically and Spiritually Poor

 Born in 1582, St. Vincent was the son of a poor, but pious farmer in southwestern France. Vincent displayed great intellectual gifts from a young age, and even though it meant a great sacrifice for his family, his father payed for his education. Vincent proved to be a genius and mastered his philosophical and theological training, and was ordained a priest at the incredibly young ago of 20. 

As a charming young priest, Vincent made many wealthy friends; he became chaplain to a queen and moved through the comfortable and luxurious aristocratic spheres of society. His life took a dramatic turn, when travelling home from Marseilles to collect a substantial donation, he was captured by Turkish pirates and sold into slavery by Muslim slavers. He escaped prison after two years, with his slave master, who eventually converted to Catholicism.

Returning to Paris, everywhere he looked he saw the hungry, the homeless, war refugees, neglected elderly and orphans, and devoted himself to their care. He also had special care for the spiritually abandoned. He observed that many people didn’t know how to make a good confession. So, he preached a parish mission on the topic that was so spiritually moving, stirring so many people to repentance, that Jesuits from a nearby town had to help with all the confessions.

For Vincent, care for the poor and a vibrant spiritual life went hand in hand. His spirituality and devotion to the poor, attracted many young men and priests, and so he formed a new religious order called the Congregation of the Mission. Members patterned themselves upon Christ, took the Gospel to the rural poor, and helped educated priests in their practical duties. 

A wealthy friend helped Vincent form the Vincentians—a congregation of priests who took vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience and devoted themselves to work among the poor. Over time, Vincent established many confraternities of charity for the spiritual and physical relief of the poor and sick.  Out of these groups grew the Vincentian nuns or Daughters of Charity who have served in our own diocese since 1865.  

He also invited the wealthy women of Paris to fund his missionary projects.  He founded several hospitals, collected relief funds for victims of war, and even ransomed slaves from North Africa. 

He gave retreats to his fellow priests to help combat the spirit of worldliness which had made some of them lax in their spiritual lives. Many of them were inadequately trained, especially for hearing confessions. Priests can be needy too! So He and His Congregation helped to offer special training to make them better confessors.

Pope Leo XIII named him patron of all charitable societies.  This includes of course, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul founded in 1833, almost 200 years after his death, which was founded by his admirer and devotee, Frederic Ozanam. St. Vincent’s bones and heart are perfectly incorrupt, and can be visited in the Church of St. Vincent de Paul in Paris.

His apostolate can be summarized in his saying: “It is not sufficient for me to love God if I do not love my neighbor…I belong to God and to the poor.”    

Like St. Vincent, may we respond generously to those in physical and spiritual need for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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

For the members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul as they celebrate the feast of their patron this week, for increased membership among their ranks and many blessings upon their charitable works. 

That young people will be blessed with good Christian example from their parents and fellow Christians, and that the word of God might be cherished, studied, and practiced in every Christian home.

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

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, for the repose of Bishop Anthony Pilla, who will be buried tomorrow, 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

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2021 - Holy Works In His Name

Remember a few weeks ago in the Gospel when Peter attempts to correct Jesus on the road to Caesarea Philippi? Peter had rightly professed that Jesus is the Christ, but then Peter objects when the Lord explains that he must go to the cross to suffer and die? Peter didn’t get it, he didn't get the cross, so the Lord corrects him, and thereby gives a lesson to all of us. 

Today, we heard a similar dynamic play out between one of the apostles and our Lord. This time it’s the Apostle John who seems to be missing something. He begins to grumble and complain that someone outside of the band of apostles was casting out demons. “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.”

John’s protest echoes the objection of Joshua in our first reading, that Eldad and Medad were prophesying, although they had not been with the other seventy elders gathered by Moses. 

Moses replies much like the Lord,  manifesting the wish that everyone enjoy the gifts of the Spirit. 

Likewise, when the apostle John complains about this exorcist, casting out demons in Jesus’ name, the Lord corrects John, saying, don’t stop him. He’s doing good works in my name.  Not just apostles are called to do the work of Jesus, but all Christians.

The Lord goes on to explain that good deeds done in his name are holy, no mattering who does them. There is no holy work, including the giving of a glass of water, that passes unnoticed by God when done in generosity and without selfish calculation. Every act of forgiveness, every donation to a Christian cause, every penny put in the collection basket, every piece of clothing given to the poor, every kind letter or visit paid to someone who was sick, in prison, or alone, every prayer offered up for those in need, every word of comfort, instruction, and guidance, every single action that we perform in our Christian efforts to love God and neighbor is noticed, remembered, and delighted in by our Lord Jesus Christ.

The work of the Church isn’t exclusive to the work of the Apostles, the bishops. Every Christian is given a share in the mission, and is called to works of charity. Remember, we heard, last week, that those who claim to have faith, but do not perform works, their faith is dead. 

On Monday, the Church celebrates a saint who took this call to holy works very seriously, the great St. Vincent de Paul, who labored in the streets of Paris, ministering to the hungry and homeless, war refugees, the neglected elderly, and orphans. He saw there was a problem, and knew that he couldn’t wait for someone else to do the work.  So he established houses for the poor, crippled and sick, personally caring for the patients who had the most contagious diseases. He would dress their wounds and nurse them to health. And this dear holy priest has inspired generations of Catholics—clergy and laity alike, to labor for the poor.

After Communion today, a member of our parish chapter of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul will share a bit more about what they’ve been doing in the name of Christ in our parish and neighborhood.

After explaining how the mission of the Gospel is so much bigger than just the Twelve Apostles, the Lord gave one of us sternest, strongest condemnations in the entire New Testament. He talks about scandal. Those who cause little ones to sin, should have a millstone tied around their necks and thrown into the sea. It would be better to have your hand cut off, then experience the punishment of those who lead people, especially little ones, the impressionable, away from following Jesus Christ.

St. John was almost guilty of scandal. He was about to stop this devout exorcist from casting out demons because he wasn’t one of the Twelve. This is the definition of scandal, when someone in authority, like an apostle, a bishop, a priest, a parent, a catechist, or even just a fellow Christian hinders the holy works and inspirations of others.

Again, this is a lot like when the Lord called Peter Satan. When Peter said, you mustn’t allow yourself to suffer, it was akin to Satan opposing the holy will of God to save us from hell. And so the Lord rebukes Peter, he rebukes Satan for opposing the salvific plan of God.

So, too, here with St. John. When John wants to stop this exorcist from engaging in good, holy, work, inspired by Christ’s Gospel, he is setting himself at odds with God. Which is why the Lord explains that fiery Gehenna is reserved for those who oppose holy charity. 

I love the tension in this Gospel. On one hand, we need to be extremely generous and patient with fellow Christians, encouraging them in holy work, even when they might be a bit different from us. On the other hand, the individual Christian needs to go to extreme lengths to not cause scandal, to not lead others away from Christ by our own words and actions.

On one hand, be deeply, profoundly patient with others, and focus on the good that they are doing, on the other hand, be deeply, and profoundly vigilant about not scandalizing people by setting bad example or teaching error, especially to children. For we will be held accountable for this. 

And the best way to avoid scandal is to be diligent about the works of charity, just like St. Vincent de Paul, and so many holy saints, up and down the centuries. 

Like Peter, St. John finally got the lesson which had eluded him during the Lord’s earthly ministry. As an old man, you know, St. John had been exiled to the island of Patmos. And every Sunday, the Christians of patmos would go up the mountain, and carry old St. John to Church, where he would celebrate the Eucharist and preach to Christians there. And it is said that every Sunday, St. John would give them same homily, “my little children, God loves you, now love God and love one another.” Sunday after Sunday. When someone finally asked him, St. John, why do you give the same homily over and over, St. John replied, I repeat it over and over because the master repeated it over and over, god loves you, now love God and love one another, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

25th Week in Ordinary Time 2021 - Friday - Praying in solitude

 

Two weeks ago Sunday, we heard St. Mark’s version of today’s Gospel. The first major difference in the two versions of the story, is that in Mark, Jesus’ questioning of his disciples about his identity occurs in the context of setting out for Caesarea Philippi--they are walking--they are on the move. In Luke’s Gospel, it occurs after the Lord had been praying in solitude. This is one of the hallmarks of the Gospel of St. Luke. The Lord is constantly engaging in prayer, often in solitude.

He prays immediately prior to his baptism. He prays prior to healing the paralyzed man. He prays before teaching his disciples the Our Father. And of course he goes off to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. And in today’s passage he prays before explaining that he is the Son of Man who must suffer and die.

Prayer, prayer in solitude, proceeds these profound moments in his ministry, moments in which something is revealed about Him. It’s as if he spends time drawing near to his Father, before he reveals something to us about his relationship with His Father. Kind of a beautiful feature of the Gospel of Luke, wouldn’t you say? 

St. Luke’s inclusion of this detail about prayer reminds us of the importance of prayer, of prayer in solitude. Yes, as Catholics we are constantly gathering together for prayer. Communal prayer is an essential dimension of our faith life. Our Lord of course gathers with others for prayer, even ritual prayer, like he does at the Last Supper.

But prayer in solitude is also an essential dimension of the Christian life. Prayer is necessary so we can draw great strength from our Baptismal identity. Prayer is necessary so we can receiving healing of those areas of our life in which we are paralyzed, and also so that we can bring healing to others. Prayer is needed so that we can grow in Trust that Our Father gives us our daily bread and seeks to deliver us from the Evil One. And prayer is necessary to help us carry our crosses, when it feels like our humanity trying to escape the difficult tasks God asks of us.

Prayer in solitude, where the heart truly reaches out to God, and the heart listens to God, is necessary every day. Following our Lord’s example, may prayer mark our days, and give us strength, understanding, and a deep and abiding knowledge of God’s love for us, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the members of the Church may seek every deeper union with the Lord and surrender to the Divine Will through humble prayer. Let us pray to the Lord.

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

During this month of September, dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, we pray for all those who grieve, and that we may grieve sufficiently for our sins.

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

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.

September 21 2021 - St. Matthew - I desire mercy, not sacrifice

 

When the Pharisees ask his disciples why the Lord eats with tax collectors and sinners, Jesus tells the Pharisees to go and learn the meaning of the passage, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” Let’s dwell on that. 

What’s so special about that line from the prophet Hosea? How does it explain the Lord’s behavior?

Hosea had been sent as God’s prophet to the Northern Kingdom during its final days. Although the North was experiencing economic prosperity and growth, on the inside it had grown corrupt, morally decrepit, and adulterous. The problem wasn’t just leadership, either.  As a people, the Israelites had also broken their covenant with God. Not only had they given themselves over to idolatry, Hosea writes that they had also “plowed wickedness,” “reaped injustice,” “eaten the fruit of lies,” and trusted in their own ways (Hosea 10:13). They had turned to other gods for answers (Hosea 4:12) and other nations for assistance instead of God (Hosea 7:11). 

Yet, they continued to offer sacrifice to God in the Temple. It was like they wanted it both ways. They thought they could maintain right relationship with God through the offering of Temple Sacrifices while also maintaining a corrupt, idolatrous, adulterous lifestyle. 

“I desire mercy, not sacrifice” is a call to interior conversion, and that is being offered to all people. Jesus is eating with tax collectors and sinners because he is drawing near to all people, announcing that God’s mercy is readily available to them, if they turn away from their sins, and endeavor to love God with their whole heart, mind, soul, and strength, through Him. 

“I desire mercy, not sacrifice”, I’ve come for those who recognize themselves as sinners in need of mercy, in need of forgiveness, in need of transformation, not those who think themselves perfect, or who can make themselves perfect through simple human efforts.

Man cannot be in right relationship with God just because he offers the right sacrifices on the right days of the year. His life, his attitude toward his neighbor, including his fellow sinners, needs to be animated by true, authentic, love. Most of the pharisees reject the Lord’s teaching here, refusing to understand and heed his words, and they will remain “white-washed tombs” as the Lord calls them.

But Matthew, the tax collector, whose feast we celebrate today, heads the Lord’s call, his invitation to new life, to mercy. May we do the same, for the glory of God and salvation of souls. 

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That the members of the Church may seek every deeper union with the Lord through humble repentance of sin. Let us pray to the Lord.

For all those trapped in cycles of sin or addiction, that they may heed the Lord’s invitation to forgiveness and freedom.

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

During this month of September, dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, we pray for all those who grieve, and that we may grieve sufficiently for our sins.

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

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.

September 20 2021 - St. Andrew Kim and Companion martyrs - Do not hide your light

 In his parable of the Sower, the Lord explains how his disciples are called to hear the word of God with openness to its transformative power. Unlike the seed that is sown among thorns, where it is choked, or among rocky soil, where it fails to take root, we need allow the word of God to take root and grow and bear fruit in our lives.

Today’s Gospel immediately follows the Lord’s Parable of the Sower, and in this parable the Lord takes his teaching one step further.

Not only do we need to clear the debris, the thorns from our life, so that the word of God may grow, not only do we clear our souls of rockiness, that is hardness and resistance to his teaching, not only do we need to make sure that our hearing of the word of God is much more than surface level, in today’s Gospel, the Lord gives us this image of a lamp, a light. When we have properly heard the Word of God and taken it to heart, our lives begin to be filled with light. Where there was once darkness there is now light, like in the creation story, when God says, let there be light, when we’ve allowed the Lord’s teachings to be planted in us, new light is born.

The person when hearing God’s word, embraces and understands it, they are filled with a light that others can see. You can see the difference the Gospel makes in the lives of people who are living it. And you can see the lack of light when people are not. 

“No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand.” Those who have been filled with the light of the Gospel, need to make that light known. 

Today we honor a saint who did just that. St. Andrew Kim, the first native-born Korean priest, risked his life smuggling missionaries into Korea, so that his native countrymen might have the Word of God preached to them. For this he was arrested, tortured and killed.

St. Andrew truly shared the light that he had received. In fact, he realized that this is the most important thing a Christian can do. It is worth risking your life for, it is worth dying for. Because the Gospel sets men free. It brings them to Christ the Savior. The preaching of the Gospel is a matter of eternal life and death. Souls are at stake.

St. Andrew believed this, he lived this. 

This is why we continue to support the mission of the Church as best we can, and its why we continue to open our hearts to the transformative power of the Gospel, that we may shine with the light of Christ, and share that light with all, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For all Christians facing persecution for the faith, that their sufferings may bring about the conversion of hardened souls to Christ.

For the good Korean Catholics of our diocese, that they may continue to be a blessing to our local Church.

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.

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2021 - Be obnoxious to the wicked

One of the books of the Old Testament that is perennially useful to meditate upon is the book of wisdom, from which our first reading is taken this weekend. Scripture Scholars tell us that the Book of Wisdom, also know as the Wisdom of Solomon, was written in Alexandria Egypt, making it different from the other books of the old testament, not only for where it was written, but because of the fact it was written in Greek, rather than in Hebrew. 

And the book wasn't in fact written by Solomon, rather it was the very last book of the Old Testament to be written, composed just about 50 years before the birth of Jesus. The book was written primarily to the Jews of the Diaspora. The Greek General Ptolomy after conquering the Holy Land, sent nearly 120,000 Jews into exile, mostly to Egypt. And so, this book, the book of wisdom, was written to them, to the Jews exiled from the Holy Land—to give them the religious guidance, the wisdom, they would need in order to be on guard against the temptations they might experience in the Egyptian culture—with its many forms idolatry. 

Sadly, the book is written, also, in response to a number of Jewish exiles who had apostatized—they had given up their Jewish faith in favor of the pagan practices of the Greeks who dominated Alexandria. So, the faithful Jews would not only have to be on guard against the pressures from the surrounding pagan culture, but they’d have to withstand pressure from their own kind, their own people who forsaken the faith. 

In the passage today, we hear of the wicked conspiring against the faithful—the wicked, being those former Jews who had turned their hearts from the covenant. “Let us beset the just one,” the wicked say, “because he is obnoxious to us; he sets himself against our doings, reproaches us for transgressions of the law and charges us with violations of our training.” 

The wicked apostates are depicted as conspiring against the holy ones, because the holy ones remind them of what they left behind when they abandoned their faith. The righteous ones were making the wicked nervous because by their good deeds they showed that the way of the wicked leads to doom. 

One of the prevailing philosophies of the Greeks, one of the prevailing philosophies of Alexandria at the time was the philosophy of Hedonism. Eat drink and be merry, over-indulgence, avoid any suffering, sexual promiscuity and libertinism. The wicked had traded the beautiful covenant with God for deviant Hedonism.

We live in a very Hedonistic culture don’t we? Instant gratification and instant pleasure are idolized, promiscuity is normalized.  The Church is often attacked because she reminds our hedonistic culture that there is more to life than just seeking pleasure all the time. Christians are seen as obnoxious to the wicked, for we engage in many practices that Hedonists consider foolish: prayer, fasting, almsgiving, chastity, poverty, obedience, self-sacrifice, study, going out into the streets and serving the poor, patiently enduring suffering for the good of souls.

In a way, I think, the Word of God is giving us our marching orders this morning.  Be obnoxious to the wicked.  Be so holy, take your faith so seriously, engage in the works of mercy so devoutly, that you make the wicked a little nervous.  It might just cause him to rethink his life.

the wicked are ignoring us, because they don’t us as a threat to their hedonistic ways, are we really living the faith? If we are blending in with the wicked, valuing the same things they do, then are we really on the path of life?

In the Gospel, the Lord foretells his suffering and death.  Why did the Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day plot against him to torture and kill him? He had become obnoxious to them.  He told them that to inherit the kingdom of God, you had to repent, you had to not only be externally observant of God’s laws, you had to transform your heart. 

Mercy is to be extended not only to those who can repay you, but even to those who persecute you, you have to treat as family even those who are of different ethnicities than you, you have to go and touch the leper and wash him clean. Obnoxious behavior for the pious Jewish Pharisee of the 1st century.

Taking a child, and placing it in their midst, and saying, you need to become like, was obnoxious behavior to the great scholars of the law. To the Pharisee, a child is so insignificant, they have nothing to hold over anybody, no power, and Jesus is saying, yes, exactly. How obnoxious. To welcome women into his band of disciples, to eat with tax collectors and prostitutes, to lay hands on lepers, all obnoxious behavior, all to show that God’s love extends to all.

After communion today, we’ll hear from Margaret McIntyre a volunteer with the Franciscan capuchins and the Catholic Volunteer network. The founder of the Franciscans, St. Francis, had a wonderful title, “God’s fool. He was foolish for Christ, he was obnoxious for Christ, he was obnoxious to the worldly and woke them up from their selfishness through a life of preaching, poverty, and penance.

To become a saint, we must be willing to be obnoxious in our faith, obnoxious to the wicked. That would be my dismissal from mass today if we could change the words of the mass: go forth and be obnoxious to the wicked, thanks be to God, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

September 17 2021 - St. Robert Bellarmine - Sound Words and Religious Teaching

In today's first reading, we hear about how it is important that people are taught correctly regarding religion.  When I was a seminarian, a few years before ordination, the seminaries of the U.S. had a week-long apostolic visit from a team of bishops, priests, religious sisters and lay people, appointed by the Vatican. The team had been tasked by the Pope to investigate and ensure that we as seminarians were being properly taught and formed in our role as future priests, that our theology and moral ethics truly reflected what our Church teaches.  

Even in Cleveland, there were some changed that were made in response to that investigation in our seminary and in the seminaries throughout our country. For, there’s always a danger that secular attitudes toward morality might seep into the seminaries. So the Church certainly has a serious duty to train the teachers well, lest they teach what is false and malform the people. Malformed priests put souls at risk. Malformed pastors can malform their parishes.

In the first reading, St. Paul explains outlines this task to teach right doctrine to Timothy, the new Bishop of Ephesus. “Teach and urge these things. Whoever teaches something different and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the religious teaching is conceited, understanding nothing”. This is a perennial duty of Bishops to ensure that right teaching, right religion is being taught in their diocese. 

This task is always difficult, there are always worldly pressures, especially when the culture, the secular world is going in a very different direction than the Church, as it is today. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul urges Bishop Timothy, make sure you are teaching the truth and preaching the Gospel in season and out of season, when the culture is lenient and when the culture is hostile.

Today’s saint, St. Robert Bellarmine was one of the great teachers of his age. He was a lecturer at the Gregorian University in Rome, and became will known for tackling the controversial issues of his day. His lectures can be read in a three-volume work called the Disputations on the Controversies.  

God gave Robert Bellarmine, doctor of the Church, wisdom and goodness to defend the faith--to vindicate the faith, as the collect said--and to help others understand it.  St. Bellarmine wrote: “if you are wise, then know that you have been created for the glory of God and for your eternal salvation.  This is your goal; this is the center of your life; this is the treasure of your heart.  If you reach this goal, you will find happiness.  If you fail to reach it, you will find misery.”

This is why right teaching is so important: Truth needs to be taught clearly that we may conform our minds and hearts and lives to God. For only “the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the religious teaching” can lead us to the happiness for which we were created, and enable us to strive and to live for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the Pope, Bishops, and Clergy may be well-formed in sound doctrine and teach that doctrine with clarity and courage.

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

During this month of September, dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, we pray for all those who grieve, and that we may grieve sufficiently for our sins.

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.

September 15 2021 - Our Lady of Sorrows - Who, that sorrow contemplating...

 Our Lady of Sorrows in the title of Our Lady under which our parish Legion of Mary is particularly dedicated. So Happy Feast to our Legionaries. It is somewhat strange to wish someone a happy feast, on a day when we are contemplating the tears and sorrows of Our Mother, but there is some happiness knowing that we honor her in a way that God wishes us to honor her.

Members of the Legion and all of us have a special duty to pray for the grieving and to go to their side: to go the grieving, to the bedsides of the dying, to attend wakes and funerals with those who grieve their deceased relatives and friends. And also the special duty to pray for those who do not grieve their sins—and to go to their side—to approach families members and members of our parish who have stopped going to Church, who do not go to the Sacrament of Confession, to invite them home.

Today’s Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows logically follows the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross.  Yesterday, we recalled the suffering of Christ on the Cross, the Passion he suffered for our salvation.  Today we recall how Mary stood close to the cross and shared his suffering and participated in our redemption.

Today’s Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows logically follows the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross.  Yesterday, we recalled the suffering of Christ on the Cross, the Passion he suffered for our salvation.  Today we recall how Mary stood close to the cross and shared his suffering. Stabat Mater Dolorosa we sing during the stations of the cross, or in English: At the cross her station keeping,  Mary stood in sorrow weeping When her Son was crucified.

This Church rightly reflects upon our Lady’s suffering as she witnesses her Son’s Passion and death. The grief of any mother watching their child suffer is truly terrible.  Yet, she with perfect love must have suffered all the more.  The Church Fathers teach in fact, that Mary’s sufferings were so great that all the suffering of all the martyrs together do not compare to her suffering with Christ.  

Who, that sorrow contemplating,
On that passion meditating,
Would not share the Virgin's grief?

We are to contemplate her sorrows, her sufferings in union with her Son. Why? Because it wakes up our hearts to the yes, the sufferings of Christ, the sufferings of Our Lady, but the suffering of others in general. Having contemplated her sorrow, her tears, makes us more attentive to the sorrow and tears of our neighbor. It opens up a path to reaching out to them in compassion. Her tears are a road to charity. 

Pope St. John Paul II wrote: “Turn your eyes incessantly to the Blessed Virgin; she, who is the Mother of Sorrows and also the Mother of Consolation, can understand you completely and help you. Looking to her, praying to her, you will obtain that your tedium will become serenity, your anguish change into hope, and your grief into love.”

During the remainder of the day, let us reflect upon the sufferings of the Mother of God. May the tears of Mary give us more compassionate hearts, and keep us faithful to her Son, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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The petitions I will use today are inspired by the Seven Sorrows of Mary Devotion. 

For the Church in every place; that, by calling to mind the sorrow of the Blessed Virgin Mary upon hearing the prophecy of Simeon, she may offer comfort to all who advance in this life along a path of obscurity and suffering. 

For the leaders of nations; that, by remembering the sorrow of the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt,they may be moved to care for refugees and for all who are obliged to flee from war and persecution. 

For parents anguishing over their children; that, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of Saint Joseph who were anguished by the disappearance of Jesus for three days, they may put their all their confidence in the Father. 

For all who bear the cross of suffering; that, like Jesus bearing His cross, they may encounter the Mother of Sorrows on the way, and be sustained by her compassion.

For widows mourning the death of a beloved spouse; that, by turning to Our Lady, the Virgin Widow of Saint Joseph, they may be comforted in their solitude and inspired to go forward with courage and trust in God.

For all priests; that in the daily offering of the Holy Sacrifice, they may discover the nearness of the Mother of Sorrows and, like Saint John, take her into their homes.

For ourselves; that, by remembering the sorrow of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the entombment of her Son, we may be strengthened in hope and learn from her to wait in silence for the light of the resurrection, and for N. for whom this mass is offered. 

May we be aided at your Mercy Seat, Lord Jesus Christ, now and at the hour of our death, by the pleading of the Blessed Virgin Mary, your Mother, whose most holy soul was pierced, in the hour of your sufferings, by a sword of sorrow. Who live and reign forever and ever.

September 14 2021 - Exaltation of the Holy Cross - Crux Spes Unica (The Cross is our only hope)

This last Sunday, Our Lord told us that we must take up our crosses. Today, on this feast of the exaltation we hear that we are not only to take up our crosses, but lift up the cross of Christ to be a source of healing for the world. We hear twice in our readings about lifting something up. 

In the first reading, from the book of Numbers, we hear how the people of Ancient Israel had become afflicted with this terrible and deadly venom, bitten by snakes on their journey through the desert. God delivered them, he saved them, by giving them a powerful remedy. Moses was instructed to mount and lift up this serpent mounted on a pole, and all who looked upon it were saved.

In the Gospel, the Lord explains how his very public death on the cross was to be a source of healing, not just for a small group of people at one point in history, but a source of healing for all the world throughout all of history. 

Paul says, “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Christians are tasked with lifting high this cross, to help the perishing believe in its power, to wake them out of their slumber to help them know the healing, the salvation that comes through the cross.

Paul wrote those words to the fractured community of Corinth. Many of the Corinthian Christians had turned away from the cross, they had fallen back into the immorality and perversions of the world—their souls were at risk. So Paul encouraged the Corinthians to look to the cross as a sign of healing for the divided community, a way out of their divisive sinfulness. The cross would unite them, the cross would heal them of the snake venom of sinfulness. 

The cross is the call to conversion because it is a sign of God’s great love for us, that he desires so much more for us than the sinfulness we have so often freely chosen. He desires our wholeness, our holiness, our salvation, so much that he is willingness to go to the cross for us. 

There are so many divisions in the 21st century Church it’s almost like we’re one gigantic Corinth. Yes, many gifts, many graces, but also many divisions, many sins. The early Church had a saying, Crux spes unica—the cross is our only hope. 

Many times throughout the day, we do well to spend a few moments looking to the cross, pleading to the crucified one, to bring us healing, bring us wholeness, bring us unity, that we may lift high the cross in our own lives for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the Church may lift high the Cross of Christ, proclaiming forgiveness and redemption in him alone, we pray to the Lord...

That world leaders may look upon the Son of God, believe in him, and take hold of the peace and justice that only he can bring, we pray to the Lord...

That all whose lives are marked by suffering may discover the saving power of the cross of Christ, and be victorious in all their trials, we pray to the Lord...

That those who embrace the cross as they work for justice for the poor, the oppressed, and the unborn, may find strength and success in their work, we pray to the Lord…

That the sick may be blessed with patience during the difficult parts of their journey in life, we pray to the Lord...

That all who have died may experience the eternal life won by the cross of Christ, especially the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for my dear friend Father Robert Wendelken on the anniversary of his death, and for N. for whom this Mass is offered, we pray to the Lord...

Almighty ever-living God, comfort of mourners, strength of all who toil, may the prayers of those who cry out in any tribulation come before you, that all may rejoice, because in their hour of need your mercy was at hand. Through Christ our Lord. (From Good Friday Petitions)

September 13 2021 - St. John Chrysostom - Eloquence, Truth, Patience

While studying civil law, today’s saint detected God calling him to something more. He initially entered monastic life, but discerning it wasn’t quite his calling, John was ordained a deacon and then a priest for the Church of Antioch where he had been born—our Antioch, where St. Ignatius had been bishop about 200 years prior. He's even sometimes called St. John Chrysostom of Antioch.

And it was soon discovered that the young priest was quite gifted in preaching. So his bishop asked John to dedicate himself to preaching throughout the diocese.  For the next twelve years St. John preached and taught on virtually every book on the bible. This is why he has been granted the title Chrysostom, meaning “golden tongued”. One writer puts it, “The pulpit was his throne, and he adorned it as much as any preacher of ancient or modern times.”

His reputation as a preacher and teacher led, against his will, to his election as bishop of Constantinople, the seat of the empire, which was really, at the time, a moral cesspool.  So St. John began to preach once again, calling the people to reform their lives.  Much of this call for moral reform was directed at the imperial court, and this drew the scorn of the empress who was leading a very depraved life and setting a terrible example to the people.  Once, when he preached on the story of Jezebel, the empress took it as a personal insult. So, she began to conspire against John.  She found an ally in the patriarch of Alexandria who was also threatened by John, and had John deposed on trumped up charges and forced into exile.  

The people, however, loved John and so he was brought back to Constantinople.  And he didn’t back off.  He continued to preach the truth, to condemn moral depravity and the vanities of the aristocracy and the imperial court.  The powers-that-be were not pleased and sent the bishop again into exile, into such harsh conditions that he would not return. The old exiled bishop died on September 14, 407

In an age of moral relativism, when even many Christians turn away from authentic doctrine and sound moral teaching, each of us has the duty to remaining faithful to the truth of Christ despite pressures from the world and the worldly. Faithful Christians are labeled as “intolerant” by those who reject Church teaching. Priests and bishops are under great pressure to compromise, to deviate from the truth. 

Like today’s saint, we do well to be steeped in the Scriptures, to know them well, to be patient with those who reject them, that when we are called to explain our faith, we are able to do so competently and clearly, that Christ may be on our tongues, on our lips, and in our hearts, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the bishops and priests may be men of sound doctrine, and courageously preach the Gospel in its fullness. 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 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, especially those effected by hurricanes and storms.  We pray to the Lord.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for the deceased clergy 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.

16th Sunday after Pentecost (EF) 2021 - Eucharist is Medicine for the Weak

 All four Gospels contain accounts of the Lord eating and dining. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record the Lord’s supper in the house of the tax collector Levi. St. John is the only to record the Lord’s attendance at the wedding feast at Cana. All four record the last supper.

St. Luke is the only evangelist to record the meal in today’s Gospel passage for this 16th Sunday after Pentecost. This particular meal is the third time in Luke’s Gospel the Lord had dined with Pharisees. The first time he pardoned the servant woman condemned by the Pharisees for washing the Lord’s feet. The second time the Pharisees condemn him for not washing his own hands as was the custom. And this third time he dines in what we’re told is the house of a leading Pharisee. He is condemned again, this time for healing on the Sabbath. 

This is the fifth time in Luke’s Gospel the Lord has healed on the sabbath. So it’s not a total surprise when he is condemned for this behavior. But it is the first time where he combines sabbath healing and a meal. Healing and food, the Lord’s two favorite things in Luke’s Gospel. 

I don’t know about you, but this certainly makes me think of what we’re doing right now. In the celebration of Mass, the Lord feeds us and there is a healing that occurs here. Those who suffer from the woundedness of sin, receive healing in the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. Holy Father Pope Francis, said a few years ago, that the Eucharist is “powerful medicine for the weak”, echoing a sentiment found throughout the church fathers, notably, St. Ignatius of Antioch, who called the Eucharist the “medicine of immortality…and the antidote  which  wards  off  death” and “yields continuous life  in union with Jesus Christ  ” in his letter to the Christians of Ephesus. 

 Each one of us are in need of the medicine of the Eucharist. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood will live forever. We all need the Eucharist for the eternal life the Lord desires for us. But also as a remedy for the vices and sins which would keep us from blessedness. When we receive the Eucharist in a state of grace, we receive tremendous strength for resisting temptation.

But it is important for us to come to the table, so to speak, desiring that healing, humbly acknowledging our need for this healing. 

It’s not a coincidence that this parable about healing at a sabbath meal is about humility. The Lord invites us to acknowledge our woundedness, where we are in need of healing, and invite His grace into those wounds to restore us by His strength.

Some people have misinterpreted the words of Pope Francis calling the Eucharist powerful medicine for the weak to mean that those in a state of mortal sin can receive communion. That obviously cannot be a valid interpretation of his words, as it violates canon law, 2000 years of tradition, and scripture, which states “whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord”

Rather, we know come to the table humbly, having confessed our sins, open to the graces God gives to the sinner who humbles himself, as he says in the Gospel today, that in the words of Paul in our epistle: “that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love” for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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A reading from the epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians

Brethren: I ask you not to lose heart over my afflictions for you; this is your glory. For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine, by the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

A continuation of the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke

At that time, when Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, they were observing him carefully. In front of him there was a man suffering from dropsy. Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in reply, asking, “Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?” But they kept silent; so he took the man and, after he had healed him, dismissed him. Then he said to them, “Who among you, if your son or ox* falls into a cistern, would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?” But they were unable to answer his question.

 He told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table. “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place. Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, ‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’ Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Then he said to the host who invited him, “When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2021 - Take up your cross

 The author of today’s Gospel passage, St. Mark, was not a member of the Twelve Apostles. There’s a little dispute over when he encountered the Gospel One tradition states that he was among the 70 disciples sent out by Jesus during his Galilean ministry, another tradition, held by the third century church historian and bishop St. Eusebius, states the Mark became Christian through the post-resurrection preaching of St. Peter. Peter, after all called him “my son Mark” in his first epistle. So, likely, St. Mark got his information about Jesus from Peter; some ancient writers even called Mark’s Gospel “Peter’s Gospel” for that reason.  

So even if St. Mark was not an eye-witness to Jesus, his Gospel, which we’ll be reading through for the duration of the church year, is based on an eye-witness account, that of the prince of the apostles, St. Peter. 

Like St. Peter, St. Mark eventually traveled to Rome, and wrote his Gospel there around the year 60 A.D.  St. Mark’s Gospel is the shortest of the four Gospels: it is clear, precise, orderly, and direct—certainly pleasing to the Roman ear. 

The ancient Romans, to whom Mark wrote, were in many ways like modern Americans.  They were a practical, pragmatic people who emphasized deeds more than words, action more than theory.  The Romans got things done.  They conquered the known world.  And since his audience, the Romans, admired people who got things done, St. Mark emphasized these aspects of Jesus’s life. Throughout Mark’s Gospel, the Lord is confronting and expelling demons, curing contagious diseases, undergoing the terrible sufferings of his Passion, only to rise again victorious over sin and death. 

In the Gospel today, Jesus affirms, explicitly and uncompromisingly—very clearly, so even Romans could understand—that he and all of his followers must "take up the cross"—talk about action. For following Jesus is about more than calling oneself a Christian, to quote same James, “faith without works is dead.” And, the Lord goes so far to say that those who refuse to take up the cross “will lose their lives”—they will lose the promise of eternal life in heaven. Again, you can’t call yourself a Christian without the works that back-up that claim. 

The Lord gives this stark teaching in response to Peter really sticking his foot in his mouth. The Passage begins with Peter seemingly understanding that Jesus is the Messiah—the promised one—the one anointed by God to save us from our sins and restore unity to the fallen human race and restore humanity to right relationship with God. 

But then the conversation takes a turn: when Jesus tells the group that the Christ must suffer greatly, be mocked, and killed, Peter, the disciple, attempts to correct Jesus, the teacher. Big mistake. But who could blame him. Peter doesn’t want Jesus to go to the cross, because Peter doesn’t want to go to the cross. In fact, throughout the Gospel, Peter is often running away from the cross. In the Passion story, Peter denied Jesus three times, so he wouldn’t be arrested and crucified with the Lord.  On the Mount of Transfiguration, when Jesus is talking to Moses and Elijah about going to Jerusalem where he would suffer and die like the prophets before Him, Peter says, no, Lord, let’s just stay here. Peter doesn’t want the Lord to be subject to suffering, because Peter doesn’t want to have to suffer. And again,…who can blame him. Most of us spend a lot of time and energy avoiding or at least minimizing suffering.

“Get behind me Satan”, the Lord says to Peter. You can imagine Mark’s surprise when Peter recalled the events in today’s Gospel: “He called you what?” Why does the Lord offer this sharpest of rebuke? This passage gets to the heart of who Jesus is and what he’s all about. The Lord Jesus wasn’t just a teacher, he wasn’t a community organizer, he wasn’t political leader, he didn’t come to simply encourage humanity to work for social justice. Of course, it’s good to feed the hungry, it’s good to stand up for someone being bullied, it’s good to speak up for the vulnerable. But the Son of God took flesh in order to accomplish something we couldn’t do on our own, the greatest good imaginable: he embraced unimaginable suffering, the greatest suffering, to obtain, to purchase our salvation. 

So when Peter said, you mustn’t allow yourself to suffer, it was akin to Satan opposing the holy will of God to save us from hell. Of course Satan doesn’t want Jesus to suffer and die. The Lord’s Passion freed us from hell’s grasp. And so the Lord rebukes Peter, he rebukes Satan for opposing the salvific plan of God. 

And then the Lord teaches his disciples, that we must, like him, bear our crosses. Fulfilling the will of God is not easy. There is a weight to it, a cost to it. And we know this: it’s good to feed the hungry and clothe the naked. But, we often draw a line, don’t we? We willingly engage in these good works…to a point: and that point usually is, when it costs me something, when I will have to sacrifice something I enjoy or can utilize—cash, leisure time, my favorite television show, my reputation among less religiously fervent peers or family members. When I have to sacrifice these things to build up the Church and to do good works, well, most of us like to leave the hard work to someone else. 

This is a difficult Gospel. Perhaps the most difficult. It was certainly difficult for Peter, so we are, at least, in good company. Peter continues to run away from suffering throughout the Gospel—we run away often. We allow Satan to whisper in our ears, “the cross is too heavy, leave it to someone else, God can’t possibly be asking you to carry this cross, you can carry the next one”. 

But, the Christian life is about learning to carry crosses for the sake of the Kingdom. And just as our Lord brought ineffable goodness from his cross, so to with us. Lives our touched, souls are saved, miracles are wrought, saints are made through the cross. 

There’s the story, which you have likely heard, when Peter finally gets it. After the Lord’s Ascension, of course, Peter labors with the rest of the Apostles to spread the Gospel, in Jerusalem, then to Judea, then throughout the empire. And around the year 64, Peter having been bishop in Antioch for some time, comes to preach and minister to the Christians in the Imperial City of Rome. And for a while Peter knowing that he was likely to be arrested and killed for his ministry, showed great courage preaching the Gospel and ministering to the small community of Christians there. 

When he began to agitate the local Roman authorities, the threat of the cross again loomed too close for comfort. So Peter began to flee Rome. But as he began to flee through the city gate, something happened. He had a vision. Before him he saw the Lord Jesus walking through the gate, into Rome carrying the cross.  Peter, falling to his knees asked him, “Domine, quo vadis?  Lord, where are you going?”  And the Lord replied, “I have come to Rome to be crucified, since you will not.”  Peter recognized that he had been fleeing the cross, yet again., and the Lord’s words struck Peter and gave him the resolve to do what he must do. 

Peter returned to his ministry, preaching the Truth of the Gospel, and for this he was arrested, and like our Lord, Peter was crucified; only he asked that he be crucified upside-down because he felt he was unworthy to die in the same way as his Lord. His sacrifice no doubt bolstered the faith of the Roman Christians who would undergo terrible persecution, and has bolstered the faith of the Church for 2000 years because he finally took up his cross.

What will it mean to take up your cross this week? To pray, to fast, to visit the lonely widow next door? Will it be to bear wrongs patiently, without complaint, without seeking to get the last word in when arguing with a spouse, or refrain from talking back to your parents? Will it mean finally forgiving someone who hurt you, or going out of your way to find a intentional act of charity each day, to invite a coworker to pray? Daily upon waking, ask God for the strength and courage to carry that cross, the willingness to pay what is costly for the spread of the kingdom for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

23rd Week in Ordinary Time 2021 (First School Mass) - Abundant Graces through Christ

Happy New School Year everybody. For our new students, I am Father Estabrook, the pastor of St. Ignatius. I’ve been pastor here since December of 2018. This may be the first time some of you have been inside the church building. So, I’d like to say a word about this magnificent edifice. 

In the early 1900s, Catholics who lived downtown were moving out of the city out to this area, which was a cornfield at the time. Looking northward from this property, you could see all the way to Lake Erie. In 1902 there were just about 250 Catholic families in this neighborhood. And so they planned and built a school and a church building, along Lorain ave. Over the next 20 years, that number of Catholics grew and grew and grew that they needed to build a new school building, the boulevard building, and they started construction on this building, modeling its architecture after some of the beautiful basilicas of Rome.

They wanted a church building that inspired people, that helped them to remember that they were connected to the Church in Rome, and were they could gather with their families week after week to worship God. They poured their love of God into building this place, and it still stands 100 years later. Everyone that contributed to the building of this place is dead, though their great great great grandchildren are still in this neighborhood. But they built this place to last, to endure the changing of times and seasons, in order to have a timeless place, where you could feel and kneel down in the presence of God.

In the first reading we hear two names, Paul and Timothy. Paul tells the story how he came to believe that Jesus was the Son of God who died for our sins. He didn’t initially believe this. In fact, he was a persecutor of Christians. He hated Christians. But he had a change of heart and change of believe when Jesus appeared to him, and since then, he’s been trying to spread belief in Jesus and build up the church. 

And he is writing to Timothy today because Timothy was the new bishop and pastor of a community of Christians, much like St. Ignatius. Paul wants Timothy to trust in the abundant graces that comes from following, believing in, and loving Jesus. When Christians are faithful to Jesus, when they work together, when they root out sins from their lives, when the make Jesus the most important part of their life, they can do amazing things. They can build churches like this, they can work miracles, they can endure with amazing strength all of life’s difficulties. And most importantly they will be granted life after death and live forever with God.

Paul wants Timothy to help his community truly believe this, truly live out the Christian faith, much as my bishop, Bishop Ed Malesic has sent me, here to this parish, to do the same, to help the Catholics of this place to be faithful, and to help others come to make Jesus the most important person in their lives.

That’s my prayer for all of you as we begin this school year, and that’s my prayer for you always, that you, like St. Paul, and so many Catholics throughout the centuries, may know the abundant graces that comes through faith in Christ, that you may come to do amazing things through him, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

September 8, 2021 - The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Humble Beginnings

 Exactly, nine months ago today we celebrated Mary’s Immaculate conception in the womb of her mother. 

The day the Queen of Heaven was born ranks as one of the most beautiful in human history. Yet, nothing explicitly is recorded or known about Mary’s birth. The names of her parents aren’t even recorded in Scripture. The names of St. Anne and Joachim are found rather in the 2nd century text called the Protoevangelium Jacobi. 

And although the blood of David flowed in her veins, although she was the virgin who would give birth to the savior about whom Isaiah prophesied, the protoevangelium Jacobi records how her birth went virtually unnoticed by the citizens of Nazareth.

Her birth was subtle and humble, much like the morning dawn. But like the dawn, her birth was the beginning of something new: God’s plan of salvation was beginning a new and final chapter. Her birth is the prelude to the birth of the Salvation Himself. 

The Immaculate Mother came into the world at a time when many of God’s people had lost hope in a Messiah, just as many have lost sight of Christ in our modern day. God had been quiet for so long. The evils of the world, the oppression of the Jewish people, the darkness of Israel’s sin seemed to eclipse God’s promises of salvation. And so in the darkness of Israel’s history, without fanfare or recognition, Our Lady was born.

Humility marked her birth and humility would mark her life, and this scripture does record: not her birth, not her parents, not her upbringing, not her favorite food or favorite color, but her humility. At the annunciation: humility. At the visitation humility. At the birth of her son: humility. At the wedding at Cana: humility. Hidden throughout the ministry of her Son: humility. At the foot of the Cross, fully submitting to this holy sacrifice: humility. 

Our Lady’s birth reminds us that the whole of our life is to be humbly placed in the service of the divine mystery, in complete submission to the divine will, and this is the way to heaven. She shows us the surest way, and is a model for all Christians, that from the moment we are born we like her are to seek to be open, listening, ready, faithful, surrendered to the Divine Will. In her humility she gives us the greatest example of faithful discipleship of Jesus, the greatest example of humanity. This is what humanity was meant to be from the beginning. 

Saint Thomas of Villanova explained in sermon that Mary is the heavenly dawn, not only for the world, but especially for each individual soul.  May her humility dawn and rise in us, that faith, hope, and charity, which were perfect in her, may be perfected in us, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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To Our Lady’s most powerful intercession, we recommend ourselves and the entire Church.

That Our Lady may bring constant guidance and assistance to the Holy Father and the Bishops in their apostolic mission, and aid all who help them in their work. 

That all government leaders may be awakened to the supreme dignity of each 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.  

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.

23rd Week in Ordinary Time 2021 - Tuesday - Restoration through Christ and His Apostles

 Making our way through the Gospel of Luke at these weekday Masses, one of the themes that has been evident from the start is that of restoration. The Lord has come to restore what was lost through sin, what has been damaged through mankind’s involvement with evil. 

We’ve seen the Lord cast out a demon in the synagogue of Capernaum, restoring him to freedom, bringing a sort of restoration to the synagogue community itself, whose prayer and gathering had been thrown into chaos by this demonic activity. The Lord has worked many healing miracles so far, restoring many to health. He is restoring man’s conscience—his moral and religious conscience—a conscience weakened and clouded by error and sin—in his call to repentance and belief in His Gospel.

The theme of restoration is also at work in today’s Gospel about the establishment of the Twelve as the Apostles of his Church. The number Twelve of course has profound biblical significance—through the twelve apostles, the Lord Jesus is regathering the twelve tribes of Israel in fulfillment of Israel’s hope for ultimate restoration. Israel, scattered, oppressed by the political powers of the world, and inundated with sin hoped to be restored by God as a holy nation, a royal priesthood, through the ministration of the Messiah. 

In building his Church on the twelve Apostles, Jesus was fulfilling Israel’s hopes of restoration and ushering in the final stage of human history. This is the era of the Church—the New Israel in which all humanity is gathered in union with God through Christ and restored through his teaching and grace.

In the Church we see individual restoration—in the call to conversion from sin and a healing of our vices, a personal restoration of our estrangement from God. We also see the communal restoration—foreshadowed by uniting of the Twelve Tribes of Israel into a united people—humanity divided is reconciled with each other through Christ.

As Catholics, we know well that the bishops, the successors of the apostles continue to exercise a very important role in the life of the Church—to help us remain united in faith, hope, and love throughout all the challenges faced in our modern world. Sadly, disunity and division continue to occur when we stray from the apostolic faith, when individuals and groups stray from apostolic unity and also when the apostles are negligent in their duties.

So we pray for the Church and pray for the bishops that the Lord may continue to restore us through the Gospel—to restore our humanity, to restore the unity God designed for humanity from the beginning, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

For Pope Francis, successor to the apostle Peter, our diocesan Bishop Edward Malesic, and all the Bishops and Clergy, that they may lead the Church in Spirit and Truth and in faithfulness to all that Christ teaches. 

For those who have strayed from the flock of Christ, for those who have fallen to the empty, seductive philosophies of the world, for their return to the life of grace.

For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster and inclement weather, those who suffer from war, violence, and terrorism, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, the imprisoned, the unchaste, for the comfort of the dying and the consolation of their families. 

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.

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.

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time 2021 - Active in Bringing Christ to the World

On Saturday I had the great honor of presiding over the diocesan celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Legion of Mary down at the Cathedral. We celebrated Mass and processed with the Eucharist throughout downtown.

For those of you not familiar with the purpose of the Legion of Mary, it is a lay apostolate founded by a Mr. Frank Duff in 1921 in Dublin Ireland. Members engage in works such as door-to-door evangelization, visitation of shut-ins and the homebound, prison ministry, distribution of Catholic literature and sacramentals in parishes and county fairs, encouraging fallen away Catholics to return to the Sacraments, driving the homebound to Mass and parish events, leading rosaries with the grieving at funeral parlors and cemeteries, organizing novenas. 

At my home parish, Legion of Mary members visited by grandmother as she lay dying, praying the rosary with her, and bringing her much consolation.

During COVID, Legionaries adapted to the difficult situation by hosting Virtual Events, continued contact with the sick and isolated, writing letters and sending cards. Auxiliary members, not able to engage in the active work, support the apostolate through their daily prayers and penances.

I recommend joining in this wonderful group of apostolic work which looks to the holy example and intercession and guidance of Our Lady for spreading the reign of Christ through Mary.

I bring up the Legion of Mary, not just because the events downtown today, but because they are a wonderful example of some of the lessons from our Scripture readings this weekend.

In the first reading, we hear of God telling Isaiah to proclaim to those whose hearts are frightened:  Be strong, fear not!

A lot of those works of the Legion—visiting the imprisoned, encouraging the fallen away to return to the Sacraments, praying with the dying, these are thing that intimidate many people. I remember in seminary the first time visiting the Cuyahoga county jail, it’s scary. Walking into the room of a dying person, brings you face to face with death. And so Isaiah, in a sense, is speaking to all of us facing fear, especially when doing the work of God—the works of charity. We are not to be afraid of doing good, good works, going to those intimidating place to bring God’s presence there.

The nice things about belonging to a group like the Legion of Mary, intentionally created for these works, is that having fellow legionaries at your side engaging in these intimidating activities, can embolden you. Again, this is why I encourage membership in this group, because membership can help you have the courage to do things you wouldn’t normally do on your own. The Lord sent his disciples out two by two, because doing these things alone can be intimidating, and so part of being a member of the Church is knowing that there are people who support you, you will walk with you into the darkness, so to speak, in order to bring the light of God. 

After telling them not to be afraid, Isaiah announces to the people that God is drawing near, God is going to be with His people in a way that he never was before, and that is source of our courage. When was I most afraid in my ministry? In my first assignment, I got a phone call, that a young boy had drowned in the swimming pool of his aunt and uncle. A terrible thing, only 3 or 4 years old. And I was asked to be there, as the parents were going to see their dead child for the first time. 

I wanted to run away, but I recalled that this was one of the reasons I had been ordained, to be at the side of the grieving. There was going to be terrible terrible grief in that hospital room, and I knew that I had to overcome my fear, and recall that I needed to bring Jesus into that room. If just by the presence of priest, standing quietly, offering words and prayers of consolation. It was fearful, but those times when the Lord had come close to me, in the confessional, forgiving my sins, in the sacrament of the Eucharist, in my ordination, I knew that he was giving me the courage I needed for ministry.

Isaiah foretells of the time when God will open the eyes of the blind, and clear the ears of the deaf enable the lame to leap and the mute to speak. And that time is now. God accomplishes these things through the Church.

The eyes of the blind are opened when Christians help non-believers are the lukewarm to understand the truths of our faith. The ears of the deaf are cleared when Christians patiently explain our faith to those who are resistant to the Gospel, who have stuffed the errors of the world into their ears.

The lame are able to leap when we help sinners develop virtue in their lives, but also when we help those crippled by grief and addiction and depression and unemployment, to get on their feat again. The mute are given the gift of speech, when Christian parents and catechists teach young people, the next generation of Christians, to boldly proclaim and explain the faith out in the world. 

One of the things I love about the Legion of Mary, is that its members recognize that the amazing works that they are called to engage in are only possible when there is a vibrant interior life and love and devotion of the Blessed Virgin. You want the courage to be the healing hands of Christ, you best draw near to Him and His mother in prayer. And Legion of Mary members know that when you are consecrated to Our Lady, when she is your mother, when you have recourse to her in all your works, she will help you do the works of her Son like no one else.

And that true for all Christians. Our Lady wants to help each of us spread the reign of her Son. She wants to draw Christians together in small groups like the Legion, or small groups of Christian families, or groups of widows, mothers, or small groups of men, to help us discern and make us of those diverse and varying gifts, to work together for the building up of the kingdom and spread of the Gospel in our neighborhood and families.

The Church surely isn’t built up, nor is the Gospel spread, by us doing nothing. 

In a few moments, the Lord will fulfill the prophesy of Isaiah in yet another way. He will become present under what appears to be simple bread and wine, but underneath those appearances will be our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ who comes to do all those things Isaiah promised he would do. 

He comes to us to heal our blindness to his goodness, our deafness to his word, our lameness to walking in virtue, and our muteness in preaching the Gospel. He comes once again to declare Ephphatha to each of us, that we may be opened once again to his divine life in our souls, in order to carry his presence out into the world, for the glory of God and salvation of souls. 

September 3 2021 - St. Gregory the Great - Servus Servorum Dei

 Today is the feast St. Gregory, one of only two popes formally given the title “the Great”.  Pope St. Leo is the other, although many consider Pope John Paul II deserving of the same title.  Doctor of the Church St. Albert also has this title, but he was not a Pope. Pope St. Gregory the Great reigned from 590-604.

He was the son of a Roman senator, and initially embarked on a purely political career. His great administrative talents and moral integrity led to him being named Prefect of Rome, the highest civil office in Rome, when he was only 30 years old.  So imagine the stir he caused, when he announced he wished to devote his life to God as a Benedictine monk. 

He desired the quiet monastic life, but God had other plans. The Pope sent Gregory as his Papal Legate to Constantinople. After performing his duties, he returned to Rome, and when the Pope died of the plague, Gregory was elected Pope.  

One of his great accomplishments was to send missionaries to Britain which was largely unevangelized. He is also a doctor of the Church because of his great contributions to teaching Christian Doctrine. And most notable was his impact on the Church’s liturgical worship—giving us the form of liturgical chant that bears his name—Gregorian chant. 

1500 years later even Vatican II taught that “The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services.” Unfortunately, this teaching has been neglected in the last 50 years, much to the detriment of Catholic Worship.  It’s my contention that some if not many Catholics who have fallen away from the faith these past 50 years have done so because Pope Gregory’s chant has been neglected and replaced, in many places with quite uninspiring, uninspired drivel. 

Pope Gregory the Great was the first Pope to refer to himself as the servus servorum Dei—the servant of the servants of God, a title which the Popes continue to use to this day. This title is a reminder that to be a Christian is to be a servant. The Pope’s great task isn’t to Lord power over the Church, to bask in luxury and comfort in the papal palace. Like the Lord in the Gospel who says, “I am among you as the one who serves” the Pope is first and foremost servant—in leading, guiding, and shepherding Christ’s flock.

He serves the Church, that every Christian might better and more faithfully serve our God. And that, in the end, is why Saint Gregory is known as the great, because he wasn’t just a competent administrator, but that he poured himself out in service to Christ.  He knew that true human greatness is found in total surrender to Christ.  He put into practice all that he preached and became a living example of the Gospel he proclaimed.

Through the intercession of this great servant of the Gospel, may we be led to lay down our lives ever more deeply in humble service for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

That the Pope, Bishops and Clergy, and all members of the Church may place their entire lives in service to God, is faithfulness to our Gospel mandate.

That through the intercession of St. Gregory, our liturgical worship may always be beautiful, reverent, and worthy. 

During this month of September, dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, we pray for all those who grieve, and that we may grieve sufficiently for our sins.

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. 

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.