December 29 2021 - St. Thomas Becket - The bloody Octave of Christmas

 

Within 4 days of Christmas, we have the celebration of St Stephen, martyred for the faith, St. John the Apostle, not martyred, but excruciatingly tortured for the faith, we have the slaughter of babies, on the Feast of the Holy Innocents yesterday, and then today, we have the martyrdom of St. Thomas Becket, a bishop of England who was assassinated on his Cathedral steps. It is almost as though the red poinsettias decorating the sanctuary and the church witness to the blood shed by those who love him.

Can’t we just sing cheerful Christmas carols for a few days? Why does it have to be so bloody? 

These bloody feast days following Christmas are a shocking reminder of the world’s hatred of the one born on Christmas. For it is clear that Jesus came to this world, ultimately to die. 

There is a little debate whether his crib, the manger of Bethlehem was made out of wood or stone. If wood, it reminds us of the wood of the cross; if stone, it reminds us of his tomb. His swaddling clothes which would bind his arms and feet as a baby point to his arms and legs bound to the cross, and to the linen shroud that would wrap him tightly at his burial.

The blood of the Christmas octave also reminds us that many of us too will share in Christ’s lot. This world hated Christ and had “no room for him.” Nor does it have room for us. The blood of martyrs stretches down through the centuries in testimony to the world’s hatred for authentic disciples of Christ and the truth they propose.

During the octave of Christmas, we celebrate our savior, we draw near to him to adore him, and worship him, and hold him close, that we may have the strength and courage and willingness to suffer for him, to exert the energy needed to pursue the sanctification of our souls for him.

Thomas Becket, when those four knights with swords drawn approached him in his Cathedral said, “I am ready to die for God.  I am ready to die for the defense of justice. I am ready to die for the freedom of the Church. Would only that my lifeblood might purchase Her peace and freedom”.

Where did he get that courage and readiness? He loved Christ more than anything. May we do the same. For the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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We bring forth now our prayers of petitions.

That the joyful celebration of our Savior’s birth bring renewed conviction for Christ’s truth to the Pope, all bishops, clergy, and lay faithful.

That our President and all leaders of nations may protect and promote religious liberty for all. 

For Christians who are persecuted throughout the world, especially those who face martyrdom, that they may have a faith that is constant and pure.

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

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

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

December 28 2021 - Holy Innocents - Savage Violence and the Victory of Christ

 The former Prefect for the Roman Congregation in charge of assisting the Holy Father with liturgy and the sacraments, Cardinal Sarah was asked about the disturbing trend around the world of churches being profaned. “The profanations are multiplying” he said, “we have lost count of the churches that have been profaned and defiled.” Sometimes images and statues of the Blessed Virgin are defaced, “sometimes the tabernacle itself is the target.”

Cardinal Sarah then drew a connection with the feast we celebrate today, the Feast of the Holy Innocents. He said, “let us not be surprised when we experience rejection and hatred. God’s love for mankind, which was manifested at the time of the Nativity, triggered the devil’s anger. Recall that the horror of the massacre of the Holy Innocents followed shortly after the joy of Christmas. When God reveals his gentleness and his love, the devil responds with blind, gratuitous violence. The Church is in the world as a sign of contradiction. The more she preaches him who is ‘the way, and the truth, and the life,’ the more she disturbs and the more she is rejected.” (This is from his book “The Night is Far Spent”, by the way)

We hear in the Gospel today how King Herod was “greatly troubled” over the news of the Christ Child’s birth. And so he orders the massacre of all boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old or younger. 

Herod’s extreme brutality and grasp for power at the threat of the loss of his throne, represents all the powers that stand against Christ.

We can see those powers at work, in a rage and a fury, throughout history, in the persecution of the Church, in the amassing of violent means to protect their thrones. We can see them, in those who lash out against God, as Cardinal Sarah points out—taking their fears and angers and hurts out on God and his sacred places and objects.

And yet, if we are honest, we can even sense a little bit of Herod in each one of us, whenever we refuse the particularly challenging call to conversion, when securing our own personal kingdom becomes more important than the kingdom of God.

Yes, today’s feast is a reminder of the savagery by which God’s kingdom is opposed, but it is also a celebration of the holy martyrs who witnessed to the way, the truth, and the life throughout the centuries. It is a feast of the victory of Christ, the victory of God, the victory of the light over the darkness, the victory of peace over savage violence. For the holy innocents, and the holy martyrs throughout the century are able to share in Christ’s victory, and they pray for us, that we may do the same, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the witness of the Church may help all nations come to believe in the Lordship of Jesus.

For the conversion of those who bring violence against the Church and the holy places and things of God, for healing in their troubled souls, and for the peace of Christmas to reign in every heart.

That our president and all civil servants will carry out their duties with justice and honesty, and for the reversal of any law which permits or leads to the destruction of innocent human life, and that God may protect all unborn babies, and keep them safe from the scourge of abortion, we pray to the Lord.

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

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

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

December 27 2021 - St. John the Apostle & Evangelist (and his student Ignatius of Antioch)

 In the eastern narthex here at St. Ignatius of Antioch, the middle set of stained glass windows depict the life of our parishes patron St. Ignatius. And the very top stained glass window contains three figures. St. Ignatius, St. Polycarp, and the saint we honor on this third day of the Christmas Octave, the principal patron of the Diocese of Cleveland, St. John the Apostle and Evangelist.

These three saints are depicted together, for it is said that Polycarp and Ignatius were both students of the beloved disciple (and this is how they are depicted, as if sitting at the foot of the master). They were also both consecrated bishops by St. John around the year 66 A.D. Polycarp was made bishop of Smyrna, and Ignatius, of course, was made the third bishop of Antioch, where he remained for about 40 years, at which point he was arrested and marched to his martyrdom in Rome.

On his way to martyrdom, Ignatius wrote his famous epistles, and you can really tell he had spent time with the Apostle John, for John’s influence runs through the epistles of dear Ignatius.

Ignatius writes of “the timeless, eternal, invisible Word made visible” drawn, concepts we find in beloved John’s prologue. Ignatius presents the Lord many times as the Divine Physician, the Son of God, True God, the Divine Word, the Logos, as does John. 

St. John impacted St. Ignatius deeply, and he is meant to impact all of us, deeply. No doubt, the love, the knowledge, the understanding that Ignatius derived from John, enabled him to teach and guide the flock at Antioch, and gave him conviction and courage when facing the Emperor, and provided him bravery and resolution as he faced his martyrdom.

So we do well to meditate on the writings of John often. For John, laid his head on the breast of our Savior, and helps us to do the same. When we meditate on John’s gospel, we can hear the Lord’s own heartbeat. 

We can hear his love for the Father and the Lord’s love for his blessed Mother, his love for his apostles, his deeper mercy for sinners, and his love for us. 

The collect for today’s Mass speaks of how, God, through the apostle John has unlocked for us the secrets of the Word, and asks God to help us grasp with proper understanding what he has brought to our ears. What a powerful prayer! 

And what a fitting saint to celebrate so near to the feast of the Lord’s birth, for St. John unlocks for us the secret hidden to many. That the Christ child is not an ordinary child, he is the Word Made Flesh come to save us from our sins.

Like St. Ignatius of Antioch, may we all become students of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, to learn ever more deeply the love and knowledge of Christ, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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We bring forth now our prayers of petitions.

For the Church of Cleveland under the patronage of St. John, apostle and evangelist, and particularly for Bishop Malesic, that together we may witness faithfully and tirelessly to the truth of the Gospel

For Christians who are persecuted throughout the world, especially those who face martyrdom, that they may have a faith that is constant and pure.

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

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

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

Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph 2021

 Shortly after the close of the Second Vatican Council, fifty-six years ago, in order to continue the spirit of engagement of the Church in the Modern World, Pope Paul VI established what is called the Synod of Bishops: Bishops from around the world would meet periodically at the request of the Holy Father, to provide him counsel regarding important questions facing the Church.

You may have heard that Pope Francis recently has asked the Bishops to prepare for a Synod on Synods. It seems kind of abstract, but he wants the bishops to help him reflect upon what it means for the church to be constantly examining her mission in light of the new challenges and changes in society.

Well, there was a synod, just six years ago, which met at the request of Holy Father Pope Francis. Bishops from around the world met with him to discuss an issue, perpetually and continually deeply important to the Church: the pastoral care and promotion of marriage and families.  

The last time a Synod of Bishops discussed marriage and family was back in 1980, at the request of Pope John Paul II. And afterwards St. John Paul issued a post-synodal apostolic exhortation called, Familiaris Consortio. He listened to all the issues the Bishops brought up about the challenges of families, and issued this beautiful document, Familiaris Consortio, how the Church is at the service of families. Definitely worth the read, if you are into papal documents.

“The family in the modern world”, wrote Pope John Paul, “as much as and perhaps more than any other institution, has been beset by the many profound and rapid changes that have affected society and culture. Many families are living this situation in fidelity to those values that constitute the foundation of the institution of the family. Others have become uncertain and bewildered over their role or even doubtful and almost unaware of the ultimate meaning and truth of conjugal and family life.”

In other words, from the Pope’s perspective, there are those families who are trying to be faithful to Jesus’ teaching, like so many of you. Then, there are those who are confused about what it means to be faithful. And, then there are those who have no idea about Jesus’ teachings. And he wrote that 41 years ago. And that was 40 years ago.

Fast forward to 2015. Pope Francis calls another synod on the family, he listens to bishops, and he listens to families about their struggles, and he compiles all of these thoughts, plus his own, of course…he’s pope, into a post-synodal apostolic exhortation called Amoris Laetitia. And in this document, Holy Father Pope Francis enumerated a number of challenges for families, especially in their calling to love one another.

He mentioned materialism. Materialism, the love of stuff, keeps us from loving out family as we should.

He mentioned narcissism. “Narcissism”, he says, makes people incapable of looking beyond themselves, beyond their own desires and needs.

He spoke of the cultural ideologies that devalue marriage and family, the fear that some young people have of entering into such a commitment, this false notion of overpopulation fueled by world politics which leads to a mentality against having children, the perversion of “spread of pornography and the  commercialization of the body, fostered also by a misuse of the internet,” and of course, “the weakening of faith and religious practice” which over all has disastrous consequences for society. If God is absent in the life of families, how will families fulfill their God given vocation?

What got me thinking about all of these synods on the family, of course, is that today, we celebrate the great Christmas feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

The Holy Family is the great example for Christian family life, and their virtues are the remedy for the ills and errors which undermine Christian family life.

Where society values materialism, we see the Holy Family practicing holy poverty. Not only was the Christ child born in the straw poverty of the Bethlehem stable, but the Holy Family was not among the rich and influential of their time. When the Holy Family journeyed to the Temple in Jerusalem to participate in the Jewish ritual of purification for a new mother, Joseph couldn’t even afford to purchase a lamb for a burnt offering as was prescribed. He could only offer a poor man’s oblation—two turtledoves or young pigeons.

Moreso, the Holy Family embodied the first of the beatitudes the Lord would enumerate in his Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for there is the kingdom of heaven.” The holy family places their trust and confidence in God rather than material possessions and worldly power. 

Where society values narcissism, we see the Holy Family practicing such sweet and holy charity towards others. On the 4th Sunday of advent, we read of Our Lady going in haste to help her elderly cousin Elizabeth. Our Lady in the Gospel is attentive to the needs of the couple at the wedding at Cana. St. Joseph looks to the needs of Mary and Jesus, as the great guardian of the holy family, protecting them from Herod’s murderous plots, providing for them through years of labor and sweat.

Where society continues to allow perversion to erode respect for human persons, both Mary and Joseph exemplify our call to purity and chastity and self-control, and remind us to become the people God made us to be. In their purity and chastity, they fulfilled another one of the Lord’s Beatitudes, “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.” They teach us to guard our eyes and our minds from those evils which keeps us from seeing God. 

Where we see in many countries, including our own, a sharp decline in religious practice and fulfillment of religious obligations among families, the Holy Family shows us that that great strength and wisdom is found in our religious duties. As we see in the Gospel today, the Holy Family was accustomed to making the annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem for Passover. And even though it required sacrifice and effort to make that pilgrimage, they were faithful. And their fulfillment of this obligation was not without drama, as it is for many families. How often, when it’s time to go to church, are the children missing. But the effort is made, and families are stronger for it.

In the holy family we see the remedy, for the evils that beset us, and the challenges of the Church in the modern world. We need your families to imitate the holy family. The Church, the mission of the church given to us by Christ, needs you and your family to imitate his holy family.

Listen to this beautiful Prayer composed by Pope Francis invoking the Holy Family.

“Jesus, Mary and Joseph, in you we contemplate the splendor of true love, to you we turn with trust. Holy Family of Nazareth, grant that our families too may be places of communion and prayer, authentic schools of the Gospel and small domestic Churches. Holy Family of Nazareth, may families never again experience violence, rejection and division: may all who have been hurt or scandalized find ready comfort and healing.  Holy Family of Nazareth…make us once more mindful of the sacredness and inviolability of the family, and its beauty in God's plan. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, graciously hear our prayer.”

As we continue this Christmas season, allow the Holy Family to help your family love and trust God, value the things of heaven over the things of earth, to practice purity and chastity, and bring about healing of division, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Christmas 2021 - Jesus is God With Us

 Merry Christmas everyone. On this great feast of Christmas, to help us celebrate the wonder and majesty and mystery Our Lord’s birth, the Church celebrates four different masses: the Christmas Eve Vigil mass, midnight mass, mass at dawn, and Christmas mass during the day. These are not just masses at different times, but each of the four masses have a slightly different focus in the prayers said and in the readings that are offered.

At the Vigil Mass we ponder the angel’s words to St. Joseph not to be afraid to take Mary and the Christ Child growing within her into his home. The prayers of the vigil Mass ask God for the grace to help us “joyfully welcome” Jesus as our Redeemer.

At Midnight Mass we contemplate the radiant glory of God as angels to the shepherds the saviors birth. As shepherds kept watch over their flock throughout the night, midnight mass gathers the Church in the midst of night to the light of Christ, and asks God that the whole of our lives may be filled with the light and gladness and joy of Christmas.

At the Mass at Dawn, the Church accompanies the Shepherds as they go in haste to Bethlehem to visit the infant Savior. At the Mass at Dawn, the Church asks God to bathe us with the radiance of the light of faith, that we may live in a manner which reflects the light of faith.

And finally at Christmas Mass during the Day, the scriptures and prayers come to a dramatic conclusion, in one of the bible’s most profound explanations of the meaning of Christmas in the prologue of St. John’s Gospel—that as the Divine Word took on the flesh of our humanity, the Church asks God to give us everything we need that we may share in his Divinity.

Even with four Masses, the majesty and mystery is so great that the Church celebrates Christmas not just on a day, but throughout over the next several weeks. The world goes back to normal, the Church is just getting started to celebrate the reason for the season.

And when we use that phrase, the “reason for the season”, what are we talking about? When Christians seek to keep Christ in Christmas and remember the reason for the season, we are essentially saying that Christmas not just about tinsel-decorated pine trees, colorful wrapping paper, reindeer, sleighs and elves, but that Christmas is centered in Bethlehem—not the North Pole or the mall or the sports arena.

Wanting to keep Christ in Christmas, prioritizing faith over the material aspects of Christmas, that’s a pretty good start. But who is he? Who are we celebrating? And why?

The eternal Son of God entered the world and was born of a virgin at Bethlehem not simply to establish a major feast day for his church, or to give a gentle nudge to get many of us to return to Church, not simply to provide an opportunity for extended families to get together, not even to initiate an annual season of generosity and giving.

A few years ago, Pope Francis gave a Christmas meditation on this topic at his Christmas morning audience at St. Peter’s in Rome. He said, At Christmas we celebrate that “God is with us… He comes to abide with mankind, he chooses earth as his dwelling place to remain with people and to be found where man passes his days in joy or in sorrow. Therefore, earth is no longer only ‘a valley of tears’; rather, it is the place where God himself has pitched his tent, it is the meeting place of God with man, of God’s solidarity with men.”

“God,” he went on, “willed to share in our human condition to the point of becoming one with us in the Person of Jesus, who is true Man and true God. There is something, however, even more surprising. The presence of God among men did not take place in a perfect, idyllic world but rather in this real world, which is marked by so many things both good and bad, by division, wickedness, poverty, arrogance and war. He chose to live in our history as it is, with all the weight of its limitations and of its tragedies. In doing so, he has demonstrated in an unequalled manner his merciful and truly loving disposition toward the human creature. He is God-with-us. Jesus is God-with-us.”

Then Pope Francis stopped his audience, as he frequently does, to make sure that what he was saying wouldn’t remain just words. “Credete questo, voi?,” he asked in italian. “Do you believe this?”

There was a smattering of “Si’s,” or “yes.” He so he asked again more boldly, “Credete questo, voi?” And you can imagine, there was a much louder response. But that’s a question Pope Francis wants to reverberate around the Christian world, including to all of us here. “Do you believe that Jesus is here with you, in all of your joys and sadness, in your triumphs and disappointments? Do you believe that he has come to meet you in your valleys to raise you up to life eternal?” 

After he asked the crowd whether they believed, Pope Francis led them in a simple act of faith. “Together let us profess,” he said, “Gesù è Dio con noi. Gesù è Dio con noi!” “Jesus is God with us! Jesus is God with us always and forever—with us in history’s suffering and sorrow.” Yes, indeed, Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us. In a world where there are so many reasons to forget that God is with us, we need Christmas, the Church needs to boldly proclaim Christmas—that God is with us.

Now, God is with us in many ways. We are able to see his fingerprints in the beauty and intelligent design of creation. We are able to sense him when he gives us strength to do what is right amidst temptations and fears. We are able to experience his closeness and his plan for our lives when we meditate on the Sacred Scriptures. We are able to sense his goodness when we engage in holy acts of charity, when we gather for reverent worship, when we keep the hours of the day holy through prayer. 

But there is one way above all others by which Christ remains with us. Jesus is truly and substantially present for us in his body and blood in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. He instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist that he may be with us, not just in our minds or the sentiments of our hearts, but truly, really, substantially present with his Church for all ages.

The Eucharist is Emmanuel, God-with-us. He is here in every tabernacle of every Catholic church and chapel in the world. And he is made present wherever Holy Mass is celebrated by a validly ordained Catholic priest.  The same God who was in Mary’s womb we receive in our bodies at Holy Communion. The same Jesus whom the wise men traveled such great distances over several months to adore we have the same privilege to worship — and all we have to do is hop in our cars and drive short distances. 

Being able to be with Jesus in the Holy Eucharist is the greatest privilege this side of heaven, when we have the chance to do something that even those present in Bethlehem couldn’t even dream of. They were able to adore the God-man from the outside. But, the Catholic faithful, who have confessed their sins and are in a state of grace are able to receive and adore him on the inside, when we receive Him in Holy Communion.

Holy Communion enables us to know Jesus’ presence with us “in the joys and sorrows” as Holy Father Pope Francis said—throughout all of the challenges of our lives—in dealing with disease, and poverty, and family division. We begin to become sharers in His Divinity, through the Eucharist—and the Divine goodness and strength that flows from Him.

Let every heart prepare him room, we sing, in that great Christmas song, Joy to the World. The heart that has prepared room for him, and worthily receives him in the Eucharist is able to be filled with joy even in the darkest of nights, in prison cells, in hospital rooms, in funeral parlors, on cold and dingy sidewalks. 

If you’ve been away from Church for some time, let tonight be a new beginning. Make a good confession, that you may know again the joy of receiving him. And may all of us profoundly celebrate the true reason for the season, God with us. Lift up your heads, raise and widen the gates of your hearts, that the King of glory may enter, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

December 21 2021 - Winter is past, the Sun is Rising

On this darkest day of the year, the first day of winter, we hear a surprising message from the Song of Songs: “winter is past, the rains are over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth”.  Those of us who live in Northeastern Ohio know that the snows are just beginning, the flowers won’t be seen for several months. Yet, the Church proclaims this day as a spiritual springtime, a time of new growth, a time where light begins to appear again.

The Gospel reading as well is full of life and vibrancy: the pregnant Virgin Mother going in haste to visit her once barren cousin Elizabeth, the baby John the Baptist leaping in his mother’s. There is singing, there is the joyful expectancy of the two mothers, there is praising of God. 

These readings remind us of the importance of walking by faith. Naturally, to our senses, it may be cold and the darkest day of the year. But we walk by faith, not by sight. Supernaturally, our hearts are burning with the fire of live as Christmas draws near.

Some people experience a deep depression this time of year, as the sun is seen less and less. Christians, though are called to rejoice in spite of the darkness of the world. We turn our faces to the light of the true sun. 

The O Antiphon, on this darkest day of the year, sung at vespers speaks of the sun that rises from the east: O Oriens, splendor lucis æternæ, brightness of light eternal.  come and enlighten those sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death. Christ is the Oriens, the eternal light and sun of justice who rises in just a few days. 

Today, may we bask in the light of our coming savior through our prayer and charity towards those in need, may we bring his light into the dark corners of the world, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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We raise up our prayers of petitions, as we await with longing the Advent of Christ the Lord.

That those in the darkness of error and faithlessness may be enlightened by the light of Christ through the witness of the Church

For the protection of the unborn, and the overturning of all laws lacking respect for the dignity of human life.

That those struggling with winter depression or addiction may find peace and joy in Christ.

That Christ may banish disease, drive out hunger, ward off every affliction, and strengthen all who suffer persecution for the sake of the Gospel.

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

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

 

December 20 2021 - An Advent Paradox

We hear the annunciation story three or four times throughout Advent each year: once on the Immaculate Conception, again on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, depending on the year we might hear it on the 4th Sunday of Advent, and now, in late Advent every year on December 20th. 

The Church celebrated the feast of the Annunciation nine months ago; nine months, the term of a pregnancy. That Holy pregnancy is coming to term in just five days.

Many times throughout Advent we hear in our first reading a prophecy of the Messiah, and then in the Gospel, we hear how that prophecy is fulfilled. Well, today our first reading contained one of the greatest well-known prophecies, that the virgin shall conceive and bear a son. 

How could this be? This paradox. For a virgin to conceive, she wouldn’t be a virgin any more, right? Well…in our Gospel this paradox is unlocked, the mystery is illuminated. By the power of the Holy Spirit, the virgin of Nazareth conceives, and not just any child, but one whose human nature is hypostatically united to his divine nature—so that he can truly be called Emmanuel, which means God-with-us. God in the flesh—God in the midst of mankind—God making his dwelling among us. And his first dwelling, is the most pure virgin womb.

As we approach Christmas, on one hand, we have this powerful reminder of God’s activity. Apart from God’s action, the miraculous conception could not have occurred. God initiated this encounter, he intervened in history to bring about our salvation. God desires our salvation. He works for our salvation. He arranges the events of history to bring about our salvation. He enters into this harsh reality and will suffer for our salvation.

On the other hand, we have the virgin’s beautiful response to God’s invitation. She submits—she trustingly puts her life in the hands of God—I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to thy word. God is at work for our salvation, but he calls us to cooperate with Him, to trust Him.

We contemplate God’s marvelous action, his love, his ability to do what previously seemed impossible, and we contemplate the virgin’s response, her trust, her humility.

Return to these scripture readings sometime today. Enter into the quiet and drink deeply of these power scriptures, the working of God and the cooperation of the Virgin. When you do, no doubt, something will be unlocked in your heart, for the glory of God and salvation of souls. 

  We raise up our prayers of petitions, as we await with longing the Advent of Christ the Lord.

That the witness of the Church may help all nations come to believe in the Lordship of Jesus.

That our president and all civil servants will carry out their duties with justice, honesty, and respect for the dignity of every human life.  

That Christ may banish disease, drive out hunger, ward off every affliction, and strengthen all who suffer persecution for the sake of the Gospel.

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

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

December 17 2021 - Ornaments on the Tree

 

In preparation for Christmas many families put up a Christmas tree in their homes. And on their Christmas trees they hang lights and garland, and of course ornaments. Some families, like mine, had special ornaments for each person. My mom had an ornament with her name on it, my dad had one with his, my sister as well, and so did I. I think we even had an ornament with our dogs name on it.

Well, today, we heard in our Gospel about a tree with many names: The family tree of Jesus.

If you tilt your heads upwards and look at the ceiling of our beautiful church, you will see part of this tree depicted, beginning here at the foot of the sanctuary with Jesse, the Father of David, then King David, going through the many generations St Matthew listed for us, taking us all the way to our Savior blessing us as we leave through the main doors of the Church out into the world.

God took special care in the life of each one of these people, to form them to be an important branch in Jesus’ family tree. God is so great that he can work over thousands and thousands of years to complete his plan. And he did, so that we might have a savior. 

Today, December 17 is the first day of what is called, Late Advent, the final countdown to Christmas. In just a week’s time, we will be on the threshold of Christmas. 

And we hear about Jesus’ family tree today to remember that Jesus isn’t just a figure that emerges out of no where, he isn’t a fairy tale. He was born from a long line of real people, people whose lives we can read about in the scriptures. 

God guided creation with his power and his love to prepare for the birth of Jesus, and he wants to guide our lives as well, but we have to let him. We have to go to God in prayer every day. We have to learn and obey God’s commandments. As I said last week when we celebrated Mary’s Immaculate Conception, God has a plan for each of us, just like he had a plan for Mary, just as he had a plan for all those generations of people in our Gospel today. But we have to say yes to God, we have to put God first by believing in his promises, following his teaching, ordering our life by his wisdom, filling our minds with his wisdom and our hearts with his love. In this way we are best prepared for Christmas, best prepared for the ways God wants to bring goodness and peace into the world through us, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

3rd Week of Advent 2021 - Wednesday - "Near indeed is salvation"

 

Throughout the Old Testament God is revealed as Savior. 

In the early books of the Old Testament God saves people from famine, from slavery, and from enemy armies. Over and over, through Judges like Gideon and Deborah, God saves his people who fall into sin and become vulnerable to enemies like the Amorites, Philistines, and Canaanites. David sings of how God saves him from the murderous plots of saul, and is a constant savior to the people of Israel.

We know the story well of the devastation wrought by the Babylonians. Israel, having forsaken God quite profoundly, fall to the Babylonians and are marched off into exile.

For about two generations, from 587 to 538, the exiled Jews lived under the oppression of the Babylonians. Prophets like Daniel began to speak of how God would save the Jews from Babylonian exile.

In the Gospel, we hear how God the Savior had now come in the flesh, curing the blind and the lame and the lepers and the deaf, and raising the dead. The same God who saved the people of Israel over and over in the Old Testament, had now come as the savior of all mankind.

These Advent readings help us appreciate who Jesus is, who we will be celebrating at Christmas. Not an ordinary man who simply had nice things to say about getting along with each other. He is God in the flesh come to save his people—and not simply from physical ills or enemies, but from the great spiritual enemies of the human race—sin and death. 

These Advent readings help us appreciate who Jesus is, who we will be celebrating at Christmas. Not an ordinary man, who goes about an ordinary life. He is God in the flesh come to save his people—and not simply from physical ills or enemies, but from the great spiritual enemies of the human race—sin and death. 

“Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him” writes David in today’s Psalm. 

Like Isaiah, like David, like John the Baptist, we are to point people to Jesus who is the Savior of mankind. Christmas is not the celebration of the birthday of an ordinary child. It is the birth of the Savior of mankind without whom we would remain exiled from heaven forever. 

May all the ends of the earth turn to him for salvation, justice, and peace, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - -  

That the Holy Father, all bishops and priests, religious and laity may shine with the Light of Christ’s love for the lost and despairing.

That world leaders may look upon the Son of God, believe in him, and seek the peace and justice that only he can bring.

For those who have fallen away from the Church, who have become separated from God through error and sin, for those who reject the teachings of Christ, for their conversion and the conversion of all hearts.

That our young people will turn away from the evils of our culture to spread the good news of Christ’s eternal kingdom.

For those experiencing any kind of hardship or sorrow, isolation, addiction, or illness: may they experience the healing graces of Christ and the saving powers of God.

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

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

December 14 2021 - St. John of the Cross - "O night more loving than the rising sun"

 In the course of the Christian life, there are times when the brightness of God’s closeness sustains us and strengthens us—when it is easy to pray and a delight to pray—when God’s will is relatively easy to discern and follow, when God’s presence is unobscured by our anxieties. But there are also times in the spiritual life—in the Christian life—of inevitable dryness, where the God seems far away, distant, even absent.  

Today’s Saint St. John of the Cross understood darkness. After joining the Carmelites, it became clear that many of his brother monks were not all that interested in prayer, penance, and spiritual growth. They became so annoyed with John that they imprisoned him in a tiny cell.

John took advantage of the darkness and the quiet and the solitude of imprisonment to seek Christ, and composed some of the most beautiful mystical poetry in history. 

And though I suffer darknesses
in this mortal life,
that is not so hard a thing;
for even if I have no light
I have the life of heaven.
For the blinder love is
the more it gives such life,
holding the soul surrendered,
living without light in darkness.

For when once the will
is touched by God himself,
it cannot find contentment
except in the Divinity;
but since his Beauty is open
to faith alone, the will
tastes him…which is so gladly found.

What a wonderful saint to honor and imitate during Advent. For during Advent when practice a sort of spiritual solidarity with Ancient Israel, waiting and longing for Christ in the darkness. For centuries, many thought that God had abandoned his people. The faithful remnant, kept the hope allowed, continued to pray and meditate on the Scriptures and the promises of the Messiah.

St. John of the Cross helps us to look for God in our own experience of darkness and isolation. When God seems distant, when hardships grow great, when the brokenness of the world seems beyond repair, when so many seem to be falling away from the Church, instead of losing hope, we must recommit to seeking God in the darkness. God in fact allows us to undergo spiritual darkness, spiritual trial, that our faith, hope, and love may be grow. 

For spiritual night can lead to an ever deeper experience of God; as John of the Cross wrote, “O night, that was more loving than the rising sun, o night, which joined the lover, to the beloved one” for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - - - -
 

We raise up our prayers of petitions, as we await with longing the Advent of Christ the Lord.

That through self-denial and embrace of the cross the Christian people may experience ever-deeper union with Christ this Advent.

For the members of the Carmelite Order, that their life of prayer and penance will be for the Church a source of renewal and strength.

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

That Christ may banish disease, drive out hunger, ward off every affliction, and strengthen all who suffer persecution for the sake of the Gospel. And in a special way we pray for all victims of natural disaster and adverse weather, especially the victims of the recent tornados in our country.

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

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

2nd Week of Advent 2021 - Friday - "Wisdom is vindicated by her works"

 Throughout the Gospels, we see many different responses to the Lord and his call to conversion. Some, like the Apostles, drop everything they are doing to follow Jesus—they put their earthly business on hold, even walking away from it entirely, in order to follow Jesus. Some, fall at his feet to be healed by him, some climb trees to see him, some go to extreme lengths to bring others to him, like the men who lower their friend through the roof to get near him.

And then some, we know question him, try to trap him in logical arguments, and try to prove him wrong, to be a fool or liar or a madman. Some, of course, will seek to silence him and conspire against him to put him to death, as they know that his truth is a threat to their worldly power. In the Gospel today, we hear how some called him a drunkard and a glutton, seeking to discredit him.

Jesus lamented the hardness of heart he encountered in his ministry. When people do not want to listen to the truth, they will easily enough find an excuse for not heading it. They often don’t even attempt to be logically consistent in their criticisms. Instead of looking for reasons to believe, they’ll look for any reason not to believe.

“But wisdom is vindicated by her works” the Lord says in the Gospel. The hard-hearted, spoiled, cantankerous, illogical criticism of the unrepentant and faithless is proven wrong by the goodness of Jesus and how that goodness fills the lives of his holy ones.

In the end, there will be those who refuse to see the boundless goodness of the saints: they refuse to see the selfless generosity of mother Theresa, st. francis, the profound wisdom of Thomas Aquinas, st. Augustine, st. francis de sales, the profound courage of st. Thomas more. The wisdom of Christ shines brightly in the lives of his holy ones. 

The season of Advent is an opportunity for us to burn brightly with the wisdom of christ, to show forth acts of goodness and righteousness and courageous and self-less generosity to those who will not be convinced by logical arguments. Concrete acts of mercy have a way of piercing through pride and hard-heartedness. So, Advent stirs up a sort of holiness in us that can be seen by the lost and despairing. We are to become like the lights of the advent wreath, burning quietly, but shining with the light of Christ’s goodness and love for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

That the Holy Father, all bishops and priests, religious and laity may shine with the Light of Christ’s love for the lost and despairing.

That world leaders may look upon the Son of God, believe in him, and seek the peace and justice that only he can bring.

For those who have fallen away from the Church, who have become separated from God through error and sin, for those who reject the teachings of Christ, for their conversion and the conversion of all hearts.

That our young people will turn away from the evils of our culture to spread the good news of Christ’s eternal kingdom.

For those experiencing any kind of hardship or sorrow, isolation, addiction, or illness: may they experience the healing graces of Christ. 

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

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

December 7 2021 - St. Ambrose - Honey-tongued Orator and Courageous Bishop

Prior to his conversion to Christianity, Ambrose was of the Roman nobility, trained in the classics, a poet, and a noted orator and governor of Milan, Italy.  In the year 370, while Ambrose was the Roman governor of Milan, the bishop died, and a heated argument erupted over who would be the next bishop.  Ambrose tried to resolve this dispute, and his communication skills were so excellent that someone shouted out, “Ambrose for bishop”.  The orator was speechless, for he had no intention of being a priest or bishop. He wasn’t even baptized, for he was still a catechumen preparing for baptism. 

 He resisted, claiming that he was unworthy, but the people continued to acclaim, “Ambrose for bishop”.  The people prevailed, mostly because Ambrose wanted to preserve peace.  So on December 7 of that year, he was baptized, and was consecrated a bishop, a week later.  He immediately divested himself of his earthly possessions, giving away his wealth to the Church.

 He is known as the “honey-tongued doctor” of the Church, his iconography often having bees and beehives, symbolizing his sweet and smooth oratory and his wisdom. He therefore Patron Saint of Bees and Beekeepers, if you were wondering. Put a drop of honey in your tea in honor of St. Ambrose!

“Care must be taken that our speech proceed not from evil passions,” writes Ambrose. “For in guarding his mouth, and restraining his tongue, and in not speaking before examining, pondering, and weighing his words… he certainly is practicing modesty, gentleness, patience. So he will not burst out into speech through displeasure or anger, nor give sign of any passion in his words, nor proclaim that the flames of lust are burning in his language, or that the incentives of wrath are present in what he says.”

 Ambrose, echoes the epistle of St. James, in the need to bridle our tongue, to control our words. James writes, “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, his religion is vain.” To bridle our tongue is to practice self-control, examining, pondering, weighing our words…thinking before we speak.

 

 Ambrose’s bridled and honey-tongued speech won over the young St. Augustine to the Christian faith, inspiring Augustine to renounce his heresies and wild living and embrace Christ.

Ambrose was certainly given the grace to preach, as St. Paul says in the epistle today, and also a boldness of speech and confidence. In 390, a riot erupted in Thessalonica and a Roman Governor was killed. In retaliation, the Roman Emperor Theodosius brutally massacred 7000 Thessalonians. For this heinous act, Bishop Ambrose excommunicated the emperor, who claimed to be a Catholic. Theodosius, before he could be readmitted to the Sacraments was to do public penance for condoning the murderous act.

 To justify the use of this spiritual authority over the emperor, Ambrose explained, “the emperor is in the church not over it.”  That’s a good reminder to all of us today—that bishops have an important role to play in the lives of the faithful, even those who are political leaders.

 One of his biographers wrote that, “At the last judgment people would still be divided between those who admired Ambrose, and those who thoroughly disliked him.”  Better disliked and in heaven, then admired and in hell.

 So let’s pray today for our bishops, and for all Christians that they may have the gifts of preaching and courage had by Saint Ambrose, bishop, and doctor of the Church.

- - - - - - -

We raise up our prayers of petitions, as we await with longing the Advent of Christ the Lord.

That the teaching and preaching of the Pope and all bishops and clergy will be founded firmly upon the full truth of the Word of God.

That all those who wander in error, far from the Gospel of Christ, may be led through the preaching and example of the Christian people to the fullness of faith.

That our president and all civil servants will carry out their duties with justice, honesty, and respect for the dignity of every human life. 

That Christ may banish disease, drive out hunger, and ward off every affliction.

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

Almighty ever-living God, who bring salvation to all and desire that no one should perish, hear the prayers of your people and grant that the course of our world may be directed by your peaceful rule and your Church rejoice in tranquility and devotion. Through Christ our Lord.

 

 

December 6 2021 - St. Nicholas - Generous, miracle-worker, hammer of heretics

 

Children of all ages can readily identify the saint we honor today.  The man with the twinkling eyes, the smiling face, the ample body and the pillowed red suit.  Historically, we know that Nicholas was a bishop of Myra a city in what is now Turkey in the fourth century.

Perhaps one of the best-known stories about Nicholas concerns his generosity towards a poor family

The culture of the time , in order for a young woman to marry, the father had to provide her with a dowry so that her new husband would be able to pay for her upkeep, at least for some period of time. Families without money for a dowry often couldn’t get their daughters married. One poor father didn’t know what to do for his three daughters. If he were to die or be incapable of work, they would be driven prostitution for survival.

Nicholas heard of the family’s situation and one night threw a bag of gold coins through the family’s open window, enough for the dowry for the oldest daughter who was soon married. The next night, Nicholas threw in another bag, sufficient for the dowry of the middle daughter, who likewise was married. The third night Nicholas tossed a third bag to help marry the third daughter of the father.

There is something profoundly holy about this sort of anonymous charity. “When you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites, rather, let your giving be in secret” the Lord teaches us.

St. Nicholas was not only charitable, but a miracle worker. There is an amazing miracle story where Bishop Nicholas restored to life three young men who had been killed.  There was a food shortage in Myra, and the local butcher abducted and killed three young men, and put them in brine to cure them before making them into a ham.  Bishop Nicholas became aware of this through the Holy Spirit, found the boys, restored them to life, and converted the butcher to Christianity.

Bishop Nicholas was also a great lover and defender of truth. Bishop Nicholas stood up for the truth at the council of Nicaea. When the heretic priest Arius claimed that Jesus was not of the same substance with the Father, Nicholas corrected Arius….physically. There are pictures of Nicholas slapping Arius in the mouth for the foul errors spewing from it. St. Nicholas is sometimes called the “hammer of heretics” for this great defense of the faith.

Here was a bishop, aware and responsive to the needs of the poor in his diocese, whose holiness was evident due to the miraculous stories which began to arise around him, and a bishop who was a great defender of the Apostolic Faith. He is certainly a model for all bishops today.

And, Nicholas is a model for all of us especially during advent—a saint in which generosity, holiness, and love of truth are combined, as they always are. Where one is lacking so will the other two.

Advent challenges us to look for opportunities for such anonymous benefaction, for the corporal and spiritual needs of others, to pray for others, especially those in need of a miracles, perhaps, even through lives of holiness to become instruments of God’s miraculous love, and like St. Nicholas to deepen our understanding and preach the Apostolic Truth about Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - - 

For Pope Francis, Bishop Malesic, and all of the ordained, that their ministry may be effective in leading the Church in spreading Christ’s saving Gospel.

That our elected officials, judges, government leaders and people of good will may work together in defending innocent human life, working for the common good, and righting injustice.

For our young people, that they may be kept safe from the errors of our culture and kept in close friendship with Jesus through prayer and acts of mercy.

For all whose lives are marked by suffering, disease or sorrow, may they come to know the healing and peace of Christ.

For the deceased of our parish, family and friends, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Almighty ever-living God, who bring salvation to all and desire that no one should perish, hear the prayers of your people and grant that the course of our world may be directed by your peaceful rule and your Church rejoice in tranquility and devotion. Through Christ our Lord.

A reading from the epistle to the Hebrews

Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teaching.* It is good to have our hearts strengthened by grace and not by foods, which do not benefit those who live by them. We have an altar* from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. The bodies of the animals whose blood the high priest brings into the sanctuary as a sin offering are burned outside the camp. Therefore, Jesus also suffered outside the gate, to consecrate the people by his own blood. Let us then go to him outside the camp, bearing the reproach that he bore. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the one that is to come. Through him [then] let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.

A continuation of the holy gospel according to St. matthew

At that time, Jesus spoke this parable to His disciples: a man who was going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents;* to another, two; to a third, one—to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two. But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money. After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five.* He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’ [Then] the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’

 

2nd Sunday of Advent 2021 - "Take off your robe of mourning and misery"

 

It was the worst of times….and the worst of times…During the most disastrous time in Israel’s history, the time of the Babylonian exile, lived the author of today’s first reading: the prophet Baruch.  The armies of the Babylonians had swept through Judea, killing many, laying siege to Jerusalem and destroying the city, burning the temple to the ground, and carrying-off the elite of the nation into slavery.  

Think of how horrific this must have been.  The chosen people, living in the heart of the kingdom, David’s city, and watching the temple built by Solomon be destroyed.  The Temple was supposed to be the spiritual center where one day all people of the world would come to worship in harmony.  Jerusalem is sacked, the nation destroyed, the temple burnt to the ground, priests and civic leaders carried away.  Think of something like the United States being conquered, Washington DC being destroyed, the capital and the white house burnt, our government leaders taken into slavery AND our churches demolished and priests and bishops arrested and taken away.  That is the background for the first reading today.  It seemed to the Israelites as if God had abandoned his people.

And what was the prophet Baruch’s message? Standing in the rubble of Jerusalem, the prophet says, don't be sad. “Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery; and look to the east.”  Why the east?  The east is the direction of the rising sun. 

So Baruch is saying don’t mourn. It looks dark right now.  But you will see God arise and set captives free, establishing justice, restoring the glory of Israel. 

And that theme of hope recurs over and over in the Old Testament: that in life’s darkest moments, when things look bleakest, we must trust that God has not abandoned us, that he will ultimately fulfill his promises to deliver us from evil. 

Just about 50 years after Baruch’s prophecies, in the year 538 BC, the Babylonians fell to the Persians, and the Persian King Cyrus freed the exiles, and allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple.

Now fast forward, five hundred years. It was the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,

when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas.

Again, another dark time in Israel’s history.  Tiberius Caesar the successor of Caesar Augustus was a ruthless dictator—oppressive, violent, capricious.  Pontius Pilate, a name we know pretty well was Tiberius’ equally ruthless and violent local representative in Judea.  Governor Pilate was only too willing to crucify Jews by the thousands; he raised the Roman insignia in the Temple, which was blasphemous.  Herod, the tetrarch of Galilee, and Philip his brother, were fearsome, hateful, ruthless, collaborators with the Roman Government. 

Annas and Caiaphas the Jewish high priests, as leaders of God’s flock were supposed to be men of righteousness, but they used their religious power for political gain, and instead of conducting the worship of the Temple in righteousness according to God’s commandments, they had allowed corruption to sink into Temple life.

St Luke sets the stage—he calls to mind this corrupt and vicious hierarchy which governed political and religious life in the first century.  And after describing these dark circumstances, Saint Luke tells us that God made his instrument not one of these high and mighty men. God used as his instrument this nobody, John, in the desert.  Not a mighty ruler, but a man eating locusts in the desert.  

And John’s message?  God is about to act again.  To all of you who are oppressed, beaten down, hoping, waiting, tired of the violence, the corruption, and the suffering: 

"Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God."

A change is coming, a revolution is on its way.  The destruction of the old oppressive powers is at hand.  God is about to act. So, “Prepare, ye, the way of the Lord.”

How are the people to prepare?  John called them to a baptism of water and repentance.  A baptism of water in the river Jordan, calling to mind the passing through the waters of the Red Sea, when God led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt.  God is going to free you, just as he freed the Israelites from slavery, leading them into a promised land. 

And John called them to repentance. The word he uses for repentance is metanoia, the greek word, that meant to change your mind, change your heart, change your attitude, change your behavior, so that it is in keeping with the God’s commandments. You can’t and won’t be prepared for God to break into your life without repentance.

The world of Tiberius Caesar, the oppression of Pilate, the religious malaise of Annas and Caiaphas had stunted their hopes, and the chosen people had fallen into mediocrity.  And John was saying, get your hearts and minds ready, because God is about to act, the in breaking of the kingdom of God in your midst.  

During Advent we consider how God has already begun such good work in us, bringing us goodness, freedom, and peace, but also how God, as St. Paul said in the Epistle, wants to bring that good work to completion. He wants to strengthen us in virtue, he wants to drive out hopelessness, he wants to conquer addiction, he wants to transform selfishness into Christ-like self-donation. But we have to do our part. “Prepare the way of the Lord” requires some work on our part. 

If you can’t identify some crooked aspects of your life that need to be made straight, look again. If you can’t identify some valleys of selfishness that need to be filled in with generosity, look again. If you can’t identify some rough parts of your personality that need to be smoothed over, look again.  

If God can break into history in the dark time of Caesar, Pilate, Herod, Caiaphas and Annas, he can break into our lives. The Gospel, however, exposes these men to be on the wrong side of history, for they rejected Christ when he came. But that doesn’t mean we have to be.

May we prepare the way for the Lord to come more deeply into our lives, by repenting as John tells us, by renewing our hope in Christ by taking God’s promises to heart, that the good work God has begun in us may be brought to completion, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

December 2021 - First Friday Holy Hour - The Eucharist and the healing of spiritual blindness

 Then he touched their eyes and said, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.”

In today’s Gospel, the Lord heals two blind men.  The healing of physical blindness in this instance comes when faith is placed in Jesus as the Son of God. This points to the spiritual healing that comes through the Christian faith. The Lord restores our senses and opens the eyes of our soul when we place our faith in him. 

In Eucharistic Adoration, we have the wonderful opportunity to kneel in faith before the same Lord and Divine Physician who healed the blind men in the Gospel. And just like it was for those blind men, this act of faith can be a conduit of healing for ourselves and our loved ones. 

The blind men in the Gospel could not see the Lord, but cried out “Have pity on us.”  They recognized their blindness, they recognized their need for healing, and they recognized that they cannot heal themselves.

Recognizing our blindnesses, those times when we have looked to gods other than Christ to save us, let us call upon the Lord, “have pity on us…come close to us and heal us that we may be restored that we may be healed, that our fracture hearts and fractured lives may be made whole.”

Listen to these words offered by St. Alphonus Ligouri about the healing of spiritual blindness. He writes as if kneeling in front of the Lord, gazing upon and adoring his goodness, just as we are doing tonight.

“My dear Redeemer, how I have been so blind as to abandon you—who are infinite goodness, and the fountain of all consolation—for the miserable and momentary gratifications of the senses? I am astonished at my blindness, but I am still more astonished at your mercy, which has so bountifully borne with me. I thank you for making me aware now of my folly, and of my obligation to love you. I love you, O my Jesus, with my whole soul, but I desire to love you with greater fervor. Increase my desire and my love. Enamor my soul of you, who are infinitely loveable; of you, who have left nothing undone to gain my love; of you, who so ardently desire my love. “If you will it, you can make me clean.”

Ah, my dear Redeemer, purify my heart from all impure affections, which hinder me from loving you as I would wish! It is not in my power to inflame my whole heart with the love of you, and to make it love nothing but you. This requires the power of your grace, which can do all things. Detach me from every creature, banish from my soul every affection which is not for you, make me all yours…I resolve to consecrate all the days of my life to your holy love; but it is only your grace that can make me fulfill this resolution. Grant me, O Lord, this grace for the sake of the Blood which you shed for me with so much pain and so much love. Let it be the glory of your power to make my heart, which was once full of earthly affections, now become all flames of love for you, O infinite Good. O Mother of Fair Love, O Mary, by your prayers, make my whole soul burn, as yours did, with the charity of God.”

This evening, in the silence of adoration, ask the Lord to come close to you to heal any spiritual blindness that afflicts you. Ask the Lord to have pity on you and your family and this parish. Ask him to bring his healing to the blindnesses of those in our neighborhood, especially those blind to his love the salvation offered through him, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

December 03 2021 - St. Francis Xavier - The hand extended to sinners

 I’ll never forget my first trip to Rome and visiting all the different Churches. Many of the Churches are administrated by the diocese and priests of Rome itself. Some are run by the different religious orders. The Jesuits run a few churches in Rome, but most impressive, however, is their mother Church, La Chiesa del Santissimo Nome di Gesù, the Church of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, or the Gesu, for short.

And there on the side altar of this immense, beautiful baroque church, is the incorrupt relic of the right hand and arm of St. Francis Xavier, the great Jesuit missionary, who is honored today. The rest of his incorrupt body is laid in Goa, India, where he was sent by Ignatius in 1540 to evangelize. He also traveled to Japan and is known as the first apostle of the Philippines. 

But it is there in Rome, where his incorrupt right hand and arm are is enshrined in this golden reliquary. And it is so fitting that it is his arm that is so enshrined. For that arm baptized and blessed thousands and thousands of new converts, probably close to a hundred thousand converts. That arm poured water to become a conduit of God, it called down blessing for so many. A tremendously powerful image.

St. Francis Xavier is one of the great Patron Saints of Missionaries, and it is good to celebrate this missionary saint here at the beginning of Advent. Jesus himself was a missionary, sent by the Father for the work of salvation. We are to receive Jesus as we would receive a missionary who delivers to us the most important message of our lives. He is the Word that brings salvation, the hand extended to sinners, as we say in the Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation. 

Advent helps us to quiet down, to remove the spiritual clutter, in order to receive His Word more deeply, to receive The Word, more deeply.

But the one who receives is also called to give, to pass on. To receive the missionary Christ we must be willing to become a missionary as well. Just as St. Francis Xavier was sent by his superior to the farthest ends of the earth, we are sent, to carry the reconciling word of Christ, to extend the reach of the saving hand of God. 

Pope Francis reminds us that we are missionary disciples. Disciples with a mission, disciples sent out by God, to extend the blessing, truth, salvation, goodness, peace, and love of Jesus to everyone. May this holy Advent, and this great Advent saint, Francis Xavier, continue to stir up our faith, that we may more willingly and courageously extend that faith to others, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - - - -  

For Pope Francis, Bishop Malesic, and all of the ordained, that their ministry may be effective in leading the Church in spreading Christ’s saving Gospel.

That our elected officials, judges, government leaders and people of good will may work together in defending innocent human life, working for the common good, and righting injustice.

For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life, for the Jesuit Order’s faithfulness to the mission of Christ, and through the intercession of St. Francis Xavier, for the sanctity, safety, and success of all missionaries.

For all whose lives are marked by suffering, disease or sorrow, may they come to know the healing and peace of Christ.

For the deceased of our parish, family and friends, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Almighty ever-living God, who bring salvation to all and desire that no one should perish, hear the prayers of your people and grant that the course of our world may be directed by your peaceful rule and your Church rejoice in tranquility and devotion. Through Christ our Lord.

1st Week of Advent 2021 - Wednesday - Fulfillment of prophecies of old

 There is a beautiful interplay between the first reading and the Gospel throughout the weekdays of Advent. In the first reading there is a prophecy about the Messiah, from Isaiah these first two weeks. Then in our Gospel reading, we catch a glimpse of how that old testament prophecy is fulfilled in Jesus.

For example, on Monday, Isaiah prophesied how “All nations shall stream toward” God, not just the Jews, but all nations shall be instructed by God, and their swords will be beaten into pruning hooks.

Then in the Gospel, we heard of a sword carrying, non-Jewish Roman centurion, who approached Jesus seeking healing for his servant. 

Today, we hear the prophecy of God’s holy mountain, upon which death will be destroyed, the tears of the miserable will be wiped away, and the hungry will feast. And then in the Gospel, Jesus fulfills that very prophecy driving away the powers of death in the lame, blind, and deformed. And he then feeds the multitude through this miraculous multiplication of loaves, after which there is more food left over than when they started. 

As these prophecies were being fulfilled in the earthly ministry of Jesus, you can bet that people were getting excited. The apostles followed him with vigor as they began to recognize who he was. Jews and Gentiles began to recognize that God was at work. Jesus was stirring things up, calling the slumbering to wake up, repent, change your ways, get ready, the kingdom of God is at hand. 

So, too, in this age of the Church Advent should stir something in us. It has the power to enflame the lukewarm, inspire faith in non-believers, rouse the negligent, call sinners to repentant, and deepen the faith of even the saintly. 

But the power of Advent needs to emanate outside of the walls of our churches in the preaching and good works of the faithful. In our generosity toward the miserable, in the softening and warming of our hearts toward the poor and lame, outside of these walls souls can be touched and transformed. 

May we cooperate generously with the myriad ways our Lord wishes to draw souls to Himself for the glory of God and salvation of souls. 

- - - - - - - - 

We raise up our prayers of petitions, as we await with longing the Advent of Christ the Lord.

That through the witness and work of the Church, Our Lord will bring hope to the hopeless and joy to the joyless.

That world leaders may look upon the Son of God, believe in him, and seek the peace and justice that only he can bring.

That Christ may heal every disease, drive out hunger, feed every authentic hunger, ward off every affliction, and bring peace to the suffering.

For the deceased of our parish, family and friends, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for Edward Yurick. for whom this Mass is offered.

Almighty ever-living God, who bring salvation to all and desire that no one should perish, hear the prayers of your people and grant that the course of our world may be directed by your peaceful rule and your Church rejoice in tranquility and devotion. Through Christ our Lord.

November 30 2021 - St. Andrew the Apostle - What do you seek?

 There’s a particular fittingness in celebrating the feast of St. Andrew at the beginning of Advent, because his life illustrates for us very well the fundamental response Advent seeks to elicit from us, to go out to meet Christ, and to embrace and follow Christ the Lord when he comes.

In John’s Gospel, we read how Andrew had been a disciple of John the Baptist, and following the Baptism of the Lord by John in the Jordan, Andrew begins to follow Jesus…literally, as Jesus is walking, Andrew and another of the baptist’s disciples, probably john the evangelist, had been tailing Jesus from a distance.  Jesus heard them, turned and said, “What do you seek?” In their nervousness they blurted out, “Where are you staying?” Jesus, inviting them to a deeper relationship and to discipleship responds, “Come and see.”

Here is a beautiful illustration of Advent. Perhaps we’ve been following Jesus, but keeping him at a bit of a distance, just as all of us do, if we’re honest. But Jesus senses the longing in our hearts, after all, he put it there. And so he invites us to stay with him, to deepen the relationship, to come and see. 

Andrew, we know, would not only draw close to the Lord, personally, but he would leave behind his old way of life, and begin to draw others close to the Lord. As soon as Andrew was able to travel again after the completion of the Sabbath, Andrew ran to his brother Simon and announced, “We have found the Messiah!” His longing for Christ led Andrew to bring others to Him.

This is how we know discipleship is real, faith in Christ impels us to tell others about Him, to lead others to Him.

What makes Andrew powerfully heroic is that his discipleship led him to suffer greatly for the Gospel.

Tradition says that after the Lord’s Resurrection and Ascension, Andrew went on to spread the Gospel in Greece, particularly Patras, a city on the northwest coast of Greece’s Peloponnesian peninsula. There he was arrested by the governor, and imprisoned and tortured for preaching against the pagan gods. The governor promised great honors to Andrew, if he would forsake his Christian faith. Andrew, course, know Christ to be the true and only God, refused. For this, Andrew was sentenced to death by crucifixion on the X-shaped cross. 

This brave martyr, this beautiful soul who longed for Christ, searched for Him, embraced Him, brought others to Him, is such a powerful model for us to celebrate and consider at the beginning of this Advent season. We do well to consider, how our lives should change in order to follow Andrew’s example, of going out to meet the Lord and embracing him when he arrives for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

We raise up our prayers of petitions, as we await with longing the Advent of Christ the Lord.

That through the courageous witness of the Christian Church, Our Lord will bring hope to the hopeless and joy to the joyless.

That world leaders may look upon the Son of God, believe in him, and seek the peace and justice that only he can bring.

That Christ may heal every disease, drive out hunger, ward off every affliction, and bring peace to the suffering.

For the deceased of our parish, family and friends, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Keep us alert, we pray, O Lord our God, as we await the advent of Christ your son, so that, when he comes and knocks, he may find us watchful in prayer and exultant in  his praise. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

1st Week of Advent 2021 - Monday - "Lord I am not worthy..."

 

“Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the world and my soul will be healed.”  

How appropriate, that right at the beginning of Advent, we have this profound statement of humble faith of the Roman Centurion. “Lord, I am not worthy”

This statement of faith has long been part of the Roman liturgy. We recite these words prior to our reception of holy communion. In fact, in the Old Rite, it would be recited three times, while striking the breast, “Domine, non sum dignus, ut intres sub tectum meum, sed tantum dic verbum, et sanabitur animam meam”

For some of us, every day is Advent; for every day, while attending Mass, the Lamb of God is made present to us, and every day, we recite those words of the Centurion before the Lord’s Advent into our souls through the reception of Holy Communion.

One the one hand, these words confess our unworthiness to receive the holy one. Our lives our full of so many imperfections, so much weakness, that the words of St. Peter would be more appropriate, no? “Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man.” I have so often turned away from grace, turned away from goodness. I am not worthy. 

And yet, in the Mass, the Lord, present, seems to also echo that invitation made to the repentant: “Come to me, all of you, and I will refresh you.” Though I am so carnal and worldly, so unmortified in my passions, so full of concupiscence, so unguarded in my outward senses, so entangled in my vain imaginations, so negligent in cultivating my interior life, so sluggish in austerity and fervor, so selfish in generosity, so often deaf to the word of God, the Lord beckons me anyway.

While acknowledging our unworthiness, we also confidently acknowledge that by a mere word of his omnipotence, the Lord can heal and restore our diseased soul, to make it a fitting tabernacle for his divine presence.

As the Catechism explains: “Before so great a sacrament, the faithful can only echo humbly and with ardent faith the words of the centurion, Lord I am not worthy to receive” Like the centurion, we acknowledge our unworthiness to have Jesus enter under the roof of our souls. Yet just as the centurion believed Jesus was able to heal his servant, so we trust that Jesus can heal us as he becomes the intimate guest of our soul in Holy Communion.

The Centurion certainly sets the tone for Advent. What does it mean to stir up our faith this Advent? To deeply and profoundly consider our unworthiness to receive the Lord, and yet, at the same time, to confidently approach him, to invite him into our souls, knowing that he longs to make his dwelling in us, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

As we await with longing the Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, we raise up our prayers of petitions.

That Christ may visit his holy Church and always find her repentant of sin and watchful in prayer.

That Christ may fill the Pope, our Bishop, and all the clergy with spiritual gifts and graces.

That Christ may guide the minds of those who govern us to promote the common good according to His Holy Will.

That Christ may banish disease, drive out hunger, and ward off every affliction.

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

Almighty ever-living God, who bring salvation to all and desire that no one should perish, hear the prayers of your people and grant that the course of our world may be directed by your peaceful rule and your Church rejoice in tranquility and devotion. Through Christ our Lord.

1st Sunday of Advent 2021 - History, Mystery, Majesty

 

It’s new year’s day on our church calendar, as we commence a new liturgical year, with this advent season of four weeks in preparation for Christmas. 

The word Advent, coming from the latin word “adventus” means an arrival. Advent celebrates the arrival of Christ—or should we say arrivals. 

The comedian George Burns used to quip, “it’s not that I don’t believe in God, I do believe in God, I just wonder when he is going to show up.” Well, Advent helps us to appreciate and celebrate  just “how” in fact God does enter our lives. Specifically, three ways.

Firstly, God has already broken into history. He did come at Christmas, that first Christmas, 2000 years ago. God took on human flesh and was born in Bethlehem. Advent, helps us to spiritually prepare for the celebration of Christmas. For Christmas is an event so important, a liturgical feast, so glorious, that we need some time to prepare for it. We decorate our homes and our churches in preparation for Christmas, and we decorate our lives with special Advent liturgies, and prayers, and by practicing the Advent virtues of faith, hope, joy, love, and patience, and by engaging in extra acts of mercy and charity.

Secondly, Advent helps us celebrate the ways that God enters into our lives, now, in the present life of the Church.

He comes to us now in the liturgical and sacramental life of the Church: In the pouring of water at baptism, at the absolution of sins in Confession, at the sacramental anointing of the sick—God enters into the lives of individual Christians through the Sacraments. He comes to us at every celebration of Mass, truly present in the Eucharist.

And he comes to us in our private prayer lives, too, doesn’t he, when we are at home contemplating his Word, bringing to him our doubts, our wounds, our anxieties, our gratitude for blessings. As we draw close to God in prayer, God draws close to us, with his gifts of peace, healing, strength, consolation, and courage.

Both in our private prayer and our public liturgical sacramental life, the Lord’s Advent is mysterious and subtle. Even for life long Catholics, his presence is sometimes difficult to detect, his presence is veiled behind the gestures and words and ritual elements. What the senses fail to grasp, can only be detected through faith. 

This is not unlike how many of Jesus’ contemporaries did not recognize him as God when he came in history 2000 years ago. In the prologue of John’s Gospel we hear the sad words that “he came into the world, but the world did not know him, and his own did not recognize or accept him.” The worldly did not recognize him then, and the worldly do not recognize him now. 

So, Advent helps to increase our spiritual sensitivity to the way that Jesus enters into our lives through the sacraments and in the silence of private prayer. We are encouraged to come to Mass as often as possible throughout Advent, and to make a good confession, and to set aside time every day to reflect on the scriptures and to engage in devotional prayer during this holy season. In this way Advent will open our minds and hearts to the myriad ways the Lord enters into our lives.So, The Lord came in history, the Lord comes in mystery, and lastly, the Lord will come in majesty at the end of time as judge of the living and the dead.

Right at the beginning of the Church year, this first day of the new Church year, we begin with the end in mind, by considering the Lord’s return at the end of time.  And His coming in majesty will not be veiled, or mysterious, as it was 2000 years ago and in the sacraments. When he comes again, every knee on earth will bend, every tongue will proclaim Jesus Christ is Lord. He will not come in a hidden way, but with a blare of trumpets.

When will this be? We know neither the day nor the hour. He could return at any moment, in 10 minutes, 10 years, 10 millennia. I’d say it’d be nice if he came at least after the collection today, but at that point, the offertory will be irrelevant, for the earthly mission of the Church in time will have come to an end. 

We do not know when the Lord will return, so, we are to live always with the Lord’s return in mind, as if his return is imminent. The motto of the U.S. Coast Guard describes the position of the Church in time, “semper paratus”—always prepared. Our souls are to be prepared for Christ’s final advent by confessing any serious sins in the Sacrament of Confession, we are to be prepared by not being too attached to material earthly things, by busying ourselves not with selfish pursuits, but living generously for God and others. 

In the verses immediately following the today’s Gospel the Lord says, “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.” The Lord gives this warning because it would be a tragedy of the highest kind if our souls were not prepared for his return because of sin and earthly anxiety. If we were too busy making provision for the flesh as Paul says in the epistle, that we were not prepared for the Lord’s return.

We also prepare well by savoring each moment the Lord has blessed us with. Each moment is a gift given to us to grow in holiness and merit grace. In a sense, we are to live each day as if it were our last. Gratitude is to be a mark of the mature Christian—gratitude for the blessings that fill our lives, recognizing that even earthly blessings are but hints of the good things to come for God’s faithful ones in eternity, they are appetizers for the feast to come. Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, the good things which God has prepared for those who love him.  

The Lord’s return in glorious majesty at the end of time should fill us with urgency to make sure that our souls are prepared, but also to use every moment wisely, with gratitude, and joyful expectation of the blessings to come.

Though George Burns wondered when indeed God will show up, we Catholics have it on good authority that He has come in history, he does come in mystery, and he will come again in majesty at the end of time. May this Advent stir up our faith to help us prepare well for Christmas, to appreciate with greater faith his coming in the mystery of the sacraments, and to live always in expectant hope in the Lord’s imminent return in majesty, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.