8th Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Monday - "What must I do to inherit eternal life?"

 

“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 

One of the great concern many priests and probably many of you have is that fewer and fewer people seem to be concerned with this question: young people, our family members, over 80% of Catholics who aren’t even going to Church on Sundays anymore. What happened? What changed?

It’s certainly one of the symptoms of the secularism and materialism of our age: this indifference to eternity. Many ask questions  like, “what must I do to get into Harvard, what must I do to be a famous athlete, what must I do to make my first million by the age of 30?” Maybe, many people do not even have a driving question.

This man in the Gospel today, he had this driving question. So much so, notice, St. Mark tells us, that he runs up to Jesus, he falls to his knees, to ask this question. 

Perhaps so few are asking about eternity because so much information is available at our fingertips now. People figure, well, when the time comes to start asking ultimate questions, I can just look up the answer on the internet. Perhaps, they are so caught up into the trivial, they don’t even think to concern themselves with what comes next.

Or, perhaps, they have thought about eternity, and instead of turning to God for answers, they’ve concluded that, well, eternal life is a guarantee, everybody goes to heaven.

And that would make things everything easier. Rich, poor, religiously devout, religiously neglectful, everyone goes to heaven. I’ve come across this belief among many Catholics. 

But this answer is at odds with what Jesus teaches in the Gospel. There are a lot of things that can keep us from heaven. “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.” And that’s just one situation. Read through the Gospels, and note how many times Jesus uses the word “unless”. Unless you do this, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. “Unless you become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” “Unless you are born again by water and the holy spirit, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” “Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood” and so on.

The young man went away sad in the Gospel, because the Son of God told him that unless he gave up his love of possessions he couldn’t go to heaven. Many refuse to ask that ultimate question, what must I do to inherit eternal life” because they are unwilling to face that “unless”. For some people, it’s just easier to provide their own answer, write their own Gospel—an anti-Gospel—where can have your cake and eat it to, where you can have heaven without having to change anything about yourself on earth. I’m already perfect is the great anti-Gospel of our age. Because why would you need God if you’re already perfect?

In a few days we begin the great season of Lent, a time for us to acknowledge what in us, in our attitudes and behaviors and attachments need to be given up, in order to be perfected by God. The world is confounded by this, those who already believe themselves perfect, can’t imagine why we would do penance. But God work through our penances to bring about a change of heart for those who live the anti-Gospel, that all hearts may come to long and seek the life that can only come from Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For “an immediate end to the hostilities in Ukraine, for a restoration of peace and for the safety of all Ukrainian citizens. And for the Ukrainian community in Northeast Ohio, that their friends and family members in their beloved homeland be kept out of harm’s way.”

That the upcoming season of Lent may be a time of profound renewal for our parish and the Church as we engage in the penitential practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

For the conversion of those who reject the Gospel, for grace to break through to hearts hardened toward God, for the protection of young people from the errors and perversions of our culture.

For those who struggle because of addiction, mental illness, chronic sickness, unemployment, inclement weather, or ongoing trials of any kind.

For the dead, for all of the souls in purgatory, and for X, for whom this Holy mass is offered. 

O God, our refuge and our strength, hear the prayers of your Church, for you are the source of all goodness, and grant, we pray, that what we ask in faith, we may truly obtain. Through Christ our Lord.

Saturday before Ash Wednesday 2022 - Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners

On this final Saturday of Septuagesima, on the verge of the penitential season of Lent, I’d like to consider briefly one of the titles of Our Lady from the Litany of Loreto: Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners.

This title of Our Lady inspires confidence in us who are in need of God's mercy. As St. Louis Marie de Montfort says: "If we fear to go directly to Jesus Christ, our God, whether because of His infinite greatness, or because of our vileness, or because of our sins, let us boldly implore the aid and intercession of Mary, our Mother. She is good, She is tender, She has nothing in Her austere and forbidding, nothing too sublime and too brilliant. In seeing Her, we see our pure nature. She is not the sun, which by the brightness of its rays blinds us because of our weakness; but She is fair and gentle as the moon (Cant. 6:9), which receives the light of the sun, and tempers it to make it more suitable to our capacity" 

And yet, we know that God is merciful and full of compassion, so when we turn to Our Lady with that consoling title, "Refuge of Sinners," we see in Her one who loves the lost sheep, as God loves them. Our Lady loves us because God loves us. And she intercedes continually that not one of us may be lost. She is our refuge, our advocate, because God wants us to come to Him through Her, since every grace He gives us is given through Her hands. 

The tender arms of Our Lady are opened to all of us poor sinners, so much that St. Bonaventure said that "Mary embraces with motherly love even such a sinner as is despised by all the world, and ceases not to embrace him until he is reconciled with his Judge." 

As the members of the Church acknowledge our sins this Lent, we turn to our Lady, seeking refuge in the folds of her mantle, where we plead with our Mother to teach us how to repent well, to be reconciled well with God, to be open to the conversion God desires for us. 

Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners, pray for us, that we may become worthy of the promises of Christ, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

7th Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Friday - "Do not complain about one another"

 Our spiritual director in seminary, Fr. John Loya, always used to say that we must avoid the ABCs: arguing, blaming, and complaining. ABC. Whether it’s with family, strangers, fellow seminarians, or parishioners, avoid the ABCs, arguing, blaming, and complaining.

St. James, in our first reading, gives a similar teaching: “Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another.”

It is acceptable to grieve over the difficulties of life, and to cry to God over the injustices we suffer. There is an entire book of the Old Testament, the book of Lamentations, which consists of anguished cries over the destruction of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians. Many of Psalms consist of lamentation. To bring ones miseries, ones trials and tribulations to God, can be a holy thing. We should bring to God our concerns, for the people of Ukraine, for example, our concerns for innocent life, and peace, and the salvation of fallen away Catholics.

But there is a form of complaining which is sinful. In the book of Numbers, the complaining of the Israelites in the desert displeased the Lord. Numbers 11 says, “And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled”.

There is a difference between bringing ones anguish and concern to the Lord and the sort of distrustful complaining the Israelites were manifesting. The Israelites murmured against God himself, his plans, claiming some defect in God’s providence. They hardened their hearts toward God and complained, not because his care was defective, but because his care was not exactly what they wanted. God often gives us what we need, not necessarily what we want. This form of sinful complaining is a sin against faith and trust in God’s providence.

St. James, this morning, condemns, complaining, not so much about God’s plans and God’s ways, but about our neighbors.

St. James is realistic about the problems Christians face. Due to our many faults, we often get under each other’s skins. We irritate each other. We fail each other. We don’t live up to each other’s expectations. And so we are tempted to sinful complaining. 

And St. James, this morning, is saying, “stop it.” “Do not complain,” rather, endure the faults of others with persevering patience. “Do everything without complaining or arguing” says St. Paul to the Philippians. 

Both James and Paul are in agreement, that sinful complaining is a form of unholy discord. Complaining introduces bitterness into otherwise sweet conversations. It the sign of an impatient, even a narcissistic heart. Complaining can easily become such a vice that some people’s entire personalities become warped by their constant complaining. “Complaining damages the heart,” Pope Francis said, a few years ago.   

Complaining is not a fruit of the Spirit. In fact, it is detrimental to the peace, joy, and patience that come from the Spirit. It is a poison, an acid, that erodes the bonds of unity and charity. It undermines the work of the Church.

As Christians, we must bridle our tongues, guard our tongues from such evils, and use our tongues, to speak the good things men need to hear, the call to holiness through Christian discipleship, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That Christians may have the grace to love one another with patience, kindness, gentleness, and mercy.

In the recent words of Bishop Malesic, for “an immediate end to the hostilities, for a restoration of peace and for the safety of all Ukrainian citizens…[and] for the Ukrainian community in Northeast Ohio, that their friends and family members in their beloved homeland be kept out of harm’s way.”

For healing for all those suffering disease, especially diseases without known cures, and all who are oppressed by any kind of need, that the Lord may graciously grant them relief.

For the dead, for all of the souls in purgatory, and for X, for whom this Holy mass is offered. 

O God, our refuge and our strength, hear the prayers of your Church, for you are the source of all goodness, and grant, we pray, that what we ask in faith, we may truly obtain. Through Christ our Lord.

6th Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Tuesday - Persevering in temptation

 
One of my favorite parts of the whole Bible is the book from which our first reading was taken today: the New Testament Letter of St. James, one of the twelve apostles. There are two apostles named James, actually. James, son of a man named Zebedee, who was a fisherman with his brother, the apostle John, and the other James, the son of a man named Alphaeus. And it’s this second James who wrote today’s first reading.

Whereas many of St. Paul’s letters are written to particular groups of Christians in particular towns or regions, like the Corinthians, the Thessalonians, and the Galatians and Ephesians. St. James writes his letter to all the Church. To all of us.

His letter contains a lot of wonderful, practical advice, so many helpful truth for us to keep in mind as we seek to be faithful to Jesus.

Today’s passage comes from the very beginning of his letter. And St. James again gives advice that is helpful for all of us. James today speaks about temptation and trial.

Everyone experiences temptation. Temptation is when we know something is wrong, but there is a part of us that wants to do it anyway. I know it’s wrong to talk back to my parents, but there’s a part of me that is tempted to talk back. There’s a part of me that is tempted to fight someone who insults me. 

Everyone experiences temptation. Teachers, principals, parents, children, the elderly. And that’s why James wants to address this issue. He knows that we are all tempted, from time to time.

Sometimes we even begin to talk ourselves into following that temptation. We tell ourselves: it’s alright if I steal from my friend, he won’t miss it. It’s alright if I ignore my guardian when they tell me to clean my room or put away the video games, I’m having fun after all. It’s alright to treat people inconsiderately, after all, they’ve treated me without kindness, I might as well do it back to them.

But what was the opening line of St. James today: “Blessed is he who perseveres in temptation.” In other words, you grow in holiness, you grow in likeness to Jesus, you allow the life of Jesus to flow in your heart and mind when you resist temptation to do wrong. We become the people God made us to be.

James goes on to explain that when you give into temptation, that’s called sin, and when you sin, when you give in to the temptation to sin, something very sad happens, something in us dies, something good dies. And if you choose sin enough, if you just give in to every temptation, something inside of you might die forever. And that is very sad, because God didn’t create us for sin, he created us for grace, for life, for holiness, for joy.

Now again, every one of us has been tempted, and everyone of us, at some point, has given in to temptation. But it didn’t have to be like, and it doesn’t have to be like that in the future. And that’s part of the goodness of being followers of Jesus: just because we’ve chosen sin and evil in the past, doesn’t mean we have to continue to make bad choices. God forgives us when we ask for forgiveness, he gives us another chance.

With God’s help, may we all come to persevere in temptation, so that we may come to receive the crown of life, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

February 14 2022 - Sts Cyril & Methodius (& Valentine) - Missionaries filled with charity

 Up until the reforms of Vatican II, today was the feast of St. Valentine. Valentine was a priest in 3rd century Rome. For being a Christian he was arrested, beaten, and beheaded, but not before he converted his jailor by performing a miracle of healing—Valentine cured the jailor’s daughter from blindness. 

Six centuries later, two Christian blood-brothers from Greece were impelled by the love of Christ and for souls to leave their native land to bring the Gospel to the Slavic people. Cyril and Methodius were tireless in laboring for the Gospel, even developing an entirely new alphabet, the Slavanic alphabet, also known as the Cyrillic Alphabet, named after St. Cyril—a new alphabet so that the Scriptures could be read by the Slavic people, and the Mass be celebrated in their language.

To celebrate both St. Valentine and Sts. Cyril and Methodius, it would be entirely appropriate to send someone a Valentine’s Card written in ancient Slavanic. 

And yet, Cyril and Methodius and Saint Valentine teach us that the greatest Valentine we can give to someone is to help them to know the love of Jesus Christ. Teaching them to read the great love letter from God, the Holy Scriptures, and to show them what it looks like for a soul to love God more than he loves himself.

These three holy men are powerful models for all of us, called to enter into the lives of strangers, in order to help them to know Christ. Cyril and Methodius developed an entire alphabet to help strangers know Christ. What will we do today? For the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For all Christians whose love for God and neighbor has grown lukewarm or has been compromised by serious sin, that the virtue of charity may be rekindled, and that all Christians may develop missionary hearts.

That young people may seek Christ amidst all the perversions and distractions of the world, and for the protection of innocent human life from evil.

For the hungry, sick, lonely, and heartbroken, for cures to disease and relief for the poor. 

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.

Septuagesima Sunday 2022 (EF) - Run as to win

Septuagesima Sunday marks the beginning of the period of pre-Lenten preparation on the traditional calendar that tells us that Ash Wednesday is only 17 days away. 

The orations and scripture readings offer direction in our preparations. The Collect of today’s Mass gives us a very important first step: “Graciously hear, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the prayers of Thy people, that we, who are justly afflicted for our sins, may for the glory of Thy Name be mercifully delivered.” 

The first step toward Lenten conversion, or any conversion for that matter, always consists in humbly recognizing that we are sinners in need conversion. The lukewarm must recognize the need to grow in fervor, the fervent must recognize the need to reach for perfection; the perfection must recognize the need to strive to attain heroic virtue. 

In the Epistle, St. Paul, gives us another important principle. He urges us to seek conversion with the effort of the most disciplined athlete: “run as to win”. Whatever conversion we seek during this upcoming Lent, we are going to need discipline. It’s not going to be an easy Lent, for those seeking to get the most out of Lent, it never is. St. Paul had already heard news of some backsliders in Corinth, those who had reverted to the sins of their former way of life. And so Paul is urging those who remain to get ready for the long haul—the long race. To train and develop the virtues that will sustain them in the Christian life.

St. Paul was also encouraging the Corinthian Christian to aim for greatness. To borrow another sports analogy: to not be benchwarmers but Hall of Famers, not to settle for mediocrity, but to aim for real moral and spiritual greatness. So aim for spiritual greatness this Lent.

But then, In the Septuagesima Gospel, the Lord, seems to say the opposite of St. Paul. Rather than striving to be first, he says, “The last will be first, and the first will be last.” He seems to be suggesting that no matter how hard we work for his kingdom under the brutal sun in his vineyards, we’ll get no advantage at all over those who, like the Good Thief, steal the prize at the end.

But the Lord is not contradicting his apostle at all…or should we say, the Apostle is not contradicting His Lord. Rather, the Gospel IS a summons to strive with all of our might with the time that we’ve been given. Some are hired by the Lord to work in his vineyard in the morning of life; Catholics from infancy must run as to win. Some hear the Lord calling them in their 20s or 30s, and must also run as to win. Some hear the Lord calling them, as the sun of their earthly life is setting, and must run as to win. 

Wherever we are in life, Septuagesima Sunday is a summons to prepare well for the upcoming Lenten season. Over the next 17 days, we do well to identify those parts of the vineyards of our lives were some wild vines have sprouted and need to be trimmed back. Now is the time to begin to come up with a Lenten program of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. What will my Lenten prayer consist of? What will is the Holy Spirit calling me to fast from? Where can I give of my time, talent, and treasure in efforts to alleviate the suffering of others? What are the virtues that need to be trained? And what will the regiment consist of? What do I need to be delivered of? For the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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 A reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians.

Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? Run so as to win. Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. Thus I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing. No, I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, and all of them were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. All ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was the Christ. Yet God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the desert.

The continuation of the Gospel according to St. Matthew

At that time, Jesus said to his disciples this parable, “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. Going out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.’ So they went off. [And] he went out again around noon, and around three o’clock, and did likewise. Going out about five o’clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’ When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, “These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’ He said to one of them in reply, “My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? [Or] am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’ Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2022 - The path of beatitude and the path of woe

 

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus gives his most famous sermon on top of a mountain: his Sermon on the Mount.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus gives his first major sermon, which we heard today, not from the top of a mountain. In fact, St. Luke tells us that Jesus came down from the mountain, and taught his disciples and this large group of people on a stretch of level ground. This passage of Luke’s Gospel is known as Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain, and is delivered immediately after spending a night in prayer and naming the 12 apostles.

In this sermon, the Lord teaches us how to live in such a way on this earthly plain, that leads to the joy of heaven. The path to lasting joy, he indicates, is the life of faith, one in which we place our trust in God rather than in money, in pleasure, in entertainment or in the esteem of others. 

Whereas Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount features eight aspects of the path to beatitude, in the Sermon on the Plain, the Lord offers four beatitudes contrasted with for “woes” or warnings. 

In contrasting the four beatitudes with the four woes, the Lord contrasts the way that leads to holiness and heaven with the way that leads to perdition. 

And the path of beatitude is a serious business, which is why the Luke introduces this sermon by telling us, “ Jesus raised his eyes toward his disciples,” In other words, Jesus looks each of us straight in the eyes as he gives us this teaching. It’s like a scene in the movie where the action stops and the main character stops and looks directly into the camera to explain what is really going on.

So let’s look closely at these four contrasts.

Firstly, the Lord contrasts “Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours,” with “Woe to you are rich, for you have received your consolation.” This was a revolutionary teaching and still is one today: earthly riches are not necessarily a sign that you are blessed by God, nor that you are on the road to heaven. Riches cannot buy you real happiness, and they certainly cannot buy you eternal life; you cannot buy your way into heaven. So, a life bent on obtaining riches is a misguided life. We must never, never, never allow the pursuit of riches keep us from cultivating holiness. 

The second contrast is “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied,” versus, “Woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry.” 

There are people who make earthly pleasure their highest good. They live to satiate their bodily appetites to the detriment of their souls. Those who are physically full without Christ are spiritually starving to death.

The Christian, rather, is to hunger and thirst for holiness more than for bread and water—to hunger for God and the things of God.

Fulton Sheen used to say that there are two philosophies of life: The pagan philosophy is first the feast, then the fast. The Christian philosophy is first the fast, then the feast. Pagan seek to enjoy the goods of the earth now, but are deprived of what is truly substantial. Christians practice fasting, and self-control of our bodily appetites, so that we may feast in the eternal banquet of heaven. 

For a culture bent on instant gratification this is a difficult teaching. But if we don’t learn how to say “no” to some appetites we may find ourselves indulging in what is forbidden and deadly to our souls.

Next the Lord contrasts “Blessed are you who are now weeping for you will laugh” with “Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep.” 

There are many today who go from earthly diversion to earthly diversion, party to party, who don’t take life seriously because they claim they’re living for the present moment, as if that’s the most important thing in life. But in reality, they are trying to escape from reality, trying to insulate themselves from sadness and suffering as much as they can. They don’t realize that there will be a time when the music will stop, and poor choices catch up to you, not to mention having to come face to face with the eternal judge and being required to give an account of our use and waste of our earthly time and treasure.

Rather, the Christian, instead of running away from sorrow, fear, and death, we face these things with courage, faith and hope. There is power and grace when we unite our sufferings with Christ. There is heavenly consolation when we allow ourselves to weep with His blessed mother, or like St. Monica offer up our tears for the conversion of our misguided family members. 

Lastly, the Lord contrast “Blessed are you when people hate you, … exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man” with “Woe to you when all speak well of you.”

Many people find it unbearable when people don’t like them. Social pressures are among the most driving forces in our culture. So when Jesus says, you will be hated by all because of me, some people, even Christians, say, fine, I’m not going to let anyone know that I follow Jesus, especially if my Christianity would affect my professional or social standing. 

The Lord presents us, here with a choice: will you live for pleasing God or pleasing man? Will you be a prophet or will you persecute prophets?

And this is a very serious choice—the most serious. Because this word “woe”—“woe to you” is a warning. Jesus is warning us that there are consequences for rejecting his teaching here. He doesn’t say, “it’s preferable if you are poor in spirit, but I understand, no big deal, it’s of no consequence if you ignore this stuff, live your best life as your feelings dictate them.” That’s the world talking. That’s the world perverting the Christian message. Living only for the earthly feast will mean exclusion from the heavenly one.

So, how can we take the Lord’s teaching today to heart? The Catechism recommends making an examination of conscience based on the beatitudes. That means reading through the Sermon on the Mount or the Sermon on the plan and asking yourselves questions related to these truths: “have I sought after earthly riches to the detriment of heavenly ones? Have I pursued sinful pleasures instead of practicing temperance, chastity, moderation? Have I given into diversions instead of bringing my wounds and difficulties to God? Have I hungered and thirsted for doing what’s right, working to right the injustices that I perpetuated or participated in? Have I retreated in fear when it was my time to witness to Christ?” 

Jesus looks us in the eyes, he looks into our heart and speaks these words of truth, that we may follow the way he has tread before us. We do well to consider all those things we should fast from, restrict, and restrain, in order to walk more faithfully the path of beatitude for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

February 11 2022 - Our Lady of Lourdes - Why Lourdes?

 164 years ago today, the Virgin Mary began appearing to a poor peasant girl in a small village called Lourdes in France. The Virgin identified herself as the Immaculate Conception — an article of faith that had been proclaimed by the pope only four years earlier.

There was no way this 14-year-old peasant girl living in that isolated village could have known about that teaching. That was the first proof for the authenticity of the apparitions. Then came the miraculous cures from a mysterious fountain that had never been seen before.

Lourdes today is one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in the world. Thousands upon thousands come year-round to pray and wash in the healing waters. Hundreds more come for weeks at a time as volunteers, to help the sick who come in search of healing.

Crutches line the walls of the grotto, left behind by those who have been cured of physical ailments. Hundreds more have been cured psychologically and spiritually.

Why did God will that Lourdes become this internationally recognized place of miraculous healing? Perhaps to put a divine stamp of approval on the Church’s declaration of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Perhaps, also to show all of us the benefit of turning to Our Lady for healing. 

164 years ago, the world was already beginning to change due to technological advancements, advancements which come at mind-blowing rapidity today. Lourdes certainly reminds the changing world that God is greater than all the technological wonders, that He is the Lord of Creation. And that he does intervene in human history. He is still with us. He does not abandon the sick or forget the downtrodden. And to obtain the grace he desires for us, we must, in the words of Our Lady in the Gospel today, “do whatever he tells you.” For the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That Our Lady may help cleanse the Church of all evil and to bring sinners and unbelievers to God. 

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.  

On this world day of prayer for the sick, we pray that those suffering from illness or chronic disease may draw strength, consolation, and healing by turning to Our Lady, who intercedes for us from her place in heaven. 

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

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

5th Week of Ordinary Time 2022 - Wednesday - Purification from what defiles us

 He fed five thousand people with a handful of bread, he walked on water, he performed countless healings, but the Pharisees and scribes choose to focus on how the Lord and his disciples ate without the ceremonial purifications that weren’t even prescribed by the law.

Sure, the Law of Moses prescribed ceremonial washing for the priests serving at the altar in the Temple, but the Pharisees extended these rules to everyone, and then condemned people for not observing them.

The Pharisees were perverting the Law of Moses and missing its purpose entirely—they were like the mean kids from grammar school that bullied you for breaking rules you didn’t even know about. And now they are all grown up, and have political sway, but they are still on the same toxic power trip.

In response to the Pharisees criticism, our Gospel begins today with the Lord summoning a crowd to address this unjust Pharisaical standard and their misapplication of the Law of Moses—their fake news, so to speak. 

“Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters a person from outside can defile that person,” rather what defiles are the moral evils that fester in the human heart: unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, and so on.

You want to know what defiles a person? Human sin, evil conduct. 

The Lord exposes the Pharisees for being more concerned with outward appearances than true inner moral goodness. They were a bunch of fakers, religious fakers. And the Lord, speaking with authority, sets the true standard for his followers. We must seek authentic conversion from all sin, including inner purification from sinful desires and ruminations. 

For Catholics, we’ve come up with some pretty practical ways of conforming to this teaching. We are to make a daily examination considering if our actions and attitudes over the course of the day have been unclean, and if they were, to repent of them. 

We are to make frequent use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We are to reflect upon God Word daily, to help us examine and conform our lives. We are to avoid using dirty language and fixating on dirty images. We are to seek freedom from all unforgiveness, ingratitude, selfishness, greed and gluttony. 

Jesus makes a very powerful promise to the pure of heart. “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.” The Pharisees were unable to see that Jesus was God because they may have been ritually pure on the outside, but inside, they were full of corruption and defilement. 

So too in our culture: so many have lost touch with God precisely because they have allowed themselves to be defiled and refuse to repent and seek that purification that can only come from Him.

Lord, cleanse us, make our hearts new, purify us that we may see your face, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For the Holy Church of God, that the Lord may graciously watch over her and care for her, and bring cleansing to all the impurity which afflicts her members and leaders.

For the conversion of all those who have fallen into serious sin, for a return of fallen away Catholics to the Sacraments, and that all young people may be protected from the perversions of our culture.

For healing for all those suffering disease, especially diseases without known cures, for the people of China and all people afflicted by the Coronavirus, and all who are oppressed by any kind of need, that the Lord may graciously grant them relief.

For the dead, for all of the souls in purgatory, and for X, for whom this Holy mass is offered. 

O God, our refuge and our strength, hear the prayers of your Church, for you are the source of all goodness, and grant, we pray, that what we ask in faith, we may truly obtain. Through Christ our Lord.

February 8 2022 - St. Josephine Bakhita - International Day of Prayer Against Human Trafficking

 Born to a wealthy Sudanese family in the Darfur region of Southern Sudan, Josephine was kidnapped at the age of nine by slave traders and given the name Bakhita, which means fortunate.   Over the next decade she was sold several times and was forced to endure repeated humiliations and beatings.  One of her owners was particularly sadistic and scarred her for life by cutting her with a razor blade and salting the wounds.

She was finally bought by a public servant who turned her over to a family who employed her as a nanny in Italy where slavery was illegal.  

Treated by the family with kindness, Josephine became acquainted with the Catholic faith, and after religious instruction, she was received into the church.

Several years later she joined the daughters of Charity, also known as the Canossian sisters in Italy.  She became known for her gentle presence and her willingness to undertake any task.

On May 17, 1992, Josephine Bakhita was beatified by Pope John Paul II and was proclaimed Saint on October 1, in the Jubilee year 2000.

During his homily at her canonization Mass in St. Peter's Square, Pope John Paul II said that in St. Josephine Bakhita, "We find a shining advocate of genuine emancipation. The history of her life inspires not passive acceptance but the firm resolve to work effectively to free girls and women from oppression and violence, and to return them to their dignity in the full exercise of their rights."  Slavery and human trafficking continue even in our present age, and through the intercession of today’s saint, we pray for its complete abolishment.  Today in fact is the International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking.

St. Josephine is a model of virtue and holiness for all of us. Her life speaks of the value of forgiveness, reconciliation and love, for in her heart she overcame feelings of hatred for those who had harmed her. So much so, that she came to say, “The whole of my life has been God’s gift

She also learned from the tragic events of her life to have complete trust in the Almighty who can bring goodness out of evil, and even in the evils that we suffer can bring about a greater good in us. 

May we join our prayers and steadfast works with St. Josephine, contributing to righting all injustices, and may we imitate her virtues of forgiveness, compassion, and self-donation for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For all of those children, women and men currently trapped in situations of slavery, that God will help to liberate them from their chains. Let us pray to the Lord.

For all those vulnerable to being trafficked, especially immigrants and refugees, orphans and runaways that God give them safe passage and safe homes, we pray to the Lord. Let us pray to the Lord.

For the conversion of all who perpetuate slavery, human trafficking, child prostitution and evils against humanity. Let us pray to the Lord.

That all government leaders and lawmakers will recognize the dignity of every human person and, free from all corruption, work for the development of all peoples. Let us pray to the Lord.

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

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

5th Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Monday - Running to Christ with Urgency

 As we’ve considered before, there are a lot of reactions to Jesus in the Gospels. Some keep their distance, conspiring against him from the shadows. Some insult him or become riled at his words. 

This morning we hear how crowds run toward him. They don’t just saunter, they run. Not the first time or last time in this Gospel people run to him. Not many people I would run to see. 

People ran because they were powerfully drawn to the Lord. They saw that he was able to heal and to teach them, and it attracted them. They earnestly longed for what he offered: words of hope and comfort, revelation about the love of the Father, and the power of the humble, surrendered life. When news of his arrival hit their ears, there was an urgency to go and meet him. 

The Christian should experience a similar urgency on a daily basis. An urgency to spend time with the Lord in prayer and to bring to him the needs of our loved ones. An urgency to learn about our faith so that it can be shared and explained to others. An urgency to engage in works of charity when the opportunity arises. An urgency to repent if we’ve fallen into sin. Time is short and we should seek him while he may be found. As the old poem goes: “This earthly life is quickly past; only what’s done for Christ will last.”

We can lose the sense of urgency when we begin to live for creature comforts. “I don’t want to do anything to upset me from being comfortable. I can pray tomorrow, do my spiritual reading tomorrow, go to confession next week.” But to quote playwriter Meredith Wilson, “You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays.”

If we have lost the sense of urgency in our spiritual life, we do well to take the time and make the effort to rekindle that flame. Priests take a yearly spiritual retreat to keep that flame going. A spiritual retreat can never hurt. The upcoming season of Lent is like a retreat for the whole Church, to strip away the creature comforts, in order to rekindle the urgency for the spiritual life, the urgency to run to Christ.

May the Holy Spirit assist us in identifying all that keeps us from running to Christ with urgency every day, and to have the courage to divest ourselves to those obstacles in the spiritual life, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

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

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

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

For all those who share in the sufferings of Christ—the sick, the sorrowful, and those who are afflicted or burdened in any way, especially by inclement winter weather, storms, and natural disasters.  Let us 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. Let us pray to the Lord.

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

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2022 - Trust and the Miraculous Catch

My guess is that everyone here has in some way experienced a little something of what Simon Peter experienced in today’s Gospel passage. To help digest this experience, I’d like to break down the passage into six stages which correspond to six stages of spiritual growth.

Firstly, there is frustration. We’ve all experienced frustrated when things don’t go our way. For Peter and his crew, their frustration was the result of a miserable night of hard work with nothing to show for it. These were expert life-long fisherman, and it’s almost unfathomable how unsuccessful they were.

There is frustration when we exert effort and have nothing to show for it. This is true for business, or our hobbies, or our relationships. And this is true in our work for God. We set the table and nobody shows up. 

But also, the self-centered life, the life centered on the false gods of the world, is frustrating, for it leaves us unhappy and empty.

But then, what happens in the Gospel. God barges into your life. Maybe in a sermon, or a book, or a powerful conversation with a friend, God shows up and asks you to trust Him. Try again, this time, trust in Me. You might imagine Peter’s confusion or annoyance, when Jesus, a carpenter, told him how to do his job. Peter and his crew had just fished all night and had just finished cleaning all of their equipment when Jesus instructed Peter to cast his net into deep waters.  

And so you have a choice, and it might not be an easy one. Not unlike Adam and Eve in the garden, the Devil often shows up and says, “don’t trust God, his expectations are unrealistic, the consequences for disobedience probably aren’t that bad.” Doubts and confusion sometimes arise whenever it’s time to trust God. Because there’s a lot of spiritual warfare around that choice. Devils conspire against us, an angels are fighting for us.

And this raises an important question: How do we know it’s God asking us to trust Him and not the devil or our own imagination? Well, God never asks anything that violates his commands or the teachings of the Church. Jesus’ command to cast into the deep waters to the fishermen was a strange one, he was asking something that would normally never do, but he wasn’t asking them to violate a commandment. 

So, yes, that little voice must be discerned. Is it coming from God or not? We certainly shouldn’t do anything that puts the welfare of our families in jeopardy—like selling your house in order to buy a bunch of lotto tickets. A good spiritual director, a fellow parishioner known for their prudence and wisdom, can help you discern. But once you discern that it is likely God asking you to trust Him, it is time for trust.

And that’s the third stage: the disciples make the choice to trust. Even though it slightly grated against their professional sensibilities, trusting his master, Peter and the crew cast out into the depths of Lake Gennesaret. 

Another question: Why should we Trust God? Why should we risk wasting our time doing something potentially foolish for God? Because God loves us, he would would never fool us. Unlike the enemy, he would never deceive us. He has our best interests in mind. 

Many young men considering the seminary are given this choice. To the world, even their families, entering seminary, even just for a year, is a ridiculous choice. Spend an entire year, with limited communication with family and friends, to discern something that you might not end up doing? Spend a year learning to pray instead of learning a trade?  

But then something happens, and this is the fourth stage, the result of trusting in God is a miraculous catch of fish. The time in discernment, the choice to trust wasn’t wasted, for God doesn’t waste our time. It’s we that waste our time, when we only follow our own fluctuating and fleeting emotions and impulses.

I’ve never met a young man, who entered seminary even for a year, and regretted it. When you trust generously, “God will not be outdone in generosity” said Mother Theresa. There is always, at least, growth in wisdom, knowledge that will be utilized later in life. But often, God exceeds our expectations. Over and over, people who volunteer their time, engaging in ministry, say that they were blessed beyond what they ever imagined. 

Notice, too, the miraculous catch wasn’t an individual effort, but a joint effort. It took the whole crew to bring in the large catch. God doesn’t just ask us to trust Him, but also others, enough to work together. Marriage is a joint effort. The mission of the parish is a joint effort. Maybe we’ve often been so frustrated because we’ve so often tried to do everything on our own, rather than as a family. But we can catch more fish together than we could on our own.

And then comes the fifth stage, after bringing in the miraculous catch, what happens? Peter falls to his knees. “Depart from me Lord, for I am sinful man”. More valuable than the miraculous catch is the recognition that you are in God’s presence. When God shows forth his generosity, we are humbled. I should have been trusting God all along, God have mercy on me. I’ve been so stupid to trust in my own will. My distrust has not brought me anything good, ever. If I had trusted just a little bit more, my life would have been so different.

And that’s the final stage: the encounter with divine grace changes you. Now that you have witnessed what God can do, the Lord says, “from now you will be catching, not fish, but men.” 

St. Paul speaks about this transformation in the second reading today, the whole reading is Paul explaining how God changed his life when he came to recognize Jesus crucified and risen. Paul, remember, as a zealous Jew, had been on a crusade to wipe out the believers of Jesus. “I am not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” But encountering grace, in choosing to believe, Paul was transformed, and made the greatest of apostles.

As a result of trusting God, encountering his grace, we are changed, not to become wealthy or successful in the eyes of the world, but to catch souls for Christ, to work for the spread of the Gospel. 

Not every Christian is called to be priest or nun or monk or miracle worker. But every Christian is called to be an evangelist, just as every Christian is called to be a saint. But the path to both vocations is identical. In the frustrations of life, we learn to trust God, and allow him to bring about a miraculous catch. And recognizing what he has done, we humbly kneel before him, and allowing that grace to transform us, He gives us what we need for the work he has planned for us.

Friends, every frustration is an opportunity to trust God. So much unhappiness and anxiety could be avoided if in our frustrations we placed our trust in Him sooner. So much boredom and sadness could be avoided, if we allowed his grace to help us realize our potential inworking for the spread of his kingdom, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

First Friday Holy Hour - February 2022 - The truth that conquers lust

 This morning at mass I reflected upon how today’s Gospel helps us to understand that as disciples of the Lord, we, like John the Baptist will experience hostility when we stand for Truth.

John the Baptist was hated by Herodias for speaking the Truth about her adulterous conduct with King Herod. “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife” he told the King. 

For speaking the truth, the Baptist’s life, like Our Lord’s culminated, in a violent death: for speaking the Truth of God, John was beheaded.

Herodias did not want to hear the truth, so she did everything in her power to silence it. John was silenced for challenging Herodias’ lust for flesh, foreshadowing how Jesus would by silenced by the scribes, chief priests, and pharisees, for challenging their lust for power. 

Nothing incurs some people’s wrath like speaking the truth about their lusts. They do not want to even acknowledge the possibility that their life has become bent on something disordered, something harmful to their souls, to their families, to society. But the Truth of the Gospel helps us to unravel the lies of our life, in order to live more fully for God.

Here in the Lord’s Eucharistic presence, in the silence, we ask him to speak to our hearts. Our lives are so frenetic, but this time of silence with the Lord, will help us to quiet down in order to hear him. Anything True that the Lord wants to tell us, any truth that he wants to communicate to us, we need to open our hearts and our minds to. For the Lord desires our greatest good, he desires what will make us eternally happy in heaven. 

We can be sure that he will tell us nothing that will contradict God’s laws, but what he has to say will help us to follow them more faithfully. Speak O Lord your servants are listening, you have the words of everlasting life. 

May our time with the Lord open our hearts and minds to his truth, and help us to communicate that truth with patience, boldness, conviction, courage, and clarity. May we hear the words he longs to speak to us, the words we long to hear, that we need to hear, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

4th Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Friday - Jesus gives Courage, Perseverance, and Refreshment

 If you were reading Mark’s Gospel from beginning to end, this long passage of John the Baptist’s martyrdom comes as a sort of unexpected interlude.  

But the interlude is not unrelated or thrown in their randomly. In the previous verses, The Lord sent out the Twelve apostles on a special mission to teach, and perform miracles, and cure the sick and drive out demons.  

And before we hear of their return and find out if they were successful or not, we get this lengthy account of dark powers conspiring against John. 

And by placing this story in the context of the disciples being sent out, to share in the Lord’s preaching of the Gospel, it is like Saint Mark saying, take courage Christians, do not be surprised when this happens to you.  It happened to John, it happened to Jesus, it will happen to the apostles, and every Christian.

Ordinary Time, is a call to make sure that we have the ordinary practices that will sustain our faith in times of persecution. When we face the Herods of the world in the course of our Gospel mission, we will need strong prayer lives, strong moral compasses, strong understanding of the faith. You’ll need to build up that sense of love for God and neighbor that will sustain you when things are the darkest.

For the daily mass reading for tomorrow, the disciples do return from their mission, and immediately the Lord tells them, “come away and rest awhile.” They’ll need to recharge from ministry. They’ll need to reflect on the lessons, the successes and failures. They’ll need to learn from their mistakes and build upon what worked well.

The mission of the Church is not for the faint of heart. We, missionary disciples, are hated even before we begin. But we are also loved by God. We face resistance from the Herod’s of the world, not to mention the fury of the devil and the weaknesses of our flesh. But we are sustained by the spirit. We grow weary in our work, but refreshed in the quiet of the Lord's presence.

May the Lord give us courage in our mission, perseverance and endurance when facing difficulties, and refreshment in those needed times of rest, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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

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

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

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

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

February 2 2022 - Feast of the Presentation - Canticles of Light

There are three canticles from the infancy narratives of Luke that are prayed every single day by the Church as part of the liturgy of the hours. 

The first canticle in the infancy narratives was sung by Zechariah on the occasion of the birth of his son, John the Baptist. Every morning, in the liturgy of the hours, the Church prays this canticle of Zechariah: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and set them free.”  The language of the Canticle of Zechariah reads like an Old Testament prophecy, speaking of the salvation yet to come…

The second canticle in the infancy narratives was sung by Mary on the occasion of her visitation to Elizabeth.  The Church lovingly prays Mary’s Canticle--her Magnificat—every day during evening prayer.  Our Lady’s Canticle also borrows from the Old Testament canticle of Hannah, who also foreshadows our Lady, singing of being made the mother of a child who would become God’s instrument for salvation—Hannah being the mother of the prophet Samuel, and Our Lady being the Mother of Salvation Himself.

The third canticle in the infancy narratives, we heard at the conclusion of today’s Gospel—the Canticle of the temple priest Simeon, called often, the Nunc dimittis because it begins in the Latin: Nunc dimittis servum tuum Domine, secundum verbum tuum in pace. Now, Master, let your servant go in peace, according to your word.  Simeon’s Canticle is sung in the very last hour of the day in the Church’s Night prayer.  

A fourth canticle from the infancy narratives isn’t prayed every day, but only on feast days. The great song of joy—the gloria in excelsis Deo—the angelic canticle at the birth of the Son of God.

But again, the Canticle of Simeon, sung at the end of the day, every day, is found in the gospel for today’s feast, the Presentation which, in the old calendar concluded the Christmas Season. Simeon, having waited his whole life to glimpse the savior, now can die in peace. And Simeon acknowledges that the Christ child is a light, not just for the Jews for the Gentiles, for the whole world.

The light of Christ is to shine in the Church not just during the Christmas season, but always. His light is to be visible, manifest, and encountered in the choices, attitudes, and behaviors of the members of His Church.  

Today is a good day for reflecting on the many ways the light of Christ shines in your life, like Simeon thanking God for the Christ Child. Thank God today for the truth, the beauty, the goodness you’ve experienced. Thank God for the people, parents, grandparents, teachers, priests and religious, who shared the light of faith with you, and pray for them, especially those who’ve passed into eternity. 

Also, today ask God to help you see ways he might be calling you to share his light with others, with the next generation, with people in whose life the light of God has grown dim, with non-believers.

Zechariah, once blind, saw the light slowly beginning to rise, and sang a canticle of praise. Our Lady, also, witnessed the light break into her life, shared that light with her cousin, and sang. Angles sang of the light of Christ at his saving birth. And Simeon, as his life neared its end, sang of that light, which gave him so much hope for heaven and the salvation of the world.

May our life become a song of praise, a song of light, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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On this special day of prayer for the consecrated religious, we pray that those consecrated to God by the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience may live their baptismal promises more intensely and have the grace to persevere in their commitment to the Lord and serve with open hearts and willing spirits. And in gratitude for the consecrated religious who have served this parish and our diocese, for an increase in vocations to the consecrated life. 

During this Catholic Schools week, for all young people, for their teachers and catechists and parents who are the first teachers of the faith, and that the truth of the faith may be learned, cherished, and practiced in every Catholic school and 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, 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

4th Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Tuesday - Identifying obstacles to faith

 In our Gospel passage this last Sunday, we heard of the people of Nazareth reacting with great hostility to Jesus’ proclamation. They doubt his claim to be the Messiah, minimizing the possibility by asserting that he is merely the son of a carpenter. Then when he challenged them for hardening their hearts against him, they seized him to throw him over a cliff.

Today’s Gospel contains three different reactions to Jesus.

Jairus, a man of considerable eminence in hos own town, approached Jesus and fell at His feet, asking in faith for him to heal his daughter. In the incident that followed, when Jesus asked who had touched him, the hemorrhaging woman also approached and fell at his feet, her faith a conduit for healing. The servants of Jairus’ household, on the other hand, approach Jesus, and show little faith, doubting Jesus possessed the power necessary to save the little girl. 

Hem Of His Garment is a painting by Wayne Pascall 

I think the Gospels highlight so many different reactions of Jesus to help us identify how we are reacting to him. Maybe there were points in our life when we do react to him like the people in Nazareth, wanting to silence Him by all means necessary. Maybe, now, after coming to faith, we fluctuate. There are moments where we fall down at his feet in worship like Jairus, we reach out to the hem of his garment to be healed like the woman with the hemorrhage, and maybe sometimes, even after following him, even after hearing what he has done over and over, working miracles, delivering souls from evil, we still doubt he has the power to save us. Our faith fluctuates. Why?

What did Jairus have that we do not have? That’s important to identify. Personally. If there was something keeping you from that level of faith, isn’t important to identify it? Because whatever it is, it might be hindering the healing power of Jesus to be unleashed in my family or in my life.

Is it an attachment to sin? Is it a failure to practice self-discipline in my prayer life? Is it laziness? Is it my ego that defies the need for savior, that insists on trying to save itself?

During Ordinary Time, seeking to identify the things, the attitudes, the behaviors, that keep us from perfect faith, or at least, growing in faith, is to be an ordinary part of our meditations and self-reflections. Thanks be to God, our daily scriptures, once again, help us to identify the path of life, and wholeness, and healing, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - - - -  

For a deeper openness to God’s will, readiness for service, attentiveness to those in need, endurance to do the will of God, and peace in our world and our hearts.  

During this Catholic Schools week, for all young people, for their teachers and catechists and parents who are the first teachers of the faith, and that the truth of the faith may be learned, cherished, and practiced in every Catholic school and Christian home.

For the discipline necessary to resist temptation and to cultivate the virtues of faith, hope, and love. 

For those who struggle because of addiction, discouragement, mental illness, chronic sickness, unemployment, or ongoing trials of any kind.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, For the deceased members of our family, friends, and parish, for the souls in purgatory and for…N. for whom this mass is offered.

O God, our refuge and our strength, hear the prayers of your Church, for you yourself are the source of all devotion, and grant, we pray, that what we ask in faith we may truly obtain. Through Christ our Lord.