April 29 2022 - St. Catherine of Siena and the Avignon Papacy

 St. Catherine’s incorrupt body is preserved in the beautiful gothic basilica of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva in Rome.  I visited her a few times in that amazing basilica, and had the honor of attending Mass on, this, her feast day, in a small chapel behind the sacristy of the basilica from which St. Catherine would make a daily pilgrimage to St. Peter’s Basilica to pray for the return of the Pope from Avignon.

Along with many holy faithful members of the Church at the time, the Dominican nun. Catherine was deeply concerned that for nearly 70 years, the Pope resided, not in Rome, but in the lavish palace of Avignon France. It seemed the Pope had abdicated his spiritual responsibilities for purely temporal ones.  St. Catherine wrote to the Pope and visited the Pope and pleaded with him to return to Rome for the spiritual good of the Church. She did penance, she prayed, and as I said she made this daily pilgrimage. The prayers and pleadings of the holy woman were heard by God. For, in 1377, Gregory XI’s heart was moved to return his Curia to Rome where it has rightly remained.

St. Catherine life was filled with extraordinary mystical phenomena such as visions and revelations, raptures, mystical marriage, and the stigmata, and also great works of charity: nursing the sick and comforting prisoners in jail. She received the holy stigmata on her hands, feet and heart.  Catherine, also lived many years, eating nothing, save the flesh and blood of Christ in the Eucharist.  

“Preach the Truth as if you had a million voices,” she said. “It is silence that kills the world.” What an important message as we contemplate our Easter mission to preach the risen Christ and to “speak the word of God with boldness”. 

In the Gospel for today, our Lord multiplies a few fragments of bread to feed a multitude. The Lord is able to take the meager fragments of our lives, offered to him, to accomplish miraculous things, like in the life of St. Catherine—the humble, holy third-order Dominican who moved the heart of the Pope.

Through the example and heavenly intercession of St. Catherine of Siena, may we put all the gifts God gives us into his service for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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Filled with Paschal joy, let us turn earnestly to God, to graciously hear our prayers and supplications.

For the shepherds of our souls, the pope, bishops, and clergy, that they may govern wisely the flock entrusted to them by the Good Shepherd, leading the Church in the increase in faith, hope, and love.

For the whole world, that it may truly know the peace of the Risen Christ.

That our parish may bear witness with great confidence to the Resurrection of Christ, and that the newly initiated hold fast to the faith they have received. 

For our brothers and sisters who suffer, that their sorrow may be turned to gladness through the Christian faith.

That all of our beloved dead and all the souls in purgatory may come to the glory of the Resurrection.

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

2nd Week of Easter 2022 - Wednesday - Authentic Christian Belief

Belief. The word belief is found almost 100 times in St. John’s gospel. After Jesus’ first miracle, the wedding at Cana, John’s notes how the disciples “began to believe in Him.”  After the Lord cured the royal official’s son, John records how the official “and his whole household came to believe.”  

John explains the very purpose of his Gospel when he says: all these things are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.”

And in today’s passage, we hear, what is likely the most popular verse of St. John’s Gospel: “God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.

The Gospel today is clear: belief in Jesus has eternal consequences. By belief in Him we are saved from perishing. But belief is much more than intellectual assent, holding a certain fact as true in our minds. Belief needs to shape our lives, affect our behaviors, animate our decisions.

Faith however is not just holding an idea “just in case”—you know, just in case there is a God and hell is real, I’ll believe that Jesus was sort of a real important person. When St. John’s Gospel uses the word “belief” he’s talking about the very opposite of such a superficial, surface-level insurance policy. 

Belief that Jesus is the only-begotten Son of God must be the fundamental orientation of our whole existence. The Christian must weigh every decision and every attitude against this belief. 

By belief in Jesus we are to seek detachment from all that would keep us from communion with God, any activity which is profane to God. Belief cries out to Jesus to save us from all that keeps us from becoming the people God made us to be. Belief seeks constant contact with the living God through the religious tenants, divine commandments, sacred rituals, and life of prayer proposed by the Church Christ Himself founded while still on earth.

We do well to examine our lives today: what is hindering Christian belief from shaping my daily life, what can I do to better cultivate Christian belief in my daily habits and routines?

May our belief in Jesus risen from the dead continue to transform all that we say and do for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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Filled with Paschal joy, let us turn earnestly to God, to graciously hear our prayers and supplications.

For the shepherds of our souls, the pope, bishops, and clergy, that they may govern wisely the flock entrusted to them by the Good Shepherd, leading the Church in the increase in faith, hope, and love.

For the whole world, that it may truly know the peace of the Risen Christ.

That our parish may bear witness with great confidence to the Resurrection of Christ, and that the newly initiated hold fast to the faith they have received. 

For our brothers and sisters who suffer, that their sorrow may be turned to gladness through the Christian faith.

That all of our beloved dead and all the souls in purgatory may come to the glory of the Resurrection.

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

2nd Week of Easter 2022 - Tuesday - Learning how to learn again

 Last week, throughout the Easter Octave, we read from each of the four Gospel writers, their accounts of Jesus' resurrection, and the Lord’s post-resurrection appearances to his disciples.

For the rest of the Easter Season, we will be reading from the Gospel of John—the discussion with Nicodemus this week from chapter 3, and onto chapter 6—the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and the great Bread of Life discourse next week.

In his first visit to Jerusalem during his public ministry, Jesus encountered the Pharisee Nicodemus. This encounter is quite different from the later encounters with the Pharisees, especially those of Holy Week. Nicodemus, though he is a “teacher of Israel” as Jesus calls him, takes the position of the student. Nicodemus seeks to understand who Jesus is and why he has come. And this sets him apart from the other Pharisees in the Gospel whose minds and hearts remain closed to Jesus.

There are many in our culture who treat Jesus and the Church with Pharisaical intellectual snobbery. “What could Jesus or the Church possibly have to teach me?” Even many “adult Catholics” refuse to crack open the Bible or the Catechism believing that they know it all or have nothing to gain from coming to deeper understanding of the faith. The Church is “Mater et Magistra”, Mother and Teacher, and too many of us refuse to sit in mother's lap and learn.

The Christian, however, is perpetually a disciple—a student. The Lord doesn’t want lip-service or flattery from us, he wants to teach us how to live.

The renewal that God may want for us this Easter may be to learn how to learn again: how to be open to being taught, how to encounter the timeless wisdom of Jesus in the Scriptures in a new way. 

I encourage you to read John chapter 3 today, to get a sense of this whole conversation. You’ll notice something right off the bat: as the conversation ensues, Nicodemus' remarks get shorter and shorter, while Jesus' answers get longer and longer. Recognizing who Jesus is, Nicodemus quiets down and allows Jesus to teach Him. In our daily meditation, we are to do the same. We are to open up the scriptures, and allow the Divine Word to speak to us, to teach us and challenged us, to guide and form us, for the glory of God and salvation of souls. 

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Filled with Paschal joy, let us turn earnestly to God, to graciously hear our prayers and supplications.

For the shepherds of our souls, the pope, bishops, and clergy, that they may govern wisely the flock entrusted to them by the Good Shepherd leading us faithfully in the Gospel mandate.

For the whole world, that it may truly know the peace of the Risen Christ.

That our parish may bear witness with great confidence to the Resurrection of Christ, and that the newly initiated hold fast to the faith they have received. 

For our brothers and sisters who suffer, that their sorrow may be turned to gladness through the Christian faith.

That all of our beloved dead and all the souls in purgatory may come to the glory of the Resurrection.

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

Easter Octave 2022 - Friday - Catch Fish, Eat Breakfast

 

We all know the famous story in the Gospels about Jesus at the beginning of his public ministry approaching the apostles on the sea of Galilee after a fruitless night of fishing. He tells them to cast their nets into the sea and they do, and they pull in this huge catch of fish. He says, “you think that’s impressive” from now on you will be fishers of men.

We find that story in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. But not John. Rather, in John we find today’s Gospel passage. Following the resurrection, the apostles spend a fruitless night fishing, but then in the morning, the risen Jesus appears on the seashore, though like the disciples on the road to Emmaus and mary Magdalene at the tomb, the fishermen do not immediately recognize Jesus. The risen Jesus commands them to cast their nets into the waters once again, and after bringing in this catch of fish, they then have breakfast with the Lord, and come to recognize him in the breaking of bread, in that communal meal.

So, while John’s Gospel doesn’t contain that explicit explanation that the disciples will be catching converts, it is certainly implied. And not only that, but the Gospel also implies what exactly the apostles were to do after catching them. They were to eat with them. They were to celebrate the Eucharistic meal, in which Christ is made known in the breaking of the bread. Catch converts, celebrate Mass with them. 

In the early Church, and in some places today, after receiving the Easter Sacraments, the neophytes, still dressed in their baptismal garb, would gather for some post-baptismal instruction and they would gather daily for mass. The pattern of today’s Gospel would repeated in their lives.

But also with the whole Church, the easter season for the whole church means a recommitment to the promises made at our baptism, a recommitment to our belief in the Eucharist, and a recommitment to the Gospel mission. This is why next week we will hear the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, which begins with the need to be born again by water and spirit, and then immediately transitioning into the bread of life discourse.

Where Lent was about emptying, Easter is about filling. Lenten penances helped us empty ourselves of distractions and sinful attachments, so that during easter we might be filled up with knowledge and grace.

In the days ahead, may we contain to be open to the ways the Lord wishes to form us as fishers of men, drawing converts to Him here at the Eucharistic table. And may these Easter days help us to cherish our faith and the sacred mysteries in which the Lord is made known for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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Filled with Paschal joy, let us turn earnestly to God, to graciously hear our prayers and supplications.

For the shepherds of our souls, the pope, bishops, and clergy, that they may govern wisely the flock entrusted to them by the Good Shepherd leading us faithfully in the Gospel mandate.

For the whole world, that it may truly know the peace of the Risen Christ.

That our parish may bear witness with great confidence to the Resurrection of Christ, and that the newly initiated hold fast to the faith they have received. 

For our brothers and sisters who suffer, that their sorrow may be turned to gladness through the Christian faith.

That all of our beloved dead and all the souls in purgatory may come to the glory of the Resurrection.

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

Easter Octave 2022 - Monday - Fearful, yet overjoyed

 

When Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to the place where Jesus was buried, their first encounter was with an empty tomb.  

Lovingly and dutifully, they went to the tomb, Easter Sunday morning to anoint the body of Jesus—to complete the burial rites left unfinished by Joseph of Arimathea. On their way to the tomb, they wonder  “Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” After all, the stone was heavy. It was large. It was truly a foreboding obstacle. It took several people to roll it into place, it was going to be more difficult to move out of the way.

Despite this obstacle, they went to the tomb anyway. They could have stayed home. They could have dwelt on the enormity of this obstacle and stayed home. What beautiful fervor, that these holy women, despite the obstacle, go to fulfill the duty of charity anyway. And it was in that experience of being faithful and dutiful and charitable that the women encountered the angel and receive news of the resurrection.

A charitable heart, a dutiful and obedient heart opens itself to receive the good news. Alleluia.

After announcing to the women that Jesus had risen, the angel tells the women to go to announce the Goodnews to Peter and the other disciples--as a sort of Apostle to the Apostles, as the early church called her. And that’s where our Easter Monday Gospel picks up. 

Receiving this commission by the angel, we heard this morning that “They went away quickly”. This reminds me of the beginning of St. Luke’s Gospel. When our Lady is told to go to her cousin Elizabeth, St. Luke tells us that Mary left in haste. When we receive a commission by an angel, we do well not to dilly-dally. 

“They were fearful and overjoyed.” St. Matthew tells us. There’s an apt description of the Christian life if I’ve ever seen one. Christians are constantly to be going into unknown territory to spread the Gospel. That’s a fearful task, and yet, we are filled with joy, knowing that we are being faithful to the work God has given us.

And again, in this experience of being faithful, despite their fear, the women have an encounter, and this time not with an angel, but with the Risen Lord Himself.

Like the holy women on Easter Sunday morning, the Church is called to be industrious in our charity, diligent in seeking the Lord, and at the same time confident that when we are faithful, God will do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. The Lord will take care of the heavy lifting. 

And it’s okay to acknowledge that the work of the Gospel is often fearful—to speak to strangers, to stand before kings. Notice, that the Lord himself tells them, don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid how the disciples will react to this news, tell them anyway. The same goes for us. Don’t be afraid how people will react to the good news, let us tell them anyway, trusting that if there is some obstacle in their hearts, some heavy stone, God will move it, if God wills it.

Dutiful, charitable, trusting in God, may we be faithful to the spread of the Gospel and the work God has for us today and all days, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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Filled with Paschal joy, let us turn earnestly to God, to graciously hear our prayers and supplications.

For the shepherds of our souls, that they may have the strength to govern wisely the flock entrusted to them by the Good Shepherd.

For the whole world, that it may truly know the peace of the Risen Christ. 

For our own community, that it may bear witness with great confidence to the Resurrection of Christ, and that the newly initiated hold fast to the faith they have received. 

For our brothers and sisters who suffer, that their sorrow may be turned to gladness through the Christian faith.

That all of our beloved dead and all the souls in purgatory may come to the glory of the Resurrection.

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

Holy Saturday 2022 - Morning Prayer - What is happening?

The ancient homily on Holy Saturday states: “What is happening? There is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.”

Holy Saturday is a little like the eye of a hurricane. We just experienced the intense drama of Holy Thursday and Good Friday and now we await the outpouring of joy of easter. The opening line of that ancient homily really sums it up well, “what is happening?” It’s quiet, but we know something is coming, and we know something is happening behind the scenes. 

Today is a strange day because the whole day seems to be holding its breath in anticipation of the liturgical celebration of the Easter Vigil. What should we do with ourselves? We’ll if you’re here, you’re off to a good start. I invite you to pray the other hours throughout the day. The Office of Readings containing that beautiful ancient homily, midday prayer. Pray evening prayer before coming up to church this evening. Each of these liturgical hours seems to resonate with that same anticipation.

So many of the Psalms speak of the victory that is ratified by the Resurrection of Christ, the overthrow of enemies, the defeat of sin and death, the triumph of life. 

We even had a little foretaste of Easter joy in the third of the Psalms this morning, Psalm 150, the most joyful of all the psalms, the soul praising God, busting out all of the musical instruments at his disposal, calling all of creation, everything that lives and breaths to give praise to God. It’s a great day for Psalms. 

It’s also a great day for baking, baking something sweet, something delicious to be shared with others. Bake something and give it to a neighbor. “I’m celebrating Easter, and I baked you this because I thought of you. Perhaps you’d like to join me for church tomorrow.” That first Holy Saturday was a day that was turned upside-down for the disciples, perhaps an upside-down cake is in order. 

Also, not a bad day to visit the graves of loved ones. As Christ was laid in the tomb, so have our loved ones. But, just as we await the celebration of Christ’s resurrection tonight, we await the resurrection of our loved ones. Not a bad day for visiting their graves to say, see you soon, and to offer a prayer for them.

“What is happening?” The ancient homily concludes telling us what is happening in heaven today: “The cherubim throne has been prepared, the bearers are ready and waiting, the bridal chamber is in order, the food is provided, the everlasting houses and rooms are in readiness; the treasures of good things have been opened; the kingdom of heaven has been prepared before the ages." Heaven is on the verge of into our world with light and glory, may we prepare our hearts to witness it, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Holy Week 2022 - Spy Wednesday - The sin of Judas Iscariot

 Wednesday of Holy week is known as Spy Wednesday because on this day Judas Iscariot made the shameful bargain with the high priests to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.  

In Dante’s Divine Comedy, the depths of the inferno are reserved for traitors, those guilty of the sin of betrayal. For Dante, the sin of betrayal is so much worse than sins of the flesh—like gluttony or lust. Opposed to the hot-blooded impulsive sins, Dante saw betrayal as cold, requiring forethought, and malice. Satan coldly sought to betray God, as did Judas. Which is why both Satan and Judas are together in hell’s lowest, coldest depths. 

I’ve read that In some villages in Poland, on this day, an effigy of Judas is throne from the church steeple, dragged through the streets and stoned, and then drowned in a pond.

Of Judas, the Lord himself said, “It would be better for that man if he had never been born.” Why? Because Judas knew the truth about Jesus, but betrayed him anyway, and then went on to take his own life. The Church has never declared that Judas is in hell. But based on the Lord’s own words and the fact that Judas died apparently without repentance for his terrible betrayal and by his own hands, it is likely.

But it didn’t have to be so. Jesus died for Judas too. Salvific grace was available to him too, if he would have repented. Like all those in hell, Judas’ eternal sufferings would consist of  the pain of being excluded from God’s presence for all eternity, the knowledge that its duration will continue forever without possibility of rest, the knowledge that it could have been otherwise, and the understanding that it is entirely his own fault.”

We consider Judas’ story today, during holy week, to understand the events leading up to the Lord’s Passion, but also, that we might not make the same mistake as Judas. 

We mustn’t lead greed fester in us, allowing our sins to remain hidden, like Judas who stole from the community purse. We shouldn’t allow anger toward God fester in us. We mustn’t allow unrepentance to fester in us, for any sin, no matter how slight. 

Tomorrow begins the Great Paschal Triduum. In our great liturgical celebrations, we will consider all the Lord did, and suffered, and endured for us. He bore the weight of our sinful betrayals, our lusts, our selfishness, our greed, our pride, wishing no sinner to die, but to return to Him and live. As we contemplate his sufferings and His love for us, may our conviction for the Gospel increase, that we will look for opportunities to know him, love him, and serve him, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For increased faith and understanding in the catechumens and candidates who approach the sacraments of initiation in the coming Paschal Solemnity. 

That the grace of these holy days may touch the most hardened of hearts, and move unrepented sinners and fallen-away Catholics to return to the mercy of God.

For strength to resist temptation, and the humility to sincerely repent of sin.

That through fasting and self-denial, we may be ever more conformed to Christ.

That those in need may find assistance in the charity of faithful Christians and that peace and security may be firmly established in all places.

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

Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.

Holy Week 2022 - Tuesday - Song of Suffering and Glory

In the days of Holy Week, the Church presents select passages from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah. These particular passages are known as the “Servant Songs”, and in these passages the prophet Isaiah depicts the Messiah as God’s faithful Servant through whom God would deliver the world from the prison of sin. There are four of these servant songs.

Yesterday, we heard from the first of the servant songs from Isaiah chapter 42: “Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased… I formed you, and set you… To open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.” God’s servant has a mission, and that first servant song foretells how that mission will be successful. 

Today we read a selection of the second servant song from isaiah chapter 49. Isaiah foretells how, God's servant will be successful and victorious in carrying out his mission, but he will also experience some difficulty, even feelings of failure. “I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength.” There were points in his ministry, where the Lord’s miracles and preaching were met, not with conversion and belief, but with hardness of heart and attempts to silence him. And then it appears that the servant feels defeated in the midst of this overwhelming task assigned to him by God. And yet, his discouragement is quickly transformed into confidence as he acknowledges that all he is doing and will do is for God’s sake and mission. Despite initial difficulties, the servant proclaims, “I am made glorious in the sight of the Lord, and my God is now my strength!”

Now notice in the Gospel today, at the last supper, St. John tells us, Jesus was deeply troubled, he had intuited that one of his closest friends was going to betray him, and that the head of the apostles, Peter was going to deny him. After all this time, after all the miracles they had witnessed, how could these closest ones not get it. The words of the servant song, perhaps piercing his heart, “I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength.”

But just like the servant song, after speaking of discouragement, the Lord speaks of glory. “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.” Even if his own friends betray him and abandon him, he will glorify God, God’s merciful love will be made known in Jesus’ Passion of Death, the mission will be victorious. 

It is good for us to ponder what was going on in the heart of the Lord during Holy Week, at the last supper, during his Passion. He, like us, knows what it means to overwhelmed, and troubled, and discouraged. But like Him, it is important to remember that when we are faithful, if we do the work, God will be glorified. In those low moments, like the suffering servant, we are to renew our confidence in God, that our reward is not an earthly one, but a heavenly one; that through our trials, God is our strength; and in our sufferings, we will be glorified with Him, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That God may be pleased to increase faith and understanding in the catechumens and candidates who approach the sacraments of initiation in the coming Paschal Solemnity. 

That those in need may find assistance in the charity of faithful Christians and that peace and security may be firmly established in all places.

For strength to resist temptation, and the humility to sincerely repent of sin.

That through fasting and self-denial, we may be ever more conformed to Christ.

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

Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.

Holy Week 2022 - Monday - Love for Christ and Love for the Poor

 From time to time, you come across a critic of the Church who claims that the grandeur of our church buildings, our precious vessels and vestments, our art, are all a slap in the face to the poor and hungry. The critic claims that instead of spending money on art and architecture, the money should be given to the starving and homeless.

The critic usually ignores the fact that already the Catholic Church does more to aid the poor than any other private organization in the world, that many religious brothers, sisters, and priests take a vow of poverty and renounce everything for God, and that countless Catholic families and individuals do sacrifice much of their income for the needs of the downtrodden.

In the attitude of such a critic, one often detects a bit of the attitude of Judas in the Gospel today. When Mary of Bethany anoints Jesus with the precious anointment, Judas calls it a waste. Let’s ignore, for a second the fact, that Judas was a thief, and was stealing money from the community purse, and that he justified theft in order to satiate his greed. Judas sneers at Mary’s devotion, her act of love, because Judas was loveless toward Jesus. He derides the act homage as a waste of time and money because he does not actually know how to give of himself. He hides his selfishness behind this fake concern.

To the world, our observances of holy week, our acts of devotion during these High Holy Days of our faith, are a waste of time and money. Why buy easter lilies that will wither and rot? Why use precious incense and vestments? Why waste time and effort in processions, venerations, silent prayer and fasting? For the same purpose we build grand churches, because we love Christ. 

Our love for Christ does not diminish our love and care for the poor and downtrodden. As true love for Christ increases, love for others increases. For we are to seek to serve Him in the poor. You can’t love God and hate your brother.

Our service, our worship, our art and architecture, our holy week devotions, are all expressions of our immense gratitude for what the Lord has done for us, the immensity of what he suffered for us, the blessings he has bestowed upon us.

So the snarky critic of the Church’s lavish worship of Christ, needs to look at the whole—the whole life of the Church—how our lavish love for Christ actually fuels our other charitable endeavors. 

So we must not be embarrassed to express our lavish devotion in concrete ways, especially during holy week. Yes, there might be some Judas’ out there who will mock and deride us. But there are also those on the fringes who will be converted when they witness our devotions, hard hearts that will be softened when they see our love for him, who goes to the cross for us, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

That God may be pleased to increase faith and understanding in the catechumens and candidates who approach the sacraments of initiation in the coming Paschal Solemnity. 

That those in need may find assistance in the charity of faithful Christians and that peace and security may be firmly established in all places.

For strength to resist temptation, and the humility to sincerely repent of sin.

That through fasting and self-denial, we may be ever more conformed to Christ.

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

Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.

Palm Sunday 2022 - The Messianic King who reigns from the Cross

 Many times throughout his ministry, Jesus refused public recognition for his miracles and holy works. For example, after healing the deaf man in Mark chapter 7, the Lord orders the onlookers not to tell anyone about the miracle, but the more he ordered them, the more they proclaimed it. Another example, after his first public exorcism in the synagogue of Capernaum, Mark tells us that the Lord “warned them sternly not to make it known.” And another example, in John’s Gospel, after the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves, the people wanted to crown him king right then and there, but he withdrew into solitude. 

Why did the Lord so often guard his Messianic identity and refuse public fanfare? Part of it had to do with the expectations of many of his fellow Jews. In those days, when you said the word Messiah, it conjured up the image of a political revolutionary who would overthrow Israel’s enemies through military force. Much of Israel was expecting a Messiah King to liberate the Jews from Roman domination. So the Lord distances himself from this political, earthly understanding of being Israel’s Messiah and refused efforts to make him King of Israel.

So how do we understand what happened on Palm Sunday? As we heard in our gospel at the beginning of mass today, the Lord allowed the people of Jerusalem to give him this kingly reception: waving palms, singing sacred hymns, laying down cloaks. Palms were the symbol of military victory. 

Well, there is certainly some irony to all of this. Most of these people thought that the triumphal entry marked the beginning of the end for Rome. They likely imagined that this Nazorean carpenter would soon be meeting with other revolutionaries, planning the violent overthrow of Israel’s oppressors, beginning perhaps with Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor. But, the Lord enters the holy city in triumph, not to begin a military campaign, but to signal that the time had come for his campaign against sin and death

He is a king, but not the king they expected. He is the Messiah—the anointed one of God—but he has not come to carry out the violent overthrow of our political enemies, but to overthrow evil itself, by carrying our sins with him as he carried his cross, and allowing our sins to be crucified with him in his Passion and death.

This is why we proclaim both the gospel of the triumphal entry and the reading of the Passion on Palm Sunday. You cannot have one without the other. The waving of palms is a misguided gesture if you believe Christianity is about establishing an earthly kingdom through any means necessary or that Jesus came to usher in some earthly utopia or some supreme form of temporal government. No. He has not come for that. 

The Messiah goes to the cross for you and me and for all people of all places of all times to pay the price for our sins, to redeem our fallenness, without which there is no hope of heaven for anyone ever, no hope of reconciliation with God, no hope of eternal life. 

Again, He is a Messiah and He is a King, but it is not on Palm Sunday that his identity as messiah is most manifest, his identity as king is most glorious. To those with eyes of faith, his procession through the streets of Jerusalem, bloodied and beaten, weak and on the verge of expiring, with the burden of our sins and the sins of the world on his shoulders, is more beautiful, and more glorious, than the palm Sunday entrance five days prior.

We sing Hosanna to Him because what he does on Good Friday. Hosanna, offered to a king, not as an earthly platitude or lip service, but as divine worship, in gratitude for our salvation.

He goes to the cross to make the humble, total immolation of himself for our salvation. And this week, we at least owe it to Him, to keep our eyes and hearts fixed on Him. These are the High Holy Days of our Christian Faith. These are the days where we are to pray with the greatest intensity, fast with the greatest intensity, to show our love, to show our respect, to show our gratitude, to our King reigns not from some earthly throne, but from the cross, to our Messiah who defeats evil not through military means, but through self-emptying humble obedience to God. 

He gave all, he sacrificed all, he gave the best he had, for us.  May we do the same for Him this week, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

5th Week of Lent 2022 - Wednesday - Pharisaical Idolatry

 The prohibition against idolatry was one of the first and most important laws God gave to the Jewish people. At Sinai, he tells them: “You shall have no other gods before Me.” Idolatry became an issue for Israel on numerous occasions. Coming out of the desert, they encountered the Caananite peoples with their many gods. And many fell into idolatry, especially when they intermarried. When they were conquered by the Assyrians, the Babylonians, and the Persians, many fell into idolatry, worshipping the gods of their conquerors.

In the first reading today, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were told they must worship an idol or be put to death. They are examples of courageous faith for Jews and for us as well. 

In the Gospel, the Lord addresses the idolatry of the Pharisees. The Pharisees claim to be children of Abraham and worshippers of the One True God of Abraham, but the Lord exposes their idolatry. They might not be offering burnt sacrifices to foreign Gods, they’re idolatry is more subtle, but far worse

Their hardness of hearts, their failure to show mercy, their failure to love the sinner are all evidence they don’t worship the one true God. For if they did, they would resemble the God they worship. The claim to be the religious experts, having an impeccable knowledge of scripture and theology. But they didn’t recognize the God revealed in the Scriptures when he appeared in the flesh before them. 

Worse still, they’ve subverted what religion was supposed to be all about. Right religion is about the right worship and love of God, of serving God, and seeking authentic holiness in this life. They were leading people not to seek authentic holiness, but to imitate their own errors and hardness of heart. 

Why did they hate Jesus? Because he exposed them, and sought to depose them. They put themselves in the place of God, and when he exposed their hypocrisy, they sought to kill him.

These readings certainly help us understand the animosity toward Jesus that led to his arrest and trumped up trials and Passion and Death in the upcoming week. Today’s readings also challenge us to examine our own idolatrous tendencies. Again, not that we are offering burnt offerings to pagan idols, but the idolatry of the self, of the ego, of the need to wrestle control away from God, the resistance toward obeying God and seeking to imitate God.

In the days ahead, may our hearts truly bow before the Lord in worship, as he goes to the cross for us, to save us from sin, to save us from ourselves; for in him we find true freedom, true peace, eternal life and joy, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That God may be pleased to increase faith and understanding in the catechumens and candidates who approach the sacraments of initiation in the coming Paschal Solemnity. 

That those in need may find assistance in the charity of faithful Christians and that peace and security may be firmly established in all places.

For strength to resist temptation, and the humility to sincerely repent of sin.

That through fasting and self-denial, we may be ever more conformed to Christ.

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

Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.

5th Week of Lent 2022 - Tuesday - Listen to his love

 The Israelites in the desert had taken their eyes off of what God was doing for them, and allowed the poison of ingratitude fill their hearts.  God was freeing them from slavery and leading them to the promised land, but their complaints and hardness of hearts allowed poisonous and deadly ingratitude to direct their thoughts, words, and actions. The deadly poison of the Saraph Serpants was a symbol of the even deadlier poison of sin that reigned in them. The brush with death, like for many people, became a wake up call, they realized they sinned and repented. God provided a remedy for the poisonous snake bites but instructing Moses to place the bronze serpent on the pole. All who looked at it would live.

In the Gospel, the Pharisees allowed the poison of pride to fill their hearts. Failing to recognize that Jesus was truly the Son of God, Jesus told the Pharisees that they would die in their sins unless they looked upon him and believed that he was God.  

In these dark times, many have allowed sinful pride and sinful gratitude to dominate their lives. Man Catholics even have stopped looking to the Crucified for life. Many Catholics do not have crucifixes in their homes, they do not go to Church, and worse, they believe there’s nothing wrong. But, it is the task of faithful Christians to hold him up for the world to see—in our speech, in our behaviors, and in our prayers, that they may see him and believe.

The great lover of the Crucified, St. Paul of the Cross, would often go from parish to parish, preaching parish missions.  When he would preach these missions, he would often hold out to the congregation a crucifix, and simply holding the crucifix out for all to see, he would say, “listen to his love.”

He said, "When you are alone in your room, take your crucifix, kiss its five wounds reverently, tell it to preach to you a little sermon, and then listen to the words of eternal life that it speaks to your heart; listen to the pleading of the thorns, the nails, the precious Blood. Oh, what an eloquent sermon!"

Look at the hands of Jesus, always open during life, still open, still giving, healing to the last drop of blood. Look at the feet of Jesus, which climbed the mountain of Calvary, now lifted up and nailed to the cross for our salvation. Look at the side of Jesus from which flowed the blood and water, the fountain of the sacramental life of the Church

If you know of any Catholics who have stopped looking to Jesus, bring them to Mass with you on Palm Sunday and Good Friday. Help them to listen to his love, to see that he reaches out to them from the cross with tremendous love. We are to help them embrace Him, as he longs to bring them mercy, strength, and peace, as he has for us.  As we near Holy Week, may each of us keep his tremendous outpouring of love ever before our eyes, in our mind, and in our hearts, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That God may be pleased to increase faith and understanding in the catechumens and candidates who approach the sacraments of initiation in the coming Paschal Solemnity. 

That those in need may find assistance in the charity of faithful Christians and that peace and security may be firmly established in all places.

For strength to resist temptation, and the humility to sincerely repent of sin.

That through fasting and self-denial, we may be ever more conformed to Christ.

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

Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.

Passion Sunday 2022 (EF) - The Eternal High Priest and the gift of Mercy

Today the Church celebrates Passion Sunday, the beginning of the brief liturgical season called in the extraordinary form Passiontide, during which the Church turns all of her attention more explicitly toward the betrayal of the Lord, his sufferings and death. Passiontide helps us to prepare well to enter deeply into the mystery of, and receive more fruitfully than ever before, what the Lord accomplished for us during his passion, death and resurrection. 

Regardless of how the Season of Lent has gone until now — whether it’s been what it should have been, a season of conversion through more intense prayer, fasting, and sacrifice; or whether it’s been a series of missed opportunities — now is the time to focus, to get serious, to reorient priorities to make sure we’re not just bystanders of the sacred mysteries, but active participants, zealous recipients, and passionate sharers of Christ’s saving work.

In the Letter to the Hebrews, we are presented with this image of Our Lord as the Eternal High Priest. The letter contrasts the Lord’s Passion with the sacrifices offered on the Jewish Day of Atonement—Yom Kippur. On Yom Kippur, there were three ritual sacrifices: a bullock that, following the Book of Leviticus (16:15,21-22), the priest offered for his sins; a goat that he offered for the sins of the people; and, following what God dictated in the Book of Numbers (Numbers 19), a red heifer whose blood would be sprinkled in front of the tabernacle area and whose ashes would be placed in a clean place outside the camp. The Jews believed that those sacrifices, whether in the temple or in the desert, were necessary and sufficient for taking away their sins.

And so the Epistle to the Hebrews helps us to appreciate what the Lord accomplished as our high priest: he made forgiveness of sins possible for us by becoming not only our high priest but making himself the victim, the sacrifice, by whose blood achieve eternal redemption.

The Letter also makes clear what our response has to be: the High Priest and Saving Victim has cleansed us from dead works that we might use our freedom to “worship the living God.” And so, as we approach Holy Week, we need to examine whether worship of the living God is really the center of our life or just a part of it.

In the Gospel, the Lord is in contentious dialogue with the scribes, Pharisees, chief priests, and others in the Temple area immediately after saving the life of the woman caught in adultery. In their hardness of hearts they had absolutely refused to acknowledge the mission of the Savior; as a result, they schemed in a thousand ways to oppose His teachings and to belittle Him before the people by declaring Him a liar and one possessed by the devil. Their animosity had increased to the point where they decided to stone Him.

But in the face of such hostility, the Lord exhibits zeal for their souls, meekness, and total abandonment to God; he seeks to enlighten their minds, attempting to drawn them away from error. We are certainly challenged to consider any hostility within us toward the conversion, purification and enlightenment the Lord desires for us, and seek to imitate his composure, his patience, his love, his conviction. We seek his mercy for squandering the time we’ve been given and allowing selfishness to continue to reign in our minds, hearts, and wills.

Nine years ago, Pope Francis preached his first Sunday mass as Pope, in which was read the Gospel of the woman caught in adultery, but his words are relevant to us as well. After explaining how the woman caught in adultery encountered the mercy of God,  the Holy Father stressed “God never tires of forgiving us…it’s we who tire of asking for forgiveness.” Then he prayed, “May we never tire of asking for what God never tires to give!”

Next week, on Palm Sunday, we will hear the Lord’s Passion, how the High Priest goes to the cross that each of us may be forgiven, over and over, if need be. All we have to do is repent, confess our sins, intend to sin no more, put forth some effort in amending our lives.

“May we never tire of asking for what God never tires to give!” for the glory of God and salvation of souls

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 A reading from the Epistle to the Hebrews

Brethren: But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come to be, passing through the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made by hands, that is, not belonging to this creation, he entered once for all into the sanctuary, not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of a heifer’s ashes can sanctify those who are defiled so that their flesh is cleansed, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God. For this reason he is mediator of a new covenant: since a death has taken place for deliverance from transgressions under the first covenant, those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.

The continuation of the Gospel according to St. John

At that time Jesus said to the multitudes of the Jews:Can any of you charge me with sin? If I am telling the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not listen, because you do not belong to God.” The Jews answered and said to him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and are possessed?” Jesus answered, “I am not possessed; I honor my Father, but you dishonor me. I do not seek my own glory; there is one who seeks it and he is the one who judges. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.” [So] the Jews said to him, “Now we are sure that you are possessed. Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’ Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? Or the prophets, who died? Who do you make yourself out to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing; but it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ You do not know him, but I know him. And if I should say that I do not know him, I would be like you a liar. But I do know him and I keep his word. Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad. So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.” So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.

5th Sunday of Lent - Third Scrutiny - Raised from the dead

 Two weeks ago we heard the story of the woman at the well.  She encountered the Lord Jesus, who said to her, “I will give you living water, which alone can satisfy”.  She represents all of us, all thirsting for God. Jesus invites all people of all time to drink deeply of the living waters of God through Him.

Last week we heard of the man born blind.  Again, he is all of us, born in the blindness of sin.  We desire to do good and avoid evil, but it’s not always easy to see clearly. Sometimes our egos and our sinful attachments are so great, they blind us to seeing how God wants us to live rightly. Jesus says to the man born blind and to all of us, “I am the light of the world.”  If you want to see rightly, let the light of Christ and His teachings enlighten you. 

These stories in John’s Gospel move toward a sort of crescendo. I am living water which quenches thirst. I am the light by which you see. And today Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life.” He’s not just water, He’s not just light. He is Life itself. And he desire that His life might animate us in this life, that it might sustain us through death, and animate us in all eternity, including the resurrection. 

One of my favorite quotations from the early Church fathers is from St. Ireneus of Lyons, who said, Gloria Dei Homo Vivens, “the glory of God is Man fully alive.”  Jesus himself said, I came that they might have life, and have it to abundance. Christ died, that we may live, free from sin, full of divine life.  God’s glory, what gives God happiness, is that we are fully alive.  Conversely, what saddens the heart of God is when we continue to allow death to reign in us at any level: physically, emotionally, spiritually.  

Next, week, on Palm Sunday, we’ll come to understand the price the Lord pays to defeat the powers of death in us. But on this fifth Sunday of Lent, we’re invited to consider how the Lord commands us to live. 

The wages of sin are death, writes St. Paul. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were commanded by God, do not eat of the tree or else you will die. Death is the result of sin, of being separated from God who is Life and the Author of life. We allow death to reign in us, when we indulge in sin with our minds, when we indulge in sin with our hearts, when we indulge in sin with our bodies, when we indulge in sin with our wills. 

The powers of death take root in our minds when we contemplate revenge, when we entertain lusts, when we plot to satiate our greed or to manipulate others. The powers of death take root in our hearts when we fail to forgive, when we bear grudges, when we envy. The powers of death take root in our bodies when we misuse our bodies to hurt, to steal, to fornicate, to gluttonously indulge in food or drink. The powers of death weaken our wills when we choose selfishness, when we choose wrath, when we choose not to act when we should, when we choose diversions over spiritual duty and spiritual endeavors like prayer.

But Jesus commands us, come out of your tombs, stop allowing death to reign in you. Jesus took flesh that we might have life and have it in abundance. He wants life to reign in our minds—considering how we can use our time to serve the kingdom with our unique set of talents, how we can work together with our neighbor to evangelize, how we can instruct the ignorant and pass on the faith to the next generation. He wants life to reign in our hearts—in compassion, generosity, and courage. He wants life to reign in our bodies—using our physical strength to help the weak, to build beautiful Churches like this one, to make beautiful music to assist in worship. He wants life to reign in our wills—choosing selflessness, choosing peace, choosing forgiveness, choosing mercy.

Lent helps us to identify where we have allowed death to continue to reign in us, and to engage in the spiritual practices that allows the life of Christ to flourish. Where has spiritual death continued to take root in you? What has caused you to fall short of that vocation described by St. Ireneus of being fully alive?

Last week, I repeated the invitation to make a good Lenten Sacrament of Confession. Confession is the way designated by God, instituted by Christ, in which sin is to be forgiven—where souls dead in sin or diseased with sin may be restored to life. 

St. Paul warns the Church in his first letter to the Corinthians about a particular type of sin that brings death to the souls and death to the Church, that of the sacrilegious reception of Holy Communion.  St. Paul writes, “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died”

“Some have died.” In other words, some who have failed to examine themselves and confess their sins, and took communion anyway, have died the eternal death. It is the law of the Church going back to the very beginning, that mortal sins must be confessed prior to the reception of Holy Communion. Please, that life may flourish in you, if you have mortal sins, including previous sacrilegious receptions of Holy Communion, go to Confession. 

In his very first homily as Pope, Pope Francis spoke about the importance of repentance. “God never tires of forgiving us,” he proclaimed. “It’s we who tire of asking for forgiveness.” Then he prayed, “May we never tire of asking for what God never tires to give!” God never tires of raising us, like Lazarus, from the dead. Calling us to emerge from our tombs. He never tires of breathing new life into us.

This is true in our own lives, and also the life of our parish. Authentic revitalization in this parish will only come when there is sincere spiritual revitalization. That’s why I take Lent and Confession and the invitation to prayer so seriously. God wants to raise souls to new life. That’s the mission of the parish. To be a place where souls can receive life. To help us like Lazarus to be raised to new life. To help us be like Martha and Mary in today’s Gospel who brings Jesus to their brother who was dead. We have family members and neighbors whose souls are dead and rotting, who we must lead to Jesus by our prayers and penances and personal invitations. We should never pretend, that just because it’s 2022, that some sins are now okay. And repentance is optional.  I know, it’s unpleasant to think that some souls are in danger of hell. But that should motivate us all the more to pray and evangelize.

“I will put my spirit in you that you may live, and I will settle you upon your land” we heard in our first reading. God has given us His spirit, He’s given us his life, and he’s given us this land, this parish territory, that we may make His life, his glory, his love known, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

5th Sunday of Lent 2022 - God never tires of forgiving us

 On Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, St. Paul in the Epistle begged us, be “reconciled to God.” The prophet Joel, on the first reading of Ash Wednesday told us to return to God with your whole heart— a summons repeated in the acclamation preceding today’s Gospel. Ashes were then imposed on our foreheads, reminding us that we are dust, we mortal, we have sinned, we will face judgment upon our deaths, so must repent and believe in the Gospel. The call to reconciliation, repentance echoes throughout Lent. 

Last week, Jesus preached to us the Parable of the Prodigal Son, in which we see the son repenting, turning back toward his Father’s house. And the very good news that underlies all of this, is that the call to repentance presupposes a God who longs to forgive us. When we repent, we meet a Father who has boundless love for each us of wayward prodigal children of his. The father runs to embrace the sinner, wraps his arms around him with tears of joy. There is more joy in heaven over the one sinner who repents, than over the 99 who do not repent.

The fifth Sunday of Lent continues the Lenten call to repentance. And everything should be counted as rubbish, as St. Paul puts it, that keeps us from knowing God’s mercy. 

In today’s Gospel, God’s mercy is made manifest in Jesus’ encounter with the woman caught in adultery. Just as Jesus wanted us last week to identify with the Prodigal Son, so he wants us to see ourselves in the woman caught red-handed. And just as he wanted us to recognize that often we can behave like the older brother in the Parable who resents mercy given to sinful siblings, so, too, he wishes us to drop whatever stones are in our hands. And just as last week’s Parable urges us to seek the joy of turning back toward our Father’s house, so in this week’s Gospel we are to seek that life-changing encounter with Jesus’ mercy as did the adulterous woman.

The Gospel begins with the scribes and Pharisees posing a dilemma to Jesus. The woman had been caught in the very act of adultery, the dilemma is what to do with her. The dilemma posed to Jesus by the Pharisees is do we stone her to death or not? Moses, whom the Pharisees regarded as God’s greatest prophet, commanded adulterers to be stoned to death. Do we obey Moses and stone her, or do we disobey Moses and not stone her? If Jesus says yes, stone her, then he contradicts his own teaching about forgiveness and mercy. He’s also violating Roman law, since the Romans did not give the Jews the right to capital punishment. If he says no, don’t stone her, then he’s contradicting Jewish law and telling them to disobey the law that came from the greatest of God’s prophets. If Jesus refuses to answer, well then he can be dismissed as coward or as an authentic teacher.

So what does he do? In his divine genius, he tells them: “Let the one among you who is without sin cast the first stone.” He doesn’t evade the question, he shows that they were evading their own sinfulness. You claim she has a lot to answer for…you have a lot to answer for. He challenges them to look in the mirror. The adulterous woman is a mirror for them and for us. 

And what happens? You want to talk about a miracle? The fact that each of the Pharisees dropped their stones and actually walked away. Maybe there is hope even for the spiritually blind Pharisee to recognize his sinfulness. 

Again, the woman caught in adultery is a mirror for us to see ourselves and our sins. Every sin, in a sense, is an act of adultery toward God, because all sin is infidelity to the spousal covenant of love we have entered into with God through baptism. Every sin is a misuse of our God given free will which in justice should result in the loss of heaven forever. 

For the consequence of sin is relative to the one who has been offended or hurt by our sin. If you commit a crime against a fellow civilian, there is a minor punishment. If you commit a crime against a police officer, there is a greater punishment. If you commit a crime against the president, there is an even greater punishment due to the importance of his office. If you commit a crime against God, who is infinite in grandeur and goodness, well, that incurs the greatest of debts and merits the severest of consequences, no?

We need a savior, who is God and man, God who alone can forgive our sins, and man to pay the price. And the good news of Lent is that indeed we have such a Savior. Forgiveness of the debt is available through Christ. 

But, failing to repent that we have “greatly sinned … by our own … most grievous fault,” is like saying, I don’t need a Savior. Unless we recognize that we’re really sick—in need of the doctor—we cannot appreciate either the medicine of mercy or the Divine Physician who dies to dispense it.

As the Pharisees walk away, the Lord says to the woman, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”

Notice, Jesus doesn’t say, “there’s nothing to forgive. Don’t worry about it. You’re only human.” He calls her sin a sin, but offers her a new beginning. “Go and sin no more”. 

What a beautiful command. One of the most beautiful in all of scripture. Go and use your god-given free will in a way pleasing to God. Is there anything more beautiful than that command? To live a life free from serious sin!  The Lord would never have commanded it if it weren't possible. To the soul abandoned to Christ, It's possible. Which is what he’s offering this woman. To all of us. A new start. As long as we draw breath.

Nine years ago, Pope Francis preached his first Sunday mass as Pope. And this was the Gospel that weekend. And the Holy Father stressed “God never tires of forgiving us…it’s we who tire of asking for forgiveness.” Then he prayed, “May we never tire of asking for what God never tires to give!”

Next week, on Palm Sunday, we will hear the Lord’s Passion, how Jesus goes to the cross that each of us may be forgiven, over and over, if need be. All we have to do is repent, confess our sins, intend to sin no more, and put forth some effort in amending our lives.

“May we never tire of asking for what God never tires to give!” for the glory of God and salvation of souls