November 30 2022 - St. Andrew, Apostle & Martyr - Advent Courage

 On this first weekday of Advent, we honor the first called Apostle of Jesus. The Byzantine Church honors the Apostle Saint Andrew with the title: Protokletos, which means, “the first called” because he was the first of the Apostles to be called and to follow Jesus.

Though he was Jewish, his name Andrew, comes not from a Hebrew word, but a Greek word: andreios, meaning “brave” or the virtue of a warrior.  The Apostle Andrew like a Warrior bravely followed Christ, bravely spread Christ’s Gospel, and bravely witnessed to Christ in martyrdom.  

Tradition says that he preached the gospel in Greece and in the year 60 was crucified on an X shaped cross.  He hung on the cross for two days before he died, and it is said that he continued to preach the Gospel while hanging from the cross.  

What lessons particularly for Advent, can we learn from this courageous martyred apostle? Courage. Courage is not typically associated with Advent. We usually think of Advent hope, Advent peace, Advent joy, and Advent Love. But Courage is needed if we hope to grow in these virtues—to do what is needed in order to grow in virtue. As C. S. Lewis wisely noted, “Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.”

Courage is needed to turn away from worldly distraction in order to practice the prayer, penance, poverty, quiet, charity, contemplation, and meditation characteristic of the season of Advent. Without those things we will never grow in the supernatural virtues of hope, peace, joy, and love. It takes courage, doesn’t it, to say no to our addictions, our attachments, and our habits. It takes courage to not return to those familiar things, even though they aren’t good for us.

St. Andrew required Courage to turn away from good things, in order to turn toward something better. He required Courage to turn away from fishing, from his profession, which provided him and his family certain worldly security, in order to follow Christ in his special vocation as apostle. 

And he was the first. The protokletos. It takes a lot of Courage in order to be the first to do something. The second person has the benefit of the example and witness of the first. But the first requires a tremendous leap of faith.

There are likely even good things in our life, that we need the courage to turn away from, in order to follow Jesus more deeply. It’s not just addictions that we need the courage to break. But fasting from luxurious foods and restaurants perhaps, some of our creature comforts that aren’t necessarily bad. Perhaps, just ordering our days in a more structured manner, so we can be more attentive to prayer and study and good works. Again, it takes an Andrew amount of Courage to begin some new charitable endeavor that no one else is doing.

This brave martyr embraced Christ, embraced living for Him over everything else, and lived to bring others to Jesus, witnessing to Christ unto death. We do well to consider, how our lives should change in order to follow Andrew’s example this Advent, of going out to meet the Lord and embracing him when he arrives for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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

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

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

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

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

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

1st Week of Advent 2022 - Tuesday - Rotting Stump or Fruitful Branch

 

Throughout Advent, we read extensively from the book of the prophet Isaiah. Since Isaiah is such a long book, 66 chapters, the longest of the prophetic books, we really only get to read bits and pieces at Mass. 

Yesterday, we read a passage from chapter 4 of Isaiah. Isaiah foretells how Israel and Judah’s unfaithfulness to God will have some pretty devastating consequences. God’s people, Isaiah explains turned to sorcery & divination like their pagan neighbors (2:6b), so they were embroiled in the occult and pagan religions; they made alliances and covenants with pagans (2:6c); they lusted after financial gain and filled their lives with material things to secure their future instead of trusting in God (2:7), and there would be consequences for these things. 

Violating their covenant with God would bring societal chaos and destabilization. The Jews would would seek out leaders to help stabilize society, but the godless would prove themselves unqualified, mislead the people and set up conditions for anarchy, making the nation vulnerable to their enemies.  the Assyrians—Jerusalem would be sacked and destroyed. 

Isaiah chapters 9 and 10 which proceed today’s reading, speak of not only the devastation of Jerusalem, but of a time when the house of David would be in shambles. And remember, God had made a promise to David, that his descendants would flourish, and from his line would come the king of kings, and Isaiah said, there will be a time when the Davidic line would appear more like a rotting stump than a flourishing royal tree. 

But then, in today’s reading, we read of a glimmer of hope. Isaiah prophesied that God would not forget his people, and that from that rotting stump, would arise a new shoot, a new branch, from which the Messiah would come—a Savior. And unlike those useless corrupt leaders and kings—"The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, A Spirit of counsel and of strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.”

I don’t know about you, but at times it seems like the political upheaval and societal chaos described by Isaiah hits a little close to home. But Advent calls the faithful, to focus not on the rotting stump, but on the new shoot—to align yourself with Him, to ensure you are grafted upon Him, that you are placing your trust and hopes not in earthly princes or political machinations or material security or occult practices like the unfaithful to whom Isaiah prophecied, but in the wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, and holy Fear of the Savior, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1st Week of Advent 2022 - Monday - The New is hidden in the Old

Saint Augustine once observed that the "New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.” Yesterday, I preached on how God made promises in the Old Testament that are fulfilled by the Lord Jesus and His Church. The New lay hidden in the Old—the promise in the Old is fulfilled in the New. And so, throughout the Old testament there are glimpses of what is yet to be fulfilled, Who is yet to come. 

Again yesterday, I shared how immediately after the fall of Adam and Eve in the book of Genesis, there is this foreshadowing of Savior—the seed of the woman at enmity with the serpent. The Savior is foreshadowed in every book of the Old Testament—he is the seed of the woman in Genesis. He is the Passover Lamb in Exodus. In Leviticus He is… “The Priest, the Altar & the Sacrifice”.  In Joshua, He is…“The Captain of Our Salvation”.  In Judges He is…“Our Judge and Lawgiver”. In Ruth He is…“Our Kinsman-Redeemer“.  In I & II Samuel He is…“Our Trusted Prophet” In Kings & Chronicles He is…“Our Reigning King” In Ezra He is… “The Rebuilder of the Broken-Down Walls of Human Life”.  And so on.

Did you catch the reference to the Savior in today’s reading from Isaiah? “On that day, the branch of the LORD will be luster and glory.” The Savior is “the branch”—the branch. This passage of Isaiah describes how from this new branch coming forth from the house of Judah will bring new life to Israel. And this is certainly a foreshadowing of how the Lord who traces his lineage back to David and Judah, the Son of Jacob, will bring new life through his death and resurrection—new life, new fruit to a tree, an organism that had begun to wither. The New lies hidden in the old, and the Old is unveiled in the New.

For what do we hear in our New Testament reading today? The Lord curing—bringing new life—to a paralyzed man, but not just any man, the servant of a Roman Centurion. This servant was a real man who suffered dreadfully, to whom the Lord brought healing, and comfort, and new life. He is also a symbol of all of the Jewish people under the servitude of Rome at the time of Our Lord. The Lord offered them new life, if they would but believe. 

During Advent, we deepen seek a deepening of our own faith, a renewal of faith, so that Jesus the Branch may bear new life giving fruit in our lives—that his goodness, the goodness of the one who makes all things new, may be revealed in us, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1st Sunday of Advent 2022 - Promises of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love

 

Happy Advent Everyone. 

If you were to pick up the bible, and turn to nearly any page of the holy book, you would be able to discover either God making a promise or God fulfilling a promise. 

God makes his first promise to mankind immediately after the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden. God makes a promise that the evil unleashed through sin would be undone by the offspring of the Woman—a promise of a savior dating back to the very moment when mankind was in need of one.  

To Abraham, our father in faith, God made several promises: God promised to make Abraham’s descendants as countless as the stars, that all the nations of the world would come to be blessed through Abraham and his descendants, that God’s people would come to possess land—the promised land—forever, and that the enemies of God would be cast down through the seed of Abraham. Promises that would come to be fulfilled in Christ and his holy Church to which countless members are a blessing to the world. 

After wandering through the desert for 40 years, God promised that all those who search for Him would be able to find him—a promise fulfilled in your life and mine, and all those with the name of Christian who have found God through Christ. 

God promised, indeed, that His love would never fail—that no sin is so great that we would lose His love. Here is the promise that sin could be forgiven and the wounds within humanity would be healed. 

In the Psalms and prophets and the accumulated wisdom literature of ancient Israel, repeated over and over is the promise that those who allow the Word of God and the wisdom of God to light their way, the will know joy, delight, guidance, comfort and peace.

In the first reading, the first scripture of this first Sunday of the first week of Advent, we hear a powerful promise made the Isaiah the prophet. In fact, one might say, that is the job of the prophet—to dictate God’s promises to the people who need to hear them. 

And the promise Isaiah speaks to us is a promise of peace—of a whole world of saints—all the nations of the world, together worshipping the same God, the true God, in great joy in a world without war: They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again

Next Sunday, we’ll hear how this promise of peace will be so all-encompassing that it will even extend to the animals. The wolf will be the guest of the lamb, the calf and the lion will roam the earth side-by-side, instead of one being food for the other. Here is a promise of  the experience of God’s peace, and harmony, and joy.

Does that sound like our world today? Well, far from it. But that is because Isaiah’s vision is a promise of what will yet come to pass. It is a vision of a promise yet fulfilled. A promise that will be fulfilled when Christ comes again, his final Advent. 

But we believe he will come again, on good authority, his own. “I will come back again and take you to myself” he said at the Last Supper. That promise of the Lord’s return will come to pass, just as his first coming, promised by Isaiah when he foretold that the virgin would give birth to a son, the Lord’s first Advent came to pass.

The Lord tells us to prepare ourselves for his return in the Gospel today: we do not know the day nor the hour of the Lord’s return. Readiness for the Lord’s return. The whole Christian life, in a sense, the whole purpose of our faith, is about cultivating readiness—being awakened to the truth about reality—and conforming our lives to that Truth. Nothing could be more important than that; it is a matter, as the Lord explains, of being taken with him into the eternal city of heaven, or being left behind, outside heaven’s gates, excluded from God’s presence, for ever.

St. Paul on this first advent Sunday, guides us on how to prepare for the Lord’s return by casting off , what he calls “the works of darkness”—ridding our lives of lust, drunkenness, rivalry, and jealousy. “Make no provision for the flesh” Paul tells us. We must seek to turn away from our fallen, sinful tendencies and selfish desires and make “no provision” for them…meaning, we aren’t giving them room in our lives to grow, we are remaining vigilant against putting ourselves in the near occasion of sin, we avert our eyes from what leads to sin. When temptation arises, we don’t feed the fire by giving in, but turning to the Lord for help and putting on the armor of light—truth, prayer, faith.

During Advent, we prepare for Christmas and we prepare for the Lord’s final return, by putting on Christ—imitating his virtues—his own love for the poor, his own devotion to the will of the Father, the truth he teaches, the commands he makes, the prayer he practices and teaches, his enmity toward sin and selfishness. 

Throughout this holy season, the beautiful promises of God are reiterated to us anew. The four candles of the Advent wreath stand for four promises: the first candle represents the promise of increased hope, that in a world filled with such chaos, you will have more hope, if you prepare your heart for Jesus to enter it more deeply. The second candle represents the promise of peace—that in a world filled with so much hostility, and frantic, frenetic activity and exhaustion, you will have more peace—spiritual peace; if you prepare your heart for Jesus to enter it more deeply.; the third candle represents God’s promise of increased joy—that in a world with so much sadness and suffering—you will experience greater joy, if you prepare your heart for Jesus to enter it more deeply. And the fourth candle represents greater love—in world where there is loneliness, where God often seems distant, where we fall into sin that makes us feel quite unlovable—you will experience greater love,  if you prepare your heart for Jesus to enter it more deeply.

I promise, the Church promises, that if you seek these things—hope, peace, joy, and love, this Advent,  you will find them, knock and the door will be opened. I promise. For the glory of God and salvation of souls.

34th Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Wednesday - The war between Lamb and Beast

Throughout the visions contained in the book of Revelation, it becomes clear that history involves a battle: a war of good versus evil. In chapter 12 of Revelation, we hear of the dragon—"the dragon with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems.” And the dragon wages war against the women and her offspring. Think of Mary and her children, the Church. 

In chapter 13, Revelation introduces two beasts, demonic lieutenants of Satan. And the beasts worship the dragon because it gives them power. And the beasts blaspheme against God. And they too, wage war against the holy ones of God. 

But then in Chapter 14, we meet not a hellish dragon, or a demonic beast, but the innocent Lamb and the holy ones who follow Him wherever he goes. 

Today’s passage describes a vision of the Lamb who has waged war and is victorious over the beast and its followers. And surrounding the Lamb are, the Lambs followers, who share in his victory. These are the martyrs and the holy people who remained faithful to the Lamb unto death throughout the great battle—the great struggle—the great war that is this earthly life. 

And the followers of the Lamb sing a victory song to celebrate God’s triumph over his adversaries that is about to unfold as God brings history to an end. 

The battle is real. Our sinful condition means that our earthly life involves choosing sides—will we give in to sin, to the influence of the dragon whose evil permeates the whole world—will we join the beasts of hell in their vicious attacks on goodness, truth, and beauty? Or will we join the Lamb who delivers us from sin, who clothes his followers in righteousness?

The Catechism speaks of this battle saying the dramatic situation of “the whole world [which] is in the power of the evil one” makes man’s life a battle: The whole of man’s history has been the story of dour combat with the powers of evil, stretching, so our Lord tells us, from the very dawn of history until the last day. Finding himself in the midst of the battlefield man has to struggle to do what is right, and it is at great cost to himself, and aided by God’s grace, that he succeeds in achieving his own inner integrity.”

The battle is real, my friends. And the battle to do right—the battle for holiness—the battle to win souls—costs us something, as it cost the Lamb—we will be hated by all—handed over by parents and friends, as the Lord tells us in the Gospel today. But sacrifice for God—for the Lamb—is rewarded with an eternal share in his victory. 

Revelation says, “The devil is in a great fury, for he knows his time on earth is short”. And evil in the world is not a sign that evil wins, but that it is making it’s last, furious grasp for souls. May we work and pray assiduously for the deliverance of those who remain in Satan’s grasp through error and sin, pleading for their deliverance through the blood of the Lamb—Christ the Lord—for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

Lord, sanctify your bishops and priests, and grant them courage to preach the Gospel in its fullness.

Make the lives of parents examples of faith to inspire their children to seek first your heavenly kingdom. 

Bring all those who have fallen away back to the sacraments, help them to repent of their sins and desire the life that can only come from you.

That the Wisdom of Christ may preside over our thanksgiving gatherings tomorrow, for safety for all travelers, and protection from food-born illnesses. 

Bring comfort to the sick and suffering, charity and care to the destitute and down-trodden, be present through your church to the miserable. 

Welcome into your kingdom all the faithful departed, those whose names are written in our parish necrology, all clergy and religious, and X for whom this mass is offered.

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

November 22 2022 - St. Cecilia - The most beautiful song (school mass)

 All throughout the scriptures God’s people are known for making music.  After escaping from the Egyptians and crossing the Red Sea, the Israelites sang a song exulting the Lord for delivering them from their enemies.

Israel sang as she traversed the desert, she sang in the Temple, she sang in exile.

And entire book of the Bible—the book of Psalms—contains songs of joy, songs of adoration of God, songs of repentance for sin, songs of desperation, songs of thanksgiving in acknowledgement of God’s blessings, songs to bestow courage on God’s people as they faced their enemies, songs which contain timeless wisdom to guide one’s life.

There are even Psalms instructing God’s people to pick up your instruments and make some music for God—on lutes and harps, and pipe instruments, even with loud clashing cymbals. 

The Lord Jesus himself in the Gospels is recorded as singing hymns with his disciples on their way to Mount Olivet, after the Last Supper. A recessional hymn following the first Mass.  

St. Paul wrote to the Ephesians, telling them, “be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord…”

In the book of the apocalypse, the saints of heaven are depicted standing around the throne of the Lamb, singing. 

We celebrate today the feast of the patron saint of musicians, St. Cecilia—so a very happy feast day to all musicians—and to the whole Church who constantly sings God’s praises. St. Cecilia was an early Christian martyr, she was arrested, imprisoned, tortured, and sentenced to death because of her Catholic faith. Legend states that throughout her tortures, which lasted for days, she sang to God. 

Think about that. St. Cecilia’s faith was so important to her, that she was able to sing in the face of death. Is your faith strong enough? 

Jesus on the cross recited the lyrics of a song: a song that begins, “my god my god, why have you forsaken me” expressing the sentiments of all those who suffer and feel that God is at a distance…but the song continues: “Dogs surround me; a pack of evildoers closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and my feet”…a thousand years before Jesus was born, this song about a man having his hands and feet pierced for God was written by David..Jesus’s ancestor. And then the song concludes: All who sleep in the earth will bow low before God; All who have gone down into the dust will kneel in homage. And I will live for the LORD;” From the cross, Jesus referenced this song about a man who dies for the Lord, who, even though he dies, will live, will continue to praise God even in death, who will live for God forever. 

That is why St. Cecilia was able to sing when she was facing death. Because of Jesus’ promise, that all those who believe that Jesus is the son of God, those who die with his praises on their lips, will live beyond death. 

The Catholic Church has had on her lips for two thousand years, this very song—the song of Songs—the most beautiful song--the song singing of God’s victory over death through Jesus Christ. Will you sing it? Why wouldn’t you?

The Feast of St. Cecilia—what a wonderful saint to celebrate before taking off a few days for Thanksgiving Break. Cecilia reminds us to join in the Church’s song every day—a song that turns to God with the sentiments of every human heart—thanking God and praising God—for the invitation to sing forever. For the glory of God and salvation of souls.

33rd Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Friday - Sweet and Sour

 Our first readings at Mass this week have been taken from the Book of Revelation. On Wednesday, we read of John’s Vision of the Heavenly throne room—a glorious and mysterious vision. A thousand years earlier, the prophet Ezekiel had been given a glimpse of the same heavenly throne room at the beginning of his life as a prophet. 

In today’s reading, there is another parallel to Ezekiel. Like Ezekiel, John is given a scroll to eat—a scroll sweet as honey, but sour to the stomach. 

What’s going on here? 

First of all, these parallels with Ezekiel indicate the importance of John’s visions. When a prophet is sent by God you have choice—heed his words, or ignore them. God doesn’t send a prophet just for fun. It’s a message that is to be taken seriously. To heed the prophet’s message will bring blessing, to ignore them will bring a curse. So the message of the Book of Revelation is to be taken very seriously. 

And like Ezekiel’s prophecy, John’s Revelation is both Sweet and Sour. Sweet in that it contains consolations, sour in that it communicates challenge. 

The Book of Revelation announces the completion and consummation of God’s plan for Creation.

The King of the Universe, who sits upon the heavenly throne, has witnessed the suffering of his people, the injustices they have endured at the hands of the wicked. There will be justice. This is a consolation to the righteous, and a warning to wicked, to repent before it is too late. 

But the Gospel itself is sweet and sour, isn’t it? God so loved the world that he sent his Son to redeem us, yet that redemption came at a price. So too the mission of the Church is sweet and sour. The Christian life involves the sweet consolations of the spirit, the experience of heavenly gifts, the knowledge and experience of Jesus’ presence with us in the Sacraments--the grace-filled ability to participate in the works of charity—a sweet foretaste of heaven.

And yet, the experience of the Church is also sour at the same time, bitter in her sufferings, her experience of persecutions, her penances, the carrying of our individual crosses—sweet and sour at the same time. 

In our modern age, many want the sweet part of the Gospel, but not the sour. They want the promises without the challenge, they want the resurrection without the cross, they want peace without having to suffer for it. And that’s somewhat understandable, who likes to suffer? But the Gospel must be taken in and preached in its entirety if we are to attain true freedom, and true beatitude.

Like Ezekiel, like John, we are given the sweet and sour Gospel to eat and internalize and digest, so that it becomes part of us. For, we too, are sent to peoples and nations and kings with the Word of God, and we must share the Gospel in its entirety, its sweet parts and also its sour parts—the parts which console us in our sufferings and challenge us in our complacencies, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

That Christians may undertake the meditation and prayer necessary to live holy and righteous lives. 

For a healing of all family divisions, reunion for the estranged and welcoming of the alienated. 

That those who have fallen away from the Church or fallen into serious sin may repent and return to the grace of the Sacraments. 

For the poor, the hungry, the homeless, the sick, the aged, the lonely, the grieving, the unemployed, those who are facing financial difficulties, those with addictions, and the imprisoned: that God will draw close to them, and bless them with grace and peace.

We pray in a special way for all of the faithful departed during this Month of November, for the deceased members of our family, friends, and parish, and all the souls in purgatory, and for N. for whom this mass is offered. 

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

33rd Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Wednesday - Visions of Heaven and Purgatory (& St. Gertrude)

 

We continue to read from the book of Revelation until the end of the liturgical year.

The book of revelation is comprised of a series of visions. The word Revelation refers to an unveiling of heaven, of God’s plan—an unveiling, as if the curtains which normally are closed to us mortal beings are drawn back.

Having concluded the messages to seven churches, John is given a vision of the throne room of heaven—the beautiful and majestic creator of the universe, seated on a throne and receiving the worship of his heavenly court.  These verses evoke awe and wonder at the majesty of God. They are also reminiscent of descriptions of God in the Old Testament—especially the vision of Ezekiel. And so these verses also indicate that what will come next in the book will also continue a message, like Ezekiels. And what were the prophets always preaching about? Justice.

God has been watching human history play out. He has seen the suffering of his people, but he has also seen their hardness of hearts. God has witnessed the persecution of the Church, but, as we heard on those messages to the seven churches, God has also witnessed Christians forsaking their baptism, letting their faith die, allowing worldly riches and worldly pleasures replace the love they are to have for Jesus and the fervor they are to have for the Gospel. 

Today the Church honors another of the great visionaries of history, St. Gertrude. From the time she was a little girl Gertrude had visions of Jesus and Mother Mary. Gertrude loved to study, and in what must be the rarest of visions, Jesus appeared to her and told her to stop studying so much: she needed to pray more and attend to her spiritual life.

In her journal, recording the revelations and visions of her life, she describes how she was taken as a mystical bride of Christ, the Lord himself, placing on her finger a wedding ring. She experienced indescribable ecstasies, but also indescribable sufferings, for she received the Holy Stigmata of the Heart—feeling deeply in her heart the suffering of Our Lord for the salvation of sinners.

Gertrude was also given glimpses into purgatory, and she was shown how our prayers, especially the Mass, are so efficacious in assisting the souls in purgatory. She was greatly devoted to the poor souls, and offered daily the following prayer: “Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.”

We may not be given glimpses of heaven like John, or glimpses of purgatory like St. Gertrude. But blessed are those who believe who have not seen, as our Lord tells St. Thomas in the Gospels. 

So let us take to heart this visions and their messages: the need to repent, the need to have fervor for the Gospel, the need to pray for the poor souls, and to offer our whole lives as divine worship for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

For blessings upon the Bishops gathered in Baltimore for their annual meeting this week, that their conversations, prayers, and deliberations for the good of the Church may be blessed. 

That our young people may be assisted by their families in growing in faith, hope, and love, and protected from the evil and corruption of the world.

For all those struggling with addiction, mental illness, chronic sickness, unemployment, or ongoing trials of any kind: that they will be fortified and blessed with God’s special favor, healing and peace.  We pray to the Lord.

Through the intercession of St. Gertrude, we pray in a special way for all of the faithful departed during this Month of November, for the deceased members of our family, friends, and parish, and all the souls in purgatory, and for N. 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

33rd Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Tuesday - Message to the lukewarm and weak of faith (& St. Albert the Great)

 As I mentioned yesterday, for these final two weeks of the Church year, we read from the final book of the Bible—the book of Revelation. 

The book begins with a series of seven visions and messages to be delivered to seven particular Churches in Asia Minor. Yesterday’s reading ended with a message to the Christians at Ephesus, the place where the Blessed Mother lived before her Assumption into heaven. 

Today’s reading has skipped ahead abit, after all, we have just two weeks to get through the whole book. We heard the messages to the Church in Sardis and the Church in Laodicea, the fifth and seventh churches to be addressed. The messages share many similarities, the primary one being that Jesus Christ is aware of the situation in their communities, and that he offers them words both of comfort and challenge. 

The situation in Sardis was pretty pitiful. The Christians were on the verge of losing their faith entirely. Jesus said, “I know your works, you have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.” There couldn’t be a stronger rebuke. Could you image? Jesus himself saying to the Church at West Blvd. “You claim to be Christian, you claim to be faithful, but your faith is dead because your works are incomplete in my sight.” So, Jesus urges the Christians at Sardis to fan into flame the little faith they had left. 

Jesus’ message to Laodicea is nearly just as correctional: he says, the Christians there are neither hot nor cold for the faith, simply lukewarm, and it makes him want to spit them out of his mouth. And their lukewarm faith was the result of growing complacent in the mission of the Church, and placing more trust in money and politics than in the teaching of the Church. 

And then came one of the most beautiful passages in all the new testament, at least one of my favorites: Jesus says, "'Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.” Jesus is knocking on the doors of our hearts, and he is knocking on the doors of the hearts of the lukewarm and those who have grown weak in faith. 

How do we help others open the doors of their hearts to Christ? How do witness how good it is when faith is on fire, when Christ is invited into the home, when intimate friendship with Jesus is developed? 

Today, we honor one of the great saints of the middle ages, who did just that: Saint Albert the Great. The Collect for his feast speaks of how God made Albert great through his joining of wisdom and divine faith. What made Albert Great? He wisely put his life in order, he had his priorities straight. He put God first, he put his tremendous intellectual gifts at the service of the kingdom. He sought to love and serve the Lord with his whole mind, heart, soul, and strength and he taught others to do the same. May St. Albert assist us in our share in the mission, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

For blessings upon the Bishops gathered in Baltimore for their annual meeting this week, that their conversations, prayers, and deliberations for the good of the Church may be blessed. 

Through the intercession of St. Albert the Great, patron of philosophers and scientists, that those involved in the sciences may be men and women of faith may glorify God in their learning, research, and work. 

For safety for travelers and for the homeless and destitute affected by cold and inclement weather, and that Christians may be every more attentive to the needs of the poor and the despairing in our midst. 

For the transformation of all attitudes which lead to violence, racial hatred, and religious persecution. For the safety of police and firefighters, for first responders, the underemployed and unemployed, for those struggling with addiction, for those suffering from depression or burn-out, and the healing of all the sick.  

We pray in a special way for all of the faithful departed during this Month of November, for the deceased members of our family, friends, and parish, and all the souls in purgatory, and for N. 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

33rd Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Monday - Revelation's Message of Hope and Invitation

 As we near the end of the liturgical year, our weekday readings are taken from the end of the book—the final book of the bible—the book of Revelation. 

With all of its symbolism and sometimes horrifying imagery regarding the end of time, the cataclysms unleashed as history comes to a close, the main message of this final book of the Bible is that God is in charge and Jesus Christ is Lord. And that was a very important message for those first generations of Christians and for us today.

As the Church began to spread throughout the Roman empire, through Asia Minor and Greece, Christians were persecuted, as the Lord foretold. We heard it In the Gospel yesterday: the Lord stood in the temple and foretold: they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name.” 

And as the early Christians experienced the hostility of the world, the persecution, even at the hands of their family members, this book served as powerful encouragement: don’t worry, don’t be afraid, God is in charge. Heaven awaits those who persevere in faith, glory awaits those who witness to Christ.

And, the more things change, the more they stay the same. For even though human history has seen technological advances, and the church has spread to nearly every corner of the globe, the Church in many places still exists in a secular culture whose mass media, entertainment, and educational systems are often hostile to Christians. An international, materialistic, consumerist, sexually immoral culture seduces many away from their Christian faith. And while literal idolatry—the worship of pagan gods—is less common today, spiritual idolatry—manifest in excessive love for created things rather than God—is stronger than ever. Excessive love for and trust in wealth, pleasure, science, technology, governments, institutions, and celebrities occupy the place in our hearts, minds, and souls that God is meant to occupy.

While this book offers reassurance to Christians, it also serves to help souls make the choice for Christ: choose their side—with whom will you stand—with God or his counterfeits. And that choice has real consequences: one leads to life, the other leads to destruction.

So, in these last weeks of Ordinary Time, as this book is read at Mass, we do well to examine our loyalties, and to consider what is at stake, that we may repent of all of our sins, and lead souls to Christ through our Christian witness for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

We bring to God our prayers of petition

For the grace to use the time God has given us to pursue faith, hope, and charity. 

For the good of our nation, and for all newly elected officials; for God’s wisdom to govern our civic life, and for justice and peace for all. 

For the safety of police and firefighters, for first responders, the underemployed and unemployed, for those struggling with addiction, for the incarcerated, for the homeless and destitute affected by cold and inclement weather, for those overwhelmed by stress, and for the sick and dying. 

We pray in a special way during this Month of November for all of the faithful departed; for the deceased members of our family, friends, and parish, and for N. 

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

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time 2022 - My soul is prepared, how's yours?

 

The conversation in today’s Gospel between Jesus and his apostles occurs during the last week of Jesus’ earthly life.  He and his followers had gone to Jerusalem to consummation of his mission—the end, for which he took our flesh. 

And that last week, Each day between Palm Sunday and Holy Thursday, the Lord Jesus went with his Twelve Apostles to the Temple, to teach and preach about God’s saving love and that the kingdom of God was at hand.  Today, we hear the Lord, standing at the temple, and the crowds are commenting on the magnificent marble Temple with its stones glittering in the afternoon sun, the Christ uttered a stark prophecy: “All that you see here—the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone.”  

Now for the Jews, remember, the Temple was the center of religious and civic life. To foretell the end of the temple to the Jews, would mean an end to life as they knew it, the end of the world. 

Why do we meditate upon this scene today? Well, we, too, have come to the end of things: the end of the liturgical year is just a week away. So, we consider the end, so that we may prepared for our earthly end, and the end of time. 

I think I’ve used this image before, but one of my favorite action movie heroes is Indiana Jones—the archaeologist college professor who dons his fedora and leather whip to track down lost artifacts in foreign lands. And of course he has to fight through waves of Nazis and cultists in order to do so. Before I ever considered a vocation to the priesthood, I thought that would be a pretty interesting job.

One of my favorite scenes is from the third installment of the movie series Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.  Indiana Jones’ father had been kidnapped, and he is pursuing who he thinks are the kidnappers on a boat chase through the water ways of Venice Italy.  Finally, Indiana and the kidnapper are in a boat being drawn towards the propeller of this huge steam ship, and the propeller starts to chop up the boat they are in.  The kidnapper says, if you don’t let me go, Doctor Jones, we’ll both die.  He reveals a cross around his neck and says, My soul is prepared Doctor Jones, how is yours?” What a powerful line. My soul is prepared, how’s yours? 

The Christian must live with his soul prepared always. The coast guard of these United States has a great motto: semper paratus. Always prepared. Well, every human being does well to consider, is your soul prepared. Prepared for what’s next. 

Holy Mother Church very wisely, reminds us of the need to be prepared, every year, at the end of the liturgical year. We know when that day will come. The last day of the liturgical year is the Saturday prior to the first day of Advent. But, we do not know the day, when the the end is coming, either for each of us, individually, or collectively, for the human race. We know neither the day nor the hour when the Lord will return, but he will, just as he said. 

Will it be soon? We don’t know. He mentions the signs that will proceed his return in the Gospel today: earthquakes, hurricanes, war, rampant immorality, famine, and plagues. These dangers to mortal life are reason enough to ensure our souls are prepared. Walking around as if we shall never face our judge is foolishness. 

Rather, we are to wisely prepare by following the Lord’s own teaching. He says, “By your perseverance you will secure your lives.” Perseverance in what?  In faith, of course. Faith, hope, and love. Perseverance in following Christ’s teachings, keeping God’s commands, repenting of sin; engaging in works of mercy, forgiving our enemies, and spreading the Gospel. Perseverance in using the time we have been given to pursue the will of the heavenly Father, like Jesus. 

I heard a story this week about a millionaire who visited a holy mystic, who told him that in 10 days he would die. So the millionaire books a flight to paris, and for the next few days, he drinks wine, and dines, spends a night on the riviera, he gambles, and seeks after thrills, but after a few days, he finds himself empty and deeply depressed. So he goes to his family, whom he had neglected in the pursuit of his wealth, and tries to rekindle things with them; he has a coffee with his brother, takes his nieces to the park, seeks and asks forgiveness from his estranged wife and children, and senses something beginning to stir in him. On the tenth day, he goes into church, kneels down and asks God what he is to do with his final hours. He gets no answer, but his gaze kept returning to the crucifix. Stepping out of church, he sees a young boy crossing the street, and sees a large truck barreling down toward the child. He runs into the street and pushes the boy out of the way, but is struck by the truck. Months later, he awakes from a coma, surprised to be alive. He undergoes therapy, is thanked profusely by the child’s mother, and is named a hero. But he is confused, he thought he was going to die in 10 days from his encounter with the mystic.  So he returns to the holy figure, and seeks an answer: “holy one, I thought you said I would die in 10 days.” To which the mystic responded: “you did die. You died to worldliness, recognizing the emptiness in wealth and worldly pleasure. You died to pride, seeking reconciliation and forgiveness with your estranged family members. And you died to fear and selfishness, putting your own life at risk to save another. The old you is dead, see to it that he stays that way.”

A nice little story illustrating the a great lesson of our faith. In baptism, we have died to the old way of life, to worldliness, pride, and selfishness, so that we may live a new life for God. And with God's help, we are to see to it that we stay dead to those things, persevering in faith, hope, and charity. In this way, our soul becomes prepared for the end, for judgment. Detachment to the old way of life, death to sinfulness, enables us to be filled with the life of God, and the fruits of the Spirit--with peace, joy, gentleness, and so on...

With the help of the Holy Spirit, may we prepare our souls by confessing our sins and persevering in Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

November 11 2022 - St. Martin of Tours - "Wherever Christ is known, Martin is honored"

 

Most of us are familiar with the famous scene of the St. Martin, the roman soldier, cutting his cloak in two in order to give half his cloak to the cold beggar. Not often depicted is what happened shortly after. That evening, Martin is said to have been visited by the Christ Child, dressed in the cloak Martin had given to the beggar. The Christ Child said, “Martin, still a catechumen, has covered me with his garment.”

This recalls the passage from the Gospels in which the Lord teaches, that which we do for the least we do for him. In clothing the beggar, Martin clothed Christ.

After being released from military service, the soldier, Martin traveled to a city called Caesarodunum, now called Tours, in western France, and there, Martin became the student of a saintly bishop named St. Hilary of Poitiers, whose feast is celebrated on January 20. 

Martin learned from St. Hilary the bishops duty of defending and spreading the Catholic faith. Martin witnessed St. Hilary’s apostolic courage in this matter. For the two men lived at a time when the Arian heresy was spreading rapidly through Europe. Many bishops fell to Arianism, and St. Hilary was exiled from France to Turkey by the emperor for preaching the truth.  Yet, even from exile, Bishop Hilary worked strenuously to bring the heretics back to the truth.  

During Hilary’s exile, Martin returned home to Italy, where he sought to convert his family. He was successful in bringing his mother to Christ, but not his father. After being kicked out of Milan by the Arian Archbishop for seeking to convert the heretics, Martin became a hermit on the Isola d’Albegna, a small island off the coast of northern Italy, where he lived on a diet of herbs and wild roots. 

In 361, St. Hilary returned to France and so did St. Martin, where he established a hermitage, which soon attracted converts and followers to the hermitical way of life. 

After the death of Hilary, in 371, Martin was made bishop of tours. As bishop, Martin set to enthusiastically ordering the destruction of pagan temples, altars and sculptures. He died in 397. A small chapel was built over his grave, and within a hundred years, the chapel of insufficient to house the vast number of pilgrims coming to pray at the grave of St. Martin, and so a basilica was built. By the sixth century, Martin was so venerated by the Church, that the latin poet Venantius Fortunatus wrote, "Wherever Christ is known, Martin is honored."

St. Martin has been honored ever since. And how fitting, that on the feast of St. Martin, the soldier who laid down his arms to devote himself entirely to Christ, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 major hostilities of the Great War, World War I, came to an end. And that today in our nation, our veterans are remembered and honored.

May St. Martin, the veteran turned monk and then bishop, assist all veterans, and all of us to seek after Christ, to serve Christ by serving the poor, to proclaim Christ as did this faithful and beloved bishop, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the nations of the world will seek to work together in harmony and peace; we pray to the Lord:

That our homeland will be preserved from violence and terrorism; we pray to the Lord

That even in armed conflict, we may keep clearly before us the defense of all human rights, especially the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

For all veterans experiencing physical or psychological, that they may know God’s healing and strength, and that all veterans may be blessed for their self-sacrifice.

For all veterans who gave their life for our liberty, and for the repose of the souls of all of our beloved dead, family, friends, those whose names are written in our parish necrology, deceased priests and religious, for all the souls in purgatory, and for N. for whom this mass is offered.

God, Almighty Father, creator of mankind and author of peace, as we are ever mindful of the cost paid for the liberty we possess, help us to use that liberty to promote peace and justice and spread saving Gospel of Christ. Through the same Christ Our Lord.

32nd Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Tuesday - Sound Doctrine (Election Day)

 Yesterday and today, we’ve read through most of Paul’s letter to Titus, we’d finish it tomorrow, but the normal readings are superseded by those for the feast of the dedication of St. John Lateran tomorrow. 

Titus was a gentile convert who came to the faith through the preaching of St. Paul. We don’t know where Titus was born, perhaps Antioch, for after his conversion, Titus accompanied Paul from Antioch to the Council of Jerusalem.

After Jerusalem Paul gave to Titus a very difficult task. Paul sent Titus to the division-ridden community of Corinth. And Titus brought with him Paul’s severe second letter to the Corinthians. 

Titus, faithful in that mission, Titus was sent to the fledgling Christian community in Crete to make sure they have strong, mature Christian leaders. And this is where Titus is when he receives the letter from which we read yesterday and today, in which we get a glimpse of St Paul’s vision for the organization of a Christian community—call it a diocese—which includes competent leadership which exercises great vigilance over false teachers and moral error.

Today we heard how the Christian leader is to offer sound moral guidance to the different groups under his care.. The Old men, the widows and older women, the young people each are to practice self-control, sobriety. The old are given the special task of being good role models for the young in their speech and behavior. 

Everybody has a job to do, and everybody has moral and spiritual principles that are to direct that job, that vocation. When we stray from those principals, the community suffers, the Church suffers, the mission suffers—a once cohesive Christian community becomes another divided Corinth. 

The truth of the Gospel is to shape our lives, every dimension of our lives. Jesus gave himself up, as we heard today, “to deliver us from lawlessness”, the lawlessness of moral error, passing fancies, sentimental judgmentalism. Sound doctrine is to guide us; that which is tested and true, and that comes from God…not the amoral musings of the modern intelligentsia. Christians are to be servants of the Truth, not of propaganda.  

Today is Election Day. Make sure you get out and vote and put the sound doctrine of the Gospel into practice. 

The sound doctrine of Christ is the firm foundation by which we are to build our lives—our families, our nations, our parishes, dioceses. May God’s Word guide all that we do, directing us to the activity that we have neglected, correcting our waywardness for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

For the grace to pursue the sanctity God desires for each of us; to put our gifts and abilities in God’s service.

For the healing of sinful divisions in the Church and in society; for the spread of the Gospel to every human heart and institution.

For our nation on this Election Day, for God’s wisdom to direct our minds and hearts and decisions; for freedom from all corruption, for protection from violence, and peace in our nation. 

For the safety of police and firefighters, for first responders, the underemployed and unemployed, for those struggling with addiction, for the incarcerated, for those suffering from depression or burn-out, and for the sick and dying. 

We pray in a special way during this Month of November, for all of the faithful departed; for the deceased members of our family, friends, and parish, for all the souls in purgatory, and for X. 

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 

32nd Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Repairing Scandal

 

There’s a story about an old man on his deathbed speaking to his family about his regrets. He said, “When I was a lad I often played on a wide common. Near its center, two roads met and crossed, and standing at the crossroads was an old rickety signpost. I remember one day twisting the sign round in its socket, thus altering the arms and making them point in the wrong direction; and it’s haunted me ever since, how many travelers I sent down the wrong road.”

In the Gospel today, the Lord speaks about scandal. What is scandal? It’s when we send people down the wrong road, like in the story. Only the road isn’t just to the wrong town, but to sin. 

Scandal is committed when either by bad advice or bad example we encourage others to sin. And using the graphic image of the millstone, Jesus told his disciples that it would be better to die than to be the source of another’s sin. 

Scandal is terrible. It leads souls away from God. It is the very opposite of what the Church is supposed to be about. Our main mission is to lead souls to God, to make disciples, and by scandal we become a sort of anti-Christ, teaching people to pursue sin rather than righteousness, encouraging the pursuit of hell rather than heaven.

If we’ve been the source of scandal, we really need to do everything we can to repair that scandal. Certainly, that includes begging God’s mercy. But also making restitution—going to the person that we scandalized and saying, I’m sorry, I really set a bad example for you or gave bad advice. I was in error, I did not act in a way consistent with Christ, and I’m sorry. Please don’t let my sin and stupidity and error and selfishness keep you from pursuing Christ. 

It's hard and it’s humbling, but the damage done by scandal is worse—and the consequences for scandal unrepented of are eternal. The Lord is clear on this point. 

We are all prone to error, but God gives us ability to repair that error. 

May the Holy Spirit help us to identify where we have led souls away from God, to repent of that terrible error, to endeavor to repair the damage done, for the sake of the kingdom, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all Christians may be people of forgiveness and mercy, endeavoring to live out the Lord’s teachings in their families, friendships, and encounters with strangers. Let us pray to the Lord.

That our young people may be blessed to be raised in faith filled homes, that they may be protected from the evils of our culture, and be granted a firm knowledge of their vocation to holiness. Let us pray to the Lord.

That Christ the Good Shepherd will draw close to all who suffer, the sick, the needy, victims of injustice, and the dying. For those who suffer from exhaustion, burn-out, and depression especially from overwork or work-related stress. Let us pray to the Lord.

We pray in a special way during this month of November for all the faithful departed, all deceased members of St. Ignatius of Antioch Parish, our deceased family members and friends, deceased clergy and religious, those who fought and died for our freedom and for X. for whom this mass is offered.

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

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time 2022 - Hope in the Resurrection and Courage

Throughout the Gospels we hear of the different religious and political factions of Jesus’ day. You had the scribes, the pharisees, the herodians, the saducees, the zealots, and the essenes. 

The Pharisees were the most influential religious leaders in our Lord’s day. They were the popular experts in theology and morality. If you had a religious or moral question—how to apply a particular scripture passage to your life or circumstance—you went to a pharisee for a religious answer.

Oftentimes the Pharisees interpretations were right on the money, consistent with revealed Truth, however they also got in trouble with imposing their own personal opinions—in a rigid manner. Hence the term, Pharisaical. However, the pharisees rightly taught that at the end of time, God would raise the dead—in the resurrection. 

Their teaching on the resurrection was drawn from the later books of the Old Testament—like second book of Maccabees, from which we read this weekend: “God will raise us up to live again forever." Rightly said!

The Pharisees believed this, and Jesus himself taught this: that the righteous will be raised to the resurrection of eternal life, and the wicked, those who reject God and his laws will be condemned to the resurrection of eternal damnation.

In the Gospel this weekend, we hear of the Sadducees. And the Sadducees rejected the later books of the old testament, like the second book of Maccabees, as do many Protestants by the way. And because the Sadducees didn’t find the doctrine of the resurrection in the first five books of the bible--in the Torah—they rejected belief in the resurrection. The Sadducees reject the resurrection which is why they were sad-you-see? 

The Sadducees were not only religious rivals but also political rivals to the Pharisees. For the Sadducees collaborated with the Romans, who the Pharisees and most of Israel saw as enemy occupants, a foreign power who had no business in Israel. But this political alliance was calculated, and for allying themselves with the Romans, the Sadducees enjoyed some political power and also wealth. 

And it kind of makes you wonder: did the Sadducees start living worldly, pleasure-centered politically motivated lives because they had lost faith in the Resurrection, or did they lose faith in the Resurrection because they started living worldly, pleasure-centered lives? There is an old proverb that says if we don't live according to what we believe, we will soon believe according to how we live. 

This is a danger for us in the Church today, because the prevailing values in our society are not Christian. The Church's moral teachings are laughed at and even violently opposed. Chesterton said: “These are the days when the Christian is expected to praise every creed except his own.” There are even some Catholics who, embarrassed at or opposed to Church teaching, seek to exert social, political, and financial pressure on Church leaders to change Church teaching, as if our moral teachings did not come directly from Christ. 

Anti-religious sentiment makes it difficult, doesn’t it, to even discuss our faith? No one likes to be laughed at, no one likes to be excluded from mainstream culture, criticized, labeled or hated. But in the face of these challenges, if we lose courage and deviate from Christ, we will end up like the Sadducees, losing the very faith that leads to eternal life—we will be sad-you-see?

Courage. C.S. Lewis says, "Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.” When we pray for courage, we are praying, that in the moment when virtue is hardest, our trust in God will overcome the vice—and overcome fear.

We need Courage to overcome Gluttony: at that moment where we want more than we should, we need to have the courage to say, “I don’t need that. It’s not good for me” and to turn away from the excess. We need courage to overcome Lust: at the moment when our powerful bodily urges desire pleasure that is forbidden, we need to have the courage to say, “I don’t need that. It’s not good for me” and turn away from the perversion.

We need courage to practice real sacrificial kindness, too: in that moment where we second guess the inspiration to help someone, reaching out to a stranger, we need the courage to say: “of course kindness is better than walking away. I need to get out of my house and perform more acts of kindness.”

And we need courage when it comes time to share our faith: in that moment where we become fearful of sharing our faith, or fearful that someone might reactive negatively, we need the courage to tell ourselves: Jesus calls us to share our faith. Just do it.” Or when we are tempted to compromise our faith—we need courage to say, “this is what God has revealed, it must be right.”

Our first reading this weekend is such a powerful image of courage: a mother and her seven sons were arrested and tortured in attempt to force them to violate God's law. And one of the sons speaking for the whole family says, “We are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of God.” That’s courage. We need that form of courage, in facing our sins and working for the mission of the Church. I’d rather die than violate God’s law. Woe to me, if I don’t share the Gospel. 

So, if Courage is needed, where does Courage come from? It comes, of course, from God. When we praise the martyrs for the Courage, we are praising the God who gave them such Courage.

Courage comes from God, and so we need to go to God for courage, daily. This is why daily prayer is so vitally important. Daily we need to bring all the things that are testing your faith to God and pray for God to help us at those testing points—when faced with temptation. God give me courage to overcome my addiction. God give me courage to turn away from social media in order to study and pray. God give me courage to get more involved in volunteer work. God give me courage to keep my mouth shut when I feel insulted. God give me courage to hold back that snarky remark. God give me courage to share my faith with the faithless, to reach out to family members who have fallen away from the faith, to encourage them to come home. God give me courage to bring my embarrassing sins to Sacramental Confession.

I’m a priest and my faith is tested every day, my guess is yours is too; there are many testing points every day, and we all need to pray assiduously for courage. 

Also, the truths of our faith give us courage. When faced with torture and death, the family in the first reading recalls that remaining true and faithful to the laws of God will be rewarded in eternal life. We are to live for eternity—to live with eternity in mind. To turn our faces from God in this life, may result in the loss of the beatific vision for ever. 

Pope Francis said recently: “Courage is needed for the Kingdom of God to grow.” May we cultivate and exhibit real Christian courage, that the kingdom will grow in our midst, in our hearts, in our land. May we courageously turn away from sin and turn away from fear; and turn towards God and his kingdom in prayer, faith, and works of charity, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

November 4 2022 - St. Charles Borromeo - Incorrupt Reformer

 

A few years ago, I had the privilege of celebrating Mass in the magnificent Cathedral in Milan, Italy where St. Charles Borromeo was Cardinal Archbishop from the age of 25 until his death in 1584, only 46 years old. Like many bishops, he was buried in his Cathedral Crypt. Some time after his death, it was discovered that there was a great deal of moisture accumulating around his tomb. In order to preserve his relics, the tomb was opened and a miracle was uncovered: even though the outer coffin had corroded, and the lid of the inner coffin was rotting, the body of the holy Cardinal was found incorrupt, and remains incorrupt to this day.

Our diocesan college seminary here in Cleveland is under the patronage of St. Charles Borromeo. During the Council of Trent, St. Charles was instrumental in developing the modern seminary system, and he also developed the Catechism of the Council of Trent which was used by parish priests for centuries for teaching the faith to their people.

St. Charles was a pastor at heart, with such great love for the Church. In fact, when I was in Rome for several months, I would make frequent visits to the minor basilica of St. Charles and Ambrose in Rome on my way to and from class. And there in the back of the basilica is a shrine containing the incorrupt heart of St. Charles. His body is in Milan, but his heart is in Rome. 

His was a heart that believed the Church must constantly be renewed. Charles was a great reformer in his own Archdiocese.  He believed that the Archbishop and priests must give good example by their apostolic spirit.  So, he worked for the reform of his own clergy. He allotted most of his income to charity, and forbade himself all luxury.  When plague and famine came to Milan in 1576, the civil authorities fled the city, but the saint stayed, ministering to the sick and the dying; he fed thousands of people daily, selling his possession to pay for the work.

As a nephew to a Medici Pope, St. Charles could have become just another corrupt Renaissance Bishop. But he became a driving force of reform within the Church, by his own humble, holy, charitable example. St. Charles is patron saint of seminarians, may he inspire us as well. Like him, may we seek reform, beginning with ourselves, reform in learning, reform in detachment from worldly luxuries, reform in charity, that God’s incorrupt Spirit may dwell in us, and animate us, and sustain us, even in death, for the Glory of God and salvation of souls.  

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That through the intercession of the Bishop St. Charles Borromeo, bishops and church leaders will be models of inspiration and holiness for the Church.

That God will raise up many priestly vocations in our diocese and that the young people of our parish may strive after holiness and God’s will in their lives.

For all seminarians from our diocese, that as they prepare for priesthood, they may be formed into credible and holy witnesses of the Gospel, and given generous hearts for service of the Church.

For the renewal of the clergy and reparation for their sins.

That Christ the Good Shepherd will draw close to all who suffer, the sick, the needy, victims of injustice, and the dying.

We pray in a special way during this month of November for all the faithful departed, for those whose names are written in our parish book of the names of the dead, all deceased members of St. Ignatius of Antioch Parish, and our deceased family members and friends, deceased clergy and religious, those who fought and died for our freedom and for X. for whom this mass is offered.

Hear our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and through the intercession of St. Charles Borromeo grant us renewal and the increase in charity, wisdom, and grace. Through Christ Our Lord.