September 29 2023 - Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael - Protection, Strength, and Healing

 When we recite the creed at every Sunday Mass, we profess God as the Creator of “all things visible and invisible.” The “invisible” refers to the nonmaterial, the creatures of pure spirit, known as angels. The Catechism says, “The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scriptures usually calls ‘angels’ is a truth of faith.” The angels are called in the letter to the Hebrews “ministering spirits” because “With their whole being the angels are servants of God”

The number of angels is nearly countless and they are arranged in the heavenly hierarchy in different choirs. Many of Our Eucharistic prefaces attest to the angels and archangels, throne and dominions and, the hosts and powers of heaven” to whom we are joined in singing God’s glory. Angels, archangels, thrones, dominions and powers, cherubim, seraphim, principalities, and virtues. The angels sing God’s praises which is why they are arranged into choirs. 

At the time of our birth we are assigned an angel to guard over us, and the feast of the guardian angels, we celebrate on October 2. We do not know the names of our guardian angels, but we do know the names of three of the archangels from the holy scriptures.

Saint Michael is the "Prince of the Heavenly Host," the leader of all the angels. His name is Hebrew for "Who is like God?" and was the battle cry of the good angels against Lucifer and his followers when they rebelled against God. Michael is mentioned four times in the Bible, in Daniel 10 and 12, in the letter of Jude, and in Revelation. Michael, whose forces cast down Lucifer and the evil spirits into Hell, is invoked for protection against Satan and all evil. 

Saint Gabriel, whose name means "God's strength," is mentioned four times in the Bible. God sent Gabriel to announce the birth of John the Baptist to his father Zacharias, and, of course, to the Blessed Virgin to announce the Incarnation. Christian tradition suggests that it is he who appeared to St. Joseph and to the shepherds, and also that it was he who "strengthened" Jesus during his agony in the garden of Gethsemane. Gabriel is invoked when we require God’s strength, especially when we need strength to bear difficult messages, or in public speaking.

Saint Raphael is invoked for healing. Raphael means "God has healed", a fitting name for the archangel sent to heal Tobias' blindness in the Book of Tobit. It is often thought that it was Raphael who descended upon the pool of Bethesda and bestowed God’s healing powers upon it so that the first to enter it after it moved would be healed of whatever infirmity he was suffering.

Praying for protection and the defeat of evil, strength, and healing are common prayers. Daily we should be praying for these things for ourselves and others. And we do well, to recognize the instruments through whom God has chosen to bestow them in the past and continues to bestow them now. May St. Michael bear God’s likeness to us that satan may be driven away from our midst. May St. Gabriel bear God’s strength to us in our many trials and in our mission of the Gospel. And May St. Raphael bear God’s healing to those most in need of it, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. 

Through the intercession of St. Michael, may all who are persecuted for the faith be protected against the wickedness and snares of the devil.  

Through the intercession of St. Gabriel, may God’s strength be with all those who work for the Spread of the Gospel. 

Through the intercession of St. Raphael may all who suffer from loneliness or sickness know the healing graces of our loving God. 

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

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

September 27 2023 - St. Vincent de Paul - "His heart was moved with pity"

 “His heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned like sheep without a shepherd”. Our Gospel this morning gives us a glimpse into the very heart of Christ. 

Our Lord, Man and God, sees the crowds coming to him; lost, broken, hurting, and crying out for their shepherd, and his heart is moved to “pity” over their troubled, wretched condition. Yet, his pity was not simply because of their physical ills, but their spiritual condition. They did not know how close God was to them, they did not know that God had become one of them to shepherd them to eternal pastures. 

The vocation of the Christian, my task and yours, is to imitate the Lord in drawing close to those who suffer, and through compassion, to remind them—to reveal to them that God is close to them.

The saints, like St. Vincent de Paul, are so revered and honored by the Church, because they remind us of that great vocation. For they have so decreased their egos and their selfishness, through prayer, self-forgetfulness and charitable works, that they become great instruments of God’s compassion.

In Paris, St. Vincent de Paul ministered to the homeless, war refugees, neglected elderly men, women, and children, and those who had been spiritually abandoned. He set up many houses for the poor, crippled and sick and personally cared for the patients who had the most contagious diseases. He would dress their wounds and nurse them back to health.

St. Vincent explained, “It is not sufficient for me to love God if I do not love my neighbor…I belong to God and to the poor.”    

We pray that we may respond generously to those in need for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

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

That all those searching and longing for Christ may find him through the witness of His Holy Church.

That the work and ministry of all Vincentian organizations and charitable institutions may bear fruit for the spread of the Gospel.

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

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

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

September 26 2023 - Sts. Cosmas and Damian - Making our day an offering to God

Cosmas and Damian were twin brothers born at the end of the third century in Syria, not far at all from Antioch, the home of our patron, Ignatius.  They were physicians known as “the moneyless ones”, because they didn’t charge their patients.  They were actually the first surgeons in history to successfully perform a limb transplant—transplanting the leg of a recently deceased Ethiopian onto one of their patients. 

Here are highly skilled, likely highly intelligent men, who could have lived a comfortable life profiting from their medical abilities. But they put their gifts at the service of the poor in the name of Christ. Because of their faith, they were rounded up in the empire-wide Christian persecution of the emperor Diocletian, and beheaded for their faith.

The saints are model Christians for us, show us that our lives are meant to be about sacrificing ourselves for others, living generously for others, pouring ourselves out in service, witnessing to the love of God, and the truth of the Holy Gospel, even with our lives.

The first reading for Cosmas and Damian is a reading we often find at Catholic funerals: “The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them.” What does it mean to be just? The just give to God what belongs to God and gives to neighbor what belongs to neighbor: worship, obedience, praise, prayer, repentance to God, and kindness, generosity, respect, charity, forgiveness, mercy to the neighbor.

None of us, of course are “just” on our own, but we are made just by Christ, and are perfected in justice as we allow the life of Christ to animate us—our decisions, attitudes, work and rest. 

Whether we are spending 8 or 10 hours in the office, or able to spend warm autumn days in the garden, or sitting in the doctor’s waiting room, Christians can make their time an offering to God by being mindful of our Christian identity, lifting up souls to God, considering how we might serve them with our own meager gifts.

When our day is continually offered to God, the events of our day, even the hardships, can become opportunities for spreading the kingdom. When we meet God in our labors, then others can meet Him, through us. 

May all of our time, talent, and treasure be given to God today and all days, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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Through the intercession of Saints Cosmas and Damien, we pray that all doctors, nurses, medical professionals and health care workers may use their training for God’s glory, always respecting the dignity of every human life.

For an end to all medical techniques which violate human dignity, for an end to abortion, euthanasia, and the destruction of human life for medical research.

That the dignity of works may be respected by their employers and by the state, and for the unemployed and underemployed.

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of September: “That our parishes, animated by a missionary spirit, may be places where faith is communicated and charity is seen.” We pray to the Lord.

For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster and inclement weather, especially the people of Houston Texas, those who suffer from war, violence, and terrorism, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, and the imprisoned, for those who struggle to live the call of Christian chastity, for the comfort of the dying and the consolation of their families. 

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.

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

25th Week in Ordinary Time 2023 - To inspire (and convert) kings

 We read this morning from the fascinating Old Testament book of Ezra. The Old Testament Books of Ezra and Nehemiah detail the 50-year period after the Babylonian Captivity. 

For over a hundred years, the Jews were cut off from their Temple, their families, and their land in Babylon. A while in captivity, the stories could not be told, the traditions could not be practices, the faith could not be passed on. So, a generation of Jews grew up without knowing about God freeing their people from slavery in Egypt, they grew up without knowing the promises God made to Abraham, without the knowledge of the ten commandments or the promised land.  They grew up only knowing the gods and practices of Babylon-- a culture which practiced child sacrifice, polygamy, and other behaviors condemned by Jewish law.

This is not hard to imagine. So many children and grandchildren these days do not know their faith, and have been totally assimilated by the culture. 

Today’s reading from Ezra details the turning point in this sad chapter. In 539 BC,  the Persian King Cyrus defeated the Babylonians. A year later King Cyrus decreed that he will allow the captive Jews to return to their homeland. 

And we’re told “The LORD inspired King Cyrus of Persia” to free the Jews, and he even decrees that the Jews should be assisted in rebuilding the house of God—the Temple—in Jerusalem.

In our own day, God is at work to bring about the liberation of the peoples of the world from the Babylonian captivity of sin to bring them to right worship in the Temple of God the Catholic Church. And what instrument is he using to inspire and convert the Cyrus’ of the world? Us. The Church. It’s our mission to convert hearts to God—the hearts of kings and presidents and mayors and city councilmen and union leaders and heads of businesses and heads of families.

As we are faithful to our mission—there will be liberation; but in our negligence, captivity and slavery to sin and faithlessness will perdure. 

As we heard in the Gospel, we are given the light of faith, not that it may be hidden under a bushel, but that it may be shared for the good of all. May we be faithful in sharing the light of faith with those we encounter today and all days, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For the Holy Father, Francis, our Pope, that he may be aided by the Holy Spirit in leading those captive to sin home to right relationship to God through Holy Church. We pray to the Lord.

That all Christians tasked with the spread of the light of the Gospel, may be faithful to that same Gospel in every dimension of their lives. We pray to the Lord.

For all those who have fallen away from the Church, those whose lives are darkened by sin, for the conversion of all unbelievers and those who have fallen into error, and the conversion of all hearts.

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of September: “That our parishes, animated by a missionary spirit, may be places where faith is communicated and charity is seen.”

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

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

O God, 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.

25th Sunday of Ordinary Time 2023 - Distribution of Holy Communion under both species

 Last week, I mentioned that we will be preaching about the distribution and reception of Holy Communion. We are in the midst of a Eucharistic Revival, and so, it is certainly fitting to reflect upon how and why we receive the eucharist. 

“On the night before he died, Christ gathered his Apostles in the upper room to celebrate the Last Supper and to give us the inestimable gift of his Body and Blood. "He did this in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the Cross throughout the centuries until He should come again, and so to entrust to His beloved spouse, the Church, a memorial of His death and resurrection. . . ." Thus, in the Eucharistic Celebration of the Mass we are joined with Christ on the altar of the cross and at the table of the upper room in "the sacrificial memorial in which the sacrifice of the cross is perpetuated and [in] the sacred banquet of communion with the Lord's body and blood."

The eyes of faith enable Christians to recognize that in the Eucharist we celebrate and receive “Christ Himself, our Passover and living bread." The Eucharist is the "Sacrament of Sacraments." Through it "the work of our redemption is accomplished." He who is the "living bread that came down from heaven" (Jn 6:51) assures us, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink" (Jn 6:54-55).

While the heart of the celebration of the Eucharist is the Eucharistic Prayer, in which bread and wine are truly transformed into the Body and Blood of our Savior who offers himself as a sacrifice for our redemption to the Father, the consummation of the Mass is found in Holy Communion, whereby the people purchased for the Father by his beloved Son, eat and drink the Body and Blood of Christ…In the great sacrament of the altar, communicants are joined to Christ Jesus and to one another.

It is God’s Holy Will that this sacrament be received as the soul's spiritual food to sustain and build up those who receive it, as he said, "He who eats of me, he also shall live because of me" (Jn 6:57). This sacrament is also to be a remedy to free us from our daily defects and to keep us from mortal sin. Moreover, the Eucharist is the promise and pledge of our future glory and our everlasting happiness—again, “he who eats my flesh will live forever.”

Church historians tell us that from the first days of the Church's celebration of the Eucharist, Holy Communion consisted of the reception of both the bread and wine that had been placed on an altar and transformed into the Lord’s Body and Blood. Both were received by members of the faithful in fulfillment of the Lord's command to "take and eat . . . take and drink." The distribution of Holy Communion to the faithful under both kinds was thus the norm for more than 1000 years. 

The practice of Holy Communion under both kinds at Mass continued until the late eleventh century, when the custom of distributing the Eucharist to the faithful under the form of bread alone began to grow. By the twelfth century theologians such as Peter Cantor speak of Communion under one kind as a "custom" of the Church. This practice spread until the Council of Constance in 1415 decreed that Holy Communion under the form of bread alone would be distributed to the faithful.

In 1963, the Pope, of course having the authority to do so, authorized the distribution of both species to the faithful at the discretion of the diocesan bishops. And some of our elders here might remember when we here in Cleveland began to distribute Holy Communion under both species. And up until the COVID lockdown in 2020 we were distributing both the consecrated host and precious blood here at St. Ignatius of Antioch. 

Now three years later, at the recommendation of several parishioners and the support of parish council, we will be returning to distributing both species at weekend masses here at St. Ignatius. 

So, as normal, we will form two lines down the aisle for the Communion Procession. And those who are disposed to receive Holy Communion may receive in the prescribed way.

To receive the host, you may receive on the tongue, as is the ancient custom, or receive in the hands. As a reminder, you must have both hands completely free, so you cannot be carrying a phone, a child, a purse, cane or handkerchief. When receiving in the hand, your dominant hand goes under your other hand, so that the host can be placed carefully in the palm—so you are not to form a cup, but a throne. Then your dominant hand places the host in your mouth carefully, taking care that no part or particle of the host is dropped or lost. 

When receiving the cup, after responding “Amen” to the minister, you are to take the cup with two hands, take a sip, and return it to the minster, who will wipe the cup with a clean portion of the purificator. 

If you are not receiving from the cup out of health concerns or for whatever reason, you should still make a small sign of reverence to acknowledge your belief, that the cup truly contains Christ. And be assured that to receive the host is still to receive both the body and blood of Christ, as has been clearly taught through the centuries.  

Recall, too, that to receive holy communion, one must be in a state of grace, having confessed one’s serious sins in the sacrament of confession. To do so otherwise is sacrilege. 

As St. Paul instructs the Christians at Corinth, “Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For all who eat and drink without discerning the body eat and drink judgment against themselves. For this reason many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.” In other words, many Christians are spiritually weak or spiritually dead because they have failed to confess mortal sins before receiving holy communion. 

I’d like to thank all of our Eucharistic Ministers stepping up to fulfill this service to the parish. We could certainly use a few more Eucharistic Ministers to ensure we have enough at each mass with a few substitutes. So please let me know if you'd be willing to serve in this liturgical ministry.

The Eucharist is strength for those who journey in hope through this life and who desire to dwell with God in the life to come. May our worship and reception of the Body and Blood of the Lord help us to experience the salvation he won for us, and the peace of God’s kingdom, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

24th Week in Ordinary Time 2023 - Friday - "the love of money is the root of all evils"

 Throughout the centuries, Christians and non-Christians alike have recognized the dangers of loving money—making an idol of wealth.  Money, in itself, is not evil; many wealthy people have given generously of their resources out of love for God and neighbor.  So what does Paul mean when he writes to Timothy that famous line, “the root of all evil is the love of money.” 

It is evil to make anything an idol. And the love of money is one of the most common idolatries in history. Money promises happiness, pleasure, and luxury, not to mention security. It can be used to attract romantic partners, and to fulfill our base desires. 

But God’s Will must be the highest priority for Christians. We are to “Seek first the kingdom of God”. But when money is made into an idol, it leads us away from what truly fulfills, the pursuit of God. 

Many Christians have lost the joy pursuing God as they pursued the riches of the world.  They have even lost their souls because riches. The rich young man left the company of Jesus because of his attachment to his riches. 

The love of money is behind so many of the evils that afflict the peoples of the globe. Turning money into an idol results in the abandonment of religious duties, and the exploitation of one’s fellow man. The lover of money begins to view all things and all people through this distorted lens.

Nearly three centuries after Paul wrote to Timothy about the love of money, the holy Archbishop of Constantinople and Doctor of the Church St. John Chrysostom warned his congregation: Evil is not caused by wealth …but by the wicked will of those who do not know how to use it… Take away the love of money, and you put an end of war, to battle, to enmity, to strife and contention…The covetous man never knows a friend…He knows not God himself, driven mad, as he is, by the passion of avarice.”

So many of “the human roots of global and ecological crisis” as Pope Francis as said, comes from this disordered love of money.

The use of money is inescapable, so St. John Chrysostom also taught his congregation about the right use of money. He writes, “our money is the Lord’s, however we may have gathered it.” God allows us wealth “not for you to waste on prostitutes, drink, fancy food, expensive clothes, and all the other kinds of indolence, but for you to distribute to those in need.” 

This does not mean that we must give away all of our wealth and possessions, leaving ourselves in abject poverty. Neither Saint John Chrysostom, nor Christ Himself, teaches us to do this. Rather it means that all that we have is meant, not our own selfish pursuits, but for the purposes of furthering the kingdom of God.

We have a duty to be honest about our motives regarding wealth. Am I accumulating wealth for a disordered purpose? Is my use of money selfish? If so, we require conversion. 

For the Lord teaches we are called to store up treasure, not on earth, but in heaven, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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In great gratitude for the benefactors of this parish, and for those who generously provide for the needs of the Church. 

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

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

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

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.

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

September 20 2023 - St. Andrew Kim & Korean Martyrs - Satan's Opposition to Church Growth vs. Courageous Christian Witness

 

Today we celebrate the memorial of the Korean martyrs. The first Catholic missionary arrived in Korea at a time of great strife—during the Japanese invasion of Korea under Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1593. But missionary efforts were pretty minimal for about 200 years. And it wasn’t until the late 1700s that a native Korean named Yi Seung-hun studied Chinese translations of Catholic texts and sought out a Jesuit missionary in Beijing for baptism. He returned to Korea with a handful of fellow Catholics and really began to spread the faith. 

In 1801, 300 Catholics were martyred by the government of the Joseon Dynasty chiefly for the our faith’s opposition to ancestral "worship" which the State prescribed as a cornerstone of Korean culture. So our faith, really has it’s origins in Korea, in standing up to the idolatrous state religion. Yi Seung-hun was among those first martyrs.

St. Andrew Kim was from a Korean family who suffered under those persecutions. He became a deacon in 1844, and a year later was ordained as Korea’s first Catholic priest. He returned to Korea and traveled around Catholic communities teaching, mostly at night. He tried to get French missionaries into the country, but was arrested on June 5, 1846, and beheaded on September 16 at the age of 25.

The first Catholic priest of a people, martyred. 

Satan’s opposition to the Catholic Church’s taking root in Korea has been mighty. But the witness, and the courage of the Korean Catholics sustained by the grace of God has been mightier. The number of Catholics in the past 20 years in South Korea has increased by 48.6 percent, and today 11.1% of South Koreans are Catholic. The North Korean Government opposes the growth of Christianity with terrible ferocity. But compare the growth of the Church in South Korea to what is going on here in the United States. Sunday Mass attendance has declined that much in the last 20 years. Nuptial masses has decreased by over 40 percent in 20 years. . 

Today we celebrate not just two, but the hundreds of Korean martyrs who died witnessing to the truth of Jesus Christ. No doubt, they have something to teach us in standing up against Satan in this land, may we allow ourselves to be inspired by their courageous witness and imitate them in their fervor for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

September 19 2023 - St. Januarius - Courage in the Dark Valleys

 There is a very unique relic connected to the feast of Januarius, a vial of the saint’s blood, which has dried up.  However, several times a year, including today, his feast day, the relic is brought out for public veneration, and the blood liquefies.  This miracle has been occurring for over 600 years and it’s one of the most scientifically studied religious phenomenon in the world.  Scientists have been unable to explain this miracle.  

This feast is celebrated with great festivity in Naples where he is called “San Gennaro”. Over a million people will gather in the Little Italy section of New York City today for festivities. This year is the 97th annual San Gennaro festival in New York.  Italians in San Francisco have also begun to hold annual festivals for San Gennaro. 

Januarius was a bishop of the early church in Benevento, Italy, the home town of Bishop Pilla’s family, and not too far from where my own grandparents families were from.  Januarius was martyred in the last major persecution by the Roman Empire, that of Emperor Diocletian.  

It is said, the Bishop was arrested while visiting a fellow Christian who had been imprisoned for his faith and was awaiting execution. Can you imagine? This holy bishop, walking into a prison, to comfort and encourage a fellow Christian was would be killed for the faith!

Christians cannot live in fear of the worldly powers that can end our earthly lives. We cannot allow fear to silence our preaching of the Gospel, standing for truth amidst the errors of the world. It is not the logic of our argumentation that will win most souls, but the courage the animates us in standing against the powers of darkness. 

There are dimensions of each of our lives where we are tempted to recoil in fear—fear of speaking truth, fear of sharing faith, fear of reaching out in love. The first step of growing in courage is admitting your fears, admitting them to yourself and to God. And once you’ve admitted your fears, you can begin to stand against them, and to allow the Lord to lead you through those dark valleys. 

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for you are at my side.”

May the holy martyrs encourage us in our share of the mission of the Gospel, emboldening us to seek out souls lost in the darkness, in facing the darkness in our own souls, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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That Pope Francis and all Bishops and Clergy may humbly and faithfully pass on the Gospel of Christ in all its fullness. 

That young people may be kept safe from the poisonous attitudes of the world and that they and their families may be kept in close friendship with the Lord Jesus and his Church.

For the conversion of hardened sinners, those who have fallen away from the Church, and for an increase in virtue for all peoples.

 

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

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.

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

September 18 2023 - St. Joseph of Cupertino - Mystical Gifts and Charity

 St. Joseph of Cupertino was renowned for mystical gifts, particularly, he was given the gift of flight—he would literally fly through the air, float, and levitate in prayerful ecstasy. This mystical gift was so frequent that his biographers said that he spent over half of his religious life in the air in ecstatic levitation and flight. 

The collect for today's mass alludes to his gift of flight: "DEUS, qui ad unigénítum Fílium tuum exaltátum a terra ómnia tráhere disposuísti: pérfice propítius; ut, méritis et exémplo seráphici Confessóris tui Joséphi, supra terrénas omnes cupiditátes elevati, ad eum perveníre mereámur.O God, Who didst purpose to draw all things unto Thy Son when He was lifted up from the earth: mercifully grant that we, by the merits and example of Thy seraphic Confessor, Joseph, being lifted above all earthly desires, may be worthy to come unto Him." 

This gift was such a spectacle that for 35 years he was forbidden from celebrating Mass publicly, lest his gifts become a distraction to the worship of God.  But on many occasions faith was kindled in those who witnessed his gifts, and of course the stories of his gifts were recorded and verified for the cause of his canonization.

St. Joseph of Cupertino is also loved because he is one of the great patron saints of students. St. Joseph apparently was not a great intellect. I heard one Franciscan priest call him intellectually dense. In fact, he was turned away from his initial attempts to enter religious life because he seemed “incapable of any useful activity.” Eventually, the Franciscans allowed him to take care of the convent mule—that was all they thought he could do. It was only after a period of time that the friars came to understand the great virtue of this humble, simple friar. It was also discovered that he had the gift of infused knowledge. Not through natural study, but through this gift of grace he could unravel challenging theological and moral questions to the astonishment of scholars.

And hence he is known as a patron of students, especially at exam time, praying and hoping that St. Joseph Cupertino will come to their aid with a bit of infused knowledge of their own that they had failed to attain through their studies.

With all of his mystical gifts, the greatest was his charity. Whatever our intellectual gifts or spiritual gifts, we are called above all to practice charity. “If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.” In other words, if we go throughout life without charity—without the practice of self-sacrificial Christ like love, then we are just going through life making a bunch of noise. And the mission of the Church is not served by Catholics who are just making a bunch of noise.

Rather, we are to exert the effort necessary to practice charity when the Lord presents us with the opportunity for it. Some of us think that if the Lord were to just give me spectacular spiritual gifts, then I could win souls. But St. Paul is saying, no, his job, your job, the task of every Christian is to practice, above all, charity. Charity is the choice to remain patient when we want to be impatient, a choice to practice kindness when we want to be selfish, a choice to endure and persevere in doing good when we want to give up, a choice of being humble when we want to be pompous, forgiving when we want to brood over injury.  

Work, work, work at growing first in charity, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

September 15 2023 - Our Lady of Sorrows - A heart united to Christ in love and suffering

Yesterday, on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, the Church turned her heart to the Passion of Christ and the wood of the cross upon which our Lord conquered death.  Today the Church turns her heart to the suffering his His Mother—the heart of His mother which shared in her son’s great suffering. 

In the Collect prayer beginning today’s Mass we prayed, O God, who willed that, when your Son was lifted high on the Cross, his Mother should stand close by and share his suffering.

Love unites the mother with her children. She shares their joys, their excitements, their sorrows and sufferings. The heart of the mother aches in every of her child’s bruises, broken bones, or illnesses.

Our Lady’s heart because of it’s purity, selflessness, devotion to the will of God, and faith loved more deeply and therefore suffered more deeply than any mother in history. Because of her love her heart was pierced with swords of sorrow so intense that one might say she only survived the sufferings of her son through special graces from God. 

Today we turn our hearts to her, that she might teach us how to love and how to suffer with grace. And also to know that because her love for each of us is great, she also knows and shares our sufferings too. For since her heart is united to Christ in love and suffering, she loves what he loves...that includes us.

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

It is sad to think of how many Christians do not really grasp the motherhood of Mary, the role that God wants her to have in our lives. For God himself, from the cross, told us, “Behold your mother.”

So we who love her have a duty to help those who do not to come to understand this dimension of the Good News of Christ—the Gospel. For it is part of the Gospel that Mary is our Mother—and comes to our aid in our suffering. 

Older Catholics especially can help younger family members to love Mary. When the grandkids or nieces and nephews come over to visit, pray the rosary with them, teach them of the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady, for the younger generations who do not know Mary are in danger of have stilted, colder hearts, as we all are when we fail to love Our Mother as we should.

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

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

along a path of obscurity and suffering. 

For the leaders of nations; that, by remembering the sorrow of the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt,

they may be moved to care for refugees and for all who are obliged to flee from war and persecution. 

For parents anguishing over their children; that, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary

and of Saint Joseph who were anguished by the disappearance of Jesus for three days, they may come to deeper trust and confidence in the providence of the Heavenly Father.

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

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

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

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

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

September 13 2023 - St. John Chrysostom - Seek what is above

St. John Chrysostom was born in Antioch, about 250 years after our parish patron, the bishop St. Ignatius of Antioch went to his martyrdom. Perhaps the seed of our patron’s martyrdom yielded the fruit of St. John’s great faith.

It is unclear whether his parents were Christian or pagan, but we do know that he was baptized around the age of 18. While studying civil law, he felt the call to enter monastic life, but discerning it wasn’t quite his calling, he was ordained a deacon and then a priest for the Church of Antioch. 

The young priest soon garnered a reputation for his eloquent preaching. He was as St. John Henry Newman said, “a bright, cheerful, gentle soul; a sensitive heart,” who helped the people apply the Scriptures to their daily lives. About 600 hundred of his sermons and commentaries on scripture have been preserved, as well as many treatises on the moral and spiritual life, and a very famous book on the priesthood.

Today we continue to read from St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians, “If you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.” The saints, like St. John Chrysostom, are marvelous examples of what it means to be heavenly-minded, rather than earthly-minded. And that doesn’t mean we have our heads in the clouds or unconcerned with the sufferings of the poor on earth. Rather, it means that our decisions and choices and words must be weighed by if they help us to attain heaven or not.

St. John Chrysostom, commenting on this passage says, St. Paul writes these words to help us to “draw them off from pleasure and ease.” In other words, Paul is instructing us that pleasure and ease of life are not what makes a thing or an action good. Just because something is pleasurable or easy doesn’t it make it good for our minds, bodies, or souls. Rather, what is good, is what helps us to attain heaven. 

Paul is echoing our Lord’s own teaching in the Gospel: sorrow, hunger, poverty, and being hated by the world can be good, when they help us attain heaven, they can be more profitable than happiness, riches, food, and being popular or accepted by our peers. We are given this earthly life as a test, as a choice: will we pursue only what is temporary, or what is eternal.

May St. John Chrysostom and all the saints help us to attain the true blessedness for which we were made for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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That the bishops and priests may be men of sound doctrine, and courageously preach the Gospel in its fullness. 

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

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

For all those who share in the sufferings of Christ—the sick, the sorrowful, and those who are afflicted or burdened in any way.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for the deceased clergy and religious of the diocese of Cleveland, for the poor souls in purgatory, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. 

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

September 12 2023 - The Most Holy Name of Mary - Invoke her fair name

 For many years, about 200 years actually in our own country, Mary was the most, or nearly the most popular name for baby girls. Around 1970 the name slipped out of the top 10, and starting in about 2009, Mary is no longer even in the top 100. No doubt this trend corresponds to a decline in the practice of the Catholic faith—which upholds such reverence for Mary, and loves and invokes her fair name. 

The Church celebrates the memorial of the Holy Name of Mary shortly after her birthday on September 8, just like we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus shortly after Christmas.

Richard of St. Laurence, a 13th century French theologian states "there is no such powerful help in any name, nor is there any other name given to men, after that of Jesus, from which so much salvation is poured forth upon men as from the name of Mary… the devout invocation of this sweet and holy name leads to the acquisition of superabundant graces.”  

"Thy name, O Mother of God, is filled with divine graces and blessings," says St. Methodius, so much so, that St. Bonaventure declares, "that thy name, O Mary, cannot be pronounced without bringing some grace to him who does so devoutly."

Additionally, Thomas of Kempis affirms "that the devils fear the Queen of heaven to such a degree, that on hearing her great name pronounced, they fly from him who does so as from a burning fire." 

The Blessed Virgin herself revealed to St. Bridget "that there is not on earth a sinner, however devoid he may be of the love of God, from whom the devil is not obliged immediately to fly, if he invokes my holy name with a determination to repent."

The directives for the liturgy instruct us to bow our heads in reverence at the name of Jesus, at the name of Mary, and at the name of the Saint of the Day when they are mentioned in the prayers of the liturgy.  

When we pronounce her name, we affirm her power, we implore her aid, and place ourselves under her protection.  As she said “Yes” to God in full freedom and love, she helps us to do the same.

It is a privilege to know and to be able to call upon with Love the name of Mary.  At her name demons flee and angels rejoice.

May all come to have confidence in calling upon the holy name of Mary, to seek her protection and receive comfort and strength in the Christian life for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That Pope Francis and all members of the Church, like the Virgin Mary, may magnify the goodness of God through word and deed.

That those in need of repentance will call upon the holy names of Jesus and Mary for help. 

That all Christians may find in Mary the example and strength to carry out our individual vocation, for the sanctification of all families, and the protection of all young people from the evils of error and sin.

For those who suffer any sort of trial, illness, addiction or trial: that the help of Our Lady, queen of heaven and earth, may fill them with the grace needed to carry their crosses with faith and hope 

For the deceased members of our family and friends, for all of the poor souls in purgatory…

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

23rd Week in Ordinary Time 2023 - 9/11, Suffering, and the need for Christ

 In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, congress passed a bill requesting that the President designate September 11 of each year as Patriot Day. The U.S. flag is flown at half-staff at the White House and on all U.S. government buildings and establishments throughout the world; flags are also encouraged to be displayed on individual American homes. Additionally, a moment of silence is observed to correspond with the attacks, beginning at 8:46 a.m., the time the first plane, American Airlines Flight 11, struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

This terrorist attack was a great source of suffering for our nation, not to mention the victims and their families. I remember exactly where I was when I heard about the first plane striking the North Tower. I was on my way to class with a group of seminarians—a philosophy class called the philosophy of the human person, in which we were examining man’s intellect, soul, mind, body, and free will. And certainly that day, we received a terrible lesson of man’s capacity for evil, his ability to inflict suffering on his fellow man.

St. Paul wrote about suffering in our reading from his letter to the Colossians today. Paul suffered prison, shipwreck, beatings, starvation, and exhaustion, and ultimately death for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And Paul doesn’t curse God for his sufferings, or even complain about them, rather he writes boldly, “I rejoice in my sufferings” and goes on to explain that he saw his sufferings for the sake of the Church as gifts from God because they enabled him to understand more deeply the love of Christ.

Fulton Sheen was fond of saying that, the great tragedy in life is not suffering, but suffering that goes wasted, suffering that we do not allow to bring us closer to God.

Following the September 11 attacks the churches were packed. Our nation rightly responded to evil by falling to our knees, not simply praying to God to alleviate suffering, but to help us to learn, so that evil may not be repeated. “Never forget” was the motto in the months to follow. Let us never forget what evil can do.

And yet the lesson of suffering was only headed by some. Instead of drawing closer to God, repenting of sin, uniting to Christ through his Church, many dug in their heels to building a culture of death. Instead of stretching out the withered hand to Christ, they clutched all the tighter at perversion, greed, and power. But such is the pattern of sinful man, when he refuses to grow in wisdom—if he doesn’t fall for one empty promise, he’ll fall for another until he lives for Christ. 

And so the Church’s task in 2023, is the same as St. Paul’s and that of every age, to preach Christ and him crucified, for He is our only salvation and hope, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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That through Our Lady, Queen of Peace, terrorism and war, and the cheapening of human life may be brought to an end.

That our civil representatives may use their authority to lead and build our nation in godly ways.

For all those who harden their hearts toward God, for those who have left the Church, for all those in serious sin, for their conversion and the conversion of all hearts.

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

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.

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

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time 2023 - The Watchman

 This last week we celebrated the feast day of a very important Saint:  Saint Gregory the Great.  Saint Gregory was pope at the beginning of the 7th century and he’s one of only two Popes to be given the title “the great” the other being Pope St. Leo the Great.

Saint Gregory was born into the world of politics—he was the son of a Roman senator.  Because of his great administrative talents and moral integrity St. Gregory came to occupy the highest civil office in Rome, that of Roman Prefect, when he was only 30 years old.  And yet, Gregory desired to devote his life more fully to the service of God, and became a quiet, simple servant of the Lord as a Benedictine monk.

God, however, had other plans for Gregory.  He was asked by the Pope to leave the monastery and become the Pope’s personal representative to Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire.  And Gregory was so talented in administration and preaching and teaching that when the Pope died, all of the priests and people of Rome acclaimed him to be the new Pope.

He is called “the Great” not just because he was a talented leader.  He is called “Great” because he poured himself out in service to the Church in an exemplary, yet humble way.  He knew that true human greatness is not found in athletic trophies or political office or wealth, but through humble service to Christ.  

And I came across a wonderful commentary by Saint Gregory on the prophet Ezekiel, where Ezekiel is receiving instructions by God for his role as a prophet. God says to Ezekiel “You, son of man, I have appointed watchman for the house of Israel; when you hear me say anything, you shall warn them for me.”

A watchman—St. Gregory explains is one who stands on a high place so that he can see the enemy coming from afar. When I visited Scotland at the beginning of the year, I visited Hadrian’s Wall, marking the farthest reaches of the Roman Empire. The Roman Soldiers appointed watchmen would patrol the top of Hadrian’s wall and watch the forests to the north from which the enemy was likely to approach. The watchman would stand vigilant, ready to alarm the encampment, not if, but when, the enemy approached. 

And the enemy was formidable. The Romans at Hadrian’s Wall called the tribesmen up in northern Scotland there, the pictae—from which we get the word picture. The pictae would paint themselves in camouflage and would attack at night. And so the Romans at the edge of the empire had to be extra vigilant, extra watchful because the enemy was cunning and dangerous. After all, the pictae had kept the great Roman Empire from expanding further north.

“You, Son of man, I have appointed watchman for the house of Israel.” God is speaking here to Ezekiel. As a prophet, Ezekiel was tasked with watching and pointing out the spiritual enemies of God’s people—those spiritual idolatries which so tempted the Jewish people and kept them enslaved in sin—kept them from the spiritual greatness God wanted for them. So Ezekiel had to watch and issue God’s warnings to the people. Such is the role of the prophet—to be watchmen. And every Christian is baptized to be a prophet--a prophetic watchman--to stand vigilant against evil--to warn souls and protect souls--to urge souls to turn to God.

Christian parents are to be prophetic watchmen for their children, too right? Parents are to guard their children from things that are harmful to their minds, bodies, and souls.  I can hear my parents saying, “Don’t run with scissors, don’t play in traffic, put down the video games and read a book”  Now, parents must be even more vigilant about the popular ideas their children are being exposed to on the internet and classrooms—ideas, that if followed, lead children away from the life God wants for them. And there are terrible pressures in our society now on parents, which tell parents, pressures to just let the kids do what they want. But children need to be protected, their brains and their virtues are not fully formed; not to mention that the enemy today is camouflaged—they smile, they talk about inclusivity and equality and compassion, but rooted in error, they lead so many young ones astray to distrust and hate of right religion. 

Pope Gregory explained how the bishop in his diocese is a watchman. Next week, there will be a flyer in the bulletin from the bishops of Ohio regarding the upcoming vote on the Amendment to the Ohio Constitution in November. Unlike issue 1 back on August 8, for which Catholics were free to exercise prudential judgment regarding their personal politics, the November issue is not simply a political issue. As one of our local pastors has said, “it is not a matter of Right vs. Left, but right vs. wrong” for the change to the constitution being proposed would open up unfettered access to abortion up until the time of birth as well as impacting parental consent for abortion and transgender issues. The Watchmen are telling us that we need to fast and pray to defeat this repugnant issue. 

In the Gospel, this weekend, Jesus tells his disciples, “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven.”  Obeying or disobeying the good watchmen with their sound and stern teaching will have eternal ramifications. 

In his commentary on the watchman, St. Gregory also talks about how difficult it is for the watchman to remain focused on his job. Pope Gregory lamented how as Pope, not only did he have to deal with all the problems of the church but also what he called “worldly men”— who did not always have the Gospel as their main priority.

If it was difficult for the pope, a former monk, and man most learned in scripture and prayer, to remain vigilant against distractions, how much more do we need to practice those virtues of the watchmen: focus, vigilance, discipline, balance of work and rest so that we do not grow drowsy in our duties. 

It’s hard to remain vigilant when we are surrounded by the worldly. Have you ever been visiting family out of town and it becomes apparent that they aren’t planning on going to Church that weekend?  It takes a real effort to fulfill our religious obligations when those around us don’t.  It takes a real effort to follow the commandments when it seems like everyone else is disobeying them. When everyone else is shoplifting and pirating, why shouldn’t I? When every one else is disengaging from society just to play video games all day, why shouldn’t I? When every other young couple is cohabitating, why shouldn’t we?

So like the watchman, we must constantly be on guard against that creeping worldliness that seeks to lull us to sleep in our Christian duty to guard our community, our families, and our souls from evil.

May the Holy Spirit help us to be watchful, and vigilant, sober and alert, with hearts unhardened to the voice of the truth and goodness of Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

September 8 2023 - The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Mary the Temple, Christ the Temple's Lord

Two themes pervade the readings and prayers of this feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary: joy and light. The liturgy tells us: “Let us celebrate with joy the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, for from her arose the sun of justice, Christ our God.” Joy and Light.

Christians are a joyful people—a joy-filled people because Joy is the result of allowing the light of faith to flood our minds and hearts. Joy comes from recognizing the importance, meaning, and weight of what God has done for us—and Christians are the most joy-filled of the people of the earth, Christianity is the most joy-filled religion because we alone acknowledge the fullness of what God has done for our salvation.

Scripture commands God’s people to joyfully proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations, and today the Church joyfully sings what God has done in the Blessed virgin Mary.  “With delight we rejoice in what the Lord has done” – we proclaimed in the Psalm.

What is particularly joyful about this day? Saint Andrew of Crete said “all creation sings with joy, exults, and participates in the joy of this day....for this is, in fact, the day on which the Creator of the world constructed His temple; today is the day on which by a stupendous project a creature becomes the preferred dwelling of the Creator"

It took Solomon seven years to build the Jerusalem Temple, and when it was completed and dedicated, King Solomon and the priests sang and danced and fell prostrate before the Temple which shone with the light of the Glory of God.. 

Exactly 9 months ago, today, we celebrated the conception of Our Lady, and today we celebrate her birth. Mary is the New Temple, who would be filled with the fullest manifestation of God’s glory on earth—the incarnation of Christ. And at the moment of her own birth—inside her tiny body was the egg, the ovum, which would become Christ years later when she would conceive miraculously through the Holy Spirit’s power.

Whenever we celebrate the great things God has done through, with, and in Mother Mary, we are filled with light. There are a lot of things in this world that take away our joy, but celebrating Our Lady is not one of them. 

If we want joy we need to turn to her devoutly for joy, if we want light we need to turn to her earnestly for light, for help in increasing the light of faith in this darkened world; if we want to be with God forever in heaven, we need to turn to Mary fervently for help in following Christ faithfully for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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

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

That all government leaders may be awakened to the supreme dignity of each human life, and that all people of our nation may work together for an end to the culture of death. 

That through Immaculate Mary, Queen of Peace, hatred, violence, and cruelty will cease in the world.  

That the sick may draw strength, consolation, and healing by turning to Our Lady, who intercedes for us from her place in heaven. 

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

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

22nd Week in Ordinary Time 2023 - Tuesday - Nazareth vs. Capernaum

 For the first nine weeks of Ordinary Time, the weekday Gospel readings are taken from the Gospel of Mark. And then for about 12 more weeks, the Gospels are taken from Matthew. From now until the end of the liturgical year, we read from the Gospel of Luke. 

Yet, we don’t start with chapter one of Luke’s Gospel, for those are read throughout the advent and Christmas seasons. So we begin at the beginning of Our Lord’s public ministry, about 30 years after his birth, in Luke chapter 4.

And chapter 4 begins with the Lord in Nazareth, the place where he grew up, and he enters the synagogue on the sabbath, reads from the prophet Isaiah, basically claiming to be the fulfillment of the Messiah prophecy, and is then driven to the edge of the cliff by the townsfolk and almost killed. 

Today, the Lord comes to another synagogue, to the town of Capernaum, about 25 miles to the northeast. It’s the sabbath again, so perhaps only a week has gone by. 

And again he teaches. But, unlike the people of Nazareth who were filled with fury, the people of Capernaum were filled with astonishment. And then he performs an exorcism. 

In an atmosphere where Jesus is accepted and believed and listened to, demons are driven out. Where he is rejected, man allows the demons to remain in control, and push Jesus to the edge of their lives.

The task of the Christian is to bring Jesus into the lives of the peoples of our world, into their families, and homes. Will they reject him, like they did at Nazareth, or will they accept him and allow him to cast out their demons like in Capernaum? Well, we don’t find out until we are faithful to our task of bringing him into the synagogues of their lives. But we can’t be afraid to bring Jesus into someone’s life because the reaction might be a Nazareth and not a Capernaum. 

Nor can we give up on someone just because a demon shows up that is initially hostile. We must spend enough time with folks where we give Jesus the time to cast the demon out. 

There’s certainly some missionary instruction in today’s Gospel, and some of us are called to be missionaries. The missionary mustn’t be afraid of demons, rather, the manifestation of the demon is a sign that the Lord wants to cast it out. When the demon bares its teeth and calls for Jesus to be silenced, you don’t run away. You rebuke that demon in the name of Jesus, and pray for it to be cast out. Then the healing can begin, and the conversion to Christ.

And that’s true in our own life, when an old demon, an old temptation, bears its teeth, remain calm, and pray for the Lord to cast it out.

May our lives, our parish, our neighborhood be places where the Lord is encountered and believed, may his authority over the powers of darkness cast out demons and bring the light of faith, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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For a flourishing of spiritual gifts needed for the missionary work and evangelizing mission of the Church.

For all those afflicted with demons, those who are overwhelmed with the Spirit of the World, that, through the ministry of the Church, they may know the cleansing power and mercy of Christ.

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

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom; and for N….

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

Labor Day 2023 - Hikikomori and Good Honest Work

 I was watching a documentary recently about the social group in Japan known as the Hikikomori. The Hikikomori have this extreme disinterest in going to work and engaging in society that they isolate, usually in the home of their parents, and spend the day playing video games or consuming media. These are abled bodied adults who could work, who could engage, but have chosen isolation, and as a result they are depressed and often develop other mental illnesses. 

When St. Paul was wrote his second letter to the Thessalonians, he was addressing a similar problem. There were Christians, who were able, but who were choosing not to work. Even though he had instructed them to imitate his example of remaining industrious until the coming of the Lord, these non-workers were taking advantage of the generosity of their brother Christians.

And so St. Paul gives this stark instruction “if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat.” He called those unwilling to work, disordered, as well as those who were “too busy minding the business of others.” Unwillingness to work, like the Hikikomori, and many in our own culture, who could work, but who take advantage of the system or their parents and family or the generosity of charities, is a disorder, a disordered life.

The Catechism says that Working with God to bring the best out of creation is part of God’s original plan—we are Co-laborers with God—who himself is the original worker, the shaper of the universe, the bringer of life, a Gardner. Good holy work therefore honors God. Work honors the Creator’s gifts and the talents received from him. Good honest work is not only good for the soul, it is in imitation of the Divine--one might say, a participation and cooperation in divine life.

Labor Day, for much of the our society, is an extra day off, and many of us need it, because we do have to work very hard to meet our basic needs. I saw that in you compare the purchasing power of the dollar, we are worse off right now than in the Great Depression. Good honest laborers are working very hard for those basic necessities. And so we do need to be generous with those who are struggling to make ends meet like so many of the people we assist in our St. Vincent de Paul Society, as well as the mentally ill. 

But we also need to give encouragement to the discouraged, and lazy, to work to the extent they are able. We must also cultivate a much healthier attitude toward honest work in our young people. The addiction to the instant gratification of entertainment needs to be replaced with the lasting fulfillment that comes from honest hard-work and contribution to the common good. 

May this Labor Day be a source of true refreshment for laborers, for society, and the Church. God made us to imitate him in our work, may our work be rightly ordered to the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time 2023 - Transformed by the renewal of your mind

 

I’ve shared before how, when I was a teenager, I went through a phase where I was not very interested in our beloved Catholic faith. I had stopped going to church, and became immersed in some real secular ways of thinking. I started to buy into the idea that religion had nothing to offer, that science and politics were the answers to humanity’s problems. I began to read Marx and Freud and was watching a lot of entertainment in which religion, particularly Catholicism was derided and mocked. 

“Do not conform yourselves to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind”. Our age, as you might know, is very antithetical toward religion. Mockery of religion, the bible, the church, the priesthood pervades so much of the media. And it’s relentless. The mockery and contempt for religion is found in so many classrooms, workplaces, political rhetoric, media, pop songs and movies, internet forums. And hearing this preacher, break open this scripture passage from St. Paul late one night, helped me to realize that I had bought right into it: this idea which is still very prevalent that religion was not part of the solution, but part of the problem.

But, the idea that the world can fix itself without God is foolish. Just look at what happens when God is driven out of society, politics, science, not to mention the classroom: you get concentration camps, weapons of mass destruction, torture, human trafficking, mental illness, broken families, crime, and self-destruction through drugs and alcohol.  

When we conform ourselves to the world—we are swallowed by the world and our light dims, our minds are dulled, and our wills are weakened to the point where we just go along with the fallen corrupt human system because it’s easier. 

Rather, the way of Christ is the way of transformation and healing. Which is why in the Gospel when Peter tells Jesus to abandon the cross, Jesus says, “Get behind me Satan, You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” Funny how, thinking as “human beings do” always leads away from the cross. 

Why does Jesus call Peter Satan? Because Satan does not want mankind saved. Satan does not want mankind transformed. Satan wants us enslaved while thinking that we are free. Satan is the great enemy: he wants you chained to your sins, trapped in cycles of sin and depravity. He wants you to hate, and resent, and manipulate, and abuse. He wants to see all that is holy in you, all that is a reflection of the goodness of God trampled upon. You wants you using your bodies in degrading ways, he wants your minds atrophied, and your wills broken to give-in to every one of his temptations. Satan loves when we abandon religion for science for politics, when we worship anything but God. 

Satan wants us to settle for fallenness, but God wishes to raise us up, which is why St. Paul says renew your mind that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect. 

What does it mean to renew your mind? The Christian is to always be about the business of seeking to know, understand, and interpret the world through the lens of the Word of God. The Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the writings of the saints, must be the interpretive lens, the filter, the hermeneutic, to understand all things, and to shape and guide and inform all of our decisions. And if we arrive at some conclusion contrary to the Gospel—well we have not thought and prayed and studied long enough.

Satan is hard at work, creating division—turning man against brother—Christian against Christian—undermining right religion, frustrating domestic tranquility, spreading terrible confusion—duping even Christians to embrace attitudes and behavior which is repugnant to the word of God. But, as I said a few weeks ago, God chose us to live now, in the year 2023, in the midst of this nearly-all pervasive Satanic spirit—to show the world another way, the way—To show and to witness, to follow and to suffer for the one who says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father, except through me.”

The Catholic of 2023 must be a bullwork of right faith, who pursues the true, the good, and the beautiful in opposition to the error, corruption, and ugliness of the world. The Catholic of 2023 must take up the cross and follow Christ—no matter the hostility or pressure from the Satanic spirit. You are chosen for this. You and I were made for this.

We are called to be the great transformers of the world, but we must first let God and his will transform us. Read the Bible. Study the Catechism. In fact, you should study your faith to the highest capacity of your intellect. In other words, if you can grasp high school theology, you should study high school theology. If you can grasp college or graduate level or doctorate level theology, then you should. Our minds have tremendous capacity for the Truth. But if all you do is fill your mind with the garbage on tv and the internet, your life, and mind, and wills, and bodies will suffer for it.

We have a wonderful new Bible Study starting up in a few weeks on Monday nights. But every day, you need to seek the renewal of your mind. Every day learn something new about your faith. I’ve been a priest for 15 years. I have two masters degrees in Theology, a bachelors in philosophy, and I promise you cannot exhaust what there is to learn about God and about our faith. Likely, the thing that is keeping us from the daily renewal God wants for us is laziness and fear of the cross. 

So, in the name of Jesus Christ, rebuke Satan, just like Jesus did in the Gospel today, rebuke any attitude, any fear, any habit, that is keeping you from the renewal and the transformation God wants for you, for therein lies joy, freedom, peace, and the fullness of life for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.