Holy Family 2023 - Icon of the Domestic Church

 Of the four Evangelists, it is Matthew and Luke who provide the most details surrounding the family of our Blessed Lord.

Matthew’s Gospel begins with Jesus’ family tree going all the way back to Abraham, through King David, and the Kings of Israel, to Joseph, husband of Mary. Matthew, then narrates how the angel appeared to Joseph, and explains God’s plan to him regarding the mysterious pregnancy of his betrothed. Matthew then relates the good news of the Lord’s birth in Bethlehem and how the Holy Family was forced to flee to Egypt to escape the murderous design of King Herod.

St. Luke’s Gospel begins not with the Lord’s family tree, but God’s intervention in the life of Jesus’ extended family. Zechariah, of the priestly class, is visited by an angel who foretells the birth of John the Baptist to Zechariah’s wife Elizabeth. 

Luke then transitions from the Lord’s extended family to the Lord’s conception in the womb of his virgin mother overshadowed by the Holy Spirit in the house Nazareth. Out of concern for her kinswoman Elizabeth, Mary goes in haste out to the hill country—the Lord’s cousin John the Baptist leaps for joy in his mother’s womb. Mary and Joseph then journey to Bethlehem—Joseph’s ancestral home, where the Christ was born. 

So in those first few chapters, Luke portrays Mary and Joseph as a couple steeped in the tradition and religiosity of their people—people of strong faith with strong ties to their extended family. 

Why do Matthew and Luke spend so much time describing Jesus’ family? Why did they consider Jesus’ family important? Why don’t these Gospels just begin with Jesus’ public ministry—with his miracles and teachings? Many non-Catholics, after all, think that we Catholics are strange, or even idolatrous, for focusing so much on the Holy Family. But they are right there in the Gospels for a reason. 

The evangelists devote precious ink to these people because God wants us to know about Jesus’ family. God wants us to consider their faith, their traditions, their virtues, their love for each other. We come to meet and know and understand Jesus by meeting, knowing, and understanding his family. 

Jesus was born to a family of real humans, with real struggles, who found strength and support in their family bonds, just like we do. 

They also grappled to understand the mysterious workings of God in their life. Both Mary and Joseph had to come to grips with God doing unprecedented things in their lives. When they began their betrothal, little did they know that life would not proceed as they had planned. But they trusted God’s plan. They were faithful. They obeyed God’s plan. They surrendered to God’s plan.

And just because they were chosen by God for this unique role in salvation history, they still had to deal with real problems. Mary had to give birth in a filthy stable. But Joseph and Mary did their best despite their circumstances. Scripture does not record them complaining, making excuses, cursing God, berating the poor innkeeper for not having a room for them. Their focus on God’s will, their trust in God providence pierces through the real mess they were in. 

Talk about unideal…next week, on the feast of the epiphany, we’ll hear how Mary and Joseph receive word from the magi that King Herod wants their newborn son dead. And would be going to great lengths to murder him. And what do Mary and Joseph do? They go to the temple and offer thanksgiving to God for the gift of Jesus’ life. They fulfill and major religious obligation before going off to Egypt to keep their son safe.

In the Gospel today we hear how in the temple Mary and Joseph receive a prophecy about even more mysterious happenings yet to come. Simeon foretells how Mary’s heart will be pierced with a sword of sorrow. This child is going to move the heavens and the earth, but there will be sorrow, tremendous sorrow. But they accept even sorrow from God, trusting God, hoping in God’s promises. 

These are people of such tremendous faith, and we really can’t reflect enough upon the example of the holy family. Listen again to the Collect prayer for this Christmas Octave Feast of the Holy Family which calls us to look to them and imitate them—we prayed : “O God, who were pleased to give us the shining example of the Holy Family, graciously grant that we may imitate them in practicing the virtues of family life and the bonds of charity, and so, in the joy of your house, delight one day in eternal rewards.”

What virtues—what virtues of the Holy Family—does your family need to practice this year. Spouses, you should discuss that. What virtue do we need to practice as a family this upcoming year? What behaviors do we need to keep an eye on? How are we being called to be more like Mary, more like Joseph. What do they teach us about growing closer in love towards one another? 

If that’s not the sort of conversation you are used to having as a family, start there. I can guarantee Mary and Joseph and Jesus discussed God’s will, and how God had worked in their family history. You can guarantee that they prayed with one another.

Dear departed Pope Benedict XVI wrote about the importance of Christians families looking to and modeling their family life after the Holy Family. He wrote, “the Holy Family is the icon of the domestic Church, called to pray together. The family is the domestic Church and must be the first school of prayer. It is in the family that children, from the tenderest age, can learn to perceive the meaning of God, also thanks to the teaching and example of their parents: to live in an atmosphere marked by God’s presence.”

What it means that every Christian family is the domestic church means that non-believers should be able to learn what it means to be Christian—what it means to be a member of the Church—by looking at your family life. Look at how they pray together, look at how they forgive one another, look at how they are patient with one another, look at how they pass on the faith to the younger generation and seek together to understand the faith. Oh, THAT’s what it means to be Christian. That’s your vocation, dear families: to be icons of the Church. 

May the Holy Family aid all of our Christian families to live up to their vocation and help us all to be faithful to God amidst all of our trials for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

December 29 2023 - St. Thomas Becket - The crib, the cross, and the world

 A little over 850 years ago, the Catholic archbishop of Canterbury England was martyred in his own cathedral while praying vespers. 

From his youth, Thomas Becket had been a good friend of King Henry II and had been named by the king as both chancellor of England in 1155 and Archbishop of Canturbury in 1162.

The King no doubt hoped that Becket would use his ecclesiastical office to benefit the crown, but the Archbishop recognized that his first loyalty was not to the world, but to God. When the King began to overstep his authority and infringe upon the Church, Thomas dutifully opposed the king.

The rift escalated when the king confiscated church property in retribution and the archbishop issued the king’s excommunication. 

According to one account, one day the king publicly denounced the archbishop "What miserable drones and traitors have I nourished and brought up in my household, who let their lord be treated with such shameful contempt by a low-born cleric?"

On the 29th of December in the Year of Our Lord 1170, four of the king’s knights, set out for Canterbury to confront the archbishop and bludgeoned him to death.

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

These faithful ones, celebrated in proximity to the birth of our savior, remind us that loving the one born on Christmas has consequences. He was opposed by Herod, by his own people, by the powers of sin and death, and by Satan the accursed one. And those who love Christ and follow him will also know and experience the hostility of those same powers and principalities. 

For it is not just archbishops and apostles who are called to stand up for the Truth of the Gospel, but all Christians. Kneeling before the crib, carrying our cross, and standing against evil are all the same thing. 

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

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

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We bring forth now our prayers of petitions.

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

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

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

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

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

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

December 27 2023 - St. John the Evangelist - Incline your ears to the heart of Christ

 St. John the Apostle is often depicted in art with his head resting on the breast of Christ, as he does at the Last Supper. Among the apostles, it was John alone who remained at Christ’s side at the crucifixion. John was among the first-called, along with his brother James, and the brothers Peter and Andrew. John’s Gospel describes John’s own closeness with the Lord, and so it is fitting that we celebrate the evangelist’s feast in such proximity to the Lord’s birthday.

St. Ireneaus, bishop of Lyons around the year 200, reported with assurance: “John, the disciple of the Lord, who rested on the heart of Jesus, wrote a Gospel when he was in Ephesus.” Ireneaus was a disciple of St. Polycarp who was made bishop of Smyrna by St. John himself, as is depicted in the top middle stained glass window in the eastern transept here at St. Ignatius. Remaining so close to the Lord throughout the Lord’s public ministry, it is no wonder that John’s Gospel is among the most mystical books of the Bible, filled with such intense insight into the divine identity of the Lord and his love for sinful humanity. 

The writings of St. John his letters and Gospel are saturated with the love of God. Throughout his Gospel, John identifies himself, often not by name, but by the beloved disciple. Consider that! His name was secondary to the fact that he knew that he was loved by Jesus. That is such an important lesson for Christians to “take to heart”. Do you know that you are loved by Jesus? DO you know that you are loved by God? 

Love is the key to understanding the Gospel. Love is the divine motive for the incarnation. Love is the divine motive for the Lord’s teaching and miracles. Love is the divine motive for the Lord taking upon himself the weight and suffering of the cross. Love is the divine motive for sending the apostles into the world.

John records the Lord saying, “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.”

John teaches us to incline our ears to the heart of Christ, to learn of his love for us, that we may in turn, love one another. 

St. John is the patron of the diocese of Cleveland, and he is a powerful example to all of us: of zealous love for the Lord, temper under control, mystical prayer, devotion to the Blessed Virgin, tireless pastor, who used his intellectual gifts to combat the errors plaguing his flock and bestowing to the Church of all ages, a portrait of piercing insight of the Lord Jesus. May we know continuously the example and heavenly intercession of so great a patron saint for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

We bring forth now our prayers of petitions.

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

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

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

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

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

December 22 2023 - God casts down the mighty and lifts up the lowly

Throughout these days of Late Advent, our Gospel readings are taken from the first chapter of Luke’s Gospel: God's immediate preparations for the birth of His Son.

We  read of the Archangel coming to Zechariah and the birth and naming of John the Baptist. We read next of the Archangel coming to Mary to announce God’s plan for her to become the Mother of the Son of God. Yesterday’s Gospel introduced Mary’s visit to Elizabeth, and how the infant John the Baptist leapt in Elizabeth’s womb. And today we read Mary’s song—her Magnificat.

The first part of the Marian canticle (cf. Lk 1: 46-50) is a sort of solo voice that rises to Heaven to reach the Lord. "My soul... my spirit... my Savior... has done great things for me... [they] will call me blessed...". Mary has a unique role in the story of Jesus’ birth, of course, as his mother. She offers praise, thanksgiving and grateful joy to God over the incarnation.

She is mater et magistra, mother and teacher—she teaches us by her prayerful example. To prepare well for the celebration of Jesus’ birth at Christmas, we are to turn like her to God in prayerful praise, thanksgiving, and grateful joy. Have you allowed your soul, your spirit, to resonate with praise, thanksgiving, and joy this Advent? If not, it’s not too late. Learn from Mary’s example. What great things has God done for you? Have you praised and thanked God for them sufficiently, have you rejoiced in what God has done in your life, sufficiently?

And then Mary continues to sing God’s praises, particularly how through her cooperation with God and through the incarnation God has brought about the greatest reversal in history:  the overthrow of the mighty and the exaltation of the humble.

This poor unknown virgin from this poor insignificant town is now has become the most blessed of all women. And her son, who will be born in a poor, filthy stable, is the king of Kings and Lord of Lords. 

And here is the invitation, the choice, the most important choice of our lives…whose side will you be on? As history unfolds, will you seek to be counted among the mighty and the rich and the powerful of the world? Or will you seek to be among the lowly followers of Christ—those who humble themselves in order to bow down and worship Him? Will you turn away from all that is unworthy of Him—all arrogant speech, all selfishness, all grasping at riches, all self-exaltation in order to humble bow to Him and Him alone, for the glory of God and the 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.

December 20 2023 - Idols or Emmanuel

 

Ahaz was king of Israel at a crucial moment in Israel’s history. The Assyrians were sweeping through the region—conquering everyone who would not assimilate and join their empire and worship their gods.  

So King Ahaz had a choice, will he trust in God and the guidance of the prophets or will he bow to Assyria and assimilate. Will he trust in the one true God or bow to the false gods. Knowing how weak Ahaz was, God spoke through Isaiah and told Ahaz: I’ll even give you a sign that I am with you and with Israel: “the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.”

Sadly, Ahaz trusted not in the power of God. He entered into a protection treaty with Assyria. Despite Isaiah’s warnings, an altar was built for the worship of the Assyrian gods in the very Temple of Jerusalem violating Israel’s covenant with the one true God. And it wouldn’t be long before Jerusalem was conquered by Babylon a few decades later.

Every year, the world is given the same crucial choice as Ahaz. Emmanuel is born of the virgin, come believe in Him, trust in Him, worship Him, adore Him. God invites all of humanity to trust in the sign. The sign of signs. Will you trust? 

King Ahaz failed to trust in God and that had tragic consequences for the nation. Similarly, the world sinks further and further into depravity and chaos when it rejects the Christ.

So, the Church, in her prophetic mission, urges the world: “do not make the same mistake. The false gods of the world will not protect you, they will not give you the peace and prosperity they promise. There is one God and Him alone shall you worship. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” 

In these final Advent days, let us pray for the world, to believe in the One born for them on Christmas, Emmanuel, God with us, born of the Virgin Mary, as Savior of the World. Let us fast and pray for the church to resist the assimilation to the ways of the world, for increased faith in Emmanuel, hope in Him, and love of Him for the glory of God and the 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.

December 18 2023 - King of Kings & Emmanuel

 Yesterday, began “late Advent” the seven days leading up to Christmas.

Where the first part of Advent focused on the coming of Christ and the need to prepare our hearts and lives for his coming, Late Advent focuses on the identify of the Christ Child, particularly as he is the fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel.

Several promises are contained in our scripture readings today.

Firstly, in the Jeremiah reading, we hear the promise of a righteous king from the line of David. The Davidic kings were not always righteous men, they were sometimes even quite despicable. Some of them were outright idolators, whose false worship brought terrible ruin to Israel. Injustice ran rampant under these immoral, greedy, blood thirsty kings. Yet, Israel possessed a hope in God’s promise of a king who would establish justice, whose kingdom would last forever.

The child born at Christmas is that promised king. The king of kings of who establishes the “eternal and universal kingdom, a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love, and peace.” The Church established by the Christ is the beginning of that Kingdom over which Christ our head rules. And the truth, life, holiness, grace, and justice, love, and peace of that kingdom can be seen in the life of the Church.

In the Gospel, we heard how the Christ child would be the fulfillment of another promise, two promises, actually. “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel.” The first promise is that, a virgin would bear a son. The king of kings would be born of a virgin. That’s how you’ll know him. And the second, is that he shall be called Emmanuel—God is with us. 

Now, Israel believe this child would just be a sign that God was with his people. But we know, that he is more than that. He is not just a sign that God is with his people, he is God with us. He is God incarnate. God takes flesh in Christ, and fulfills his promises in a way that is greater than Israel first conceived. 

Over these final Advent days, cultivate a real appreciation for the ways God fulfills his promises in Christ and their relevance for the life of the Church and for the good of mankind. This will help you to deepen your love and gratitude for him, and to share the good news of his birth with others for the glory of God and the 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.

3rd Sunday of Advent 2023 - Encountering God in the messiness

 Throughout the season of Advent, we read from the book of the prophet Isaiah. As I mentioned last week, the book of the prophet Isaiah is divided into two parts. In the first 39 chapters of Isaiah, the prophet helps Israel come to terms with the terrible consequences of their unfaithfulness to God. For unfaithfulness had brought great ruin, societal chaos and division to Israel. Israel had failed to uphold the ways of the Lord; they had failed to teach their children to walk in the ways of the Lord, which led to being captured and marched into exile by the Babylonians. 

Sin causes us to lose the things we love. Sin wounds us, it separates us from goodness, harmony, beauty, truth and life itself—the wages of sin are death. Families become divided because of sin, sin turns man against his brother, nations are divided. Sin has ripple effects that can impact generations and it deprives us of peace. Minds and hearts are warped, perverted, and corrupted by sin. Sin—faithlessness—brings depression, confusion, and self-destruction.

And the prophet explains how Israel has brought misery upon herself, so she can acknowledge her mistakes and turn back to the covenant.

But then, in chapter 40, the book of Isaiah takes a turn. And Isaiah announces some very good news. Even though Israel has been unfaithful, God is going to do something great. So get ready, prepare ye the way of the Lord, the time of exile is coming to an end. God is near.

And in that last half of Isaiah, we are presented with a series of prophecies describing a mysterious “servant of the Lord”. God isn’t just going to do something great. He’s going to send someone great. An instrument of God who will fulfill God’s will to bring salvation to his people, who will say  “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord has anointed me…to bring glad tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, and release to prisoners.” 

Advent of course prepares us to celebrate the birth of God’s servant, his anointed one, his Christ, on Christmas. God has entered into history and brought salvation. But he also wishes to enter into each of our lives particularly, with his healing salve. Advent calls us to open our lives to God to break into the poverty and brokenheartedness, and capitivity, and imprisonment into the messy details of our lives with healing, peace, and spiritual freedom.

Five years ago already, our previous bishop, Bishop Perez celebrated a Christmas Mass for the inmates at the Cuyahoga County Jail. And he shared a little reflection on the Christmas story. He noted that the Christ—the anointed servant of the Father—the savior was not born into idyllic circumstances, but into cold, dirty cave—into a “real mess” the Bishop said. A world with slavery, and abuse, and tyranny, and abject poverty, heartache, abhorrent perversions—a real mess. 

And Bishop Perez likened the situation of the Holy Family on Christmas to some of the prisoner’s situations, a “real mess”—where the consequences of sin were evident and felt.  But the Christmas message proclaims that it is precisely into the real mess of our lives that the Christ Child desires to be born: into the messiness, into the challenges and hardships, into the illnesses and financial concerns, into the addictions and family divisions, and injustices beyond our control.  And the Bishop prayed for those inmates, he said, “As you confront what you are confronting, may you come face-to-face with the Christ Child.”

Again, Advent is about opening your life, your mind and heart to encounter God more deeply and to allow God to “do his thing” in the messy details of your life. But that involves a choice. If you want to resist God, God isn’t going to force you to have a joyful Christmas. If you want to remain in sin and addiction and the misery that comes from sin, that’s up to you. But if you get serious about welcoming God, there can be joy, there can be healing to your brokenheartedness, and spiritual freedom.

This week the Church celebrated the feast of a saint who was imprisoned. On Thursday, we celebrated St. John of the Cross. John of the Cross was a Carmelite priest who was imprisoned, starved, and publicly flogged by his own religious community, but not for committing a crime. His own religious brothers imprisoned John for attempting to reform his community, as it had greatly deviated from its rules and statutes. The community had abandoned the austerity, poverty, and discipline called for by the Carmelite Rule. And when John called for reform, he was silenced and imprisoned—talk about a mess!  Some people—even consecrated religious don’t like to be told that they are not being faithful to God!

And in prison St. John experienced the cross quite acutely: isolation, starvation, cruelty at the hands of his brothers. But, he did not blame God for his situation; he did not become bitter because of the injustice. His sufferings did not diminish his desire for holiness. Rather, his desire for union with God increased. He passed the time reflecting on the Scriptures which he had memorized. And he composed some of the most beautiful mystical poetry outside of scripture—which exists to this day. 

In the darkness of the prison, John blossomed into a great mystical poet and theologian, and even enjoyed a depth of prayer that could be described as ecstatic. In the dark dank prison cell, he opened his heart to God, and met God in the absolute mess of his life. And because he allowed himself to experience God in prison, he was made free. St. John has been declared a doctor of the church because he has so much to teach us about seeking God prayerfully in the concrete messy details, in the crosses of our lives. 

We, present here today, are not imprisoned, like the inmates of the County Prison or like St. John of the cross, but there’s likely a measure of messiness to each of our lives. Perhaps you feel imprisoned by circumstances beyond your control. And again, Advent calls us to identify them, and to seek to meet God in them. 

This touches upon what St. Paul instructs us in our second reading today. In our second reading, St. Paul gives us some of the most difficult instructions in the Bible. He says, Rejoice in the Lord always, In all circumstances give thanks. Really Paul? Always? Even in prison? Unemployment? Marital difficulties? Even when I seem to be failing at all life’s demands? And Paul says, Always. For when we learn to encounter God always, we learn to rejoice always. And remember Paul wrote those words, just a few years before he himself would be imprisoned in Rome because of his preaching of the Gospel of Christ.

Joy comes from knowing the Lord God and experiencing his nearness in the messiness, even in the sufferings, especially in the sufferings of our lives. Having a real, living relationship with God enables even the Christian imprisoned to be freer and more joyful than any atheist surrounded by worldly treasures. 

If you’ve been experiencing joylessness this Advent, be honest about the messiness of your life with God, and invite God more deeply into the messiness. The experience of His nearness will heal deep wounds when you let Him and rekindle joy you thought lost for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

2nd Week of Advent 2023 - Friday - Games people play

There is a famous book on human psychology published back in the 1960s called “Games People Play.”  The book isn’t talking about board games like monopoly or trivial pursuit, or children’s games like hop-scotch or kick the can.  The book explains the often selfish and manipulative "games" adults play with each other in their interpersonal relationships. Think of a boss who throws tantrums in order to get his employees to do his bidding, or a beautiful woman using her voluptuousness to get what she wants.

We even play games with ourselves—little lies we tell ourselves in order to justify certain behavior:  “I’m so stressed, I deserve to eat an entire carton of cookie dough ice cream. Or, I had such a hard day, I deserve to have six whiskies.” We dismiss what is wise in exchange for the foolish games because foolishness provides more immediate gratification--certainly a characteristic of our fallen nature.

In the Gospel today, Jesus talks about playing games with God.  He describes the behavior of his generation as a bunch of children playing games in the street instead of taking the word of God seriously; they are foolishly parading through life, mocking Christ’s message instead of heeding the message, seeking to understand Christ’s wisdom.

In our own day, many have turned Advent and Christmas into just another game, just another form of entertainment. The music, the lights, the gifts, and the parties are part of an annual parade for our enjoyment. 

Rather, the Church’s observance of Advent invites the worldly—the game players—to a deeper understanding and experience of God. There is more to Christmas than Christmas-flavored gratification and trying to trigger childlike-wonder through nostalgia. Advent echoes the call of the Gospel to something more than what the world offers—more than all of those social games we play in order to feel better about ourselves. Advent is the call to turn away from all of those things in order to encounter God. 

But this is not simply an invitation to the non-believer. Christians too do well to examine the games we play with God, our neighbor, and ourselves. What lies do I tell myself in order not to pray as much as I should? What lies do I tell myself in order to indulge in sinful behavior? What lies do I tell myself in order not to serve the mission of the Church as much as I should? What lies do I tell myself in order not to reach out to the estranged and the lonely?

Advent involves the call to deeper conversion for all people. May the Holy Spirit lead us to the change of heart, the change of attitude, the change of behavior God wants for us, that conforming our lives to Christ, we may bear his truth and love to all the word, 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.

December 12 2023 - Our Lady of Guadalupe - Mary's Protection

 At the crucifixion, on Calvary, on Good Friday, Jesus decreed Mary to be the Mother of Christians. As Mother she teaches, she guides, she inspires, she nurtures, and she protects. Mary’s role as protector is particularly central to today’s feast. 

In 1531, Mary appeared to St. Juan Diego as Our Lady of Guadalupe. In the image imprinted on his tilma, Our Lady wears a black band around her waste, showing herself to be with child. For nine months, the Christ child grew in the protective womb of Our Lady. 

To the pagan nation of Mexico, Mary revealed herself in this way—as a protected mother—the mother of Christ and their mother as well. Mary would help them break the bond of a false religion which involved the abominable practice of human sacrifice.

The Collect prayer this morning for Our Lady of Guadalupe speaks of how God placed his people under the singular protection of the Son’s most holy Mother.

The Vatican II Constitution on the Church, speaks of the ancient devotion to Mary’s protection: “Clearly from earliest times the Blessed Virgin is honored under the title of Mother of God, under whose protection the faithful took refuge in all their dangers and necessities.”

I remember reading an article a few years ago, I remember reading a report of seven Iraqi Catholic women who claimed Mary protected them from ISIS terrorists. When ISIS soldiers stormed their shelter, they prayed to Our Lady as they hid under beds which were being used by the soldiers. They said, “When ISIS entered our room, they didn’t see us, we feel that the Virgin Mary closed their eyes from seeing us.”

Sometimes it seems that the powers of evil which surround us and conspire against the Church are so cunning and pervasive. Yet, God has not left us unprotected. He has given us such a powerful advocate and protector in Our Lady. 

She who was guarded from sin from the moment of her Immaculate Conception throughout her whole life guards her sons and daughters from sin and evil as well. The theologian Richard of St. Lawrence writes: “Mary protects us under the mantle of Her humility.”

Holy Father Pope Francis even wrote a prayer for seeking Our Lady’s protection: he wrote, “We seek refuge under your protection, O Holy Mother of God. Do not despise our pleas – we who are put to the test – and deliver us from every danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen."

And of course, the Memorare written by St. Bernard implores Our Lady’s protection, praying “REMEMBER, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided.”

In our Christian mission of serving God in this fallen world, we can attract the attention of some very malicious evil spirits, not to mention those who have made themselves enemies of the Gospel. Attacks from the powers and principalities allied with evil are inevitable, and so seeking Our Lady’s protection is vital.  

May we place ourselves under the protection and guidance of Our Lady of Gaudalupe, who helps us in remaining faithful to her Son in all things, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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We bring our prayers to God through Mary.

That Our Lady may protect the Church from all evil, and aid us in the mission of the Gospel.

That all government leaders may be awakened to the supreme dignity of each human life, and that all peoples will work together for an end to child sacrifice and violations of innocent life, and for the legal protection of the unborn.

For all refugees forced to flee from their homes, that God bring peace to them and their country of origin.

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. Through Christ our Lord.

2nd Week of Advent 2023 - Monday - Advent Charity

 On the feast of Christ the King, just prior to the beginning of Advent, we heard the great parable of the sheep and the goats being separated one from another—judged on the criteria of their charity or lack thereof. Christ will return at the end of time and we will be judged—did we love or not.

But God does not does expect us to do something that He himself has not done. In fact, recall the scripture that God is love. Deus Caritas Est. We are to love because we were made to do so. We were made in the image of the One who is love—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—a communion of life and love.

In the Isaiah reading today, we hear of God coming to the rescue of the blind, the deaf, the lame, and the mute. He restores them to life out of love. He restores creation making it safe from vicious jackals and tepid marshes out of love. He makes it a place where those he has ransomed out of love can sing in peace and joy. Isaiah foretells that God will come to the aid of his people to save us from sin and death. His motivation is love.

And so in the Gospel, we hear the Lord praising the charity, the love, of the friends of the paralyzed. Aware of their friend’s misery, these friends use their hands and feet to overcome obstacles to bring their friend to the Lord. They go to what many might think to be excessive ends—climbing to the top of a roof—in order to bring their friend close to Jesus, and they do so out of love.

Advent calls us to love—to go to excessive ends to bring relief to the blind, deaf, lame, mute, poor, and paralyzed—to the physically helpless and afflicted. But also, to the spiritually helpless and afflicted—those afflicted with atheism, doubt, discouragement, confusion, error, malaise, and even pride—to bring them close to Jesus if we can. And we do so out of love—love for them and love for God.

And when we are faithful to the call to love, we are transformed by love into love growing in likeness to the one we prepare to celebrate at Christmas, then one who will judge us at the end of our lives for our charity. Salvation and the Christian life means entering into the life of God who is love, allowing our conversations, decisions, work and leisure to be animated by love for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - -  

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

That Christ may fill the Pope, our Bishop, and all the clergy with spiritual gifts and graces and for an increase in charity among all the people of God, that cleansed of every vain and selfish desire we may be instruments of the love of God. 

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.

2nd Sunday of Advent 2023 - The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Son of God.

 On this second Sunday of Advent we read the opening lines of Saint Mark’s Gospel, written sometime between the years 60 and 70 AD, just a few years after the deaths of Peter and Paul at the hands of the Roman authorities.  In fact, St. Mark had been a very close companion to the Apostle Peter, traveling with Peter to Rome, where Peter was put to death.  Mark was not an eyewitness to Jesus; rather, Mark learned the details of Jesus’ Ministry from Peter.  

The Opening Lines of ancient texts, such as the Gospels, are often very important, encapsulating the author’s purpose for writing.  And St. Mark, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has penned his words very carefully. Listen again to Saint Mark’s opening line: “The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.” Ἀρχὴ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ Υἱοῦ Θεοῦ. (Arche tou euaggeliou iesou Christou hiou theou.)

The very first word of Mark’s Gospel is the greek word, arche—the beginning, found also in the opening line of the Gospel of St. John.  In arche ho logos, wrote Saint John, in the beginning was the word.  And that word, arche, harkens back to the very first word of the entire Bible in the book of Genesis– “in the beginning.”  “In the beginning God created the heavens and earth”—the story of creation.  

And Mark uses this word purposely to convey that document contains the story of God doing something new, a new chapter in salvation history, a new beginning, a new creation.

We know we live in a fallen world, a world torn apart by violence and sin and selfishness and perversity, a place where things are not as they should be. St. Mark’s original audience, the roman Christians, knew that quite well. By the year 66 the Christians of Rome were being hunted down, to be imprisoned, tortured, crucified, coated in pitch and set on fire, and thrown to the wild beasts as entertainment.

And St. Mark uses this word, arche, intentionally to show that just as God brought creation into existence, through Jesus, God is bringing about a new order in which the tyrants of the world, the powers of darkness and chaos do not get the last word.  

The second word in the Greek, is the word euaggelion from which we get the word, evangelize.  The Greek word euaggelion means glad tidings or good news, we translate it often, Gospel.  

In Mark’s time, the word euaggelion referred to “news from the imperial government”. “Good news from your government, Caesar has defeated the scythians or Caesar has constructed a new amphitheater”. On the occasion of an imperial victory angeloi—messengers—were sent around the empire announcing the euangelion—the victory message of the emperor.  Angeloi would also be sent to remind everyone of Caesar’s birthday. They would herald “Good news, it is time for us again to celebrate with feasts and festivities the birthday of our great God emperor Augustus Caesar”. 

And here you have to love Saint Mark. Because St. Mark has the audacity and courage to announce from the belly of the beast, from the heart of Rome, the capital of the mighty empire, that the true euaggelion is not the birthday of Ceasar, the true euaggelion has nothing to do with an imperial victory—the true good news is the ushering in of a new kingdom, a new order, greater than that of Caesar, the victory of God through God’s anointed one.

Then St. Mark really drives the point home—and declares that it is not Caesar who is the anointed one of God, the Christ. Nor was Ceasar the hiou theou, the Son of God—as was printed on the Roman Coins. Rather, the Christ and Son of God, is Jesus of Nazareth. 

Then Mark continues recalling the prophecy of Isaiah which we read in our first reading today from Isaiah chapter 40. And this passage too, was chosen very carefully. In the first 39 chapters of Isaiah, the prophet had explained that the terrible calamity that had befallen the Jewish People was because of their unfaithfulness to God.  Because of their sins, because they did not uphold the ways of the Lord, because they did not teach their children to be faithful, they had become vulnerable to their enemies and had been captured and carried away into exile by the Babylonians. 

But the 40th Chapter of Isaiah, which we heard today, contains some very good news, indeed. The prophet describes how even though Israel had been unfaithful, God was going to do something great. So get ready, prepare the way of the Lord. God is going to bring the exiles home.

And St. Mark declares that Jesus Christ has fulfilled that ancient prophecy—and not just for the Jewish people, but for all people—all people exiled from God because of sin have salvation through Christ. 

Jesus is the consolation for which Israel longed; and all those who are lost in sin, all those who are captive to the powers of the world, can find deliverance in Jesus Christ.  This message is such good news that Isaiah says, “Go up on to a high mountain, Zion, herald of glad tidings; cry out at the top of your voice…here is your God.”

There are people out there who don’t know, or don’t believe, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. They are discouraged by the evil in the world, they have allowed evil into their own lives. But Advent involves preparing for an end of evil and sin, but believing in Jesus Christ, the promised one “conducting ourselves in holiness and devotion” as St. Peter says in the 2nd reading. But also, like Peter, like St. Mark, like Isaiah, like John the Baptist, Advent involves making the invitation to believe in the promises of God and the good news. 

There are countless people today who feel like those captive exiles and persecuted roman Christians; they feel helpless and imprisoned, subject to the selfishness of tyrants, discouraged by the evils in the world, caught in chains of addiction, fear, and grief, and meaninglessness, and cycles of sin. And Advent calls us to “cry out at the top of your voice…here is your God”—Jesus Christ the Son of God can come into your life and transform your life and bring you peace and joy and salvation. 

God has done something new in history, and you are invited to see it and believe it and follow it through a new way of life through faith—faith that involves worship, and repentance, and living for others, cultivating holiness and the fruits of the Holy Spirit and devotion to something that the world cannot contain or silence. Advent is the call to all people to prepare for God through discipleship of Jesus Christ.

This Advent, what does it mean to share the Gospel? How might you share your reasons for believing in God with the faithless? How might you rekindle hope to the discouraged? How might you point to Christ in a culture which tells us that money and politics and science and entertainment and nostalgia are the keys to happiness? Who is that person lonely or depressed that you can comfort in Christ’s name? How is God calling you to be a herald of the Good News, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

December 8 2023 - Immaculate Conception - Behold your mother!

 On the Cross, on Calvary, on Good Friday, Jesus gave a commandment to his followers. With his final breaths, he said, “Behold your mother”. Behold your mother. Even in his agony, he was thinking of his mother Mary. And he commanded that we do the same. One of the dimensions of the Christian life, part of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ, is to behold Mary, to behold her. After all, Jesus told us to do so.

We behold Mary in a number of ways. We depict her in art. Mary, the mother of Jesus, and our mother in faith, has been depicted in art, in paintings, statues, stained glass windows, murals and mosaics, more than any person in human history. Just in this church alone, you can spend a good chunk time, counting the many depictions of the blessed mother. She’s even on a number of our candlesticks. 

We behold our mother, also by considering her faith—her countless virtues. We meditate upon how she responded to God with such humility and trust at her annunciation. We meditate upon how she went in haste out of charity to her cousin Elizabeth who had become pregnant in her old age. We meditate upon how Mary rejoiced at the birth of Christ in the poor stable of Bethlehem—how she faithfully brought Jesus to the temple and pondered the words of Simeon who foretold how her heart would be pierced by swords of sorrow. We meditate upon her strength, as she stood at the cross of Christ, her only son, consoling Him as only a mother’s presence can. 

And we also behold our mother by considering the special graces given to her by God. And today we consider one of those graces, one of those special favors and privileges that God chose to bestow on Mary. Because when Jesus tells us to behold your mother, Catholics take that command seriously.

And today, beholding her, we look, not to the end of her earthly life, not to a moment during the ministry of Jesus or even his childhood or infancy when she birthed him and nursed him. We look to a moment even before Mary was an infant herself, born of her parents Joachim and Anne. We behold our mother--looking to the very first moment of Mary’s existence as a human person, her conception in the womb of her mother. 

And beholding her at the first moment of her existence, we find God doing something he had never  done before, and never will do again. He made her immaculate. 

Now each of us, every human person is beautifully and wonderfully made by God. But God did something very special for her. By virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, savior of the human race, God preserved Mary from the stain of original sin. That’s what it means to be immaculate—to have been made without stain. 

Could God do this? Of course. He is God. Nothing is impossible for God. God is all-powerful. To say God couldn’t do that is to claim assert that he is not almighty. But he is. He could make her immaculate if he so chose. And he did. And Christians have believed that He did since the beginning of the Church.

And God made Mary this way, because he wanted to—he saw it fitting—to make Mary immaculate—to prepare a worthy Mother for her Son. So that the Word might take his sinless flesh from the sinless flesh of his immaculate mother.

So we praise God today for his marvelous work by beholding our mother. Love her. Get to know her. Imitate her virtues. Turn to her in prayer. Behold her today and all days. Don’t let a day go by without beholding her in some way. For Jesus commanded it so. He gave her to us to be our mother also, a mother filled with special graces to help us be the people God made us to be—to use the graces he has bestowed on us in God’s service, for the building up of the church, for the mission of the Gospel, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - - - - 

As we await with longing the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, dear brethren, let us with renewed devotion beseech his mercy, that, as he came into the world to bring the good news to the poor and heal the contrite of heart, so in our own time, also, he may bring salvation to all in need.

That through Immaculate Mary, Queen of the Church, Our Holy Father, all bishops, clergy and religious may be sustained in their labors, and that the entire people of God may be disposed to the great graces of Our Lady’s intercession.

For these United States of America on this our patronal feast, that our nation may be united by God’s Spirit, guarded from terror, observant of God’s Holy Laws, and vigilant against threats to our freedom, peace, and well-being. May the Wisdom of God guide our government leaders and legislators, our families, businesses, civil institutions, and all our domestic affairs. 

That from the moment of conception all children will be preserved from bodily harm; for the overturning of unjust and pernicious laws that permit the destruction of innocent life; and that the minds of all may be enlightened to know the dignity of every human life.  Let us pray to the Lord. Lord Hear our Prayer.

That Immaculate Mary, help of Christians, may obtain strength for the weary, rest for the overburdened, healing for the sick, love for the lonely, hope for the despairing, freedom for the addicted, wisdom for the foolish, and faith for the faithless.

For the deceased members of our family, friends, and parish, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, and for Julie Strunk, for whom this mass is offered.

For all those prayers written in our prayer intention book and those prayers we now voice in the silence of our hearts…[pause for few moments].  

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.

December 6 2023 - St. Nicholas - An Exemplary Advent Saint

Today we honor a saint whose feast always falls early on in Advent, the great bishop of Myra, St. Nicholas. Nicholas is a wonderful Advent saint for us to celebrate, for Nicholas exemplifies some of the important Advent virtues—virtues that we are to cultivate and practice throughout Advent.

Firstly, Nicholas was known for his generosity. There is the well-known story of how Nicholas threw bags of gold through the open window of an impoverished family. Here are certainly the origins of our modern day notion of Santa Claus with his bags of gifts. But Nicholas didn’t have magical elves to fabricate gifts or money out of thin air. Nicholas gave of his own earthly treasure, to ease the sufferings of others. He was attentive of the needs of the poor, he showed concern for strangers, he gave of his own livelihood, and he did so, anonymously, without the expectation of being thanked or praised. We too are to practice Nicholas-like generosity during Advent.

Secondly, Nicholas was known for his dedication to truth, his sound doctrine. As a bishop, Nicholas was present at the Council of Nicaea, when the Church was gathered to address the growing error of Arius, who claimed that Christ was not fully God, neither coeternal nor consubstantial with the Father. 

But Nicholas had sought the truth and knew his duty to proclaim the truth. On the floor of the Council of Nicaea, in front of all of his brother bishops, even knowing that some of them had been persuaded by the errors of Arius, Nicholas defended the true faith that Jesus Christ, is the Word Made Flesh, and true savior of the world.

During Advent, we too are to seek the truth and proclaim the truth. We pray that people without faith, through our example, will come to seek the truth of the one born in Bethlehem, who He truly is. For, Advent and Christmas for so many people have become Christ-less. Advent is filled with everything but Christ. The world is impoverished, spiritually, due to its faithlessness and error. 

And so during Advent, the Church, by her prayer, and worship, and good works, and study of the scriptures, helps the world rediscover the reason for the season, to reclaim the riches of preparing for Christ to enter more deeply into our lives. But like Nicholas, we must be people of sound doctrine, committed to the truth of Christ—true God and true man, savior, and Lord. 

The prayers of the Mass today refer to St. Nicholas as a powerful helper.  In the Opening Prayer we prayed that “by the help of St. Nicholas keep us safe from all danger.”  His example, his virtues, and his heavenly intercession help to protect us from the dangers of selfishness, self-absorption, and error. By his help may we be filled, like him, with the generosity, love, compassionate concern for others, sound doctrine and truth of Christ for the glory of God and the 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 2023 - Tuesday - The Peace we long for

 During the season of Advent we recall the promises of God—promises God has communicated to humanity through his prophets—promises to fulfill our deepest needs and longings—the promise of peace, salvation, and eternal life. Particularly, we read extensively through the eloquent writings of the prophet Isaiah. 

In today’s passage from Isaiah, we hear promises of peace that will be established through the anointed one—the savior. 

And this peace is profound and supernatural—something only God could accomplish: Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the baby goat; The baby shall play by the cobra's den, and the child lay his hand on the adder's lair. 

Again, this is a peace only God can accomplish. No amount of animal training or human ingenuity can make it completely safe for a baby to play in a cobra’s den. A wolf, if he gets hungry enough, will eventually devour the lamb. 

However, God promises that his anointed one—his Christ—will establish something new—not only protection for the weak, vulnerable, and innocent lambs, baby goats, and human infants from the fierce, deadly powers, but a newfound peace. 

What a promise! The world is filled—our lives are filled with so much strife, jealousy, violence, fear, destruction, family and national division—strife crushes us. There is so much suffering we don’t even think about it, we can’t—the innocent children who suffer in our own neighborhood, let alone around the world—it is so immense, that we feel helpless to do anything about it. 

Advent focuses our attention on the one who can. The one who is able to accomplish the things that are impossible for man—the things that are hidden even from the wise and the learned. The one who can bring peace because He is both God and man. 

And God’s promises are made known to us, that we may believe in them, and pursue them, to align ourselves with them, and the one who alone can fulfill them. 

The secular humanists and materialists will insist that man can obtain peace for himself—just the right set of political and socio-economic policies, the right scientific breakthrough and new technology and we can create utopia for ourselves. But human attempts will always fail to achieve what we most deeply long for—God Himself. And that’s the promise of Advent: God comes to us, so prepare your hearts to receive Him, for the glory of God and the 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 2023 - Monday - Advent Journey of Faith

 On this first weekday of Advent, our scripture readings teaching us that Advent is a journey of faith to God.

In the reading from Isaiah we hear how nations will stream toward the Lord’s house established on a high mountain. During Advent, all people, of all places, of all time are invited to make their way to the one True God, shedding their false beliefs and immoral ways in order to walk in the light of God’s truth, goodness, and beauty. 

This journey of faith is a joyful journey, as our psalm proclaimed: “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord”. The journey toward the house of God is a joyful one because we are journeying to meet the One who is our hearts deepest longing. Shedding error to live in God’s truth brings joy, shedding immorality in order to live in God’s goodness brings joy. Shedding violence—allowing our swords to be turned into plowshares—in order to live in God’s peace brings joy. 

Advent can be filled with joy when we turn away from the things that deprive of us joy and fail to satisfy our longing for the infinite. For real joy is experienced when we turn away from darkness and turn more resolutely to seek the face of God. 

In the Gospel, the centurion recognizes that Jesus Christ is God—the God who can bring healing to his household—to his servant who is paralyzed and suffering dreadfully. Faith in Jesus Christ brings healing, wholeness, deliverance, freedom from all the different types of paralysis that afflict us.

Faith in Christ is both the way by which we reach the destination of the journey of faith and the destination of the journey itself. Advent helps us to deepen that conviction and also opens us to the healing and wholeness that can only come by deepening our faith in Him. 

May all people of all nations come to a deepening of faith in Christ Jesus this Advent, and come to rejoice in the peace of Our Father’s house for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. 

- - - - - 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1st Sunday of Advent 2023 - Advent Work

 Happy Advent Everyone.

The most important things in life require some preparation.  When parents discover they are expecting a new child, they prepare a room for the child and a crib; the room is decorated, clothes are purchased. When a couple becomes engaged for marriage, they prepare, they plan. They meet with the priest for marriage preparation, they attend a pre-cana day, the reception is planned, the wedding garments are acquired, a home is made ready. 

Similarly, when a young man realizes his call to the priesthood, his seminary formation involves nine years of theological training, experience in different ministerial settings like visiting the sick in hospitals and nursing homes, visiting the imprisoned, learning how to craft a homily, teach in the classroom, and celebrate the sacraments.

We prepare for big tests, big presentations, we prepare emotionally to share difficult news, we prepare our wills for the end of our lives. 

What we do here in Church—our religious worship and our religious formation—prepares us—for living the Gospel in the world, and also, it prepares us for eternity. 

The liturgical season of Advent is an entire season of preparation—a season of preparation for Christmas and also for the Lord’s final advent at the end of time, or to meet our judge and king at the end of our earthly lives, whatever comes first. 

There is an old joke about preparing for the Lord’s coming: “The Pope is working in his office in Rome, and a cardinal rushes in.  "Holy Father! Holy Father! Christ has come back to Earth and he is riding up to the Vatican on a donkey. Whatever shall we do?" The Pope thinks for a moment and says: "Look busy."

Part of our Advent preparations is not just to “look busy” of course, but to “get busy”. 

In the first reading we hear Isaiah praying for Israel, that on the day of the Lord’s coming God might find his people “doing what is right”. “Would that you might meet us doing right” We are rightly prepared for the Lord’s coming when we are busy doing what is right and just and good and true and holy. 

The Gospel too contained a parable about preparedness. A rich man “leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his own work”. God has given all of us work to do—primarily in building up the kingdom of God. We are to be on our guard so that when he returns, he doesn’t find us, “sleeping on the job.”

Now we know how Advent can be a time of great busy-ness—especially in preparation for Christmas—decorating, shopping, the planning of parties and gatherings, the baking of Christmas cookies—decking the halls with boughs of holly—trimming the hearth and setting the table—and whatnot.

Our task is not just to look busy, or simply to be busy about earthly matters. Rather we are to get busy “doing what is right”—what is righteous—what is holy—what is necessary for our spiritual life, for our eternal souls. 

The most important thing we are to do—the most important work—is repentance of sin. If we have unconfessed mortal sins, we are not prepared to meet God. This is the time of year to pick up a good examination of conscience. If you have any unconfessed mortal sins, go to confession as soon as possible. Also, if it’s been more than a year since your last confession, clean the house of your soul to prepare for the coming of Christ. 

Our second Advent work about which we are to be busy about is prayer. Prayer, meditation on the scriptures, quiet contemplation is the work, is the preparation we are tasked with during Advent. Schedule extra time every day for extra prayer. You might even need to set a daily reminder in your calendar. Begin each day with prayer: Lord help me to be diligent in prayer today—watchful for your coming.” The importance of prayer cannot be stressed enough. Without prayer, our hearts are not focused on Christ, who is the reason for the season. Praying the Liturgy of the Hours in addition to coming to weekday Mass, is a wonderful way to remain in tune with the Church’s liturgical prayer. 

Our Third Advent job is of course, charity—works of charity are to abound during Advent. We are to show care for the less fortunate, the downtrodden, the poor and afflicted—to practice generosity. Consider doing something this Advent that’s more generous than you’ve ever done before. How could you change someone’s life for the better, if you tried?

We will never being busy with the work God has for us—of being as generous as we can with our time, talent, and treasure. What will we likely regret? Sleeping on the job. Being so busy with earthly things and worldly distractions that we neglect our souls and the people we could have helped if we were less focused on ourselves. 

Advent is here. Let’s get to work. For the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

Thanksgiving 2023 - Natural and Supernatural Gratitude

 

Thanksgiving is not an explicitly Christian holiday, it’s not a feast day of the Christian Church, even in the United States. Yet, it certainly has a religious dimension, the character of what the medieval called “the virtue of religion.” Even people without religion, do something, kind of religious today. 

The word “religion” comes from the latin word religare which means to bind. And so religion deals with the most important bonds in the human experience, our bonds--our relationships--our most important bond, our bond to God, and also the bonds of family, friendship, nation, the goods of the earth, and our neighbor. 

So even the civic holiday of Thanksgiving finds people even without religion, doing something that is part of our religious impulse, our religious hard-wiring. To give thanks. Now, the atheists among us, obviously do not turn their minds and hearts to God in thanksgiving. But even many atheists will acknowledge the importance of being thankful. To look at the good things that fill your life, and to express gratitude, even if it only means taking a day off work, to gather with loved ones.

And right there, in that exercise of religiosity, even the atheist becomes open to something bigger than themselves. 

Counting blessings, acknowledging the good things of your life, including the gift of life itself, makes for a more virtuous people. Gratitude is one of the pathways God uses to make Himself known to souls. Those who are practicing the natural virtues are well-disposed to begin practicing the supernatural virtues of faith, hope, and charity. So, the more people who are grateful today, the better. Thankfulness is the soil in which the soul thrives.

So it is a very good thing, that our nation, amidst all of our political and social divisions, continues to celebrate this civic holiday. It is a day for refreshing society in the living waters of gratitude. 

Now many Catholics, like ourselves, rightly begin the day coming to Holy Mass. Even though today is not a holy day of obligation, we gather at the altar to pray for our nation, and pray for our families. We pray in gratitude for the good things that fill our lives, particularly our salvation in Jesus Christ of course, but asking God to help us participate well, in a dignified way, in an effective way in the civic holiday, asking God to bless the people we’re going to spend the day with, whether they are actively practicing Catholics or not. 

And to pray that, we may be good examples of holy gratitude for them. Because if non-Catholics don’t see gratitude in us today, why would they ever consider our way of life. If your practice of Christianity does not produce gratitude in you, you’re probably doing it wrong. For supernatural gratitude is a fruit of the Holy Spirit which grows in souls united to Jesus Christ.

So may God help us today to be truly thankful for the gifts with which we’ve been blessed, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. 

 

That the pilgrim Church on earth may shine as a light to the nations.  

For the safety of travelers, the peaceful resolution of all family divisions and national hostilities, for protection from disease, for the lonely and forgotten, and harmony amongst all those who gather together today.

For the protection of our armed forces, police, and firemen and all those who risk their lives to preserve the security of our country.  

For the poor, the hungry, the homeless, the sick, the aged, the lonely, the grieving, those who are out of work, 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.

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, 

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 2023 - St. Cecilia - Sing a new song unto the Lord

 All throughout the scriptures God’s people are known for making music.  After escaping from the Egyptians and crossing the Red Sea, the people of Israel sang a song exulting the Lord for delivering them from their enemies. Singing was certainly part of Israel's formal worship in both tabernacle and temple. The Psalms bear rich testimony that in joy and sorrow, in praise and lament, the faithful raise their voices in song to God—making music on lutes and harps, and pipe instruments, even with loud clashing cymbals. There’s certainly a time and place for music like that! 

Our Lord in the Gospels is recorded as singing hymns with his disciples on their way to Mount Olivet, after the Last Supper—like 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. Legend states that after St. Cecilia was arrested and imprisoned for her faith, she was tortured for days. But throughout her gruesome tortures she sang to God, she sang God’s praises. St. Cecilia was able to sing in the face of death because of her Faith. Faith that death is not the end. For that martyrs win an imperishable crown in heaven for their courageous witness. 

For those without faith, death is the worst thing imaginable. But the fearless song of the Christian is itself a witness to Christ’s victory. Death does not get the last word. Christ is victorious. This world—this valley of tears—is but a prelude to everlasting life with God for the redeemed. 

Singing. I never understand why some Christians don’t like to sing. We are told to sing by our scriptures. The Lord himself was a singer of hymns and psalms. The saints are able to sing in the face of death. Song has a powerful ability to help us transcend earthly mindedness. Singing elevates our mood, it lifts our minds and hearts to join in an angelic, heavenly activity in the praise and worship of God. 

Anyone can learn to sing if they want to. Just as anyone can learn to follow Christ. Anyone can learn to love God and trust God enough to sing like the saints in the face of suffering. 

Through the intercession of St. Cecilia, may the Holy Spirit teach us to sing a new song of adoration unto the Lord in witness of the saving Gospel—the victory of Christ—for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That we may endeavor to put our time, talent, treasure, creativity, and devotion into serving the mission of the Gospel. 

For a strengthening of Christian marriages; for an increase in virtue among spouses; for healing in troubled marriages; and for God’s mercy to replace bitterness, resentment, and selfishness. 

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week, we pray for the safety of travelers, the peaceful resolution of all family divisions and national hostilities, for protection from disease, and harmony amongst all those who gather; for the lonely and forgotten, and that holy gratitude may fill our hearts and animate our lives.

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…

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 21 2023 (school mass) - Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary - I am totally yours

 Imagine, you are three years old. And one day, you ask your parents to bring you to Church because you want to speak to God. And so they do. They bring you to Church. But you ask them to wait in the back of the Church as you go to speak to God. So they do. You then walk up the long aisle. You kneel at the steps of the sanctuary here, and you tell God, “God, I know that you made me for a special purpose. Do with me whatever you want. I give my whole life to you. If you want me to be a leader, I will be a leader. If you want me to be a teacher, I will be a teacher. If you want me to go live in a cave where I will pray all day to you, I will.”

That’s a pretty amazing thing for anyone to do, wouldn’t you say? It’s even more amazing, for a three year old, to love God that much, to trust God that much, to offer themselves to God for whatever God wanted.

Well, that is precisely what we celebrate today. When she was 3 years old, the little Blessed Virgin Mary asked her parents to bring her to the Jerusalem Temple. And there, she prayerfully spoke to God, and consecrated herself to God, offering herself to God for whatever God wanted of her.

Do you trust God that much? Do you love God that much? If not, why not?

God made us in a way that we are happiest when we do what He wants. God designed us that way. He made us that way. We are hard-wired for God. Our minds work as they are supposed to. Our bodies work as they are supposed to. Our hearts work as they are supposed to, when we, like Mary consecrate ourselves to God. When we say, God, I’m yours. I am totally yours, do with me as you will. Whatever it is, I know, that is what will make me happiest. 

“Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, All I have and call my own. You have given all to me. To you, Lord, I return it. Everything is yours; do with it what you will. Give me only your love and your grace, that is enough for me.”

If you don’t trust God enough to say that, ask God to help you trust Him more. Because until you do. You are missing out. 

What a beautiful story for us to consider as we go off on Thanksgiving Break. The best way we can show our thanksgiving to God for all of the good things in our life, all of your natural abilities, all of your possessions is to offer them back to God, and to say, all that I have Lord, I offer back to you, everything is yours, do with it what you will. For the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

33rd Week in Ordinary Time 2023 - Monday - Persevering faith amidst a culture of death

 300 years before the birth of Christ, Alexander the Great embarked on a mission to Hellenize the world—that is, to spread the greek language, the greek culture, the greek Gods.  He conquered vast territories from Greece, down to Egypt, and just shy of India to the east.  

But Alexander didn’t plan well; he died suddenly leaving his vast empire, which included Israel, to his generals—Ptolemy and Seleucus. Judea was initially under Ptolemaic rule, but fell to the Seleucids around 200 BC.

Ptolemaic rule was fairly sensitive and tolerant of the Jewish religion, but things changed when the Seleucid tyrant Antiochus Epiphanes came to power, whose
name we heard in the first read today.  Radical Hellenization was imposed under penalty of death-- the Jews could not worship, nor could they practice their faith in any way that distinguished them from the Gentiles. So they could not observe the Sabbath, they could not observe the laws of circumcision.

And we also heard how some of the Jews believed it was expedient to go along with Hellenization. And they even influence the jewish king to order that the jews abandon the precepts of the Mosaic Law in favor of the Greek custom—they were to abandon the laws of God for the laws of man. What a sell-out to the culture! This even led to the Holy Temple of Jerusalem dedicated to the One True God becoming a place of pagan worship and pagan sacrifice.

As people of faith, we need to be in the world, but not of the world. There can be no compromise between the laws of God and the laws of man. 

In the Gospel, a blind man is hindered by the crowd in approaching Jesus in order to be healed by him. The crowd here is similar to the Greeks and the hellenized jews in the first reading. There are many worldly forces that will keep us from approaching Jesus, even compromised Christians will try to convince us that we are taking our faith too seriously. 

But we must persevere. If the world seeks to drown out our cries for Jesus, we need to cry out all the more. If the world seeks to distract us from following Jesus, we need to draw close to Him all the more. If Christians abandon the work of the Gospel, we need to endeavor in that work all the more. If born and raised Catholics abandon the Sacraments, we need to make use of them all the more, lest we become like them, instead of becoming like Christ.

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That we may endeavor to put our time, talent, treasure, creativity, and devotion into serving the mission of the Gospel. 

For a strengthening of Christian marriages; for an increase in virtue among spouses; for healing in troubled marriages; and for God’s mercy to replace bitterness, resentment, and selfishness. 

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week, we pray for the safety of travelers, the peaceful resolution of all family divisions and national hostilities, for protection from disease, and harmony amongst all those who gather; for the lonely and forgotten, and that holy gratitude may fill our hearts and animate our lives.

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…

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.