2nd Week of Lent 2024 - Wednesday - True Greatness

Yesterday’s Gospel ended with the words: “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, but whoever humbles himself will be exalted”.  And today, the mother of two of Jesus’ Apostles, James and John, the sons of Zebedee comes seeking an exalted position for her sons in Jesus’ kingdom.  

It's understandable, isn't it? As a mother, she naturally desires the best for her children, envisioning a future of greatness and honor.  And she has come to believe that Jesus was destined to be king.  Yet, she didn’t quite grasp that Jesus was a different sort of king. 

Remember, at the time, many Jews expected the Messiah to establish an earthly kingdom where he would reign as a powerful political leader, similar to the kings of Israel's past. James and John seemed pretty ready to grasp at this worldly greatness, perhaps dreaming of endless wealth, celebrity recognition, political power, and command of military might.  

James and John, perhaps influenced by this expectation, were eager to seize this worldly greatness, dreaming of wealth, fame, and influence. But Jesus challenges this notion of greatness. He redefines it entirely. In his kingdom, greatness isn't about status or power; it's about service, sacrifice, and love. True greatness, he teaches, comes from giving oneself wholly to the service of others.

While some are called to positions of power, the vast majority of us are called to live out our lives in ordinary circumstances, yet infused with extraordinary love. Whether we're in leadership roles or carrying out everyday tasks, our mission remains the same: to love greatly, to serve abundantly, and to live selflessly.

The path to Christian greatness, Jesus tells us, is the path of the cross—the path of self-sacrifice and humility. We see this exemplified in the lives of the saints, who abandoned their own ambitions to serve God and others wholeheartedly. Their greatness lay not in worldly achievements, but in their willingness to die to self and live for others.

As we journey through this Lenten season, let us intensify our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Let us examine our hearts and root out any traces of selfishness or entitlement. Instead, may we be filled with the spirit of charity and self-sacrifice, following the example of Christ who gave everything for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. 

- - - -  

That the season of Lent may bring the most hardened hearts to repentance and bring to all people purification of sin and selfishness.

For those preparing for baptism and the Easter sacraments, that they may continue to conform themselves to Christ through fervent prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

That we may generously respond to all those in need: the sick, the suffering, the homeless, the imprisoned, and victims of violence. 

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

Grant, we pray, O Lord, that your people may turn to you with all their heart, so that whatever they dare to ask in fitting prayer they may receive by your mercy. Through Christ our Lord.

2nd Week of Lent 2024 - Tuesday - Repentance and Inner Transformation

 

Throughout the season of Lent, the Church's liturgy resounds with God’s call for sinners to repent. And this morning we read from the powerful first chapter of the prophet Isaiah. 

Isaiah chapter 1 is set during a time of great turmoil and moral decay in the Kingdom of Judah. This period was marked by political instability, social injustice, and religious idolatry—some cultural similarities perhaps, to our own day.

The chapter begins with God's accusation against the people of Judah. They are described as rebellious children who have forsaken the Lord and turned away from Him, which has resulted in the moral decay and corruption of society.

Despite the harsh accusations, the chapter also contains the call to repentance. God invites the people to "wash and make themselves clean" and to turn away from their evil deeds. God is willing to forgive and restore his people, if they genuinely repent.

Another theme of that first chapter is to turn away from empty religious ritual to a true worship of God that is demonstrated through truly just and righteous works, such as defending the oppressed and caring for the widow and the orphan. 

This theme is continued in the Gospel today, where the Lord Jesus condemns the pharisees for their empty, hypocritical religious leadership. Their idea of religion was a bunch of empty show—lip service, fine garments, seats of power. But they neglected that God desires not empty show, but the transformation of hearts which is demonstrated in genuine care for people in need. 

In a sense, the Pharisees rejected our deepest need, our need for a savior, the need for inner transformation that can only come through humility. 

In order to not be condemned like the Pharisees, we must learn and practice humility before God. We must acknowledge our sins and our need for a savior, we must identify those parts of our lives where we have refused conformity to the heart of Christ, where we have resisted his truth and goodness.

God’s desire to save us must be met by our cooperation with his saving will—through humble repentance, right worship, detachment from sin and selfishness, and charity toward those we are able to help, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. 

- - - -  

For the whole Christian people, that in this sacred Lenten season, they may be more abundantly nourished by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

For the whole world, that in lasting tranquility and peace our days may truly become the acceptable time of grace and salvation.

For sinners and those who neglect right religion, that in this time of reconciliation they may return wholeheartedly to Christ. And that tomorrow's Evening of Confession may be a time of profound mercy and renewal for our parish and Diocese.

For ourselves, that God may at last stir up in our hearts aversion for our sins and conviction for the Gospel.

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

Grant, we pray, O Lord, that your people may turn to you with all their heart, so that whatever they dare to ask in fitting prayer they may receive by your mercy. Through Christ Our Lord.

2nd Week of Lent 2024 - Monday - Cultivating Mercy through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving

Yesterday, in my Sunday homily I talked about the relationship between the first reading and the gospel reading—how the first reading in a sense prepares us for the Gospel.  

The history, prophecies, and wisdom of those Old Testament readings prepare us and help us understand the theological and spiritual background for what we find Jesus saying and doing in the Gospel

Our First reading today is a passage from the book of Daniel, where Daniel is praying to God on behalf of the Israelites. In this prayer, he is reflecting on how Israel failed to head the warnings of the prophets, particularly those of Jeremiah and how this resulted in the seventy-year captivity in Babylon of which Daniel was subject. And we hear Daniel pleading to God for mercy—to restore Jerusalem, to restore the temple, to have compassion and mercy upon his sinful wayward children. The prayer is an acknowledgement of the righteousness of God’s judgments and Israel’s total dependence upon his mercy for Israel’s deliverance and restoration.

Consider that as the context for our short Gospel passage from the Lord Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain in the Gospel of Luke. The opening line is that we must become merciful as God is merciful.

Daniel pleads for mercy in the first reading, and in the Gospel, Jesus not only claims that God is merciful, but that if we wish to experience God’s mercy, we must become merciful—we must cultivate mercy.

Here the Lord touches upon one of the great themes of the season of Lent. Yes, we are engaging in prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, doing penance as a way of pleading God’s mercy upon us. But those Lenten observances are meant to change us too. We want God’s mercy, but God wants us to become merciful. And those Lenten observances aim at that transformation.

Through prayer, we cultivate a deeper relationship with God—the merciful one. Praying for the living and the dead is a spiritual work of mercy. By praying for physical and spiritual good of others, including those who have wronged us, we exercise mercy. And the mercy exercised in prayer flows out into our relationships with these people.

Our Lenten fasting also cultivates mercy. By denying ourselves of certain foods and activities, we are fighting against our selfish tendencies which are opposed to mercy. Moreso, Fasting serves as a reminder of the needs of others, particularly those who suffer from hunger and deprivation. It inspires us to be more generous and compassionate toward the hungry--leading to acts of mercy such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and caring for the vulnerable.

And our Lenten Almsgiving is of course a prime example of how the disciples of Christ are to demonstrate God’s love and mercy towards all people in tangible ways. Almsgiving demands we become attentive to the needs of others and respond with compassion and kindness. 

If you want God’s mercy, you must practice mercy. You want kindness, you must practice kindness. You want patience, you must practice patience. You want the goodness of Christ to be manifest in the world, you must restrain your selfishness and radiate his goodness toward all for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

 

For the whole Christian people, that in this sacred Lenten season, they may be more abundantly nourished by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

For the whole world, that in lasting tranquility and peace our days may truly become the acceptable time of grace and salvation.

For sinners and those who neglect right religion, that in this time of reconciliation they may return wholeheartedly to Christ.

For ourselves, that God may at last stir up in our hearts aversion for our sins and conviction for the Gospel.

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

Grant, we pray, O Lord, that your people may turn to you with all their heart, so that whatever they dare to ask in fitting prayer they may receive by your mercy. Through Christ Our Lord.

2nd Sunday of Lent 2024 - Two Mountains, Two Parts of the Mass

 The celebration of the mass is divided into two main parts, the liturgy of the word and the liturgy of the Eucharist. 

The Liturgy of the Word is a key part of the Mass where the Scriptures are proclaimed and reflected upon. The Gospel, is of course, the high point of the Liturgy of the Word, containing the words and teachings of Our Blessed Lord. As a sign of respect and attentiveness during the Gospel reading, we stand for the Gospel.

But the first reading, psalm, and second reading, are also very important. And the first reading, usually taken from the Old Testament is selected to complement and provide context for the Gospel. And it helps us to understand the history, prophecies, and wisdom in those centuries and millennia leading up to Christ. 

St. Augustine has a famous saying, that “The new is in the old concealed; the old is in the new revealed.” In other words, St. Augustine, and so many of the early church fathers, were highly attuned to the ways that the Old and New Testaments interrelated with each other, and believed that key to understanding the New Testament in its fullest sense, we need to be attentive to the Old. So if we want to understand our Gospel readings each week, it is important to pay attention to the first reading.

Our First reading of the sacrifice of Isaac and the Gospel of the transfiguration this weekend for the 2nd Sunday of Lent have numerous parallels. 

Both events take place on a mountain. The sacrifice of Isaac occurs on Mount Moriah, and the transfiguration takes place on a high mountain, traditionally believed to be Mount Tabor. 

In both stories, there is a direct manifestation of the divine. In the sacrifice of Isaac, God intervenes to provide a ram as a substitute for Isaac, and in the transfiguration, a voice from heaven declares Jesus as the beloved Son of God.

Abraham's willingness to obey God's command to sacrifice his son Isaac is mirrored in Jesus' submission to the Father's will. Both stories highlight the importance of obedience to God, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges.

Isaac was the promised son of Abraham—remember God had promised a son to Abraham from whom his descendants would become as numerous as the stars. And Jesus is the promised Son of the Father, promised through so many of the prophets—and the members of the Church are numerous to say the least.

The sacrifice of Isaac is a foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. The willingness of Abraham to offer his son in sacrifice, prefigures the heavenly Father’s willingness to offer his son in sacrifice for all of humanity. In a similar vein, in the sacrifice of Isaac, God provided a ram as a substitute for Isaac, sparing his life. And in the case of Jesus, Our Lord took upon himself all of the punishments of sin of all mankind, the ultimate victim for humanity’s sins, sparing us the eternal punishments that we deserved. 

Now there are many great lessons in both stories for us to ponder—our faith and obedience and trust need to mirror abraham’s and Jesus’. Abraham's willingness to obey God, to sacrifice something he loved deeply to achieve a greater good, serves as a model for us to trust in God's guidance and follow God’s will. The transfiguration completes the story—that when we trust and obey God as Jesus did—even going to the cross and undertaking unspeakable suffering—the cross leads to the glory of the resurrection. And the Christian life is one of gratitude to Jesus for taking our sins to the cross. 

During Lent, we do well to keep these scriptures in mind. As we engage in our Lenten sacrifices, self-discipline, self-denial, and acts of charity which involve sacrifice on our behalf, we do so, with the willingness of Abraham, and the willingness of Jesus, trusting that through them God brings about a great good—our spiritual flourishing and our a strengthening in our ability to unite our sacrifices with Jesus for our sanctification and the sanctification of the world. We willingly undergo and undertake our Lenten sacrifices—our prayers and fasting and self-giving— trusting that they bring about good in us and good in the church.

Very important lessons as we consider the connection of this week’s first reading and Gospel. But now, here is bit more food for thought. Just as the first reading of the liturgy of the word foreshadows, and gives context, and helps us to appreciate and understand the Gospel, so too the liturgy of the word as a whole prepares us for what comes next in the mass, the liturgy of the Eucharist. 

The Liturgy of the Word proclaims what God has done in the past, and the Liturgy of the Eucharist enables us to recognize and encounter God in the present. The Scriptures of the Liturgy of the Word serve as spiritual nourishment and instruction, to an extent, but in the Liturgy of the Eucharist we are able to encounter and receive the Bread of Life—He who IS the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The Scriptures and the Homily, the Creed, and the General Intercessions of the Liturgy of the Word prepare us—they cultivate spiritual readiness to not only encounter and receive Jesus—but they foster a spiritual readiness for all that receiving Jesus in the Eucharist means.

Consider how our scripture readings this weekend prepare us to celebrate and receive the Eucharist. We are to celebrate and receive the Eucharist with the willingness of Abraham to obey the will of God and all dimensions of our life. We are to receive the Eucharist with the exuberant jubilation of Peter in the Gospel who says, “it is good that we are here”. We are to receive the Eucharist with the openness commanded by the Father in the Gospel, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him”. And we are to leave Mass, like the disciples descending from the Mountain, pondering the mystery of what they just experienced. The Christian life involves a pondering throughout the week…how does the Eucharist I celebrate each Sunday effect the rest of my life? How does the encounter with Jesus, the reception of Jesus in Holy Communion effect the way I am to treat people, the way I am to pray throughout the week, the way I am to give of myself in humble service. 

We go out into the world—and we face tests like Abraham—trusting God is hard—and the Eucharist strengthens us to trust God when our trials are most difficult and our crosses are heaviest.

May we draw great strength, and increase in faith, hope, and love every time we celebrate Mass—because it is here that God speaks, and feeds, and enlivens us,  like nowhere else, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

1st Week of Lent 2024 - Friday - Surpassing Righteousness (and St. Polycarp)

Unless your holiness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees you shall not enter the kingdom of God.

The scribes and Pharisees were renowned for their zeal, concern for purity, and their conformity to the law of Moses.  The very word Pharisee comes from the word meaning “to separate”. The Pharisees sought to separate themselves from everything that was sinful. They would even avoid eating with sinners, hence, their consternation when Jesus would dine with tax collectors and prostitutes.  They were meticulous in distancing themselves from sin. 

However, the Lord often criticizes the Pharisees for neglecting the deeper, internal aspects of righteousness, such as humility, mercy, and genuine love for God and others. 

Christians must do both. We must be meticulous in rooting out sin, while at the same time pursuing that internal transformation, that God wants for us. 

Christians are called to a righteousness that goes beyond external religious rituals and legalistic observance. That doesn’t mean that we prohibit religious rituals or legal observance. Like, well, I’m humble so I don’t need to follow the law. No. We need both. 

We follow legitimate authority, we follow liturgical law, we separate ourselves from sinful behavior, and root out our attachments to sin, but we also are to cultivate gentleness, patience, generosity, genuine care for people, and a burning love for God. 

This teaching of Jesus is important for us to keep in mind as we engage in our Lenten observances. Our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are not mindless rituals. Fasting isn’t magic. Fasting alone is not enough to win entrance into heaven. Nor is the quantity of one’s fasting a measure of one’s righteousness. Rather, fasting is to be done a sign of sincere repentance and penance for sin which offends God and has damage our souls. Lenten fasting and detachment from worldly entertainments is to deepen our hunger, nor just for food, but for God. 

We fast and pray and give because Christ fast and prayed and gave, but also to become like him in ALL things. That our minds and hearts may become like His. 

Today on the liturgical calendar is one of the beloved saints and martyrs of the early church, St. Polycarp. The top middle stained glass window in the eastern narthex here depicts St. Polycarp being ordained a bishop of St. John the Apostle along with our parish patron St. Ignatius of Antioch. Like Ignatius, Polycarp also wrote letters, but we have only one surviving letter: St. Polycarp’s letter to the Philippians. 

In it, St. Polycarp takes up this idea of righteousness as following the example of Christ. Polycarp writes: “Let us then continually persevere in our hope and the security of our righteousness, which is Jesus Christ who bore our sins in his own body on the tree. He who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth), but who endured all things for us so that we might live in Him. Let us then be imitators of his patience. If we suffer for his name's sake, let us glorify him. For he has set us this example in himself, and we have believed that.”

Let us take up this great saint’s advice this Lent, in striving for true righteousness, which is Jesus Christ himself for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. 

- - - 

That the season of Lent may bring the most hardened hearts to repentance and bring to all people purification of sin and selfishness.

For those preparing for baptism and the Easter sacraments, that they may continue to conform themselves to Christ through fervent prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

For all who are oppressed by any kind of need, that the Lord may graciously grant them relief.

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

Grant, we pray, O Lord, that your people may turn to you with all their heart, so that whatever they dare to ask in fitting prayer they may receive by your mercy. Through Christ our Lord.

1st Week of Lent 2024 - Tuesday - From empty babbling to genuine prayer

Already this Lent, we have read several scriptures where the Lord Jesus gives instruction about prayer.

On Ash Wednesday, he instructed us that when we pray we are “not to be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them.” There Lord here isn’t saying that we shouldn’t pray, or shouldn’t pray in public. Rather, the Lord is criticizing the motive of these hypocrites. They wanted to appear to be righteous. “Don’t pray with the motive of being seen by others.” Prayer isn’t play acting, it isn’t about appearances. That’s hypocrisy. Rather, prayer is about genuine communing with God.  “When you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.”

Whether we are in public or private, we are to go to the inner room with recollected minds and hearts truly open to God in meaningful, transformative encounter.

In today’s Gospel, the Lord gives additional instruction. Here again, Jesus first criticizes fake prayer. “Do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words.” Again, Jesus isn’t criticizing repetition in prayer, he’s certainly not criticizing persistence in prayer. Rather, he’s criticizing babbling, offering words mindlessly. Mindless babble. Don’t just rattle off words of a prayer thinking that the fact that you are rattling it off is what is pleasing to God. Offer your prayer with intentionality. Jesus urges us to avoid all superficiality in prayer, and teaches us to seek a more authentic, heartfelt, mindful relationship with God.

It is not the sheer quantity of words that is pleasing to God.  It is not quantity but quality, which is needed for a genuine, living relationship with God. 

The Lord condemns the pharisees, over and over, for seeking to appear pious, while their hearts are far from God and genuine concern for neighbor. Genuine Christian piety is centered on building a real and personal relationship with God. It goes beyond mechanical practices and involves a deep connection of the heart with the Divine. This relationship is based on trust, love, and open communication. It is better to fold socks for your loved ones with a genuine spirit of prayer, than to spend ten hours babbling mindlessly in Church. 

The Lord’s condemnation of empty repetition reveals that true piety is not merely an external display but involves an inner transformation of the heart. It's about cultivating a genuine love for God and allowing that love to shape one's thoughts, actions, and prayers.

So when you pray, pray slowly, mindfully, sincerely, honestly, thinking about the meaning of the words, and what they entail for growing in personal relationship with God. St. Paul says, let your love be sincere. Well, if prayer is an expression of love for God, then prayer, if it is to be prayer, must be sincere.

May our Lenten prayer bring about true transformation of heart and a growth in faith, hope, and love, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - - -  

For the whole Christian people, that in this sacred Lenten season, they may be more abundantly nourished by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

For the whole world, that in lasting tranquility and peace our days may truly become the acceptable time of grace and salvation.

For sinners and those who neglect right religion, that in this time of reconciliation they may return wholeheartedly to Christ.

For ourselves, that God may at last stir up in our hearts aversion for our sins and conviction for the Gospel.

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

Grant, we pray, O Lord, that your people may turn to you with all their heart, so that whatever they dare to ask in fitting prayer they may receive by your mercy. Through Christ Our Lord.

1st Week of Lent 2024 - Monday - Be Holy as God is Holy

 On weekdays throughout ordinary time, I typically use for the celebration of Mass the second Eucharistic prayer, inspired by the anaphora of St. Hippolytus from around the year 215. But during the season of lent, I use one of the newer prayers, what is called the First Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation. It is a very fitting eucharistic prayer for the season of Lent, as the prayer contains many Lenten themes—acknowledgement of human sinfulness and our desperate need for God, Christ’s hands being stretched forth on the food of the cross for us, which we call to mind particularly on Good Friday; the prayer speaks of the compassion of God for sinful humanity, and ends on a great eschatological note speaking of our hope of standing as Saints among the saints in the halls of heaven once our earthly pilgrimage has come to an end and the new heaven and new earth which will be free from the corruption of sin and death.

I bring this up today because the beginning of that first Eucharistic prayer for reconciliation is directly inspired by the beginning of our first reading this morning from the book of Leviticus. In the Leviticus reading God is speaking to Moses, God says “Speak to the whole assembly of the children of Israel and tell them: Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.” 

God desires that we become holy, as he is holy. The command "Be holy, as I am holy”, echoed in that first eucharistic prayer for reconciliation, is given by God numerous times in scripture. 

God is inherently holy—there is no evil, selfishness, impurity, sin or error within him. He is pure, selfless, completely self-giving love. And God is constantly at work throughout history for the reconciliation of sinful humanity and our sanctification—work that culminates in the self-sacrifice of Christ. 

When God calls His people to be holy, He is calling us moral purity and righteousness. This involves avoiding sinful behaviors and actively pursuing a life in accordance with God's moral standards.

The call to holiness, as God is holy, means that our lives are to reflect God’s life. God is loving, just, merciful, and compassionate. Therefore, to be holy means to exhibit these qualities in our relationships, actions, and attitudes. It involves cultivating the divine virtues and striving to align our lives with God's nature. As we heard in the Gospel, our eternal souls will be judged by how we treat people in this life. 

During Lent we are to seek the moral purity, righteousness, and holiness that God is clear about that He wants for us. That means abiding by those divine guideposts that illuminate our journey—the commandments. It means seeking reconciliation with God when we have sinned. It means cultivating the virtue, generosity, and selfless self-giving that we see in the life of Our Blessed Lord and reflected in the saints. 

God desires holiness for his people, and the season of Lent calls us to seek that holiness wholeheartedly. May we respond with the utmost generosity to this call, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - - -  

For the whole Christian people, that in this sacred Lenten season, they may be more abundantly nourished by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

For the whole world, that in lasting tranquility and peace our days may truly become the acceptable time of grace and salvation.

For sinners and those who neglect right religion, that in this time of reconciliation they may return wholeheartedly to Christ.

For ourselves, that God may at last stir up in our hearts aversion for our sins and conviction for the Gospel.

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

Grant, we pray, O Lord, that your people may turn to you with all their heart, so that whatever they dare to ask in fitting prayer they may receive by your mercy. Through Christ Our Lord.

1st Sunday of Lent 2024 - Noah's Ark and Desert Temptations

 Since the times of the Early Church Fathers, Noah’s ark has been seen as a prefigurement, a foreshadowing, of the Church. Just as the ark was the means by which Noah and his family were spared destruction, so also the Church is the instrument by which Christians are saved from eternal damnation.

The ark housed a male and female of every kind of animal, and the Church houses men and women from every nation, language, and background. God saved Noah and his family, not by a fleet of ships, but by one ark. Similarly, Christ founded not many Churches, but one Church. The ark of Noah sheltered his family from the storm, and it is in the Church that we take refuge from the storms and floods of life. 

The Ark prefigures the church and our salvation in Christ. The salvific wood of the ark foreshadows the salvific wood of the cross. After the flood, God made a covenant with Noah, promising never again to destroy the earth in the same way. This covenant is seen as a precursor to the new covenant established through Jesus Christ.

In our second reading, Scripture itself sees the eight persons of Noah’s family being saved through the waters of the flood as a prefigurement of baptism. And by the way, from the early Church to this day, it is common to construct baptismal fonts with eight sides, to symbolize the eight people on the ark: Noah and his wife, and his sons, Ham, Shem, and Japeth, and their wives.  

We begin the season of Lent with this image of the ark and the waters of the flood because right from the beginning of Lent we are meant to be thinking about salvation and baptism. From the early Church, Lent was a time of preparing for baptism. Those seeking Christ, seeking baptism, would prepare for baptism at easter throughout this Lenten season through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Lenten prayer, fasting, and almsgiving aid the catechumens—those seeking baptism—to conform themselves to Christ, who fasted, and prayed, and gave his life for our salvation.

But it’s not just the catechumens who pray, fasting, and give to the poor…all of us are to pray, fast, and a give alms during Lent, as a way of offering spiritual support and good example for those to be baptized, as well as a way of spiritual preparation for the renewal of our own baptismal promises at Easter.

We pray, fast, and give alms to help us get back to the basics of baptism: prayer, to remind us of the spiritual intimacy we must constantly nurture with God, fasting to remind us of the self-sacrifice of Christ which is to be the model of our own constant self-discipline and self-sacrifice, and almsgiving, to remind us of the charity which should mark every day of our life as Christians. 

Here at St. Ignatius, we have two candidates for full initiation this year: David & Tyler who will be received into full communion with the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil. This morning, there will be a short ritual called the rite of sending, in which we will pray for these candidates, who will be sent this evening to the Cathedral, to gather with Bishop Malesic and all the other catechumens and candidates from throughout the diocese.

Now David and Tyler are already baptized, and are seeking full initiation, but we still pray and fast for them, and for the thousands of people this year who will be baptized and will receive Confirmation and First Eucharist at Easter—about 150,000 adults each year in the United States—who are getting on board the ark of Holy Mother Church.

So, on this first Sunday of the season of Lent, we have the image of the ark and baptism—we have a glimpse of the destination. But, sort of paradoxically, not only do we have this image of water, but this image of the desert. Christ going into the desert, where he is tempted by Satan. 

This story is a powerful reminder that Lent, and really the whole Christian life, constitute a spiritual battle. The powers of Satan are at work to seduce us away from God—to separate us from God through sin. Just as Satan tempted the Lord, the devil utilizes temptation against us. He makes sin sound like a good idea, he makes self-centeredness and disobedience to God seem reasonable, he emphasizes the pleasures of sin while minimizing the physical, emotional, and spiritual cost of sin. 

One reason that Mother Church gives us this reading of Christ’s temptations each year on the first Sunday of lent is because she wants us to be aware that in reaching our destination there is going to be some resistance. Whether that destination is baptism, or individual sanctification, or heaven—there is going to be some resistance, some spiritual resistance by a being who does not want us to reach that destination. He does not want us taking up those weapons of self-restraint, as the Ash Wednesday liturgy called them—prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. He wants us weaponless. He wants to disarm us and create obstacles to faithfulness through temptation. Temptation is real. 

I couldn’t stop thinking about cheeseburgers on ash Wednesday. I swear I am hungrier on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday than I have any right to be. Temptation is real. And as we engage in the Lenten observances, the devil redoubles his efforts to discourage us. 

The devil loves to make evil seem reasonable, and goodness seem unreasonable. He introduces strange thoughts into our heads to convince us to give up on the spiritual disciplines. Fast? Why would you want to fast? You’ll be too weak for work. You’ll starve. You’ll be so weak you won’t be able to think and you’ll embarrass yourself. Pray? You’re too busy to pray. After all you pray just enough as it is. You have other things to do. You don’t want to get behind on your programs after all. God forbid, you miss an episode of Wheel of Fortune. Those TV characters make you feel good about yourself. And Almsgiving? You already give plenty. You’re too poor to give any more than you already do. What about your needs, your wants, your security. Give too much away and you’ll find yourself homeless if you give any more than you are giving.

See, he tells us lies that are just plausible enough to discourage us from what can truly help us to be sanctified. So be aware, you will be lied to this Lent, lied to by the devil who hates you, who hates God, and wants nothing more than to separate you from Him. 

How will we emerge victorious from the desert? By uniting ourselves to Christ, the faithful Son of the Father, and allowing Him to live in us—to be victorious over Satan within us. 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, please try to attend daily mass throughout the week as much as possible throughout Lent. Here at Church, Christ feeds us with his body and blood which is the greatest protection against the seductions of the enemy. For when we receive Christ in the Eucharist, we receive the one whose truth pierces the lies of satan—we share in his victory. God allows the devil to tempt us, because those temptations are opportunities to allow Christ to punch the devil in the nose—transforming us weak selfish creatures into the image of the faithful Son of God.

So please avail yourselves of the Eucharist as often as possible, eat his flesh and drink his blood, that you may not fall for the lies and empty promises of the devil, and that you might make use of all the opportunities to grow in grace that God desires for you. 

Throughout Lent, together we make this journey of faith, that we may prepare ourselves well to experience, after the mystery of the cross, the joy of Easter, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Friday after Ash Wednesday 2024 - Fasting with pure hearts

Throughout the Gospels the Lord is consistently criticizing the religious practices of the Pharisees. On Ash Wednesday, the Lord challenged the prayer, fasting, and almsgiving of the Pharisees. They love to pray in order get attention and appear to be pious, all the while their hearts are far from God. They take on a gloomy disposition that they may appear to be fasting. They make a big public spectacle about their almsgiving, that they may appear to be generous.

But the Lord criticizes this purely external and self-serving form of religion. Christians on the other hand are seek to please God in our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, by not just completing these activities, but doing so with the right spirit, the right intention and motivations. We aren’t simply to seek the appearance of holiness, for God sees to the heart. We are to engage in prayer, fasting, and almsgiving out of true love for God and love of neighbor.

In his criticisms of Pharisaical religion, the Lord echoed the Old Testament prophets, like Isaiah in our reading today. Isaiah denounced the Jews of his day who fasted but whose lack of love for God and neighbor could be evidenced in how they treated people: in their quarrelling, fighting, mistreatment of servants, failure to heed the call of the starving. 

In the passage from Isaiah 58 today criticizes the people's outward displays of religious observance, such as fasting, while their hearts and actions are far from God. 

Neither the Lord, nor the prophets are saying, don’t fast. But when you fast, when, you pray, when you give alms, you need to align your heart with God’s. God desires sincere repentance and genuine change of sinful behavior. Mere rituals, like fasting, are insufficient if they are not accompanied by a transformation of heart and a commitment to justice and righteousness.

Isaiah challenges individuals to take responsibility for the well-being of those around them. This includes not exploiting laborers, sharing resources with the needy, and actively working towards breaking the chains of injustice.

And for those who align their hearts with God’s who engage in true fasting, righteous living, and true charity, Isaiah promises God’s blessings. And these blessings include healing, divine guidance, and the Lord's responsiveness to their cries for help.

What perfect readings for the beginning of Lent. God desires not empty show. But a life of justice, compassion, and genuine repentance. God transforms are hearts when we live in alignment with God's values and displaying genuine care for the well-being of others. May this Lent bring us true transformation of heart for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - -  

For the whole Christian people, that in this sacred Lenten season, they may be more abundantly nourished by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

For the whole world, that in lasting tranquility and peace our days may truly become the acceptable time of grace and salvation.

For sinners and those who neglect right religion, that in this time of reconciliation they may return wholeheartedly to Christ.

For ourselves, that God may at last stir up in our hearts aversion for our sins and conviction for the Gospel.

For our teachers on this special day of Lenten retreat, for their sanctification and renewal in their teaching vocation.

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

Grant, we pray, O Lord, that your people may turn to you with all their heart, so that whatever they dare to ask in fitting prayer they may receive by your mercy. Through Christ Our Lord.

 

6th Week in Ordinary Time 2024 - Tuesday - Persevering in temptation

 Temptation is one of the universal human experiences. Children, the elderly, married people, single people, priests, popes, nuns. Young, old, rich, poor, learned, unschooled, everybody experiences temptation. Our first parents Adam and Eve experienced temptation. Our Blessed Lord, as we will hear in the Gospel for the first Sunday of Lent in a few days experienced temptation.

The terrible attraction to act contrary to right reason and God’s commandments besets us all. Temptation is when we know something is wrong, but there is a part of us that wants to do it anyway. I know it’s wrong to talk back to my parents, but there’s a part of me that is tempted to talk back.

Sometimes we even begin to talk ourselves into following that temptation. It’s alright to treat people inconsiderately, after all, they’ve treated me without kindness, I might as well do it back to them. It’s alright if I indulge in this sin, after all, I can just ask for forgiveness from God later on. 

The Lord Jesus however, teaches us to pray to God asking to be delivered from evil in times of temptation. St. James echoes this teaching in the first reading today: “Blessed is he who perseveres in temptation.” 

You grow in holiness, you grow in likeness to Jesus, you allow the life of Jesus to flow in your heart and mind when you resist temptations to do wrong. We become the people God made us to be when we resist evil and persevere in goodness.

James goes on to explain that when you give into temptation, when we sin, something in us dies, something good dies. And if you choose sin enough, if you just give in to every temptation, something inside of you might die forever. And that is a great travesty—for God didn’t create us for sin, he created us for grace, for life, for holiness and joy.

Now again, every one of us has been tempted, and every one of us, at some point, has given in to temptation. But part of the goodness of being followers of Jesus is just because we’ve chosen sin in the past, doesn’t mean we have to continue to make bad choices. God forgives us when we humbly repent. 

Tomorrow begins the great season of repentance. Through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we show our gratitude to God for the forgiveness offered us through Jesus Christ. And those Lenten penances have a double effect of strengthening us against future temptations. For when we persevere in obedience to God when we are tempted, that produces endurance--endurance for doing the good and resisting evil. 

May our Lenten observances of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving be fitting penances for those times we have succumbed to temptation and help habituate us to imitate our Lord’s own faithfulness in the face of temptation, that we may come to experience that blessedness God desires for each one of us, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - - -  

To God the Father Almighty we direct the prayers of our heart for the needs and salvation of humanity and the good of His faithful ones.

That the Holy Spirit may embolden us in the mission of the Church and help us to put our physical, intellectual, and spiritual gifts more fully in the Lord’s service. 

That legislators and government leaders may be guided by the Word of God to promote just laws and compassionate policies especially for the unborn, the elderly, and the most vulnerable.

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

For those preparing for the Easter Sacraments: may God’s Word help them to experience the grace of daily conversion and the joy of the followers of Christ.

For those who struggle because of addiction, mental illness, chronic sickness, unemployment, or ongoing trials of any kind:  that God’s Spirit will rest upon them, relieve their suffering and lead them to wholeness and holiness. 

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

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

6th Week in Ordinary Time 2024 - Monday - Enduring Trials with Joy

 Just two days before the great season of Lent, we have the powerful words of St. James encouraging Christians to endure their trials with joy.

Now St. James was writing just 20-30 years after the death and resurrection of Christ, so to that first generation of Christians. Most of that first generation of Christians were Jewish converts to Christ who were being kicked out of their synagogues and facing the social, economic, and various other consequences for their choice to convert.  And so St. James, writing as an apostle who himself would go to his death for Christ, encouraged these new Christians to keep the faith amidst these trials, and even to endure them with joy.

What a perfect truth of our faith for us to ponder as we prepare for the season of lent, a season associated with trial, challenge, penance, endurance. It was a trial for Jesus to fast for 40 days. It was a trial for Jesus to take up his cross. And Lent helps us associate with Our Lord’s own trials, by taking up penances for the good of our own souls and that of others.

But James says do just endure trials. Rather, endure them with joy. How is that possible?

It is impossible to endure trials with joy if we are not rooted in our faith. 

Trusting in God's sovereignty and making acts of faith that God is in control--that God is working all things for the good of those who love Him is foundational. There can be no joy without faith.

Prayer is foundational in times of trial. Seeking God in prayer allows us not only to express our struggles, fears, and concerns to God, but to seek God’s will in our trials—to seek God Himself—God’s very presence with us in our trials. 

Viewing our trials as opportunities for spiritual growth in a key to joy. For as St. Paul writes to the Romans, our trials produce endurance, character, and hope and even joy.

The fact that we are not alone in our trials, but that we are part of the community of believers can make our trials not just more manageable but opens us to the joy of being inspired by fellow believers and the knowledge that we are inspiring to others. 

Expressing gratitude in the midst of trials produces joy. When we focus on the good we have, the strength that is given, the knowledge that our sufferings are opportunities for conformity with Christ, joy is produced. 

And finally, keeping an eternal perspective helps Christians see beyond the temporary sufferings to the eternal joy that awaits—we recognize that the Lord promised us eternal reward for those who take up their cross and follow him—that our earthly sufferings are inevitable and part of the royal road to heaven. 

Enduring trials with joy does not mean denying or suppressing emotions, or being pollyannish about our sufferings, but growing in our experience of God through our trials. May the Lord sustain us in our trials, help us endure them with faith, hope, and love, and to come to know the joy of the eternal kingdom for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - -  

To God the Father Almighty we direct the prayers of our heart for the needs and salvation of humanity and the good of His faithful ones.

That the Holy Spirit may embolden us in the mission of the Church and help us to put our physical, intellectual, and spiritual gifts more fully in the Lord’s service. 

That legislators and government leaders may be guided by the Word of God to promote just laws and compassionate policies especially for the unborn, the elderly, and the most vulnerable.

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

For those preparing for the Easter Sacraments: may God’s Word help them to experience the grace of daily conversion and the joy of the followers of Christ.

For those who struggle because of addiction, mental illness, chronic sickness, unemployment, or ongoing trials of any kind:  that God’s Spirit will rest upon them, relieve their suffering and lead them to wholeness and holiness. 

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

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

 

5th Week of Ordinary Time 2024 - Friday - The failures of kings and the cultivation of sanctity

 All last month we read through 1st and 2nd Samuel. We read how in response to the Israelites crying out for a king to unite the tribes, God grants their demand. God establishes Saul, and then David. And all last months we read about their successes and failures—their faith and their sins and the implications for the newly united kingdom. 

Finishing 2nd Samuel we started the next book of the Old Testament 1st kings. And in 1st Kings we read about the reign of David’s heir, King Solomon, of his wisdom, and the building and dedication of the Jerusalem temple. Solomon’s reign would be a time of prosperity—but also—sadly—the beginning of the disintegration of the kingdom of Israel. The United Kingdom of Israel will be split into two kingdoms of Israel and Judah—and then both kingdoms be conquered by foreign powers. 

Today we heard of the first prophecy of that fracturing. Solomon’s servant, Jeroboam, encounters a prophet. And Ahijah tears his new cloak into 12 pieces, The twelve pieces represent the 12 tribes of Israel. The pretty newly minted kingdom—only two generations old, really—will be torn asunder. 10 tribes will comprise the northern kingdom and 2 tribes will comprise the southern. 

Why would God allow this division—this tearing of the cloak—this tearing of the kingdom? Much of it had to do with Solomon. Though he was known for his wisdom, Solomon was not wise enough, and relied on his own wisdom, rather than the wisdom of God. Heavy taxation and forced labor were unpopular among the northern tribes, leading to discontent and grievances. Additionally, Solomon's later years were marred by idolatry. He allowed the introduction of foreign gods and practices into the kingdom, influenced by his hundreds of foreign wives.

It is no surprise that opulence and idolatry amongst the leadership have terrible consequences on the rest of the nation. That sad story has played out in nearly every nation on earth. And there is really not much we can do about it. We are subject to political, social, and economic powers beyond our control. 

What can we do amidst all of these uncontrollable forces? What IS in our control? We can seek to be saints. And we can seek to be saints by doing what our leaders almost inevitably fail to do. Where they fall into the corruption of opulence and greed—we must cultivate personal sanctity through poverty, simplicity, temperance, and generosity. Where they fall into the corruption of idolatry and strange cults and philosophies—we cultivate sanctity through right worship of the one true God, obedience to his commands, piety, knowledge and understanding of our faith, and right judgment. Where they hoard their God-given gifts for their own sordid gain--we cultivate sanctity by using our gifts and talents for the mission of the Gospel.

We can’t control what the kings are doing—and we can barely mitigate the damage that they do. What we can do, amidst all the division and chaos in the world, is to allow our ears to be open by Jesus like the man in the Gospel today, that we may hear and obey the Word of God in all things, and likewise allow Jesus to cure our muteness, that we may speak the truth of the Gospel, to allow Jesus to heal our hearts that they may be truly alive in the Spirit for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - - - 

To God the Father Almighty we direct the prayers of our heart for the needs and salvation of humanity and the good of His faithful ones.

That all of our leaders, in the Church and in government, may be guided by Holy Wisdom and govern with just and discerning hearts.

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

For all who are oppressed by any kind of need, that the Lord may graciously grant them relief.

For ourselves and our own community, that the Lord may graciously receive us as a sacrifice acceptable to himself.

For our beloved dead, for the poor souls in purgatory, and for X, for whom this Mass is offered.

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

5th Week of Ordinary Time 2024 - Wednesday - The Wisdom of Solomon

 Wisdom. The importance of wisdom runs throughout our readings today.  The queen of Sheba traveled from far off lands to seek Solomon’s Wisdom.  In the responsorial psalm we repeated, “the mouth of the just murmurs wisdom”.  In the Gospel, Jesus very wisely teaches that it is not particular foods which makes a man unclean, rather, it is the failure to make moral choices.

One of my favorite lines from that great advent song, O Come O Come Emmanuel, is the one about Wisdom: “O Come Thou Wisdom from on High, who orders all things mightily; to us the path of knowledge show, and teach us in her ways to go”

In the first reading, Solomon is praised for his wisdom, but where did his wisdom come from? Earlier in the book of Kings, there is a story where God appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God tells Solomon, I will give you whatever you want. And Solomon says, my father David was a good man and tried to serve you Lord. Compared to my father, I’m just a little child and don’t know how to carry out my duties as king. So, Lord, give me a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. 

And we know how Solomon goes on to govern with justice, and sound judgment, he resolves disputes with insight that pierces to the heart of the matter. But where did his wisdom come from? Solomon humbly acknowledged his limitations, and sought to conform his mind and heart and decisions to that of God. He ordered his life according to the will of God. That’s the great scriptural lesson.

In the Psalm we heard how the heart of the just man is focused on the law of God. You want to be wise? Ponder the law of God, seek to understand the law of God—not just what the church teaches, but why she teaches it. The wise man ponders, he meditates on the law of God day and night, so that God’s law can permeate his life—his words and deeds and decisions. Praying the Liturgy of the Hours helps with this especially, praying the psalms at morning, noon, evening, and night fills our day with the word of God that we might grow in wisdom. 

Wisdom helps us to order our life, so it remains oriented toward heaven.  May our lives be wisely ordered that we may remain on the path that leads to God in our speech, thoughts, and decisions for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - -  

To God the Father Almighty we direct the prayers of our heart for the needs and salvation of humanity and the good of His faithful ones.

That all of our leaders, in the Church and in government, may be guided by Holy Wisdom and govern with just and discerning hearts.

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

For all who are oppressed by any kind of need, that the Lord may graciously grant them relief.

For ourselves and our own community, that the Lord may graciously receive us as a sacrifice acceptable to himself.

For our beloved dead, for the poor souls in purgatory, and for X, for whom this Mass is offered.

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

February 6 2024 - St. Paul Miki and martyred companions - Courageous Preaching

 Yesterday, the liturgical prayers for the memorial of St. Agatha, virgin and martyr spoke of the courage of her martyrdom. The collect for today’s memorial for St. Paul Miki and his companion martyrs also speaks of courage—holding to the faith we profess until death with courage.

In 1596, the emperor of Japan intensified the persecution of Christians in Japan, seeking to wipe out the Christian faith from the land. He called for the wholesale arrest of Christians in the entire south-central region of Japan called the Kansai region. Christians there were rounded up and forced to march 600 miles to Nagasaki. There they underwent some of the most brutal tortures in Church history. Those who did not apostatize were hung upon crosses and then skewered with spears. St. Paul Miki had his chest pierced with a lance while tied to a cross on 5 February 1597

While hanging upon a cross, Paul Miki, a 34 year old native Japanese Jesuit, preached to the people gathered for the execution: “The only reason for my being killed”, he said, “is that I have taught the doctrine of Christ… I thank God it is for this reason I die… After Christ’s example I forgive my persecutors. I do not hate them. I ask God to have pity on all, and I hope my blood will fall on my fellow men as a fruitful rain.”

In the Gospel, today, Christ commands us to preach the Gospel and make disciples. St. Paul Miki took serious that missionary mandate. Prior to his arrest his was known for his preaching. Those who were marched to their deaths with him were no doubt people who had converted in response to his preaching. And he continued to preach the Gospel while hanging on the cross.

Nagasaki, the place of those gruesome tortures and martyrdoms, today has the largest Catholic population in Japan. 

We must have the courage to preach the Gospel, in season and out. It is the mandate given to us by Christ himself. To be courageous in preaching means to be fearless in expressing the whole Gospel, not simply those parts of it that are attractive to the worldly. It means not allowing the fear of criticism or rejection to hinder the clear communication of these truths, even when Christian truth contradicts societal norms, cultural values, or individuals who may disagree with or challenge Christian beliefs. Courageous preaching involves the willingness to endure social, professional, even physical suffering, if it would further the mission. 

Courageous preaching involves trusting that God will preserve you throughout those sufferings, and that’s hard for folks who have a superficial relationship with God. To preach the Gospel with Courage, first the Gospel must take root in our souls—for true courage cannot exist without genuine faith and a living relationship with Christ. Unless we have a living relationship with Christ, unless Christ truly lives in us, there will be no real courageous and effective preaching. 

Through the intercession of St. Paul Miki and companions, “may we hold with courage even until death to the faith that we profess”, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - - 

Our Savior’s faithfulness is mirrored in the fidelity of his witnesses who shed their blood for the Word of God. Let us praise him in remembrance of them:

The martyrs freely embraced death in bearing witness for the faith, may we receive the true freedom of the Spirit. 

The martyrs professed their faith by shedding their blood, may we have a faith that is constant and pure. 

The martyrs followed in your footsteps by carrying the cross, may we endure courageously our earthly trials and all the misfortunes of life.

The martyrs washed their garments in the blood of the Lamb, may we be helped by their prayers to avoid the weaknesses of the flesh and worldly allurements.

That all missionaries may have courage and strength in their witness to the Gospel, for an increase in vocations, and that more men and women will take up the missionary call.

For the sick and suffering among us, for those who care for them, and for all of our beloved dead, especially 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

February 5 2024 - St. Agatha - Courage of the Virgin Martyrs

 Saint Agatha is one of the great virgin martyrs honored by the early Roman church. She was martyred in the brief but ferocious persecution of the emperor Decius. In 250 AD, Decius issued an imperial decree requiring all citizens of the empire to offer a sacrifice to the Roman Gods. 

Saint Agatha was a beautiful Sicilian woman who had consecrated herself to Christ—to be His bride—to spend her life in his prayerful service and consecrated virginity.

When she refused the romantic advances of a pagan man, he turned her into the authorities. Since she would not offer the pagan sacrifice, she was imprisoned, tortured, and eventually killed. 

For the feast of this virgin martyr, we read from st. paul’s letter to the Corinthians in which St. Paul is explaining that God’s ways often defy human logic and expectation, that God choses the foolish, weak, lowly, and despised of the world, to shame the worldly wise, strong, and powerful. 

The virgin martyrs like Agatha, Agnes, Anastasia, Cecilia, Barbara, Ursula, Philomena, Kateri Tekakwitha, maria Goretti, were not rich and power women, in the eyes of the world. And their courage—their strength of faith, not only won for them the martyrs crown, but they continue to embolden the Church—Christians like us, hundred and hundreds of years later. 

The Lord promises that the world will hate us. We will face terrible resistance in our mission to save souls, to proclaim Christ. The worldly wise, strong, and powerful see Christians as a threat: and so they mock the Church, they weaponize government agencies against the Church, the utilize the media to undermine the Church and shift cultural attitudes toward the Church. And all of that is pretty much inevitable. It’s gonna happen. It’s happening now. It just hasn’t come to our doorstep yet, as it did for Agatha.

And so we celebrate the courageous faith, the courageous chastity, the courageous forgiveness, their courageous defiance of the unchristian cultural norms, so that we may imitate them, when our time for courage arises. 

St. Agatha, and all you holy virgin martyrs, pray for us, that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - -  

That the virgin martyrs may be a source of courage for Church leaders and the whole Church in our fidelity to our Gospel mandate.

Through the intercession of St. Agatha and the holy virgin martyrs, for an increase of reverence for the virtues of chastity, purity, and modesty and for greater respect for the dignity of the human body and all human life.

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

5th Sunday of Ordinary Time 2024 - Life is worth living

Have you ever been deeply brokenhearted and felt you couldn’t go on? Have you ever felt that life is just one series of miserable occurrences after the next? Have you ever had an existential crisis, a moment in your life where you wonder “what is the point of it all?”

Such experiences are not uncommon. Job in our first reading this weekend is at a real low point in his life. He says to himself, “Is not man's life on earth a drudgery? Isn’t life just endless servitude where you are just waiting to die? Kind of dark. But also reassuring that scripture is honest about the miseries we face. That sometimes you begin to question, what is up with all this suffering?

And this is an important question. There is a whole branch of philosophy called existentialism which grapples and wrestles with the universal human experience of figuring out the meaning of life and enduring suffering with purpose. The existential philosopher Albert Camus claimed, that “Deciding whether or not life is worth living” is “the fundamental question in philosophy. All other questions follow from that.”

Now, Albert Camus was pretty critical of religion most of the time, but he’s certainly on to something. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen launched a radio show back in the 1950s and television show, called “Life is Worth Living.” And that television show was on primetime, on a major network, and had the highest rating of any show at the time. 

Now Job really grappled with this question. And Job really knew what it meant to suffer. Job, initially, was a wealthy man with a large family, significant livestock, and many servants. In a series of calamities, he lost his possessions and wealth, including his livestock and property. Tragically, Job suffered the loss of his ten children when a great wind collapsed the house where they were gathered, leading to their deaths. Job experienced a debilitating illness: painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. His physical suffering was intense. Job faced additional hardships in the form of isolation and rejection. His friends, who came to comfort him, suggested that his suffering was his own fault. 

But Job was a man of deep faith, and ultimately concludes that the man of faith is called to trust in God always: “the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” And that life is worth living even when we suffer tragedy. 

The book of Job, read the whole thing some time. It’ll help you grow in spiritual maturity. 

“Life is worth living”. How can we say that?

When Christians say that life is worth living, this belief is grounded in scripture, theology and reason.

Scripture in its earliest pages reveals that humans are created in the image of God. God is good, therefore human life is good. Human life is good and sacred, therefore every human life has dignity and worth, and our dignity is not dependent on external factors such as achievements, status, wealth or abilities but is intrinsic to being a human being. 

Life is worth living because every life has a purpose. Often people begin to question whether their life is worth living because they see no purpose to their life. This is why deep mature faith in God is so important to the human experience, for living a life aligned with divine principles and guided by faith helps us experience the purpose for which we were made—to know our purpose even as we suffer. With faith, Our challenges and sufferings, even our setbacks and sins, become opportunities for growth and transformation, the cultivation of virtue and the sanctification of our eternal souls.

Life is worth living because the time we have been given in this earthly life is for the purpose of preparing for eternity. 

Now, again, most of us, at some point, have moments, even perhaps long periods of life, where we feel like Job in our first reading. And so it is important to fight these negative feelings with Truth. We must remind ourselves of our worth as human beings. We have a responsibility to preserve and nurture life and that includes our own physical, mental, and spiritual health. We need to eat right and avoid activities and substances that bring us depression and meaninglessness, and strengthen our faith when it is wavering.

I can’t remember who said it, but it’s great advice. Whenever you are feeling down or lost, look at the crucifix. Remind yourself, that the one nailed to the cross embraced that cross for you out of love for you. No matter your sins, no matter your past. He loves you. Your life is worth living because God loves you. He loved you into existence, knowing what your sins would be, knowing the suffering you would have to endure. And he gives you the knowledge that he loves you so that you do not despair. 

In today’s Gospel, people came from throughout capernaum to be healed by Jesus—to be delivered from their earthly miseries and bodily pains and their demons. And the Lord certainly, certainly wishes to bring us wholeness and peace and healing, just like he did for the citizens of Capernaum. But you must go to him with the desire to be healed. When you come to mass, have you identified what needs healing? Have you identified the broken parts of your life that need wholeness? The stagnate part of your lives that could use transformation.

To those who say, I don’t need to come to church, I can approach God at own home. How’s that working out ? We don’t have a lot of Gospel stories of people being healed just by sitting at home. Even with the case of Peter’s mother-in-law, Jesus is welcomed and brought into the home, by the sons of Zebedee and Alphaeus, and the healing comes through the actual encounter.

We need to come to mass, sometimes more than just once a week, when we are downtrodden. You know every week we have holy hour, when the Eucharist is placed in the monstrance for you to come and kneel and pray. Every first Friday as well. Jesus waits for us to visit him in the monstrances and tabernacles and confessionals. 

We can be pretty foolish about the spiritual life, sometimes, thinking that our problems will just go away in time, without any real effort on our part, without putting in the work, and bringing our sufferings to Jesus with persistence. And the unwillingness to do the work, the unwillingness to confess our sins is the cause of immeasurable misery. Faith involves doing the work, approaching Jesus, laying our life bare to him for healing.

Job suffered, but in the end, he kept the faith. And doing so resulted in a powerful experience of God. Keeping the faith, in the end, will result in the eternal experience of God’s goodness in heaven. So when our crosses grow heavy, we must go to Jesus, and learn to rely on Jesus to be our strength. If you haven’t received the strength you need, you need to keep going back to Jesus. 

May the Lord sustain us in our works and in our sufferings, reveal to us our purpose, and deliver us from our sins for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

First Friday Holy Hour - February 2024 - O Luminous Eucharist

 Forty days have passed since we celebrated the joyful Feast of the Nativity of the Lord. The Liturgy itself tells us that today, the Feast of the Presentation, we celebrate that blessed day when Jesus was presented in the Temple by Mary and Joseph. Outwardly he was fulfilling the law, but in reality he was coming to meet his believing people. Prompted by the Holy Spirit, Simeon and Anna came to the temple. Enlightened by the same Spirit, they recognized the Lord and confessed him with exultation. 

Light. This feast has many references to light. The Gospel reading speaks of light. Jesus is the light of revelation—revealing to the nations of the world—that God has come to save all of us.

Candles are blessed and lit at the beginning of mass for the presentation, they are signal flares to the world, that all those who are looking for salvation can find it, in Christ. 

What a fitting day for us to kneel in the light of the Eucharist. Devotees of the rosary know that the institution of the Eucharist—the eucharist which we kneel before this evening—is the fifth and final mystery of light. When Pope St. John Paul II gave us the luminous mysteries of the rosary—he wrote how the Eucharist is a light—it reveals, it testifies, it sheds light that Christ is with us till the end. He is with his Church. And he loves his church. 

The Eucharist reveals the heart of Christ which is given in love to us, to save us, to separate us from sin and unite us to God. We kneel before the Eucharist to bask in the glow of the light of Christ’s love. And we do so, that when we present ourselves to receive the Eucharist, we may be filled with that same light, that his light may be detected in us, and radiate from us.

St. Peter Julian Eymard, that great saint of the Eucharist writes: “The Eucharist is the sacrament of love par excellence. Certainly the other sacraments are proofs of God’s love for us; they are gifts of God. But in the Eucharist, we receive the Author of every gift, God Himself. So it is in Communion especially that we learn to know the law of love that our Lord came to reveal. There we receive the special grace of love. There, finally, more than anywhere else, we acquire the practice, the virtue, of love.”

“O lumunious Euharist, may this time with you truly enlighten us, in the way of God’s love, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.”

February 2 2024 - Feast of the Presentation - Jesus Christ is the one whom you seek

Throughout the Advent season, the Church considered many of the prophecies found in the Old Testament concerning the birth and role of the Messiah.

Isaiah prophecied how “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Emmanuel” he is God with us. 

Isaiah also prophecied how the Messiah would be “called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” This prophecy emphasizes how the Messiah would be a kind and wise ruler and bringer of peace. 

Micah prophecied about how Bethlehem would be the Messiah’s birthplace—Bethlehem, Hebrew for the house of bread, hinting at how the Christ would give himself in the Eucharist—the bread of life.

Through the prophet Haggai, God said, “I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory.” The Messiah would be acknowledged by all the nations of the earth and show that the power of God is greater than any nation or earthly government.

Now, forty days after the celebration of Christmas, the birth of the Messiah, Christ the Lord, the liturgy presents us with another prophecy from the prophet Malachi. 

Malachi prophecied, “And suddenly there will come to the temple the LORD whom you seek”. I like the word, “suddenly” there. For it speak of the humility in which Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the temple. The God of the universe born a humble babe in the poor Bethlehem stable is brought into the Jerusalem Temple without fanfare or royal procession. He is simply carried in love in the arms of his loving mother, next to her obedient heart. For it was out of obedience to the Mosaic Law that the Divine Savior was brought to the Temple. It would be in an atmosphere of obedience that he would be raised.

And Malachi also describes him as one “whom you seek”. Malachi prophecied during a time of moral and spiritual decline among the Jews. There were faithful Jews who awaited the coming of the Lord. But also, in a way, Malachi, writing in a time of idolatry and spiritual decline, is saying that deep down, all sinners seek God. They are seeking happiness in all the wrong places. They are seeking happiness in sin, and this is why they  always come up empty and dissatisfied. 

Today, as part of the liturgy, the Church blesses candles, candles which are a symbol of the light of Christ—they are signal flares to the world, that all those who are looking for happiness can find happiness here, in Christ. 

We bless candles, to remind us, that our vocation is to be like those candles, signals to the world, that salvation is found in Christ for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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

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

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

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

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