Easter Sunday 2024 - The end of the eclipse

 On Good Friday, the world was darkened by an eclipse of the sun, much like the one that we will experience here in Northeast Ohio, a week from tomorrow. 

That eclipse of the sun, causing darkness to fall over the land, was certainly fitting, in response to the mourning and sorrow experienced by Jesus’ disciples, especially his Mother, who stood at the foot of the cross. The eclipse was also a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, such as Amos 8:9, which speaks of the sun going down at noon and the earth being darkened on a clear day. It appeared, for a moment that darkness had triumphed—that the violence of man overcame the goodness of God. The extent to which man would go to secure his power, his comfort, his ego. He would lie, conspire, manipulate. He would torture and slaughter the innocent lamb of God. 

Yes, there for a time, it appeared that Good Friday was a victory, not for God, but for evil. It appeared that the eclipse that began with original sin in the Garden of Eden would last forever. 

But, the eclipse has ended. The stone rolled in front of the tomb, has been rolled back to reveal that the tomb is empty. And easter celebrates a morning when light was so bright it blinded roman soldiers and burnt an image into a burial cloth—a morning when life triumphed over death, where truth trumped falsehood, when hope was victorious over despair, when faith championed doubt, when God put Satan in his place. Jesus Christ is risen today! 

And the Easter proclamation is not a mere historical recollection but a living reality that continues to reverberate through the centuries. The resurrection of Christ offers new life, transformation, renewal, conversion, spiritual resurrection, to all who profess Him.

Old ways, which we have sought to cast aside during the season of Lent, make way for new beginnings. Easter means, “I will not let selfishness keep me from the generosity God wants from me. I will not let fear keep me from the courage God wants from me. I will not laziness keep me from the life giving endeavors God wants for me.” Pride and Envy, Lust and Sloth no more. It is time to live for purity, generosity, goodness, and peace.

For, the extraordinary news of Easter morning is that not only did Jesus Christ conquer death for himself. The good news is that he shares that victory over death and sin and despair and darkness and sin and evil with us. His victory is ours. He invites us to share in his triumph. If that is not extraordinarily Good News, I don’t know what is. 

Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure everybody in this Church could raise their hands in agreement, that there are periods in life that seem more like Good Friday than Easter Sunday. Periods of life filled with death and darkness. Periods of life when we wonder about life’s meaning, when we struggle with sickness or the death of someone near to us, periods of life when we seem stuck on a cross, or overwhelmed, like life has buried us in a tomb, when we struggle to find God amidst all the chaos and violence and evil in the world.

But, the message of Easter is that Good Friday does not get the last word. Easter Sunday does. Our faith in Jesus Christ allows us to be confident that evil and death do not get the last word, that there is truly nothing that can keep us from the love and life God wants for us. That his mercy endures forever and that God will always have the last word over Satan. So, if there is a part of your life, that still seems to be stuck in Good Friday, I invite you to ask Jesus very sincerely today, to enter that part of your life, to transform it. Ask him to come into that Good Friday broken relationship, that Good Friday doubt or confusion, that Good Friday sense of defeat. And to allow him to bring Easter Victory to your Good Friday sufferings.

The Easter Gospel also speaks to our experience of obstacles. In John’s Gospel this morning we hear how Mary of Magdala had come to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. Mark’s Gospel includes the detail that as she and the other women made her way to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus, she wondered  “Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” After all, the stone was heavy. It was large. It was truly a foreboding obstacle. It took several people to roll it into place. 

What beautiful fervor, that Mary and the holy women, despite the obstacle, go to fulfill the duty of charity anyway. They could have stayed home. They could have dwelt on the enormity of this obstacle and stayed home. But they go anyway. 

And they find the stone already moved, the obstacle has already been removed by God. The power of the resurrection was already at work. 

And then, Mary ran. Mary ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them of the empty tomb. Talk about overcoming obstacles in order to do the work of God! In first-century Jewish society, women were often marginalized and their testimony was considered less reliable than that of men. In many cases, their testimony was considered inadmissible. And yet she goes, and testifies. The power of the resurrection already animating her mind and heart and will.

The power of Christ’s resurrection is unleashed when we refuse to allow fear to keep us from doing God’s will. 

Good Friday was not an obstacle for God’s will to be done, nor was the stone of the garden tomb. Nor were the social and cultural norms of his day. 

Now there are certainly some social and cultural norms in our own day which want to keep the Church from spreading and continuing the saving mission of Christ. 

Emphasis on personal autonomy over the sanctity of life, romantic permissiveness and the normalizing of perversion, relativism and moral subjectivism which denies the existence of truth—moral, philosophical, or theological. 

And like Mary of Magdala, we cannot allow these dark forces to keep us from spreading the saving Gospel of Christ. God desires our freedom from spiritual, intellectual, and emotional bondage. 

The fact that you are here today is a sign that God wants you to respond to an invitation to believe, and like Mary of Magdala, to become instruments of the Gospel. Unlike so many these days, you are here, which means God has already begun to move away some stones in your lives. The eclipse has already begun to wane. 

So continue to allow the power of Christ’s resurrection to animate your lives every day. Don’t go back into the tomb and roll the stone in front of the light of God. Say yes to God every day. And every week. 

The Early Christians celebrated every Sunday as a “little Easter”. They knew that without this little Easter every week, they’d be allowing those forces which conspired against Christ on Good Friday to have power over them; they were allowing excuses and fears to keep them from serving the Lord. So every Sunday for them was an opportunity open their lives to the Easter victory of Christ, to all Easter to resonate in their lives. And it is meant to be for us as well.

In just a few moments, we will renew our baptismal promises: our resolve to not be mastered by sin, by those immovable rocks, but that through the faith of the Church, we will seek Him who longs to be found, over and over in our lives. For He is Risen. Death couldn’t hold him. Unbelief and human cruelty couldn’t vanquish him. Politics can’t replace Him. Science can’t explain him away. The noise of the world cannot silence him. Perversion, selfishness, human weakness cannot keep him from being longed for. 

For He was bound and now brings power. He was bruised and now brings healing, He was pierced and now eases pain, He was persecuted and now brings freedom, He was killed and now brings life. For he is Risen. Indeed, he is Risen. Alleluia. Alleluia. For the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Holy Saturday 2024 - Morning Prayer - He will raise us up

Eight centuries before Christ, the kingdom of Israel was in political, social, and moral decline. Israel had turned away from worshiping the true God and instead embraced the pagan practices of neighboring nations, particularly the worship of Baal. Israel also allowed injustice to run rampant; the nation was marked by oppression of the poor, corruption among the leaders, and a lack of justice in the courts. 

In response to Israel’s idolatry and injustice, God sent the prophet Hosea to call Israel to repentance.  Hosea urged Israel to turn back to God and forsake their idolatry and sinful ways. Hosea emphasized God's love and desire to restore his relationship with his people, but also made it clear that continued rebellion would lead to punishment and exile. 

And even though Israel would be afflicted with these consequences of unfaithfulness, Hosea, like many of the prophets, prophecies about God’s promises to save his people. And this morning we heard of that promise: In their affliction, they shall look for me: “Come let us return to the Lord, For it is he who has rent, but he will heal us; he has struck us, but he will bind our wounds. He will revive us after two days; on the third day he will raise us up, to live in his presence.”

What a poignant passage, particularly in light of the commemoration of the Lord’s passion yesterday, on Good Friday. 

In Hosea's time, the Israelites rejected God's message delivered through the prophets, persistently turning to idolatry and disobedience. Similarly, on Good Friday, Jesus, who embodied God's message of love and salvation, was rejected by the religious leaders and the people who cried out for his crucifixion.

The Israel of Hosea's day was characterized by social injustice, corruption, and a lack of moral integrity. Similarly, Jesus faced an unjust trial, false accusations, and a corrupt political system that ultimately led to his wrongful execution.

Despite Israel's unfaithfulness, Hosea's message emphasizes God's persistent love and desire to redeem his people. The promise of restoration and healing in the passage of Hosea this morning foreshadows God's ultimate plan of redemption through Christ. Jesus' death on Good Friday and his subsequent resurrection on Easter Sunday represent the fulfillment of God's plan to save and restore humanity.

For notice, the passage doesn’t just speak of one man being raised on the third day, it says, he will raise US up. Easter, yes, of course, celebrates Christ’s resurrection. But also, the new life and relationship with God, that we fallen sinners, are able to have with God, through Christ, as members of His Body, the Church.

And yet, we still have a few hours of prayerful waiting before we celebrate Easter.  We do well to continue to ponder the events of Good Friday, our own sinfulness for which Christ died to redeem us, and also those hope-filled prophecies throughout the scripture of restoration, renewal, new life, transformation, that comes through the resurrection of Christ the Lord, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

Good Friday 2024 - Morning Prayer - Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus

 There is a poignant line from the Letter to the Hebrews which contains an important injunction for any day of the year, but particularly for today, Good Friday. The biblical author writes, “let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross.”

This line from the Letter to the Hebrews is particularly poignant for Good Friday because it encapsulates the essence of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.

Let’s break it down. First we are told,  “let us rid ourselves of every burden of sin”. Good Friday is a day of reflection on the weight of sin and our own inability to overcome it on our own. Yet, we must do our part in “ridding ourselves”—rooting out sin with the help of God’s grace, acknowledging our selfishness, and making a firm purpose of amendment to overcome it as we can. 

Next we are told to perseverance in Running the Race of Faith: Good Friday marks the culmination of Jesus' earthly ministry, during which he endured trials, opposition, and ultimately, crucifixion. And we his followers are to persevere in our own journey of faith, following the Lord’s example of steadfastness and endurance, even in the face of suffering and persecution. In this way, the Lord is the leader and perfecter of our faith. Our faith is imperfect until it attains union with Christ crucified. 

Then we are told to keep Our Eyes Fixed on Jesus. This is our task on Good Friday. We are to keep your focus firmly on Jesus throughout the day by reflecting on his life, his teachings, his sacrificial love, his obedience to God's will, the wounds, and blows, and mockery, and agony he suffered to obtain the ultimate victory over sin and death. Make every effort today to avert your eyes from all things that are not Him. 

Finally, Hebrews says that he endured the cross for the sake of the joy that lay before him. Despite the agony and suffering of the cross, Jesus endured it all for the sake of the joy that lay before him. This joy refers to the redemption and salvation of humanity. Your redemption and freedom from sin is God’s joy. Which is why, for God, today is Good. 

May our prayer this morning help us to enter into the goodness of the day. Helping us to keep our eyes fixed on him, to persevere with him to the cross, to be cleansed by him, that we may know his joy, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

Holy Thursday 2024 - Three Indispensable Gifts

 Knowing that within hours his passion would soon begin, Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples.  Within hours, he would be sweating blood in the garden of gethsemane, and his disciples would abandon him. Within hours, he would be arrested, falsely accused, tortured and mocked, and before long he would be carrying his cross up the hill of Calvary where he would hang in anguish, and die.

Jesus, at his last supper knew he was about to die, and yet,  in the face of indescribable suffering, the Lord in his goodness bestowed upon His Church three precious gifts: the gift of the Eucharist, the Gift of the Priesthood, and the Commandment of Charity. 

These gifts were not arbitrary; they were given with profound purpose—that his mission would continue—the mission of the Church might succeed through the centuries. Together, these three gifts embody the Church's sacramental, hierarchical, and moral dimensions, guiding our mission to evangelize, sanctify, and serve in the name of Christ.

Let’s reflect upon these three gifts. First, the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the Lord’s gift of his body and blood—through which the Lord remains with his Church really and sacramentally until his glorious return. Through the Eucharist, Jesus transforms our altars into Calvary from which the blood of salvation flows throughout the whole earth.

The Eucharist is indispensable to the life of the Church. It would be easier for the earth to survive without the sun, than for the Church to survive without the Eucharist. It is indispensable to our identity, our mission, and our spiritual life. Without the Eucharist, the Church would lose its most profound connection to Christ, the source of our unity, and its sanctifying power in the world. On Holy Thursday, we thank God for the gift of his body and blood in the Eucharist.

Secondly, at the Last Supper, the Lord gave us the gift of the priesthood. And the sacramental priesthood is indispensable to the Catholic Church. 

Priests are the only ones who through sacramental orders are capable of consecrating bread and wine so that they may become the Body and Blood of Christ. Similarly, only priests can absolve sins in the name of Christ through the Sacrament of Confession. Priests have also been tasked by the Lord to ensure that the liturgy is celebrated properly and reverently, fostering the active participation of the faithful and enabling them to encounter God in the sacraments.

Priests, too, have the divine mandate to teach the faith. Through the preaching, teaching, and pastoral guidance of priests, the Lord Jesus helps his flock understand the Gospel and the Church's teachings, and to live out the Gospel in daily life. When priests are lax in their duties, the mission, identity, worship, and sanctification of the church suffers.

So on Holy Thursday, the we thank God for the gift of the priesthood, and we pray for our priests.

Thirdly, at the Last Supper, the Lord gave us the commandment of Charity. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another" And of course, the commandment of Charity is indispensable for the Church. 

The commandment of charity encapsulates the essence of being a follower of Christ. It defines the Christian identity not by doctrines or rituals alone but by love—a love that is sacrificial, unconditional, and mirrors the love of Christ for humanity. This love is a visible mark of Christian discipleship, as Jesus Himself said, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another"

Charity, as commanded by Christ, is the foundation upon which Christian community is built. It fosters unity, mutual care, and the sharing of goods and burdens within the Church. This love is not merely an ideal but a lived reality that is witnessed in the acts of service, kindness, and generosity among the members of the Church.

The commandment of charity is indispensable to the Church's mission in the world. The witness of love is perhaps the most powerful evangelizing tool, as it reflects the very nature of God, who is Love (1 John 4:8). Through acts of love, especially towards the "least of these" (Matthew 25:40), the Church makes visible the Kingdom of God and draws people towards Christ.

Tthe Lord's commandment of charity is indispensable to the Catholic Church because it animates our life, directs our mission, shapes our community, and witnesses to the reality of God's love for the world. Without this commandment, the Church would lose her distinctive character as the community of love that reflects the very heart of the Gospel.

As we reflect on these gifts, we are called to respond to them and cherish them. To receive the Eucharist is to welcome Jesus into our hearts and to be transformed by His love. To honor the Priesthood is to recognize Christ's presence among us, guiding, sanctifying, and teaching through His ordained ministers. To live the commandment of love is to see Christ in every person and to serve Him in them, especially the least of our brothers and sisters.

Tonight, as we commemorate the Last Supper, let us deepen our appreciation for these divine gifts. Let us pray for the grace to live them out more fully, so that, united with Christ in His sacrifice, we may share in the glory of His Resurrection.

As the Lord rose from supper and began to wash the feet of his disciples as an example to follow, I now invite those who have been chosen to come forward for the washing of their feet. In this beautiful ritual ponder the presence of the Lord in the gifts he has left the Church, in the Eucharist, in the priesthood, and in the command to love one another for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. 

Holy Thursday 2024 - Morning Prayer - Sanctifying the Hours through the Psalms

 Over the next three days, we will gather for morning prayer. Morning prayer is one of the official prayers of the Church—it is part of the Liturgy of the Hours—official & liturgical prayers recited at fixed hours throughout the day by clergy, religious orders, and some lay Catholics. 

From ancient times the Church has had the custom of celebrating each day the liturgy of the hours. The practice is based on the Jewish tradition of praying at fixed times: morning, afternoon, and evening corresponding to different sacrificial offerings that were offered in the Temple.

Every morning, a burnt offering would be offered in the Temple. Prayers would be offered in gratitude to God: for various aspects of daily life, such as the ability to see, freedom from bondage, and the strength to overcome weakness. Psalms would be offered, particularly Psalms of praise, like Psalm 30: “Sing praise to the LORD, you faithful; give thanks to his holy memory.” The Temple priests offered these prayers and sacrifices on behalf of the whole Jewish people and the world, just as priests today pray the liturgy of the hours on behalf of the Church.

“To the very end of his life, as his passion was approaching, at the last supper, in the agony in the garden, and on the cross, the divine teacher showed that prayer was the soul of his Messianic ministry and paschal death. 

And so it is fitting for us, in these final hours of Lent, as we prepare for the celebration of the Lord’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection, for us to gather to offers prayers, that Jesus himself offered up to God. Psalms of praise, psalms of trust, psalms pleading God’s mercy.

Each of the different prayers and psalms of morning prayer take on special significance during Holy Week. Consider our first Psalm, Psalm 80, how it intertwined themes of redemption, suffering, and restoration.

The psalm opens with the image of God as the shepherd of Israel. During the Triduum, Jesus, the Good Shepherd leads His flock through the cross to the new life of the resurrection, he lays down his life for his sheep.

The Psalms repeated plea, "God of hosts, bring us back; let your face shine on us and we shall be saved," is significant. For during the Triduum, we consider how God fulfills this plea. Through Christ’s Paschal mystery—God brings back scattered humanity—humanity scattered due to sin, back into the one flock—that purified of sin—we might come to see the face of God in eternity.

The Psalm’s vivid descriptions of suffering, being fed with "tears for their bread" and being the "taunt of our neighbors," foreshadows the suffering of Jesus during the Passion, but how through Jesus—God unites himself with all those who suffer hunger, thirst, mockery, injustice. 

The final verses of Psalm 80, "May your hand be on the man you have chosen", encapsulates the trust Jesus had during his Passion—trust that His Father was with him, guiding his mission—and how Christians too are to trust in God’s presence with us in our trials—trusting that the cross leads to the resurrection and eternal life. 

I invite you to pray the liturgy of the hours throughout the Triduum, slowly and reflectively. The point isn’t to rush through them, but to consider how these beautiful prophecies are fulfilled by Our Lord, and how God desires to fulfill them in our lives as well, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

Holy Week 2024 - Wednesday - Persevering in Mercy amidst Betrayal

Yesterday, the first reading from Isaiah contained the second of the four servant songs—those poetic prophecies regarding the servant of God who would extend the salvation of God throughout all the earth through his humble service. We then considered how Jesus is the fulfillment of that humble servant—especially at the last supper as he washes his disciples’ feet.

Today, we delve into the poignant parallels between the Third Servant Song of Isaiah and the harrowing betrayal of Jesus by Judas, one of His trusted disciples.

In Isaiah 50, we encounter the Servant of the Lord, who speaks with a voice of resilience and divine assurance. He is no ordinary servant; he is a teacher who "wakens morning by morning," attuned to God's voice, equipped to offer words that sustain the weary. Yet, this divine mission does not shield him from suffering. On the contrary, the Servant describes a path marked by humiliation and pain—struck, insulted, and shamed. Despite this, he stands unwavering, bolstered by God's vindication, facing his adversaries with a steadfast heart.

Jesus walks this path during His final days. In the intimacy of the upper room, He breaks bread with His friends, aware of the darkness looming. Here, the shadow of betrayal hangs heavily, not from a distant enemy, but from within His inner circle. Judas, one of the Twelve, chosen and trusted, turns away from the light of fellowship, stepping into the night to betray his Master.

The betrayal by Judas is not just a narrative detail; it intensifies the suffering of Jesus, injecting the poison of betrayal into the already daunting prospect of His impending passion and death. Yet, in this moment of ultimate betrayal, the true character of Jesus, like that of Isaiah's Servant, shines brightest. He does not retaliate, does not falter. Instead, He continues to fulfill His mission of love and redemption, embracing the path set before Him with unwavering resolve.

Perhaps, reading about Judas causes us to reflect upon our own experiences of ruptured friendships or even betrayal. Each of us, in our journey of faith, face moments when it is difficult to love the people around us. Yet, the lesson of God’s Servant—Christ the Lord—calls us not to dwell on bitterness or plans of retribution but to the courage of forgiveness.

The example of our Lord is not just one of passive acceptance of suffering but to an active trust in God's justice and mercy—to turn our moments of betrayal into opportunities for grace.

God’s ultimate vindication is in the extension of mercy. “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do”. 

And may the love and mercy of Christ, who endured betrayal for our sake, heal our wounds and guide our steps in the path of peace for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Holy Week 2024 - Tuesday - Humble Service in the Shadow of the Cross

 Throughout chapters 40 to 55 of the Book of the prophet Isaiah are found four songs or poems, called the Servant Songs. 

They describe how God will call forth a chosen servant to bring about his will of justice and salvation. Through his servant, God will bring about the reconciliation of all those scattered by sin, all those subject to injustice, evil, and death. And he will do so, not with the sword or violent rule, but through peace. 

And while God’s servant is described as a sharp sword and a polished arrow, in our first reading today, this imagery indicates that the servant is an effective instrument of God. As a "sharp-edged sword" God’s servant will cut through falsehood, injustice, and oppression with the truth and message of God. As a “polished arrow” he will remain on target in his mission without deviation. Yet, even though, he is faith and humble, strong and effective, God’s servant will also undergo rejection and suffering in his mission.

In the Gospel, on the eve of His greatest trial, we encounter Jesus in the upper room, embodying the very essence of Isaiah’s servant. Amidst the intimacy of the Last Supper, He knows the heartbreak of betrayal and the sting of denial lurking among His closest companions. And yet, in this moment, He chooses to serve, to wash the feet of His disciples—including Judas, the betrayer, and Peter, the denier. This act, typically reserved for the lowest servant, symbolizes the entirety of Jesus' mission: a call to radical humility and sacrificial love.\

In this juxtaposition, we find the essence of our calling. Jesus, our teacher, and master, demonstrates that true greatness in the kingdom of God is not found in domination or force, but in humble service and loving sacrifice. As we will hear at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, Jesus tells us, "If I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet"

In a world that glorifies power and self-interest, we are called to be servants. And this is a call to love not only in words but in actions—often in simple, unseen ways. It is a call to trust in God's mysterious plan, even when the path leads through suffering and humiliation. For, as Jesus shows us, the path of servitude is also the path to resurrection and life.

This Holy Week, we do well to reflect on the call to Christ-like trust and Christ-like service. Are there feet we are called to wash through acts of kindness, forgiveness, and service? Are there ways we have sought to assert our own will instead of submitting to God's?

Through his embrace of death and resurrection, the Lord Jesus has opened the Way to the Father. As his friends and followers, may we follow him, in humble service and acceptance of the Father’s will. May we, like the servant in Isaiah and like Jesus Himself, be lights in the darkness, leading others to the love and mercy of our Heavenly Father to the way that leads to life eternal, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Holy Week 2024 - Monday - Holy Feet of Jesus

 Throughout Lent, here at St. Ignatius we have been utilizing the Stations of the Cross of St. Alphonsus Ligouri. Several times in the course of the Stations, St. Alphonsus draws our attention to the Holy Feet of Jesus. In the 11th Station, the saint describes how they nailed Jesus’ hands and feet to the cross, and in the 12th stations the Saint prays, “By the merits of Your death, give me the grace to die embracing Your feet.” 

These prayers remind me of how on Good Friday, we come up and venerate the cross, and if it is a crucifix, many people choose to kiss the feet of Jesus. And I always find that to be such a beautiful gesture.

There is in fact a Novena of unknown origin called the “Novena in Honor of the Holy Feet of Jesus”. The Novena begins considering how Mary and Joseph must have adored the Infant Feet of Jesus, and how the Holy Feet of Jesus carried the Good News to the poor. It contains scriptural references like how Jairus falls at the Holy Feet of Jesus to make his request, Mary sits at the Holy Feet of Jesus listening to him, and the Holy Feet of Jesus are nailed to the cross.

The Samaritan Leper who was cleansed returns to Jesus and falls facedown at Jesus’ feet in thanksgiving. At the empty tomb, an angel sits where Jesus’ feet had been. And St. Paul scribes how God has put all things under the Holy Feet of the Victorious Christ.

During Holy Week, we do well to consider his Holy Feet. These feet, which once walked on water and brought healing to the sick, are bruised and bloodied by the weight of the cross and the cruelty of the soldiers. The Lord allows his Holy Feet to be nailed to the cross out of love for us, and precious blood to spill to the earth from the wounds made by the nails.

But prior to the blood and suffering, in today’s Gospel, we stoop down with Mary of Bethany who anoints the Holy Feet of Jesus as an act of love. Mary’s act of love calls us to be lavish in showing great love in gratitude for all we have been given and forgiven. We consider what this act of anointing entailed—how she considered where those feet had tread, and where they would go in the coming days—his feet which recalled his journey thus far—the many miles he walked throughout his ministry. The feet which walked on water as a sign of his divinity. And the feet which would be pierced in sacrifice out of love. They are feet about which the very first book of the bible prophecies, when God in the Garden tells the serpent that he will strike at the heel of the woman’s offspring, but he will fatally crush the serpent’s head. 

As we walk with Jesus this Holy Week, may we never lose sight of his Holy Feet. May we adore them, kiss them, and allow the precious blood that flows from them to wash over us, cleansing us of our sins and drawing us deeper into the Holy Life of God, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Palm Sunday 2024 - Lavishing Jesus with Holy Week Devotion

 St. Mark's Passion story began with an incident taking place in the house of Simon the Leper. An unnamed woman took a jar of ointment worth 300 hundred days wages and anointed Jesus' head and feet to show her love of him.  300 hundred days wages; that jar of oil would be worth about 30,000 dollars today.  She lavished Jesus with the best she had.  

There were some who became indignant.  “What a waste,” they said.  Many people in the world today consider the time we give to God, a waste. Why spend on God, what you can spend on yourself.  Why waste your time going to Church? Why waste your time going to confession? Why waste your time with penance, with sacrifice?  

Jesus responded to those indignant with Mary: “Leave her alone.  What she has done is beautiful, it is good.  What this woman has done will always be remembered.”  2000 years later we continue to tell her story, and in the heart of God, her act of love for Jesus will truly be remembered forever.

The good we do for the Lord, whether it's done in secret or in public: charity for the poor, prayers of adoration, attendance at Mass, words of encouragement to the brokenhearted, these things will be remembered by God forever. Even acts of forgiveness—when we forgive someone in our hearts, someone who hurt us, when we let go of resentment, when we let go of a grudge, that is a gift of immeasurable value. 

Today begins Holy Week, and it is a week filled with opportunities to give to God our best. We celebrate this week, how Our Lord gave his best, he gave his life, he gave his obedience and faithfulness to his Father, he gave the embrace of suffering we cannot fathom, he gave forgiveness and mercy to all of humanity of all ages. 

What we do this week will be remembered forever.  You will never regret giving God more, this week.  Praying more, fasting more, sacrificing more.  This could be the most powerful life changing week of your life—the week when you fell deeply in love with Jesus, when you encountered the depth of his love in all that he suffered for you.  

He gave all, he sacrificed all, he gave the best he had, for us.  May we do the same for Him, in our prayer, in our Holy Week fasting and penances. May we be poured out like that precious jar of ointment, like the blood poured out on the cross as an oblation to the Father, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

5th Week of Lent 2024 - Friday - The light of faithfulness to God

 In the 10th Chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus comes to Jerusalem on the Feast of the Dedication, which is known today as Hanukkah. The Feast of the Dedication commemorates the rededication of the Jerusalem Temple during the second century before Christ, after it had been desecrated by the Seleucid ruler Antiochus Epiphanes. The festival celebrates the triumph of light over darkness and the restoration of Jewish worship in the Temple. When the Maccabees sought to light the Temple's menorah—the seven-branched lampstand—they found they only had enough oil for it to remain lit for one day, but miraculously, the oil lasted for eight days—hence the celebration of light overcoming the darkness.

And it was on this feast, that Jesus, standing in the Portico of that very temple, declares, “The Father and I are one.” And this morning we here the reaction to his words: “The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus.” And their reaction is understandable. And if anyone else besides Jesus uttered those words, their action would be justified—the punishment for blasphemy was stoning. But for Jesus, those words, were true—not blasphemy, but revelation.

And consider the significance of his revelation on the Feast of the Dedication. Just as the Feast of Dedication celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, Jesus, is proclaiming his role in bringing God’s light to the world. Just as the Temple radiates with the light of God—Jesus IS the Temple.

And just as the Feast of Dedication celebrates the importance of remaining faithful to God and persevering in the face of opposition, Jesus remains determined and faithful to God His Father, despite the hostility he faces, both in this passage, and ultimately, in his Passion which we celebrate a week from today.

One week from Good Friday, we are challenged by this reading to continue to seek purification from all that keeps us from shining with the light of God. We pray for our catechumens and candidates, for their purification and enlightenment. And then also, we a challenged to embrace faithfulness to God, like our Lord, in the face of the hostility we encounter—from the world, from the devil, from our own disordered passions and fears. 

May the Light of God and the faithfulness of Jesus be seen and detected in our final Lenten penances and preparations for the sacred triduum, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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

For those without faith, those with hearts hardened toward God, and for those searching for Him.

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

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

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

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

5th Week of Lent 2024 - Wednesday - God's Truth will set you free

 

When told they must worship an idol or be put to death in the fiery furnace, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, chose to remain faithful to the God.  They exhibited tremendous and courageous faith in the face of suffering and death: "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us... But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

Their acceptance of suffering in uncompromising faithfulness to the One True God of course foreshadows the passion of Our Lord—the Lord’s uncompromising faithfulness to His Father and the mission for which he was sent. 

Their story is also a powerful prefiguration of the Resurrection of Christ. Just as God delivered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the flames, He raised Jesus from the dead, breaking the chains of sin and death once and for all. Their deliverance foreshadows our own deliverance through Christ’s Resurrection, offering us freedom not just from physical peril but from spiritual bondage—from the fiery furnace of hell. 

In the Gospel today, the Lord emphasizes the freedom that comes from obedience. Jesus declares, "If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:31-32). 

Obedience, discipleship, and faith in the revealed truth of God sets us free.

This truth is not merely an abstract concept; it is a living reality that transforms our lives. When we embrace the truth of Christ, we are liberated from the deception and confusion of the world. We are no longer slaves to our passions and desires, but rather, we are transformed to live in the freedom of the children of God, guided by God’s wisdom and love.

Why does it seem like the world is simply going to hell, these days? Because it is divorced from Truth. When we only follow the disordered desires of our fallen natures, our lives spin into chaos. When I put myself, my ego, my opinions, my perversions on the throne of heaven, we begin to reign in a hell of our own making.

Rather, we are to seek the renewal and transformation God wants for us, by taking ourselves off of the throne and becoming disciples, disciples of Truth that comes outside of ourselves, of life that is not grasped, but is received in humility. Modern man is obsessed with treading his own way, creating his own truths, determining his own moral standards. And the biblical lesson is that sort of hubris leads to destruction and self-imposed slavery every time. Rather, true freedom is discovered through obedience to the highest principal, which is not of our own creation, but is the Creator of all things, the Divine Logos, the Word of Life, who seeks the redemption of man’s fallenness, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - -  

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

For those without faith, those with hearts hardened toward God, and for those searching for Him.

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

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

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

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

March 19 2024 - St. Joseph - Guardian, Model, and Universal Patron

 In the midst of the season of Lent, we celebrate today the great solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary. Devotion to St. Joseph stretches back to the earliest Christians.

Depictions of St. Joseph can be found in early Christian artwork, particularly in catacombs and frescoes dating from the early centuries of Christianity. These images often portray Joseph alongside Mary and Jesus, highlighting his importance within the Holy Family.

The 3rd century, theologian Origen wrote about Joseph's righteousness and obedience to God. And, St. Jerome, in the 4th century, referred to Joseph’s sanctity in his commentary on the Gospel of Matthew.

The Church honors St. Joseph with a solemnity because of his importance to the Holy Family and to all of us. His example of deep faith, obedience and humility is to be imitated by all Christians. When faced with the extraordinary circumstances surrounding Mary's pregnancy, Joseph trusted in God's plan and took Mary as his wife, despite the challenges and uncertainties that lay ahead. His unwavering fidelity to God's will serves as a powerful reminder to us, especially during this season of Lent, to place our trust in the Lord and follow God’s path, even when it may be difficult or unclear.

As the guardian of the Holy Family, Joseph protected Mary and Jesus from the threat posed by King Herod, and so many of the threats which face poor and vulnerable families. We often think that God must have provided some divine shield around mary and Jesus, but no, Joseph was that shield. Or we imagine that food and clothing and shelter just appeared for Jesus, but no, Joseph was the provider. 

Joseph was faithful to God with the great responsibility of caring for Jesus and Mary, and he models for us the faithfulness we are to exhibit in caring for our families and the vulnerable among us.

Today’s feast reminds us that Joseph is not just a role model, but the universal patron of the Church, meaning it is always and everywhere fitting, in whatever threat we face, in whatever need we have, to “go to Joseph” . We invoke today and all days his guidance, protection, and assistance in our family challenges, in our work, in our illnesses, in our fight against evil and temptation and for our general spiritual growth. 

St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for us, that we may become worthy of the promises of Christ, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That St. Joseph, “Patron of the Universal Church” may guide and guard our Holy Father, all bishops and clergy, religious and lay faithful from all evil and error. 

That St. Joseph, “diligent protector” of the Christ Child, will help protect all children from violence and evil, especially the unborn.

That St. Joseph, “Guardian of Virgins” will help eradicate perversion and immodesty from our culture.

That St. Joseph, “Pillar of Families”, will be an example for all Christian families.

That St. Joseph “terror of demons” will help to deliver all those in sin, and all those under demonic influence, to be open to the saving mercy of Christ. 

That St. Joseph “patron of the dying” will help all the dying to know the tender peace of God.

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

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

5th Week of Lent 2024 - Monday - Susanna, the sinful woman, and the Shepherd

Our two readings this morning—that of Susanna and the woman caught in adultery are linked by the beautiful responsorial Psalm—psalm 23rd—the great shepherd psalm—in which our merciful God is depicted as a shepherd who provides guidance, protection, assurance, and deliverance.

Psalm 23 begins with the powerful affirmation, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." In these words, we find solace in the shepherd's provision, knowing that God cares for our every need. Similarly, Susanna and the adulterous woman both experience God's provision and care in their moments of desperation. Susanna finds vindication and deliverance from false accusations, while the adulterous woman encounters the merciful forgiveness of Jesus, who protects her from the stones of condemnation.

As the psalmist declares, "He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake." In Susanna's story and the encounter with the adulterous woman, we witness the transformative power of God's mercy and forgiveness. Both women experience restoration and guidance as they encounter the divine presence in their darkest moments. Through the prophet Daniel and the compassionate words of Jesus, they are led on the paths of righteousness and offered a new beginning.

Psalm 23 continues with the comforting assurance, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." In Susanna's trial and the Woman Caught in Adultery's moment of condemnation, they find themselves in the valley of darkness, facing imminent danger and death. Yet, God's presence is their comfort and strength. Through Daniel's intervention and Jesus' merciful intervention, they are delivered from harm.

Finally, Psalm 23 concludes with the proclamation, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Encountering the Lord’s mercy, both women are able to begin a new life, especially the woman caught in adultery. She is invited by the Lord not to return to her former life of sin, but to “go and sin no more”—to a life in which she strives to live free of sin—as all Christians are called to do.

May our Lenten journey help us and all people to encounter more deeply the shepherding care of the Lord—in times of trial, his deliverance, in times of sin, his mercy, and the promise of eternal life with him forever, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - - - - -  

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

For those without faith, those with hearts hardened toward God, and for those searching for Him.

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

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

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

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

5th Sunday of Lent 2024 - We want to see Jesus

 Some Greeks arrived in Jerusalem for the Passover to render worship to God. They approached Philip and asked him, “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.”

The opening lines of the Gospel this week raise some questions: Why were Greeks, who were raised to pay homage to the pantheon of Greek gods--gods like Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Athena, and Aphrodite, why were these non-Jews going to Jerusalem for Passover? Well, these Greeks were known as proselytes, non-Jews who had come to believe in the God of Israel, but who had not yet undergone circumcision. Well, that answers who they were, but why were they there? Why…how…had these Greeks, these gentiles, these pagans, come to believe in the One True God of Israel?

Well, why does anyone convert? 

I came across an internet video a few weeks ago. A young woman who is described as “A Major Protestant YouTube Star” announced in this internet video that she was converting to Catholicism.” She explains, “I did not want to be Catholic. Not only did I think Catholicism was wrong, I just didn’t like the vibe of Catholicism. I wanted to be anything but Catholic… I fought so hard to get out of this intellectually.”

So why is she converting? Well, she had been planning on going to Thailand as a Protestant Missionary, when she came across internet videos that challenged some of her preconceptions about the Catholic Church. One video she said was titled “10 Lies Protestants Believe about Catholicism.” So, to verify Catholic teaching for herself,  she started reading the Early Church Fathers, and discovered, these guys were Catholic. She discovered how the Catholic Church’s teaching about the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is clearly biblical. And through reading and study even became convinced of the truth of the papacy. 

She, like countless souls before her, had searched for the Truth with an open mind and open heart, and found it, here, in the Catholic Church.

In today’s Gospel, the Greeks had come to Jerusalem searching for the Truth, and that search for the truth led them to declare to the Apostle Philip: “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.” 

Their simple request reflects a universal sentiment in the heart of every human being. We want to see Jesus. We want to know God. We want to be in His presence.

Throughout my years as a priest, I have worked in the RCIA at several different parishes. We’ve had Jews, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Southern Baptists, Lutherans, Methodists, and folks raised without any religion whatsoever, even some souls who were once very vocal critics of Catholicism, who urged people to leave the Catholic Church. But their search for the Truth, their search for the face of God, had led them here, had led them home.

“Sir, we would like to see Jesus” is the reason each one of us is here today. We are here because we want to see Jesus in eternity, and in order to do that, we must be His faithful followers, now.  

The desire to see Jesus, has impelled us throughout Lent to undergo Lenten penances like abstaining from meat on Fridays, fasting from non-essentials, engaging in extra prayer-time throughout the week, and offering our meager earthly treasures to help the poor. Praying, fasting, and almsgiving help us to see Jesus.

This desire to see Jesus is fulfilled when we come to Mass. We enter the church, genuflecting to the tabernacle, believing that Jesus is really here. I can go to any Catholic church or chapel in the world and see Jesus and visit Jesus in any tabernacle in the world. And at Mass, we can “see Jesus” become present under the appearance of bread and wine. 

And we come to Mass every week, we follow the Lord’s teachings, we engage in penances and acts of mercy, not only because WE want to “see Jesus” but because Jesus wants others to see Him in US. The way we act, the words we utter, how we use our time, are to help others “see Jesus”.

How had the Greeks in the Gospels come to believe? How have the billions of Catholic converts throughout the millennia come to believe? News of Jesus Christ was shared with them. They had seen Jesus speaking and acting in the lives of ordinary Catholics like us.

There have certainly been some extraordinary saints who have made it their life’s work to help others see Jesus. I think particularly of the Saint we honor this weekend: the great patron of Ireland, St. Patrick. 

Many of you know some of the stories of St. Patrick: Patrick was born in Roman Britain. And when he was fourteen or so, he was captured by Irish pirates during a raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave. At the time, Ireland was a land of Druids and pagans, but Patrick, the son of a Deacon, kept his Catholic faith.

Patrick's captivity lasted until he was twenty years old, when he escaped slavery after having a dream from God in which he was told he could find his freedom by fleeing to the sea coast. There he found some sailors who took him back to Britain where he was reunited with his family.

Patrick wasn’t home long, when he sensed a call from God to return to Ireland to preach the Gospel. He was trained as a priest and was ordained by the bishop St. Germanus, who sent Patrick back to Ireland as a missionary bishop.

The legend of Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland is symbolic of driving paganism from the Emerald Isle, and leading its inhabitants to Christ. And Patrick was successful because he was filled with the life and love of Christ. 

The famous breastplate of St. Patrick speaks of the saint’s immense trust in the strength of Christ, but that other may encounter Christ through him: "Christ be within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks to me, Christ in the eye of every man that sees me, Christ in the ear of every man that hears me."

There are people in our lives who long to see Jesus, and we like the apostles, like so many saints, are called to help them to see the Lord, by patiently and clearly and zealously sharing Jesus with them.

After the Greeks share their desire to see Jesus, Jesus gives a teaching that his followers must become like grains of wheat, that die to themselves in order to truly live. The life of God cannot dwell in us if we are unwilling to die to ourselves. Christ cannot be seen in us, unless we decrease. So we must willingly pursue dying to our selfish desires, dying to the errors of the world.

In two weeks, we will celebrate again the great Paschal Solemnity of Easter the feast of new life--the new life God wants for us, but in those two weeks, we still have much dying to do. Pray more deeply, fast more assiduously, seek Jesus in the poor who need your assistance, and help others see Him, in your kindness. If you have any family members or neighbors who have fallen away from the Church, invite them to attend sacramental confession or invite them to attend our Good Friday veneration of the cross. Invite them to see Jesus. Through the dying and rising with Christ may we come to see Jesus face to face in the glorious resurrection, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

4th Week of Lent 2024 - Friday - Obnoxious to the Satanic

 During the final weeks of Lent, the weekday scripture readings detail the growing hostility towards Jesus culminating in his crucifixion.  Why do Jesus’ enemies hate him so?  

Our first reading from the book of Wisdom gives us a glimpse into the psychology of Jesus’ opponents. In these verses, we encounter the musings of the wicked about the just man. The wicked call the just man obnoxious, he challenges their attitudes and behaviors and ideals, his righteousness is a rebuke to their wicked ways, his relationship with God exposes their alienation from God. 

In the just man, the wicked face a mirror reflecting their own iniquities. The just man walks a path of righteousness and divine trust contrasting sharply with their world of deception and malice. And so what do the wicked do when faced with this reminder of their iniquity? They plot against him: “With revilement and torture let us put him to the test that we may have proof of his gentleness and try his patience. Let us condemn him to a shameful death; for according to his own words, God will take care of him."

The plotting of the wicked mirrors the behavior of Satan in the Book of Job. Recall how Satan challenges Job’s integrity by arguing that Job is faithful only because God has blessed him with prosperity. He suggests that if Job were to face suffering, his true nature would be revealed, and he would surely curse God. Similarly, in the Book of Wisdom, the wicked test the just man, challenging his righteousness and hoping to unveil hypocrisy or weakness. They both act out of a belief that righteousness is not genuine but merely a facade maintained for personal gain or under favorable circumstances.

In the hostility towards the just man there is a clear parallel to the way Jesus was treated by His opponents leading up to the crucifixion, who are filled with the Satanic spirit. 

The wicked of his day plotted against Jesus, twisted His words, and sought to eliminate Him. For the Lord Jesus, in His perfection, was a living rebuke to their hypocrisy and sinfulness. His light exposed their darkness. His Divine love and truth, exposed their selfishness and pride, which mirrors the Selfishness and pride of the Satan himself. 

The Satanic spirit is constantly at work to turn hearts from justice and truth, to twist human minds so that they interpret the goodness and truth and beauty of Christ to be obnoxious. And Satan has won over many souls.

So again, our Lenten penances, are not just for ourselves. They are done in the spirit of Christ who came to destroy the works of Satan, and the hold Satan has on souls, that they we may live in the goodness, truth, and beauty of the living God. Let us be lavish in our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving for ourselves and the deliverance of those bound by the lies of the Evil One, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. 

- - - -  

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

For those without faith, those with hearts hardened toward God, and for those searching for Him.

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

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

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

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

4th Week of Lent 2024 - Wednesday - Divine Sonship of Jesus Christ

 Following the fourth Sunday of Lent, we read during the weekdays predominantly from the Gospel of St. John. 

Like each of the evangelists, St. John details the miracles and teachings of Jesus, culminating in his self-sacrifice on Calvary and his resurrection. Compared to Mathew, Mark, and Luke, however, St. John often emphasizes the divine nature of Jesus, his consubstantiality with the Father, how he and the Father are united in nature, and also in their desire to save humanity.

Why did St. John convey this unique perspective? While the Gospels of Mathew, Mark, and Luke were written to explain the life and teachings of Jesus to a more general audience, including Jews and Gentiles with varying degrees of understanding of Jewish traditions, John's Gospel seems to address a community that was already familiar with Jesus' life and teachings. John’s intent was to deepen the understanding of Jesus' divine nature and to reinforce the faith of the believers. Since, John was writing a little later than the other 3 gospel writers, around the turn of the 1st century, his audience was already facing the spready of heresies about Jesus’ divine identity, prompting John to emphasize the spiritual and divine aspects of Jesus.

Today’s Gospel passage is emblematic of St. John’s high Christology, as scholars say, an example of St. John emphasizing Jesus’ divine nature and the consequences for his teaching.  The passage begins with Jesus claiming to share his Father’s work—his work and his Father’s work are the same. And immediately, St. John tells us that the reactions to this bold statement were dramatic. “For this reason they tried all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God.”

Jesus then doubles down, and claims that he can do nothing apart from the Father and does whatever the Father does, indicating a unity of action and will between the Son and the Father. That the Father has granted the Son authority to give life and to execute judgment, and goes so far to say that they should all should honor the Him with the same honor as they give to the Father. And then the real kicker: Jesus claims power to resurrect the dead and give eternal life.

This passage is helpful for us to understand the reasons for the hostility Jesus experiences, but also it offers several good lessons for Lent.

Lent is a time to deepen our understanding and appreciation of who Jesus is. He is the Divine Savior sent by the Father out of love for us, to do what we could not do for ourselves, save us from our sins. Jesus models perfect obedience and submission to the Father's will. And during Lent, we are called to imitate Christ's example by aligning our own will with God's and seeking to do what pleases him. Jesus emphasizes that he can do nothing apart from the Father. This reminds us of our own need to rely on God's strength and guidance, especially as we seek to grow in holiness during Lent. As Jesus speaks of the coming judgment, we are reminded of our own accountability before God. Lent is a time for self-examination, repentance, and seeking to live a life pleasing to God.

And finally Jesus' discourse highlights his authority over life and death and his role in the final resurrection. Lent is a time to focus on eternal realities and to live in light of the resurrection hope we have in Christ.

By reflecting on Jesus' divine identity and his relationship to the Father we honor Jesus as the divine Son, submit to his authority, depend on his power, and live with an eternal perspective as we prepare to celebrate the paschal mystery of his death and resurrection for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - -  

As the Solemnity of Easter approaches, dear brethren, let our prayer to the Lord be all the more insistent:

That God may be pleased to increase faith and understanding in the catechumens and those to be fully initiated in the coming Paschal Solemnity

For Peace throughout the nations of the world most threatened by hatred, division, and violence, for the protection of the unborn and the safety of the men and women in our armed forces.  

That all families will commit themselves to fervent prayer this Lent so as to grow in greater love and holiness.  

For the physical, emotional, and spiritual healing of all people, especially the spiritually blind and hard of heart.  

For all those who have died, for all the poor souls in purgatory, for those who have fought and died for our country’s freedom, and for…  

Have mercy, O Lord, on the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in the divine mystery may never be left without your assistance. Through Christ our Lord.

4th Week of Lent 2024 - Tuesday - Jesus the Water of Life

Yesterday, I mentioned how the 4th Sunday of Lent was a sort of dividing line in the Lenten season. During the first half of Lent, the scripture readings focus on penance, repentance, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving which help us to bring our passions under control. 

This second half of Lenten assumes that we still continue to practice Lenten penances, of course, but the scripture readings and mass orations speak a lot more about grace, life, healing, and purification. 

In scripture and tradition, these spiritual realities are symbolized often by water. We hear of water in both of our readings today: water flowing out of the temple, water with healing properties at the pool of Bethesda.

Water is essential for physical life; nothing can live without it. In many biblical stories, water is a source of life and growth. Just as water nourishes, cleanses, and sustains physical life, grace, healing, and spiritual life are the divine nourishment and sustenance for the soul. This parallel makes water a natural symbol for the life-giving grace of God. Water quenches the thirst of our bodies--God quenches the thirst of our soul--we were made for him.

Water is a means of cleansing. We wash our cars, we wash our houses, we wash our bodies, with water. Water washes away dirt, impurity, and contagions. So too, it is used sacramentally, to symbolize the washing away of sin in the baptism, and we even use blessed water to purify objects and places exposed to the contagion of evil. 

That water is needed by all people, in all places, and all times, reminds us of how God is needed by all people, in all places, and at all times. 

Water has the power to change landscapes, erode rock, nourish dry land, and create channels of new life. Just as water can lead to dramatic changes in the physical world, God’s grace leads to significant changes in our spiritual lives and personal circumstances.

Water flows, moves, and follows a path. This dynamic quality of water makes it a symbol for the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit in a believer's life. Just as a river follows its path, so does the Spirit guide us to the sea of God’s infinite goodness. 

Water flows from the Temple in the first reading today, foreshadowing how the water will flow from the side of Christ at his crucifixion and how the waters of baptism flow from the Church to all corners of the world, but recall that it is not water in itself that has the power to save us. Water, in fact, is shown to be insufficient in the Gospel today; it is Jesus who heals, it is Jesus who saves: A reminder that the saving waters of baptism are only capable of bringing new spiritual life, because of Christ. He is the living water--whoever comes to him shall never thirst, He is the one that causes a deep well of grace within our souls to spring up to eternal life. Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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As the Solemnity of Easter approaches, dear brethren, let our prayer to the Lord be all the more insistent:

That God may be pleased to increase faith and understanding in the catechumens and those to be fully initiated in the coming Paschal Solemnity

For Peace throughout the nations of the world most threatened by hatred, division, and violence, for the protection of the unborn and the safety of the men and women in our armed forces.  

That all families will commit themselves to fervent prayer this Lent so as to grow in greater love and holiness.  

For the physical, emotional, and spiritual healing of all people, especially the spiritually blind and hard of heart.  

For all those who have died, for all the poor souls in purgatory, for those who have fought and died for our country’s freedom, and for…  

Have mercy, O Lord, on the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in the divine mystery may never be left without your assistance. Through Christ our Lord.

4th Week of Lent 2024 - Monday - Promises of New Life

The fourth Sunday of Lent, yesterday, marked a threshold in this liturgical season.  No longer will the weekday readings emphasize prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. The Church assumes, that at this point, we have habituated these practices. Rather, from now until Holy Week, our weekday scripture readings will focus on the identity of Jesus as the Messiah, and the mounting hostility he faced leading up to his arrest and crucifixion. 

The gospel book changes as well.  Since Ash Wednesday, we’ve read from one of the Synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark, or Luke.  For the rest of Lent, we will read predominately from the Gospel of John, which presents Jesus as “the resurrection and the life”. 

The promise of new life is introduced in our reading from the prophet Isaiah this morning. God announces his plan and his promise to create a new heaven and a new earth where the sufferings and sadnesses of life—caused by sin and death and evil—shall not be remembered, but will be replaced with endless rejoicing and happiness. 

And then how did our Gospel reading show Jesus fulfilling this promise of new life. The weeping of the royal official over his dying son is replaced with joy when Jesus restores health to the boy. Joy is brought to the entire household. 

Yesterday, on Laetare Sunday the liturgy urged us to be joyful, for all who mourn shall be made to exult. And again today, we have this connection with joy and new life. The new life available to all of us through Christ is the cause of our joy. 

Joy should be evident in the life of the Christian. Even as we undergo Lenten penances, there should be joy. Because we know that our Lenten penances bring life. They are aimed at the spiritual growth of our souls, and softening hardened hearts to the life of God. 

Our collect prayer this morning, too, spoke about the renewal God desires to bring about through Christ. What is the renewal God wants for you, right now, and this point in your life? Can you identify it? If not, ask God to help you identify those parts of your mind, body, and spirit that he wants to renew through Christ. And if you do know, ask for the strength to pursue that renewal, that new life. It might not be easy. Renewal might require change and breaking habits and thinking and speaking differently. But that change is good because it is the change desired for you by God. 

May the joy of our salvation in Christ pierce through every darkness and lead us and those we pray for to the eternal light of Heaven for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. 

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As the Solemnity of Easter approaches, dear brethren, let our prayer to the Lord be all the more insistent:

That God may be pleased to increase faith and understanding in the catechumens and those to be fully initiated in the coming Paschal Solemnity

For Peace throughout the nations of the world most threatened by hatred, division, and violence, for the protection of the unborn and the safety of the men and women in our armed forces.  

That all families will commit themselves to fervent prayer this Lent so as to grow in greater love and holiness.  

For the physical, emotional, and spiritual healing of all people, especially the spiritually blind and hard of heart.  

For all those who have died, for all the poor souls in purgatory, for those who have fought and died for our country’s freedom, and for…  

Have mercy, O Lord, on the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in the divine mystery may never be left without your assistance. Through Christ our Lord.

4th Sunday of Lent 2024 - Joyous Eucatastrophe

 Some of you may have heard of the celebrated 20th century author J.R.R. Tolkien. He gained some popular notoriety a few years ago when his books, the Lord of the Rings saga and the Hobbit, were turned into very-well done blockbuster movies by the New Zealand film director Peter Jackson.

JRR Tolkien, you may not know, was a devout Catholic, and his faith deeply influenced his work. The Lord of the Rings is imbued with Catholic themes such as the struggle between good and evil, the importance of self-sacrifice, and the power of grace. Tolkien's heroes are often the small and humble who are called to do great things and carry heavy burdens. His world, called Middle-earth, is one that values tradition, ritual, knowledge, virtue, and a proper ordering of things.

Tolkien believed that myths and fairy stories could convey deep spiritual truths. He saw them not as mere escapism, but as a means to connect with reality at a deeper level. You’d be surprised that many young people credit Tolkien as part of their journey home back to the faith. A very good priest friend of mine even told me that he never would have entered seminary, had it not been for Tolkien’s stories.

In one of his essays, Tolkien discusses how stories can invoke real joy within us, particularly through what he called "eucatastrophe," a term he coined for a joyous turn of events that brings unexpected grace and victory over sorrow, failure, and death.

Think of that moment in Les Miserables where the criminal Jean Valjan is arrested for stealing from the Archbishop. And instead of condemning him and demanding back his silver, the Archbishop says no, take the silver, use it to begin a new life dedicated to grace. The unexpected act of mercy bought his soul for God.

Or think of those old pictures of the Allied forces, rolling in to liberate those concentration camps, and the jubilation that came after those months of starvation and impending doom. 

Or a few years ago, remember, the miraculous rescue of those 33 miners trapped underground for 70 days in Chile brought the world together in a shared experience of relief and jubilation. 

We love these types of stories. They exemplify what Tolkien called eucatastrophe—the triumph of goodness that we didn't see coming, which sparks profound joy.

Did you catch the eucatastrophe in our first reading today?

Our first reading today mirrors this concept. Despite continuous warnings, the people of Judah persisted in their infidelity, leading to the destruction of Jerusalem and their exile to Babylon—a direct result of their defiance against God. It was a desperate situation, one they had brought upon themselves, threatening the very existence of their civilization.

But then, the miraculous turn: God moves the heart of King Cyrus to allow the Jews to return to their homeland. And this of course brought profoundest joy.

The Jews knew they were lost, they were beaten, and they were totally at the mercy of their captors. They could not save themselves.

But in his mercy, and fidelity to the promises that HE had made, God saves them. Because God is faithful even when we are unfaithful and undeserving. And that is the cause of our joy. 

This narrative found in Chronicles is analogous to humanity's state before Christ. We were in exile, a predicament of our own making. Despite warnings, we sinned. The ripple effects of our sins damaged our minds, bodies, and souls, deserving eternal separation from God. We deserved hell for our sins—endless sorrow of being excluded from God’s presence for all eternity, the knowledge that its duration would continue forever without possibility of rest, the knowledge that it could have been otherwise had we remained faithful, and the understanding that our punishment was entirely our own fault. 

But then the joyous eucatastrophe--the greatest unexpected grace: For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.

The joy of the Christian life does not come from the fact that God has freed us from our earthly sufferings—each one of us here still suffers. Evil bombards us. 

Rather, the joy of the Christian life is the experience of salvation—the knowledge and understanding that we have been saved by Jesus Christ when we were deserving of hell. And from experience of salvation blossoms joy that no earthly suffering can diminish—because God’s grace pierces through those evils every time—and shows us the way to heaven. 

This is why Christians can experience joy on our death beds. We’re given a diagnosis of terminal cancer, and we can still have joy because we know that God has given us the way to walk through the cancer to eternal life. We can experience joy when we have been stripped of all things, like Jesus stripped of his clothes on calvary. Because it’s not the earthly things that bring us joy, it’s the thing that can’t be taken away, our union with Christ.

And the only reason a Christian can end up in hell is because of his choice to walk away from Christ up to his final breaths—the rejection of the grace of repentance. But we know, that God reaches out to those souls all the time. He brings about eucatastrophes in their lives—unexpected graces—to help them see the light in their darkness.

And this is why our penances and prayers, during the season of Lent and throughout the year, are so important. Penances undertaken on behalf of others cause beams of God’s light to shine into the darkness of their errors and sins. Our prayers whispered to God help them hear God whispering in the depths of their hearts amidst all the noise of the world.

Christians we don’t just do penance and pray without cause, as if we would anger God if we didn’t. God uses our prayers and penances to help save the lost. And that brings us joy, doesn’t it. To know, that our prayer is powerful, our sufferings offered up, are powerful? When we offer up our sufferings in union with Christ, God works. 

This is why we are to be generous, lavish, with our Lenten prayer and penance and almsgiving. People say, I don’t like to give anything up for Lent. Fine, we aren’t supposed to necessarily enjoy penance. But those things that you don’t like to do, but you do them anyway because they are the right thing to do, deepen your joy in Christ because you are united to Him in his suffering and in his saving mission.

So let us be generous in our Lenten penances and prayers, offering them up for those who have fallen away from the Church or do not yet know Christ. Our sacrifices, united to His cross, become channels of grace that God can use to work eucatastrophes in their lives.

May the joy of our salvation in Christ pierce through every darkness and lead us and those we pray for to the eternal light of Heaven for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

3rd Week of Lent 2024 - Friday - Return to God and be made whole

One of the most prevalent themes and messages of the Bible is that of returning to God. “Return to God with your whole heart” Joel says. In fact, the call to return to God is the constant call of the prophets.

Through Zechariah God declares, "Return to me and I will return to you.” The call to return is central to the prophet Hosea’s message, as we heard today, “Return, O Israel, to the LORD, your God; you have collapsed through your guilt.”

Hosea wants Israel to recognize that it has stumbled and fallen into spiritual and moral decay due to its disobedience to God. The weight of sin has caused Israel to collapse—like a house whose roof has fallen in, or a body collapsing because it is exhausted and fatigued and sick and burdened or staggering drunk. The call to return to God is the invitation to allow God to raise you up, to restore your strength, to restore the foundations of your house, of your life, to set you back on your feet after you’ve fallen. 

“I will heal their defection, says the LORD, I will love them freely; for my wrath is turned away from them. I will be like the dew for Israel: he shall blossom like the lily.” Notice that the return to God involves healing and a deepened experience of love and freedom, refreshment, renewal, and new growth. Why would we ever deprive ourselves of the benefit of returning to God to be made whole again?

In the Gospel, Jesus speaks to the scribe about the great commandment to love God and neighbor. 

Returning to God allows us to love as we were designed to love. God is the ultimate source of love. When we are in right relationship with Him, we are more connected to His love, which then overflows into our relationships with others. The more we abide in God's love, the more capacity we have to love others.

When we have returned to right relationship with God, the we experience His loving forgiveness and grace enables us to extend forgiveness and grace to others. It allows us to let go of resentment, bitterness, and judgment, fostering reconciliation and harmony in relationships.

Jesus exemplified perfect love through His sacrificial service. Returning to a right relationship with God aligns us with the example of Christ, who came not to be served but to serve. When we prioritize our relationship with God, we are empowered to serve others selflessly, meeting their needs and seeking their welfare.

As we journey through this Lenten season, let us heed the timeless call to return to God with our whole hearts. Just as the prophets of old urged Israel to turn back to the Lord, so too are we beckoned to recognize our stumbling, our spiritual fatigue, and our guilt, and to seek restoration in the loving embrace of our Heavenly Father.

Let us embrace this season of return as an opportunity for spiritual rejuvenation and growth, trusting in God's faithfulness to heal our wounds, to refresh our spirits, and to lead us into a deeper communion with Him. May our return to God be marked by a renewed fervor to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbors as ourselves, thereby fulfilling the greatest commandment and bearing witness to the transformative power of God's love in our lives.