August 6 2025 - Transfiguration and Cross

 

Today we celebrate the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Why? Why August 6? It seems like such a random day. We read the account of the Lord’s Transfiguration of Mount Tabor every year on the 2^nd Sunday of Lent, but Scripture is not clear that the Transfiguration took place near Good Friday, only that the Transfiguration occurred shortly after the Lord made his first prediction of his Passion.

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the feast was adopted in the liturgy about the tenth century in many dioceses, and was celebrated mostly on 6 August. In 1456, Pope Callixtus III extended the feast to the Universal Church in memory of a victory over the Ottoman Turks in Belgrade on August 6, 1456.

Many have noted that August 6 is 40 days prior to the feast of the Exultation of the Cross, which is a much older feast, going back to Constantine’s dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem in 335.

And that explanation makes sense to me, the Transfiguration cannot really be understood apart from the cross.

The Transfiguration occurs in Luke’s Gospel directly after Christ calls His followers to pick up their Cross and follow Him: “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it.”

The liturgy itself makes this connection. In the Eucharistic preface, we will hear that Jesus “revealed his glory in the presence of chosen witnesses and filled with the greatest splendor his bodily form which he shares with all humanity, that the scandal of the Cross might be removed from the hearts of his disciples”.

The Lord foretells how being his disciple includes carrying a cross, suffering, enduring challenge and trial, and dying to self in order to accomplish the Father’s will. And yet, in the Transfiguration, the Lord gives us a glimpse of heavenly glory. St. Paul writes to the Romans, that we have been made “heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.”

Heavenly glory awaits those who are willing to suffer with Christ to accomplish God’s will on earth. This is why we labor and toil and risk persecution. The promise of heaven. The cross is the road to transfiguration.

May we bear our crosses with faith, hope, and live, dying to self, that we may live for God, dying with Christ, that we may live with Him forever, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

 

For the Church, that inspired by the glimpse of glory revealed in Christ's Transfiguration, we may have the courage to take up our crosses daily. Let us pray to the Lord.

For our parish community, that our participation in the Eucharist may transfigure us and provide us the strength to bear witness to Christ in our daily lives. Let us pray to the Lord.

For those facing trials and sufferings, that they may find strength and consolation in the promise of Christ's glory, just as the apostles were strengthened for the journey ahead. Let us pray to the Lord.

For those who have died, that they may share in the fullness of Christ's glory in heaven, which was glimpsed on Mount Tabor, especially N, for whom this mass is offered. Let us pray to the Lord.

Heavenly Father, You revealed the glory of Your Son on Mount Tabor, strengthening the disciples for the journey ahead. As we bring these petitions before You, transfigure our hearts with Your grace, that we may faithfully bear our crosses and reflect Your light in the world.

 

August 05 2025 - St. Mary Major - Entrusting ourselves to Our Lady

 

Typically the Church’s Liturgical Calendar calls for the celebration of a holy person, but today we celebrate the dedication of a holy place: St. Mary Major, one of Rome’s four principal basilicas.  The others are St. Peter’s, St. John Lateran, and St. Paul outside the Walls.

The basilica is the largest Marian church in the world.  It stands atop one of Rome’s seven hills, and despite many restorations, still has the character of an early Roman basilica, containing ancient mosaics and a breathtaking shrine containing the relics of the crib of Bethlehem.

The basilica is of particular importance to the Christians of Rome, for it contains the ancient and venerated image of Mary, the Salus Populi Romani, depicting the Blessed Virgin as the help and protectress of the Roman People.

According to legend, this image of Our Lady holding the Christ child, was painted by the St. Luke. The story goes that after the crucifixion, the pious women of Jerusalem urged St. Luke to visit Mary in the home of John the Apostle to memorialize her image. While he painted, the Mother of Jesus spoke of the life of her son. This explains how St. Luke’s Gospel contains the all those marvelous stories from prior to the birth of Jesus. St. Luke brought the painting back to Jerusalem where it remained until it was discovered by Saint Helen in the 4th century

Holy Father Pope Francis would visit this image of Our Lady before and after his apostolic journeys. In his last will and testament, the late Holy Father wrote, “I wish my last earthly journey to end at this very ancient Marian shrine where I would go to pray at the beginning and end of each apostolic journey to confidently entrust my intentions to the Immaculate Mother and to thank her for the docile and maternal care.” And so, according to his wishes, it is now where Francis’ remains are laid to rest.

Customarily, the pope celebrates Mass at Mary Major each year on the feast of the Assumption of Mary, Aug. 15. So Pope Leo will be celebrating at Mary Major on the upcoming Holy Day.

The Church universal calls upon our Lady today who we delight in honoring in statutes, shrines, churches, paintings, sculptures, medals, basilicas, and even naming our children after her. Like the late Holy Father, we do well to turn to her image or at least call upon her before and after our endeavors. In doing so, we give glory to God, we entrust ourselves to our spiritual Mother’s maternal care, and we seek her aid in living out our Christian duties, particular vocations, and apostolates, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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For the Church, our Holy Mother: That she may continue to nurture and guide the faithful through her teachings and sacraments, bearing Christ to the world in word and deed. Let us pray to the Lord.

For those who feel distant from the Church: That they may experience anew the maternal love of Mary and the Church, finding their way back to the family of faith. Let us pray to the Lord.

For vocations to the priesthood and religious life: That many may respond generously to God's call to serve as instruments of His love and mercy within Mother Church. Let us pray to the Lord.

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

That members of the Church may be attentive to the needs of those who suffer, and that sick and the poor may be open to the merciful grace of God.

For the deceased members of our families and parishes, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, and for N., for whom this Mass is offered.

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

 

 

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2025 - Vanity of vanities

 The book of Ecclesiastes was written about 300 years before the birth of Our Lord and is part of the Old Testament known as the Wisdom literature, along with the book of Proverbs and Psalms. The Jewish people read from the book of Ecclesiastes every year during the festival of Booths, when they celebrate the fall harvest. And there is some wisdom there. In the midst of the abundance of the harvest—the abundance of earthly things—they read “vanity of vanities all things are vanity”—a reminder that the things of the earth pass away, they are as ephemeral as a breath.

We are to take the wisdom of Ecclesiastes to heart: that the purpose of life isn’t simply to toil for earthly things—to hoard up earthly treasure. In the end our earthly pursuits really aren’t that important. Scripture calls it foolishness to spend your life toiling away just to make a bunch of money to pass onto children who will likely squander it.

Rather, we are to live wisely. Wisdom seeks what is highest and most important. We are to live in such a way in which we seek not what is earthly, but what is timeless, in which we are oriented not toward the earthly but to the eternal, to accumulate and pass on to future generation not simply earthly wealth but eternal wisdom. Wisdom is more valuable than wealth or earthly accolades. What good is winning an earthly race if you lose the heavenly one.

When confronted by someone from the crowd who is clearly overly concerned with earthly matters, Our Lord in the Gospel this today teaches, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” Greed—the love of money—the love of possessions—is a powerful motivating factor for a lot of people, in ancient Israel, in Jesus’ day, and in our own. And so the Lord says, take care to guard against this temptation. Take care, exert effort, to make sure your life is properly oriented.

And then to drive home his point, the Lord tells a parable in which a man who foolishly hoarded earthly possessions dies and ends up with nothing.  “Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God.”

If we are focused more on earthly things than heavenly things we are dead inside, we are not on the path of life that leads to heaven.

The Scripture readings throughout Ordinary Time are wonderfully challenging. They help us to ensure that our priorities are straight, our lives are in order, that we are properly oriented to running the race that matters most to God.

Consider what we’ve heard over the last three weeks. Three weeks ago, we heard the story of the Good Samaritan. What matters to God is that we exercise charity to all, we expand our definition of a neighbor to include those whom the rest of the world overlooks. What matters to God is that we become Good Samaritans to all.

Two weeks ago, we heard of Jesus’ visit to the home of Martha and Mary. When Martha complained about being overwhelmed with earthly matters, we heard what mattered most to Jesus is what Mary was doing: she was nurturing a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus by listening to his words, sitting in his presence.

And then last week, we heard how Jesus taught his disciples to pray. He taught his disciples the perfect prayer, the Our Father. What matters to God is that we seek His Will over our own, that we approach him with open-hands daily instead of relying on our own self-sufficiency, that we practice unconditional forgiveness, that we seek God’s protection and deliverance from all evil every day. The Our Father is a sort of checklist. Are you seeking God’s will every day, are you turning to God for your daily bread, the help you need that can only come from God, are you seeking to become more merciful every day. If not, conversion, change is needed.

Then today’s parable about earthly stuff reminds us that God is not impressed by the quantity of our assets. Heaven—eternal life— is not obtained by the number of trophies, degrees, social media followers and likes.

What impresses God is the quality of our our souls, whether our lives are filled with his truth, goodness, and beauty, or not.

In the Second Reading, St. Paul says bluntly: “put to death, the parts of you that are earthly:” Here’s the remedy for our tendency to love the things of earth more than the things of heaven.

The parts of us that are obsessed with storing up things that do not matter to God, put them to death, bury them and leave them behind. The things that cause you to forget about heaven, your Christian duties, your Christian identity, sever your relationship with them.

Paul says put to death “immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry.”  Do everything you can to stop following impulses which are soley focused on earthly pleasure, earthly gain.

God wants to share his very life with us, to make us like himself, full of generous self-giving and limitless charity. But we need practice discipline toward the earthly, so that we may say yes to God.

At this Holy Mass Jesus comes once again to renew us in Word and Sacrament, may he continue to free us from the desire for earthly things and increase our hunger and thirst for holiness, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

17th Week in Ordinary Time 2025 - Monday - Growth of the Kingdom of Heaven

 In the course of his public ministry, the Lord employed parables to teach about discipleship, faithfulness, and charity.

Today’s Gospel contained two short parables to describe growth—growth in the kingdom of heaven.

Before we consider the parables, what does the Lord mean when he uses that phrase, “the kingdom of heaven”. The kingdom of heaven is a constant topic in the Lord’s teaching. The phrase is used over 30 times in the Gospel of Matthew. A number of the parables describe what the “kingdom of heaven” is like. So, it’s a multi-faceted idea. Sometimes the kingdom of heaven seems to be describing the body of believers, sometimes the dominion of God, sometimes the presence of God in the individual soul, sometimes all these things at once.

Today’s parables speak of the kingdom of God as a reality that experiences growth. It starts off small, even barely visible, even undetectable to physical sight, but it can grow, and grow even beyond our human expectations.

The small seed growing into a large bush big enough for all of the birds of the sky to dwell in its branches makes us think of the Church. The Lord’s mission in establishing the kingdom of heaven began with very small beginnings but encompasses all nations, all people, and all time.

So too with the life of charity in the individual soul. It often starts off small, the small seed planted at baptism, the first hearing and reception of the Gospel. And then it has the potential to bloom into a magnificent sight, as seen in the lives of the saints. We must certainly do all that we can to cultivate the life of the kingdom of heaven in our hearts. 

But also, this Gospel certainly challenges us to never underestimate the power and importance of small acts of charity and sharing the Gospel with single individuals. This is how the kingdom of heaven grows. Again look at the saints. Most of these people started off as uneducated unremarkable people, and became bright, shining, majestic souls because someone, often a parent, or an ordinary Catholic like you and me, took the time, took the risk, to share the Word of God with them.

I remember, Pope Benedict warning Catholics to resist what he calls “the temptation of impatience”, that is the temptation to insist on “immediately finding great success” in “large numbers”.  “For the Kingdom of God and for evangelization, the parable of the grain of mustard seed is always valid.”  This new modern phase of the Church’s evangelization mission is likely not one of immediately attracting the large masses from the secular world or people who have distanced themselves from the Church” to begin attending mass. 

Rather, start with your neighbor, the individual looking for God, looking for fulfillment in something more than the culture has to offer. Believe in the power of God to transform the mustard seed, and act accordingly, to build up the kingdom of heaven, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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Trusting in the power of God’s grace, let us bring our petitions to the Lord:

For the Church throughout the world: That she may remain faithful in planting the seeds of the Kingdom through word, sacrament, and service.

For all Christians engaged in the work of evangelization: That they may resist the temptation of impatience and find renewed hope in the slow but steady growth of God’s grace in the hearts of others.

For those who have strayed from the faith or feel distant from the Church: That through the witness of faithful individuals and small acts of love, they may rediscover the beauty and truth of the Gospel.

For those who suffer in body or spirit, especially the lonely and forgotten: That they may find shelter and hope in the branches of God’s mercy and the compassion of His people.

For the faithful departed: That the seed of faith planted in their lives may now blossom into the fullness of eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven. 

God of mercy and love, hear our prayers and give us the grace to cooperate in Your work of salvation, trusting always in Your power to transform our efforts, through Christ our Lord.

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2025 - Purification from Pride

 The Catholic poet, Dante Alighieri, wrote a famous poem, over 700 years ago now, called the Divine Comedy—La Comedia Divina.  In the three books of La Comedia, Dante chronicles a pilgrimage he makes through hell, purgatory, and heaven.   He describes the horrific sights and sounds of the punishment of the wicked in hell for their failure to repent from their self-centeredness. He then makes his way up the mountain of purgatory, where he meets the repentant souls undergoing purification from the effects of their life’s sinfulness. Dante finally visits heaven, il paradiso, where amidst glorious celestial light he meets the blessed saints, who free from all selfishness, now enjoy the beauty of being in God’s presence.

Of the three books of La Comedia, I always enjoy reading the purgatorio. Dante structures the purgatorio according to the seven deadly sins: pride, envy, wrath, sloth, avarice, gluttony, and lust, in that order. Even in structuring the book this way, Dante is inspiring hope. Because what is he saying? He’s saying that even if you’ve committed these sins—if you repent and do penance, you can begin to make your way to heaven.

As he first arrives at the base of the mountain of purgatory, Dante meets a very large group of souls, the largest he encounters in purgatory—those needing to be purified from sins of pride. And this is the largest group because for Dante, every sin can be traced back to pride. In a sense, all sin involves that prideful turning away from God, claiming to know better than God, pridefully rejecting God’s will.

Pride is a sin condemned by Jesus himself. Explicitly, Jesus condemns the pride of the Pharisees: not only have they pridefully placed themselves in the place of God and misguided God’s people, they pridefully refuse to recognize Jesus. 

The prideful in purgatory are the largest group also because pride, for most of us, takes the longest and most effort to be freed from. How many people here are totally free from pride: not me. And we are the ones that recognize that we have a problem! Consider all the people out there that don’t even recognize the need to pray, to come to church, to keep God’s commandments, and to repent from sin.

As a remedy for their pride--as part of their purification--Dante describes the repentant souls as willingly doing two things: firstly, he describes them as carrying a huge weight on their back which weighs them down to the ground. Why? For, in life the prideful refuse to bow as we should: we pridefully refuse to humbly bow to God as we should, to God’s will, we pridefully refuse to bow in deference to the needs of our neighbor. So the souls willingly carry this heavy spiritual weight, to teach them how to bow. 

Additionally, the souls are depicted engaging in an act of humility taught by the Lord himself in today’s Gospel. Until they are totally freed from their pride, they pray—they pray the prayer taught by Jesus himself, the Our Father, the Lord’s prayer.  Their purification from pride, the healing of their willfulness and self-centeredness, the conversion of their sinful egotism, was to recite over and over, humbly and devoutly, the Lord’s prayer.

Why does Dante see the Our Father as a fitting purification for pride? Sinful Pride claims “MY WILL BE DONE”, you should all bow to me, my way of doing things, my wishes, my desires, my plans, my whims. And the Our Father prays, the opposite, not my will, but God’s will be done. It is a prayer of true humility. 

And, this is the fundamental disposition of the Christian, to acknowledge that this life is not about me. The point of all of this, the meaning of life, if you will is to learn to bow to the Father in all things. Anyone who is serious about obtaining Everlasting Life in Heaven will do all he can to bow to the Father’s Will.  Obedience to God is to be given without limit. For, there is no room in heaven for disobedience, just as there was no room in the Garden of Eden for the disobedience of Adam and Eve. Jesus shows us that the way to the Father is one of obedience. And Jesus doesn’t simply give lip-service to the Father, he doesn’t just tell us to be obedient. He is obedient “even to death, death on a cross” as St. Paul writes. 

The Our Father is one of the first prayers we learn as Catholics: we commit it to memory; we pray it at every celebration of Mass. I remember committing it to memory in first grade PSR. 

Having committed the prayer to memory, the danger of course, is that we just rattle off the words without considering how their meaning is to shape our life. God preserve us from praying this most fundamental prayer mindlessly. 

A good priest once suggested to me that our holiness as a Christian can be measured by our ability to pray the Our Father from the heart. In Dante’s purgatory, the Our Father is prayed over and over as an act of purification from pride, until these souls truly learn to pray it from the heart, with a heart in union with the heart of Jesus. 

To pray the Our Father from the heart means to pray it from your very depths, to mean every phrase of it, to pray it with the heart and the mind of Jesus Christ.  As a spiritual exercise it is helpful from time to time to pray the Our Father, very slowly, reflecting upon every word, what those words really mean for us as Christians.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church, by the way, is a wonderful resource for this, the entire final 100 paragraphs of the Catechism deal with each line and each phrase of the Lord’s Prayer.

Consider even the very first word of Jesus’ prayer. Where pride focuses on me, me, me.  The Lord’s Prayer teaches us to focus on us, on we.  We are to address God as part of a community.  The first word of the Our Father is Our.  

In teaching us to pray, Jesus teaches us to focus not just on ME, my life, my needs, my desires, rattling off my wish list. For Christianity is not a mere private affair.  The Church Jesus founded is not just a gathering of isolated individuals, but persons who have been brought into a new communion with God and one another.  We go to God together.  

Look at Sunday Mass.  We cannot fulfill our Sunday obligation by sitting in a room, by ourselves, communing with God.  We are meant to come together, at least every week, in united prayer. Anyone who claims that they don’t need the Church to be Christian needs to reexamine the data and the teachings of Jesus Christ.

I think that may be another reason why Dante depicts those in purgatory repentant of pride as this large group of people—it’s reminiscent of the Church. We are this large of group of people, who pray the Our Father together, who learning how to be humble, how to serve, how to obey, together. 

That’s why even leaving early from mass right after receiving communion doesn’t make a lick of sense. What are you saying, “I’ve got my jesus, I don’t need you people, I’m leaving, I’ve got places to be”. Stay, slow down. We need each other if we are going to fulfill our mission. Pray for each other, be blessed together, and go out together. Care about each other.  The people in this church with you aren’t meant to be strangers. They are your brothers and sisters in Christ. And we’ve got work to do, together, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

July 25 2025 - St. James the Greater - A pilgrimage lesson from the Camino de Santiago

 

You may have heard that as part of our seminary formation program here in Cleveland, the bishop has instituted what is called a propaedeutic immersion year. It is a year just prior to beginning formal theological studies. Propaedeutic means preparatory. So the seminarians prepare for the more intense years of seminary formation in this propaedeutic year. And they do so by adopting a rather monastic schedule of prayer and study. Except for a few hours once a week, they fast from technology, media and commerce—so they are only able to use a cell phone or internet on Saturdays. In an age filled with so many distractions—the propaedeutic year is aimed at becoming a little bit more still in order to listen to God more deeply. Once a week they also dedicate to service projects and apostolic ministry. They had an inner city immersion experience in January. And, they just returned from walking the Camino de Santiago, the pilgrim way of St. James.

The Camino follows the way that the apostle we honor today, St. James, walked, bringing the Gospel 3000 miles from the shores of the Sea of Galilee where he was first called by the Lord.

I had the opportunity to speak with one of the seminarians this week who made the pilgrimage--not the whole way from the Holy Land, but a good chunk! They would walk for a major portion of the day, then stay in hostels. He said they would walk through towns and meet people on some days. Other days, were very boring, walking through pretty desolate, unpopulated areas. And all you had was your faith, and companionship with the other pilgrims.

I think that speaks pretty well for the nature of the Christian life, which itself is a pilgrimage. Sometime the Christian pilgrimage is filled with excitement and activity, sometimes it is lonely or kind of empty. But it’s in those empty times when we are really challenged to open ourselves to the experience of God with us.

If you are experiencing some dryness in your faith or prayer life, or have a special petition—like the discernment of your vocation or the repose of the soul of a dear loved one, perhaps you carry a great guilt or a great grief, make a pilgrimage. Detach from the things of the world for a bit, in visit a holy place. Make an intentional spiritual journey to a holy place to seek the special intercession of the saint honored there.  

Likely, on that pilgrimage you will also discover, how you, like St. James, are called to share the Gospel with others.

Each day is part of the pilgrimage of the Christian life, in which we are called to practice perseverance, detachment, trust, and friendliness to those we meet. May St. James the example and intercession of St. James urge us on in our apostolic efforts in this our pilgrim journey, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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May we join the Holy Apostles in our prayer for the world and the Church.

As the Apostles witnessed to the Resurrection of the Lord, may we be witnesses to the farthest corners of the world.

For the bishops, the successors of the apostles: That they may be courageous in stirring up the flame of faith and defending the Church from error.

For all of the sick and suffering, especially victims of natural disaster, poverty, and addiction, may they be comforted and supported by God’s healing love. We pray to the Lord.

For all who long to see the face of the Father, for all our departed loved ones and all of the souls in purgatory, and for N. for whom this Mass is offered. We pray to the Lord.

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

July 23 2025 - St. Bridget of Sweden - Union with the Cross and Abundance of Life

 

The Opening Prayer mentions how God guided Saint Bridget of Sweden “along different paths of life.”  Bridget was a wife, a mother, a lady-in-waiting in the royal court, a mystic, a third Order Franciscan, and finally a foundress of a religious order.  

At ten years of age young Bridget had a mystic vision of Jesus on the cross, covered with fresh blood and speaking to her about his Passion.  She received many such revelations which fill 8 volumes. 

Through all those different paths of life, she sought to unite herself ever more closely to the suffering Christ.

She and her husband, the Prince of Sweden, had 8 children, for whom she set the powerful Christian example of faith and charity. After her husband’s death, she renounced her wealth and joined the Franciscans, at a monastery which she and her husband had built. 

In 1999, Pope John Paul II declared St. Bridget a Co-Patroness of Europe, along with Saint Catherine of Siena and Saint Theresa Benedicta of the Cross.

In his declaration naming Bridget a Co-Patroness of Europe, the Pope said, that Bridget of Sweden is not just a model for those in consecrated religious life, but especially for married people—that those who have “the high and demanding vocation of forming a Christian family will feel that she is close to them.”  

The Pope emphasized how “she and her husband enjoyed a married life in which conjugal love was joined to intense prayer, the study of Sacred Scripture, mortification and charitable works. Together they founded a small hospital, where they often attended the sick. Bridget was in the habit of serving the poor personally. At the same time, she was appreciated for her gifts as a teacher”

We see in the Saints what life is supposed to look like.  The Lord guides us along many different paths and desires to teach us, like St. Bridget, the wisdom of the cross: that fulfillment in this life is found, not in wealth and possessions and making a name for ourselves, but seeking the Lord’s will in all things, particularly in accepting the cross for the sake of the kingdom.

There is a famous mosaic in the ancient basilica of St. Clement in Rome of the crucified Christ, and from the cross come an abundance of vines and branches, spoken of in our gospel today. When we are united to Christ, there is an abundance of life. Just like we see in saints like St. Bridget, union with Christ brings life in the spirit, an abundance of spiritual gifts and good works which are to be used for the building up of the church, for the spread of the Gospel, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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That members of the Church, priests, religious, married, and single, may seek the kingdom of God His and righteousness and the Divine Will above all.

For an increase in vocations to the religious life, for the spiritual good of the Bridgettine Order, for third Order Franciscans, and that consecrated religious may continue to bless the Church by their faithful living of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

Through the intercession of St. Bridget, co-patroness of Europe, for the conversion of the people of Europe from all that keeps them from following Christ.

That the sick, suffering, and sorrowful may know the consolation and peace of the living God.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all of the souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for N. for whom this mass is offered.

Hear Our Prayers, O Lord, and through the intercession of St. Bridget of Sweden, help us, as we walk the many paths of life, to serve you in all things and come to the eternal kingdom of heaven. Through Christ. Our Lord.

16th Sunday of Ordinary Time 2025 - Misaligned or drawn deeper into the Divine

 Last week, from Luke’s Gospel we heard the parable of the Good Samaritan: an instruction from Our Lord to go beyond our comfort zones to help others.  Immediately following the parable of the Good Samaritan, Saint Luke gives the account of our Lord’s visit to Martha and Mary, which we heard today.

The two stories complement each other well. For on the one hand, we are taught in the Good Samaritan Story, how disciples of Jesus Christ are to go out into the highways, and pick up and care for the wounded and those in need.  

On the other hand, Martha and Mary teach us another indispensable dimension of discipleship. Martha was busy with all the details of hospitality and Mary was sitting at the feet of Our Lord, listening to his word.  Martha was tending to the physical needs of the Jesus—she was in a sense the good Samaritan caring for someone’s needs, and that’s good. But it is Mary who is praised by the Lord. The Lord said, “Mary has chosen the better part”.

Yes, we have to care for those in need, yes we have to lift up the wounded, yes we should tend to the physical needs of our guests. Faith needs to be seen in our works; faith without works is dead, after all.

But we cannot lose sight of the one most necessary thing: we must remain grounded in our relationship to God by sitting at the feet of Christ. We must nurture that close, personal, intimate relationship with God through prayer, meditation, and contemplation.

There’s a story from the Missionary Sisters of Charity, the order of consecrated religious sisters founded by St. Mother Theresa of Calcutta.  One of the charisms of the Missionary Sisters of Charity is to take care of the poorest of the poor.  They literally lift starving discarded people out of the gutter and give them food and shelter and comfort.  They are literally saving lives. Yet, every day, the Missionary Sisters of Charity make a holy hour: they pray for an hour every day, usually around 6am, in front of the blessed Sacrament.  

Well, one day, a young novice goes to Mother Theresa, and says how she thinks that the holy hour is a waste of time; there are people starving to death on the streets while the sisters are in the chapel praying.  “Sister, you seem very troubled” Mother said.  “I am, Mother, this holy hour is a waste of time.”  “Because you think this,” said mother Theresa to the young novice, “you need two hours.”

St. Francis de Sales, Doctor of the Church, remarked similarly, “"Everyone of us needs half an hour of prayer each day, except when we are busy—then we need an hour."

Francis de Sales and Mother Theresa understood the importance of work and charity, but also they knew how easy it is for us to become burnt out, misaligned, and disconnected from God without the daily prayer that sustains us.

Martha was no doubt doing good work in the Gospel today. But the Lord corrects her—reorients her. Why? For one, she comes into the room complaining. Never a good way to enter a room and begin a conversation. Complaining, as depicted in Scripture, is often associated with a lack of faith and trust in God's provision and sovereignty. I’ve met Christians who have complained to me before saying hello. 

Martha complains: Lord, don’t you care that my sister isn’t helping me? Jesus, don’t you care about the same things I care about? Already, we detect, a misalignment of Martha’s will and Jesus’ will. And this misalignment has brought her unhappiness and resentment, as is always the case when our hearts are misaligned. Martha then seeks to force her will, not only on her sister, but upon Jesus himself: “tell her to help me.” She demands that God must bow to her. Sadly, I’ve met a lot of people like that, too. I’ve no doubt acted like that at times. But that sour narrowminded willful ego-centrism is antithetical to the way of Christ. 

This is why Mary has chosen the better part. Before complaining, before acting, before demanding, she has knelt down to open her mind and heart to the mind and heart and life of Jesus. She has sought to align herself. Not my will, by Thy will be done.

Thinking that OUR earthly priorities, our earthly pursuits, are more important than spending time with Jesus is among the greatest mistakes we can make in the Christian life. For, it makes an idol of our work. Martha is preoccupied with the earthly and missing out on the heavenly.  Martha has her priorities backwards. And this is why she is unhappy and unexhausted. 

Now we might want to defend Martha here, “someone had to do the work. Someone had to serve the meal.” No. That is not the point of the story. We should not justify being busybodies. This story is to help us seek first the kingdom of God. Not my will. Not how I think things should get done. It’s not meant to enable us to justify impatience. If God is not the builder, the workers labor in vain. 

God has a lot of work for us here at our parish. I’m sure of it. Souls waiting to meet Christ in the Catholic Church if they could only meet Him in us. But narrowminded Marthas often do more harm than good. Men can be Martha’s too by the way, brothers. Because Men can fail to be rooted in prayer and can become just as controlling and filled with bitterness and self-centeredness instead of the Spirit of God.

But when we have opened ourselves up to God through prayer, the soil of our soul is watered by grace and illumined by God’s word, and real transformation occurs, so much so that the Lord Jesus can be detected in our decisions and words and activity. 

So begin the day with prayer. Begin on the right foot. Make time for real authentic meditation upon God’s Word throughout the day. Pray before you work, pray as you work. Include God in your meals, your chores, your leisure and rest. When we are directed to God through prayer, our lives become charged and changed by God’s presence: His peace calms us, his joy radiates from us, his wisdom guides us, and his love burns within us. Even our work, even our sufferings, can then become transformed into an encounter with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Every day we are faced with the choice to be more like Martha or more like Mary— misaligned or drawn deeper into the life and love of God.  Let us renew our commitment today to the daily prayer we need to seek the one thing that really matters, Jesus Christ Our Lord, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

July 16 2025 - Our Lady of Mt. Carmel - Reaching the mountain which is Christ

 

There was an English mountain climber named George Mallory who participated in the first three British expeditions to climb Mount Everest in the mid-1920s. When asked, “why did you want to climb Mount Everest?” He would answer, “because it is there.” About 800 people climb Mt. Everest each year, and for whatever reason, they too felt some drive to reach the highest peak in the world. 

Today’s collect prayer for the Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel speaks of reaching the mountain which is Christ. We asked God that the glorious virgin Mary would come to our aid and protection, that we may reach the mountain which is Christ.

The prayer no doubt references the Mountain associated with today’s memorial: Mount Carmel, located along the coast of the Mediterranean sea in northern Israel.

Early Christian hermits climbed Mount Carmel, not simply because it was there, but because they wished to encounter Christ. The hermit withdraws from the distractions of the world in order to encounter Christ, to make the ascent of the mountain which is Christ. 

What does it mean to ascend the mountain which is Christ?

In Scripture, mountains are often places of encounter with God—Moses receives the law on Mount Sinai, Elijah hears the whisper of God on Mount Horeb, and Jesus Himself is transfigured in glory on Mount Tabor. To ascend the mountain is to seek that place where heaven touches earth, where God reveals Himself, and where we are called to be transformed.

Jesus is like a mountain because He IS the place where heaven meets earth, where God is joined to man, in his very person. In Christ, the infinite becomes visible. The Word becomes touchable. The invisible God becomes Emmanuel, God-with-us.

To ascend the mountain which is Christ, then, is to enter more deeply into union with Him—to be drawn into the mystery of the Incarnation, to be conformed to Him in our thinking, our loving, our suffering, our living. This ascent is not just about thinking lofty thoughts or withdrawing from the world, but becoming more fully united to the One who bridges heaven and earth.

And Mary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, knows this path better than anyone. She is the one who bore Christ in her womb—who literally brought heaven to earth. She shows us how to climb—not with pride or presumption, but with humility, faith, and total openness to God’s will.

So on this feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, we ask her to guide us in the climb. Not just to look up at Christ from a distance, but to enter into His life. To receive Him in the sacraments, to reflect Him in our lives, and to be lifted by grace to that place where, even now, heaven and earth are joined—in Jesus Christ, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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Celebrating the Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, we turn to the Father who, in the Incarnate Son, has joined heaven to earth. Through Mary’s intercession, let us bring our prayers with confidence.

That through the intercession of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the Church may always lead the faithful to deeper union with Christ through prayer, sacrament, and devotion. Let us pray to the Lord.

For all who seek the Lord: That those who feel far from God may ascend the mountain of faith, discovering in Jesus the true meeting place of heaven and earth. Let us pray to the Lord.

For those who carry heavy burdens—the sick, the grieving, the poor and afflicted: That Mary, Mother of Mercy, may accompany them up the steep path and lead them to Christ, the source of healing and hope. Let us pray to the Lord.

For our beloved dead: That, through Mary’s intercession, they may be brought into the glory of Christ’s presence on the eternal mountain of the Lord. Let us pray to the Lord.

Loving Father, you gave us the Blessed Virgin Mary as a model of prayer and discipleship. Through her intercession, draw us closer to your Son, that we may reach the mountain of holiness and live always in your presence. Through Christ our Lord.

July 9 2025 - St. Augustine Zhao Rong and martyred companions of China (& Legion of Mary)

 

Today we honor and celebrate the heroic martyr St. Augustine Zhao Rong and his martyred companions. You may not be that familiar with them, as they were only canonized in the year 2000.  They are 120 Catholics who were martyred between the years 1648 and 1930.  They were lay people, clergy, and religious, ranging in age from 9 to 72.  87 of them were native born chinese, and the rest were foreign born missionaries.

The story of the Church in china is a long and often troubled one.  Christianity arrived in the 600s. Depending on China's political situation over the centuries, Christianity was free to grow or was forced to operate secretly. The 17th century was particularly brutal. 

It was then that St. Augustine Zhao Rong, a Chinese soldier became familiar with the Catholic Faith. The soldier had been ordered by his government to escort a Catholic bishop to be martyred in Beijing. Augustine was so impressed and moved by the bishop’s faith that he requested baptism.  He soon entered the seminary and was ordained a diocesan priest.  In 1815, he was arrested, tortured, and martyred.

The other martyrs we remember today include parents, catechists, laborers, and priests.  33 of the martyrs were missionaries from foreign lands who had traveled to the far-east to help plant the Christian faith in China: among them were Franciscans and Dominicans and Jesuits—men and women who heard the Master’s call to witness to him in the face of death.

I discovered recently that Christians continued to be put to death in China through the 1960s. 

You may have heard of the Legion of Mary, that wonderful apostolic association founded in 1921 by servant of God Frank Duff. Well in the late 1940s, Christianity began to flourish in China through the efforts of the Legion of Mary. Irish priest Fr. Aeden McGrath founded about 2000 Legion of Mary groups, leading to the Communist Regime in October 1951, officially labeling the Legion of Mary as “counter‑revolutionary” even "public enemy number one".

Legion leaders and members underwent arrest, imprisonment, and execution. For instance, Francis Shen, president of the Shanghai Senatus, was arrested in 1951 and executed in 1960 after being convicted of teaching faith in prison.

Today we hear about the underground Church in China, the parishes and communities that refuse to submit to the state-run Chinese Church and remain loyal to the Pope. The Chinese government imposes frequent raids, arrests, forced disappearances of clergy, and fines on the underground Church. My guess is that those courageous underground Catholics have strong ties to the Legion of Mary—God bless them.

Pope Leo XIV has reaffirmed prayers and support for China’s Catholics since his election a few months ago. We do well to remember our brothers and sisters there, and all those who suffer persecution for the Gospel. They remind us to remain courageous when we face pressure to compromise our faith. Even in the face of common temptation, their witness strengthens us to hold fast to Christ for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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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:

For Pope Leo XIV that he may guide the Church into renewed unity and zeal for her mission, and that the Church, especially in China and other areas where she is persecuted, may remain strong and united in her witness amidst sufferings.

For the conversion of hearts, especially among governments who persecute believers, that like St. Augustine Zhao Rong those who once persecuted Christ may come to embrace him.

Inspired by the martyrs who followed in Christ’s footsteps by carrying the cross, may we endure courageously our earthly trials and all the misfortunes of life, and that the sick and the suffering, the poor and afflicted may be sustained in their trials.

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

Heavenly Father, by the witness of St. Augustine Zhao Rong and his companions, you have poured out the Spirit of courage on your Church. Grant that we too may stand firm in faith, bear true witness to Christ, and serve your people with love—even unto suffering. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

14th Week of Ordinary Time 2025 - Monday - Places of Divine Encounter

 

The places where we encounter God are holy to us, aren’t they? Our childhood church, a holy shrine, the parish church where we attended with our family, the tomb of a patron saint, maybe a chapel in which important spiritual growth occurred during a particularly trying time.

For Jacob, in our first reading, the place of divine encounter was a mountain-top at a place which came to be known as Bethel: Beth-el, the house of God. At Bethel, Jacob had a particularly vivid dream in which heaven opened and he encountered the Divine, the God of Abraham and his father Isaac. 

The encounter with God gave his life purpose; he knew that God would be with him always, that God was directing his life, and would direct his family for generations to come.

This sort of encounter with God is not unique to Jacob. Perhaps you have had a similar encounter with God. I have. An encounter, an experience with God that deepens faith—an encounter that helps you to know that God is with you—an encounter that gives you a sense that God is bigger than your trials and troubles and fears.

The daughter of the royal official and the woman with the hemorrhage in the Gospel today, had similar encounters with God, in the person of Jesus Christ. These encounters were healing and life-giving. Wounds, physical, emotional, and spiritual are healed when God is encountered. 

In commemoration of his encounter with the Divine, Jacob constructed a stone pillar to thank God for the blessing he received—and in a sense to renew the experience of the Divine. Christians return to the stone table—the altar—week after week to do the same. At the stone table—we thank God for the blessings of our life—and we experience the Divine in the Eucharist—an encounter that brings healing and meaning to our life.  The altar is an anchor as it is a window and a doorway. 

And, it is where we receive our mission. Following our encounter with God here, we are sent out to gather others in—the lost souls, searching souls, saddened souls, wounded souls, that they may encounter Jesus here too, and experience his healing, his forgiveness, and his blessing, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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That the wounded and lost may discover the love and life of Jesus Christ in Catholic Church. 

For spiritual healing and mercy upon those who have fallen away from the Church. For the conversion of atheists and non-believers. 

For the healing of all those afflicted with physical, mental, emotional illness, for those in hospitals, nursing homes, hospice care, those struggling with addictions, for those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today.

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

Heavenly Father, hear our prayers. May the grace of Christ Your Son, the Divine Physician, bring healing of our sinfulness, and make us worthy of the kingdom of heaven, through the same Christ our Lord.

13th Week of Ordinary Time 2025 - Wednesday - Truth and Action

 During these normal weekdays of Ordinary Time, we read sequentially through the Gospels from the beginning of the Lord’s public ministry to right before his Passion.

Reading through the Gospel of Matthew, we notice a structure that repeats throughout the book. The Lord gives a teaching, then there is action. Teaching and action. Teaching and action. The Lord teaches in parables, conveying truths about discipleship, and then he goes out and acts—performing miracles and exorcisms, bringing comfort and deliverance to the afflicted. Through his actions, Jesus demonstrates that he’s not some charlatan who only offers empty words. His words are backed up by action. 

Why should you believe him? Why should you heed his words—his warnings, his challenges, his moral guidance? His actions back up his words. Certainly, an important lesson for all of us. That as Christians, we are to preach and teach in Christ’s name, but our actions must back up our words.

Catechesis, evangelization, religious instruction, counseling the doubtful, instructing the ignorant, sharing the Gospel, must all be backed up by action—works. Works of charity. Works of mercy. Concrete penances.

The Word of God attests to this. “Faith without works is dead” writes, St. James. You’ve no doubt heard the aphorism attributed to St. Francis, friend of our patron, St. Clare. “Preach the Gospel, always, sometimes use words”. If Francis didn’t actually say that, he might as well have because his life was one of constant works of mercy and penance. His evangelical poverty gave credence and testimony to his words. And the same must be for all of us. 

Teaching and Action. Words and Works. Since the end of the Easter season, we had been reading from one of those long teaching sections, the Lord’s famous Sermon on the Mount, comprising chapters 5 thru seven of Matthew. But this week, we began reading from one of those action sections, chapter 8.  Like those other many action sections, we find the Lord performing healing miracles and exorcisms—works that bring deliverance to others.

Today we heard how the Lord delivered to demon possessed men from their bondage. And you might think, what power do I have to exorcize demons? Well, again, those works of charity can break bonds in people’s lives. When they witness us feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, that softens there heart to Christ.

But on the other hand, we don’t have the power to cast out demons on our own. This is why that teaching part is also important. When we cultivate the Truth of Christ in our hearts, by listening to the Teacher in our own faith formation, when we allow him to teach us in our daily meditation and prayer and our reception of the sacraments, then his life within us grows, so that when we encounter the demon possessed soul, he’s the one that does performs the exorcisms, he’s the one that casts out demons, through us.

Lord, make us instruments of your peace, your goodness, and your life, cultivate your life within us through your truth, and make us people of divine action, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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We bring our prayers of petition to the Lord.

For the Church: That she may faithfully teach the truths of Christ and live them out through works of charity, mercy, and justice, giving powerful witness to the Gospel in every place and age.

For those bound by sin, addiction, or spiritual oppression: That through the power of Christ and the witness of Christian charity, they may find freedom, healing, and new life.

For all victims of war, for peace in the Holy Land, an end to the violence and the consolation of the suffering. May God come to the assistance of the communities and families devastated by terrorism and war; and may world leaders work together for peace.

For the sick, the poor, and the suffering: That they may be comforted by Christ’s presence and aided by the loving works of His disciples.

For the faithful departed: That, purified by God’s mercy, they may rejoice forever in His Kingdom of peace and light. Let us pray to the Lord.

Lord Jesus, you came to teach us the way to the Father and to deliver us from all evil. Hear our prayers and make us faithful disciples who live your truth through loving action. Through Christ our Lord.

Sacred Heart of Jesus 2025 - Our model of love

 

In 1899, Pope Leo XIII consecrated the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ. In the accompanying encyclical, the Holy Father wrote, “There is in the Sacred Heart a symbol and a sensible image of the infinite love of Jesus Christ which moves us to love one another.”

The Solemnity of the Sacred Heart is not simply about honoring a pious image or recalling an abstract concept of divine love. It is about encountering the personal, sacrificial love of Jesus—a love that searches, suffers, and saves. His Sacred Heart beats with mercy for sinners, compassion for the suffering, and longing for those who have strayed.

When we contemplate the Sacred Heart, we remember that we are not loved vaguely or from a distance. Christ’s love is tender, personal for each one of us, and unrelenting. He is the man in the Gospel who has left the ninety-nine in order to seek after the lost. 

The Lord gave everything, allowing himself to be treated as the lowliest slave, enduring torture and the death of a criminal, to bring about the highest good of each of us, our salvation. His love embraces unfathomable suffering and the darkness of death so that you and I may be redeemed.

The heart of Jesus also desires to transform us into our highest selves in which we, too, radiate with his love. We, like him, are to have a heart for the lost, to forgive the undeserving, to carry the broken, to love even when it costs us. The Sacred Heart is our model as well as our refuge. We must allow the love of the Sacred Heart to penetrate our lives more deeply, so that we can become vessels of that love to a wounded world in need of healing.

Today, may we renew our trust in the love of Jesus and strive to reflect that love in our own lives, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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We bring our needs to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Please respond to each of these petitions, “Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have Mercy on us”

That the Church may be continually cleansed and sanctified by the blood and water that gave us new birth.

For all who have fallen away from the Church, for those who lack faith, and in reparation for all ingratitude toward God, for all sin and all blasphemy.

For all those who are sick or burdened in any way, may they come to know and experience the refreshment of Christ’s love. 

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

Grant, Good Jesus, that we may live in you and for you. Protect us in the midst of danger. Comfort us in our afflictions. Give us health of body, assistance in our temporal needs, your blessing on all that we do, and the grace of a holy death. Through Christ Our Lord.

12th Week in Ordinary Time 2025 - Wednesday - Authentic vs. False Prophets

Yesterday, we celebrated the birth of the great prophet of the Lord, St. John the Baptist. 

Sometimes we think of a prophet as one who can foretell the future. But that is not really the biblical understanding of the role of the prophet. Rather, a prophet is one who has the ability to point to the Truth in the present. 

In today’s Gospel, the Lord Jesus warns his followers to beware of false prophets. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them.” If true prophets point us to truth, false prophets lead us away from the truth.

John the Baptist was a true prophet because he pointed to the truth that Jesus is the Lamb of God, the Son of God. John was a true prophet because he called people to acknowledge the truth that they had sinned and needed a Savior.

False prophets do the opposite. Ultimately, they point us a way from Jesus. But often, they do so subtly. They say, follow your feelings. It’s your body, you can do whatever you want with it. You don’t need a Savior, you’re fine just the way we are. 

False prophets absolutely permeate our culture. “By their fruits you will know them.”  We see the fruits of these false prophets all around us: broken marriages, the destruction of unborn life, widespread confusion about gender identity, addiction, corruption in government and institutions, ignorance of Scripture, and falling away from right religion. These are not the signs of God’s kingdom, but of a world led astray by voices that do not speak for Christ.

Now, the Lord issues this warning to his followers because he knows that we have a tendency to gravitate toward voices who tell us what we want to hear, that encourage us to justify giving in to temptation and deviating from the path of righteousness because righteousness is hard, bearing the cross is hard.

But, as followers of Jesus, we must cling to the true and the good even when it is difficult. We must form our minds through prayer, Scripture, and sound teaching, so that we may not be deceived. 

Let us pray for wisdom, courage, and fidelity, that we may recognize the true voice of the Shepherd and reject the lies that lead to ruin, and help others to do the same, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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Let us turn to the one true Shepherd, Jesus Christ, and offer our prayers with hearts open to truth and grace.

For the Church throughout the world: That she may continue to form faithful prophets who speak the truth of Christ with boldness and compassion in every age.

For leaders in government, education, and media: That they may act with integrity and resist the temptation to mislead or manipulate, always seeking the good of those they serve.

For those led astray by the confusion and moral darkness of our time: That through prayer, sound teaching, and Christian witness, they may come to know the truth that sets us free in Christ.

For the sick, the poor, and the suffering: That they may be comforted by the presence of Christ and supported by the love and prayers of His faithful disciples.

For the faithful departed: That having followed the voice of the Good Shepherd in this life, they may be welcomed into eternal peace and joy.

Father of truth and mercy, grant our prayers and all that we need remain faithful to your Son in all things. Through the same Christ our Lord.

June 24 2025 - The Nativity of St. John the Baptist - The breaking of divine silence

 When the Church celebrates the feast day of a saint, we are usually celebrating the day of the saint’s death. For example the feast of the martyr St. Charles Lwanga earlier this month was on June 3, because St. Charles was martyred on June 3, 1886.

Only three times during the year does the Church celebrate a birthday: for Jesus, for His mother…and for John the Baptist. So, the Baptist is certainly in illustrious company. That we celebrate his birthday serves to remind us just how important John is to our salvation history. Scripture doesn’t tell us of the birth of Mary or Joseph or any of the evangelists. But it records the events surrounding the birth of John.

And why? Because John’s birth marks the beginning of a great turning point in salvation history. John’s birth signals that God is on the move—that His promises, long awaited, are now being fulfilled. For roughly 400 years—since the last of the Old Testament prophets, Malachi—no new prophetic word had come to Israel. The voice of God seemed silent. The people clung to the promises of old, but many wondered if the Lord still spoke to His people.

The silence of God’s voice among His people is symbolized by the muteness of Zechariah in today’s Gospel. But with the birth of John, Zechariah’s tongue is loosened. 

John’s birth represents the breaking of the divine silence, and John’s voice will be the first prophetic voice heard in centuries: “Prepare the way of the Lord.” He will stand in the desert the last and greatest of the prophets, and the one who will point out the Messiah Himself: “Behold the Lamb of God.” John heralds the coming of God’s Word made flesh: the definitive Word of God, the perfect fulfillment of all of God’s promises—Jesus Christ. 

Today, we fittingly herald that there are 183 days until Christmas. And the best way to prepare for Christmas, and for the coming of the Lord at the end of time, is to spend our days like John, whose entire life was aimed at pointing to Christ, to the Lamb. 

May we, like John, be heralds of the Gospel every day—in our words, our activities, our moral decisions, in our prayer. May we decrease, so that Christ may increase in us, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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As we celebrate the birth of St. John the Baptist, the great forerunner of Christ, let us turn to God in prayer, asking for the grace to follow John's example and prepare the way for the Lord in our hearts and in the world.

For the holy Church of God: That she may, like St. John the Baptist, boldly proclaim the coming of Christ and prepare the hearts of all people to receive Him.

For the leaders of nations and all in authority: That they may listen for the voice of truth, seek justice and peace, and govern with integrity for the common good.

For all who feel as though God is silent in their lives: That the example of Zechariah and the birth of John may increase their faith.

5. For the sick, the poor, and the suffering: That the light of Christ may shine through the darkness of their afflictions, and that they may be comforted by the love of God and the care of others.

For the faithful departed: That, having prepared the way for Christ in this life, they may be welcomed into the joy of His eternal Kingdom.

Heavenly Father, You sent St. John the Baptist to prepare the way for Your Son. Hear the prayers we offer on this joyful feast, and grant that we, too, may prepare Your way with faith, courage, and love. 

12th Week in Ordinary Time 2025 - Monday - Humble self-examination

 In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches many lessons about the attitudes and actions that Christians need to practice: we need to pray, fast, give alms, we need to forgive if we wish to be forgiven, we need to be willing to make peace with our brother, and be willing to suffer for the Gospel.

We heard from the part of his sermon today where Jesus teaches his followers about judging others. He tells us to stop condemning what needs to change in others without changing what needs to change in ourselves. 

This is one of the most challenging teachings of Christ, because it calls us to a deep honesty—complete honesty—about our own hearts, attitudes, and motives. It is easy to notice the faults of others—their selfishness, their bad temper, their hypocrisy. But it is much harder to notice, let alone admit, the ways that we ourselves are failing to love as we should. We look at ourselves with rose colored glasses, while looking at others with laser focus. 

The Lord’s teaching to remove the speck from our own eye is a call to humility and conversion. It challenges us to look inward, to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what needs healing and repentance in our lives. 

The humility of self-examination is one of the most vital, yet most difficult, virtues in the spiritual life. It is the quiet, honest posture of the soul that says: “Lord, I know I am not yet who you call me to be. Show me the truth about myself—not to discourage me, but to heal me.”

At its core, humble self-examination is the refusal to live on the surface of life. It is a deliberate turning inward, not in self-absorption, but in the hope that God will reveal what lies beneath: our mixed motives, our hidden resentments, our pride, our attachments, our wounds.

This kind of humility recognizes that we are complex creatures—capable of great love, but also of deep selfishness. We don’t always understand why we act the way we do, or why certain patterns repeat themselves. And so we ask the Holy Spirit to shine light into our inner life.

To follow Christ means being willing to do the hard work of interior transformation. And when we do that work, we begin to see others differently—not as people to condemn, but as fellow sinners in need of mercy because we’ve seen how deeply we need mercy ourselves, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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Mindful of the Lord’s call to examine our hearts and to grow in compassion and humility, let us bring our needs before the God of mercy and truth.

For the Church: That all Christians may respond to Christ’s call to interior conversion, growing in humility, self-awareness, and love of neighbor.

For leaders of nations and all who hold authority: That they may govern with wisdom and justice, and seek peace rooted in mutual respect and the dignity of all people.

For an increase in compassion, an end to war and terrorism, and for the protection of the most vulnerable.

For those who are sick, poor, or burdened by suffering: That they may experience the comfort of God’s mercy and the support of a compassionate community.

For the faithful departed: That, purified by God’s mercy, they may see Him face to face and rejoice in His presence for eternity.

Loving Father, You see into the depths of our hearts and call us gently to repentance and healing. Hear these prayers we offer and grant us the grace to grow in humility and love, through Christ our Lord.

11th Week in Ordinary Time 2025 - Friday - What do I treasure?

 Today’s scripture readings challenge us to ask ourselves, “What do I treasure?” “What do I value most?” “Do I treasure the things of this world or do I treasure the things of God?” “Which do I treasure most?”

In the first reading, it is very evident where St. Paul’s treasure lies.  

St. Paul enumerates his sufferings for the spread of the Gospel: dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from fellow Jews, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers instigated by false Christians; in toil and hardship, through many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, frequent fasting, cold and exposure, daily pressures, all for the sake of the Gospel. 

St. Paul suffered not to build an impressive resume.  When he’s listing off all that he suffered, he’s not complaining.  Rather, he embraced all of these sufferings  because he treasured the Gospel above all else, and desired to share that treasure with others.

 ‘What do I treasure?’ St. Paul highlights an important connection. What we treasure can be equated to what am I willing to suffering for? What will I go out of my way for to obtain? 

St. Paul reminds us that heaven is obtained not by sitting idly, but by embracing the cross. Broad is the way and wide is the gate that leads to destruction. Meaning, we attain heaven and eternal life, not simply by doing what is easy all the time. Oftentimes we will need to fight against our fallen nature, our slothful nature, the part of us that just wants to relax and self-indulgent. Jesus says we need to “strive to enter the narrow gate”. 

Effort is needed to pray, to fast, to do penance, to engage in the works of charity, and spread the Gospel. 

St. Paul, then, is a great model for us, a model most necessary for us at every age, lest we excuse ourselves from the necessary work of the Gospel, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. 

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Let us place our needs and the needs of the world before our heavenly Father.

For the Church: That all the baptized may treasure the Gospel above every worldly good and, like Saint Paul, willingly embrace the sacrifices needed to proclaim Christ to every nation.

For the nations and their leaders: That those entrusted with authority may govern justly, defend human dignity from conception to natural death, and foster lasting peace among peoples.

For the grace to treasure the things of God: That we may resist the lure of worldly comforts, strive each day to enter through the narrow gate, and devote ourselves generously to prayer, penance, works of charity, and the spread of the Gospel.

For the sick, the suffering, the poor, and the afflicted: That all who bear heavy crosses may unite their trials to Christ’s Passion, receive comfort and healing, and be supported by the charity of the Christian community.

For the faithful departed: That those who have died in Christ may inherit the eternal treasure of heaven and rejoice forever in the presence of God.

O God, source of all true riches, hear the prayers we bring before You, and grant that, treasuring Your kingdom above all, we may share its everlasting joy. Through Christ our Lord.

R. Amen.

11th Week in Ordinary Time 2025 - Wednesday - Whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully

 There is a spiritual truth that applies to our faith, and probably just about everything in life: “the more you put into something, the more you’ll get out of it”. The more you study, the more you’ll learn. The more you practice, the better you’ll become. The more you engage with joyful, motivated people, the more joyful and motivated you will be.

St. Paul describes this spiritual law in the first reading today: “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” 

In reference to the spiritual life the more we engage in the life of prayer and good works, the more spiritual fruits will be born. It is not surprising that this is true also about our public prayer, our liturgical worship. The more fully, actively, and consciously we engage in the celebration of mass, the more spiritual fruit you will derive from it. Consider the difference between a Catholic who just shows up for Sunday mass, without having prayerfully prepared throughout the week. They roll out of bed, they show up 2 minutes after mass begins, they don’t pick up the hymnal, they are thinking about the activities they want to accomplish after mass is over. It’s no wonder such Catholics easily fall away from the obligation of Sunday Mass.

Now consider the Catholic who has reflected upon the Sunday scripture readings throughout the week leading up to Sunday. They have been praying for certain neighbors and family members throughout the week, and now on Sunday they lift their loved ones up to the altar with the Eucharist. They unite their mind and heart in the songs of the mass, and contemplate how what the priest is doing on the altar is what Jesus did on the cross. They’ve engaged in works of charity throughout the week and step forward to receive the Body and Blood of the Lord to be their strength for charitable works in the week ahead. They’ve examined their conscience each night, recognizing their sins, and now come to mass with the hope of being purified of selfishness.

The more you put into the mass, the more you’ll get out of it.

This principle is reflected in Jesus' teaching on the three great spiritual disciplines in the Gospel today: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These are not meant to be shallow gestures or public performances, but acts of genuine self-giving to God.

And we find that the more generous we are with God, with the practices of the spiritual life, the more generous God is in filling our souls with his divine life, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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Trusting in the Lord who desires to fill us with His grace, let us offer our prayers with sincere hearts, seeking to grow in holiness through prayer, worship, and charity.

For the holy Church of God: That her members may sow bountifully in the life of prayer and good works, and thus reap an abundant harvest of holiness and grace.

For world leaders and those in positions of authority: That they may govern with wisdom, integrity, and a genuine commitment to justice and peace, promoting the dignity of every human life and working tirelessly for the common good.

For those whose faith has grown lukewarm or routine: That they may rediscover the joy of drawing near to God and engaging wholeheartedly in prayer and worship.

That those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit may find healing, comfort, and strength through the love of Christ and the compassionate care of His people.

For the faithful departed: That having sown in tears, they may reap the joy of eternal life with Christ.

Heavenly Father, hear these prayers we offer in faith. Help us to grow daily in holiness by cooperating generously with your Divine Will. Through Christ our Lord.

11th Week in Ordinary Time 2025 - Tuesday - The Call to Christian Perfection

In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us a command that may feel overwhelming: “Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” At first glance, it may seem impossible. How can we, limited and sinful as we are, ever hope to be perfect like God?

This command to be perfect comes at the climax of a chapter where Jesus has redefined righteousness—not as merely following rules, but as a transformation of the heart. He tells us not just to avoid murder, but to let go of anger. Not just to avoid adultery, but to purify our thoughts. Not just to love our neighbor, but to love even our enemies. These are the marks of Christian perfection: a heart conformed to the heart of God.

Perfection is not something we accomplish by our own efforts. It is a grace, a work that God accomplishes in us if we cooperate with Him. As St. Thomas Aquinas taught, the perfection of the Christian life consists chiefly in charity—in loving God with our whole heart and loving our neighbor with God’s own love.

So, the command to “be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect” is a calling to the perfection of love, to grow into the fullness of charity that is a greater and greater share in the love of the Father Himself.

That means that Christian perfection does not happen overnight; it is a lifelong journey. It happens through prayer, the sacraments, self-denial, forgiveness, and service. It happens when we resist the urge to retaliate, when we speak the truth in love, when we are generous with our time and patient with the people who challenge us.

Again, we do not grow in perfection on our own; it requires effort to cooperate with the grace of God. Perfection is the result of grace and free will. You can’t have perfection without both.

To strive for Christian perfection is not to aim at being morally superior or scrupulously correct—it is to aim at becoming a living image of Christ, who reveals to us the perfect love of the Father.

So today, as we come to this altar, let us ask the Lord for the grace to grow in holiness. May our lives be built more and more on the foundation of Christ’s love, until we are made perfect—not by our efforts alone, but through our cooperation with His, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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With confidence in God’s mercy, let us offer our prayers to the Father, who calls us to perfection through His Son.

 That she may continue to proclaim the call to holiness and help all the faithful grow in love through the sacraments, prayer, and acts of charity.

For all leaders in the world: That they may govern with wisdom and justice.

For our parish: That we may cooperate daily with God’s grace, growing in holiness through prayer, self-denial, and acts of service.

For the poor, the sick, and those who suffer:  That they may be comforted by the love of Christ and supported by the generosity and compassion of His disciples.

For our beloved dead:  That, having sought to conform their hearts to Christ, they may now behold the perfection of God’s glory in heaven.

Heavenly Father, you call us to be holy as you are holy. Strengthen us to follow your Son with sincere hearts, cooperating with your grace, that we may one day be perfected in your love. Through Christ our Lord.

11th Week in Ordinary Time 2025 - Monday - Reform begins with yourself

 

For the rest of the month of June, our ordinary time weekday Mass Gospel passages will be taken from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount from chapters 5 through 7 of Matthew’s Gospel. 

From the very beginning of his Sermon, the Lord is clear that his disciples are to live differently from the rest of the world.

Today’s gospel includes a number of these counter-cultural teachings: “When someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other one to him as well.”  The world would say that when someone slaps you on the right cheek, slap them back, harder, get them back, teach them a lesson so they never think to slap you again.  Rather than responding with vengeance, Christians are to respond to violence as Christ did. During his Passion, as he was beaten and mocked by Roman Soldiers, he offered his sufferings to the Father for our salvation, he prayed from the cross that sinners be forgiven.

Instead of returning “evil for evil”, we are to return “good for evil”. This not only stops the cycle of violence, but allows God to reverse and transform it.  The Christian bearing an evil patiently instead of reacting mindlessly or calling for vengeance becomes a source of mercy in the world. 

St. Paul touches upon this in his letter to the Corinthians. Aware of their trials he tells them that they are to react to “afflictions, hardships, constraints, beatings, imprisonments, and riots” not by inflicting these evils on others, rather with “purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, unfeigned love, and truthful speech.”

Yesterday, Pope Leo addressed a group of young people gathered in Chicago to celebrate his pontificate. I recommend watching the entire message, which I posted on the parish facebook page, but a line of his message stands out in light of today’s Gospel, from the thought of St. Augustine. Pope Leo said, “Saint Augustine says to us that if we want the world to be a better place, we have to begin with ourselves. We have to begin with our own lives, our own hearts.”

Do you see the connection with today’s Gospel? If we simply respond to the evil in the world with more evil, then we are just part of the evil. Rather, we are to respond to evil as the Lord Jesus himself, with godliness, holiness, patient endurance, prayer. 

If we seek to see peace in the world, if we wish to see purity, kindness, and truth, we must cultivate these things in our hearts. May God help us, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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Mindful of the Lord’s call to live differently from the world and to overcome evil with good, let us offer our prayers to the Father who is rich in mercy.

For the Church throughout the world: That she may faithfully proclaim the radical call of the Gospel, urging all people to holiness, forgiveness, and peace.

For all civil leaders and those in authority: That they may seek peace and justice not through revenge or oppression, but through mercy, dialogue, and the common good.

For those who struggle with anger, resentment, or the desire for revenge: That God may soften their hearts and fill them with the peace that comes from Christ.

For young people: That they may be inspired by the Gospel and the witness of the saints to live lives of virtue, courage, and love.

For the sick, the suffering, poor and afflicted: That they may be comforted by the patience and mercy of Christ and supported by the Christian community.

For our beloved dead: That having endured the trials of this life, they may rejoice forever in the peace of heaven.

Father of mercy, you sent your Son not to condemn the world but to save it through love. Strengthen us to follow his way of peace and patience, that we may reflect your holiness in our daily lives. Through Christ our Lord.