All Souls 2026 - Efficacy of our prayers for the dead

Yesterday, All Saints' Day, we celebrated the great multitude of saints: the ranks of martyrs, apostles, confessors, virgins, and holy souls who have entered the beatific vision of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in heaven.  

Yesterday, in the Gospel of the Beatitudes, we recalled the Lord’s promise: “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.” That purification of heart of which the Lord speaks occurs either entirely in this earthly life, or, for many souls, that purification will continue and be finalized after our earthly death in purgatory.

And so today on All Souls’ Day, Catholics recall our duty to pray for the souls in purgatory. 

We pray for the souls in purgatory because they are our brothers and sisters in Christ. We pray for them because of the likelihood that we will need some time in purgatory and we will want prayers for ourselves, and we do for others what we would want done for ourselves.

St. John Vianney said, "We must say many prayers for the souls of the faithful departed, for one must be so pure to enter heaven." God has so established our connection with the souls of the dead, that our prayers are powerful in helping the faithful departed in their process of purification. 

Why are our prayers able to help them? Because death does not sever the bonds that unite us in Christ. The Church on earth, the souls being purified in purgatory, and the saints in heaven belong to one Body. We profess this every Sunday when we say that we believe in the communion of saints. Our membership in Christ joins us so closely that we can continue to help one another even beyond the grave.

During this earthly life, God allows our prayers and sacrifices to benefit others. We pray for someone’s conversion, for strength in suffering, for healing and forgiveness. God invites us to participate in his loving care for them. That communion does not end when someone dies. Our love can reach beyond death, and our prayer can contribute to another’s purification.

When we pray for the departed, we ask that the fruits of Christ’s sacrifice be applied to them: that whatever remains of sin’s effects may be healed, every attachment to sin purified, and their entrance into heavenly joy hastened.

The souls in purgatory have already died in God’s friendship. Their salvation is assured. What remains is their purification—the completion of God’s work of making them holy. Our prayers assist them in that purification because God, in his mercy, has willed that we should help one another.

So today, and throughout this month especially, remember your parents, grandparents, spouses, children, friends, and former parishioners who have died. Remember also those who have no one to pray for them. Ask the Lord to complete his work of purification in them and bring them into the company of the saints.

May our love for them remain faithful, until, by God’s mercy, we are reunited in the joy of his presence—for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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United in the communion of saints and trusting in Christ’s victory over death, let us offer our prayers for the living and the dead.

For the Church: that we may faithfully proclaim the hope of the resurrection and persevere in offering prayers and sacrifices for the faithful departed. Let us pray to the Lord.

For all the souls in purgatory: that every attachment to sin may be purified and that they may enter the fullness of heavenly joy. Let us pray to the Lord.

For our deceased parents, grandparents, spouses, children, relatives, and friends, and all the departed members of our parish: that the Lord may cleanse them of their sins and welcome them into the company of the saints. Let us pray to the Lord.

For the forgotten dead, especially those who have no one to pray for them: that through the prayers of the Church they may receive consolation and eternal rest. Let us pray to the Lord.

For those mourning the death of someone they love: that faith in Christ’s promises may sustain them, and that they may find comfort in the love that unites us beyond death. Let us pray to the Lord.

For the dying: that they may receive the grace of repentance, the consolation of the sacraments, and a peaceful passage into eternal life. Let us pray to the Lord.

For all of us gathered here: that we may seek purity of heart, remain faithful in prayer for the departed, and prepare each day to meet the Lord. Let us pray to the Lord.

Merciful Father, receive our prayers for those who have died. Through the saving sacrifice of your Son, complete their purification and bring them into the light and peace of your presence. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

November 1 2026 - All Saints - Example of the Holy Ones

 

This last week in OCIA—with our adults preparing for the Sacraments of Christian Initiation—we were discussing the Liturgical Year: the seasons of the Church Calendar; the difference between solemnities, Feasts, and memorials; the importance of Sunday mass and holy days of obligation. One important feature of the liturgical calendar and our Church’s liturgical life is the saints—how the saints are honored throughout the year on their particular feast days. Those feast days typically correspond to the date of their death, though church documents often call the anniversary of their death—their dies natalis—their date of birth into eternity.

And so we celebrate the martyrs and saints throughout the Church year—for example St. Clare on August 11, St. Patrick on March 17, St. Anthony on June 13. And we do so, the Catechism explains, because we’re acknowledging that those holy souls who lived with Christ as Lord and patterned their lives after Christ—who suffered with Christ and died with Christ and now share in Christ’s glory in heaven—the saints are examples for us.

Take beloved Saint Francis of Assisi. We hear of his radical poverty, his love for the poor, his conviction for the Gospel, how he lived with a special harmony with creation, his embrace of the leper—and he inspires us by the way he lived, in the unique way he followed Jesus Christ. And his example leads us to consider how our prayer lives could be or should be a little bit more like his, how our charity to the poor, our gratitude for creation, our conviction for Christ’s teachings could be stronger.

And it’s not just St. Francis, but every saint has something to teach us. So throughout the days of the year, the church celebrates the particular feast days of the saints—proposing these holy ones as examples and seeking the intercession.

The question was asked the other night: does every day of the year have a corresponding saint? Well, after 2000 years, yes, the calendar is full, most of the times with many saints every day.  

November 1 is not only the Feast of All Saints on the current Liturgical Calendar. But it is also the feast day of some saints who are pretty obscure to us these days. I don’t know about you, but I know very little about St. Amabilis, St. Austremonius, Sts. Caesarius & Julian, St. Licinius, and the 20 other saints whose dies natalis is today, November 1.

This is one reason why we celebrate the Feast of All Saints, we have so many of them that we can’t even honor all of them individually any more. So, we have a special solemnity to honor them all: popes, bishops, priests, religious, married, single, kings and peasants.

Consider how St. John describes the communion of saints in our first reading from the book of Revelation. St. John describes his vision a great multitude from every nation, race, people, and tongue, standing before the throne of God and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches.

And this great, uncountable multitude gives us hope, doesn’t it? Holiness is possible. People from every walk of life, facing every sort of difficulty and temptation, have reached heaven by God’s grace. If this countless multitude can become saints, so can we, with God’s help.

St. John sees some other pertinent details: firstly, they are dressed in white robes—just like the white robes/surplices of our altar servers—the white garment we receive in baptism. Baptism is for making saints.

Secondly, the saints hold palm branches—a symbol of victory. The saints are victorious: they’ve crossed the finished line, they’ve won the race. Yet, notice they acknowledge, they have not done so on their own. They proclaim, “Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb.”

Their salvation did not come from the size of their bank accounts, the admiration of their coworkers, their political influence, or their charming personalities. Human achievement, scientific progress, and military might cannot forgive our sins or give us eternal life. Salvation comes from God.

This does not mean that our choices are unimportant. The saints responded to God’s grace. They prayed, forgave, served, sacrificed, and loved. But even their ability to do these things was sustained by his God’s help.

In our Second Reading, St. John described how not only did God saved them, God’s love remade them: “see what love the Father has bestowed on us that we are called the children of God”. The saints are those who have allowed themselves to be remade by God’s love into his children.

And here is the vocation of each one of us. God invites each of us to accept his love in such a way that it transforms us, that it reshapes our identity, and guides our lives. Just as it is for us, God’s love through baptism gives us life—and make’s us God’s children. But also, consider, children are meant to grow. The life we receive in Baptism is meant to mature, shaping our thoughts, our desires, our choices.

As God’s children, we are called to bear a family resemblance to our Father: to become merciful as our Father is merciful, to love what he loves, and to seek what pleases him. The saints cultivate that family resemblance by turning away from selfishness, repenting of sins, and learning to love with the love of Christ.

Again again, each of us has the calling to be transformed day after day by God’s love for us and our love for God so that we can join the company of the saints in eternity. We willingly embrace our crosses, we struggle day after day to remain faithful in the face of our many temptations, we seek to “make ourselves pure, as he is pure”, to quote again the second reading. We make every effort to unfurl the sails of our souls to be impelled by the Holy Spirit into the world, and willingly bear the brunt of the insults and mockery of the world which does not know Christ because that’s what children of God are supposed to do.

We honor the saints today as examples of what that looks like, what discipleship looks like, what the beatitudes that we read in the Gospel look like when they are lived out by those who are making every effort—the effort we are all meant to put worth.

The saints, show us what blessed are the poor in spirit, looks like, and so we imitate them. They show us what blessed are the pure of heart, blessed are the merciful, look like, so we imitate them.  They show us what blessed are those insulted and persecuted for Christ looks like, and so we imitate them.

Study the saints, learn about your personal patron saints, celebrate the saints, love the saints, imitate the saints, cultivate the beatitudes like them, so that you may share the beatific vision of God with them, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

 

30th Week in Ordinary Time 2026 - Thursday - Tactics of the Devil

 

We read today from the concluding chapter of St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, which contains a rousing speech for Christians to arm ourselves for battle against spiritual evil. “Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the Devil.”

Firstly, what does St. Paul mean by “the tactics of the Devil”. St. Paul no doubt refers here to the schemes and cunning strategies the Devil uses to draw us away from God. The devil tempts through deception, making evil appear desirable, harmless, or even necessary. His purpose is to weaken our faith, undermine our hope, and extinguish our charity. The devil can't make hell beautiful, so he makes enticing the roads that lead there. How so?

What are some common “tactics” the devil uses? One tactic is rationalization. “Everyone does it.” “Nobody will know.” “After what they did, I have a right to treat them this way.” We begin defending the very sins from which Christ wants to free us. Paul therefore tells us to gird ourselves with truth: to examine our choices honestly in the light of God’s word. 

Another tactic is distraction. In our age, constant entertainment, notifications, and scrolling can consume the attention we should give to prayer, our families, and our responsibilities.

Another tactic is division. Paul reminds us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood. Yet how easily we begin treating other people as enemies to despise. Online arguments can train us in contempt. The devil convinces us that relationships are too damaged to repair, people are too annoying to be around. He inflates our focus on peoples’ faults instead of our call to patience and gentleness.

Then there are the tactics of presumption and despair. Before we sin, he tries to convince us: “It doesn’t matter; God will forgive you.” Afterward, he keeps us contrition: “You have failed too often; God could never forgive you.” Both distort God’s mercy.

The devil tricks us to follow our feelings instead of faith. He wants us enslaved to following our feelings: feelings of anger, woundedness, resentment, pleasure, impatience. But just because we want something, doesn’t mean we should have it, especially when that thing is sinful. If our feelings are leading us away from God, we must resist them. “Resist the devil, and he will take flight” writes St. James.

To combat these tactics, Paul call us to draw our strength from the Lord. We overcome deception by always seeking the Truth. Jesus teaches, “The Truth will set you free”.

We are to arm ourselves with God’s grace in the Sacraments, knowledge and understanding through serious study of God’s Word. We are to examine our consciences, our motives and seek daily conversion from our vices.

St. Paul writes this instruction so that we might be equipped for the inevitable hostility we will face when we seek to do the work of God. Why does the devil oppose the Christian? Because the Christian belongs to Christ and is called to participate in his work of salvation. The devil opposes God, and therefore seeks to undermine what God loves: human beings created in his image and called to eternal communion with him. He cannot overthrow God, but he seeks to draw us away from God through sin. The enemy seeks to discourage our efforts, corrupt our motives, and persuade us to abandon the good we have begun.

So let us take up the weapons and armor God has given us, to remain faithful to him in all things, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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Drawing our strength from the Lord and his mighty power, let us offer our prayers for the Church and for the whole world.

For the Church: that, clothed in the armor of God, we may proclaim the Gospel courageously and persevere in truth, holiness, and charity despite opposition. Let us pray to the Lord.

For leaders of nations: that they may resist deception, corruption, and the abuse of power, and faithfully pursue justice and peace. Let us pray to the Lord.

For those deceived by temptation or caught in sinful habits: that God’s word may enlighten their consciences and strengthen them to choose what is good. Let us pray to the Lord.

For our families and parish community: that we may resist distractions that draw us away from prayer and our responsibilities, and give our time generously to God and one another. Let us pray to the Lord.

For those who are sick, grieving, persecuted, or discouraged in doing good: that the Lord may comfort and strengthen them in their trials. Let us pray to the Lord.

For our beloved dead and all the souls in purgatory: that, their earthly struggles ended, they may share in Christ’s victory and the joy of eternal life. Let us pray to the Lord.

Almighty God, you are our strength and our salvation. Hear our prayers, protect us from the snares of the Evil One, and help us to persevere faithfully in every good work. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

October 28 2026 - Saints Simon and Jude - Courageous Faith of the Martyrs

 

Fr. Kondik shared with me that when he gave a tour of the church to your classes a few weeks ago, he brought you into the sacristy and showed you all of the different vestments the priest wears for the celebration of mass. He said that many of you were able to name the different colors of the vestments, and explain why we have the different colors, and when the priest wears them.

Last week, when you came to mass as a school, the priest was wearing the color green. The color green is worn during the ordinary days of ordinary time. That color green reminds us of growing things. The green leaves growing on the trees in the springtime, and flourishing in the summer, the green crops that grow in order to become our food and nourish our bodies. During ordinary time, we focus on how we are called to grow as followers of Jesus—how our faith is always supposed to be growing, how our hope for the things God promises is always to be growing, and how our love—becoming more like Jesus in our thoughts, words, and actions, is always meant to be growing.

Today, the priest wears, not the color green, but the color red. Red is the color of fire and is the color of blood. Red vestments are worn to remind us of the fire of the Holy Spirit—we wants to stir up the flame of faith among us, and enflame us with enthusiasm and conviction for the work God has for us, especially the building up of the church and the spread of the Christian faith.

Red, being the color of blood, also reminds us of those great saints known as the martyrs, whose blood was shed for Jesus and the Church. The martyrs were killed by those who hate and misunderstand Jesus and his message. There have been martyrs up and down the centuries—Christians who have been killed in Europe and Asia and Africa and even in the Americas—in Canada, Mexico, and the United States—and not just from a long time ago, but in recent years—killed by those who want to see Christians wiped out.

Today, we honor two of the early martyrs, Saints Simon and Jude, who were among the twelve apostles of Jesus. After the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus into heaven, saints Simon and Jude took the Gospel to Iraq, Libya, Persia, and Turkey.

Legend has it that they had been very successful in sharing the Gospel with the people of Persia, who had a false religion of worshipping the sun and the moon as gods. All of this conversion angered the leaders of that false religion, and they had Simon and Jude arrested and killed.

Thanks to the courage of these apostles, the Christian faith took root in those places, and to this day, there are still Christians in these places, though they are often persecuted.

These dear Apostles and Martyrs remind us to have courage in doing the work of God, especially when we face misunderstanding and hatred from those who do not want to hear the message of Jesus. They remind us to turn away from our pagan idols--of anything we value more than God and Christ Jesus.

May the holy example and heavenly prayers of Saints Simon and Jude help us, to be filled with courage, faith, hope, and love, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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May the example of the holy martyrs whose blood was shed for Christ deepen our conviction for the work of God.

That the Christian faith and love for God and Jesus Christ may take deep root in the hearts of all people.

That our parish and parish school may be places where the Christian faith is shared, cherished and lived out with courage and love.

That the sick, suffering, overburdened, and destitute, may know the help of the Lord who made heaven and earth.

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.

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

 

30th Week in Ordinary Time 2026 - Monday - Healing our crippled natures

The miraculous healing of the crippled woman in the synagogue is a story only found in Luke’s Gospel. While teaching in the synagogue, the Lord notices this woman, hunched over, unable to stand upright. St. Luke tells us that she was afflicted by an unclean spirit for 18 years. Her physical affliction is certainly symbolic of the moral and spiritual state of sinful humanity. We are crippled by sin. Sin cripples our minds, our bodies, and our souls.

Well, the Lord, notices the crippled woman, goes to her, and sets her free from her infirmity. Through this miracle she is immediately able to stand erect and immediately glorifies God.

This healing, like so all the stories of the healing miracles in the Gospels, is symbolic of the Lord’s entire mission. God has compassion for the waywardness that is ours, humanity’s fallen state. We are crippled by sin, unable to walk in the freedom for which we were created—our intellect is darkened, our wills are weakened. And through Christ we are liberated, healed, set free, able to walk upright again, and worship God in spirit and in truth.

St. Paul elaborates on this very point in our reading from his letter to the ephesians today, explaining how what God has done for us in Christ has changed everything. We have been set free, we have been liberated, and so we must strive to be imitators of God, as beloved children, living in love. Jesus did not die for us just so we can return to being crippled again by immorality. We are liberated from sin so that we can be imitators of God.

Upon receiving this great healing, the woman in the Gospel, “stood up straight and glorified God.” So too, our response to being healed by God is to make our lives a sacrificial offering to God; patterned after the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, we are to become a fragrant aroma to God, offering to God all of our time, talent, and treasure in self-giving love.

We are to strive for holiness—uprightness—in our conduct, not simply out of fear that we will be punished for breaking divine commandments, but because we have been made to glorify God through the imitation of Christ. “Behave like God” we said in our responsory today. “Behave like God as his very dear children.”

This is our task and our calling in every conversation and interaction, with family, friends, strangers or enemies.  We are to behave like God in our speech, in our decisions, in our attentiveness to those in need.

May we, who were once in darkness, as St. Paul says, live in the light of the Lord, today and all days, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the effects of sin may continue to be healed in us, that we may walk in the moral uprightness God desires for his children.

For spiritual healing and mercy upon all those who have fallen away from the Church, those who have fallen to mortal sin, for those who blaspheme, for the conversion of atheists and non-believers, we pray to the Lord.

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 clergy and religious, for those who have fought and died for our freedom, we pray to the Lord.

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.

 

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2026 - Priesthood Sunday

 

Since 2003, in the United States, the last Sunday of October has been designated Priesthood Sunday, an opportunity for us to reflect upon the role of the ordained priesthood in the life of the Church. 

Pope St. John Paul II, when he was Pope, used to write a letter every year on Holy Thursday to all the priests of the Church.  In the very first of his letters, way back in 1979, he wrote of the thing that unites all priests—a love for Christ and a love for the Church.  Each priest can trace his vocation back to a love for Jesus Christ and the loving desire to serve the Church.

Since I entered seminary back in 2001, I’ve met hundreds and hundreds of priests. Seminary professors, hospital chaplains, prison chaplains, military chaplains, old grandfatherly pastors, serious and focused parish administrators, energetic young parochial vicars. Wise spiritual directors, gifted preachers, compassionate healers, courageous missionaries, priests with profound love for the poor. Priests who were gourmet cooks, world travelers, sports enthusiasts, brewers, bakers, gamers, writers, jokesters, weight lifters, joggers, swimmers, artists, risk takers, and philosophers. Sloppy priests, socially awkward priests, jolly priests, eccentric priests, exhausted priests, and priests counting the days until their retirement.

And I have to concur with Pope St. John Paul. Nearly every priest I’ve met possessed a deep love for Jesus Christ and a love for the Church. And when priests are together, there is an unspoken acknowledgement of that shared love, that is really quite beautiful.

I remember one Wednesday evening, playing cards with a group of priests, and one of them saying, “why don’t more men want this? Priesthood is such a gift.” And one of the brothers said, “they do, they just don’t know it.” A fraternity bound by love for Christ and his Church.

Love. All priests are to be animated by love because all Christians are to be animated by love. In the Gospel this weekend we hear that Love is the greatest commandment. Love for God and love for neighbor aren’t just ideals, but commandments.

The most joyful people I’ve ever met, priests, religious, married, and single people, have been those who have dedicated their lives to loving God and loving others with as much selflessness as they could muster. It’s no coincidence that our culture which glamorizes selfishness and self-absorption is also so joyless; because joylessness and selfishness go hand-in-hand. Tracing joylessness to the source, you always find some lack of love for the true and living God.

In the second reading St. Paul praises the Thessolonians for turning away from their pagan idols. Why because those idols do not bring joy, they do not give life. This is why it  should be a regular and routine spiritual practice for Christians to examine our lives for idols—to pray “Lord, show what I value more than you. And help me to be rid of it.” When we have the courage to utter that prayer, and follow where God leads in answer to that prayer, it can change everything, your whole life.

In that 1979 letter to priests, the holy Father told priests that every day priests must be converted anew.  Priests struggle with sin and selfishness too. And so the Holy Father’s reminder is a good reminder. Many a priest goes to bed each night reflecting on how he could have loved Christ more. Newly beatified Blessed Archbishop Fulton Sheen once said, “If I were asked if I had my life to live over again, would I live the priesthood as I have? The answer is: ‘No, I would try to love Christ more.” 

And again, this isn’t just a lesson for priests. True Love, the love that Jesus commands in the Gospel, seeks to love more deeply. And so love always demands conversion, constant conversion, to love more deeply than I did yesterday. But that daily conversion requires daily self-scrutiny. Not scrupulosity, but honesty scrutiny. “What are the ways, Lord, that you are calling me to love more deeply? What are those idols from which I must turn away?”

In that 1979 letter, Pope John Paul also addressed a growing concern about the number of priests, and how there are some communities of Catholics throughout the world that do not have access to Holy Communion regularly because they don’t have priests.  These communities meet to pray on Sundays, but they can’t celebrate the Eucharist and can’t receive Holy Communion because they don’t have a priest, they do not have regular access to the Sacrament of Confession, and so they have to carry the guilt of their sins. “Such places are not lacking in the world.”

Which is why the Church has a duty to pray for and to encourage young men to discern the call to the priesthood. Many of our seminarians say that it was a priest who first asked them if they ever thought about becoming a priest. That was the case in my life. My parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, never mentioned. Not once. Which is why they were pretty surprised when I told them I was entering seminary. But it’s not just the job of priests. Dear ones, please “have the talk” with your sons, grandsons, and nephews. Tell them that they should consider it, because the priesthood is a good life, a life of service to God.

After communion today, seminarian John Scantling will share the story of how he is answering God’s call to the priesthood. If you are a young man and his story inspires you to wonder if God is calling you to the priesthood, please let me know, we can begin a conversation.

But for the rest of us, consider how God is calling you to answer the call to serve the mission of the Church and to love more deeply, for love is our deepest calling and our deepest fulfillment for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

 

October 23 2026 - St. John of Capistrano - The Soldier Priest

 

After a thorough education in law, at the age of 26, John of Capistrano became governor of the Italian city of Perugia.  During his administration, war swept through his region of Italy, John went to his enemies to broker peace, but his enemies captured him and threw him into prison.  But there, something remarkable happened.  He experienced a deep conversion to Christ.

As a result of his conversion, around the year 1406, John entered religious life as a member of the Franciscan Order, itself already 200 years old. 

After his conversion, Friar John became one of the greatest preachers of the 15^th century.  When he was not preaching, John was writing tracts against heresy of every kind.

In 1453, Constantinople, the capital of Christian Byzantium, fell to the Ottoman Turks. They slaughtered thousands of Christians and desecrated the holy places.

That following year Pope Callixtus III sent John, who was already 70 years old, to rally the people to repel the Muslim Turkish invasion. St. John went through the towns and villages of Bavaria and Austria, then Hungary, raising a mostly peasant army of 30,000. These forces joined at Belgrade with those of János Hunyadi, the great Hungarian general known as the “Scourge of the Turks.” With an army of 60,000, they confronted a Turk army of over 100,000.

The Turks were overwhelmed by the charge and scattered.  So, not only did St. John successfully raise an army of troops to defend Europe, he led troops in battle. St. John became known as “The Soldier Priest”, and is now invoked as the patron saint of military chaplains.

As we honor St. John, we recognize that war brings terrible suffering, and we pray for those who must protect others amid its dangers. We pray especially for military chaplains, who bring the sacraments, spiritual counsel, and the consolation of Christ to those serving far from home. Their ministry reminds us that even amid conflict, we remain bound by God’s commandments and the duty to respect human dignity.

For our own spiritual lives, consider the courage John first needed in that prison cell: the courage to repent, to surrender his ambitions, and to let Christ give his life a new direction. Before he rallied others, he himself had to answer the Lord’s call.

That is a courage each of us needs. We live in an age where many have great boldness in defending their opinions on the internet, yet lack real courage to admit sin. We may be willing to defend our opinions vigorously, yet hesitate to admit our sins.

The Christian life requires each of us to seek personal conversion by resisting temptation, defending the mistreated, speaking the truth with charity, and giving of ourselves when it is costly.

John’s willingness to rally and lead an army at the age of 70 certainly challenges our excuses. Whatever our age or circumstances, God still gives us opportunities to serve him and our neighbor.

Through St. John’s intercession, may we have courage to repent, generosity to serve, and perseverance in doing good. May the Lord protect those in danger, strengthen those who minister to them, and guide all nations into the ways of justice and peace—for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

For unity in the Church, faithfulness to right teaching, detachment from worldly vices, generosity in the works of charity, and courage in the Church’s evangelizing mission.

Through the intercession of St. John Capistrano, that the imprisoned may come, like him, to conversion to Christ and seek a life of holiness.

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

For all military chaplains and for the safety of all those who serve and protect us.

For those experiencing any kind of hardship or sorrow, isolation, addiction, or disease: that they may know God’s consolation, healing, and grace.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, the deceased members of our families friends and parishes, for those who fought and died for our freedom, and for N. for whom this mass is offered.

Graciously grant our petitions, we beseech thee, O Lord; may your grace sustain us always in your service, through Christ Our Lord.

 

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2026 - Give to God what belongs to God

 

The Lord was born into a very contentious political situation 2000 years ago. Much like our own day Israel was not politically unified--there were several political factions in our Lord’s day with whom he interacted.  One of the groups was known as the Zealots.  Today, if someone called you a zealot it would mean that they possess a great passion for some subject or issue.  Well, the Zealots of the 1^st century were passionate about their national and religious identity. They wanted to overthrow the Roman occupying force; for the Zealots saw the Romans as idolatrous and immoral tyrants who needed to be run out of Israel, for God had given the holy land to the Jewish people, not to the Romans. There are a few modern Jewish political parties who feel the same—that non-Jews have no place in Israel.

Politically opposite the Zealots, were a group of Jews called the Herodians—the party of King Herod. Herod was part-jew and part-pagan. He wasn’t very religious, and in many ways, he was the puppet of the roman emperor.  Rome said jump and Herod asked, “how high?” The Herodians would do anything to stay in power, even to betray their religion and people.

A third group we hear a lot about in the Gospels were the Pharisees known for their strict, scrupulous observances. It was the Pharisees who were really running the religious show in 1^st century Judea. Politically, the Pharisees were willing to go along with whoever was in power as long as they retained the freedom to practice their religion as they saw it. For many of the Pharisees, religion was a façade. They wanted religious authority for the purpose of control and financial gain.

In the Gospel today, we heard of two of these groups teaming up against Jesus—how the Pharisees went off and plotted with the Herodians how they might entrap Jesus. Certainly, a strange alliance—the Pharisees, the religious purists, joining up with the morally and religious compromised Herodians. Why would they do such a thing?

Well, it is clear from the Gospels why. The Pharisees saw Jesus as a threat: he exposed their lies and undermined their power. Jesus demonstrated that the Pharisees were more concerned with appearances and power than actual holiness and righteous leadership. The Lord publicly accused the Pharisees of misleading God’s people and lording religious authority by imposing heavy religious burdens foreign, even antithetical, to God’s commands.

Today’s Gospel is one such instance of Jesus exposing their hypocrisy. Even, the first word out of their mouth is hypocritical. They call him Teacher. The intention of being taught. They didn’t come to him to learn, but to trap. And their trap involved what they thought was a trick question. “Tell us, what is your opinion: Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?"

Now, there were a number of taxes Jews had to pay.  There was the temple tax for the support of the temple and the priests of the temple. There was the census tax: a tax most Jews resented paying, as it financed the roman occupying force. St. Matthew, remember, before he followed Christ, was a tax collector, a jew who collected the census tax on behalf of Rome.

So, you can see the consequences of Jesus’ answer.  If he said no, don’t pay the tax, the Herodians would report him to the Roman authorities for encouraging insurrection. If he said yes, pay the tax with the roman coin, the Zealots would condemn him for being an enemy of the nation of Israel, and the Pharisees would condemn him for a being an idolater, for Caesar claimed to be an incarnate deity. It appeared to be the perfect trap.

But, then Jesus the teacher gives his answer.  And the Lord’s answer is how we Christians understand our relationship to whatever civic authority is over us.

“Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God”.  It’s an amazing answer, demonstrating that religious truth runs deeper than political alliances. The Lord’s teaching here demands that each individual be honest about what we really owe to God and what we really owe to the state.

Do we owe religious worship and unquestioning obedience to civil authorities or to politicians or political parties? No. Christians are to be neither Zealots, Pharisees, or Herodians. We aren’t to overthrow the government and make the Pope king, as the Zealots might propose. We aren’t to compromise our faith for political expediency like the Herodians. Nor are we to withdraw totally from worldly affairs like the Pharisees, lest we wake up one day with our freedoms revoked by fascists and tyrants.

Give to the state what it deserves, and give to God what God deserves. Give to Uncle Sam his due, as my grandfather used to say, for providing for our domestic security, paving the roads and other authentic civil needs. If we are going to benefit from society, we need to contribute to society. Give to Caesar as long as Caesar does not demand we violate objective morality or right religion. We even have a duty to keep Uncle Sam accountable for the legitimate common good, and limiting government which has the tendency to overreach it’s legitimate purview.

Pope Francis said it well: “We need to participate (in civic life) for the common good…Sometimes we hear: a good Catholic is not interested in politics. This is not true: good Catholics immerse themselves in politics by offering the best of themselves."

In a few weeks, we will again be tasked with our civic duty to vote. In voting, as in all things, we are to be guided by our Catholic faith. Most of the time, no one politician embodies all of our Catholic values, and so we have to do our best to vote for candidates and issues most in line with supporting the moral teachings of our Catholic faith.  May God help us and bless our civic life.

Today’s Gospel is not just about politics though, or understanding the forces which conspired to put our Lord to death. The Gospel urges us in our individual duty to seek to give God the best that we possibly can in all dimensions of our life. We are to give God faithfulness in our civic life, yes, but also in cultivating our minds, our intellect, our creativity. We are to give God our best effort in growing in prayer and holiness, and in understanding our Catholic faith. We are to give God our best effort in welcoming the stranger, feeding the hungry, instructing the ignorant, bridling our bodily passions and fighting against temptation.

“Give to God what belongs to God” are challenging words leading us to ask ourselves, “Am I giving to God everything God deserves and asks for? Am I forgiving as God asks of me, am I patient as God asks of me, am I self-controlled, generous, gentle, disciplined, attentive to the needs of my family, the poor, my parish.”

God has asked that we love him with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength, and to humbly admit and confess when we fail to do so? How’s that going? The Lord certainly challenged the Pharisees, but he also challenges each of us. His words cut through our illusions and delusions. He desires hearts, not compromised with worldly interests and alliances, but hearts on fire with holiness and love for God and neighbor.

May the Holy Spirit help each of us to “to give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to give to God what belongs to God” that our land and our families might flourish, that our souls might flourish unto eternity, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

October 16 2026 - St. Margaret Mary - Love of the Sacred Heart

 

Throughout the ages, some of the Saints have been gifted by God with visions or visitations from heaven. St. Paul is of course had a vision of Jesus on the road to Damascus. Legend has it the Lord also appeared to St. Peter before his own martyrdom. The book of Acts says that St. Stephen the Deacon had a vision of Jesus right before his martyrdom, and St. John the Evangelist of course, writes of his many visions in the Book of Revelation.

St. Francis famously had a vision of Jesus speaking to him from the cross in the chapel of San Damiano telling him to rebuild his Church. St. Clare, was given visions of the Holy Mass when she was bed-ridden due to infirmity.

In 1677, St. Margaret Mary, a Visitation nun in France, had a vision of the Lord revealing to her, His Sacred Heart. In her diary, she wrote “I could plainly see His heart, pierced and bleeding, yet there were flames, too, coming from it and a crown of thorns around it. He told me to behold His heart which so loved humanity. Then He seemed to take my very heart from me and place it there in His heart. In return He gave me back part of His flaming heart.”

Our Lord charged St. Margaret Mary with making known the powerful devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which today has spread throughout the world.

This parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus has a special connection to St. Margaret Mary. This parish was formed from a merger of two former parishes, St. Gregory the Great, and the parish of St. Margaret Mary. Many, former St. Margaret Mary parishioners now have membership in Sacred Heart. Each Friday, we pray the Sacred Heart Devotion, calling to mind, the vision, the message, and also the promises made to St. Margaret Mary.

“Behold this Heart which has so loved men that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming itself, in order to testify its love.”

The Sacred Heart is a symbol of God’s love for us and a model for how we are called to love God in return and to love our neighbor.

Consider the love revealed in his Heart: a love that gives generously, perseveres through rejection, and pours itself out even for those who offer nothing in return. This is how Jesus loves us, and this is how he teaches us to love.

We love God in return by giving him our time and attention, obeying his commandments, and seeking his will even when it requires sacrifice. We are to love our neighbor by allowing Christ’s love to shape our response to the people he places before us—with patience, mercy, and generosity.

For a parish bearing his name, this is our daily calling: to make the love of the Sacred Heart visible through our worship, our service, our evangelization, and our care for one another.

Through St. Margaret Mary’s intercession, may we receive his love gratefully, return it faithfully, and share it generously. Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make our hearts like unto thine for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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In reparation to the Sacred Heart for all sin and all blasphemy, let us pray to the Lord.

For an increase in faith, hope, and love for all Christians.

That our children and young people may be kept safe from the poisonous errors of our culture, and that their families may be places where the faith is practiced and cherished.

For all those whose love for God has grown cold, who have fallen into moral laxity or despair of the mercy of God, for all souls in danger of hell, for their conversion and the conversion of all hearts.

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

For 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, for all of the deceased parishioners of former St. Margaret Mary parish.

Gracious Father, hear our prayers, and through the infinite mercy of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, grant us what we truly need, through the same Christ our Lord.

 

 

October 15 2026 - St. Teresa of Avila - Praying with determination

 

One of my favorite works of art is located in the corner chapel of the Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome. I remember walking miles through the rain the first time I visited Rome to see this sculpture of St. Teresa in Ecstasy by the famous Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The sculpture carved of white marble, depicts St. Teresa of Avila, garbed in her Carmelite habit, reclined on a cloud. Over her, a joy-filled angel holds a golden arrow ready to pierce her heart with Divine Love.

 

Bernini drew his inspiration for this sculpture from the amazing life of this saint. For many years, Teresa had difficulty sitting through her prayers, perhaps she thought she had something better to do. But, one day, she began meditating upon an image of the Passion of Jesus—scourged, bound, and crowned with thorns and standing before a hostile crowd, that she resolved to dedicate herself as seriously as she could to the prayer, meditation, and contemplation.

 

With that determination to grow in prayer, her love for the Lord deepened. She would become absorbed in deep contemplation and would become so filled with divine love that, miraculously her body would levitate—hence Bernini depicting Teresa floating on a cloud. At the same time, she would feel deeply overwhelmed by love that it felt like her heart was being pierced—hence the angel holding that golden arrow in the sculpture.

 

St. Teresa didn’t just keep her insights into prayer to herself. She wrote a book called The Interior Castle, which describes the Christian soul’s journey to union with God. The book is a spiritual classic and still very accessible to the modern reader.

 

Her holiness was so deeply evident that she was canonized within forty years of her death. And, in 1970, Pope St. Paul VI bestowed upon her the title “Doctor of the Church” for her insights into the spiritual life, teaching us to take up the Lord’s invitation to the Divine Will through prayer.

 

In seminary, we read a wonderful book by Fr. Thomas Dubay called The Fire Within, which I highly recommend to those wanting to grow in prayer. Fr. Dubay summarizing Teresa’s spirituality writes, “Genuine prayer, does not happen without effort.  Depth of communion with the indwelling Trinity occurs only in a person intent on living the Gospel totally, one who is humble and patient, temperate and obedient, pure and kind, free of selfish clinging.  It is not accidental that our very best explanations of contemplative prayer have their origin in men and women of marvelous sanctity.”

 

May St. Teresa, this great Doctor of the Church continue to teach us how to pray, and the determination we need for the growth in prayer that God desires for us, that we may more deeply be drawn into the love God has for each of us, contemplate his indwelling presence in our souls, and be united to God in all of our activities and relationships for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - - 

 

For Pope Leo, especially for his recovery from surgery, and in his cancer diagnosis.

 

On this feast of St. Teresa, we pray for the Carmelites and all religious orders and communities, that they may remain faithful to their charisms and be beacons of God's love in the world. Let us pray to the Lord.

 

For all who feel spiritually dry or distant from God, that they may persevere in prayer and experience the transforming power of divine love. Let us pray to the Lord.

 

For all of us gathered here, that we may learn to detach ourselves from worldly concerns and trust more fully in God's providence. Let us pray to the Lord.

 

For those burdened by anxiety and fear, and for all those suffering from mental illness, addiction, or any type of illness: that the grace of Christ may console and strengthen them. Let us pray to the Lord.

 

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

 

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

 

October 14, 2026 - Pope St. Callistus I - God lifts up the lowly

 

Often times, the Collect Prayers for the saints reflect something of their lives.  Today’s collect contained a prayer asking God to rescue us from the “slavery of corruption.”

The saint we honor today, Pope Callistus I was originally born a slave in Rome, in the late 2^nd century.  Seeing natural intelligence in him, his Master appointed him to oversee a bank, but after a while the bank failed; Callistus fearing for his life, fled Rome.  He was caught and sentenced to hard labor as punishment in the mines of Sardinia. But, as providence would have it, Callistus wasn’t in Sardinia long, thanks to the Pope, who bargained with the emperor to free many of the prisoners.

After his release, Callistus studied theology and became a deacon.  10 years later, Pope Zephyrinus , who had very little theological training, summoned Callistus, to serve as his theological advisor.   Callistus soon became a powerful force in the Church, and was elected Pope in 217. In 223, an anti-Christian riot swept through Rome, and Pope Callistus was martyred.

During his pontificate Callistus dealt with a controversial topic: the early Church had very strict rules about readmitting back to Holy Communion public sinners and those who were guilty of adultery, fornication, murder and schism—those who renounced Christ during times of persecution.

Pope Callistus ruled that excommunicants could be received back into communion of the Church after they had performed public penance.

Callistus, the one who was shown mercy, freedom from slavery and imprisonment, directed the Church to be lavish in her mercy to the penitent.

And you’d think this would edify the whole church, but sadly, the Callistus’ merciful ruling enraged his opponents, and even caused a group of Christians to splinter off and elect their own-anti Pope, Hippolytus who was eventually reconciled to the Church and named a saint himself.

From slave to merciful Pope and glorious martyr. I don’t know about you, but I find stories like that of Pope Callistus deeply inspiring. If God can transform the life of an uneducated slave in such a way, what could he do with us, if we but surrendered more deeply to His grace, if we do all that we could to cooperate with that grace in serving His kingdom.

I think God really likes to do such things, after all, the Blessed Mother sang, “He casts down the mighty from their thrones and raises up the lowly.” And St. Paul says, “He chooses the weak and makes them strong in bearing witness to Christ.”

God transforms the lives of ordinary people to do extraordinary things, when we surrender to Him, so let us surrender wholeheartedly, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - - 

 

That each member of the Church may manifest the mercy of Christ in their lives, and for the health of the Holy Father, Pope Leo recovering from surgery and diagnosed with lung cancer.

For wisdom and mercy to guide the life of the Church, the decisions of government leaders, and the ordering of our personal lives.

For our young people, that they may be raised in homes where the Word of God is studied, cherished, and practiced.

During this month of October, dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary, may Catholics take up this devotion with renewed vigor and trust in Our Lady’s never-failing intercession.

For all victims of war, and for those experiencing any kind of hardship or sorrow, isolation, addiction, or disease: that they may know God’s sustaining grace.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish; for all of the poor souls in purgatory and for N.

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.

 

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2026 - Blessed Fulton Sheen's Daily Holy Hour

 

“Everything is ready; come to the feast.”

This invitation from today’s Gospel expresses what we celebrate every time we come to Mass [but also what we celebrate particularly this weekend during our weekend of Eucharistic devotions.] God has prepared a banquet for his people, the wedding feast of the Lamb, in which we are fed with the greatest of all foods—Christ Himself.

I was at a parish closing of Forty Hours recently, and the homilist told a wonderful story about newly beatified Blessed Fulton Sheen. I had read the story before, maybe you have too, but I’d like to share it with you today, as it is a good reminder of what we celebrate in the great gift of the Eucharist

In his autobiography Treasure in Clay, Archbishop Sheen about a resolutions he made on the day of his priestly ordination.

He writes, “I resolved to spend a continuous Holy Hour every day in the presence of our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.” It was a resolution that Blessed Fulton Sheet kept throughout his priesthood, and he testified that it was a major source of grace and spiritual power in his ministry. He was once asked what inspired him to make the resolution to make that daily holy hour, and so he shared the story of an eleven-year-old Chinese girl.

He said: When the Communists took over China, they imprisoned a priest in his rectory nearby the church. One day, he watched the Communists enter the Church, and break into the tabernacle, and they took out the ciborium containing the precious Body of Christ, and threw the ciborium on to the floor. He saw the consecrated hosts spill out on to the floor, and he knew the exact number of hosts, now scattered on the floor: there were thirty-two of them.

While this desecration was taking place, a little girl was praying in the back of the church, a young Chinese girl of 11 years. She also watched this desecration take place in silence and sorrow. Later that night, the girl returned to church, sneaking past the guard.

She knelt down before the spilled hosts and made a holy hour: an act of love to make up for the act of hatred. After her hour of prayer she bent over one of the hosts, and with her tongue received Jesus in Holy Communion, for at the time it was not permissible for the laity to touch the Sacred Host with their hands as they are now.

Every night, the little girl snuck into church and made a holy hour and received Jesus in Holy Communion on her tongue. On the thirty-second night, after she had consumed the last and thirty-second host, she accidentally made a noise which alerted the Communist guard. The guard chased her down and beat her to death with the butt of his rifle. The priest helplessly watched this incident from his confinement.

That little girl, whose name is unknown, died a martyr for the faith. This was the story which inspired Blessed Fulton Sheen to make that promise of a daily Hour Hour.

Again this story inspired Blessed Fulton Sheet to make that promise of the daily Holy Hour. If she could risk her life, out of love for Jesus, he could at least spend an hour.

Why did she do so? For one, because she recognize those sacred hosts to be Jesus Himself. This is what happens at mass—bread and wine are truly transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. She recognized this gift that Jesus has made to the Church. She recognized her God spilled on the floor by those filled with hate. And so she sought to replace hatred with love, disbelief with faith.

That is the faith we renew [this weekend] every time we come to Mass, every time we kneel in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. Beneath the appearances of bread and wine, Christ is truly present. The same Jesus who healed the sick, offered himself on Calvary, and rose from the dead gives himself to us as food. God invites us in the same words of the Gospel, “Everything is ready; come to the feast.”

In our first reading, Isaiah foretells God’s promise of a feast in which all the people of the earth would be gathered. This is the feast. And at that banquet, God would wipe away every tear from our eyes and destroy death forever.

At the Eucharist, we are comforted in all of our sorrows, that we are not abandoned by God. Jesus is with us in this vale of tears. And he feeds us with what St. Ignatius of Antioch called “the remedy for our mortality”, the antidote to death. For as Jesus taught, “he who eats my flesh shall live forever. Him I will raise up on the last day.”

Our love for Jesus in this sacrament brings a sort of fearlessness, toward death and every thing else. Our psalm expresses this confidence and fearlessness: “Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.” The Eucharist is Jesus at the side of his Church. Or rather, the Eucharist is the Church at the side of Jesus—from which blood and water flowed.

That eleven year old Chinese girl understood this. Why would she risk death, sneaking into the Church, night after night for thirty-two nights? Because she knew, like so many of the martyrs, knew, that death is not the end, for those who have faith in Christ. Her love was greater than the threats surrounding her. She belonged to Jesus.

The Eucharist cultivates that same holy fearlessness in us. We still might experience anxiety, suffering, grief, and temptation, but because of the Eucharist, these things do not control our lives. The Eucharist frees us from fear. For Christ feeds us with the life that death cannot destroy.

The Eucharist especially frees us from fear for the mission of the Church. We are called, not just to sneak past Communists, so that we may worship in secret, but to convert them, and work for all who deny Christ and hate his Church. We are to love our enemy enough that we find ways to share the Gospel with them. The Eucharist expands our hearts to embrace, even our enemy. Again, as the Psalmist says, “a table has been set before us in the sight of our foes.”

In the Gospel, there were several different types of responses to the invitation to the wedding feast. There were those who outright refused to come—for reasons unknown and unspoken—they simply refused. You and I, probably know people who fall into that category. There were those who made excuses—we’re too busy—we have our farms and businesses. You and I probably know some of them as well.

The third response was this person who showed up without the wedding garment, who was consequently ejected from the banquet. The wedding garment is symbolic of the Christian life open to being more deeply converted to Christ. This is the person who shows up to mass without the desire or intention of being more deeply converted, falling more deeply in love with Christ, being truly strengthened and inspired for the mission.

The Gospel challenges us to ensure that we always come to mass with the openness to transformation and conversion that God wants for us. To become like that little Chinese girl—with a love for Him in the Eucharist so deep that it animates our life—a love that casts out fear—so that we may live more fully for him.

Perhaps the Lord inviting you to make a holy hour each week in our eucharistic chapel, or to come to weekday mass. Perhaps, he is urging you to become a Eucharistic minister, so that you can bring Him to the sick and homebound, who would be here if they could. No doubt the Lord wants to feed them, and be with them in their dark valley, but he needs our parishioners to take up this ministry. No doubt the Lord is inviting each of us to consider how and we can be more fearless in our loving service of the mission of the Church.

May this Holy Mass [and our Eucharistic devotions] bring renewal to each of us and to our parish, and an increase in faith, hope, and love, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

 

October 6 2026 - St. Bruno - Christian Maturity and the Cross

 

Nearly 950 years ago, St. Bruno, whom we honor today, founded the Carthusians. The Carthusian way of life combines the prayerful solitude of the hermetical life with the mutual support of communal monasticism. Carthusians withdraw from the world in order to seek the face of Christ in intense prayer, fasting, and cultivation of virtue.

The Carthusians have the distinction of have a rule of life that has gone virtually unchanged for those 950 years. While the cultures of the world have changed, their strict way of life has not. And this is very much in keeping with the motto set by St. Bruno: Stat crux dum volvitur orbis.  “While the world changes, the cross stands firm.” The ways of the world, its values, ideals and priorities, are constantly in flux, but the cross remains the way to salvation and the road to perfection.

That road is meant for every one of us. Jesus calls every disciple to take up his cross and follow him. Through the cross, we learn to surrender whatever keeps us from loving God with our whole heart.

St. Paul expresses that surrender in our first reading: “I consider everything as loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” Paul had discovered that knowing Christ was worth more than everything he once prized. He desired to share Christ’s sufferings and become conformed to his death, trusting that this road leads to resurrection.

We entered that same mystery at baptism. The Christian life unfolds as we allow Christ to put our sins to death and bring his love to maturity within us.

For St. Bruno, this meant leaving behind worldly honors and comforts for a life of intense prayer and penance. For us, it means what? Examining what we cling to and asking whether those attachments draw us toward God or away from him. Learning to trust God that we are called, like Christ, to give of ourselves—there is no greater love than he who lays down his life for another.

The cross is the road of perfection. Now, St. Paul admits at the time of writing to the Philippians that he had not attained perfect Christian maturity, he was still a work in progress, but he says, “I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it”. Again, St. Bruno sought Christian maturity in the walls of the monastery.

All of us struggle with sin and vice, but we must not give up hope of possessing Christian maturity. But Christian maturity involves intentionality and discipline. Overcoming vice, practicing self-sacrifice are not easy. But the cross is the road to life. Each of us are called to seek union with Christ as best as we can in whatever our vocation or circumstances, following where God leads us.

Through St. Bruno’s intercession, may we follow the crucified Lord with undivided hearts, trusting that everything surrendered for his sake opens us more fully to his life, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - - 

That the contemplative religious orders of the Church may inspire all Christians to seek God in moments of prayer, silence, and solitude.

That world leaders may look upon the Son of God, believe in him, and seek the peace and justice that only he can bring.

That our young people may take seriously the call of Christ to turn away from the evils of our culture to spread the good news of Christ’s eternal kingdom.

That those whose lives are marked by suffering may come to know the healing and peace of Christ.

For the bishop and priests gathering for the Priest Convocation this week: that their time together in prayer, work, and fraternity may bear good fruit for the mission of the Church in our Diocese.

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

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

 

27th Sunday of Ordinary Time - The Einstein of Wines

 

About 10 years ago, I had a funeral for a long-time parishioner of St. Clare. His name was Lenny Giuliani, and when I met with the family to plan the funeral, I learned that Lenny had been a winemaker. Making wine wasn’t his profession, but a hobby that he took very seriously; his family called him the “Einstein of Wines” because he was extremely scientific in perfecting his wines. His daughters brought me a few bottles of Lenny’s wine and suggested that I try them, and let them know my honest opinion, because their father loved constructive criticism.

So, a few days after the funeral, I opened his bottle of red, a blend of several different grapes noted on the label, with the precise percentage of each noted. And I’m no connoisseur, but I could tell that I was drinking something special, the culmination of a life’s work, a work of art.

Good food and good wine can certainly rise to the level of art. And Lenny’s wine was certainly artfully made. He developed these wines, painstakingly, and shared the fruits of his labors with family and friends. And for that, the world was blessed. In this digital age, when we are tempted to spend our waking hours, and our so-called “free time” in front of screens, we probably need to be a bit more like Lenny. To produce something with our hands, with our minds, that can be given away to bring some joy in this increasingly joyless world.

Idle hands are the devil’s workshop as proverbs says. And so a hobby, a craft, done artfully and carefully can be a excellent means of avoiding the near occasion of sin of laziness, and can bring something good into the world. 

I thought of Lenny’s wine this weekend, for one because we hear of vineyards and grapes in our scripture readings, also because it’s the anniversary of Lenny’s funeral this week. But also because our Scripture readings really do urge us to consider how we use our time, how we spend our life—how we use the time we’ve been given…to be a blessing to others…or not.

In today’s First Reading Isaiah describes God’s displeasure with Israel. The Lord had prepared Israel to be a fine vineyard—a vineyard of holy souls that should have yielded the highest quality grapes.  God had given Israel the Law, the Torah, he had delivered the Israelites out of the slavery of Egypt, and placed them in the promised Land, he had sent them prophets to help them be his holy people. And yet, what did they do with those blessings? what did they do to the prophets?

Rather than yielding the lush, juicy grapes of faithfulness, justice and peace, Israel had produced wild sour grapes of infidelity, false worship, ignorance of the scriptures, and injustice toward the poor.

Shame on Israel, right? Well, the pattern of Israel’s sin, is of course, ours as well. God has given us all we need to be saints. The Scriptures, the Holy Tradition of the Apostles, the Sacraments, the constant guidance of the Holy Spirit.

And of course, many of us have seen tremendously good fruit in our lives and among our fellow Catholics: the joy that comes from serving and caring for others, the peace that comes from mending broken relationships, the development of virtues. And yet, the rotten fruit of infidelity can still be detected: selfishness, hatred, souls given over to lust, greed, wrath, pride, envy, gluttony, and sloth. Chronic crankiness and bitterness, stinginess, are usually signs that we’ve let self-absorption take the place of Christian self-donation.

The Word of God challenges us to ensure that we are doing what we can to weed out the bad and nurture the good—to tend the field of our soul—to uproot the rotten vines lest they takeover the vineyards of our lives. For the Lord has chosen us “to go and bear fruit that will remain.”

The Gospel Parable of the Tenants today also challenges us to consider what lessons from God that we have rejected. In the parable, we read of the wicked tenants who rejected the vineyard owner’s servant and then rejected and killed the vineyard owner’s son.

The Lord Jesus issued this parable to the chief priests and elders of Israel. Jesus was helping them understand that they were like those wicked tenants—not only had they rejected the message of the prophets, they were also rejecting the vineyard owner’s son—the Son of God—in the rejection of his teachings.

Shame on the chief priests and elders, right? Well, again: how about us? We see baptized Catholics forsaking the faith, and acting like they might catch on fire if they stepped into Church. Amongst the Protestants, heresy has spread like wild-fire—they’ve lost the eucharist, the priesthood, confession, sacramental anointing and some of them don’t even practice baptism anymore, not to mention the moral teachings they have rejected. And many Catholics aren’t much better, picking and choosing which teachings they’ll adhere to like choices in a buffet line.

Rather, this Gospel calls us to ensure that we reject nothing of what comes from God, particularly the teachings of the Son of God. To repent of sin and bear fruit that will last. And as we accept and apply the teachings of Christ, we experience more deeply his peace. As St. Paul says, “the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

The world doesn’t understand how practicing self-control, and self-constraint in the face of temptation brings peace, but it does. How practicing obedience to Church teaching and self-sacrifice, giving of our time talent and treasure can bring us peace, but it does. We have the saints, and every Christian who takes this stuff seriously to prove it. Peace and joy.

This week, we began again the month of October. October is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Rosary, as the Feast of the Holy Rosary, is celebrated on October 7. I encourage you to take up the rosary this month, especially if you are not in the habit of doing so, to pray the rosary for the good of our parish, the needs of the world, especially those who reject Christ and do not know his peace.

Ask for Our Lady’s help in putting the teachings of Christ into practice in your life, in discovering new ways the Lord is calling you to serve his kingdom, perhaps simply like Lenny, to perfect some art that can bring joy to others, or some ministry that needs to be strengthened in our parish, or to help you be more attentive to those whom God has given you gifts to serve, to assist and help. Or maybe, you need Our Lady’s help to lift you out of a place of discouragement or habitual sin. The rosary is a powerful way of seeking God’s help to overcome these things.

Avail yourself to the help of heaven in overcoming sin and pursuing the sanctity for which you were made, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.