July 1 2020 - St. Junipero Serra - Statues and Holiness

The Saint we honor today has made the news recently. Up and down California, mobs are destroying statues of Junipero Serra, the missionary priest, who left the comforts and privileges of his native Spain to devoted himself to building churches and schools for the poor and the native Americans. Junipero Serra was canonized by Pope Francis in 2015 during the Holy Father’s first visit to our nation.

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, Archbishop of San Francisco lamented the destruction of these statues, and even held an exorcism in the Golden Gate Park, after the Statue of St. Junipero was toppled. “I’ve been feeling great distress and sort of a deep wound in my soul when I see these horrendous acts of blasphemy and disparaging of the memory of Serra who was such a great hero, such a great defender of the indigenous people of this land," Cordileone said.

"I would ask our people to learn the history of Father Serra, the missions, the whole history of the Church, so they can appreciate the great legacy the Church has given us, given the world,”  he said. “So much truth, beauty and goodness. It’s a wonderful legacy that we should be proud of. There are those that want to make us feel ashamed of it.”

Efforts to destroy Saint Junipero’s statue have not been entirely  successful: thanks to the presence of a small band of Catholics, a “Tear Down Junipero Serra” event in Ventura, California, concluded with the bronze statue of Padre Serra standing unharmed. Event participants harassed and taunted the Catholics defending the statue, disparaging the opinions, religion, race, and personal appearance of those they disagreed with. One woman raced up, ripped signs away from two supporters at the base of the statue, and was dragged away, clawing, throwing things, and screaming obscenities.

Sadly, unless there is a great miracle and change of heart, such violence will likely continue. Likely, statues will continue to be torn down, history scrubbed of reference to Christianity, as has been done in Europe for the past two decades. We are already seeing Catholics being harassed and physically attacked.

And yet we shouldn’t lose heart. Rather, wherever the saints are disparaged we redouble our efforts to them, wherever Christians are persecuted, we redouble our efforts to live out the Gospel, to give witness to the one who calls us to fidelity amidst the resistance and hostility of the world. "Hate evil and love good" as the prophet Amos teaches in the reading today, "for justice will prevail at the gate", the gate of heaven where souls will be judged.

As the world seems to fall apart at the seams, we recommit to the acts of goodness, education, works of mercy, like those performed by St. Junipero, that reinfuse the world with God’s goodness and the grace of Christ, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all Christians may be deeply committed to the spread of Christ’s Gospel, and for the success of the Church’s missionary activity.

For our nation, as we celebrate our independence this weekend, that we may be always grateful for our freedom, and use that freedom for God’s will, rather than our own.

For the conversion of hearts to all who engage in religious persecution, stifle the preaching of the Gospel, or tear down what is good and holy.

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 Christians persecuted for the faith around the world, 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, 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.

Christ the King 2017 - Viva Cristo Rey!

“Viva Cristo Rey!” “Long live Christ the King!” These were the last words Fr. Miguel Augustin Pro uttered before he was executed by firing squad by the virulently anti-Catholic government of Mexico on November 23, 1927.

When Mexico achieved its independence from Spain in the 19th century, it also sought to divorce itself from Catholicism. Mexico’s 1917 Constitution brought the seizing of church property, the outlaw religious orders, and the government’s insertion into internal Church affairs. The Constitution prohibited priests from voting or offering any comment on public policy. Priests were also banned from wearing their clerical attire or vestments outside churches. Public displays of faith like the Corpus Christi Procession or praying the rosary publicly were strictly forbidden.

Some Catholics rebelled against the government persecution; the Cristeros movement fought against the anti-Catholic regime, which by the 20s was executing priests and even young people who practiced their faith.

Pope Pius XI wrote three encyclicals denouncing the persecution in Mexico, calling upon faithful Catholics to defend the Church when possible. The persecution finally ended when a Catholic president, Manuel Avila Camacho, was elected in 1940. Yet, when Pope St. John Paul visited Mexico in 1979 it was still illegal for him to celebrate Mass in public.

The most famous martyr of this persecution is the Jesuit priest Blessed Miguel Augustin Pro. When Churches were closed by the government, Fr. Miguel would celebrate Mass in secret to provide the Eucharist for Mexico’s faithful. He became known throughout Mexico City as the undercover priest who would show up in the middle of the night, dressed as a beggar or a street sweeper, to baptize infants, hear confessions, distribute Communion, or perform marriages. Several times, disguised as a policeman, he slipped unnoticed into the police headquarters itself to bring the sacraments to Catholic prisoners before their executions.

Eventually, Fr. Pro was captured and arrested and sentenced to death. The President of Mexico ordered his execution to be photographed in great detail, hoping to incite fear amongst the Cristeros Catholics. You may have seen the photographs of Fr. Pro, dressed in a suit, facing the firing squad, with arms outstretched like Jesus on the Cross. The photographs, instead of inciting fear had the opposite effect, and Catholics began to show great devotion to the martyr—soon the government forbade the distribution of the very photos it had publicized!

When Pius XI instituted the Feast of Christ the King for the universal Church in 1925, Christians were facing grave difficulties: the Mexican persecution of course, the rise of National Socialism which would become Nazism in Germany, Atheistic Communism in Russia, rampant Materialism, Consumerism, and Racism here in the States. The Pope instituted this feast for one, to show “the deplorable consequences” produced when individuals and governments rebel against and reject the Gospel.

Pope Pius XI also wanted to strengthen and encourage Catholics facing persecution, like the Cristeros Catholics in Mexico. This message, this feast, gave Fr. Pro and so many others, the courage to continue to work for the spread of Christ’s reign, despite formidable hostilities.

But this feast is also reminder to all Catholics: that amidst all the trials of life, when we submit our hearts and minds and wills and bodies to the reign of Christ the King, when we live in accordance with the laws of God’s kingdom, we are counted among Christ’s good and faithful servants. Our faith in Christ can and will sustain us in the most difficult moments of life, it can and will transform our fallen world, if we let it. And to those who allow Christ to reign in them and through them, our Good King will speak the words we long to hear: “'Come, you who are blessed by my Father.  Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

In the Gospel of the Final Judgment, Our King teaches us that he will judge us, he will determine our eternal destination on how we treated others in this life, whether or not we allowed his mercy to reign in us by feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, tending the sick, and bringing the freedom of truth to those imprisoned by the errors of secular culture.

The month of December, and the season of Advent, we know is filled with many demands on our time. So during all of the busyness of the month ahead, we must remember our deepest duty is to Christ: not to contribute to the growing godlessness of our culture, but to bring about his Kingdom through faith, hope, and charity.

The changing of a liturgical season is always a good time to do some self-examination: to examine whether selfishness, pleasure, lust, control, pride, reign in our lives, or Christian generosity, self-control, humility, and prayer. And it is a good time to make a good confession of the times we let sin reign in us, rather than Christ.

This week, I encourage you to plan ahead for Advent, which begins next sunday; plan additional prayer time with your family, additional spiritual reading, additional acts of mercy and charity. Perhaps, try to get to daily Mass throughout the week, to allow the peace of Christ to reign in you.
When we allow Christ to reign in us, he transforms us into instruments of his justice and his goodness. We become partners with Christ in reuniting divided humanity, in extending God’s mercy, truth, and love to all, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

October 13 2017 - The Day of the Lord is Coming (Miracle of the Sun at Fatima - 100th Anniversary)

100 Years ago, today, somewhere between thirty-thousand and one hundred thousand people witnessed the great miracle of the sun in Fatima, Portugal.  Thousands of witnesses saw the sun leave its place in the sky, begin to spin like a top, “spinning like a ring of fireworks”, one account said and come barreling toward the earth. And then, just as quickly as it came toward the earth, it returned to its spot in the sky and stopped spinning.

The miracle occurred eight months after Our Lady began appearing to the three shepherd children. She introduced herself as “the Lady of the Rosary” and stressed the importance of praying the rosary for world peace, for the end of World War I, for the conversion of Russia, and to pray especially for sinners in danger of hell.

The miracle of the sun was a sign from heaven, a stamp of confirmation on the message of Our Lady: there is a great need of repentance and a need to have faith is Jesus Christ.

I saw an article this morning that claimed the Miracle of the Sun was a turning point in Portugal’s history. Anti-Catholicism and Atheism, which proliferated in the 18^th century, leading to the seizing of many catholic churches and schools by the government, maltreatment of clergy, the outlawing of church bells, the banning of religious festivals. Between 1911 & 1916, nearly 2000 priests, monks and nuns were killed by anti-Christian groups. But the “day the sun danced” was a turning point. The Atheist regime was soon replaced, and a flourishing of faith ensued.

The message of Fatima is as relevant today as ever: the need for repentance and conversion and prayer is a perpetual necessity; and that there can be no real lasting peace in the world, unless the peace of Jesus Christ fills our hearts.

The readings today are all ominous, but in their own way they each resonate with the Fatima message. The power of Christ can cast out demons from a soul and from a nation, and repentance and observance of God’s commands are perpetually needed for the day of judgment is coming, “the day of the Lord is coming” the prophet Joel says; “The Lord will judge the world with justice” we proclaimed in the Psalm.

“Say the Rosary every day… People must amend their lives and ask pardon for their sins.” May we heed Our Lady’s message, praying for ourselves and for those who do not yet know the importance of prayer. Confident and trusting in the Lord and His Mother amidst all the chaos of our lives, may we be found faithful today in his service for the Glory of God and salvation of souls. Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.

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That our Church Leaders may always help us prepare rightly for the day of Judgment.

For those who have fallen into error, for Catholics who have grown lukewarm in their faith, for those who have left the Church, for their conversion and the conversion of all hearts.

For an increase in devotion to Our Lady’s Holy Rosary, and that we may all come to more fully imitate Our Lady’s faith and purity.

That the love of Christ, the divine physician, may bring healing to the sick and comfort to all the suffering.

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