4th Week of Easter 2025 - Monday - Jesus the Good Shepherd

 Yesterday, we heard the very short Gospel passage—just three verses from the middle of John Chapter 10—in which Jesus the Lord spoke about how his sheep recognize his voice and follow Him. This morning, we read from the beginning of chapter 10, beginning what is often called the Good Shepherd discourse.

Good Shepherds are found throughout Scripture.  Abel, son of Adam, was the first shepherd in human history.  Abraham was a shepherd, as was Jacob.  Joseph was shepherding his father’s flock when he was arrested and betrayed by his brothers.  Moses was shepherding his Father-in-law’s flock when he stumbled across the burning bush. Before becoming King of Israel, David was a shepherd.  And the prophet Amos was a shepherd before being sent by God to denounce Israel’s idolatry and hallow prosperity.

Scripture describes God Himself as a Shepherd.   As his father Jacob lay dying, Joseph knelt at his father’s bedside and recalled how God had been his shepherd every day since his birth.  And the 23rd Psalm tenderly describes God’s shepherding care: God is the Shepherd who feeds us in green pastures, who leads us to safety, who protects us in dark valleys.  

In the passage this morning the Lord describes the profound relationship Jesus has with each of us sheep. He knows us intimately, calls us by name, and leads us with love and care through the landscapes of our lives. The Good Shepherd also seeks to protect us from thieves and robbers who would steal us away from that relationship of love.

But, that is a choice that is up to us: will we heed his voice, or will we fall for the counterfeit voices of those thieves and robbers—the voice of temptation. 

He calls out to us, he calls us by name, he feeds us, he fends off thieves and robbers because he desires that we have life and have it to abundance—a life full of blessing and spiritual gifts, a life that involves becoming the people God made us to be.

But for that to happen, we must listen intently to the voice of the Good Shepherd, following in his footsteps, allowing him to teach us, feed us, protect us, lead us and guide us in the ways of righteousness, goodness, and love, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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Filled with Paschal joy, let us turn earnestly to God, to graciously hear our prayers and supplications.

For the shepherds of our souls, for newly elected Pope Leo, for all  bishops and clergy, that they may govern wisely the flock entrusted to them by the Good Shepherd

For the whole world, that it may truly know the peace of the Risen Christ.

That our parish may bear witness with great confidence to the Resurrection of Christ, and that the newly initiated hold fast to the faith they have received. 

For our brothers and sisters who suffer, that their sorrow may be turned to gladness through the Christian faith.

That all of our beloved dead and all the souls in purgatory may come to the glory of the Resurrection.

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

4th Sunday of Easter 2024 - Called to Communion

 Communion. God desires Communion with us.

Communion is a very important concept for Christians. We speak of Holy Communion, The Communion of Saints, the Community of Believers. We speak of God’s communication with us through Divine Revelation because God wants to share his mind and plan and heart and life with us. We speak of the Evangelizing Mission of the Church to communicate the Gospel to others, so that they can share in communion with God that we share through the Church. 

After the sign of the cross, mass begins with a greeting expressing and praying for Communion: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you.” This greeting expresses the communion existing in God Himself—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and at the same time is a prayer asking God to establish that communion more deeply among us. It’s a prayer that your spirit, and my spirit, may reflect and be filled with the Communion of God. 

The Catechism uses the word “Communion” over 1000 times. Right in the first chapter, Catechism paragraph 27 says  “the desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for:  The dignity of man rests above all on the fact that he is called to communion with God”

Our human dignity rests on our call to Communion. About three weeks ago Pope Francis’ Dicastry on the Doctrine of the Faith issued a teaching on Human Dignity. And he quotes that very paragraph from the Catechism—that we find the fullest expression of our dignity and freedom and joy when we are fullest communion with God. 

Communion.  St. Paul liked the word Communion a lot: he speaks about it in reference to the Holy Eucharist through which Jesus shares his life-giving Body and Blood with us. St. Paul writes, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?”

St. Paul even speaks of his desire to know Jesus Christ so deeply that he desires to share communion in Christ’s sufferings. St. Ignatius of Antioch our patron writes about that as well—his desire to imitate Jesus’ sufferings through his own martyrdom was so great that he pleaded with the Christians in Rome to do nothing to keep him from martyrdom.

The life of the Church is at the service of Communion—proclaiming the call to Communion. And our readings this weekend all illustrate that truth. In the first reading, St. Peter, driven by the Holy Spirit on that first Pentecost Sunday, takes to the streets of Jerusalem and preaches that salvation is found in Jesus Christ who was crucified, but is now risen. And that there is no salvation (no communion with God) through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved." Jesus came to deliver us from our great excommunication from God—the communion with God broken by sin.

And so Peter’s proclamation of Christ—is a call to restored Communion with God in the only way that God has definitely offered Communion—through Jesus Christ. 

The second reading deepens our understanding of what it means to be in this new communion-- “See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God.” Christians are God’s children. We aren’t mere beneficiaries of a contract between God and man. We aren’t pieces of property that God might cast away if he loses interest in us. Christian Communion means membership in the family of God—an intimate, loving, life-giving communion. And just as human parents rightly provide for the needs of their children—God provides for the safety, guidance, and flourishing of His children.

Now in the Gospel, the Lord teaches about God’s work to establish communion by drawing upon this beautiful image of a Shepherd. The mission of Christ the Shepherd is to gather scattered humanity into One flock—one communion.

And yet, the Lord acknowledges that there are terrible forces which have sought to break our communion with God. Wolves that scatter God’s flock by leading us to turn our hearts away from God.

Beginning in the Book of Genesis, the Old Testament is one story after another of individuals breaking communion with God and their fellow man through sin: Adam and Eve hardening their hearts toward God in the Garden of Eden, Cain breaking the communion of family and God’s natural law by killing his brother Abel, the builders of the tower of Babel making a name for themselves without reference to God, the Israelites crafting the golden idol, even moses allows his trust in God to waver and so does not enter into the promised land. So many stories of men and women and communities—the kingdom of israel pretty much as a whole on several occasions—breaking communion and the consequences that follow—scattering, division, expulsion from paradise, the flourishing of violence and perversion and adultery and injustice and exile. 

And it doesn’t take a biblical scholar to detect that those effects of sin and selfishness and broken communion continue to breed injustice and needless suffering in our own day.

Pope St. John Paul II at the turn of the millennia offered a special exhortation to Americans—in a document called Ecclesia in America, and the saintly Pope spoke about the need of American Christians to work for communion with God in a world suffering the terrible effects of division—the opposite of communion. He said, “Faced with a divided world…we must proclaim with joy and firm faith that God is communion, Father, Son and Holy Spirit…and that he calls all people to share in that same Trinitarian communion. We must proclaim that this communion is the magnificent plan of God the Father; that Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Lord, is the heart of this communion, and that the Holy Spirit works ceaselessly to create communion and to restore it when it is broken. We must proclaim that the Church is the sign and instrument of the communion willed by God, begun in time and destined for completion in the fullness of the Kingdom. The Church is the sign of communion because her members, like branches, share the life of Christ, the true vine. Through communion with Christ, Head of the Mystical Body, we enter into living communion with all believers.”

To work for communion is our task—the communion of humanity with God through Christ. And when we step forward to receive Holy Communion, we are saying “Amen” to being instruments of the communion that God wishes to establish in this world. And we become ever more effective instruments of that communion when the life of God is evident in our speech, in our actions, in our way of life.

Does your life, does your speech attract people to God? Are you doing what you can to shepherd souls into communion with God. If not? Why not? Why has your spirit ceased to draw others into communion? What obstacles have you imposed or failed to remove which impede deep Communion with God?

There are three common culprits for that: Error, Selfishness, and Fear. Those are three big bad wolves of our modern day. Error, which professes ideas contrary to the Church’s Magisterium, Selfishness, which pursues self-indulgence in inordinate or disordered ways, and Fear, which runs away from duty, devotion, discipline, conversion and the cross.

But when you refuse to allow those wolves to dominate your life, you will experience the joy and peace and fullness of life that God desires for you, communion with Himself through Christ, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

2nd Week in Ordinary Time 2024 - Tuesday - The heart of a shepherd

 Over the last week, we have read in our first readings the call of Samuel and the defeat of the Israelites at the hands of the philistines and the loss of the ark. Samuel rallys the Israelites and takes lead of their army and subdues the philistines. After a period of some relative peace in Israel, the Israelites go to Samuel, in his own age, and ask for a king. And this was a disappointing request because it illustrates israel’s failure to allow God to be their king.

But God tells Samuel to give in to this request, and they receive what they asked for. A man named Saul from the time of Benjamin is anointed king—a king of some successes and some failures, but ultimately he is disobedient with God. Yesterday, we heard how Saul’s disobedience—his rebellion against God—has leads to him being rejected by God.

So, today’s reading opens up with Samuel being sent by God to Bethlehem, he encounters Jesse of the tribe of Judah, and Samuel chooses, not the strong first born son of Jesse, but the scrappy red-cheeked youngest of Jesse’s sons as the new king, the shepherd boy David.

God wants a king who doesn’t just appear to be strong, or simply physically strong—God is not interested in physical attributes but in interior purity of heart.

This isn't the first time God shows special favor to shepherds: Abel, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses were shepherds. Shepherds make good kings. And God’s favor of David is certainly evident, for as he is anointed, God’s Spirit rushes upon David. 

David, the anointed shepherd king, foreshadows of course, Christ our Lord and king, who identifies himself as the Good Shepherd in the Gospels.

God loves shepherds. Shepherds love for their sheep is not unlike God’s love for us. After all, David will later compose that most-loved psalm 23, “the Lord is my shepherd”.

But if God loves shepherds, and Jesus is the good shepherd, and we are to imitate Jesus, then we do well to consider what it means to become more shepherd-like. We are to cultivate gentle-loving care for sinners, courage in retrieving the lost sheep from evils of the world, diligence and focus, purity of heart, who considers the good of the flock, the church. With the heart of a shepherd, we are to protect, guide, and nurture, and lay down our life for the ultimate spiritual good of others for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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

For the holy Church of God, that the Lord may graciously watch over her and care for her.

For the peoples of the world, that the Lord may graciously preserve harmony among them.

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

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

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

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

4th Sunday of Easter 2023 - Good Shepherd Vocation Story

 

During Holy Week, before the Chrism Mass at which the Holy Oils are blessed for the year, the priests of the diocese gather together with the bishop for an afternoon of prayer and fraternity and to hear a spiritual talk. This year, Fr. Eric Garris, the new vocation director for the diocese spoke on the importance of priests sharing their vocation stories. And Fr. Garris recommended that this weekend, on Good Shepherd Sunday, that the priests of the diocese share our vocation stories at Mass. Since, that is something I haven’t really done here in my four and a half years as pastor, I’d like to take Fr. Garris up on that invitation.

I grew up in the furtherst northeastern edge of the Cleveland Diocese in Madison, Ohio. I attended public school from kindergarten through my senior year of high school, as about half of the seminarians do these days.  From very early on, I would help out in the family business. My family ran a Party Center, DeRubertis Party center out in Madison. So I grew up working alongside cousins and aunts and uncles, and of course my mom, dad, and sister, very hard workers, all of them. 

I attended PSR at my home parish, Immaculate Conception in Madison, and was an altar boy from fourth grade to eighth grade. My parents were not very active Catholics. It was my grandparents who would bring me to Mass. I can’t imagine how I’d be a priest today, had my grandparents not gone out of their way to pick me up and bring me to mass every week, promising me breakfast after church didn’t hurt in getting me there. So never underestimate the role that grandparents have in sewing seeds of faith in their grandchildren.

In high school, I enjoyed hanging out with friends, I was in the computer club, tennis team, chess team, math team, show choir, jazz choir and was very involved in the drama club, performing in plays and musicals. I also acted at several local theaters. Having very little support from my parents, my faith drifted quite substantially during high school. I quit PSR before receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation and quit attending mass and really stopped praying. I described myself as an atheist, debated and even mocked people who were Christians. So I certainly strayed from God in those years, but God was working behind the scenes to bring me home.

Out of the several colleges to which I applied, it was John Carroll University which awarded me with the most significant academic scholarship. So, I enrolled at John Carroll where I planned on majoring in Mathematics.  

During that first semester, my cousin asked me to be the godfather for her new baby. Now there were several problems there. Firstly, I had never received the Sacrament of Confirmation, so I didn’t even qualify to be a godparent in the Catholic Church. Secondly, after four years of extremely secular public education, I didn’t even know if I believed in Catholicism at that point. So, I was honest with my cousin. I made her a deal. I said, I would attend Confirmation classes with an open mind and start going to church again, but if I could not embrace Catholicism, then she would have to find another godparent for her child.

Well, it only took one or two sessions of the faith being presented in a clear articulate way by Fr. Luigi Miola, pastor out in Madison at the time, that I fell in love with the faith again, so much so that I began to seriously consider what God was calling me to do with my life and how I could best serve Him. Fr. Miola encouraged me to visit the seminary, and I attended a vocation program at Borromeo seminary on Pentecost weekend. I then raced home to Madison that very same weekend to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. And the week after that, I proudly stoodd up at the baptismal font as godfather for my cousin’s baby, who is now 21 years old.

At that vocation weekend on Pentecost Sunday, things became pretty clear. I remember kneeling down in the seminary chapel—Resurrection chapel and praying, “Lord, I think I am here for a reason. If you want me to be a priest I will be a priest, if you want me to be a monk or a hermit, I will be a monk or a hermit. Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”

Well, God spoke in a number of ways that weekend. He spoke particularly in the example of the seminarians I met that weekend. Here were young men: smart, funny, devout, and personable who loved the Church and loved God enough to give their lives in celibate priestly service. If they were willing, why couldn’t I? I wouldn’t be alone. I’d have brothers who shared my values and ideals—the highest ideal I could think of: to give one’s life for the glory of God and salvation of souls. Is there anything more important?

And God also spoke as in the examples of the priests I’d known: Priests who celebrated beautiful masses. Priests who delivered stirring, inspirational and thought-provoking and challenging sermons. Priests who offered the consoling words of mercy in the confessional. Priests who were shepherds for their parishes and equipping the members of their flocks to fight off the wolves of this dark and fallen world. I had encountered some wolves, and fallen prey to their teeth, after all. But the good shepherd had come to my rescue through these good faithful men. 

So, I entered Borromeo Seminary that Fall in 2001 as a college sophomore. Some young men struggle in their discernment of the priestly calling even after entering seminary, but my discernment was fairly “easy”. Some guys really struggle with the idea of celibacy. Now, I had girlfriends in high school and college freshmen year. I had an inkling that getting married and starting a family could lead to a happy fulfilling life, and we need holy families to carry out the mission of the Church. But, again it didn’t take but a few months to be fairly certain, that God was inviting me to holy celibacy, and he would give me the graces to live out of that call. 

During my seminary years I was able to serve at Cuyahoga Country Jail with Fr. Neil Walters, Mary Mount Hospital with Fr. Joe O’Donnell, and Holy Redeemer Parish in Collinwood with Fr. Marty Polito.  I interned at Holy Trinity Parish in Avon with Fr. John Misenko, worked with adolescents struggling with chemical dependency at New Directions Treatment Facility in Pepper Pike, and served as a transitional deacon at Holy Cross Parish (now Our Lady of the Lakes Parish) in Euclid with Father John McNulty and Fr. Jack Jenkins God rest his soul.  What do these priests have in common? Not much, except they are holy priests and desire to serve the Church with their lives.

I enjoyed my years in seminary, (and what a blessing to have our own seminary in the diocese!), and formed some of the most important friendships of my life with the men I now call my brother priests. I was ordained by Bishop Richard Lennon on May 16, 2009 along with Fr. Anthony Suso, now pastor of St. Columbkille in Parma, Fr. Matthew Pfeiffer, now pastor of St. Paul’s in Akron, Fr. Sean Ralph, rector of the Cathedral, and Fr. Christopher Trenta, who Bishop Lennon sent to study liturgy in Rome, who is now back home in Cleveland, and teaching at the seminary. 

My life could have turned out very differently, had it not been for faithful Catholics living their faith, Catholics like YOU: My grandparents who brought me to mass every week, my Aunt who would pick me up from John Carroll and bring me back home to Madison so could attend Confirmation classes; my pastor, Fr. Miola for his clear and faithful teaching...I don't think I would have been convinced by watered-down theology, even back then; the priests and seminarians who witnessed to their love of the priesthood; and, yes, it’s hard for me to say, even the Jesuits at John Carroll. As I was rediscovering my faith, it was a Jesuit Priest, Father Joseph Schell, may he rest in peace, who helped me develop a personal prayer life with the exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola and encouraged me attend silent retreats.

I had very very secular anti-Catholic friends who thought I was crazy for going back to the Church, who began to look at me almost as an enemy after committing to the truth of the Catholic faith. But, once you realize that the Catholic faith is true, you are forever changed by that realization.

So, again, never underestimate the power of sharing your faith with non-practicing and fallen away Catholics...I know...I was one! or those who do not seem as committed to the faith as you are. The Good Shepherd sought out lost sheep, he went to the places where sinners ate, meeting them where they are with the truth of the Gospel, and we must do the same.

So, that’s part one of the vocation story: from altar boy to atheist to seminarian and priest. Part two: the first fourteen years of priestly service, will have to come at another time. 

Please pray for vocations, that young men will hear the Lord’s call to discern a priestly vocation. We will need priests until the end of time, so pray that the Good Shepherd will inspire young men to follow in his footsteps. And consider how the Good Shepherd might be calling you to reach out to those nephews, nieces, and grandchildren who have drifted away. My grandparents promised me breakfast after church: the promise of hashbrowns, toast and jelly, bacon and sausage links is all that it took. Bribe them with food. Get them to Church. It’ll change their lives. For the glory of God and salvation of souls.

20th Week of Ordinary Time 2022 - Wednesday - Woe to the Shepherds

 On the fourth Sunday of Easter every year, we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday. The Lord Jesus describes himself as the good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep.

Shepherds are found throughout the Scriptures. The Old Testament psalms describe God as a shepherd leading his flock to nourishing, restful, safe places.  Abraham was a Shepherd, as was Jacob.  Before he became King, David was a shepherd boy. All the way back in the first book of the bible, Abel was a shepherd before he was killed by his brother Cain.

 Good Shepherds feed, protect, and guide their flock. But in our reading from Ezekiel this morning, we hear not of good shepherds, but bad shepherds. Ezekiel gives this prophetic condemnation of the shepherds of Israel who are failing in their task at every turn. And they are failing not out of an excusable incompetence or forces beyond their control. The selfishness and greed and lusts of these bad shepherds is contributing to the scattering of God’s flock.

Several of the prophets at different stages in Israel’s history take aim at the complacent shepherds: Jeremiah, Isaiah, Zechariah. And of course the Lord himself is critical, and offers warnings, to the pharisees, Sadducees, chief priests, and scribes who were leading Israel away from God and using their positions of power for their own benefit.

I’m not going to lie: this passage should make the clergy tremble. It makes me tremble. Each of us will be held accountable by God for our sins, especially those sins which keep us from fulfilling our God-given vocations—vocations that we swore to uphold—to gather in the lost sheep, and to protect those in our fold. The shepherds of the church are not beyond reproach by God. 

Now, there are certainly those outside the Church, as well, who are in leadership positions: they lead people, teach people, govern people. And there are some good shepherds out there. But there are also some very very bad shepherds, who are misguiding our youth, instilling in them values and ideas which are repugnant to the Gospel and natural law. And many parents, who themselves are called to be shepherds, who have allowed their children, basically to be brain-washed. And we will all be held accountable.

But the good news, the good news in our gospel today, is that conversion is possible at every stage of life: in the morning, at noon, in the evening, our at the last hour of the day, even with our final breath, our generous God, offers undeserved mercy, to those who will admit that they have strayed. 

Bad shepherds—whether parents, teachers, politicians or priests are invited to change—to take up once again the mantle of a righteous leader—who like the good shepherd will lay down their life for the flock entrusted to their care. 

Pray for the shepherds—daily--of Church, nation, and families. For the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the love and faithfulness of the Good Shepherd will fill the hearts of the clergy, and for the protection of God’s flock from all error. Let us pray to the Lord.

That government leaders around the world may carry out their duties with justice, honesty, and respect for freedom and the dignity of human life.  Let us pray to the Lord.

For the Church’s missions amongst the poor and unevangelized throughout the world, that the work of Christ may be carried out with truth and love. Let us pray to the Lord.

For the grace to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, to love our neighbors and enemies and those who persecute us, and to share the truth of the Gospel with all.  Let us pray to the Lord.

For all those who share in the sufferings of Christ—the sick, the sorrowful, and those who are afflicted or burdened in any way.  Let us pray to the Lord.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for the deceased priests and religious of the diocese of Cleveland, for the poor souls in purgatory, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. Let us pray to the Lord.

O God, who 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.

4th Week of Easter 2021 - Tuesday - Jesus and Hanukkah

 

Several months after the Lord’s great discourse on the Good Shepherd, we read in today’s passage he’s still talking about sheep. This time he’s not talking to a group of pharisees, but to a group of Jews in Jerusalem who have made their way to the temple for the observance of the feast of the Dedication, what is called in Hebrew, Hannukah, which is still observed by Jews to this day.

What is Hanukkah? In the year 168 BC, the land of Judah was ruled over by the Greco-Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes. The king started a massive persecution of the Jews, outlawing religious practices under pain of death and desecrating the temple by setting up in it a blasphemous statue of a pagan god. This sparked outrage among some Jews, leading to an armed Jewish rebellion called the Maccabean revolt named after its leader Judas Maccabaeus. A few years into the rebellion, the Jewish fighters recaptured the temple. They purified and rededicate it, making it suitable for worship once again. A joyous eight-day festival, Hanukkah, was instituted to celebrate the temple’s rededication and to praise God for victory.

The Lord’s teaching on sheep, hearing his voice, following him, being preserved from death, is particularly poignant in light of the Jewish festival being celebrated as he taught. For fresh in the minds of his audience was this Messiah figure, Judas Maccabaeus who brought salvation from the murderous blasphemous king. The Jews even ask him, are you the Messiah? In other words, have you come to do what Judas Maccabaeus has done?

And the Lord answers, “I’ve told you who I am, and you haven’t believed.” Yes, he’s a Messiah, but the salvation he’s come to bring, isn’t merely from a murderous blasphemous King, but from all the powers of darkness and sin and death. The Lord isn’t merely a human instrument of the God of Israel, like Judas Maccabaeus, he is one with the God of Israel, he IS the God of Israel. And Jesus says this, while walking in the Temple portico! 

You can guess what happens next. In the very next verse after today’s passage, we’d read of the Jews picking up rocks to stone Jesus to death for blasphemy! Because they’ve failed to believe that He is God, what Jesus just said is just as bad as King Antiochus erecting that blasphemous statue!

In contrast, Christians affirm and celebrate Jesus’ claim to be one with the Father. And we work and pray that all peoples may come to believe that He is the true light of the temple. He is the fulfillment of the Father’s plan of salvation. He is the Good Shepherd, and we do well to heed his voice and follow Him, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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Filled with Paschal joy, let us turn earnestly to God, to graciously hear our prayers and supplications.

For Pope Francis and Bishop Malesic, that they may have the strength to govern wisely the flock entrusted to them by the Good Shepherd and for an increase in vocations to the ordained priesthood, and that our priests may serve the Church with the love and devotion of the Good Shepherd.

For our parish, that we may bear witness with great confidence to the Resurrection of Christ and his tender love for sinners and for the poor.

For members of Christ’s flock who have wandered far from the Church: for the desire and will to return to the Sacraments; for deliverance from all spiritual evils and an increase in virtue for the faithful. Let us pray to the Lord.

For those experiencing any kind of hardship or sorrow, isolation, addiction, or disease: that they may know the peace and consolation of the Good Shepherd. Let us pray to the Lord.

That all of our beloved dead and all the souls in purgatory may come to the glory of the Resurrection.

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

4th Week of Easter 2021 - Monday - The Shepherd's Tender Love

 

On the 4th Sunday of Easter every year, we celebrate good shepherd Sunday. Over the course of the three year cycle, we read different segments of the Lord’s Good Shepherd Discourse from John Chapter 10. Since we are in the second of the three year cycle, yesterday we read verses 11-19. Today we read the opening verses of the discourse in which the Lord begins to introduce imagery of sheep and shepherds and flocks without directly explaining what these images mean. 

Still addressing the Pharisees from the previous chapter, the Lord introduces two opposing parties: thieves and robbers on one hand and the shepherd on the other. The Pharisees are symbolized by the thieves and robbers in the story, who mistreat and scatter the flock of God. By failing to cultivate true holiness among the people of Israel and thereby misusing their religious authority, the Pharisees have set themselves up in opposition to the Good Shepherd—Jesus.

Unlike the Pharisees, the Shepherd is simultaneously a leader and a companion. He is a strong man who is capable of defending his flock against thieves and wolves. He is also gentle with his flock, giving them careful attention, bearing them in his arms, as we hear in the prophet Isaiah: “Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care.” His authority over his flock is based on devotion and love.

Yes, we are to be devoted to God and love God with our whole hearts, minds, souls, and strength. But in the image of the Good Shepherd, we find that God is devoted to caring for us, he loves us. We know our Good Shepherd and he knows us by name, and he has laid down his life to save us from the thieves and robbers which seek to slaughter and destroy the human soul.

The Shepherd has come so that we “might have life and have it more abundantly.”  And that abundant life consists of knowing his love and imitating his love. May we be free from all attitudes which keep us from living this abundant life, vigilant against all the forces which seek to take us away from Jesus, and diligent in spreading the goodness and love of the shepherd to those we meet today, welcoming them into the unity and life of his flock, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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Filled with Paschal joy, let us turn earnestly to God, to graciously hear our prayers and supplications.

For Pope Francis and Bishop Malesic, that they may have the strength to govern wisely the flock entrusted to them by the Good Shepherd and for an increase in vocations to the ordained priesthood, and that our priests may serve the Church with the love and devotion of the Good Shepherd.

For our parish, that we may bear witness with great confidence to the Resurrection of Christ and his tender love for sinners and for the poor.

For members of Christ’s flock who have wandered far from the Church: for the desire and will to return to the Sacraments; for deliverance from all spiritual evils and an increase in virtue for the faithful. Let us pray to the Lord.

For those experiencing any kind of hardship or sorrow, isolation, addiction, or disease: that they may know the peace and consolation of the Good Shepherd. Let us pray to the Lord.

That all of our beloved dead and all the souls in purgatory may come to the glory of the Resurrection.

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

4th Sunday of Easter 2021 - The Good Shepherd Feeds, Guides, and Protection + Vocation Sunday

 In Saint John’s Gospel, Jesus uses many different titles and images to describe himself.  “I am the bread of life” he says.  “I am the vine, you are the branches”?  “I am the resurrection and the life,” “I am the Way, the truth, and the life”?  In today’s Gospel Jesus uses a very tender image, when he says, “I am the good shepherd.”

Several Good Shepherds are found throughout Scriptures.  Abel, son of Adam, was the first shepherd in human history.  For bringing to God the firstlings of his flock, the Lord looked favorably on Abel and his offering; yet tragically Abel also became human history’s first murder victim, killed by his jealous brother Cain.  

Abraham was a shepherd, as was Jacob.  So was Jacob’s favorite son Joseph, who was shepherding his father’s flock when he was betrayed by his brothers.  Moses was shepherding his Father-in-law’s flock when he stumbled across the burning. Before becoming king of Israel, David was a shepherd.  And the prophet Amos was a shepherd before being sent by God to denounce Israel’s idolatry and hallow prosperity.

Shepherds who were murdered, shepherds who became kings, shepherds who gave God’s law and spoke in the name of the Father, shepherds who became heads of great families.  In Jesus, we see all these things wrapped up into one.  He is a shepherd who was a prophet, who revealed God’s Law, who was also betrayed and murdered, yet also a King, and head of the great family, the Church.

Scripture describes God Himself as a Shepherd.   The 23rd Psalm is probably the most beautiful literary expression of God’s shepherding care.  The Psalm tells us that God is the Shepherd who feeds us in green pastures, who leads us to safety, who protects us in dark valleys.  He feeds, he guides, he protects.

On the 4th Sunday of Easter, ever year, we read from the 10th chapter of St. John, and recall that Jesus IS the Good Shepherd, who feeds, guides, and protects.

How does he feed us?  The 23rd Psalm says that he “prepares a table for us in the midst of our foes”.  Amidst all of the evils of the world, the good Shepherd gathers us to be fed by his Word. For “not on bread alone does man live, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”  We are then fed with the supersubstantial bread of the Eucharist. Without this food, the flesh and blood of our Lord, we do not have life within us.

Secondly, Jesus the Good Shepherd guides his flock.  The 23rd Psalm says, “he leads us in right paths for his name’s sake.”  How does he lead and guide us? He certainly leads by example. He teaches us by the virtue and goodness of His own life, how to give ourselves away in self-sacrifice. We are to be poor in spirit as he was poor in spirit. We are to be pure of heart as he was pure of heart. We are to work for peace, feed the hungry, cure the sick, preach the word, pray, as he. By studying the faith, by following in Jesus’ own footsteps, by looking to the example of the saints, we learn how to walk rightly. Jesus guides us to become the people God made us to be, and shows us what it really means to love one another and love God.  

Finally, Jesus the Good Shepherd protects his flock.  Jesus tells us that there are thieves and robbers who seek to steal, slaughter, and destroy His flock. There are wolves who want to seize and scatter the flock.  Yet, at his Holy Name it is the thieves, robbers, and wolves who scatter. Demons flee at the mention of his name.  We can be assured that any evil we must face, we face with him at our side.  The Christian is never alone.  When we are assailed by the fiery arrows of the enemy, we have the protection of his grace. When we are bombarded with the worldly errors that we draw us away from the Truth, he protects us by sending his apostles and prophets into our lives. In the moment of temptation, he protects us by sending his Holy Angels to remind us of our Christian identity. When we begin to despair of our salvation due to our many sins, he protects us by reminding us to hope in his promises.

The Good Shepherd does not fail to feed, guide, and protect his flock; rather the unhappiness and sin in our lives is always a result of failing to head our shepherd’s voice.

This Sunday is a special World Day of Prayer for vocations to the priesthood.  As I mentioned last week, the Church needs men who believe rightly, teaching rightly, and practice rightly. This week we pray that the Good Shepherd might inspire many young men to become shepherds in the new millennium.  We need priests who will feed and guide and protect the flock, don’t we? 

The Good Shepherd continues to call young men to serve the Church as priests and all of us have a responsibility to help them hear the shepherd’s invitation.  Parents, grandparents, god parents, encourage your sons to prayerfully incline their ear to the shepherd’s voice—the consider the calling to the priesthood—to be the shepherds the Church needs.

The Diocese of Cleveland is blessed to have one of the greatest seminary systems in the country, and honestly, probably the world. I know for a fact that there are Vatican Cardinals who look to Cleveland to see how Cleveland has been so successfully in attracting so many young men to discern the priesthood, and how we are retaining so many young men.

As Bishop Pilla would often say, our seminary attracts young men who could be very successful in the different professions—men who could be doctors, lawyers, professors, movers and shakers. And yet good young men in our diocese continue year after year, to take the risk, to devote the time to discern God’s call. It is certainly a sure sign that the Holy Spirit is at work, when a very talented and gifted young man dares to ask the question, is God calling me to a life of holy ecclesiastical service? Is the Shepherd calling me to shepherd?

Our culture is becoming increasingly secular, and we need men to help us remain faithful to the Master—men who will proclaim the unchanging Good News of Jesus Christ and its bold message of salvation with conviction. May God raise up many good and holy priests to help us be holy, to help us work out our salvation, to equip us for the work the Master has for each one of us—to be his instruments in the world, that He may feed, guide, and protect others through us for the glory of God and salvation of souls. 

4th Sunday of Easter 2020 - I am the gate

Since Vatican II we refer to the 4^th Sunday of Easter as Good Shepherd Sunday. Two out of three years of our cycle of Scripture readings, we read of Our Lord saying to his audience in the Gospels “I am the Good Shepherd”. His pronouncement certainly evokes images of shepherds watching over, feeding, teaching, and loving his flock. I always think of an image from my childhood of Jesus carrying the baby lamb in his arms. The good shepherds of Scripture patiently care for their flock, leading them to safe pastures, pulling them out of thorn bushes when they foolishly stray into trouble.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd—he knows us…intimately! And as we spend time under his care,  guidance and protection, we begin to recognize his voice amidst all the conflicting noises and voices of the world. Wonderful.

Every, third year, however, on Good Shepherd Sunday, we hear a slightly different message, a slightly different image. Before the Lord identifies himself has the Good Shepherd, he first explains, as we heard in the Gospel today, that he is the gate for his sheep. “I am the gate.” He says.

Well, what is the purpose of a gate? For one, the gate is an entry point. “I am the gate, whoever enters through me will be saved.” Our Lord himself is the gate to salvation. He is the open door through which we enter into salvation and good pasture and the life of God. His identification to be the gate, is very similar to his self-identification later in John’s Gospel when he says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.”

How do we enter through the gate of Christ? Through faith. Right belief and right practice. Faith is the doorway to salvation Our Lord opened for us through his death and resurrection. Back in 2011, in the seventh and final full year of his pontificate, Pope Benedict XVI ushered in a special “Year of Faith” with a document called “Porta Fidei” the door of faith, the gate of faith. The gate of faith, the holy Father writes, “is always open for us, ushering us into the life of communion with God and offering entry into his Church. It is possible to cross that threshold when the word of God is proclaimed and the heart allows itself to be shaped by transforming grace. To enter through that door is to set out on a journey that lasts a lifetime. It begins with baptism (cf. Rom 6:4), through which we can address God as Father, and it ends with the passage through death to eternal life, fruit of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, whose will it was, by the gift of the Holy Spirit, to draw those who believe in him into his own glory (cf. Jn 17:22).”

What a beautiful image, through faith, through baptism we enter through Christ the gate into the life of God, into the divine life which begins now in this earthly life and endures into eternity.

There is another purpose for gates alluded to by the Lord in the Gospel today. Gates keep-out robbers and thieves. Gates stop those people, those ideas and beliefs, those attitudes and actions, which deprive us of the life of God. When the Jesus Christ is king and Shepherd of your life, he acts as a sort of gate which protects us from evil in the world which seeks to enter our minds and hearts and rob us of the peace and joy and life of Christ.

The truth of Jesus Christ and that of his Church filters and protects us from the lies and heresies promulgated by the devil throughout the world, lies and heresies which cause division in the Church, ruin to souls and our separation from communion with God. The truth of Jesus Christ enables us to discern right from wrong—fallacy from veracity—when we come across it in the media, in propaganda, or from false shepherds.

This image of a gate, a Christian filter, is a important for the moral life as well. Often in the confessional, I’ll hear sins confessed like gossip, you know, speaking things about others which we have no business talking about, or saying hurtful, cutting, or cruel things to our loved ones or strangers when we become angry. Sins of the mouth, right? sins of speech. And I often give the following advice, I say, Christ must always preside over our speech. We need to have a Christian filter of our words. Before we say anything, ever, we must discern, is it true, is it kind, is it necessary, would Christ say these words? As Peter writes in today’s second reading, “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When he was insulted, he returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten” And so must we.

Part of the Christian life is developing that filter of saying only what builds others up, what is for the sake of the Gospel. Is it true, is it kind, is it necessary? It sounds like a lot of work, but as you develop this filter, this virtue, it becomes easier and easier.

One of my favorite parts of the Mass, is right before the proclamation of the Gospel, we sign ourselves, don’t we, on our foreheads, our mouths, and on our breast, a simple, yet profound gesture. I was always taught to offer a little prayer at that point, to say something like, May the Lord be always in my thoughts, on my lips, and in my heart. We pray, at the point in the mass, that the gates of our minds might be opened to received and contemplate and understand the Gospel message, that our lips might be open to later go out and proclaim the Gospel message, and that our hearts might be open to love and live the Gospel message. But also, we are asking the Lord to keep from our minds, and lips, and hearts, any lies or heresies which might be contrary to his Gospel truth; we are asking Him to serve as a Gate and as Gatekeeper.

So, may the Lord preside over our thoughts, words, and deeds this day. May nothing which is impure pass through our eyes or ears or through our lips. May he save us from the corruption of this generation, and lead us to eternal life, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

April 23 2018 - St. Adalbert - Good Shepherd, Bishop-missionary and martyr

1000 years after the martyrdom of the bishop-missionary St. Adalbert, Pope St. John Paul went to his tomb in Poland. Listen to these challenging words by our beloved St. John Paul: “the witness of St Adalbert is ever present in the Church and constantly bearing fruit. We need to take up with fresh vigor his work of evangelization. Let us help those who have forgotten Christ and his teaching to discover him anew. This will happen when ranks of faithful witnesses to the Gospel begin once more to traverse our continent; when works of architecture, literature and art show in a convincing way to the people of our time the One who is "the same yesterday and today and forever"; when in the Church's celebration of the liturgy people see how beautiful it is to give glory to God; when they discern in our lives a witness of Christian mercy, heroic love and holiness.”

Though the Pope spoke these words to the people of eastern Europe, they are true for Christians everywhere. Though we are not necessarily all called to be a bishop and martyr like St. Adalbert, each of us are called, in our own way, to evangelize, to build up the Church in our own way. Particularly, I love the Pope’s calling to us to build beautiful architecture, write powerful literature, make beautiful sacred art, and to celebrate liturgy in a noble and reverent fashion, to convince people of Christ’s goodness, truth, and beauty.

Yet, don’t we also show the truth, goodness, and beauty of Christ when we teach little children about Jesus, or when we honor the dignity of the poor by becoming truly sensitive to their needs.

Jesus in the Gospel, calls himself the Good Shepherd. St. Adalbert, like the apostles, left the comfort of his native bohemia, what is now the Czech republic, to shepherd the pagan people of Hungary into the one flock of Christ.. Due to his conviction, the pagan priests of Prussia conspired to have him murdered. He is a patron saint of Poland, Bohemia, the Czech Republic, and Prussia, inspiring each of us to listen to the call of the Lord to go beyond our comfort zones to spread his Gospel, to be good shepherds for his flock, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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God the Father was glorified in the death and resurrection of his Son. Let us pray to him with confidence.

God the Father bathed the world in splendor when Christ rose again in glory, may our minds be filled with the light of faith.

Through the resurrection of His Son, the Father opened for us the way to eternal life, may we be sustained today in our work with the hope of glory.

Through His risen Son, the Father sent the Holy Spirit into the world, may our hearts be set on fire with spiritual love.

May Jesus Christ, who was crucified to set us free, be the salvation of all those who suffer, particularly those who suffer from physical or mental illness, addiction, and grief.

That all of our beloved dead and all the souls in purgatory may come to the glory of the Resurrection.
O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the desires of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our lord.

Friday - 10th Week of OT 2017 - Salvation from the death that works within us

I read an article recently in the National Catholic Register, by a very good priest, Fr. John Longknecker, a former Evangelical pastor, who was received into the faith, with his family about 20 years ago. He’s a rarity, in that, he is a married Roman Catholic Priest. He was ordained through a special provision which allows for the ordination of previously married non-Catholic clergy who convert and who discern a calling to the priesthood. But that’s not the point of the article.

He wrote an excellent on the current debate in our culture concerning same-sex marriage. He tries to explain why the Church’s position, prohibiting same-sex marriage and same-sex activity is prohibited. He writes, “in the present debate over same-sex marriage Americans simply cannot comprehend that Catholics operate according to a different set of systems. We believe that same-sex activities and same-sex marriage are wrong, not primarily because we think such things are “yucky” and not because we “hate gays” or because we want to tell them they are all going to hell. We believe these things are wrong for clear and articulate reasons.”

Our culture doesn’t understand, and many Catholics who want to accommodate immorality don’t understand, that our teachings on these things are not based on sentimentality, but based on unchangeable, objective moral principles and also on the word of God.


Fr. Longnecker’s reasoning are rightly applied to not just the prohibition on same-sex marriage, but all of the moral teachings of the Church, including the Lord’s prohibition of divorce and adultery, which we heard in the Gospel today.

The world doesn’t understand us because our culture now values sentimentality over right reason, and it expects us to do the same, and will persecute us when we don’t.

But we put our faith not in the changing fancies and sentiments of man, but in the Logos, the Word-made-flesh, who came not to accommodate our sins, but to free us from them, to free us from the “powers of death at work within us” as St. Paul said in our first reading.

Yes the Lord loves us, and he loves lost sheep. But remember he goes out to the lost sheep to free them from the brambles. And the Lord will fight for those sheep who reject him, who keep returning to the poisonous brambles of sin until their last breath. But in the end, there are eternal consequences for rejecting Him and his Truth.

The forces of our sinful disordered nature conspire to keep us from rising with Christ to a life of charity and truth. Through his grace, may we know the strength we need to resist the powers of darkness within us, that we may choose life, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That our bishops and clergy may be zealous in preaching and teaching the truth of the Gospel, and that our future bishop of the diocese of Cleveland may be a man of true faith and the Holy Spirit.

For all of us who struggle with disordered attractions, sinful inclinations, and temptations to serious sin, for the grace to remain faithful to the teachings of Christ, and for mercy for those who fall.

That our young people on summer vacation, may be kept close to the truth and heart of Jesus.

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, for the deceased priests and religious of the diocese of Cleveland, for the poor souls in purgatory, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

O God, who 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.

Friday - 7th Week of Easter 2017 - Do you love me?

On these last two weekdays of Easter, our Gospel passage comes from the epilogue and the very last chapter of John’s Gospel.  As I mentioned recently, Saint John’s Gospel has often been called, “the Gospel of Love.”  It should be no surprise that the final story of the final chapter of his Gospel is a conversation about love.

For Peter, loving Jesus means feeding his sheep. Each of the Gospels show how Peter is given a unique role in the Church, to be chief of the shepherd apostles: leading, governing, feeding the flock of Christ, the Church. Jesus prophecies that when Peter grows old, he too will stretch out his hands and lead him where he does not want to go. The Good Shepherd “will lay down his life for the sheep”, like Jesus Peter’s role as the shepherd of Jesus’ sheep will lead him to lay down his life, culminating in his martyrdom, stretching out his hands as he is martyred by crucifixion in AD 65.

Jesus asks this question to each of us: do you love me? By his death, by laying down his life like the Good Shepherd, for the Good Shepherd, Peter proves his love. And we are called to the same.

The Church celebrates two saints, Marcellinus and another Peter: two Roman martyrs mentioned in the Roman Canon, the first Eucharistic Prayer. Marcellinus was a priest, and Peter was an exorcist. They were arrested for the faith during the persecution of Diocletion and imprisoned. While in prison, they preached the Gospel, leading many of their fellow prisoners to be baptized there in prison.  When the prison guards caught on that the two saints were winning converts, Marcellinus and Peter were taken to a forest in the middle of the night in secret, forced to dig their own graves, and beheaded. However, one of the soldiers was so moved by their courage, that he converted to Christ, then told the Church where Marcellinus and Peter were buried, so they could be properly venerated.

“Do you love me?” Jesus asks. For Peter and the Popes that means leading, shepherding, governing, guiding the flock to be faithful to the Lord. For Marcellinus and Peter, it meant preaching the Gospel in prison when it would certainly result in their death. What does it mean for you, what does it mean for me?

Certainly it means being faithful to the duties and responsibilities of our respective vocations as priest, spouses and parents, religious, single. It certainly involves being courageous in sharing the Gospel with others and strengthening fellow Christians in the faith, works of charity in our community, fervor in prayer. And a love for Christ which imitates him in laying down our lives for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That the Spirit of Pentecost may be with the Holy Father Pope Francis and all the successors of the Apostles, that they may lead the Church faithfully in the way of the Good Shepherd.
For the imprisoned, that the Gospel of Christ may spread among them, that they may know the closeness of God and the healing of the wounds of sin.
For our young people beginning summer vacation, that they may be kept close to the truth and heart of Jesus.
That our parish festival may be preserved from inclement weather and may be an instrument for the strengthening of our parish and the spread of Christ’s saving truth.
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, for the deceased priests and religious of the diocese of Cleveland, for the poor souls in purgatory, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.
O God, who 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.

Monday - 4th Week of Easter 27 - "Shepherds after my own heart"

Today’s Gospel is a continuation of the passage we heard proclaimed yesterday on Good Shepherd Sunday. In it, Our Lord continues to draw upon that powerful Shepherd imagery which permeates the Hebrew Scriptures.

Especially in the Psalms, God himself is represented as the shepherd of his people.  “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want”---Psalm 23. “He is our God and we are his people the flock he shepherds”—Psalm 95.

The Shepherd is simultaneously a leader and a companion. He is a strong man who is capable of defending his flock against wild beasts. He is also gentle with his flock, giving them careful attention (Proverb 27:23), bearing them in his arms, as we hear in the prophet Isaiah: “Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care.” His authority over his flock is based on devotion and love.

Jesus shows himself to be the Good Shepherd. God’s flock, the Church is under his leadership, he leads us to the life giving waters of Baptism and feeds us with the Eucharist. We know our Good Shepherd and he knows us by name, we who he has saved from the robbers and thieves who seek to slaughter and destroy the human soul.

And he is the perfect Shepherd because He gives his life for the sheep.

Throughout the Easter season we’ve been reading from the Acts of the Apostles in which we hear the story of the first shepherds of the Church, those who Jesus appointed, charging them to watch over the Church, guide the Church, lead her, teach her, continue to feed her.

We in Cleveland await a new shepherd, a new bishop, to be appointed. Though the Holy Father has appointed Bishop Thomas as our Apostolic Administrator, and he is doing an excellent job, we miss having a bishop of our own. And we pray that the Holy Father will send us a bishop who will lead and protect and carry our diocese close to his heart who will help us to know the closeness of the One Good Shepherd. For the Lord promised through the prophet Jeremiah: Pastores dabo vobis iuxta cor meum, "I will give you shepherds after my own heart"

May we draw near to the One Shepherd today through word, sacrament, prayer, and acts of charity in imitation of his own love and care for the Church for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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Jesus is Risen from the dead, and leads his flock to eternal blessings. With new trust, we now bring our needs to the Father through him.

For our Holy Father, Pope Francis, as he selects the next shepherd of our diocese;  for our Apostolic Administrator, Bishop Daniel Thomas, as he serves the pastoral needs of our diocese while we are in transition;  for Bishop Richard Lennon, as he adjusts to a new stage in his life and ministry; that the Holy Spirit will enlighten and empower all the leaders of our church with faith in the promises of Christ, hope for the years to come, and charity that knows no boundaries.

For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life, and for the 8 men who will be ordained priests in the diocese of Cleveland next Friday.

For our young parishioners who received their First Holy Communion this weekend, that they may always be blessed to raised in faith-filled homes and know the closeness of Jesus their Shepherd.

For the poor and homeless, for those who suffer discrimination and rejection, and for all who are ill or undergoing surgery this week.

That those who have died may be led by the Good Shepherd to the waters of eternal life.

Father, you call each of us to serve you with faithfulness and joy. Hear our prayers, and bring us to the joy that never ends. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

4th Sunday of Easter 2017 - Don't talk to strangers

One of the first lessons parents teach their children is “don’t talk to strangers”, right? Well, I saw a pretty alarming video this week, that proves the importance of that lesson. A gentleman was conducting a sort of social experiment. He would introduce himself to a parent sitting on a bench watching their child play on a playground. He’d point out the camera and tell the parent he was performing this social experiment. He’d ask them “have you taught your children not yyto talk to strangers” and the parent would always say, “of course”. And he would then ask, “so, if I go over to your child, do you think they’d talk to me or run away?” And the parent, very assuredly, would say something like, “I’m pretty sure they’d run away”

The man would then ask the parent’s permission to go and test out the assumption. He’d walk up to the child, welcome them to play with his pet puppy, and then he’d then say something like, “I have more puppies, back at my house, do you want to go see them?” And the parents would be stunned when their children walked off with a complete stranger.

Very frightening. It certainly causes us to make sure that our children know, really know, what it means,  don’t talk to strangers.

And this video shows that sometimes kids don’t heed their parents lesson. Sometimes the stranger looks nice, sometimes he offers candy or puppies. Most kids are pretty wary of strangers who are mean-looking scary in some way. But some strangers go out of their way to look friendly and safe to children. And these are very dangerous.

Jesus uses this image of following strangers in the Gospel today. He says, there will be thieves, there will be robbers who try to take you away from me. And the result of being separated from Jesus has eternal consequences.

Spiritual thieves and robbers will offer the equivalent of candy and puppies: things that look good, that look like they’ll bring us pleasure or make us feel good. Passing on the juicy piece of gossip—it feels good when people notices us, when we’re the ones to appear “in-the-know”. Or of course, sins of the flesh: looking at pornography, over-indulging in alcohol or using drugs, fornication outside of marriage. If these things didn’t feel good, people wouldn’t do them. Stealing, offers a thrill. Snapping back with an insult when someone insult you. These things feel good, but that doesn’t mean they are good. To follow these temptations—the voices of strangers—is to be led away from the Good Shepherd.

There are also thieves and robbers who look friendly, who smile, who make us feel welcome, who claim to know Jesus and claim to be passing on his Gospel. But, who are wolves in sheep’s clothing. The false shepherds who teach false doctrine and heresy about Jesus and his Church. They tell us the Catholic church is outdated, that we don’t need to follow the moral teachings of the Church, we don’t need to make use of the sacrament of confession if we commit serious sin, we don’t need to pray or read the scriptures. To follow the voices of these strangers, again, is to be led away from the Good Shepherd.

How do we ensure that we are not following the voices of strangers? Jesus says in the Gospel that those who follow Him recognize his voice. So how do we accustom our ears, our souls, our wills to the voice of Jesus?

The four pillars of Catholicism keep us united to our Good Shepherd. Do you know the four pillars of Catholicism?

The first is the Creed. We need to know our Creed, know our Catechism, know what the Shepherd teaches us about God, about his Church, so we can distinguish the Shepherd's words of truth from the world's words of error.

The second pillar is the Sacramental system. We follow the Shepherd by being baptized as he taught us, by confessing our sins, as he taught us, by eating his flesh and blood as he taught us, to call for the priests when we are sick and near death, as he taught us.

The third pillar is obeying the commandments. Our culture doesn’t like that word, “obey”. We’re told that obedience makes us into some sort of mindless robot. But the Christian virtue of obedience isn't mindless and irrational. It's the obedience of an elite athlete to an expert coach. It's the obedience of a docile student to a wise teacher. It's the obedience of a sick patient to an experienced and good doctor. It's the obedience of a healthy child to his loving parents.

Christ doesn't want us to be blind robots, but he deoes want obedient sheep. In fact, the word “obedience” comes from the Latin word, to hear, to listen. And if we aren’t obeying the commandments of the bible and the moral teachings of the Church, we aren’t listening to the Shepherd.

Finally, the fourth pillar is prayer. I’m not just talking about rattling off an Our Father once a day if we remember, but following the Lord’s own example of prayer. Jesus himself would withdraw in seclusion, and become absorbed in prayer to His Father. So, if Jesus as the Son of God, engages in that level of communication with His Father, how much more do we need it!

Prayer is coming before God in a position of humble trust. Speaking to Him as we would speak to our most beloved and trusted friend—entrusting our concerns, our hopes, our desires to Him. But like a good conversation, we must not only speak, but listen. God will address our concerns if we become quiet enough to listen; we can hear him telling us not be afraid and to trust Him more deeply.

Again, I encourage praying with Scriptures. Sitting down for 10 minutes a day, with a single passage, reading it, re-reading, thinking about what it means, how God’s word addresses the challenges of life.

The four pillars of Catholicism are like the four legs of a table: remove one, and your faith will topple.

We must accustom our ears to the voice of the Shepherd, so that we can hear him calling us deeper into our faith, and so that we can distinguish his voice from the voice of robbers and thieves who seek to take us away from Him.

Hear Him calling you today to trust Him, to follow Him, to obey Him, to love Him more deeply for the glory of God and salvation of souls.