34th Week in Ordinary Time 2024 - Friday - On the threshhold of Advent

As we gather on the second-to-last day of the liturgical year and on the threshold of Advent, our readings lead us to consider some profound truths about the culmination of history and the promise of new beginnings. Revelation’s dramatic vision of the binding of Satan, the last judgment, and the establishment of the new heaven and earth, paired with Jesus’ parable of the fig tree in the Gospel, invites us to reflect on God’s ultimate plan for the world and our role within it.

First, the binding of Satan affirms that evil has a definitive end. The dragon, the ancient serpent, is cast into the abyss, unable to deceive the nations. This is not just a promise for the future but a reminder that Christ has already defeated sin and death through His cross and resurrection. Though evil still operates in the world, its power is limited and its days are numbered.

Second, the last judgment is a moment of accountability. The dead are judged according to their deeds, as written in the scrolls of the apocalypse. Here is a reminder that, in the end, our choices, our actions, our witness to Christ all bear eternal weight. 

Finally, we read of the new heaven and new earth, the culmination of God’s redemptive plan. The holy city, the new Jerusalem, descends adorned like a bride. This is the promise of renewal, where all things are made new and where God dwells fully with His people. It is a vision of hope, reminding us that the end is not destruction but transformation.

As we stand on the threshold of Advent, these readings prepare our hearts for the season of preparation and anticipation. Just as we prepare for the celebration the birth of the Savior, we also prepare for the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God.

The Gospel parable of the fig tree Jesus reminds us to stay awake, to discern His presence in our lives and in the world, and to prepare for His coming.

Like the fig tree, the signs of God’s Kingdom are all around us. In moments of grace, in the beauty of creation, and even in the trials we face, God is at work. So, take time during Advent to pause, reflect, and recognize His presence.

But also, use this Advent to align your life more closely with God’s will. Seek reconciliation, perform acts of charity, and deepen your prayer life.

Let Advent be a season where you nurture hope in your heart, trusting in God’s promise to make all things new.

May we live as witnesses to the Kingdom of God, ready for Christ’s coming, and confident in the promise of a new heaven and a new earth. Amen.

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Trusting in God’s promise of renewal and justice, let us bring our prayers to the Lord, who reigns over all creation and prepares us for the coming of His Kingdom.

For the Church, that she may guide the faithful to live with vigilance and hope, proclaiming the coming of God’s Kingdom with courage and love

For world leaders, that they may work for justice, peace, and the dignity of all people.

For our community, that we may discern the signs of God’s presence in our lives and live each day in preparation for Christ’s coming.

For those who suffer from illness or injustice, that they may stand firm in faith and find strength in God’s promise of ultimate victory over evil.

For those who have died, that their names may be found written in the book of life and that they may share in the joy of the new heaven and new earth.

Almighty and merciful God, , hear our prayers as we await the coming of your Son, and guide us to live as faithful witnesses to your Kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

34th Week in Ordinary Time 2024 - Wednesday - Song of the Saints in heaven

 

As we come to the end of the liturgical year, the Church places before us the dramatic and awe-inspiring visions of the Book of Revelation. Today, John describes a magnificent yet, sobering scene: angels ready to deliver the final plagues that bring God’s judgment to completion, the sea of glass mingled with fire, and the victorious song of the saints.

This vision connects us to the overarching theme of the Book of Revelation: God’s ultimate victory over sin and evil. The seven plagues remind us of the ten plagues in Egypt, where God delivered His people from slavery. Just as the plagues in Exodus were not random acts of destruction but signs of God’s power and justice, so too are these final judgments in Revelation. They signal the completion of God’s work, echoing Christ’s triumphant cry from the cross: “It is finished.”

The image of the sea of glass mingled with fire is a potent image. In John’s earlier vision of heaven, which we read last week, this sea was crystal clear, symbolizing the calm and majesty of God’s reign. Now it is mingled with fire, foreshadowing the divine judgment about to take place. Yet, it is here, by this sea, that we see those who have been faithful to God standing in victory.

Who are they? They are those who remained steadfast in their faith, even in the face of persecution and temptation, like that described by our Lord in the Gospel today. What are they doing? They are standing and singing. Their song is one of praise for God’s mighty works, recalling the song of Moses and the Israelites after their deliverance through the Red Sea. The saints in heaven celebrate a greater deliverance—not just from earthly oppression but from sin and death itself.

What is particularly striking is the vision of all nations coming to worship God. This is a recurring promise in Scripture. The Psalms and prophets proclaim that all nations will one day acknowledge the Lord. In a sense, this is already fulfilled in the Catholic Church, which is universal by nature, drawing people from every nation to worship God.

As we approach the end of the liturgical year, this vision inspires us to live with hope and readiness, praising God for His mighty works and trusting in His plan for the salvation of the world. May we, too, one day join the saints in the song of the Lamb, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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Let us bring our prayers to the Lord, who is holy and just in all His ways.

For the Church, that she may remain steadfast in proclaiming the Gospel and guiding the faithful to live in readiness for Christ’s return.

For all nations, that they may come to acknowledge the Lord as the source of justice, peace, and salvation.

For those who face persecution and temptation, that they may persevere in faith and find strength in the example of the victorious saints. 

For our community, that we may always praise God for His mighty works and trust in His plan for our lives and the world. 

For those who are sick and suffering, especially those enduring trials of faith, that they may experience the Lord’s presence and be delivered from their struggles.

For the faithful departed, that they may stand among the saints, singing the song of the Lamb in eternal praise.

Almighty and eternal God, You are the ruler of all nations and the source of salvation for Your people. Hear the prayers we offer in faith and bring us to share in the victory of the saints through Christ our Lord.

November 22 2024 - St. Cecilia - Consolation and Challenge of the Gospel

 

Our first readings at Mass this week have been taken from the Book of Revelation. On Wednesday, we read of John’s Vision of the Heavenly throne room filled with angels and saints singing God’s praises. A thousand years before St. John was born, the prophet Ezekiel had a similar vision at the beginning of his life as a prophet—a vision of the throne room of heaven with God seated on the throne surrounded by heavenly creatures.

In today’s reading, John is handed a scroll and told to eat the scroll. Here is another parallel to Ezekiel. Ezekiel, was handed a scroll by an angel and told to eat it and that the scroll would be sweet as honey, but sour to the stomach.

What’s going on here?

First of all, these parallels with Ezekiel indicate the importance of John’s visions. Just as Israel needed to take Ezekiel’s prophetic messages seriously, now the Church needs to take John’s messages seriously. So the message of the Book of Revelation is to be taken very seriously.

And like Ezekiel’s prophecy, John’s Revelation is both Sweet and Sour. Sweet in that it contains consolations, sour in that it communicates challenge.

It is consoling to read in the Book of Revelation how God is aware of the challenges of being a Christian in the world. He knows the hostility the world has for the Gospel—he knows the sufferings we endure for being a follower of Jesus. And the message of the book of Revelation is that God is going to deliver his people from the hands of the wicked. But that’s also a word of warning to the wicked, isn’t it. You better align yourself with God. You better repent, before it is too late.

The scroll is sweet, the message of the Gospel is consoling because it promises eternal life, but it is also sour and bitter, because the Gospel tells us that we, like Jesus, must take up our own crosses and follow him.

Today the Church celebrates an early Roman martyr: St. Cecilia. St. Cecilia was a life-long Christian, she loved Jesus more than anything. But living in a time of Christian persecution, Cecilia was arrested and sentenced to death by beheading. The legend states that her executioner failed at beheading her multiple times. And as Cecilia lay dying in her cell for three days, she sang God’s praises. In pain, as she lay dying, she and praised God.

She accepted the bitterness of the Gospel because she knew that believing in and following Jesus leads to eternal life. And that sweet message of salvation consoled her so much, that she was filled with song and praise as her earthly life ended, knowing that heaven awaited her.

We honor St. Cecilia today, knowing that she teaches us to deepen our hope in the promises of Jesus—that those who die with Him as Lord will be raised to everlasting life, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

Let us bring our prayers and petitions before God, whose Word is sweet and consoling, yet challenges us to take up our cross and follow Christ.

For the Church, that she may faithfully proclaim the message of the Gospel, sweet in its promises and challenging in its demands, and guide the faithful to eternal life.

For leaders of nations, that they may align themselves with God’s justice and promote peace, reconciliation, and respect for human dignity.

For all those who suffer persecution for their faith in Christ, that they may be strengthened by the example of the martyrs and remain steadfast in their hope of eternal life.

For all who are sick, lonely, or in pain, that they may find consolation in God’s promise to deliver His people from suffering and bring them eternal peace.

For all the faithful departed, that they may share in the sweet promise of eternal life with Christ, especially those who bore witness to Him through suffering.

God of eternal sweetness and truth, you call us to embrace both the consolations and the challenges of the Gospel. Hear our prayers and grant us the grace to persevere in faith, hope, and love. We ask this through Christ our Lord. 

 

33rd Week in Ordinary Time 2024 - Living with Awe, Trust, and Hope

 

We continue to read from the book of Revelation until the end of the liturgical year.

Having concluded the messages to seven churches, John is given a vision of the throne room of heaven: the beautiful and majestic creator of the universe, sits on a throne, and shining like precious gems, receives the worship of his heavenly court.  These verses evoke awe and wonder at the majesty of God, and they are reminiscent of heavenly visions described in the Old Testament—especially the vision of Ezekiel. 

In the first three chapters of the Book, we heard the messages to the seven churches and how many of them are experiencing persecutions and suffering for the Gospel. 

Chapter four begins with this vision of the glorious king of heaven. And reading on we will discover that the glorious king is not just sitting in heaven aloof or unconcerned with the plight of his Church. Like he announces to Moses in the burning bush, he has heard the cries of his people. And he is about to do something about it. 

And so the rest of the book of Revelation will detail how God’s plan of salvation comes to perfect completion. Scrolls will be opened, seals will be broken, trumpets will be sounded, angels will be sent, bowls of plagues and cataclysms will be poured out, as God’s justice is meted out, evil is conquered for ever, and the final chapters of human history on earth come to a close, before ushering in the new creation, a new heavens and a new earth.

Revelation is an absolutely fascinating book of the Bible that we are honored to read through during these last days of the liturgical year, reminding us that God is at work to bring about his justice, and that all things must come to an end in order to begin something new.

As we reflect on these readings from Revelation, let us draw practical lessons for our daily living.

First, cultivate a sense of awe and worship in your prayer life. Spend time adoring God for who He is—not just for what He does for us. Let the grandeur of this vision inspire a deeper reverence in your heart.

Second, trust in God’s sovereignty. Just as He hears the cries of His people and acts in Revelation, He is attentive to our struggles today. Whatever challenges you face, surrender them to the Lord, knowing that His justice and mercy are at work.

Finally, live with hope and readiness. Revelation reminds us that history is moving toward a glorious fulfillment in Christ. Let this inspire you to persevere in faith and to share the good news with others, so they too may share in the promise of the new creation.

As we approach the end of the liturgical year, let these truths strengthen your faith and renew your commitment to live as a disciple of the Risen Lord for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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Trusting in God’s sovereignty, we bring our prayers before the Lord, who hears the cries of His people.

For the Church, that she may continue to proclaim the majesty of God and inspire the faithful to live lives of awe and worship

For world leaders, that they may govern with justice and seek peace, mindful that God’s sovereignty calls all to account

For those who are persecuted or suffering for the Gospel, that they may find strength and hope in God’s promise to bring His justice to completion

For our community, that we may deepen our trust in God’s providence and live with readiness for the fulfillment of His divine plan

For all of the sick and the suffering and those who feel overwhelmed by life’s trials, that they may surrender their challenges to the Lord and experience His mercy and peace

For the faithful departed, for whom we pray in a special way during this month of November, that they may share in the glory of the new creation and behold God’s face in the eternal kingdom, especially N. 

Almighty God, you are the King of heaven and earth, and your plan of salvation is perfect and just. Hear our prayers, strengthen our faith, and guide us as we await the new creation. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

First Friday Holy Hour - February 2024 - O Luminous Eucharist

 Forty days have passed since we celebrated the joyful Feast of the Nativity of the Lord. The Liturgy itself tells us that today, the Feast of the Presentation, we celebrate that blessed day when Jesus was presented in the Temple by Mary and Joseph. Outwardly he was fulfilling the law, but in reality he was coming to meet his believing people. Prompted by the Holy Spirit, Simeon and Anna came to the temple. Enlightened by the same Spirit, they recognized the Lord and confessed him with exultation. 

Light. This feast has many references to light. The Gospel reading speaks of light. Jesus is the light of revelation—revealing to the nations of the world—that God has come to save all of us.

Candles are blessed and lit at the beginning of mass for the presentation, they are signal flares to the world, that all those who are looking for salvation can find it, in Christ. 

What a fitting day for us to kneel in the light of the Eucharist. Devotees of the rosary know that the institution of the Eucharist—the eucharist which we kneel before this evening—is the fifth and final mystery of light. When Pope St. John Paul II gave us the luminous mysteries of the rosary—he wrote how the Eucharist is a light—it reveals, it testifies, it sheds light that Christ is with us till the end. He is with his Church. And he loves his church. 

The Eucharist reveals the heart of Christ which is given in love to us, to save us, to separate us from sin and unite us to God. We kneel before the Eucharist to bask in the glow of the light of Christ’s love. And we do so, that when we present ourselves to receive the Eucharist, we may be filled with that same light, that his light may be detected in us, and radiate from us.

St. Peter Julian Eymard, that great saint of the Eucharist writes: “The Eucharist is the sacrament of love par excellence. Certainly the other sacraments are proofs of God’s love for us; they are gifts of God. But in the Eucharist, we receive the Author of every gift, God Himself. So it is in Communion especially that we learn to know the law of love that our Lord came to reveal. There we receive the special grace of love. There, finally, more than anywhere else, we acquire the practice, the virtue, of love.”

“O lumunious Euharist, may this time with you truly enlighten us, in the way of God’s love, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.”

15th Week of Ordinary Time 2023 - Wednesday - Revelation of God's Love

 Fire. We find fire throughout the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit descends upon the apostles as tongues of fire on Pentecost. The Lord himself says that he has come to set the world on fire, and how he wishes it were already blazing.

Our first reading today presents us with Moses approaching the bush on fire, but a fire that does not destroy. And from that fire-that-does-not-destroy-or-consume, God reveals Himself to Moses. 

Consider this story in its ancient context. The Egyptians worshipped a god of fire, as did the caananites, the Babylonians, and the persians, as have many pagan peoples throughout history. But notice, though God reveals himself from this burning bush, He doesn’t claim to be the God of Fire. Rather, He reveals Himself as “the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.” God reveals himself as the God of people. He is not simply the harnesser of fire, demanding subordination from lowly humans lest they be consumed by his powerful flame. Rather, God’s power comes from his fiery love. Unlike the cold, dark, conniving, murderous heart of pharoah, who slaughtered the Israelites because they were growing too numerous in his estimation, God reveals a heart of love that has been moved by the suffering and slavery of his people. 

But the burning bush in which God reveals that He is the God of fiery love is but a foreshadowing. It’s not until God comes in the flesh, in the form of man, that he fully reveals His love. Jesus is God’s fullness of revelation, the revelation of God’s love, God’s desire to free all humanity from death and slavery to sin which keeps us from intimate communion with Him. 

And in the Gospel today, the Lord Jesus speaks of how God reveals Himself to the childlike, a revelation that the wise and the learned are blinded to. Why are the worldly-wise, the clever, blind to God? Because of their prideful self-sufficiency. Even though they came into the world as helpless babies, into a Creation brought into being by God, the wise and the clever take the posture of absolute self-sufficiency. “I don’t need God, I have my wisdom, I have my wits, I have my own power, my own fire, I am my own god!” Their consuming pride keeps them from the light and love of God.

But the childlike—the humble—recognize, “all that I have is a gift from God.” I live, I breath, I am saved, I am sanctified, I am given another opportunity for eternal life because the God of love has poured Himself out in love. And recognizing the need for God, the childlike run toward God like a moth to flame—but unlike the moth, the childlike are not consumed, rather, they are perfected. 

The ancient theologian Origen once said that those who draw near to Jesus in the Eucharist, draw near to fire. Childlike, let us run near to the fire of God, the fire of the Eucharist, the fire that purifies us, enlightens us, illuminates us, and perfects us, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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That the Holy Spirit may help us to be instruments of grace and conversion, to hardened sinners, fallen away Catholics and to the faithless.  

That our young people on summer vacation 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.

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. We pray.

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.

34th Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Wednesday - The war between Lamb and Beast

Throughout the visions contained in the book of Revelation, it becomes clear that history involves a battle: a war of good versus evil. In chapter 12 of Revelation, we hear of the dragon—"the dragon with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems.” And the dragon wages war against the women and her offspring. Think of Mary and her children, the Church. 

In chapter 13, Revelation introduces two beasts, demonic lieutenants of Satan. And the beasts worship the dragon because it gives them power. And the beasts blaspheme against God. And they too, wage war against the holy ones of God. 

But then in Chapter 14, we meet not a hellish dragon, or a demonic beast, but the innocent Lamb and the holy ones who follow Him wherever he goes. 

Today’s passage describes a vision of the Lamb who has waged war and is victorious over the beast and its followers. And surrounding the Lamb are, the Lambs followers, who share in his victory. These are the martyrs and the holy people who remained faithful to the Lamb unto death throughout the great battle—the great struggle—the great war that is this earthly life. 

And the followers of the Lamb sing a victory song to celebrate God’s triumph over his adversaries that is about to unfold as God brings history to an end. 

The battle is real. Our sinful condition means that our earthly life involves choosing sides—will we give in to sin, to the influence of the dragon whose evil permeates the whole world—will we join the beasts of hell in their vicious attacks on goodness, truth, and beauty? Or will we join the Lamb who delivers us from sin, who clothes his followers in righteousness?

The Catechism speaks of this battle saying the dramatic situation of “the whole world [which] is in the power of the evil one” makes man’s life a battle: The whole of man’s history has been the story of dour combat with the powers of evil, stretching, so our Lord tells us, from the very dawn of history until the last day. Finding himself in the midst of the battlefield man has to struggle to do what is right, and it is at great cost to himself, and aided by God’s grace, that he succeeds in achieving his own inner integrity.”

The battle is real, my friends. And the battle to do right—the battle for holiness—the battle to win souls—costs us something, as it cost the Lamb—we will be hated by all—handed over by parents and friends, as the Lord tells us in the Gospel today. But sacrifice for God—for the Lamb—is rewarded with an eternal share in his victory. 

Revelation says, “The devil is in a great fury, for he knows his time on earth is short”. And evil in the world is not a sign that evil wins, but that it is making it’s last, furious grasp for souls. May we work and pray assiduously for the deliverance of those who remain in Satan’s grasp through error and sin, pleading for their deliverance through the blood of the Lamb—Christ the Lord—for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

Lord, sanctify your bishops and priests, and grant them courage to preach the Gospel in its fullness.

Make the lives of parents examples of faith to inspire their children to seek first your heavenly kingdom. 

Bring all those who have fallen away back to the sacraments, help them to repent of their sins and desire the life that can only come from you.

That the Wisdom of Christ may preside over our thanksgiving gatherings tomorrow, for safety for all travelers, and protection from food-born illnesses. 

Bring comfort to the sick and suffering, charity and care to the destitute and down-trodden, be present through your church to the miserable. 

Welcome into your kingdom all the faithful departed, those whose names are written in our parish necrology, all clergy and religious, and X for whom this mass is offered.

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.

33rd Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Friday - Sweet and Sour

 Our first readings at Mass this week have been taken from the Book of Revelation. On Wednesday, we read of John’s Vision of the Heavenly throne room—a glorious and mysterious vision. A thousand years earlier, the prophet Ezekiel had been given a glimpse of the same heavenly throne room at the beginning of his life as a prophet. 

In today’s reading, there is another parallel to Ezekiel. Like Ezekiel, John is given a scroll to eat—a scroll sweet as honey, but sour to the stomach. 

What’s going on here? 

First of all, these parallels with Ezekiel indicate the importance of John’s visions. When a prophet is sent by God you have choice—heed his words, or ignore them. God doesn’t send a prophet just for fun. It’s a message that is to be taken seriously. To heed the prophet’s message will bring blessing, to ignore them will bring a curse. So the message of the Book of Revelation is to be taken very seriously. 

And like Ezekiel’s prophecy, John’s Revelation is both Sweet and Sour. Sweet in that it contains consolations, sour in that it communicates challenge. 

The Book of Revelation announces the completion and consummation of God’s plan for Creation.

The King of the Universe, who sits upon the heavenly throne, has witnessed the suffering of his people, the injustices they have endured at the hands of the wicked. There will be justice. This is a consolation to the righteous, and a warning to wicked, to repent before it is too late. 

But the Gospel itself is sweet and sour, isn’t it? God so loved the world that he sent his Son to redeem us, yet that redemption came at a price. So too the mission of the Church is sweet and sour. The Christian life involves the sweet consolations of the spirit, the experience of heavenly gifts, the knowledge and experience of Jesus’ presence with us in the Sacraments--the grace-filled ability to participate in the works of charity—a sweet foretaste of heaven.

And yet, the experience of the Church is also sour at the same time, bitter in her sufferings, her experience of persecutions, her penances, the carrying of our individual crosses—sweet and sour at the same time. 

In our modern age, many want the sweet part of the Gospel, but not the sour. They want the promises without the challenge, they want the resurrection without the cross, they want peace without having to suffer for it. And that’s somewhat understandable, who likes to suffer? But the Gospel must be taken in and preached in its entirety if we are to attain true freedom, and true beatitude.

Like Ezekiel, like John, we are given the sweet and sour Gospel to eat and internalize and digest, so that it becomes part of us. For, we too, are sent to peoples and nations and kings with the Word of God, and we must share the Gospel in its entirety, its sweet parts and also its sour parts—the parts which console us in our sufferings and challenge us in our complacencies, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

That Christians may undertake the meditation and prayer necessary to live holy and righteous lives. 

For a healing of all family divisions, reunion for the estranged and welcoming of the alienated. 

That those who have fallen away from the Church or fallen into serious sin may repent and return to the grace of the Sacraments. 

For the poor, the hungry, the homeless, the sick, the aged, the lonely, the grieving, the unemployed, those who are facing financial difficulties, those with addictions, and the imprisoned: that God will draw close to them, and bless them with grace and peace.

We pray in a special way for all of the faithful departed during this Month of November, for the deceased members of our family, friends, and parish, and all the souls in purgatory, and for N. for whom this mass is offered. 

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.

33rd Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Wednesday - Visions of Heaven and Purgatory (& St. Gertrude)

 

We continue to read from the book of Revelation until the end of the liturgical year.

The book of revelation is comprised of a series of visions. The word Revelation refers to an unveiling of heaven, of God’s plan—an unveiling, as if the curtains which normally are closed to us mortal beings are drawn back.

Having concluded the messages to seven churches, John is given a vision of the throne room of heaven—the beautiful and majestic creator of the universe, seated on a throne and receiving the worship of his heavenly court.  These verses evoke awe and wonder at the majesty of God. They are also reminiscent of descriptions of God in the Old Testament—especially the vision of Ezekiel. And so these verses also indicate that what will come next in the book will also continue a message, like Ezekiels. And what were the prophets always preaching about? Justice.

God has been watching human history play out. He has seen the suffering of his people, but he has also seen their hardness of hearts. God has witnessed the persecution of the Church, but, as we heard on those messages to the seven churches, God has also witnessed Christians forsaking their baptism, letting their faith die, allowing worldly riches and worldly pleasures replace the love they are to have for Jesus and the fervor they are to have for the Gospel. 

Today the Church honors another of the great visionaries of history, St. Gertrude. From the time she was a little girl Gertrude had visions of Jesus and Mother Mary. Gertrude loved to study, and in what must be the rarest of visions, Jesus appeared to her and told her to stop studying so much: she needed to pray more and attend to her spiritual life.

In her journal, recording the revelations and visions of her life, she describes how she was taken as a mystical bride of Christ, the Lord himself, placing on her finger a wedding ring. She experienced indescribable ecstasies, but also indescribable sufferings, for she received the Holy Stigmata of the Heart—feeling deeply in her heart the suffering of Our Lord for the salvation of sinners.

Gertrude was also given glimpses into purgatory, and she was shown how our prayers, especially the Mass, are so efficacious in assisting the souls in purgatory. She was greatly devoted to the poor souls, and offered daily the following prayer: “Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.”

We may not be given glimpses of heaven like John, or glimpses of purgatory like St. Gertrude. But blessed are those who believe who have not seen, as our Lord tells St. Thomas in the Gospels. 

So let us take to heart this visions and their messages: the need to repent, the need to have fervor for the Gospel, the need to pray for the poor souls, and to offer our whole lives as divine worship for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

For blessings upon the Bishops gathered in Baltimore for their annual meeting this week, that their conversations, prayers, and deliberations for the good of the Church may be blessed. 

That our young people may be assisted by their families in growing in faith, hope, and love, and protected from the evil and corruption of the world.

For all those struggling with addiction, mental illness, chronic sickness, unemployment, or ongoing trials of any kind: that they will be fortified and blessed with God’s special favor, healing and peace.  We pray to the Lord.

Through the intercession of St. Gertrude, we pray in a special way for all of the faithful departed during this Month of November, for the deceased members of our family, friends, and parish, and all 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

33rd Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Tuesday - Message to the lukewarm and weak of faith (& St. Albert the Great)

 As I mentioned yesterday, for these final two weeks of the Church year, we read from the final book of the Bible—the book of Revelation. 

The book begins with a series of seven visions and messages to be delivered to seven particular Churches in Asia Minor. Yesterday’s reading ended with a message to the Christians at Ephesus, the place where the Blessed Mother lived before her Assumption into heaven. 

Today’s reading has skipped ahead abit, after all, we have just two weeks to get through the whole book. We heard the messages to the Church in Sardis and the Church in Laodicea, the fifth and seventh churches to be addressed. The messages share many similarities, the primary one being that Jesus Christ is aware of the situation in their communities, and that he offers them words both of comfort and challenge. 

The situation in Sardis was pretty pitiful. The Christians were on the verge of losing their faith entirely. Jesus said, “I know your works, you have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.” There couldn’t be a stronger rebuke. Could you image? Jesus himself saying to the Church at West Blvd. “You claim to be Christian, you claim to be faithful, but your faith is dead because your works are incomplete in my sight.” So, Jesus urges the Christians at Sardis to fan into flame the little faith they had left. 

Jesus’ message to Laodicea is nearly just as correctional: he says, the Christians there are neither hot nor cold for the faith, simply lukewarm, and it makes him want to spit them out of his mouth. And their lukewarm faith was the result of growing complacent in the mission of the Church, and placing more trust in money and politics than in the teaching of the Church. 

And then came one of the most beautiful passages in all the new testament, at least one of my favorites: Jesus says, "'Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.” Jesus is knocking on the doors of our hearts, and he is knocking on the doors of the hearts of the lukewarm and those who have grown weak in faith. 

How do we help others open the doors of their hearts to Christ? How do witness how good it is when faith is on fire, when Christ is invited into the home, when intimate friendship with Jesus is developed? 

Today, we honor one of the great saints of the middle ages, who did just that: Saint Albert the Great. The Collect for his feast speaks of how God made Albert great through his joining of wisdom and divine faith. What made Albert Great? He wisely put his life in order, he had his priorities straight. He put God first, he put his tremendous intellectual gifts at the service of the kingdom. He sought to love and serve the Lord with his whole mind, heart, soul, and strength and he taught others to do the same. May St. Albert assist us in our share in the mission, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

For blessings upon the Bishops gathered in Baltimore for their annual meeting this week, that their conversations, prayers, and deliberations for the good of the Church may be blessed. 

Through the intercession of St. Albert the Great, patron of philosophers and scientists, that those involved in the sciences may be men and women of faith may glorify God in their learning, research, and work. 

For safety for travelers and for the homeless and destitute affected by cold and inclement weather, and that Christians may be every more attentive to the needs of the poor and the despairing in our midst. 

For the transformation of all attitudes which lead to violence, racial hatred, and religious persecution. For the safety of police and firefighters, for first responders, the underemployed and unemployed, for those struggling with addiction, for those suffering from depression or burn-out, and the healing of all the sick.  

We pray in a special way for all of the faithful departed during this Month of November, for the deceased members of our family, friends, and parish, and all 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

33rd Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Monday - Revelation's Message of Hope and Invitation

 As we near the end of the liturgical year, our weekday readings are taken from the end of the book—the final book of the bible—the book of Revelation. 

With all of its symbolism and sometimes horrifying imagery regarding the end of time, the cataclysms unleashed as history comes to a close, the main message of this final book of the Bible is that God is in charge and Jesus Christ is Lord. And that was a very important message for those first generations of Christians and for us today.

As the Church began to spread throughout the Roman empire, through Asia Minor and Greece, Christians were persecuted, as the Lord foretold. We heard it In the Gospel yesterday: the Lord stood in the temple and foretold: they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name.” 

And as the early Christians experienced the hostility of the world, the persecution, even at the hands of their family members, this book served as powerful encouragement: don’t worry, don’t be afraid, God is in charge. Heaven awaits those who persevere in faith, glory awaits those who witness to Christ.

And, the more things change, the more they stay the same. For even though human history has seen technological advances, and the church has spread to nearly every corner of the globe, the Church in many places still exists in a secular culture whose mass media, entertainment, and educational systems are often hostile to Christians. An international, materialistic, consumerist, sexually immoral culture seduces many away from their Christian faith. And while literal idolatry—the worship of pagan gods—is less common today, spiritual idolatry—manifest in excessive love for created things rather than God—is stronger than ever. Excessive love for and trust in wealth, pleasure, science, technology, governments, institutions, and celebrities occupy the place in our hearts, minds, and souls that God is meant to occupy.

While this book offers reassurance to Christians, it also serves to help souls make the choice for Christ: choose their side—with whom will you stand—with God or his counterfeits. And that choice has real consequences: one leads to life, the other leads to destruction.

So, in these last weeks of Ordinary Time, as this book is read at Mass, we do well to examine our loyalties, and to consider what is at stake, that we may repent of all of our sins, and lead souls to Christ through our Christian witness for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

We bring to God our prayers of petition

For the grace to use the time God has given us to pursue faith, hope, and charity. 

For the good of our nation, and for all newly elected officials; for God’s wisdom to govern our civic life, and for justice and peace for all. 

For the safety of police and firefighters, for first responders, the underemployed and unemployed, for those struggling with addiction, for the incarcerated, for the homeless and destitute affected by cold and inclement weather, for those overwhelmed by stress, and for the sick and dying. 

We pray in a special way during this Month of November for all of the faithful departed; for the deceased members of our family, friends, and parish, and for N. 

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.

Trinity Sunday 2022 - God revealed in Creation, Cross, & Church

 Throughout the Church year, the feasts and solemnities of the liturgical calendar celebrate different dimensions of our Catholic faith. We celebrate events from the life of Jesus: like his joyous birth at Christmas, his salvific death on Good Friday, his glorious Resurrection on Easter Sunday. We also celebrate the feast days of the saints, typically on the anniversaries of their martyrdoms or natural deaths – like the feast of St. Ignatius of Antioch on October 17.

But today, on this solemnity of the Holy Trinity, we don’t celebrate an event from the life of Jesus or one of his holy saints, we celebrate the nature of God, who God is, and what God has done.

And as a way of gently handling this most august and mysterious of topics, I’d like to reflect on three C’s. Three C’s. Creation, Crucifixion, and Church.

In the first reading, we heard of the glories of Creation: mountains, hills, fountains, fields, earth and dirt, the heavens and skies, sea and water. God Created all these things and therefore must have pre-existed all of these things. God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—has existed from all eternity—and the three divine persons, working together, have brought all aspects of creation into being. 

What is the most beautiful place you’ve ever visited? A mountain top, the grand canyon, the ocean, a lush forest, a secluded lake? I’ve been blessed to have been able to travel to a lot of different locals. I remember vacationing in Canada one year, up in the Kawartha Lakes of Northern Ontario and waking up one early morn and seeing the first glimmers of sunlight on the glassy lake, the morning mist just gently hovering over the waters, the calm ever-green forest lining the shores of the lake, just being moved to tears at how grateful I was to take in the beauty of Creation.

Creation is beautiful-- because God—the Creator—is infinitely beautiful—and He has made creation very good. Pope Pius XII back in 1955 reflected upon how finite Creation hints at God’s infinite beauty. He said, Creation, “which offers itself to the inspection of the attentive observer, reveals an inexhaustible wealth of goodness and beauty, reflecting back with transparent sincerity the infinite superabundance of the perfection and beauty of nature's Creator.”

“Sometimes one is enchanted and overcome by the majesty of towering mountains, at other times by the irresistible fury of the ocean tempest, the solitude of polar glaciers, the vast stretch of virgin forests, the melancholy of the desert sands, the loveliness of flowers, the limpid quality of water, the violent rush of waterfalls, the distinctive beauty of the Northern Lights... Greater astonishment and wealth of knowledge are offered by... the secrets of the animal kingdom... in forests and in inhospitable deserts, on rivers and in the depths of the sea. What a testimony to the richness and manifold variety of nature... to soothe, recreate and refresh the spirit."

So, on this Trinity Sunday, reflect, perhaps on the beauty of nature, tell someone about the most beautiful place you’ve ever visited. Thank God for his beautiful creation. And endeavor to be a good steward of that creation.

The first C—Creation. The Second C--The Cross. The Cross too reveals something about God to us, it reveals God’s love. On the Cross we see the love of God made visible. The Father so loved the world, that he sent his Son to suffer and die to redeem us. God is love, and there is no greater love than one who lays down his life for others. Creation was a labor of love, well, so was the cross, the greatest labor of love: the labor that saved us from the grasp of hell. 

And through the Cross, through the Crucifixion, the Holy Trinity has transformed the ugliness of suffering into an instrument of human sanctification and redemption. Suffering now has meaning and redemptive power, so much so that we can say with St. Paul in our second reading: “we are able, now to boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”

On this Trinity Sunday, turn to a crucifix, contemplate the love of God for you, in suffering for you, dying for you, you a sinner, loved with love beyond all telling. Ask the Father to help you to love as much as he does, Ask the Son to help you to love as much as he does, as the Holy Spirit to help you love as much as He does.

Creation, Cross, and finally, Church. The Church also reveals something about God—she reveals that God is still at work. The Church’s very existence is willed by God, she is sustained by God, animated by God, taught by God, directed toward God, protected by God, ordered by God, sent out by God. The Church reveals that God involves us in His work—to save souls. 

Also, St. Basil the Great, the fourth century doctor of the Church, taught that the Church has the duty to reflect God’s nature. The world is to know that God is a Trinity—a Communion of Love—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—through the way we worship and treat each other.

The Trinitarian nature of God is certainly seen in the way we worship. In the celebration of Mass, we unite ourselves to the Son, who offers Himself to the Father, that the grace of salvation may redeem the human race through the power of the Holy Spirit. Our sacred hymns today especially invoke, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We baptized in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit. Sins are absolved in Sacramental Confession in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit. The dying are comforted and the sick are brought healing and strength in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit.

But the nature of the Triune God is not just revealed by the Church’s worship and sacramental life, but the Church acts in his name out in the world. We seek to be faithful to the Commands of the Father, as Christ was obedient. We seek to imitate Christ’s goodness, his self-sacrifice, his self-donation, his endurance, his love for sinners. And we seek to be animated by the gifts of the holy spirit and the fruits of the holy spirit for the building up of the church and the mission of spreading the Gospel. Just like the beauty of God can be detected in creation, just like the love of God was revealed on the cross, the truth, goodness, and beauty of the living God—Father, Son, and Spirit, are to be manifest in the life of the Church.

So, on this great Solemnity consider how your life is called to mirror, reflect, make manifest, make known the Triune God—His Truth, Goodness, Beauty, and Love for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Easter Octave 2021 - Friday - Revealed

 The very first verse and the very last verse of the Gospel passage today contain a very important word: reveal. After his resurrection, the risen Lord “revealed” himself to his disciples. 

St. John likes to use this word, both in his Gospel and in the book of Revelation. He’s even sometimes called “St. John the Revelator” 

The signs Jesus accomplished throughout John’s Gospel: the wedding at Cana, walking on water, multiplying loaves, raising the dead, reveal Jesus’ identity and his mission—his divine identity and his mission to bring about the salvation of mankind.

Two details certainly reveal his identity and mission in the Gospel today: the miraculous catch of fish and the meal Jesus provides. And yet, these two details reveal something about the church, too. Just as at Jesus’ word, the net is cast into the sea after a long night of fruitless fishing, now in the period after the resurrection the church is to cast the net of the Gospel into the world, to bring in souls. We are made fishers of men. And just as the risen lord shares a meal with his friends on the seashore, the members of the church, are to celebrate the holy mass, in which the lord feeds his friends with his body and blood in every corner of the world. 

The Lord wishes to use us to continue to reveal that his is Risen from the dead. The Church’s mission continues and will continue until the Lord’s return: to help people believe that Jesus is God, that he is savior, and that he is risen. 

In the Gospel, it takes a number of disciples to pull in that net of fish, and so too with us. It takes a number of Christians, working together, to bring souls to Christ. Who are your fishing partners? Your not meant to be working all alone. The work of the Gospel is never a solitary act. Where two or three are gathered, the Lord is revealed. 

Lord, reveal to me how you wish me to reveal you to others, today. 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 the shepherds of our souls, that they may have the strength to 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. 

For our own community, that it may bear witness with great confidence to the Resurrection of Christ, and that the newly initiated hold fast to and grow in 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.

All Saints 2020 - Who we are, where we're going, how to get there

At the tail end of Vatican II, Pope Paul VI promulgated a document called Gaudium et Spes, the pastoral constitution on the Church in the Modern World. It’s purpose was to help the Church understand her position and role and mission in the changing modern world with all of its advancements and strengths and foolishness and errors. For it’s important for the Church to reflect upon the “signs of the times”—a phrase which came from this document—to understand better the concrete details in which we are to live out our Christian mission and identity.

While explaining the need for Christians to bring our faith and live our faith in the many different levels of society in which we find ourselves, Gaudium et Spes is also very realistic in speaking about monumental struggle against the powers of evil and darkness.  History is not just the story of human progress, right? We are opposed by satan, the father of lies, who seeks to corrupt souls and bring ruin to nations and families and the Church. 

Last week, when we celebrated Priesthood Sunday, I asked for and thanked you for your prayers for priests—because there is a real battle involved in working for the good of souls. And if the devil can bring ruin to priests, well, that’s going to have an impact on parishes and families, isn’t it? 

But it’s not just priests, Vatican II says, all Christians are involved in this struggle, this battle. Facing such hostility and wickedness and personal demons, we recognize we need God. We need the Sacraments. We need prayer. We need the guidance of good solid Catholic teaching from our Pope and Bishops. If we are going to survive the battle with our souls intact, we need to make sure that we are drawing as much strength and protection and light from our faith as possible. 

And, this weekend, on this solemn feast, we look to the holy souls, the saints, the men and women and children, from every age, and place, and profession, who “survived the time of great distress," as St John calls this life on earth in our First Reading. The survivors, the spiritual war heroes, those who are glorified by God in eternity because of their Christian faith, hope, and love.

Contemplating these brothers and sisters in Christ encourages us: for if they can do it, so can we. I propose three short lessons on how the saints can be our teachers and guides. 

The first lesson is that the saints live with the destination in mind—they know what is at stake—that there is more to life than this earthly life. In the first reading, we get a glimpse of those saintly victors standing, robed in white in the heavenly throne room. In the presence of God stand this great multitude—people of every nation, race, and tongue, who have put on the wedding garment of Christ, who have been baptized, and have kept their faith amidst all the temptations and persecutions in this life—again, knowing what was at stake: in the end they would stand victorious in the heavenly throne room, or be banished from it for all eternity.

Why do we resist those terrible onslaughts of temptation? Why do we pray to remain faithful in the midst of persecution? Because heaven is at stake. Not only does sin diminish us—weaking our will and clouding our mind—it puts our souls at risk of hell. 

This first lesson is so important—because if we aren’t living with the destination in mind, we are likely to veer off the path—perhaps even forget there is path. There are many souls living this way--as if this earthly life was all that is—eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we shall die, and that’s it. And their souls are in danger. Because if you don’t live as if heaven exists in this life—why would anything be different in eternity?

So the saints remind us to live with the destination always on our minds. 

Secondly, it’s not enough to know the destination—you have to know where you are starting from—where you are, right now, spiritually, and who you are. If you can’t pinpoint yourself on the map—how do you know the direction in which you are to walk? 

And this is the second lesson: the saints understand who they are: they understand that they are human beings, with fallen natures due to sin in need of salvation. They know they need Christ. They know they need the Sacraments. They know they need prayer. 

And, they know that through baptism they have become Children of God. We read in our second reading: "See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are." Children of God. Members of God's family. God’s love for us is so profound—we are gathered into his family through the blood of Christ. And the saints are animated by this profound self-knowledge. In whatever hostilities we face, whatever temptations: we do so as Children of God. 

The saints know that they were made for love, by the one who is love. Love animates us, love guides us, love fills us, love protects us. The saints recognize because they are loved they need to become love--loving God and neighbor in the concrete details of their life. 

And that’s the third Lesson. it is not enough just to know who we are and where we are supposed to be going, but we also need to know how to get there. In order to cross a lake, you need a boat. In order to cross a mountain, you need mountain gear. In order to get to heaven, the home of the saints, you need to practice saintliness, blessedness.

This is what today's Gospel passage reminds us of: the Beatitudes are the practices and attitudes that you and I must cultivate if we wish to join the saints. 

We must practice poverty of spirit—recognizing our fundamental need for God in all things. We must mourn for our sins—those lost opportunities to live for God. We must be meek—treating each other with gentleness. We must hunger and thirst for righteousness—seeking to justly give God what belongs to God and to treat our neighbor and the poor with the respect and fairness due to every living human person. We must not just be just but merciful—going beyond what is merely fair and just—but practicing true mercy to become a blessing for others. We must be clean of heart—turning away from anything impure, corrupt, perverted, vile, or selfish, in order to seek God through prayer and worship and divine contemplation. And we must keep the faith amidst persecution—in fact, if we are not living our faith in such away that the world hates us, we might not be really living the faith.

Live with the destination in mind, live with the humble knowledge that you are a sinner, reborn in baptism as a child of God, now called to strive to live the beatitudes in this life, that we may join the ranks of the blessed in eternity.

May the saints help us and preserve us for this our destiny, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

1st Week of Advent 2019 - Monday - The Messiah in God's Plan of Salvation

Throughout the season of Advent we will read extensively from the book of the prophet Isaiah.  Isaiah speaks about many of the same themes as Jesus: the need for repentance, salvation, mercy, judgment, justice, and the need for faith. Most important for the season of Advent though are Isaiah’s prophecies of the Messiah and how he will usher in the eternal reign of God.

Yet today, Isaiah’s passage isn’t so much about the birth of a child to a virgin-maiden, but of the work of the Messiah to usher in the eternal kingdom of peace. The Messiah will come with a “blast of searing judgment” upon the wicked, Isaiah says today. Zion, the assembly of God’s holy ones will be purged of defilement. And the Lord will grant shelter and protection to the holy ones. Isaiah’s vision here is certainly consistent with John’s vision in the book of Revelation.

These early Advent days urge us to reflect not so much on the first coming of Christ, at Bethlehem but the second coming at the end of time; not so much the first Advent, but the second. But this is to help us keep in mind who the Christ-Child is, what he comes to do, how he fits into and fulfills the eternal plan of God, and the consequences for not believing in Him and following Him. How he fulfills our deepest longings.

For each of the readings speak of restoration, healing, shelter, peace. The longing to be safe and secure from our enemies, is one of our deepest human needs. This promise of be gathered within the secure walls of our Father’s house, recalls the safe walls of the garden Paradise from which we were expelled, but to which we will are joyfully readmitted through Christ.

The healing of the dreadfully suffering paralyzed man in the Gospel, too, speaks of  the ultimate healing and restoration that comes through Christ for those who believe in Him.

We pray during this Advent season that we will come to recognize Jesus as Messiah in a deeper way, that we will allow him to cure our paralyses, and bring conversion to those parts of us which are set in opposition to God, free us from our captivities, wash away our filth, and strengthen our communion with God and the Church. 

We pray too that we may be God’s instruments in the world this Advent, that we can bring others to recognize Jesus as savior, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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As we await with longing the Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, we raise up our prayers of petitions.

That Christ may visit his holy Church and always find her watchful in prayer.

That Christ may fill the Pope, our Bishop, and all the clergy with spiritual gifts and graces and For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of December, “That every country take the measures necessary to prioritize the future of the very young, especially those who are suffering.”

That Christ may guide the minds of those who govern us to promote the common good according to His Holy Will.

That Christ may banish disease, drive out hunger, and ward off every affliction.

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

Almighty ever-living God, who bring salvation to all and desire that no one should perish, hear the prayers of your people and grant that the course of our world may be directed by your peaceful rule and your Church rejoice in tranquility and devotion. Through Christ our Lord.

34th Week in OT 2019 - Friday - Daniel's Apocalyptic Vision and the Spiritual Summer

One of the last readings of the liturgical year is today’s apocalyptic vision of Daniel. Daniel’s apocalyptic vision of beasts rising from the sea strongly resembles the vision of John in the Book of Revelation, and like most apocalyptic passages in scripture is highly symbolic. The four vicious beasts rising out of the sea represent the kingdoms of the earth rising out the chaotic sea of history. For Daniel, the lion with eagle’s wings was Nebuchadnezzar, the bear with three tusks ready to attack was the kingdom of the Medes, the leopard with four heads was the Persians, and the terrifying beast with iron teeth and ten horns was the technologically advanced Greek Empire, the blasphemous little horn, Antiochus Epiphanes.

Church fathers have interpreted this vision, along with the vision of Revelation, to be symbolic of the different kingdoms which stood in opposition to God throughout history, and the little horn to be symbolic of the Anti-Christ.

Whoever these strange symbols stand for, it is clear that they will be judged by the one who sits on the throne of heaven. And this one, is not like those beasts who rise up from the sea, he is not terrifying and vicious, but glorious and just. And, he resembles not the beasts, but shares the human condition. He is God and man, whose coming we prepare for during the upcoming season of Advent.

Our task, again, as we said the other day, is to be on the right side of history, not in league with the vicious kingdoms the earth, but in union with the Ancient One who sits on the throne of heaven.
In the Gospel, the Ancient-One-made-flesh speaks of a spiritual summer in which the fig trees bloom, their buds burst over. He speaks of the spiritual summer of the age of the Church, in which the seeds of the Gospel bloom into the fruits of the Spirit.

To be on the right side of history is to be cultivating those fruits, allowing the Gospel to bloom into the fruits of charity and joy and peace and justice and patience and long-suffering.
Though Advent takes place mostly in winter, it is meant to be a spiritual summer in which we prepare assiduously for the Lord through repentance, penance, prayer, and charity.

In the hours we have before Advent, prepare to prepare, come up with a spiritual plan for your Advent: your spiritual reading, spiritual penance, a list of the good works you hope to engage in, to allow the Gospel to bear fruit in your lives, fruit that will last for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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Lord, sanctify your bishops and priests, and grant them courage to preach the Gospel in its fullness.
Make the lives of parents examples of faith to inspire their children to seek first your heavenly kingdom.

Bring all those who have fallen away back to the sacraments, help them to repent of their sins and desire the life that can only come from you.

That the upcoming season of Advent may be a season of spiritual renewal for the Church.
Bring comfort to the sick and suffering, charity and care to the destitute and down-trodden, be present through your church to the miserable.

Welcome into your kingdom all the faithful departed, those whose names are written in our parish necrology, all clergy and religious, and X for whom this mass is offered.

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.

November 2019 - First Friday Holy Hour - All Saints & the Eucharist

Last month, our first Friday Holy Hour fell on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, and we reflected upon Francis’ Eucharistic spirituality.

This month, we gather on the great Solemnity of All Saints to adore our blessed Lord. So many of the saints have written or preached on the importance of the Eucharist in their lives and for the Church. St. Theresa Benedicta of the Cross wrote that “it is most important that the Holy Eucharist becomes life’s focal point: that the Eucharistic Savior is the center of existence.”

To grow in sanctity is certainly to grow in one’s hunger and desire for the Eucharist. Our own patron saint, St. Ignatius of Antioch wrote of his desire for Christ in the Eucharist. He wrote: “I hunger for the bread of God, the flesh of Jesus Christ ...; I long to drink of his blood, the gift of unending love.”
St. Therese the Little Flower, spoke of how what we do here tonight, spending time in Eucharistic Adoration, is a little taste of heaven. “Heaven for me” says the Little Flower, “is hidden in a little Host Where Jesus, my Spouse, is veiled for love. I go to that Divine Furnace to draw out life, and there my Sweet Saviour listens to me night and day.”

This connection between Eucharistic Adoration here on earth and the Adoration of God in heaven is not surprising. After all, in our first reading from the book of Revelation for this Solemnity of All Saints, we heard of the Adoration of God by the Saints in heaven. “I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb” Up and down the centuries we witness the saints, men and women of every nation, race, people, and tongue adoration the Eucharistic Lamb, and we join them tonight, that we may join them in eternity.

May the Saints continue to teach us to make the Eucharistic Lord the center of Our Life, to love him, to desire him, to allow him to set our hearts on fire with divine love, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

3rd Sunday of Easter 2019 - For the sake of the name

Each Sunday of the Easter season, our first reading is taken from the Acts of the Apostles, while our second reading is taken from the Book of Revelation. There is a beautiful connection between these two books of the New Testament, if you think about it. The Acts of the Apostles describes the first days of the Church in time and history, Revelation describes the Church that will last forever. Acts of the Apostles takes place in the earthly Jerusalem, Revelation takes place in the new and eternal Jerusalem. Acts of the Apostles describes the Church’s pilgrimage, with all of its difficulties and trials, Revelation reveals the Church having reached her destination—the reward for her faithful perseverance.

In Acts we read how the Apostles, having witnessed the Resurrection of Christ, and having been filled with the power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, go out into the streets of Jerusalem, the very town where Jesus was arrested and crucified, and preach his Resurrection.  “Jesus, whom you killed, has been raised, just as he promised” Peter preached on that first Pentecost Sunday. For their preaching of Jesus’ Gospel, the Apostles quickly gain the attention of the Sanhedrin and other Jewish leaders, the same men who conspired against Jesus, to put the Savior to death.

Today’s passage from Acts sees Peter and the gang, having been imprisoned and brought before the Jewish high court. The Sanhedrin demand that Peter and the Apostles immediately cease and desist preaching about Jesus.  Peter says, you don’t understand, this task has been given to us by God himself, and “we must obey God rather than man.” 

Here stands Peter before these corrupt Jewish leaders, knowing that they have the power to totally ruin his lie, even to have him put to death, as they did to Jesus.  Peter had already been arrested and thrown into jail, and he knew there could be dire consequences for resisting their threats. No doubt, Peter would have thought about the scene from our Gospel today. Sitting before the Risen Lord on the seashore. Do you love me Peter? Feed my lambs, tend my sheep, preach the Gospel, build my Church. You will go where I have gone, you will do what I have done.

Peter then looks int Sanhedrin in the eye: and says, “Jesus, who you crucified, has been risen.” But after courageously proclaiming Christ, Peter and the Apostles, “left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.” Bleeding and wounded after having been whipped and humiliated, they left rejoicing. Would you or I be rejoicing after that? We find it hard enough to put up with morning traffic! To rejoice in suffering for the sake of Christ is a sign of Christian maturity.

When I was thinking of a modern day example of this form of mature Christian faith, I thought of the parents of Pope Benedict XVI.  Pope Benedict, Joseph Ratzinger, grew up in Germany as the National Socialist party was coming to power.  Joseph Ratzinger, Sr. the Pope’s father was a police officer in Bavaria.  The Ratzinger family experienced great hardships because they would not support the Nazis.  The pope's brother Georg said: "Our father was a bitter enemy of Nazism because he believed it was in conflict with our faith." The family knew first-hand how dangerous the Nazi philosophy was. In the late 1930s, the Nazis had implemented a euthanasia program for the handicapped. Pope Benedict had a cousin with Down’s Syndrome, and in 1941, the Pope’s cousin was taken by Nazi authorities for “therapy” as they called it.  Not long afterwards, the family received word that the cousin was dead, labeled as an “undesirable” by the Nazi party. Mr. Ratzinger spoke out publicly against the evils of Nazism, and for this, he faced demotions and the family had to move several times.

The example of Joseph Ratzinger’s parents, their willingness to suffer for the sake of the name, no doubt left a lasting imprint upon the young man, who would later become one of the greatest theologians of the last hundred years, not to mention, a good and holy Pope.

One of the goals of the Easter season is helping us to develop mature Christian faith. Where Immature faith flees from hardship, shirks demands for commitment, self-sacrifice, and selflessness and runs away from preaching the Gospel in fear, mature faith embraces hardship, accepts commitment, places the good of others before the good of the self, and preaches the truth with courage. Immature love seeks only the fulfillment of its selfish desires, mature Love, as St. Paul describes, is patient, kind, not jealous, not pompous, not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

In the second reading we are given a vision of heaven, the reward for those who are willing to suffer for the sake of the name.  On the throne of heaven is not some earthly king who never suffered a day in his life.  On the throne of heaven is a lamb who was brutally slain by his enemies.  And surrounding the lamb are those who suffer for him.  This is the fulfillment of Jesus promise in the beatitudes: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for my name, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

The Lord was very clear in his earthly ministry, that those who follow him faithfully will likely suffer on his account. We might suffer for reaching out to our fallen away family members, to speak to them of the importance of weekly Mass attendance.  We might suffer for standing up for the right to life, campaign to enact laws for the protection of the innocent unborn and the vulnerable.  We might suffer for refusing to engage in immoral business practices. We might suffer simply for holding fast to the moral teachings enunciated in the catechism.

Pope John Paul II calling to mind the teachings of the Second Vatican Council said, “The truth about ourselves and the world, revealed in the Gospel, is not always what the world wants to hear. Gospel truth often contradicts commonly accepted thinking, as we see so clearly today with regard to evils such as racism, contraception, abortion, and euthanasia - to name just a few.”

To proclaim Gospel truth, to teach Gospel truth, to live Gospel truth, this is the call of the mature Christian in 2019 and of every generation. This is a task that may bring persecution from the world, but faithfulness to the task, is to identify with the ever-faithful Son of God, Our Lord, and to receive the rewards he promised to the faithful.

Our own parish’s patron saint, Ignatius of Antioch, exemplified this truth. As bishop, Ignatius was arrested during the Roman persecution of Antioch. He was put in chains and marched to his martyrdom in Rome where he would be thrown to the wild beasts. En route to martyrdom he wrote to several congregations of Christians including those in Rome. In his letter to the Romans we find the same sentiment as Peter and the Apostles in the first reading. Ignatius writes, “I look forward with joy to the wild animals held in readiness for me… I am God’s wheat, and I am ground by the wild beasts that I may be the pure bread of Christ… come fire and cross and grapplings with wild beasts, wrenching of bones, hacking of limbs, crushings of my whole body; only be it mine to attain Jesus Christ.”

To attain Jesus Christ. This is the point of our faith. This is the point of enduring suffering for the sake of his name, persevering in faith amidst worldly pressures and satanic temptations. To attain Jesus Christ and to be counted among his blessed ones. For the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Tuesday after Epiphany 2019 - Feeding the spiritually malnourished

This week we are between two feasts: the Epiphany of the Lord and the Baptism of the Lord.  At the Epiphany Jesus as revealed as a light to all nations.  At the Baptism of the Lord in the Jordan River, Jesus will be revealed as the Only-begotten son of the Father.  When he is baptized, the heavens open, the Holy Spirit descends upon him, and the voice of the Father says, “This is my beloved Son”.
These two feasts are linked in the mind of the Church by that theme of revelation—the revelation of Jesus’s true identity—his identity as Savior and Son and God.

This theme of revelation permeates the readings this week.  Yesterday we heard Matthew’s account of the beginning of Jesus’ preaching and teaching throughout Galilee.  The paralyzed, the possessed, the lame were brought to him for healing.  Jesus is revealed as the one who brings healing.

Today we proclaim one of Jesus’ most famous miracles: the multiplication of the loaves and fishes.  Jesus reveals God’s great love for us, that he desires to feed the hungry.  He is moved with pity by our hunger.  And he doesn’t just feed us from afar, but has entered into our world of hunger, he has become one of the hungry, but is also revealed as the one capable of feeding.  For if he can feed five thousand from five loaves and two fish, he has the power to feed all those who come to him, in abundance. 

Jesus calls us to similar concern for the hungry, both the physically and spiritually malnourished.  So many people have lost their appetite for the spiritual nourishment of God’s Word and Sacraments because they have so deeply indulged in the food of worldliness.  Our job, perhaps, is to help wean them off the world by instilling a hunger for the truth of Christ, by presenting the truth, good, and beauty that only comes from him.

Also, notice that the Lord performs this great miracle of the feeding of the multitude by taking the little that is possessed by the people and transforms it into food for the multitudes.  What is not brought to him is not transformed.  But what is brought to him is blessed and multiplied and shared.
The Lord has real concern for our hunger, real concern for those who continue to turn away from his banquet.  And he will use us, if we bring him our time, talent, and treasure, for the feeding of hungry souls, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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For a deeper devotion to the Eucharist among all Catholics, that our Eucharistic worship might inspire non-believers to seek and find the Lord.

For those spiritually malnourished souls who do not look to God to satisfy the longing in their hearts.
That our Catholic schools and PSR programs may be places where the Lord Jesus is sought out and discovered, where faith is instilled and charity is inspired.

For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life, that many young people may respond generously to the Lord’s call to ordained and consecrated service.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, immigrants and refugees, 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 all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. 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

34th Week in OT 2018 - Thursday - Fallen, fallen is Babylon the Great

“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great. She has become a haunt for demons For John’s original audience there would have been no doubt that Babylon—the harlot city in his apocalyptic vision—was Rome, “the great city which has dominion over the kings of the earth.”

We have to remember that St. John is not talking about the Rome of Saint Peter’s Basilica or the Roman Catholic Church, as some Protestants claim, but the Rome where Saint Peter was put to death, the Rome which led a persecution of God’s faithful ones. Rome is also symbolic of every earthly dominion or earthly leader, value, or attitude, which puts itself in opposition to the kingdom of Christ.

Not everything about ancient Rome was bad, just like not everything in our own secular culture is bad.  You can hear John’s admiration for what could have been: Rome’s art, her rule of law, her music.  But Rome had fallen into decadence, perversion and vice, violence and error and seemed closed to the true Faith of Christ.

Rome, saw itself as the mother of a new culture, and seeing her values and mores spread throughout the known world, was called the “Eternal City”. Revelation, depicts Rome, in a much different way. Not as a mother filled with faith, hope, and love, but as a prostitute, filled with error, demons, and uncleanliness. Not as an Eternal City, but a city destined for destruction because of its hostility toward God.

Rome was called Babylon in reference to the tower of Babel from the book of Genesis, whose builders sought to build it as a tower whose top may reach unto heaven; and by doing so sought to make a name for themselves, to have their fame spread throughout the earth.  So, Babylon is a fitting nickname for any culture which set itself at odds with God’s plans for humanity! In the Gospel, Jesus even says Jerusalem will be destroyed for its opposition.

On this side of eternity, there will always be a Babylon trying to make a name for itself, setting itself at odds with God’s plan, spreading its vile morality.  As the liturgical year comes to a close, here is another reminder for Christians to be in the world, but not of the world.  The values of the modern day Babylon must not be adopted by Christians, lest they share in her destiny.

Today is the first day of the Immaculate Conception Novena. I encourage you to pray this Novena, for what better model of keeping oneself free from the stains of the world, than the Immaculate Virgin whose faith and humble submission to the Divine Will is a model for all Christians. Like her, may we be found worthy members of the heavenly city, this day, and forever, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/112918.cfm

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For Pope Francis, Bishop Perez, and all ordained ministers, that their ministry may be effective in leading the Church in Christian faith, hope, and charity.

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 will turn away from the evils of our culture to spread the good news of Christ’s eternal kingdom.

For all whose lives are marked by suffering, may they come to know the healing and peace of Christ.

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.