7th Week of Ordinary Time 2025 - Tuesday - Childlike humility and embrace of trials

 

Today we read the familiar Gospel passage of the disciples arguing about who will be the greatest in Jesus’ kingdom, but it is clear that their idea of greatness is far from God’s. True greatness in God’s eyes isn’t about attaining a seat of power, status or privilege. Rather, true greatness involves becoming like a little child before God—true power involves becoming a servant to every one. "If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all."

 Why does Jesus redirect the attention of the disciples to the posture of a child?

 A child does not approach the world with calculated strategies to rise above everyone else; instead, children living trustingly secure in the care of those who love them. By inviting us to become like children, Jesus teaches us that His kingdom values humility, tenderness, and simplicity of heart.

 Moreover, Jesus spells out that the path to true greatness is marked by service, not by accolades. Being “first” in His kingdom means pouring ourselves out for others—looking for ways to uplift, comfort, and accompany those in need.

 In the first reading from Sirach, God’s Word also makes it clear that we will need to embrace hardships to become the people God made us to be. We will have to practice patience, conflicts, hardships, and personal sufferings. “Prepare yourself for trials…in fire gold is tested,”

 Together the readings speak of a purification that is needed. We are to purify ourselves from the un-childlike behavior—the power grabbing, the attempts to live independently from God. And we are to embrace the purification the Lord sends us through our trials. True Christian greatness grows from a heart purified by adversity and shaped by a servant’s love. When we let go of self-centered ambition, fear of suffering for the sake of goodness, but truly trust the Lord in them, and seek to become “the servant of all,” we become truly great in God’s sight for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - -  

With humble hearts, we turn to our loving Father, and we present our needs for the Church and the world.

For the Church: That all her members may seek to leading lives marked by humility and service rather than worldly ambition.

For leaders in society and government: That they may put aside selfish interests and seek the good of the most vulnerable, serving their communities with honesty and compassion

For those who face trials and hardships: That, like gold refined in fire, they may grow in faith and hope through their struggles, trusting that God is with them and working for their good. And for Holy Father Pope Francis in this time of serious illness.

For our parish community: That we may actively seek ways to serve, uplift, and comfort those in need, especially the lonely, the sick, and the marginalized

For our deceased loved ones and all the souls in purgatory: That they may be welcomed by the Lord and share in the fullness of His Kingdom, especially N.

Heavenly Father, hear these prayers and answer them in your mercy, for we make them through Christ our Lord.

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2025 - Put into the deep waters

 

When the new millennium began, Pope John Paul II wrote a letter to the Church and used the words of Jesus to Peter from today’s Gospel as its title.  In latin, they are “duc in altum”—“put out into the deep”.  

You might imagine Peter’s confusion or perhaps rolling his eyes and muttering under his breath, when Jesus, a carpenter, spoke those words to him, telling Peter, a professional fisherman,  how to do his job.  Peter and his crew had just fished all night and had just finished cleaning all of their equipment when Jesus instructed Peter to cast his net into deep waters.  

Even though it contradicted his professional sensibilities, trusting his master, Peter cast out into the depths of Lake Gennesaret, and catching so many fish, they had to call for another boat to bring them all in.  

In his uncertainty, he placed his deep trust in the Lord, and that made all the difference.  Pope John Paul II, aware of the many challenges the Church faced at the turn of the millennium, failing economies, impending wars, a culture becoming bent on instant gratification and materialism, he called upon Christians just like the Lord did to Peter, to cast out into the deep.  

If we are going to remain faithful amidst all of these worldly pressures, temptations and challenges, we must seek to be ever more deeply converted to Christ, to love him ever more deeply, to drink deeply of the Holy Spirit.

He had offered the same message when in Saint Peter’s square in 1978 in the opening address of his pontificate, he said, “Do not be afraid to Open wide the doors of your heart for Christ.”  Cast out into the deep, open wide the doors. 

Saint John Paul knew the importance of the Christian having the courage to enter the deep waters of prayer and service. 

He wrote how Christians must seek to meet Christ in prayer not only in imploring his help when things aren’t going our way, but also in thanksgiving, praise, adoration, contemplation, listening and ardent devotion “until the heart truly 'falls in love'".  Prayer is a deep ocean, and most of us only like to get our feet wet. 

But we are called to plunge into the deep, where we don’t just speak to God, but we hear him and experience Him calling us by name. In those deep waters of prayer, we experience healing, emboldening, guidance, challenge, and union with Christ.

If we are only praying when we want something, if we only treat God like he’s Santa Clause, then we will never really fall in love with Jesus.  Rather, the Holy Father calls us to a deeper prayer life: time set aside every day for adoration and contemplation and listening.

In another sense, those words, “put out into the deep” is a call to every Christian, no matter what their state in life, to take up the missionary mandate of the Church. We are to put out into the depths, into the unknown, to bring in the catch of fish. 

What are the deep waters for us?  For many of us, no doubt, it is into the lives of family members who have left the practice of the church and to our neighbors.

And these places, it might seem foolish to our sensibilities, like Peter, the expert fisherman, being directed to cast into waters he had already fished. To those whom we have declined our invitation Church months or years ago, we do well to try again periodically. After all, you’ve been praying for them, no? God has been working in their lives, right? Maybe they weren’t ready in the past, but they might be ready, now! Your inclination might be to dismiss them, but the Lord hasn’t stopped working to open them to the way, the truth, and the life.

This week, prayerfully consider, “what are the deep waters that you are calling me to fish, Lord? Who are those fish swimming deep down in the depths, that I am being called by God  to try to reach?”

In the first reading, we heard of the call of Isaiah. The Lord certainly had a job for that would have been contrary to his sensibilities: to preach to his own people that their sins were so great that there would be consequences if they did not return to God with all their heart. But he said, “Here I am Lord, send me!”

 Recall, too,  that it was after the hot coal had been touched to his lips that Isaiah was prepared to be sent by God to preach. God said to him, “See, now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.” 

God wants to touch the hot coal of his mercy to our lips as well. Being vigilant and serious about removing sin from our lives makes us, like Isaiah, more effective in going to the places God wants to send us and speaking the words God wants us to speak. If it’s been a few months or more since the hot coal of the confessional has touched your lips…it’s time! Make a good, thorough examination of conscience and a good confession. The diocesan-wide evening of confessions returns this year on Wednesday March 19th. Most parishes in the diocese, including ours, will welcome the faithful from 5-8 pm. 

The call to cast into the deep is the call to trust the Lord. Trust the Lord. He knows better than you. He knows you better than you know yourself. He knows what you are capable of with his help. No one who truly trusted the Lord was ever disappointed. Let him forgive your sins and let him send you.

The same Jesus who called Peter to the depths is calling you—calling you to deeper prayer, deeper surrender, deeper mission. You may feel unworthy, as Isaiah did. You may feel unequipped, as Peter did. You may feel like you have tried and failed before. But the Lord is not asking for your perfection—He is asking for your faith. He is asking you to trust Him enough to go where He sends you, to try again, to open your heart fully to Him. The Lord does not abandon those who trust in Him. And He will not abandon you. Put out into the deep, open wide the doors of your heart, and you will see the power of God at work in your life, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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.

- - - - -  

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.

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time 2024 - Jesus, I trust in You.

 

Every year on the Sunday after easter we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. You have likely seen the Divine Mercy image. It is a picture of Jesus dressed in a white garment, with rays of red and pale light emanating from his heart.

The Divine Mercy image of Jesus comes from a vision of St. Faustina, the polish nun who received a series of visions of Our Lord in the 1930s. According to her diary, Jesus instructed her to have an image painted, promising that “souls who venerate this image will not perish.”

St. Faustina initially struggled to find an artist capable of capturing her vision. Eventually, a painter named Eugene Kazimierowski from Lithuania, completed the Divine Mercy image under her guidance in 1934. She expressed disappointment initially, feeling that no earthly image could truly convey the beauty of her vision, but Jesus reassured her that great graces would plow from the image and its message of mercy.

Additionally, Jesus instructed St. Faustina to inscribe the words “Jesus, I trust in You” at the bottom of the painting. “Jesus, I trust in You” This phrase captures the central message of the Divine Mercy devotion: that, despite human frailty and sinfulness, we are invited to place our complete trust in Christ’s boundless mercy. “Jesus, I trust in you”

I bring up the Divine Mercy image and its message of trust because “trust” is a common theme in our readings this weekend.

In the first reading, we have the story of the widow of Zarephath, who is visited by the prophet Elijah. She and her son are basically starving to death when Elijah directs her to cook him some bread. This would have made her already desperate situation even worse, but Elijah asks her to trust him, “do not be afraid” he says. And due to her trust, there was a miracle, “she and her son were able to eat for a year, the jar of flour did not go empty nor the jug of oil run dry”

In the Gospel, we have another story of trust. Another widow of Jesus’ day, moved by her devotion to God, trusted that God would provide for her, and gives to the Temple collection not from her surplus wealth, but from her livelihood. The widow’s example of trust is enshrined in the holy scriptures and serves as a reminder of the sort of trust all of us are to cultivate. Trust God with our time, trust God in our generosity, trust God in our devotion to Him.

Trust. Trust is difficult for a lot of us. Not just with God but with others. Why is it so difficult to trust? Trust becomes difficult because of past betrayals. When someone we trust—a sibling, a parent, a friend breaks our trust, that betrayal leaves a lasting wound. 

Past betrayals make trust feel risky. No one likes to trust someone only to be made a fool. No one likes to trust someone and have them swindle you or break a promise or breach a confidence. Trusting authority figures can be especially difficult. Teachers, religious leaders, bosses, these people exercise power, and untrustworthy authorities are terribly dangerous. 

But trust is important. Without trust, or giving people the opportunity to earn our trust, we cannot form healthy bonds, healthy friendships, healthy romantic relationships. One of the reasons the marriage rate among young people is significantly low is due to difficulties in trust.

But trust is so important for healthy relationships. Trust allows us to be ourselves around others, to share our true selves, to seek comfort in the company of safety. Trust is also an important principle economically, socially, politically, in the workplace, and in families. Growing in maturity is about becoming more trustworthy. And being trustworthy makes us better neighbors, better workers, better spouses. 

Now of course, trust has its limits. Scripture says, “put not your trust in princes.” A healthy mistrust of our government representatives helps us to keep our government accountable. We aren’t called to put absolute blind trust in any human or any human institution.

But Jesus Christ is not merely human, and the Church is not a merely human institution. Jesus is God, and the Magisterium—the teaching authority of the Church—authoritatively teaches in His name.

We can and should put our absolute trust in Jesus Christ—in God. For God always wills and does what is best for us. In God there is no deception, no pettiness, no betrayal, no lack of knowledge that causes him to make mistakes, no fickleness, or self-doubt. In God, there is only perfect and unconditional love that wills and does the absolute best for every human being ever made. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and resurrection is the ultimate proof of God’s trustworthiness. Jesus demonstrated His absolute commitment to humanity’s salvation, when he embraced the suffering of the Cross—taking upon himself the sins of the world. We trust in his promises because he bore our sufferings and rose victorious. Had he not rose, our faith would be in vain. But he did, as he said he would.

And so we put our trust in God because it is the most logical thing we could possibly do. And if we cannot trust God, we will never have a healthy trust of anybody. Because if you can’t trust the most benevolent being in existence, you won’t be able have healthy trust in less benevolent beings, like your fellow man. 

But when we have trust, and again, our scripture readings point to this, miracles occur. When we trust God, the hungry our fed, charity flows, the gospel is spread, the mustard seed grows to encompass the world. 

For those of us with a weakened ability to trust, trusting God is an ongoing process that requires real effort. Growing to trust God—and healing our mistrust of God—requires regular prayer from the depths of our wounded hearts, meditation on God’s promises and reflection on the words of sacred scripture. It means seeking to trust God as Jesus trusts His Father, and the Saints trust Jesus.  Trust grows when we let go of the need to control everything and allow God to work in His timing and way—surrendering every moment to God “not my will, but thy will be done” in my life, in all things, in the life of my family, my nation, and my Church, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2024 - Wisely trusting God

On October 11, the Church celebrates the feast day of Pope Saint John XXIII. Some of our elder parishioners may even remember Good Pope John, as he was Roman Pontiff from October 1958 until his death in June 1963.

He was known during his pontificate as “good Pope John” by the Italian people who adored him for his affection sense of humor, and sanctity. At his funeral, the phrase “Santo Subito” was chanted…”sainthood now”. When Pope Francis canonized John XXIII 10 years ago already, he referred to Pope John as a “model of sanctity.”  

Again, his sense of humor was renowned, and a number of Pope John’s quips and jokes are still told today.

In reply to a reporter who asked, "How many people work in the Vatican?", he reportedly said: "About half of them."

When a cardinal complained that a rise in Vatican salaries meant a particular usher earned as much as the cardinal, the pope remarked: "That usher has 10 children; I hope the cardinal doesn't."

Not long after he was elected pope, the rather portly Pope St. John was walking through the streets of Rome. A woman passed him and said to her friend, "My God, he's so fat!" Overhearing what she said, he turned around and replied, "Madame, I trust you understand that the papal conclave is not exactly a beauty contest."

The saint was also known for his practical wisdom. When asked how he slept at night, with all the problems facing the Church, and with all of his responsibilities he said that instead of worrying all night long, he simply prays, “It’s your Church, God. I’m going to bed! It’s in your hands now”

And there is an important lesson for us there. As Christians, we are called to do our part in spreading the Gospel, defending the vulnerable, righting injustice, being peacemakers, accompanying those with little faith or no faith, so that they might find their way to Jesus. But it’s okay to get a good night’s rest, to put the troubles of the world, and the troubles of our families, and all those things that are beyond our control, into God’s hands. 

While we must have deep trust in God, we must also do our part. In the Gospel, the rich young man approaches Jesus and says, what must I do? It is clear that we must follow the commandments of God. But what else? The Lord is clear that we must follow the Lord wherever he beckons us. For the rich young man, that meant leaving behind his wealth, and following the Lord in service and charity. The Lord Jesus was inviting the rich young man to trust him, leaving his earthly cares aside to cultivate greater holiness. 

And, the rich young man was unwilling to that, and St. Mark’s Gospel tells us that because he was unwilling to trust Jesus, the rich young man went away sad. Sadness comes when we fail to respond to those invitations the Lord gives us to follow Him for closely, especially in the way of generosity and self-giving.

I love the juxtaposition between Pope John’s practical wisdom of entrusting the needs and problems of the Church to God, one on hand, and the Lord’s invitation to do everything you can to grow in holiness on the other.

Do you sense the tension there? On one hand, entrust everything to God, and make sure you get the sleep and rest to remain healthy and in good spirits. And on the other hand, do everything you can to serve the Gospel. Trust and pray as if everything depended on God, and act, as if everything depended on you.

I think that’s tough for a lot of people, because it requires mature faith and personal responsibility. You and I have the responsibility of discerning, using our God given reason, to personally investigate what can I do, honestly. If I were to really move beyond my comfort zone and trust God, what could I do for the parish, for the poor, for the good of my fellow man, what could I do for the spread of the Gospel.

Why is it so hard? Well, many of us get swept up into our habits and routines, don’t we? So much so  that the thought of doing something different, doing something challenging or uncomfortable doesn’t occur to us. We push those possibilities out of our minds very quickly because we like things easy and predictable.  

But that is a real reason, that, like the rich young man in the Gospel, we are sadder than we need to be. We are sad because we do not trust the Lord as much as we could. The joy that we observe in the saints eludes us, because, of our fear to make the leap of faith to follow the Lord into the unknown, into the uncomfortable, and in the way of the Cross.

In the first reading, we hear the prayer of this devout soul who deemed riches as nothing in comparison with the Divine. Priceless gems, gold, are as sand, compared to the joy and goodness that God offers us and wants for us from following Christ more closely. 

This week, consider what would I do for the Lord if I was fearless. What would I do for the Lord if I didn’t care about my material possessions. 

The Lord is likely not calling any of us to the radical poverty of saint francis of assisi, but he is calling all of us to be a little less concerned about our worldly possessions and our comforts and more concerned about storing up treasure in heaven. 

On top of that, we should consider what, we like Pope St John, should leave to the Lord. What can I do, and what do I need to entrust more fully to the Lord. For therein lies greater peace and joy for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

25th Week in Ordinary Time 2024 - Wednesday - Humbling seeking what we truly need

 There is a common theme in our readings today. It was subtle in the Old Testament reading, and only slightly more explicit in the Gospel. It involves trust, trusting in God.

In the reading from Proverbs, this humble soul makes a heartfelt prayer to God requesting only the things he believes are essential for living a righteous and fulfilling life: “Put falsehood and lying far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches; provide me only with the food I need, lest, being full, I deny you.” Notice the two things he asks for.

The first request is for personal integrity. The speaker asks God to keep dishonesty and deceit away from him. This reflects a desire to live truthfully, both in words and actions, avoiding the moral corruption that comes with lying. 

Dishonesty erodes our integrity. Lying often involves shifting blame or avoiding accountability, which prevents learning from mistakes. It leads to isolation—becomes no one trusts a liar. Falsehood brings separation from God—who is Truth itself. Small lies can lead to larger deceptions, gradually desensitizing individuals to wrongdoing. Once lying is rationalized, it becomes easier and easier to justify larger sins. This humble request to be kept from falsehood is fundamental to living a blessed life. 

The second request is about material wealth. The prayer asks for a balanced provision—neither extreme wealth nor extreme poverty. Each of those extremes come with their own sets of temptations and challenges. Rather, the prayer asks for just enough for sustenance. This is akin to asking God for our “daily bread” as Jesus taught his disciples in the Lord’s prayer.  

Both requests—the request for integrity and for daily bread—entail a trust that the Lord will provide what he needs.

In the Gospel, Jesus sends out the twelve with just enough for their mission. And notice, he sends them out to preach and cure and cast out demons, without any form of material support: without food, without money, or even a change of clothes.  But he did equip them spiritually for their mission. Having spent powerful, life changing time with Jesus—hearing his teaching, witnessing his divine authority in the miracles he performed, he equipped them with Faith and the Word of God. 

Similarly, in pursuing our vocation to holiness and our share in the mission of the Church —in living a blessed life on earth that leads to beatitude in heaven—we do well to seek only what we truly need: the grace of living honest humble lives, the grace to trust that the Lord equips us sufficiently for the task before us. 

May we entrust our needs to the Lord today—for all that we truly require for holiness and for heaven, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - -  

That all members of the Church may strive for personal integrity and holiness, living truthfully in word and deed.

That those in positions of authority may govern with honesty and justice, rejecting deceit, corruption, and working always for the common good.

That those experiencing poverty or abundance may avoid the temptations associated with their circumstances, and that we may seek only what we truly need, trusting that the Lord equips us sufficiently for our mission and supporting one another in faith.

That those who are burdened by illness or hardship may find comfort in God's provision and the support of the faithful community.

That the departed may be received into God's eternal embrace, especially…

Heavenly Father, we entrust our needs to You, confident in Your loving providence. Hear our petitions and grant us what we truly need. Through Christ our Lord.

August 9 2024 - St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross - Persecuted for the sake of righteousness

 On Wednesday, we celebrated a group of martyrs who underwent the sword as a result of state-sponsored persecution of Christians in the year 258. Pope Sixtus and his companions were beheaded as a result of the Emperor Valerian decreeing that bishops, priests, and deacons were to be put to death.

Today’s saint was martyred, too, as a result of state-sponsored persecution nearly 1800 years later, in our own modern day. The year was 1942, Adolf Hitler was the Fuhrer of Germany and the Nazi party.

Though the Jews were the principal victims of the Nazi’s in World War II, millions of Catholics, including bishops, priests, and nuns were murdered in the concentration camps.  In 1942, the Nazi’s arrested Sister Teresa Benedicta out of the Carmelite Convent.  She and her sister Rosa, who had converted from Judaism to Catholicism along with her sister, were transported to Auschwitz in Poland by boxcar.  One week later, Sister was murdered in a gas chamber. 

The Nazis' long-term plan was to de-Christianize Germany after final victory in the war. Their ideology could not accept an autonomous establishment, whose legitimacy did not spring from the government, and they desired the subordination of the church to the state. The Nazi’s certainly could not tolerate the Church’s criticism and denouncement of the Nazi’s genocidal methods. 

We know what the world can do when left to its own devices. It seeks to silence and abolish the Word of God. It burns down churches, beheads popes, rips holy nuns out of their convents and sends them to the gas chamber. It gaslights, imprisons, tortures, and murders its critics. 

And the Lord places us in hostile enemy-controlled territory in order to witness to the truth of the Gospel, to cultivate sanctity by imitating the crucified Christ in our lives, so to become instruments in which our good God draws souls to himself. 

Catholics of course must be a bulwark against evil, confronting tyranny, working against the tide of religious persecution, defending the weak. We mustn’t lose hope when we see great evils arise in the world. Evils will ebb and flow until the Lord’s return.

Rather, we must trust that God has chosen us to live now, to stand courageously against evil, to cultivate substantial pulpable sanctity, and witness to the truth of the Gospel even as we are dragged from our homes. For Christ is victorious and promises eternal blessedness to those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness; for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - - -  

For the Church, that she may remain steadfast in faith and courage in the face of persecution. 

For world leaders, that they may recognize the dignity of every human life and work to end all forms of hatred. 

For those suffering religious persecution today, or who feel hopeless in the face of evil in the world, that they may find strength in the witness of martyrs, and for the conversion of those who persecute others, that they may turn away from hatred and embrace the love of Christ. 

For our parish community, that we may cultivate sanctity in our daily lives and be effective witnesses to the Gospel in our words and actions. 

That the love of Christ, the divine physician, may bring healing to the sick and comfort to all the suffering and for those who continue to experience the effects of this weeks tornados here in Northeast Ohio.

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.

Merciful Father, we bring these prayers before You on this memorial of Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. Through her intercession, strengthen our faith and grant us the courage to stand firm in Your truth, even in the face of persecution and adversity. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

13th Week in Ordinary Time 2024 - Tuesday - Trusting Christ in the Storm

Yesterday we started reading from the book of the prophet Amos.

Amos was not a professional prophet but a shepherd and fig farmer from Judah. He was called by God to prophesy during a time of relative prosperity for both the Northern and Southern kingdoms. It was a time of economic growth and military success, but a time of rampant social injustice and religious corruption. The rich became richer while the poor were often exploited, and the north, especially, was incorporating idolatrous elements of the pagan Canaanite religion into their religious worship.

Despite being from the Southern Kingdom of Judah, Amos primarily prophesied in the Northern Kingdom, warning the people to prepare for God’s judgement, boldly indicting kings, priests, and leaders for their failure to lead the people in the ways of God.

In today’s passage, Amos asks a series of powerful rhetorical questions to help the people understand the reason they have brought themselves under God’s judgment. Does a lion roar unless there is prey? Is a bird not brought to earth unless it is snared? So too does a city experience evil unless it has turned away from God?

Amos is pointing out a very simple cause and effect relationship between our actions and the evils we bring upon ourselves. Even though there is prosperity for a time, when a city turns away from God, there will be consequences. And Amos’ message is timeless. That cause and effect relationship is at play in every city and nation and household and parish. There may be prosperity for a time, but when family members, parishioners, citizens, priests, bishops, and civic leaders turn away from God, there will be blood, there will be hell to pay.

The good news, the message from the Gospel, is that those who trust in Christ, who are in the boat with Christ and live in close friendship with him, and trust in him, have nothing to worry about. O sure, the world will crumble, the storm will wreak havoc, but the disciples of Christ will survive the storm with their souls in tact. 

Many literally sell their souls for earthly gain, for earthly prosperity, and they, who have sown the wind, shall reap the whirlwind. But those who live with Christ as Lord, who eat his flesh and drink his blood, and follow his teachings, and seek union with him through prayer, shall withstand the storm, and bear fruit that will last unto eternity.

So don’t be afraid when you see the world going to hell. It’s often a result of evils and forces beyond your control. What you can control, is whether or not you put your trust in Christ. Trust in Him and you will experience peace in the midst of the greatest storms, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - - -  

For the Church, that we may be bold witnesses like Amos, speaking truth to power and calling all people to authentic faith and justice. Let us pray to the Lord.

For our civic and religious leaders, that they may govern with wisdom and integrity, prioritizing the common good over personal gain. Let us pray to the Lord.

For those suffering from economic exploitation and social injustice, that they may find advocates and assistance in their time of need. Let us pray to the Lord.

For our community, that we may resist the pagan influences of the world, and instead cultivate a deep and sincere relationship with God. Let us pray to the Lord.

For all who are experiencing storms in their lives, that they may find peace and strength in Christ, the master of wind and sea. Let us pray to the Lord.

For our parish, that we may be a beacon of hope and a place of refuge for those seeking God amidst the chaos of the world. Let us pray to the Lord.

For those who have lost hope in the face of societal decay, that they may be reminded of God's enduring presence and love. Let us pray to the Lord.

For the grace to bear fruit that will last unto eternity, living as faithful disciples of Christ in all aspects of our lives. Let us pray to the Lord.

For the sick, the impoverished, the lonely, those suffering from mental illness, those most in need, and those near death: may God, through the loving mercy of the Precious Blood of Jesus, be close to them in their trials.

And that all those redeemed by the Precious Blood of Jesus may come to the glory of heaven, especially X for whom this mass is offered.

Almighty and ever-living God, You spoke through Your prophet Amos in times of prosperity and corruption, and You calm the storms through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Grant us the wisdom and all we truly need to heed Your warnings and the courage to stand firm in our faith. Through Christ our Lord.

12th Week in Ordinary Time 2024 - Tuesday - Laying your troubles before God

During the reign of Hezekiah, King of Judah, in the late 8th century BCE, the Assyrian Empire, under King Sennacherib, was expanding aggressively. After subjugating various neighboring nations, Sennacherib turned his attention to Judah, laying siege to fortified cities and eventually threatening Jerusalem itself.

And what was Hezekiah’s response to this threat? Instead of cowering in fear or surrendering or engaging in a violent military solution, which probably wouldn’t have gone well anyway due to the size of the Assyrian army, King Hezekiah takes the matter to the Temple, spreads out the letter from Sennacherib, the Assyrian King, before God, and prays for deliverance. 

Hezekiah’s prayer acknowledges God’s sovereignty over all the kingdoms of the earth and God’s power over all the creations of man, contrasting the true God of Israel with the false gods of the nations destroyed by Assyria. God is not like the idols made by human hands. The living God who controls the fate of nations.

The prophet Isaiah then assured Hezekiah that God has heard his prayer and will save Jerusalem.

The climax of the story is the miraculous intervention by the angel of the LORD, who strikes down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers, leading to Sennacherib’s retreat to Nineveh where he is eventually murdered by his own sons. This dramatic turn of events serves as a powerful testament to the belief that God actively intervenes in human affairs to protect His people, especially when they show unwavering faith.

This story is an example of the power of prayer and the efficacy of turning to God in times of crisis. When we are facing an Assyrian army of our own, we must turn to God for guidance and trust in God’s providence. 

Hezekiah demonstrated humility by acknowledging his limitations and seeking divine help openly. Strength lies in honestly recognizing our vulnerabilities and being open to seeking help and counsel from others and the wisdom of the scriptures and saints.  

Hezekiah righteous leadership and commitment to his faith were key factors that led to divine favor and protection. So, too, our faith matters. Our prayer matters and brings similar divine favor and protection to our loved ones and the church. 

In the Gospel, the Lord speaks of two ways: one that leads to destruction and one that leads to life. Hezekiah shows us the way of life today: trusting in God, living righteously, praying with conviction and humility, heading the wisdom of the prophets. May we follow the example of such holy ones for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - - -  

For the Church, that we may always turn to God in times of crisis and demonstrate unwavering faith in His providence. Let us pray to the Lord.

For world leaders, that they may govern with righteousness and humility, seeking divine wisdom in their decision-making. Let us pray to the Lord.

For those facing overwhelming challenges, that they may find strength in prayer and trust in God's power to intervene in their lives. Let us pray to the Lord.

For our community, that we may resist the temptation of false idols and instead place our trust in the living God who controls the fate of nations. Let us pray to the Lord.

For all who feel threatened or besieged, that they may find courage in the example of King Hezekiah and seek God's protection. Let us pray to the Lord.

For each of us, that we may choose the path that leads to life by living righteously, praying with conviction, and trusting in God's guidance. Let us pray to the Lord.

For the grace to recognize our own limitations and vulnerabilities, and the wisdom to seek help from others and from the teachings of the saints. Let us pray to the Lord.

For all who have died, may they rejoice forever in the presence of the Lamb of God, especially X….

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

4th Week of Easter 2023 - Friday - Let not your hearts be troubled

 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled.” Jesus gave these words to us on the night before he died for us. He uttered these words knowing what would happen in the following few hours on Good Friday: his disciples would see him arrested, mocked, tortured, crucified, killed and buried.  “Don’t let your hearts be troubled” as you witness these things. 

So often our hearts are filled with all types of troubles and concerns. Anxieties about the future of our nation, about the future of our parish, or the Church. Uncertainties about future employment and financial stability. Concerns regarding our physical health. Apprehensions perhaps about a certain vocational path God is slowly revealing before us. Jesus knows that we are susceptible to this emotional and spiritual state.

This is not the only time Jesus speaks about our troubled hearts. On the road to Emmaus, the Lord asks the disciples why they were troubled and why they had allowed doubts to arise in their hearts. The Lord also diagnoses Martha’s anxious heart: Martha, Martha, you are anxious about many things, but only one things is necessary. 

Interestingly, in the Greek, the word for “troubled” is the same word St. John uses to describe the pool of Bethesda. It is also the word St. Luke uses in Acts to describe the Jews who were stirring up the crowds into antagonism toward St. Paul’s preaching in Thessolonica. 

Our hearts can become so stirred-up that we become irrational, overwhelmed, unable to discern the truth because of our agitation. And Jesus says, stop it. Stop working yourself into a tizzy whenever you experience hardships. Stop allowing your worldly cares to keep you from focusing on matters of faith. Stop allowing worldly people to stir you up into such a frenzy you lose sight over what matters. I think of the flurry of voices on the internet, speaking of matters of politics and the church, that stir people into a real unhealthy anxiety. 

So, the Lord diagnoses the sickness, but then provides the remedy. 

“Have faith in me” the Lord commands. Faith which is oriented toward eternity helps us see all of our earthly issues in perspective. 

Don’t let your hearts be troubled on Good Friday, for Easter Sunday will come. Don’t let your hearts be troubled when you are persecuted, for Blessed are those who are persecuted for my sake, for their reward will be great in heaven. Don’t let your hearts be troubled by the fact you will be mocked and misunderstood, when the powers of hell seem poised against you, don’t be afraid, I’m with you.

Faith enabled Paul and Barnabas in our first reading, to embrace the hardship of evangelization: the anxiety of unknown places & unknown peoples, physical dangers, mental exhaustion—all of it is worth it, because when our earthly labors and earthly sufferings are done for God, we will reap eternal reward.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled”. These words of the Lord Jesus are not a suggestion, but a command—for his disciples and for all of us.  We are to view all of our earthly sufferings through the eyes of faith, that this world is but a preparation for the next. We are to have untroubled hearts when we face our own serious illnesses, when we see loved ones pass away, when earthly minded-leaders persecute us, when enemies of the Gospel conspire against us, when we are called upon to spread the Gospel to unknown people in unknown lands for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - - - 

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.

3rd Week of Lent 2023 - Monday - Trust God, Be Washed, Accept Persecution

 

Naaman, the Syrian army commander, had the worst disease imaginable, leprosy.  So her fervently sought a cure, convincing his King to sacrifice an enormous amount of wealth for a cure.  He even traveled to Jerusalem, to Elisha the prophet of a God that he did not claim to be his own.  And Naaman felt that Elisha's remedy insulted his intelligence: wash seven times in the dirty Jordan river, when there were so many other rivers with cleaner water back home in Syria.  

But notice how God convinced Naaman to relent to this remedy. A group of humble servants convinced him: “If the prophet would have instructed you to do something HARD, would you have done it?”  “Of course,” said Naaman.  Then why won't you do what the prophet asked?”  We know the rest of the story, Naaman went, and washed, and his leprosy was cured.

What a quintessential Lenten scripture reading! God wants to heal us. We need to trust God that, yes, through ordinary practices like prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, God can bring healing to our leprous souls. We need to trust God. Trust the Church. Trust the Saints: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving work!

The story also contains a foreshadowing of the sacrament of Christian baptism—the easter waters. Ordinary waters are transformed into the saving waters in which people of every nation are called to trust God and be cleansed and saved. 

Naaman’s story also contains a foreshadowing of our Easter mission. We are called to be that group of humble servants that convince the doubtful to trust in the One True God and to be baptized. 

And yet, our Gospel contains another lesson. Yes, those waters bring cleansing. Yes, we are sent to all people to invite them to bathe in those waters. Will all people accept that invitation? No. In fact, in the same manner as the people of Nazareth were enraged by Jesus for speaking the truth to them, and drove him to the edge of the cliff to kill him, so they shall do the same with us.

When we say Lent prepares us for Easter, that also includes toughening us up to accept the persecution that comes from being faith to the Lord. Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving bring us purification, but also fortitude, for the work God has in store for us. May we use this time wisely, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - -  

For Holy Father, Pope Francis on the 10th anniversary of his pontificate, that the Holy Spirit may continue to guide and bless his pontificate, his leadership, and sustain him in his trials. 

That our Lenten prayer, fasting, and almsgiving may humble our earthly pride and bring about conversion and renewal within the Church.

For all those preparing to enter into Christ through the saving waters of Baptism and those preparing for full initiation this Easter, may these final Lenten weeks bring about purification from sin and enlightenment in the ways of holiness.

For souls in our neighborhood to accept the invitation to baptism and faith.

For those experiencing any kind of hardship or sorrow, isolation, addiction, or illness: may they experience the healing graces of Christ.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, for the repose of the soul of the poor 7 year old boy who was shot and killed on Cleveland’s west side this weekend, for the consolation of his family and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Grant, we pray, O Lord, that your people may turn to you with all their heart, so that whatever they dare to ask in fitting prayer they may receive by your mercy.

February 10 2023 - St. Scholastica - Trusting in God's plan

The first chapters of the book of Genesis reveal God’s magnificent plan for creation. In the first chapter, the days of creation follow the divine logic: the light, the earth, the heavens, dry land, sea, vegetation, stars, the fish, the birds, the animals, and finally mankind.

In chapter two, we read of God’s plan for humanity. Humanity is to fulfil the purpose for which we were made: tending creation and obeying God—trusting God. 

Sadly, in chapter 3, we read of Adam and Eve stepping out of God’s plan, man’s rebellion. Instead of surrendering to God’s plan, trusting in God, obeying God’s commands, man and women choose to believe in a lie: that they can be happy without trusting God—that they can close their ears to the Word of God and still be able to hear correctly.

In the Gospel, the effects of Adam and Eve’s Original Sin are on display: a man deaf with a speech impediment. He cannot hear the words of his loved ones; he cannot communicate rightly as man was created to do.

But, in the Gospel, God’s plan of salvation is also on display. Through Jesus Christ the impediments to wholeness are healed, right relationship with God and neighbor is restored. 

Today, we honor St. Scholastica, twin sister of St. Benedict. We do not know much about her life, save that she was a consecrated virgin. The one story we do know comes from St. Gregory the Great, and illustrates the great trust in God that we are meant to cultivate.

Scholastica loved when her brother would visit her in the monastery and engage in the holy conversation of the saints. Well, on one occasion, the conversation ran long and Benedict announced he had to return to his monastery. 

Maybe she knew it would be their last such visit because she was coming to the end of her life, but Scholastica closed her eyes and began to pray. A torrential down pour of rain, thunder and lightning swept through making it impossible for Benedict to go home. ‘May God forgive you, sister. What have you done?’ ‘Well,’ she answered, ‘I asked you and you would not listen; so I asked my God and he did listen.”

Scholastica trusted that if God wanted to send the rains, He would. She surrendered to God’s Will and God deemed it good to send rain so that the holy twins could continue their holy conversation. Her love for God and her love for her brother when combined with holy trust wrought a miracle.

As we prayed in the collect today, “following Scholastica’s example, may we serve God with pure love and happily receive what comes from loving God” for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 - - - - 

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, care for her, deliver her from evil, and aid her in her mission.

Through the intercession of St. Scholastica, may all those whose lives and welfares are threatened by storms be delivered from all dangers.

For all who are oppressed by any kind of need, that the Lord may grant them relief and move Christians to come to the aid of the suffering.

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 Advent 2022 - A virgin shall conceive

 
We’ve come to the final Sunday of Advent. All four candles of the Advent wreath are lit; we are on the threshold of Christmas. We have been preparing our hearts through prayer, good works, music, decorations. Signs. Signs that God is close. Christmas is near.

In our first reading, King Ahaz was given a sign. A sign that God was near.

For King Ahaz was facing a dilemma: a dreadful one. On one hand, His enemies in northern Israel were attempting to coerce him to join them in a coalition—a collation against the Assyrian superpower. The assyrians were sweeping through the region, conquering everyone with whom they came in contact. And so King the Arameans and the King of Northern Israel thought they’d band together and get Ahaz to join them.

On the other hand, Ahaz has a bit of political cunning. He knows, there’s no way this coalition is going to stand against the Assyrian superpower. So he he’s being tempted to bow down and worship the gods of the Assyrians. 

What is he to do? He’s facing this Giant—Assyria. Reminding us of his great great great grandfather David, who also faced a Giant—named Goliath. Well, the God sends his prophet, Isaiah, to the king. And Isaiah tells Ahaz to have faith in God, like David facing Goliath. God is your protector. And Isaiah, knowing that, Ahaz’s faith is sort of weak at moment says, you want to know God is with you, ask for a sign, any sign, as high as the heavens and deep as the netherworld, a sign that will show you that God is with you. And Ahaz, in a moment of false piety, says, oh no, I couldn’t possibly do that. 

And Isaiah says, fine, God will give you this sign, a sign that you couldn’t come up with on your own:  “The virgin will conceive and bear a son and she shall call him Emmanuel.

It is impossible to say exactly what the fulfillment of this prophecy meant to King Ahaz. Who was the virgin in his day whose child was to signal that God was with him and his people? We do not know who she was. And sadly, chose not to believe. 

Ahaz trusted not in the power of God, but in the power of man. He entered into a protection treaty with Assyria, which on the one hand guaranteed him security and saved his country from destruction, but on the other hand demanded a price: the worship of the protecting power’s national gods. Idolatry. And after Ahaz had concluded the treaty with Assyria, despite Isaiah’s warnings, an altar was built for the worship of the Assyrian gods in the very Temple of Jerusalem. This violated the covenant with God. And it wouldn’t be long before Jerusalem was conquered by Babylon a few decades later. 

The Church gives us this powerful passage—a virgin will conceive and bear a son. We like Ahaz are being urged by God to trust him. Will you heed the warnings of the prophets and turn away from sin. Will you heed the invitation of the prophet to trust in God and his promises? Will you stand firm in the face of worldly pressures or bow to earthly gods? 

Sadly we see swaths of people abandoning faith, when faith is needed now more than ever. We are seeing the political consequences of faithlessness play out in our very day. Pagan idols bring us neither protection nor joy. 

Ahaz chose not to believe. So God gave all of humanity the same choice as Ahaz. That the virgin of Ahaz’s day was neither named nor identified points to the fact that the promise reached far beyond the historical moment of King Ahaz. It was a promise that reached far beyond that hour, and continued to shine for Israel as a star of hope pointing to an unknown future.

But that star comes into view again centuries later, when the veil is finally lifted, and the virgin’s identity and the identity of her son are made known. The Virgin who conceives by the power of the Holy Spirit and gives birth to the Son of God—Emmanuel, as we heard in the Gospel today. 

And even though Jesus is not actually named Emmanuel, Jesus “IS Emmanuel, as the entire history of the Gospel demonstrates. He is true man and at the same time God, God’s true Son, with us.”

“The virginal conception of Jesus is a divine work that surpasses all human understanding and possibility.” This is precisely what Ahaz resisted. He was not open to mystery, he was not open to faith, or the divine work that surpasses understanding and possibility.

God invites all of humanity to trust in the sign. The sign of signs. Will you trust? Two weeks ago, I reflected on how If you were to pick up the bible, and turn to nearly any page of the holy book, God is inviting humanity to trust Him. Sometimes the bible gives us models of trust, and then sometimes we see the consequences of what happens when we don’t trust God.

Adam and Eve are told to trust God. He would feed them, he would take care of them. Don’t eat of the forbidden tree, just trust me. And we know how that worked out. 

Abraham, is called our father in faith, He trusted God to leave his homeland and follow the path that God was showing to Him. Proverbs says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” Isaiah speaks of his own trust in God when he says in chapter 28: “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” Jeremiah, the grumpier prophet says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord.”

The Lord Jesus in the Gospels teach us to trust when he says: “do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”

Over and over, the injunction to trust God, to trust in his promises, and over and over in Scripture illustrations of the blessings that come in trusting in God, the tragic consequences when we don’t. 

King Ahaz failed to trust in God. And that had tragic consequences for the nation which he ruled. Even though Isaiah pointed out signs that God was with him, he chose not to trust. And, it’s easy to condemn Ahaz, but this is a sin of which we’re all guilty. 

Catechism 397 explains the first sin and every sin, as a failure to trust God. It says, “Man, tempted by the devil, let his trust in his Creator die in his heart and, abusing his freedom, disobeyed God's command. This is what man's first sin consisted of. All subsequent sin would be disobedience toward God and lack of trust in his goodness.”

And so Advent is needed. We need Advent to help us renew our trust in the promises of God and to resist the inroads the enemy has made in our lives and to repent of our failures to trust.

But then consider, that the sign of the Virgin conceiving and giving birth becomes the very model of trust for us. The Virgin is the perfect example of the "obedience of faith" mentioned by Paul in the second reading.

Lumen Gentium says, “the Blessed Virgin stands out among the poor and humble of the Lord, who confidently hope for and receive salvation from Him.” Failure to trust was the origin of sin, but the exercise of trust became the origin of salvation. 

“To celebrate Advent means: to become Marian, said Pope Benedict XVI, “to enter into that communion with Mary’s ‘Yes,’ which, ever anew, is room for God’s birth, for the ‘fullness of time,’” In the final Advent days ahead, renew your trust that the Savior is indeed born of the virgin, point out his saving birth for all to see, for the glory of God and salvation of souls. 

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2022 - Trust and the Miraculous Catch

My guess is that everyone here has in some way experienced a little something of what Simon Peter experienced in today’s Gospel passage. To help digest this experience, I’d like to break down the passage into six stages which correspond to six stages of spiritual growth.

Firstly, there is frustration. We’ve all experienced frustrated when things don’t go our way. For Peter and his crew, their frustration was the result of a miserable night of hard work with nothing to show for it. These were expert life-long fisherman, and it’s almost unfathomable how unsuccessful they were.

There is frustration when we exert effort and have nothing to show for it. This is true for business, or our hobbies, or our relationships. And this is true in our work for God. We set the table and nobody shows up. 

But also, the self-centered life, the life centered on the false gods of the world, is frustrating, for it leaves us unhappy and empty.

But then, what happens in the Gospel. God barges into your life. Maybe in a sermon, or a book, or a powerful conversation with a friend, God shows up and asks you to trust Him. Try again, this time, trust in Me. You might imagine Peter’s confusion or annoyance, when Jesus, a carpenter, told him how to do his job. Peter and his crew had just fished all night and had just finished cleaning all of their equipment when Jesus instructed Peter to cast his net into deep waters.  

And so you have a choice, and it might not be an easy one. Not unlike Adam and Eve in the garden, the Devil often shows up and says, “don’t trust God, his expectations are unrealistic, the consequences for disobedience probably aren’t that bad.” Doubts and confusion sometimes arise whenever it’s time to trust God. Because there’s a lot of spiritual warfare around that choice. Devils conspire against us, an angels are fighting for us.

And this raises an important question: How do we know it’s God asking us to trust Him and not the devil or our own imagination? Well, God never asks anything that violates his commands or the teachings of the Church. Jesus’ command to cast into the deep waters to the fishermen was a strange one, he was asking something that would normally never do, but he wasn’t asking them to violate a commandment. 

So, yes, that little voice must be discerned. Is it coming from God or not? We certainly shouldn’t do anything that puts the welfare of our families in jeopardy—like selling your house in order to buy a bunch of lotto tickets. A good spiritual director, a fellow parishioner known for their prudence and wisdom, can help you discern. But once you discern that it is likely God asking you to trust Him, it is time for trust.

And that’s the third stage: the disciples make the choice to trust. Even though it slightly grated against their professional sensibilities, trusting his master, Peter and the crew cast out into the depths of Lake Gennesaret. 

Another question: Why should we Trust God? Why should we risk wasting our time doing something potentially foolish for God? Because God loves us, he would would never fool us. Unlike the enemy, he would never deceive us. He has our best interests in mind. 

Many young men considering the seminary are given this choice. To the world, even their families, entering seminary, even just for a year, is a ridiculous choice. Spend an entire year, with limited communication with family and friends, to discern something that you might not end up doing? Spend a year learning to pray instead of learning a trade?  

But then something happens, and this is the fourth stage, the result of trusting in God is a miraculous catch of fish. The time in discernment, the choice to trust wasn’t wasted, for God doesn’t waste our time. It’s we that waste our time, when we only follow our own fluctuating and fleeting emotions and impulses.

I’ve never met a young man, who entered seminary even for a year, and regretted it. When you trust generously, “God will not be outdone in generosity” said Mother Theresa. There is always, at least, growth in wisdom, knowledge that will be utilized later in life. But often, God exceeds our expectations. Over and over, people who volunteer their time, engaging in ministry, say that they were blessed beyond what they ever imagined. 

Notice, too, the miraculous catch wasn’t an individual effort, but a joint effort. It took the whole crew to bring in the large catch. God doesn’t just ask us to trust Him, but also others, enough to work together. Marriage is a joint effort. The mission of the parish is a joint effort. Maybe we’ve often been so frustrated because we’ve so often tried to do everything on our own, rather than as a family. But we can catch more fish together than we could on our own.

And then comes the fifth stage, after bringing in the miraculous catch, what happens? Peter falls to his knees. “Depart from me Lord, for I am sinful man”. More valuable than the miraculous catch is the recognition that you are in God’s presence. When God shows forth his generosity, we are humbled. I should have been trusting God all along, God have mercy on me. I’ve been so stupid to trust in my own will. My distrust has not brought me anything good, ever. If I had trusted just a little bit more, my life would have been so different.

And that’s the final stage: the encounter with divine grace changes you. Now that you have witnessed what God can do, the Lord says, “from now you will be catching, not fish, but men.” 

St. Paul speaks about this transformation in the second reading today, the whole reading is Paul explaining how God changed his life when he came to recognize Jesus crucified and risen. Paul, remember, as a zealous Jew, had been on a crusade to wipe out the believers of Jesus. “I am not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” But encountering grace, in choosing to believe, Paul was transformed, and made the greatest of apostles.

As a result of trusting God, encountering his grace, we are changed, not to become wealthy or successful in the eyes of the world, but to catch souls for Christ, to work for the spread of the Gospel. 

Not every Christian is called to be priest or nun or monk or miracle worker. But every Christian is called to be an evangelist, just as every Christian is called to be a saint. But the path to both vocations is identical. In the frustrations of life, we learn to trust God, and allow him to bring about a miraculous catch. And recognizing what he has done, we humbly kneel before him, and allowing that grace to transform us, He gives us what we need for the work he has planned for us.

Friends, every frustration is an opportunity to trust God. So much unhappiness and anxiety could be avoided if in our frustrations we placed our trust in Him sooner. So much boredom and sadness could be avoided, if we allowed his grace to help us realize our potential inworking for the spread of his kingdom, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

18th Week in Ordinary Time 2021 - Tuesday - Walking on Water

 

St. Peter is certainly given a unique role among the apostles. As prince of the apostles, he’s given the great task of being the rock upon which the Lord builds his Church. And yet, St. Peter is also quite a relatable character in the Gospels. We can relate to his fear during the Lord’s Passion. We can relate to his confusion on the mount of transfiguration, when he even appears to stick his foot in his mouth a bit. And we can relate to Peter in the Gospel today. Having been called upon by the Lord to walk upon the waters, having been invited to trust the Lord, Peter sinks.

Each of us can imagine ourselves in the boat with the apostles in the Gospel today. Being tossed about by storms, Jesus is nowhere to be found. And then the Lord appears. Notice, how in this Gospel, Jesus does not calm the storms, like he does in other passages. Sometimes, the storms continue to rage around us when we detect the Lord calling to us. He’s able to walk on water in the midst of the storm, of course, because, he’s God. But then he calls out to us, amidst our fears and anxieties to trust him and walk out onto the water with him.

Sometimes, we hear the Lord calling, but we are too afraid to get out of the boat. Too afraid to take up a new work for the Lord, a new ministry. We make excuses. My life is too chaotic. My storms are too great. We focus on what we lack, instead of trusting in God who makes the invitation.

Perhaps, we even have moments, where we, like St. Peter, begin to walk on water for a time. We make that initial leap of faith, but then, also like Peter, we allow the fears and anxieties and opinions of our culture replace that trust, and we begin to sink.

How often have we made a commitment to pray daily, or read scripture daily. It starts up with such fervor, we know it’s the right thing to do, and then the distractions take us away from that holy conviction, and we begin to sink. 

But the Lord lovingly walks over to us, pulls us up, and invites us to try again. 

What are the stormy water across which the Lord is inviting us to walk? He has work for each of us. And that work appears as a stormy sea, to difficult for us to cross on our own. And it is. But he invites us to walk, to trust, to love him enough to trust him calling us to do what is beyond our natural abilities, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

That Church leaders and all the members of the faithful may deepen their trust in the Lord who calls them to labor for the building up of the Church.

For deliverance from corruption in government and for the protection of civil liberty and religious freedom. 

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.

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2021 - Stormy Seas and Fathers

 In Scripture, the roaring untamed sea is often a symbol of the destructive, chaotic powers of nature beyond the control of man. 

The very first page of the Bible speaks of “Tohu wa bohu” in the Hebrew, the primal chaotic waters. Yet, those untamed waters are quickly brought under the control of the Most High God and Lord of Creation who brings light and life out of the darkness as he breaths forth his Spirit and calls creation into being.

The book of Exodus contains another frightening body of water. As Pharoah’s chariots and charioteers close in on the Israelites, God’s people are trapped by the uncrossable Red Sea. It is not until God intervenes, demonstrating again that He is the Lord and Master of Creation, that the Israelites are able to cross the untamable sea, on their road toward freedom.

In today’s Gospel, the apostles become trapped and tossed about on a stormy sea. Again, the stormy waters stand for the chaos of life beyond our control—all those difficulties both interior and exterior, physical and psychological that beset us—the dark depths always threatening to swallow us up. 

Throughout the centuries Church fathers have explained that the boat traversing through the stormy sea in the Gospel today stands for the Church through the ages—the Barque of Peter making her way through the centuries amidst persecution and warring nations, the violent winds of worldly error.  The waves crashing against the boat, the winds whipping around them are symbolic of everything that besets the Church, and besets the individual Christian. 

In the course of the Christian life, the disciples of Jesus have to face chaos, anxiety, darkness, and bafflement .

The storm in the Gospel today must have been of unique severity, after all the apostles were experienced fisherman, experienced sailors on the Sea of Galilee. It was their home turf—well, their home “surf”—so to speak. They knew these waters well, they’d fished there before, with their fathers and their fathers before them.  They knew its changes and dangers. And for these experienced boatmen to have been so terrified speaks to how terrible this storm must have been. For in the midst of their terror they cry out “Lord, save us.” 

Those were the right words. Scripture is filled with such cries the Psalms especially:  Out of the depths I call to you, LORD; Lord, hear my cry! Says Psalm 130.  Scripture even instructs us to call out to God in times of trouble: Psalm 50, says, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you.”

When we find ourselves lost and in the shadow of death—when we are facing the great struggles and storms of life—the Scriptures teach us to call out to God. When in our desperation we feel utterly incapable of helping or saving ourselves, we are meant to turn to Almighty God, and cry, “Lord, save us”  

This Gospel especially teaches us that the Lord hears our cries. The Lord of all creation is in the boat with us. We are never alone. Just as the Spirit of God brought order out of chaotic waters in the book of Genesis, Jesus, the Incarnate Power of God, can bring order, and peace, and calm, and new life—new creation, out of the stormy darkness of our life. I don’t know about you, but that gives me comfort.

This reading always reminds me of a story. When I was younger, my father and uncles together purchased a boat. A beautiful 55 foot antique wooden Chris-Craft that they had docked in Fairport Harbor, about 15 miles west of my hometown of Madison. And, when I was about 8 years old, one summer day, my father announced that he and I would be paddling our rubber raft from the shore just north of our house, and my uncle would be picking us up on the boat. It was a grey day, windy and drizzling when we set off from shore, and not 10 minutes into this little trek, huge dark clouds came out of nowhere. The rain intensified, the waves whipped up. 

But my dad was there. And I felt safe. Come to found out, you’re really not supposed to do that, paddle into an oncoming thunderstorm on lake erie, but, I felt safe. Dad was there, just like Jesus in the boat today.

On this Father’s Day, we reflect on the role that Fathers have in the life of the church, in the lives of our families. No one can replace them. A man in the life of a child cannot be replaced. Our culture might say different, but our culture is of course confused about a great many things.

During this Year of St. Joseph we consider a particular man, chosen by God to have a role in the life of Jesus. A man who was guardian, protector, provider, and leader in the practice of the Faith for his Family.

St. Joseph took great efforts that Jesus lacked nothing he needed for healthy development. Faithfully guarding the Christ-Child’s life when the family was forced to live as refugees in Egypt. Instructing Jesus in his work as a carpenter.

In an age that needs strong, virtuous, faith-filled fathers, we do well to turn to Joseph, Ite ad Ioseph, go to Joseph, as a role model and a heavenly intercessor—that Catholic men may become fathers like the Father of Jesus—strong pillars of faith for their family. 

Many forces in our culture today contribute to the breakdown of the family, minimizing the role that fathers are meant to play in the lives of their children. As the family has broken down, so has the culture. So, our culture, our parish, and our church need men to step up and be active guardians, workers, strong models of virtue and faith. Not as the culture teaches, but as our Faith teaches and St. Joseph models.

Fathers filled with strong-faith are meant to be Jesus in the boat for us who bring calm to the storms of our lives.

Grateful for our fathers, grateful for the many ways that God has comforted us in the midst of the storms of our lives, the many ways that Jesus has quieted the storms and chaos surrounding us and within us, may we continue this eucharistic celebration with all thanksgiving and confidence in God’s saving help. And may the Lord transform us, that we may bring his peace and life-giving word into the lives and storms of others for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Holy Week 2021 - Wednesday - "I have set my face like flint"

In the middle of Holy Week, we hear from prophet Isaiah. 800 years before the Lord’s birth, Isaiah prophecies about the Messiah. He starts with a number of characteristics of the Messiah: he will have a well-trained tongue, he will speak to the weary, he will not turn his back on God or rebel from the will of God, as difficult as it might be.

Isaiah then foreshadows the sufferings the Lord will endure in his passion as he makes his journey to the cross: his back will be beaten, his beard will be plucked, he will be mocked, his face will be beaten and spit upon. On Good Friday, we will hear again how the Lord is beaten and mocked as he carries his cross through the streets of Jerusalem.

But, Isaiah also gives us a glimpse into the heart of our Lord as he carries his cross. He is not filled with resentment or despair. Rather, he sets his “face like flint”—a phrase to describe Jesus’ unwavering determination to persevere in the excruciating task set before him. His inner strength, to bear the cross, to bear the weight of the sins of the world, my sins and your sins—his strength and fortitude is beyond measure.

And yet, his strength and his firm and unflinching commitment to fulfill his mission derives from his absolute trust in his Father—as Isaiah says, “He is near who upholds my right…the Lord God is my help”

Staying on track in the Christian life requires setting our faces like flint. Difficult tasks and heavy burdens in the Christian life—fulfilling the responsibilities of one’s vocation, witnessing to the Gospel in a culture who mocks Christianity at every turn—requires fortitude. But that inner strength will quickly evaporate for us mere humans, like Peter’s courage at the sight of the cross evaporates, if we are not rooted in absolute trust, surrender, and love of God.

St. Paul explains the source of his fortitude in his evangelizing mission through storms, tortures, imprisonment and impending martyrdom, when he writes, “there but for the grace of God go I”. With abandonment to the grace and will of God comes the strength to remain faithful to God’s holy will despite the cost.

Contemplating our Lord’s own sufferings in the upcoming days, may we love God and trust God with ever-increasing abandonment to His divine will, that our faces may be set as flint against the buffeting winds of our culture, the temptations of the flesh, and fear of suffering for the Gospel, that we may be faithful to the holy work and heavy crosses of our time for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

For increased faith and understanding in the catechumens and candidates who approach the sacraments of initiation in the coming Paschal Solemnity. 

That those in need may find assistance in the charity of faithful Christians and that peace and security may be firmly established in all places.

For strength to resist temptation, and the humility to sincerely repent of sin.

That through fasting and self-denial, we may be ever more conformed to Christ.

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

Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.

4th Sunday of Advent 2019 - 3 Lessons from St. Joseph

During the season of Advent, we contemplate some of the great biblical figures: the Blessed Mother, John the Baptist, Elizabeth & Zechariah and their role in God’s plan for our salvation. And on this year, on the final Sunday of the Advent season we are given to contemplate St. Joseph in our Gospel reading. So, let us consider three lessons from St. Joseph to help us prepare for the celebration of Christmas.

First, St. Joseph teaches us the importance of silence. How many words from the lips of St. Joseph can we find in Scripture?  None!  Not a word.  He doesn’t say anything.  He is a man of silence. 

Someone once asked St. Padre Pio, “What language does God speak?” And Padre Pio said, “God speaks silence”.  The person then asked, well, what language should I pray in, what language does God understand best, and Padre Pio said, “silence”.  Pope Francis celebrated Mass with a group of American Priests a few years ago. And in his homily he said, “May the Lord give us all the grace to love silence.” “Silence,” he said, “helps us to discover our mystery: our mystery of encountering the Lord, our mystery of walking through life with the Lord.”

The song ‘Silent Night’ still remains one of the popular Christmas hymns, which reminds us the need to become silent as we contemplate the Christmas mysteries. What a powerful irony: a beautiful song about quiet, calm, and silence. Certainly, one of my favorite moment each year is on Christmas Eve, in those quiet hours before midnight Mass. I like to sit in a dark room, and listen to the quiet.

It was his quiet of soul that enabled St. Joseph to be attuned to that important heavenly message. Joseph, we read was facing a terrible decision. His betrothed had been found with child through the Holy Spirit. In his humility, Joseph assumed that he was not part of this strange and mysterious plan. The Holy Torah, the Mosaic Law, directed him to divorce his betrothed who had become pregnant outside of marriage, and so Joseph quietly decided to end their betrothal.

And in this state of obedience, humility, and quiet, heaven pierced his mind. The angel of the Lord to appeared to him, and gave direction, gave him courage, and gave him insight into the identity and mission of the child—he is the savior.

So too, with us. In the messiness of our lives, when we are facing difficult decisions, we must commit to obeying God and becoming quiet and open before Him. And when we do, we will, like Joseph be granted direction, courage, and insight.

In these final Advent days, do not be afraid to make excuses for silence. To turn off the noise, to sit by the tree or the nativity scene, and to become silent in order to attune your minds and hearts to heaven. May our souls in silent stillness wait for the coming of Christ.

So that’s lesson number one, to imitate St. Joseph’s Advent Silence. Lesson number two.  St. Joseph teaches us that actions speak louder than words.

In the Gospel, Joseph wakes from his dream of the angel, and immediately did as God had commanded him: he took Mary into his home.  St. Joseph reminds us that the Christian life isn’t about giving God lip-service.  That when the Lord calls upon us to reach out to someone in need, we need to respond generously.

This often requires great effort on our part. For so often, we expect God to fit our lives. We minimize the demands of faith, when they get in the way of our plans. But Joseph shows us that the opposite is necessary. We must be willing to change for God. We must willing to alter our plans for God, to make God the first priority, to put everything in God’s service, holding nothing back.

For Joseph, taking Mary into this home, and becoming her chaste spouse was likely not according to the plan of his life. And even if she hadn’t conceived through the Holy Spirit, the wedding, was likely months or even a few years off. His home was not ready for her. The home was not ready for the raising of a child. But when God gives him a command, Joseph gets to work, intensely preparing for the birth of the Messiah, rearranging his life around the priorities of God.

So lesson number two, St. Joseph teaches us the priority of acting according to the commands of God, of rearranging our lives, reorienting our lives for God, working intensely for God’s will, especially in acting upon holy inspirations.

And finally, lesson number three, because Joseph made his heart quiet and open for God, because he was willing to reorient his life to Christ, God gave Joseph the ability, the energy, the courage, and the gifts to accomplish monumentally difficult tasks.

Joseph, taking Mary into this home meant opening himself to the shame of his community. His community would have soon realized that Mary was pregnant, and would have assumed that he was the father. They would assume Joseph had not practiced chastity prior to marriage as God’s law demanded, opening him to much greater social stigma than in our own day, stigma that would certainly affect his ability to provide for his family.

Additionally, Joseph would be called upon by God to guard and protect his family in many ways: he would protect Mary as they journeyed to Bethlehem for the census, he would find shelter in a stable when no inn would admit them, and he would be called upon by God to protect his family as they fled Israel when King Herod sent his soldiers to slaughter the Christ-child.

God gave Joseph monumentally difficult tasks, but also the grace to do them. Again, Joseph’s faith, his life of prayer, his righteousness opened him to the guidance, courage, and fortitude he needed.

So too with us. When facing grave difficulties, God provides grace, not necessarily to accomplish our own will, but God’s. God gives us grace to resist temptation, he gives us grace to speak hard truths to loved ones who are making poor choices, he gives us strength to work against true injustice, or to cope and carry on in the face of overwhelming grief, he gives us patience to endure difficulties gracefully.

St. Joseph reminds us that through trial and difficulty, when entrust ourselves to God, when we practice virtue and righteousness particularly when it is difficult, we are refined like gold in a furnace, we become the people God made us to be, and role models for those of weaker faith.

May St. Joseph helps us to prepare for Christ at Christmas and to break-in to our lives ever anew, by teaching us to enter into God’s silence, challenging our complacencies, urging us to trust God in our challenges, and to have courage for the spreading of our faith for the glory of God and salvation of souls.