Labor Day 2025 - Engaging in God's work and rest

 

For over a century, Americans have celebrated Labor Day on the first Monday in September. This national holiday was established in the 1880s for two reasons: to mark the irreplaceable role of the American worker in making this country prosperous and strong; and to have time to attend speeches and events on the spiritual and educational aspects of work, the worker and the good that comes from work.

From the very beginning of our Sacred Scriptures, God the Creator is revealed to be quite different from the gods of the various pagan religions. Unlike the greek gods who lay in luxury on Mt. Olympus, for example, aloof from the toils of man, the God of the Bible is very clearly a worker. He’s more like a farmer, gardener, a sculptor, and builder than an apathetic aristocrat.

God is intimately involved in His creation, getting his hands dirty to bring about his salvific plan. He cultivates land into a garden. He fashions man out of the clay of the earth.

It follows then, that created in God’s, image man and woman, too, are to be workers—filling the earth, subduing it. God personally creates, sustains, cultivates, and redeems the world, and so our work is a continuation of God’s own labors. Whether you are a factory worker, a teacher, a nurse, an engineer, a parent, or retired but still giving your time in service, work is the way we participate in God’s creative action.

Good honest work is also at the service of others: The person who garbage man is making life safer and more pleasant for his neighbors. The parent who prepares a meal is serving the well-being of their family. The student who studies hard is preparing to offer their gifts to society in the future.

But work is not meant to consume us or define us entirely. God Himself rested on the seventh day, teaching us that while work is good, it is must not be all-consuming. Our ultimate dignity does not come from productivity but from being children of God. That’s why Labor Day, like the Sabbath, calls us not only to honor work, but also to remember the importance of reflection and renewal in God.

In the Gospel today, those who use the talents given to them by their master are praised by the Lord, and those who squander them and hide them, are condemned.

Labor Day is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on how you have used your talents for the glory of God and for betterment of your family and fellow man, to repent of those times when talent has gone squandered, and also to listen to the voice of inspiration. Even if you are retired from formal work, you do well to consider what new project might God be calling you to, in order to serve the community and the Church.

As we prayed in our Psalm today, may the Lord grant success to the work of our hands, and in all things, in all pursuits, in all our labors help us to serve Him, for the cultivation of the earth, for the building up of His kingdom, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all Christians will work together in harmony for the building up of the Church and the spread of the Gospel

That our young people, especially those at risk of disengaging from society, may come to discover the fulfillment found in work and self-sacrifice.

For the unemployed and underemployed, and that all who work may receive a just reward for their labors.

For those experiencing any kind of hardship or sorrow, isolation, addiction, or disease: may they know God’s strength and peace and the assistance of the Christian people.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, those who have supported us by their work, those who fought and died for our freedom, for all of the souls in purgatory and for X, for whom this mass is offered.

Gracious Father, you created us in your divine image, hear our prayers, and grant us the help we need to work always for your Holy Will, through Christ Our Lord. 

 

3rd Week of Easter 2025 - Monday - Do not work for food that perishes

“Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life.”  The word used for “work” in this passage is the Greek word, ergon, a word that denotes hard labor and physical exertion.  Here Jesus is saying that the way of righteousness is no easy matter; Christian discipleship requires more than merely emotional or intellectual assent.  Daily we are called to the ergon—the hard work—of the Gospel—of turning away from our sins and embracing Jesus' commands.  Daily, we are called to the hard work of bringing our hearts, which so love independence and self-reliance, before the throne of God to submit to his will.

This command to work for food that endures is a reversal of how we normally think and act. The unconverted soul exerts tremendous effort—the entirety of his effort—pursuing his own aims—worshipping his false gods. 

The Bishop who ordained me a deacon and priest, Bishop Lennon once wrote that when our lives are focused on false Gods of prosperity, prestige, or the pursuit of what our secular world calls the good life, we will likely reap a harvest of unhappiness and exhaustion.  Yet, when God is at the center of our lives, when we fulfill all of our responsibilities as ways of serving Him, when He is included in our meals, chores, conversations, parenting, work, vacations, civic responsibilities, decisions, problems, crises, accomplishments, and losses—then the whole of our lives become charged and changed with God's presence.  

Food that perishes ultimately leave us unsatisfied, but the food of eternal life—the food of eternal life—the nourishment of mind and heart and soul that comes from God—will not only sustain us in this life, changes us, transforms us, converts us, and opens us to eternity.

Working with all of our hearts to serve God does not bring exhaustion and unhappiness, rather it brings new life and joy.

The Easter season is certainly the time of the Church year when we consider how we are being called to serve God, to witness to the Gospel in our words and deeds. Our Easter mission entails hard work, and we should not shy away from that hard work because it ultimately sustains and fulfills us. But that hard work is a personal responsibility—it requires each of us to assess our gifts, to prayerfully consider how those gifts can be utilized for the work of the kingdom, and to put those gifts into action.

“Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life” for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.  

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Trusting in God's strength as we strive to labor for food that endures to eternal life, we bring our prayers and petitions before our Heavenly Father.

That the Church around the world may be a visible sign of the light of the Risen Lord calling all people to new life and communion with Him, and for the Holy Spirit’s guidance for the college of Cardinals as they prepare for the conclave and the papal election.

For world leaders and those in authority, that their efforts and decisions may reflect a commitment to truth, justice, and service to the common good for a society that values the pursuit of holiness and eternal life.

For families, communities, and workplaces, that they may be transformed and sanctified by placing God at the center of daily responsibilities and interactions.

For those who experience spiritual dryness, fatigue, or discouragement, that the Eucharist—the food of eternal life—may refresh their souls and renew their commitment to Christ, we pray to the Lord.

For our beloved deceased, especially Pope Francis, that their faithful labors on earth may lead them to everlasting rest and joy in God's eternal kingdom, and for N.

Father of all goodness, hear these prayers and strengthen us in our daily labors to serve you wholeheartedly, seeking always the nourishment that endures forever. We ask this through Christ our Lord. 

 

Labor Day 2024 - Vocation to work (Laudato Si)

 For over a century, Americans have celebrated Labor Day on the first Monday in September. This national holiday was established in the 1880s for two reasons: to mark the irreplaceable role of the American worker in making this country prosperous and strong; and to have time to attend speeches and events on the spiritual and educational aspects of work, the worker and the good that comes from work.

The orations and scripture readings we use today are from the votive Mass for the Blessing of Human Labor.

In 1981, Pope John Paul II issued an encyclical titled “Laborem Exercens”—On Human Labor.  Laborem Exercens is just one encyclical in the long line of Catholic Social Teaching by our Popes in modern times. Holy Father Pope Francis has touched upon the topic in a number of his writings.

In his encyclical Laudato Si, Pope Francis writes, “We were created with a vocation to work. The goal should not be that technological progress increasingly replace human work, for this would be detrimental to humanity. Work is a necessity, part of the meaning of life on this earth, a path to growth, human development and personal fulfilment…We need to remember that men and women have “the capacity to improve their lot, to further their moral growth and to develop their spiritual endowments”. Work should be the setting for this rich personal growth, where many aspects of life enter into play: creativity, planning for the future, developing our talents, living out our values, relating to others, giving glory to God.”

Becoming the people God made us to be involves work, often hard work. This includes the work of our profession, but also, the other efforts that each of us are called to make in cultivating our families, neighborhoods, communities, and parish. The work of spreading the Gospel especially, along with the works of charity—the corporal works and spiritual works of mercy—involves cultivating all those different gifts and talents with which God has blessed us.

So we mustn’t bury our talents, our hide our lights under bushel baskets out of fear or laziness. As Saint John Paul II taught, “by enduring the toil of work in union with Christ crucified for us, man in a way collaborates with the Son of God for the redemption of humanity”.

May this Labor Day be a day of rest for workers, but also a day of blessing in which we all consider how God is calling us to more fruitful work, in which come to discover the many ways God has blessed us in order to be a blessing for others, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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That all Christians will work together in harmony for the building up of the Church and the spread of the Gospel

That our young people, especially those at risk of disengaging from society, may come to discover the fulfillment found in work and self-sacrifice.

For the unemployed and underemployed, and that all who work may receive a just reward for their labors.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, those who have supported us by their work, those who fought and died for our freedom, for all of the souls in purgatory and for X, for whom this mass is offered.

Gracious Father, you created us in your divine image, hear our prayers, and grant us the help we need to work always for your Holy Will, through Christ Our Lord.  

Easter Octave Tuesday - 2024 - To share in God's life is to share in His work.

The Easter Octave, the eight-day celebration beginning on Easter Sunday is a period deeply imbued with the joy and triumph of Christ's Resurrection. We read the various Gospel accounts of Easter Sunday, and our first readings are taken from the Acts of the Apostles, particularly from Pentecost Sunday.

Why do we read about Pentecost on Easter?

Reading from the Acts of the Apostles during the Easter Octave connects the celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection with the mission of the Church.  

The Lord’s resurrection is God’s victory over sin—the mission for which Jesus was sent, the salvation of souls, succeeded. And during Easter we consider how the Lord’s mission of salvation continues through us—who share in his life through baptism. 

The new life of Easter involves a new share in the work of God. You can’t share in the life of God without sharing in his work.  Christians are called not only to a personal relationship with God, but also a sacramental relationship, a communal relationship through his Church, and also a share in the missionary life of the Body of Christ. Christ came as a missionary to the human race, and his church continues that missionary mission.

And we read from the Acts of the Apostles, to show us what that missionary life looks like. 

Yesterday, we heard Peter declare, “Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs… This man…you killed… But God raised him up.” Sharing in the life of Christ involves proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus—sharing the good news men need to hear.

And today, Peter’s speech not only proclaims Christ risen, but also invites those guilty of crucifying Him to repent and to enter into life. “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

All those guilty of crucifying Christ, that’s all of us—God wants baptized in order to bestow signs of that living relationship through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The call to repentance and baptismal faith that we hear in Peter's speech is not just a historical event 2000 years ago but an ongoing invitation to each of us. 

Baptism, which some of us received decades and decades ago, involves an openness to the unfolding and increase of God’s grace. Continuous dying to our old selves in order to rise to new life. Life can always be renewed, if we are 2 weeks old or a 102. There is always something to new, there is always new life, new gifts, God wishes to bestow for the sake of the mission. 

Like Mary in the Gospel, tears, shed over losing sight of Jesus, are meant to make way for proclamation. “Why are you weeping…Go and tell my brother…” Okay you found me, now get up and get to work. Don’t just stay here at the tomb, this is a place of death. Get up and prove that you are alive through action, through the work of the Church. 

May our easter celebrations continue to open us to the joy of the gospel, the joy that comes through active participation in the good work of the Church for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

January 5 2024 - St. John Nepomucene Neumann - You have been created for a purpose

Although he was born in Bohemia in 1811, in what is now the Czech Republic, John Nepomucene Neumann is celebrated as an American saint.  After studying in Prague, John Neumann came to New York at the age of 25 and was ordained a priest. He used his gifts to learn 8 languages so he could hear confessions for the different immigrant groups.

After several years of working among German speaking immigrants, he joined the Redemptorist community, the missionary community founded by St. Alphonsus Ligouri. While a novice for the Redemptorists, he served at St. Alphonsus Church in Peru Township in Huron County, Ohio, just a little over an hour West of Cleveland. 

At age 41 he was named bishop of Philadelphia where he was particularly committed to providing educational opportunities to immigrant children. He organized the parochial schools into a diocesan system and invited religious institutes to establish new houses within the diocese to provide necessary social services.

In 1854, Bishop Neumann traveled to Rome and was present at St. Peter's Basilica on December 8, when Pius IX solemnly defined, ex cathedra, the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

While doing errands on Thursday, January 5, 1860, Bishop Neumann collapsed and died on a Philadelphia street. He was 48 years old. He was beatified by Pope Paul VI during the Second Vatican Council on October 13, 1963, and was canonized by that same pope on June 19, 1977. He is the only canonized American bishop.

In a sermon on the work God has for us, bishop Neumann said, “Everyone who breathes, high and low, educated and ignorant, young and old, man and woman, has a mission, has a work. We are not sent into this world for nothing; we are not born at random; we are not here, that we may go to bed at night, and get up in the morning, toil for our bread, eat and drink, laugh and joke, sin when we have a mind, and reform when we are tired of sinning, rear a family and die. God sees every one of us; He creates every soul, . . . for a purpose. He needs, He deigns to need, every one of us. He has an end for each of us; we are all equal in His sight, and we are placed in our different ranks and stations, not to get what we can out of them for ourselves, but to labor in them for Him. As Christ has His work, we too have ours; as He rejoiced to do His work, we must rejoice in ours also.”  

Bishop Neumann was faithful to the work God had for him, may we do the same, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

 

That all Christians may grow in charitable attentiveness to the needs of the poor in our midst.

For the lukewarm and for all who are searching and longing for Christ, may they find him through the holy witness of His Church.

Through the intercession of St. John Neumann, for the success of our Catholic schools, that young Catholic families may be centered on Christ, and that all Catholics may be diligent in our evangelizing mission.

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 widows and widowers, 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

1st Sunday of Advent 2023 - Advent Work

 Happy Advent Everyone.

The most important things in life require some preparation.  When parents discover they are expecting a new child, they prepare a room for the child and a crib; the room is decorated, clothes are purchased. When a couple becomes engaged for marriage, they prepare, they plan. They meet with the priest for marriage preparation, they attend a pre-cana day, the reception is planned, the wedding garments are acquired, a home is made ready. 

Similarly, when a young man realizes his call to the priesthood, his seminary formation involves nine years of theological training, experience in different ministerial settings like visiting the sick in hospitals and nursing homes, visiting the imprisoned, learning how to craft a homily, teach in the classroom, and celebrate the sacraments.

We prepare for big tests, big presentations, we prepare emotionally to share difficult news, we prepare our wills for the end of our lives. 

What we do here in Church—our religious worship and our religious formation—prepares us—for living the Gospel in the world, and also, it prepares us for eternity. 

The liturgical season of Advent is an entire season of preparation—a season of preparation for Christmas and also for the Lord’s final advent at the end of time, or to meet our judge and king at the end of our earthly lives, whatever comes first. 

There is an old joke about preparing for the Lord’s coming: “The Pope is working in his office in Rome, and a cardinal rushes in.  "Holy Father! Holy Father! Christ has come back to Earth and he is riding up to the Vatican on a donkey. Whatever shall we do?" The Pope thinks for a moment and says: "Look busy."

Part of our Advent preparations is not just to “look busy” of course, but to “get busy”. 

In the first reading we hear Isaiah praying for Israel, that on the day of the Lord’s coming God might find his people “doing what is right”. “Would that you might meet us doing right” We are rightly prepared for the Lord’s coming when we are busy doing what is right and just and good and true and holy. 

The Gospel too contained a parable about preparedness. A rich man “leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his own work”. God has given all of us work to do—primarily in building up the kingdom of God. We are to be on our guard so that when he returns, he doesn’t find us, “sleeping on the job.”

Now we know how Advent can be a time of great busy-ness—especially in preparation for Christmas—decorating, shopping, the planning of parties and gatherings, the baking of Christmas cookies—decking the halls with boughs of holly—trimming the hearth and setting the table—and whatnot.

Our task is not just to look busy, or simply to be busy about earthly matters. Rather we are to get busy “doing what is right”—what is righteous—what is holy—what is necessary for our spiritual life, for our eternal souls. 

The most important thing we are to do—the most important work—is repentance of sin. If we have unconfessed mortal sins, we are not prepared to meet God. This is the time of year to pick up a good examination of conscience. If you have any unconfessed mortal sins, go to confession as soon as possible. Also, if it’s been more than a year since your last confession, clean the house of your soul to prepare for the coming of Christ. 

Our second Advent work about which we are to be busy about is prayer. Prayer, meditation on the scriptures, quiet contemplation is the work, is the preparation we are tasked with during Advent. Schedule extra time every day for extra prayer. You might even need to set a daily reminder in your calendar. Begin each day with prayer: Lord help me to be diligent in prayer today—watchful for your coming.” The importance of prayer cannot be stressed enough. Without prayer, our hearts are not focused on Christ, who is the reason for the season. Praying the Liturgy of the Hours in addition to coming to weekday Mass, is a wonderful way to remain in tune with the Church’s liturgical prayer. 

Our Third Advent job is of course, charity—works of charity are to abound during Advent. We are to show care for the less fortunate, the downtrodden, the poor and afflicted—to practice generosity. Consider doing something this Advent that’s more generous than you’ve ever done before. How could you change someone’s life for the better, if you tried?

We will never being busy with the work God has for us—of being as generous as we can with our time, talent, and treasure. What will we likely regret? Sleeping on the job. Being so busy with earthly things and worldly distractions that we neglect our souls and the people we could have helped if we were less focused on ourselves. 

Advent is here. Let’s get to work. For the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

Labor Day 2023 - Hikikomori and Good Honest Work

 I was watching a documentary recently about the social group in Japan known as the Hikikomori. The Hikikomori have this extreme disinterest in going to work and engaging in society that they isolate, usually in the home of their parents, and spend the day playing video games or consuming media. These are abled bodied adults who could work, who could engage, but have chosen isolation, and as a result they are depressed and often develop other mental illnesses. 

When St. Paul was wrote his second letter to the Thessalonians, he was addressing a similar problem. There were Christians, who were able, but who were choosing not to work. Even though he had instructed them to imitate his example of remaining industrious until the coming of the Lord, these non-workers were taking advantage of the generosity of their brother Christians.

And so St. Paul gives this stark instruction “if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat.” He called those unwilling to work, disordered, as well as those who were “too busy minding the business of others.” Unwillingness to work, like the Hikikomori, and many in our own culture, who could work, but who take advantage of the system or their parents and family or the generosity of charities, is a disorder, a disordered life.

The Catechism says that Working with God to bring the best out of creation is part of God’s original plan—we are Co-laborers with God—who himself is the original worker, the shaper of the universe, the bringer of life, a Gardner. Good holy work therefore honors God. Work honors the Creator’s gifts and the talents received from him. Good honest work is not only good for the soul, it is in imitation of the Divine--one might say, a participation and cooperation in divine life.

Labor Day, for much of the our society, is an extra day off, and many of us need it, because we do have to work very hard to meet our basic needs. I saw that in you compare the purchasing power of the dollar, we are worse off right now than in the Great Depression. Good honest laborers are working very hard for those basic necessities. And so we do need to be generous with those who are struggling to make ends meet like so many of the people we assist in our St. Vincent de Paul Society, as well as the mentally ill. 

But we also need to give encouragement to the discouraged, and lazy, to work to the extent they are able. We must also cultivate a much healthier attitude toward honest work in our young people. The addiction to the instant gratification of entertainment needs to be replaced with the lasting fulfillment that comes from honest hard-work and contribution to the common good. 

May this Labor Day be a source of true refreshment for laborers, for society, and the Church. God made us to imitate him in our work, may our work be rightly ordered to the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

May 1 2023 - St. Joseph the Worker - Open to the mystery

 For many years, the Soviet Union and other Communist countries held massive rallies and marches on the first day of May, which they called May Day,  to celebrate the contribution of workers to the Communist State. “Celebrating the dignity of work”, sounds like a noble ideal.  In fact, in our own country, we celebrate Labor Day on the 1st Monday of September, as a national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

In 1955, Pope Pius XII instituted this feast of St. Joseph the Worker, as a sort of liturgical labor day. And, he did so, partially, to counter Communist error. Remember, that Communism is essentially atheistic. For the Communist, the highest good is not to serve God, but to serve the state. The Communist labors under the error that human effort can create a utopia on earth, and that God is neither necessary for human flourishing or for eternal life.

According to Communism, the individual is a mere cog in the wheel for the prosperity of the collective, rather than a unique being created in the Creator’s image.

So, when Pope Pius XII instituted today’s feast in 1955, he wished to remind the world that the good of the individual and the good of a society are inseparable from God—that our human labors are to serve God, point to God, and reflect God’s goodness. As Psalm 127 says, unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.  In other words, when our work or any of our endeavors are merely self-serving, we are wasting our time.

But Pope Pius didn’t just call today Holy Labor Day. Rather, he gave us the example of a holy laborer to celebrate, contemplate, and imitate, St. Joseph.

In the daily work of his carpenter’s shop, Joseph labored mindful of God and his vocation and husband and father. He labored with patience, took joy in producing things of value, knowing that his sweat and effort would enable him to provide for his family through an honest living. Joseph’s sturdy, quiet, contemplative, providential, and faithful image is an example for the type of man we should strive to become. 

 Some 50 years after the institution of today’s Feast, Pope Benedict wrote, “Joseph reveals to us the secret of a humanity which dwells in the presence of mystery and is open to that mystery at every moment of everyday life (Pope Benedict XVI).”

In other words, Joseph shows us the attitude and orientation we should possess in all of our earthly endeavors. “Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him”.  Be mindful of God and the reasons why you are doing what you are doing. Slow down and be diligent, focused, find joy in hard work, grateful to God for the time you’ve been given to produce something of value, that put food in people’s bellies and roofs over their heads. 

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That the Holy Catholic Church, entrusted to the protection of Saint Joseph, may continue to labor faithfully for the salvation of souls.

That our young people, especially those at risk of disengaging from society, may come to discover the fulfillment found in work and self-sacrifice.

For the unemployed and underemployed, and that all who work may receive a just reward for their labors.

That St. Joseph patron of the dying may help all those who will die today to know repentance of their sins and the grace of a peaceful death.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, those who have supported us by their work, those who fought and died for our freedom, for all of the souls in purgatory and for X, for whom this mass is offered.

Gracious Father, you created us in your divine image, hear our prayers, and grant us the help we need to work always for your Holy Will, through Christ Our Lord.  

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A reading from the epistle of St. Paul to the Colossians

Brethren: Over all these things put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one Body. And be thankful. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Whatever you do, do from the heart, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive from the Lord the due payment of the inheritance; be slaves of the Lord Christ.

A continuation of the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew

At that time, Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue. They were astonished and said, "Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter's son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Are not his sisters all with us? Where did this man get all this?" And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house." And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith.

2nd Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Wednesday - Interacting with Pharisees (part two)

 
As I mentioned yesterday, chapter two and the beginning of chapter 3 of St. Mark’s Gospel contain a series of five vignettes in which Jesus performs a miracle or reveals something about his identity, and the pharisees, scribes, and onlookers react with disapproval, suspicion, and contention. 

Today’s healing of the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath is the last of these five vignettes, and following this Sabbath miracle, the pharisees begin to conspire with the Herodians to kill Jesus. 

What was their problem with Jesus’ miracle? They claimed he was once again violating the sabbath. But, Scripture is very clear that even on the sabbath when manual labor is forbidden, it is still lawful, in fact, laudatory, to help people. It’s even commanded. Deuteronomy says, “You shall not see your countryman’s donkey or his ox fallen down on the way, and pay no attention to them; you shall certainly help him to raise them up”. Mercy outweighs rigid adherence to the Law.

Because of their hardness of heart, the pharisees intellects had become darkened, their wills perverted. And, in reaction to Jesus’ good act, the Pharisees conspire to perform an evil act on the Sabbath, murdering Jesus. And so fierce is their wrath that they join forces with political opportunities whom they would normally avoid at all costs: the Herodians. 

The Pharisees are a prime example that the darkening of the intellect and the perverting of the will stem from self-righteousness and sin. We literally cannot think straight when sin has taken root in our hearts. The prideful will justify morally reprehensible acts, they will seek to silence truth, deface beauty, and punish goodness. Their twisted minds will often latch onto one apparent good, like the avoidance of work on the sabbath, 

 to the exclusion of greater goods, avoiding murder and worshipping the son of God. To those who have become accustomed to darkness, light become obnoxious to them, even painful and hateful. Those who surround themselves with worldly errors and indulge the deceits of sin grow further and further from God.

But just has God sent his son into the midst of the Pharisees, like God sent the youth David into battle with the Philistine giant, God sends us to perform mighty deeds, and hidden acts of charity, to speak powerful words of truth and whispers of compassion. Because as long as the modern pharisees and philistines  draw breath they can be reached, their souls are not beyond hope. We are sent to rescue the lost sheep, those who desire salvation and eternal life with God, even those who don’t recognize that yet—to bring the light of Christ into the darkest of places, the darkest of souls.

So may we be faithful in our God given task, in living out the Christian faith, and spreading the Gospel in this day and age, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For the holy Church of God, that the Lord may graciously watch over her, care for her, and give her strength and courage in her mission.

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

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 an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life, for all monastics and hermits, and that all Christians may seek the perfection for which they were made.

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.

27th Week in Ordinary Time 2021 - Tuesday - The problem with anxious worrying

 

October began with the feast of the Little Flower, St. Therese. St. Therese teaches us that power of doing little things with great love—doing the ordinary, day-to-day chores and responsibility mindful of God’s presence with us, embracing the little inconveniences with greater and greater patience.

In the little, ordinary events of the day, there are opportunities to grow in grace and focus on God, but that means there is also the temptation to turn away from him. If you can become a saint through these small events, why aren’t we all saints?

So often, it is our anxious thoughts and our impatience which keep us from knowing the peace of God.  Proverbs says, “Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down”, it causes us to sink from grace to bitterness. Anxious worry about what other people are doing, minding other people’s business instead of focusing on your own can cause us to miss out on grace.

Like Martha in the Gospel today, who misses the whole point of Jesus’ visit, we miss out on opportunities to grow in grace because we are consumed with anxious busyness. You can imagine Martha cursing Mary the whole time she was doing her chores, “why is she just sitting there, doesn’t she know how much work there is to do?”

Ruminating in self-pity, “why am I the one stuck doing this?” certainly doesn’t bespeak of the prayerfulness that is to accompany our work. Perhaps, Martha’s complaining was even a sign that what she really wanted was to control her sister, and was using housework as an opportunity to manipulate or dominate. Nagging, after all, can be a form of subtle domination. Or, what kind of old resentments was Martha carrying around with her, that she could not imagine that her sister Mary could be doing something good?

Martha’s grumbling sure doesn’t lead us to believe that she was doing these small things with great love. Rather, we do well to begin our work prayerfully offering it to God, seeking to glorify God even by the way we do our work—with peace, humility, perhaps even cheerfulness.

The Lord responds to Martha: “you are anxious and worried about many things.” Psalm 139 says that God searches us and knows our hearts, he tests us and knows our anxious thoughts. And Jesus shows himself to be keenly aware that Martha was not doing her work with peace in her heart. Jesus in this Gospel isn’t condemning housework, but he is certainly teaching that we must let go of our anxieties, worrying what everybody else is doing all the time, if it keeps us from being at peace.

May we relinquish our anxious attitudes or domineering behaviors, and focus in our work and throughout the day on the Lord's Holy Will for our lives, for the glory of God and salvation of souls. 

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That hearing the call to repentance preached by the Church, all men may turn away from their sins to the mercy of Christ.

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

That our young people may take seriously the missionary call of Christ, that they 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.

3rd Week of Easter 2021 - Monday - Working for that which endures

 “Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life”  The word used for “work” in this passage is the Greek word, ergon, a word that denotes hard labor and physical exertion.  Here Jesus is saying that belief in him, and following him, is no easy matter; belief requires more than merely emotional or intellectual assent.  Daily we are called to the ergon—the hard work—of turning away from our sins and embracing Jesus' commands.  Daily, we are called to the hard work of bringing our hearts, which so love independence and self-reliance, before the throne of God to submit to his will.

Jesus speaks these words here in chapter 6 of John's Gospel as a sort of prelude to his Bread of Life Discourse, his teaching on the Eucharist.  The newly initiated are taught that it will be hard work to come to the altar week after week, every Sunday, to come to receive the Bread of Life, but it must be done. It will be hard work to preserve the state of grace which allows us to receive the Eucharist worthily. But it must be done: for the sake of our souls. 

Even though Jesus has done the hardest work of all, carrying our sins to the cross for our eternal salvation, we must engage in the hard work of following him in everything.  But of all the things and distractions vying for our attention in our busy secular world—He alone is worthy of our lives.  We often work so hard for things that will not bring us eternal life, let alone real, deep satisfaction in this life.  We settle for so much less than for the greatness for which we've been created. Why? Often fear.  

We often shy away from work—even work for God—because we fear becoming exhausted and unhappy. But I’ve never regretted working for God? Have you? Fear is often a trick of the devil: a mental image of sore muscles, of sadness from missing out on satisfying our earthly appetites. But again, it’s just a trick the enemy uses to tempt us away from working for God. For, working with all of our hearts to serve God does not bring exhaustion and unhappiness, rather it brings new life and joy. Want proof? Look at the saints! In pouring themselves out in God’s service, they do not die of exhaustion, rather they radiate with life. They are more vibrant than a spring garden!

May we work today for that which endures, and come to receive the eternal fruits of laboring for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the Church will deepen in her devotion to the Eucharistic sacrifice which is the source and summit of our Christian life.  Let us pray to the Lord.

That the redemptive power of Christ’s Eucharistic sacrifice will extend to the hearts and minds of all those who govern peoples and nations.  Let us pray to the Lord.

That the Eucharist will be for priests the source of their joy and their deeper configuration to Jesus Christ.  Let us pray to the Lord.

That the goodness of the Lord will be experienced in all marriages, in all business relations, in all daily encounters, and in our friendships.  Let us pray to the Lord.

For those who live in want: that Jesus the Bread of Life will be their sustenance, and that Christians will work for justice and mercy for all those in need.  Let us pray to the Lord.

For all those who have died, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for all who have fought and died for our freedom, and for [intention below], 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.

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.

May 1 2018 - St. Joseph the Worker - Will your children become workers or thieves?

It was very common for sons, in Jesus’ time, for young boys to learn the trade of their fathers. This was important so that the young man would be able to provide for himself and for his wife and family. There was even a saying among the Jewish men of Israel at Jesus’ time: "If you do not teach your son how to work, you teach him how to be a thief." A man who does not learn how to work will be a drain upon his family and his community.

St. Joseph, in raising Jesus as if he were his own true son, took Jesus into the carpenter’s workshop and taught him to use the tools and skills of a manual laborer. Jesus ministry and teaching was infused with practical knowledge and self-sacrifice that no doubt filled Joseph’s workshop. Contrast the spirit of hard work and discipline of Jesus, Son of the Father, Jesus Bar Abba, in Hebrew, with the thieving, murderous Barabbas, from the passion story. Perhaps, one of the great differences of these two sons was the presence of a father who taught them how to work with their hands.

The feast of St. Joseph the Worker was instituted in 1955 to emphasize the dignity of work, and this feast is needed now more than ever. There is a growing disdain for work among our young people. Many young people, boys in particular, are opting not to enter the work force, but would rather stay in their parents’ basement and engage in virtual fantasy worlds in video games. Many of our schools put so much emphasis on head knowledge now, to prepare students for a college degree they do not necessarily need, that the young people see no reason to develop real life skills.

The dignity of real work runs throughout the Scriptures. I think of how St. Paul laments the fact that some of the Christians in Thessalonica were leading undisciplined lives, accomplishing nothing for the Christian community, they were acting like busybodies, instead of working to support the Church. And to them, St. Paul says, “those who are unwilling to work, should not eat.” And he was speaking about eating at the communal Christian table and perhaps even the Eucharistic table.

The Christian community needs examples of laborers, who, as Pope Francis said recently, “work with integrity and skill in the service of their brothers and sisters.”

Young boys in particular may need special attention these days, so let us hold up St. Joseph as a model for fathers, men, and all adults to serve as good Christian role models for our young people, that through their hard work, they will continue to build up our young people and build up the Church for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the Holy Catholic Church, entrusted to the protection of Saint Joseph, may continue to labor faithfully for the salvation of souls.

For Pope Francis prayer intention for the month of May: “That the lay-faithful may fulfil their specific mission, by responding with creativity to the challenges that face the world today.”

That our young people, especially those at risk of disengaging from society, may come to discover the fulfillment found in work and self-sacrifice.

For the unemployed and underemployed, and that all who work may receive a just reward for their labors.

That St. Joseph patron of the dying may help all those who will die today to know repentance of their sins and the grace of a peaceful death.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, those who have supported us by their work, those who fought and died for our freedom, for all of the souls in purgatory and for X, for whom this mass is offered.

Gracious Father, you created us in your divine image, hear our prayers, and grant us the help we need to work always for your Holy Will, through Christ Our Lord. 

3rd Week of Easter 2018 - Monday - Working for Spiritual Food

Last week we read the portion of John chapter 6 in which Jesus feeds five thousand through a miracle of multiplying the loaves and fishes. Today, the Gospel sets the stage for Jesus’ great Bread of Life discourse.

Those that had been fed by Jesus cross the sea are looking for him. Why? They are hungry again and they want more bread and fish! Jesus, the great teacher is going to use their physical hunger to talk about a deeper hunger, a spiritual hunger.

They are coming to Jesus because he gave them bread and fish. Jesus will reveal that He is the source of this spiritual bread that only God can satisfy, and that bread is his flesh: the Eucharist. We’ll hear about that later this week.

But in this little prologue, Jesus talks about work: we spend a lot of time working for the physical food our bodies need, and little time working for the spiritual food our souls need. We feed the body, while neglecting the spirit.

The crowd, like many people today, believe the most important thing in life is to keep alive, to be healthy, strong and economically sufficient. Jesus is speaking of a deeper purpose here.

The purpose of life isn’t simply to satisfy our physical desires. There is a human hunger, a restlessness, for more, a spiritual hunger for doing the will of God. Man does not live on bread alone, but by following the divine vocation, the call to holiness.

In his new, apostolic exhortation, Pope Francis speaks of these dual hungers:  “Hunger and thirst are intense experiences, since they involve basic needs and our instinct for survival.” But there is a deeper hunger, the Holy Father, says, one, which Jesus praises in his beatitudes when he says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled”…the deeper hunger, is for true justice and holiness.

This includes seeking to be faithful to God’s will in every aspect of our life and also seeking justice for those who are most vulnerable, as Isaiah teaches: “Seek justice, correct oppression; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow.”

Jesus feeds us with his body and blood, that we, like Him, might become abandoned to the will of the Father, to work for justice, for the glory of God, and the salvation of souls.

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That the Church will deepen in her devotion to the Eucharistic sacrifice which is the source and summit of our Christian life.  We pray to the Lord.

That the redemptive power of Christ’s Eucharistic sacrifice will extend to the hearts and minds of all those who govern peoples and nations.  We pray to the Lord.

That the Eucharist will be for priests the source of their joy and their deeper configuration to Jesus Christ.  We pray to the Lord.

That the Real Presence of Jesus will be experienced in all marriages, in all business relations, in all daily encounters, and in our friendships.  We pray to the Lord.

For those who live in want: that Jesus the Bread of Life will be their sustenance, and that Christians may bring the justice and mercy of Christ to all those in need.  We pray to the Lord.

For all those who have died, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for all who have fought and died for our country’s freedom, and for [intention below], 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.

4th Sunday in OT 2018 - Practical Sanctity and Belonging fully to Christ

 This last Wednesday was the feast of one of my favorite saints, one of the great Doctors of the Church, St. Francis de Sales.

Francis de Sales was a bishop in France in the turbulent decades following the Protestant Reformation. At the age of 35, he was installed as bishop of Geneva, Switzerland, the epi-center of Protestant Calvinism. Through his persuasive preaching he saved many souls from the errors of Calvinism, winning many converts to the Catholic Church; yet at the same time his life was often threatened by hostile Calvinists.

To serve his flock, as Bishop, St. Francis de Sales became a prolific writer—his writings comprise 26 volumes.  Two of his books have become spiritual classics and continue to be published and read to this day: The Introduction to the Devout Life, and The Treatise on the Love of God, both books offering practical advice for Catholics living in the midst of the world who wish to pursue a life of sanctity. Either one would be perfect spiritual reading for Lent, which is approaching very quickly.

Also, ordinary folk would often write to Bishop Francis for spiritual guidance. Once, a young mother asked him, “Bishop I’m trying very hard to live a good life, to be holy. I’d like to get to Mass every day, but I can’t because I have these seven children who are driving me crazy.”  Francis de Sales wrote back to her and said “Madam, it’s not necessary that you go to Church every day; you become a Saint by being the best mother you can be.” 

I thought of Francis de Sales, one, because his feast was last week, but also, after hearing St. Paul’s words to the Corinthians this week: “An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. But a married man is anxious about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and he is divided. An unmarried woman or a virgin is anxious about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy in both body and spirit. A married woman, on the other hand, is anxious about the things of the world, how she may please her husband.”

St. Paul is in no way denigrating marriage here. He even says so. He says, “I tell you this not to impose a restraint”, in other words, I’m not telling you this so you don’t get married, but so that married and unmarried alike may seek to serve the Lord according to their own vocation. I think, St. Paul would very much agree with the advice St. Francis de Sales gave to that young mother. Madam, you are to become a saint…and your road to sanctity involves being the best wife and mother you can be.

St. Paul is showing the dual value of marriage and celibacy. Some members of the Church are called to celibacy “for the sake of the kingdom”, to be about the work of the Church with undivided devotion. I know so many priests and nuns and religious brothers whose lives are filled with joy and profound love for the Lord. They are not unhappy because they aren’t married. Celibate service to the Church is not an unhappy, lonely existence. It’s a profound immersion into the charitable life of the Church, and I think every young Catholic needs to discern if God might be calling you to some form of celibate service.

Celibate priests and religious serve as a sign to the whole Church that the Lord calls all of us to offer offer up the whole of our lives to God. I celebrated a wedding a few years ago on the Feast of St. Agnes, which is on January 21, another good January saint. And so for part of the wedding homily I told the story of saint agnes, who was a virgin martyr of Rome.

When Agnes was about thirteen years old, the son of the Roman governor became infatuated with her.  He asked for Agnes’ hand in marriage, but already at that young age, Agnes had given her heart to Christ—and consecrated herself to the Lord’s service.

The governor’s son became bitter and angry, he tempted her with priceless jewels, but she resisted.  He then threatened her, and told her that he would accuse her of being a Christian.  This meant that she would face death if she did not give in, since it was against the law to be a Christian. But, with her heart belonging to Christ, she boldly resisted him.  So, he accused her of practicing the Christian faith, and she was beheaded.

Pope Benedict, in a reflection on Saint Agnes, said, “Her martyrdom illustrates “the beauty of belonging to Christ without hesitation.” And here’s the lesson for young married couples and old married couples. For each of us, no matter our vocation, are called to belong to Christ without hesitation.

St. Paul, writing about these married and unmarried people recognizes that marriage is often a very difficult Christian vocation. So many of you here no doubt could relate. How hard it is to balance your faith obligations with your obligations to family. How hard it is to balance prayer with laundry and yard-work and changing diapers and teaching your children reading, writing, and arithmetic, and getting them to sports practice.

So again, St. Paul isn’t denigrating marriage here. The Church needs happy, healthy, holy marriages, where parents set good religious example for their children, teaching them to balance faith and worldly obligation. But it’s certainly an admonition isn’t it, a reminder, that amidst all the busy-ness of your temporal affairs, you need to ensure that you keep Christ at the center of it all. That you as spouse and parent seek to belong to Christ without hesitation.

To keep Christ at the center, he needs to be at the beginning and at the end. So, it’s important to begin your day with prayer and end your day with prayer, begin and end meals with prayer, begin and end car trips, and yardwork and housework.

Listen to this simple, practical prayer, composed by St. Francis de Sales. A wonderful prayer that you might consider beginning your day with: “My God, I give you this day. I offer you, now, all of the good that I shall do and I promise to accept, for love of you, all of the difficulty that I shall meet. Help me to conduct myself during this day in a manner pleasing to you. Amen.”

To offer God all the good that we shall do, means to remember God when you are driving to work so you can provide for your family, in folding the laundry, in putting the kids to bed, taking care of a sick spouse. It doesn’t necessarily mean going to mass every day, though, if you can, you should. But it certainly means belonging to Christ in whatever you do, thinking with his mind, loving with his heart, becoming the best mother, the best father, the best spouse, the best student, the best nun, the best priest you can be, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Sept 26 2017 - Saints Cosmas and Damian - Offering the hours of the day to God

Saints Cosmas and Damien were twin brothers, born in the middle of the 3rd century. They both studied medicine in what is now modern-day Syria. They practiced their medical profession with not only great skill but great charity, offering their services for free to those who could not pay. They are the patron saints of physicians.

Since they were so prominent in the community, when the persecution of Diocletian swept through around the year 303, they were put to death, refusing to apostatize the faith.

As holy Christians and holy doctors, they remind us how important it is to offer the whole of our lives to the service of the Church. If we are doctors, to use our medical training for Christ, if we our lawyers, do use our legal expertise for Christ, if we are retirees, to use our time for Christ.

Many make use of their professional training and their time to make a name for themselves instead of service for Christ. The time we’ve been given is meant for our sanctification: whether we are a day- laborer or an expert in our field. As St. Paul says, “In whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

How we use our time matters for eternity. Christians are to be diligent, they should seek excellence in their work and true refreshment in their leisure, they should pursue virtue and the perfection of their character, subjecting every hour of the day to the Lord’s glory.

Whether we are spending 8 or 10 hours in the office, or able to spend warm autumn days in the garden, or sitting in the doctor’s waiting room, it’s not a bad idea to call to mind every hour our Christian identity, to dedicate that hour to God’s will over our own, to ask God to bless that hour for his purposes.

When our day is continually offered to God, the events of our day, even the hardships, can become opportunities for meeting Christ. We meet him in our labors, others can meet him, through us, because we have offered our hearts and minds and our diligence to Him.

As the Jews, in our first reading, returned from exile, rebuild the Temple to be a house for God to dwell, may the saints help us to build our lives, our bodies, minds, hearts and sufferings into a Temple where God is worshipped, adored, and served, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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Through the intercession of Saints Cosmas and Damien, we pray that all doctors, nurses, medical professionals and health care workers may use their training for God’s glory, always respecting the dignity of every human life.
For an end to all medical techniques which violate human dignity, for an end to abortion, euthanasia, IVF, and the destruction of human embryos.
That the dignity of works may be respected by their employers and by the state, and for the unemployed and underemployed.
For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of September: “That our parishes, animated by a missionary spirit, may be places where faith is communicated and charity is seen.” We pray to the Lord.
For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster and inclement weather, especially the people of Houston Texas, those who suffer from war, violence, and terrorism, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, and the imprisoned, for those who struggle to live the call of Christian chastity, for the comfort of the dying and the consolation of their families.
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.
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.

Labor Day 2017 - Work and Cultivation

It is quite fitting to read from the book of Genesis on Labor Day. For the first two chapters of Genesis reveal much about the labors of God, and our call to labor.

In Genesis chapter 1, God the Creator is shown to be quite different from the gods of the pagans. Unlike the greek gods who lay in luxury on Mt. Olympus, aloof from the toils of man, the One True God is shown to be a worker, more like a farmer or a gardener than an apathetic aristocrat. The Creator is intimately involved in His creation, getting his hands dirty to bring about his salvific plan. By creating man and woman in His own divine image, men and women, too are to be workers—filling the earth, subduing it.

The vocation to work is repeated and developed in Genesis chapter 2, which we heard today. The man is told not simply to care for the earth but to cultivate it and to make it fruitful.

Work is often seen as a necessary evil: we must work if we wish to eat. But there is intrinsic value to work. Pope Francis wrote recently how “Work should be the setting for rich personal growth, where many aspects of life enter into play: creativity, planning for the future, developing our talents, living out our values, relating to others, giving glory to God.”

To live a fruitful life man must work at developing himself, his mind, his virtues. Scripture is quite severe about the sluggard, the idle person who neither helps himself or his fellow man, and also quite encouraging of hard work, the skillful application of one’s strengths. The Bible is full of admiration for artistic endeavors.

In the Gospel today, those who use the talents given to them by their master are praised by the Lord, and those who squander them and hide them, are condemned.

This Labor Day is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on how you have used your talents for the glory of God and for betterment of your family and fellow man, to perhaps repent of those times when talent has gone squandered, and also to listen to the voice of inspiration. What new project might God be calling you to, in order to develop some dormant aspect of your personality. How might God be calling you to deepen your relationships with your coworkers, perhaps a bible study over lunch once a week.

As we prayed in our Psalm today, may the Lord grant success to the work of our hands, and in all things, in all pursuits, in all our labors help us to serve Him, for the cultivation of the earth, for the building up of His kingdom, for the glory of God and salvation.

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For Bishop Nelson Perez, as he begins to take up his new work as Bishop of the diocese of Cleveland, that his labors may bear fruit for the kingdom. We pray to the Lord.

That those in civil authority will dedicate themselves to justice, peace, and the generous defense of the poor, the elderly, and the unborn. We pray to the Lord.

For all those who labor and for those seeking employment, and that Christian workers may be signs of hope and give courageous testimony to the Gospel of Christ. We pray to the Lord.

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of September: “That our parishes, animated by a missionary spirit, may be places where faith is communicated and charity is seen.” We pray to the Lord.

For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster and inclement weather, especially the people of Houston Texas, those who suffer from war, violence, and terrorism, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, and the imprisoned, for those who struggle to live the call of Christian chastity, for the comfort of the dying and the consolation of their families.

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.
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.

May 15 2017 - St. Isidore the Farmer - Rich in the treasures of the Spirit

Today we celebrate the memorial of St. Isidore the farmer. Isidore's parents were very religious and would have liked to provide their son with a first rate education, but since they were tenant farmers, they couldn’t afford it. So Isidore, too, would spend his life in the same occupation, working for the same rich landowner in Madrid all his life.  Isidore married a woman who was rich in virtue, but from a family as poor as his own.

One day, their son fell down a well, and they feared the worst. But, trusting in God they prayed for his safe return, and water in the well began to rise, and the boy was able to escape. Out of gratitude to God, from that day on, Isidore and his wife practiced perfect continence after the example of Mary and Joseph of the Holy Family.

Isidore would rise early every morning to go to Mass, he had a strong devotion to Mary, the saints, and would call upon his Guardian Angel to help him in his work. Coworkers sometimes complained he was late because of lingering in Church. One day his employer went out into the field and accused Isidore of neglecting the farm and Isidore replied, "I know, sir, that I am your servant but I have another Master as well, to Whom I owe service and obedience." Another time, the employer saw two strangers plowing for Isidore with a team of Oxen and realized they were angels who were helping Isidore make up work missed while at Mass.

Once, his parish was hosting a dinner. Isidore arrived with a group of beggars he had invited to the meal, and his fellow parishioners were upset with him, fearing there wasn’t going to be enough food. But the more they filled their plates the more there was for everyone else. To which Isidore replied, “there is always enough for the poor of Jesus”.

Isidore died on this date, May 15 in the year 1130. 40 years later, his remains, which had been buried in extremely wet ground were found incorrupt when they were exhumed and brought to the church of St. Andrew in Seville for veneration. The miracles surrounding his relics have been countless: heavenly music has been heard on the wind, he has appeared to protect Seville in times of danger, and has brought about healing miracles. Isidore is patron saint of farmers and of the United States National Catholic Rural Life Conference.

Isidore reminds us that sanctity can be achieved by all: the simple laborer, by putting Christ first, by devotion to the blessed mother and the saints, devout participation at holy mass, visits to the blessed sacrament chapel. Great sanctity doesn’t stem from status or even higher education, these things, in fact, can even become obstacles to sanctity.

Rather, simplicity and faith can bring about the flourishing of the human soul, the blooming of charity, and affluence in the riches of the spirit, for the Glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For Catholics in all walks of life, that we may achieve sanctity through our daily labors in service of the Lord.

For farmers, day laborers, and those who work by the sweat of their brow, that they may receive a just reward for their laborers, and for the unemployed and underemployed.

That spouses may help each other to grow rich in the treasures of heaven, and all those preparing for Holy Matrimony may do so rightly and chastely in the eyes of God.

That all families may seek to model themselves after the Holy Family and always know their guidance and protection.

For the sick, the suffering, the lonely, and the dying, that they may know the consolation of the grace of God.

For the deceased members of our family, friends, and parish, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, and for all those who have fought and died for our nation’s freedom.

May 01 2017 - St. Joseph the Worker - Work without grumbling

I bet if I were to take a poll, every single one of us at some time have “grumbled” through our work. We’ve been asked by a parent or by an employer to do some chore or job that we didn’t want to do, (cleaning your room, shoveling the snow from the driveway, mowing the lawn, removing the dog droppings from the yard), and we’ve found ourselves grumbling, complaining, moaning, griping, throughout the chore; perhaps we even protested, raising some objection of why we shouldn’t have to do the work.

In his letter to the Philippians, St. Paul says, “Do everything without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world”.

Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker. He is known as a worker, for one because we know his trade, he was a carpenter, and he worked as a carpenter to provide for the Holy Family. He is also a worker because he cooperated with the work God did to save our souls.

As a worker, in both our common labors and our labor for souls, St. Joseph gives us all an example. In the Scriptures, we never see him complaining or grumbling or protesting the work God calls him to, like so many of us do so often. In fact, in the scriptures St. Joseph barely says a word. And that is a good example for all of us. When we are called to do some difficult work, it is good to keep quiet.

St. Joseph teaches us HOW we should work. As we do our chores or household jobs, instead of grumbling, we should pray, we should keep our minds fixed on Jesus, fixed on all that he suffered that we may have eternal life, fixed on the example of the saints, fixed on the holy truths of our faith.

For his work, St. Joseph shines, like St. Paul says, as a light for the world. And when we do the work God calls us to, so do we. This also reminds us that we should never ask others to do for us, what we should do for ourselves. That’s laziness. Every time we don’t do what we should do, our souls weaken a bit, the light in our souls darkens. It’s not wrong to ask for help when it is needed, but we shouldn’t be lazy.

May St. Joseph the Worker continue to teach us to be free from the sort of laziness and selfishness which dims the light of God in our souls and help us to labor always and everywhere for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: Labor Day 2016 - "Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it"

The U.S. civil holiday of Labor Day gives us the opportunity to consider the Catholic Vision of human work.

In 1981, Pope John Paul II issued an encyclical titled “Laborem Exercens”—On Human Labor.  “Laborem Exercens” is just one encyclical in the long line of Catholic Social Teaching by our Popes in modern times. Pope Francis referred to “Laborem Exercens” in his own most recent encyclical “Laudato Si” (LS 124).

Both Saint Pope John Paul and Pope Francis call us to consider God’s plan for humankind revealed all the way back in the book of Genesis. In fact, the very first words of God to mankind are a command to work: “be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it.” 

Notice how human labor precedes original sin. We don’t engage in work because we’ve sinned, as a sort of punishment. Laboring, cultivating the land, gathering the fruits of nature, working is part of our original dignity. Working with God to bring the best out of creation is part of God’s original plan—we are Co-laborers with God—who himself is the original worker, the shaper of the universe, the bringer of life, a Gardner. Good holy work therefore honors God. Work honors the Creator’s gifts and the talents received from him (CCC 2427).

Because of sin, however, work can sometimes appear like a cross—involving suffering, sweat, and pain. But we know, because of Christ, crosses are transformed into instruments of redemption. Through Christ’s labor of love we are redeemed. And so even sweaty, painful work, perhaps even imposed upon us unjustly, can be transformed in Christ, for a sanctifying and redemptive end. Painful crosses united to Christ can bring about great grace for ourselves and others.

We also recall today that we work not just to benefit ourselves but also to contribute to the good of everyone. The purpose of work isn’t just to collect enough paychecks so we can retreat to an island paradise in a life of opulent luxury, so we can separate from our neighbor. All of our gifts, talents, abilities, and earthly treasures are to be at the service of God and our fellow man.

May this Labor Day be a time of rest for workers, but also a time of reflection, that workers can ensure that their priorities are in check, that they are serving God rather than themselves, that they are a positive example of Christian virtue to their fellow workers in their speech and in their deeds.  May all of our workers be strengthened in Spirit this day, for the Glory of God and Salvation of souls. +++

For blessings on Christ’s Church: for all bishops, for guidance in faith and morality, for sanctification. We pray to the Lord.

That those in civil authority will dedicate themselves to justice, peace, and the generous defense of the poor, the elderly, and the unborn. We pray to the Lord.

For all those who labor and for those seeking employment, and that Christian workers may be signs of hope and give courageous testimony to the Gospel of Christ. We pray to the Lord.