May 13 2025 - Our Lady of Fatima - Pray, do penance, seek conversion

 

Between May 13 and October 13, 1917, three Portuguese children received apparitions of Our Lady, near Fatima, a city 110 miles north of Lisbon.  The Blessed Virgin asked the children to pray the rosary for world peace, for the end of World War I, for sinners and for the conversion of atheistic Russia.  

Many have heard of the three secrets of Fatima which Our Lady imparted to the shepherd children, and those secrets have been interpreted in a variety of ways over the last century. Whatever the meaning of these three Fatima secrets, the central meaning of the message of Fatima is no different from what the Church has always taught: as Pope Benedict the XVI put it, the message of Fatima is “the exhortation to prayer as the path of “salvation for souls” and, likewise, the summons to penance and conversion.”

Prayer, penance, and conversion. During the Easter season we consider how each of us are called to engage in the mission of the Church, and no doubt the message of Fatima gives us some insight into what that personal engagement looks like. Prayer, penance, and conversion. We are to pray for the salvation of souls, particularly the rosary. We are to do penance for the salvation of souls—as we do during the season of Lent, all year round there needs to be some penance done by each of us. And conversion—each of us are to seek personal conversion of sin—for a holy soul is a magnetic soul, a soul which draws others to Christ.

Many have felt Fatima to be a sort of wake-up call from our Mother Mary, to recommit to the Gospel in order to avoid unnecessary evil and suffering. Sadly, we’ve seen Our Lady’s message ignored—atheism, hedonism, violence, ignorance of Christ have spread not just in Russia but in our corner of the world, in our neighborhood. 

And yet, we take solace in what is perhaps the most well-known utterance of Fatima, in which Our Lady promised that no matter what, in the end, her “Immaculate Heart will triumph”. Pope Benedict interpreted this utterance as follows: “The Heart open to God, purified by contemplation of God, is stronger than guns and weapons of every kind. The fiat of Mary, the word of her heart, has changed the history of the world, because it brought the Savior into the world—because, thanks to her Yes, God could become man in our world and remains so for all time. The Evil One has power in this world, as we see and experience continually; he has power because our freedom continually lets itself be led away from God. But since God himself took a human heart and has thus steered human freedom towards what is good, the freedom to choose evil no longer has the last word.”

With the help of Our Lady may we be faithful, as we prayed in the opening prayer, to persevere in penance and prayer for the salvation of the world, that we may further more effectively each day the reign of Christ.” For the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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Trusting in the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and inspired by her call to prayer, penance, and conversion, we bring our prayers before the Lord:

For the holy Church of God, that she may always heed Our Lady’s message of Fatima by proclaiming and living out the call to prayer, penance, and conversion with renewed fervor,

For peace in our world, that through the intercession of Our Lady of Fatima, hatred may give way to reconciliation, violence to justice, and war to enduring peace,

For the conversion of sinners and the renewal of faith in our world, especially in places darkened by atheism, hedonism, and indifference to Christ,

For those who suffer, especially the poor, the persecuted, and the forgotten, that they may know the comfort of Mary’s maternal heart and the strength of her Son’s redeeming love, 

For the dead, that they may be received into the glory of heaven where Mary reigns as Queen

O God, who chose the Blessed Virgin Mary to bring your Son into the world, hear our prayers and strengthen us in faith, hope, and charity, that we may one day share in the triumph of her Immaculate Heart. Through Christ our Lord.

5th Sunday of Lent 2025 - (Year C) - "Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more"

 

This week we celebrate the last Sunday of Lent prior to Palm Sunday next week which begins Holy Week.

And our Scripture readings today raise some pretty important concepts as we prepare for the week called Holy, our Gospel particularly: the dramatic scene of Jesus and the Scribes and Pharisees who have brought before him a woman caught in the act of adultery.

Firstly, notice the peculiar nature of this scenario. The woman was supposedly "caught in the very act of adultery." But adultery, by its nature, involves two people. Where, then, is the man involved? The law of Moses clearly required both parties to be held accountable. Leviticus 20:10 says, “If a man commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death.”

Yet the Pharisees have conveniently omitted one party. From the outset, it is clear that their concern is not for justice or the enforcement of God’s law, but manipulation. They are using this woman as a pawn in their effort to trap Jesus.

In asking him how he would deal with her, they try to trap Jesus between two codes of law: the Roman Law and the Jewish Law. If Jesus says, "Stone her," he violates Roman law, since only the Roman authorities held the power to sentence someone to death. Such an action would immediately label him a rebel and enemy of the Empire. On the other hand, if Jesus says, "Let her go," he openly defies the Law of Moses, discrediting himself among devout Jews as one who disregards sacred law.

This scene foreshadows an event during Jesus’ passion. After he is arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane , the Jewish leaders will admit before Pontius Pilate, "We have no authority to put a man to death." They conspire to force the Roman authority to sentence Jesus to death.

In today’s case, though, Jesus masterfully turns the trap back upon the scribes and pharisees. His response: "Let the one among you who is without sin cast the first stone." Jesus puts the responsibility for the woman’s execution squarely on the shoulders of those who accuse her.

So Jesus has turned the tables: if THEY throw stones, they will be arrested by the Romans. If they don’t, they will appear to be claiming publicly to be sinless, which denies numerous scripture passages that remind us that before God, all men have sinned.

With their hypocrisy exposed, they are compelled to walk away. And with no accusers left, no legal plaintiffs remaining, the case collapses entirely.

At this point, Jesus turns to the woman with profound mercy, yet also clear, unwavering moral authority: "Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more."

Jesus’ words call the woman to repentance and a new way of life initiated by his mercy. Notice, he doesn’t explain away her sin. He doesn’t relax the very clear biblical teaching that adultery is gravely sinful. He is neither indulgent nor permissive toward sin. Yet, simultaneously, he exhibits mercy. “I do not condemn you”

And here is a great paradox that lies at the heart of the Christian way. Jesus’ absolute moral clarity about sin—“go and sin no more”--is matched by an equally absolute willingness to forgive—“neither do I condemn you”.

He doesn’t say, “Well, your circumstances were hard,” or “Who am I to judge?” No—Jesus names sin as sin. The command, “Go and sin no more,” presumes that real moral boundaries exist and that breaking them wounds not only ourselves, but others and our relationship with God.

Jesus is clear about sin and calling us away from sin because he loves us. God desires not the death of the sinner, but that the sinner might live. Jesus is not a therapist who validates our decisions. He is a savior who works to free us from sin. He intervenes and seeks to stop the cycles of sin in our lives by calling us to sin no more.

“Let him who is without sin cast the first stone”. Jesus, if anyone, could have stoned her. For he is like us in all things but sin. But he doesn’t cast the stone, rather, he calls her to change, to repent, to metanoia—change your life, change your habits, turn away from sin and walk in the newness of life. He doesn’t belittle her. He speaks the truth that invites her to a new way of life. He calls to conversion and he is merciful—fully both, never one at the expense of the other.

Nowhere is this truth more fully revealed than in the Passion we are about to commemorate during Holy Week. On the Cross, Jesus doesn’t minimize sin—“Continue on in your sin, I’m just going to forgive you anyway.” He bears its full weight. And in doing so, He opens the gates of mercy to all. At the Cross, God’s justice and mercy meet.

At this point in Lent, perhaps we ourselves feel a bit like the woman in today’s Gospel. Maybe our Lenten practices have faltered, or perhaps we have even abandoned them altogether. We might feel ashamed or discouraged at our failures or shortcomings. Perhaps we have old sins that have still gone unconfessed. Yet, today, Jesus reassures us clearly: forgiveness is offered, a new beginning. Just as he did with the woman, Christ invites each to begin again, to recommit ourselves wholeheartedly to pursuing holiness in response to his merciful love.

So let us approach these final weeks of Lent with renewed resolve, embracing the fullness of Our Lord’s teaching,  committing ourselves anew to holiness, motivated not by fear or guilt, but by love—knowing deeply and confidently the inexhaustible mercy of Jesus, who continues to whisper gently but firmly to each one of us today: "Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more" for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

 

September 21 2021 - St. Matthew - I desire mercy, not sacrifice

 

When the Pharisees ask his disciples why the Lord eats with tax collectors and sinners, Jesus tells the Pharisees to go and learn the meaning of the passage, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” Let’s dwell on that. 

What’s so special about that line from the prophet Hosea? How does it explain the Lord’s behavior?

Hosea had been sent as God’s prophet to the Northern Kingdom during its final days. Although the North was experiencing economic prosperity and growth, on the inside it had grown corrupt, morally decrepit, and adulterous. The problem wasn’t just leadership, either.  As a people, the Israelites had also broken their covenant with God. Not only had they given themselves over to idolatry, Hosea writes that they had also “plowed wickedness,” “reaped injustice,” “eaten the fruit of lies,” and trusted in their own ways (Hosea 10:13). They had turned to other gods for answers (Hosea 4:12) and other nations for assistance instead of God (Hosea 7:11). 

Yet, they continued to offer sacrifice to God in the Temple. It was like they wanted it both ways. They thought they could maintain right relationship with God through the offering of Temple Sacrifices while also maintaining a corrupt, idolatrous, adulterous lifestyle. 

“I desire mercy, not sacrifice” is a call to interior conversion, and that is being offered to all people. Jesus is eating with tax collectors and sinners because he is drawing near to all people, announcing that God’s mercy is readily available to them, if they turn away from their sins, and endeavor to love God with their whole heart, mind, soul, and strength, through Him. 

“I desire mercy, not sacrifice”, I’ve come for those who recognize themselves as sinners in need of mercy, in need of forgiveness, in need of transformation, not those who think themselves perfect, or who can make themselves perfect through simple human efforts.

Man cannot be in right relationship with God just because he offers the right sacrifices on the right days of the year. His life, his attitude toward his neighbor, including his fellow sinners, needs to be animated by true, authentic, love. Most of the pharisees reject the Lord’s teaching here, refusing to understand and heed his words, and they will remain “white-washed tombs” as the Lord calls them.

But Matthew, the tax collector, whose feast we celebrate today, heads the Lord’s call, his invitation to new life, to mercy. May we do the same, for the glory of God and salvation of souls. 

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That the members of the Church may seek every deeper union with the Lord through humble repentance of sin. Let us pray to the Lord.

For all those trapped in cycles of sin or addiction, that they may heed the Lord’s invitation to forgiveness and freedom.

For an end to indifference to God and human dignity in our government and educational institutions, businesses, and personal attitudes.

During this month of September, dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, we pray for all those who grieve, and that we may grieve sufficiently for our sins.

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

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.

22nd Week of Ordinary Time 2021 - Monday - When prejudices are challenged

 During Ordinary Time, we read on weekdays from the three Synoptic Gospels: first the Gospel of Mark for the first 10 weeks of Ordinary Time, then from Matthew for a good chunk of the year, and finally from St. Luke, which we begin today, on this Monday of the 22nd week of Ordinary Time. Notice, though, we begin a few chapters into Luke’s Gospel, skipping the infancy narratives and commencing with the beginning of the Lord’s public ministry around the age of 30, after his baptism and time in the Galilean desert. Filled with the Spirit, the Lord returns to his hometown, where he is rejected.

There in the synagogue of Nazareth, the Lord explains how the time is at hand for the Messiah to begin ushering in the new ear of human history, which the poor and downtrodden of God’s people will be raised up; the new and ultimate era of human history, where God’s people will radiate God’s glory to all nations is about to begin.

Initially, the Lord’s words are met with approval, but then when does it turn from approval to rejection? The Lord begins to explain that not only the Jews will be included in God’s kingdom, but Gentiles, like Naaman the Syrian and the widow of Zarephath as well. And this inclusion of the Gentiles filled with people of Nazareth with fury.

Their fury is something of a surprise because there were plenty of Old Testament texts that promised that the Gentiles would be included in God’s plan of salvation, and even that Israel’s restoration would occur with the help of Gentiles. Why were they so furious at this? Why did approval turn to rejection, in fact, an attempt to murder the messenger? 

Perhaps, it was due to Roman’s occupation of Israel at the time. Gentiles were the oppressor. In the not too distant past, Gentiles like the Greeks imposed harsh restrictions on Jewish life. Whatever the reason, this episode is a sort of preview for the Lord’s public ministry as a whole.

Most people will approve of large portions of the Lord’s message. But the whole message, especially the parts of the message that challenge my prejudices, that’s another story. The parts of the message that challenge me to change, the parts of the message that are critical of my vices and errors and biases, the parts of the message that call me to conversion, the parts of the message that claim our enemies aren’t as bad as we make them out to be,  we must be careful not to reject because we find them difficult. For to reject the message, we reject Him, and treat him like the citizens of Nazareth, running him out of town, ready to hurl him over a cliff.

Today and always may we accept and heed the whole Gospel, the whole Christ, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For the flourishing of spiritual gifts in the universal Church and our parish, for the sanctification of our parishioners, the conversion of the faithless, and the grace to be not just hearers of the word but doers of the word..  

For an end to indifference to the Gospel, to God and human dignity in our government & educational institutions, businesses, and personal attitudes.

For resolution to the atrocities in Afghanistan, for the safety of innocent bystanders, for captive Christians, and for an end to all terrorism, for those effected by hurricane Ida, and for those experiencing any kind of hardship or sorrow, isolation, addiction, or disease: may they know God’s deliverance, strength and peace 

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.