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

 

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

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

What’s going on here?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

August 6 2024 - Transfiguration and the Cross

 Today, August 6, is the feast of the transfiguration of the Lord. But why August 6? No where in scripture are there any hints regarding the date Jesus was transfigured.

This liturgical feast is not quite as ancient as others. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, was adopted in the liturgy in about the tenth century in many dioceses, and was celebrated mostly on 6 August. In 1456, Pope Callixtus III extended the feast to the Universal Church in memory of a victory over the Ottoman Turks in Belgrade on August 6, 1456.

Many have noted that August 6 is 40 days prior to the feast of the Exultation of the Cross, which is a much older feast, going back to Constantine’s dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem in 335. 

And that explanation makes sense to me, as there is a very strong theological connection between the transfiguration and the cross. 

The Transfiguration occurs in Luke’s Gospel directly after Christ calls His followers to pick up their Cross and follow Him: “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it.”

In St. Luke’s account of the Transfiguration, Jesus speaks with Moses and Elijah about the exodus—the deliverance—that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem, namely his saving death on the cross. 

The Transfiguration cannot really be understood apart from the cross. The liturgy itself makes this connection. In the Eucharistic preface, we will hear that Jesus “revealed his glory in the presence of chosen witnesses and filled with the greatest splendor his bodily form which he shares with all humanity, that the scandal of the Cross might be removed from the hearts of his disciples”.

Not long after the Transfiguration, Christ and His Apostles had to leave the mountain in order to endure the Cross. But he provided this glimpse of glory as a consolation, to strengthen them, for the dark road ahead. 

Likewise, God provides us with beautiful consolations—even the ability to come into a beautiful church like this every week—or every day if we want—is a consolation that strengthens us. We climb the summit of the altar—to be consoled with bread from heaven—so that we might have the strength to bear our own crosses, which again, the Lord teaches us, that each of us must take up our crosses daily, or we will lose the life God desires for us.

In our sufferings, challenges, crosses, temptations and trials of faith may the hope of glory, the hope of heavenly life, sustain us, that we may merit to become coheirs with the beloved Son of the Father, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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For the Church, that she may always be a beacon of Christ's light in the world, illuminating the path of faith for all believers. Let us pray to the Lord.

For all Christians, that we may have the courage to take up our crosses daily, inspired by the glimpse of glory revealed in Christ's Transfiguration. Let us pray to the Lord.

For our parish community, that our participation in the Eucharist may transfigure us, giving us the strength to bear witness to Christ in our daily lives. Let us pray to the Lord.

For those facing trials and sufferings, that they may find strength and consolation in the promise of Christ's glory, just as the apostles were strengthened for the journey ahead. Let us pray to the Lord.

For those who have died, that they may share in the fullness of Christ's glory in heaven, which was glimpsed on Mount Tabor, especially N, for whom this mass is offered. Let us pray to the Lord.

For our personal intentions, that we may offer them to God with trust, knowing that He who was transfigured before His disciples hears our prayers. (Pause for silent prayer) Let us pray to the Lord.

Heavenly Father, You revealed the glory of Your Son on Mount Tabor, strengthening the disciples for the journey ahead. As we bring these petitions before You, transfigure our hearts with Your grace, that we may faithfully bear our crosses and reflect Your light in the world.

1st Week of Advent 2022 - Friday - Afflict the comfortable, comfort the afflicted

 I got a call from a local newspaper once. A brother priest, who is also a dear friend, had been named pastor of one of our diocesan parishes. The local neighborhood newspaper was doing a story on the new pastor, and so they called up some of the priests who knew him. I was asked some basic questions: how I knew him and so on, and then was asked why I thought Father would be a good pastor. And I said Father is a lot like the prophet Isaiah, and even Jesus himself, he believes in comforting the afflicted, and afflicting the comfortable.

Isaiah is read throughout Advent, and this is an important principle to keep in mind. Isaiah afflicts the comfortable—a lot. He seeks to awaken Israel out of her complacency, her faithlessness, her sin, her alliance with pagan nations and worshipping of their pagan gods and following their perverse and pagan ways. The first 39 chapters of the book of Isaiah are called the Book of Woes, in which Isaiah warns Israel, challenges Israel, about their falling away from God’s covenant. In the book of Woes, Isaiah foretells the devastation that will befall Israel, Jerusalem, and the Temple, if God’s people fail to repent repent. He afflicts the comfortable.

The last half of the book of Isaiah is called the Book of Consolation. In those last 25 chapters, Isaiah comforts the afflicted. He offers a message of consolation to those Jews who had been taken off into Babylonian Captivity. Yes, there was a nation-wide failure to repent, and destruction had come. But even then, Isaiah consoles, communicating that God had not turned his back on his people, even though they had turned their backs on Him.

In today’s passage, Isaiah has just delivered a word of warning to those he describes as spiritually drunk. Through unfaithfulness, God’s people had become so stupefied to God’s word, they were blind and deaf to God. 

But immediately after his word of affliction to the comfortable, Isaiah offers a word of hope, speaking of the day of the coming of the Messiah. Isaiah says On that day the deaf shall hear; And out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see. The lowly will ever find joy in the LORD, and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah offers his prophetic message of comfort and affliction to a nation, but we can also consider his message to us. Every individual needs to be stirred up a bit, each of us has become complacent, a bit. And we also find ourselves afflicted with suffering that we did cause. And in our affliction, God is present to us, offering us hope and strength and the promise that those who follow the Messiah, who allow Jesus the Savior to heal their blindness, as he does in the Gospel today, will be ultimately delivered from earthly suffering His new heaven and new earth. 

In our Advent pilgrimage, may we take the message of the prophets to heart, to till the soil of our hardened hearts and the salve of God’s healing and comfort to our wounded hearts, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

As we await with longing the Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, we raise up our prayers of petitions.

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

That Christ may fill the Pope, our Bishop, and all the clergy with spiritual gifts and graces.

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

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

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

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

Easter Week 2021 - Monday (EF) - Remain with us, Lord!

 Having encountered the risen Lord on the Road to Emmaus, the two disciple offer that beautiful supplication, “Mane nobiscum”, “Stay with us Lord.” The Carmelite Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen writes, “Stay with us Lord! It is the cry of the soul who has found its God and never again wishes to be separated from Him.” 

The Lord’s appearance on the road was mysterious. The disciples did not immediately perceive him—and for a number of reasons that we can surmise: the lack of understanding concerning his resurrection, their lack of faith that good Friday did not end in defeat, their fear about their own future. 

So too with us. Certainly our weak faith, our fears and anxieties, often keep us from detecting the presence of the Lord. Theologically, we know that God dwells within the soul in a state of grace, and our that the Lord is really and truly present in the Eucharist. The request, “stay with us, Lord” has been answered by God—through sanctifying grace and the gift of the Sacraments. We know this to be true, theologically, intellectually. And yet, we also know there is a difference between knowing something in our heads, and knowing it in our hearts. 

Likely, it is more up to God than our own efforts that the veil of that heart knowledge of the His presence is made known. But when that veil is pulled back, oh boy, we cry out with the disciples, “stay with us”. 

And yet, we know too, that those moments of profound intimate heart knowledge of God are often fleeting, for they are but a foretaste of heaven. God grants these holy moments, these spiritual consolations, to spurn us on in the Christian life. And we do well to recall them in moments of temptation and desolation.

We also do well to dispose our souls to the gift of heavenly consolation, through prayer and charitable works.

In an article for the Universe Bulletin, dear departed Bishop Lennon wrote a powerful description of this powerful spiritual dynamic. He wrote: “ when our life is centered on a false God of prosperity, prestige, or mere pursuit of the good life—one will likely reap a harvest of exhaustion and unhappiness.  But, the person and family, who places Christ at the center of life, including God in  their weekly schedules and activities, meals, chores, conversations, parenting, work, vacations, civic responsibilities, decisions, problems, crises, accomplishments, losses—the whole of their lives become changed and charged with God’s presence.”

Having broke bread with the Lord, the disciples of Emmaus “set out immediately” in order to report what they had seen. The Christian whose life is charged and changed by the Risen Lord becomes an effective instrument of bringing souls to Christ. There are many souls who have not met the Lord, who long to meet him, and often it’s in sharing our encounters with the Lord that will touch them and draw them closer to Him.

May our Easter celebrations help us to put and keep the Lord at the center of our lives, and share our Easter faith with the world, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

2nd Sunday of Lent 2021 - Tests of Faith

 
From the moment we are introduced to the character of Abraham in the book of Genesis, his faith is constantly being tested by God.  

The very first time in Scripture God speaks to Abraham, God gives Abraham a test, and a serious one.  God tells Abraham: Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and your father's house to a land that I will show you. “Leave your home, leave your father and kinsfolk, leave everything you have ever known…trust me, I’ll let you know where you are going when you get there.”

That would test anyone’s faith. But I think it’s a pretty relatable one. Because each one of us are asked by God to go to strange people in unknown places. It’s that feeling or sense we get that there is something we should do that is outside of our comfort zone. My neighbor just lost her husband, should I go and comfort her, should I shovel her driveway, volunteer to get her groceries? Or…for the season of Lent…well I allow God to take me deeper this Lent in prayer? Will I go to stations of the cross? Will I go to confession? Will I go to weekday Mass? Will I open up the bible more often or pickup the rosary beads? 

Authentic spiritual growth always involves a test of faith, trusting God to lead us to unknown places. I know that when I’ve failed to trust God, I’ve always been a little sadder for it.

Another test came when Abraham was traveling through the countryside with his nephew, Lot.  The two men were shepherds. And over time their flocks grew larger and larger.  It became clear that the land could not support both flocks of Abraham and Lot. So, Abraham gave Lot a choice.  The whole countryside is open to you. Take your choice of any section of the land you want. If you want the land to the left, then I’ll take the land on the right. If you prefer the land on the right, then I’ll go to the left.

Lot took a long look at the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley. The whole area was well watered, it was ideal for raising a flock.  So, Lot chose for himself the fertile plans of the Jordan leaving to Abraham the land to the west, the rocky, hard, land of Canaan. Canaan was clearly less desirable, especially since, at the time, it was filled with wicked people who would likely terrorize Abraham and steal his sheep.  

This was a test, too.  Would Abraham trust God, even when it seemed like he was receiving an unfair settlement.  It's hard to trust God normally, even harder when there might be some suffering involved or when we have a temptation to tip the scale in our own favor. 

There are about twelve such tests of Abraham in the book of Genesis—the most popular and most difficult test we heard today.  God had promised Abraham numerous posterity—God said that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars, and now he commands Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac.  

Why did God test Abraham’s faith, anyway? Didn’t God know the outcome? Didn’t he know Abraham’s heart? Well, yes, of course. God knows all things. God doesn’t test us to make sure that we really love Him. He tests us because it is by that test, that our faith is fortified and strengthened. God tested Abraham’s faith to increase his faith, that he might become the father of a nation of faithful people.

So, too with us, a Christian who trusts God in small matters—who passes those small tests—is able to be used as God’s instrument in great matters. For example, St. Theresa the Little Flower trusted God in the small obediences of her life—she was obedient to her parents, she was obedient to her religious superiors, she undertook small sufferings and small acts of love for the good of souls, and because of it, she became a doctor of the Church to which millions of people look for guidance in their spiritual lives. 

A good priest friend of mine would often say, “everything prepares us for something else.”  Our little sufferings, those little tests of faith, prepare us, to help others in their trials and sufferings. Again, I think of our Lenten penances. We make these spiritual commitments, we undergo these little spiritual tests, and when we are faithful to them—there is spiritual growth--- something good comes out of our faithfulness to these commitments. We are strengthened in fortitude, we build up our spiritual muscles against the powers of temptation and fear. I am less afraid of suffering for the Gospel because I know what suffering is like, I’ve willingly undergone suffering for the kingdom. 

In the Gospel, we see Peter, James, and John, undergoing a little test of faith—they need to follow the Lord up the mountain. Because they trusted the Lord, they are given this glimpse of the Lord in his transfigured glory. And this prepares them for a bigger test of faith. No?

Soon after witnessing his glorious transfiguration, Peter, James, and John would see Our Lord arrested, beaten, mocked, scourged, crucified, and killed.  They would need to remember the glory of the transfiguration when they witnessed the horror of the cross. 

God uses those transfiguration moments of our lives to prepare us for when His glory is hard to see. St. Ignatius of Loyola called these transfiguration moments, “consolations in the spiritual life.” Hopefully, everyone here has had transfiguration moments in their lives, spiritual consolations: maybe at a beautiful mass, or your wedding, or on a really good retreat or Lenten mission, or kneeling in gratitude after a really good confession, or praying with other prayer warriors: in this powerful moments, like at the transfiguration, God’s goodness is palpable and undeniable. In those mountain top experiences of God, we might even respond like St. Peter today, bursting out “Lord it is good that we are here!”  These powerful experience of God’s closeness, inflame our hearts with love. 

But just like with the apostles, those transfiguration times prepare us for future trials, what St. Ignatius of Loyola called the times of desolation, the desert times, when God’s goodness and presence is hard or impossible to detect. In those times, faith is tested—the crucifixion is encountered—the prospect of suffering—the reality of evil is encountered,  but again, in order that we may grow spiritually and be prepared for God’s work out in the world.

Personally, I think I’m in a mountain top period right now: my Lenten spiritual reading and prayer is nourishing my soul, the burden of my Lenten penances is not particularly onerous, I made a good confession right before lent, I’ve been surprised at how moving praying our stations of the cross has been the last two weeks. 

When we are in the period of consolation, we saver it, we thank God for it—it’s a foretaste of heavenly glory, but always with the knowledge that the consolation is likely going to proceed a period of trial. 

In this trial times—those desolate times—we recall the consolations of the past to give us some strength, we recall that the Lord is testing our faith that it may grow, that we may become more effective instruments of his goodness. 

If you haven’t really gotten serious about Lenten prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, it’s not too late to make some good spiritual commitments. For our God is so good that the transfiguration can be experienced even in times, maybe, particularly in times of penance.

If you’ve already found yourself failing in these matters, it’s not to late to recommit to them. And there’s an experience of God’s goodness, too—in his mercy and his patience.

Through our Lenten observances, may the Lord continue to lead us deeper into the Paschal Mystery for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

5th Sunday of Easter 2020 - "Do not let your hearts be troubled"

“Do not let your hearts be troubled”. We do well to return to those words, over and over, for if there is anything that we are not really good at, as humans, it’s keeping our hearts from being troubled, when we face danger or uncertainty or change or very strong emotion, like grief or anger. “Do not let your hearts be troubled”, easier said than done.

But, our Lord uttered these words knowing a little something about the human heart, with its frailties and fickleness. After all, he is its author. Knowing our tendency to over think, to be anxious, to lose our cool, to become frightened and discouraged, our Lord commands us still: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”

It was on the night before his own death that he spoke these words to his apostles gathered for the Passover meal under some pretty strange circumstances. Jesus had already predicted that he would be killed because of his teachings and preaching of the Gospel. The apostles had already detected Jesus’ enemies conspiring against him. They knew that his mission would have consequences for him and for them, his closest followers. But now he spoke on the very night of his arrest, when he would be dragged before the high priest like the temple lamb being led to its slaughter.

They could no doubt sense something in the air. Perhaps they would be arrested like him, perhaps they would suffer like him, perhaps they would be put to death, as he predicted he would be. “Do not let your hearts be troubled” when you face the unknowable, the unthinkable. Do not let your hearts be trouble as you witness horror, when you see your world collapse, when those seemingly invincible earthly institutions begin to crumble, when security and health and mortality are threatened. “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” Ever. Custody of the heart is to be kept always.

Not an easy task. When your world begins spiraling out of control, when death takes a loved one, when you lose your job. When it just doesn’t seem like there is anything you can do, there is always at least one thing. There is a choice we can make when we face the great chaos. A choice, an act of the will, a decision.  We can keep our hearts from being troubled. Our Lord wouldn’t have made this command if it were impossible. And all things are possible with God, including this.

What is this trouble, the Lord is talking about? In St. John’s Greek…this word for trouble is the Greek word tarasso, which means physically agitated, disturbing the inner works of a thing by shaking it. When we are experiencing chaos, doesn’t it feel just like that, like our inner world is quaking and shaking apart. Our plans for the future, our understanding of how the world should work begins to fall apart?

The latin translation of this word also is interesting. St. Jerome used the word turbetur, which connotes an angry mob rioting. And the Lord is saying keep your heart from becoming like an angry, irrational mob, smashing what it does not understand. Keep your heart from shaking apart. Keep your heart from disquiet and dread, distress and doubt.

That the Lord assumes that we even have this power within us, is kind of surprising. But he knows we do, because again, he made us.

So how can we keep our hearts from trouble? What does this mean? This choice, this decision it doesn’t mean we ignore our troubles, ignore the chaos or injustice or the divisions in our church or in our families. Ignoring our problems is not the key to peace. Nor, does this mean playing some sort of psychological game of just looking on the bright side of things like naïve Pollyanna, hiding behind some invincible optimism or a pair of rose-colored glasses.

Nor does true inner peace come from imposing control on things outside ourselves. When we feel our life going out of control, sometimes we seek to impose control on others—nagging our family members—or giving in to addictions, things that we feel we can control, at least for a time.
Rather, to keep our hearts from trouble, or Lord says, have faith. Choose to have faith. “You have faith in God, have faith in me.” The Lord said.

Commenting on this passage, Augustine writes “Our Lord consoles His disciples, who, as men, would be naturally alarmed and troubled at the idea of His death, by assuring them of His divinity.” Faith that Jesus Christ is God, Chrysostom writes, “is more powerful than anything that shall come upon you; and can prevail in spite of all difficulties.”

Have faith, engage your faith, live your faith that Jesus is God. No matter what you are going through, put Jesus Christ, True God at the center of it. “For I am convinced,” writes St. Paul, “that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Faith that Jesus is God can conquer demons. This faith can move mountains. It grants us boldness and zeal when called upon to preach, it grants us fortitude when faced with temptation, it grants eternal perspective when faced with earthly ordeals. When you have true faith, when you have made Christ your cornerstone, your life becomes charged and changed by his presence. It grants the conviction that God’s plan is greater, and runs deeper, than our narrow perspectives.

So when you begin to experience any sort of trouble of heart, any temptation, dread or despair, recall that Jesus Christ is God—that He is victor over all sin and evil and death. And then consider what that truth impels you to do. I guarantee it never includes sitting around and worrying or overeating or numbing yourself with drugs or lashing out at a neighbor or conspiring against him.
May we exercise true faith today and all days, faith which keeps our hearts from all trouble, faith which impels us to work for the spread of the Gospel for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

2nd Week of Advent 2019 - Tuesday - True Consolation

The book of the Prophet Isaiah is divided into two parts. In the first 39 chapters of the book, Isaiah offers a series of warnings to Israel. Those early chapters are not devoid of many powerful promises of the age of the Messiah to come, but Isaiah predominate message is a warning to Israel--what will happen between now and then if they continue to fail to keep God’s covenant. So those first 39 chapters are often called “The Book of Woes” because Isaiah describes the woes that will befall Israel, Jerusalem, and the Temple, if they fail to repent.

Today’s reading, begins the second part of Isaiah. Fast forward a generation. There was a failure to repent, destruction did come to Jerusalem, just as Isaiah had foretold. The temple was destroyed, the Babylonians carried many off into exile.

Amidst the destruction and suffering and sadness and captivity, Isaiah offers a word of hope. God will come to the rescue of his people, as we heard today, sins will be forgiven, land will be restored, and God’s glory will be revealed through his people. So this last half of the book of Isaiah is often called the Book of Consolation because it speaks of comfort that will come to Israel through God’s intervention.

These passages have been interpreted by the Church fathers as an anticipation of the consolation that Christ will bring. The fifth century theologian Theodoret of Cyrus wrote, “The true consolation, balm and release from all human ills is the Incarnation of Christ.”

For in Christ the Lord God comes with power to shepherd his flock, through him guilt is expiated and sin is forgiven.

We cannot fathom what life would be like if Christ had not been born 2000 years ago. For we live with a constant consolation that God has forgiven our sins and that the glorious kingdom of God has begun to break into history. God’s glory can be seen already, though dimly, through his Church, in his saints. Because of the incarnation, we are able to say with St. Paul, death where is thy sting.

We repent of our sins in this life, and allow God to straighten the crooked paths in our lives, that God’s glory may be manifest in us ever more, that we may effective in preaching Christ to those who currently live hopeless lives, ignorant of the love God has for them.

May the good news of Christ’s advent bring about repentance in all hearts and hope to the hopeless for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the Holy Father, all bishops and priests, religious and laity may shine with the Light of Christ’s love for the lost and despairing.

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

For those who have fallen away from the Church, who have become separated from God through error and sin, for those who reject the teachings of Christ, for their conversion and the conversion of all hearts.

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

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

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

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

Homily: Monday - 33rd Week in OT 2016 - You are not alone

What a fitting way to end the liturgical year! For the next two weeks, our daily readings are taken from the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament. Revelation has certainly captured the imagination of our culture in books and movies—stories about the end times, the rapture, the second coming, the antichrist, the war between the angels and demons. 

One of the reasons I hosted a 10 week bible study this fall on the Book of Revelation was to set the record straight: our knowledge of God’s word shouldn’t come from Hollywood, but from the Word of God itself.

Back in 2006, Pope Benedict made some comments about this book, he said: “The apostle John’s objective in writing the book of Revelation is to unveil, from the death and resurrection of Christ, the meaning of human history”. Pope Benedict saw this book as a sort of key to understand humanity.

St. John, the author of Revelation was writing to the early church as they were experiencing great temptations to abandon the faith. They were experiencing great pressure from the surrounding pagan culture; they were being pressured by the government to practice the false religion of Rome with its emperor worship, its many immoralities, and its temptations of extravagant wealth.

Writing at the end of the 1st century, there were also already false religious teachers claiming to be teaching the Christian faith, but who the Apostle quite keenly recognizes to be twisting the truth of Christ, often for political purposes. For example, John condemns the Nikolatians, for their dangerously casual attitude toward the values of Rome.

And John relates to these persecuted Christians several visions that were given to Him by God: visions of the Dragon and the Devil’s ongoing war against God, a beast rising from the sea, the blood of the wicked being poured out like wine from a winepress.  Also visions of hope, the heavenly throne room, the eternal city, which will be the reward for all those who faithfully endure and keep the faith.

The very first vision John shares, as we heard today “‘The one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks in the midst of the seven gold lampstands.” Jesus Christ, walking among the seven lampstands, symbolizing the seven churches of Asia Minor, and all the communities of the Catholic Church. A powerful vision, reminding the persecuted, suffering Christians, that they are not alone, that God is not only aware of their suffering , but he is with them in their suffering. This is the meaning of human history, as Pope Benedict said, this is the meaning of our lives; that suffering, persecution, being hated by the world, for Christians, this is unavoidable; but as we suffer, Jesus Christ is with us.

In all of the confusion, pain, and moral choices of the Christian life: we are not alone; Jesus is with us, through the compassion of spouses, family, and friends, through the preaching and advice of Church ministers, through our person meditation of Scripture. He is with the Church, of course, Sacramentally, offering grace, strength, and forgiveness. And he is leading and guiding us through the official teaching office of the Holy Catholic Church.

In our works and labors and sufferings, may we know his close presence, may we be strengthened in faith, and comforted in our afflictions for the glory of God and salvation of souls.