14th Week of Ordinary Time 2025 - Monday - Places of Divine Encounter

 

The places where we encounter God are holy to us, aren’t they? Our childhood church, a holy shrine, the parish church where we attended with our family, the tomb of a patron saint, maybe a chapel in which important spiritual growth occurred during a particularly trying time.

For Jacob, in our first reading, the place of divine encounter was a mountain-top at a place which came to be known as Bethel: Beth-el, the house of God. At Bethel, Jacob had a particularly vivid dream in which heaven opened and he encountered the Divine, the God of Abraham and his father Isaac. 

The encounter with God gave his life purpose; he knew that God would be with him always, that God was directing his life, and would direct his family for generations to come.

This sort of encounter with God is not unique to Jacob. Perhaps you have had a similar encounter with God. I have. An encounter, an experience with God that deepens faith—an encounter that helps you to know that God is with you—an encounter that gives you a sense that God is bigger than your trials and troubles and fears.

The daughter of the royal official and the woman with the hemorrhage in the Gospel today, had similar encounters with God, in the person of Jesus Christ. These encounters were healing and life-giving. Wounds, physical, emotional, and spiritual are healed when God is encountered. 

In commemoration of his encounter with the Divine, Jacob constructed a stone pillar to thank God for the blessing he received—and in a sense to renew the experience of the Divine. Christians return to the stone table—the altar—week after week to do the same. At the stone table—we thank God for the blessings of our life—and we experience the Divine in the Eucharist—an encounter that brings healing and meaning to our life.  The altar is an anchor as it is a window and a doorway. 

And, it is where we receive our mission. Following our encounter with God here, we are sent out to gather others in—the lost souls, searching souls, saddened souls, wounded souls, that they may encounter Jesus here too, and experience his healing, his forgiveness, and his blessing, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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That the wounded and lost may discover the love and life of Jesus Christ in Catholic Church. 

For spiritual healing and mercy upon those who have fallen away from the Church. For the conversion of atheists and non-believers. 

For the healing of all those afflicted with physical, mental, emotional illness, for those in hospitals, nursing homes, hospice care, those struggling with addictions, for those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for deceased priests and religious, for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

Heavenly Father, hear our prayers. May the grace of Christ Your Son, the Divine Physician, bring healing of our sinfulness, and make us worthy of the kingdom of heaven, through the same Christ our Lord.

14th Week of Ordinary Time 2023 - Monday - Places of Divine Encounter

 

The places where we encounter God are holy to us, aren’t they? Our childhood church, a holy shrine, the parish church where we attended with our family, the tomb of a patron saint, maybe a chapel in which important spiritual growth occurred during a particularly trying time.

For Jacob, in our first reading, the place of divine encounter was a mountain-top at a place which came to be known as Bethel: Beth-el, the house of God. At Bethel, Jacob had a particularly vivid dream in which heaven opened and he encountered the Divine, the God of Abraham and his father Isaac. 

And this encounter with God gave his life purpose; he knew that God would be with him always, that God was directing his life, and would direct his family for generations to come.

This sort of encounter with God is not unique to Jacob. Perhaps you have had a similar encounter with God. I have. An encounter, an experience with God that deepens faith—an encounter that helps you to know that God is with you—an encounter that gives you a sense that God is bigger than your trials and troubles and fears.

The daughter of the royal official and the woman with the hemorrhage in the Gospel today, had similar encounters with God, in the person of Jesus Christ. These encounters were healing and life-giving. Wounds, physical, emotional, and spiritual are healed when God is encountered. 

In commemoration of his encounter with the Divine, Jacob constructed a stone pillar to thank God for the blessing he received. Christians return to the stone table—the altar—week after week in order to thank God for the blessings we’ve received through Jesus Christ. For Christians, in fact, the altar is the very place where we encounter God. The altar is a place of continual encounter that brings healing and meaning to our life. And we lose touch with reality when we distance ourselves from the altar. The altar is an anchor as it is a window and a doorway. 

And, it is where we receive our mission. As we have encounter God, in the sacrament of the altar, we are sent out to gather others in—that lost souls, searching souls, saddened souls, wounded souls, may encounter Jesus here too, and experience his healing, his forgiveness, his blessing, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

 

That the wounded and lost may discover the love and life of Jesus Christ in Catholic Church. We pray.

For spiritual healing and mercy upon those who have fallen into mortal sin and fallen away from the Church. For the conversion of atheists and non-believers. We pray. 

For a healing of all the wounds of division afflicting the Church, for an end to heresy, schism and doctrinal error, for healing from scandal. We pray. 

For the healing of all those afflicted with physical, mental, emotional illness, for those in hospitals, nursing homes, hospice care, those struggling with addictions, for those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for deceased priests and religious, for those who have fought and died for our freedom, we pray to the Lord.

Heavenly Father, hear our prayers. May the grace of Christ Your Son, the Divine Physician, bring healing of our sinfulness, and make us worthy of the kingdom of heaven, through the same Christ our Lord.

February 2 2020 - Feast of the Presentation - Light of Encounter

The Jerusalem Temple, as you know, had profound significance for the Jewish people. Of all the places in the world, in the cosmos, the one True God, Creator of the universe, chose to make his dwelling on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem on planet earth. A temple was built for Him to be a place of dwelling and encounter. A place where God’s glory would shine forth, signifying God’s presence with Israel and Israel’s mission to glorify God by their lives.

The Temple was the place where divinity and humanity could meet and encounter each other. In my bulletin column this week, I explain how this feast of the presentation, in the eastern churches, is called the Feast of the Encounter, for here in the Temple, Simeon encounters God—God made flesh—Jesus Christ true God and true man.

The temple was also the place where sacrifice was offered. Mary and Joseph go to the temple in the Gospel today to offer Sacrifice. Sacrifice was offered as a way of turning one’s life to God. Faith and love, entrusting ones life to God, were made concrete through Sacrifice.

In the case of sin, sacrifice was a plea for reconciliation. Sacrificed was offered as showing you were serious about turning away from sin and back to God, and recognizing that God and God alone has the power to forgive sins. Reconciliation is one of my favorite words in our faith dictionary. From the latin reconciliation, It contains  the word cilia—recon-CILIA-tion…cilia are eyelashes. Reconciliation means to turn back from sin eyelashes meet God again. Reconciliation makes encounter possible.

In the time of the prophets, the sins of the nation had compromised the religious life of Israel and the ability to encounter God in the Temple. Things got so bad in Israel, the people had fallen so out of right relationship with God due to sin, that the prophet Ezekiel had a vision of God’s glory departing from the temple. Sin was so great, faith and love were so lacking, the light of God was extinguished in the Temple.

This certainly makes us think of what happens to the human soul who falls into mortal sin. The act of sin creates a condition in which grace has no place to dwell. Light is extinguished. And the only way grace is restored, rekindled, and re-illumined in the soul is through the humble confession of sin in the sacrament of reconciliation.

The faithful remnant of Israel longed for God’s glory to return to the Temple. We hear this sentiment in the later prophets of the Old Testament. Our first reading this weekend, from the prophet Malachi, describes the promise of glory’s return: “Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me; And suddenly there will come to the temple the LORD whom you seek” He will bring purification and refinement and right worship and perfect sacrifice to Israel.  Where Ezekiel described God’s departure from the Temple, Malachi foretells God’s return.

Malachi’s prophecy was fulfilled when Joseph and Mary, 40 days after the birth of Jesus, bring him to the temple to be presented to his heavenly Father.

We can then begin to appreciate the sentiment of Simeon who filled with the Holy Spirit recognizes His Lord. Master, he says, now your servant can go in peace, I can die peacefully, knowing you have returned as the prophets foretold.

Simeon goes on to echo another prophet, Isaiah, who foretold how the Savior the savior of Israel would also be a light for the whole world. Master, my own eyes have now seen your salvation, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel. Simeon recognized that the promised era of light and glory has now begun, an era in which all the nations of the world, would turn to the God of Israel to be saved by Him. The light of God’s glory would never be extinguished again. His light would emanate from this child that he now held in his arms, and his light would enlighten the whole world.

Hence our blessing of candles today. Candles for Christians are symbolic of the light of Christ which now shines in the world through the Church to which all people and nations of the earth are now summoned. Candles are lit particularly during our liturgical rites, especially at Mass, because when we are gathered together, rich and poor, members of every nation, we shine most brightly with the light of God.

The sanctuary candle reminds us that Christ can truly be discovered and worshiped in this temple, he is truly present here, as he was in that Jerusalem temple so many centuries ago.

I think too how our parish, for so many years, nearly a 100 has been a beacon of the Christ light for our neighborhood. Our beautiful tower, here at St. Ignatius of Antioch, the tallest in the diocese, is like a giant candle, or lighthouse, guiding the wayward home, guiding pilgrims to this place of encounter. It’s a symbol that God can be found here. Sinners can be reconciled here. Souls can become enlightened here. The spiritually hungry can be fed here. The sorrowful can be consoled here. The lost and confused can be given direction here.

We do well to ask ourselves as individuals and as a parish, what can we do to better and more faithfully shine with the light of Christ. In our worship. In our service and charitable outreach, in our attitudes and actions. What can I do to better lead people to this place of encounter, what can I do to better lead people to Christ? For the glory of God and salvation of souls.

14th Week of OT 2019 - Monday - Places of Divine Encounter

The places where we encounter God are holy to us, aren’t they? Our childhood church, a holy shrine, the parish church where we attended with our family, the tomb of a patron saint, maybe a chapel in which important spiritual growth occurred during a particularly trying time.
For Jacob, in our first reading, the place of divine encounter was a mountain-top at a place which came to be known as Bethel: Beth-el, the house of God. At Bethel, Jacob had a particularly vivid dream, where heaven opened, and he encountered the Divine, the God of Abraham and his father Isaac. The encounter with God gave his life purpose; he knew that God would be with him always, that God was directing his life, and would direct his family for generations to come.

Hopefully, we have had a similar encounter with God, which has given us that same faith and confidence that Jacob had.

The daughter of the royal official and the woman with the hemorrhage in the Gospel today, had similar encounters with God, in the person of Jesus Christ. That encounter brought life where there was once death. The encounter with Jesus brings healing, yes of our bodies and minds, but most importantly to our souls wounded by sin.

Jacob constructed a stone pillar to thank God for blessing. Christians return to the stone table—the altar—week after week in order to thank God for the blessings we’ve received through Jesus Christ. And for Christians, the altar is the very place where we encounter God, the altar is a place of continual encounter that impels us out into the world. In a very real sense, we are to be walking, talking Beth-el’s, walking talking houses of God, walking talking tabernacles out in the world.
Our hope is that as we have encountered Jesus here at the altar, others may encounter Jesus in us, and experience his healing, his forgiveness, his blessing in us, that they may be lead back here to give Eucharistic thanks at the altar alongside of us.

The Lord wants us to be walking tabernacles and fill this world with holy places where His eucharistic love transforms lives and brings life for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That the wounded and lost may discover the love and life of Jesus Christ in Catholic Church. We pray.
For spiritual healing and mercy upon those who have fallen into mortal sin and fallen away from the Church. For the conversion of atheists and non-believers. We pray.
For a healing of all the wounds of division afflicting the Church, for an end to heresy, schism and doctrinal error, for healing from scandal. We pray.
For the healing of all those afflicted with physical, mental, emotional illness, for those in hospitals, nursing homes, hospice care, those struggling with addictions, for those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today.
For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for deceased priests and religious, for those who have fought and died for our freedom, we pray to the Lord.
Heavenly Father, hear our prayers. May the grace of Christ Your Son, the Divine Physician, bring healing of our sinfulness, and make us worthy of the kingdom of heaven, through the same Christ our Lord.

6th Week in OT 2019 - Wednesday - Gradual Healing of Spiritual Blindness

Yesterday, we heard how the apostles failed to understand Jesus’ identity. They feared because they forgot to take bread with them, not understanding, blind to the fact that the One who feeds—the living bread Himself—was with them. The account of the apostle’s spiritual blindness is followed by this morning’s passage of a miraculous healing.

And, this healing miracle i is unique among the miracles recorded in the Gospels as the only healing that takes place in two stages. After laying his hands on the man the first time, the man only achieve partial recovery. He couldn’t tell the difference between people and trees. It’s only after the second time that Jesus touches the man that his sight is restored.

The man’s gradual recovery symbolizes the slow and difficult process in Mark’s Gospel of opening the disciples’ eyes to understanding Jesus’ identity and mission. This blind man at first couldn’t tell the difference between peoples and trees. Well, it will not be until they see Jesus on a tree, on a cross, that the disciples will fully understand who he is: the faithful Son who undergoes suffering and death to save us from our sins.

Spiritual blindness is often overcome in stages. It often takes multiple encounters with God’s mercy, maybe even a lifetime, to overcome a particular sin. Perhaps that’s because seeing the real identity of a person is often accomplished in stages.  First, we see someone’s outward appearance, the color of their hair, the shape of their face.  But it usually takes time to see them at a deeper level—time spent in their presence, time in conversations, time working along-side of them—we come to know each other gradually.  Saint Paul even tell us this in I Corinthians: “At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.”

Our true sight is not regained by staring at a television or computer screen for several hours a day.  Spiritual sight is regained, like in the Gospel today, by the encounter with Christ himself.  This occurs predominately in prayer—the Sacraments and in daily meditation and in serving Christ in the poor.
And as our sight is gradually restored, we see Christ more clearly and begin to see ourselves more clearly, how God sees us. May we be open to the encounters with Christ God wants for us today: in prayer and service for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That the bishops of the Church will act as true prophets through their faithful teaching, their courageous witness, and their self-sacrificing love. We pray to the Lord.
That government leaders around the world may carry out their duties with justice, honesty, and respect for freedom and the dignity of human life.  We pray to the Lord.
For the lifting of the veil from our eyes and hearts to be more attentive to the needs of the poor in our midst. We pray to the Lord.
For all those who share in the sufferings of Christ—the sick, the sorrowful, and those who are afflicted or burdened in any way.  We pray to the Lord.
For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for the deceased clergy and religious of the diocese of Cleveland, for the poor souls in purgatory, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray to the Lord.
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.

4th Week of Lent 2018 - Monday - Lent in Two Parts - Conversion and Encounter

Lent has been described as the Church’s annual retreat. We shut away many of the distractions of worldly living in order to get back down to basics, the practices which enable us to remain rooted in the Gospel of Christ.

In her wisdom, the Church has very carefully laid out the prayers and readings for her annual Lenten retreat. Day 1 of Lent, really set the tone for the retreat. The prayers of Ash Wednesday spoke of being armed with weapons of self-retraint in doing battle against spiritual evils. The Gospel spoke of the need to pray, fast, and give alms, not merely as a show, but to bring about interior conversion.

During the first few weeks of Lent, we read from the Synoptic Gospels and Old Testament passages echoing those Gospels’ themes. Specifically, over and over that first half of Lent, we heard of the need to embrace conversion. They Scriptures and prayers stressed the need to turn away from sin and live the Gospel, to open our hearts to be renewed by God through prayer and fasting, to live a life of unselfish love of God and others through charity and the forgiveness of our enemies.

The virtuous life is lifted up before us as a reminder by contrast that we have often fallen and have a long way to go to reach perfection. Acknowledging our sinfulness, we recognized our need for God’s mercy and grace, that without Him, we cannot be the people He made us to be.

Now in Lent: Part II, our Gospel texts up until Holy Week are taken from John’s Gospel. Though we must continually strive for conversion, our Scriptures in the second half of Lent, focus less on our living the ethical and moral life, and more on encountering Christ who embraces suffering for us. Christ is revealed as the obedient Son of the Father, who reconciles and heals the wounds of sin and death, and gives life to all who believe in him.

He is the One who raises the dead to new life, as we heard in the Gospel today; He is the One to usher in a new era for mankind, as we heard in Isaiah: a new era where mourning for sin is transformed into rejoicing on account of God’s mercy, an era of abundant grace. This is the era of the Church, which will reach its fulfillment when the victorious and glorious Christ returns in glory.

During this last half of Lent, we do well to meditate all the more on Christ, particularly in the Stations of the Cross and the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary. We do well to seek him in moments of silence, and in charity towards those who suffer.

May we encounter Christ throughout this last leg of the Lenten journey, who reveals the merciful heart of the Father; Christ, who goes to the cross for us, to heal us from sin and selfishness and to bring us eternal life, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That God may be pleased to increase faith and understanding in the catechumens and candidates who approach the sacraments of initiation in the coming Paschal Solemnity.

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

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

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

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

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

Epiphany 2018 - The Wise still seek Him

On this beautiful Feast of the Epiphany, we reflect on the journey of the wise men—the magi—as they journey to the newborn king in Bethlehem.  The journey of the Magi stands for the journey that all of us must make to come to know Christ. 

But, who were the Magi anyway? To the east of Israel was Persia, Babylon, a periodic oppressor of the Jewish People. In the book of the prophet Daniel, we hear how the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar employed a host of magi as advisers to the throne. The magi engaged in the interpretation of omens and dreams and in astrology—making predictions about the future based on the movement and positions of the moon, stars, and planets.

It’s sort of surprising to even meet these characters in our Sacred Scriptures, as Astrology is expressly forbidden in the Old Testament. Jews and Christians are forbidden from consulting horoscopes, fortune tellers, and palm readers and the like, most of them being charlatans anyway.

It is also extremely strange that these Persian Astrologers had read the Old Testament Prophecies about a star heralding the birth of a Messiah. It must have been the Holy Spirit who inspired the Magi to look outside of their Pagan religion to the Jewish Prophets.

Throughout the Advent season we spoke of the great longing and anticipation of the Jewish people for the coming of the Messiah. But the Magi show us that this longing didn’t simply belong to the Jews. I’d venture to say that this longing for a Savior, for God to reveal himself in a human face is a universal human longing. So the Magi stand for all people of all time longing, searching, gazing upwards, waiting for God.

God built us, designed us, created us to look for Him. So this story of these non-Jewish astrologers from the east, teach us that God is working in the hearts and minds of the people on the outside: the family members not going to Church this weekend, the young people with their noses glued to the screens of their idevices. all those people who have grown up without religion, without faith, without spirituality, people worldwide who engage in false religions: this story reminds us that deep down they long for Christ. And we have a job of revealing Christ to them through the living of the one true faith, our charity, our conviction for the Gospel.

Many people refuse to believe that Jesus is found in the confines of the Catholic Church, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t looking. Most of them are looking for him in all the wrong places, but there is something inside of them, urging them to seek out and truth and goodness and beauty which is found most fully in Jesus Christ. That very same impulse found in the hearts of the magi, can be found in your next door neighbors.

What made the Magi of the Gospel wiser than most, is that realized the importance of this quest. They left their homes, they left their comfort, they left homeland to go searching.

One definition of wisdom I like very much is that wisdom is the ability to put your priorities in order. The wise man values what is truly valuable and eschews what is foolish. The Magi of the Gospel can rightly be called wise, in that they realize that the quest for finding Jesus Christ is the most important thing ever. Political gain, academic status, earthly wealth, fleshly pleasure, economic stability, all these desirable things are nothing if you do not find Jesus Christ and kneel down to adore Him.

Another lesson I’d like to focus upon today from the Magi was the opposition they faced in their journey. Following the Christmas star they make their way to Jerusalem and encounter King Herod. Likely, here too, the Holy Spirit assisted the Magi to detect Herod’s murderous intentions when he asked the Magi to tell him the location of the Christ Child.

The lesson here is that in the spiritual journey, in the spiritual life, we do well to expect opposition. Finding Jesus isn’t always easy, practicing Christianity isn’t always easy. Finding God’s presence in the midst of grief, in the midst of suffering, and in the midst of temptation isn’t always easy. But the Holy Spirit comes to our aid in the midst of difficulty.

A bacon double cheeseburger always sounds best on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. There’s always going to be a family member or neighbor who is going to test your patience. Persevering in a particular spiritual practice like daily meditation is going to be hard sometimes. Practicing chastity and purity and limitless forgiveness and boundless mercy is going to be difficult. But resistance isn’t proof that it isn’t the right path; in fact, quite the opposite: it’s often the path of least resistance that leads to damnation. “Broad is the way and wide is the gate that leadeth to perdition.”

Now, Herod’s opposition was subtle, and so we should expect that too. Sometimes temptation and evil even sound like good ideas. So we have to be wise, clever, knowledgeable of our faith, aware of the ruses and tricks of the enemy, to ensure our faithfulness.

The next lesson from the Magi is that upon leaving King Herod’s palace, the Magi follow the star, they come to Bethlehem, they see Mary and the King, what do they do?  They prostrate themselves, and then they bring him gifts—gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Gold for the king, frankincense because he is God, and Myrrh because he will die for our sins.  They bring the finest things they can find, gifts worthy of a king. 

And here’s the next spiritual lesson.  When you’ve discerned the presence and the will of God, you’ve overcome hardship and resistance and now you’ve come to Christ, what should you do?  You give him your best.  The great danger in the spiritual life is to just give God the leftovers. We do well to begin the day on our knees, to begin every undertaking with the intention of glorifying God, and giving Him our best.

Finally, having come to Christ, giving him their gifts, they return to their home country, by a different route, having been warned to avoid Herod’s treachery. 

Archbishop Fulton Sheen said, “of course they go back a different route, you never come to Christ and go back the same way you came.”  The encounter with Christ changes you…if weren’t changed you didn’t truly encounter him.

Coming to Mass, offering God the best we have in worship, encountering him and receiving him in Holy Communion, should change us.  We are to go from this mass differently from when we came in.  I hope everyone here comes to Mass wanting, hoping, and expecting to be changed, to be sanctified, to see another dimension of Christ’s beautiful face.

Help us Lord to seek you, to find you, to give you our best, and to be changed by you, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Tuesday - 22nd Week of OT 2017 - Miracles happen through encountering Christ

At last night’s Vespers Service at the Cathedral proceeding today’s installation, Bishop Perez spoke about how miracles occur when we encounter Christ—how Jesus met people where they were and confronted them with the power of His Truth. How each of us could speak of a time in our life, when Christ became real for us, and how that changed our life forever.

Jesus’ miracle working is perfectly on display in this morning’s Gospel: the man, afflicted with unclean spirits is cleansed through an encounter with Christ.

In Jesus’ culture, the unclean ones were to be avoided, shunned, lest they spread their corruption, their insanity, their demons. But Jesus goes to even to the unclean, and through His authority and power as God, cleanses them in his mercy.

Several lessons become clear from this Gospel. One: there is no soul so unclean, that it is not invited to encounter the mercy of God through Jesus Christ. This is a simple and profound truth that we reflected upon quite thoroughly during the Year of Mercy. Yet it is a truth that we need to repeat especially to troubled souls who are deeply afflicted by the severity of their sins and demons.

Two, as the demons were expelled, they came out of the man without hurting him. Turning our lives over to Jesus does not hurt as much as we think it will. Conversion involve a cross, but the end result of being cleansed of demons, brings a lightness, a wholeness, and a joy that outweighs the demonic slavery. We should not fear conversion.

Three, the Church is both sent and equipped for the ministry of casting out the unclean spirits of our world. Jesus cast out demons through his power and authority, and not only is that power and authority given to the Church, but the Lord sends us out to use it, to help souls encounter Christ by sharing with them the power of his Truth, will help set souls free. We must not fear new faces nor new places in spreading the mercy of Christ.

May the Lord open our minds and hearts to the power and authority of his mercy. May we reject those interests that lead us away from communion with Him and may he renew our minds and revive our love and commitment to His Gospel, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For Bishop Nelson Perez, on this, the day of his installation as 11th Bishop of Cleveland, may he be preserved always in His ministry and aided by the Holy Spirit in uniting and shepherding the diverse peoples of this diocese in Catholic faith, hope, and love.

For all those afflicted with demons, those who are overwhelmed with the Spirit of the World, that, through the ministry of the Church, they may know the cleansing power and mercy of Christ.

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.

15th Sunday in OT 2017 - Making the soul fertile ground for encountering Christ

You’ve probably heard the news that Holy Father Pope Francis has appointed a new bishop, His Excellency Bishop Nelson Perez to the diocese of Cleveland. I was able to meet Bishop Perez on Tuesday. A number of the clergy were able to concelebrate with him at the Cathedral, and then had lunch with him at the Cathedral rectory.

My first impression is that Bishop Perez is an extremely relatable, congenial man. If you have the means, you should check out on the internet the interview he did on Fox 8. Very relatable. I think he will be refreshing to our diocese, surprising, and also challenging.

At the Mass on Tuesday, Bishop Perez preached on an idea that has come up often in the preaching of Pope Francis over the last few years, that of “encounter”, or “encuentro” in Pope Francis’ native-tongue. Bishop Perez explained how as Christ is filled with compassion and mercy, so too must mercy and compassion be at the heart of the Church, and in the heart of every Christian. And whether we are trapped in sin or steadily progressing in sanctity, we are able to encounter the Lord. In his mercy, the Lord meets us where we are, and calls us to holiness and deeper faith.

The Gospel on Tuesday was all about how the Lord sends his disciples out into the world to preach the Gospel and to perform the works of mercy. Through preaching and living the Gospel, each one of us is called to go out and help others encounter Christ.

Parents are to help their children encounter Christ, spouses are to help their mates encounter Christ. A good neighbor helps us encounter Christ through their kindness and charity.

Tuesday was also the feast of St. Benedict, a very fitting day to preach about “encounter”. St. Benedict is truly one of the most important saints in Church history.  Benedict was born into a rich Italian family in the year 480 and went to complete his studies in Rome.  Around the age of 20, became a hermit; he went to live in a cave for three years in Subiaco, Italy.

Why would a wealthy, academically gifted young man go to live in a cave? For one, he sought what we all seek: happiness! He believed that he could be happy seeking Jesus Christ in the silence and solitude of a cave. He was right. He encountered Christ in a place that very few people choose to look.

Because of his sanctity, Benedict quickly attracted many followers, who like him wished to withdraw from the world in order to strive after holiness through a life of work and prayer.  To house his company, Benedict built twelve monasteries, and around the year 550, he left Subiaco to start the monastery at Montecassino.  It is there that he wrote his famous Rule, “The Rule of St. Benedict”
 Benedict lived in a time when the classical world was breaking apart—bloody wars were tearing down the civilization of the Greco-Roman world.  Barbarians were sweeping through Europe. These were the dark ages. European culture was crumbling. Yet within the Benedictine Monastery a different culture of work and prayer and learning and love of God and encounter with Christ prevailed.  The monasteries became beacons of hope for the people of Europe.

Amidst the barbarian armies and the crumbling culture, Benedict’s monasteries became potent force in rebuilding Europe.  The very first universities sprung up from the monastic schools.  So, if you went to college, or benefited in some way by someone that did, you can thank St. Benedict.
Fast forward 1400 years to the 1950s.  The Bishops of the Second Vatican Council saw danger looming on the horizon again: a new modern barbarism spreading throughout the world, a godlessness threatening the very foundations of civilization.

And, in the documents of Vatican II, the holy bishops stressed that not only monks and priests and nuns and bishops are called to strive for holiness, but all Christians should develop vibrant prayers lives and to generosity in charitable service.

In the monasteries, Benedict’s lived out a rhythm, a harmony of work and prayer; yet the ultimate aim of the monk’s was to seek God. Benedict wrote: Nihil amori Christi praeponere—Prefer nothing to the love of Christ.  Holiness consists of this: preferring nothing to the love of Christ.

So many of our worldly pursuits keep us from real happiness because they keep us from encountering Christ. Sadly, so often, we prefer our cell phones to Christ, our credit cards to Christ, our vices to Christ. We prefer gossip over prayer, lust over purity, and greed over self-giving.

St. Benedict is often depicted in art with a finger pressed to his lips because he so valued silence.  Silence was such an important part of his rule because in silence we learn how to listen to the quiet voice of God. Silence is often indispensable in encounter the love God has for us.

The Christian Philosopher Svoren Kierkegaard said if he were a doctor he would prescribe as a remedy for all the world’s disorders, “silence”.  St. Benedict would no doubt agree.

Our culture abhors silence; it is addicted to stimulation.  We have to constantly have the television or internet going.   The constant stimulation and busyness bring not cheerfulness, but exhaustion and emptiness.  One of the spiritual dangers of having cell phones that can access the internet anywhere, anytime, is that one never learns how to sit in silence.

The cell phones and televisions in every room of the house is a great threat to health and holiness of the family.  I know of many families who therefore have a very healthy rule, that between certain times, all electronics are turned off.  Perhaps between 5:30 and 8pm: no tv, no video games, no cell phones, especially at the dinner table.  Study and conversation build up the family in ways that all of the electronic gadgets cannot possibly.  Perhaps a family rosary must be prayed before the television is even allowed to be turned on.

Through silence, simplicity, and prayer, we make our souls rich soul for the word of God to be planted, as we heard in today’s Gospel.

Parents, if you want your children to be happy, make your family as fertile in faith as possible; don’t teach or pressure our children to have empty lives, to be successful according to the values of our culture, but above all to seek to put their gifts and talents in the service of God. Entering a monastery, where one learns to encounter Christ in simplicity, is not failure. Entering the priesthood, consecrated life, these are not vocations for those who can’t do anything else.

Our seminary here in Cleveland has over 80 young men studying for the priesthood, we’ve seen an increase in young women entering convents, why? Likely because many of our young people, like Benedict, see the emptiness the world offers, and they want something more. And for that they should be encouraged!

But whatever our vocation, each of us, should make time for silence, to make an effort each day to encounter Christ through prayer, to push away the non-essential objects of the world, to prefer nothing to the love of Christ, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

July 13 2017 - Encountering Jesus

On Tuesday, I had the opportunity of meeting our future Bishop, His Excellency Bishop Nelson Perez. A number of the clergy were able to concelebrate with him and Bishop Thomas at the Cathedral, and then had lunch with him at the Cathedral rectory.

Though Bishop Thomas presided at the Mass, Bishop Perez preached on encountering Christ. He said, as Christ is filled with compassion and mercy, so too is the heart of the Church. The Lord meets us where we are. Whether we are trapped in sin or steadily progressing in sanctity. Whoever you are, you can “encounter” the Lord wherever we are. Pope Francis has spoken on that theme of "encuentro" - “encounter”, as well,  and I think our new bishop will continue to expand on that theme as well.

The suffering, those in need, are to encounter the Lord, through us. This is why, in the Gospel, he sends his disciples out: to preach, to call to repentance, to cure the sick, raise the dead, cleans the lepers, and drive out demons. Those in need are to encounter the Lord’s mercy and compassion through us.

Going out and doing these things, being engaged in the works of mercy, is not just icing on the cake, these aren’t just activities to pass the time when we don’t have other things going on, they are our way of life. We are a missionary Church.

Missionary comes from the latin word, missio, which means  ‘sent’—the greek word of course is apostein, from which we get the word, apostle. We are missioned, we are sent by the Lord, to do these things in his name, whether you are a prince or a pauper, a king or a farmer.

July 13 is the feast of a saintly King who took seriously the Lord’s command. King Henry II was Holy Roman Emperor became a saint, by acting justly, spreading the faith using the opportunities God gave him.

It was his custom to undertake nothing without prayer and often saw angels and martyrs guiding him—protecting him and his army who from the barbarian hoards which sought to ravage and pillage his land.   He promoted monastic reform where needed, believing monasteries to be indispensable centers of prayer and focal points for the civilization of people.  When Saint Henry was not ruling over his empire and leading his army to stabilize Europe, he was cultivating a holy marriage with his wife, St. Cunegunda.

His people encountered through his justice, through his protection, through his cultivation of the faith, through his holy marriage.

May St. Henry’s prayers help us to help others encounter Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For Bishop Nelson Perez, the next shepherd of our diocese;  for our Apostolic Administrator, Bishop Daniel Thomas;  for Bishop-emeritus Richard Lennon; that the Holy Spirit will continue to enlighten and empower them with grace, confidence and hope.  We pray.

That all Christians may take seriously the vocation of helping others encounter Christ. We pray.
For all earthly kings and government representatives, that they may use their temporal power responsibly for the true good of all. We pray.

That Christian spouses may reflect Christ’s love to each other and that they may be a sacrament of Christ’s love to the world.

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.

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

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

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.