25th Week in OT 2018 - Tuesday - Family of Jesus (PSR Opening Mass)

Dear children, you probably don’t remember this, because most of you were just a few months old, but on the day that you were baptized, the day that you were made followers of Jesus, your parents made a very important promise to God. They made a sacred promise.

They promised God not simply to feed you, to house you, to clothe you, to care for you when you are sick. Their promise to God has to do with why you are here this evening. At your baptism, they promised God that they would educate you in the practice of the Christian faith, they promised God to bring you up to keep God’s commandments as Jesus teaches us, by loving God and our neighbor.
Dear children, that is why you attend PSR even after a long day at school, even when there might still be homework to do, even though there might be friends waiting to connect with you on social media. You are here to learn the faith, To learn about different aspects of our faith like the Sacraments, the Holy Scriptures, the lives of the Saints. And you learn to keep God’s commandments: Commandments like love God with your whole heart, keep Holy the Lord’s Day.

What you do here at PSR is very important, but of course it’s not the whole story, is it? Learning about the faith and about God’s commandments really takes place at home. You really learn to love God with your whole heart by praying to Him with your family, you learn about keeping holy the Sabbath Day, by coming to Church with your family every Sunday and on Holy Days. You learn about the Sacraments by receiving them along-side your family, reading the scriptures with your family, learning about the saints, with your family.

In the Gospel today, Jesus speaks a bit about family. As he was going through Galilee preaching and teaching the Gospel, doing the will of His Heavenly Father, his relatives came to retrieve him, to bring him home, they thought he was out of his mind, and his life was in danger. In his day, his was expected to obey his older relatives, his older brothers and sisters. But then he spoke about his disciples. He pointed to his disciples, and said here are my brothers and sisters and mother. My true family is made up of those who do the will of God, who believe, who seek to follow the commandments.

We are to love our families, but Jesus is saying our church family is of the greatest importance. It is more important to be a practicing member of the Church than to be a practicing member of a sports team, a political group, a social group, a group of video gamers.

We come to PSR and to church because we seek to be good members of the family of Jesus. And so we begin this PSR school year asking God’s blessing on our students and our teachers, and we pray, pray, pray, that the faith you learn about here, may spread and by practiced into your family homes, that every Catholic family home will be a place where the faith is practiced, prayer is valued, charity is modeled, and God’s commandments are followed, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Holy Family 2017 - The IGeneration and Faith

A few months ago, a professor of Psychology from the University of San Diego, put out a very insightful book titled: “iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood--and What That Means for the Rest of Us.”

The book is a study of the generation of young people. The author calls them the IGeneration, as they are the first generation that has never known a world without iphones and ipads. The author notes some trends amongst IGen’ers born between 1995 and 2012.

For example, whereas previous generations were eager to get out of the house and find their own way in the world, iGen’ers seem to be slow to move out the house.

I remember when I was growing up, I couldn’t wait to get my driver’s license. It meant getting out of the house, exploring the world. On average IGen’ers are much more reluctant to leave the comfort and safety of the parental home, with free wi-fi and free food. They’d rather stay at home and play video games and text their friends, than going out for social interactions.  Sadly, the author of the book shows, one of the consequences of this screen-induced introversion is a lack of social skills and another is depression. IGen’ers describe themselves as unhappier than previous generations.

The book’s chapter on religious attitudes causes us some concern. It’s not a secret that since the 1960s there’s been a growing negative attitude toward organized religion: many baby boomers and gen-x’ers describe themselves as “spiritual, but not religious.” But, as recently as the 1980s, 90 percent of high school seniors identified with some religious group. But now in 2017, only a third of 18-24 year-olds claim to believe in God, at all. Less than that pray on a regular basis, and less than that attend Church services.

What happened in the course of 20 years? Well, screen time has certainly replaced prayer time. And it’s also replaced family time. And this has been detrimental to religious faith. Vatican II described the family as a domestic Church. In other words, the family is where the basics of Christianity are learned and lived out. And when those family religious practices are replaced by sports, entertainment, not to mention the secular propaganda found in nearly every pop song, video and movie, the virtue of religion is never developed.

I am in such awe of so many of our parish families, who make the sacrifices to come to Church every week, who are providing Catholic education for their children, who seek to make Christ the center of their family life despite all the competing activities out in the world. It takes much more effort than in generations past; the culture today simply does not support religious practice—and our young parents deserve much credit for their energy and sacrifices.

Today’s Solemnity of the Holy Family, within the Christmas octave, reminds us that family is to be a bedrock of faith. And our Scripture readings today speak of God’s plan for families.

Sirach for example describes a sort of family ideal: a father and mother set in honor and authority over their children, children revering and praying for their parents, obeying them and caring for them when they grow old.  The biblical ideal is not meant to be discarded simply because it is difficult. It is the timeless word of God. Most families are works in progress, and that is okay. But each family member needs to take personal responsibility for the good of the family, to living up to the ideal set by God.

We all know of truly tragic and heart-breaking family situations – divorce, children lost to drugs, squabbles over inheritances, misunderstandings, even betrayals – but even in those situations, God’s word speaks: “Put on, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another”
A few years ago Pope Francis suggested some practices to ensure peace in the family: he encouraged the use of three phrases, hopefully you’ve heard and used them before: please, thank you, and I’m sorry.

The word “please” helps us to develop a respect for the time and effort of others. The phrase “thank you” helps us to appreciate the dignity of others, who give of their time and treasure for our good.  And the phrase “I’m sorry” helps us to mend the brokenness caused by selfishness.

These three phrases: “please, thank you, and I’m sorry” help us to develop the humility needed for the Christian life. For when we are able to say please, thank you, and I’m sorry to each other, we learn the importance of saying, please, thank you, and I’m sorry to God.

In the Gospel for this Holy Family Sunday, we hear that after the birth of the Christ Child and after he was presented to God in the Temple, the Holy Family returned to their home town of Nazareth, the Christ child “grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.”

How can your family grow and becoming stronger, become filled with God’s wisdom and favor?

The family that prays together stays together. Time should be set aside every week, perhaps Sunday nights, to put down the screens and turn off the televisions and to gather as a family, to sit down with the Sunday scripture readings again, to perhaps pray a family rosary together, and to pray for one another. You’ll never regret time spent in family prayer, praying with your spouse and your children, but, most of us regret spending so much time with the IDevices. For those IDevices so often lead us to focus inordinately on “I” and not “Us.” You really might also want to consider a family rule of not bringing the idevices or even televisions into the bedrooms, as they are known to distract us from the rest we should be getting.

On this Holy Family Sunday let us commit to making our families places where the Christian faith grows and becomes strong, where the favor of God comes to rest upon us, as we make Christ the center of our family life, through prayer, charity, and bearing our trials, anxieties, and hardships trusting in God’s grace, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Thursday - 9th Week of OT 2017 - Spouses who pray together...

The last section of the reading from Tobit is one of the Old Testament passages which may be chosen for the celebration of the Sacrament Marriage. Tobiah and Sarah have just married and her parents have escorted them to the bridal chamber to spend their first night together. And before retiring for the night, Tobiah asks his wife to pray with him: together they ask the Lord to bless their union.

I am always happy when young couples request this reading for the marriage ceremony. Tobiah and Sarah provide a wonderful example for all newly married couples looking to start their marriage off on the right foot. For a good marriage is one where the spouses invite God to play an active role in their lives and to nourish and sustain them for the years to come.

The couple that prays together, stays together. Making time for prayer is not always easy. It isn’t true for single people, and more difficult when you add another person’s schedule into the mix. Once children enter the picture, spouses can become caught up with play dates, sports practices, music lessons, and the like.

In marriage communication between the spouses is a top priority, but communication also with the heavenly Father. Although they’ve only been married a few hours in our reading today, Tobiah and Sarah are already thinking like a holy couple: praying for God’s mercy to be upon them, that they be allowed to live together to a happy old age together, thanking God for his bountiful goodness and asking for his continued blessings.

So many families are for some reason embarrassed to pray together.  But family prayer, especially weekly Mass, is essential for holy marriage, for holy families. I tell young couples: Praying together will open up new vistas of intimacy, and will bring you the strength from God you will need for all of life’s challenges.  I promise, you will never regret the time you pray together, you’ll never regret saying yes to the obligation to come to Holy Mass every week.  But all of us regret the time that we do not give to God.

They look to God plan for marriage, to the joining of Adam and Eve to be partners for life: partners not simply in pursuing earthly plans, but partners according to God’s plan, that man and wife be made holy through the demands of married life.

As a celibate priest, I am constantly inspired by the example of our holy couples, and also concerned for our young people who do not place God at the center of their lives, who begin marriage preparation with little or no faith. If you have such a young person in your life, remind them once again about the importance of faith, help them to rediscover, or discover for the first time, the true presence of God with the Church.

We all look to the example of Tobiah and Sarah, the need to begin all of our endeavors and throughout all of our endeavors, beseeching God’s mercy, that we may serve Him faithfully, and be made worthy of our eternal homeland, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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For Pope Francis and for all the bishops and clergy of the Church: that they will continue to lead us and guide us in Spirit and Truth and in the practice of love towards all.  We pray to the Lord.

For all engaged couples preparing for the Sacrament of Marriage, that sustained by God’s grace they may prepare rightly and chastely, grow in mutual respect, and love each other with true charity. We pray to the Lord.

That all newly married couples may always have a true and generous love for each other; may they receive the rich blessing of children, and may they know the constant support of their family and friends, and that all married couples, may be faithful to the Gospel in every dimension of their married life.  We pray to the Lord.

For the grace to develop a habit of prayer which will sustain us throughout the challenges of life.

That the sick, lonely, elderly, homeless, and all those experiencing trials or suffering of any kind may be strengthened by God’s love and know His comfort and peace.  We pray to the Lord.
For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for the deceased priests and religious of the diocese of Cleveland, for the poor souls in purgatory, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.
O God, our refuge and our strength, hear the prayers of your Church, for you yourself are the source of all devotion, and grant, we pray, that what we ask in faith we may truly obtain. Through Christ our Lord.

6th Sunday of Easter 2017 - The Spirit of Unity and Truth

The readings of the Easter season have begun to shift. We’ve gone from scriptures detailing the accounts of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances to his disciples to Jesus speaking about what comes next. Last week, he spoke of how even though he prepares to go to the Father, we must not be afraid. And this week, he continues his teaching to speak of the coming of the Holy Spirit. And so the readings have begun to focus on the two glorious events of Jesus’ Ascension and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

For many centuries, Ascension Thursday, 40 days after Easter Sunday was a holy day of obligation. So, we would have been meeting again this Thursday, had the bishops not commuted the celebration of the Ascension to the following Sunday, which will be next Sunday.

Right before Jesus ascended to the Father, he commanded his disciples to gather together and wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. And we know they were faithful to that command: they gathered together in the upper room, and devoted themselves to constant prayer, with the Blessed Mother.
They prayed for nine days before receiving the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. These is the origin of the practice of novena prayers. Novena coming from the word, novem, which means nine. So, Friday of this week begins the Pentecost Novena. By praying the Pentecost novena we follow the Lord’s command to prepare for Pentecost.

I encourage everyone here to pray this Novena. I’ll put a link to the Novena on the parish website and twitter account, and you can even sign up to have the daily prayers emailed to you by visiting the website “Praymorenovenas dot com” The Pentecost Novena is a powerful plea for the light and strength and love so sorely needed by every Christian. You would do well to pray it together as a family, with your spouse and children, or with your fiancé or significant other.

I remember, it was my second year of seminary, and I was walking past one of the priest’s offices, and he was meeting with a young couple preparing for marriage.  He stopped me, and asked if I had any advice for this young couple. Now, I was a celibate college kid, what did I know about marriage? But I heard myself blurting out the words, “the couple that prays together stays together”. I’ve shared that advice with the couples I’ve prepared for the Sacrament of marriage.

Statistics show just how important it is for families to gather together for weekly Mass. The less husbands and wives attend mass together the greater the chances of the hardening of hearts and division. Prayer, worship, and faith are to unite us.

I had an engaged couple who had a long-distance relationship; the groom, I believe, lived in Chicago leading up to the wedding. But every night, they would pray the Church’s official Night Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours over the phone together. And they are a very strong and faith-filled married couple now. Free nights and weekends, there’s no excuse not to pray with your spouse if you are ever traveling on business!

Doing marriage preparation, I also meet a lot of young couples who are not practicing the faith. Some of them really haven’t been to church since their confirmation a decade before. With many of them, faith was not a priority for their families growing up and it still isn’t as they prepare for marriage. Thankfully, sometimes during the course of their marriage preparation they do rediscover the faith, or discover its power for the first time. But, sometimes they grow resistant, they make no effort to go to mass, they laugh off my insistence that they go to confession, they do not practice chastity. They put their future at risk, their marriage and their souls.

If we are to stay together, we must pray together. This is why weekly mass is so important. For Christianity is not simply a “me and Jesus” faith. The Body of Christ is to gather every week to remain united in common worship and the Spirit of Truth.

The Holy Spirit was sent upon the Church that we may be unified “in Spirit and Truth”. Think of the many ways the Holy Spirit brings unity. Through the Holy Spirit, the sinful soul is reunited with God. The Holy Spirit enables baptism to be powerful and effective. The Holy Spirit enables the Sacrament of Confession to reconcile souls separated from God through sin.

The Holy Spirit unites Christians in the bond of faith. For, it is through the Holy Spirit that apostolic succession through the sacrament of Holy Orders continues, so we can be united under the shepherding of Bishops who trace their lineage all the way back to the apostles. It is through the Holy Spirit that we are able to profess the one Faith received from the Apostles, free from error.
The Holy Spirit strengthens our faith and deepens our love and bestows countless gifts so that we continue to build up the church and have the courage to spread the faith.

The Holy Spirit unites families; a family that prays together opens itself to the strengthening of the Holy Spirit. When a family prays together the Holy Spirit heals wounds of division in a family, and gives family members patience to love each other as they should. Having a lot of arguments with the family? Consider coming to Sacramental Confession together on a Saturday afternoon. How powerful would that be!

The Holy Spirit works to unite the divided members of the human race by softening hardened hearts to the truth of Christ.

And the Holy Spirit works to bring unity within our own divided selves, our wounded fragmented selves. Often we continue to fall into sins because our egotistical, selfish, impatient, lustful selves still have healing to do.

Healing for a soul, a family, a parish, a nation occurs when we dispose our souls to the unifying power of the Holy Spirit: through prayer, the rosary, the divine mercy chaplet, the liturgy of the hours, lectio divina with scripture, novenas, through the humble confession of sins in the sacrament of confession, and through acts of charity.

St. Paul says, “The Holy Spirit brings life”…life which Jesus died to obtain for us, the life of grace, the life of holiness and wholeness, life for the spread of the gospel, the glory of God and salvation of souls.