3rd Week of Lent 2021 - Wednesday - Words on the Threshold

Having led the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery, and delivering unto them the 10 commandments, then having traveled 40 years in the desert, Moses finally brings the Israelites to the threshold of the promised land. 

In the powerful book of Deuteronomy, Moses stands at that threshold and speaks, as we heard in today’s reading, the words, and statutes and decrees, that will enable them to live, to survive in this new land. The name of the 5th book of Moses, Deuteronomy, comes from the Hebrew word, debarim, which means “the words”— that is, the words, the laws—that will enable the Israelites to live as the people God was calling them to be.

In the Gospel, the Lord references these words, these commands and laws, “I haven’t come to do away with the law”, he says, and not letter of it, not the smallest part of a letter of it, not even the little dot over the i. 

Sometimes you hear the strange idea that because Jesus died for us, that frees us from having to follow God’s laws. That because we are forgiven of our sins past, present, and future, we aren’t bound to follow any sort of law or rule of conduct. That’s certainly not the biblical message, nor the teaching of the Church.

The Law of Moses was for the purpose of teaching people to live in righteousness, in right relationship with God. Right relationship, righteousness, involves our moral conduct—doing good and avoiding evil.

Regarding the law of Moses, the Old Law, the Catechism says that the law of Moses, was a “preparation for the Gospel” which of course also involves moral conduct, in fact, the Lord Jesus, has raised the bar of moral conduct for us Christians in many ways.

Not only are we to follow the moral law found in the Old Testament, but we are to strive for the way of perfection of Jesus Christ. I have not come to abolish the law, the Lord says, but to complete it. Catechism says, “the New Law or the Law of the Gospel is the perfection here on earth of the divine law, natural and revealed.”

Smack dab in the middle of Lent, we have the readings about moral conduct, no doubt, because Lent is about helping us right what is wrong in our lives, to help us identify this sins that we have not quite turned away from, and to strive for the perfection that is Jesus Christ—the word made flesh. Hence, making good Lenten examinations of conscience and a good Lenten confession.

Lent is a threshold. Like Moses standing at the threshold of the promised land, we are invited to examine our conduct, and to bring our conduct, and our hearts into deeper union with the law of love taught by and fulfilled by Our Lord, that we may live, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That obedience to all the commands of Christ and the Church may mark the life of every Christian. 

For all those preparing to enter into Christ through the saving waters of Baptism and those preparing for full initiation this Easter, may these final Lenten weeks bring about purification from sin and enlightenment in the ways of holiness.

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

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.

Grant, we pray, O Lord, that your people may turn to you with all their heart, so that whatever they dare to ask in fitting prayer they may receive by your mercy.

December 30 2019 - Christmas Octave - "A certain prophetess "

The first two chapters of St. Luke’s Gospel contain what are known as the “Infancy Narratives”. They are familiar stories to us, including the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity of Our Lord, and his Presentation in the Temple.

Today, we read the concluding verses of the infancy narratives—of a woman named Anna. Anna is described by Luke as a prophetess, a widow, and a woman of advanced years. Her husband had died after only seven years of marriage, and since his death, for about sixty years, Luke tells us “she never left the temple.”

She, like Simeon, is a representative of faithful Israel who awaited the Messiah, who prepared for him through prayer and fasting and an enduring hope, and was now blessed to witness his coming. Here was a woman, whose life had become focused on patiently awaiting the promises of God. Can we even begin to comprehend her joy upon meeting Christ?

Notice, how after encountering Jesus, she begins to speak about the encounter, she becomes an evangelizer.

After the death of her husband, Anna could have stayed home, depressed and withdrawn, but after a period of grief and mourning, she devoted her life to God. Anna is a wonderful example for all widows and widowers, who answer the call to come to daily mass, to worship, to pray, to encounter the Lord.

There in the Temple, even in widowhood, her life was filled with Joy, as she encountered God, and that joy translated into evangelization. She is an example for all Christians. Those who celebrate the Lord’s birth on Christmas day, are tasked, like Anna, with sharing the good news of his birth with others.

We are to speak about Him, sharing with others, how he is the fulfillment of all their desires, he is the way by which God’s peace is offered to us, the way joy can fill our lives in this dark world.
May Anna help us to live out the true meaning of Christmas, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the witness of the Church may help all nations come to believe in the Lordship of Jesus.
That our president and all civil servants will carry out their duties with justice and honesty, and for the reversal of any law which permits or leads to the destruction of innocent human life, and that God may protect all unborn babies, and keep them safe from the scourge of abortion, we pray to the Lord.
For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life and a strengthening of all marriages in holiness.
For those oppressed by hunger, sickness, addiction, or loneliness, that through the mystery of the Nativity of Christ, they may find relief in both mind and body.
For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.
Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord

Holy Family 2019 - Families centered on Jesus

I recently came across an article from the Telegraph, a british periodical, which reported on a study of what 2000 children put on their wish-list for Christmas.  A “pet horse” was the third most popular choice.  Many children asked for ipads and ipods.  Some quirky kids asked for a “time machine”, “a donkey”, “an elephant”, or a “real live reindeer”.

Yet, atop this list of toys and treats, at the number one spot, was…can you guess? It was the request for a new baby brother or sister.  The days of large families have come to an end, especially in Europe, whose population is in decline because the birth rate is so low.  Our nation, as well, has tipped into negative population growth for a number of reasons including the breakdown of marriages, divorce, gross materialism, and the explosion in use of artificial contraception. Families are having less children, in fact, we are even seeing a decline in families in general—less marriages means less children.

And so this request for a new baby brother or sister is very telling—children are yearning, not for toys and electronics, but for real human experience, real family experiences. 

Another item on this Christmas wish list is also very telling.  In the number 10 spot, children asked..again not for electronic devices or material possessions, but for a dad.  ‘A Dad’—‘a father’—is not something children should not have to put on their Christmas list.  Children know that ‘a dad’ should not be missing from their life.

This is not to say that single-parents are not courageous and trying their hardest to provide for a healthy, loving, holy upbringing for their children.  But as Catholics we acknowledge the Creator’s design for the family as being very important for the emotional and psychological and spiritual health of children.

Statistics show many of the consequences of fatherless households.  Boys whose parents are divorced or never married are two to three times more likely to end up in jail as adults. Children whose parents get and stay married are healthier and also much less likely to suffer mental illness, including depression and teen suicide.

Many of us today may have more formal education, money and opportunities than our ancestors.  Yet family life and marriage is also crumbling like never before.  The fact that a sibling and a dad ranked so high on these Christmas wish-lists is very disturbing.  But it is also a sign of hope.  These children who long for a father, who long for a healthy family, seem to know that families should be healthier than they are, and we hope they will commit to starting and maintaining holy families when their time comes…which makes today’s feast so important, we turn our attention to what makes a Holy Family?

The Feast of the Holy Family is a relatively new feast to the liturgical calendar, it was added after Vatican II. Already in the 1960s the Council fathers detected the breakdown of families. They sought to the brace the Church for the upcoming cultural revolutions which would have even greater devastating effects, and to turn our attention to what will sustain us, guide us, and inspire us.

The Holy Family of Joseph, Mary, and Joseph is the story of a family who trusts in God amidst quite difficult circumstances: a teenage mother conceiving a child before the wedding, a foster father grappling with God’s plan, even considering ending his betrothal, a poor couple forced to flee their homeland to a foreign soil because of a hostile government threatened their child. They lived as immigrants in the land that once held their ancestors as slaves.

But, despite their challenges, this family practiced absolute fidelity to God. The Holy Family stands beside all who worry, who struggle, who search, who pray.  For they gave themselves fully to God, and made their family life a prayer and sacrifice for God.

The disintegration of the family I spoke about earlier is no doubt proportional to culture’s growing disregard for God and God’s plans. Unlike Mary and Joseph in the Gospel today who search desperately for the Lord when he became lost, searching for Jesus, making God the center of their lives, is often the last concern for modern families.

Last year, on the Feast of the Holy Family, Pope Francis commented on the need to follow Mary and Joseph’s example of searching for Jesus, he said, “That anguish [Mary and Joseph] felt in the three days of the loss of Jesus should also be our anguish when we are far from Him, when we are far from Jesus. We should feel anguish when we forget about Jesus for more than three days, without praying, without reading the Gospel, without feeling the need for his presence and his consoling friendship,” he said.

“Mary and Joseph looked for him and found him in the temple while he was teaching: for us too,  it is above all in the house of God that we can meet the divine Master and welcome his message of salvation.” The Holy Father speaks about the importance of praying together and worshiping together as a family, particularly in the house of God, at Sunday Mass. Families that pray together stay together.  Families, too, who are involved in some sort of volunteer work together, radiate with the light of God. But that key word is “together”. Praying together, worshiping together, serving together.

Separate televisions in separate rooms, separate meals at separate times, separate this and separate that, can perpetuate real and unhealthy spiritual and familial separateness if we are not vigilant. So, families need to nurture togetherness, spiritual and religious togetherness especially in a culture that is driving families apart. And really, all of us, single, married, celibate, widowed, grandparents and godparents need to be at the service of families, helping them to be holy and whole.

Today the Church calls our attention to not three separate people, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, but a unity of persons, bound together by their love for each other and God. By imitating the love and virtues of the Holy Family may all of the woundedness and divisions in our own families be healed, as we like them, seek to place Jesus at the center of everything we do and everything we are.

Pope Francis said, “The family of Nazareth is holy: because it was centered on Jesus.” May all of the families of our parish and in our neighborhood grow in holiness by the same means, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

December 9 2019 - Immaculate Conception - God chose her to be holy

In my homily for the 1st Sunday of Advent, I reflected upon how we prepare for the important events in our life. Parents prepare for the birth of their children, our second graders prepare for the sacraments of reconciliation and first eucharist, our eighth graders prepare for the sacrament of confirmation. Our teenage parishioners prepare to obtain their driver’s license, they prepare for college, for their jobs. Preparing to become a priest requires nine years of seminary preparation. Engaged couples spend months preparing for marriage. The most important things in life require great preparation.

We see this truth reflected most gloriously in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. For today we celebrate the way God prepared Mary to become the mother of our savior. In preparing Mary to be the Mother of Jesus, God did not wait for her to graduate high school; he did not wait for her to learn to read and write; he didn’t wait for her to learn to speak or walk. God prepared Mary from the very moment she became a human being, the very moment of her conception, the very moment she became a baby in her mother’s womb.

The Immaculate Conception, Francisco Rizi

From the very moment Mary existed, she was filled with a special grace from God never before given to any other member of the human race: the grace of being immaculately conceived. Could God do it? Of course! He’s God! The Archangel Gabriel in the Gospel today said it perfectly: “nothing is impossible for God”. 

Mary's greatness doesn't come from her intelligence, good looks, charm, bubbly personality - it doesn't come from her natural qualities. Her greatness, her true beauty, comes from being filled with the grace of God and surrendering to God’s plan for her life.

And that’s true for us as well. What matters most in life is allowing God to fill us with grace and cooperating with that grace. Just like Mary, God has a plan for each of us. But it is up to us, like Mary to respond generously to God’s plan, to trust in God, to learn from the events of our life, to become the people God made us to be.

What does God want from us? The same thing he wanted from Mary: Sinlessness, selflessness, and cooperation with his grace.  In the epistle, Saint Paul wrote, “God chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish”.  God chose Mary for holiness, and God chooses us as well. So, may we respond generously to God, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That through the teaching, preaching, and pastoral care of the Church all Christians will grow in their devotion to and imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  We pray to the Lord.

That through Immaculate Mary, Queen of Peace, hatred, violence, and cruelty will cease in the world.  We pray to the Lord.

For those trapped in the downward spiral of sin, that the hope offered through the Incarnation of Christ in the womb of the Blessed Virgin will bring them new life in the Spirit.  We pray to the Lord.
That Mary’s maternal care and heavenly intercession will raise us to the moral greatness befitting true children of God.  We pray to the Lord.

For blessings on all expectant mothers, newborn infants, and young families.  We pray to the Lord.

That from the moment of conception all children will be preserved from bodily harm; for the overturning of unjust laws that permit the destruction of innocent life; and that the minds of all may be enlightened to know the dignity of every human life.  We pray to the Lord.

For all those who have died, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for all who have fought and died for our country’s freedom, and for [intention below], for whom this Mass is offered.  We pray to the Lord.

We pray, O Lord our God, that the Virgin Mary, who merited to bear God and man in her chaste womb, may commend the prayers of your faithful in your sight. Through Christ our Lord.

34th Week in OT 2019 - Tuesday - The kingdom that shall never be destroyed

Yesterday, we heard how Daniel, because of his faithfulness and obedience to God was given “the understanding of all visions and dreams.”  Today we hear how Daniel, uses this gift, and interprets a dream of King Nebuchadnezzar.

Through the prophet Daniel, God wanted King Nebuchadnezzar to know that his kingdom, so dear to him, could and would undergo destruction.  Other kingdoms would take its place, but they, too, would last only a time.  The prophecy of Daniel foreshadowed the words of Jesus, when he spoke of the Temple of Jerusalem:  it, like everything built by human beings, will be destroyed. 
We are not to put our hope in earthly institutions, buildings, or kingdoms.

But then, Daniel prophesied about a kingdom established by God Himself, a kingdom that would never be destroyed. Daniel did not know that he was speaking about the Church: not church buildings, of course,  but the Church herself, made up of “living stones”.  And this kingdom, “the kingdom of truth and life, the kingdom of holiness and grace, the kingdom of justice, love and peace,” as is described in the Eucharistic Preface for the Solemnity of Christ the King, this kingdom is eternal.

The Letter to the Hebrews states, “we who are receiving the unshakable kingdom should have gratitude, with which we should offer worship pleasing to God in reverence and awe.” Gratitude for the blessings of life, gratitude seen in works of self-sacrifice, gratitude for salvation is a necessary hallmark of the members of the eternal kingdom.

Members of the eternal kingdom have a great responsibility, to ensure that we retain membership in it. For membership in God’s kingdom is not based on race or social status or place of birth, but on union with Christ through grace, through faith, hope, and love, and gratitude.

The Greek word for gratitude is of course “Eucharistia”—Eucharist. The gathering for Eucharist to offer pleasing worship—worship in which we unite our lives in reverence and awe to the sacrifice of Christ— is a hallmark of membership in the eternal kingdom.

May our gratitude for membership in the eternal kingdom through Christ be seen in works of love today, works which build up the kingdom made of living stones through the preaching of the Gospel for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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Lord, sanctify your bishops and priests, and grant them courage to preach the Gospel in its fullness.

Lord, make the lives of parents examples of faith to inspire their children to seek first your heavenly kingdom.

Lord, bring all those who have fallen away back to the sacraments, help them to repent of their sins and desire the life that can only come from you.

Lord, make us truly grateful for salvation and for the blessings that fill our lives.

Lord, bring comfort to the sick and suffering, charity and care to the destitute and down-trodden, be present through your church to the miserable.

Lord, welcome into your kingdom all the faithful departed, those whose names are written in our parish necrology, all clergy and religious, and 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.

June 24 2019 - Nativity of John the Baptist

When the Church celebrates the feast day of a saint, we are usually celebrating the day of the saint’s death. For example the feast of Aloysius Ganzaga last week was on June 21, because he went to his eternal reward on June 21, 1591. 

But the Church also celebrates the days of birth of three persons:  Jesus, of course, on the feast we call Christmas; the Blessed Virgin Mary, on September 8th, nine months after the feast of her Immaculate Conception; and Saint John the Baptist.  In fact, Byzantine Catholics celebrate the conception of John the Baptist nine months prior to today’s feast, on September 24, which they call, The feast of the Conception of the Precursor.

John has always had a place of very high esteem in the Church, this feast of his birth dates all the way back to the 4th century. John was praised by the Lord himself, when he said, “I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John”. 

John is honored, certainly for the great role he played in salvation history. His was the lone voice in the wilderness pointing others to Christ. When we take John as a Patron, he will always help us to point others to Christ, even when it feels like we are a lone voice.

John is also honored because of his personal holiness. In a sense, he was a saint already in the womb of his mother. He was able to detect the presence of the Lord, he lept for joy, still in the womb of his mother Elizabeth. And John gives us the key to holiness in his utterance, “I must decrease so that Christ may increase”. As Christians, followers of Christ the Lord, it is our hope that others may see Christ in us. That our egos, our sins, our willfulness might not obscure the presence of Jesus Christ in us. His teachings, his Spirit, His heart, his concern for doing the will of the heavenly Father, his willingness to embrace the cross, should be evident to those we meet. It is our hope that others encounter Christ in us, and this becomes possible when we decrease all that is not Christ and of Christ, as John the Baptist did.

Though, he was born holy, John the Baptist’s holiness shines forth in his life, his willingness to preach the truth, even when that brought the wrath of those in power upon him, his purity, his attentiveness and devotion to the Holy Will of God. May John help us to decrease, that Christ may increase in us and in the world, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That Pope Francis and all the clergy may witness to the truth of the Gospel faithfully, courageously, and compassionately.

For the protection of the unborn, and that people of goodwill will work together to enshrine the protection of the unborn in law and in the hearts of all.

For the conversion of those who do not believe in God, for Catholics who have left the Church, those guilty of heresy or schism, and for a return to the sacraments of those who have fallen into serious sin.

For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster,  those who suffer from war, violence, and terrorism, all victims of abuse, especially children, 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, for the repose of the soul of St. Joseph Father Larry Tosco, and for N. for whom this mass is offered.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.

June 21 2019 - St. Aloysius Gonzaga - Treasures in heaven

St. Aloysius Gonzaga was born into a noble family in Renaissance Italy.  16th-century Florence was not very different from 21st-century America.  It was a lax, morally careless, self-indulgent age. Though he had been to exposed to society’s corruption, brutality and lust, Aloysius, at the age of 7, had a profound spiritual awakening. He saw the decadence around him and vowed not to be part of it. 

By age 11 he was teaching catechism to poor children, fasting three days a week and practicing great penances. After reading a book about Jesuit missionaries in India, Aloysius announced his desire to be a priest in the Society of Jesus, though it took four years for him to obtain permission from his father, who had more worldly dreams for his son.

In 1591, a catastrophic plague struck Rome and the Jesuits opened up a hospital.  The young Jesuit novice, Aloysius, nursed patients, carried them on his shoulders, washed them, and made their beds.  As a result of his tireless care of the sick, Aloysius caught the disease himself. He was overcome with a great fever and died at the age of 23 in 1591. His holiness was so evident that he was beatified by Pope Paul V in 1605.

Aloysius Gonzaga is a patron saint of catholic youth and teenagers, and also AIDS patients and their care-givers. Would that we all were dedicated to helping our young people form hearts like St. Aloysius!

He is often shown in sacred art and statues as a young man wearing the black cassock of the Jesuits and contemplating a crucifix or praying to the Blessed Virgin.

Aloysius took seriously the words of our Lord in the Gospel today: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth…But store up treasures in heaven.” The saints show us precisely how this is done.

The young saint, once said, “He who wishes to love God does not truly love Him if he has not an ardent and constant desire to suffer for his sake.” Through the intercession of St. Aloysius, may each of us consider how God is calling us to grow in holiness, to serve the needy, to do penance, to pour ourselves out in service of the kingdom, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all Christians will recommit themselves to fervent prayer as to grow in greater love and holiness.

That we may fast often from the things of the world, in order to seek and value the things of heaven.

That the Church may commit to almsgiving and acts of charity in order to care for the needs of the poor and store up treasure in heaven.

Through the intercession of St Aloysius Gonzaga, patron of young people, that the young may be blessed with true faith, the desire to serve the Lord above seeking the pleasures of the world, and for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, victims of natural disaster, war, and terrorism, for those with HIV, AIDS, and their caregivers, for all those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, for their comfort, and the consolation of their families.

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 the repose of the good Jesuits who have served the Church, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

Grant, we pray, O Lord, that your people may turn to you with all their heart, so that whatever they dare to ask in fitting prayer they may receive by your mercy. Through Christ our Lord.

11th Week in OT 2019 - Tuesday - Readiness to love our enemies

We continue to read from Jesus’ great sermon on the mount during these weekdays of Ordinary Time, and we are confronted with one of Jesus’ most counter-cultural teachings this morning: love your enemies.

Why this teaching is counter-cultural should be obvious. The tendency of our fallen nature is to hate our enemies, ostracize and undermine them, defeat them in battle, seek their downfall, annihilate their influence in the world. Fallen nature takes delight in seeing enemies suffer.

But Jesus’ disciples are not to follow the tendencies of fallen nature. Rather, we are to live according to a new way, the way of Christ preached in the Sermon and modeled in his earthly life.

We are to love our enemies, because He loves those who have made themselves enemies of God through sin. He went to the cross for all out of love for all.

If we love our enemies, we can love anyone. And we must. Out of obedience to Christ!

So, how are we to love our enemies? Forgive them, be patient with them, feed them, clothe them, teach them, serve them, hold no grudges toward them, visit them, pray for them, seek what is best for them. Love them even when it feels like they are scourging you at a pillar, even when they are forcing you to march to your crucifixion.

Saint Maximus the Confessor wrote, “Readiness to do good to someone who hates us is a characteristic of perfect love.” Many people in our highly-offendable culture walk around ready to attack those who offend them, to verbally assault those who inconvenience them, they are just looking to unveil someone as their enemy so they can pummel them with their pent up frustrations, to make them into a scapegoat for all of their problems.

But Christians must ready ourselves to do good to all. And by doing so we begin to reflect that perfect love of Jesus Christ. We begin to be perfect, as our heavenly Father is perfect.

May we ready ourselves to do good to all, and pray deeply for our enemies, not simply for their conversion, but for our conversion to love them as Christ loves them, 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 Church’s missions amongst the poor and unevangelized throughout the world, that the work of Christ may be carried out with truth and love. We pray to the Lord.

For the grace to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, to love our neighbors and enemies and those who persecute us, and to share the truth of the Gospel with all.  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 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. 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.

Memorial Day 2019 - The Souls of the Just

On May 5, 1868, In his capacity as commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, General John A. Logan issued a proclamation calling for "Decoration Day" to be observed annually and nationwide, a practice which had already begun in the south. Where Veteran’s Day, in November, honors those veterans who survived their time of service. The purpose of memorial day is to honor our war dead.

Memorial Day asks us to ponder an important question: what do the living owe the dead? Especially if we believe that the dead served us, offered up, as Lincoln once described, “the final measure of devotion, of fidelity.” What do we owe them?

We are quickly becoming a society unable to remember history, disconnected from our roots, set loose from the lessons that our ancestors learned. So, on behalf of those who are so quickly forgetting, we remember those today who are most worth remembering: those who died for us.

The Roman Missal does not have particular prayers and Scripture readings for Memorial Day.  But for this Mass, I chose today prayers and Scriptural readings for the faithful departed. From the book of wisdom we hear of God’s promise to the just. That in eternity not torment shall touch them. The Lord in his most famous sermon, the beatitudes also speaks of eternal reward for those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

We remember our heroes today—those who hungered and thirsted for justice, enough to die for it—and not just justice and peace for themselves, but for future generations.

Today we also recall our duty to not let their sacrifices go in vain. And we commit to not wasting the freedom they died for, we commit to fighting against tyranny and injustice in our own day, and remembering the lessons of the past.

With a spirit of profound gratitude for all who made it possible for us to be here today, we pray for our beloved war dead, and pray that we may, like them, hunger and thirst and work for justice and peace for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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Let us pray to our Heavenly Father, confident that He is generous to those who call upon Him with faith.
For Pope Francis, Bishop Nelson, and all the bishops: may they rightly lead the Body of Christ in faithfulness to all the Lord teaches and commands.
For our President and all elected government representatives, may the Holy Spirit grant them wisdom and guide them to promote authentic and lasting peace in the world, an end to terrorism, respect for religious freedom, and a greater reverence for the sanctity of Human Life.
For the protection of all those who serve in our nation’s military, and for all wounded servicemen and women, for all those widowed and orphaned because of war.
For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for the deceased members of our family, friends, and parish, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom for whom this mass is offered.
Gracious Father, hear the prayers of your pilgrim Church, grant us your grace and lead us to the glory of your kingdom, through Christ Our Lord.

6th Sunday of Easter 2019 - Anxiety and the Gift of Peace

Scripture speaks often of God’s desire to give his people “peace”. Psalm 85 says that God promises peace to his people. Psalm 29 says, “The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.” Paul tells the Galatians that the fruits of the Spirit are “love, joy, goodness, faithfulness, and peace” Isaiah prophecies that the Messiah will be called “Wonder-Counselor and Prince of Peace”

The Peace which the Lord exhibited in his earthly ministry must have been profoundly attractive to his people. You can tell when people are filled with the peace of God. The holiest people I’ve met have been the most peaceful—peace surrounds them like cloak. I think the opposite is also true; most of us have met people that seem surrounded by a cloud of distress, bitterness, unhappiness; drama and chaos and division follow them everywhere. Perhaps, you’ve met someone who has allowed grief to turn into anger at the world or anger at God and that anger just exudes from them. Christians, rather, should be known by their peace. We are called to be peacebearers and peacemakers.

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” What powerful words, especially when we know, all too well, how anxiety, fear, anger, worry can have such a negative effect upon our lives.

We worry or are angry about the economy, about our jobs, our families, our kids and spouses, our Church and our parish, our government, our country, the environment. Anxities and resentments can have serious repercussions on our physical and mental health, resulting in headaches, irritability, muscular aches and pains, gastrointestinal issues, depression, difficulty in concentrating, both extreme fatigue and sleeplessness, just to name a few symptoms.

And many people turn to compulsive behaviors to cope with their anxiety: overindulgence in alcohol, drugs, promiscuity or pornography, excessive eating and shopping. Anything to give some semblance of control.

Anxiety and restlessness can be a sign that things are out of balance. God designed the human person in such a way that we experience anxiety, some restlessness, when our lives are out of balance. Anxiety can be a sign that we need to make some changes to our Diet, exercise, and sleep schedule, that we need to spending more quality time with family and friends. Serious compulsions and serious anxiety is likely a sign that we need to speak with a counselor.

Yes, anxiety and restlessness can be signs that something is out of balance and needs to be changed about our physical and mental habits. They can also be a sign that something needs to be changed or improved about our spiritual habits. As St. Augustine said so rightly, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in God.” If we aren’t experiencing the peace we think we should, in our spiritual life, we do well to examine what might need to change.

The peace that God wants for us might come from personal changes, it will likely come through other people, working on relationships, and peace will certainly through prayer and the sacraments. One well-known Catholic psychologist said that 5 minutes in the confessional is worth a month of therapy. The honesty of admitting one’s failures in the confessional and acknowledging that God is the source of peace and strength for the future, has a powerful therapeutic effect, not to mention the spiritual cleansing we receive through sacramental absolution.

Boredom, too, is likely a sign that spiritual changes need to be made. I often tell the kids over in the school that boredom is either a sign that they need to get up and do something physical, or it’s a sign that they need to spend more time in prayer. Likely, it’s a sign of both.

Boredom, anxiety, anger, fear, worry, these are signs that we need to go to a quiet place and open ourselves to the gift of peace that Jesus promises in our gospel today. Now some people confuse prayer and worry. Prayer is not simply over-ideating on your problems. Going over and over your worries in your head is not prayer. Rather, prayer requires entrusting our worries to God, asking God to help us identify what we can do about them, and letting him take care of the rest. As they say in AA, let go and let God. Peace comes through faith: yes, it comes from doing what we can, praying hard, working hard, but finally, we need to entrust our needs to God.

St. Padre Pio, the great Italian stigmatist from the last century, is said to have received many letters from around the world. Thousands of letters every day. And these letters, as you guessed it, were filled with people’s problems, needs, and worries. And, it’s said that he would often write back the same thing in every response. He’d write, “work hard, do your best, pray hard, and don’t worry.” Work hard, do your best, pray hard, and don’t worry.

In thinking about worry and anxiety, I can’t help but think, as well, of our mothers who we celebrated two weeks ago on Mother’s day. Not as the cause of our anxieties…mostly…but as the remedy. Who here hasn’t brought a worry or anxiety to your mother? Mothers sort of absorb the worries and anxieties of her children. We no doubt have many mothers here who have taken their own children’s worries and anxieties and needs upon themselves, who have brought their children’s anxieties, in their hearts, to the altar today. And something happens in the mother’s heart, doesn’t it, problems are transformed, sometimes wisdom is discovered, peace is given.

On this final Sunday of the Month of May, I invite all of you to deepen and strengthen your relationship to our Mother in Heaven, Our Lady. She is called Our Lady of Sorrows, because she takes our sorrows and the sorrows of the world to God for us. She is Our Lady Perpetual Help because she is always there, always concerned for each one of us. She is Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners, because we can always find peace and protection in her care. As Mediatrix of Grace she is the channel through which God’s peace is offered to us.

So, bring your needs, your worries and woes, your stresses to Mother Mary every day. In the moment of fear, in the moment of anger, in the moment of temptation, call upon Mother Mary. She will always help us find and know the gift of peace, given to us by Her Son, Our Lord. No Doubt, Mary’s presence brought peace to Jesus Himself throughout his own sufferings. We know Mary comforted Jesus on the way of the cross, we know she stood by him as he suffered crucifixion and died. Jesus gave Mary to us as our own Mother, and we do well, to allow her to do a mother’s job in our own life, to be that powerful source of peace in our needs and troubles.

Please know that as I embark on pilgrimage this week, I bring all of your needs, worries, anxieties, and petitions with me, and pray that the Lord may continue to bless us with his gift of peace, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

5th Week of Easter 2019 - Friday - A Heart Which Sees And Acts

One of my favorite Papal encyclicals of the last 20 years, is the first encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI titled “Deus Caritas Est”, God is Love. Holy Father chose to wrote the first encyclical of his pontificate on the subject of Christian love, WHY Christians are called to love, WHAT is Christian love, and HOW Christians are called to love.

The first question “why” is pretty clear to us. We are called to love because God is love and we are made in God’s image. The Gospel today answers that question too, we are called to love because Jesus has commanded us to. All of the commandments of the law are summed up in the command to love God and love neighbor.

The Holy Father then answers “what is love” by reflecting on the different concepts of love from theology and philosophy, eros, philia, and agape, and their relationship to Christ’s teaching. 

He then answers “how Christians are called to love” by showing how Christian charity is carried out in the different spheres of society, in politics, in what is often called “social justice”.

“The Christian's program” writes Benedict, “the program of Jesus—is “a heart which sees”. Christians are to attune their hearts to the heart of Jesus, and thereby develop a heart which sees what is needed, and acts accordingly. Jesus saw the need, the greatest need in the universe, the need for human redemption, our salvation from hell became God’s highest priority. He saw our need, and acted accordingly, laying down his life, embracing the cross and death for us, to save us. There is no greater love than his for us.

So, the Christian heart, attuned to Christ, through an encounter and recognition of his love, for us, for me and you personally, also sees the needs in the world, and acts accordingly.

Love, is not simply an emotion, or a feeling. Our Christian call to love isn’t simply to go through our neighborhoods and have fluffy feelings about everyone. Rather, the call to love, is a call to be attentive to need, and to act accordingly, to lay down our lives to bring Christ’s mercy into the lives of others, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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God the Father was glorified in the death and resurrection of his Son. Let us pray to him with all confidence.

God the Father bathed the world in splendor when Christ rose again in glory, may our minds be filled with the light of faith.

Through the resurrection of His Son, the Father opened for us the way to eternal life, may we be sustained today in our work with the hope of glory.

Through His risen Son, the Father sent the Holy Spirit into the world, may our hearts be set on fire with spiritual love.

May Jesus Christ, who was crucified to set us free, be the salvation of all those who suffer, particularly those who suffer from physical or mental illness, addiction, and grief.

For all of our young people beginning summer vacation, that they may be kept safe from all physical and spiritual evil, and be kept in close friendship with the Lord Jesus through the faith lives of their families.
That all of our beloved dead and all the souls in purgatory may come to the glory of the Resurrection.
O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the desires of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our lord.

May 22 2019 - St. Rita of Cascia - Remaining faithful throughout hardship

Jesus in the Gospel says, those who remain in me will bear much fruit. St. Rita, remained in Christ throughout her difficult marriage and the austerity of religious life.

St. Rita is a truly remarkable figure in the history of the church and the history of the saints. She was born in Umbria in 1381. From an early age she wanted to become a nun, a religious dedicated entirely to God. But her parents had other plans for her. They wanted her to marry, and so she did; she obeyed her parents’ insistence and married at a young age. But her husband turned out to be cruel and harsh and the marriage was very difficult, Rita’s only consolation during these years was God; she united herself often, in prayer, to Christ’s sorrowful passion.

After 18 years of a difficult, abusive marriage, her husband, got himself killed in a brawl. When her two sons vowed to avenge their father's murder, she feared for their souls. She tried to persuade them to let go of their anger, but to no avail, they began to plot a murder.

So she prayed, and she petitioned God to prevent her sons from sinning and losing their souls, even if it meant that they lost their earthly life. And it so happened that the sons developed fatal cases of dysentery; however, before they died, they were reconciled to God, repentant of their hatred.

Free from earthly ties, St. Rita entered the Augustinian nuns in the nearby town of Cascia. She became renowned for her austerity, devotion, prayer, and charity; and for her patience in long-standing illness, she received visions from heaven and the stigmata—a wound resembling the crown of thorns on her forehead, which she bore until her death, which occurred on May 22, 1457.

“Those who remain in me will bear much fruit”. St. Rita remained faithful when the world told her to be unfaithful. And because of her faithfulness, because she remained in Christ, she won the grace of repentance for her sons, she progressed in holiness, which blossomed into deep mystical union with Christ.

Jesus too says, the prayers of those who remain in him will be heard and granted. St. Rita’s prayers were likely so effective throughout her life because of her holiness and perseverance. She has been invoked as one of the patron saints of impossible causes for many centuries because her prayerful intercession in heaven continues to be greatly effective.

May we take her example of faithful long-suffering to heart, may we persevere in our own prayers for the conversion of fallen away family, friends, and neighbors, in our own life, and benefit, too, from Rita’s heavenly intercession, especially in those most impossible of cases, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That Christians may grow in grace by uniting their sufferings to the Sufferings of Christ and know God’s presence with them in their sufferings.
For all those in difficult or abusive marriages, that the Lord will protect victims of abuse and bring healing and reconciliation where it is possible.
That all young people may come to value discipleship of Jesus Christ above all earthly pursuits, be preserved from sin, and grow in grace and holiness.
For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life, and for a strengthening of all vocations of service.
For all those impossible cases which only the grace of God can remedy.
For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for all of the pour souls in purgatory, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

May 21 2019 - St. Christopher Magallanes and Companions - The Serenity of the Martyrs

For 150 years, anti-Catholic laws in Mexico made it dangerous to publically practice the faith.  Churches, schools, and seminaries were closed, foreign clergy and missionaries were expelled.  The Mexican government intentionally worked to weaken the Catholic faith of the people  Today, we honor 25 martyrs who died between 1915 and 1937.  22 of them were diocesan priests, 3 were laymen.

Among them was Fr. Christopher Magallanes.  Born in 1869 near Guadalajara.  He worked in the fields before entering the seminary, and following his ordination he worked in his home town organizing catechetical centers and schools in the rural area, helping the poor develop , encouraging devotion to the rosary.

When the government closed the seminary in Guadalajara, Father Christopher established a clandestine one in his parish.  This was between 1924 and 1928 which was a particularly brutal period of religious oppression which sparked the formation of the Cristero movement, its members pledging their allegiance to Christ and the Church whatever the dangers.  During that period the government made it illegal to be Baptized and for priests to celebrate Mass.

For Father Christopher, the end came in 1927 when he arrested and faced the firing squad. His last words to his executioners were "I die innocent, and ask God that my blood may serve to unite my Mexican brethren."

One of the things that always impresses me about the martyrs is the peace, the holy serenity, they exhibit as they face their sufferings and deaths. Because of their love for Christ, their conviction for the Gospel, they are filled with true peace: peace, as the Lord says in the Gospel today, “not as the world gives”, a peace which comes from heaven. When speaking about his own death to the apostles, Jesus in the Gospel today says, “do not let your hearts be troubled.” When facing hardship for the sake of the kingdom, we must not let our hearts be troubled. We must not shy away from the choices which may bring us hardship for the sake of the Gospel.

Like so many martyrs throughout the centuries, Fr. Christopher and those we honor today believed that spreading the Gospel was the most important thing in life. In the face of trial may we know Christ’s peace, and may we be faithful to Him always, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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Our Savior’s faithfulness is mirrored in the fidelity of his witnesses who shed their blood for the Word of God. Let us praise Him in remembrance of them:

The martyrs professed their faith by shedding their blood, may we have a faith that is constant and pure.

The martyrs followed in Christ’s footsteps by carrying the cross, may we endure courageously our earthly trials and all the misfortunes of life.

The martyrs washed their garments in the blood of the Lamb, may we be helped by their prayers to avoid the weaknesses of the flesh and all worldly allurements.

That all Christian missionaries may have courage and strength in their witness to the Gospel, for an increase in priestly and religious vocations, and for increased willingness among Christians to answer the missionary call.

That anyone who suffers any type of affliction, illness, or suffering, may know the comfort of the mercy of Christ.

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

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord

May 20 2019 - St. Bernardine of Siena - Heralds of the Holy Name

Today we celebrate St. Bernardine of Siena.

St. Bernardine was the greatest preacher of his time, the late 14th, early 15th century, attracting huge crowds, sometimes as large as thirty thousand.

Following his ordination as a Franciscan priest, at the age of 22, he lived in solitude and prayer for almost a dozen years. But he was urged by his order to make use of his extraordinary preaching skills, so he traveled from town to town, always on foot, preaching, gathering large crowds, and often speaking for several hours.

He is especially known for his devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus.  At the end of his sermons he would display a tablet with the first three letters of the name of Jesus in Greek—I, H, S—Iota, Eta, Sigma—written in the gothic style against the background of a blazing sun.  As this devotion spread, the symbol began to appear in churches, homes, vestments, art, and public buildings.

St. Bernardine said, “Glorious name, gracious name, name of love and of power! Through you sins are forgiven, through you enemies are vanquished, through you the sick are freed from their illness, through you those suffering in trials are made strong and cheerful. You bring honor to those who believe, you teach those who preach, you give strength to the toiler, you sustain the weary”  St. Bernadine is said to have performed many miracles, attesting to the power of the Holy Name of Jesus.

Jesus says in the Gospel today, “Whoever has my commandments and observes them
is the one who loves me.” Certainly, one of those commandments is to love and honor the Holy Name, not to take the name of God in vain, but to use that name in prayer, praise, and petition.

When waiting in line at the grocery store or at a doctor’s office or in traffic, I like to slowly and simply recite the name of Jesus, to quiet the mind down enough where only the name of Jesus fills it. It’s a beautiful, simple, yet powerful way of praying, encouraged by the saints. In fact, many of the saints, at the moment of their deaths, have been found to be pronouncing with love and devotion Jesus’ name. His name means “God saves”, and we are to be his heralds.

St. Peter says in the book of Acts, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved”. May we find healing and salvation from the sins and attitudes and circumstances which cripple us through the name of Jesus, and courage to be heralds of his Gospel for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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God the Father was glorified in the death and resurrection of his Son. Let us pray to him with confidence.

By the Holy Name of Jesus, may the Pope, All Bishops, and Priests, know courage and strength in preaching the Gospel and leading the Church.

By the Holy Name of Jesus, may our world be filled with peace, may government leaders work for life and the establishment of authentic justice.

By the Holy Name of Jesus, may our parish be delivered from all spiritual evil, heresy, irreverence, witchcraft and demonic influence, and all that keeps us from preaching and living the Gospel.

By the Holy Name of Jesus, may all the sick and suffering know the consolation that comes from the Heart of God.

By the Holy Name of Jesus, may all the faithful departed come to the glory of the Resurrection.

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

4th Week of Easter 2019 - Friday - The Life of the Faithful Departed

Today’s Gospel is requested more than any other for Masses of Christian Burial, that is, for Catholic Funeral Masses. Why this one in particular? Why are these words of Jesus at the Last Supper so comforting, so powerful?

Perhaps it is because Jesus answers one of the ultimate questions of the human experience: “where do we go when we die?” And how does he answer that question today? He says that his followers, those who follow him, believe in him and obey him, those who allow his truth to guide their lives, those who preach his truth, and those who allow his life, his spirit, to dwell in them, will go to the Father. Christianity, “The Way” of Christ, leads to the Father, it leads to Eternal Life with God the Father.
Jesus offers this teaching at the Last Supper, before he departs from this life, for a time. Similarly, Christians who pass from this life, depart to go to the Father. We even speak of them as the faithful departed. Where have they departed to? To go to the Father.

When a beloved fellow Christian dies, we are often overwhelmed with grief. And that is quite understandable. Life will be different without them. But grief must be met by Christian hope based on the teaching of Our Blessed Lord: death is not the end for the faithful Christian.

Now, had Jesus died on the cross and not resurrected, if he had stayed dead, his words could be doubted, his words would have no more weight than any other religious leader in history. As St. Paul writes, “had Christ not risen from the dead, our faith would be in vain”. Jesus’ promises to the disciples at the last supper would be empty words.

But unlike Mohammed, Krishna, Buddha, or any other religious founder, Jesus has risen, Jesus is risen. Jesus resurrection is the stamp of guarantee on his teachings: following him, believing his truth, living his life, leads to the Father. Not all roads lead to heaven. In fact, Jesus says, today, there is one road, his road.

As we read through the Acts of the Apostles, this is why the Apostles, Paul and Barnabas are willing to suffer so, because the way of Christ is not man’s best attempt at religion, it’s not some unverified theory, it is the truth. And every person who hears the Gospel preached will have to grapple with this truth, and their acceptance or rejection of this truth will have eternal consequences.

May our easter celebrations deepen our conviction of this truth, and help us to enter more deeply, and walk more faithfully, the way of the Lord Jesus, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 

God the Father was glorified in the death and resurrection of his Son. Let us pray to him with confidence.

God the Father bathed the world in splendor when Christ rose again in glory, may our minds be filled with the light of faith.

Through the resurrection of His Son, the Father opened for us the way to eternal life, may we be sustained today in our work with the hope of glory.

Through His risen Son, the Father sent the Holy Spirit into the world, may our hearts be set on fire with spiritual love.

May Jesus Christ, who was crucified to set us free, be the salvation of all those who suffer, particularly those who suffer from physical or mental illness, addiction, and grief.

That all of our beloved dead and all the souls in purgatory may come to the glory of the Resurrection.
For the 9 men who will be ordained priests at the Cathedral tomorrow, that their minds and hearts may be united to Christ the Good Shepherd in all things.
O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the desires of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our lord.

4th Week of Easter 2019 - Wednesday - Father, Faith, Light, Judgment

The Gospel of John is divided into two parts: the Book of Signs and the Book of Glory. In the Book of Signs, comprising the first twelve chapters of John’s Gospel, Jesus’ identity is revealed through seven specific signs—his power and glory and divine identity are revealed as he changes water into wine, as he feeds 5000, as he walks on water, as he raises dead Lazarus.

Today’s Gospel contains the final passage of that first part of the Book of Signs and Jesus takes the opportunity to summarize his teaching and explain the purpose of those seven signs prior to the second part of the Gospel, which begins with the Last Supper.

Why has he performed these signs? Why is he here? He explains his purpose in terms of his relationship with the Father. He has come not to do his own will, but the will of the Father. He who sees Him, sees the Father. He and the Father are One. His works and signs reveal the glory and power of His Father. To respond to Jesus with faith, to become his disciple, is to enter into a new relationship to God the Father.

Jesus didn’t come simply to dazzle people or coerce them to pay Him homage; he performed signs and teachings to bring people to faith, to reveal the Father’s heart. He wants all of us to recognize the light of God, even in the midst of sin and darkness. Right? He says today, “I have come as light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.” Having been sent by the Father, Jesus comes into a world that is fallen and in the spiritual darkness of sin to reveal that God the Father has not abandoned sinners, but desires their salvation.

Finally, Jesus speaks today of judgment. A person’s final judgment and eternal destiny is being determined by their present response to Jesus. Our response to Jesus carries such weight because of his relationship to the Father as his obedient Son and perfect envoy.  There’s no fuller proof of what God wants from us in this life than Jesus Christ.

The Easter season continues to challenge us to believe in Christ more deeply, to enter into His relationship with the Father more fully, to allow his light to shine in us for brightly, that we may be prepared for judgment and equipped to spread his Gospel for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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Filled with Paschal joy, let us turn earnestly to God, to graciously hear our prayers and supplications.
For the shepherds of our souls, that they may have the strength to govern wisely the flock entrusted to them by the Good Shepherd.

For the whole world, that it may truly know the peace of the Risen Christ, especially for all victims of religious violence.

For our parish, that we may bear witness with great confidence to the Resurrection of Christ.

For our brothers and sisters who suffer, that their sorrow may be turned to gladness through the Christian faith.

That all of our beloved dead and all the souls in purgatory may come to the glory of the Resurrection.

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

May 14 2019 - St. Matthias - Apostolic Church

“I believe in One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.” What does it mean that the Church is Apostolic?

Firstly, it means that the Church was and remains built on "the foundation of the Apostles," We are heirs to that original mission given by Jesus to the Twelve apostles—to preach, to teach, to cast out demons, to baptize, to forgive sins. We are the fruit of their faithfulness.

Secondly, that the Church is Apostolic means that the Church, with the help of the Holy Spirit dwelling within her, keeps and hands on the “deposit of faith” entrusted to the Apostles by Christ. The content of the faith is guarded and passed on by the Apostles.

Thirdly, that the Church is Apostolic means that the Church continues to be taught, sanctified, governed and guided by the apostles until Christ returns through their successors, the bishops.

That third dimension of Apostolicity is rooted in the election of St. Matthias whose feast we celebrate today. Matthias was the first to be appointed Apostle after the death and resurrection of Jesus. And as the Church continued to grow, the number of Apostles needed to shepherd the Church also grew.

The apostolic ministry continues unbroken from the apostles to every Catholic bishop throughout history.  Hence we believe, as the Catechism states, that "the bishops have by divine institution taken the place of the apostles as pastors of the Church, in such a way that whoever listens to them is listening to Christ and whoever despises them despises Christ and him who sent Christ."

Jesus governs the Church through his faithful bishops. To be a Christian is to look to and follow the leadership of the apostles, the bishops, who are a of mark of guarantee that the Church remains faithful to the teachings of Jesus.

We live in an age that mistrusts authority, that seeks to forget the past and work for a future fashioned simply according to our own ideas. But this is not Christianity. The Christian recognizes the importance of being faithful to what has been received by God. That Christian truth doesn’t simply change according to the whims of each generation.

We pray for our Bishop and for all bishops, the successors of the Apostles, that they may be faithful in teaching, governing, and sanctifying the Church, handing on the “deposit of faith” which enables us to follow Christ without error for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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May we join the Holy Apostles in our prayer for the world and the Church.

As the Apostles witnessed to the Resurrection of the Lord, may we be his witnesses to the farthest corners of the world.

For the bishops, the successors of the apostles: That they may be courageous in stirring up the flame of faith and defending the Church from error.

For all of the sick and suffering, especially victims of natural disaster, poverty, and addiction, may they be comforted and supported by God’s healing love. We pray to the Lord.

For all who long to see the face of the Father, for all our departed loved ones and all of the souls in purgatory, and for N. for whom this Mass is offered. We pray to the Lord.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord

May 13 2019 - Our Lady of Fatima - Triumph of the Immaculate Heart

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

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

Many have felt Fatima to be a sort of wake-up call from our Mother Mary, to recommit to the Gospel in order to avoid unnecessary evil and suffering. Sadly, we’ve seen the errors of atheism and hedonism spread, violence against Christians has increased, and the falling away from the Church is rampant.

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

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

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That the maternal care of Our Lady may bring protection to the shepherds of the Church and all who preach the Gospel.

That Our Lady’s devotion to the Divine Will of God will move government leaders to work to build a culture of life and peace to further the reign of Christ.

That through the penance and prayers of the Church hardened sinners will return to God.

That the intercession of Our Lady will bring comfort and care to all who suffer disease, violence, and afflictions of any kind.

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

We pray, O Lord our God, that the Virgin Mary, who merited to bear God and man in her chaste womb, may commend the prayers of your faithful in your sight. Through Christ our Lord.

3rd Week of Easter 2019 - Friday - Eat his Flesh. Drink his Blood.

Our Gospels this week have been from the series of passages from John Chapter 6. And today we hear of Jesus giving what is perhaps the hardest part of the teaching on the Eucharist: that the bread of life is his flesh and his blood.

St. Thomas Aquinas maintained that believing that the Eucharist is Jesus’ flesh and blood is a challenging act of faith.  Thomas writes, “The presence of Christ’s true flesh and blood in this sacrament cannot be detected by sense, nor understanding, but by faith alone which rests upon Divine authority”.  The Eucharist does not look like Christ; thus it tests not our sight, but our faith. 

But we trust that the Eucharist is Jesus’ true flesh and blood, because He Himself has told us so, and there is no truer Word than His.  St. Thomas expresses this sentiment in his short poem Adoro te Devote, where he writes: “Sight, taste, and touch in Thee are deceived; the ear alone most safely is believed: I believe all the Son of God has spoken: Than Truth’s own word there is no truer token.” 

This shocking statement started a quarrel amongst the disciples; and as a result of their inability to accept this teaching, some of those who had begun to follow Jesus, turned away from him and went back to their former way of life.  Nevertheless, Jesus did not recant or even modify His terminology. He was willing to lose even the twelve apostles rather than change or water down his teaching. I think many walked away from this teaching, because they sensed the cross, they sensed the demands, the suffering, that following this man would entail. That if he is willing to give his flesh and blood for God, he might demand that his followers also give their flesh and blood for God.

The Eucharist is the source of our highest calling, to unite our own flesh and blood with our Savior, and also the source of strength to be faithful to that calling. May we know that strength, that we may be faithful to Him in all things for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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

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

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

That the Christ’s Eucharistic Self-Sacrifice will be experienced in all marriages, in all business relations, in all daily encounters, among friends, strangers, and enemies.  We pray to the Lord.
For those who live in want: that Jesus the Bread of Life will be their sustenance, and that Christians may bring the justice and mercy of Christ to all those in need.  We pray to the Lord.

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

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.

3rd Week of Easter 2019 - Tuesday - Where can I see Jesus now?

During the first two weeks of the Easter season, our Gospel readings have been accounts of the appearance of the risen Lord to his disciples.  The Risen Jesus appeared in his glorified flesh and blood on the banks of the sea of Galilee, on the road to Emmaus, and in the locked upper room. 

All of this week, our Gospel readings are taken from the sixth chapter of Saint John’s Gospel—known as the “Bread of Life Discourse” because in it, Jesus speaks of Himself as the Bread of Life. For 2000 years, Catholics have understood these passages to contain important lessons on the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

In today’s Gospel the people were asking for a sign so they could believe that Jesus was really sent by God. And Jesus said, I’ll give you a sign: the bread of life, the Eucharist.

Pope Benedict XVI said: In the Eucharist “we no longer stand before an imagined God but before the God who has truly given himself to us.”

The Eucharist is God’s answer to our prayer to truly know that He is with us in this life. Again, to quote Pope Benedict: “The Eucharist means God has answered:  The Eucharist is God as an answer, as an answering presence.” The Eucharist is not simply a symbol of God, we don’t simply imagine God to be present in the Eucharist. In the Eucharist, God answers our prayers to know that He is with us in our challenges, crosses, temptations, doubts, and disappointments. He is with us in our struggle to love our enemies, forgive those who hurt us, give to those who ask of us.

The Eucharist is God’s answer to man’s question “where can I see him, now, and believe in him”. 
So many of our contemporaries are starving for truth; they go from one unsatisfying event to another, searching for God. All the while, he is here, present on the altar, present in the tabernacle, present in the eucharist tabernacle.

Jesus, help us to see that you are really present in the Eucharist, help us to deeply honor you with all our hearts, help us to receive you with great reverence, that you may nourish our minds and souls and lead us into everlasting life, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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

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

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

That the Eucharistic self-give of Jesus will be found in all marriages, and in all our daily encounters.  We pray to the Lord.

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

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

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.