3rd Week of Advent 2022 - Friday - A burning and shining lamp

 Tomorrow, December 17, begins what is often called “Late Advent” or “Deep Advent”; the Scripture readings and orations begin to take on slightly different tones and themes. Where the first part of Advent proclaims joyfully that the Christ is coming, this last part of Advent begins to focus on who is coming, the identity of the Christ child. 

The O Antiphons of “Late Advent”, for example, each ascribe Old Testament names and titles to the one who is born on Christmas Day. Jesus is the fulfillment of all of those Old Testament prophesies: He is the Rod of Jesse, He is the Key of David, He is the Rising Star from the East, He is Adonai in the Flesh, He is Emmanuel—God With Us. These ancient prayers of the Church show how the Old Testament pointed forward to Jesus; how God prepared the human race for His own coming in the flesh.

In the same vein, John the Baptist is a lot like those O Antiphons. He dresses and acts and speaks like a prophet from the Old Testament speaking about the one who is to come. He helps Israel transition from the shadows of prophecy to the reality of God-in-the-flesh.

Because John witnessed to the truth of his identity, Jesus called John in the Gospel today “a burning and shining lamp”. Could he say the same about us? We are to be lamps, spotlights, the point others to Jesus.

Isaiah gives us wonderful instructions in the first reading for becoming burning lamps for Christ: “observe what is right, do what is just”. 

Observing what is right, doing what is just, performing good deeds, engaging in acts of mercy, these works are not for the purpose of gaining honor for ourselves, but to point to the one who has set us on our way. 

The Lord Jesus himself urges us that our choices can point others to God. He says, “Thus let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and they should glorify your Father in the heavens.”

As the light of the sun is seen less and less during these late December days, let us shine forth with the light of the Son of God by praying a little harder, giving a little more, striving to walk in the ways of righteousness and justice for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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We raise up our prayers of petition, as we await with longing the Advent of Christ the Lord.

That Advent repentance and good works may prepare us rightly for Christmas joy.

That our president and all civil servants will carry out their duties with justice, honesty, and respect for the dignity of every human life.  

That all those who wander in the darkness of error, far from the Gospel of Christ, may be led through the preaching and example of the Christian people to the fullness of the light of faith. 

That Christ may heal every disease, drive out hunger, ward off every affliction, and bring peace to the suffering.

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

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

First Friday Holy Hour - October 2022 - Eucharistic Adoration and the Holy Rosary

 This morning, on the feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, the priests of the diocese concluded our week long convocation with Bishop Malesic, and at Mass this morning, His Excellency, the bishop, evoked a beautiful image that I’d like to share with you.

The bishop spoke of a statue that he encountered in a parish Church in Kentucky, of Our Lady, kneeling in front of the blessed Sacrament with a lighted lamp in her hands. He said, that often, when he kneels in front of the Blessed Sacrament, he recalls that statue, of Our Lady, in adoration of her Son, holding that lighted lamp, like the Wise Virgins in the Gospel parable.

Our Lady models for the Church the posture we are to take, and the attitude we are to have for the Blessed Sacrament; we kneel in adoration, for He is God with us. Falling to our knees in adoration is the appropriate response to His Presence. And He is the lamb worthy of Our Love. “Worthy is the Lamb to receive honor, glory, and blessing” We bend the knee to Him, Our King, Our Savior—the Victor over Sin and Death.

The feature of the statue, of Our Lady holding a lighted lamp, is also a poignant one, and recalls the parable of the wise virgins, who keep their lamps filled with oil, as they await the return of the bridegroom. We are to keep faith, hope, and love for Him burning, like the lighted lamp, until his return. In fact, by our devotion to Him, we pray that faith, hope, and love might be kindled elsewhere, in the dark places of the world, where faith has grown dim.

Our Lady models for us why Eucharistic Adoration is so important. Catholics need to fervently express our belief that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist here in Church, so that we can bring that faith out in the world, to draw souls back to Him. And don’t we see our Lady modeling for us that task of deepening belief so that we may draw others to Him. “Do whatever he tells you” she says, at the Wedding Feast of Cana. She teaches us to lead others to submit their lives to Him, a submission that is renewed everytime we celebrate the Eucharist, and every time we receive the Eucharist, we are to do whatever the one whom we encounter and receive tells us. 

On the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, it is also good for us to consider the connection between the Rosary and Eucharistic Adoration.

The U.S. Bishops write that the Rosary, 'a prayer inspired by the Gospel and centered on the mystery of the Incarnation and the Redemption,' 'should be considered a prayer of deep Christological orientation,' and may rightly be counted among the prayers designed to 'direct the attention of the faithful to the worship of Christ the Lord.' ... [T]he recitation of the Rosary before the exposed Sacrament should help lead the faithful back 'to a knowledge and love of the Lord Jesus, to union with him, finding great encouragement and support in liturgical prayer before the Eucharist.'"

Every time we come and kneel before the blessed Sacrament it is good to spend time in silent adoration, listening to Our Lord in the Silence, and allowing our Hearts to offer worship that is too deep for words. But also, it is praiseworthy to pray Our Lady’s Rosary—which directs us to union with the one whom we adore.

May this time with the Lord allow us to stir into flame our faith, hope, and Love of Him whom we adore, and may Our Lady, and her rosary, draw us deeper into union with Him, that we may in turn draw others to Him out in the world, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

September 20 2021 - St. Andrew Kim and Companion martyrs - Do not hide your light

 In his parable of the Sower, the Lord explains how his disciples are called to hear the word of God with openness to its transformative power. Unlike the seed that is sown among thorns, where it is choked, or among rocky soil, where it fails to take root, we need allow the word of God to take root and grow and bear fruit in our lives.

Today’s Gospel immediately follows the Lord’s Parable of the Sower, and in this parable the Lord takes his teaching one step further.

Not only do we need to clear the debris, the thorns from our life, so that the word of God may grow, not only do we clear our souls of rockiness, that is hardness and resistance to his teaching, not only do we need to make sure that our hearing of the word of God is much more than surface level, in today’s Gospel, the Lord gives us this image of a lamp, a light. When we have properly heard the Word of God and taken it to heart, our lives begin to be filled with light. Where there was once darkness there is now light, like in the creation story, when God says, let there be light, when we’ve allowed the Lord’s teachings to be planted in us, new light is born.

The person when hearing God’s word, embraces and understands it, they are filled with a light that others can see. You can see the difference the Gospel makes in the lives of people who are living it. And you can see the lack of light when people are not. 

“No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand.” Those who have been filled with the light of the Gospel, need to make that light known. 

Today we honor a saint who did just that. St. Andrew Kim, the first native-born Korean priest, risked his life smuggling missionaries into Korea, so that his native countrymen might have the Word of God preached to them. For this he was arrested, tortured and killed.

St. Andrew truly shared the light that he had received. In fact, he realized that this is the most important thing a Christian can do. It is worth risking your life for, it is worth dying for. Because the Gospel sets men free. It brings them to Christ the Savior. The preaching of the Gospel is a matter of eternal life and death. Souls are at stake.

St. Andrew believed this, he lived this. 

This is why we continue to support the mission of the Church as best we can, and its why we continue to open our hearts to the transformative power of the Gospel, that we may shine with the light of Christ, and share that light with all, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For all Christians facing persecution for the faith, that their sufferings may bring about the conversion of hardened souls to Christ.

For the good Korean Catholics of our diocese, that they may continue to be a blessing to our local Church.

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 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 deceased priests, deacons and religious of the diocese of Cleveland, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

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.

25th Week of OT 2018 - Monday - Lumen Fidei - Light of Faith (Nursing Home Mass)

In the Gospel, Jesus stresses the importance of allowing the light he gives us to shine forth for others to see.

The idea that God’s word light is found throughout Scripture.  Psalm 119 says, “God’s word is a lamp to our feet and a light to my path.”  Light, pushes back the darkness so we can see.  As young children, many of us had night lights in our room.  There’s something very comforting about a little light shining in the darkness.

Pope Francis’ first encyclical back in June of 2013 was called Lumen Fidei, on the light of Faith.  Its opening line, “The light of Faith: this is how the Church’s tradition speaks of the great gift brought by Jesus.” 

The light of faith helps us to avoid the dark errors of sin and to walk the path of righteousness.  But also, by the light of Faith we come to know about God and we come to know about ourselves. 
The Pope writes, “The light of faith is unique, since it is capable of illuminating every aspect of human existence.” Faith helps us to understand the confusing matters of our life, by helping us see from the perspective of God. Even our human suffering is made comprehensible by faith.

Sadly, our modern culture seeks to remove faith from every conversation. Faith in God is treated as a relic from the past, young people are not being formed in the faith, and so the darkness of sin begins to corrupt every human institution: healthcare, politics, the educational system.

 Therefore, as the Pope writes “There is an urgent need,” “to see once again that faith is a light, for once the flame of faith dies out, all other lights begin to dim.”  “An urgent need” he says, like Jesus, to not hide the light of faith under a bushel, living by faith, gathering to practice our faith, spreading our faith in word and deed.

May we walk always as children of light, and bear the light of faith for all to see, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That Pope Francis and all Bishops and Clergy may humbly and faithfully pass on the Gospel of Christ in all its fullness.
That young people may be kept safe from the poisonous attitudes of the world and that they and their families may be kept in close friendship with the Lord Jesus and his Church.
For the conversion of hardened sinners, those who have fallen away from the Church, and for an increase in virtue for all peoples.
For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster and inclement weather, those who suffer from war, violence, and terrorism, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, the imprisoned, the unchaste, 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 and for Tony & Betty Kuhel for whom this Mass is offered. We pray.
Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.