February 2 2025 - Feast of the Presentation - 5 years after COVID and the Light of Faith

 As I began preparing to write my homily this weekend, I was trying to recall the last time we celebrated the Feast of the Presentation—Candlemas--at the weekend masses. Eventually, I had to look it up, and realized why I was having a hard time remembering. The year was 2020, when February 2 fell on a Sunday, and a lot was on our mind that year. Already in February 2020, news of COVID deaths were being reported in Asia, the middle East, and Europe, though, I think at that time, we were still calling it “the China-Virus”. On February 2, 2020 there were only 11 COVID cases reported in the United States. The first COVID death in the US wouldn’t be reported until February 29, 2020, but anxiety was certainly growing among us, and conflicting news reports. Theories of the virus’ origin were already starting to circulate, and speculations of how our government would handle things, but we were still some time away from “fifteen days to slow the spread”. 

So, the last time we celebrated this particular feast together, at the weekend masses, we were bracing ourselves for facing the unknown. We gathered in the light of Christ, lighting our Candlemas candles, facing a dark horizon, an incoming storm—having no real knowledge how the global pandemic would unfold. 

Yet, we gathered. And that light, the light our Candlemas candles symbolize—was so important, wasn’t it?

Now, maybe, for some, the light of faith flickered in those ensuing months, as church doors were locked. Perhaps, for some, the light of faith was extinguished.  After all, for many parishes, weekend mass attendance has still not recovered.

To some people, church leaders seemed to fail us precisely when we desperately desired access to the sacraments. 

For some, the flame of faith flickered due to the convenience of live streamed masses, leading them to question the need to return to physical attendance. Some, out of caution for their own health or for other vulnerable persons, the risk of gathering for mass continued to be a deterrent. Some continued to exercise great caution, even after the bishops encouraged us to return to Mass. 

Some, sadly, began questioning the value of even gathering for Mass, and simply haven’t returned.

But here we. And the Lord has seen through the darkness of that particular point in history, to light our candles once again, thanks be to God.

And now, our task, once again, is to consider, how the Lord calls us to bear the light of faith brightly and spread that light to others. 

Sharing the light of faith with others is an act of love and concern for their souls. It is an act of love and it is our Christian duty. 

We are to be so faithful to this task of sharing the light of faith, that at the end of the day when our head hits the pillow, we are able to echo the words of Simeon in the Gospel today, “Now you let your servant go in peace, your word has been fulfilled”. In other words, I can sleep in peace, knowing that I have done what I could today to bear the light of faith and share the light of faith to those I encountered, to those I have been called by God to seek out.

The very first encyclical of our Holy Father Pope Francis, all the way back in 2013 was about 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. 

I don’t know about you, but, my faith really wasn’t shaken during that whole COVID mess. Because faith, being a follower of Jesus, isn’t about not having to face darkness, rather it’s about knowing how to continue walking toward God despite the darkness. 

With the light of faith diminishing in many corners of the world, 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.” The urgent need to spread the light of faith, means to help others understand the importance of faith—the importance of walking a Christ’s disciples, of recognizing him, again as Simeon says, as “the Lumen ad revelationem gentium---the light of revelation to the nations of the world. Because if that light dies out, we’re all in trouble. Francis says, the Church “depends on the fidelity of witnesses chosen by the Lord for this task.”

And you and I, brothers and sisters, have been chosen for this task, to be like Simeon, and Anna in the Gospel today, who is bursting with joy in speaking to people about the Christ child. So this feast is a reminder and an opportunity to renew our commitment to share the light of Christ with those whose candles may be flickering or unlit. Every act of Christian charity, every time we encourage someone to pray, better yet, every time we pray with someone who is struggling, encouraging them in their suffering with words of faith, is an act of faithfulness to God that helps spread faith.

At every Mass too the Lord desires to strengthen our Faith, when encounter Jesus in the Eucharist, in which Pope Francis writes, “faith finds its highest expression”. “The Eucharist is a precious nourishment for faith: an encounter with Christ truly present in the supreme act of his love, the life-giving gift of himself.”

May our faithful encounter with the Lord’s self-giving act of love, help us to carry from this place the joyful certainty that our faith not only sustains us but also has the power to transform lives—as we seek the fulfillment of our lives through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. 

August 6 2023 - Transfiguration - Jesus Christ is God and King

This week I watched a brilliant little film with a priest friend of mine. Neither of us had heard of it before, and so we gave it a chance, and it was pretty good. It was called “The Coldest Game”. The movie takes place during the Cold War between America and Communist Russia on the very eve of the Cuban Missile Crisis in October of 1962. The main character, this American math professor and former international grand master chess champion is tapped by the US government to represent the united states in a chess match against the soviet world champion. 

As the movie progresses, the math professor realizes that there’s more going on than a game of chess. He discovers that the government agents who brought him to the tournament are using this trying to gain intelligence from a Russian spy regarding the soviet’s intentions with their ballistic missiles equipped submarines off the coast of Cuba.

I wasn’t around in 1962, but historians tell us that the Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a full-scale nuclear war—which would have basically meant annihilation for the human race.

And, this math professor realizes what is at stake. H was around when the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during world war ii—and the great threat nuclear war poses for our planet.

For many who grew up in the 1950s and 60s and throughout the Cold War, the threat of Nuclear Conflict was constantly looming. The basement for this church was a bomb shelter, we still even have the bomb shelter sign on the church exterior. The anxiety over nuclear annihilation was felt by many. 

The Church over the past 60 years has worked to diminish the possibility of nuclear war through her teachings and in her diplomatic activity. And thanks be to God there were treaties signed between the US and Russia to limit the possibility of nuclear war, like the one limiting intermediate-range ballistic missiles like those at play during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Sadly, due to Russia’s supposed lack of compliance with the that treaty, the USA has pulled out as well. Several other nations have access to nuclear weapons.

Why do I bring any of this up on the feast of the Transfiguration? Because amidst all of the anxiety inducing chaos and corruption and war and the threats of war right now, what is revealed in the Transfiguration is that Jesus Christ is God, and God is in charge. And that if the world wants peace, it needs Jesus Christ, to acknowledge that He is the beloved Son of the Father, and that we must listen to Him. The Feast of the Transfiguration is like a combination of Trinity Sunday and Christ the King. Because the Transfiguration celebrates that Jesus Christ is God and King.

In the book of the prophet Daniel we read of how God, the Ancient One, sits on his throne, “His clothing bright as snow, and the hair on his head as white as wool; his throne was flames of fire, with wheels of burning fire.” And how does Matthew describe the Lord Jesus’ transfiguration? Jesus takes his disciples up the mountain, like the mountain upon which God sits as King enthroned in his Holy Temple, “And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.” Jesus Christ is God. The great prophets Moses and Elijah attend to Him as servants around his throne. 

And this Truth is so vital for us to remember. Which is why St. Peter in his epistle writes how the Church must draw great strength from the Transfiguration. “You will do well to be attentive to it,” he writes, “as to a lamp shining in a dark place.”

Why? St. Peter knows, God knows, how our earthly journeys involve a lot of darkness. Sometimes, it seems like our earthly journey is nothing but darkness. There are periods of history which are darker than others—dark because the light of faith is obscured and eclipsed by the world. And we need the light of faith—faith that Jesus Christ is God and we must listen to Him.

There are dark and filthy philosophies at work in our society which are succeeding in corrupting minds and hearts—hardening hearts against God and the Truth of the Christian Gospel. Darkness pervades this neighborhood and this city: real moral decay caused by faithlessness, so many turning to drugs instead of turning to God. Jesus Christ is not enthroned in the hearts of many people in this neighborhood. He has been dethroned in the hearts of many people who were baptized in this very church. 

And perhaps that dethronement occurred as a result of scandal, or mediocre catechesis, or the corrupting influences in modern society, but part of our enduring parish mission is to assist souls in making Jesus Christ King of their hearts again or for the first time. 

And that mission is facilitated by the light of faith shining more brightly in each of our lives. Each one of you are sharers in the mission of this parish. It’s no accident you are here. Because you are chosen by God for a share of the mission of shining the light of faith in this very dark time in history. 

And so I’m asking you to consider, what would it look like if you allowed the light of faith to shine a little more brightly. What would it take for the light to shine more brightly in your life? 

I have a couple of recommendations. 1) If you are able, come to mass on a weekday or two. When we are gathered together in prayer, our individual lights become a bonfire. 2) Come to Eucharistic Adoration at least once a month on Saturdays or on First Friday evenings. 3) Increase the number of times per year you are going to the Sacrament of Confession—it will dissipate the smoke of Satan in your life. 4) Friday is a day in which all Catholics are bound to do some act of Penance. Get serious about that. Abstain from meat on Fridays if you are able. 5) Say grace before every meal, in private or public. 6) Meditate on Scripture every day. A day should not go by without meditating on the Truths of God contained in God’s Word. 7) Put a crucifix in your house so it can be seen by anyone who visits. 8)  Begin and end every day with prayer: a prayer in the morning asking God to guide your day, to fill your day with His light, and then pray the hail mary; and then a prayer at the end of the day, before laying down to bed, in which you make a brief examination of your conscience and repent of your sins and thank God for the blessings. And then pray the hail mary, or the hail holy queen. 

If it feels like the darkness is encroaching in your life, increase the light by strengthening your faith. Pope Francis writes, “Faith is not a light which scatters all our darkness, but a lamp which guides our steps in the night and suffices for the journey.”

In the beautiful and faith-filled words of Pope Benedict: “in spite of all darkness God ultimately triumphs in glory. Faith, which sees the love of God revealed in the pierced heart of Jesus on the Cross, gives rise to love. Love is the light—and in the end, the only light—that can always illuminate a world grown dim and give us the courage needed to keep living and working. Love is possible, and we are able to practice it because we are created in the image of God. To experience love and in this way to cause the light of God to enter into the world.” For the glory of God and salvation of souls.

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2022 - "Increase our Faith"

 

If you could ask Jesus for anything—if you had one request—what would you ask for? In the Gospel today, the apostles made a simple, but profound request. Did you catch it? They didn’t ask the Lord for riches or material security; nor did they ask for health or a long life. They asked him for something they had discovered was far more important than all of these things combined. They begged him, “Increase our FAITH!” They asked for faith.

The very first encyclical Pope Francis issued back in June of 2013 dealt with Faith.  It was called “Lumen Fidei” – The Light of Faith. He wrote, “The Church never takes faith for granted, but knows that this gift of God needs to be nourished and reinforced so that it can continue to guide her pilgrim way.” Like the apostles we members of the Church on earth need to turn to the Lord and ask him to increase our faith. And we have to do our part in making sure that our faith is as strong as it should be.

But what is Faith?

In one of my favorite passages from his encyclical on faith, Pope Francis wrote, “Faith is not a light which scatters all our darkness, but a lamp which guides our steps in the night and suffices for the journey. To those who suffer, God does not provide arguments which explain everything; rather, his response is that of an accompanying presence, a history of goodness which touches every story of suffering and opens up a ray of light.”

Do you get what he is saying here? What is faith? Faith isn’t some sort of magical power that forces God to remove our obstacles. Nor does faith eliminate the darkness in our life. Rather, faith enables us to walk rightly in the midst of difficulty because it involves the experience of God’s abiding presence with us. 

So professing the Catholic faith, being a person of faith, doesn’t mean that at any point we should expect God to remove all our difficulties and sufferings. Rather, to be a person of faith is to trust that God will provide enough light for us to make way through the darkness, enough strength to bear the weight of our sufferings; the fortitude to withstand the powers of evil that assail us.

What caused the apostles to make this request of the Lord to increase their faith in the Gospel today? Well, in the preceding passage, the Lord had given his famous teaching on scandal: “It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.” And so, the apostles hear this warning, and immediately ask for faith. Why? Well, this is an instance of the apostles showing some real humility. They knew how easy it is for us to cause scandal and so they pray for all the trust and faith and guidance they need to avoid this terrible sin Jesus is warning them against. 

Think about it. Non-believers are to come to faith by the way we conduct ourselves. Young people, new Catholics are to learn what it means to be disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ by our example—by the way we speak, by the way we treat people. Jesus’ Lordship is to be seen in our self-control, our charity, our chastity, our patience. People are watching us, and so need God’s help if we are to be successful in drawing them to God and not driving them away.

The apostles, as the first bishops, knew that people would be looking to them especially. Anyone in a position of authority, including parents, should conduct themselves with fear and trembling, knowing that people are looking to them. A misstep, a public sin, a moment of weakness on their part, could lead a non-believer, or the weak of faith, to discount Jesus’ Lordship.

So yeah, the request, “increase our faith” so that we may not lead anyone astray, is a good petition. It’s a good petition for any of us, “Lord increase my faith, that by my conduct, I may not lead anyone away from you, today.”

I think of how the abuse scandals, 20 years ago already, had such devastating effects on the Church’s mission. I was in my first year of seminary when the abuse scandal hit the news. It was shocking. It was disgraceful. It was terribly heartrending, right? And yet, thanks be to God, somehow, I was blessed with a faith, that helped me to remember, that the sins of priests and bishops or any other Catholic does not prove that Christianity is flawed. The members of the Church are flawed. And their sins can cause great scandal. But Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. And the Church is Our Mother. 

And God chose us to be Christians now, in 2002, in 2022; with that terrible wound in the background—to be part of the solution. And It’s our task to be people of great faith, now; that the light of Christ may shine brighter than the darkness caused by our sins. 

But if we’re going to be people of great faith, we certainly need to stir into flame, as St. Paul says in the second reading, the gift of faith given to us. We have a mountainous task before us, to evangelize this confused, fallen world in 2022, but, faith, the size of a mustard seed can move mountains. I hope you trust in this saying to the depth of your being—faith can move mountains. We are capable of doing great things when we trust God—when our faith is strong. And the more we nurture our faith—the more faith grows in us—the more faith is stirred into flame—the more room God will have to do truly wonderful things in us and through us.

You may have heard the old aphorism: “pray as if everything depends on God, act as if everything depends on you.” So we completely surrender to God in our prayer to increase our faith, but we most also identify what effort is necessary on our part to grow in faith. 

Growing in faith requires daily effort. We must read the bible daily. Study Catholic doctrine. Engage in daily devotions which nurture our faith like the rosary, the chaplet of divine mercy, the liturgy of the hours, praying of litanies. We must confess our sins—those times when we have neglected, ignored, or violated our Catholic faith in order to pursue selfish ends. We must make time for silent listening to God, for meditation and contemplation. 

If you can, come to daily mass throughout the week. At daily Mass, I love preaching on the lives of the saints, for the saints are our heroes and great exemplars of the faith. If you can’t make it to mass, read about the life of the saint every day. 

In the first reading, from the prophet Habakkuk, we heard, “the just one, because of his faith, shall live.” Faith is the light we need as not to stumble, the armor we need to withstand the attacks of the enemy and the hatred of the world, the wisdom we need to avoid causing scandal and to draw souls to Christ, and the lever we need to move the mountains God wants us to move.

May the Lord increase our faith, and may the Eucharist we celebrate, nourish us, and unleash the power of faith in our lives and our families and world, for the Glory of God and salvation of souls.

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.

Thursday - 27th Week of OT 2017 - The promise of finding God

About four years ago, Pope Francis promulgated his first encyclical, Lumen Fidei, “The Light of Faith.”  This encyclical completes the series of Papal teaching begun by Pope Benedict, who had written on the two other theological virtues of Charity and Hope. Lumen Fidei is called the encyclical “written by four hands,” as it is clear that Pope Benedict wrote much of Lumen Fidei before his resignation.

The encyclical takes up the topic of man’s search for God and learning to live by the light of faith—and how faith can help and unite the people of the world. “Religious man strives to see signs of God in the daily experiences of life, in the cycle of the seasons, in the fruitfulness of the earth and in the movement of the cosmos. God is light and he can be found also by those who seek him with a sincere heart.”

The encyclical echoes what Jesus teaches in the Gospel today, “seek and you will find.”

Sometimes God is hard to see.  For many modern-day atheists and fallen away Catholics, God is particularly hard to see.  Some people don’t see God and can’t find God because they don’t want to see him and don’t want to find him.  Sometimes, as the Holy Father says, our eyes are not accustomed to seeing God because we’ve spent so much time in the world and not enough time in prayer.

Sometimes it is hard even for life-long Catholics to find God.  Particularly with the proliferation of war, so much violence and perversion, so many Catholics, our family members, falling away from the faith, , it’s hard to find God amidst all that.

But for those who are willing to undertake the journey to seek God ardently, Jesus promises that God will be found.

People of faith also have a responsibility of helping people without faith on their journey. Encourage them, challenge them, challenge their complacency, and even possibly their arrogant assumptions. The church year is full of celebrations of saints who were once godless and faithless. Remind them that God himself has promised that he can be found by those who seek him sincerely.

Listen to this beautiful prayer to the Blessed Mother concluding the encyclical. Mother, help our faith!  Open our ears to hear God’s word and to recognize his voice and call. Awaken in us a desire to follow in his footsteps, to go forth from our own land and to receive his promise. Help us to be touched by his love, that we may touch him in faith. Help us to entrust ourselves fully to him and to believe in his love, especially at times of trial, beneath the shadow of the cross, when our faith is called to mature. Sow in our faith the joy of the Risen One. Remind us that those who believe are never alone. Teach us to see all things with the eyes of Jesus, that he may be light for our path. And may this light of faith always increase in us, until the dawn of that undying day which is Christ himself, your Son, our Lord!

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That our Church leaders may be instilled with genuine Faith, Hope, and Charity and help all people of the world to grow in those virtues.

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

That our young people may take seriously the missionary call of Christ, that they will turn away from the evils of our culture to spread the good news of Christ’s eternal kingdom.

For all whose lives are marked by suffering, may they come to know the healing and peace of Christ.

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

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.