23rd Week in Ordinary Time 2024 - Wednesday - Marriage, Celibacy, and Sept 11

 After spending a third of his letter addressing abuses and divisions within the Corinthian community, St. Paul turns to questions from the community or other areas of concern which had been reported to him.

Today’s passage is from a section dealing with Marriage and Virginity. It appears that there was considerable confusion about these topics. On one extreme, you had members of the community who were still abiding by the perverted sexual norms of the surrounding culture—Paul addressed these sins in the first part of his letter. On the other extreme, you had members of the community who were claiming that since Christ was coming soon, everyone needed to remain celibate and married people needed to practice total abstinence. 

While St. Paul recommends that those with the charism for perpetual virginity and celibacy should undividedly devote themselves entirely to the Lord, St. Paul also calls Christian marriage good. In his letter to the Ephesians Paul well develop the theology and sacramentality further teaching that sacramental Christian marriage is a sign, reminder, and expression of Christ’s union with the Church.

Paul’s approach of calling both celibacy and marriage good illustrates the beautiful unity-in-diversity of the Church. Celibacy, consecrated virginity and marriage can point to Christ. All Christians no matter their state are called to holiness.

The Lord’s teaching in the Gospel today, aren’t simply meant for priests and nuns, but for all Christians of all places of all times. All are to practice the beatitudes by cultivating poverty of spirit, mournfulness for sin, perseverance during trial, detachment from worldly riches, fame, and earthly pleasure. 

23 years ago today, our nation suffered a horrific terrorist attack resulting in the death nearly 3000 people. In the aftermath, Congress passed a bill requesting that the President designate September 11 as Patriot Day. 

Today, the U.S. flag is flown at half-staff at the White House and on all U.S. government buildings and establishments throughout the world; flags are also encouraged to be displayed on individual American homes. Additionally, a moment of silence is observed to correspond with the attacks, beginning at 8:46 a.m., the time the first plane, American Airlines Flight 11, struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

In a world full of such tremendous moral ugliness and disregard for human life, the task of the Christian is the same as it has been in every age, to cultivate holiness of soul that points others to Christ, to preach Christ and him crucified, for He is our only salvation and hope, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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That through Our Lady, Queen of Peace, terrorism and war, and the cheapening of human life may be brought to an end.

That our civil representatives may use their authority to lead and build our nation in godly ways.

For all those who harden their hearts toward God, for those who have left the Church, for all those in serious sin, for their conversion and the conversion of all hearts.

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. 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.

9th Week of Ordinary Time 2024 - Wednesday - They will neither marry nor be given in marriage

 In the course of his public ministry, the Lord doesn’t often talk directly about marriage, but when he does, it’s often controversial.

On Friday of the 7th week of Ordinary Time we considered the Lord’s teaching on marriage and divorce. There, the Lord put an end to the debate of the pharisees and the scholars--that aside from those circumstances where lawful impediments exist ,(siblings cannot marry, parents cannot marry their children, etc.) a husband and wife, truly joined in the bond of holy matrimony, cannot be separated, because God has joined them.

In today’s reading, the Lord gives another unexpected teaching: that in heaven, in the resurrection, there is no marriage. So a man and a woman joined on earth in holy matrimony, will not be married in heaven: “When they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage”

Earthly marriage is a sacrament by which spouses are blessed to become a sign of God' steadfast and permanent love for us—Christ’s indissoluble bond with the Church.

Yet, the relationship between souls in heaven will be based on their shared love for God, rather than on earthly bonds. Earthly marriage, though sacred and important, is ultimately a preparation for the eternal union with God in heaven.

While earthly marriage ends with death, the love and grace experienced within a holy marriage are not lost. The sacrament of marriage is a means for the sanctification of the spouses, helping them grow in holiness and preparing them for eternal life. In heaven, the love shared between spouses on earth will be transformed and perfected in their shared love for God.

Whether married or single or celibate, the Lord’s teaching here reminds us all that earthly attachments and institutions, even those as vital as marriage, are temporary. We must live for heaven in mind—serving God in this life, by being faithful to our earthly commitments and vocations like marriage and the priesthood and the universal call to holiness, while always giving priority to God. 

Notice, too how, in this passage Jesus admonishes the Sadducees for not knowing the Scriptures. They lack understanding of God’s will, because they haven’t sought to truly understand God’s Word. To quote St. Jerome, “Ignorance of Scripture, is ignorance of Christ.”

So again, whether marriage, single, or celibate, we are to dispose our minds and hearts so very often, to God’s Word, by reading and reflecting on the Sacred Scriptures to guide our faith and activity.

Through the holy mysteries of our faith, may we be strengthened in that unity with God  through Christ which brings us our sanctification and salvation for the glory of God and salvation of souls. 

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That during this month of June, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, all Christians may witness to the tender love of Christ for sinners through our prayer, fasting, and works of charity. 

For our young people beginning summer vacation, that they may be kept safe from the errors of our culture and kept in close friendship with Jesus through prayer and acts of mercy.

For all married couples, that they may be faithful to the Gospel in every dimension of their married life—and that single and celibate Christians may witness to the sacrificial, all-embracing love of Christ for all.

For the sick, the impoverished, the lonely, those suffering from mental illness, those most in need, and those near death: may God, through the mercy of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, be close to them in their trials

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

7th Week of Ordinary Time 2024 - Friday - God is the author of marriage

One of the joys of my priesthood is to meet with engaged couples for marriage preparation. It’s always interesting to see where they are on their faith journeys. Some of them are devout and go to mass every week, or more. And some haven’t really been to mass since their confirmation. Some couples begin marriage preparation with little or no awareness of God’s presence with them, and have very little understanding of Church teaching.

No matter where they are on their faith journey, in marriage preparation, we start at the beginning. We read from the scriptures, we look at church teaching regarding marriage. One of the concepts that focus on is that God is the author of marriage. Marriage is not a man made institution that we are free to tamper with, alter or change. 

The Vatican II document on the Church in the Modern World emphasizes this point when it says, “The intimate community of life and love which constitutes the married state has been established by the Creator and endowed by him with its own proper laws.... God himself is the author of marriage.”

So part of marriage preparation is coming to an understanding, appreciation, and desire for not just what the world says marriage is, but that beautiful institution which God has designed. 

Church teaching on marriage is rich and beautiful, and of course, founded upon the Word of God. 

In the Gospel today, the Lord Jesus himself addresses marriage, and puts to an end, once and for all the debate about the possibility of divorce. There are lawful impediments to marriage: siblings cannot marry, parents cannot marry their children, a person cannot be forced to marry another, there must be consent. 

But a man and a woman, truly joined in the bond of holy matrimony, cannot be separated, because God has joined them. 

The indissolubility of legitimate marriage is disregarded by much of society. Many choose to enter into adulterous relationships to the detriment of their spouses, their children, and their souls.

The Catechism comments on today’s reading thusly: it says, the Lord Jesus’ “unequivocal insistence on the indissolubility of the marriage bond may have left some perplexed and could seem to be a demand impossible to realize. However, Jesus has not placed on spouses a burden impossible to bear, or too heavy—heavier than the Law of Moses. By coming to restore the original order of creation disturbed by sin, he himself gives the strength and grace to live marriage in the new dimension of the Reign of God. It is by following Christ, renouncing themselves, and taking up their crosses that spouses will be able to “receive” the original meaning of marriage and live it with the help of Christ. This grace of Christian marriage is a fruit of Christ’s cross, the source of all Christian life.”

Let us pray for all engaged and married couples, that they may live faithfully to the Lord’s teaching regarding the Sacrament of Marriage, that marriage may continue to make the Church fruitful, that it may be a source of blessing for their families and for the world for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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That Christians may respond generously to the perpetual call to prayer, fasting, and works of charity. 

For our young people beginning summer vacation, that they may be kept safe from the errors of our culture and kept in close friendship with Jesus through prayer and acts of mercy.

For all married couples, that they may be faithful to the Gospel in every dimension of their married life and give all an example of God’s ever-faithful love.  

That during this month of May, all people may turn their hearts to the Blessed Virgin Mary, seeking her aid and imploring her intercession with increased and fervent devotion, imitating her example of Faith, Hope, and Love.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, immigrants and refugees, 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 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

19th Week in Ordinary Time 2023 - Friday - Marriage Matters

 A few years ago, in 2016, Pope Francis issued a document called Amoris Laetitia, latin for “The Joy of Love”. Love, authentic love, brings authentic joy, particularly in the life of Christian families.

Love, practiced and cherished and striven for within the family, is to be a sign to the world of God’s love. Children are to learn that they are loved and how to love within a family. Spouses practice self-sacrificial love within the family.

The Holy Father issued this document on the issues of marriage and family because marriage and family matter. Doing what it takes for a healthy marriage, having a God-centered family, raising children according to the law of Christ, these things matter for the future of civilization and the salvation of souls. The Pope said, “The welfare of the family is decisive for the future of the world and that of the Church.”

We are seeing in our own day how faithless, disordered relationships, rampant promiscuity and unrestricted sexual license bring so much brokenness, so much sadness. Deviating from the plan of God yields joylessness and woundedness. 

Any priest who has worked on marriage annulments can attest to how selfishness, stunted maturity, attachment to worldliness, unwillingness to forgive, poor communication, and secular notions of happiness, all effect marriage negatively.

This is why the Catholic Church takes what the Lord teaches in the Gospel this morning very seriously. Where many of the Christian denominations water down, change, or simply ignore this teaching, the Catholic Church sees this morning’s Gospel as pivotal for civilization’s survival and our faithfulness to the Gospel.

So part of the Church’s mission regarding marriage is to help form individuals in the maturity—in the virtues and self-knowledge—necessary for happy, healthy, holy marriage. This is why we are constantly praying for families to cherish and study and practice and live out the word of God. This is why we take Christian education so seriously, which forms not just the intellect, but the whole person. This is why we try to instill a habit of daily examination of conscience—the daily examination that is needed to really get serious about rooting out selfishness, which is so devastating to family life.

Our culture tells us to abandon the institution of marriage, but the Church says, no. Marriage matters. Marriage is in fact vital for the future of humanity. And faithfulness to God's plan regarding marriage is possible. Because God is real and gives us grace. Pope Francis concludes Amoris Laetitia with encouragement and words of hope. He writes, “May we never lose heart because of our limitations, or ever stop seeking that fullness of love and communion which God holds out before us.” Each of us are certainly called to a life full of love. May each of us strive for that Christ-like love and self-sacrifice which brings joy and life to the world, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all Christians may seek to be faithful to the Lord’s teachings and commandments concerning marriage and the family, that Christian families may be filled with love and joy.

For all married couples, that they may be faithful to the Gospel in every dimension of their married life and give all an example of God’s ever-faithful love.  

That the children of our parish and school may be blessed to know the grace of faith-filled families, that they may be shielded from the sins and errors of our culture.

For Pope Francis and for all the bishops and clergy of the Church: that they will be faithful to the preaching the truth of the Gospel especially in the face of secular pressure and persecution.  

That the sick, lonely, elderly, homeless, widowed, and all those experiencing trials or suffering of any kind may be strengthened by God’s love and know His comfort and peace.  

For those who have died, for all deceased spouses; that they may know the eternal peace and joy of the kingdom of heaven.  

July 3 2023 - St. Thomas, apostle - Following Christ

Poor Saint Thomas the Apostle!  Whenever his name is heard, one tends to think of a skeptic, a doubter.  We even call people “doubting Thomas’s”.  But, there is much more to consider about this apostle than his one moment of doubt, just as there is much more to know about Peter than his denial of the Lord.  

Before his moment of doubt, when the Lord received news of the death of Lazarus, he exhorted his apostles to follow him to Bethany, which would bring them dangerously close to Jerusalem.  On that occasion Thomas said to his fellow disciples: “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Thomas’ readiness to follow the Lord anywhere, even unto death, shows us what mature Christian discipleship looks like. Christians are to follow Jesus wherever he goes—we are to unite our destiny with his, no matter the consequences. And even if those consequences are dire, to be united with Christ brings life, as we heard St. Paul write to the Romans in the Second Reading yesterday, “ If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.” Death with Him is better than life without Him. 

After seeing and touching the resurrected Jesus and acclaiming “My Lord and My God” there are no further scriptural accounts of St. Thomas. However, stories from the 3rd and 4th centuries tell of Thomas’ apostolic and missionary activity in modern day Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan and labors in India where he was martyred.

The story goes that a pagan indian king, upon meeting the apostle, immediately put great trust in him and hired him as a royal architect.  Because of this, St. Thomas is the patron saint of architects. The king put at Thomas’ disposal the great wealth of his treasury for planning and building the new royal palace.  But Thomas donated the entire sum to the poor, telling the King, that this way he builds a greater palace in heaven.  The king would have put Thomas to death for this, but the king received a heavenly apparition, the king’s dead brother appeared and testified to the reality and glory of the heavenly palace.  

Thomas was martyred, however, when he converted the king’s many wives to Christ and persuaded them to remain abstinent because Christian marriage is between one man and one woman.  

The Apostle Thomas rightly and boldly passed on Christ’s teaching concerning the moral conduct of his followers even though it would bring about the king’s wrath.  Thomas the apostle shows us the courage to which Catholics are called.  The courage and willingness to follow Jesus anywhere: In front of kings and judges and presidents, the boldness to speak the truth of Christ no matter the consequence. 

Keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, like Thomas closely peering at the wounds of Jesus, helps us to withstand caving to the growing trends of secularism and immorality in our society. Like Him may we faithfully proclaim Christ as Lord and God to all nations, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For the Church during this time of Eucharistic Revival: for more fervent belief in the Lord’s Real Presence in the Eucharist, and that the Eucharist may help us die to sin and live more fully for God. 

As the United States celebrates our civil independence this week: we pray that our nation may be united by God’s Spirit, guarded from terror, observant of God’s Holy Laws, and vigilant against threats to our freedom, peace, and well-being. May the Wisdom of God guide our government leaders and legislators, families, businesses, civil institutions, and all of our domestic affairs.

That during this month of July dedicated to the Most Precious Blood of Jesus: we may grow in gratitude for the gift of our salvation and more zealous for souls. 

For all of the sick and afflicted, and for our deceased family members, friends and fellow parishioners, for our deceased servicemen and women, for all the poor souls in purgatory and for…

O God, our refuge and our strength, hear the prayers of your Church, for you yourself are the source of all devotion, and grant, we pray, that what we ask in faith we may truly obtain. Through Christ our Lord.

9th Week of Ordinary Time 2023 - Wednesday - Resurrected bodies and Consecrated Virginity

 Every Sunday, Catholics profess our faith in “the resurrection of the body”: We firmly believe, that, just as Christ is truly risen from the dead and lives forever, so after death the righteous will live forever with the risen Christ in a physical, bodily eternity. 

Since humans were created by God as bodily beings, the fullness of our redemption will also include a resurrected, glorified body. We will have bodies in eternity: hands, feet, mouths, eyes, and ears, just like Jesus did after his resurrection. This body will have the characteristics of Christ’s glorified body.

Perhaps inspired by his encounter with the risen Lord on the road to Damascus, St. Paul explains that our resurrected bodies will be radiant with divine glory. 

Thomas Aquinas reflects upon this further stating that the resurrected body will be incapable of suffering; we’ll be able to move without difficulty or labor. In the resurrection there will no longer be sickness, pain, or disability. 

But what will we do with our bodies? St. John affirms that in eternity we shall see God as he is. We will share in the very life of God, the eternal exchange of love within the Holy Trinity.

In today’s passage from the Gospel of Mark, the Lord teaches about life after the resurrection. He says, “When they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but they are like the angels in heaven.”

In an earlier passage, the Lord teaches that marriage is part of God’s plan “from the beginning” and is a sacred bond that no human is authorized to break. 

In today’s passage, the Lord affirms that marriage on earth is “until death do us part”. As good and necessary as marriage is for the present age, it will give way to something far greater, a union with God and all the saints that will infinitely surpass the earthly one-flesh union of husband and wife.

In Catholic tradition, the vocations to consecrated virginity and celibacy are especially valued as signs reminding us of this ultimate destiny. Consecrated virginity and celibacy remind us, that in this life, no matter our vocation, we are to aim at the divine, turning to God with our whole body, mind and soul; to want to please God in everything; as Paul writes in Romans: to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship. Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect” for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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To God the Father Almighty, may every prayer of our heart be directed, for it is His will that all humanity should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.

For the holy Church of God, that the Lord may graciously watch over her and care for her.

For the peoples of all the world, that the Lord may graciously preserve harmony among them, and deepen in them the virtues of justice and religion.

For the support of all of the churches consecrated virgins and celibates, and for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life. 

For all who are oppressed by any kind of need, that the Lord may graciously grant them relief, especially for the sick and victims of war and terror and natural disaster.

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

O God, our refuge and our strength, hear the prayers of your Church, for you yourself are the source of all devotion, and grant, we pray, that what we ask in faith we may truly obtain. Through Christ our Lord.

19th Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Friday - Divorce and Accompaniment

When the Pharisees approached Jesus and asked him a question about marriage, they were not seeking to learn, like we Catholics seek to learn from Jesus about God and how to live. They were looking to trap him.

Remember, earlier in the Gospel, John the Baptist was arrested and killed for his teaching on marriage. John had claimed that King Herod’s “marriage” to the wife of his brother Philip was unlawful. 

To ask Jesus about marriage was to invite him to criticize the same king and suffer the same consequence. It was a trap.

But the Lord speaks truth anyway. Not only is it unlawful to marry someone who is already married, it is impossible. Divorce, in the biblical sense, the severing of the marriage bond, is impossible. It is impossible to sever the marriage bond of two people whom God has joined.

And this is the consistent, unchanging teaching of the Catholic Church for two thousand years. 

Our current Catechism, in number 2384 states “Divorce is a grave offense against the natural law. It claims to break the contract, to which the spouses freely consented, to live with each other till death. Divorce does injury to the covenant of salvation, of which sacramental marriage is the sign. Contracting a new union, even if it is recognized by civil law, adds to the gravity of the rupture: the remarried spouse is then in a situation of public and permanent adultery.”

Now, the Catechism in number 1649 recognizes “that are some situations in which living together becomes practically impossible for a variety of reasons” such as in the case of abuse. “In such cases the Church permits the physical separation of the couple and their living apart.” But, “the spouses do not cease to be husband and wife before God and so are not free to contract a new union.”

And there are cases in which some marriages, assumed to be valid at the time of the wedding, are later investigated to be null due to a number of invalidating circumstances. In these cases annulments are able to be granted.

What should we, attending daily Mass, take away from this teaching? Maybe we do well to consider: what can we do to help Catholics lives out in fidelity to God this teaching on marriage? What can I do for the “divorced” Catholics in my life? 

My own parents, by the way, had their marriage declared null. The annulment process is often the road fallen-away Catholics need to walk in order to return to the Sacraments. 

Likely, like John, like the Lord himself in the Gospel today, we are called to speak the truth with love, patience, compassion, and courage. But not just to speak  the truth, but to accompany our loved ones, walking with them side by side, doing whatever way we can to help them live for the glory of God and salvation of souls. 

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That all Christians may seek to be faithful to the Lord’s teachings and commandments concerning marriage and the family, that Christian families may be filled with love and joy.

For all married couples, that they may be faithful to the Gospel in every dimension of their married life and give all an example of God’s ever-faithful love.  

That the children of our parish and school may be blessed to know the grace of faith-filled families, that they may be shielded from the sins and errors of our culture.

For Pope Francis and for all the bishops and clergy of the Church: that they will be faithful to the preaching the truth of the Gospel especially in the face of secular pressure and persecution.  

That the sick, lonely, elderly, homeless, widowed, and all those experiencing trials or suffering of any kind may be strengthened by God’s love and know His comfort and peace.  

For those who have died, for all deceased spouses; that they may know the eternal peace and joy of the kingdom of heaven.  

5th Sunday of Easter 2022 - What is Love?

Well, in the last five weeks we’ve had Easter Sunday, Divine mercy Sunday, Good Shepherd Sunday, Mother’s Day Sunday, and today, our Gospel reading gives us the chance to perhaps name today, Love Sunday. “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Earlier this afternoon, I was able to celebrate a wedding for a young bride and groom, Eddie and Anna. So, I’d like to reflect on Christian marriage, on this “Love Sunday”, drawing upon it lessons for all us us, whether you are married, single, widowed, a consecrated religious or a priest. 

Leading up to the wedding, I met with this young couple for about 10 months of marriage preparation. So for 10 months, off and on, we discussed many topics concerning healthy, holy, and happy marriage:  the need for open and honest communication, the need for patience, forgiveness, prayer, engagement in the life of the Church, being open to the children God desires to bring into their new family, and what it means that Marriage is one of the Sacraments of the Church instituted by Our Lord to confer grace.

But the reason for all the preparation, meeting with the priest, the pre-cana day, the prayer, all that effort, is because of our hope that the two of them will be able to share a life of happiness and holiness—a marriage filled with grace and love. 

That word, “love” is found all throughout the marriage liturgy. Will you love and honor each other for as long as you both shall live.

But, what is love? That was a question I pose to all of my couples in marriage preparation. What is love? The word is certainly used in a lot of different ways: I love cookie dough ice cream, I love violin music, I love my grandma, I love the Cleveland browns, which is kinda like saying I love suffering and tragedy.  

St. Paul writes about that word “love” in his first epistle to the Corinthians, and many couples choose this passage for their nuptial mass. Love. “Love is patient, love is kind, it bears all thing, endures all things, it is not rude, it is not pompous, it forgives all things.” Paul says. 

What is love? For Paul, and really throughout the Bible and Christian Theology, Love isn’t a just an emotion. Nor is love so mysterious that we can’t say anything about. St. Paul says plenty and so does our Lord.

For Paul, for Christians: Love is an action, it’s a choice, it’s pursuit that requires effort. Love is a choice to be patient when we feel the claws of impatience raking across our souls, love is choosing to be kind when selfishness rears its ugly face, love is enduring and persevering in doing what is right and just when we want to give up, love is being humble when we want to be pompous, love is forgiving when we want to brood over injury.  

In the Gospel, when the Lord Jesus says, “love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength” he’s not talking about making sure that we stir up some pious fleeting emotion toward God every once and a while, or for an hour on Saturday evening or Sunday. He’s saying that Christians need to put God at the center of our work, our decisions, how we treat people, our marriages, everything—every conversation, every interaction, our free time, everything.

It was love that led the Lord to the Cross-the choice to serve God for the greater good, out of the deepest, most profound care for good of our souls. The willingness to bear unfathomable suffering for our redemption. There is no greater love than to lay down your life for another. Talk about an action. The Lord shows us precisely what love looks like, when he lays down his life for his on the cross, to save us from hell. Love requires effort, selflessness, often sacrifice. 

And St. Paul goes so far to say that if you are going throughout life without this type of Christ-like love, then you are like a clashing cymbal, in other words, you are just going through life making a bunch of noise—our lives are sadder and emptier without love. 

And I hope that none of you here are just clashing cymbals—jumping from pursuit to pursuit, relationship to relationship without God’s love filling your soul. And if you are, I invite you to consider another way, a timeless way, the way of Christ, the way of true love.

This is the Love the world needs more of…not just fuzzy feelings, but Christians, doing what is best for each other and our neighbor. Setting good Christian example for one another, praying for one another, making sacrifices for one another and the mission of the Church. As the Lord says in the gospel today, this is how all will know that you are my disciple, that you love one another.

Love requires effort:  to pray when we have other things to do, to go to Sunday Mass when we’d rather sleep in, bringing your kids to church when it’s just easier for everyone to stay in their pajamas all day. It takes effort, right? to study the Bible when we could be sitting in front of the TV or playing the newest game on our smartphones, to strive to give up habitual sins when it’s just easier to justify our selfish actions, being honest in business when it’s easier and more profitable to cheat your client, it requires effort, love requires effort, looking past the faults of others to do what’s best for them, as I would do for myself. 

But this is why weddings are so joyful for the Church. It is so joyful for us to see Bride and Groom standing before God’s altar, in front of their family, and friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ, to say, this is the person I choose to lay down my life for, this is the person I hope will love me as Christ loved me.  This is the person I will sacrifice my life for like no other, who I will pray with and pray for like no other, who I will work with hand-in-hand to serve the needs of the poor and the needs of the Church like no other, who intend to work together to become instruments of God’s love in this dark, cruel, cold world. For as Pope Benedict would say, "love is the light, and in the end the only light that can illuminate a world grown dim."

This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. Love is a choice. And the more effort we pour into love the more rewarded we will be in, in this life, and the life to come.  May pour our time, talent, and treasure into this choice, to love every minute of every day for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2021 - Marriage in God's Plan

 
I mentioned to Cara, our Parish Secretary this week that the lazy days of summer have certainly come to an end here at Saint Ignatius.  RCIA is off and running, monthly Taize prayer services will be beginning this month, PSR is in session, the day school is already half way through its first quarter.  Our Clambake is coming up next Sunday, the basketball league is beginning sign-ups, weekly bible study is ongoing, , legion of mary and st. Vincent de paul continue to meet, our new monthly young adult group draws young catholics from across the diocese, we’re going to begin a repair project on our stained glass windows, and don’t tell our music director, but advent is only two months away.

And all this on top of the normal rhythm of parish life: the joy of celebrating daily Mass, confessions seem to be a bit more popular than when I arrived two and a half years ago, anointings, marriages, baptisms, parish staff meetings, even, really aren’t that bad. But, one of the highlights for me each month is our first Friday Eucharistic Holy Hour.

Last night, I had a wedding rehearsal, for one of our last weddings of the year and then we had our holy hour. And after a very long week, that holy hour really hit the spot. And realizing I hadn’t really come up with anything for my weekend homily, I so I asked the Lord what he might want me to preach on this weekend: both at our Saturday wedding and then for our weekend masses. And I began to see a little overlap.

Our first reading and the Gospel this weekend are readings chosen often by couples for their wedding Mass. I always think it’s rather profound that the era of livestreaming and twelfth generation iphones, couples choose for their wedding a passage from this 3500 year-old ancient text from the first book of the Bible, the book of Genesis. And in it, we find that the ancient biblical vision for marriage, God’s vision, is not outdated, it’s not a relic of the past we have yet to discard—like an embarrassing photo from our teenage years. It’s as relevant as ever, because it is truly God’s word.  

In this passage, our first reading, we read of the origin, the genesis of the first marriage in human history: a match made in the earthly paradise, in the Garden of Eden. 

Adam had been created first. And while working and laboring in the Garden, Adam experienced this deep longing: this longing not just for a friend, but a wife. The Creator acknowledged that this longing was by design—he says it’s not good for man to be alone…this longing for a wife was placed in the man’s heart by God from the beginning. It’s all part of the plan.  So God gets to work again, in order to complete his Creation. He puts the man into a deep slumber and creates a wife for Him.

Upon awaking from his deep slumber, the man let’s out this joyous exclamation when he glimpses his bride. He says, “AT LAST!” 

When I prepare couples for marriage, I meet with them for a minimum of six months, for many of them sometimes over a year. After all those years of dating and marriage preparation, their wedding day has “At Last” arrived—the day when two become one.

So what we have here in the very first book of the Bible is God’s Word teaching us that marriage is not a mere human institution, but has been established by God from the foundation of the world. “This is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife”—a holy longing placed in our hearts is fulfilled in the holy union of matrimony. 

This passage is of such great importance that Jesus quotes this passage verbatim in the Gospels. The Lord quotes this passage from Genesis in his explanation of why divorce is not possible and not part of the plan of God. In lawful, Sacramental marriage, like Adam and Eve, Bride and Groom become One—a new creation. They are joined together by God and cannot be separated.  What God has joined man cannot separate.

Most couples, when asked, “Why get married?” give a two-fold answer: “Because we love each other and want to start a family.” This answer is consistent with Church teaching that the purpose of marriage is twofold: unity and procreation—to be joined in mutual love and to bear children.

The Sacrament of Marriage is powerful because it helps couples be faithful to these two ends. That can’t be said for a couple who simply enters into a so-called civil marriage before a Justice of the Peace. Through the Sacrament of Marriage, celebrated according to Church law, God abundantly blesses husband and wife, giving them the strength they need to love and honor each other, for better, for worse, through sickness and health in an indissoluble bond. It also gives them special grace for the tremendously difficult role of being Christian parents, especially in the 21st century. 

Raising a Christian child now, in a culture which is increasingly hostile to our faith, is no doubt, one of the greatest challenges Christian families have ever had face. But through the Sacrament of Marriage, God’s special grace is there.

Additionally, the Sacrament of Marriage does something that most couples probably aren’t thinking of when they approach the priest for marriage preparation. The Sacrament of Marriage turns Christian Husband and Wife into a sort of living Sacrament—visible signs of Love. Christian husband and wife shows us that in this broken world, love is possible—love is real. 

This is why the Devil hates Christian marriage and does everything he can to pervert it, break it up, and undermine it as an institution. He hates it because it is a reflection of God. No wonder he wants to deface it and promote disrespect for it, to spread lies like “God never intended one man to love one woman for the rest of his life.” It’s a lie having its genesis with the Father of lies, who himself refused to love God for the duration of his life. The Devil doesn’t want us to believe in love, not true love, only in counterfeit, perverted substitutes: to settle for less.

Marriage matters.  It is bound up with God's plan for the world.  The self-giving generative love of husbands and wives shows the world that permanent, exclusive, faithful love is possible; and by God's permanent, exclusive, faithful love for us, we are saved.

If any of you are in a civil, non-Sacramental marriage, please give me a call, so we can work on rectifying the situation. Or if you and your spouse are having some marital problems and are looking for marriage help, I can share with you some resources that you will certainly find helpful if you give them a try. And if you are civilly divorced, please know that there continues to be a place for you in the Church, and I invite you to consider giving me a call to discern if it is appropriate to seek an annulment.

The Church needs strong, holy Catholic marriages and holy families—in which the Word of God is practiced and cherished. 

The month of October is traditionally devoted to the Holy Rosary. The Holy Father and the Bishops encourage us to pray the rosary daily during this month, and what better intention than to pray for marriages and families. Pray your rosary for those couples in irregular situations. Pray for spouses going through marital difficulties. Pray for the divorced, that they can know God’s healing and discern their role in the Church.

For each of us, celibate, married, or single, have a role in promoting happy, healthy, holy Christian marriage for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

19th Week in OT 2019 - Friday - Love and Marriage

A few years ago, already, in 2016, Pope Francis issued a document on the topic of “Love in the Family” called Amoris Laetitia, latin for “The Joy of Love”. Love, authentic love, brings authentic joy.

Pope Francis offered this document on the issues of marriage and family because marriage and family matter.  Doing what it takes for a healthy marriage, having a God-centered family, raising children according to the law of Christ, these things matter for the future of civilization and the salvation of souls. The Pope said, “The welfare of the family is decisive for the future of the world and that of the Church.”

We are seeing in our own day how faithless, disordered relationships, rampant promiscuity and unrestricted sexual license bring so much brokenness, so much sadness. When men and women seek marriage for selfish reasons, disaster ensues. They bring hurt to themselves and particularly to their children.

Any priest who has worked on marriage annulments can attest to how selfishness, stunted maturity, attachment to worldliness, unwillingness to forgive, poor communication, secular notions of happiness, all effect marriage negatively.

This is why the Catholic Church takes what the Lord teaches in the Gospel this morning very seriously. Where many of the Christian denominations water down, change, or simply ignore this teaching, the Catholic Church sees this morning’s Gospel as pivotal for civilization’s survival and our faithfulness to the Gospel.

Not all are called to Christian marriage. Some are called to celibacy for the sake of the kingdom of God. Some need to work on the selfishness in their hearts before seeking to enter into marriage, for marriage, as you know, requires great selflessness.

For those who are living the Christian life in an “imperfect manner” as the Pope calls it: those living together outside of marriage, those only civilly married, those divorced and remarried outside of the Church, Pope Francis explains that “following the divine pedagogy”, that is the teaching of Christ, “the Church seeks the grace of conversion for them”, the Church seeks to help people remedy their lives.

Pope Francis concludes Amoris Laetitia with these words: “May we never lose heart because of our limitations, or ever stop seeking that fullness of love and communion which God holds out before us.” Each of us are certainly called to a life full of love. May each of us strive for that Christ-like love and self-sacrifice which brings joy and life to the world, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all Christians may seek to be faithful to the Lord’s teachings and commandments concerning marriage and the family, that Christian families may be filled with love and joy.

For all married couples, that they may be faithful to the Gospel in every dimension of their married life and give all an example of God’s ever-faithful love.

That the children of our parish and school may be blessed to know the grace of faith-filled families, that they may be shielded from the sins and errors of our culture.

For Pope Francis and for all the bishops and clergy of the Church: that they will be faithful to the preaching the truth of the Gospel especially in the face of secular pressure and persecution.

That the sick, lonely, elderly, homeless, widowed, and all those experiencing trials or suffering of any kind may be strengthened by God’s love and know His comfort and peace.

For those who have died, for all deceased spouses; that they may know the eternal peace and joy of the kingdom of heaven.

30th Week in OT 2018 - Tuesday - Wives be subordinate to your husbands

The passage from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians on wives and husbands is one of the options for the nuptial mass. Most priests preparing young couples for marriage ask their input on what readings they’d prefer at their wedding, and this reading is chosen…probably less than any of the others. That word “subordinate”---that wives are to be subordinate to their husbands—is tough to hear these days, for a lot of people, let alone young brides and their grooms.

And yet, we should be very careful before dismissing any passage of scripture as simply being a product of its time, for I assure you, that this passage contains timeless truth.

Paul says “wives be subordinate your husbands” and in the very next breath he emphasizes the converse “husbands love your wives”, in fact, he repeats this injunction several times, just to drive the point home, “husbands love your wives”.  This really sets the tone for marriage, as husbands sometimes need to be told simple truths multiple times…

When we think about the truly loving relationships in our lives, what characterizes them, is that they focus on putting the needs of others before ones own. Mothers and fathers make great sacrifices for their children; they so often put the needs of their children before their own. And the same principle is going to be important for a happy healthy marriage: put the needs of your spouse before your own. There is no place in marriage for selfishness.

That St. Paul says that husbands need to be the head of their families, is certainly true as well. Families need strong Christian men and fathers who are leaders of faith in their families. This doesn’t mean that their families exist to carry out their selfish whims. In the Church, all spiritual leadership is servant leadership. The Christian husband and father serves his family by being a strong leader in prayer and charity and teaching and blessing and protecting his family from sin and error and evil.

In fact, the attitude of servitude that is necessary for Christian husbands and fathers, St. paul says must that of Christ for the Church. Husbands, love your wives EVEN as Christ loved the Church, willing to die for her.

Strong Christian households with both husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, both strong in the faith, are needed now more than ever if the Church is going to be that mustard seed that grows to encompass all the birds of the sky, if it will be that batch of leavened dough that will spiritually feed the whole world, to borrow a few metaphors from our Gospel.

May our families be strong in the faith, rightly subordinate to the Word of God, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For newlyweds beginning married life together, that they may always have a true and generous love for each other; may they receive the rich blessing of children, and know the constant support of family and friends.

For all married couples, that they may be faithful to the Gospel in every dimension of their married life and give all an example of God’s ever-faithful love.

For all trouble marriages, that they may know the constant support of the Church, that they may be protected from discouragement and practice patience, mildness, reconciliation toward each other, and know the healing power of the love of Christ.

For all children who are impacted by the sad reality of divorce, that they may know the constant ever-faithful love of God.

That the sick, lonely, elderly, homeless, and all those experiencing trials or suffering of any kind may be strengthened by God’s love and know His comfort and peace.  We pray to the Lord.

For all those who grieve the death of a spouse, and for all the dead, for all of the souls in purgatory, the deceased members of our families and friends, for all 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.

27th Sunday in OT 2018 - Marriage & Divorce and the good of children

In the school and PSR this week, I visited the fifth through eighth grades, inviting our young people to consider becoming altar servers. We talked about how serving at the altar is one of the opportunities for service that God gives to young Catholics; serving at the altar is truly a service to God, to the parish, for a reverent celebration of Holy Mass.

I remember a few years ago at a previous assignment, a young man approached me and confessed that he would like to be an altar server, but his father would not allow it because his father did not want to bring him to church. This is a Catholic child, in a catholic school, saddened and confused because his family refused to go to Church. We have young people in this parish who carry a similar sadness.


Catholic spouses, on the day of their wedding, exchange vows to each other, but they also make promises to God about their future children. The priest explicitly asks the bride and groom: do you promise to raise your children according to the law of Christ and His Church. That promise is repeated several times in the ritual for baptism: In bringing your children to be baptized, you are accepting the responsibility of training them in the practice of the faith. It will be your duty to bring them up to keep God’s commandments as Christ taught us, by loving God and our neighbor. Do you clearly understand what you are undertaking?

The role of parents is paramount. Parents who take their role seriously raise their children to love Jesus to know and follow His commands. St Paul even talks about this responsibility in his letter  to the Ephesians: “Fathers… bring up your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

I bring up this topic of the role of parents in light of our scripture readings this weekend. In the first reading, we hear of the origin of marriage—how God, responding to Adam’s desire for a wife, creates Eve to be lifelong companion and mother. The passage uses poetic language to describe a spiritual reality. “The two become one” Genesis says. The future of two individual souls become intertwined for a unified purpose: the salvation of their souls and the procreation of children.

This passage is so important that it is one of very few times that Jesus, in his ministry, quotes word-for-word a passage from the Old Testament; I think it’s the longest passage he quotes in all of the Gospels.

In a lawful, sacramental marriage, the Lord teaches, the two have become one—they are a new creation, they are joined together by God and cannot be separated by any human power.  What God has joined man cannot separate.

And then, immediately after this teaching about marriage, St. Mark tells us that parents were bringing their children to be blessed by the Lord. These are very good parents who recognize Jesus’ authentic teaching. At this point in the Gospel, Jesus’ disciples do not understand how good this is, for when they tell the parents to go away—that Jesus has more important things to do—Jesus rebukes his disciples: never, ever, do anything, to keep a child from knowing, and loving, and being blessed by the Lord Jesus.

The psychological and spiritual good of children is one reason why God has forbidden divorce. Our Catechism says that divorce is a “grave offense” that causes “grave harm” and leaves children traumatized.

The book, “Primal Loss” contains heartbreaking descriptions of the trauma of divorce upon children. One adult child of divorce wrote: “I was devastated as a child when my dad drove away, and I will never forget standing in our front yard literally screaming: “Come back!” I didn’t understand what was happening, and my three-year-old sister certainly didn’t understand. I remember my maternal grandma grabbing me, telling me he loved other women and to stop screaming…I “survived” the divorce, but the fallout wasn’t pretty: lots of acting out and “unsettled” behavior”. It really skewed the way I looked at guys and what I thought “love” was. If marriage wasn’t forever, why should anything else be?”

The “foreverness” of marriage, the indissolubility of it, is for the good of the spouses and the good of children. This is something we cover very seriously with engaged couples preparing for Christian marriage, to work on healthy communication and healthy faith lives, not only for their good, but the good of their children.

Divorce lawyers and our throw-away culture incentivize divorce, and have virtually normalized it. This makes Catholic teaching counter-cultural. But trust not in popular opinion but in the Lord, and commit to doing everything we can to promote happy, healthy, holy marriage. For as marriage goes, there goes the culture. If healthy, Christian marriage is promoted in a culture, the culture will endure, the future will have hope. The fate of the world, in a sense, is bound to our faithfulness to these very passages today.

If your marriage is going through a rocky time, don’t give up. Marriage is resilient. The Church is here to help you develop the skills you need to endure the rockiness. Often enduring rockiness entails developing healthier communication and conflict resolution skills, and for couples to learn to pray for and with one another.

If you, like me, are a child of divorce, renew your trust in the Lord, go to Him for healing, pray for the ability to forgive your fallible parents, and to learn from their mistakes.

If you are a divorced Catholic, I urge you, don’t give up on the faith. Turn to the Lord for healing. There is a support group for divorced Catholics in our district.

If you are a widow or widower: thank God for the good times, and don’t be afraid to share your wisdom with the younger generations.

If you are divorced and remarried outside the Church…well, that’s a whole other topic. Best to review the Church’s teaching on this matter, and plan on setting up a meeting with your parish clergy to discuss it.

And if you are a Christian married couple: pray daily for faithfulness to those marriage vows: to love, honor, and serve your spouse, to be examples of faith for your children, a signs of the Lord’s ever-faithful love to your fellow Christians and to the world

May each of us, celibate, married, or single, commit to setting good example for the younger generation to whom we pass the faith, that they may never be hindered by our poor example from coming to the Lord, loving him, finding the meaning of their lives in Him for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

May 25 2018 - Pope St. Gregory VII - Global war against marriage and family

The Collect for Pope Saint Gregory VII spoke of his fortitude and his zeal for justice. His fortitude was certainly manifest in the many problems he faced, as Vicar of Christ, at the end of the 11th century. In spite of much opposition, he worked for important Church reform: removing prelates and bishops who had obtained their offices by simony or bribery, suspending priests guilty of concubinage, fighting against the investiture of ecclesiastical benefices by temporal rulers.

For “causing such a stir”, as Pope Francis would say, Pope Gregory’s enemies arrested him during midnight Mass one Christmas eve, wounded him and had him imprisoned. He was rescued by the good people of Rome, who loved the Pope deeply for his holiness and concern for the Church. Later, The Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV forced Pope Gregory into exile and called for a new Papal election, where the anti-Pope Clement XIII was elected. The holy, courageous Pope Gregory died in exile, as the collect said, “rejecting evil, that the Church may be free to carry out in charity whatever is right.”

Though the lay investiture controversy has been resolved, the Church continues to face hostility from worldly powers for preaching the Gospel, particularly the truths contained in the Gospel today. Our Blessed Lord, in teaching about divorce, calls humanity back to God’s original plan for the family, as found in the first chapters of the book of Genesis.

Our Lord’s clear teaching is not popular in our culture today, but we continue to see the devastating effects the rejection of the biblical vision has on our society. Pope Francis has undertaken this topic repeatedly over the years, even speaking of gender theory and gender politics as a global war against the family.

He says “Today, there is a global war trying to destroy marriage… they don’t destroy it with weapons, but with ideas… we have to defend ourselves from ideological colonization.”

Pope Francis has received backlash for proclaiming the Gospel, as have many good priests and catechists at the local levels. Sadly, even many Catholics don’t see anything wrong with the legalization of same-sex marriage, or these gender ideologes which deny that humans come in two genders, male and female. We see Catholic politicians on the national and local levels acting as agents for error-ridden gender politics.

So, we pray for the fortitude of the Saints, like Pope Saint Gregory, to “reject” all of the evils and errors of our day: the moral confusion, the attitudes and ideologies that undermine the good of families and the health and holiness of Christian marriages.

Free from error, may we come to carry out in charity all that is right for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For the Holy Father’s prayer intention for the month of May that the lay-faithful may fulfill their specific mission, by responding with creativity to the challenges that face the world today.

That Politicians and government officials may look to the law of Christ to guide their work for the good of nations and the human race, especially for the protection of the unborn.

For all married couples, that they may be faithful to the Gospel in every dimension of their married life , and for troubled marriages, that all spouses may practice patience and authentic charity toward each other and their children.

For our young people beginning summer vacation, that they may be kept safe from the errors of our culture and kept in close friendship with Jesus through prayer and acts of mercy.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, immigrants and refugees, 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 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

4th Sunday in OT 2018 - Practical Sanctity and Belonging fully to Christ

 This last Wednesday was the feast of one of my favorite saints, one of the great Doctors of the Church, St. Francis de Sales.

Francis de Sales was a bishop in France in the turbulent decades following the Protestant Reformation. At the age of 35, he was installed as bishop of Geneva, Switzerland, the epi-center of Protestant Calvinism. Through his persuasive preaching he saved many souls from the errors of Calvinism, winning many converts to the Catholic Church; yet at the same time his life was often threatened by hostile Calvinists.

To serve his flock, as Bishop, St. Francis de Sales became a prolific writer—his writings comprise 26 volumes.  Two of his books have become spiritual classics and continue to be published and read to this day: The Introduction to the Devout Life, and The Treatise on the Love of God, both books offering practical advice for Catholics living in the midst of the world who wish to pursue a life of sanctity. Either one would be perfect spiritual reading for Lent, which is approaching very quickly.

Also, ordinary folk would often write to Bishop Francis for spiritual guidance. Once, a young mother asked him, “Bishop I’m trying very hard to live a good life, to be holy. I’d like to get to Mass every day, but I can’t because I have these seven children who are driving me crazy.”  Francis de Sales wrote back to her and said “Madam, it’s not necessary that you go to Church every day; you become a Saint by being the best mother you can be.” 

I thought of Francis de Sales, one, because his feast was last week, but also, after hearing St. Paul’s words to the Corinthians this week: “An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. But a married man is anxious about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and he is divided. An unmarried woman or a virgin is anxious about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy in both body and spirit. A married woman, on the other hand, is anxious about the things of the world, how she may please her husband.”

St. Paul is in no way denigrating marriage here. He even says so. He says, “I tell you this not to impose a restraint”, in other words, I’m not telling you this so you don’t get married, but so that married and unmarried alike may seek to serve the Lord according to their own vocation. I think, St. Paul would very much agree with the advice St. Francis de Sales gave to that young mother. Madam, you are to become a saint…and your road to sanctity involves being the best wife and mother you can be.

St. Paul is showing the dual value of marriage and celibacy. Some members of the Church are called to celibacy “for the sake of the kingdom”, to be about the work of the Church with undivided devotion. I know so many priests and nuns and religious brothers whose lives are filled with joy and profound love for the Lord. They are not unhappy because they aren’t married. Celibate service to the Church is not an unhappy, lonely existence. It’s a profound immersion into the charitable life of the Church, and I think every young Catholic needs to discern if God might be calling you to some form of celibate service.

Celibate priests and religious serve as a sign to the whole Church that the Lord calls all of us to offer offer up the whole of our lives to God. I celebrated a wedding a few years ago on the Feast of St. Agnes, which is on January 21, another good January saint. And so for part of the wedding homily I told the story of saint agnes, who was a virgin martyr of Rome.

When Agnes was about thirteen years old, the son of the Roman governor became infatuated with her.  He asked for Agnes’ hand in marriage, but already at that young age, Agnes had given her heart to Christ—and consecrated herself to the Lord’s service.

The governor’s son became bitter and angry, he tempted her with priceless jewels, but she resisted.  He then threatened her, and told her that he would accuse her of being a Christian.  This meant that she would face death if she did not give in, since it was against the law to be a Christian. But, with her heart belonging to Christ, she boldly resisted him.  So, he accused her of practicing the Christian faith, and she was beheaded.

Pope Benedict, in a reflection on Saint Agnes, said, “Her martyrdom illustrates “the beauty of belonging to Christ without hesitation.” And here’s the lesson for young married couples and old married couples. For each of us, no matter our vocation, are called to belong to Christ without hesitation.

St. Paul, writing about these married and unmarried people recognizes that marriage is often a very difficult Christian vocation. So many of you here no doubt could relate. How hard it is to balance your faith obligations with your obligations to family. How hard it is to balance prayer with laundry and yard-work and changing diapers and teaching your children reading, writing, and arithmetic, and getting them to sports practice.

So again, St. Paul isn’t denigrating marriage here. The Church needs happy, healthy, holy marriages, where parents set good religious example for their children, teaching them to balance faith and worldly obligation. But it’s certainly an admonition isn’t it, a reminder, that amidst all the busy-ness of your temporal affairs, you need to ensure that you keep Christ at the center of it all. That you as spouse and parent seek to belong to Christ without hesitation.

To keep Christ at the center, he needs to be at the beginning and at the end. So, it’s important to begin your day with prayer and end your day with prayer, begin and end meals with prayer, begin and end car trips, and yardwork and housework.

Listen to this simple, practical prayer, composed by St. Francis de Sales. A wonderful prayer that you might consider beginning your day with: “My God, I give you this day. I offer you, now, all of the good that I shall do and I promise to accept, for love of you, all of the difficulty that I shall meet. Help me to conduct myself during this day in a manner pleasing to you. Amen.”

To offer God all the good that we shall do, means to remember God when you are driving to work so you can provide for your family, in folding the laundry, in putting the kids to bed, taking care of a sick spouse. It doesn’t necessarily mean going to mass every day, though, if you can, you should. But it certainly means belonging to Christ in whatever you do, thinking with his mind, loving with his heart, becoming the best mother, the best father, the best spouse, the best student, the best nun, the best priest you can be, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

August 29 2017 - The Passion of St. John the Baptist - Marriage Matters

The veneration of John the Baptist has deep roots. Our Lord Himself extols John saying: “among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist.” So when we honor John the Baptist, we follow our Lord’s example.

Why did Our Lord honor John? The Lord extolled him for his courageous witness, his faithfulness to the mission God had given him: preaching repentance, helping souls prepare themselves to accept Christ as Lord. In his preaching mission, John was a precursor to the Lord himself, who preached repentance and faith.

The Baptist’s mission, like Our Lord’s also culminated in a violent death: for speaking the Truth of God, John was beheaded.  John was not ordered to deny Jesus, like so many of the later martyrs, rather, he was ordered to keep silent. Thomas Aquinas explained, “For this reason the Church celebrates the martyrdom of Blessed John the Baptist, who suffered death, not for refusing to deny the faith, but for reproving adultery”

The King had entered into an adulterous relationship, and John publicly condemned this. Even though such relationships are commonplace these days, they are still contrary to the laws of God, the law written into the human heart. Adultery is sinful whether in the 1st century or 21st century.

Like John and like Our Lord, the Church in our time witnesses to the Truth about Marriage. We are attacked for this witness. But we must stand true. For as marriage as an institution disintegrates, so does civilization. Marriage matters: marriages of kings and marriages of peasants, marriages of doctors and lawyers, marriages of construction workers and teachers.

Spouses are called to lifelong fidelity, not only for their own good, the good of their children, but also, the good of society.

Pope Francis recently spoke of the duty of the Church to promote and defend marriage in his recent exhortation: “The Church has always held it part of her mission to promote marriage and the family and to defend them against those who attack them”

How are we called to promote and defend marriage? To certainly pray for happy, healthy, holy marriages, to pray for troubled marriages. The Church is certainly present to spouses in troubled marriages, helping them and guiding them to resources like counseling and marriage retreats to help them work through troubled times. And we speak the truth to those in adulterous relationships and those Catholics who have entered into irregular unions, those married outside the Church. We gently encourage our family members and friends in these relationships to seek to make their lives right with God through the Church.

The Baptist, who suffered greatly, was faithful until the end. His example and his prayers help us to overcome our weaknesses and fears, including our culpable silence, to spread the Truth of the Gospel, for the Glory of God and Salvation of souls.

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For Pope Francis, and all the clergy, and all Christians, that we may witness to the truth of the Gospel faithfully, courageously, and compassionately.

For married couples: that they might give witness to the beauty of their sacrament through their love for each other and in doing so, be an instrument for the conversion of others. And For married couples experiencing difficulties in their relationship: that they may persevere in love and faithfulness to each other.

For healing for all families and children affected by divorce, and for all the divorced who have left the Church, and for those who believe that they no longer have a place in the Church, that they may return and find the compassion and fellowship that awaits them.

For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster, especially the people of Houston Texas, those who suffer from war, violence, and terrorism, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, and the imprisoned, for those who struggle to live the call of Christian chastity, for the comfort of the dying and the consolation of their families. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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