4th Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Friday - Jesus gives Courage, Perseverance, and Refreshment

 If you were reading Mark’s Gospel from beginning to end, this long passage of John the Baptist’s martyrdom comes as a sort of unexpected interlude.  

But the interlude is not unrelated or thrown in their randomly. In the previous verses, The Lord sent out the Twelve apostles on a special mission to teach, and perform miracles, and cure the sick and drive out demons.  

And before we hear of their return and find out if they were successful or not, we get this lengthy account of dark powers conspiring against John. 

And by placing this story in the context of the disciples being sent out, to share in the Lord’s preaching of the Gospel, it is like Saint Mark saying, take courage Christians, do not be surprised when this happens to you.  It happened to John, it happened to Jesus, it will happen to the apostles, and every Christian.

Ordinary Time, is a call to make sure that we have the ordinary practices that will sustain our faith in times of persecution. When we face the Herods of the world in the course of our Gospel mission, we will need strong prayer lives, strong moral compasses, strong understanding of the faith. You’ll need to build up that sense of love for God and neighbor that will sustain you when things are the darkest.

For the daily mass reading for tomorrow, the disciples do return from their mission, and immediately the Lord tells them, “come away and rest awhile.” They’ll need to recharge from ministry. They’ll need to reflect on the lessons, the successes and failures. They’ll need to learn from their mistakes and build upon what worked well.

The mission of the Church is not for the faint of heart. We, missionary disciples, are hated even before we begin. But we are also loved by God. We face resistance from the Herod’s of the world, not to mention the fury of the devil and the weaknesses of our flesh. But we are sustained by the spirit. We grow weary in our work, but refreshed in the quiet of the Lord's presence.

May the Lord give us courage in our mission, perseverance and endurance when facing difficulties, and refreshment in those needed times of rest, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the bishops of the Church will act as true prophets through their faithful teaching, their courageous witness, and their self-sacrificing love. Let us pray to the Lord.

That government leaders around the world may carry out their duties with justice, honesty, and respect for freedom and the dignity of human life.  Let us pray to the Lord.

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

For all those who share in the sufferings of Christ—the sick, the sorrowful, and those who are afflicted or burdened in any way, especially those effected by hurricanes and storms.  Let us pray to the Lord.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for the deceased clergy and religious of the diocese of Cleveland, for the poor souls in purgatory, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. Let us pray to the Lord.

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

December 03 2021 - St. Francis Xavier - The hand extended to sinners

 I’ll never forget my first trip to Rome and visiting all the different Churches. Many of the Churches are administrated by the diocese and priests of Rome itself. Some are run by the different religious orders. The Jesuits run a few churches in Rome, but most impressive, however, is their mother Church, La Chiesa del Santissimo Nome di Gesù, the Church of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, or the Gesu, for short.

And there on the side altar of this immense, beautiful baroque church, is the incorrupt relic of the right hand and arm of St. Francis Xavier, the great Jesuit missionary, who is honored today. The rest of his incorrupt body is laid in Goa, India, where he was sent by Ignatius in 1540 to evangelize. He also traveled to Japan and is known as the first apostle of the Philippines. 

But it is there in Rome, where his incorrupt right hand and arm are is enshrined in this golden reliquary. And it is so fitting that it is his arm that is so enshrined. For that arm baptized and blessed thousands and thousands of new converts, probably close to a hundred thousand converts. That arm poured water to become a conduit of God, it called down blessing for so many. A tremendously powerful image.

St. Francis Xavier is one of the great Patron Saints of Missionaries, and it is good to celebrate this missionary saint here at the beginning of Advent. Jesus himself was a missionary, sent by the Father for the work of salvation. We are to receive Jesus as we would receive a missionary who delivers to us the most important message of our lives. He is the Word that brings salvation, the hand extended to sinners, as we say in the Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation. 

Advent helps us to quiet down, to remove the spiritual clutter, in order to receive His Word more deeply, to receive The Word, more deeply.

But the one who receives is also called to give, to pass on. To receive the missionary Christ we must be willing to become a missionary as well. Just as St. Francis Xavier was sent by his superior to the farthest ends of the earth, we are sent, to carry the reconciling word of Christ, to extend the reach of the saving hand of God. 

Pope Francis reminds us that we are missionary disciples. Disciples with a mission, disciples sent out by God, to extend the blessing, truth, salvation, goodness, peace, and love of Jesus to everyone. May this holy Advent, and this great Advent saint, Francis Xavier, continue to stir up our faith, that we may more willingly and courageously extend that faith to others, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For Pope Francis, Bishop Malesic, and all of the ordained, that their ministry may be effective in leading the Church in spreading Christ’s saving Gospel.

That our elected officials, judges, government leaders and people of good will may work together in defending innocent human life, working for the common good, and righting injustice.

For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life, for the Jesuit Order’s faithfulness to the mission of Christ, and through the intercession of St. Francis Xavier, for the sanctity, safety, and success of all missionaries.

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

For the deceased of our parish, family and friends, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

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

14th Week of Ordinary Time 2021 - Wednesday - Our apostolic mission

 I read in an article from Catholic News agency this morning that the Diocese of Burlington in Vermont has reported a record-low number of priests this year, with only 50 diocesan priests ministering to the entire state of Vermont. 50 priests for 110,000 Catholics. What’s going on up there? 

In just a few verses prior to today’s Gospel, the Lord announces that the harvest is abundant but the laborers are few. But why are there SO few? 

Before sending out the 12 in the Gospel today, the Lord first teaches them to pray, he instructs them and forms their minds by his teaching, and then he calls them by name. This is how the Church works and has worked for two thousand years.  

So what’s going on up in Vermont? Quite simply we could say there’s a priest shortage. But why? My guess is there has been a failure to form disciples who understand the importance of the mission of the Church—a failure to teach the importance of prayer, basic church doctrine, and helping young people hear the Lord calling them by name, to know that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 

While on vacation last week, I attended a church down in florida where the music was so trite, the preaching so insipid, and the celebration of mass by the priest was so irreverent, I nearly cried. What young person would be converted by this ? How could they even hear the Lord calling them amidst such dribble? It was closer to hell than heaven! And it was a beautiful church building too, but a beautiful building is not enough!

Hunger was felt throughout Egypt, in our first reading. Sometimes spiritual famine does strike the Church in certain places due to reasons beyond our control. And in those times, we certainly do well to pray, in the words of the psalm today, to preserve us in time of famine. 

But what is in our control is that every Catholic is an apostle sent out by the Lord, with the responsibility to feed the spiritually hungry and to help form the next generation of missionary disciples: by ourselves and families practicing fervent prayer, passing on the faith clearly without compromise with worldly errors, helping others to encounter the living Lord in the Church’s worship and the sacraments.

May we be faithful to the Church’s work in this place and this time in announcing the Gospel, forming disciples, and laboring without tiring for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the Bishops, the successors of the Apostles, will wield their authority wisely and courageously in standing against the unclean spirits and evils of this age.

For all those who hunger for the Word of God, that all members of the Church will be faithful in leading them to the one who satisfies every hunger.

For the protection of young people from the corrupting influences of the world, for Christians families, and for the conversion of the faithless.

For the sick, suffering, and sorrowful, for miracles for hopeless causes.

For the souls in purgatory, and for N. for whom this Mass is offered.

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.

October 18 2019 - St. Luke - Gathered in to be sent out

St. Luke’s Gospel was written between 70 and 85 A.D.  Tradition holds Luke to be a native of Antioch, where Ignatius, our Patron, was Bishop. 

Luke was not one of the twelve apostles or one of Jesus’ disciples; for Luke was a Gentile convert.  So, he is probably the only non-Jewish writer of the entire Bible. 

Of all the passages from his Gospel, the Church has chosen for his feast the passage of the sending of the 72 disciples. 72 is a symbolic number for the Gentiles throughout the Bible, and so this passage, must have been quite dear to Luke, himself a Gentile who had been converted to Christ. He himself was a portion of that harvest gathered in by the disciples of the Lord Jesus, as are all of us—chosen to go into the world to bear fruit that will last. 

We have been gathered in, in order, to be sent out, to “make known the glorious splendor of God’s kingdom” as we recited in the Psalm today.

St. Luke made known the kingdom through his writing, his painstaking investigation into the events of Jesus’ life, and in his willingness to embrace suffering for the sake of the kingdom. Luke accompanied Paul on his third missionary journey, remaining at Paul’s side during his imprisonment and at trial before Caesar in Rome. It was in Rome that Luke wrote his Gospel and the book of acts. After the death of Paul, Luke spread the Gospel in Italy, Dalmatia, Gaul, Macedonia, and Egypt. And in March of 84 AD, he died a martyr’s death, some legends say, crucified to an olive tree.

We have been gathered in, in order to be sent out, to announce the kingdom of God is at hand to the nations. There is a likely a person whom we will encounter today—we may not even know them yet—a person to whom we are called by God to witness to the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. We pray for that person now, that we may minister to them courageously.

 May St. Luke assist us in our mission as disciples of Jesus, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all Christians may be faithful to their vocation to spread the Gospel in word and deed.

That on this feast of St. Luke, patron of medical doctors, all doctors may have a reverence for life, and for the conversion of all who do not believe.

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of October, “that the breath of the Holy Spirit may engender a new missionary ‘spring’ in the Church.

For all the sick and suffering, and for all those in hospitals, nursing homes, and hospice care, for all those who will die today, for their consolation and that of their families.

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

God of mercy, hear our prayers, ease the sufferings and comfort the weakness of your servants, and bring us to eternal life, through Christ our Lord.

14th Week of OT 2019 - Friday - Shrewd as Serpents, Innocent as Doves

In addition to his public teaching about the kingdom of God and his moral instruction, the Lord gave specific training to his disciples concerning their mission to spread the Gospel, training that applies to our efforts.

In today’s Gospel, the Lord tells them about the territory into which He is sending them. "Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves.” Sheep certainly need to be careful when they are in wolf-infested territory. Persecution is inevitable. There will not be a single age, a single sector of society, where Christians will be completely safe. There will always be Wolves who will want to kill us simply because we are sheep—non-Christians who will misunderstand us, seek to silence us, desire to break us, simply because we are Christian.  The Lord’s warning here certainly reflects the experience of early Christian communities where believers were betrayed by their own family members.

The Diocese of Cleveland is wolf-infested territory. Do not be surprised when the Gospel mission is opposed, when the world tries to silence the Word—even from within one’s own family.

In an age of growing hostility we know that many people do not agree with Our Lord and his Church.  They laughed at him, mocked him, thought he was naive, thought he was blasphemous, and they do the same to us.  They worked to prevent him from spreading His Gospel, they do the same to us.  As this country, and really all of Western Civilization, falls into moral decline, it is not surprising that Christians are being fined for operating our businesses according to Christian principles, it is not surprising that we are called bigots for not tolerating all the perversions of the culture. 

We are called to be sheep—docile and obedient to God, even when the wolves start closing in.  But, that doesn’t mean we are called to be punching bags.  Christian missionary disciples need to, “be as shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.”  Our Lord Himself was cunning in dealing with the Pharisees, in forming his disciples, but also innocent as a dove, of all malice, of all sin.

To be shrewd as the serpent, means to be cunning, wise, and crafty with non-believers and those who oppose the Gospel, not out of deceit, but as part of a greater strategy to win souls. How can I help people see the goodness and truth of Jesus?  We are to train our minds in the Word of God, in the writings and examples of the saints; to use creativity in the evangelizing mission.

On the other hand, to become innocent as doves, we train our hearts to trust God in all things, to hate sin, to love our neighbor with abundant generosity, peacemaking, and gentleness, and to not be hardened when we face difficulty or persecution.

“Without innocence, cunning becomes manipulative; without cunning, innocence becomes naivety; the finely-balanced character reflects that of Jesus himself.” May we have the mind and heart of Our Lord in fulfilling the mission of the Gospel, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all bishops and clergy will lead the Church in faithfulness to the Gospel mandate and in the practice of every Christian virtue.

For all those who have fallen away from the Church, those who have fallen into serious sin, for non-believers, atheists, and those in error, for their conversion, and the conversion of all hearts.
For Christians experiencing persecution for the faith, that they may hold fast to the Lord in their sufferings.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, for victims of abuse and scandal, for the imprisoned and the addicted, for all those recovering from or undergoing surgery today, and for the consolation of the dying.

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

14th Sunday in OT 2019 - The Church's missionary work

Our Gospel over the next three weeks is taken from the tenth Chapter of Luke’s gospel. And we hear the opening verses of Luke chapter 10 today: the sending out of the seventy-two disciples.  Jesus, of course, gave the specific apostolic mission to the 12 Apostles, of being the leaders and foundations stones of the Church. And the Bishops of the Catholic Church have continued that mission throughout the centuries.

Yet, the mission of the seventy-two is also essential. And that work is given to all Christians, to me, and to you, and to all. So what is this missionary activity that all of us are to be about? Well, let’s dive into today’s Gospel.

First we heard today how the Lord appointed these seventy-two and sends them, he gives them a mission. The word Missionary comes from the latin word “missio” – which means to send.  You and I are missionaries—we are “sent out” by Jesus. Our identity comes from him, the purpose of our life isn’t something that we just make up ourselves. Our purpose is received from God. And we are most fulfilled when we engage in that purpose, rather than our own plans.

Secondly, he sent them out ahead to all the places he intended to visit to prepare the towns to meet him. We are sent as missionaries for the same purpose: to prepare souls for meeting Christ. For most of us, the first missionaries in our own lives were our parents. The work they did brought us to Jesus. We learned to know him, love him, and serve him, we encountered him in the sacraments and in prayer through our parents missionary work in the home.

Or for some of us, we encountered Christ through the missionary activity of good Christians engaged in the works of mercy—they attracted us to Jesus through their good works; or we met Christ because of a particularly powerful sermon or someone sat down with us and explained the scriptures to us at a bible study.

Having encountered Christ, it is so important that we go out to prepare others to meet him. For how else will the Gospel continue to be transmitted? Within his first few weeks as Pope, Pope Francis said, “When the Church becomes closed up on itself it gets sick.”  If we aren’t “going out” into foreign lands, foreign places, outside the walls of our church, we will stagnate. 

So again, not only priests and bishops and religious have been sent out, but every baptized member of the Church is called to this missionary activity.  But, where are we being sent? Certainly into the lives of family members who have fallen away from the Church.  Certainly into the lives of coworkers, who perhaps practice no faith. We are sent into the public world of supermarkets and gas stations and restaurants and baseball parks.  Whenever I go to restaurants I’m always looking to see if people pray before meals.  Not only is it important for us to give thanks before meals, but it is a powerful witness when a family prayers together in public.

Our faith is not just a private matter, as Jesus teaches today: the very nature of the Church is to be sent into other people’s lives to bring them to Him.

At our parish visioning meeting last weekend, it became clear that one of our shared concerns is mass attendance. Where will the next generation of parishioners of St. Ignatius of Antioch parish if not, out there. The harvest is abundant, and we are those few laborers who the Lord has sent to gather in his harvest.

Likely, there is already a person in our life that the Lord wants us to reach out to. So, who is the person to whom the Lord is sending me? Who is the person he wants me to teach to pray, to answer their questions about the Church, a family member perhaps who has been away from the sacraments of reconciliation and eucharist for too many years?

It sounds like hard work.  And it is! But notice that Jesus sends the disciples two-by-two.  From the beginning, the work of the Church is always done in a communitarian way.  We support each other.  We pray for one another.  We encourage one another in this holy work. 

Think of how husbands and wives work together in forming their children in the faith.  Husbands and wives supporting each other in prayer, t educating their children in the faith, bouncing ideas off of each other on how to witness to other families. Husbands and wives challenging each other to be more faithful to prayer and acts of charity.

Whatever work the Lord has for us as a parish, we can be sure, that he is asking us to work together, to support each other, and pray for each other.

The Lord gives another instruction to the seventy-two.  “Do not carry  a money bag, a sack, or sandals”.  Here the Lord stresses the importance of learning to rely on God and of spiritual poverty. 
This is certainly a call to prayer, to cultivate the interior life: for where else do we really learn how to love God and to trust God? Saints up and down the centuries have given witness to the miraculous things that can occur when we trust God.

Take no money bag, sack or sandals is also a call to Gospel Poverty and austerity.  Why was st. francis such a powerful instrument of the Gospel? People saw his radical faith through his radical trust that the Lord would provide for him. Austerity and simplicity shows non-believers that the Lord Jesus is worth trusting in—that we are serious about our faith—that we believe that when we trust in the Lord Jesus and rely on the grace of God, miracles occur.

Finally, we hear how when the seventy-two enter these towns, they are to cure the sick and proclaim that the kingdom of God is at hand. 

Jesus was a healer.  The word savior, literally means, the one who brings health.  We are to bring healing to the sick.  The physically sick are to know our help, and also those who are psychologically sick, the addict, the grieving, the depressed, the lonely.  To be attentive to the lonely widow who lives next door is an act of love. 

For, Christianity in the end is a healing ministry: to bring the spiritually sick health of soul, to bring light to those in darkness, to bring the fallen sinner to the fount of the Lord’s healing mercy, to bring the comfort of God’s truth to the doubting and despairing.

Particularly in light of our parish visioning meeting, we do well to consider how we, members of St. Ignatius of Antioch parish are being sent out as healers in our community. Who are the wounded souls we’ve been sent out to bring the healing of Christ to?

Let us pray for one another, and ask the master of the harvest to give us courage, fidelity, zeal, and insight, in this most important missionary work of ours, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

July 1 2019 - St. Junipero Serra - Leaving comfort behind

Today’s Gospel should sound familiar. Yesterday, we heard St. Luke’s version of these strange sayings of our Lord. St. Matthew’s version today, is a little more concise, but the point remains the same.

While traveling, a scribe approaches Jesus and voices his willingness to follow him wherever he may go. And The Lord warns the scribe, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head." In other words, Jesus is saying, “I’m homeless. Will you follow me, even if that means giving up your home? Will you follow me even if it means never being able to go home again?”

Yesterday, I mentioned St. Clare and the many saints up and down the centuries who left their homes, left their comfortable lives, to follow the Lord. Today we celebrate St. Junipero Serra who did just that.

Junipero Serra had been a university professor in Spain, but he gave up his position to come to California to teach the Native Americans about the Lord. So while our founding Fathers were fighting for our nation’s independence on the east coast, Franciscan Priest Father Junipero Serra was traveling up through Mexico to present-day California.  There he devoted himself to building churches and schools for the poor and the native people, catechizing those in his care and raising up dedicated priests to continue the Lord’s work.

St. Junipero Serra, you may remember, is the first saint to be canonized on American soil. He was canonized just in 2015, when Pope Francis visited the U.S. Pope Francis praised St. Junipero Serra’s willingness to abandon the comforts and privileges of his native Spain to spread the Christian message in the new World.

What a wonderful example we have in Junipero Serra of a true missionary disciple; for no doubt, the Lord is calling us to leave the comfort of our homes, the comfort of our familiar routines, to preach the Gospel and to witness to the Gospel to the strangers in our midst. May we follow the Lord into the unknown territories, carrying his light and his truth and his love to all those we encounter today. May we find excuses to leave our homes to spread the Gospel today for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all Christians may be deeply committed to the spread of Christ’s Gospel, and for the success of the Church’s missionary activity.

For our nation, as we celebrate our independence this week, that we may be always grateful for our freedom, but more importantly, may we use that freedom for God’s will, rather than our own.

For all those who suffer from violence, war, famine, extreme poverty, addiction, discouragement, loneliness, and those who are alienated from their families.  May they know God’s mercy and be gathered to the eternal kingdom of peace.

For all those who suffer illness, and those in hospitals, nursing homes and hospice care, that they may be comforted by the healing light of Christ.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, the deceased members of our families friends and parishes, for those who fought and died for our freedom, and for N. for whom this mass is offered.

Graciously grant our petitions, we beseech thee, O Lord; may your grace sustain us always in your service, through Christ Our Lord.

9th Week of OT 2018 - Thursday - Imparting the Truth without deviation

Last night, I attended the installation of the new pastor of St. Patrick Church in Ohio City, Fr. Mike Gurnick. Bishop Perez reflected on the importance of vibrant parishes in the life of the Church, and the pastor’s role in leading, nurturing, strengthening, comforting, and challenging his parishioners. Bishop Perez drew from the words of Pope Francis, in his 2013 apostolic exhortation Evangelium Gaudium.

Pope Francis writes, “The parish is not an outdated institution; precisely because it possesses great flexibility, it can assume quite different contours depending on the openness and missionary creativity of the pastor and the community. While certainly not the only institution which evangelizes, if the parish proves capable of self-renewal and constant adaptivity, it continues to be “the Church living in the midst of the homes of her sons and daughters”.

With the Holy Father’s words in mind, the bishop reflected how the parish is a place of arrival and gathering. We gather from our homes, some of us from foreign lands, as God’s people, to hear the Word of God preached and to experience the presence of Christ in the Sacraments. But the parish is not simply a place of arrival, it is a place of sending. We go out from her to bring the word of God to others.

St. Paul writes to Timothy, as we heard in the first reading today, Timothy, who is a pastor. The letters to Timothy are even known as the pastoral letters, because Paul is giving pastoral advice to Timothy for ordering his flock.

“Remind the people” Paul says, of who they are, that since they have died with Christ, they are to live with him, and if we deny him, he will deny us.

That’s a challenging message. That in everything we do, we are to reflect that Christ is Lord. Timothy was to prepare the people for the real possibility that they will be pressured to deny Christ. Pressured by who? By the culture. By the anti-Christian culture. They will be pressured to forsake Christ, to hide their Christian faith, to pretend just like they are everyone else.

But Paul, like Pope Francis, like Bishop Perez, reminds us that we are not to abandon the word, leaving the Word here in within the walls of the church building, but as missionary disciples, we are to carry the word, and infuse the culture with the Word.

My favorite part of the installation mass, is when the new pastor stands at the altar, and promises, using language reminiscent of today’s reading, “to impart the word of truth without deviation.” The priest, the pastor, imparts truth, so that members of the flock, will be equipped to live and spread that same word of truth in their own lives, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That Pope Francis and all bishops and clergy will help defend the Church against error, and lead her always in the pathways of truth, righteousness, and charity.

For the conversion of all those who perpetuate error or set bad Christian example for young people and those of weak faith.

For the grace to spread the Word of God with clarity, patience, and courage.

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 Week of Easter 2018 - Thursday - Go where you've been SENT

On the evening of Easter Sunday, the risen Jesus said to us: "As the Father has sent Me, so I send you" (Jn 20:21), echoing the words He spoke after washing the disciples feet at the last supper, as we just heard in our Gospel, “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send, receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”

Jesus is the “sent one”, come not to do His own will, but the will of the one who sent Him. So, too Christians, are “sent ones”, following the model of Jesus the master.

The Father sent the Son to reveal His love for the world. In the same way, we are sent to reveal the Father's love.

The Father sent the Son to preach the good news of liberation and restoration to the poor. We likewise, are sent to preach the freedom and wholeness found in Jesus Christ.

The Father sent Jesus to destroy the devil's works. We too are sent to attack the gates of hell and to crush Satan and his empty works under our feet.

The Father sent Jesus to do good works and heal the sick. We, whose lives have been healed, by Christ, our sent out to bring that same healing to the soul-sick.

The Father sent the Son to die and rise; we are sent to die to ourselves, take up our cross daily, and share in Jesus' resurrection.

Christians don't do their own thing or go their own way, this would be selfish. We go where we are sent. We go to the highways and byways and even to the ends of the earth. We are sent out of comfortable complacency into hardship and challenge. We are sent to do the dirty jobs no one else wants to do. We go to the sickest, the poorest, the most repulsive, even to those who do not appreciate us, even to those who hate us on account of Him, as bearers of the mercy of Christ, because to them we have been sent, and we are to do so cheerfully, joyfully, patiently, gently, without grumbling, without resentment, without fear. And when we do go, we find, Christ has arrived before us, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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

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

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

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

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

That all of our beloved dead and all the souls in purgatory may come to the glory of the Resurrection.
O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the desires of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our lord.

Easter Octave 2018 - Thursday - Recounting our Encounters with the Risen Christ

Yesterday, we heard how Jesus had appeared to the disciples on the road to Emmaus. Today, we hear how those disciples return to Jerusalem, and, as missionaries, they recount their experience of seeing, speaking, engaging, and eating with the Risen Christ.

There is a perfect model for our own missionary discipleship, to recount to others our experience of seeing, speaking, engaging, and eating with the Risen Christ.

Share with others how you have seen God work in the world. How have you seen God mending wounds, where have you seen God working miracles. The disciples met God—met Jesus—on the road to Emmaus, where have you met God? In your family home growing up? On a retreat? In the catechism classroom? Or on the streets? In the destitute?

Share with others your experience of speaking with God? How has God spoken to you in your prayer life? Through what Saints has God spoken to you? What books or spiritual writings? What scripture passages have spoken to you in your own times of sorrow and dark valleys? What Church teachings have made the most difference in your life?

Share with others your experience of Jesus moving you, engaging you, sending you out. How has Jesus moved you out of your comfort zone? How has he converted you from one way of thinking to another? What virtues, spiritual gifts, spiritual fruits has he caused to grow in you? Share with others the joy and peace that comes from making a good confession.

And share with others your experience of encountering Jesus in the breaking of the bread. Share with others the importance of coming to Mass, Sunday Mass, Daily Mass, and eating with Him. Share with others how attending Mass has changed your life? What caused you, perhaps, of being lukewarm about Mass, to zealous for it?

“The disciples of Jesus recounted what had taken place along the way.” Don’t be afraid to tell your story, to share, even in very simple terms, how you have encountered Jesus walking with you in your life’s journey. For right when the disciples shared their story, Jesus appeared in their midst, and continued to open their minds and hearts to the Scriptures, to the wisdom of God.

There are people in our lives who are longing to meet Jesus through these very means. Jesus wants to appear to the hard-hearted, the unbeliever, and the sorrowful. And he is waiting for us to share Him with them, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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Filled with Paschal joy, let us turn earnestly to God, to graciously hear our prayers and supplications.

For the shepherds of our souls, that they may have the strength to govern wisely the flock entrusted to them by the Good Shepherd.

For the whole world, that it may truly know the peace of the Risen Christ.

For our own community, that it may bear witness with great confidence to the Resurrection of Christ, and that the newly initiated hold fast to the faith they have received.

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

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

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

Thursday - 29th Week of OT 2017 - Missionary disciples with burning hearts

Very often the words of Jesus Christ calm us, comfort us, help us to know the loving nearness of God.  Yet, today’s Gospel shakes us up a little.  We hear Our Lord speak with some urgency that he has come to set the world on fire, and how he wishes it were already burning!  Jesus is on a mission to enflame hearts with a fiery, burning love for God.

It is the nature of fire to enkindle the things that are nearest to it. On the road to Emmaus, the disciples who encountered the risen Lord, proclaimed “Were not our hearts burning inside us as He talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?"

If our hearts are to be set on fire, we must draw near to the Lord, his words, and his own heart. Distance from the Lord only causes coldness toward him and toward his mission. We all know many people, even members of our own family, who have grown cold toward the Lord and toward his Church. They fall away from mass, they fall away from prayer. They are busy, busier than ever, about many worldly things, but something is seriously lacking, isn’t there?

Last night, at the special district Mass, the Bishop spoke about missionary discipleship: how God wants to use us to set the world on fire. We often think of missionaries as merely a special class of disciples, who go out to places like india to spread the Gospel to those of other religions. But Bishop Perez, echoing Pope Francis and the Popes of the 20th century, wants to help us realize that we are all called to be missionary disciples, and that the Diocese of Cleveland, our neighborhoods and families, are missionary territory and we must be the missionaries.

This is a share in the mission of Jesus himself. And that’s why there is an urgency in the Gospel today, because he wants our lives on fire, not mediocre and lukewarm, but on fire, that we can spread that fire throughout the world, that we can meet people where they are with the truth of the Gospel.

We pray today that those whom we encounter on the road will encounter the fire of Christ alive in our hearts.  That they can meet Christ in us today as we seek to share and heal and preach and serve, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all Church leaders may help us to spread the flame of faith and love in all our endeavors.
For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life, and a sanctification of all marriages and single Catholics.

“That our parishes, animated by a missionary spirit, may be places where faith is communicated and charity is seen.”

For those who have fallen into error, for Catholics who have grown lukewarm in their faith, for those who have left the Church, for their conversion and the conversion of all hearts.

For all those struggling with addiction, mental illness, chronic sickness, unemployment, or ongoing trials of any kind: that they will be fortified and blessed with God’s special love, favor, and peace.  We pray to the Lord.

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.