6th Week in Ordinary Time 2025 - Tuesday - Are your hearts hardened?

 

Our scripture readings this morning highlight the importance of turning away from sin and trusting in the Lord.

In the account of Noah, we recall a moment in history when humanity’s wickedness had reached such a level that the Lord was “grieved” in His heart. Yet, among the corruption, Noah stood out for his faithfulness. He obeyed God’s command to build an ark, trusting that divine justice and mercy would prevail.

Our sin not only displeases God, it can lead to our ruin. But, like the purification God enacted through the waters of the flood, God desires to flood us with purification, that we may be free from our self-destructive ways, and live in a relationship of renewed trust. Like Noah, we need to trust that God desires to rescue us from sin, so that a new life of holiness might flourish.

In the Gospel passage, Jesus similarly warns His disciples to “guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” Leaven, or yeast, is a small ingredient, yet it permeates an entire batch of dough. Jesus uses it as a metaphor for the subtle power of sin and spiritual corruption. The Pharisees, with their hypocrisy and pride, and Herod, with his worldly ambitions and moral compromise, represent two faces of sin that can deteriorate and distort our relationship with God.

Both Noah’s story and the Lord’s  warning highlight the seriousness of sin and the need to do something about it. Much like Noah had to build and enter the ark to escape the destructive waters, we are called to take deliberate steps to rid ourselves of sin’s influence. This often requires self-examination, repentance, and vigilance. The Lord asks us, “Are your hearts hardened?”.

Signs of a hardened heart might include a failure to empathize with the suffering of others, a resistance to acknowledge one’s personal faults or accept guidance, holding on to grudges, bitterness about past hurts, unwillingness to reconcile, spiritual apathy, and habitual sin without remorse.

Ultimately, guarding ourselves against sin—against the “leaven” that corrupts—means living in humble obedience to God’s will. We examine our attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors, uprooting what leads us away from God and replacing it with virtue, prayer, and a heart open to grace and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Seriousness about uprooting sin and selfishness allows us to experience the fullness of life the Lord desires for us, a life marked by spiritual integrity, peace, and a deeper union with Him for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - - 

 

With hearts open to God’s grace, let us offer our prayers for ourselves and for the world:

For the Church: That she may always guard against spiritual corruption, proclaiming the Gospel with humility and integrity, and guiding the faithful to turn away from sin and trust in the Lord’s mercy.

For leaders in our society and world: That they may resist the “leaven” of pride and ambition, serving the common good with honesty and compassion, and promoting justice for all people.

For those trapped by sin or harmful habits: That, they may respond to God’s call, trusting that He desires to rescue them from the flood of destruction and lead them to a life of holiness.

For the sick, the lonely, and those in need: that they may be open to the healing and strength that comes from a relationship of deep faith in God.

For all who have died: That they may receive the fullness of life promised by Christ, especially N.

Heavenly Father, you call us to trust in your saving power and turn away from whatever leads us from you. Hear our prayers, and grant us the grace to guard our hearts from sin, living in humble obedience and love. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

February 14 2023 - St. Cyril & Methodius & the Flood of God's Mercy

 In the book of Genesis, we read about the origin—the genesis—of creation, of mankind, of nations and civilizations. But we also read about the sad genesis of sin. How even our first set of parents allowed selfishness and pride to dominate.

Due to original sin, humans are afflicted with selfish, lustful, violent, urges. And every sin, has ripple effects which effect our own lives and the lives of others. 

Yesterday, we heard how the sin of Adam and Eve had an effect in the lives of their children. Adam’s son Cain allowed resentment to transform into hatred and violence toward his brother Abel. Sin which is not handed over to God is a cancer. 

Today, we fast forward about a thousand years to the time of Noah. The generations descending from Adam had become numerous upon the earth, but the cancer of sin had become so unchecked, so rampant, the earth so corrupt with wickedness, that God sent a flood to purify creation.

Here God foreshadowed the purifying waters of baptism which mark an end of sin and a new beginning of goodness. 

Unchecked, sin will always have devastating effects in our lives. We are living through a time when so many have fallen away from God, sin and corruption can be seen rampant in every level of government, in our schools, in the brokenness of families, in the antagonism of nations. We do live in a time of great iniquity.

And the solution to sin, is of course, the One who has unleashed a new flood, not a flood of destruction, but a flood of new birth through the waters of baptism. We have been tasked to preach the Gospel, to teach the nations, and to baptize, to lead all peoples to the waters of new life. That’s our mission, that’s our task. 

Today, the Church honors Cyril and Methodius, blood-brothers from Greece who were impelled by the love of Christ and for souls to leave their native land to bring the Gospel to the Slavic people. Cyril and Methodius were tireless in laboring for the Gospel, even developing an entirely new alphabet so that the Scriptures could be read by the Slavic people. 

May the Holy Spirit inspire us, in our own way to leave our homes to lead others to Christ, to the new flood of God’s mercy, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - - -  

That all Christians may develop missionary hearts.

That amidst all the perversions and distractions of the world young people may be led to Christ.

For the hungry, sick, lonely, and heartbroken, for cures to disease and relief for the poor. 

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.

6th Week in Ordinary Time 2021 - Tuesday - Pre-Lenten Preparations

 What perfect readings for this final day of Ordinary Time prior to the penitential season of Lent—the season of purification and enlightenment.

First, Noah’s preparation for the forty day flood.  At a point in history where humanity had turned away from God, had become so mired in sin, “the LORD saw how great was man’s wickedness on earth…that his heart was grieved.”

Today we, like Noah, are called to make preparation for the forty days of Lent. We are to examine the sin in our lives and resolve to repent, and to consider how we will be showing our repentance through acts of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. For throughout Lent, we must make reparation for our own sins, but also the sins of the world, the wicked of the world, to show our love and concern for the souls even of those who reject God and the call to conversion. We do penance for those unwilling to do so for themselves. Who will you pray for, who will you fast for, who will you engage in sacrificial almsgiving for. Fix them in your mind, hold them aloft to God over the next 40 days. Do penance for them, those outside of the ark of the Church—either because of ignorance or willfulness—for their purification, that they, one day, may accept the invitation to come aboard the ark of the Church—to sail to the promised land.

The Gospel, too, is a wonderful pre-Lenten reading, for the Lord sits in a boat, like the ark of noah, with disciples who do not quite understand everything that’s been happening, everything that he’s been doing and teaching. They have eyes and not see, ears and have not heard.

The season of Lent is also for those who are already in the boat of the Church, to come to a deeper understanding and appreciation of everything the Lord has done for us and continues to do for us. Lent is the season of purification, but also enlightenment. As we contemplate all the Lord suffered, his time in the desert, his march to Jerusalem, his ensuing passion and death, we are enlightened with a deeper understanding of the depths of his love for us and what it means to be his disciples, his apostles sent out into the world. 

May we prepare well for the 40 day flood which brings purification and enlightenment as we engage in the Lenten works and contemplate the depths of the Lord’s love and the call to ever more faithful discipleship, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

That the season of Lent may bring the most hardened hearts to repentance and bring to all people purification of sin and selfishness and enlightenment in the ways of God.

For those preparing for baptism and the Easter sacraments, that the season of Lent will bring them great conversion to way of Christ. 

That we may generously respond to all those in need: the sick, the suffering, the homeless, the imprisoned, and victims of violence. And for all victims of the coronavirus and their families.

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

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

32nd Week in OT 2020 - Friday - A warning to progressives

Will you be prepared when the Son of Man comes?

Throughout his ministry, the Lord offers many warnings about the need to repent, to turn one’s life around and to embrace his teachings and place faith in him. For example, in the parable of the 10 virgins, which we heard last sunday, the foolish virgins are shut out of the wedding feast, for failing to prepare for the return of the bridegroom. There will be consequences if you fail to prepare your soul.

In today’s reading the Lord gives a series of examples of those who were unprepared for the end of their lives which came rather unexpectedly. 

The people of Noah’s time, ignored Noah’s warnings, wrote him off as a crazy person for constructing the ark. They just went about their lives eating and drinking and marrying. They were unprepared for the flood because they unlike Noah, had not attuned their hearts to God.

So too the people of Sodom, a city filled with wickedness. They were going about living godless lives—eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting and building, engaging in earthly matters, when all of a sudden fire and brimstone rained from the sky. Due to their wickedness, their souls were unprepared for this natural disaster. 

The warning is clear: we must be prepared by attuning our lives to God. How do we do that? St. John gives us the clear instruction.

St. John rejoices because many of the Christians to whom he was writing were walking in the truth, abiding by the commandments of God. They were attentive to attuning their moral lives to the truth that comes from God.

But John also offers a warning. He warns the Christians about being too progressive. Finding this term “progressive” in the scriptures might surprise us. I’ve known Christians who have prided themselves about being progressive. Open to new ideas and the changing ways of the world. And to an extent that is fine. But John is very clear about the possibility of being too progressive, so much so that you do not remain in the teaching of Christ. 

He is very clear that there comes a point where the ideas in the world, new ideas, new philosophies, new moralities, and models of the human person, cease to be consistent with the teaching of Christ.

And just like the people of Sodom and the people of Noah’s day, the danger of being too progressive is that you get so wrapped up in pursuing and pushing the ideas of the world, that you will find yourself unprepared for the return of the bridegroom. 

For the people of John’s day, it was considered “progressive” to deny that Jesus was fully human, to consider him simply appearing to be human or that his humanity was insignificant: a clear contradiction of the Catholic faith handed down by the apostles. In our day, so-called progressives might be those who seek to make allowance for certain moral teachings that are contrary to the Catholic faith. Progressivism can devolve into a form of godlessness when it no longer remains rooted in the truth of Christ.

So, St. John is warning us to be very careful about progressive theological trends, because you might just find yourself deceived by the antichrist, and unprepared for the return of the bridegroom.

Rather, as our Psalm declares: “Blessed are they who follow the Lord, who walk in the law of the Lord, who observe his decrees, and seek him with all their heart.” May we be prepared for the return of the Bridegroom by walking always in his truth, by seeking Him with our whole heart for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - - - -  

For the healing of all division in the Church, for the Pope and all Bishops and Priests to be truly faithful in teaching the fullness of Faith, for the conversion of those whose hearts are hardened to the truth of the Gospel. 

That leaders of nations may find guidance in the Word of God for proper governance and the pursuit of justice for all.

That Christian families may be places where the Christian faith is studied, understood, observed, and cherished.

For all those who suffer illness, those in hospitals, nursing homes and hospice care.

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 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 goodness, and grant, we pray, that what we ask in faith we may truly obtain