3rd Week of Lent 2025 - Wednesday - Simply Obey

Summing up the entire spiritual life, Saint Francis de Sales, Patron Saint of Spiritual Directors said: “Simply Obey.  God does not ask anything else of you.” 

Saint Francis de Sales spoke about the importance of obedience because our Lord spoke about the importance of obedience, as we heard in our Lenten Gospel today: “But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”

Obedience to the commandments keeps us in right relationship with God, and obedience to the inspirations of His Holy Spirit make us instruments of his grace in the world.

All of our Lenten prayer, fasting and almsgiving is really at the service of helping us to be more obedient to the commands and inspirations of God.  Fasting can strengthen our wills against disordered tendencies, and almsgiving flows out of that command to love our neighbor as ourselves. Prayer helps us to love God and to hate offending him through disobedience. Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are like unfurling the sails of our soul, so that we can be directed by the Will of God.

Obedience is not always easy, just ask Adam and Eve and every human being that has ever lived. However, to the soul who loves God, obedience becomes a delight.

Our Lord is clear that, Obedience and disobedience have eternal consequences. Adam and Eve’s disobedience brought about a fracture with God that is felt in every human life. The Lord teaches about the eternal consequences of disobedience in today’s Gospel too, when he says, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.

Where disobedience brought about broken communion with God, Christ’s obedience brought salvation, he who was, as St. Paul says, “obedient unto death, death upon a cross”.

The Lenten journey leads us to encounter Christ and emulate Christ who is totally obedient to his Father’s will; the Sacred Heart is an obedient heart, it is the heart of one which has surrendered everything to the Holy Will. 

We cannot err in obedience to God, rather we ought to strive, as the Lord teaches to obey the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter of God’s will, as did Christ his Son for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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Trusting in the goodness of our Heavenly Father, who calls us to obedient and faithful lives, let us present our prayers with humility and confidence.

For the Church, especially during this Lenten season, that all her members may grow in obedience to God’s commandments and openness to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. Let us pray to the Lord.

For all spiritual leaders, bishops, priests, deacons, and religious, that inspired by the example of Saint Francis de Sales, they may guide the faithful toward greater obedience and trust in God. Let us pray to the Lord.

For world leaders and all in positions of authority, that they may seek the wisdom of God and lead with integrity, justice, and a spirit of obedient service to truth and peace. Let us pray to the Lord.

For all who struggle with obedience to God’s will, especially those battling temptation, addiction, or disordered desires, that through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, they may find strength and freedom in Christ. Let us pray to the Lord.

For the success of our parish Lenten mission this weekend, and for blessings upon our mission leader Fr. Laniaskas.

For the sick, the suffering, and those experiencing hardship or loss, that they may obediently unite their trials with Christ’s own suffering and experience His comforting presence. Let us pray to the Lord.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, parish, and benefactors: may they come to share in the eternal joy of heaven. Let us pray to the Lord.

Loving Father, help us always to respond with joyful obedience to your holy will. Hear these prayers we offer you through Christ our Lord.

7th Week of Easter 2024 - Wednesday - Unity through loving and joyful obedience

We have been reading for two weeks from Jesus’ Farewell Speech at the Last Supper, chapters 14-17 of the Gospel of John. 

Throughout the discourse, the Lord emphasizes the relationship between love and obedience. He repeatedly calls on his disciples to demonstrate their love for him by obediently keeping his commandments. 

We seek to faithfully observe the commandments of God out of love, for faithfulness is pleasing to God. And so we zealously seek to rid ourselves of infidelity, to muzzle our unfaithful tongues, discipline our willful spirits, and restrain our disordered appetites. And the Christian does so zealously, happily, and enthusiastically. Again because loving fidelity is pleasing to our Father. We show our love and practice love by keeping God’s commandments. 

A devotion to keeping God’s commandments—to following the rules of our Father’s household—is not pharisaical religion. Rather, it is a participation in the salvific sacrifice of Christ—who obediently accepted death, death on a cross—out of love for His Father.

In his rule, St. Benedict writes, “The first degree of humility is prompt obedience” To be poor in spirit like Christ, to hunger and thirst for righteousness, means to desire a practice obedience.

The great doctor St. Francis de Sales writes, “Obedience is a virtue of so excellent a nature, that Our Lord was pleased to mark its observance upon the whole course of His life; thus He often says, He did not come to do His own will, but that of His Heavenly Father.” 

Obedience is the means of aligning one's will with God's will, which is central to Christian discipleship. For we are to follow in the footsteps of the obedient Son of God. We are to surrender personal preferences and desires to fulfill a higher purpose—God’s Holy Will. “Not my will, but Thy will be done”. 

Obedience to God is the glue that unites Christians. At the conclusion of his Farewell speech, the Lord prays that his disciples be one, just as he is one with the Father—a oneness that is manifest in the Son’s obedience to the Father. 

Thomas Aquinas writes, “Obedience unites us so closely to God that in a way transforms us into Him, so that we have no other will but His. If obedience is lacking, even prayer cannot be pleasing to God.”

Faithfulness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. If faithfulness is not evident in our decisions, our connection to the Holy Spirit is damaged and compromised. Joylessness in the Christian life is almost always a sign that disobedience has taken root. For sinful disobedience causes the other spiritual fruits, like joy, peace, patience, and self-control to wither.

May the Holy Spirit, whose descent upon the Church we prepare to celebrate at Pentecost, draw us into ever deeper unity with the Father and with one another, through a sharing in the loving obedience of the Son, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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That the ordained and all members of the Church throughout the world may be a more visible sign of the love of God for humanity, calling all people to new life and communion with Him; and that our parish may bear witness with great confidence to the Resurrection of Christ and his tender love for sinners and for the poor

For those who do not believe in God and for those who have fallen away from the Church.

For an increase in the gifts of the Holy Spirit among all Christians, and for all who are persecuted for the faith.

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 the sick, the suffering, those in nursing homes, hospitals, and hospice care, for the underemployed and unemployed, for the imprisoned, those with addictions, for those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, that the Spirit of Consolation may comfort them.

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

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.

4th Week of Lent 2024 - Wednesday - Divine Sonship of Jesus Christ

 Following the fourth Sunday of Lent, we read during the weekdays predominantly from the Gospel of St. John. 

Like each of the evangelists, St. John details the miracles and teachings of Jesus, culminating in his self-sacrifice on Calvary and his resurrection. Compared to Mathew, Mark, and Luke, however, St. John often emphasizes the divine nature of Jesus, his consubstantiality with the Father, how he and the Father are united in nature, and also in their desire to save humanity.

Why did St. John convey this unique perspective? While the Gospels of Mathew, Mark, and Luke were written to explain the life and teachings of Jesus to a more general audience, including Jews and Gentiles with varying degrees of understanding of Jewish traditions, John's Gospel seems to address a community that was already familiar with Jesus' life and teachings. John’s intent was to deepen the understanding of Jesus' divine nature and to reinforce the faith of the believers. Since, John was writing a little later than the other 3 gospel writers, around the turn of the 1st century, his audience was already facing the spready of heresies about Jesus’ divine identity, prompting John to emphasize the spiritual and divine aspects of Jesus.

Today’s Gospel passage is emblematic of St. John’s high Christology, as scholars say, an example of St. John emphasizing Jesus’ divine nature and the consequences for his teaching.  The passage begins with Jesus claiming to share his Father’s work—his work and his Father’s work are the same. And immediately, St. John tells us that the reactions to this bold statement were dramatic. “For this reason they tried all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God.”

Jesus then doubles down, and claims that he can do nothing apart from the Father and does whatever the Father does, indicating a unity of action and will between the Son and the Father. That the Father has granted the Son authority to give life and to execute judgment, and goes so far to say that they should all should honor the Him with the same honor as they give to the Father. And then the real kicker: Jesus claims power to resurrect the dead and give eternal life.

This passage is helpful for us to understand the reasons for the hostility Jesus experiences, but also it offers several good lessons for Lent.

Lent is a time to deepen our understanding and appreciation of who Jesus is. He is the Divine Savior sent by the Father out of love for us, to do what we could not do for ourselves, save us from our sins. Jesus models perfect obedience and submission to the Father's will. And during Lent, we are called to imitate Christ's example by aligning our own will with God's and seeking to do what pleases him. Jesus emphasizes that he can do nothing apart from the Father. This reminds us of our own need to rely on God's strength and guidance, especially as we seek to grow in holiness during Lent. As Jesus speaks of the coming judgment, we are reminded of our own accountability before God. Lent is a time for self-examination, repentance, and seeking to live a life pleasing to God.

And finally Jesus' discourse highlights his authority over life and death and his role in the final resurrection. Lent is a time to focus on eternal realities and to live in light of the resurrection hope we have in Christ.

By reflecting on Jesus' divine identity and his relationship to the Father we honor Jesus as the divine Son, submit to his authority, depend on his power, and live with an eternal perspective as we prepare to celebrate the paschal mystery of his death and resurrection for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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As the Solemnity of Easter approaches, dear brethren, let our prayer to the Lord be all the more insistent:

That God may be pleased to increase faith and understanding in the catechumens and those to be fully initiated in the coming Paschal Solemnity

For Peace throughout the nations of the world most threatened by hatred, division, and violence, for the protection of the unborn and the safety of the men and women in our armed forces.  

That all families will commit themselves to fervent prayer this Lent so as to grow in greater love and holiness.  

For the physical, emotional, and spiritual healing of all people, especially the spiritually blind and hard of heart.  

For all those who have died, for all the poor souls in purgatory, for those who have fought and died for our country’s freedom, and for…  

Have mercy, O Lord, on the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in the divine mystery may never be left without your assistance. Through Christ our Lord.

1st Week after Epiphany 2023 (EF) - Monday - Transformed by the renewal of your mind

One of the themes of Epiphanytide is revelation. Christ is revealed as a light to the nations. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh reveal that the one born at Bethlehem is king, priest, and savior. 

Today’s Gospel is another sort of Epiphany, revealing a profound truth about Jesus. He responds to Mary’s questioning, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” The Lord himself reveals—he is the Divine Son of the heavenly Father, confirming the words of the prophet Isaiah, that Mary would give birth to the one called, “Son of the Most High”. 

The twelve-year old Son of the Father has spent three days in the temple, to the astonishment of Mary and Joseph, because his first priority in this life was to do the will of the heavenly Father. He takes on the Messianic mission because he was sent to do so by the Father and was obedient to the Father unto death. The obedient Son came to reverse the disobedience of Adam’s sin. And through the Son’s obedience, we are redeemed and become heirs to the Kingdom of heaven.

And as the Christ, so too the Christian. Obedience to the will of the Father is to mark our lives, even, when it comes at great cost to our egos and social status and so many other dimensions of our lives. 

But we willingly surrender to the will of the Father because the Son reveals that life is found in doing the Father’s will. 

Conform yourselves not to this age, St. Paul says in our epistle—this age whose errors and depravity are so contrary to the truth and goodness of the Father. There is this pull, this pressure, this temptation to disobey like Adam. It is so much easier simply to conform, to go along with the ways of the world, to swallow the errors unquestioningly. But truth is not determined by a majority vote, as the dear departed Pope Benedict was fond of reiterating.  

Rather than conforming to the world, we, like the Son of God, are to conform to the Will of the Father, through the renewal of our minds, as Paul says. In a commentary on this passage from Paul, Pope Benedict writes: “transforming ourselves, letting ourselves be transformed by the Lord into the form of the image of God, transforming ourselves every day anew… this is the true novelty which does not subject us to opinions, to appearances, but to the Grace of God, to his revelation. Let us permit ourselves to be formed, to be molded, so that the image of God really appears in the human being.”

Daily may we seek that renewal of our minds through prayer, study, meditation, contemplation, good works, the restraining of vices and penance for sin, that we may be conformed ever more to the Son, and filled with His life for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 A reading from the epistle of St. Paul to the Romans

Brethren: I urge you therefore, by the mercies of God, 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 by the grace given to me I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than one ought to think, but to think soberly, each according to the measure of faith that God has apportioned. For as in one body we have many parts, and all the parts do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another.

A continuation of the holy Gospel according to St. Luke

When Jesus was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple,  sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man.

 

March 17 2021 - St. Patrick - Let us be Christians like those of Rome (Ut Christiani Ita Et Romani Estis)

 A few years ago, I was able to travel to Scotland with a priest friend. We visited a number of Scotland’s holy sites: like the tomb of St. Margaret of Scotland, the 15th century Rosslyn chapel, and St. Andrew’s Golf Course…and a couple whiskey distilleries…

One memorable site was the Church of St. Patrick in the old part of Edinburgh. Across the façade of the Church, was a latin saying from St. Patrick himself, that I had never heard of before: Ut Christiani Ita et Romani Estis. Let us be Christians like those of Rome. 

This saying was written in latin, Patrick’s native language: for remember Patrick was not a native Irishman, but the son of a roman Briton, born in what is the modern day village of Norton in the English county of Northamptonshire. And he didn’t speak even an early form of English, for he lived in Brittania prior to the Anglo-Saxons bringing their language to the British Isles. So he spoke the language of Rome. And not only the language, but Patrick is saying here, Ut Christiani Ita et Romani Estis, let us practice the form of Christianity as practiced in Rome. The Creed of the Roman Catholics, the liturgy of the Roman Catholics, the deference to the Roman Pope, and the courage of the Roman Catholics—the courage of the Roman martyrs.

When Patrick, as a missionary bishop, brings Christianity to pagan Ireland, with the polytheistic celtic pagan religion, he was bringing Roman Catholicism being practiced in Rome to the Emerald Isle. And I make this point today, because there is a modern tendency, as there has been in many points in history, to reshape Christianity to fit our modern ideals, to make Christianity conform more with, let’s say, the modern American secular culture. But that’s not the Christianity of Patrick, that’s not the Christianity we have inherited from our ancestors, that’s not the Christianity that was practiced when this parish was founded. 

In the Gospel today, we hear our Lord speaking about His obedience to the Father: “I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me.” Even the Lord, the second person of the Trinity made flesh, bows his human will to the will of his heavenly Father. Being a Christian always means bowing the will to something bigger than us. And St. Patrick and all the saints are always wonderful models of that surrender and obedience and celebration of that higher will, not something reshaped in our own image, but something that seeks to shape us in His.

May our Lenten observances help to humble our earthly pride, and help us to be Christians like those of Eternal Rome, on the Rock of Peter, that we, like the great missionary bishop St. Patrick, may bring the true faith into every corner of the world, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

For Holy Father Pope Francis and all the bishops, that they may preach with conviction the fullness of the Roman Catholic faith. 

For an increase in faith for the catechumens and candidates who approach the sacraments of initiation in the coming Paschal Solemnity.

That the Church might be delivered and protected from all spirits of error, heresy, schism, and unbelief.

For strength to resist temptation, and the humility to sincerely repent of sin.

That through fasting and self-denial, we may be ever more conformed to Christ.

That those in need may find assistance in the charity of faithful Christians and that peace and security may be firmly established in all places.

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

Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.

6th Week in OT 2020 - Wednesday - Hearers and Doers of the Word

Summing up the entire spiritual life, St. Francis de Sales said: “Simply Obey. God does not ask anything else of you.”

Obedience is the fundamental disposition of the Christian disciple. The word obedience comes from the latin – oboedire which means to listen to, to give ear to, to heed, to pay attention.

The Old Testament prophets constantly remind the Jewish people to listen to the Word of God. Standing at the steps of the Jerusalem Temple, the Prophet Jeremiah instructed: “Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the Lord.” Certainly we enter in through the doors of the Church, to hear the word of God, to incline our ear to God’s word. One of Israel’s most beloved Scripture passages, known as the Shema, is a command to listen: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord is God. Love God with your whole heart.” We find the same command on the lips of Jesus in the Gospels.

St. James is clear in our reading today, that Christians must not allowing God’s Word to go in one ear and out the other. Christian discipleship requires an obedience that hears and heeds, listens and acts.  “Be doers of the word and not hearers only”. What we hear in Church, what we read in the Scriptures must be put into practice.

One of my favorite parts of the Ordination Rites, is when the deacon kneels in front of the Bishop who hands him the Book of the Gospels and says, “receive the word of God whose herald you have become: believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach.” All of us are to put into practice what we read in the Scriptures.

James explains too that in order for the Word of God to really take root in us, we must put away filth—the filth and the evil excesses of the world. A degenerate lifestyle, a love of sin, blocks our ability to hear the word, it hinders the transforming power of the word.

Rather, we must cultivate our souls to be rich soil, as the Lord teaches, that the word may take deep root in our souls so that it can bear fruit.

May we be not just hearers of the word but doers of the word, acting upon God’s word by striving for virtue and living in fraternal charity for the Glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the Word of God may take ever deeper root in our hearts, minds, and souls.

That the Holy Spirit may direct the appointment of a new Bishop for the Church of Cleveland.

That young people may seek Christ amidst all the filth and evils of the world, and for the protection of innocent human life from evil.

For healing for all those suffering disease, especially diseases without known cures, for the people of China and all people afflicted by the Coronavirus, and all who are oppressed by any kind of need, that the Lord may graciously grant them relief, and For the Holy Father’s prayer intentions for this month: that the needs of migrants and victims of human trafficking may be heard and acted upon.

For the dead, for all of the souls in purgatory, and for X, for whom this Holy mass is offered.

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

34th Week in OT 2019 - Monday - Daniel's Obedience in Exile

During this final week of the Church’s year, our First Readings are taken from the book of the Prophet Daniel. 

Some of the most famous and arresting stories in the Bible are found in this book, including the three young men in Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace, the “hand writing on the wall” written by a disembodied hand, and of course, Daniel in the lion’s den.

The book of Daniel is set in Babylon during the sixth century before Christ. The virtuous and pious sage Daniel and his companions find themselves in the court of a capricious foreign king.

We heard today how the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar invaded Israel and carried away some of the children of royal blood to be brought to the king’s palace to be raised as Babylonians.  And among these men of Judah were: Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishaal.  These young men had been brought to the table of the heathen king, but insisted on remaining true to the Lord. 

This reading should remind us of the story of old Eleazar and the mother with her seven sons last week from Maccabees, who when ordered by King Artaxerxes to eat pork, refused to break Jewish dietary law. 

Two and a half millennia later, the Church is in exile similar to that of Daniel.  She is tempted by the heathen food of secularism, many of our children have been captured by the glamour of the world.  Christian marriages and families are in disarray.  Four out of five registered American Catholics disobey the Lord weekly by not going to Sunday Mass.  The culture’s attitudes of forgiveness, prejudice, impurity, profanity, carnality, perversity bombard the Church.  Instead of being a great light to the nations, spiritual and religious mediocrity make the Church like so many secular institutions.

It is no coincidence that these readings at the end of the liturgical year have to do with being tempted to disobey.  They are a reminder that during these end times, we will be bombarded with temptations from the world. 

Knowing this, we, must imitate the faith of Daniel, becoming “intelligent and wise, prudent in judgment” in the ways of the Lord. We must turn ten times the more to seek God, to reject the food of disobedience and draw our strength from the food given to us from heaven, to nourish us, to protect us, to transform our lives. For our readings form Daniel will show us how the Lord works through his faithful ones. How even exile can be a place where God’s power becomes manifest to convert the hearts of the faithless for the Glory of God and salvation of souls.

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Lord, sanctify your bishops and priests, and grant them courage to preach the Gospel in its fullness.

Lord, make the lives of parents examples of faith to inspire their children to seek first your heavenly kingdom.

Lord, bring all those who have fallen away back to the sacraments, help them to repent of their sins and desire the life that can only come from you.

Lord, bring comfort to the sick and suffering, charity and care to the destitute and down-trodden, be present through your church to the miserable.

Lord, welcome into your kingdom all the faithful departed, those whose names are written in our parish necrology, all clergy and religious, and X for whom this mass is offered.

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.

3rd Week of Lent 2019 - Wednesday - Simply Obey

Both Moses in the Old Testament Reading and Jesus in the Gospel extol a very important moral virtue this morning: obedience; particularly obedience to the commandments of God.

Summing up the entire spiritual life, Saint Francis de Sales, Patron Saint of Spiritual Directors said: “Simply Obey.  God does not ask anything else of you.”

Obedience to the commandments keeps us in right relationship with God, and obedience to the inspirations of His Holy Spirit make us instruments of his grace in the world.  The word obedience comes from the latin word for turning your ear and harkening to the voice of another.  Communion with God and communion with the Church requires obedience to God’s commands and the teachings of the Church.

All of our Lenten fasting and almsgiving is really at the service of helping us to be more obedient to the commands and inspirations of God.  Fasting can strengthen our wills against disordered tendencies, and almsgiving flows out of that command to love our neighbor as ourselves. Prayer helps us to love God and to hate offending him through disobedience.

Obedience and disobedience have eternal consequences. As Jesus teaches today: whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven, and whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.” Adam and Eve jeopardized the eternal life of all of humanity through an act of disobedience. Satan and a third of the angels were expelled from heaven for disobedience. Our own souls will be judged by this measure: did we simply obey, or not.

Simple obedience is not always easy; for we have often allowed rebelliousness to run rampant in our hearts; we have fabricated quite sophisticated justifications for our bending and breaking of the rules; we act as if the rules are for others. But True Faith is the call to simple obedience.

The Lenten journey leads us to encounter Christ who is totally obedient to his Father’s will; the Sacred Heart is an obedient heart, it is the heart of one which has surrendered everything to the Holy Will.  Let us truly harken to the Great Command to love God with our whole hearts, minds, and strengths. By God’s grace may we be free from all that keeps us from following the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter of God’s law and from faithfulness to God’s inspirations for his glory and salvation of souls.

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That obedience to all the commands of Christ and the Church may mark the life of every Christian.
That all families will recommit themselves to fervent prayer this Lent so as to grow in greater love and holiness.  We pray to the Lord.
That this Lent we will be faithful to fasting and to all the ways that the Lord sanctifies us.  We pray to the Lord.
For generous giving for the needs of the poor, the hungry, the homeless, those who are sick, unemployed, victims of natural disaster, terrorism, war, and violence, the grieving and those most in need.  We pray to the Lord.
For all those who have died, for all the poor souls in purgatory, for those who have fought and died for our country’s freedom, and for [intention below], for whom this Mass is offered.  We pray to the Lord.
Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.

5th Week in OT 2019 - Wednesday - The choice

Monday and Tuesday, we heard of how God brought creation into existence out of nothing. Unlike many pagan creation myths, material creation in the book of Genesis is ordered according to the divine plan and pronounced very good. And that goes especially for human beings—created in the image and likeness of God.

And today, we read the more detailed account of the creation of man and woman in the second chapter of Genesis.  God forms man from the dust, and settles him in the garden of Eden to cultivate and care for it.  God breathes into the man, the breath of life, and immediately gives him a job: to work the garden, to care for it, to guard and protect it—to maintain the Order God has created.

Along with this job, God also issues a command:  “You may eat of every tree in the garden, but of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, you will not eat, for on the day you eat of it, you will die.”  So what’s at stake at the very beginning?  Life or Death.  Obedience brings life, disobedience brings death.  God’s not lying about this—He’s not just trying to scare Adam.  Obedience brings life, disobedience brings death.  Here’s the choice given to every human being.  What’ll it be?  Will you exercise your will according to the knowledge given you by God? Will you trust God? Or will you turn your will and mind against God? 

These theme will play out over and over again throughout the Scriptures.  Adam and Eve are given a choice. Noah, Moses, the Israelite people, the judges, the kings, the prophets and those who hear the prophets. Obedience—trusting in God—brings life; disobedience—trusting in yourself or the cunning lies of serpents—brings death.

In the Gospel today, Jesus lists actions which cause defilement and death: unchastity, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.  He says all these evils come from within, not from without.  Meaning, you can’t claim the “devil made me do it” or “the culture made me do it”, these are actions that people choose freely, they are contrary to the divine will, and they bring death. Moral choices have eternal ramifications.

May we use the breath of life that comes from God, to choose the good. May we trust him when we are tempted. May we repent of the evil we have done through our own fault. And, through our obedience to the Divine Will, may the Holy Spirit renew the face of the Earth, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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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.
For all who are oppressed by any kind of need, that the Lord may graciously grant them relief.
For ourselves and our parish, that the Lord may graciously receive us as a sacrifice acceptable to himself.
For the dead, for all of the souls in purgatory, and for X, for whom this Holy mass is offered.
O God, our refuge and our strength, hear the prayers of your Church, for you are the source of all goodness, and grant, we pray, that what we ask in faith, we may truly obtain. Through Christ our Lord.

2nd Sunday in OT 2019 - Buddhist Detachment & Christian Morality

I was watching a documentary last night that contained an old Buddhist story, I think you might like. There was an old farmer who had a prized horse. And one day the horse ran away. And the farmer’s neighbor comes over to commiserate—to offer his condolences. He says, “I’m so sorry. I heard about your horse.” And the old farmer says, “who knows what is good or bad?” And the neighbor is confused because this is the farmer’s prized horse, after all. So the neighbor bids his farewell. Well the next day, the horse returns and he brings with him 12 wild horses from the countryside. Now the farmer is rich in horses. And the neighbor comes over and says, “Congratulations, you have all these horses.” And the old farmer says, “Who knows what’s good or bad?” And the neighbor is confused again. And then the next day the old farmer’s son is taming one of the horses and is thrown off the horse and breaks his leg. And the neighbor comes over again to commiserate, and the farmer says, “who knows what’s good or what’s bad”. And then the next day the army comes through the countryside and they are conscripting able-bodied young men to go off and fight in the war, and the farmer’s son is spared. And this story can go on and on and on.

Though this is a Buddhist story, there is some Christian truth. The Christian is to be detached
in a sense. We don’t know what the events of our life will hold. As they say, when God closes a door he opens a window. Being fired from one’s job, for example, might open up a new opportunity that is in the end more lucrative or more meaningful and fulfilling. The Christian martyrs, like our own St. Ignatius, they saw meaning behind what most people would consider evil: their suffering. St. Ignatius even told the Christians of Antioch not to try to rescue him from being brought to Rome for his martyrdom, so confident was he, that God could bring about something good through his suffering, just as God brought about the greatest good through the greatest suffering, our human salvation through the suffering and death of Jesus.

So, like the old farmer, Christians are called to practice a certain level of detachment. We aren’t to curse God when things don’t go our way. We are to trust God’s providence. Like Old Job would say, “the Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord.”

The Buddhist story however seems to only give insight into the events that happen around us. What it doesn’t address is human choice, human free will, that choices that I make. “Who knows what’s good or bad” applies to the events that happen to us and around us. The farmer had no choice that his horse ran away—so who knows if it was good or bad. However, the choices that we make, the exercise of free-will, that’s different. The Judeo-Christian tradition, our scriptures, the teachings of our Lord and the theologians are very clear that choices are either good or bad, and we can know the difference.
Some choices are so clearly in violation of the natural moral law, they are called objectively evil, objectively sinful: it doesn’t matter who does them, or the circumstance, they are always evil. One example, is the intentional destruction of innocent human life in the womb. And thousands and thousands and thousands of Christians and people of good-will marched upon our nation’s capital on Friday to bring an end to this national tragedy—this embarrassment to history--the legal allowance to murder unborn babies because they are unwanted by their parents. Christians are called to be the moral conscience of a place.

So some choices are clearly wrong. Sometimes it’s not always easy to know what is right or wrong. So God has given us through the Scriptures and through the teaching of his own lips, clear moral teaching. The 10 commandments, the sermon on the mount help to illuminate for us the right way to live, the way that leads to the flourishing of the human soul, the way that leads to everlasting life.

Our Gospel today contains some very important moral teaching from the lips of our blessed mother. Mary doesn't speak often in the Sacred Scriptures, but every time she does speak her words overflow with wisdom: "Do whatever he tells you." That is what is good, always. The teachings and commandments of Christ are always good. They aren’t always easy, but they are always good.

In the case of the wedding at Cana, the command was to bring Jesus jars of water, a strange request. But, when happened when the stewards were faithful to the command of Christ: goodness and power and glory were manifest.

“Do whatever he tells you” means that we can have unbounded confidence in Jesus. His teachings flow from a heart full of goodness, mercy, and love that understands humanity better than we understand ourselves. He wants what is best for us——he came to reconcile sinful man with God, to save sinful man from error and death. And when you trust him he will lead you to all truth. The compelling thing about Christian truth, besides the fact it comes from God himself, is that it is logically consistent, it holds up to greatest rational scrutiny. It is truly Catholic—universally intelligible to all people of all places of all times.

So we trust in Christ and those who he has established to speak and teach in his name. We are to have unbounded confidence in Him and in the teachings of His Church. For he himself said, “he who hears you” speaking to the Apostles, “hears me”. And “he who rejects you rejects Me.” He’s given His authority to the church in matters of faith and morality. And so when the Church clearly teaches that a particular human action is a sin, we trust that teaching and adapt our lives accordingly.

The true test of our confidence in God's goodness and power is our obedience to his will. To “do whatever he tells us”. And what does he tell us? To feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to carry our crosses, to love our enemies, to forgive unreservedly, to build our lives and families on the solid foundation of his teaching, to believe in all the all the truths which the holy Catholic Church teaches, because God has revealed them, who can neither deceive nor be deceived.

Believing in good and bad is becoming increasingly unpopular. Naming actions as good or bad is labeled as intolerant or bigoted. But our Gospel today shows us, that when we say yes to Jesus, as incomprehensible as that is to the world, bringing 80 gallons of water to be changed into wine, when we say yes, to whatever he tells us, he does something amazing, something that reveals the goodness and power and glory of God that leads hearts to salvation through belief in Him.

May we be faithful to all the Lord and His Holy Church teaches and commands, may we do “whatever he tells us” for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

31st Week in OT 2018 - Tuesday - The self-emptying of Christ

Today’s reading from Paul’s letter to the Philippians is one of the most beloved passages in the entire New Testament—Paul’s Christological hymn also known as the Philippians Hymn.  Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians in the late 50s, yet scholars believe that the Philippians hymn predated the letter, a hymn that Paul may have encountered during an earlier missionary journey. So it is perhaps one of the oldest expressions of Christian faith dating back to the 40s or even possibly the 30s just years after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Our Lord.

This hymn encapsulates the humility of Jesus, which Paul is exhorting the Philippians to practice, especially in their conduct toward one another. Harmony and unity amongst Christians is predicated on each member of the community seeking to imitate, having the same attitude of, the humble Christ.
The hymn points out the Lord’s humility in his self-emptying, leaving his exalted status in heaven at the behest of his Father, to become a slave for our redemption. Obedience to the Holy Will of the Father is one mark of humility. Willingness to embrace suffering for the good of others is another.

Pope Benedict XVI, commenting on this passage wrote: “Christ, incarnated and humiliated in the most infamous death, that of crucifixion, is proposed as a vital model for the Christian…not content with gazing on us with a benign look from his throne of glory, [God] enters personally in human history, becoming "flesh," namely, fragile reality, conditioned by time and space…To penetrate into Jesus' sentiments means not to consider power, wealth and prestige as the highest values in life, as in the end, they do not respond to the deepest thirst of our spirit, but to open our heart to the Other, to bear with the Other the burden of life and to open ourselves to the Heavenly Father with a sense of obedience and trust, knowing, precisely, that if we are obedient to the Father, we will be free”

In Holy Communion today, we approach the one who empties himself that we may be full of life. May we pour ourselves out in humble Christian service for the unity of our Church and the good of those most in need, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That bishops, priests, and all ministers of the Gospel may seek to imitate Jesus in his charity, compassion, self-sacrifice, and witness to the Truth.

On this Election Day, we pray that all those seeking political office will use their political influence selflessly to serve Christ’s kingdom of justice and peace.

That all Christians may seek to imitate the Lord Jesus ever-more deeply in his humble obedience to the Father’s Will.

For the impoverished and sick and those experiencing any sort of trial: that they may know the goodness of God and the charity of the Church.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for whom we pray especially during this month of November, 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.

5th Week of Easter 2018 - Monday - Commandment Keepers

In this Gospel passage from the Last Supper, Jesus teaches the importance of “keeping” the commandments. And that Greek word Jesus uses for “keeping”, “tereo” is another interesting word with several meanings.

First, the obvious meaning: to “keep” a commandment we are to observe it, obey it. The word is used with the same connotation in Matthew’s Gospel, when Jesus teaches “If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." In that instance Jesus explains that not only are we to keep, obey the commandments of the decalogue, he even commands the young scribe to sell all that he has, give it to the poor, and store up treasure in heaven.

In today’s passage, the commandment all of His disciples must keep is to love one another as the Lord loves us, humbling ourselves in self-service, washing feet, laying down our lives, as Christ lays it down on the cross.

Another meaning of “tereo” is to keep the commandments as you keep food in your pantry. We are to reserve the words of Christ within our minds and hearts, so we can call upon them when we need them: in moments of temptation, in moments of despair, in moments of fear. So, we do well to study the scriptures, so we have them “up here” and “in here” when we need them.

A third meaning of “tereo” is a task particular to the Apostles: to keep the commandments as a guard keeps a room full of treasure. The apostles and their successors, the Holy Father and the bishops, have the duty of keeping the Word of God free from error, that it may be passed on faithfully to future generations. The world pressures the Church to change her teachings, to change her doctrines to fit modern sensibilities.

I think particularly of the Church’s teaching on contraception, the definition of marriage, and the moral teachings, particularly involving sexual morality, the obligation to attend Sunday Mass, to confess serious sins. Members of the Christian Church are to keep these commandments by “adhering to them with religious assent” no matter how unpopular they are.

The Lord teaches that to those who “keep” the commandments will be a dwelling place of the Holy Trinity—a Temple in which God is glorified, where His presence is known and felt by those we encounter.

May our Easter celebrations help us in “keeping” the commandments of Christ, observing them, obeying them, reserving them in our minds and hearts, and guarding them from error, for the building up of the Church, 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.

4th Week of OT 2018 - Thursday - David's Deathbed: Success depends on obedience to God

In the first and second books of Samuel, we read the story of Israel’s formation as a kingdom, and how that formation is riddled with problems: enemy attacks and corrupt political leaders.
We saw the people of Israel calling for a king, not because they wanted to be nearer to God, but because they wanted to be like the rest of the nations. Time and time again in the scripture, Israel suffers when she forgets who she is called to be, a people set apart.

Because of her secularization, prosperity and peace are more the exception than the rule.  This hearkens back to Adam and Eve being expelled from the garden of Eden. You can’t have the peace of Eden, when disobedience reigns.

Particularly, we saw how the personal sins of the leaders produce terrible national tragedy, the sins of the leaders, their negligence, ignorance or hard-heartedness toward the law of God have devastating consequences for the nation.

So, on his death bed, King David turns to his son Solomon, and reminds him of the importance of keeping the divine law. The success of the rule of the Davidic kings depends on their obedience to the law of God, so Solomon must focus not simply on earthly matters, but on his moral and spiritual responsibilities to Israel. You’ll notice the Pope’s prayer intention for the month of February focuses on the need for those with power to resist the lure of corruption.

In these next two weeks before Lent, we’ll read in the first book of Kings how it started off so well. Following David’s death, Israel experienced a sort of Golden Age. The Temple will be constructed and Solomon’s wisdom becomes known throughout the world.

And these are great readings to prepare us for Lent, because we’ll see what happens when sin begins to creep in again: how sin almost undetectable at first, trickles in through the cracks, and how it soon becomes a devastating flood. Lent certainly helps us become aware and patch some of those cracks.
Trusting God, obeying God is also at the heart of the mission the Lord gives to the Twelve in the Gospel today.

In our own exercise of power, as parents or grandparents or employers or religious examples, may we remember the words of David to Solomon, that success depends on obedience to God, that we are to trust God, even when he sends us into unknown territory, and use the time, talent, and treasure we have been given for God’s will over our own, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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For the Holy Father’s prayer intention for the month of February, that those who have material, political or spiritual power may resist any lure of corruption.

During this Catholic Schools Week, we continue to pray for all students, for their openness to knowledge, wisdom, and understanding, and for their teachers ability to educate.

For parents, the first teachers of their children, and for a strengthening of all families in faith.  We pray to the Lord.

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

Monday - 2nd Week of OT 2018 - Saul's unacceptable sacrifice

Very early on in his kingly career, Saul shows himself to be far from the ideal ruler. He is brash and impulsive and disobedient to God’s commandments. As the story progresses his becomes increasingly irrational, volatile and hostile to the commandments, he attempts to murder the Lord’s anointed, and becomes a practitioner of the occult.

In the conversation between Saul and Samuel this morning, we even see Saul adopting sort of a mocking tone. Saul claims to be doing the will of God: from his military conquests he even brought back all these animals to be sacrificed to God, even though this was contrary to the divine mandate.
Samuel reveals that Saul’s heart is far from surrender to the divine will of God: these supposed sacrifices were not pleasing to God because they were offered by a disobedient arrogant heart. Samuel equates these empty sacrifices with idolatry and sorcery, sins most contrary to right relationship with God.

We are reminded of how the sacrifice of Cain was found unacceptable to God for the same reason. The unacceptable sacrifice is a mockery; it pretends at being rightly ordered, like many Catholic politicians and leaders who claim to be Catholic all the while forwarding a morally corrupt political agenda.

But this is also a danger each of us must be on guard against, that we don’t go about play-acting at Catholicism, but that our intentions might be purely for God’s glory.

In every celebration of Mass the priest says, “pray brethren that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father”, and the congregation responds praying that the sacrifice at the altar be found acceptable. These are prayers touching on the heart of the Christian life, that our sacrifice, our lives might be rightly ordered.

The Eucharist is the acceptable sacrifice because it is the sacrifice the Son obediently makes of himself to God. It is the sacrifice offered from the humblest heart.

May our days and deeds be rightly ordered to the humble heart, the self-sacrifice of Jesus Our Lord for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all members of the Church may live out their baptismal call with greater conviction and faithfulness.

That those in civic authority may submit their minds and hearts to the rule of Christ, the Prince of Peace and Hope of the nations.

As our nation observes Martin Luther King Day, we pray for an end to racial prejudice and bigotry, for racial harmony and justice for all people.

That the March for Life in Washington D.C. this Friday will help to transform our culture and inspire many to adhere to the Gospel of Life.

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

Homily: Thursday - 5th Week of Lent 2017 - "Whoever keeps my word will never see death"

Jesus assures us that those who keep his word will never see death. What a promise! Those who follow Christ will be preserved from the spiritual death which comes through disobeying God. Remember, in the Garden, God desired to preserve Adam and Eve from death, he warned them to avoid the forbidden fruit or else they would die. The devil, contradicting God, claimed, “You will not die.” But they did. Spiritual death came through sin. As St. Paul says, the wages of sin is death.

Through Jesus Christ, fallen man is reconciled to God, lost life is restored, and Christians are to remain connected to God through Christ as a branch to a vine. But, Many people today attempt to have a relationship with God without Jesus Christ. They attempt to be “spiritual”, engaging in esoteric practices like reiki, yoga, westerners flirt with buddhist or transcendental meditation, or once in a while they turn to God in great emergencies, but when the emergency ends, so does their prayer.

Jesus does not promise happiness, peace, salvation or life through these so-called “spiritual, but not religious practices”. They might bring some temporary results, but so did forbidden fruit.

In his exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium” Pope Francis gives expression to this dimension of our faith. He writes “The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. Whist Christ, joy is constantly born anew.” Only through Christ do we receive the life God wants for us.

Or some claim to have some sort of special deal worked out with God, where they claim to believe in Jesus but have nothing to do with His Church. But Pope Francis also said rightly, a few years ago: “It is not possible to find Jesus outside the Church…it is 'an absurd dichotomy' to want to live with Jesus without the Church, to follow Jesus outside the Church, to love Jesus without the Church.”

Jesus founded a Catholic church…meaning everything we need for salvation and for sanctification, joy and peace, can be found within the Church…the Holy Scriptures entrusted to her, the Sacraments, Sacred Tradition which rightly guides our lives and moral decisions, the saints who teach us how to pray and how to love.

Lent should deepen our conviction for spreading the saving truths of Christ, and continues to challenge us personally and spiritually. Which of the Lord’s teachings do we do well to take to heart? Which word have we been ignoring or glossing over? The call to forgive? The call to purity? The call to selflessness? The call to trust God in our trials?

May we continue to incline our ears to our Savior, and if today we hear his word, may we not harden our hearts, but receive his life giving word with trust and obedience for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the Church will experience the graces of profound renewal during this season of Lent.  That we may grow in our eagerness in spreading the Gospel of Christ.

For those who have fallen away from the Church, who have fallen into serious sin, those who have lost their faith, or whose faith has been poisoned by error or heresy, for their reconciliation with God and the conversion of all minds and hearts.

For those preparing to enter the Church at Easter: that they will be profoundly blessed in their preparation for full initiation into the Body of Christ.  We pray to the Lord.

For the needs of the poor, the hungry, the homeless, those who are sick, unemployed, or suffering from addiction, mental, or physical illness, imprisoned, for victims of terrorism, those affected by severe weather, and those most in need: that the Lord in his goodness will be close to them in their trials.  We pray to the Lord.