Pentecost 2021 - Wind and Flame

Today is the great Feast of Pentecost, the feast that ranks with Christmas and Easter as the greatest of the Church Year.  It is the Feast of the Holy Spirit who enlivens and animates the Church.

Listen again to the account of the first Pentecost nearly 2000 years ago from the Acts of the Apostles.

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,
they were all in one place together.
And suddenly there came from the sky
a noise like a strong driving wind,
and it filled the entire house in which they were.
Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,
which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.

Wind and fire are two symbols associated with the Holy Spirit, and they tell us a lot about how the Holy Spirit wishes acts in the Church and in our lives.

First, Wind is powerful. I’ve seen wind knock over trucks. Acts describes the Holy Spirit as a strong driving wind. Tornado winds can devastate villages and cities, and uproot trees, yet it can also turn gigantic turbines to produce power, and propel sailing ships across the sea. The Holy Spirit, propels the Church and grants her power and uproots the vices of her members.

Also, there is something unpredictable about the wind.  You don’t know quite where it comes from or when it will blow. Jesus himself in John’s Gospel says, The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.”

That says something about the Holy Spirit, there is something elusive, unpredictable, and wonderfully so, about Him. He is unpredictable, a good of surprises. He surprises us with holy joyful moments and encounters and moments of prayer.

And yet, this also makes Him a little daunting. It’s daunting to surrender to something you can’t control. God might upset our applecart, and that’s scary. But he leads us sometimes where we do not want to go, in order to bring about his kingdom. Yes, it’s scary to surrender to God.  He might ask me to confront my prejudices, kneel down to the level of a homeless beggar, he might ask me to become a priest or a religious sister, speak hard truths to obstinate sinners. He might blow us out of our comfort zones. No doubt, as we return to Church after the long pandemic, he is blowing us into the lives of family and friends, to invite them back to the Sacraments—to remind the fallen-away of goodness and love of God waiting for them here.

On Pentecost, the Church is invited to unfurl her sails once again, to allow the Holy Spirit to propel her into the world for the mission of the Gospel, to uproot our vices, to blow away the dust that has settled through inactivity. 

Wind, fresh air, is needed continually for life itself.  If your faith life or prayer life feels stifled, strangled, or stagnate, make a novena to the Holy Spirit to breathe new life, new enthusiasm, new joy into your soul. 

The other great symbol of the Holy Spirit is Fire.  Fire, can be devastating and destructive.  Yet, it can also be cleansing.  The Holy Spirit is like a cleansing Fire.  

God wants to burn away the attitudes and behaviors which are inconsistent with the life of grace.  God wants to burn away our selfishness, so that not an ounce remains, God wants to burn away our envy, our resentments, our lusts.  If you are struggling with a particular temptation or sin, pray “Come Holy Spirit” burn this temptation away, burn this addiction away.

Fire brings purity. It also brings light. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. Those purified by the fire of the Spirit will have the light they need to see God. They will understand more deeply the things of God.  Do you want to come to a deeper understand of the Scriptures, of the Faith. Ask the Holy Spirit. Do you want to understand how to love your unlovable neighbors?  Ask Him! Do you want to understand God’s Will for your life, your vocation in life?  Ask Him!  

Fire also brings warmth of course. In those moments when we are experiencing the coldness, loneliness, isolation, grief. The Holy Spirit will help us to know the closeness and love of God, and the closeness and love of his angels and saints. We also do well of course, to intercede for others experiencing life’s coldness, and to recall our vocation to bring the warmth of God’s love to them, if we can.

Finally, fire symbolizes the passion and courage God wants us to have for the spreading of the Gospel.  After Jesus’ crucifixion, the Apostles hid in the upper room behind locked doors.  Jesus had sent them outwards, out into the world, but they hid.  They were more like Apostates, than Apostles.  But when the Holy Spirit descended upon them with tongues of flame, they burst through the locked doors, into the busiest part of town and courageously proclaimed Jesus risen from the dead.  3000 people converted on the spot.

We need this sort of courage! In an era where our modern culture wants Christians to privatize their faith, to hide behind locked doors and keep our faith to ourselves—we need Christians on fire. 

That is precisely our prayer for our four dear ones who will be confirmed this weekend—that they may filled with fire and wind—filled with the Spirit. Their Confirmation is a reminder to all of us, to dispose our souls, to open our minds, our wills, our hearts to the fire and wind of the Holy Spirit. 

May the Holy Spirit—wind and flame—sanctify us, comfort us, enflame us, uproot our vices and protect us.  Veni Sancte Spiritus, Come Holy Spirit, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

1st Week of OT 2021 - Friday - The power to forgive sins

In just the first chapter of the Gospel of Mark, we learn a lot about Jesus. He is the one of whom the ancient Jewish prophecies foretold, rising up out of the waters of baptism, we learn he is the beloved Son of the Father, in the desert, we learn that he is in opposition to the powers of Satan,. Walking by the see of Galilee, he is the caller of disciples. In Capernaum, he casts out demons and cures the sick—even drawing near to lepers—the outcasts, the unclean.

Today’s reading begins just the second chapter of Mark, and something new is discovered about the Lord—he claims the authority and power to forgive sins. Again, imagine you knew nothing of Jesus or Catholic theology. Here is this man claiming a power that only belongs to God—the ability to look into a man’s heart and release him from the burden of guilt. 

Guilt and shame can be paralyzing. An act committed in a moment of selfishness, or in a period of greed, can haunt a person, especially as the impact of one’s sin begins to be realized. For sin often has ripple effects that cannot be predicted. An act of evil can bring ruin to not just one’s self, but one’s family or one’s nation—and the burden of that guilt can lead a soul to such crippling despair that life begins to lose it’s meaning. And in a sense it should—because evil is contrary to life. It’s contrary to the meaning of life and the purpose for which we are made. Evil is always a stifling of our potential—what could have been if we were less selfish. 

And no matter what we do, we cannot release ourselves from the debt of sin. For every sin is an offense against God, a violation of a divine command. So only God can forgive sin. Hence the connection with paralysis in the Gospel today. Sin brings a paralysis of soul, in which we cannot walk in the freedom God wants for us. 

And for Jesus of Nazareth to make this claim to this group of scribes who knew very well that only God can forgive sin, caused them to believe that he was blaspheming. And if he were only a human, they’d be right. 

But the Lord can forgive sin, he does forgive sin; he cures the paralysis of soul that allows us to walk in the freedom of the children of God. There is no burden of guilt so heavy, that cannot be forgiven when humbly confessed, hence the feeling of levity as we walk out of the confession, we literally feel lighter, when we sincerely confess our sins. Who wouldn’t want that?

And yet, many are afraid of the confessional, or refuse to enter the confessional. And perhaps that’s why this Gospel begins with the paralyzed man being brought to Jesus by four friends. Sometimes it takes a number of good Christians, speaking the truth, praying, witnessing the power of the Lord to heal and relieve guilt, to bring a hardened soul to repentance, to lead them to Jesus in the Confessional, to the Lord continues to forgive sins through his priests.

May we humbly repent of our sins, and take up the duty of being good friends to the hardened, perhaps even paralyzed sinners in our life, to lead them to the mercy of Jesus for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the preaching and teachings of the Pope, Bishops, and clergy may be a source of strength and guidance for the Holy Church and deliverance from the evils of the enemy.

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.

For the liberation of those bound by evil, those committed to sin an error, those oppressed or possessed by evil spirits, and for the conversion of the hardest hearts.

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.

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.

14th Week in OT 2019 - Wednesday - Power to push back the armies of hell

“Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority”. That word—“authority”—is an important in Matthew’s Gospel.

Jesus is depicted throughout the Gospel having “authority”. His authority over the powers of nature is shown in his many miracles: calming the storm, walking on water. His authority over unclean spirits is seen in his many exorcisms: casting out demons, silencing them. His authority over life and death is seen ultimately in his resurrection.

In Matthew chapter 9, Jesus says that He has “authority on earth to forgive sins”. And in Matthew chapter 28, he says “To me has been given all authority in heaven and on earth”. He has authority because He is the Faithful Son of the Father.

When Jesus gives authority to the twelve, what is he giving them authority to do? To Drive out demons and cure every disease.  They are given the authority to do a lot of what Jesus has been doing since he came out of the Desert and began his ministry.

 The Greek word, for authority, is εξουσια. It’s a great word in Greek having several connotations. Firstly, εξουσια is the power to act, the freedom to decide, that ability of will to choose. Secondly, it’s the power or ability to complete an action.  Thirdly, εξουσια can mean delegated authority, the authorization to do some work.  And fourthly, it refers to jurisdiction or sphere of authority. 
And Jesus is giving this authority to the apostles in every sense of the word. Free will to do God’s work, the ability to do supernatural tasks, they are delegated by the one who has the divine authority, and their sphere of influence will first be to the surrounding towns and to the lost sheep of Israel, but later, it will be to all nations.

Consider what this power to drive out demons really means. Yes, it’s the power to perform exorcisms. But It’s also power to push back the armies of hell, to reclaim territory formerly claimed by the devil. Think of all the areas of society where evil seems to reign, places where murder, corruption, lust, greed, perversion, selfishness seem to hold sway. The hearts of politicians, the minds of the youth, the dark corridors of the hearts of lost souls. God made flesh has given authority to drive these dark forces back.

It’s the power to bring transformation to the corrupt, to bring healing to the most wounded, to bring about miraculous change and conversion. But, it’s up to us to use the authority given to us by the Lord, to be courageous in facing evil, going to the dark places to bring the light of Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the Bishops, the successors of the Apostles, may use their authority wisely and courageously in standing against the evils of this world.

For all those under the sway of evil, error, and corruption, for their deliverance by the power of Christ.

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.

5th Week of Lent 2019 - Monday - Power Struggle

The Daily Scripture readings for the first half of Lent helped us to focus on our Lenten penances: the prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and repentance needed to help us prepare well for easter. Now in the second half of Lent, our scriptures focus on Jesus and the types of opposition he faced, and how we are to imitate Him in the Christian life.

In the first reading, innocent Susanna is unjustly condemned. Susanna, like Christ, is totally innocent, yet she is brought up on trumped up charges by those in positions of power. Susanna, like Jesus on the Cross, cries out to God, making an act of trust, she surrenders herself into the hands of God, much like Christ who says, “Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit.” 

In the Gospel, the Pharisees claim that Jesus lacks anyone to verify his divine identity. Yet, these same pharisees will conspire at Jesus’ trial, they will bring in false testimony in order to condemn Him to death.

There is a power struggle in both of these readings. Lustful men wish to use their earthly power to have their way with Susanna. The Pharisees lust for power will lead them to seek to silence the Eternal Word. Jesus exposes that the Pharisees’ lust for power is greater than their love for God. And so they engage in dark conspiracy to put Jesus to death.

Even when dark powers conspire against us, when we walk in the dark valley, as we recalled in the Psalm, our faith reminds us that God is with us. The vindication of Susanna, through the prophet Daniel, hints at Jesus’ own vindication at Easter. Though the dark powers conspire against him, even though it seems even to his disciples that darkness has won, light shall overcome.

In the Christian life, we will face dark opposition from the world, from the devil, and even from our own sinful inclinations, the disordered affections of our flesh. The powers of darkness conspire against us for the ruin of our souls, to silence us from speaking the truth, to discourage us from the work of God. But the light of Christ will overcome when we are faithful, when like Susanna we trust and call out to God, like the Psalmist who trusts that God is at his side in the darkest of hours.

May our Lenten penances continue to toughen us up for the battle, may the help us to be ever more attentive to God’s presence in our lives, that our lives may shine with the light of the victorious Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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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 and for faithful bishops, priests, and lay faithful who experience persecution because of their commitment to the Gospel.

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.

1st Sunday of Lent 2019 - Jesus' Desert Temptations

On the first Sunday of Lent every year, we are presented with the Gospel of Jesus fasting and praying and being tempted by the devil out in the desert wilderness. Why? Why this Gospel every year?
For one, to remind us that Lent is the desert time of the Church year. The desert is barren of all of the distractions of civilization, it’s a place where you can focus. And so during Lent, we are to cut down on the distractions, and focus on the basics of the Christian life: prayer, fasting, charity, repentance from sin.

In the Old Testament, the desert was a place of divine encounter. Hosea the prophet spoke of a time when God would lead his people into the desert and speak to their hearts. The silence of the Lenten desert enables us to hear the Word of God speaking to our hearts. In the bulletin this week, you’ll see some suggestions for your Lenten prayer. For God wants to lead you out into the desert and speak to your heart. He wants you to know His love for you and the strength you wants to give you. Our modern culture abhors the silence of the desert. For in the desert God sometimes shows us some uncomfortable truths about ourselves: our need to be gratified constantly, truths about our broken personalities and sinful attractions. But God, leads us into the desert, because that is the place where he wants to bring about healing through encounter with His love.

In the Old Testament, the desert was also a place of purification and testing. The Jewish people, having lived in Egypt for 400 years, had adopted many of the pagan Egyptian practices, they’d lost touch with the God of Israel, they had hard hearts toward God. And so God brought them out into the desert to teach them to trust him, to be shed of their pagan tendencies, and to be led by him to the promised land. The faith of the Jews was also tested in the desert. They had it pretty good in Egypt, they had food, water, shelter, work, sure they had to put up with Pharaoh. At one point, they complained to God and said they’d rather be well-fed slaves in Egypt, then hungry free persons in the desert. They failed to trust that God had their best interests in mind, so there in the desert God was purifying them of their mistrust of His Holy Will.

And this leads us to the second reason why we hear this Gospel of the Desert ever year. Wherever God is working to bring about spiritual purification and encounter with God, as He is in us, this Lent, there will be resistance. The Lord Jesus himself faced resistance from the Devil in his Divine mission for the salvation of the human race. Immediately after his baptism in the Jordan, right when he is fortifying himself in the desert through prayer and fasting for the work of God for human salvation, the devil shows up to tempt Jesus away from doing God’s work, away from His mission.

“Jesus, you are so hungry, why are you fasting anyway, does it really matter? Change these stones into bread. Satisfy your physical hunger.” Here the devil tries to convince Jesus that the needs of the body are more important than the work of the Spirit.

Many of us have faced this temptation. We make a spiritual commitment to God, the Lenten fast, and then we begin to rationalize. What would it hurt If I gave in to my cravings? Is it really a sin? What’s wrong with eating meat on Fridays anyway? I know I promised not to eat dessert, but this cake looks so good. I know I’ve promised not to watch Netflix, but this show looks really interesting. I know I’ve said I’m not going to shop for myself, or gamble, or play video games, but if I don’t, I’ll be so bored, I’ll die. And many of us fall for it. I know I have.

There is a spiritual battle going on during Lent. We face the same enemy as Jesus faced in the desert. As the Devil sought to tempt Jesus from doing the will of God, the Devil seeks to tempt us from embracing the cross. But the cross is the royal road to eternal life.  The devil seeks to obscure God’s work to bring about new life in our souls and in our parish. So the fasting, the prayer, and penance of Lent will help us remain open to God’s work and protect us from the Devil’s work.

In the second temptation, the devil took Jesus higher and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant.”  Now he is tempting the Lord, not with sensual pleasure, but with power.  “Think of all the good you could do Jesus, with power. Think of the change you could accomplish if you were king.” Here again, the Devil seeks to turn Jesus away from the cross. Jesus did come to establish a kingdom, but not an earthly kingdom. To Pontius Pilate he says, my kingdom is not of this world.
So too, we are often tempted to establish our own kingdoms without consideration of what God’s plan or God’s commandments. In the political or corporate world and maybe even in the Church, this temptation abounds. “You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.” “You look the other way for me, I’ll look the other way for you.” Or, “If I just skip Sunday Mass, if I just cheat a little bit, then I’ll be able to get the promotion.” Temptation is tempting. Satan will often hold up very enticing offers, at the expense of our souls. But, as the Lord teaches, “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?”

For Jesus the temptation was real. To be ruler of all the kingdoms of the world. Think of the good he could have done, and he wouldn’t have to suffer and die! But God’s plan involved a greater good, the salvation of souls, and Jesus counters the devil’s temptation, with a proclamation that we are meant to worship and serve God, certainly not the devil, and certainly not ourselves.

Finally, “the devil led Jesus to Jerusalem, set him on the parapet of the temple, and said, if you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.” No place in Jewish life was more central or important than the temple: economically, politically, culturally, religiously.  Jesus has been placed at the parapet of the temple: the “the pinnacle of Jewish society”  The temptation here is not so much about power, but glory. Above all here, the temptation is glory, honor, being seen and admired, to be at the tip-top where everyone watches you.

I wonder if Jesus dismisses this temptation so easily, because earthly glory is so obviously not why he became incarnate. Jesus dismissed this temptation easily, but not so with us. Peer pressure, worrying about what others think of us, not wanting to appear too devoutly Christian to our coworkers and family; fame, popularity, social standing, these are powerful motivating factors.

We take our Lenten prayer, fasting, and almsgiving seriously, so we are not controlled by these things. Our Lenten penances toughen us up for the battle, of doing what is right always, even in the face of the hostile mob, even when we have something to gain, even when it might bring us pleasure.
May this Lent be for each one of us a time of getting back to the basics, to reset our focus, to recommit to God, particularly in the face of temptation. Through our journey through the desert, may we strip away all that gets in the way of living our faith, courageously, of encountering Our Lord daily, serving our fellow man, and living  and working for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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