December 22 2020 - Advent Magnificat

 

These final days of Advent are particularly Marian. Her faith, her wonder, her humility help us to prepare well, with faith, wonder, and humility, for the celebration of the Nativity. Yesterday, we heard how, after the annunciation, she in haste goes in charity to help her cousin Elizabeth. When Mary arrived, we heard of the incredible wonder of Elizabeth, a wonder that even filled John the Baptist in utero, who leapt in joy. 

Mary’s own wonder, joy, and gratitude erupts into this great song of praise to God, her Magnificat. 

Since Seminary, I’ve prayed the Magnificat every day. The Canticle of Mary as it is sometimes called, is part of the Church’s official Evening Prayer, prayed every day by priests and religious on behalf of the Church all over the world.  No matter what time of day it is, two things are true.  Somewhere in the world a priest is celebrating Mass, and he is praying his breviary.  So along with the other prayers of the Church, the Magnificat is being sung all day, every day throughout the world.  

I’ve known priests to burst into the Magnificat at times of great joy in their own lives. This is possible because they’ve internalized the words of our Lady here.  The memorization of a prayer, a pslam, or another line of scripture can be a powerful thing, and can help us give expression to our religious sentiments.

In fact, Mary’s Magnificat was a paraphrasing of an earlier line of scripture from the first book of Samuel—called the canticle of Hannah.  Hannah, who was barren, conceived in her old age, offers a song of thanksgiving to God because she bore a son despite her barrenness.  She praises God as the helper of the weak, who casts down the mighty and raises up the lowly, and who alone is the source of true strength. The Canticle of Hannah was richly inspired by earlier verses of scripture,  from the Torah.

Throughout Advent I’ve been recommending sitting down daily with the Scriptures, for in them we find sentiments which open up new vistas in our soul’s relationship with God. The Scriptures help us to put into words the ineffable—the experience of God that is often beyond words. It deepens the soul—making our relationship with God less superficial.

Mary’s Magnificat is a result of a matured faith—one that has pondered the words and works of God—and has acted upon them. 

In these last Advent days, take the time, perhaps to memorize a line of scripture that gives expression to what you are going through and consider how God is speaking to you through that line of his holy word, what he is asking of you, how he is calling you to respond with deeper faith that your soul along with Our Lady’s may magnify his holy name for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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We raise up our prayers of petitions, as we await with longing the Advent of Christ the Lord.

That all peoples of the earth may come to believe in God as the source of all life, goodness, and blessing.

For the protection of the unborn, and the overturning of all laws lacking respect for the dignity of human life.

That those struggling with winter depression or addiction may find peace and joy in Christ.

That Christ may banish disease, drive out hunger, ward off every affliction, and strengthen all who suffer persecution for the sake of the Gospel.

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.

December 7 2020 - St. Ambrose - Drinking deeply of the Word

 

Ambrose was of the Roman nobility, trained in the classics, a poet, and a noted orator made governor of the northern Italian city of Milan.  And in the year 370, while Ambrose was the Roman governor of Milan, the bishop died, and a heated argument erupted over who would be the next bishop.  Ambrose tried to resolve this dispute, and his oratory struck such a chord with the people that someone shouted out, “Ambrose for bishop”.  The orator was speechless, for he had no intention of being bishop, let alone a priest, he wasn’t ordained…he wasn’t even baptized, for he was still a catechumen preparing for baptism.  

He resisted, claiming that he was unworthy, but the people continued to acclaim, “Ambrose for bishop”.  The people prevailed, mostly because Ambrose wanted to preserve peace.  So on December 7 of that year, he was baptized, and was consecrated a bishop, a week later.  He immediately gave away his wealth to the Church.  

In his autobiography, the Confessions, St. Augustine talks about the impact of St. Ambrose upon his life. For years, Augustine had searching for the Truth, but not no avail. He wandered from one strange philosophy to another, even into the strange Gnostic cults like the Manicheas. 

The great turning point in Augustine’s life was during his stay in Milan. There he heard the preaching and teaching of the holy bishop St. Ambrose. Ambrose, by living an exemplary life worthy of Augustine’s admiration, was able to attract Augustine to the truth and goodness of the Christian Gospel.

In order to share the truth we must be grounded in the Word of God. St. Ambrose, as bishop, urged his priests to dedicate their free time to reading and studying the scriptures. Listen to Ambrose’s advice to his priests: “Drink, then, from Christ, so that your voice may be heard….He who reads much and understands much receives his fill.  He who is full, refreshes others.”

Having drunk deeply from the Word of God, St. Ambrose’s life was full of the life and truth of God, who through him, was able to touch the life of a searcher, like Augustine. 

What a perfect Advent saint and model for all of us. Like Our Lady, Ambrose said yes to God in a major moment in his life. And like Our Lady, Ambrose continued to say yes to God daily, sitting down with the scriptures in his lap, drinking deeply from the word of God.

May our lives and the Church be governed by the courage and wisdom which governed and filled the heart of St. Ambrose, doctor of the Church, that through us, Christ the Lord might draw others to himself for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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We raise up our prayers of petitions, as we await with longing the Advent of Christ the Lord.

That the teaching and preaching of the Pope and all bishops and clergy will be founded firmly upon the full truth of the Word of God. 

That all those who wander in error, far from the Gospel of Christ, may be led through the preaching and example of the Christian people to the fullness of faith. 

That our president and all civil servants will carry out their duties with justice, honesty, and respect for the dignity of every human life.  That Christ may banish disease, drive out hunger, and ward off every affliction.

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

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

September 30 2020 - St. Jerome - Studying, Cherishing, and Practicing God's Word

Each year, we celebrate the feast of St. Jerome, the great doctor of the Church. Doctors of the Church are so-called because the word doctor comes from the latin word “docere” which means “to teach”, and the doctors of the Church have something important to teach all Christians, of all places, of all times.

St. Jerome, the great translator of the Hebrew and Greek bible into the latin Vulgate, teaches us that “ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ” And that is true for all Christians—Christians must know the scriptures so that they may know Christ as he wishes to be known.

“Blessed indeed is the man…whose delight is the law of the lord, who ponders it day and night”. The Christian recognizes, as the psalm says, that the scriptures are more valuable than gold or silver. 

Reading and pondering the scriptures is as important for our souls as food is for our bodies, for as the Lord himself said, we shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

The Scriptures deepen our understanding of the things of God, as Psalm 119 says, “the unfolding of God’s word gives light, it imparts wisdom and understanding to the simple.” The light of the scriptures helps to purify our minds from our worldly ways of thinking, it detaches us from loving the things of the world, and teaches us to value the love and wisdom of God. When we study the scriptures and ponder them and internalize them, we become like the wise head of the household extolled by the Lord in the Gospel, who “brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.” We become like the blessed mother who “ponders in her heart” the words and actions of Jesus her Son. 

Paul gives us even more reasons to be versed in the Scriptures, as we heard in his letter to Timothy this morning, “Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” And it gives us hope in chaotic times, as Paul says, what is written is written for our encouragement…that we might have encouragement through the Scriptures (Romans 15:4).” So in chaotic times, we need more scripture study, not less.

Often, too,  we are afraid of sharing our faith and teaching our faith to the ignorant, but Paul says, if you read and study the scriptures you will be equipped for these things.

But most importantly, as St. Jerome would say, knowledge of scripture gives us knowledge of Jesus himself. We become accustomed to the way he thinks, to the divine logic, to his humility, and his love for humanity. Through the Scriptures we get a glimpse of his heart, and hear his heart speaking to ours.

Daily, the scriptures need to be held in our hands, uttered by our lips, and pondered in our hearts. May May we cherish God’s word today and all days, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all Christians may be equipped for every good work by the word of God, that through our love of the scriptures we may grow in wisdom and courage to share the good news.

For the success of our parish RCIA programs, that the uninitiated may seek God and answer his call to holiness. 

For our young people, that they may be raised in homes where the Word of God is studied, cherished, and practiced. Let us 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, 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 the repose of the souls of our families, friends, and parish, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, and for N., 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.

12th Sunday of OT 2020 - The sin of Adam and the Grace of Christ

After many months, Lent, Easter, and the Feasts of Pentecost, Holy Trinity, and Corpus Christi, we have returned again to the Sundays of Ordinary Time, called such, for we focus not on any Extraordinary, major event from the life of Christ or major dogma contained in our creed, but on how the grace of God is meant to animate the ordinary aspects of our life.

For the remainder of Ordinary Time, all the way until the end of November we will read extensively from the Gospel of Matthew, and until mid-September we’ll read from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans. Matthew and Paul will be our spiritual directors, helping us to open our minds and heart to the grace of God in the ordinary circumstances of our lives.

And since we’ll be spending so much time with them, I’d like to say a word about Paul’s letter to the Romans. Paul’s letter to the Romans is a great masterpiece of theology, a clear, thorough, and systematic presentation of the Christian faith. Profound enough for an ordinary Roman to be intrigued by the Christian faith, and clear and systematic enough that an ordinary Roman could understand it. The Letter doesn’t tell a story, like the Gospels, which follow a narrative structure. Rather it unpacks the theological implications of Our Lord’s incarnation, saving death, and glorious resurrection. What does it mean for the Church, for saints and sinners like us, that Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

If you’ve never read Paul’s letter to the Romans from beginning to end, this is a perfect time. Reading the letter in its entirety will help you internalize Paul’s message and teaching. Every Christian at least once in our lives should read the Bible in its entirety, not necessarily straight through from Genesis to Revelation, but at least each book of the Bible in its entirety, some time in your life. Speaking of the ordinary life of the Christian, reading the Bible should be part of our Ordinary Lives, our every day lives.

A day shouldn’t go by, where we don’t read something of God’s Word. Even if it’s just a single paragraph that you read and ponder throughout the day, God’s Word will ground you, and enlighten your path in these chaotic times. God’s word helps us to understand our reality and understand ourselves. It helps us to put our priorities in order. It guides our actions, and helps us to have a rightly ordered mind and heart, and it increases our hunger and thirst for the righteousness described in its pages.

In today’s second reading, Paul seeks to explain one of the most important questions ever, a question that philosophers and theologians, mystics and poets and ordinary folk have grappled with, since the moment we gained the ability to ask such questions: why is there suffering in the world? Why do we suffer? Why do people die in earthquakes and plagues, and through famine. Why do families, and nations become divided and go to war? Why do innocent babies suffer. Why do children seem to turn on their parents, why do parents neglect their duties to their children. Why are peoples subjugated and enslaved to satiate the greed and lusts and pride of those in power?

The different world religions all attempt to answer that question. St. Paul, once the student of the great Jewish Rabbi Gamaliel, and now a convert to Christ, a believer that Christ Jesus is risen from the dead, seeks to answer that question in his letter to the Romans: why is there suffering? And he does so, drawing upon his Jewish roots and his new-found Christian faith. He traces the suffering of the world all the way back to Adam and Eve and he shows that the solution to the suffering, salvation from suffering, comes through the New Adam and His Church, the New Eve, the new Mother of the saved.

Where did suffering come from? According to Genesis, there was a time before suffering, when Adam and Eve lived in a state of friendship with God. In the garden of Paradise, Adam and Eve walked in harmony with God in the cool of the evening in easy fellowship. Their minds and wills were effortlessly attuned to God’s mind and will, the way friends are naturally attuned to one another. Adam and Eve’s physical, emotional, and spiritual needs were met through their friendship with God; they were without suffering.

But then, as St. Paul explains in our reading today, “Through one man sin entered the world, and through sin, death.” Prior to sin, our inner life and outer life were ordered according to the will and mind of God. But turning our will against God through sin, nearly everything about us became disordered. We desire too much of what we don’t need: money, power, and pleasure; and too little of what we do need: prayer, good works, obedience, patience and peace. Human life, which was meant for immortality and grace, becomes disordered toward mortality and selfishness. From that disorder arises all the suffering and war  of the human race.

St. Paul having identified sufferings origins, then identifies sufferings remedy. Though death reigned throughout the generations of Adam because of the sin of the one man, through the gracious gift of another man, Jesus Christ, death is defeated, humanity is reordered to God and we are saved of suffering and death.

Yes, death and disorder continue to wreak havoc in the lives of the members of our human family. Just turn on the news, right? But what the news does not often report, the most miraculous and marvelous activity in our world today: how Jesus Christ continues to transform lives, how the grace of God overflows into the members of the Christian family, the body of Christ, the Church. The news, for the most part does not report how faith in Jesus Christ transforms the lives of ordinary people, enabling us to overcome what is fallen in us, what is perverted in us, what is selfish in us.

Turn on the news, you will find one story after another of division along political, racial, national and international lines—the effects of fragmentation in the human family, to effects of death and greed and corruption. You want proof of original sin, turn on the news. But open the bible, read St. Paul, study the lives of the saints and you’ll find a different story. Had we spent more time cultivating the grace of Jesus Christ, how different the nightly news would be.

So, if the 24-hour news cycle won’t report it, our task, is clear, Our Lord is clear in the Gospel today: shout the Good News from the rooftops. Christian grace can overcome all transgression. You want to build a society of peace, turn to Christ. You want to overcome the division in your family? Turn to Christ. You want to overcome your fallen tendencies—your lust, your pride, your selfishness? Turn to Christ. Shout it from the rooftops.  Because the news won’t report it and our politicians won’t acknowledge it.

On this Father’s Day weekend, many of us our so grateful of the faith of our Fathers, our Fathers who have been instrumental in our reception of the faith. And yet, perhaps too we think of all those fathers in the world today, maybe the fathers of our grandchildren or nephews or neighbors who want little or nothing to do with the saving faith—who have forgot their most important job, to help their children become righteous.

Ordinary Time is a wonderful time to pray and fast for those fathers, and to look for opportunities to call them to action—to take up, once again, the mantle of being a leader—a faith leader--for the sake of their families and for the future of our society. For only a house built on the solid foundation of Christ, can ever hope to withstand the intense and destructive winds of the world. If you truly care about these Fathers, call them back to the Faith, back to church.

Where will you find the words to say? Ponder the Scriptures. This week, turn to God’s word and ponder it every day. Ask God to enlighten you. Ask God how His holy word can help you in the concrete, ordinary circumstances of your life, with your ordinary sins, and your serious sins, with the ordinary drama and trials of your family, and the serious ones. If he is quiet, ask him all the more, in the words of the psalm today, “Lord, in your great love, answer me.” Revive my heart, enlighten my mind, transform me by your grace, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

27th Sunday in OT 2019 - Increase our Faith

Have you ever cried out to God in words similar to those of the prophet Habakkuk in our first reading, “How long, O LORD?  I cry for help but you do not listen!” How long must I suffer? I many times must I go through this particular trial?

What trial was Habakkuk lamenting? Well, scholars continue to debate this topic. Some think Habakkuk lived just prior to the Babylonian attack on Jerusalem. If that’s the case, the holy prophet would be lamenting the evil and iniquity of so many of his fellow Jews who were forsaking the covenant, and that God would likely allow the Jews to be conquered by some foreign power as he had in the past.

Some scholars think that Habakkuk lived right after the Babylonian attack, and was crying out to God because of the devastation of Jerusalem wrought by the Babylonian invaders.

And some scholars think that Habakkuk may have lived several centuries later, during Alexander the Great’s conquest of the near East. Again Habakkuk's words would be interpreted as a chastisement upon Israel for abandoning the faith.

Whoever Habakkuk was, and whenever he lived are ultimately ancillary to the profound message of this book, the heart-wrenching longing for God to intervene in the experience of suffering: “How long, O LORD?  I cry for help but you do not listen!” How long must I suffer?

The good news is that God does not abandon Habakkuk in his suffering. He receives a word of hope from God: Don’t give up. Be patient. Persevere in faith. God’s justice will ultimately prevail. If you were to read on in the book of Habakkuk, which is only three short chapters long, God gives Habakkuk a vision of a series of punishments for the wicked, robbers, embezzlers, deceivers, exploiters and extortionists, tyrants, deviants and idolaters. The book is pretty doom-filled, but it speaks to our very deep desire, a desire that each of us experience at our core, for justice, for God to rescue those who suffer, vindication for the innocent, and an end of oppression and pain, and bolsters our faith in the promises of God.

Our second reading addresses the need for perseverance as well. St. Paul urges the bishop Timothy to stir into flame the gift of faith. That amidst all of the difficulties the Church was experiencing Timothy needed to stir up the faith of his people and in his own soul that God’s power may fill them. To stir up the faith, that’s an important task for each of us. For we know, all too well, how many for baptized Catholics that flame has been virtually extinguished. They do not attend Mass. They do not pray. They do not engage in the works of mercy. Sin seems to have taken sway in their lives.

Now I’ve known many people where a nearly extinguished faith has become rekindled. They’ve seen the power of God at work through a vibrant Christian community. They’ve experienced the love of God in the compassion shown them by Christians. Sometimes, it was a traumatic event in their life that led to a sort of spiritual awakening, a death of a loved one, the reality of grief, that helped them discover the need for God.

In those delicate times though of spiritual reawakening, much prayer and involvement in a community of fellow Christians is needed, lest the flame of faith dies out again.

So what about us, what’s the temperature of the flame of faith in your life. Lukewarm or blazing?
During my seminary studies, I remember visiting the seminary library one day, and a book on St. Theresa jumped out at me. I opened the book to a random page, and I’ll never forget the quote. St. Theresa writes, “Comparison is death to the spiritual life.” And what she meant by that is when you compare your life to others, that can lead to real spiritual danger. For on the one hand, if I compare myself to someone that isn’t living the faith at all, whose faith has been extinguished, then I won’t grow spiritually, because I’ll think to myself, I’m holier than that guy, so I must be okay. But then on the other hand, you compare yourself to a saint, like St. Francis, and you think, I’ll never become that holy, so I might as well not do anything.

So for Theresa, this unhealthy spiritual comparison leads to a real spiritual mediocrity, faith, instead of being stirred-up is stifled. Rather, the truth is in the middle. Not comparing myself to the wicked, not comparing myself to the saints, I am personally challenged to consider what do I need to do personally to grow in holiness in the concrete details of my life.

In order to fan the flame, St. Paul tells Timothy to take as his norm the sound words that he heard, the Gospel, the Scriptures. To reflect upon and take as your standard, not the philosophies of the world, not the politics of the day, not the excuses of the spiritually lazy, but soundness of the Gospel.
Here is the injunction for every Christian to familiarize ourselves, to study and ponder and meditate upon the Scriptures. When we read the Scriptures, and when we allow them to speak to us, God stirs up our faith. An unopened bible serves no one. A bible collecting dust on a coffee table sets no spiritual fires. So open your bibles daily—read, reflect, and put into practice what you discover there.

Perhaps, take the daily mass readings which are published in our bulletin, and use them as your daily meditation. Ask God when they mean for the concrete details of your life? For example, using our second reading, ask, What does it mean for me to stir into flame the gifts God has given me. What does it mean for me to have a courageous faith, what does it mean to guard the riches of God that dwell within me? What have I considered as impossible that God wants to make possible in my life?
In the midst of death, the Word of God gives us life. In the midst of injustice, the Word of God gives us patience and the strength to work for change. In the midst of spiritual dryness or confusion, the Word of God is a lamp that grants light unto our path.

The apostles say to the Lord in the Gospel, “increase our faith”, is that a request you are willing to make? What would it mean, practically, if your faith were greater?

The apostles made this request of our Lord immediately after his teaching that if their brother sins against them seven times in a day, they need to forgive him seven times a day. They knew that that level of mercy, the ability to love and forgive with the heart of God, required great faith.  So they prayed, “increase our faith”. Is there someone who you would be able to forgive if your faith was greater?

Faith enables us to persevere amidst great trials, it helps us to see God working in the great moments of darkness and suffering, it helps us to perform great works for God which we deemed impossible, it enables us to forgive the greatest of insults, it makes possible tremendous growth in holiness and the working of miracles. Lord, increase our faith, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

September 30 2019 - St. Jerome - Ignorance of Scripture is Ignorance of Christ

It was only in 1298 that the Church began to declare certain saints as doctors of the Church. As of today there are 36 doctors. Well, St. Jerome is among the original four along with St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, and St. Gregory the Great. The word “doctor” comes from the Latin word “docere”, which means to teach or instruct. The Church sees these great doctors of the Church as the greatest teachers and instructors of the faith.

St. Augustine, in fact, spoke about St. Jerome, saying: What Jerome is ignorant of, no mortal has ever known.” Jerome’s knowledge and work with the Scriptures has left an indelible mark upon the Church. For he is the author of the Vulgate, the official Latin translation of the Scriptures which were utilized for liturgical use and church documents for nearly two millennia.

St. Jerome is quoted in the current Catechism of the Catholic Church which states “The Church…specifically exhorts all the Christian faithful. . . to learn the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures. Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.”

There is often hesitation on the part of Catholics to be familiar with the Bible. For the Bible is not easy to understand. To understand the whole we must understand its parts, and to understand its parts we need to understand the whole. But for those who open its pages, the Scriptures are refreshing; they are consoling, instructive, and corrective, they are more valuable than gold.  We should read and meditate on Scripture every day.  Like Jerome, we should seek a “living and tender love for Scripture” that we ma have a living and tender loving care for God and the willingness to follow his Holy Will. 

On this memorial of St. Jerome, we hear of St. Paul’s injunction to Timothy to learn and believe what is in the scriptures for they are capable of giving “wisdom for salvation.” In a world full of so much chaos and error, we need the wisdom of the scriptures to help order or life. Biblical illiteracy serves no one.

When we study the scriptures and internalize them, we become like the wise head of the household extolled by the Lord in the Gospel, who “brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.” “All Scripture is inspired by God” both the new and the old. So by them may the Lord continue to equip us for the work of the Gospel for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all members of the Church will find constant nourishment and strength from the Holy Scriptures.

That we may always read and interpret the scriptures according to the “living Tradition of the whole Church” and not according to the errors of the world.

That the uninitiated who seek God may answer the call to Christian conversion and for the success of our parish RCIA programs.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, 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 the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for the deceased priests, deacons and religious of the diocese of Cleveland, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

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.

33rd Week in OT 2018 - Friday - Sweet and Sour Scroll

One of my favorite descriptions of a good preacher, is that in his preaching he comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable. Every good homily should bring comfort, help, and inspiration to those who are struggling to remain faithful to the Gospel, and it should also shaken, awaken, stir-up those who may have grown complacent, those who have become a little too comfortable with sin, worldliness, and pride.

In the reading from Revelation, John receives a scroll of the word of God, which was both sweet to the tongue, yet sour to the stomach. John found the scroll sweet because it contained God’s sweet promises: his promises that those who are faithful to the Gospel shall inherit eternal life and shall have a place at the banquet feast of heaven, that earthly sufferings will ultimately come to an end and every tear will be wiped away. John also found the scroll sour because it also foretold how God’s people, would have to suffer persecution and martyrdom, they would have to be faithful to carrying their cross, if they wished to inherit eternal life.

The Psalm and the Gospel illustrate both the sweetness and the sourness of the Word of God.
On one hand, the Psalmist today sings of how sweet are the promises of God—the law of God’s mouth being more precious than thousands of Gold and silver pieces. How are God’s laws more precious? For gold and silver cannot purchase eternal life, they cannot obtain the joy and peace our hearts long for. Rather, it is only by knowing and following God’s word, God’s decrees, that we can obtain our eternal inheritance.

On the other hand, we see what happens when the Word of God enters a corrupt temple. He seeks to drive out the corruption. He’ll flip over tables, he’ll fashion a whip out of cords and drive out the sinful attachments, and that’s not always pleasant. But the Christian has to ask himself, would you rather live with corruption in your soul and die, and suffer in order to be cleansed of corruption, so that you may live?

In our modern age, many want the sweet part of the Gospel, but not the sour. They want the promises without the challenge, they want the resurrection without the cross, they want peace without having to suffer for it. Even some church leaders will distort the Word of God, highlighting the sweetness and omitting the sourness. And that’s somewhat understandable, who likes to suffer? But, it is only swallowing, believing and teaching the whole Gospel, the whole word of God, that we can become the people God made us to be, to live in the true freedom of the children of God, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/112318.cfm
 
That Christians may undertake the meditation and prayer necessary to live holy and righteous lives.

For a healing of all family divisions, reunion for the estranged and welcoming of the alienated.

That those who have fallen away from the Church or fallen into serious sin may repent and return to the grace of the Sacraments.

For the poor, the hungry, the homeless, the sick, the aged, the lonely, the grieving, the unemployed, those who are facing financial difficulties, those with addictions, and the imprisoned: that God will draw close to them, and bless them with grace and peace.

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

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

1st Week of Lent 2018 - Tuesday - Interiorizing the Word

When tempted by the devil to forego his desert fasting, Our Lord responded, “It is written, 'man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God'".
And really, the temptation wasn’t simply to break his fast. The devil was tempting Jesus to turn away from the difficult road that the Father willed for His Son.

Here Jesus reminds us of one of the Christian life’s most important lessons: that God’s priorities are more important than our own, that our physical needs are not our greatest needs. The Word of God is more essential than bread.

Our Lenten fasting, fasting from chocolate, or video games, or social media, or snacking certainly helps us to build up self-discipline towards these earthly pleasures. Yet, more essential our fasting reminds us that we don’t need these things to survive, and we certainly don’t need them to thrive spiritually.

Jesus responded to the devil’s temptation by quoting a passage from Deuteronomy. Throughout the Gospels Jesus quotes directly from the Old Testament about 80 times, and the logic of the former scriptures permeates his teachings. Jesus overcame temptation by drawing upon the truth, the words of the Scriptures.

And as we prayed on the first Sunday of Lent, his “forty long days” in the desert set “the pattern of our own Lenten observance.” The word of God is meant to permeate our Lent, and our life. Pope Benedict wrote, “In the trials of life and in every temptation, the secret of victory lies in listening to the word of truth and rejecting with determination falsehood and evil.”

Our reading from Isaiah, speaks of how God’s word is meant to permeate us like the rain permeates the soil and makes the soil fertile.

So, if we are to be able to draw on the word of God in times of temptation, if the word of God is meant to fertilize our souls to bear new life, we must expose ourselves to it, we must meditate on it, we must take it into our hearts and let it live there. Many people can quote baseball statistics, movie lines, or a catchy new song, but barely a line from scripture.

Daily throughout Lent, we do well to sit down with the scriptures open upon our laps, to speak the words allowed, to allow them to echo in our minds and hearts.

Again to quote Pope Benedict, “It is therefore urgently necessary in these forty days to listen anew to the gospel, the word of the Lord, the word of truth, so that in every Christian, in every one of us, the understanding of the truth given to him…may be strengthened, so that we may live it and witness to it. Lent encourages us to let the word of God penetrate our life and thus to know the fundamental truth: who we are, where we come from, where we must go, which road to take in life.”

May our Lenten fasting clear out and make room for the prayerful encounter and interiorization of the word of God in us, that we might live it out in lives of Christian purity and charity, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the season of Lent may bring the most hardened hearts to repentance and bring purification from sin and selfishness to all people.

For those preparing for baptism and the Easter sacraments, that they may continue to conform themselves to Christ through fervent prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

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

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.

1st Week of OT 2018 - Tuesday - Spiritual Growth in Ordinary Time

As we begin the season of Ordinary time, it seems to be strange to be wearing the color green in the middle of winter. The green of the grass is covered by the snow, and the green leaves on the trees and plants will not begin to grow until spring. But liturgical green reminds us that the Christian soul is meant to grow in faith, hope, and love, prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance, throughout the whole year despite the earthly seasons.

Another strange facet of Ordinary Time is that of our scripture readings. For the Weekdays of Ordinary Time the Lectionary has a two year cycle of readings — Year I and Year II. The Gospel reading is common to both cycles; so no matter the year, we read from Mark chapter 1 verses 21 to 28 on Tuesday of the first week of Ordinary Time. It’s the First Reading and Psalm which are different.
And what seemed strange to me this morning, is why, oh why, do we begin Ordinary Time, Year II, reading from the first book of Samuel. I have no idea. The first and second books are part of the Old Testament known as the Nevi'im consisting of the narrative books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings, and also the latter prophets Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the minor prophets

This part of the Old Testament spans the time from Moses’ death to the time of the Maccabees 150 or so BC. So First Samuel is not even the first part of this narrative section of the Bible. Why would Ordinary Time start with this book? I really don’t know, but these are the things I think about at 7 o’clock in the morning.

But we’ll be reading from these books until Ash Wednesday, so we might want to think about them a bit.

First Samuel begins with the story of the barren woman Hannah, who after fervent prayer gives birth to a son, the prophet Samuel, the last of the so-called Judges, who will anoint the first king of Israel, Saul. It is the story of a new age emerging in the history of Israel, the time of a king uniting and ruling over a disparate people. So perhaps, it is fitting for the beginning of this new liturgical season.

We are going to be reading how this transition for Israel is also riddled with problems, much like our own life—many rebellions against the will of God, attacks from outside enemies, personal pride getting in the way of righteousness, but all the while, God is at work urging Israel to faithfulness to his commandments and trust in his providence.

So, not a bad way to start Ordinary Time. Spiritual growth certainly involves surrendering our rebellious wills to the grace of God. May our Ordinary Time be blessed with growth in a knowledge of God’s word and a faithfulness to it, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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To God the Father Almighty we direct the prayers of our heart for the needs and salvation of humanity and the good of His faithful ones.

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

For the peoples of 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 own community, that the Lord may graciously receive us as a sacrifice acceptable to himself.

For our beloved dead, for 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.

May 25 2017 - St. Bede the Venerable - Putting Christ at the Center

40 days ago, we celebrated the Feast of the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus on Easter Sunday.  And 40 days after his resurrection, Jesus ascended to the right hand of his Father in heaven.  Traditionally, the Feast of the Ascension, a holy day of obligation, was celebrated today.  It still is in several dioceses throughout the world.

In the rest of the dioceses of the United States, the celebration of the Ascension has been transferred to the following Sunday.
 
The Church honors three of her Saints today: St. Bede the Venerable, St. Gregory VII, and St. Magdalene de Pazzi.  Two of them, the Venerable Bede, and Pope Saint Gregory were Benedictine Monks.

The Collect prayer spoke of how God brings light to the Church through the learning of the Priest Saint Bede”. St. Bede is a learned doctor of the Church born around 672. He was a historian who wrote biographies, martyrologies, works of science, numerous commentaries on the bible and sacred chant. As a historian, his Ecclesiastical History of the English People has remained one of the most authoritative source of that time period, so he is even venerated by secular historians. But that is not the extent of his impact. He is credited for beginning the custom of marking the dates of history from the Incarnation with the term anno domini.

So we mark the year as 2017 AD, anno domini, because of St. Bede. His love for Christ has changed history and the way we view history. Civilization, Christian or not, marks its years by the birth of Christ because this saint allowed his faith to permeate his life. He did so by frequent and ponderous meditation on the scriptures and the life of Jesus.

And he encouraged us to do the same; St. Bede said, “Because we cannot totally avoid idle thoughts, we should put them to flight, as far as we can, by stirring up good thoughts, and especially by frequent meditation on the scriptures, according to the example of the psalmist who said, “Oh, how I have loved your Law, O Lord; it is my meditation all the day.”

So to meditate on the scriptures throughout the day is a powerful way of sanctifying time and making Christ more and more the center of our life. The words of Scripture are living words and become a source of wisdom and inspiration as we ponder them.

As a Benedictine monk, St. Vede would have practiced lectio divina, divine reading of scripture, reading that lifts the mind and heart and soul to the Divine One.

May we, like St. Bede, make Christ the center of our history by making him the center of every day, meditating on his words, imitating his love for the Father for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the Saints may inspire us and continue to help us put Christ at the center of our life.

That the Saints may inspire us to works of charity and caring for the needy.

That the Saints may inspire us to confess our sins, strengthen in virtue, and be devoted to the spread of the Gospel.

That the Saints may inspire us to bear our sufferings in union with Christ, and may help the suffering to know the comforting presence of God, especially the sick, the elderly, those in nursing homes, hospitals, hospice care, addicts and those imprisoned, those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today.

For our beloved dead…

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.

Thursday - 2nd Week of Easter 2017 - The source of evangelization

In seven verses, our Gospel today gives seven statements about Jesus’ true nature and his mission.

One, he comes from heaven, he is divine. Two, his testimony will be rejected. Three, He speaks God’s own words. Four, He is filled with God’s Spirit without limit. Five, He is God’s Son. Six, whoever believe in Him has eternal life. And seven, anyone who does not believe in Christ has no life.
During Easter we reflect upon our own need to spread the Gospel, to share our beliefs with others. Well, what exactly are we to share with others? There is so much about our faith, it can be overwhelming to choose what exactly to share with others.

The seven verses here at the end of chapter 3 give us seven key truths about Jesus Christ: who he is, why it is important to believe in him. Not a bad seven verses to memorize so that we can draw upon them in our conversations with others.

For remember, we study our faith, we read the Scriptures, not simply for our own edification, but that it might be shared and taught. We will never regret the time we spend studying and memorizing the Scriptures. For remember, as St. Jerome says, “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.” We learn the Scriptures, and study them, so that we can learn Christ and share Him with others.

Listen to the beautiful and challenging words of Vatican II concerning the role the Scriptures should play in our lives: The sacred synod also earnestly and especially urges all the Christian faithful, especially Religious, to learn by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures the "excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ". "For ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ." Therefore, they should gladly put themselves in touch with the sacred text itself, whether it be through the liturgy, rich in the divine word, or through devotional reading, or through suitable instruction…”

Pope Francis said, “The sacred Scriptures are the very source of evangelization…The study of the sacred Scriptures must be a door opened to every believer. It is essential that the revealed word radically enrich our catechesis and all our efforts to pass on the faith….Let us receive the sublime treasure of the revealed word.”

May each of us continue to be enriched and challenged by the Word of God this Easter Season that the Word of God may lead us to deeper faith, integrity of life, Christian virtue, and courage in its proclamation for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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Let us pray.
Through the resurrection, Christ confirmed the faith of his disciples and sent them out into the world, may all bishops and priests faithful preachers of the Gospel.
Through the resurrection, Christ became our peace and reconciliation, may all of the baptized be united in the perfect communion of faith and love.
For deeper commitment to studying and sharing the Word of God.
May the Lord look upon all of the sick and suffering and reveal in them the power of his glory.
Through the resurrection, Christ became the firstborn from the dead, may all the faithful departed be granted a share in Christ’s glory, especially…

Homily: Epiphany 2017 - The Light of Christ

In keeping with the ancient practice, following the proclamation of the Epiphany Gospel, I just chanted the announcement of Easter and the Moveable Feasts for this liturgical year. 

Before the age of mass produced calendars and smart phones, the chanting of the feasts was a practical necessity; now, we do it as a way of remaining rooted in our Catholic tradition; the light of faith, the light of our Catholic Tradition is something that we’ve inherited from ages past, and it’s up to us to keep the light of faith burning in this darkened age.

The light of reason, the light of faith, these are lights that do night shine automatically. It takes real effort: real prayer, real commitment to the truth of our faith, real faith formation and acts of charity and self-sacrifice that the light of Christ shines in our dark world. For, in many parts of the world, in Europe and here in the United States, places where the light of faith once burned quite brightly, that light is quickly darkening.

Pope Benedict, a few years into his papacy spoke of an eclipsing of light. “An eclipse of reason has taken place.  That man no longer uses his intellect in search of God, but is driven by his passions and desire for self-gratification…the sun is setting over an entire world.”

Addiction, pornography, Racial violence, greed, permissiveness of immorality, decadence: these evils darken our civilization as faith is abandoned, parents failing to pass on the light of faith to their children.

This darkening makes today’s feast so important. For the Feast of the Epiphany celebrates the manifestation of the light of God in the world, the light which began to shine first in the history of Israel, which was finally fully manifest at the birth of Jesus Christ, a light which the Catholic Church is called to manifest throughout the world.

In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah acknowledged that though darkness covered the earth, light shined upon Israel. While all the world worshipped pagan gods and walked in pagan ways, Israel was chosen to be enlightened by God. They were given knowledge of the one true God, his ways and commandments.

Filled with this light, Israel was meant to be a beacon to the rest of the world: “a light to the Gentiles”, that all nations, all people would come to know the one true God. As we sang in our Psalm: “Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”

The light given to Israel was not meant for Israel alone, but was given for the good of the whole world. And so, we then heard in our Gospel, how the prophecy of universal adoration of God began to be fulfilled as magi from the east came to adore the newborn Christ child.

And St. Paul taught in the second reading how Christians are inheritors of that revelation, and as “stewards of God’s grace” Christians are called to make known that revelation to every generation to every corner of the earth.

If God’s light has been revealed…why is there so much darkness in the world? Why is there so much unbelief and faithlessness and division? With so much darkness in the world, many people do conclude that God doesn’t exist, that the Christian faith ought to be relegated to the past. Many in the younger generation believe that Christianity has nothing to say to them.

This feast certainly contains several challenging questions to us: do we allow his light to illuminate our whole life? Do I share his light as I should? Do I walk in his light as I should? Am I the bright, constant witness to Christ? Am I a clear and gentle witness to what is most important in life?

I am becoming more and more convinced that in order to share the light of Christ, we must turn ever more to the light of truth contained in the Holy Scriptures.

When we read the scriptures, God illuminates the dark corners of our life: he satisfies our doubts, he comforts us in our afflictions, he helps us to understand ourselves, and see ourselves as he sees us.  As Pope Benedict said, “In the light of the revelation made by God’s Word, the enigma of the human condition is definitively clarified.”

When we read the scriptures, the darkness of sadness and strife is pushed back, and we come to recognize that Christ s the one our hearts long for, he is the one whose beauty we long to see, he is the one whose truth we are meant to walk by, and whose goodness we are meant to share.

No matter what dark temptation or dark affliction we are experiencing, when we seek out God’s light in the scriptures, we will be illuminated. As Vatican II said, the Scriptures enlightens the mind, strengthens the will and fires the hearts of men and women with the love of God” (Dei Verbum).

A wonderful New Year’s resolution would be to spend time daily with God’s word, to familiarize yourself with the Bible, and to learn how to pray with the Scriptures.

Also, blessed chalk is be available at the church exits as well as the short ritual for blessing your homes for the new year.  By this act, we ask Christ’s blessing upon the home and those who live there and those who will visit.  By visibly marking our homes, we identify them as places where the light of Christ shines.

In a sense our homes are meant to be like the Christmas star, as the wise men followed the star to find Christ, those seeking Christ should be able to find Him in our homes. There are people out there who do not know Christ or do not know him as they should, who are meant to discover Christ in your homes.  The home is also meant to be like the stable of Bethlehem isn’t it? A place where Christ is honored and adored constantly. 

God’s love is the light, and in the end, the only light which can always illuminate a world grown dim. So let the light of Christ shine in your homes and in your hearts for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: 1st Sunday in Advent 2016 - Isaiah, the prophet of Advent

Throughout the season of Advent we will read extensively from the book of the prophet Isaiah. Not only each Sunday do we read from Isaiah, but throughout the week as well. If you aren’t in the habit of attending weekday Mass; what a wonderful way of making Advent a bit more special this year: attending weekday Mass will help you enter more deeply into the Spirit of the season.

The book of the Prophet Isaiah have been called “the fifth Gospel” by some scholars, for it contains so many of the themes of the Gospels: the call of God’s people to practice justice, the need for repentance, the reality of judgment, God’s promise of salvation, reflection on God’s mercy; the need for God’s people during times of darkness to practice faith and hope. Certainly, one of the most important themes of Isaiah is his proclamation of the coming of the Messiah; Isaiah calls Israel to remember God’s promise of a Savior in some of the most beautiful passages in the entire Old Testament of the Bible. 

Isaiah is like a tour guide through Advent pointing out the important sights. You may be thinking: I’ve been through Advent before, I know what Advent is about. But sometimes a tour guide can offer new insights to a familiar place. You often hear it said, that converts make the best Catholics. Why is that? Because they are so often able to see the beauty and value of our faith with fresh eyes. So what do you need to do to put on fresh eyes this Advent, to rediscover the beauty that God presents us with?

If you can’t make it to daily Mass, I encourage you, this Advent, to at least read through the Isaiah reading every day. The Scriptures verses are printed in the bulletin; if you visit the US Bishop’s website, you can sign up to have the daily scripture readings emailed to you.  Take a few minutes throughout the day to read through and reflect upon the Isaiah reading: ask, why has the Church picked this reading for the season of Advent? What are the symbols here; how does this passage help me to prepare for Christmas; what does this say about God, about the attitude and dispositions God’s people are meant to have?

Isaiah wrote at a time when Israel had been devastated by the Babylonian army; the Jews had been bound and chained and marched off into exile; they had seen their temple, their beautiful city, their homes and families destroyed.  Isaiah wrote, during this time of great loss, a message of hope, he wrote of a time when all of God’s promises would be fulfilled, a time when the tears from all faces would be wiped away by God himself. 

Perhaps it feels like your world has been devastated; perhaps your family is experiencing division, perhaps you feel alienated from old friends, perhaps you’re struggling with a particular temptation; perhaps you’ve experienced the loss of a loved one, or deepening financial woes. Just as God spoke to the sorrowful captive exiles in Isaiah’s time, he speaks to us, words of promise, words of hope, words of comfort.

But again, in order to hear those words of hope, you need to quiet down—go to a quiet room, the church or chapel; put aside anxious thoughts and listen to and meditate upon the word of God. If we do not pray as we ought, how can we be surprised when we do not know the peace that God wants to give us.

In the Isaiah reading for this 1^st Sunday of Advent; we heard of a mountain, a mountain upon which will stand the great Temple of God; not only will God send a Messiah; Isaiah said, “the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills.”

On this Holy Mountain, in the Lord’s House—his temple—is where he wants to give us his gifts of peace and joy. Yet, so often we fail to climb the mountain, to enter the temple. We allow other mountains to be higher, other temples to be our destination.

Is the Lord’s mountain really the highest mountain in your life? Is the praise and worship of God more important to you than anything else? Is it more important than your job? Is it more important than your social relationships? Is it more important even than your family, the people you love the most? If not, something is off-kilter in your life.

What’s the highest mountain for you? We all have one. We all have mountains and hills, things that preoccupy our time and effort. But what is your highest mountain? If it’s not the mountain of the Lord’s house, something is wrong. If you don’t have the love of God first in your life, you will not know what to do with the other goods in your life.

Isaiah says, It is on this holy mountain that the Lord instructs us in his ways, that we may walk in his paths. In a sense, this mountain is certainly a foreshadowing of the earthly Church.  As Christians, members of the Church, we are instructed in the ways of the Lord. We learn our catechism, we learn how to apply the teachings of Jesus to the concrete circumstances of our life.  We just concluded a Year-long meditation on Mercy, constantly reflecting upon how the Lord is calling us to engage in the works of mercy, and how God in His mercy is inviting each of us to experience his love and forgiveness.

The mountain is not just a foreshadowing of heaven, it’s not just a foreshadowing of the Church, it is also a symbol of our own personal spiritual journey. Are you undertaking in the inner journey? Is the pursuit of spiritual things more important than your pursuit of earthly things? Are you quieting down in prayer so that the Lord may teach you his ways? Are you allowing him to teach you how to be more gentle, more patient, more generous, more trusting?  

In the Lord’s house on his Holy Mountain we hear how “swords are turned into plowshares and their spear into pruning hooks.” Coming from an Italian family, I come from a long tradition of very sharp tongues. And from time to time that sharp tongue has gotten me into trouble. But as we undertake that spiritual journey, as we climb the Lord’s mountain and enter his temple, the sharp-cutting words are transformed into words of encourage, comfort, instruction, clear teaching, and words of praise and worship.

Allow this Advent to transform you, to turn your swords and spears into instruments of goodness, peace, and joy. Let Isaiah remind you of the beautiful, awe-inspiring, consoling promises of God. And may the Holy Spirit help us all to prepare our minds and hearts for the coming of Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: Sept 30 2016 - St. Jerome - Understanding Scripture

Though he lived nearly 1700 years ago, St. Jerome’s impact upon the Church—upon the intellectual and spiritual live of Christians—has been profound. The Opening Prayer today refers to St. Jerome’s “living and tender love for Scripture” And his work in this area is his greatest gift to the Church. 

The Second Vatican Council in the document on Sacred Scripture, Dei Verbum, quoted St. Jerome: “For if, as St. Paul says, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, and if the man who does not know Scripture does not know the power and wisdom of God, then ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.”  The Catechism quotes him as well, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ”

That’s a pretty bold claim, isn’t it? St. Jerome, a Doctor of the Catholic Church, meaning, he teaches us how to be Christian, urges us to recognize that serious Bible study is a necessity, not an optional luxury.

Though our liturgies are full of Scripture, scripture informs our every prayer, merely hearing scripture as a passive observer is not enough. Vatican II, in the same document on Scripture, says that Scripture is “food for the soul”. The way many of us treat scripture is like smelling the food baking in the oven without actually consuming the food without.

And it’s somewhat understandable, there is often hesitation on the part of Catholics to be familiar with the Bible. It’s a complex book. Yet, for those who open its pages, the Scriptures are refreshing, they are consoling, they are instructive, and corrective, they are more valuable than gold. 

We should read, and meditate on Scripture every day.  Having a “living and tender love for Scripture” leads us to a living and tender loving care for God and the willingness to follow his Holy Will. 

St. Jerome is not alone in encouraging us to read Scripture. St. Augustine wrote in his confessions the beautiful words: “Let your scriptures be my chaste delight…O Lord, perfect me and reveal those pages to me!  See, your voice is my joy.  Give me what I love…May the inner secrets of your words be laid open to me when I knock.  This I beg by our Lord Jesus Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.  These are the treasures I seek in your book.” 

In reflecting on God’s Holy word, may we encounter God’s great love for us, and learn to ourselves to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice for the glory of God and salvation of souls. 

Homily: Sept 13 2016 - St. John Chrysostom - The golden-tongued preacher

St. John Chrysostom said, “the saint who has gone up to heaven has no need of acclamation from human beings in order to arrive at a greater and more blessed place. We, on the other hand, who are meanwhile engaged in matters on earth…need to hear the saint praised in order to be so moved to emulate him.” So we do well to consider the virtue and example of this great saint, that we may emulate his sanctity and arrive at the same eternal reward.

St. Paul teaches us to consider the Church as a Body with many parts. And if the Church is a body, the saint we honor today, St. John Chrysostom is the mouth, or perhaps, the tongue. The name “Chrysostom” means golden tongue.

While studying civil law, he felt the call to enter monastic life, but discerning it wasn’t quite his calling, he was ordained a deacon and then a priest for the Church of Antioch.

And it was soon discovered that the young priest was quite gifted in preaching. So his bishop asked John to dedicate himself to preaching.  And, for the next twelve years St. John preached and taught on virtually every book on the bible. One writer puts it, “The pulpit was his throne, and he adorned it as much as any preacher of ancient or modern times.” And He was as Blessed John Henry Newman said, “a bright, cheerful, gentle soul; a sensitive heart,” who helped the people apply the Scriptures to their daily lives. About 600 hundred of her sermons and commentaries on scripture have been preserved, as well as many treatises on the moral and spiritual life, and a very famous book on the priesthood.

His reputation as a preacher and teacher led, against his will, to his election as bishop of Constantinople, the seat of the empire, which was really, at the time, a moral cesspool.  So St. John began to preach once again, calling the people to reform their lives.  Much of this call for moral reform was directed at the imperial court, and this drew the scorn of the empress who was leading a very depraved life and setting a terrible example to the people.  Once, when he preached on the story of Jezebel, the empress took it as a personal insult. So, she began to conspire against John.  She found an ally in the patriarch of Alexandria who was also threatened by John, and had John deposed on trumped up charges and forced into exile.

The people, however, loved John and so he was brought back to Constantinople.  And he didn’t back off.  He continued to preach the truth, to condemn moral depravity and the vanities of the aristocracy and the imperial court.  The powers-that-be were not pleased and sent the bishop again into exile, into such harsh conditions that he would not return. The old exiled bishop died on September 14, 407.
As a seminarian St. John Chrysostom always fascinated and inspired me.  He was called the Golden Tongue because he preached Christ.  And he was able to preach Christ because he knew Him,
because Christ dwelt in his heart.  And that knowledge of Christ came through prayer and the study of the Scriptures. John Chrysostom knew the scriptures and therefore came to a piercing knowledge of our blessed Lord, and was able to communicate Christ’s love and truth to his holy Church.

May we communicate Jesus to all those we meet today, may Christ be on our lips and in our hearts, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.