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.

Ascension 2020 - Don't just stand there

Way back at the beginning of Lent we heard the Gospel story of Jesus going out into the desert, where he fasted and prayed for 40 days. There in the desert, Our Lord prepared emotionally, mentally, and spiritually his public ministry of preaching and teaching, healing, and confronting the error and evil which had crept into jewish religious life—into the hearts of his people. Those 40 days prepared him to embrace His Father’s will, which would culminate with his sacrifice on Calvary.

After his resurrection and prior to his ascension, Our Lord also prepared for 40 days, not so much himself, but he prepared his disciples for their ministry—to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth. St. Luke tells us in our reading from the Acts of the Apostles how Our Lord prepared his disciples: He appeared to them, he presented himself alive to them, he showed them proofs of his suffering and victory over death. And he instructed them, he spoke of the kingdom of God to them, he gave them specific marching orders and also formed them for the Gospel mission to the ends of the earth. And he spoke of their coming baptism in the Holy Spirit, Pentecost.

This time of preparation was vitally important. They would need courage. They would need competency. And they needed the divine life within them. For they would be facing torment, and opposition, and the very powers of hell bent at tearing down all that is holy.

At the end of those 40 days after the resurrection, before their very eyes, St. Luke tells us, Our Lord was lifted up, he ascended. An event which resonated deeply in the early church, for it is recorded in all four Gospels and the book of acts.

And in Acts, immediately following the Lord’s ascension, we read a very interesting detail, it’s almost comical, if not predictable, if you’ve been paying attention to how the apostles typically respond to Jesus’ instructions. Our Lord ascends into heaven, it’s time for the apostles to get to work, and what do they do? Acts tells us, they just stood there, looking intently at the sky.

They were so immobilized that God had to send angels to get them moving again.  “Men, of Galilee, why are you just standing there looking at the sky?” Don’t just stand there, do something. Get to work! 

A few years ago, Pope Francis spoke about how Christians can be alot like those disciples in that moment after the Ascension.  In fact, Pope Francis had some pretty strong words about it. He said, “Christians who stay still, who don’t go forward, are non-Christian Christians...They are slightly ‘paganized’ Christians: (they) who stay still and don’t go forward in their Christian lives, who don’t make the Beatitudes bloom in their lives, who don’t do Works of mercy… they are motionless. Excuse me for saying it,” the Pope said, “but they are like an (embalmed) mummy, a spiritual mummy. There are Christians who are ‘spiritual mummies,’ motionless.  They don’t do evil but they aren’t doing good.”

Pretty strong words! For what is a mummy, but a former human who has become dried-up, devoid of life, stuffed into a casket. Motionless.

Christians are to be so much more than mummies. The Lord said, I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly.  Our Christian faith exists to make us fully alive, to fill us with life and conviction and spiritual gifts for the building-up of the kingdom, but so often, we just stand there, fearful to step forward, afraid of making a mistake, fearful of appearing too Christian. What would our neighbors think if we invited them to church? What would our family members think if we got involved in volunteer work in the parish. What would people think if we took initiative in starting up a prayer group, a bible study?

Fear is certainly one of the great enemies of the spiritual life, fear which mummifies, paralyzes, causes us to stand still in the spiritual life and the work of the Gospel. And yet, we know that great spiritual vibrancy is possible. Up and down the centuries the saints show us what happens when you allow Christian courage and spiritual fecundity to animate one’s life.

I remember when I came face to face with Pope Saint John Paul II when I was living in Rome 16 years ago.  The man had already begun to be crippled from Parkinson’s, and yet, he was bursting with life, the light of Christ radiated from his eyes, the joy of the Gospel and the love he had for the Church bristled in every word. Though his physical life began to fail, his spiritual life thrived. It’s possible, for each one of us, spiritual vibrancy is possible whether in quarantine, in prison or poverty, peacetime or war.

Now, I know, we’ve had a very difficult, very strange Lent and Easter this year. Fear of sickness and disease may have caused us to become a little spiritually paralyzed, spiritually immobile. With eyes agape we’ve gazed for too many hours at television and computer screens. Instead of making our homes places where spiritual life thrives, we’ve made them into mummy’s caskets.

As our parish reopens for weekday mass this week and Pentecost Mass next Sunday, we do well to identify those mummified parts of our lives that need to be re-vivified, those fearful chambers of our hearts that need to be emboldened, the arid parts of our souls that need to be watered. Be generous with God this week as you prepare not only to return to Church, but for the work of the gospel out in the world. For yes, we come to Church, in order to worship and adore our God and Savior, but we come to Church in order to be strengthened and emboldened to go out into the world to preach and to teach, to make disciples, and to baptize, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

1st Week in OT 2019 - Friday - Spiritual Paralysis and the March for Life

The Gospel of the healing of the paralytic is one of those passages that Christians really take to heart and shapes Christian identity. We Christians are to be like the friends of the paralytic: to not only bring others to Jesus, but to go out of our ways, even in dramatic fashion to bring others to Jesus. The friends in the Gospel  climb the roof and lower the paralytic down—that’s how dedicated they were, that’s how much they cared.

Each one of us would do well to think of someone in our life who just seems paralyzed—they are paralyzed because they do not know the healing and love of Jesus Christ. And we should be bringing that person to Jesus in our prayer every day, and asking the Holy Spirit to guide us in how else we are called to bring that person to the Lord.

This morning in our nation’s capital tens of thousands of Christians and people of good-will are marching for those who cannot march for themselves. They are bringing the unborn to the popular consciousness and the consciousness of our politicians to bring about a change of heart. They are marching to bring a national tragedy to an end—an embarrassment to history--the legal allowance to murder unborn babies because they are unwanted by their parents. In a sense, they are marching to heal a national paralysis—the inability to get up and do what is right—to protect innocent life—they are bringing the paralyzed to Jesus, and may they be blessed and protected for their efforts.

Spiritual paralysis can afflict every one of us—when we allow the attitudes and errors of the world to keep us from doing what is right, when we allow spiritual sloth to keep us from prayer, fear to keep us from reaching out to those in need, preoccupation with worldly endeavors to keep us from pursuing the works of God.

May we be committed to bringing others and bringing ourselves to the healing of Jesus, that He may raise us up to walk in the ways of righteousness, justice, goodness and peace, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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

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

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

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, immigrants and refugees, victims of natural disaster, war, and terrorism, for all those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, for their comfort, and the consolation of their families.

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

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord