14th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2023 - Lessons from a Chinese Opium Addict (St. Mark Ji Tianxiang)

 At the turn of the 20th century there was a persecution against Christians in China called the Boxer Rebellion. Now persecutions of Christians in China have been occurring since the 1600s, but unlike former persecutions of Christians which were led by the Chinese government, the Boxer Rebellion was led by a Chinese Secret Society called The Righteous and Harmonious Fists, or the Yi-he-quan. And the Yihequan was basically an anti-foreign, anti-Christian hate group. They believed foreigners and Christians were threats to Chinese society, so Yihequan destroyed foreign owned businesses and property, such as foreign owned railroads and telegraphs. And they hunted down and murdered Christian missionaries and Chinese Christians.

There were about 1000 Christians who were martyred during this persecution, one of whom is honored on July 9, St. Mark Ji Tian-xiang. (Shi-ang)

St. Mark was born in China in 1834. He was a physician who served the poor. But when he himself became seriously sick in his 30s, he began to treat himself with one of the common medicines of that time, opium. But he began to abuse the powerful drug and developed an opium addiction that lasted for decades.  

As a Catholic, St. Mark prayed for deliverance from his addiction, but he kept falling. He would confess his moral failure in the Sacrament of Confession, but even that only provided periods of sobriety, and as the Yihequan began their persecutions access to the Sacrament became impossible. Nevertheless he remained a believing and practicing Catholic. 

During the Boxer Rebellion, St. Mark was captured by the Yi-he-quan and when he was given a chance to renounce his faith in order to save his life, he refused.  It is said that he sang the litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary as he was led to his execution. 

And remember St. Mark died still mired in a vice from which he was never able to completely break free: that crippling addiction to opium. 

No matter how many times he confessed, and no matter how many times he uttered his resolution to amend his life, he continued to fall back into addiction. Those around him, including his family, his friends and even the priest to whom he regularly confessed his sins suspected him of abandoning the desire for conversion. 

And yet…he died a heroic Christian martyr. He professed Christ with his last breath and won the martyrs crown. He is with Christ in heaven. This addict had also cultivated heroic courage and responded to the grace of God in final perseverance.

As St. Mark and his family were dragged to prison to await their execution, his grandson looked fearfully at him. “Grandpa, where are we going?” the grandson asked. To which St. Mark replied, “We’re going home.” St. Mark begged his captors to kill him last so that none of his family would have to die alone. He stood beside all nine of them as they were beheaded; his faith unshaken. 

Those who have struggled with or those who continue to struggle with addiction know that there is a real temptation just to give up trying to overcome the addiction, to give up and give in. But St. Mark reminds us all to persevere in seeking to overcome our vices. As many times as you fall, come back to the Lord. Don’t stop praying for deliverance. Don’t stop going to confession and receiving the Eucharist with the desire for inner healing and freedom. 

In the Second reading, St. Paul s very clear about how the flesh and the Spirit are at war. There is a war between what our body desires, what our flesh desires, and what is good for our soul. Because of Original Sin, we cannot trust that every bodily desire is for our greater good.  We desire too much of what we don’t need, like sin, and too little of what we do need, like prayer. Our body often craves what is sinful, not always, but enough that bodily desires must be discerned.

And St. Paul teaches that there are eternal consequences for living only for those sinful fleshly desires, making an idol of the flesh, where pleasure is first and God is second. “For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

St. Mark Ji Tianxiang didn’t give up. He fell. He relapsed. He disappointed his family and himself. But he persevered in the struggle. That’s what living by the Spirit means. It’s not that we are automatically morally perfect in all of our behaviors just because we are baptized. Living by the Spirit means continuously struggling against those weaknesses of the flesh, repenting when we fall, turning to God for forgiveness, making a firm purpose of amendment to change as we can with God’s help. 

The Lord in the Gospel says, "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you.” You want refreshment in your struggles against the flesh? The Sacrament of Confession is like instant refreshment. You who are burned by the guilt of sin, you can receive instant refreshment. So many people deprive themselves of that beautiful sacrament, that refreshing sacrament, where Jesus is waiting to refresh you, if you would but humble yourself. Confession is such a powerful aid to our sanctification. Every sin might be a failure, but every confession is a victory for God. 

And there may come a time, like in 20th century China when priests were rounded up and forced underground, when that Sacrament—that gift from Jesus himself, isn’t as available as it is right now. With the way modern society is bent on giving up its freedoms these days, and obscuring the message of the Gospel, the Church may have some difficult times ahead in these parts, not to mention the secret and not-so-secret societies which hate the Church and work against her. But even then, it will be okay, because the real fight is always the fight of the Spirit—to seek faithfulness to God when the world’s powers are unleashed.

For those who learn from Jesus, those who become meek and humble of heart like him, even in persecution, will find rest in his presence, in his company, the company of the saints with Christ for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

1st Week of Ordinary Time 2023 - Wednesday - To destroy the works of the Devil

At Christmas we celebrate Christ born to save us from our sins, he was born in order to save. And yet, today’s readings reveal that he came, not just to save, but to destroy. 

Hebrews tells us what exactly Christ was born to destroy. In the incarnation, Jesus took on human flesh, human mortality, “that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the Devil”

The first letter of John says it clearly: “"The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil."

In Mark God’s too, too we find him silencing demons, exorcising demons, putting an end to the stronghold the devil has upon human souls.

But the Lord did not defeat the devil with a physical sword, like a valiant knight in armor slaying a dragon in a fantasy story. Christ destroyed the death dealing Devil by his own death on the cross—his embrace of suffering and death on the cross out of love for you and me. 

The devil’s claim on us is broken, but sadly, that doesn’t stop most of us from inviting him back in, allowing him to take up shop, so to speak, in our lives. But to invite the devil back into one’s life through sin and immorality and error contrary to the Gospel is to lock the shackles back around our hands and feet and necks. 

This is why Hebrews says Jesus came to “free those who had been subject to slavery all their life.” His saving death broke the bonds, the shackles, the chains of slavery. But when we chose to sin, it’s like returning to the former state. 

Ordinary Time reminds us that an ordinary dimension of the Christian life is to root out sin, to cooperate with the grace of God, so that we can be free from those shackles—the sin that dehumanizes us, causes us to tarnish our Christian dignity, causes us to love less than we should, work less than we should, pray less than we should, give to God less than we should, to allow God to have dominion over our lives less than we should. 

Allow the Holy Spirit to help you identify those areas of your life where the devil still has sway, where he’s tempting you to re-enter into a demonic pact, with his empty promises and glamours and lies. For the devil is prowling like a roaring lion, says the letter of st. peter, looking for souls to devour, so resist him, solid in your faith, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

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.

October 2020 - Holy Hour for Priests - The devil hates holy priests

 

While St. Paul was certainly urging all Christians to live in a manner worthy of their calling, those words are certainly on our mind today and this evening as we pray and fast for priests. We pray and fast that they may live in a manner worthy of their calling.

St. Paul makes this urgent plea, because living in a manner worthy of one’s calling is not necessarily easy. It requires real effort for every Christian to practice humility, gentleness, and patience. It requires real effort to resist the temptations to indulge the ego, to lash out in harshness, to make excuses to speak and act impatiently. 

And since this is true for every Christian, it is true for priests. I’m not going to say the Christian life is harder for priests, or that our temptations are more numerous or more intense. But I will say that the devil hates priests and conspires to ruin priests. The devil makes special effort to tempt priests away from their ministry which is so vital to the Church.

Which again, is why, it is so good and important for us to pray for priests, to set aside special times throughout the week and throughout the year, to pray for priests. 

For the devil knows how much damage he can do to the church, to a parish, when he corrupts a priest, or when he wears away at a priest’s fortitude or patience. The devil knows the damage that can be done when a priest becomes discouraged in his vocation. 

And the devil knows just how much damage a good priest can do to the kingdom of evil. The devil once admitted to St. John Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests, that if there were three more priests like him in the world, the kingdom of Satan would be finished. So the devil will do everything he can to discourage priests, to tempt priests into not praying as they should, or obey their bishop as they should.

When priests live in a manner worthy of their calling—they become powerful instruments of God—conduits of grace into the lives of the Christian faithful. When they fail to live up to their calling—they can bring devastation, division, and great scandal.

On behalf of the priests of the Church—both living and deceased—I thank all of you for your prayers and fasting. We are supported, encouraged, protected, and fortified by your prayers in ways you cannot imagine. 

For priests who have caused scandal, we pray for healing. For priests who have lost their faith, we pray for renewal. For priests who have preached heresy, we pray that they may be corrected. For priests who are in mortal sin, we pray for their repentance. And for good priests that have touched our lives, who have brought us the comfort and consolation of the Sacraments, inspiration in their preaching, who have been icons of the Lord Jesus for us, we give thanks. We pray for the sanctification of all priests, that they may be a blessing to the Church, that they may deepen in the gifts they need for ministry and become ever-more effective instruments, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

27th Week of OT 2020 - Friday - Seven demons worse than the first

The Gospels contain many instances of Jesus performing exorcisms—casting out evil spirits. These many instances of exorcism indicate that a primary aspect of Jesus’ ministry is to deliver us from bondage to evil. Why? Because evil dehumanizes us—it defaces our human dignity. The human mind and heart were not made to be dominated by forces like Lust, Pride, Envy, Greed, Wrath, Addiction. 

This is why we often see in the gospels the demon possessed displaying inhuman characteristics. Think of the Garasene demoniac bound in chains like an animal, screaming and gashing himself with stones. Or the possessed boy unable to speak—speech being one of the human faculties which differentiates us from the beasts.

The Lord Jesus, over and over in the Gospels, casts out evil spirits which dehumanize us; He has come to liberate us from the powers of sin and evil which keep us from living in the freedom of the children of God.

Yet, today’s Gospel provides a lesson of paramount importance regarding our liberation through Christ. What do we do once we have been freed from evil. What do we do once we’ve encountered Christ? Once we’ve been baptized? Once we’ve been liberated by Christ in the Sacrament of Confession?

The Lord teaches about a certain danger inherent in the spiritual life. If you do nothing, following your deliverance, it is likely you will be worse off than before your deliverance. It’s like a gardener who pulls up all the weeds from his garden, but then doesn't plant any crops. The weeds grow right back and in great numbers. 

This is why we see so many fallen away Catholics engaging in terrible behavior. Yes, they were freed from evil through baptism. They might have even gone to Catholic School for a while. But falling away from the faith, falling away from the Sacraments, their hearts turn hostile to God, and the begin to justify one sin after another. They stop hungering and thirsting for righteousness, and end up settling for so much less. Even priests, bishops, consecrated religious, can end up in terrible spiritual states because they begin to justify sin. It's usually through the cracks of pride--that these new demons enter our lives.

Rather, we need to always be pressing forward in the spiritual life—seeking growth, cultivating and making use of the spiritual gifts, as St. Peter writes, growing in grace and the knowledge of Our Lord. There are no plateau’s in the spiritual life, we are either pushing forward, climbing the mountain, growing in holiness, or we are falling back into old sinful habits or forming new ones. And those new ones might be worse than the old ones. 

The Lord wishes to produce abundant life in us, to perfect his love in us, to complete his joy in us. But we must cooperate daily, repent daily, humble ourselves daily, exert effort daily to grow in grace for the glory of God and salvation of souls. 

 

That the clergy and the lay faithful may be vigilant against the tactics of the enemy to corrupt and destroy the Church, for a purification from all corruption within the Body of Christ. Let us pray to the Lord.

That world leaders may look upon the Son of God, believe in him, and seek the peace and justice that only he can bring.

That our young people may take seriously the missionary call of Christ, that they will turn away from the evils of our culture to spread the good news of Christ’s eternal kingdom.

For all whose lives are marked by suffering may come to know the healing and peace of Christ.

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 OT 2019 - Tuesday - Binding Evil Spirits and Liberating Captives

On the first weekday of Ordinary Time yesterday, we heard the call of the disciples.  Jesus’ call of his first followers is followed by his first miraculous work in Mark’s Gospel: an exorcism—reminding us that Christ has come to do battle with Satan, to dismantle the powers of darkness, and to unbind those who are bound by evil.

This whole drama takes place while Jesus is teaching in a synagogue. And this demon begins to disrupt Jesus, the works of the devil disrupt, hinder, thwart the work of God. The demon is called an “unclean spirit”. Why are they called “unclean”? “Unclean” is an Old Testament term for a person or thing that is ritually defiled and therefore prohibited from taking part in worship. A demon is an angel that has been cast out of heaven due to its refusal to worship God. And the unclean spirits seek to separate us eternally from the worship of God as well.

“I know who you are–the Holy One of God!” The unclean spirit claims hidden knowledge of Jesus’ identity, a frequent tactic of the demons in the Gospel. But if it intends to catch Jesus off guard, or to gain some control over him, their attempt is futile. For Christ commands them ”Quiet!, phimōthēti” one of the coolest Greek words, literally, “be muzzled”. Imagine leather straps binding, muzzling, the mouth of an ox. Having been muzzled, the unclean spirit shows one last act of defiance by convulsing the man, but helpless before Jesus’ word of command, the demon departs.

Day two of Ordinary Time, and we get a glimpse of the battlefield. Jesus has come to drive out the unclean from our lives, all that defiles human dignity and to restore us to the right worship of God, that we may worship and live “in spirit and in truth”. We do well to study God’s word and study  our catechism: so much uncleanness is cast out when we are exposed to and believe God’s truth. And most likely the undisciplined parts of our egos need to be muzzled, in order to be brought under the direction of the Holy Spirit.

The Lord also desire to use us as his instruments for binding evil in the world, for setting captives free. May we be ambassadors of his truth, his goodness, his power, and his love today for all we meet, 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.

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.

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

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

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

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

September 29 2017 - Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels - Protectors of the Human Race and the Church

When we started using the new translation of the missal in 2011, one of my favorite changes was the mention of the different choirs of angels in the Eucharistic prefaces: “with angels and archangels, with throne and dominions and with the hosts and powers of heaven, we sing the hymn of your glory.”  Angels, archangels, thrones, dominions and powers are among the different choirs of angels, along with the cherubim, seraphim, principalities, and virtues.

The number of angels is nearly countless. Each human being ever having lived has been given a guardian angel to watch over them. We do not know the names of even our own guardian angels who watch over our every breath, but we do know the names of three of the archangels from the holy scriptures:

Archangel Michael, who is revealed to be the special protector of the people of Israel in the book of Daniel, and who is named as a sort of general of the angelic host in its warfare against the devil in the book of Revelation.

Archangel Gabriel also appears in Daniel’s vision, announcing God’s plan to lay-low the works of the Devil. On behalf of God, Gabriel sought the consent of the Blessed Virgin of Nazareth in bearing the Messiah who would bring the definitive defeat of Enemy of God through the cross.

Archangel Raphael accompanies, in the Old Testament book of Tobit, Tobit’s son Tobias on a very hazardous journey. Along the way, Raphael cures Tobit of blindness and drives away the demon Azazel who had been tormenting Tobias’ bride-to-be, Sarah. He also helps to restore the family fortune.

In the Eucharistic Preface for today’s Mass we hear how “the honor we pay the angelic creatures in whom God delights redounds to God’s own surpassing glory.” When we honor the angels, we honor God.   And since God has placed the angels as helpers of the human race, we ought to make use of their help, by invoking them, and by imitating their virtues.

Pope Leo XIII encouraged us to invoke particularly, Archangel Michael as a protector of Holy Mother Church and whenever the action of the Devil is suspected, spiritually or physically harming someone, causing violent temptations, storms or other calamities.

Pope Leo XIII lived in a time when Masonic, godless, anti-clerical, anti-church forces were congregating in Europe which were not only spreading error, but raising arms against Catholic populations. It is well known that Pope Leo was granted a vision of the supernatural and demonic forces which spurned this hatred for Catholicism, a vision in which the devil was given great sway over the earth during the 20^th century. And so he composed the St. Michael prayer, which was to be invoked for the protection of the Church. We will pray this prayer together at the conclusion of Mass, as was done for decades following Pope Leo’s vision.

We invoke the archangels and we seek to imitate their virtues, so that we may always know their protection, that we may be found like them to be cooperators with the holy will of God, that we may be found, like them, blameless in His sight, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For Pope Francis, Bishop Perez, and all Church leaders, that they may guide the Church to be strong in faith and generous in offering works of mercy to those in need. We pray to the Lord.

Through the intercession of St. Raphael may all who suffer from loneliness or sickness know the healing graces of our loving God.  We pray to the Lord.

Through the intercession of St. Gabriel, may God’s strength be with all those who work for the Spread of the Gospel.  We pray to the Lord.

Through the intercession of St. Michael, may all who are persecuted for the faith be protected against the wickedness and snares of the devil.  We pray to the Lord.

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. We pray.

Heavenly Father, may our prayers rise like a pleasant fragrance before you and be brought to your altar on high through the hands of your holy angels. Through Christ Our Lord.

Thursday - 21st Week of OT 2017 - Christian Vigilance

Jesus speaks with serious urgency in the Gospel about the need to remain vigilant. “Stay awake”, “keep alert”, “remain vigilant”, for the thief comes when you least expect Him. Preparedness, readiness, vigilance, these are virtues that become more and more prevalent towards the end of the liturgical year, when many of the Scripture readings speak of the second coming of Christ and the final judgment. And yet, Christian vigilance is an important virtue for the whole year, and the whole of life.

Scripture speaks often about vigilance. St. Peter tells us to be “sober and alert, for our adversary the devil, prowls like a lion, seeking souls to devour”. Proverbs tells us to watch over our hearts diligently, St. Paul writes to the Colossians to “keep alert in an attitude of thanksgiving” by devoting ourselves to prayer, and to the Corinthians he writes to “Be on alert, stand firm in the faith.”
Vigilance, preparedness, watchfulness, readiness are important: they keep us rooted in reality, they keep us humble, they keep us reliant on the grace of God.

We are to be vigilant against sin. As St. Peter says, the devil is always lurking, always prowling. He attacks us at our weakest points, and often comes as an angel of light, making sin look good, and goodness look too hard. Temptation can come in many forms, and we need to be always ready to resist, by strengthening our wills through penance and mortification. “Keep watch and pray”, the Lord says, “that you may not enter into temptation.”

We are to be vigilant in prayer. Prayer should be as second nature to Christians as breathing. Always ready to thank God, always ready to seek God’s help in times of need, always ready to praise God for his mighty works. We also need to be vigilant while we prayer. We know how easy it is to be distracted in prayer. So we ask the Holy Spirit to help us pray, for we do not know how to pray as we ought.

We need to be vigilant for the coming of the Lord and our final judgment, by confessing our sins in the Sacrament of Confession.

And we need to be vigilant for the inspirations of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. The Lord wishes to use us for his Holy Will, and we need to remain ready to be used by Him, led and guided by Him. Many Christians are not ready, they are not prepared, they are not vigilant. The Lord wishes to use us to wake them up!

May the Holy Spirit, through the grace of the Eucharist we celebrate today, help us to remain vigilant against all sin, alert in prayer, and prepared to serve the Lord through works of mercy, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For Bishop Nelson Perez, in these final days of preparation for his installation as Bishop of Cleveland. We pray to the Lord.

That our elected representatives and all civil servants may respond faithfully to the greatest needs of our nation. We pray to the Lord.

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of August: “That artists of our time, through their ingenuity, may help everyone discover the beauty of creation.” We pray to the Lord.

For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster and inclement weather, especially the people of Houston Texas, those who suffer from war, violence, and terrorism, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, and the imprisoned, for those who struggle to live the call of Christian chastity, for the comfort of the dying and the consolation of their families.

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

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.

14th Sunday of OT 2017 - "Come to me...and I will give you rest"

Amidst all the burdens, hardships, illnesses, setbacks, and tragedies of life: are there any words in the Scriptures more comforting than those we heard today: “come to me, all you who are weary, and I will give you rest…for I am gentle, and humble of heart.”

This Gospel passage is often chosen for the Catholic funeral rites. Family members often choose this Gospel for the funeral of a loved one who passed after a long illness: in death, earthly suffering comes to an end; and the Christian soul who dies with Christ as their Lord rests as they await the resurrection.

This Gospel is also used for the celebration of the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is surely a sacrament of comfort. In serious illness we experience powerlessness, limitation, suffering, and often fear. And through this great Sacrament Jesus, makes his comforting presence known, the divine physician comes to the bedside of his faithful ones, to bring the comforting knowledge of his presence and his grace to help us bear our serious illnesses.

Some of you may remember that before the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, this Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick was often called “last rites” or “extreme unction” as the sacrament would be celebrated as close to the time of death as possible. With Vatican II came a renewed understanding: this Sacrament is to be received, not just near death, but any time our health is seriously impaired by sickness or old age. We should really seek this Sacrament at the beginning of a serious illness.

Our Catholic hospitals have a priest chaplain who is able to celebrate this sacrament with you, and arrangements can be made with those hospitals. If you are going to be undergoing serious surgery, we can schedule to celebrate this sacrament a few days prior. If you have a family member who has fallen away from the Church who has taken seriously ill, you should pray for them and encourage them to send for a priest.

Throughout the Gospels, the sick came to Jesus for healing, he sent his apostles to heal the sick, to anoint the sick and lay hands on them. And St. James even writes, “let the sick send for the priests of the Church, and let the priests pray over them, anointing them with oil”

God has brought about miraculous healing through Holy Anointing, but particularly in cases of terminal illness, the Lord certainly brings about spiritual strengthening and comfort through this Sacrament. So, if you or a family are diagnosed with a serious illness, call the priests early on, the Sacraments can be celebrated to bring healing, comfort and peace.

Not just through Holy Anointing, but in all the Sacraments Jesus brings comfort. Through baptism we gain the peace of knowing that we belong to God. Through Eucharist, the peace of knowing that we remain in communion with God, and God loves us and feeds us with what our souls most desperately need. Through Confession we hear some of the most comforting words that can ever be spoken in this life: “Your sins are forgiven”.

We do not have a God who remains distant. The Gospel today is clear, Jesus invites us close to Himself. Every Sacrament is an encounter with Christ who lives, who has conquered sin and death, who loves us, and wants to help us become the people God made us to be.

Whether you haven’t prayed in years, have fallen away from the practice of weekly mass, if you’ve skipped out on your catechism classes, or have committed sins that are gravely embarrassing, if you are Jewish, Muslim, or struggling with Atheism, Jesus makes that invitation to each of us: “Come to me, come to me” He’s not speaking to some else, he’s speaking to you. So many of us, are so exhausted and unhappy because we fail to go to Jesus when we should. We fail to develop the sort of prayer life that truly nourishes because we think we can handle the difficulties of life on our own.

Jesus invites us to turn away from our self-importance and walk to into the embrace of his arms, to turn from our sins and walk toward his mercy, to turn away from our doubts and to walk toward the Truth, to turn away from our fears and to walk toward the source of all courage and strength.

Jesus’ words today are certainly words of comfort and invitation, but they are also words of challenge. To whom do you go for refreshment, to whom do you go peace, where do you really place your trust?

Do you go to the bottle, or do you go to Him? Do you go to your credit cards, or do you go to Him? Do you go to the gossip circle, to the perverted internet sites, or to Him? Do you seek follow to the lame examples of professional athletes and Hollywood elites, or seek to follow Him?

Not all that glitters is gold, not all that promises rest and peace, can actually provide it.

Our secular culture offers a million and one alternatives to Jesus.  But Jesus says, come to ME.  Don’t turn to overindulging in food, in drink, don’t go to sexual perversion, or take out your frustrations and anger against your family or neighbor, don’t turn to those million OTHER things, come to ME, Jesus says.

Sometimes temptation comes in the form of a little voice urging us to seek consolation in one of those million other things, THAT’S NOT THE VOICE OF GOD.  There is an enemy who speaks with a persuasive tongue, who does not want us to turn to Jesus in prayer and obey our True Lord.  It’s the voice that says, you don’t need to pray, what you really need is the pill, the drink, the website, or the entire carton of chocolate ice cream.

Every Christian is engaged in spiritual warfare, and the enemy will use all the means at his disposal, including the goods of the earth, to lead us away from Christ, who desires to keep us from entering in Christ’s eternal rest.

Today, Jesus invites us to come to Him once again, amidst all the competing voices. At this Holy Eucharist let us renew our trust and faith in him, to recommit to the healthy spiritual practices, prayer, fasting, right judgment and discernment, that we may live this week in his peace that we may live with Him in eternally for the glory of God and salvation of souls.