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.

13th Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Monday - Follow Him Wherever, However, Whenever

 The Gospel this morning should sound familiar. Our Gospel reading yesterday, for the 13th Sunday in ordinary time contained St. Luke’s account of a few of responses to follow Him after the Lord resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem

This morning we heard St. Matthew’s account of a few of these responses.

For Luke, the half-hearted, misguided responses to the invitation to discipleship were in reaction to setting his face toward the cross. “I will follow you wherever you go” would have to include the cross. 

In Matthew’s version, this morning, the responses were in reaction to the Lord preparing to get in a boat and crossing to the other side of the shore of the Sea of Galilee. And this is significant. He was not setting his face to Jerusalem so much as he was setting his face to the Decapolis, a largely Gentile settlement. This crossing of the sea here would separate the boys from the men, in a sense, dividing the only nominally interested crowd from the true disciples who were willing to leave their homes and follow Jesus into foreign lands. 

This incident is certainly a foreshadowing of the Great Commission in which the Lord sends his apostles to the all the ends of the earth to preach and teach and baptize. True disciples will have to go much farther into Gentile territory than just the other side of the sea of Galilee!

In today’s passage two men express their desire to go with Jesus, but one exhibits naïve enthusiasm and the other procrastination.

The first says he will follow the Lord wherever he goes, but Jesus warns that true discipleship entails a radical change in lifestyle. To follow the master is to imitate his total willingness to go wherever his Father sends—and so the disciple may be called to an austere itinerate ministry just like Jesus. Are you willing to truly go wherever you are sent by God? The answer must be yes.

The second man in response to the invitation to discipleship offers an excuse—he points to his familial obligations—a son’s responsibility at home to care for his aging father, the son’s duty in the Jewish burial custom of reburying his father’s bones one year after his father’s death. But the Lord says, “let the dead bury the dead”—true discipleship transcends familial obligations. Discipleship is the higher priority. Don’t put off discipleship because of attachments or earthly responsibilities—even good ones like family. 

This Gospel certainly causes us to examine our priorities, our attachments, and our excuses. Am I open and willing to follow the Lord wherever, whenever, however, he may call me? Out of my comfort zone? Am I willing to have my priorities readjusted by God? May the Holy Spirit continue to shape and form us in our Christian Discipleship for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For the flourishing of spiritual gifts in the universal Church and our parish, for the sanctification of our parishioners, the conversion of the faithless, and the grace to be instruments of unwavering hope, mercy, love and compassion for all people. {Cantor will sing}

May Immaculate Mary, Mother of the Church, graciously help us to build a culture of life and a civilization of love, together with all people of good will, to the praise and glory of God, the Creator and Lover of Life. {Cantor will sing}

For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life, for a strengthening of all marriages, and for single Catholics’ devotion to good works for the kingdom of God. {Cantor will sing}

For those experiencing any kind of hardship or sorrow, isolation, addiction, or disease: may they know God’s strength and peace and the assistance of the Christian people. {Cantor will sing}

That those who have died may share the eternal life that Jesus promised to those who believe in Him; for the deceased members of our family and friends, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, and for…

2nd Week of Easter 2022 - Wednesday - Authentic Christian Belief

Belief. The word belief is found almost 100 times in St. John’s gospel. After Jesus’ first miracle, the wedding at Cana, John’s notes how the disciples “began to believe in Him.”  After the Lord cured the royal official’s son, John records how the official “and his whole household came to believe.”  

John explains the very purpose of his Gospel when he says: all these things are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.”

And in today’s passage, we hear, what is likely the most popular verse of St. John’s Gospel: “God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.

The Gospel today is clear: belief in Jesus has eternal consequences. By belief in Him we are saved from perishing. But belief is much more than intellectual assent, holding a certain fact as true in our minds. Belief needs to shape our lives, affect our behaviors, animate our decisions.

Faith however is not just holding an idea “just in case”—you know, just in case there is a God and hell is real, I’ll believe that Jesus was sort of a real important person. When St. John’s Gospel uses the word “belief” he’s talking about the very opposite of such a superficial, surface-level insurance policy. 

Belief that Jesus is the only-begotten Son of God must be the fundamental orientation of our whole existence. The Christian must weigh every decision and every attitude against this belief. 

By belief in Jesus we are to seek detachment from all that would keep us from communion with God, any activity which is profane to God. Belief cries out to Jesus to save us from all that keeps us from becoming the people God made us to be. Belief seeks constant contact with the living God through the religious tenants, divine commandments, sacred rituals, and life of prayer proposed by the Church Christ Himself founded while still on earth.

We do well to examine our lives today: what is hindering Christian belief from shaping my daily life, what can I do to better cultivate Christian belief in my daily habits and routines?

May our belief in Jesus risen from the dead continue to transform all that we say and do for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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Filled with Paschal joy, let us turn earnestly to God, to graciously hear our prayers and supplications.

For the shepherds of our souls, the pope, bishops, and clergy, that they may govern wisely the flock entrusted to them by the Good Shepherd, leading the Church in the increase in faith, hope, and love.

For the whole world, that it may truly know the peace of the Risen Christ.

That our parish may bear witness with great confidence to the Resurrection of Christ, and that the newly initiated hold fast to the faith they have received. 

For our brothers and sisters who suffer, that their sorrow may be turned to gladness through the Christian faith.

That all of our beloved dead and all the souls in purgatory may come to the glory of the Resurrection.

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

8th Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Monday - "What must I do to inherit eternal life?"

 

“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 

One of the great concern many priests and probably many of you have is that fewer and fewer people seem to be concerned with this question: young people, our family members, over 80% of Catholics who aren’t even going to Church on Sundays anymore. What happened? What changed?

It’s certainly one of the symptoms of the secularism and materialism of our age: this indifference to eternity. Many ask questions  like, “what must I do to get into Harvard, what must I do to be a famous athlete, what must I do to make my first million by the age of 30?” Maybe, many people do not even have a driving question.

This man in the Gospel today, he had this driving question. So much so, notice, St. Mark tells us, that he runs up to Jesus, he falls to his knees, to ask this question. 

Perhaps so few are asking about eternity because so much information is available at our fingertips now. People figure, well, when the time comes to start asking ultimate questions, I can just look up the answer on the internet. Perhaps, they are so caught up into the trivial, they don’t even think to concern themselves with what comes next.

Or, perhaps, they have thought about eternity, and instead of turning to God for answers, they’ve concluded that, well, eternal life is a guarantee, everybody goes to heaven.

And that would make things everything easier. Rich, poor, religiously devout, religiously neglectful, everyone goes to heaven. I’ve come across this belief among many Catholics. 

But this answer is at odds with what Jesus teaches in the Gospel. There are a lot of things that can keep us from heaven. “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.” And that’s just one situation. Read through the Gospels, and note how many times Jesus uses the word “unless”. Unless you do this, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. “Unless you become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” “Unless you are born again by water and the holy spirit, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” “Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood” and so on.

The young man went away sad in the Gospel, because the Son of God told him that unless he gave up his love of possessions he couldn’t go to heaven. Many refuse to ask that ultimate question, what must I do to inherit eternal life” because they are unwilling to face that “unless”. For some people, it’s just easier to provide their own answer, write their own Gospel—an anti-Gospel—where can have your cake and eat it to, where you can have heaven without having to change anything about yourself on earth. I’m already perfect is the great anti-Gospel of our age. Because why would you need God if you’re already perfect?

In a few days we begin the great season of Lent, a time for us to acknowledge what in us, in our attitudes and behaviors and attachments need to be given up, in order to be perfected by God. The world is confounded by this, those who already believe themselves perfect, can’t imagine why we would do penance. But God work through our penances to bring about a change of heart for those who live the anti-Gospel, that all hearts may come to long and seek the life that can only come from Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For “an immediate end to the hostilities in Ukraine, for a restoration of peace and for the safety of all Ukrainian citizens. And for the Ukrainian community in Northeast Ohio, that their friends and family members in their beloved homeland be kept out of harm’s way.”

That the upcoming season of Lent may be a time of profound renewal for our parish and the Church as we engage in the penitential practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

For the conversion of those who reject the Gospel, for grace to break through to hearts hardened toward God, for the protection of young people from the errors and perversions of our culture.

For those who struggle because of addiction, mental illness, chronic sickness, unemployment, inclement weather, or ongoing trials of any kind.

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

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

February 14 2022 - Sts Cyril & Methodius (& Valentine) - Missionaries filled with charity

 Up until the reforms of Vatican II, today was the feast of St. Valentine. Valentine was a priest in 3rd century Rome. For being a Christian he was arrested, beaten, and beheaded, but not before he converted his jailor by performing a miracle of healing—Valentine cured the jailor’s daughter from blindness. 

Six centuries later, two Christian blood-brothers from Greece were impelled by the love of Christ and for souls to leave their native land to bring the Gospel to the Slavic people. Cyril and Methodius were tireless in laboring for the Gospel, even developing an entirely new alphabet, the Slavanic alphabet, also known as the Cyrillic Alphabet, named after St. Cyril—a new alphabet so that the Scriptures could be read by the Slavic people, and the Mass be celebrated in their language.

To celebrate both St. Valentine and Sts. Cyril and Methodius, it would be entirely appropriate to send someone a Valentine’s Card written in ancient Slavanic. 

And yet, Cyril and Methodius and Saint Valentine teach us that the greatest Valentine we can give to someone is to help them to know the love of Jesus Christ. Teaching them to read the great love letter from God, the Holy Scriptures, and to show them what it looks like for a soul to love God more than he loves himself.

These three holy men are powerful models for all of us, called to enter into the lives of strangers, in order to help them to know Christ. Cyril and Methodius developed an entire alphabet to help strangers know Christ. What will we do today? For the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For all Christians whose love for God and neighbor has grown lukewarm or has been compromised by serious sin, that the virtue of charity may be rekindled, and that all Christians may develop missionary hearts.

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

For the hungry, sick, lonely, and heartbroken, for cures to disease and relief for the poor. 

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.

February 11 2022 - Our Lady of Lourdes - Why Lourdes?

 164 years ago today, the Virgin Mary began appearing to a poor peasant girl in a small village called Lourdes in France. The Virgin identified herself as the Immaculate Conception — an article of faith that had been proclaimed by the pope only four years earlier.

There was no way this 14-year-old peasant girl living in that isolated village could have known about that teaching. That was the first proof for the authenticity of the apparitions. Then came the miraculous cures from a mysterious fountain that had never been seen before.

Lourdes today is one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in the world. Thousands upon thousands come year-round to pray and wash in the healing waters. Hundreds more come for weeks at a time as volunteers, to help the sick who come in search of healing.

Crutches line the walls of the grotto, left behind by those who have been cured of physical ailments. Hundreds more have been cured psychologically and spiritually.

Why did God will that Lourdes become this internationally recognized place of miraculous healing? Perhaps to put a divine stamp of approval on the Church’s declaration of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Perhaps, also to show all of us the benefit of turning to Our Lady for healing. 

164 years ago, the world was already beginning to change due to technological advancements, advancements which come at mind-blowing rapidity today. Lourdes certainly reminds the changing world that God is greater than all the technological wonders, that He is the Lord of Creation. And that he does intervene in human history. He is still with us. He does not abandon the sick or forget the downtrodden. And to obtain the grace he desires for us, we must, in the words of Our Lady in the Gospel today, “do whatever he tells you.” For the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That Our Lady may help cleanse the Church of all evil and to bring sinners and unbelievers to God. 

That all government leaders may be awakened to the supreme dignity of each human life, and that all people of our nation may work together for an end to the culture of death. 

That through Immaculate Mary, Queen of Peace, hatred, violence, and cruelty will cease in the world.  

On this world day of prayer for the sick, we pray that those suffering from illness or chronic disease may draw strength, consolation, and healing by turning to Our Lady, who intercedes for us from her place in heaven. 

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

We pray, O Lord our God, that the Virgin Mary, who merited to bear God and man in her chaste womb, may commend the prayers of your faithful in your sight. Through Christ our Lord.

February 8 2022 - St. Josephine Bakhita - International Day of Prayer Against Human Trafficking

 Born to a wealthy Sudanese family in the Darfur region of Southern Sudan, Josephine was kidnapped at the age of nine by slave traders and given the name Bakhita, which means fortunate.   Over the next decade she was sold several times and was forced to endure repeated humiliations and beatings.  One of her owners was particularly sadistic and scarred her for life by cutting her with a razor blade and salting the wounds.

She was finally bought by a public servant who turned her over to a family who employed her as a nanny in Italy where slavery was illegal.  

Treated by the family with kindness, Josephine became acquainted with the Catholic faith, and after religious instruction, she was received into the church.

Several years later she joined the daughters of Charity, also known as the Canossian sisters in Italy.  She became known for her gentle presence and her willingness to undertake any task.

On May 17, 1992, Josephine Bakhita was beatified by Pope John Paul II and was proclaimed Saint on October 1, in the Jubilee year 2000.

During his homily at her canonization Mass in St. Peter's Square, Pope John Paul II said that in St. Josephine Bakhita, "We find a shining advocate of genuine emancipation. The history of her life inspires not passive acceptance but the firm resolve to work effectively to free girls and women from oppression and violence, and to return them to their dignity in the full exercise of their rights."  Slavery and human trafficking continue even in our present age, and through the intercession of today’s saint, we pray for its complete abolishment.  Today in fact is the International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking.

St. Josephine is a model of virtue and holiness for all of us. Her life speaks of the value of forgiveness, reconciliation and love, for in her heart she overcame feelings of hatred for those who had harmed her. So much so, that she came to say, “The whole of my life has been God’s gift

She also learned from the tragic events of her life to have complete trust in the Almighty who can bring goodness out of evil, and even in the evils that we suffer can bring about a greater good in us. 

May we join our prayers and steadfast works with St. Josephine, contributing to righting all injustices, and may we imitate her virtues of forgiveness, compassion, and self-donation for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For all of those children, women and men currently trapped in situations of slavery, that God will help to liberate them from their chains. Let us pray to the Lord.

For all those vulnerable to being trafficked, especially immigrants and refugees, orphans and runaways that God give them safe passage and safe homes, we pray to the Lord. Let us pray to the Lord.

For the conversion of all who perpetuate slavery, human trafficking, child prostitution and evils against humanity. Let us pray to the Lord.

That all government leaders and lawmakers will recognize the dignity of every human person and, free from all corruption, work for the development of all peoples. Let us pray to the Lord.

For our departed loved ones and all of the souls in purgatory, and for N. for whom this Mass is offered. Let us pray to the Lord.

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

5th Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Monday - Running to Christ with Urgency

 As we’ve considered before, there are a lot of reactions to Jesus in the Gospels. Some keep their distance, conspiring against him from the shadows. Some insult him or become riled at his words. 

This morning we hear how crowds run toward him. They don’t just saunter, they run. Not the first time or last time in this Gospel people run to him. Not many people I would run to see. 

People ran because they were powerfully drawn to the Lord. They saw that he was able to heal and to teach them, and it attracted them. They earnestly longed for what he offered: words of hope and comfort, revelation about the love of the Father, and the power of the humble, surrendered life. When news of his arrival hit their ears, there was an urgency to go and meet him. 

The Christian should experience a similar urgency on a daily basis. An urgency to spend time with the Lord in prayer and to bring to him the needs of our loved ones. An urgency to learn about our faith so that it can be shared and explained to others. An urgency to engage in works of charity when the opportunity arises. An urgency to repent if we’ve fallen into sin. Time is short and we should seek him while he may be found. As the old poem goes: “This earthly life is quickly past; only what’s done for Christ will last.”

We can lose the sense of urgency when we begin to live for creature comforts. “I don’t want to do anything to upset me from being comfortable. I can pray tomorrow, do my spiritual reading tomorrow, go to confession next week.” But to quote playwriter Meredith Wilson, “You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays.”

If we have lost the sense of urgency in our spiritual life, we do well to take the time and make the effort to rekindle that flame. Priests take a yearly spiritual retreat to keep that flame going. A spiritual retreat can never hurt. The upcoming season of Lent is like a retreat for the whole Church, to strip away the creature comforts, in order to rekindle the urgency for the spiritual life, the urgency to run to Christ.

May the Holy Spirit assist us in identifying all that keeps us from running to Christ with urgency every day, and to have the courage to divest ourselves to those obstacles in the spiritual life, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

That the bishops of the Church will act as true prophets through their faithful teaching, their courageous witness, and their self-sacrificing love. Let us pray to the Lord.

That government leaders around the world may carry out their duties with justice, honesty, and respect for freedom and the dignity of human life.  Let us pray to the Lord.

For the grace to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, to love our neighbors and enemies and those who persecute us, and to share the truth of the Gospel with all.  Let us pray to the Lord.

For all those who share in the sufferings of Christ—the sick, the sorrowful, and those who are afflicted or burdened in any way, especially by inclement winter weather, storms, and natural disasters.  Let us pray to the Lord.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for the deceased clergy and religious of the diocese of Cleveland, for the poor souls in purgatory, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. Let us pray to the Lord.

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.

February 2 2022 - Feast of the Presentation - Canticles of Light

There are three canticles from the infancy narratives of Luke that are prayed every single day by the Church as part of the liturgy of the hours. 

The first canticle in the infancy narratives was sung by Zechariah on the occasion of the birth of his son, John the Baptist. Every morning, in the liturgy of the hours, the Church prays this canticle of Zechariah: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and set them free.”  The language of the Canticle of Zechariah reads like an Old Testament prophecy, speaking of the salvation yet to come…

The second canticle in the infancy narratives was sung by Mary on the occasion of her visitation to Elizabeth.  The Church lovingly prays Mary’s Canticle--her Magnificat—every day during evening prayer.  Our Lady’s Canticle also borrows from the Old Testament canticle of Hannah, who also foreshadows our Lady, singing of being made the mother of a child who would become God’s instrument for salvation—Hannah being the mother of the prophet Samuel, and Our Lady being the Mother of Salvation Himself.

The third canticle in the infancy narratives, we heard at the conclusion of today’s Gospel—the Canticle of the temple priest Simeon, called often, the Nunc dimittis because it begins in the Latin: Nunc dimittis servum tuum Domine, secundum verbum tuum in pace. Now, Master, let your servant go in peace, according to your word.  Simeon’s Canticle is sung in the very last hour of the day in the Church’s Night prayer.  

A fourth canticle from the infancy narratives isn’t prayed every day, but only on feast days. The great song of joy—the gloria in excelsis Deo—the angelic canticle at the birth of the Son of God.

But again, the Canticle of Simeon, sung at the end of the day, every day, is found in the gospel for today’s feast, the Presentation which, in the old calendar concluded the Christmas Season. Simeon, having waited his whole life to glimpse the savior, now can die in peace. And Simeon acknowledges that the Christ child is a light, not just for the Jews for the Gentiles, for the whole world.

The light of Christ is to shine in the Church not just during the Christmas season, but always. His light is to be visible, manifest, and encountered in the choices, attitudes, and behaviors of the members of His Church.  

Today is a good day for reflecting on the many ways the light of Christ shines in your life, like Simeon thanking God for the Christ Child. Thank God today for the truth, the beauty, the goodness you’ve experienced. Thank God for the people, parents, grandparents, teachers, priests and religious, who shared the light of faith with you, and pray for them, especially those who’ve passed into eternity. 

Also, today ask God to help you see ways he might be calling you to share his light with others, with the next generation, with people in whose life the light of God has grown dim, with non-believers.

Zechariah, once blind, saw the light slowly beginning to rise, and sang a canticle of praise. Our Lady, also, witnessed the light break into her life, shared that light with her cousin, and sang. Angles sang of the light of Christ at his saving birth. And Simeon, as his life neared its end, sang of that light, which gave him so much hope for heaven and the salvation of the world.

May our life become a song of praise, a song of light, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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On this special day of prayer for the consecrated religious, we pray that those consecrated to God by the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience may live their baptismal promises more intensely and have the grace to persevere in their commitment to the Lord and serve with open hearts and willing spirits. And in gratitude for the consecrated religious who have served this parish and our diocese, for an increase in vocations to the consecrated life. 

During this Catholic Schools week, for all young people, for their teachers and catechists and parents who are the first teachers of the faith, and that the truth of the faith may be learned, cherished, and practiced in every Catholic school and Christian home.

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

4th Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Tuesday - Identifying obstacles to faith

 In our Gospel passage this last Sunday, we heard of the people of Nazareth reacting with great hostility to Jesus’ proclamation. They doubt his claim to be the Messiah, minimizing the possibility by asserting that he is merely the son of a carpenter. Then when he challenged them for hardening their hearts against him, they seized him to throw him over a cliff.

Today’s Gospel contains three different reactions to Jesus.

Jairus, a man of considerable eminence in hos own town, approached Jesus and fell at His feet, asking in faith for him to heal his daughter. In the incident that followed, when Jesus asked who had touched him, the hemorrhaging woman also approached and fell at his feet, her faith a conduit for healing. The servants of Jairus’ household, on the other hand, approach Jesus, and show little faith, doubting Jesus possessed the power necessary to save the little girl. 

Hem Of His Garment is a painting by Wayne Pascall 

I think the Gospels highlight so many different reactions of Jesus to help us identify how we are reacting to him. Maybe there were points in our life when we do react to him like the people in Nazareth, wanting to silence Him by all means necessary. Maybe, now, after coming to faith, we fluctuate. There are moments where we fall down at his feet in worship like Jairus, we reach out to the hem of his garment to be healed like the woman with the hemorrhage, and maybe sometimes, even after following him, even after hearing what he has done over and over, working miracles, delivering souls from evil, we still doubt he has the power to save us. Our faith fluctuates. Why?

What did Jairus have that we do not have? That’s important to identify. Personally. If there was something keeping you from that level of faith, isn’t important to identify it? Because whatever it is, it might be hindering the healing power of Jesus to be unleashed in my family or in my life.

Is it an attachment to sin? Is it a failure to practice self-discipline in my prayer life? Is it laziness? Is it my ego that defies the need for savior, that insists on trying to save itself?

During Ordinary Time, seeking to identify the things, the attitudes, the behaviors, that keep us from perfect faith, or at least, growing in faith, is to be an ordinary part of our meditations and self-reflections. Thanks be to God, our daily scriptures, once again, help us to identify the path of life, and wholeness, and healing, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For a deeper openness to God’s will, readiness for service, attentiveness to those in need, endurance to do the will of God, and peace in our world and our hearts.  

During this Catholic Schools week, for all young people, for their teachers and catechists and parents who are the first teachers of the faith, and that the truth of the faith may be learned, cherished, and practiced in every Catholic school and Christian home.

For the discipline necessary to resist temptation and to cultivate the virtues of faith, hope, and love. 

For those who struggle because of addiction, discouragement, mental illness, chronic sickness, unemployment, or ongoing trials of any kind.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, For the deceased members of our family, friends, and parish, for the souls in purgatory and for…N. for whom this mass is offered.

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

January 26 2022 - Sts. Timothy & Titus - Coworkers in the Vineyard

 Following the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul yesterday, today we commemorate two of Paul’s close co-workers in the vineyard of the Lord: Timothy and Titus.  

Sometimes, when we think of St. Paul, we think of him single-handedly converting Asia Minor and Greece, but not so. Paul had friends, coworkers, companions. 

On his second missionary journey, Paul recruited young Timothy, from his native town of Lystra in Asia Minor. Timothy accompanied Paul, and was trained by him. Paul sent Timothy on two important missions of his own, one to Thessalonica, another to Corinth. Timothy stayed with Paul in prison. Paul also mentions Timothy as cosender of six of his letters: I & II Thessolonians, II Corinthians, Philippians, Philemon, and Colossians. 

When Paul writes to Timothy, he writes as a spiritual father to a spiritual son, yes, one having superior experience and wisdom, but also as a brother and collaborator in the vineyard of the Lord.

Titus was a gentile disciple and close friend of Paul, also accompanying and assisting Paul in his missionary activity.  Titus was with Paul at the Council of Jerusalem, and when Paul was having trouble with the community at Corinth because of community division, erroneous faith and rampant immorality, Paul sent Titus bearing his letter to the Corinthians, and Titus embraced them with the love of the true pastor’s heart.  This was probably one reason, why Paul felt so assured at naming Titus bishop of Crete, which was also riddled with error. He too would be martyred—he was beheaded by his adversaries on Crete in AD 97.

As they shared in the missionary activity of the Church, Timothy and Titus now share a feast day, reminding us all that we share our work in the vineyard of the Lord. Christians are so much more effective in spreading the Gospel when we are working together. 

For, by its very nature, the life of Christian holiness involves a dynamic openness and collaboration with others. The Church exists to give glory to God and to continue Christ’s work of salvation, and this is a communal effort. 

This is one reason why livestreaming Sunday Mass from our couches can never become the norm. Not only are we deprived of the Eucharist, but from gathering together with our brothers and sisters in Christ, who are our collaborators in the vineyard. St. John Paul writes, “communion and mission are profoundly connected with each  other, they interpenetrate and  mutually imply each other to the point that communion represents both the source and the  fruit of mission: communion gives rise to mission and mission is accomplished in communion.”

We should always be open and looking for opportunities to work together for God, bringing our unique gifts to complement the gifts of others. That’s what parish is supposed to be. A place of communal worship and communal mission.

Through the holy example and heavenly intercession of Saints Timothy and Titus and the whole communion of saints, may we be faithful in working together for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That our bishops in union with the Pope, may share a profound zeal for faithful preaching and teaching, stirring up the flame of faith in the life of the Church. Let us pray to the Lord.

That our parish may build up missionary disciples equipped for working together for the spread of the Gospel. Let us pray to the Lord.

For the conversion of all hardened sinners and all persecutors of the faith and those in error, that the Lord may touch their hearts and remove the blindness from their eyes. Let us pray to the Lord.

For all who have suffered as a result of violence or abuse, all of the sick and suffering, especially victims of natural disaster, poverty, and addiction, may they be comforted and supported by God’s healing love. Let us pray to the Lord.

For our departed loved ones and all of the souls in purgatory, and for N. for whom this Mass is offered. Let us pray to the Lord.

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

January 24 2022 - St. Francis de Sales & the Calvinists

 St. Francis de Sales was an outstanding and highly influential bishop, spiritual director, author, and preacher whose life spans the turbulent decades following the Protestant Reformation.  He was born at Savoy in France in 1567.  He studied with the Jesuits at Paris, and finally at Padua, Italy where he obtained doctorates in both civil and canon law.  It was hoped by his father, that he would become a lawyer and follow in his footsteps as a senator; instead, Francis desired to serve the Church.  

He was ordained a priest in 1593 and dedicated himself to the re-evangelization of the many Catholics who had fallen away to Calvinism.  Between 1595 and 1598 he won many converts to the Catholic Church by his persuasive preaching but at the same time he was often in danger of his life at the hands hostile Calvinists.  

At the young age of 32 Francis was ordained a bishop and made coadjutor of the Calvinist stronghold of Geneva, and was installed as ordinary 3 years later.  For 20 years he labored zealously for the conversion of the Calvinists. You may have come across his most famous books: The Introduction to the Devout Life and Treatise on the Love of God, written primarily for lay people who were in danger of being assimilated by the calvinist culture.

In the Treatise on the Love of God he writes: “In holy Church all is by love, in love, for love and of love.”  Meaning that God, who is love, is the source of all of the Church’s activity we do and all is directed to him. 

That Christians could grow in holiness and likeness of God because God desires our sanctification; that we can in fact become more and more filled with the life of God while still here on earth by cooperating with his grace and disciplining our vices were ideas that flew in the face of the Calvinist theology at the time. And they are still profound for us today. 

To advance in holiness is to advance in love.  We see this love embodied in Jesus who makes a complete gift of himself to his Father for our salvation.  “If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love” We see this love in the saints, we seek to conform themselves to Jesus through grace, following his command at the end of the Gospel today: “This I command you, love one another”

May we take up this great adventure that St. Francis de sales, this great Doctor of the Church, the Doctor of Charity, as he is known, lays out for us.  Through the example and prayers of St. Frances de Sales may we progress in holiness and charity for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For the holy Church of God, that the Lord may graciously watch over her, care for her, and give her strength and courage in her mission.

For the peoples of the world, that the Lord may preserve harmony among us.

For openness to the example and teachings of the holy saints.

For all who are oppressed by any kind of need, that the Lord may grant them relief and move Christians to come to the aid of the suffering.

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.

January 21 2022 - Virgin Martyr St. Agnes - The weak to shame the strong

 “God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, the weak to shame the strong, those who are nothing to reduce those who are something.” On this feast of one of the great child martyrs of our faith, St. Agnes, we have this profound, paradoxical reading from St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians.

By human standards, the Church of Corinth was not comprised of the worldly wise, powerful, wealthy, and influential members of society. While the Gospel appealed to some members of the nobility and aristocracy, the early church was poor and powerless, at least according to the measure of the world. 

This reminds us of how at Christmas, God took flesh and became a member of a poor unknown family from of the poor virtually unknown town of Nazareth. The Lord was born not in a palace but a stable. In the temple, the Christ child confounded the learned scribes and teachers. While certainly calling all men to believe in him, the Lord chose as his apostles not the mighty in society, but poor fisherman. And on the cross, he conquered not with a powerful army, but through the death of a slave, with arms outstretched on the cross. 

So too, we see this wonderful paradox in saints like dear St. Agnes honored today: a thirteen year old girl, considered foolish, poor, and powerless in the eyes of the world, who possesses more wisdom, riches, and power in the eyes of God than most men would ever possess. She possessed the pearl of great price, for she possessed the courage to die for Christ. 

We, like Agnes, are not to rely on worldly riches or political power to work for the mission of the Gospel. God has raised up the lowly in each one of us. We poor sinners are given the great dignity of baptism and the great mission of spreading the Gospel. We shouldn’t be waiting around for someone more wealthy or worldly powerful to lead us in the world of the Gospel. St. Agnes and the host of martyrs, that we the lowly are God’s chosen instruments. Perhaps, these weak ones shame us, a little too, for not relying on God's grace as we should. They certainly teach and remind us of the need, more than anything else to possess holiness, virtue, detachment from worldly goods in order to embrace Christ with conviction, to witness to him with courage to the elite, strong, and powerful of the world, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For the holy Church of God, that the Lord may graciously watch over her, care for her, and give her strength and courage in her mission.

For the peoples of the world, that the Lord may preserve harmony among us.

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

For all who are oppressed by any kind of need, that the Lord may grant them relief and move Christians to come to the aid of the suffering.

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.

  

2nd Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Tuesday - Interacting with Pharisees

 
In Mark’s Gospel, the conflict with the Pharisees begins early on in the Gospel-- at the beginning of chapter 2. And throughout chapter 2 and the beginning passage of chapter 3 St. Mark details five controversies—five vignettes in which Jesus encounters opposition in the form of disapproval, suspicion, and contention on the part of the religious authorities and even some of the populace. But in each of these controversies, Jesus reveals something about his identity and mission, inviting his questioners to believe in him. 

When Jesus claims the power to heal the paralytic and forgive sins at the beginning of chapter 2, the pharisees calls him a blasphemer. When Jesus and his disciples eat at in the house of Levi, the scribes question his practice of eating with tax collectors and sinners. Next, the Lord’s piety is called into question because he does not fast like others claiming to be authoritative teachers. In today’s passage, the fourth controversy is much like the second and third, it involves food. 

The Lord and his disciples are passing through a field of grain, and while they passed through, they picked heads of grain to eat. The Pharisees condemn the Lord for doing, what in their estimation, appears to be unlawful—picking grain on the sabbath.

Notice, how the Lord neither affirms nor disputes the Pharisees’ interpretation of whether this is actually unlawful work. Rather, he gets to the heart of the matter, by redirecting the conversation to the Word of God—to the biblical story of King David and to the law that allows priests to do God’s holy work on the sabbath. Here, like in the other controversies, Jesus reveals something about himself--he equates himself with the anointed King and anointed Priest who are dispensed from the sabbath law because they are doing the work of the God of the sabbath. Jesus is the anointed Lord of the Sabbath. 

Because of their hardness of hearts, the Pharisees are going to reject this claim. They refuse to allow the possibility that what Jesus is saying is true. That cannot and will not acknowledge an authority greater than themselves. That’s what we mean when someone is acting Pharisaical. They will not acknowledge truth outside of themselves; they will refuse to listen to logical, biblically derived arguments, the wisdom of the ages, the Word of God.

We who have already acknowledged Jesus as Son of God and Lord of the Sabbath, always need to make sure, of course, that we aren’t allowing the attitude of the Pharisee to creep in—that we don’t hold onto opinions that are contrary to the word of God. But, also in our evangelizing mission, we are likely to come across a Pharisee or two. Like Jesus, we are to patiently and clearly explain the Church’s position. We might have to endure some self-righteous mockery from time to time, so be it. We might even come across those who claim to be Catholic, we have strayed from authentic Church teaching, who ridicule us for holding fast to clear Catholic teaching. Oftentimes these Pharisaical, hard-hearted Catholics are harder to convince than those growing up without faith. 

But again, like the Lord, in the face of religious controversy, ridicule, we patiently make recourse to the Word of God in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition, and pray for their souls, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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

For the peoples of the world, that the Lord may preserve harmony among us.

For all who are oppressed by any kind of need, that the Lord may grant them relief and move Christians to come to the aid of the suffering.

For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life, for all monastics and hermits, and that all Christians may seek the perfection for which they were made.

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.

1st Week of Ordinary Time 2022 - Friday - Good Christian Friendship

 On Wednesday, we read from St. Mark’s Gospel how the Lord healed Simon Peter’s mother-in-law. The whole town began to gather at his door, and he began to heal them and cast out demons. The Lord then embarked on a short tour around the towns and villages of Galilee doing the same. 

In today’s Gospel he has returned to his home base, in the fishing village of Capernaum, where he began to preach from the stoop of his doorway.  

While he preached, these men wanted to bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus to be healed.  Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they climbed up onto Peter’s roof, opened up the roof above him, and lowered their paralyzed friend down through the hole in the roof.  Peter I’m sure let out a long sigh at that point…

The Lord reveals something profound about himself in this encounter. That not only does he have the power to cure paralysis, he has the power to look into a man’s heart and forgive his sins. Something, only God can do. He is God. And this healing miracle serves as a sort of Theophany—in which God reveals Himself. To those who are paying attention—Jesus reveals he is God incarnate in the midst of his people.

While this Gospel passage certainly reveals something about Jesus’ identity and mission, I’m always deeply impressed by the four men who climb Peter’s roof in order to bring their friend to Jesus.

These four men, in a sense, foreshadow the Church, who will have the mission of bringing souls to Christ. In my hometown, there is a Christian community called the Friends church, and they take very seriously this duty of bringing their neighbors to church with them. And they have been wildly successful, and have had to expand their church multiple times.

If only the Catholics in my hometown were as good of friends as the Friends.

The Christian has the duty of being like those four friends in the Gospel, working together. Notice it’s not just one person, a lone wolf, but four people, working together to bring their friend to Jesus.  We are to be good friends who go to serious lengths. When’s the last time you climbed a roof, done something kind of risky, in order to bring someone to Jesus. Christians are to take risks to help people encounter Jesus. 

We need to be good friends, and we need good friends. Not people who will keep us out too late on Saturday night so that we are too tired to go to Mass on Sunday. Or people who will introduce new vices into our lives. But friends who will encourage us in holiness. 

But we need to surround ourselves with the sort of friends that would go to the length that the four men did in the Gospel, to break through a roof in order to bring their friends to Christ.  True friends care about your eternal soul, not just having a good time or enabling your sinful habits. A good friend will tell you when you’ve been selfish and need to go to the Sacrament of Confession.  

May we be good Christian friends, may we know the help of good Christian friends, 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. And that Christians may work together in bringing the spiritually paralyzed to Christ.

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 an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life, and that married couples may be generous and faithful in raising children according to the law of Christ and his Church. 

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, those facing religious persecution, immigrants and refugees, 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.

1st Week of Ordinary Time 2022 - Wednesday - Marking our days with prayer

 

On Monday, we heard Jesus begin his public ministry with powerful words of preaching. Yesterday, we heard Jesus take on the powers of hell, casting out a demon from a possessed man in the Capernaum synagogue. Today, we heard of Jesus healing, not just an individual, but a whole town. We’ve had quite a display of Jesus divine power and authority. 

After his very busy first day in Capernaum, presumably Jesus goes to sleep, like any ordinary man. For Mark tells us that he rose, again, presumably, he rose from sleep, but what a beautiful foreshadowing of the resurrection. He battles the powers of evil, sleeps, and rises early in the dawn. Kind of like Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter, where Jesus definitively defeats the powers of evil on the cross, sleeps the deepest sleep of death in the tomb, the rises in the early morn on Easter Sunday.

Christians reading Mark’s Gospel, those who already know the end of the story, would pick up on this foreshadowing. But imagine you are hearing this story for the first time. Who is this man, who fishermen leave their livelihood immediately to go and follow, who demons claim to know as “The Son of God”, who can miraculously cure an entire village of people, before retiring for the night and then rising early to pray.

And why is he praying. If he is the Son of God, to whom is he praying? Given this stunning display of power, how humble he must be, to speak and act with divine authority, but then go and kneel down in a deserted place to pray to God in heaven. 

Mark’s Gospel will depict Jesus praying on several occasions. Prayerful communion with his heavenly Father will also mark his ministry. Though he is God, the second person of the Trinity, Jesus shows how he seeks—prayerfully seeks—to do the will of his heavenly Father. He is subject to the Father, he obeys the Father, he prayerfully agonizes over the father’s will in the garden of gethsemane, but he remains faithful to his Father, always.

By his example, he teaches us that prayer must mark our days and our deeds too. We, like him, to do well, beginning the day with prayer, rising at dawn, or whenever we awaken, and immediately turning our hearts and minds to heaven. We like him, need to seek quiet deserted places throughout the day to seek guidance and refreshment. In those moments of temptation, agonizing over difficult decisions, we must pray fervently. And on our crosses, in moments of suffering, we, like our Lord must pray, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the preaching and teaching and governance of the Pope, Bishops, and clergy may be free from all error and imprudence, and be a source of constant strength and guidance for the 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.

That frequent prayer will mark the lives of every Christian, as we seek to do the will of the heavenly Father. 

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.

1st Week of Ordinary Time 2022 - Monday - The time of fulfillment

 

The liturgical calendar revolves around the two major feasts of Christmas and Easter, each with a season of preparation, Advent and Lent, and each with a season to extend the celebration of those most holy of feast days. Yesterday, with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we have concluded the Christmas season and have entered once again into the season of Ordinary Time.

If Christmas and Easter celebrate major events in the life of Christ—his incarnation and birth, his death and resurrection, Ordinary Time unpacks the teaching, preaching, and miraculous workings of his earthly ministry.

On this first day of Ordinary Time, we hear the first words uttered by Jesus in the Gospel of Mark, ““This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”

“This is time of fulfillment” he announces. For thirty years, Jesus had lived a hidden life in the house of Nazareth with Mary and Joseph, during which he had learned and practiced the carpenters trade of St. Joseph. The sweat and toil of his labors in the carpenter’s shop foreshadowed, only in a hidden way, the blood he would shed for our salvation. So, during the greater part of his life, Jesus shared the condition of the vast majority of human beings: a daily life spent without evident greatness, a life of manual labor. 

And then, following his Baptism, he emerges from those waters, and begins his public ministry with these words, “this is the time of fulfillment.” He was born with a mission, and the time for that mission had come. He had come to fulfill his Heavenly Father’s plan for salvation, a plan begun from the time of the fall of Adam and Eve thousands and thousands of years ago, a plan which had unfolded obscurely in the life of the people of Israel—in the calling of Israel’s patriarchs, through the times of judges, and kings, and prophets, conquest of the holy land and exile, and post-exilic reconstruction.

Through Jesus, God is breaking into history to fulfill his promises and bring his whole plan to completion. It is a decisive moment, a turning point. This moment, fixed and determined long ago by God, marks the beginning of the definitive stage in salvation history.

During Ordinary Time we will hear and ponder the unfolding of this definitive stage 2000 years ago.  But as the Father has sent Him, so he sends us. During Ordinary Time, we are to cooperate with grace, conform to his teachings, deepen in virtue, grow in sanctity, have since recourse to prayer, and share with non-believers the truth that we have received, that God’s plan may be fulfilled in us and in our time, 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 those preparing for baptism and to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church, that this time of instruction and prayer may be a time of fulfillment of God’s promises in their lives.

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.

 

34th Week in Ordinary Time 2021 - Friday - Changing of seasons

 
What a jolting contrast in our readings today. From the Old Testament book of the prophet Daniel we have this great vision of the four beast rising from the see.

This vision stands for the four great kingdoms of Daniels time—the Babylonians, medes, persians, and greeks, who opposed and oppressed the Jewish people. And yet those four beast also stand for the kingdoms of the earth that oppose the Church through the ages as well. This vision is frightening, but its also hopeful. For the beasts shall be slain and lose their dominion when the ancient-one of heaven comes and ushers in the kingdom that will last forever

In contrast to the jolting vision from Daniel, is the serene image of the blossoming fig tree in the Gospel. Just as the blossoming of the fig tree indicates a changing of season from spring to summer, so too will there be physical observable signs prior to the Lord’s return. 

Like the quiet and serene blossoming of the fig tree, in less than 48 hours we will pass, almost seamlessly into a new liturgical year, the season of advent, the season of peaceful waiting.

The alarming images in our scriptures these past few days, perhaps remind us that the spiritual life is a serious business, that we do well to ensure that we are on the right side of history, that we are making efforts to remove from our lives anything that is in opposition to the holy will of God.

And yet, also the serene and quiet blooming of the fig tree, reminds us that the full flowering of grace comes about through quiet prayer, hidden acts of charity, daily perseverance, daily waiting, patience and hope.

This last full day of the season of Ordinary Time is a wonderful day to do quiet reflection: what areas of my life need to be handed over more fully to the Lord, what will my advent prayer and charitable works look like. Perhaps there is a virtue-patience, gentleness, temperance, gratefulness, that needs extra effort this advent. 

Though Advent unfolds in the cold of winter, it is meant to be a spiritual summer in which we prepare assiduously for the Lord through repentance, penance, prayer, charity, and the cultivation of virtue.

In the hours we have before Advent, prepare to prepare, come up with a spiritual plan for your Advent: your spiritual reading, spiritual penance, a list of the good works you hope to engage in, to allow the Gospel to bear fruit in your lives, fruit that will last for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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

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

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

That the upcoming season of Advent may be a season of spiritual renewal for the Church.

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

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

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

November 24 2021 - Vietnamese Martyrs - Christ is near us in our trials

 An estimated 130,000 Catholics were martyred in Vietnam between the 17th and 19th centuries. And the tortures suffered by the Vietnamese Catholics are among the worst recorded. Their limbs were hacked off joint by joint, their flesh was torn off with red hot tongs, they were drugged, caged, and exposed to many indignities. They were commonly branded on the face with the words “ta dao,” which means “sinister religion”

One of the Vietnamese martyrs, St. Paul Le-Bao-Tihn wrote a letter describing his imprisonment and torturers, “I, Paul, in chains for the name of Christ, wish to relate to you the trials besetting me daily, in order that you may be inflamed with love for God and join with me in his praises, for his mercy is for ever. The prison here is a true image of everlasting hell: to cruel tortures of every kind—shackles, iron chains, manacles—are added hatred, vengeance, calumnies, obscene speech, quarrels, evil acts, swearing, curses, as well as anguish and grief.”

But then St. Paul Le-Bao-Tihn goes on to explain the faith that sustains him, “But the God who once freed the three children from the fiery furnace is with me always; he has delivered me from these tribulations and made them sweet, for his mercy is forever. In the midst of these torments, which usually terrify others, I am, by the grace of God, full of joy and gladness, because I am not alone—Christ is with me.”

This conviction of the closeness of Christ and the promises of Christ sustained him, and no doubt, so many of the martyrs. 

In the Gospel, the Lord explains how his followers will be led before kings and governors because of my name… we’ll be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends…and hated by all.” What will sustain us in all of our trials is that same conviction that filled St. Paul, St. Andrew, and the Vietnamese martyrs, the nearness of Christ and confidence in his promises. 

This is why it is important to practice daily prayer, regular study of the catechism and the scriptures, frequent reception of the sacraments, in order to cultivate that rock-like faith that sustains us in times of trial and temptation. Superficial faith will not sustain us. Rather, we need to draw near to Christ often throughout the day, and in times of peace, so that we may know his nearness in times of trial, in times of temptation. But if we are constantly turning our face away from him, how can we hope to see his sustaining gaze of love when our faith is tried?

St. Paul Le-Bao-Tihn wrotes, “In the midst of this storm I cast my anchor toward the throne of God, the anchor that is the lively home in my heart.” May we cultivate that faith in god, that hope in God, that love for God that will be an anchor in the storms of our life, that we may preserve our souls for eternal life, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For the sanctification of the Church, that bishops and priests be granted courage to preach the Gospel in its fullness.

For the sanctification of families, that the Word of Jesus may be studied, cherished and practiced in every home.

For all who have fallen away from the sacraments, may they repent of their sins and desire the life that can only come from you.

For peace and refreshment to all who prepare to gather for the Thanksgiving Holiday, bring safety to travelers, and protection from all disease.

For comfort to the sick and suffering, charity and care to the destitute and down-trodden, and courage to the fearful. 

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

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

34th Week in Ordinary Time 2021 - Tuesday (School Mass) - Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar's Vision

 

Although we still have a month to go in the calendar year of 2021, we are in the last week of the Church Year, for this Sunday, begins the new church year, beginning with the first Sunday of Advent.

During this last week of the Church year, at daily mass, the Church reads from the book of the prophet Daniel, from which we heard that very long reading about this very strange statue made out of gold, iron, bronze, and clay. 

The book of the prophet Daniel is filled with these strange stories and mysterious visions, a lot of them having to do with the end of the world.  The prophet Daniel lived about 600 years before Jesus, in a time, when the Jewish people had been conquered by a powerful nation known as the Babylonians. The wise and gifted prophet Daniel, had been put to work by God in the court King Nebuchadnezzar who had invaded Israel, destroyed the temple, and marched the people of Israel off into captivity dividing them from their families. Nebuchadnezzar was not a good man, but he did trust Daniel.

And so Nebuchadnezzar tells Daniel about a dream he had about this statue made out of gold, iron, bronze, and clay. And Daniel goes on to explain that this statue represents 4 kingdoms that will come to dominate the earth.

The first Kingdom the kingdom of gold represents the Kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonians. And Daniel explains how that kingdom, as powerful and brilliant as it seems, will not last forever, it will be replaced by a second kingdom, a kingdom of iron, which we interpret to be the Persian Empire, and then that kingdom will be replaced by a third kingdom, which we interpret to be the Greek Empire, and then that will be replaced by a fourth kingdom, and that would be the Roman Empire, who were in charge of things when Jesus was born.

But then, Daniel spoke of a fifth kingdom, a kingdom that will be established by God himself, and kingdom that will never be destroyed, a kingdom that will last forever.

The vision of Nebuchadnezzar did come to pass. The Babylonian Kingdom was replaced by the Kingdom of the Persians, which was replaced by the Kingdom of the Greeks, which was replaced by the Kingdom of Rome. 

And the fifth Kingdom has been established, the kingdom established by God himself. Which kingdom is that? Well, the Church. The Church founded by Jesus Christ, who is our head and our king. The Church has lasted longer than the kingdom of the Babylonians and the Persians and the Greeks and the Romans combined. Over the last 2000 years it has seen kingdoms and nations come and go, rise and fall, but the Church,  will last forever, just as Daniel claimed. 

And God invites people of every time and place and nation to membership in this kingdom. Membership in God’s kingdom is not based on race or social status or place of birth or wealth. It is based on faith, faith that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and obedience to his teachings and commands. To members of God’s kingdom, Jesus promises eternal life in the resurrection to come, when he returns, as he described in our Gospel reading.

This is why the Church is so active in her charitable works—in teaching the young, and caring for the sick, and feeding the hungry, and providing homes for the homeless, and preaching the Gospel. We are so grateful to be apart of this kingdom, that it is seen in our works, in how we treat people and how we pray. The Church is the largest charitable institution in the world and in human history because Christians are filled with such great gratitude and thanksgiving for what Jesus has done for us, and we want to be faithful to what he taught us.

You and I are each invited and called to full membership in this kingdom that will last forever. May we respond to this invitation to God generously, with lives full of gratitude for all of God’s gifts and blessings, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.