Holy Family 2023 - Icon of the Domestic Church

 Of the four Evangelists, it is Matthew and Luke who provide the most details surrounding the family of our Blessed Lord.

Matthew’s Gospel begins with Jesus’ family tree going all the way back to Abraham, through King David, and the Kings of Israel, to Joseph, husband of Mary. Matthew, then narrates how the angel appeared to Joseph, and explains God’s plan to him regarding the mysterious pregnancy of his betrothed. Matthew then relates the good news of the Lord’s birth in Bethlehem and how the Holy Family was forced to flee to Egypt to escape the murderous design of King Herod.

St. Luke’s Gospel begins not with the Lord’s family tree, but God’s intervention in the life of Jesus’ extended family. Zechariah, of the priestly class, is visited by an angel who foretells the birth of John the Baptist to Zechariah’s wife Elizabeth. 

Luke then transitions from the Lord’s extended family to the Lord’s conception in the womb of his virgin mother overshadowed by the Holy Spirit in the house Nazareth. Out of concern for her kinswoman Elizabeth, Mary goes in haste out to the hill country—the Lord’s cousin John the Baptist leaps for joy in his mother’s womb. Mary and Joseph then journey to Bethlehem—Joseph’s ancestral home, where the Christ was born. 

So in those first few chapters, Luke portrays Mary and Joseph as a couple steeped in the tradition and religiosity of their people—people of strong faith with strong ties to their extended family. 

Why do Matthew and Luke spend so much time describing Jesus’ family? Why did they consider Jesus’ family important? Why don’t these Gospels just begin with Jesus’ public ministry—with his miracles and teachings? Many non-Catholics, after all, think that we Catholics are strange, or even idolatrous, for focusing so much on the Holy Family. But they are right there in the Gospels for a reason. 

The evangelists devote precious ink to these people because God wants us to know about Jesus’ family. God wants us to consider their faith, their traditions, their virtues, their love for each other. We come to meet and know and understand Jesus by meeting, knowing, and understanding his family. 

Jesus was born to a family of real humans, with real struggles, who found strength and support in their family bonds, just like we do. 

They also grappled to understand the mysterious workings of God in their life. Both Mary and Joseph had to come to grips with God doing unprecedented things in their lives. When they began their betrothal, little did they know that life would not proceed as they had planned. But they trusted God’s plan. They were faithful. They obeyed God’s plan. They surrendered to God’s plan.

And just because they were chosen by God for this unique role in salvation history, they still had to deal with real problems. Mary had to give birth in a filthy stable. But Joseph and Mary did their best despite their circumstances. Scripture does not record them complaining, making excuses, cursing God, berating the poor innkeeper for not having a room for them. Their focus on God’s will, their trust in God providence pierces through the real mess they were in. 

Talk about unideal…next week, on the feast of the epiphany, we’ll hear how Mary and Joseph receive word from the magi that King Herod wants their newborn son dead. And would be going to great lengths to murder him. And what do Mary and Joseph do? They go to the temple and offer thanksgiving to God for the gift of Jesus’ life. They fulfill and major religious obligation before going off to Egypt to keep their son safe.

In the Gospel today we hear how in the temple Mary and Joseph receive a prophecy about even more mysterious happenings yet to come. Simeon foretells how Mary’s heart will be pierced with a sword of sorrow. This child is going to move the heavens and the earth, but there will be sorrow, tremendous sorrow. But they accept even sorrow from God, trusting God, hoping in God’s promises. 

These are people of such tremendous faith, and we really can’t reflect enough upon the example of the holy family. Listen again to the Collect prayer for this Christmas Octave Feast of the Holy Family which calls us to look to them and imitate them—we prayed : “O God, who were pleased to give us the shining example of the Holy Family, graciously grant that we may imitate them in practicing the virtues of family life and the bonds of charity, and so, in the joy of your house, delight one day in eternal rewards.”

What virtues—what virtues of the Holy Family—does your family need to practice this year. Spouses, you should discuss that. What virtue do we need to practice as a family this upcoming year? What behaviors do we need to keep an eye on? How are we being called to be more like Mary, more like Joseph. What do they teach us about growing closer in love towards one another? 

If that’s not the sort of conversation you are used to having as a family, start there. I can guarantee Mary and Joseph and Jesus discussed God’s will, and how God had worked in their family history. You can guarantee that they prayed with one another.

Dear departed Pope Benedict XVI wrote about the importance of Christians families looking to and modeling their family life after the Holy Family. He wrote, “the Holy Family is the icon of the domestic Church, called to pray together. The family is the domestic Church and must be the first school of prayer. It is in the family that children, from the tenderest age, can learn to perceive the meaning of God, also thanks to the teaching and example of their parents: to live in an atmosphere marked by God’s presence.”

What it means that every Christian family is the domestic church means that non-believers should be able to learn what it means to be Christian—what it means to be a member of the Church—by looking at your family life. Look at how they pray together, look at how they forgive one another, look at how they are patient with one another, look at how they pass on the faith to the younger generation and seek together to understand the faith. Oh, THAT’s what it means to be Christian. That’s your vocation, dear families: to be icons of the Church. 

May the Holy Family aid all of our Christian families to live up to their vocation and help us all to be faithful to God amidst all of our trials for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

December 29 2023 - St. Thomas Becket - The crib, the cross, and the world

 A little over 850 years ago, the Catholic archbishop of Canterbury England was martyred in his own cathedral while praying vespers. 

From his youth, Thomas Becket had been a good friend of King Henry II and had been named by the king as both chancellor of England in 1155 and Archbishop of Canturbury in 1162.

The King no doubt hoped that Becket would use his ecclesiastical office to benefit the crown, but the Archbishop recognized that his first loyalty was not to the world, but to God. When the King began to overstep his authority and infringe upon the Church, Thomas dutifully opposed the king.

The rift escalated when the king confiscated church property in retribution and the archbishop issued the king’s excommunication. 

According to one account, one day the king publicly denounced the archbishop "What miserable drones and traitors have I nourished and brought up in my household, who let their lord be treated with such shameful contempt by a low-born cleric?"

On the 29th of December in the Year of Our Lord 1170, four of the king’s knights, set out for Canterbury to confront the archbishop and bludgeoned him to death.

Within 4 days of Christmas, we have the celebration of St Stephen, martyred for the faith, St. John the Apostle, not martyred, but excruciatingly tortured for the faith. We have the slaughter of babies, on the Feast of the Holy Innocents yesterday, and then today, we have the martyrdom of St. Thomas Becket, a bishop of England who was assassinated on his Cathedral steps. It is almost as though the red Christmas poinsettias decorating the sanctuary witness to blood—blood spilt for Christ.

These faithful ones, celebrated in proximity to the birth of our savior, remind us that loving the one born on Christmas has consequences. He was opposed by Herod, by his own people, by the powers of sin and death, and by Satan the accursed one. And those who love Christ and follow him will also know and experience the hostility of those same powers and principalities. 

For it is not just archbishops and apostles who are called to stand up for the Truth of the Gospel, but all Christians. Kneeling before the crib, carrying our cross, and standing against evil are all the same thing. 

Thomas Becket, when those four knights with weapons drawn approached him in his Cathedral said, “I am ready to die for God.  I am ready to die for the defense of justice. I am ready to die for the freedom of the Church. Would only that my lifeblood might purchase Her peace and freedom”.

Where did he get that courage and readiness? He loved Christ more than anything. May we do the same. For the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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We bring forth now our prayers of petitions.

That the joyful celebration of our Savior’s birth may bring renewed conviction for Christ’s truth to the Pope, all bishops, clergy, and lay faithful.

That our President and all leaders of nations may protect and promote religious liberty for all. 

For Christians who are persecuted throughout the world, especially those who face martyrdom, that they may have a faith that is constant and pure.

For those oppressed by hunger, sickness or loneliness, that through the mystery of the Nativity of Christ, they may find relief in both mind and body. 

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

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

December 27 2023 - St. John the Evangelist - Incline your ears to the heart of Christ

 St. John the Apostle is often depicted in art with his head resting on the breast of Christ, as he does at the Last Supper. Among the apostles, it was John alone who remained at Christ’s side at the crucifixion. John was among the first-called, along with his brother James, and the brothers Peter and Andrew. John’s Gospel describes John’s own closeness with the Lord, and so it is fitting that we celebrate the evangelist’s feast in such proximity to the Lord’s birthday.

St. Ireneaus, bishop of Lyons around the year 200, reported with assurance: “John, the disciple of the Lord, who rested on the heart of Jesus, wrote a Gospel when he was in Ephesus.” Ireneaus was a disciple of St. Polycarp who was made bishop of Smyrna by St. John himself, as is depicted in the top middle stained glass window in the eastern transept here at St. Ignatius. Remaining so close to the Lord throughout the Lord’s public ministry, it is no wonder that John’s Gospel is among the most mystical books of the Bible, filled with such intense insight into the divine identity of the Lord and his love for sinful humanity. 

The writings of St. John his letters and Gospel are saturated with the love of God. Throughout his Gospel, John identifies himself, often not by name, but by the beloved disciple. Consider that! His name was secondary to the fact that he knew that he was loved by Jesus. That is such an important lesson for Christians to “take to heart”. Do you know that you are loved by Jesus? DO you know that you are loved by God? 

Love is the key to understanding the Gospel. Love is the divine motive for the incarnation. Love is the divine motive for the Lord’s teaching and miracles. Love is the divine motive for the Lord taking upon himself the weight and suffering of the cross. Love is the divine motive for sending the apostles into the world.

John records the Lord saying, “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. 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. “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.”

John teaches us to incline our ears to the heart of Christ, to learn of his love for us, that we may in turn, love one another. 

St. John is the patron of the diocese of Cleveland, and he is a powerful example to all of us: of zealous love for the Lord, temper under control, mystical prayer, devotion to the Blessed Virgin, tireless pastor, who used his intellectual gifts to combat the errors plaguing his flock and bestowing to the Church of all ages, a portrait of piercing insight of the Lord Jesus. May we know continuously the example and heavenly intercession of so great a patron saint for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

We bring forth now our prayers of petitions.

For the Church of Cleveland under the patronage of St. John, apostle and evangelist, and particularly for Bishop Malesic, that together we may witness faithfully and tirelessly to the truth of the Gospel

For Christians who are persecuted throughout the world, especially those who face martyrdom, that they may have a faith that is constant and pure.

For those oppressed by hunger, sickness or loneliness, that through the mystery of the Nativity of Christ, they may find relief in both mind and body. 

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

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

December 22 2023 - God casts down the mighty and lifts up the lowly

Throughout these days of Late Advent, our Gospel readings are taken from the first chapter of Luke’s Gospel: God's immediate preparations for the birth of His Son.

We  read of the Archangel coming to Zechariah and the birth and naming of John the Baptist. We read next of the Archangel coming to Mary to announce God’s plan for her to become the Mother of the Son of God. Yesterday’s Gospel introduced Mary’s visit to Elizabeth, and how the infant John the Baptist leapt in Elizabeth’s womb. And today we read Mary’s song—her Magnificat.

The first part of the Marian canticle (cf. Lk 1: 46-50) is a sort of solo voice that rises to Heaven to reach the Lord. "My soul... my spirit... my Savior... has done great things for me... [they] will call me blessed...". Mary has a unique role in the story of Jesus’ birth, of course, as his mother. She offers praise, thanksgiving and grateful joy to God over the incarnation.

She is mater et magistra, mother and teacher—she teaches us by her prayerful example. To prepare well for the celebration of Jesus’ birth at Christmas, we are to turn like her to God in prayerful praise, thanksgiving, and grateful joy. Have you allowed your soul, your spirit, to resonate with praise, thanksgiving, and joy this Advent? If not, it’s not too late. Learn from Mary’s example. What great things has God done for you? Have you praised and thanked God for them sufficiently, have you rejoiced in what God has done in your life, sufficiently?

And then Mary continues to sing God’s praises, particularly how through her cooperation with God and through the incarnation God has brought about the greatest reversal in history:  the overthrow of the mighty and the exaltation of the humble.

This poor unknown virgin from this poor insignificant town is now has become the most blessed of all women. And her son, who will be born in a poor, filthy stable, is the king of Kings and Lord of Lords. 

And here is the invitation, the choice, the most important choice of our lives…whose side will you be on? As history unfolds, will you seek to be counted among the mighty and the rich and the powerful of the world? Or will you seek to be among the lowly followers of Christ—those who humble themselves in order to bow down and worship Him? Will you turn away from all that is unworthy of Him—all arrogant speech, all selfishness, all grasping at riches, all self-exaltation in order to humble bow to Him and Him alone, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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

That Christ may visit his holy Church and always find her repentant of sin and watchful in prayer.

That Christ may fill the Pope, our Bishop, and all the clergy with spiritual gifts and graces.

That Christ may guide the minds of those who govern us to promote the common good according to His Holy Will.

That Christ may banish disease, drive out hunger, and ward off every affliction.

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

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

December 20 2023 - Idols or Emmanuel

 

Ahaz was king of Israel at a crucial moment in Israel’s history. The Assyrians were sweeping through the region—conquering everyone who would not assimilate and join their empire and worship their gods.  

So King Ahaz had a choice, will he trust in God and the guidance of the prophets or will he bow to Assyria and assimilate. Will he trust in the one true God or bow to the false gods. Knowing how weak Ahaz was, God spoke through Isaiah and told Ahaz: I’ll even give you a sign that I am with you and with Israel: “the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.”

Sadly, Ahaz trusted not in the power of God. He entered into a protection treaty with Assyria. Despite Isaiah’s warnings, an altar was built for the worship of the Assyrian gods in the very Temple of Jerusalem violating Israel’s covenant with the one true God. And it wouldn’t be long before Jerusalem was conquered by Babylon a few decades later.

Every year, the world is given the same crucial choice as Ahaz. Emmanuel is born of the virgin, come believe in Him, trust in Him, worship Him, adore Him. God invites all of humanity to trust in the sign. The sign of signs. Will you trust? 

King Ahaz failed to trust in God and that had tragic consequences for the nation. Similarly, the world sinks further and further into depravity and chaos when it rejects the Christ.

So, the Church, in her prophetic mission, urges the world: “do not make the same mistake. The false gods of the world will not protect you, they will not give you the peace and prosperity they promise. There is one God and Him alone shall you worship. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” 

In these final Advent days, let us pray for the world, to believe in the One born for them on Christmas, Emmanuel, God with us, born of the Virgin Mary, as Savior of the World. Let us fast and pray for the church to resist the assimilation to the ways of the world, for increased faith in Emmanuel, hope in Him, and love of Him for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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

That Christ may visit his holy Church and always find her repentant of sin and watchful in prayer.

That Christ may fill the Pope, our Bishop, and all the clergy with spiritual gifts and graces.

That Christ may guide the minds of those who govern us to promote the common good according to His Holy Will.

That Christ may banish disease, drive out hunger, and ward off every affliction.

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

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

December 18 2023 - King of Kings & Emmanuel

 Yesterday, began “late Advent” the seven days leading up to Christmas.

Where the first part of Advent focused on the coming of Christ and the need to prepare our hearts and lives for his coming, Late Advent focuses on the identify of the Christ Child, particularly as he is the fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel.

Several promises are contained in our scripture readings today.

Firstly, in the Jeremiah reading, we hear the promise of a righteous king from the line of David. The Davidic kings were not always righteous men, they were sometimes even quite despicable. Some of them were outright idolators, whose false worship brought terrible ruin to Israel. Injustice ran rampant under these immoral, greedy, blood thirsty kings. Yet, Israel possessed a hope in God’s promise of a king who would establish justice, whose kingdom would last forever.

The child born at Christmas is that promised king. The king of kings of who establishes the “eternal and universal kingdom, a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love, and peace.” The Church established by the Christ is the beginning of that Kingdom over which Christ our head rules. And the truth, life, holiness, grace, and justice, love, and peace of that kingdom can be seen in the life of the Church.

In the Gospel, we heard how the Christ child would be the fulfillment of another promise, two promises, actually. “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel.” The first promise is that, a virgin would bear a son. The king of kings would be born of a virgin. That’s how you’ll know him. And the second, is that he shall be called Emmanuel—God is with us. 

Now, Israel believe this child would just be a sign that God was with his people. But we know, that he is more than that. He is not just a sign that God is with his people, he is God with us. He is God incarnate. God takes flesh in Christ, and fulfills his promises in a way that is greater than Israel first conceived. 

Over these final Advent days, cultivate a real appreciation for the ways God fulfills his promises in Christ and their relevance for the life of the Church and for the good of mankind. This will help you to deepen your love and gratitude for him, and to share the good news of his birth with others for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

 

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

That Christ may visit his holy Church and always find her repentant of sin and watchful in prayer.

That Christ may fill the Pope, our Bishop, and all the clergy with spiritual gifts and graces.

That Christ may guide the minds of those who govern us to promote the common good according to His Holy Will.

That Christ may banish disease, drive out hunger, and ward off every affliction.

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

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

3rd Sunday of Advent 2023 - Encountering God in the messiness

 Throughout the season of Advent, we read from the book of the prophet Isaiah. As I mentioned last week, the book of the prophet Isaiah is divided into two parts. In the first 39 chapters of Isaiah, the prophet helps Israel come to terms with the terrible consequences of their unfaithfulness to God. For unfaithfulness had brought great ruin, societal chaos and division to Israel. Israel had failed to uphold the ways of the Lord; they had failed to teach their children to walk in the ways of the Lord, which led to being captured and marched into exile by the Babylonians. 

Sin causes us to lose the things we love. Sin wounds us, it separates us from goodness, harmony, beauty, truth and life itself—the wages of sin are death. Families become divided because of sin, sin turns man against his brother, nations are divided. Sin has ripple effects that can impact generations and it deprives us of peace. Minds and hearts are warped, perverted, and corrupted by sin. Sin—faithlessness—brings depression, confusion, and self-destruction.

And the prophet explains how Israel has brought misery upon herself, so she can acknowledge her mistakes and turn back to the covenant.

But then, in chapter 40, the book of Isaiah takes a turn. And Isaiah announces some very good news. Even though Israel has been unfaithful, God is going to do something great. So get ready, prepare ye the way of the Lord, the time of exile is coming to an end. God is near.

And in that last half of Isaiah, we are presented with a series of prophecies describing a mysterious “servant of the Lord”. God isn’t just going to do something great. He’s going to send someone great. An instrument of God who will fulfill God’s will to bring salvation to his people, who will say  “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord has anointed me…to bring glad tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, and release to prisoners.” 

Advent of course prepares us to celebrate the birth of God’s servant, his anointed one, his Christ, on Christmas. God has entered into history and brought salvation. But he also wishes to enter into each of our lives particularly, with his healing salve. Advent calls us to open our lives to God to break into the poverty and brokenheartedness, and capitivity, and imprisonment into the messy details of our lives with healing, peace, and spiritual freedom.

Five years ago already, our previous bishop, Bishop Perez celebrated a Christmas Mass for the inmates at the Cuyahoga County Jail. And he shared a little reflection on the Christmas story. He noted that the Christ—the anointed servant of the Father—the savior was not born into idyllic circumstances, but into cold, dirty cave—into a “real mess” the Bishop said. A world with slavery, and abuse, and tyranny, and abject poverty, heartache, abhorrent perversions—a real mess. 

And Bishop Perez likened the situation of the Holy Family on Christmas to some of the prisoner’s situations, a “real mess”—where the consequences of sin were evident and felt.  But the Christmas message proclaims that it is precisely into the real mess of our lives that the Christ Child desires to be born: into the messiness, into the challenges and hardships, into the illnesses and financial concerns, into the addictions and family divisions, and injustices beyond our control.  And the Bishop prayed for those inmates, he said, “As you confront what you are confronting, may you come face-to-face with the Christ Child.”

Again, Advent is about opening your life, your mind and heart to encounter God more deeply and to allow God to “do his thing” in the messy details of your life. But that involves a choice. If you want to resist God, God isn’t going to force you to have a joyful Christmas. If you want to remain in sin and addiction and the misery that comes from sin, that’s up to you. But if you get serious about welcoming God, there can be joy, there can be healing to your brokenheartedness, and spiritual freedom.

This week the Church celebrated the feast of a saint who was imprisoned. On Thursday, we celebrated St. John of the Cross. John of the Cross was a Carmelite priest who was imprisoned, starved, and publicly flogged by his own religious community, but not for committing a crime. His own religious brothers imprisoned John for attempting to reform his community, as it had greatly deviated from its rules and statutes. The community had abandoned the austerity, poverty, and discipline called for by the Carmelite Rule. And when John called for reform, he was silenced and imprisoned—talk about a mess!  Some people—even consecrated religious don’t like to be told that they are not being faithful to God!

And in prison St. John experienced the cross quite acutely: isolation, starvation, cruelty at the hands of his brothers. But, he did not blame God for his situation; he did not become bitter because of the injustice. His sufferings did not diminish his desire for holiness. Rather, his desire for union with God increased. He passed the time reflecting on the Scriptures which he had memorized. And he composed some of the most beautiful mystical poetry outside of scripture—which exists to this day. 

In the darkness of the prison, John blossomed into a great mystical poet and theologian, and even enjoyed a depth of prayer that could be described as ecstatic. In the dark dank prison cell, he opened his heart to God, and met God in the absolute mess of his life. And because he allowed himself to experience God in prison, he was made free. St. John has been declared a doctor of the church because he has so much to teach us about seeking God prayerfully in the concrete messy details, in the crosses of our lives. 

We, present here today, are not imprisoned, like the inmates of the County Prison or like St. John of the cross, but there’s likely a measure of messiness to each of our lives. Perhaps you feel imprisoned by circumstances beyond your control. And again, Advent calls us to identify them, and to seek to meet God in them. 

This touches upon what St. Paul instructs us in our second reading today. In our second reading, St. Paul gives us some of the most difficult instructions in the Bible. He says, Rejoice in the Lord always, In all circumstances give thanks. Really Paul? Always? Even in prison? Unemployment? Marital difficulties? Even when I seem to be failing at all life’s demands? And Paul says, Always. For when we learn to encounter God always, we learn to rejoice always. And remember Paul wrote those words, just a few years before he himself would be imprisoned in Rome because of his preaching of the Gospel of Christ.

Joy comes from knowing the Lord God and experiencing his nearness in the messiness, even in the sufferings, especially in the sufferings of our lives. Having a real, living relationship with God enables even the Christian imprisoned to be freer and more joyful than any atheist surrounded by worldly treasures. 

If you’ve been experiencing joylessness this Advent, be honest about the messiness of your life with God, and invite God more deeply into the messiness. The experience of His nearness will heal deep wounds when you let Him and rekindle joy you thought lost for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.