The late Cardinal O’Connor of New York…
once told this story…related to him by a nun and former schoolteacher…
in a homily on this very Feast of the Holy Family
Sister often had trouble filling the lesser roles in the Christmas pageant.
Everyone wanted to be Joseph, Mary, or the angel, or a shepherd.
None of the little boys and girls wanted to be an innkeeper.
One year, a little boy reluctantly accepted the role
and when Mary and Joseph came…and Joseph knocked on the door…
the little boy, the innkeeper…added his own insight to his role.
He opened the door and said:
"Well, we do not have any room for you to stay
but why don't you come in and have a cup of coffee!”
Of course, the Scriptures mention nothing about the Holy Family stopping for a latte.
Yet, something struck Cardinal O’Conner so much that he retold this story.
His own words were:
“What a trusting family that youngster must live in! What love that youngster must be taught, to reach out to others in this fashion. That is a wonderful, wonderful thing.”
Truly…a little boy who so naturally reacts in a generous way…
must have been taught and shown generosity at home.
He no doubt saw his parents offer hospitality in their home…as best they could.
It is one of the great joys of every priest’s life
that he is able to enter into the lives of many families…
teach them, learn from them, and be blessed by knowing them.
It has been my joy to meet and get to know so many families
since beginning my first assignment here at Saint Michael’s…
parents that live and pass on to their children the values of our faith:
generosity, selflessness, devotion to God and the Church.
Sadly, though, we do not have to look any further than the evening news
to realize that many families in our world…even in our own community…
have not embraced God’s brilliant design for human life and love.
Tragically, there are families where God is unheard of…
families where marriage is not revered as a sacred bond and lifetime commitment…
where sexuality is separated from the gift of life…
and where the lives of children are not valued.
The Sacred Scriptures today
teach us about the authentic meaning and vocation of families.
Above all, the lesson we gain
is that the life and love of a truly holy family
finds its foundation and source in the life and love of God.
We know from Scripture that God is a communion of persons…
Father…Son…and Holy Spirit…
who are eternally and constantly in relationship with one another.
Since human persons are created in the image and likeness of God…
the self-giving, unconditional love of God
and the loving communion of persons in God
become the image of the love to which we are called.
In other words, we are created to love as God loves.
In the unconditional love of God is found the perfect image of family life.
The family is the basic building block of society.
The family is the domestic church…the first school of life and of the faith.
The family is where young people are formed,
where they learn the lessons and values…
whether for good or for worse…
that will shape the rest of their lives.
The lives and relationships of every Christian family
are meant to be centered in God
and are meant to be living images of His presence in our souls.
Most significantly, this means that parents and children…
because they are members of a family…a unique communion of persons…
are called to give of themselves out of love for one another.
Parents are to be revered, cared for, and obeyed by their children.
To really love God means to keep the Fourth Commandment with sincerity.
Parents are called by God to teach and form their children
into mature gentlemen and ladies,
who are able to face the world with wisdom and faith.
That means teaching them the difficult and uncomfortable lessons about life, too:
that God comes first…and family immediately thereafter
that you can’t always have everything you want right now
that life involves sacrifice, hard work, and sometimes suffering.
The example of parents who live a holy marriage in the Lord
is invaluable for their children.
The silent lessons of love and fidelity shown by a mother and father
who sacrifice for each other and for the good of the family
are of tremendous influence and significance.
Even in difficult situations…separated and blended families…
there must be a constant commitment to doing whatever it takes
to live the love of God for the good of the young people.
Saint Paul is often criticized for saying:
“Wives, be subordinate to your husbands…”
Yet, it is critical to recall that he also says in another place:
“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the Church.”
Saint John Chrysostom remarks that much more is asked of the husband,
who is called to love his wife as Christ loves the Church…
by being willing even to die for her sake!
The lesson we learn from Saint Paul is that husbands and wives
are called to mutual self-giving…
that both are called to sacrifice for the other…
and for the sake of the family.
This radical self-giving love…after the pattern of God…who is Love itself…
is the vocation of every family.
The challenge for all of you is to live this love…and to be witnesses of it…
just like the hospitable little innkeeper!
Your perfect model in this great journey is the Holy Family…
whose life and love we celebrate today.
Their life was anything but ordinary…and surely filled with challenges…
and yet they persevered in peace and grace
because they never turned away from God and one another.
Literally, they were centered on Christ…as parents of Jesus.
So, too, your lives are to be centered on Christ!
The fabric of our world can only be repaired and strengthened
by the love, dedication, and witness of holy families.
Vocations to the priesthood and religious life will only increase
if the seeds God plants are nourished in holy families.
My dear friends, be holy families!
For through you God desires to renew the world!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Homily Christmas 2007
Nolite timere.
Ecce enim evangelizo vobis gaudium magnum
quod erit omni populo.
Quia natus est vobis hodie salvator in civitate David
qui est Christus Dominus!
Fear not.
Behold, indeed I declare to tidings of great joy
which will be for all the people.
For today a savior has been born for you in the city of David,
Who is Christ the Lord!
The angels declared to the shepherds…and declare this day to us:
The day of salvation has dawned!
The savior promised by the prophets of old…
announced by the angels…
and longed-for by countless generations for ages past…
has appeared at last on earth!
The Word of God has become flesh!
The moment for which we have prepared by our celebration of Advent has arrived!
The one for whom our hearts have longed and yearned is at last here with us!
Our Savior is born for us this holy day…Jesus Christ has come!
He has come…and how has He come?
The answer lies in the third stanza of a hymn from the 9th Century…
“Creator of the Stars of Night.”
When this old world drew on toward night,you came; but not in splendor bright,not as a monarch, but the childof Mary, blameless mother mild.
Yes, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
our savior has not come as a monarch…in wealth, prestige, or finery.
Instead, the one who is King of the whole universe…
has come as a innocent…helpless…little baby.
The one whose voice…spoken in darkness…brought into being all that exists…
takes on flesh as an infant…
and will learn from His mother how to eat and speak and walk
This child is born in a poor, dirty stable…the home of animals…
filled with straw…and other things you find beneath animals…
no place for any child to sleep.
His first visitors are not dignitaries… but shepherds with their bleating sheep.
This King has no royal robe…but simply a swaddling cloth…
and His throne is a wooden box out of which cows and donkeys eat.
Jesus was born…the same as He lived and as He died…in poverty.
[PAUSE]
The angel declares: “A Savior has been born for you.”
Jesus the Savior has indeed been born for us…
and we are called to embrace Him as Mary did.
As Mary bore Jesus in her womb…and gave birth to Him…
so we are meant to carry Christ with us
to allow His love to grow and mature within us…
and give birth to His love and peace and truth in the holiness of our lives.
Jesus will find a welcome in our lives…
if we embrace Him just as He was first born into our world… in poverty.
Jesus desires to come to us humbly…simply…without pageantry
and without the unnecessary, burdensome trappings of this world.
Mary and Joseph did not need a Hummer 3 to get to Bethlehem.
A donkey sufficed.
The Holy Family did not need an i-phone or a 120” TV.
They entertained themselves by delighting in one another’s company.
The Magi found the stable without GPS.
The star God had ordained was accurate within inches.
We have so many gadgets, and so much noise, and far too many distractions
in our lives these days.
If you, like so many who are overloaded today,
find yourself burdened and yet unfulfilled…busy and yet unsatisfied…
then…this Christmas…embrace Christ in poverty.
Before you make your next impulse purchase and swipe the newest plastic…
ponder the question:
“How will this help Christ's love grow in me and be born in my life?”
Before you make the next big decision at work, as yourselves:
“How will this help me, my colleagues, and my family to live Christ's love?”
Each day, as the rubber hits the road in daily life…
allow your lives to be guided by the fundamental question:
“How will what I have done, what I am doing, and what I will do today
allow me to carry the love and truth of Christ to others?
Strip away all that is unnecessary, that distracts us from God, that is not holy.
Embrace Christ in poverty…
and allow Him to fill you with the riches of grace…
which cannot ever be measured.
Embrace the sweet infant Jesus in simplicity of life and humility of heart.
Carry Him with you everywhere, forever.
Allow His love to grow and mature within you
and to be born constantly in a life of goodness, selflessness, and truth.
Embrace Christ tonight with reckless abandon… love him without reserve…
give yourselves completely to Him…
and never allow anything less than the perfect love of Christ
to guide and guard you in this life.
Tonight, according to ancient tradition, we will direct special attention
to the words in the Creed which speak of the mystery we celebrate tonight.
At the words of Incarnation…
“…and He was born of the Virgin Mary and became man…”
we will all pause and genuflect together.
I will lead you by turning toward the Altar and genuflecting myself.
During the whole year, we all bow at these special words.
Tonight we genuflect because we celebrate this great mystery,
which is at the heart of our faith.
As you genuflect and rise, ponder the mystery we celebrate.
As you take leave of this holy place tonight…
forget not the lesson of this great feast of Christ's birth.
Embrace Christ in poverty and humility.
Let nothing separate you from His love.
Ecce enim evangelizo vobis gaudium magnum
quod erit omni populo.
Quia natus est vobis hodie salvator in civitate David
qui est Christus Dominus!
Fear not.
Behold, indeed I declare to tidings of great joy
which will be for all the people.
For today a savior has been born for you in the city of David,
Who is Christ the Lord!
The angels declared to the shepherds…and declare this day to us:
The day of salvation has dawned!
The savior promised by the prophets of old…
announced by the angels…
and longed-for by countless generations for ages past…
has appeared at last on earth!
The Word of God has become flesh!
The moment for which we have prepared by our celebration of Advent has arrived!
The one for whom our hearts have longed and yearned is at last here with us!
Our Savior is born for us this holy day…Jesus Christ has come!
He has come…and how has He come?
The answer lies in the third stanza of a hymn from the 9th Century…
“Creator of the Stars of Night.”
When this old world drew on toward night,you came; but not in splendor bright,not as a monarch, but the childof Mary, blameless mother mild.
Yes, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
our savior has not come as a monarch…in wealth, prestige, or finery.
Instead, the one who is King of the whole universe…
has come as a innocent…helpless…little baby.
The one whose voice…spoken in darkness…brought into being all that exists…
takes on flesh as an infant…
and will learn from His mother how to eat and speak and walk
This child is born in a poor, dirty stable…the home of animals…
filled with straw…and other things you find beneath animals…
no place for any child to sleep.
His first visitors are not dignitaries… but shepherds with their bleating sheep.
This King has no royal robe…but simply a swaddling cloth…
and His throne is a wooden box out of which cows and donkeys eat.
Jesus was born…the same as He lived and as He died…in poverty.
[PAUSE]
The angel declares: “A Savior has been born for you.”
Jesus the Savior has indeed been born for us…
and we are called to embrace Him as Mary did.
As Mary bore Jesus in her womb…and gave birth to Him…
so we are meant to carry Christ with us
to allow His love to grow and mature within us…
and give birth to His love and peace and truth in the holiness of our lives.
Jesus will find a welcome in our lives…
if we embrace Him just as He was first born into our world… in poverty.
Jesus desires to come to us humbly…simply…without pageantry
and without the unnecessary, burdensome trappings of this world.
Mary and Joseph did not need a Hummer 3 to get to Bethlehem.
A donkey sufficed.
The Holy Family did not need an i-phone or a 120” TV.
They entertained themselves by delighting in one another’s company.
The Magi found the stable without GPS.
The star God had ordained was accurate within inches.
We have so many gadgets, and so much noise, and far too many distractions
in our lives these days.
If you, like so many who are overloaded today,
find yourself burdened and yet unfulfilled…busy and yet unsatisfied…
then…this Christmas…embrace Christ in poverty.
Before you make your next impulse purchase and swipe the newest plastic…
ponder the question:
“How will this help Christ's love grow in me and be born in my life?”
Before you make the next big decision at work, as yourselves:
“How will this help me, my colleagues, and my family to live Christ's love?”
Each day, as the rubber hits the road in daily life…
allow your lives to be guided by the fundamental question:
“How will what I have done, what I am doing, and what I will do today
allow me to carry the love and truth of Christ to others?
Strip away all that is unnecessary, that distracts us from God, that is not holy.
Embrace Christ in poverty…
and allow Him to fill you with the riches of grace…
which cannot ever be measured.
Embrace the sweet infant Jesus in simplicity of life and humility of heart.
Carry Him with you everywhere, forever.
Allow His love to grow and mature within you
and to be born constantly in a life of goodness, selflessness, and truth.
Embrace Christ tonight with reckless abandon… love him without reserve…
give yourselves completely to Him…
and never allow anything less than the perfect love of Christ
to guide and guard you in this life.
Tonight, according to ancient tradition, we will direct special attention
to the words in the Creed which speak of the mystery we celebrate tonight.
At the words of Incarnation…
“…and He was born of the Virgin Mary and became man…”
we will all pause and genuflect together.
I will lead you by turning toward the Altar and genuflecting myself.
During the whole year, we all bow at these special words.
Tonight we genuflect because we celebrate this great mystery,
which is at the heart of our faith.
As you genuflect and rise, ponder the mystery we celebrate.
As you take leave of this holy place tonight…
forget not the lesson of this great feast of Christ's birth.
Embrace Christ in poverty and humility.
Let nothing separate you from His love.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Homily Fourth Sunday of Advent 23 December 2007
‘Twas the month before Christmas
When all through our land,
Not a Christian was praying
Nor taking a stand.
See the PC Police had taken away
The reason for Christmas -- no one could say.
The children were told by their schools not to sing,
About shepherds and wise men and angels and things.
It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say --
December 25th is just a "holiday."
Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit,
Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!…
As Targets were hanging their trees upside down
At Lowe's the word "Christmas" was nowhere to be found.
At K-Mart and Staples and Penney's and Sears,
You won't hear the word "Christmas" -- it won't touch your ears.…
The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded,
The Reason for the Season, stopped before it started.
So as you celebrate "winter break" under your "dream tree,"
Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.
Choose your words carefully, choose what you say,
Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS ... not Happy Holiday!
[PAUSE]
These few excerpts from a parody of the famous Christmas poem
“‘Twas the Night Before Christmas”
speak volumes about the reality of our world
and the challenges to our faith which we face every day.
The most basic reality of our faith…
the Incarnation of the Son of God…
is neglected, set aside, ridiculed, and deemed offensive to the public.
And no one bothers to do anything about it!
[PAUSE]
The Holy Scriptures today proclaim the imminence of Christ's birth…
and help us to “zero in” on the authentic meaning and reality
of this season of singular holiness and grace.
Ever since the first man and woman turned from God in the Garden of Eden,
our Heavenly Father has been seeking after us…
drawing us back to Himself…
and preparing to send His only Son to pay the price of Adam’s sin.
From ancient times, the prophets spoke the message entrusted to them by God.
Isaiah foretold that a virgin would conceive and bear a son,
and that this child would be called “Emmanuel” – “God-with-us.”
The Psalmist sings of the coming of the King of Glory,
and declares that that only the pure of heart
will stand with the Lord on His mountain.
When Jesus comes, He will be one like us, in all things but sin...
and so we shall be given the grace of becoming sons and daughters of God,
brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus.
Finally, in the fullness of time, God sent His messengers…
first to Zechariah and the barren Elizabeth…
announcing the birth of John the Baptist
then to Mary…
announcing to her that she would be the mother of the Savior
and then to Joseph…
to give him assurance and peace
in his unique role as foster-father of Jesus.
Today we hear of these last preparations in the drama of God’s plan.
The prophets have foretold it…
The angels have announced it…
John the Baptist is preaching and preparing the way for the Lord…
Mary and Joseph have been told of their unique roles in the plan of salvation…
Their lives are about to unfold in a way they never thought possible…
In God’s great design…all is ready…all is prepared…
for the coming of the King…the infant King!
Soon the Virgin shall bear a son!
The day of salvation draws ever nearer!
For us, these events are not simply ancient memories.
They are realities and mysteries into which we are drawn
through the celebration of the Liturgy.
This is Advent!
We, too, are preparing…our hearts, our homes, and our spiritual lives…for Christmas.
Meanwhile, we have to deal with the world around us trying to snuff out Christmas.
We are not preparing for just any holiday…or “winter festival.”
We are making ready for the coming of the Son of God…
the birth of the little child who will come to set us free!
There is only one celebration on the 25th of December.
Therefore, there is no conceivable reason why the lips of a baptized Catholic
should ever utter the words “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings!”
The very word “Christmas” comes from two words:
“Christ,” of course…and…“Mass.”
The word signifies the Mass which is celebrated on the birthday of Christ.
The very word is connected to the Liturgy of the Church.
Without a connection to the religious, liturgical celebration of Christ's birth…
Christmas has no meaning at all!
In our stores, legislatures, and public schools,
Christmas is being drained of any significance.
It falls to us to celebrate and proclaim the reality of what Christmas is…
and to keep the meaning of Christmas alive in the hearts of all people.
If you have friends of the Jewish faith, wish them a Happy and Blessed Hanukkah.
Otherwise, bring to those you meet the true blessing of this time of year.
Proclaim Jesus loud and clear, in every way possible!
If you wish by your choice of greeting to include the entire “season,”
remember that the “Christmas Season” extends all the way to Epiphany.
And if a store clerk should ever wish you a “Happy Holiday,”
look at them with love…smile…and say:
“Merry Christmas!”
Anything less than the truth is not worth saying at all.
When all through our land,
Not a Christian was praying
Nor taking a stand.
See the PC Police had taken away
The reason for Christmas -- no one could say.
The children were told by their schools not to sing,
About shepherds and wise men and angels and things.
It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say --
December 25th is just a "holiday."
Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit,
Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!…
As Targets were hanging their trees upside down
At Lowe's the word "Christmas" was nowhere to be found.
At K-Mart and Staples and Penney's and Sears,
You won't hear the word "Christmas" -- it won't touch your ears.…
The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded,
The Reason for the Season, stopped before it started.
So as you celebrate "winter break" under your "dream tree,"
Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.
Choose your words carefully, choose what you say,
Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS ... not Happy Holiday!
[PAUSE]
These few excerpts from a parody of the famous Christmas poem
“‘Twas the Night Before Christmas”
speak volumes about the reality of our world
and the challenges to our faith which we face every day.
The most basic reality of our faith…
the Incarnation of the Son of God…
is neglected, set aside, ridiculed, and deemed offensive to the public.
And no one bothers to do anything about it!
[PAUSE]
The Holy Scriptures today proclaim the imminence of Christ's birth…
and help us to “zero in” on the authentic meaning and reality
of this season of singular holiness and grace.
Ever since the first man and woman turned from God in the Garden of Eden,
our Heavenly Father has been seeking after us…
drawing us back to Himself…
and preparing to send His only Son to pay the price of Adam’s sin.
From ancient times, the prophets spoke the message entrusted to them by God.
Isaiah foretold that a virgin would conceive and bear a son,
and that this child would be called “Emmanuel” – “God-with-us.”
The Psalmist sings of the coming of the King of Glory,
and declares that that only the pure of heart
will stand with the Lord on His mountain.
When Jesus comes, He will be one like us, in all things but sin...
and so we shall be given the grace of becoming sons and daughters of God,
brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus.
Finally, in the fullness of time, God sent His messengers…
first to Zechariah and the barren Elizabeth…
announcing the birth of John the Baptist
then to Mary…
announcing to her that she would be the mother of the Savior
and then to Joseph…
to give him assurance and peace
in his unique role as foster-father of Jesus.
Today we hear of these last preparations in the drama of God’s plan.
The prophets have foretold it…
The angels have announced it…
John the Baptist is preaching and preparing the way for the Lord…
Mary and Joseph have been told of their unique roles in the plan of salvation…
Their lives are about to unfold in a way they never thought possible…
In God’s great design…all is ready…all is prepared…
for the coming of the King…the infant King!
Soon the Virgin shall bear a son!
The day of salvation draws ever nearer!
For us, these events are not simply ancient memories.
They are realities and mysteries into which we are drawn
through the celebration of the Liturgy.
This is Advent!
We, too, are preparing…our hearts, our homes, and our spiritual lives…for Christmas.
Meanwhile, we have to deal with the world around us trying to snuff out Christmas.
We are not preparing for just any holiday…or “winter festival.”
We are making ready for the coming of the Son of God…
the birth of the little child who will come to set us free!
There is only one celebration on the 25th of December.
Therefore, there is no conceivable reason why the lips of a baptized Catholic
should ever utter the words “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings!”
The very word “Christmas” comes from two words:
“Christ,” of course…and…“Mass.”
The word signifies the Mass which is celebrated on the birthday of Christ.
The very word is connected to the Liturgy of the Church.
Without a connection to the religious, liturgical celebration of Christ's birth…
Christmas has no meaning at all!
In our stores, legislatures, and public schools,
Christmas is being drained of any significance.
It falls to us to celebrate and proclaim the reality of what Christmas is…
and to keep the meaning of Christmas alive in the hearts of all people.
If you have friends of the Jewish faith, wish them a Happy and Blessed Hanukkah.
Otherwise, bring to those you meet the true blessing of this time of year.
Proclaim Jesus loud and clear, in every way possible!
If you wish by your choice of greeting to include the entire “season,”
remember that the “Christmas Season” extends all the way to Epiphany.
And if a store clerk should ever wish you a “Happy Holiday,”
look at them with love…smile…and say:
“Merry Christmas!”
Anything less than the truth is not worth saying at all.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Homily Gaudete Sunday Year A 16 December 2007
Among the many saints canonized by John Paul II during his papacy
was African Josephine Bakhita.
She was born around 1869 in Darfur in Sudan.
At the age of nine, she was kidnapped by slave-traders,
beaten, and sold five times in the slave-markets of Sudan.
Eventually she found herself working as a slave for the family of a general,
and there she was flogged every day till she bled;
as a result of this she bore 144 scars throughout her life.
Finally, in 1882, she was bought by an Italian merchant
for the Italian consul Callisto Legnani.
Here, after the terrifying “masters” who had owned her up to that point,
Bakhita came to know a totally different kind of “master.”
In Venetian dialect, which she was now learning to speak,
she used the word “paron” for the living God, the God of Jesus Christ.
Up to that time she had known only masters who despised and maltreated her.
Now, however, she heard that there is a “paron” above all masters,
the Lord of all lords, and that this Lord is good…even “goodness in person.”
She came to know that this Lord even knew her, that he had created her,
that he actually loved her.
She too was loved, and by none other than the supreme “Paron.”
What is more, this master had himself accepted the destiny of being flogged
and now he was waiting for her “at the Father's right hand.”
Now she had “hope”…
no longer simply the hope of finding masters who would be less cruel,
but the great hope:
“I am definitively loved
and whatever happens to me—I am awaited by this Love.
And so my life is good.”
Through the knowledge of this hope she was “redeemed,”
no longer a slave, but a free child of God.
She understood what Saint Paul meant when he wrote to the Ephesians
that previously they were without hope and without God in the world…
without hope because without God.
On 9 January 1890, she was baptized and confirmed
and received her first Holy Communion
On 8 December 1896, in Verona, she took her vows in religious life.
Josephine made journeys throughout Italy in order to promote the missions…
for she knew that the liberation that she had received
through her encounter with the God of Jesus Christ
had to be handed on to others.
The hope born in her… which had “redeemed” her…she could not keep to herself;
this hope had to reach many…to reach everybody.
On November 30th, our Holy Father issued his second encyclical…
entitled Spe Salvi… “In Hope We Are Saved.”
The subject of the encyclical is the Christian virtue of hope.
The full text of the letter is available online…
and I shall offer a few reflections on the Holy Father’s teaching today.
Pope Benedict reflects that, throughout the New Testament,
the words “faith” and “hope” appear to be interchangeable.
Hope is equivalent to faith in the Epistles of the Early Church.
Before their encounter with Christ, the early Christians were without hope.
Those who came to know Christ…those who came to have faith in Him…
abandoned the worship of the ancient gods
and came to have hope in the one, true God.
The distinguishing mark of Christians is the fact that they have a future…
not that we know the precise details of what awaits us…
but that we know that our lives will not end in emptiness.
Because of our hope in what God has promised for our future…
it becomes possible to really live in the present.
The one who has hope lives differently.
For the faithful Christian,
the hope we have changes us…and inspires us to live for God.
The Gospel message is not merely “informative”…
not simply a bunch of information and things to be known…
though knowing our faith is an essential foundation for living.
Rather, in a much deeper way…the Gospel is “performative,”
it is a message that changes lives and makes things happen.
The people to whom Saint Paul preached were previously without hope…
because they were “without God in the world.”
Having heard the Gospel message…
and having experienced a real encounter with God…
they…like all who come to truly encounter God…find hope.
We have grown accustomed to the Christian understanding of God…
and often take Him and our relationship with Him for granted.
For this reason, Pope Benedict included the story of Josephine in his encyclical:
to give us an example of what it means to find God…
and thus to find hope…for the first time.
[PAUSE]
This Sunday is a unique day of joy in the life of the Church.
This Sunday is “Gaudete Sunday”…
a name which comes from the first word
of the introit antiphon for today’s Mass…
the antiphon which is often replaced by the opening hymn.
In Latin, the word is “Gaudete,” which means “rejoice!’
The joy of Christianity is supernatural…
for it is grounded in the beauty and splendor of our unique faith.
This “Gaudete Sunday” is a beacon of light in winter’s long darkness…
a moment of joy…and also of hope…
amid a season of preparation, and anticipation of the Birth of Jesus.
As we continue to prepare for Christmas…
we rejoice today precisely because we have hope that the Savior will come!
Hence also the “rose” colored vestments…
The scriptures today admonish us to
“Be strong, fear not!”
“Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand!”
Today we pray for the grace to experience God’s presence and love anew…
to rejoice as people who have come to know God all over again…
to celebrate this Christmas as if meeting Christ for the very first time…
and to bring others to Jesus by living the hope which wells up within us.
was African Josephine Bakhita.
She was born around 1869 in Darfur in Sudan.
At the age of nine, she was kidnapped by slave-traders,
beaten, and sold five times in the slave-markets of Sudan.
Eventually she found herself working as a slave for the family of a general,
and there she was flogged every day till she bled;
as a result of this she bore 144 scars throughout her life.
Finally, in 1882, she was bought by an Italian merchant
for the Italian consul Callisto Legnani.
Here, after the terrifying “masters” who had owned her up to that point,
Bakhita came to know a totally different kind of “master.”
In Venetian dialect, which she was now learning to speak,
she used the word “paron” for the living God, the God of Jesus Christ.
Up to that time she had known only masters who despised and maltreated her.
Now, however, she heard that there is a “paron” above all masters,
the Lord of all lords, and that this Lord is good…even “goodness in person.”
She came to know that this Lord even knew her, that he had created her,
that he actually loved her.
She too was loved, and by none other than the supreme “Paron.”
What is more, this master had himself accepted the destiny of being flogged
and now he was waiting for her “at the Father's right hand.”
Now she had “hope”…
no longer simply the hope of finding masters who would be less cruel,
but the great hope:
“I am definitively loved
and whatever happens to me—I am awaited by this Love.
And so my life is good.”
Through the knowledge of this hope she was “redeemed,”
no longer a slave, but a free child of God.
She understood what Saint Paul meant when he wrote to the Ephesians
that previously they were without hope and without God in the world…
without hope because without God.
On 9 January 1890, she was baptized and confirmed
and received her first Holy Communion
On 8 December 1896, in Verona, she took her vows in religious life.
Josephine made journeys throughout Italy in order to promote the missions…
for she knew that the liberation that she had received
through her encounter with the God of Jesus Christ
had to be handed on to others.
The hope born in her… which had “redeemed” her…she could not keep to herself;
this hope had to reach many…to reach everybody.
On November 30th, our Holy Father issued his second encyclical…
entitled Spe Salvi… “In Hope We Are Saved.”
The subject of the encyclical is the Christian virtue of hope.
The full text of the letter is available online…
and I shall offer a few reflections on the Holy Father’s teaching today.
Pope Benedict reflects that, throughout the New Testament,
the words “faith” and “hope” appear to be interchangeable.
Hope is equivalent to faith in the Epistles of the Early Church.
Before their encounter with Christ, the early Christians were without hope.
Those who came to know Christ…those who came to have faith in Him…
abandoned the worship of the ancient gods
and came to have hope in the one, true God.
The distinguishing mark of Christians is the fact that they have a future…
not that we know the precise details of what awaits us…
but that we know that our lives will not end in emptiness.
Because of our hope in what God has promised for our future…
it becomes possible to really live in the present.
The one who has hope lives differently.
For the faithful Christian,
the hope we have changes us…and inspires us to live for God.
The Gospel message is not merely “informative”…
not simply a bunch of information and things to be known…
though knowing our faith is an essential foundation for living.
Rather, in a much deeper way…the Gospel is “performative,”
it is a message that changes lives and makes things happen.
The people to whom Saint Paul preached were previously without hope…
because they were “without God in the world.”
Having heard the Gospel message…
and having experienced a real encounter with God…
they…like all who come to truly encounter God…find hope.
We have grown accustomed to the Christian understanding of God…
and often take Him and our relationship with Him for granted.
For this reason, Pope Benedict included the story of Josephine in his encyclical:
to give us an example of what it means to find God…
and thus to find hope…for the first time.
[PAUSE]
This Sunday is a unique day of joy in the life of the Church.
This Sunday is “Gaudete Sunday”…
a name which comes from the first word
of the introit antiphon for today’s Mass…
the antiphon which is often replaced by the opening hymn.
In Latin, the word is “Gaudete,” which means “rejoice!’
The joy of Christianity is supernatural…
for it is grounded in the beauty and splendor of our unique faith.
This “Gaudete Sunday” is a beacon of light in winter’s long darkness…
a moment of joy…and also of hope…
amid a season of preparation, and anticipation of the Birth of Jesus.
As we continue to prepare for Christmas…
we rejoice today precisely because we have hope that the Savior will come!
Hence also the “rose” colored vestments…
The scriptures today admonish us to
“Be strong, fear not!”
“Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand!”
Today we pray for the grace to experience God’s presence and love anew…
to rejoice as people who have come to know God all over again…
to celebrate this Christmas as if meeting Christ for the very first time…
and to bring others to Jesus by living the hope which wells up within us.
Friday, December 07, 2007
Homily Second Sunday of Advent Year A 9 December 2007
In 1916, in preparation for the appearances of the Blessed Virgin at Fatima,
an Angel of Peace appeared to the three children who would later see Mary.
On the angel’s third visit…the children witnessed a dramatic scene.
The angel appeared to them with the Eucharist.
Suspending the Host and Chalice in the air…
the angel threw himself prostrate in the ground
and prayed with the children in adoration of the Eucharist!
The angel prostrated himself before the Eucharist!
How blessed would we be if we had such perfect love for Jesus in the Eucharist!
[PAUSE]
Advent is a season of intense preparation…of making ready…
of placing things in order…
as we anxiously await the coming of the Messiah.
In this holy season…we remember the ancient days of the Old Testament
when the Israelites longed for the Messiah.
We anticipate Christ's second coming in glory at the end of time…
and we resolve to keep vigilant
and make ready for His coming at an hour we do not expect.
And we prepare for the glorious celebration
of Christ's coming into our hearts at Christmas.
As we focus our attention intently on preparing for the coming of Christ…
are we aware that we experience daily
the coming of Christ into our souls in the Eucharist…
a coming for which we must also be intensely prepared?
The Church celebrates the Holy Mass every day, in churches throughout the world.
Wherever the Mass is celebrated…Jesus is entering into the lives of His people.
Whenever you come to Mass…you are receiving Christ into your midst.
Today the Church calls us to pause and to reflect very intently on this question:
“How are we preparing ourselves to receive Jesus
when He comes to us in the Eucharist?”
The act of receiving Communion is a moment of union with the person of Jesus…
and it should never…ever…be simply a rote, casual action.
Coming up in the Communion line,
your hearts and minds should be focused on Jesus, and on Him alone.
If one receives in the hands…
one ought not be poised to snatch the Lord
but ought to present one’s hands as if a throne on which to receive Him.
It is the custom of the diocese of the United States
that the sign of reverence required of the whole Church
takes the form of a bow before receiving Communion.
It is important that we never omit this sign of reverence to the Lord.
To the words “The Body of Christ” and “The Blood of Christ” we respond “Amen.”
Having received Communion, the Host is to be consumed in a reverent manner…
not as if chewing a piece of meat.
The moment of receiving the Lord Jesus in Holy Communion
should leave us in awe and filled with gratitude for this undeserved gift
and the way in which we carry ourselves in that moment
should reflect these sentiments.
We might ask ourselves…
if a stranger came into our church…one who knew nothing of our faith…
would he be impressed by what he sees?
Would the appearance of a bunch of people filing out of the pews…
casually grabbing a piece of bread…
and sitting back down as if nothing happened…
strike at a stranger’s heart?
Communion truly celebrated as the sacredness of the Eucharist demands
should leave a stranger speechless before the awesome mystery
to which our outward actions are directed.
[PAUSE]
Even beyond this…it is good to reflect on how we prepare for and celebrate
the Liturgy of the Mass.
The Church calls the faithful to prepare
not only our souls…but our bodies as well…for the Eucharist.
We prepare bodily by observing the Communion fast
for a solid hour before Communion.
We prepare spiritually by examining our consciences
and bringing to Confession any mortal sins of which we are aware.
When we have separated ourselves from God though serious sin…
we must first seek reconciliation
before we can worthily and truly be united to Him in Communion.
We prepare for Mass also by coming early to pray
and to quiet our hearts in God’s presence.
[PAUSE]
Preparing for Jesus’ coming to us in the Eucharist
also means entering deeply into the celebration of the Mass.
It is important to be on time for Mass…
and to stay until after the blessing and recessional hymn.
By coming in late and skipping out on the end…
one only deprives oneself of the fullness
of the incredible spiritual nourishment that is available in the Mass.
Not to mention what it does for the self-esteem of the priest!
What is one hour to give the Lord?
As Jesus asks His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane… “Could you not wait one hour with me?”
The faithful are called to enter with joy and excitement into the celebration of Mass…
to participate in signing God’s praises with conviction…
and to answer clearly all the liturgical responses.
The Mass is of eternal significance…and the high point of our life as Catholics…
and if we believe what we say we do about the Eucharust…
then bodies and souls ought to be caught up in prayer
and nothing should keep us from living the Eucharist we celebrate!
[PAUSE]
Today’s Gospel is the story of John the Baptist,
the prophet called by God to announce to the people the coming Messiah.
John was a humble, simple man, who lived a meager life
and spent his days preaching repentance and the coming of the Kingdom.
He is the one who cries out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord…make straight His paths!”
John’s words elsewhere…when Jesus comes to be baptized…
are the words of the priest immediately before Communion…
“Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!”
In this moment of grace we call Advent…
may we seize the opportunity to examine our attitude toward the Eucharist…
and to deepen our preparation for Christ's coming in each Communion.
May we exalt the valleys of dark and sin in the grace of Confession…
level the temptations to pride by the virtue of humility…
and thus make a straight path into our hearts for the Lord.
May we prepare well for every Mass…
so that we may celebrate worthily these sacred mysteries
and approach the banquet of the Lamb to worship in spirit and in truth!
an Angel of Peace appeared to the three children who would later see Mary.
On the angel’s third visit…the children witnessed a dramatic scene.
The angel appeared to them with the Eucharist.
Suspending the Host and Chalice in the air…
the angel threw himself prostrate in the ground
and prayed with the children in adoration of the Eucharist!
The angel prostrated himself before the Eucharist!
How blessed would we be if we had such perfect love for Jesus in the Eucharist!
[PAUSE]
Advent is a season of intense preparation…of making ready…
of placing things in order…
as we anxiously await the coming of the Messiah.
In this holy season…we remember the ancient days of the Old Testament
when the Israelites longed for the Messiah.
We anticipate Christ's second coming in glory at the end of time…
and we resolve to keep vigilant
and make ready for His coming at an hour we do not expect.
And we prepare for the glorious celebration
of Christ's coming into our hearts at Christmas.
As we focus our attention intently on preparing for the coming of Christ…
are we aware that we experience daily
the coming of Christ into our souls in the Eucharist…
a coming for which we must also be intensely prepared?
The Church celebrates the Holy Mass every day, in churches throughout the world.
Wherever the Mass is celebrated…Jesus is entering into the lives of His people.
Whenever you come to Mass…you are receiving Christ into your midst.
Today the Church calls us to pause and to reflect very intently on this question:
“How are we preparing ourselves to receive Jesus
when He comes to us in the Eucharist?”
The act of receiving Communion is a moment of union with the person of Jesus…
and it should never…ever…be simply a rote, casual action.
Coming up in the Communion line,
your hearts and minds should be focused on Jesus, and on Him alone.
If one receives in the hands…
one ought not be poised to snatch the Lord
but ought to present one’s hands as if a throne on which to receive Him.
It is the custom of the diocese of the United States
that the sign of reverence required of the whole Church
takes the form of a bow before receiving Communion.
It is important that we never omit this sign of reverence to the Lord.
To the words “The Body of Christ” and “The Blood of Christ” we respond “Amen.”
Having received Communion, the Host is to be consumed in a reverent manner…
not as if chewing a piece of meat.
The moment of receiving the Lord Jesus in Holy Communion
should leave us in awe and filled with gratitude for this undeserved gift
and the way in which we carry ourselves in that moment
should reflect these sentiments.
We might ask ourselves…
if a stranger came into our church…one who knew nothing of our faith…
would he be impressed by what he sees?
Would the appearance of a bunch of people filing out of the pews…
casually grabbing a piece of bread…
and sitting back down as if nothing happened…
strike at a stranger’s heart?
Communion truly celebrated as the sacredness of the Eucharist demands
should leave a stranger speechless before the awesome mystery
to which our outward actions are directed.
[PAUSE]
Even beyond this…it is good to reflect on how we prepare for and celebrate
the Liturgy of the Mass.
The Church calls the faithful to prepare
not only our souls…but our bodies as well…for the Eucharist.
We prepare bodily by observing the Communion fast
for a solid hour before Communion.
We prepare spiritually by examining our consciences
and bringing to Confession any mortal sins of which we are aware.
When we have separated ourselves from God though serious sin…
we must first seek reconciliation
before we can worthily and truly be united to Him in Communion.
We prepare for Mass also by coming early to pray
and to quiet our hearts in God’s presence.
[PAUSE]
Preparing for Jesus’ coming to us in the Eucharist
also means entering deeply into the celebration of the Mass.
It is important to be on time for Mass…
and to stay until after the blessing and recessional hymn.
By coming in late and skipping out on the end…
one only deprives oneself of the fullness
of the incredible spiritual nourishment that is available in the Mass.
Not to mention what it does for the self-esteem of the priest!
What is one hour to give the Lord?
As Jesus asks His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane… “Could you not wait one hour with me?”
The faithful are called to enter with joy and excitement into the celebration of Mass…
to participate in signing God’s praises with conviction…
and to answer clearly all the liturgical responses.
The Mass is of eternal significance…and the high point of our life as Catholics…
and if we believe what we say we do about the Eucharust…
then bodies and souls ought to be caught up in prayer
and nothing should keep us from living the Eucharist we celebrate!
[PAUSE]
Today’s Gospel is the story of John the Baptist,
the prophet called by God to announce to the people the coming Messiah.
John was a humble, simple man, who lived a meager life
and spent his days preaching repentance and the coming of the Kingdom.
He is the one who cries out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord…make straight His paths!”
John’s words elsewhere…when Jesus comes to be baptized…
are the words of the priest immediately before Communion…
“Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!”
In this moment of grace we call Advent…
may we seize the opportunity to examine our attitude toward the Eucharist…
and to deepen our preparation for Christ's coming in each Communion.
May we exalt the valleys of dark and sin in the grace of Confession…
level the temptations to pride by the virtue of humility…
and thus make a straight path into our hearts for the Lord.
May we prepare well for every Mass…
so that we may celebrate worthily these sacred mysteries
and approach the banquet of the Lamb to worship in spirit and in truth!
Canton Repository 8 December 2007
Confusion about the authentic faith of the Catholic Church persists in the world today, and clarification remains necessary.
Recently, Mary Ann Winkowski, the “real Ghost Whisperer” behind the popular television program of the same name, spoke at an event in North Canton.
Winkowski, who calls herself a “paranormal investigator,” claims to be able to converse with the spirits of the dead. Whether or not that is true is not the issue at hand. What has caught the attention of careful readers is that several references to the Church were made in the article announcing Winkowski’s visit (The Repository, November 24, 2007), including the use of the phrase “a devout Catholic” to describe her. One wonders what purpose is served by bringing Catholicism into the discussion.
Since the Church has been dragged into this, it is appropriate for the Church to be given a voice. Based on the First Commandment from the Book of Exodus, the Church has consistently taught that all forms of divination, conjuring up the dead, clairvoyance, and so forth – even if they are meant for good – are contrary to Christian faith. The Bible calls all people to have no other gods except the one true God, and to place nothing above Him. That includes trusting in God’s Providence in matters of life and death, and in whatever concerns the future. Any attempt to meddle in the spiritual realm, unveil the future, or gain supernatural power over others is a failure to respect God our Creator. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 2115-2117.)
The Church desires that all people come to know the truth and love of God, and set aside all that is not of God. If one must take the risk of dabbling in occult and paranormal practices, please do not pretend the Church is supportive.
Father Matthew J. Albright
Parochial Vicar
Saint Michael the Archangel Church
Recently, Mary Ann Winkowski, the “real Ghost Whisperer” behind the popular television program of the same name, spoke at an event in North Canton.
Winkowski, who calls herself a “paranormal investigator,” claims to be able to converse with the spirits of the dead. Whether or not that is true is not the issue at hand. What has caught the attention of careful readers is that several references to the Church were made in the article announcing Winkowski’s visit (The Repository, November 24, 2007), including the use of the phrase “a devout Catholic” to describe her. One wonders what purpose is served by bringing Catholicism into the discussion.
Since the Church has been dragged into this, it is appropriate for the Church to be given a voice. Based on the First Commandment from the Book of Exodus, the Church has consistently taught that all forms of divination, conjuring up the dead, clairvoyance, and so forth – even if they are meant for good – are contrary to Christian faith. The Bible calls all people to have no other gods except the one true God, and to place nothing above Him. That includes trusting in God’s Providence in matters of life and death, and in whatever concerns the future. Any attempt to meddle in the spiritual realm, unveil the future, or gain supernatural power over others is a failure to respect God our Creator. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 2115-2117.)
The Church desires that all people come to know the truth and love of God, and set aside all that is not of God. If one must take the risk of dabbling in occult and paranormal practices, please do not pretend the Church is supportive.
Father Matthew J. Albright
Parochial Vicar
Saint Michael the Archangel Church
Homily Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception 8 December 2007
Among the beautiful and thoughtful gifts I received from generous friends
on the occasion of my ordination to the priesthood…
is a painting of the Blessed Virgin Mary that hangs in my office.
It is titled “The Virgin in Prayer”
and is the work of 17th Century Italian artist Sassoferrato.
In this striking image, Mary is dressed in a blue robes…and wears a white veil.
Her hands are joined in prayer… not clasped in an anguished kind of prayer…
but gently…as if peacefully placed together.
Her head is bowed…slightly…
Her downcast eyes are barely visible behind her eyelids…
and yet passion and love shine forth from them.
Her face is filled with peace and light…and at the same time sadness.
Hers is the face of a woman who is wise beyond her years…
the face of one who has known joy beyond all telling…
and sorrow beyond what anyone should have to endure.
Hers is the face of a holy woman who has lived life…a woman who has loved.
Her face is the face of a mother!
Mary is the mother of the Savior, Jesus Christ…
the one for whom we long in this Advent Season…
and the mother of every faithful person who follows her Son.
The Virgin in Prayer hangs on my office wall
as a reminder to me…and those with whom I meet there…
that Mary is praying for me and for them…
and that…no matter what…Mary our mother understands.
I can point to Mary and say to people…
“She is praying with you…She understands!”
Mary looks down on us every day…and loves us with a mother’s tender care.
Because of the unique motherhood which was to be Mary’s holy vocation…
and her unique role in the plan of salvation…
in order that she be free of stain and pure when she bore our Savior…
in order that she be totally free to give her full assent to God’s will…
God kept her free of all stain of original sin
from the first moment of her conception.
Mary was enriched with gifts appropriate to the role of the mother of our Lord…
and was allowed to share beforehand in the salvation her son Jesus would bring.
When the angel Gabriel comes to greet her…
he address her – “Hail, Full of Grace” – and so she is.
The Greek word for this is used to describe no other person in Scripture…
for Mary alone was given the grace to be free of sin.
In Mary’s sanctity is a model for all Christians…
and in her prayers…with us and for us…is found powerful intercession
in the midst of our own struggles with sin.
Sadly, despite the obvious evil around us… the world has lost the sense of sin.
Despite the terrible things we see happening every day…
events like the murder this week in Omaha, NE…
we have lost a sense that individual people
can turn their backs on God and fellow human persons…and sin.
It is popular today to pretend there are no sins…
to project sin onto only “institutions”
to de-personalize the Devil
and to “psychologize” sin away…and turn every evil behavior into a “disease.”
It is easy to rationalize our behavior,
and to find fault with everyone else but ourselves.
Instead of fighting to overcome personal sins…
our world seeks only to get beyond the idea of sin.
The truth is that…because of a selfish act of rebellion against God
on the part of Adam and Eve…
all of humanity has been stained with a tendency toward sin.
The hard truth is that each one of us in this room is a sinner in need of grace.
We have lost the sense of how important it is to bring our sins to Confession
and to receive Communion worthily.
Sin is not just “everyone else’s problem.”
It is real for each and every one of us.
You have sinned and so have I!
We rejoice today…
that God chose Mary from time immemorial to be the mother of Jesus
that He kept her free of sin
as the pure mother of the Savior
and the sinless mother and model of us all.
We rejoice that He has chosen us to be his adopted sons and daughters.
May we who await the coming of Jesus into our hearts this Advent
fly to the side of Mary…His loving mother and ours…
and beg her to shield us from sin in her mantle of love and holiness.
May we humbly recognize and confess before God our own sinfulness
and take comfort in the patronage of the sinless Virgin.
Hail, O Mary, full of grace…
pray for us sinners…now and at the hour of our death. Amen!
on the occasion of my ordination to the priesthood…
is a painting of the Blessed Virgin Mary that hangs in my office.
It is titled “The Virgin in Prayer”
and is the work of 17th Century Italian artist Sassoferrato.
In this striking image, Mary is dressed in a blue robes…and wears a white veil.
Her hands are joined in prayer… not clasped in an anguished kind of prayer…
but gently…as if peacefully placed together.
Her head is bowed…slightly…
Her downcast eyes are barely visible behind her eyelids…
and yet passion and love shine forth from them.
Her face is filled with peace and light…and at the same time sadness.
Hers is the face of a woman who is wise beyond her years…
the face of one who has known joy beyond all telling…
and sorrow beyond what anyone should have to endure.
Hers is the face of a holy woman who has lived life…a woman who has loved.
Her face is the face of a mother!
Mary is the mother of the Savior, Jesus Christ…
the one for whom we long in this Advent Season…
and the mother of every faithful person who follows her Son.
The Virgin in Prayer hangs on my office wall
as a reminder to me…and those with whom I meet there…
that Mary is praying for me and for them…
and that…no matter what…Mary our mother understands.
I can point to Mary and say to people…
“She is praying with you…She understands!”
Mary looks down on us every day…and loves us with a mother’s tender care.
Because of the unique motherhood which was to be Mary’s holy vocation…
and her unique role in the plan of salvation…
in order that she be free of stain and pure when she bore our Savior…
in order that she be totally free to give her full assent to God’s will…
God kept her free of all stain of original sin
from the first moment of her conception.
Mary was enriched with gifts appropriate to the role of the mother of our Lord…
and was allowed to share beforehand in the salvation her son Jesus would bring.
When the angel Gabriel comes to greet her…
he address her – “Hail, Full of Grace” – and so she is.
The Greek word for this is used to describe no other person in Scripture…
for Mary alone was given the grace to be free of sin.
In Mary’s sanctity is a model for all Christians…
and in her prayers…with us and for us…is found powerful intercession
in the midst of our own struggles with sin.
Sadly, despite the obvious evil around us… the world has lost the sense of sin.
Despite the terrible things we see happening every day…
events like the murder this week in Omaha, NE…
we have lost a sense that individual people
can turn their backs on God and fellow human persons…and sin.
It is popular today to pretend there are no sins…
to project sin onto only “institutions”
to de-personalize the Devil
and to “psychologize” sin away…and turn every evil behavior into a “disease.”
It is easy to rationalize our behavior,
and to find fault with everyone else but ourselves.
Instead of fighting to overcome personal sins…
our world seeks only to get beyond the idea of sin.
The truth is that…because of a selfish act of rebellion against God
on the part of Adam and Eve…
all of humanity has been stained with a tendency toward sin.
The hard truth is that each one of us in this room is a sinner in need of grace.
We have lost the sense of how important it is to bring our sins to Confession
and to receive Communion worthily.
Sin is not just “everyone else’s problem.”
It is real for each and every one of us.
You have sinned and so have I!
We rejoice today…
that God chose Mary from time immemorial to be the mother of Jesus
that He kept her free of sin
as the pure mother of the Savior
and the sinless mother and model of us all.
We rejoice that He has chosen us to be his adopted sons and daughters.
May we who await the coming of Jesus into our hearts this Advent
fly to the side of Mary…His loving mother and ours…
and beg her to shield us from sin in her mantle of love and holiness.
May we humbly recognize and confess before God our own sinfulness
and take comfort in the patronage of the sinless Virgin.
Hail, O Mary, full of grace…
pray for us sinners…now and at the hour of our death. Amen!
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Father Matthew's Mass Schedule
December 7th: 5:30 pm
December 9th: 7:15, 8:45 am
December 15th: 4:00 pm
December 16th: 8:45, 10:30 am
December 23rd: 10:30 am
December 24th: 4:00, 6:00 pm
December 29th: 4:00 pm
December 30th: 7:15 am, 5:30 pm
December 31st: 5:30 pm
December 9th: 7:15, 8:45 am
December 15th: 4:00 pm
December 16th: 8:45, 10:30 am
December 23rd: 10:30 am
December 24th: 4:00, 6:00 pm
December 29th: 4:00 pm
December 30th: 7:15 am, 5:30 pm
December 31st: 5:30 pm
Homily First Sunday of Advent Year A 2 December 2007
It is said that President John F. Kennedy was very fond of a particular story. During his 1960 presidential campaign he often used it to close his speeches.
It is the story of Colonel Davenport, Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives back in 1789.
One day, while the House was in session, the sky of Hartford suddenly grew dark and gloomy.
Some of the representatives looked out the windows and thought this was a sign that the end of the world had come. An uproar ensued with the representatives calling for immediate adjournment.
But Davenport rose and said…
“Gentlemen, the Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. Therefore, I wish that candles be brought.”
Candles were brought and…by candlelight…the session continued.
Congressman Davenport chose to be found doing his duty.
[PAUSE]
In this holy season of Advent…
we celebrate with hope and anticipation…in three unique ways…
the “advent”…or the “coming”…of Christ.
We remember Christ's coming in history
as we recall the stories of the people of the Old Testament…
the Israelites who lived in great hope…
and longed for the Messiah…the anointed one of God…
who would bring them salvation and blessedness.
We also sharpen our awareness of Christ's coming in the last days of the world
and commit ourselves to being prepared to meet Him
when He comes again to call us to Himself.
Finally, we make ready for His coming into our hearts once again at Christmas
By truly entering into Advent…
by making the most of this season of preparation and expectation…
we prepare our hearts to celebrate Christmas
in a deeper and even more special way.
[PAUSE]
As members of the Mystical Body of Christ…
our Baptism has brought us into relationship with Jesus Christ
and has made us sharers in the mysteries of Christ.
Baptism is a moment of grace…
and it also brings with it commitments and responsibilities.
As baptized people…we should always be found doing our duty.
Doing our duty as Christians means being always prepared…
always ready to meet Christ when He comes again in glory.
We know not the day nor the hour when Christ shall come again…
nor the moment of our own passing from this life.
Our faith demands that…rather being anxious over what may happen…and when…
or trying to discover the future…
we trust in God’s providential care
and strive to live our faith in every moment…
so that whenever Christ comes…
we may be found faithful in our duty to Him.
This is why such things as horoscopes, fortune-tellers, palm-reading, astrology…
and other kinds of divination and clairvoyance…
are so contrary to our Christian faith.
Not only do they place us in spiritual danger…
but these practices by their nature express a complete lack of faith and trust
in God’s plan for our human existence.
We find the meaning of our life…not in cards and leaves and ghosts…
but in our relationship with the one, true God,
who loves us and knows our needs
even before we voice them in prayer.
[PAUSE]
Doing our duty also means being always awake and alert in our faith…
so that we may be prepared to resist the thief…the Devil.
Faith demands that we keep guard over our senses…
which are the entrances to our body and soul.
We must be awake and alert…
aware of what is coming into our bodies and souls through the senses…
lest the Devil come like the thief in today’s Gospel…
and by force make his way into our soul.
And so we avoid those things which present a near occasion of sin for us…
the images we choose to look at
the music we listen to
the company we keep and the conversations we have
the television and movies we watch.
There are those who…in a deliberate way…
try to undermine Christian values through TV and movies and other media.
One such example is a film that will be released this coming Friday…
conveniently on the vigil of the Immaculate Conception.
The movie…titled The Golden Compass…
is based on the first of a series of books by Phillip Pullman…
a self-proclaimed militant atheist.
Pullman himself is quoted as saying
“I am trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief.”
What is unique is that he not only is trying to attack and undermine the Church
and believers’ faith in God…
but he is directing his books and films at children.
The Golden Compass is a children’s movie…
but it is certainly not for the impressionable and innocent.
The story portrays the Church as evil and maniacal.
There is a clear, underlying agenda to influence children in the direction of unbelief
and to plant in young minds subtle lies about God and the Church.
It is more the books that are of concern…
and this first movie only serves to wet the appetite for more.
It is important for parents to be aware
of what is being placed before your children’s eyes and ears.
So I simply encourage parents:
if you are considering taking the family to this movie…
go see it yourselves and be discerning…
before you think about taking your kids.
Doing our duty means fulfilling our obligation to celebrate Mass
on Sundays and Holy Days…
including the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception…
which is celebrated this Saturday.
This year, celebrate Mary’s Immaculate Conception at Mass with us
and watch a wholesome family film at home.
Enjoy precious time with one another.
Doing our duty means praying and witnessing to our faith…
and this week’s bulletin includes information about
an opportunity to do that in a very special way…
by joining in the March for Life in January.
[PAUSE]
Advent is about anxiously awaiting the coming of Christ…
and preparing our hearts and souls to meet him once again.
We shall indeed be prepared for Him…
if we are found enjoying the amazing opportunities our faith allows.
Despite the ominous dark clouds and storms of life…
let us not be fearful…let us stand strong as did the good congressman…
let candles be brought to this wreath as signs of light of hope.
May we remain forever strong in faith
and be always found doing our duty.
It is the story of Colonel Davenport, Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives back in 1789.
One day, while the House was in session, the sky of Hartford suddenly grew dark and gloomy.
Some of the representatives looked out the windows and thought this was a sign that the end of the world had come. An uproar ensued with the representatives calling for immediate adjournment.
But Davenport rose and said…
“Gentlemen, the Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. Therefore, I wish that candles be brought.”
Candles were brought and…by candlelight…the session continued.
Congressman Davenport chose to be found doing his duty.
[PAUSE]
In this holy season of Advent…
we celebrate with hope and anticipation…in three unique ways…
the “advent”…or the “coming”…of Christ.
We remember Christ's coming in history
as we recall the stories of the people of the Old Testament…
the Israelites who lived in great hope…
and longed for the Messiah…the anointed one of God…
who would bring them salvation and blessedness.
We also sharpen our awareness of Christ's coming in the last days of the world
and commit ourselves to being prepared to meet Him
when He comes again to call us to Himself.
Finally, we make ready for His coming into our hearts once again at Christmas
By truly entering into Advent…
by making the most of this season of preparation and expectation…
we prepare our hearts to celebrate Christmas
in a deeper and even more special way.
[PAUSE]
As members of the Mystical Body of Christ…
our Baptism has brought us into relationship with Jesus Christ
and has made us sharers in the mysteries of Christ.
Baptism is a moment of grace…
and it also brings with it commitments and responsibilities.
As baptized people…we should always be found doing our duty.
Doing our duty as Christians means being always prepared…
always ready to meet Christ when He comes again in glory.
We know not the day nor the hour when Christ shall come again…
nor the moment of our own passing from this life.
Our faith demands that…rather being anxious over what may happen…and when…
or trying to discover the future…
we trust in God’s providential care
and strive to live our faith in every moment…
so that whenever Christ comes…
we may be found faithful in our duty to Him.
This is why such things as horoscopes, fortune-tellers, palm-reading, astrology…
and other kinds of divination and clairvoyance…
are so contrary to our Christian faith.
Not only do they place us in spiritual danger…
but these practices by their nature express a complete lack of faith and trust
in God’s plan for our human existence.
We find the meaning of our life…not in cards and leaves and ghosts…
but in our relationship with the one, true God,
who loves us and knows our needs
even before we voice them in prayer.
[PAUSE]
Doing our duty also means being always awake and alert in our faith…
so that we may be prepared to resist the thief…the Devil.
Faith demands that we keep guard over our senses…
which are the entrances to our body and soul.
We must be awake and alert…
aware of what is coming into our bodies and souls through the senses…
lest the Devil come like the thief in today’s Gospel…
and by force make his way into our soul.
And so we avoid those things which present a near occasion of sin for us…
the images we choose to look at
the music we listen to
the company we keep and the conversations we have
the television and movies we watch.
There are those who…in a deliberate way…
try to undermine Christian values through TV and movies and other media.
One such example is a film that will be released this coming Friday…
conveniently on the vigil of the Immaculate Conception.
The movie…titled The Golden Compass…
is based on the first of a series of books by Phillip Pullman…
a self-proclaimed militant atheist.
Pullman himself is quoted as saying
“I am trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief.”
What is unique is that he not only is trying to attack and undermine the Church
and believers’ faith in God…
but he is directing his books and films at children.
The Golden Compass is a children’s movie…
but it is certainly not for the impressionable and innocent.
The story portrays the Church as evil and maniacal.
There is a clear, underlying agenda to influence children in the direction of unbelief
and to plant in young minds subtle lies about God and the Church.
It is more the books that are of concern…
and this first movie only serves to wet the appetite for more.
It is important for parents to be aware
of what is being placed before your children’s eyes and ears.
So I simply encourage parents:
if you are considering taking the family to this movie…
go see it yourselves and be discerning…
before you think about taking your kids.
Doing our duty means fulfilling our obligation to celebrate Mass
on Sundays and Holy Days…
including the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception…
which is celebrated this Saturday.
This year, celebrate Mary’s Immaculate Conception at Mass with us
and watch a wholesome family film at home.
Enjoy precious time with one another.
Doing our duty means praying and witnessing to our faith…
and this week’s bulletin includes information about
an opportunity to do that in a very special way…
by joining in the March for Life in January.
[PAUSE]
Advent is about anxiously awaiting the coming of Christ…
and preparing our hearts and souls to meet him once again.
We shall indeed be prepared for Him…
if we are found enjoying the amazing opportunities our faith allows.
Despite the ominous dark clouds and storms of life…
let us not be fearful…let us stand strong as did the good congressman…
let candles be brought to this wreath as signs of light of hope.
May we remain forever strong in faith
and be always found doing our duty.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Homily Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King 25 November 2007
Last week, The Alliance Review…
carried the story of a “tolerance march”
organized by students of Mount Union College.
The students and professors gathered and marched
in order to peacefully display their disappointment at perceived intolerance
both at the college and in our society.
One student’s poster…
pictured on the font page of The Review…
speaks volumes about popular opinion in our society today.
It was a handmade poster depicting cartoon images
of two men…and two women…holding hands…
and it carried the theme “love everyone.”
Such an ill-informed and indecorous public display
is all the more disturbing when it takes place on a college campus…
a place intended for intellectual pursuit of the truth…
and…in this case…an institution founded on Christian values.
The presumption behind this student’s poster…
and indeed the whole affair…
is the message of a secularized world gone astray from God.
This mantra of society is that:
love means accepting not just “people” for “who they are” but also their sins
truth is the particular construct of each individual
peace is the absence of all conflict and uncomfortable distinction
justice is giving people what makes them content right now
life is disposable and within our power to bestow and take away and control.
In such a warped mindset…
where all is relative and self-centered…
anyone’s definition of love…of life…marriage…even of God…
is just as good as any other.
Anyone’s creative view of sexuality and love must be accepted and tolerated…
the world tells us…
and the new modern ideas are forced upon everyone.
There is a striking irony in the intolerance of people who fight for tolerance…
for in the end they will not rest…
until you have accepted what they believe!
Pope Benedict cracked the proverbial nail on the center of its head…
when he wrote that our society is under the grip of
“a dictatorship of relativism.”
Truly one could apply the adjectives tyrannical and dictatorial…
to our modern insistence upon “letting anything go.”
In the modern world’s way of understanding reality…
Catholic Christianity is simply another among many religions…
and every conceivable exploration into sexuality
and the manipulation of human life…
is viewed an acceptable “loving” lifestyle.
[PAUSE]
In stark contrast to the modern empire of relativism
stands the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.
Christ achieved His victory not with warfare and politics
but on a Cross…on Calvary’s hill.
He did not conquer with battle cries…
but in crying out:
“Father, forgive them… Why have you abandoned me?
Into your hands I commend my spirit.”
In His death on the Cross, Christ conquered not a worldly enemy but death itself…
and won for us the bright promise of eternal life.
The kingdom of Jesus Christ is a kingdom of eternal life…
of real, lasting peace…of authentic, unchanging truth…
and of abiding, unconditional love.
The kingship of Christ is not simply our religious belief.
It is the truth…and the fundamental reality that is meant to shape our lives.
On this feast we have no hesitation about proclaiming Christ in His fullness:
Jesus Christ is king!
His Word…in Scripture and the Tradition of the Church…is truth!
(And that doesn’t depend on anyone’s definition of what “is” is!)
[PAUSE]
While Christ reigns even now from His heavenly throne…
and while His kingdom is present even now in His Church…
His kingdom will only be fulfilled
when He comes again in glory at the end of the world.
As we await the fulfillment of Christ's kingdom…
it is the great calling of all the baptized
to make the kingship of Christ present in the hearts of all people.
In our work…our relationships…in raising children…indeed in our whole lives…
we have a mission from Christ to proclaim the truth of His kingdom…
not the false values of worldly empires
to love people enough to tell them the whole truth…
rather than “tolerating” their sins
and to help others to find peace not in and eliminating differences…
but by living in Christ.
It is no simple task to which we are called.
It is in fact a life-long labor of faith and love.
We give thanks with grateful hearts
that Christ our King nourishes us with holy food for our spiritual journey.
Indeed His very Body and Blood are our strength.
Today’s Gospel recounts the final moments of Jesus’ earthly life…
and the story of the repentant thief.
Notice that when the thief begs…
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Jesus does not respond “I will remember you.”
but “…today you will be with me in Paradise.”
In this Mass… as we “remember” Christ's Last Supper and Passion…
we share in the sacrifice He made on Calvary
and in the victory He won on the Cross.
What is more, Jesus is with us and we are with Him!
More than remembering us…Christ our King is truly present with us.
He desires to be the king of our lives and our hearts…
and calls us all to be heralds of His kingship with every breath we take.
May Christ be our king forever…
and may our lives find fulfillment at His holy table in His heavenly kingdom!
carried the story of a “tolerance march”
organized by students of Mount Union College.
The students and professors gathered and marched
in order to peacefully display their disappointment at perceived intolerance
both at the college and in our society.
One student’s poster…
pictured on the font page of The Review…
speaks volumes about popular opinion in our society today.
It was a handmade poster depicting cartoon images
of two men…and two women…holding hands…
and it carried the theme “love everyone.”
Such an ill-informed and indecorous public display
is all the more disturbing when it takes place on a college campus…
a place intended for intellectual pursuit of the truth…
and…in this case…an institution founded on Christian values.
The presumption behind this student’s poster…
and indeed the whole affair…
is the message of a secularized world gone astray from God.
This mantra of society is that:
love means accepting not just “people” for “who they are” but also their sins
truth is the particular construct of each individual
peace is the absence of all conflict and uncomfortable distinction
justice is giving people what makes them content right now
life is disposable and within our power to bestow and take away and control.
In such a warped mindset…
where all is relative and self-centered…
anyone’s definition of love…of life…marriage…even of God…
is just as good as any other.
Anyone’s creative view of sexuality and love must be accepted and tolerated…
the world tells us…
and the new modern ideas are forced upon everyone.
There is a striking irony in the intolerance of people who fight for tolerance…
for in the end they will not rest…
until you have accepted what they believe!
Pope Benedict cracked the proverbial nail on the center of its head…
when he wrote that our society is under the grip of
“a dictatorship of relativism.”
Truly one could apply the adjectives tyrannical and dictatorial…
to our modern insistence upon “letting anything go.”
In the modern world’s way of understanding reality…
Catholic Christianity is simply another among many religions…
and every conceivable exploration into sexuality
and the manipulation of human life…
is viewed an acceptable “loving” lifestyle.
[PAUSE]
In stark contrast to the modern empire of relativism
stands the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.
Christ achieved His victory not with warfare and politics
but on a Cross…on Calvary’s hill.
He did not conquer with battle cries…
but in crying out:
“Father, forgive them… Why have you abandoned me?
Into your hands I commend my spirit.”
In His death on the Cross, Christ conquered not a worldly enemy but death itself…
and won for us the bright promise of eternal life.
The kingdom of Jesus Christ is a kingdom of eternal life…
of real, lasting peace…of authentic, unchanging truth…
and of abiding, unconditional love.
The kingship of Christ is not simply our religious belief.
It is the truth…and the fundamental reality that is meant to shape our lives.
On this feast we have no hesitation about proclaiming Christ in His fullness:
Jesus Christ is king!
His Word…in Scripture and the Tradition of the Church…is truth!
(And that doesn’t depend on anyone’s definition of what “is” is!)
[PAUSE]
While Christ reigns even now from His heavenly throne…
and while His kingdom is present even now in His Church…
His kingdom will only be fulfilled
when He comes again in glory at the end of the world.
As we await the fulfillment of Christ's kingdom…
it is the great calling of all the baptized
to make the kingship of Christ present in the hearts of all people.
In our work…our relationships…in raising children…indeed in our whole lives…
we have a mission from Christ to proclaim the truth of His kingdom…
not the false values of worldly empires
to love people enough to tell them the whole truth…
rather than “tolerating” their sins
and to help others to find peace not in and eliminating differences…
but by living in Christ.
It is no simple task to which we are called.
It is in fact a life-long labor of faith and love.
We give thanks with grateful hearts
that Christ our King nourishes us with holy food for our spiritual journey.
Indeed His very Body and Blood are our strength.
Today’s Gospel recounts the final moments of Jesus’ earthly life…
and the story of the repentant thief.
Notice that when the thief begs…
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Jesus does not respond “I will remember you.”
but “…today you will be with me in Paradise.”
In this Mass… as we “remember” Christ's Last Supper and Passion…
we share in the sacrifice He made on Calvary
and in the victory He won on the Cross.
What is more, Jesus is with us and we are with Him!
More than remembering us…Christ our King is truly present with us.
He desires to be the king of our lives and our hearts…
and calls us all to be heralds of His kingship with every breath we take.
May Christ be our king forever…
and may our lives find fulfillment at His holy table in His heavenly kingdom!
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Homily Thirty-Second Sunday of the Year 11 November 2007
“I believe in Christianity…”
wrote C. S. Lewis…
“…as I believe that the sun has risen:
not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”
As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ…
and members of His Mystical Body the Church…
we are caught up in something even more remarkable
than the cycle of the rising and setting sun.
We who have…by God’s grace…
received the gifts of faith and Baptism into the Church…
through the hands of loving parents…fellow Christians…
and through the ministry of the Church’s priests and deacons…
have been marked on our souls with the seal of Christ
and have been drawn deeply into relationship with God.
God has called us to be His own…
His beloved sons and daughters…
and to live with our hearts and souls always united closely to Him.
Jesus Christ has personally entered into our lives…
and has invited us into His own divine life…
that we might in Him find deeper meaning and purpose to our life on earth.
As the sun rises each day to give light to the world…
so our faith is with us as we rise each morning from sleep…
to give light to our days and to illumine the path to God’s peace.
As the sun sets each night…
so each night our bedside prayers close the day
and we fall asleep having given thanks to God for life’s blessings…
trusting that with morning will come new light from on high.
As the sun sheds its light on all mankind and on all creation…
so the light of faith we have received
radiates through us
and helps us see the whole of life…
by the brilliant light of Christ’s Gospel message.
Faith allows us to see life in a richer and more meaningful way…
to see that life is not simply circumstance and coincidence…
but is truly a plan of grace designed by God our loving Father…
and a journey in which every relationship and event…
even the apparently mundane…
is of eternal significance.
Catholic Christianity is not just about what we do…
it is more significantly about who we are.
Being a faithful Christian means allowing the faith we have received
to captivate us and to transform our lives.
Life for us is not about the fleeting pleasures and passing thrills of earth…
it is about living in Christ and with Christ.
If we live in Christ…
life is not about grasping at whatever feeds our base desires…
nor is it about dishonest and irresponsible behavior…
nor is it about using and mis-treating fellow men and women.
Life in Christ is about the unique human vocation to love…
to live in the image of God who is Love itself
to live deeply and permanently rooted in Christ’s love
and to share His love with others without exception.
Life in Christ has a unique trajectory…
one that draws us ever nearer to the Lord…
one that aims straight for heaven.
We who dare to call Jesus Christ our brother
live in great hope because of His resurrection
and in hope that we shall live with Him forever.
Fidelity to Christ finds fulfillment, reward, and peace in the glory of Heaven.
Our Lord “is not God of the dead, but of the living,” the Scriptures today tell us.
He is the God of us who live in Him even here and now…
and we shall be entirely His in joy and peace…
if we pass from this life having served Him faithfully.
As another liturgical cycle draws to a close…
and as the glorious Feast of Christ the King approaches…
the Liturgy and the Scriptures turn our minds to our last days.
As darkness increases…and a Church year ends…
we are reminded that our mortal existence will have an end.
We are reminded that we shall all appear before Christ
and shall have to answer for the way spent our days on earth.
The way we treated one another…
the time and talents we gave or did not give to the Church…
the time we spent or did not spend in prayer…
the way in which we received or rejected the teachings of the Church…
the way we entered into our relationships…
shall all have eternal consequences.
As the Preface of the Funeral Mass declares…
“For the faithful Christian, life is changed, not ended.”
Truly…for the faithful Christian…
the transition from a life on earth lived in Christ to eternal life with Him…
is a blessed change!
And the more united to Christ we have been…
the smoother the transition from life…through death…to eternal life shall be!
A “smooth transition” is our aim in the whole of the Christian life:
so we live for Heaven…
that when our time comes we may be taken swiftly into glory.
Though death brings with it sorrow for those left behind…
for the Christian it has a truly positive dimension:
without death we cannot enjoy eternal life!
Not only death, but the whole of life, is transformed and given a positive meaning
because of our relationship to Jesus Christ.
Death is not the end.
Suffering will not be forever.
All that we do is done in love…for we live in Christ!
All that we are is caught up in loving Christ and each other
and in allowing the light of the Gospel to transform us
into the people He desires us to be!
May the Lord encourage and strengthen each one of us…
that through His grace our every word shall give Him glory..
that our every deed shall be found pleasing in His sight…
and that out hearts be directed ever more to His love.
May the faith of Christ be a sun that never sets in our lives and hearts…
until the King of the whole world shall raise us up to live with Him forever!
wrote C. S. Lewis…
“…as I believe that the sun has risen:
not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”
As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ…
and members of His Mystical Body the Church…
we are caught up in something even more remarkable
than the cycle of the rising and setting sun.
We who have…by God’s grace…
received the gifts of faith and Baptism into the Church…
through the hands of loving parents…fellow Christians…
and through the ministry of the Church’s priests and deacons…
have been marked on our souls with the seal of Christ
and have been drawn deeply into relationship with God.
God has called us to be His own…
His beloved sons and daughters…
and to live with our hearts and souls always united closely to Him.
Jesus Christ has personally entered into our lives…
and has invited us into His own divine life…
that we might in Him find deeper meaning and purpose to our life on earth.
As the sun rises each day to give light to the world…
so our faith is with us as we rise each morning from sleep…
to give light to our days and to illumine the path to God’s peace.
As the sun sets each night…
so each night our bedside prayers close the day
and we fall asleep having given thanks to God for life’s blessings…
trusting that with morning will come new light from on high.
As the sun sheds its light on all mankind and on all creation…
so the light of faith we have received
radiates through us
and helps us see the whole of life…
by the brilliant light of Christ’s Gospel message.
Faith allows us to see life in a richer and more meaningful way…
to see that life is not simply circumstance and coincidence…
but is truly a plan of grace designed by God our loving Father…
and a journey in which every relationship and event…
even the apparently mundane…
is of eternal significance.
Catholic Christianity is not just about what we do…
it is more significantly about who we are.
Being a faithful Christian means allowing the faith we have received
to captivate us and to transform our lives.
Life for us is not about the fleeting pleasures and passing thrills of earth…
it is about living in Christ and with Christ.
If we live in Christ…
life is not about grasping at whatever feeds our base desires…
nor is it about dishonest and irresponsible behavior…
nor is it about using and mis-treating fellow men and women.
Life in Christ is about the unique human vocation to love…
to live in the image of God who is Love itself
to live deeply and permanently rooted in Christ’s love
and to share His love with others without exception.
Life in Christ has a unique trajectory…
one that draws us ever nearer to the Lord…
one that aims straight for heaven.
We who dare to call Jesus Christ our brother
live in great hope because of His resurrection
and in hope that we shall live with Him forever.
Fidelity to Christ finds fulfillment, reward, and peace in the glory of Heaven.
Our Lord “is not God of the dead, but of the living,” the Scriptures today tell us.
He is the God of us who live in Him even here and now…
and we shall be entirely His in joy and peace…
if we pass from this life having served Him faithfully.
As another liturgical cycle draws to a close…
and as the glorious Feast of Christ the King approaches…
the Liturgy and the Scriptures turn our minds to our last days.
As darkness increases…and a Church year ends…
we are reminded that our mortal existence will have an end.
We are reminded that we shall all appear before Christ
and shall have to answer for the way spent our days on earth.
The way we treated one another…
the time and talents we gave or did not give to the Church…
the time we spent or did not spend in prayer…
the way in which we received or rejected the teachings of the Church…
the way we entered into our relationships…
shall all have eternal consequences.
As the Preface of the Funeral Mass declares…
“For the faithful Christian, life is changed, not ended.”
Truly…for the faithful Christian…
the transition from a life on earth lived in Christ to eternal life with Him…
is a blessed change!
And the more united to Christ we have been…
the smoother the transition from life…through death…to eternal life shall be!
A “smooth transition” is our aim in the whole of the Christian life:
so we live for Heaven…
that when our time comes we may be taken swiftly into glory.
Though death brings with it sorrow for those left behind…
for the Christian it has a truly positive dimension:
without death we cannot enjoy eternal life!
Not only death, but the whole of life, is transformed and given a positive meaning
because of our relationship to Jesus Christ.
Death is not the end.
Suffering will not be forever.
All that we do is done in love…for we live in Christ!
All that we are is caught up in loving Christ and each other
and in allowing the light of the Gospel to transform us
into the people He desires us to be!
May the Lord encourage and strengthen each one of us…
that through His grace our every word shall give Him glory..
that our every deed shall be found pleasing in His sight…
and that out hearts be directed ever more to His love.
May the faith of Christ be a sun that never sets in our lives and hearts…
until the King of the whole world shall raise us up to live with Him forever!
Father Matthew's Mass Schedule
November 10th 4:00 pm
November 11th 7:15 am
November 18th 12:15 & 5:30 pm
November 24th 4:00 pm
November 25th 8:45 & 10:30 am
November 11th 7:15 am
November 18th 12:15 & 5:30 pm
November 24th 4:00 pm
November 25th 8:45 & 10:30 am
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Homily Saturday of the Thirtieth Week of the Year 3 November 2007
It is fitting…even providential…that…
as we gather to begin this special day for sponsor couples…
the Gospel reading chosen by the Church for today
speaks of a wedding.
In offering this parable of the wedding banquet…
Jesus has a particular lesson in mind.
He wishes to teach them about the importance of humility in the Christian life.
In Jesus’ Gospel vision…
the Christian takes a lowly place rather than promoting himself…
the Christian does not seek places of honor and high visibility
for his own sake.
It is God whom we are called to glorify by our thoughts, words, and actions…
not ourselves…
and not our own ideas and agendas.
This disposition of humility is the attitude we are called to have before our God…
and also before our mother, the Church.
We are called to be open and receptive to the teachings of Christ and the Church.
As Catholic Christian people,
we do not take the high place of our own sop box…
promoting what we create.
Instead we take the lowly place as servants of Jesus Christ and of His Church…
handing on to others the Word of God…
which is revealed to us in Scripture
and in the Tradition and teachings of the Church.
As sponsor couples…
you have a critical role in the life of our parish
and share in the mission of the whole Church to spread the Gospel.
Marriage and family life is a priority for the Church in our day…
for the world in which we live offers a serious challenge to the truth of Christ
for married people and families.
You have been called to help the Church proclaim with love
the truth about God’s plan for marriage and family life.
In your meetings with engaged couples,
you will have the opportunity to share with them
the wisdom of your own experience as husbands and wives
and the perfect wisdom of God’s plan for joyful and holy marriages.
What you gain from today’s reflections you will pass on to our engaged couples…
so that they have the foundation for living as Christ calls them.
As we begin this day with the celebration of Holy Mass…
we come to the banquet of the Lamb of God…
where Heaven is wedded to earth
and where Jesus comes to share His Body and Blood
and so become “one flesh” with us.
In receiving Christ into your bodies and souls…
you are strengthened in your vocation to live the truth of married love
and to share that truth…in humility…in love…with others.
My Christ the bridegroom…
who gave His life for the sake of his bride, the Church…
draw you ever closer to Himself…
until at last you are united to Him forever
in the eternal wedding feast of the Lamb in Heaven!
as we gather to begin this special day for sponsor couples…
the Gospel reading chosen by the Church for today
speaks of a wedding.
In offering this parable of the wedding banquet…
Jesus has a particular lesson in mind.
He wishes to teach them about the importance of humility in the Christian life.
In Jesus’ Gospel vision…
the Christian takes a lowly place rather than promoting himself…
the Christian does not seek places of honor and high visibility
for his own sake.
It is God whom we are called to glorify by our thoughts, words, and actions…
not ourselves…
and not our own ideas and agendas.
This disposition of humility is the attitude we are called to have before our God…
and also before our mother, the Church.
We are called to be open and receptive to the teachings of Christ and the Church.
As Catholic Christian people,
we do not take the high place of our own sop box…
promoting what we create.
Instead we take the lowly place as servants of Jesus Christ and of His Church…
handing on to others the Word of God…
which is revealed to us in Scripture
and in the Tradition and teachings of the Church.
As sponsor couples…
you have a critical role in the life of our parish
and share in the mission of the whole Church to spread the Gospel.
Marriage and family life is a priority for the Church in our day…
for the world in which we live offers a serious challenge to the truth of Christ
for married people and families.
You have been called to help the Church proclaim with love
the truth about God’s plan for marriage and family life.
In your meetings with engaged couples,
you will have the opportunity to share with them
the wisdom of your own experience as husbands and wives
and the perfect wisdom of God’s plan for joyful and holy marriages.
What you gain from today’s reflections you will pass on to our engaged couples…
so that they have the foundation for living as Christ calls them.
As we begin this day with the celebration of Holy Mass…
we come to the banquet of the Lamb of God…
where Heaven is wedded to earth
and where Jesus comes to share His Body and Blood
and so become “one flesh” with us.
In receiving Christ into your bodies and souls…
you are strengthened in your vocation to live the truth of married love
and to share that truth…in humility…in love…with others.
My Christ the bridegroom…
who gave His life for the sake of his bride, the Church…
draw you ever closer to Himself…
until at last you are united to Him forever
in the eternal wedding feast of the Lamb in Heaven!
Homily Thirty-First Sunday of the Year 4 November 2007
Keith Green is the author of the song Until That Final Day…
My flesh is tired of seeking God,
But on my knees I'll stay.
I want to be a pleasing child,
Until that final day.
My mind is full of many thoughts
That clutter and confuse.
But standing firm, I will prevail,
In faith that I'll be used.
I wrestle not with flesh and blood,
My fight is with the one,
Who lost the keys of hell and death,
To God's most precious son.
One sleepless night of anguished prayer,
I triumphed over sin.
One battle in the Holy war,
God's promised me to win.
My flesh is tired of seeking God,
But on my knees I'll stay.
I want to be a pleasing child,
Until that final day.
These words capture the struggle of our Christian spiritual life.
Our hearts burn with a desire to seek God and to live a life that pleases Him…
and yet our bodies…our flesh…grows tired in the fight against sin.
We are tempted by the devil
and by the sinful pleasures with which the world tries to bait us.
We would rather give up and give in.
And yet we go on.
When we fall we pick ourselves up and drag our weak flesh along…
as Christ once picked Himself up three times under the weight of the Cross.
In anguished prayer on tired knees…
in confusing thoughts
in seemingly endless battles
we wrestle with ourselves and with evil…
striving and struggling to please God and love one another.
Sometimes the push and pull of the crowd
can be a formidable obstacle to overcome in our struggle to live a holy life.
The spiritual life is the struggle to rise above sin and the temptations of the world
in order to behold the face of God.
In today’s Gospel…
the tax collector Zacchaeus…a man short in stature we are told…
climbs a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus as He passes below.
Helping us see the deeper message in this well-known story…
Cyril of Alexandria comments that Zacchaeus is not only physically short…
but short in stature spiritually.
Spiritually speaking…
it is not the multitude of people that keeps him from seeing Jesus
but the multitude of his sins.
Spiritually speaking…
it is not simply that he needs to be physically raised up from the ground
but that he needs to rise above the earth and its temptations and vices
in order to see Jesus.
Each of us…in our own struggle to live holy lives…
needs to climb above the earth and its sinful temptations…
above our own fleshly uncleanness and our multitude of sins…
in order to behold Jesus Christ face to face…in purity of heart.
In every step of this long, hard journey…
Jesus is walking next to us…
supporting us in our weakness
and carrying us when we can no longer walk the road alone.
The modern world brings with it ever more vicious struggles for people today.
Today is the end of White Ribbon Week…
a week dedicated to raising awareness about a certain kind of modern vice.
This is a vice that comes to us through books and magazines…
through television…movies…even the telephone…and especially the internet.
A vice that threatens to destroy marriages.
A vice that mocks and undermines God’s plan for human sexuality.
A vice that exploits women.
A vice that warps young minds and lures young souls away from God and family.
A vice that consumes 12% of all internet sites and in a multi-million dollar industry.
A vice which is among the most commonly confessed sins in the Sacr. of Penance.
Out of sensitivity to innocent ears, I shall spare further details.
Suffice it to say…
pornography is an epidemic in our world today…
one that threatens the moral fabric of western civilization.
This White Ribbon Week we all have a role to play in stemming this tide of evil.
If this vice threatens you or your family…
seek the help you need to break the addiction.
Some families choose not to have the internet or television in their homes.
Others monitor it carefully to protect their children…and themselves.
You can stand up for the truth of your Christian values and virtues…
and declare by where you spend your money
that you will not support an industry of deviancy and immorality.
You can call your congressmen and encourage them to support anti-obscenity laws.
complain to city hall about undesirable businesses in your neighborhood
and write letters to the editors of the local papers defending moral positions.
Most of all…
we can all pray very hard that those caught up in sin and its effects
find freedom and peace in the truth and love of Jesus Christ.
The love and mercy of God is powerful enough to conquer every evil.
In that mercy and love we place our trust…
as we climb…not a sycamore tree…but the tree of life…the Cross.
We embrace the Cross of Christ and the crosses each of us bears daily in life…
and we strain…and struggle…and climb…
until we behold the face of Jesus…
who gazes into our eyes and asks to come stay in our house.
And so we receive Him with joy…
Body and Blood, soul and divinity, in the Eucharist…
into the dwelling of our souls.
Intimately united to Jesus…
we struggle on to praise His name and glorify Him forever!
My flesh is tired of seeking God,
But on my knees I'll stay.
I want to be a pleasing child,
Until that final day.
My mind is full of many thoughts
That clutter and confuse.
But standing firm, I will prevail,
In faith that I'll be used.
I wrestle not with flesh and blood,
My fight is with the one,
Who lost the keys of hell and death,
To God's most precious son.
One sleepless night of anguished prayer,
I triumphed over sin.
One battle in the Holy war,
God's promised me to win.
My flesh is tired of seeking God,
But on my knees I'll stay.
I want to be a pleasing child,
Until that final day.
These words capture the struggle of our Christian spiritual life.
Our hearts burn with a desire to seek God and to live a life that pleases Him…
and yet our bodies…our flesh…grows tired in the fight against sin.
We are tempted by the devil
and by the sinful pleasures with which the world tries to bait us.
We would rather give up and give in.
And yet we go on.
When we fall we pick ourselves up and drag our weak flesh along…
as Christ once picked Himself up three times under the weight of the Cross.
In anguished prayer on tired knees…
in confusing thoughts
in seemingly endless battles
we wrestle with ourselves and with evil…
striving and struggling to please God and love one another.
Sometimes the push and pull of the crowd
can be a formidable obstacle to overcome in our struggle to live a holy life.
The spiritual life is the struggle to rise above sin and the temptations of the world
in order to behold the face of God.
In today’s Gospel…
the tax collector Zacchaeus…a man short in stature we are told…
climbs a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus as He passes below.
Helping us see the deeper message in this well-known story…
Cyril of Alexandria comments that Zacchaeus is not only physically short…
but short in stature spiritually.
Spiritually speaking…
it is not the multitude of people that keeps him from seeing Jesus
but the multitude of his sins.
Spiritually speaking…
it is not simply that he needs to be physically raised up from the ground
but that he needs to rise above the earth and its temptations and vices
in order to see Jesus.
Each of us…in our own struggle to live holy lives…
needs to climb above the earth and its sinful temptations…
above our own fleshly uncleanness and our multitude of sins…
in order to behold Jesus Christ face to face…in purity of heart.
In every step of this long, hard journey…
Jesus is walking next to us…
supporting us in our weakness
and carrying us when we can no longer walk the road alone.
The modern world brings with it ever more vicious struggles for people today.
Today is the end of White Ribbon Week…
a week dedicated to raising awareness about a certain kind of modern vice.
This is a vice that comes to us through books and magazines…
through television…movies…even the telephone…and especially the internet.
A vice that threatens to destroy marriages.
A vice that mocks and undermines God’s plan for human sexuality.
A vice that exploits women.
A vice that warps young minds and lures young souls away from God and family.
A vice that consumes 12% of all internet sites and in a multi-million dollar industry.
A vice which is among the most commonly confessed sins in the Sacr. of Penance.
Out of sensitivity to innocent ears, I shall spare further details.
Suffice it to say…
pornography is an epidemic in our world today…
one that threatens the moral fabric of western civilization.
This White Ribbon Week we all have a role to play in stemming this tide of evil.
If this vice threatens you or your family…
seek the help you need to break the addiction.
Some families choose not to have the internet or television in their homes.
Others monitor it carefully to protect their children…and themselves.
You can stand up for the truth of your Christian values and virtues…
and declare by where you spend your money
that you will not support an industry of deviancy and immorality.
You can call your congressmen and encourage them to support anti-obscenity laws.
complain to city hall about undesirable businesses in your neighborhood
and write letters to the editors of the local papers defending moral positions.
Most of all…
we can all pray very hard that those caught up in sin and its effects
find freedom and peace in the truth and love of Jesus Christ.
The love and mercy of God is powerful enough to conquer every evil.
In that mercy and love we place our trust…
as we climb…not a sycamore tree…but the tree of life…the Cross.
We embrace the Cross of Christ and the crosses each of us bears daily in life…
and we strain…and struggle…and climb…
until we behold the face of Jesus…
who gazes into our eyes and asks to come stay in our house.
And so we receive Him with joy…
Body and Blood, soul and divinity, in the Eucharist…
into the dwelling of our souls.
Intimately united to Jesus…
we struggle on to praise His name and glorify Him forever!
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Homily All Souls Day 2007
The millennia-old wisdom of Holy Mother Church
arranges certain feasts of the liturgical calendar
to help us understand more deeply…and celebrate more fully…
the mysteries of our faith.
The feasts of All Saints and All Souls are celebrated on successive days…
and together these celebrations lift our minds and souls
to contemplate the mystery of the Communion of Saints.
Yesterday we rejoiced in the men and women of every time and place
who stand as living examples of the faith and life to which God calls us
and who intercede on our behalf before the throne of God.
Today we discover the active role which we have to play in the family of faith…
in the great brotherhood of prayer and mutual spiritual support…
which we call the Communion of Saints.
In our earthly journey of faith…
none of us is perfect…and sin touches us all.
We give thanks to God that, in the Sacrament of Penance, Jesus forgives our sins.
Even though one’s sins have been forgiven by Jesus…
through the sacramental ministry of the Church…
there remains the residue which our sins leave behind.
We know from our human experiences that…
even sometimes when we forgive one another for wrongdoings…
physical injury, emotional scars, and the negative effects of sin remain.
So it is in the spiritual life.
Even though our sins be forgiven…
even though we have done our penance in order to make up for sins…
the punishment due to sin is not entirely satisfied.
There is need for souls who have died in God’s favor…
but who are entirely perfected…
to endure purification and purifying suffering.
This we call purgatory…from the word “purgation”…which means a cleansing.
Souls are cleansed and thus achieve the holiness necessary…
to enter the joy of heaven
and join the saints around the throne of God.
For our part, we must pray for these…the “poor souls”…in purgatory.
This is why we offer Masses for the dead…
offer sacrifices, and penances, and prayers at their tombs …
that the souls of those who have gone before us
may reach the glory of Heaven.
This prayer and sacrifice for the dead is a great act of charity.
It is a valuable and essential part of our spiritual life…
and a work of charity which we ought to embrace with great love.
In the Communion of Saints, the three states of the Church are united…
we are blessed by the favor of the prayer of the saints: the Church Triumphant
and we – the Church Militant – offer our own prayers
for the poor souls in purgatory – the Church Suffering.
What an extraordinary fountain of grace this family of faith is for the whole Church!
Today let us commend the souls of our deceased loved ones…and all the dead…
into the merciful arms of the Lord…
and commit ourselves to praying and sacrificing for their sake…
that together with them we may join in adoration
around the throne of God!
arranges certain feasts of the liturgical calendar
to help us understand more deeply…and celebrate more fully…
the mysteries of our faith.
The feasts of All Saints and All Souls are celebrated on successive days…
and together these celebrations lift our minds and souls
to contemplate the mystery of the Communion of Saints.
Yesterday we rejoiced in the men and women of every time and place
who stand as living examples of the faith and life to which God calls us
and who intercede on our behalf before the throne of God.
Today we discover the active role which we have to play in the family of faith…
in the great brotherhood of prayer and mutual spiritual support…
which we call the Communion of Saints.
In our earthly journey of faith…
none of us is perfect…and sin touches us all.
We give thanks to God that, in the Sacrament of Penance, Jesus forgives our sins.
Even though one’s sins have been forgiven by Jesus…
through the sacramental ministry of the Church…
there remains the residue which our sins leave behind.
We know from our human experiences that…
even sometimes when we forgive one another for wrongdoings…
physical injury, emotional scars, and the negative effects of sin remain.
So it is in the spiritual life.
Even though our sins be forgiven…
even though we have done our penance in order to make up for sins…
the punishment due to sin is not entirely satisfied.
There is need for souls who have died in God’s favor…
but who are entirely perfected…
to endure purification and purifying suffering.
This we call purgatory…from the word “purgation”…which means a cleansing.
Souls are cleansed and thus achieve the holiness necessary…
to enter the joy of heaven
and join the saints around the throne of God.
For our part, we must pray for these…the “poor souls”…in purgatory.
This is why we offer Masses for the dead…
offer sacrifices, and penances, and prayers at their tombs …
that the souls of those who have gone before us
may reach the glory of Heaven.
This prayer and sacrifice for the dead is a great act of charity.
It is a valuable and essential part of our spiritual life…
and a work of charity which we ought to embrace with great love.
In the Communion of Saints, the three states of the Church are united…
we are blessed by the favor of the prayer of the saints: the Church Triumphant
and we – the Church Militant – offer our own prayers
for the poor souls in purgatory – the Church Suffering.
What an extraordinary fountain of grace this family of faith is for the whole Church!
Today let us commend the souls of our deceased loved ones…and all the dead…
into the merciful arms of the Lord…
and commit ourselves to praying and sacrificing for their sake…
that together with them we may join in adoration
around the throne of God!
Homily All Saints Day 2007
One of the most common questions asked of priests…
either by Catholic folks who are confused about their faith
or by non-Catholics who have been mis-informed…
is… “Why do Catholics worship statues of saints?”
It is a good question.
It is a question that touches on one of the most significant and visible aspects
of our Catholic Christian life.
Significant because praying in the communion of saints sustains our spiritual lives.
Visible because our sacred images are recognized by people throughout the world,
people of every time and place.
People who are not Catholic…even those who are not Christian…
can recognize images of famous saints and of the Virgin Mary.
The question “Why do Catholics worship statues of saints?”
is one that is worth answering…
For not only is it the key that opens the door to understanding
why we focus attention on the saints…
but reflecting on this question also helps us understand
the deeper meaning of our uniquely Catholic prayer.
Confused Catholics and mis-guided non-Catholics
who come upon a faithful Catholic kneeling before an image of Mary
or of one of the saints…
and reciting the Rosary or other prayers…
also perhaps lighting a votive candle…
perceive that the person is on their knees worshiping the image
or making gods out of Mary and the Saints.
The truth is that Catholics do not worship the images of Mary and the saints…
or the persons they represent.
We have images of Mary and the saints in our churches and our homes
for much the same reason that we have pictures of beloved relatives
and statues of war heroes and famous statesmen.
We honor and cherish the memory of our family members who have inspired us
and have gone before us marked with the sign of faith…
and their photos in our homes keep their memory alive.
We honor those who have sacrificed for the sake of others
and dedicated their lives to serving God and our country
and their memorials help us to remember their sacrifice.
Our faith is especially important to us…
and so we honor the saints…the holy men and women
who have lived the faith we cherish with zeal and love.
The saints are the “heroes” of our Church…
priests, bishops, religious sisters and brothers, lay men, women, and children
who have been intimately united to Jesus Christ
have lived their own unique vocation in truth and love.
The statues, paintings, and icons of Mary and the saints that we display
remind us of their virtue and courage
and inspire us as we reflect on their holiness.
Sacred images teach us the story of the life of the Church…
and keep that story alive in our minds and hearts.
The saints are “friends of God” and they our “friends” too.
Our friendship with the saints is a two-fold blessing.
First, the saints stand as living examples of precisely what we are called to be.
When living a good, holy, Christian life seems to be more than we can handle…
we turn to the lives of the saints for direction and inspiration.
When following Christ amidst the temptations of this world seems overwhelming…
we find hope in knowing that the martyrs endured much worse…
even torture and death
and still kept the faith and remained pure.
In the trials of life, we Catholics do not despair.
Instead we show gratitude that we have friends
who have walked the journey of faith before us…and can show us the way.
As a lantern carried along a dark path through a dense forest…
the saints light the way along the dark path of our earthly journey
illuminating the way through the dense forest of temptation and trial.
Second, the saints actively give us the best help we can ask for in this life.
Their prayer of intercession before the throne of God
is powerful in obtaining the graces we need to live as God calls us
and to respond to life’s challenges.
The saints, who have been rewarded with heavenly glory for their holiness of life,
now stand before God and beg Him on our behalf for the grace we need.
Our constant prayer is that Mary and the saints will pray with us to God…
for our intentions and those of our loved ones.
We pray not to the saints…but with them to God…
who alone is the object of our worship and adoration.
In the Communion of Saints…
those who have lived lives of virtue and now live in Heaven
and we who strive to please God on earth
share in a brotherhood of prayer… a great family of faith!
Thanks be to God for the abundance of grace that is poured into our hearts
through the communion of the saints!
There is a saint for everyone…a spiritual companion for each one of us.
In striving to fulfill my priestly vocation, I turn to Saint John Vianney…
a parish priest from Ars, France who lived in the late 18th Century.
John Vianney was a shining example of holiness in a dark and time and place.
He is a model for priests of what is important in priestly life:
hearing confessions…which he did for 15 hours a day
teaching the truth of the faith
spending his time and resources on the church rather than on himself
taking time for prayer with Jesus.
John Vianney is a saint…but he is also my brother priest.
Though his holiness surpasses any I could ever hope to achieve…
he is with me…close to me always…to inspire me and to intercede for me.
For each of you…there is a saint who waits to be your spiritual friend.
Saint Therese of Lisieux has much to teach us all
about “doing little things with great love.”
Saint Gianna Molla…
a young mother who suffered serious illness during pregnancy
which threatened the life of her child…
and who sacrificed her life so that her unborn daughter could live…
is an inspiration for mothers and the pro-life work of the whole Church.
Saint Joseph…who cared for his beloved Mary and her Son Jesus…
is the model husband and father.
Wherever you find yourself in life…
whatever vocation or profession…
there is a saint to whom you can turn in the joys and sorrows of life.
As people of faith we need to read the lives of the saints…
to beg them for their prayers of intercession before God…
and with them to journey forward on the path to holiness.
Blessed shall you be if you hunger and thirst for righteousness
with the saints as your companions.
Your reward shall be great in Heaven!
either by Catholic folks who are confused about their faith
or by non-Catholics who have been mis-informed…
is… “Why do Catholics worship statues of saints?”
It is a good question.
It is a question that touches on one of the most significant and visible aspects
of our Catholic Christian life.
Significant because praying in the communion of saints sustains our spiritual lives.
Visible because our sacred images are recognized by people throughout the world,
people of every time and place.
People who are not Catholic…even those who are not Christian…
can recognize images of famous saints and of the Virgin Mary.
The question “Why do Catholics worship statues of saints?”
is one that is worth answering…
For not only is it the key that opens the door to understanding
why we focus attention on the saints…
but reflecting on this question also helps us understand
the deeper meaning of our uniquely Catholic prayer.
Confused Catholics and mis-guided non-Catholics
who come upon a faithful Catholic kneeling before an image of Mary
or of one of the saints…
and reciting the Rosary or other prayers…
also perhaps lighting a votive candle…
perceive that the person is on their knees worshiping the image
or making gods out of Mary and the Saints.
The truth is that Catholics do not worship the images of Mary and the saints…
or the persons they represent.
We have images of Mary and the saints in our churches and our homes
for much the same reason that we have pictures of beloved relatives
and statues of war heroes and famous statesmen.
We honor and cherish the memory of our family members who have inspired us
and have gone before us marked with the sign of faith…
and their photos in our homes keep their memory alive.
We honor those who have sacrificed for the sake of others
and dedicated their lives to serving God and our country
and their memorials help us to remember their sacrifice.
Our faith is especially important to us…
and so we honor the saints…the holy men and women
who have lived the faith we cherish with zeal and love.
The saints are the “heroes” of our Church…
priests, bishops, religious sisters and brothers, lay men, women, and children
who have been intimately united to Jesus Christ
have lived their own unique vocation in truth and love.
The statues, paintings, and icons of Mary and the saints that we display
remind us of their virtue and courage
and inspire us as we reflect on their holiness.
Sacred images teach us the story of the life of the Church…
and keep that story alive in our minds and hearts.
The saints are “friends of God” and they our “friends” too.
Our friendship with the saints is a two-fold blessing.
First, the saints stand as living examples of precisely what we are called to be.
When living a good, holy, Christian life seems to be more than we can handle…
we turn to the lives of the saints for direction and inspiration.
When following Christ amidst the temptations of this world seems overwhelming…
we find hope in knowing that the martyrs endured much worse…
even torture and death
and still kept the faith and remained pure.
In the trials of life, we Catholics do not despair.
Instead we show gratitude that we have friends
who have walked the journey of faith before us…and can show us the way.
As a lantern carried along a dark path through a dense forest…
the saints light the way along the dark path of our earthly journey
illuminating the way through the dense forest of temptation and trial.
Second, the saints actively give us the best help we can ask for in this life.
Their prayer of intercession before the throne of God
is powerful in obtaining the graces we need to live as God calls us
and to respond to life’s challenges.
The saints, who have been rewarded with heavenly glory for their holiness of life,
now stand before God and beg Him on our behalf for the grace we need.
Our constant prayer is that Mary and the saints will pray with us to God…
for our intentions and those of our loved ones.
We pray not to the saints…but with them to God…
who alone is the object of our worship and adoration.
In the Communion of Saints…
those who have lived lives of virtue and now live in Heaven
and we who strive to please God on earth
share in a brotherhood of prayer… a great family of faith!
Thanks be to God for the abundance of grace that is poured into our hearts
through the communion of the saints!
There is a saint for everyone…a spiritual companion for each one of us.
In striving to fulfill my priestly vocation, I turn to Saint John Vianney…
a parish priest from Ars, France who lived in the late 18th Century.
John Vianney was a shining example of holiness in a dark and time and place.
He is a model for priests of what is important in priestly life:
hearing confessions…which he did for 15 hours a day
teaching the truth of the faith
spending his time and resources on the church rather than on himself
taking time for prayer with Jesus.
John Vianney is a saint…but he is also my brother priest.
Though his holiness surpasses any I could ever hope to achieve…
he is with me…close to me always…to inspire me and to intercede for me.
For each of you…there is a saint who waits to be your spiritual friend.
Saint Therese of Lisieux has much to teach us all
about “doing little things with great love.”
Saint Gianna Molla…
a young mother who suffered serious illness during pregnancy
which threatened the life of her child…
and who sacrificed her life so that her unborn daughter could live…
is an inspiration for mothers and the pro-life work of the whole Church.
Saint Joseph…who cared for his beloved Mary and her Son Jesus…
is the model husband and father.
Wherever you find yourself in life…
whatever vocation or profession…
there is a saint to whom you can turn in the joys and sorrows of life.
As people of faith we need to read the lives of the saints…
to beg them for their prayers of intercession before God…
and with them to journey forward on the path to holiness.
Blessed shall you be if you hunger and thirst for righteousness
with the saints as your companions.
Your reward shall be great in Heaven!
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Homily 30th Sunday of the Year 28 October 2007
As many of you know, two Sundays ago
Saint Michael’s hosted the third annual diocesan Eucharistic Procession
to commemorate Respect Life Month.
Everyone who came and prayed experienced a real “labor of love.”
The walk was a mile and a half.
We were on our feet for well over an hour.
Our voices were worn out from praying and singing
and our bodies were spent from walking and standing and kneeling.
As Catholics, we are a people who pray with our whole bodies…
and in our procession many devoted people…
from this parish and around the diocese…
labored to walk and pray…
because they love Jesus and they love life…
and wanted to show by their public witness…
just how deep their love is.
We give thanks to God for the splendor of that day…
and for the lessons we learned as we walked and prayed.
As we carried our Lord present in the Blessed Sacrament through the streets…
we were reminded of how important it is to witness publicly to our faith…
to take Jesus whom we adore and receive in the Eucharist “into the streets.”
We are called to bring Christ to the men and women in our lives…wherever we go.
In our procession we experienced the power and the beauty of prayer…
particularly the prayers of the Church…
and the power of hundreds of people praying together.
The Church in her wisdom has for 2,000 years
given us just what we need to nourish our spiritual lives.
During the procession we adored the Lord present in the Eucharist…
and stopped to celebrate Benediction…
a ritual prayer that has nourished the Church for centuries.
We are so blessed in this parish to have Eucharistic Adoration
every Thursday night from 6:00 to 9:00.
The Rosary is prayed at 8:30.
Whenever I am able, I offer Benediction at 8:45.
To rest in the Lord’s presence and pray…
to share with Jesus the cares and joys of our life…
is an extraordinary moment of grace.
I encourage you to come visit Jesus on a Thursday night…
and to pray to Him for all that you need.
You will not regret having sacrificed the time for prayer.
Finally, our prayer and Bishop Murry’s inspiring homily
strengthened our love for life
and our resolve to pray and work
so that all people may one day respect the dignity of human life.
Our procession was a serious experience of faith and prayer.
As Catholic people we depend on
the truth of the teaching of Christ and the Church…
the holiness and beauty of authentic worship…
and our own deeply personal relationship with Jesus Christ…
in order to understand who we are
and in order to face the challenges of life.
Our faith gives us identity and purpose…
makes us feel at home…
and is the rock on which we build our lives.
The faith which is at the foundation of our lives is not of our own design.
We did not invent the Sacred Liturgy.
We did not write the Creed or make up the teachings of the Church.
We do not create for ourselves the faith we celebrate.
Our faith is a gift to be received with humility, and to be lived with courage.
As people of faith…
we recognize that our Christian life is not meant to be a cause for boasting.
It is easy for us to make a checklist of religious observances…
and then to think that because we have done them…
we can feel good about ourselves.
We can say…
“I say my prayers…
I go to Mass on Sundays and Holy Days…I fast on Fridays of Lent
I am good to others…I don’t commit the big sins…
I don’t steal and I’ve never cheated on my wife.
I’m a good Catholic.”
It is easy for us to say:
“Look at what I have done.
I am an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion
I am a Lector.
Look at me!”
We can also begin to think like the Pharisee in today’s Gospel…
“Thank God I am not like the rest of humanity…
Thank God I’m not a terrible sinner like everyone else…
I pay my tithes and perform the fasts.”
The Pharisee made of his religious observance a reason to boast about himself!
He compared himself to others and took pride that he appeared to be doing better.
The message of the Scriptures today is that
the standard by which we strive to live in our journey of faith…
is not comparison with another
but the plan God has for us!
We have to examine our lives not in terms of what another is doing or not doing
but in terms of what God asks of us!
What is more…we cannot simply presume…
that because we have fulfilled certain obligations or ministries…
that our commitment to God and the Church is complete.
The Christian faith is a lifetime commitment…
a journey that never ends…
a relationship that continually deepens until it is perfected in heaven.
This journey…this relationship…is one that is best lived with great humility.
This is the lesson we learn from the tax collector in today’s Gospel story…
the man who recognized his sinfulness and did not boast about his life.
He did not even raise his eyes to heaven.
Instead, he acknowledged his place before God
and prayed “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.”
Jesus tells us that it was he who went home justified…
it was he whose prayer was pleasing to the Lord.
A life lived with humility pleases God.
In all things, the humble person places himself into the hands of God.
The true, humble Christian
recognizes that everything we have comes from God
receives the gift of faith humbly from the Lord and His Church
and does not recreate it in his own image
admits his sinfulness and complete dependency on God’s grace
for the strength to do better.
As people of faith…
we rejoice in the faith that has been passed on to us by our ancestors…
the faith which stands as the foundation and core of who we are.
Our faith is Eucharistic…it is hierarchical…it is Christ-centered…it is pro-life…
It is grounded in truth and tradition…
It is the greatest gift we have ever received.
We make that faith the center of our entire life…
striving always to live it with love and courage
to live it with humility…
to share it with others every moment of every day
until we are at last united with one another and with God
in the eternal glory of heaven!
Saint Michael’s hosted the third annual diocesan Eucharistic Procession
to commemorate Respect Life Month.
Everyone who came and prayed experienced a real “labor of love.”
The walk was a mile and a half.
We were on our feet for well over an hour.
Our voices were worn out from praying and singing
and our bodies were spent from walking and standing and kneeling.
As Catholics, we are a people who pray with our whole bodies…
and in our procession many devoted people…
from this parish and around the diocese…
labored to walk and pray…
because they love Jesus and they love life…
and wanted to show by their public witness…
just how deep their love is.
We give thanks to God for the splendor of that day…
and for the lessons we learned as we walked and prayed.
As we carried our Lord present in the Blessed Sacrament through the streets…
we were reminded of how important it is to witness publicly to our faith…
to take Jesus whom we adore and receive in the Eucharist “into the streets.”
We are called to bring Christ to the men and women in our lives…wherever we go.
In our procession we experienced the power and the beauty of prayer…
particularly the prayers of the Church…
and the power of hundreds of people praying together.
The Church in her wisdom has for 2,000 years
given us just what we need to nourish our spiritual lives.
During the procession we adored the Lord present in the Eucharist…
and stopped to celebrate Benediction…
a ritual prayer that has nourished the Church for centuries.
We are so blessed in this parish to have Eucharistic Adoration
every Thursday night from 6:00 to 9:00.
The Rosary is prayed at 8:30.
Whenever I am able, I offer Benediction at 8:45.
To rest in the Lord’s presence and pray…
to share with Jesus the cares and joys of our life…
is an extraordinary moment of grace.
I encourage you to come visit Jesus on a Thursday night…
and to pray to Him for all that you need.
You will not regret having sacrificed the time for prayer.
Finally, our prayer and Bishop Murry’s inspiring homily
strengthened our love for life
and our resolve to pray and work
so that all people may one day respect the dignity of human life.
Our procession was a serious experience of faith and prayer.
As Catholic people we depend on
the truth of the teaching of Christ and the Church…
the holiness and beauty of authentic worship…
and our own deeply personal relationship with Jesus Christ…
in order to understand who we are
and in order to face the challenges of life.
Our faith gives us identity and purpose…
makes us feel at home…
and is the rock on which we build our lives.
The faith which is at the foundation of our lives is not of our own design.
We did not invent the Sacred Liturgy.
We did not write the Creed or make up the teachings of the Church.
We do not create for ourselves the faith we celebrate.
Our faith is a gift to be received with humility, and to be lived with courage.
As people of faith…
we recognize that our Christian life is not meant to be a cause for boasting.
It is easy for us to make a checklist of religious observances…
and then to think that because we have done them…
we can feel good about ourselves.
We can say…
“I say my prayers…
I go to Mass on Sundays and Holy Days…I fast on Fridays of Lent
I am good to others…I don’t commit the big sins…
I don’t steal and I’ve never cheated on my wife.
I’m a good Catholic.”
It is easy for us to say:
“Look at what I have done.
I am an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion
I am a Lector.
Look at me!”
We can also begin to think like the Pharisee in today’s Gospel…
“Thank God I am not like the rest of humanity…
Thank God I’m not a terrible sinner like everyone else…
I pay my tithes and perform the fasts.”
The Pharisee made of his religious observance a reason to boast about himself!
He compared himself to others and took pride that he appeared to be doing better.
The message of the Scriptures today is that
the standard by which we strive to live in our journey of faith…
is not comparison with another
but the plan God has for us!
We have to examine our lives not in terms of what another is doing or not doing
but in terms of what God asks of us!
What is more…we cannot simply presume…
that because we have fulfilled certain obligations or ministries…
that our commitment to God and the Church is complete.
The Christian faith is a lifetime commitment…
a journey that never ends…
a relationship that continually deepens until it is perfected in heaven.
This journey…this relationship…is one that is best lived with great humility.
This is the lesson we learn from the tax collector in today’s Gospel story…
the man who recognized his sinfulness and did not boast about his life.
He did not even raise his eyes to heaven.
Instead, he acknowledged his place before God
and prayed “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.”
Jesus tells us that it was he who went home justified…
it was he whose prayer was pleasing to the Lord.
A life lived with humility pleases God.
In all things, the humble person places himself into the hands of God.
The true, humble Christian
recognizes that everything we have comes from God
receives the gift of faith humbly from the Lord and His Church
and does not recreate it in his own image
admits his sinfulness and complete dependency on God’s grace
for the strength to do better.
As people of faith…
we rejoice in the faith that has been passed on to us by our ancestors…
the faith which stands as the foundation and core of who we are.
Our faith is Eucharistic…it is hierarchical…it is Christ-centered…it is pro-life…
It is grounded in truth and tradition…
It is the greatest gift we have ever received.
We make that faith the center of our entire life…
striving always to live it with love and courage
to live it with humility…
to share it with others every moment of every day
until we are at last united with one another and with God
in the eternal glory of heaven!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Third Annual Diocesan Eucharistic Procession
On Sunday, 14 October 2007, Saint Michael Parish hosted the Diocese of Youngstown's annual Eucharistic Procession honoring Respect Life Month. For more, see the following link...
http://www.stmichaelcanton.org/page/page/5102482.htm
http://www.stmichaelcanton.org/page/page/5102482.htm
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Homily Twenty-Eighth Sunday of the Year 14 October 2007
Each Sunday we gather as Catholic Christians in a spirit of deep gratitude
for the tremendous blessings God has bestowed upon us…
upon our families, upon our Church, our school, and our community.
The very word “Eucharist” means “thanksgiving”
and each time we gather to celebrate Holy Mass…
we give thanks that Jesus comes to be present with us
and that He nourishes our souls
with His own sacred Body and Precious Blood.
In this month dedicated to “respect for life…”
we give thanks for the precious gift of life…
for the beautiful life we are so blessed to share as human persons
as creatures loved into being by God our Heavenly Father.
As Catholic Christians who are grateful for the gift of our own lives…
we are called to pray and to work to defend the sanctity of all human life…
to help the world around us once again value human life…
and to never cease to proclaim the truth by our words and deeds:
The truth is that each and every human person…
from the very moment of conception until the moment God calls us home…
is a unique creation of God…
is loved by God…
and every human life is to be cherished as sacred.
[PAUSE]
Today…in a special way…we give thanks for the sacramental life of the Church…
through which we constantly nourish…strengthen…and deepen
our relationship with Christ.
In today’s Gospel we see the healing power of Christ’s love
effective in the lives of the ten lepers whom He heals.
In the life of the one Samaritan leper who returned to give thanks to Jesus…
we see a model of gratitude for the gift of life and for Christ’s healing grace.
What is striking in the story is that Jesus…
Who could have healed instantly
and without interaction with any other person…
says to the lepers:
“Go show yourselves to the priests.”
It is through the hands of unworthy priests
who act in the person of Christ…
that Christ makes Himself present on the Altar
and administers His healing grace in the Sacraments.
And so we give thanks for the gift of the Priesthood in the life of the Church.
As the Letter of Saint James teaches…
“If there are sick among you, let them send for the priests…”
Today the priests of this parish come to you to offer the healing of Christ’s grace
through the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.
We will invite those who are in need of this sacrament to come forward…
Those who are seriously ill…whether adults or children…
Those anticipating surgery…
The elderly who are sick or seriously weakened…
Those who have mental illness and are in need of healing…
And those who are in danger because their illness has worsened…
When you are invited to come forward,
please extend your hands that they may be anointed...
Together as the members of Christ’s Mystical Body,
we give thanks and praise
for the love that is made present to us in the person of Jesus Christ.
for the tremendous blessings God has bestowed upon us…
upon our families, upon our Church, our school, and our community.
The very word “Eucharist” means “thanksgiving”
and each time we gather to celebrate Holy Mass…
we give thanks that Jesus comes to be present with us
and that He nourishes our souls
with His own sacred Body and Precious Blood.
In this month dedicated to “respect for life…”
we give thanks for the precious gift of life…
for the beautiful life we are so blessed to share as human persons
as creatures loved into being by God our Heavenly Father.
As Catholic Christians who are grateful for the gift of our own lives…
we are called to pray and to work to defend the sanctity of all human life…
to help the world around us once again value human life…
and to never cease to proclaim the truth by our words and deeds:
The truth is that each and every human person…
from the very moment of conception until the moment God calls us home…
is a unique creation of God…
is loved by God…
and every human life is to be cherished as sacred.
[PAUSE]
Today…in a special way…we give thanks for the sacramental life of the Church…
through which we constantly nourish…strengthen…and deepen
our relationship with Christ.
In today’s Gospel we see the healing power of Christ’s love
effective in the lives of the ten lepers whom He heals.
In the life of the one Samaritan leper who returned to give thanks to Jesus…
we see a model of gratitude for the gift of life and for Christ’s healing grace.
What is striking in the story is that Jesus…
Who could have healed instantly
and without interaction with any other person…
says to the lepers:
“Go show yourselves to the priests.”
It is through the hands of unworthy priests
who act in the person of Christ…
that Christ makes Himself present on the Altar
and administers His healing grace in the Sacraments.
And so we give thanks for the gift of the Priesthood in the life of the Church.
As the Letter of Saint James teaches…
“If there are sick among you, let them send for the priests…”
Today the priests of this parish come to you to offer the healing of Christ’s grace
through the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.
We will invite those who are in need of this sacrament to come forward…
Those who are seriously ill…whether adults or children…
Those anticipating surgery…
The elderly who are sick or seriously weakened…
Those who have mental illness and are in need of healing…
And those who are in danger because their illness has worsened…
When you are invited to come forward,
please extend your hands that they may be anointed...
Together as the members of Christ’s Mystical Body,
we give thanks and praise
for the love that is made present to us in the person of Jesus Christ.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Homily Twenty-Seventh Sunday of the Year 7 October 2007
Autumn is a special time of year…
a beautiful season in the cycle of creation’s splendor…
when the forests are blanketed with a palate of vibrant colors…
and when the changing leaves and falling temperatures
foretell the inevitable death of Summer’s light and warmth
and the coming darkness and chill of Winter.
The signs in the world around us…
the decaying leaves…cooling air…and darkening skies…
keep our mortality before our minds.
“The dying of the daylight foretells creation’s end.”
[PAUSE]
In the world around us, there are other signs which speak to us of sad themes…
of a darkening cultural landscape, of decaying morals,
and of the sorrow that is felt when life is not treasured.
We need to read and ponder these signs of our times…
One such example is found in a story on the front page of last week’s
National Catholic Register.
As the story goes…
a young wife and mother in Italy had chosen to have a “selective abortion”
of one of the twins she was carrying…
because doctors discovered that the child had Down Syndrome.
When the woman went to a Milan hospital for this “procedure,”
the doctor mistakenly took the life of the “wrong” baby…the healthy one.
When the mother was later told what had happened…
she returned to have the other child aborted as well.
The Register reports an interview the mother had with an Italian newspaper,
in which she describes that…because of this sad chapter…
her life has been “ruined.”
She says, “Neither my husband nor I can sleep at night.”
The tragedy of this poor family’s story…
is that someone… a doctor…the media…politicians…???
someone is responsible for having lied to this young mother…
and telling her that her handicapped child is not worth bringing to life.
Now this terrible decision…
made by a mother who has been raised and formed in a culture
that presumes to know better than God about life and death…
has resulted in four casualties:
two dead children, and two ruined lives.
[PAUSE]
In our world today, very few have the courage to tell women the truth…
to love them in the difficult moments of pregnancy.
Our society tells people that abortion is the easy way out.
The countless mothers and fathers
who suffer profound scars after their children are taken from them
know that it is anything but easy.
The signs of the times declare to us loudly and clearly…
that human life is not cherished and respected as sacred…
and that the world is in decay as a result.
Doctors who take an oath to “do no harm” are helping the elderly end their lives
and calling it mercy.
Children who are considered imperfect are selected for abortion.
In China, the population of girls is regulated and female babies are killed.
Our death rows and execution chambers are used unnecessarily.
[PAUSE]
Sadly, we are growing accustomed to a world in which human life is not cherished.
The stories of violence and death cry out to us and no one listens nor intervenes.
On this “Respect Life Sunday”… the first Sunday of October…
a month dedicated to restoring respect for the sanctity of human life…
the Church calls each and every one of us…
here and now…in this place…
to stand together and declare that we are people who love life!
We are called by Christ to cherish life in all stages of human development…
from natural conception in God’s time…
to a natural death according to His plan.
We are also called to be clear and reasonable and to make distinctions.
We do not equate a war which may or may not be unjust…
with abortion which is always unjust.
We are called to witness to our belief in the dignity of human life…
I encourage you to join us as in our Eucharistic Procession next Sunday…
We stand for life…and we stand boldly…for we stand with Jesus Christ.
We pray…and we pray constantly…for in God alone shall the truth be victorious.
We have hope…and we have faith enough to move mountains…
for Christ has trampled death by His own death and will again restore life.
We are not ashamed to give testimony to our Lord…
and to the truth of the unique value and dignity and right to life
of every human person.
We are not ashamed because we have come to know Christ and in Him we trust.
May that same Jesus Christ be forever praised!
a beautiful season in the cycle of creation’s splendor…
when the forests are blanketed with a palate of vibrant colors…
and when the changing leaves and falling temperatures
foretell the inevitable death of Summer’s light and warmth
and the coming darkness and chill of Winter.
The signs in the world around us…
the decaying leaves…cooling air…and darkening skies…
keep our mortality before our minds.
“The dying of the daylight foretells creation’s end.”
[PAUSE]
In the world around us, there are other signs which speak to us of sad themes…
of a darkening cultural landscape, of decaying morals,
and of the sorrow that is felt when life is not treasured.
We need to read and ponder these signs of our times…
One such example is found in a story on the front page of last week’s
National Catholic Register.
As the story goes…
a young wife and mother in Italy had chosen to have a “selective abortion”
of one of the twins she was carrying…
because doctors discovered that the child had Down Syndrome.
When the woman went to a Milan hospital for this “procedure,”
the doctor mistakenly took the life of the “wrong” baby…the healthy one.
When the mother was later told what had happened…
she returned to have the other child aborted as well.
The Register reports an interview the mother had with an Italian newspaper,
in which she describes that…because of this sad chapter…
her life has been “ruined.”
She says, “Neither my husband nor I can sleep at night.”
The tragedy of this poor family’s story…
is that someone… a doctor…the media…politicians…???
someone is responsible for having lied to this young mother…
and telling her that her handicapped child is not worth bringing to life.
Now this terrible decision…
made by a mother who has been raised and formed in a culture
that presumes to know better than God about life and death…
has resulted in four casualties:
two dead children, and two ruined lives.
[PAUSE]
In our world today, very few have the courage to tell women the truth…
to love them in the difficult moments of pregnancy.
Our society tells people that abortion is the easy way out.
The countless mothers and fathers
who suffer profound scars after their children are taken from them
know that it is anything but easy.
The signs of the times declare to us loudly and clearly…
that human life is not cherished and respected as sacred…
and that the world is in decay as a result.
Doctors who take an oath to “do no harm” are helping the elderly end their lives
and calling it mercy.
Children who are considered imperfect are selected for abortion.
In China, the population of girls is regulated and female babies are killed.
Our death rows and execution chambers are used unnecessarily.
[PAUSE]
Sadly, we are growing accustomed to a world in which human life is not cherished.
The stories of violence and death cry out to us and no one listens nor intervenes.
On this “Respect Life Sunday”… the first Sunday of October…
a month dedicated to restoring respect for the sanctity of human life…
the Church calls each and every one of us…
here and now…in this place…
to stand together and declare that we are people who love life!
We are called by Christ to cherish life in all stages of human development…
from natural conception in God’s time…
to a natural death according to His plan.
We are also called to be clear and reasonable and to make distinctions.
We do not equate a war which may or may not be unjust…
with abortion which is always unjust.
We are called to witness to our belief in the dignity of human life…
I encourage you to join us as in our Eucharistic Procession next Sunday…
We stand for life…and we stand boldly…for we stand with Jesus Christ.
We pray…and we pray constantly…for in God alone shall the truth be victorious.
We have hope…and we have faith enough to move mountains…
for Christ has trampled death by His own death and will again restore life.
We are not ashamed to give testimony to our Lord…
and to the truth of the unique value and dignity and right to life
of every human person.
We are not ashamed because we have come to know Christ and in Him we trust.
May that same Jesus Christ be forever praised!
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Notitiae
Blessed Feast Day of St. Michael!
There will be no homilies for September 23rd or 30th, as we are having Finance Council presentations and the annual Pastor's sermon on stewardship at all Masses.
Father Matthew's Mass Schedule:
October 6/7: 4pm and 7:15 am
October 14: 8:45 and 10:30 am
October 21: 12:15 and 5:30 pm
October 28: 7:15 am and 5:30 pm
You may look at the parish website (http://www.stmichaelcanton.org/) in the coming days for a new series titled "The Popes Speak.' comments and suggestions of quotes welcome.
There will be no homilies for September 23rd or 30th, as we are having Finance Council presentations and the annual Pastor's sermon on stewardship at all Masses.
Father Matthew's Mass Schedule:
October 6/7: 4pm and 7:15 am
October 14: 8:45 and 10:30 am
October 21: 12:15 and 5:30 pm
October 28: 7:15 am and 5:30 pm
You may look at the parish website (http://www.stmichaelcanton.org/) in the coming days for a new series titled "The Popes Speak.' comments and suggestions of quotes welcome.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Homily Twenty-Fourth Sunday of the Year 16 September 2007
There is a poem about coming home by August Davies Webster…
Oh, how my mother's eyes will turn to me, half unawares, then fix upon her book that none may see them growing large and moist; and how my father will look stern and frown, hiding the treacherous twinkles with the shade of knitted brows, lest any watching him should think him moved to have his son by him, and proud like foolish fathers; but the girls will be all smiles and flutter, and look round elate as if no other girls before had had a soldier brother.
Plenty of birds this year, my father writes; we'll see next week, and--There's the long shrill yell! Home! all but home! Oh! there, between the trees, that light, our house--they're waiting for me there.
The emotions of coming home…
to the place where we belong…
to where the love of family is enough for us…
are some of the most powerful emotions the human heart knows.
Today’s Gospel is a story of a homecoming…
of a son returning to his father, to the place where he belongs.
This son has sinned…and wasted…and lived a life of immorality…
and yet his father welcomes him with compassion…
and in his father’s embrace he finds the love that sustains him.
God our Heavenly Father welcomes us in the same way.
When we have gone off on our own and tried to do things our own way…
and finally realize how much we depend on God…
we return to find Him always faithfully waiting for us.
When we have sinned and need God’s mercy…
we can always find Him waiting to bestow that mercy
in the Sacrament of Penance.
God is our Father…
and He is always waiting to welcome us home when we run to Him.
Perhaps someone you know has strayed from the practice of the Catholic faith.
We have in our parish a program called “Catholics Returning Home”
which helps to re-connect people to the Church.
The Church is our home…
and she is always willing to take us back.
[PAUSE]
The sad element of today’s Gospel is the scene with the older brother,
who greatly disapproves of the joy and celebration
surrounding the prodigal son’s reconciliation with his Father
He resents the fact that his brother has squandered the family fortune…
and yet their father throws a great celebration on his return…
meanwhile the older brother has been faithful and receives nothing.
He is not able…because of his anger…to recognize how wonderful it is
that his brother has recognized the evil of his ways
and has returned begging forgiveness.
He knows only his anger and frustration at being passed up.
He is not able to see the moment through his father’s eyes…
which no doubt are filled with tears of joy…
as his fatherly heart melts…
at the sight of his son running down the lane.
He is not able to welcome his brother when he finally comes home.
What an embrace that father and son must have had!
What tender love and instant peace both must have known in their hearts!
What a shame that the older brother could not have shared their familial love…
for his anger and his jealousy stand in the breach.
The actor Buddy Hackett once remarked…
“I've had a few arguments with people, but I never carry a grudge.
You know why? While you're carrying a grudge, they're out dancing.”
In the Gospel, the family is celebrating and dancing,
while the older son is outside harboring hatred toward his brother.
How true it is that,
while we might be holding a grudge or harboring jealousy over something,
the person who we perceive as having offended us has moved on
and is enjoying their life, not even thinking about what happened.
In the end…we’re the ones who suffer.
Surely most of us at least could find something to hold a grudge about…
and perhaps we are right now.
Perhaps we have been passed over for a promotion…
have gotten tangled up in a family dispute…
or are unable to forgive another person.
Whatever the circumstances…
by holding onto past problems and offenses…
we only hurt ourselves… and we miss out on so much in life.
Perhaps someone you know was hurt by a priest or layperson in the Church…
and because they hold onto those feelings
they cannot “come home” to the life of the Church.
What blessings and happiness are we missing out on…
because of feelings and grudges we hold onto?
Are we harboring anger and resentment while everyone else is dancing…
killing the fatted calf…celebrating…and enjoying life’s blessings?
It is good for us to bring our burdens to God in the Sacrament of Penance…
and share them with someone we trust…
who can help us learn to let go of them.
Today the Lord calls us to search our hearts…
and to lay aside every ill feeling and burdensome thought…
so that we might come to know the tenderness and peace
that our Heavenly Father desires us to enjoy.
Today the Lord calls us to come home to His peaceful embrace.
Oh, how my mother's eyes will turn to me, half unawares, then fix upon her book that none may see them growing large and moist; and how my father will look stern and frown, hiding the treacherous twinkles with the shade of knitted brows, lest any watching him should think him moved to have his son by him, and proud like foolish fathers; but the girls will be all smiles and flutter, and look round elate as if no other girls before had had a soldier brother.
Plenty of birds this year, my father writes; we'll see next week, and--There's the long shrill yell! Home! all but home! Oh! there, between the trees, that light, our house--they're waiting for me there.
The emotions of coming home…
to the place where we belong…
to where the love of family is enough for us…
are some of the most powerful emotions the human heart knows.
Today’s Gospel is a story of a homecoming…
of a son returning to his father, to the place where he belongs.
This son has sinned…and wasted…and lived a life of immorality…
and yet his father welcomes him with compassion…
and in his father’s embrace he finds the love that sustains him.
God our Heavenly Father welcomes us in the same way.
When we have gone off on our own and tried to do things our own way…
and finally realize how much we depend on God…
we return to find Him always faithfully waiting for us.
When we have sinned and need God’s mercy…
we can always find Him waiting to bestow that mercy
in the Sacrament of Penance.
God is our Father…
and He is always waiting to welcome us home when we run to Him.
Perhaps someone you know has strayed from the practice of the Catholic faith.
We have in our parish a program called “Catholics Returning Home”
which helps to re-connect people to the Church.
The Church is our home…
and she is always willing to take us back.
[PAUSE]
The sad element of today’s Gospel is the scene with the older brother,
who greatly disapproves of the joy and celebration
surrounding the prodigal son’s reconciliation with his Father
He resents the fact that his brother has squandered the family fortune…
and yet their father throws a great celebration on his return…
meanwhile the older brother has been faithful and receives nothing.
He is not able…because of his anger…to recognize how wonderful it is
that his brother has recognized the evil of his ways
and has returned begging forgiveness.
He knows only his anger and frustration at being passed up.
He is not able to see the moment through his father’s eyes…
which no doubt are filled with tears of joy…
as his fatherly heart melts…
at the sight of his son running down the lane.
He is not able to welcome his brother when he finally comes home.
What an embrace that father and son must have had!
What tender love and instant peace both must have known in their hearts!
What a shame that the older brother could not have shared their familial love…
for his anger and his jealousy stand in the breach.
The actor Buddy Hackett once remarked…
“I've had a few arguments with people, but I never carry a grudge.
You know why? While you're carrying a grudge, they're out dancing.”
In the Gospel, the family is celebrating and dancing,
while the older son is outside harboring hatred toward his brother.
How true it is that,
while we might be holding a grudge or harboring jealousy over something,
the person who we perceive as having offended us has moved on
and is enjoying their life, not even thinking about what happened.
In the end…we’re the ones who suffer.
Surely most of us at least could find something to hold a grudge about…
and perhaps we are right now.
Perhaps we have been passed over for a promotion…
have gotten tangled up in a family dispute…
or are unable to forgive another person.
Whatever the circumstances…
by holding onto past problems and offenses…
we only hurt ourselves… and we miss out on so much in life.
Perhaps someone you know was hurt by a priest or layperson in the Church…
and because they hold onto those feelings
they cannot “come home” to the life of the Church.
What blessings and happiness are we missing out on…
because of feelings and grudges we hold onto?
Are we harboring anger and resentment while everyone else is dancing…
killing the fatted calf…celebrating…and enjoying life’s blessings?
It is good for us to bring our burdens to God in the Sacrament of Penance…
and share them with someone we trust…
who can help us learn to let go of them.
Today the Lord calls us to search our hearts…
and to lay aside every ill feeling and burdensome thought…
so that we might come to know the tenderness and peace
that our Heavenly Father desires us to enjoy.
Today the Lord calls us to come home to His peaceful embrace.
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