Story about Father Matthew Shelton…
Hospitalized and unable to say Mass…
For a priest very painful…
First time in a month on the Feast of the Assumption…
He said that Mass meant as much to him as his First Mass…
Then not again until Friday…
when I took a travel Mass kit and had Mass in his hospital room…
He spoke of the power of the words of Consecration…
and of the privilege of saying Mass…
Mass is a sacred moment for priests and for all of us…
a sacred event we all must treasure…
Saint Cyril of Alexandria
helps us to understand the Lord’s words in today’s Gospel
in a deeper, richer way…
in terms of our participation in the Holy Eucharist.
Jesus says to us that…
there are those who will meet Him face to face on the day of judgment…
and will cry out…
“Lord, open the door for us…
We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.”
And yet the Lord will say…
“I do not know where you are from. Depart from me…”
Saint Cyril comments that these are the souls who
“have believed in Christ…
and have celebrated the holy festivals in his honor…”
“Frequenting the churches, they also hear the doctrines of the Gospel…
but they remember nothing of the truths of Scripture.”
“…their heart is quite bare of spiritual fruitfulness.”
Those who have celebrated the Sacred Liturgy of the Mass…
and yet have not entered fully into the reality of the Eucharist
and have not borne spiritual fruit...
will be found calling out to the Lord on the day of judgment…
“Lord, we ate and drank in your company…
we even ate your very Body and drank your Precious Blood.
Lord, you taught us in our churches…
and we have sat in your presence.
“Lord, save us!”
Woe to those to whom the Lord says…
“I do not know you. Depart from me.”
The Lord is saying to us…
it is not enough to just show up…to partake of the Eucharist…
and to let the teaching of Christ pass in one ear and out the other.
The Eucharist is an intimate communion with the person of Jesus Christ.
The grace and the strength we need to live as holy Christian people
comes from immersing ourselves in the sacred reality of the Mass
and allowing the grace of the Eucharist to transform us
into the holy men and women Jesus calls us to be.
The Mass is the fountain of grace and the summit our lives as Catholic Christians.
It is a gift from God and from His Church.
The Mass is sacred and holy because of what it is…
not because we have created it…or because of what we put into it.
The Mass is not made sacred because we are here and actively participate.
Rather, it is the sacred reality of the presence of Christ.
And so, because Christ is present…
because the Eucharist is the most sacred and awesome reality
we experience in this life…
we enter deeply into the mystery of the Mass.
The participation we are called to have in the Mass
begins with understanding what is happening and what the rituals mean.
It further means that we are called to interiorize the reality of the Mass…
to make Christ the focus and the inspiration for our whole life.
The Mass is more than a Sunday obligation…though it is that.
The Mass…and our communion with Christ in the Eucharist…
is the very core of who we are as Catholics.
In the Mass, we enter into something so incredible it is beyond our imagining…
a holy event and a sacred reality…
the Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross made present to us on the Altar.
In the Mass, we enter into the eternal and unending sacrifice of praise
offered by the angels and saints in heaven.
This Altar is the point to which our whole lives as Catholics are directed.
The moment of Consecration is the moment of greatest grace and joy for us.
In this moment…in this place…Jesus comes to say…
“I love you…I want to be one with you…
I want you to share in my Body and Blood…
I want you to be holy…and to live your faith in me with sincerity.”
We come to Mass with humble hearts…
eager to place ourselves at the service of the great mystery of the Eucharist.
When we enter into this great mystery…
we ought to do so with reverence…devotion…love…and dedication.
This means maintaining sacred silence in the church…
dressing in a way that is modest and respectful in God’s house…
and showing by our words and demeanor
that we are here to adore the Lord Jesus,
who comes to share himself with us.
Bishop Arthur Serratelli…of the Diocese of Paterson, NJ…
has written a series of articles in which
he laments that the world today has lost a sense of the sacred.
He points out that we must return to our source…
God our Creator…and find in Him the fountain of our life.
In God we live, and move, and have our being.
In God is the source of all life and every blessing.
In God we place our trust and our hope.
In returning to God, and re-centering our whole selves on Him…
we shall re-discover a sense of the sacred in our lives.
In re-centering our lives on the sacred reality of the Holy Eucharist…
and in the celebration of the Mass…
we shall find a loving companion in the person of Christ.
With Christ near us…
we shall find the grace to live
with our eyes open to the sacred realities of the world around us.
May we not simply show up to eat and drink of the Eucharist…
May we not simply hear the words of Jesus…and then forget them.
Instead, may we come prepared
to enter into the banquet of Jesus, the Lamb of God.
May we show by our lives that we love the Mass…
and treasure the sacred reality of the Eucharist.
And may we here and now begin to cultivate a sense of the sacredness of the Mass,
and in turn to live our whole lives inspired by the love of Jesus,
whom we adore and praise in this holy celebration.
With hearts open to the sacredness of Christ’s holy presence in our lives…
we go forth to love and serve Him…
so that when we meet Him face to face…He may say to us…
“My presence has been your joy through your earthly life…
come now and rejoice with me forever.”
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Notitiae
No homily for August 18/19. A missionary priest preached at St. Michael's.
Mass Schedule for August 26th: Sunday 12:15 pm and 5:30 pm.
Mass Schedule for August 26th: Sunday 12:15 pm and 5:30 pm.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Homily Assumption 2007
It was in 1950 that Pope Pius XII
solemnly defined the teaching of the Assumption of Mary…
that Mary was assumed…body and soul…into heaven.
Although the Assumption was not officially defined as a doctrine of the Church
until recently…
the Church has believed in it since her earliest centuries.
Tradition tell us that St. Thomas was absent when Mary died,
and, as He doubted the resurrection and wanted to see Jesus’ wounds…
so he wanted to see Mary’s body for himself.
So the Apostles took him to Mary’s tomb.
There they found the tomb empty.
As Mary is assumed…body and soul…into heavenly glory…
she drops down her veil to Saint Thomas…
as a sign that she has passed into her eternal reward.
The Assumption has been celebrated by Catholics
of both the Roman and Eastern rites
since at least the sixth century.
The Church has always believed that Mary’s body was taken up to heaven
and never was allowed to be corrupted.
God, in his wisdom, chose Mary from eternity to be the mother of Jesus.
Because of the singular role she would play in the plan of salvation…
she was immaculately conceived…
preserved from all stain of original sin…
to be the perfect vessel which would bear the savior.
And so it was fitting that she was freed from the corruption of death,
which is the effect of sin.
Of course there is no Gospel text that records the moment of Mary’s Assumption.
For today the Church gives us the Gospel of the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth,
and Mary’s famous song of praise: the Magnificat.
As Mary experiences and reflects on the greatest moment of her life…
the moment when she is visited by an angel
who tells her she will conceive the Son of God…
she does two very human…natural…things:
First, she runs in haste to share her joyful news with her dear cousin Elizabeth.
How often we want to share our news with those we love.
And second, as she reflects upon her what has happened to her…
she produces a beautiful work of art…an exquisite poem of praise.
As the Holy Father Pope Benedict once wrote about the Magnificat…
“This marvelous canticle mirrors the entire soul, the entire personality of Mary.”
The Magnificat shows us what a beautiful person Mary was…
how she rejoiced in God’s presence in her life…
how she trusted completely in His providential care.
Mary is the perfect woman of faith.
She is also the perfect mother…
and the perfect disciple.
Mary is poor in spirit…a truly humble servant.
She is a pure, chaste, virgin.
She is obedient to God always.
Mary is everything for us… a living example of perfect discipleship!
Because Mary has been assumed into heaven…
she is united to Jesus…her son and her God…
and already shares in the fruits of His Resurrection.
In the order of grace she is our Mother too…
the loving helper and advocate of all who believe in her Son.
We place our faith in the reality that Mary is at the side of Jesus…
interceding for us
and giving us hope that we can attain heavenly glory ourselves.
The Feast of the Assumption is a sign of hope for the world!
Yet, if we hope to go where she has gone…
we must live as she lived!
As she received the joyful news of Christ’s presence in her life…
and took that news in haste to one she loved…
so we rejoice that Christ has come to us…
and we accept our calling to bring His love and truth to those we love.
Mary teaches us to take the love of Christ to others…
and to live our lives in constant praise of God.
As we come now to receive the Body and Blood
of the same Jesus whom she once held in her loving arms…
may we strive to love Him as she did.
May we live as she lived…
with total and unconditional love for the Lord Jesus…
that we may at last attain to the glory she now enjoys!
Holy Mary, pray for us!
solemnly defined the teaching of the Assumption of Mary…
that Mary was assumed…body and soul…into heaven.
Although the Assumption was not officially defined as a doctrine of the Church
until recently…
the Church has believed in it since her earliest centuries.
Tradition tell us that St. Thomas was absent when Mary died,
and, as He doubted the resurrection and wanted to see Jesus’ wounds…
so he wanted to see Mary’s body for himself.
So the Apostles took him to Mary’s tomb.
There they found the tomb empty.
As Mary is assumed…body and soul…into heavenly glory…
she drops down her veil to Saint Thomas…
as a sign that she has passed into her eternal reward.
The Assumption has been celebrated by Catholics
of both the Roman and Eastern rites
since at least the sixth century.
The Church has always believed that Mary’s body was taken up to heaven
and never was allowed to be corrupted.
God, in his wisdom, chose Mary from eternity to be the mother of Jesus.
Because of the singular role she would play in the plan of salvation…
she was immaculately conceived…
preserved from all stain of original sin…
to be the perfect vessel which would bear the savior.
And so it was fitting that she was freed from the corruption of death,
which is the effect of sin.
Of course there is no Gospel text that records the moment of Mary’s Assumption.
For today the Church gives us the Gospel of the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth,
and Mary’s famous song of praise: the Magnificat.
As Mary experiences and reflects on the greatest moment of her life…
the moment when she is visited by an angel
who tells her she will conceive the Son of God…
she does two very human…natural…things:
First, she runs in haste to share her joyful news with her dear cousin Elizabeth.
How often we want to share our news with those we love.
And second, as she reflects upon her what has happened to her…
she produces a beautiful work of art…an exquisite poem of praise.
As the Holy Father Pope Benedict once wrote about the Magnificat…
“This marvelous canticle mirrors the entire soul, the entire personality of Mary.”
The Magnificat shows us what a beautiful person Mary was…
how she rejoiced in God’s presence in her life…
how she trusted completely in His providential care.
Mary is the perfect woman of faith.
She is also the perfect mother…
and the perfect disciple.
Mary is poor in spirit…a truly humble servant.
She is a pure, chaste, virgin.
She is obedient to God always.
Mary is everything for us… a living example of perfect discipleship!
Because Mary has been assumed into heaven…
she is united to Jesus…her son and her God…
and already shares in the fruits of His Resurrection.
In the order of grace she is our Mother too…
the loving helper and advocate of all who believe in her Son.
We place our faith in the reality that Mary is at the side of Jesus…
interceding for us
and giving us hope that we can attain heavenly glory ourselves.
The Feast of the Assumption is a sign of hope for the world!
Yet, if we hope to go where she has gone…
we must live as she lived!
As she received the joyful news of Christ’s presence in her life…
and took that news in haste to one she loved…
so we rejoice that Christ has come to us…
and we accept our calling to bring His love and truth to those we love.
Mary teaches us to take the love of Christ to others…
and to live our lives in constant praise of God.
As we come now to receive the Body and Blood
of the same Jesus whom she once held in her loving arms…
may we strive to love Him as she did.
May we live as she lived…
with total and unconditional love for the Lord Jesus…
that we may at last attain to the glory she now enjoys!
Holy Mary, pray for us!
Homily Assumption Vigil 2007
It was in 1950 that Pope Pius XII
solemnly defined the teaching of the Assumption of Mary…
that Mary was assumed…body and soul…into heaven.
Although the Assumption was not officially defined as a doctrine of the Church
until recently…
the Church has believed in it since her earliest centuries.
Tradition tell us that St. Thomas was absent when Mary died,
and, as He doubted the resurrection and wanted to see Jesus’ wounds…
so he wanted to see Mary’s body for himself.
So the Apostles took him to Mary’s tomb.
There they found the tomb empty.
As Mary is assumed…body and soul…into heavenly glory…
she drops down her veil to Saint Thomas…
as a sign that she has passed into her eternal reward.
The Assumption has been celebrated by Catholics
of both the Roman and Eastern rites
since at least the sixth century.
The Church has always believed that Mary’s body was taken up to heaven
and never was allowed to be corrupted.
God, in his wisdom, chose Mary from eternity to be the mother of Jesus.
Because of the singular role she would play in the plan of salvation…
she was immaculately conceived…
preserved from all stain of original sin…
to be the perfect vessel which would bear the savior.
And so it was fitting that she was freed from the corruption of death,
which is the effect of sin.
The Eastern Catholic Church celebrates today the “Dormition of Mary”…
for they have always believed that Mary did not even experience death…
but simply “fell asleep” as was taken up into heaven by her Son.
However we believe it to have happened…
we have faith that Mary has been taken up into heaven…
where she now lives with her Son.
Blessed truly is the Holy and Immaculate Virgin Mother of God!
Blessed truly is the womb that bore Christ our Savior…
and blessed truly the breasts that nursed Him!
Blessed is she who now lives forever with God!
[PAUSE]
Because Mary has been assumed into heaven…
she is united to Jesus…her son and her God…
and already shares in the fruits of His Resurrection.
In the order of grace she is our Mother too…
the loving helper and advocate of all who believe in her Son.
We place our faith in the reality that Mary is at the side of Jesus…
interceding for us
and giving us hope that we can attain heavenly glory ourselves.
The Feast of the Assumption…of the Dormition…is a sign of hope for the world!
Yet, if we hope to go where she has gone…
we must live as she lived!
As Jesus responds to the woman who praises His mother in today’s Gospel…
“Rather, blessed are those who hear the world of God and keep it!”
Blessed shall we be…
if we have truly heard the Word of God and kept it with fidelity.
God reveals Himself to us both through the Holy Scriptures…
and through the Tradition of the Church.
From both these sources we draw our spiritual nourishment…
and the true faith on which we center our lives.
The Bible is not a book among many others
that is meant to sit on a shelf and collect dust.
It is to be read and its wisdom absorbed.
We read a significant amount of the Holy Scriptures in the celebration of Mass…
and it is also very good for us to take time at home to read the Bible.
We can begin with the Gospels of the Psalms…
and just read a few verses or one chapter each day…
taking time to reflect on how God’s word speaks to our own hearts…
and challenges us to change our lives for the better.
At the same time, the teachings of the Church…
through which God also reveals Himself to us…
are also not to be ignored as archaic texts
or the imaginings of a distant pope.
Instead, the teaching of the Church is the teaching of Christ…
meant to give direction and purpose to our lives.
So we should always be in contact with what is happening in the Church
and take time to read documents released by the Vatican…
which are always available online.
The Catechism should be found in each of our homes…
and also should not gather dust…but be read and treasured…
for it contains the teaching Christ desires to share with us.
Blessed truly shall we be if we hear the Word of God…
and treasure it…and observe it…and allow ourselves to be formed by it!
[PAUSE]
As we come now to receive the Body and Blood
of the same Jesus whom she once held in her loving arms…
may we strive to love Him as she did.
May we live as she lived…
and be found always reading and putting into action the word of God…
that we may at last attain to the glory she now enjoys!
Holy Mary, pray for us!
solemnly defined the teaching of the Assumption of Mary…
that Mary was assumed…body and soul…into heaven.
Although the Assumption was not officially defined as a doctrine of the Church
until recently…
the Church has believed in it since her earliest centuries.
Tradition tell us that St. Thomas was absent when Mary died,
and, as He doubted the resurrection and wanted to see Jesus’ wounds…
so he wanted to see Mary’s body for himself.
So the Apostles took him to Mary’s tomb.
There they found the tomb empty.
As Mary is assumed…body and soul…into heavenly glory…
she drops down her veil to Saint Thomas…
as a sign that she has passed into her eternal reward.
The Assumption has been celebrated by Catholics
of both the Roman and Eastern rites
since at least the sixth century.
The Church has always believed that Mary’s body was taken up to heaven
and never was allowed to be corrupted.
God, in his wisdom, chose Mary from eternity to be the mother of Jesus.
Because of the singular role she would play in the plan of salvation…
she was immaculately conceived…
preserved from all stain of original sin…
to be the perfect vessel which would bear the savior.
And so it was fitting that she was freed from the corruption of death,
which is the effect of sin.
The Eastern Catholic Church celebrates today the “Dormition of Mary”…
for they have always believed that Mary did not even experience death…
but simply “fell asleep” as was taken up into heaven by her Son.
However we believe it to have happened…
we have faith that Mary has been taken up into heaven…
where she now lives with her Son.
Blessed truly is the Holy and Immaculate Virgin Mother of God!
Blessed truly is the womb that bore Christ our Savior…
and blessed truly the breasts that nursed Him!
Blessed is she who now lives forever with God!
[PAUSE]
Because Mary has been assumed into heaven…
she is united to Jesus…her son and her God…
and already shares in the fruits of His Resurrection.
In the order of grace she is our Mother too…
the loving helper and advocate of all who believe in her Son.
We place our faith in the reality that Mary is at the side of Jesus…
interceding for us
and giving us hope that we can attain heavenly glory ourselves.
The Feast of the Assumption…of the Dormition…is a sign of hope for the world!
Yet, if we hope to go where she has gone…
we must live as she lived!
As Jesus responds to the woman who praises His mother in today’s Gospel…
“Rather, blessed are those who hear the world of God and keep it!”
Blessed shall we be…
if we have truly heard the Word of God and kept it with fidelity.
God reveals Himself to us both through the Holy Scriptures…
and through the Tradition of the Church.
From both these sources we draw our spiritual nourishment…
and the true faith on which we center our lives.
The Bible is not a book among many others
that is meant to sit on a shelf and collect dust.
It is to be read and its wisdom absorbed.
We read a significant amount of the Holy Scriptures in the celebration of Mass…
and it is also very good for us to take time at home to read the Bible.
We can begin with the Gospels of the Psalms…
and just read a few verses or one chapter each day…
taking time to reflect on how God’s word speaks to our own hearts…
and challenges us to change our lives for the better.
At the same time, the teachings of the Church…
through which God also reveals Himself to us…
are also not to be ignored as archaic texts
or the imaginings of a distant pope.
Instead, the teaching of the Church is the teaching of Christ…
meant to give direction and purpose to our lives.
So we should always be in contact with what is happening in the Church
and take time to read documents released by the Vatican…
which are always available online.
The Catechism should be found in each of our homes…
and also should not gather dust…but be read and treasured…
for it contains the teaching Christ desires to share with us.
Blessed truly shall we be if we hear the Word of God…
and treasure it…and observe it…and allow ourselves to be formed by it!
[PAUSE]
As we come now to receive the Body and Blood
of the same Jesus whom she once held in her loving arms…
may we strive to love Him as she did.
May we live as she lived…
and be found always reading and putting into action the word of God…
that we may at last attain to the glory she now enjoys!
Holy Mary, pray for us!
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Homily Nineteenth Sunday of the Year 12 August 2007
Recently I passed a church building of a Christian community…
and the blinking neon sign outside read…
“New and Improved Worship Service”!
Then…just the other day…I passed another one, which advertised…
“Holy Communion…Sunday August 12th at 10:00”!
I was struck quite deeply by how much we as Catholics often take for granted…
and how grateful we must be for all the blessings we have received.
When we come to Holy Mass…
we hopefully are not looking for anything “new and improved.”
We are sustained by the same Eucharist
that has sustained princes and paupers…
popes and peasants…
saints and repentant sinners…
for more than 2,000 years!
And what a blessing…an honor…a singular privilege…
that we can enter deeply into our relationship with Jesus in Holy Communion
not just on occasional Sundays…
not even just on Sundays…
but every day of the year…in the Holy Mass!
Should I be ashamed to rejoice in the abundant blessings of our Lord?
Do the blessings we have received mean that we are somehow “better”
than our Protestant brothers and sisters?
Does this mean that those churches I passed
have nothing good to offer their members?
Certainly not!
Other Christian communities…though separated from the Catholic Church…
do in fact contain much goodness.
We certainly have no right to put down other Christians…
nor should we be afraid to embrace the fullness of our own faith!
It is not pride that inspires us as Catholic Christian people…
but gratitude…
and a deep commitment to loving our God and living our faith.
Listen to the words of Jesus Himself in today’s Holy Gospel…
“To the one entrusted with much, much will be required,
and still more will be required of the one entrusted with more.”
Every human person has been given the precious gift of life…
and made in God’s image and likeness.
We are given the gift of becoming a child of God through the waters of Baptism.
So of every human person is demanded something:
to honor God the creator and the sustainer of all life…
and to cherish all human life.
[PAUSE]
Every Christian has been entrusted with much:
with the teachings and wisdom of Christ.
So of every Christian much is demanded:
to seek always the truth of Christ…and strive to live in that truth always.
[PAUSE]
We who are members of the Holy Catholic Church…
founded by Jesus Christ on the rock of Saint Peter…
have been entrusted with more.
And so of us much more is being demanded.
We have the unique vocation to live the fullness of the Catholic faith…
and to do so authentically and joyfully…
so as to bring all whom we meet ever closer to Christ.
The unique blessings we have received
each bring with them a unique responsibility.
Christ is truly, substantially, and personally present with us
in the Eucharist…
in the consecration at Holy Mass…
and in the blessed Sacrament within the Tabernacle.
The Lord truly abides with us and desires us to rest in his presence.
In gratitude for the incredible gift of the Eucharistic presence of Jesus…
we come and pray before the Tabernacle…
and in Eucharistic Adoration.
Can we not take even five minutes before or after Mass…
to pause…gaze in the direction of the Tabernacle…and pray quietly?
From the lips of Christ Himself…
from the wisdom of the Apostles…
from the eloquent sermons of the Early Church Fathers…
from the inspiration of the saints and theologians…
and from the constant teaching of the popes and bishops of the Church…
we have received the truth on which our lives are to be grounded.
Rooted in this constant tradition of the Church…
in her beautiful and varied spirituality…
we blossom into faithful servants and handmaids of the Lord.
So it is our duty to seek always the truth of God…
and to embrace with our lives and our hearts…
all that He and the Church asks of us.
From us who have been given so very much…
infinitely more than we deserve…
From us who are blessed to be the people chosen by God to be His very own…
From us is demanded so much more.
So we embrace our high calling as Catholic Christians…
that when at last even our lives are demanded of us…
we shall not be caught off guard…
but instead may be found prepared…
the lamps of our souls burning brightly with the truth and love of Christ.
Thus we await the Master’s return with eager anticipation…
praying that when He comes we may be found pleasing in His sight.
and the blinking neon sign outside read…
“New and Improved Worship Service”!
Then…just the other day…I passed another one, which advertised…
“Holy Communion…Sunday August 12th at 10:00”!
I was struck quite deeply by how much we as Catholics often take for granted…
and how grateful we must be for all the blessings we have received.
When we come to Holy Mass…
we hopefully are not looking for anything “new and improved.”
We are sustained by the same Eucharist
that has sustained princes and paupers…
popes and peasants…
saints and repentant sinners…
for more than 2,000 years!
And what a blessing…an honor…a singular privilege…
that we can enter deeply into our relationship with Jesus in Holy Communion
not just on occasional Sundays…
not even just on Sundays…
but every day of the year…in the Holy Mass!
Should I be ashamed to rejoice in the abundant blessings of our Lord?
Do the blessings we have received mean that we are somehow “better”
than our Protestant brothers and sisters?
Does this mean that those churches I passed
have nothing good to offer their members?
Certainly not!
Other Christian communities…though separated from the Catholic Church…
do in fact contain much goodness.
We certainly have no right to put down other Christians…
nor should we be afraid to embrace the fullness of our own faith!
It is not pride that inspires us as Catholic Christian people…
but gratitude…
and a deep commitment to loving our God and living our faith.
Listen to the words of Jesus Himself in today’s Holy Gospel…
“To the one entrusted with much, much will be required,
and still more will be required of the one entrusted with more.”
Every human person has been given the precious gift of life…
and made in God’s image and likeness.
We are given the gift of becoming a child of God through the waters of Baptism.
So of every human person is demanded something:
to honor God the creator and the sustainer of all life…
and to cherish all human life.
[PAUSE]
Every Christian has been entrusted with much:
with the teachings and wisdom of Christ.
So of every Christian much is demanded:
to seek always the truth of Christ…and strive to live in that truth always.
[PAUSE]
We who are members of the Holy Catholic Church…
founded by Jesus Christ on the rock of Saint Peter…
have been entrusted with more.
And so of us much more is being demanded.
We have the unique vocation to live the fullness of the Catholic faith…
and to do so authentically and joyfully…
so as to bring all whom we meet ever closer to Christ.
The unique blessings we have received
each bring with them a unique responsibility.
Christ is truly, substantially, and personally present with us
in the Eucharist…
in the consecration at Holy Mass…
and in the blessed Sacrament within the Tabernacle.
The Lord truly abides with us and desires us to rest in his presence.
In gratitude for the incredible gift of the Eucharistic presence of Jesus…
we come and pray before the Tabernacle…
and in Eucharistic Adoration.
Can we not take even five minutes before or after Mass…
to pause…gaze in the direction of the Tabernacle…and pray quietly?
From the lips of Christ Himself…
from the wisdom of the Apostles…
from the eloquent sermons of the Early Church Fathers…
from the inspiration of the saints and theologians…
and from the constant teaching of the popes and bishops of the Church…
we have received the truth on which our lives are to be grounded.
Rooted in this constant tradition of the Church…
in her beautiful and varied spirituality…
we blossom into faithful servants and handmaids of the Lord.
So it is our duty to seek always the truth of God…
and to embrace with our lives and our hearts…
all that He and the Church asks of us.
From us who have been given so very much…
infinitely more than we deserve…
From us who are blessed to be the people chosen by God to be His very own…
From us is demanded so much more.
So we embrace our high calling as Catholic Christians…
that when at last even our lives are demanded of us…
we shall not be caught off guard…
but instead may be found prepared…
the lamps of our souls burning brightly with the truth and love of Christ.
Thus we await the Master’s return with eager anticipation…
praying that when He comes we may be found pleasing in His sight.
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Homily Eighteenth Sunday of the Year 5 August 2007
One of the most beautiful and amazing aspects of the life of the Church
is that every day…
in rectories, churches, convents, and homes throughout the world…
priests, religious men and women and lay faithful
are praying the prayer of the Church: the Liturgy of the Hours.
I am amazed by the depth of these prayers…
The Liturgy of the Hours follows the cycle of the liturgical year.
We pray the same psalms, antiphons, canticles, Scriptures readings, and collects
over and over throughout our lives…
And yet each and every time we repeat the cycle we pray them with new insight
and gain from them new and ever richer food for spiritual nourishment.
I have prayed the Divine Office throughout my years as a seminarian.
A couple Easters ago a particular phrase that repeats throughout that holy season…
a phrase I had seen many times…
grabbed my attention and stirred my heart in a uniquely powerful way.
In my own spiritual situation…these words from God spoke to me…
that I must turn from all the passing desires of this world
and center my attention on the eternal realities of the Lord
and of His holy priesthood.
These same words which gave me a renewed understanding of my vocation…
are the words given to us by the Church today to nourish our souls.
Saint Paul writes…
“…seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Think of what is above, not what is on earth.
For…your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
In today’s First Reading the prophet Qoheleth proclaims all that is in the world is vanity
and that toiling solely in this world leads to no profit.
Jesus teaches us in the Holy Gospel that the treasures of this world do not last.
The man in Jesus’ story builds ever larger barns…
to store all he has horded for himself.
He takes great comfort in his earthly wealth and rejoices in his worldly possessions.
In different ways, we all store up things which make us happy in this life.
My weakness is books…
Recently I saw a postcard that pictured a hearse…pulling a U-Haul trailer…
through a cemetery.
The caption read: “Who says you can’t take it with you?”
The truth is we cannot take any of this “stuff” with us.
The good things of this world are gifts of God…
gifts to be respected and appreciated and enjoyed…
Yet we use the blessings of this life with our hearts set on eternal life.
We use what we have been given responsibly and moderately.
We look to our true home in heaven and store up our real treasures there.
Jesus tells us that what we take delight in…in this life…will pass away…
and so we must strive always to be rich in what matters to God.
We set our hearts on heavenly realities and eternal truth…
on what is above, where Christ lives and reigns.
What matters to God is that we continue to seek Him…
to unite ourselves more closely to Him…
and to fashion our lives around the truth of His teachings.
As the Vicar of Christ on earth…
our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI guides the Church with great wisdom
and leads us toward the fullness of truth…
the truth taught by Christ and not by men…
the truth which has remained the foundation of the Church for 2,000 years.
As surely you all know from watching the news…
the Vatican recently released a document
containing questions and answers regarding the doctrine on the Church.
The document speaks about the reality of the Church.
It does not present new teachings but reaffirms the teaching of Vatican II.
It is important to understand the authentic teaching of the Church in this document
and to open our hearts to the blessings that come from embracing the truth.
It is critical to acknowledge that many people have been disturbed and confused
by this document…
or…more precisely…by what they understand the document have said.
The secular print, internet, and television media
have done the Church a great disservice by their misinterpretations.
Thus each of us must…for the sake of our own spiritual lives…
and for the sake of the good of the whole Church…
go to the sources and read the documents of the Church for ourselves.
Do not allow people outside the Church to teach you your own theology!
[PAUSE]
The essential teaching of the document on the Church is this:
Jesus Christ established on earth one Church…
creating it as a visible and spiritual community.
The Catholic Church…both Roman and Eastern Rites…
remains throughout history the same Church established by Christ.
The Catholic Church contains everything that Christ established and intended…
the priesthood…the Eucharist…the whole teaching of Christ…
and the teaching authority of the pope and bishops…
The Catholic Church is everything that Christ established…
as the way for all people to be united in Him and find the path to salvation.
[PAUSE]
Does this mean that those persons who belong to Protestant communities
are not able to be saved…are not able to go to heaven?
It absolutely does not.
The other communities…separated from the Catholic Church…
contain…as the Vatican document explains…
“elements of sanctification and truth.”
Though without the fullness of what Christ established…
there is much goodness in these communities.
The document from the Vatican is about the reality of the Church…
not the salvation of particular people.
The Church in no way judges the salvation of individual persons.
The grace of the Holy Spirit works in mysterious ways…
through the hearts and souls of all people…
to bring them to salvation and holiness.
Does this mean that Catholics may think of themselves as better than others?
Absolutely not.
Knowing and reflecting on the truth about what the Church is…
and the great gift of faith we have received…
does not inflate us or fill us with pride…
but brings us to our knees in humility before God.
It is our solemn duty to live the faith with integrity and charity…
so as to be living witnesses of the blessings we have received from the Lord.
Does this document mean an end to ecumenism…
to dialogue and working with people of other faiths?
Certainly not.
Authentic ecumenism must take into consideration
the realities of the various communities.
One religious group or another cannot deny who they are
in order to come to a common ground.
That is indifferentism rather than ecumenism.
The Church is clear about who she is.
She always invites charitable, scholarly dialogue with other religious communities. She remains open to working with people of other faiths
in any way that can bring about goodness and peace for humanity.
The Catholic Church…by no merit of its members…by no merit of ours…
remains the guardian of the fullness of the many beautiful gifts
that Jesus bestowed on the community He founded.
For this we give thanks and glory to God…
as we pray for the union of all God’s people
and strive to live the gift of our faith more fully and authentically…
and seek the kingdom of Christ!
is that every day…
in rectories, churches, convents, and homes throughout the world…
priests, religious men and women and lay faithful
are praying the prayer of the Church: the Liturgy of the Hours.
I am amazed by the depth of these prayers…
The Liturgy of the Hours follows the cycle of the liturgical year.
We pray the same psalms, antiphons, canticles, Scriptures readings, and collects
over and over throughout our lives…
And yet each and every time we repeat the cycle we pray them with new insight
and gain from them new and ever richer food for spiritual nourishment.
I have prayed the Divine Office throughout my years as a seminarian.
A couple Easters ago a particular phrase that repeats throughout that holy season…
a phrase I had seen many times…
grabbed my attention and stirred my heart in a uniquely powerful way.
In my own spiritual situation…these words from God spoke to me…
that I must turn from all the passing desires of this world
and center my attention on the eternal realities of the Lord
and of His holy priesthood.
These same words which gave me a renewed understanding of my vocation…
are the words given to us by the Church today to nourish our souls.
Saint Paul writes…
“…seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Think of what is above, not what is on earth.
For…your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
In today’s First Reading the prophet Qoheleth proclaims all that is in the world is vanity
and that toiling solely in this world leads to no profit.
Jesus teaches us in the Holy Gospel that the treasures of this world do not last.
The man in Jesus’ story builds ever larger barns…
to store all he has horded for himself.
He takes great comfort in his earthly wealth and rejoices in his worldly possessions.
In different ways, we all store up things which make us happy in this life.
My weakness is books…
Recently I saw a postcard that pictured a hearse…pulling a U-Haul trailer…
through a cemetery.
The caption read: “Who says you can’t take it with you?”
The truth is we cannot take any of this “stuff” with us.
The good things of this world are gifts of God…
gifts to be respected and appreciated and enjoyed…
Yet we use the blessings of this life with our hearts set on eternal life.
We use what we have been given responsibly and moderately.
We look to our true home in heaven and store up our real treasures there.
Jesus tells us that what we take delight in…in this life…will pass away…
and so we must strive always to be rich in what matters to God.
We set our hearts on heavenly realities and eternal truth…
on what is above, where Christ lives and reigns.
What matters to God is that we continue to seek Him…
to unite ourselves more closely to Him…
and to fashion our lives around the truth of His teachings.
As the Vicar of Christ on earth…
our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI guides the Church with great wisdom
and leads us toward the fullness of truth…
the truth taught by Christ and not by men…
the truth which has remained the foundation of the Church for 2,000 years.
As surely you all know from watching the news…
the Vatican recently released a document
containing questions and answers regarding the doctrine on the Church.
The document speaks about the reality of the Church.
It does not present new teachings but reaffirms the teaching of Vatican II.
It is important to understand the authentic teaching of the Church in this document
and to open our hearts to the blessings that come from embracing the truth.
It is critical to acknowledge that many people have been disturbed and confused
by this document…
or…more precisely…by what they understand the document have said.
The secular print, internet, and television media
have done the Church a great disservice by their misinterpretations.
Thus each of us must…for the sake of our own spiritual lives…
and for the sake of the good of the whole Church…
go to the sources and read the documents of the Church for ourselves.
Do not allow people outside the Church to teach you your own theology!
[PAUSE]
The essential teaching of the document on the Church is this:
Jesus Christ established on earth one Church…
creating it as a visible and spiritual community.
The Catholic Church…both Roman and Eastern Rites…
remains throughout history the same Church established by Christ.
The Catholic Church contains everything that Christ established and intended…
the priesthood…the Eucharist…the whole teaching of Christ…
and the teaching authority of the pope and bishops…
The Catholic Church is everything that Christ established…
as the way for all people to be united in Him and find the path to salvation.
[PAUSE]
Does this mean that those persons who belong to Protestant communities
are not able to be saved…are not able to go to heaven?
It absolutely does not.
The other communities…separated from the Catholic Church…
contain…as the Vatican document explains…
“elements of sanctification and truth.”
Though without the fullness of what Christ established…
there is much goodness in these communities.
The document from the Vatican is about the reality of the Church…
not the salvation of particular people.
The Church in no way judges the salvation of individual persons.
The grace of the Holy Spirit works in mysterious ways…
through the hearts and souls of all people…
to bring them to salvation and holiness.
Does this mean that Catholics may think of themselves as better than others?
Absolutely not.
Knowing and reflecting on the truth about what the Church is…
and the great gift of faith we have received…
does not inflate us or fill us with pride…
but brings us to our knees in humility before God.
It is our solemn duty to live the faith with integrity and charity…
so as to be living witnesses of the blessings we have received from the Lord.
Does this document mean an end to ecumenism…
to dialogue and working with people of other faiths?
Certainly not.
Authentic ecumenism must take into consideration
the realities of the various communities.
One religious group or another cannot deny who they are
in order to come to a common ground.
That is indifferentism rather than ecumenism.
The Church is clear about who she is.
She always invites charitable, scholarly dialogue with other religious communities. She remains open to working with people of other faiths
in any way that can bring about goodness and peace for humanity.
The Catholic Church…by no merit of its members…by no merit of ours…
remains the guardian of the fullness of the many beautiful gifts
that Jesus bestowed on the community He founded.
For this we give thanks and glory to God…
as we pray for the union of all God’s people
and strive to live the gift of our faith more fully and authentically…
and seek the kingdom of Christ!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)