Docete Omnes Gentes

Jesus continues his work among us

2012-01-28T17:43:00.001-08:00

4^th Week OT 2012:

For the last few weeks we have been off and running. We heard of the baptism of Jesus. Next, Jesus is selecting disciples. Now, Jesus is teaching in the synagogue, driving out demons, and his fame is spreading throughout the whole world. What an amazing time it must have been to be alive! Sometimes a great way to pray would be to imagine yourself there with Jesus. What does it look like when Jesus comes out of the water and the voice from heaven can be heard? Would I have followed Jesus when he passed by? What did Jesus say in the synagogue? What would it have been like to see him drive out demons? This can be great way to pray.

But, we might be tempted to think that these were events that simply happened a long time ago. We might be tempted to imagine that these sorts of things certainly do not happen today. Today Christianity is much different than being with Christ in the gospels. But, this is false. It is certainly true that we might experience Christ differently, but that is not to say that we don't have experience Christ.

First we hear that Jesus was teaching in the synagogue. Jesus came with a mission to teach. He came to impart to us the gospel, the good news, the message of Salvation. Jesus was a good teacher, he taught us to love God above all things, to love our neighbor as ourselves. He taught us a great many things. And he continues to teach us when we read the Bible. The words of the Bible are not simply historical record. Rather, when we read and study the Bible Jesus truly teaches us. Further, he left his disciples with a clear command: go and teach all nations. When the Church teaches the message of salvation, it is Jesus who teaches. So, Jesus is teaching right now: anytime someone reads the Bible, Jesus is teaching, anytime someone goes to Catholic schools or CCD, Jesus is teaching. When parents pass the faith on to their children, Jesus is teaching. Jesus has never stopped teaching us the gospel, it just comes to us in different form.

What about the driving out of the demon? Well it is certainly true that the Church continues to perform the work of exorcism, but it doesn't seem as common as it did with Jesus. But, I would argue that what Jesus does in the gospel is to drive out the power of darkness, the power of evil. He did this in today's gospel, but even more in his death and resurrection. Jesus conquers the devil, conquers sin, evil, darkness by his death and resurrection. But, Jesus continues to conquer evil in all of us. Every time we turn away from sin by the power of grace, Jesus is driving out the demons of this world. Every time someone who is despairing finds hope in Christ, Jesus is driving out the demons of this world. Again it might not always happen as it does in our story today, but Jesus is continually driving out the demons of our world.

His fame spread throughout the world, and his fame continues to be spread. We tell the story of Jesus every day. There are over a billion Catholics worldwide, truly his fame has spread throughout the whole world.

I think this gospel story happens at every Mass. Here at the Mass Jesus teaches us, not in the synagogue, but in this house of prayer. He fills us with his life, his grace, which drives out the darkness in our lives. And at the end of Mass we are told: go in peace, which is nothing less than telling us to spread the good news about Jesus. While the events of today might seem a bit different than those of the gospel, it is the same Jesus who continues to teach us, he continues to drive out the power of darkness, especially here through the power of the holy Eucharist.

Pro Life 2012

2012-01-25T05:59:00.001-08:00

3^rd Sunday OT 2012:

I'm sure that at the time January 22, 1973 seemed like just any other day. I'm sure people were going to work, going about their lives. However, America would change forever that day. A day that has cost more American lives than 9/11 or Pearl Harbor. Of course, I'm talking about the Roe vs. Wade decision. This is the 39^th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade. For 39 years abortion has been legal in America. If you will bear with me, I would like to speak about abortion, an unpopular subject, to be sure, but one that is too important to leave undiscussed.

Abortion brings great sadness. I hope that at some point in the future, Roe vs. Wade is overturned. I long for the day when abortion ends. For many people abortion is a political issue, it's liberal versus conservatives, etc. But, abortion is not about politics, it's about those babies, it's about those mothers, it's about the pain and suffering that abortion causes. If we think of it as a political issue, we will forget why we should all want abortion to stop. We should want abortion to stop because it kills children and hurts women on an emotional and physical level.

What can we do? Our readings today give us some insight into the process of conversion. And it is precisely conversion that is necessary. I certainly think that we should all hope that the Supreme Court would overturn Roe vs. Wade at some point. But, in the meantime, all of us should pray for the conversion those who supports abortion and what John Paul II called the culture of death. We should pray for peace and healing for anyone who has ever been involved in an abortion. But, how can we help facilitate conversion? What can we do? I think we need to see ourselves as prophets. We need to take up the cause, and do what we can. I think every prophet needs two basic things. First, a prophet needs motivation; second, a prophet needs a content.

First, our motivation: abortion is just wrong. There is just no way to argue that the person in the womb is not a person, they just happen to be small and silent. But, it might take some convincing for us to become prophets of this truth. We might be a bit daunted by this task. Doesn't it sometimes feel impossible to change? I think it can be easy to become a bit hopeless when we think about the uphill battle we have in front of us. For 39 years abortion has been legal. Millions of people in America support abortion, many of our elected officials support abortion. How can we make a change? I think we need to keep Jonah in mind. He was one man, one prophet. His preaching caused the huge city of Nineveh to repent, to change. What might seem impossible by human standards is possible for God. Let's use the example of Jonah as our motivation, knowing that great things are possible by the grace of God.

But what to preach? The gospel can really help us here. Have you ever stopped to think about what happens in the gospel story? Here is Jesus walking by these people who were busy at work, carrying on the normal course of their lives. He says something to them: come follow me, and they drop everything to spend the rest of their lives with Jesus. Isn't that amazing! Christ offered them something so beautiful, so compelling, so wonderful, that they dropped everything and followed him. What does he offer? Himself! Come follow me, be with me, live with me, I will make you fishers of men, I will change you, I will make you better people. Notice that Jesus doesn't criticize, ostracize, or condemn. Jesus doesn't start by saying: hey there, you are all a bunch of sinners. Jesus does not move their hearts by drawing their attention to what is wrong with them. Rather, he offers them something compelling: he offers them the beauty of his own truth.

As pro-life prophets we need to do the same thing. It is so easy to get caught up in the negative side of abortion. It is easy to get angry when we hear numbers and statistics. But, shouting and criticizing will not bring about conversion. If all we use in the debate about abortion is the darkness of abortion, we just end up spreading more darkness and our prophecy ends up quite negative. Rather, our message must be about Christ, the beauty of human life, the goodness of human sexuality, the joys of family life, and the happiness that comes from Christian discipleship. Our message must be a message of love, forgiveness, healing, and mercy. In short our message must be Christ.

As pro-life prophets we need to keep the image of Jonah before us. We need to keep hope alive. We need to participate in this great work, even in the face of long odds. But, as we do so, we should always remember the lesson Christ teaches us, that only the beauty of the truth can change the heart. Only Christ and his truth can cause people to leave behind their former way of life and follow him. This might seem like a daunting task, we might never see the end of abortion in America, how can we keep up this mission? The words of Jesus speak to us as well: come to me. Here in the Eucharist we come to Jesus and ask him for the strength to make us fishers of men and women, to make us prophets who work for the healing of our land.

We meet Christ at Mass!!!

2012-01-15T13:35:00.001-08:00

2^nd Sunday OT 2012:

Our readings today give us a message about discipleship. Last week we celebrated the feast of the Epiphany, which was the end of the Christmas season. For about a month we celebrated the birth of our savior, today we meet him, not as a baby, but we meet him as our leader, our Savior. It is an objective fact that Jesus was born in that small town all those years ago. But, if Jesus remains a historical oddity, a character from a book, a child in the manger, then our faith will always remain a peripheral affair. If we never meet Jesus, faith won't be central in our lives and we will always find ourselves struggling to follow the commandments, struggling to love one another. If our faith is not central our sufferings and difficulties will feel like burdens impossible to bear. Faith is our source of peace, it is our comfort in distress, and our strength in times of weakness. But, very often we have the wrong idea about faith. Many people think about faith as something mental, a belief with the mind. Rather, faith is a relationship with a person.

Christian faith certainly has a mental component, but faith is not so much a belief in something. Christianity is not a system, we don't believe in Jesusness… Faith is a relationship with a person, Jesus Christ. If we don't meet Jesus, we might end up believing in Christianity, but that is not the same thing as having faith in Christ.

Our gospel today recounts for us an encounter between Christ and those first disciples. This meeting is a model for us. It shows us how we can grow in faith, how we can establish a relationship with Christ.

John the Baptist points the people to Jesus. The same is often true for all of us. I didn't find Jesus on my own, my parents and teachers pointed me toward Jesus. Many people still point us toward Christ, if we are open and attentive.

The disciples met Jesus. Now here we might feel a bit jealous. I wish I had the chance to meet Jesus as did those early disciples. They saw Jesus, heard him speak, and spent time with him. Don't we wish we had that same opportunity? Of course, we do, if we have the eyes to see it. We have the same opportunity, but in a different form. Listen again to what John the Baptist says: Behold the Lamb of God. Sound familiar? In the new translation of the Roman Missal these words are spoken at every Mass right before we receive communion: behold the Lamb of God… This is the same Jesus, the same Lamb of God. Here at the Mass we see Jesus, in the Eucharist, we hear Jesus, in the Scriptures, we spend time with Jesus, present here in the tabernacle. While it does not take place in the same manner as it happened in the gospel, every mass is an encounter with Christ, every Mass is a chance to meet Jesus. It doesn't matter who the priest is, it doesn't matter how bad the homily is, it doesn't matter if there is music or not, we meet Christ at every mass. And he asks us the same questions: what are you looking for? But, what do we do with the encounter?

Again, the disciples are our model. I notice 2 things. First, they were curious. Where are you staying? Are we curious about Christ, are we curious about the Mass? Are we enthusiastic about coming here and do we try our best to be open and attentive? If so, we meet Christ. If not, Mass can seem a struggle and a burden. Secondly, they followed Christ. For the disciples the meeting was not the end of the relationship. For us, Mass cannot be the only time we have a relationship with Christ.

Holy Mass is an essential component in our faith. At every Mass we encounter Christ. We see him, we hear him, we spend time with him. Here at this Holy Mass he asks us: what are you looking for? It is up to us to be open to meeting Jesus, to renew our curiosity and enthusiasm for this encounter. And, finally, to follow Jesus the rest of our lives. Faith is important in our lives. But, faith has to be a living relationship with Christ, a relationship that grows and is strengthened by our participation here at Holy Mass where we: Behold the Lamb of God, Behold Him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.

Epiphany

2012-01-07T13:04:00.001-08:00

Epiphany 2012:

Today we celebrate the Epiphany of Jesus. The word epiphany means manifestation of God, the revelation of Jesus to the Magi from the East. I have very fond memories of this feast from my childhood. I always love to sing We Three Kings, but also I have been fascinated with the statues of the kings. In my parish when I was growing up, the kings would be placed at various places throughout the church during the time after Christmas. This was to symbolize their journey from the East. As kids, we would always be on the lookout for the kings whenever we went to Mass wondering where they would be this time, we were looking for these mysterious travelers.

And these people are truly mysterious. You probably noticed that the gospel actually tells us very little about the Magi. Even their name, Magi, is mysterious. It probably means that they were of the Persian priestly caste. We call them the three kings, but we realize that in the gospel they are simply called the magi. We don't know their names, we don't know who came with them, we don't know how far they travelled, we don't even know how many of them there were. We usually say there were three magi, but we say this because there are three gifts mentioned. Maybe there were dozens of magi bearing these three gifts as a collective gift to the new born king. The details escape us, from one angle this can be quite frustrating.

If the gospel is simply a retelling of historical fact, then this story is not very valuable, since it contains little detail. But, the gospel is not simply a retelling of historical facts. Rather it is the good news of salvation meant to inspire faith and train disciples. So, this passage is meant to inspire and instruct, I believe it is very valuable since it does this well.

First, this is the manifestation of God to the nations. These mysterious travelers are certainly not Jewish, certainly not from the little town of Bethlehem. But to them is revealed this Child, the great King, the Son of God. In other words, Jesus came as the fulfillment of the prophets, to fulfill the promise made to King David. But, these magi remind us that this savior has a universal mission. He came for all of us. These foreigners represent all of us who are not descendants of Israel—If Christ was not revealed to the nations, we would not be here. St. Matt's parish is a great example of the universal mission of Christ, who was revealed to all peoples. We come from various backgrounds and locations, but we are drawn together the by manifestation of Christ. We are drawn here by our common faith that this little baby is truly the Son of God.

As Christians, every time we gather to celebrate the Holy Mass we live out this passage of the Bible. We are called here, not by the light of a star, but by the light of faith. We no longer find Christ as the infant lying in the manger, we find him in his Body and Blood, the Holy Eucharist. Like the magi we arrive from many different backgrounds and locales. Also, we come bearing gifts, not the gold, frankincense, and myrrh; but, we come offering our minds, hearts, and souls in worship. I see the Mass as a living out of this story of the magi, hopefully this helps inspire our faith and our devotion to the Holy Mass, and as I said the Bible is meant to inspire our faith. But, it also instructs us as disciples. What do we learn about discipleship here?

Notice that after they meet Jesus the magi return home, but they go by a different route. When we finish celebrating this Mass we all return home, but do we walk by a different path, does the Mass change our lives? There is a catchy slogan out there you often seen in Churches: come as you are. Which is great, we all come from different places in our lives. But, hopefully we don't leave as we are. Every time we gather here God reveals his beloved Son to us, the Light shining upon us. And when we go forth from this great Epiphany we are to shine this light to all the world. We come as we are, but hopefully we go home by a different route.

Names…

2012-01-01T05:20:00.001-08:00

Mary Mother of God 2012:

What's in a name? All you parents out there know the burden of naming your children. You want to make sure you pick a good name because it will stay with your child for all time. Names were quite important in the ancient world as well. Names and titles were great ways to pass along deep truths. Today we complete the octave of Christmas by venerating Mary, the mother of Jesus, under her title of the Mother of God, Theotokos in Greek. And, in the old calendar this day was celebrated as the holy name of Jesus, since on at his circumcision he received his name. I think both of these names can teach us something important.

Of all the teachings of the Church, Marian doctrines are often misunderstood. It is easy to recognize that Mary is important in the Catholic Church. Whenever you walk into most Catholic churches you will see statues of Mary, pictures of Mary, perhaps the Church is even dedicated to Mary, there are great Marian shrines throughout the world. We teach some pretty amazing things about Mary: she is the ever-virgin Mother of God, conceived without sin, who was assumed into heaven. Non-Catholics are often confused and even scandalized by the attention we pay to this virgin of Nazareth. And it is certainly true that Marian devotion can go to extremes, but this does not mean that we should cast out devotion altogether. This is why I think the title of Mother of God can be quite helpful for us.

The first thing it implies is a relationship: mother. A woman is a mother to a child. The child in this case, of course, is Christ. So if we venerate Mary as the Mother of God, this veneration will always lead us to her child. If we venerate Mary by herself, we go astray: Mary always points to Jesus. And who is Jesus? Mother of God reminds us of our belief in the son of God: this child of Nazareth is no ordinary child, he is God made manifest. Mother of God is a title that teaches us the truth about who Jesus is. Mary is his mother, this could not be if he were not fully human, but she is the Mother of God, which teaches us that Jesus is fully divine. So, if we renew our devotion to Mary under the title of the Mother of God, she will lead us to her divine son, who is fully God and fully human.

Today we hear that the Mother of God took Jesus to the temple where he was circumcised and receives his name. Jesus is united with us in that he went through a human childhood. His name also tells us something important about his unity with humanity. The name Jesus, Yeshua, means "Yahweh Saves." This baby in the manger is on a rescue mission. His very name implies this fact. Every time we invoke the name of Jesus it gives us a powerful reminder that God saves us. This can be quite helpful when we are in trouble. In our times of need there is perhaps nothing better we can do than simply call on the name of Jesus: God saves, God saves, Jesus, Jesus.

I don't think we often stop to ponder the two names we venerate today. But, if we were to do so I think it would strengthen our faith. When we remember that Mary is the Mother of God it reminds us that Jesus took from Mary our human nature. He has a human mother, just as we do. Yet, she is the Mother of God; Jesus is the son of God. In his humanity, we are all united to Christ, but in his divinity he unites us to God. Just by invoking the title Mother of God we are reminded of this great mystery. And, why did Jesus come to make this marvelous unity: Yeshua, God saves. God so desired to save the world that he sent his Son into the world, who took the name "God Saves" so that we might remember God's love for all time.

2011-12-25T15:25:00.001-08:00

Christmas 2011:

Here we are together celebrating the great feast of Christmas. Today we remember the birth of Jesus, the birth of our Savior, the beginning of salvation. It is always good for us to remember just what we say about this little baby, born 2000 years ago in that little town of Bethlehem. What do you see when you see this little baby?

Think about what we say in the creed: he is the only begotten son of God, God from God, Light from light, begotten, not made: consubstantial with the Father. These are amazing mysteries. Jesus, the little baby born in Bethlehem is consubstantial with the Father. When we look on the baby Jesus we see God. This is an amazing mystery. But, why did Jesus come? Why is that baby in the manger?

The creed says: for our sake and for our salvation. So this baby has something to do with us and our salvation. I think we can learn three things about Christ as our savior by looking at Jesus in the manger.

We learn in the book of Genesis that God created Adam and Eve, placing them in the garden so that they could live and have communion with him. Yet, through the Original Sin Adam and Eve are removed from the Garden, there is a separation between heaven and earth, between God and humanity. After Original Sin our relationship with God was ruptured. When we look at the baby Jesus in the manger we see a baby. This baby is like us, he is fully human. When we look at Jesus in the manger we see a reunion between God and humanity. In the person of Christ, God and man are united. No longer is there separation between us and God, in the person of Jesus we are again reunited. In order to save us, in order to reunite heaven and earth, Jesus became one of us. When we look at the baby in the manger we see a baby who is fully human. He is weak and helpless, he is totally dependent on his mother, in other words, he is just like us when we were babies. When the Word becomes flesh he experiences everything it means to be human so that he can heal it, purify it, and raise it to heaven. So the first thing we learn about Christ the savior is that he experienced everything that we experience so that he could be like us in all things. So when we see Jesus in the manger it reminds us that Jesus was conceived in the womb of his mother, he was born, he lived, he died, all for us and with us. In order to heal humanity he had to go to the very beginning: conception and birth. This is what we celebrate today on Christmas.

Now, look where he is. Jesus is born, not in the palace, but in the stable. He is not laid in a pristine bed, but in a lowly manger. Though he was of the house of David, Joseph and Mary were meek and poor, animals and shepherds were his first attendants. But, again, Jesus does this to show his unity with all of us. We all come from various backgrounds and upbringings. But, I would venture to guess that most of us were born in hospitals or at least in clean surroundings. I doubt there is anyone here who was born in a manger. When Jesus is born in that lowly stable, in that little town of Bethlehem he is taking his place as the lowliest of the human family. He is the Word made flesh, the glorious Son of God, but by taking the lowliest position in the human family, he raises all of us to new heights. This is the second thing we learn from the baby in the manger, we fell from grace because of the pride of Original sin, but in the baby in the manger we see the humility of Christ that destroys the pride of Original Sin.

Lastly, think a bit about this manger. We get so used to seeing it that we think nothing of it. In our nativity sets these mangers look just like cribs, but what was the purpose of a manger? A manger was a place where the farmers placed the food for the animals. Now, this seems like a practical place to put the baby since there was probably hay in the manger. But, I cannot help but think there is more to this manger than simply a nice place to lay the baby. Already, when we see Jesus in the manger he is telling us something important: I am the bread of life, whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood will have eternal life. This is the third lesson that Jesus teaches us from the manger: he is the bread of life given to bring us life. Even as a baby, he is prefiguring the precious gift of the Eucharist. Because just as that baby born 2000 years ago was truly the Son of God, so is this Holy Eucharist we celebrate today on the feast of Christmas the true body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ. It is the same Jesus, given to us in different form.

When we see Jesus in the manger we learn many things. We learn that when Jesus takes on our humanity, he goes to the beginning so as to heal the whole of our nature. He takes the lowliest place among us to lift us to the heights of heaven. But, he doesn't stop there, even as a baby he gives himself as our food for eternal life. As we now turn to celebrate this Holy Eucharist, we give thanks and praise to God our Father who sent his Son Jesus into the world to be our savior.

Mary: model for Advent

2011-12-17T10:29:00.001-08:00

4^th Sunday of Advent 2011:

Today as we celebrate the 4^th Sunday of Advent the Church gives us the familiar story of the Annunciation to help us transition from Advent to Christmas. This is one of our most beloved stories, truly the beginning of the Good News of Salvation. It is a beautiful story any time of year, but I think it is a great story to ponder this week as we try to spend one last week in Advent preparing for the celebration of the birth of our Savior.

I think we can learn three things from Mary that can help us make the most out of Advent. First, she was prepared for the angel. Listen carefully to the story again: Hail, Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with you. Mary was greatly trouble, it says, at what was said. Notice here that Mary is not greatly troubled by the appearance of the Angel. I think I would be less troubled by what the angel said, and more troubled by the fact that an angel was talking to me. Not Mary, she acts as though everything were normal. This is what it means to be prepared for the coming of the Lord. During this season of Advent our prayers and readings have been telling us to be prepared for the coming of our Savior, not only at Christmas, but especially when he comes again at the end of time. We do this by prayer and good works, we do this by repentance and by preparing the way for the Lord in our hearts and in our world. If we are constantly looking for Christ, if we are constantly preparing ourselves for his coming, then even an angel of God could come to us and we would not be surprised. But, that is the kind of preparation we are supposed to carry out.

How did Mary carry out this preparation? Hail, Mary, full of Grace. This title, full of Grace, is quite interesting. IF you look at the Greek you notice it is a perfect passive participle: already having been filled with grace, would be another way to translate this passage. The Church has looked to this passage as a way of supporting the teaching of Mary's Immaculate Conception, which means that from the first moments of her existence, Mary was free from sin and full of grace. I believe that this was the reason Mary was not only frightened by the presence of God in the angel, but almost expecting it. Since she was full of grace she was always ready to see the Lord. The same should be true for all of us. Now, Mary received a singular gift of grace that came to her at the first moment of her existence. We receive those gifts over time. This week many of you will have the chance to make a good confession before Christmas, every confession fills us with grace. We will have a chance to receive Holy Communion in a few moments, this will fill us with grace. When we pray to God and serve him in others, these are opportunities to be filled with grace. Like Mary, we need to be prepared for the presence of God in our lives, and this preparation takes place by availing ourselves of the opportunities for God's grace.

So what happened to Mary? She was prepared, full of Grace, and God asked her to bring Christ into the world. God never took away Mary's freedom, instead she gave a free yes to the will of God: let it be done to me according to your word. Again she is a great model for us. If we are prepared to meet the Lord, if his presence is in us through the many opportunities for grace all around us, he will ask us to bring Christ into the world. God had a special mission for Mary, and truly blessed is she among all men and women. But, God has a special mission for each one of us as well. If we follow Mary's example we too can bring Christ into the world. This is certainly not easy, which is why it is so important to ask Mary for her prayers and guidance. Let us echo the words of the angel as we say together: Hail Mary…

Gaudete!

2011-12-11T05:38:00.001-08:00

3^rd Sunday of Advent 2011 Year B:

Rejoice, I say it again, rejoice the Lord is near at hand. This is the entrance antiphon to today's mass. The first word of this antiphon in Latin is Gaudete: rejoice. This is why we call this Sunday Gaudete Sunday. Liturgically we see that the joy of the celebration of Christmas is starting to sneak into the preparatory season of Advent. The first thing you notice is the fact that we have lit the pink candle and I'm wearing pink vestments (yes, they are pink… you can call them Rose all you want…). This is what happens when the white vestments of Christmas are mixed with the purple vestments of Advent. Also, you may have noticed a slight change in the opening prayer from the last couple of weeks: today we hear about the preparation for the feast of the Lord's nativity. Up to this point the focus of Advent has been preparing for the Second Coming of the Lord. Now we begin to prepare to celebrate the feast remembering the First Coming of the Lord at Christmas. Today's Mass shows us the link between these two events: Joy.

For two weeks the Church has been teaching us how we are to prepare ourselves for the Lord's coming. Two weeks ago we heard: grant us the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ with righteous deeds at his coming. Last week we heard: let no earthly concern hinder those who have set out in haste to meet Christ. So the Church is teaching us that to be Christian, to be one of those who await the return of the Messiah, means to be running forth to meet Christ with righteous deeds. This season of Advent is a time of preparation and reflection, a time to ask ourselves if we run forth to meet Christ with righteous deeds, or if we run away from him because of our sinfulness. This season is a time to heed the voice of John the Baptist: prepare the way of the Lord, open our hearts, repent of our sins. Yet, this can be disheartening and difficult. How does repentance take place? Where do we find the energy to run forth to meet Christ?

Here is where joy comes in. If our hearts are filled with the joy that can only come from God, we find the strength, the courage, and the desire to run forth to meet Christ. Sometimes we get the feeling that Christianity is all about morality. And it is certainly the case that the moral life is an important part of Christianity. To be followers of Christ means that we must leave behind our selfish sinfulness and embrace a life of virtue, but without joy we will never be able to do this, because we won't want to go through the hard work of conversion if there is no joy.

However, joy is not easy. It is not bubbly enthusiasm. Joy comes from knowing God's love, experiencing it and giving thanks for it. Joy comes from meeting Jesus, and becoming like him. Joy is at once a sign and requirement for developing the Christian attitude, for becoming like Jesus. St. Paul gives us a great lesson on the Christian attitude today in the second reading: rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances. These three commands of Paul tell us less about what we are to do and more about how we are to be. I would argue that if we could master these three things, the rest of our lives would really fall into line.

Rejoice, always. It is easy to rejoice sometimes: at the birth of a child, at getting a job or a promotion, at doing well in school or sports, when Indiana University beats number 1 Kentucky, etc. But these joys, great as they are, can be fleeting. There can also be many times of sadness in our lives: at the death of a loved one, at the suffering of another. Paul commands us to rejoice always. How do we get there?

Pray constantly. Paul does not mean that we spend our whole lives in the Church. Rather, all of our lives must be prayerful. And we must have a consistent life of personal prayer. Prayer is not so much about what we say, as it is about to whom we say it. Prayer is about establishing a relationship with God. If God is in our lives, we will be filled with joy. Not a passing joy, but a source of strength even in difficult times. If we really reflect upon God's goodness and his presence in our lives it should instantly turn into thanksgiving.

Here at this Mass we are fulfilling St. Paul's command: give thanks in all circumstances. We gather in joy to celebrate this holy Eucharist, to enter into this solemn worship. As we do so it is important for us to reflect upon God's goodness, to recognize his presence in our lives, and to turn to him in thanksgiving. All of which, again, should fill us with joy. Here is the program: pray, reflect on God's goodness (like Christmas), give thanks for these things and we will have joy. This joy will allow us to run forth to meet Christ with righteous deeds when he comes again. Our opening antiphon is so beautiful and it really gives us an insight into how we live a Christian life: Rejoice in the Lord always, I say it again: rejoice for the Lord is near at hand.

2011-12-03T09:36:00.001-08:00

Second Sunday of Advent 2011 Year B:

Just like last week, our opening prayer is quite beautiful, and it captures something essential to the season of Advent: may no earthly undertaking hinder those who set out in hast to meet your Son, but may our learning of heavenly wisdom gain us admittance to his company. Beautiful to be sure, and it reminds us of two important facts about Advent: first, it is easy to get distracted, second the learning of heavenly wisdom is the key to overcoming distractions and entering into Christ's presence.

It is no secret that this is a busy time of year. We are hustling from one place to the next. There are Christmas parties, Christmas programs, athletic events, social events, end of semester exams, papers, all thrown on top of our normally busy schedule. During the midst of all this craziness, we are supposed to be celebrating Advent. Advent is the season where we are preparing ourselves to celebrate the feast of Christmas, but also it is the season where we reflect on the fact that Jesus will return again, asking ourselves if we are prepared to welcome Christ when he comes again. It seems like incredibly poor timing: how are we supposed to have a reflective peaceful season where we evaluate our preparedness to welcome Christ during the busiest month of the year? Wouldn't it be better to have Advent in January when nothing is going on?

But, there is a key point to be learned here. I have often quoted Bishop Sheen who once famously said that everyone in the world needs 30 minutes of prayer every day, unless you are busy. Then you need an hour! It seems counterintuitive, but the busier we are, the crazier our lives become the more we need to focus on our relationship with Christ. Because the truth of the matter is that we are always busy, our lives are always crazy, there is no such thing as some ideal time for a spiritual relationship with Christ. Rather, we must learn to encounter Christ in the midst of our everyday live. This is why Advent is such a great time of year, because it should teach us to seek Christ even when life is crazy, again our opening prayer is so timely: may no earthly undertaking hinder those who set out in haste to meet Christ.

Second, important in all of this is the learning of heavenly wisdom. Our readings today provide us with some great examples of the kind of wisdom we really need. The first reading is a great reading, if you are like me you cannot help but hear the refrains from Handel's Messiah during the reading of this scripture: comfort ye, my people… It is a wonderful reminder that God does not forget his people. Yet, if we know some of the background it becomes even more amazing. This prophecy was given to the people during the Babylonian Captivity, during the Exile, the darkest hour in the history of the people of Israel, what is God's response? Comfort!!! This is the kind of wisdom we need during advent: no matter how crazy your life is, no matter your difficulties and shortcomings: God does not forget us, he sends us his comfort his peace.

How do we allow the peace to enter into our lives? John the Baptist tells us: prepare the way for the Lord. Again, this is heavenly wisdom! We must open our hearts, open our minds, we must prepare a way for the comfort and peace of Christ to come into our lives by turning away from sin, by repenting and believing in the good news. The more we can be open to the wisdom that Christ gives us in the scriptures, through the teaching of the Church, through our participation in the Liturgy, the more we will prepare a way for the Lord, the more we will learn heavenly wisdom, which will allow us to set out in haste to meet Christ when he comes again.

Run forth to meet the Lord (in new translation!)

2011-11-26T15:53:00.001-08:00

1^st Sunday of Advent 2011 Year B:

Here we are in Advent, the word, in Latin, means coming or arrival. The arrival for which we are preparing, of course is the Baby Jesus at Christmas time. However, we live in very interesting times. In terms of history we live in that interval between the first coming of Jesus and the second coming of Jesus. For several weeks now we have been hearing readings about the end of the world, our Gospel today picks up on that same theme: Watch! Be Alert! Truly the day is coming. And while we normally associate Advent with the season where we prepare to celebrate the feast of Christmas, the prayers from our Mass today remind us that these first few weeks of Advent get us ready to welcome Christ when he comes at the end of time.

I know that today's Mass is a bit difficult for all of us. I heard a few "And also with you's" during the Mass. These are new words and they will take us some time to get used to them. But, because these words are so new the make us go a bit slower and perhaps think a bit more about what we are saying. This can be a very good thing.

As I was getting ready for Mass this week I wanted to practice the prayers a few times to be sure I wouldn't stumble when I read them. I was amazed at how beautiful the opening prayer from today's Mass really is. But, not only is it beautiful it teaches us something very important about Jesus and his second coming:

Grant your faithful, we pray,

almighty God,

the resolve to run forth to meet

your Christ

with righteous deeds at his coming,

so that, gathered at his right hand,

they may be worthy to possess the

heavenly kingdom.

Here is the old prayer:

All-powerful God,

increase our strength of will for

doing good

that Christ may find an eager

welcome at his coming

and call us to his side in the kingdom

of heaven.

There is a big difference between these two prayers. In the older prayer it makes it sound like we are sitting back waiting for Christ to come so we can give him an eager welcome, which, of course we should do. However, in the new translation it tells us exactly what this eager welcome looks like: the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ with righteous deeds. There is an amazing difference in these two prayers: in the older prayer there is no activity, in the new prayer we are running forth to meet Christ.

I think this is exactly what Advent is all about! It reminds us that we are expecting Christ's return. Every year, therefore, we get a bit of a reminder that we cannot simply be sitting on our laurels waiting for Jesus to come back. Rather, we run forth to meet him with righteous deeds. Can each of us say we are really running forth with righteous deeds to meet Christ? If not, this is a great time of year to take a look at our lives, our actions, our thoughts, to purify them, weed out sin, and replace sin with righteous deeds. And the stakes are high: the prayer says that only those who meet Christ this way may be worthy to possess the heavenly kingdom. What of those who are not only not running forth to meet Christ, but those who are sitting in the stagnancy of their sins? Watch, be alert! To them this sounds like a threat, but to those who are running to meet Christ this sounds like a promise: I will be with you soon.

Now all of this sounds great, but it might be a bit discouraging. It's hard to live lives of holiness, to run forth to meet Christ with righteous deeds. Listen again to the second reading: He will keep you firm to the end! It is Christ who does the good within us, Christ who gives us strength. It is Christ who tells us to watch, but it is also Christ who opens our eyes. The opening prayer begins: grant your faithful we pray! In other words, it is all a gift of Grace. We run forth to meet Christ through the power of Christ. As I mentioned at the beginning we live in an interesting period of time. We live between the two comings of Jesus. We await the second coming with hope because of the first coming. We run forth to meet Christ with righteous deeds only through the power of that first coming, the power that Christ brought into the world. So with hearts desiring God's grace and power so as to change our lives so we can be ready to meet Christ when he comes again we pray this opening prayer again!

Grant your faithful, we pray,

almighty God,

the resolve to run forth to meet

your Christ

with righteous deeds at his coming,

so that, gathered at his right hand,

they may be worthy to possess the

heavenly kingdom.

2011-11-19T12:58:00.001-08:00

Solemnity of Christ the King 2011 year A:

Brief introduction: Pius XI instituted this feast of Christ the King in 1925. He started this feast as a way to address the problem of secularism in the world, a problem which has only gotten worse since 1925. Today we proclaim that Christ is truly king. This is not simply a matter of private belief, rather Christ is king of all nations and all times, all peoples, believers and unbelievers alike. What do we do to extend the reign of Christ? Do we bring Christ into the social sphere? If we accept Christ as our Lord and King, it must have an impact on the way we live our lives. So how do we accept Christ as King? Our Gospel passage helps us.

Here is Christ seated on his throne in his glory to bring his judgment upon the earth. If you can hear this passage without getting the slightest bit worried, great! Let me know after Mass because I want to start following you around and becoming like you! If you are like me you hear this passage and think of the many times I may have walked past someone in need. The many times I have omitted the good I knew I should have done. And, even more scary, the passage makes it seem as though the accursed are in trouble for things that they were not even aware they were not doing. How terrifying! We might be messing up, neglecting Christ and we don't even know it. Perhaps it is just proof that I must be a sort of glass half empty kind of person, but when I read this passage I get scared.

However, I want to call your attention to a unique structure of this reading. We notice that the sheep are called blessed, while the goats are called accursed. When I was reading this passage I knew that that sounded familiar. Where had I heard of blessing and cursing? So I went through my Bible and found this interesting passage from Deuteronomy 27 where God outlines a bunch of blessings and curses for those who follow the covenant. So what we have here in this judgment scene is an explanation of the covenant: all those who enter into the covenant of Christ will be blessed, those who do not will be cursed. Because it is a covenant, we must always remember that it is God who initiates the covenant. Everything we do is a response to his love. One thing this passage never mentions is why we should love Christ in others: because Christ has first loved us.

So this scene is a scene of covenant, and covenant is a free response to the love of Christ. However, look at how amazing this covenant is, it is open to everyone. We remember that in the Old Testament God makes a covenant with his people Israel, but in Christ this covenant is a covenant with the whole human race, there is no person who is excluded. Every single person on earth has a chance to enter into this covenant, even if they do not know Christ, or have never heard of him: When did we minister to your needs? They didn't know they were following the covenant of Christ, but all those who love their neighbor are living in response to the covenant.

Christ is the King, but he does not come as the tyrant. Christ will judge, but he is not looking to condemn. Christ is the king, but he comes as a shepherd to lay his life down for his sheep. If we contemplate Christ as King and his great love for us, the only response is love. This passage of judgment might frighten us, but I think if we take Christ as our King, if we reflect on the love with which he loves us, rather than frighten us, this passage will inspire us to be found among the sheep where we will hear: come blessed of my Father. This message is a beautiful one, one that we should share with the whole world. Christ is the king of the whole world, not just the king of Christians. If we accept Christ, we should want to share him with the world.

Scripture and Liturgy Talk:

2011-11-05T05:45:00.001-07:00

Today I'm off to Warsaw to give a talk at the diocesan Catechetical Institute Day. I was asked to give a talk on Scripture and Liturgy. I have decided to make the case that Liturgy is Scriptural, and Scripture is Liturgical. I thought I would post it here as well.

Scripture and Liturgy:

First of all, why give a talk on Scripture and Liturgy? It seems as though both of these things are quite important in our spiritual life. So that might be a good first reason. But, why not give a talk on either Scripture or Liturgy? Why Scripture and Liturgy? I want to argue that Scripture and Liturgy grow from the same source and have the same goal. The source is God's will to reveal himself to us, the goal is the praise of God.

Let's get at some definitions. Liturgy: CCC 1068

It is this mystery of Christ that the Church proclaims and celebrates in her liturgy so that the faithful may live from it and bear witness to it in the world: (SC 2)

For it is in the liturgy, especially in the divine sacrifice of the Eucharist, that "the work of our redemption is accomplished," and it is through the liturgy especially that the faithful are enabled to express in their lives and manifest to others the mystery of Christ and the real nature of the true Church.

This is a good beginning for us when discussing the liturgy. It is proclaiming and celebrating the mystery of Christ. Notice how that is purposefully vague: what does it mean to celebrate and proclaim Christ? Who is Christ? He is the Son of God sent from the Father to bring reconciliation to mankind, which he does by his perfect act of worship on the Cross. If I had to boil it down to one sentence that is what you get: Christ comes from God to bring reconciliation, which he does by worship on the Cross. Therefore, if the liturgy celebrates and proclaims this mystery it should do this as well. It comes from God to bring reconciliation, which it does by the representation of the sacrifice of the cross, which is a perfect act of worship.

As you all know we are preparing to use a new translation of the Roman Missal. It is important to remember that this is not a new Mass, not a new liturgy. It is a new translation of the same Mass, the same liturgy. But, one of the great side effects of having this new translation is that we are, hopefully, getting a new appreciation for the Mass. Now that we will have to go a bit slower and more carefully respond and pray in the mass, we might want to stop and reflect on the nature of the Mass. Do we see it as reconciliation from God by the work of the cross? I often hear complaints: I just don't get anything out of the mass. This is a huge problem, because first and foremost liturgy is an act of God. In other words, it's not about us. The more we remember that the liturgy is an entering into the work of Christ, the more we will get out of it; but, if we think of the liturgy as something meant primarily for us as individuals it will never match up to football games or Broadway shows as a means of entertainment. If we are there to be entertained, we will be bored. If we come there to worship and enter into the very mystery of Christ, we will be enriched.

Here is a definition of liturgy that I had to memorize in seminary: The liturgy is a complexus of sensible signs by means of which, God, in Christ and through Christ, in the Church and through the Church, sanctifies man; and Man, in the Church and through the Church, in Christ and through Christ, renders worship to God. Here are the two movements of the liturgy I have been speaking about: first God moves toward us, in Christ and through Christ, in the Church and through the Church to sanctify humanity, and humanity, in Christ and through Christ, in the Church and through the Church, renders worship to God. Do you see how it is a celebration and proclamation of the very mystery of Christ: Christ comes from the Father to bring reconciliation by his very presence among us (sanctification), this reconciliation is made complete when he offers himself on the cross as the spotless victim (worship). This is what we do at Mass; rather, this is what God does at Mass and we are privileged enough to enter into this saving mystery.

Scripture:

Word of God: St. John's gospel tells us that in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the Word was God. He existed before all things, but in our days he became incarnate of the Virgin and was born. We have always called Jesus Christ the word of God, the second person of the Trinity. Calling Jesus the Word of God means that he is the thought of God, the mind of God, the substance of the divine mind. These terms are analogies because God is a mystery. Exactly how the three persons of God exist in their unity is a mysterious notion. However, we are very sure when we say that Jesus is the Word of God. But we also call the Bible the Word of God. One way to think of the Bible is that it is Jesus, written down. Not just Jesus' words written down, but more like his very person. Remember that the Word of God is exactly that, it is God's word. This means that our human minds cannot really comprehend God's own word. This is why Jesus came to us as a human being, so that we could understand him. Likewise, the Bible comes to us in human language so that we can comprehend it. So we can say that the Bible is the Word of God written down in human language.

Revelation: Jesus came to show us the way to the Father. The Word of God, for us, is a word that tells us about the Father. In other words, the Word is revelation. Through the Word, God makes himself known to us. WE can see this in the Old Testament, through Moses and the Prophets God revealed himself. In our own days, this Word of God became man and dwelt among us. Instead of working through mediators, God became one of us and directly revealed himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ. In his very person, Jesus reveals God to us. In his coming as a meek and humble baby, Jesus reveals God's humility. In his sage wisdom and advice, Jesus reveals God's wisdom. In his death on the cross, Jesus reveals God's love. In his resurrection, Jesus reveals God's mercy. So, Jesus, without even saying anything, reveals to us much about God. So we have to remember that revelation is not simply words on a paper; rather, revelation is God revealing God to us. Sometimes he uses words, like the Law or the sayings of Jesus, sometimes he just uses actions: both those of the OT and the NT. It is important to remember this as we transition into talking about the Bible.

One good definition for the Bible is that it is God's revelation written down for us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore the Bible helps us to know who God is. The whole of the Bible gives us an insight into who God is and what his relationship is with us.

Revelation is God revealing himself to us. The Word of God is Jesus Christ, who reveals the Father to us. The Bible is revelation, it is the Word of God, written down in human language. Therefore, the Bible is not just any other book; rather, it is holy, it is God's Word, it is the revelation of God's love for us written down by the power of the Holy Spirit and put into human language. So, the first thing we need to do when we approach the Bible is to treat it with the respect and dignity it deserves. It truly is a holy book.

Now, you are probably already seeing the similarities between the liturgy and the Bible. These two are united because of Christ. The liturgy is the celebration and proclamation of the mystery of Christ. The Scripture is the Word of God written down under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The Word of God reveals God, the Word reveals that God, in Christ, is reconciling us to himself through the power of the cross. Both Scripture and Liturgy get to the heart of the very mystery of Christ, no wonder then that they have so much in common. But, I want to explore not only what they have in common, but their interrelation. My thesis going forward is that Liturgy is Scriptural, and Scripture is liturgical. We will want to keep our definitions in mind as we go forward.

First, liturgy is scriptural. One thing you might notice as we prepare for the new translation of the Roman Missal is that some of the scriptural allusions will become a bit clearer. But, this is not to say that the old translation didn't have scriptural allusions. Let's look at a few places where the Liturgy is quite scriptural.

The opening dialogue is quite scriptural. We start in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. This comes right from Matthew's gospel: Matthew 28:19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. We begin our Christian lives with the sign of the cross at the savior's command, now we start Mass with the same sign, which comes to us from the Bible. Romans 1:7 to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We respond, and with your spirit. 2 Timothy 4:22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with all of you. We see already that the liturgy receives its voice from the Word of God.

Also, we relive much of what takes place in the Bible, even if we don't quote it directly. For example, one thing I have come to value as a priest are the quite prayers I say during Mass. These prayers are designed to help me remember to pray and to participate in these sacred mysteries. But, they also remind me of my unworthiness and my need for God's presence in my life. If, however, a Deacon is not present, the Priest, bowing before the altar, says quietly:

Cleanse my heart and my lips, almighty God, that I may worthily proclaim your holy Gospel.

"Then I said, "Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" Then one of the seraphim flew to me, holding an ember which he had taken with tongs from the altar. He touched my mouth with it. "See," he said, "now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, your sin purged" (Is 6:5-7)

I am about to proclaim the Good News, about to stand in the long chain of prophets stretching back to the Old Testament, I am formed by the Word of God as I remember that my lips need to be cleansed like those of Isaiah. Quite beautiful.

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts. 29

Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest. Isa 6.3 and Matt 21.9

Of course, the Words of institution are Biblical. They might not be direct quotes from a certain gospel, but they are formed and informed by the Tradition that is kept in the gospel accounts. So you see the words of the liturgy are informed by the Word of God. Hence the introduction to the Lord's prayer: At the Savior's command and formed by divine teaching we dare to say: Our Father. Formed by divine teaching, the Liturgy is formed by the Scriptures.

However, this is not the only role that scripture plays in the liturgy, of course. There is the liturgy of the word. Sacrosanctum Concilium has some important things to say about Scripture and its role in the liturgy.

7. To accomplish so great a work, Christ is always present in His Church, especially in her liturgical celebrations. He is present in the sacrifice of the Mass, not only in the person of His minister, "the same now offering, through the ministry of priests, who formerly offered himself on the cross" [20], but especially under the Eucharistic species. By His power He is present in the sacraments, so that when a man baptizes it is really Christ Himself who baptizes [21]. He is present in His word, since it is He Himself who speaks when the holy scriptures are read in the Church. He is present, lastly, when the Church prays and sings, for He promised: "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:20) .

24. Sacred scripture is of the greatest importance in the celebration of the liturgy. For it is from scripture that lessons are read and explained in the homily, and psalms are sung; the prayers, collects, and liturgical songs are scriptural in their inspiration and their force, and it is from the scriptures that actions and signs derive their meaning. Thus to achieve the restoration, progress, and adaptation of the sacred liturgy, it is essential to promote that warm and living love for scripture to which the venerable tradition of both eastern and western rites gives testimony.

51. The treasures of the bible are to be opened up more lavishly, so that richer fare may be provided for the faithful at the table of God's word. In this way a more representative portion of the Holy Scriptures will be read to the people in the course of a prescribed number of years.

So the Scriptures are a part of the Liturgy. When they are read in the Liturgy it is Christ who speaks to us through them. Now remember that we have seen that the liturgy has a two-fold purpose: sanctification of man and the worship of God. It is easy to see how the Scripture sanctifies man, we hear the proclamation of the good news, we are encouraged to right conduct, we are inspired and consoled in difficult times, etc. How is the Scripture liturgical?

Well it would take more time than I have to go through everything I have thought on this matter, but I would like to boil it down.

First, it is interesting to me to think about where the Bible comes from. Do you know how we got the Bible we have? It is called the development of the Canon. It goes through quite a process, different Bishops and Church Fathers accepted certain books, but not other books. Ultimately, it was the faith of the Church that determined if these books were to be accepted. We usually think about the faith as coming from the Bible, but this idea comes from the Protestant reformation. Luther's notion of Sola Scriptura is not scriptural. Nowhere in the Bible does the Bible say that it is the rule of faith. Rather, it was the rule of faith that preceded the Bible, judged the Bible, and accepted the Bible that we have. And one key dimension to this process of judgment was the liturgy. One of the criteria for admission into the canon was use in the sacred Liturgy. So even from the earliest days of the Church the Scriptures were a part of the Liturgy. In fact, you could say that the Bible was born in the Liturgy.

Justin Martyr was killed in about 165 AD. He wrote about early liturgy:

On the day we call the day of the sun, all who dwell in the city or country gather in the same place.

The memoirs of the apostles and the writings of the prophets are read, as much as time permits.

When the reader has finished, he who presides over those gathered admonishes and challenges them to imitate these beautiful things.

Then we all rise together and offer prayers* for ourselves . . .and for all others, wherever they may be, so that we may be found righteous by our life and actions, and faithful to the commandments, so as to obtain eternal salvation.

When the prayers are concluded we exchange the kiss.

Then someone brings bread and a cup of water and wine mixed together to him who presides over the brethren.

He takes them and offers praise and glory to the Father of the universe, through the name of the Son and of the Holy

Spirit and for a considerable time he gives thanks (in Greek: eucharistian) that we have been judged worthy of these gifts.

When he has concluded the prayers and thanksgivings, all present give voice to an acclamation by saying: 'Amen.'

When he who presides has given thanks and the people have responded, those whom we call deacons give to those present the "eucharisted" bread, wine and water and take them to those who are absent.

There was no Bible like we have it today, but they were reading prophets and memoirs of the apostles. I think one could make the case that the production of the Gospels may have been owed to the fact that the Church needed the stories about Jesus for the celebration of liturgy. If the liturgy is the celebration and proclamation of the mystery of Christ, and if the mystery of Christ is the reconciliation that comes from God, completed in worship, then the Bible must be about the reconciliation that comes from God that is completed in worship. I think we often think of the Bible as being about the mystery of Christ: it tells us about Jesus and the good news, but do we see it as an act of worship. I think that very often we do not think the Bible itself as worship, which is to our detriment. The Bible is not simply a book about God, it is a book by God. It is the mystery of Christ, which always leads to worship. Let's take a quick look at the letter to the Romans to see what I mean.

Now you might think it is interesting that I will use Romans as an example. Many people think of this as Paul's great act of theology. But, I want to show that while Paul is writing about Christ, the letter is liturgical at heart. In other words, it proclaims the mystery of Christ, but it finds its fulfillment in liturgical expression of worship. In Romans 1, 6, 8, and 12, Paul relies upon experiential language. The process he outlined in those chapters is one of conversion, and one that closely follows not only Paul's personal life, but the very life of Christ. If the letter to the Romans is Paul's gospel in written form, then his gospel is not a series of intellectual arguments, but it is a life lived in response to an experience of Jesus Christ. Not only is the encounter with Jesus experiential, but the results are experiential as well if we consider that the consequence of meeting Jesus is to live like he did: Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ (1 Cor. 11:1). Romans contains theological language, but this language is a vehicle for Paul to communicate his experience of Jesus.

I would like to share with you the insight of Beverly Roberts Gaventa. This scripture scholar has an interesting take on the letter to the Romans. Often considered a theological treatise, Romans certainly qualifies for the first movement of scripture, the edifying or sanctifying side of things. But, is Romans liturgical, does it move us to prayer? She contends "that Romans is not to be characterized solely by the movement 'beyond' prayer or celebration [i.e. religious experience], but that the letter also reflects the move from theology to experience, particularly by the movement from critical reflection to doxology."

In Romans 1, Paul writes that the "wrath of God is revealed against godlessness and unrighteousness (Rom 1:18)." The cause for the outpouring of this wrath is instructive: "although they knew God, they did not glorify (evdo,xasan) him as God or give him thanks (Rom 1:21)." Gaventa points out that this wrath of God is one of the reasons Paul wished to write to the Romans, for he wanted to be sure that they gave right worship, glory, to God. To think of Romans as purely theological would miss this important point.

Gaventa then explores the Christ-event in Romans as a way of overcoming that wrath. She writes, "when the letter turns to the consequences of the Christ event, it also turns to expressions of praise and thanksgiving." Gaventa shows that Paul's thanksgiving in 6:17-18 summarizes all he said in 5:12-6:23: "Thanks be to God that you, who were slaves of Sin, have now become genuinely obedient to the type of teaching to which you were handed over, having been freed from Sin, you have become slaves of righteousness." While this is a statement of thanksgiving, which would fall under the heading of worship, i.e. religious experience, it captures the theological mystery of the new life of righteousness found in Christ that frees us from slavery to sin.

Paul hoped, as shown by Gaventa, that his explanation of his experience would itself lead to the praise and worship of God. Paul did not hope to write an air-tight defense of Christianity. Rather, he hoped that through his life and ministry others might walk in the newness of life that he experienced through his encounter with the Risen Christ. The pinnacle of this walking was found in Romans 12:21: "Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good." The peak of religious experience is a love of God so powerful that it becomes love. Another word for this is Liturgy. So, I hope I have made the case that Liturgy is Scriptural, and Scripture is Liturgical.

Time permitting the following passages from Romans could be explored to prove that scripture and liturgy seem to have the same goal, sanctification and worship:

For I am not ashamed of the Gospel,

for the Gospel is the power (du,namij) of God to the salvation of all who believe,

to the Jew first and then the Greek.

For the righteousness (dikaiosu,nh) of God is revealed in it from faith to faith,

just as it was written: "The righteous one will live through faith."

¹Therefore there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:

³do you not know that

all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

⁴ Therefore, we were buried with him through baptism into death,

so that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father,

just so also we might walk in newness of life.

⁵ For if we have become united with a likeness of his death,

Then so shall we be (by likeness) of his resurrection.

⁶ We know this, that our old human self (a;nqrwpoj) was co-crucified

in order that the body of sin might be made powerless

and we might no longer be a slave to sin.

a: ⁷ For the one who dies is made free (dedikai,wtai) from sin

b: 8: but if we died with Christ,

b': we believe that we will also live with him

a': ⁹ Since we know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more,

death has no longer rules over him ¹⁰ for he died, he died once to sin.

But he lives, he lives for God

¹¹ So you too must consider yourselves dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.

¹² So, sin must not, then, rule (basileue,tw) in your mortal body, so as to obey its desires.

¹³ Do not give over your members as weapons of wickedness,

but give yourselves over to God as if coming to life out of death

and your members as weapons of the righteousness of God.

¹⁴ for sin will not rule over you,

for you are not under the law, but under grace.

Romans 8

b: ²For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus

has freed you from the law of sin and of death.

³For that which the law was unable to do in its weakened state because of the flesh,

God sent his own son the likeness of sinful flesh (to do),

and, on account of sin, condemned sin in the flesh

⁴in order that the righteous decree of the law might be fulfilled in us

who do not walk around according to the flesh

but according to the Spirit.

c: ⁵For those who are according to the flesh think of things of the flesh,

but those of the Spirit, (think of) the spiritual things.

⁶For the way of thinking of the flesh is death,

but the way of thinking of the Spirit is life and peace.

⁷ The aim of the flesh is hostile to God,

for it does not submit to the law of God, for it is unable.

⁸And those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

d: ⁹But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit,

if in fact the Spirit of God lives in you.

But if someone does not have the spirit of Christ, this one is not of him.

¹⁰But if Christ is in you,

the body (is) dead because of sin,

but the spirit (is) life because of righteousness.

¹¹If the Spirit of the one who raised Christ from the dead lives in you,

the one who raised Christ from the dead will make living also your mortal bodies

through the same spirit dwelling in you

e: ¹²So then brothers we are debtors not to the flesh to live according to the flesh.

¹³For if you live according to the flesh you are about to die.

But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

¹⁴For as many as are led by the spirit are sons of God.

¹⁵For you did not receive a spirit of slavery (which would send you back) back into fear,

but you received a spirit of adoption in which we cry out: "Abba Father."

¹⁶The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

¹⁷But if children, also heirs, heirs of God, and fellowheirs with Christ,

if in fact we suffer with him so that we might also be glorified.

¹I beg you, then, brothers

through the mercies of God,

to hand over (parasth/sai) your bodies as a living, holy, and acceptable sacrifice to God which is a form of worship.

²And do not conform yourselves to this age,

but be
transformed (metamorfou/sqe) by the renewal of your mind (noo.j)

so that you discover what is the will of God, the good, and pleasing, and perfect.

B: ³For, I say to every one of you

by the grace given to me

not to think of himself higher than he ought to think,

but think soundly,

as God has assigned a measure of faith to each.

⁴For just as in one body

we have many parts,

but all the parts do not have the same function

⁵In this way,

many though we are we are one body in Christ,

but individual parts of each other,

⁶And having charismata according to the excellent grace given to us,

if prophecy, according to the right proportion of faith,

⁷If service, in serving,

if teaching, in teaching

⁸If urging, in urging,

if giving, in sincerity;

if ruling, with zeal;

if mercy, in cheerfulness

C: ⁹ Love is genuine.

Hating the evil,

joining together in the good

¹⁰ Loving one another in brotherly love,

outdoing one another in respect

¹¹Not being lazy in zeal,

burning with the spirit,

being slaves of the Lord,

¹²Rejoicing in hope,

enduring in tribulation,

adhering to prayer

¹³Sharing in the needs of the holy ones,

Pursue (persecute) hospitality

D: ¹⁴Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse.

¹⁵Rejoice with the one who rejoices.

Weep with the one who weeps.

¹⁶Think the same thing about one another,

not focusing on the exalted, but accommodating yourselves to the lowly (thinking).

Do not make yourselves out to be wise people (fro,nimoi).

¹⁷Paying not an evil for an evil,

having regard for the beautiful before (in the sight of) all men.

¹⁸if possible, to the extent that it is up to you, living peacefully with all people,

¹⁹Not taking vengeance for yourself, beloved,

but leave room [lit. give a place] for (the) wrath (of God),

for it is written "vengeance is mine, I will repay," says the Lord

²⁰But if your enemy is hungry, feed him,

if thirsty, give drink to him,

for doing this you will heap up burning coals upon his head

²¹Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with the good.

Do you want to be a saint?

2011-11-01T05:53:00.001-07:00

All Saints Day:

Today we celebrate the feast of All Saints. Today we remember all those who have been found victorious, those who have been washed clean in the blood of the lamb. Today we honor God our Father who is glorified through his work in the Saints. Today we remember all those whose lives of virtue and holiness have won for them the rewards of eternal life. We are inspired by their example, and aided by their prayers. All you holy men and women pray for us.

While we celebrate the feast of all the saints, we are reminded that sainthood is not the vocation of a select few. Rather, we are all called to be holy, we are all called to be saints. In fact, there are only two options: either to be a saint, or not to be a saint. To be a saint means to be with God in this life and in the life to come, not to be a saint means to be distant from God in this life and in the life to come. That's it, there are no other options. There is no middle ground, either you are a saint or you are not. To be a saint means an eternity of happiness being with the God who loves us, not to be a saint means an eternity doomed to our own selfishness, pride, and sinfulness. If given the choice, who would choose the latter? But, every day we are given the choice, and when we sin we are choosing not to be a saint. To seek virtue and holiness means to seek sainthood, something we should be seeking every day.

But, when we think about the saints, it can be somewhat depressing. We see these great models of holiness: Mother Teresa picking up the destitute in Calcutta, John Paul II and his courageous witness to the dignity of the human person, St. Francis and his love of poverty and the poor, St. Therese of Liseaux, who loved others even in the small things. The list goes on and on. When I think of these great saints, I get a little down: how am I supposed to be a saint? I am a sinner, I struggle and I fall, even if I true to do those things that the saints did, I find that I cannot do it. But, that's ok!

Saints do not become saints because of their own effort. No one can become a saint on their own. Rather, we become saints not because of something we do, but because of something that God does. It is the power of the cross made present in our world that makes saints. All of the saints you can think of, they lived their great lives, not because of their own power, but because of the power of Christ. The Holy Spirit is the one who makes saints. Rather than depress us, this should give us great hope, because the same Holy Spirit that made John Paul II great, is present to you. The same Holy Spirit that helped St Francis will come to your aid. The power to become saints does not come from us, but it is available to us.

What, then, is the difference between a sinner who becomes a saint and a sinner that remains isolated from God? This is a question I want each of you to ponder. Because all of us are sinners, but we should all want to be saints. In my opinion, the difference between a sinner who becomes a saint and a sinner who remains isolated is openness. Are you open to God? Do you allow God into your life? Do you allow God to direct you in your daily actions? Do you listen to the voice of God, do you trust him, love him, want to be with him? Do I come to him here in this Eucharist to receive the strength I need in my life? Or is God on the backburner, do you try to keep God out? If we let God in, he will do amazing things, we will become saints! If we keep him out, it will be the biggest tragedy we can imagine. So I leave you with a question: do you want to be a saint?

Command to Love

2011-10-22T12:02:00.001-07:00

30^th Sunday OT Year A 2011

In today's gospel, people are trying to trick Jesus again. You may have noticed that this has been a recurring theme these last couple of weeks. But, in the midst of these treacherous discussions we receive some of the most profound teaching on what it means to be Christian. Today is no exception: what is the greatest commandment: love!

As we reflect on love, it makes me ponder a few things. First of all, how can God really command us to love? In other words, is love the kind of thing that can be commanded? Secondly, why is love the greatest commandment? Finally, how can we put this commandment into practice?

It seems to me that the words "love" and "commandment" are incompatible. I would say that love, by definition, is a free act of the will whereby we give of ourselves to another. This seems to be what Jesus is talking about when he says we are to love God with our whole heart, mind, and soul. Nothing is to be held back, but we are to give ourselves completely to God. But, I would also argue, that if we are commanded to love, it removes something essential to what it means to be human: our free will. Normally when we think about commandments they are designed to override the free will of another. Parents out there, you have to command your children to do all kinds of icky things that they wouldn't want to do on their own: clean your room, eat your peas, be nice to your sister, etc. Is the command to love, then, the same kind of thing?

Jesus did not come up with this great command on his own. In fact, this command comes from the Old Testament. In the book of Deuteronomy we hear the great Shema prayer of Israel: Hear, O Israel, the Lord is God, the Lord alone. Therefore, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul. The command to love never sits in a vacuum. It is always intimately tied to what comes before it: The Lord is God, the Lord alone. In other words, the Lord first loves us, he is our God, he has chosen us to be his own: therefore, we must love him. God does not command love in an arbitrary way, nor does the command to love God take away our free will. Rather, the command to love is nothing more than God telling us precisely how we are to enter into a relationship with him. God has first loved us, if we are going to enter into this relationship, we love him back with our whole heart, mind, soul, everything. Rather than being a denial of our free will, loving God is the completion of our free will.

Why is this the greatest commandment? Jesus is telling us today that the whole law, all the commandments and precepts of the Bible and of the Church are aimed at one thing: love. Here is a quote from St. Augustine that says it so well: "Once for all, then, a short precept is given you: Love, and do what you will: whether you hold your peace, through love hold your peace; whether you cry out, through love cry out; whether you correct, through love correct; whether you spare, through love do you spare: let the root of love be within, of this root can nothing spring but what is good." If we love God above all things, love our neighbor as ourselves, we will be living lives of virtue and holiness. If we really loved God above all things, our neighbor as ourselves we would not need laws like: you shall not kill, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal. All these laws lead to love, but they are not the same as love. But, if we love, these laws will have no meaning for us. This is why the Catechism calls love the fulfillment of the law.

But, this is easy to say, hard to do. How do we put this into action? St. Paul uses a great word today: imitate. He applauds the Thessalonians for being his imitators. For Paul, being a Christian meant imitating him, because he imitated Christ. Our life of discipleship is a life of trying to imitate Jesus. There is no greater love than to lay your life down for another. Right here on this cross we see what love looks like. In Jesus we see the greatest command being carried out: his self-gift of love brought about the new life of the Resurrection. By looking up the cross of Christ we see how to follow this great command: we love God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves when we lay down our lives in service of others.

Give to God what belongs to God: Thank you John Paul II

2011-10-15T05:59:00.001-07:00

29th Sunday of Ordinary Time, year A

Today in the gospel Jesus refuses to get caught up in a political squabble. The Pharisees are trying to trick him into getting involved in the controversy between Church and state, between the temple and the Roman authorities. But, as he often is able to do, Jesus cuts right through to the heart of the issue, Issues still important for us today.

First of all, we all rely upon secular authority. Just as in the time of Jesus, we have a dependency upon the world around us. We use American currency, drive on public roads, depend upon secular police and armies for security, many of you are employed by the State. Therefore, we have a responsibility to participate in the world around us: we have to pay taxes and obey the laws. Even more, as members of this society we have a responsibility to reshape it, to guide and form the world around us. This is why we must vote responsibly and demand accountability from our civic leaders. We render to Caesar what is Caesar's when we act as responsible citizens, never ashamed of our faith, but rather bringing our faith into the public square.

But, I think Jesus is making another, more subtle point. How do we know that the coin in the gospel belongs to Caesar? It is engraved with Caesar's image. Render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar is pretty straight forward, but then Jesus includes the next line: render to God what belongs to God. What is it then that belongs to God? If we know that the coin belongs to Caesar because it is made in his image, what is it that belongs to God, what is made in his image? The answer, of course, is all of us.

We read in the book of Genesis that God made us in his image and likeness. This is an important belief. Our belief in the dignity and goodness of every human person is based upon the central teaching: we are made in God's image and likeness. Render to God what belongs to God, means that we belong to God, and our lives must be given to him in service.

Today we remember a great apostle of this message. In all the parishes of our diocese this weekend we are celebrating the beatification of John Paul II. John Paul tirelessly defended the inherent dignity of the human person. Having lived through both Nazi and Communist occupations of Poland, he knew that the dignity of the human person was under attack. The person is not simply a cog in the machine, not simply a statistic, the person is made in God's image and likeness, it is to be respected and defended.

Another of John Paul's contributions was his teaching about human fulfillment. The human person, he used to say, will only be happy by giving his/her life away. The key to happiness is self-donation. This is precisely what Jesus is telling us in the gospel: give to God what belongs to God means that we must give our lives to Christ in order to fulfill our destiny and calling. This is something easy to say, but hard to carry out, because giving our lives means something different for each one of us. For me, it means giving my life in service as a priest. For you, it might mean giving your life in service as a husband and father, a wife and mother, a consecrated religious person, whatever. Each of us has a separate vocation, but none of us are called to selfishness, none of us is called to vainglory, or pride. We are all called to give to God what belongs to God, namely our very selves.

John Paul II was an amazing person, I often wonder how he was able to give so much of himself. I was deeply impressed by reading his biography, of the many things he did, the places he visited, the way he was able to give of himself. I think I can safely say that the source of his strength was the Holy Eucharist. Every morning Blessed John Paul II would arise early, spend time praying before Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, and celebrate Mass. Here on this altar, here at St. Matthew's Cathedral in South Bend, we find the same Eucharist, the same Jesus, the same strength that made John Paul into a holy person. The Eucharist, which is the self-donation of Christ, should change us into giving people, ready to give our lives for Christ. Blessed John Paul II: pray for us.

The Joy of the Vineyard

2011-10-01T07:49:00.001-07:00

27^th Sunday of OT Year A 2011

Jesus again speaks to us today with a parable. But, this parable is quite complicated. We notice at first that Jesus is speaking to the chief priests and the elders. In other words, he is speaking to the religious leadership of Israel. Therefore, the parable seems directed to them, they are the ones who have not accepted the prophets, nor accepted the person of Jesus. While it is certainly true that we can learn from this parable, the Christian disciple is not the focus of the parable until the very end. Jesus says that the kingdom of God will be given to a people that will produce its fruit.

We can say, then, that the kingdom of God has been given to us. But, it has not simply been handed to us so that we can enjoy it for our own sake. Rather, Christ expects us, the new tenants, to produce fruit. Do we produce fruit? It is a simple question, but certainly an important one. Do we see the production of fruit as our vocation in life?

Very often I see the faith as something that feeds me, something that fills me with joy and hope. I often see that faith as something I receive. But, this is an interesting passage, the Kingdom will be given, not to another people so that they may enjoy it. But, it is given to another people so that they will produce fruit. In fact, the wicked people in the parable are criticized precisely because they kept the rich harvest of the vineyard to themselves. They didn't allow the fruit of the vineyard beyond the walls of the vineyard.

This leads me to another point. What is the fruit of which we speak in the gospel? Vineyards, of course, produce grapes. But, in the ancient world grapes were used to make wine. Wine is a biblical image for joy: psalm 4 says you have filled my heart with a greater joy than when grain and new wine abound, or Ecclesiastes 9 says says: drink you wine with a joyful heart. So I do not think it is too much of a stretch to say that the vineyard is a sign or our relationship with God. It is a place of safety and security: God has built a wall, a tower, etc. It is a place where good fruit grows, where the choicest wine is produced. The vineyard of the Lord is a place of Joy. Here we find security and joy. But, the point of this vineyard is to produce fruit that spreads. The joy of Christianity is not simply for our enjoyment, it is meant to be spread. Joy is certainly a gift that we receive from God, but it is meant to flow beyond ourselves.

Joy is often misunderstood. Often when we hear the word we envision some kind of bubbly, ephemeral kind of joy. This is more like enthusiasm, which has its place but is not the same as joy. Rather, joy is the solid internal disposition of the believer that allows him/her to live in the world.

Look at St. Paul. Today in the second reading we hear some encouraging words: have no anxiety, the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds, think about what is pure, honorable, lovely, just, the God of peace will be with you. These are wonderful words that might easily bring us some hope. But, we must remember that Paul wrote these words while in prison. He was awaiting trial where he would be put to death, and yet he writes have no anxiety!!! I think it is precisely joy that allows Paul to remain steady and calm while in prison. Paul's heart was so set on Christ that no matter what his external situation, his heart was still focused on Christ. This is the definition of joy in my book, not bubbly enthusiasm, but solid faith in the power and love of Christ. And, Paul did not simply keep this joy to himself, he is writing to the Philippians so that joy might continue to spread.

Today we have a wonderful opportunity to receive our Lord in Word and in Sacrament. We have a chance to deepen our faith, to grow in our relationship with Christ. This relationship brings us the joy that allows us to deal with whatever life might throw at us. But, this joy will not be complete unless we share it with others. No wonder then that at the end of every Mass we are sent to Love and to serve the Lord. We might as well say: the Mass is ended, go in peace to spread the joy of God's kingdom in the world.

2011-09-25T08:22:00.001-07:00

26th Sunday of Ordinary time

Today's readings speak to us about conversion. Conversion is hard because conversion is change, and no one likes change. In fact, I once heard a speaker who was talking about change and he said: the only person who likes change is the man wearing wet pants. Something true to that. But, none of us will go through the hard work of conversion unless we think it is necessary.

I think if we are honest the first reading is a little bit scary. If the virtuous turns away he will die because of his sins. Now, all of us would like to think of ourselves as trying to be in the virtuous camp right? Hopefully we try to do the right thing in our lives. But, one thing I see quite often in the people I meet and even in my own spiritual life is that it is easy to lose focus, it can be easy to take our eyes off of Christ, it is easy to start coasting. This can be a deadly spiritual problem, because there can be no coasting in the spiritual life: the words good enough have no place in our lives. Augustine spoke of it so long ago we either see ourselves in conversion towards God, or in adversion away from God. There really is no middle ground. There is no coasting, no "good enough." Why? Because the virtuous person can always turn away. So, we all need conversion, we all need to turn toward God. How do we do that?

The gospel today gives an interesting account of conversion. We have two sons, they begin one way and end another. One son begins by refusing the will of the Father, but ends up doing his will; the other son begins by doing the will of the Father, but ends by refusing it. Jesus gives us a spiritual principle: it is better to end well than to begin well. Conversion is a daily process, and as we journey through life hopefully we are becoming more and more like the first son. We might have refused God's will in the past, but hopefully right now, in the present, we are seeking to do God's will. The Gospel gives us a great term for this process. I have been calling it conversion, Jesus simply says about the son: he changed his mind. Remember, change is hard, no one likes change, but it is this change of mind that allows the son to do the will of the Father. Hopefully we all see this change of mind as something we would like to have happen in our own lives. Hopefully we all see our need for conversion and have the desire to do God's will, but how do we carry out the hard work of conversion: St. Paul says: have in you the same attitude found in Christ.

If we are to change our minds, to become faithful sons and daughters of God, developing the attitude of Christ is a must. This is hard work: we must think like Christ, see others as Christ would see them, love the things that Christ loves, put on the mind of Christ, develop the heart of Christ. To change our minds, to change our attitudes is the pathway to discipleship. But, St Paul gives us one more piece of advice: humility. We cannot do this work on our own. It is only through humble recognition of our sinfulness, our lowliness, our brokenness that we will ask Christ for help. So, no one likes conversion because it entails change, but we also avoid conversion because it brings us face to face with our sinfulness, our inadequacy, our inabilities, our weakness. But, Jesus Christ wasn't afraid to empty himself, and neither should we fear it.

Here in this Holy Eucharist we have great training in humility, a great aid in developing the attitude of Christ. For our Lord comes to us here in a way meek and lowly. If we allow it, the Eucharist will help us to change. If we turn towards Christ, allow him to change our minds, this holy gift will work within us, helping us to do the will of the Father.

Forgiveness

2011-09-11T05:41:00.000-07:00

The message of today's gospel is pretty clear: how many times must I forgive? 77 times 7, in other words: we should be infinitely forgiving, because God is infinitely forgiving. If we want to be forgiven, forgive.

Then Jesus uses a parable that must have been absolutely shocking to his first hearers. A king decides to settle debts, that we could see happening. But, this is where the story gets interesting. It is clear that we should all see ourselves as this first servant, this is Jesus' intention. The lectionary tells us that the servant owed the king a great amount. Why does it do this??? This is not a translation of the text, rather this is an interpretation. The text just says 10,000 talents. Now, you have probably heard many homilies that tell you that talents are our gifts and experiences. But, this is not true! A talent is an amount of money: 1 years wages for a worker. This means that the king was owed 10,000 years wages. If you make 40,000 per year that is a total of 400 million dollars: a staggering amount. Remember we are supposed to see ourselves in this servant. The truth, if we ever get around to facing it, is that we have all sinned, we all need God's mercy. We all owe God big time. But, of course, we can never pay God back. So God, through Jesus, forgives us. If we remember our debt to God for the forgiveness he gives us through Jesus, it should be easy to forgive. But, if we find it hard to forgive others it might be because we fail to see our own sinfulness, our own need for forgiveness. If we fail to see our own need for forgiveness, if we fail to ask God for forgiveness, why would he forgive us?

Be Transformed

2011-08-28T08:00:00.001-07:00

Today we hear something interesting from St. Paul "be transformed by the renewal of your mind. For St. Paul this renewal is something that takes place even after our initial conversion.

This passage from the letter to the Romans takes place in the 12 chapter. Most scripture scholars call this passage the bridge between the theology section of the early part of the letter and the moral teaching found in the later part of the letter. In other words, even those who have accepted Christ need to be continually renewed and transformed by this renewal of our minds. This putting on the mind of Christ becomes essential part of our lives, and it leads to our moral living: faith turns into action. St. Paul tells us that this transformation will allow us to know the will of God. Isn't that what we all want?

We see a perfect example of this in the Gospel today. Today's gospel passage begins where we left off last week. Last week Saint Peter gave his great proclamation of faith. Jesus asked Peter, "who do you say that I am?" Peter responds "you are the Christ the son of the living God." This proclamation of faith by Peter changes his identity. Simon becomes Peter. Peter becomes a Christian, the rock of the Church. When we make that proclamation of faith that's how we become Christian, we echo the words of Saint Peter "you are the Christ the son of the living God."

But to acknowledge Christ as Lord is not the end of the Christian story, in fact it is only the beginning. This should fill us with some hope. Look at Saint Peter, he just said you are the Christ the son of the living God. Today he opposes the Lord and is called Satan. Peter still needed to learn, he still needed to grow. Peter needed to be renewed by the transformation of his mind. Jesus truly is the Christ, the son of God. But, as he tells us today, he is the Christ will suffer, the Christ who will die, the Christ who came to offer his life for all of us. Peter had some different Christ in mind. His idea of Christ needed to be transformed, needed to be renewed. The same is true for us I'm sure.

How do we get there, how do we get to this transformation? The second half of our gospel message today tells us how this happens. If you want to follow Jesus, you must pick up your cross and follow him. The cross is the school of transformation. In the cross we find new life. In our sufferings and our trials, we grow closer to Christ. This is the very paradox of Christianity. Life comes through death.

The transformation from death to life is central to the gospel, and should be central to our lives. This explains why life can be hard. Sometimes we feel like Jeremiah. Sometimes we feel like saying you duped me oh Lord and I let myself be duped. Sometimes we feel like I'm abandoning the whole thing, but the last passage from Jeremiah is warm and sweet. The word of God so filled him that it was impossible for him to keep it in: it was a burning fire in his heart. Even during the difficult times of his life, even when being a prophet meant pain and persecution, Jeremiah's love of God kept him going.

Let's return to Peter for just a second, we all hear today that he needed some renewal, transformation. And, we know that he gets it. He becomes a great saint, the leader of the early Church. His transformation will become complete when he meets the risen Jesus. The same is true for us. Today and every time we come to Mass we meet the risen Jesus as he comes to us in the Holy Eucharist. We have in the sacraments all the divine assistance we need to be transformed by the renewal of our mind, so that we may discern the will of God and know what is good and pleasing and perfect.

2011-08-21T09:42:00.001-07:00

21^st Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A 2011:

At the heart of our gospel today is the question of identity: the identity of Jesus on the one hand and the identity of Peter on the other hand. The question begins in general terms, even Jesus says: who do people say that the Son of Man is? Son of Man was a phrase Jesus uses quite often in the gospel to note the common bond he shares with all of us. Jesus is fully human, this is a category that he shares with all of us. And, the responses of the people are as general as Jesus' own question: some say John the Baptist, others Elijah. In other words, some people say you are a great preacher who is traveling around preaching repentance just like John the Baptist. Others are saying even more, you are a prophet like Elijah who was the man of God. Neither of these answers is wrong, Jesus was a preacher who spoke of repentance; he was a prophet who spoke about and for God. But, while these people who said Jesus was John the Baptist or Elijah might not have been wrong, they weren't correct.

After this question of generalities, Jesus makes it alarmingly concrete: who do you say that I am? What an uncomfortable question! Imagine that someone walked up to you and asked: who do you say that I am? Even if it was your spouse or your child, it would be a hard question to answer.

Jesus really puts Peter on the spot here. Who am I? Do you know me better than those others who think of me as just another prophet or preacher? Am I more than that? But, Peter doesn't even hesitate: you are the Christ the son of the living God. This answer is vastly different from the previous answers. The previous answers were generic and they spoke about the things that Jesus did. This new answer gets to the very identity of Jesus: you are not just some preacher, not just another prophet: you are the Christ, the son of God. Recognizing Jesus' true identity causes a change in Peter's identity: blessed are you Simon, you will be called Peter from now on.

How is Peter able to see Jesus and identify who he really is? There is no doubt that Peter heard Jesus preaching, that he thought of him as a prophet, but how did he get past the generalities? Peter knew Jesus. It is just that simple. Peter had a relationship with Christ, he spent time with him, spoke with him, followed him, etc. He got to know Jesus on a personal level. He was able to move beyond generalities because he encountered Jesus in the specifics of his life.

Here is another way that Peter is a great model for us. Wouldn't we all love to hear the words Jesus addresses to Peter: blessed are you, for God has revealed to you my true identity. And, make no mistake: Jesus is addressing every single one of us: who do you say that I am? Again it is an uncomfortable question. What answer do you have? It is easy to speak in general terms about Jesus: he was a prophet, he was a preacher, he is God, he is the Messiah, all of which is true: but who do you say that I am? In other words, do you know me? If we do know Jesus, it changes who we are. If we have a relationship with Jesus, if we follow him, listen to him, speak with him, then we live as Christians. We take on the identity of Christ, and if we do so we are truly blessed.

All too often however we can mistake knowing a lot about Jesus, for actually knowing Jesus. Every time we come forward to receive Jesus here in this Holy Eucharist he asks us that uncomfortable question: who do you say that I am?

2011-08-13T12:31:00.001-07:00

20^th Sunday of Ordinary Time:

Every Sunday when we gather here at Mass we profess our faith together. This creed contains the core of our belief in God and Jesus. At the end of the creed there is the part on the Church, which we often breeze right through: we believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. Yet, these 4 marks of the Church are of great importance. These 4 marks must be present in order for the authentic Church of Christ to be present. One, holy, and apostolic are terms that are quite familiar to us. The Church is one, because it was founded by Christ, Holy because it is guided by the Holy Spirit, and apostolic because it is founded upon the Apostles whose missions is carried out now through their successors, the bishops. But, what does Catholic mean? Many of us think of Catholic as an adjective to describe ourselves or the Church: I'm Catholic, I belong to the Catholic Church. But, the word catholic has an ancient meaning, it is a Greek word that means universal. The church is catholic precisely because it is open to everyone. Nowadays we just assume that the church should be open to anyone, but we see in the gospel that this was a new and radical concept.

We have to try to put ourselves into the biblical mindset. Remember where Jesus was coming from. He was born into the house of David, he came as the fulfillment of the promises of the Old Testament. God chose Israel to be his own special possession. The woman from the gospel was a Canaanite, these were the people who inhabited the Land before Joshua led the chosen people into it. Throughout the Old Testament we see the Israelites and the Canaanites in conflict. The biggest issue that divided them was their belief in God. Canaanites worshiped their own pagan God, while the Jewish people worshiped the Lord. So, while it seems that Jesus is pretty harsh to this woman, there was good reason to do so: the Canaanites did not worship God: Jesus was God. But, we notice that when the woman worships Jesus and shows her faith in him, Jesus instantly grants her request. Jesus came first to the Lost Children of Israel. But, while this salvation came first to the Jewish people, it also came for the whole world. This Canaanite woman shows us that faith in Christ is the pathway to salvation, not genealogical heritage. We should all be quite grateful for this, since most of us are not biological descendants of the Hebrew people.

The Church, therefore, must be as universal as Christ. Jesus came as a human being to save all of humanity. Therefore, the only requirement for becoming a Catholic is humanity. The Church is the community for any human person who wishes to worship God in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. This might come as a surprise to many, because the Catholic Church has the reputation of being somewhat closed to outsiders. This often comes from our practice of Holy Communion. Under normal circumstances we only share the Eucharist with those who are in full communion with the Catholic Church (see canon 844 if you are reading this at home). But, this law of the Church does not mean that we do not want everyone in the world to share the Eucharist with us. Rather, it says that in order to come to Christ we must all be like the Canaanite woman who fully professed her belief in Jesus.

There can be no question that the Church is open to absolutely everyone who wishes to follow Jesus. But, it is also true that not every person in the world is in full communion with the Catholic Church. This is a true shame. We should be praying for unity every day. All of us should see ourselves like St. Paul, who was the apostle to the gentiles. He saw it as his mission in life to bring the good news of salvation to everyone in the world. We should be reaching out to others. Is there anyone you know who is not Catholic but might be interested in learning more about the faith? St. Matt's will soon be beginning our RCIA program. You never know, your invitation might bring someone closer to Christ. Also, this year we are beginning a RCIA program specifically for teens who are interested in becoming Catholic. Keep an eye on the bulletin for more details.

But, the best way for us to carry out this mission of bringing Christ to others is through our example. If people see us living joyful lives of Christian service they will want to know more about us and about the Church. They will want to know what gives us the strength to follow Jesus, and we will be able to tell them: every Sunday I gather with others who worship Christ to celebrate the Holy Mass, and I receive my strength from the Holy Eucharist.

Adult Faith Formation

2011-07-25T17:50:00.000-07:00

Many of you may have heard the news, but if not, I just wanted to let everyone know that St. Matt's is going to begin a great program for adults. Here is some information from the website: click here for more information

Welcome to the online registration for Fall Sunday After Mass Adult Faith Formation at St. Matthew Cathedral Parish. Adult Faith Formation is an opportunity for spiritual growth, deepening your relationship with God, learning about the Catholic faith, and sharing questions and experiences. It could be a prayer group, Bible Study, catechetical class, a spiritual book club, or more...the possibilities are endless. In order to help us tailor small-groups to your preferences, plan spaces at the church for each group to use, and most importantly, bring the right amount of coffee and snacks the first week, we ask you to take a few moments and register using the form below. Registration is also available in the rectory office. In early September we'll send you an e-mail letting you know when adult faith formation will begin and where your small-group will be meeting. If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas to improve our program offerings, please feel free to e-mail colleen.reiss@gmail.com.

Almost Back

2011-07-25T16:43:00.000-07:00

No, it wasn't a mirage. Some of you may have spotted me back in South Bend over the weekend. I was there to officiate the wedding of Emily Gersey and Cody McAuley. The wedding went well, they are a great couple and it was my pleasure to witness their exchange of consent, which as all canon lawyers know: consent makes the marriage.

I am looking forward to a more permanent return on Thursday. If anyone has the chance to offer a prayer to St. Raymond of Penyafort (patron of Canonists), I would appreciate prayers for my exam on Wednesday.

God bless you all,
Fr Jake

Update

2011-06-29T16:46:00.000-07:00

Hello from DC.

Sorry my posts have been so spotty.... I will try to improve.

Month number 2 is under way. I successfully finished General Norms 1 and Particular Church. Now I have Sacramental Law and the Juridic structures of Matrimony. Should be a good month of classes. Also, we get the 4th of July off as a holiday, so it will be pretty special to in Washington for Independence day. Maybe I will try to get in to see the Declaration of Independence sometime this week (it's stored in the National Archive not too far from the Washington memorial).

This past weekend we had a couple of days off for a break. So, I rode my bike, played a little bit of golf, visited the major monuments on the Washington Mall (Capitol, Washington monument, White House, Lincoln Monument, Korean and Vietnam war memorials, Jefferson Monument) and had dinner with a few of the new friends I have met here in Washington.
It is interesting, most of the people in my class are from the midwest: 2 from Milwaukee and 2 from Grand Rapids MI. Small world!

Drop me a line if you get bored: jacobrunyon@gmail.com
It is nice to hear from people from back home.
God bless,
Fr Jake

Update

2011-06-20T04:59:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

Sorry to have been quiet over the last couple of weeks, things have been busy.

First of all, I was back in Fort Wayne last weekend to see two of my closest friends become priests. Many congratulations to Frs. Matt and Terry Coonan. These guys have been great friends to me over the past several years and I look forward to spending the rest of my life in service to the gospel with such good and holy men!

Last week was sort of crazy here at CUA. Since the weekend was pretty much lost to travel, the week became jam packed. As I may have mentioned earlier, the courses here are quite condensed. I take 2 semester length courses in the space of 4 weeks. So, last week was "paper" week. I had a paper due in each class. The papers were quite interesting actually. Both were case studies, which means that the teacher would give us a scenario and ask us to explain some canonical aspect. It was like a Sherlock Holmes story where I had to figure out what applied and which canons were involved, etc. It was quite interesting. I don't know what grades I got, but the papers are done.

This week is "test" week. Thursday I have an oral exam in General Norms and Friday I have a written exam in Particular Church. So keep up the prayers.

On a non-academic note, this was a great weekend! I got lucky this year, the US Open (one of golf's 4 major championships) was held at nearby Congressional Country Club in Bethesda Maryland. So I bought some tickets online and got to see this amazing event. North Ireland's 22 year old Rory McIlroy won by a landslide. I got to see him several times. It was a great experience to see him holding the US Open trophy on the 18th green.

Now I'm off to class, God bless and I promise to keep posting updates throughout the summer.
Fr Jake

Update from DC

2011-06-03T17:17:00.001-07:00

Hello Everyone,

I will try to post here often to keep you informed on what's happening in DC.

I’ve been here for a week. For those who don’t know, I’m in DC studying Canon Law at the Catholic University of America. It is an intense summer program. I basically have 5 Semester long graduate level course shoved into June and July. There is a lot of reading and I sit in class up to 5 hours in a day (4 straight each morning). But, I find canon law quite interesting. Right now I am studying general norms of law (so I could talk some shop with lawyers back home at some point to see if there are similarities/differences…), and the structure of the particular church. What is a particular church you ask, well according to canon 368: Particular churches, in which and from which the one and only Catholic Church exists, are first of all dioceses (then the canon goes on to explain 5 more and 2 more kinds of particular churches have developed since the writing of the code of canon law). So I am learning all about the structure of the diocese. Now after that brief interlude I hope everyone is still awake and with me.

I have also found some time for biking. Upon searching I found that there are some great bike routes in DC, but they are all in the South West corner of the city, and I live in the North East corner… so my notions of biking straight from my house were dashed. However, Thursday I decided to brave the DC traffic and set out in search of a bike trail, and did I ever find one.

The trip took me 25 minutes to go 5 miles in my car, but it was worth it. I parked in South Potomac park near the Jefferson memorial and biked the Mount Vernon Trail. This trail went about 18 miles south all the way to Mount Vernon. It was a nice trail, 99 % of it off of roads and pretty well maintained. There were a few rolling hills and a big climb into Mt Vernon (Ok it’s not a mountain… but it is called Mount…). So 36 miles yesterday and no casualties.

Today I decided to head north instead and I found the Custis trail. This trail crossed over into Virginia and rode near the Potomac river going west. This trail may have been even more fun than Mt Vernon. It was quite hilly (again, not mountains, but certainly similar to our hills back in southern Michigan). This Custis trail actually runs into the W&OB trail, which would go for another 40 miles, so there is an easy century. I went 33…

So I guess that’s all that there is to report. I found some nice trails to bike. But, more importantly, I’m reading a great deal about Canon law. I look forward to my return in August, see you then.

Fr Jake

2011-05-21T16:03:00.001-07:00

5^th Sunday of Easter 2011

Do not let you hearts be troubled. These are important and beautiful words for us to hear. All of us have had troubles and anxieties in our lives. Jesus commands us not to let our hearts be troubled. Rather, we are to have faith: you have faith in God have faith also in me.

Now, we don't even think about this as being radical today, we all know that we are supposed to have faith in Jesus, but this is a bold claim. It's one thing to have faith in God. Most people would generally admit to believing in some deity, they believe that there is some force in the universe that created everything, some force that holds everything together. Many people believe that there is a god. But, having faith in Jesus is a tall claim. His claim to divinity makes an abstract belief in God alarmingly concrete. No longer is it sufficient to believe simply in the existence of a higher power, Christ tells us that if we are to alleviate our anxieties we have to believe in him.

Believing in Jesus is much more difficult than believing in an abstract force. Jesus is historical: we know where he was born, we know where he lived, we know his mother, we know when and how he died. Jesus is a human being like us in all things but sin. He said specific things, founded a particular Church. To believe in Jesus makes demands upon us. In a sense it is easy to believe in an abstract god because he makes no demands on us, besides maybe that we are to be good… whatever that means. Jesus, on the other hand, makes great demands: whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. Love one another as I have loved you. Jesus makes demands upon us. Why would we want to follow him?

I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me. Do we really believe this? It is a lofty claim! No one comes to the Father except through me. This doesn't seem very inclusive does it? Jesus isn't being very fair here. I mean aren't all religions the same, aren't there many pathways to God? This isn't the place to get into ecumenism or religious dialogues, but as Catholics we believe that Christ is essential. Because, Christ reveals to us not an amorphous force, not a distant watch maker, but a loving Father. Jesus Christ reveals to us the Triune nature of God. And, no one can approach the Father except through the Son in the power of the Holy Spirit.

This is why Jesus Christ is the way the truth and the life, he is the path to the Father, he is the truth about existence, he is the very source of life. Jesus Christ, in his very person, the union of Divinity with Humanity, is the way, the truth, and the life. Notice something interesting here: Jesus does not say: I will show you the way, tell you the truth, and fill you with life. No! He is the way the truth and the life. Because Christ is fully God he is able to repair the damage of original sin: we see him overcoming sin and death by his own death and resurrection. This is what we have been celebrating for the last 5 weeks. Yet, because of his full humanity, we have communion with Christ as our brother. Jesus Christ is the bridge to heaven! He is the way to the Father! In Jesus we see the truth of existence: man united with God. In Jesus Christ we see life: he is no longer bound by death, he is risen. When we say that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life we are recalling our belief: God so loved the world that he sent his son so that all those who believe in him might not perish, but might have eternal life.

In our times of anxiety and trouble, our faith should support us, our faith is certainly important to us. But, our faith is not something distant and abstract. Rather, our faith is as real and concrete as Christ, because our faith is our relationship with Christ. Many people believe in God, do you believe in Christ? Do you have a living and concrete relationship with he who is the way the truth and the life?

The Holy Eucharist is the greatest aid we have in increasing our life of faith. This is the living body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ, poured out for our salvation. The Eucharist is living and concrete because Christ is living and concrete.

Sheep and Shepherds

2011-05-15T03:50:00.001-07:00

4^th Sunday of Easter 2011:

Today Jesus uses figurative language to help us understand who he is. Yet, for many of us, these images are somewhat foreign to us. All of us have heard about Jesus the Good Shepherd, but maybe we don't understand this image as well as we should.

First of all, let's talk about sheep. The Lord is my shepherd, our Psalm says today. We are his people, the sheep of his flock, it says in another Psalm. Sheep and flocks are a common image in the Bible for God's people. Normally when we think about these sheep we picture cute, little, fluffy-haired animals. To think of ourselves as sheep is quite the endearing image. But, the truth of the matter is that being called sheep is not a very flattering image. First of all, sheep are really dumb. They do not know how to find their own food. Unlike other animals, sheep have no natural instinct about finding their way back to a home. They are prone to wander off. Also, we picture sheep as these little white creatures, but they are actually quite dirty. They spend a good deal of their time lying on the ground. Sheep are also dependent; without a shepherd, sheep would die in the ancient world. Nowadays we keep sheep in fenced in areas, but in the time of Jesus a shepherd would have to lead and guide the sheep at all times. So when it comes to sheep there are three d's to remember. Sheep are dumb, dirty, and dependent. This is not a very flattering image, but it is one that is quite true of us sometimes isn't it.

We can be dumb: every time we fall into sin or do something stupid we are being like sheep! We wander away from God and get tangled up and dirty. So these two things are true of us. But the most important one to remember is that we are dependent upon God for everything. Just like sheep, we would perish without our shepherd. We are completely dependent on God. But, this is one of the greatest spiritual problems of our day and age. Too many of us think of ourselves as being self-sufficient. We work hard and accomplish things on our own right? Wrong, everything we have comes from God and if we don't rely on his guidance we will wander astray. We need a shepherd.

By calling us sheep, we could think that Jesus is criticizing us and calling us dumb and dirty. But, Jesus came not to condemn us, but to save us. This is why he calls himself the shepherd. The image of the shepherd is another image that we don't completely understand. There is a great and storied history of Shepherds in the Old Testament. For example, both Moses and David, two of the greatest figures in the Bible, were shepherds. However, Moses and David both lived during a time when Israel was a nomadic people. When Israel settled into the Holy Land and built the temple they became a more settled and agrarian society. As a result it fell to the outcasts of society to take care of the sheep. Shepherds were not high and mighty; rather, the opposite is true: shepherds were seen as lowly outcasts, dumb and dirty like the sheep they took care of.

So when Jesus calls himself the shepherd it is a beautiful way to describe the incarnation itself. Jesus, himself the Son of God, became lowly, a humble shepherd. We are sheep: dumb, dirty, and dependent. But, God loved us so much that he sent his Son to be our shepherd.

In the ancient world shepherds had two main jobs. First of all, the shepherd protects his sheep. Jesus is the good shepherd who laid his life down for us. As we continue to celebrate the Easter season we remember that Jesus suffered and died to defend us from our greatest enemies: sin and death. Truly, Christ is the good shepherd who defends his sheep.

Also, shepherds had to guide the sheep. The same is true of us; Jesus has to be the one to lead us. Just like those sheep, we have to listen to the voice of the shepherd, but do we hear his voice? Do we spend time in prayer, do we read the Bible, do we listen to the voice of the Church, etc.? These are the ways we can hear the voice of the Good Shepherd. Where will this voice lead us? The Psalm says that the shepherd leads us to verdant pastures. These green pastures are important because they are the places where the good food is located. Christ leads us to these green pastures by way of another food.

Here in the Holy Eucharist our Good shepherd is feeding us. Here in the Holy Eucharist we receive the Body and Blood of Christ, the food that will sustain us in our journey through life. Like sheep, we might be dumb, dirty, and dependent. But, thanks be to God for he sent his only begotten son protect and guide us. Jesus says that he came so that we might have life and have it abundantly. We usually think about heaven when we read a passage like this. But, the truth is that by receiving Holy Eucharist this abundant life begins here and now.

Second Sunday of Easter: Blessed John Paul II

2011-05-01T03:55:00.001-07:00

Our first reading today gives us an interesting insight into the early Church. We hear that they were living in common, met in homes, prayed in the temple, and ate their meals with rejoicing. It said that "awe came upon everyone." It is easy to see why the Christians would be in awe: Jesus just rose from the dead. Wouldn't it have been amazing to be alive in those days? I cannot help but be a little bit jealous as we have read through the various resurrection stories. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty to like about living in our modern world: indoor plumbing, cars, electricity, air conditioning, golf… But, just imagine what it would have been like to see Jesus.

Put yourself in the place of St. Thomas. Don't we sometimes feel like him? We have heard from others about Jesus, but we just want to see and touch him. We would believe if Jesus would just come to us as he did to Thomas. I think if we are honest, we would all wish to be in that room with the apostles when Jesus enters and says "Peace be with you."

But, instead we get this interesting line from Jesus: blessed are those who have not seen and believe. Blessed! We might feel as though we were unlucky for missing out on the appearances of Jesus, but we are truly blessed. Why? Jesus gave the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church. The Holy Spirit has never departed us; rather, he continues the saving work of Christ down through the generations.

So, our first reading says that awe came upon everyone, and that sense of awe should continue to be part of our lives. We belong to the same Church; we have received the same Holy Spirit. When you think about the Church are you filled with awe and wonder? Very often we think of the Church not in glowing terms but as a lumbering bureaucracy full of rules and regulations. And while there is some truth to this at times, the Church remains ever new, ever exciting because its mission is to proclaim the resurrection of Christ to every generation by the power of the Holy Spirit.

John Paul II was a wonderful example of this kind of enthusiasm for the gospel. His pontificate was certainly new and exciting. He was the first non-Italian pope in over 450 years. He brought with him a fresh approach to the gospel. He came to Rome in a particularly difficult time. He was elected 10 years after the publication of Humanae Vitae. Many people had gotten the idea that even after the Second Vatican Council the Church was still an unfeeling and maybe even cruel organization that imposed unfair restrictions upon its people. This line of thinking supposes that the Church is nothing more than a bunch of rules and regulations: you can't do this, you can't do that, you have to go to Church on Sunday, etc. John Paul was certainly a contrast to this kind of thinking. He was convinced that the Truth was ultimately beautiful and that if people were presented with the Truth in an understandable way they would accept it and want to follow it. John Paul spent his whole life trying to share with the world what he called the Veritatis Splendor: the beauty of the truth.

This morning in Rome John Paul was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI. By declaring him Blessed the Church says that he lived a life of heroic virtue worth of our emulation. Today in the gospel Jesus tells us: "as the Father sent me, so I send you." So, as we are sent out by Christ to share the good news with others, we take John Paul as our model. He was not a heavy-handed dictator who preached nothing but sin and condemnation. Rather, he was an enthusiastic and joyful priest who tried to share with others the beauty of the Truth.

We should want to be like John Paul, he should be our model. But, where did he find that joy and energy? Every morning John Paul went into his chapel to pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament and to celebrate Holy Mass. It was here in the Eucharist that he found strength and consolation. It was here in the Eucharist that he found Jesus. While it is certainly true that cannot be in that upper room with the apostles, that we cannot put our hands into the side of Jesus as did St. Thomas, Jesus continues to come into our midst. He continues to say to us "Peace be with you," here in the Holy Eucharist. He continues to send us out to share this good news with the world. I can think of no better patron to pray for all of us as we try to carry this out than John Paul II: Blessed John Paul, pray for us.

Alleluia, Resurrexit Sicut Dixit, Alleluia

2011-04-24T05:52:00.001-07:00

In the Gospels we hear Jesus called many things. He truly has many names. Jesus: this is a Hebrew word Yeshu means save and Ya refers to God's holy name. The name of Jesus tells us that God saves, he remembers us, has mercy on us, he saves us.

Christ: also known as Jesus' last name. Well not exactly. Christ is a Greek word that means anointed. When the early Church calls Jesus the Christ they are saying that he is the long-awaited Messiah. He is the King who came to follow in the steps of David, the Lord's anointed.

Jesus is given many titles: master, rabbi, teacher, Lord. All of these tell us that Jesus guides us, teaches us, instructs us. Jesus is to be our master and guardian.

St. John's gospel calls Jesus the Word of God. St. Mark's gospel calls him the son of God. These names remind us of the divinity of Christ. Jesus is the second person of the Blessed Trinity. He is divine. Through him all things were made. He is great and glorious.

Jesus often refers to himself as the son of man. This title reminds us that while Jesus is truly God, he freely chose to become one like us in all things but sin. Jesus is truly human, he knows what it means to be human.

All of these names of Jesus tell us about Christ. They all tell us who Jesus is. However, in the gospel today we hear a new name. This name does not tell us so much about who Jesus is, but it tells us what he has done. Today Jesus is called the Crucified. What a strange name to be called!

Imagine hearing this name way back in the first century. This would have been an ugly name, an insulting name. Crucifixion was an ugly, brutal form of execution meant to strike fear into the hearts of anyone who thought of emulating the convicted.

Today we have crucifixes everywhere: here at Church, in our homes, we even wear them as jewelry. As such, we can forget, sometimes, just how awful crucifixion really was. Yet this name, Jesus the Crucified, is the most glorious name we can give to our Lord. Because this name refers to the saving work of Jesus on the Cross, and we must always remember that the glory of the resurrection is only possible through the suffering of the cross.

The new life of the risen Lord was won by his saving death. During Lent I am always trying to remind people that the season is directed toward Easter. If we took up our penance and self-sacrifice without reference to the feast of Easter it would be suffering without a point. The same is true of the Cross. If Good Friday ended with Jesus in the tomb, with him staying there to this day, then his death would be final and empty. The resurrection gives new meaning to the death of Jesus and the feast of Easter gives new meaning to the season of Lent. Yet, we can be mistaken if we go the other way too. Today we remember the resurrection of our Savior. We ponder Jesus in all of his glory, but he forever remains Jesus the crucified. We cannot remember either the cross or the resurrection, because in Jesus we always get both the cross and the resurrection. The two go together now forever.

Now you might be thinking that this is all well and good and important. But, what does it have to do with our daily lives? The answer, of course, is everything. Last night at the Easter Vigil and today at this Mass we celebrate the sacrament of baptism, men and women from our parish becoming a new creation and clothing themselves in Christ. The same thing happened to all of us, on the day of our baptism we were configured to Christ and we became his followers. But, if we are going to be followers of Jesus we cannot simply accept half of the gospel. We all desire the everlasting life of heaven, but there is only one ladder to heaven, the cross of Christ.

Jesus says in the gospel if you wish to be my disciples you must deny yourself, pick up your cross daily and follow me. St. Paul tells us what this looks like in our second reading: if you were raised with Christ seek what is above. Through our baptism we participate in the new life of the resurrection of Christ. This must change how we think, feel, live. We have truly been raised to a new life, seek what is above. Yet, this is only made possible when we die to ourselves and take up the cross: for you have died and your life is hidden now with Christ in God.

To be Christian means that we are followers of Christ, not mere admirers. If all we do is admire Christ, to think of him as a good teacher, or a good man who died for us, even think of him as the glorified and risen savior, but don't become like him we will have no part in his resurrection, for resurrection is only won through suffering and self-denial. This is why Lent always precedes Easter. We cannot celebrate the Resurrection without self-denial.

Now, this may seem a little depressing for Easter Sunday morning. Why am I talking about suffering and self-denial? Well, it is certainly true to say that to follow Christ is most difficult. In fact, I dare say that Christianity is impossible for us. At least, Christianity is impossible for us on our own. Yet, we are never alone. This is the good news of Easter morning. This is what fills us with Joy. Christ is forever with us. He is with us and supports us in the struggle of our daily lives. In his own suffering and death, Jesus took to himself all of human suffering. Jesus the Crucified is behind us and beneath us to support us. He lives forever to aid us in the struggle of our existence. And, this Crucified one goes before us into the resurrection, calling us forward into this new life. So, just like that pillar of fire and cloud that led the people of Israel through the desert, Jesus Christ has gone before us to guide us into the new life of the resurrection, but he forever remains the crucified to stay behind us to support us in our daily struggles.

Jesus has many names. But, Jesus the Crucified might be the most beautiful. Christ, son of God, son of Man, Messiah, teacher, Lord: all these names tell us who Jesus is. But, Jesus the Crucified tells us how much he loves us. He laid down his own life to save us. And he remains forever the crucified to aid us in our own trials so that one day we might share with him the new life of the Resurrection.

Review Questions for Freshmen Religion

2011-04-14T12:03:00.000-07:00

Here are the questions and answers from our game today.

Round 1: Moses

1. What does Moses’ name mean in Hebrew? To draw out

2. Who found Moses when he was hidden in the river? Pharaoh’s daughter

3. Who helped to raise Moses? His own mother

4. Who did Moses kill that got him into trouble? An Egyptian.

5. Where did Moses go to escape? Midian

6. Who did Moses meet there? Jethro

7. What did that man give Moses in return for his kindness, what was her name? Wife, Zipporah.

8. What did Moses see one day when he was tending the flocks? Burning bush. What 2 major things did God reveal to Moses that day? His name, his decision to help Israel.

9. Who ends up helping Moses in his mission to Pharaoh?

10. Where does Moses die? Why can’t he enter into the Promised Land? On the east side of the Jordan river, because of what happened at Meribah and Massah.

Round 2: Exodus

1. Where are the people at the beginning of Exodus and how did they get there? Egypt, they stayed after Joseph went down there.

2. What is the major event that begins the problems of Exodus? A new pharaoh who knew not Joseph.

3. What was the name of the foreign rulers who were friendly to Joseph and the Israelites? Hyksos.

4. What did Pharaoh order to be removed after Moses asked to have the people set free? Straw.

5. What does God cast upon Egypt to show his power? Plagues

6. What was the first plague? What was the last plague? Water to blood, death of first born.

7. Why did the plagues take the form that they did? In other words, why these specific 10 plagues? They attacked Egyptian deities.

8. What did Moses demand of Pharaoh? To let the people go three days into the desert so that they may worship God.

9. When Pharaoh lets the people go, what do they take from the Egyptians? Gold and Silver

10. How did God lead the people through the desert? Pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night.

Round 3: Desert

1. How long do the people wander in the desert? 40 years.

2. What does Moses do when he sees the Egyptians destroyed in the Red Sea? He sings his song of victory.

3. As soon as the people are freed they start to complain asking for what 3 things, and what does God give them? Meat, bread, water. Quails, manna, water from the rock.

4. What is the name of the place where they grumbled for water and end up getting Moses in trouble? Meribah and Massah.

5. How much Manna are the people supposed to gather every day but Sabbath, how much on Sabbath? One day’s worth, an Omer. Twice as much the day before the Sabbath.

6. On what mountain do the people stop and receive the Law from God? Sinai

7. What is the Hebrew word for Law and what does it mean? Torah, instruction

8. The 10 commandments were placed on two tablets, how many commands are on the first tablet, how many on the 2nd, who is the subject of the first tablet, who is the subject of the 2nd tablet? 3, 7: God, others

9. Moses becomes weary by judging everyone’s cases, who gives him a suggestion, and what was that suggestion? Jethro tells him to appoint others to help him judge cases.

10. Where are the people headed? Canaan

Round 4: Joshua, Judges, Misc

1. What is the first city attacked by the Israelites? Jericho

2. Joshua sends some spies into the city: who helps them, what is her profession, and what does she do to signal to the Israelites that she is not to be harmed? Rahab, prostitute, scarlet cord.

3. Who is Deborah’s general, who are they fighting, what is the name of that general, how does he die and who kills him? Barak, fighting Jabin, Sisera, killed by Jael with a tent spike.

4. Who does Gideon fight? How big is his army? How did they defeat the enemy? Midianites, 300 men, they sneak into the camp at night, blow their horns causing the enemies to attack one another.

5. Who is Samson fighting? Who causes him to be led astray? What is the name of his vow? What 2 things was he not allowed to do? Philistines, Delilah, Nazirite, cut his hair or take strong drink.

6. What are the 2 different names for the Holy Name of God? What are the 4 letters? What is the best way to translate this name into English? Ha Shem, Tetragrammaton, YHWY, I AM.

7. Before God reveals his name to Moses he tells him a different name about his relationship, what is the name? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

8. What is the Hebrew word for Judge? Shofet

9. Why does Moses break the tablets that God had made? The golden calf

10. What was contained in the Ark of the Covenant? Tablets, Manna, Aaron’s staff

Essay questions:

I will ask you to tell me some of the stories.

Also, there will be short answer questions on the 10 commandments.

3rd Sunday of Lent

2011-03-26T15:00:00.001-07:00

Thirst is a common human condition. We have all been thirsty. Thirst is even more dramatic than hunger. We can live weeks without food, but mere days without water. Today's gospel story hinges on the idea of thirst.

But, I find it fascinating that the first person to thirst in this passage is not the woman at the well, but Jesus. Give me something to drink, but we quickly realize Jesus is not interested in H2O, he is looking for something else from this woman. The preface in today's Mass puts it in a beautiful way when it says that Christ was thirsting to receive this woman's faith.

Even more, Christ longs for the faith of each and every one of us. In many ways, this desire, this longing on the part of Christ describes for us the reason the Word became flesh in the first place. God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son. God loves the world. He longs for communion with us. Jesus comes to each of us and says the same thing he said to that woman of Samaria: give me something to drink.

This is not the last time Jesus will thirst in the Gospel. The next time Jesus thirsts is on the cross. Just before he dies Jesus cries out "I thirst." The thirst Christ has for our salvation is present here at the well and only finds its completion on the cross.

Yet, Christ is not the only one to thirst in this story. When Jesus makes the offer of living water the woman responds: sir, give me this water so that I may not be thirsty. Now, it seems as though the woman means thirst on a basic bodily level. But, the water that Christ promises satisfies at a deeper level, the level of the heart. If we are all honest we would recognize that there is a deep yearning, a thirst, in each one of us. We all have hopes and desires. As Christians we believe that this longing, this thirst can only be satisfied by God. We have a longing for the infinite. St. Augustine said it best: you have made us for yourself O Lord, and our hearts are restless until the rest in thee. Only in Christ do we find this living water capable of quenching the deepest longings of the human heart.

But, our story takes an interesting turn. First, Jesus is thirsting for the faith of the woman at the well. Next, the woman becomes interested in this living water that takes away the thirsting of the human heart. So, we expect Jesus to tell her about this water. Instead, Jesus tells her to go get her husband. Why does he do this?

Notice that the woman is not named. St. John does this quite often when he wants us to be able to see ourselves in the characters in the gospel. There are many reasons for us to believe that this woman represents all of Samaria. Remember that the Samaritans were related to the Jewish people. The Samaritans stayed in the Holy Land during the Babylonian exile. Only, in addition to worshiping the Lord, they also worshiped the gods of the pagans. Would it surprise you to find out that there were 5 pagan gods worshiped by the Samaritans?

So, when Jesus asks the woman to call her husband, he is asking her about her faith. One of the most commonly used images for the relationship between God and his people in the Old Testament is marriage. If you notice the woman is not taken aback by the question at all. As soon as Jesus asks about the husbands, she asks about worship.

Fast forward to the next time Jesus talks about thirst, we hear: I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. In the Holy Eucharist we find what truly satisfies us. In this act of worship, the Holy Mass, we are again in the presence of Christ on the cross, thirsting for our salvation, and at the same moment Christ pours out for us his body and blood, to fill our hunger and satisfy our thirst. When we come here in this Church to worship, we meet the thirsting Christ who longs for our faith, and at the same time we meet the one who says to us: come to me and I will give you living water.

1 Cor Audio Files

2011-03-18T03:59:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay.

Here is the audio for week 13.

Here is the audio for week 14.

Ash Wednesday Homily for Marian High School:

2011-03-09T05:43:00.001-08:00

Ash Wednesday 2011:

Return to me. Today we begin the season of Lent. A penitential season dedicated to bringing about these words from the prophet. God calls each and every one of us to repentance: return to me. The Hebrew word for repent is shuv. The word means return. It is a beautiful way to thing about the season of Lent. No matter where you are in your spiritual life. No matter if you feel close to God or if you feel distant, no matter if you have been away from Church for a while or if you go every day, we all need to return to the Lord. We are all sinners. We have all wandered away from God. But, no matter how far away we are, we can always come back, we can always return. Lent is a privileged season. I firmly believe that God pours out more grace during Lent than during any other season. Because the little secret is that God longs for our return even more than we do. God wants us to be in communion with him, he wants us to return and he will give us the grace to do so during this season of Lent. All of your prayers and sacrifices should be aimed at renewing your relationship with God, trust that he will help you.

The word Lent actually comes from an old English word that means "Springtime." In Latin, Lent is called Quadragesima, which means 40 day thing. Not too creative I will grant you: what will we call this 40 day thing... I know, let's call it the 40 day thing! But, in English we call it Springtime. We do this for 2 reasons. First, we do this because Lent always comes in the Spring, since it is attached to Easter. I mean we all know how we compute Easter right: Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. Piece of cake really! Lent is always in the spring. But, we also call it springtime because it is supposed to be a spiritual springtime. I don't know about you, but I am sick and tired of winter. I'm sick of seeing snow piles. I'm sick of wearing coats and gloves. I'm sick of being cold. I'm sick of being stuck inside. I long for the warmer months ahead. But, just as we desire the warmer weather of spring, all of us, I think, desire to have a warmer relationship with God. I am convinced that no one is really happy with a cold relationship with God. Wouldn't we all like to have that fiery relationship with God sometimes experienced by the saints? Well there is no way to go from the icy cold of a wintery relationship with God to the hot and fiery summertime relationship unless you pass through a springtime: Lent is that perfect time. This should be a time of warming. Let God warm your icy hearts. Let God cause new growth to spring up within you like the plants that grow in the springtime. Allow him to fill you with new life.

This is the secret to Lent. We all know that we are supposed to do penitential things during Lent, but it is easy to forget why we do these things. We do them so that God may warm our hearts, warm our relationship with him, and cause new life to spring up within us. So make your resolutions today and keep them, stick to your guns for 40 days and God will do great things within you. But, you need a concrete plan. We hear today from Jesus the blueprint of our Lenten plan. We all know that we are supposed to pray, fast, and give alms. Every single one of you should make a resolution in each one of these three camps. And, you should follow my simple rule for Lenten observances: it should be difficult enough to be a sacrifice, but simple enough that you can do it for 40 days.

Prayer: make a commitment to giving time to prayer. Make it concrete. Don't say: I want to pray more this year... That is not concrete enough. But, don't say: I'm going to make 6 Holy Hours per day... You will never get that done. A good commitment for High School kids is 10 minutes. Make a commitment this year to spend 10 minutes per day in the Chapel here at Marian. You could make it before school, after school, during lunch. Try to make a concrete commitment to a chunk of time and stick to it.

Fasting: we all know that this is where we give stuff up for Lent. What are you giving up for Lent? This is a pretty standard question during this time of year. Remember it should be difficult enough to be a sacrifice: you can't give up something you don't like! I'm giving up brussell sprouts and boiled cabbage... Ok that's not a sacrifice. But not too difficult: I'm eating nothing but bread and water.... Ok too hard probably find something in the middle. I great one for high school kids would be to give up texting or Facebook, video games or drinking pop. Find something that would be a challenge and stick to it, you will find great spiritual benefit from having a good fast.

Finally, giving of alms. Alms are money. Some of you have jobs, consider giving a portion of your paycheck each week to the poor. But, many of you don't have jobs. Consider supporting Eric's promise. This is a great way to live a simpler life, help the poor, and deepen your relationship with God.

Lent is a season for us. God gives it to us so that we might become more holy, which makes us happier people. Prayer helps us grow closer to God. Fasting helps us with self-denial, which we all need help with that. Almsgiving keeps us less attached to this world and we get to help the less fortunate at the same time. All of which will cause a new springtime in our lives where God will bless us with a new relationship with him. All we have to do is hear his voice calling to each one of us: return to me with your whole heart.

9th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A:

2011-03-05T11:20:00.001-08:00

Today in our second reading St. Paul speaks about faith and works! This issue of justification by faith or by works has been a contentious issue down through the centuries. We all know that this was one of Luther's biggest issues during the time of the Reformation. He contended that we cannot possibly be justified by our good works, because we are inclined to sin. Rather, we are justified by faith, meaning that God covers over our sinfulness by his own goodness. Our sin remains, says Luther, but we are justified by a gift of grace. Now, the Church has always taught that justification comes by a gift of grace. But, the Church has also taught that while we have certainly inherited original sin, we have concupiscence, which is the lasting effect of original sin, a disordered inclination toward sin. This inclination itself is not a sin. In other words, we might be inclined to sin, but we do not believe that we are fundamentally irreparable. In fact, the Good News of the gospel is that Christ can help us to overcome our sinfulness. He not only can forgive our sins, but through the power of grace won for us on the cross we can change, we can become holy people.

Just for a moment, think about your sins and shortcomings... We all have them! Wouldn't it be great to be rid of them forever! Wouldn't it be nice to have the power to overcome temptation, the power to reform our hearts? Today we read the last of the Sermon on the Mount. During the past several weeks we have been hearing Jesus' vision for the moral life. Jesus calls us to something new, something beautiful, and something terrifying. Jesus says, "you have heard it said that you shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy; but, I say whoever looks with lust commits adultery, whoever hates commits murder, love your neighbor and your enemy." I contend that this is what faith and works is all about.

Never once does Jesus say that the things we do no longer matter. He never says: you have heard it said do not steal, I say to you it is ok to steal so long as you are nice on the inside... He never says it is ok to sin so long as you have faith. Jesus calls us to overcome our sinfulness, to avoid those actions contrary to the law. Our works are certainly important: you are the light of the world, let your good deeds shine before all so that they might praise your heavenly Father. When Christ calls us to follow him, and make no mistake we have all received that call, he calls the whole person. It is impossible to be a follower of Christ only with our hearts, only with our external life. No, Christ wants the whole thing.

Now this is certainly a challenge, and we cannot do it alone. This is why Christ says that the one who listens to my words and acts on them is like the person who built his house on rock. Jesus Christ is the Word of God. Whoever takes in this Word and puts it into action will have a firm foundation for life. Faith and works! Take in the word of God, this feeds and strengthens our faith! Act on it, putting the word of God into action makes us into the kind of people we want to be. Carrying out little virtuous actions eventually makes us virtuous people. What a program for the moral life: take in my words and act on them.

Wednesday we begin the season of Lent. This is a privileged season of grace whereby we draw closer to the Lord through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving so that we might be better prepared to celebrate the great feast of Easter. The goal of Lent seems to be accomplished by listening to today's gospel: take in the word of God and put it into action. One great way to do this is by reading the Bible. If it has been a while since you've dusted off your Bible, maybe that would be a great observance for Lent: spend a few minutes a day reading the Bible. If you don't know where to begin, start with Matthew's gospel. He is our patron after all! The more you read the Bible the more you take in the word of God.

Also, make the Mass a big part of your plans for Lent. Every Mass is a chance for us to increase our faith. At every Mass we receive the body and blood of Christ, who is the Word of God. At every Mass we are commanded to Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. At every Mass we take in the Word of God and we act on it. So, here at the Mass we are building our house upon rock so that we will be ready for whatever storms our lives may throw at us.

Week 12 Audio

2011-02-28T14:55:00.001-08:00

Here is the audio to week 12.

8th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A:

2011-02-26T19:31:00.001-08:00

You cannot serve both God and Mammon. Mammon is an Aramaic word that means wealth or property. So, Jesus is giving us an important lesson today. We remember that we are still in the midst of the Sermon on the Mount. For the past many weeks Jesus has been telling us to avoid sin. We are supposed to rid ourselves of anger, lust, vengeance, and hatred for our enemies. I think we can all agree that these things are bad and that we should try to rid ourselves of them. But, today Jesus tells us something a bit different. Even things that are good, or at least neutral, can harm our relationship with God.

Go ahead, I dare you, try to live without money. Now there are many examples of people throughout the history of the Church who have taken vows of poverty, refusing to own anything. Think of St. Francis and St. Dominic who helped change the world because of their insistence on a simple life. There are still people in our world living out these same vows. Think of the Franciscan Sisters over in Mishawaka, I am constantly amazed by their simplicity and by their deep sense of Joy that comes from this simple life. But, this kind of life is not for everyone. Try to raise a family without money. How can you put food on the table, send your kids to school, and keep a roof over your head without money. Money is a tool, neither good nor bad. It is simply a tool that we should use on the more important things in life: food, clothing, housing, education, etc. But, Christ reminds us today that we can become so fixated on the tool, that it becomes an end in itself, and not a means. If money ever becomes an end, then we are lost. Money will become our Master: we can only have one Master, we cannot serve Christ if we are slaves to money.

Now you might be saying: no problem there! I'm not a slave to money. It is easy for us to hear Jesus' words today and think that he must be talking about those shady, money grubbing people we see in movies, the kind of people who would push an old lady down a flight of stairs to make money. Don't be so sure! This command is directed to every single one of us who has to live in the world. Jesus goes on to explain some of the ways people become enslaved by this passing world, he gives us four commands.

Do not worry about your life. I have met many people who live in constant fear of death, terrified that death is around the next corner. Do not worry about what you will eat or drink. I know I fall into this category! I love food, but our fascination with food can take us away from what really matters, Jesus Christ, who is the bread of life. Do not worry about your body. Here is a big one for us Americans. We are fixated on body image. But, being preoccupied with concerns of the body leads us away from Christ, which is why Christ commands us not to worry about the body. Finally, Jesus commands us not to worry about what we will wear. Clothing is essential. Especially here in South Bend where it seems like winter just goes on and on, but is it really worth the fuss we put into it? I can tell you that my life is pretty simple! I just get up and put on my black clerical outfit, which certainly makes my life easier.

There is a common thread in each of these commands: do not worry. Worrying is a sign that we are serving Mammon. I think all of us, from time to time, fall into worry. Many of us worry about the future: what will tomorrow bring, what will I do if something bad happens, what will I do if something good happens, etc? Jesus forbids us to worry because he wants us to trust in him. As we hear in Isaiah this morning, God never forgets us. Jesus reminds us "Your heavenly Father knows what you need." Put your trust in God, he will be with you tomorrow! Some of us worry about the past. Perhaps we have skeletons in our closet. We have sins and failings in the past that cause us anxiety. In the second reading Paul tells us, it does not concern me to be judged by any human court. Paul certainly had things in his past that were cause for worry: he persecuted the Church. But, he put his trust in God and refused to worry about the past, since he trusted in the Lord's mercy.

Jesus commands us not to worry. Perhaps this is the most difficult command he has ever given us. We have much to worry about, things in the past, things in the future. But, if Christ is going to be our Master, if we believe in him and want to be with him forever in the life to come, we have to trust in him. This is why we mustn't worry about the past, we mustn't worry about the future, we should only live today and live it in communion with Christ. This is why we continually come here to the Mass to celebrate the Holy Eucharist. It reminds us that we only have today to establish a relationship with Christ. We cannot worry about the past, it is gone. We cannot worry about the future, it will never be here. Today Christ is here in the Holy Eucharist and he asks you a simple question: Will you trust in me?

Week 11 Audio

2011-02-15T05:44:00.000-08:00

Here is the audio from week 11.

Handout for Tonight’s Class

2011-02-08T10:02:00.001-08:00

The following is a handout I've created for tonight's class where we will be discussing the Gifts of the Spirit. It helps to have a little definition for each of the gifts. So these are culled from Joseph Fitzmyer's 2008 Anchor Bible Commentary on 1^st Corinthians.

Gifts of the Spirit (pneumatikos) as found in 1 Corinthians Chapter 12 (quotes from Fitzmyer, 1 Corinthians, Anchor Yale Bible, 2008)

Utterance of Wisdom: would mean the power to communicate profound Christian truths to others, because Paul is not speaking merely of the internal gift, but the way it is manifested (Fitzmyer, 466).
Utterance of Knowledge: it is difficult to know what Paul means, how is knowledge different from wisdom. Perhaps, "knowledge may mean such elementary truths as knowing that 'an idol is nothing at all in this world'" (466)
Faith: not the same faith that is the response to the gospel; rather, "it is the 'faith to move mountains,' or perhaps 'a faith especially effective in sustaining others'" (466)
Gifts of healing: "'gifts' resulting in different kinds of cures" (467).
Working of mighty deeds: Grk: dynameis "is often used in the NT for the wondrous deeds or miracles of Jesus recounted in the Gospels" (467).
Prophecy: "dynamic, effective, and hortatory preaching of the gospel as a gift of the Spirit" (467)
Discernment of Spirits: "various abilities to evaluate and distinguish the origin of diverse promptings in life, whether they come from God, or Satan, or other human beings" (467).
Kinds of Tongues: perhaps one of the most difficult for us to understand. Two basic possibilities:
- "As utterances made outside the normal pattern of intelligible speech, sometimes translated as 'ecstatic utterance.'
- "Foreign, unintelligible human utterances," i.e. foreign languages.

5th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A:

2011-02-05T11:12:00.001-08:00

You are the light of the world; you are salt of the earth. Today as Jesus continues his Sermon on the Mount he gives us some insight into what it means to be Christian. We are to be salt and light, and as salt we cannot become flavorless, and as light we cannot be hidden. Both of these images give us a clue into our relationship with the world at large.

First, salt is and was used as a seasoning. Alton Brown, one of my favorite TV chefs, says that all of cooking is just a matter of managing heat and salt. In recent years, salt has taken a bit of a PR hit, being blamed for high blood pressure and heart disease. But, the fact remains that we like salt. It adds depth and flavor to our food. My Mom is a huge salt fanatic. In fact she always says that French Fries were invented because it looks strange to eat salt and ketchup with a spoon. We are the salt of the earth. So we are supposed to give the world flavor. The culture we live in should benefit by our presence as food benefits from a dash of salt. This means that Christians are not supposed to be drab and boring. Rather, Christians are called to be exciting and engaging. Some of the greatest poets, novelist, actors, athletes, and musicians have been Catholics. However, in our modern times it seems that much of what makes our culture interesting has become primarily a secular domain. This is not right. We should see culture as a place where a Christian imagination can flourish. So, we should not abandon our uniqueness because we are Catholic; rather, it should be used to give flavor to the culture.

There was a second use for salt in the days past. Before the invention of the refrigerator, salt was used as a preservative. Meat, when placed in a barrel of salt, would keep through the year. So, just as we are supposed to provide flavor to the culture, I think we should also work to preserve what is good in the world. People will often say to me: "Father, this world is really going down the tubes." In many ways this might be correct, but we should not abandon the world, but we should work to make the world a better place. Jesus calls us the salt of the earth, so we should give the culture a genuine flavor and preserve culture by defend what is right.

Still, Jesus does not end there. He also calls us to be light of the world. Let your light shine before all so that they might see your good works and give glory to God. Our first reading today tells us a few ways that we can make this happen: share your bread with the hungry, give shelter to the homeless, clothe the naked, do not turn your back on those who need you etc. Jesus commands us to be the light of the world. That means that an essential part of our baptismal vocation to holiness is the care of others. On the day of our baptism we all received a lit candle (or our Godparents received it for us) and we heard: receive the light of Christ. This light, which represents the presence of God dwelling within us, was not given for our enjoyment. Rather, Christ is the light of the world. He longs to shine into the darkness. However, he has chosen to use us as his instruments. His light will shine into the world, but he decided to have the light shine through his disciples. Christ's light will only shine if it comes through us.

Jesus places some serious demands upon us today. As the salt of the earth, we are called to flavor and preserve authentic culture. As the light of the world, we are to shine the light of Christ into the dark places. Both of these metaphors seem to imply certain actions. Yet, we must remember one simple fact. Before salt can be used to flavor something, it first must have flavor. A candle must be lit before it can cast light into the room. For us to be salt and light, we must first come into contact with Christ. Our relationship with Christ must be the seasoning of our lives. Hopefully your relationship with Christ is what gives your life meaning and direction. Very often, I think we get the impression that Christianity is a matter of avoiding mortal sins. Certainly it is important to avoid mortal sins, but the simple avoidance of sin is a bland existence. We are supposed to be full of flavor, we only get that with a living and vital relationship with Christ, which is fed by our daily prayer. St Paul tells us in the Second Reading that he was resolved to know nothing but Christ and him crucified. What a beautiful way to describe the necessary relationship with Christ. Do you know Christ? Do you know what it means that he was crucified? Have you experienced that love for yourself? Only when we do that can we expect to be good for anything else. Only if we have flavor, only if we have received light from Christ, can we give flavor, give light.

I think this is what the sacraments do for us. On the day of our baptism we received the light of Christ and here at this Mass we receive the Holy Eucharist. We come in contact with Christ, he fills us so that we might have something to offer the rest of the world.

Week 10 Audio

2011-02-05T04:51:00.001-08:00

Here is the audio for week 10. Even in the midst of the blizzard, we continued our journey through 1st Corinthians.

Audio for Week 9

2011-02-01T15:09:00.000-08:00

Here is the audio for week 9 of the Bible Study.
God bless,
Fr Jake

4th Sunday of Ordinary Time

2011-01-30T05:23:00.001-08:00

Today Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount. It is interesting to note that we will be reading this sermon every Sunday all the way until Lent. The Sermon on the Mount is the largest continuous block of Jesus' teaching. In many ways it compares to the Law of Moses, and with good reason. We see that in the first sentence Jesus goes up the mountain, and he sits down. Going up the mountain is a way to remind the reader of Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Law. Jesus however, does not receive the law, he gives the law. So, Jesus is the new Moses, and the law he gives is a new law.

It seems to me that these beatitudes we hear today compare to the 10 commandments of Moses. Many of us, however, can get the wrong impression of these beatitudes. Where the commandments give an instruction: thou shall not. The beatitudes make a statement: blessed are you. Some of these beatitudes sound like the kind of things we are supposed to do: we are supposed to be merciful, we are supposed to be peacemakers. But, I don't think that Jesus is telling us to go out and mourn, to go out and get persecuted. So what are these beatitudes all about?

When we hear the word blessed, makarioi in the Greek, I think many of us think of this as an emotional state. However, the Greek word means something more like fortunate. It refers to an objective situation. We might translate it in our colloquial English as lucky. Lucky are they who win the lottery. Lucky are they who survive crashes, etc. At first, this might actually make Jesus' words more difficult to understand. Lucky are those who mourn? Fortunate those who are persecuted? What is Jesus getting at here?

Jesus is re-envisioning the law. But, if we think of the law in isolation all we think about are the commands, not the context. Why did God give the law in the first place? It was based upon a relationship. You will be my people and I will be your God. The law explains to the people how they are to maintain their relationship with God. Do you want to be God's people? Follow these commands. The same thing is true with the Beatitudes, they provide a context for a relationship with Christ. However, these beatitudes do not prescribe external conduct, the 10 Commandments in the Old Testament do that for us. Rather, these new commandments, from the new Moses, tell us about internal disposition. Each of these beatitudes tell us of a way that we can either be like Christ or they tell us of a situation where we need to call out to Christ. Poor in Spirit, you are like Christ who did not hesitate to eat with tax collectors and sinners. Mourning, call out to Christ in the midst of your pain and you will find comfort in the Gospel. Meek, you will be like Jesus who did not retaliate to suffering and crucifixion. Hunger and thirst for righteousness, you will be like Jesus who drove the money-changers from the temple. Merciful, you will be like Jesus who on the cross said: Father, forgive them… Clean of heart, you will be like Christ who said to the woman caught in adultery "neither do I condemn you." Peacemaker, you will be like Christ who came to overcome sin and division. Persecuted or insulted, you will be like Christ who was persecuted, and you should call on Christ in the midst of your difficulty.

Truly, blessed are they, fortunate are they, because they will have a relationship with Christ. You notice that each of these beatitudes come with a promise. These promises explain to us what it means to have a relationship with Christ: we will receive the Kingdom, comfort, inheritance, satisfaction, mercy, and the sight of God, not as objectively quantifiable goods, but as fruits that flow from communion with Christ.

How fortunate we are indeed! We are Christians! We have been baptized into Christ. We share a unique relationship with him. We are the Body of Christ. Nowhere is this more evident than here at the Mass. Today, in a few moments, we will come forward and receive Holy Communion, we will receive the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ. Christ's list of beatitudes is full and complete. But, in the history of the Church we have added another one that we say at every Mass. Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, blessed are they who are called to his supper.

Audio Files

2011-01-24T18:56:00.000-08:00

Here are the audio files for week 7 and for week 8. Sorry about the delay I got sort of side tracked.

2011-01-21T06:39:00.001-08:00

3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time:

Today in the gospel, Jesus proclaims the good news of the Kingdom. Jesus announces to the whole world that the kingdom of God is at hand. The proclamation of the kingdom is absolutely central to the very message of the gospel itself. Jesus Christ is the son of God, he came to seek out and restore what was lost. He came to overcome sin and death and inaugurate in his own body the resurrection of everlasting life. This is what the kingdom is all about. The necessary condition for entering into this kingdom is repentance.

This word repent is a word easy to say, hard to live out. When we think of repentance we often think about Lent or about penitential actions, and while it seems like mortification is always included in repentance, the word has a more basic meaning. Our word repentance is used to translate the Hebrew word shuv. The basic meaning of this word is to turn back. If I wanted to say that I was going to the store but had to turn around I would use this word. Isn't it interesting to think about repentance in this way? To repent means to turn around. If we think about sin as wandering away from God, the solution is to turn around and head back to him. Again, this is easy to say, hard to do. To turn back to God means to leave behind our selfishness, it means to leave behind our sinfulness. In fact, it means that we leave behind our former way of living, and we turn to follow Christ. Those first disciples in the gospel today show us precisely what it means to repent: they followed Christ. They left behind their former way of life and decided to spend the rest of their lives with Jesus. The same is true for all disciples of Jesus, including all of us.

Why would they do it? Why should we do it? Why follow Christ when it seems to cost us so much? Christ is the light of the world. It is a beautiful passage quoted today in the gospel: the people in darkness have seen a great light. Darkness, in the Bible, is a symbol for ignorance, it is a symbol for chaos, and it is a symbol for emptiness. To say that Christ is the light of the world means that he overcomes these things. Christ is a cure for our ignorance, for he reveals to us the loving Father and makes known to us the saving commands. Christ overcomes the chaos that reigns as a result of sin, we think of him as he walked on the water and told the storm to be quiet as powerful reminders of Christ's sovereignty over the chaos of the world. Christ is the light that fills the darkness. In the book of Genesis we hear that at the beginning there was only chaos and darkness, and God said let there be light. He is the fullness that enlightens the emptiness of our existence. To find Christ means to find meaning and fulfillment

The light is true, persuasive, and beautiful. St. Paul tells us in the second reading today that the gospel he preached was without fancy rhetoric or human wisdom. The gospel is not a trick, the gospel is not a system of thought. The Gospel is Jesus Christ. The Gospel is Christ Crucified, a proclamation of the love of God for the human race. This is certainly a bright light, this is certainly attractive. We should feel ourselves drawn to this light. What else is there? The reason why the apostles left everything to follow Jesus should be our reason as well: when we meet Jesus we find the fulfillment of our deepest longings.

Every one of us longs for the light. Instinctively, we all want the knowledge, order, and fullness that can only come from Christ. We all want to be in the light. Many of us have tried the darkness and found it wanting. Now we seek the light. Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. Turn to the light of the world, Jesus Christ, especially in this Holy Eucharist.

2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A

2011-01-16T03:20:00.001-08:00

Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. These words from this morning's gospel are quite familiar to us. At one of the most powerful moments of the Mass, right before the reception of Holy Communion, we all gaze upon the Eucharist and hear these words. Using these words when we do, we make a powerful connection between Jesus Christ, the crucified one, and the Holy Eucharist. The same Jesus who was born of the Virgin Mary and who offered himself for the salvation of the world becomes present on the altar and offered as a pleasing sacrifice to "take away the sins of the world." However, this can be one of those phrases that we say so often that we sometimes might fail to ponder their meaning. What does it mean to say that Jesus is the lamb of God, and what does it mean to say he takes away the sins of the world?

A lamb is a sacrificial image. Recall that in the Old Testament God's people would offer sacrifice in the temple. They would take the best of what they had from their livestock or their harvest and offer it to God as a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Yet, another reason they would sacrifice animals was as a reparation for sin. Especially on the day of Atonement, the people would make a sin offering. The imagery is profound: the people would take two goats. Upon one goat they would lay all the sins of the people, and send it out into the desert. The other goat they would sacrifice in reparation. The two goats are important. The first one was sent away as a way of getting rid of the sin itself. If all the sins were placed upon the animal, and the animal sent away, it would take the sins with it. The second was offered in reparation, as a way to apologize for sin. These sin offerings, meaningful as they were, were symbols of expiation. We believe that these offerings could not actually take away sin. The essence of what was needed to take away sin was there, namely a perfect offering in reparation for sin, and a destruction of sin itself. However, an animal cannot suffice because it was not an animal that sinned in the first place.

Enter the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. Jesus is no vicarious offering. Jesus is no lamb standing in place of the human race. Jesus does not come as an outsider. Rather, Jesus comes as one like us in all things but sin. Jesus is fully human. When Jesus freely offers himself on the cross he fulfills the two aspects of sin offering. As the unblemished Lamb without sin, his self-offering is a perfect act of reparation. His offering in obedience to the Father makes up for our sinful disobedience from the time of Adam to the last day. He makes reparation, he repairs the damage caused by sin by his own self-gift. Second, by becoming fully human Jesus takes upon himself our weakness, our sinfulness. Though he never sinned himself, Jesus takes our sin upon him. We saw this last week when Jesus was baptized in the Jordan. By plunging into the water, he repented for all of us. So, all the sin of humanity is taken by Jesus and destroyed, when he dies upon the cross. Unlike the lamb in the temple, the cross is not a symbolic sacrifice; but Jesus, fully God and fully human, is able to take away the sin of the world.

The Eucharist is the same sacrifice. We believe and profess that the Eucharist is the same sacrifice of Christ on the Cross presented in a new and unbloody way. Every time we celebrate this sacrament we remember the sacrifice of Christ, who took our sins upon us and offered a perfect sacrifice in reparation for sin. No wonder, then, at every Mass we repeat the words of St. John: Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

Baptism of the Lord, Year A

2011-01-09T07:16:00.001-08:00

Every year the Church celebrates the Birth of Jesus. This is the great feast of Christmas. We have been celebrating it non-stop all of these last days. Today, however, is the last day in the Christmas season, the baptism of the Lord. I think it is quite interesting that the Church ends Christmas season with the feast of the baptism of the Lord.

The first reason we do this, I think, is plainer: the Baptism of the Lord marks the end of the first part of Jesus' life and marks the beginning of his public ministry. Jesus baptism is a bridge between the feast of Christmas, which recalls the Birth of the Lord, and Ordinary time, which recalls his ministry of preaching, teaching, and healing. So as we celebrate this feast of the Baptism of the Lord we are bringing the early part of the Lord's life to completion and we begin to reflect on the ministry of Jesus.

However, I think there is a more subtle reason why we recall the baptism of the Lord during the last day of Christmas. Christmas is the feast of the Lord's birth, but even more I think it is the feast of the incarnation itself: the great mystery of God's love. God so loved the world that he sent his Son to save us. Because we could not return to God, God came to us, and not as an outsider, but as fully human, Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, fully man and fully God. So, the baptism of the Lord is a good place for us to reflect on the incarnation.

As fully God, Jesus had no need for repentance, for he had no sin. So when Jesus goes into the water he blesses the water with his presence. In fact, many writers in the history of the Church have seen the Lord's baptism as the conferral of power onto water so that Christian baptism would be possible. We see an image of this at the Easter vigil, where the Paschal Candle, a symbol for Christ, is lowered into the water as a way to bless the water that will be used for baptism. Also, as fully human, Jesus takes us all with him into the waters. Jesus, who needs no repentance, repents for all of us. He takes our sin and our brokenness upon himself, buries it in the Jordan River and brings this repentance to completion on the Cross. So at the Lord's baptism we see that Jesus, as fully God, brings a new power to the waters of earth, and, as fully human, takes our sins and shortcomings upon himself.

However, I have always found strange is the fact that Jesus receives the Holy Spirit. The dove descends upon Jesus and it says that he is filled with the Spirit. Wouldn't Jesus have already been full of the Holy Spirit, I mean he is fully God. He is the second person of the Blessed Trinity, which means that he is always fully in communion with the Father and the Spirit at all times. Why would the Spirit descend? Earlier this week in the Office of Readings, St. Cyril of Alexandria proposed a beautiful interpretation. The Spirit came upon Jesus not because he needed it, but because we need it. When the Spirit descends upon Jesus it enters into humanity.

So, when we celebrate the baptism of the Lord it prepares us for Ordinary time, it marks the beginning of the public ministry of Christ, which is culminated in the Cross. It is also a profound reflection on the mystery we have been celebrating, namely the Incarnation of Christ, where God becomes human so that humans might return to God. Jesus was baptized in the Jordan today, not because he needed it, but because we need it. Jesus receives the Spirit today not because he needed it, but because we need it. And we gather today to worship God not because he needs it, but because we need it.

Epiphany 2011 Year A

2011-01-02T05:39:00.001-08:00

The word Epiphany means manifestation or appearance. This word gives us a valuable insight into the nature of this feast, the mystery that we celebrate. While we usually think about the Magi, Epiphany is about the appearance of Christ. The Church has historically pointed to three different events and pondered each of them during this celebration: the appearance of the magi but also the wedding feast at Cana and the baptism of the Lord. All three of these events manifest the mystery of Christ.

Also, each of these events led to faith and belief. The manifestation of Christ leads to a relationship with God. Sight leads to belief. But what was seen at each of these encounters?

First, the magi followed the star. However, when it stops over the place where Jesus was what do we hear? "On entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage." What they saw was the child with his mother, yet they were moved to give worship to the child. There is something more than simple sight here.

In the wedding feast at Cana we hear that Jesus turns water into wine as his first sign. At the end of the passage we hear "Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him." What they saw was water becoming wine, yet it led to their faith. Again there is something more than simple sight here.

At the baptism of the Lord, which will have its own feast next Sunday, Jesus goes into the water. When he comes up from the water we hear "the heavens were opened (for him), and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove (and) coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."" What was seen was a dove in the skies; but, again, there is something more than simple sight going on here.

In each of the stories something is seen; yet, in each of the stories something more than what can simple be seen is perceived. The magi see a child, but it is the son of God. The disciples see wine, but it is proof of the power of Christ. Jesus sees a dove, but this is the Holy Spirit. In each case something is seen, but something more is seen as well. One interesting way to pray with these gospels is to ask ourselves what we would have seen. If we had been with the magi, if we were with the disciples, if we were on the shores of the Jordan, what would we have seen? Would we have been limited by our simple human sight or would these events have inspired faith? Could we have seen through these appearances and recognize them for what they are, epiphanies of God, appearances of the Divine? To be able to recognize the presence of God in the midst of what looks mundane and ordinary is a critical skill that we must develop.

What is a good word for this skill? How about behold? This is one of St. Matthew's favorite words. He uses it 29 times in the gospel, including twice in today's reading. Behold the Magi came from the east, and behold the star preceded them. This word seems to be one of the favorites of the gospels to speak about seeing: they beheld that star; but, also that deeper seeing: they saw the child and did him homage. We continue to need this kind of seeing today. God continues to reveal himself in our lives. There are many times when we can behold his presence among us, especially here at Mass.

Many of you know that we will be implementing a new translation of the Roman Missal in November. Many of the phrases we have been using will be changed to reflect more accurately the original Latin text. One such prayer is the Ecce Agnus Dei. You know that right before we receive communion there is a little prayer: This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. The actual Latin word used here is Ecce, which is properly translated behold, and is the same word used to translate the word St. Matthew used 29 times in the gospel. So, starting in November, what you will hear is Behold the Lamb of God. When we see the Eucharist what we see looks like bread and wine, but to those who can behold the deeper truth, it is the Body and Blood of Christ. Today we celebrate the epiphany of God, the manifestation of Jesus Christ, but every Mass is truly an epiphany, a manifestation of the Divine for those who have eyes to see it. When we participate in this Holy Eucharist become like the magi, we behold the Lamb of God and we give him homage.

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God Year A 2011:

2011-01-01T07:43:00.001-08:00

Today we complete the octave of Christmas. So, it is certainly true that we are continuing to celebrate the incarnation, the birth of the Son of God. When Jesus becomes human he takes on every aspect of our existence. Today we even hear that he was circumcised and named on the 8^th day.

On this 8^th day of the Octave of Christmas, we also remember and venerate Mary, the Mother of God. As we do so, the Church gives us the story of the shepherds, who are certainly images for us. We hear that they went in search of Jesus. But, I find it quite interesting how the writer of the gospel puts it, Matthew says: they searched for Jesus, and they found Mary and Joseph… and the Child Jesus. I think this paints a beautiful picture of Marian devotion for us. We should all be searching for Jesus. If we find Mary, we will find Jesus. Devotion to the Mother of God is not something secondary or optional. Christ the Lord gave Mary to us as our Mother, she, in turn, always leads us to her Son. Authentic Marian devotion, then, has to be a part of our lives.

As I said, though, this devotion should be authentic. There can certainly be abuses and excesses in Marian devotion. How do we keep our devotion authentic? Let me give you 4 principles which come from Paul VI's exhortation Marialis Cultus. Authentic Marian devotion should be Christological, Scriptural, Liturgical (or ecclesial), and Sensitive.

First, Marian devotion should be Christological. Our relationship with Mary should always lead us closer to Christ. One sign of troublesome Marian devotion is devotion that never mentions Jesus. It is certainly true that Mary is our advocate and guide. It is certainly true that Mary is our Mother and that she watches over us. But, Mary is our mother because she is the Mother of Christ. She is our advocate, because she is in communion with her Divine Son. Our devotion and prayers to Mary should always refer to Christ. The great Iconographers get this correct when the depict Mary and Jesus, Mary is always pointing to Christ.

Second, our devotion should be Scriptural. In the stories of the Bible we find a wealth of matter for our contemplation. A great way to grow closer to Christ with the help of Mary is to contemplate her stories. Put yourself there when she said yes to the Angel. Ask her what it was like to hold the infant Christ in her arms. The Church has recognized many apparitions of our Lady through the years, Fatima, Guadalupe, etc. But, these apparitions of Mary should never take the place of the Gospels. If you want to find Jesus by having a relationship with Christ, read and contemplate the gospels with Mary.

Third, devotion to our Lady should be Liturgical and ecclesial. By this I mean that you will find many varying ideas about Mary. Be careful! We should be careful if we are always looking for secret and private revelations or apparitions of Mary. Some of these are no doubt authentic. But, the only way to guarantee authentic devotion is to stick to those things approved by the Church. This is why it is so important to celebrate the Marian feast days with so much vigor. Today is a solemnity of the Mother of God, which is why we have gathered here to worship God, which is certainly authentic devotion.

Lastly, our Marian devotion should be sensitive. On the one hand this means that we should not purposely drive away non-Catholics by our devotion to Mary. However, on the other hand, what an amazing gift we can give to a non-Catholic Christian! Try to find sensitive ways to share with others your devotion to the Mother of God.

By authentic devotion to the Mother of God we, like the shepherds, find the person of Jesus. Mary wants nothing more than to show us her son. In a special way, as we celebrate this Mass, we ask Mary to help our faith, to help us grow closer to her son who is Christ and Emmanuel: Hail Mary…

Feast of the Holy Family 2010

2010-12-26T06:24:00.001-08:00

Today we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family. This reminds us that when the Father sent his Son to be with us (Emmanuel) he sent him as a little child, born of the Virgin, raised by St. Joseph, his foster-father. It seems perfectly natural to us to see this manger scene here with Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. But, this is really a great mystery!

Why did God send his Son into a family? The eternal Word of the Father is not bound by human structures. God did not have to become Man by being born into a family. Christ could have just descended upon a cloud. The fact that Jesus becomes human in a family tells us something: God loves the family. When the Word becomes man he does so in the midst of a communion of persons, the human family. John Paul II left us quite a few blessings, once such, I think, is his theology of the Body. This theology of the Body is complex but if there is one underlying theme it's that we are made in God's image and likeness, God is a communion of life and love, therefore, we fulfill our design most completely when we are living in a communion of life and love. In other words, we are made in God's image and likeness and we fulfill this no more perfectly than when we are living in families. God loves the family, and sent his son to live in the midst of a family because the family is meant to be a reflection of the very life and love of the Trinity. Now, I don't know about you and your family, but my family never quite lives up to this billing. But, this is the idea! We are supposed to be an image of the Trinity in the world. How do we get there? How do we get our families to become if not THE Holy Family, then at least A holy family?

St. Paul gives us some insight. I know that we might all instantly focus in on what he says about being subordinate. Many of us bristle at this line, and for good reason. We know that domination goes against our fundamental freedom as God's children. But, if we jump straight to that line we don't hear how this order comes about. Earlier in the reading Paul says: Put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. He says this way before the bit about subordination. Just imagine if every person in the family was full of compassion, kindness, and humility. I don't think anyone would be afraid of subordination if we were all full of these fundamental virtues.

How can we grow in these virtues as families? We should look to the Holy Family as a model for us. What made the Holy Family possible? First, the Holy Family would not have been possible without trust. Mary trusted in the message of Gabriel and Christ was conceived. Joseph trusted in the angel and the family was preserved from danger. What a great lesson for us, we must put our trust in the Lord, allow him to be the one to lead your family. Second, the Holy Family would not exist without Christ. It is the person of Jesus dwelling in the midst of the Holy Family that makes it Holy, invite Christ into your life as a family. Make the home a place of prayer and Sunday Mass an anchor for the whole family.

There has only been one "Holy Family." As for the rest of us, we all have problems. But, Christ was sent into the midst of the human family to help us overcome the shortcomings in our families. We must believe and trust in the power of Christ to overcome all sin and division, even and especially, in the midst of our human families.

Today this feast of the Holy Family teaches us about God's love for the family which is also meant to be a reflection of God's love in the world. We see that the family should be governed by love and compassion. Finally, we see the Holy Family as our model, because they trusted in God and kept Christ in the center of their lives. May it be so for our families as well.

2010-12-24T22:54:00.001-08:00

Christmas 2010 Mass at Dawn:

The Feast of Christmas, the birth of Christ, is such a grand feast in the Church that we celebrate it at not only one Mass, but actually there are 4 different Masses for Christmas. Each of these Masses has their own prayers and readings. At this Mass we are celebrating the Mass at Dawn. There are also the vigil Mass, which anticipates the birth of Christ, the Mass at Night, which celebrates the Birth of Christ, and the Mass of the day which reflects on the impact of the birth of Christ. This Mass at dawn reminds us of those first moments in the life of Christ. Listen again to the words of our opening prayer: Father, we are filled with the new light by the coming of your Word among us. This Mass at dawn is held during the first moments of the day as the new light breaks over the horizon. The new light of this day helps to remind us of the new light of Christ that came into the world the first Christmas morning. At this Mass we relive, so to speak, that first morning when Christ, the light of the world, was born for us and to us.

As we listen to the gospel today, it seems to me that we are like the shepherds. They are types or images for us. Shepherds were common, ordinary people. But when we reflect upon the Christmas story we hear that even when the great king Herod was unwilling to accept the birth of the new king, the humble, poor shepherds believed the message. So we should see ourselves as the shepherds in the Gospel. If we do so, we will see many similarities between our lives and the lives of those shepherds.

The gospel tells us that angels appeared to these shepherds and told them the good news about the birth of Jesus. The same thing is true for us as well. When we think of angels we normally think of the celestial, spiritual beings who are servants of God, and rightly so. Now these angels we may have never seen. However, the word angel comes from the Greek angelos which simply means messenger. So the shepherds heard about the good news of the birth of the savior because messengers made it known to them. The same is true of us. None of us would be here if it weren't for the work of some messengers. None of us would know the first thing about Jesus if it were not for the work of someone who spread the message.

After the angels left the shepherds, they had to make a decision. What would they do next? If the message of the angels is true, the shepherds had to go looking for Jesus. If we believe that the child born in the manger is God, we must look for him. If we believe that this child grew up and proclaimed the good news of salvation, we must look for him. If we believe that he suffered and died on our behalf to take upon himself the sins of us all, we must look for him. If we believe the he rose again and that we too can overcome sin and death by the power of this resurrection, we must look for him. We have to search for him. The shepherds in the story heard the message, they believed the message, but knew that was not enough, they needed to find Jesus. This became their focus, nothing else mattered. It says they went in haste to find Mary, Joseph, and the infant in the manger.

The same is true for us. If we believe the good news, if it inspires within us a desire to follow Jesus, we have to go looking for him. There are many places where we find Him. We find him here at church, we believe that when the Christian community gathers together Christ is in our midst. We find Jesus when we pray, or when we serve others. But, most of all we find Jesus when we approach the manger.

What is a manger? It is a place where the animals eat. This is not a coincidence. We continue to look for Jesus at a place where we eat: this altar is such a place. Having heard the good news, believing it, and knowing that we now need to find Jesus, there is no better place to look than this altar. Right here on this altar, this manger, we find Jesus really and truly present in the holy Eucharist. This is the place where we meet Christ.

So, we have heard the message about Jesus, we look for him, and we find him in this Holy Eucharist. However, we cannot forget the last step. Once the shepherds heard the message, believed it, looked for Jesus, and found him, there was one last thing that they did: they told others. This good news was so amazing that they knew they couldn't keep it to themselves. Rather, everyone needed to hear about this good news. We too have a responsibility and we should have the desire to share this good news with others. We do this by what we say, sure. But, we also do this by our example.

It seems to me that our lives as disciples of Jesus is presented to us by this story of the shepherds. This story takes place after the birth of Jesus. We live after the birth of Jesus. The shepherds were sent messengers who told them of the good news, we have heard this message from others. They believed this message, which made them search for the lord. We too believe and realize that if this good news is true we must follow Christ. They found Jesus lying in a manger, we find him here on this altar. Once they found Christ, they told everyone else about him. When we meet Jesus here at this Mass the last words we hear are: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Merry Christmas to all of you, and may God bless you.

Bible Study Week 6 Audio

2010-12-13T09:36:00.001-08:00

Here is the audio for week 6 of the Bible Study.

Also, just a reminder that we will not be having Bible study for the next several weeks for a bit of a Christmas break. God bless,
Fr Jake

Audio for Eucharist Talk

2010-12-12T09:21:00.000-08:00

Wow, I cannot believe it is Sunday already!!! Sorry I haven't gotten this audio online already. Here is the audio from our talks on the Eucharist.

Joy

2010-12-12T04:02:00.001-08:00

3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A:

Rejoice in the Lord always, I say it again, Rejoice: the Lord is near. This is the opening antiphon for today's Mass, which is why we call this Gaudete Sunday, Latin for rejoice. It is one of only two days during the Church year that we wear pink or rose colored vestments, which are symbols of joy. You may wonder where we get this color. The color of Advent, and Lent, is purple, the color of penance. And, we wear white during Christmas and Easter as a sign of our joy. The pink vestment is a mixture between purple and white. It reminds us that even in the midst of our time of preparation, we should not forget the joy of the approaching feast of Christmas. Rejoice in the Lord always, I say it again rejoice. This is a season of Joy.

I've always loved Advent. When I was little, I loved it for 2 reasons. First, because it meant I was closer to getting presents! There was nothing quite as exciting as opening a stack of presents on Christmas morning. Also, I loved it because I knew that when Advent began, Christmas vacation was not far behind. So these were the two reasons I loved Advent: school would be over soon and I would get my grubby little paws on some presents. These were not the best of motives, but they did make me love Advent.

But, something can happen to us the older we get. Sometimes we lose some of that sense of anticipation. Part of that is natural, of course. I mean if we look at what causes us that sense of joy and anticipation when we are little, much of that is gone. There is not always a pile of presents under the tree, nor do we all get a long vacation at Christmas time. Instead, for many of us Advent becomes a time of worry and anxiety. It is filled with trips, parties, shopping, and bad weather, all of which can lead to stress. How can we renew our sense of Joy and anticipation during the season of Advent? How can we heed the command of Gaudete Sunday to rejoice in the Lord always?

Our readings give us some insight. In the book of Isaiah we hear about many wonderful things. We hear about exaltation, joyful singing, the strengthening of our hands and hearts, the eyes of the blind opened, and the ears of the deaf being opened as well. When will these wonderful things happen? These things will happen when the Lord comes with salvation for his people. Jesus tells us in the gospel that this has already taken place. Jesus has already come into the world: he has already opened the eyes of the blind, healed the deaf, and made the crippled whole. We should be joyful because we remember that Christ has already come with salvation for his people.

So, while I might have been filled with joy at the prospect of presents and a vacation when I was little, how much more should we be filled with joy if we remember what Advent is all about? Jesus Christ has come with salvation for his people. This is certainly a stressful and difficult time for many of us. There is much to do and there are many responsibilities. But, if we can keep the coming of the Lord as our focus, our joy will be great.

For many of us, all this talk of joy can ring hollow. With my work in the confessional I know that many of us are hurting, many of us face problems in our lives, problems in our family, moral problems, financial problems, etc. Hearing me talk about joy might make you think that joy is something that we can just create out of thin air, that it is some kind of bubbly or Pollyannaish denial of the harsh reality of life. Rather, I would say that joy is a gift from God. We cannot create joy by our own willing it. If you are feeling a lack of joy in your life, pray to God for the gift of joy. Also, joy is not simply bubbly enthusiasm. Rather, joy is the quiet confidence that in the midst of our crazy lives Christ has already won, that Jesus, who was born of Mary, suffered and died, but rose for the sake of our salvation.

The command of our opening antiphon this morning (rejoice in the Lord always) is really a command to ponder the truth of the gospel. To acknowledge the fact that the Lord truly comes to save us. As a kid I may have been motivated by presents and vacations. It is not so different now. The gift is the person of Christ, truly made present even now in the Holy Eucharist, and the vacation we await is the salvation Christ won for us on the cross.

Homily for Marian High School on the feast of the Immaculate Conception

2010-12-07T18:36:00.001-08:00

Immaculate Conception December 8^th 2010:

Today we celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Conception. This is the title given to our Lady to denote the fact that she was conceived without any stain of sin. This title also tells us that she was preserved from sin he whole life. This dogma of the Immaculate Conception has been around in the history of the Church for thousands of years and it was finally made an official teaching of the Church in 1854 by Blessed Pius IX.

However, when it comes to a teaching like this, many of us believe it without problem, but we can often wonder: why does it really matter? How does the Immaculate Conception of Mary make a difference in my life? Why did the Church decide it needed to go out and declare this teaching?

It got me thinking, you know it's amazing what we can get used to! There are so many situations in the world where there are terrible things going on and people have just plain gotten used to it. You all know, I'm sure because you go to Marian and we try to tell you about this, that a majority of the people in this world barely have enough to eat, have difficulty finding clean water, do not have access to things like electricity, or indoor plumbing, much less American essentials like internet and HDTV. But, we just get used to people being poor, and it makes little difference to us. Every year millions of babies die from a terrible disease. You might be thinking that I'm talking about abortion, but not really. Abortion is a symptom, the disease is the fundamental disorder in our Western approach to sexuality. As a nation, we seem to have forgotten the importance of chastity and the role of sex within marriage. The result is catastrophic: abortion, rape, pornography, diseases like AIDS, and even unwanted pregnancies, but as a nation it seems that we have gotten used to this. How many of us might be guilty of absorbing the culture's understanding of sexuality and the human body?

Perhaps the most stunning thing that we have gotten used to is death itself. Human beings were not made to die. Any time we encounter death among our friends or family, we feel their loss and we experience pain. Why? Because, death is not natural. But we have gotten so used to death, that we call it natural.

When we look around it is easy to think that the evil of sin or the evil of death is just natural. I mean we see it everywhere, so it must be right, it must be natural. The good news of the gospel is that sin and death are not natural!

Why does the Immaculate Conception matter? It is proof that the good news of the gospel is true. Mary is a bright, shining light in a world often tinted in darkness. She shows us that a human person can exist in a state of holiness. She shows us that human person can exist without sin, through her assumption she shows us that a human person can already live a life with God. Mary is for us hope! She shows us that we don't have to put up with sin, we don't have to put up with death.

How does this happen? How is Mary conceived without Sin? Our gospel tells us that answer. How does the Angel greet Mary? He doesn't say Hail Mary, like we say in the prayer. He actually says, Hail, full of grace. This title for Mary tells us exactly how Mary lived without sin: she was full of grace. There was no room in her for darkness because she was completely filled with God's light, God's goodness, in a word, Grace. What about all of us? Mary was filled with grace from the first moment of her existence. We are filled with grace gradually over time. Yet, it is the same grace, the same loving presence of God that can transform our darkness into his own light. We can never settle for sin. We can never settle for our darkness. We can never buy into the lie that we are made for sin, that sin is natural. It is not natural and it harms us. Mary shows us that we can live without sin. Human nature is compatible with grace, we just have to be open to it.

Mary did not make herself full of grace. God did the work in her. God continues to do this work in us. Every time a baby or adult is baptized, God is going this work. Every time we go to confession, God is doing this work. Every time a person is confirmed, a couple is married, a sick person is anointed, a man is ordained a priest, God is doing this work. In a few moments we will receive the Holy Eucharist, where God will continue to do this work. Mary experienced being full of grace from the first moment of our existence. We will not experience being full of grace until our last moment, in the Kingdom when it comes in its fullness. But, this does not mean that we settle for mediocrity and sin. Rather, with the help of God's grace, especially in the sacraments, God works within us to make us holy.

A radical gospel:

2010-12-04T09:53:00.001-08:00

Most of us, I think, fail to recognize just how radical the gospel really is. Now, this word radical has 2 meanings. First, we speak of something as radical because it is so new and startling.

The gospel really is news. We call it Good News, but we usually focus on how it is good, not so much on how it is new. Perhaps this is one of the built-in problems of living 2000 years since the birth of Christ. We miss just how amazing this news really is. Every year as we contemplate the mystery of Christmas, the birth of the son of God into human history, it should amaze us, for we would have done things differently. Jesus is the prince of the cosmos, but he is born in a stable. He is the word through whom was made the universe, and he was born as a child, unable to speak. Wisdom itself, grew in knowledge and experience. The great savior was heralded by a humble man preaching repentance, dressed not in costly vestments but camel hair. One thing I think that we all should do during Advent is to spend some time with these Bible stories. Advent is a time for us to join in the long preparation for the coming of the savior. Try to put yourselves in the shoes of the pre-Christian people. Try to regain an appreciation for just how radical this good news is.

Also, the word radical applies in another way. The word radical comes from the latin word radix which means root. The coming of Christ gets to the very roots of humanity and society. We hear about this in our readings today.

First, Isaiah paints for us an interesting picture. He describes a human person, but a perfected human person. This person is filled with wisdom and knowledge, vested in justice and righteousness. We often apply this prophecy of Isaiah to the person of Jesus. In the person of Christ we see the human person healed to its very roots. In Jesus, humanity regains wisdom, knowledge, justice, and righteousness. Because of our common humanity, all of the human race is elevated and healed at the coming of Jesus. This gets to the very core of our nature. The incarnation is radical in the fact that it goes to the root of the human person. As we take an honest look at ourselves during this season of Advent, we might see within ourselves many shortcomings and faults. Ask Christ into the very core of your being. Let him enter you to your very roots and let him heal you.

Many times in our readings we hear about the nations or the Gentiles: the root of Jesse will be a signal for all the nations and because of Christ even the Gentiles might glorify God. The coming of Christ is radical because it heals not only the brokenness of the human person, but even the brokenness of the human family. Because of the coming of Christ, all nations have access to the God of the universe. This is a new and radical concept. Remember, that God chose the people of Israel. God chose Abraham and Moses. Yet, in Christ, all of us have become God's sons and daughters. In Christ, God chooses the whole world. The divisions that exist among us can be erased through common faith in Christ. Isaiah speaks of an ideal future where natural discord is vanquished, where the lamb and the lion lie down together. We might think that this is impossible, but this has already happened in the Church. In the body of Christ there many different peoples. There are Christians from every tribe and nationality, peoples who have historically been enemies share in the same faith, the same baptism. And, if we are honest we could all do a better job of putting behind our differences and focusing on our communion with Christ.

How does this radical communion take place? How does Jesus heal us to our roots both personally and as a human family? Isaiah says that the root of Jesse will be held up as a signal to all the nations. Jesus is the root of Jesse, and he was lifted up on the cross to draw all nations to himself. He is lifted up again here on this altar drawing all of us to himself. At every Mass we lift the Lord and we all gaze upon him is, and he becomes the source of our communion. As we await the coming of our savior we look upon him here in this Eucharist. We ask him to come into our lives. Allow Christ to heal us to our very roots and ask him to help heal any divisions we face in our lives, so that we too might glorify God for his mercy.

Bible Study Week 5 Audio

2010-12-01T10:28:00.000-08:00

Here is the audio for week 5.

Also, please note that next week the Bible study will meet on Thursday at 6:30, not Tuesday. Thanks!

Bible Study Week 4 Audio

2010-11-30T03:52:00.001-08:00

Sorry for the delay, but here is the audio for week 4.

First Sunday of Advent:

2010-11-28T03:48:00.001-08:00

Today is the first Sunday of Advent. Here is what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says about Advent: When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present [the] ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior's first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming (CCC 524). By preparing to celebrate Christmas, we renew our desire for the Lord's second coming. Whenever we contemplate the coming of Christ into history, it makes us long for Christ to come again. You have heard it said that Christianity is a historical religion: the mysteries of salvation took place in the unfolding of history; but, it is not simply a religion of antiquity. Rather, we believe in the Christ who came, and who will come again. So as we spiritually prepare ourselves for the celebration of Christmas we should always be mindful to renew our desire of the coming of Christ. Our readings today show us the way to do this.

In the gospel Jesus tells us that we know neither the day nor the hour of his coming. This might frighten us. We have to be vigilant, always ready for the coming of our savior. However, Jesus gives us an insight into vigilance. He notes that at the time of the Great Flood people were going about their daily business: they were eating and drinking, being married and being given in marriage. It will be the same on the day of the second coming. Rather than seeing this as something frightening, we should not be afraid. Jesus is telling us that it is ok for us to be going about our daily tasks, he never tells us to stop living our lives. Vigilance does not mean that we run away from life. Rather, vigilance means that we are constantly prepared for the coming of Christ in the midst of our ordinary lives. Are you a mother or father? Go on taking care of your kids, but do it in the sight of Christ, confident that if he came back today he would approve of what you are doing. Are you a banker, teacher, secretary, priest, you name it? Whatever you do, do it as if Christ were coming back today. We do not know the day or the hour, but whenever Christ comes back we should be ready to great him.

St. Paul reiterates this, but puts it in the realm of moral action. The more we contemplate the fact that Jesus could come back any minute, the more we want to have our affairs in order: Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day. We usually think about this during Lent, but if there is something in your life, some sin you are not proud of, why not ask Christ to help you with it during this season of Advent? Ask Christ to come into your life, especially into your sinfulness, for this is what it means to put on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Isaiah tells us that all nations will come to Mount Zion, and from this holy mountain will go forth instruction. The word used by the prophet here is actually Torah. Remember that the Torah, which we usually translate as the Law, was God's precious gift to the Israelites. This was the special instruction that God gave to his people telling them precisely how they would be his people. This mystery only deepens at Christmas: the Word of God is sent into the world to teach, to give instruction, to build on the foundation of the Torah. So, another important way to prepare for Christmas is through instruction. We can never learn too much about our faith. Every year we give away hundreds of the little Advent books published by Magnificat: take one of them home and read it. This year we are going to put on an Advent series which will focus on Fr. Robert Barron's book on the Holy Eucharist (there are details in the bulletin), I invite you all to consider joining us so that you might learn more about your faith.

Our readings today give us two ways we can be vigilant even in the midst of our daily lives: conversion and instruction. These are two beautiful ways for the Lord to come into our lives, to touch our hearts and our minds and to renew our desire for the second coming of Christ.

It is certainly true that Christ has come and will come again, which is what Advent is all about. But, today as we celebrate this Holy Eucharist Christ comes in the here and now. There is no better way for us to prepare for the feast of Christmas and to renew our desire for the coming of Christ than by our faithful participation in the Mass. Here at this altar we remember the saving mystery of Christ come into the world, we pray for his Second Coming, and we receive him, here and now, in the Holy Eucharist.

Christ the King

2010-11-20T18:58:00.001-08:00

34th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Christ the King):

Today is the feast of Christ the King. This is the last Sunday of Ordinary Time. This feast of Christ the King reminds us that Christ, by his death and resurrection, has been seated on the throne of heaven, where he has already begun to reign. Still, we await his coming when his Kingdom will have no end: long live Christ the King.

Royalty has been in the news this week. England's Prince William got engaged to Kate Middleton. I was struck by radical difference between human royalty and the royalty of Christ. We know that the royal family of England is mostly symbolic. They are a remnant of the days when Kings and Queens ruled. All that is left, it seems to me, are the palaces. When we see the clips of the engagement announcement we see glitz and glamour. But, there is no substance there. The height of human royalty, it seems to me, has boiled down to flashy clothes, expensive jewelry, extensive paparazzi, but what else? There is certainly no salvation from the royal family of England.

How much different is Christ! Today is the feast of Christ the King where we remember Christ in all his glory, but which Gospel does the Church give us to shed light on this mystery? Today we hear the gospel of the crucifixion. The cross is a contradiction. On the cross we see the Lord of life, dead. But, what a contrast with the notion of human royalty! With Prince William we see glitz and glamour, with Christ we see blood and nails. The kings of this world have costly garments, the King of the world to come was stripped bare. The kings of this world are crowned with gold and jewels, the King of the world to come was crowned with thorns. The kings of this world used to wield power through force of armies, the king of the world to come wielded power through self-sacrifice. The kings of this world dine in costly banquet halls and eat sumptuous meals, the King of the world to come poured himself out as food and drink for all of us. The kings of this world are seated on thrones of marble or gold, Christ, the king of the world to come was seated upon the throne of the cross. We could go on and on, but I think we see the point. There is a radical difference in the royalty of Christ.

I'm being a little too harsh on human kings. People turned to kings, and we to our governments today, for peace and security. We hear that the people of Jerusalem went down to King David and begged him to be their king. There is a great desire in the human heart for peace and security. And while we are here in this fallen world, we strive to find that peace and security, and we should. However, we realize that this longing of every human being will never be perfectly fulfilled in this world, which is why we await the coming of Christ our King. True peace and lasting security are only to be found in Christ. He is not the king of our own choosing, we never would have imagined a king who suffered on the Cross. But, it was through this suffering, this self-sacrifice, that Christ defeated sin and death, the two greatest opponents of peace and security.

The feast of Christ the king is an important reminder for each of us. We long for peace, but we will only find it in Christ. We will not find salvation in glitz or glamour, we will not find it in palaces or in the White House, salvation does not come from armies and power; salvation comes from Christ seated on the throne of the Cross. Like the people who went up to King David, let's approach Christ the King, let's ask him to be our King. Let's ask him to lead us and to guide us into the peace and security we long for. At every Mass we pray for the coming of God's kingdom. Every Mass is like a journey to the throne of God where we ask him to be our King: long live Christ the King.

Bible Study Week 3 Audio

2010-11-20T05:55:00.000-08:00

Here is the audio from week 3.

Bible Study Week 2

2010-11-11T04:54:00.001-08:00

Here is the audio for week 2

My talk on the New Translation of the Missal:

2010-11-11T04:51:00.001-08:00

Last week I was in Syracuse for the Diocesan Catechetical Institute Day. They asked me to give two talks. The first was on the new translation of the Roman Missal. I decided to post the text of the talk below.

Let's start with the first question that most people have: Why are we doing this? Why do we have to have a new translation?

Where to begin? Let's begin in 1962. What big event happened in the life of the church in that year? The second Vatican council of course. This council affects everything we do in the church today. But its effects are felt nowhere more than the liturgy. We all know that the liturgy changed after Vatican ii. The document from the church on liturgy is named Sacrosanctum Concilium. This was the first document published.

1. This sacred Council has several aims in view: it desires to impart an ever increasing vigor to the Christian life of the faithful; to adapt more suitably to the needs of our own times those institutions which are subject to change; to foster whatever can promote union among all who believe in Christ; to strengthen whatever can help to call the whole of mankind into the household of the Church. The Council therefore sees particularly cogent reasons for undertaking the reform and promotion of the liturgy.

One such way that the council decided to renew liturgy was the allowance for vernacular liturgy.

36. 1. Particular law remaining in force, the use of the Latin language is to be preserved in the Latin rites.

2. But since the use of the mother tongue, whether in the Mass, the administration of the sacraments, or other parts of the liturgy, frequently may be of great advantage to the people, the limits of its employment may be extended. This will apply in the first place to the readings and directives, and to some of the prayers and chants, according to the regulations on this matter to be laid down separately in subsequent chapters.

3. These norms being observed, it is for the competent territorial ecclesiastical authority mentioned in Art. 22, 2, to decide whether, and to what extent, the vernacular language is to be used; their decrees are to be approved, that is, confirmed, by the Apostolic See. And, whenever it seems to be called for, this authority is to consult with bishops of neighboring regions which have the same language.

4. Translations from the Latin text into the mother tongue intended for use in the liturgy must be approved by the competent territorial ecclesiastical authority mentioned above.

However the mass was not simply translated into English. Rather all of the liturgical books of the church were revised.

21. In order that the Christian people may more certainly derive an abundance of graces from the sacred liturgy, holy Mother Church desires to undertake with great care a general restoration of the liturgy itself. For the liturgy is made up of immutable elements divinely instituted, and of elements subject to change. These not only may but ought to be changed with the passage of time if they have suffered from the intrusion of anything out of harmony with the inner nature of the liturgy or have become unsuited to it.

In this restoration, both texts and rites should be drawn up so that they express more clearly the holy things which they signify; the Christian people, so far as possible, should be enabled to understand them with ease and to take part in them fully, actively, and as befits a community.

What we have now is often called the mass of Paul vi because it was under his papacy that the mass was reformed. This mass was published in 1972. Because there was a great desire to see this new mass in the vernacular as soon as possible all the countries of the worlds quickly translated this mass into the vernacular languages. We have been using this translation.

However, in 2000 pope John Paul II promulgated a new version of the missal. This book was, is, largely the same as the 1972 book but there are some differences. For example, there are many more saints now since John Paul, he canonized many saints. Also, there were some changes to the prayers and instructions to the mass. All of these changes required us to have a new translation of the 2000 missal. However, in the 30 years between the writing of these two books many things have changed, including our understanding of the best way to translate our prayer books.

Now, at the risk of putting you to sleep allow me to speak a little bit about the art of translation. There is an old Italian adage that goes Traduttore, traditore: to translate is to betray. In a way, translate means to hand over. The idea here is that we hand over the thoughts of an author into another language.

But, we shouldn't think so negatively because we deal with translation all the time. What language was used in the writing of the bible? The Old Testament was largely written in Hebrew with some Greek. The New Testament was written wholly in Greek. So if you have ever picked up a bible to read it chances are you were reading a translation, unless we have some Greek and Hebrew scholars out there. But, we should remember that even these gospels are translations. What language did Jesus speak? While we cannot say for sure that he didn't know some Greek or Latin we can be sure that he spoke Aramaic which was the language of his time and place. So, even the gospels themselves are translations. Soon after their writing, Latin began to replace Greek as the lingua Franca of the ancient world. Church fathers like Jerome quickly set about to put the bible into the language of the people. That is what the Latin vulgate is all about. Vulgate means vulgar or language of the people. That is why Latin was accepted as the language of the church.

However, for reasons that are hard to explain in the short amount of time that we have, Latin became the official language of the western church. Latin is still the official language of the church. Only now we are encouraged to pray in our vernacular languages. It is still recommended, however, that we all know some Latin especially priests and seminarians. So there is nothing wrong with translations.

How many of you have ever learned a new language? One of the things you quickly realize is that there is no exact science to translation. Rather, there are many ways to say things in several languages. The key is to try to say something in one language that means the same thing in another language. For example, how do you say thank you in Spanish? Gracias. This is the word used for thanks. But does this word actually mean thanks? It comes from Latin the phrase is gratias ago tibi which means to lead grace unto thee. The idea here is that grace and favor should be given to the one who has done good to me: in a word, thanks. But when we translate gracias as thanks, some of the flair and originality of the original language is missing. Nothing we can really do about that... To translate is to betray.

Now, let's talk about translation principles: first, dynamic equivalence. This principle hold that a good translation is one in which the basic thought of the original language is rendered in the basic thought of the target language. The best word we have to explain this process is paraphrase.

A different principle is called formal equivalence. This principle holds that a good translation does not so much bring the thought into the target language, rather it brings the actual words into the target language. This could be summarized as a literal translation.

Now I should tell you that the last translation we had was a paraphrase where the new translation will be a literal translation. I will talk more about why we made that switch in a few moments.

What we have been talking about is a little bit abstract. Let's look at some texts and see what I mean.

Go over the Gloria in some detail.

So you see some of the differences between a paraphrase and a literal translation. Now, why did the church think it so important to make that switch? The answers are found in this book: liturgiam authenticam, which is the 5th instruction on the vernacular translation of the roman liturgy. As you can tell it sounds like a real page turning spell binder... But it really is a beautiful little document. It was issued at the behest of jp2 in 2001. With the new missal the pope wanted us to reexamine the way we translated liturgical texts.

This document explores the use of language in prayer. It begins by citing Vatican II: 1. The Second Vatican Council strongly desired to preserve with care the authentic Liturgy, which flows forth from the Church's living and most ancient spiritual tradition, and to adapt it with pastoral wisdom to the genius of the various peoples so that the faithful might find in their full, conscious, and active participation in the sacred actions – especially the celebration of the Sacraments – an abundant source of graces and a means for their own continual formation in the Christian mystery.[1]

We are people who are part of a long and storied tradition. We are not slaves to a precedent, rather we are inheritors of a rich history. This history is concerned with the same thing that concerns us today: our continual formation in the Christian mysteries. So the reforming of the liturgical books helps this process along. However, the document contends that certain expectations should hold: (LA 3) the greatest prudence and attention is required in the preparation of liturgical books marked by sound doctrine, which are exact in wording, free from all ideological influence, and otherwise endowed with those qualities by which the sacred mysteries of salvation and the indefectible faith of the Church are efficaciously transmitted by means of human language to prayer, and worthy worship is offered to God the Most High.[3]

What does this look like? In other words what kind of language fits this bill? 19. The words of the Sacred Scriptures, as well as the other words spoken in liturgical celebrations, especially in the celebration of the Sacraments, are not intended primarily to be a sort of mirror of the interior dispositions of the faithful; rather, they express truths that transcend the limits of time and space. Indeed, by means of these words God speaks continually with the Spouse of his beloved Son, the Holy Spirit leads the Christian faithful into all truth and causes the word of Christ to dwell abundantly within them, and the Church perpetuates and transmits all that she herself is and all that she believes, even as she offers the prayers of all the faithful to God, through Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit.[19]

Now for time's sake let me summarize few more of the basic concepts presented here. The document states that the reform of the liturgy helps to accomplish these things. Also it states that the work of translation itself furthers the reform. But, some people might wonder why we have to stick with the Latin texts at all. The new Latin texts are themselves a work of reform and renewal. We should remember that.

When it comes to translation there are some guidelines the language should be understandable. But, it does not have to be everyday language. In fact it is a good thing for us to develop a separate language for prayer.

One tendency in translation that should be avoided is the temptation to render everything that is implicit explicit. Also the translation is not the place to explain difficult things. For example, in the creed it is said that Jesus is consubstantial with the Father. Is this an easy word to understand? No, but we have translated it one in being, which might be an explanation of the word, but the Creed is not the place to explain the word.

Some have said that there is a desire to use language as it comes from culture. This document says instead, wouldn't it be great if culture was influenced by the language of the liturgy. This has already taken place if you think about it. Don't people say, in a totally secular culture: mea culpa? Now it is not super common but you could certainly imagine it. That is a case where liturgy influences culture.

Allow me to summarize, there are two major points here which seem to be driving the new work of translation. The first is accuracy. The church has found in the past 30 years that it is better to be accurate even if it means that we use language that might not be the easiest to understand. The important things that we are being faithful to the Latin original which the Church believes is able to lift our minds and hearts to the transcendent realm. The second principle that we discover is related, the Church recommends that we develop a sacred vernacular. This is a kind of language that we use for a certain purpose, namely to praise God. This sacred vernacular will remind us what the mass is all about.

Here is where I would like to leave you with a few thoughts. Remember that this talk was called "getting the most out of the mass." What is the liturgy? Here is the definition I memorized in school: The liturgy is a complexus of sensible signs by means of which, God, in Christ and through Christ, in the Church and through the Church, sanctifies man; and Man, in the Church and through the Church, in Christ and through Christ, renders worship to God. This is what the liturgy is and this is what the liturgy does. I firmly believe that we have been doing this for 30 years. One thing I want to make clear is that the fact that we are getting a corrected translation is not to say that the Mass has been wrong for 30 years. It has been the Mass, where God sanctifies us and we worship God. But, this new translation will be an improvement. We will take something that is good and make it even better.

What can we do to prepare ourselves?

First thing to do is to evaluate the new prayer texts. Start to get familiar with them. Your handout contains the people's parts of the Mass. Look over them and see how they are changing.
Keep a positive attitude. The only person who likes change is the man wearing wet pants. Change can be hard. Especially when it comes to something as personally important as the Mass. This is the heart and summit of the Church's life, to change it might cause us some stress. But remember, we are not getting a new Mass, we are just getting a new translation.

I'm convinced that this new translation will help our prayer lives. First, this sacred vernacular will help us lift our minds and hearts into a more prayerful place. I find the language to be more beautiful.

21^st Sunday Ordinary Time

CURRENT:

Father, help us to seek the values

that will bring us lasting joy in the changing world.

In our desire for what you promise

make us one in mind

and heart. Grant this…

NEW:

O God,

who shape the minds of the faithful to a single purpose,

grant your people to love what you command

and to desire what you promise, that,

amid the uncertainties of this world,

our hearts may be fixed where true joys are found.

Through our Lord…

Second, this new translation will cause us to stop and actually think about what we are saying. Many of us have so memorized the words of the creed, for example, that we just rattle off the fact that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, etc. A new translation will make us work a little, which might actually help us to recall the importance of what we are saying.

It has been said about other things, and it is certainly true of the Mass: you get out of the Mass what you put into it. The Mass is the greatest thing on earth. Yet, we can limit its effectiveness in our lives by our lack of participation. This new translation should continue to foster our participation in the Mass. It may require an effort on your part as you begin. Also, many of you will be asked to help your parish implement the new translation, so that means even more work. But, whatever you put into your preparation for the new missal will be paid back abundantly.

Bible Study

2010-11-07T17:21:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

Sorry for the delay. Here is the link to last week's audio recording.

This should be a fun Bible study. We will be going through 1st Corinthians. A study like this allows us to take our time and really dig into this great work. Don't worry if you miss a day. I think you can still come and enjoy discussing any section of Paul's great letter.
God bless,
Fr Jake

Christ gives us a message of Hope:

2010-11-06T19:32:00.001-07:00

32nd Sunday of ordinary time

In today's reading from St Paul he gives us a beautiful little prayer: May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement and good hope through his grace, encourage your hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word. It seems to me that Jesus is doing this very thing in the gospel today. He tells us about the resurrection.

As you may be aware we are coming to the end of ordinary time. In a few weeks we will celebrate the feast of Christ the king, which is the end of the church year. Every year around this time the readings for mass start to take on an eschatological dimension. Now, don't be afraid of this word. Eschatological means having to do with the last things: death, judgment, the end of the world etc. Now, from the perspective of Hollywood and many people in the world today, eschatology is frightening. When we think of the end of the world we see visions of earthquakes, tsunamis, and other terrifying things. And while these things might take place, they are not the focus of Christian eschatology. Rather, the focus of Christian eschatology is always the resurrection. And the resurrection is always good news. In fact it is central to the entire gospel message: those who believe in Christ, even if they die, will live forever. So Jesus is giving us good news indeed, the resurrection is certainly the encouragement and hope that Paul is talking about in his prayer today.

What will the resurrection be like? To be honest we really do not know "eye has not seen, ear has not heard what God has in store for those who love him." So whenever we are speaking about the resurrection we must remember that it is quite mysterious, the resurrection lies beyond the veil and it is clouded in mystery. That being said, we can say some things about the resurrection. First, we can say what the resurrection is not. The resurrection is not simply resuscitation. I think the Sadducees from today's gospel were under the impression that resurrection means we simply get up and keep living our human lives. Jesus corrects this mistaken concept. No, he says, the children of the age to come will be like the angels. So we will certainly be different. We should remember to read this passage in light of the rest of the Bible. Jesus says today that we will be like angels, but we read elsewhere that he will raise our mortal bodies to make them like his own in glory. We know that angels are spiritual beings without bodies, Jesus is not saying we will lose our bodies, he is just saying that our bodies will be spiritualized. What does this mean? We will find out on the last day.

Still, Jesus does give us an insight into that last day. He tells us that they are neither given nor received in marriage. What could this mean? Marriage means "till death do us part," but what about the other side of eternity? Jesus tells us that we are not married in heaven. Why not? Marriage is a sacrament. Like all the sacraments, these are signs of eternal realities. When we experience these realities for ourselves the signs will pass away. What is being expressed in the sign of marriage? Love, right! Marriage is a sign of love, two people agree to give of themselves completely for the rest of their lives by a commitment of love. St Paul tells us in Ephesians that this is a sign for the relationship between Christ and his church. However, on the last day this sign will be fulfilled. There is no marriage in heaven, not because there is no love in heaven, there will be a fullness of love. The love between a married couple today is supposed to be the sign of love between God and the human race. On the last day we will experience this union in its fullness. No wonder we call this good news! What exactly will this look like? Eye has not seen, ear has not heard... But isn't it exciting? Doesn't it sound wonderful: complete and total union with God forever? Certainly this gives us the hope St Paul mentions in the second reading. It is this hope which brings our RCIA candidates and catechumens here today. They are seeking nothing less than to be with God forever. Let's continue to keep them in our prayers as they journey toward Easter.

We believe that all those who are joined to Christ will be raised with him on the last day. But, we don't have to wait until then to experience this communion. Jesus said in John's gospel: I am the bread of life, whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood, even if he dies, will live and I will raise him up on the last day.

Life with Christ:

2010-11-03T14:00:00.001-07:00

31^st Sunday OT Year C:

Today we hear the interesting story of the conversion of Zacchaeus. It is certainly a story of conversion. Through an encounter with the person of Christ, the tax collector is transformed. But, I think there is more in the story. It not only tells us about how Christ can call people who don't know him; but, it also tells us how Christ can help us to deepen our relationship with him.

First, look again at the first line of the gospel: Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through it. This translation is a little bit clumsy. The Greek simply says "he entered and went through Jericho." This is not just a throw-away line introducing the parable. Rather, I think it means something more profound. Jesus is passing through the city, he makes himself available, he draws near to his people. Christ is no distant landlord; rather, he draws near, he passes through the city. How much more is this true after the resurrection! Jesus is no longer bound by space and time. Just as Jesus drew near to ancient Jericho, we know that Christ draws near to each one of us. Jesus is always passing by.

Next, look at Zacchaeus. What do we hear about him? First, he is a tax collector. We heard about a tax collector last week as well. Luke is showing us these characters to remind us that Jesus associates with sinners. Remember, in Luke's gospel we hear that Jesus is the good shepherd who leaves the 99 and goes in search of the lost sheep. This story of Zacchaeus is proof of this fact. Jesus passed through Jericho to find this lost sheep. This is still true today. Jesus passes through our "town." He doesn't run away from us, even though we are sinners. Rather, he continues to look for us, to seek us out. This fulfills what we hear in the first reading: God is the great lover of souls! God loves us so much that he sent his Son to seek out what was lost.

So, Jesus comes to us. What about our end of the relationship? The gospel tells us that Zacchaeus desired to see Jesus. What a beautiful way to put it! Even the sinner, says St. Luke, desires to see Jesus. Every human being has an innate desire to see Christ!

One thing I often ponder is the preaching of Jesus. What must that have been like, to hear Christ himself? What did he say? He must have been persuasive. Would I have followed him? I hope so. Worse yet, would I have even gone out to see him? It is easy to say that we would have gone out to meet Christ, but would we? Why did Zacchaeus seek him out: he wanted to see Jesus. In the person of Christ we encounter something that resonates with us: God's great love for the world! In Christ we find our origin and destiny. In the encounter with Christ we find the God who made us. We also find in Christ the communion between humanity and divinity. This is why JP2 always quoted Gaudium et Spes 22: it is Christ who fully reveals man to himself. Jesus shows us our origin and destiny. No wonder we want to see Jesus! This is why all people are innately drawn to this mystery. This is why Jesus was persuasive. Not so much what he said, but who he is, is persuasive.

Still, Zacchaeus knew that there were obstacles in his way. The gospel says he was short of stature. He would not let this get in his way, he climbed the tree. What keeps us from seeing Jesus in our lives? We know that Jesus is passing through, we know that he is always drawing near; but, there are things that keep us from seeing Jesus. Rather than give an exhaustive list, how about I just pick one that many of us deal with: time. Many of us fail to see Jesus because we are busy, there is little time. But if we are going to have a relationship with Christ, we have to spend time with him. We have to "see" him. It might take a heroic effort, but it is worth it. Carve out some time in your life. Start small if you have to: 5 minutes in the morning, 5 minutes in the afternoon. Don't let your crazy schedule keep you from seeing Jesus. Find some time to see Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. As you probably know, we have exposition of the Blessed Sacrament here at St. Matt's every Saturday morning from 11-12 during confessions, as well as a communal Holy Hour once per month. These are wonderful ways to see Jesus.

I think we would all like to be like Zacchaeus. We would all like to be converted in the same way by having an encounter with Christ so powerful that we leave behind all our sins. This story teaches us an important lesson. Before any conversion comes a desire to see Christ, followed by an encounter with Christ. Conversion is not a product of our best effort, it is a product of Christ working within us. This is St. Paul's prayer: we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith.

Humility and Supplication:

2010-10-23T04:20:00.001-07:00

30th Sunday OT Year C:

A couple of weeks ago we heard the story of the 10 lepers. If you remember Jesus healed all 10 lepers, but only one returned to thank God. The point of that story is conversion. Christ comes to heal us, we return and give thanks. A story like that one is easy for us to accept. We think of leprosy as an image for sinfulness. Christ can heal sinfulness and help sinners on the way to conversion. Today's gospel is more unsettling. This passage is not directed at the "sinners," it is directed at the "saints."

The first thing to remember when we contemplate this passage is the objective state of things. As an impartial observer, which person would we rather be? Jesus carefully chose his examples today. The Pharisee does everything correctly. First, he avoids sin: he does not commit adultery, he is neither greedy nor dishonest. Second, he does acts of virtue: he fasts and tithes. We should not construe the parable to mean that these things are bad. They are not. In many ways, the Pharisee is giving us a model to follow. It is good to fast, tithe, and avoid sins. On the other hand, the tax collector is an image of the grievous sinner. Tax collectors were famous for their dishonesty. So, Jesus is certainly not condoning dishonesty and sinfulness. Jesus is certainly not saying that sin is ok.

If that is not the point of the parable, what is? We just looked at the objective state of things: one man committed acts of virtue, one vices. What about the subjective state of things? Let's begin with the tax collector: what is going on inside of him? O God, be merciful to me a sinner. His disposition is one of supplication: he is begging mercy from God. Also, his is a humble disposition: he was in the back of the temple and would not even raise his eyes to heaven. (As a brief aside, this is why Catholics always sit in the last pews…) From an objective standpoint he is certainly a sinner; but, from a subjective point of view there is hope for him. He has that which is necessary to grow closer to God: humility and supplication, which is why the book of Sirach says that the prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds and goes straight to heaven. Humility and supplication are essential for a relationship with God. What about the Pharisee? Objectively he is doing everything well. Subjectively, he is a mess. Listen again to how Jesus introduces the prayer: "spoke this prayer to himself." Despite all his good actions, the Pharisee is not in communion with God: he spoke the prayer to himself. There is not a hint of supplication in the prayer of the Pharisee, the whole point of his prayer is self-congratulation. There is certainly no humility: he took up his place and called attention to how much better he was than the rest of humanity.

So Jesus is not saying that it is better to be a huge sinner. What he is saying is that everything we do must be directed toward having a relationship with God. Our actions can certainly lead us away from this relationship, which is why it is so important to grow in virtue. But, our external actions alone do not guarantee a healthy relationship with God. In fact, they can be for us a source of pride, which leads us away from God. No, what is essential is to develop a relationship with God, which is predicated on humility and supplication. This internal disposition allows for conversion, allows for a healthy relationship with God.

How can we be sure we maintain our humility? I mean the more we try to live a life of holiness the easier it is to fall into the trap of the Pharisee's pride. Let's look to St. Paul: I am being poured out like a libation. This is a beautiful image for Christian life: we should always be poured out. If we are always pouring ourselves out in prayer, pouring ourselves out in service of our families and community, then it is hard to fall into the kind of pride that can cut us off from God.

Where can we find another example where in great humility someone pours himself out for the good of others? Oh… how about the Holy Eucharist?

Vocations’ Day:

2010-10-23T03:51:00.001-07:00

This past year Bishop Rhoades named me as assistant vocation director for the diocese. This past week I was asked, in that role, to offer Mass at Marian and St. Joe High Schools. The theme for this homily was vocations. I ask everyone reading this blog to pray for vocations.

Vocations day homily:

Today we are having our annual vocations day. You know that this means that we are here to talk to you about religious vocations: the vocation to be a priest, brother, or sister. This is true! We are here to talk to you about these things. But, I want to give you a little bit of context. The religious vocation does not come out of nowhere.

What does the word vocation mean? It comes from the Latin Vocare, which means "to call." A vocation then is one's calling. Who is doing the calling? What are we talking about here? We are talking about God. He is calling you to something. God has a plan for each and every single one of us: holiness. This is the universal vocation. No matter what you might think God is calling you to be, you are most certainly called to be holy. But, Holy is one of those words that everyone knows what it means until I make you give me a definition. It is hard to pin down. What is holy?

The Biblical concept of holy always relates to God. Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of hosts. So holiness is something that pertains to God. What things were called holy in the Old Testament? The temple was called holy. Why? God dwelt there. The vessels were called holy. Why? Because they were set aside for the God's use. The same is true today. As you all know I'm the associate pastor at St. Matthew's Cathedral. How many of you have ever been in that Cathedral? So most of you know that it is a pretty big space, what would you think if the next time you walked in that Cathedral if I decided play baseball in that Church? You would instantly know that I shouldn't be doing that. Why? Because God lives there in the tabernacle. The Church is a holy place. What about sacred vessels? What if you walked into the rectory where I live and you saw me drinking my morning coffee out of a sacred chalice? Wouldn't that be offensive? Why? That chalice has been set aside and is only to be used for sacred things.

Apply these two concepts of holiness to ourselves. God lives inside each one of us. This is our theology. We believe that on the day of our baptism, the Trinity began to live within us. God dwells in us. Also, we believe that on the day of our baptism we were consecrated, set aside for the service of God. This is very important. How often do we live like God is living inside of us? Yet, how easy is it for us to fall into sins of gossip, bad language, impurity, being uncharitable toward others? What about service? We were set aside for service of God. Yet, when we do our own thing, ignore our neighbors, and skip Mass we are not doing this service. Whenever we think about holiness this should be the first thing we think of. We are holy because God dwells within us and we were set aside for the service of God and our neighbor.

Now some of you might be thinking: Great! I never signed up for that. I mean, isn't it a drag to have been made holy? Now I have to go around being holy. The answer, of course, is no. Holiness is the pathway to happiness. Who made us? God. Why did God make us? To know, love, and serve him in this life so as to be happy with him forever in the life to come. God made us, and he made us to be happy. Think of holiness as the instruction booklet of the human person. If I want to be happy, if I want to do what I was created to do, I have to live up to this holiness. What would happen if I bought a blu-ray player but instead of putting the disks in the slot I jam bananas in there? It wouldn't work. The same is true for us when we sin. When we sin we are violating the very fabric of our being, we are ignoring the instruction manual for happiness.

So what is the key here? First, dwell with God. God lives within you. Get to know God. Speak to him often. Develop a prayer life. Get to know Jesus. Spend time with him in the Blessed Sacrament. If being holy means that God is living within you, you need to establish a relationship with him. Second, serve God. We do this first and foremost by our worship. Whenever we gather to pray at the Mass we are offering perfect worship. That's why we need to go to Mass every Sunday. The Church tells us to go to Mass on Sunday's because it is good for us! It leads to happiness.

These are the ways in which you live out your call to holiness. The more you do this, the more you will be able to then look and see exactly how this calling to holiness will be lived out in your particular circumstance. As I said, holiness is the universal vocation. Marriage and celibate priesthood or religious life are the specific vocations. Every single one of you is called to the universal vocation, and every single one of you is called to a specific vocation. But, you will never be able to figure out your specific vocation unless you are living the universal vocation.

When I was discerning a call to the priesthood, I found the greatest place to pray was at Mass. Every time I went to Mass, and when the priest held up the Eucharist, I prayed: God tell me what you want me to do with my life. Today as we celebrate this Holy Eucharist, let that be your prayer: God, tell me what you want me to do with my life. And, pray for the courage to follow the Lord.

All Scripture is Inspired

2010-10-16T19:10:00.001-07:00

29^th Sunday OT Year C:

Today in our second reading St. Paul teaches us about Scripture. The holy Bible, the Sacred Scriptures, have been called the Word of God. St Paul tells us today that they are capable of giving us wisdom for salvation. Wow, wisdom for salvation! How often do we think of the Bible in these terms, do we make the Bible an important part of our lives? Have we, like St. Timothy, known these Scriptures from our youth or do we need to get to know them?

Many people can be somewhat intimidated by the Bible. First of all it is a big book, there are actually 73 books in the Bible: 46 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. It can also be a difficult book to read: Sure, books like Genesis or the gospels are full of narrative, which makes them easy. But, books like Leviticus, or even the prophets can be very difficult to read. Then there are many things in the Bible which are difficult for us to understand, like our gospel passage today: is Jesus saying that God is like an unjust judge? Actually he is not. Rather, Jesus is employing a story-telling technique that makes a connection between two things that are only barely alike. If the unjust judge will deliver justice because of persistence, how much more will God, who is supremely just…

Yet, for all its difficulties and obscurities, the Bible is worth the effort. It is the word of God. Paul says: all Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, refutation, and training in righteousness. Inspired by God! The word St. Paul uses here is theopnuestos, which literally means "God breathed." What a beautiful expression! God is the one who breathes out the words of Scripture. They are written by human authors, but God breathes in and through them. It is almost as if the human writers provide the voice, but God provides the air that breathes out the words. What an unbelievable treasure we have here! When you hold the Bible in your hands, you are holding God's word, God's breath. The Bible is not just some ordinary book or novel.

Paul says that Scripture is useful for teaching. Today in the first reading we hear about the role of Moses in the battle versus Amalek. We hear how God worked through the hands of Moses to give aid and strength to his people in their time of need. When we read the Bible, we learn our story. We are the spiritual descendents of Moses. The Bible is our story, and when we read it the Bible teaches us about where we come from.

Paul says that Scripture is useful for the training in righteousness. In our struggle against sin and our desire to be faithful disciples of Jesus, the Bible can train us in righteousness. Look at the Gospel, Jesus teaches us to pray without becoming weary. There are many of us, here in this parish, who are weary. One of the most humbling aspects of being a priest is the fact that people share with me their struggles: Many of you are struggling with a family situation. Many of you are struggling with an illness. Many of you are struggling with some kind of sin. Christ is telling us in the Scriptures that all of us struggle, all of us grow weary. Yet, Jesus tells us to keep up our prayers, remain faithful even in the midst of our struggles. This is truly training in righteousness: even in the midst of our difficulties, even when we are weary, the only way through these tough times is faithfulness.

Paul gives Timothy a stern command at the end of the reading: proclaim the word. This command is given to each one of us as well. Drawing close to Christ, being his disciple, always includes an evangelical aspect. The faith cannot remain our own personal possession; rather, the faith impels us outward to share the good news with others. This is another important reason for us to become well-acquainted with the Holy Bible. Not only can these inspired words give us the wisdom for salvation, but when we share them with others, we share with them this wisdom as well. The better we know the Scriptures, the better we will be able to help others get to know Christ.

In the Holy Scriptures we encounter the Word of God: Jesus Christ himself. No wonder then that the Church has always read the Bible when it gathers around the altar. Here at this holy Mass we encounter Christ, first when we read the holy Scriptures, second in the Holy Eucharist. The Holy Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Christ, and the Bible is the Word of God. The holy Mass helps us to fulfill our mission: to proclaim the word. Here we are strengthened by the Holy Eucharist and formed by the word of God so that when we go forth from this Mass we can share with others the wisdom for salvation.

Thanksgiving, and not the turkey kind

2010-10-10T05:20:00.001-07:00

28^th Sunday OT Year C

Today we hear of the Samaritan leper returning to Jesus to give thanks. All of Christian life is a life of thanksgiving. In fact, I would go even further, that all of human existence finds its meaning in thanksgiving. It is so important to be thankful.

I am reminded of a time when I was in the seminary. One day I received a package in the mail. This package was a care-package from the youth group I was a part of before I entered seminary. Inside there were snacks, cookies, and other little things meant to brighten my day. I opened the box in the mailroom, and there was another seminarian in that room. I don't remember exactly what I said, but at some point I said: "I need to send out a thank you note after getting a box like this." He looked at me a bit puzzled and said: "I never do that." What? "I never send out thank you notes." I was shocked, and a little disgusted. This guy was a deacon, which meant he was less than a year away from being a priest. He had been in the seminary for years and must have received countless boxes, gifts, cards, etc, and he never once sent a thank you note. I was really troubled by this. Thanksgiving is essential to what it means to be Christian, how would he be able to preach this message if he never gave thanks.

What does it mean to give thanks? It is actually a process. First comes the gift. I received a gift from the youth group. This means that I have to recognize it as a gift. No one had to give me anything. When that youth group decided to send me a present, they did so out of love. I recognize that it was a free gift, and I accept it. This recognition and acceptance is essential. The next step is a reciprocation of love. When we find ourselves in the presence of love, it should make us want to return love. A thank you note is a small thing in the grand scheme of things, but it says that I have recognized the gift, accepted the gift as a gift of love, then I have shown my love and appreciation by reciprocating this gift in whatever way possible.

Apply this on a grand scale: We are not responsible for our existence. Everything we have comes from God. I did not make myself. I am also not responsible for my continued existence. Nothing I have really came from me: my intuition, work-ethic, creativity, vocation, everything. Every breath you take, every dollar you make, every minute of your life is a pure gift from God.

[The following section will not be read at Mass, but I want to post it on my blog As many of you know, I am the Chaplain to Marian High School. These past two weeks have been very trying. I ask you please to keep Marian's students, staff, and faculty in your prayers. About two weeks ago, a student died, she was only 16 years old. This past week a Mother of 5, two of whom are current students of Marian, died in her sleep. Just yesterday I attended the funeral. There has been much sadness and many heavy hearts at Marian over the past two weeks. Yet, even these experiences teach us, in a mysterious way, to be thankful. There are no guarantees in life. Every day is a gift. Every person is a gift.]

What to do with a gift? First we recognize it. The more we realize that everything we have is a gift from God, the more we will appreciate it. When we recognize a gift, it is important to accept it. We see everything around us as a gift that comes from God, and we know that he gives us these gifts out of love. When we experience God's love, the only appropriate response is love, the appropriate response is thanksgiving. When we recognize that God gives us everything out of his life-giving love, the appropriate response is self-donation. When we give of ourselves to others, we are returning God's gift of love. When we gather here to worship almighty God, we are returning God's gift of love.

The leper in the gospel understood the appropriate response to Jesus' gift of healing was to return and give thanks. Naaman in the first reading took this even one step further, he recognized that to give thanks to the God who saved him meant that he needed to worship God. But, why did Naaman need to take that dirt?

Let me return to my story. Do you think that seminarian who refused to send thank you notes was thankful? I think he probably was. But, what was missing? He never expressed his thanksgiving. Naaman took that dirt because he knew that God dwelt in Israel. He knew that if he were going to worship that God, he could not simply do so internally. He understood the connection between worship and thanksgiving. For him to give thanks, he had to express his internal gratitude with external praise.

It is not coincidence that Christians named the Blessed Sacrament Eucharist. The very word means thanksgiving in Greek. When we gather here, every Sunday, we give thanks to God. Is there any wonder we are drawn to the Eucharist? The worship we render to God here at the Mass is the very thanksgiving we offer to God for all that he has given us. But, God is not to be outdone in generosity. When we recognize that everything we are and everything we have are gifts that come from God, and when we accept these things as gifts of love, we come here to give God thanks and praise. God goes one step further, he gives us the Eucharist, the body and blood of his son, the greatest gift of all.

Faith in action

2010-10-02T10:45:00.001-07:00

27^th Sunday OT year C

If you had faith you could uproot this tree… Have you ever been able to uproot a tree with your faith? Me neither. Does that mean that we don't have faith? No.

What is faith? We have a difficult time understanding this concept in our modern world. Ever since the time of the Enlightenment, faith has come to mean something intellectual. To say "I believe" means "I agree." I believe that if I jumped off St. Matt's bell tower I would be very badly injured, etc.

But faith is ever so much more than just intellectual assent. First, faith is a theological virtue. This means that faith is a gift that comes from God. It is not a product of our own will and desire. Faith is a gift of grace. That is why the prayer of the apostles should be our prayer: Lord, increase our faith. Notice that Jesus doesn't ridicule the apostles for asking for faith. Rather, he just goes on to show how powerful faith can be. All too often we think that faith is something we do; rather, faith is a gift from God.

Another major problem in our modern world is that we tend to think of faith as something that is just internal. But faith is more than just our belief in God. Faith also includes what we do with this belief.

Listen again to the words of St. Paul: stir to flame the gift of god you have received. So it is God's gift, our job it to fan that gift into a flame. For we did not receive a Spirit of cowardice, but one of power and love and self-control. In other words, we will fan into flame the gift of faith God has given us when we love and show self-control. So, we need not only faith, but we need also to be faithful.

We pray as did the apostles: Lord, increase our faith. He does this especially in the Eucharist. Then when we go forth from this Mass we fan that gift into flame when we love those around us.

Now we will have a chance to make a pledge to the annual bishop's appeal. You will each be given a chance to put your faith into action. We ask that you please be generous as you support the work of the Church throughout our diocese as well as here in our parish.

Kathryn Strickler

2010-09-28T03:29:00.000-07:00

It is with a heavy heart that I make this post. I ask all of you, in your charity, to pray for the repose of the soul of Kathryn Strickler. She was a Junior at Marian who died on Friday from complications due to her diabetes. Her funeral is scheduled for Saturday evening.
Eternal rest grant unto her O Lord,
And let perpetual light shine upon her.
May she rest in peace, Amen.
May her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God,
Rest in Peace, Amen.

In Paradisum deducant te angeli, in tuo adventu suscipiant te martyres...

Lazarus at the door

2010-09-26T05:45:00.001-07:00

26^th Sunday OT Year C

We have often heard it said that the gospel should comfort the afflicted, but afflict the comfortable. Today's reading certainly falls into the "afflict the comfortable" category. Jesus is giving us an important lesson. It simply is not sufficient to worry about ourselves and our own needs. It is an absolute command of the gospel, a command from Christ himself, to love our neighbor. The rich man in the gospel is tormented in the flames for all eternity because he failed to help Lazarus.

Personally I find this parable particularly difficult to take. If you listen carefully you will notice that the rich man never even notices Lazarus. Jesus tells us that Lazarus was at the rich man's door, but he never says that the rich man walked past him. It never says that the rich man spurned or abused him. It never even says that the rich man exploited Lazarus or did any other thing against him. In other words, the rich man didn't do anything to Lazarus, which is precisely the point. In the sacrament of confession we are quite good at confessing our sins: those actions against God, others, or self. But, when we examine our conscience do we even notice those things that we have failed to do? The scariest thing about the story of Lazarus is that the rich man never even noticed Lazarus. How many people just like Lazarus do we walk by on a daily basis? How often is there some good that we should be doing that we simply fail to do? How often are we wrapped up in the concerns of our own lives, our own families, our own situations that we fail to help those in need?

Today we will see a video about the annual bishop's appeal. You will see some of the many things the diocese does with the funds collected in the annual appeal. Many of these worthy efforts are like Lazarus sitting at your door. You may not have even noticed that the diocese has had a huge increase in seminarians, but with that increase comes a great need for financial support for their education and formation. You may not have noticed that the diocese is increasing its catechetical efforts, especially toward young adults. You may not have noticed all the many programs the diocese offers to prepare couples for marriage. You may not have noticed the many charitable outreach programs funded by the Bishop's appeal. This video may point out many ways you can help those in need, ways you never noticed before. So that, unlike the rich man in the parable, we will not neglect to help those in need.

Feast of St. Matthew

2010-09-19T05:29:00.001-07:00

25^th Sunday OT and Feast of St. Matthew:

Today in the gospel we hear something we expect: you cannot serve both God and mammon. But, we also hear something we do not expect: the master commended the dishonest steward for acting prudently. I think we all know by now the dangers inherent in money. Money is a tool, it is neutral of itself. However, it is an extremely sharp and delicate tool. Think of all the good you can do with money: support your family, serve the poor, support the parish, etc. But, the more one handles money, the easier it is to slip and be hurt by this tool. It is easy to give in to the prevailing culture of consumerism. It is easy to think that our worth depends on how much we have. It is easy to think that we need the bigger house, the nicer car, the cushy life. Falling for this mentality is quite harmful for our spiritual life. Jesus is exactly right, pursuit of wealth for its own sake becomes a religion with money as its god, making it impossible to follow Christ.

St. Matthew is a great model and inspiration for us. Do you remember the story? St. Matthew was seated at his customs post, he was a tax collector. In the Bible, a tax collector is synonymous with a person who has bought into the consumerist mentality. They were known for defrauding others. They would charge more than was necessary for the tax and keep what was left for themselves. Yet, when Jesus approached him and told him to follow him, Matthew left behind his job, his wealth, his unhealthy attachment to money, and he followed after Christ. If you ever struggle with consumerism, ask St. Matthew to pray for you.

But, the other part of the gospel is a bit more troubling. It sounds like Jesus is asking us to be dishonest. We get the example of that crooked steward who knows his days are numbered. So he calls in his boss's customers, rips off his boss to try to find favor with the customers. How is this an example of Christian living? Jesus explains: the children of this world are more prudent than the sons of light. In other words if we look around us we see many examples of people working hard to attain their goals. Think, for example, of world class athletes: they put in long, hard hours to attain their goals. They push themselves, straining to achieve success on a football field. And they do all this for something that is passing: a football game, for example. Yet, do we work that hard for something that is eternal, our eternal life? Jesus is telling us that we should use all of our human ingenuity, our drive, our prudence, our cunning, not only for our own advancement, but also for the spreading of the gospel. We often use our gifts and skills to succeed in work, sports, or society; but, do we use them for the promotion of the gospel?

Again, St. Matthew is our model. St. Matthew was an educated man. We know this because he was able to write, only a few could write in those days. This made Matthew one on the upper echelon of society. But, instead of using his skills only for his own promotion, he decided to use his gifts and skills for the promotion of the gospel. And look at the result! For 2000 years now Christians have been reading his gospel as a way to grow closer to Christ. At one point in his life St. Matthew was this dishonest steward, using his gifts and skills for his own good; but, after his encounter with Christ he felt it necessary to use his talents for the promotion of the gospel.

How is God calling you to service? I am absolutely sure that each and every one of you has some special gift, some special skill, that God wants at his service. We might be tempted to use these gifts for our own good, but through the prayers and example of St. Matthew we should put them to use for the gospel.

St. Matthew is our patron saint. This means that our parish should take on the personality of its patron. We too should strive to serve God, not money. To put our gifts at the service of the gospel. If the things we do take us away from our relationship with God, we need to leave them behind and follow the Lord. Ask St. Matthew to pray for us, to help us all leave behind our customs post and follow the Lord.

God’s Outlandish Love

2010-09-12T07:34:00.001-07:00

24^th Sunday OT Year C

Today in the gospel we hear one of our most well-loved parables. The parable of the prodigal son always speaks to us. Each one of us hears something different when we hear this parable. Sometimes we feel far from God, our sins and our bad choices make us feel like the prodigal son. Yet we know that we can always come back to God, who is the Father in the story, who catches sight of us while we are still distant. Sometimes we are challenged by the depiction of the older son. Are we ever jealous of God's mercy? Are we judgmental and harsh, when God is loving and merciful? Other times we are inspired by the example of the Father in the story: how many of us are hesitant to rush forward and forgive the person in most need of our forgiveness, especially those in our family. Yes, the parable speaks to every one of us.

But, when I was reading this gospel this week something new struck me about the parable. If you notice Jesus tells three straight parables. In the first two parables the theme is quite easy to detect: we hear that God is the good shepherd who seeks the lost sheep and he is like the woman who seeks after her lost coin. God goes after the lost. Yet, in both stories something else happens as well: the shepherd and the woman both rejoice at the return of the lost sheep and coin. We notice this same thing in the story of the prodigal son. When the son returns the Father throws a great banquet. One theme that runs through these three parables is the great joy of God. God rejoices when the lost return. God rejoices when the sinner comes to his mercy. The central character in the three parables is God, not us. These parables are about God's mercy. Sometimes we lose sight of this fact when we read the parable of the prodigal son: Jesus is trying to teach us about the generosity of God's mercy.

Last week a parishioner asked me if I had been ordained for a year yet. No, I was ordained on Oct 31^st, so not quite a year. But, her question got me to thinking about this past year. It has been quite amazing. To be a priest is more fun than any human being should be allowed to have. And some of the greatest moments I've had over the past year came in the sacrament of confession. I cannot tell you how amazing it is to help people with their burdens. People come to me hurting, sad, weighed down by their sins and because of God's gracious mercy I'm allowed to say to them: I absolve you from your sins. I think that part of what makes these experiences so profound for me, the minister, is that I get a front row seat for the conversation between the prodigal son and the Father, I get to be there when the good shepherd finds the lost sheep, when the woman finds the lost coin. The joy and enthusiasm of God for the repentant sinner flows through me in the sacrament of confession. This joy is a foretaste of the kingdom of God.

If you think about it, heaven is the party described in today's parables. The Father in heaven sent his Son to bring back those who were lost. And when the son returns with all the sinners who trusted in him, there will be an everlasting banquet. This banquet is more than we deserve. No shepherd would throw a banquet when he finds a lost sheep, no woman would call everyone to tell them she's found a coin. But, God's mercy and love is outlandish. He loves us so much that he sent his son Jesus to bring us back to Him, to search for what was lost.

In a few moments we will receive the body and blood of Christ, which is a foretaste of the heavenly banquet. Here at this Mass it is not so much that we find Christ. Rather, Christ finds us. And while we sometimes feel like we are still a long way off, Christ catches sight of us and brings us into communion with him, for he is the good shepherd who came from the Father to seek out what was lost.

The Truth is Beautiful

2010-09-05T06:32:00.001-07:00

23^rd Sunday OT Year C

Jesus never swindles us. No, he tells us right up front the risks involved in discipleship. Whoever cannot carry his/her cross and follow after me cannot be my disciple. These are harsh words from Jesus. But, they are so true. All he is saying is that it is impossible to be a disciple half way. Discipleship includes trial, suffering and self-denial. And when it comes to discipleship, Jesus asks for 100% percent of us: nothing less will do.

This is a strange passage if you think about it. Jesus is not doing much of a pitch job here. Think if we did the same thing with our RCIA program. If we told people all about the difficult side of Christianity: the self-denial and sacrifice that it takes to be a Christian, we might not get too many takers. So, what's Jesus doing in this passage?

Listen again to the first passage: great crowds were traveling with Jesus. These people were already with Jesus. Why were they there? Jesus drew these people. If we understood for just one second the truth of the Incarnation, we would die of delight. Though we were lost and could not find our way back to God, he loved us all the more and sent his only son to save us. Jesus Christ is God!!! If you have never been struck by the amazing beauty of this fact, think about it. Jesus, a man born 2000 years ago to a poor peasant girl named Mary, who traveled around teaching Good News, was not just some preacher. He is God! God became human so that humans could go back to God. It is important for us to listen to the teachings of Jesus, listen to the teachings of the Church, to be formed by the Word of God. But these things all require something fundamental: a basic attraction to Jesus. The good news of the Incarnation is so amazing that if we stop to think about it, we will automatically want to be close to Jesus. The truth is beautiful, and of itself we are attracted to it.

In a similar way, this is what St. Paul is doing in the second reading. In this short letter, Paul is asking a disciple, Philemon, to welcome back Onesimus not as a slave but as a brother. Now Paul, as an Apostle, could have been more direct. He could have commanded Philemon to release Onesimus, but he doesn't do that. Rather, he presents his case in a way that should appeal to Philemon: won't you welcome him back as a brother. Paul is hoping that Philemon will be so attracted to the beauty of the teaching, namely that each human person has innate value, that he will be moved to release Onesimus from slavery.

The Truth is Beautiful! Ultimately, we cannot be Christians simply because our parents wish it, we cannot be Christians simply because it is the right thing to do. We will never follow God's commands and precepts, we will never be able to live out our faith: the cross that Christ asks us to carry will be too heavy, unless we are swept off our feet by the beauty of Christ.

One place where we are always able to encounter this beauty is here at the Holy Mass. Right on this altar we see Jesus! In the Holy Eucharist we encounter the person of Christ, we see his body and blood. Christian discipleship is not for the meek of heart. It takes courage and determination to follow Christ, to pick up your cross and to follow him, to denounce all the things of the world that lead you away from Jesus and cling to Christ. All of these things will be impossible without a deep love for Christ. A love deepened and strengthened by the power of the Holy Eucharist.

Jesus never swindles us. He just stands before us as he is: fully God and fully man. He invites us to follow him. He tells us straight out the cost of discipleship: denial and self-sacrifice. But we must ask ourselves a question: having encountered the beauty of Christ, is there anywhere else we would rather go?

Humility

2010-08-28T10:23:00.001-07:00

The goal of Christian existence is actually quite simple: we must become like Christ.

But like all profound truths, this is easy to say and hard to do. Being followers of Christ means that we want to be like Christ, want to follow Christ, follow his teachings, his example. The goal of Christian existence is to emulate Christ.

One of the most difficult aspects of becoming like Christ is that we have to put on the mind of Christ. We have to develop the Christian attitude. This means that we not only need to act like Christ, but we also need to think like Christ, feel like Christ, love what Christ loves. Being Christian is not just about what we say and do, it is about being like Christ to the core of our being.

Essential to developing this Christian attitude is the virtue of humility. We hear about this virtue in our readings today. St. Thomas says that humility consists in keeping oneself in one's own bounds, not reaching out to things beyond one, but submitting to one's superior. This particular virtue is very difficult for us Americans. It is in our very nature to stretch beyond our bounds. We love the rags to riches tale, we believe in the American dream. This nation was founded by men and women who refused to submit to a distant king, they decided to break free. We pick up this attitude, it is in the air we breathe. And, of course, there is nothing wrong with having hopes and dreams and striving beyond ourselves, but this attitude can be contrary to the gospel. This attitude makes it difficult for us to rely upon God, makes it difficult for us to place our trust in God. With this attitude we place ourselves as the center of attention. We neglect those around us. All too often this attitude leads us down the road to depression when our far-fetched plans come to nothing. It is difficult for us to be like Christ with this attitude.

So we need to ask ourselves if we are humble. Are we humble people? Do we care not for our own good but for the good of others? Today's gospel acts like a humility thermometer. We can gain a reading on our own humility when we hear these words. Do we like places of honor? Do we seek attention? Do we have an exaggerated opinion of ourselves? Do we invite so as to be invited?

When I read these words I feel somewhat guilty. I don't feel as though I'm faithful to Jesus' command, I'm not as humble as I should be.

So what do we do about it? How do we become humble? It is perhaps the height of arrogance to think that we can just manufacture humility. We cannot just create humility by our own initiative: Today I will be humble, then I will tell everyone in the world just how humble I am. I will travel around the world touting my abundant humility. I have a friend Fr. Joe who always jokes that he is an abyss of humility.

Humility doesn't work this way. I think that humility is not so much the result of our efforts at attaining humility as it is the result of our relationship with Christ. Humility is a byproduct, if you will, of our relationship with God. The Letter to the Hebrews today tells us that we have drawn near to Jesus, the mediator of the covenant. This is how we learn humility, by drawing near to Jesus. He is the perfect example of humility: though he was in the form of God Jesus did not deem equality with God something to be grasped at; rather, he emptied himself taking the form of a slave and being born in human likeness: thus did he humble himself obediently accepting even death, death on a cross. The closer we grow to Jesus the more humble we become.

Today in the parable it is Jesus who deserves the head place at the wedding feast, he is the Son of God, the true Bridegroom. Yet, it is also Jesus who takes the last place, he decided to suffer and die for our salvation. We deserve the last place, yet by our union with Christ we are called up to a higher place, to the right hand of the Father.

This is the loft goal of humility. If we draw near to Christ, if we seek to emulate him, to put on the mind of Christ, to grow in humility, then we will be united with Christ in this life so as to live with him forever in the life to come: the eternal wedding feast of the Lamb.

In a few moments we will receive a foretaste of that eternal banquet in the Holy Eucharist. Here in the Eucharist we draw near to Jesus to learn from him the ways of humility. We receive Jesus, become united with him, so that we can be united with him forever. God grant us the grace to be humble, Amen.

Cardinal Merry Del Val Litany of Humility:

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being loved... Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled ... Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being honored ... Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being praised ... Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others... Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted ... Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being approved ... Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated ... Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised... Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes ... Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated ... Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten ... Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed ... Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged ... Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected ... Deliver me, Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I ... Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
others may increase and I may decrease ... Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside ... Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed ... Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything... Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should… Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

The Cross is the Gate to Heaven

2010-08-22T14:20:00.001-07:00

Today in the gospel, Jesus is asked if only a few are saved. We are hoping that he would just say: no, no everyone is saved. Rather, he somewhat agrees and says that we need to strive for the narrow gate. Many will seek it but will not be strong enough.

The gate we are looking for is the gate to heaven, the door to God, the door to everlasting life. This reminds me of something. One night I was flipping through the channels and came across CNN and Larry King Live. The guest that night was Pastor Joel Osteen. Have you ever heard of him? He was promoting his book Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to living your full potential. Now Joel is pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston Texas, where they get up to 45,000 people a week in this church. So Larry asked Joel a question: Will I who am Jewish go to heaven? He was asking if he could go to heaven without believing in Jesus. You could tell that Joel was really uncomfortable, I would be too. He basically answered that he didn't know, for him Jesus was important for salvation, but he didn't want to judge anyone.

Now this answer was ok, not great. I think Larry was looking for a fight and it was probably wise of Joel not to give it to him. Still I have wondered for years what I would have said if I were on the program. What I've decided is that there is a problem with the question. What is heaven? Is heaven the fluffy clouds and our wildest dreams? We talk about heaven often, but do we ever define it? I would define heaven as communion with God. Human beings were made with a capacity for love and communion. These desires can only be perfectly fulfilled in our communion with God.

So this is what heaven means. We were made to be united with God, and heaven is union with God, it is the fulfillment of all our desires. But, we have to ask: why don't we have this communion. If I were made for this communion, why don't I have it automatically? Sin! Original sin messed up our communion with God. Original sin severed the connection between God and humanity. But, God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son so that all those who believe in him might not perish, but might have eternal life. Jesus is the only way to heaven. In fact, Jesus is heaven. Heaven means we are united to Christ, part of his body. Our communion with him means perfect communion with God, also known as heaven. There is no heaven apart from Christ. It is not so much that one can go to heaven without Christ, rather there is no such thing as heaven apart from Christ.

I would have told Larry: I don't know if you are going to heaven, but I do know one thing, the only heaven there is is communion with God in the person of Christ. Everyone that goes to heaven will only go to heaven through the person of Jesus. Because it was through his death and resurrection that eternal life is possible.

In the death and resurrection of Jesus we have found that narrow gate. Certainly the way is difficult, for it took Jesus his very death and resurrection. The gateway to heaven is the cross of Christ. If we realize that the doorway to heaven is the suffering of Christ it helps us to understand how we are to enter through that gate. Through the grace of Christ we become strong enough when we bear with our sufferings and trials. Jesus saved the world through his suffering, when we join our suffering to that of Christ, we become strong enough, by God's grace, to enter the kingdom of heaven.

God calls many, in fact God calls all nations. Yet, there is only one way to heaven: through the suffering of Jesus. The only gateway to heaven is the cross of Christ. When we are united to Christ in our sufferings we become united to him forever.

As we turn now to receive the Eucharist we can offer our whole lives to Christ, be more intimately united to him so he can give us strength to enter through the narrow gate of the cross to the everlasting life of heaven.

Assumption of Mary

2010-08-15T12:11:00.001-07:00

Solemnity of the Assumption 2010

Today we celebrate the feast of the Assumption of Mary. This feast commemorates the day that Mary was taken into heaven, body and soul. This is an exciting feast. We should all be quite ecstatic about the assumption of Mary. Why?

We have to start with the Resurrection of Jesus. Without the resurrection there is no Christianity, there is no Church. Without Jesus overcoming sin and death by his own death and resurrection, there is no good news. The very heart of the gospel is the resurrection. Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. His human body lies in death no more. Rather, Jesus the second person of the Trinity takes to himself a human nature, dies, and rises. This is good news indeed because Jesus extends this life to all of us. Because of our common humanity, all of us have access to eternal life. We have access to the forgiveness of our sins. We believe in the resurrection of the dead.

At every funeral mass I celebrate, I'm struck by the Church's prayers. They are filled with our faith that Jesus has overcome sin and death. And that if we believe in Jesus, if we have faith in him and live as his disciples, we too will overcome sin and death. This is the gospel: God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son so that all those who believe in him might not perish, but might have eternal life. Every Sunday when we gather here to celebrate the Mass we renew our faith in the resurrection. The Eucharist is the sign and foretaste of the resurrection here and now.

From the earliest days of the Church, we have held that Mary was taken into heaven, body and soul. What this means is that the promise of eternal life is not some kind of aloof promise. Rather, Mary is already participating in the future life of the Kingdom. The assumption, then, is like the continuation of the Resurrection, the fruit of Jesus' rising from the dead. Jesus rises from the dead and ascends into heaven. In the Creed we say that he waits there so as to return to judge the living and the dead: his kingdom will have no end. The assumption of Mary shows that his reign has already begun.

When we celebrate the Assumption of Mary we are celebrating the kingdom of heaven. It has already begun. Dwelling on this belief should inspire our faith. It reminds us that if we want to be like Mary, in her blessed life in the kingdom to come, then we need to imitate her here and now. Mary exclaims today in the gospel: my soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my savior, for he has done good things for me and holy is his name.

Every Sunday when we gather here at Mass we gather in the name of Jesus, to celebrate his resurrection. Today we also remember the fruits of this resurrection bestowed upon his blessed mother Mary. As we receive the Eucharist today we can ask for the grace to be like Mary. We can ask for the grace to be open to God's will, to be a follower of Christ, ready to proclaim God's greatness. So that when our time on earth is done we too might proclaim the greatness of the Lord for all eternity. We ask Mary to pray for us as we say: Hail Mary…

Ready or Not…

2010-08-08T06:07:00.001-07:00

19^th Sunday OT year C

Whether we like it or not, the day is coming. It seems to me, the world can be broken into two camps: those who eagerly await that day, those who love to count down the days; and, those who fear its approach, those who are filled with dread at the very thought of it. I'm talking, of course, about the beginning of the School year. For parents, there are those who love to see this day come, those who would wish nothing more than to see their child off to school, so as to gain a bit of peace and quiet around the house. My Mom was this way! Imagine having 11 of us running amok for a whole summer and you would want to see us off as well. Still, there are those parents saddened by the beginning of school, many of whom experience an empty home during the school year. Then there are the kids, most kids probably say they don't like the beginning of school. They don't look forward to getting up early and doing homework, etc. That was me, I hated to see the beginning of the school year: fun time was over. But, other kids really enjoy school, they enjoy spending time with their friends, reading, studying, etc. But, no matter if you are looking forward to that day, or dreading it: the day is coming, we can neither speed up its arrival or delay its coming.

The same is true about the end of the world. That day is coming. We believe and profess every Sunday that we are waiting for the coming of Christ: He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We profess this every week. This should be something joyful for us. The coming of Christ should excite us. The day is coming when Jesus will return in his glory, inaugurating the Kingdom of God in its fullness. On that day, death will be no more, sin will be defeated and evil will be wiped out forever. On that day the light of Christ will shine into the dark recesses of all humanity, illuminating it and restoring it to its original beauty. We should long for this day, pray for its coming. Yet, at the same time, this day is frightening. For our Lord will come in Glory to judge the living and the dead. Are we ready for the judgment? When Jesus comes, will he find us to be faithful? Built right into the fabric of Christian existence is this paradox: we both eagerly await the coming of Christ and fear his coming. Peter recognizes this in the Gospel: Lord is this message for others, or for us as well? In other words, do we get out of the judgment? Surely as followers of Jesus, we shouldn't have to worry about the coming of the Savior, right? Don't we get a free pass? No! Jesus is quite emphatic. We as Christians have been given more, we have been blessed to receive the saving truth about Jesus. We know he is coming! There are many in the world who haven't a clue. We know, therefore we, above all, should be ready.

So, how do we get ready for the coming of Jesus? We will only be ready to welcome Christ on the last day if we are well-practiced at receiving Christ into our lives on a daily basis. We do this through our daily prayer: every day we should invite Christ into our lives, ask him to help us overcome our sinfulness, ask him for the grace to be led by the Holy Spirit. Second, we receive Christ in the sacraments of the Church. We will be ready to meet Christ on the last day if we meet him often in the sacrament of confession, we will be ready to receive his mercy on that last day, if we receive it here and now.

Finally, our faithful participation in the Eucharist is the perfect way to be ready to welcome Christ at the end of time. At every Mass, we hear God's word, we make known to him our needs, Christ comes to us in the Blessed Sacrament, and we pray every Mass "as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our savior." So, if we are eagerly awaiting the coming of Christ, the Mass helps us to participate in that coming even now. But, if we are weary of the coming of Christ, if the coming of Christ scares us, the Mass should calm our fears and encourage us to seek Christ on a daily basis.

The kids who have the worst time going back to school are often those kids who sit around doing nothing all summer, while those kids who kept up their reading, prayer, and exercise seem to be ready for the new school year. The same is true for us, if we want to be ready for the coming of Christ, we cannot expect to just sit around and do nothing. If we want to be ready to welcome Christ on the last day, we must welcome him into every day of our lives. Because, ready or not, that day is coming.

Are you ready to die?

2010-08-01T03:37:00.001-07:00

Jesus' parable today makes us ask some difficult questions. Are you ready to die? If you life ended today, would you be ready to see Jesus? Do you live every day of your life with this end in mind? We always have this notion that we have more time, we might not.

Are you ready to die?

Alphonsus De Liguroi wrote a whole book called the Preparation for death. I remember being shocked by this book. Here is a quote: "Consider that you are dust, and that you shall return to dust. A day will come when you shall die, and rot in a grave, where worms shall be your covering…" Shocking indeed. So many things seem quite unimportant in light of our impending death. Sounds a bit like our first reading: all things are vanity.

For example, I like to golf: vanity. God's not going to ask me my handicap.

I like to cook, vanity: My bacon artichoke dip will not get me into heaven.

I like football, vanity: even if Coach Kelly leads us to 10 national championships, it is not going to lead me closer to God.

Please don't misunderstand me. There is nothing wrong with these things. We are allowed to have hobbies and interests, but we have to remember that they don't necessarily bring us closer to God, even good things can take us away from God if they distract us too much.

We need to put Paul's words into action. If you have been raised with Christ then seek what is above. If Christ is important to you, he has to be a part of you day, a part of your lives. Your calendar never lies, the things that are important to you can be found on that calendar. How do you spend your time? How do you spend your energy? Some days I spend 4 hours golfing, do I ever spend 4 hours talking to God? I really get excited about football, but do I ever get excited about God? Insert your own hobbies, interests, and those things you spend time on and you see the point. The same is true of possessions. In the gospel, Jesus is not saying that we are not allowed to have things. He doesn't even say that the man shouldn't build bigger barns. What Jesus says is that this man did not care for the things of God. Possessions and money are not bad things, but they can distract us and take us away from our relationship to God. Even good things can lead us astray.

We overcome this possibility by seeking the things that are above: spending time with Jesus, reading about Jesus, watching movies about Jesus, coming to Mass, going to confession, etc. We need to seek holiness, seek God, leave behind our sins, because this is the pathway to eternal life. There is no getting around it; we are all going to die. There is only one name in which we can be saved: Jesus Christ. We need to set our eyes on Christ.

In a few moments we will receive the Holy Eucharist, we will see Jesus. We can ask him to help us to seek the things that are above. We need to live with our end in mind. We know that even good things can distract us from our relationship with God, which should be the most important thing in our lives. Without our relationship with God there is no salvation, no eternal life. Only with firm faith will we be able to answer the questions that will face us all:

Are you ready to die? Are you ready to meet the Lord?

Lord Teach us how to pray…

2010-07-25T07:51:00.001-07:00

Last week in the gospel we heard the famous story of Martha and Mary. "Martha, Martha you are anxious and worried about many things, only one thing is needed." Jesus then pointed to Mary, who was seated at his feet. Only one thing is needed to overcome anxieties and worries: a relationship with Jesus, a life of prayer.

This week our Lord continues the instruction. We need a life of prayer, so Jesus teaches us about prayer. It all begins with the beautiful little prayer of one of the disciples: Lord teach us how to pray. This prayer should be on all of our lips. Lord teach us how to pray. We all need to work on our prayer, no one would say "my prayer life is actually too good…"

Today's readings outline 4 key principles of prayer: Trinitarian, Consistent, Personal, Intercessional.

First, prayer should be Trinitarian. Jesus tells us to pray to the Father and if we do the result will be the gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus, the son of God, is our model, our teacher in the ways of prayer. He prays to the Father, and teaches us to pray to the Father. We would not be able to pray to the Father without Jesus showing us the way. The Spirit is given to those who pray. So our whole life of prayer should be molded by the Son, directed to the Father and infused with the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Next we hear the story of the man who comes late at night seeking some bread. Jesus gives us this as an example of prayer. At first it seems like Jesus is telling us to badger God until he gives us what we need. But, I would rather like to think of this parable as Jesus telling us that our prayer must be consistent. In other words, we don't just pray one day and say that we have prayed and that should be the end of it. Rather, prayer is a daily occurrence, our prayer must be consistent.

Third, our prayer should be personal. Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened. The things you ask for will be different from the things I need. You will seek different things. Prayer should be personal. Don't be afraid to pour out your heart to God. This is the stuff of prayers, what makes it up: the essence of our lives shared with God.

Finally, we should see ourselves as intercessors: praying on behalf of others. Just as did Abraham, we should seek the good of others in our conversations with God. How many people do you know that need prayers? Are there sick people in your family, are there those struggling financially, are there those who are far from Jesus? These people need our prayers.

If you notice these four aspects of prayer are all found in the Mass. That is one reason that the Mass is the perfect prayer. It is Trinitarian: we offer the Son to the Father in the power of the spirit. Consistent: we pray every week, and every day! The mass is being offered at every hour around the world. Personal: we receive the Lord into our very hearts, souls, and bodies, how more personal can it get? Intercession: we offer our prayers for the Church, the world and those who are in need. The Mass is the great school of prayer. As we celebrate this Mass let us turn to the Lord as that disciple did so many years ago and say: Lord teach us how to pray.

You are Anxious and Worried about Many Things:

2010-07-18T08:18:00.001-07:00

The story of Martha and Mary has been interpreted for hundreds of years as the difference between the active lifestyle and the contemplative lifestyle. Mary has chosen the better part means that the life of contemplation is superior to the active life. I think that many of us who live the active life might agree. Have you ever wished you could dash off and join a monastery? A life of prayer, solitude, and silence sounds pretty good sometimes. But, there is more going on in this passage. I think this passage can also teach all of us about the life of prayer.

The story really gets interesting after Martha complains about having too much work to do. We almost expect Jesus to tell Mary to get up and help Martha, don't we? Yet, Jesus tells Martha that she is anxious and upset about many things. Only one thing is needed. This is not the first time that Jesus talks about anxiety. There are actually 4 more places in Luke's gospel where he talks about anxieties and worries:

Luke 12:11-12 When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what your defense will be or about what you are to say. ¹² For the holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.

Luke 12:22-23 He said to (his) disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life and what you will eat, or about your body and what you will wear. ²³ For life is more than food and the body more than clothing.

Luke 8:14 As for the seed that fell among thorns, they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along, they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, and they fail to produce mature fruit.

Luke 21:34-35 Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise ³⁵ like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth.

So, the story of Martha and Mary seems like another story where Jesus is teaching us about the dangers of being anxious and upset. How many times have we been anxious and upset? Daily? So many of us feel like we have the candle burning at both ends. You run from baseball practice, to volleyball camp, to recitals, just to make it home in time for supper and bed. Many of us experience life as a whirlwind, where we look like the Tasmanian devil flying through life with reckless abandon. When we do this, we often become like Martha: anxious and worried about many things.

Today Jesus reminds us: there is only one thing that is needed. In the midst of the craziness of our life, when it seems like we need to work, we need to take care of the kids, we need to take care of the house, we have to remember that at the end of the day, only one thing is really essential: our relationship with Jesus. All too often, when we get caught up by the craziness of our daily lives, we can lose sight of our relationship with Christ, and when we do that the path toward anxiety and worry is very short. How do we keep up our relationship with Christ? Mary has chosen the better part.

There is no better image for prayer than that of Mary, sitting at the feet of Jesus. To have a relationship with Christ, we must pray. In order to pray we must spend time with Christ. We sit quietly and listen to him, speak with him. We will never have a relationship with Christ without prayer, without sitting at his feet listening to him, speaking with him. When your life feels like Martha, you probably haven't been spending any time like Mary.

We all need time of prayer every day. Fulton Sheen used to say that everyone in the world needs a half hour of prayer… Unless you are busy, then you need an hour of prayer. And it is true, the busier we are, the more we need to reinforce our relationship with Christ. Think of it as a tithe of your time. You will only gain control of your life if you sacrifice some of your time to Christ. You will only be free of worries and anxieties by relying on the help of Christ. This doesn't mean that your life will become simple overnight, it just means that no matter what you are dealing with in your life, you will only be able to deal with it properly if you have a firm foundation of prayer.

Abraham, Martha, and Mary all welcomed the Lord, and it was a great blessing for them. We need to be sure that we welcome the Lord on a daily basis. Every morning start the day with prayer. Every night end the day with prayer. During the day, be like Abraham: sitting at the door of his tent, on the lookout for the Lord. This is what it means to have a prayer life. We are on the watch for the Lord ready to welcome him, whether he comes in the form of angels, if he would visit our home like Martha and Mary, but most especially we welcome the Lord when he comes to us in this Holy Eucharist.

Tour de Lac

2010-07-04T05:47:00.000-07:00

Today I begin my biking tour of Lake Michigan. I am really looking forward to this trip. See you when I get back.
God bless,
Fr Jake

Missionaries for Jesus 14th Sunday OT Year C

2010-07-04T05:46:00.001-07:00

14^th Sunday OT Year C

Today's gospel picks up where we left off last week. Last week Jesus said to his disciples: follow me. This invitation from Jesus becomes the very source of our identity. We are followers of Jesus. This is what it means to be Christian. We follow Jesus, we spend time with him, we draw close to him. Today in the gospel Jesus gives us a mission.

Do you remember the story of Moses? After he received the law he became the leader of the people. They used to come to him night and day asking him to settle disagreements and to give them advice in their lives. However, it became too much for him. So, he selected 70 elders upon whom God sent the spirit of prophecy so that the mission of Moses might be carried out on a wider scale. Today Jesus does the same thing. He bestows upon the 70 disciples his own mission, he makes them his co-workers. We have all been asked to spread the gospel.

In other words, every member of the Church is a missionary. Do we see ourselves as missionaries? Do we see the mission of the church as our mission? We should. We should see the mission of the kingdom as our own mission. We find our satisfaction in life when the Church flourishes, when the gospel is spread. We are followers of Jesus, which means that we find our fulfillment in life by first experiencing the peace of the kingdom and then sharing that peace with others.

The harvest is plenty and the laborers few. How true this is! We usually use this passage in terms of vocations to the priesthood or religious life. And it is true! We should pray to God that he send us more priests, more brothers, more sisters. We need them. But that is not all the passage means. It means that all of us need to take responsibility for the spread of the gospel. All of us, by our very baptism, our relationship with Jesus, are missionaries. Every day you should ask yourself: what have I done to spread the gospel today? Spreading the gospel is not simply a job for the priests. Vatican II taught us that the mission of the laity is to bring the gospel to the corners of the world. There are places I can never reach: I cannot preach in your factories, banks, schools, or homes. You can! You will find joy if you do.

How to become a missionary? First you must become enraptured by the gospel. At World Youth Day in Denver 1993 John Paul II told the youth of the world that they should never be ashamed of the gospel. However, at the end of the Mass, he changed his remarks. He said (paraphrased), during my homily I misspoke. I told you not to be ashamed of the gospel. I should have told you to be proud of the gospel. This is how we become missionaries of Christ, we must become proud of the gospel, like St. Paul we boast of the cross of Jesus Christ, we experience the joy of the gospel. A famous adage goes that one cannot give what one does not have. If you have not been possessed by the gospel you will never be able to share it with others.

It says in the gospel that Jesus sent these disciples to the places where he wished to go. It is Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, who carries out the work of evangelization. Jesus is the one who does the work of conversion. Our job, as ambassadors of Christ, is to prepare the way.

Jesus first calls us to follow him, then he handed on his mission us. Each one of us, then, are missionaries for Christ. We will only be good missionaries if we are possessed by the gospel, for we will know Jesus and will desire to share this good news with the world. Are you ready to be a missionary for the gospel?

Sts. Peter and Paul

2010-06-29T07:03:00.000-07:00

Today is the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul. These great saints worked tirelessly to spread the good news of Christ risen from the dead. Today in Rome all the newly appointed archbishops of the world convened in Rome to receive the Pallium. The pallium is a liturgical vestment worn around the neck of an archbishop. It is significant of his role of oversight. Each archbishop is asked to oversee other dioceses in his area. This yoke of Christ is worn as a symbol of his office.
God bless,
Fr Jake

Ordination

2010-06-27T07:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a great day for the diocese. Andy Budzinski, one of my best friends, was ordained priest for the diocese of Fort Wayne South Bend. I have been most fortunate to be able to have gotten to know Fr Andy over these last 6 years. I am really excited to call him my brother priest. Yesterday I told him that I was looking forward to the next 60 years together in the diocese. He said, "you better!" He is always so funny. Fr. Andy was assigned to St. Vincent's parish in Fort Wayne. This afternoon I am going to concelebrate his first mass at Holy Family at 3:00. Please keep praying for Fr. Andy.
Ad multos annos.

Following Jesus

2010-06-27T07:29:00.001-07:00

13^th Sunday OT Year C

Today we hear Jesus' invitation to follow him. Follow me, he said to the disciples in the gospel and to each one of us. In fact, as Christians this invitation makes up our identity. The name Christian means "one who follows Christ." Following Christ is more than just something we do, it is something we are. So let's think about this a little more.

Why do we follow Christ? First, he called us. We hear his voice. The story of Elisha is our story. Jesus comes to us in the midst of our everyday lives, throws his cloak over us and asks us to follow him. Elisha was plowing, he was carrying on his daily tasks. Yesterday I went to Fr. Andy Budzinski's priestly ordination. It reminded me of my own calling to follow Christ as a priest. It came in the midst of ordinary things. There was no voice from heaven. Rather, I was going to RCIA classes as a sponsor, I was reading the Catechism, I was trying to go to daily mass, and I just remember hearing the voice of Jesus telling me to consider the priesthood. Jesus asks each one of us to follow him, and he asks us in the midst of our ordinary lives, we have to develop the ability to hear his voice. Second, we follow Jesus because he is the only path to true freedom. We know this from experience. Our sins only lead us to misery and selfishness. But if we rely on God's grace, Jesus can set us free. This is what St. Paul is talking about. Being a follower of Jesus means that we are led by the Spirit and we are truly free. Our hearts really long for this freedom, only Jesus, and the freedom he gives, can truly satisfy us. So that is why we follow: because Jesus calls us and because he leads us to the freedom we crave.

How do we follow Jesus? We get some clues in the gospel today. At first blush, Jesus' reply seems rather harsh. Lord first let me bury my father, let me first say goodbye to my family. Jesus responds by saying let the dead bury the dead, or you are not fit for the kingdom. Harsh indeed. But, I'm convinced that Jesus is not so much responding to their requests as he is responding to the order in which they put them. Neither burying a father nor saying goodbye to a family is incompatible with Christianity. But they both asked if they may do those things "first." In other words, Lord I want to follow you, but do you mind if I put a few things before you? Do you mind if I put something else, even something good, before my relationship with you? The answer is a resounding no. If we are going to be followers of Jesus he has to be first, he has to be the most important. In one way following Jesus is easy, it simply means that he is the first, most important person in our lives. Nothing takes precedence over our relationship with Christ. Now we know that this doesn't exclude our family. Rather, our relationship with Christ makes us better mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, children, students, workers, etc. We just can't be those things before our identity as Christians. God asks for nothing less than everything, and he deserves it!

Finally, to where do we follow Christ? Being a follower of Christ means that we travel with Christ. We often call our lives a journey, and it is true. We travel with Christ. He leads us, he shows us the way. But, where is he going? The gospel today tells us that Jesus was resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem. So, Jerusalem is the destination of our own journey. If we follow Christ, this is where we will end. What did Jesus find there? He found death and suffering, it is true. As we follow Jesus we might find some suffering, we might find trials. But we are comforted that Jesus has walked this path before us. And, the journey did not end with the Cross. Jesus died, yes, but he also rose again. To follow Jesus means to follow him in freedom through death into new life.

Why do we follow Jesus? Because he invited us and only in him do we find the freedom our hearts desire. How do we follow him? By putting him first in our lives. Where does he lead us? Through death to life.

As we receive the Eucharist today we receive the strength and support we need to walk with Christ, to journey with him, from the slavery of our sins to the freedom of holiness, from death on the cross to the everlasting life of the resurrection.

Who do you say that I am?

2010-06-19T12:15:00.001-07:00

Who do you say that I am? This question lies at the very heart of what it means to be Christian, even at the heart of what it means to be human. Wrong answers to this question abound: John the Baptist, Elijah, an ancient prophet. What about our modern world? There are many wrong answers found today.

Think about the new atheist movement. Not only is Jesus not God for them, there is no God. This group attributes everything evil in our society to the belief in God. Then there are the Da Vinci Gnostics. These people believe that Jesus was just another human: he lived, he died, he got married, he had kids, he was not God and he did not rise from the dead. These two suggestions are so far-fetched as to be laughable. Some people think of Jesus as a sage teacher. They think of Jesus' commands, his sermon on the mount, the Golden Rule, etc. Others know that Jesus is God and think of him as their friend, but don't really think of the Church as being important, they don't believe it necessary to follow the moral law, they believe in a disincarnate Jesus, a spiritual Jesus. Both of these answers are wrong, not because Jesus is not a wise teacher, not because we shouldn't have a spiritual relationship with Jesus, but because these answers are not complete.

There is only one correct answer to this question: you are the Christ of God. You are the one spoken of by the prophets, such as our first reading. We believe in you, we believe that you are God, and we have put on Christ on the day of our baptism, as Paul mentions in the second reading.

When we were baptized we answered with St. Peter: you are the Christ. Through this profession of faith and by the sacrament we have become children of God. But this question is unlike any question we have answered or will answer. This question is not only put to us by Christ. Rather, it cries out from our hearts, our souls, our very existence asks fundamental questions: who are we? What are we? How do we exist? For what do we exist? These questions are really nothing more than the question of Jesus: who do you say that I am. It is only in the context of Christ that our lives have meaning. It is only in the context of Christ that the questions of our existence find their answers. The question of Christ goes to the very heart of what it means to be human.

Since this question is unlike any other, it demands a different kind of response. It is not answered with mere words, but it is answered with our whole selves. Jesus explains how this question is answered in the rest of our gospel. First, he explains what it means that he is the Christ. It means that he will suffer and die for our salvation. That he will overcome sin and death by his own death, rising on the third day. Secondly, he explains that for us to enter into this resurrection, for us to live everlasting life with God forever, answering the very questions of our hearts, we too must deny ourselves, take up our crosses and follow after Jesus. The shape of human existence is found in the cross.

Who do you say that I am? Christ speaks this question to the hearts of each and every human person. In Christ we find the answer to all of our deepest longings. But the response to Christ's question cannot be simply words. One of the biggest problems we face today is a kind of practical atheism. This happens when we profess a belief in God, a belief in Jesus, but we act as though God doesn't exist.

Who do you say that I am? You are the Christ of God, we answer, not only with our lips but with our whole being when we take up our crosses and follow after Christ, who leads us to everlasting life.

We all need forgiveness

2010-06-12T13:05:00.001-07:00

11^th Sunday of OT, year C

Today's readings tell us the importance of forgiveness. All of us should see ourselves in the gospel parable. We are all in debt, we have all sinned. It doesn't matter if we see ourselves as the debtor of a huge sum, or a small one: we are all in need of God's mercy, we are all in need of God's grace. All of us have sinned.

Have you ever wondered why it seems like we talk about sin and virtue so often? Why is the moral life so central? At the heart of the very proclamation of the good news comes a moral command: repent and believe in the gospel. Isn't it important just to believe in God? Why does it matter what we do? Why is the moral life important?

If we are honest, we have all asked ourselves these questions. I would answer that the moral life is important for 2 reasons. First, it is the only path to happiness. The moral law is really a gift from God. It is like the instruction manual for the human person. If you want to be happy, do this. Virtue is its own reward and sin is its own punishment. If we are honest, we can recognize this fact. Our sins do not make us happy, they don't satisfy us. Second, the moral life is important because our actions make us who we are.

Before he was elected pope, John Paul II wrote a philosophical book on human action. This book, The Acting Person, is a dense account of the working of human acts. I studied this book when I was first in seminary. I remember it being a very difficult book, but I also remember this profound truth: We are what we are when we do what we do. Think about it for a minute. How does a thief become a thief? By stealing. How does a gossip become a gossip? By gossiping. How does a volunteer become a volunteer? By volunteering. How does a doctor become a doctor? By learning and practicing medicine. You see for either good or ill our actions make us the kind of people we are. Liars, cheaters, thieves, drug dealers, all become so by their sins. Their sins make them these bad things. Doctors, lawyers, volunteers, peace-makers, saints all become so by their good works. So, the kind of people we are depends on the kinds of things we do.

What kind of person are you? If we took a long hard look at ourselves, most of us would see things we don't like, things we are not proud of. Look at Kind David for example. David committed adultery with Bathsheba, and to make matters worse he murdered Uriah, her husband. David the adulterer and murderer. Sometimes I feel bad for David. Could you imagine your worst sins written in the Bible for people to read for the next 3000 years! It makes me shudder. But, there is something more to the story. Have you ever noticed that David is not remembered as an adulterer and murderer? It is certainly true that David committed these horrible things, but that is not how he is remembered. He is remembered as the faithful king of Israel. To him God promised to raise up an heir. We see Jesus as this heir. David is remembered as the predecessor of Jesus. Why isn't David remembered as a sinner? Because he asked for forgiveness, because he repented.

No matter what our sins, we always have the freedom to repent. We always have the freedom to change. In fact, God helps us to change, he helps us to repent. We have within us the power of God that helps us to be holy. This is what St. Paul is talking about. Christ lives within us. If we don't like the people we have become. If find ourselves unhappy and stuck in our sins, we need to turn to God. Like the woman in the gospel, we need to come to Jesus and ask for forgiveness. We get to do this in the sacrament of confession. We are what we are when we do what we do; but, if we don't like who we are or if we don't like what we do, we can call on the help of God.

Today as we receive this holy Eucharist we recognize our sinfulness. We recognize our weakness. Let us ask Christ to make us strong, to help us overcome our sinfulness by relying on his grace and his mercy. For we have all sinned and stand in need of God's mercy, his forgiveness.