Update

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

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

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

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

    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

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

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

    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

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:

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:

 

    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.