Lord, if you Will (daily)

Ash Wednesday, Cycle B

2012-02-24T06:59:00.000-08:00

Today, we begin our definitive journey into Lent, tracing, as we do, an ashen cross upon our foreheads, a symbol that hearkens back to the days of the Bible indicating penance, mourning and even our own mortality.

It is a symbol and a sign of who we are, what we believe, and why we do what we do, because it is more than just ashes upon our head, it is more than a cross for a day, it is a witness, greater than any other witness we can give, because it is a visible sign that, indeed, we are Christians, that, indeed we do believe.

Yet, that sign is of very little significance, without this recognition, or if we merely trace a cross upon our foreheads without partaking in the true mysteries that Lent places before us, the true mysteries that can be found in the sacraments, most especially in the sacrament of reconciliation and the Most Holy Eucharist.

For, in the Eucharist is found the source, summit and center of our lives as Catholics, because in the Eucharist we not only live what we profess but we, literally, receive the life, death and Resurrection of Christ.

In the sacrament of reconciliation, too, we are transformed by grace, covered by mercy and absolved of our sins.

That is why the ashen cross upon our foreheads does not disappear when it is washed away, because the true mystery of the Cross, the true mystery of the Passion, death and Resurrection of Christ is contained in the Eucharist, contained in our confession, so that it goes much further than a temporary symbol, much further than something we experience for a day.

When we bless the ashes, we mingle it with water so that it sticks for a time, but when we receive the Eucharist it does not just mingle with our own body and blood for a time, no, it becomes a part of us, it becomes what that ashen cross represents, Christ truly living within us. It becomes a living sign of our repentance, of our constant desire to repent and believe in the Gospel.

For within those sacraments is the same Christ who fled to the desert, was tempted, beaten, crucified, and rose again, the same Christ that can make us stronger, the same Christ that will lead us into this Lent and the same Christ whom all of us, in a short time, should, if we are able, receive.

Lent points us to something deeper, something much more profound in our lives and in our world than a mere cross upon our foreheads, then a mere piece of palm on our wall, it points to the fundamental mysteries and pinnacle of our lives as Catholics.

It is why we can be absolved of our sins, it is why with death comes Resurrection, it is why we are baptized, it is why we can receive the Eucharist.

For, Lent centers upon the very foundations of who we are as Catholics, indeed, why we do what we do, and why it matters. That is why we should be here, that is why we should continue to come, because Christ is calling each and every one of us to a greater more profound relationship with Him.

He is calling us forth to enter into this season of Lent and to make it what it is, a season of prayer, of penance, of fasting and almsgiving with the ultimate end, as in our Eucharist, as in our reconciliation, of new life, eternal life in Him.

Monday of 7th Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle B (Faith and Unbelief)

2012-02-20T13:49:00.000-08:00

Faith is a very interesting virtue, because with it we can believe the most extraordinary and the most amazing things, and yet, at the same time, have doubts or questions or not believe as much as we think, so that we find ourselves both believing and not believing at the same time. Or, in those beautiful words expressed by a father who son was just healed: “I believe, help my unbelief.”

And, if we think about it and if we are honest with ourselves, this is the way we spend most of our lives, this is way our relationship with God exists, by living a seeming contradiction of belief and unbelief, of trust and distrust, of fear and strength, because we have a relationship with someone whom we both know intimately and, at the same time, can seem like a stranger to us, it is both a unique and a familiar relationship that does not or cannot exist with anyone else.

Yet, as strange at that may sound, this is faith, this is the way we know God, because that is who God is, He is a mystery and He is our love, He is distant and He is near us, He is bigger than the universe and small enough to become a tiny host that fits in our hands and dwells in our bodies, in order to touch our hearts and transform our souls.

With this same faith, we come to know, we come to believe and we come to love He whom we cannot see, so that miracles like those in our Gospel become not a measure of our belief but an affirmation of what we have always known. We may not always know it as much as we would like, we may not always be able to believe it to the extent of a saint, but if we have even a mustard seed of it, bread will become the Eucharist, wine will become blood, and when we are tempted to unbelief we will still then be able to believe.

Because, as Jesus reminds, as long as we are men and women of prayer, as long as our faith contains the desire to believe even in our unbelief, then, in the words of Jesus: “If you can!' Everything is possible to one who has faith.” Not one thing, not nothing, but everything and all it takes is faith, all it takes is the confidence to know that God can do it and He will.

Thursday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle B (Scraps for Dogs)

2012-02-09T06:29:00.000-08:00

In our Gospel today, Jesus is reluctant to heal the woman’s daughter and even, in so many words, calls her a dog. Yet, instead of being deterred, offended or anything else, she recognizes who she is before God and, instead, humbles herself only to make the request again. And Jesus is so impressed with her faith that He immediately heals her daughter.

For, while Jesus could have done it without such an exchange, as with any miracle He performs, He wanted to know and see the level of faith that existed in this woman, to see how firmly and strongly she believed.

And, by her persistence, her perseverance and her humility she demonstrates the power of faith and how no obstacle should stand in our way when we have such faith. To know, believe and live with the conviction that our personal unworthiness matters very little and that all we need is a sliver of faith and the humility to know that if He is willing, God can do anything, including bringing healing in spite of His reluctance.

That is why, in the words of St. Josemaria Escriva with whom I leave you with this morning: “Do not be discouraged. However unworthy a person is, however imperfect his prayer turns out to be, if it is offered with humility and perseverance, God always hears it.”

Faith and Healing, Cycle B

2012-02-01T19:10:00.000-08:00

I once read somewhere that “faith isn’t faith until it is all you are holding on to.” Because faith not only allows us to believe without seeing but to know the extraordinary and to live it as if ordinary, so that, in essence, it becomes more than how we believe and, instead, becomes the way we live our lives.

That is why faith is so important in our relationship with God and why faith as tiny and miniscule as a mustard seed has so much potential and so much power to do amazing and almighty things.

It is also why, that without it, life becomes different and miracles become difficult if not impossible. In fact, when Jesus returns to the town that is native to Him, a place that one would think thousands would believe, it is just the opposite, barely anyone believes, barely anyone has faith.

That was why Jesus could not perform as many miracles, not because He wasn’t powerful enough, but because any healing depends upon the person being healed and if their faith is lacking so is their openness to what God can do in their lives.

Faith is much more powerful than merely believing the impossible, it is knowing that the impossible is, indeed, possible, knowing that with God all things are possible.

That is why faith or lack thereof has so many consequences and why the saints were able to live they way they did, the way Mother Teresa could get up every morning in spite of not even knowing if God existed.

The reason St. Pio, after being distracted by a woman making a disruption during Mass only had to say “enough of this” and elevate the Eucharist for her to sit quietly the rest of Mass. The reason St. Francis could not only go near, but embrace the lepers he hated so much. The reason any saint could do anything they did was because their faith was so strong.

Because faith puts us squarely in the hands of God and we are given to completely trust in Him, knowing that while not the only thing needed it is an essential virtue that helps us to embrace the fullness of what we believe, what we know and what we need in order to allow God to do and to perform mighty deeds through us.

Mustard Seed and 19th Anniversary of My Father's Death, Cycle B

2012-01-27T12:29:00.000-08:00

In today’s Gospel, Jesus compares the kingdom of God to a tiny mustard seed, saying that from this tiniest of seeds a great kingdom can emerge. Now, I don’t know about you, but, personally, I find it difficult to think solely about the mustard seed without also thinking about what Jesus said elsewhere, that we need only have faith as tiny as that in order to do extraordinary things.

And, as strange as this may sound, I think we are to see the relation of both, because just as our understanding of the kingdom starts small and grows so too does our faith begin just as small and grow as well. And, the amazing thing about it is as one grows the other does as well, because faith is how the kingdom can come into our midst, it is how we not just recognize it but bring it into the world.

Faith allows us to look beyond ourselves, in fact, it demands it, so that what we see is not what is impossible but possible, despite anything to the contrary. And, it helps us to put things in perspective, especially in light of those things that don’t make sense, especially, in light of the very mystery of the cross itself.

In fact, today marks the anniversary of 19 years when my father died, when he was shot and killed at work, something that drastically changes and alters your entire perception of faith, of what it means to see the Kingdom of God in life. For, not only did I lose my father but not two weeks before, I had my second open-heart surgery and third pacemaker surgery.

Yet, it was only when, after trying to give up my faith, that I realized what I lost, and in embracing my faith was not necessarily able to understand but able to see it as an opportunity to learn. To see the Cross in a new light and to bear its weight with a different type of strength, not in the sense that I’ll do it because I have to, but, rather, I will do it because this is the path of survival, this is the path of undying strength, this is the path of the Kingdom, this is the path of faith.

And, all it takes is a tiny mustard seed, the ability to look upon the world differently, to allow it to grow, flourish and become a towering tree. For, while the cross may seem to crush us, it also becomes our strength.

In fact, it was at the foot of the Cross where my vocation flourished, because after my father died when things got really bad, I would find myself in front of a crucifix, which was in this little wooden post, at the edge of the parking lot, at the Church I attended. I would frequently come to this crucifix, and pour myself out, crying and yelling and just saying everything I could.

And, eventually I came to realize that this was how Christ illuminated my life because His cross became a beacon to which I was constantly drawn, and in the greatest darkness, in seeming blindness, in what felt as an absence of faith, I found Him.

Because, ultimately, it is our faith that will always sustain us, it is our faith that will help us to see the Kingdom, it is our faith that puts our world in perspective. For, as St. Josemaria Escriva puts it, with whom I leave you with today: “The day we practice this virtue (faith), trusting in God and in his Mother, we will be daring and loyal. God, who is the same God as ever, will work miracles through our hands.” Bringing to us, in the end, in our midst, the greatest miracles of all, understanding, forgiveness and healing.

St. Lucy, Cycle B

2011-12-13T09:42:00.001-08:00

Today, we commemorate the life of St. Lucy, a martyr whose name simply means, “Light.” A rather appropriate saint for the season, as it is constantly associated with movement towards the light, as marked on the Advent wreath, in the sky over Bethlehem, to the birth of Him who is the light of the world. In fact, it is also common during this time for the skies themselves to light up as a result of a meteor shower, which will happen tonight as the Geminid meteor shower reaches its peak.

Therefore, we celebrate this great saint of light.

Unfortunately, however, apart from that, little else is known to be factual, and everything else about St. Lucy’s life is based on the great stories and legends that came to be associated with this very young saint. However, based on the violent Christian persecutions that occurred in Pagan Sicily in the year 300, we have a good idea of what might possibly have happened.

St. Lucy was born in Syracuse, Sicily and her father died when she was very young. Her mother was ill with a disease that caused her to hemorrhage, similar to the woman in the Gospel, who would touch the cloak of Jesus’ garment. As the story goes, one day, St. Lucy and her mother wound up in a city where St. Agatha was the patroness, and so there they prayed for her mother’s healing. According to legend, St. Agatha then appeared to St. Lucy and assured her that just as she was the patroness of the city of Catania, the city they were in, so too would St. Lucy become the patroness of Syracuse. It is said after that vision that her mother was instantly healed.

During this time, her mother had also arranged for St. Lucy to marry a pagan, but after her healing, had understood St. Lucy’s desire to consecrate her life to God. The potential bridegroom, however, was not as understanding and grew quite angry, and in that anger went and told the governor that St. Lucy was a Christian, thus beginning St. Lucy’s martyrdom.

The governor then sentenced St. Lucy into forced prostitution, however, when the guards came to take her away, it is believed that she was so heavy and stiff that they could not move her, nor could even do so when they hitched her to a bunch of oxen.

She was then tortured and then they tried to set her on fire, however, it is believed that the wood would not light, and the fire would keep going out. Finally, it is believed she was then stabbed in the throat. However, many pictures and statues depict Lucy as holding eyes on a plate, this is because it is believed that the Emperor Diocletian, put out her eyes as part of her torture, yet, it is also believed that her eyesight was restored before she died. Incidentally, this is why she is the patroness of the blind and those with eye trouble.

The stories and legends and beautiful martyrdom depict a very strong saint, confident in her faith and counted among the canon of martyrs, because she became a light bearer to, bringing the fire of the Holy Spirit before the world and lighting the candle, the very light of Christ in the midst of the darkness that surrounded her.

This is why I would like to end with a little beautiful prayer that I think really encapsulates the type of saint she was and fittingly honors her as one:

Saint Lucy, you did not hide your light under a basket, but let it shine for the whole world, for all the centuries to see. We may not suffer torture in our lives the way you did, but we are still called to let the light of our Christianity illumine our daily lives. Please help us to have the courage to bring our Christianity into our work, our recreation, our relationships, our conversation -- every corner of our day. Amen

St. Lucy, patron of the blind and those with eye troubles, pray for us!

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Cycle B

2011-12-12T07:10:00.000-08:00

Today, we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, when Mary appeared to a poor Indian by the name of St. Juan Diego, a 57 year old widower who lived in a small village near Mexico city, a feast we just celebrated this past Friday.

As, we may or may not know the story goes that he was on the way to Mass when he heard beautiful music in the hills of Tepeyac. Following the music, he came upon what appeared to be a beautiful Aztec princess, who spoke to him and told him he was to tell the bishop to build a church where she had appeared.

The bishop demanded a sign, so, at the beckoning of Mary, he went and found flowers that did not commonly grow at that time and in Mexico. He went back to her and she instructed him to show the bishop.

When he did, he explained what happened to the bishop and opened his tilma letting the flowers fall out. The bishop ignored the rare roses and was more focused upon the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. After this, the bishop dedicated a church in her honor.

The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe has been examined by countless scholars, artist, theologians, historians and the like, and, what they show is that the image is more than a simple image of Mary, but a Christianized version of every single Aztec religion.

In fact, even the name Guadalupe is believed to be a Spanish mis-translation of the Aztec dialect, leading many to believe that she actually called herself Coatlallope which means “one who treads on snakes.” Yet, the name is merely only the tip of the iceberg, as it were. She is surrounded by light, which recalls Rev 12:1, that speaks about the “woman clothed with the sun.” However, the rays of the sun would recall, for the native people, a symbol of their highest god, a name I could not even begin to pronounce.

In that same chapter, it speaks about the “moon being under her feet,” in the same way that Our Lady of Guadalupe is standing upon a crescent moon, which also recalls the Aztec god of the night, showing that she is even more powerful than the god of darkness. Yet, a crescent moon is also a Christian sign of her perpetual virginity and some even say it could refer to the Immaculate Conception or even Assumption.

And, while the image shows power and stature, her eyes are cast down, a sign to the native people that she is neither divine nor a goddess since typically pictures of their gods had the eyes look straight ahead with their eyes wide open.

The angel holding Mary up was also a powerful symbol, it was a symbol of royalty and nobility, since only kings and queens would be carried on the shoulders of someone. And, if that was not enough, as a few commentators note, the stars on her mantle not only symbolize that she is from heaven, but that the formation of the stars is exactly the way the stars appeared on the morning of December 12, 1531, the morning of the apparition.

Yet, one of the most important symbols is the fact that she appears pregnant and, is, as many commentators note, about to give birth, reminiscent of Rev 12 and clearly symbolized in the very simple bow around her waist. A symbol that is seen as new life and plentitude, something completely contrary to the Aztec religion, that believed in the importance of human sacrifice.

As you can see then there are many things we can take away from this beautiful image, but what I want to leave you with today, is what she told St. Juan Diego, something I think we should all take time to meditate upon and really let the depth and breadth of the words penetrate our hearts. I know it helped me while I was in the seminary, especially, in those difficult times and it continues to be a consolation in those most challenging of times in my life. She says:

“Do not be troubled or weighed down with grief. Do not fear any illness or vexation, anxiety or pain. Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not your fountain of life? Are you not in the folds of my mantle? In the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else you need?”

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, pray for us!

St. Nicholas, Cycle B

2011-12-06T06:24:00.000-08:00

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Nicholas, the bishop of Myra, which is modern day Turkey, and a man known for his great generosity and strong leadership as bishop.

And though he has become, as one commentator notes, the most pictured saint next to the Blessed Virgin Mary, due mostly to the mixing of legend, fact and commercialization, he does still stand as a great saint. In fact, he is one of the few saints that the Eastern and Western Church both honor.

There are countless stories that are associated with him that give us a glimpse as to why he became known for his generosity was beloved by children and became the patron of sailors.

Born into a very wealthy family, after both his parents died, he sought to heed Jesus’ message and sell all he owned. In fact, he made sure to share his wealth with everyone, ignoring his own wants and needs. There is a popular story about a man and his three daughters that has made him known as a gift giver.

The story goes that there was a very poor man who had no money for any of his daughters to get married (since a dowry was needed). So, in desperation and in need to support both himself and his daughters, he decided to sell one of his daughters into prostitution.

St. Nicholas heard of this and, as a result, when it was late, he went and threw a bag of gold in the window of the man’s house. He did this for the other two daughters as well and, eventually, all three were able to get married.

However, since the man had no idea who had been giving him this gold, he waited to see if he would be able to catch the one who had been doing this for him, which he finally did. When he saw St. Nicholas he asked him why he had done this for him to which Nicholas responded: “Because it's good to give and have only God know about it.” Incidentally, it is believed that these bags of gold landed in their stockings or shoes, which were being left by the fire to dry. This is where the custom of hanging stockings by the fireplace developed.

Nicholas is also known as the patron of sailors for saving them as a result of praying for a storm to calm that almost destroyed their ship. He also miraculously saved a child who was enslaved, so that the child appeared before his parents after a year of captivity on the Feast of St. Nicholas.

There are countless other stories and legends of this great man as well, yet, somehow someway this man became the person everyone knows as Santa Claus. And, I think it says a lot, because it shows us the way in which we turn the true meaning of something holy into something secular.

The actual story of how St. Nicholas became known as Santa Claus is the result of two authors, Washington Irving and Clement Moore. There is a lot more in between, but suffice it to say, on St. Nicholas day, Irving wrote a fictional account of “Jolly old St. Nick.” But it was Clement Moore who brought Santa to life with his fictional poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” or as we know it "The Night Before Christmas." Then Coca Cola decided to create paintings based on those writings and thus a great saint became a fictional character.

Today then let us remember the true meaning of this season of Advent, and let us reclaim all of those things that have been made for a secular Christmas knowing that their roots are truly beautiful and truly holy.

St. Nicholas, patron of sailors and children, pray for us!

Thanksgiving, Cycle A

2011-11-24T07:26:00.000-08:00

Thank you

Two incredibly powerful words

Yet, two words used so often, so carelessly, and so lightly that they have almost become cliché.

Perhaps this is why we always feel it necessary to attach an action to those words, in order to, in a sense, not just say thanks but also show it.

That is what the Samaritan in today’s Gospel did. He returned to thank Jesus, but he didn’t just say it, rather, in complete humility, he fell at His feet to show it.

He showed his thanks by what he did, he recognized who was responsible for his healing and, as a result, returned to give proper thanks to God.

And, we too, will do the same today. We will gather around a table with family and friends to share in a great meal. And, before doing so, we will bow our heads in prayer to give thanks.

For, just as the pilgrims placed their hope and trust in God, in spite of difficulties, famine and death, we will imitate their sense of gratitude, by recognizing, as they did, who is ultimately responsible for this day and for our celebration.

That is why we begin this day with a greater meal than all of the Thanksgiving meals combined, because this meal is different, this meal is a banquet, a feast that will fill us more than the biggest turkey, because it is not just bread and wine, but the very Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ.

So that while we will be physically fed at our tables at home, we will leave this altar more full than anywhere else, because, what we celebrate here is not one day of thanksgiving but a perpetual feast, in essence, an eternal Thanksgiving. In fact, that is where the word “Eucharist” come from, it is a Greek word which translated simply means “Thanksgiving.” So, that each Mass could actually be seen as merely an extension of our celebration today.

In fact, it was Sarah J. Hale, a famous poet, who recognized this and, as a result, implored Abraham Lincoln to proclaim this day a National Day of Thanksgiving, a tradition that the president reaffirms each year. To have one day in which we all gather together to remember and to give thanks to Almighty God who is the source of all we have been given. A day set apart, according to Lincoln, “as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.”

So that today, like that Samaritan, we will express to God our gratitude and not just say thanks, but show it by our actions. And, when we leave here or our table, we will remember that though we will be full, we will never have our fill, until we arrive at the heavenly banquet where we can see God face to face and truly thank Him in Heaven.

Bl. Miguel Pro, Cycle A

2011-11-23T07:12:00.000-08:00

To be a Christian is hard work, to be a Christian is, at times, dangerous, to be a Christian means that not everyone will like you, to be a Christian means that we must take a stand when others would rather ignore certain issues altogether, in short, to be a Christian is, as Jesus says in our Gospel, to be persecuted for what you believe and to be ridiculed for placing trust in Him.

Bl. Miguel Pro, a Mexican priest and missionary knew this all too well. Born on January 31, 1891, he was both very prayerful and mischievous. In fact, one time he did something that knocked him unconscious and when he came to the first thing he asked his parents for was “Cocol,” a sweet bread he loved.

Bl. Miguel was very close to his sister, so when she entered a convent, it was then that he realized his vocation to the priesthood. So, in 1911, he gave up his possessions and the wild life he was living to enter a Jesuit monastery.

He was studying in Mexico in 1914, until anti-Catholic persecution broke out and forced the seminary to flee to the United States, ultimately, winding up in California. However, in 1915 he was sent to Spain to finish out his studies and in 1925, he was sent to Belgium to be ordained a priest.

While willing and ready to serve as a priest, he had a stomach ailment that prevented him for a little while, resulting in three different surgeries. Since his health did not seem to get better his superiors sent him back to Mexico, where the persecutions were still going strong. In fact, one commentator notes that the Churches were all closed, priests were in hiding and, as a result, Bl. Miguel lived his priesthood in secret.

Yet, the way in which he did is very amazing and interesting, in fact, it is said that in order to baptize, marry and celebrate Mass, among other things, he would adopt a myriad of disguises. For example, he would come in the middle of the night dressed as a beggar to baptize infants, bless marriages and celebrate Mass. He would appear in jail dressed as a police officer to bring Holy Communion to condemned Catholics. When going to upscale neighborhoods to help the poor, he would show up at the doorstep dressed as a businessman with a fresh flower on his lapel. As one commentator notes: “His many exploits could rival those of the most daring spies.”

However, while things were going well, it was only when he was falsely accused of trying to bomb a former Mexican president that Bl. Miguel became a wanted man. As a result, he could no longer hide and he was, eventually, betrayed by the police, and, ultimately, sentenced to death without a trial.

Yet, his execution remains one of the most popular among many and could be from a scene from a movie. For, it is said, on the day of his execution, he prayed for those who falsely accused him, forgave them and when asked to put on a blindfold as he stood before a firing line, he refused.

And, as it is said, “he faced his executioners with a crucifix in one hand and a rosary in the other. He held his arms out in imitation of the crucified Christ and shouted: "May God have mercy on you! May God bless you! Lord, Thou knowest that I am innocent! With all my heart I forgive my enemies!" Before the firing squad were ordered to shoot, Bl. Miguel raised his arms in imitation of Christ and shouted the defiant cry of the Cristeros, "Viva Cristo Rey!" -"Long live Christ the King!" And when the initial shots of the firing squad failed to kill him, a soldier went up to him and shot him point blank.

May we be inspired by Bl. Miguel’s example, his dedication and his desire to live under the guidance and strength of Christ the King. Bl. Miguel Pro, pray for us!

St. Albert the Great, Cycle A

2011-11-15T06:43:00.001-08:00

Today, we celebrate the feast of St. Albert the Great, a title he earned for being an immense scholar and philosopher. He was born between 1193- 1206 to a Count in Bavaria. He was educated at Padua where he received instruction on something he would spend his lifetime researching and teaching, that is, on the works of Aristotle, an Ancient philosopher, and one who has been integral in helping the Church shape its theology.

It is believed that he had a vision, or at least, some type of encounter with the Blessed Virgin Mary, convincing him that he was to enter Holy Orders.

Therefore, in 1223, against fierce family opposition, he entered the Dominican Order and in 1245 earned his doctorate. He then taught as a master of theology in Paris, and one of his greatest pupils was the great St. Thomas Aquinas.

In 1260, he was named bishop, and instead of using the normal means of transportation from parish to parish, he would walk everywhere he went. In fact, according to one of his biographers: “During the exercise of his duties he enhanced his reputation for humility by refusing to ride a horse—in accord with the dictates of the Dominican order—instead walking back and forth across his huge diocese. This earned him the affectionate sobriquet, [term] "boots the bishop," from his parishioners.”

In 1270, he preached on the 8th Crusade in Austria, but more importantly, especially to him, he defended the orthodoxy and close adherence to the Church for his great pupil, St. Thomas Aquinas. Given all of this, on November 15, 1280, he entered his eternal reward.

As many note, St. Albert is mentioned in the great literary works of Dante, placed among one of the lovers of wisdom and in Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein where his writings become a great influence upon young Victor Frankenstein.

Yet, one of his greatest claims to fame, is, as one scholar puts it: “his comprehensive knowledge of and advocacy for the peaceful coexistence of science and religion.”

Especially, in this day and age, where it seems as though the two are sworn enemies, it was St. Albert who found a way to not only reconcile both science and religion, but make them and explain them in such a way that they could not only coexist but become interdependent.

In fact, as Pope Benedict once put it on a talk about science and religion: “St. Albert…reminds us that there is friendship between science and faith, and that scientists can, through their vocation to study nature, follow an authentic and absorbing path of sanctity."

Because, ultimately, science informs religion and religion helps to shape our understanding of the universe. Therefore, let us ask the intercession of St. Albert today to help us to see the beauty of both science and religion, to appreciate their contributions and to learn from both a tiny sliver of the magnitude and awe in which God dwells within and reveals Himself in our universe.

St. Albert, patron of scientists and philosophers, pray for us!

The Feast of All Souls, Cycle A

2011-11-02T17:37:00.000-07:00

Today is the feast of All Souls, the day the Church sets aside for us to remember our beloved dead, it is a day in which we don’t so much celebrate in triumph but, rather, solemnly offer our prayers for those who need them most. In fact, prayers for these particular people are so important, that the Church has set apart the entire month of November for this purpose.

For, whether we believe it or not, there is not just Heaven and Hell, but a place of purification for those who though judged worthy of Heaven are not yet ready to enter its eternal glory. It is what the Church, traditionally, calls Purgatory.

Perhaps that may seem a bit unfair, men and women who lived a holy life, tried their best, but still have to be purified in order to gain the reward of Heaven.

It was St. Catherine of Genoa who put it well, she said: “I see that as far as God is concerned, paradise has no gates, but he who will may enter. For God is all mercy, and His open arms are ever extended to receive us into His glory. But I see, she says, that the divine essence is so pure—purer than the imagination can conceive—that the soul, finding in itself the slightest imperfection, would rather cast itself into a thousand hells than appear, so stained, in the presence of divine majesty. Knowing then, St. Catherine continues, that purgatory was intended for her cleaning, she throws herself therein, and finds there that great mercy, the removal of her stains.”

For, indeed, that is the purpose of Purgatory and, though, it is not something we often like to talk or think about, it is the reason we do the things that we do when someone has departed this world.

In fact, St. Faustina recounts a vision she had, whereby, as she explained it, she was “in a misty place full of fire in which there was a great crowd of suffering souls.

They were praying fervently, she says, but to no avail, for themselves,” noting that only we can come to their aid. She then asked them what their greatest suffering was, to which they all replied, in one voice, as she says, “that their greatest torment was longing for God.”

Since, therefore the souls in Purgatory are unable to offer prayers for themselves they rely solely on our prayers and the prayers of the saints. Traditionally, the Church calls this the Communion of the Saints, the unified Body of Christ in Heaven and on earth who offer their prayers for those who suffer and those who are in need of our prayers.

That is why we dedicate this Mass tonight in honor of All Souls, and why, in a special way, the Church has asked us to remember them during the month of November. It is also why we pray for our departed family and friends, because, while we hope they have entered the reward of Heaven, we can never be sure, and, as St. Jerome puts it: “for every Mass devoutly celebrated, many souls leave Purgatory and fly to Heaven,” and that is our hope tonight and our hope during this month.

This is why we pause this night, after the great celebration of All Saints to commemorate those who, though one day will also be saints, need help along the way.

For, while we gather to remember our loved ones, who have gone before us, the greatest gift that we can give them, is our constant prayers and offerings of Masses.

Because the Church, in her wisdom, recognizes that sometimes, while their memories are permanently etched into our hearts, and while we may pray and speak to them, we don’t always pray for them.

Therefore, let us often take time, each day this month, and beyond, to remember our loved ones and someone else as well, known or unknown, named or unnamed, that may need our prayers in Purgatory, and let us offer as many prayers as we can on their behalf to help them speed the process, as it were, to Heaven.

For, by doing so, we are practicing Christian charity in its truest form, and not only that, we will have a saint in Heaven to pray for us, an ally to offer their prayers on behalf of us.

It is for this reason I would like to end with an ancient but powerful and famous prayer for all of them:

V. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
R. And let the perpetual light shine upon them.
May their soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the divine mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Thursday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle A (A Reflection on the Precious Blood)

2011-10-13T05:10:00.000-07:00

By the very Blood of Christ, we were redeemed and our sins were forgiven. For, His Blood washed away all sin, which, as St. Paul reminds in our first reading, deprived us of the glory of God. That is why one drop of His blood has more power than a whole lamb that would be poured out upon this altar as an expiation for sins.

That is why countless saints would have a great devotion to the Precious Blood and why, it is said, that St. Catherine of Siena who feared speaking publicly would be able to fearlessly step before kings and popes after merely thinking about and addressing them in the Precious Blood of Christ.

For, by venerating His Blood, we are not being morbid or strange, but, rather, recognizing the power that that Blood had and has in cleansing us of our sins and removing all attachments to them.

In fact, an exorcist I once knew suggested that before prayer, or even a house blessing, that I pray to be covered by the Precious Blood of Christ, in order to be protected and fortified against any spiritual harm, knowing that His Blood is a shield if we daily immerse ourselves and cover ourselves in it.

Perhaps then, today, recognizing it’s great power, we might begin everything we do and everything we say in the name of His Precious Blood, repeating with St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi a Carmelite mystic who composed a very powerful prayer to be said, as strange as this may sound, before praying. A prayer that I would like to leave you with today, and encourage all of us to pray daily.

Almighty Father,
I place the Precious Blood of Jesus
Before my lips before I pray,
That my prayers may be purified
Before they ascend
To Your divine altar. Amen.

Sts. Cosmas and Damian, Cycle A

2011-09-26T06:25:00.000-07:00

Today, we celebrate the memorial of Sts. Cosmas and Damian, while much is not known about them, what we do know is that they were twin brothers, born in Arabia who studied medicine. As a result, they practiced, what many called, the art of healing, in Asia Minor and earned a great reputation in doing so.

It is said, that they would not accept any money for their services and were called “the silverless” or the “moneyless” as a result. This great act of charity brought many people back to the Catholic faith and their selflessness helped others to see Christ in them.

During the years of 284-305, under the rule of Diocletian, great persecution broke out. As a result, The Prefect Lysias had Cosmas and Damian arrested and subjected for a very long time to torture in an effort to get them to renounce their Catholicism.

However, they remained adamant and steadfast under constant torture and, it is said, miraculously, they were not injured by torture from water, from fire, from air, nor even being nailed to a cross. As a result, they were finally beheaded in the year 303, dying side by side with their three brothers, on September 27th.

Their relics were eventually buried in the Syrian town of Kir, where many were being cured. In fact, the Emperor Justinian I was cured of a dangerous illness which he credited as the result of Sts. Cosmas and Damian’s intercession through the relics. As a result, Justian rebuilt and decorated their church in Constantinople, which has, even today, become a place of pilgrimage for the entire east.

Sts. Cosmas and Damian are known as the patrons of physicians and surgeons as a result of their lifelong work and are even, as many say, depicted on some medical emblems.

While we know very little about them, we know that their lives were entirely dedicated to the sick and their unselfish work led countless pagans to Christ.

Let us seek to always imitate their selfless dedication and to always and everywhere bring Christ to others in our work, in our lives and in our actions.

Sts. Cosmas and Damian, pray for us.

Our Lady of Sorrows, Cycle A

2011-09-15T06:18:00.000-07:00

“Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and you yourself a sword will pierce.”

Many have always wondered what that sword is, what it means, and, if, indeed, there is only one. Yet, from the earliest church writer to the most recent saint, they have seen in that prophecy not one sword, but seven, seven swords that pierce her heart, seven sorrows of which she was to endure.

For, while Jesus suffered physical martyrdom, it is said that Mary, too, suffered martyrdom as well. In fact, she is known as the Queen of Martyrs, because though her sorrows was not a physical affliction, she was still united with her Son in the internal martyrdom, arguably, much worse, for hers were the sorrows that pierce the heart, hers were those that cause mental, psychological and spiritual pain.

And, there was not one or two, but seven, seven sorrows that Our Lady endured. The first being the prophecy itself, the prophecy of Simeon, where she is told that a sword will pierce her heart, where she is told that just as her Son will suffer so, too, will she. Just think for a moment, if you had to watch your own son be tortured and ultimately die on a cross. Now magnify that, and you will have the beginning of "spiritual martyrdom" that Our Lady endured.

Yet, that is only the beginning, for Herod, the king who has no problem with killing a little child seeks the very life of Jesus, and so, Jesus, Mary and Joseph are forced out of their beds, from where they were staying to flee into Egypt, it is properly called the flight into Egypt, where they leave everything and everyone behind only to wait for the death of Herod.

These two sorrows could not compare to the next, when Mary cannot find her Son, when, thinking He was with someone else in the caravan only to find out He never returned. That He stayed behind, without informing her, to stay in the Temple, to be about His Father’s business, an anguish that only a mother could experience when unable to find her child, an emotional and psychological pain that is unsurpassed.

Then to see Him again as an adult being beaten ruthlessly and forced to take upon His shoulders the heavy Cross of our salvation, where she looks upon His blood stained face, seeing the pain and sorrow of her Son and helpless to do anything about it. Can you imagine the desperation in Mary's eyes, in meeting her Son one last time on the way to His place of execution?

Then having to kneel before this same Son, as He hangs by His hands and feet, supported by nothing more than nails, to see her Son in His final hours before He breathes His last; a sorrow that cannot but pierce the very depths of her heart.

All of this compounded by the sorrow of having to hold her Son in her arms, taken and removed from the Cross, an image that we now know as the Pieta, when Mary takes Jesus in Her arms, the way she probably held Him when He was a little child, when He was an infant in the manger. And, now, that child as an adult laying in her arms, bruised, battered, and lifeless...Is there any greater sorrow, is there any greater loss?

One of Padre Pio’s favorite paintings shows four men carrying Jesus’ lifeless body to the tomb and Mary behind, lamenting and in tears. His body is taken to be buried, His mother watches as He is wrapped and laid to rest. The rock is moved to cover the tomb, it is the last time Jesus will be seen in that way.
These are Mary’s seven sorrows that pierce her heart, seven sorrows she is forced to embrace. She does not run, she does flee in fear, rather, she ponders in her wounded heart.

Let us then offer her some consolation today, by offering our prayers, by praying for her and reflecting on these Seven Sorrows.

Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us.

Triumph of The Cross, Cycle A

2011-09-14T14:58:00.000-07:00

Today, we celebrate victory; we celebrate the Triumph that can be found in the Cross. How that is possible, why that is possible, is not because we are morbid people, seeking to remember one of the most brutal deaths in history, but because it is this same Cross that has destroyed the very thing it used to symbolize.

Death has no more power because the Cross has emptied it of its power. In fact, the Cross would stand outside of the city walls, upon which decaying corpses could be seen, as a warning and a threat to anyone who went against Roman authority. Yet, centuries afterwards, this same symbol that was used to instill fear and panic is now being worn around people’s necks, is being used as a reminder not of fear but of confidence, not of sorrow but of joy.

It sounds strange to say that, to be sure, and if Jesus was only crucified, then the Cross would still stand as that same symbol, but because He rose from the dead, because He conquered death itself, this is our greatest image, our greatest sign as Christians, in fact, we are known as Christians by this Cross.

That is why every Good Friday, despite the death we recall, we come forward to kiss and venerate that Cross, to touch the sign of our salvation, to believe in the impossible because God has made it possible.

This feast today, however, is only in existence because someone recognized this power, someone saw within that Cross more than just death and destruction. The story goes that the emperor Heracltius had recovered the true cross from the Persians, who had captured it 15 years earlier. According to the story, the emperor intended to carry the cross back into Jerusalem himself, but was unable to move forward until he took off his imperial garb and became a barefoot pilgrim. For, even the emperor had no power over the Cross, because the power of the Cross, just as the power of anything touched and blessed by God has no power apart from Him.

That is why this is a day of celebration, a day of triumph, because this Cross was raised up, for all to see, and it continues to be placed high in every place, so that it is the first thing we see, the only thing that matters, and it continues to stand not as a symbol of tragedy and despair, but hope, the greatest symbol of hope that we have.

In fact, The great French priest, St. Louis de Montfort, puts it beautifully, he says: “Through His dying upon it the Cross of ignominy became so glorious, its poverty and starkness so enriching, its sorrows so agreeable, its austerity so attractive, that it became as it were…an object adored by angels and by men.”

I am sure that while I have been speaking you have been looking upon this crucifix, and that is the point, because without contemplation it is a very painful thing to see, we see nothing more than a corpse hanging on a piece of wood, but when we spend if even a moment meditating on this great mystery of the cross, we begin to see it differently, not as a symbol of tragedy and despair, but a symbol of love, one of the greatest acts of love, as both our second reading and Gospel reminds. For, it takes not just great humility but great love for God Himself to become man only to allow Himself to die by another man.

For, as a great monk and abbot known as St. Theodore of Studios, has said, and with whom I leave you with today:

“How splendid the cross of Christ! It brings life, not death; light, not darkness; Paradise, not its loss. It is the wood on which the Lord, like a great warrior, was wounded in hands and feet and side, but healed thereby our wounds. A tree has destroyed us, a tree now brought us life.”

The Nativity of Mary, Cycle A

2011-09-07T19:25:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, the Church only celebrates the birth of two saints, St. John the Baptist and Mary, today is Mary’s birthday. Tradition holds that Mary was probably born in Jerusalem. Her parents were Anna and Joachim. They gave her the name Miriam or Mariam, a common Hebrew name at the time. Her mother Anna, had been unable to have children, and so Mary was a gift from God. Once Anna learned that she would, indeed, have a child, she devoted Mary to the service of the Lord, which is why Mary was in the Temple of Jerusalem until either 12 or 15 years old.

And, so the Church as a whole celebrates this great day and, normally, when we celebrate a birthday we give that person a gift or a card, but, there is something unique with this birthday, because each day it is Mary who gives us the gift, even today, it is she who bestows countless graces upon us because of how tremendously full of grace she truly is. So, in essence, her birth is our gift to the world, her birth is our present, one we daily receive constantly through her Son.

And, so it begs an interesting question, how will we celebrate her day? What gift will we bring to her? It may sound strange or a little childish, but we have grown accustomed to giving our family and our friends something to mark their day, so why cannot the same be done for our spiritual mother, she who intercedes for us on our behalf, she whom we can come to as children?

Many of the saints did just this, whether it was a special prayer, a bouquet of flowers, or some type of offering, they were keenly aware of her importance in our lives. In fact, they believed that she probably helps us in so many unseen ways that we will never see the extent of that help until we see her face to face in Heaven.

Perhaps, then, for her birthday, we might offer a Rosary for her on this day, using the gift that she gave us, for what better way to show our love of a gift than by showing the person how much we love it by constantly making use of it, by always holding that chain link connection to Heaven in our hand?

So that by meditating upon those mysteries of Christ of which she was intimately involved, we can call before our mind the joys, the sorrow, the glory and the light that lead us to a greater love of her Son and a greater love of her. Most especially, offering that prayer that honors and venerates her in so many ways, the Hail Mary, the prayer that it is better than any Happy Birthday, because it is an encapsulation of every word, of every song, of every celebration.

In the Byzantine Rite there is something beautiful that is said with regard to Mary today, and I think it appropriate to share it here, and wish to end with these words:

"Today the barren Anna claps her hands for joy, the earth radiates with light, kings sing their happiness, priests enjoy every blessing, the entire universe rejoices, for she who is queen and the Father's immaculate bride buds forth from the stem of Jesse."

23rd Tuesday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A (Jesus, prayer and our decisions)

2011-09-05T20:09:00.000-07:00

In our Gospel today, Jesus teaches us a very important lesson, that before anything, but, especially those things that are important and take great discernment, it is important to pray.

For, Jesus spent an entire night in prayer before making the ultimate decision to name His disciples, His decision was, therefore, formed and shaped by that prayer. Yet, that prayer also sustained Him and allowed Him to have the power, as it says in our Gospel, to cast out demons and to heal the sick.

And, while Jesus is both human and divine, He is showing us by His mere example that we, in our humanness cannot spiritually survive without prayer and that any choice we make, in the flesh, as it were, as it says in our first reading, must be preceded, sustained and always lived from that prayer.

I am always reminded of the late John Paul II, who always said: “the pope’s first duty is prayer,” something that had to be difficult with everything weighing on him. And, I remember, once, hearing a great story of how he lived this in his life. It is said that there was an urgent matter for which he was needed, in fact, it is said that one of the Cardinals came to him, interrupted him in prayer, to state the urgency of this matter. John Paul looked up and asked: “is it really urgent?” to which the Cardinal responded, it was, John Paul asked again: “do I have to be there right now,” the Cardinal told him it would be good if you were, John Paul then said, “let me finish praying then.”

That, in the end, is why prayer is so important, because it is not merely speaking to God, but truly forming our will with His, making our choices as He wants them to be made, so that, as it says in our first reading, “we are rooted in him, built upon him and established in the faith that we were taught,” so that when we live this way our lives will always and everywhere abound in thanksgiving to Him.

Transformation in Christ, Cycle A

2011-07-27T14:04:00.000-07:00

I once knew a priest, who was very sick, but each day, he would spend time before the Blessed Sacrament. He called that time his “radiation therapy,” because from it, he knew that the light of Christ would permeate the entirety of his being and he could not help but be different after it.

In our first reading today, Moses had to wear a veil because no one would be able to look upon Him after conversing with God, he was too radiant.

Yet, all Moses did, all that that priest did, was spend time in the presence of God, all they did, was come to realize that prayer was not a waste of time, that prayer was not mindless chatter or speaking for the sake of speaking, no, they realized that prayer literally has the power to change us.

For, we cannot look upon the face of God without, ultimately, being changed, we cannot even kneel in His presence without realizing that we are being transformed. That within the silence of our hearts, within the absence of our words, while His light shines upon us, His voice, the same Word that spoke our very existence into being is the same that can leave us completely different if we allow Him.

Yet, the problem is always the same, that while He may want to transform us into Himself, while He may want to let us experience the depths of His peace, mercy and love, we spend too much time distracted, thinking about leaving, or not letting the silence truly permeate our souls.

For, any conversation, to be a conversation, cannot be one-sided, and oftentimes in our own prayer, that is exactly what happens, we fill the time with words, with thinking, but we never let God speak to us in the silence of our hearts, we never listen, nor can listen, because, if we are truly honest with ourselves, it is that same silence that scares us, because when we are silent we are forced to hear God speak and sometimes we are afraid of what He wants to say.

Yet, prayer is important, in fact, it was the very source of spiritual sustenance for the saints and they knew that without it the fire that was lit in their hearts by the Eucharist would become a dying ember or at best a tiny flame. It is why the saints desired and stopped at nothing to receive communion as frequently as possible, for they knew it lit that fire in their hearts and, as St. Maximillian Kolbe exclaimed: “If angels could be jealous of men, they would be so for one reason: Holy Communion.”

Because, in essence, it is the culmination of our prayer, to receive the source of that light in the tabernacle, the one who can change us, whether we receive Him or kneel before Him, literally beholding the face of love before us, speaking with Him, as Moses did, with faces unveiled and made radiant by His light.

Therefore, let us allow ourselves to be changed, let us let His light shine in us and through us, approaching Him in prayer or at this altar, confident and unafraid, unveiled and truly ready to be transformed.

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Cycle A

2011-07-16T07:35:00.000-07:00

When the prophet Elijah challenged the prophets of the pagan god Baal to a duel of gods, as it were, little did he realize that the grounds upon which that occurred would be made holy, 100 years, in fact, before Christ Himself.

The place has since became hallowed for other reasons as well because, eventually, Mount Carmel was where a great monastery was built in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The monks, who became known as the Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel would celebrate a Mass in Mary’s honor, a Mass that would eventually reach the universal Church in 1726, the same feast we celebrate today.

In fact, today is known as the principal feast for the Carmelite Order, of whom many great saints have become known, as one commentator notes: “St. Teresa of Avila called Carmel “the Order of the Virgin.” St. John of the Cross credited Mary with saving him from drowning as a child, leading him to Carmel and helping him escape from prison. St. Theresa of the Child Jesus believed that Mary cured her from illness. On her First Communion she dedicated her life to Mary. During the last days of her life she frequently spoke of Mary.”

Yet, even above this, the Order is also known for its contribution of a sacramental that I am willing to bet maybe half if not most of you are wearing right now, and of which this feast also celebrates, that of the Brown Scapular, which, it is believed is based on a vision that St. Simon stock, the leader of the Carmelites, had at the time, which was believed to be on July 16th, which is why we celebrate it today.

The story goes that he was praying for help for the Order and asked Mary for some visible sign of this help and protection. It is believed that then she appeared to him with the scapular in hand, and said: “Take, beloved son this scapular of thy order as a badge of my confraternity and for thee and all Carmelites a special sign of grace; whoever dies in this garment, will not suffer everlasting fire. It is the sign of salvation, a safeguard in dangers, a pledge of peace and of the covenant.” As a result, devotion spread and what came to be known as the “Sabbatine privilege” was given, that is, that those who wear the scapular would not suffer from the flames of Purgatory.

It is devotion that even endures to this day, and a sign of our affection and connection to the Carmelites and our consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary. As many have pointed out, however, the privilege and promises that are associated with the scapular presuppose a holy life and that the promises that are made of those being invested with the scapular are upheld. In other words, it is not a magic charm but meant to be a reminder of our dedication and must worn worthily.

I think, however, it was Pope John Paul II, who put it well, and encapsulates the core of this feast we celebrate today and the importance of the added graces that we can be given as a result of this feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the scapular. Therefore, I would like to end with a beautiful quote from him.

He says: “Two truths are evoked by the sign of the Scapular: on the one hand, the constant protection of the Blessed Virgin, not only on life's journey, but also at the moment of passing into the fullness of eternal glory; on the other, the awareness that devotion to her cannot be limited to prayers and tributes in her honor on certain occasions, but must become a "habit", that is, a permanent orientation of one's own Christian conduct, woven of prayer and interior life, through frequent reception of the sacraments and the concrete practice of the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.

In this way the Scapular becomes a sign of the "covenant" and reciprocal communion between Mary and the faithful: indeed, it concretely translates the gift of his Mother, which Jesus gave on the Cross to John and, through him, to all of us, and the entrustment of the beloved Apostle and of us to her, who became our spiritual Mother.

Blessed Kateri, Cycle A

2011-07-14T07:32:00.000-07:00

In 1656, in Auriesville, New York, one of the first people to be beatified in North America was born. Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, was born to a Christian mother who was forced to marry a chief of the Mohawk clan. At the age of four, however, Bl. Kateri lost her parents and her brother to a smallpox epidemic, which also left her disfigured and half blind.

This left her in the care of her aunt and uncle, her uncle succeeded her father as chief and fought adamantly against the Blackrobes, the missionaries that had come to the tribes. Her uncle had no choice but to welcome them due to a peace treaty requiring their presence in the villages with Christian captives.

She was then adopted by her uncle, who succeeded her father as chief, but her uncle hated the coming of the Blackrobes, the missionaries, whom he had no choice to welcome due to a peace treaty with the French requiring their presence in villages with Christian captives. Bl. Kateri, however, found herself inspired by the Blackrobes, but fear of the consequences prevented her from seeking their instruction and assistance.

At the age of 19, she refused to marry a Mohawk brave and finally found the courage to convert, being baptized with the name Kateri, or Catherine in English, on Easter Sunday. As one biographer notes: “Now she would be treated as a slave. Because she would not work on Sunday, she received no food that day, but her life in grace grew rapidly.

Being a convert constantly put her life in danger and she would daily encounter great opposition, so, on the advice of a priest, one night she disappeared and began a 200-mile walking journey to a Christian Indian village near Montreal.

This allowed her to grow in holiness under the guidance of a priest and an older Iroquois woman. She grew so rapidly in holiness that she would give herself over to God in long hours of prayer and penance, and as one commentator notes: “in the bitterest winter, she stood before the chapel door until it opened at four and remained there until after the last Mass, so devoted was she to the Eucharist and to Jesus Crucified.”

At 23 years old, she took a vow of virginity, something no Indian woman would ever do, seeing as their future depended on being married. She, however, was unconcerned of the consequences and, instead, found a place deep in the woods where she could pray for hours, which led to accusations that she was actually meeting a man there, which, was obviously, untrue.

In fact, her desire was quite the opposite, she wanted to found a religious order but the local priest convinced her against it, so she humbly accepted the life she was to live, fasting and praying for the conversion of her tribe and nation.

At the age of 24, it is believed she was martyred on the afternoon before Holy Thursday. Witnesses said that upon her death her emaciated face changed color and became that of a healthy child, and her pockmarks disappeared, which is why she is now known as the “Lily of the Mohawks.”

She is responsible for the establishment of Native American ministries in the Catholic Church all over the United States and Canada and was beatified by Bl. John Paul II, in 1980.

Hers is a life of dedication and sacrifice, a hidden saint that demands to be known, which is why it is shame that she is still not a part of the canon the saints. Therefore, let us pray for her canonization, that one day she may be made a saint of the Church.

O God, who, amongst the many marvels of Thy Grace in the New World, didst cause to blossom on the banks of the Mohawk and of the St Lawrence, the pure and tender Lily, Kateri Tekakwitha, grant we beseech Thee, the favor we beg through her intercession, that this Young Lover of Jesus and of His Cross may soon be counted among the Saints of Holy Mother Church, and that our hearts may be enkindled with a stronger desire to imitate her innocence and faith. Through the same Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, pray for us.

15th Wednesday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

2011-07-13T07:30:00.000-07:00

I have here a leaf, however, this is not just any leaf, it is a leaf from the actual burning bush that we just heard about in our first reading today. An event so important that it changed Moses life forever, calling him forth to rescue the people of Israel, calling his name twice, as God did, to show that, indeed, this was an important task that he was being called to, since very rarely is someone’s name called twice in the Bible.

What’s more, is that this was a burning bush, not something you see everyday, in fact, usually when something burns, it is consumed by the fire, but not this one, that was why it was a miracle, that is why I am able to show you a leaf that still grows on that same bush from over 3,000 years ago. Living proof of what we read about in the Bible, evidence of the great power and respect that is due to God.

In fact, this event was of such significance and importance that now, upon that same ground, a monastery has been built, recognizing, that indeed, this is truly holy ground. That was why the voice from the burning bush, whom Moses realized was God, asked him to take off his sandals, because he was standing in the presence of God, he was standing on holy ground and it was a sign of reverence to do so.

You really have to wonder what Moses is thinking at this point, because it seems so outlandish, so incomprehensible, and yet somehow he knows that indeed, it is God who is speaking to him, and he only knows this with faith, he only knows this by trust, because otherwise there would be no other reason to believe what he was seeing.

And, it was this same faith, this same trust that enabled him to lead his people to freedom, for, he took it quite literally what God told him, when he was convinced that he was nowhere suited for the task, God simply said: “I will be with you.” And, it was this simple awareness that encouraged him to return, after his people were free, it was this same awareness that allowed him to accomplish some of the greatest and most difficult tasks ever suited for a human being in this world.

And, it is this same awareness, this same Presence of God, that we too are called to seek, that we, too, are to always be aware of, because it will allow us, as it did Moses, to accomplish the great tasks God has in store for us.

So that, in the end, like Moses, when we don’t think we are suited for the task that God has asked of us, when we think He has asked too much of us, when we believe that we are not worthy of Him, we may hear the same consoling words he spoke to Moses: “I will be with you,” and know that indeed those words will be true.

15th Tuesday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

2011-07-12T07:23:00.000-07:00

In our Gospel, Jesus is angry and disappointed that the people will not repent of their ways, that they refuse to turn from their sins and have a full conversion of heart. That, in essence, they are not living the simple, but beautiful instruction, that we were given in our Psalm today: “Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.”

To turn in Biblical terms means to have a full conversion of heart, to turn toward God and to turn away from sin, for therein is found the essence of life, because true life is life in Christ and the only way to truly live is, indeed, to turn, to allow our hearts to be changed, to allow our lives to always be governed by Christ.

In fact, as that Psalm says, no matter if we are sunk in the abysmal swamp, overwhelmed by floods or afflicted in pain, the remedy is always the same, to turn to the Lord in our need, to allow ourselves to be changed and to embrace it always.
Because, as Jesus reminds in our Gospel, repentance, true conversion of heart is what will save us from becoming complacent in our sins, unaffected and unimpressed, as it were, by the daily majesty of God and the mighty deeds that He constantly does in our lives and in our world.

That is why our lives should, as our Psalm reminds, be an unbroken song of thanksgiving and love to our God because then each day becomes a blessing and a source of thanksgiving and each moment an opportunity to turn towards Him more and more. So that, at last, our lives may always be found in Christ and our constant desire to reach the heights of Heaven.

St. Maria Goretti, Cycle A

2011-07-06T19:26:00.000-07:00

The reason we have saints is to remind us of what is important, of who is important, because the saints, were and are just like you or I, the difference is that their life reflected a life lived completely in Christ. Martyrs especially reflect this type of life, because they choose to die for Christ’s sake. In fact, that is what the word, “martyr” means: witness.

Today we celebrate the feast of, perhaps, one of the Church’s youngest martyrs, St. Maria Goretti, the daughter of a poor farmer who had little to no chance to go to school and, a result, never learned to read or write. In fact, it is said that when she made her First Communion she was one of the older and somewhat backward members of the class.

Yet, what she lacked in learning she made up in holiness, which is why we celebrate her sainthood today.

The story goes that on hot July day, St. Maria was sitting on the top of the stairs in her house mending a shirt. She was barely 12 years old when a man by the name of Alessandro had spotted her, ran up the stairs and grabbed her. He tried to make advances on her and even pulled her into the bedroom, however, she cried for help and said: “No, God does not wish it,” and then continued to yell telling him it was a sin and that he would to go to Hell for it. Alessandro then grabbed a dagger and stabbed her repeatedly.

While in the hospital her concern was not for herself but, rather, for her mother, for the forgiveness of her attacker and the consolation of receiving Holy Communion. She died about 24 hours later and entered her eternal reward.

St. Maria, did something we can’t understand in this day and age, she preferred her own death than to let her purity be taken, she desired the love of God to a “love” that is fleeting. It is no wonder then that she is the patroness of teenagers, especially in a culture that seeks only pleasure, that seeks selfish desires to fulfill an emptiness that can never be fulfilled without God.

St. Maria shows us what is possible, what can happen, when our zeal for God overpowers anything else, and when we would prefer even death itself than to lose our innocence, to whatever degree we may have it.

She stands as a perfect example, a perfect model of what is important in life, of who is important and the lengths and depths for which all of us should show that to be true.

For, at heart, if we are honest, we all strive for innocence, that same purity, that same simplicity of heart that will allow us to one day stand before God alone, face to face, to stand before the one we truly love.

Because, in the end, if we have lived like the saints, if our lives have imitated their same love and their same desire, we, too, will be found worthy to stand in the company of St. Maria Goretti and the thousands of others who were great witnesses and models of their faith. For, as a Cardinal once said: “Even if she had not been a martyr, she would still have been a saint, so holy was her everyday life” (Cardinal Salotti).

May we too have that same desire, may we too live each day with the constant awareness that even we could become a saint.

St. Maria Goretti, patron of teenagers, pray for us!

Independence Day, Cycle A

2011-07-04T06:16:00.000-07:00

On July 4, 1776, the founding fathers of this country wrote one of the most life-changing documents in the history of the world, leaving absolutely no one unaffected, changing the very course of all human events, setting forth our independence, our freedom from English tyranny and rule. The declaration of the self-evident truth that we have been created equal, endowed by our Creator, and entitled to the inalienable rights of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

And, yet, everyday those same freedoms are daily threatened and daily fought for, at home and abroad, in our soldiers and by our prayers. And, yet, that is what we commemorate, that is why we take this day to celebrate as a nation and as a people.

Yet, as Christians freedom is a little bit more, it demands responsibility, it demands sacrifice, because, while freedom, indeed, is daily won on battlefields, true freedom, lasting freedom, can only be won in Christ.

Because the type of freedom that our founding fathers spoke of are those rights that can never be taken away, rights that no one can have access to except Christ Himself.
That is why true liberty can be found in the freedom of the Eucharist and true happiness can never fully be found here on earth, but only in Heaven.

In fact, countless saints were imprisoned for preserving those same inalienable rights and, as a result we might presume their captivity might have led to hopelessness and despair. Yet, that never happened, instead, their captivity gave them hope because their captivity did not depend upon chains or bars, but upon true liberty in Christ.

That is what we celebrate today, our freedom, indeed, as a nation, but our greater freedom as a Christian, as one who lives with, in and through Christ. So, that neither persecution nor the sword nor any other thing can stop us or scare us as much as true slavery, which is slavery to sin and the ultimate loss of that true freedom in Christ.

Therefore, today, let us celebrate as a nation, as a country, as a people, our great freedom and let our independence be known but let us also celebrate, even more so, our true independence, our true freedom as Christians which is, indeed, found in Christ, He who, in the end, is the author of all life, teaches us the value of liberty and helps us to attain happiness here so that we can be happy with Him in Heaven, where true and everlasting freedom will always remain and reign.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Cycle A

2011-07-02T07:34:00.000-07:00

NOTE: The above image is what I reference in my homily. While the visions have been suppressed by the local ordinary, the image still stands as the best depiction of my own experience

On July 13, 1917, in a place called Fatima, in one of the many visions to the shepherd children, they had their most vivid vision on that day, for it was a vision of Hell. After this vision, Mary said, quite clearly: “You have seen Hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, she said, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart.”

A devotion that consists of receiving Communion, reciting the Rosary, spending time in adoration, for five consecutive Saturdays, with the sole intention of making reparation for those who, in countless ways, attack Our Blessed Mother. It is called the First Saturday Devotion and where we get the practice of dedicating Saturdays, especially, the first Saturday, to the Blessed Virgin.

For, while the First Friday is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Saturday after is dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as it is today, two hearts that beat as one, two hearts that draw us to greater love for Jesus and His Mother.

A while back many people were drawn to a now suppressed visionary and shrine in Ohio, yet, from that, someone brought me a picture, a beautiful picture of the two hearts as seen here.

Now, I don’t normally like sharing deeply personal stories like the one I am about to share, but I think in this context, it seem appropriate. One morning I was at Mass in the minor seminary and felt particularly moved, for whatever reason, by that Mass, it became stronger and stronger until communion.

After communion I went back to my chair, knelt down, closed my eyes, and prayed very intently. Then something happened, that does not happen often, I saw (I guess you could say in my mind’s eye) these two hearts.

The Sacred Heart on the left and the Immaculate Heart on the right, and they were both consumed in flames. And, in the middle, I saw my own poor little almost decrepit looking heart. I then saw what one spiritual director told me was true communion, I saw the Sacred and the Immaculate Heart move into my own, consuming it, the way it is depicted in this picture, so that all that was left was one large heart, consumed in flames, beating as one.

And, I came to realize that this is how we have strength, that those hearts must fill, must consume our own hearts, so that we not only imitate Jesus and Mary, but, in the truest sense possible, become them, allowing our hearts to be transformed, to love with their same love, to have the heart of Christ, which was willing to give everything for everyone and to have the heart of Mary, one which sought to love Christ more and more.

Our lives should be lived with this keen and beautiful awareness, that even our hearts are not our own, that if we but give them over, if we allow true communion to take place, the same we will receive in a few moments, then, literally, their same blood will flow through our same veins and we will be completely enveloped.

So that when those same hearts beat as one within our chest, we, too, may have their strength and their humility, their love and their sacrifice, so that truly we may live a life of holiness, overwhelmed and rapt by the consuming fire of these two hearts.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!

Abraham's Test, Cycle A

2011-06-30T06:31:00.000-07:00

Abraham, in our first reading, was given the ultimate test of faith, God, whom he has known very well up to this point, has asked him to do the unthinkable, to sacrifice his very own son. Yet, Abraham does not question, does not disagree, rather, he takes his son Isaac, has his him hold the wood that will be used for the sacrifice and they go to the land of Moriah.

Imagine the pain Abraham must have experienced when Isaac asked him where the lamb for the sacrifice was, imagine the pain that Abraham must have experienced when, in simple and strong faith, he said the only you can in that situation: “God will provide.”

And, when everything is set up, and Isaac is bound, we hear no complaint, we hear nothing from Isaac, as though he, too trusted with the same faith, as though, he, too, consented to this, otherwise, tragic event. And, just as the sacrifice is about to happen, the angel stays Abraham’s hand, and he is assured of his great faith.

There is, indeed, something tragic to this story, something that leaves us with a sense of disbelief and, perhaps, even distrust of God. Yet, there is something deeper going on here than just the sacrifice. For, as many commentators note, Abraham’s willingness demonstrates a great faith that he represents for all people and those who will come after him, including, Isaac, whose descendants will live in this great faith. However, there is even something more, something else that is going on as well. Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his own son who lived is a type of our Heavenly Father, who also sacrificed His own Son and watched as His Son willingly laid down His life to die for our sake.

And, though new life came out of that sacrifice, the Resurrection destroying the very bonds of death itself, it, too still must have been painful for the Father to watch as the same people He created sacrificed His own Son. There was no ram to take His place, there was no angel that stayed the hand of the people, there was only the wood of the cross, which Jesus, like Isaac, brought to His place of sacrifice, was nailed to it, and then died so that we could live.

That is why this occurrence in our first reading today should not be seen as disturbing but as something that looks forward to our salvation, because Isaac’s sacrifice could not save us, but Jesus’ could and did.

Therefore, let us take time today to offer our thanks and praise to God for such a sacrifice, from both the Father and the Son, knowing that without each, we might not be here today, we might never have been Redeemed, and His arms stretched between Heaven and earth never would have been able to embrace the entire world and, in the end, to bring us all to salvation.

Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Cycle A

2011-06-29T13:14:00.000-07:00

Today is the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, two vastly different men, from two vastly different walks of life, a fisherman and a former Pharisee, and given how great they were as individuals and how integral they are to the Church and how powerful they are as saints, I always wondered why it was that the Church celebrated these two great saints together.

It was a very wise and learned priest who gave me the answer; he said they are the foundation and the pillar upon whom all ministry within the past 2000 years of Church exists. For as he put it St. Peter was the more subdued, the more formal in terms of the office that he held, yet, St. Paul, on the other hand, was and represents the more charismatic approach of the Church, constantly going and burning with zeal, which is why, as this priest explained, sometimes St. Paul’s letters are so difficult to read because, in his zeal, he tried to say so much, that he would often not pause until he got everything out.

These two men represent the balance that exists in the Church, between administrator and evangelizer, the formal and the charismatic, in short, the very essence and dynamic in which all ministry within the Church, in one way or another, exists. For, without each, the Church would not be able to sustain itself, because we need both in order to bring the message of Christ far and wide and to the highest dignitaries and to the poorest of the poor.

For, these two men encapsulate what it means to be evangelizers, what it means to bring Christ to the world, that we bring with us our personalities, our talents, our failures (and believe me these men had them) our successes and all that makes us who we are.

And, we are then called to stand before another and to bring them Christ, because these men show us and remind us that it is not about us, it is not about what we bring but, rather, who we bring and how we bring Him, whether formally and in an organized fashion, or as one who cannot but help to want to run out and let the world know, shouting from the rooftops, the reality and the greatness of God and His Church.

These men show us that there is no wrong way, no set formula for bringing Christ, because all we need to do is bring Him, it is God who does the rest of the work.
That is why the connecting line, the one thing that they shared, that they both were known as were men of prayer, showing us truly where the fruit and foundation of all ministry lies, not in our own efforts, but in God’s, not in our own hands, but in hands that are held in His. And, not just that, they lived their faith so absolutely and so powerfully that they died as witnesses for the world, because both of these men were also great martyrs, and, in fact, it is believed that St. Peter was crucified upside down, adding more pain to an already painful crucifixion.

Therefore, let us then look to them as an example and as a model of how it is we, too, should live our faith, as witnesses and as missionaries to the word, spreading the message of Christ, far and wide, in season and out of season, so that, like Sts. Peter and Paul we, too, may become representatives of the ministry of the Church and the vocation that all of us are called to, that of living our Catholic faith wholly and in its entirety.

Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles and great witnesses of our faith, pray for us.

St. Aloysius Gonzaga, Cycle A

2011-06-21T06:27:00.000-07:00

Today, we celebrate the memorial of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, born in Castiglione, Italy, very early in his life it is was evident that he was destined for great things. Born as the son of a prince, he grew up around royalty and all that that entailed. His father desired that he become a military hero and so at the age of four he was trained as a soldier, but due to a kidney disease he spent much time in bed in the early part of his life.

At the age of 7 he had a very deep spirituality, and would spend countless hours in prayer, which is why it should no surprise that it is said his first words were the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. At the age of 9 he wanted to enter religious life and so became educated in the faith and made a vow of chastity. At the age of 11 he taught Catechism to other children. During the course of this he had also received his first communion from St. Charles Borromeo and was appointed a Page in Spain.

Despite all of this, he devoted much of his time to prayer. In fact, when discerning that he wanted to enter the priesthood, he joined the novitiate for the Jesuits at 18, renouncing his life as a nobleman. However, his nightly prayer would consist of climbing out of bed in the middle of the night on the cold stone floor of his room. Occasionally, he would even beat himself with a leather dog leash, would fast frequently and practiced other forms of extreme penance.

St. Robert Bellarmine, his spiritual director, as a result, had him put a stop to these penances and had him follow the Jesuit rule of the hours of prayer in order to practice less austere and extreme acts of self-denial and self-control.

In January 1591 the plague broke out in Rome and he devoted the rest of his life caring for those where afflicted, ultimately contracting the disease himself, and knowing he would die, as a result, did die at the age of 23. It is said, his dying word was the Holy Name of Jesus.

A short life, but a very holy life, and the reason he is today the patron of teenagers and Catholic youth, yet, as one commentator puts it: “Aloysius seems an unlikely patron of youth in a society where asceticism is confined to training camps of football teams and boxers, and sexual permissiveness has little left to permit…The motivation for letting God purify us, he says, is the experience of God loving us, in prayer.

That is why his life should be an inspiration for us, that true holiness lies in deep love of God and desire for Him always. A recognition that those things of the world cannot come close to fulfilling the true life we have all been called to, a life of holiness, a life of peace, a life in loving union with God in Heaven. What more is there than that?

St. Aloysius Gonzaga, pray for us and for all youth!

The Beam in Your Eye, Cycle A

2011-06-20T18:55:00.000-07:00

If we were to make an honest assessment of ourselves, it seems one of our most common sins is that of judging others, of convincing ourselves that we know what is better, what is needed and, in some cases, what God wants for another person.

And, while in many respects, it could be true, there is a tendency to convince ourselves that what we say and what we do for another is for their own good. Yet, oftentimes, when we take such an approach, we fail to discern God’s Will in the midst of it.

It was St. Francis De Sales who said we should always give the other person the benefit of the doubt and not just give the person the benefit of the doubt, but make every effort to do so. Not because we want to justify their sin or sinful behavior, but because we want to hope that we are wrong about another person.

I remember once hearing a homily, which I thought was very thought provoking, but may have gone a little too far in terms of judging. The priest spoke about the Emmy’s, how they make every effort to dress themselves up, look nice, and be the best on that red carpet, but then this priest questioned whether or not their souls were as presentable, he then used certain examples, which is where I think he may have gone too far, but it was a good observation and something worth thinking about.

That is, does what we wear match what’s in our soul, or put another way, are we internally, as elegant, in God’s eyes, as we can be externally in the world’s eyes? Because, at the end of the day, based on our answer, we can determine how justified, as it were, we are in judging another, always aware, however, that, we too, have the same potential to do the same we might judge another of doing.

I once had a spiritual director who gave me a penance of asking God to let me see myself as He sees me, it was the scariest experience in the world, but helped put much in perspective, and any temptation I had to judge others or be false or untrue to myself, to who I was, as God called me to be, quickly disappeared, because when we see who we are in God’s eyes it is much more difficult to pay attention to another, for, by doing so, we allow ourselves to notice the glaring beam in our eyes, and the splinter in another becomes less and less noticeable.

Perhaps then today, if we are ready, we might try the same, allow ourselves to be exposed and to learn the greatest virtue that destroys hypocrisy, humility, because by doing so, we will not only be true to who we are, but to what we believe, and, most important, to God Himself, from whom, no matter how hard we try, nothing can be hidden, faked, or presented as untrue.

St. Anthony of Padua, Cycle A

2011-06-13T06:45:00.000-07:00

Today, we celebrate the Feast of St. Anthony of Padua, born in Lisbon, Portugal during 1195, the son of an army officer named Martin and his wife Mary. They had Ferdinand, St. Anthony’s real name, who was educated by a group of priests, and at the age of 15, entered religious life, joining the Augustinians with whom he studied Sacred Scripture and the writings of the Church Fathers.

At the age of 26, in 1221, he joined the Franciscan Order, taking the name Anthony after hearing of the martyrdom of 5 Franciscans in Morocco. St. Anthony hoped that by joining them he might be martyred himself, however, illness prevented him from going to Morocco so he went to Italy.

It is said that his true vocation was discovered when he was at the ordination of a group of Franciscans and Dominicans. The superior turned to the Dominicans because they are the "Order of Preachers," but none were prepared. So St. Anthony reluctantly volunteered and, according to one commentator: “Anthony's sermon was astounding to those who expected an unprepared speech and knew not the Spirit's power to give people words and he taught so beautifully, in fact, word of his talents reached the ears of St. Francis, who blessed his work.

As a result, he became widely known as a great preacher, orator even being given the title “Hammer of Heretics,” and healer. It is said that one time he grew so frustrated with preaching to heretics and those who would not listen to him that he went down to the river and preached to the fish. What was most amazing, however, was that the fish came to the surface to listen to him and, subsequently, the people realized that maybe they should do the same.

Many biographers note that this was not the only miracle associated with him, in fact, there is a story of a horse, who refused to eat for three days, and only accepted food only after it had placed itself in adoration before the Eucharist that Anthony brought in his hands. Another miracle involved a poisoned meal, which Anthony ate without any harm after making the sign of the Cross over it. These and countless other miracles are what makes him such a famous and well-known saint.

Among his last sermons was that which was preached during Lent of 1231. It is said that crowds of 30,000 or more gathered to hear him and that His powerful preaching caused so great a number of people to want to repent, that there weren't enough priests to deal with them. His health started to decline shortly thereafter and, as a result, he went to a remote location, taking two companions with him to help him. When his health got worse he was carried back to the Franciscan monastery in Padua where crowds of people surrounded them in hopes of paying their final respects.

He received the last rites, prayed the Church's seven traditional penitential psalms, sung a hymn to the Virgin Mary, and entered his eternal reward on June 13 at the age of 36.

He leaves behind a legacy and beautiful example of one whose life was lived solely for God and who burned daily with the desire to spread His message far and wide, no matter the cost or consequence. His holiness should be an inspiration to all of us, the same holiness that caused Pope Gregory IX to canonize him only a year after his death.

In one his homilies, he leaves us something to ponder, he says: “The saints are like the stars. In his providence Christ conceals them in a hidden place that they may not shine before others when they might wish to do so. Yet they are always ready to exchange the quiet of contemplation for the works of mercy as soon as they perceive in their heart the invitation of Christ.”

Therefore, let us ask St. Anthony this day to be our example and to teach us his ways of life so that, like him, we too can look forward to the same hope of Heaven.'

St. Anthony of Padua, pray for us!

St .Charles Lwanga and companions, Cycle A

2011-06-03T06:15:00.000-07:00

In the years 1885 – 1887, in spite of the Church enjoying it’s freedom and ability to worship publicly, we were reminded what type of Church we really are, because during those years Africa faced some of the greatest persecution and violence creating in its stead new martyrs of the faith.

St. Charles Lwanga and his companions, 12 in all, were from Uganda, educated under those called “The White Fathers,” they were living under the rule of King Mwanga. King Mwanga was a violent ruler and pedophile who would force himself on his pages and attendants and so the Christians in his court would fight adamantly to protect these young men, who ranged in age from 13 to 30.

Joseph Mkasa (or Mukasa) was the leader of the small community of 200 Christians and the chief steward of Mwanga's court, a twenty-five-year-old Catholic. When Mwanga killed a Protestant missionary and his companions, Joseph Mkasa confronted Mwanga and condemned his action. It is said, that Mwanga had always liked Joseph but when Joseph dared to demand that Mwanga change his lifestyle, after striking Joseph with a spear, Mwanga ordered him killed. When the executioners tried to tie Joseph's hands, he told them, "A Christian who gives his life for God is not afraid to die." He forgave Mwanga with all his heart but made one final plea for his repentance before he was beheaded and then burned on November 15, 1885.

Charles Lwanga took over the instruction and leadership of the court and was left in charge of keeping the attendants and pages safe. Perhaps, it is said, Joseph's plea for repentance had had some affect on Mwanga because the persecution died down for six months. However, eventually the king realized that Charles was teaching the Christians and protecting them and, when the king could no longer handle their insubordination, they ordered their execution. Knowing they would die soon, Charles and a few of his companions requested and received Baptism.

The next morning the king brought his whole court before him and separated the Christians from the rest by saying, "Those who do not pray stand by me, those who do pray stand over there." He demanded of the fifteen boys and young men (all under 25) if they were Christians and intended to remain Christians. When they answered "Yes" with strength and courage the king condemned them to death.

They were then sent on a 37 mile trek to their place of execution, three were killed before reaching their place of execution, including a man by the name of Matthias who refused to eat, and when threatened he said: “God will rescue me. But you will not see how he does it, because he will take my soul and leave you only my body." Matthias was cut up on the road and left to die -- it took him at least three days.

When they finally reached the place of their execution, they were imprisoned for seven days, brought out, wrapped in reed mats, place on a pyre, and St. Charles and his companions were burned to death. While being consumed the flames their last words were: "You can burn our bodies, but you cannot harm our souls."

Theirs is a life fearlessly lived for their faith, theirs was a life of sacrifice and confidence in God alone. Let us look to them as an example, as an inspiration and as a model of virtue of the necessity of laying down our lives, not just physically, but spiritually, allowing ourselves to become martyrs in the sense of witnessing to our faith, bringing it with us and never forgetting it at the most important of times. Let us ask them to intercede on our behalf.

St. Charles Lwanga and companions, pray for us and teach us your strength.

The Feast of the Visitation, Cycle A

2011-05-31T07:09:00.000-07:00

Today, we celebrate the feast of the Visitation, when Mary goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth upon hearing that she too is pregnant. And the moment Mary arrives, things are different, it is not a simple encounter, John leaps for joy in the womb, Elizabeth is praising Mary, because the presence of the Holy Spirit is evident and felt and shown stirring in their hearts.

This is why Elizabeth is so overcome, and even humbled by this visit, asking her that powerful question: “And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” In other words, who am I, that the Mother of my Lord, the very Mother of God should come to me, who am I that you wished to visit me first?

And, of course, the question is not just Elizabeth’s but all of ours as well, because every single time we kneel down in prayer and honor our Blessed Mother, she too, indeed, comes to us, she too bring us the Holy Spirit who stirs our hearts and helps us to praise her.

So that, overshadowed with the same Holy Spirit, we, too, are filled with the same abundance of grace, and being filled, we bring that to others as well, so that, as John leaps in the womb of Elizabeth, the Holy Spirit leaps and stirs our hearts, so that grace begets grace.

And, we come to imitate, in the clearest way possible, the same humility of Mary, becoming one whose soul proclaims, or as better translated, magnifies the Lord, literally becoming an instrument and a magnifying glass, as it were, to the Lord, always and everywhere pointing to Him.

This is why, indeed, Elizabeth’s question is also ours and why, we, too, with her should always be so overwhelmed as to never forget to ask that question, indeed, “Who am I, that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?”

Memorial Day, Cycle A

2011-05-30T06:50:00.000-07:00

To testify on behalf of the Father, to be a very witness to the reality of the Trinity, as it says in our Gospel today, requires as all Christians, great sacrifice. A similar and almost identical sacrifice that countless sons, daughters, mothers fathers make everyday in order to secure our freedom.

In fact, Archbishop Fulton Sheen, quoting a great French preacher by the name of Lacordaire said that the vocation of a soldier is next in dignity to the priesthood, not only because they defend justice…but also because they are called to a spirit and intention of sacrifice.

And, every day this is what happens, our soldiers walk on the field not knowing if it is their last time, and sadly for some, it is, and this is why our nation pauses this day, to remember all of those who have served our country, shed their blood, making the ultimate sacrifice, for our freedom.

Yet, something has also happened, we have found that in the remembering, we start to remember all of those who have gone before us, visiting their graves and offering prayers on their behalf. And, as I once heard a bishop say: “Memories are an important part of our lives and those memories define who we are as a person, just as our memory of Christ’s life, death and resurrection defines us as Christians.”

Therefore then, on this Memorial Day, let us remember, first and foremost those who have died defending our freedom, those still working to secure it, those who have fallen and those non-soldiers who are with them now.

And, let us pray in a special way for the consolation of all of their families and lift them up in Jesus’ name our Prince of Peace so that one day all terrorism and violence will be ended and we can, at last, experience true and lasting peace.

Thursday of the Third Week of Lent, Cycle A

2011-03-31T18:36:00.000-07:00

Whether it is evident or not, today’s Gospel is a war plan of sorts, and it explains that the enemy gains his power through division, for the more one thing is divided against itself, it is easier for it to fall.

In fact, God Himself explains this quite powerfully in our first reading: “They…turned their backs, not their faces, to me,” He says. In other words, rather than looking towards Him, they gave Him their back, they ignored Him. They divided themselves by not giving Him their full selves, as it were.

And, if we think about it, this is exactly what we do every time we sin. We turn our faces away from God and give Him our back, thinking He cannot see what we are doing.

I was once at a youth retreat and they did a powerful skit. It consisted of Jesus and a girl walking happily together on to the stage. When they were on the stage there were different people, with signs around their neck, symbolizing all the different sins we are capable of. In the background the song “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” was playing with its simple but powerful refrain “turn around.”

Initially, Jesus would turn her away from this and that sin, but eventually she would take those sins upon her, and then when she had them all, they circled her, pushed her, until she cried out to Jesus. He then took those sins off her shoulders, carried them for her, and they walked again happily off the stage.

It was a simple skit, but something everyone us do, we turn around, we ignore God, we divide ourselves from Him thinking things will be different, thinking things will be great, enticed by the enemy who wants to always keep us from God. Yet, in the end, it is only He who can turn our lives around, turn our faces back to Him, something all of us do every time we make our way to confession.

That is what we are called to this Lent, to allow our hearts to be softened, to take away our stony hearts and to let them become hearts of flesh, hearts that beat for love of Him, undivided and full. So that, indeed, if today we hear His voice, we will not harden our hearts.

Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent, Cycle A

2011-03-30T18:26:00.000-07:00

Both of our readings today focus on a covenant, one that was made long ago with Moses and the people of Israel, it was a profound and deep promise that was agreed upon with God Himself. And, it consisted of ten promises, Ten Commandments, that, up until the time of Jesus were practiced and observed to their strictest degree.

When Jesus came, however, He did not nullify or abolish this promise, these laws, but, rather came to fulfill them in His person and in His saving actions, so that there was a certain freedom, as it were, with the law, so that it was not merely an external observance, but a reflection of a deeper and more profound relationship with God.

That is why when Moses inscribed them upon stone tablets it became clear that, as Jeremiah reminds elsewhere, these were already written and engraved upon our very hearts.

And while Jesus, therefore, did not want to remove them, He also knew that, as our Gospel reminds, these commandments could become a great source of division and tension, becoming ten ways in which to frustrate or completely sever our relationship with one another and with God. So, out of His great love for that covenant, He covered those stone tablets with His blood, the same blood that covers a multitude of sins, the same that brings fulfillment to this promise.

In the seminary, I had a priest who taught ethics, and when he taught the Ten Commandments, he said something quite beautiful, he said we should not hear “thou shall or shall not,” but, rather, “if you love me, you will…”

So that by looking upon the Commandments in this way, we will see them as part of a larger covenant, and, while, by following these commandments we, indeed, fulfill the law, they become more than just something we do, they become a very part of our lives.

And, as Jesus tells us, when we live them out we become an example of what they ask of us, and they are no longer a rule that we abide by but the fulfillment of our great desire to please God and to show our love of Him to others, the same love He has shown to us, the same that has become an expression of these great ten words, this great covenant between God and us.

Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent, Cycle A

2011-03-29T11:06:00.000-07:00

Everyday, during Mass we pray: “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Asking that we be forgiven with the stipulation that we have first forgiven those who have wronged us. In other words, seeking forgiveness, asking forgiveness, accepting forgiveness and extending forgiveness.

Yet, probably one of the most difficult things in this life, if we are honest, is to forgive someone, especially when they have hurt us or when they have done something we deem completely unforgivable. However, that is exactly what Christ is asking of us today, to forgive not once, not twice but seventy times seven, which, in biblical terms, is an undetermined or an indefinite amount of times.

But the question always remains, how do we forgive, how can we possibly let go of what another person has done to us? And, the answer is simple, by recognizing that we too are capable of the same. In fact, St. Augustine, in his Confessions, realizing this, said: “There is no sin or crime committed by another which I myself am not capable of committing through my weakness; and if I have not committed it, it is because God, in His mercy, has not allowed me to and has preserved me in good.”

Forgiveness then is simply accepting our own faults and in understanding those faults understanding the same faults of another. Because, by doing so, we also see that Christ has extended His mercy to us probably more times than we know.

Therefore, as hard as it may be, let us try today to begin to forgive, not once, not twice but indefinitely knowing that by doing so, by forgiving another from our heart, as Christ Himself said, our Heavenly Father will do the same for us. So that we can say with Azaraiah in our first reading: “deal with us in your kindness and great mercy that with a contrite heart and humble spirit we may be received.”

Monday of the Third Week of Lent, Cycle A

2011-03-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes one of the hardest things to realize is that God’s ways are not always our ways. Naaman, in our first reading went in search of a cure for his leprosy and when he was told how he could be cured, he grew angry because he expected something amazing to happen, he wanted the prophet Elisha to come out and place his hands over him so that he would know and see that he was healed.

That is why when Elisha told him that all he needed to do was wash in the river Jordan seven times, he didn’t like it, It was almost too simple of an action, he wanted more, he wanted the show. However, when he finally did what he was told, he was healed, and, we are told, recognized it as coming from God.

Sometimes it can happen that we, like Namaan, want something from God, wanting Him to heal us, to help us. Yet, most of the time, the answer or the healing has already occurred, but we don’t want to accept it, thinking it too easy, or if not too easy, not extraordinary enough.

Yet, these moments teach us that healing can often come in a very simple way, if only we humble ourselves to accept and recognize it as thus. Sometimes, actually most of the time, God can and does do extraordinary things in us with the ordinary things of our lives.

In fact, if you think about it, that is what the sacraments are, bread and wine, water, oil, our mere words, and yet through them, through those ordinary things of our lives something extraordinary happens, God fills them and
makes them holy, makes them more than what they are, and through them we are changed, transformed, healed and made holy ourselves.

Perhaps today we might remember this and search for Him in a different way, knowing that by doing so, that thirst for God that we prayed for in our Psalm, may be satiated in the daily and in the ordinary things of our lives.

Thursday of the Second Week of Lent, Cycle A

2011-03-24T10:51:00.000-07:00

More tortuous than all else is the human heart…

For from it we experience a multitude of emotions, the greatest of these, love. And love, as Christ Himself shows us, by His own life, is both powerfully beautiful and painfully difficult.

Because, the essence of love is sacrifice, which is why Christ laid down the entirety of Himself, so that from His side, next to His heart, flowed blood and water, a sign that the Church sees as Baptism and the Eucharist, a sign that we are showered and covered in divine love.

In fact, it is no coincidence that two of the greatest devotions of the Church are to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, two hearts that burn for love of their children, to hearts that yearn to be united with ours.

And, St. Paul summarizes it perfectly in his most famous letter to the Corinthians, going so far as saying that if we do not have love, we have nothing.

That is why it is only God alone who can truly understand because it is only He who probes our minds and, indeed, tests our hearts.

Today then, let us contemplate love, especially in this Eucharist, when He who is love itself, became man and shed His blood for love of us; He alone who knows our hearts better than anyone else in the world, He alone whose heart we will see elevated above this altar in a few minutes. The same that beats for love of us, the same that, indeed, we should unite our own hearts to as well.

Thursday after Ash Wednesday, Cycle A (The Cross)

2011-03-10T04:19:00.000-08:00

The Cross is a choice that is daily put before us, asking us to deny our very selves in order to follow Christ, and because of that, it is one of the most difficult choices we could ever make.

Yet, the difficulty arises because we have not seen the inherent contradiction that lies within the Cross itself, that, in spite of what we think, the Cross is not a sign of death but life, because Christ has made it that way, so that the real death, as it were, is turning away, or fleeing from the Cross.

And, both of our readings today make this point very clear, for in our first reading, not only loving Him but walking in His ways leads us to the Lord, while turning away leads us to perish. We walk in His ways when we follow Him, and, in our Gospel, Jesus says to follow Him, we must first daily take up our Cross.

It is why the saints constantly meditated upon the Cross, not because they were morbid human beings, not because they delighted in remembering the pain that Christ endured, but because they saw within it the very mystery of our faith, the very mystery of ourselves.

In fact, St. (Padre) Pio, a man who was no stranger to the Cross and one whom it is believed actually had the marks of one hanging on the Cross, the stigmata, put it beautifully, he said: “The prototype, the example on which one should reflect and model one’s self is Jesus Christ. But Jesus chose the cross as his standard, so he wants all his followers to tread the path to Calvary, carrying the cross and then dying stretched out on it. Only this way do we reach salvation.”

He did not see pain, nor sorrow, nor death, in the Cross, but, rather life, true life, because, as Jesus makes clear, our profit does not lie in this world, but in the world to come, and as He also reminds, by gaining the whole world to the loss of that world to come we are actually forfeiting our very reason for following Christ in the first place. For, we, literally, turn our backs on God so that, as our first reading reminds, we can adore and serve other gods.

That is why the Cross, by its very nature, is so difficult to understand, and so challenging to wrap our minds around. Yet, it is also at the heart of that choice that we are asked to make in our first reading today, a choice, literally, for life or death, for blessing or curse, to embrace the Cross and all that implies or to put it down and to flee from it.

Because, as many saints, who have endured the Cross show us, though they suffered, it was not in vain, because they realized that the Cross was actually their means to sanctification, that it was the Cross that taught them the ways of holiness, and, in the end, it made the Cross, for them, bearable, and they no longer saw it as a symbol of pain and sorrow, but, instead, as we should too, a banner of victory.

Ash Wednesday, Cycle A

2011-03-08T21:07:00.000-08:00

Today, we begin 40 days of Lent, entering a time of fasting, repentance and preparation for the great feast of Easter. And, we mark this beginning by allowing an ashen cross to be traced upon our foreheads, a two-fold reminder that, indeed, we are sinners and outwardly expressing sorrow and repentance for those sins and that we are human and as thus mortal, formed out of the ground and to the ground we shall return, or as it reminds in the funeral rite: “earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.”

It is a time for self-examination and reflection upon our lives, an opportunity to follow Jesus into the desert, to be exposed to the elements, as it were, both physically and spiritually, and hopefully, to emerge victorious.

We begin this today and are asked, as we heard in our first reading, to take this seriously, to embrace a full conversion, to turn ourselves entirely, wholeheartedly and without reservation to the Lord. To rend our very hearts, the source of so much, and to tear them asunder and allow its very depths to be exposed and laid open before Him: “For, even now, says the Lord, return to me.”

It doesn’t matter where you have been only where you are going, and it is an opportunity to show Him how serious you truly are, with fasting, with weeping and mourning. To give yourselves entirely to Him, to live the life He is asking you to live and to do so without delay, for, as St. Paul reminds in our second reading, “now is the acceptable time, now the day of salvation is at hand.”

And we begin this day, by walking, as it were, through doorway of Lent, showing our dedication with that cross on our foreheads, knowing its implications and what is asked of us. A challenge, but not in vain, a means of sanctification, to make us all holy, so that we can all have a full and lasting conversion of heart. And, then in confidence we can know that our Father who is hidden, but who sees us will repay us one hundredfold.

Sts. Perpetua and Felicity, Cycle A

2011-03-07T04:17:00.000-08:00

Today, we celebrate the memorial of two great martyrs, Sts. Perpetua and Felicity, names that might be familiar to us from the Eucharistic Prayer, but two very devout Christians who laid down their lives for their faith.

What’s more is that their martyrdom is so famous, that in early liturgies it would be read, and since St. Perpetua wrote most of the account, it is a firsthand look at a martyrs life and it is called The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity.
St. Perpetua’s father was pagan and so he could not understand his daughter’s devotion and why she would be so willing to hold on to her faith, in spite of the threat of death. She responded to him in a very famous exchange, she said: “Father…Do you see (for examples) this vessel lying, a pitcher or whatsoever it may be? And he said, I see it. And I said to him, Can it be called by any other name than that which it is? And he answered, No. So can I call myself nought other than that which I am, a Christian.”

Afterwards, her father grew incredibly angry and, as she puts it, tried to tear out her eyes. However, this did not deter her from being a Christian so she was baptized and then, subsequently thrown into prison. She and St. Felicity were in a very bad part of the prison, mistreated and, as St. Perpetua puts it: “I had never known such darkness.” For her, though, the greater suffering was being separated from her baby. St. Felicity, however, suffered even more, having enduring the same, while being 8 months pregnant.

It was only when the deacons who ministered to them paid off the guards to put them in a nicer part of the prison that they were temporarily relieved, especially, since St. Perpetua was allowed to see her baby, which, for her made the prison, as she puts it “a palace for me, so that I would sooner be there than anywhere else.”
Here too, she got to see her brother where she explains in beautiful detail that God gave her a vision where she saw her passion and her entrance into Heaven.

Not long after that she was to be tried and so she was taken away in the middle of a meal to face her sentence with four others, St. Felicity among them.

St. Perpetua’s father and her child were present at the trial. Here he pleaded with her to perform a sacrifice for the emperor, and for her captors to spare her life, yet, her answer sealed the deal, as it were, and she said: “I am a Christian.” She and St. Felicity were thus condemned to the beasts, that is, they would be taken into an amphitheater and unleash wild animals upon them.

St. Felicity, however, was still pregnant and so it was considered illegal for her to be executed since, it was seen that to kill a child in the womb was shedding innocent and sacred blood. St. Felicity was, therefore, worried she would not be able to partake in the martyrdom of her friends and companions, but instead have to die alone and among strangers.

Three days before, however, her friends prayed for her and she went into painful labor. The guards mocked her and said: “You that thus make complaint now, what wilt you do when you are thrown to the beasts?”

And she answered, I myself now suffer that which I suffer, but there another shall be in me who shall suffer for me, because I am to suffer for him.” It is said, she gave birth to a healthy girl who was adopted and raised by one of the Christian women of Carthage.

When the time came for them to be executed, they were stripped of their clothes, however, the crowd was in horror, because one had just given birth, and so their clothes were returned to them. Violently the animals attacked but did not kill them, in fact, St. Perpetua helped St. Felicity up. They then stood strong and proud, side-by-side, while a swordsman slit their throats. St. Perpetua’s last words to her brother were: “Stand fast in the faith, and love you all one another; and be not offended because of our passion.”

It is plain to see why such an account was read in the liturgies, because theirs is a life of standing up for their faith, in spite of the consequences, in spite of merely identifying themselves as Christians. They should inspire us by their holy and heroic lives and strengthen us by their fearlessness and confidence in God, therefore, let us ask their intercession today that, we too, could have, even a tiny amount of what they had.

Sts. Perpetua and Felicity, pray for us!

7th Friday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

2011-02-25T05:21:00.000-08:00

It seems, in this day and age, that you cannot turn on a TV, listen to a radio or read the news without seeing something about marriage and the fact that what it means has to be changed. That, in spite of what Christ said in our Gospel, which He spoke over 2000 years ago, merely quoting what was said even long before then, there seems to be this constant and incessant desire to change forever what marriage is and what it means.

Yet, in order to understand what is being asked, we need to return to the beginning, when God created Adam and then the animals, only to realize that there was not found a helper that was fit for him. In other words, nothing in the created order was a suitable match for him, not the animals, not himself, nothing was his equal or his complement. It was only when God removed a rib from him to create Eve that he finally found that complement, his equal, someone without whom he would feel incomplete.

It is why when Adam saw Eve he said: “this one at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh,” because, as our Gospel reminds, two, literally, become one flesh. So that it would appear that woven into the very construct of nature itself, from the very beginning, God intended man and woman to be together. And, while that may be true, it is this that is also at the heart of countless controversies and has people re-examining what marriage actually is.

For, marriage itself has become a political issue, and yet, the true controversy lies in something even deeper then this.

In fact, it is from this point of view that the Church is so concerned, that is, in re-defining marriage; we also re-define the definition of family itself. For, the true concern is that if marriage is understood in this broader context, so, too is the family, and, once the idea of family is re-defined then everything starts to change.

A couple of years back, the bishops of NJ said something very profound and that sums it up nicely, they said: “God Himself is the author of marriage. Marriage as a union of man and woman existed long before any nation, religion, or law was established.”

Marriage, by its very nature, is a right, a gift, or, to put another way, God is the author of marriage and to try to re-write what has already been written is to try to change the story, as it were, the pages of our hearts upon which His law has been engraved.

The true source of controversy then goes much further than a mere word, than love of one another, it goes to the heart of who we are as human beings, of who and how God created us, and it centers on the dynamic of the first community, the first church that we know, as the late Pope John Paul II called it, the “domestic church,” the very fabric of the family. For, then, if marriage is re-defined, so, too is the family, and if the family is re-defined, so too, is our understanding of the Church, and if the Church is re-defined, so too, are we, as a people.

That is why it is so important to pray for families, for married couples and for our civic leaders, because marriage itself is, indeed, more than a mere definition, it is as all things, a gift that God gave us from the beginning and, in the end, it was Christ who raised it to the dignity of a sacrament.

7th Thursday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

2011-02-24T19:03:00.000-08:00

I once read somewhere that Jesus told us to take a “no prisoners approach” to sin. And though it may sound strange, I don’t how much clearer this could be after reading today’s Gospel.

For, in one of the most graphic and strongest ways possible, Jesus calls us to not just account for our sin, but to do everything in our power to root it out, to cut off our hands, our foot, or to pluck out our eyes.

Granted, He does not mean it literally, the way an early Church Father by the name of Origen took it, but to do everything in our power to fight against it, to realize that, indeed, we are engaged in a spiritual battle, with an enemy who does not play fair, an enemy who does not play by the rules, and one who will find any way to cause us to fail, any way to lead us away from God, and not just lead us away temporarily, but eternally, where as Jesus puts it: “their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched”

For, whether we believe it or not, our souls are a spiritual commodity, and while God wants to see each and every one of ours with Him again, we have the choice as to whether or not that will happen.

Because, sin, at its core, is a rejection of God, in every way, and the more we persist in our sin, the more we separate ourselves from Him. In other words, we have the power to divide ourselves from God Himself, think about that, we, a mortal, finite being, have the freedom to sever all ties with an immortal and infinite being, and, we only can, because God has given us that power

It is not something we like to think about, it is not something I like to think about, but there are even certain sins that can separate us so much, that they are mortal, because they, literally, have the possibility of being the death of us.
A death that is far worse than physical death, spiritual death. In fact, Jesus said elsewhere: “do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” A priest once put it this way: if you were to jump off a cliff once you might live or you might not, that is gamble we take every time we consent to mortal sin.

Jesus’ message is only serious because He wants us to take His message serious, He does not “wish the death of a sinner,” He does not want to deprive any of us of the ability to see Him face to face, and so, as strange as it sounds, He says this out of love for us.

A father tells his child not to run out into traffic, not because he is trying to deprive that child of freedom, but because he loves that child and does not want anything bad to happen to that child.

That is why sin, indeed, is so serious, that is why Jesus speaks with such graphic detail, not to scare us but to motivate us, to call us to take our spiritual lives seriously, to work towards holiness, to fight for holiness, and to recognize the true value of each of our souls, to take care of them, and to give them what they need.

For, in the end, our battle is lost or won on the fields of our souls and so, in the words of the early Church Father, Cyril of Jerusalem, with whom I leave you with today: “Wrestle for thine own soul, especially in such days as these.”

St. Polycarp, Cycle A

2011-02-23T05:30:00.000-08:00

Today, we celebrate the Memorial of St. Polycarp. A man who, as a disciple of St. John the Evangelist, was able to learn and to hear firsthand accounts of Jesus, who He was, what He did and the true impact that He had on people’s lives. Some would also say that these accounts inspired St. Polcarp to endure the challenges that had to be readily faced in an environment less than sympathetic to Christians.

St. Polycarp, as one commentator notes was “a holy man and bishop of Smyrna, who found there was only one answer [to respond to such an environment] -- to be true to the life of Jesus and imitate that life.

One day, as the story goes, there was a very bloody and violent martyrdom of a group of Christians who were attacked by wild animals in the arena. It is said that the crowd became so mad that they demanded more blood by crying, "Down with the atheists; let Polycarp be found." (Christians were considered "atheists" because they didn't believe in the gods of the pagans.)

Polycarp was unafraid, but, at the advice of others, moved from town to town until he was found in a little farm. It is said, when his captors came he fed them a meal and asked for one request, to be able to pray for an hour, he prayed for two, praying for all Christians, his captors and everyone he could think of and then was brought to the arena.

On the Sabbath day, he faced his demise. He was told by the proconsul to say: “Away with atheists,” so he looked at the faces of the crowd and said as he was told, then he was told to swear by Ceasar to save himself, he then said: “If you imagine that I will swear by Caesar, you do not know who I am. Let me tell you plainly, I am a Christian.” The proconsul then reminded him that he would be thrown to the wild animals unless he changed his mind. Polycarp refused and, not only that, after seeing in a dream a few days earlier his pillow being burned up, he knew he was to be burned at the stake, which is indeed what happened.

As he was tied up at the stake he said a beautiful prayer, and as he said Amen everyone saw a miracle. It is said the fire burst up in an arch around Polycarp, the flames surrounding him like sails, and instead of being burned he seemed to glow like bread baking, or gold being melted in a furnace. When the captors saw he wasn't being burned, they stabbed him. The blood that flowed put the fire out.

St. Polycarp shows us the power of prayer and the strength it gives to persevere as a Christian. His example should be an inspiration to us all and we too should desire to live with the same fearlessness by making his prayer our own, the same beautiful prayer he prayed before his death, the same prayer I would like to end with today.

"Lord God Almighty, Father of your beloved and blessed Son Jesus Christ…I bless you, for having made me worthy of this day and hour, I bless you, because I may have a part, along with the martyrs, in the chalice of your Christ, to resurrection in eternal life…May I be received today, as a rich and acceptable sacrifice, among those who are in your presence… For this and for all benefits I praise you, I bless you, I glorify you, through the eternal and heavenly High Priest, Jesus Christ, your beloved Son, through whom be to you with him and the Holy Spirit glory, now and for all the ages to come. Amen."

Chair of St. Peter, Cycle A

2011-02-22T05:26:00.000-08:00

Everyday, during Mass, we pray for a specific person, someone whom we remember in our intercessions and the Eucharistic Prayers, a man much like you or I, whom if we saw on the street, we might not even look twice, and if this man was never chosen by God and agreed to accept a great responsibility, we might never have known about him. Of course, I am speaking about Pope Benedict the XVI.

And, as great of a person as Joseph Ratzinger is, our prayers are not for him alone, but rather, they are offered for Pope Benedict, in other words, we offer them in honor of his office, and the authority he has been given as Pope, as universal father for all the faithful.

Today, we celebrate the feast of the Chair of St. Peter. It is an interesting feast, because it seems as though our reverence is for a specific chair, and, in fact, there was a time when a chair was associated with this feast, however, it is not reverence for a specific chair, rather, it is reverence for what that chair represents, that St. Peter sits, as it were, in place of Christ as head of the Church here on earth. For, as Catholics, we believe that that beautiful scene we just heard in the Gospel was Christ conferring and establishing St. Peter as the first of many Popes and, if we are to look closer at this particular passage, we can see that that, indeed, is exactly what Christ intended.

In fact, he states that Simon is now Peter, which is a translation that means “rock.” And, in Scripture when a person’s name is changed it refers to a change in status as well, which is why after changing his name Christ gives Peter the authority for the forgiveness of sins and the establishment of disciplinary laws, as demonstrated in the binding and loosing.

And, the conferral of the keys meant that Peter was given a new authority, since, in ancient times, that is what the keys came to symbolize. In fact, since cities used to, literally, be guarded by lock and key to give someone the keys was to place great authority on a person that was trustworthy, which is why it says a lot that the keys St. Peter was given was to the Kingdom of Heaven.

It is a beautiful scene, because Christ is showing how much He truly trusts Peter, by giving him joint authority, as it were, over the Church and Her people. Needless to say, it is a task that is neither small nor easy.

This is why everyday we pray for our Pope, we remember him in our personal prayers, knowing that, as he said, when he began his pontificate: “Dear brothers and sisters, after our great pope, John Paul II, the cardinals have elected me, a simple, humble worker in God's vineyard," "I am, as he says, consoled by the fact that the Lord knows how to work and how to act, even with insufficient tools, and I especially trust in your prayers.”

Let us then offer our prayers for Pope Benedict XVI our Pope, on this feast of the Chair of St. Peter, knowing that where he sits today, is among a long line of St. Peter’s before him and let us pray that St. Peter will always guard the Papacy that was conferred on him by Christ.

7 Founders of the Servants of Mary, Cycle A

2011-02-17T19:35:00.000-08:00

Sometimes when life gets too be too much, we might make the idle threat that we are going to run away to a monastery, convent, or just run away, leave everything behind and never look back. Of course, usually, we realize how impractical that idea would probably be, and wind up, ultimately, not going anywhere.

However, in 1240, 7 nobleman from Florence, from prominent families, professions and lifestyles, did just that, they left the city, their family, their profession, their possessions, everything behind. And, they went to a place of solitude where they prayed, practiced penance and grew in their service to God.

The initial difficulty they faced was providing for those whom they left behind, but eventually, Providence worked itself out and they lived in a run down house outside of Florence. However, they found that by living so close to the city, visitors and curious people were constantly distracting them and so they picked up and moved to Mt. Senario.

Here, it is said, that in 1239, five years after their move, Mary appeared to them with a black habit telling them to found an order under the Rule of St. Augustine, which they did, naming the Order, the “Servants of Mary,” or the “Servites. They were of the older monastic style, opting to beg for food while caring for the poor.

It is also said that they were the first ones to popularize devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows, and they took upon themselves the charism of prayer to Our Lady standing under the Cross since they would often meditate on the Passion of Christ and the mortifications He endured.

Eventually, after these 7 died, some of the members who had joined wound up in the United States, settling in New York and then later in Philadelphia.

They balanced their lives with deep prayer and apostolic work, teaching, preaching and engaging in parochial work of all kinds. Today, they are known as the “Servants of Mary.”

The original 7 founders, however, are quite unique in that together, one day, they decided leave the world and everything behind so that they could grow in a deeper relationship with God and come to appreciate more the great devotion of Our Lady of Sorrows.

They teach us the simplicity of abandoning our will to God’s, but, even more so, they show us the way in which to grow in our love for Him, by ridding ourselves of all distractions, whatever they may be, and seeking to find a solitude and silence in our lives which we can take with us and always enter into in our hearts. It is as a priest once called it, the monastery of our hearts.

Perhaps, in this day and age, with all the many distractions in our lives, what they did and what they remind us to do, seems more like an ideal than a reality, but they show that, indeed, with God all things are possible, and, that all we need is to realize that while the whisper of God is often drowned out by the noise of the world, as our Psalmist elsewhere reminds, we need only "Be still and know that [He is] I am God." (Ps:46)

Let us then ask that these Seven Founders of the Order of Servites to pray for us and to always teach us their ways.

6th Wednesday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A (Blind Man)

2011-02-16T16:57:00.000-08:00

If all of us, at this very moment, were to close our eyes and for whatever reason be unable to open them again, our entire lives would become different and we would become dependent. We would have to trust our other senses even more, and, we would have to place the entire direction of our lives in another’s hands, as the blind man did today.

In fact, people brought this blind man to Jesus and while it is not clear he even wanted to be there, Jesus took his hand and led him outside the village. Now, as strange as this sounds, while Jesus is known to be a healer and seems to have a following at this time, it takes a lot of trust and incredible faith to be led by someone he really doesn’t know.

Not only that, but then Jesus spits on him, and rather than recoiling in horror or fear, he said nothing until Jesus asked him what he saw, and, perhaps, realizing that his vision is being slowly restored, he continues to let this happen, and then when his sight is restored, in trust, he leaves and goes home.

A man who only moments before was completely blind is able to fully see, yet the miracle is not just the restoration of sight, it started long before that, for the miracle is the absolute trust and faith that this man puts in Jesus.

In fact, in any healing, Jesus usually says it is their faith that has healed them; the physical restoration is merely the tangible sign of this reality. In other words, any healing is born of great faith, and, while that does not mean that if you are not healed, you lack faith, it means that you are open to it either way, that you have the prerequisite, as it were.

Yet, as our Gospel also reminds, it might be the beginning of the healing but not it’s culmination, for, as we see, healing can happen in steps, it does not have to happen all at once. In fact, like most things, it is a process, so that one day we may see “people looking like trees and walking” and another see “everything distinctly.”

That is why each day we must grow and strengthen our faith and our trust in God, not with the hope, that by doing so, we will be healed, even though the possibility does, indeed, exist. Rather, that by doing so, it will help us to grow in our love for God, and, with that love, to truly trust in He, who restores all things, and if He is Willing, including us.

6th Tuesday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A (Noah)

2011-02-15T06:20:00.000-08:00

The Book of Genesis is, in my opinion, one of the greatest books in the Bible, and yet, it is also one of the most debated, scrutinized and contested books as well.

And, it seems the reason for this is because it deals with our origins, our reliance on God and the great and sovereign power He has over His creation. In fact, in our first reading we see God’s lament over the people and even the animals He created as though He regrets His decision and feels as though, while as sad as it may make Him, He must destroy what He has created.

Yet, truth be told, as one commentator notes, that doesn’t happen, instead He saves that which He is about to destroy in the person of Noah and the animals he is commanded to bring aboard the Ark. So that instead of destroying the entirety of His creation, He preserves it, but not without re-creating that which He created in the beginning.

In other words, the same waters He separated at the dawn of creation, He used to draw the world back almost into the same, to cleanse and, literally, purify the world, until the forty days and forty nights had come to an end.

And, while the debate will continue as to whether it was real, whether it was drawn from other creation myths of its day, as one commentator wisely notes: “There is a fundamental difference: the Bible depicts the flood as a consequence of [our] sin, and as a new starting point from which the true God, the Creator of the world and of man, can advance his plans of salvation.”

In other words, our choices for or against God, our sins, not only affect ourselves but, also, the world at large, it is what the Church calls “social sin.” For, if by our prayers and charity we can help build up the Body of Christ, we also can cause the opposite effect by our sin, because, whether we realize it or not, we don’t sin in a vacuum.

For, it was only after, as it says: “The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on earth” was that He decided it was time to act. It was not one particular person, but all people minus Noah and his household. So, that, the individual sins of one, collectively became too much for God to handle.

That is why, as clichéd as it sounds, one person can make a difference. In this case it was Noah, but in our day, it is the saints because they show that by their very lives, though only one person, they not only strengthen the Body of Christ, but bring to this world the hope that sometimes seems to be eclipsed by everything else.

Each day, then, like the saints, it should be our constant goal to strive for holiness and to seek, with the grace of God, to conquer our sins and to bring His hope throughout the world. So that we, too, might be that one person to make a difference, and, in the end, like Noah and countless saints before us, be found favorable and just in the eyes of God.

Monday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle A (Creation)

2011-02-07T13:59:00.000-08:00

Today, in our first reading, we have, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful readings in the Old Testament, the story of creation itself. A story that has become one of the most debated, scrutinized and contested in the Bible, but still stands as a clue to our origins and to the power of God Himself.

For, from nothing, literally, came something, the entire universe, everything we have, everything we know, everything we see came into existence, out nothing. It is what is known as ex nihilo, a Latin word that means “out of nothing,” in other words, there was nothing and then just like that there was something and how it happens is both amazing and beautiful in its own right; God spoke and existence came to be.

In fact, the Catechism of the Catholic Church puts it beautifully saying: “Nothing exists that does not owe its existence to God the Creator. The world began when God’s word drew it out of nothingness; all existent beings, all of nature, and all of human history are rooted in this primordial event, the very genesis by which the world was constituted and time began.”

That is why each paragraph in today’s reading begins with “Then God said,” because His Word, the Logos is powerful enough to bring forth everything, which is why when Jesus became man, when the Word became flesh, it indeed was a great act of humility and love.

Yet, that is also why He had to come down, because something that He made and declared was “good” had to be restored to that same goodness, had to be raised up again, in fact, that is the mystery and the core of the Incarnation and why it is so intimately tied to the act of creation.

By reflecting on the act of creation itself we better understand not just where we came from, but where we have gone, that is why the Incarnation could almost be seen as the second story of creation, or, rather, better put, the continuation of the greatest act of God’s love.

The act of creation is worth reading on our own, not influenced by science or the in depth theology that often surrounds it, but to look it as the beginning of a relationship, a covenant between God and us, and to inspire us to truly thank Him for all He has given us, the created universe and all the beauty and mystery that that truly entails.

St. Blase, Cycle A

2011-02-03T07:20:00.000-08:00

Today, we celebrate the feast of St. Blase, probably the most well-known and most popular saint, not for what he has done, but for what happens on this day, the blessing of throats. For, as the story goes, a woman brought a boy to him who was choking on a fish bone, and was very close to death. However, inexplicably and miraculously he was healed at the hands of this saint, coughing up the bone.

One of the difficulties, in fact, the major difficulty about recounting the life of St. Blase is that we know very little about him, and what we do know stems from stories and legends of the miraculous and the extraordinary, from something called the Acts of St. Blase written 400 years after his death. And, while this, indeed, does pose difficulties, it should be noted, that our lack of knowledge of him doesn’t mean that what he did wasn’t real, rather, it just means we are not sure that all of what he did can be definitively associated with him.

What we do know is that he was born of rich and noble parents and received a well-rounded Christian education. As a result, he was made bishop of Sebastea in Armenia, at a fairly young age. Not long after that, however, great persecutions broke out and God told him to escape to the hills, so he fled to a cave in the mountains and it was here that he lived as a hermit in solitude and prayer, making friends, it is believed, even with the wild animals.

In fact, as the story goes, it was believed that St. Blase would heal the animals that were sick and wounded and that they would even come to him for a blessing. In one of the caves, hunters, were looking for animals for the amphitheater, that is, for the pagan games when they saw a man, St. Blase, walking amidst the animals unafraid and then kneeling in prayer, surrounded by patiently waiting wolves, lions and bears. The hunters were initially in shock and amazement over this, but then recognized that this, indeed, was St. Blase, and so they took him back for trial.

On the way back, as the story goes, they met a poor woman whose pig was carried off by a wolf, however, St. Blase commanded the wolf to return the pig, which is what is believed to have happened, and the woman so grateful for this, would later, while St. Blase was in his jail cell, bring him candles for light and food despite the orders that he was to be starved.

On his journey back is when the famous story, most associated with him, of the child with the bone lodged in his throat is believed to have occurred. In fact, it is the result of this story as well as the fact that many believed him to be a healer that we bless throats even today.

While St. Blase was in jail, the governor of Cappadocia, tried to persuade him to sacrifice to pagan idols. St. Blase refused and was severely beaten. The next day he was suspended from a tree and his flesh was torn with iron combs or rakes. Incidentally, English wool combers, who used similar iron combs, understood the agony he underwent and he became their patron as a result. Finally, when all other forms of torture failed, he was beheaded.

And, while, indeed, this was a brutal and ruthless way in which to die a martyrs death, this is also the reason why we use two candles and place them in the form of an X for the blessing of throats, because, it is believed, two candles were brought to him while in jail, and that the cross of St. Andrew, an X cross, was similar to his own suffering in that it was a violent and brutal form of torture and crucifixion.

By the sixth century, St. Blase was being called upon for diseases of the throat in the East. As early as the eighth century, he was being venerated in Europe, and he became one of the most popular saints of the Middle Ages. In fact, the Abbey of St. Blase in southern Germany claimed to even have some of his relics.

It is said, that one of the biggest reasons for St. Blase's popularity was that he was a physician who was known to cure illness, therefore, those who were sick, especially with throat ailments, would call upon his intercession, and, of course, this is why we bless throats on his feast day even today. This, too, is why we would do well, to ask him to intercede on our behalf, for any illness, knowing the healing power of God, which was so clearly manifested through him.

St. Blase, patron of woolcombers, wild animals and, of course, those that suffer from afflictions of the throat, pray for us!

NOTE: I DON'T PREACH EVERYDAY ANYMORE SINCE THE DEACONS PREACH A COUPLE OF DAYS A WEEK. I DO KEEP MY SUNDAY BLOG CURRENT, BUT THIS ONE WILL BE MORE SPORADIC, GOD BLESS, FR. BRIAN

St. John Bosco, Cycle A

2011-01-31T15:04:00.000-08:00

In terms of youth, and a saint most closely associated with them, I think it is safe to say that the first person to come to mind would have to be St. John Bosco. In fact, his legacy still lives on to this day in the Salesian order, an order he founded to care for the youth that were the most neglected, ignored, and, as a result, had started lead bad lives.

At the age of nine, St. John Bosco was given his mission in a very famous dream whereby he dreamed he was in a field with a crowd of children. The children were cursing and misbehaving. He jumped into the crowd to stop them by fighting with them and shouting. Suddenly, a man appeared, with a radiant face, filled with light and adorned in a white robe. The man called over to John and made him the leader of the boys, and said: “you will have to win these friends of yours not with blows but with gentleness and kindness.” John insisted he was only a boy himself, and it appeared impossible to him. The man responded: “What seems so impossible you must achieve by being obedient and acquiring knowledge. The boys then turned into wild animals, but then John understood that when he became obedient, humble, gentle and faithful, that would also change the children, who had then turned into lambs.

This was the beginning of his ministry, and, as a result, since he had liked to attend carnivals and fairs, he learned a few magic tricks and how to juggle which would attract the children. After performing, while having an attentive audience, he would then preach to them the same homily he had heard earlier in church.

He then began to minister to the orphans, teaching them catechism and bringing them to church. He was so dedicated that he became a priest in order to better fulfill his life’s mission.

He then started a printing press, allowing the children to work and establishing one of the first Catholic publishers. His fame spread and others were inspired to do the same work as him, so at the encouragement of Pope Pius IX, he and 17 other men founded the Salesians. They spent their life in education and mission work to the many troubled boys, and eventually established the Salesians sisters for the girls.

He had great patience and children loved him, and, as the vision entailed, this paid off in the end, and there is a great excerpt from a letter he wrote which encapsulates this, which I would like to share. He says:

My sons, in my long experience very often I had to be convinced of this great truth. It is easier to become angry than to restrain oneself, and to threaten a boy than to persuade him. Yes, indeed, it is more fitting to be persistent in punishing our own impatience and pride than to correct the boys. We must be firm but kind, and be patient with them.

See that no one finds you motivated by impetuosity or willfulness. It is difficult to keep calm when administering punishment, but this must be done if we are to keep ourselves from showing off our authority or spilling out our anger.

Let us regard those boys over whom we have some authority as our own sons. Let us place ourselves in their service. Let us be ashamed to assume an attitude of superiority. Let us not rule over them except for the purpose of serving them better.

This was the method that Jesus used with the apostles. He put up with their ignorance and roughness and even their infidelity. He treated sinners with a kindness and affection that caused some to be shocked, others to be scandalized and still others to hope for God's mercy. And so he bade us to be gentle and humble of heart.

He should be an inspiration to all of us, especially those who work with youth, knowing that with the right tools and a lot of humility, the impossible can become possible with God. Perhaps, today then we might remember this seeking to always be patient in bringing youth to God, so that in the end, they may have the same benefit and reap the same rewards as everyone else.

St. John Bosco, pray for us!

St. Sebastian, Cycle A

2011-01-20T13:47:00.000-08:00

Today, we celebrate the memorial of St. Sebastian, born at Narbonne in Gaul, though his parents were from Milan, where he was actually raised. From the very beginning he was a fervent Christian, and, although he was greatly opposed to military life, he entered the Roman army in an effort to assist the confessors and martyrs who were suffering under the hand of that same army.

As the story goes, the two martyrs Marcus and Marcellian, under the sentence of death, almost renounced their faith in light of the sorrow that they saw in their friends. Sebastian, seeing this, encouraged them in their faith, giving a long exhortation that affected not just them, but everyone around. In fact, he converted over sixteen prisoners, as a result.

Chromatius, the governor of Rome had been informed of this and desiring the same conversion had, after meeting St. Sebastian, been cured of a sickness that had afflicted him. As a result, he let all the converted prisoners free.

Diocletian, around this time, became the new emperor, and ushered in great and painful persecutions of the Christians, however, upon seeing the strength of St. Sebastian, Diocletian desired to keep him close, not knowing his religion. However, as the persecutions grew fiercer and St. Sebastian watched as those he converted were tortured and executed, he appealed to Diocletian which only angered him and, as a result, had St. Sebastian used as target practice by the archers. A woman by the name of Irene, having watched the arrows pierce him through and through went to take him to be buried, only to find that he was still alive and so she nursed him back to health.

However, instead of fleeing the entire situation, St. Sebastian confronted Diocletian and denounced his cruel persecutions of the Christians. Initially, Diocletian was a little shocked, supposing St. Sebastian to be dead, but, after his initial surprise, he gave order to seize him and have beaten to death and his body thrown in a sewer. Another woman by the name of Lucina, having learned of this in a vision, recovered his body and buried him in what is known as the Appian Way.

Many scholars are quick to point out that this story may not necessarily be entirely true and based more on pious legend than historical fact, however, as with any story the elements of fact and heroism are what we ourselves should be inspired by. The story is not always the source of the inspiration, it is rather the mark that they left in the world, the strength with which they lived their faith, and the example that they can teach all of us.

And that is how we should look at our saint today, as one who died for his faith, by standing up for it, and taking it serious enough to live it to his dying breath. It is the point of celebrating any saint and, especially, St. Sebastian today.

St. Sebastian, patron of archers, athletes, given his great endurance and his zeal in spreading the Gospel, and soldiers, pray for us.

St. John Neumann, Cycle A

2011-01-05T15:04:00.000-08:00

How many times, in our lives, have we, just like those disciples found ourselves, spiritually, in that same exact boat. It is dark, the waves are crashing all around us, and we are being thrown back and forth, great fear comes upon us and there is almost a feeling of hopelessness, that we will never reach the other side, as it were. And, yet, before the storm takes its toll, we are given hope, and though the sight initially brings fear, the way it also did to the disciples, we hear those same consoling words: “It is I. Do not be afraid.”

And we see in our midst the only person that can truly help us “weather the storm,” as it were, we see the one who conquered all, including those storms, which is why our next impulse is, or at least should be, like the disciples, to let Him come in, to let Him take control of the boat. But, as this Gospel reminds, it is our boat, and He is there to bring hope, to remind us that the storm cannot have any affect on us if He is by our side, because, it is He who gives us the strength, the perseverance and the desire to carry on, no matter how violent the storm gets.

For, our worth is not judged by the storm but by how well we endured, because it is that that makes us stronger, it is that that helps us emerge as a new person, as a light of Christ in the same darkness and storms of our world.

A fitting Gospel, it would seem, for our saint today, for all St. John Neumann wanted was to be ordained a priest, but no matter where he turned, he was rejected, not because he would not be a good candidate, but because there were more than enough priests and, basically, there was no more room.

So, from his native Czech Republic he would send letters to all of the bishops in the United States, and, as one commentator notes: “John didn’t give up. He had learned English by working in a factory with English-speaking workers so that he could write to the bishops in America. Finally, the bishop of New York agreed to ordain him and his first assignment was as one of 36 priests for 200,000 Catholics. His church was simple, that is, it had no steeple or floor, but it didn’t matter, because he traveled constantly from village to village, visiting the sick and even saying Mass on kitchen tables.

He was eager for a strong fraternity and so joined the Redemptorists, yet, not long after that, he was made bishop of Philadelphia in 1852. He became well-known for his holiness, his spiritual writings and his preaching, in fact, he lived very simply as a bishop and, as story recounts, when he was a making a visit to a parish, the parish priest picked him up in a manure wagon. His seat was a plank of wood stretched over the manure, and, as it said, St. John joked, “Have you ever seen such an entourage for a bishop!”

As bishop, he devoted great time and effort to Catholic education, in fact, he would say: “All people of whatever race, condition or age, in virtue of their dignity as human persons, have an inalienable right to education,” further stating that:
“True education aims to give people a formation which is directed towards their final end and the good of that society to which they belong”

It was this simple vision of Catholic education and his identity with the poor that made him such a humble and holy man. In fact, it is said, that, while visiting Germany, he came back to the house he was staying soaked by rain. "When his host suggested he change his shoes, the story goes, John said: 'The only way I could change my shoes is by putting the left one on the right foot and the right one on the left foot. This is the only pair I own.”'

It should be no surprise then, that though sickly, most his life, when at the age of 46, he suffered a stroke and returned to the Lord on January 8, 1860, his cause for canonization was almost immediately brought forth. So, that in June of 1977, by Pope Paul VI, he was canonized a saint and, in fact, one of the first American bishops to be canonized a saint.

Yet, he stands as a great example of perseverance, of sacrifice and of full trust in the Lord, for no matter how hard he tried, he was rejected, until one bishop gave him a chance, a chance that gave him the opportunity to become a priest, a bishop himself and a saint of the Church. He shows us that no matter how dark, how violent the storms in our lives, we are never alone, we never have to do it by ourselves, because, in the end, our help is merely a prayer away.

St. John Neumann, pray for us.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Cycle A

2011-01-04T08:44:00.000-08:00

Today, we celebrate the memorial of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, a well to do Episcopalian wife and mother of five children who converted to Catholicism, founded the first congregation for women religious in the US, the Sisters of Charity, opened the first American Catholic orphanage as well as the first American parish school. As one commentator notes: “She is one the keystones of the American Catholic Church.”

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton was born on August 28, 1774, as many note, two years before the Declaration of Independence. She was born into a wealthy family and enjoyed the luxuries that such a life afforded her. Her mother, it is said, was quite religious, her father, less so.

Yet, it was only after the death of her mother in 1777 and her sister in 1778 that she began to understand, as young as she was at the time, that there is more to life than material possessions and high society.

When she was 19, she married a man by the name of William Seton with whom she was quite happy, but her joy was quickly replaced with sorrow after William’s father died, and they were left in charge of a large company and seven half-brothers and sisters. Eventually, they could no longer handle such great responsibilities and the business started to fail, thereby causing them to file for bankruptcy. Along with this the tuberculosis epidemic had been spreading and many of their children died, in fact, out of the nine children, seven survived to adulthood. This is eventually how William himself died, which occurred while they had gone to Italy.

At the age of 30, St. Elizabeth, it is said, was left “widowed, penniless, with five small children to support.” However, before William’s death, while they were in Italy, she witnessed the beauty and solemnity that Catholicism offered, so when she returned to America she had a great desire, which was fulfilled, to become a Catholic.

One commentator notes: “Three basic points led her to become a Catholic: belief in the Real Presence, devotion to the Blessed Mother and conviction that the Catholic Church led back to the apostles and to Christ.” As a result, however, many of her family and friends rejected her. This did not deter St. Elizabeth, rather, it inspired her, and she went on to found a school for her children and many others who wanted to learn more about the faith, as well as founding the Sisters of Charity.

Her spiritual life was simple, though she suffered much, in terms of her health which was never that good and the deaths of her sister, husband and two of her daughters. She also was pained at a son who would not embrace the faith as she had. Yet, within all of this, what set her apart, as many including her spiritual director would say, was her great desire to follow the will of God. In fact, it was this that led her to great and glorious things. Therefore, it should be no surprise that after her death on January 4, 1821, she became the first American-born citizen to be beatified and canonized, being named a saint of the Church in 1975.

And, the perfect summation of her life can be found in the following well-known quote that was discovered amongst her writings:

What was the first rule of our dear Savior's life? You know if was to do his Father's will. Well, then, the first purpose of our daily work is to do the will of God; secondly, to do it in the manner he wills; and thirdly, to do it because it is his will.

We know certainly that our God calls us to a holy life. We know that he gives us every grace, every abundant grace; and though we are so weak of ourselves, this grace is able to carry us through every obstacle and difficulty.

St. Elizabeth stands not as a saint with extraordinary powers, not as one who performed miracles, in the sense that we understand them, but, rather, one who lived her life simply, and did it in complete conformity to the will of God, a simply example that, if, we too, imitated could lead us also to live holier lives and come that much closer to the gates of Heaven.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, mother and patron of widows, pray for us.

St. Martin De Porres, Cycle C

2010-11-03T13:42:00.000-07:00

To be a Christian means we must embrace our cross, it means we must be willing to make difficult sacrifices and to do so out of love, love for God above all things and knowing that within each difficulty and challenge of each of our unique crosses, the potential exists for us to become a saint.

And it is the saint whose memorial we celebrate today that encapsulates the truth and inherent beauty within the cross. St. Martin De Porres was born as an illegitimate son of a former black slave and a Spanish gentleman. As a result, his father was unhappy with how St. Martin looked and so, after the birth of St. Martin’s sister his father abandoned them.

This caused them to grow up in extreme poverty and, it is said, when his mother could no longer afford to support them, St. Martin was placed in a primary school where he learned how to become a barber and how to practice the medical arts of drawing blood, surgery and caring and tending wounds, a skill that he would use throughout most of his life. While, as one commentator notes, such a life could have caused Martin to have grown to be a bitter man, he did not, in fact, it was said, that even as a child he gave his heart and his goods to the poor and the despised.

Therefore, at fifteen years old, he desired to become a Dominican lay brother, because he did not feel himself worthy to become a full religious. However, he was already spending countless hours in prayer before this, sp it was a logical choice for him and it gave him an opportunity to apply all of his skills as barber, farm laborer and infirmarian.

His holiness, his penitential nature and his deep prayer, led many of the Order to request him to make full religious vows, which is what he finally did, becoming a Dominican brother.

He always cared for the sick, the poor, the hungry, pretty much anyone in any need and, of course, regardless of color, race or status. All of this arose from his deep and strong prayer life, in fact, there is a beautiful story that while he was before the Blessed Sacrament, the stair to the altar caught fire, however, it is said that he was so deeply in prayer that, despite the confusion and chaos, he remained where he was unaware of what was happening.

Given such great devotion, it was not long before many miracles and divine gifts became associated with him, from bilocation to intense ecstasies, to flying, to even being able to communicate with the animals. Yet, it was his charity that he was known for, and, in fact, given his great divine gifts, it is said that when an epidemic struck a convent, and the convent was locked down, doors and windows sealed, he would be found caring for the sick, able to pass through those very doors, as many witnesses testified to. And, it is said, that when his priory was in debt, he said, “Sell me, I am the property of the Order, sell me.”

On November 3, 1639, in Lima, Peru, at the age of 66, he entered his eternal reward. Ultimately, when word of his miracles started to spread his body was exhumed after 25 years and, it is said, that he was found fully intact and that the casket had a beautiful fragrance. On May 6, 1962, therefore, he was canonized a saint.

His was a life of simplicity and prayer, what he did was merely a reflection of this deep prayer life. He teaches us the true essence of Christian charity, and the reality of embracing our cross, that nothing should impede our road to holiness nor prevent us from realizing that our cross does not crush us but, ultimately, makes us stronger. Therefore, let us learn from this holy humble man how to imitate his same virtues and ask him to always intercede on our behalf.

St. Martin De Porres, pray for us.

St. Andrew Kim and His Companions, Cycle C

2010-09-19T21:44:00.000-07:00

The early Church Father, Tertullian used to say: “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”

And, a martyr, if you recall, is a Greek word, simply, meaning: “witness.” So that a martyr for the Church is a witness to the faith that we profess, and one who shows the extent and the sacrifice that is made for that faith.

Today’s feast celebrates this in all its triumph, glory and graphic detail. A fairly recent feast, inserted in the calendar by the late John Paul II, it is the feast of the Korean martyrs, specifically, St. Andrew Kim Taegon, a priest Paul Chong Hasang, and 103 others who were subject to the worst possible means of death, but, by their witness and by their strength, brought the Christian faith to Korea.

St. Andrew, the first native Korean priest, traveled thirteen hundred miles to the seminary in Macao, China. After six years he managed to return to his country through Manchuria. That same year he crossed the Yellow Sea to Shanghai and was ordained a priest. Back home again, he was assigned to arrange for more missionaries to enter by a water route that would elude the border patrol. He was arrested, tortured and finally beheaded at the Han River near Seoul, the capital. Paul Chong Hasang was a lay apostle and a seminarian, aged forty-five, who suffered a similar fate.

And what they endured for their faith gave great testament and inspired countless others to be witnesses, not fearing to be Christians and, indeed, martyrs for that same faith. In fact, there was a 26 year-old unmarried woman by the name of Columba Kim who was pierced with hot tools and seared with burning coals, and eventually beheaded and a 13-year-old boy Peter Ryou, who was burned (so bad who could throw pieces of flesh at the judge) and was eventually strangled.

For, in the words of the late John Paul II, from his canonization homily: [these were] “men and women, clergy and laity, rich and poor, ordinary people and nobles, many of them descendants of earlier unsung martyrs – [who] all gladly died for the sake of Christ.” The unsung heroes, the men and women who were the very seed upon which the Church in Korea grew, for they truly understood what it meant to a visible light to all, a beacon of hope, those who proudly placed their lamp of their Christianity in the darkest of places and fearlessly and gladly gave their lives before they would betray their God, the one whom they loved above all things.

For, they show us, in a very real sense what it means to be a Christian, what it means to truly imitate the life of Christ, by laying down our very lives for the sake of our faith, by fearlessly facing persecution come what may. And though some of us will never have to worry about that, it reminds us and should confirm our own faith, and should inspire us to have that same attitude, that same fearlessness and that same zeal to live out our faith, to profess our belief, and to persevere and be constantly steadfast in it as best and as strongly as we can.

St. Andrew Kim, and all 103 Korean martyrs, pray for us and increase our faith.

Tuesday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle C (Jesus' Name and Power)

2010-08-30T19:39:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, it seems, there is a tendency to forget how powerful Jesus truly was and is. In our Gospel today, the people are astounded at His teaching, because behind it there was an authority that either they were not used to or had never heard or felt in their lives up to that point.

In fact, when a demon approaches Him, He does not back down, He does not cower in fear, He comes face to face with evil incarnate and says only 6 words, “Be quiet! Come out of him!” and the demon recognizing that it had no power over Christ’s power had no other choice than to relent. Think about that, the demon itself was subject to the power of Christ, the demon itself was no match against the Word incarnate, because that same authority that spoke and astonished is the same authority that can speak and cast out.

It is no wonder then that He amazed all those who saw Him, it is no wonder then that they, too, questioned the power of His Word, because they realized that this is no ordinary man, that no ordinary man can speak with such authority, that no ordinary man can cause the demons themselves to shudder and bow before them.

Yet, elsewhere in the Scriptures, in Philippians, it is said, at Jesus’ name those in heaven, on earth and under the earth shall fall to their knees, because this same Word that spoke with such authority is the Incarnate Word of God so that all we need to do is speak His name, just His name and the same power is invoked, the same authority is spoken, not because we have it of our own, but because it belongs to the one whom we name.

Demons shudder, people are in awe, and the world itself is subject, not because they want to be, but because they have to be, for before them that name is too powerful, before them that name has all the authority of the entire universe. That is truly how powerful Jesus is and whom we encounter each day in the Scriptures, the Eucharist, and all the sacraments, for none of those things, as strange as it sounds, have power in of themselves, but in He who has made all things.

For, Jesus is more that mere man, He is man and God and so He has the full authority of both, which is why not just the universe that we see but even that which is unseen is under His authority and never far from His reach.

And, it is He whom we receive each day at this altar, He from whence our strength comes, the one who brings us each day a new blessing and whom we imitate and strive to become. That is why His Word is so powerful, that is why a simple name is so almighty, that is why we bow at the name, because Jesus is no ordinary name, Jesus is power, Jesus is authority, Jesus is humility and Jesus is grace, and we have the great gift, the great privilege to speak that name often, to let it fall from our lips as a sign of love, protection, defense and strength. Jesus, on our lips and in our hearts so that when we say it, it is not just another word we speak, but the Word, the name, that not only amazes us but changes us forever.

St. Clare of Assisi, Cycle C

2010-08-11T06:05:00.000-07:00

Saint Clare of Assisi, the saint whom we celebrate today had a very unique and interesting life. Born as the daughter of a Count and Countess, living a very affluent life, she was never fully content. However, when she heard St. Francis preaching in the streets, she was so moved, she confided in him her great desire to live for God and was willing to take any chances to do so.

When she was only 18 she snuck out of the house, met a group of Franciscans on the road, and in a little chapel took the habit and made her profession. As one commentator beautifully explains it, in a poor little chapel….[she]received a rough woolen habit, exchanged her jeweled belt for a common rope with knots in it, and sacrificed the long tresses to Francis’ scissors.” He then placed her in a Benedictine convent, which her father and uncle immediately stormed in rage. She clung to the altar of the church, threw aside her veil to show her cropped hair and remained adamant. Sixteen days later her sister joined her, who would later be known as St. Agnes.

The nuns lived a very strict form of gospel poverty; they walked around barefoot, slept on the floor, ate no meat, and observed a strict silence. At 21, when St. Francis made her abbess she encouraged the sisters to moderate their disciplines, but not too much, for even when the pope asked her to be a little less extreme, she said: “I need to be absolved from my sins, but I do not wish to be absolved from the obligation of following Jesus Christ.”

Despite, herself, being sick for almost 27, she served the sick, waited on tables, washed the feet of the begging nuns, and, it is said, when she came from prayer, her face would shine so brilliantly that it dazzled those about her.

In fact, she had such great devotion to the Eucharist, that, even though she was very sick and suffering tremendously, when she heard that an army of soldiers where going to attack Assisi, and the convents first, she had the Blessed Sacrament exposed at the gate, and kneeling before it, she prayed: “Does it please you, O God, to deliver into the hands of these beasts the defenseless children I have nourished with your love? I beseech you, dear Lord, protect these whom I am now unable to protect.” She then turned to her sisters and told them: “Don’t be afraid. Trust in Jesus.” The soldiers fled in fear from what has only been explained as a “sudden fright.”

She lived out the rest of her life in the convent, looking to St. Francis as a great friend and inspiration and always obedient to his rule and to the great ideal of a gospel life. On August 11, 1253, she entered her eternal reward.

Hers was a life of simple faith and love and nothing deterred her from living the life she believed God intended for her. This founder of the Poor Clares, stands as a great example of what it means to have such confidence and faith in the power of the Blessed Sacrament, drawn, as we ourselves are, to this same wellspring of power, knowing that with the Eucharist there is nothing to fear and we will always have that great strength of Christ within us.

St. Clare of Assisi, pray for us.

St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), Cycle C

2010-08-09T06:32:00.000-07:00

Today, we celebrate the memorial of a more a recent saint, added in 1998, after her canonization by the late Pope John Paul II.

St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, otherwise known as Edith Stein was born in 1891, to a prominent Jewish family, in the time of the outbreak of WWI, on Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of Atonement, and the youngest of eleven children.

When she was barely two years old, her father died, leaving her mother in charge of the seven remaining children, since four of them had died in childhood. By her teenage years, Edith had abandoned her Jewish faith, and, identified herself as an atheist.

However, Edith was a very intelligent woman and was drawn and fascinated by philosophy, especially a type of philosophy known as phenomenology, which, simply put, studied the connection between the between the visible world and the world of ideas and values. She studied under its founder and a man known as the father of philosophy, by the name of Edmund Husserl. It was this study, however, that opened her mind to the possibility of something more, and her atheism started to weaken, especially as her friends her were converting to Catholicism.

In 1921, as chance, luck, or more properly put, Providence would have it, she picked up the autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila one night at a friend’s house and could not put it down. She read it in one sitting and, when done, said to herself: “this is the truth.”

The following January, in 1922, she was baptized and desired to join the Carmelite order to follow in the footsteps of her favorite saint, however, she was advised to wait, since her conversion had been so hard on her mother. She then went to teach at a Dominican school and then began lecturing widely in Europe, to women’s groups, on the education and role of Catholic women. As one commentator notes: “By the time Hitler rose to power in early 1933, Stein was well-known in the German academic community. “

While on a trip during Holy Week, in that same year, she stopped by a Carmelite convent and heard a homily that moved her so much she started to understand her purpose.

She said: “I told our Lord that I knew it was His cross that was now being placed upon the Jewish people; that most of them did not understand this, but that those who did would have to take it up willingly in the name of all. I would do that. At the end of the service, I was certain that I had been heard. But what this carrying of the cross was to consist in, that I did not yet know.”

On October 15, just after her 42nd birthday, Edith Stein entered the Carmel of Cologne, taking the name Teresa Benedicta of the Cross.

She did not last long in the convent, however, because the Dutch bishops spoke out against the Nazis and the Third Reich retaliated by rounding up all Jewish converts to Catholicism in Holland. So, in a crowded cattle car, for four days Edith and her newly converted sister, Rosa, were transported to Poland.

In Auschwitz on August 9, 1942, she and her sister died in the gas chambers.

In Carmel, before she was taken, she wrote her last book, The Science of the Cross, and if anyone had lived the cross, it was certainly her. In fact, she said: “One can only learn the science of the Cross by feeling the Cross in one’s own person.”

She teaches us and shows us what it means, what it entails to embrace our cross, that though difficult and challenging, the reward that awaits us pales in comparison to the cross itself. Her life gives testament to this and she shows that the path to The Truth she constantly sought is found at the foot of our Savior, where we, too, can learn the greatest insights God could teach us. Therefore, let us not fear the cross, but keep it close, knowing, as difficult as it may be, it brings us the fulfillment we seek.

St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, pray for us.

The Feast of the Transfiguration, Cycle C

2010-08-06T05:41:00.001-07:00

Jesus takes Sts. Peter, James and John to the highest mountain, and before their eyes is Transfigured, which literally translated means having undergone a metamorphosis, a change so complete and so pronounced that, as it says: “His very face changed in appearance and His clothes became dazzling white;” a clear vision of the coming Resurrection, and some say of the glory of Heaven itself.

In fact, St. Thomas Aquinas said, that before their very eyes the Trinity itself was revealed in its fullness, the voice of the Father, the Son standing before them and the cloud of the Holy Spirit.

It is no wonder then that St. Peter wanted to build a tent, to preserve, forever, this beautiful and powerful vision of Heaven, in fact, who wouldn’t be so eager?

But, there is something more as well, for we cannot see, know, nor appreciate heaven, unless we are men and women of prayer, unless we live with the reality that we are truly temples of the Holy Spirit and realize that the very essence our souls are composed by our prayers.

That, by each prayer we pray, we become a different person, that, by each prayer we pray, we, too, are changed and transformed, so that like Sts. Peter, James and John we become fully awake, fully aware that our spiritual existence relies and is completely dependent upon our prayer. In fact, the saints could have had the driest, most painful prayer, could have been physically weak and unable to concentrate, yet, they would persevere, not because they desired such suffering, but because they knew their prayer was the only thing that would spiritually and even, sometimes, physically sustain them when nothing else could.

The Transfiguration reminds us that we are not just a body and we are not just a soul, but we are both, and both equally need to be fed, both equally need nourishment and sustenance each and every day, for just as we would not starve ourselves or let ourselves go thirsty, so, too, should we never do the same with our souls.

Because each time we feed our souls with prayer we become more and more like Christ, and though our outward appearance may not change, though we may not have to veil our face like Moses did after praying, each time we are transformed more and more.

And, that is only the potential that exists with our prayer, just imagine then, what happens when we receive Christ in communion, when that tiny host, the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity literally become a part of us, so that His Body is one with ours, so that His blood flows in our same veins.

Therefore, let us always be aware of that when we fall on our knees in prayer, and, most especially, when we approach this altar in a few minutes to receive eternal life, when we, ourselves, will literally become Transfigured, become changed in Him.

St. John Vianney, Cycle C

2010-08-04T05:57:00.000-07:00

Today, we celebrate the feast of a great saint, patron of diocesan priests and one who though not that academically inclined had great spiritual insight.

St. John Vianney, also known as the “Cure of Ars” was born on May 8, 1786 in a little French town known as Dardilly, and baptized the same day. He grew up around his family’s farm, spending the majority of his time working there. In 1790 the French Revolution occurred making every Catholic practice illegal. His family, however, were devout Catholics, and so they would travel to distant farms where Mass would be said in private. It was this great risk that the priests were willing to take that led St. John to look upon priests as heroes.

Eventually, the war ended and Catholicism was no longer illegal. As a result, St. John sought to be ordained a priest, however, his education was largely due to his sister, who taught him how to read and write, and therefore, when he went for formal training, he found it difficult, yet, as one commentator notes, after a “long battle with the books,” he was eventually ordained.

He noticed, however, that the French Revolution left a serious void in belief, especially, in terms of Catholicism, and so in his assignment in another small town in France, known as Ars, he preached with passion and conviction, determined, as he was, to root out sin and to re-establish Sunday as a holy day. As a result, he drew many people back to confession. In fact, it is said, he would hear up to 16 hours of confessions every single day and the bishop even excused him from other events, so that he could care for the many souls who would come to him.

Such holiness, of course, does not come without cost, and so it is said that he barely slept, maybe three hours a night, was given to severe fasts, was constantly seen praying, and, as many note, was frequently attacked by demons and some say, the Devil himself. For, as Jesus says, certain demons can only be cast out by prayer and fasting.

But it did pay off, because, in the end, many were converted, drawn back to God, and this holy little priest converted many in Ars and beyond. That is why after his death on August 4, 1859, people were quick to attribute miracles to his cause, ranging from healings to supernatural knowledge and in 1925 Pope Pius XI canonized him a saint as well as naming him the patron of diocesan priests.

He is the ideal priest and he stands as one of the greatest priests in history and a quite powerful saint. And, he leaves us not just his legacy, but his instruction, which is quite simple, for, as he taught those who were being catechized: “The Christian’s treasure is not on earth but in heaven. Our thoughts then, he says, ought to be directed to where our treasure is.” So that our duty is simply to pray and love…if you pray and love, he says, that is where our happiness lies.

For, while prayer is powerful, prayer fueled by love is unconquerable, which is why our prayers should not just be for ourselves, but especially, given our feast, and, in this day and age, for our bishops, priests and seminarians. For, as we are painfully aware, they too need prayers, more so, even given the world of today. It is a joint effort, which is why your prayers are, indeed, so important.

Therefore, take some time to think about those bishops, priests and seminarians you wish to pray for, and do just that, because, who knows, maybe one day we will hear of a priest just like St. John Vianney or maybe many, and we will see true holiness exude from the Church once again.

St. John Vianney, Cure of Ars and patron of priests, pray for us.

St. Peter Julian Eymard, Cycle C

2010-08-02T06:03:00.000-07:00

We have before us one of the greatest miracles to have ever been done, there is not enough money to feed the 5,000, there is not enough bread or fish to give them even a fragment, and yet, Jesus took what He had, five loaves and two fish, gave the blessing, which elsewhere says, He gave thanks, which translated from the Greek is “Eucharist,” distributed them, and there was not just enough, there was too much, so much so, twelve wicker baskets were filled with fragments.

It is the perfect foreshadowing of what He will do at the Last Supper, what He will leave us in the sacrament of the Most Holy Eucharist, a food that will not just be enough but will be more than enough, to sustain us and to give us strength for the journey.

Fitting too, because today we celebrate the life and work of a little known saint who did so much to encourage and to instill in people the importance of devotion and adoration of the Most Holy Eucharist.

St. Peter Julian Eymard, born in 1811, to a poor family in France, faced an environment that was anti-clerical and anti-Catholic, and, yet, in spite of obstacles and sickness was ordained a priest on July 20, 1834. In 1856, he founded a society called the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, whose number is 900 even today, and whose focus was on adoration and worship of the Blessed Sacrament and to prepare many children for First Communion and for outreach to non-practicing Catholics. On August 1, 1868 he entered his eternal reward and in 1962 was declared a saint by Pope John XXIII, becoming forever known as the Apostle of the Eucharist.

St. Peter Julian realized an important truth that we should all have before us always, that within the Eucharist, Jesus is truly hidden, and it is only when our eyes are opened, with the eyes of faith that we too can see what does not seem to be there, when the veil is stripped away and we see Jesus. That is why adoration is so much more than kneeling and praying, it is, literally, seeing Jesus face to face.

It is, of course, however, St. Peter Julian, who says it well, and which I leave you with today. He says:

“How kind is our Sacramental Jesus! He welcomes you at any hour of the day or night. His love never knows rest. He is always most gentle towards you. When you visit Him, He forgets your sins and speaks only of His joy, His tenderness and His love. By the reception He gives to you, one would think He has need of you to make Him happy.

Go to your adoration as one would go to Heaven, to the Divine Banquet. Tell yourself, "In four hours, in two hours, in one hour, Our Lord will give me an audience of Grace and Love. He has invited me, He is waiting for me, He is longing for me".

St. Peter Julian Eymard, pray for us.

Tuesday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle C (Weeds and Field explained)

2010-07-27T19:28:00.000-07:00

It seems almost redundant or even arrogant to explain an explanation, especially when it comes from Jesus Himself. However, it is in this explanation that we come to understand an important reality, that unseen, and all around us, a spiritual world exists, and though what He explains is unseen with our eyes, with the eyes of faith, we can come to see the daily spiritual war that we wage.

For, the field is the world, and we, a tiny seed, a seed, however, that has the potential to grow into a mighty tree or to become nothing more than a hindering weed, in other words, to become a child of the Kingdom or a child of the Evil One. For each moment of each day, we make choices, for or against God, towards or against His Will and those choices shape who we become and what type of seed we have been harvested as.

Perhaps, that sounds a little extreme, but it points us to the reality of what it is we face as Christians, what is it we daily encounter in our lives, for not everything that happens is something we can tangibly know, which is why it is so difficult to truly explain the spiritual world, and why it was that Jesus used so many parables, because common examples of a world unseen help us to understand it and see it from a different perspective, it helps us to hear, perceive and receive so that our hearts are changed, and so that we experience the reality of God’s Will and its fulfillment in our lives.

All too often, it is easy to get caught up in our daily routines, in what the world places before us, and what easily distracts us from seeing what we need to see, the one that Jesus points to, the one that is unfolded before us the more we pray, the spiritual world, His kingdom here on earth.

For, ultimately, our goal is to be one of those at the end who shine like the sun, but in order for that to happen, we need to strive and work to become children of God, to become good seeds, as it were, so that, in the end, we can truly enter that beautiful Kingdom of our heavenly Father.

St. Henry, Cycle C

2010-07-12T21:39:00.000-07:00

Some of you have told me that one of the things that you are going to miss about my homilies, are all the lives of the saints that I have shared with all of you, especially, the saints that no one has ever heard of. To that effect, then, we celebrate today, the memorial of St. Henry.

St. Henry was born in 972, to the Duke of Bavaria and the daughter the king of Burgundy. As a result, St. Wolfgang, the bishop of Ratisbon, gave him a great education. In 995, St. Henry, himself, was named Duke of Bavaria, after his father had stepped down, and in 1002, after the death of his cousin, he was elected the Holy Roman emperor.

In spite of this great honor and the power he now wielded, he never once took for granted his faith and, as thus, he would spend each day in meditation and prayer. In fact, one commentator notes: “Firmly anchored upon the great eternal truths, which the practice of meditation kept alive in his heart, he was not elated by this dignity and sought in all things, the greater glory of God.” Yet, that is how he was able to enact such great reforms in the Church itself, especially in ecclesiastical discipline and monastic life. He was even known to have appointed bishops that were loyal to him.

It is also said that certain circumstances, several times, would lead him to war, yet, each time, somehow, someway, he always attained victory, and, as one commentator says: “The humility and spirit of justice of the Saint were equal to his zeal for religion.” In fact, more than once, he wanted to enter a monastery, but was always persuaded away from it as a result of an abbot to whom he would go to for advice, not to mention the fact that he was the Holy Roman emperor and was married.

Yet, his marriage was also unique in that he, and his wife, St. Cunegundes, lived in perpetual chastity, to which they had bound themselves by a vow.

Throughout his life, he had been known to give to many different organizations and, before his death in 1024, in the castle of Grone, he had built the Cathedral of Bamberg.

It is said, that when St. Henry was a teenager, and already named a Duke, his patron saint appeared to him and repeatedly told him: “after six.” He believed that it meant he would die after six years, which is why he lived such a holy and pious life. Yet, instead of dying, he was crowned emperor, and, instead of living a different life, he continued his life of holiness, reigning as a great emperor and a holy saint.

His was no simple life, nor was it a typical life, yet, he shows that even in the midst of such great responsibilities, holiness is still possible, sanctifying each moment as feasible as anyone else. Yet, as one commentator notes: “He may have been too quick to do battle and too ready to use power to accomplish reforms. But, granted such limitations, he shows that holiness is possible in a busy secular life. It is in doing our job that we become saints.”

For, his example shows that it doesn’t matter who we are or what we have been called to do, rather, he shows that above and beyond all else, the most important thing in our lives is holiness.

He was not overly concerned with the daily stresses of everyday life, and his even more so, rather, he always had his priorities straight and that was what led him to holiness, that was how he was sanctified and became a saint.

Therefore, let us ask him to intercede for us on our behalf that we, too, may learn how to sanctify each moment of each day, no matter the stress weighing on us, no matter the responsibilities placed before us.

St. Henry, patron of the childless, of Dukes, of the handicapped and those rejected by a Religious Order, pray for us.

Thursday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle C (Kingdom of Heaven)

2010-07-08T05:51:00.000-07:00

To bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth, it is necessary for us to have already built the kingdom within us. For, these instructions imply that we already have a strong, durable and lasting relationship with God, because it is impossible to bring something we do not have. The miracles are an affirmation of what we bring, that we are men and women overflowing with love of God and a strong faith.

That is why, just as we do before any journey, we have to prepare, that is why we come to Mass each day, because each day is a new moment, each day is a new journey in which we desire to grow closer to God and to bring His message, His love, His kingdom far and wide.

Because, we are sent to undo what God Himself laments in our first reading, to soothe the hurt that He experiences from those who leave His side, worshipping idols, placing those before Him, because, as God says: “they did not know that I was their healer.”

They do not recognize that God, indeed, is the one in charge, which overwhelms Him, not because He is a selfish God, but because He desires all to love Him, in fact, He beautifully explains it as taking us up in His arms, drawn with human cords and with bands of love, as though He sustains us, in a sense, with the cords of His very heart, to show in a beautiful way the intimacy and the unyielding love He has for each and every one of us.

Our responsibility then is to bring this to others, to show that it is love itself, His love that sustains us, not food, not money, nothing, only our burning and great desire to bring that same love to all we meet, because when they accept it, there is peace, there is a supernatural silence that permeates the person and the place, which is what we feel each time we enter this church.

However, it has to be received and it has to be accepted, otherwise, that same peace will return to us, it will not find a home, the Holy Spirit will not find a Temple in which to dwell and they will have rejected one the greatest gifts of their entire lives. That is why the instruction is to shake the dust from their feet, because it is derogatory saying, meaning that the place entered was impure, since that is what the disciples would do upon returning from pagan and Gentile territory before reentering the Holy Land.

This is why the message is so important and why we truly do not bring ourselves, but, rather the essence of God’s love, for, ultimately, we are the instrument, we are the conduit through which He works and it is our example, our zeal and our own desire that should stand as evidence and as proof that what we bring we bring from God Himself.

Therefore, let us always be mindful of what we leave here with and why we leave here with it, because while, indeed, it is for us, it is not just for us, but for the entire world, so that each day more and more we bring God’s very kingdom, the kingdom of heaven to earth.

St. Maria Goretti, Cycle C

2010-07-06T14:56:00.000-07:00

Today, we celebrate the memorial of St. Maria Goretti, the patron of youth, of young women and of purity.

Born in Italy, on October 16, 1890, she was the daughter of a poor Italian tenant farmer. As a result, she could not go to school and so she barely knew how to read or write. In fact, as one commentator notes: “When she made her First Communion…she was one of the larger and somewhat backward members of the class.”

However, it was in the hot summer of July in 1902, when Maria, not yet, 12 years old, was on the top of the stairs at her house, mending a shirt, when a horse and buggy stopped in front of her house. It was her neighbor Alessandro, who was 18, at the time; he ran up the stairs and forced her into the bedroom. She struggled and called for help, and then told him she would rather die than to submit, so Alessandro stabbed her repeatedly with a long dagger.

She was taken to the hospital, and her only concerns were for her mother, for her attacker and her desire to receive Holy Communion one last time. She died only 24 hours later, but, it is said, lying in the hospital bed, she forgave Alessandro for what he had done.

Alessandro, on the other hand, was sentenced to thirty years in prison and remained unrepentant, until, one night, when he had a dream. It is said, that in this dream, he saw St. Maria in a garden and there she was giving him flowers. When he awoke, he was a changed man, he repented of what he had done and sought to live a better life.

After 27 years, he was released from prison and the first thing he did was go to St. Maria’s mother and beg her for forgiveness. She said: “"If my daughter can forgive him, who am I to withhold forgiveness."

In 1947, Maria was beatified by Pope Pius XII, her 82 year old mother, two sisters and brother where there with him on the balcony of St. Peter’s.

3 Years later, in 1950, Maria Goretti, was named St. Maria Goretti, and at her canonization, it is said, Alessandro, who was 66 at the time, was there, he knelt down, among a quarter million people, and cried tears of joy.

St. Maria’s life was a short life here on earth, but the impact she has made lives on forever. She shows us and teaches us what martyrdom really is, a witness, because her witness of forgiveness and her witness of sanctity overshadows the travesty of her death and the brutality of what people are capable of.

Hers is story that is both tragic and inspirational and shows us that even in the worst God can bring out the best, therefore, let us look to her example, let us ask her intercession this day, that we, too, can have such zeal, such love of God that, as the prayer to her says: “Obtain for us from our Lord victory in temptation, comfort in the sorrows of life, and the grace which we earnestly beg of thee…that we may we one day enjoy with thee the imperishable glory of Heaven.”

St. Maria Goretti, pray for us.

Blessed Juniper Serra, Cycle C

2010-07-01T06:16:00.000-07:00

Miguel Jose Serra, later to become Bl. Junipero Serra, was born on the island of Majorca on November 24, 1713, and took the name Junipero, St. Francis' beloved original companion friar, when in 1730, he entered the Franciscan Order.

Ordained in 1737, he taught philosophy and theology at the University of Padua until 1749, when even though he had already made a name for himself with his powerful preaching and teaching, he gave it all up, and at the age of 36, hearing about the missionary work, of one of his brother Franciscans, St. Francis Solanus, his one and only was to convert the natives of the people of the New World.

So, he left Cadiz, Spain, literally, setting sail for Vera Cruz, Mexico. When he got there, he traveled by foot, 250 miles with a companion, to Mexico City in order to dedicate his mission vocation at the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. On his way, however, his leg became severely infected as a result of an insect bite, and, as one commentator put it: “it would remain a cross sometimes, life-threatening, for the rest of his life.”

His first assignment was in the Sierra Gorda in Mexico, where for 18 years he worked in central Mexico and in the Baja Peninsula. Yet, in 1767, the Franciscans were asked to take over the missions in Baja California, and so these very remote facilities became his responsibility, a task that allowed him to become the president of the missions there.

He was so successful, in fact, that he, in large part, is responsible for the foundation and spread of the Church on the West Coast of the United States when it was still only mission territory.

In 1769, Spain began settlement of Alta California, making their first destination, San Diego, with Bl. Junipero’s help. In fact, he began those missions by going up Presidio Hill and planting a cross there dedicating the first mission in Alta California. He would then establish nine more, with a total of twenty-one missions eventually being established from San Diego to Sonoma, a distance of 700 miles.

He is also credited with settling differences in Mexico City with the military commander, in order to protect the rights of the Native Americans, in fact, he drafted a Bill of Rights for them and, as a result, they were treated more justly and fairly.

Yet, as one commentator summarizes the entirety of his life: “Junipero’s missionary life was a long battle with cold and hunger, with unsympathetic military commanders and even with danger of death from non-Christian native peoples. Through it all his unquenchable zeal was fed by prayer each night, often from midnight till dawn. He baptized over 6,000 people and confirmed 5,000. His travels would have circled the globe. He brought the Native Americans not only the gift of faith but also a decent standard of living. He won their love, as witnessed especially by their grief at his death.”

On August 28, 1784, at the age of 70, worn out from his apostolic endeavors and demands, and after traveling 24,000 miles, he was called to his eternal rest. On September 25, 1988, Pope John Paul II beatified him and his statue represents the state of California.

His was a life of simple dedication, knowing very early that his true vocation was to be a missionary and teacher, his zeal is what kept him going, his desire to bring the message of Christ to the furthest corners of the world. His legacy is conversion of countless thousands, a legacy that bore fruit 50 years after his death and, in some senses still lives on in his zeal.

Therefore, let us pray to him today that we may have his same zeal, his same missionary spirit, so that we, too, can have the courage and strength to bring the message of Christ far and wide, in spite of anybody or anything that may impede that message.

Bl. Junipero Serra, Apostle of California, pray for us.

Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Cycle C

2010-06-29T06:15:00.000-07:00

Today is the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, a celebration of two very different men and yet one that has been intentionally put together in order to highlight the two vast ministries that exist in the Church.

St. Peter, the leader of the Apostles, the one eventually named as the bearer of the keys of the kingdom and, yet, the one most human and most fallible. In fact, as one commentator notes, he did not have a public relations person and, as a result, made many mistakes while also showing us the human side of ministry, the fact that if a man whom Jesus rebuked repeatedly and who eventually grew into his vocation could become Pope, there is hope for every single one of us.

St. Paul, on the other hand, was one of the greatest persecutors of the Church, and, as one commentator explains it: “He had been the most Pharisaic of Pharisees, the most legalistic of Mosaic lawyers. Now he suddenly appears to other Jews as a heretical welcomer of Gentiles, a traitor and apostate.” For, with his conversion came a new Paul, a man striving for sainthood and who stopped at nothing to make sure he achieved it. For, he lived what he famously would say: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives within me.”

Two vastly different men from vastly different walks of life, a fisherman and a former Pharisee who have become and stand as representatives of what the Church is and stands for. In fact, a couple of years ago someone once asked a very wise and learned priest why it was that we celebrate these two men as one feast, and he explained that they are the foundation and pillar upon which all ministry within the Church, for the last 2000 years has relied.

St. Peter was the more subdued, the more formal, in terms of office, yet, St. Paul, on the other hand, represents the more charismatic approach of the Church, constantly going, burning with zeal, and as he explained, the reason that sometimes St. Paul’s letters are so difficult to read was because, in his zeal, he tried to say so much, that he would often not pause until he got everything out.

These two men then represent the balance that exists in the Church, the administrator and the evangelizer, the formal and the charismatic, in short, the very essence and dynamic in which all ministry within the Church, in one way or another, exists. For, without each, the Church would not be able to sustain itself, because we need both in order to bring the message of Christ far and wide and to the highest dignitaries and to the poorest of the poor.

Yet, while that is true of ministry, the connecting line is that both St. Peter and St. Paul were men of prayer, showing where the fruit and foundation of ministry lies, not in our own efforts, but in God’s, not in our own hands, but in hands that are held in His. For, not only did they live the fruits of their prayer, they died as witnesses for the world, because both were also great martyrs, and, in fact, it is believed that St. Peter was crucified upside down, adding more pain to an already painful crucifixion.

These men stand as witnesses to our faith and examples of the breadth and depth in which we must spread our faith. For, each in their own way, they were great evangelizers and missionaries of our faith. Therefore, let us look to them as an example and as a model of how it is we, too, should live our faith, as witnesses and as missionaries of the word, spreading it far and wide, in season and out of season, so that, like Sts. Peter and Paul we, too, may become representatives of the ministry of the Church and the vocation all of us are called to, that of living our Catholic faith in its entirety.

Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles and great witnesses of our faith, pray for us.

St. Irenaeus, Cycle C

2010-06-28T06:12:00.000-07:00

Today, we celebrate the memorial of St. Irenaeus, a great teacher and defender of the faith and a father of the Church, and one, in fact, whom many credit as being formative in the foundations of our own Christian theology. Born, most likely in Asia Minor, around the year 125, he was a student of the great martyr St. Polycarp, who, himself was an Apostolic father, that is, a father of the Apostles, namely, that of St. John. So, needless to say, St. Irenaeus got a very well-rounded Christian education.

St. Irenaeus himself eventually became a priest of Lyons and, in time, was raised to the order of bishop, succeeding the previous bishop who had been martyred while he was in Rome. Irenaeus, like many Fathers of the Church, at the time, was also an apologist, that is, an adamant defender of the faith, in word, deed and action.

In fact, his most popular, well-known, and most translated writing is called “Against Heresies” where he combats in a very rational and logical way the beliefs of the Gnostics, that is, those who believed they were privy to a secret knowledge about Christ, to the detriment of others, becoming in itself a corruption of Christianity. Irenaeus was so driven in that of eliminating gnosticism, that not only did he end this widespread heresy but, it is believed, was martyred somewhere in the year 202, as a result.

Yet, even today, he stands as one of the many witnesses who was not afraid to share his faith. He was, as many have said, an evangelist in every sense of the word, by bringing the message of Christ through his powerful writings, and as one who put faith in the power and beauty of the Scriptures. In fact, he was the first person to ever declare that the four Gospels were divinely inspired and as thus worthy of the canon of the New Testament.

He was aware, though not always, of the humility in which one must stand before Christ, the humility in which sharing the faith requires, that, putting the obedience of the Will of God, before his own wants and desires, he was able and willing himself to follow and to be led, even if it may result in persecution or death. In short, he was an example of what our Gospel calls all of us to today.

St. Irenaeus continues to stand as a representative and great defender of the faith and it is example and his adamant desire to let the world know the truth of the faith that should inspire us to the same. For his words remain timeless and his instruction still relevant today. Perhaps, therefore, we might read what he has to say, and with the same fervor and zeal, burn to bring that message of Christ far and wide always and everywhere being evangelizers ourselves of the great evangelist, Jesus Christ.

St. Irenaeus, Father of the Church and defender of the faith, pray for us.

Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, Cycle C

2010-06-24T05:44:00.000-07:00

In the history of the Church, we typically do not celebrate the birth of the saints, except, of course, for Mary’s, Jesus’ Mother. Rather, we celebrate the birth of a saint into eternal life at their death, which is why it is such a rare thing for us to celebrate a birth today, and not just that, this is the greatest celebration the Church can bestow, that of the rank of Solemnity, complete with its own vigil Mass, Gloria and Creed. So that today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist.

Yet, as one Catholic author, by the name of Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio notes, since we celebrate the birthday of the Word, that is, in Jesus, we also celebrate the birthday of the Voice…the voice, that is, of one crying out in the wilderness.

Focusing, as we do, on a simple, holy and zealous man, some may even say, the first evangelist, born only six months before that of Christ. People were drawn to him, baptized by him, and followers of him, but he did not see it as a rise in fame, but, rather, always as an opportunity to point those same people to the one who is to come. In fact, he said himself: “What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.”

Yet, this vocation began much sooner than this, in fact, it began while he was still in the womb. For, while in the womb, he leaped for joy upon Mary’s visitation, pointing and filling his own mother, St. Elizabeth with grace and showing the importance of the one who dwelt in Mary’s womb. And, even when he was about to be born and they needed a name, rather than being named after his father, which was typical custom, he was set apart by being named John, which in Hebrew means “The Lord shows favor.”

In fact, that is why all were so amazed that not only his father had known this was to be his name but that they had chosen a name that was uncommon in his family.

And, it was this being set apart that prepared him for great things and made him one of the loudest, most profound and incredibly powerful voices the world has ever known, because if you think about it, his greatest legacy is, simply, as a voice, a herald, one who points away from himself and points directly to Christ. Almost, in a sense, as a male equivalent to what Mary, herself did, pointing always away from herself to the one who is to come and has come.

In fact, one of the most beautiful things St. John has said is simply this: “He must increase but I must decrease.” For that simple sentence summarizes the entirety of his life, and that simple sentence should be the summary of ours as well. For he teaches us and shows us that all of us are called to be heralds of the Gospel, evangelizers of the message of Christ and those who constantly point toward the kingdom of God.

Therefore, let us ask his intercession this day for his same zeal, his same fire and desire to bring others to Christ, pointing away from ourselves and squarely at Him. So that in the words of Isaiah, from our first reading today, we might truly become a light to the nations, bringing, in the end, his salvation and his hope to the ends of the earth.

St. John the Baptist, herald of Christ and evangelizer of souls, pray for us.

St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher, Cycle C

2010-06-22T06:18:00.001-07:00

In our Gospel today, Jesus reminds us of the importance of entering by the narrow gate, that is, spiritually and morally speaking, traveling the road that so few will travel because of the sacrifice it entails and the humility it demands. A gate that demands a shedding of this world in order to embrace the eternal world, a gate that leads us to sanctity and through which many saints have passed, whether by holiness of life or by those who have witnessed to that holiness of life by even losing their own life. In fact, our saint today is a perfect example of one who entered that narrow gate, when having the world, he abandoned it all, for the world to come.

St. Thomas More, born in London in 1478 was trained in religion and the classics and, as a result, entered Oxford to study law. Upon leaving the university, he became a lawyer, which, ultimately, led him to Parliament. In 1505, he married Jane Colt, who bore him four children, however, she died at a very early age. So, he married a widow, Alice Middleton, to be the mother of his children. In 1516, he wrote his famous and well-known book “Utopia” making him very popular with many scholars and bishops. In fact, he became so popular that Henry VIII made him Lord Chancellor in 1529. However, St. Thomas resigned three years later in 1532, at the height of his career and reputation because he would not support the king in his divorce from Catherine of Aragon in order to marry Anne Boleyn, nor would he acknowledge the king as head of the Church of England, which would infer a break with Rome and a denial of the Pope as head.

In 1534, two years later, he and his friend St. John Fisher, the other saint whose feast is today, refused to give allegiance to the king as Head of the Church of England. As a result, More was confined to the Tower of London, where he awaited his conviction. Fifteen months later, and nine days after St. John Fisher's execution, he was tried and convicted of treason.

When he was brought before the king, he refused to swear an oath to him, refusing to betray his own conscience, in fact, he said: “ stating unequivocally: “we may yet hereafter in heaven merrily all meet together to everlasting salvation.” And, as he was about to executed, he told the crowd: “I am dying as the King's good servant-but God's first.” He was then beheaded on that day of July 6, 1535.

St. Thomas More and St. John show us of what that gate consists: “How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life.” For, life, in this sense, is not what we think, for this eternal life, life that does not end, life not taken away when our physical life is over. For, they recognized what is of true value, even More stating: “They wonder much to hear that gold, which in itself is so useless a thing, should be everywhere so much esteemed, that even men for whom it was made, and by whom it has its value, should yet be thought of less value than it is.”

It is they that remind us, by their example and by their lives that the gate that leads to heaven is only narrow because it is less ventured, it is the way that is fraught with difficulties, but that is only so we can purified and enter the gates of heaven.

St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher, martyrs of the faith, pray for us.

Saturday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

2010-06-19T15:37:00.001-07:00

On June 17, 2010, two days ago, the state of Minnesota had a record of 36 tornadoes touch down, leaving in its wake three dead, trees uprooted, building demolished and houses destroyed. Yet, when most of those were interviewed, while some were clearly distraught, most, if not all of them were happy to be alive, and when couple was asked about all they owned and all they had, they simply said: “it’s all stuff,” the trees will grow back, we will rebuild.

They recognized what Jesus speaks of in our Gospel today, that the most valuable and prized possession in this world is not what we own, but what is freely given to us by God, that which is of greatest value and finds its fulfillment by absolute trust in Him, that of constant and undying faith.

That is also why the Church has suggested we celebrate the Mass in honor of The Blessed Virgin Mary as a Pillar of Faith, because, in this world, there was no other person who exemplified such faith, apart from Jesus Himself. And, she shows us and gives us the greatest example of living that faith and being a person of faith. She did not follow blindly, as some may think, but, rather, filled with the graces of God, and constantly accepting those from Him, she was able to have such great faith and trust and belief that nothing could sway her to the contrary.

For, no matter the storms in her life, no matter the difficulties or destruction she, too, witnessed, she did not waver in her belief, she did not lose her faith.
That is why she is known as a pillar of faith, a foundation upon which we too should turn to learn how it is we also are to have such faith, that she may teach us how to be steadfast, strong and always true to that faith.

Because, as that couple recognized, and as we should recognize as well, we are not here to build up a kingdom on earth, rather, we are here to build, with God’s help, the Kingdom of God. All the other stuff will pass before our hands, will come to an end, but, ultimately, in comparison to the riches in Heaven, to the riches of grace itself, indeed, it is all stuff.

Yet, when we trust, when we have that unwavering faith, we will not be concerned with what we eat, drink and wear, not because they are unnecessary, but because we will realize that even our simplest needs will and can be taken care of with trust in God. That is the way countless saints lived, that was how and why the Franciscans would beg, knowing, indeed, that tomorrow would always take care of itself and that today is a new opportunity to learn how to trust in God more.

Therefore, let us always follow Mary’s example, and simply say: “Be it done unto me according to your Word,” knowing that, by doing so, we recognize that our greatest treasure, the one that cannot be taken away, unless we allow it, is that of invaluable and constant trust in God alone.

Thursday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle C (Our Father Meditation)

2010-06-17T05:39:00.000-07:00

In our Gospel, Jesus teaches us a bold new prayer, because He teaches us to call the Father, the creator of the Heavens and the earth, the one who shaped, molded and formed the smallest atom to the largest galaxy, not the Father, but Our Father. A word that Jesus spoke in Aramaic, which means more than just “Father,” but “Abba,” an intimate term of endearment, a term which means “daddy.”

However, lest we forget the impact of whom it is we are speaking with, we are also to remind ourselves that our father is in Heaven, and from Heaven He watches us over us, Him whose name is hallowed, that is, whose name is holy, made so because of the one whom it speaks of and by us who speak it with reverence and in love.

And, as a child who loves His Father, we are to be obedient to our father’s will, praying that His kingdom, the very kingdom of God itself will come creating a new Heaven and a new earth, where God will be worshipped, and Him alone, so that He will be all in all.

For, truly that is His Will and that is why we ask that His Will be done, because, by doing so, it is an expression of obedience and submissiveness to let His desires be our desires, to help Him bring a little piece of His world to ours. Literally, making each day “our daily bread,” being sustained by His Word and the Word of His Son, who became Incarnate, so that we can have the strength that is needed, so that we can be true instruments of His Will.

And, by doing so, we learn what it means to truly forgive and to be forgiven, because we do so not of our power, but of God’s, we love our neighbor and our enemy, through, with, and in Him, knowing that if our trespasses against God can be forgiven than, indeed, we must forgive the trespass of others.

Yet, by living as God intends, by being obedient to the Father’s Will, we will be tested to be proven worthy, we will face a myriad of temptations and evil itself will rise against us. That is why we end this prayer to be delivered, for deliverance is liberation and we need to be liberated from all evils, which have their origins in temptation, which find their strength in wearing us down. And, while we cannot avoid temptation, by praying not to be led down that road, we have a better chance at success, because then it is God who is in control, it is He who will allow or remove, based on our strength, our conviction, our belief and our resolve to follow Him and Him alone.

Therefore, it is only fitting that we end such a prayer with that simple Hebrew word “Amen,” which simply means, “so be it.” In effect, saying even in spite of all we have prayed for, let it be as He has said, let His Will be done.

For, Jesus is teaching us the true importance of prayer, that it is not a simple collection of beautiful, sometimes poetic and even powerful words, but, rather, a deep expression of love. His warning against praying like the pagans is a warning against praying with no connection to the prayer, of rattling words with an effort to finish, rather than letting it be a connection, a conversation with God Himself.
That is why He makes it intimate and personal, because that is what prayer is meant to be, that is the way all prayer should be prayed and understood, even this most common and most popular prayer of the “Our Father.”

Tuesday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle C (Loving Our Enemies)

2010-06-15T05:36:00.000-07:00

In our Gospel today, Jesus places before us a great challenge, to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect, to seek what is seemingly impossible by loving not just those who love us back, but those who might very well hate us. For, Jesus is telling us to go beyond loving our neighbor and to love our enemy.

Yet, as is often the case, since it is the most challenging, as a priest once put it, though we are obliged to love all, we don’t have to like them. That is, though we are not too fond of the person we wish them no harm or that nothing bad befall them. And, while that is general understanding and consensus of how it is we are to love our enemy, it still seems to fall short, because our enemy, no matter how much they hate us, is still a human being, still one molded and shaped by the hand of God.

In fact, it is Jesus who gives us the greatest example of this, for, as He is laying upon the cross, from the deepest recesses of His heart, He did not say “Father, condemn them, let your wrath fall upon them,” or “strike them dead at this moment,” but rather, “Father, forgive them, they not know what they are doing.” Taking the very epitome of evil, the worst that humankind is capable of and asking for forgiveness, asking for sanctification, asking that the most evil action become transformed and blessed by the Father.

Showing us that, indeed, it is possible to love our enemy, when we love the person with God, showing us that the only way to love our enemy is first and foremost, and, perhaps, mostly, to pray for them because prayer is the greatest form of love we can offer. It puts us at the heart of bringing those whom we cannot find forgiveness for, those whom we may hate or who, in turn, may hate us, and turns it into good, by blessing it, by blessing us, by blessing them.

For no matter the evil that was done, no matter the hate that exists, prayer levels the playing field, as it were, placing both our enemy and ourselves before God, placing us in the very presence of Love. So that while we stand in His presence, it becomes merely impossible to not love even our very enemy.

That is what Jesus means when He says we are to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect, because perfect love can only exist within God Himself, and if we seek to bring ourselves before Him who is Love, standing side by side with our enemy, in the end, we will see it is not just our neighbor whom we are to love but even, and most especially, our enemy, the one whom we began by bringing in hate but, hopefully, ended, by embracing in love.

Monday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle C (Christian Defiance)

2010-06-14T06:38:00.000-07:00

It would seem, that in our Gospel today, as a Christian, we are to not just practice non-violence, but be so submissive and meek that we become almost nothing and nobody. And, while we are told that we must, as many saints called it, die to ourselves in order to learn true humility, this is not what is happening in our Gospel today. In fact, quite the opposite is happening, these are more acts of defiance than they are of submission, but they are non-violent acts that show where the true power and true strength of being a Christian lies.

For, when Jesus says we are to give the other cheek it means that we refuse to be overcome by the person who is striking us, because in order to be hit on the right cheek it would have to be done with the back of the right hand. In the biblical understanding this was a symbolic gesture given by a master to a slave or a Roman to a Jew. However, by giving the left cheek, this was symbolic of one being equal with the attacker and therefore, puts both the attacker and the one being hit in the same position of authority.

The same is true when Jesus says to give up our cloak, because, in biblical economics, the poor were usually those who could not afford to own land, especially since the wealthy made it difficult for them by raising the prices of interest on land, so that, of course, the wealthy themselves could avoid paying taxes. When this happened, therefore, the poor had to give up everything they owned except for their cloak and tunic, which they were allowed to wear for the night but had to be returned by morning.

Jesus is saying that though it is unlikely we can win the fight, by doing this we are giving the person everything we own, even the clothes upon our back, which results in, literally, standing naked before those who have taken everything. While, for us, it would result in being arrested, in Israel nakedness brought shame, shame, however, not on the one who was naked but on the one viewing the nakedness. In other words, the humiliation is on those who see us as well as those who have taken everything from us.

Even “going the extra mile” was also an act of defiance, because, typically, a Roman soldier was allowed to have a slave carry his pack for one mile only. If that slave carried it any further, he would be in violation of military law. Therefore, Jesus is placing the burden or the punishment on the soldier not the one “going that extra mile.”

We see then that being a Christian, while asking for humility and meekness is not the same as being taken advantage of, for these examples show how it is we are to practice acts of defiance. Not as blatant attacks or even raising a hand against another, but to leave the one who is attacking in an awkward position of having to decide to whether their actions are worth their own humiliation.

Jesus is encouraging us and challenging us to creatively and intelligently be a Christian but not to the loss of our own human dignity, not to the loss of who we are as people as who we are as Christians. For, even Jesus Himself, though not throwing a single punch, conquered the world, not by violence, but by death, not by negativity, but by hope. He shows us that to truly live our faith, though we must put aside ourselves, we are not to degrade ourselves, that though the Cross is necessary to follow Him it does not mean the Cross is our downfall.

Therefore, let us always keep these examples in mind, knowing that, by doing so, we will, indeed, live as Christ, with Christ and in Christ, obedient to the Father, submissive to His Will, even at the cost of our own humility, but never at the cost of our own humanity.

Thursday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

2010-06-10T09:50:00.000-07:00

Mercy given by God is not just mercy we receive, but it is mercy that must also be practiced, because, as our Gospel reminds, it is not just the physical manifestation of anger that separates us from God and neighbor, but, also, that internal loathing, that deep-seated anger that allows us to hold hate in our hearts and to be poisoned by it.

For, anger, just like any human emotion, is neutral, it is, however, when we hold on to it, are driven by it, and allow it to become a part of our being that it becomes sinful, because then we can utter that Hebrew word: “raqa” against our neighbor, which means “to beat or stamp out,” in other words, to inflict great harm or possibly death on another person, because, just like any sin, it begins in our thoughts, yet, when those thoughts reach their breaking point, as it were, they become action.

That is why before we approach the altar, we must be reconciled to one another, because, by doing so, we are also reconciled to God. For, in spite of who the person is that we hold hate for, they are still a creation of God, they are one who was touched by His hand, shaped by His love, and created in His image.

Because, Jesus is not asking us to do the impossible, but, in giving ourselves to Him, showing us it is possible, indeed, with Him, for anything, even the poison of anger, can be removed with His grace and His mercy. That is what it means to approach that confessional and being washed in His mercy, being reconciled, made whole and made clean.

It is not something we merely say, it is something that truly happens, because conversion of heart is not something any of us can do or have alone, it must only be with the constant help of God, it must be His grace not just working within us, but, truly, transforming who we are.

That is why there is so much at stake, that is why it is necessary to be reconciled before approaching the altar, because the judgment Jesus refers to is not human judgment, but divine and the prison is not just any prison, it is the prison of Purgatory or, if left unreconciled the possible fires of Gehenna, the fires of Hell.
Obviously then, this is something serious, as it should be, because if God can bestow mercy upon us, and we receive it and live it, then, we are bound to practice the same, we are to bestow mercy on others as well. This is one of Jesus’ hard teachings, difficult teachings, but not impossible teachings, because, as it says elsewhere, “all things are possible with God.”

Therefore, let us always be aware of what is in our hearts, who we hold before us and who may prevent us from being fully reconciled in the way God desires us to be. Knowing, in the end, it is always the most challenging teachings of Jesus that also bestow the most grace and have the greatest potential of leading us to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Tuesday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle C (salt and light)

2010-06-08T06:27:00.000-07:00

Today, Jesus reminds us that we are salt and light, those who bring taste and savor, as it were, to Christianity and those who shine as beacons in the darkness of life. Two seemingly different descriptions of how it is we are to live a holy life.

Yet, as Christians, we are called each day to bring season to the earth, to make the message of Christ not just known, as we do as lights, as beacons, but to make it palatable, by bringing a depth of understanding and insight into what it is we do and why we do it. Because, if our faith is something more than what we believe, but who we are, then we will understand not just how to live it, but how to make it attractive and appetizing, as it were.

In order to do that, however, we must first become a lamp, a torch in a darkened world. It should not be hidden concealed under a bushel basket, but placed upon a stand, allowing the darkness to vanish in the light. For, without it, we, ourselves will stumble and fall, trip over those things we cannot see, and feel around in the darkness in search of that which will illuminate us.

Because, if we are darkness, dwell in the darkness, then we can never become that light, we can never become, literally, a lamp stand of Christ. For, that is where it begins, with Him, because we only become that light by allowing Christ to dwell within us, to fill us with the brightness of His love, so that every part of our being is filled and radiates His light and this love.

We become visible Christians, proud to be that light, that example, that beacon that leads those to Him who is the Way, the Truth and the Life, Jesus Christ the Light of the world, a Son that shines brighter than our own. In seeing that, people are drawn to that light, because, indeed, it is not our own, and when they are drawn they see we have something to offer, something that brings life, salt, taste, as it were, to the very world itself.

Because, each moment becomes a moment of grace, of sanctification, of wonder and of amazement, so that our lives are renewed, made different, not darkened by sin, doubt, or despair but illuminated with hope and mercy and preserved by peace and grace.

We then, literally, become salt and light to the world, so that it spreads to others as well, and His message is savored by many so that a new torch is lit becoming themselves the very beacon of hope and the instrument of the Father’s Will and glory. For, that is why Jesus picks two seemingly contradictory descriptions to explain our purpose, because, as different as they seem, they suit our needs well. Therefore, let us live with this awareness and strive each day more and more to become that salt of earth and light of the world.

IMAGE FOUND HERE: http://zachkvet.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/salt-and-light-1.jpg

Monday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle C (Beatitudes)

2010-06-07T21:20:00.000-07:00

Each day, in our effort to grow in holiness, we come to see that in order for that to happen, we must put aside ourselves to allow ourselves to, literally, become a new creation in Christ. So, that each moment, each step we take towards holiness, we further allow ourselves to be transformed, so that, as St. Paul says elsewhere: “it is no longer I, who live, but Christ who lives within me.”

And, while there are many ways for this to happen, it is the Beatitudes that have become the individual steps that move us closer to this reality. For, as a spiritual writer once said: “When Jesus called His disciples to a mountainside to teach them…it was not to give them a “pep-talk” but rather, to indicate to them what the cost and depth of their commitment to Him as disciples really signified.” Becoming a summary, as it were, of how this transformation will occur, of how the Holy Spirit will work in our very souls to be make us more Christ-like.

In fact, St. Francis of Assisi found these steps to holiness so important to conversion, that, at the end of the day, when he would examine his conscience, he would do so in light of not just the commandments, but also the Beatitudes as well.

Because, though on the outset, they seem like simple blessings, they are a challenge to live each day poor to the world so that we might be rich in Heaven, to live with an awareness that our sin leads to sadness, that those who mourn are those who have lost those whom they love, and there is no greater loss than God Himself. That is why we are called to be meek, not weak or fearful, but meek, so that we learn humility, we learn that we are not in control and that we are constantly indebted and in need of God.

For, by doing so, we see as God sees, and so our desires change and we thirst and hunger for righteousness, that the good may be done in place of evil, that we become full, as it were, because we have been satisfied by God’s judgment. And this further makes us aware of our need for mercy, our desire for mercy and how important it is for us to practice it ourselves, knowing that by being forgiven we are obligated to bring that forgiveness to others as well.

When we do this, we cleanse our conscience and purify our hearts, so that our will is God’s Will, our love is only what He loves, which not only draws us closer to Him, but allows us entrance into Heaven, so that we can see Him face to face. That is why God desires peace, and that we become instruments of peace, because conflict and war only divide, but peace, lasting and true, can only come from God alone, we merely become the vessel through which it is done.

Of course, because our view will be God’s view, our desires, His desires and our loves His loves, we will be persecuted, hated insulted and falsely accused, but that also will be the indicator that we have reached the fullness of what the Beatitudes offer, transformation and true happiness, that cannot be found here on earth, but that will be awaiting all of those who struggled, like the prophets before us, in Heaven.

St. Boniface, Cycle C

2010-06-05T05:36:00.000-07:00

St. Boniface, the saint whom we celebrate today is one of those responsible for the Christmas tree we have in our houses during the Christmas season.

As legend has it, Once in Saxony, St. Boniface encountered a Germanic tribe worshiping Thor, a Norse Diety, in the form of a huge oak tree. He walked up to the tree, removed his shirt, took up an axe, and without a word he hacked down the six-foot wide wooden god. St. Boniface then stood on the trunk, and asked, “How stands your mighty god? My God is stronger than he.” The crowd’s reaction was mixed, but this was the type of person St. Boniface was and the type of things he would do that would lead many pagans to conversion.

Born in 680 in Devonshire England, he was educated by the Benedictines at his home and eventually, as a result, joined the Benedictines himself. He excelled in his learning and was eventually ordained to the priesthood when he was 30. He was then transferred to another monastery, where he taught, gaining so much recognition that his students would circulate his notes.

He is known as the patron saint of Germany because, at the recommendation of Pope Gregory II he spent the majority of his life trying to convert Germanic tribes from paganism, or if not paganism, the errors that infiltrated much of the Christians who inhabited that area. He was an adamant supporter of Christian orthodoxy and fidelity to the Pope and, yet in order to reach even more people and to carry that same authority as the Pope, he was consecrated bishop.

He faced great opposition, between the laity tampering with the Episcopal elections, to the worldliness of the clergy and overwhelming lack of control from the Pope. Yet, the greatest concern was the pagan influence on Christianity, so much so, that the Churches St. Boniface went to were in bad shape, fraught with superstition, heresy and priests who did not care for their flocks, due to their own lack of education. And, it seemed, when he left things were fine, when he returned, things went back the way they were.

As a result, and because he felt he was unable to get help from the suspect clergy, especially in a place known as Thuringia, he called to England for help. Nuns and monks, it is said, responded to his call enthusiastically for many years. In fact, we still have many of St. Boniface's letters, including correspondence with his helpers in England. He found reforming churches to be one of the greatest and most thankless jobs in his ministry, but it was his perseverance in Christ and his drive to convert so many that never deterred him.

At the age of 73, when, as one commentators note, most people are thinking of retirement, he went on a new mission awaiting those were to be Confirmed. However, he and his 53 companions were attacked, and while they wanted to fight, he told them to trust in God. And, so on June 5, 754, in what is now known as the Netherlands, he gave his life for his people, and his mission came to an end.

Yet, his is a visible sign and example of the consequences of loving God and our neighbor beyond ourselves, that when we take up the cross, hold it upon our backs, we have to be ready to accept what that means. He sought to convert the world, one place at a time, and he did, knowing that it would be difficult, knowing it may result as it would. But, in his inspiring words, which I leave you with today: "In her voyage across the ocean of this world, the Church is like a ship pounded by the waves of life’s different stresses. Our duty is not to abandon ship, but to keep her on course.”

St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, Cycle C

2010-06-03T06:31:00.000-07:00

In the years 1885 – 1887, in spite of the Church enjoying it’s freedom and ability to worship publicly, we were reminded what type of Church we really are, that as an early Church Father Tertullian reminds: “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church,” because during those years Africa faced some of the greatest persecution and violence creating in its stead new martyrs of the faith.

St. Charles Lwanga and his companions, 12 in all, were from Uganda, educated under those called “The White Fathers,” they were living under the rule of King Mwanga. King Mwanga was a violent ruler and pedophile who would force himself on his pages and attendants and so the Christians in his court would fight adamantly to protect these young men, who ranged in age from 13 to 30.

Joseph Mkasa (or Mukasa) was the leader of the small community of 200 Christians and the chief steward of Mwanga's court, a twenty-five-year-old Catholic. When Mwanga killed a Protestant missionary and his companions, Joseph Mkasa confronted Mwanga and condemned his action. It is said, that Mwanga had always liked Joseph but when Joseph dared to demand that Mwanga change his lifestyle, after striking Joseph with a spear, Mwanga ordered him killed. When the executioners tried to tie Joseph's hands, he told them, "A Christian who gives his life for God is not afraid to die." He forgave Mwanga with all his heart but made one final plea for his repentance before he was beheaded and then burned on November 15, 1885.

Charles Lwanga took over the instruction and leadership of the court and was left in charge of keeping the attendants and pages safe. Perhaps, it is said, Joseph's plea for repentance had had some affect on Mwanga because the persecution died down for six months. However, eventually the king realized that Charles was teaching the Christians and protecting them and, when the king could no longer handle their insubordination, they ordered their execution. Knowing they would die soon, Charles and a few of his companions requested and received Baptism.

The next morning the king brought his whole court before him and separated the Christians from the rest by saying, "Those who do not pray stand by me, those who do pray stand over there." He demanded of the fifteen boys and young men (all under 25) if they were Christians and intended to remain Christians. When they answered "Yes" with strength and courage the king condemned them to death.

They were then sent on a 37 mile trek to their place of execution, three were killed before reaching their place of execution, including a man by the name of Matthias who refused to eat, and when threatened he said: “God will rescue me. But you will not see how he does it, because he will take my soul and leave you only my body." Matthias was cut up on the road and left to die -- it took him at least three days.

When they finally reached the place of their execution, they were imprisoned for seven days, brought out, wrapped in reed mats, place on a pyre, and St. Charles and his companions were burned to death. While being consumed the flames their last words were: "You can burn our bodies, but you cannot harm our souls."

Theirs is a life fearlessly lived for their faith, theirs was a life of sacrifice and confidence in God alone. Let us look to them as an example, as an inspiration and as a model of virtue of the necessity of laying down our lives, not just physically, but spiritually, allowing ourselves to become martyrs in the sense of witnessing to our faith, bringing it with us and never forgetting it at the most important of times. Let us ask them to intercede on our behalf.

St. Charles Lwanga and companions, pray for us and teach us your strength.

St. Justin, Cycle C

2010-06-01T07:05:00.000-07:00

St. Justin, the saint, whom we celebrate today, was born in Palestine and spent his youth, as he recounts reading the greats poets, historians or orators of his day. Yet, it was philosophy that truly caught his attention, because, it was this, that he believed, would lead him to truth.

So, in this search, he spent time with all different philosophers, the Stoics, who valued truth to the absence of God, to the Pythagoreans, who had a great reputation, and who boasted of their wisdom, but required of him to learn music, astronomy, and geometry, all of which he saw as a delay to finding God. He then embraced Platonic philosophy, that is, the philosophy of Plato, thinking he may have found the doorway, as it were, to truth.

Yet, it was only when St. Justin would find himself in a quiet place where he would like to go, by the sea-side, that his pursuits would find fulfillment. It was a chance encounter with a man whom he had been surprised to see, since the place where he went was so remote. As it happened, the man was looking for his family and friends who had taken a journey and he was waiting for them.

However, as Providence would have it, they engaged in a great conversation, whereby the man refuted all of his beliefs in the philosophers as the ultimate source for truth, pointing St. Justin, rather, in another direction all together. Confused and intrigued, St. Justin then asked: “Who were the likeliest persons to set him in the right way?” The stranger answered, it is said, “that long before the existence of these reputed philosophers, there were certain blessed men, lovers of God, and divinely inspired, called prophets, on account of their foretelling things which have since come to pass; whose books, yet extant, contain many solid instructions about the first cause and end of all things, and many other particulars becoming a philosopher to know.” The man then left encouraging St. Justin to pray for the gates of light to be opened to him.

That chance encounter changed St. Justin forever, leaving a very deep impression upon him. So much so, in fact, that afterwards, he read the Scriptures and came to love them, converted to Christianity, and not only that, he became one of the first apologists, that is, defenders of the Christian faith.

Whereas many Christians feared persecution and wanted to preserve their faith from the attacks of the pagans, St. Justin had quite the opposite approach. In fact, it was the martyrs themselves that inspired him to Christianity in the first place, with their strength, their courage and their purity of actions, as he would call them, in living and professing the faith, he wanted nothing more than to imitate them. “When I heard the Christians traduced and reproached, he would say, yet saw them fearless and rushing on death, and on all things that are accounted most dreadful to human nature, I concluded with myself that it was impossible those men should wallow in vice, and be carried away with the love of lust and pleasure.”

This led him to have a great desire to explain the faith to everyone, uncovering the mysteries of baptism and of the Eucharist, and encouraging other Christians to do the same. As one commentator notes: “His[Justin’s] long education in philosophy and rhetoric gave him the skills he needed to match his opponents and the Holy Spirit gave him the rest.”

He was eventually arrested during the persecution under Marcus Aurelias and brought before the Roman prefect, Rusticus. Rusticus demanded that St. Justin and his companions submit to their kings, St. Justin replied: “To obey the commandments of our Saviour Jesus Christ is worthy neither of blame nor of condemnation.” He then professed his Christian faith, and when Rusticus asked him if he would go to heaven, he assured him he would.

St. Justin and his followers were then beheaded in the year 165.

His pursuit for truth led him to the absolute truth and it became his source of strength, the pinnacle of his zeal and the inspiration of his faith. He shows us what it means to be a fearless evangelizer of our own faith and the conviction that we must have in our beliefs, and the sacrifice that is necessary to do so. Therefore, let us then implore his intercession for us this day and ask him to help us with that same love and fearlessness of faith. For, his inspiration should be ours as well and his life should inspire our own.

St. Justin the Martyr, apologist and Father of the Church, pray for us.

Feast of the Visitation and Memorial Day, Cycle C

2010-05-31T07:17:00.000-07:00

Today, is unique, because we are called to remember and we are called to celebrate, for, on a civil level, we are invited to remember our soldiers, living, active and deceased, and, on a liturgical level, we are called to celebrate the Visitation of Mary, when, after learning of her own pregnancy, and upon learning about her cousin Elizabeth’s, she immediately went to go see her.

Yet, history has shown something also unique, that, even in spite of the fact that there is a clear separation between Church and state, there has always been a personal attachment to Mary, especially in times of war.

In fact, the Feast of the Holy Rosary was the result of a victory of war, attributed to the praying of the rosary, and, even today, there is an initiative that has been founded throughout the US, called the Ranger Rosary, which gives those in the armed forces a rosary designed to stand up to the rigors of battle and to the wear and tear that normal rosaries could not endure. It’s founder and creator, Sgt. 1st Class Frank Ristaino, a former Marine and a recruiter for the Maryland National Guard, explains it this way: “The beads are strung on what the military classifies as 550 cord: a tough, lightweight rope that connects soldiers to their parachutes.”

Perhaps, that may sound strange, to give a soldier in battle a rosary, but, just as physically they would not enter battle without the proper weapons, so, too, spiritually, they keep a rosary, their spiritual weapon, as St. Pio called it, by their side.

What’s more, is that this day reminds us to ask the same question St. Elizabeth asked Mary: “who am I that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?” And as Pat Evans, one who helps make the rosaries, puts it: “A lot of our soldiers in the Middle East say they almost feel forgotten, and it makes a huge difference when they get one of these rosaries…If a soldier is fearful, she says, and has this rosary on his presence, he can ask Our Lady to ask the Lord for protection.”

So, that, daily, with the rosary by their side, the Mother of our Lord does come to them and, in that, they learn that, indeed, they are not forgotten, but, with the thousands of others who pray the rosary at the same time, they join with them, spiritually, in their prayer.

In fact, that is what we do today, we not only remember, we also pray for those in the armed forces, and, it is from Mary that we learn how to do this, for, by making ourselves an instrument of that prayer, we become vessels, magnifiers, as it were, of God’s grace, goodness and mercy, imitating her beautiful magnificat, not just with our lips, but, most importantly, by our actions.

So, that in solidarity with all those in harms way, with those with a rosary by their side, together we pray: “Hail Mary, full of grace…”

http://www.rangerrosary.com/

Saturday of the 8th Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

2010-05-29T06:33:00.000-07:00

Our entire Christian life, the fullness of what we have been called to do and to live, can be perfectly summed up in the instruction we just heard in our first reading today: “Build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.”

For, daily we are building our faith, daily we are creating a stronger foundation, not with our own supplies, as it were, but with the guidance and strength of the Holy Spirit. And, it is from the Spirit’s prompting that we learn how to love God all the more, keeping ourselves, literally, “in the love of God,” so that our greatest desire is to avoid anything that may impede that love, because, from that same love, we learn patience, which allows us to wait as the mercy of God works through us and prepares us for eternal life.

And, while that is the ideal, while that is the fullness of our call as Christians, we need help along the way, we need those who have gone before us to instruct us as to how we are to achieve holiness, how we are to enter Heaven, literally, in spite of our very selves.

Yet, that is why the Church gives us someone who not only perfected that road, but was given the privilege of not just showing and teaching us, but of walking right next to us, directing us on the way. For, among the many titles that our Blessed Mother is known as, it is the one we reflect on today that can help us to achieve what is asked of us in our first reading.

The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother and Teacher in the Spirit, while unique in its title, points to an important reality, that no other human being in this world knew the Holy Spirit more intimately than Mary, and, what’s more, is that in the purity of her life and the fullness of her grace she can instruct us as to how we are to become vessels of that same Holy Spirit, how we are to become Living Temples of God Himself.

For, by her example and model she becomes a teacher in holiness, showing us the most important and fundamental place to start “rapt,” as it will say in the preface, “in contemplation of His Word” found by a deep, profound and daily prayer life, seeing in her a woman that not only lived holiness but practiced it in by constantly being found at prayer.

And, as anyone leads by example, we are more willing if that person is someone close to us, if that person is a part of our family, as it were, so that Mary as our mother not only teaches us, but trains us and watches over us, protecting us trying to lead us away from danger.

For, her desire, is our desire which, in turn, is God’s desire, that we are joined one day in Heaven, where we will see God face to face, where we will see Mary, bringing us to her Son, who, in turn will bring us to His Father, where, forever, we will not only contemplate but, literally, be enveloped in the eternal love of God, our goal, our longing, our reason for seeking holiness.

Thursday of the 8th Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle C (Priesthood)

2010-05-27T05:40:00.001-07:00

NOTE: SINCE TODAY IS MY ANNIVERSARY, I USED MY ORDINATION CARD FOR THE PICTURE

All of us, by our baptism, share in one of the greatest gifts God can bestow, that of what is known as the common priesthood of the faithful. That is, when we were baptized, we became more than imitators of Christ, we became another Christ, insofar as we were called to be priest, prophet and king. Which means that all of us share in the vocation of the Holy Spirit’s work, as St. Peter reminds in our first reading, of sanctifying the world.

However, God calls certain men to share not just in the sanctification of the world, but also to share in the Holy Spirit’s work of sanctifying the faithful. For, the faithful cannot truly know the depth of their own call without the instruction from those who have been called for the specific task of literally bringing Christ in our midst.

So that from their consecrated hands they don’t merely celebrate sacraments, but literally, like the priests of old, call forth the power of heaven, in spite of their worthiness, upon those same faithful. Why, how or for what reason they are chosen is a mystery for only God to know, but living what they were chosen for, living their vocation is why we constantly assist them and need to assist them in our prayers, for their sacrifice is not just important but needed because theirs teaches us to live the common priesthood of the faithful.

That is why, I am convinced, that there are absolutely no coincidences, because of all the readings in the Scriptures, of all the days, this first reading resonates with me, on a personal level, not just because I have been called to the ordained priesthood, but because I celebrate four years of that call today.

And, on a personal level, I don't think I ever expected priesthood to be what it actually is, but that is why I would never trade it for anything else in the world, because it is one of those vocations that surprises you each day, knowing that no two days will probably be alike and knowing that, just like any vocation, it is one that is grown into, it is one that teaches you, and it is one where it becomes evident how needed and how important it is to daily give ourselves over to God, for, while it is true ordination changes you, it also reminds you that what has been given is purely a gift, and that the power that I have is not my own, but fully God’s, I am merely the instrument through which He works. That is what makes it so overwhelming and so amazing that he would call anyone, especially me.

Yet, that is why it is so important to pray for all of our priests, because the responsibility we have been given is not one to be taken lightly and it is one that is daily under attack, by others and, unfortunately, even the priest themselves, for sometimes the priest is his worst own enemy.

Next month the Year of the Priest ends, but it is still important and incredibly necessary to continue our prayers for all priests, for your sacrifice allows us to live ours as well, for that is how the common priesthood and the ordained priesthood sanctify and bring that sanctification to the entire world.

St. Philip Neri, Cycle C

2010-05-26T05:43:00.000-07:00

Today, we celebrate the feast of a very unique saint. St. Philip Neri, born in Florence Italy to Francesco and Lucrezia, he was named Philip, after his grandfather.

His father, however, was not financially successful and so Philip, at the age of 18, worked with his cousin with the hopes of becoming a businessman. However, as early as eleven years old he was always happy to sit in Church, listening to the Word of God, being inspired by the homilists and to pray. In fact, while working with his cousin, he would steal away many hours in a little chapel on a mountain, and, as a result, no longer felt compelled to work towards becoming a businessman.

He was also a diligent student, learning everything he could, so much so, that, after leaving his cousin’s, he went to Rome where he was the live-in tutor of the sons of a fellow Florentine. He enjoyed his studies until he thought they were interfering with his prayer life. He then stopped his studies, sold all of his books and devoted his life to deep, contemplative prayer. As one of his biographer notes: “He prayed by day, he prayed by night, and his thirst for prayer was never quenched by prayer, but ever increased.”

“Night was his special time of prayer, as one commentator notes. After dark he would go out in the streets, sometimes to churches, but most often into the catacombs of St. Sebastiano to pray. During one of these times of prayer, it is said, he felt a globe of light enter his mouth and sink into his heart. This experience gave him so much energy to serve God that he went out to work at the hospital and starting speaking to others about God, everyone, it is said, from beggars to bankers.”

In fact, this led him to live out an apostolate of visiting the sick and serving the poor, which would eventually lead to the formation of a Confraternity with this as their main apostolate. It should also be no surprise then that he had great devotion to the Holy Spirit and, as some note, was frequently attacked by the Devil himself.

Given this great life of holiness and service, his confessor and spiritual director advised him that he be ordained a priest. So on June 23, 1551, he was ordained, living the same simple life he has always lived.

Yet his talents, graces and gifts became all the more evident as a priest. He was an amazing confessor, with the gift of reading souls, healing many who were sick, and, some even say, he raised the dead. However, it was during his confessions with young men that he realized absolution was not enough, that they needed further guidance, so he started a prayer group that grew almost immediately, which, eventually, after being stopped for a little while, became an Oratory.

St. Philip, otherwise, would rarely go out and spent most of his time between the rectory and the church, and most people knew, if they could not find him, he would be at prayer in the church. Given this, he had an amazing physical gift, as some would call it, of an oversized or enlarged heart, which happened at prayer. It never caused him pain during his life and when he was deep in prayer, it would palpitate violently, no matter where he was. It was, as many say, a physical manifestation of the great love that he burned with for God and his neighbor.

At the age of 79 on May 25 1595, Corpus Christi, he was ready, having spent the day hearing confessions and receiving visitors, at about midnight he began hemorrhaging, and Baronius, his close friend, prayed over him. Baronius asked that he would bless his spiritual sons before dying, and though Philip could no longer speak, he blessed them with the sign of the cross and died.

His prayer “Let me get through today, and I shall not fear tomorrow” summarizes well his life, because, hidden even within the holiness of this man was a great sense of humor, in fact, it is said, that When some people came from Poland to see the great saint, they found him listening to another priest read to him from joke books. Yet, that was part of his personality, in fact, his penances and practices of humility would result in a half shaved beard, a hair shirt over the clothes and wearing the most ridiculous of outfits.

It was a way for him to learn humility, teach it to others, and what he felt was needed the more he grew in holiness. His is a simple life, of a man who did not take himself seriously and when he was serious, he was at prayer. It is a unique view of a saint that we don’t always get to see and one we might try to imitate today. In fact, his quote, is one we should have before us: “Cheerfulness strengthens the heart and makes us persevere in a good life. Therefore the servant of God ought always to be in good spirits.”

St. Philip Neri, pray for us.

Holiness in the Saints, Cycle C

2010-05-25T05:44:00.001-07:00

NOTE: NOT ENTIRELY SURE WHAT I DID WAS "LITURGICALLY CORRECT," BUT I CELEBRATED ALL THREE SAINTS TOGETHER, THAT IS, THERE IS THE OPTION TO CELEBRATE ST. BEDE, ST. GREGORY AND ST MARY MAGDALEN DE PAZZI. I COULDN'T PICK, SO I PREACHED ON THEM ALL

We are given, in our readings today, instruction and understanding in how and why we should seek holiness in our lives. That is why it is so fitting that we have not one, but three different saints that the Church gives for us to choose from, in order to understand and better appreciate the variety of ways in which to achieve that same holiness.

For, there is a monk by the name of St. Bede the Venerable, who, at a young age, entered a monastery and advanced in learning to such a degree that he was one of the most extraordinary scholars of his day. In fact, it is said, that: “He was deeply versed in all the sciences of his times: natural philosophy, the philosophical principles of Aristotle, astronomy, arithmetic, grammar, ecclesiastical history, the lives of the saints and, especially, Holy Scripture.” His devotion and his constant study of the Holy Scriptures allowed him to create 30 different commentaries by the time of his death, and his most famous book, Ecclesiastical History of the English People is still widely read and used today; a simple monk whose holiness and prayer helped him to become an extraordinary teacher, writer and scholar.

Then we have St. Gregory VII Born Hildebrand in 1020 in Tuscany, a great Church reformer, cleaning up many abuses within the Church, and who, before being elected a pope, was a monk. Eventually, all his reforms got him exiled where he died in 1085. His final words: “I have loved justice and hated iniquity, therefore I die in exile.”

Lastly, we have a very holy woman who lived in a Carmelite convent all of her life. St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi was a mystic, received visions and countless ecstasies throughout her life. While, for most, that would be an indication of holiness, she saw them as her cross and as confirmation that, as one commentator puts it: In her eyes, God gave these gifts to those who were too weak to become holy otherwise. That Mary Magdalene received these gifts proved, in her mind, how unworthy she was.”

Born in Florence on April 2, 1566, Mary Magdalene (baptized Catherine) was taught mental prayer when she was nine years old at the request of her mother. At twelve years old she experienced her first ecstasy while looking at a sunset which left her trembling and speechless. As a result, she entered a Carmelite monastery, one she chose since they received daily communion, something uncommon at the time. In 1583 she had her second mystical experience when the other nuns saw her weeping before the crucifix as she said, "O Love, you are neither known nor loved."

At 19 years old she suffered the dark night of the soul for 5 years, she often practiced penance, fasted and purposely wore old clothes, however, her greatest penance, as one commentator notes was: “Pretending to like the things she didn't like…[and] acting like she enjoyed it, no one knew she was doing this great penance!”

In 1604, headaches and paralyzation confined her to bed. Her nerves were so sensitive, it is said, that she could not be touched without agonizing pain. In her humility, however, she took the fact that her prayers were not granted as a sure sign that God's will was being done. She suffered for three years before dying on May 25, 1607 at the age of forty-one.

3 great and outstanding examples of men and women living lives of holiness, prayer, humility and devotion, and while all of them had their basis in a monastery, the common thread between them all was a deep and constant prayer life, in spite of troubles, in spite of dryness, in spite of everything. For, these saints recognized that their will was as nothing in comparison to God’s Will and they lived their lives with this constant awareness and appreciation.

In fact, St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi put it well, she says: “Just as two rushing rivers intermingle in such a way that the smaller loses its name and is absorbed into the larger, so the divine Spirit acts upon the soul and absorbs it.”

Therefore, let us look to these three as an example of holiness and, in asking their intercessions, strive to imitate them in their virtues, in their lives, but, most important of all, in the purity and the simplicity of their prayer lives. For, they show that no matter what they do, whether scholar, pope or mystic, with prayer all things are possible, with prayer holiness becomes our conduct, as St. Peter puts it in our first reading today, holiness becomes our life.

St. Bernadine of Siena, Cycle C

2010-05-20T10:02:00.000-07:00

One day, in the year 1400, a young man at the age of 20, showed up at the door of the hospital in Siena. The Plague had ravaged the area, and he wanted to help. So, Bernardine did help, caring for those who were sick, nursing many back to health, including his own aunt, who would eventually die from her sickness.

St. Bernadine was then left orphaned, since he had lost his parents at the age of 7 and this aunt raised him. However, given all the time he spent in the hospital and how exhausted he was for caring for so many, he, himself, though not sick with the Plague did contract a fever for several months. Near death, he prayed and fasted to know God’s Will for him in his life, so that after his recovery he joined a Franciscan order and was ordained a priest 2 years later.

He was known, above everything else, for his great preaching skills, which many were drawn to, and, in fact, he became a traveling preacher. However, for many years he suffered from hoarseness in his voice, so stayed in the background, as it were, for 12 years, until, as he credits it, devotion to Mary helped him to have a strong, commanding voice making his preaching very successful. So much so, in fact, that he would go from town to town preaching, sometimes for hours, sometimes attracting crowds up to 30,000. Incidentally, this is why he is the patron saint of those who suffer from hoarseness.

Another great accomplishment by this saint, was his great devotion and strong devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus, and it is actually he who is responsible for the Greek symbol of Jesus, IHS, which was meant to displace the other superstitious symbols of the day. It spread so much so, that it wound up not just in churches, but homes and public buildings.

Eventually, he became the General of the Franciscan Order, whose numbers increased from 300 to 4,000 by the time he died. And, while he was obviously effective in this role, his greatest desire was to return to his first love, that of preaching, which is what he did so for the last two years of his life, and after 50 days of preaching, in the year 1444, he departed this world at the age of 64.

It is said, that no matter what he did in life, he put his entire self into it, knowing that his work was not his alone, and so he was willing to make the sacrifices that were needed. Even when he was younger, he had a strong prayer life and would speak to the Blessed Virgin Mary as a child to his mother, developing a special devotion to her Immaculate Heart, so much so, in fact, that he would say that this heart was a "a fiery furnace of Holy Love."

It is then, no wonder, that the days he spent preaching were devoted to the Holy Name, because his love for Jesus’ Mother merely affirmed and strengthened his love for her Son. That is why, even today, his legacy lives on in this important devotion, reverencing a great name, at which, we are told elsewhere, that those in Heaven and on earth must bow, knowing that this simple name of Jesus has more profound, lasting and powerful effect than most any name we have.

Therefore, let us ask St. Bernadine to intercede on our behalf, today, to increase our love for Jesus and Mary and to recognize that great power and beauty that lies in a name that is more than a name, that the sacred name of Jesus may be known, loved and adored.

In fact, it was St. Bernadine who put it well, which I leave you with today: "Jesus, Name full of glory, grace, love and strength! You are the refuge of those who repent, our banner of warfare in this life, the medicine of souls, the comfort of those who morn, the delight of those who believe, the light of those who preach the true faith, the wages of those who toil, the healing of the sick. To You our devotion aspires; by You our prayers are received; we delight in contemplating You. O Name of Jesus, You are the glory of all the saints for eternity. Amen."

St. Bernadine of Siena, pray for us.

Wednesday of the 7th Week of Easter, Cycle C

2010-05-19T08:39:00.000-07:00

Last night, as I was teaching the teenagers about the book of Revelation, one girl asked a question about a seeming contradiction that exists in our lives, she said if we are supposed to be in Heaven, why are we here on earth. For, if the world as St. John and Jesus keep reaffirming, is, indeed, a difficult and inhospitable environment to our faith, then why would God put us here on earth?

Yet, we need only look to the beginning in order to understand this seeming contradiction. For, before any of us were even created, there were a whole host of angels, and, it happened that they had to be tested, some succeeded, some failed. When our first parents were created the same thing occurred, they were given a test of loyalty and love, they, themselves failed.

It was only after Jesus came that our world, that this world became different, because, by Him, with Him and in Him, though we are still prone to fail, as a result of our fallen nature, we have been given gifts, helps from God Himself to succeed if we are willing and if we allow ourselves to become conformed by God.

In other words, the world is neutral, it’s actions the same, it is, instead what we do while we are here that shapes our choice for eternity, because, it is here, where we create our capacity for Heaven. So that, while all of us are destined for Heaven, we, too, must be tested, we, too, must show our loyalty and love, and it is the world that is our testing ground, as it were, it is here where we make our final decision.

For, if it were easy, then no one would try, no one would take time to pray, no one would take time to work on establishing a relationship with God, because if Heaven is always within reach, there is no reason to go above and beyond what we are capable of, there is no reason to make a concerted effort. In fact, there would even be no reason to get to know God, to come to Mass, to go to confession, to even strive for holiness.

Yet, it is as St. Paul who puts it best, for as he says elsewhere, athletes train and work hard to win a crown that eventually withers and fades, since it is made of flowers, while we seek an everlasting crown, one that will never wither or fade. And, neither crown is just given, there has to be training involved, there has to be an effort made, there has to be work that must be done, struggling that is needed to succeed.

That is why St. Josemaria Escriva’s summary of Jesus’ prayer is perfect, he says: “Be men and women of the world, but don’t be worldly men and women,” because, otherwise, we become distracted, and less focused on our goal, on the most important goal, our salvation, our victory in Heaven, and, most important of all, an intimate relationship with God Himself, the same Jesus shows us in our Gospel, the same we can all experience if we endure the tests that the world gives knowing that they are temporary in relation to the eternal life all of us, indeed, are destined for in Heaven.

Tuesday of the 7th Week of Easter, Cycle C

2010-05-18T07:07:00.000-07:00

As Christians our greatest desire is or should be to be transformed into Christ Himself, so that, as St. Paul says elsewhere: “It is no longer I, who live, but Christ who lives within me.”

Because, by doing so, we reach the pinnacle and the summit of our spiritual lives, no longer living merely in imitation of Christ, but being fully transformed by Him. So that we, too, can understand and reach that same depth of love that He has for the Father, so that we can experience a glimmer of this great intimacy that exists between them as we see so clearly see in our Gospel today.

There is a great spiritual classic on the Holy Spirit, called “The Sanctifier” written by one of the former archbishops of Mexico, and in it, he says, quite simply: “The end of the sanctification of souls is the glory of the Father; the essence of that marvelous work is transformation into Jesus.” Because, when we are transformed by Him, we, too, will want to make the Father known, we, too, will want to share that love that we have with the rest of the world. In fact, Jesus’ words will become as ours, so that we will be able to say of the Father: “I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do.”

And, by this transformation, we will then better understand the great love that exists in the very heart of the Trinity, we will come closer to understanding, as best we can, this most beautiful and most profound mystery of our faith. So that, as the archbishop, points out, we will become a part of what he calls the “divine cycle in the sanctification of souls,” that is, as he says: “nobody can go to the Father except through Jesus; nobody can go to Jesus except through the Holy Spirit.”

Making what is said at that altar a reality, that “through Him, with Him and in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is Yours, Almighty Father, forever and ever.”

For, that is why we come to receive the Eucharist, knowing that it does not just allow us to grow in holiness, but that what we receive, we become, so that each day, each time we come for communion we are being more and more transformed into Christ, loving as He loves, speaking as He speaks, being changed more and more into who God wants us to be.

So that the prayer that Jesus speaks for us in our Gospel, becomes a reality, that we keep the Father’s word, that we live up to the promises we have made, knowing they have, indeed, come from a loving Father, the same Father Jesus teaches us to pray to, the same Father Jesus shows us how to love, the same Father we desire to know more, which can only happen, the more we conform ourselves and allow ourselves to become as another Christ in the world, to become an instrument and true follower of His Will.

Monday of the 7th Week of Easter, Cycle C

2010-05-17T06:18:00.000-07:00

In our lives we seem to constantly encounter two worlds, the one in which we live and the one which is unseen, the spiritual world. And, between those two, there is a lot of tension, because the standards of this world are not the same standards of the spiritual world.

In fact, that is why the very first question St. Paul poses to the disciples in our first reading today is whether or not they had received the Holy Spirit. And, unfortunately, like many who only know the world, they had not, yet, after they had, an almost immediate change occurred, they were prophesying and speaking in tongues. In other words, in receiving the Holy Spirit a transformation and when that transformation occurs so does our understanding of ourselves and of the world.

Yet, it is exactly in this where the tension lies, because the Spirit points to those things that are eternal while the world keeps us focused on things that are passing. And, while there is nothing wrong with that, per se, it does have the ability to stunt our growth, as it were, in the spiritual world if we are not careful.

In fact, one of the most beautiful novenas is the novena to the Holy Spirit, and in it, while asking for the 7 great gifts from the Holy Spirit, when asking for Wisdom, it asks for wisdom so that we may “despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after those things that are eternal.” Granted, “despise” is a very strong word, but, then again, so is the pull from the world to draw us away from what is important, from what is eternal to what is passing.

And, while I am sure I have said this before, this does not mean that the world is evil, for God created it, so it is good, it is, however, important to realize that the world’s concern is not God’s, because, to the world, our salvation is not important, but to the Holy Spirit it is.

That is why we are called as Christians to, as St. Francis was thought to have said, live “in the world but not of it,” to maintain a balance between the two, sanctifying our moments in the world with prayer, filling it with the Holy Spirit, so that, like the disciples, our own transformation in the Spirit allows us to see the world in a different light, in a different way. To, in the words of that same novena to the Holy Spirit: “choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining heaven…overcoming with courage all the obstacles that oppose our salvation…to be marked the signs of true discipleship and to be animated in all things with that same Spirit.”

So that, by doing so, as Jesus says, we may have peace in Him, knowing, in the end, that though we may have trouble in the world, as a result of following that same Spirit, of seeking that true peace, we can take courage and have confidence, because Jesus Himself has conquered the world.

St. Isidore the Farmer, Cycle C

2010-05-15T15:55:00.000-07:00

In the year 1110, in Madrid, Spain a simple, humble and holy child was born by the name of Isidore, to very poor parents, so poor, in fact, they could not pay for his education, so even before he could properly wield a shovel, they made him work as a farm larborer for a very wealthy man by the name of John de Vargas, for whom he would wind up working for the rest of his life.

However, this was clearly the vocation that God had called him to, and it became apparent to everyone he knew, so that Isidore would be known as Isidore the Farmer. He spent his days in work and prayer and had a great devotion to the Eucharist, attending Mass daily to have the strength to carry out the tasks set before him.

He married a very holy woman, much like himself, by the name of Maria de la Cabeza, who would later also become a saint (feast day Sept 9) and together they had one child who died unexpectedly. As a result, they felt it was the Will of God that they not have a child, and so vowed to live chastely together, helping the poor and the less fortunate. In fact, one of the great miracles attributed to St. Isidore is that he would be able to supply everyone with food, in spite of not having enough.

Isidore’s life, however, was very simple, he would get up everyday and go to Church and spend the rest of the day working, with his hand to plough and always in constant communion with God, and on public holidays he would make visits to the different churches.

All of this, however, did not go unnoticed by his fellow workers and some complained that he spent too long at church and would, therefore, often arrive late to work. John de Vargas, his boss, sought to verify this and so hid nearby to watch for himself. He did verify that St. Isidore did spent a lot of time in the church, however, it is said that in his absence the angels were ploughing for him, and even when he was there, some say they would see others assisting him, which allowed him to accomplish much more work, three times the amount, in fact.

He was also a man of other miracles as well, feeding birds by dumping out half a sack of corn and still having more than enough to ground for flour and feeding whole crowds of poor with what would seem to not be enough.

And on May 15, 1130, of natural causes, St. Isidore departed from this world and his wife not too long after. In March 1622, he was canonized along with St. Ignatius, St. Francis Xavier, St Teresa of Avila, and St. Philip Neri, commonly known, in Spain, as “The Five Saints.”

It is a simple story of a humble life, of a man who prayed, who worked, and who cared for the poor, a perfect reflection of the life of a Christian, and one who teaches us that even in our daily vocations we can reach sanctification, that by doing the job God has called us to, we can achieve holiness.

He did not do anything extraordinary, yet, his was an extraordinary life, full of miracles, visions and a deep life of prayer. He shows that truly holiness is not complicated, it merely consists in praying and living that prayer, in being constant communion and conversation with God, no matter what we are doing, no matter where we are. For, though it may sound simple, that is what this simple and humble man can teach us.

St. Isidore is the patron of Madrid and the National Catholic Rural Life Conference, of whom they asked that “St. Isidore’s Day” be celebrated in mid-May in the United States during seedtime and Easter.

Therefore, let us call upon him this day, ask his intercession, that we, too, may learn such depth of humility and such simple and perfect prayer.

St. Isidore, the patron of farmers, pray for us.

Wednesday of the 6th Week of Easter, Cycle C (The Unknown God)

2010-05-12T06:43:00.000-07:00

ALTAR TO THE UNKNOWN GOD

How often has it happened, that like St. Paul, in our first reading today, we encounter someone who indentifies themselves as “spiritual” or “religious” without ever defining an actual God to that sentiment or, as in St. Paul’s case, they speak of an “Unknown God.”

Yet, if you have ever wondered how it is we can speak to them about God, using that glimmer of belief as a foundation, it is, indeed, St. Paul who shows us the way. In fact, like any good apologist, he breaks it down into parts, three different parts. First, he identifies this God as not just any god but as the Creator and Lord of the world for which no human Temple is necessary or needed, (which, incidentally, shows His humility in dwelling here).

Second, this same God who created the universe also created us, and, therefore, we are not only indebted to Him, but completely reliant upon Him for everything. For, as St. Paul beautifully puts it, and which is part of one of our canons at the Mass: “In him we live and move and have our being.”

Lastly, this God is not a distant God but a personal God, one with whom a special relationship can and should exist, so that to worship an idol is pointless, for as St. Paul himself says: “Since therefore we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the divinity is like an image fashioned from gold, silver, or stone by human art and imagination.”

So, that given this, he shows that the better alternative, as it were, is, indeed, to worship this God rather than an “Unknown God,” because, in this sense, we know who, why and what we worship and the greatest benefit for doing so, eternal and new life not just in Heaven but at the end of the world, in the greatness of the resurrection, the one thing, that we might notice, was enough to sway and cause many to convert.

St. Paul essentially gives us today a lesson in Christian apologetics and in something that was not just prevalent in his day but in our day as well. Perhaps, we might learn from his techniques, from his approach how to share our faith, be a Christian witness, and help others to identify the God they have been looking for all along.

Tuesday of the 6th Week of Easter, Cycle C (Prayer)

2010-05-11T06:10:00.000-07:00

Oftentimes, whether we admit it or not, we can find ourselves wondering if our prayer really does anything at all, whether our prayer makes a difference, whether our prayer has any power whatsoever.

Yet, in our first reading today, it was St. Paul and Silas who caused the very jail to shake, and they did so not by any natural means, but, rather, they did so by supernatural means. For, at midnight, they were praying and singing hymns, and, suddenly there was an earthquake, the jail shook, the doors flew open and the chains of all were pulled loose.

Perhaps, it could be seen as coincidence, as many are wont to call it, merely perfect timing of a natural and a supernatural event, yet, it has always been this intersection of the two that has always resulted in something more, for the natural occurrence of a star appeared signaling the birth of a child, a supernatural event, since the woman was a virgin. Or, another earthquake exactly at the moment that Jesus, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity died, or a strong driving wind right at the moment that the Holy Spirit descends.

If it is coincidence, then nature has perfect timing, or, perhaps, it is that nature is subject to something greater than itself, showing that, in fact, there is no coincidence, but something intentional, a natural event signifying a supernatural one, a natural event reaffirming and bowing before its very Creator.

Showing us ourselves that what we do does, indeed, have power, have effect, because God allows it, because He Wills that our prayer can cause change, that our prayer, indeed, forces nature itself to bow before us.

In fact, there are countless saints that have been known for their miracles, which is merely a suspension of what is natural, there are saints that have been known to tame animals, to cause or stop storms, to raise the dead, to figuratively move mountains.

For, that is what is possible with our prayer, that is what can happen because prayer enacts change, people are changed, because our words are not just any words, but divine speech, the ways in which we can communicate with our Heavenly Father, the way in which His Will is done.

I am not trying to say that these thing will happen, rather, that they can, if God so Wills it, because, truly that is the power of prayer, that is what it means to have faith.

St. Paul and Silas show us just one great example of the power of prayer, and there are thousands more. Just imagine, if everyone in this world, at this very moment prayed, what a difference the world would be, what a difference the world would become, because prayer is much more than mere words, it is when nature itself bows before its Creator’s words, and who knows what is possible when that occurs.

Saturday of the 5th Week of Easter, Cycle C (The World)

2010-05-08T06:34:00.000-07:00

The standards of the world are different than the standards of Heaven, so that, while holiness can be achieved within the world, it is knowing how to use the resources the world gives in order to do so, rather than becoming bound to them. That is the message that Jesus give us in our Gospel today.

Because, whether we believe it not, the world’s main concern is, unfortunately, not our salvation as much as it is our entertainment, our enjoyment, our pleasures, our past times. None of which are bad, in and of themselves, but all of which, if we are not focused, can serve as distractions and opportunities for sin.

That, too, does not mean the entire world is evil and must condemned, for God made it good, but rather, living in the world we must not conform ourselves to it and become, as Jesus Himself says, “one of their own,” but rather, we must conform ourselves to Jesus Himself, from whom we can learn what it means to be in the world but not of it.

Jesus is telling us that, in seeking a life of holiness, we are different than the world, and, as He Himself says, He has chosen us out of the world to be an example and model for others.

Of course, that does not come without a price, because oftentimes it disturbs those who want to live by the standards of the world and they seek to silence those who remind them of the lives they lead and the world that has led them there, so that the world will turn on us rather than embrace us.

Jesus’ message is clear, if we are truly living as Christians, we will encounter trouble, we will encounter opposition, for, as He Himself says: “Because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you.” It is an interesting turn of phrase, because He is saying we will not be disliked, ignored, or disappointed in, rather, we will be hated.

Such is the challenge that we face being a Christian not because we seek it, but because it is, in essence, a part of the struggle that we must endure to live a Christian life and to be a true example in the same world that did the same to Christ, for, as He says: “If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.”

Let us then pray that we may seek to be the example that Christ asks us to be, confident that He will help us and knowing, in the end, that as He Himself says elsewhere: “In the world you will have trouble, but be brave, I have conquered the world.”

Thursday of the 5th Week of Easter, Cycle C (Remain in Me)

2010-05-06T08:52:00.000-07:00

Jesus’ instruction is simple, “remain in my love,” because by, doing so, we learn how to love as He loves, and, even more so, we learn how to love the Father through Him.

And, if we ever forget we are given guidelines on how to extend that love, on how to live as He intends and to love as He wants us to love. For, the commandments are not merely a set of rules, but an established covenant, a promise we make to God, a promise we seek to uphold always.

But, just like any promise, just like anything spoken in love, it means very little unless we seek to show that love as well, to act on that promise, to not just say what is necessary but to do what is necessary as well.

That is why keeping the commandments is not a sterile following of the law, and upholding them only because we have to, or because of fear, reproach or any other negative consequence which may result, but, rather a desire to demonstrate and show, with a pure heart, what it means to love and to be in love.

That is what Jesus means when He says, “remain in me,” because to remain in Him is to learn what He knows, is to love in a way that is impossible for us. Because, when we receive the Eucharist, we receive what is needed while at the same time, becoming Him who transforms that bread and, in the same way, transforms us as well. In fact, the author Scott Hahn puts it beautifully, he says: “That’s why God gives us His own life in the sacraments. Grace makes up for the weakness of human nature. With His help, we’re able to do what we couldn’t do by ourselves: namely, love perfectly and sacrifice totally.” (The Lamb’s Supper, 151)

So that, literally, through Him, with Him, and in Him we learn what love, true love is, a pouring out of our very selves, first to God and then to neighbor, which is why, without Him we can do nothing, but with Him everything.

We then remain in His love, by keeping the commandments, by imitating Him who Himself keeps the Father’s commandments, and by doing so, as Christ Himself says, we will experience a great joy, His joy within us, a lasting and eternal joy, making, in the end, our joy complete.