Homily: 5th Sunday of Lent - Year C

Readings:  Is 43:16-21; Ps 126; Phil 3:8-14; Jn 8:1-11

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Do any of you watch those TV movies on the Hallmark and Great American Family networks? I recently read they’re the most popular movies on TV. So, it seems a lot of people like these sappy, feel-good movies. 

They depict a world of personal, work, and family problems, all quickly solved by perfect solutions. And the plots? They really don’t vary much, do they? A workaholic or a struggling single parent suddenly encounters someone who at first just adds to life’s challenges. But over time relationships develop, and they’re attracted to each other. But then there arises a seemingly insoluble crisis, followed, of course, by a miraculous resolution, then the happily-ever-after kiss.

Just like real life!

The trouble with real life is that it not only has a present, but also both a past and a future. The past isn’t always pleasant, but we try to forget those unpleasant pieces of it. Unless, of course, your spouse, desiring only to improve you, kindly reminds you of past mistakes.

Today’s readings focus on past problems. In Isaiah, the Jews, exiled in Babylon, had been looking nostalgically to the days of Moses and Joshua, their liberation from Egypt and their entry to the Promised Land. But they were also reminded of their sinfulness and disobedience which led them into exile. Then God, speaking through His prophet, Isaiah, chastised them:

Remember not the events of the past… see, I am doing something new!

Trust in me, God tells them. Put your sins and idolatry behind you and serve the Living God. You remain My Chosen People; and through you I will bring salvation to the world.

In our second reading we find St. Paul facing a past that was hard to forget. Before his miraculous conversion, Paul had been an active persecutor of Christians. Elsewhere, he tells us:

“I not only shut up many of the saints in prison…but when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.” (Acts 26:10)

Despite this heavy burden, Paul knew that God had given him incredible graces. And so, he could remind us that he was 

“...forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead.”

Paul didn’t forget all God had done for him. And we, too, must thank God for not leaving us where we were. But like Paul, we can’t live in the past.

And that, sisters and brothers, is real life: past, present, and future. And to see it manifested in its fulness, just turn to the Gospel. For Jesus didn’t water down the problems, and the solutions can be hard indeed.

Just consider today’s passage from John. It’s not a little made-for-TV story, is it? No, the situation and the people are very real. It’s about life and death, about sin and hatred and human judgment. It’s about divine forgiveness, about salvation and eternal life.

Picture it: scribes and Pharisees, spiritually entombed by an intractable understanding of the Law, dragged this woman, an adulteress, before Jesus, and surrounded her. They were so sure of themselves, weren’t they?

Yes, they’d used her, this woman who meant nothing to them. The used her to entrap Jesus, whom they considered an ignorant Galilean bumpkin. So they tossed the case to Jesus. Let Him solve this one, in front of everyone, right here in the Temple area.

Should we stone her as Moses prescribed? What do you say, teacher?

A "YES" would deny His own teaching – His behavior with sinners – and also violate Roman law, for only the Romans could execute. A "NO" would violate Mosaic law and show Himself to be a heretic of sorts. Once again, the scribes and Pharisees were certain they had entrapped Jesus.

Just try to imagine how the woman felt. Probably petrified. Is she about to die? Will they stone her? And who is this man? Why did they bring her to Him?

Jesus says nothing. He bends down and with his finger writes in the dust of the ground.

But the mob of holy men is impatient and press Him for an answer. So, Jesus just straightens up and utters those remarkable words:

“Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Again, He bent down and wrote in the dirt. What does He write in that dust beneath their feet? Names? Sins? John doesn’t tell us. We can only guess.

One thing we know for certain. Jesus Christ, the Creative Word of God, “Who formed man out of the dust of the ground,” spoke and then wrote words that day in that same dust. And the effect? The scribes and Pharisees disperse, “one by one, beginning with the elders” – presumably those, like many of us here, whose memories are filled with a longer list of sins.

Yes, Jesus confronted a lot of sinners that day. An adulteress, who represents us all, all who need and seek forgiveness. But the scribes and Pharisees represent us too. It’s easy to slide into their kind of sinfulness, their self-righteous judgment of others. How easy it is to condemn rather than extend love and compassion.

The contrast is vivid: The woman, now alone with Jesus, hears His voice.

“Has no one condemned you?…Neither do I condemn you. Go, sin no more.”

You see, brothers and sisters, we are blessed with a God who forgives and forgets. The woman will never forget her past, for it brought her to forgiveness and salvation. But she cannot live in it. For she is all of us, everyone from Adam until judgment day, all of us in need of salvation, in need of forgiveness, in need of a Savior.

She’s the very story of salvation, of sin and mercy, of sin committed and sin forgiven. She, like Paul, like the exiled Israelites, like you and I, cannot live in the past; for all of us are called to a new life brought to us by a Savior, God’s only Son. She must go and sin no more, while striving to know and love the God who refused to condemn her.

No, we can’t and shouldn’t live in the past. A sense of nostalgia is a normal, human reaction to the constant change we encounter in the world, in our lives, in our Church. But to try to live in the past, to focus only on what once was…well, that can blind us to God’s continuing shower of gifts.

The point is, the Church remains God’s community of salvation, in which He acts through His people, through you and me. God acts right here. Through the sacraments, the Holy Spirit sanctifies us, making us holy.

Of course, we can also crumble under life’s challenges, and they come in many flavors: debilitating illness, financial problems, aging, assisted living, death of a spouse, wayward children, addictions, family problems…so many things that can turn us from God’s love. If we allow it, they can diminish us, tempt us to look only to happier, more stable times…

But as Christians the glory days aren’t in the past; they’re still ahead: life with Christ in glory. We must keep growing until we die; for full oneness with the living Christ, is never perfected here.

You and I must “strain forward” as Paul did; and keep dying with Christ so as to live more fully. For the true disciple of Jesus Christ, tomorrow is always better than yesterday. Each day is a new creation in the presence of a living, loving, merciful God.

And just like the woman in the Gospel, we must learn to accept Christ’s forgiveness. So many people don’t. They go through life, wallowing in guilt, afraid of hell, tormented by their pasts, burdened by brokenness and human frailty. This isn’t why God became man. This isn’t why He died that death on that dark Friday afternoon.

“Christ loved me,” St. Paul insisted, “and gave Himself for me.” And that love is present, even in my sinfulness. So, fix your eyes not on yesterday’s sin, but on today’s forgiveness and tomorrow’s hope. Repent, yes, but to repent is to re-think, to change. Repentance that saves is not a ceaseless self-scourging, but fresh self-giving, a new birth of love.

Barely two weeks of Lent remain. If you really want to rise with Christ, repeat the song He sings to you:

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth.”

Come to think of it, as Christians, we are the new thing. And it’s far better than any Hallmark movie. Why not spring forth? 

Do so gloriously, rejoicing in God’s mercy, His forgiveness, and the New Life, the eternal life He offers to every one of us.

Homily: Pentecost Vigil

Readings: Joel 3:1-5; Ps 104; Rom 8:22-27; John 7:37-39

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Back at the turn of the millennium I happened to catch a TV news show in which the host asked an historian to name the most important people in human history. I can't recall the historian’s name, but he made a point of calling himself an agnostic. And then he said something rather remarkable.

"As an historian," he said, "I’d have to say that the most influential person in human history was Jesus Christ. The problem is, I can't understand how he came to be so influential. He was really a nobody, tucked away in a little corner of the world. He didn't write anything. He didn't go anywhere or do anything very important. He was executed for treason. And his followers? Just a handful of simple peasants. He should have been forgotten in a matter of days or weeks. It's truly inexplicable. But that's history."

Yes, Mr. Historian, that is history. And this history, viewed from the perspective of the Church's teachings, becomes very explainable.

In truth the 3 most influential events in human history centered on the person of Jesus Christ, and all 3 took place within eight weeks of each other. Something else they have in common: they were actions, taken not by men, but by God Himself.

These events are true history — perhaps we should say, His Story — the story of the Creator of all things doing the most remarkable things — in a truly remarkable way. It’s the story of a loving Father sending His Son to suffer and die at the hands of those He created, as a perfect offering for their sins. For so many today Jesus Christ is inexplicable, until we plumb the depths of God's Love for us.

Because His Story doesn't end with the first event on the Cross at Calvary. If it had, our historian's instincts would have been correct, and Jesus would have been a mere footnote…if that. But the Father wasn’t content to let it end there. He wanted us to know, to accept the truth. And so, three days later, the second event occurred. Jesus rose from the dead, to prove His Divinity, and to give us a foretaste of what awaits those who love Him and keep His commandments.

But even the Resurrection, this momentous event, is insufficient. For the Father wants His Truth, and the knowledge of His infinite Love, to spread to the ends of the earth. He'd sacrificed His Son, not for a handful of followers, not for the Jewish people, His Chosen Ones, who for centuries prepared the way for Jesus, the Christ. No, this act of redemption was for all of humanity, for every person is a child of God.

Today we celebrate this third event, a relatively brief event in the history of salvation, but an event of such impact, it permanently and profoundly altered the very history of the world. For what took place in Jerusalem on that Sunday morning almost 2,000 years ago is God's lasting gift to His children.

He had sent His Son to suffer and die as a redemptive sacrifice, to free us from the slavery of sin and death and to give us the hope of eternal life. And now God fulfills the Word He gave us through His Prophet Joel, and so many others:

“It shall come to pass. I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions… I will pour out my spirit.”

Yes, it came to pass, and those days arrived. He sent His Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, the personification of the Divine Love between Father and Son. And what power the Spirit has!

Suddenly, 120 men and women, this fearful little band of followers, are instantly transformed. The disciples had seen what happened to Jesus, and feared it might well happen to them. As they gathered in that upper room, in secrecy and prayer with our Blessed Mother, the mighty breath of God and the fire of the Spirit’s presence engulfed them and changed them forever.

The Holy Spirit manifested in them the new, eternal covenant Jesus instituted at the Last Supper, forming them into the Church to bring God's message of salvation to the world. The Jewish feast of Pentecost took on entirely new meaning. What had Jesus just commanded them?

"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always until the close of the age."

Now, for the first time, they began to understand what this mission entailed. And just as suddenly, all of Jesus' teachings, His promises, the words of the Word of God that had seemed so cryptic, became perfectly clear. Inspired by the Spirit with this new understanding, overflowing with enthusiasm for the mission He’d given them, they poured into the crowded streets of Jerusalem to share the Good News.

But the Holy Spirit had only just begun, and from those 120 disciples, He calls one to lead the way. It’s Peter, the fisherman – full of bluster and human weakness, who’d betrayed his Lord in those final hours…It’s Peter. Peter, the Rock upon whom Jesus promised to build His Church, speaks to the crowd and on that first Pentecost Sunday, the Church is born.

Miracle follows miracle and three thousand are baptized, for the work of the Spirit can’t be stopped. The one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, brought into being that day, is still with us today, still guided by the Holy Spirit, still led by Christ's Vicar, still committed to the Apostolic mission of bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world. And the mission is universal, given to each of us, for we are the Church.

Why this mission? Just look around you. How can you miss it? …the sadness and hopelessness and sinfulness that plague so many today. These are God's children! They don’t need our condemnation or pity; they need God’s love and evangelization. The Father wants to bring them to Himself, and He calls us to take part in His work.

Does this call, this mission, frighten you? Are you terrified of the idea of evangelizing others? You shouldn’t be, because just like Peter and the disciples on that first Pentecost, you won’t be alone. You see, we can’t do God’s work without the Spirit. As St. Paul reminded us “…the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness.” And later Paul told the Corinthians:

"There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit…different forms of service, but the same Lord...To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit."

Do you see what He’s telling us? We have the same mission, even though we carry it out in different ways, and it’s the Holy Spirit who inspires and guides each of us. Today we’re reminded to be roused from the comfort and safety of our own upper rooms. We too need to be amazed — that our faith should be accompanied by the sounds, the heat, the cacophony of different voices, the presence of the Holy Spirit, proclaiming the mighty acts of God.

Sisters and brothers, we all have a mission to a world that waits beyond our parish walls…

…a world often confused, divided, afraid.

…a world waiting to be astounded by power of the Spirit and His message of hope.

God doesn’t encourage us; He commands us, for it’s the essential work of our Christian faith.

Of course, it’s comforting to stay within our families or parish community, but God doesn't want us to get too comfortable. For on that first Pentecost God turned the disciples’ little circle inside out. Suddenly they faced not each other, but a world waiting to hear the Good News. As we follow them, we can rely on God’s promise: the Holy Spirit is with us, guiding us, his wisdom flowing through us…We need only invite Him.

How did Jesus put it in today’s Gospel?

“Rivers of living water will flow from within him who believes in me.”

Let’s welcome the Spirit into our lives…and those rivers will flow through us as He renews the face of the earth.

And today, here on the vigil of Pentecost, what a perfect time to pray to the Spirit, the Giver of Life, asking Him to convert and forgive all those who have taken so many innocent lives, lives He has given to the world.

Do it today, and witness the wonders, the mighty acts of God, He will bring about in your lives, in my life, and in the lives of all we encounter.

Homily: Wednesday in the Octave of Easter

Readings: Acts3:1-10; Ps 105; Lk 24:13-35

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The Road to Emmaus began, as conversion often does, in despair or shattered faith or both – two people caught up in themselves and in their humanity.

Despite all they had heard, all they saw Him do, despite His promises, and their hope that He was the Messiah…despite it all, when they came face to face with Jesus’ death, their faith all but evaporated.

“They were downcast…Jesus, who was a prophet...we were hoping He would be the one to redeem Israel…” [Lk 24:17,19, 21]

We were hoping…

...a prophet...a redeemer...we hoped...

But now, unwilling to believe in the Resurrection, unwilling to accept the truth about Jesus, they had abandoned their hopes.

And so, headed away from Jerusalem, away from the Apostles, the Church, they were returning to the lives they led before they met Jesus.

It’s there, in sorrow and despair, as they try to leave Jesus behind, that their conversion begins. It's there they meet Him once again, along the Way.

It begins with Jesus Himself. He knows their sorrow, sees into their hearts, and communicates the life that fills His being: the life of grace, a gift that has an immediate effect.

Unknowingly moved by God’s grace, they turn to Jesus and listen.

Yes, it always begins with Jesus, the Eternal Word of God, so it shouldn’t surprise us that Jesus turns to the Revealed Word of God. He turns to Scripture.

All of Sacred Scripture – both the Old and New Testaments -- has only one ultimate purpose: to lead us to Jesus Christ.

Of course, at this point in salvation history, there was no New Testament. As Luke wrote:

“Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He interpreted to them what referred to Him in all the Scriptures” [Lk 24:27].

And the result?

“Were not our hearts burning within us while He spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?” [Lk 24:32]

That’s when conversion begins, brothers and sisters. It begins when you encounter Jesus on the Way and hear your story in Scripture.

But far too many Christians stop right there and fail to take the next logical step on their journey of faith.

It’s one thing to believe in Jesus, but it’s far more drastic to invite Him into your life, into your heart, to invite Him to stay with you, to let Him lead you on that journey.

Late on that first Easter Sunday, Jesus responds to the disciples’ invitation by celebrating the 2^nd Mass. And it’s in the Eucharist, "in the breaking of the bread", that they recognize Him.

Their faith, deepened by Scripture, is cemented by the Eucharist.

Such is the power of the Eucharist, this gift Jesus Christ has given His Church, a power beyond all comprehension, a power that brings Jesus into our hearts, into our inner selves, a power that confirms our faith so we can carry Him to others.

And now, filled with the joy that only such faith can bring, they go to the Church, to its very heart; to the Apostles and report all that they had witnessed.

“Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how He was made known to them in the breaking of the bread” [Lk 24:35].

They accept their call to make Christ present among men. But they do so first within the Church, the Church established by Jesus Himself.

What a marvelous story this is.

The Lord comes to us, but never forces Himself on us. He wants us to turn to Him freely, when we begin to grasp the depth of His love, a love He has placed deep within us. It's a very part of our creation, as image and likeness of God's love.

Like the disciples, we want to hold onto Him. We beg Him: “Stay with us, Lord. Our souls are shrouded in darkness and You alone are the light.  Only You satisfy this longing that consumes us.”

And He stays. He stays because He loves each of us so passionately that He will chase after us relentlessly…until the very last moments of our lives.

Conversion, then, begins when we meet Jesus on the Way. It’s deepened when we encounter Him in God’s Holy Word, and continues in the Church, where we repeatedly encounter Jesus in the sacraments.

Yes, conversion, like every good thing, begins and ends with Jesus, the Alpha and the Omega, He who loves beyond all comprehension.

That’s what true conversion is: a continual turning to God that turns despair into joy.

That’s why we need the Church; the Church is the font of grace that allows us to continue our lifelong conversion along the Way, the way of reconciliation.

The Resurrection of Jesus brings us hope, and, trusting in His promise, may we be reconciled with God and experience the touch of His mercy and goodness and forgiveness.

May we let God love us.

Homily: Tuesday, 21st Week in Ordinary Time

Readings: 2 Thes 2:1-3, 14-17; • Ps 96 • Mt 23:23-26

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Well…good morning, fellow hypocrites!

That’s right…we really can’t deny it. And Jesus reminds us of this. Continuing His 7 woes, He aimed His words at the Scribes and the Pharisees, but you know He’s speaking to us as well. And what words they were! Straining gnats and swallowing camels…cups full of plunder and self-indulgence…hypocrites! It must have been something to hear!

Years ago, I read something that I’ll share with you. It was from an anonymous 5^th-century commentary on Matthew:

“Tell me, hypocrite, if it is so good to be good, why do you not strive to be truly what you only appear to be? And if it is so bad to be evil, then why do you allow yourself to be in truth what you would never want to appear to be? …Therefore, either be what you appear to be, or appear to be what you are.”

I always liked that. And it makes me think that the sinner, who doesn’t try to hide or cover up his sinfulness, might be treated a lot better at the judgment than the hypocrite whose outward appearance hides the sinful truth. We see it in the Church, in the clergy and in the faithful. None of us seem to be exempt.

In my last parish on Cape Cod, a retired bishop often spent the summer in our town, staying with his sister and her family. He’d also help out our parish by celebrating one of our Sunday Masses.

One Sunday morning, before the final blessing, he called a couple forward who were celebrating their 50^th anniversary. They renewed their vows and then the bishop presented them to the parish, and everyone applauded. He then extended the final blessing, and I gave the dismissal. It was a wonderful Mass.

Afterwards, as I made my way across the parking lot, a parishioner approached me with his family in tow. He didn’t look happy. Now, in matters spiritual, he could be a bit scrupulous…okay, more than a bit. He’d often complain to me about something the pope, or the bishop, or the pastor had said. And I knew I’d hear from him after every homily I preached. I’m probably wrong, but he seemed to believe he was holier than the Church itself, certainly holier than this lowly deacon, which was probably the truth…

But what upset him this day was the congregation’s applause for that couple’s anniversary. I thought he was kidding, so I stupidly laughed a little. That was a mistake. He glared at me and then said, “Applause has no place during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.”

I tried to explain that the Mass is a time of communion…Yes, a Holy Communion with our Lord, but also a communion with each other, and that we should openly celebrate others’ joys and share in their sorrows. Doing so right before we are dismissed to reenter the world is probably a good time.

The Spirit, of course, is wonderful, and He gives us His Word when we need it most. And I found myself turning to St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans, and paraphrasing the Apostle’s wonderful words:

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Have the same regard for one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly; do not be wise in your own estimation [Rom 12:15-16] 

I couldn't express Paul's exact words from memory, but thought I'd paraphrased them rather well. Surprisingly, though, he didn’t say, “Oh, thank you, deacon, for clearing that up.”

No, he just walked away, very displeased with me and our visiting bishop. But perhaps the Spirit’s Word had an impact later.

He was so worried about the minutia -- applause as an offence to liturgy -- and so forgetful of the truly important -- sharing in the joy of a faithful marriage in Christ. Was he a hypocrite? Probably, but then so am I.

Recently I’ve been told by several people that they left the Church because it was filled with hypocrites. I just looked at one of them and said, “Well, yeah! We’re a Church of sinners. Let me know if you find a church that isn't.” I probably didn't change his mind, but sometimes I say things I shouldn't.

It's easy to get all wrapped up in the jots and tittles of our rules and rituals. Yes, we should do things well and right, but we are imperfect creatures, and sometimes we mess up.

Liturgy is really the perfect example. I was responsible for our liturgy here for a number of years, and I was always amazed by the comments, suggestions, and sometimes unkind criticism – often anonymous – that I received. I tried to avoid the attitude highlighted in the old joke that the difference between a liturgist and a terrorist is you can negotiate with a terrorist. I listened and studied and learned and prayed and tried to improve, occasionally with success.

Brothers and sisters, we must remember we’re all susceptible to these attitudes condemned by Jesus. We are re not called to be Pharisees; we are called to love.

Let’s beg God to reveal to us the hypocrisy he already sees in us, so we might know ourselves as God knows us, with that same clarity. Jesus invites us to look inward and not to be afraid at what we may encounter.

How to cleanse the inside of the cup?  Whatever is against justice and mercy and faith must be placed in the light of day. As my mom used to say, “Face the truth, son!” The beginning of our union with God is our ability to face the truth, to offer our weakness with a cry for truth and clarity about how we approach God and our neighbor.

Homily: Saturday, 5th Week in Ordinary Time

Readings: 1 Kgs 12:26-32;13:33-34 • Ps 106 • Mk 8:1-10

Mark’s Gospel has often been described as a Passion narrative with a long introduction. And that introduction moves right along.

Mark also offers us the story of the disciples and their often confused response to Jesus’ call. Moved by the Spirit, the twelve attach themselves to Jesus with little understanding of His teachings or what His call to discipleship really entails. It’s a story, then, of spiritual growth, of gradual formation, a time when the Spirit plants seed after seed in the hearts of these friends and followers of Jesus.

Like every seed planted by the Spirit, these sprout and bloom according to His schedule, not ours. The Spirit can move quickly indeed, or He can lead us to the truth over a lifetime. And it’s our response that makes all the difference. We see signs of this in today’s Gospel passage.

4,000 people, a huge crowd, have been with Jesus for three days, and have eaten nothing. But we hear no complaints from the crowd, for in their hunger for Truth they have been fed with the Word. They seem satisfied. For them it has been three days of contemplative prayer, for what is contemplative prayer but placing oneself in Jesus’ presence and listening, listening to the Word so He can alter one’s very being.

It’s also a time of fasting. But in his compassion, Jesus knows once He leaves them, their fast will end, and they will return to the world hungry. They will need to be restored so they can carry the Word to their homes, into their everyday lives where they can live from faith.

Jesus turns to His disciples and simply states a truth: “They have nothing to eat.”

“How can we get bread in the desert?” they ask.

They have not yet understood that He is the Bread of Life, that wherever Jesus is, there is Bread. Yes, Jesus is the Eucharist, a gift He will institute at the Last Supper – the bread, His Body – the wine, His Blood – the gift of His Presence until the end of the age. But as yet they don’t know this.

Have they so soon forgotten His earlier feeding of the 5,000? Miracle upon miracle, healing upon healing, and yet they ask: “How can we get bread in the desert?” Does Jesus answer their question? No. Instead, He asks the disciples another. “How many loaves have you?”

This, brothers and sisters, is a moment of grace and the loaves are its image. Grace is present because Jesus is present. It flows outward from Him to all who are open to receive it. But grace can never be a private possession. It must be passed on, flow from one to another.

Yes, how many loaves do you disciples have? How much faith do you have? Do you have enough? Are you instruments of grace?

“Seven,” is their one-word reply. Does it point to the Spirit’s seven gifts they will receive at Pentecost when the full meaning of their discipleship is revealed? Perhaps so.

Jesus takes the loaves, but He takes nothing without thanking the Father. He gives thanks for the disciples’ bread, bread meant for them and for Him, but now destined for thousands. He breaks the bread, as He will break Himself in the Eucharist, and hands the bread to His disciples. They, in turn, distribute the bread; doing the miraculous, as the Bread received from the Church carries His miraculous Presence into the world.

Here we see the Church in the process of becoming, for the Bread it is given, the Eucharist – it, too, is blessed, broken, and multiplied. Jesus, through the work of the Holy Spirit, offers Himself, but His disciples carry Him into the world.

Jesus also blesses a few small fish so the people can eat an ordinary meal, the same kind of meal the disciples would eat with the Lord. This meal, this everyday experience, becomes for the people an extraordinary, miraculous experience. Were those few small fish a sign, a reminder that Simon Peter and the others must soon abandon their boats, their nets, their lives and become fishers of men?

Did the disciples learn this day that when they give all that they have – even if it’s only seven loaves and a few fish – God will multiply it a thousand fold?

And what about you and me?

Can we abandon everything in our lives that is keeping us from true discipleship?

Can we, too, hand the loaves and fish of our lives to the Lord and let Him bless, break and multiply them – so we can carry Him into the world?

Will you let God work His miracles in the everyday ordinariness of your life, so you can be an instrument of His grace?

We are all called, dear friends.

 

Pray for Our Country

Okay, I’ve been around a while, and during those many years have lived in the South, the Northeast, the Middle Atlantic, and the always strange West Coast. I’ve also traveled extensively throughout the world and schmoozed with the natives in many European and Asian nations. During most of those years, I found that much of the world admired, and sometimes even feared, the United States, if not always publicly, certainly privately. And it wasn’t just our industrial and military power that caused others to envy America. For many, particularly those who understood us best, their admiration centered on our long history of governmental stability. Ours has always been a nation that, despite changes in political leadership, has managed to demonstrate a strong and abiding faith in its constitutional foundation. Although many nations in the world are older than the United States, very few have governments that have survived as long as ours.

Sadly, given what’s happening in our nation today, I fear this stability might not last much longer. We have become a divided nation in which a growing, vocal, and very active gang of radical socialists hope to effect permanent change in our nation and its government. They are feared by those in the Democrat party who need their votes for reelection, and consequently the so-called moderates agree to further the bulk of the socialists’ radical legislative agenda. Much of the nation, certainly most of those who usually exercise their right to vote, are inherently conservative, in that they see no need to change a system of government that has served generations of Americans rather well. For almost 250 years, despite occasional stupidity, mistakes, and moral and ethical lapses, as a nation we have done remarkably well. 

But the times are changing, so much so I encourage all Americans, regardless of political party, to turn to our loving, forgiving God and plead that He will bless and protect our nation, its future, and its people. As Catholics we are not locked into any political party. We look not to the vagaries of political machinations, but turn instead to the Way, and the Truth, and the Life, and to the timeless teachings of the Church. In the spirit of this hope, I offer the following thoughts, asking all to join me as we pray:

For the forgotten. So many in our nation, and throughout the world, are simply overlooked by all levels of government and, yes, even by churches. These forgotten included the abject poor who must survive at society’s depths, those who suffer from generational poverty, mental illness, and addictions, those who are somehow forgotten by governmental and other programs. So often we turn to government, assuming only it can address the problems of those in greatest need. But government programs are inherently inefficient and plagued by bureaucracy and its many failings. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we must get our hands dirty and take a healing walk through our communities, providing the help, encouragement, and love that others need. And remember, Jesus healed the physically ill and cast out demons, but His primary focus was on the spiritual health of those He encountered. Pray for the conversion of the poor, the forgotten, those tossed aside by society. And pray for the wealthy, for the elites who actually believe they are better than the rest of us. Pray that they may learn the humility of the Son, who emptied Himself for our salvation. Oh, yes, and pray for yourself, that you will do God’s will in the tiny slice of creation In which He placed you.

For the Fragmented American Family. Far too many, including too many Christians and Catholics, have caved in to the evil of so-called same-sex marriage. Marriage is a sacramental reality, one given to us by God Himself, and as Sacred Scripture and 2,000 years of Church teaching remind us, marriage can exist only between a man and a woman. Divorce, too, is at a high, and perhaps even more disturbing, many couples are simply not getting married, preferring instead to live outside the marriage bond. Children, of course, suffer most from the dissolution of the family. Far too many couples have also accepted a contraceptive mentality, one that includes the travesty of abortion, simply for the convenience of their lives. Pray for the families of our nation, and pray especially that they will be accepting of God’s gift of life. And pray, too, for the unborn and for those who seek and perform abortions. Ask the Holy Spirit, the “Lord and giver of life,” to work within the hearts of our politicians, our judges, and our people.

For those who protect us. So many, today both man and women, willingly devote their lives to the defense of our communities and our nation. Many, far too many, are seriously injured or lose their lives in this selfless effort. Let us all remember that these are true American heroes, who along with their families suffer the physical, mental, and spiritual wounds that most Americans will never experience or even understand. As a nation, and as individuals, we owe these courageous men and women, especially our veteran warriors, our deepest thanks. 

For our Church. The Church throughout the world, but especially in our nation, is under attack, particularly by the political left. This, of course, is nothing new. The Catholic Church has been attacked by the Nazis or national socialists, and by the communists, the international socialists. Today, religious freedom, once considered the first of our freedoms, has been tossed aside by many politicians for whom ideology trumps all personal freedom. Pray that out nation holds fast to the God-given freedoms enshrined in our constitution, so that we may, as Catholic Christians, “make disciples or all nations.” 

Finally, the absence of faith is fear, so be not afraid! Keep the faith! The God who loves us, the God who gave His Son for our redemption, is in charge. He will bring all to completion. Our nation, like all nations, is nothing more than an ephemeral human society that will eventually fade away. But God remains and will be with us forever.

Homily: Monday, 7th Week of Easter (Year 1)

Readings: Acts 19:1-8; Ps 68; Jn 16:29-33

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Did you happen to catch those words proclaimed in our first reading?

“…the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied” [Acts 19:6].

The Holy Spirit really likes to surprise us, doesn’t He? He takes our so very human, super-rational view of the world and overwhelms it with the supernatural. He wants us to realize that there’s far more to creation than the material world that surrounds us.

In the Talmud, the rabbis tell us it’s well we can’t see the spiritual world, for we would be overwhelmed by the presence of countless angels and demons, surrounding us, fighting for our souls. Interestingly, St. Thomas Aquinas seems to agree with them.

Yes, indeed, there’s far more to God’s creation than what we see with our eyes. And the Holy Spirit occasionally gives us glimpses into that reality. 

But He always gives us a choice, the same choice Jesus gave those who witnessed the miraculous “signs” of His divinity. We can either assume it’s all an illusion, perhaps some clever trick and just walk away…or we can realize we have witnessed and been blessed by the Presence of God Himself.

Just as Jesus performed the miraculous, all those signs, to give people a reason to listen to His Word, so too, did the Spirit give these new Corinthian Christians the supernatural gifts of tongues and prophecy. The people, having witnessed these manifestations of God’s presence, would then listen to Paul as he preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the city’s synagogues.

Do you think all that speaking in tongues and prophesying are hard to accept? If so, you’re in good company. Many early Chirstians felt the same. 

Indeed, a few chapters earlier, back in Acts 10 some Gentiles began to speak in tongues and glorify God, and Peter decided that was reason enough to baptize them. But when some of his fellow Chirstians questioned thuis, Peter said:

“Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit even as we have?” [Acts 10:47]

Today, perhaps more than any other gift, we need the gift of prophecy in the midst of the Church, the Word of God proclaimed in truth. Of course, the question is: would we listen? Sadly, in our weakness too often we ignore or even distort that truth.

In our Gospel passage the apostles laid it on kind of thick, didn’t they? 

Oh, yes, Jesus, “we believe that you came from God” [Jn 16:30]. They acted as if they finally understood all that Jesus had told them. But, of course, they didn’t, and so, Jesus questioned the depth of their faith. How did He put it?

“…the hour…has arrived when each of you will be scattered to his own home and you will leave me alone” [Jn 16:32].

Oh, yes, these men, chosen by Jesus, had such deep faith and understanding that on that very night they deserted Him. The only one Jesus could count on was the Father:

“But I am not alone,” He told them, “because the Father is with me” [Jn 16:32].

For this is the core truth of the Trinity: where Jesus is, so is the Father, and so too is the Holy Spirit.

Because of the disciples’ human weakness, Jesus knew He couldn’t count on them until they’d received the Spirit.

Utlimately, it took our loving God’s greatest gift, the gift of the Holy Spirit, to bring the twelve back to Jesus, and to strengthen them, for they had been sent out “to make disciples of all nations…” [Mt 28:19] and they certainly couldn’t do that on their own.

How about you and me? As we prepare to celebrate the Spirit’s live-giving work at Pentecost, work that brought the Church to life through the minds and hearts of Mary and the disciples…How about us? Do we accept the Spirit and His gifts?

It’s through the work of the Spirit that the Church – and that’s not just the pope and the bishops, that’s you and me… It’s only through the Spirit  that we can accomplish God’s work in the world.

Pray to the Spirit, brothers and sisters. Pray to Him daily. He wants to do wondrous things in your lives. He will surprise you just as He surprised those new Christians in Corinth.

He is the Lord and the giver of life, and at every Mass the celebrant invokes Him to give us new life through the Body and Blood of the Lord. Through that new life we can join Him, helping Him as He does His saving work in the world.

Today Jesus offers us hope, a glimpse of light to overpower the darkness of our world:

We are not alone, He reminds us. God is with us, Jesus is with us, the Spirit is with us…now and forever.

The Bishops’ Choice

With a Biden/Harris administration imminent, many of our bishops have thankfully come to realize that they will not be able to continue their longtime flirtation with the Democrat Party. If the most recent statement by Archbishop Jose Gomez, President of the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), is any guide, maybe some of our bishops now know that the Democrats are no longer all that friendly to the Church. Indeed, the friendliness of those once-favored politicians, one that seemed so sincere, was nothing other than masked hostility. Anti-Semitism, anti-Catholicism, and the rejection of all things Christian is often declared openly by prominent Democrats without fear of reprisal by others in the party or by the mainstream media. 

Sadly, though, the bishops seem somewhat confused. Just days after the election, Archbishop Gomez encouraged the nation to come together "in a spirit of national unity" and then congratulated Joe Biden:

"...we recognize that Joseph R. Biden, Jr. has received enough votes to be elected the 46th President of the United States. We congratulate Mr. Biden and acknowledge that he joins the late President John F. Kennedy as the second United States president to profess the Catholic faith. We also congratulate Sen. Kamala D. Harris of California, who becomes the first woman ever elected as vice president."

But then, about a week later, Archbishop Gomez made a somewhat less enthusiastic statement, beginning again with a glance back to the Kennedy years:

"For only the second time, we are anticipating a transition to a president who professes the Catholic faith. This presents certain opportunities but also certain challenges."

He then addressed the perceived positives of the future Biden administration:

"The president-elect has given us reason to believe that his faith commitments will move him to support some good policies. This includes policies of immigration reform, refugees and the poor, and against racism, the death penalty, and climate change."

Here we encounter a litany of Democrat talking points, even though their policies only make things worse. How often do the bishops focus on the root cause of illegal immigration and condemn the leadership of the corrupt and authoritarian regimes that drive immigrants to our borders? Instead, they condemn our leaders who only carry out our nation’s laws.

The socialism being toyed with by so many Democrats is nothing more than a great equalizing mechanism that lowers everyone to the same impoverished level. The greatest poverty-reduction program is a growing and healthy free-market economy, one that provides employment and opportunity and doesn’t ship jobs overseas. 

As for racism, the Democrat Party supports the nation’s most inherently racist activity, for abortion is the leading cause of death in the nation's black community. Planned Parenthood, after all, was founded by a professional racist, Margaret Sanger, who desired nothing less that the eradication of all those lesser races. African American support for abortion is simply suicidal.

Unable to avoid the elephant in the room, the Archbishop continued by calling attention to Biden's policies on abortion:

"He has also given us reason to believe that he will support policies that are against some fundamental values that we hold dear as Catholics. These policies include: the repeal of the Hyde amendment and the preservation of Roe vs. Wade. Both of these policies undermine our preeminent priority of the elimination of abortion."

He then went on to mention other concerns about policies supported by Biden:

"...restoration of the HHS mandate, passage of the Equality Act, and unequal treatment of Catholic schools."

To refresh your memory, Obama's HHS mandate required the health insurance of religious organizations to include contraception, abortifacients, sterilization... (remember the Little Sisters of the Poor?). The Equality Act prohibits discrimination of homosexuals and others, even by religious organizations. A Catholic school should be able to hire only teachers who accept Church teaching on such issues as homosexuality and trans-genderism.

Abortion, of course, has long been a divisive issue, although for many bishops and priests the slaughter of the unborn was simply one small piece of the “seamless garment” representing all life issues. For too many years, abortion, if not tolerated, was at least overlooked so long as the bishops’ Democrat friends toed the line when it came to capital punishment, immigration, healthcare, and a host of other issues. Many bishops still follow this path. Cardinal Gregory of DC and Cardinal Tobin of Newark both come to mind.

Do you recall the enthusiasm among so many Catholic clergy when President Obama was elected. Obama sounded so thoughtful, so charitable, so socially just, so in tune with Church teaching on all the important things. Yes, his words told a wonderful, bright story of hope and change, but his actions...well, over time they pointed to something far darker. It took them a while, but some of the bishops eventually saw that the Democrats’ vision for the nation and the world is a future in which Judeo-Christian “values” – i.e., the truth -- will be strongly suppressed by a wiser government.

Of course, “truth” was another word missing from the Archbishop’s statement. Archbishop Gomez is instead almost apologetic. In a kind but concerned way, he apparently hopes that Joe Biden, the candidate who advertised his Catholic faith at every opportunity, will come to accept Church teaching. That, of course, is highly unlikely because his party’s key social policies openly reject that teaching. And one thing we know about Joe: he is first and foremost a Party man.

It will be interesting to observe how this relationship between bishops and president evolves. “This is a difficult and complex situation,” Archbishop Gomez reminded his colleagues, and then did what every bureaucrat does: he decided to form a committee, a working group “to emphasize our priorities and enhance collaboration.”

Good luck with that. One would think just focusing on the truth and holding Catholic politicians responsible when they reject the truth would be good enough. Are there bishops who think otherwise?

Oh, and don't think I believe the Republicans will save the day and support the Church. There may be a growing number of pro-life Republicans but they, too, are politicians and time in Washington tends to change folks. They simply hate to leave.

As the Psalmist reminds us:

Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no help [Ps 146:3].

Certainly, as disciples of Jesus Christ, we must work together to carry on God's saving work in the world, while always remembering it is God's work, not ours. And God's work is always very good.

China Virus Blues? Go to Church!

Gallup, the folks who just love to ask us all kinds of questions, decided to poll Americans on the state of their mental health in the midst of the current pandemic. The results of the poll are interesting, so interesting that many people have willfully suppressed them. The mainstream media, along with many Democrat governors and mayors, have ignored the poll results because they conflict with their beliefs and decisions vis-à-vis religious services. What did Gallup’s polling reveal?

The most striking result: only one demographic group actually experienced an improvement in mental health since the beginning of the pandemic. What group? As it turns out those who attend weekly church services were the only demographic that experienced an increase in mental health during the pandemic. In 2019, 42% of those who went to church weekly rated their mental health as excellent. In 2020, the number increased to 46%.

The following Gallup polling data shows the percentage of Americans in various demographic groups who rated their mental health as excellent in both 2019 and 2020, along with the direction and amount of change. Note: the only Americans showing an Increase are those who attend church services weekly. That 46% is also the highest among all the measured demographics.

Churches, particularly Catholic Churches, have also been singled out as remarkably safe venues. Combine that with the mental health benefits and I think the best thing you can do is attend Mass in person at least weekly.

Americans' Rating of Their Mental Health as Excellent, 

by Demographic Groups. 2019 vs. 2020

	2019	2020	Change
	%	%	% pts.
Gender
Male	49	41	-8
Female	37	27	-10
Party identification
Republican	56	41	-15
Independent	44	32	-11
Democrat	30	29	-1
Religious service attendance
Weekly	42	46	+4
Nearly weekly/Monthly	47	35	-12
Seldom/Never	42	29	-13
Race
White	45	35	-10
Non-White	40	32	-8
Marital status
Married	49	41	-8
Not married	37	27	-10
Age group
18-29	37	28	-9
30-49	40	32	-8
50-64	51	42	-9
65+	44	34	-10
Household income group
Under $40,000	33	27	-6
$40,000-$99,999	43	31	-12
$100,000 or more	57	45	-12