Venerable Fulton J. Sheen

Today Pope Benedict XVI announced that Fulton Sheen has been named venerable. This opens the door for a possible beatification of this American bishop. This news also comes on the same day as the Supreme Courts ruling concerning Obama Care. Fulton Sheen would make a great saint for this country especially for his concern for religious freedom. May Fulton Sheen interced for our nation especially as Forenight for Freedom continues on.

I have included a segment from Vererable Fulton J. Sheen's talk titled "The Freedom of Authority" which was given in 1932. I believe this text deals perfectly with the Church's concern for freedom. To read the whole text click here.

It is false to say that we can be absolutely free from law and authority, for freedom from law and authority is an illusion. The real problem is not whether we will accept law and authority, but rather, which law and authority we will accept. Even though this is a free country, I find that if I do not obey the authority of my government, then I shall have to accept the authority of a warden; if I do not accept the authority of the pure-food commission, then I shall have to accept the authority of the undertaker; if I do not accept the authority of the traffic lights, I shall have to accept the authority of the jailer. In religious matters, if I do not accept the authority of the Church, then I must accept the authority of public opinion. Public opinion is the common stalk of thought and sentiment created by human society, and in the realm of religion outside the Church it is practically always a compromise.

Modern religion affirms just as much spiritual and moral truth as in a given condition will keep society together – just so much and no more. It affirms not the whole law of God, but extracts from it, and only those extracts which seem to be the most useful for social purposes, and of which society itself will approve. For example, at the present time it dilates on the Sermon on the Mount, but says absolutely nothing about the Last judgment. It quotes, “Behold the lilies of the field,” but never the text, “What exchange shall a man give for his soul?” Again, modern religion has approved on aspect of the Divine Law concerning murder, and disapproved another, concerning divorce. The reason it does this is because public opinion believes murder to be destructive of society, but does not believe that divorce can be equally destructive of it in the long run. Religion thus compromises, or strikes and average between what is good and what is bad. It approves Christ only inasmuch as Christ approves it. It accepts His teachings and His authority only inasmuch as its maxims and its opinions approve those teachings.

Hence, the problem confronting the religious man of today is not whether he will obey of disobey law and authority; but which of the two he will obey, namely, the authority of public opinion, or the authority of Christ and tradition. And all thinking men, as a celebrated English essayist has put it, want a religion which is right, not when the world is right, but is right when the world is wrong, and by this he meant authority of the Church which holds to the teachings of Christ, even thought public opinion should cry out for the liberation of Barabbas, for the Church is built solidly upon the conviction that right is right if nobody’s right, and wrong is wrong if everybody’s wrong.

Thur 12th Week of OT Homily

1st Reading: 1 Kg 24:8-17

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 79:1-5,8-9

Gospel: Mt 7:21-29

We are given two images to grasp onto in today's Gospel. On one hand we have the rock that is hard, unmoving, and impenetratable. On the other hand we have the image of sand which is easy to move about to the point that a person is able to stick their hand inside and the sand will move about so that it can pass through. This cannot happen with the rock because it is sturdy and will not give way for anything that might wish to pass through it. Each of us possess out own interests and gifts, but at the end of the day they must be founded upon Christ the Rock. Christ should be the place that we find our firm foundation because if we place our foundation upon anything else it will be ever moving and unsturdy.

Blessed John XXIII would end his day with this prayer: "The Church is yours, Lord. I'm going to bed." In offering this short prayer he is realizing that at the end of the day his ministry is based upon the rock that is Jesus Christ. He is professing the reality that his ministry is not based in the interests of the world or for his own self gratification. He pointing to the reality that his home has not been built upon the moving sand, but upon the firm rock. This realization is important for us as we carry on our daily tasks because we do them not to impress the world or for our own self gratification, but for the greater glory of Christ our Rock.

If we carry on with lives that only desire to give glory to the world or to ourselves the Lord will be forced to say that He does not know us. This would be a true statement because if we have decided to leave Him out of the equation how can we expect to enter into a relationship with Him. May we go into the world and give glory to the name of the Lord who is our firm foundation that has come into the world to deliver us. In placing all of our trusts here we will be firmly rooted upon Christ our Lord.

Thur 11th Week of OT Homily

1st Reading: Sir 48:1-14

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 97:1-7

Gospel: Mt 6:7-15

Elijah was able to do wonderful things because of his trust inside of the Lord. His trust in God through prayer made Elijah into an unmovable object. No matter what he would have to endure in his ministry he would always draw upon the strength of the Lord. Elijah was able to bring the dead back to life only because he trusted in his relationship with God. There is nothing that Elijah could not do because of his great trust that he continually placed in the Lord. When we pray the "Our Father" we should place this same unmoving trust inside of the Lord that allowed Elijah to do such wondrous deeds.

The words of the "Our Father" we all know by heart. We pray this prayer each time that we gather together for the Mass, say the Rosary, or pray in the silence of our own homes. The "Our Father" is the perfect prayer that was given to us by Jesus Christ. This prayer contains prayers of intercession, asks for forgiveness of our sins, and for our ability to forgive those who have sinned against us. Each time that we pray this prayer we should not be rattling off words, but should be placing our minds and hearts fully into the prayer. When we allow ourselves to enter fully into this prayer we will become unmovable objects in the faith like Elijah.

Today we are kicking off an endeavor of prayer known as "Forenight for Freedom" throughout this diocese and in the United States. This parish will begin today with a Holy Hour from 3pm-4pm, so that we can gather as a parish community and pray for continued religious freedom within this country. Time spent in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar is the perfect way for us to begin this event. It is perfect because prayer is the way that we can conquer all things and must draw our strength. I invite each of you to join us for this occasion of prayer, so that we can rejoice in the Lord who is just.

Tues 11th Week of OT Homily

1st Reading: 1 Kgs 21:17-29

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 51:3-6,11,16

Gospel: Mt 5:43-48

We are given a command from Jesus at the end of this Gospel passage which should come off as impossible to answer. We are told: "So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." Of course each of us knows that we can never live up to the perfection that is found in God because each of us acknowledge the reality that we are sinners. Attempting to strive for this perfection should also come off as a scary reality after reading from 1st Kings today where we are told about Ahab and all the suffering that he would have to endure because of his lack of perfection.

Thankfully we see Ahab's desire to act out of humility because he was willing to acknowledge that was a sinner. We see him tear his garments, place a sackcloth upon himself, and fast as a way to conform himself more and more to the perfection of God. These acts of mortification of the flesh were Ahab's way to acknowledge his sinfulness and move himself away from his lack of perfection. We join with him as we say "be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned." In saying this we acknowledge the reality of our sinfulness, but also acknowledge the reality of God's great mercy.

May each of us today continue our work on earth to strive towards being more like our heavenly Father who is perfect. May we allow prayer into our lives, so that each day we can grow to be more and more like Christ. If we look to the saints we can see men and women who trusted in prayer and daily comforted themselves more and more to the perfection of God. Today we remember Saint Romuald who was a monk whose example showed many of the possibility of turning away from sin. Through his example may we cry out: "Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned" as we strive daily to conform ourselves daily to the perfection found in our heavenly Father.

Letter from Bishop Stika

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Four months ago I shared with you the deep concern that I and all my brother bishops have regarding the unprecedented attack upon our most cherished freedom guaranteed by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution—our religious liberty. Unfortunately, our concerns have only grown more acute and worrisome. This is a threat that transcends every religious affiliation and affects every person of conscience, such that no Catholic or Catholic institution will be unaffected.

If your source of information regarding this threat has only been the secular media, you could be led to believe that the bishops’ concerns are unwarranted, exaggerated, or even politically motivated—or made to believe that this is really only about a “crusade” against birth control. But I can assure you that it is none of these. Why then this bias in reporting?

History demonstrates that whenever there is an erosion of religious freedom and rights of conscience, there is a corresponding rise of anti-Catholicism, and this is the pattern we see today. “Catholic bashing,” said to be “a national past-time,” has risen to new levels of indecency, with even full page advertisements smearing the Church and her teachings and calling upon Catholics to “quit” in protest, featured in major newspapers. And yet, it is only the Catholic Church that is attacked in such ways.

This is why Catholics across the nation, led by their bishops, will be observing a “Fortnight for Freedom” from June 21to July 4, 2012. This 14 day period is meant to help every Catholic to become better informed, not only about religious freedom, but about our Catholic faith. It is a time for us to consider what it truly means to be a Catholic and to stand up against these attacks upon our freedom to exercise our faith.

Our freedoms are something to be grateful for. We are Americans and we are Catholic, and our allegiances though distinct, need not be contradictory. So when our government forces us to choose between two citizenships, we must stand up for the one that is of Heaven. We will give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, but we cannot give to Caesar what belongs only to God—our conscience.

Let me be very clear. There is no government creed that can supersede the Creed we profess in every Mass. Nor is there any self-appointed government spokesperson, even should they profess to be Catholic, who can impose boundaries and restrict our preaching and living the Gospel and expressing it in our works of mercy. But only to the bishops in union with the Pope is it given by divine right to not only teach the truth of the Gospel, but to safeguard and protect it against all that is contrary.

So I have asked all our pastors to observe this “Fortnight for Freedom” in their parishes, to conduct Holy Hours of prayer, to preach on religious liberty, and to utilize the educational materials available from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, at www.fortnight4freedom.org.

And so I ask all of you to join in solidarity with me, and with all our priests, deacons and religious, to pray for our country, our government leaders, and for the protection of our religious freedoms. I also ask for your prayers, and for you to especially pray for all the bishops and priests in our country, that we will not be lacking in courage or resolve to defend the Gospel. Please be assured of my continued prayers for all of you. May God bless you.

Sincerely in Christ,

+ Richard F. Stika

Bishop of Knoxville

11 Sun of OT Year B Homily

1st Reading: Ez 17:22-24

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 92:2-3,13-16

2nd Reading: 2 Cor 5:6-10

Gospel: Mk 4:26-34

Can anyone see what I am holding inside of my hand? I am sure that your answer is no because I am holding a small seed in the palm of my hand. With the vast size of this Church there would be no way to tell that this is a seed. If planted and taken care of properly this seed would eventually grow into a tree. If a tree was to grow right here each and everyone of you would be able to see it without a problem no matter how far back you happen to be sitting. Each of our readings from today's Mass deal with the vastness of our lives and how they should be held in relationship with God through faith. If your faith in God happens to be small then it would just about be impossible to see your faith. On the other hand if your faith in God is great it will become a beacon of God to the whole world. No matter where we find our faith today it can always grow into something more. The Church gives us many opportunities that we can take advantage of if we desire our faith in God to grow.

Each of us here has been given the tools needed to grow in our faith. There is not one person who is present here today who is so lacking in these tools that their faith cannot turn into something greater. In our Gospel we are told about the mustard seed and how from this little seed a large plant is able to grow. It is true that this will happen to the seed, but we must keep in mind that it must be taken care of. This seed will need to be nourished by the sun and by water if it is ever to take off and grow into something far superior then the tiny mustard seed. The mustard seed is like our faith in God because it must also be nourished and taken care of if we will ever be able to hope that it will grow into something that is strong and sturdy. If we deprive our faith of its nourishment it will never turn into something greater, but in time will die. The same goes for the mustard seed because without the nourishment that it will receive it will never grow into the massive plant, but will die.

Our reading from Ezekiel speaks about the mighty tree that has been grown. This mighty tree has been placed on top of a mountain and therefore all people can see the beauty of this tree. Despite how mighty this tree may seem as it towers above everything around it; the Lord remains mightier. At any moment this tree can be struck down and can be caused to wither and therefore without the assistance of the Lord would not be able to exist. Our faith relies upon the Lord and it must be grounded in worship to Him. We cannot expect to never give time to God and at the same time be able to be inside of a relationship with Him. We must allow ourselves to make time for God at every moment of our lives. The Church provides us with many tools where we can enter deeper into this reality and begin to take advantage of a relationship that is built upon a relationship with God. Prayer is the key and we have many ways where we can begin to grow inside of this area. The Rosary, adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, and the Mass are only a few ways that we can grow closer to God.

Saint Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians reminded all of us of our yearning to grow closer to the Lord. Each of us lives by faith and therefore we should do all in our power to nourish that faith, so that it may grow stronger. The ultimate form of nourishment that we can give to our faith is that of prayer. Once we begin to enter more and more into this important area of our lives we can finally let go of those areas that are holding us back in our growth of faith. This is indeed a very busy world that we live in and it can become easy for us to get caught up inside of the events of our everyday lives without ever making time for God. Finding time for prayer during the busy moments of our day is a must for each of us who are yearning to grow closer to the Lord. Once we allow our faith to be nourished by an authentic direction towards prayer we can finally go into the world and direct others towards Christ and His love.

Our faith therefore can place us on top of a high mountain for the world to see. If we are able to devote time to God in prayer it will become noticeable to those around us. People will look up at our ever developing faith and will feel drawn to share in the faith that we pocess. Each of the saints of the Church pocessed great faith in God that was unmovable and through that faith other people were drawn to follow after their example of holiness. These saints had to nurture their relationship with God every day and so they drew closer to Him through the use of an ever growing prayer life. This ability that we have to inspire other people in the faith is very important for us to hold up in high regard because when we go into the world and live out lives contrary to our faith we do it much damage. People know that we call ourselves Christian and see us acting out contrary to the life of a person with faith will never be drawn to the seriousness that exists within our faith.

Therefore my brothers and sisters in Christ may each of us grow into people of great faith. May we look into the vastness of our lives and see how we are drawn together by Christ. May we allow prayer to work within our lives, so that we may be drawn closer to God and His divine plan for us. Through drawing closer to God in this manner each of us can begin to grow in faith more and more with each day that passes. With our ever growing faith we can become a light that shines brightly from the darkness and invites others to come and join us in our great faith. When our faith is presented to the world in this manner there will no missing what is going on inside of our lives because it will be most evident what we stand for. We will be like the tree which is sturdy and unmoving in matters of faith because we gave time out of the busyness of our lives to give it much nourishment. May we continue to strive onward and nourish our faith through prayer because we will then be vigorous and sturdy in giving thanks to the Lord.

Thur 10th Week of OT Homily

1st Reading: 1 Kgs 18:41-46

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 65:10-13

Gospel: Mt 5:20-26

About three weeks ago the History Channel premeared it's three part series covering the fued between the Hatfields and the McCoys. Even if you did not watch this program hearing these names has to at least bring to mind the fued that existed between these two families. Every day for them brought back memories of betrayel caused during the Civil War that could never be put to rest. Their anger rose to such great heights that these families did not have to think twice when they were putting each other to death. This amout of anger and hate might not be felt among us, but we can defiantly say that there are times when will allow our anger to get the best of us.

In today's Gospel Jesus is telling us how we must put any anger that we have aside. We cannot hold onto these feelings and eventually allow ourselves to be overcome by them. We are instructed by Christ that even calling our brothers and sisters in Christ names is punishable against His commandments. All of us can think of times that we have allowed our tongues to get carried away at the expense of other people. Out of respect for the humanity that they deserve we must refrain from speaking against them and instead allow our tongues to express the reality that Christ dwells within the depths of their souls.

We are told in this Gospel passage that we must "go" "and be reconciled with your brother" at the moment that we realize that we have wronged them in any way. As a Church we profess and teach reconciliation and forgiveness which means that we must also share this reality with those who we meet. If we find ourselves angry with somebody we must seek the proper form of reconciliation which can finally bring healing into our lives. We defently do not want time to pass us bye and in return leave us inshrined within history as holding to the same amount of anger as is documented within the lives of the Hatfields and McCoys.

Corpus Christi Year B Homily

1st Reading: Ex 24:3-8

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 116:12-13,15-18

2nd Reading: Heb 9:11-15

Gospel: Mk 14:12-16,22-26

One question that I constantly get asked is what attracted me to becoming a priest. The answer to this question comes with many different responses from the various stages of my life. I can easily say that one of my earliest memories of the Church was the Eucharist. As a child I could not tell you a thing about the theology behind the Eucharist, but I could defiantly say that something important was going on at the altar. As a child I would often draw pictures of the priest holding up the host that had been consecrated. These drawings showed that in my mind this was the most profound moment of the Mass. As a child I would also celebrate my own Mass fully vested in the garments of the priest and present to a Congregation of stuffed animals. A necco wafer made the perfect host for my rendition of the Mass. Yet again the Eucharist was central and I believe that helped me along my path towards this calling.

It is hard to fathom that on June 2nd I was ordained a priest and then on the following day I was able to act "In the Person of Christ" by holding the host out and saying "This is my Body" and then being able to hold out that chalice and say "This is my Blood." At this moment these objects did not become a representation of the Eucharist, but truly became the Body and Blood of Christ. Today we come to this Church to celebrate the gift that comes to us through the Eucharist. We come here to say "Amen" and to receive Christ into our lives. This "Amen" is not something that should be taken lightly because by saying this word we are agreeing that we believe all that the Church teaches to us and agree most profoundly that we believe with out faltering that this is truly the Body and Blood of Christ. Each of us has a calling from God to achieve holiness in our everyday lives and making the Eucharist central in our lives is most important in achieving this task.

For all of us here we need to allow the Eucharist to be at the heart of all that we do with our lives. Without the gift of the Eucharist the Church would not be able to exist. It is through the Eucharist that we are able to join together as a community of faith and be connected with all the Masses that have been, will be, and are being said throughout the world. The Eucharist is always present to us inside of the tabernacle and is calling out to each of us to come before the Body of Christ in prayer. Each of us has a calling that comes to us from God and it should be through the graces that are given inside of the Eucharist that this calling should be nourished. If you have been called to enter into the vocation of marriage you should allow the Eucharist to be at the heart of your relationship. If you are praying concerning your future it should be in unison with the Eucharist that these plans should be made. The Body and Blood of Christ is a healing sacrifice that is being offered daily in our lives.

Our first and second readings give us a perfect glimpse into the healing sacrifice that comes to us in the form of the Eucharist. Our reading from Exodus shows the need that people had for sacrifice inside of their everyday lives. They needed this sacrifice because they had been separated from God through the sin of Adam and Eve and now are in search of a way to come back into union with God. This sacrifice that was offered was very bloody and the sacrifice was brought about by the priest. This sacrifice would happen at an altar where the animal would be brought to be tied up and sacrificed to the Lord. Therefore it is with the coming of Christ that all people could be made clean through the sacrifice that was offered on Calvary. No longer do we dwell in a world that needs animals to be sacrificed upon the altar for the atonement of sins because Christ has come into the world and was sacrificed once and for all. Because of this freely given sacrifice each of us are invited to enter into His sanctuary and receive the precious Body and Blood of Christ the High Priest.

Mark's Gospel is pointing out to us today that we must each trust inside of the Eucharist as Christ's apostles did. Christ knew that His death was quickly coming and He wanted His twelve apostles to follow after Him and to continue to offer the Eucharist throughout the ages. He instructed His first priests on how they were to offer this new Passover meal to the people of the world. Before the offering of this meal Christ sent two of his disciples ahead of Him to prepare for the Passover meal. Each of us are continually being invited to prepare ourselves before we come to partake of the Body and Blood of Christ. May we take advantage of the silence that the Mass offers us as we prepare to accept such an important gift in our lives. May our preparation for this great gift be able to aid us in growing closer to the Sacrament of the Altar and thus to God.

Today may each of us join in this great solemnity that calls to mind the importance of the Body and Blood of Christ. I know that the Eucharist has been important inside of my life as I have progressed towards ordination to the priesthood. I know that Christ is continually inviting each of us to come and receive His Body and Blood, so that we may grow closer to His divine love. Let us not continue to stand by idly, but may we continue to prepare our hearts and souls to receive Christ in the Eucharist. Through this preparation our "Amen" will sound to Heaven before we receive the Sacrament because through the use of this word we profess that we believe and trust in all that the Church teaches. Through our decision to say "Amen" we are making the commitment to draw closer to Christ through the reception of this Sacrament in order that we may call upon the name of the Lord.

Ordination to Priesthood

I have attached a few pictures from my ordination to the priesthood which happened on June 2nd at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Knoxville. I want to thank all for their prayers and support on the day of my ordination. I especially want to thank my family, brother priests, Knights of Columbus, and the Council of Catholic Women for all of their continued support. It is truly a blessing to be a priest of Jesus Christ and to serve the people of the Diocese of Knoxville. I am looking forward to getting to my assignment of Saint Mary's Church in Oak Ridge at the start of July.