3rd Sunday of OT Year B Homily

Christ is currently inviting each of us to follow after Him each day. Of course this invitation is a hard one to respond to because it requires us to enter into the unknown and thus to have total unending faith in Christ. This is even true of the apostles whom Christ called in our Gospel. They were going about the mundane activities of any other day when they were called to leave everything behind that they were doing and to come and follow after Him. Their decision to do this was a tough one to make because it was as a fishermen that they worked and thus in return it was as a fisherman that they made their living, but Christ called them to follow after Him and they did so leaving behind all the comfortability of their daily life to follow after this man who had called them.

We in this day and age fear the reality of commitment because commitment requires us to change some aspect of our life as we currently know it to be. It is Christ who calls couples to marriage, it is Christ who calls men to be priests, it is Christ who calls both men and women to the religious life, and thus too it is Christ who calls all of us towards holiness and to eventually enter into the rewards of the Heavenly Kingdom. There is not one person here (married, single, young, or old) who Christ has not called to make a commitment to Him; that we will follow after Him no matter where it may be that He leads us. No matter how tough the path that He sets before us nor how much we are unsure of where it is that we are being led; we must trust with unending faith placed in Christ and in return set out upon what He desires of us.

Therefore we can say that Christ has called each of us by name and that we must each answer His call. It is for this reason that the 2015 bishop's appeal has been entitled "Answering His Call." Msgr. John Enzler of the ArchDiocese of Washington DC states: "Remember that each day is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift to God." It is through the annual bishop's appeal that we are able to sustain the many ministries of the diocese that one parish could never support on their own. The bishop's appeal allows us to show by our stewardship that we are not just a little parish in Oak Ridge, but instead that we are a diocese built of many parishes and thus many people. The bishop's appeal allows us to join together and to respond to God's profound call for us to not only respond to Him, but also to the needs of those around us.

So what exactly is it that we are able to support with our pledge to the annual bishop's appeal? Through it we are able to support the continued education of our priests and also the formation of our seminarians. This parish receives the reward to this because of its priests and in the pews today are young men who have been called by God by name to follow after Him as one of His priests. May you fear not to answer this most profound call. Money also goes to support Christian formation which includes our religious education program and our parish school that we are most fond of. It is a true work of this parish to support the children and teachers of our school and desire to give them the means necessary to continue to be a light that shines brightly to build up the Catholic faith. This appeal goes to aid the charitable works of Catholic Charities as well as supporting the new mobile clinic which goes out to bring medical support to the impoverished. Finally this appeal goes to assist campus ministry that our youth may retain their faith and this appeal also supports efforts of justice and peace that proclaims the Gospel of Life to the world.

May we indeed always be open to God's call in our life. It is not always easy to respond to such a call, but indeed in the end it is always worth it. I hope that you will continue to strengthen the vocation that God has called you to through your unending trust in Him and the abandonment of all which impedes upon this reality. To our youth it is my hope that you will silence the busyness of your life in order to hear God's profound call that is coming to your ears; and please embrace it and not run away from it in fear. May we as a parish community truly support our annual bishop's appeal in order that we may assist in making God's call heard among our youth, among the impoverished, among those how have become abandoned and cast to the side, and thus in return to all of us who desire to follow after Christ and that call that He makes to us today.

2nd Sunday After Epiphany Homily (Extraordinary Form)

The Epiphany celebrates the reality that Christ has manifested Himself to the whole world as God. When most think about the Epiphany they only think about the visit of the magi to the manger of Christ at the exclusion of the other events that are being celebrated. For the Greek Orthodox the Epiphany clearly celebrates not only the visit of the magi, but also the baptism of the Lord, and finally the miracle performed at the wedding feast of Cana. All three of these events are Christ's manifestation to the whole world as being God and therefore they are all actually being celebrated on Epiphany Sunday. For us in the West this reality still holds as true, but if we remember this past Sunday in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord was celebrated and today in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite we hear this Gospel passage which takes us to the wedding feast of Cana which is the final manifestation that is being celebrated on the Epiphany.

We are familiar with the fact that when the magi traveled to adore Christ they brought with them the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myth. Gold was to point out that this child was a great King, frankincense was to proclaim that this child was God, and finally myth was offered to point that He is our savior who would die in atonement for our sin. When Christ was baptized in the Jordan by John the Baptist we must remember that at this moment the Heavens opened and the Spirit of God descended upon Him like a dove and said "with my Son I am well pleased." This moment comes as another manifestation to the whole world that Christ is not simply human, but is also God who has come to dwell with us. This then brings us to today's Gospel which brought us to the wedding feast of Cana where Christ worked the great miracle of changing water into wine. This miracle further proclaims the reality that Christ is truly God who has come to dwell with us as the Word made Flesh.

If we have faith in his reality that is being proclaimed to us and to the whole world we in return will respond to the Gospel message with our life. We cannot simply profess Christ to be the Word made Flesh and come to receive Him in the Holy Eucharist without also allowing our life to be transformed. For those who were present when this great miracle took place at the wedding feast we can see in good faith that a transformation took place not only in the water turned into wine, but also in the hearts of those who beheld such a wondrous mystery. It is from this miracle that scripture tells us that His disciples believed in Him. Through the encounter that they had with the Word made Flesh at the wedding feast their faith in Christ was forever transformed.

So often we live out our life of faith as if we have yet to fully come to the realization that Christ is the Word made Flesh. We go about our life as if the events that play out in the course of the day are segregated from our life of faith. Nevertheless, we must eventually come to the transformation that the disciples experienced when they came to believe in Him at the Wedding Feast of Cana. Saint Mary gives us the glimpse into this need with her simple command of "do whatever He tells you." So often we know what our Lord desires of us, but fear the transformation that might be expected in return. Many of our youth run away from our Lord's calling to become a priest or sister because they fear that they are not good enough. Young couples enter into marriage without first asking themselves what God is truly wanting from them and therefore the sacrifices that will be necessary to sustain such a relationship.

May we truly allow ourself to be transformed with our encounter with the Word made Flesh this day. In the Eucharist we will come to encounter Christ that desires us to come and follow after Him and in return to be transformed. Where sin and fear are found may we will be willing to be transformed through our encounter with Christ this day. May we truly allow ourself to let go of all that impedes upon this relationship and to surrender it to Christ who desires that we may be made whole instead of lost and wondering about. May we truly be transformed by the Word made Flesh as the disciples were when they encountered Christ's miracle made manifest at the Wedding Feast of Cana.    

Baptism of the Lord Year B Homily

Merry Christmas to all of you. Today our celebration of the Baptism of the Lord brings us to the conclusion of the Christmas season. Throughout the course of the Christmas season we have professed that God took on our human flesh in the second person of the Holy Trinity which is to say that God now dwells with us. This message cannot remain secluded in a manger and is not a message that was simply made for the shepherds and magi who came to do Him homage. Last week we celebrated the Epiphany where we were reminded that the message of God made flesh being resonated throughout the whole world was represented by the magi's visit to the manger. Now today, through Christ's baptism in the Jordan, we are reminded of the importance that baptism plays within our own life. Here we are reminded that baptism has imparted new life upon each of us, new life which has united us to the Holy Trinity in a most special way. Due to this reality we must always set before our eyes that which was begun in us at our baptism.

At our baptism we were not simply configured to the Lord at that one point in time, but instead through our baptism our life has been changed forever. Through our baptism we have been forever oriented towards Christ whom we discover in the manger during this Christmas season. Seeing that baptism has forever changed our life and has oriented us towards Him we must take it upon ourself to continue to live out what was begun in us on that day. As we should know, the living out of our baptismal promises are not always easy. It is tough at times to keep our faith firmly placed upon what was begun within us on that day & it is also tough to continue to step out upon the straight path that leads to Christ through our resisting of sin and temptation. Nevertheless, no matter how hard it is to live out what was begun in us at our baptism we must stay firmly grounded in the continuation of this sacrament through the living out of this tension especially through the faithful reception of the sacraments that always bring us back to Christ.

Anytime that you have the opportunity to attend a baptism or even on Easter Day itself you receive the opportunity to renew your baptismal promises. To each question that is asked we know that our response is "I do." Here the use of "I do" is very similar to what we say prior to receiving Holy Communion where an "amen" is given in order to signify that you believe not only in Christ present in the Eucharist, but also in everything that the Church professes and teaches. So often we pass by our "I do" given at the renewal of our baptismal promises as if they are without meaning. So to with our "amen" given prior to receiving our Lord in Holy Communion because we are used to saying what is requested of us without moving on to reflect deeper upon the significance of our words. And so we are asked: Do you reject Satan? And all his works? And all his empty promises? Do you believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of Heaven and earth?  Do you believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, Who was born of the Virgin Mary, was crucified, died, and was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father? Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting?

Each of these statements are most important because they renew within us our commitment to what was begun in us on the day of our baptism. May our "I do" or even our "amen" always signify our commitment to what was begun in us on that wondrous day of our baptism. When Christ was baptized in the Jordan He went plunged into the water to signify His death, but then He rose again from the waters to signify the new life that springs forth with the Resurrection. We to have been plunged into these waters in order to put our sin to death and we have then raised forth from them as a new creature who will always be oriented towards God. 

It was Saint John John the Baptist who prepared us for the coming of the Messiah throughout the season of Advent with his command to make straight the way to the Lord. This day we again encounter Saint John the Baptist who now points the way to the Messiah who dwells with us. From Saint John's Gospel we are told "He must increase, I must decrease." Indeed we must allow our Lord to increase in our life by the way that we continue to live out what was begun in us on the day of our baptism. May we always allow nothing to impede this relationship, but instead may we continue to come to the mercy and forgiveness of Christ who always sheds the water of new life upon us.

Epiphany Homily

Merry Christmas to all of you and happy New Year. Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. The word "epiphany" means manifestation and so what we celebrate today is our Lord's manifestation to the whole world. As we know and profess Christ is the Word made Flesh which means that He is God who now dwells among us. The shepherds were given this great news and now the magi too traveled to proclaim and give adoration at this most profound reality. As they journeyed they knew that the one who they sought was the Word made Flesh and thus the gifts that they brought with them proclaimed this profound reality to the world. They represent that the importance of the Christmas message was not made in private and thus extended only to a few, but instead that this message extended throughout the whole world as it continues to do to this day.

Through their three gifts they proclaim three realities which are true of Christ. The gift of gold proclaims Christ to be a king, the gift of incense was offered because He is God, and finally the gift of myrrh was given to acknowledge that He is the Savior would die on our behalf. The magi sacrificed a lot from their life to make this journey, and yet this sacrifice was most necessary for them to make because they knew that all the sacrifices in the world were worth the opportunity to fall in adoration to our Lord. The magi were educated men, after all, and therefore they knew of the coming of the savior and were able to interpret that all of history was pointing its way to this one moment in the course of time. With this they left all to follow the light of a star that brought them to the great light that shines forth from the darkness found within this world through Christ; who laid in a manger poor and defenseless, and yet still God made man.

Through the gift that is the Holy Eucharist we too are given the invitation to join with the magi who now look upon Christ. We are able to join with them in the joy of the Christmas message that now extends throughout the world each and every time that we look upon the Eucharist. Within the Holy Eucharist we too behold the Word which has taken on our human flesh; not in some manner of mere representation, but instead with the fact that what we behold is truly Christ's Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. As everything in the course of scripture and history points its way towards the coming of God taking on our human flesh, so to is the case with the Eucharist. Scripture and history points its way to the reality that the Eucharist is not mere bread and wine, but instead is truly Christ's Body and Blood. All the actions of the Mass point themselves towards the Eucharist which is the Word made Flesh and which is also the source and summit of our faith.

When we come to adore Christ who is present in the Eucharist, when we receive Him worthily, and when we allow ourself to center around Christ present in the Eucharist we too join in the magi's adoration of professing Him to be King, to be God, and to be the one who has come to take away the sin of the world. To demand that the action of asking those in the state serious sin or those from other faith traditions to refrain from receiving the Eucharist is unjust; is to miss the mark of understanding what the Eucharist truly is. The Eucharist is not something that we receive just because everyone else does, the Eucharist of course is not bread and wine that has been left unchanged, but instead the Eucharist is truly the Word made Flesh. Sin and the way that we live our life can and will put our relationship with Christ to death. We cannot simply allow this to be so, but instead we must come before the Word made Flesh contained in the Holy Eucharist to bring Him proper homage, adoration, and glory as the magi were able to give.

And so on this Epiphany Sunday where we celebrate Christ's manifestation to the whole world may we join with the magi in coming to understand who Christ truly is. May we come to this profound understanding of being able to proclaim Him as King, God, and Savior by the way that we approach the Eucharist. From the Council of Trent's Decree on the Eucharist we are told: "' (The Eucharist) is the same God whom the Magi fell down and worshiped, and finally, the same God whom the apostles adored in Galilee as Scripture says." May we truly take serious the Eucharist this day and always; that we may join with the magi in humble adoration each time we approach the Mass, each time we behold the Eucharist, and each time we receive our Lord into our heart and soul.

Announcement of Moveable Feasts

Know, dear brethren,

that, as we have rejoiced

at the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ,

so by leave of God's mercy

we announce to you also,

the joy of his Resurrection,

who is our Saviour.

On the 18th day of February will fall Ash Wednesday, 

and the beginning of the fast of the most sacred Lenten season.

On the 5th day of April

you will celebrate with joy Easter Day,

and the Paschal feast of our Lord Jesus Christ.

On the 14th day of May

will be the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ.

On the 24th day of May,

the feast of Pentecost

On the 7th day of June,

the feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. 

On the 29th day of November,

the First Sunday of the Advent

of our Lord Jesus Christ,

to whom is honor and glory for ever and ever.

Amen.

Mary Mother of God Homily

Merry Christmas to all of you! At the heart of the Christmas season is the event of the Incarnation which is the moment when the Word became flesh and thus came to dwell among us. As we begin this new calendar year we celebrate with joy the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God which again, found at the heart of this day is the event of the Incarnation which is the moment when the Word became flesh and thus came to dwell among us. This celebration brings to a close the octave of Christmas in the same way that it began on December 25th in a manger where God came to dwell among us. For this reason we refer to Mary as the Mother of God or as the Theotokos which is Greek for the Godbearer. We profess that it was through this spotless vessel that God chose to come and to dwell with us out of love and thus to release us from our bonds towards sin.

As we depart upon this new year may we always remember the importance of our blessed Mother's intercession upon us and upon our families. It is easy to get caught up in the actions of our life to the point where religion and thus Christ has been pushed far from our midst. As we enter into this new year we do not yet fully know what joy or hardship awaits us around the corner. But no matter what it is that we must bear during this new year may we always be brought back to Christ through our Blessed Mother's intercession. She always leads us towards the path that will eventually lead us to discover her Son, Jesus Christ. In the midst of every joy that will arise in our life we need Jesus Christ and with every hardship that is forced upon us we need the rock of our faith who is Jesus Christ. If we enter into this new year exempt from this reality we will never truly be able to encounter true joy nor will we ever be able to overcome the hardships that arise in the course of this year.

Before the creation of time itself God desired to take on our human flesh. He therefore chose our Blessed Mother to be the spotless vessel that would usher the second Person of the Holy Trinity into the world. Mary was conceived without sin and tradition holds that at a young age she was left at the temple to be raised in both scripture and wisdom. She had full knowledge of the coming of the Messiah and thus understood the urgency that came with the Angel Gabriel's greeting. In her great humility she lowered herself to God with her "yes" given to the angel. She then raised her Son into adulthood when He would depart upon His public ministry which would eventually lead to the cross. When He hung upon the cross she was there and it was here that He states to all of us this day in the words of Saint John's Gospel: "Behold your mother."

 

May we indeed behold our mother this day. She desires to never lead us away from her Son, but instead always leads us towards Him. As we get bogged down with the busyness of life we cannot forget our Mother whose heart was always centered upon her Son. As we experience joys in this upcoming year we cannot forget our Mother whose joy was fully felt when God chose her to become the God-bearer. When we run into hardship we cannot forget our Mother who looked upon the bruised body of her Son who had died upon the cross for our salvation. From the time that stretched from the Annunciation to the crucifixion Mary joins with each of us in every joy and sorrow that we can ever come to endure. Indeed may we always take to heart our Lord's words from the cross "Behold your mother" because these words lead us to the fruit of her womb which is her Son, Christ our Lord."

Mary's vocation as being a mother has not ended with the death of her Son, but instead her vocation continues with each of us. As we depart upon this new year may we not do so without her who desires for us to come and know her Son. Where sin is found we cannot claim that we have fully come to know her Son. Where despair is found we cannot claim that we have fully come to know her Son. May we continue to rejoice at the reality that is the Word made flesh as we allow our Blessed Mother to aid us in coming to discover her Son. We are now left to look at the year that now lays behind us and to look forward to the year that lays ahead as we do so through our Blessed Mother who leads us not towards the pride of our self centeredness, but instead towards the humility that is encounter with the event of the Incarnation which is the moment when the Word became flesh and thus came to dwell among us.