Most Holy Trinity Homily Year B

All of us are aware of the word "charity." We know that charity is one of three theological virtues that we petition for whenever we begin the Most Holy Rosary. When I say the word charity I am sure that many minds are simply taken to the notion of giving money to those who are in need. Whenever we give freely from ourself we are in return performing an action of charity, but charity goes much deeper then this. Caritas is the Latin word for charity and thus it is a word that is applied to a love that is so great that it is both mutually giving and completely pouring over. The only place where we can find this perfect offering of this type of love that is known as charity is through the Most Holy Trinity whose reality we get to celebrate on this great solemnity that has been bestowed today upon the Church.

The Trinity is the manifestation of One God in Three Persons that has always existed in this manner: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. What kind of love would God be if He were not present in three Persons? If all that we had was the Father we would end up with the error of having a God who is self-centered. If God simply manifested Himself as the Father and the Son we would only have two who are so enamored with each other that their love has become exclusive. When we add the Holy Spirit to this mix we can see that this love that is given and which is received is something that is both mutual and self giving. The love that is found between the Father and the Son, therefore, begets another. The love that is found within the Trinity is so giving that it becomes creative. If we are ever to truly desire to grow in our ability to be charitable we too must come to emulate this love that is both giving and mutual.

We have found many ways to destroy our participation in the life of the Trinity. Our bishop constantly reminds his priests that they are not to be bachelors because they are celibate. Indeed if priests acted as bachelors they would only be serving themselves as one who is only concerned for himself instead of desiring to pour himself completely out of love in order to serve those who have been entrusted to his Fatherly care. The love that is found within the priest must therefore emulate what is discovered within the Trinity. Founded upon the love of the Trinity we will better be able to treat others with the reality that they were created in the image and likeness of God and therefore are a Temple of the Holy Spirit.

If the purpose of love at its very foundation is to emulate the love that is found within the Trinity and thus be something that is both mutual and self giving it is no wonder why the Church speaks so strongly against the serious sin that is the use of contraception. Why, but because it perverts what the marital embrace should be and in return it lowers "love" to be about the service of one or it turns "love" into a lust that fails to be giving, mutual, and creative. This is a great perversion of natural law because it takes something that was created as good and in return twists it into an evil action because it has no longer been ordered towards its proper purpose. Contraception leads to the breakdown of the family because it is a complete perversion of what love truly is. The Trinity, on the other hand, is a love so great that it is the complete opposite of what our culture would lead us to believe that love is. 

Love is not about using one as if they are a means to an end because this does respect their humanity. When we place a barrier in the way we are unable to love because we don't want to do so freely. In the Trinity no barriers are found, but all three Persons of the Trinity who freely give to the other asking for nothing in return. This love that is both mutual and giving is the perfect foundation for us if we are ever to grow in the virtue of charity with all those whom we encounter. This charitable love, as is founded upon the Trinity, must flow into relations among married couples, among the ordained, among children, among coworkers, among those who we cannot stand, and thus among all those whom we might encounter within this life. The Lord has chosen us to be His own and thus we too are able to elevate ourself towards the perfect love that flows forth from the Most Holy Trinity. May we therefore, always allow the Most Holy Trinity to be our basis for entering into this most charitable type of love.

Ascension Year B Homily

Thankfully the apostles have done more then simply look up at the sky and ponder for themselves what could have been. This Jesus whom they have been with especially during these past forty days since the Resurrection, had now seemingly been taken away from them. What they had just experienced was shocking and therefore their response was understandable, but thankfully they were reminded that they could not simply look up, but instead that they must always look forward and thus go out into the world to help establish Christ's Church on this earth. After all, Christ's Ascension did not mean that He would now be separated from them for all time, but instead pointed towards His true divinity which we know to be true from the words of Saint John's Gospel: "In the Beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word became flesh."

We so often allow ourself to get caught up glancing upwards at the sky wondering about what could of been. We need this same reminder that the apostles received to realize that we must always be moving forward instead of remaining stuck in our never ending litany of fears. Our faith is something that is alive and well, but so often we don't trust in it, but instead we allow ourself to trust in our many fears and insecurities. From time to time, we must be tapped upon the shoulder and thus in return be asked the same question that the apostles received: "Why are you standing there looking at the sky?" Do we not realize that Christ is still preset with us, do we not realize that the Holy Spirit is still in our midst and is always leading us forward, and do we not realize that out faith is still alive and well because it is founded upon Christ Himself?

(Not at 10AM Mass) Certain polls may speak of the diminishment of Christianity within our own country, especially that of Catholicism. We cannot be afraid of these numbers, but instead may we realize the need to stick close to the Church and faithfully profess what she believes instead of simply desiring the Church to cater to us. People desire in their heart to encounter the truth. It is no wonder then, that people fall away, because they have never been properly taught the Catholic faith nor have they come to a perfect understanding of the Sacraments. To be Catholic for them is only statement of culture. The Ascension tells us that we cannot get caught up looking into the sky, but instead are to be sent forth like the apostles who went out to preach the unity of faith and to draw all souls into that perfect unity that can only be encountered here.

(10AM Mass Only) At this Mass we have the honor of having our graduating seniors in our midst. You have been through a lot to get to this point in your life and I promise you that you still have a lot that you must endure before your life on this earth comes to its end; from graduating college, joining the workforce, discerning your vocation and faithfully living it out (many of you will be married, maybe someone will be a priest, and maybe at least one of you is called to the consecrated life, but above all you are all called to be saints), and thus in time you like all of us here will die; hopefully a holy death. Realize that you cannot look up to the sky and be afraid to move into any of life's stages. You are not alone because Christ remains in your midst. Do not allow yourself to move away from here at the sacrifice of your relationship with God and the Sacraments of the Church; this would be a huge mistake. Despite the many fears, pains, joys, and surprises that lay ahead for each of you please realize that Christ's Ascension gives us a great joy. 

Through the Ascension, Christ has now gone before us in order that the gates to Heaven may be opened wide on our behalf. These gates have been opened wide, not for us to look at the sky without concern, but instead that we may be to sent forth with the knowledge that sin and death has been conquered. To be sent forth with the realization that we are not left to look at the sky without hope, but instead to be sent forth to evangelize and to draw all souls to encounter Christ and His Church. The Ascension is an important Christian mystery because through it we are able to realize that Christ is still present to this day in out midst. He is present because He is not only fully human, but He is also fully divine. Christ now reigns with His Father in Heaven and thus despite whatever it is that we must endure upon this earth He is present in our midst.

Peter and the apostles should of realized this reality, now revealed to them through the Ascension, when the storms came and buffeted the boat. Christ was not present in their boat as one who is fully human, but instead He was present as one who is fully divine. Therefore Christ was present and with faith placed in Him those storms would of been calmed. The Ascension of Jesus reminds us that this is so and thus signals to us the great need to set straight out life for Christ. Let us not get caught looking up at sky as if we have been separated from Christ, but instead may live out our life in union with Him. Do not look up at the sky as one who is lost in what could of been, but instead be set straight upon the path that leads us to encounter Christ and the hopes and joys that He extends into our life. Through Him and His wondrous Ascension we come to discover hope and joy which we in return should be willing to share with all those whom we encounter, so that they too may be made aware of the hope and joy that Christ has extended to us within His Church as is expressed through the gifts of the Sacraments. 

6th Sunday of Easter Year B Homily

On this Mother's Day I thank all of our mothers for their unending gift of love. The readings that we encounter this day point towards how abundant the love of God is for each of us which is of course similar to the love that a mother has for her child. May we pray for our mothers especially those who have gone before us into eternal life! And may we also allow our Blessed Mother to intercede on our behalf because she loves us dearly as her children. As you exit the Church this morning the Knights of Columbus will be honoring our mothers with the gift of a flower, so may we also remember to honor our Blessed Mother, with a wreath of roses placed upon her head given through our own offering of the rosary.

We must remember that love is more then an emotion or a feeling. The young couple comes to understand love from this prospective. After all, their love has yet to be tested and thus seen to be as something that transcends an emotion or feeling. Our Gospel on the other hand, instructs us otherwise, and thus it says that we must lay down our life out of love for God and our friends. This is a pretty radical type of love; because it is not based upon an emotion nor a feeling, but rather it is a love that has embraced hardship and in return has grown to reach its true potential.

If we want to see a glimpse of the perfect love that was offered on our behalf all that we have to do is glance at the cross. Christ crucified upon the cross is a true glimpse into what it means to lay down ones life for another. We want a life that is free from pain and hardship and therefore we do all that we can to avoid it. Nevertheless, the cross shows us that this cannot be so. The cross instead shows us that coming to accept the pains of conversion as an offering of ourself out of love is truly life giving and beneficial. If it were not this way we would all be doomed because the gates of Heaven would of never been cast open. Why, but because God never loved us so much that He was willing to take on our human flesh and lay down His life on our behalf. Thankfully, for us His love is perfect and thus does not manifest itself as a simple emotion or feeling, but instead as something that is authentic.

With the cross placed upon our mind we must agree that if we are ever to achieve true Christian love as our Gospel calls us to encounter; we must therefore pass into suffering. In order to love we have to be willing to suffer and to go into those areas of our life that are most uncomfortable and surrender them unto Christ. If we don't want to suffer we will never be able to join ourself to the cross and thus we in return will never posses Christian love. We must lay down our life which is to say that we must lay down all in our life that is found to be unhealthy. We cannot simply place a bandaid upon a gashing wound and say that it has been healed. In the same manner we ignore the many areas in our life that must be cast aside if we are ever to embrace the love that Christ casts upon the world from the pains of the cross.

From our first reading we encountered how radical the love of God truly is. Why, but because Cornelius was not a Jew and yet despite the fact that he was a Gentile the love of God embraced him and his family. From this love the gift of the Holy Spirit descended upon them and Peter exclaimed that God shows no partiality with those who fear and obey him. In other words we can say that God's love for us is so great that we can be forgiven if we desire to be. God does not discriminate with his love, but instead to the repentant heart is willing to pour Himself out entirely. This is what I call the true meaning of love and yet again this action was only made possible from the love that is displayed to the world from the cross. If we emulate this love that we see displayed here we will be willing to lay down our life and thus bestow our love upon all those whom we encounter.

In the days that lie ahead for us may we truly begin to love more and more. May we realize that love transcends an emotion or feeling; those change with time, but instead love is found to be finite and true when it is tested and it holds up from the weight of the world. The love that our world often wants us to buy into is not true love, but instead is self serving pleasure. We are taught to reject hardship and make life easy, but for love to grow this cannot be so because we must be willing to lay down our life. May we therefore come to practice ways were we can lay down our life more and more each day thus growing in our love for God and for all of our neighbors. When we discover a teaching of the Church that is tough to hear may we come to embrace the pain of conversion. When we are tempted to lash out in anger or be uncharitable to a neighbor may we embrace the pain of conversion. When your marriage becomes challenging may both parties be willing to swallow their pride and embrace the pain of conversion. The pains of the cross are true, but from these pains we encounter the love of God which is showered upon all those who truly desire to receive it and , in this manner, we come to share within the wondrous gift that is the love of God.

4th Sunday After Easter Homily (Extraordinary Form)

Confirmation is not a Sacrament that is lacking a theology, but instead it is a Sacrament that is filled with theology. If for some reason we have an adult here who has yet to be confirmed I implore you to go to your pastor and inquire about receiving this Sacrament. After all Confirmation is one of three sacraments of initiation which means that it is not a sacrament of maturity. Some say, in error, that to be confirmed is simply to be one's acceptance of the Catholic faith as an adult because as an infant they could not choose the faith for themselves. Of course, it is through baptism when one becomes a member of the Church even if they like it or not. Baptism leaves an indelible mark upon the soul that can never be taken away. Even if we don't like it we are stuck with this mark.

We live in a world where it is tough to practice our faith and this is precisely why receiving the sacrament of confirmation is so important. On the day of baptism the child is baptized in the name of the Trinity and at Confirmation the Holy Spirit comes upon them in a most special way similar to what took place among the apostles at Pentecost. In this manner the confirmed are sent forth as soldiers of Christ to participate in the war of good vs evil as well as darkness vs light. With the gifts of the Holy Spirit bestowed upon us no matter how tough this path becomes we can conquer.

Our Gospel is given in preparation to what is to come. The apostles now rejoice with the fact that Christ has risen from the dead, but in the Ascension He will soon be snatched away from them. They will then gather and pray in the upper room and it will be there that the Holy Spirit will come upon them and lead them forth into every single hardship that they must endure. What awaits them here is eventually a life that will lead towards laying it down out of love for the one whom they serve. This path could only be possible with the graces that they received when the Holy Spirit came down upon them to lead them.

We to must not impede the Holy Spirit who is at work within us. At Confirmation we relieved these special graces which continue to lead us forth into a world that rejects the name of Christ. It is easy to silence the voice of the Holy Spirit, but we cannot do so. It is hard to be sent forth as a soldier of Christ who is sent into a battlefield that is most scared. Nevertheless, we must and can profess our faith. We must profess and live it within our own home. We must profess and live it among our family, we must profess and live it when we are at work, we must profess and live it when we are around Catholics who have grown lukewarm in their faith, and we must profess and live it with all those whom we might encounter within this life. This is not an easy task, but with gift of the Holy Spirit upon our side it is indeed possible.

Jesus told His apostles that the Spirit would come. They prepared for it and they worthily relieved it. As we approach these sacred days that lie ahead may we prepare ourself to receive and renew within ourself this most wondrous gift. Without the Holy Spirit the apostles would never have been set forth and thus too we would never of been prepared to go forth as defenders of the faith who have been fortified by the Spirit. May those of us who have been confirmed always remember this most wondrous gift that we have received and may we continue to go into the world to bring the truth of Christ's Holy Gospel. With the Holy Spirit alone is this possible because it is not us who leads the way, but instead it is the Spirit and the Spirit leads the way towards truth.

5th Sunday of Easter Year B Homily

So many walk throughout life as if they lack an ultimate purpose. People chase after an endless array of pleasures. Once they fulfill a pleasure that they have sought after it is time to go forth and chase after another one. This endless cycle of meaninglessness doesn't have to be this way. If our life is without meaning or if we discover that we are simply chasing after an endless amount of pleasures, which always end up leaving us empty, may we come to trust in Christ and in return the Church that He has left us. Saul endlessly chased after all of this, but then he encounter Christ and was converted. Paul then remained on this vine that he discovered and in return he produced much fruit. Christ tells us in our Gospel that He is the vine and we are the branches; whoever remains on this vine will bear much fruit.

Despite this promise that comes to us from the lips of our Lord, so many do not heed and trust in His words. They would rather figure things out for themselves and go out into the world to try to conquer it on their own merit. Through our own merit we can ultimately conquer nothing because we need the grace that God extends to us. It is God alone who can fulfill us because what is displayed to us within the Trinity is perfect love itself. When we feel that we are not loved we have to look to God and thus the Trinity to see that this is not so. When we feel like we need certain pleasures to be fulfilled may we instead come to realize that the love of the Trinity is so perfect that it alone can fulfill us. Jesus is the vine and we are branches if we stay on this vine we will bear much fruit.

How have we lived out our life divorced from the love of God? Many families probably cannot remember the last time that they have prayed together outside of the Church. This is painful to hear from a married couple because how can they express the love that is found within the Trinity if they live out their life separated from love of God. This is of course an impossibility. My heart also aches when I encounter so many of our youth who wonder about life without any given purpose. They are dropped off at religious Ed in what seems to be a punishment. Maybe this manifestation of attitude is brought about because we live our life as if it is divorced from the vine that is Christ. Single, married, a child, a teen, young or old, consecrated religious, a priest is does not matter because each of us need to sustain this relationship with Christ because it is only upon this vine where we will bear fruit.

We are not in need of a self help book to discover life's purpose, but instead all we need to do is everything that we can to remain upon the vine that is Christ. Christ did not leave us alone to figure out how we can remain upon this vine for our own, but instead He left us with the gift of the Church and thus too the gift that is the seven sacraments. Frequent them in you life and extend them to your family and you will come to know and love Christ. You will come to find meaning instead of wondering about lost in a sea of people who have no idea where they are going. Whenever we have the opportunity to receive any of the Sacraments while in the state of grace we know that we are headed to encounter Christ in a most intimate manner. Who absolves you from sin in the Sacrament of Confession, but Christ who extends the fullness of His mercy to you. Who pours Himself out entirely out of love for you except for Christ who we commune with in the Eucharist. The Sacraments keep us upon the vine and through them we bear much fruit.

May we not banish Christ for our life or home, but instead may we allow Him to remain with us always. Jesus' Sacred Heart pours out His love upon each of us and in return may we trust in Him because here alone will we come to discover true purpose and understanding with each of life's difficulties. Our families and homes need the Sacred Heart of Jesus to once again triumph because if we allow this to take place we will bear much fruit. One lost practice of Catholic past is the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the home. What a beautiful practice because it professes that it is not the television, the computer, or our many possessions that are at life's center, but instead it is Jesus Christ the vine who loves us dearly. All that is necessary for this is an image or statue of the statue of the Sacred Heart placed within the home, some prayers of consecration offered as a family, and then daily prayers offered together to renew this devotion that sets us upon the vine which is Christ. Also, realize that despite school or work we still have daily Mass on Saturday morning that a family could attend together especially attempting to attend first Saturdays of the month in devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

May we not wonder about life as if we are lost, but instead may we remain upon the vine that is Christ and as long as we allow ourself to remain on this vine we will bear much fruit.