26th Sunday of OT Year B Homily

Truth is a straight path which leads us towards God. So often we turn inwardly upon ourself thus closing ourself off from the mercy and forgiveness of God the Father. We thus no longer look out upon this straight path, but closed ourself off from the truth in which it present to our life. Our Psalm petitions that we may be kept: "blameless and innocent of serious sin." Through the action of sin we become closed in upon ourself and thus fail to give service to God and our neighbor.

We cannot allow ourself to lead others into scandal because through scandal we lead others away from the ability to faithfully live out the commandments. The Catechism of the Catholic Church even instructs us that laws and social structures are able to give rise to scandal. We as people of faith must always stand against anything that stands in the way of being able to serve the "common good." The "common good" is a universal truth that must always be upheld because at its core it respects the human person who was created in the image and likeness of God the Father.

If we paid attention to Pope Francis' address of Congress we would of time and time again heard him refer to the "common good" and thus how it must always be protected. Religion simply does not serve a political party and its political agenda. The pope is neither Democrat nor Republican, but instead is the loving Shepherd of the Universal Church. Therefore he spoke concerning many issues which must always be of concern to us because they are not political issues, but instead serve the common good. Therefore we must be concerned with the sanctity of human life from conception to a natural death, the need to protect the environment, the need to defend the family from harm, and thus the need to defend anything that respects the human person who was created in the image and the likeness of God the Father.

Our second reading from Saint James speaks concerning the rich and how they have grown complacent as they no longer see the needs of those who they are to serve. "The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts." I hope that our pope's visit to our nation will impact our life and thus that we will not simply remain complacent in our practice of faith, but instead may be sent forth from here to do whatever is necessary for us to serve the "common good." The "common good" which respects the pursuit of God and thus the flourishing of the human person as one who was created in the image and the likeness of God.

May we be sent forth from this place as true disciples who have been sent out into the Harvest of the Lord not to pursue one's own pursuit of worldliness. Instead may we be sent forth from here with the Christian desire to share our faith with all those whom we encounter and thus do all things for the greater glory of God.

25th Sunday of OT Year B Homily

The Kingdom of Heaven does not come as easily as we would like to believe. In our modern world we enjoy so many luxuries which at their root attempt to make our life easier. It has become a goal to simplify life as much as possible in order that work may be eliminated. To think for a moment of the concept of a genie. All that one has to do is rub a lamp and out pops a genie to grant you your heart's desire. You don't have to sacrifice for it, but you get it on the spot without the application of any work. We so often chase after the many luxuries of this world, but we fail to elevate our mind to our ultimate goal which should be the Kingdom of Heaven. If the Kingdom of Heaven is indeed our ultimate goal we in return should work for it by taking up the cross and coming to follow after Christ.

In our Gospel the apostles were still trying to figure things out for themselves. They were again reminded about the coming reality of the cross, but yet again they did not understand what was being revealed unto them. The apostles showed that they were still worldly minded because they were not concerned with the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven, but instead they were found concerned with who among them was to be the greatest. They desired to be elevated within their pride thus at the same time rejecting the cross that had been revealed to them. To accept the cross is to be made lowly instead of being exalted. To accept the cross is to work within the abundant Harvest of the Lord instead of remaining lazy as if everything has already been owed to us.

This child placed in their midst is a total rejection of this worldly attitude that has been made manifest. This child serves as a reminder of the poor and lowly who so often go unnoticed by the human eye. This child does not posses wealth nor authority. This child is in need of the loving care of a parent in order that they may be taken care of. This child symbolizes the same humility and lowering of self that is necessary for each of us. We are all in need of God's divine providence. We are all in need of the freedom that is found not in possessions, money, nor authority, but instead that which is found through God alone.

We spend so much of our time preparing not for the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven, but instead for the here and the now. We avoid the cross and thus at the same time we attempt to make this world into our paradise. Exempt from God and thus too the cross, our life will never be made perfect. We must learn to come to embrace the cross because the cross points the way towards Everlasting Life. In the world to come it will not matter how successful we were nor how highly exalted that we have been, but instead our relationship to Christ and His teachings will reign supreme. This world in which we live has set out with an atheistic attitude which attempts suppress God, but this suppression is an impossibility. We cannot give into the tides of our culture which attempt to banish God from the public square because at the same time we show that we do not serve God, but our pursuit for wordiness.

The Ancient Church grew like a massive fire set to a dry forest. Why? But because the apostles eventually understood what it was that Christ was demanding of them. When the gift of the Holy Spirit came upon them at Pentecost they realized that they were called to go out as apostles and gather more souls to Christ. They realized that they would be persecuted on account of Him and yet they still went out to serve. From this action they, with the fervor of faith, came to embrace their own martyrdom. In return, we in this day and age, are called to be sent forth from here with this same fervor of faith. We are called not to exalt ourselves nor to give into the pursuit of worldliness. This will never lead souls to encounter Christ and His Church. Instead may we abandon all that ails us and in return finally take up our cross and allow it to lead us into a greater relationship with Christ and His Church. In this manner we prepare not for an earthly kingdom, but instead for the Kingdom of Heaven which will never pass away. 

24th Sunday of OT Year B Homily

Every Sunday and Solemnity we get the opportunity to make a Profession of Faith also known as the Creed.

This is our statement of "I believe" and thus shows our perfect profession of the Christian faith that has been handed down to us from Christ to His apostles.

These words should penetrate into your very heart and soul because they are representative of our Christian belief.

In our Gospel we encountered Saint Peter who was the first of the apostles to profess Christ as the Messiah with His lips and yet He was also the first of the apostles to reject the news of our Lord's Passion.

And so Christ asked His apostles: "But who do you say that I am?"

This is the fundamental question of our Christian faith which we come to profess with our lips whenever we recite the Creed.

Christ is not desiring an opinion from us, but is calling us towards a true radical proclamation that is made out of faith. A faith that will never falter no matter the cross that we must endure.

Saint James instructed us to where this faith is leading by stating: "So also faith of itself, if it does not have works is dead." 

Our faith is the very fiber of who we are. If we are to come to profess Christ with our lips as we do in the Creed; we in return must be sent forth from here to live the Christian faith in its entirety.

To live it by our life. To live it through our relationship to our neighbor. To live it by the way in which we act charitably towards others. In other words we are sent forth from here to live the fullness of faith which is proclaimed by the Church and in return we should desire to share this same truth with all those whom we encounter.

For the apostles this was the first occasion of three where they were instructed concerning the event of our Lord's Passion.

This statement challenges them and their faith and thus Saint Peter in his spontaneity begins to protest.

Despite our own Profession of Faith which we make with our lips we too get caught up in our own passions and in return begin to reject the Christian faith.

Catholicism is not a popularity contest of popular vote. Catholicism is not a buffet line where we get to pick and choose what we want to believe or reject.

Our faith is not one of comfortability where we can grow lazy and loose sight under the burden of years. Our faith is not a rejection of works where we fail to have concern for the imprisoned, sick, or poor.

Faith demands of us a perfect love for God and our neighbor.

Faith demands of us a true Profession of Faith where we are not only speaking words, but are allowing these words spoken to penetrate into our heart and soul and thus in return become a part of who we are.

The Christian faith is not always easy and thus Christ commands His apostles to take up His cross and to follow after Him.

Christ does not desire a short-lived enthusiasm or an occasional dedication from us, but instead desires an unmoving faith.

A faith that does not waver with the test of time. A faith that does not waver with the hardship that gives rise inside of our life.

Instead of faltering may we come to embrace the cross in all of its weight and thus prevail ourself to the New Life which springs forth from it through the Resurrection.

May we truly come to profess Christ with our lips this day as Saint Peter was able to do and in return may we be sent forth from here with a true faith which will never falter when we come face to face with the reality of the cross. 

23rd Sunday of OT Year B Homily

From the Rite of Baptism: "The Lord Jesus made the deaf hear and the dumb speak. May he soon touch your ears to receive his word, and your mouth to proclaim his faith, to the praise and glory of God the Father."

If we are take this baptismal reality upon ourself we must question how we can further hear the Word of God and profess this same Word with our lips.

Saint Thomas Aquinas instructs us that we must hand on "what we have contemplated in prayer."

Therefore, if we are to both hear and profess the Word of the Lord we in return must learn to sit in the silent presence of Christ entering into contemplative prayer.

It is no secret that world in which we live is filled with a lot of noise. We fear silence because we do not know what to do with it.

If you think that silence is easy I challenge you to take a day to enter into silence. Silence by not talking, not watching television, not listening to music, turning off your phone, and see what it does to you.

We must learn to reclaim our relationship with God because this relationship is often pushed to the side when something gives rise which is seemingly more important.

The world is a noisy place; we cannot deny that. Therefore, we must realize that the Church as the building is the place to which we can flock to bring silence to our life.

When we flock towards the Church we find ourself in the presence of Christ our sovereign Lord.

The presence of Christ is felt here in this place because it is Christ who is the one present with us in the tabernacle.

If you are being attentive you would realize that the tabernacle has now been veiled. The veil serves as a reminder of our Lord's presence.

In the temple a veil hung to symbolize the presence of God and thus through this veil now placed upon the tabernacle may we too be assured of God's presence with us in the Most Holy Eucharist.

St. Aloysius Gonzaga states that he received Communion once a week and that he was accustomed to spend three days in preparation before it and three days in thanksgiving after it.

The Eucharist, therefore, is a great gift because we come into contact with Christ the healer. We come into contact with Him while inside of this Church and we commune with Him through the Eucharist.

From a recent homily given by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI: "The truth, love, and goodness which come from God render man pure; and truth, love, and goodness are encountered in the Word, which frees us from 'forgetfulness' in a world which no longer thinks of God."

Therefore may we learn to enter into this silence amidst the busyness of this world. From this silence we will come to encounter Christ who desires to touch us with His healing touch.

Through Christ alone will we be given the ability to hear the Word of God and to respond to this same Word with our lips.

May we use the time that has been set before us to prepare ourself for this life giving encounter with Christ and in return always give proper thanksgiving for such a gift.

We have been trained over time to exist within this noisiness and thus often fail to enter into the silence of prayer.

May we reclaim the Church as a place of prayer, may we learn to always allow Christ to be a part of our life, may we reclaim our need to prepare ourself to receive the Eucharist, and may we always remember to give proper thanksgiving for such an abundant gift.

The further away we allow ourself to move from Christ the less we are able to hear the Word of God and thus proclaim it with our lips, but Christ continues to call out to each of us today: "Ephphatha!" that is, "Be opened!"