Christmas Midnight Mass Homily

Merry Christmas to all of you.

This night we rejoice for our Savior has been born. We rejoice for this is the birth of God who comes to us out of love in order to take on our human flesh and thus a great light now shines forth upon a world that has been cast into the darkness of sin and death.

Our Gospel instructs us that there was no room for them inside of the inn. As we rejoice at the Good News of our Savior's birth we cannot allow ourself to cast Christ off from our midst. Rather, we must be like the shepherds who came to humble themselves before the savior of the world who has been laid in the lowliness of a manger. We must allow Christ to be the one who sustains us and thus we must come to invite Him under our roof to come and dwell with us.

Our Gospel instructs that it was in the lowliness of a manger that our Lord was placed. This word "manger" comes from the Latin word "munducare" which means "to eat." Therefore, the manger is the place where animals come to eat. Thus manger is referring to a feeding trough made out of wood or stone which is filled with food for animals to come and to receive their sustenance.

With no room for them inside of the inn the birth of Jesus takes place and Mary laid Him in a manger. Tradition holds that the birth of Christ took place inside of a cave which in Bethlehem is a common place for animals to find their shelter. A manger would be placed inside of the cave in order that these animals could find their nourishment. Mary thus places her son inside of the manger in order that He may find comfort atop of the hay.

The manger serves as a spiritual symbol for us. It is a reminder of our need to come to Christ in order that we may receive our nourishment. We thus eat of the Eucharist. We thus allow ourself to be sustained by the Word of God. We must allow Jesus to be the one who feeds us.

The Shepherds and Wise Men came and they received their sustenance from their encounter with Christ. We too must allow Christ to be the one who sustains us.

We have been touched by the reality of sin and it is easy for us to desire to turn back to our old way of life. We cannot do this because Christ desires to be our food for this journey of faith which we now undergo.

The Shepherds and Wise Men left the manger changed for they came into an encounter with Christ. We too must be changed by our encounter with Jesus Christ. We are blessed for we encounter Him inside of the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. He calls to us out that we may love Him more and more. Yet how does our world thank Him for His love?

We cannot reject the Eucharist by the way in which we order our life. We must instead order our life after the Eucharist for the Eucharist is the same Jesus Christ whose birth we come to celebrate this day. May we thus entrust ourself to the great mercy of God which brings light to the darkness of sin and flock towards the manger of our Blessed Lord in order that we may be sustained by His Sustenance.

Christmas Vigil Homily II

Merry Christmas to all of you.

This evening we gather here to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Have we ever given time to pause on the meaning of this name which we so often utter with our lips? The name Jesus means "the Lord is salvation" while the word "Christ" comes from the Hebrew word for "Messiah" which thus means "anointed one."

Therefore what we celebrate today is the birth of Jesus Christ who is our "salvation" and is the "anointed one" who has not only been sent to us by God, but is God Himself in the second person of the Most Holy Trinity. Our celebration of Christmas would be quite meaningless if these two claims were not true.

Our Gospel was taken from Saint Matthew and in it we were given the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Saint Matthew gives us a lengthy genealogy; many of these names we probably don't even know who they were. Nevertheless, this genealogy is very important because it is revealing to us who Jesus Christ truly is. Jesus Christ is our "salvation" and is also the "anointed one." Saint Matthew wrote his Gospel for the audience of the Jews and therefore is trying to accomplish a few things in his inclusion of this genealogy.

He desires to show that Jesus is the "Messiah" and thus He is of the royal line of King David. He also desires to show that Jesus is the One to whom Moses and all the prophets were sent forth to bare witness to. This genealogy therefore connects Jesus to King David for Christ is of the Royal line of David. This genealogy begins with the Prophet Abraham for all the prophets have pointed their way towards the coming of the "Messiah."

This evening we have the opportunity to rejoice at the Good News of our Lord's birth. We are like many of the names who are found within this genealogy which has been given to us by Saint Matthew. Among these names are people who were good and yet they still fell into sin. King David was anointed king and yet he committed great sins which were contrary to his position as ruler. Despite the shortcomings of these names and us God takes on our human flesh and comes to dwell among us out of love in order that we may be redeemed.

"The Lord is our salvation" for what we celebrate today leads us towards the cross and thus towards our redemption from sin. Jesus is the "anointed one" for He is of royal lineage and thus His Kingdom is a Kingdom which will never pass away. We often attempt to build up for ourselves kingdoms which pass away, but this Christmas may we come to remember Christ and thus always foster our relationship with Him.

Christmas is an important day in the life of the Church for we celebrate not just another birthday. Rather, we come to celebrate a great light which shines forth in a world that has been touched by the reality of sin. Sin and hardship cannot win for what we celebrate today is the birth of Jesus Christ and thus we celebrate God made Flesh who comes to redeem us from sin and thus comes to truly set us free from it's grasp.

Christmas Vigil Homily

Merry Christmas to all of you.

This evening we gather here to celebrate the birth of our Savior. He who is God made Flesh who came to this earth in order that we may be redeemed. During the Christmas season which stretches until the 9th day of January we dwell with this great reality that is now presented to us. On Friday we will celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. This feast reminds us of the importance of the family's role in society for it was the family which was placed central in God's plan of coming to take on our human flesh.

Saint Matthew's Gospel reminds us of the importance of Saint Jospeh in the Nativity of our Lord. He was the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and was instructed by the angel of the Lord to protect her and this Child who was to be born. Thus too we are presented with Saint Mary who was chosen by God to bring forth the Savior of the World through her womb. Both Mary and Joseph are now gathered around the crib of our Blessed Lord and they continue to draw other souls here to dwell with their Son. We can thus say that the Nativity serves as a reminder of the importance of the family.

Pope Benedict XVI exclaimed concerning the family: "The family is fundamental because it is the place where there germinates in the human soul the first perception of the meaning of life. This perception grows in the relationship with the mother and with the father, who are not the owners of the life of the children but the first collaborators with God in the transmission of life and the faith."

Christmas is a time when families come together and place Christ first in their life. That is precisely why so many gather here this evening to celebrate the fact that God's love is so great that He was willing to come and dwell among us. Nevertheless, Christian families must look towards the Holy Family to receive their inspiration. Mary and Jospeh led their Son in the life of faith and thus we must allow the Holy Family to inspire our life to be centered upon Christ not just for one day, but always.

It is the role of parents to assist their children in their upbringing of faith. This is a promise which is made to God by the parents at the baptism of their child. The family must thus lead each other to come into an encounter with Jesus Christ.

When we come to the Mass we come into an encounter with this same Jesus Christ. We encounter the same Jesus through the Eucharist whose birth we celebrate with great joy on this evening. The Mass leads us to center our life upon Christ and sends us forth from its midst to faithfully live out the Christian virtues. If we truly believe that Christmas is a great Christian feast we must direct our life and that of our family here always. We cannot deprive ourself of the graces which are poured forth from the Mass.

Let us therefore rejoice always and may we allow Saints Joseph and Mary to intercede on our behalf that we may come to welcome Christ into our home during this Christmas season and thus that we may always allow Him to remain here. May the family truly be inspired by the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

4th Sunday of Advent Year A Homily

We are currently one week away from our celebration of Christmas. The great mystery that we will come to celebrate on that day is outlined for us in our readings.

The Prophet Isaiah instructed: "The virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel." Our Gospel echoed this prophecy for it stated this reality in reference to Mary and the birth of her Son, Jesus. It was pointed out that Emmanuel means: "God is with us."

This is precisely why our celebration of Christmas is so important. It is important for on this day we celebrate the fact that God is with us. He who come to dwell within the crib is not only a human child, but it is also God who comes to dwell with us out of love. Our faith instructs us concerning Jesus that He is both fully human and fully divine.

Saint Matthew's Gospel points out that Mary "was found with child through the Holy Spirit." It also instructs us concerning Saint Joseph who was moved into action through the assistance of the angel of the Lord. As we come to approach Christmas may we allow the Holy Spirit to be at work within us. May we allow ourself to be moved into action by the Spirit and thus come to more perfectly celebrate "God who is with us."

We are called to follow the path which leads towards salvation. Both Mary and Joseph received a profound call from God and both were willing to follow this path with the confidence of faith. If we are to follow after this path we must silence our heart in order to hear the voice of God. In this manner we will come to follow the path which leads us to encounter "God who is with us."

3rd Sunday of Advent Year A Homily

It is hard to be patient when we really want something. Yet, Saint James instructs us: "Be patient, brothers and sisters." In this day and age you can track packages and, yes, it is hard to be patient when that package you are waiting for seems to sit in one place for days especially the city that it is being sent to.

In our life there are many things which test our patience and thus too our trust in the Lord. When health starts to falter it is easy to grow impatient as you await its improvement. When one loses a job it is easy to grow impatient as you await a new one. When one is suffering from loneliness it is easy to grow impatient as you await the connection of another.

Our Gospel brings us to the disciples of Saint John the Baptist. They were sent by John to discover the Messiah. The one who he had sent them to was the one for whose path he had prepared. The disciples of Saint John the Baptist had to be filled with fear for John was placed in prison, but there was no reason for them to be filled with fear for the Messiah was present in their midst.

Despite all that tests our patience and makes us begin to doubt our faith may we to come to realize that the Messiah is here with us. May we come to trust in this reality for ourself. If we can trust in this reality it will matter not what befalls us in this life for we will have Christ as our rock. Life may not be easy, but it will have true meaning through its relationship to Christ.

Therefore, may we have a true longing in our heart to discover this Messiah. The season of Advent is about the discovery of this Messiah. It is about casting off all that keeps us from drawing close to the Messiah and thus coming to place our trust in Him. We cannot allow ourself to arrive at Christmas with no room for the Messiah to enter into the inn of our heart. This would be a great mistake and would be a total waste of the gift of the Advent season.

On this third Sunday of Advent we are instructed to "Rejoice because the Lord is near." Indeed we are to rejoice for the Lord has come to set us free from our pain, fear, and sin. He has come to give life to all those difficult moments where we have grown impatient under the burden of time. Rejoice for the Lord loves us dearly and He unites Himself upon the cross with us in order that we may be set free and thus be given a glimpse into the rewards of Eternal Life.

Yes, we are quickly drawing close to the manger of our Blessed Lord. We are to rejoice here with Him for we will soon dwell with Him in eternal life. He who we discover here ushers peace into the world and thus too brings meaning to our life which is in search of meaning. May wen truly allow ourself to be patient through our relationship with the Lord in order that we may rejoice for the Lord is near.

Immaculate Conception Homily

On the 25th of December we will celebrate Christmas and thus the birth of Christ. Mary gives birth to Christ who is God made man. In the words of Saint John's Gospel: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us."

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. We call to mind how Mary was prepared by the Father to be a dwelling place which was fitting for God to come and dwell among us.

God coming to dwell with us out of love should be a moving reality for us to mediate upon. Thanks to the sin of Adam and Eve which we call Original Sin the doors to Heaven were closed. Yet, God chose to come and dwell with us and thus also die upon the cross in order that we may be redeemed.

Some deny that Mary was without sin, but how could we fathom that God would come to dwell inside a vessel which has been tainted by the reality of sin?

During this season we put so much thought into gifts and thus too how we will wrap them. We want our gift to be found acceptable to the one whom we give it too. We make sure that it is well wrapped in order that it will be found appealing to the senses of another. Through the Blessed Virgin Mary comes forth the great gift of God's love, the gift of God Himself. Do we really find it logical that such a wondrous gift as God Himself would come to dwell in the womb of one who has not been properly prepared for such a gift?

I do not know much about cooking, but who among us would take a dirty pan to cook a cake? This wouldn't make much sense because we would defile the cake that we want to make. In the same manner God is not defiled by a dwelling place that has been touched by sin. Rather, He chose the Blessed Virgin Mary to be this pure and spotless vessel in which God's love would be made manifest to all of us.

In the Old Testament God came to dwell in what was known as the Ark of the Covenant. Scripture lays out what this Ark is to look like and thus it takes on an ornate appearance for what it contains is the presence of God Himself. In like manner Mary becomes the new Ark of the Covenant for she was chosen to be the God bearer.

Therefore, in our Gospel we hear from the lips of an angel: "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you." We must remember that this word "grace" refers to a gift which is given by God and thus is unmerited. This statement is making a reference to today's celebration of the Immaculate Conception. For today we celebrate the fact that Mary is found to be "full of grace" which is to say that she has been perfected by the Father and thus is found without the stain of sin upon her soul and thus she is the fitting dwelling place for God to take on our human flesh.

May we turn our sight to the Blessed Virgin Mary that we may continue to prepare our heart and soul to receive this most wondrous gift of God's love which is the gift of God made Flesh.

2nd Sunday of Advent Year A Homily

Saint Paul instructs us in his Letter to the Romans: "Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you." Whenever tragedy takes place we can see how this precept is put into motion. Tragedy effects so many people yet chances are that we will not know those who have been effected. There were those effected by the attacks on our nation on September 11th, those effected by earthquakes that have left their homes in shambles, and most recently for us those who have lost their home or job due to the wildfires that took place on Monday.

In all of these scenarios people jump at the opportunity to give assistance. We desire to assist others who we do not know because we see their need and desire to respond to it. Christ therefore welcomes all of us here. None of us are perfect and yet He calls us to encounter His mercy. What we receive here must be extended to all people. Yet again Saint Paul instructed: "Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you."

Throughout the history of Sacred Scripture we see the coming of the prophets who are to foretell the need for repentance and conversion. Prophets are rejected and put to death. In our Gospel we encounter John the Baptist who sets out preaching a message of repentance which will ultimately lead to his death. Christ preaches a message of repentance and salvation and yet He too is put to death upon the cross.

As we embark upon this second Sunday of Advent we must ask ourself if we are welcoming of Christ's message of repentance and conversion or if we have grown content in rejection of Christ and His teachings. Christ welcomes us, but do we welcome Christ?

The more that we allow ourself to welcome Christ into our life the more we will become welcoming of our brother and sister in Christ. If we can come to trust in Christ and His mercy we will find that which has been left broken and desolate will be restored to life.

The Book of Isaiah instructs: "From his roots a bud shall blossom." Therefore despite the tragedy that befalls our life or this world. Despite that which has been lost to flame. May we know and trust that through Christ springs forth the hope of new life. That which been lost will be found and thus be restored to life.

During this Advent season may we come to trust in this message of repentance. May we be willing to prepare the way of the Lord and to make straight His paths. In doing so we welcome Christ into our life and thus too extend what we receive to others.

1st Sunday of Advent Year A Homily

Today is the first Sunday of Advent and we now look towards the coming of the Messiah in the lowliness of a manger. Advent is a period of preparation for this celebration. It is necessary for it aids us in allowing our life to be directed towards the coming of the Messiah.

Pope Benedict XVI exclaimed that "forgetting about God is the most imminent danger of our age.” In other words people fail to direct their sight towards God, but rather they direct it inwardly upon themselves.

As the Book of Acts instructs: "In him we live and move and have our being." It is for this reason that we must stream towards this mountain which was spoken of by the Prophet Isaiah. This mountain is the Lord who comes to set us free from the burden of sin. We must allow ourself to be directed here and thus allow Him to be the one who animates our life.

Our Gospel recounts those who did not allow themselves to be directed unto the Lord. They were not found to be prepared for the Lord's coming. They are not the ones who according to Saint Paul have "put on the Lord Jesus Christ." We cannot allow ourself to be unwilling to set our sight upon Christ's coming and thus fall into the danger of forgetting about God.

People now decorate their homes for Christmas, Christmas music begins to play, presents will be bought and wrapped. All of this is fine, but we must ask how we will use this season which has been set aside by the Church to prepare ourself for the coming of the Lord. We cannot just wonder throughout this season and forget about the transformation that we must undergo if we are to "go rejoicing to the house of the Lord."

Make use of the Sacrament of Confession. Allow it to reorient your sight upon God. Make use of our Blessed Sacrament chapel. Allow it to reorient your sight upon Christ who comes to dwell among us in the Eucharist. Make use of an Advent wreath at home to direct your sight upon the Lord's coming. There is the tradition of the Joshua Tree which would be the perfect devotion for a family that can be used to teach children each day about figures from Sacred Scripture who play a role in the Lord's coming among us.

We have so much which fights for our attention. It is easy for us to forget about God's presence in our midst. Advent is the time to get away from this path and thus reorient our sight towards Him. Saint Paul instructs in his Letter to the Corinthians: "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God." Yes, we must do everything for the glory of God and yes this task is possible if we are willing to direct our sight towards Him.

There is no greater place for us to direct our sight towards Him and to give glory to Him, but here at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Here our prayers are gathered together and they are offered unto God. Therefore, you notice the crucifix of our Lord placed upon the altar. It has been placed there in order to remind us that everything that we do here is directed towards Christ. It reminds us that our worship here is directed towards God and is not directed towards man.

Let us therefore lift up our hearts in worship of the Lord. May we be willing to set our sight upon Him and thus put on Christ for ourself during this Advent season.

Christ the King Year C Homily

A king rules from the height of his throne, but in our Gospel we are instructed that Christ the King rules from the throne of the cross.

Rulers come and go. Even in our own country we have elected new officials who will soon take office. Some are happy, some are mad, some are afraid, and some are hopeful. Nevertheless, when we look towards Christ the King we are given a glimpse into the Eternal Kingdom for which we are destined. This Kingdom will be far different then what we experience here on a daily basis for this Kingdom will be just and perfect. No matter the opinion of a politician, king, government, or nation we must remember that is Christ who is the King of all and thus all of these fall short of Him and His Heavenly Kingdom.

Therefore Pope Pius XI created this solemnity in 1925 in order to combat the increase of secularism. Secularism rejects religion and holds that it plays no part in the affairs of the state or of public office. Nevertheless, we reject this notion and thus proclaim that Christ rules over individuals, families, society, governments, and nations.

Despite this fact we often fall into this secularist notion ourself and thus banish Christ from our midst. In doing so we do not always allow our faith to influence how we act within this world. Our world and our families are greatly in need of Christ the King and thus we must begin to allow Christ to rule within our life.

We are thus given the great gift of the Eucharist which is the gift of Christ Himself. Christ who calls out to us from the midst of the busyness of our life and calls us to surrender ourself unto Him. Today following Mass all will be invited to come and adore our Lord and Savior in our Blessed Sacrament chapel. Our parish is greatly in need of new adorers to come and adore our Lord. Let us thus be willing to come and adore Him and thus entrust ourself, our family, our world, and our nation unto Him. May Christ always be allowed to reign victorious as He reigned victorious upon the wood of the cross.

Upon the cross He offered all that He had as a surrendering of love for us. He held nothing back upon cross, but offered all out of love. He thus continues to invite us to share in this same sacrificial love which has been offered. We may be afraid, alone, tired, but despite all of this we are called to the cross where our life takes on meaning. It takes on meaning through the sacrificial offering that Christ accepts and thus if we come to accept the cross and what it means we can begin to rebuild society to be modeled after it.

The transformation of society begins in the Church. We need the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in order to be transformed. From this reality we are sent forth by Christ to bring Him out into the world and thus to bring others into the knowledge of His Holy Name. May we be willing to always allow Christ to reign victorious in the midst of the world which is in need of such a King.

Long live Christ the King. May we allow Him to reign victorious in our homes and within our world.

33rd Sunday of OT Year C Homily

In two weeks we will find ourself in the midst of the Advent season. Advent prepares us for the coming of the Christ and thus we use this season to orient ourself back towards Him.

Our world is a busy place and there is a lot for us to get caught up with. It is easy to allow our emotions go rampant while forgetting that God is the one who is in control. Therefore we must allow ourself to be oriented back towards Christ. We must allow our heart to dwell with Him always!

Therefore on Thursday we will have the opportunity to direct our heart towards Him and His infinite mercy. On this evening our parish will hold its Advent penance service. Through our sin we turn ourself away from Him, but through this sacrament of our Lord's mercy we allow ourself to be oriented back towards Him. There is no sin which is too big to be forgiven, but we must be willing to hand it over to Christ instead of continuing to latch onto it.

Next Sunday on the celebration of the Solemnity of Christ the King we will receive a subtle reminder of our need to be reoriented towards Christ. On this day our Perpetual Adoration Committee will hold an open house of our Adoration Chapel. This will be done as a reminder that we can never allow our life to be found too busy to redirect ourself towards Christ.

Christ continues to call out to each of us from the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar and thus calls us to direct our sight towards Him. The Eucharist is not just a mere symbol, but it truly is Jesus Christ who dwells with us here out of love. Other faith traditions may have the symbol of the Eucharist, but it is simply that; just a symbol. What we have been blessed with is Christ who continues to dwell with us here in the form of bread and wine. If we profess this to be Christ and thus the fullness of truth how could we not allow our heart be humbled in His midst?

Therefore, seeing that this is Christ who dwells with us here surely we would first want our heart to be humbled through the Sacrament of Confession before we defile our Lord and Savior with our sinful heart. Let us orient ourself towards the Lord and thus humble ourself in His midst!

Our Perpetual Adoration Chapel serves as a further invitation to humble ourself in the midst of Christ. It is always open and thus Christ continues to call us out to us from the busyness of this world and thus into the solitude of His Sacred Heart. Some stay here in this humble abode for an hour, some for half an hour, but even a brief visit for a couple of minutes brings so much value into one's life. Make the sacrifice of your time by coming into the chapel, bring your children and family, together come and let us adore our Lord as we orient ourself back towards Him.

Soon we will be preparing ourself for Christmas and thus the great gift that will be brought into the world on that day. The gift of Christ our Lord born in the lowliness of a manger. Let us orient our sight towards Him and thus away from our sin, our fears, and the busyness of our life. We now gather here at this Mass and our sight is not directed towards the priest nor the laity, but towards Christ. Together let us orient our sight towards Him as we continually invite Him to dwell in our midst under the form of bread and wine.

32nd Sunday in OT Homily

We are now approaching the conclusion of the liturgical year. Thus we move towards November 20th and our celebration of Christ the King. This celebration also brings us to the conclusion of the Year of Mercy. As we approach this day the readings of the Mass begin to reflect the reality of death and also the end of time.

Our culture lives in rejection of death, but despite this rejection it is something which we cannot escape. There are many saints who are depicted in art with a skull placed upon their desk. It serves as a reminder of death and thus how it is to be something that we must be prepared for. Saint Gerard kept a skull and crossbones upon his desk in order to remember that life was not long and therefore he would soon face his final judgement before God.

Ultimately death is something which does not have to be feared. Even in our Gospel Christ consoles us with the news of the resurrection of the body. In other words we come to believe and profess that death is not the end, but rather that it is the entry way into eternal life. It is impossible for us to become a saint if we do not first die. Therefore may we order our life in a way which is pleasing to God in order that we too may be like the many saints who have gone before us who have been welcomed into Eternal Life.

If we trust in these words which come forth from the mouth of Christ why would we not strive to be a saint? We are told that through the Resurrection that we will not die a second death. Therefore the body which we are given will be glorified and we will be called into perfect communion with God and thus too all the angels and saints of Heaven.
The month of November makes us also consider the poor souls in Purgatory. Those found in Purgatory have already competed the race and they are now destined for Heaven. There is no in between state for them because they have already been judged as worthy of Heaven. In order to get there they must first be purified of their repented moral sins which have yet to be satisfied and their repented or unrepented venial sins which have yet to be satisfied. They are greatly in need of our prayers and sacrifices in order that they may be called home to Heaven where they will become a saint of the Heavenly Kingdom.

Through these souls for whom we now pray may we see our own need to love God more and more. It must be our goal to get to Heaven and it should also be our goal to love God as much as is possible within this earthly life. Sin keeps us grounded to the here and now, but Christ invites us towards something so much greater. He calls us to love as love was ordered to be and thus He calls us into perfect communion with Him. He calls us to strive to not only be like the saints, but to be saints ourself.

May we be willing to undergo this daily transformation that Christ expects of us. May we keep our sight firmly placed upon death and realize that eventually it will catch up with each of us. There is no escaping death’s grasp. With death will come the final judgement which will be made by God the just judge. May we truly order our life in a manner which is worthy of being called a saint and thus the great gift from gift which is eternal life.

All Souls Day Homily

Today we receive an important reminder of the need to pray for the souls of the faithful departed. This is after all one of the spiritual works of mercy of which we are to carry out. From the Book of Maccabees: "For if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be absolved from their sin."

So often we forget this need to pray for the souls of the faithful departed. We have lost sight of Purgatory and thus we forget to assist those who are found here with our prayers and sacrifices. There is no greater gift that we can give to our beloved dead then the gift of our prayers, sacrifices, and above all the Holy Sacrifice of Mass being offered on their behalf.

The Book of Revelation states concerning Heaven that nothing unclean will enter into it. This is precisely why Purgatory is so important. Without Purgatory so many souls would fall short of the rewards of Heaven for they would be stained with sin and thus be found unclean. Thus Purgatory purges away our continued attachment towards venial sin and also purges from us the effects of our forgiven mortal sins which have yet to be atoned for.

Through our prayers and sacrifices we are able to assist these souls towards the splendor of Heaven. It is an incorrect statement concerning Purgatory that it is a second chance or an in between state. Rather all those found in Purgatory are destined towards Heaven. There is no second chance nor are they in some in between state; they are instead destined towards Heaven. Here they are purified as gold which is tested in fire. Thus in time we will come to venerate these very souls on All Saints Day.

May we therefore set Heaven before our face. May we realize that we are each called to enter into it. May we realize that we have been called to love Christ with all of our heart and soul. If we truly love Christ we must begin to practice virtue. We must realize that in time we too will die and thus we will be judged for the way in which we have ordered our life. May we therefore entrust ourself to Christ now by entrusting ourself to the grace and mercy that God constantly pours out upon us.

Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

All Saints Day Homily

Today and tomorrow serve as very important days in the life of the Church.

Today we celebrate All Saint's Day where we call to mind all the angels and saints of Heaven who now intercede on our behalf. This includes those whose names have been revealed to us by God as well as all those who go unknown by name.

Tomorrow will fall the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed also known as All Soul's Day. On this day we recall the necessity to pray for the poor souls in Purgatory in order that they may be purified and thus come to receive their Heavenly reward.

Therefore we now turn our attention towards the saints. In doing so we must not distance ourself from them. They lived a holy life which was dedicated towards God, but we too are called to do the same. The saints do not show that the journey towards Heaven is impossible, but rather they show that the journey towards Heaven is possible.

Some never contemplate the saints while keeping in mind that they too are to strive to be a saint like them. After all if we are to make it to Heaven then we in return will be known as a saint. Therefore we must start to order our life in such a manner.

The saints prayed and trusted in God. The saints learned to offer up their sufferings thus joining them to the wood of the cross. The saints truly saw others as one created in the image and the likeness of God the Father. The saints came to acknowledge the mercy of God and thus prevailed themselves to it in the Sacrament of Confession.

If we study the lives of the saints we will see that every story has the same end result. That they died in the state of grace. Through the study of their lives we will see that they each took different journeys to arrive at this end result. Some lived out lives of sin, but found conversion. Some suffered greatly from physical ailments. Some lived out a virtuous life from an early age.

Therefore no matter the path that we currently find ourself upon we must be like the saints and die in the state of grace. We must realize that no matter what we are going through and struggling with that it can be overcome through the mercy of God. God is merciful with us as He was merciful with the saints.

Can we trust that God desires us to be a saint? Can we trust that God gives us the grace which is necessary to become a saint? Can we trust that despite the sin, struggle, or hardship of our life that we can faithfully endure upon this journey of faith?

Truly we are called to be saints and therefore on this day we turn are attention to all the angels and saints of Heaven and we ask for their intercession. May they pray for us that we too may be holy and pursue God in our daily life as we strive to one day join them in the Kingdom of Heaven. May all the angels and saints of Heaven, pray for us.

31st Sunday of OT Year C Homily

There are constantly obstacles which stand in our way.

Some get caught up in these obstacles and thus allow their self get lost, some allow these obstacles to tower over them thus losing hope that they will ever see again, but others find a way to tower over these obstacles and thus overcome them.

Zacchaeus was found to be short in stature and thus there were many obstacles which lied in his way. Due to his stature he was unable to see Christ. Yet he did not allow this reality to take control over him. Rather he used a tree as the means which would assist him in coming to see Christ.

Thus this crowd represents to us the many obstacles which stand in our way of seeing Christ. Hopefully we do not allow ourself to remain content at these obstacles that stand in our way. Hopefully we are like Zacchaeus and thus allow our sight to be placed upon Christ in order that we may be healed.

If we are to overcome these obstacles then we must be truthful with ourself and thus be truthful with the Lord. It does no good to live in rejection of the reality of sin because in doing so we are showing that we are content with the crowd which towers before us and thus blocks out our ability to behold Christ. If we take our faith seriously why would we ever be content of losing the sight of Christ?

So what are these obstacles that stand in our way? What are these obstacles that we have grown content with? What are these obstacles that we explain away as being truth that has been reveled to us through the deposit of faith that has been handed down to us from the apostles through the authority granted unto them by Christ?

Thus we must be truthful and if we see that something causes us to sin we must cut it off. If we find ourself struggling with sin we must not allow ourself to lose hope, but we must realize that Christ has given us all that we will ever need to overcome it through the gift which is the Church. If we can come to trust in such a way then we can tower of the many obstacles which have been seemingly set before us.

Our Gospel states that "the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost." Therefore, whatever "crowd" seems to tower over us we must have faith such as Zacchaeus. With faith such as his we will come to trust in Christ and thus we will allow Him to heal us. Christ is constantly in search for us and thus He continues to call us towards Him.

May we be like Zaccheus and thus come to trust in this healing reality. May we be willing to go to any height in order to obtain it. We do not have to remain content with the crowd which towers over us because Christ desires that we set our sight upon Him.

30th Sunday of OT Year C Homily

Father Shelton and I make classroom visits throughout the week in our parish school. This usually leads to to us taking questions or picking up one the teacher's lessons. Recently I was asked a very serious question from one of our students; a question so serious that it is worth our own meditation.

I was asked what is God's favorite sport. Thankfully there was a sister in the room to supply some of her wisdom. Her answer was not to the negative, but rather that God's favorite sport is the race towards Heaven. It should be our desire to be numbered as one of the saints of Heaven. This is a very wise response indeed because God wants all of us to be holy and to follow after Him.

In Saint Paul's Letter to Timothy we were instructed: "I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith." Indeed God's favorite sport is not football, basketball, nor soccer; rather it is to compete well, to finish the race, and to have kept the faith. In other words God's favorite sport is endurance upon the journey which leads us towards Heaven.

On November 1st we will celebrate All Saint's Day which will give us the opportunity to direct our sight towards all of the saint's of Heaven. Those who are known by name as well as those who are unknown by name. Those found Heaven have competed well, finished the race, and have kept the faith. They serve as our inspiration to do the same. The saints are not some far off concept who are kept at a distance, but rather they have set their sight upon God and continued to move forward towards Him.

If we are to compete well, finish the race, keep the faith, and thus be like the saints we must continue to entrust ourself to prayer. The Book of Sirach reminds us that our prayers pierce the clouds and they do not rest until they have reached their goal. Our goal is Heaven and thus we must continue to bombard Heaven with our prayers. We must bombard Heaven with our prayers concerning the sick, dying, and deceased. We must bombard Heaven with our prayers out of thanksgiving, petition, and out of adoration. We must bombard Heaven as a family who have come together in a spirit of prayer thus teaching children that they too are called to become saints.

Not only must we pray, but we must also be sorry for our sins. In our Gospel there was a man who was sorry and out of penance he struck his breastplate in sorrow. We too strike our breastplate when we cry out "through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault." This is why the doors to the confessional are extended wide for you; because we are all sinners who are in need of the mercy of God. The saints did not live in denial of their sin, but rather their love for God led them towards sorrow and thus their love for God led them to encounter God's mercy.

Therefore, may we be willing to partake in God's favorite sport. May we be willing to compete well, finish the race, and keep the faith. May we strive to be numbered as the saints who now stand victorious in the Kingdom of Heaven.

29th Sunday of OT Year C Homily

We are a people who like to see results and we don't like to wait in order to see them begin to take effect.

If we feel sick we desire a doctor to heal us as quickly as possible. If we want to lose weight we go the gym and begin to go to work at bettering our health. If we believe that we should receive more pay we begin to plea to with one's boss that we may receive our just reward.

We know the results that we want, but with each of these scenarios we must also remember that all things take time. Getting well may take awhile longer then we had originally hoped. Losing weight takes persistent work. Receiving more pay might mean the need to work hard at one's profession to show that such a request is just.

We place so much of our trust in instant results, but so often allow the importance of prayer to go by the wayside. Prayer is important because it joins us to God and thus it aids us in responding to His will. This parable encourages us to be persistent in our prayer.

The woman of the parable was persistent in her pleas to the judge. Eventually her persistence paid off. We too must be persistent with our prayer. Prayer is not a practice of magic where we say the proper words of incantation and thus magically get what we desire. If instant results are the goal of our prayers then we will so often fail to see its importance. We would fail to be like the woman in the parable and thus we would no longer persistently go to the judge asking to be pardoned.

It is the goal of this parable to make us see the importance of persistence. We must continue to be persistent with our prayers. Prayer allows us to direct our attention away from ourself and thus towards God. Prayer allows us to be united with Him who loves each of us so dearly. Prayer is important because it assists in following after God rather then following after our own self serving desires.

The persistence of the widow had effect over the heart of the judge. The judge who was pointed out as being corrupt and unjust and even his heart was moved to pity through her persistence. God is the opposite of this judge because he is not corrupt and unjust, but rather is all good. Therefore when we persistently unite ourself to Him in prayer God hears what is spoken and truly grants us what we need in order to unite ourself unto Him more fully.

Let us be like this widow and thus continue to persistently come before God in prayer. There may be days when we are tired and don't want to, but let us to do so anyway. Let us harvest within our homes the spirit of prayer among members of the family. Let us find ways to nurture within ourself this great desire to serve the Lord by our life.

Jesus states: "will such faith be found when the son of man comes?" It is easy for us to lose heart and to move onto something else, but we must allow ourself to remain persistent in our prayer.

28th Sunday of OT Year C Homily

Leprosy represents uncleanliness. To be a leper means that one must be placed at a distance from the community. According to the Law a leper could not approach a Jew, a leper could not enter into the Temple, and a leper was not allowed to touch anyone. If you were to be touched by a leper then you, in return, would be considered by the Law to be unclean.

With all of this in mind we hear concerning the lepers that they were found to be "far off." Their uncleanliness kept them from coming into contact with the Jews and their uncleanliness kept them from coming into contact with God within the Temple.

So from a distance they cried out that Christ may have mercy upon them. Due to this desire for mercy they were instructed to go to the priests and be cleansed. What Christ commands of them is found to be in accordance with the Jewish law which demands that a leper is to be cleansed in this manner. 

One problem here is that these ten were still stricken with leprosy, they were not yet healed from it, yet they did what they were instructed to do in order that they would be healed from their burden. In other words, they were found in obedience unto Christ and unto His words concerning them. At His command they went with haste and did what they were instructed to do in order that they may be healed of their infirmity.

Of these ten who were sent out in order to be healed only one returned to give glory to God for the miracle that had taken place within their life. The other nine were given a great gift and upon its reception they had already forgot to whose honor it was owed.

As we glance inwardly upon ourself we must be truthful and realize that we are a sinner who is in need of God's abundant mercy. Through our sin we have been placed at a distance from Christ, but thankfully we do not have to grow accustomed to this reality. Christ's looks upon each of us in His infinite mercy and assures us that we can be healed of our burdens. We are not to be kept at a distance, but we are called to be reconciled and thus be brought into the community of faith where we come to encounter God and communion with one another.

We must also be willing to look outward towards those who are found to be “far off.” We must be willing to invite them to come in and to have their life changed by an encounter with Christ. Our faith calls us to conversion, but we must take the first step in order to invite people to encounter Christ in order that their life may be transformed. Christ looked out upon those who were excluded and had compassion for them no matter what their ailment was. The Church looks out upon all of us and shares this same compassion with us through an authentic encounter with Christ’s mercy which leads towards conversion.

As we are set free from our unhealthy desires may we always remember to return to God in order to give thanks for Him who has set us free from our burden. We must rejoice for we are not to be kept at a distance, but rather we are invited to go and be set free from that which leaves us enslaved. May we also take it upon ourself to extend this same mercy with those who are often found on the outside. Only one leper was thankful for this gift of liberation. May we join with him in giving thanks to God for His mercy which endures forever.

27th Sunday in OT Year C Homily

It is right that we petition to receive an increase of faith. Nevertheless, we must also trust that faith is being set forth to do what we have been obliged to do.

It is easy for us to get caught up in the need for our faith to be increased, but it is easy to forget that Christ has already bestowed an abundance of grace upon us that this petition may be made into a reality.

From the 2nd letter of Saint Timothy we are told about the laying on of hands. In other words we are being instructed about the institution of the priesthood and how one receives it through the laying on of hands thus calling down the gift of the Holy Spirit upon that individual. Through the reception of this sacrament one is given an outpouring of grace that will always be at work within their ministry.

We too have the opportunity to come into contact with the sacraments. Each of which bestow the gift of grace upon us. Grace is a gift which we cannot give to ourself and it is thus a gift in which God alone can bestow. If we truly desire faith and thus the ability to do what we are obliged to do we must therefore trust in the healing power of grace.

The world in which we live is filled with many struggles. Within the world there are those who are poor, alone, and afraid. Nevertheless, God continues to look upon all of us as equals and thus continues to touch us with His healing hand. He gives us, no matter the state in our life, all the grace that is necessary for us to do what we are obliged.

Therefore doing what we are obliged to do is possible if we trust ourself to the outpouring of grace that God bestows upon us. The Catechism of the Catholic Church instructs in paragraph 2010: “Prayer attends to the grace that we need for meritorious actions.”

This word, “merit,” does not mean something that we earn nor is it making something up due to something which was lacking from Christ’s offering of self upon the cross. We cannot earn our salvation nor was anything lacking when Christ died upon the cross. Rather, this word means that we allow ourself to be opened up to grace and thus allow ourself to participate in the process of salvation which conforms us to be more like Christ.

Saint Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians instructs us: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Christ states in the Gospel of Saint John: “He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

Therefore, may we truly desire an increase of faith in our life. May we be willing to undergo this path of grace which leads us towards becoming more Christ like. The more that we allow ourself to stay close to Him the more that we will be able to do what we are obliged to do. For without Christ we can do nothing, but with Christ nothing is impossible.

26th Sunday of OT Year C Homily

This parable of the rich man and Lazarus shows our need to have concern for the well being of our neighbor. The lifestyle that the rich man chose to live prevented him from seeing Lazarus as his neighbor and thus left him closed to the voice of God.

The Vatican II document Gaudium et Spes, Joy and Hope, states concerning this reality: “Everyone must consider his every neighbor without exception as another self, taking into account first of all His life and the means necessary to living it with dignity, so as not to imitate the rich man who had no concern for the poor man Lazarus.”

“In our times a special obligation binds us to make ourselves the neighbor of every person without exception and of actively helping him when he comes across our path, whether he be an old person abandoned by all, a foreign laborer unjustly looked down upon, a refugee, a child born of an unlawful union and wrongly suffering for a sin he did not commit, or a hungry person who disturbs our conscience by recalling the voice of the Lord, “As long as you did it for one of these the least of my brethren, you did it for me.”

“Furthermore, whatever is opposed to life itself, such as any type of murder, genocide, abortion, euthanasia or willful self-destruction, whatever violates the integrity of the human person, such as mutilation, torments inflicted on body or mind, attempts to coerce the will itself; whatever insults human dignity, such as subhuman living conditions, arbitrary imprisonment, deportation, slavery, prostitution, the selling of women and children; as well as disgraceful working conditions, where men are treated as mere tools for profit, rather than as free and responsible persons; all these things and others of their like are infamies indeed. They poison human society, but they do more harm to those who practice them than those who suffer from the injury. Moreover, they are a supreme dishonor to the Creator.”

These words of Gaudium et Spes should make us reflect upon our own life and what we will allow to exist within our society. There are so many injustices which are allowed to exist in our world which go against the value and dignity of the human person who has been created in the image and the likeness of God the Father. This is an important message for us to reflect upon as we prepare for the upcoming election. A vote cannot be cast for an allegiance to a political party, but rather must be cast in reflection to the human person and the dignity that is owed unto them.

Within our Gospel both the rich man and Lazarus end up dying. The rich man who was caught up in his wealth at the expense of others did not receive the Heavenly reward. On the other hand, Lazarus, who was down trodden and placed at a distance from society received his Heavenly reward. From his poverty he truly inherited true riches which will never pass away.

We are not any different from these two. All of us are directed towards death. This is something that we cannot escape. Despite this reality we must kept our eyes placed upon Heaven. The more that we place our sight upon Heaven, the more that we will be able to love. The more we will come to respect the downtrodden and rejected of society and come to embrace them with the love of Christ. All human life, born and unborn, old and young, sick and well, rich and poor, has value because this value is found in their relationship to God the creator. May we truly come to embrace this reality and not turn ourself against this truth as the rich man did in our Gospel. Let us be challenged to grow in the virtue of charity and thus to truly respond to God's love by our life and by the way in which we see the needs of our neighbor and respond to those needs as an extension of God's love.

18th Sunday After Pentecost Homily (Extraordinary Form)

Who in our Gospel was effected by sin?

The paralytic was effected by sin. Of it Christ exclaimed: "Be of good heart for thy sins are forgiven thee."

The Pharisees were also effected by sin. They had the opportunity to be healed of it, but they desired not the healing mercy of Christ. To them Christ exclaimed: "Why do you think evil in your hearts?" 

None of us here are free from sin. We are not the second coming of the Immaculate Conception and thus none of us here are perfect and that is okay. It is okay in so far as we allow Christ to heal us and in so far as we continue to flock towards His infinite mercy.

We can think of the many illnesses and diseases which run rampant in our modern day society. It is common sense that when we are sick and not feeling well that we receive the assistance of a doctor. We trust that a doctor can heal our body of its many ailments.

In the same manner may we be concerned with the healing of our soul. Let us not be found in denial as the Pharisees were. They were infected by sin and yet they were not concerned with the need to heal it. The paralytic was infected by sin, but he realized the need to be healed and thus he came to entrust himself to the mercy of Christ.

Are we willing to listen to Christ and to thus allow ourself to be healed or are we so infected by pride that we silence this voice which desires our healing? Out of pride this voice was silenced by the Pharisees, but out of humility this voice was heeded by the paralytic. 

Thus may we too come to humbly heed the voice of our Lord and Savior. He wants not the loss of our soul, but rather He desires our wellbeing. With His grace and love which is constantly poured out upon us we are given all that we will ever need to be made clean.

We are given the gift of the sacraments and from these great gifts we are given the grace to be made clean and to live out good and holy lives. The problem is that we must let go of our pride and submit ourself to God's mercy. This means making use of the Sacrament of Confession. This means taking the Holy Eucharist seriously and thus not receiving it in the state of serious sin.

Therefore Christ calls out to us this day as He called out to the paralytic. He assures us that we may be of good heart for thy sins are forgiven thee. 

25th Sunday in OT Year C Homily

Our ultimate goal as a Christian is to share in everlasting life with God. The prudent steward inside of our Gospel was living a life which was contrary to this principle. Nevertheless, when he realized that his time as steward was coming to its conclusion he analyzed the situation that was placed before him and acted under the guidance of prudence. With prudence he looked towards everlasting life and did what was necessary to be welcomed into another’s house.

When we consider the virtue of prudence we might think of simply coming to use common sense. Prudence is far greater then the use of common sense. Rather, prudence is a complex and sophisticated matter. It calls one to learn about the situation that is placed before them and from it coming to make a judgement based upon what has been learned.

Aristotle remarks that prudence is fostered by teaching and that it is perfected over time by the use of experience. Therefore, if we can think back to a bad choice that we have made we will remember the outcome. Maybe it was doing something which led towards a punishment. Prudence would thus make the individual realize from a past experience to not repeat the choice which was made.

Aristotle points out that prudence assists an individual in moderating between extremes. It is prudence then that assists an individual in choosing between the many choices which have been set before them. Prudence leads an individual away from choosing that which harmful for the wellbeing of their soul because prudence always leads us towards the ultimate good which is God.

Prudence is not a virtue for the weak, but rather prudence is a virtue for the strong. It is incorrect to believe that prudence leads one towards weakness because in all reality prudence is leading us towards what is correct in the given situation. Prudence, according to Saint Thomas Aquinas always leads us towards making proper choices which in return yield good results.

Therefore, let us consider for ourselves the life of the saints. Within the life of saints we do not see weakness, but we see the use of prudence which led them towards Everlasting Life. There are those who are numbered among the saints who were even willing to offer their life up in sacrifice towards achieving this ultimate reality. They came to make this decision through the assistance of prudence.

If we are to excel at the moral life we too must grow in the virtue of prudence. Prudence assists us in areas of morality for it assists an individual in their ability to make the correct choice with the given question which is at hand.

Therefore may we come to emulate the prudent steward of our Gospel. He made many mistakes along the way; much like us. Nevertheless, he used prudence to be drawn towards the common good. May we continue to study our faith and to realize that we are called to be like the saints and thus to be drawn towards Heaven. May we allow the virtue of prudence to assist us along this path which leads us towards Everlasting Life.

24th Sunday in OT Year C Homily

Our Gospel has most beautifully proclaimed the reality of the Father’s mercy unto us. Until November 20, 2016 we as a Church will remain in what is known at the “Year of Mercy.” During this “Year of Mercy” may we allow ourself to discover the Father’s mercy and thus to surrender ourself onto it as the prodigal son came to do inside of our Gospel.

The logo for this “Year of Mercy” is summed up inside of today's Gospel passage. We are told of the love of the shepherd who always goes in search of the lost sheep. Upon finding them the shepherd leads his sheep back to the flock. The Father, in His abundant mercy, comes out in search of each of us and continues to invite us back into relationship with Him.

Therefore in this logo we see Christ who is known as the Good Shepherd who goes in search of His lost sheep. Placed upon His shoulders is the lost soul who has fallen away. This displays unto us the love of Christ which goes in search for the lost and brings them towards reconciliation with the mercy of the Father.

We must also remember that Christ has taken all of humanity upon Himself. He took on our human flesh through His incarnation and all of this reached its culmination through Christ’s death upon the cross. In this image we notice that the eye of Christ has now been merged with the eye of the man who is held upon His shoulders. And so we can now say that Christ sees with the eyes of Adam and Adam with the eyes of Christ. Christ through the liberation of the cross has now become the new Adam and thus He continues to lift us out of our sinfulness and assures us of the joys of the Heavenly Kingdom.

Placed around this image is an early Church symbol known as the mandorla which comes in the shape of an almond. The purpose of this is to proclaim a moment that has transcended time and space. Within this we notice three different layers of colors. As Christ moves forward He is bringing this man upon His shoulders out of the darkness and into the light. Christ too wants us to join Him upon this journey of liberation. Let us not be content with the darkness of sin, but may we desire the liberation of the Father’s mercy.

Christ is necessary if we are to be freed from the burden of sin. Conversion is something that must be active like this image. We must allow Christ to take ahold of us and to move us forward leading towards this progression within the spiritual life. The Year of Mercy is something which is most serious, but if we are to feel its effects we must be willing to let go of our pride in order that Christ may take us upon His shoulders and carry us towards safety.

There is none of us here who is not in need of the Father’s mercy. We may act like it is not necessary or important, but we are in need of it. We are in need of the grace which flows forth from the Sacrament of Confession, we are in need of the healing effects against temporal punishment which are brought about through indulgences, and we should also pray for the grace of final perseverance. 

May we allow the Father to be merciful with us by coming to accept Christ’s invitation to take us upon His shoulders and to lead us towards the healing of the Father’s mercy. The Father lies in wait for us as the father did for the prodigal son. Upon our arrival He rushes out to greet us with His mercy for he who has been lost has now been found. Through the mercy of God may we too desire to be found and thus be moved upon this path which leads us towards the forgiveness and healing of the Father's mercy.

23rd Sunday of OT Year C Homily

Early this morning, around 4:30am, was the canonization Mass of now Saint Teresa of Calcutta. We as a Church are given reason to celebrate because showed us how to embody this love for Christ without compromise which was addressed in our gospel. From her relationship with Christ she was able to see the face of Christ in all those who she served; be it the poor, the sick, the dying, or anyone whom she encountered.

Verse 26 of our Gospel sounds pretty harsh: “If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”

In the language of the Old Testament words such as “love” and “hate” simply mean to prefer one to the other. From Malachi 1:2-3, “I have loved Jacob but I have hated Esau.” This is to say that Jacob is the one who has been chosen by God.

In light of this we should see the need to put Christ first and thus allow Him to be the one who we commit ourself to. We cannot call ourself a Christian and at the same time be willing to compromise on our relationship with Christ. 

Saint Gregory the Great brings this passage into the light for us: “We should have charity towards all- towards relatives and towards strangers- but without separating ourselves from the love of God.” The Second Vatican Council adds to this: “(that Christians should strive) to please God rather than men, always ready to abandon everything for Christ.”

We must now consider for ourself how high of a priority that we make Christ in our life and thus question in what ways that we have allowed our relationship to Him to be compromised by actions which are contrary to the teachings found in the Gospels. Jesus is speaking to us in verse 26 of this Gospel because He is reminding us that we are not to compromise on Him.

Our Gospel concludes with two stories which are a contrast from one another. There is the failure of the man who set out to build, but was not able to finish the project. Then there is the king who is prudent and looks forward to see that he has no chance of victory and thus must settle for peace.

We too must look forward and thus we must look towards the Kingdom of Heaven. We must see that we are called to love God above all things and thus to lead others towards Him. When we chase after worldly affairs in the end we have chased after nothing except after that which will pass away. Rather, we must practice prudence and thus begin to follow after Christ with our whole heart. In this manner we prepare ourself and we prepare others for that joy which will never pass away in the Heavenly Kingdom.

The purpose of this Gospel is not for us to leave here hating our mother, father, wife, children, brothers, or sisters. Rather this Gospel is a reminder that we must never compromise on Christ. That we should pursue Him always thus prudently preparing a place for ourself within the Heavenly Kingdom. We are not called to hate those who surround us, but rather we are called to truly love them by leading them towards Christ.

May we set out from here to come to Christ and to prefer nothing to Him.

22nd Sunday of OT Year C Homily

Humility is an important virtue for our progress in the spiritual life. It is the foundation of the all the other virtues for without it we are unable to stay open to the effects of grace.

Pride is the opposite of humility. Pride puts a halt into the progress of our spiritual life and closes us off to the gift of grace. One of the ways in which pride manifests itself is through envy. It is the vice of envy which leads towards unhappiness. It was envy which led the angels to grow unhappy which led to their fall and it was envy which led Adam and Eve to be unhappy in the Garden which led to our fall. It is envy which seeks to destroy our relationship with God through the path of unhappiness which it leads us down.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “Envy represents a form of sadness and therefore a refusal of charity; the baptized person should struggle against it by exercising good will. Envy often comes from pride; the baptized person should train himself to live in humility.”

From Book of Sirach we were instructed to “conduct our affairs with humility” and thus the more we humble ourself the more we “will find favor with God.” The Book of Hebrews points out that we have not approached a “gloomy darkness,” but have rather “approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God.” Jesus, Himself, who in our Gospel instructs that we must humble by not desiring to sit in places of honor in order that we may be seen. We do not need to be seen and congratulated in order to be happy, but rather we will discover happiness from the true love which is found in God and our service to all.

We are envious when we see another get attention or see the good that they have accomplished and thus grow sad that we are not the one who is receiving the attention which is given. The envious enjoy flattery, but at the same time they grow angry at ridicule. We must remember that we are not loved by God because something of that we have accomplished, but rather we are loved by God because we are real people who were created in His Image and His Likeness. Grace is something which is real, but we do not receive it as a reward for our glorious accomplishments. We can never progress in the spiritual life on our own behalf, but we do so through the assistance of grace which is a gift that we cannot give to ourself.

We must remember that God wants all of us to be happy. Not just some happiness which is passing by in the present moment, but happiness which is eternal and happiness which will never pass away. If we are to become happy we must begin to practice kindness. Kindness is the only way in which one who suffers from envy can counteract their sin. It is kindness which moves a person forward and encourages them to keep going.

For example a teacher sees a student who is struggling with their work and grows unhappy and begins to yell at them. This will eventually run the student off and cause them to lose hope. Rather, a teacher must use kindness in order to guide their student towards the desired result.

To counteract envy one must learn to use kindness. Instead of growing angry at the good which is accomplished by another they should practice gratefulness for their own gifts as well as the gifts of another. None of us have the same gifts and thus we should grow in our appreciation for this diversity.

May the Blessed Mother truly intercede for us that we may come to emulate her humility and thus grow in this most wondrous of virtues which leads the way towards all the other virtues and towards being receptive to the gift of grace.