5th Sunday of Easter Year C Homily

Last weekend our parish kicked off the HOME Campaign. Through the HOME Campaign we have the opportunity to come together as a parish family and support something which will help to guide the future of our diocese and parish home.

Behind me you will discover two banners which have various pictures taken from activities which have taken place here at our parish home. These pictures are only a small selection of all that takes place here which helps to spread the message of the Gospel throughout Oak Ridge. If we think of the life of our parish home we will think of the education of our children in our parish school, we would think of the ladies who so graciously give of their time to support a grieving family with a meal following a funeral, we will think of the people who so graciously gave their time yesterday to help with our parish cleanup, and this list goes on and on. If you look real close you will even see your former pastor, Father Bede, from whom planning for the HOME Campaign was begun under. One thing that we cannot forget about when we think of our parish home is the sacraments and how they have entered into the life of the faithful here and have assisted them in coming to know of God’s love.

Many have been baptized here, married here, and confirmed here. Anointing and Confessions have taken place within these walls. Even a few have been ordained here within the walls of the parish Church.

Today we have the opportunity to celebrate a similar situation. Today we get to celebrate the Eucharist in a special way for today our second graders get to make their First Communion. Therefore, my dear children, I implore you to know that what you will soon receive is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ’s love is so great for you and for us that He continues to come to us in the form of bread and wine which through the words of consecration have truly been transformed into becoming the Body and the Blood of Christ. In this world there are many voices which claim to be the voice of love, but through this exchange with Christ we experience love itself.

In our Gospel we are told of a new commandment where we have been called to “love one another. As I have loved you.” As we glance into our parish home and as we have the opportunity to partake of the sacraments may we come to understand and spread this commandment of love. If we commune with Christ within the Eucharist our heart and soul must be transformed by what we receive. Through our participation in the Eucharist we cannot be sent into the world left as if left unchanged. The Eucharist challenges through an infusion of grace to imitate Christ more and more.

As we continue the HOME Campaign may we always realize the many ways in which our parish home has participated within this commandment throughout the years. May we not be content keeping this commandment in the past, but may be willing to bring it with us into the future. There are many great events which have taken place on these parish grounds and as we now look into the future these events will continue to take place which will transform the lives of the faithful. 

May our participation in the Eucharist truly set our hearts on fire with love for Christ and His Church and from the graces which we have received from this sacrament may we too be sent forth to live out this new commandment which has been given to us by Christ.

3rd Sunday After Easter Homily (Extraordinary Form)

Easter is a season of rebirth. Rebirth is experienced through Christ who has triumphed over the tomb. We experience this same rebirth from the waters of baptism. It is for this reason that the baptism of adults is typically held at the Easter Vigil. It is here, from these Easter mysteries, that we call to mind our baptism and how from these waters we were sent forth as a new creation who has been ordered to Christ.

Verse 21: “When a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she is delivered of the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a child is born into the world.”

This image of giving birth is used throughout the Old Testament in order to describe an intense pain. This image was used by the prophets in order to make us realize of the birth of a new people who have now been ordered towards God. Now we as the Church have been brought into existence. Christ brought this about through the pains of His own Passion as would the apostles who were willing to lay down their life in order to serve Christ and the Church. The woman rejoices at the birth of her child as the Church is now able to rejoice at the birth of a faithful soul who ha been born into eternal life.

If we think for a moment concerning the saints we would realize that their feast days are typically held on the day in which they had died and were thus raised to eternal life. We too should desire to be taken to this great celebration of the saints by the way in which we choose to order our life. May we always decide it is towards Christ that our life ought to be ordered.

In the spiritual life we will pass through moments of pain. We will trudge across a lot of hardship along the way. We will discover that path in which we are to walk is not as easy as we would of originally hoped. Nevertheless, we as Christians cannot turn back nor can we allow ourself to lose hope at these moments. We must remember that Christ has triumphed upon the cross and thus we are called to move forwards towards the rewards of eternal life.

At the moment of hardship we have received an invitation to accept the cross. If we allow ourself to embrace the cross we will discover from it the joys of our Lord’s Resurrection. So many are not willing to embrace the cross because from it is cast a great weight. Nevertheless, in scripture we are instructed: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

As we encounter this week that lays ahead may we be open to accepting the pains that are thrust upon us. May we join them to the cross and from our Lord’s sorrowful Passion may we be moved forward towards everlasting life. When this burden becomes too much to bear may we always remember Christ who makes the burden of our work light. When we partake in the joys of life eternal we will no longer remember the anguish of these pains for we will only know the great joy which is life eternal.

HOME Campaign

On Sunday our parish will finally kick off the HOME Campaign. I invite you to look over the following goals that our parish have set for the campaign. You can also look over the HOME Campaign website by clicking here. On this website you will find more information on the campaign as well as find a link to giving to the campaign.

Convert Cafeteria into a Social Hall ($175,000)
Campaign funds will help us to completely remodel and renovate of our current cafeteria. This will allow us to repurpose the cafeteria and make it more suitable for a variety of church and school gatherings. Upgrades include improved and versatile lighting and professionally engineered acoustic improvements which will include a sound system suitable for conferences. We will also bring in more comfortable and portable seating. Two new handicapped accessible bathrooms will be built, while the current bathrooms will transition into storage areas. Improvements will be made to make the exterior of the west entrance more inviting, more secure and more well-lit.

Create Parish Greenway ($15,000)
In order to better connect with our community we will add a 4,500-foot walking path around our campus. This will provide our parish multiple ways to project our vitality to Oak Ridge. This path will provide ease of access to the exiting parish centers of Marian devotion while allowing us to consider future Outdoor Stations of the Cross on our campus. Our parishioners and our neighbors can use the path to not only improve their health, but also spend more time on our parish grounds.

Replace Aging HVAC Units ($180,000)
There are two outdated HVAC units on our campus that are in need of replacing. We will looks at replacing one as soon as we can, while addressing other campaign needs before the second unit is replaced.

Increase Campus Security ($17,000)
We will use campaign needs to increase security in both the church and the school. First, we will install a security vestibule at the main entrance of the school. This will allow the school to control and monitor visitor access. Secondly, we will install a card-reader system at five primary facility doorways. These card-readers will eliminate the need for keys at these entrances and the secured entrances provide controlled access to parishioners and visitors.

Church and School Improvements ($40,000)
Church-Reseal church bell tower to address chronic leaking and wall deterioration.
School- Refurbish two aging restrooms in the school.

Reserve Fund ($54,000)
Once we reach our parish goal, we will put our remains campaign funds in a reserve fund for future facility needs. There is potential to put more than $50,000 into this fund, which will allow us to better maintain our campus without the need for special fundraising appeals.

3rd Sunday of Easter Year C Homily

In the Gospel of Saint Luke Jesus sees the disciples in their lack of ability to catch fish and thus gets into a boat to join them. From here He instructs them on where they are to cast their net in order that they may make a great catch. This account comes prior to the cross and resurrection of our Lord and thus the account which was just proclaimed to us in the Gospel of Saint John came after the cross and resurrection of our Lord.

In this post-resurrection account we notice that Christ does not get into a boat to assist them, but this time around remains at the shore and from here gives them instruction. The shore is seen as eternal life while the sea is an analogy to the world. The world where waves come and beat us about in order to keep us from remaining faithful and thus getting to the shore.

The net is caste to the right side of the boat for to stand at the right side are those who have remained close to God. Within the sea is mixed many fish, but those who have remained on the right side of the boat where those who have remained faithful to Christ and the Church. These fish have allowed nothing to separate them from grace and thus the rewards of eternal life.

Who is it who pulls these fish out of the water, but Saint Peter. It was Saint Peter who was given the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven and was thus made the first pope. Those who remain faithful to Peter and his successors do not place themselves outside of the Church, but rather remain faithful sons and daughters of the Church.

In light of this Gospel we must ask ourself how important eternal life is for us. It is easy to pass through life without ever considering it and how our actions can truly deprive ourself of this reality. Christ established the Church in order that we can be found at the right side of the boat. To the left of the boat fish were found which had separated themselves from this reality and thus they were not brought into the shore of eternal life.

If we do not feel like we are currently placed at the right side of this boat; may we not lose hope. Christ remains at the shore and continues to call out to us that we may come and encounter Him through eternal life. Following the Resurrection even the disciples had failed to understand the truth of the Resurrection. During this Easter season may we come to discover this faith which was slowly brought about into the hearts of the disciples.

The waves of life will beat us about and attempt to scatter us away from the right side of the boat, but again the Church pours out to us everything we need to remain faithful. Through the Church we find gifts such as blessings and sacramentals. To entrust ourself to these is to allow ourself and our family to be modeled after Christ and His great love for us. Most of all we cannot forget about the gift of the sacraments which continue to nourish our heart and soul and thus make us assured of God’s great love and concern for each of us.

May we set our sight upon the shore of eternal life and allow nothing to get in the way of getting there.

Divine Mercy Sunday Homily

Throughout this Octave of Easter we have journeyed from death towards everlasting life. As chronicled in the readings this past week the disciples of Christ have slowly come to understand this reality for themselves. It is most interesting that when we behold Jesus who has risen again on the third day that we encounter Him still bearing the wounds of the cross.

Through the cross we have been redeemed and from these wounds we are assured of the abundant mercy of God. This final day in the Octave of Easter has most recently become know as Divine Mercy Sunday. This devotion to Christ and His Divine Mercy is always important, but this year we also find ourself celebrating the Year of Mercy.

In our Gospel Christ did not bestow His mercy on the perfect, but instead upon the imperfect. Saint Thomas even had his doubts, but through the wounds of our Blessed Lord he was healed. Therefore we should understand that we though imperfect are called to encounter this same mercy which is poured forth from our Lord.

The image of Divine Mercy shows the many ways in which mercy is poured upon us through the use of the Sacraments. As Christ poured forth blood and water when His side was pierced, so to are these realities made manifest through baptism and the Eucharist. Baptism is to incorporate ourself to Christ and His Church for all eternity. It is a statement that despite original sin we are called to the mercy of God which is abundant. The Eucharist is a gift to the Church for through it we commune with Christ and are always called to follow after Him and His commands.

If we chronicle the life of the apostles we would see their imperfections, but we would also see Christ's mercy for them. This is the same mercy that Christ desires to pour out upon us and upon the whole world. Therefore, in the image of the Divine Mercy we find Christ’s hand raised in the air making the gesture of a blessing. In the Sacrament of Confession the priest holds their hand above the penitent in a similar manner and says the words of absolution upon them. This sacrament is to truly partake in the mercy of God.

If it has been a long time since your past confession I encourage you to begin to make use of this sacrament of healing. It is a precept of the Church to make a confession at least once during the Easter season, but hopefully we instead will grow to see the beauty of this sacrament and thus the beauty of Christ’s mercy by allowing ourself to partake of this sacrament more often then that. We walk into the confessional burdened by the weight of sin, but we walk out of it lite as a feather due to the weight of our sin which has been stripped away.

Indeed may we come to proclaim with the confidence of faith: “Jesus, I trust in you.” In the midst of temptation towards sin, “Jesus I trust in you.” In the midst of the fallen state of this world as seen through acts of terrorism and the war on the unborn, “Jesus I trust in you.” In the moments of despair, “Jesus I trust in you.”  May these words always be on our lips no matter the difficulty which we must face.

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.