Holy Family Homily

Merry Christmas! 

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. This day serves as a reminder of the importance of the church at home which is also known to us as the domestic church. So often it seems that the domestic church has been pushed to the side in many homes as families are split apart to do their own thing and thus pushing Christ off to the side.

In the manger dwells Mary the Mother of God, Jospeh her most chaste spouse, and Christ who is God made Flesh. Thankfully, the Christmas message does not end at the manger, but instead it spreads throughout the world. The importance of Christ being God made Flesh could not be contained within the confines of a manger and thus too this important message cannot be simply contained in one aspect of our life. This message must penetrate into every aspect of our life.

Within the manger all attention was placed upon the Christ child. Angels, shepherds, and magi came and they did him homage. Mary and Joseph were present and they too adored their son. Hopefully, we also set our sight upon Christ daily. Therefore, it is an important task that families are bound together to place their sight upon Christ. As one of the options for the Gospel to be proclaimed at weddings states: “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.”

To build one’s home upon Christ is to set ourself, our marriage, our vocation, our family upon the solid foundation which is Christ our Lord. Couples do not enter into marriage to live life as they wish, but rather they enter into marriage in order to participate in the cross from which our Blessed Lord pours out Himself entirely for His spouse who is the Church. When is the last time that your family has prayed? This is a serious question because again Christ must be found at the front and center of our families.

Hearing the confession of children reveals a lot about home life. To hear things such as missing Mass, never going to confession, not knowing the Act of Contrition, the Hail Mary, the Glory Be, and sometimes the Our Father is a reflection of what is not taking place within the home. If you are to set your sight upon the Christ child you must bring your children to Christ in order that they may know and love Him. This is dependent upon parents taking it upon their self to form their children in the faith as they promised God at the baptism of their child.

Therefore we need families who pray together especially the Most Holy Rosary of Our Lady, who study scripture together maybe the readings for Sunday Mass, who frequent the Sacraments by coming to Mass and making use of the confessional, who pray together before a shared meal, and who find other ways to dwell with Christ as a family.

May the Holy family of Jesus, Mary, and Jospeh always be our guide.

Christmas Day Homily

Merry Christmas!

Our Gospel this morning was taken from that of Saint John. This passage is known to us as the Last Gospel in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. Thus it was this Gospel passage that was read at the conclusion of every Mass. When the priest gets to the verse: “et carum factum est et habitavit in nobis.” “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” he is instructed to genuflect.

This is a very profound statement for it is the very concept that we come to celebrate on this Christmas morning. The fact that God’s love is so great that He chose to take on our human flesh and dwell among us. Later in this Mass we will profess our faith and we will come to state: “and by the power of the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.” Normally we would bow at such a statement, but today we are instructed to kneel for again, this is a statement that sums up the great joy that we celebrate on this Christmas morning.

One ancient prayer of the Church is that of the Angelus. This prayer is traditionally prayed three times a day at 6am, noon, and 6pm. One part of this prayer is what was read in our Gospel. The verse: “The Word became flesh.” And the response: “And dwelt among us.” By now you probably guessed, a genuflection is traditionally made at the statement “And dwelt among us.”

The action of making a genuflection is one of great humility. It finds its origins in the way that one would greet a king. It is not a simple hand shake, but is to lower yourself to another. This action sums up what God is doing for us. The fact that God is so loving that He wills to take on our human flesh and dwell among us. This is not something that He had to do, but rather was something that He desired to do out of His abundant love. Not only does God take our human flesh, but He does so by coming not to the richest of families. Instead He born in the lowliness of a stable. The King of Kings and Lord of the Lords and yet a baby who is in need of the loving care of His parents. Today we celebrate the fact that God became flesh and dwelt among us.

To this manger would flock angels, shepherds, and even kings. They all came and did Him homage. Be it angel, shepherd, or king they were willing to lower themself to God the Son who is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. Today we come to do Him homage. We come with the difficulties which are present in our life, we come with the weight of sin, we come with our brokenness and do homage to the Savior of the World who alone can heal us and make us whole.

When we enter a church where the Eucharist is present we are called to make a genuflection. A genuflection is not a curtsy, a bow, or half way rush. A genuflection is to come down upon one knee and to realize that we humble ourself in the presence of Christ our Savior, He who was born of the Blessed Virgin Mary, He who is fully God and fully man, He who humbles Himself upon the cross in order that we may be forgiven. Truly may we realize that to come into an encounter with the Eucharist is to come into an encounter with Christ. The same Christ whom angels, shepherds, and kings came to adore for they came to know and believe that this child was God made Flesh. May we too discover, believe, and trust in such a reality.

The Lord became flesh.

And dwelt among us.

4th Sunday of Advent Year C Homily

Advent is a journey. As Pope Francis puts it: “Advent is a journey towards Bethlehem. May we ourselves be drawn by the light of God made man.” For us this journey is about to come to its conclusion. Very soon we will arrive at Christmas morning and there we will come to encounter this shining light which is God made man. This is the shining light which penetrates from the darkness of night, but are we truly prepared to encounter such a light or would we rather remain in the darkness?

We have seen Nativity plays and by now we should know the classical account of the Nativity by heart. In our mind should swirl stories of angels, shepherds, and kings who came to encounter this shining light. Angels who joyously sung, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased.” Shepherds who “went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.” Kings who when they went “into the house saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him.” 

To think that what takes place is so important that angels worship and adore this shining light which is God made man. To think that shepherds were called out of the ordinary events of their daily life to encounter the extraordinary event of this shining light which is God made man. To think that kings came from their pagan roots and were converted to this shining light which is God made man which had called out to them.

Our Gospel accounts for us the Visitation where “Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the child leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” This child who leaps in the womb of Elizabeth is John the Baptist. He who would be “the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight” came into his first encounter with the Savior of the World. Some hold that John the Baptist was freed from the stain of original sin through this first encounter with Christ. Indeed to come into an encounter with the shining light that is God made man is to be transformed.

As Mary went on her journey to visit Elizabeth, so too should we continue to undergo our own journey to encounter her Son. Our life does not have to be thrust into darkness because her Son desires to become our shining light. Christmas can be a difficult time for one has lost a loved one, but despite the darkness of loss we encounter the light of love which is encompasses us all. Who in their right mind would desire not to undergo this journey? Who in their right mind would desire to stay within the darkness?

The path of conversion is a difficult path for us to undergo, but it is a path that Advent calls us to undertake. We cannot kneel at the crib which holds our Blessed Lord and remain unchanged. To encounter that baby is to encounter the one who comes to us under the appearance of bread and wine. Bread and wine which has been transformed into the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ our Lord. Yet despite such a wondrous gift, such a shining light that is God made man, so many do not contemplate what they receive. They rush into Mass without preparation and they rush out the door without making an act of thanksgiving. They allow noise to penetrate into the Church as they lose sight of the one who dwells here with us. They fail to acknowledge that they are sinners who are in need of the mercy of God and thus need to be purified by His infinite mercy which endures forever in the Sacrament of Confession. This is the same Shining Light which angels, shepherds, and kings came to adore.

Let us not lose sight of the Eucharist, but instead conform our life to it. Let it become a way of life for the Eucharist is to rebuke the darkness and to instead invite the Shining Light which is God made man into our life.

2nd Sunday of Advent Year C Homily

“Look to the east.” This command made by the Prophet Baruch sets our attention upon the Lord’s coming. It is in the season of Advent that we dare to look east as we prepare our heart for the Lord’s coming. This mindset of looking east is not something which is new, but has always been important in the life of the Church. From the very beginning of Christian worship people would dare to look east. They would dare to join together with the priest in orienting their sight towards the coming of the Lord.

One ancient custom was for the bishop or priest to conclude his homily with the words: “Conversi ad Dominum!” which means in English: “Turn towards the Lord.” As Pope Benedict XVI would put into further context: “we must always turn away from false paths, onto which we stray so often in our thoughts and action. We must turn ever anew toward him who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We must be converted ever anew, turning with our whole life toward the Lord.”

This explanation rings true with what we were told within the Gospel of Luke from the lips of Saint John the Baptist who was quoting from the words of the Prophet Isaiah. “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. The winding roads shall be made straight.” This proclamation of the coming of the Messiah is an invitation for us to undergo conversion.

To turn towards the Lord means that we must be willing to let go of everything that holds us back from this path of conversion. We like to be placed at life’s center. We like everything to revolve around us. From the Prophet Jeremiah we are told: “For they have turned their back to me.” What ways have we turned our back to the Lord in order to place the focus upon ourself?

To turn East or to turn towards the Lord places our attention upon the proper path. In the liturgy the focus is not upon you or me, but is upon the Lord. The Mass is not about personal preference or a passing feeling, but it is about the Lord. If the Lord is not at the heart of our worship then we have lost our path. Notice upon the altar a cross which was placed here for a purpose. It is a reminder that we turn our attention not towards the priest or people, but towards the Lord. As the then Cardinal Ratzinger would remark concerning this cross: “Where a direct common turning toward the east is not possible, the cross can serve as the interior ‘east’ of faith. It should stand in the middle of the altar and be the common point of focus for both priest and praying community.”

During this season of Advent I invite you to be truthful with yourself. I invite you to pray upon the ways in which you have placed yourself and your wants before that of the Lord. As Saint John the Baptist states: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Yes, we must decrease if the Lord is to increase within us. We must let go of any hatred, division, pride, or whatever sin may be stirred up within us which keeps us from orienting our sight towards the Lord. Before you know it the Lord’s coming will be here: in the crib on Christmas morning, in judgement at the second coming, and with us today in the Eucharist when the Lord comes into our midst. May we set straight the paths of our life as we further prepare for the Lord’s coming.

Conversi ad Dominum!

Turn towards the Lord!

Immaculate Conception Homily

If we watch or read enough news it is easy to fall into a state of depression. The picture which is often painted is that the world is a corrupt place. It would be easy to believe that there is no hope and that we are powerless against all of these negatives. 

Yes, we are a culture who does not value the sanctity of human life. Yes, we lack understanding concerning marriage being between a male and a female and its permanence. Yes, there is a lot of corrupt things which are coming from Church hierarchy. And yes, this list goes on and on.

Despite all of this we come to celebrate today the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. Hopefully this great celebration can lift our spirits which might be plunged into the very depths of despair. If we go back to the book of Genesis we would encounter Adam and Eve and their fall from grace. It would seem here that all hope would be lost and yet we are told “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

As we see reveled in Revelation 12: “The dragon was angry with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus.” From Revelation 12 we come to see that Mary is the new Eve. It was Eve who ushered in sin and death into the world’s existence, but it was Mary who lifted us out of this sin and death.

We thus often see her depicted as crushing the serpent with her heel. She crushes this serpent for she was conceived without the stain sin upon her soul, she crushes the serpent for she never gave into the grasp of sin, she crushes the serpent through her “yes” given to the angel Gabriel which ushered in God made Flesh who died upon the cross in order that we may be redeemed and the gates of Heaven may be opened once again.

There is a lot within this world which can lead us into a spirit of depression, but our celebration of the Immaculate Conception should lift us out of these feelings. This celebration is a shining light in the midst of darkness which shows us that there is hope for each and everyone of us. May we foster true devotion to our Blessed Mother and be willing to follow after her in order to be drawn into a deeper relationship with her Son.

St. Mary, pray for us.

1st Sunday of Advent Year C Homily

It was a few days prior to Halloween that I was eating supper at a local restaurant. Already playing upon the radio was Christmas music. Only a few days later I would be at a coffee shop to overhear people talking about officially being in the Christmas season and yet it was still October. Now that we have celebrated Thanksgiving many go on to celebrate Christmas which after the 25th day of December will be taken down, boxed up, and long forgotten.

But today the Church reminds us that we are in a period of preparation. That we are not yet at Christmas and before we get there that we must prepare. This is the season of Advent which comes from the Latin word “Adventus” which means “to come.” This Latin word comes from the Greek word, parousia. It is this word which is used a total 17 times in scripture in reference to the Second Coming Christ. 

Saint Bernard of Claivaux remarked that there are a total of three comings of Christ: (1) In the flesh at the Nativity, (2) in glory at the end of time, and (3) daily within our heart. This is precisely why the season of Advent is so important for us to observe. If we fail to observe this season we fail to make room with Christ at Bethlehem, we fail to prepare for our encounter with Him at the end of time, and we fail to realize our daily need to allow Him to enter into our heart.

The Prophet Jeremiah places our sight about God’s first coming to dwell among us: For “In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot; he shall do what is right and just in the land.” This promise which is made is connecting the dots between King David and the coming of the Messiah. This is to say that the coming of Christ is what all of scripture is pointing towards. That Christ is the fulfillment of the many covenants which are found throughout scripture.

Verse 27 of our Gospel states: “And then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” It here that we are being given a glimpse into the establishment of the New Covenant as well as being informed that Christ will come again in great glory. It is for this reason that we need to be found watchful and awake. If we are not found watchful and awake it is possible that we will miss out completely.

The Church does not give us directives on when we are to decorate for Christmas, but the Church does give us this beautiful season of preparation. We now prepare for Christ’s coming. We are not yet in the season of Christmas. I hope that you will not get caught up in the busyness of these next four weeks without taking a break to truly ponder what it is that you are preparing for. The heart of Christmas is not gifts or decorations, but is Christ. There is so much that we do which we carefully plan out to the minute of details. To think back to Black Friday and what makes a successful purchase. You must know the deal at hand, you must know where it is located, and you better get there super early. If we take so much time for trivial stuff like this why don’t we take time to build a relationship with Christ by preparing our heart for His coming?

For His coming in the manger at the Nativity, for His second coming at the end of time, and for His daily coming to reign within our heart. Let our hearts not become drowsy, but instead remain watchful and awake. Let us keep watch for the Lord is coming soon. May we be found prepared for His arrival.

Christ the King Year B Homily

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King which brings about the conclusion of our liturgical year.

A king has a kingdom entrusted to his care. For Christ our King this is also true, but it does not come in the worldly sense which was expected. To put this into perspective, the words “Kingdom of God” appear a total of 122 times throughout the course of the New Testament, 99 of these times they are found within the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), and 80 out of these 99 times are the words of Jesus Himself. From this we can gather that the “Kingdom of God” is at the front and center of Christ’s message.

If the “Kingdom of God” was so important to Christ’s message we must reason that the Kingdom of God continues to be important for us in this day and age. Despite this importance it easy to get confused on the true meaning of the Kingdom of God or the statement that Christ is our King. Our Gospel presents us with Pilate who much like others was confused on these statements. Pilate who questions Jesus concerning His Kingship. Pilate who was confused on what it meant for Christ to be a King or to have a kingdom. Pilate who was convinced that Christ was a threat to his rule.

Much like Pilate our world seems to be engulfed in a similar attitude. We have become so busy as a culture that we have fooled ourself into believing that we are no longer in need of God. We believe that we are at the height of the enlightenment and thus we reject the reality of there being a finite truth. We have become desensitized to immorality to the point that we no longer feel compelled to chase after virtue. We place the pursuit of money and belongings at the center of our life. We have cut ourself off from the community and attempt to do everything alone. Yes, much like Pilate we fear anything that might infringe upon our way of life.

Nevertheless, it is Christ whom our heart truly longs for. It is Christ and His Kingdom that will set us free from all that holds us hostage. Pilate came into an encounter with the Kingdom of God because he came into an encounter with Christ. Despite this encounter he missed the very thing that His heart longed for. Origen held that the Kingdom of God is made manifest through the presence of Christ. Therefore this statement is not about a location, but is about the Person of Christ Himself and our relation to this Person. In the words of Benedict XVI: “The Kingdom of God is not to be found on any map. It is not a kingdom after the fashion of worldly kingdoms; it is located in man’s inner being. It grows and radiates outward from that inner space.”

Therefore as we celebrate this Solemnity of Christ the King may we allow His Kingdom to grow within our heart. As is petitioned within the Our Father: “thy Kingdom Come.” If we allow His Kingdom to grow within us we and our world will be transformed. We will allow His Kingdom to come and reign in our midst. If this Kingdom is to come and Christ is to be our King we need to place Him at life’s center. We need to be willing to let go of all that keeps us from Him which includes the lure of worldliness and sin. We cannot be like Pilate who had Christ in his midst and yet could not conform his life to the truth which was before him. Instead let us “seek first the kingdom and his righteousness” for Christ will come again and His Kingdom will never pass away.

33rd Sunday of OT Year B Homily

There are many religious groups which are concerned with the end of time. They are convinced that what is going on within the world is proof of various revelations made throughout the course of scripture that proves that the end is nigh. Some are so bold that they even dare to attach a date to the end of the world, but time and time again those dates come and go and we are still here.

Now surprisingly, the Church does proclaim that we are already in the final age. The 2nd Vatican Council states: “Already the final age of the world is with us and the renewal of the world is irrevocably under way.” This is true because we now await the second coming of Christ. As we proclaim in the mystery of faith: “We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.”

We now set our sight upon the end of time for next week we will celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King which will bring about the conclusion of the liturgical year. Then we will find ourself in the midst of the season of Advent as we prepare for the birth of the Messiah as well as the return of Jesus in the second coming. I believe that this second point often goes forgotten, but we cannot forget the fact that Christ will come again.

Saint Mark’s Gospel expresses these notions for “the sun will be darkened” “and then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the clouds’ with great power and glory.” Elsewhere in Scripture we are told that we know not the time nor the hour. We are told that we must remain vigilant for we do not know the hour when the owner of the house will return.

As Catholics we do not spend time attempting to calculate the date of the world’s end, but we must be convinced of the importance of being found prepared. The fact is that Christ will come again. To this we know not the time nor the hour. We may be alive or long gone, but He will come again. Even if we are long gone by the time of Christ’s second coming there is no one among us who can escape death. Each and every one of us will fall prey to its grasp.

Despite this we often live our life as if we are invincible. Rather, we should acknowledge the reality of our own mortality and strive for Heaven above all things. To think that there will come an hour when we will be judged, but we act as if this matters not to us. The judgement of God stands for all eternity and yes there is the possibility that we will not be found worthy of Heaven.

Therefore prepare for the end now because once it gets here there will no longer be time to prepare. As we come to the conclusion of this liturgical year and draw ever closer to Advent and our Lord’s second coming we need to prepare. This is precisely why actions such as fasting and penance are so important. They aid us in being found prepared as we draw closer to this reality.

Reparation needs to be done for we are a sinful generation who have turned against God. We see this in the scandal of clergy and we see this proclaimed in a generation who knows not God nor His commands. There is no one among us who is without sin, but if we are serious with our faith we will realize that we cannot be content to be sinners who reject God and His commands. Let us truly prepare ourself through fasting, through penance, and through acts of reparation in order that we and this world in which we live may truly be conformed to Christ crucified.

32nd Sunday in OT Year B

“Be pleased to look upon these offerings with a serene and kindly countenance, and to accept them, as once you were pleased to accept the gifts of your servant Abel the just, the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith, and the offering of your high priest Melchizedek.”

These words are contained inside of the Roman Canon also known as the first Eucharistic Prayer. They are reflective of the concept of offering sacrifice freely and for the right motive. Abel offered a sacrifice which was found acceptable to God while his brother, Cain, offered sacrifice for the wrong motive and thus it was not found acceptable. Abraham was tested in offering his son, Isaac, and was found obedient to God. Finally, we have Melchizedek who takes on the role of high priest who would offer sacrifice inside of the temple as a foreshadowing of the priesthood that we know to this day.

The concept of sacrifice must remain central to our understanding of faith especially when it comes to what is taking place when we have the opportunity to assist at the Mass. In our Epistle it may sound like sacrifice is no longer important, but that is not the case. Before Christ sacrifice was necessary because there was no other way to atone for one’s sinfulness. Thankfully, through the coming of the Messiah and His death and Resurrection we have been set free. He offers upon the cross the perfect sacrifice and thus it would be incorrect to state that the Mass is a 

re-crucifixion of Christ because something was lacking. Rather, to assist at the Mass is to be present with Christ at Calvary. Christ is only crucified once and what He offers is perfect and nothing is lacking.

We live in the midst of a world which wants nothing to do with sacrifice. We want things to come easily, we want what we want and we want it as quickly as possible, we hate to undergo any hardship because it is so easy to banish the cross from our presence. If we banish the cross we also banish the resurrection.

In our Gospel we encounter this woman who makes sacrifice. Through this sacrifice she takes hold of the cross of our Blessed Lord. She takes from the little that she has and gives everything unto the Lord. She is unlike the scribes who desire to be seen for from their appearance and deeds in order that they become the talk of the town. Rather, this is a humble woman who is willing to give entirely of herself. Surely it was not easy for her to give so much and yet her trust was placed firmly in the Lord.

Today may we be challenged to enter into sacrifice. From sacrifice and the undertaking of penance we allow ourself to grow in virtue. It is easy to observe that we have grown stagnant in our faith and thus it is sacrifice which challenges us to truly grow. Therefore, I implore that the faithful keep a crucifix with them and to practice sacrifice. Thus in the midst of hardship, worry, and temptation you have something to hold onto which reminds you of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice that has set us free. The cross is important because it teaches us that there is value in that which we cannot control. The cross is important for it forms us into true disciples of the Lord. May we be willing to be true disciples of the Lord who are willing to give our life unto Him and who are willing to embrace the hardship of the cross for from it we have been set free.

31st Sunday in OT Year B Homily

“Hear, O Israel! The Lord, is our God, the Lord alone.”

These are important words for they make up the Jewish prayer which is known as the Shema which is taken from the first word from that statement, “hear.” For the Jew these words are so important. This prayer is so important that it was required to be said at morning and night. This prayer is so important that it becomes the final words that you speak before you die. This prayer is so important that you make sure that your children know these words. The faithful would even wear a little box upon their forehead known as the “Tefillin” which would contain these words. Indeed in the Jewish faith this is the most important prayer.

Not only is this prayer important for them, but it must also be important for us. It must be important because in our Gospel Christ takes these same words and lists them as being the greatest commandment. He then joins them to the statement: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

That first word, to hear (shema), is most important for us. If we are to hear then we in return need to listen. If we are not willing to listen then we cannot hear. Yet in our modern world we are so busy that we choose not to listen. We cannot fool ourself into thinking that we are too busy to enter into prayer. You fail to pray not because you are too busy, but because you have failed to choose to make time for the Lord to listen to Him. This a choice that must worked at until it becomes a habit like the many habits that we have already formed in our life such as brushing our teeth.

The prayer is important because it reminded the individual of the necessity to be in love with God. Hopefully we too desire to have this same love for God. Not just the word “love,” but rather love which penetrates into our heart and informs who we are as a human person. If we have become convinced of such a reality why would we fail to rejoice in this reality and share this love with others?

Within the home parents are the primary educators and yet what have they educated their children upon? Hopefully it is love for God and love for neighbor. To think that the Jewish faithful would drill the Shema into their children until the knew this prayer. For us I encounter so many children who don’t know the Hail Mary, the Our Father, the commandments, how to make a confession, and this list goes on and on. If we are convinced of Christ and His love for us why would deprive others ,especially one’s children, of this same knowledge and love?

Hopefully the words of the Shema will cause us to reflect upon our need to listen and from there be filled with the knowledge of God’s love. From the love that we have we are able to give. Therefore, fall in love with God and allow Him to inform all of your actions and your dealings with others. We are called to share the Gospel and to invite others to fall in love with the Lord. May we be willing to hear in order that we may listen to the Lord’s commands.

All Souls Day Homily

Today we celebrate the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed. This reminds us of the necessity to pray for the souls of the faithful departed. We play a great disservice to the deceased when we fail to pray for them and to offer our sacrifice on their behalf.

The Book of Revelation is very clear that nothing which is unclean will enter Heaven. If scripture is true here all of us would be in great trouble, because nobody here is without sin. Thankfully, Purgatory takes those in their impurity and purifies them in order that they may be made clean. As scripture attests to this notion in the Book of 1 Peter: “As gold which is tested in fire.” When impurity is found within gold the only way to get that impurity out is to let it pass through fire. I must stress that Purgatory is not a second chance because these souls in question have already been judged as worthy of Heaven by God and must now undergo purification.

Some claim that our prayers and sacrifices do no good for the deceased, but from the second Book of Maccabees we heard concerning the importance of making “atonement for the dead that they might be freed from (their) sin.”

In our modern age funerals so often fail to lead us towards praying for the dead and considering our own mortality. The funeral is not a celebration of life, but rather it is to enter into the Sacred Mysteries of our Lord’s passion in order that the soul of the faithful departed may be cleansed. It is to say that we are not God and we cannot judge the salvation of another, but with the confidence of faith that we can trust in the reality of everlasting life. If we trust in this reality then we too will strive to be found worthy of the Kingdom of God by how we order our life on this earth.

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

During the “Lamb of God” the priest takes the host into his hands and breaks it in half. He then breaks off a third piece from the host which he places inside of the chalice. These three pieces of the host serve as a reminder of the Church which is made up of three realities. There is the Church purgative whom we will focus upon in a special way on All Soul’s Day, there is the Church triumphant whom we focus upon today as we come to celebrate All Saint’s Day, and there is the Church militant which is made up of each of us here on earth who must now strive for Heaven.

When we think of the Church I think we often fail to think about these three realities and yet they are all so closely bound together. We do a great injustice to the souls of the faithful departed if we fail to pray for them. We do a great injustice to ourself if we go through our life without having devotion to the saints. The saints are now in Heaven, they have been called home to God, and hopefully to this same home we now wish to follow after.

When we attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass all of these realities are present with us. We are present within the Church and we are nourished from the Altar of God by the Most Holy Eucharist. The saints of Heaven are present with us as the Sacred Mysteries unfold around us. We also pray for the dead for they too are further purified through the Mass which is offered. For example when a priest offers a Low Mass with nobody else present it is pointed out about the importance of the blessing given at the end of Mass because this blessing extends to the poor souls in Purgatory. Truly whenever we are at the Mass we are joined to these three realities which make up the Church.

Now we must come to understand that God is the just judge. For us who make up the Church militant we must strive for Heaven. We must realize that each of us are called to be saints as the souls in Purgatory have already been found worthy of being saints, but first they must pass through a period of purification. If we realize that we are called to be saints then we should also realize that we must live out our faith and profess it throughout the world. The saints did not just stumble their way into Heaven because if that is all that we are going for it is possible that we will fall short and not be found worthy of our goal. If we know are goal to be Heaven then strive for Heaven. Then participate in the Sacramental life of the Church which means frequenting the Sacrament of Confession and receiving our Blessed Lord in the state of grace.

To think if we reach our goal of Heaven we will be venerated as saints. All Saint’s Day is not exclusive to those saints who we now know by name. All Saint’s Day is for all those in Heaven whose name we now know or whose name we don’t. Nobody here probably has a family member who has been canonized as a saint, though while in Oak Ridge I did have a funeral for a family who was related to Saint Philip Neri (So I guess that anything is possible). Yet their name appearing in a dictionary of saints or not does not mean that they are not in Heaven. All Saint’s Day is a celebration of all the saints who have been called home by God, name known or unknown. Hopefully we will foster devotion to all the saints and come to follow in their footsteps in order that we too may be called home by God.

May all the angels and saints of Heaven intercede for us that we may always elevate our sight upwards towards Heaven and strive to get there by the way in which we order our life to glorify God in all that we do.

30th Sunday of OT Year B Homily

In the midst of a city such as Alcoa it is difficult to get a glimpse of true darkness. Even in the middle of nowhere we may get a good look at the stars at night, but this is still not true darkness. If you want a true glimpse into darkness take a trip into a cave, turn off your flashlight, and then you will know what it feels like to be submerged into complete darkness.

Light and darkness are a common theme throughout scripture. Light is attributed to virtue and being held into relationship with God. Darkness is attributed to sin and the death that it brings into one’s life. Darkness becomes blindness because through it one is unable to see the light which is meant to be seen. There can be nothing worse then being thrust into the darkness of sin and the blindness that it brings unto the soul. If we were to be thrust into the darkness of a cave we would long for the light which we once knew, but it would be difficult to find our way out. Once light is cast upon the situation we will then be given guidance to the path which we must take.

In our Gospel we are actually given the name of the man who was healed from his blindness, Bartimaeus. This name reveals to us that he is the son of Timaeus. Saint Augustine concludes that he came from great influence, but lost all that he had when he became blind. When we encounter him he would be placed along the wall leading out of Jericho. This was a good spot because this was a busy path which many would cross as they would make their way to Jerusalem.

Jesus passes along this path for He is making His way to Jerusalem and there He will be welcomed and then crucified. As we pray in the Stations of the Cross: “We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You, because by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.”

These words are most true because by the Holy Cross of our Lord we have been redeemed and have been allowed to have the light of Christ shine brightly in the midst of the darkness of sin. To think of this man cast out of the community and lowered to the necessity of begging all because he could not see. Thankfully he had faith in Christ and was willing to shout out to Him in his faith in order that he may be healed. Even when voices raised in protest he was still willing to cry out all the louder from the midst of his faith: “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.”

From our encounter with Bartimaeus we are given a reminder of the importance of seeing the light of Christ, we are given a reminder of the richness that come from faith, and we are being taught of our need to shout out loudly above all those voices which seek to ruin our relationship with the Lord.

Darkness ,just like sin, is not a relative notion, but like the light which springs forth from Christ it is finite and true. Therefore I implore you to study your faith and to conform your life to the morality which is found therein even when what must be sacrificed from you may seem great. No one locks their self into the cavern of cave to proclaim that it is not dark inside. Let us then seek out and find the light of Christ by prevailing ourself to His infinite mercy especially that infinite mercy which is found in the Sacrament of Confession. In such manner may our eyes be opened to the light of Christ.

29th Sunday in OT Year B Homily

My name is Father Dustin Collins and I am the new priest who has been assigned to this parish. I just celebrated my 33rd birthday on October 13th. If you remember from history that is the day that the sun danced about the sky bringing about the conclusion to the apparitions at Fatima. I celebrated my birthday and was then sent to this parish named after Our Lady of Fatima. Divine providence, I hope so. I look forward to meeting all you, being present for the various activities of this community, and I desire to lead each of you into a greater relationship with Christ our Lord. Pray for me that I always be a true servant of the Lord.

One topic that many priests dread is that of money and yet here I am on my first Sunday at this parish, and guess what, I have been asked to give this homily on stewardship. Hopefully each of you already realize that the word stewardship deals with more then just money. Stewardship is concerning our time, talent, and treasure or more simply it is to become a servant of the Lord through all that we do.  At the end of Mass a representative from our parish’s finance council will address you concerning the financial situation of our parish and will encourage you to evaluate what you will give to this parish in the upcoming year.

Often times when something becomes a routine we lose sight of the purpose that lies behind what we are doing. To throw a few dollars into the collection can be done mindlessly, but more importantly it must be seen as a giving of self. Through our participation in the offertory we are making a sacrifice and are joining it to that sacrifice that is offered perfectly on our behalf by Christ upon the cross. I cannot tell you what you should give, but I can tell you to pray about it. We should pray about all that we do and especially invoke the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our deliberations. Maybe what you give is a habit which ceases to respond to this sacrificial mentality?

Our Gospel instructs us on the importance of being a servant. This takes me to the true heart of stewardship. So many get caught up in money, but my concern is the salvation of souls. If souls are being saved then we have accomplished Christ’s task. We must thus become servants of the Lord. Christ gets to the very heart of servitude in the Gospel of Saint John when He washes His disciples feet. Jesus states to them: “Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him.”

Humility is something which is tough and must be worked at. It is said that its opposite, pride, is the root of all sin. If we are to become servants of the Lord then we must become humble of heart. In such a manner we will see our dependence upon God and thus the necessity to build up a relationship with Him. If we realize our dependence upon God then we also realize that our time, talent, and treasure should assist in the building up of His Kingdom here on earth.

The answer to a healthy community of faith is not its influx of money, but is souls who are willing to become servants of the Lord in all that they do. Therefore I invite you to make this your parish home. Frequent this place through its many activities, but most all participate in our life of faith. Frequent the Sacrament of Confession, worthily receive our Blessed Lord in Holy Communion, and don’t forget about the Blessed Sacrament Chapel and making time to spend with the Lord. May we truly become servants of the Lord and be giving of ourself to the needs of the Church through our time, talent, and treasure.

28th Sunday of OT Year B Homily

On October 4th the Church celebrated the Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi, but who is Saint Francis? Most would say that he had a love for animals which is true because he had a love for all of God’s creation, but we cannot allow this image to overshadow his other acts. Others would remember him for the Prayer of Saint Francis which he never wrote. He is often quoted as saying “preach the Gospel at all times and if necessary use words.” As true as these words may be this is not a quotation from Saint Francis.

And so who was Saint Francis? Most importantly Saint Francis was an individual who came to love God above all things. He surrendered all that he had for God. Therefore he took on a radical poverty where he got rid of everything in order to follow after the Lord. From his relationship with the Lord he was given the desire to take care of the poorest of the poor and was able to see Christ who dwelt within them. One day during his prayers he was given the gift of the Stigmata where he came to bare the wounds of our Blessed Lord. He was a man who was willing to take up acts such as penance and fasting in order that he could come to love God with his whole heart and to push vice and sin out of his life. Truly Saint Francis is a radical individual who was willing to lay down all in his life in order to follow after the Lord.

Saint Francis becomes a perfect example of what the individual in our Gospel was told: “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” I am sure that these words were difficult for Saint Francis to live and yet he was so filled with love for the Lord that he was able to live these words. Christ also looks at us and desires that we come to follow after Him to the point where we are willing to abandon all that keeps us from this relationship.

Our Gospel reaffirms the importance of living out the Ten Commandments and our Gospel reaffirms our need to abandon that which keeps us from following after Him. In the Book of Hebrews we were told “everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.” Therefore you may have me fooled, your spouse fooled, your children fooled, your friends and coworkers fooled, but God knows your sin. If God already knows your sin, as He already knew the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden, why not prevail yourself to the Sacrament of Confession and why not begin to abandon that which truly keeps you from following after Him?

One important practice of the Church is fasting and yet most don’t practice or even think about fasting except for on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday where we are required to fast by Church law. Throughout the Church’s history fasting is something that has been held as important. It was common for Christians to fast on bread and water every Wednesday for this was the day when our Lord was handed over, every Friday for it was the day of our Lord’s crucifixion, and every Saturday in preparation for the Resurrection. Yet we are lucky if we fast just two times a year. Have you tried and tried to break yourself from a vice and found that no matter how hard you try you cannot free yourself from its grasp? Do you find hate in your heart towards an individual and no matter how hard you try you cannot forgive? Maybe fasting is what you need in your life to abandon that which is keeping you from living charitably and following after the Lord.

May Saint Francis of Assisi pray for us that we may come to abandon all that keeps us from following after Christ.

27th Sunday of OT Year B Homily

Today we celebrate what would be the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary. Throughout the month of October our Holy Father has asked that all the faithful pray the rosary as well as the St. Michael prayer each day. Hopefully you have already taken up this task and are doing so as a family. Truly fidelity to the rosary and the strengthening of married life should go hand in hand.

St. John Paul II stated: “The family, the primary cell of society, [is] increasingly menaced by forces of disintegration on both the ideological and practical planes, so as to make us fear for the future of this fundamental and indispensable institution and, with it, for the future of society as a whole. The revival of the Rosary in Christian families … will be an effective aid to countering the devastating effects of this crisis typical of our age.”

To put the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary into context: It was on October 7, 1571 that Pope Pius V requested that all of Europe pray the holy rosary for victory and even led a rosary procession in Rome due to the invading Ottoman Turks. Despite being greatly outnumbered Lepanto did not fall to the invading forces. This victory was attributed to Our Lady and to the praying of her rosary.

In a few days will fall October 13th. This is a special day, not because it is my birthday, but because it is the day that the sun danced about the sky and the apparitions of Fatima came to their conclusion. It was at Fatima that our Blessed Mother appeared to three children. She requested: “pray the Rosary every day, in order to obtain peace for the world, and the end of the war.”

Sister Lucia, one of the three children who witnessed the apparitions at Fatima, stated: “The final battle between the Lord and the kingdom of Satan will be about Marriage and the Family. Don’t be afraid, because whoever works for the sanctity of Marriage and the Family will always be fought against and opposed in every way, because this is the decisive issue. Nevertheless, Our Lady has already crushed his head.”

In our Gospel Jesus elevates marriage to the status of a Sacrament. I find it interesting that the apostles were explained this teaching and then they turn around had to be told again. Christ affirms here the indissolubility of marriage as something which was intended by God at Creation. It was for this reason “that God made them male and female” in order that “the two may be one.” To enter into the sacramental bonds of marriage is to accept this life long commitment no matter the cross, it is to accept children and to bring them up in the faith, and it is to join them together in order to pursue holiness.

Despite what Christ instructs in our Gospel it seems that in our modern day world that the words of Sister Lucia are coming true. Truly the sacrament of marriage is under attack.

I hope that we finally come to heed the words of not only our Holy Father, but more importantly the words of our Blessed Mother. The battle is truly being waged between Satan and the family. May we take up the weapon of her rosary and pray it each day as she has requested. May we counteract this misunderstanding of marriage and the family by turning our homes into places of prayer. Places where God and the saints are glorified instead of pushed aside. To think that wars were ended through the faithful praying of the rosary. What changes could be made with our faithful praying of such a prayer? May our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us that we be not be consumed by the ways of our culture, but rather may be found willing to counteract our culture as true witnesses of the Gospel message.